Title: A New Breed of Malice
Author: TrinityTheSheDevil
Genre: AU, Humor, Fluff
Rating: G ( WOW! Something that's not ... EVIL!)
Main Characters: Estel, Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, Erestor, and Glorfindel
Disclaimer: Mommy can I keep them?? ::Looks at lawyers:: Darnit, nevermind ...
Summary: An evil being has taken up residence in Rivendell, determined to drive Elrond into an early grave. But the elf lord cannot remove the foul creature, since Estel absolutely adores it and it is just so darn ... cute!
A/N: Thank me for not having a computer for three months for this fic. GAH. I started on this fic at 10:30 PM on Thursday, June 24th. Spent about a week writing it. ::bashes head on desk:: ::looks at fanfiction notebook:: I have over 10 plotbunnies left ... can I die now? Please?
Also - this fic was in five chapters. However - I made sure I typed ALL of it up first, THEN decide how I wanted it divided ... I came to the conclusion that 1) it is far too short to divide into five chapters, and 2) I really don't know how busy I'll be during the next week or so to post it on time. Hahaha. So anyway, enjoy it.
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It was a warm day that found Estel outside, beneath one of his favorite oaks. His long hair gently blew in the wind and the nine year old laughed as it tickled his nose. At his feet, five brave wooden soldiers faced a giant butterfly, determined to defeat the large and colorful foe!
The butterfly was a force to be reckoned with. It leapt into the wind, flying away; a small hand swished by, knocking the wood soldiers over. It was followed by a loud squeal of delight. Oh well, perhaps the poor wooden toys would win the next battle.
Estel sighed, now thoroughly bored since the enemy had moved on, probably fighting other wars. The boy, who was a human and quite small for his age, lived within the boundaries of a great land: Rivendell. He was fostered by one of the mightiest elves in all of Middle Earth, known for his courage and action in the heat of the battles of old. That elf was Lord Elrond. But Estel thought he was pretty handy for getting rid of the monster that lived under his bed and the banshee residing in his closet.
And though the two were quite different, Estel being human and Elrond an elf, they held the love that a true father and son would hold. With that, Estel reserved the right to call Elrond 'ada', and was not challenged by anyone who could think otherwise.
His two twin brothers, who were highly amusing and mischievous, were Elladan and Elrohir. Usually they could be a great source of entertainment ... but Estel rolled his eyes, weary of the thought of them on yet another hunting trip. His ada, being the Lord of Rivendell, was very busy at the moment, currently writing a letter to the Mirkwood King about forming an alliance or something as equally as boring.
All elves of his home were very old, so there were none his age to play with. Glorfindel, who most of the time welcomed Estel whenever the boy liked, was at the moment training some of the less experienced guards with the bow and arrow. Estel figured this put Glorfindel out of the picture for the next week or so, since last time a training session was scheduled, the blond elf met the pointy end of an arrow and ended up in the healing room for several days.
This left Erestor. Estel winced. He felt he had better avoid THAT elf for the next month or so. The boy knew Erestor was deathly afraid of snakes, so he had put a harmless garden snake in the elf's bath a few nights ago. Estel frowned. Although funny to see a shrieking and naked Erestor run through Rivendell in the dead of the night, the elf was definitely not a happy camper. He figured he would have to remember to do that again next year. The nine year old vowed to cure Erestor of his fear of snakes. Besides, Estel grinned, he had never seen his ada laugh so hard ...
So all in all, there was nobody that Estel could play with. He sighed loudly. Oh well ... he could still go visit the horses.
Standing and brushing himself off, he bent down to pick up his soldiers, coming face to face with ... teeth. And fur. And ... very bad breath. Estel blinked, standing back up. A large, brown dog stood there, the dark eyes staring at him pleadingly. The dog's fur was filthy and knotted, filled with twigs and leaves. Estel tilted his head to the side, curious to see if it was a boy or a girl. The dog seemed to frown and sat down ... Estel grinned and saw it was a boy dog.
"Hey boy!" Estel grinned, holding his hand out for the dog to sniff. "Don't you have a home or a family? I guess not, since you're so dirty."
He reached out, slowly petting the mass of mud. A thought entered his mind. It was daring, yes. It was evil, definitely. And it had lodged itself in his brain, causing a spark to flare up somewhere inside of him. He grinned, knowing his ada would not like this thought ...
"Hey boy, do you want to come home with me? I bet you do! And I could feed you, and give you a bath, and we could be best friends! Oh! I am Estel. Hmmm ..." Estel tapped his chin, thinking. "We should call you something." He stopped for a moment, pondering a name to call the animal before him. It had to be something good ... something to be proud of. "How about 'Huan', after the great hound that Orome gave Celegorm (1) in the tales that father speaks of?"
The dog seemed to take to this name, causing Estel to smile. "Huan it is! Now, come, we have to clean you up so that you can meet ada!"
The boy set off with his new four legged friend following behind, wondering exactly how well Elrond would take to his pet ....
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After a long hour, Estel finally had the scruffy dog clean. He released the water in the large bathing pool, ignoring the hair and mud caked on the bottom. However, now he had another problem. Knots still remained in the fur of Huan, which were quickly drying in the heat.
Estel looked around, his eyes lighting up as he spotted Elladan's brush nearby. Stomping on his conscience, which had long since given up, he set to work on the fur. The dog, wincing with every brush stroke, endured the torture. He had specifically heard the strange two-legged mention food. As long as the boy didn't put a bow on him, he would be fine ...
"There, Huan. You look so much better now!" Estel thought that Elrond would receive the dog so much better if he looked pretty. Elves seemed to like pretty things.
There was one problem left. Huan's breath. It had sometime in the past taken up the odor of onions and rotten eggs. Simply put, it was quite foul.
The young human leaned over the sink, plucking a brush used to clean teeth from the top shelf at random. He had chosen Lord Elrond's. Shrugging, he grabbed the minty paste from a nearby jar and slathered it onto the bristles. Without further ado, he popped it into Huan's mouth and began brushing. He made sure to brush the tongue and gums as well, to get rid of any trace of the odor.
When he was done, Estel rinsed the brush off and put it back in its' proper place. Then he had Huan drink some water, to remove the remaining paste.
