Growing Pains- Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. Things will be picking up a little in this chapter, and then more of the action will start in the chapter after this one, to be published on Monday.

Disclaimer: see Chapter 1

0-o-0-o-0

The next morning Estel woke up earlier than usual, or at least early for a sixteen-year-old mortal. He pulled his way out of bed, running a hand through his tangled, shoulder length hair, and winced as his fingers caught a snag.

He got dressed quickly, pulling on a clean tunic and coat, and splashing his face with water. Estel shook his head, trying to wake himself out, before opening his door and padding into the corridor.

He yawned again as he walked down the halls, running his hand through his slightly neater hair with a sigh. Crossing a hall, he passed Erestor on the way down. Erestor nodded at him, but his arms were full of parchment, so he kept walking. Estel grinned back, and continued on, when a thought stopped him and made him turn.

"Erestor!' he cried out, and the dark haired elf stopped, turning around to look at Estel.

"What is it?" asked the advisor, shuffling the parchment in his hands. "I don't have much time."

Estel shook his head. "I was wondering if you have seen my brothers," he said. "Or Legolas. He arrived yesterday."

Erestor sighed. "I can hardly keep track of all the stubborn young elves in this household, can I?" he asked with a smile. "I have not seen any of the young lords, Estel, thought I daresay Lord Legolas will be beating the Lords Elladan and Elrohir at the bow, if he has not done so already."

Estel laughed. "My thanks, Erestor. I shall check the training fields."

Erestor nodded. "Lord Elrond is in his library, if you want him," he told Estel. "I believe Glorfindel has ridden out again."

Estel turned to head through the archway leading out to the gardens. "Thank you Erestor!" he called out behind him as he began to jog down the wide stairs.

Erestor shook his head. "Young men," he muttered softly under his breath, but there was a smile on his face as he adjusted the scrolls and watched Estel run down the stairs. He turned and walked the other way.

0-o-0-o-0

Estel landed at the bottom of another flight of stairs, his feet hitting the soft ground and sinking slightly into the grass. He flicked his tangled long hair out of his eyes and yawned, his eyes adjusting to the brightness of being outside.

The sun was shining now, as it had been for the past few days, and the ground was starting to dry out. Estel grinned as he made his way along one of the paths, the overhanging branches of the trees waving as he passed underneath them.

He loved the gardens of Imladris. They were far more beautiful than anything else he had seen in his limited trips outside the valley. He loved it when, in the middle of summer, he and the twins rode out to the river and camped beside the waterfall for a few days, hunting and swimming and basically relaxing.

Yet Estel knew there was a lot more outside of the valley. He had studied with Erestor and Elrond the different realms of Arda, and he knew there was a whole world across the river. He had seen some of it, when travelling with Elladan and Elrohir. Yet he had not seen enough of it. He had never crossed the mountains, or journeyed down to the south, towards Moria and Lothlorien. And he wanted to go. He had not seen enough of the world.

He supposed that he never would see enough of it. He would never see all of it.

He jogged quickly down the paths towards the training fields, relishing in the stretch in his legs as he ran. Taking the steeper slope down to the flat fields below the house at a run, Estel grinned, his feet skidding in the wet grass, until the ground flattened out and he reached the fields where they trained.

Nearest to him was the part of the field where they sparred. The grass had long given up there, and the ground was bare and dusty. In the middle Legolas and Elrohir circled each other warily. Elrohir was spinning his sword in one hand, and Legolas was holding a sword as well, which left Estel puzzled. The elf had ridden in with two knives, not a sword.

Elladan was standing at the side, leaning against an archery target. Estel jogged over.

"Good morning, Estel," said Elladan softly, not taking his eyes off Legolas and Elrohir.

Estel leant on the other side of the target. "How long have you been out here?" he asked. He noticed a neat pile of weapons at the bottom of the target, including a sword that he recognised as Elladan's and a dark wood bow, almost gleaming in the morning sunlight, which he assumed was Legolas'. Next to the bow was laid a quiver, and two long knives, their white handles etched with gold. Estel recognised the handles from when Legolas arrived.

Elladan frowned. "Since first light, I think," he said. Estel jumped slightly as he heard the clash of steel on steel and turned to watch as Legolas and Elrohir began to fight.

