Chapter 18
BREAKFAST the following morning was very different from the previous day. All the girls were excited about their lessons, chattering animatedly about their day. Once it was over, they went their separate ways, each dressed in leggings and tunic rather than dresses. It was more practical for all of them, no matter what subject their lessons concerned; nonetheless, Megan clearly felt the piercing glances cast her way as she made her way to the Houses of Healing. Kavila, walking beside her, was not oblivious to the scrutiny either. When they stepped into the Houses at last, Kavila muttered, "Finally," and shivered a little.
"Maybe we should have somebody make us some simple dresses instead of wearing pants," Megan said. "I don't like having that much attention on us."
"Maybe," Kavila replied doubtfully as they moved further into the building. A young woman hurried past carrying an armful of linens, and Megan stopped her quickly. "Do you know where the Healer Lindir is right now?"
She nodded hurriedly. "Down the hall, to the right," she answered. "He's tending a patient."
"Thanks," Megan said, and she and Kavila quickly made their way into the room the woman had indicated. Inside they found Lindir, bent over a young boy who was coughing harshly.
"Here, son, drink this," Lindir said, holding up a small cup of some foul substance. The boy drank it dutifully, his face contorting as his taste buds revolted. Megan's heart went out to the boy, so cooperative and yet obviously in a great deal of discomfort. She went and knelt by his bedside, ignoring Lindir's startled glance.
"I know that didn't taste very good," she said as she smoothed hair back from the boy's warm brow, "You're a very brave boy to drink that without complaining at all."
The boy smiled weakly. "You think so?" he rasped.
"Yes, I think so." Megan replied kindly. "What is your name?"
"Naton," he answered.
"And how old are you, Naton?" Megan asked.
"Eight years," he replied, straightening slightly with pride in the bed.
"Only eight years old? You're acting so grown up!" Megan said. "Where are your parents?"
Naton's expression wilted again. "They must keep working…they cannot spare the time to sit with me."
"What is their job?" Megan asked, once again struck by the boy's maturity.
"Father is the innkeeper at the Hog's Head Inn. Mother cooks. The guests cannot be without a cook or innkeeper, so they cannot sit with me," Naton replied sadly.
The inn name sounded vaguely familiar, but Megan couldn't for the life of her remember why. "Well," she said. "I have lessons to go to for awhile, but when they're done I'll come back and sit with you. Would you like that, Naton?"
"Yes," Naton said honestly. "You have lessons, too?"
"Yes, I do," Megan replied. "I have to learn about taking care of sick people like you. Lindir is my teacher," she nodded to Lindir. Naton smiled at both of them. "I'll see you in awhile, Naton." Megan stood up to leave.
Naton grabbed her hand suddenly, and she looked back at him quizzically. "Thank you," he said. "You never told me your name."
"Megan," she said, and Naton smiled. "Megan," he repeated. "I will look forward to seeing you again."
Megan smiled. "So will I. Farewell, Naton."
WHEN they had left the room, Lindir smiled at Megan. "That was kind of you, Megan, to offer to sit with Naton." He sighed wearily. "It grieves me that I cannot tend to my patients as well as I would wish. I cannot spare the time to sit with young Naton, much though I wish I could. There are too many here, too much work to be done." He smiled suddenly. "But two new trainees—you will be of great help here. Megan, you know much of herbs, correct?" She nodded. "I will continue to instruct you in the uses of herbs, then. Kavila, you will be learning from my fellow healer, Yanis. He will teach you some about herbs, but also much about the binding and treating of wounds and the setting of bones. And—ah, Yanis! Here are our newest trainees!" Lindir called to a man shuffling slowly down the hall ahead of them. At the sound of his voice the man turned, revealing an aged and somewhat stern face. Yanis was different from Lindir, older perhaps; his movements were slower and stiffer than Lindir's. His voice was deep and gravelly when he spoke.
"Indeed. I have heard much of you from Lindir. You must be Megan, and you Kavila. A pleasure to meet you both, if what I have heard is true," Yanis said.
Kavila and Megan laughed nervously. "Well, I'm sure Lindir exaggerated when he spoke of us…" Kavila muttered shyly. Yanis was probably a perfectly nice old man, but something about his manner and appearance made her nervous. He just wasn't quite as grandfatherly as Lindir, somehow.
"Kavila, Yanis will be giving you your lesson this morning," Lindir said. "Megan, you will come with me. Sometimes we will switch, and sometimes you will both have a lesson with either Yanis or I. But for today, this is the arrangement."
"Very well. Kavila, please follow me." Yanis said, walking in the opposite direction. He entered an unoccupied room at the end of the hall and seated himself with a weary sigh. "These old joints just don't work like they used to."
Kavila smiled tremulously as she took a seat on the other side of the room. "Come closer," Yanis said. "I merely wish to ask you some questions. I need to decide how much you have yet to learn."
He then proceeded to quiz Kavila on every aspect of wound and bone treatment she could possibly have imagined. He asked her questions about identifying bones, different types of breaks, setting the bones, cleaning and binding wounds, and splinting injured limbs, among other topics. By the time he was finished, Kavila wanted nothing more than to escape from beneath his hawkish scrutiny. She squirmed in her chair and tried to act the proper, quiet girl, hoping he could just tell her she was a failure now and let her get out of here.
