Chapter 16
Little Girl Lost
Many hours had passed and the three elves were beginning to worry about the lack of improvement in Aragorn's health. Nothing they had done had eased the young ranger's breathing nor had it managed to bring down his fever and all it seemed they could do now was watch helplessly as he tossed and turned and mumbled in his delirium. Legolas was now sitting on the bed behind Aragorn, holding him in a sitting position against his chest. It was the only thing that seemed to help ease his breathing which had been deteriorating over the past hours until it was nothing more than ragged, gasping breaths.
Some time before, Legolas had started to speak to his friend in the Grey Tongue and for a time the man had calmed, as he usually did when ill and someone tried to calm him by speaking Elvish to him.
"I know that you could beat this illness, stubborn human, all you have to do is just try a little harder." The fear for his friend's life could be clearly heard in the sorrowful, pleading tone of his voice.
Elladan was pacing around the room, totally frustrated and blaming himself for everything from the weather to the fact that he had not packed the herbs necessary to treat Aragorn's congested lungs. If anyone would have bothered to tell him that Aragorn becoming ill from getting soaked by a rain that had never really fallen was not really something someone could have planned for, the eldest twin would probably not have listened. All any of them could do was try to bring his fever down, keep him as hydrated as possible and encourage him, both by their presence and their words.
All three elves were so deep in their concentration that they all jumped at the light knock on the door. Being closest, Elladan opened it and while he would not have been surprised to see either Haleth or the Inn Keeper, it did surprise him to see a little girl standing there looking up at him with big brown eyes.
"Well hello young Miss, my name is Elladan. Is there something that I can help you with - perhaps you are lost?" Elladan knelt on one knee in front of the child so she would not have to strain her neck looking up at the tall elf.
The child, a young girl of about eight or nine years of age, just smiled at him and pointed at Aragorn. Not knowing why he would just step out of the child's way when she walked passed him and went to his sick brother's bed, Elladan followed the little girl, shutting the door behind him.
When she reached the bed, she turned around and gave Elladan the parcel she had been holding in her hand. Then, turning back to Aragorn, the little girl put a cool hand on his forehead, frowning as she did so, then pressed her ear against the man's chest for a short time and listened to the wheezes and rattles that were all too evident to the elves' ears.
Finally, she stood up and again turning to Elladan, she pointed at the parcel the elf held in his hands then patiently waited until he unwrapped what turned out to be some rather large, dried leaves. After she saw the tall elf standing in front of her, smell the leaves, she tugged at his sleeve and, after again pointing at the leaves, she also pointed at Aragorn's chest.
It was as if someone had lit a glow globe in a dark room as Elladan understood in an instant what the girl had been trying to tell him and what the leaves in his hands were for. He handed the parcel to Elrohir who examined the leaves then to Legolas who did the same then handed the parcel back to Elladan.
"Do you two know what these leaves are?" He was excited and, for the first time since Aragorn had fallen ill, hopeful.
"These are the same herbs that Ada used to treat Estel the last time he had pneumonia. I thought I recognized the scent even though I have never seen them in their leaf form before. Little girl I ..."
He had meant to thank the little girl but when he looked at the place where she had stood moments before, she was gone. The three elves looked at one another for none of them had heard or seen her leave the room. They did, however, look to the door which now stood ajar.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
Elrohir took over for Legolas, telling the elf to go stretch his legs. Although reluctant to leave his friend, one usage of the all-too-well-known Peredhel "look" settled the argument before it had even been able to become the words Legolas wanted to say. He gently eased Aragorn's body forward then held it while the younger twin slid in behind him. Legolas refreshed the bowl with cool water that they had all been using to bathe the feverish human with, by which time, Elladan had finished mixing the now crushed leaves with water to create the potion that would hopefully ease his brother's breathing.
They knew that it would still be some time before they would be able to tell if the young human's breathing was responding to the new medicine, so Legolas, growing ever more impatient, decided that he had to do something before he exploded.
"I am going downstairs to talk to the Inn keeper and see if he can tell us something about that little girl. I would like to thank her for her assistance."
The other two elves nodded to him then again turned their attention to their little brother.
He found the Inn Keeper on the main floor of the Inn, busily sweeping the wooden floor. Unable to hear the light footsteps of the elf's approach, Legolas had to speak twice before he finally got the man's attention.
"Excuse me. Excuse me sir!"
The Inn Keeper spun around in surprise, one hand going to his heart but after he finally managed to catch his breath, he laughed.
"My goodness boy, I did not hear you coming. Almost made the old ticker give up the ghost - so-to-speak. Now, what is it that I can do for you? And how is that young man? Is he feeling any better?"
"About that." Legolas began. He leaned a little closer to the man. "Did you just see a little human girl of about eight or nine years of age either go upstairs or come down?"
The Inn Keeper thought a moment before he answered. "No. I cannot say as I have. What did she look like?"
The blonde elf held his hand, palm side down to where the little girl's head would have reached.
"She was about this tall, with long brown hair and big brown eyes. She brought some herbs for our sick friend and I wanted to find her so I could thank her. Do you by any chance know her name or where she might live?"
The old man looked at Legolas for a few seconds then pulled up an empty apple crate and sat on its end.
"I'm going to tell you a story, young sir, but before I begin I want you to promise me that you will not say another word about what I tell you to nobody except your friends upstairs. Do I have your word?"
"You do sir. I swear on my own honor and the honor of my house that I will tell not another soul in this town what you are about to tell me."