Now ... to meet with his ada. Gathering up his courage, he gave Huan a pat on the head. "Come on. We better go see father, then get you something to eat."
The dog licked Estel reassuringly, wagging his tail. After all ... Elrond couldn't possibly resist something this adorable ...
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(1) Huan, as told in the Silmarillion in Chapter 19 (page 172 of my version) of "Beren Luthien", was given to Celegorm by Orome in Valinor.
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Elrond leaned back in his nice, cushy chair, glad to be done with his meetings. It was tedious work, being an elf lord. Too bad he didn't have the power to glow green and scary when angry, as his mother-in-law did. He envied her, really. Her council members had long since learned it was best to just nod and agree with Lady Galadriel at the first tinge of green.
Sighing in content, Elrond reached over towards a large bowl of blueberries, plucking one out and popping it into his mouth. The taste was divine, one of the many berries that Elrond enjoyed, and his youngest son seemed to have a particular fondness for them. Speaking of, Elrond wondered where Estel was ...
From down the hall, Elrond heard a distinct crash, quickly followed by several yells. Before he could move, the door burst open and a flying mass landed on the table, skidding across it.
"No! Huan, no!"
But it was too late. The large dog had plowed into the blueberries, sliding across the polished wood, then directly into Elrond. Estel winced. This definitely wasn't how he wanted to introduce his new friend.
Elrond sputtered, now completely covered in blue goo, with a large dog on top of him happily lapping away at the squishy mess. He blinked, then looked at his son.
Estel shifted, laughing nervously. "So ada ... can I keep him?"
Elrond looked back at the dog, who was now wagging his tail as if it were on fire.
"Estel ..." Elrond released a long, tense breath. "I will think about it."
Estel, positive this was a hopeful sign, jumped for joy. "Thank you, ada! You're the best!" He laughed.
"Come on Huan. Let's go swimming!" Estel ran out, the dog following. Elrond heard more crashes as they left and grimaced.
"I did not even say yes yet!"
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Two hours later, Elrond sat in his private bath, wishing to bang his head against something.
"Come, come, mellon nin. Surely it won't be that bad. A dog would do Estel good, I think. It would give him something to do and teach him responsibility." Glorfindel said with a grin, perched in a chair near the door. The blond elf was sporting a large bandage on his arm, thanks to the earlier training sessions. He was really tired of being the unintended target.
"Yes, Glorfindel, but it is not Estel I worry about. That dog ..." He sighed. "That dog is mangy, untamed ... you wait and see." Elrond picked up his toothbrush, shaking it in the direction of his companion, then slathering it with paste. "That dog will eat us our of house and home!"
He popped the brush into his mouth, scrubbing furiously.
"So you will let him keep it then?" Glorfindel asked.
"Yes." Elrond muttered, before an odd look came upon his face. He removed the brush, reaching into his mouth with his fingers. The elf lord extracted a rather long hair ... a dog hair. He looked at the brush in distaste.
"It has already started, Valar save us all!" Elrond managed to say before clutching his stomach and rushing off, the contents of his last meal deciding to make an unexpected reappearance.
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The next morning, Elrond woke up quite early. Well, earlier than usual. Rubbing his eyes, he pushed back the light sheet and placed his feet on the floor. Today ... today he would rest. There were no meetings planned, nobody important to talk to, nothing to write up ... today he would just take it easy. His sons, Elladan and Elrohir, were due back around lunch time. Everything was perfect.
Standing, Elrond took in a deep breath and stepped forward ... into something wet and squishy. His foot slipped and he ended up doing a comical sort of dance, before he pitched forward, face-first into the squishy substance.
Jumping to his feet at once, he quickly wiped his face with his robe. Looking down, Elrond's eyes widened.
"Estel!" His yell echoed through the halls, waking everyone ... and causing a certain dog to cower under the bed.
Estel, already awake, winced. "Uh oh, he doesn't sound happy. Come on, Huan, we better go see what he wants."
The dog whined but never-the-less obediently followed the boy to his father's room. When they entered, Estel had to swallow a laugh. He couldn't help it, his father looked ... funny!
"Estel, I may be letting you keep the dog, but you will clean up after it! And if I see any of ... this!" Elrond pointed to the floor. "again, he shall have to stay outside."
Estel nodded. "Yes, ada. I understand."
"Good," Elrond said. "Now, I will be bathing. You shall clean this up, now." The elf lord quickly limped off to his bathing chamber.
Estel grumbled and fetched a rag and bucket, scrubbing the floor. He glared at Huan. "Never do this again, okay? Else ada will put you outside and neither of us wants that!"
The dog whined once, butting heads with Estel. Laughing, the boy hugged Huan. "Good boy. Now, come on. Let us go have breakfast!"
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Moments later, Elrond arrived at his bathtub and reached over to pull the knob that would fill it with water. He stopped short at the sight of the mud and hair littering the bottom.
"Argh!" Elrond growled. 'This,' he thought, 'is not turning out to be a good day.'
With another growl he began cleaning the tub, hating to see what else he would be encountering within the next week or so.
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Around mid-day, Estel happily paddled around in his favorite pond, while Huan chased the fish around the bank. The boy's hands and feet were wrinkled from the water, but he ignored that. He was having the best time with his new friend. Now, if only ...
"Why, brother, what is that down yonder swimming in the pond?"
"I do believe it is a new breed of fish that looks suspiciously like our younger brother ... "
Estel grinned. "Hey you two, don't make me throw you in!" He swam out of the water and ran up the bank, launching himself into his brother's arms.
"Ack, Estel, you're all wet!" Elladan laughed, just before he was tackled to the ground from behind.
"Oof!" The wind was knocked from him; he gave a wet SPLAT when he hit the muddy bank, causing the brown goo to fly everywhere, landing on his two brothers. Elrohir looked distastefully at the mud now coating his clothes, attempting - without success - to brush it off.
"Huan! No! You can't go around jumping on people!" Estel said sternly.
Elrohir raised an eyebrow, looking up. " 'Huan'?"
"This is my new dog, Huan. Ada said I could keep him! Isn't he the best dog ever?" Estel's eyes shone with a proud light, causing Elrohir to wince slightly when he studied the dog. The elf figured a small ... fib ... wouldn't do any harm here.
