Day 4

A few more hours passed as Aewen slept, completely relaxed in Nestad's arms. She was so deep in sleep that she didn't even wake when the sound of keys rattling came from the other side of the door.

Nestad's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed as the sound of keys woke him from a light slumber. His body tensed as he swiftly considered his options. The sounds from outside indicated that there were only a few. Maybe they were only bringing food and water? They wouldn't be coming to take him to work; he'd been informed that his actions earned him a few days' worth of dark confinement.

The door opened and two archers came in first, their bows drawn. The third person carried a tray with two bowels and a flask of water. Between the bowels was a large hunk of bread. "Food," the man grunted, setting the try on the ground warily.

Nestad relaxed, but only a bit. "Thank you," he replied civilly. He had to smile at the wariness displayed by the warriors. "I do not bite unless I'm bitten first," he said, his voice quietly wry.

The guard just glared at him and backed up. Then the archers left, and the door was locked behind them. Aewen hadn't heard a bit of it, still deep in her untroubled sleep.

The healer had to laugh as he touched Aewen's dark hair and gently sent his power through her again. It was selfish, but he was almost happy that he was taken out of the healing tent. That gave him more power for this woman in his arms. She was healing nicely, the healing in her female organs nearly complete thanks to his nudging. Now he turned his attention to the bruises.

Aewen turned her head slightly, stirring in her sleep. She stretched her arms a little. "Silmarin…take her…" she murmured, still asleep.

Nestad smiled tenderly. "Shh, melethril," he murmured, sending a soothing wash to her mind. "Rest."

Aewen sighed softly and relaxed more. And soon she was sleeping deeply again, all dreams gone from her mind. All she knew was warmth; a very pleasant feeling.

Hours passed in silence as Nestad alternated between resting and nudging Aewen's healing systems. He was pleasantly surprised to find that they were nearly as quick as elven healing systems, something he credited to her Gondorian background. Everyone knew the Numenoreans were long-lived, and Gondor was ruled by that race.

Finally Aewen's sleep began to flee to wherever sleep goes from the well rested. She stirred again. And a moment later her eyes fluttered open. She laid there in the elf's arms, staring up at him for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts and her memories on how she ended up in this position.

"Good morning," Nestad greeted softly. "Breakfast arrived several hours ago if you want something to eat and drink. Be sparing; that may be all there is for the day." He loosened his hold, giving her the option of pulling away from him.

But she didn't move at all, just continued looking up at him. "What happened?" she asked.

The healer tipped his head to one side. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"What happened?" Aewen repeated, as if saying it again would make it clearer. "I can't…remember…"

"How far back can you remember?" Nestad asked, unwilling to remind her of painful memories if he could avoid it.

Aewen stared at him for a moment, thinking. There was the shadow of some awful pain and fear, but, either she deliberately refused to remember it, or it had all but fled from her mind during the elf's ministering, she could not recall most of the last evening. "I was taken…" she said. "To…" she furrowed her brow. "To where?"

"The commander's tent," Nestad prompted gently. "Taken from your work at the healing tent to the commander's tent."

Aewen nodded slowly. Then she winced and shook her head as some of the memories tried to resurface. "I was being questioned," she said, trying to convince herself of the quickly made up lie.

"About your background, no doubt," Nestad murmured. "The commander is no idiot; he will have noticed some of the same things I did." He smiled inwardly as he added mentally, 'But I have one up on him; he doesn't know who the lass is.'

Aewen nodded. "Yes…that was it," she said, letting herself believe the lie. It was much easier than believing the painful truth.

"Lass." Nestad's voice was gentle. "Burying the truth will not help. The truth will fester for years, if necessary, before surfacing, but it will surface eventually."

Aewen shook her head and closed her eyes tightly. "It is the truth!" she said stubbornly. "All he did was question me…he didn't hurt me…right? I don't have any injuries. All he did was question me."

"You have no injuries now because I healed them," Nestad replied. "They were grievous injuries, and painful to even think on."

Aewen put her hands over her ears and hid her face in his tunic. "Then don't tell me what they were," she said. "I don't want to know…I don't…"

Seeing how overwrought she was, Nestad cradled her gently, letting his strength fill her. "Peace," he murmured. "Peace. There is time enough to face it later."

Aewen kept her face buried for a moment longer. She couldn't believe how she was acting; very unlike herself. But she couldn't help it. There was a horrible fear lurking inside her, and she didn't want to face it. Not yet. She calmed down quite quickly in the elf's arms, relaxing once again.

"You are safe here with me," Nestad murmured, feeling her relax. He was glad she wasn't a healer; she would have felt the anger building inside of him. Unlike the directionless rage that had filled him after seeing all that had been done to her, this anger had a laser-sharp purpose: how to escape. But he could and would voice nothing yet. Not until he had something to work with.

