A/N: Second chapter, same day. Sorry, I'm just really bored at the moment. So...I'll probably be updating a lot. Yea.
Here we go to Estel. Yay! I hope you like this chapter, too.
Disclaimer: (to lawyers): Go away! Nothing recognizable is owned by me! Lawyers: Eerg!
ch. 2:
Estel struggled to keep in his giggles as he crept silently down the hall in his bare feet. The polished marble felt cold underneath his feet, but he paid it no mind as he took a right turn and headed for the kitchens. Most of the place was asleep, but Estel knew from experience that even the slightest sound would give him away. It was hard creeping around keen elven ears.
Unfortunately, Estel was not an elf, so creeping around them was harder. He was not as light or agile as them and tended to be a bit clumsy, but that would only be expected from a five year old boy, and besides, he was more graceful than any other humans his age.
Estel slowed his steps when he approached Lord Elrond's room. It was dark inside, but the door was slightly ajar. Estel would have to be very careful going by. Elrond had especially good hearing. As the young boy crept by, he peered inside. He saw the silhouette of the elven lord on the bed, motionless. Estel smiled and quickly hurried away.
Soon he reached the kitchens. It was dark, but Estel snatched a lit candle resting on a nearby table and pushed the door open. He walked up to the counter on silent feet and stood on his toes. His eyes swept the countertop for any snacks. Finally he saw the small stash of biscuits resting near the center of the counter. The cooks normally left a plate or two of food out to cool overnight and be ready by morning. Smiling, Estel placed the candle on the counter and reached over, but his short arm couldn't reach the plate of biscuits. He tried to stand taller, his brow furrowing in frustration.
A cool hand suddenly grasped the boy's wrist, stopping his movements. Estel found himself face to face with Elladan, Lord Elrond's son, clutching his wrist and smiling. From behind came Elrohir, his identical twin, also grinning.
"What are you doing, Estel?" Elladan asked, the kind grin never leaving his face. The boy pulled his hand back and pointed to the plate of biscuits wordlessly. Elrohir smiled widely.
"You know you're not supposed to be touching the biscuits, Estel," he whispered warningly. "Ada told you not to." Estel pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.
"But I'm hungry," he replied quietly. "And I made it past Ada's room, why can I not have a biscuit to reward myself?" Elrohir smiled and glanced at his twin brother.
"Elladan, maybe we should let him have one," he whispered. "You know how hard it is to get by Ada's door."
"Aye, I do," Elladan replied. He knelt down next to the small human boy. "If we get to have one too, we won't send you to bed." Estel grinned and nodded. Elrohir grabbed the plate and turned on his heel as Elladan scooped up Estel.
"We best return to our rooms," he said. "It's too much of a risk if we get caught in here."
"You already have been," a voice said, and an elven maiden appeared in the doorway, blocking their path. Ayeirn halted abruptly in surprise.
"Arwen!" Elrohir exclaimed, bumping roughly into his twin. "What are you doing here?" Their older sister glared at them, cocking her head.
"The question is, what are you doing here, and with a hostage five year old?" she asked, glancing at Estel cuddled in Elladan's arms.
"I'm not a hostage, Arwen," Estel piped up. "I came here all by myself."
"I'm sure you did, little one," Arwen murmured, her voice softening. She looked back up at her brothers. "Where are you headed with the biscuits?"
"Midnight snack," Elrohir replied carelessly, shrugging. "Want to join us? I'm sure there's enough."
"Yes, please come with us, sister Arwen," Estel chirruped, slipping from Elladan's arms and grabbing her hand. "I would like you to." Arwen smiled down at the energetic boy. She loved him dearly, even if he was not of their own race. Estel's village had been burned only nine months ago, his parents slain by orcs. Elladan and Elrohir had found the boy in a collapsed building, trapped beneath a pile of rubble. They had kindly brought the boy to their own home, where Lord Elrond nursed him back to health. Since Estel had had nowhere else to go, Elrond had allowed him to stay with them, accepting him as a part of their family. Estel now called Elrond his father and his offspring siblings.