For several minutes he sat silently, considering. Finally he nodded. "You know a great deal more than most apprentices. You have done well." He paused for a moment. "I must check some patients now; it is an hour before lunch. You may join me if you wish."
Kavila hesitated. She was terrified of the man, but she was stuck with him as a teacher if she ever wanted to become a healer. She might as well make a good impression on him. Besides, if he was friends with Lindir, he must have some good qualities.
"I'll come with you," she said as Yanis struggled to his feet. Kavila moved quickly to his side, supporting him as he rose. He smiled his thanks, and Kavila was surprised to see how much that smile softened his facial features.
As they made their way down the hall, Yanis explained the condition his first patient suffered from: a high fever, aching joints, and a racking cough. Kavila personally thought it sounded very similar to the flu, but she didn't mention it; she wasn't sure if she could explain how it was treated on Earth. The way Yanis described it, the sickness was treatable in Middle Earth as well. These treatments merely took longer to dispel the illness than the antibiotics of Earth.
When they reached the room, Yanis fell silent. He pushed open the door gently, calling out lightheartedly, "'Tis time for your medicine, Lans!" Yanis took several leaves from a table in a corner of the room and began mixing them into a powder, which he then mixed into a cup of hot tea. Kavila merely stood back and watched; she was out of her depth here.
The young man in the bed looked to be Kalva's age, perhaps in his twenties. Kavila was struck by how kindly Yanis treated the man; Yanis almost seemed a different person than the one who had quizzed her relentlessly only minutes before. His features were still angular, but his smile and twinkling eyes softened their harshness. His voice, though still somewhat rough, had taken on a kind and warm tone that surprised Kavila.
When Yanis had finished caring for the sick young man, he motioned to Kavila to precede him. They stepped into the hall, Kavila silently marveling at the change in Yanis. He walked beside her, smiling with the quiet contentment of one who has done a good deed. As he described to her the next patient's condition, Kavila decided that the stern manner he had first exhibited had been an act. And even if he was a strict teacher, Kavila had survived strict teachers before. It was obvious that Yanis loved his work, and that he was skilled at what he did. Yes, Kavila decided, she could certainly see why Lindir and he were good friends. Perhaps in time she too would build a friendship with Yanis. For now, she would be content to learn all that he could teach.
MEGAN followed Lindir into the herb storeroom, unable to refrain from staring at the shelves upon shelves of drawers filled with herbs and books on herbal medicine. She could spend many happy hours in here, she reflected. Lindir chuckled as he saw her standing in the doorway with wide eyes.
"I think we shall begin the lesson by preparing and drying some herbs," Lindir said. "Here, this is coneflower. The roots, here, must be removed and placed in this drawer—" he opened one drawer, marked with the words "coneflower root." "The rest of the plant, including the flowers, should be put in this drawer." He pulled out a drawer just above the first one which read "coneflower leaves."
As Megan began to separate the plants as Lindir had showed her, Lindir continued to lecture. "The roots of the coneflower plant, when crushed and taken in tea, can help to alleviate coughs and other ailments that affect breathing. The juices of the rest of the plant can also be used for the same purpose."
He continued to speak as he tended to his own work, describing the appearance and uses of various common herbs to Megan. At times he quizzed her on what he had taught her, until she could recite the information verbatim on cue. Almost before she realized it, Lindir was dismissing Megan to lunch. "You mean…we just spent four hours doing this?" she asked, somewhat amazed at how quickly the time had passed.
"Aye, we did. Now, go and collect some lunch. I must make my rounds, and then I too will take refreshment." Lindir said.
That reminded Megan—little Naton was still somewhere in the building, waiting for her to return. "Where is Naton, that little boy you were helping when we came in?"
Lindir smiled. "I will take you there. You may take some lunch from the kitchens, which are below us, and then return there yourself."
Megan followed Lindir to Naton's room, but before going in she made her way to the kitchens Lindir had mentioned and retrieved a small lunch for herself. She didn't need much, but she did make certain to ask for a sweet cake to take to Naton.
When she entered the room, dessert in hand, Naton was dozing. He looked so tiny and vulnerable in the adult-sized bed, his cheeks flushed with fever, Megan was tempted to let him sleep. But then his eyes fluttered open, lighting up when he saw the sweet cake.
"I brought you some dessert, for being so patient waiting for me," Megan told him as he devoured the cake. She started on her own lunch more slowly, discussing small talk with Naton. As she watched Naton's animated expressions, she marveled at the innocent maturity of the young. Naton spoke little of the war he had just lived through, and much of his parents, whom he obviously adored. And yet he did not fault them for returning to work, leaving him alone in the Healing Houses; he merely accepted it.
Finally, during mid-afternoon, Naton's mother visited him. She was so loving and affectionate toward Naton, it was not difficult to understand why he spoke so fondly of her. He told her confidently that he would be better tomorrow and could come home and help her with the chores, and Megan saw moisture in her eyes. Such a selfless, loving child, Megan thought as she moved to the back of the room, allowing the mother and child a few minutes together. The mother's regret that she could not sit with her sick child was nearly tangible as she left, half an hour later, to return to her work.
