The next morning, Arwen woke early and stared at her friend Enedeth, who slept eyes closed and mouth slightly opened.

Arwen stared at her frightened and leaped out of her bed, running for her parent's room.

Unlatching the door, she ran into the dark bedroom to her father's side of the bed. He had his arm around Celebrian, his head next to hers, eyes half- open, deep asleep.

Biting her lip, she shook her father by the shoulder and instantly awoke him. He turned to his daughter and sat up, brushing his hair out of his face. "What is the matter sweetheart?" Celebrian roused from sleep, sat up frowning at Arwen.

"Ada! Oh Ada! Enedeth is dead! "

Elrond alarmed, leapt out of bed, not even bothering with a robe. "All right Arwen, calm down.wait sweetheart, are her eyes closed?"

"Yes of course Ada! That is why she is dead!!" Arwen's lip trembled. "My first friend, dead!"

Elrond hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "No, no sweetheart, she is asleep. Humans sleep with their eyes closed. "

Celebrian spoke up from the bed. "Ada is right Arwen. Do not worry, you will see. She is just sleeping."

"As I am quite awake now, we will just go in and check on her, all right?"

"Yes, Ada," Arwen said sniffling. "I do not want to lose her."

"No, there is no problem of that."

Grabbing the robe that lay over a nearby chair, he threw the long garment over his sleeping tunic and followed a running Arwen back to her room.

The sunlight was just touching the edge of the ceiling in Arwen's room when the two elves entered, Elrond shushing his daughter's excitement. He went up to the small form in the bed and took her pulse. It was even and slow. Putting a hand briefly on her forehead, he frowned at the warmth. Perhaps she had jostled her arm last night exacerbating the injury.

"Come here sweetheart, take her pulse like I showed you." He gently placed Arwens fingers on the proper place. "See? Nice and strong. Though I think she is coming down with a fever, poor child. I will go make a fever reducer and you can come help if you get dressed quick as a bunny."

"I will father!" Arwen ran to her wardrobe and rummaged through her dresses, while Elrond sat on a chair nearby.

Enedeth woke slowly and looked around with a frown. Where was she? Not home.and then she remembered and sat up and rubbed her eyes. Elrond stood and came over to her. "Good morning Enedeth. How are you feeling?"

"My-my head hurts." Enedeth looked at the elf lord, blinking in confusion. Had he stayed all night?

"Does your arm?"

"A little."

"Well, I am going to make you something for the fever and the pain. Arwen, are you almost dressed?"

She ran out of her bathroom brushing her hair. Elrond beckoned her forward and deftly brushed her hair until it shone. Finishing up her laces, he turned back to Enedeth. "We won't be long. The bathroom is in there, " he said pointing, "if you need it."

In moments, Enedeth was alone. She hugged Polly and kicked off the blankets. She was too warm with them on. Then she got up and went out the terrace doors to a chair outside on the tiles. She curled up on the cushion, holding Polly. Glancing at the nightgown she wore covered with white embroidery, her heart dropped. It was more beautiful than her best dress!

"Polly, I just want to go home! Arwen and her father are very nice, but, but this is just too much. And my head hurts. I wonder if grandmamma has noticed I am gone?"

Enedeth sniffled and leaned back against the chair back. It was going to be a beautiful morning. The light breeze wafting through her hair carried the scent of peach blossoms and jasmine from a vine curling on the balustrade nearby. Enedeth sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe the next time she awoke, she would be home and her arm wouldn't be broken, and.

"Enedeth, come, you should be back in bed." Elrond scooped her up and took her back into Arwen's room.

"I was hot and it was nice out there and.I just want to go home!" Enedeth started to cry.

"Shh, little one. It will be all right. I will send a rider out to find Mallinfarr and have her brought here." He lay her back in Arwen's bed covering her and then brought her the glass of medicine. Helping her drink it down, she noticed her friend was not in the room. "Where is Arwen?" she said in a small voice as she finished. Had she been sent away?

"She has gone to get you and she some breakfast. Now, I want you to stay in bed today and no wandering around. I will check on you later. Arwen will help you with anything you need, all right?"

Enedeth nodded and slunk down under the covers. She had to stay the whole day in bed? Arwen was going to be very tired of her as a friend after today.

Elrond left to get dressed and to send a rider out in search of the elusive Mallinfarr.

When Arwen returned with an elf bearing a tray loaded with food, Enedeth slunk down further under the covers, barely peeking out. The tray had so many things on it! Were they supposed to eat all of it?

Arwen thanked the elf and soon it was just the two children.

Enedeth sat up and said a bit petulantly holding Polly, "Your father says I have to stay in bed today."

"Ada's a healer Enedeth." Arwen said sagely. "He knows these things."

Enedeth sighed sadly. "But then you won't play with me."

"Yes, of course I will. Ada did not say you could not play. He did not make you sleep, so I would think that means you could play! Have some breakfast!"

Arwen arranging a plate to tempt her friend, brought over a dish piled high with grapes and strawberries, a roll dripping with honey and another roll dripping with jam. And a big goblet of milk.

"Ada says you must drink. flubids to help you get rid of the fever."

Enedeth, knowing she must do what the elder elf said or risk the displeasure of her friend nodded and drank half the glass. A few pieces of fruit rolled off the plate in Enedeth's lap as she ate and Arwen started laughing as she chased them around under bed and the bedside table. Enedeth dropped one on her head as she crawled out from under the furniture and Arwen tossed one at Enedeth, which missed and splatted on the headboard behind her.

