Until Hope Awakes Me
Chapter 6
Unfurling of the Golden Greenleaf
Estel returned everyday to that room in hopes that the golden elf he had found would be awake, but everyday he was disappointed… until that day. That day he had gone to the room expecting the same thing he had found for the past two weeks, the elf still sleeping. If it had been possible he would have had a heart attack when he opened the door.
Legolas was sitting up blinking as he looked around the room when Estel opened the door. He turned his head and looked at the small boy.
"Are you him?" Legolas asked in almost a whisper. Estel came out of his shock at that question but he didn't really understand the question.
"What?" Estel questioned.
"Are you him… Estel… the hope that has called me from my suspension in grief?" Legolas asked more clearly.
"Um… yes… I think. I mean I am Estel and as far as I know there is no other Estel here in Imladris," Estel answered slowly walking forward. Legolas nodded a small smile gracing his face as he watched the boy, so this… this was his hope? How odd… that a human of all things would be his hope. Estel was encouraged by his smile and hopped up on the bed to sit beside him. "What is your name?"
"Legolas," he answered.
"Legolas…" Estel murmured watching him as he tried out the name and then smiled. "I never thought when Ro and I were playing hide and seek that I would find anything like this! I have never seen a golden elf before, other than Glorfindel. I am not allowed to go see Lady Galadriel yet… ada says maybe when I'm ten."
"Ro? Ada? Do you mean Elrohir?" Legolas questioned. Estel nodded his smile growing.
"Yes! Elrohir and Elladan are my brothers and Lord Elrond is my ada," he answered and then he gasped. "I did not tell them that I had found you! They will be very excited! Just how long have you been asleep?"
"What year is it?" Legolas countered, he had no idea how long he had been asleep.
"2921 of the Third Age," Estel answered and he saw Legolas's eyes widen. "Is it a long time?"
"Yes… a thousand years," Legolas told him.
"Wow! Then ada and my brothers will be very excited! Come on I will take you to them!" Estel grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bed. They were jogging down the hall before Legolas could even protest. His muscles hurt from those years of nonuse and the blood rush to his head caused it to spin.
"Estel…" He murmured trying to catch the boy's attention to make him slow down so he could clear the spinning sensations from his mind but the boy did not hear him.
Estel led him to the door where he knew his ada and brothers would be having their noon meal, he knew they also expected him to be there but he was sure this surprise would make up for it. As he opened the door he could already hear his name off of his ada's lips.
"Before you scold me ada I have a good reason for being late!" He exclaimed cutting Elrond off. Elrond sighed wondering what story his youngest son had come up with now.
"And what would that reason be Estel?" He asked. Estel pulled Legolas through the door and smiled at the shocked looks he got.
"Es…" Elrond started standing, his healing eyes catching the paleness of Legolas's skin and the unclearness of his eyes.
"He was awake when I went to see him this morning! I told him you would all be very happy to see him!… Ada?" Estel wondered as Elrond strode quickly over to them.
Legolas swayed on his feet slightly the spinning finally becoming to much, he glanced down and saw Estel looking at him with worried eyes, he saw the boy's lips moving with his name… and then he gave into the blissful darkness that awaited him. The last thing he felt was the comforting warmness of someone's clothes as they caught him as he fell.
-
"Will he be alright ada?" Those were the first words Legolas heard as his consciousness returned.
"Yes, Legolas will be fine Estel. He has just been asleep for quiet awhile and his body has not yet caught up with that yet." He felt a hand pressed to his forehead and then his cheeks. It was then that he blinked slowly and the hand paused on his cheek. "Legolas? Are you awake pennth nin?" Elrond questioned and he had to smile slightly.
"Funny my lord… I remember being asked that long ago… but it was not true then," Legolas told him. Elrond chuckled softly.
"Yes pennth nin. You were asked that long ago. How do you feel?" He asked.
"Better. Where is he?" Legolas questioned.
"Where is who?"
"Estel," Legolas answered and he felt the bed shift slightly on his other side, although more than it should have with the small boys weight. Legolas turned his head and saw one set of blue-gray eyes and two other sets of brown.
"What no greeting for your friends Las? We should be offended," Elrohir joked and Legolas gave him a smile.
"Hello mellon nin and you Elladan," he said. The elder twin nodded at him with a smile.
"I am here too Legolas," Estel told him taking his hand. Legolas squeezed it slightly.
"Yes you are here, you are both here and now I must ask just how that is," Elrond mused glancing back from the two. Estel looked up at him with all seriousness.
