Aspects of Aragorn Chapter 2 part 1 "Great Deeds"

[inzilbeth]

This is the longest of all the chapters and so unfortunately has to be split into three parts. Trying to write Estel's "Great Deeds" as a one chapter story proved quite a challenge!

Disclaimer: No profit will be made from these stories. All quotes from the works of J.R.R.Tolkien are reproduced here without the permission of The Tolkien Estate or New Line Cinema. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

To Cairstiona and Estelcontar I offer my most grateful thanks for their ongoing encouragement and support.

 

 

Chapter: 2  part: 1                  “Great Deeds”

 

 

   But when Estel was only twenty years of age, it chanced that he returned to Rivendell after great deeds in the company of the sons of Elrond; and Elrond looked at him and was pleased, for he saw that he was fair and noble and was come early to manhood, though he would yet become greater in body and mind.

 

 The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen                                                             Return of the King

 

 

  “All right, all right,” cried Elladan holding up his hands to stop any further arguments from the lad. “You may come with us, providing….” But his next words were drowned out by a squeal of delight from the youth as he threw himself at his foster brother, nearly squeezing out his breath in the strength of his embrace.

 

   “Estel, if you will just let me finish,” said Elladan, extracting himself from the lad’s arms and gripping his wrists. “Estel, you may come with us providing you do as Elrohir and I tell you at all times. There are to be no arguments, no quibbling. You do as you are told. Is that understood?”

 

   “Of course, whatever you say, I will do everything just as you ask of me.” Estel beamed. He would have agreed to any condition if it meant he was allowed to go with his foster brothers. He had already secured Elrohir’s consent and now only needed Elladan’s approval.

 

   “Thank you Elladan, so much,” he said; his young and eager face ablaze with excitement. “I feared you would never let me go with you. You will not regret this, I swear.”

 

   He leaped at Elladan again and then released him quickly.

 

   “But now there is much to do; I must start getting ready at once.”

 

   “Yes, there is indeed much to do!” said Elladan, speaking sternly now. “I want to see your pack, Estel when you have prepared it. Your sword I expect to glisten and all your gear to be clean and in full working order. Remember we shall be away for a very long time and it will be cold and hard; you must be ready to face any danger and cope with every trial that chances our way. I shall come and inspect all that you have done later.”

 

   As he listened to Elladan’s strict words, a small flicker of doubt touched the young man’s mind and he frowned.

 

  “I am not sure how much to take with me,” he admitted quietly, looking at his elder brother almost pleadingly. Now that Elladan had finally agreed and he was actually going, he was suddenly less certain. Although joining his brothers on their winter patrol was all he had dreamed of for as long as he could remember, he had never been away from home for very long before and much as he yearned to go, there was a small part of him that was scared. He had joined the Imladris scouts for a few weeks or months at a time ever since he was fifteen but now he would be away in the wilds for the entire winter and possibly much longer. More than that, this time he was going to meet some of the Dunedain Rangers and ride with their patrols.

 

   Elladan saw the plea in his little brother’s eyes and took pity on him. “Prepare your pack as best you can,” he said more kindly. “Then I will come and see what needs to be changed.”

 

   Estel smiled his gratitude. “I won’t let you down, I promise.”

 

   Elladan put his hand on his shoulder and looked at him solemnly. The lad was as tall as he now.

 

   “I am counting on it,” he said gravely.

 

   Estel nodded his understanding. He knew going on patrol was a serious endeavour but, with his confidence rising as quickly as it had fallen, he rushed off excitedly to tell his mother the good news and start getting ready.

 

   Gilraen of course already knew. Although Elrond had assumed the role of Aragorn’s father, he always discussed anything this important with her first. She had resignedly given her permission. In her eyes, her son would never be old enough to face the dangers of the wild but she knew she had to let him go sometime, no matter how heavy her heart at the thought of it. The Dunedain after all would soon be expecting their chieftain to return to them.

 

   Elrond for his part had sought the advice not only of Elladan and Elrohir but also Glorfindel and all the warriors who had taken a hand in Estel’s training. They all agreed he was ready to fully face life beyond the safe confines of Imladris, and if Elladan and Elrohir were prepared to take him, there was no reason why he should not go.

 

~oo0oo~

 

   A couple of days later a small party of elves and one young man rode out from Imladris. Some of the elven scouts were coming with them for part of the way though they would soon turn to their own defences. Elrond and Gilraen were among those in the courtyard to wave them off, but Estel, having said his farewells, kept a wary distance from them both; he was not prepared to risk either of his parents treating him as a child in the presence of the warriors.

 

   His preparations had been intense. It seemed everyone wanted to give him some last minute advice or instruction. Elladan had made him study the maps of Eriador in great detail as they would largely be journeying to lands that were unknown to him. Elrohir helped him with his pack so he could impress Elladan when he came to inspect it and Glorfindel sparred with him to hone his fighting skills. Gilraen just told him to keep himself safe while Elrond reassured him that he was ready for this and advised him to stay close to his brothers when things became dangerous.

