Hello!

OK, this is it for the moment. New updates will take a couple of days now (depending on how much time I find to write).

I hope you´ll stay with me.

Alinah

Healers

"Mum! Come, help, quick! Mum!"

The terrified yell pulled Aragorn non too gently from his sleep. Before he even knew it he was on his feet, reaching for his knife. It was with the blade halfway out of its scabbard that the scene before his eyes finally caught up with his instincts and his hand dropped away before the sight of the weapon could scare Telias even more.

The boy was not paying him any heed, however. He was standing with his back to the ranger, his slight frame trembling as he stared down at Legolas.

Worried himself now, Aragorn stepped around the boy and was relieved to find nothing obviously wrong with his friend - besides the fact that the scream had not made him bolt upright in a less than a heartbeat. The elf was still lying on his stomach, face turned towards Aragorn, breathing much easier than he had earlier, and the ranger was at a loss as to what had the child in such a panic.

Before he had his still muddled thoughts organized enough to ask, quick footsteps could be heard overhead, followed by the sound of the trapdoor. Moments later Telanna strode over to them, a stern look on her usually gentle features, eyes brushing over Aragorn with the practised ease of experience before coming to rest on the boy.

"Telias, son of Moranas, what is all this yelling about! What is the first rule when tending the sick?"

The boy hung his head and stepped back as his mother bent over the elf swiftly but without hurry, one gentle hand seeking out a pulse.

"Always keep your wits about you, or you are as helpful as a headless chicken."

Aragorn could not suppress a chuckle at this suitable, if slightly robust summary of a healer´s desired attitude. He would have to remember to tell Lord Elrond about this. The thought of his foster father´s reaction made him smile.

Telanna was still looking at the elf, a frown betraying her own discomfort, but her voice was calm. "Exactly, my sweet. And what I heard from upstairs sounded just like a headless chicken."

"But look, he´s dead!" The words burst out of the frightened boy with ferocity, earning him yet another dark look from his mother. Silently she reached over the elf, took Telias´ hands in her own and placed one on the elf´s neck, the other gently against his side.

Aragorn had by now realized the cause for both of the humans´ distress, but he chose not to say anything just yet. He admired the way Telanna handled the situation, and he would not disturb the lesson she was about to teach her son.

Still wordless, the woman held Telias´ hands in place and waited for his reaction. Slowly, Aragorn could sense the tension leaving the boy. "He´s breathing." There was wonder in the whisper as well as relieved surprise. "His heart is beating, too."

A genuine smile broke out on Telanna´s face. Her eyes were locked on the child with a fierce pride Aragorn could only bow his head to. She nodded very slowly and released her son´s hands. "And what does that tell you, love?"

Telias reply was much stronger already, showing just how quickly he regained his bearings. "He´s not dead." The mother nodded again and said, with a the touch of mischief in her tone: "Now that´s a diagnosis I completely agree to. And maybe our second guest can teach both of us a bit about the cause of your fear - a just cause, Telias. This sight would have scared healers much more experienced than you." The boy straightened at the praise, then turned around to Aragorn with a curious expression.

"I´m sorry that I forgot to tell you". The ranger sat down at the edge of Legolas´ bed and looked at his friend´s peaceful face, elven dreams dancing in the open blue eyes. He was amazed at the amount of relief he felt at the sight. Gently, he let his finger linger at the elf´s throat, not able to resist the urge to verify the truth of what Telanna and Telias had just agreed on.

He looked up to meet Telanna´s gaze and was glad to find amused understanding there, no sign of hurt pride at his action.

"Hmmm!" The low sound behind him was filled with impatience and he could almost feel the demanding look of Telias slowly burning a whole into his back. Remembering the task at hand he explained: "Elves usually sleep with their eyes open. It is a sign for exhaustion, pain or a very poor state of health when they close their eyes. I´m glad to find Legolas is in a healing sleep now. Your potion must have worked."

Telias was anything but satisfied with that answer. "But how can he sleep like that? All the things he´s seeing should be keeping him awake. Mum always says I shouldn´t read books in bed because that keeps me awake."

The little boy looked very happy with himself. He was sure that he had either found a slight fault in this strong man´s explanation or the prefect argument against his mother´s rule about reading at night. Either way, he felt that he deserved some praise.

