Just then, Elrond entered Thim's room, bearing an armload of linen, a dark
green robe and a small stoppered cruet. Thera stopped singing the tavern
song she had learned from Magda, when the elf came in. She jumped off the
bed and tried to help with the linen, but Elrond moved around her and put
the pile on the table by the window. Thera smiled as she saw the cruet he
placed at Thim's bedside. "Is that the medicine he needs?"
"If my diagnosis is correct."
"Can I help?"
"Certainly. Lift his head." Elrond pressed on the boy's jaw and once opened, carefully poured half the cordial down his throat, massaging it until he swallowed. Nodding at Thera, she lay his head back and watched him anxiously.
"It will take awhile to work Thera. He may get sick in the meantime, so we need to lay some more linen around and under him, all right?"
Thera willing to do anything for Thim, helped as much as she could. Elrond undressed the boy and lay cloth under and over him. He had also ordered hot water for a bath to be brought in an hour or so. Though he had told Thera he wouldn't have to do anything as drastic as the other healers had, if he was correct, a purge was actually what Thim needed because he believed Thim was suffering from a bad tapeworm infection. The results of the medicine would be messy, but if indeed a worm (or worms) were the problem, the purge would clean him out.
But Thera didn't need to see the purge in action. One of the other healers, Isingal would monitor Thim. In the meantime, Thera needed a little distraction. Her constant worrying over Thim interfered with her own recovery.
"Come along Thera, why don't you come outside while we give the medicine time to work. It is a nice day."
"All right." Elrond wrapped the robe around her and led her along the corridor until they reached a terrace with steps leading outside.
"It is beautiful here! What a lovely view! Thim will like this when he gets better. She turned to look at him, her face anxious again. "He will get better, won't he? "
Elrond put a hand on her shoulder and said "I am confident this medicine will help. Why don't you sit out here---"
"My lord," an elf came up to the two of them and Elrond turned, "Yes, Oralis?"
"Master Aragorn has broken another vase and he seems inconsolable. Though I admit to not being well acquainted with small children."
"Do not worry Oralis. Bring Aragorn out here, we will watch him."
"A baby? Is this the child the Rangers had?"
"Yes," Elrond looked at her curiously, "How do you know about that?
"They came upon us on the Road and one of the Rangers looked at Thim and said Thim wouldn't make it." Her eyes clouded up with tears at that, but she took a deep breath and collected herself. "Just as they rode off, I heard a baby cry. They didn't tell me who he was or anything and I thought they were kidnapping him! I asked them to take Thim along, but they had ridden off by then." She paused to put a strand of hair behind her ear. " So, they brought the baby here?"
"Yes, I shall foster him until he becomes an adult."
"That's very nice of you. So, he's an orphan?"
"Yes, Thera, just like you and Thim."
Thera nodded and looked out into the breeze-tossed garden, Elrond sat on a bench near her, but she was on the grass, the robe wrapped around her. The air was full of floral scents, mostly roses and alyssium. She lifted her face and murmured again, "This is really nice." She flopped back on the grass with a sigh.
But the peaceful scene was soon broken up by the sound of an angrily crying toddler, who, no matter how many times he was told to stop doing something, shouted out "No!"
A harried Oralis came into view, practically running down the terrace steps, holding out Aragorn and trying to get him to release his long brown hair.
Elrond stood and took the boy and Thera got up and carefully untangled the elf's hair from Aragorn's fist. She laughed as she worked, and suddenly, Aragorn released the elf's hair (who bowed quickly and ran) and started to laugh.
Elrond set Aragorn in front of Thera who immediately began to tickle the boy's tummy. He fell on the grass with that, rolling back and forth and giggling uproariously. She then pulled up Aragorn's shirt and just above his nappy, blew on his stomach. This got the boy even more excited. He got up and ran over to Elrond and decided to use the edge of his robe to play hide and go seek. Elrond raised an elegant eyebrow at this and was about to pull the cloth away from the boy, when Thera put out a hand. "He is just playing a game, he won't hurt anything." She looked at the elf lord's expression and laughed. "He's just having fun." But she saw that Elrond seemed to be uncomfortable with the child, so, with her good hand, she took the toddler over to the flower beds and pointed out bugs and blooms to him.
