12

Finally the rain stopped and I got up tiredly, hugging Mela to me. "Are we going back to camp?" She piped up. "My clothes are wet."

"Mine too. Maybe if I shout, some one will find us." I ducked under the hanging branches and went out to an open area. The clouds had broken up and the sun was beginning to glow behind the thinner clouds streaming away over the mountains. The air was beginning to warm up. A bird sang nearby and at the far end of the clearing, a rabbit stood up to inspect us across the now sparkling grass.

"VIEW HALLOOOO! I called out, my voice echoing slightly amongst the boulders. I walked through the meadow away from the hillocks about us and shouted again. I put Mela down and held on to her hand. Now that it had stopped raining, it was turning into a very nice day.

Mela kicked her bare feet through the wet grass, staring at her toes. "I am never going to see Karfy again, am I?"

"I rather doubt it sweetheart. But he is a wild creature. Being out here in the meadows and the trees is where he belongs. Perhaps, when we get to the fair, your parents can find you a new pet. One who will love you back. ("And hopefully won't run away," I thought to myself.)

"Karfy loved me." Mela said with a pouty voice. "He would take acorns from me and stuff them into his mouth."

"I see." I hollered out again and decided not to explain further about the ways of wild animals. For now we needed to go back to camp. "VIEW HALLO----"My call stopped as a mounted elf came out of the dappled shadows across from us. Even his horse's steps were silent.

"Mae govannen, mellon" I said with a bow. Mela almost fell trying to make a deep bow.

"Mae govannen Mistress Marie, Mistress Mela." He dipped his head politely his side braids glittering with beads in the sunlight as they swung along his jaws. "Are you well?"

"Yes thank you. Just damp from the rain." My head ached some, but I had hit the boulder rather hard.

The elf smoothly dismounted and approached us. "I am Belfarin. I can put both of you on Astfel. She knows the way back to camp."

I nodded, grateful. I was a bit tired so a horseback ride was gratefully accepted. Belfarin silently lifted me by the waist and sat me on his saddle-less mare, lifting Mela to me whom I put my arms around as I held on to Astfel's mane.

Belfarin spoke softly to his horse and in moments we were off into a canter, Belfarin in an effortless lope at our side.

Boy, did I feel rather dumb. We weren't horse bound over 15 minutes, and there was the camp before us. All the wagons were loaded and the girths, straps, wheels etc. were all being given a last minute look over by their riders/carters.

Astfel stopped near the other mounted elves. Belfarin stopped as well and took Mela from me. I watched him a moment: heck his hair was not even mussed, nor his face pink from exertion. As he took the little one to her anxious parents, I slipped off Astfel and patted her neck saying in a low voice "thank you." Rubbing my head I said hello to the nearby elves who accorded me a brief nod. I only see a few of them as they were covered by the deep summer shadows of the scrub oaks that grew close around us. Several of the elves near the back were on horses obviously eager to go as they shifted about.

Since the rain had stopped it was now pleasant enough to go back and ride Carenloth. As I saddled her, the wagons formed up and the whole group began to move slowly westward.

Once in the saddle, with Felana now handling the reins of our wagon, we were back on the road.

But the day continued to have its ups and downs. Twice we had to stop when the wagon got stuck in the churned up mud. Felana and I had to push the wheels out of a particularly deep muddy hole. The second time it got stuck, I was helped by two men of Bree. They had joined us the night before as they were traveling tinkers on their way home and headed our way. They had not seen their families for a year! Undoubtedly they had some interesting stories to tell!

The four of us had almost rocked the wagon out of the deep ruts on the far side of a small rain-swollen stream we all had to cross. I threw my weight into the concerted effort, but then the darn thing half rolled over my right foot, smashing it down into the mud against a hidden rock.

Damn! That hurt!

"Carsal! Peter! Push again! The wheel has trapped my foot against a stone!"

Both nodded and shoved harder, releasing my foot. The minute the wheel rolled forward, I quickly gathered some more stones to fill in the rut so the next wagon would have an easier time of it. Done, I limped up the muddy, rutted riverbank. Because I could walk, I knew my foot wasn't broken.

Carsal came up to me, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. "You all right mistress?"

"Yes. It's just bruised. I shall be fine once I get back on my horse."

He nodded and rejoined his friends and we all began our slow laborious way forward again. The stones we had put in the rut seemed to do the trick for the wagons behind us since no others got stuck.

I bit my lip trying to find a comfortable position for my foot in the stirrup. It was beginning to throb painfully.

By afternoon, I had lost interest in the countryside, now leveling off into low rounded hills, mostly covered with green grass with a few clusters of scrub oak or pine. The air probably smelled divine, but here in the midst of the caravan, well, all I could smell was horse and mud!

Near twilight, a rider came down the line and told us that Hanj wanted to make up for lost time, so we would continuing going until moonrise. We would have a very short stop to water the horses without breaking out of line. At moonrise, we would stop for a few hours nap and get going before sunrise.

