The Twisted Web of Fate

by Sinister Sindar Sisters

Thranduil and his young son travel to a trade meeting very soon after the death of their wife and mother. Unknown to them, darkness follows them. Will they survive and make it back to their beloved home alive?

15. Chapter 15

The Twisted Web of Fate. 12?

(Gwî Norn Ned Amarth)

By the Sinister Sindar Sisters (M. Cross and B. Kennedy)

Disclaimer: Try as we might, we still don't own any part of the wondrous world created by the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien, so we just visit it and borrow a few characters for these stories. We only write them for our own entertainment and we surely don't make any money off them.

Rating: PG13 Action/adventure/angst (hurt/care)

Feedback: or on list

Spoilers: Well, surely for LOTR

Summary: Thranduil and his young son must travel to a trade meeting too soon after the death of their wife and mother. Unknown to them, dire danger and darkness follows them. How will they survive when they discover that the gathering evil has targeted the small elven Prince?

WARNINGS – Lots of angst and hurt/care throughout this story. Shell (MCross) is a stickler for medical accuracy. There are violence, graphic illness and injury descriptions here. It may be disturbing to some. If that isn't your interest, you might want to look elsewhere. The story is Alternate Universe to begin with, though heavily structured on Middle Earth history, research and medical fact. Enjoy the show. It's all for fun anyway. We are writing the story for our own amusement, but we hope you enjoy it too.

---- Sindarin vocabulary ----

References: Dragon Flame, Thain's Book and Encyclopedia of Arda

Adan, Edain – (the race of) man, men

Adar, ada - father, dad

Amarth – fate, doom

Aran, Aran-nin - King, my King

Ardhon, Arda - the world

Caun - Prince

DaerAda, DaerNana – (roughly) Grandfather, Grandmother

Elleth, ellith – elf-maiden, elf-maidens

Ellon, ellyn – elf, elves (male)

Estë – Vala associated with healing, wife of Irmo.

Estelio nin - Trust me.

Fileg – small bird

Gwî – web

Hannon le – Thank you

Hennad - thanks

Hír, Hír-nin - Lord, my Lord

Híril, Híril-nin – Lady, my Lady

Imladris – Rivendell

Ion-nin – my son

Irmo – Vala of dreams and visions (also known as Lórien)

Lhaew hûn nestadren salab - digitalis, foxglove (My made-up Sindarin name, literally - ill heart healing herb)

Mellon-iaur – old friend

Mellon-nin, mellyn-nin - my friend, my friends
Námo – true name of the Valar Mandos

Ned – of

Nen - water

Norn – twisted

Penneth – Young one

Saes – Please

Sell-nin – my daughter

Sîdh - peace

Suilad – Hail or Greetings

Ú-cared nîr – do not weep

/ text / indicates thought, dream or visions

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter Twelve

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The lazy afternoon sun slanted through the windows and a slight breeze brought the scent of spring flowers from the gardens around the Last Homely House. Birds could be heard calling and singing as they flew about their business of building nests for their eggs.

The tall windows were all open, letting in the fresh air. It also meant that one window at least was always blocked. One of the Great Eagles stood watch over all that was happening in the healing ward below them while the other two rested or hunted, often patrolling the skies around Imladris as self-appointed sentries.

All was peaceful, with the healers moving around quietly as they tended their patients. The Great Eagles had decided that one of them would remain on watch. None of them really wanted to leave. They were keeping a close watch on two, nay four, patients in particular. But one was more important than the others.

Nestoron lay still and pale on the bed. He was still restrained to the bed, his hand held fast by that of his bonded. They had been moved so that they now shared a double bed. Faelien had not wanted to leave her beloved's side to rest. In the end, this had been decided as the best course of action to take. She lay now beside him, her hand resting gently on her still-flat abdomen. Everyone who saw shared a look of joy before moving on to the next patient.

A low groan brought the healers to a halt. They turned to see where it had come from. Dread filled them for a moment. They expected the groan to have come from the more seriously injured of their patients. When nothing more happened, they relaxed.

Gailarphen turned to his junior healer. "Thelion, leave that for now, stay with Aran Thranduil. It looks as if he is close to waking. We cannot have him worried or anxious, not when he is doing so well."

"Of course, Master Healer." Thelion rested Glorfindel's wrist back on the bed. He had yet to waken and was still suffering from a fever due to the infected bite, only a mild fever now, but a fever nonetheless.

Before he could move, the groan came again. Gailarphen did not wait this time. He hurried to Thranduil's side. He fully expected the King to awaken and look at him in confusion. Instead, it was Gailarphen who was confused as he gently lifted the King's wrist to feel the pulse.

It was a little fast and irregular, but not as bad as it had been. His breathing was easy and his colour was good. It gave Gailarphen hope that the damage to his friend's heart would heal. However long that may take.

Thranduil was definitely not waking. Another, lower groan filled the air, the distress evident to Gailarphen. It came from the elfling that was still cradled in Thranduil's arms.

Gailarphen gently lifted the limp arm, only for it to be so tense that he could barely lift it. The muscles had tensed the moment he made contact.

Gailarphen leaned down close to speak softly in Legolas' ear. "Legolas? Penneth, can you hear me? It is Gailarphen." Legolas' pulse was fast, another sign that he was distressed.

"Gailarphen, what is wrong?" The voice that sounded in Gailarphen's ear was enough to cause him to jump. He had been concentrating on Legolas so closely that he didn't realise Thranduil had wakened.

"Thranduil!" Was the only admonishment he would give as his heart tried to leave his body. "You were sleeping!"

"I was, until you touched Legolas." Thranduil sounded a little abashed and Gailarphen gave a small smile. It was nice to see such closeness between a parent and child.

"I am sorry. He is distressed and I was trying not to waken you. May I see him?" Gailarphen knew that Thranduil would not let Legolas go for the time being and nothing he could say would change that. He did not want to anyway.

"Yes, of course. Here, let me..." The look that crossed Thranduil's face was one that, in normal circumstances, would have been hysterical. They would have laughed over this, but not at this time.

Thranduil's face flashed with first confusion, followed by realisation and shock, then a little distaste.

"Thranduil? What is wrong, mellon-nin?" Gailarphen was getting worried. What was wrong with his normally-stoical friend?

Thranduil looked around making sure that no one was listening in. He then spoke softly into the healer's ear.

"Oh!" Pleased surprise followed the realisation of what had happened. It explained everything and it wasn't entirely unexpected. They had been giving Legolas water often. "Let us get you both changed. I will see to Legolas. Thelion, can we have some screens and warm water?" Gailarphen looked up at his fellow healer who was standing nearby, waiting for orders. "And some towels."

Thelion nodded. "Of course." He hurried off to see to what was needed. The screens were easily available and he set two junior healers to move them right away.

"You have enough clean nightwear?" Gailarphen asked the King.

"It is with our main packs. I do not think we have anything with us." Thranduil shook his head. He could only wish they had remembered to get his pack before they left on the Eagles. He really wished for a long soaking bath but did not believe Gailarphen would allow it.

"I am sure that we can find you some things. You look uncomfortable, Thranduil. Let me see to Legolas while you get washed and changed." Gailarphen gently took the still Elfling from his father.

Thranduil reluctantly handed him over to his friend. "Can I go and clean up in the bathing chamber?" He gently pulled his sodden shirt away from him. He had received far worse from Legolas when his son had been a babe, but it still was not pleasant. It also worried him greatly. Valar! Everything about Legolas at the present time worried him.

"No!" Gailarphen's voice was firm. "I do not want you moving about unnecessarily. Knowing you, if I allowed it, you would run a bath and take advantage of the leeway."

Thranduil grimaced at the mention of water. "I would not, I would just..."

"Just what, Thranduil?" Gailarphen had removed the sodden blanket that was actually all Legolas was wearing. He winced at how the elfling's bones stuck out at odd angles, so sharp they looked as if they could cut through the skin. They had to get him to eat before he wasted away. That would be seen to immediately after he was cleaned up.

"Use the bath chamber." It was so quiet even Gailarphen had to listen closely to catch what he had said.

"See! Just as I told you." Gailarphen glowered at his friend.

"No, not for bathing..." Thranduil stopped, his face blushing lightly.

"Then...? What else would you...? Oh!" Realization hit home. Gailarphen tried to explain his reasoning. "You need to stay in the bed, Thranduil, I am sorry. I dare not let you walk or exert yourself at present, not while you are healing and with Legolas in such a delicate condition I would prefer for you to remain in here with him. I will have a chamber pot brought for you and leave you both alone."

"I just wanted a little privacy." Thranduil knew what his friend was trying to say and he agreed. He really did not want to leave Legolas either, but this was a little embarrassing.

"I will make sure that those who can leave the wing do so. I will stay. I do not want to leave any of you unattended. Ah, Thelion, hennad mellon-nin. Set the bowl down there for now. Could you make sure that everyone that can walk leaves this room for five minutes?" Gailarphen asked the other healer. "I believe it will be better for Caun Legolas if he had a little bit of privacy after his accident."

"Indeed, Master Gailarphen, I can understand that." Thelion walked away, closing the screens around the bed. They could hear him asking the others awake in the room to leave with him for a few moments. He could also be heard asking Arwen to find some clean nightclothes that both Legolas and Thranduil could use until their own clothes arrived with the rest of their group. It removed that worry from his mind.

"Hennad, Gailarphen, I do appreciate this." Thranduil sounded so depressed that it tugged at Gailarphen's heartstrings. It was hard for his proud friend to be so dependent on others, especially in such private matters.

"No need for that. Here is the chamber pot for your use." He pulled the pot out of a recess in the wall that Thranduil had not noticed before. "It is good that both of you are passing water. I am pleased to see it. I will leave you both for a few minutes and check on Elrond and Doroniel. I am worried about her." He continued to mutter as he covered Legolas with one of the big white fluffy towels that Thelion had brought with him.

Thranduil did not even seem to notice as he moved away.

Elrond was still asleep. He had recently had another dose of poppy tea. To everyone's relief, when he awoke that morning the pain had not seemed to be so all–consuming as before. His pulse was calmer and he did not seem to be quite so hot. Gailarphen was a lot happier about his condition than he had been.

He crossed to check Glorfindel. He too was settled at last.

On to Doroniel. She lay sleeping, curled onto her side with her left hand tucked under her face. Her pale face worried him greatly. Her eyes were closed and that worried him even more. He lifted her hand and she muttered under her breath, trying to pull away.

Gailarphen held onto it firmly but gently and Doroniel soon subsided without waking, another sign of her exhaustion. Her pulse was faster than he was expecting and every now and again the beats seemed to run together, another sign of the damage done by the lightning strike.

He placed her hand back on top of the cover and gently brushed her hair away from her face. "Sleep well, Penneth. We will speak when you feel better."

"I am finished." Thranduil's voice from behind the screens was still subdued.

"Good. Shall we see to Legolas and make him comfortable before the others return?" Gailarphen deliberately stayed away from mention of the reason for it.

"Yes, I would like to see Legolas more settled. I need to try to get some broth into him. He is far too thin." Thranduil gently smoothed the matted blond hair away from the thin face.

"I agree. We may need to cut his hair. That will be difficult to brush through." Gailarphen was worried about the pain it would cause the small Prince, when he would already be in such pain.

"No. If you will get me a brush, I will work on it and take it a small piece at a time. I will not have Legolas' hair cut. He would hate it." Thranduil's voice was firm, allowing no debate.

"As you wish, let us wash Legolas." They began the task of cleaning Legolas up.

"How is Elrond?" Thranduil suddenly asked.

"Better, much better than he was. He was not in as much pain when last he woke." Gailarphen smiled at his friend.

They could hear the sounds of the other healers and Arwen as they returned to the chamber.

"And his eyes?" It was barely a whisper.

"No change."

"Oh."

"It is early days yet, my friend." The voice startled them both and they turned to find Mithrandir smiling at them. He looked much better, still tired and worn, but nothing like he had been the night before.

"I do hope so." Thranduil looked beyond Mithrandir at the opening of the screen to where Elrond lay. He was still propped on his left side, to make him as comfortable as possible.

"I have more news." Mithrandir's face became serious. He hated to have to tell them this.

"What is it?" Thranduil looked worried.

"Bree was attacked last night."

"Bree? But how? Why and who?" Thranduil was suddenly alert.

Mithrandir pulled the screens shut behind him and moved closer to the two elves. He spoke in such a low tone of voice that no one outside the screens was even aware that they were talking.