Naton seemed to wilt a little after his mother left, and Megan guessed that some of his optimism had been an attempt to alleviate his mother's regret. She moved back to his bedside, smoothing some hair from his brow soothingly. "I think it's time for you to sleep, Naton," she said. "I'll come back tomorrow, if you're still here." Naton nodded wearily and dropped off to sleep, his features younger and more relaxed in slumber. Megan was surprised by the fierce feeling of protectiveness that surged within her as she closed the door softly behind her. Yes, she would indeed be back tomorrow.
ERIN made her way to the library with no small excitement. Aragorn had insisted she begin her lessons, since she still had five days until Eomer left for Rohan. She hadn't objected very much. She was extremely curious to see the library of Gondor, which was famed throughout Middle Earth for its massive collections of lore. She briefly reflected that Gandalf might be the best tutor for her, considering her love of old languages and alphabets, of which the wizard probably knew more than her Gondorian tutor did.
Then she reached the library, and the servant who had led her there bowed and left. Erin squared her shoulders and tried to push down her nervousness. She was on time, dressed appropriately in a long dress, and had at least a basic understanding of Middle Earth history to work with. If that didn't pull her through this lesson, her passion for all things history and linguistic would. She would not disappoint her tutor.
Erin stepped through the door, barely remembering to close it softly behind her. For several moments she merely stood in the doorway, her gaze traveling up and over the massive shelves. They reached perhaps fifteen feet, from floor to ceiling, with many ladders for quick access to the scrolls stacked neatly upon them. All four walls were covered with them, except for two small doorways in the left and right walls and the main door, as well as the wall space above the main door. Above the main entrance hung a giant map of Middle Earth, with large lettering so that one could read it from anywhere in the room. Erin spent several minutes just studying the map, refreshing her memory of Middle Earth geography.
The center of the room was filled with comfortable chairs and tables upon which one could pile scrolls and candles. There were brackets set upon the shelves periodically for candles, as well as lanterns hung from the ceiling, but they could not fully illuminate the room.
Finally Erin took a few steps into the room, her soft shoes rustling softly against the stone floor. Immediately a man stepped into the room through one of the small doors, smiling broadly. "You are the Lady Erin, are you not?" he asked.
Erin nodded slowly, then remembered her manners and curtseyed. "I am. And you, sir?"
"I am Councilor Rammath. The King has informed me that you are interested in becoming a loremaster," the man replied.
"I am, my lord councilor," Erin began, but Rammath interrupted her.
"Please, call me Rammath," he smiled, and Erin found herself returning the grin. "Now, if you will follow me, I will introduce you to the various areas of the library." He made it sound as though he were introducing Erin to a longtime friend. "This room here contains volumes on history. This wall," he pointed to the wall containing the giant map, "is dedicated to geography and cultural studies. This one," he pointed to the right wall, "contains scrolls on the ancient history of Men, before Numenor. The back wall holds books on the history of Men after Numenor,"—Erin noticed that was the largest wall--"and the left wall is dedicated to Numenor's history. Within each wall certain shelves are dedicated to certain periods of history, such as a specific person's life or king's reign."
Erin grinned as he maneuvered through the chairs to the doorway in the right wall, through which he had come. Her hands were itching for one of those ladders, so she could retrieve a nice stack of scrolls and books and curl up in one of those comfy-looking chairs for the rest of the morning. But that, she figured, was not to be her luck.
The room into which Rammath led her was much smaller than the first, its ceiling reaching only a few feet above her head. Its walls too were covered with shelves, although here were tables and wooden chairs. Rammath was nearly beaming when he turned to face her. "In this room are kept all the scrolls and books dealing with the various languages of Middle Earth. Once again, they are labeled by shelves. We have tomes on Sindarin, Quenya, Dwarvish, Adunaic, and many other languages."
Erin's grin widened. "Oh, I think I know where I'll be spending my free time," she said softly as she looked about her.
"'Tis my favorite section of the library," Rammath told her. "I believe that we shall become very good friends, my lady Erin."
"Just Erin," she said, and he chuckled.
"Very well, just Erin. This is where we shall be meeting for lessons. But first, if you would follow me…" Rammath exited the same small door they had entered and recrossed the History Room. The next room they entered was literally identical to the Language Room in size and furnishings, except that it had a second small door leading to one last room. "Here are kept all books on mathematics and science," Rammath said. He pointed through the doorway into the last room. "That room is dedicated to poetry and other such pursuits of literature, mostly in the Common Tongue, though we have some texts in Elvish and Dwarvish." He smiled at her. "Now, let us return to the Language Room for your first lesson!" Erin followed him eagerly, already looking forward to hours spent here. She had a feeling this would quickly become her favorite place as well.
SARAH arrived at the door of Kalva's shop half an hour after dawn, dressed in plain leggings and tunic, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail that would stay out of her face. She glanced at the door to the armory, only a few feet away, and smiled at the memories it brought back: meeting Kalva, learning swordwork with her friends, testing the giant crossbows on the practice ground.
With a deep breath to dispel her nervousness, Sarah opened the door to Kalva's shop and stepped inside. She had no idea what to expect here; she knew a little about shooting bows (Erin had taken her shooting twice) and could make arrows with Kalva's special device, but other than that she hadn't the faintest idea what was involved in the construction of archery equipment.