"Alright, I will," she whispered. "But you need to be quiet. Who knows what Ceilon will do to us if he finds us with these biscuits?" Ceilon was the head cook. Estel giggled as he thought of it.
"He'll put us in the oven," the boy laughed, his eyes sparkling with merriment. "He told me himself." Arwen smiled as Elrohir chuckled.
"I don't doubt that," he said. "Now quickly, before Ada wakes." The four of them crept back to Estel's room, for it was the closest, and settled beside the fire. They placed the plate in the middle of them and each fed off of the precious stash of pastries.
"They're a bit dry, don't you think, Elrohir?" Elladan asked his twin seated next to him. Elrohir ran his tongue around his mouth. He soon nodded.
"Yes. We need some drink to go along with it. What do you say, El?"
"I would say so, Ro," Elladan replied, also nodding. Arwen giggled past a full mouth. The twins never ceased to prod at her patience with their 'humble' ways toward each other.
"You two drive me crazy," she laughed. Elladan groaned.
"What did we do now, dear sister?" he asked, smiling. Arwen simply shook her head. Estel grinned, his mouth covered with biscuit crumbs. He placed his half-eaten biscuit on the floor and stretched his arms above his head, yawning. Arwen noticed how tired her foster brother was and scooped him into her lap. He snuggled against her side and closed his eyes. The twins and she continued to eat their filched food and talked about careless matters by the fire, enjoying its warmth.
"I wonder what Ada will do to us when Ceilon reports missing biscuits," Ro whispered thoughtfully. Arwen grinned.
"He'll help Ceilon put us in the oven," she replied, laughing.
"I'm not sure, I don't think I taste all that good," El said from his spot by the fire. He leaned back on a pillow and rested his head in his hand. His eyes were half-closed in drowsiness. Ro suddenly laughed.
"No, believe me, you don't," he said. Elladan looked over at his younger twin.
"How would you know?" he asked indignantly. Elrohir struggled to speak past his giggles.
"Be-because I bit you once, remember?" he laughed. Arwen looked at them in surprise.
"You bit him?" she asked, keeping her voice low so she didn't wake the sleeping child in her arms. Ro nodded, still smiling. Elladan seemed confused, but then remembrance flashed over his face.
"I remember that!" he exclaimed. Suddenly he glared at his younger brother. "It was during a spar, I believe. You bit me when I knocked the weapon out of your hands." Arwen laughed, rocking back.
"How old were you?" she asked. "Wait, don't tell me. This happened just last week."
"No!" the twins both exclaimed in unison, glowering at her.
"We were mere elflings," Ro said, leaning over and grabbing another biscuit from the plate. "Nearly…seventeen, I'd say."
"That's pretty old to be biting someone, Elrohir," Arwen said.
"No it's not," Ro replied coolly, brushing the crumbs from his hands. "That's about…five or six years old by human time. About Estel's age."
"He even has more sense than you at this age," Arwen teased. "You don't see him biting anyone, do you?" Ro rolled his eyes, leaning down next to his twin and letting their foreheads barely touch. El was already asleep, his eyes dull and unfocused as he dreamt. Elrohir soon joined his brother in the land of dreams. Arwen sighed and moved the plate aside. She curled up with Estel still in her arms against her two younger siblings and allowed herself to slip into sleep.
The door slowly swung open on silent hinges, revealing the sharp form behind it. The figure stepped into the room, quiet and swift as the passing breeze, and gazed fondly at the three elves and boy slumbering on the floor by the fire. He chuckled warmly as he spotted the bare biscuit plate resting in their midst. Lord Elrond, awakened by the quiet conversation that had taken place, blew out the candle on the table. He covered each of the young ones with blankets, then passed from the room once more, leaving no other sign that he had even been there.
:Done:
Aww...Please R&R! It's my first fic on this site! I need encouragement!