A/N – Okay, so here is the next installment of this fic. I do hope that you all like it! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed. Please know that your kind words of affection are very appreciated. However, please note, if you are looking for a fic written like Tolkien…well, I'm not him. I like to throw in a few hell's and damn's in every once in a while. But, I will refrain from doing that as much as I did in the first chapter.

Okay, now that that is over….one with the…..disclaimer! if you all will open your…dictionary – a Disclaimer means that the person who disclaims something doesn't own it. In this case, I do not own LOTR. That right belongs to a genius of our age! I don't even own the quote. (Which appears in the first sentence of this chapter, it is by Charles Kettering, and is in the bold!.

My Brother, My son

Part 2

The old saying of human's goes as this – A problem well stated is a problem half solved – however, Lord Elrond of Rivendell did not, well, it was more like could not state his problem with the clarification that he thought was warranted for this situation. He couldn't even keep his mind from wondering from one set of problems to another realm of even more difficult problems!

The council that was supposed to have been held in March of that year, had been put back a few months because one of the Lord's had suffered a terrible loss. Lord Kelev had lost his son to a hunting accident and as far as Elrond knew, the man was still in grieving. (Which brought his mind back to the problems at hand…)

Lord Kelev had asked for this meeting himself; he was not known to be a very good man, but he felt violated when other human Lord's took his hospitality without asking for it. He was a Lord of some land east of the Middle-Earth. Elrond was in the process of connecting with the human's of the Empty Land's. However, from what he had heard, the men were ,yet again, in the process of getting into another war. The first one had only lasted three years, with little blood shed, but that didn't exactly prove that they could be at peace with one another while they tried to make their way into Middle-Earth.

Elrond sighed; Men had trouble with greed ever since the days they had been created. It was no wonder why he had a bit of trouble with Estel when the small boy seemed to be attracted to anything that sparkled.

This time, Elrond groaned. Estel, his foster son, had been away for months now. The boy could not realize the Elrond was just trying to protect him. The boy was stubborn, mad, reckless, angry…difficult! When it came down to it, Estel was just like his father. Arathorn would have been proud of Estel, for Elrond had this strange feeling that Arathorn would have done the same exact thing!

Infuriating! Elrond thought to himself as he leafed through his notes of the council he was trying to get together in the coming weeks. That boy and his father were so much alike that it was akin to the supernatural.

When Estel had yelled at him; Elrond could almost see the spirit of Arathorn in the boy. Elrond suddenly thought that this line was thinking was getting reiterated way too much. He hated reiterating things to himself! He knew that Estel was not his father, and yet Estel was not Isildur (of which Elrond had to get over and after some time did). Estel was…well…he was Estel.

He was the boy who played obvious pranks on his brothers when he was younger and Elladan and Elrohir feel for them with grace and style and never failed to get back at their younger brother. The boy had grown up to learn how to fight, but also to learn when to walk away from a battle. The boy had learned that some Elves don't like human's but some do.

Estel had also learned that not everything outside of Rivendell was sunshine and daisies. He had learned that the heart of men could be even more terrifying and dangerous than his foster father in a very bad mood.

Estel had also learned, however, that he had a bit more freedom in the wilderness out side of Rivendell's sanctuary hills. He had joined the Rangers of the North and began to call himself Strider. He had even learned how to smoke a pipe, which, Elrond conceded, made the boy look more mature and grown up, but Estel was still the life loving boy that had grown up within Elrond's halls.

To only have the little boy back again would have made Elrond dance with joy. But for the fact that he had not had a single message since his son had left, made him grieve for the young one.

Elladan and Elrohir sighed as one; they were in the garden's but were not enjoying nature as was the Elven way. They had been ordered to stay in Rivendell so that they could attend the up coming counsel meeting with the petty Lord's who were warring with each other as of late.

Which to their minds was rather stupid, but as another very old human saying went – Beggar's can't be Chooser's! – this also made the Twin's sigh. How come they always remembered the stupid sayings of human's and not of their own people? They both decided that something was wrong with that and began to think of all the Elven saying that could be complied with their situation.

"You two are as dead as a grave yard!" someone, who was rather angry, said to them. The Twin's looked around to see their best friend Legolas stare down at them. The blond Elf was very tired of the Twin's sighing every half a second and was about to go mad if he didn't do something about it. RIGHT THIS INSTANT! He added, if only to himself.

"Sorry Legolas, we did not intend to make you angry," Elladan said.

"Indeed, we did not," Elrohir agreed.

"What is with you two? Estel is growing up! There is no need for you to protect him every step of the way, pretty soon he will have to deal with problems that you can't take care of yourselves," Legolas said.

"We know, but he left without saying good by," Elladan sighed. Legolas glared.

