Chapter Six
The next day, Elladan sought out Gilraeth after the mid-day meal. He had not seen the boy at breakfast, or at the table of this meal. The occupants arose and left simultaneously to go do various tasks around Imaldris. Gilraeth was not among them.
Elladan went to the closed door of the boy's quarters and softly knocked upon the door.
"Gilraeth? It's Elladan," the Elf called quietly. There was no reply. "May I enter?"
Still no answer.
Going against his better judgment, Elladan turned the knob and went inside. He looked around, but the boy was not there. Puzzled, Elladan left and headed outside. Where could the pen-neth have gone?
He decided to try the path they had been walking along yesterday. As his feet came to tread along the dirt way, he stopped and knelt down to examine the ground. Gilraeth had recently come along this way.
Encouraged, Elladan continued along the path, following the faint footprints as he went. After a moment, the Elf stopped and listened. The trees rustled uneasily. Elladan glanced up and easily spotted Gilraeth's red hair against the brown trunk.
"At last," Elladan called up. The boy did not answer him. "I was beginning to wonder where you'd run off to."
"Why?" Gilraeth snapped. "So you can invade my life some more?"
Elladan sighed, "That's not why I came looking for you."
"Then why did you?"
"So I could apologize," Elladan replied hesitantly. There was silence from above.
"I'm sorry," Elladan started, feeling rather hopeless. "I did not intend to pry into your life, or become angry. I realize now that you are not ready to reveal such things, pen-neth. Will you forgive me?"
Stillness came from the trees, and after awhile, Elladan sighed and turned away, beginning to walk back to Imaldris.
"Elladan."
The Elf turned to see Gilraeth drop from the lowest branch of the tree and make his way towards him. "I was wrong to anger so quickly as well, but I felt - felt cornered. Trapped without escape. But I apologize as well."
Elladan smiled and knelt down to the boy's level. "I only wish for your safety and protection, Gilraeth. Do you understand this?"
Gilraeth simply nodded.
"And so I promise to keep you safe from harm as long as you remain in Imaldris. You are in my keeping. And may Elbereth curse me if ever I should fail."
Gilraeth smiled and nodded, wishing that the Elf would simply reach out to embrace him. He longed for and needed Elladan's love, having been cut off from all forms of it for so long. But he did not make his desires known. Instead he and Elladan walked down the path, back home.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Elladan and Gilraeth came to understand one another more and more. Often Elladan and Elrohir would take the boy hunting with them. Gilraeth enjoyed these outings very much, and was always attentive as the brothers showed him the complex art of the hunt.
When they weren't hunting, Elladan and Gilraeth would often walk together, sometimes in silence, but more often than not, they would talk about various things. Elladan never again pressed Gilraeth about his past, and in doing this, slowly gained the boy's trust.
One day as the two laid beside a quiet stream, basking in the early autumn sun while they could, Gilraeth sat up, staring into space. Elladan hadn't noticed; he was half-asleep in the soothing rays.
"Elladan?" Gilraeth called softly.
The Elf stirred and inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering. Finally, they opened and Elladan smiled up at the boy.
"Yes, pen-neth?" he murmured sleepily.
"I - I want to tell you something."
Elladan yawned and sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What is it, Gilraeth?"
The boy looked a bit nervous, and somewhat frightened. Seeing this in his brown eyes, Elladan drew closer to him.
"Do not fear to tell me, Gilraeth. I will listen and I will not judge. That is not my place. What is on your heart?"
Gilraeth took in a deep breath and bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "I don't know how to start," he said quietly.
"Take your time."
After a few moments of silence, Gilraeth started in:
"My father was killed in battle when I was nine. After the day my mother and I received news, her spirit fled. She turned evil."
Here he paused, unsure of how to tell him more. Gilraeth searched the Elf's face. He found curiosity, but also understanding, pain, and sympathy. Elladan did not speak, and the boy only admired him more for this.
"W-well, I lived with her up until a few months ago. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Couldn't take what, Gilraeth?" Elladan asked softly. His storm gray eyes met the boy's brown eyes. The message within Elladan's was, "Trust me." Tears sprang to the back of Gilraeth's eyes.
"The - the - I couldn't take her and her . . .abuse," he finally choked out, the tears rolling down his face.
Elladan sat in shock. Abuse? This boy's own mother had been abusing him?
"She . . . she's very strict," Gilraeth continued. "If I do anything wrong she'll usually . . . hit me. My room b-became the cellar. I hardly ate . . ."
By then, the tears were falling down the faces of both Elf and child. Elladan wished this all weren't the truth, but why would the boy lie about something like this? Without warning, Gilraeth flung himself upon Elladan and dissolved into tears. Surprised, yet entirely sympathetic, Elladan's arms slowly came to wrap themselves around the boy's small, shaking form.
Everything made sense. Now Elladan had a greater reason to follow through with his promise to protect the boy, not only from his mother, but from the memories of his past treatment.
Slowly, Gilraeth's sobs quieted and his grip lessened, allowing himself to melt into Elladan's arms.
"Gilraeth . . ." Elladan said softly. "It's all right, pen-neth. I am here. No one will hurt you again, I promise."
There was only a sniffle for a response.
"I promise," the Elf repeated with more firmness. "I promise."