 

   The night before they set out, Estel was worried he would never remember all the advice he had been given but as soon as he was riding out of the valley and up the twisting path to the moors beyond, he began to relax and just enjoy being out in open country again. His heart was high within him as he rode and, although it was early in the morning, the late summer sun warmed his face while a soft breeze played with his hair. Life was good and the was weather kind. It was still very mild for the time of year, though the leaves were already turning to gold, heralding the arrival of autumn.

 

~oo0oo~

 

   The patrol slowly wandered west over the empty lands of Rhudaur that lay between the Misty Mountains and the Weather Hills. As they rode, they kept a constant eye open for potential danger but fortunately they encountered few problems along the way. Estel found the days were filled in much the same way as on his previous adventures with his brothers. He did his share of tracking and hunting to keep them all fed, and in the evenings he listening with delight as the elves sang softly of past glories around their camp fire.

 

    He found he was enjoying himself immensely. Now he was truly grown up at last and was proud to be playing his part in protecting the lands around his home from wherever evil might be out there in the wilds. He did of course fully realise that his brothers were watching over him the entire time so he never really expected to be in any great danger. He considered Elladan and Elrohir to be the most capable warriors in Imladris, except perhaps for Glorfindel. His brothers alone of the elves in the Last Homely House rode regularly with the Dunedain, so their forays with orcs and other fell creatures were far more frequent than those of the other warriors. Estel therefore was very aware of how well protected he was, even if the others tried to be discreet about it for the sake of his easily wounded young pride.

 

    Still, he really hoped he would see some proper fighting this winter. He longed to use his sword in a real battle. His fingers involuntarily moved to his side and rested on the sheath that lay against his thigh. He had few possessions that he could call his own but his sword was definitely the most treasured. Elrond had given it to him on his sixteenth birthday and told him that it had a noble history, but of that history he had said no more.

 

   As he rode, Estel marvelled at the lands about him. His previous excursions with the scouts had mostly taken him south along the course of the Bruinen towards Tharbad so the hills of Rhudaur and the Trollshaws were new to him. He harassed his brothers continually with questions about the people who used to live in those long deserted lands. Now there were few signs of habitation remaining. Only the occasional derelict tower and piles of hewed stones bore testimony to anyone ever having dwelt there at all.

 

   After crossing the Last Bridge over the Mitheithel, they travelled along the East Road until they reached Weathertop. Estel was most eager to see the hill of Amon Sul, remembering as he did tales of the battles that had taken place there in the last days of the kingdom of Arthedain. When they reached the base of the tall, conical hill, Elladan and Elrohir took him with them as they ascended the ancient fort and from the summit amid the broken ruins of the once great watch tower, they told Estel of the country around them. They pointed out the distant South Downs which, in the cloudless sky, were clearly visible rolling away into the distance. To the north could be seen the Weather Hills and to the west, Elladan told him, were the Midgewater Marshes and beyond those were lands of Men and Hobbits, but Estel’s sight would not stretch that far.

 

   “It is so big,” he said in wonder, straining his eyes towards the distant horizon, a barely visible margin of the world. “There is so much to see and so many places to visit. How far are we going to go, Elladan?”

 

   “We will travel a long way in the next few months though I somehow think it will not seem far enough to you.” Elladan said, smiling fondly at the impatient lad. “You will soon have many years to explore all these lands and many others beyond even your imagining, Estel.”

 

   As they descended the hill, Estel unexpectedly shivered and he felt a cold stab of fear run through him though he knew of no reason to be afraid. It was soon clear to him that none of the others were similarly troubled so he thought no more of it. All the same, he was still glad that they chose to camp some way beyond the hill that night.

 

   In the morning the patrol divided into two. Elladan, Elrohir and Estel headed north; their plan to meet the rangers at one of their bases near Fornost, while the rest of the patrol turned south-west to scout the northern borders of Dunland.

 

    As the three set off alone, Estel began to feel very small and insignificant in those vast, wild lands. Ever since they had left Imladris he had been very alert at all times, conscious of his training, but now he became even more so. The trio of riders was far more vulnerable now should trouble find them, though with his brothers beside him, Estel had little fear. Travelling north through the bleak Weather Hills, they would however all be glad when they reached the ranger camp near the ruined city. Having discovering Weathertop, Estel very was interested to see what remained of Fornost as well. He loved to hear Glorfindel’s account of how the Witch-king fled before him in the great battle that happened there over a thousand years ago.

 

   The weather continued to remain fair although the wind changed to blast down from the north making the days much colder. At night they lit a small fire and cooked what ever they had caught or found along the way. The twin sons of Elrond were excellent company and on those long evenings they entertained Estel with all the tales he could possibly wish for.