Sarah's eyes adjusted gradually to the darker interior of the shop, lit only by windows that allowed fresh air and sunlight in. She immediately saw that there were two rooms: the first room, in which she stood, held the finished products on display. Sarah spent several moments marveling at the beautiful woodwork of the bows, before Kalva's voice rang out from the second room. "I shall be with you in a moment's time…"
"Don't worry about it," she called back. "It's just me."
"Sarah?" Kalva's voice sounded surprised. "The King sent a messenger yesterday to inform me that you would become my apprentice, but I did not expect you so early this morning. Come in!"
Sarah stepped into the second room and halted in astonishment. It was the exact opposite of the first room, which had been relatively clean and organized. This room was the workroom, and it was anything but clean and organized; sawdust and wood shavings littered the floor, and there were tools and pieces of wood everywhere. It was much larger than the front room, and filled with the sweet scent of cut wood.
Kalva was perched upon a stool beneath one of the many large windows, again the only light in the room. His left arm was still in a sling, but his hand was free; he used it to hold pieces of wood steady as he carved them into the proper shape for bow construction. Sarah quickly noticed, however, that the carving stage was as far as he could get with one arm virtually incapacitated, judging by the abundance of carved staves and the lack of bows in other stages of construction.
"This is the workroom, where you shall be spending most of your time as my apprentice," Kalva said. "I am afraid that, because of my arm, I can only shape wood. I cannot assemble the bows or make the arrows, much less quivers and other such gear. Arrows are needed the most, I think; the City has depleted its supply in this war, and there is quite a shortage. There in the corner," he motioned, "is a stack of arrow staves. Once you have finished cutting those into proper arrow shafts and fitted them with points, I shall teach you to fletch them. Later today, if you wish to keep working, I may teach you some about constructing a bow."
Sarah quickly went to work, and in a couple of hours she had finished with the shafts. Then she worked until lunch under Kalva's strict supervision fletching the shafts with the colors of the city. She soon lost herself in the rhythm of the work: place the feather, secure it with cord, and add tar to keep it firmly in place. Repeat three times, and the arrow goes in the finished pile. The wood was smooth in her fingers, the feathers soft, and the sun warm against her back. She loved the feeling of accomplishment when she finished another arrow, and the pride she felt when she saw the growing stack of finished arrows. She fell into an almost trance-like concentration, and jumped when Kalva laid a hand on her shoulder. "'Tis time for the noon meal," he said. "You've only three more to finish, and then we shall leave." She soon added the last three to her stack, and she left with a feeling of quiet accomplishment she retained for the rest of the day.
ADRIENNE strode down to the Gate to meet Dregor, nearly skipping in her excitement. Her first lesson as a Ranger-in-training! A part of her still could not believe that her dream had come true. She would learn swordfighting, archery, tracking, horseback-riding, wilderness survival, everything she had ever wanted to know…from the best of the best!
She tried hurriedly to remember all the things she and Dregor had discussed during their time in Ithilien. Though he had not given her a formal lesson in tracking, they had spoken often of it for long hours. And then there were all the swordfighting lessons he had given her…she hoped her muscles remembered all the little adjustments she had been practicing, because she wasn't certain she could keep them straight!
When she reached the main Gate, she paused momentarily outside it. Come on, Adrienne, you won't disappoint him, she told herself and stepped through, nodding at the guards as she passed. Dregor was waiting for her as promised, holding the lead ropes of…two horses! Both stallions, as well…one Adrienne recognized as Dregor's bay, Amdir, but the other one she didn't know. She felt a surge of excitement. Was it…
"Good morn, Adrienne," Dregor smiled at her as she approached. "You have already seen my horse, but I do not believe you have met Mithela."
"Mithela?" Adrienne repeated, trying to get her tongue around the strange word. She walked up to the horse slowly, as the stallion snorted and moved nervously backwards. Dregor soothed him with a word, and the horse remained in place as Adrienne neared. She reached up and cautiously stroked the proud, arched neck. The stallion was a truly stunning example of his kind, with a coat and mane that were so dark they were almost blue. His coat glimmered in the morning sun as he moved, his muscles flowing like water beneath the black hide. There was a small mark on his forehead, a gray arrowhead-shaped patch of hair. "Is he for me?"
"Aye, he is," Dregor smiled. "And do not worry about repayment; the King has assured the Dunedain that his treasury is open to us. After all, it is difficult to pay someone monthly or even yearly when you cannot find him. When we must replenish supplies or replace gear, it is the Crown which now provides the coin."
Adrienne chuckled as the horse nudged her inquisitively, having come to the conclusion that she did not present a danger. "So…does 'Mithela' mean anything?"
"Grey-arrow—he is named for the mark upon his forehead," Dregor replied. "But why do we not see if his stride fits his name?" He leaped upon his own horse, who was nearly prancing with eagerness.
Adrienne grinned. "Why not indeed!" She climbed into the saddle quickly, settling herself into a good posture. All those riding lessons hadn't been for nothing! Mithela snorted again and moved uncertainly under her, but she soothed him with soft words and he quickly calmed.
Dregor nodded approvingly and kneed his steed into a quick canter. Adrienne barely had to touch Mithela's sides; the stallion applied himself eagerly to the chase. When Dregor looked back to see if she had followed, his expression reflected his surprise that she had caught up to him as quickly as she had.
With a mischievous smile Adrienne coaxed Mithela into a run, breaking out in laughter as she passed an astonished Dregor. Dregor shook his head and followed, chuckling wryly.
