Chapter Two

Allergic Reaction

Thank you, reviewers.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Tolkien's work

After dinner that evening, Elladan Elrohir, and Estel talked to Elrond about their most recent mistake. Elrond was sympathetic for his son, but he knew that encountering poison ivy was practically a rite of passage for the children of Men.

"Poison ivy is not hazardous at all for you, Elladan. It will not endanger you either, Estel, except to cause some discomfort. Do not scratch. It will spread the problem."

Sections of Estel's skin turned red and itchy. He stayed in his room so that others would not see him like that, and so no one would see him scratching.

"Ada has never felt like this. Surely he'd let me scratch if he knew what it felt like. I can't keep from scratching. That would be torture. He told me not to scratch so it won't get worse, but I can't stand not scratching and I'm the one who's itchy. It's fine for me to scratch." Estel convinced himself that it was all right for him to scratch, and so he did so.

Elrond came in to check on Estel and noticed his scratching. Why did he never follow advice? Elrond rebuked the child. He then put some cold cream onto the red spots.

Elladan and Elrohir rushed in to see how their little brother was doing. Elrond asked them to keep Estel from scratching and left the room.

This arrangement annoyed Estel. His brothers would never let him have any comfort. Why would his Ada do this to him? It wasn't his fault that he wasn't and elf. Why did elves get all the luck, anyway?