This is chapter 10 and it is actually on time - I'm kinda proud.

Since my Beta-reader Lisa, the unfaithful tomatoe, is on vacation somewhere in US for a couple of weeks, the next chapters won't be beta-read, I fear. Still, I hope for the best.

Jay: Thank you so much :)

xxx

Trust is good. Control is better.

- (probably) Wladimir Iljitsch Lenin

xxx

Her first diagnosis was quite positive: She was warm and laying under a soft blanket. The second sadly was not, since she was warm and curled within the hall she recognised as the one she had been healed in a few month ago.

"You have awakened."

"Hello, Fìriel", she sighed and blinked into the soft light. "How are you?"

The elleth smiled. "My wellbeing does not matter at this point; however, I am fine. I thank you for your concern."

"Please tell me, he did believe me." Stolid, she sat up and groaned as she noticed her bandaged hands. She smelled herbage beneath the bandages and clenched a fist. For a while, the healer kept silent, before answering. "The army has been put on standby. The border's guards are doubled; scouts have been moved into position. Our king is waiting."

"I don't know where they'll hail from. Neither, how they are going to cross the Misty Mountains during this weather. It was torture, even for Leo and myself."

"I know, child", she answered and took Rai's bandaged hand in both of her own carefully. She had been able to safe her fingers and every single one of her toes. It did not go without saying, since parts of her frozen flesh had almost died off. "Your actions have been very noble."

Rai made a face. "I didn't do it for him", she answered and turned away slightly. "I owe nothing to him."

"It does not change the matter, since you put your very life at risk to warn our people."

"I didn't risk any more than a few fingers and I don't even have all of those anymore", the whitehaired answered and Fìriel decided to keep silent. Without proper treatment, her right hand would have been lost, next to three fingers on her left hand. Her feet would have been beyond saving and she'd have to use crickets for the rest of her life. Just a mere three hours later, the cold would have crept into her vital parts, marking her ultimate death. Whether she just did not know or decided to ignore, Fìriel was unable to say.

"How long did I sleep?"

"The sun is setting for night", the healer informed and Rai nodded. When Leo and herself had made it to Mirkwood, it had been forenoon. A day had passed, three more would follow; then the orcs would arrive at the woods. And then? What was she supposed to do? She needed to talk to Leo and besides – the hall's doors opened and Rai was aware who entered, before she even saw his face. She sat up a little straighter, yet she was certain her appearance was likely miserable. Watchful she waited, as he crossed the room in elegant, nearly floating steps.

"You are neither dull, nor smart enough to put your life at risk for a mere farce", the Elvenking noted and let his eyes wander down to her. "So… For what purpose did you take this voyage?"

Rai blinked twice. "I think", she finally asserted, "You just insulted me." Thranduil did not answer, so finally Rai turned to Fìriel, who was silently standing guard next to her bed. "Did he insult me?"

The healer looked at her king with an unreadable expression. "You saved this folk from great harm. Our king appreciates the sacrifices you made."

"So, he did insult me", she concluded, since the elleth had refused to answer her question properly. "I give a fuck about you", she finally answered and shrugged, as if all this was none of her business. "Fìriel is the one who saved my life, not you."

The king's icy blue eyes tightened, yet his voice remained unimpressed as ever. "Your articulation certainly did not improve."

"Neither did your personality."

To his utter surprise, he saw her lips twitch for a mere moment; however, it had passed almost too quickly and he decided it was not worth of reacting. "You did not cross way with those orcs by accident", he stated. "For what purpose did you travel so far north?"

"Leo and I intended to pass the winter in Arnor, at the Ettenmoors. We are not quite… compatible… with society." She pulled the words long, almost seemed to be pensive. "Leo was hunting. When he returned, he told of something gathering in the north. He has a… feeling for battle, you know. Anyway, we decided to have a look and at nightfall, we made our way across the mountains." She shuddered and shook her head. "I don't know, how many orcs sat between the fires", she confessed. "A thousand or two thousand or more… We had to know whom they were marching against and decided to capture a messenger. At first, he claimed to march to Gondor; it was a lie… and when he finally told the truth… the Woodland Realm would burn at Star's Change." Thranduil's body remained calm as always, yet she noticed his pupils tighten. "I don't know how they intend to cross the Misty Mountains with these weather conditions and four days are not much time. This, we decided to make our way to Mirkwood." Then she frowned. "Where is Leo, by the way?"

"The Fell took refuge within the forest", Thranduil answered and cocked his head. "The trees seem to enjoy his presence." Even though he did not understand, how his forest could embrace something this abnormal and disgusting. Still, it remained the truth: The trees were delighted with the beast.

A bandaged finger pointed at him and Rai looked at him accusingly. "You think badly of him." Astonished, he raised a single eyebrow at the whitehaired in front of him. "I know, whenever somebody does", she asserted and crossed her arms. Why did people always refused to see the friend behind his appearance? It just was not right to be that superficial.

"It pains you", the Elvenking noted and she bobbed her head. "That's none of your business."

"It is not", he confessed and her eyes squinted. "Don't you have a realm to reign or anything else important to do?"

Thranduil lifted one of his striking eyebrows. "I am king of this realm since more than a thousand years… If you think you may teach me, you are wrong."

"So, you're not just a grumbler, but a very old grumbler."

"Pardon?"

Rai chuckled at the nearly stunned expression on the great Elvenking's face, however before he could answer, the door was opened a second time. "Adar."

Thranduil turned around and gave a nod to his son. "I am on my way, Legolas."