Elladan brushed himself off, eyeing the shaggy mutt. He wouldn't exactly call it the 'best dog ever'. There was, however, a certain charm to the slobbering beast. He would find out what that was later ...
"Yes, he is nice Estel. It is good to see you will have someone to play with whenever we are absent." Elrohir petted Huan, scratching him behind the ear. The dog seemed to enjoy it immensely; his back leg thumped rapidly against the ground.
"Now," Elladan said, "Lets go and have lunch with ada. Elrohir and I will tell you all about the nasty bear encounter we had last night."
"A bear?!" Estel gasped. "Wow! How big was he? How many teeth did he have?! The bears around here are HUGE, so it must have been at least two men tall!"
"Slow down, little brother. We'll tell you every detail. First we need to eat and shower though." Elrohir laughed.
"Elves." Estel rolled his eyes. "Always obsessed with being clean. What's the use? You're just going to get filthy again!"
"You'll understand when you get older, Estel." Elladan said. After a moment he added under his breath, "I hope."
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That afternoon, Glorfindel was once again training his students with the bow. It was a good session so far ... he hadn't been shot. Yet. It really was a good thing he healed fast. The students were constantly walking on eggshells though, having seen the blond elf's temper. They really couldn't blame him. Getting shot several times a month wasn't something fun to live through; Erestor, however, seemed to enjoy baiting the elf each time he acquired a new injury.
Glorfindel sincerely hoped Erestor didn't get too angry over the small poisonous plant left in Erestor's bedsheets.
"Naesan!" Glorfindel called.
"Yes?" Naesan turned, an arrow strung on his bow. Glorfindel's admonishment over pointing a strung bow fell silent on his lips, as what happened next was almost too fast to catch. The bowstring gave a small shudder and popped, sending the arrow flying wildly into the air. It went up, up, up ... then plunged downwards ... and landed just one inch from Glorfindel's foot.
Naesan's eyes widened to impossible sizes; glancing at the offending weapon, he dropped the bow like it was red hot steel. He stepped backwards quickly, looking frantically around for means of escape, as the blond elf stormed forward. The other students there gave him severe looks of pity, backing away from the confrontation to much safer grounds. Preferably far, far away ... beyond the borders of Rivendell.
"I didn't mean- ... I'm sorry- ... don't know how it- ... please don't kill me!" Naesan stammered.
Glorfindel's eye twitched. He bent down and picked up the bow, with every intention of throwing it at the poor elf shaking in front of him. However, something caught his eye. Bite marks ... on the end ... and frayed string that looked like it had been used to floss a troll's teeth.
The answer hit him instantly: Huan. That evil, conniving dog wanted him dead! Glorfindel had known from the beginning that the dog was smart - far smarter than he should have been - but this ... even he didn't think Huan could come up with this! The dog had to have been sent by Sauron himself, or some other being just as evil that had a reason for banishing Glorfindel from existence. Again.
"L-l-lord Glorfindel?" The scared elf stuttered, positively white with fear.
"You may leave." The short, clipped answer almost caused Naesan to faint with relief. He stumbled over himself in his frenzied attempt to a hasty exit.
'Something,' Glorfindel thought, 'is going to have to be done with that balrog in a fur coat and innocent look!'
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Later that night, Elladan and Elrohir sat in their room, chatting quietly. Most of Rivendell was asleep at this time, yet they continued to stay awake, needing to wear off the relief and happiness of finally being back home. Although hunts were satisfying, there really was no place like home. The stars shone through their window, causing their inner light to radiate like the sun itself.
Elladan lazily picked up his hairbrush, not exactly paying attention to it. That was, until, Elrohir quickly snatched it from his hands.
"Hey! Give me that!"
"No, brother. Look! If I am not mistaken, the hair on this brush is not yours." Elrohir pulled several of the short, light colored strands from the bristles.
"Huh. You know ... that looks like ... HUAN! Ugh! I am going to murder that little brat."
"No, no, Elladan. He's only a child." Elrohir said, calming his twin. "We will just ignore this unless it happens again."
Elladan sighed furiously, grinding his teeth. Yes, he knew Estel was young, and couldn't care or watch after the dog every minute of the day. However ... that was his FAVORITE brush! "You are right, yet again. Now ... may I borrow your brush?"
"Of course." Elrohir said, reaching over to the small stand on the side of the room.
Then Elladan heard his beloved twin gasp in shock, making small strangled noises.
" 'Ro? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, walking over.
"My ... my ... T- ... Tinkles!" Elrohir's eyes welled up with tears, looking upon his cuddly old stuffed cat, lying on the floor. Or ... what was left of it. Only a slobber covered paw remained of what was once the priceless treasure known as Tinkles.
Elrohir thought he just might cry.
Sucking in a breath, Elladan gently placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to give any comfort he could in this situation. Which - as he reflected, looking at Elrohir - didn't seem to be much. The younger twin shook with barely repressed sobs, muttering something along the lines of, "Tinkles, my Tinkles!"
"I'm so sorry." Elladan only hoped his twin did not do anything drastic ... such as use Huan for target practice.
"He's ... he's gone! I've had him since I was an elfling! He kept all my secrets!" Elrohir sniffed. "He was such an honorable, brave, and cuddly cat. Tomorrow I shall hold a ceremony for him. You will attend and wear your formal robes." Elrohir stopped for breath, wiping his eyes. "And the ceremony shall be followed by an execution. The mutt has to go."
Elladan blinked. "No, 'Ro, you can't! Estel would be heart broken! And Huan is only a dog ... he wouldn't know any better. Please, think about this!"
Elrohir growled. "Fine ... but I shall go to ada. The dog must be put outside at the very least."
"Yes, I agree with you brother. We shall both go and speak to ada. Huan will end up destroying every possession we have." Elladan said. The two of them walked out the door and down the hall, heading for their father's study.
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Elrond sat at his large, smooth desk, scribbling away in his journal. He had finally gotten a moment to himself. The moment was good, but as it turned out, not very long. His twin sons burst into the room without so much as a "Hello ada"; one was sniffling and the other was infuriated. With a raised eyebrow and a sigh, he could almost guess what was coming.