As she pulled him along, she glanced over at the healer and saw he was deep in thought. Little Aragorn yawned suddenly and sat down. He became fascinated with a snail and after a moment, picked it up and put it in his mouth. Laughing, Thera pulled it away and put it out of reach. Aragorn's face started to crumple up but she pulled him towards her. Curling up with him, she started to sing the song she had sung earlier to Thim. Aragorn, now on his back, kept his eyes on Thera's face as she sang. He pulled up a foot and stuck it in his mouth. Thera gently pulled it away, still singing. Aragorn yawned again, which made Thera yawn too. Her song petered out and soon, both of them lay asleep.
Elrond, noticing the quiet, came and stood over them, smiling. Thera had her arm around Aragorn and both lay on their backs. Glancing at the sun, he saw that shortly they would be cast in shade by a nearby weeping willow. Satisfied they would come to no harm, he strode back to the House. Before he went to Thim's room, he stopped in the kitchens. One, to get himself a snack and two, to pick up a few large aprons. Then it was on to the invalid's room.
"How is he Isingal?"
Elrond looked at the boy clinically as he tied one of the voluminous aprons around his waist. There seemed to be no change. He handed the other apron to Isingal who put it on, commenting as he did so, "He has coughed a few times but that is all."
"We must make sure he does not choke, as he already has congested lungs." He gently pulled Thim on to his side, adjusting cloths, and adding more.
Checking Thim's pulse, the elf lord sat, hands clasped, elbows on knees. It would not be long now.
Thera woke to the sound of Aragorn whimpering in his sleep. Blinking in the shadow, she carefully pulled her arm out from the restless child and then bent and kissed him. He was so much like Thim at this age!
Aragorn woke and sat up blinking and then immediately got up and ran giggling across the lawn, with a laughing Thera behind him. She spent most of the afternoon chasing Aragorn. It was hard holding on to the squirming child and she worried that he would get into trouble that she wouldn't be able to get him out of with one arm.
He was so curious! She constantly had to pull things out of his mouth, though she wasn't quite successful with the flower bed dirt. Her robe had gotten caught in some rose thorns while Aragorn had been enchanted with a butterfly. Then when the butterfly flitted to the ground, Aragorn, missing the insect but grabbing a handful of dirt and leaves instead, pushed it into his mouth grinning. He even ate some of it. Thera hastily wiped it off, painfully banging her arm against the edge of the stone planter when she unthinkingly grabbed him to keep him from doing it again.
Then he was off again with another happy shriek and Thera, sighing ran after him. When she finally caught him, she held him close as she was getting really tired. Holding on to his hand, she went into the House, uncertain where to go. They walked the corridors, beautifully decorated with tapestries and stone carvings, thick carpets and inlaid wooden floors. Free -standing candelabra of sinuous wood lit up dark corners.
Finally, too tired to wander anymore, Thera found a padded bench in an alcove and sat. Aragorn crawled up into her lap and promptly put a length of her hair in his mouth. Thera tiredly lifted her injured arm and grimaced at the thin line of blood soaking the linen. Aragorn smacked it playfully which brought tears to her eyes.
"No no Aragorn, that hurts!" She waggled her hair in his face, which got him laughing again and then he stood on the bench trying to reach the head of horse in a painting behind them.
Thera really wanted to go back to bed, but then she remembered Thim. Oh, where was his room from here? Had the medicine worked? At a loss on what to do, she curled up around Aragorn, and started to cry. She couldn't help herself, she was just too tired and they were lost in this great big House and she didn't know where Thim was, and---"
"Ah, mistress Thera, you have led us a merry chase."
She looked up at that, hastily wiping her eyes, to see an unknown elf standing before her. He bent and took the wiggling toddler and said, "I am Isingal and I have been helping Lord Elrond. If you follow me, I will take you to your brother."