"Is there water?" Aewen asked after a moment. She felt like her throat was as dry as the Brown Lands, and it hurt to talk.

"Yes," Nestad replied, reaching with one foot to hook the flask. "Use it sparingly," he warned, lifting it to her lips. "I don't know when they will bring more."

Aewen reached up and took the flask from him, holding it herself as she drank a couple deep sips. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and sat up carefully, as if expecting to feel pain. But there was none.

Nestad half-smiled to himself. 'Good,' he thought. 'Her physical healing is nearly complete.'

Once Aewen was sitting up straight, she turned to look at him, suddenly flashing a smile. "You kept me warm," she said.

Nestad smiled in return. "I suppose I did," he admitted. "This cell is chilly, even for me. I dare not think what it would do to you."

Aewen noticed the tray with food and she crawled to it, hungrily picking up the piece of bread and eating a few bites. "I must have missed supper last night," she observed.

"And lunch," Nestad filled in. "You were taken away before the lunch break, remember?"

"Oh…" Aewen nodded as she searched her memory, but going only as far as she needed in order to recall that little bit of information. "Are you hungry?" she asked him, holding out the bread to him.

"A little," Nestad admitted, accepting the bread and breaking it in half before handing the half back to her. "Healing is hungry work."

She smiled and looked at him with almost a fondness in her gaze. "Thank you for that," she said. "I'm glad I have you here with me."

Nestad smiled back, feeling like an awkward child for some reason under the influence of her smile. "I am glad I am here as well," he managed, forcing his twisting tongue to work with him.

After that, Aewen concentrated for a while on eating most of the contents of her bowl, whatever it was. She was so hungry she didn't really care.

Nestad ate his bread and a little of what was in his bowl. "Here," he said, offering his bowl to her. "It isn't half bad, for confinement food, and you need your strength."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking at the bowl he offered. "I mean…it's yours…you should eat it. You need to get your strength back too."

"I still have reserves of strength I haven't tapped yet," the healer replied, still offering the bowl. "Your body needs to finish healing."

Aewen took the bowl and looked at it for a moment. "How about we save it for later, hm? And whoever is hungry next can eat it. I'm fine with my share for now."

"As you say," Nestad replied, resting his crossed wrists on his bent knees. He actually wasn't very hungry; he had trained himself years ago to make do on short rations and little sleep. That stood him in good stead now.

Aewen finished eating her share of the food, and then looked around. "So…what are we doing today?" she asked. "Are we going to the healing tent?"

Nestad half-smiled. "I won't be," he said quietly. "My 'rash actions' have earned me several days' worth of confinement here. I'm praying you'll be staying here too."

She looked up sharply at him. "They wouldn't take me without you, would they?" she asked. She couldn't imagine what she could do to help the wounded alone, not to mention the sick.

"I really hope not. That would be too overwhelming for you." Nestad sighed. "But we'll see."

"But…what if they do?" Aewen asked. "What do I do? I don't know anything about healing."

"Not the power part, no," Nestad agreed quietly. "But surely you have observed enough in your life to know how to bandage a cut, set a broken bone?"

"Bandage a cut…maybe…" she said. "But set a broken bone?" She shook her head vigorously. "Nestad, I don't know anything about healing!"

"Oh dear. And I did not have sufficient time to teach you what you would need to know." Nestad sighed. "Well, we can always tell them that, though I doubt the alternative is much better."

"The…the alternative?" Aewen asked, narrowing her eyes.

Nestad met her eyes as he replied, "Being taken back to the commander's tent."

Aewen looked down at her hands for a moment, and then crawled back over and sat next to Nestad. She somehow felt safer when she was closer to him. She didn't say anything else for a long time, just sitting there, as if studying the faded pattern on her skirt.

Nestad put an arm around her shoulders. "I will do all in my power to keep that from happening," he said quietly.

She didn't respond with words. She just leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder. She sighed a ragged breath and closed her eyes. "Do you still carry the same views about escape?" she asked in a monotone a few minutes later.

Nestad was silent a moment. When he answered, his voice held a note of anger he had never allowed to be shown before. "No."

Aewen looked up at him when she heard that. "Tell me…" she said.

The healer's normally sea-blue eyes were dark blue with restrained anger. "I don't care when they hurt me," he said slowly, staring off into the middle distance. "But when they hurt someone I care about, someone I've sworn to protect, they push my limits." He let out a huff. "I wasn't entirely level with you, Aewen. I've been here a lot longer than I said."

"Longer? Longer than a few days? I suspected as much. You seemed much too familiar with the way things work around here."