His eyes widened as he kept watching. He had never seen two elves spar like this before. It was brutal. They were moving so quickly, it was hard to keep track of each elf's movements, but Estel was pretty sure neither of them were holding back at all. He winced as Legolas, identifiable by his blond hair swinging around his shoulders, used the hilt of his sword to slam Elrohir in the arm, hard, before kicking out at Elrohir's side.

Elrohir hardly seemed to notice it, and jumped backwards, light on his feet. His sword flashed in the light as he spun it around, yet at the same time he kicked up dirt and dust from the bare ground, aiming it at Legolas.

Estel's eyes widened even more. He had never seen Elrohir fight like this- it was ruthless. He expected Legolas to stumble back as the kicked up dirt flew towards him, or at least lower his defences, if only for a second.

Instead, Legolas shut his eyes, and Estel watched, slightly in awe, as the archer ducked and spun, his sword flashing out and meeting Elrohir's, even with his eyes closed. He turned to Elladan in slight surprise.

"I have never seen Elrohir fight like that before," he said. On the field, Elrohir ducked Legolas' swing and kicked him, hard, in his side. Legolas rolled with the blow and came back up, his sword smashing into Elrohir's.

Elladan grinned and shook his head. "We don't often spar like this," he said. "This is…more brutal. No holds are barred."

Estel winced as Elrohir kicked Legolas' legs from under him and the archer landed heavily on his back, rolling away swiftly as Elrohir's sword came down and kicking dirt back at Elrohir. "It is brutal," agreed Estel softly. "That had to hurt."

"No more than it would hurt if it happened in a battle, little brother," he said. Estel rolled his eyes and Elladan chuckled. "That does not become you, muindor."

Estel grinned at his brother. "So why are you sparring like this?" he asked. "This is never what I have done with either of you."

"It is dangerous," warned Elladan. "Which is why Elrohir and I don't often do it. We don't want to risk it, in case we have to go out hunting the next day. But now Legolas is here, we have a chance. Legolas does this more often than we do." Elladan winced as Elrohir fell backwards, Legolas' sword narrowly missing his shoulder. "That was close," he said.

"Who will win?" asked Estel.

"Who do you think?"

Estel frowned, watching the fight in front of him. "I don't know," he said. "I have never seen Legolas fight before, and I have never seen Elrohir fight like this. It's so different from what you trained me to do. What do you think?"

Elladan watched the fight with narrowed eyes. "Legolas has done this more," he said. "In Mirkwood, they fight like this more often, because out in the forest, it may be the only way to survive. The older warriors train like this. And in battle…" Elladan grinned at Estel. "You have never seen a wood elf in battle, Estel, not one of Mirkwood. They will hold nothing back." He chuckled. "Yet Elrohir is better with the sword."

"You are biased," Estel pointed out.

"I know," said Elladan with a laugh. "But it is true. Elrohir is a swordsman above all. Legolas, first and foremost, is an archer. After the bow come his knives." Elladan pointed at the two knives leant against the base of the archery target they were leant against. "Legolas doesn't usually fight with a sword, though. He has trained to fight with one, of course. In Mirkwood, they have to be able to fight well with every weapon they have. But Legolas is not a swordsman. And that means Elrohir has an advantage."

"But then Legolas has an advantage as well," pointed out Estel. "If he fights like this more often, then he has some advantage over Elrohir."

"I know," said Elladan. "So it should be a fairly even fight. We will have to wait and see."

The two of them, elf and man, fell silent as they watched the fight continue. Soon both Legolas' and Elrohir's tunic were sticking to them with sweat as they fought. Estel winced as Legolas used the flat of his sword to cut Elrohir's legs from under him, and the dark haired elf hit the dust again. Elrohir rolled over and got halfway to his feet quickly, swinging his sword up and blocking Legolas' blow. They stayed like that for a moment, Elrohir on one knee, his sword above his head, and Legolas pushing down, the steel glinting in the sunlight.

And then suddenly Elrohir dropped his sword down and rolled, scrambling to his feet as Legolas pitched forwards, only just regaining his balance. But Elrohir kicked out with one leg, his foot landing on the back of Legolas' knee, and Legolas' leg buckled, bringing him down to the ground again. Legolas twisted, falling on his back and twisting Elrohir's sword away, but Elrohir pushed back and Legolas' sword went wide.

Elrohir's sword came to rest lightly on Legolas' neck. Legolas became perfectly still, the sword resting on his pale skin.

