Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Thank you so much to my reviewers. Thanks to Alia G. L for beta reading everything and dreaminoflorien for your constant support. Thanks also to randomramblings, Me132 and Ayva Trance. I appreciate the reviews. Here is the next chapter.
Chapter 5
Do not Give Up Hope
Elrond worked quickly to help Reallan. He again managed to lower her fever. He also gave her some medicine to help her breathe easier, but he did not know how long he could keep this up. He could keep giving the medicine to ease her pain, but it was not helping heal her. Eventually, he knew the poison would be so strong that her body would reject the medicine. He only hoped that Aragorn would make it back in time.
"Why don't you come sit and have some tea with me." Elrond said to Amras once he knew Reallan was stable.
"I wish to stay with my sister." Amras replied.
"Itarilde will stay with her. Come rest for awhile." Elrond persuaded.
Amras reluctantly agreed. He followed behind Elrond into a garden. Elrond had tea waiting for them. Elrond sat down on one of the benches. Amras sat down beside him without saying a word.
"I sent Estel out to get a flower that will help your sister. She has a chance now." Elrond said as he poured a cup of tea.
Amras looked up from the ground. "Tell me the truth. How long does she have? Will Strider even have a chance of making it back in time?"
Elrond sighed. "I won't lie to you. The poison is spreading quickly. I would say that as a human, she only has a few days left."
Amras let his head drop to try to hide the tears forming in his eyes.
"But," Elrond said quickly. "Reallan is strong. She is a fighter. Do not give up on her. She can pull through this, but the moment you give up on her is the moment she will give up on herself. You have to believe she will make it through this. Believe it for her sake." Elrond encouraged.
Amras looked up. "I will never stop believing."
Elrond nodded and smiled as he drank some tea.
Amras was not in the mood for tea, but he too drank some. It seemed to soothe him and help him relax some.
"I can never thank you enough for what you have done for my sister." Amras said after a long silence.
Elrond smiled. "No thanks are necessary."
Amras smiled. "May I ask you a question?" When Elrond nodded, Amras continued. "How is it that Strider came to know you so well? And why do you call him Estel?"
Elrond crossed his arms. "Well, when Estel was little, his parents died. I took him in and raised him as my own son. We gave him the elvish name of Estel, but when he was out on his travels, someone gave him the name Strider. He has kept that name ever since and uses it as his ranger name."
"So what is his real name or did you ever find out?" Amras inquired.
Elrond sighed. He did not wish to reveal Aragorn's secret just yet.
"Well, I knew his parents before they died. I did know the child and.."
"Lord Elrond!" Glorfindel suddenly called.
Elrond mentally thanked Glorfindel and made a mental note to think of an answer to that question without revealing Aragorn's identity.
"What is it Glorfindel?" Elrond asked as he stood.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I thought you would like to know. Nessa has recovered from her injury. She is awake now." Glorfindel said.
Elrond nodded. "Thank you Glorfindel. I will be in to see her shortly."
Glorfindel nodded and walked away.
"If you will excuse me, I must check on a friend." Elrond said.
Amras nodded. "I will walk around here for awhile before I head back to see Reallan."
Elrond nodded before he walked off.
*~*~*
Aragorn and Legolas rode long into the night. Aragorn held a torch with one hand to the light the way, but it was still quite dark. Both Aragorn and Legolas knew the path well, however. Yet, the path to the Caradhras took at least two to three days. In addition, once they reached the mountains they would have to search in the snow to find the winter flower. It would take time and time was something Reallan did not have. Legolas knew Aragorn was intent on helping her. He knew he would risk anything for her.
"Aragorn, we should let the horses rest for some time." Legolas said as he rode close to his friend.
"We can't stop now. We must cover as much ground as we can." Aragorn replied.
Legolas knew he was going to say that. After another hour, Legolas tried again.
"Aragorn we have covered enough ground for the night. You should rest to keep up your strength. You would be no good to Reallan half dead."
Aragorn sighed. "You are right, my friend. Let us set up camp." Aragorn replied as he dismounted from Gwindor.
Legolas did the same. "We will find the flower, Aragorn." Legolas encouraged.
Aragorn nodded. He just hoped they would not be too late.
*~*~*
Reallan slowly opened her eyes. Her body throbbed in pain. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out, but a small groan escaped her lips.
"Glad to see you awake." Ninde said gently as she placed a cool rag on Reallan's forehead.
Reallan took a deep breath. "Where is Amras?" She asked.
"He is with Lord Elrond. Would you like me to get him?" Itarilde asked.
Reallan shook her head. "No, it's okay."
"Are you in a lot of pain?" Itarilde asked.
Reallan nodded.
"Elrond told me I could give you medicine if you were in pain when you woke up." Itarilde said as she poured some hot water into a cup. "Here, drink this." Itarilde said as she placed the cup near Reallan's lips.
Reallan took a small sip and almost gagged on the foul taste.
"I know it doesn't taste good, but it will help with the pain." Itarilde comforted.
Reallan sighed and took another sip. In a few moments, she had had enough and Itarilde put the cup down. Reallan relaxed on the bed.
"How are you feeling, Reallan?" Amras asked as he suddenly stood beside her.
Reallan looked up. She hadn't even heard him come in the door. She managed a smile. "I'm okay."
Amras sat down beside her and waited.