"Oops! I better clean that up." Getting the napkin she smeared the fruit on the headboard making it worse. Enedeth sat up and tried to help but the berry ran down into the pillow and both girls made faces at each other because it looked like blood!

"Quick, turn the pillow over and then Ada and Mama will not see."

Enedeth turned the pillow over and then sat back against the bed, just as Celebrian came in, wearing a pale blue gown that made her look ethereal, her loose blonde hair a cloud of light.

"Mama!" Arwen ran to her and said, "We are just finishing breakfast."

"So I see." Celebrian picked up Arwen's plate off the quilt and looked at Enedeth. "Are you still eating?"

"No, no ma'am, I mean my lady. I am finished." If Elrond was imposing, like a king, well, Celebrian looked like a fairy princess to Enedeth.

Celebrian took the plates and put both of them on the tray. Noticing the human child had not eaten much, she decided to leave the tray in the room for the time being.

"What are you girls going to do today?"

"Draw pictures!" Arwen shouted and went to a small standing cabinet that held some of her toys and books and odds and ends. She grabbed a few sheets of parchment and a bottle of ink and two well-chewed quills and hopped up on the bed.

"Well, I think that activity would be better done at the table Arwen." Celebrian looked at Enedeth who still looked a little wan to her. "Arwen why not read to your friend. You can read---"

"'Calanbre the dairy maid,'" Enedeth said excitedly. "You said you picked your name from that story."

"Yes. It is my favorite." Arwen went rummaging back in her cabinet. Celebrian came over to adjust the pillow behind Enedeth and deciding the girls would be all right, left them to entertain themselves. She and Elrond needed to practice their music for the festival.

The minute the door closed, Arwen flung the book on the bed and said, leaning close to Enedeth. "I wanted to ask you something I just remembered! Your broken arm scared it right out of my head! You know the mid summer festival coming up?"

Enedeth had not heard of such a thing, but she nodded slowly.

"I want you to sing a song with me! Just the song "The Moon Sails Over the Sea!" It is an easy song and we can sing harmony and I will not have to sing by myself anymore!"

"I, I have not done much singing."

"You like to sing?"

"Oh yes, but usually just to Polly. Grandmama doesn't like me singing in the house, says it disturbs her con-constintration."

"All right, you will just have to practice here or we could practice out in the apple orchard! While we play castles and dragons!"

Enedeth, anxious to please Arwen, nodded slowly. "All right Arwen. We can try."

Arwen immediately began singing the song in a lovely soprano and Enedeth listened closely to the deceptively simple melody.

"I like the song Arwen! I do not sing in Elvish at home so I will need lots of practice."

"That's okay, I like to sing. so that will be fun!"

The two children spent the morning playing with their dolls and Arwen read "The Dairy Maid and the Princess." which enthralled Enedeth.

"Oh, I wish I could visit the secret castle with the kind Prince and his family, just like Calanbre I am glad she found the lost cow too! This is my favorite story, ever!"

Arwen's eyes shown as she closed the book. "Oh, it is mine too! Ada has read it to me since I was one years old."

Enedeth yawned and stretched, wincing a little at her arm. Arwen had gotten up and rummaged in her cabinet again, this time she brought out a beautiful dress of her mothers that had been cut down to fit her. She put on her ceremonial filet and then brought Enedeth a wooden cow Elladan had carved her as part of a menagerie he and Elrohir worked on occasionally. "Here! You can be the Dairy Maid and I shall be the princess, and----"

There was a knock, and then Elrond looked around the edge of the door. "Are the two of you hungry?"

"Yes Ada! Look! I am the princess and Enedeth is the Dairy Maid!"

Elrond came in and kissed Arwen and then went over to check on Enedeth, who smiled at him. Placing a hand on her forehead, he smiled back. "You feel much cooler now Enedeth. Does your head hurt? Or your arm?"

Enedeth shook her head slowly. Her arm did hurt some but she did not want him to fuss anymore. She looked down, suddenly interested in the wooden toy.

"Ada!" Arwen said excitedly almost tripping in her finery. "You can be the Prince! And the window seat is your castle and---"

"Sweetheart, I would love to play the Prince, but I have to help your mother with the arrangements for the Mid Summer night's feast. I will send some lunch in." He gathered up the breakfast tray. "And Enedeth, a rider went out this morning for your grandmother. I hope to see her soon."

Enedeth nodded, praying her grandmother would not be angry with her staying at the High House.

When Elrond returned with a laden tray for the two girls, he saw that Enedeth was looking a little pale as she lay back against the pillows watching Arwen speak royally to the two dolls sitting together in the window seat.

Putting the tray on the table, he pulled out a chair for Arwen who clambered on it and started to put rolls, fruit and pieces of cheese on a plate. Elrond took the small goblet of medicine he had prepared for Enedeth who took it and drank it down, making a face as she tried to smile her thanks.

"After lunch Enedeth, you need to sleep." He turned to his daughter, who was drinking her juice. "Arwen when you are finished with your meal, you need to come join your mother in the solarium for your lessons."

"But Ada, what about Enedeth?"

"She needs to rest some. It will only be for a few hours and then you can rejoin her."

"All right." Arwen brought over a plate loaded with food and sat on the bed so Enedeth could share. Elrond left the two to their lunch.