My Brother, My Son

Part 5

Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is
still dark.
- Scandinavian Saying

The day had been full of learning many subjects; from history and geography, from the Common tongue to Quennya, Estel had been a busy ten year old. However, it was the lessons he attended with his older brothers that got him excited, especially when they showed him their many secrets.

Today was the one lesson the Estel had been begging for; the lock picking lesson. He had been scrounging around the house for his own lock pick; his luck was with him just last week when he found a hair pin that the lovely Lady Arwen had lost. Estel had been ecstatic when his older brothers told him who the lock pick had belonged too, but told him that he could keep it because Arwen was journeying to the Golden Woods and so would not miss it.

That was when they had also shown him some tricks for lock picking itself; on an old door in the cellar the older elves had given Estel step-by-step instructions. Then, once Estel had mastered that door (which was three days later) they had him go to something more difficult.

It took a few months for Estel to learn how to unlock most of the doors in his father's house. He was Eleven and a half before his brothers said he was a lock-picking master as themselves were; and since then, the three kept their little secret.

Now, Estel was glad for these lessons for the memories gave him hope; he felt for the pin he hid in his shirt cuff (another trick his brothers had taught him) and brought out a butterfly embellished pin. It was slick in make and would glow white in the sun light. However, the wagon was once again covered and no light could make its way in.

The wagon swayed from side to side as it bumped over rocks and other obstacles on the obscured road. Estel could hear the men of the company walking along side. But, he did have a plan for that as well.

Estel moved with slow movements, if he hurried the chains would rattle and he couldn't have that. With his finger tips, he could feel the key hole of the irons around his wrists. He sat up more in order to get some sort of leverage and then plucked the pin into the key hole.

These irons must have been made differently from the ones his brothers had him practice on when he was a little boy; it took Estel longer than normal to get just the one on his right wrist undone; hot needles of pain ran up his arm, being in such a position for days had given him some stiffness. He settled the iron to the floor of the wagon and then went to work on the other. Glad to be able to move again, even if it was slightly.

Ten minutes later had had both wrist free, and his left foot. A few more workings of the Butterfly pin and five moments later, he had the last iron unfastened. Estel hid his pin once again, not wanting to take any chances of it being found. Then he began to rub some feeling into his arms and legs.

After he had gotten he stiffness sorted out; Estel quietly pulled back the canvas of the wagon. To the left side of the road he could see the thick woods, and an embankment, and a river. Then he sighed and knew he would regret this particular decision.

Glorion wasn't thinking of anything at that moment; his head was blank, and his heart grieving, like it always had since his younger brothers demise. It had been a long time coming for him to find this reincarnate of his brother. But, something inside him protested what he had done…what he was doing.

He knew that the boy in the wagon had a family; a loving family that was not afflicted with grief. However, whenever he even thought of the boy's family, his own father's face would appear in his minds eye. His dark eyes alighted with grief and a fire that Glorion had never seen before. Sometimes, Glorion saw the love that his father processed. But since the death of Malikki, not so often.

A sudden yell of a soldier, a bang and then thudding brought his attention to the wagon. THE WAGON! Glorion gave himself no time to worry. He rushed forwards on his horse to the wagon. A splash came to him and Glorion knew that Malikki had escaped.

"After him! Don't let him escape!" Glorion yelled, the men rushed down the embankment, trying to do their Lord's bidding.

Estel ran as fast a she could; he had successfully gotten through the neck high river and up the opposite bank. He scrambled through the harsh underbrush, stinging nettles scraped against his skin and Estel did trip on a root or two.

Behind him he could hear the stamping of the soldiers, and the yells of Glorion as he ordered his capture. Which Estel would not give himself too if he had the choice. This thought made him run faster, and soon he could not hear the soldiers any longer. Soon he was tired as he kept on, and soon the sun was setting and the stars were blinking down at him.

Estel came to a stop, his back straight and his breathing coming in gasps, he couldn't hear the soldiers any longer; and so, he collapsed to the ground, spent and hot and sweating. The night air swept across his skin; making him cool down faster than he would have liked. His breath became even after moments and then sleep claimed him as its own.

It had been hours, Glorion knew as he stood at the makeshift camp, waiting for his men to come back to him. A group of three came back just before night fall, they had reported to be in full chase of the human, and then as twilight came upon them…the search had been given up in order to take too in the morning, when there was more light to search by.

Glorion scowled at the fire he sat by; the venison stew gone cold a scant hour before. No one talked or sung. They knew that their Lord was in a foul mood and wished for him to calm down. They had lost that which was dear to their Lord and they swore to even themselves that they would find the young human boy.

Arwen was tired when day break hit her; she had spent the night in the trees but hadn't gotten any sleep. The trees had talked to her throughout the night as well, their soft voices calming her down. Taking away the worry for her younger brother; She also knew that now her older brothers were on the chase as well. Elladan and Elrohir had passed by this very spot not two days before. Arwen knew that she was close.

She packed up the belongings she brought with her and mounted her horse. Her hair done back in warrior braids, and eyes gleaming with the promises she held in her heart.

Elladan and Elrohir found the tracks of the huge party once again; for hours they had traveled the abandoned road and had despaired that they were on the wrong path. However, if the road made the men slow down at all; or if something else had happened to the party they were tracking, maybe they could catch up and see if their brother was with the party.

The Elves made a quick meal of dried venison and tea before they went on; a feeling of pressing need overcame them and they spurred their horses to go as fast as they dare to go in the darkness.

A/N – I know that this is short! But I have no idea's and so I need to think a bit more! Please review and give me any idea's you have!

Ta,

Poppy