She scrambled off the bench and wiping her face again, she pulled the robe around her, suddenly chilled. "He -he is all right? Did the medicine work?"
"Yes, yes, all is well. He is sleeping now. Come along."
Thera holding her arm followed the elf smiling as broad as the sky. Thim was okay!! Thim was going to get well! He was just sleeping! Tears came again, but she didn't care. Thim was all right!
She almost ran into Isingal when he stopped, little Aragorn asleep on his shoulder. As Isingal opened the door, she pushed past him and ran to the bed. Isingal, smiling, left with the sleeping toddler drooling on his shoulder.
Thim lay asleep, much like she had seen him earlier. She looked up at Elrond, who was putting away the last of his supplies. Smiling, he said, "We'll know tomorrow for sure if the medicine worked Thera. But he is sleeping peacefully now."
She bit her lip, wanting to climb into bed with him.
Elrond's gaze rested on Thera's anxious face, "As for you young lady," he went to her side and gently picked up her bandaged arm. Thera paled as she looked at the stained linen bandage. "Allow me to re-bandage your arm. Hopefully you have not broken any stitches."
Thera grimaced at the thought and then looked up. "Why won't it move?"
"The wound was deep which affects the movement of your lower arm. You must keep it still and let it heal." Thera swallowed dryly and nodded. Elrond, seeing her exhaustion picked her up, careful of her arm. Going back to her room he asked, "You have not told me how you acquired this knife wound."
Thera sunk down in his arms remembering. "Fisel stole my horse Lily and I tried to stop him." She shivered.
Elrond glanced down at her. "When did this occur?"
She frowned, thinking hard. "I think it was, three days ago?" She looked up at him. "I am not sure."
Nodding, he lay her back on the bed and crossed the room, to the table under the window, where he gathered what he needed from supplies left there earlier. Setting the items on the bedside table, he picked up her arm and expertly un-wrapped the linen. Thera, torn between fascination and revulsion, decided she wanted to watch. She had never had any injuries before. And, so far, this elf had not hurt her.
The wound, cleanly sewn with small precise stitches, was clear of infection. In the middle, however, Elrond saw two small stitches had pulled loose and the cut was bleeding.
" I will need to re-sew this Thera. I promise to cause as little pain as possible."
He poured a clear liquid on a small square of cloth and gently pressed down where the break in the stitches were.
Thera hissed at the sudden coldness but there was no pain. In a few moments, her arm was numb where he had pressed the cloth.
"Who is this Fisel that stole your horse Thera," Elrond asked conversationally as he threaded a small needle.
Thera swallowed, throat dry again and took a deep breath, "I, ah, he was a tinker Thim and I met along the road. We, he stopped us one evening-" She reflexively winced as she saw the needle go into her skin, but felt nothing at all.
"And?" He pulled the thread through the skin smoothly.
"He asked us to have dinner with them and so we did." She swallowed again, feeling a little funny. "I helped with the stew and the dishes afterwards. I went to check on Thim as he was sleeping then.' Thera could not watch Elrond's exacting work anymore and lay back against the pillows. He paused, looking at her clinically and saw she was close to fainting.
With a small smile, he prodded, "And...?"
"I overheard them talking about drugging me and stealing Lily and the cart when I was coming back and they didn't see me, and---" She took another deep breath and felt sweat break out on her forehead. "We, ah, I got back to Thim and told him to untie Lily and when they weren't looking we took off..." Thera closed her eyes and shivered.
Elrond, finished, lay a hand on the arm for a moment to send some healing energy to the deep tissue.
Standing, he put away his surgical kit, and then bent over one more time, touching her briefly on the forehead. Thera blinked and took another deep breath. Standing with a smile he said, "All right Thera?"
"Yes, yes. Thank you."
He went back to the table under the window and selected two lengths of linen. He came back to Thera and gently re-wrapped her arm. "You will need a new sling too. Here," She sat forward and he adjusted the cloth and tied it in a knot then carefully put her arm in the sling. He pulled out her hair and lay it on her shoulders. "Rest now," he said as he pulled the quilt up. "And thank you for your care of Aragorn. I know he was a bit of an armful."
