Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and I make no money from this writing.
(Thank you so much for the kind and generous reviews for the last chapter. They are certainly encouraging me to continue with this long and rambling tale!)
I spend the morning with Elladan, leaving Estel once more in Legolas' care. Elladan is improving by the hour, though it will be a day or two yet before I allow him out of his room.
Legolas, Estel and I meet at lunchtime in the dining room, where the two tell me what they have been doing. They speak alternately. It reminds me of the twins when they were young.
After the meal, Estel seems to me to be tired, though he denies it, and I send him to the library to read for an hour.
"Does he seem well to you?" I ask. I am concerned. My youngest has been unwell too often recently.
"He made no complaint. The labels he has written for his drawing of the tree are wonderfully neat. We have measured it most carefully. Tomorrow I shall teach him to estimate the height to which it will grow in a year's time. The hour we spent with Spider was more trying. The pony has a mind of his own. He is slow to give his obedience to either of us."
We smile at one another. Did the twins know this when they chose the pony for Estel?
"I am grateful to you for looking after him, Legolas."
"It is a most interesting task. We are fast friends, your youngest son and I. He is constantly – surprising."
"And what of Halbarad? How is his ankle?"
"I believe he will be able to join us tomorrow. He has been reading in the library, I believe. He is a patient boy for his age."
"They are well suited. I shall be sorry to see him go back to his own people. I received a note this morning telling me he must return to them within the week. We must be prepared for Estel's disappointment. I know it will be hard on the boy, when we were expecting Halbarad to stay much longer, but a close relative of his has died and he is required by his people to be there for the funeral."
"Then I shall accompany him. I too must leave. My father sent me to attend the conference and to give what help I could in defeating the enemy but I am required at home soon. The boy will need protection on his journey."
"Estel will be very sorry to see you leave, my friend. Perhaps, when he is older, he will be able to visit you?" I ask. It is too long between one visit and the next. Perhaps Legolas does not realise that each time he becomes a better friend to Estel it becomes harder for the boy when he leaves. We account time differently. To my boy, a year is a vast expanse of time, stretching away into the distance. Incomprehensibly long. Legolas does not yet understand this.
"I hope to see him again before he is much older. Before I leave, though, I will teach him a little about the making of bows, as I promised to do," Legolas says. "Now, I shall go and entertain Elladan with stories of his little brother. He found a tiny creature eating one of the leaves of his tree this morning. He would not kill it – he moved it to another plant and told it to stay there. I hope your gardener will not mind." Legolas' eyes are twinkling.
"I will see to Estel this afternoon. I will find him something quiet to do."
And with that intention firmly in my mind, I go first to speak to the cook about the evening meal, then to the housekeeper, who has been worried about the store of fuel. It takes me a full hour after that to make my way to the library.
As I push open the door, I see Halbarad in the chair by the fire, reading from a large book. Estel sits at the table, pencil in hand, sketching something on a large piece of paper.
"Papa! Come and see if I have drawn Spider correctly this time. I keep drawing his back too long."
I walk over to the table, nodding to Halbarad as I do. Estel has drawn his pony five times, all from different directions. Two, perhaps the first to be drawn, are not very successful. Another two are more so, though each has its faults. The one he is currently working upon is quite simply beautiful.
I reach out to it and touch it. It is full of a power of its own, a likeness that goes beyond verisimilitude. It is a true portrait, with no hint of sentiment, yet the boy's love and understanding is there in it. Though his first portrait was good, this is far beyond it in skill.
He looks up at me, for I have not said a word to him. "Do you like it, Papa?"
"It will grace the book, Estel. You shall have two pages bound into this month's record, one for your writing and one for your drawing. It is well done, Estel."
He is beaming. "Thank you, Papa!" he says. "Can I show my drawing to Legolas?"
"Legolas is with Elladan still. You may show him this evening. Now, I have something I must tell you and Halbarad."
Halbarad looks up from his book.
"Halbarad, I must tell you some sad news. Your grandfather." I stop, wondering which word or phrase to use.
"My grandfather has died," Halbarad says, his eyes already filling with tears. "My people said he was feeling unwell, and he has been tired for a long time."
I leave Estel and go to comfort the strong, gentle boy who has become a part of our household. Estel, after a moment, comes too, though he does not seem to know what to do or to say.
"You will travel home in two days," I say. "Your ankle needs more rest. Legolas will go with you."
"No!" says Estel, then immediately puts his hand to his mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry," he says. "But Hal is going and now Legolas is going too!"
He stands, his hands now at his sides, and tries not to cry. Halbarad is weeping and it is to Estel's credit that he puts his own feelings aside, as far as he can, so that I can tend to his friend. As I kneel and hold Halbarad's hands in mine, I feel Estel leaning against my back. Halbarad tells us about the old man who means so much to him, and Estel and I listen. Gradually, the boy's tears dry, and he begins to talk of returning to his own people. As he does, Estel goes away to the window and turns his back to us.
I sit with Halbarad, talking and comforting him, telling him that we shall wait for some of his family to come to collect him, then Legolas will escort them to the settlement. I keep an eye on Estel, who seems to find the view of the waterfall very interesting but my attention is on Halbarad. He is bearing his loss bravely but the next two days will be difficult.
