Listen with Your Heart

Rated: K

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Summary: "At least we have no reason to complain," Legolas smiled. "Yes, we a stuck in one place, but at the best place possible." Estel only glared at him. He wished to be somewhere else. Anywhere else… Three guesses where they are.

Note: Written for May Teitho Challenge: 'On Location'. The challenge was to write a story where everything takes place in one location.

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The orcs were sitting around the fire, obviously intending to stay there for the night. Estel sighed as he watched the dark forms lying on the ground, preparing to sleep.

"When are they going to go away?" He whispered, his voice shaken with despair.

"Tomorrow the earliest. Or probably the day after," Legolas replied calmly. "Why don't you go to sleep?"

"Go to sleep!" The human stared at him incredulously. "You may be able to sleep lying on a branch, but I am not!"

The elf chuckled. "Come on, mellon nîn, it is not that bad! I'm sure you will learn to like it."

The young man snorted and tried to relax his back against the tree trunk. His position was quite uncomfortable, and he tried to shift without falling down, but this only added pressure to his injured leg. "Do we really need to wait for them to leave?" He finally asked. "Can't we go down and fight them?"

"We could, if you hadn't lost your sword, and if you weren't hurt. But even if we were both armed and well, the orcs are too many and it would have been a dangerous fight. I don't see a problem in waiting."

"You don't, don't you?" The human grunted unhappily. He had recently turned eighteen, and this was his first real battle. Naturally, it wasn't intended to be a battle. He was just supposed to go hunting with Legolas, but they had come across a group of orcs. In the fight Estel had lost his sword and had received a leg injury. The two had finally managed to escape, hiding in a tree. Unfortunately, the orcs had settled below the tree, not knowing that the elf and human were right above them, and now they were unable to climb down and escape.

Legolas looked at him critically. "You prefer to face the orcs than to stay on the tree?"

"I prefer anything than staying on the tree!" The young man hissed. He was feeling miserable. His limbs hurt, his back ached terribly, and he was afraid that the slightest movement would send him flying downwards. His leg wound didn't help matters.

"Just relax, Estel. You will soon feel that staying on a tree could be quite enjoyable."

"Never," the boy stated firmly. He shifted slightly, desperately seeking a comfortable position. But he had shifted too much.

Legolas reached out in panic and managed to grab his falling friend. Estel suppressed a cry of agony as his wounded leg banged against a branch. After all, they didn't want to alert the orcs of their presence. Why not? He suddenly wondered. Maybe swift death was better than this.

"What are you doing, clumsy human?" Legolas asked incredulously. "Can't you just stay at one place?"

The boy frowned and tried to balance himself on the branch. "This tree hates me, Legolas! It just hates me!"

"Oh don't be silly!" The elf sighed. He placed his palm against the tree and started whispering something inaudible to the human. Suddenly a wind blew. The leaves rustled, sounding almost like soft whispers. "Ah, Estel, I am sorry," he grinned mischievously. "It seems the tree really hates you."

"Very funny," the man murmured. Suddenly he raised his face and looked Legolas in the eyes. "Can you really talk to it?"

"To it?" The elf seemed slightly puzzled.

"Yes, to the tree," the man explained.

"Ah, the tree. To her, Estel," the elf corrected his friend. "It is a female tree."

"What?!" The human choked. "You mean there can be woman-trees?"

"Of course," Legolas said casually, as if he was stating some obvious fact. "Trees are just like any other leaving creature. Besides," his grin suddenly grew wider, "I believe this is good news for you. Now you could use those silver eyes of yours to capture her heart."

Estel desperately wanted to throw something at his friend and shout at him that trees had no hearts, but every movement could cost him his balance, so he just stayed on the branch glowering silently.

"Mellon nîn, I think we should take care of that leg wound of yours. Let me take a look."

"I am not moving," the boy replied firmly and glanced down. The ground seemed alarmingly far away.

The elf sighed. "You know that I have to clean the wound. It might become infected."

"I'm perfectly fine," Estel snapped. "I wouldn't feel it at all if I wasn't forced to stand on a branch like a bird."