And suddenly Legolas swore, a mixture of words from Khuzdul and Westron. Elrohir laughed as the blond elf pushed the point of his sword away from his neck, and held out his hand.

Legolas grinned. "Was this payback for last time we sparred?" he asked, grasping Elrohir's hand and pulling himself to his feet. Elrohir laughed again and nodded.

"Aye," he said. "I owed you." He brushed some of the dirt off Legolas' shoulders and they moved over to where Elladan and Estel were leaning against the archery target.

Estel grinned as Elrohir walked over with Legolas. The blond elf was limping slightly, favouring the leg where Elrohir had kicked his knee out from underneath him, and Elrohir was moving slightly stiffly, rolling his shoulders as he talked with Legolas.

Estel grinned at Elrohir. "Not bad, brother," he said.

Elladan laughed. "Not bad at all!" he said. "That was more brutal than I have seen in a while."

Legolas shrugged, and then winced slightly. "This is why I don't fight with a sword," he jested, sheathing the blade and leaning it against the archery target. "I get beaten. Every. Single. Time."

Elrohir and Elladan laughed, and Legolas grinned at Estel. "I am no swordsman," he explained. "Against an orc, I could hold my own, but against one of your brothers…?" He shook his head.

"It was close, though," said Estel. "Elladan said you fight like this more often?"

"Aye," said Legolas, grabbing two waterskins from amongst the piles of weapons and passing one to Elrohir. He took a long drink. "We, meaning the older, more experienced warriors, fight like this sometimes. And then in battle…" He grinned ruefully. "There are a lot of skirmishes on our borders sometimes." He took a long drink from his waterskin. "Your turn, Estel?" he asked.

"Not a chance," said Elrohir and Elladan at the same time. Elladan elaborated. "It is too dangerous."

Estel sighed in annoyance. "I can look after myself, muindor!" he exclaimed. "I am not a child."

"It is still too dangerous," said Elrohir. "Especially against Legolas. Wood elves don't stop at using dirty tricks that will put you on your back. Why don't you spar, knives against sword? It would be good practise for you. You have never fought anyone who is as adept with knives as Legolas is."

Elrohir laughed. "Do you remember the first time we both sparred with you, mellon-nin?" he asked Legolas, who laughed. Elrohir turned to Estel. "You will find that, whilst wood elves are not as strong as, say, Elladan and I, they are a lot faster, and will not be afraid to use dirty tricks to win."

Legolas chuckled. "They are not dirty tricks," he said. "It is merely good fighting." He leant against the archery target. "You have to do whatever you can to stay alive, Estel, when fighting in a real battle. If that means fighting…more brutally, then it is what you do." He smiled softly.

Elrohir sighed, pushing his black hair back from his sweaty face. "You certainly made me work for that win," he said jokingly to Legolas. Legolas laughed.

"Do it again, and if I have my knives, I will make you work even harder." He reached down to drop the waterskin back on the floor, and Estel frowned when he saw a darker stain on the side of Legolas' sweat-soaked tunic.

Legolas looked up, noticing Estel's frown. "What is it, Estel?" he asked.

Estel grabbed Legolas' arm and turned the blond elf sideways, pressing one hand lightly to his side. His fingers came away sticky with blood. "You're bleeding," he said in surprise.

Legolas cursed under his breath, his hand going to his side. Elrohir grabbed hold of the hem of the tunic and tugged it up. "I don't think I caught you," he said, the worry in his voice evident. "There wasn't blood on my sword."

Legolas grimaced and shook his head, pulling his tunic up and off. "You didn't," he said, balling up the tunic and pressing it to his side. "This is the old wound I took in Mirkwood, in the south."

"Let me look," said Elladan, gently pulling away the tunic. He hissed slightly, his long pale fingers gently pressing on the wound. "It's not too bad."

"I know," said Legolas, trying to look down at the wound. Elladan grinned and shook his head.

"Keep still," he said. "I can't tell if…"

"What is it?" asked Estel. "What wound?"

Legolas tried to look over at Estel without moving his head. "I took a wound in the southern forests of Mirkwood about a month ago," he told him. "We didn't have time to treat it properly, and wounds taken in the south are always worse than ones taken nearer home."

"Aye, you say that," said Elrohir, watching Elladan examine the wound. "Yet it is simply an excuse, Estel. Never trust Legolas when it comes to wounds."

