*Setting: Rivendell

*Aragorn: 4 years old 

After the next couple days' past, the four companions reached Rivendell. Gilraen was not doing good at all and the Elf twins were worried for her health. They would have made it to Rivendell a whole lot sooner, but they had to stop several times to help Gilraen.

There were many times were she almost fell off Tarish and knocked off Aragorn as well. Other times she would start rambling on about her husband who was now gone. Or she would randomly start sobbing uncontrollably.

Aragorn was still overall very confused about how he would never be seeing his father again. His mother had tried explaining to him may times what was going on, but she would only start crying and had to stop talking of the matter.

When they reached Rivendell, Gilraen was unconscious in Elrohir's arms. Elladan was holding Aragorn and both Elves were running to their fathers building. Elrond stepped out and took Gilraen to his room. He laid her down on his bed and looked after her. Elladan set Aragorn down in a chair next to the bed and he stayed there silently.

Elladan and Elrohir helped their father do everything they could to help Gilraen. She had a fever and was waking up every now and then. All she wanted was to see Aragorn.

"Where is he? Aragorn?" Gilraen would say in her sleep.

Aragorn was perched next to her holding her hand looking down to her sadly. Elrond had done everything he could do to help Gilraen, but she was too far gone for his help.

"Please, protect him," Gilraen croaked, "Protect my child, Aragorn,"

"I love you mommy," Aragorn said a tear rolling down his cheek.

"I love you, my sweet child, I love you," Gilraen said as she cried, "Estel,"

Aragorn looked into his mother's eyes for the last time that night. He knew what had happened to her the moment she stopped talking. He slouched over her body and sobbed his heart out.

Elladan and Elrohir exited the room as Elrond stayed quiet behind Aragorn. Aragorn fell asleep next to Gilraen as he cried himself to sleep. Elrond left him to stay with her for the night as he went to inform the sad news to the rest of Elves in Rivendell.

-----

The next morning was rough for everybody, but especially Aragorn. He felt alone not knowing anybody around him. On top of that, all the Elves were staring at him and they looked nothing like him. All the Elves around him had strange pointed ears, long straight hair, tall, lean body formations, and all had blue eyes that shone in the sunlight.

Aragorn burred his head into Elrond's shoulder not wanting to look at anybody. Everything seemed so different to him and had didn't like it too much.

Elrond had announced that Gilraen had died of a broken heart over Arathorn's death in the Dunedain village. He also told everybody that Aragorn was going to be their new addition to Rivendell. The name "Aragorn" would be forgotten and the name "Estel" would rise. Aragorn didn't question it. He didn't have the strength to.

He didn't like the awkward stares he was getting from all the Elves. He knew it was probably because he looked different from all of them. All he wanted to do was go home to his mother and father, but he understood that wasn't possible. Both his parents were both gone.

That night, Elrond brought Aragorn back to his room and he slept on his couch silently. Acually, he wasn't really sleeping, he was thinking about what he would do with his life now that his mother and father were both gone. It was a bad feeling that made him feel like there was a large hole through his heart.

He pulled out something from his pants and looked at it. It was his favorite book that his mother and father always use to read to him. He had taken it from his old home so that he could always remember his father. But now he realied he would have it to remember both of his deceased parents.

He also had the ring that his father had slipped off his finger for him. It was way too big for his small fingers now, but when he got older he told himself he would wear it everywhere. He gazed upon the green emerald that shone off of the serpent eyes of the ring.

-----

After living in Rivendell for the next two years, he had come to realize that he was so much different from everybody else that lived-in Rivendell. There wasn't a day that went by that at least one Elf had to mention Aragorn's rounded ears or his brown wavy hair.

Aragorn didn't much appreciate being called out on all his flaws of not being an Elf, but he always laughed it off with the Elves. He always tried his best to fit in with everybody, but it never seemed to work too well. He was always too clumsy and young to follow along with the Elves tricks and games. But he always tried his best and that was all he could do.

Even at night, he was haunted by the nightmares of himself wondering around alone in the wild without anybody there for him. He had always woken up from those dreams and ran to Elrond for comfort. He was always there for him and always cared about Aragorn.

Elladan and Elrohir, Aragorn's new brothers also loved him dearly and would enjoy joking around with him playfully. Aragorn even had a sister that he was probably closest with. She was around the same age as him in which they liked. Her name was Arwen and they loved to hang out together and play.

Aragorn adapted to Rivendell pretty easily, even when there were bumps in the road he always got past and truly enjoyed his home in Rivendell.

A/N: This chapter was sad to write and probably read... I actually cried while writing when Gilraen died :(

*Another thing that I changed from Tolkien's work is that Gilraen died to early. According to Tolkien, she died when Aragorn turned 20. Even though i didn't want to, I cut her out so that I could have more to work with without a mothers protection always. lol