"Like an elf, my friend," Legolas corrected him once again. "And I really need to clean your wound. You know that if it becomes infected, Lord Elrond will force you to drink his special tea, don't you?"

The young man suddenly paled and lowered himself on the branch to allow his friend access to his injury. He could hear a sharp intake of breath. "Estel, you call this 'perfectly fine'!" The voice sounded suddenly worried. "How did you manage to stand on the tree that long?!"

"That, mellon nîn, is still a mystery to me," the human replied grumpily.

"We must get you down," the elf said.

Estel sighed. "I think this is the first time you say something sensible."

Legolas ignored the comment and gazed at the orcs below the tree. "We cannot go unnoticed," he finally said. "It seems we must wait until the morning. Now you must go to sleep and regain your strength as much as possible."

The man stared at him. "We were through this already, Legolas! I cannot sleep on a branch!"

"Do you know what I think?" The elf asked suddenly. "I think that it is time for you to learn to talk to trees. This will help you relax and feel comfortable."

Estel looked at his friend as if he had lost his mind. "Legolas, I am human, I cannot talk to trees!"

"You just don't know how. I will show you." Legolas sat on the branch behind his friend and pulled him up, so that the man rested against him. This position was much more comfortable than leaning against the trunk, and Estel slightly relaxed. The wind blew softly, and the leaves rustled. "Listen carefully. What do you hear?"

"Only rustling."

"No, not like that. Estel, the Firstborn can hear the Song, and you cannot. But this doesn't mean that you cannot feel it. The Song is inside you, mellon nîn, even though you might not hear it. Don't listen with your ears, Estel. Feel it with your heart."

"How do I do this, Legolas?" It seemed fascinating to the young man to catch a glimpse of the world of the Elves, and he was willing to try.

"You must relax completely. More. Let your head rest on my shoulder. Like that. Good. And now you must free your mind of all thoughts. You must let the sounds float through your mind, but don't concentrate on them. Hear the voices of the forest, but don't listen to them. Don't stop them with your mind and let them reach your heart. It will tell you what they are saying."

The young man relaxed completely in his friend's arms. The wind on his face soothed him and helped him drift in an almost dreamlike state. The forest was filled with voices. Voices, voices, voices, so many! But… just voices. No words.

He opened his eyes and looked around slightly disappointed. The elf was watching him expectantly. "Well?"

"I didn't hear anything!" Estel muttered. "I told you it was impossible!"

"I told you you mustn't hear, you must feel," Legolas explained patiently.

"I neither heard, nor felt anything," the boy whispered sadly. His disappointment was evident and he was slightly angry at his friend for giving him false hopes. Of course he would never be able to talk to trees like one of the Firstborn! How dared he ever think it was possible?

"You are hopeless," Legolas stated. "Well, I still think you should try to get some sleep. Go to sleep, Estel, and don't be afraid. I will hold you. I won't let you fall."

The tired human didn't protest and wearily relaxed his head against his friend's chest. But suddenly a thought came across his consciousness and his eyes snapped open. "Wait!" He said suddenly. "That way you won't be able to have any sleep!"

"I don't need that much sleep, mellon nîn. And you surely need it. You are still growing up."

This was a wrong thing to say. Estel suddenly stood up on the branch and glared at him wide awake. "I am perfectly grown up!"

The elf sighed. "Mellon nîn, you are eighteen. A male human body develops until he has reached twenty-five. Now go back to sleep."

"I don't need to sleep."

"Great," Legolas shook his head, "You just proved to me once again that you haven't grown up. And what do you propose now? Stay awake all night and admire the beautiful view of… hmm… orcs?"

"We must find a way to escape," the human mused. "We might jump to the next tree. They'll never notice us. And then to the next, and the next, until we are far away. Then we can go back to the ground and go home."

Legolas had to suppress his laughter, afraid that the orcs might hear them. "Brilliant plan, mellon nîn! I would love to see you jumping from tree to tree like a squirrel!"

"Not like a squirrel, Legolas, like an elf," it was the human's turn to correct his friend. "I can't do it, but you can!"