"The dog must go!" They said in unison.
"Stop, wait. What is wrong, my sons? What has happened?"
"He ate Tinkles." "My hairbrush is tainted!"
Elrond blinked. "I'm sorry, my sons. I've already told Estel he could keep it."
"He must at least-" Elladan was interrupted by the door opening, admitting Glorfindel.
The blond elf looked slightly startled to see the twins there. He bowed his head in apology, nodding to them.
"My friend, I love Estel dearly. But I am afraid we must remove the dog! He has eaten most of the bows and arrows, as well as anything else he can fit in his mouth. Even some things he shouldn't be able to!" Glorfindel's eye twitched.
"No, he cannot go." Elrond repeated.
"Well put him outside, at least!" Elladan said.
"No, keep him inside! Keep him away from the weaponry and supplies!" Glorfindel objected, glaring.
Elrond put a hand to his brow, as if warding off a headache. "I will think of what to do. For now, just sleep. Tomorrow I shall talk to Estel."
The others nodded.
"Goodnight, ada."
"Goodnight, my friend."
"Sleep well, my sons, Glorfindel ..."
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The next morning, the family sat at the breakfast table, chatting about what was planned that day. The twins were going to spend the morning sparring while Estel explored a meadow around the pond. When the sounds of eating utensils quieted down, Elrond took a breath. It was now or never.
"Estel." Elrond cleared this throat as the boy looked up expectantly.
"Yes, ada?"
"I am afraid I must speak to you about Huan. The dog has been nothing less than a menace since he came here."
Estel's face instantly fell and his eyes teared up. "You're not going to make him go away, are you ada? You just can't! He's my best friend!"
"No, but from now on you are to keep a close eye on him at all times. I do not want him eating anything or causing more havoc to anyone. Do you understand?"
Estel nodded. Of course. He would do almost anything to keep his dog. After all, Huan was a great pal.
"Yes ada, I will."
"Good." Elrond smiled. "That is settled then."
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Over the next week, Estel worked hard to keep Huan out of trouble. It paid off, the dog only causing minor accidents, and everyone came to call him one of the family. Even Erestor, who was "saved" when Huan barked at a garden snake until it slithered away. Yes, everyone now liked the scruffy dog, who had managed to burrow into their hearts and homes.
It seemed everything was going perfectly well, until ...
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"Ada," Elladan knocked on his father's door. "A small company of humans have just arrived. They await you in the courtyard."
Elrond looked out the window in confusion. It was not unheard of, humans coming into Rivendell, but it usually was a small group of passing rangers.
"I will greet them momentarily."
"Yes, father."
The Lord of Rivendell strode to the courtyard, opening his arms in welcome. He looked over the group. Three men, two boys, and a young girl. Odd.
"Friends, welcome to Rivendell. Please accept our hospitality and stay for a while."
"Greetings, Lord Elrond." One of the men bowed in respect. "Thank you, but I am afraid we shall have to decline. We are just passing through actually. On a hunt."
"A hunt? Of what kind, may I ask?"
The man laughed and pointed at the girl. "My daughter's mangy mutt ran off, we're trying to find him. I suspect he was taken by some of the wolves known to prowl around our village though."
Elrond mentally sighed. Somehow, he just knew Huan was the missing dog. Estel would be heart-broken. He hoped his son did the right thing and returned the animal.
"Can you tell me what the animal looks like?" Elrond asked.
"A big, brown mutt, with shaggy fur. Not too hard to miss, he's just about as big as a horse!"
"Yes," Elrond mumbled. "Elladan ... go fetch Estel."
Elladan nodded seriously, a worried look in his eyes, and left.
Elrond turned back to the group. "I do believe we have him. My youngest son found him ... they have grown rather attached to each other."
The man looked troubled at this, but before he could speak, Huan burst through the bushes a few feet away, heading straight for the humans while barking loudly.
The little girl squealed with delight, dropping from the saddle of the horse and throwing her arms around the dog.
"Oh, you're alive boy! I missed you so much and I was so worried about you!"
"Ada?" Estel said quietly from behind Elrond, looking at the humans and the girl clinging to his dog.
"Estel, it seems Huan was not a stray after all. Those people are the rightful owners." Under his breath, he said, "I'm sorry, Estel."
Estel's heart felt torn in two. However, he refused to cry. It would do no good now There was only one thing he could do: give Huan back to his real owners. Even if it meant he would be sad for a while, at least Huan would be happy.
Estel stepped forward, looking up at the man on the horse. If the humans thought it odd a human boy lived in Rivendell, they showed no reaction.
"I am glad you could be reunited with Huan. He is a good dog."
"And I thank you for taking care of him for us, my boy. We owe you a great debt." The man said seriously, leaning down to shake hands with Estel.
"Yes, thank you for taking care of Strider. We missed him so much! Father said he would probably not come back but mama popped him good, said that there is always hope, even if it doesn't seem like it."
To Estel's surprise, the girl that had spoken jumped up and hugged him fiercely.
"It was nothing." Estel smiled, blushing slightly. "May I say goodbye to him before you leave?"
"Of course." The man said, smiling compassionately.
Estel bent on one knee, looking Huan- no, Strider, in the face.
"Well boy, this is goodbye. I guess we'll never see each other again. But I'll never forget you; I love you boy." Estel hugged him.
The father helped his daughter to her horse, thanking Estel and Elrond again.
"Come on, Strider! Let's hurry home before ma is done with supper!"
The dog turned, giving a last look to Estel, wagging his tail in farewell. Estel sniffed, waving. And then they were gone.
"That was a good thing you did, Estel. I am proud of you."
Estel sighed "Yes, but I know he would be much happier at home. I know I would. I just hope ... I hope he remembers me."
"He will." Elrond hugged his son. "He will."
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EPILOGUE
A week later, Elrond yet again sat at his desk writing important documents. That was until the door banged open. Estel ran in the room, out of breath, holding what looked like an orange ball of fur.
"Ada!" Estel waved the evil looking cat in Elrond's face, as it hissed and spat, scratching at him madly. "Can I keep him?!"
... 'Oh no ... not again!'
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End
I hope you've enjoyed it! :) Reviews welcome.