Without a word of farewell, the king followed his son and Rai sighed, before she shuffled into her sheets again. This conversation had been quite tiring.

xxx

"Remember not to strain your feet too much", Fíriel admonished and Rai nodded, before carefully getting on her crickets. The healer did not think too well of her decision to get up already, yet Rai had not given in. She had slept the whole night and was far from tired by now.

Still she had to know, whether Leo was all right. Hopefully, he had been able to fill his stomach, hopefully he was alright and well. Of course, these giant halls had more entrances than one, however the main one was the only one they knew. While Fìriel walked next to her, Rai limped carefully through the labyrinth of corridors. She had a well-developed sense or orientation, but everything here was so confusing and way too large… without guidance, she would be lost. Surprised she noted, how many elves remained within the great halls and when she asked Fìriel about it, the elleth explained: "Many families live outside the forest and the halls. Our king granted them refuge within his palace, if war should emerge."

Rai blinked. Thranduil really had to care about his people… To feed so many elves and grant them a bed was surely anything but a simple task. Especially, since she knew, that her word and warning alone was no guarantee for an actual battle.

"I remember, when Oropher asked for refuge within this forest thousands of years ago, before he was crowned king", Fìriel narrated quietly. "Doriath, his people's great halls, were utterly destructed. Homeless, he wandered east, a starving folk with him… and a son. When they reached the woods, they have been hungry, thirsty and tired of wandering. We are Silvan, wood-elves, and many of us never had seen our nobler cousins before… Oropher pleaded for a meal, to fill his peoples' stomachs, and none of us had ever seen an Eldar of greater beauty. His hair was pure starlight… We asked him to rest, to tell us, how the mighty Sindar could be without home. And he told us. Oh, child, you cannot imagine how they have mourned, as they told of the great halls, the most magnificent in all of Arda… and it was Aegnor who suggested to rebuild them in our forest. So they did… not even a hundred years later, he accepted the king's title."

It seemed, the elleth's eyes were looking straight into another age, eons ago… And probably, they did. A few minutes passed in silence, then they walked through the gates outside. Rai felt the eyes laying on her, and automatically tried to straighten her stance - which was quite useless, since she was walking on crickets.

The sound of wings in the distance made her raise her eyes and the black beast's figure got nearer above the woods, before it got down on the white bridge. It was a bizarre contrast between the white stone and Leo's black scales. "Fìriel put me on crickets", Rai laughed and Leo made a shrill, clicking sound, which she knew all too well.

The healer watched her patient in wonder and the whitehaired chuckled. "This is his way of laughing", she explained and the elleth looked at the Fellbeast, staggered. These creatures being able to laugh was something entirely new to her.

"Fìriel?", Rai began slowly and looked up pleadingly. "Would you mind to take a look at his leg? He was shot the… uhm… last time and the arrow grew in."

The healer hesitated for a moment, then she stepped closer. Neither Rai nor Leo missed, how the gate's guards nocked arrows at their bows to point them at the beast. Still, Fìriel bowed down. "The shaft is broken", she noted and Rai nodded. "The head was grown in, when I was able to look at it and neither of us knew how to treat it properly…"

Fìriel nodded. "The head would need to be removed surgically", she confirmed. "Does it impair him?"

No, Leo answered and Rai stepped aside to get a better look.

"If the wounded one was an eldar, or a human -or even a dwarf- I would remove the arrow's head", she said finally. "However, since none of us has any experience in the treatment of dark creatures, it would be foolish to take a risk… If he feels no negative consequences of the wound as it is, our treatment could do even greater damage."

Rai nodded and carefully caressed the scarred, thickly grown skin. The flesh underneath had hardened, yet she trusted Fìriel. This was the second morning, since they arrived in Mirkwood, the next would have the orcs arriving -at least as far as her information was correct.

Well, since this is settled…

"How did you manage to do this?", she asked and the Fell made an almost pitiable sound.

You don't want to know, Leo grumbled and the whitehaired shook her head. "Get down so I can reach you."

The beast lowered his body and finally lay down, almost taking the whole length of the bridge, on the white stone. His head was on the ground and he opened his jaws. Rai made a face. "You really need a humbug."

What's a humbug?

"I have no idea but you need one", she griped and bowed forward. Fìriel shuddered, as the child got between the jaws. "Could you breathe a little less?" Don't be so sensible. "I'll remember you the next time it starts to rain", she shot back and crawled a little deeper inside the opened mouth. "Found it", she stated. Between the long teeth, a single bone had had got stuck. She grabbed it, but as soon as she touched it, Leo flinched. His jaws jerked and Rai poked the black tongue. "If you bite down now, you'll have to find another gawk."

What's a gawk?

"I have no idea", she repeated frustrated, and carefully loosed a piece of splintered bone. "I bet it has something to do with a humbug." To be sure, she warned him, before she loosened the splinter between the teeth and tossed it away carelessly. Now, she could pull out the main part of the bone and it got loose with a jerk. Carefully, Rai got it out and crawled back, out of the jaws. Her fingers' bandages were drenched in salvia.

Creaking, the teeth snapped again inside the winged beast's mouth and Leo smacked twice, testing, before he got up again. Thanks.

She didn't get to answer. Clangourous hoof beat announced the arrival of riders, however the mounts stopped and pranced back, as soon as they dashed out of the trees' shadows and saw the beast resting on the bridge.

The whitehaired hugged him a last time, then he got up in the air with a swing and disappeared above the trees. She stepped aside, yet the four riders remained at the bridge's entrance. Rai lifted an eyebrow. "Do you want to cross the bridge or not?", she murmured and stepped aside demonstrative - hard enough with her crickets.

A few more moments passed, then the riders dashed past her, through the opened gate and inside the halls. They were messengers… and apparently, they were in a hurry.