Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Chapter 14

Two days passed and Elrond became well enough to travel.  He brought several herbs with him for the pain he still experienced in his shoulder and ankle. Celeborn made sure he was given a sturdy walking stick to keep the weight off his ankle, and his shoulder was to be kept in a sling for at least another day.

“Please be careful Elrond. It worries me that you wish to leave so soon”, Galadriel said as Elrond packed his saddle bag.

“I will be, my lady. Estel is anxious to return to Rivendell. I want him to feel safe again.”

“Do not try to do more than you are able. Let the twins assist you.”

“I will. Farewell and thank you for all you have done for us.”

“Ta nae seasamin. Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva.” 

Elrond leaned down as Galadriel gave him a kiss on the forehead.

Arwen walked over after saying farewell to her elder brothers. “Goodbye, father. Please be safe, and send word when you reach Rivendell.”

“That I will do. I love you Evenstar.”

“I love you too.”

Elrond looked over and saw that Galadriel had pulled Elrohir, Elladan, Estel and Glorfindel aside. But he could not make out what she was telling them.

“You boys do not give your father grief or you will answer to me. Help him, as he is still very weak. Glorfindel, make sure he rests!”

“Do not worry, Grandmother. All will be well”, Elladan vowed.

Arwen watched on as they mounted their horses. She noticed Estel did not mount Snowdrop.

“Estel, are you not going to ride your horse?”

“No. I want to ride with Ada.”

“Do not worry, Nieninque will follow behind.”

“Even if he does get lost, he knows his way back here”, Estel replied.

Arwen nodded. “Safe journey, Estel.”

“Farewell Arwen.”

They rode through the day and much of the evening before deciding to stop. Glorfindel helped Estel and Elrond off their horse.

“Shall we pitch three tents or can we all fit into two?” Glorfindel asked.

“Estel can sleep in with us”, Elrohir offered.

“No! I want to stay with Ada!” Estel whined.

“It’s all right, child. I will share a tent with you and your father”, Glorfindel offered, ruffling Estel’s hair.

“Well, let’s get set up before dark”, Elrond stated, reaching for his pack.

Glorfindel snatched the pack from him and took him by the arm, leading him toward the area that would serve as their fire pit.

“You may make yourself useful by building the fire.”

Elrond glared at him. “Glorfindel, I am quite capable-.”

“Maybe, but I gave my word to the Lady of Lothlorien that I would see to it that you rested. And she is not one I wish to anger. Now sit!”

“Yes father”, Elrond snapped, plopping down on the ground. “I am glad we have left Lothlorien, at least now you cannot give your word to control any more of my actions!”

He began breaking twigs with his good hand, bracing the twigs against his upturned foot, and arranging the kindling. Soon he felt a small hand on his shoulder.

“I will help you, Ada”, Estel offered.

Elrond looked up at him and his anger melted away. “That would be very nice, thank you Estel.”

After the fire was built and dinner was eaten, they all sat around the bright warmth, talking. Elrond looked up at the moon and sighed. “Estel, I think it about time for you to go to bed.”

Estel looked over at the tent, then back at Elrond. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, it is very late, and we will be leaving early in the morning.”

Estel once again glanced at the tent, nervously. He sat for a moment, weighing his options.

“Estel, I’m not going to tell you again”, Elrond said sternly.

Estel got up and walked halfway to the tent before stopping.

“Ada?”

Elrond turned his head in Estel’s direction, beginning to get annoyed.

“What is it?”

Estel bit his lip. “What if the orcs come back while I am sleeping?”

Elrond’s gaze softened. With some assistance from Elladan and his walking stick, he got up and walked over to Estel, leaning down.

“The orcs are not going to come back, little one. They are dead,” the Elven Lord explained. He knew they would never be able to kill all the orcs, but Estel did not need to know there were more.

“But Glorfindel said he didn’t kill the Orcs”, Estel said sadly.

“No, he didn’t. Elladan and Elrohir did. And your Grandfather.”

“So they are gone?”

Elrond smiled fondly as he patted Estel’s hair. “Yes.”

Estel glanced at the tent nervously. Elrond noticed this immediately.

“Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?”