"I suppose I should have known that you would guess. As humans count time, I've been here about five years." Those words were very softly spoken.

Aewen raised her eyebrows. "Five years?" she said, obviously surprised. "That's a lot longer than I even guessed."

"Elven time is different than human time," Nestad explained, glancing at her. "To me, it has been both the longest five years I've ever lived through and as short as a week." His lips pursed. "In that time, I have seen every manner of atrocity. But this…" he shook his head as a half-smile curled up one corner of his lips. "In that time, you've grown up to be a fine woman." He met her eyes for the first time.

Aewen's brows knit slightly, not understanding his point. She looked at him for a moment, and then suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. "It's true…" she said. "I was but a girl five years ago…" What else was she supposed to say?

Nestad nodded. "I have spent a good deal of time in different lands," he explained. "It is required of healers; they need a wide range of experience with many things before they can be called true healers. Gondor was one of the favorite places. A year before my capture, I spent some time in Minas Anor. Admittedly, I stayed out of the public affairs; I was there to learn what new things humans have come up with recently. But I did catch sight of a lovely young human girl running about. I even watched her once while gathering herbs outside the city. She was bird watching, I believe. Oh, I stayed well out of her sight; an old instinct borne of living in troubled times. But I watched and listened."

Aewen stared at him. "You…you mean…" He had seen her before?

"Yes." Nestad nodded. "I believe her name was distinctly sad, but very beautiful." He lowered his voice and whispered, "Erebel."

Aewen's breath caught in her throat and she looked away. "I…I…" she was speechless.

"Shh, shh, Aewen," the healer touched her shoulder gently. "I did not tell you this to frighten you. I told you to explain why all that has happened has prompted me to put into action what I've seen before."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I don't understand any of this."

"I've known for the last five years how to escape this place. For the reasons we've discussed before, I never took it, though I did help the odd slave escape now and then. Now…" His lips tightened. "Things have gone from bad to worse here, and it will only get worse."

"How so?" she asked. "What's different?"

"This place used to be owned by a business man. Granted, things were pretty bad, even then, but one could be sure that the slaves would be treated as people, not just property. The commander killed the businessman and took over this place about a month ago. That's when it went downhill. It's only sped up from there. Remember the whore pits? Those are actually fairly recent: two months ago, they weren't there."

Aewen looked up at him. "So…what does all this have to do with me as a little girl…or you seeing me then, for that matter?"

Nestad smiled. "I kept my eyes open for you after that. I saw you in South Mirkwood a couple times and enjoyed watching you." He became serious. "In a sense, I watched out for you. When you were alone, watching birds, I kept animals away from you." He shrugged. "You never knew, and that was the way I liked it. I couldn't remember you at first when you were thrown in here, but before all that happened yesterday, I remembered. That protectiveness from five or six years ago, added to the protectiveness I have acquired here and now, only made everything that happened worse. It made me angry enough to work on a decent escape plan."

Aewen stared him, almost in disbelief. "But…why would you do that for me all that time? Why me? Do you do that for many people?"

"No. But you intrigued me, even then. A human who takes the time to spend time with the nature, watching the birds with the patience of Ilúvatar…that's rare and called my attention."

Aewen couldn't help but blush. She looked down at her hands. "Then…I must thank you, Master Elf. You did me a good service."

Nestad tipped her head back up. "It was my pleasure," he said gently. "I enjoyed it, and I've enjoyed watching the woman you've become. You've grown up well, into the kind of woman your family would be proud of."

Aewen swallowed and nodded slightly. "I hope so," she whispered.

"You have." Nestad released her chin and settled back against the wall. "When my time of confinement down here ends day after tomorrow, I have a plan to get out. But I won't leave without you."

"I hope not," she said. "But what about all the others? What is this plan of yours?"

Nestad's eyes darkened. "The plan requires a bit of risk on both our parts," he warned. "I hate to put you into danger, but..."

She smiled, scoffing slightly. "If you know me as well as it sounds you do, then I think you are aware of the fact that I am not afraid of danger. At least not from enemies."

Nestad smiled. "I know that well. I was speaking of the fact that I dislike putting you in danger. But in this case, I'm afraid it's necessary."

"So…what is the plan? Do I get to know in advance?"

"You get to know your part, but there are others I need to speak to. Tell me, what weapon are you most familiar with and can use the best?" Nestad rubbed a thumb absently over the left shackle.

Aewen shrugged. "I was trained in the use of both the sword and the bow," she said. "I can use either with equal skill."

"Sword would be the easiest to get," the healer said, thinking aloud. "Understand this: when I was put in charge of the healing tent, I kept record of who came through and was cured of what. The blacksmith and hostler in particular owe me some favors."

