I do not own, neither did I create Estel/Aragorn, Erestor, Elrond, Glorfindel, Middle Earth, Imladris/The Hidden Valley, or Green Wood the Great. J. R. R. Tolkien did and I am extremely grateful. :)

I did create Mellolaes the Silvan nurse.

This piece has been written for entertainment purposes only. So please read, and, hopefully, be entertained. :)

Mellolaes pulled on her mittens and tossed her hair back. A voice piped up from near her knees. "Come on, Melly! Let's go, let's go play in the snow!"

Mellolaes glanced down and grinned at her charge. Estel stomped with pure excitement before her slamming both his booted feet into wood used to much lighter, elven steps. Thankfully, the planks held.

The elleth laughed. Then she held a mittened hand out to the boy. "All right then, mellon nin. Let us indeed go, go play in the snow."

The manling grabbed her hand, then sprang forward. He dragged her to the stairs. The Silvan continued to laugh. She stood by as her charge stopped, then climbed up and slid down the banister. She followed with steps silent as a cat's. He filled the winter quiet halls of Imladris with a "whoop." Mellolaes laughed again. When he caught on the the hand-rest at the bottom of the stairs, she held out a hand to help him down.

Above them, Erestor stepped out of his room. He watched the two youths walk toward the main doors. The Noldo shook his head.

Estel glanced over his shoulder and spotted the elf. He smiled and waved at him. "Hi Erestor!"

The ellon lifted a hand in salutation. Mellolaes turned herself and waved at the older elf before she continued toward the main doors. Estel stepped jauntily along beside her.

Erestor shook his head again and went back into his room to look for a book. He liked to read on these "usually" quiet, winter days a month or so after Yule, when he was least busy.

. . .

Mellolaes strode up the hill holding her skirts up, so their hem just barely brushed the snow. Estel strode after her dragging his sled. Mellolaes let him do so by himself. He was now a whole six years old after all. She grinned down at him as he stepped straight-backed, head held high. Snow flakes caught in his dark hair and on his lashes, which were long for a boy's.

The elleth lowered her gaze further to the manling's feet. The soles of his boots disappeared into a layer of soft snow, but the crust of ice beneath it held the human just fine. Mellolaes looked back up into the boy's face. He smiled back at her. His eyes gleamed. "We're going to go fast today, aren't we Melly?"

She winked. "We certainly are!"

Estel leapt into the air. Then he dragged his sled after him a little bit faster. Mellolaes turned her mischievous grin upon the top of the hill. Once there, the two sat upon the long sled. The elleth sat behind and the manling in front. After a few kicks from them, the sled tipped over the hill's crest. Then they "whooshed" forward.

Estel gave a shout of joy. Mellolaes joined him with her own. As soon as they'd slowed to a stop on a flat area at the bottom of the hill, Estel was up and dragging the sled toward it's top again. Mellolaes laughed. Then she followed.

Glorfindel watched them. His chuckling shook a few flakes of white out of the golden tresses cascading from his head. After watching the two "youths" another moment he turned and continued his loops throughout the land of Imladris. Despite the Hidden Valley's reputation for safety, her Captain believed a habit of vigilance worth retaining.

Mellolaes and her charge took many rides down the hill near Elrond's house that day. Once, on a trek back up its side, Estel looked down and stopped. His mouth opened in glee. One of his mittened hands pointed as the other tugged at the elleth's skirt. "Look Melly, Erestor's come outside!"

The Silvan turned and saw the ellon had indeed emerged from the house without wearing a coat, but carrying a book in his long-fingered hand. The ellon began to stride down the porch lining the side of the building. Mellolaes tilted her head and stared at her employer's steward thoughtfully. "I think he only wants to read outside for a little while Estel. Not join us in sledding."

The boy shrugged. A tight-lipped grin showed his dimples before he replied, "I know, but it's good seeing him getting some fresh air."

Mellolaes turned a smirk upon her charge. "Oh really ... and why is that, mellon nin?"

Estel looked back up at her. "Because Glorfindel, ada, and my brothers all say he's turned into a "house-mouse."

Mellolaes laughed at that. Then she looked back down at the ellon. He was scowling at them. She bent over and whispered just above her charge's ear. "I think he heard us, Estel."

The manling looked down at the ellon again and raised a mitten hand. "Don't worry Erestor! I know you're not a house-mouse."

The ellon's scowl disappeared. He gave a slight bow before turning away and raising the book, already opened, before his eyes.

Mellolaes giggled at his actions. Then she tugged her charge's hand. "Come along Estel, I think we can get a few more slides in before going back inside ourselves."

They had gone three more times before it happened. Mellolaes had already decided the fourth would be their last. Her charge was beginning to get chilled. She planned to take him into the hall of fire afterward and let him chatter to the elves there about their sledding expedition. He should feel more a part of the community that way, and it would do them good to be reminded of a child's simple joys. They carried so many shadows from the past they often spoke of there instead.

Mellolaes engrossed herself in these plans. So, it was Estel who noticed it first. He turned with a frown and pointed. "Melly, what's that?"

The Silvan turned her head to see. The trees' tops were moving, but not in a natural way. By the spreading of the snow she knew it must be a wind moving them, but such a wind. It blasted through the trees bending their tops in its wake.

As the blast exited the trees, the elleth crouched over her manling charge. She pulled him into her encircling arms and against her chest. The wind hit neither of them. Instead it barreled past, just barely brushing their hair. It seemed directly aimed at ...

Mellolaes turned to see the Noldo striding back and forth on the porch eyes still locked on the pages of his book. She shouted to him. "Erestor! Look out!"

The Noldo snapped his book shut. He half-turned. Then his furrowed eyebrows flew up. The wind slammed into him. He hit the ice-covered stone. Estel screamed.

Mellolaes plucked both her charge and his sled up. Then she sped to the crest of the hill. There she slammed the sled down, leapt upon it with both feet, and bent forward. Holding Estel on her hip, she slid down the hill. This time she aimed for a bank of snow facing the porch. The sled reached it, sped up its crest, and took off. She and Estel went flying.

The sled struck the railing of the porch. Mellolaes flipped over the latter. Clutching Estel to herself, she rotated in the air, and then landed on both feet. A patch of snow had blown against the side of the house forming a thick layer were her feet stuck.

The elleth then set the boy down beside her in the same patch of snow. She rushed toward the ellon still lying on his side. He groaned as she reached him.

Melloales knelt down beside him. With moist eyes she held her hands out. They hovered over the ellon's prone body as she whispered, "Erestor ..?"

Kids, do "not" try what Mellolaes just did at home! Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to, though. :)

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes