I sat by his bedside for hours waiting for him to wake up. Every so often his eyes would flicker and if I was lucky he would muster the energy to look around the room but then he would pass out again just as quickly. He had gone deathly white, Aragorn said this was because of the amount of blood that he had lost. I felt like that little girl who asked for her mother in Theodens throne room before the battle of Helms Deep. Every time I would ask someone how quickly Morin would recover or how badly he was injured I would not get a straight answer. I knew then that his chance of making a full recovery or even surviving was extremely slim.

I sat by him completely lost in thought, my mind was playing and replaying any happy memories I shared with my brother. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I hardly noticed that he had woken up.

"Idril." he murmured.

I squeezed his hand softly. "Morin I'm here."

Tears started escaping from his bruised and horribly swollen eyes. "Thank god I found you. I thought I might not."

His words dissolved in to sobs. He clutched at my hand as if he were falling.

"What happened to you?" I whispered.

"After you left everything that you said would happen in one way or another came true. We all carried on as normal. A few people, people that believed what you said left the kingdom but it did them little good they ended up returning again."

"They came back? Why? They couldn't cope without their queen dictating to them I suppose!"

"No. We found their bodies just outside the kingdom walls, orcs and foul creatures had murdered them."

"I'm sorry." I had never felt so guilty.

"Even after this happened we still did not take heed. Mother said it was coincidence and that we need not worry. Because of our complacency and ignorance we have suffered. A band of orcs ambushed us nearly a week ago. It was an easy massacre for them, no one could defend themselves and whoever tried was beaten down and killed anyway. I was stabbed by one of them and it left me for dead. I and a few others escaped on horse back. We were not very brave. Two were caught and I do not know where the other is. Our people are all dead. I tried to find you, I rode for days and there was nobody. Then the man recognized me. Idril I am so sorry!"

I started to cry then. I let my head rest on his chest, crying not just for him but for my people, my family and for myself. I lay like that until my tears dried and I could cry no longer.

I lay still and realized that his chest was no longer rising and falling. I sat up and looked at his face. The path the tears had made on his face were still glistening but his eyes were blank and staring up at me. I gently reached over and wiped his face, kissed him on the cheek and stood up trembling.

I left the room slowly and quietly.

On the other side of the door Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn were waiting. Staring at me, waiting for an explanation or an answer.

"He's dead." I said and walked away.