"Orcs. At least that is what Galadriel has said. She has just contacted me and we spoke for a time about this. She was in contact with Celeborn at the time it happened." Mithrandir rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "Celeborn and his escort were attacked on their way here."

"They are coming here? But why? They are in Fornost!" Thranduil was stunned, as was Gailarphen.

"I know, and they were. Apparently Elladan and Elrohir were aware that Elrond had been injured. The impetuous fools took it upon themselves to try to find their adar and Legolas. They left Fornost on their own and Celeborn followed them." Mithrandir could still not believe what the two Peredhil sons had done.

"The idiots! Elrond will skin them alive." Thranduil hissed, his heart thumping. If Legolas ever did something like that...

"Perhaps, but only after he has hugged them and praised the Valar for keeping them safe." Gailarphen added.

"Celeborn and his party were attacked twice by orcs. He was injured. Galadriel did not say what and how, just that he was injured and that a huge group of orcs and wargs had laid siege to Bree. Elladan and Elrohir had already left Bree with Eirien when he arrived there. It seems they are on their way here."

"Thank the Valar for Eirien. She will make sure that they get here safely. I would trust her with Legolas' life." Thranduil relaxed somewhat. He would not fully relax until the three of them arrived safe and well here. "Has there been any news from Bree since the attack?"

"No, nothing, and Galadriel has had no success in her attempts to reach Celeborn. She says she can feel their bond, faintly, but she can get no reply from him. At least we know Celeborn is still alive." Mithrandir sighed. "She said that she will continue to try and will contact me when she has talked with him. How is Elrond?"

This last question was to Gailarphen.

"Sleeping. He needed more poppy tea. I had to debride the skin on his chest and abdomen while you were sleeping. His wounds seem to be healing, but there are still signs of infection forming and I wanted to prevent its spread in the dead tissue." Mithrandir winced at hearing this. "Apart from that, there is no change. His eyes are still in the same condition as they were after you intervened."

"I did not expect anything different. The spells used against him were dark and very nasty. I'm sure Elrond's eyes will recover, but it will be slowly, certainly not overnight. Thranduil, sit before you fall!" Mithrandir suddenly barked at Thranduil. He had stood while they were talking.

Thranduil blinked at him and wavered where he stood. He was suddenly dizzy.

"Thranduil, there is a chair behind you." Gailarphen moved quickly, covering Legolas and reaching into the pocket of his robes for the heart herb that he had placed there earlier... just in case. He thanked the Valar for that bit of foresight on his part. He was all too familiar with how stubborn Thranduil could be.

He helped his friend back up to sit in the chair behind them and, without saying a thing, opened Thranduil's slightly blue lips and placed the herb under his cyanosed tongue. Once that was done, he reached for the limp wrist and felt for the pulse that thundered underneath his fingers.

Slowly Thranduil's pulse and breathing returned to normal and they all relaxed when Thranduil gave a relieved sigh and began to rub at his sore chest.

"Now, you see? That is why I would not let you go to the bathing chamber. If that can happen when you are standing or talking, think what could have happened if you had been moving." Gailarphen frowned with worry.

"I have the clothes that you requested, Gail...oh!" Arwen had entered without asking or thinking. She blushed bright red at the sight of Legolas lying naked from the waist up. Not that she could see anything and not that she had not seen it before. She had, after all, helped bathe him the day before. It was just the thought that she could have embarrassed the growing elfling.

"Hennad, Arwen. We will take it from here. Will you make certain that your adar is alright?" Gailarphen smiled at her as Mithrandir took the clean clothes from her.

"Of course! Eámanë sent the clothes. Her naneth found them for Legolas." Arwen smiled as she thought of her friend. Eámanë's brother was the same age as Legolas.

"I will send thanks to her as well, Arwen. That was kind of both of them." Arwen nodded at Gailarphen's words and moved beyond the screens, closing them as she left.

Gailarphen then turned back to Thranduil. "I want you to stay seated there while I finish dealing with Legolas. Make one move from the chair and..."

"You will regret it very much indeed, old friend." Mithrandir continued. His face was stern, but held just a hint of mischief.

"I will not move, I promise. See to my son?" Thranduil was still a little breathless. This attack had worried him. He had been doing nothing and was relatively calm as well.

"We will. Mithrandir, can I press you for some help?" Gailarphen asked the Maia.

"Of course."

Thranduil watched as Legolas was gently sponged clean and tucked into the new garments. He was pleased to see that the small white garment had been turned around so that the ties now sat at the front and they could undo it much easier.

"Gailarphen, how is Glorfindel?" Thranduil was worried about his friend as well. He was so quiet and still. He had never seen his friend like that for many a long year. Even then, it was when Glorfindel had been badly injured.

"He had a bad night, feverish nightmares. The infection has been nasty. It has brought forth old nightmares that had settled for a while. We had to give him a calming tea at one point. He apparently thought that Linnathon was a Balrog and tried to take his head off. Luckily, he was too weak to do much harm. He is sleeping now and should be better when he wakens." Gailarphen gently wrapped Legolas in a fresh blanket and made certain his splinted leg was comfortably raised.

"I am glad to hear that. I was worried. He was so limp last night, and then the screams..." Thranduil shuddered. He had only ever seen Legolas scream so badly with nightmares. To see Glorfindel like that had been awful.

"I hoped you were asleep when that happened." Gailarphen shot him a sharp look.

"No, I was awake for some of it. I have been sleeping too much." Thranduil glared back, although he did not truly mean it.

"No, you have not, mellon-nin. You have not been sleeping enough. Sleep will help you to heal. And your heart needs rest to heal." Gailarphen looked appraisingly at him.

"I have had more than enough sleep, hannon le. It is about time that I was awake and aware enough to help my son!" Thranduil crossed his arms and glared, very much the Aran of Mirkwood now, even if he was still wearing his stained and wet tunic and leggings.

"I am your Healer at present, Thranduil, and you will do as I tell you." Gailarphen could be just as stubborn.

"Doroniel is my healer." Thranduil sounded smug.

"No, she is not, as she is now my patient. You are currently in Imladris, so you are now my patient." Gailarphen sounded just as smug. "Are you hungry?"

"A little." Thranduil still sounded belligerent.

"Mithrandir, could you go and see if the cook has something light for Thranduil to eat? Also ask him if he can make a very light thin broth for Legolas? We need to start making sure that Legolas eats a little every couple of hours." Gailarphen picked up the clean robe for Thranduil.

"Of course, my friend. I will return." Mithrandir left.

"Let us get you changed, Mellon-nin. Once you have eaten you can sit with Legolas in your lap and feed him his broth. How does that sound?" Gailarphen asked his friend.

"I would like that. Gailarphen, where is Nestoron? Did he stay with Bremoline?" Thranduil did not know why he felt something was wrong, but he did.

Gailarphen hesitated for a moment before he answered. "No, he is here in Imladris. He traveled back with us. But he is caught up with the other injured." It was not exactly a lie, but neither was it the truth. Nestoron was caught up with the injured.

"Good, I was worried." Thranduil changed his clothes as they spoke.

"I need to make you a calming tea. As soon as you are finished, I will do so. Unless…" He looked behind the screens. "Thelion?"

"Yes, Master Gailarphen?" The younger Master Healer was there like a shot.

"Can you make a calming tea?" He mentioned specific herbs that he wanted used in the tea. He would have to explain to Thranduil that Nestoron had been injured, before he found out by accident, but he wanted the King prepared first. Thelion nodded with understanding as he noted the herbs requested.

Once the younger healer moved to make the tea, Gailarphen turned back to Thranduil. While he had been talking to Thelion, Thranduil had finished changing and was seated once more in the chair. He was gently touching Legolas' leg. Even simply changing his clothes had been more tiring than he wanted to admit.

"Here, let me pass Legolas to you. I will hold him, or Mithrandir will, while you eat, but you can hold him until your meal comes." He made certain that Thranduil's lap was padded out with pillows and comfortable for Legolas. He then gently lifted Legolas and moved him to Thranduil. It took them a while to get Legolas settled and his leg raised once more on the chair arm. They needed to get the swelling down and while he was 'up' this was the best way of achieving that aim.

Thranduil gently hugged Legolas to him. "He is most precious to me."

"I know. He is to all of us. How are you feeling now?" Gailarphen gently arranged the blanket.

"My chest hurts, just a little. More like a dull throb. Do you think my heart is badly damaged?" Thranduil continued to gaze at his son while he spoke.

"I do not think the damage is bad, but it will need rest to heal properly. Doroniel will be in the same position. The strike caused more damage than she realised." Gailarphen wanted so much to reassure the King.

"Doroniel? But, she seemed to be alright!" Thranduil was once more shocked.

"She will be alright, as will you, in time. Ah, here is your tea. Hennad, Thelion." Thelion had entered the screens and gave the goblet to Gailarphen before bowing back out to continue his duties.

"Drink this and then we will talk. No more until you drink this!" Gailarphen handed Thranduil the tea.

There was something in Gailarphen's stance, his voice maybe, even in the way he looked at Thranduil, but for once the Mirkwood Regent did as he was bidden without any fuss.

"Good." Gailarphen took the empty goblet back and placed it on the table. He then turned back to Thranduil and gently felt for his pulse. "I need you to try to remain calm for me. What I have to tell you is not easy."

"What? What is wrong?" Thranduil already looked alarmed and his pulse had quickened. Was something more wrong with Legolas? Was that why Gailarphen had let him sit with Legolas like this? He unconsciously tightened his hold on Legolas.

"Thranduil!" Gailarphen's voice was gently chiding. "I did say that you were to stay calm. This is not my idea of calm. There is nothing more wrong with Legolas than we have told you. This is not about Legolas. It has to do with Nestoron." Gailarphen sat down on the bed that Thranduil had been using.

"Nestoron? But you said..." Thranduil was puzzled.

"I know, I said that he was next door. I was wrong, but I did not want to say anything until you had taken the tea. Nestoron is across the chamber." Gailarphen tried to explain.

"But I have not seen him. Is he with Elrond?" Gailarphen could feel the pulse calming beneath his fingers.

"No, Thranduil, he is not with Elrond. Let me explain what has happened."

"Happened?" Thranduil repeated.

"Yes, there was a problem on the journey here." Gailarphen glanced up at the window above them. He relaxed when he realised that Gwaihir was the Eagle watching over them now.

"What kind of problem?" Thranduil was regarding him closely.

"Nestoron fell from the back of his Eagle." The words were very quiet and Gailarphen was watching Thranduil closely for signs of distress.

"He... he fell?" As expected, there was shocked disbelief in his voice.

"Yes, Thranduil, he fell fifty feet. He was badly injured and he is resting with his bonded, Faelien, just across the chambers." Thranduil's pulse was beginning to increase and he was short of breath once more. "Take deep breaths and calm down!"

"He fell?" The blue eyes were wide and shocked. He didn't seem to be listening.

"Yes, but he will recover, it will just take some time."

"He fell?"

Gailarphen reached into his pocket for another packet of the heart herb he knew waited there. He was glad he had measured out several doses for just such instances. The tea had obviously not done its job. Perhaps he should have waited a few moments for it to take effect more fully?

"Legolas fell? But he has no further injuries? How could you let him fall?" Thranduil looked even more panicked and his breathing was coming in short panting bursts.

"No! No, Thranduil! Look at me!" Gailarphen's voice was sharp as he realised what it was that Thranduil thought had happened. "Thranduil! Legolas is fine, he did not fall!" He winced as he realised what he had said, Legolas was far from fine. "It was Nestoron that fell, Nestoron not Legolas!"

"Not... Legolas?" Thranduil was trying to make sense of what he was hearing through the sudden lightheaded feeling that seemed to have assailed him from nowhere.

"No, not Legolas." He held out the herb and had to smile through his worry as Thranduil obediently opened his mouth and accepted the herb without his usual fuss.

"I repeat again, Thranduil, Nestoron fell. He was badly injured but will live. His bonded, Faelien, is with him."

"Nice Lady, I met her once." Thranduil was still breathless.

"Master Gailarphen!" Idhron skidded to a halt from behind the screens.

"What is it, Idhron?" He frowned at the student healer's antics.

"I am sorry, Master Gailarphen. Linnathon…" He pulled himself upright and calmed his breathing. "…asked me to come and get you. Randis will not stay resting for them, us, and he has asked that you come and help."

"Randis? He is injured as well?" Thranduil was becoming more astonished by the minute.

