E/N: I know one-year-old kids are actually only just about speaking, but it
makes life more interesting if they can talk and talk and talk and never
shut up. Helps if they know what they're on about too. So, on my part, just
call it poetic license. Look, I never said this fic was going to be
naturalistic, did I?
Chapter 26
There was a lull in natural activity that worried Lady Galadriel. All of nature seemed to be wilting, a great sadness passing over them. Not only was she worried, however, but confused as well. She had no idea what could be having this effect on the plants. But it all became clear on the arrival of Legolas, Rath and Silva. Rath arrived first as Legolas rode with Silva and couldn't go quite as fast.
"What has happened to her?" asked Galadriel, horrified at the sight of the Earth Spirit. She could tell the seriousness of the situation immediately. It was Silva having this effect on the forest, so if she died, there was no knowing what damage could be done.
"It's some sort of depression," said Rath. "She's really bad. Nobody can help her at all. Lord Elrond and Heart-sister Chanilia have both tried, but they can only keep her stable. She's getting worse."
"Well, I'm not sure what you think I can do when two experienced healers as they have failed," sighed Galadriel.
"She needs to see Kemenhin," said Legolas and Rath together. They both pulled back in surprise and confusion and then looked at each other. "How do you know about him?"
"Silva accidentally sent thoughts of him to me," said Rath. "Who told you?"
"I saw him when I was here and I worked it out for myself," he said. "But that isn't what we are here to discuss. Lady Galadriel, where is he?"
"He is with Arwen," she said. "I shall go and get him. Make Silvawen as comfortable as possible."
When she returned, Arwen was by her side, carrying Kemenhin. The young child was now one year and three months old and he had already grasped the art of speaking, exceptionally well (E/N: Let's say it's the influence of living with Elves) He didn't ever shut up. At that moment, he was giggling. Arwen saw Rath and nodded her greeting, but then she saw Legolas cradling Silva. She gasped and her face was contorted with fear and shock. That was not the Istari she remembered. She placed Kemenhin on the ground and he held onto her dress to prevent himself from overbalancing. He looked over at his mother and father and his little face frowned. He tugged Arwen's dress to get her attention.
"A-wen," he said. "What's wrong with that lady?" Legolas closed his eyes and bit his lip. It was extremely painful hearing their child refer to his own mother as 'tat lady'. But he didn't have any time to dwell on the matter because Silva turned to face her son. A spark seemed to have lit the fuse, the sound of her son's voice set alarm bells ringing in her head. Even though all she did was look at him, there was something in her face that told them all the real Silvawen was starting to awaken.
"Her name is Silva," said Arwen. "She's my best friend, but she's not very well at the moment."
"Silva," repeated Kemenhin, making the name stay in his head. "Who's them?" He pointed at Rath and Legolas.
"The really tall lady is called Rath. She is Silva's sister. And the man is called Legolas," explained the dark-haired Elf. "They've come to see Auntie Galadriel." He looked to the Lady of the Wood for confirmation.
"Auntie Gladiel, are them our friends?" he asked.
"Yes, Kemenhin, they are my friends," she replied with a warm smile.
"But Silva is A-wen's friend."
"Yes," said Arwen. "Kemen, why don't you go and say hello properly to the visitors?"
"But she's poorly."
"Well, why don't you see if you can make her feel a bit better?"
"Ok." He took many uneasy steps in their general direction. He reached Rath first and strained to look up. "Hello Rath." She knelt down next to him and gave him a hug.
"Hello Kemenhin," she said. "I've been told quite a bit about you."
"Why is she poorly?" he whispered. She glanced at her sister and sighed.
"Silva is very, very sad. She had a baby a while ago but she can't see him any more."
"Will she get better?"
"We think so, but we're going to need your help. We think that if you talk to her, it might make her a little bit happier. Would you do that?" Kemenhin screwed up his face in thought.
"Ok, I'll try." He waddled over to Silva and Legolas. Legolas stood up from the chair in which he sat and placed Silva on it. She watched Kemenhin curiously, though she still remained silent.
"Hello Leg... Leg..." Kemenhin turned to Arwen. "A-wen, I can't remember," he said in a loud whisper. They all laughed.
"My name is Legolas, little one," he said. "It's quite a hard name to say, isn't it?"
"Leg-o-las," said Kemenhin, repeating every syllable slowly and clearly. "Hmmm, that's difficult." Legolas laughed again.
"Well, I'm sure you can say it. I'm told you're very clever."
"Leg-o-las."
"You see, you've got it already." Kemenhin giggled. "That was a lot quicker than most people learn to say it."
"A-wen teaches me lots of things," he said proudly. Legolas looked at Arwen appreciatively.
"Then I shall have to thank Arwen," he said gratefully. Kemenhin looked at Silva and his smile faded.
"Hello Silva," he said quietly. Silva watched him as the other four adults watched her. Rath had her fingers crossed behind her back and Legolas was sending silent prayers to Eru. Arwen gripped her grandmother's hand tightly, hopefully. Would there be a response? Perhaps this was being too optimistic, it may not even work at all, but they had to have hope...
