Chapter one

The meeting

A lone rider was making his way toward Rivendell with haste, not that there was danger nor was he injured, it was eagerness that drove him at that speed. Legolas Greenleaf was on his way to The Last Homely house to visit his friends, the twins sons of Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. He was also looking forward to meet the young human boy the Lord of Rivendell had adopted under strange circumstances.

The prince slowed his pace since he was now in the border of Rivendell and there was no reasons to overtax his horse. The forest was really calm, something the prince was not used to because Mirkwood was far from calm at night, with orcs and spiders roaming the once beautiful woods but now… A fainted sob interrupted his toughts, he decided to follow the sound. The crying grew louder as Legolas approch a rather big oak. Stopping a few feet away, he dismounted and look down to see a young human child sleeping at the base of the big oak. He then heard a loud growl followed by the cry of the child.

In a matter of seconds, he had unslung his bow from his shoulder and drew an arrow from his quiver. He turns to his right and without thinking twice he fired at the warg that was jumping toward the yound child. His arrow flew true and the warg fell dead in front of the terrified child. Legolas walks to the fallen beast, recover his arrow and turns to face the child.

"Are you hurt, child?" He asked in a soft voice.

Despite his terror, the young one saw that the man that was standing before him was an elf so he replied in the grey tongue.

"I’m not hurt" He answered in a shaky voice.

Legolas was taken aback by the child and then realization struck him, a young child in Rivendell forest that spoke Sindarin, that could only mean one thing, that this young one was Estel, the adopted son of Lord Elrond.

"Estel" He called.

Estel took a step back, wondering how this elf knew his name since he knew he didn’t come from Rivendell.

"Who…who are you?, How do you know my name?" He asked.

"My name is Legolas and I’m a friend of your brothers"

Estel had heard of him from the twins and had been eager to meet the prince.

"Prince Legolas" He said bowing.

Legolas knelt before him.

"There is no need to call me that Estel. Now tell me why you’re here in the middle of the night, your father and brothers must be really worried?"

"I ran away" He said in a barely audible whisper.

"Why"

" I heard two maidens talking about me, they said that I was strange because of my nightmares and that Lord Elrond would surely not keep a child this strange in his house"

Estel was now weeping softly so Legolas took him in his arms and the child weep for a couple more minutes before asking :

"If am so strange, why does a prince like you care about me?"

"Oh Estel! You’re not strange, you are special, that’s why Lord Elrond keeps you with him and I’m sure that Elladan and Elrohir think just like me, beside why would I have come all the way from Mirkwood to meet you if you were not special?"

"You..you came to see me?" He asked a little unsure.

"Yes, I wanted to see the the boy your brothers spoke of all the time." He said then he add in a more serious tone: "There are no doubts in my mind Estel, your father and brothers love you dearly and now we should head home because I’m sure that your father will have all of Rivendell out looking for you."

Legolas got up, and begun to walk back to his horse. By the time he was mounted, Estel was asleep. He turns back and took the familiar path that leads to Rivendell. But this time he was going very slowly because he did not want to wake the child and also because he will have a lot of explaining to do when he arrives…

Chapter 2

Reunion

Elrond was watching his sons pacing back and forth in the garden near the front gate, "They’ll stay there until the sun rose so they can go back to search." he tought.

When Elrohir had come to breakfast and tell them that Estel was nowhere to be found, Elrond had immediately went to his study to prepared the search, with the twins and Glorfindel following close behind. While they were debating wich way to begin, two guilty faces had appeared in his doorway. The two maidens told him what they had say about the young boy.

Upon hearing what they said, it had taken both Glorfindel and Elrohir to prevent Elladan to do something irreversible while the maidens were covering behind the Elf Lord because of the death glares they were receiving from the twins.

After searching all day they had not the slightest idea about where he could be. Elrond had to called off the search because if Estel could not be found in broad daylight, it will be impossible to track him at night.

*******

"Why did he had to run away?" Elrohir asked his twin.

"You heard what they said about him" Elladan responded with bitterness in his voice.

"Yes, not only did they insult our brother but father also in saying that he would send away a child with nightmares. If they ever say something like that again…"

"After the glares they received from you, sons of Elrond, I doubt that they will ever say something that might offended you. They may also begin to avoided you."

Both twins turn to see Glorfindel who had just returned from his search.

"Any news" They asked in unison.

"Where is Lord Elrond" He asked.

"Right here"

"You know, sneaking up on people is really offensive." Said Elladan, offended that they both had managed to arrived without him noticing.

"Do you have any news" The Lord of Rivendell asked, ignoring his son’s acidic remark.

"I’m afraid not. I asked the guard patrolling the border to stay alert but that’s all…."

"ADA"

All four turn to see Legolas dismounting his horse and Estel running with his arms wide open toward Elrond.

At this moment, in the embrace of his father, Estel knew that he was wrong, that his ada loved him very much.

"I was so afraid ada, I got lost in the forest and I fell asleep and then I heard a big growl. There was a very big wolf jumping toward me but Legolas killed it."

"For that I’m really thankful son." Elrond said meeting Legolas eyes.

"It was nothing Lord Elrond, it was my pleasure to help one so sweet as Estel and beside I would not have let a warg best me."

"What’s a warg?" Asked Estel, not really sure he wanted to know.

" That’s a very big wolf young one" Answered Glorfindel.

"Unfortunatly yes Estel, but Elrohir and I are working very hard to drive them away from here until you are strong enough to get them yourself." Said Elladan.

"That’s why we train you." Elrohir added.

"Now Estel you must be hungry and tired come with me."

"Yes ada."

Lord Elrond walk out with Estel craddle safely into his arms. Legolas went to follow them but he was grabbed by the shoulders by the twins. He turned to face them, both wore an expression of relief and gratitude.

"We wanted to thank you Legolas, if something were to happen to him we don’t …"

"It’s okay Elladan, nothing happen, let us not think of the "what if’s" but be grateful that he is now safe." Elrohir said relief in his voice.

"Let’s make an oath." Elladan said. "No matter what, one of us will always be at his side"

"Agreed" Said Legolas and Elrohir

"Now," Said Elrohir, "If the Prince will follow us, I’m sure he’ll like to rest, it has been a big day for him"

With that, all three friends went inside, both twins exhausted after the day search and Legolas, well, "It has been a big day" he thought. But a productive one though, he had the feeling that he’d just gain a friend.

THE END