From previous chapter of TPL
The prince dispatched the final wolf, aware that as he had released his first arrow, the human had moved past him. Lord Elrond rose to one elbow, barely even glancing toward Legolas. As the elf lord cried out, Legolas turned and notched another arrow, knowing he would only be avenging his friend's death.
Chapter 18 Fool of a Wizard
"CEASE!"
Against all odds the wizard, human and both elves froze at the command and then obeyed the next one.
"Stand back and release all weapons. This shall cease NOW!"
All eyes turned to the voice and a second Mithrandir emerged from the woods on the other side of the clearing. The human and elves looked back and forth between the two Gandalf's, the young ones unable to believe their eyes, the elder experiencing profound relief.
Leaving his weapon on the ground, Estel slowly pulled himself across to his father, not wishing to block Legolas if he decided to take action. Not that he had any idea how his friend would know what action to take.
"Ada, you are bleeding." He helped his father sit up, but would not allow him to stand.
"It is nothing, Estel, only a few scratches." Elrond patted the human's hand reassuringly, then turned to the newest arrival. "Mithrandir, you will tell us what you know of this."
"Other than knowing this Istar, I know very little. But I believe the time has come to get some answers. Radagast… old friend, what have you done? What part did you play in what has befallen this family?"
Estel gasped. Legolas would have dropped his bow had he still been holding it, and Elrond silently gave thanks he was already seated. He did not wish to spoil his image of being calm and unshakable.
Where the familiar form of Mithrandir had once towered over him, there was now an old man, with long white hair and a beard to match, wearing a hat and clothing that mirrored that of the grey wizard. This other being however, wore brown. "I did what needed doing. The elf turned to the shadow, and had to be stopped, even if it cost the life of my four-legged friends." The brown-clad being's eyes misted as he looked over the now deceased wolves with sorrow.
"Rubbish! Your information is false. Lord Elrond would never turn! Who told you this foolishness?"
"The head of our order. If we cannot trusted him, then who do we trust?"
"Even Saruman may be misled. I will be eager to speak to him and discover where he heard this falsehood. Now, tell me, what exactly did you do, old friend?"
The brown wizard shrugged. He trusted the grey wizard as much as he trusted the White and saw no reason not to answer. Mithrandir, as the elves called him, knew Saruman was the head of the order and the command had come from him. He would do what was right. Both were wiser wizards than he and Radagast was glad to be free from any decision-making.
"The elf lord is well protected and rarely leaves his home, even more rarely does he travel outside the borders of his realm. To get rid of him as a threat, we had to use one close to him. His twin sons are always together and are great warriors. The daughter is safe in the Golden Woods. The only weakness was the boy." Estel flinched and resisted the urge to drop his head. Legolas and Elrond both glared at the brown wizard, who was too caught up in his story to notice. "They usually kept him close, but the birds told me he was slowly straying further toward the borders. Long ago I found out through my animal friends which parents in Wisdom were more likely to go to the elves for help, so when Saruman saw the time was right we infected their child. As we expected, they looked for and were given help in Rivendell. When the family returned home, we thought the elf would visit the village to flaunt himself and his success before the villagers. We were very pleased when the boy came instead. We would not actually see Lord Elrond infected, but the birds would tell me of it, and there was less chance of the true nature of our actions being discovered. When he came to the village, I confronted him in the form of the Shaman. I had been pretending to be the medicine man, off and on, over the weeks while he was in a drugged sleep. He never suspected, nor did the villagers, who, after all are simple people." He smiled, as though he had a fondness for the villagers he had tricked. "I shook my staff at him, it was all for show of course, just to rattle him and force him to leave. Once out of the village, he would have no aid and there would be no witnesses. When he left the village, I met with him…in the guise of a friend."
"Wait. You mean it was you that I ate with? But it looked and sounded just like..." Estel's face had lost color when he turned to the grey wizard. "you."
Mithrandir rounded on the other Istar with speed that belied his elderly appearance. "You used MY image to harm him? Fool of a Wizard!"
Having forced the brown wizard back two steps with the simple display of anger, the Istar turned back to the rest of his companions in a calmer manner. "One of Radagast's…gifts…aside from his affinity with animals, is the ability to change shapes. He gains no knowledge from the form he assumes …obviously…but he does have the ability to mimic their voices and appearance."
"But my physical injuries, the poison…what was the need for those?"
The figure in brown shivered slightly at the memory. "I did not enjoy hurting you, but if you had not had injuries there would have been no need for the elf to touch your mind. It was the only way to be sure he was exposed."
"One moment. What did you do to him while masquerading as me? We have yet to hear the details."
The brown Istar swallowed uneasily before replying. "I drugged his food and when he was unconscious, I sent his horse away, then I performed a mind incursion.
"You WHAT? Saruman ordered this?"