"Ah…I see…" Aewen said, nodding. "So, this escape involves fighting as opposed to stealth?"

"Fighting only if stealth does not work," Nestad corrected. "The blacksmith has a copy of every shackle key. My plan is actually fairly simple: release as many slaves as possible and slip out in the general commotion. It is tricky, but if we time it right…"

"So…for general commotion, you mean…slaves escaping? And we…slip out unnoticed on our own, leaving them all to fend for themselves?"

The healer sighed. "This is why it has always been my choice to remain," he said quietly. "There are very few ways to leave alive that do not leave the other slaves to fend for themselves in some form or another."

"But…there are women…and children. Do you expect them to be able to defend themselves? They will be the first lives to end."

Nestad was quiet. "I never claimed to be a commander," he said at last, resting his forehead against his knees. "Any suggestions?"

Aewen sighed and shook her head. "No…not yet. But I've been trying to think of something…" She stopped, turning her head to listen. "Hear that? They're coming…"

Nestad rose to his feet automatically, shielding Aewen with his form. His protectiveness was only augmented by the memories of the child she had been before entering this place.

Aewen gladly hid behind him. There was still a vague shadow of the horror of last night that she could not bury. And she didn't want to face that horror again. The door was unlocked and four archers entered first, followed by three other men. One of them spoke, pointing to Aewen. "You, girl…you come with us."

"Either you take both of us," Nestad said, authority ringing in his voice, "or you take neither." He tensed for action, his hands loose in front of him and ready.

"We are taking her," the man said. And the archers nocked arrows, aiming for Nestad's chest. "She is needed in the healing tents, and you are not permitted to leave this cell."

"She does not know enough to keep up with the stream of wounded," was the quiet answer. "I have not had sufficient time to train her thoroughly."

"Well, then she will have to learn fast, won't she," the man said in sneering tone. "You are staying here, and she is coming with us. By order of the Commander, if she does not comply, then we are ordered to kill every sick or wounded slave that arrives at the healing tent until she decides to cooperate."

"What brave warriors you are," Nestad remarked acidly, "using the wounded and sick as shields." He shook his head, adding in Elvish, "Where I come from, such a warrior would be kicked out on his ear."

"Nevertheless, those are the Commander's orders. You'll just have to live with them. If you don't, then someone will be dying by them. It's your choice…"

Aewen stood up and put her hand on Nestad's shoulder. "Nestad," she whispered behind him. "It's all right…I'll go…"

Nestad tingled a bit at her touch, but forced his mind to work properly. "Can you handle it?" he asked quietly, half-turning to look at her.

"I will have to," Aewen said softly. "What choice do I have? I will not be responsible for the deaths of innocents. And I know it's not a bluff."

Nestad bit his lip. "Be careful, melethril," he whispered, turning completely so that his back would take the arrows if the archers fired. "I don't want you hurt."

"I won't be hurt…" Aewen whispered back. "I'll see you this evening."

Nestad touched her face gently, wishing he dared kiss her. But no…he could not give these guards more leverage over him by open shows of the love blooming in his heart.

"Hurry it up," the guard said gruffly.

Aewen cupped the elf's cheek for a moment, looking into his eyes. Then she walked past him and let the guards bind her hands.

The elf's hand raised to touch his cheek where her hand had rested as he turned to watch her be bound and led away. As the door closed behind them, he leaned against the wall hard. 'Dare I hope?' he wondered, sliding to a sitting stance.

Aewen was led up the long stairwell and to the open air. She had to admit that it was nice to be out. But this time the sun was not shining. There were dark clouds on the edge of the sky, and she knew they would be overhead by lunchtime. 'A dark day to match my brooding heart,' she thought.

"C'mon, wench," snarled one of the guards, pushing the bound woman before him. "There are quite a few waiting in the tent for the attention of a healer."

"Watch how you call me," Aewen said, venom in her voice as she glared at the man.

The guard made a face. "Ooh, the slave's gonna be mad at me," he said in a tremulous falsetto. "Get on with you before we have to return you to your elf lover in pieces."

"And you watch what you say about him," she added, not frightened by his words. "You are not even worthy enough to wash his feet. And if he ever wanted to, he could kill you in a second."

"Piffle. He's a healer, not a warrior. And everyone knows healers can't hurt people, knowing how hard it is to fix them. Speaking of fixing…" he gestured at the healing tent.

Aewen sneered at the guard, and then spat at his feet. With that, she turned and walked proudly to the healing tent, her head held high.

The guards exchanged looks. "Proud little devil," one commented to the one who'd been doing the most talking. "Fun to imagine breaking that pride, isn't it?"