Author: TrinityTheSheDevil
Genre: AU, Humor, Fluff
Rating: G ( WOW! Something that's not ... EVIL!)
Main Characters: Estel, Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, Erestor, and Glorfindel
Disclaimer: Mommy can I keep them?? ::Looks at lawyers:: Darnit, nevermind ...
Summary: An evil being has taken up residence in Rivendell, determined to drive Elrond into an early grave. But the elf lord cannot remove the foul creature, since Estel absolutely adores it and it is just so darn ... cute!
A/N: Thank me for not having a computer for three months for this fic. GAH. I started on this fic at 10:30 PM on Thursday, June 24th. Spent about a week writing it. ::bashes head on desk:: ::looks at fanfiction notebook:: I have over 10 plotbunnies left ... can I die now? Please?
Also - this fic was in five chapters. However - I made sure I typed ALL of it up first, THEN decide how I wanted it divided ... I came to the conclusion that 1) it is far too short to divide into five chapters, and 2) I really don't know how busy I'll be during the next week or so to post it on time. Hahaha. So anyway, enjoy it.
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It was a warm day that found Estel outside, beneath one of his favorite oaks. His long hair gently blew in the wind and the nine year old laughed as it tickled his nose. At his feet, five brave wooden soldiers faced a giant butterfly, determined to defeat the large and colorful foe!
The butterfly was a force to be reckoned with. It leapt into the wind, flying away; a small hand swished by, knocking the wood soldiers over. It was followed by a loud squeal of delight. Oh well, perhaps the poor wooden toys would win the next battle.
Estel sighed, now thoroughly bored since the enemy had moved on, probably fighting other wars. The boy, who was a human and quite small for his age, lived within the boundaries of a great land: Rivendell. He was fostered by one of the mightiest elves in all of Middle Earth, known for his courage and action in the heat of the battles of old. That elf was Lord Elrond. But Estel thought he was pretty handy for getting rid of the monster that lived under his bed and the banshee residing in his closet.
And though the two were quite different, Estel being human and Elrond an elf, they held the love that a true father and son would hold. With that, Estel reserved the right to call Elrond 'ada', and was not challenged by anyone who could think otherwise.
His two twin brothers, who were highly amusing and mischievous, were Elladan and Elrohir. Usually they could be a great source of entertainment ... but Estel rolled his eyes, weary of the thought of them on yet another hunting trip. His ada, being the Lord of Rivendell, was very busy at the moment, currently writing a letter to the Mirkwood King about forming an alliance or something as equally as boring.
All elves of his home were very old, so there were none his age to play with. Glorfindel, who most of the time welcomed Estel whenever the boy liked, was at the moment training some of the less experienced guards with the bow and arrow. Estel figured this put Glorfindel out of the picture for the next week or so, since last time a training session was scheduled, the blond elf met the pointy end of an arrow and ended up in the healing room for several days.
This left Erestor. Estel winced. He felt he had better avoid THAT elf for the next month or so. The boy knew Erestor was deathly afraid of snakes, so he had put a harmless garden snake in the elf's bath a few nights ago. Estel frowned. Although funny to see a shrieking and naked Erestor run through Rivendell in the dead of the night, the elf was definitely not a happy camper. He figured he would have to remember to do that again next year. The nine year old vowed to cure Erestor of his fear of snakes. Besides, Estel grinned, he had never seen his ada laugh so hard ...
So all in all, there was nobody that Estel could play with. He sighed loudly. Oh well ... he could still go visit the horses.
Standing and brushing himself off, he bent down to pick up his soldiers, coming face to face with ... teeth. And fur. And ... very bad breath. Estel blinked, standing back up. A large, brown dog stood there, the dark eyes staring at him pleadingly. The dog's fur was filthy and knotted, filled with twigs and leaves. Estel tilted his head to the side, curious to see if it was a boy or a girl. The dog seemed to frown and sat down ... Estel grinned and saw it was a boy dog.
"Hey boy!" Estel grinned, holding his hand out for the dog to sniff. "Don't you have a home or a family? I guess not, since you're so dirty."
He reached out, slowly petting the mass of mud. A thought entered his mind. It was daring, yes. It was evil, definitely. And it had lodged itself in his brain, causing a spark to flare up somewhere inside of him. He grinned, knowing his ada would not like this thought ...
"Hey boy, do you want to come home with me? I bet you do! And I could feed you, and give you a bath, and we could be best friends! Oh! I am Estel. Hmmm ..." Estel tapped his chin, thinking. "We should call you something." He stopped for a moment, pondering a name to call the animal before him. It had to be something good ... something to be proud of. "How about 'Huan', after the great hound that Orome gave Celegorm (1) in the tales that father speaks of?"
The dog seemed to take to this name, causing Estel to smile. "Huan it is! Now, come, we have to clean you up so that you can meet ada!"
The boy set off with his new four legged friend following behind, wondering exactly how well Elrond would take to his pet ....
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After a long hour, Estel finally had the scruffy dog clean. He released the water in the large bathing pool, ignoring the hair and mud caked on the bottom. However, now he had another problem. Knots still remained in the fur of Huan, which were quickly drying in the heat.
Estel looked around, his eyes lighting up as he spotted Elladan's brush nearby. Stomping on his conscience, which had long since given up, he set to work on the fur. The dog, wincing with every brush stroke, endured the torture. He had specifically heard the strange two-legged mention food. As long as the boy didn't put a bow on him, he would be fine ...
"There, Huan. You look so much better now!" Estel thought that Elrond would receive the dog so much better if he looked pretty. Elves seemed to like pretty things.
There was one problem left. Huan's breath. It had sometime in the past taken up the odor of onions and rotten eggs. Simply put, it was quite foul.
The young human leaned over the sink, plucking a brush used to clean teeth from the top shelf at random. He had chosen Lord Elrond's. Shrugging, he grabbed the minty paste from a nearby jar and slathered it onto the bristles. Without further ado, he popped it into Huan's mouth and began brushing. He made sure to brush the tongue and gums as well, to get rid of any trace of the odor.
When he was done, Estel rinsed the brush off and put it back in its' proper place. Then he had Huan drink some water, to remove the remaining paste.
