Estel gazed into the mirror with nervous eyes, and the face he saw looking back appeared uncertain and fearful. Was he ready for this? Could he truly be the man that everyone had been waiting for? His legs felt weak beneath him as he grasped the sides of the washing basin to support himself.

"Estel?" there was a light knock on his door before his name was spoken, and the young soon-to-be Ranger knew who it was.

"Come in," he said, and his brothers entered one after the other, their faces looking uncharacteristically sorrowful. Looking at their expressions, Estel laughed lightly and tried to make them smile brighter by jesting.

"What is the matter with you two? One would think you are the ones who are expected to cut your hair and leave home," he said, and Elrohir chuckled while Elladan sat heavily on the bed.

"I don't want you to go," he pouted, and Estel sighed. He knew his brothers would miss him, just as he would sorely miss them.

Sitting on the bed next to his brother, Estel leaned into him and hugged him tightly. Elrohir joined in on the hug by sitting on the other side of the young heir of Isildur and wrapped his arms around both Estel and Elladan. For a moment they sat like this in silence, and Estel wanted it to never end. But he knew it had to and finally broke the hug, rising to his feet and turning his attention back to the mirror.

His hair, long and dark as the other elven youths in Imladris, needed to be cut before he headed out to the Rangers, and Estel was not looking forward to it. Glancing briefly at the blade at his hand, he sighed and prepared to take hold of it.

"Estel, wait..." he heard Elladan's voice and stayed his hand, glancing to his brother curiously, waiting for him to continue. "May I braid it one more time before you cut it? I will so sorely miss doing that," he asked, and Estel felt his eyes prickle with tears. Nodding, Estel released the blade and moved to sit with his brothers again, sighing shakely with unshed sorrow as Elladan gently reached out and combed his fingers softly through Estel's hair.

Never before had he cut his hair aside from occasional trimmings. As a child growing up, Estel had never considered himself different from the family that he had known. He had dressed as them, spoke as them, and saw no reason not to grow out his hair as they did. And now his whole life was about to change. As Elladan gently combed the tangles from his long hair with his fingers, Estel glanced over to Elrohir.

"Ro, could you get Ada? I... I want him to be here," he said, his voice trembling slightly and Elrohir nodded before rising to his feet and leaving the room to fetch Elrond.

They sat in silence again as Elladan started to separate the brown locks into three thick strands and carefully started to braid it, moving slowly and taking his time. Neither of them were prepared for this, and not entirely because it meant cutting hair that had been growing out for so long. It was a huge step toward a goal and neither of them were looking forward to, an ultimate jolt of reality, so to speak.

"Do you suppose you'll come to visit me, sometimes? You and Ro," Estel asked, and Elladan glanced up from his work and smiled.

"Of course, little brother. Whenever we can," he promised, and Estel smiled gratefully. It wasn't long before Elrohir returned with Elrond in tow, and Estel looked up to his foster father as he tried to put on a brave face that he didn't really feel.

With a gentle smile, Elrond sat on the bed at Estel's side, and Estel reached out to take hold of the elf-lord's hand, squeezing tightly and feeling the returned sensation comfortingly. At first Elrond said nothing, and Estel expected it. His Ada hardly spoke if his words did not mean something, and the familiarity was comforting in this time of unease and fear. Elladan finished the braiding and sighed quietly as he scooted back from Estel for a moment.

"Are you ready?" the words this time came from Elrond, and Estel looked up to him with a quiet and uncertain gaze. Elrond's face was calm and warm, though, full of love and reassurance and it soothed his heart. Nodding, he rose to his feet again and returned to the washing basin, gazing into the mirror at his now braided hair.

Elrond stood up and came behind him, smiling warmly in the reflection and giving Estel the courage to pick the blade up and look it over before reaching up and taking ahold of the braid. He would not undo it, he hadn't the heart to, and instead pulled the blade up to rest a couple inches below his ears. Taking a deep breath, he paused there and froze.

Everything was about to change.

Closing his eyes, he gave the blade a sharp twist and felt the braid come away from his head and knew there was no turning back now. Opening his eyes again, he watched as Elrond gently unbraided what little of the braid was left and softly combed his fingers through it. It was so much shorter, even before he had a chance to touch it, it felt alien.

He gathered up the braid and set it aside before cautiously lifting up his free hand and running his fingers through the much shorter locks. What had once fallen nearly to his rear now rested just above his shoulders. His face was twisted in sorrow, and he quickly turned and hid his face into Elrond's chest. Elrond returned the motion by gently wrapping his arms around his foster son and holding him tight.

"Shh, it's alright. I know you're frightened, I understand. I'm always here, Estel. I'm always here," he promised, and Estel was content to just stand here for a moment and let his Ada comfort him. His brothers moved in and wrapped themselves around him, and for a moment Estel let time stand at a stop. He was surrounded by his family, the only family he loved right now. His father and his brothers. Nothing else mattered.

Not yet...