"Yes, they were attacked by wild wargs while gathering herbs. The stubborn ellon will not rest and let the leg heal. Doroniel even threatened him before she co..." He stopped. Now might not be the right time to let Thranduil know that his healer had collapsed once more, if he even knew that she had collapsed before.

"Wild wargs? It seems I have missed much. Is he badly injured? You also mentioned Doroniel?" Thranduil's curiosity was piqued. He had not seen her in the ward either, but supposed she was still resting.

"Indeed you have, Mellon-nin. We have much to talk about, but first I need to see to Randis before he splits his stitches once more. I will not be happy if they need replacing again. Idhron, would you stay with Aran Thrand..."

"No need for that, Gailarphen. I can stay with Thranduil while you go and aid Thelion and Linnathon." Mithrandir had appeared with a bowl of steaming stew in his hands.

"That would be helpful. Hennad, Mithrandir. Come, Idhron." With the student healer on his heels, he hurried from the chamber.

"Now, Thranduil, the cook has said that this is one of your favourite foods. He prepared it just for you when he heard that you were awake." Mithrandir set the bowl down on the bedside table. "I will hold Legolas for you while you eat. Cook is making Legolas something suitable and he will bring it to us when it is ready."

Mithrandir gently lifted Legolas from Thranduil's lap and sat with him on the bed. It was close enough so that Thranduil could immediately take him if need be and also so that Legolas' leg was still elevated on the arm of the chair.

Mithrandir settled and watched as Thranduil warily took up the bowl of stew. He watched with amusement as Mithrandir gently brushed out some of Legolas' hair using a touch of magic to ease out the burs and knots that had made Legolas' hair look like some sort of bird's nest, it also soothed both Maia and elfling.

"It is rabbit stew!" Thranduil sounded both pleased and surprised.

"Aye, cook said you would like it and that he would make you more." Mithrandir watched with amusement. Thranduil nodded absently as he spooned another bite into his mouth. "I take it that it is good?" It was evident that Thranduil was quite hungry as well.

"Very." Thranduil had to smile. He could have the richest, most expensive foods that Middle-earth could provide, but for himself and Legolas this would always be the one meal they would ask for without hesitation, just a simple rabbit stew with potatoes and vegetables. Carrots, any vegetable that was seasonable... anything would do. The bowls would be cleared every time. Well almost every time. There had been a while after Minerella had first passed when Legolas had refused all food, even the rabbit stew. The memory made him gaze sadly at his son again.

"You have a very special elfling here, Thranduil." Mithrandir's voice was soft.

"I know, not that it matters. He would always be special to me, no matter what." Thranduil smiled at his son.

"Tell me what happened with the tree."

"The tree! But how did you know? Of course you would know." Thranduil settled back.

"Yes, I would." Mithrandir gave an enigmatic smile. "Tell me?" He asked once more.

"You know full well that the Wood Elves differ from our kin with our connection to nature and the trees around us."

"Indeed, I was there when you had your awakening." In the short time that Mithrandir had been stroking Legolas' hair, almost half of it had been untangled.

"You were?" Thranduil tried to remember and could vaguely recall a man standing by his Adar's side that night.

"I was young when I had my awakening."

"Indeed, I can recall your father's pride and worry that night." Mithrandir sighed in remembrance.

"Yes, the Royal family all have early awakenings, but none as early as Legolas. Normally the elfling is taken to the trees and introduced to them. The parents are with them for the first few times so that the elfling does not succumb to the thrall of the Song. That can happen." Thranduil took another spoonful of stew.

"That is wise. When did you plan to do this with Legolas?" Mithrandir was pleased to see Thranduil eating so well.

"When we returned from Fornost. That was when it was deemed wise. I spoke with Mealena about it before we left Mirkwood. We knew he would be an early awakening. Normally we take it slowly over the course of a year. After what had happened with Minerella, we were going to take it even slower." Thranduil sighed sadly at the thought of his wife. He was rewarded with a flush of warmth, of love from within and he relaxed even more. She was with him.

"Again, I believe that was wise."

"Aye, but we did not reckon with Legolas. He watched me commune with the trees and decided he wanted to try it. Ruthwen…" The name was fairly spat out with disgust, to Mithrandir's amusement. "…demanded to see me and I thought that Legolas was with Calandor. My back was turned to him for only a moment. The next thing I knew, Legolas was already communing with the tree. He had opened up his connection just from merely watching me! This has never been heard of before. I need to speak with Elrond about what this means."

"What happened then?" Mithrandir could not hide his eagerness to know of the event in detail.

"Legolas spoke with the tree and understood it. Again this is unusual. It usually takes a long time for an elfling to hear and truly understand the trees. It took me more than a year. But Legolas... he knew what the tree was saying immediately. In fact..." Thranduil broke off from speaking, his brow knotted. He appeared to be considering something.

"In fact?" Mithrandir prompted.

"In fact..." Thranduil gave the Maia a wry grin. "…the tree spoke more to Legolas that evening than it did to me. Mithrandir, do you have any idea what is happening here? Please, tell me if you have?" Thranduil finished the last of the stew and placed the empty bowl back on the table.

"I wish I could tell you. I need to speak with Elrond about this as well. Is there anything more that you think I should know?" Mithrandir pierced Thranduil with his keen blue eyes.

"We can hear Legolas." A voice made them both jump. The voice came from above them.

"Gwaihir?" Mithrandir peered up at the Eagle. They had forgotten they were being watched.

"Yes, Gandalf, Legolas can hear us, the trees, the wind, even the small animals. His connection to Arda is stronger than I have ever known. Cherish him, as we do."

"What do you mean?" Thranduil asked.

"The trees will always protect him. If he needs help, he will not need to ask, it will be given freely, as we know it will be given to us. He awakens. Faunryn has come, I must rest. Gailarphen also returns." The great head withdrew, leaving behind two very puzzled friends.

"Thranduil, is your scout always this... this... stubborn?" The healer entered the screens and the two of them could see that he was very annoyed at something.

"Yes, why?" Thranduil sounded amused. Randis did tend to have this effect on the healers he came in contact with.

"He is trying my patience. I swear I will tie him to the bed."

"All I wanted was to see that Aran Thranduil and Caun Legolas were alright." Randis hopped around the screen. Idhron trailed behind, trying to stop him, but failing.

"I told you to stay in bed." Gailarphen's glower could have rivaled Elrond's.

"All I wanted was to check on..."

"Legolas and I. Yes, I have heard that Randis." Thranduil hid his amusement. "But when you are in the care of healers, they are the ones in charge."

"Even for you, Aran-nin?" There was a sly tone to Randis' voice.

"Yes, even for me. Can you imagine how Doroniel would react to seeing you... hopping about like this?" Thranduil asked.

"She would not be happy with me, but then she is not awake and does not know." Randis brightened at this thought.

"But she will find out, Randis. I will make certain of that." Thranduil was grinning slyly.

Mithrandir coughed to hide his chuckles.

"You would not, Aran-nin, saes, say you would not. She would tell Naneth and my life would not be worth living!" Randis swayed where he stood on one leg, his good leg. His face had taken on a look of horror.

"Then mayhap you should listen to Gailarphen and rest as he directs. But, Randis, I will warn you this. If you do not do as Master Healer Gailarphen says, it will not be Healer Doroniel who tells your naneth, it will be me." The tilt of his head was enough to convey that he would do it.

"I…I think I will return to my bed now, Aran-nin, now that I can see that you are alright." Randis stood swaying on one leg. His face had gone white-pale.

"I think that is a good idea. Oh, Randis?" Thranduil was enjoying this. So was Gailarphen, if the grin on his face was anything to go by.

"Yes, Aran Thranduil?" Randis turned back to the King.

"It is Thranduil, and I will make it an order if you do not do as you are told." Thranduil would have laughed outright if he had the breath to do so.

"Very well, Thranduil. I will return to my bed." Randis gave a sketchy bow, trying, without success, to hide the wince caused by his leg.

Gailarphen had to smile at Thranduil's masterful handling of his Master Scout. "You do that. Idhron, would you help Randis?"

"Of course. Come, Randis, it looks as if you need to lie down." Idhron was now supporting Randis and the two of them moved slowly back to the outer chamber.

"Ada?" The voice was low and weak.

"Legolas? Ion-nin, are you awake?" Thranduil looked and sounded startled.

"I hurt, Ada. Make it stop." The blue eyes squinted up at him.

"We will, Penneth. Are you hungry? You must have a pain in your stomach. It has been empty too long." Thranduil smiled at his son, trying to hide the worry that he felt at Legolas' admission of hurting.

"Not hungry." Those words were back. Thranduil dreaded hearing them. It had taken them so long to get him to eat before.

"You need to eat Legolas, even if it is only a little bit." Gailarphen stepped forward and looked down at the small Prince.

"He says eat too." Legolas was already yawning.

The three adults shared a look, a troubled look, as no one else had spoken.

"Who said that, Legolas?" Thranduil asked, with a little trepidation.

"He did." Legolas answered as if the answer was simple and obvious.

"Who is he?" Mithrandir asked.

"I said that, Gandalf." It was Faunryn, from above them. "Legolas does not need us to speak aloud for him to hear us. I told him that we feed our younglings to make them strong and you must do the same with him. The elf from the kitchen is coming with your soup, youngling. Please try and eat it?" The Eagle sounded so worried.

"Not hungry." Legolas sounded exhausted.

"Just try?" Was that worry that Thranduil could see in Faunryn's eyes? What was this about Legolas not having to hear them speak? This was becoming far too confusing!

"I try." There was a resigned tone to the Prince's voice. "Trees telled me eat too!" He turned startled blue eyes, full of a mixture of pain and wonder, to his adar.

"The trees?" Thranduil was astounded. Legolas could hear the trees clearly without touching them?

"Gailarphen, I brought the Caun's soup." A voice called through the screens.

"You can bring it in, Tel." Gailarphen called out to the cook.

"Here you are. Is the young Mirkwood ellon alright, Gailarphen?" Tel, the cook, asked the healer as he handed him the bowl.

"I believe so, why?" Gailarphen was puzzled at the question.

"He collapsed as he reached his bed. The new healer, Idhron, was caught beneath him." Tel sounded worried.

"I will go and check, this does not sound good. Are you alright with Legolas for a minute or two, Thranduil?" Gailarphen stood and brushed down his robes.

"Aye, I am sure that Mithrandir and I can help Legolas on our own for a short time." Thranduil brushed his hands across the hot forehead and Legolas closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. "He may even eat a little as his friends are telling him he has to."

That caused Legolas to groan, he hated to be forced to eat.

"You need to try, Legolas, for me?" Thranduil was worried about his son and it showed.

"I try." Legolas could not stop a groan from the pain that flashed through his leg and head as his father gently sat him upright so that he could swallow without choking.

"Easy, Penneth." Mithrandir moved to help and soon Legolas was settled once more in his Ada's arms.

Mithrandir filled the spoon and lifted it to the waiting elfling. Legolas squinted at it, rather reluctantly.

"Just try a few mouthfuls, Dian Las." Thranduil gently hugged his son.

"And then you can have something for the pain." Mithrandir sounded soothing. "When you are feeling better you can watch me make smoke creatures." That was always a favourite of the children he knew. Legolas took the spoonful with a grimace.

"Smells." The small voice complained.

"What smells?" Mithrandir was puzzled. He peered in the bowl of soup, wondering if there was something wrong with it.

"Smoke and pipe. Smell nasty." Legolas carefully wrinkled his nose, careful not to move his forehead too much, it hurt.

"He is right about that, mellon-nin." Thranduil laughed gently at his son's words and the face he made.

Legolas sighed and leaned back into the familiar arms as he felt the rumble of laughter that he knew so well.

"It does not. I will have you know that I smoke only the best pipe weed from the Shire." Mithrandir made a show of looking affronted.

"Still nasty." Legolas accepted the next spoonful.

"Hmmmmm? So, you will not want to see me make a ship out of smoke?" Mithrandir's eyes twinkled with mischief.

Legolas looked at him, his eyes going from squinting, trying to stop his head from aching, to wide with astonishment.

"Cannot!" He sounded a little stunned.

"Yes, I can, Penneth. I am a wizard after all!" Mithrandir winked at the elfling.

"Ada?" The question to Thranduil was obvious.

"He can as well, Legolas, I have seen him make them." Thranduil watched as Legolas took another mouthful of broth without even realising it. Mithrandir was distracting Legolas away from the food.

"Indeed he has, but tell me, Legolas, how do you know that my pipe and smoke smell?" Legolas had never seen anyone smoke as far as the Maia was aware.

