An hour later Helce was on a stretcher made by Alalme and was properly attached to the horse. He was half asleep under a blanket with bandages wrapped around his head. The child was also on a stretcher, unconscious still. Ivor was in a cloak, awkwardly standing next to Ecthelion's horse.

Ecthelion did not like his decision, but it had to be made. "Lady Ivor, Caladhel, Alaco, Caran, and I will go to Doriath, to return them to their home."

"The child is human," Alaco said.

Ecthelion turned toward Ivor, and she did not hesitate, "I am all he knows, now. I will gladly take him in."

Alaco nodded and they packed the rest of their things before being entirely ready to split and continue on their way. Ecthelion knelt down and spoke quietly to Helce, his hand on his forehead. "You are safe, I will see you soon, son of Gondolin."

"Thank you, my lord," he whispered quietly and Ecthelion smiled and stood. He nodded to the other half of the group and they started toward Gondolin. Ecthelion mounted his own horse, and Caladhel helped Ivor get behind him. They then began their long journey south toward Doriath.

He had only ever been to Doriath once, and was not allowed inside the girdle. But he had met Mablung and Beleg, and he hoped he would run into them again. They would be understanding. He always thought that Gondolin and Doriath had much in common. They were locked away to the common outsider, and were prideful of their people and their culture, as well as their leaders.

"What is it that you taught?" Ecthelion asked Ivor after a time. She rested her chin on his shoulder.

"All subjects, history, writing, math and astronomy. Sindarin."

Her Sindarin accent was heavy, but her quenya was perfect. "Does the boy speak Quenya?"

"No. Sindarin. He does not remember where he is from. I have asked him and he has no memory of life before servitude."

"Was he treated well?"

"No. He frequently came to me with cuts and bruises. He never seemed to be rested. He spent many days at my home, afraid to return to his own," she said sadly.

"That's terrible," Ecthelion said. He could not imagine the child's pain.

"How old is he?"

"I believe he is eight."

Ecthelion's eyebrows rose. An eight-year-old elfling would be far smaller than this child.

They rode in silence for a time, until it grew dark and they stopped for the night. "Search the area, create a perimeter," Ecthelion commanded and Alaco and Caladhel walked into the forest without protest. Ivor sat on the ground and untied the boy's stretcher. Her touch was so soft, so gentle. That was something he did not see often in the fire of war. Caladhel clearing his throat snapped him from his daydreaming, and he turned to look at him.

"Perimeter is set, sir. There's a hot spring a few hundred yards away."

"Excellent. Ivor, would you like to bathe?"

She looked over to him, "sure."

"You two stay with the child, we will switch off when I return."

They both nodded, and Ecthelion walked a few steps behind her. Her steps were careful and deliberate, and he kept his eyes on the forest. He did not know this area, and he felt uneasy. There was only three of them, an unarmed elleth and a child. They were quite vulnerable.

They reached the spring, and Ecthelion turned around and sat behind a tree. She chuckled, "you have done this before."

"Many times," he smiled, "the princess liked to go hunting often."

"The Princess?"

"Yes, Princess Aredhel." He said quietly, picking at the grass.

"Why is it past tense? Does she no longer enjoy hunting?"

"She, um-" He sighed. He didn't like telling people of his failures. He heard the water surround her.

"You can turn around if you want."

He stood and turned toward the spring. Her light shoulders were all that was visible to him, aside from the stars that danced on the ripples of the water. He sat close to the shore. "We lost her, on a journey. The fog was very thick, and she did not respond to our calls-"

"I am very sorry. That must be terribly hard for you."

"I asked to be relieved, but here I am."

"It is not your fault," she said quietly, "From what I have learned about you in the short time I have known you, I can tell that you must have done everything possible to find her. You cannot punish yourself forever. She is an adult, and you cannot be solely responsible for her fate."

He nodded, and she laughed, "I will get out now, so that you may have your turn."

"That is alright-"

"I know how to use a sword, I am not helpless. Come, turn around." He stood and turned around, and he heard her walk up onto the shore. She pulled her dress and cloak on, and she walked up behind him and pulled his sword from its scabbard. He jumped, and he turned and smiled at her mischievous face. "Your turn."

He smiled, "Turn around."

She did, and he pulled off his cloak and robes. He did not realize how sore his muscles were until the warm water surrounded his arms and back. He sighed in relief and she turned around. "This is a beautiful sword."

"Orcrist is its name," he said, his eyes closed in bliss. He opened his eyes to look at the sickle of stars that watched over them.

"It is splendid," she said, her voice soft.

He was soon finished, and got out and put his clothes back on. They walked back to the camp, and Caladhel and Alaco left to take their turn. The boy was still asleep, and Ivor checked his temperature. "I will go and gather hauberim for him. It is a herb that grows on the edge of forests similar to this one. He will need it for the headache he will wake up with."

"You must not go alone," he said, concerned.

"I will be right back, I promise I will be alright."

He handed her orcrist, and she disappeared into the dark. He stared at the fire until the boy stirred. Ecthelion's gaze shot to him nervously, and Caran's eyes blinked open. Caran squinted in the firelight, and jumped at the sight of Ecthelion.

"No, it is alright," Ecthelion said softly, raising his hands in surrender.

The boy looked terrified and cried out in pain as he tried to rise. Ecthelion put out his hand for him to stop, and the boy flinched away. "Ivor!" he cried.

"She is coming," Ecthelion said nervously, unsure the boy was understanding him at all. Ivor appeared, a handful of herbs in her hand. Caran began to cry, and she smiled softly and rushed to his side.

"I told you he would be in pain when he woke," she chuckled to Ecthelion. How could she be so relaxed with such a fragile child crying? There were so many possibilities of illness- or perhaps something was broken. She put her hands on either side of his face, "what hurts?"

"My head," he cried, "and my stomach."

"Do you have any food for him?" She asked Ecthelion. He nodded and pulled a cake of lembas from his pack. She held the waterskin to Caran's lips. He drank eagerly and ate his share of the lembas. She mixed the herbs into the waterskin and helped him drink it again, and he continued to cry softly. She turned to Ecthelion, "this is Ecthelion, he is our friend." Caran nodded, and she felt his forehead. "Are you cold? Hot? Hungry?"

"I'm cold," he shivered, his tears stopped.

She pulled him from the stretcher and sat close to the fire with him in her arms. She made sure he was wrapped well in the blankets and rubbed his arms, "everything is going to be ok, do not worry." Caladhel and Alaco came into the clearing, scaring Caran again. They both stepped back, alarmed. They were just as uneasy with him as Ecthelion was. "More friends, they are helping us," she said quietly, and Caran watched them with wide eyes. Ecthelion was nervous. They had a long way to go, and the last thing he wanted was for something to happen to the child, or to Ivor.

Thanks so much for reading! Action begins in the next chapter! I'm alternating between this story as well as Penance and Mercy so I'll do my best. Please review/favorite/subscribe! :)