She smiled sleepily, "Especially when you have only one arm!"
The candles were lit by her bedside and Thera could smell something delicious, a bowl sat steaming at her bedside when she awoke. She awkwardly sat up, careful of her arm. Taking the bowl, she sipped cautiously. It was a thick broth, much like the one she had tasted in Thim's room. It disappeared quickly. Seeing a roll and an apple cut in fourths, she ate them too.
She lay back in the pillows and smiled about to settle back down again, but then sat up quickly: Thim!!
She got out of bed and taking a deep breath, went out her door and rushed to Thim's. Opening the door slowly, she glanced in. Thim lay sleeping, propped up by pillows. The warm golden light of two large candles at his bedside made his skin glow healthily. There was a small bowl of steaming herbs next to the candles. Going up to his side, she leaned over and peered into his face. He did look much better, less pale. Really. She put a hand out and softly caressed his cheek.
At that moment, Thim awoke.
"Oh Thim!!" Thera put her arm around him and kissed him. "Oh Thim, you are awake!! How do you feel ?!!!"
Thim struggled to sit up, and she helped him lean against the pillows. He smiled at her sleepily, "All right, I guess. My tummy and throat hurt a little."
Thera, seeing a carafe of water, poured him half a goblet, which he drank eagerly. Setting the goblet aside, she put a hand to his forehead. It was cool, though slightly clammy. Thim was better!! Hurray for the elves!!
"Oh Thim, we have reached Rivendell and the elves are nice and, and there is an elf named Elrond, he is lord, I think, and a healer and he's the one that's cured you!! " She hugged him again. "It is so good, so good to see you awake." Thera couldn't help herself and started to cry, big wracking sobs. She slid down to kneel on the floor, her forehead leaning on the edge of the bed, her good hand up on the bed, holding Thim's hand. Thim bit his lip, uncertain what to do. Poor Thera!
She was crying so hard, she didn't hear the door open. Someone knelt at her side. "Thera, have you hurt yourself again?"
Elrond gently untangled her from Thim's bed and helped her to stand. Helpless, she fell against him, still crying. Surprised, he put a tentative hand on her back and then pulled her close.
Thera sobbed until all her tears dried out. She slowly became aware that she was held close by someone and that someone was slowly rubbing her back. Pushing back embarassed, she rubbed her eyes, taking big gulps. "Oh, oh, I am sorry, Lord Elrond." She touched the deep green of his robe, where she had gotten it wet. Elrond smiled and put a hand on her head. "It is all right Thera. Feel better now?"
'Ye-yes." She smiled shakily and rubbed hand across her face. "My head hurts now."
"Well you've had a good cry."
"Thera says you've cured me!" Thim piped up excitedly. "I don't have to take any more medicine or, or see any more doctors! I can go play with the chicks now, can't I?"
Thim beamed up at the tall elf, still standing with an arm around his sister. Thera was right, elves were tall, and pretty!
"Well, you will need a little more medicine, Master Thim. But in a few more days, if you recover quickly, you will be able to go outside and I suspect, we can find you a few chicks."
Thim clapped his hands. "I can't wait!"
Elrond looked down at Thera, who was half asleep. Leading her to the other side of the bed, he helped her up and pulled the blankets up. He knew being with her brother would improve her outlook immeasurably.
She looked up at him sleepily and yawned. "Thank you," she whispered. Erond lay a hand on her forehead and Thera fell into deep sleep.
"Your sister has worried a great deal about you Master Thim. It is she who got you here."
Thim looked at the elf, his face serious. He then bent and kissed his sleeping sister on the cheek. "She is the best sister any boy could have. I knew she would get us here!" Thim touched her bandaged arm. "Is she okay?"
Elrond came up to Thim and settled him back into the blankets and blew out the candles. He said quietly in the dark, "She is now Thim, she is now." Laying his hand on Thim's brow, the boy yawned as he slipped back into sleep.
