Chapter 2
As the group walked slowly up the steps and into the guest rooms that all save one had spent some time in, each was reminded of the various times that they had stumbled in, hurt or carrying a dear friend. This time was no different, and even though only one of the walking knew Tanad, he had already won a place in their hearts.
Lying the two children down, the Elves and Aragorn stepped back until they were called on to help. Knowing that Kao had no life-threatening injuries, Lord Elrond moved to the strange boy's side, surveying the wound with a careful eye.
"Estel, go find your brothers and some athelas. Legolas, get me some warm water. Selinde, keep Kao calm. This is the first time she has been hurt since then, and I am not sure how this will affect her." His voice commanded obedience, and all followed without hesitation.
Kao's mind cleared as soon as the athelas had been prepared to help her friend, and as the pain seemed to lessen, she took in her surroundings, remembering the trying times that she had coped with in this very room. *Losing one's memory*, she reflected, *was not a very pleasant experience, especially to those closest to you.* She could remember, and was very happy to know that, waking several times to find a she-Elf crying at her bedside, and had only learned recently that the Elf was Selinde, and had re-established how close they were and what they meant to each other.
Estel ran into Erestor and sent him to find the twins, while he retrieved the athelas. As the twins entered the room, they were shocked at the young human on the bed.
"Is that who I think it is?" Elrohir asked.
"It is Tanad." Kao answered the question. "He was looking for us, and accidentally stumbled upon us. Anyway, we were attacked by orcs." She paused and said again. "Yes, it is Tanad."
The twins went to help their father, but not before noticing the fear and pain that was still in the dark recesses of the girl's eyes. It was hard to forget the past two years, and the girl was just catching up. They also wondered what would have happened if the young boy had sought them out sooner.
Elrond and his sons worked on the young human and pulled all the poison out. It was not the most grievous wound Elrond had seen before.
"He needs rest, but he will survive." Elrond comforted. "From what you say, it sounds like this is the young human you rescued from the slavers?"
He avoided Breg's name, as did the others. Selinde swore she had moved past it, but they could all still witness her flinch every time that name was mentioned.
"Yes," Kao confirmed.
Elrond then turned to the young Ranger and treated her. He proceeded on to Estel, Legolas and Selinde. He was concerned for the young Ranger. He had allowed her to travel again, only because she was driving everyone in Imladris nuts. He was not sure she was fully recovered from her tragic ordeal.
When Kao had finally annoyed the healers in Imladris enough to be allowed to walk around, she had soon found herself falling into old habits and getting into trouble. The twins would find themselves locked in their rooms, Aragorn would wake up colored red, she had even managed to trick Lord Elrond into drinking her now famous sneezing powder. It was after this, that he had literally chased her to the small home she shared with Selinde, and told her that she could continue to recover there.
That was a mistake, as Selinde became more watchful than ever, and barely allowed the girl out of her sight. It was then that some of the Elves near them began to notice strange things around their own homes.
Then Legolas returned from Mirkwood, and Kaolith had managed to convince the Lord that she was healed enough to travel a short distance with her friends. "No one will get hurt," she told him, "what could possibly happen?"
Kao laughed as she thought of those fateful words, and fingered the sling that now protected her arm. *Of course there would be orcs hunting in exactly the same path that we were hiking o. Isn't it always that way with us?*
Selinde was much happier with this Kao, even the pranks, for she remembered vividly the day Kao had awakened the last time.
Lord Elrond had done all for her that he could. Physically she would heal he said. Mentally, time could only tell. So when Kao finally woke up, Selinde's heart broke, as the girl looked into her eyes and said, "Who are you."
Selinde brushed the memories away.
"I take it you wish to wait here with Tanad?" She asked her friend.
"Is it that obvious?" Kao grinned back.
"Yes it is. I will only allow you to stay, if you promise no tricks in Lord Elrond's home. Understand?"
Kao nodded and pulled her chair up to the bed and sat down to wait.
"I will bring you some food," she told her friend. "Talk with him." She smiled at Kao. "Trust me it works."
With those last words, she followed the others into the hall.
Looking down at the boy, Kao wondered exactly what her friend had gone through when she was only in the first stages of recovery. She still didn't remember much of the first days and weeks in Rivendell, and it was likely that she never would. Too much had gone on, and her mind had overloaded, Lord Elrond had told her at some point, and chances were that she would be affected by this for the rest of her life. He still was not sure what had caused the amnesia, only that he would wish it only upon his worst enemy.