"Why would he do that? Didn't you tell me that you did not have a very decent conversation with him before he left?" Legolas asked.

"Well, we were busy," Elrohir replied indignantly.
"Indeed, and pray tell, what was that about? Why couldn't you two have stopped your madness for a few seconds to have a talk with you young brother?"

"We…" Elrohir stuttered.

"Yes?"

"Well…" Elladan stopped in mid sentence. Legolas was right, the two of them had been so caught up in their own plan's that they had dismissed Estel with carelessness and this was where it led them, and their little Brother. Suddenly, the lesson of one's actions that transpired the consequences was one the two Elven Twin's had learned once again.

"That was very shallow,"

"We know," Elladan said.

"We'd do something of it...if we could," Elrohir agreed.

"You may need too; a scout just reported that they had seen Estel near the boarder's of your realm, however, he hasn't been seen moving any closer. I'm sure he's trying to get his courage up to see you lot again," Legolas explained.

The Twin's bound to their feet simultaneously and grinned.

"I have the exact solution to this problem," Elladan said.

"As do I, my brother,"

And with that, the Elven brother's left their friend in the garden's, choking down dust that flew to the air in their wake to get back into the last Homely House as fast as their Elven grace would let them.

Legolas smiled. Since he had arrived here all those moths back, he had known that something was amiss since Estel was not around. It also seemed as if the Ranger had packed for a very longmission away from his home.

Legolas hadn't understood and so on his second night he had threatened the Twin's into telling him about what had happened. Estel had gone off to join his Ranger friends on his own; without telling anyone about his whereabouts. The boy had decided that he was better off alone.

By himself….

On his own…..

With no one there to laugh with….

Legolas felt cheated in a way; Estel had always come to him when he felt neglected by his own family. Which wasn't very often, thank the Valor, but it happened and then the human would send a letter or come and visit in Mirkwood for a while.

Legolas squashed this feeling down with a vengeance! His friend needed to grow up and become the man he was destined to be. Legolas would be there for him, but if the man needed space…Legolas would give it to him.

He felt slow, and fuzzy. He knew this feeling quite well, in fact, he had felt in more than a thousandth times in his very short life and decided that he hated it now just as much as he ever did. This feeling of wooziness and sleepiness would go away with time, but until then, Estel knew that he would feel strange.

Estel tried to open his eyes, but failed and decided that coming to his senses in other ways would help him to achieve his goal of eye-open later. Estel took a deep breath; he noted that the place he was in smelled of…canvas? What the hell? Estel thought to himself. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep underneath some trees.

It was then that a coughing fit wracked his whole body, and he also felt someone holding onto him and patting his back to help get the fit over with sooner rather than later. Estel did not remember anyone being near him when he did fall asleep. So, the touch was a surprise and he tried to get himself out of it.

"Malikki? What's the matter?" a voice asked. Estel, who was still lying on his back on a mat with some blankets covering him, groaned and opened one storm grey eye. He had never seen this other boy before, but didn't care.

"What? Where am I?" he asked sitting up, that was when he felt the pull on his writs. An older man had captured them and was in the process of chaining Estel's wrist with iron bands.

"Hold still," the man grunted.

"This is Uncle Vess, he thinks that this is for your own good," the other said.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Estel glared at his two captor's.

"You all ways had a mouth in you," Vess, a chubby man with ugly fat hanging from his body and bulging against his clothes, shook his head.

"I am Glorion," the boy with the long black hair said.

"And as I said, this is Uncle Vess," Glorion repeated, waving a hand at his Uncle.

"And you are here because we wish it," Vess smirked.

" I have done nothing to you! Let me go and I shall forget this deed," Estel glared.

"We can't Malikki, you need to come home with us," Glorion said, he was confused. Malikki liked it better at home than in the wilderness. He also hated to be away from his family.

The boy's silver eyes flashed at Glorion; "You are making a mistake, let me go!"

"Silence! If you are not quiet I shall gag you as well," Vess glared, he then sent a signal to Glorion, who pushed Estel down into the bed and held him there while his Uncle secured the boy's ankles with heavy chains.

Estel gave a fight, but in the position he was in he was only being a nuisance. Elrohir had told him time and time again that in a fight like this, it was better to be on the top. Glorion held him down, and once the anklet's had been secured and then sat back. Estel glared at the two of them.

"I don't know what you want, but you had better let me go if you know what's good for you," he said. Vess chuckled while Glorion looked a bit hurt.

"Don't you want to come home?" Glorion asked.

"I was going home!"

"I'll leave the two of you to sort this out. Lord Glorion, I have to leave in the morning if I am going to make that counsel," Vess said. He heaved himself up and waddled out of the tent.