Estel sniffled as a few tears strayed down his cheek. He nodded and leaned his head against Elrond’s shoulder. Elrond held him briefly before turning him toward the tent. He knew it was going to take Estel a long time to heal from the emotional effects of his trauma. Estel sat down on his bedroll and Elrond helped him put on a pair of dry socks.

“Ada?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

Elrond looked down and saw the trust and admiration in Estel’s eyes. He couldn’t help but smile. He leaned down and planted a kiss on Estel’s forehead.

“Goodnight, child. I love you.”

“I love you too Ada.”

Elrond bundled Estel up with his blanket. He laid down on his own, beside him. Before long he too had fallen asleep.

Four days passed. Estel still remained attached to Elrond’s hip. There was no convincing him that they were completely safe.  He refused to ride his own horse and still slept with his bedroll placed between Elrond’s and Glorfindel’s.

It was the very early hours of the morning and Elrond awoke to someone shaking him. He opened his eyes and saw Glorfindel standing over him with a sword. He opened his mouth to voice his surprise, but Glorfindel clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Shh, you will wake the child. Danger draws near. Come quickly but do not wake Estel”, the blond elf whispered.

Elrond nodded and Glorfindel removed his hand. He silently got up, covering Estel with his blanket, and went outside the tent. The twins had rebuilt the fire and stood on opposite sides of the camp, swords drawn, facing away. Elrond drew his sword and pulled on his cloak. He dropped his walking stick, knowing it would only slow him down. He would have to endure the pain.

“What is going on, Glorfindel?!”

“We did not want to wake you, but I fear we may need the extra sword. Wargs approach. We are surrounded, I’m afraid.”

“Light some torches”, Elrond ordered. He then smiled. “It looks like you’ve broken your word to the Lady of the Wood.”

Glorfindel scowled at him. “As I told you, we needed the extra sword. That is the only reason you are allowed to help.”

“FATHER! THEY COME!” Elladan screeched.

Elrond spun around to see one of the beasts lunge at his eldest son. Fortunately, Elladan’s sword was quicker than the warg, and a fatal blow was delivered immediately.

The battle began.

Elrohir was tackled from behind, the warg tearing viciously at his tunic. Glorfindel sprinted over and ran it through with his sword. Elrond dropped his sword and aimed his bow, picking off as many as he had quivers. Blood was everywhere and it seemed there was no end to the onslaught.

“Elladan! Behind you!” Glorfindel hollered.

Elladan spun around in time to catch the warg through the neck with his sword. A sudden high pitched scream pierced the night. Elrond’s attention turned back toward his tent.

“ESTEL!”

“Go Elrond, we can take care of the rest”, Glorfindel ordered.

 Elrond headed toward the tent at a dead run, sword in hand. He entered the tent to find Estel lying on the ground, a warg was on top of him mauling the six year old’s forearm. Another leapt out from under the fabric wall of the tent. Elrond took one swipe with his sword and cut the beast’s head from its body. The other warg was momentarily distracted from Estel but not for long. It lunged back at the child then became lifeless. Elrond knelt down and saw that the warg had impaled itself on Estel’s outstretched dagger. He grabbed the beast and flung it off his foster child. Estel was on the brink of consciousness. He was shaking uncontrollably and his breathing was becoming labored. Blood covered his now broken arm, as well as his forehead and neck. Elrond reached out to tend to the six year old.

“I-it hurts, Ada”, Estel whispered. Then everything went black.

The twins gasped as Elrond emerged from the tent, carrying a broken and bleeding child. The wargs were gone and now all attention was focused on the unconscious boy.

“Father, is he-?” Elrohir whimpered.

“He is alive. I need blankets! Ours are ruined.”

Elladan ran to their tent and grabbed theirs. Elrond put pressure on Estel’s neck that was bleeding profusely.

“I need my bag! Glorfindel, get my bag!”

Glorfindel appeared instantly, bag in hand. Elrond sifted through until he found a small pouch with his needle and threading.

“Elladan, hold the torch closer. I need to see the wound.”

Elrond soaked a small cloth with a disinfectant solution he held in one of his small vials and patted it around the wound. “Father. Should we not give him a sleeping draught?” Elrohir asked.