"Yes, but I will never leave you, so I am stuck to stay here with the clumsy human who cannot even jump from tree to tree!" The elf smiled.

"Legolas, I am serious! You can escape, and then go to Imladris and bring back help! Three or four elves would be more than enough to chase the orcs away."

The elf suddenly understood his friend's plan and stared in shock, "I cannot do that! I need five hours to reach Imladris, and even if we take horses, we will need at least two more hours to come back to you! You cannot stay alone for that long!"

"Why? Will the tree eat me? I know she hates me, but still this seems highly unlikely."

"Estel, honestly, this makes no sense. In seven hours dawn will come and the orcs will most likely leave by themselves."

"You are right, mellon nîn. Most likely. But not for sure. How do we know that they don't plan to stay here tomorrow? Or the day after? Or until winter?"

Legolas swallowed hard. He knew that the man was right, but his heart was against leaving his wounded friend all alone on the tree. "Imagine what Elladan and Elrohir will say when they hear that their little brother is stuck on a tree. You will never live this down," he whispered in a last attempt to change Estel's mind.

The boy smiled. "I can survive the humiliation, but I won't survive another day on this tree."

Legolas tried to return the smile, but failed miserably and gave up. He eyed his friend worriedly instead. "Does you leg hurt a lot?" He asked softly.

"Not that much, don't worry. Now go! Away with you!"

"Estel, stay on this branch and don't move until I return. I know it is uncomfortable, but please, you must do it. And don't fall asleep, if you do, you will fall. Can you do this?"

"I can, mellon nîn, trust me, I have no desire to sleep on that tree. I said go!"

The elf gave him a last worried look and jumped to the next tree. He looked back for a second and jumped again and again.

Estel watched his friend disappear from sight. He couldn't deny he was feeling a little bit worried. Great, he thought. Now I am alone with a dozen of orcs and a she-tree that hates me.

An hour later Estel was seriously considering surrendering to the orcs. His entire body hurt from staying on the hard branch, and the sharp pain in his leg was almost unbearable. But what was worst of all was the fear that at any point he could fall down and crash into the rocky ground, which seemed terrifyingly far away.

Estel sighed sadly. I must learn how to talk to the tree. Then I suppose it will be easier. And, hopefully, she will stop hating me. He tried to relax his back on the trunk, but immediately felt that he would fall and stayed in his initial position. To say that it was uncomfortable would have been a great understatement. Finally, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate despite the pain everywhere.

Legolas said I must listen with my heart. I must listen with my heart. The only problem was that he still had no idea how to do this. It seemed to him that he had stayed there for eternity, but still he couldn't hear anything.

You just don't want to talk to me, do you? Well, you lose! He glared at the tree. Unfortunately, Estel had to admit that he was the one to lose from the lack of conversation.

It was dark already. Estel usually found solace in the soft light of the stars, but now they were hidden by the thick canopy. The only light was the fire lit by the orcs. He could see their repulsive faces around it.

Estel missed his friend's company, but at the same time was glad he was alone. He was feeling miserable and was happy that no one could see him.

Another hour passed and the young human couldn't stand it anymore. His limbs were stiff and he wasn't sure if he could move them even if he tried. He had to change position. Maybe sit on another branch or stand upright.

Estel put his left foot on the branch and tentatively stood up. Then he placed his right foot closer to the trunk.

And then the unthinkable happened. His injured leg buckled under him and slipped forward, finding only emptiness beneath it.

Estel had to suppress a cry as he fell down. He could catch a glimpse of what lay below. He could clearly see the ground and there were no branches on his way, nothing to stop his fall.

Estel exhaled sharply as his back collided with something hard, forcefully pushing the air out of his lungs. The human blinked in surprise. He wasn't dead?!

The fall to the ground was long, it would surely kill him! He tried to turn around and suddenly froze in terror. He was still on the tree!

Estel tried to look around as carefully as possible. Apparently he had fallen on some branches way above the ground. But this was impossible! He was sure he had seen no branches on his way down.