 

~oo0oo~

 

   On the fourth night since parting from the rest of the patrol, Estel was on watch. He felt very honoured to be trusted with this duty and was determined not to be found wanting. So it was that he was wide awake and listening to every rustle in the night air when he was sure he heard an out of the ordinary sound carried on a sudden gust of wind. It could have been a cry or a scream. Then he heard it again. It was some distance away, he was sure, but it was unmistakable. Immediately he rushed back to the fire to wake Elladan, just as he had been told to do if he had any suspicions about anything, no matter how seemingly trivial. He did not need to rouse either of the elves as they both woke instantly at the sound of his fast approaching footsteps.

 

   “What is it?” hissed Elladan.

 

   Elrohir did not wait to hear Estel’s reply but raced passed him in the direction from which the young man had just come.

 

   “I think there are cries coming from the north,” whispered Estel, “I heard them for sure at least twice but I could not tell how far away they were. Of this I am certain though, something is amiss.”

 

   At that moment Elrohir returned, running.

 

   “There is trouble in the hills ahead,” he said, kicking out the fire as he spoke. “We must leave at once. Come Estel, gather your pack.”

 

   “We must make all haste,” agreed Elladan. “I will fetch the horses. Estel, stay and help Elrohir clear the camp.”

 

   Estel nodded and sprang into action, excitement and fear both welling inside him. It took seconds for the three of them to be ready to leave. There was no time to dispose of the fire properly but Elrohir and Estel had all their gear together by the time Elladan reappeared with the horses.

 

   All three leaped easily onto the backs of their steeds and sprang at once into a gallop in the direction of the disturbance, the surefooted elvish horses having little trouble finding their way in the darkness. Elladan and Elrohir were leading. With their superior elvish ears they could easily hear the cries carried towards them in the night air and before long they were heard by Estel as well. He only remembered hearing such sounds once before in his life and realised there was a battle taking place ahead of them, one that they were now riding into with all haste.

 

 

 

Comments

[lissas-elves.livejournal.com]

wow - exciting! I like your description of how he is aware that they are protecting him and trying to do so without injuring his pride. He is a perceptive young man, isn't he?

For some reason, I didn't notice this until now, and it's really late so I'll have to wait until tomorrow ... ehh, later today, that is, to read the rest.

Look forward to it!

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Hi lisser, thanks for sticking with this as I appreciate you are more of a Haldir fan really rather than an Aragorn one.

Hope you enjoy the rest of it.

[lissas-elves.livejournal.com]

The story is the main thing for me (although I admit to not reading many hobbit-centered stories), and your story is fascinating so far. :-)

I hope there's more about Gilraen; really like your portrayal of her.

Many Haldir-stories are movieverse which means I'm often disappointed by them since I didn't really like PJ's interpretation of him.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

At the moment Gilraen only pops up again in a few chapters but I enjoyed writing her and I do want to write more Estel some time so I'll let you know!

I tend to be interested in all the characters as they appear in canon but I confess to only reading a select few in the world of fan-fic.

I would be very interested though to learn more about your take on Haldir. I can well imagine that most stories would be movieverse. The thing about bookverse Haldir that stuck in my mind was how much Frodo liked him and I've always thought of him as a good judge of character.

[lissas-elves.livejournal.com]

At the moment Gilraen only pops up again in a few chapters but I enjoyed writing her and I do want to write more Estel some time so I'll let you know!

Great! I look forward to that. You'll post the whole story here, right?

The thing about bookverse Haldir that stuck in my mind was how much Frodo liked him and I've always thought of him as a good judge of character.

Exactly! That's what I thought, too: to have Frodo regards you a a friend is a first-class recommendation, IMO.

But ... you've got much to work with (not so much about Aragorn's early years, I agree, but still much on personality and a little about many of the people that surrounded Aragorn) - you've got about 1000% more to work with than me. lol

And it may very well take me three years, too; until now it's been one year and I haven't even finished the first part, so who knows. ;-)

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Well I'm glad we are in agreement on Haldir and I look forward to reading more of your stories about him.

You're right, I have so much more to go on with Aragorn. When you piece it all together, his history is actually one of the most complete of any of the characters. And yes, I am going to post everything here, now that I've got the hang of it!

[meckinock.livejournal.com]

How did I miss this? The post is dated July 23 but it never showed up on my flist.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed this. Once again, the characterizations really stand out. Estel is so earnest and eager and fresh-faced, chomping at the bit to get out there into the world. It's good to see Elladan being a strong authority figure. He and Elrohir would have experienced some major trepidation taking Estel out for his first real campaign, you've really gotten across their concern for Estel's safety.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I bet Elladan and Elrohir didn't want to let him out of their sight at first. What a responsibility! And it was fun trying to look at Eriador for the first time as if through Estel's fresh eyes.