So, Arallis Farahin has finally been rescued.but what of poor Dahanna? And
we haven't seen the last of Lord and Lady farahin either.
(For those of you who haven't read a Dolengil tale, this is my third
one..the others are A Visit to Chaos and the Hall of Healing Imeant it to
be the Halls.ANYWAY.they'll explain just WHO Dolengil is..if you haven't
guessed yet..(Doelngil is Sindarin for "hidden light.")
"Hold him down Calla! He's tearing the wound!" Dolengil told the linen maid who was helping him undress this late arrival.
Dolengil, a recent addition to the healers in the Halls of Healing in Minas Tirith, was unusual. He kept his face covered, save for his piercing and knowing eyes, wrapped in dun-colored cloth, as was the rest of his body. A leather band picked in gold sat on his head to keep the cloth in place. Claiming he was from the "far east,' his exceptional skills were such, that mysterious or not, the other healers, as well as Lord Aragorn, were grateful for his help. Adding to his mystery, he said little and remained aloof from the others, except the linen maid Calla. And that was because the two of them frequently worked the night watch.
A badly wounded young soldier, Arallis, obviously overlooked earlier, had just been delivered from the south postern gate. He was running a high fever from a deeply imbedded orc arrow to the right thigh.
Finally pulling off his armor and clothes, Dolengil put his hands on either side of the boy's head to calm him down. In a few moments, his breathing even out and the soldier relaxed into sleep.
"Thanks again for your help," Dolengil said, standing with a sigh, his eyes glittering from the candle flames nearby. "If you will find a sack for his belongings, I can get to work here."
Nodding, Calla gathered up the dirty armor, boots, belt and empty scabbard. As she started to pick up the pile from the floor, a small water jug rolled out. Dolengil, about to step back, halted when Calla put a hand to his leg. "Wait, Master, you are about to step on something." She picked it and started to put it aside, when she frowned at it. And then, unceremoniously dropped her bundle.
She recognized this, and it didn't belong to the soldier. It was her friend's Dahanna. She knew it, because last summer, the two women had taken some pottery classes with Calla's brother Sanden. And this water jug was one of the things Dahanna had made. Calla shivered suddenly and clutched the jug to her. Taking a shaking breath, she was about to say something to Dolengil, but seeing he was sorting out his surgical implements, she decided now was not a good time. She would look into this herself.
"Master, I am going to put these away and tidy up the supply room, if you need me."
"Thank you Calla." He turned quickly and smiled, Calla could see it in his eyes. Turning, she took the soldier's belongings away and stuffed them in a sack in the supply room, putting it with the others. But Dolengil had seen the worry in the linen maid's face and frowned slightly. Something amiss here? But the soldier moaned in his sleep and Dolengil brought his attention back to the boy. He would talk to Calla later.
The jug she set on the counter, her heart sinking. How had this soldier acquired this? Where was Dahanna?
Calla rubbed her eyes and stretched as she went to the street door in the Halls of Healing. It was just a few hours before dawn. The insistent ringing of the bell probably signaled a baby on the way.
Opening the door expecting an anxious young couple, she was surprised to see an anxious old couple.
"Yes? What can I do for you?"
The woman pushed past Calla and looked around nervously, her husband right behind. "Our, our brave boy Lord Arallis Farahin was brought in here awhile ago. They just found him outside. We just got word!" The woman was wringing her hands and the man put a consoling arm around her shoulders. "There, there pumpkin. Our boy is all right."
The woman sniffed and nodded. "Yes, yes of course, as soon as we get him out of this charnel house."
Calla rolled her eyes. It wasn't like this was the first upper class couple to come here looking for one of the wounded. But this was hardly a "charnel" house.
"If you will wait here, I shall go see what I can discover."
As she walked back to the main Hall, she found she was followed close behind by the couple. Sighing deeply, she entered and saw Dolengil tending to another of the wounded. She watched as he finished giving the man a drink and smiled as he said a few words and laid a hand on his shoulder. The soldier yawned and soon returned to sleep. Dolengil turned at her approach and raised an elegant eyebrow in question.
"Lord and Lady Farahin to see their son Arallis. I believe he is our most recent arrival."
Dolengil nodded and bowed to the couple, who taking it as their due, swept past the healer and looked around. "Where is he?" the woman asked shrilly. "Where is my baby?"
"There are no children here madam," Dolengil replied dryly, "only men who have given their all for their king."
"Oh yes, that upstart who claims to be Isildur's heir. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole affair was his fault, just to make him look better." Her husband immediately tried to shush her, seeing the healer's eyes blaze in barely concealed anger. "Now, now dear, he's not an imposter, even though we don't know much of his background, the Steward has claimed him the rightful heir. It is not our place to judge him. Not now dear. Let us find Arallis."