He soon caught up with her. "I suppose there is little for me to teach you about riding!" he laughed.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll find something. I can ride, yes, and I can do most of the care-taking, but as for jumping and fighting from the back of a horse—there I'll need some help." Adrienne replied.
Suddenly Dregor reined in Amdir, and Adrienne looked up to find that they had reached the outer walls of the city. The guards were staring at the two of them with no little astonishment. Dregor just smiled and nodded as he approached them. "I am the Ranger Dregor, second-in-command to our King and Chieftain, Lord Aragorn. This is my student."
"Student in what subjects?" one of the guards joked, and Adrienne blushed as she realized his insinuation.
Dregor chuckled. "You may laugh now, but you will not when she can surpass you in tracking and horsemanship!"
The guard continued laughing as he opened the gate. "Perhaps. Farewell!"
Dregor shook his head when they had passed out of earshot. "My apologies, Adrienne. That is the way soldiers talk—part of the reason I requested Lord Aragorn's permission to let you join the Rangers. There is less of that among us."
Adrienne didn't let it bother her. "I've heard worse," she said as she urged Mithela back into a run. It didn't take much urging; Mithela was as eager for this outing as Adrienne was. As Mithela picked up his pace Adrienne threw her head back and reveled in the feeling of the wind in her hair, the pounding of the stallion's hooves against the earth. Now she remembered why she had loved riding so much!
Dregor's voice broke her from her memories. "Look ahead and to the west a little—do you see the stand of trees there? That is where we shall halt."
Adrienne nodded, and then an impish grin split her face. "Race you!"
Dregor looked after her in no little wonder as she spurred Mithela to still greater speeds, shaking his head as he urged his own mount faster.
Adrienne didn't look back, concentrating on the ever-nearing trees. Only a few hundred more feet, and she and Mithela were still winning! She almost felt like a little child, racing a friend to the other side of the playground.
Suddenly she heard the sound of another set of hooves, pounding up to her right. She crouched low in the saddle and Mithela, taking this as his signal, drew up a last reserve of energy. Adrienne glanced back as they passed into the wood: Dregor had only been a few paces behind them, grinning just as widely as Adrienne. Adrienne reined Mithela in and slid from the horse's heaving back, as Dregor did the same.
"I do believe Mithela has earned his name," he commented as he gave Amdir an affectionate pat. "But now, I think it is time to let our horses rest a little. Here," he led Amdir a little ways into the wood, "there is a small stream for them to drink from, and then we shall hobble them and begin our first lesson in tracking."
Adrienne could barely restrain her glee as she followed Dregor further into the forest and took care of Mithela. This day was just getting better and better! When they had finished, Dregor led Adrienne deeper in the wood to a picturesque little clearing. "This is where we shall have our initial lessons in tracking," he told her as she looked around in wonder. "I have set up a practice course, which I will change often to present different challenges."
"An obstacle course!" Adrienne exclaimed in delight.
"Aye," Dregor chuckled. "Shall we begin?"
FIVE days later, Erin looked down upon her friends from Tinna's back. "Don't worry, you guys," she reassured them. "I'm with Eomer. I'll be fine."
"I'm not worried about that," Adrienne replied, smirking. "I'm worried you're going to come back engaged."
Erin's gaze dropped to her horse's neck as her face flushed. "I…I don't know." she muttered.
"Erin?" Megan's tone was half-teasing, half-questioning. "What do you mean, 'I don't know'?"
"Are you saying that if he asked, you would say yes!" Kavila interjected, her mouth hanging open in astonishment.
"I don't know…" Erin repeated lamely, throwing a frustrated and somewhat pleading look at her friends. "Can't we just get this over with?"
Sarah took pity on her. "We'll see you in…I don't know, a few weeks?"
Erin sighed. "Eomer said it might be months."
"Months!" Kavila exclaimed. "Warford, that's such a long time!"
"It'll go by fast," Erin replied with a sad smile. "I'll be back before you know it."
"You have to send letters," Adrienne warned. "We'll be wondering about you all the time, thinking 'I wish Erin were here.'"
"I know," Erin said. "I'll be thinking of you guys, too."
"When you aren't thinking about Eomer," Megan snickered. "Which I'm sure will be never."
"Will not," Erin muttered, blushing again. Suddenly a shadow fell over her as Eomer appeared beside her.
"I apologize for interrupting, Lady Erin," he began. "But I thought I should warn you that we are nearly ready to depart."
Erin couldn't help smiling; it was something she did instinctively in his presence. "In other words, all you're waiting for is me," she chuckled. "Just a few more moments and I'll come."
She turned back to her friends, the grin fading from her face. "I'm not going to say goodbye, since it'll only be a couple of months and we'll be keeping in touch through letters," she said.
"Only a couple of months!" Kavila retorted. "Warford, how will I ever survive without you there to tell me I'm being stupid?"
"You do that more than enough on your own," Erin responded, laughing. She glanced over shoulder and quickly sobered. Eomer and his men were all in position, and Eomer kept glancing back towards her pointedly. She sighed, "Well, I'd better be going. I don't want to keep Eomer and his men waiting."
Her friends nodded, forcing smiles for her sake. She looked at all of them one last time, wondering for the millionth time how she was going to manage without friends or family for two whole months. They had been her support for so long, she wasn't sure what to do without them.
