Shadow of the Forest

Part 6

Posted: September 2003
Author: Estella Greenleaf

Thanks Legolas' sweetie for being my beta. Since I have beta now, I won't be posting as often. Sorry about that. The improvement should be worth the wait though.

This chapter begins almost three months after the last one.

*****

Chapter 6: Homeward bound

An exhausted Lord Elrond returned to Rivendell after a three months visit to Mirkwood. All was not well in Thranduil's realm; but that was hardly news. Since the disappearance of its Crown Prince, Greenwood the Great had never truly recovered. Sauron's forces had invaded the land, turning the once beautiful forest into a dark and dangerous place. The lord of Rivendell had committed some of his troops to help the wood Elves fight against the onslaught of evil, but he feared it would not be enough to hold them off for long. It did not help that King Thranduil had refused all alliances with the Dunedain. The Mirkwood Elf blamed King Arameius for his son's disappearance 5000 years ago and had since then regarded all Man as enemy.

The Elf-lord was certainly not in the mood for a feast, but Estel's birthday was approaching. It would do well to make his shy foster son feel more welcomed among the Elves. He had been watching the human grew into a hesitant and quiet boy, which was rather unacceptable for one who would one day be the King of Man. Sometimes, Elrond wondered if it would have been better if the boy were raised in different family than the ruling house of Imladris. The twins were always hunting orcs since their mother's departure. If Glorfindel were not on a diplomatic mission, the Elf would be busy with improving the defense of their lands. And, Elrond himself was either away or swarmed with the details of governing Imladris.

Elrond's household knew other young Elves did not take well to a human boy in their midst, so they tried to make as much time as they could to give Estel private lessons. The Elf-lord knew he was not the only one who placed the hope of Middle Earth on the boy; even Mithrandir and Lady Galadriel believed Estel would one day unite the free peoples of Middle Earth and defeat evil. Yet, despite their efforts, the youth had always performed under expectations. Darkness was rising, and there was not much time. He only hoped that his human son could rise to Sauron's challenge when the time comes.

*****

The feast was a magnificent affair. Lanterns suspended from the ceiling of the banquet hall. They glittered like stars, providing a soft gentle light for the dancers in the center. The best musicians in Imladris were playing a joyful song. Many of the Elves had lent their beautiful voices to give the music a surreal quality. The smell of rich delicious food permeated the hall, sweet enough to make a less dignified being's mouth water. All in Rivendell was present, with one exception, the one whom this banquet was held for… Estel.

"Where is Estel?" asked Elrond.

"I don't know. We just returned from Orc hunting this afternoon. We got ready as soon as we could and came here," answered Elladan, the elder of the twins.

"I do not know either. I returned late yesterday from the eastern parts of Imladris. I was so exhausted from my travels that I slept almost the entire day away," replied Glorfindel, who was quickly becoming worried about the youth.

Lord Elrond also had a bad feeling about this. As much as he hated to make their discussion public, he cleared his voice and asked loud enough for the entire party to hear, "Had anyone seen my son?"

All fell silent as the Elves stood and stared aghast at the Lord of Rivendell. Though they did not like the human, they all knew how important the boy was and that they had to tolerate it. However, that did not stop them from making Estel's life as difficult as possible. They taunted the boy mercilessly about his inadequacies and whenever they sparred with Estel, they made very sure he did not come out unscathed. At that moment, they were collectively wondering if the human could finally take no more of their treatment and ran away.

When no one answered, Lord Elrond asked again more menacingly, "When was the last time someone have seen my son?" He noticed a group of novice Elves shuddering in fear. He walked over and glared at them, "Well?"

Unable to meet the Elven lord's eye, one of the young Elves blurted out, "We were sparring a couple of days after you left, my lord. We haven't seen him since."

"What?" Elrond thundered at no one at particular, "Are you telling me that no one had seen my son for the past three months!"

Again, no one spoke. Glorfindel quickly stepped in and took charge; the matter had now fallen under his responsibility as commander in chief of Rivendell's warriors. "The feast is over. Every able fighter will gather here at first light tomorrow. We will divide into teams of fifteen and search every part of Imladris. We will leave no stone unturned until we find Estel."

*****

These three months were the happiest in Estel's life. He learnt more from Shadow in this short period of time than he did during his entire childhood in Rivendell. He was now a competent ranger and had become quite good with his bow. He was also doing well in his sword-fighting lessons. His mentor had decided that he was good enough with the basic skills to begin modifying his tactics and learning more sophisticated tricks against specific opponents.

However, it was not his increasing skills that brought Estel joy. It was the simple act of being with Shadow. His mentor could be so serious, though he usually was funny and lighthearted. At times, the Elf would taunt and tease him mercilessly in order to trick him into doing something he thought he could not. Yet, his teacher had shown so much faith in him that made him felt as if he was already a great king. The Elf could be harsh in his dealings with outsiders, but with Estel, he was ever so gentle.

The youth knew that his mentor was probably trying to keep him off balance. He had come to realize that it was Shadow's way of training him to maintain his focus and cope with adversities. As much as he hated to admit it, his teacher's tactics worked well, for Estel knew he would never forget what Shadow had taught him.