"Ada?" In the face of Mithrandir's reaction, the young man turned to his father for reassurance and found his face totally devoid of color.
"Ada! Mithrandir!" The human's voice clearly revealed his fear. "What is it? What is wrong?"
"Easy, my young friend. Your father is simply trying to process what we have learned."
The elf lord roused himself. "I am well, Estel. It is just…" Elrond placed a hand on each of Estel's shoulders, and gave a quick glance at Legolas, as though to warn him that the upcoming news would upset the human. The fair elf placed a hand on his friend's back in reminder of his support.
"Iôn nîn, the …procedure that you …were subjected to is-"
'This is not going well,' thought the elf lord. 'I should have better prepared myself before telling him.' He laughed at the thought. How did one prepare to tell their child such a thing?
All the others heard was the laugh from the dark-haired elf and it had an unfamiliar, almost manic, edge to it.
Estel's hands moved to encircle his father's wrists, giving them a slight squeeze. Forcing himself to swallow as quietly as possible, the human sought to reassure the only father he had ever really known. "It is well, Adar. You and Legolas are with me. I am not afraid to hear what you have to tell me. Or if you think it best to wait until we return home, then we will wait."
Mithrandir glared at the other wizard as if to say, 'See how wrong you were about the boy?' Radagast had the grace to look ashamed.
The elf lord threw a rare look of pleading toward the grey pilgrim, who nodded once and stepped forward. "Perhaps, young human, it would be best if we all sit down."
Estel escorted his father to a large log on the edge of the clearing. After making sure the elf lord was settled, he sat next to him, placing his right arm around the elf and taking his father's left hand in his own. Legolas moved with them, his eyes scanning the woods and surrounding area for possible dangers. Instead of seating himself by his friend, he placed a foot on the log next to him. He was as confused as the human and decided that he could best serve him by remaining in protective mode.
The Brown wizard did not move, but Mithrandir came to sit on a large rock to the right and slightly in front of Elrond. Legolas reached across to assist him. He grunted his thanks to the elf and leaned to the right, bracing himself on his staff. Sitting in this position, his view of Estel was not obstructed by Elrond.
Jerking his head toward the other wizard, Mithrandir removed the burden of explaining what had happened from Elrond's shoulders. "Estel, what that fool did is an atrocity. No doubt the head of my order, when he realizes his error, will be as mortified as I am by the wrong that has been done. That, of course, does not make it any less difficult for you and your family."
Estel had spent enough time with the grey wizard to know it would not speed the telling to try and rush him. So he bit his tongue and strengthened his hold on his father.
"The mind incursion has not been utilized in countless years. It would not have been used this time, but your father was erroneously reported to be a sizeable asset to the shadows growing in Middle Earth. The most heinous part of this act is that not only were you violated, and your father rendered psi-void, but your very life was endangered. And you were not even considered a threat. To use an innocent in this way is beneath contempt!" Mithrandir grew angry again just thinking of what had happened. Saruman should be more
careful of his sources!
"Mithrandir? Is Estel still in danger from this … incursion?"
"What? Oh. No, Legolas, his father neutralized the threat to Estel when he inadvertently took it upon himself."
Elrond was unable to suppress a shiver.
Feeling his father tremble, Estel leaned forward to see his face. "Ada?"
"It was so close, Estel. If you had been but hours later in reaching us…" The elf lord closed his eyes against the thought, his voice hushed.
"I am well, do not think on what might have been. Let us now think on how to cure you from this …thing. Mithrandir, is there something we can do to help him now that we know what happened?" The human's voice was steady, Legolas knew him well enough to know the calm was hard-won. His placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"We are certainly going to try, Estel, but I remind you that none of us has much experience with this. I am tempted to take him to Saruman."
"No." The elf lord straightened and took a deep breath. "Elrohir is injured, as are many elves of Rivendell. I would not delay our return. If nothing can be done here, then we will leave for home now." He paused, as if weighing his words. "I will not force this task upon you. It is for you to judge whether you will do it or not."
Estel tightened his grip on his father, but said nothing. This was his father's decision and he would support him in whatever he decided. The elf lord placed a hand over his son's and watched as the two wizards conferred. Finally, Mithrandir nodded and the two Istari came toward the elf lord.
The grey wizard smiled sympathetically at the man seated by the elf lord. "I am sorry, Estel, but when you have assisted your father in lying down, you will need to leave him to our care. Perhaps you would like to return to check on your friends at the village?"
"No, thank you, Mithrandir. This began with my checking on them and while I know they are innocent of any involvement, it unsettles me to think of going there while Ada is being treated. I will wait on the other side of the clearing. You have my word I will be silent and will not interfere." As he was speaking, the human spread a blanket and helped his father lie back upon it. Then he leaned over and kissed the elf lord's brow. "I love you, Ada."