But as she turned away and beheld Eomer, his golden locks flowing from under a shining silver helm, she felt that ubiquitous smile returning again. No, she would manage. As long as Eomer was near, she would be fine.
She rode up next to him, ignoring the surprised and, in some cases, outright unfriendly looks directed at her as she passed through the ranks. When she reached him Eomer beamed at her and rose up in his saddle. "Forth Eorlingas!" he shouted, raising his hand and bringing it down in the gesture to move out. The thunder of hooves built behind them as the Rohirrim followed their King across the Pelennor Fields, and a new kind of exhilaration built within Erin. She had never ridden at the head of an army, and she had to admit the sensation of all that might behind her, following her, was thrilling. She glanced over at Eomer, who was still grinning, and returned the smile.
Yes, she thought to herself, I think I'll be just fine.
KAVILA walked slowly back to her room in the Citadel, trudging through the streets of Minas Tirith. The noonday sun made the streets and buildings shine, but Kavila wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings, other than to make certain she didn't walk in front of a cart or bump into some innocent child. She was somewhat late returning to the palace; a wagonload of supplies had arrived at the Healing Houses, and Yanis had asked Kavila to help him unload it. It had taken longer than Kavila had thought it would and had sapped her of strength—those boxes of bandages and dried herbs could be heavy!
Hard work wasn't a foreign concept to Kavila, nor was it the only reason she was tired. She hadn't slept well for the past three days, ever since Erin had left. For some reason Kavila hadn't been able to stop worrying about her friend; it might have been just a feeling, but something wasn't right.
Today was the day Erin was due to arrive at Edoras. Kavila was certain they would be getting a letter in another few days, talking all about how beautiful Edoras and Rohan were, and how much she missed them, and how much she was enjoying spending all day around Eomer. Kavila sighed. Sometimes Erin was so predictable.
The truth was, Kavila was missing her friend more than she had thought she would. Certainly Erin often made herself a nuisance, with her teasing and pestering, not to mention her nearly constant talking about Eomer the past few weeks. But nonetheless she had been the one out of all four friends whom Kavila had felt closest to, and Kavila was finding she very much needed to talk to someone.
Legolas had been acting strangely lately; he was avoiding her. Not that Kavila was objecting—she had quite welcomed the relief of not having to agonize about what he would do next. But the complete reversal of attitude confused and worried her. She had a feeling he was doing it for a reason. Maybe he was planning something. That thought worried her. After all, he was a prince; he would have a lot of resources at his disposal, not to mention that just about everybody in the palace was on his side. From the way they looked at him as he passed by, even the palace servants were on his side. Kavila wasn't even sure her own friends were on her side, the way they had been teasing her about Legolas.
Finally the door to her room appeared before her, just a few steps away. She could walk in, collapse on the bed, get a servant to bring her some lunch (although with her luck it would have some special dessert with a little note "From Legolas"), and then take a nap for the rest of the afternoon.
She opened the door and stepped inside with a deep sigh of relief which quickly turned to a feeling of alarm. Something was going on. The window was closed, but the curtains were moving as if a breeze were blowing through the room. And last she had checked, pillows did not giggle.
Just as Kavila was contemplating her imminent fall into screaming insanity, several faces popped out of various places throughout her room. "Happy birthday!" they yelled, laughing uproariously at her expression, which was no doubt priceless. There was Adrienne behind the curtain, Sarah and Megan behind the chair, Pippin behind the pillows, the other three hobbits behind the bed, and Aragorn, Gandalf, and Gimli coming from the bathroom…which reminded Kavila. Where was Legolas?
As if she had read her thoughts, Adrienne spoke up. "Legolas is on his way…he had to go get something."
Somehow, that didn't make Kavila feel any better. A sudden knock on the door which sounded much louder than usual to Kavila made her jump away from the door as if whoever had knocked was about to attack her.
"Oh good, that's probably lunch!" Sarah exclaimed, rushing to open the door before Kavila could tell her not to. Sure enough, there was a caravan of servants bringing a celebratory lunch—and a cake. That cheered Kavila slightly; after all, who could be depressed about getting a cake? And the lunch looked delicious, especially to her hungry stomach, which was reminding her that it had been nearly six hours since she had eaten breakfast.
Adrienne cast one last glance at the door. "Oh well, Legolas can join us when he gets here," she muttered, uncovering the various platters. "Everybody dig in while the food's hot!"
Kavila ate heartily, trying in vain to distract herself from Legolas's worrisome absence. But neither the delicious food nor the idle chatter of her friends could quite dismiss the gnawing anxiety in the pit of her stomach.
Halfway through lunch, the golden-haired prince appeared in the doorway, grinning to see the others already eating. "What? You did not wait for me to return?" he asked with mock-resentment.
"You were taking too long," Adrienne told him. Her eyes lingered on the large package he was carrying, which he set on the desk next to another brown paper-wrapped parcel Kavila had failed to notice.
He ate little, Kavila noticed as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. She wondered why; he didn't seem ill, although his smiles were decidedly less enthusiastic than usual. After watching him surreptitiously for several minutes, Kavila decided there was only one way to define his behavior: he was nervous. About what, Kavila couldn't possibly imagine. If anyone should be nervous, it was her. She was the one getting all the surprises, and she hated surprises—especially when they came from that retarded Elf.