But as kind and caring as his mentor was, Estel could feel that Shadow always kept a part of himself hidden. No matter how the youth tried to reach out, trying to better understand his teacher, the Elf would find some way to evade his advances. In fact, Shadow would not even take off his mask. The boy still remembered the day when he pleaded with the Elf to stop wearing it. He had told his mentor that he had seen his face already; and that the disfigurement did not bother him one bit. He had asked Shadow to trust him with his face as Estel had trusted the Elf with his training. He could not forget how torn his teacher had looked or the soft broken words.

"Please, I would do anything for you, but do not ask that of me," Shadow had said before turning and walking away. It was like the Elf wore the mask not only to cover his face but also part of his heart.

Now, Estel knew for certain that he did not offer himself to his mentor out of lust. He wanted Shadow to trust him, to open up to him and share with him the ultimate intimacy between lovers. No, it was more than that; he wanted to win his teacher's trust and love so that the Elf's would stay by his side forever. Even without truly understanding his own feelings, Estel knew that Shadow was his light. His mentor had done for him that no one else could. He did not ever want to lose the Elf, so he had offered the only thing he could, hoping to bind Shadow to him.

But whatever actions Estel took, he had only succeeded in pushing the Elf away. Every time he tried to breach the barrier in Shadow's heart, the result was the same; his mentor would run off. He had come to terms with the fact that the Elven warrior did not want him. Yet, his feelings became stronger with every moment he spent with his mentor. He would do anything to be with Shadow. The irony was that the only way he could keep the Elf with him was to hide his feelings and do nothing at all.

*****

Things were going well, but for the excruciating pain in Legolas' heart that tortured him every moment he was with Estel. The boy was amazing, a natural talent in everything he was taught. After making the child promised that his skills would only be used in battle against evil, the Elf mage had began teaching Estel a variation of the Ancient Arts of Elven Warfare that he had developed for Arameius 5000 years before.

Because these skills were lethal, even against Elves, only a few selected ancient warriors knew of it. Even fewer had truly perfected it, for the arts were more of an essence that must be adapted to suit each weapon and battle individually. As the star of Earendil reborn, Legolas had inherited this knowledge. Not only had he perfected the arts for his own use, the Golden Prince of Greenwood had adapted it for use by a human, giving that Man the strength and skills on par with the most powerful Elven warriors in battle.

Soon, Estel would no longer need him. Soon, the boy would have all the skills he needed to take up his birthright as Aragorn, king of Man, and unite all his people against Sauron. And Legolas would have fulfilled his duties… he would finally be free to die. Soon…

*****

The Elf mage sensed that the magic boundaries of his lands had been crossed. He reached out with his powers and saw that the intruders were Elves from Rivendell. He knew they were here to take Estel. Though the boy had learnt a lot in the past three months, he was not yet ready. There was still too much potential in Estel that Legolas knew would be left undiscovered if they were to part now.

I can take Estel and run. I can return him to Rivendell after his training is complete. But now that the Elves know the future King of Men is missing, they will not give up that easily. Sooner or later, they will involve Lady Galadriel. I do not wish to go against her; after all, she is the oldest and wisest of the Elves on Middle Earth. Even if she did not interfere, Lord Elrond might think this important enough to use the powers of Vilya to locate Estel. If Sauron were to sense it, the whole Imladris will be in danger.

"What is wrong, Shadow?" asked the boy. Estel had learned that his mentor's mood could affect their surroundings. When the Elf had sang for him and stroke his hair to lure him to sleep earlier, as was their custom since the first night they met, the boy had felt peace and tranquility, not only inside him, but also all around him. Now, even in his sleep, he could feel the air in the cave tensed. He knew something was bothering his teacher.

The Elf looked at the boy he did not dare love. He must tell him. This should be entirely Estel's decision, even if it would kill him with grief. "A scouting party from Rivendell is close. They are looking for you. Would you like to return with them?"

Estel was about to blurt out that his only wish was to stay here forever with Shadow when he thought of his foster family. While the other Elves in Rivendell had made his life very difficult, his foster family had always protected him. They all had important duties, but they always try to make time for him. They must be worried sick about him by now. There was also the fact that he was the heir of the throne of Gondor. Shadow believed that he would make a good king; he wanted so much to prove to his mentor that he was worthy of his faith and kindness. As much as Estel wished to be with Shadow, he knew his duty was to return to Rivendell. Besides, there was the little matter of his heart. Every day he stayed with Shadow, he fell more and more in love, a love that he knew was not requited. Returning to Rivendell now would hurt deeply, but it would save him from the inevitable heartbreak when Shadow finally decided to leave him. He was sure such a thing would destroy him.

"I will return with them," Estel said in a broken whisper. He loathed letting Shadow see him cry, but he could not stop his tears from flooding his eyes.

It was what Legolas expected. The Elf knew there was only one way to find out. "Estel, you have told me what you will do, now please tell me what you want to do?"

The boy stared mutely at him, the pain in Estel's eyes hurting Legolas a thousand times more than the grief in his own heart. The Elf had his answer; he would not leave his apprentice. Both of them would go to Rivendell.

*****

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