Now ... to meet with his ada. Gathering up his courage, he gave Huan a pat on the head. "Come on. We better go see father, then get you something to eat."
The dog licked Estel reassuringly, wagging his tail. After all ... Elrond couldn't possibly resist something this adorable ...
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(1) Huan, as told in the Silmarillion in Chapter 19 (page 172 of my version) of "Beren Luthien", was given to Celegorm by Orome in Valinor.
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Elrond leaned back in his nice, cushy chair, glad to be done with his meetings. It was tedious work, being an elf lord. Too bad he didn't have the power to glow green and scary when angry, as his mother-in-law did. He envied her, really. Her council members had long since learned it was best to just nod and agree with Lady Galadriel at the first tinge of green.
Sighing in content, Elrond reached over towards a large bowl of blueberries, plucking one out and popping it into his mouth. The taste was divine, one of the many berries that Elrond enjoyed, and his youngest son seemed to have a particular fondness for them. Speaking of, Elrond wondered where Estel was ...
From down the hall, Elrond heard a distinct crash, quickly followed by several yells. Before he could move, the door burst open and a flying mass landed on the table, skidding across it.
"No! Huan, no!"
But it was too late. The large dog had plowed into the blueberries, sliding across the polished wood, then directly into Elrond. Estel winced. This definitely wasn't how he wanted to introduce his new friend.
Elrond sputtered, now completely covered in blue goo, with a large dog on top of him happily lapping away at the squishy mess. He blinked, then looked at his son.
Estel shifted, laughing nervously. "So ada ... can I keep him?"
Elrond looked back at the dog, who was now wagging his tail as if it were on fire.
"Estel ..." Elrond released a long, tense breath. "I will think about it."
Estel, positive this was a hopeful sign, jumped for joy. "Thank you, ada! You're the best!" He laughed.
"Come on Huan. Let's go swimming!" Estel ran out, the dog following. Elrond heard more crashes as they left and grimaced.
"I did not even say yes yet!"
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Two hours later, Elrond sat in his private bath, wishing to bang his head against something.
"Come, come, mellon nin. Surely it won't be that bad. A dog would do Estel good, I think. It would give him something to do and teach him responsibility." Glorfindel said with a grin, perched in a chair near the door. The blond elf was sporting a large bandage on his arm, thanks to the earlier training sessions. He was really tired of being the unintended target.
"Yes, Glorfindel, but it is not Estel I worry about. That dog ..." He sighed. "That dog is mangy, untamed ... you wait and see." Elrond picked up his toothbrush, shaking it in the direction of his companion, then slathering it with paste. "That dog will eat us our of house and home!"
He popped the brush into his mouth, scrubbing furiously.
"So you will let him keep it then?" Glorfindel asked.
"Yes." Elrond muttered, before an odd look came upon his face. He removed the brush, reaching into his mouth with his fingers. The elf lord extracted a rather long hair ... a dog hair. He looked at the brush in distaste.
"It has already started, Valar save us all!" Elrond managed to say before clutching his stomach and rushing off, the contents of his last meal deciding to make an unexpected reappearance.
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The next morning, Elrond woke up quite early. Well, earlier than usual. Rubbing his eyes, he pushed back the light sheet and placed his feet on the floor. Today ... today he would rest. There were no meetings planned, nobody important to talk to, nothing to write up ... today he would just take it easy. His sons, Elladan and Elrohir, were due back around lunch time. Everything was perfect.
Standing, Elrond took in a deep breath and stepped forward ... into something wet and squishy. His foot slipped and he ended up doing a comical sort of dance, before he pitched forward, face-first into the squishy substance.
Jumping to his feet at once, he quickly wiped his face with his robe. Looking down, Elrond's eyes widened.
"Estel!" His yell echoed through the halls, waking everyone ... and causing a certain dog to cower under the bed.
Estel, already awake, winced. "Uh oh, he doesn't sound happy. Come on, Huan, we better go see what he wants."
The dog whined but never-the-less obediently followed the boy to his father's room. When they entered, Estel had to swallow a laugh. He couldn't help it, his father looked ... funny!
"Estel, I may be letting you keep the dog, but you will clean up after it! And if I see any of ... this!" Elrond pointed to the floor. "again, he shall have to stay outside."
Estel nodded. "Yes, ada. I understand."
"Good," Elrond said. "Now, I will be bathing. You shall clean this up, now." The elf lord quickly limped off to his bathing chamber.
Estel grumbled and fetched a rag and bucket, scrubbing the floor. He glared at Huan. "Never do this again, okay? Else ada will put you outside and neither of us wants that!"
The dog whined once, butting heads with Estel. Laughing, the boy hugged Huan. "Good boy. Now, come on. Let us go have breakfast!"
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Moments later, Elrond arrived at his bathtub and reached over to pull the knob that would fill it with water. He stopped short at the sight of the mud and hair littering the bottom.
"Argh!" Elrond growled. 'This,' he thought, 'is not turning out to be a good day.'
With another growl he began cleaning the tub, hating to see what else he would be encountering within the next week or so.
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Around mid-day, Estel happily paddled around in his favorite pond, while Huan chased the fish around the bank. The boy's hands and feet were wrinkled from the water, but he ignored that. He was having the best time with his new friend. Now, if only ...
"Why, brother, what is that down yonder swimming in the pond?"
"I do believe it is a new breed of fish that looks suspiciously like our younger brother ... "
Estel grinned. "Hey you two, don't make me throw you in!" He swam out of the water and ran up the bank, launching himself into his brother's arms.
"Ack, Estel, you're all wet!" Elladan laughed, just before he was tackled to the ground from behind.
"Oof!" The wind was knocked from him; he gave a wet SPLAT when he hit the muddy bank, causing the brown goo to fly everywhere, landing on his two brothers. Elrohir looked distastefully at the mud now coating his clothes, attempting - without success - to brush it off.
"Huan! No! You can't go around jumping on people!" Estel said sternly.
Elrohir raised an eyebrow, looking up. " 'Huan'?"
"This is my new dog, Huan. Ada said I could keep him! Isn't he the best dog ever?" Estel's eyes shone with a proud light, causing Elrohir to wince slightly when he studied the dog. The elf figured a small ... fib ... wouldn't do any harm here.