Finally the lunch deteriorated into chatting and snacking, the food mostly gone. Adrienne stood and, with obvious relish, put to Kavila the question that had been put to her a few weeks ago: "Cake or presents?"
"Um…I don't care…" Kavila muttered. Part of her said she should postpone the presents until the end, but another corner of her mind was arguing that she should get the agony over now and open them. She waved absently at Adrienne. "You decide."
Adrienne grinned. "Then presents it is!" Kavila wasn't sure if she should groan or sigh with relief. Well, she could sigh with relief when it was all over and she was finally alone in her room. Before or after she screamed her lungs out into the pillow, she wasn't sure.
Kavila was jerked from her musings when Adrienne dropped into her lap the suspicious paper-wrapped package she had seen earlier on the desk. She tore it open warily, especially after Adrienne's warning, "Be careful! It's sort of fragile!"
Inside, she found a small wooden box. "A…box. Thanks, you guys…" she started.
"Open the box!" Sarah exclaimed, obviously eager to see Kavila's reaction.
Kavila sighed. "Fine!" She undid the small clasp and opened the box to find an exquisitely crafted set of gold hairpins, each in the shape of a tiny bird. When they were put in her hair, they would look like little golden birds flitting around her head. "Oh my god, you guys…these are so pretty!" she exclaimed, looking up to find all three of her friends beaming back at her. "How…?"
"Don't worry about how!" Adrienne laughed. "Just enjoy them. Oh, and they're from all four of us, although Erin contributed the most money before she left."
"Erin…oh my god, I love you guys!" Kavila said, rising and giving hugs to all three of them. "Now if only Erin was here, I could give her a hug too…"
The hobbits came forward next. "Our present is rather simple…" Pippin said, drawing from behind his back a pint-size tankard for holding ale. "However," Frodo finished, "I believe you will appreciate it!"
Kavila glared back at them. "You know what, you…you…you're meanies!" she finished. "I am not going to use this, I hope you know!"
"Oh, we do not expect you to use it, Lady Kavila," Frodo chuckled. "We meant it rather as a…memento."
Kavila stuck out her tongue. "Memento…that's just the thing I want to remember!"
Everyone shared a hearty laugh. Legolas seemed as though he was about to come forward, but then he glanced at Aragorn. Aragorn caught his gaze, nodded slightly, and made his way up to Kavila around the plates and people scattered over the floor. "This is my present." He handed her a leather-wrapped book.
"You didn't have to get me a present," Kavila muttered shyly. The King was giving her a birthday present!
"Take it in thanks for the work you have done in the Houses of Healing and upon the Fields of Cormallen. Your service as a healer has saved many lives, and for this I am grateful," Aragorn replied, while Kavila smiled nervously.
She opened the book warily, barely repressing a sigh of relief to see that it was only a book on healing. As she flipped through it she saw that it was divided into two parts: the first was a treatise on various methods of surgery and bone-setting, while the second part contained pictures and descriptions of herbs arranged first by the ailments they treated and then in alphabetical order. "As a fellow healer, I assure you that such a volume can be extremely useful," Aragorn said as her smile widened.
"Thank you, Aragorn," she said. "I'm sure this will be very useful."
Megan glanced at the table. "One more present to go!" she exclaimed. Legolas stepped forward.
"I took the liberty of obtaining this for you, Lady Kavila. I hope you find it acceptable," he said as he brought it to her. Yes, he was most definitely nervous.
Kavila's guard immediately went up. He hoped she found it acceptable? What did that mean? She carefully unwrapped it, taking her time and postponing the moment when she would see what he had gotten her.
Finally the paper fell back to reveal a large swath of dark purple fabric, embroidered with silver-colored thread in simple but beautiful patterns. Kavila tossed the paper away and took the fabric into her hands. It was a lightweight, almost cotton fabric, but heavy in weight. Much heavier than it should have been, Kavila reflected. Then her hand brushed a patch of embroidery, and she was surprised to feel how cold it was.All of a sudden her mouth fell open and she stood hurriedly, unfolding the fabric. "Oh my god…" was all she was able to say for several moments. She couldn't believe he had found out about this! But yes, the fabric was the right length…
Kavila's gaze snapped up to meet Legolas's blue ones. "Is this what I think it is!"
Legolas seemed worried. "It is a sari, as it was described to me by Lady Erin. Is it not?"
Kavila took several moments to think this over. Saris were not something you gave lightly, especially when they were as expensive as this one. In fact, saris as elaborate as this one often meant 'Will you marry me?' And Erin—the traitor—had told Legolas about saris? Why? She knew what that meant! But had she told Legolas? Had she been plotting with Legolas? And for how long? "That stupid…I'm going to kill her when she gets back here...and this time I'm not kidding!" Kavila muttered.
"What's that on the floor?" Sarah asked suddenly, rising and grabbing a piece of fabric which had fallen. It was a short-sleeved shirt of the same color fabric, its sleeves similarly embroidered.
"What, pray tell, is a sari?" Gandalf asked, regarding Kavila with no little amusement. The girl was obviously astonished—and agitated.
