Celebrian held Arwen to her bosom, running her slender fingers through her daughter's midnight tresses. The poor thing was still shaking, half from shock and half from pain. "Shh. It's alright." Celebrian kept reassuring her. She felt a bristling anger in her bosom at those foul monsters who hurt her baby girl. It was uncharitable, she knew, but she hoped they were all dead.
Thranduil was kneeling in front of the chair where he had Alasse sitting. Fluffy was at her side, keeping his big head on her shaky knees. Thranduil was handling a bowl of water and a clean wash rag. The girls had incoherently explained most of what had happened, between crying and trembling from their terrifying ordeal. "What happened then?" Thranduil inquired.
"Then he kicked me, really hard." Alasse sniffled, dabbing her bleeding nose.
"Where, my love?" Thranduil asked stiffly.
"Right here." Alasse held her stomach. Thranduil did not speak. But the voices inside his head did, most belligerently! His little princess, mauled by one of those...there was no use swearing revenge, all the Orcs who had invaded their land today were dead. But Thranduil was very angry, at the danger his daughter and his friend's daughter had been needlessly put through.
"Well, you don't seem to be bleeding. That's good." Thranduil told Alasse with relief, pressing his fingers around. Alasse winced.
"Oww. Ada..." She moaned, pushing his big hand away. "That hurts."
"Here, hold this against it. That should help." He handed her a cold compress. Alasse hugged it like a stuffed animal while Thranduil pulled her into his lap. Alasse snuggled up as close to him as she could, with Thranduil rubbing her shoulders. Only then did she begin to slowly stop shaking. Her ada was here, he always protected her. And Fluffy was here too. Nothing bad could get to her here.
"It's a good thing Fluffy was with us!" Arwen declared. "He protected us, and hurt those mean things!"
"Yes." Alasse agreed. Thranduil gazed sternly at Fluffy. If the wolf had really protected them, then they shouldn't have ever have their wounds and bruises! For the Elven king, the canine had not protected the girls enough! "He fought them, so we could escape!" Alasse interrupted her father's brooding thoughts.
"But you are still injured." Thranduil grunted. "Your four-legged companion ought to have prevented the Orcs from even touching you."
"No, Ada! Fluffy did protect us." Alasse argued. Thranduil's face remained impassive.
"Thranduil," Celebrian murmured. "I am sure Fluffy did his best, mellon. I am sure that even an Elven wolf cannot take down an entire brigade of Orcs on his own, all at once."
Thranduil glared at his cousin. But she was right. He wasn't giving Fluffy enough credit. He surmised that Fluffy had been occupied fighting off the Orcs so the girls could escape. Yes, that was most likely what had happened. But, an Orc or two had slipped through his brawl. Still, Thranduil would've preferred that Arwen and Alasse had returned home with no hurts. But Celebrian was right, as usual: he had much to be thankful for, and should focus on that.
Elrond soon walked into the sitting room. "Ada, is Mr. Bard going to be alright?" Arwen asked sadly."Ada, is he dead?"
"No, little ones. He's alive, but he's very hurt." Elrond assured them.
"He tried so hard to protect us." Alasse said with tears. "It was awful."
"They kept hurting him and hurting him." Arwen blubbered, shuddering.
"Shh. Yes, his bravery is duly noted." Elrond stated.
"Will he recover?" Thranduil asked.
"Ai." Elrond nodded.
"Lord Elrond? Tatsu..." Alasse's lip trembled.
"She...she is quite sick, Alasse."
"But…no! She's an elleth. We don't get sick!" Alasse declared frantically.
"Well, in this case, it is possible."
"Ada!" Alasse quaked, looking up agonized at her father. "Tatsu, she's sick! She's...is she going to die?" She asked tearfully.
"No, penneth." Elrond shook his head happily. "As I said, she is sick, but on a positive note, she is responding well to the antidote."
"What does that mean?"
"It means she is slowly getting better, Alasse. But now I must see to the two of you." Elrond said. He walked over to his little girl and knelt beside the couch she was lying on. He barely kept his anger in check when he saw her black eye and how frightened she looked. He gently took off the ice pack and examined her arm. "How does that feel, Arwen?"
"It hurts, Ada." Arwen whimpered. "I wish 'Dan and 'Ro were here."
"So do I!" Celebrian agreed.
"I agree." Elrond nodded. Her arm was still swollen and bruised. "Arwen, can you try to move your arm for me? Just a little?" He encouraged her. Arwen bit her lip and slightly straightened her arm out before she whimpered.
"Hurts!" She grimaced.
"Alright, that is enough." Elrond nodded. He tenderly pressed his hands around, examining the bone while Celebrian stroked her daughter's forehead. "Well, the good news is you did not break your arm, my love. It is a bad sprain, and it will hurt, but we are relieved it wasn't worse. But you won't be able to climb trees for a while. Your arm will need to heal, and it is quite swollen. How is your eye?"
"It's hard to see out of it."
"Hopefully you will be able to in a few hours. Keep putting compresses on it. That will take the swelling down."
"I'm going to stay with her." Celebrian said.
"Very good, my love. Arwen?" Elrond gripped her hand. "I am so sorry this happened! You're safe now. But I'm sorry that I wasn't able to keep you from getting hurt, my little Evenstar." Arwen nodded wearily. Elrond patted her face then stood up and walked over to Thranduil and Alasse.
