Authorial Notation: I beg you not to declare this a mary sue, it is not my intention to write one. The story's true focus is the life of a woman from a small farm in Gondor and her experience living through the war and dealing with the aftermath. The mysterious girl is only secondary and should not be too sueish except in slight hints. If you feel this story is becoming too sueish, please tell me.
Introduction
Meliot looked out the window into the courtyard at the darkening sky, if no one with a truly serious injury was brought in soon, she'd be able to go to the bunks and sleep. She had no home in Minas Tirith, she had lived on an outlying farm with a large family. When the countryside had been evacuated, she'd opted to stay in Minas Tirith at the Houses of Healing. She tried not to think of what was left behind, or of what the increasing numbers of wounded soldiers meant. She knew, everyone knew; Gondor was losing the war. Her home in which she had grown up, the home her grandparents had told her stories of growing up in was likely burnt to the ground and looted. No, she admonished herself. Don't think about that, just keep working.
Meliot rinsed off her hands in the wash basin by the window and looked at the patient she had just stitched up. It hadn't been too serious, but she hated doing the stitching. She didn't mind preparing herbal remedies, cleaning and bandaging the lesser wounds, or sprains. It was sewing people up and setting broken bones that made her wince inwardly. Not that she'd ever do anything to avoid those tasks; she would grit her teeth and do her duty as a citizen of Gondor. As Meliot finished with her current patient and readied herself for her well earned rest, she heard a commotion in the hall. She ducked out and saw a soldier carrying someone exceedingly filthy with a nasty looking gash in the right temple. The shock came when she realized it was a girl, a child. She couldn't be older than 15, she was so small.
Meliot got to work cleaning the wound, stitching it, and then bandaging it. When she had finished she found the soldier, a grizzled looking old man, still standing in the hall.
"Is she going to be alright m'lady?" Concern was evident in his voice. Meliot gave him a reassuring smile.
"She'll live, bed rest, some food, and a bath should help immensely… How did she get his way? All the civilians were evacuated months ago and I don't recognize her as being one of the other healers."
"I don't rightly know, I was on gate duty when she just sort of stumbled up to the gate, knocked on it, and then passed out. I know we're supposed to watch of all sorts of tricks from the enemy, but she's just a girl" Meliot smiled a more genuine smile.
"It would be a heartless man indeed who would leave an injured person to die, spy or not. I'll let you get back to your post and bid you a goodnight." The soldier smiled, a tired smile to be sure, but a smile nonetheless.
"Of course m'lady, may yours be more restful than mine." With that he left and left Meliot to wonder over the strange new patient. Well, the girl would likely sleep till the next day if not longer and Meliot was quite tired, before going to sleep she'd ask one of the other healers to look in on her now and then. She straightened the blanket and left the room to find her own bed to sleep in.