"Ada said." Legolas replied honestly.

Mithrandir glowered at the laughing King before him as he gave Legolas another spoonful.

"Can I see?" Legolas asked.

"When you are well enough to go outside, yes, I will show you. Elrond will not let me smoke in here." Mithrandir tried to explain.

"I should hope not!" Gailarphen added as he came back into the area. "The smoke is bad enough for healthy folks. I dread to think what would happen around injured or ill patients."

"You only say that because Elrond does. It helps me to relax and think." Mithrandir harrumphed at the thought.

"No, mellon-nin, I say it because I mean it. Who knows what the smoke does to your insides?" Gailarphen arched his eyebrow at the Maia before turning to Legolas. "It is good to see you awake, Penneth, and eating, that is good. Is it nice?"

Legolas looked shyly at the tall healer standing in front of him. He nodded his head gently, not really sure who this was or if he trusted him yet.

"Continue eating then." Gailarphen smiled down at the small elfling who tried to pull away from him and stopped, wincing.

Thranduil understood what his son was thinking. "Legolas, I do not think you have 'met' Gailarphen properly."

"This 'Phen?" Legolas' voice was full of pain.

"Yes, Legolas, I am 'Phen. I did promise that you would see me again." Legolas smiled at him slightly. "You are hurting very badly, are you not?"

"Leg, head hurt." Legolas blinked trying to stop the tears from falling, though his lip quivered. His leg and head really were throbbing.

"While you have some more of the soup, I will get you something for the pain." Gailarphen frowned. He did not like to see his patients in this much pain, particularly the small ones like Legolas.

"No, saes…no more." Legolas turned his head away from the spoon that seemed to be perched and waiting to swoop into his mouth.

"You have done well, Legolas." Thranduil was pleased as he saw how much his son had eaten. The bowl had been barely half-filled, but considering how ill Legolas was, he had finished a quarter of the bowl. Not a lot, but more than he had eaten in a while.

"I agree. It is good to see you awake and with us again. I will be back." Gailarphen nodded to Thranduil and moved over to the herb table. Mithrandir put the spoon back in the bowl and placed it on the table.

"Where we, Ada? Where Dor?" Legolas tried to look around for his friend.

"We are in Imladris, Legolas. Doroniel is sleeping in the next chamber. You will surely see her later." Thranduil was quick to reassure his son.

"How here, Ada?" Legolas was more than a little confused. The last thing he remembered was the cave. He shivered. He did not like caves, especially that one. It scared him.

"Your friends, the Great Eagles, brought us here while you slept." Thranduil smiled down at him.

"You did?" Legolas looked up at Faunryn.

"Yes, youngling, we did. It was our honour to come to your aid." Faunryn spoke to the small prince.

"Hannon le." Legolas yawned and looked around once more.

"Here you are Legolas. I need you to drink this for me." Gailarphen re-entered the screens with a goblet in his hands.

Mithrandir watched closely as the elfling swallowed almost painfully.

"What is wrong, Legolas?" The old Maia suddenly sat forward in the seat. It caught everyone's attention.

Thranduil looked down at his son. Legolas was looking even more pallid than he had been before. "Legolas?"

"Sick." Legolas sounded miserable.

"Take some deep slow breathes, Legolas." Gailarphen sat the goblet aside and knelt before him as he reached to touch his forehead. It was hot and sweaty.

"Cannot." As the healer watched a single tear made its way down his cheek.

"Legolas, there is no such thing as cannot." Gailarphen was patient. He knew Legolas was feeling unwell. "Just take a steady deep breath, like this."

The blue eyes watched him closely. Gailarphen took a steady, deep breath and then blew it out slowly.

"Can you try that for me?" He asked the nauseous elfling.

"Try." Legolas seemed reluctant to speak.

"Good." Gailarphen watched as Legolas took the steady breath, it was not as deep as he wanted, but it was a start. "That is good, hold it for a minute and then let it out... good. Oh!" The last word was so stunned and surprised that if it had not been so serious both Thranduil and Mithrandir might have laughed themselves silly.

"Sorry, 'Phen." Legolas was crying openly now, so embarrassed that he would not even look at them.

"Ú-cared nîr, Penneth. It is not your fault. You did warn me that you felt unwell. It is nothing. My robes can be cleaned. How do you feel now?" Legolas looked no better.

Gailarphen stood and shrugged out of his outer robes and dropped them on the floor with the other clothing that needed washed. He could see to them later. Legolas was more important at present. He had worked in leggings and tunic often enough before.

"Nasty." It came out on a sob.

"I will get you something that will help you with the sick feeling and then we can help the pain." Gailarphen crossed to the table once more and picked up the herb that he needed. Crushing it, he carried it back to the pale elfling. "Close your eyes, Penneth." Gailarphen waited as he closed his eyes and then blew the herb into his face.

"That will help?" Thranduil asked worriedly.

"Yes, it will help. We will leave Legolas a few minutes and then change him. We can give him the pain herbs then as well." He gently brushed the hair away from the sweaty face. "I will get some water to wash his face. Rest, Legolas." He carried away the used bowl of water.

No one moved, apart from Gailarphen. They were still in the same place when he returned with a fresh bowl of warm water and a cloth.

"This will feel good, Legolas, I promise." He had to smile at the small mewl of pleasure Legolas gave as he washed his face. "I will get you some fresh water to rinse your mouth."

"Hannon le." The voice was very faint and gave the healer a big clue as to how rotten the elfling really felt. "Why head hurt?"

"You hurt it when you fell from the tree, do you recall?" Thranduil answered as Mithrandir poured some fresh water for the prince.

"Monsters." Legolas shivered and Thranduil hugged him gently, trying to lend reassurance.

"The monsters are no more, I promise you, Ion-nin." He spoke softly and surely.

"They gone?" Legolas opened one eye to look at his father.

"Yes, Legolas, they are long gone."

"Good, nasty. Hurt trees too." Legolas was yawning at the end of this statement.

"They do, do they?" Mithrandir sounded amused at this. This elfling really was a delight. Sick and in a lot of pain, yet he still thought of others before himself.

"Yes. Trees protected me, Ada, really tried." Legolas turned earnest, pained eyes to his father.

"I know, Ion-nin, I saw them protecting you." It was not something that Thranduil would ever forget.

"Do you think you could drink this tea, Legolas? It will help you with the pain you are feeling." Gailarphen had knelt close in front of the Prince.

"I try." Thranduil frowned at his son's voice. It was rare that Legolas was this lazy with his speech, not since he was much younger in any case. He really must be feeling dreadful. He decided now was not the time to point this out.

"Let me help you drink it, Ion-nin." Thranduil reached out for the goblet and Gailarphen handed it over. He and Mithrandir watched as Thranduil helped his son drink the tea in short sips.

"How is Randis?" Mithrandir decided to take the attention away from the prince.

"Sleeping." Gailarphen had a wry grin as he spoke. "I did warn him that he needed to rest. His body is still trying to replenish the blood that it lost. He fainted before he reached his bed. I have made certain he rests." Gailarphen grinned at the Maia.

"Randis hurt?" Legolas' small worried voice asked.

"He hurt his leg. He will be alright now and you will see him later. He has already been to see you but you were asleep. I will let him come and see you later, along with Calandor, would you like that?" Gailarphen asked.

"Yes." Again the shy smile crossed the pale face. "Cal alright?" Legolas asked, worried about his friend.

"Yes, he is sleeping next to Doroniel. You will see them both, I promise." Gailarphen smiled as he watched Legolas yawn and then blink sleepily. "Are you tired?"

"Yes." Legolas tried to snuggle back into his Ada's warm, loving arms.

"Is the pain better?" Gailarphen gently washed the pale face once more, only then noticing that the Prince's previously tangled and knotted hair was now hanging in smooth sheets. It still did not look as lush and silky as it normally did, but it was much better.

"Yes." Legolas was growing sleepier by the moment and Thranduil made certain he was safely held in his arms.

"Good, sleep. You will feel better when you wake up." Gailarphen brushed the blond hair away from Legolas' face, revealing the deep wound on the prince's forehead.

Legolas sighed and then closed his eyes. With Faunryn's and the trees' gentle murmurs in his head and his Ada's reassuring heartbeat against his back, he fell asleep.

Gailarphen watched for a moment to make sure that Legolas really was sleeping.

"He is asleep." Faunryn's voice was gentle and low.

"Hennad, Faunryn, It is handy to have you nearby and able to tell us this." Gailarphen smiled and nodded at the Great Eagle above them.

"It is nothing and I need to make up for what happened with..." Faunryn stopped as he realised that Thranduil still did not yet fully understand what had happened to Nestoron.

"Faunryn that is enough. We have spoken about this." Mithrandir spoke gently but firmly.

"I can still be of help, Gandalf!" Faunryn spoke brightly, even if his eyes dimmed a little at the memory of what had happened.

"Indeed you can, my friend." Mithrandir smiled at the Eagle.

"What are you talking about?" Thranduil was the only one who did not have any idea what was being discussed.

"We will talk about that later. Right now, I want to make sure that Legolas' wounds are healing properly." Gailarphen began to wash the dried herbal paste off of Legolas' head wound.

"How is it?" Thranduil would not forget, but he allowed himself to be distracted for a few minutes.

"It is beginning to heal. It is still infected and looks bad, but it is finally beginning to heal. We can hope that his leg is doing the same." Gailarphen responded.

"And if it is?" Thranduil was pleased, but just a little unsure as to whether or not he should celebrate just yet. He was scared, quite frankly, after all that had happened.

"It means the antidote is working against the poison that keeps him from healing, but we will find that out shortly." Gailarphen stood. "I need to wash my hands, get fresh water and dressings and have Thelion start a new batch of the paste for packing the leg. I will be back quickly."

"Very well." Thranduil hugged his son to him once more, glad to feel his warm presence in his arms.

"Can I help at all?" Mithrandir asked from where he was sitting.

"No, Mithrandir, you stay there. I will be speaking with Linnathon. He changed the dressings earlier. I want him to help me. That way I can make certain that the wound is healing as I want it. Rest mellon-nin. You have had a trying few days as well." Gailarphen spoke over his shoulder as he left the screened area.

"Bossy healers! Always they must get their own way and give orders to rest to people who are well!" Mithrandir grumbled with good humor, making Thranduil laugh once more.

"I heard that!" Came Gailarphen's voice, causing them both to laugh once again.

Linnathon soon appeared from around the screens.

"Aran Thranduil." He bowed low to the King. "It is good to see you awake and looking so well."

"Hannon le, Linnathon. Hennad for taking such good care of Legolas for me." Thranduil smiled at the young Master Healer.

"It was a pleasure, Hir-nin. I will take the bandage down now." Linnathon spoke through the privacy screens to Gailarphen, who they could hear nearby, pouring water. "I may need to soak them loose, Gailarphen. I needed to earlier."

"That is good. We needed to do that as well. The wound is extensive and the exudate thick." Gailarphen reassured him that it was not unexpected. Gailarphen peeked back through the screens with a bowl in hand. "Here is the fresh water. I will go now and speak to Thelion then wash my hands."

Linnathon took the bowl and set it on the table near the bed.

"How is Elrond?" Thranduil spoke up after Gailarphen left, trying to put the young healer at ease.

"He is doing much better, his hand is healing nicely. Gailarphen had to debride the burns on..."

"Debride?" Thranduil had to ask, he had heard the unfamiliar word earlier as well. He was watching Linnathon as he spoke, trying to get his mind off of what was happening with Legolas.

"It is where the infected or dead tissue is removed from a wound. In Hir Elrond's situation it has taken away the levels of dead skin so that it will not become infected. I am sorry, I should have realised you wouldn't know what it was." Linnathon apologised after explaining.

"That is alright, you have explained when I asked." Thranduil assured him once more.

Linnathon smiled back. Some people thought Thranduil could be cold and distant. His reputation for liking little more than jewels and wealth preceded him, but from this and previous experiences with the King, Linnathon knew this to be false. Just seeing him with his son was enough to dispel those thoughts.

Linnathon looked to Mithrandir. "Could you assist me here? I need the leg held secure when I remove the splints."

Mithrandir nodded. "Yes, I understand. I did it once before when the dressings were changed."

"That is good then, you know what to do." When Mithrandir was in position and the leg held securely, he resumed his conversation with Thranduil. "The scalds to Hir Elrond's face are already healing. The fine hairs are already beginning to grow back, although his eyebrows will take some time. The burns themselves will need to be watched and carefully dressed. It is his eyes that have us concerned." As Linnathon finished speaking the last of the bandages fell to the floor.

