A/N: Thanks for r/r, everyone! And this is so a flaming Mary-Sue (for those of you who think it's a little Mary-Sueish... come on now- it's completely Mary-Sueish! LoL. Stop being nice.) I admit it- but like I said, it's not typical. Karalynn has some major flaws and by the end of the story... well, nevermind. It's fun to read though, eh? Some issues I left hanging in this chapter will most likely be answered by the next chapter so... please bear with me and be patient.

Lady Alarien: *squeals* I was waiting for someone to bring up the names of the characters (Kythe, Faran, Fortinbas.) They're actually twisted derivations of concepts or characters from "A Wrinkle in Time" and "A Wind in the Door." But... "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" is my favorite book out of that series. Mad props to you for noticing!

Now on with the tale....

Chapter 9: Healer

( ...jump... )

She looked around in fear and shock as she realized that everything around her had changed.

The trees were gone.

Mirkwood was gone.

Legolas was gone.

She was back in the plain, flat grassy field- alone and terribly afraid. The sky was blue and the sun was out but she was so cold.

So very, very cold.

She shivered violently and hugged herself, trying to bring warmth into her suddenly frozen limbs. Her head started to throb painfully and she winced at the strength of it.

( ...jump... )

Suddenly a black hole appeared at her feet and she stumbled backwards, in fear of it.

( ...jump in!... )

Her foot slipped on something behind her and she caught herself before she could fall. She turned around and realized with dawning horror that another hole had appeared behind her.

( ...fall into the rabbit hole, Alice, and see what wonders await you... )

"No!" she screamed at the voice that seemed to surround her. She began to run, barely avoiding the holes that were becoming more numerous in the dirt around her.

( ...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... )

"Stop it!" she screamed in panic. "Stop it!"

( ...don't you want to see?... )

( ...don't you want to know who you are?... )

( ...come see... come jump... )

"No! No!" she brought her hands up to her ears and kept running. "I don't want to see! I don't want to jump!"

Her legs began to grow tired and weary and finally she collapsed to the ground, unable to run anymore. She started to cry as the holes grew in number and she brought her knees to her chest, hugging her legs with her arms and wept.

And she waited there, sobbing, knowing that the fall was inevitable.

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"Your Highness, please, you must leave."

Legolas looked up at Rinwethiel, the healer, and shook his head.

"I will not leave." he replied. "Do what you must but I will not leave."

Kythe stood in the corner of Karalynn's room, watching Legolas and Rinwethiel look at each in silence from their places at her bedside. His arms were firmly around Karalynn, who lay unconscious on the bed and Kythe knew that his grasp was as solid as steel. The front of his tunic was caked with dried blood and the tips of his golden hair were clumped together with the dark red substance. His face was pale and nearly colorless but his eyes were a violent shade of blue- nearly purple. He looked coldly at the healer who sighed and nodded her head.

"Yes, your Highness." she said resignedly. "But please, let her go and allow me to touch her head so I may know what ails her."

"Legolas." Kythe said softly. "My dearest friend, please. Release her from your arms lest you do more harm than good."

He looked up at Kythe and she felt a wave of emotion wash over her. The fear in his face was as clear as the sky outside and it was almost a tangible thing- reaching across the room for Kythe to feel. She nodded kindly at him and he exhaled loudly, loosening his grasp on Karalynn's unresponsive body. The healer held out her hands over Karalynn's head, slowly lowering them and closed her eyes.

Legolas sat back on his knees, watching with a pained expression.

Kythe had been in her bedroom, sewing, when she had heard the frightening screams drift into her room. At first she thought that it had been the wind- it came about suddenly and without warning, nearly breaking the glass on her windows. But soon she heard light rapid footsteps making their way out into the field below and realized that the screams had not been a figment of her imagination.

She had known then that something was wrong with Karalynn.

After Karalynn's comment about the strange rainfall that came without warning nearly a week ago, Kythe's mind had been burdened by a shadow of fear not towards the girl but for her. As of late, she had watched over Karalynn like a hawk- afraid that something bad was going to happen to her. Even when Karalynn was with Lohr or Legolas, Kythe could not help but worry about the child-like human.

And now something bad had happened.

Kythe had run down the hallway just in time to see Legolas and a few of the guards, including Faran, rushing towards the palace. In Legolas' arms, the girl had lain, pale and covered with blood.

Just as she did now.

There had been no time to clean the gore off of Karalynn's face and so it looked as if she had been badly beaten. The lower part of her face was covered with her blood and her cheeks were streaked with tears. The blood had dripped down onto her chest and Kythe knew that the dark blue gown was damaged beyond repair. She looked like a broken doll that a cruel child had poured red dye over and Kythe felt tears sting her eyes at the wretched sight of her.