"Aye, I know," said Estel with a grin. "You told me already. Anyway, what happened?"

"I spent four days in the healing wards when I returned home," said Legolas with a wry grin. "It has healed slowly."

Elladan shook his head, stepping back slightly and wiping his bloody hands on the grass. "And you have made it worse," he said. "It's not too bad, though. You have just opened up one end of the wound a little bit. It shouldn't need stitches or bandages."

Legolas sighed in exaggerated relief. "So I don't have to explain to your father what happened?" he jested. He pressed the balled up tunic to it lightly. "I think it's stopped bleeding."

Elladan looked at it. "Aye," he said. "But no sparring."

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Of course."

Estel looked over at the wound on Legolas' side as the archer looked over at Elrohir and grinned. A long jagged gash extended from halfway down Legolas' ribs to across his abdomen. One end was torn slightly, and was bloodied, and though it was fading and healing well, it was still visible. Estel whistled.

"That must have been painful," he said, raising his eyebrows.

Legolas shrugged. "It wasn't actually deep," he said. "And the blade wasn't poisoned. It was painful, but not too bad." He smiled at Elladan and Elrohir. "So no more sparring today?"

"No," said Elladan. "I don't want any blame to fall on me if you suddenly collapse." He pointed over at Estel. "You are my witness," he said. "I did not recommend Legolas doing any type of physical activity after finding out about his wound. Just in case he does try something and nearly bleed to death."

Estel laughed. "What about archery, then?" he asked. "As Legolas cannot spar, maybe he can correct some of your appalling teaching."

Legolas laughed at Elladan and Elrohir's expressions. "Aye," he said. "Let us see what damage your brothers have done. Do you have a bow?"

Estel cursed under his breath. "I forgot it," he said. "I left it behind when I came down."

"No you didn't," said Elrohir, reaching down behind a stacked quiver and pulling out Estel's dark wooden bow. Estel took it.

"Thanks," he said with a grin. He reached down and picked up a quiver, slinging it over his shoulder and swiftly buckling the straps. Legolas gingerly touched his side, and then, reassured that the wound wasn't bleeding anymore, pulled his tunic over his head again.

"Let's see how bad your brothers' training has been," he said with a smile, walking over to Estel, who had turned to face the other archery target at the opposite end of the field. Elrohir scoffed.

"He can shoot, you know," he said jestingly. "You have seen both of us shoot. We are not as bad as you make out."

"I am pretty sure I did once save your sorry self with a well-aimed shot," pointed out Elladan. "When I killed the spider behind you."

Legolas grinned. "Aye, but that was only because I was busy killing the three spiders behind you," he retorted. He turned to Estel.

Estel grinned and moved to reach for an arrow. "Wait," said Legolas. "Your quiver."

"What about it?" asked Estel, rolling his eyes.

Legolas stepped in front of him and tugged on the straps, before boosting the quiver up and shifting it on his back. "That should be easier," he said. "The quicker you can get an arrow, the quicker you can shoot." He stepped back and to the side. "Draw."

Estel reached back and pulled out an arrow, fitting it to the string. He brought the bow up and aimed, narrowing his eyes in concentration. The smooth wood of his bow slipped slightly under his sweaty fingers, and he readjusted his grip on the bow.

Legolas watched critically. "Raise your elbow," he said. "Relax your bow arm." He grinned. "Don't forget to breathe."

"Of course," muttered Estel sarcastically, but he drew in a deep breath anyway. Legolas' eyes flitted over him once more before nodding.

"Remember that stance," he said. "Don't forget it. Now shoot."

Estel sighted the target and released the arrow. It flew straight, hitting the target with a resounding thwack. Estel shaded his eyes and saw it had landed on the outer edge of the bull's-eye. He shrugged. "Not bad," he said, with a grin at Legolas.

Legolas smiled back, finding it hard not to like the young man in front of him. "Draw again," he said. "Remember the stance."

Estel's hand went back and found another arrow, fitting it easily to the string.

"Release."

The arrow flew straight from the bow, but Estel barely had a chance to see where it had landed when Legolas nodded and spoke again.

"Draw. Release."

Estel's hand shot back and found an arrow, this time fumbling slightly as he fitted it to the string as he tried to hurry. He raised the bow, sighted, and shot.

"Again. Draw. Release."

Thwack.

"Again. Draw. Release."

Thwack.

"Watch your stance. Again."