The Inn Keeper looked at Legolas for a moment more, then, nodding his head, began his story.
"Back before the plague hit this town, there were many more people living here than there are now. And children - there were so many children." The man hesitated then, seeming to have made up his mind about something, he continued.
"When the plague first came to our town, the first wave came to the children first, killed every one of them. No survivors. Then the second wave hit the grownups. No, that damn plague could not be satisfied with just the blood of one or two of the children. Well, by the time it was all over, there were no children left, except one."
The old man adjusted his seat on the crate before he continued. "The town's healer had a daughter, almost fits the description of the little girl you gave me. She had been away, visiting her grandparents, see, when the plague hit. When she returned home, right after the first wave had finished its evil, it was thought that the worst was over and the little girl would be safe. Then the second wave hit, and that Healer worked tirelessly, day and night, trying to save everybody he could. Some thought that the grownups would be stronger and would have a better chance of surviving than the young ones. But they still died." The old man shook his head, staring off into the distance - remembering.
"Anyway, then the Healer's wife died. It was truly tragic - but that man did not let his dear wife's death stop him. He knew that there were others who needed him. So he kept right on workin'. That little girl, her name was Jhana, she went with her Daddy wherever he went, workin' right along side the man, doing what she could to ease the sufferin' of both the sick and dyin'."
He sighed and wiped his eyes, the memories still fresh and hurtful though years were long gone.
"If little Jhana would have lived, she would probably have been a fine healer when she grew up."
"I'm sorry."
The man waved his hand at Legolas, signifying that it was nothing then, wiping tears from his eyes, he finished his tale.
"She was one of the last victims of the plague. We thought the damn thing was done with the young ones but I guess we were wrong. Her father had loved that little girl with all his heart and soul and when his wife had died, well, he clung to that little girl like she was his anchor to this life. On the day that sweet young thing drew her last breath, he fell into a despair so deep that he just could not see his way clear to keep on doin' what he was. Three days after the little one was laid to rest, he took his own life." When the old man next took a breath, it was ragged from the grief he was reliving with the telling of the story.
"There's some folks that tell tales about seeing the little girl around, especially when someone is sick. But then, some people see what they want." The old man glanced at Legolas.
"Young sir, are you ok?"
Legolas stood from where he had been leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm fine, thank you. Why do you ask?"
"You elves are a pale bunch anyway, but right now it looked like all the blood just drained right out of your face."
"I think I am just tired." He smiled. "Perhaps I had better return to my friends. I want to check on the sick ranger. Thank you for telling me that story."
The old man waved a hand before Legolas went up the stair and he returned to his sweeping.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
When the Prince reached the room he was sharing with Aragorn, he was met by two smiling twins.
"He is breathing much easier and his fever is lessening." Elrohir's eyes twinkled with the happiness and relief he was feeling at his younger brother's improving health.
"We must still watch him closely and make sure that he does not worsen."
"Elladan, you worry too much brother. I think you are just tired and need a nap."
"Me worry too much? What about you Elrohir? If Legolas had not been here to sit with Estel, you would have been there yourself, holding our brother in your arms until he was either 100 years old or dead!"
"What ..."
"Will - you - two - knock - it - off!" The bantering twins stopped their bickering and turned to face their friend.
"Are the two of you at all interested in hearing what I found out about the little girl? Besides, if the two of you do not lower your voices, you are going to wake Estel."
Elladan and Elrohir both turned towards Legolas and listened with rapt attention as Legolas told the story as it had been told to him. When he had finished, the twins looked at him in silence, then Elrohir, sighing deeply, spoke in a way that only he could have.
"I think there is going to be at least one elf that is going to be sleeping with a glow globe lit this night."
Elladan nodded in agreement.
Any further conversation was interrupted by someone on the floor below them screaming, "Fire!"
Quickly checking to see that Aragorn was sleeping deeply, Legolas followed the twins out the door.
The fire was in the Inn's kitchen and between the three elves and the frantic Inn Keeper, it took them about two minutes to put out. As the three returned to their rooms, they began to discuss the fire.
"Well, do you think that was it?" Elrohir looked at his twin and the Mirkwood Prince hopefully.
Legolas shrugged his shoulders. "I do not think it was, for if the Inn had burned down, it might take the adjacent businesses, but it would not have taken the houses."
Elladan nodded in agreement.
The three continued their discussion all the way back to their rooms, but when they opened the door to the room in which they had left their sick brother, they all stopped dead.
Aragorn was gone.
TBC
COMING NEXT: Kidnapped: Quickly he began to sprint towards the house but when Elladan and Legolas tried to follow, they suddenly found their way blocked by a number of humans as they tried to flee the inferno. By the time the two got clear of the human blockade and got to the house, Elrohir had already disappeared inside.
DesolateAznVamp: Thank you for the review. Hope you like this chapter.
grumpy(): I think the best way to describe what the twins, Aragorn and Legolas went through was to say that they ended up spending the night in the Bermuda Triangle of Middle Earth. As far as the sneezes go ... if you watched your friends, family and other loved ones die from an illness that started with a sneeze, wouldn't you be a little bit suspicious if strangers come to your little town and one of them looks sick - then sneezes? I would!
THECheeseTurkey: All Aragorn has is a cold ... but then you know what happens whenever Aragorn gets a cold! He ends up not taking care of himself and it gets worse. The other townspeople that died got a disease that started out like a cold but turned into something more deadly. And yes, there are lots of strange things happening in both towns - its called chaos. Why? Well, that will be explained in another chapter. Hope you like this one.