"It's…it's a garment worn by Indian people like me...you put on the blouse and then wrap the fabric around in a special way…" Kavila trailed off, examining the embroidery. "But this isn't just any sari…it's an expensive sari. This," she pointed to the silver patterns, "isn't just silver thread, it's real, metal silver stretched into thread. And…and…" Kavila almost mentioned the fact that the giving of a sari like this was akin to a marriage proposal, but decided it was best if Legolas didn't hear that. "how did you get this?"
"I sent a request to my father, asking that he find a tailor who could craft the embroidery in the pattern I had designed," Legolas began, but Kavila interrupted him.
"You asked your father about it? Like, your father, the King of Mirkwood!" she exclaimed. Then the last part of Legolas's statement registered with her. "You designed this?"
"Yes, to both questions," Legolas answered. "My father located a tailor and had the cloth made to my specifications, and then sent it to me so that I might give it to you. I hope I have not done wrong?"
Kavila came very close to saying yes, but decided against it, since she really did not want to explain why. She didn't want to give him any ideas. "No…no, not really." She glanced hopefully at Adrienne. "No more presents, right?"
Adrienne laughed. "No, no more presents. Just cake!" Kavila sighed with relief.
"Which you're only going to get after you go put on that sari so we can all see how it looks on you!" Megan interjected.
"What? But I can't…I don't want to get cake on it!" Kavila finished desperately. She did not want to end up modeling for Legolas!
"Oh, of course you can! Come on, don't you think Legolas wants to see how good you look wearing his gift?" Adrienne said, shooing her toward the bathroom. "Go!"
Several minutes later Kavila emerged, the sari wrapped gracefully around her shapely form. The grape-colored fabric made her skin and eyes seem all the more dark and exotic, and everyone fell silent in admiration as she took a few steps into the room. Kavila glanced around and saw that all eyes were on her. "What…" she laughed nervously as the entire room erupted in clapping and whistles. "Lirimaer," Legolas said softly to Aragorn as he applauded and smiled at her. Aragorn chuckled his agreement.
"Okay, I don't look that good," she protested as the applause continued. The comment merely sent her friends into new paroxysms of laughter.
"You're so modest, Kavila," Adrienne said finally. "Admit it, purple looks damn good on you. Legolas, I commend you on your good taste."
Kavila spluttered for a few moments, and then an idea occurred to her. "Well, it's a very nice sari, but it's not the nicest I've ever gotten," she said, ignoring the pained look on Legolas's face. "I had this one that my mom got me, dark blue (not navy) with gold embroidery all over it…it was heavy."
"What did you get it for?" Sarah asked.
Kavila shrugged. "Oh, this little ceremony thing I had to do when I was younger. It was kind of like a ceremony for passing from childhood to adolescence, and it's sort of important in Hinduism…I'm not an expert on it."
Aragorn chuckled. "I am afraid I must leave you, Lady Kavila. I am glad I was fortunate enough to see you in your sari; 'tis a beautiful garment. But though the Crown has afforded me many advantages, unlimited leisure is not one of them. I have much work to do, and I shall have more tomorrow." He sighed and bowed. "Happy birthing-day, and I shall see you at dinner."
Gandalf and the hobbits took their leave soon after Aragorn, and Legolas and Gimli not long after that. Finally Kavila was left alone with her friends.
"Oh. My. God. He did not do that! I can't believe Erin told him about the sari! I'm going to kill her when she gets back! And I'm not joking this time!" Kavila ranted the moment the door had closed. "Do you know what it means when a guy who isn't a relative gives you a sari?" The three girls shook their heads, amused. "It's basically a marriage proposal!" Kavila all but screamed.
For several moments there was silence. "A marriage proposal?" Adrienne said finally, her face blank with astonishment.
Megan snickered. "So, he's basically proposed to you and doesn't even know it?"
"Yeah, basically!" Kavila retorted. "And Erin should know that! Stupid, retarded girl! I've told her about that stuff!"
"Well if she knew, she obviously didn't let Legolas in on the secret, so I think you're safe for now," Sarah said. "You'll just have to wait until Erin gets back."
"Which is supposed to be a couple of months, so you'll have plenty of time to figure out what you're going to say to her," Adrienne added.
Kavila glared at the wall. "Oh yes…and I will have quite a bit to say."
There was silence for several moments, as each girl retreated into their own thoughts. In the sudden quiet the adrenaline rush that had sustained Kavila since she entered her room left her, and she felt every bit of her earlier exhaustion. She yawned once, and Megan laughed. "Tired after all that excitement?" she asked teasingly.
Kavila shook her head. "No, just a lot of work to do at the Healing Houses. Yanis had me help him unload a cart of supplies." She rolled her shoulders. "I'm going to be sore tomorrow."
"Go soak in the bathtub," Adrienne advised. "Trust me, I've been through the whole sore muscle thing, with color guard and all. Oh, and don't forget to stretch them out some. Believe it or not, it makes you feel better."
"I believe you," Kavila said, already moving toward the bathroom. "I'll see you guys at dinner."
"See you!" her friends chorused as they filed out of the room. Kavila took Adrienne's advice and spent half an hour soaking in the bathtub, until she feared she would turn into a prune if she stayed in much longer. She got out, dressed, and collapsed on the bed; the warm water had soothed her and made the prospect of a nap look very enticing. Kavila's last thought before she finally fell asleep was of Erin. I'm gonna kill her when she comes back…