"Alasse, how are you doing?" Elrond asked and he knelt beside them.
"My nose is still bleeding!" Alasse answered, holding out the handkerchief. "See?"
"I do see." Elrond nodded. It was barely bleeding now, not enough to cause alarm, but the handkerchief was pretty stained though."May I?" Thranduil nodded to him and he carefully felt her nose. "Does that hurt?"
"Not very much." Alasse shook her head.
"That is good to know. Well, it isn't broken." Elrond smiled. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Alasse nodded.
"My stomach hurts. That mean Orc hit me!" She exclaimed, rubbing her stomach.
"I'm sorry to hear that, little one." Elrond said, feeling her middle. She grimaced and leaned her head on Thranduil's chest. "You have a mean bruise, but it is nothing that will not heal. You're lucky, child. Just keep a cool poultice on it and you should be feeling a bit better. All things considered, things could have been much worse." Elrond straightened up. "Thranduil? I suggest you bring the girls to Alasse's room s they can recuperate quietly in there."
"You are right." Thranduil agreed. He lifted his little elfling princess up onto his shoulder, while Elrond gently carried Arwen, while Celebrian and Fluffy followed them.
"I best get back to my patient." Elrond said. Celebrian nodded as she and Thranduil changed the girls into clean clothes and then settled both of them in bed. Fluffy climbed up and stretched himself out across both their feet under the covers.
"Thranduil, if you have other matters to tend regarding the attack, go on ahead. I will stay with them." Celebrian told him.
"Ai, I am needed elsewhere." Thranduil consented. "However, I will have guards posted outside the door and the windows."
"There is no need for that."
"Our daughters were unexpectedly attacked by Orcs, Celebrian!" Thranduil seethed. "I want every precaution executed!"
"Of course. I understand." Celebrian said quietly.
"Please...don't shout at Nana!" Arwen begged. Thranduil cringed.
"I apologize, my dear." He answered meekly.
"Nana, can you sing?" Arwen asked.
"Certainly, pennyth. I'd be happy to."
Legolas was disheartened by the bleak housing conditions of the people of Laketown. Their homes were extremely small, dirty, and destitute looking. He'd asked the locals for Bard's house, and they'd sent him to the Master of Laketown's establishment. There, a grisly little dark man had treated him most disrespectfully.
"Here now? What the likes of you doin' 'ere, your lordship?" Alfrid hissed through discolored teeth, with an even more horrid breath. "The master ain't seein' no one without leave. So unless you's got some jewels or such to trade, he don't wanna see ya. Off with you now."
"My good man!" Legolas glared, affronted. "Do you dare to speak to me that way, a royal ally to the Master of Laketown?"
"Pfft. Ye didn't arrive with an escort, I see." Alfrid jeered.
"I am here on royal business, I assure you!" Legolas demanded. "Now, if you would be so kind as to inform me of the location of Master Bard's home, then we shall both be rid of one another's appalling company. Speak quickly! It is urgent!"
"Bard?" Alfrid recoiled. "What the h- you wanna be wastin' your precious time on that scum for?"
"Enough!" Legolas snapped. "Where does he live?"
"Near the d- water, two streets down. And don't come around here botherin' me again unless you got something important for the master." Alfrid spat and whirled back into the master's house.
"Oh, you can count on that." Legolas huffed at the door. "Insufferable little son of an Orc!"
After asking around for clear directions, Legolas finally found his way to Bard's humble abode. "How many children does the bargeman have again? I do not recall." Legolas muttered to himself. He stepped up to the front door of Bard's home and knocked. "I am Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm! I bring a message from King Thranduil!" He called.
A moment later, the door opened, and a little girl in a blue dress and blonde pigtails, gazed up at the lanky prince, dumbfounded. "Sigrid! Sigrid! Bain, come look! It's an elf! A real elf." Tilda squealed excitedly.
"Uh, yes." Legolas chuckled. "Does Master Bard the bargeman live here?"
"He's my Da!" Tilda announced. An older, pretty girl appeared behind Tilda and a lanky, ruddy boy followed. "See? I told you!" Tilda boasted.
"Uhm, can I help you, good sir?" Sigrid asked politely.
"Is your father Bard the bargeman?" Legolas asked solemnly.
"Yes?" Bain replied cautiously.
"I am Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm. I am sorry to inform you of this, young ones, but...your father has been grievously injured. He is in our healing halls as I speak. I came that you should know, so you do not fret when he does not return tonight."
"Da?!" Tilda gasped. Sigrid gripped her shoulder, and Bain stood closely next to his sisters.
"Will you take us to him, your highness?" Bain asked.
"We must be with him." Sigrid agreed.
"I must warn you…" Legolas began.
"Da always takes care of us!" Tilda cut him off. "He is always so gentle and strong when we're sick or hurt. He needs us! Now we must take care of him!"
"Pennyth. Please calm yourselves." Legolas held up his hand, trying to calm them. "I must warn you. Your father has acquired some nasty wounds. It will be rather grotesque for your young eyes. I just feel that you should know."
"We have seen blood before, Your Highness." Sigrid said bravely. "Tilda is right. Da needs us."
"Take us to him, please!" Bain begged.
"Alright then." Legolas agreed sullenly.