Appalled by the human's terrible manners, Dolengil was actually struck speechless for a moment. Thankfully, he caught the twinkle of laughter in Calla's face behind the agitated couple and his temper disappeared. "If you will follow me," He turned and led them over to the sleeping Arallis, smiling as he heard the woman comment to her husband in a what she no doubt considered a whisper, but which keen Elvish ears easily heard, "He's dressed mighty peculiarly for a healer. I wonder if he's any good? I don't think he's from around these parts."
"Your son, madam, sir." Dolengil bowed slightly and indicated the sleeping form of Arallis.
As he expected, the woman could barely contain her sobs and turned into the comfort of her husband's arms. "Madam, I assure you, the boy will recover. He needs rest and quiet. He cannot be moved, until his leg has healed some. He took an arrow to his right thigh and it struck the bone."
The husband winced at his description as he patted the distraught mother. "Are you sure we cannot move him? At least to a private room?"
"I am afraid there are no private rooms here."
"But he is here with all the other soldiers, and might he not pick up some illness or disease with all these others around him?"
"I assure you, we keep the Halls very clean. He will be fine here. I will make sure he does not get sick, as I do with all my patients."
The father nodded distractedly and sighed. The woman bent and kissed her son and the two went slowly out of the Hall. Calla saw them to the door.
Dolengil came up behind her just as she latched the door, saying quietly, "It is late and they are tired from worry and anxiety."
Calla looked into his compassionate eyes and smiled slightly. "Of course Master." Sighing, she went past him and into the supply room to stack the last of the supply baskets by the door for use later in the day.
Dolengil followed her and eyed the contents of the room, making sure there were adequate amounts of herbs and bandages.
Calla then noticed her friend's water jug and went and picked it up.
"Why is that sitting there Calla?"
"It fell out of that soldier Arallis' armor when I was bringing it here."
"And?"
"It, it is not his Master." Calla turned to him, her face creased with worry. "It belongs to my friend Dahanna. I wonder where she is?"
"Might she have just given it to him? After he all, was a wounded soldier and his thirst must have been great."
"Yes, of course, that must be it." She clutched the bottle to her and went past the healer.
"Calla, why don't you go home and rest? I shall see you later this afternoon."
She looked up sharply, "You need to rest too Master Dolengil!"
"Yes, of course. I shall just wait for Master Parnil to arrive."
Nodding, she took the bottle and left.
She had no intention of going to bed yet. She knew where the night soil collectors met. It would be simple to go there and find Dahanna.
"Hold him down Calla! He's tearing the wound!" Dolengil told the linen maid who was helping him undress this late arrival.
Dolengil, a recent addition to the healers in the Halls of Healing in Minas Tirith, was unusual. He kept his face covered, save for his piercing and knowing eyes, wrapped in dun-colored cloth, as was the rest of his body. A leather band picked in gold sat on his head to keep the cloth in place. Claiming he was from the "far east,' his exceptional skills were such, that mysterious or not, the other healers, as well as Lord Aragorn, were grateful for his help. Adding to his mystery, he said little and remained aloof from the others, except the linen maid Calla. And that was because the two of them frequently worked the night watch.
A badly wounded young soldier, Arallis, obviously overlooked earlier, had just been delivered from the south postern gate. He was running a high fever from a deeply imbedded orc arrow to the right thigh.
Finally pulling off his armor and clothes, Dolengil put his hands on either side of the boy's head to calm him down. In a few moments, his breathing even out and the soldier relaxed into sleep.
"Thanks again for your help," Dolengil said, standing with a sigh, his eyes glittering from the candle flames nearby. "If you will find a sack for his belongings, I can get to work here."
Nodding, Calla gathered up the dirty armor, boots, belt and empty scabbard. As she started to pick up the pile from the floor, a small water jug rolled out. Dolengil, about to step back, halted when Calla put a hand to his leg. "Wait, Master, you are about to step on something." She picked it and started to put it aside, when she frowned at it. And then, unceremoniously dropped her bundle.
She recognized this, and it didn't belong to the soldier. It was her friend's Dahanna. She knew it, because last summer, the two women had taken some pottery classes with Calla's brother Sanden. And this water jug was one of the things Dahanna had made. Calla shivered suddenly and clutched the jug to her. Taking a shaking breath, she was about to say something to Dolengil, but seeing he was sorting out his surgical implements, she decided now was not a good time. She would look into this herself.
"Master, I am going to put these away and tidy up the supply room, if you need me."
