Becoming a Teenager
Estel's thirteenth birthday was especially significant. It had been only a few months since Estel had been moved to the ranks of the senior students and he was, again in need of a sword. After breakfast, Elrond called Lady Gilraen and Glorfindel to his study.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. Lady Gilraen, I have called you here at the request of Lord Glorfindel. As you are aware, Estel has spent several months in the senior program. He is due for another sword for his birthday as he has more than outgrown his old one. In fact, Glorfindel has informed me that he has spent the last six weeks with ones borrowed from the armory."
"I hope that has not been an inconvenience."
"Quite to the contrary, My Lady." Glorfindel said. "It has exposed him to different swords and encouraged an ability to adapt. This is a very important real world skill. This suddenly observed ability to adapt and overcome has lead to the reason I requested this meeting."
"Oh. Is there a problem with my son's performance?"
"Certainly not, madam. Far from it! At this point, not only has Estel risen to the top of the class by besting each of his classmates, but he has been able to handle many of them two at a time."
"I had been under the impression that the senior group took a number of years to complete. Where do we go from here?"
Elrond spoke up. "From here, if it is agreed by all present, Lady Gilraen, Estel begins Ranger Training."
With an audible gulp she asked "Is his archery up to qualifying? I know he started quite a bit later and I have not heard much about it since the beginning mishaps."
"Well, My Lady, let us put it this way. Estel is no Legolas or even Elladan, as yet. But he has been known to be quite competitive with Elrohir. He has been out of group classes for the better part of a year. I would say he is more than prepared in that regard. Estel is a very serious student, I must say, in all his classes. The concern is burdening him further by moving him to Rangers before he has a chance to emotionally mature further."
"I have some concerns." Spoke Glorfindel suddenly. "Estel is capable. He is, indeed, very serious. But he is about to be thirteen and even the Dúnedain do not send their young men here for such training until they are sixteen at the earliest. One confronts situations in training that require a level of maturity that comes with experience of life rather than just the classroom."
"So, where do we go from here? He seems to have run out of options for the time being." Elrond questioned mournfully. "And he will be frustrated at being held back. He knows he is Adan and that Edain are Rangers and as he stands on the threshold of that training, hands are holding him back. His angry question to us will be 'why?' Do we have an answer he will understand?"
"The simple answer is that I have never admitted anyone, Elven or Adan into the class who was younger than sixteen. He also knows I have never denied a graduate of the senior class entry into Ranger Training. Therefore I propose the following – in seven weeks, when we go out for a mission, he goes with the Rangers. The twins and Legolas will be going along anyway as per prior arrangement. That would permit three Edain in the group including Estel as well as three Elven, with four trainers. In the meantime, I will privately tutor him with the sword, dagger and staff. If it works, we will continue taking him out on occasional missions and patrols until he is ready to fully integrate into the class."
"That satisfies my concerns if we can get Estel to accept it." Lady Gilraen commented skeptically.
"I intend to make it clear that this is how things will progress." Glorfindel stated in a commanding tone.
"Yes, in this matter you probably have greater sway than I." Said Elrond with a hint of resignation knowing how much his youngest son idolized the Balrog Slayer.
With that, Glorfindel left the meeting to find Estel. He found him on the informal running track that circled the house. Jogging in beside him, he turned to Estel and said "Your new sword class begins at first light. If all goes well, you go out on a mission with the Rangers in seven weeks. Keep up the laps, we go on foot this time." With that Glorfindel pealed off and headed for his next class.
The early morning sword class suited many purposes for Glorfindel. The daily meeting with Estel would provide an excellent workout before the day's worth of classes, a perfect way to loosen up before the tedium. Since the second class consisted of beginners, this gave them a chance to observe their teacher and one of his finest pupils in a daily impromptu demonstration. Finally, it put Estel's considerable patience and skill on the field as an assistant when needed to help the younger ones along the way.
As the weeks passed, Glorfindel quietly put the word out that the first light class was a bit of a demonstration for any who might be interested. Estel had been handling two opponents regularly in both the intermediate class and the seniors but he would need to be prepared for an informal attack of three or more in the field if something went wrong on the Ranger trip. The Balrog Slayer was not about to have his pupil unprepared. Thus, it became customary for Glorfindel to arrive for class with an arm full of various swords and other implements of destruction and wait for eager spectators.
One day, Glorfindel chose to arrive early for class. He had been tipped off that Estel had been using time before class to go through elaborate warm ups. What he saw warmed his heart. There was his pupil methodically progressing the length of the field practicing various rolls, signally or chained with his sword drawn. Estel was clad in his usual training clothes, his waist length hair in battle ready Elven braids. With each tuck and roll, he instinctively flicked his head to prevent the hair from being caught behind his back impeding forward movement. In that moment, as the teenager tucked one last time before coming to his feet in front of his teacher, Glorfindel thought he saw Elendil fighting before him and his eyes misted over.
"Have I erred in execution, Sir?" Estel asked jolting the Balrog Slayer back to the present.
"No, not at all, Estel. I just have not seen that grace in those rolls in an Adan in many ages."
"I have been honored to have an excellent teacher."
"It takes more than a teacher. Some talents a person inherits." At which Glorfindel redirected the forward motion of the discussion to avoid dangerous territory, and added "The Dúnedain seem to be blessed in that regard."
"It is the touch of Elven blood is it not, if I remember my history correctly?"
"I believe so. But the task at hand is not history at this hour and we appear to have a growing contingent of volunteer attackers."
And so it was that day, Estel again dealt with a rotating group of three attackers with swords, spears, quarter staves, morning stars, even some long knives and whips. In the end, he was successful, as Glorfindel always orchestrated the fight to push the student's abilities ever forward without discouragement. They had a mere two weeks left before the trip.