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"Elladan! Help me, brother, please!"

Estel's grey eyes swam with terror as he struggled to keep his head above the water. Elladan positioned his human brother's head against his shoulder, relieving him of the burden of straining his neck constantly to avoid being drowned. The massive tree pinioned Estel to the riverbed, thankfully in water that came only to Elladan's knees so that the elf could at least sit with the young Ranger.

"There. Is that better? Are you all right?"

"Have you gone mad? I am trapped beneath a tree in the river, and fish are nibbling at me!" Estel laughed shakily. "The way it is raining, I am unsure that Elrohir and Legolas will return with help before - before I drown."

Tightening his arms around his brother, Elladan spoke soothingly. "You will not drown. I am here, and I will continue to hold your head well above the surface until Ada arrives. He will make the river let you go with his magic. I pray that Mithrandir has not yet departed from Rivendell. His help in this matter would be much appreciated."

In answer, Estel sneezed forcefully. The sudden movement caused him to gasp in pain as his left arm, hip, and leg strained against their confinement beneath the tree. He felt a rock begin to dig into his thigh as the muddy riverbed shifted under him.

"Aahh!" The water was up to Estel's chin, and was rising as the rain continued to fall. When he cried out at the pain in his leg, water rushed into his mouth, causing him to cough harder.

Elladan did not dare pound on his back to relieve the coughing for fear of harming him, but he rubbed his right shoulder and arm gently, alarmed at how cold Estel's skin felt. "Estel! Has the pain worsened?"

"Yes." His voice was a whisper, and Elladan knew that for his human brother to admit that he was in pain, it had to be very bad indeed. "There is a rock, digging into my - my leg, and it - it is breaking it."

Grimly, the elf faced the truth of the matter. Legolas and Elrohir had yet to return, and Estel was in danger of dying from the cold if he did not drown. The late fall air had been but pleasantly cool in the afternoon, but now that the sun was nearly set, it was more than chilly. The cold did Elladan no harm, but he knew that it was not good for his human brother. Estel bit back another cry as the rock dug harder into his leg, and Elladan made a quick decision.

"Estel, can you hold your breath if I dive to dig you free?"

He nodded. "I - I can. I d-don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Elladan squeezed Estel's hand tightly. "Take a deep breath, little brother. I am about to let go."

Estel inhaled as much air as he could, and felt the water rush over his face as Elladan let go of him.

The tree would have crushed the entire left side of Estel's body if it had not been for the muddy river bottom. However, the pressure of the heavy tree was pressing Estel further into the riverbed with each passing moment. Elladan clawed furiously at the mud, trying to dig deep enough to pull his brother free. The massive oak creaked and groaned as it began to shift, and Elladan was forced to stop digging. If the tree shifted much more, it would kill Estel.

"Estel!" His human brother could not hold his breath for as long as an elf, and in his haste to extricate Estel, Elladan had forgotten this. It was often all too easy to forget that his foster brother was not an elf.

Raising the young Ranger's head above the water, Elladan again held him upright, noting with concern the bluish tinge of his lips.

"Thought - thought you had forgotten me." Estel wiped his hair out of his eyes with his right arm. "Started to black out. Elladan?"

"Yes, brother. I am here."

Stark fear marred Estel's face. "Elladan? I - I cannot feel ... I am no longer in pain."

Feeling his stomach sink, Elladan forced a smile. "Well, I suppose that is good, is it not? Do you wish for the pain to return?"

"I am no longer a child, my brother. As long as I could feel the pain, I had hope of - of rescue and recovery. I do not wish to be less than whole. 'Tis bad enough that I am mortal. Ada would never allow Arwen to throw her life away for a mortal who cannot walk under his own power."

Elladan shook his head. "Do not speak of not having hope. It is your name, you will always have hope. As for Ada, his concern will be with healing you. You did a brave thing, Estel. If you had not pushed Elrohir out of the way, he would be trapped as you are now. You risked your life, and I hope you understand that Elrohir, Legolas, and myself would do the same for you."

For an elf to cry was a great rarity, but tears coursed freely down Elladan's face now. He could feel Estel's pulse growing weaker, and he was helpless to do anything except hold him.

Legolas had not been able to shake the horrible sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that had first assailed him when he saw the mighty oak crash into the river, pinning Estel beneath it. He had seen Estel injured before, but this was different somehow. He glanced at Elrohir, who rode at his side, and his heart broke for his friend. Had Estel not shoved him out of the way, it would have been he who was trapped instead of Estel.

They rode into Imladris only to find that Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, and Arwen stood bidding goodbye to Mithrandir, who had been on an extended visit to Rivendell. The grey-robed wizard wore his traveling cloak and was already astride Shadowfax.

Elrond greeted them somberly. From their faces, it was obvious that something was terribly wrong. "You have arrived just in time to say farewell to Mithrandir."

When neither elf spoke, Elrond's suspicion was confirmed. "Elrohir? Tell me what has happened, my son. Where are Elladan and Estel?"

Arwen rushed forward, gripping Elrohir's hand tightly. "Elrohir, where is Estel?"

Elrohir opened his mouth to reply, but could make no sound. Elrond noted with great trepidation the haunted look in his son's eyes.

Legolas laid a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder and spoke. "You were right, Mithrandir. There were many more of Sauron's foul creatures than there ought to be. We hunted and killed a small band of warg-riding orcs. The storm came upon us while still we fought, and when the last beast had been felled, we headed for Rivendell. Lightning struck one of the oaks near the river, and - "

"And Estel saw and we did not. The tree fell, and Estel pushed me aside. He tried to roll clear, but - but he did not clear it. He is trapped and can barely keep his head above the water. Elladan is with him." Elrohir looked down, avoiding his father's gaze.

Closing his eyes, Elrond asked softly, "He lives?"

Legolas answered, "He does, but the water rises because of the rain, and the air is chill. I fear he will not last much longer."

"We will ride immediately." The elf lord's face was impassive, but his eyes gave away the turmoil he felt. Why was it always Estel who suffered, more than any of his children? In his heart, Elrond knew the answer. It was because Estel was a mortal among immortals. Feeling all too keenly his differences, Estel strove to prove himself to his father, brothers, and beloved. Estel's love for his dear ones was strong, stronger even than his sense of self-preservation. Somewhere along the way, he had begun to believe that his life was worth less than one of the Firstborn, and Elrond hoped that he had not in any way perpetuated that kind of thinking in his youngest.

The Lord of Rivendell wasted no time. While the horses were being readied and provisions were packed, Elrond stuffed his pack with healing herbs, soft cloth to be used as bandages, and any other instruments that he thought might help him treat Estel. Standing on a stepladder to reach into a high shelf in his study, Elrond took Vilya, his Ring of Power from its box and slipped it onto his finger. As the cool metal touched his skin, he felt a rush of power. Frowning at his hand, Elrond ignored the sensation. Estel had thrown himself in front of his brother to save his life. The very least Elrond could do was endure a slight discomfort.

Gandalf found him in his study. "The horses are ready, old friend." Noting the elf-lord's expression of sadness, the wizard laid a hand on his shoulder. "Estel is strong. He will not give in. And, should the elements or his injuries attempt to take him, they will have a hearty opponent in Elladan, I would wager."

"Estel!" Elladan shook the young Ranger's shoulder. "Estel, open your eyes!"

When Estel did not respond, Elladan had to fight to keep his panic in check. The river level had risen from the never-ceasing rain, and now it reached his chin. A weak, thready pulse was the only sign that the human lived. Even the violent tremors that had wracked his young body only an hour before had stopped.