Tanad was still sleeping when Kao worked up the nerve to talk to the unconscious boy in her midst. "Hey Tan, I missed you, mellon nin." Living in Rivendell, she had picked up more of the language, and often had to think about using the Common tongue. "You missed a lot of adventures when we left you last, but I'm sure you had plenty of your own. Why don't you wake up and tell me about some of them, hunh? I'd like to hear them, to know if I taught you well."
Going down the hall to catch up with Lord Elrond, Selinde wondered how the separation and break in her kid sister's arm would affect her.
When Selinde got back with the food, she was not surprised to see Kao asleep. Lord Elrond had told her that he had drugged the child. She needed her rest also, and would probably not think to sleep while watching the boy.
Selinde put the tray on the table for when they woke up and went to join the others in the Hall of Fire.
"Seems we may never get to Mirkwood," she heard Legolas say as she entered the hall.
"Yeah," Aragorn responded. "Seems we can't take the females anywhere." He had seen Selinde enter and just had to tease her.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You better behave or I will sick Kao on you." Selinde smiled.
"And I'm supposed to be afraid of that." He responded.
"I would if I were you," Elladan joined the laughter. "She knows all your tricks and then some."
Selinde crossed the room and plopped down on the couch between the twins. She then laid down, putting her feet in Elladan's lap and her head in Elrohir's. Elrohir just nodded and started rubbing the she-Elf's temples. He was thinking he needed to tell his father that Selinde's headaches were getting worse.
The men were talking about the nearness of the orcs and what could be done about them as Selinde started to drift off. She was brought out of her dreams quickly, when they all heard a loud crash from above.
Knowing exactly where the noise would have come from, the family related strongly by friendship ran back up the stairs to Tanad's room. They were impressed to see Kaolith only beginning to come out of her drugged stupor, and saw a very guilty looking Tanad standing next to a broken vase.
They could all tell by the look on his face that he hadn't meant it, and had probably been afraid when he woke in a strange room. Laughing, the twins sent Legolas to distract their father as they attempted to clean up the mess.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but I couldn't wake Kao up, and I got scared. I guess I jumped out of bed a little too quickly. I'm..."
"Algosta Tan," she stopped, stuck her tongue out and wrinkled her nose in an _expression that was all too familiar to the Elves, and started again. "Don't fear Tan, I don't think that was one of the more rare vases, and trust me, we've all broken our share of them."
"That you have, little one. You more then the others I think." Legolas shrugged as Lord Elrond entered the room.
"I tried," he mouthed.
Lord Elrond laughed. "You would think after thousands of years, you would learn that trying to keep me away doesn't work"
He then crossed to the young human. "I am Lord Elrond, welcome to Rivendell."
"I am Tanad," all tried to hide smiles as they could hear the nervousness in the young boys voice. "I hail from Rohan."
"Yes, Kao told me of you once her ...." Elrond stopped what he was saying. "Welcome young Tanad. You may stay as long as you wish. I'm sure Kao and Selinde will move you to their own house once I give them leave."
Tanad had caught the break in the Elf Lord's words and wondered what had happened to Kao. He put the thought aside for the moment, meaning to ask her later when they were alone.
"Now young man. Back into bed with you until I say you are well enough to get up." Lord Elrond admonished. "I see there is a tray of food here. Eat up and regain your strength. There will be no lasting effects from that particular wound."
Lord Elrond then took leave of the younger generation and headed back to his library. Elrohir however, followed him out and walked with him.
"What is it my son," Elrond questioned the younger twin. "Something seems to be troubling you."
"Yes father, it is Selinde. Her headaches have returned and I think they are worse this time."
"Yes, my son, I have noticed this also. Let me do some research and see what I can find. Tell me if you think they get worse again."
"Yes father." Elrohir then went to rejoin the others in the guest room.
Selinde glared at him when he entered the room, but he ignored her.
Kaolith had tensed before Lord Elrond had stopped himself, not wanting to explain to the boy all that had happened. She was still suffering the effects of the draught, and blinked her eyes quickly, trying to ward off sleep. It was not the first time Selinde and the others had seen this happen, and she laughed, knowing that she would soon lose the fight.
It had been one of those times that Kaolith had woken from her almost constant slumber that the Elves had first witnessed her annoyance to the drug. She could remember about a month after meeting Selinde, when she had first told the she-Elf of her mother's death, and was desperately trying to hold on to that memory as the draught sought to ease her from the waking world. She had lost that battle on two fronts, waking the next time wondering how Selinde knew her mother's name when it came up in conversation.
"Are you ready to go home, Kao?" Selinde asked, still smiling at the simple pleasure of being able to call some place home. "It seems that young Tanad is out of the woods, and I think you might like to sleep in your own bed instead of that chair?"