The next day, Elladan sought out Gilraeth after the mid-day meal. He had not seen the boy at breakfast, or at the table of this meal. The occupants arose and left simultaneously to go do various tasks around Imaldris. Gilraeth was not among them.
Elladan went to the closed door of the boy's quarters and softly knocked upon the door.
"Gilraeth? It's Elladan," the Elf called quietly. There was no reply. "May I enter?"
Still no answer.
Going against his better judgment, Elladan turned the knob and went inside. He looked around, but the boy was not there. Puzzled, Elladan left and headed outside. Where could the pen-neth have gone?
He decided to try the path they had been walking along yesterday. As his feet came to tread along the dirt way, he stopped and knelt down to examine the ground. Gilraeth had recently come along this way.
Encouraged, Elladan continued along the path, following the faint footprints as he went. After a moment, the Elf stopped and listened. The trees rustled uneasily. Elladan glanced up and easily spotted Gilraeth's red hair against the brown trunk.
"At last," Elladan called up. The boy did not answer him. "I was beginning to wonder where you'd run off to."
"Why?" Gilraeth snapped. "So you can invade my life some more?"
Elladan sighed, "That's not why I came looking for you."
"Then why did you?"
"So I could apologize," Elladan replied hesitantly. There was silence from above.
"I'm sorry," Elladan started, feeling rather hopeless. "I did not intend to pry into your life, or become angry. I realize now that you are not ready to reveal such things, pen-neth. Will you forgive me?"
Stillness came from the trees, and after awhile, Elladan sighed and turned away, beginning to walk back to Imaldris.
"Elladan."
The Elf turned to see Gilraeth drop from the lowest branch of the tree and make his way towards him. "I was wrong to anger so quickly as well, but I felt - felt cornered. Trapped without escape. But I apologize as well."
Elladan smiled and knelt down to the boy's level. "I only wish for your safety and protection, Gilraeth. Do you understand this?"
Gilraeth simply nodded.
"And so I promise to keep you safe from harm as long as you remain in Imaldris. You are in my keeping. And may Elbereth curse me if ever I should fail."
Gilraeth smiled and nodded, wishing that the Elf would simply reach out to embrace him. He longed for and needed Elladan's love, having been cut off from all forms of it for so long. But he did not make his desires known. Instead he and Elladan walked down the path, back home.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Elladan and Gilraeth came to understand one another more and more. Often Elladan and Elrohir would take the boy hunting with them. Gilraeth enjoyed these outings very much, and was always attentive as the brothers showed him the complex art of the hunt.
When they weren't hunting, Elladan and Gilraeth would often walk together, sometimes in silence, but more often than not, they would talk about various things. Elladan never again pressed Gilraeth about his past, and in doing this, slowly gained the boy's trust.
One day as the two laid beside a quiet stream, basking in the early autumn sun while they could, Gilraeth sat up, staring into space. Elladan hadn't noticed; he was half-asleep in the soothing rays.
"Elladan?" Gilraeth called softly.
The Elf stirred and inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering. Finally, they opened and Elladan smiled up at the boy.
"Yes, pen-neth?" he murmured sleepily.
"I - I want to tell you something."
Elladan yawned and sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What is it, Gilraeth?"
The boy looked a bit nervous, and somewhat frightened. Seeing this in his brown eyes, Elladan drew closer to him.
"Do not fear to tell me, Gilraeth. I will listen and I will not judge. That is not my place. What is on your heart?"
Gilraeth took in a deep breath and bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "I don't know how to start," he said quietly.
"Take your time."
After a few moments of silence, Gilraeth started in:
"My father was killed in battle when I was nine. After the day my mother and I received news, her spirit fled. She turned evil."
Here he paused, unsure of how to tell him more. Gilraeth searched the Elf's face. He found curiosity, but also understanding, pain, and sympathy. Elladan did not speak, and the boy only admired him more for this.
"W-well, I lived with her up until a few months ago. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Couldn't take what, Gilraeth?" Elladan asked softly. His storm gray eyes met the boy's brown eyes. The message within Elladan's was, "Trust me." Tears sprang to the back of Gilraeth's eyes.
"The - the - I couldn't take her and her . . .abuse," he finally choked out, the tears rolling down his face.
Elladan sat in shock. Abuse? This boy's own mother had been abusing him?
"She . . . she's very strict," Gilraeth continued. "If I do anything wrong she'll usually . . . hit me. My room b-became the cellar. I hardly ate . . ."
By then, the tears were falling down the faces of both Elf and child. Elladan wished this all weren't the truth, but why would the boy lie about something like this? Without warning, Gilraeth flung himself upon Elladan and dissolved into tears. Surprised, yet entirely sympathetic, Elladan's arms slowly came to wrap themselves around the boy's small, shaking form.
Everything made sense. Now Elladan had a greater reason to follow through with his promise to protect the boy, not only from his mother, but from the memories of his past treatment.
Slowly, Gilraeth's sobs quieted and his grip lessened, allowing himself to melt into Elladan's arms.
"Gilraeth . . ." Elladan said softly. "It's all right, pen-neth. I am here. No one will hurt you again, I promise."
There was only a sniffle for a response.
"I promise," the Elf repeated with more firmness. "I promise."