That left the two young men alone. Glorion sighed as he sat beside Malikki. The other boy didn't say anything as he coughed into his shirt sleeve. Glorion reached out and felt the others forehead. He was hot, and he was shivering at the same time.

Glorion wet some flannel and bathed Malikki's face with the cool water.

"You always had this strange way of getting sick whenever it rained," Glorion said.

"I know, my family tells me that all the time," Estel replied.

"Where were you heading when I found you?" Glorion asked.

"It doesn't matter,"

"Your right, it really doesn't,"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because, you are my brother, and the son of Lord Kelev, he watches over a bit of the Empty Land, though, there are other beings there as well,"

"The Empty Lands?" Estel asked. He had never been there, but he had caught site of the boarder's a few times. The Empty Lands lay beyond the Eastern boundaries of Middle-Earth. Estel remembered that anyone banished from Middle-Earth would go there as punishment. Those who were banished would also take their families and build another life there. It didn't surprise Estel at all to find that someone was lording over the land.

"The Empty Land's have had small insignificant war's a time or two," Glorion said, at this time, he was mixing some sort of herbs into hot water for a tea.

"Basically, the people took sides and whichever was strongest won; sure, there was some blood shed but not much. All in all, it only lasted three years. That was when Father became Lord of the Eastern Boundaries, the other Lords chose where they wanted to go and we have been at peace ever since,"

"But why are you all the way out here? Your basically miles away from your home and it will take months for you to get back,"

"I know, I was escorting my Uncle to a counsel that will take place in Rivendell at the end of this week, supposedly, I saw you and I knew that you were on your way home as well, now all we have to do is get there together," Glorion said.

"The Empty Land's may be your home, but it is not mine," Estel stressed for the third time.

"In time, you will come to remember your life there," Glorion said, he then made Estel sit up and offered him the cup. Of which Estel looked at suspiciously.

"You're sick, Little Brother, please?"

"No,"

Glorion chuckled Malikki was very stubborn and would never take his medicine!

"Fine, I'll have to force it down your throat then," Glorion sighed with a roll of his eyes.

He grabbed Estel's chin and pressed hard on the junctures on each side; it was relatively easy for him to get his patients mouth open and to pour the sour drink into the unwilling body. Estel tried to spit it out but with a hand covering his mouth and his nose pinched so that he couldn't breathe, he had no choice but to swallow.

Estel was then thrown back to the dark and heavy jaws of darkness. Where he would lay for some time, not remembering a single soul; His existence become nothing more than a patch on someone's cloak. Estel found that he rather liked it, however, and sighed against reality.

Out side the tent, Glorion found his Uncle, waiting for him.

"Uncle, are you sure he needs those restraints?" Glorion asked. He had been loathed to do that to his young brother. The boy was all ready sick, why even add to the wretchedness of his existence with cold, iron chains?

"Did you not see what he was wearing? I haven't been in these land's for long but I do know a Ranger when I see one," Vess said.

"Yes, His Lordship Krak was a Ranger," Glorion nodded.

"Used to be, he killed one of the Ranger's, that was supposed to be his best friend, that is the worst thing a Ranger can do to another," Vess said.

"And then he came to us," Glorion finished the short tail.

"Yes, but do you want to know how I knew that boy in there is a Ranger?" Vess asked with a smirk.

"He isn't…" Glorion started but Vess interjected.

"I know what you want him to be, you want your little brother Malikki back; he deffinantly looks like the lad," Vess said coolly.

"But he isn't, at least, not all of him, he has grey eyes, Malikki had blue,"

"Do you think that will throw father off?"

"Yes, Kelev reacted terribly to the other boy's we brought in, he even killed one, too bad for that one,"

"I know, but what should I do about it? I can't wave a stick and say something silly in order to change his eyes," Glorion muttered.

"What is with the stick? Never mind, look, just make sure the boy doesn't get away. He's a Ranger, he'd come up with something," Vess said.

"And once again, how do you know, positively, that Malikki is a Ranger?"

"That six pointed crystal star he wears on his collar," Vess said, he handed said pin to Glorion who looked critical.

"Really, Uncle, I've seen this before on….Krak…."

"That was what I thought when I first saw it too," Vess agreed.

"He'll forget about this life, once he find's the one waiting for him with myself and Father," Glorion said.

"For your sake, I hope so," Vess said before turning from his nephew and going into his own private tent. Glorion entered the tent that he shared with Malikki and sat down besides the boy once again.

The jewel in his hand was something that he had seen only once. Krak had come to them ten years before, when Glorion was only a small boy. The ex-Ranger showed the boy the pin before crushing it underneath his boot heel. Glorion admitted that he didn't know much about Ranger's, but he didn't think that they would have found any traces of their missing friend so soon. Glorion was a master when it came to tracking, he knew that he had left no traces.