The Ranger nodded, mumbling a goodbye to the boy and stumbling out of the room. Selinde followed, eager to leave the Last Homely House to deal with her headaches on her own, and soon was supporting Kao out the door.
She only made it home by pure luck. Halfway there, her headache spiked and her vision started to blur. She made the last bit of their walk more on instinct then sight.
Kao was so out of it, that she didn't notice Selinde's pain. Selinde got the girl she called her sister tucked into bed, then collapsed upon hers without changing or anything. Grateful that oblivion took her instantly.
Kao woke in the morning and was eager to see her young friend. Having not seen Selinde's pain the night before, she only smiled when she saw the she-Elf. Her friend worked very hard for both of them and worried entirely too much. Kao decided to let her sleep and went up to see Tanad on her own.
The others were in and out of the room all afternoon, checking on Tanad and Kao. Mostly making sure they stayed out of trouble. It was a very relaxing day, and it was about four in the afternoon, when Elrohir came in once again that he asked about Selinde.
Looking sheepish, Kao explained how she had found her friend that morning and that she had let her sleep. When she glanced at the clock she also became worried. It wasn't like Selinde to sleep in, and when she did take the luxury, it was only for and extra hour or two.
Kao rose to go check on Selinde, when Elrohir waved her back down.
"I'm sure it's nothing," he told her. "She's probably getting some things done without having you underfoot." He laughed at the look Kao gave him. "Stay here with Tanad, I will check on her."
He quickly walked to the house his friends shared and grew quite concerned when Selinde didn't answer the door. He entered the house, looking everywhere for his friend. His heart skipped a beat when he found her still laying across the bed. Apparently not having moved since Kao had seen her that morning.
Shaking the Elf, and wishing there was some way that he could get aid for Selinde without having to leave her, Elrohir was concerned when he could not wake her. Taking a page from Kaolith's book, thinking ironically that he had chased her around his home for doing this to him, Elrohir filled a cup from the water bucket and threw it in her face. Surprisingly, the she-Elf groaned and turned over, muttering about the revenge she would have on Kaolith.
"Selinde, it's me, not Kao, and it's 4:30 in the afternoon. We need to get you to my father, something is wrong, and don't tell me it isn't. You've been having these headaches for far too long, mellon nin, and I don't like to see you suffer. It's..." he trailed off as a pillow caught him directly in the face.
"You're making it worse. Yes I'll come with you, but only because I want to see Tanad, not because I think anything is wrong." She got up and looked at the Elf pointedly until he got the hint and left, giving her some privacy.
Selinde reappeared, dressed and refreshed. She gave Elrohir the evil eye once more before they headed out to see Tanad.
"Selinde," Elrohir started, but was cut off by the she-Elf.
"I'm fine Elrohir. Really, there is nothing wrong."
Of course her friend didn't believe her, as she had winced with her very words of 'nothing wrong'.
They walked on in silence until Selinde tripped and fell to her knees. Elrohir reach down to help her up laughing.
"I swear Selinde, you would think after all these years you would have gained control of your feet."
The laughing stopped, when he saw the sheer look of panic on her face.
"Okay Elrohir," the words tumbled out. "I will now concede that something is wrong."
"The headaches again?" He questioned.
"Yes," she replied calmly. With her next words, he was surprised she was not hysterical. "That, and it appears that I have lost my sight."
To the Reviewers:
Eleni – Hello Eleni! Magnets for trouble? Us? Never! And as for the memory stuff, we do have some of that in, but that is why we skipped the two years. Who wants post after post of that. Keep reading. lol
TC – Hey TC! More? What is more? I think maybe we should now make you wait till fall. lol Ok, probably not. Keep reading.
Cathy - LOL Cathy. Thank you for pointing out the typo. And as for a nice day getting to renew friendships, well, I'm not sure Cube and I know how to do that. We just like being evil to much. Glad you are along for this ride also.
Cowgirl – Hello Cowgirl. Give them a break, why would we want to do that. lol As for this one, it has 20 chapters I believe. And Cube has finally finished all her finals, and I also hope she did well. Thanks for reading.
Karine - Hey Karine. Thank you, thank you. And yeah, we thought it would be fun to have Tan back in the picture. As for the Queen's of evil situations, I have no idea what you are talking about. LMAO
Amadrieclya - Hello Amadrieclya! Thanks for reading our fic. Hope you stick with it, cause lots of things will happen. Thanks again.
Christine - Hey Christine, you didn't have to wait that long. lol And yes, Tanad is in a significant part of this one. Hope you enjoy and I look forward to you being in the RPG.