Smiling at the picture they made, Elrond quietly left the bedroom.
Now, if little Aragorn were so easily settled!
(Now stay with me! There is more to the story than just Thera and Thim's recovery!)
1
"If my diagnosis is correct."
"Can I help?"
"Certainly. Lift his head." Elrond pressed on the boy's jaw and once opened, carefully poured half the cordial down his throat, massaging it until he swallowed. Nodding at Thera, she lay his head back and watched him anxiously.
"It will take awhile to work Thera. He may get sick in the meantime, so we need to lay some more linen around and under him, all right?"
Thera willing to do anything for Thim, helped as much as she could. Elrond undressed the boy and lay cloth under and over him. He had also ordered hot water for a bath to be brought in an hour or so. Though he had told Thera he wouldn't have to do anything as drastic as the other healers had, if he was correct, a purge was actually what Thim needed because he believed Thim was suffering from a bad tapeworm infection. The results of the medicine would be messy, but if indeed a worm (or worms) were the problem, the purge would clean him out.
But Thera didn't need to see the purge in action. One of the other healers, Isingal would monitor Thim. In the meantime, Thera needed a little distraction. Her constant worrying over Thim interfered with her own recovery.
"Come along Thera, why don't you come outside while we give the medicine time to work. It is a nice day."
"All right." Elrond wrapped the robe around her and led her along the corridor until they reached a terrace with steps leading outside.
"It is beautiful here! What a lovely view! Thim will like this when he gets better. She turned to look at him, her face anxious again. "He will get better, won't he? "
Elrond put a hand on her shoulder and said "I am confident this medicine will help. Why don't you sit out here---"
"My lord," an elf came up to the two of them and Elrond turned, "Yes, Oralis?"
"Master Aragorn has broken another vase and he seems inconsolable. Though I admit to not being well acquainted with small children."
"Do not worry Oralis. Bring Aragorn out here, we will watch him."
"A baby? Is this the child the Rangers had?"
"Yes," Elrond looked at her curiously, "How do you know about that?
"They came upon us on the Road and one of the Rangers looked at Thim and said Thim wouldn't make it." Her eyes clouded up with tears at that, but she took a deep breath and collected herself. "Just as they rode off, I heard a baby cry. They didn't tell me who he was or anything and I thought they were kidnapping him! I asked them to take Thim along, but they had ridden off by then." She paused to put a strand of hair behind her ear. " So, they brought the baby here?"
"Yes, I shall foster him until he becomes an adult."
"That's very nice of you. So, he's an orphan?"
"Yes, Thera, just like you and Thim."
Thera nodded and looked out into the breeze-tossed garden, Elrond sat on a bench near her, but she was on the grass, the robe wrapped around her. The air was full of floral scents, mostly roses and alyssium. She lifted her face and murmured again, "This is really nice." She flopped back on the grass with a sigh.
But the peaceful scene was soon broken up by the sound of an angrily crying toddler, who, no matter how many times he was told to stop doing something, shouted out "No!"
A harried Oralis came into view, practically running down the terrace steps, holding out Aragorn and trying to get him to release his long brown hair.
Elrond stood and took the boy and Thera got up and carefully untangled the elf's hair from Aragorn's fist. She laughed as she worked, and suddenly, Aragorn released the elf's hair (who bowed quickly and ran) and started to laugh.
Elrond set Aragorn in front of Thera who immediately began to tickle the boy's tummy. He fell on the grass with that, rolling back and forth and giggling uproariously. She then pulled up Aragorn's shirt and just above his nappy, blew on his stomach. This got the boy even more excited. He got up and ran over to Elrond and decided to use the edge of his robe to play hide and go seek. Elrond raised an elegant eyebrow at this and was about to pull the cloth away from the boy, when Thera put out a hand. "He is just playing a game, he won't hurt anything." She looked at the elf lord's expression and laughed. "He's just having fun." But she saw that Elrond seemed to be uncomfortable with the child, so, with her good hand, she took the toddler over to the flower beds and pointed out bugs and blooms to him.