Elladan brushed himself off, eyeing the shaggy mutt. He wouldn't exactly call it the 'best dog ever'. There was, however, a certain charm to the slobbering beast. He would find out what that was later ...
"Yes, he is nice Estel. It is good to see you will have someone to play with whenever we are absent." Elrohir petted Huan, scratching him behind the ear. The dog seemed to enjoy it immensely; his back leg thumped rapidly against the ground.
"Now," Elladan said, "Lets go and have lunch with ada. Elrohir and I will tell you all about the nasty bear encounter we had last night."
"A bear?!" Estel gasped. "Wow! How big was he? How many teeth did he have?! The bears around here are HUGE, so it must have been at least two men tall!"
"Slow down, little brother. We'll tell you every detail. First we need to eat and shower though." Elrohir laughed.
"Elves." Estel rolled his eyes. "Always obsessed with being clean. What's the use? You're just going to get filthy again!"
"You'll understand when you get older, Estel." Elladan said. After a moment he added under his breath, "I hope."
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That afternoon, Glorfindel was once again training his students with the bow. It was a good session so far ... he hadn't been shot. Yet. It really was a good thing he healed fast. The students were constantly walking on eggshells though, having seen the blond elf's temper. They really couldn't blame him. Getting shot several times a month wasn't something fun to live through; Erestor, however, seemed to enjoy baiting the elf each time he acquired a new injury.
Glorfindel sincerely hoped Erestor didn't get too angry over the small poisonous plant left in Erestor's bedsheets.
"Naesan!" Glorfindel called.
"Yes?" Naesan turned, an arrow strung on his bow. Glorfindel's admonishment over pointing a strung bow fell silent on his lips, as what happened next was almost too fast to catch. The bowstring gave a small shudder and popped, sending the arrow flying wildly into the air. It went up, up, up ... then plunged downwards ... and landed just one inch from Glorfindel's foot.
Naesan's eyes widened to impossible sizes; glancing at the offending weapon, he dropped the bow like it was red hot steel. He stepped backwards quickly, looking frantically around for means of escape, as the blond elf stormed forward. The other students there gave him severe looks of pity, backing away from the confrontation to much safer grounds. Preferably far, far away ... beyond the borders of Rivendell.
"I didn't mean- ... I'm sorry- ... don't know how it- ... please don't kill me!" Naesan stammered.
Glorfindel's eye twitched. He bent down and picked up the bow, with every intention of throwing it at the poor elf shaking in front of him. However, something caught his eye. Bite marks ... on the end ... and frayed string that looked like it had been used to floss a troll's teeth.
The answer hit him instantly: Huan. That evil, conniving dog wanted him dead! Glorfindel had known from the beginning that the dog was smart - far smarter than he should have been - but this ... even he didn't think Huan could come up with this! The dog had to have been sent by Sauron himself, or some other being just as evil that had a reason for banishing Glorfindel from existence. Again.
"L-l-lord Glorfindel?" The scared elf stuttered, positively white with fear.
"You may leave." The short, clipped answer almost caused Naesan to faint with relief. He stumbled over himself in his frenzied attempt to a hasty exit.
'Something,' Glorfindel thought, 'is going to have to be done with that balrog in a fur coat and innocent look!'
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Later that night, Elladan and Elrohir sat in their room, chatting quietly. Most of Rivendell was asleep at this time, yet they continued to stay awake, needing to wear off the relief and happiness of finally being back home. Although hunts were satisfying, there really was no place like home. The stars shone through their window, causing their inner light to radiate like the sun itself.
Elladan lazily picked up his hairbrush, not exactly paying attention to it. That was, until, Elrohir quickly snatched it from his hands.
"Hey! Give me that!"
"No, brother. Look! If I am not mistaken, the hair on this brush is not yours." Elrohir pulled several of the short, light colored strands from the bristles.
"Huh. You know ... that looks like ... HUAN! Ugh! I am going to murder that little brat."
"No, no, Elladan. He's only a child." Elrohir said, calming his twin. "We will just ignore this unless it happens again."
Elladan sighed furiously, grinding his teeth. Yes, he knew Estel was young, and couldn't care or watch after the dog every minute of the day. However ... that was his FAVORITE brush! "You are right, yet again. Now ... may I borrow your brush?"
"Of course." Elrohir said, reaching over to the small stand on the side of the room.
Then Elladan heard his beloved twin gasp in shock, making small strangled noises.
" 'Ro? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, walking over.
"My ... my ... T- ... Tinkles!" Elrohir's eyes welled up with tears, looking upon his cuddly old stuffed cat, lying on the floor. Or ... what was left of it. Only a slobber covered paw remained of what was once the priceless treasure known as Tinkles.
Elrohir thought he just might cry.
Sucking in a breath, Elladan gently placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to give any comfort he could in this situation. Which - as he reflected, looking at Elrohir - didn't seem to be much. The younger twin shook with barely repressed sobs, muttering something along the lines of, "Tinkles, my Tinkles!"
"I'm so sorry." Elladan only hoped his twin did not do anything drastic ... such as use Huan for target practice.
"He's ... he's gone! I've had him since I was an elfling! He kept all my secrets!" Elrohir sniffed. "He was such an honorable, brave, and cuddly cat. Tomorrow I shall hold a ceremony for him. You will attend and wear your formal robes." Elrohir stopped for breath, wiping his eyes. "And the ceremony shall be followed by an execution. The mutt has to go."
Elladan blinked. "No, 'Ro, you can't! Estel would be heart broken! And Huan is only a dog ... he wouldn't know any better. Please, think about this!"
Elrohir growled. "Fine ... but I shall go to ada. The dog must be put outside at the very least."
"Yes, I agree with you brother. We shall both go and speak to ada. Huan will end up destroying every possession we have." Elladan said. The two of them walked out the door and down the hall, heading for their father's study.
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Elrond sat at his large, smooth desk, scribbling away in his journal. He had finally gotten a moment to himself. The moment was good, but as it turned out, not very long. His twin sons burst into the room without so much as a "Hello ada"; one was sniffling and the other was infuriated. With a raised eyebrow and a sigh, he could almost guess what was coming.