The first guard nodded, a smirk on his lips as they followed Aewen to the tent, taking stations on either side of the door.

Aewen stood just inside the door and surveyed the scene before her. The tent was already full of patients. She sighed. Well, there was nothing for it but to get to work. She moved to the first bed where there was a young man with an obviously dislocated shoulder. He seemed to be in very much pain. "Sir…" she said, bending slightly to look at him. "What's wrong?" she asked, just wanting to make sure.

His eyes flickered open. "Who're you?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "You're not the healer."

"I'm the healer's assistant," Aewen said. "He is unable to come today. You have a dislocated shoulder, don't you?" she asked. She had seen many before; mostly on her brother.

He looked up at her for a moment. "Yes," he replied. "Caught it in a combine. They tell me I was lucky to escape with just a dislocated shoulder."

"I need to pop it back into place…" Aewen said. She had never done it herself before. But she had seen it done many times. "It will hurt quite a bit at first. But as soon as it's over, it will feel back to normal."

The young man nodded and bit his lip as he turned on his side, trying to make it easy for the slender assistant to help him. "Tell me what to do," he said, his voice a bit muffled by the pillow.

"Just…bite your pillow," she said. "And try not to struggle."

He nodded and did exactly as she ordered, closing his eyes as he felt her gentle hands grip his arm.

Aewen took a deep breath to calm her nerves. And then, as quickly as she could, pulled on his arm sharply, and then shoved against his shoulder with one hand. There was a distinctive pop, and the arm went back into place.

He gasped in pain, but kept from crying out as tears of pain trickled from his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he looked up at her. "That…all?" he asked, spitting the pillow out.

Aewen smiled and nodded. She used the corner of the blanket to dab his tears away, and then took his hand and pulled him into a sitting position. "That's all," she said. "Move it back and forth, tell me how it feels. If it's a bit sore, that's normal. It will be like that for a day or two."

The young man worked it back and forth a bit, wincing a bit. "It's sore," he admitted, "but it feels a hundred percent better." He rose and bowed slightly, his tender arm cradled instinctively against his chest. "Thank you," he said simply.

Aewen smiled and inclined her head slightly. "You're very welcome," she said. "Now, stay clear of that combine, alright?"

He smiled back. "I will try," he replied before making his way out of the tent, thinking that it might not have been so bad.

Aewen sighed. Well, that wasn't too bad. Now for the next patient. She moved to the next bed over, hoping that this case would be also within her minimal knowledge.

The little girl in the next bed looked fearfully at the strange woman, tucking her thumb in her mouth and staring up at Aewen as she approached the bed. Her leg was badly broken, yet no more than a whimper occasionally escaped her.

Aewen knelt down beside the little girl, looking at the broken leg and trying not to show on her face the uncertainty and fear she felt inside. "Hello there," she said softly, resting her hand gently on the girl's brow. "My name is Aewen. I'm here to help you, all right?"

The little girl nodded fearfully. "I Bella," she said around her thumb.

"Well, hello, Bella," she said. "That's a pretty name. Did you know that your name means 'strong'? Are you a strong girl? You look strong to me."

Bella took her thumb out of her mouth. "I think I strong," she said, a little lisp accenting the 's'. "How you know what my name mean?"

Aewen smiled. "Because when I was your age, I had a doll named Bella. And my papa told me what her name meant."

"I have a dolly," Bella announced, digging a bundle of rags that was vaguely human-shaped from the front of her ragged tunic. "Her name Rose."

"Oh…Rose is a very pretty name," she said. "And she is a very special doll, isn't she? Is she your best friend?"

Bella nodded vigorously, trying to sit up. Her small face contorted in agony as she pressed against her broken limb, but amazingly enough, she didn't cry out.

"Just lie still, Bella," Aewen said. "You have a broken leg, and I need to fix it. All right? But you have to lie still and be a good girl for me. Can you do that?"

Bella nodded. "I think so…it hurts," she whimpered, clinging to her dolly as tightly as she could.

"It will feel better soon," Aewen said. "I just need to go get a few things I need, and I'll be right back, all right?" She patted the little girl's hand, and then walked to the other side of the tent where all the bandages and supplies were kept. She gathered up everything she would need to set and splint a broken leg, and then she went back to Bella. "I'm back, sweetie," she said. "Now, I need to put your broken leg back together, all right? But it will hurt some more while I do that. But then it will feel better again. Can you be brave and strong for me?"

The little girl hesitated an instant before nodding. "You help Ne'tad, right?" she asked shyly.

Aewen smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do," she said. "You know Nestad?"

"He heped me when I had…" Bella scrunched her face up, trying to remember the name. "Picking pox, I think."