As she pulled him along, she glanced over at the healer and saw he was deep in thought. Little Aragorn yawned suddenly and sat down. He became fascinated with a snail and after a moment, picked it up and put it in his mouth. Laughing, Thera pulled it away and put it out of reach. Aragorn's face started to crumple up but she pulled him towards her. Curling up with him, she started to sing the song she had sung earlier to Thim. Aragorn, now on his back, kept his eyes on Thera's face as she sang. He pulled up a foot and stuck it in his mouth. Thera gently pulled it away, still singing. Aragorn yawned again, which made Thera yawn too. Her song petered out and soon, both of them lay asleep.
Elrond, noticing the quiet, came and stood over them, smiling. Thera had her arm around Aragorn and both lay on their backs. Glancing at the sun, he saw that shortly they would be cast in shade by a nearby weeping willow. Satisfied they would come to no harm, he strode back to the House. Before he went to Thim's room, he stopped in the kitchens. One, to get himself a snack and two, to pick up a few large aprons. Then it was on to the invalid's room.
"How is he Isingal?"
Elrond looked at the boy clinically as he tied one of the voluminous aprons around his waist. There seemed to be no change. He handed the other apron to Isingal who put it on, commenting as he did so, "He has coughed a few times but that is all."
"We must make sure he does not choke, as he already has congested lungs." He gently pulled Thim on to his side, adjusting cloths, and adding more.
Checking Thim's pulse, the elf lord sat, hands clasped, elbows on knees. It would not be long now.
Thera woke to the sound of Aragorn whimpering in his sleep. Blinking in the shadow, she carefully pulled her arm out from the restless child and then bent and kissed him. He was so much like Thim at this age!
Aragorn woke and sat up blinking and then immediately got up and ran giggling across the lawn, with a laughing Thera behind him. She spent most of the afternoon chasing Aragorn. It was hard holding on to the squirming child and she worried that he would get into trouble that she wouldn't be able to get him out of with one arm.
He was so curious! She constantly had to pull things out of his mouth, though she wasn't quite successful with the flower bed dirt. Her robe had gotten caught in some rose thorns while Aragorn had been enchanted with a butterfly. Then when the butterfly flitted to the ground, Aragorn, missing the insect but grabbing a handful of dirt and leaves instead, pushed it into his mouth grinning. He even ate some of it. Thera hastily wiped it off, painfully banging her arm against the edge of the stone planter when she unthinkingly grabbed him to keep him from doing it again.
Then he was off again with another happy shriek and Thera, sighing ran after him. When she finally caught him, she held him close as she was getting really tired. Holding on to his hand, she went into the House, uncertain where to go. They walked the corridors, beautifully decorated with tapestries and stone carvings, thick carpets and inlaid wooden floors. Free -standing candelabra of sinuous wood lit up dark corners.
Finally, too tired to wander anymore, Thera found a padded bench in an alcove and sat. Aragorn crawled up into her lap and promptly put a length of her hair in his mouth. Thera tiredly lifted her injured arm and grimaced at the thin line of blood soaking the linen. Aragorn smacked it playfully which brought tears to her eyes.
"No no Aragorn, that hurts!" She waggled her hair in his face, which got him laughing again and then he stood on the bench trying to reach the head of horse in a painting behind them.
Thera really wanted to go back to bed, but then she remembered Thim. Oh, where was his room from here? Had the medicine worked? At a loss on what to do, she curled up around Aragorn, and started to cry. She couldn't help herself, she was just too tired and they were lost in this great big House and she didn't know where Thim was, and---"
"Ah, mistress Thera, you have led us a merry chase."
She looked up at that, hastily wiping her eyes, to see an unknown elf standing before her. He bent and took the wiggling toddler and said, "I am Isingal and I have been helping Lord Elrond. If you follow me, I will take you to your brother."
She scrambled off the bench and wiping her face again, she pulled the robe around her, suddenly chilled. "He -he is all right? Did the medicine work?"
"Yes, yes, all is well. He is sleeping now. Come along."