"His eyes? But I thought..." Thranduil looked up, startled. He thought that had been sorted out.

"They will heal, but after the damage from his burns and the terrible spell they had upon them, it will not be immediately." Mithrandir spoke up from where he was frowning down at Legolas' leg. He had known it was bad, but this... He could see the bone, he was positive this time. Mithrandir had seen the bone before, but had convinced himself it was bad lighting that made him think he had seen it.

Linnathon had moved to the screens when he heard Gailarphen enter and pulled the screens back so that Gailarphen could enter the area, his hands held up so that they could not brush against anything.

"Hennad, Linnathon. How does it look?" He crossed to the bed.

"Better than it did." Neither of them was aware that Mithrandir was almost gaping at them. This was better?

"That is good to hear." Gailarphen bent over the prince to look at the swollen leg. "Hmmm, the infection is still bad. I will need more of the paste."

"I can make it for you." Linnathon stated.

"No need. I spoke with Thelion and he is already making it along with some poppy tea. I would not be too surprised if Nestoron awoke soon. He will be in pain, poppy tea will help. Could you get me more clean cloths?" Gailarphen had already used all the clean cloths on the wound. It still smelt foul and the exudate was no better.

Linnathon returned with the cloths at the same time that Thelion brought the bowl of antidote paste and a goblet of poppy tea.

"Hennad. Thelion, the tea is for Nestoron. Keep it with you until it is needed." Gailarphen took the cloths and was already making his way through them as he cleaned the wound.

"I will keep it safe for him. That looks nasty." Thelion winced almost as soon as he said the words. He was fully aware of the glare that Gailarphen shot his way. He should not have said that.

"It is healing." Gailarphen's voice was clipped as he began to apply the paste into the wound.

"I am glad." Thelion sounded contrite.

"How is it, Gailarphen?" Thranduil sounded anxious as he looked at the healers gathered around Legolas on the bed.

"It is much better than it was and is beginning to heal. I am happier with it than I was." Gailarphen smiled in reassurance.

"It is? So you will not have to amputate?" It was a fear that had been plaguing him, ever since it had first been mentioned.

Gailarphen shook his head, a look of confidence shined from his stormy grey eyes. "Not at present. We will have to wait and see, but if it continues to heal like this we should be able to save it." He hesitated to raise Thranduil's hopes too high. There was still a small chance that something could go wrong.

The smile of grateful relief that Thranduil gave him lit up the chamber. It was a welcome sight after all the problems they had faced.

"I am glad about that, mellon-nin. I cannot thank you enough!" Thranduil relaxed somewhat in the chair, watching as Gailarphen finished the dressings.

"There is not a need for thanks, Thranduil. Legolas will sleep for a while, are you happy holding him in the chair or do you wish to rest on the bed?" Gailarphen smiled at the King.

"I would prefer to sit up for a while, if that is alright?"

"Of course, we can move the screens so that you can see the rest of the chamber. You can call us at any time also." Gailarphen was happy with this arrangement, at least this way Thranduil would also be resting.

It was the work of minutes to clean up around the bed and remove the screens. Gailarphen gently covered Legolas with a thin blanket to keep him warm.

Mithrandir stayed where he was in the chair beside Thranduil and Legolas. He was aware of the warning that he had been given to stay near the prince.

The rest of the chamber was settled. Idhron was now seated beside Elrond and Glorfindel keeping an eye on them. Thelion was now beside Nestoron, checking him over before turning his attention to Faelien. Happy with how they were faring, he sat nearby and waited patiently.

Gailarphen crossed to speak with the other healer.

"When will you contact Galadriel?" Thranduil quietly asked Mithrandir.

"In a few hours. She was going to get some rest. She has been having a lot of visions as well as dealing with unhappy delegates for the conference." Mithrandir answered just as quietly.

"Do you think the boys are alright?" Thranduil was watching Mithrandir with his sharp blue eyes.

"Yes, I do. Those two are too clever not to be and do you really think that Eirien would let anything happen to them? And have to face Elrond? No, I believe they are well." Mithrandir chuckled with amusement at the very thought of Eirien telling Elrond such a thing. Oh to be able to spy on that one!

"Would the Eagles not take you to find them?" Thranduil had to ask the question.

"I could and I am sure that they would take me with no problems. I was going to wait until I contact Galadriel. Bree may have need of our help." Mithrandir had already given this some thought.

"I had not thought of that. I hope that they are all alright." Thranduil said around a yawn. He blinked suddenly.

"You should try and rest, old friend." Mithrandir hid his amusement. It was rare to see the King like this.

"I am alright. I will just sit quietly with Legolas." Thranduil yawned again and looked away from the wizard.

He missed Mithrandir's look of amazement and then amusement. "I will watch over Legolas for you."

"No, I can do that. When do you think Glorfindel will wake?" Thranduil blinked as the wave of weariness seemed to hit him from nowhere.

"Soon, I should hope. Legolas will be pleased to see him." His voice got softer as he spoke, he watched as Thranduil gently nodded off to sleep in his chair.

"Good, the tea has worked. He had another attack and I gave him a calming tea." Gailarphen commented from where he stood.

"I will watch them. How are the others?" Mithrandir had no intention of moving.

"Nestoron was awake. He has had the poppy tea and is sleeping again. There is really no change yet. We need to wait for the swelling to go down before we can really say what damage has been done. His leg is healing nicely though." Gailarphen sounded pleased.

"Good, and Faelien?" Mithrandir sighed with relief.

"I am well, Mithrandir, and it is all thanks to you." Faelien appeared from behind Gailarphen as she spoke.

"You should be resting, my dear." Mithrandir stood and made her take his seat.

"I have been resting. I do have to move at times, you know." There was a cheeky grin on her face. "How is Caun Legolas?" She looked over at the small Prince.

"He is doing better than he was." Mithrandir noted with amusement that she had to try hard to stop herself from stroking his hair out of his face, where it had fallen during his sleep. Her mothering instincts had obviously come into force.

"Nestoron asks about him. It was the second thing he asked about just now. The first was me and..." She rubbed her stomach absently, a happy look filtering across her face. "…our babe and then he asked how Legolas and Elrond were."

"That is just like Nestoron." There was fond amusement in Gailarphen's voice.

"Yes, always putting others first, before his own needs." Faelien smiled again. "He will be pleased to know they are recovering."

"I am glad he is doing so well." Mithrandir said.

Faelien's face faltered slightly. "He was in so much pain when he woke just now, though he tried to hide it."

"That is understandable, after the fall that he took. It will get better, I promise you." Gailarphen reassured her.

"I know. It is just so hard to see it when it is the one that you love. He is so pleased and proud of our babe." She gave them a watery smile.

"Have you eaten recently?" Gailarphen looked at her with a healer's eye. She looked a little bedraggled from sleeping next to her bonded. Her glow was bright, but she had deep rings under her eyes. She also looked a little stressed and that worried him.

"I had the morning meal when it came." Faelien answered, looking a little puzzled at the change of discussion.

"Fae, it is now late afternoon. You need to make sure that you eat and rest." Gailarphen was just getting started on this topic.

"Gailarphen, I am pregnant, not injured! I do not need to rest. I had a late meal and I am not hungry yet. I have slept deeply and well. What more do you want from a pregnant elleth?" Her right eyebrow rose as she was speaking.

"Nothing, but you did collapse with shock and almost lose the babe. You will rest and eat when I say for as long as I say. Do you understand me? You gave us all a big shock. Saes, Fae, listen to me in this?" Gailarphen pleaded as a friend as well as a healer.

She blushed as he looked at her. "You are right, I am sorry. I just have not had time to adjust to the thought that we are going to be parents. I did not even tell Ladeth about it. I will do as you say, but only for the next few days. I will not be treated as if I am breakable for the next eleven months." There was a warning in her voice.

"Ladeth is out in the outer chamber. I am sure she can take a break and come and see you, now that you are awake?" He asked her.

"That would be nice, I would like that. I could go..."

"No, you will rest there and I will go and speak with her." Gailarphen made his voice firm as he speared her with his grey eyes. "You promised to rest, remember?"

"Oh, yes. This is going to be harder than I thought." She admitted, rather embarrassed at having been caught out already.

"You will learn, mellon-nin, and become a better healer for it." He gently pressed her shoulder before leaving the chamber.

"How is Aran Thranduil? Is it true that he has damage to his heart?" She turned warm brown eyes to Mithrandir, they sparkled with worry.

"Yes, but Gailarphen believes that he will recover with sufficient rest. I am glad to see you up and about." He gently squeezed her hand.

"I am sorry to worry you. I also need to thank you. I would not be here, and neither would my babe, without you. I do not think we can ever thank you for doing this for us. And you, Faunryn." She looked up at the Eagle above her.

Faunryn dipped his head, he had been listening to the babe's heartbeat in the Song as she and the Maia had been talking. "I did nothing to be thanked for. I dropped Nestoron to start with." He would not meet her eyes.

"You stopped him from falling from a greater height, a height that would have killed him. I thank you for that. I saw what you did. This is not your fault. I would like you to come in eleven months and meet our babe."

"You would ask me to do that?" There was wonder in Faunryn's voice.

"I would be honoured if you would." Faelien was smiling again.

"I would love to. I would be honoured to meet your elfling. Gandalf, did you hear? I am to meet the elfling!" The joy and wonder in Faunryn's voice was contagious.

Mithrandir had to chuckle at the delight in Faunryn's voice. This was what the young Eagle had really needed. He still blamed himself for letting Nestoron fall, when no blame could be placed on anyone. The chuckle became a full blown laugh.

"I am pleased for you, my young friend!" He calmed somewhat as Thranduil murmured in his sleep.

"Fae? Are you alright? What is wrong?" Ladeth hurried into the chamber ahead of Gailarphen. She rushed over to her friend's side.

"I am fine, Ladeth. I just wanted to let you know that." She smiled at her worried friend.

Ladeth hugged her fiercely. "Never do that to me again! I was so scared that I would lose you both!"

"I am sorry. I did not mean to worry you like that. I should have told you that Nesty and I were expecting. We did not want to tempt fate until we had told our families. We had no choice as it turns out." Faelien tried to explain.

"You are alright?" Ladeth held her at arms length to look at her properly. "You look tired. Have you eaten? Come let me find you a bed. You need to rest."

"No!" Faelien was laughing at her friend. "I have been through this with Gailarphen. I will not be coddled throughout my pregnancy. I will work until Hir Elrond and Master Healer Gailarphen say otherwise. Then I will rest and continue my studies from books. This will not stop me nor put me behind."

"But you will rest for now? You almost lost the babe and that will have taken its toll." Ladeth was still worried that if something, Valar forbid, happened to Nestoron then she would lose her best friend. The thought was enough to give her white hair.

"Yes, I will rest. I just wanted to make sure that Aran Thranduil and Caun Legolas were alright." Faelien motioned towards the sleeping pair.

"How are they?" Ladeth lowered her voice in deference to the sleeping patients.

"Resting and recovering. Nesty was awake." Faelien smiled again.

"He was? When?" Ladeth looked over to the bed her other friend occupied.

"Just a while ago. He was in pain, but knew where he was and what had happened. He even asked after Aran Thranduil and Caun Legolas." As Faelien was speaking she could see Ladeth relaxing before her.

"That is a welcome sign. Just like Nesty as well." Ladeth was amused. Nestoron had always been that way. He was a healer foremost and a good one at that. Healers were all the same. She was the same.

"Yes, as I said to Gailarphen!" Faelien gave another small laugh.

"Indeed, I doubt he will ever change." Gailarphen had to interject.

"Was there any change with his leg or back?" Ladeth would never forget the horrifying sight of Nestoron falling and then the sight of the white bone showing through the skin. She shivered.

"His leg is responding well and healing has begun. As for his back, that will be some time before we can fully say if he will have lasting damage. I am heartened by the fact that he is feeling some pain. I gave him poppy tea for that." Gailarphen was watching Legolas sleep. Was that a twitch he saw in Legolas right hand? He looked closer. Nothing, he must have imagined it.

"That is good news!" Ladeth was horrified and yet very pleased that Nestoron was feeling pain. It was, after all, a good sign that his spine had not been damaged beyond possible healing.

"I know! I am glad that he is sleeping now though." Faelien hated to see and feel Nestoron's distress through their bond.

"Gailarphen, I need to speak to you. I have some concerns with one of the junior healers." Ladeth turned to the Master Healer.