Aewen laughed lightly. "Oh…I see," she said, "Those picking pox are awful, aren't they? Very itchy. Did he make them all better again?"

Bella nodded. "He very nice," she said.

"Yes…he is…" Aewen said softly. "Now…be brave for me. This will hurt for only a little while." Aewen talked as she moved her hands down to the little girl's leg. She didn't really know what to do. But she knew some just from watching and listening. And she hoped it would be enough.

Bella nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, holding her dolly over her face. Her small body shook with her deep breaths as Aewen touched the broken bone. Even the gentle touches were painful.

Aewen gently probed the leg with her fingers, feeling for the fractures. There were two that she could detect. Once she had an idea of how the bone was broken, she had an idea of how it should be fixed. She carefully and gently pushed against the leg to set the bones. "You're a brave girl, Bella," she said as she worked. "A big, brave girl."

Bella whimpered softly, but took heart at Aewen's words. "'Ank you," emerged from behind the doll.

Once Aewen had the bones back in place, she began to apply splints and bandages, carefully wrapping the girl's leg. "See? It's not so bad anymore, is it?" she said, smiling as she worked.

The doll moved aside slightly to allow one brown eye to peek out. "It over?" Bella squeaked.

"Almost…" Aewen said, wrapping the bandage around a few more times. When she was finished, she tied it tight, and then smiled at Bella. "All done," she said. "How do you feel now?"

"Better," Bella replied, sitting up carefully. She wiggled her bare toes and giggled as they contrasted with the white bandaging.

Aewen smiled. "Now, you need to stay in bed for a little while yet; at least until I can find you a pair of crutches. Why don't you try to take a nap? Are you tired?"

Bella hid a yawn as she said, "I not tired…"

Aewen stifled a smile. "Well, you know what? I think that Rose is tired. So, maybe you could lie down with her? Can you sing her a lullaby? I think she would like that."

Bella looked at the doll in her arms. "You tired, Rose?" she crooned. "Mama here." She lay back and began to sing in the Easterling language softly.

Aewen smiled and kissed the little girl on the forehead. Then she stood up and looked around the tent. So many more beds filled with patients. And this was only two down. Aewen sighed and moved to the next bed. If Nestad were here, all these people would be gone by now, back to their work. He would have been able to heal them so quickly.

Many hours later, after the noon meal, and after the sun had gone down, Aewen finally pulled the blankets up to the chin of the last patient; an old man with a fever. She made sure the cold compress would not fall off during the night, and then stood, stretching her aching back. She walked slowly down the aisle between the beds, checking on each patient as she went. She stopped at Bella's bed and stooped to give the little sleeping girl a kiss. What a sweet heart. Finally Aewen figured she was done. There was nothing more she could do for any of them until the morning light. So she put out all the candles in the tent and moved to the door where the guards waited. "I'm finished for the night," she told them.

"What, not going to check the whore pits? Your lover did that, every night." The guards were clearly bored from the all-day duty in the sun and interested in playing around.

"I cannot help anyone in the whore pits," Aewen said evenly. "Their disease is beyond my skill. But if any of them are brought here, then they will get the same care as all the others. Now, I would appreciate it if you would take me back to my cell. I must rest if I am to be here all day tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm sure you get a lot of rest with that lover of yours," one smirked. "We hear elves can go on forever; that true?"

"'Course, he'd have to take a number after the commander," the other said, moving close to Aewen. "And after us," he added.

Aewen slapped the man hard across the face. "How dare you," she said.

"Oh, a feisty one," the other guard remarked, catching the hand as it swung back again. "That's ok. We like a challenge."

Aewen glared at them both and struggled against them. They were so much larger and stronger than she was, and there were two of them. Which really seemed more like four of you added them together. She wished she had some sort of weapon, and then they would regret ever touching her. "Get your hands off me!" she demanded. "Now take me back to my cell!"

"Oh, we will," one purred. "After we have a good time with you. This time, that elf can't defend you."

"You will not touch me!" Aewen said. And she slammed her heel down as hard as she could on the instep of the guard who was closest.

The guard hopped, crying out in pain. The other grabbed Aewen around her waist. "Nice try," he said.

Aewen struggled against him as well, and with her elbow, she rammed him as hard as she could in the groin.

He doubled over in pain, releasing her. "Stupid…wench…" he hissed.

As soon as Aewen was free, she took off running as fast as her shackled legs would carry her. She ran all the way to the top of the stairs in the ground that led to her cell. She took a moment to glance behind her and noticed both men running after her, one limping badly. She didn't waste another moment. She ran down the steps until she crashed into the door at the bottom. "Nestad!" she called desperately. The door was locked.

Nestad flung himself against the door, knowing it was futile, but the desperate sound in her voice would have driven him to further extremes.