“No, he is unconscious, I do not want to induce sleep until he wakes, and I know he is well enough to go into a deep sleep again.”

Elrond threaded the needle with the black thread and with shaky hands began to sew up the deep laceration. Glorfindel and Elrohir stood by watching. It took several minutes for Elrond to finish suturing Estel’s arm and neck, but the task was completed and the bleeding stopped.

“Will he make it, father?” Elladan finally asked, still clutching the torch.

“Of course he will!” the Elven Lord snapped. “Glorfindel I need you to assist me with a splint for his arm. I am going to have to shift the bone. I want you to fasten the splint when I get the bones aligned.”

Glorfindel nodded nervously. Elrond took a firm grip on Estel’s arm and twisted the bones into place. Estel suddenly shot awake, screaming in pain.

“AHHH!”

Glorfindel hesitated, not wanting to hurt the child. But Elrond knew he was only prolonging the pain by waiting.

“Do it Glorfindel!” he snapped, trying to hold the bones in place while Estel struggled.

Glorfindel quickly placed the splint around Estel’s arm and bandaged it in place. As soon as it was done, Elrond pulled Estel into his lap and rocked him.

Estel sniffled and hiccupped. “It hurts so bad, Ada. Please make it stop.”

“Shh, it is all right, my brave little prince. You will be better in no time. You are safe”, Elrond said softly.

“Father, would you like me to prepare him a healing draught?” Elrohir asked.

Elrond nodded and continued rocking the six year old. Elrohir returned moments later and handed Elrond the cup of warm liquid.

“Estel. Look at me, little one. I need you to drink this for me.”

Elrond held the cup to Estel’s lips and allowed him to take several small sips. He was asleep in no time.

“Pack up. We leave immediately for Rivendell”, Elrond ordered. The Elven Lord bundled Estel up in one blanket and swaddled him in the other as Glorfindel and the twins packed up their camp. The previously forgotten pain in Elrond’s ankle became much more evident, and he was forced to make himself some tea with the herbs Galadriel had sent with him for the pain. He mounted his horse with assistance from Elladan, and accepted Estel into his arms as Glorfindel passed him up.  They rode through the night and all the next day, stopping only briefly, to rest the horses. Estel slept the entire way and awoke only to drink some water and more sleeping draughts. Elrond preferred that he did not fully wake until they arrived in Rivendell.

Two days passed since they had returned home. Estel opened his eyes. Everything was out of focus, but he smiled when it became clear and he realized he was in his own bed. “Daddy?”

Elrond smiled and set his book down. He had spent every waking moment sitting beside his child’s bed. It had taken a long time for the sleeping draughts to wear off. He stood up and sat in the bed beside the six year old, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from Estel’s eyes.

“How is my little soldier?”

“I don’t feel well, Ada. My arm hurts.”

“I know, little one. It is broken, I’m afraid. You will need to keep it in that splint for a while.”

“Ada, is everyone all right? Did the wargs hurt you?”

“No child. Your brother’s fought them off. You were all so brave.”

“I am thirsty.”

“I will make you some tea with some herbs to help the pain”, Elrond replied, standing up.

“Ada?”

“Yes?”

“With sugar and honey?” Estel asked innocently.

Elrond grinned. “Of course.”

A few moments later, Elrond returned and helped Estel sip the tea. Estel yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“I think you need to get some more rest, Ninion.”

“I am tired. Ada, will you sing to me?”

Elrond smiled fondly. He took the blanket from the end of the bed and picked Estel up, wrapping it around him. Elrond settled himself in the large oak rocking chair and held Estel in his lap, singing softly. Estel nuzzled his face against the soft fabric on his father’s chest and allowed himself to be rocked to sleep. Elrond thought back to the day he had first met Estel. It had begun just like this. Time was passing so quickly, but he never tired of holding his child in his arms, protecting him from the dangers of the outside world. If only he could hold him forever. But Elrond knew the day would come when their blissful world would be shattered and Estel would realize his true identity. He only hoped he could protect his child from what was to come.

The End…..

Ninion : My son

Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva : Sweet water and light laughter till next we meet

Ta nae seasamin : It is my pleasure