Thwack.

"Relax, Estel." Though Estel was not taking his eyes of the target, he could just tell Legolas had rolled his eyes with the last comment.

"I know," he said, with a roll of his eyes of his own.

Legolas grinned. "If you know, then do it. Again. Draw. Release."

Estel's hand shot back to find another arrow, and in a fluent motion he fitted it to the string, sighted and fired.

Thwack.

0-o-0-o-0

Estel grinned. "Even for a mortal, you have to admit that was good."

Elladan and Elrohir both rolled their eyes at the same time, making Legolas chuckle in amusement. "It was good," he said, looking around him at the remnants clay balls littered around the field.

Estel stooped and picked up half of a shattered ball at his feet. He tossed it up in the air, catching it easily with one hand. "I still don't think it was fair when you threw one straight at my head, though," he said.

Legolas laughed. "Just wait until you are in a nest of spiders, and have to try and shoot them," he said with a chuckle. "You will think I was far too easy on you."

"You were a lot nicer than Glorfindel," Estel pointed out as he shouldered his bow and joined his brothers and Legolas in picking up the remnants of the clay balls that Estel had been shooting at.

Elladan snorted. "Of course he was," he said. "You will find out, Estel, that Legolas is actually a big soft elf at heart, not the fearless warrior that he is often made out to be. You may be disappointed."

Legolas laughed. "Then you will be to blame!" he jested, picking up a clay ball that hadn't shattered and throwing it over to Elrohir. "You two are the ones who have told him about me." He turned to Estel. "It is all their fault."

Estel laughed. "I know," he said. He picked up the last clay ball that was salvageable, the other ones having been reduced to dust by his arrows. "What now? No, wait, I know the answer to that one already."

Legolas frowned, and Estel grinned. "Lunch."

Elladan and Elrohir both threw their hands up in despair. "Estel, there is more to life than food!"

"Aye, but without food life doesn't last very long, now, does it?" said Estel with a grin. Legolas laughed at that, and Elladan and Elrohir sighed as one.

"I give up," said Elladan walking over and picking up the weapons where they had been left. He handed Elrohir's sword to him, and then passed over Legolas' quiver, knives and bow. "But Adar will be angry if you raid the pantry again. You are too old for that."

Now it was Estel's turn to sigh, and throw his hands up in annoyance. "First I am too young to spar, because it is too dangerous, and now I am too old to even raid a pantry!" He glared at his brothers. "Anyway, I know that is hypocritical, coming from you two. You both take food out of the kitchens when you feel like it."

Legolas laughed at this, as Elladan and Elrohir tried to protest. "He has you there, mellyn-nin," he said with a chuckle. "Do you remember the time in Mirkwood when we managed to get into the wine cellar?"

"I do," said Elrohir. "That was not funny in the slightest."

"It was," countered Legolas. "At least, until my father found out. We were with Belhadron that time, weren't we?"

"Aye," said Elladan with a smile. "I remember being with Belhadron that night. Why was it you made him your second all those years ago?"

Legolas shrugged. "I trust him with my life," he said simply. "And even more than you two, when it comes to dealing with my father. You two are just as likely to run off and leave me, as you are to stay. Belhadron has nowhere to run to." His tone was jesting though, and the twins laughed.

"That is true," conceded Elrohir. "If your father is involved. Anything else, you know we have your back."

"I know," said Legolas softly. He smiled. "It is near noon, I think. Estel can go and eat his fill."

Estel laughed. "I will never be full," he jested.

"Aye," said Elladan. "Not until the household has been stripped bare and there is no food left in Imladris."

Legolas and Elrohir laughed, but Estel made a face and shouldered his quiver. "Are you quite finished?" he asked. "I am hungry."

"Aye, we are ready," said Legolas with a smile. He shifted his quiver up on his back, and then winced slightly. Estel frowned.

"Is your wound alright?" he asked, coming over and grabbing the hem of the tunic to pull it up. Legolas sighed.

"Not you as well," he said. "I am fine."

"What?" said Elrohir, his head whipping round from where he had been talking to Elladan. "What did you say?"

"He said he was fine," said Estel. Elladan and Elrohir both came over.

"Are you sure you are alright, mellon-nin?" asked Elladan, grabbing the hem of the tunic and pulling it up to reveal the wound.

Legolas batted his hands away. "I am fine," he said in exasperation. "I am-" He stopped when he saw the grins on Elladan and Elrohir's faces.