A guard stepped out of the shadows, produced a key and opened the door. "Hurry in," he murmured to the woman.

Aewen gaped at him for a moment, confused why he would help her. But it was only a moment. "Thank you!" she said to him, and then nearly shot through the cell door.

The guard closed the door behind the woman and locked it securely, vanishing back into the shadows as the other two guards came running down the stairs.

"Aewen!" Nestad grabbed the smaller woman and held her close. "I've been so worried all day…"

Aewen held onto him tightly for a moment, so relieved to be safe again. And then she let her legs go weak. And she would have slumped to the floor in a heap had he not been holding her. She was breathing hard from her frustrated run, and shaking slightly as well, simply from the encounter with the guards.

"It's all right," Nestad soothed, holding her against himself. "You're safe now. You're here with me."

Yes, she was. And she was so thankful that he was there. "Sit…" she panted. "Need to sit…"

Nestad nodded and guided both of them to the ground, still holding her. "There," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "Relax; they won't bother you now that you're with me." He smiled. "I rather think they're afraid of me."

She smiled slightly. "I hope I made them a little afraid of me too," she said, calming down some now that she knew she was safe.

Nestad laughed softly. "Ah, my spunky lass," he said quietly. "Always spoiling for a fight. Good. Let them fear you; they may treat you with a bit more respect."

"Well…one of them won't be walking normally for a day or two. And the other…well, let's just say he won't be enjoying the company of any other lasses for a while."

That provoked a full-throated laugh from the elf. "Well done!" he said when he could get a full breath in. "Very well done!"

Aewen felt good at his praise, and she looked up at him with bright eyes. "It felt really good," she admitted.

"I imagine it did!" Nestad wiped a laugh-tear away before letting that hand rest fondly on her cheek. "And by tomorrow the story will have circulated and blown out of proportion, count on it. That's not all bad, I think."

Aewen smiled and then closed her eyes for a moment. There was that soft tingle of power that she felt every time he touched her. It was transferring from his fingers into her cheek. It made goose bumps appear on her arms.

Nestad let his thumb caress the soft skin under it, rubbing in small circles. "Spunky and beautiful," he murmured.

Aewen felt her heart flutter and she glanced away, feeling suddenly nervous. "Eh…" she hesitated. "I…I…did all right…in the healing tent," she said.

Nestad smiled and removed his hand. "Did you?" he asked. "Tell me about it."

Aewen seemed to breath easier when he took his hand away and stopped looking at her like that. She nodded. "I discovered that I knew a lot more than I thought I did. I must have learned it just from watching other people. I helped all of the wounded. But I'm not able to do much for the sick. There are not many herbs."

Nestad nodded sadly. "I know. I used to rely on them, saving my strength for when it was really needed, but as the supplies got lower…" he sighed. "Just when you think you're making headway, everything crashes in." He smiled suddenly and sniffed the air. "That's little Bella's smell, isn't it?" he asked. "Did she come in?"

Aewen looked at him. "You can smell her?" she asked in surprise.

"The doll she carries everywhere picks up a certain smell that I would recognize anywhere," he explained. A small smile of memory lifted one corner of his mouth. "I actually delivered her, though I doubt she remembers that."

"She was born here…" Aewen said softly. She shook her head sadly. "She asked about you. She's so sweet. And she really lived up to her name today. She was very strong and brave while I set her broken leg."

Nestad smiled warmly. "She is a sweetheart, isn't she?" he said. "I love her dearly." The rest of that sentence registered. "You set a broken bone? Well done, indeed; they can be tricky."

Aewen shrugged. "I don't know if it was well done," she said. "But I did the best I could. I've never done it before. I'm just glad you'll be able to return to work soon. Perhaps you can make it better."

Nestad smiled grimly. "Yes, I look forward to that. I'd forgotten how claustrophobic a bare cell is when I'm alone in it."

Aewen smiled grimly. "It rained all day," she said. "It was miserable outside the tent. And patients were coming in soaked to the skin. I had to…to bury one…"

The healer fell silent. "I'm sorry," he said simply. "Did you manage alone?"

She shook her head. "It was a man…he was too heavy. The guards wouldn't help me. I needed to get the help of two other slaves. And it was pouring rain into the pit, and difficult to dig in."

Nestad nodded slightly. "But you did everything I showed you?" he asked; needing to make sure his sanitation things remained.

Aewen nodded. "Yes…I put the powder in the hole before covering it over. And we gave a blessing for the dead."

"Well done," Nestad congratulated her. He touched her hair gently. "Well, I would say that, when sinking or swimming came up, you swam quite well."