"That is a very good thought, Telias." Aragorn turned to the beaming child. "However, you must keep in mind that Legolas is no human. Elves are different in many ways. They can go for days without what we would consider sleep and survive on little food." With a little smirk he added: "They can even talk to good beasts and, some of them, to trees."

As expected, the child´s eyes grew huge at this and he looked at the elf with fresh eagerness. "Mother, just imagine! Can you wake him up right now?"

Telanna shook her head, the healer´s look securely back on her face. "Now, child, what kind of a question is that. Haven´t you listened to what Master Aragorn said? And I do not mean the part about talking to animals, I´m sure you heard that well enough. The elf needs his healing sleep and - Telias!"

The child looked up, only slightly ashamed, and stopped waving an experimental hand in front of Legolas´ eyes. It was clear that he had decided to go from apprentice healer back to little boy. Telanna, in turn, easily slipped into her motherly role. "That´s quite enough now. Go back upstairs and feed the chickens, I´ll stay down here a little longer." Telias caught the change of mood and got up with a nod that was not very enthusiastic. With a last longing look back he scampered up the stairs.

Telanna raised an eyebrow at Aragorn when the child was gone. "Were you stretching the truth there for his amusement?" The ranger shook his head. "No, though I must admit that I made it sound a bit - easier than it really is."

They shared a smile, but then Telanna swiftly returned to more serious matters. "You truly see him on the mend, then? I was afraid my potion could harm him, but he slept as soundly through the night as you did, with no sign of fever."

"I do expect him to heal." Aragorn frowned a little, wondering whether to expose all his thoughts, before he continued: "My only worry is the depth of his sleep. All the yelling and talking should have woken him. And if not that, being touched by strangers should have done so in a flash. It is not something he is fond of."

Telanna took in the information without a comment, but reassured quietly: "I would not worry too much. He was hurt badly, and I am more than amazed at the speed his injuries heal. I am sure that this takes a lot of strength, even from an elf. We should let him sleep as long as his body thinks it needs to. In the meantime, I would like to have a look at his travelling companion."

Aragorn could not hide his surprise. "I am fine, I assure you. An empty stomach is all that ails me, and I´m sure that your healing skills would be wasted on such a predicament."

"Aye", came her dry reply, "that would rather call for the cook in me." Had it not been for the mirth in her voice, he would have feared her hurt, but she only smiled a knowing smile. "I was not so much talking about hurts to the body but to the mind. You must have passed through the fog on your way here, and you would be the first whose memory would not have been affected."

Yet another surprise. Aragorn felt himself tense, all thoughts of food forgotten. "What do you know about this?" he asked urgently, "for I fear you are right. My memory almost completely fails me, but Legolas talked about fog and darkness, and he was gravely injured already when Daramus found us."

"So I noticed." The woman gestured for Aragorn to follow her over to the table in the corner, allowing Legolas some peace for his rest. When they were seated, she looked the ranger straight in the eyes and continued.

"I have not helped anybody recover their memories in a long, long time. I found that usually it had evil effects on people, any many of them perished in sorrow and guilt. Some events are better forgotten."

She sighed deeply, and the sadness Aragorn had spied in her at their first meeting touched her features. A pain too old for her years slid over her like a dark veil, dimming her spirit. "I sometimes wish I could forget, but I cannot allow that to happen. I am the only one left. All the others who are here now chose oblivion, and I will not rip them from it."

She paused, sinking into thought. Aragorn waited. Silence settled over them. The ranger could feel the healer hesitate and shy away from the path she had apparently considered for him. He could feel a desperation build inside that he could only partially comprehend.

"I understand painful memories and the wish to abandon them." She looked up sharply, struck by the pure honesty of his words. "I have had my share of pain, but this is not always evil. I am a healer, too, Telanna. We both know that pain must be conquered on the way to recovery."

She sighed again. "Aye, fellow-healer, but what if recovery may never be achieved? What if the pain does nothing but alert you to the trap your life has turned out to be?"

Aragorn reached across the table and gripped her hands. "I would rather see the trap than struggle against it blindly! Please, Telanna, tell me what you know. Allow me to remember what I may know. Together, we may break free."

Hope kindled in her eyes as she looked at him. She fought it briefly, only too aware of the devastation she might bring upon them all. A wrong choice now could well kill not only herself and the whole village but also take her child´s life. But then again, what sort of life had she offered him so far?

Drawing on all strength she could find within herself, Telanna began to speak.

TBC