Ambush – Bottles and Elves

'And check on the children while you're about it!' he called in a parting shot. Then sitting down he pulled a long clay pipe and a small pouch from the hidden recess of his robe. The pipe was soon filled to his satisfaction and lit, all the time he never took his eyes from Eoela who was only concerned for her patient. Finally he spoke. 'Why didn't you come to the hall when you first arrived?'

She seemed at first to be ignoring him, fussing around her patient checking his pulse, feeling his forehead. Finally, there was nothing more she could do. She sat down and sighed.

'Why didn't I come to the hall? Do you know the stories I've heard about the Elves? I was bought up believing that Elves were worse that orcs. Orcs only killed you, Elves took your soul as well. That they kept humans as slaves, using them until they were too worn out for anything. My mother said that if an elf took a fancy to a human woman he would use her as some sort of toy until he grew tired of her. That they kidnapped human children and used magic, to turn them into orcs. That's why I never came to the hall. I was petrified that if I did the children would be taken away from me. That I would be abused. I preferred to take my chance on the river bank.'

'But you'd heard the tales of Imladris, that it was a haven?'

'Yes, I'd heard them. I wanted to believe them, I really did. But I was just too frightened. What did I have to offer? When I found him-' she indicated the sleeping Elrond, '-when I found him I thought I could use him as a sort of ransom. Just to get enough supplies to last the winter.'

'And after the winter, what then?'

'I don't know. I'd have thought of something. Do you think Elrond needs a new toy?'

This caused Gandalf to nearly choke on his pipe smoke. Wiping tears from his eyes as he coughed and splattered he surveyed this woman, this healer in front of him.

'I don't think he needs a toy. I'm sure he'd be happy to have another healer to help him. Times are bad, there are many in Imladris that need the sort of healing you can give.'

'I'm not a healer. I was taught herbs and things by my mother, but being a healer. If I was a healer surely I'd have been able to help my people!'

'Maybe it is a gift from the Valar for the suffering that you have been forced to endure. A talent to help others not to suffer as you have done.'

Eoela shrugged her shoulders. 'I don't know. It is pleasant here. Everyone we've met has been welcoming, especially to the children.'

'The Elder are not blessed with many children. That's why all children as so precious to them. I think there are at least five human children being fostered here at the moment. Your two would not be short of human friends.'

She sat silent, lost in thought. To be able to find a safe home again….to not have to keep running…to be part of a greater whole. Since her people had been lost, she had been lonely. Lonely for the every day things that made life so pleasant. The weather, what to wear to a feast, who was joining with who.

'I don't know, Gandalf. Will they want me to stay?'

'Of course you can stay, you stupid woman!' came a cracked voice from the bed. Elrond had woken while they had been talking.

Eoela leapt to her feet, 'Don't move-' she exclaimed.

'I've got no intention of moving for a while I can assure you. I do however have a pressing matter which needs attending to.'

Eoela blushed, remembering the reason Elrond had tried to get up before.

'Hold still, I'll get a bottle or something...'

'You'll do no such thing! Gandalf, can you help?'

'Don't look at me, my old friend. I have some urgent business in the…uh…Hall of Fire.' The wizard stood and fled the room.

'Well you have the choice now, either I get a bottle and help…or you wet the bed.'

'Get the bottle then woman, and please hurry!'

Eoela quickly found a bottle and returned to the stricken elf.

'Do you need any help or can you manage?'

'I've being doing this for several thousand years by myself, I can manage.' There was a long and pained pause of several minutes.

'Um.'

'Yes?'

'I can't manage.' His eyes were pleading now.

'Here give me the bottle, honestly, you men think that you've got something special tucked away there don't you? I was a married woman you know.' She kept up a chatter of nonsense the entire time, helping the weakened elf to carrying out the task without drawing attention to it. When he had finished she looked around the room for where to deposit the bottle's contents.

'Through the door over there, that's the bathroom,' Elrond said, 'Thank you.'

She raised an eyebrow, 'What for?'

'For helping a croaky old elf keep a little bit of dignity.'

She smiled and left the room. But when she came out of the bathing room he appeared to have drifted off into sleep again. She checked his colour and felt his temperature, bit warm, she'd have to watch that. Drawing back the bed cover she was able to see that the dressing was still clean, there had been no more bleeding. As she pulled the cover back over him he mumbled,

'Dartha, saes.*'

'Hush now, you sleep. We can talk later.' She rose to get herself a goblet of wine and then sat on the chair beside the bed, watching over her patient. He had said that they could stay, but did he mean it or had it been said to quieten her? She realised to find the answer to that she would have to wait until he woke. Her eyes began to grow heavy and soon she drifted into a deep sleep.

* - Please stay