"I give up," said Legolas, rolling his eyes. "I truly give up. I don't even know why I stay around you for so long sometimes." Elladan laughed and pulled Legolas' tunic back down with a tug.

Estel laughed. "At least you can escape back to Mirkwood," he jested. "I am stuck here. I have been for fourteen years." He reached the edge of the field and began to walk up the paths heading in to the house, Legolas and the twins behind him.

Elladan shifted his sword on his belt as he walked up the steep slope. "We should go out tomorrow," he said suddenly. Estel stopped suddenly and Legolas nearly crashed into him.

"What?" asked Elrohir.

"I said we should go out," said Elladan. "Ride out, spend a day or two outside the valley. We haven't ridden out for a while."

"There is that clearing about a days ride out of the valley," said Estel. "Where we went, the first time I went hunting."

"Orc hunting?" asked Legolas as they reached the top of the path and wandered towards the house.

"Deer," said Estel. "But I remember the clearing well. We spent three days out there, I think, in the middle of summer." He grinned as he reached a courtyard leading inside. That had been a fun few days. He had been around thirteen, and Elladan and Elrohir had been going to go out hunting, orc hunting, this time, until he had asked to go with them. He still remembered the sad pup eyes he had pulled when they had told him they were leaving, and he had been allowed to go out with them, hunting deer.

It had been the first time he had been out hunting, though he had been outside the valley occasionally. But for three days it had just been him, Elladan and Elrohir together, just him and his brothers. Finally bringing down a deer on his own had been good, even though a part of him had felt still slightly queasy when Elladan and Elrohir taught him how to gut it and skin it. But the best part had been in the evenings, when there was a fire crackling, and the stars were overhead. He and his brothers had lain awake and talked late into every night, and Estel had loved it.

Now he was older, and was almost as experienced as his brothers when it came to hunting deer. Orcs were another matter. He had fought them before, a few times, when he had joined warriors from Imladris and his brothers in riding out to one of the villages of the Rangers who were attacked by orcs. He had killed orcs. And yet his brothers still saw him as a child.

Still, a trip out with his brothers and Legolas would be fun. "We should go," he said abruptly. "It would be fun."

"Not orc hunting," said Legolas, with a warning glance at Elladan and Elrohir. "Deer, maybe. Or we could just do nothing."

Elladan and Elrohir both nodded at Legolas. "No orcs," they said in unison. Estel rolled his eyes at that, assuming that they were trying to be the big protective brothers again. And now Legolas was joining in. He turned down a corridor.

"I am going to get lunch," he said. "Right now. I am too hungry to wait."

Legolas grinned. "We will catch up with you," he said. "I want to change out of this bloody tunic first." They watched Estel disappear down one of the hallways of Imladris.

Legolas turned to Elladan and Elrohir. "No orcs?" he questioned, raising one eyebrow.

Elladan sighed. "No orcs," he agreed. "I think Estel misunderstood that, though. You shouldn't have said anything whilst he was here."

"I am sorry," said Legolas. "But I thought he knew about the hunting?"

"Aye, he does," said Elrohir. "But as we said before, he doesn't understand. He has never really lost anything to the creatures. He is too young to remember his father, his real father."

"His real father?" asked Legolas curiously. "Who was he?"

"One of the Dunedain," answered Elladan, and if his answer was a little swift it went unnoticed by Legolas, who was busy checking to see if his old wound was still bleeding. "Like I said, we owed him."

"So Estel has been hunting with you before?" asked Legolas as they made their way up inside.

"No," said Elrohir. "He has been out fighting orcs with us, but he was well protected then, and it was not hunting. We would not let him see that."

On this, as on many other things, the twins agreed. Estel was not to see them hunt orcs the way that they did. When they were hunting, when they were fighting against the orcs and the darkness, then what they were doing felt right. It felt like they were doing what they had to do to survive, to keep going and to protect others.

It was only after the fighting stopped, when they paused to take all of it in around them that they felt almost disgusted at what they did. They actively sought out danger, sought out orcs, in order to satisfy some need for vengeance. Yet it was so much more than that, so much harder to explain, and neither of them wanted Estel to see what it was that they did. Estel, with all of his irritation and annoyance at his brothers, still looked up to them, still thought they could do nothing wrong. Elladan and Elrohir didn't want to disappoint him.