"Is this about Tarias?" Gailarphen sighed. He knew, now that his patients were stable, he would have to deal with the ellon. He did not look forward to it though.

"Yes, I am worried about him. He was being rather nasty to Idhron earlier when he thought no one was aware. There is something there that I am not certain about. He is not the same ellon that I knew." Ladeth seemed reluctant to give a bad report on a student, but if they were not suitable, it was necessary.

"I need to speak with both Linnathon and Thelion about him. How is Idhron?" He valued all the healers' reports when it came to the trainees.

"He is doing very well. I think he was an excellent choice. He is eager to learn and to help, with any task." Ladeth was relieved to be able to give him some good news.

"I am glad for that. You say that Tarias was off with him?" Gailarphen was already thinking ahead.

"Yes, I did. He was very nasty to him, belittling him. I would almost say sneering. I was shocked. I thought they were old friends." Ladeth was really troubled by this.

"It was not your fault." Faelien tried to comfort her friend.

"I know. It was just not a nice thing to see." Ladeth shook her head.

"I will speak to both of them and Thelion as he is Tarias' tutor. Hennad for your honesty, Ladeth. This will not be pleasant. Will you be alright here?" Gailarphen turned towards Faelien.

"Yes, I will go back and sit with Nestoron, which will leave Thelion free to speak with you." Faelien stood a little unsteadily. Ladeth and Gailarphen both reached out for her, to steady her, looking worried. She shook her head, slightly embarrassed. "I am fine. That has been happening at odd times. It is the pregnancy."

"I will stay with Faelien, Gailarphen. I can keep an eye on them both." Ladeth was certain of this. She would not take no for an answer.

"Good, could you ask Thelion to come here, then? I would like Mithrandir to hear this as well." Gailarphen could not say why he wanted the Maia involved. Something just felt a little off.

"Of course." Ladeth walked with Faelien back to Nestoron's bed. She was hovering protectively about her friend as if expecting her to faint at any minute. Gailarphen had to smile. He knew that Faelien would only take being mothered for a short amount of time and then they would be told in no uncertain terms that it was unwarranted and unwelcome. They would have to make the most of the next few days.

"You think there is some problem?" Mithrandir's voice cut through his musing.

"Yes, I am not sure what. You can tell when a person is lying and I would be thankful for your input." Gailarphen knew the Maia might pick up on things that he may miss.

"Of course you have it. Ah, here is Thelion." Mithrandir smiled at the younger healer.

"You wanted to see me, Gailarphen?" Thelion stood next to him.

"Yes, I hope you will not mind me speaking in front of Mithrandir. Come and sit down." Gailarphen ushered him over to the spare chairs.

"Of course not." Thelion seemed a little puzzled.

"I wanted to speak to you about Tarias." Gailarphen and Mithrandir both watched as Thelion's face changed.

"What about him?" Thelion's face had darkened.

"I hear you have had a few problems with him?" Gailarphen asked.

"Yes, he was very nasty to Caun Legolas when he was seizing. If Linnathon had not been there, I fear he would have hit him. He was sent to Linnathon's office for his behaviour and I later spoke with him. He said he was just worried about Nestoron. He did not mean to take that out on the Caun." Thelion told them.

"Did you believe him?" Mithrandir asked.

"No, but I could not prove otherwise. Linnathon and I discussed it and decided that it would be best to keep a close eye on him. I will not let him do anything unattended." Thelion felt bad at having to explain this to the senior Healer in Imladris, at least while Hir Elrond was unwell, but equally he had no choice. Patient safety had to come first.

"Hannon le. Do you have anything more to add?" This was not good and it worried Gailarphen greatly. This was one of the first rules in Healing. Do the patient no harm. For a healer to almost strike a patient was unforgivable and would lead to instant dismissal, but to also almost strike a prince... That could, and had, led to banishment in the past. Tarias should be grateful that he had been stopped.

"No, but I know that Linnathon has also had problems with Tarias and that has led to him being relieved of his duties and being held under guard." Thelion told them.

"I am aware of that. Would you get Linnathon and bring him here? I need to speak with him and then I want you to be present when I speak with Tarias myself." Gailarphen looked grave, what he had heard so far had upset him greatly.

"Of course." Thelion hurried away.

"What do you think, Mithrandir?" Gailarphen sighed.

"I think he is both angry and worried. If Tarias did indeed try to attack Legolas..." He broke off as the two younger healers arrived.

"Linnathon, draw up another chair and sit with us." They waited until he did so.

"You wished to speak with me?" Linnathon sounded a little worried.

"Yes, I do not want to upset you, but I want Mithrandir to hear what you have to say." Gailarphen wanted to let him know he was not in any trouble.

"Of course."

"Good, previously you told me that there had been a problem with Tarias and Elrond earlier? I know that you hit him. I have said that if the positions had been changed I would have done the same. Will you explain to Mithrandir what happened?" At Gailarphen's words Mithrandir sat upright and was extremely attentive. For Linnathon to actually hit someone, it must have been drastic. Mithrandir had rarely known Linnathon to raise his voice, let alone strike anyone.

"Certainly, as you wish. We had been working closely with Tarias since his problems with Caun Legolas. I had him assist me when I was changing Hir Elrond's dressings. We were trying to keep any and all blisters intact. It was going well and we only had the burns and scalds to Elrond's chest and abdomen to dress. It was also where the worst of the blisters were. Tarias suddenly reached across and gripped the largest blister between his thumb and forefinger." He showed them as he talked. "He deliberately broke the blister! I tried to get him to stop, but he would not let go. I finally had to hit him. I will never forget the way he made Elrond scream. It sent shivers down my spine. I have him under guard and will not have him near any of the patients until either you or Hir Elrond decides it is alright." Even as he was speaking Linnathon's hands had clenched into fists.

"You did the right thing. If anyone attacks a patient even once then they should be removed from duty." Gailarphen was firm about that.

"What did Tarias look like when you tried to stop him?" Mithrandir was curious. This behaviour was very much unlike anyone who had aspirations of becoming a healer.

"It was as if he was not even in the chamber with us. He seemed distant and almost... out of it. I have never seen someone look like that before." His clenched fists relaxed as he recalled how Tarias looked. Now he was just puzzled.

"I see and when he came back to himself, re-gained consciousness? How was he then?" Mithrandir was trying to work this out in his head. If Tarias had not been in control... But if not him, then who had been behind the attacks? Something here was not right.

"He did not know, or said that he did not know, what we were talking about." Linnathon was beginning to see that Mithrandir was possibly onto something.

"I see. Can you leave here for a short time? Gailarphen I think that we need to speak with Tarias." Mithrandir turned to the Master Healer.

"Yes, we need to see this ended. Thelion, can you come? You, after all, are his tutor. This would be better finished for all of us. Linnathon, would you stay and watch over our patients? We will be back shortly."

Gailarphen led them from the inner chamber. The outer chamber was as quiet as the inner, he was pleased to see. As they made their way out he stopped beside one of the guards stationed at the door as extra protection for their Royal patients. "Could you please have Tarias brought to my office?"

Then he led the way to his own office. It was light and airy, as all the chambers were at Imladris. He gestured for the two with him to take seats. "Can I get you a drink while we wait?"

Mithrandir settled by the fire, he rubbed his hands against the cold. What was it with elves and open windows? Anyone would think that it was mid-summer and not early spring, and an unusually cold spring at that. He relished the feel of the warmth that the fire gave out.

"Some warm tea would be most welcome." More than welcome, he mused.

"Linnathon?" Gailarphen turned to the other healer.

"Tea would be nice also. I need to be back soon. Idhron will be coming on duty. He is a very promising student." Linnathon sat on the edge of his seat.

"This should not take long." Gailarphen reassured him. He stood and caught the attention of a serving maid who was outside, requesting the tea be brought to them.

"Just to inform you, I will be taking over Amdrenin's training while Nestoron is not able to do so. Would you take on Idhron?" He asked Linnathon.

"Yes, that would be an honour. You will be able to cope?" He knew that Gailarphen already had two students.

"Yes, it will be some time before Faelien is working again, despite what she says. Nestoron will need her close to him. Talagan is doing well and I have no worries about him." A knock on the door and on his permission the maid brought in a tray with a pot of tea and several cups.

They had just poured it and were sitting back when another knock sounded.

The guards brought a bewildered-looking Tarias into the chamber.

"Master Gailarphen, what have I done? Linnathon..."

"You will call him Master Linnathon, Tarias." Gailarphen raised his hand to stop the young ellon from continuing. "While you are in Imladris and training, if it is to continue, you will be wise to remember that the Master Healers teaching you are just that, your Masters during your training. You should show them due respect."

"I will make sure I remember that, Master Gailarphen." Tarias lowered his eyes and gave a short bow.

"Good. Now I understand that there have been a few problems since I left to aid Aran Thranduil. Tell me about them." He looked at the young ellon over his steepled fingers.

"All I know, Master Gailarphen, is that the other healers have had it in for me since the day I started my training. Idhron likes to make me look small in front of our tutors. He used to be my friend. I do not know what has happened to sour our relationship." Tarias looked sad and hurt. He missed the look of incredulity that crossed Linnathon's face at his words.

"I see. What about the incident with Caun Legolas?" Gailarphen kept his face neutral. He would not let on to the ellon that he knew more of what was going on than Tarias was aware.

"That was a mistake for which I am very sorry. He caught me by surprise. I was out of my element. I have never seen anyone having a seizure before. Master Linnathon insisted that I help him, even though I admitted that to him. I never should have been there. I was panicked and when Caun Legolas hit me I reacted instinctively. I cannot say how sorry I am that I reacted so badly. I would never do that to a patient and definitely not to a Caun." Tarias looked dejected.

Linnathon looked astounded by what he had just heard and would have commented but was stopped by a shake of Gailarphen's head and Mithrandir's warning look.

"So, you are saying that a junior healer should not be put into a clinical situation so soon into his training?" Gailarphen was sitting upright and rigid in his chair.

"Well, now that you mention it, a month into training does seem to be a little early." Tarias straightened from the dejected slouch that he had assumed. This was going better than he thought it would. Oh yes, he would get away with this.

"So you are now criticising a system that Hir Elrond himself put into place and that has been working for millennia? Very interesting. So tell me about the problem with Healer Ladeth?" His voice was a little colder at the implied insult to Elrond and his fellow healers.

"Healer Ladeth? She is as bad as the others. She had me cleaning out the chamber pots! Me? It should have been Idhron. Where was he? Learning how to make poppy tea! Is that fair?" He sounded scandalized at just the thought.

"That is how training goes, Tarias. Who knows, tomorrow it could be Idhron doing such a thing, or something even worse, while you are in the thick of things. We have all done it. Yes, even Hir Elrond. I have seen him do things you would not even think of." Gailarphen was getting angry now.

"I see, Master Healer. I am sorry, I thought..." Tarias had wide eyes.

"That is just it, Tarias, you did not think. Now, can you tell me about the incident with Hir Elrond?" It was more like an order than a question.

"Hir Elrond? What about Hir Elrond?" Tarias tried to portray his innocence.

"I want your version of what happened when changing, or rather helping to change, Hir Elrond's dressing with Master Healer Thelion." Gailarphen was trying to keep his temper under control but it was becoming difficult with the implied insults against his friends and fellow healers.

"I...I do not remember that incident, Master Healer. I know I was helping to change the dressings and then...nothing. The next thing I remember is being in my chambers under guard. I have no idea how I got there nor what happened." Tarias tried to look sincere. Unfortunately, even though he was actually telling the truth, it served to make it look otherwise, that he was trying too hard to look innocent.

"And you expect us to believe that?" Linnathon could stay quiet no longer.

Tarias sighed and turned to his Tutor. "I am sorry, Master Healer Linnathon. I do not know what I have done to antagonise you to this point. I wish I knew so I could try and put it right."

"How dare you..." Linnathon's eyes blazed and he started to rise from his seat.

"That is enough, Linnathon. I need to think about this, Tarias. You will go back to your chambers until I call for you." Gailarphen nodded to the guards who bowed and left, Tarias between them.

Linnathon waited until the door closed before turning to Gailarphen. "You cannot believe him! He is making out that we are the ones to blame and not him."

"I know, Linn, I know." It was rare that Gailarphen used the other healer's shortened name. It was normally only when he was worried about something. "What do you think of this, Mithrandir?" He turned tiredly to the Maia.