"The dog must go!" They said in unison.
"Stop, wait. What is wrong, my sons? What has happened?"
"He ate Tinkles." "My hairbrush is tainted!"
Elrond blinked. "I'm sorry, my sons. I've already told Estel he could keep it."
"He must at least-" Elladan was interrupted by the door opening, admitting Glorfindel.
The blond elf looked slightly startled to see the twins there. He bowed his head in apology, nodding to them.
"My friend, I love Estel dearly. But I am afraid we must remove the dog! He has eaten most of the bows and arrows, as well as anything else he can fit in his mouth. Even some things he shouldn't be able to!" Glorfindel's eye twitched.
"No, he cannot go." Elrond repeated.
"Well put him outside, at least!" Elladan said.
"No, keep him inside! Keep him away from the weaponry and supplies!" Glorfindel objected, glaring.
Elrond put a hand to his brow, as if warding off a headache. "I will think of what to do. For now, just sleep. Tomorrow I shall talk to Estel."
The others nodded.
"Goodnight, ada."
"Goodnight, my friend."
"Sleep well, my sons, Glorfindel ..."
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The next morning, the family sat at the breakfast table, chatting about what was planned that day. The twins were going to spend the morning sparring while Estel explored a meadow around the pond. When the sounds of eating utensils quieted down, Elrond took a breath. It was now or never.
"Estel." Elrond cleared this throat as the boy looked up expectantly.
"Yes, ada?"
"I am afraid I must speak to you about Huan. The dog has been nothing less than a menace since he came here."
Estel's face instantly fell and his eyes teared up. "You're not going to make him go away, are you ada? You just can't! He's my best friend!"
"No, but from now on you are to keep a close eye on him at all times. I do not want him eating anything or causing more havoc to anyone. Do you understand?"
Estel nodded. Of course. He would do almost anything to keep his dog. After all, Huan was a great pal.
"Yes ada, I will."
"Good." Elrond smiled. "That is settled then."
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Over the next week, Estel worked hard to keep Huan out of trouble. It paid off, the dog only causing minor accidents, and everyone came to call him one of the family. Even Erestor, who was "saved" when Huan barked at a garden snake until it slithered away. Yes, everyone now liked the scruffy dog, who had managed to burrow into their hearts and homes.
It seemed everything was going perfectly well, until ...
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"Ada," Elladan knocked on his father's door. "A small company of humans have just arrived. They await you in the courtyard."
Elrond looked out the window in confusion. It was not unheard of, humans coming into Rivendell, but it usually was a small group of passing rangers.
"I will greet them momentarily."
"Yes, father."
The Lord of Rivendell strode to the courtyard, opening his arms in welcome. He looked over the group. Three men, two boys, and a young girl. Odd.
"Friends, welcome to Rivendell. Please accept our hospitality and stay for a while."
"Greetings, Lord Elrond." One of the men bowed in respect. "Thank you, but I am afraid we shall have to decline. We are just passing through actually. On a hunt."
"A hunt? Of what kind, may I ask?"
The man laughed and pointed at the girl. "My daughter's mangy mutt ran off, we're trying to find him. I suspect he was taken by some of the wolves known to prowl around our village though."
Elrond mentally sighed. Somehow, he just knew Huan was the missing dog. Estel would be heart-broken. He hoped his son did the right thing and returned the animal.
"Can you tell me what the animal looks like?" Elrond asked.
"A big, brown mutt, with shaggy fur. Not too hard to miss, he's just about as big as a horse!"
"Yes," Elrond mumbled. "Elladan ... go fetch Estel."
Elladan nodded seriously, a worried look in his eyes, and left.
Elrond turned back to the group. "I do believe we have him. My youngest son found him ... they have grown rather attached to each other."
The man looked troubled at this, but before he could speak, Huan burst through the bushes a few feet away, heading straight for the humans while barking loudly.
The little girl squealed with delight, dropping from the saddle of the horse and throwing her arms around the dog.
"Oh, you're alive boy! I missed you so much and I was so worried about you!"
"Ada?" Estel said quietly from behind Elrond, looking at the humans and the girl clinging to his dog.
"Estel, it seems Huan was not a stray after all. Those people are the rightful owners." Under his breath, he said, "I'm sorry, Estel."
Estel's heart felt torn in two. However, he refused to cry. It would do no good now There was only one thing he could do: give Huan back to his real owners. Even if it meant he would be sad for a while, at least Huan would be happy.
Estel stepped forward, looking up at the man on the horse. If the humans thought it odd a human boy lived in Rivendell, they showed no reaction.
"I am glad you could be reunited with Huan. He is a good dog."
"And I thank you for taking care of him for us, my boy. We owe you a great debt." The man said seriously, leaning down to shake hands with Estel.
"Yes, thank you for taking care of Strider. We missed him so much! Father said he would probably not come back but mama popped him good, said that there is always hope, even if it doesn't seem like it."
To Estel's surprise, the girl that had spoken jumped up and hugged him fiercely.
"It was nothing." Estel smiled, blushing slightly. "May I say goodbye to him before you leave?"
"Of course." The man said, smiling compassionately.
Estel bent on one knee, looking Huan- no, Strider, in the face.
"Well boy, this is goodbye. I guess we'll never see each other again. But I'll never forget you; I love you boy." Estel hugged him.
The father helped his daughter to her horse, thanking Estel and Elrond again.
"Come on, Strider! Let's hurry home before ma is done with supper!"
The dog turned, giving a last look to Estel, wagging his tail in farewell. Estel sniffed, waving. And then they were gone.
"That was a good thing you did, Estel. I am proud of you."
Estel sighed "Yes, but I know he would be much happier at home. I know I would. I just hope ... I hope he remembers me."
"He will." Elrond hugged his son. "He will."
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EPILOGUE
A week later, Elrond yet again sat at his desk writing important documents. That was until the door banged open. Estel ran in the room, out of breath, holding what looked like an orange ball of fur.
"Ada!" Estel waved the evil looking cat in Elrond's face, as it hissed and spat, scratching at him madly. "Can I keep him?!"
... 'Oh no ... not again!'
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End
I hope you've enjoyed it! :) Reviews welcome.