The rain that had threatened the day before came as dawn approached. Racell and her sister slept, snuggled together. The dark and the rain made for wonderful sleeping weather and it was past noon before the two girls stirred and sat up.

They were both a little frightened by the opulence around them. Racell felt a bit better and she was amazed how neatly the bandage was wrapped around her leg. And Dinna had not complained much about her throat.

Lord Elrond came in quietly and smiled at the children who were holding each other and looking towards the windows running with rain.

As the elf lord stepped in, two small eight-year-old elfling boys rushed around the tall healer and jumped on the bed. The two girls clutched each other startled but when they saw the little elves, both girls smiled. Racell tiredly sat up straighter. "Who are you?"

"I am Elladan." He came up close to Racell and gently reached out to touch her ear.

Lord Elrond, having set his supplies down, pulled his son up by wrapping an arm around his waist and lifting him. Elrohir looked closely at Dinna, laying on his stomach, his feet in the air.

"Elrohir, off the bed please. Racell and Dinna are both very ill and are not up to playing now."

"Ada?" Elladan asked, "Why does she not have pointed ears like us?"

"Ada?" Elrohir asked looking closely at Dinna, "Do they speak Sindarin?"

"Ada, why are they sick?" Elladan asked as he wiggled in his father's hold.

"I shall answer those questions as soon as I take care of them. You need to go get cleaned up for the mid day meal now. Perhaps this evening after supper, you might visit with the girls, all right?"

"All right Ada." Elladan nodded and took Elrohir by the hand. "But Ada, but I still want to know why they are sick," Elrohir called back to his father as his sibling led him out of the room.

"Those, as you may have guessed are my sons. They are eight-year-olds and very inquisitive."

Racell leaned back against the pillows and smiled. "It is okay sir. They are just little boys...um, elves. They are just like Dinna here."

"I am not a boy elf! And I don't jump on beds."

"You did when Mum and Daddy were out."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Girls, quiet now. Dinna, I need to examine you both, so I would like it if you laid still."

"Yes sir," Dinna said suddenly abashed, scrunched down into the blankets as the healer came up to her side of the bed.

Feeling around her throat and then her forehead, the elf lord bent and lay his head to her chest. Dinna surprised froze when he did that and immediately clung to her sister when he raised his head.

Smiling, the elf lord went to his supplies and mixed a tincture for the little one's throat.

"How does your leg feel?" The healer asked as he mixed the tincture for both girls.

"It hurts a lot less than it did yesterday. I must be getting better."

Elrond smiled as he divided the medicine into two glasses and gave each girl one.

Racell and Dinna just stared into the cup and then glancing at the elf lord, who arched one eyebrow at them both, the girls drank the medicine.

"Sir Elrond, it tastes terrible." Dinna made a face and Racell, not liking the medicine either, bravely swallowed the rest and Dinna watching her sister, finished hers off as well.

Both girls made faces again.

Elrond chuckled and then pulling up the chair to Racell's side, he unwrapped the bandage and inspected the stitches. Touching the skin carefully he found only a little warmth. Gently rubbing salve into the wound, he re-wrapped Racell's leg.

Dinna watched avidly as the healer worked, leaning over her sister to see everything that Elrond did.

"Oh Racell, what a mess your leg is! It is worst than Daddy's leg when Whin ran off into the bushes." Dinna reached out a tiny hand and touched her sister's skin softly. "Does it hurt a lot Racell? It looks a little green."

Racell, holding her breath because it did hurt, just shook her head. Dinna, biting her lip saw her sister's pain and then moved closer to her and put her arms around her.

Elrond missed none of this. He put his hands around the new bandage and sent healing warmth deep into the tissue. Smiling slightly as he felt Racell relax, he straightened and blended another vial of medicine into a cup, making sure to add a large dollop of honey. Once again, he divided the medicine and said, "Girls, I have one more medicine for you to take, all right?"

Sighing, both girls nodded tiredly and did as the elf lord asked.

Finishing they silently handed their cups back.

"I will send in some food all right? And then a nap would be just the thing."

Dinna spoke up, yawning. "But I am a big girl. I don't need a nap everyday. Right Racell?"

"Sir Elrond is right Dinna. You've been sick and you know you need a nap. Maybe I could read to you, or sing a song?"

"'kay." Dinna snuggled against her sister and Racell began to sing her a song about the moon.

Dinna asked sleepily as Elrond cleaned up. "Sir Elrond why do your sons not speak the common speech?"

"They have not learned the language yet."

"But they were talking."

Elrond smiled at her. "They were speaking Sindarin, an elvish language."

"Oh well, how can I play with them when I cannot talk to them?"

"You must get well before you play Dinna."

Dinna nodded slowly. "Will they be able to talk to me when I am better?"

"We will see about language lessons for you both."

At that moment, an elf bearing a tray of food entered. And set it on a table nearby.

Elrond brought the strengthening broth to Racell. She sat up and took the bowl eagerly. "Can you hold it all right?"

"Yes." Her voice echoed in the bowl.

"Dinna, Elenariel will help you."

The elf carefully sat on the bed and gently spooned the soup into Dinna's mouth. She, like her sister, was very hungry. Soon both girls had finished the broth and a roll.

Once finished, the girls were obviously quiet and tired. Dinna cuddled up with her sister and yawned. She was asleep in minutes.

Racell, eyes half closed watched the elves tidy up and asked tiredly, "Sir Elrond will Dinna be okay? My Mum and Daddy died of swamp fever." She bit her lip as she looked up at him.

Pausing, the elf lord came over to her side of the bed and sat down. Reaching out a hand, he gently touched her face. "I cannot detect anything more than a raw throat and a fever Racell. Rest assured, I shall keep a close eye on her."

"Thank you sir." She leaned back into the pillows. "I am glad you found us." She looked down at her sister." I just wish someone had found Uncle Nagron."

"Perhaps the archers I sent out will discover what happened to him."

Nodding, Racell yawned and soon fell asleep.

Elrond smiled at the sisters, quietly got his supplies and left the two.