Chapter 3

For a while, Estel felt fearless. He looked up into the trees to see the birds take flight and the squirrels scamper amongst the trees. The sun streamed down through the leaf canopy, creating shimmering dappled patterns on the ground. The grass was soft and springy as he skipped along. But as he got deeper in the trees got closer and closer together. The dappled pattern merged into sharp shadows. It became quieter, gloomier. Every sound seemed to echo. The crunch of the leaves under his feet once had been a cheery crackle but now it was a jarring munching sound, like the crunch of bone. He whirled around; panic began to build in his heart. This was deeper into the woods than he'd ever been before. Nothing was familiar anymore. Fear rose in his throat. He whirled around, glancing this way and that. The trees seemed to loom over him, the branches clawed fingers stretching towards him. His heart began to thud, a drum beat thundering through his body. Suddenly he felt how small he really was. He searched desperately for something he recognised. There was nothing. His fear overwhelmed him and he let loose a wail.

Legolas looked around in surprise, the wounded keen echoing in his ears. "What was that?"

"What was what?" his father asked him

"The thing that made that cry. Something's hurt somewhere!" Legolas's eyes went wide and before his father could even speak another word his son had turned his horse and was thundering off the direction of the sound. He never could resist the prospect that something out there needed his help. Thranduil sighed as he realized they would probably be taking in yet another stray. He pulled his own mount around and left orders with his second in charge as he galloped off after his son.

"Ada!" Elrohir cried as he burst into his father's study. Elrond didn't even jump anymore, just set his quill down and turned to his son.

"What is it Elrohir?"

"It's Estel! He's gone!"

"What?" Elrond bolted up out of his chair, ignoring the scattered papers. "Where was he last?"

"On the balcony with Elladan. They were pla…."

Ignoring him, Elrond snatched up his outer robe and threw it on, running out to the balcony. He searched desperately for a moment but found nothing.

Legolas reigned in his horse and carefully dismounted. The wail had turned into muffled snivelling. Legolas quieted his own footfalls to hear better and tentatively followed the sound, searching for its source. He drew closer and closer to the sound until he stepped into a darkened clearing. There, in the middle of the leaf strewn floor, sat a small childlike form. It was bent over double, face to the ground, body shaking with the force of its tears.

"Hello?" Legolas called tentatively.

The figure froze. It's head whipped up and Legolas caught sight of the flash of frightened eyes before the figure bolted. It ran to the nearest tree, snatched the lowest branch and scrambling upwards. Legolas slowly approached the tree and looked up into its canopy. The face of a terrified man child stared back down at him.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

The boy stared back at him, silent.

"I didn't mean to scare you"

"Yrch!" the boy exclaimed suddenly, eyes growing wide

Legolas furrowed his brow. Did the boy just call him an orc? In elvish? Then Legolas remembered, his hood was still up and obscuring his face. He drew it back and gestured to his ears.

"Ellon. (Elf) Mellon (friend)"

"Elf?" the boy asked, leaning closer.

Legolas nodded. So the boy spoke both elvish and the common tongue. Curious. Legolas didn't know of any men who were bilingual. "I don't want to hurt you" he told the boy. "O man dôr túliel le? (What land do you come from?)"

The boy shrank back against the branch "Ada said not to talk to strangers"

Legolas smiled. He had been given similar advice before, but discerned that though this boy was a stranger he posed him not threat. In order to help him, he had to make the boy see him in the same light. "My name is Legolas. Man eneth lín? (What is your name)"
"Estel" the boy replied timidly.

So the boy had an elvish name as well. Curiouser and curiouser. "Le suilon Estel. (I greet thee Estel) Now we are no longer strangers. Can you speak with me now?"

Estel shrugged. Legolas suppressed a sigh and drew away from the tree a little. "I would dearly like for you to come and talk to me. You look cold and scared and I want to make you feel better"

Estel said nothing, but continued to watch him keenly. Legolas strode over to the middle of the clearing and set up a fire. Checking to see that the boy was still watching, Legolas struck his flint and ignited the wood. He had soon had quite a cheerful little fire going. He reached into his pack and pulled out his lunch, venison scraps wrapped in paper, a canteen of broth and a sachet of herbs. He loaded the whole thing into a clay bowl he'd packed with him and proceeded to cook the whole thing over the fire. As it all infused together, bubbling there over the flames, a thick meaty smell wove itself into the wind and dispersed itself across the glade. Legolas smiled to himself. He knew young boys, he was one himself. Whether they were man child or elf, dwarf or Halfling, all boys were led by their stomach's first and head second. Certain enough, slowly but surely, Estel crept down from the tree and took a seat next to him. Silently, cautiously, Legolas broke off a piece of way bread, dipped it in the broth and handed it to him. Estel took it tentatively, looked at him for a moment, before devouring the whole thing. Legolas grinned. This was a man child, no doubt about it. He even burped a little after he'd finished something Legolas had never heard before. He stared at him in fascination.

"What was that?"

Estel blushed "Don't know. It just happens sometimes. Ada said I'm not to do them loud, cos it's not p'lite"

"Can you do it louder?"

Estel nodded enthusiastically "Want to see?"

Now it was Legolas's turn to nod with enthusiasm and he did not fail to do so. Estel grinned, opened his mouth wide, took a quick breath and gulped. Legolas furrowed his brow and was about to ask a question when Estel opened his mouth again and loosed a deep tearing belch that echoed off the trees and near shook the ground. Legolas's eyes lit up and he beamed in delight.

"Wow! That was amazing!"

Estel's grin grew. "I bin practising when Ada's not dere" he babbled excitedly. "I can go even louder…"

It was just then when Thranduil's horse came cantering into the clearing. The Elven king dismounted swiftly, almost leaping from the saddle to the ground, an arrow notched in his bow. Estel squeaked in fear at this sudden intrusion and dove behind Legolas. Before he could turn to reassure him, Thranduil began to advance.

"What is it ion nin?" He asked Legolas, eyes searching the grove. "I thought I heard a warg roaring just now"

Legolas smiled and shook his head. "That was no warg Ada. That was my friend Estel" he said taking Estel's hand and pulling him gently into view. Estel clung to his hand and shrank into him at the sight of this formidable intruder, towering over him with a weapon in hand. He turned and buried his face in Legolas's tunic. Thranduil's hand went limp and he set his bow down. "A boy? Is that all?"

"Yes Ada. His name is Estel and I think he's lost. Aren't you Estel?" he said, looking down to address the boy who seemed pasted to his chest. From his place Estel nodded but otherwise didn't move. Thranduil shook his head and set his weapons back in his saddle-bags. "Wherever does he come from?"

"I don't know. I haven't been able to ask him yet. Where do you come from Estel?"

Estel said something but it was too muffled in Legolas's clothing to be heard.

"What was that?"

Estel lifted his head to look at Legolas "Home" was all he said before re-burying his face. Legolas looked at his father apologetically. "He is a bit young to really know"

Thranduil sighed. "Yes I suppose he is. All that's left to do is to take him with us to Rivendell. We'll decide what to do from there"

"Can he come on my horse?" Legolas asked insistently

"Alright, alright. Now come along or we'll get caught by the night" Thranduil mounted his horse and set back off to the path. Legolas scrambled to his feet and ran to his own mount, Estel clinging to him like a possum. He clambered up into the saddle, which was exceedingly difficult with a little boy affixed to your midsection. He pulled Estel off him and turned him so he was sitting in front of him the saddle. "Off we go to Rivendell" Legolas said cheerfully, urging his horse forward.