Title: Just a Family
Author: JRR Tolkien. Yeah, like that would ever happen. You know who.
Rating: K+
Summary: See first chapter
Disclaimer: Would I be writing here if I owned this? Honestly.
Author's Note: Again, no slash. Estel and Legolas are the best of friends only. I beg forgiveness since I think I have gone out of character for both of them. And mostly, this is setting up for next chapter.
Just a Family
Story Three
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"Ada! I'm not a child!" Estel whined pitifully.
Elrond let out a patient sigh. This child could surely get on his last nerve, and it was only by the power of his ring that he managed not to scream in agony. "No, Estel. You will not be competing in the archery tournament." He said in such a final tone that Estel couldn't find the words to argue in return until after Elrond had left his son's bedroom.
Estel gaped at his father. The run-in with the bear had been almost a year ago! He was almost sixteen and his leg was fine, thank-you-very-much. If he could survive being tackled by his brothers, he was certainly alright for an archery tournament. Standing up didn't hurt that much anymore. He looked around his room and let out a groan.
He walked out of his room and started down the hallway. Legolas soon was at his friend's side and neither of them spoke for a moment. The prince decided to speak up. "What's bothering you?"
"Ada won't let me compete."
"That's alright."
"Huh? You're supposed to be on my side!" He looked up indignantly.
"I would have beaten you."
"Well, true, but that's not the point!" He pointed his finger at Legolas. "Stop trying to make it the point!"
The elf laughed merrily and then proceeded to run for his life from a laughing human. Their chase led them outside and into the sun. Legolas slowed to a walk and Estel gave up being angry at the elf. He hadn't been that offended in the first place. The day was slow and relaxing, like most Sundays where time seems to slow for a couple of hours and there is twenty percent more hugs. Estel let out a sigh.
"I really would have liked to compete and show those elflings I'm as good as they are." Estel muttered, kicking a stick out of his way.
Legolas shrugged. "Ah." He replied oh-so-intelligently. "Well, maybe next time."
"But next time doesn't matter! They only care about this one, and impressing everyone. Everything'll just get worse!" Estel knew he was whining, but he'd like to think that it was justified and this was one of those times you were allowed to be childish. "Ugh. What are we going to do tonight?"
Legolas raised an eyebrow in that irritating manner of his. "What do you mean? You know we both have to be at the festival following the tournament."
The young human teenager nodded. "Well, yes, but what are we going to do?" He stressed the word 'do'.
"Stand there and look pretty?" The prince ventured an answer.
Estel grinned. "Precisely."
"I'm glad we agree on something." Legolas replied dryly.
The two walked under the eaves of the forest, visiting the familiar paths they always walkd together. They were silent for a time, this being the sacred time between them. Words couldn't make the time they spent together anymore precious, especially to the prince. He knew the bitter price of mortality, and his heart ached at the thought he would lose his closest friend. Of course, he did have his friends in Mirkwood, but nothing could replace this mortal that had stolen his heart and he didn't want it back.
"Legolas?" Estel's voice was small, and the prince was reminded of a time years ago when the child had climbed on his lap when there had been a thunderstorm.
"Yes?" He stopped and turned to look at the human. He felt an urge, one that clearly told him to back off, but he ignored it.
"I…"
Legolas leaned against a nearby tree and simply waited. Estel seemed lost, whether in his thoughts or emotions, even the elf could not tell.
"Do you think I'm good enough?"
"What?" Legolas was almost amused by the question. It seemed absurb, for the answer was so obvious.
"Do you think I'm any good? I'm almost sixteen and I haven't done anything, really."
Legolas gave his friend a smile. "Of course I do. And that's simply preposterous. You've done much." Again, he felt the same urge, the one that made him hesitate. "Estel, you're my friend and if nothing else, it means the world to me."
"What do you mean?" Estel had long since looked up to the strong prince, and admired everything he did. To matter to such a person… well, it was hard to imagine.
"My mother died a long time ago, and I never thought anything would ever cheer me up. Of course, the twins had gone on a blood rage after their mother passed and never had time anymore, but then you came along. You were this ugly bundle," He chuckled at this. "But I loved you, like the little brother I never had."
"Wow."
"But come! The archery tournament will be starting soon and we can boycott it and go flirt with the pretty ladies." Legolas' prowess with the female race was well-known, but it never went further than a wink and a kiss on the hand. It was also known that Legolas was 'allergic to girls', or that was the story that the twins were telling people.
Of course, Legolas was never one to pass up friendly competition and won easily, but Elrohir came in a close second place. Estel rolled his eyes as Elrohir tackled Legolas as payment, and then went to sit with an elleth he had become acquainted with, named Mireth. Estel leaned forward in his seat and called to Elrohir.
"So, Elrohir, were you planning on kissing Mireth… you know, ever?"
If elves could blush, the couple would have been scarlet. Elrohir cleared his throat. "I don't know…" He answered intelligently.
Mireth patted his hand and laughed lightly as Estel turned his attention elsewhere. Legolas was sitting with one of the female attendants from the entourage that seemed to follow him wherever he went when it was on a 'mission' from his father. Their hands were linked and Estel suddenly felt alone. It was hard to be around the couples and wish you had someone. But he made a face. Okay, maybe not.
Elladan came over with a tray. "Okay, children, don't drink too much." He cautioned before taking a large swig himself and swaggering over to… well, who knows where.
Estel took his mug and looked at it. He knew very well that he shouldn't drink it, since Ada would be simply furious if he found out. Of course, he had had wine before, but that was only at formal dinners. He looked around and saw the other four drinking the ale and took a sip himself. He made a face, but found that he liked the sensation of it burning down his throat. It was like eating a pepper but enjoying the taste after the burning finally stopped.
With the careful restraint as all teenagers show, Estel remained sober.
Or not.
Estel was swaggering about, not knowing who he bumped into or what he was saying. He pushed someone on accident and then found himself on his back, stars forming in front of his eyes before he fell unconscious.
When he next awoke, there was a bright light shining right in his eyes and his head hurt like an Orc's swing. He groaned aloud, rolling over. Even just smelling the too-sterile sheets he realized with horror where he was. He sat up, letting out a much larger groan. Someone walked over to him, silently, since it was an elf, and patted his back.
"Lie back, Estel."
"Wha.. what?"
"Its me, Mireth." The voice was very light and he recognized it as Mireth's. She liked him well enough; maybe she wouldn't tell Elrond about this incident.
"Have I died? Because its funny, you'd think I would have stopped moving." Estel muttered sarcastically.
"What?" She asked, giving him a glass of some herbal mixture that was sure to taste horrible but work wonders. "Drink." She ordered.
"Ada is going to kill me if he finds out." He drank the entire mixture in one large gulp. He could have thrown up from the sheer bitterness of the herbs if they weren't working already.
Mireth laughed. "Elrohir covered for you. He drank probably twice his body weight to distract Lord Elrond." She ruffled Estel's hair.
"Why?"
"Because I asked him too… well, I bribed him."
"What?" He spluttered. "What did you give him?" The price must have been high, seeing as how Elrond's anger was famous.
Mireth rolled her eyes. "You don't want to know."
"No, really, we do." Legolas entered the room, a smirk on his face. "Come on Mireth."
"Where were you, my prince?" She drawled. "Actually, no, I don't want to know."
Legolas had the decency to look offended. "What? I wasn't kissing anyone…" He smirked. "Enough about me."
Mireth sighed. Both of them would nag her until the end of the world if she didn't tell them now. "Fine. He asked me for a kiss if he would distract Lord Elrond. And so I kissed him!" She scurried out of the room, embarrassed.
Legolas and Estel grinned at each other.