"Papa." A quiet voice interrupts us.
"Yes, child?"
"I don't feel very well."
"Come here," I say, wondering at this sudden onset of illness. He does so and Halbarad falls silent.
I feel my boy's forehead, ask him where he hurts and diagnose sadness and concern. I send him to the kitchens for some food and drink for himself and Halbarad.
"And ask Elrohir to join us in the library, please," I say, as Estel nods his acknowledgement of my instructions. "And you may go and speak to Legolas and Elladan if you wish."
He smiles a little at that but he has been deeply affected by this news. I shall have to take care that he has some comfort, too.
Elrohir and I spend most of the rest of the day with Halbarad. I determined that he should not be alone until his people come for him, and begin to organise my time around this plan. We have enough adults here to keep him occupied and to watch over him, and he is an easy boy to entertain.
Mid-evening I go to see Elladan, who is sitting up and looks rested and in much better heart than he was last night. He is alone and I enquire after Legolas and Estel.
"Legolas took him to his room. He said his throat was hurting but he seems well. He is very sad to be losing two friends at once," Elladan tells me. He is not free of pain, as I discover when I check his wound, but he is certainly recovering.
"They would both have been gone soon," I say, helping my son to settle again. "But not both together. I will check him before long but I believe it is his sadness which is making him feel unwell. He tried to keep quiet about it. It might have been better to let him express his feelings."
"He was very quiet. He sat in that chair and listened to us speak of our last battle. I wished to discuss our tactics with Legolas. I hope we did not frighten him."
I frown. Perhaps it was not the best thing for him to hear, a description of that battle, in which we were all hard-pressed to defeat the enemy. Yet the boy must learn, for that is the world he will inhabit before too long.
"I am well, Father. Go and see him now. He needs your guidance. Legolas will do what he can but he is not you."
Elladan is right. I must go to talk to Estel, so I give Elladan his medicine and then make my way to my youngest son's bedroom.
There is a quietness about the house which is not soothing but expectant, not calm but tense. I can only think it is the bad news and illness which is here, disturbing the ancient peace of my house.
As I enter the room I see Legolas standing by the fire, staring into its depths. I go to the bed where, to my surprise, Estel already lies. He is asleep, his eyes tight shut. I straighten his bedding, test once again that he has no fever then go to speak to Legolas.
"It is early for him to be asleep," I say quietly.
"He was very tired. He wished to speak to you but did not want to interrupt you and said he would wait. He fell asleep some minutes ago."
"Then let us leave him, my friend, and go and eat, and listen while songs are sung to quiet the house. There has been much disturbance today. I will check on him later."
So we leave the boy asleep, and I keep Halbarad near me as we eat and hear the quiet music which makes the hours slide one into the other and brings peace to my heart. Elrohir ensures that Halbarad is content to take himself to bed then goes to see Estel. He brings news that the child is still asleep, a little restless but not in need of my attention.
So the night goes and as morning greys the sky, I begin to plan the day. Legolas will again look after Estel, for he will be gone soon, and I shall keep Halbarad with me. As I move to his room I feel the atmosphere in the house is restored. That will aid Elladan's recovery and soothe the boys' troubles.
I go into Estel's room. Most of his bedding seems to be on the floor. He is huddled in some strange way on the bed – there – his head is where his feet should be. I go to him and lay my hand on his shoulder to wake him.
He shifts, yawns, and rubs at his eyes. "Papa?" he says, and his voice is a croak.
"Legolas wants to give you your lesson on making bows this morning, my son. You must get up and eat so that you can tend your tree and your horse early."
He struggles to sit up. "I still don't feel very well," he says. It is unusual for him to complain so I examine him but neither he nor I can say exactly what is wrong with him.
"I believe if you get up and attend to your tasks you will soon feel better. You had a shock yesterday. You do not wish to waste time you could be spending with Legolas, do you?"
At that, he pushes himself off the edge of the bed. "I think a monster came and pulled off all my blankets last night," he says, gathering them up and dumping them back on the bed.
"I believe you may be right. You may eat in the kitchen. I will tell Legolas to meet you there."
"Yes, Papa," he says as he trails off to his water-closet.
Another night has passed. My family is all safe, my house is quiet and my guests well cared for. It is time for me to rest.
But it seems I am not to be given such a chance. There is a quiet knock at my door only a few minutes after I enter my chamber.
"Come," I say, setting down the tea I was about to drink.
The door is pushed open. Estel is standing there, in his usual odd selection of clothes. "I'm sorry, Papa. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"What do you want, Estel?" I do not mean to be anything but welcoming but he is clearly unsettled.
"I just wondered – if I could see Elladan." It is plain that is not what he came to ask but I am too wearied to consider the matter further.
"Of course you may," I tell him. "You do not need to ask now. Is all well with you?" I take a sip of the tea and wait, then another.
"Yes," he says. "Yes, all is well. By the end of the day, perhaps I will have a bow to show you." He still sounds hoarse but he is looking bright enough now, and any momentary worry I had about his health slips from my mind. I must rest.
"I shall look forward to that. Now go, Estel, and have a good breakfast."
"Yes, Papa!" he says, and leaves the room.
"Estel!" I shout. "The door!"
"Sorry, Papa!" he says, and the door is finally closed.
At last I can rest.