Chapter Two- A Wearying Walk

The next morning the four set out. Their trip began uneventfully, and they walked along quietly, allowing the chirping of birds and the rushing of a river in the distance to be the only sound. They reveled in the beauty, enjoying the peace and companionship.

It was indeed a pleasant day for walking, with clear blue skies, a mild temperature, and a light breeze. The branches of many solemn trees hung over the path, and flowers added an occasional burst of color to the lush, green scenery.

Many hours later, Estel finally began to grow weary. Although he still kept up with the others, Elladan noticed his fatigue. "You look tired, Estel. Let’s stop by this gorgeous waterfall and rest some."

"I can keep moving." Estel did want to rest, but was too embarrassed to slow down his companions.

"Estel," Elrohir said, "you don’t have to pretend, we don’t expect you to travel as quickly as one of our own kind."

Estel fumed at his brother’s choice of words. His own brother was rubbing in the fact that he wasn’t as strong and fast as an elf and, worse still, was of a completely different race from his own foster brothers.

Elladan noticed Estel’s suppressed anger. Indeed, it was not that difficult to notice. Estel’s face was bright red, and his teeth and fists were tightly clenched, although he had the grace to hide the latter behind his back.

Elladan sighed. He wished Gilraen were here. She could calm and comfort her son, her presence reminding him of the positive attributes of humans. Indeed, if it had not been for Gilraen, Estel would have rejected his identity as a human, and tried to be an Elf. Only his own dear mother, who was of his own race, could show him that he had his own unique value.

A/N: rather slow moving, but at least I have a chapter up, if it is a bit short. If you'd rather have longer chapters with ridiculously long lapses between updates, just let me know. Thank you all for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated, too.