Post by Admin on Jan 4, 2021 19:03:49 GMT
Author: BlackShaftedArrow
Summary: Nighttime brings peace for the elves, but for a certain young human in Imladris, it brings something else. Nightmares.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Lord of the Rings; all rights to J.R.R. Tolkien!
Estel crept down the hallway, tiptoeing so as not to wake his elven family. He stole a glance behind himself, making sure the shadows stayed at bay. He wrapped his blanket tighter around his little frame, shivering as he again thought of the terrible dreams that had threatened him while he slept.
When he reached Elladan’s bedroom door, he carefully put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it silently. He cracked open the door, peeking his head in.
“Elladan?” He whispered, taking a step in and making sure to leave the door open behind him so he was not left in complete darkness. “Are you awake, ‘Dan?” He looked behind himself again, then turned back to the lump covered in blankets lying on the bed. Estel walked quietly over to it.
Elladan always left his windows open slightly at night to let the fresh air in, and now a silvery shaft of moonlight fell through them and made the elf’s sleeping face seem as if it were glowing from within.
When his elven brother did not wake, he sighed, thinking about what would wake him up without waking the others up. Then he came to a conclusion. “Elladan, wake up, I need you.”
This time, the elf jolted upright, his eyes darting around wildly until they landed on his human brother. “Estel! Are you all right? Is something wrong?” He swung his feet over the side of the bed, perched lightly on the edge as if at any moment something could go wrong.
Estel blinked, still a little startled at his brother’s sudden movement. Then he nodded.
“Well, what is it? Are you injured? Is it Elrohir?” Elladan asked, growing more concerned every second.
The boy shook his head. “I had a nightmare.” He whispered.
Elladan’s shoulders relaxed and he smiled comfortingly. “Come here, muindor nín.” He patted the space next to him on the bed, and Estel climbed up. Elladan noticed that his little brother’s eyes were still haunted and the boy shivered nervously. The elf cradled Estel’s head in his lap and spoke quietly. “Estel?”
“Yeah, ‘Dan?”
“Would you like to sleep in here tonight?” The elf asked, leaning over to peer into his brother’s eyes.
Estel nodded, then hesitated. “I would, but I’m not going back to sleep. They’ll be waiting for me.” He said quietly.
The elf felt compassion for the human child and ran a hand through his dark, tangled hair. “Who will be waiting for you?”
“The nightmares.” Estel’s voice was barely a squeak, but Elladans sharp elven ears caught the sound.
The elf glanced out the window at the moon, guessing it was around midnight. Then an idea struck him. “Estel? Can I show you something?” He asked, a question in his eyes.
Estel blinked, then nodded. “What is it?”
Elladan gathered the boy into his arms and stood, moving silently across the room towards the balcony. “You’ll see.” As he stepped out into the night air, he set his little brother down. “Do you remember last night when you, Elrohir, and I had that contest?”
Estel nodded, a smile on his face. “Oh, yes. I caught the most fireflies.”
Elladan smiled. “Yes, you certainly did, muindor nín.” He went to the balcony railing and picked up a large glass jar. He held it up to the human’s face. “Do you see all the fireflies inside?”
“Uh huh.” Estel said, nodding emphatically. Then a puzzled expression came across his face. “Why aren’t they glowing?”
“Would you be glowing if you were all cooped up in there?” Elladan asked.
Estel frowned. “No.”
“Neither would I.” Elladan replied, allowing himself a small smile. “Watch.” With that, the elf unscrewed the lid and held the jar up in the air.
Thirty-six little lightning bugs flew into the air, their brilliant yellow tails blinking and flashing in the darkness. Elladan was overjoyed to hear his little brother’s delighted laughter as he caught one in the palm of his hand.
“Look, ‘Dan! I caught one!” He said excitedly, showing his older brother the little insect in his hand.
Elladan laughed, pleased that he had been able to cheer up his brother. He looked up at the dazzling little lights rising into the sky, scattering in different directions as they flew farther. As Estel released his firefly, Elladan put an arm around his little brother’s shoulder.
“Whenever you are afraid, just remember the fireflies.” He said, his voice soft.
Estel nodded slowly, watching the fireflies slowly blink away into the distance and disappear.
When the last one had vanished, Estel yawned. Elladan caught the motion and smiled quietly, lifting his little brother into his arms again.
“Come, Estel, you look tired.” He said softly.
But the young human shook his head doggedly. “Uh uh. I’m not tired at—“ His words were cut off by another yawn.
He carried the boy back into his own room, whispering so he wouldn’t wake anyone else. “Can you sleep on your own now?”
Estel nodded as his brother tucked him in. “Thanks, ‘Dan.”
Elladan nodded, kissing his little brother lightly on the forehead before leaving back to his own room. The elf was relieved that the fear of nightmares had left his little brother, if not only for a while.
The little boy lay awake for almost twenty minutes, thinking about the fireflies in the night sky. Finally, he slipped out of bed, his bare feet pattering softly on the floor.
He creaked open his eldest brother’s bedroom door, peeking in to make sure he was asleep. When he heard Elladan’s steady, even breaths, he stole a glance behind him before disappearing inside, closing the door behind him. He tiptoed over to the bed, much the same as he had done just earlier that night, and climbed in beside his brother, pulling the covers up to his chin.