( ...my child, oh my child... )

Yes, Kythe thought of her as her child though she knew rationally that it was horribly wrong of her to do so. She felt that she had a stake in Karalynn's life and for good or bad, she would love her as her own.

"What is wrong with her?" Legolas asked with uncharacteristic impatience. "What has happened to her?"

Rinwethiel's hands trembled.

"I dare not try to repair the damage by myself." she whispered. She looked at Legolas solemnly. "The girl has been trying to keep a door closed in the darkness of her mind for many days now. This door is threatening to burst open and yet she tries to prevent it. The more she fights it, the more it fights her. The door is slowly breaking and with it- her mind."

"Why can't you help her?" Legolas demanded, sitting up. His blue eyes were like ice as he glared at the healer. Kythe had never known Legolas to be angry with anyone outside of combat and she knew that the healer was only receiving the sharp end of his fear.

"Legolas..." Kythe said softly, taking a step towards him. He glanced at her briefly and then looked back at the healer, frowning.

"What can be done?" he asked, softening his voice.

"I feel that parts of her mind are dying off as she keeps the door closed." Rinwethiel said, lowering her hands. "The injury is beyond the power of one elf to mend. Her physical injuries I can perhaps work with but that is only a small part of the problem. The poison that works within her is her own doing, from her own struggles with herself. That is something one healer can not fix..."

Her voice faltered slightly as she looked at Kythe.

"What will happen to her?" Kythe asked the question that Legolas could not.

"This is beyond my powers" Rinwethiel said, speaking more to the prince than to Kythe. "She will not regain consciousness. In a few hours time- a day at the most, the girl will die."

Rinwethiel lowered her head sadly.

"I am sorry, your Highness. I can not stop her course."

Legolas said nothing and Kythe suddenly felt as if the air around her had grown cold. Tears stung her eyes as she turned to the window. How could the sun shine when a life like this was fading?

It was not happening. It could not be happening!

Legolas' face paled and he scrowled at the healer, his face dripping with disgust and fury.

"What good of a healer are you?" he hissed, to Kythe's dismay. "That you can not even save the life of one human? Are your powers so weak that you can not even help her to open her eyes once more?"

Rinwethiel hung her head at this rebuke but said nothing as the prince reached out and grabbed the limp body once more. He looked down at Karalynn's face and clutched her arms, as if he were trying to wake her up with the intensity of his gaze. He grabbed the edge of his sleeve and tried to wipe the blood from her mouth and chin but it had clotted and stuck to her soft skin like a mask.

Legolas lowered his hand and looked up at Kythe, his blue eyes pleading and anguished.

"A warm wet cloth." he said softly. "I have to clean her face, Kythe. She would not want this filth on her face...."

Kythe covered her face with her hands, unable and unwilling to look at the world around her anymore. Tears stung her eyes and she squeezed them shut, willing herself blind to keep from seeing the life of the girl slipping away like smoke.

"Let me help."

She looked up in surprise at the sound of the soft but firm voice of Lohr.

He stood in the door and for a moment, the room was silent. His entire form seemed to be bathed in a faint white light and at first Kythe thought that it was a mere trick of her teary eyes that made him look so radiant. But as he walked into the room, the light followed him. Never had Lohr looked more like a prince of elves than he did at that moment and Kythe felt a ray of hope enter her heart.

Lohr approached his brother with his hands stretched out but Legolas eyed him warily, tightening his grip on her arms.

"What can you do, brother?" Legolas asked. Kythe saw the grief etched on his face. He had already accepted the healer's words as true. "She is dying and there is nothing we can do but watch it happen."

"Will you give up that easily, brother?" Lohr asked quietly. "Do you lay down your arms when the enemy strikes but one blow?"

Anger filled Legolas' eyes.

"And what will you do Lohr?" Legolas asked. "Rinwethiel said herself that it is beyond her powers to help Karalynn."

"She said that it was her beyond her powers as one healer." Lohr said patiently. He looked at Rinwethiel. "But two... two can perhaps have some effect."

Legolas looked at Rinwethiel and Kythe could see that though there was still doubt in his eyes, hope had entered him too.

All elves had the natural ability to heal and most elven children were taught how to heal at an early age. To some, it was a necessary ability for survival and yet very few mastered the art. Healing was one of the few things that elves considered a true gift- to have a talent for it was rare indeed and the elves who could do it were often appointed to lofty titles and positions.

All the elves at the court had been taught the basic skills in their first years. Legolas and Kythe themselves knew how to lay their hands on a slightly hurt individual and bind their wounds but not one of them had excelled beyond those basic skills.

Except for Lohr.

Kythe suddenly became aware of the thought that perhaps, Lohr, in this moment of impending loss, had found his purpose at last.

"You have never healed a person this ill before, your Highness." Rinwethiel said, looking up at him. "There are other healers, more skilled, in the kingdom. How can you be sure...."