"Well you see ada… when two elves fall in love sometimes they want to be closer and they…" Estel started but stopped as the twins and Legolas cut him off with laughter. Elrond was trying very hard to hide a smile but was failing.
"I did not mean that way Estel but I am pleased that you at least remembered that lesson. No, what I meant was, how did you come to find Legolas?"
"Oh that's easy. Elrohir and I were playing hide and seek two weeks ago and I ran into this room to hide, that was when I found him sleeping on the bed. I was amazed because I had only seen one golden elf and that was Glorfindel, and Legolas here was definitely not Glorfy. I tried to wake him but he wouldn't. I told him my name but still nothing, then Elrohir yelled for me so I told him I would be back and left. I came back, everyday for two weeks to see if he was awake. Then, today I walked in and there he was sitting up, awake," Estel explained.
"I heard someone calling to me. Someone named Estel which is elvish for…" Legolas traveled off at Elrond's astonished look.
"Hope," he murmured and Legolas nodded. "Your letter all those years ago said you would sleep until hope awoke you."
"Very good my lord, although I did not know at the time that it would be by this boy," Legolas told him.
"It is truly all very amazing," Elrond told him. Legolas nodded in agreement and then looked down as his stomach growled loudly, a blush decorated his cheeks. Elrond laughed. "I will go get you something to eat and then we will talk, I'm sure you have many questions." And with that he left the room.
-
Elrond went to the kitchens and asked the cooks to prepare a light meal for Legolas, he had hoped this would not take long but as soon as he said the name Legolas the cooks started asking questions. By the time he was allowed to leave he was surprised that the cooks did not know all of Legolas's history. He returned to the room with a small tray of fruits and such for Legolas. Elrond was pleased to see Legolas chatting and laughing with Estel and the twins. This was such a change from the quiet, scared child that had come to them a thousand years ago.
Legolas looked up at him and smiled as he sat the tray on the bed and retook his seat in the chair beside the bed. Elrond was pleased to see Legolas eat the fruit, eagerly but slowly.
"Do you have any questions that we may answer Legolas?" He asked. Legolas thought for a moment.
"I would like to know everything that has been happening but I'm sure I could just visit your library to find those things out. Oh! Where is Lady Celebrían? I would very much like to see her again," Legolas told him.
The room became silent and everyone looked down, their faces cast fallen. Estel did not look as sad as the others as he had not known Celebrían but he had heard about her from his older brothers and thought of her as a very good lady. Legolas was very puzzled by their expressions, he looked at each of them.
"What? What has happened? Did I ask something wrong?" He questioned.
Elrohir had silent tears running down his cheeks and Elladan had a comforting hand on his shoulder. The younger twin shook his head and walked out of the room. Elladan gave Legolas an apologetic look and followed after his brother. This only continued to puzzle Legolas more.
"Lord Elrond?" Elrond cleared his throat and looked up meeting Legolas's eyes sadly.
"My wife was returning from a visit to Lothlorien when she was attacked by a rouge band of orcs. She inquired a rather serious wound but I was able to heal that… I could however not heal the grief she suffered. She sailed over the seas four hundred and eleven years ago," Elrond explained and he stood. "Please excuse me Legolas. I should go check on Elladan and Elrohir." Once again Elrond left, this time leaving him alone with Estel.
Legolas lowered his head sadly, he felt bad, one for making the family that had treated him so well sad, and two he was sad that he would maybe never get to see Celebrían again. She had been so nice… much like the mother he had never known.
Small arms wrapped around his neck and Legolas realized he was crying as he saw the dark tunic darken under the wetness of his tears.
"Do not cry Legolas," Estel told him softly.
"But isn't that what you are supposed to do when you are sad?" Legolas asked.
"Well yes but…" Estel started but then bit his lip.
"But what pennth nin?"
"You do not have to cry anymore… because you have me," Estel said. "I will make you happy." Legolas smiled and drew the child into his arms.
"Yes… yes I have you Estel… and you… you are the hope of us all pennth nin."
Elvish translation
Ada - Dad
Pennth nin - Young one
-Seylin-
A/N: I am going to start placing this at the bottom SDA. It means Standard Disclaimers Apply. That way no one can say I am trying to claim the fandoms I use, and hopefully I won't be breaking fan fiction. net's new rule. Also I will be posting a link in my profile to the timeline doc. For this story. It will be up for 30 days at that link and permanently on my live journal, link also on my profile.
SDA.
