Disclaimer: see ch 1

A/N: I'm so sorry this took forever to update. But between bunnies dying, secretaries going into hiding and a school schedule that ate me alive, there wasn't time or inspiration to write. Please accept this small chapter as but a token of our tears. Hopefully the next chapter will come easier. Many thanks - Dameon (Banshee Secretary, Wakabe Writing Firm)

Elves, it is said, are graceful creatures, touched by the Valar to give them their immortality and divine grace. In battle, they seem to glide through the thick of battle, fighting hard but not with the choppy and disconnected movements of clumsy humans.

Or at least, that was what was supposed to be true.

At least, it didn't seem to hold true when the elf in question was as tired and bogged down as Erestor was. Sword in hand, he brought it up protectively in front of his chest, eyes locked onto the warg that was trying to get to his boy. As the warg turned, temporarily abandoning Estel's tree, Erestor widened his stance.

"Estel, stay up there!" Erestor ordered, beginning to back up in order to draw danger away from the vulnerable child.

" 'Restor!" Estel protested, distress easily heard in the high-pitched voice and the sob that followed.

"Stay up there!" The warg began to try to circle its new-found prey and Erestor started to shift in order to put himself between the monster and the child. The warg crept forward quickly, then, just out of reach of Erestor's sword, stopped. One impossibly huge paw swiped at the air, teeth bared as growls began to fill the air. Erestor stepped back before lunging forward, being quick to sidestep the warg as it tried to meet him in a charge of its own. Quickly he brought his sword down, able to slice through the thick hide as it passed him quickly in the unsuccessful attack. The warg howled in pain as blood began to pulse out from the wound. But pain was not enough to stop it, and within seconds of being wounded, the beast turned on its paws, rearing up as its paws came down quickly and crashed painfully with Erestor's shoulder, claws ripping through clothes and skin, but thankfully not bone. Erestor staggered back half a step, one hand slipping off the hilt of his sword. His other hand held fast and managed to hack at the beast, his own teeth bared in pain and anger.

Above, the child was almost quiet, eyes alternating between wide-eyed horror and shut tight denial, no screams able to make it pass the knot in his throat. Instead, only strangled whimpers and what might have been an attempt at Erestor's name came out of Estel's mouth, so silent that even someone sitting next to him would have had a hard time hearing it. His knuckles had long since lost color, instead relocating in his cheeks as flushed red.

Erestor chanced a quick look up to ensure that he was still safely up the tree, knowing that if Estel tried to come down it would spell both of their ruin. But the sight of Estel's near silent distress fueled the anger in him, making the ache of his body fade, replaced by the pulse of mine, and protect, and not this one.

Hefting his sword up with both hands, he swerved around the attacking warg, dodging most of the blows of paws and a few attempts of biting, all while slashing at the paws that came in reach, and trying to cut off that damned head with far too many unfriendly sharp teeth.

"Erestor!" a new voice shouted, causing both opponents to stop just long enough to allow the twang of a bow to be heard. An arrow flew from the direction of the Last Homely House, landing sounding in the chest area of the warg. Erestor finished it off with a quick and brutal downward blow to the base of the skull as it staggered from the force of an arrow penetrating flesh, muscle and lung.

As it lay finally dead, Erestor felt himself leave the haze and intense focus of the fight, blinking to clear his head. His eyes then went to where the arrow had flown from, spotting both twins racing toward him. He turned his back to them, sheathing his sword and giving his attention to the child up in the tree that had saved him.

"Estel," he called, "it's all right now, penneth."

Darkened stormy eyes stayed shut for a moment longer, face trying to bury itself into the trunk. Then, one eye peeked out, squinting, before directing its gaze down. Tears still ran down cherry cheeks, but still he was gloriously unharmed. The hiccup of breath spoke volumes about the amount of terror the boy had just experienced, too much like that day that had led him to the Halls of Imladris.

" 'Restor..."

"It's okay, tithen pen," Erestor called, trying not to wince as he came up to the tree housing his ward, only vaguely registering the twins coming up, one of them scaling the tree to retrieve the child. "It's okay now."

"Well, my friend, it would appear that you will have to take a few days off," Elrond declared, fighting back the smile trying to form at the sight of Erestor's scowl somehow making itself even more pronounced.

"My lord, there is still much for me to do. In fact, there is much I can do without having to leave the confines of this wretched bed. I have reports to go over, documents to transcribe! Surely I can do those from my room," Erestor argued, resting against a small mountain of pillows.

"Alas my dedicated counselor, I fear you will be otherwise occupied." Erestor walked to the door, a small twinkle in his eyes at the muffled sound of little feet anxiously pacing on the other side. He paused at the door when Erestor called out, indignant, "By what?"

" 'Restor!" the five-year old exclaimed as he burst into the room, launching himself toward the bed, housing his rescuer. " 'Restor, you're okay!"

"Estel," Elrond gently reprimanded as he caught the child mid-flight, "you must be gentle. Erestor is still recovering, so he needs to be handled gently."

"Hir nin!" Protested the bed bound elf, sputtering.

"Yes ada," replied the child, wiggling in his father's arms as he tried to get closer to the bed and its occupant.

"Now, why don't you keep Erestor company and I'll send the twins for you when it is dinner time, hmm?"

"Okay!"

"That's my boy," After setting the boy down next to Erestor on his good side, Elrond left, sure that his family was all right now. As he closed the door behind him, he paused, letting the happy babble of his youngest son wash over him. He closed the door, smiling at the sound of giggles that escaped through the crack just before he closed it, accompanied by a glimpse of Erestor looking at Estel with a warmth rarely seen in public. Yes, Elrond thought to himself as he went to his office, all is well now.

Well, that arc is over. Any suggestions for other wanderings? Just leave it in a review. Many thanks