Thera holding her arm followed the elf smiling as broad as the sky. Thim was okay!! Thim was going to get well! He was just sleeping! Tears came again, but she didn't care. Thim was all right!
She almost ran into Isingal when he stopped, little Aragorn asleep on his shoulder. As Isingal opened the door, she pushed past him and ran to the bed. Isingal, smiling, left with the sleeping toddler drooling on his shoulder.
Thim lay asleep, much like she had seen him earlier. She looked up at Elrond, who was putting away the last of his supplies. Smiling, he said, "We'll know tomorrow for sure if the medicine worked Thera. But he is sleeping peacefully now."
She bit her lip, wanting to climb into bed with him.
Elrond's gaze rested on Thera's anxious face, "As for you young lady," he went to her side and gently picked up her bandaged arm. Thera paled as she looked at the stained linen bandage. "Allow me to re-bandage your arm. Hopefully you have not broken any stitches."
Thera grimaced at the thought and then looked up. "Why won't it move?"
"The wound was deep which affects the movement of your lower arm. You must keep it still and let it heal." Thera swallowed dryly and nodded. Elrond, seeing her exhaustion picked her up, careful of her arm. Going back to her room he asked, "You have not told me how you acquired this knife wound."
Thera sunk down in his arms remembering. "Fisel stole my horse Lily and I tried to stop him." She shivered.
Elrond glanced down at her. "When did this occur?"
She frowned, thinking hard. "I think it was, three days ago?" She looked up at him. "I am not sure."
Nodding, he lay her back on the bed and crossed the room, to the table under the window, where he gathered what he needed from supplies left there earlier. Setting the items on the bedside table, he picked up her arm and expertly un-wrapped the linen. Thera, torn between fascination and revulsion, decided she wanted to watch. She had never had any injuries before. And, so far, this elf had not hurt her.
The wound, cleanly sewn with small precise stitches, was clear of infection. In the middle, however, Elrond saw two small stitches had pulled loose and the cut was bleeding.
" I will need to re-sew this Thera. I promise to cause as little pain as possible."
He poured a clear liquid on a small square of cloth and gently pressed down where the break in the stitches were.
Thera hissed at the sudden coldness but there was no pain. In a few moments, her arm was numb where he had pressed the cloth.
"Who is this Fisel that stole your horse Thera," Elrond asked conversationally as he threaded a small needle.
Thera swallowed, throat dry again and took a deep breath, "I, ah, he was a tinker Thim and I met along the road. We, he stopped us one evening-" She reflexively winced as she saw the needle go into her skin, but felt nothing at all.
"And?" He pulled the thread through the skin smoothly.
"He asked us to have dinner with them and so we did." She swallowed again, feeling a little funny. "I helped with the stew and the dishes afterwards. I went to check on Thim as he was sleeping then.' Thera could not watch Elrond's exacting work anymore and lay back against the pillows. He paused, looking at her clinically and saw she was close to fainting.
With a small smile, he prodded, "And...?"
"I overheard them talking about drugging me and stealing Lily and the cart when I was coming back and they didn't see me, and---" She took another deep breath and felt sweat break out on her forehead. "We, ah, I got back to Thim and told him to untie Lily and when they weren't looking we took off..." Thera closed her eyes and shivered.
Elrond, finished, lay a hand on the arm for a moment to send some healing energy to the deep tissue.
Standing, he put away his surgical kit, and then bent over one more time, touching her briefly on the forehead. Thera blinked and took another deep breath. Standing with a smile he said, "All right Thera?"
"Yes, yes. Thank you."
He went back to the table under the window and selected two lengths of linen. He came back to Thera and gently re-wrapped her arm. "You will need a new sling too. Here," She sat forward and he adjusted the cloth and tied it in a knot then carefully put her arm in the sling. He pulled out her hair and lay it on her shoulders. "Rest now," he said as he pulled the quilt up. "And thank you for your care of Aragorn. I know he was a bit of an armful."
She smiled sleepily, "Especially when you have only one arm!"