And that was good, what one could not find, one did not care for.

When the sun rose that next morning, Elladan thought that he would not live through this day. Today they were expecting their young brother back and he knew that both he and Elrohir owed the man an apology. Elladan felt extremely stupid about the fact that he had ignored Estel in the way he had.

Though, he figured that it happened in every family. Sometimes the youngest would be overlooked. However in this situation, Estel was still a child to Elves standard of age, while he was an adult to the Human's standard's of the same age. It was very hard to remember that Estel was human and therefore grew up faster than Elves.

"Elladan? Are you all right?" it was Elrohir.

"Yes, just thinking about how grown-up Estel has become,"

"In some way's but in many he is still a child," Elrohir said.

"I know, but we can't be there to decide everything for him,"

"I'm glad to know that you think I'm right,"

"Legolas!" Elladan and Elrohir whirled around, their friend stood in the door way that lead to their balcony.

"That's my name, why must you yell it as if I am an Orc or something of that nature?" Legolas smirked.

"Oh, go away," Elrohir rolled his eyes.

"Lord Elrond sent me to get you two, he wants to speak to us," Legolas said, he turned to exit the room. Elladan and Elrohir were quick to follow and together they made their way throw the halls of the Last Homely house of Rivendell.

The next that Estel woke, he fell a bit better. He still had an ache in his chest, and his throat was sore and dry. He swallowed, but even that was hard. When the rim of a cup was pushed to his lips, Estel gladly drank the life giving fluid.

"Glad to see that your up, I was wondering if I gave you a bit much last night," a voice said. Estel opened his eyes to see Glorion smiling down at him, in a very gentle way he might add.

"What…?"

"It's all right, just rest here, soon we will be traveling," Glorion said. He then covered Estel with a blanket before exiting the tent. Estel got to look at his surroundings this time he woke. The tent was bare except for a rolled up mat in a corner, and of course, himself. Estel then gently tested the manacles around his wrists.

The iron was strong, there was no way he'd be able to get out of it without breaking his writs. Estel was then glad that he had spent all that time as a young child picking his way out of locked rooms (and in but Estel decided to forget that fact for the moment). The skill of lock-picking cam in handy most times and Estel was rightfully glad that he hid a pin in the seam of his shirt cuff. It was easy to get too and hidden effectively. Even if Glorion had searched him while he was out.

Estel sighed as he laid back and closed his eyes; he was beginning to get a head ache! He hated getting sick like this, but at least, he though grimly, the rain had stopped. At least that is something!

A few moments later, Glorion came back and helped Estel to his feet. Once the two of them were outside, a couple men started to take down the tent. Estel glanced at the controlled chaos that the camp was in.

Horses were getting saddled; tents coming undone, and the fires being put out. Each man wore the insignia of their Lord, which was a sword with dead vines crawling up it, and they all seemed pleased to be moving on.

"Uncle wanted an army to escort him here, but in the end Father only let him take twenty men, and myself for aid," Glorion said. It was then that the fat man came up to them.

"Are you ready? You need to get going, it is a long way back," Vess said.

"Yes Uncle, I am," Glorion nodded.

"And him? What are you going to do? have him ride with you?"

"No, he'll be in the wagon, I don't want to take any chances," Glorion said.

"Ah, you are just like Kelev!" Vess chuckled as he patted his oldest Nephew on the back, he then turned to Estel.

"Now you listen here boy! Don't do anything stupid and Glorion here won't have to punish you, he has the right as leader," Vess said. Estel glared but said nothing.

"He's going to be trouble," Vess shook his head and then turned to make sure that his horse and rider's were ready for him.

"Keep an eye on him," was Vess farewell as he swung onto his own chubby horse and his group made their way to the main road to Rivendell.

Glorion watched them go and waved at his Uncle before the group was out of sight. He then turned to Estel, who was glaring at everything. Glorion knew that his little brother hated the situation, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Shall we then?" Glorion asked.

"Auta miqula orqu," Estel replied. Glorion looked at him as if he was crazy before dragging him to the wagon. In a few more moments his party was ready and they began to head east.

Elvish translations –

Auta miqula orqu – Go kiss an Orc

A/N – Okay, I want everyone to know that the Elvish I use here may not even be right! I am no linguistic fan so I have no clue if someone is trying to be brilliant and have the whole thing wrong, or if I am just being thick at the moment and it is right. On another note, the Empty Land's is Tolkien's as well. He only mentioned it once in his books (At least that is what the Web site told me). The information of where these lands are located is given (twice may I add) in this chapter. I couldn't come up with a good land for Kelev to Lord over, so there it is. Also, I have made up the whole war and stuff with the Empty Lands as well. More will be explained in coming chapters! Thank you…

May the leaves of your tree never turn brown….