"They will not be able to come in time and you know that. I felt her pain." Lohr said. His eyes traveled down to Karalynn's face. "From across the stone walls of the palace, I could feel her pain as if it were in me. And something compels me to try. I can not explain it, but I wish to help her. I know I can help her... and she is my friend."

"With such little experience, it might hurt you as well as her." Rinwethiel said in a low voice.

"Then I shall take that risk." Lohr said simply. "It is mine to take."

Rinwethiel looked uncertain and then her eyes shifted to the figure behind Lohr and widened.

"Let him try, Rinwethiel." King Thranduil said.

Kythe looked up, startled at the sight of the King as he walked into the room. He closed the door behind him, locked it and then looked at everyone in the room. His eyes fell on Legolas, lingered there for a moment, and then moved to Lohr.

"Lohr, I give you permission to help the girl as you will. You know the dangers involved but I know that the choice is already decided in your mind."

"Thank you, Father." Lohr said gratefully. He went to the other side of Karalynn's bed and Legolas looked at him.

"Legolas." Lohr said quietly. "Please."

"You shall have my eternal gratitude if she awakens." Legolas said softly, looking up at him. His hands freed her from his grasp and he moved away without being asked.

King Thranduil nodded once at Lohr who moved down to his knees at Karalynn's bedside.

"What should I do?" Lohr asked Rinwethiel.

"Hold your hands over her head." she said and he did so. She held his hands and they formed a bridge over Karalynn's still face.

"Now slowly lower your hands and let her aura fill you." Rinwethiel said softly. Lohr closed his eyes as she spoke. "Feel her spirit, travel up your hands and let it spread throughout your body. Do not be afraid when something dark fills your mind for that is where her wound lies. Let yourself feel her, Lohr..."

Kythe watched as the two healers lowered their joined hands down onto Karalynn's head and Lohr uttered a sharp sound when his skin came into contact with Karalynn's.

"Slowly, Lohr." Rinwethiel said. Her eyes were closed too and her voice sounded distant to Kythe's ears, as if she were speaking into a glass. "Slowly.... there. The darkness is coming... do not be afraid. I am here and we shall bear it together. Do you hear that, Lohr? Can you hear the sound of...."

As Rinwethiel spoke, their hands began to emanate a soft, gentle light.

Kythe was lost in the sweet light of the healers- it was beautiful and calming and wonderful. She could feel her own fear and grief fading away as she stared into the light and it seemed that time slowed to crawl as the light grew brighter and brighter....

...and then Kythe gasped.

------------------------------------------------------------

She was sitting in a grassy field, with her knees drawn up to her chest and her head in her arms.

Lohr approached her, not at all surprised to find himself no longer in Karalynn's bedroom.

He was in her mind.

"Karalynn."

"Be careful. The holes are everywhere now." she said without raising her head. Lohr looked around and realized that the field was littered with dozens of large rabbit holes. He blinked and then there were hundreds. He stood still, not wanting to accidentally fall into one of them.

"Karalynn, look up at me."

"The rabbit wants me to follow him." she said, as if she didn't hear him. "But I won't. The last time I fell down the rabbit hole, I saw... I saw horrible things."

"What things?" Lohr asked.

"I can't say."

"Karalynn, look up at me."

"Where is daddy and momma?" she asked. "I want to go home."

"I'll take you home, Karalynn." Lohr said patiently. "I'll find your mother and father. Just look up at me and take my hand."

"You lie." she said. "I can't go home. I have no home. I'm lost."

"I promise you, Karalynn, we will help you find your way home." Lohr said. "Legolas will do everything he can to help you. He is waiting for you now."

She stayed silent and Lohr looked around carefully before taking a step towards her.

"My brother cares for you, Karalynn." he said softly. "We all do but Legolas does more. If you look up and take my hand, I can take you to him."

She said nothing.

"Take my hand, Karalynn." Lohr pushed gently. "Look up and take my hand. That is all you have to do."

"There are more holes now, aren't there?" she asked. Lohr looked around and nearly lost his balance.

There were more holes- in fact, the field was slowly becoming one huge hole and Karalynn and Lohr were standing on a decreasing piece of land.

"Yes, Karalynn, there are more holes so we must hurry." he insisted more strongly now. "Look up, Karalynn. Just look up and take my hand."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" she asked.

Lohr paused.

"Is that not your name?" he asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not." she replied sullenly. "I don't know anything anymore. My head hurts. The holes are growing larger, aren't they?"

Lohr looked around and shivered. His heart began to pound in his chest and held out his hand to her though she could not see it.

"Yes." he said. "Look up and take my hand!"

"I don't want to jump. I don't want to fall into the holes."

"Then take my hand!"

She looked up and got to her feet, reaching for Lohr's outstretched hand.

Their fingers met just as a hole appeared underneath her feet and everything was gone.

They were gone.