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Days of Estel's Life - -Beginnings
December 12, 2003
Submitted By Ugluk
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Elladan wanted to shoot this time, so of course I let him. But the shooting's the fun part, he's done it five times in a row already. So next time I'm going to tell him to go kiss an Orc.
There was a goblin scouting party patrolling around. Elladan climbed the tree and I gave him plenty of time to get ready. He started shooting while I hid in the bushes and tripped every terrified goblin who ran by. It was a grey and cloudy day, the arrows were hard to spot coming, and Elladan had shot over half of them by the time they finally figured out where he was and started shooting back.
I stepped out with Father's sword, Hadhafang - of course they all start shrieking and running away. I killed them all easily. A cinch.
We got back about dusk, and found Estel practicing in the courtyard. He was fighting Father with his sword. Of course, Father wasn't trying hard at all.
"Welcome," Father said, turning away from Estel and nodding. Estel was swinging at Father's head at the moment, he tried to stop the blow, and managed to drop his sword. He turned red while Elladan started laughing.
I nodded back at Father, who looked sad, as usual.
"I wish you would not continue going off like that."
"The Orcs will never cease to pay for what they did to Mother," Elladan said. "And we will not cease to kill them."
Father nodded sadly again. "How many."
"Seventy-three," Elladan said. The one who shoots always has to count.
"Pretty good!" Estel said. "I wish I could go with you sometime!"
Elladan turned even paler than he usually looks. I confess, I was rather shaken myself. Estel's about eighteen, has an extra foot on his legs that he doesn't know what to do with, and always wants to follow us everywhere. He's a real pain. And Father thinks it's good for him - and us.
"You might take him with you next time," Father said. "You know he should receive the best of training, and this sparring here will not teach him how to work in real combat."
Elladan groaned. I was feeling like groaning too, but I kept my mouth shut.
"Take him tomorrow," Father said. "But Elrohir - " here he glared at me, and his eyebrows seemed to get bigger. I found I couldn't take my eyes off them, they seem to frown out me, telling me what would happen if any harm happened to precious Estel.
"Where will we go?" Estel asked, coming up to me.
Elladan gasped, and covered his nose. Estel smelled horrible, he probably hadn't taken a bath in days - he hates baths - I couldn't imagine why Father hadn't told him to clean himself. Unsanitary humans.
"Elrohir," Father said, warningly.
I sighed. "We'll start towards the pass over the Misty Mountains," I said. "The first band of Orcs we see gets it."
"Not if they're too large," Father said.
I sighed again. `Large?' We'd spend all day looking for a band of Orcs suitably small.
"You can't come unless you take a bath, though," Elladan said. "The Orcs will smell you coming and we'll be burnt lembas."
"Elladan," Father growled, the eyebrows going again.
"Sorry," Elladan said, nudging Asfaloth. He trotted off towards the stabled. I dismounted and handed the reins of Mellon Nin to Estel.
"Estel - "
"I will," he said eagerly, leading Mellon Nin away. My horse nuzzled him. Well, that's one thing Estel got from his Elvish blood - horses love him.
"You received a message from Lothlorien," Father said, switching from Sindarin to Quenya. It took me a moment to translate, Father keeps telling me to work on my Quenya. Dead languages interest him, even stuff like Dwarvish. Not that even Father knows a lot of that trash.
"From who?"
"Arwen."
I raised an eyebrow slightly, then quickly corrected it. I didn't want to start an eyebrow-twitch habit and be like Father when I reached 5,000 years old.
Father took the letter and handed it to me. I instantly recognized Arwen's flowing script on the outside.
"Mae carmen," I said.
Father eyebrowed me. "Elrohir," he said gently.
I shut my eyes and thought. It came to me. I thanked him in Quenya.
"You must not forget the high-language," Father said. "The Elves - "
I nodded. "Yes."
In my chamber I took of my riding clothes and put on a soft tunic. My face was dirty, but before I washed I wanted to hear the news.
I opened the message.
Dear Elrohir -
"What's that?"
I jumped, Estel had come into the room silently. One more Elven trait he's picked up. I hid the letter quickly.
"What's in that message?"
"Nothing," I said. "Just a note from Lothlorien."
"Who sent it."
"A friend," I said. Estel doesn't even know Arwen exists, still, after living here for all this time. Father has told us not to tell him. I think Father is afraid he'll fall for Arwen - or far worse, Arwen would fall for him.
I don't know why that would happen, but the female is an odd creature. There are dozens of perfectly acceptable Elf-males in Imladris, and even more in Lothlorien. Why Father is afraid that she would fall for an unwashed clumsy human who is barely stopped wetting his tunic - he's only nineteen years old! I know that's about 1,500 in Elven years, but even so....
Arwen has always been a little odd that way. Whenever handsome Elves came to Father for whatever reason, she never even looked out her window.
Maybe it's those hairs that protrude from the chins of Men. What are they - beards, right. Estel had a little beard, rather scraggly, that he was enormously proud of. He thinks it makes him look grown-up. It really makes him look like a bear.
"Which friend?" Estel asked next.
Another annoying human quality: They can't take a hint. An Elf-child, even at nineteen, wouldn't have even asked, and they would've long since left.
"Leave, Estel."
Estel sighed, and slumped out. He poked his head back in a moment later. "Is it a girl?"
"Yes," I said before I thought.
Estel winked at me and strutted off towards the dinner table, tripping over a bench on the way.
I read the letter quickly, then set it away for more extensive study that night. I washed and then headed for the dinner table myself.
It would be an interesting day tomorrow, I knew that.
to be continued...
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... 11 Comments
Very cool and funny.
Comment by Elrohiril - December 12, 2003 @ 1:35 PM
This is great! I love it. And I look forward to reading more. Your sister has talked about you before. Hello!
Comment by Lalaith-Elerrina - December 12, 2003 @ 1:38 PM
I like it a lot. It's very intresting.Plesase post the next one soon!
Comment by Elf_Chick - December 12, 2003 @ 2:26 PM
I came! See, I'm loyal to the members of the Writers' Cafe! Anyway, fun stuff, that. I always wondered what the elves thought of Aragorn growing up in their midst. I would imagine that he stinks, too. A nineteen-year-old who doesn't bathe, growing up with elves who seem to repell dirt/water/anything else. Post the next chapter soon, s'il te plait.
Comment by Ms_Gamgee_89 - December 12, 2003 @ 2:42 PM
Hehe, I loved how annoying Aragorn is, especially Elrohir's comparison of him to a bear with his little beard thing
. Can't wait to see where you go with this. Post the next part soon !
Comment by tar_ancalime - December 12, 2003 @ 8:36 PM
This was hilarious! I love it that the twins find him so annoying. And the unwashed filthy humans bit was funny too.
Comment by shieldmaidenofrohan - December 12, 2003 @ 9:07 PM
that was great work, i like it. looking forward to seeing more... i'll watch for it. very funny...
Jesus is cool...
Smaug_The_Great
Comment by Smaug_The_Great - December 13, 2003 @ 2:06 AM
This is great. Hurry and post the next part soon.
Comment by Lothloriel - December 13, 2003 @ 9:17 AM
I'm currently working on the second part, I should have it finished in a couple days. Thanks for posting all!
Comment by Ugluk - December 13, 2003 @ 10:42 AM
Can't wait for more!
This was excellent, and very original, which is refreshing. Great work!
Comment by PrincessofNumenor - December 13, 2003 @ 11:11 AM
I know, I'm weird. oh well. write more write more write more quick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish this rating went to 23!!! (again, I'm weird
)
Comment by Neana - December 15, 2003 @ 3:22 PM