Had the tree moved?! He grinned slightly at the absurdity of this thought. Of course trees couldn't move. Besides, she had no reason to do it, she hated him. But what had happened then?

Suddenly a wind blew past him and the leaves rustled softly.

Be careful, young one! You could use those charming silver eyes of yours to watch where you put your feet!

Estel gasped and blinked in surprise. Had he really heard that?! Had the tree just spoken to him?

He swiftly climbed several branches up and sat down. Did you talk to me? Did you save me? He wished with all his heart that the tree would hear him, that she would understand him. But the only answer he received was the soft rustling of leaves, and he was unable to discern the words.

Estel didn't know if he had really heard the words, or if it had been only his imagination, but the incident had a surprisingly calming effect on him. Whether the tree had spoken to him or not didn't matter. What mattered was what he felt. And he could feel that the tree most definitely didn't hate him and would never let him fall.

The exhausted human rested his back on the trunk and drifted into deep sleep.

The orcs were unprepared for what came upon them. Numerous elven arrows flew at them with deadly accuracy, each finding its mark. The fight was brief, and no elf received any major injuries.

Legolas approached the tree and looked up. "Estel, they are gone! You can come down now. Do you need help, mellon nîn?" There was no answer and the elves exchanged worried glances.

"Estel!" Elladan shouted. "Can you come down by yourself?" Again no one answered, and the peredhel's fear started to turn into panic. "Estel! Answer me!" He shouted almost frantically. If his brother wasn't on the tree, he must have climbed or fallen down. And down were the orcs. He didn't want to think about the implications of that.

The three elves quickly scanned the ground for any signs of their friend's and brother's body, and sighed in relief. But still this silence scared them. After shouting several more times, Elladan was about to climb the tree.

Suddenly a grinning human leapt lightly from the branch above. "Oh, you are here already," he observed.

Poor Estel was completely caught off guard when Elladan grabbed his tunic and lifted him in the air. "You scared the life out of me! Why didn't you answer?"

"You have been calling me?" The young human seemed genuinely surprised. "I'm sorry, I haven't heard you."

"What!" Elladan was incredulous. "Estel, are you deaf! I'm sure they heard me even in Imladris!"

"I'm not deaf," the man replied almost offended. "I was only sleeping."

The older peredhel was so shocked by this reply, that he dropped his brother to the ground. "You what?!" Three voices asked at the same time.

"Estel, you cannot sleep on trees," Legolas pointed out. "We all know how much you hate being on a tree."

"What made you think so?" The man lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "My friend, I can assure you that you are wrong."

"He is not himself," Elrohir murmured. "Legolas, are you sure he didn't hit his head?"

The Prince of Mirkwood shrugged. "I only know of his leg injury, but Estel likes to hide his wounds. A severe head injury wouldn't surprise me at all."

"I don't know what has happened, but something is surely wrong with him," Elladan said. "We must take him to ada immediately."

Estel found it quite amusing that they were talking as if he wasn't there. He realized what the source of their confusion was, and this amused him even more. "We will go to ada, but I must do something first," he said suddenly, and before the elves could blink in shock, he had limped back to the tree, his hand placed on the trunk.

"Le hannon o gûr nîn! Le vellon nîn an-uir. I thank you from my heart! You are my friend forever. "

The two peredhil exchanged a horrified glance, now completely sure that their little brother was insane. Had the human just spoken to the tree? "He must have injured his head," Elladan whispered. "His mind is clearly not the same."

"My mind didn't change, brother," Estel smiled. "My heart did."

Legolas suddenly smiled knowingly. "So you learned how to talk to trees at last?"

The human nodded. And then the wind blew once again, and the green leaves rustled. Estel grinned mischievously.

"She just asked me how a reasonable man like me could stand the company of three prissy elves," he said and quickly ducked to avoid the twins' packs flying at him.

When he rose, he noticed that Legolas was still smiling. The elf whispered something which made the human blush and smile in return.

I am proud of you.

THE END

Thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated, like always :)

Note: The last chapter of "Friendship is a Family Trait" is coming very soon.

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