When Felana pulled to a stop a few minutes later, I slipped off Carenloth and bit back a gasp of pain as my foot crumpled beneath me and I plopped in the mud, just missing a pile of horse manure. I struggled up and leaned against Carenloth to catch my equilibrium. She whuffled in my hair in sympathy. Patting her, I stood with a wince and went to get her water bucket. Jafa scrambled out of the back of the wagon easily as I came up. The boy was amazingly well-balanced, even with his arm in a brace. One more week, according to Elrond's instructions and I could remove the support. Jafa would still have to work his healing arm carefully for another week but Felana assured me, there was plenty he could do to entertain people and still follow the healer's requirements.

Jafa had Carenloth's bucket and took off to the creek nearby. Felana joined me at the back of the wagon and stretched her back. I nodded to her as she went into the wagon to get the dray horses buckets.

I decided that the rest of the trip I was going to stay in the back of the wagon with Jafa. My foot was certainly not going to be able to take any more riding today.

Once the animals were watered, Jafa and I got comfortable in the back of the wagon. "Are you tired of riding Marie?" He looked at me sideways from under his thatch of dark hair. "Moma gets tired too. She would rather drive the team than ride a horse. Me, I want to ride Taffy."

"I'm sure you do!" I winced as I straightened out my foot, trying to get comfortable. "I guess I am a bit tired of riding. Actually I hurt my foot a bit when the wheel got stuck at the creek side. Darn thing rolled over my foot! Nevertheless, I have told your Moma to let me know if she needs me to help with the driving. (Not that I had driven a wagon. But how hard could it be, surrounded by riders and other carters? And going at what I thought was a snail's pace?)

Jafa nodded "Well, I think we will be at the Fair by tomorrow so both you and Moma can get a rest. But not too long!"

I laughed and agreed. "No, not too long! We don't want to miss the Fair!'

Jafa grinned and began juggling with one hand. I was amazed at how well he could do it, one handed and in a bouncing wagon! I watched him for awhile and then, the warmth of the sheepskin I was on and the relative comfort (save the occasional jounce) of being in the wagon caused me to nod off.

I awoke, unfortunately in a great deal of pain when the wagon stopped. Rubbing my head tiredly, I saw Jafa was asleep. I hadn't the energy to get up but nature called. As I awkwardly slipped out of the wagon, Felana joined me. She peeked in at her sleeping son and then turned to me. "I am going to join some of the others around the fire for a bit. Have a drink and some supper. Do you wish to join us?"

I shook my head. "I am not feeling just the thing right now Felana. I am going to stretch and then go back to sleep. My head hurts some. I slipped and hit my head on some rocks when I was chasing down Mela. And I twisted my foot in the stream today."

"Poor Marie. Do you want me to find a healer?"

I shook my head tiredly. "I'll be all right with a little more sleep."

Putting a hand on my shoulder, she nodded and then went off towards a nearby group of wagons. She stopped a moment. "If Jafa wakes, he can join me if he wishes."

"All right. I shall tell him---"

"Tell me what Mama?" His face, surrounded by mussed up hair, grinned cheekily at us from out of the gloom of the wagon.

"Do you want to join the others and have some supper? I haven't seen you all day." She made an attempt to straighten his hair with her fingers.

Ducking away, Jafa hopped out of the wagon and raced off to the campfire we could now see glowing between two nearby wagons. "I'm going to beat you, Mama!"

She smiled at me and made off to join her son.

Sighing, I went and tended to my needs. A few minutes later, I returned to the wagon and crawled into my furs and quilt to fall asleep again.

I was dreaming. I am sure I was. But it was nice.

Some one was holding me and I was drinking something that tasted suspiciously like a cordial the elf lord would concoct. I pulled away after a few swallows because it was pretty vile. But for some reason, I didn't want to open my eyes. I was so tired. My head was laid down and then I opened my eyes a little. But I couldn't see very much. Just the edges of the sheepskin tipped with warm yellow candlelight. A swathe of deep green leather took up most of my view, as well as the dusty brown toe of a boot embroidered with gold thread.

Cold air poured over my legs as my quilt was thrown back, which woke me up a little and I hissed as someone began to work off the boot on my injured foot.

I was awake now.

A shadow crossed my face and the next thing I remembered, I was rattling along in the early morning twilight. I lay there a moment listening to bird song and smelling the wonderful deep wet smell of grass and warm horse. I was about to drift off again, when I remembered my foot and my head.

I sat up with that thought and winced at the slight sense of vertigo that overcame me. I looked at my injured foot. I could feel the boot had been removed. (both boots were off as a matter of fact) In the faint light, I could see and feel the supportive bandage wrapped around it. I brought a hand to it. It was fine soft linen and there was a slight fragrance of a pungent herb in the air.

Jafa stirred as I frowned trying to remember who had come by to do this.

"Morning Mistress Marie." He held out his arm. "Look I do not have to wear my brace anymore!" He showed me his slightly pale arm and waved it at me.

"Oh. I thought we needed to give it another week..."

"Nope. Mother Thurna says it was all right for it to come off now."

"The healer?" I thought hard. Was it she in my dream? "Did she wear dark green leather last night?" I showed Jafa my foot.

"It was dark, mistress Marie. I could not see the color. But her skirt was dark." Jafa frowned. "She only had one lantern I think." Jafa yawned widely and then shrugged. "I did not talk to her because I fell asleep again." He wrinkled his nose. "I like the smell of your foot."

My thoughts stopped. So did I. It smelled very much like an ointment the elf lord used.