A/N: Thank you so much to my reviewers. Thanks to Alia G. L for beta reading everything and dreaminoflorien for your constant support. Thanks also to randomramblings, Me132 and Ayva Trance. I appreciate the reviews. Here is the next chapter.
Chapter 5
Do not Give Up Hope
Elrond worked quickly to help Reallan. He again managed to lower her fever. He also gave her some medicine to help her breathe easier, but he did not know how long he could keep this up. He could keep giving the medicine to ease her pain, but it was not helping heal her. Eventually, he knew the poison would be so strong that her body would reject the medicine. He only hoped that Aragorn would make it back in time.
"Why don't you come sit and have some tea with me." Elrond said to Amras once he knew Reallan was stable.
"I wish to stay with my sister." Amras replied.
"Itarilde will stay with her. Come rest for awhile." Elrond persuaded.
Amras reluctantly agreed. He followed behind Elrond into a garden. Elrond had tea waiting for them. Elrond sat down on one of the benches. Amras sat down beside him without saying a word.
"I sent Estel out to get a flower that will help your sister. She has a chance now." Elrond said as he poured a cup of tea.
Amras looked up from the ground. "Tell me the truth. How long does she have? Will Strider even have a chance of making it back in time?"
Elrond sighed. "I won't lie to you. The poison is spreading quickly. I would say that as a human, she only has a few days left."
Amras let his head drop to try to hide the tears forming in his eyes.
"But," Elrond said quickly. "Reallan is strong. She is a fighter. Do not give up on her. She can pull through this, but the moment you give up on her is the moment she will give up on herself. You have to believe she will make it through this. Believe it for her sake." Elrond encouraged.
Amras looked up. "I will never stop believing."
Elrond nodded and smiled as he drank some tea.
Amras was not in the mood for tea, but he too drank some. It seemed to soothe him and help him relax some.
"I can never thank you enough for what you have done for my sister." Amras said after a long silence.
Elrond smiled. "No thanks are necessary."
Amras smiled. "May I ask you a question?" When Elrond nodded, Amras continued. "How is it that Strider came to know you so well? And why do you call him Estel?"
Elrond crossed his arms. "Well, when Estel was little, his parents died. I took him in and raised him as my own son. We gave him the elvish name of Estel, but when he was out on his travels, someone gave him the name Strider. He has kept that name ever since and uses it as his ranger name."
"So what is his real name or did you ever find out?" Amras inquired.
Elrond sighed. He did not wish to reveal Aragorn's secret just yet.
"Well, I knew his parents before they died. I did know the child and.."
"Lord Elrond!" Glorfindel suddenly called.
Elrond mentally thanked Glorfindel and made a mental note to think of an answer to that question without revealing Aragorn's identity.
"What is it Glorfindel?" Elrond asked as he stood.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I thought you would like to know. Nessa has recovered from her injury. She is awake now." Glorfindel said.
Elrond nodded. "Thank you Glorfindel. I will be in to see her shortly."
Glorfindel nodded and walked away.
"If you will excuse me, I must check on a friend." Elrond said.
Amras nodded. "I will walk around here for awhile before I head back to see Reallan."
Elrond nodded before he walked off.
*~*~*
Aragorn and Legolas rode long into the night. Aragorn held a torch with one hand to the light the way, but it was still quite dark. Both Aragorn and Legolas knew the path well, however. Yet, the path to the Caradhras took at least two to three days. In addition, once they reached the mountains they would have to search in the snow to find the winter flower. It would take time and time was something Reallan did not have. Legolas knew Aragorn was intent on helping her. He knew he would risk anything for her.
"Aragorn, we should let the horses rest for some time." Legolas said as he rode close to his friend.
"We can't stop now. We must cover as much ground as we can." Aragorn replied.
Legolas knew he was going to say that. After another hour, Legolas tried again.
"Aragorn we have covered enough ground for the night. You should rest to keep up your strength. You would be no good to Reallan half dead."
Aragorn sighed. "You are right, my friend. Let us set up camp." Aragorn replied as he dismounted from Gwindor.
Legolas did the same. "We will find the flower, Aragorn." Legolas encouraged.
Aragorn nodded. He just hoped they would not be too late.
*~*~*
Reallan slowly opened her eyes. Her body throbbed in pain. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out, but a small groan escaped her lips.
"Glad to see you awake." Ninde said gently as she placed a cool rag on Reallan's forehead.
Reallan took a deep breath. "Where is Amras?" She asked.
"He is with Lord Elrond. Would you like me to get him?" Itarilde asked.
Reallan shook her head. "No, it's okay."
"Are you in a lot of pain?" Itarilde asked.
Reallan nodded.
"Elrond told me I could give you medicine if you were in pain when you woke up." Itarilde said as she poured some hot water into a cup. "Here, drink this." Itarilde said as she placed the cup near Reallan's lips.
Reallan took a small sip and almost gagged on the foul taste.
"I know it doesn't taste good, but it will help with the pain." Itarilde comforted.
Reallan sighed and took another sip. In a few moments, she had had enough and Itarilde put the cup down. Reallan relaxed on the bed.
"How are you feeling, Reallan?" Amras asked as he suddenly stood beside her.
Reallan looked up. She hadn't even heard him come in the door. She managed a smile. "I'm okay."
Amras sat down beside her and waited.