The candles were lit by her bedside and Thera could smell something delicious, a bowl sat steaming at her bedside when she awoke. She awkwardly sat up, careful of her arm. Taking the bowl, she sipped cautiously. It was a thick broth, much like the one she had tasted in Thim's room. It disappeared quickly. Seeing a roll and an apple cut in fourths, she ate them too.
She lay back in the pillows and smiled about to settle back down again, but then sat up quickly: Thim!!
She got out of bed and taking a deep breath, went out her door and rushed to Thim's. Opening the door slowly, she glanced in. Thim lay sleeping, propped up by pillows. The warm golden light of two large candles at his bedside made his skin glow healthily. There was a small bowl of steaming herbs next to the candles. Going up to his side, she leaned over and peered into his face. He did look much better, less pale. Really. She put a hand out and softly caressed his cheek.
At that moment, Thim awoke.
"Oh Thim!!" Thera put her arm around him and kissed him. "Oh Thim, you are awake!! How do you feel ?!!!"
Thim struggled to sit up, and she helped him lean against the pillows. He smiled at her sleepily, "All right, I guess. My tummy and throat hurt a little."
Thera, seeing a carafe of water, poured him half a goblet, which he drank eagerly. Setting the goblet aside, she put a hand to his forehead. It was cool, though slightly clammy. Thim was better!! Hurray for the elves!!
"Oh Thim, we have reached Rivendell and the elves are nice and, and there is an elf named Elrond, he is lord, I think, and a healer and he's the one that's cured you!! " She hugged him again. "It is so good, so good to see you awake." Thera couldn't help herself and started to cry, big wracking sobs. She slid down to kneel on the floor, her forehead leaning on the edge of the bed, her good hand up on the bed, holding Thim's hand. Thim bit his lip, uncertain what to do. Poor Thera!
She was crying so hard, she didn't hear the door open. Someone knelt at her side. "Thera, have you hurt yourself again?"
Elrond gently untangled her from Thim's bed and helped her to stand. Helpless, she fell against him, still crying. Surprised, he put a tentative hand on her back and then pulled her close.
Thera sobbed until all her tears dried out. She slowly became aware that she was held close by someone and that someone was slowly rubbing her back. Pushing back embarassed, she rubbed her eyes, taking big gulps. "Oh, oh, I am sorry, Lord Elrond." She touched the deep green of his robe, where she had gotten it wet. Elrond smiled and put a hand on her head. "It is all right Thera. Feel better now?"
'Ye-yes." She smiled shakily and rubbed hand across her face. "My head hurts now."
"Well you've had a good cry."
"Thera says you've cured me!" Thim piped up excitedly. "I don't have to take any more medicine or, or see any more doctors! I can go play with the chicks now, can't I?"
Thim beamed up at the tall elf, still standing with an arm around his sister. Thera was right, elves were tall, and pretty!
"Well, you will need a little more medicine, Master Thim. But in a few more days, if you recover quickly, you will be able to go outside and I suspect, we can find you a few chicks."
Thim clapped his hands. "I can't wait!"
Elrond looked down at Thera, who was half asleep. Leading her to the other side of the bed, he helped her up and pulled the blankets up. He knew being with her brother would improve her outlook immeasurably.
She looked up at him sleepily and yawned. "Thank you," she whispered. Erond lay a hand on her forehead and Thera fell into deep sleep.
"Your sister has worried a great deal about you Master Thim. It is she who got you here."
Thim looked at the elf, his face serious. He then bent and kissed his sleeping sister on the cheek. "She is the best sister any boy could have. I knew she would get us here!" Thim touched her bandaged arm. "Is she okay?"
Elrond came up to Thim and settled him back into the blankets and blew out the candles. He said quietly in the dark, "She is now Thim, she is now." Laying his hand on Thim's brow, the boy yawned as he slipped back into sleep.
Smiling at the picture they made, Elrond quietly left the bedroom.
Now, if little Aragorn were so easily settled!
(Now stay with me! There is more to the story than just Thera and Thim's recovery!)
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