"Well, I do not believe him. I was with him for the incident with Legolas and it did not happen the way that he told it. If he had not been stopped I do not doubt he would have hit Legolas. He said some less than complimentary things." Mithrandir's voice was calm but his eyes showed the anger that he felt even now at the incident.

"If Mithrandir had not been there... Also Idhron has said nothing about Tarias or to him for that matter. He hardly speaks to him. I was with them for the greater part of that time and any comments came from Tarias and not Idhron!" Linnathon was so angry at what he had heard. He rarely became this angry.

"I know, Linnathon, I could see it in his eyes as he was talking. Do you really think he has no idea what happened with Elrond?" Gailarphen really needed to have their views on this matter.

"I think he was lying." Linnathon's voice was sure.

"I am not so certain. He did seem genuinely upset at the thought of hurting Elrond. But there is certainly something going on there. But what? I do not know." Mithrandir had to finally admit.

"He appeared to be acting innocent as well. I think the best thing to do is this. I will take over Tarias' training for now. I want to see him in the healing ward and working with the patients. I want all the healers to watch him. If there is anything untoward, you are to tell me right away." Gailarphen hated to do this, but desperate measures were obviously needed.

"I will watch him as well." Mithrandir added.

"Good. Alright, I will go inform him of my decision. I will not hesitate to discontinue his training if there is another incident. I will NOT let him harm my patients and friends. The one thing he cannot do is prepare herbs, unless I am with him, of course."

"I agree. I will alert the others to your decision. They are very upset with him and his attitude." Linnathon sounded weary.

"Hennad. Finish your tea. I will go and speak with Tarias. I will see you back in the healing ward." Gailarphen stood and left the chamber, leaving the others to their drinks and their thoughts.

The first thing he became aware of was the warmth. He was warm and delightfully comfortable. Then it began. The throbbing that seemed to start with his head and resounded all through him, a pain that seemed to grow with every second that passed.

Then he realised that something heavy was lying on top of him, something heavy and seemingly immovable.

He blinked his eyes open and tried to move his head. Sharp pain filled him and he stopped, panting for breath. Valar, what was wrong with him?

He blinked and had to blink again as everything seemed to swim in a haze before him. He could not stop the groan that escaped from his lips.

"Ivorhen? Can you hear me?" It was a feminine voice from beside him. He tried to carefully turn his head, this time he succeeded.

His actions brought forth a gentle laugh from the person beside him. And he squinted to look again. The form of an elderly Adan lady swam in his vision. He was aware he should know who this was.

"We tried to move her to make you both comfortable, but she would not let go, even in sleep, and when she woke and we tried to move her again, well, she almost screamed the barn down!" The woman, whose greying hair seemed to be so bright to him, smiled kindly down at him.

She? What was she talking about? She seemed to understand his confusion.

"Look down." She nodded towards his chest.

Ivorhen did so, very carefully, and then he blinked in surprise and confusion. He seemed to have a child on his chest. Why would he have an elfling on his chest? An elfling, when he was in a human settlement?

"W..." His throat was dry and sore. "W... what?" He blinked. Well, that was certainly coherent.

"She seems to have claimed you as hers. Her Ma is missing and we have not heard from her Da." The woman spoke again and he blinked once more. He knew this woman! Of course, he was in Bree with Celeborn! Memory came flooding back.

"Elf?" It was a small voice. Sniffles drew his attention to the lump on his chest.

A dirty face with tear tracks running down each cheek had turned to him. Her hazel-green eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

"Elf?" The lip quivered and more tears began to fall.

"Penneth?" His voice was hoarse.

"Elf? You are awake?" Two thin arms surrounded his neck and squeezed tightly.

Gytha laughed at the sight of one startled elf and one delighted little girl. "Tiera you will strangle him, loosen your hold."

Tiera glared at her. "Will not! Won't 'urt My Elf!" She sounded indignant.

"Not deliberately, little one, but if you keep on he won't be able to breath." Gytha assured the small girl.

Tiera reluctantly loosened her hold but did not let go completely. She gripped one of his braids in her dirty hand and stuck the thumb of her other hand into her mouth.

"Oo awwight welth?" she spoke around her thumb. Her bright eyes gazed inquiringly at him.

"Tiera, we can't understand you if you speak around your thumb. How many times must your Ma tell you?" Gytha gently pulled the thumb from her mouth. "It is filthy, it could have been anywhere!" She admonished.

"Not too." The little girl seemed to think it answered her question. "You alright, Elf?" She turned back to Ivorhen.

"I am, Penneth. Are you well, did he hurt you?" The memory of killing the orc and saving her would be one that he lived with forever. How could the vile beast threaten a young child?

"No, you save me from da monster!" She gave him the most beautiful smile and hugged him once more, albeit more gently this time. "Thank you, My Elf!"

"My name is Ivorhen." He smiled at her, not minding in the least that she was still gripping his braid tightly.

"Iwor..." It was then that he realised that she was missing one of her front teeth.

"That or 'My Elf' will do nicely, Penneth." He smiled at her gently.

She looked confused.

"It means 'little one'. You are my Penneth." Ivorhen smiled at her.

"Like that." This time it was with a cheeky grin.

"Good." He winced as the pain in his head increased as if with the force of a blow.

"You hurt!" There was fear in the small face.

He had to blink when there was suddenly two of Tiera. He closed his eyes for a second.

"Elf!" The fear had increased. A small wet hand patted him on the cheek.

"Ivorhen?" Even Gytha sounded worried.

He opened one eye and peered at Tiera. As he feared, tears were running down her face once more.

"I have a pain in my head. That is all Penneth. There is no need to cry for me." He reached out unsteadily to wipe the tears from her face. It only smeared the dirt a little more.

"I will get you some tea for that. I need to look you over now that you are awake and Tiera is calmer." Gytha looked at him critically. "Do you feel able to sit up and drink it?"

"Aye, that would be good. Tiera, will you sit on the bed while I do that? You can hold on to my leg. I am not going anywhere." He had seen the sudden fear that flashed over her face.

She nodded slowly. It was obvious she was reluctant.

He breathed a little easier as she scooted off his chest. Not once did she let him go. At all times she held at least one part of him.

"Let me help you up." Gytha moved to help him and he could only groan as she did so. The pain seemed to increase tenfold. He had to close his eyes as he moved. The barn around him seemed to spin and his stomach churned.

"Elf?" A warm body pressed against his side and he opened his eyes to look into big worried hazel eyes.

"I am alright." Now that he was partially upright, he could see the rest of the barn's interior.

The first thing he noticed was Gildor sitting on the other side of the bed beside him. The Imladris archer had a silly grin on his face as he watched his commander with the young girl. Ivorhen should have felt embarrassed to be seen in this situation, but he hurt too much to care really. He just shrugged at the young archer.

Then he noticed who lay in the bed, somehow still asleep, Celeborn. He looked pale and it worried Ivorhen.

"Celeborn?" He inquired worriedly.

"He is sleeping only." Gytha had returned with the tea. "He damaged his leg further in the fight. You and he will not be moving from your beds until I say otherwise. Let me see your eyes before you drink this."

Gytha peered into his eyes using torch light to look at his pupils. "Good. How many fingers am I holding up?" She held up two and watched as he squinted at them.

"Fou... no, two, definitely two." The fingers seemed to shift from four into two as he spoke.

"Good. Now drink, it will help that pain and then I will look at your wound. Then you will eat and rest. You, little one, will eat now and I think take a trip to do the necessary." She had noticed that Tiera was fidgeting where she sat.

Ivorhen was already steadily swallowing the tea when he felt the warm hands slip around his waist.

"No!" It was a shrill cry and hurt his head. He winced.

"You will make a wet mess if you don't." Gytha looked amused.

"Monsters." Her voice lowered and she looked around, obviously scared.

"Penneth, the monsters are gone. They will not harm you, I will not let them. You see that elf over there?" He pointed to Gildor and she nodded. "This is Gildor." He gestured the ellon to come to him. "When I cannot be with you, he will. Nothing can harm you when we are with you, alright?"

"Yes, Elf. H'lo, Gildor." She smiled shyly at the blond elf as he knelt in front of her. It was not her elf but she liked him already.

"If I stay near to you will you do the necessary?" As Gildor looked at the small child, his heart went out to her. She was the age of his niece.

"I will be here when you get back and we can eat together. How is that?" Ivorhen hurried to reassure her.

She nodded nervously and accepted Gytha's hand. All the way to the barn door she was looking back over her shoulder to make sure that Ivorhen was still there.

As soon as she stepped outside, Ivorhen sighed and closed his eyes, slowly laying back to relax on the pillows.

"You seem to have made a friend." Ivorhen's eyes popped open. Caric was propped on his elbows, grinning at him across Celeborn's sleeping form.

"She was being threatened by an orc. I could not let the foul creature kill her." He glowered at the Adan, but it lost a little in the translation as he winced at the pain in his head at the same time.

"Thank you, my friend. She means a lot to us. I hope they find..." Caric broke off and looked away.

"Her parents?" Ivorhen felt sadness at the thought of such a young child losing her parents.

"Brother too. We thought we had moved all the children." He felt bad that at least one had been left behind and no one noticed.

"Her brother! She has made no mention of a brother." Ivorhen was thinking hard and he started to quickly sit up, but the room spun around him

"Sit back and don't move. You will faint if you do." There was a warning in Caric's voice.

"I think you are..." He fell more than sat back and looked almost as white as the pillow he rested upon.

"Ivorhen?" Caric was worried now. To see an elf this white... He looked around for a healer.

"I would not do that if I were you, Ivorhen. Gytha will have you tied to the bed before you made it upright!" He expected a witty comeback and he waited patiently.

"Ivorhen?" He still had his eyes closed.

"ELF! MY ELF!" The little voice from somewhere near the barn sounded hysterical, more so than previously.

"Stay!" Caric growled, as Ivorhen struggled to rise again. "Nothing has happened to her." He knew what was running through Ivorhen's mind. Some of the same fears plagued him.

"What is wrong with her?" Ivorhen knew he could not move.

"I will get someone to find out for you, but you will stay right where you are!" Caric did not need to send anyone to look, for Gytha ran back into the barn, Tiera in her arms reaching out to someone behind Gytha and trying to climb out of her arms.

"Tiera!" Ivorhen ignored the grey fog that plagued his eyesight. All he could see was the young girl. He stopped struggling when he saw what was held limp in Gildor's arms.

It was a small dark-haired boy of about two years old.

"Elf! Erwan! Elfie!" Ivorhen could hear Tiera sobbing.

Thank the Valar, Gytha kept her head about her and brought the girl-child straight to Ivorhen. He ignored his painful head and blurred vision as he reached for her.

"Tiera, come to me. He will be well." He looked to Gildor, his eyes raised in query, as he prayed and hoped that he would be alive. Gildor's brief worried nod was enough to tell him the boy lived. "Your brother is alright. Come, hush, Penneth."

Ivorhen hugged her to him as Gildor placed Erwan on the foot of the bed where they both now sat. Gytha immediately went to work checking him out.

"Where was he?" Caric had sat upright and was watching them as they worked.

"In the necessary, he obviously thought he was safe there." Gytha then grinned. "He was right. He is only asleep. Tiera, your brother is only asleep. He will be cold and hungry when he wakes up, but unharmed. Look, come and touch him." She picked him up and moved towards the pair on the bed, aware that Tiera would not be leaving Ivorhen's side again anytime soon.

Tiera would not even look at her brother. She just clung desperately to her elf, as she had come to think of him.

"Penneth, look at your brother. Tiera?" Ivorhen looked down at the crying and hiccupping child pressed against his side.

Tiera turned her filthy face towards him. She look terrified and he could feel her heart thumping as he held her to him.

"Elfie?"

"Come with me and see your brother." He could feel her stiffen as he moved.

At that precise moment, Erwan whimpered and turned over. A muddy hand made its way to his mouth as he sucked his thumb. The familial similarity was strongly evident then. He had the dark, curly hair of his sister and the same button nose.

"We need to clean these two up." Ivorhen shuddered at the thought of where those two tiny fists could have been.

"I agree. I will get some water." Gildor hurried off.

"You elves and your cleanliness." Caric's voice was amused as he watched Ivorhen fight not to pass out where he sat. Truthfully, he would have been going for the water himself had he been able.

"Better than being filthy as you normally are, mellon-nin. When did you last bathe?" Ivorhen could not help the retort.

A dry, slightly rasping voice answered. "Probably last year." The voice was wry and showed lot of pain. "What is all this noise? An elf cannot sleep..."

"Celeborn!" The two voices sounded as one as both Ivorhen and Caric realised that Celeborn was awake.