She smiled slightly and looked down at her hands. "Thank you," she said softly. "I actually felt quite overwhelmed. Ready to drown any second."

"But you made it through the day alive and sane, both of which are miracles here, and you did more good than harm. That's convincing swimming, even if you felt overwhelmed."

She smiled again and nodded. "I just…I just felt so helpless sometimes. After watching you breeze through that tent in a couple hours. My feeble fumblings could be compared with that of a tortoise, and just as effective."

"Ai Valar, Aewen!" Nestad shook his head slightly. "Don't let that stop you." He smiled. "Let me tell you a story. When, maturity wise, I was about your age, I was an apprentice healer. My master, Arel, was the most accomplished healer in Lórien. Frankly I was stunned that he asked me to his apprentice; I had a bit of talent, but he passed by those who had more experience and training to pick me, the least experienced and trained. It was discouraging to watch him sometimes, sealing wounds in a matter of moments while I fought for hours to close the simplest wound. Everyone starts somewhere."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him. "But I can never be as good as you, even if I had a thousand Númenorean lifetimes to practice. It is beyond my ability or understanding. I will always be more limited than you. And that's sort of what I meant…"

Nestad considered Aewen's words. "Aewen, it's not fair to put your abilities down when you compare yourself to me. I'm an elf, and you're a human. That would be like criticizing a fish because it cannot fly."

"But so a fish would criticize himself and his abilities if he had a passion to help the birds of the trees. What is this fish to do when she is faced with a whole tree full of injured birds?"

"Learn what she can and accept what she cannot do," Nestad replied gently.

Aewen bit her lip. "It is very difficult," she said softly. "Though…this fish is very grateful for her friend the bird." She smiled at him slightly.

Nestad smiled back warmly. "And this bird is willing to teach his friend the fish as much about healing as he can," he said. "Perhaps you can gain your wings for a time that way."

Aewen smiled. "I've heard tell of a fish in the sea that has wings, and can fly for short periods of time. Perhaps…with your help, I could be one of those fish."

"I will do all I can to give you the ability to fly for a time," Nestad replied, suddenly all business. "If you wish, I can teach you some right now."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? How so?"

"I can explain and use examples that you would have seen while working with me," he said, moving to another corner, "and I can draw pictures in the dust here."

She smiled slightly. "All right," she said. "This looks to be interesting."

Nestad smoothed the dust with a careful hand and began drawing a fair rendition of a leg. "Now, when setting a broken bone…" he began, settling into the teaching cadence he used regularly when teaching young healers.

The healer talked for about an hour, drawing diagrams in the dust or tapping Aewen's arms or legs to explain a concept. He paused when he saw her try to stifle a yawn. "Ai, forgive me," he said quietly. "You must be exhausted after all the work you did today with the wounded."

Aewen suddenly became aware of how tired she really was. So intent had she been on Nestad's teaching that she hadn't really noticed. But now her eyelids were growing heavy, and her mind foggy. She nodded. "Yes…I am really. But, Nestad, thank you so much. You showed me a lot of things I never knew, and answered many questions of mine. Tomorrow I will be more confident."

Nestad smiled and settled into a comfortable position. "I am glad," he said simply. "I'm sure the idea of another day of floundering was not attractive. Now rest; you need to be fresh for your new day." He was silently grateful that he only had two more days of confinement; he preferred teaching when he could demonstrate on true patients.

"Yes…rest. It sounds so wonderful." She prepared to lie down on the hard floor, wincing even as she did so. Then she paused and looked up at him shyly. "Could I…I mean… would you mind at all…if I leaned against you while I sleep? I can't seem to get any rest on this hard floor."

Nestad swallowed and smiled shyly as he extended an arm. "I don't mind at all," he said, deciding that saying that he wanted that would be counterproductive. He wanted her to feel safe and comfortable around him, otherwise he didn't think that his love for her would be reciprocated.

Aewen bit her lip as she crawled closer to him, and then settled next to him, leaning into his embrace. But she kept her head up for a while, feeling uncomfortable about resting it against him. "Thank you," she said, her voice quite soft.

The healer rested his arm around her shoulders, cradling her against his side. "Gladly," he murmured in reply. "Relax; you need to sleep." He began to sing softly in his native tongue, using an old lullaby mothers sang to their children.

As Aewen sat and listened to the soft melody, her eyes began to drift shut. Her head eventually came to lie against his chest, and she fell into a deep, contented sleep. One bereft of dreams save for a soft music floating on the wind.

Nestad continued singing as he felt her go limp against him, letting his fingers touch her dark hair gently, twisting it between his long fingers and stroking it smooth. Only when he had finished the song did he fall silent, sliding into his dream world. Aewen's warmth against his side was distinctly comforting and oddly moving.