"Thank you Calla." He turned quickly and smiled, Calla could see it in his eyes. Turning, she took the soldier's belongings away and stuffed them in a sack in the supply room, putting it with the others. But Dolengil had seen the worry in the linen maid's face and frowned slightly. Something amiss here? But the soldier moaned in his sleep and Dolengil brought his attention back to the boy. He would talk to Calla later.
The jug she set on the counter, her heart sinking. How had this soldier acquired this? Where was Dahanna?
Calla rubbed her eyes and stretched as she went to the street door in the Halls of Healing. It was just a few hours before dawn. The insistent ringing of the bell probably signaled a baby on the way.
Opening the door expecting an anxious young couple, she was surprised to see an anxious old couple.
"Yes? What can I do for you?"
The woman pushed past Calla and looked around nervously, her husband right behind. "Our, our brave boy Lord Arallis Farahin was brought in here awhile ago. They just found him outside. We just got word!" The woman was wringing her hands and the man put a consoling arm around her shoulders. "There, there pumpkin. Our boy is all right."
The woman sniffed and nodded. "Yes, yes of course, as soon as we get him out of this charnel house."
Calla rolled her eyes. It wasn't like this was the first upper class couple to come here looking for one of the wounded. But this was hardly a "charnel" house.
"If you will wait here, I shall go see what I can discover."
As she walked back to the main Hall, she found she was followed close behind by the couple. Sighing deeply, she entered and saw Dolengil tending to another of the wounded. She watched as he finished giving the man a drink and smiled as he said a few words and laid a hand on his shoulder. The soldier yawned and soon returned to sleep. Dolengil turned at her approach and raised an elegant eyebrow in question.
"Lord and Lady Farahin to see their son Arallis. I believe he is our most recent arrival."
Dolengil nodded and bowed to the couple, who taking it as their due, swept past the healer and looked around. "Where is he?" the woman asked shrilly. "Where is my baby?"
"There are no children here madam," Dolengil replied dryly, "only men who have given their all for their king."
"Oh yes, that upstart who claims to be Isildur's heir. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole affair was his fault, just to make him look better." Her husband immediately tried to shush her, seeing the healer's eyes blaze in barely concealed anger. "Now, now dear, he's not an imposter, even though we don't know much of his background, the Steward has claimed him the rightful heir. It is not our place to judge him. Not now dear. Let us find Arallis."
Appalled by the human's terrible manners, Dolengil was actually struck speechless for a moment. Thankfully, he caught the twinkle of laughter in Calla's face behind the agitated couple and his temper disappeared. "If you will follow me," He turned and led them over to the sleeping Arallis, smiling as he heard the woman comment to her husband in a what she no doubt considered a whisper, but which keen Elvish ears easily heard, "He's dressed mighty peculiarly for a healer. I wonder if he's any good? I don't think he's from around these parts."
"Your son, madam, sir." Dolengil bowed slightly and indicated the sleeping form of Arallis.
As he expected, the woman could barely contain her sobs and turned into the comfort of her husband's arms. "Madam, I assure you, the boy will recover. He needs rest and quiet. He cannot be moved, until his leg has healed some. He took an arrow to his right thigh and it struck the bone."
The husband winced at his description as he patted the distraught mother. "Are you sure we cannot move him? At least to a private room?"
"I am afraid there are no private rooms here."
"But he is here with all the other soldiers, and might he not pick up some illness or disease with all these others around him?"
"I assure you, we keep the Halls very clean. He will be fine here. I will make sure he does not get sick, as I do with all my patients."
The father nodded distractedly and sighed. The woman bent and kissed her son and the two went slowly out of the Hall. Calla saw them to the door.
Dolengil came up behind her just as she latched the door, saying quietly, "It is late and they are tired from worry and anxiety."
Calla looked into his compassionate eyes and smiled slightly. "Of course Master." Sighing, she went past him and into the supply room to stack the last of the supply baskets by the door for use later in the day.
Dolengil followed her and eyed the contents of the room, making sure there were adequate amounts of herbs and bandages.
Calla then noticed her friend's water jug and went and picked it up.
"Why is that sitting there Calla?"
"It fell out of that soldier Arallis' armor when I was bringing it here."
"And?"
"It, it is not his Master." Calla turned to him, her face creased with worry. "It belongs to my friend Dahanna. I wonder where she is?"
"Might she have just given it to him? After he all, was a wounded soldier and his thirst must have been great."
"Yes, of course, that must be it." She clutched the bottle to her and went past the healer.
"Calla, why don't you go home and rest? I shall see you later this afternoon."
She looked up sharply, "You need to rest too Master Dolengil!"
"Yes, of course. I shall just wait for Master Parnil to arrive."
Nodding, she took the bottle and left.
She had no intention of going to bed yet. She knew where the night soil collectors met. It would be simple to go there and find Dahanna.