Estel grinned, his eyes drooping. Now he was content.
Summary: Nighttime brings peace for the elves, but for a certain young human in Imladris, it brings something else. Nightmares.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Lord of the Rings; all rights to J.R.R. Tolkien!
Estel crept down the hallway, tiptoeing so as not to wake his elven family. He stole a glance behind himself, making sure the shadows stayed at bay. He wrapped his blanket tighter around his little frame, shivering as he again thought of the terrible dreams that had threatened him while he slept.
When he reached Elladan’s bedroom door, he carefully put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it silently. He cracked open the door, peeking his head in.
“Elladan?” He whispered, taking a step in and making sure to leave the door open behind him so he was not left in complete darkness. “Are you awake, ‘Dan?” He looked behind himself again, then turned back to the lump covered in blankets lying on the bed. Estel walked quietly over to it.
Elladan always left his windows open slightly at night to let the fresh air in, and now a silvery shaft of moonlight fell through them and made the elf’s sleeping face seem as if it were glowing from within.
When his elven brother did not wake, he sighed, thinking about what would wake him up without waking the others up. Then he came to a conclusion. “Elladan, wake up, I need you.”
This time, the elf jolted upright, his eyes darting around wildly until they landed on his human brother. “Estel! Are you all right? Is something wrong?” He swung his feet over the side of the bed, perched lightly on the edge as if at any moment something could go wrong.
Estel blinked, still a little startled at his brother’s sudden movement. Then he nodded.
“Well, what is it? Are you injured? Is it Elrohir?” Elladan asked, growing more concerned every second.
The boy shook his head. “I had a nightmare.” He whispered.
Elladan’s shoulders relaxed and he smiled comfortingly. “Come here, muindor nín.” He patted the space next to him on the bed, and Estel climbed up. Elladan noticed that his little brother’s eyes were still haunted and the boy shivered nervously. The elf cradled Estel’s head in his lap and spoke quietly. “Estel?”
“Yeah, ‘Dan?”
“Would you like to sleep in here tonight?” The elf asked, leaning over to peer into his brother’s eyes.
Estel nodded, then hesitated. “I would, but I’m not going back to sleep. They’ll be waiting for me.” He said quietly.
The elf felt compassion for the human child and ran a hand through his dark, tangled hair. “Who will be waiting for you?”
“The nightmares.” Estel’s voice was barely a squeak, but Elladans sharp elven ears caught the sound.
The elf glanced out the window at the moon, guessing it was around midnight. Then an idea struck him. “Estel? Can I show you something?” He asked, a question in his eyes.
Estel blinked, then nodded. “What is it?”
Elladan gathered the boy into his arms and stood, moving silently across the room towards the balcony. “You’ll see.” As he stepped out into the night air, he set his little brother down. “Do you remember last night when you, Elrohir, and I had that contest?”
Estel nodded, a smile on his face. “Oh, yes. I caught the most fireflies.”
Elladan smiled. “Yes, you certainly did, muindor nín.” He went to the balcony railing and picked up a large glass jar. He held it up to the human’s face. “Do you see all the fireflies inside?”
“Uh huh.” Estel said, nodding emphatically. Then a puzzled expression came across his face. “Why aren’t they glowing?”
“Would you be glowing if you were all cooped up in there?” Elladan asked.
Estel frowned. “No.”
“Neither would I.” Elladan replied, allowing himself a small smile. “Watch.” With that, the elf unscrewed the lid and held the jar up in the air.
Thirty-six little lightning bugs flew into the air, their brilliant yellow tails blinking and flashing in the darkness. Elladan was overjoyed to hear his little brother’s delighted laughter as he caught one in the palm of his hand.
“Look, ‘Dan! I caught one!” He said excitedly, showing his older brother the little insect in his hand.
Elladan laughed, pleased that he had been able to cheer up his brother. He looked up at the dazzling little lights rising into the sky, scattering in different directions as they flew farther. As Estel released his firefly, Elladan put an arm around his little brother’s shoulder.
“Whenever you are afraid, just remember the fireflies.” He said, his voice soft.
Estel nodded slowly, watching the fireflies slowly blink away into the distance and disappear.
When the last one had vanished, Estel yawned. Elladan caught the motion and smiled quietly, lifting his little brother into his arms again.
“Come, Estel, you look tired.” He said softly.
But the young human shook his head doggedly. “Uh uh. I’m not tired at—“ His words were cut off by another yawn.
He carried the boy back into his own room, whispering so he wouldn’t wake anyone else. “Can you sleep on your own now?”
Estel nodded as his brother tucked him in. “Thanks, ‘Dan.”
Elladan nodded, kissing his little brother lightly on the forehead before leaving back to his own room. The elf was relieved that the fear of nightmares had left his little brother, if not only for a while.
The little boy lay awake for almost twenty minutes, thinking about the fireflies in the night sky. Finally, he slipped out of bed, his bare feet pattering softly on the floor.
He creaked open his eldest brother’s bedroom door, peeking in to make sure he was asleep. When he heard Elladan’s steady, even breaths, he stole a glance behind him before disappearing inside, closing the door behind him. He tiptoed over to the bed, much the same as he had done just earlier that night, and climbed in beside his brother, pulling the covers up to his chin.
Estel grinned, his eyes drooping. Now he was content.