So this they agreed on. Estel was not to see them hunt. Not now, not until he was old enough and scarred enough, able to craft a good enough mask to understand what it was they did and why they did it.

Legolas watched the unspoken conversation between the two brothers. He knew he would never be able to understand most of what passed between them, though he could read both brothers well enough to grasp some of it. And now he knew enough to turn the conversation onto different matters.

"How much food will we have to pack?" he asked with a chuckle. "I did not realise how much young men could eat, and Estel seems quite able to strip Imladris' pantry bare."

Elladan and Elrohir both laughed. "We will take enough for the four of us," said Elrohir. "And then if Estel finds himself hungry, he can hunt for his own food. He knows enough to be able to do that."

Elrohir chuckled slightly, and turned to Legolas. "If you manage to put up with him for the entire trip, I shall be surprised. We have spent fourteen years learning to ignore the irritating quirks that come with Estel. Consider this outing a crash course in our little brother."

All three elves laughed at that

"Aye," said Elrohir. "You can get to know Estel better."

Legolas chuckled. "It is strange," he said. "I already know quite a few mortals. I know Bard fairly well, as he is now King of Dale, and I know quite a few of his soldiers and men. Yet Estel is different."

"He is younger, maybe?" asked Elladan, as they turned to walk towards the part of the household where the chambers were, so Legolas could change his tunic.

"I don't think so," said Legolas thoughtfully. "At times he just seems different. Like when he was shooting. He seemed more…" He laughed. "I don't really know what I am saying. There is just something different about him. Something more…" He shook his head. "I can't put my finger on it."

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged glances. "Probably because he has grown up here," said Elrohir quickly. "He has never really known anything else apart from Imladris."

"You are probably right," said Legolas. He grinned at the twins. "I can see why you are protective of him," he said. "Even if he is a mortal." He saw Elladan's frown and held up his hands. "Peace!" he said. "I meant nothing by it. I have nothing against mortals. But I have seen how quickly they grow up and grow old."

"I know," said Elladan. "In just fifteen years, he has grown from a young child to nearly a man. And he has grown fast, with the amount of food he eats."

"Yet you will see it doesn't matter," said Elladan. "I think you will come to love him like we do, Legolas. It is hard not to."

Legolas shrugged. "I do not doubt you love him, mellyn-nin," he said softly. "But I have only known him for a day." He laughed slightly. "Give it some time."

Elladan chuckled. "Come, you need to change out of this bloody tunic before our father sees you and insists on seeing the wounds. You know he will look at you with that stern gaze if you appear to be injured, until you let him look at the wound. It's not like he can stop us from going, though."

"Does he still not approve of you hunting?" asked Legolas as they made their way up the steps, stepping back into the shadows at the top to avoid Erestor and Glorfindel, walking across the hall in conversation.

Elrohir sighed. "I think so," he said. "He has never liked us going out searching for orcs, though he understands why we do it. He fought in many wars, after all, and I think he knows we need to do it, sometimes. But I think he has always been worried about us coming back injured, or worried about…worse things."

"Aye," said Elladan softly. "I think Adar worries about what might happen to us if we continue hunting for too long. Glorfindel has always been more…understanding about it. He's been through so much, it would be impossible for him to not understand it, if not fully."

Legolas nodded. "And after all, your father has more callings than just a warrior. Glorfindel is only a warrior, really. It is what he is famous for, after all."

Elladan sighed. "This talk is all becoming rather morose," he said with a small smile as they rounded the corner and reached Legolas' guest chambers. "Is there any way we can hold off on this when Estel is around? Despite having lived with elves for the past fifteen years, I still don't think he realises how old we can be."

"Of course," said Legolas with a chuckle as he entered his room and retrieved a new tunic, tossing the old one down on the bed. He slung his weapons down on the bed as well, though more carefully than he had done with his shirt. He put on the tunic and straightened it, making sure his wound was not bleeding again. He looked up.

"Lunch?"

To Be Continued...

Estel's interest in food is partially based off of me- I have a reputation amongst my friends to be the one who will finish off any uneaten food. And for this fighting scene, I imagine that elves will fight with honour whenever possible, but orcs would rarely do that, and so they occasionally train like they do in this chapter to prepare for that possibility.

Next chapter will be up on Monday, and things are going to get a little more interesting... *evil grin*. As always, reviews are very welcome.