Elentaari lay still with her eyes shut, listening to the sounds around her. She could hear the slight rustling of curtains as the breeze came in through the open windows, and birds chirping in the trees outside. The scent of flowers and athelas came mixed to her senses, and she felt a soft bed beneath her. She turned her head to oneside and an old she-elf gazed at her with concern.

"Ereniel!" Elentaari struggled to sit up, but the healer's gentle hands pushed her back down.

"Shh, little one, you are safe here," the healer told her. The old elf grasped a cup of water and helped Elentaari drink it slowly. "Your wounds are minor," the healer told her. "You are in the house of Lord Elrond, and if you need anything, you have but to let us know."

Elentaari looked at the healer in desperation. "Please, I have to go to Ereniel!" She tried to get out of the bed, but the healer gently pushed her back. "Please, my lady," she pleaded, "I have to go help her!" The healer looked at her and nodded.

"I will tell Lord Elrond," she said. "Please rest until I come back." She smiled at the impatience of her patient. "I will hurry, I promise." The healer moved off swiftly and Elentaari laid back on the bed. She looked up as someone approached, thinking to herself that the healer had been very quick.

"Elrohir?" she asked in amazement. The elf before her didn't look like he'd been in a fight with a warg - there was no sign of the damage the warg had inflicted. She looked at him in confusion when he began to laugh quietly.

"No, my lady," he said with an easy smile, "I am not Elrohir. I am Elladan, his twin." He looked at the young elf laying on the bed in front of him.

"You are the sons of the lord of this house, yes?" she asked him.

"Yes, Elrond is our father." He smiled. "Welcome to our house." His grin faltered. "I owe you my gratitude for returning my brother to us." Elentaari blushed.

"There are no thanks necessary, my lord," she said formally. "I am glad that he is well." She looked up worriedly. "He is well, isn't he?"

"Yes, he will be fine. Father said he will sleep until tomorrow, but he will be fine." The relief he felt was evident in his voice. "I came to see if you were awake," he told her. "How do you feel?"

"I am fine," she said, "but I must go now." She tried to rise from the bed but swayed when a wave of dizziness assailed her. Strong arms caught her and helped her sit back down on the bed.

"Lenoriel told me you were resting," came a new voice from her side. Elentaari looked up to see Elrond standing before her.

"My lord," she stammered, trying to rise to her feet. Elladan gently helped her up and she bowed before the elven lord. "Lord Elrond," she began again, "I am in your debt. Thank you for all you have done for me." She swallowed back her tears as she thought of Ereniel. "I must go, my lord, I have to go to Ereniel."

Elrond looked at her worriedly. "You are in no condition to ride, I'm afraid," he told her. "I will send someone for her, if you wish," he said. "Is she injured? Will she be able to ride?"

Elentaari hung her head. "She is beyond injury," she whispered. "We were on our way to bring your son to you, when a warg attacked us. She is dead," Elentaari continued tonelessly. "I did not want to leave her body to be defiled, my lord, but I could not stay to tend to her. I was afraid to tarry longer for fear of worsening the injury your son had received. I put her body in her cloak and entrusted it to the mallorn tree that is in our last garden," Elentaari said. "The tree was her favorite and I know that she would wait …. She would not feel as lonely there," she finished quietly.

Elrond listened to her speak in silence. "Put your mind at rest, my dear. I will take care of this at once." And so saying, he turned to a servant and spoke in a low voice.

"It shall be done, my lord," said the servant and left to take careof his lord's instructions.

"Now, you should rest," admonished the elven lord. "Elladan, would you like to have dinner with our guest? I am sure she will appreciate the company." He smiled fondly at his son.

"Yes, Father, I was going to ask her if she was hungry." Elladan smiled at Elentaari. "If you don't mind eating dinner with me, that is."