"I love you, Estel. You will remember that none of this was of your making?"
"I will remember." The threat of tears was near, the human needed to leave his father's side or risk upsetting him.
"I will see that he does not forget, Lord Elrond, until you are able to remind him yourself. Is there any other service you would ask of me?"
"Just to care for my son, Legolas, and I know you would do that if I did not ask it."
"Ada…"
"Enough!" The Istar's voice was brisk. "Leave us to see to your father, young man. He will come to no harm with us. We may not be able to heal him, but he will be no worse due to our efforts."
"If you are so confident, why did you think to take him to someone else?"
"This procedure may only be tried once. The head of our order is more skilled in such things and I want your father to have the best care possible."
"Oh. I do not remember Ada ever speaking of him. Are they friends?"
Gandalf's impatience was disrupted by confusion. "Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?"
Estel forced his tension away. "Because you are his friend. A friend will do all he can where another may take an easier path. I do not say your leader would do this, but I know you will not cease trying. I am more at peace with Ada in your care."
"Humph!" Gandalf cleared his throat and looked to his patient, who was smiling.
"Estel is right, Mithrandir. I am content. Begin when you are ready."
xxx
Legolas and Estel crossed to the far side of the clearing. Legolas leaned back against a tree where he could see the procedure, and still scan the surrounding area for danger. Estel sat before him on the ground with his legs crossed. Idly, he picked up a stick and began to doodle in the dirt before him. He did not wish to watch as the wizards worked on his father. Normally, he tried to absorb all he could about healing, but with his father as the patient instead of his instructor, his feelings changed. He was too afraid of what might happen to think of expanding his knowledge. He tried to distract himself by thinking of something else, but when Elrohir and Elladan immediately came to mind, his hand tightened involuntarily on the stick, breaking it in two. He threw a panicked glance at Mithrandir; fearful he had distracted them and somehow brought his father harm. The wizard's eyes went from impatience to understanding. They held the young man's for a moment as if to steady him, then moved back to his patient. The human pulled his knees to his chest, circled them with his arms and vowed to himself to remain in that position for as long as necessary.
On the opposite side of the clearing, an Istar knelt on each side of the elf lord. Gandalf was on the outer side, facing Estel and Legolas; Radagast's back was to the two young ones. The grey wizard sent a warning glance to the brown wizard as his right hand took Radagast's left. Their free hands they placed on Elrond's temples. Elrond was becoming groggy as a draft Mithrandir had given him took effect. "Take care of …" His words slurred, but his friend
understood and replied softly, almost as though speaking to himself, but with a trace of humor; "Have no worry, old friend. If I let harm come to you, I shudder to think what they would do to me."
As sleep claimed the elf lord, the eyes of the grey wizard closed and his mouth began to move in a soundless chant, soundless to the human at least. He looked to his elven companion to find Legolas had moved slightly away from him, positioning himself now so that hecould see the brown wizard as well as the grey. It occurred to Estel that he should have thought of that himself, and he thanked the Valar for his friend's presence. The two wizards remained on bended knees for what seemed an eternity. If immortality were anything like this, Estel was glad to be mortal. He passed the time by intermittently watching the wizards work and by dropping his head to his knees when he could watch no longer. Occasionally, he felt a concerned glance from Legolas, but he could not bring himself to face his friend. His thoughts were only for his father. When he thought he could bear the waiting no longer and was actually biting his tongue to keep from crying out, the wizards finally unclasped hands and leaned back on their heels. Mithrandir's eyes remained closed, probably inexhaustion. Estel held a hand out to the prince and Legolas pulled him to his feet and supported him while he gained his balance. Together they moved quietly toward Elrond and the wizards.
Mithrandir's eyes opened when he sensed the young ones. He slid from his heels to the ground and held himself upright with one hand. His voice was harsh with fatigue. "We have done all we can. Your father is strong. I believe he will recover fully, but only time will tell. He, Radagast and I must rest now. I believe your father would profit from your closeness. Rest by him and let Legolas take first watch. Sleep if you can, and call me if I am needed."
"Hannon le." Estel moved to his father's side, and eased down next to him. Despite his best effort, his eyes slid shut and he drifted into sleep. Legolas climbed into a nearby tree and settled in to guard his friends for as long as necessary.
A/N About Radagast the Brown, of Gandalf's order, from The Fellowship of the Ring: "…a worthy Wizard, a master of shapes and changes of hue; and he has much lore of herbs and beasts, and birds are especially his friends." He was said to be simpler than Gandalf or Saruman.
A/N #2 Hope no one finds the title to this chapter offensive. I am never happy with my titles. And talking about offenses, I know all caps are considered rude now, but it just didn't seem right when I tried italics or bolds with Gandalf. ;D