"Hello Kemenhin."
Chapter 26
There was a lull in natural activity that worried Lady Galadriel. All of nature seemed to be wilting, a great sadness passing over them. Not only was she worried, however, but confused as well. She had no idea what could be having this effect on the plants. But it all became clear on the arrival of Legolas, Rath and Silva. Rath arrived first as Legolas rode with Silva and couldn't go quite as fast.
"What has happened to her?" asked Galadriel, horrified at the sight of the Earth Spirit. She could tell the seriousness of the situation immediately. It was Silva having this effect on the forest, so if she died, there was no knowing what damage could be done.
"It's some sort of depression," said Rath. "She's really bad. Nobody can help her at all. Lord Elrond and Heart-sister Chanilia have both tried, but they can only keep her stable. She's getting worse."
"Well, I'm not sure what you think I can do when two experienced healers as they have failed," sighed Galadriel.
"She needs to see Kemenhin," said Legolas and Rath together. They both pulled back in surprise and confusion and then looked at each other. "How do you know about him?"
"Silva accidentally sent thoughts of him to me," said Rath. "Who told you?"
"I saw him when I was here and I worked it out for myself," he said. "But that isn't what we are here to discuss. Lady Galadriel, where is he?"
"He is with Arwen," she said. "I shall go and get him. Make Silvawen as comfortable as possible."
When she returned, Arwen was by her side, carrying Kemenhin. The young child was now one year and three months old and he had already grasped the art of speaking, exceptionally well (E/N: Let's say it's the influence of living with Elves) He didn't ever shut up. At that moment, he was giggling. Arwen saw Rath and nodded her greeting, but then she saw Legolas cradling Silva. She gasped and her face was contorted with fear and shock. That was not the Istari she remembered. She placed Kemenhin on the ground and he held onto her dress to prevent himself from overbalancing. He looked over at his mother and father and his little face frowned. He tugged Arwen's dress to get her attention.
"A-wen," he said. "What's wrong with that lady?" Legolas closed his eyes and bit his lip. It was extremely painful hearing their child refer to his own mother as 'tat lady'. But he didn't have any time to dwell on the matter because Silva turned to face her son. A spark seemed to have lit the fuse, the sound of her son's voice set alarm bells ringing in her head. Even though all she did was look at him, there was something in her face that told them all the real Silvawen was starting to awaken.
"Her name is Silva," said Arwen. "She's my best friend, but she's not very well at the moment."
"Silva," repeated Kemenhin, making the name stay in his head. "Who's them?" He pointed at Rath and Legolas.
"The really tall lady is called Rath. She is Silva's sister. And the man is called Legolas," explained the dark-haired Elf. "They've come to see Auntie Galadriel." He looked to the Lady of the Wood for confirmation.
"Auntie Gladiel, are them our friends?" he asked.
"Yes, Kemenhin, they are my friends," she replied with a warm smile.
"But Silva is A-wen's friend."
"Yes," said Arwen. "Kemen, why don't you go and say hello properly to the visitors?"
"But she's poorly."
"Well, why don't you see if you can make her feel a bit better?"
"Ok." He took many uneasy steps in their general direction. He reached Rath first and strained to look up. "Hello Rath." She knelt down next to him and gave him a hug.
"Hello Kemenhin," she said. "I've been told quite a bit about you."
"Why is she poorly?" he whispered. She glanced at her sister and sighed.
"Silva is very, very sad. She had a baby a while ago but she can't see him any more."
"Will she get better?"
"We think so, but we're going to need your help. We think that if you talk to her, it might make her a little bit happier. Would you do that?" Kemenhin screwed up his face in thought.
"Ok, I'll try." He waddled over to Silva and Legolas. Legolas stood up from the chair in which he sat and placed Silva on it. She watched Kemenhin curiously, though she still remained silent.
"Hello Leg... Leg..." Kemenhin turned to Arwen. "A-wen, I can't remember," he said in a loud whisper. They all laughed.
"My name is Legolas, little one," he said. "It's quite a hard name to say, isn't it?"
"Leg-o-las," said Kemenhin, repeating every syllable slowly and clearly. "Hmmm, that's difficult." Legolas laughed again.
"Well, I'm sure you can say it. I'm told you're very clever."
"Leg-o-las."
"You see, you've got it already." Kemenhin giggled. "That was a lot quicker than most people learn to say it."
"A-wen teaches me lots of things," he said proudly. Legolas looked at Arwen appreciatively.
"Then I shall have to thank Arwen," he said gratefully. Kemenhin looked at Silva and his smile faded.
"Hello Silva," he said quietly. Silva watched him as the other four adults watched her. Rath had her fingers crossed behind her back and Legolas was sending silent prayers to Eru. Arwen gripped her grandmother's hand tightly, hopefully. Would there be a response? Perhaps this was being too optimistic, it may not even work at all, but they had to have hope...
"Hello Kemenhin."