"That is my name, must you really shout it?" Celeborn sounded more disgruntled than Ivorhen had ever heard before.

"How do you feel, Celeborn?" If Ivorhen were able, he would have made his way to Celeborn's side. As it was, Tiera took that moment to reach out for Erwan.

"Wan?" She shook her brother.

Penneth, no!" Ivorhen reached out to stop her. "He is asleep."

"Tiwa?" The small hands lifted to rub at his eyes, as the small boy stretched and woke up.

"Wan!" Tiera finally let go of Ivorhen and reached to hug her brother. "You 'wake!"

"Want Ma. Where Ma?" The little lip quivered. Ivorhen didn't give it a second thought, but just picked them both up and automatically began to comfort them.

"What is this, Ivorhen? You have become a parent?" Celeborn asked, grinning in spite of the pain in his leg. The sight was adorable. Who would have thought that the seasoned warrior and friend of Glorfindel would be so gentle with children? Then he recalled fondly how he had played with his own foster children as they had grown.

"It seems so." He blinked at the Elf Lord. "You are well?" The grey spots in his vision were growing darker by the second.

"I am better, yes. You do not look so well, mellon-nin." Celeborn frowned at how ragged his commander and friend looked.

"Tiera?" Ivorhen looked down at the little girl in his arms, trying not to move his head.

"Elfie?" She was hugging her brother tight.

"This is Celeborn. He is my friend. He and Gildor will help look after you while I sleep. He is nice." His voice grew fainter as Gildor returned with the water, placed it beside the bed and came to stand next to him.

"You tired?" Her bright eyes sought his.

"Yes...I am..." His vision blurred and darkened even as he spoke and he could feel himself sliding to one side, towards Gildor.

Ivorhen felt firm hands catch him as a terrified voice cried out. "My Elf!" Then he descended into darkness.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gildor caught Ivorhen with a readiness that told Celeborn that he had been waiting for exactly this to happen. He cast a suspicious look at Gytha. Yes, the old birthing woman smiled contentedly, no sign of concern showed. She had fully expected his collapse as well.

"My Elf!" Tiera cried once more and shook him hard, but she got no response.

"Tiera? Come to me, Penneth?" Celeborn motioned for her to come to him. He could hardly go to her with his leg. "I think that Gytha has given Ivorhen some medicine to help him sleep. He has a sore head does he not?" He tried to coax the frightened child to him.

It may have been the use of the pet name that Ivorhen had used with her or the fact that Ivorhen had introduced them, but Tiera did not hesitate and threw herself into his waiting arms. Erwan followed her lead and did the same. Neither child noticed when Celeborn winced as they made contact.

"He ok?" Tiera's little lips quivered once more and Celeborn was as helpless as Ivorhen was to the magic this little human held over much older and supposedly wiser elves.

"Yes, Penneth, he is alright. He will sleep and feel better when he wakes. I am sure that the cut on his forehead will have healed over and the pain he feels should be gone. He will sit with you then. This is your brother? What is his name?" Celeborn was used to children and knew well enough when they needed to be distracted.

"Erwan, he is two. I's four." She said proudly, holding up four fingers to show.

"Are you? You are brave for four. Where is your Nana?" He brushed the matted, dirty curls away from her tear-streaked face.

"Not know." She sighed.

"Then you will stay with us until we find her." Celeborn had already decided.

"What nana?" There was open curiosity in those hazel eyes.

"It means your Ma, child." Gytha was helping Gildor to lay Ivorhen comfortably on the bed once more.

"Ma gone?" Her eyes were wide.

"She will return, Penneth. I am sure of that." Celeborn hugged her to him, meeting Gytha's grim gaze full of worry. "And so that she recognises both of you, we need to wash the dirt from your face."

"My Elfie said that." She sniffed and cast another look at Ivorhen and then, so suddenly that it took Gytha's breath away, those hazel green eyes that changed like the wind captured her gaze. Tiera's eyes were deep like her mother, Bethany's, as if she could see right to the soul of a person, could see and dissect what that person was and see things no one should ever witness, and on one so young, they looked... wrong.

Gytha was used to it with the child's mother, the talent ran in the family, but never this young. Normally, seers did not come into their gift until much later, at puberty or after.

Gytha could not look away. All that happened around her had slowed and seemed to take on a dream-like quality. A voice seemed to echo in her head.

/He comes, the one who will help to save our land. He comes but needs our aid. The web is spun./

Celeborn sat stunned at the sudden voice that invaded his awareness as he also seemed captured by the piercing gaze of this dark-haired child. What in Arda was going on? Erwan watched his sister as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary.

/The one to protect the Web has come. Many will love him. Our Web is true and you, Gytha, are a part of that Web. You have aided the chosen protector in ways you know not, you will help again. Celeborn, your bonded is strong and yet even Galadriel cannot truly understand our message yet, that you will help to make clear in time. Protect the Web and we will help. Protect our beloved and Middle-earth will endure. Love him, each strand will grow and strengthen. This child will help./

"Don't hurt my Elfie!" Suddenly it was as if nothing had happened. Gytha had to steady herself at the sudden sundering. What could this mean? Could Tiera have just given her first prediction?

Gytha turned to Celeborn. His curious gaze told her he too had heard the message. "Her mother is a seer. I am sure you know what that means?"

A sudden smile crossed his face. "More than you can know. We will talk of this later, now is not the time." Celeborn turned his attention back to the little girl who seemed oblivious to what had occurred. "Come, Penneth, Ivorhen will be pleased to see you without all this mud and dirt. Then you need to eat. I am sure you are hungry." When she nodded, he smiled although his mind was working at a frantic pace, recalling what had been said.

"I agree, but I would like to know what this web is." Gytha's voice was stern.

Celeborn could not help but laugh. "So would I, mellon-nin, so would I!"

Gytha blinked at him in confusion. "You do not know?"

"No, I do not, not yet. We will all find out when the time is right. I look forward to meeting him, the protector." Whatever was happening, Celeborn knew one thing. This revolved around one person, but who? He did not know, but when he did, they would have all of the aid that was in his power to give.

"I hope that I will be there to see it happen." There was a wistful tone to her voice.

"I will make certain of it, Gytha. Have no fear. Now, we need some food for these two and maybe some tea for me?" He gave her a fake pouty look that earned him a smothered snigger from Gildor.

"Tea, hmmm? Well, Lord Celeborn…"

"Just Celeborn to old friends." Celeborn told her.

"Celeborn." She bowed her head. "If it is tea you need, then trust me, tea you will be getting. You haven't been taking proper care of yourself. I'll be sure you get what you need." There was a glint to her eyes that Celeborn mistrusted and he almost wished he had not mentioned the drink, but then he moved and his leg began to throb once more. He thought that perhaps the tea would not be such a bad idea after all.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Elladan froze, his hands on Elrohir's shoulder, ready to help hold his brother still. How could an orc have gotten so close to them without him realising, just when Elrohir needed them?

A hand on his knee made him look up. Eirien had her sword drawn and was grinning down at him. There was a glint in her eye that made him shiver.

"We 'ave fresh elf meat, boys!" The lead orc was gloating already.

"Not if I can help it, scum!" With a speed that startled Elladan more each time he saw it, Eirien was on her feet and had already dispatched the lead orc.

Elladan's face transformed with a frightening grin, orcs, the hated orcs. Elrohir was safe for the moment, could not fall. That meant he could fight.

With a sudden ferocious scream that made the orcs nearest him jump, Elladan was on his feet with his sword in his hand. Before Eirien could even bring her sword up to take out the next orc in line, Elladan had killed two. One of the orcs fell atop the small fire, extinguishing the flames and creating a horrible smell.

Eirien had seen many fights, had fought many battles with orcs and other foes, but she had never seen anyone fight with quite the ferocity that Elladan did that day. He was amazing to watch and she wished she had that time, not that he was leaving her much to do. His movements were like magic, light and strong at the same time, tender and loving and yet harsh and unforgiving at the same time. A paradox of parallels

"So the little elf thinks he is a fighter." One orc sneered early in the battle. He lost his head before he finished speaking.

Another tried to detach Elladan's head from his neck. It lived only long enough to realise that it had made a big mistake when it missed.

Soon they were left standing among a pile of orc carcasses.

Eirien leaned on her sword, breathing hard. Elladan stood tall and upright, not even slightly short of breath. He watched the orc bodies for a moment after they all seemed to be dead. She in turn stared at Elladan, slightly shocked at his fierce demeanor, until the battle lust faded from his eyes. He then sighed and turned to her.

"Are you hurt?" He sounded so much like Elrond in that minute it was quite incredible.

"No, they barely got near to me." /You didn't give them the chance./ was the silent rejoinder to that.

"Good, I am glad. We need to see to Elrohir." Elladan made for his fallen brother without giving it another thought. Elrohir had not moved.

"Are you hurt?" Eirien could see bright blood on the sleeve of his arm.

"It is only a scratch, it can wait. I need to see that Elrohir is well." Elladan knelt beside Elrohir.

"Don't think that will work, child." There was a warning tone to her voice. "I will look at it once we have finished with Elrohir."

"As you wish." Elladan agreed.

They made certain that Elrohir was well before Eirien saw to the long shallow slash that Elladan had received in the fight. It was difficult in the darkness, but they dared not light another fire for fear it would attract another group of orcs.

"Hennad. We need to move. There may be more of the foul creatures behind us." Elladan had been using his elven senses to make certain that there were no disturbances in the Song that would mean that there were foes about.

"Yes, they were coming from Bree." Eirien cast a worried look over her shoulder as she helped Elladan mount with Elrohir in his arms.

"Strange that there were no archers." Elladan sounded thoughtful.

"We should be thankful for that. It would have gone ill if there had been." She mounted.

"Still it is very odd. I have never known there to be no archers in a group of orcs." Elladan was trying to reason this out in his mind.

"We need to get going. I want to get far away from here tonight." Eirien also wanted to get away from the sight of the flames that still could be seen on the horizon.

They rode off into the dark. Elladan held his brother close to him, trying to reason out why there would have been no archers in the orc group. Something odd was going on, very odd.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Morning broke misty and slow. It was type of morning that made one wish to simply snuggle deeper in the bed.

The town of Fornost was slowly coming to life as its people woke to the new day. High up in the Lord's home in one of the guest chambers a Lady was slowly waking from a very troubled night's sleep.

For the first time in many a year Galadriel, Lady of Light, had awoken feeling as if she had not rested at all that night. She knew she had, but the reverie had been hard. Her dreams were full of either fire and screaming or laughter and webs.

Why did she feel she was missing something with these vision dreams? Sitting up she rubbed at her eyes.

The last few days had been difficult since Celeborn's departure. Galadriel had just learned the previous night that a small group of Fornost guards had left to follow him soon after. Some of the other human delegates seemed to think this 'abandonment' was planned and, no matter what Lord Bainen or Lady Banwen said, nothing would change their minds.

Orophin looked up from his seat near the fire. He had taken it as his personal duty to assure his foster mother's safety. The atmosphere in Fornost had been a little antagonistic at times.

"Nana?" He stood and took the tea kettle from the fire. He had been aware of how unsettled her rest had been. Her mumbling had alerted him that she was waking. He made the tea ready, so that when she woke, he could give it to her right away.

"I am well, Orophin." She smiled sweetly at him. She noticed that he appeared tired. He must have watched over her all night again.

"I have tea for you. I am sure that Híril Banwen will have the morning meal brought in shortly." He also knew he would be included in that, whether he was hungry or not.

"Hennad. I want to get up and..." She was sick of being treated as if she would break.

"Banwen will not be happy at that... Nana?" As he had been speaking Galadriel's eyes had glazed over again. "Nana?"

When he got no answer, he sighed, then moved to make certain that she was safely settled and would not fall.

/Galadriel/

/Mithrandir? What is happening/ Galadriel knew by the deepness of the 'voice', it could be no one else.

/Are you well/ There was a warmth in his voice.

/Indeed. Are you? Elrond and Legolas/

/Recovering slowly. Have you been in contact with Celeborn/ Mithrandir asked, concern clear in his tone..

/Not since last night./ Galadriel could not help the thrum of concern that flooded through her. /I was going to try to contact him this morning./

/Good, let me know what happens? Have you had any more dreams/ Mithrandir was curious about that.

/Yes, more on the web. I still cannot see what or who it is./ Mithrandir could almost feel her sigh of frustration.

/Who/ The query was obvious to her.

/Yes. who. I am sure it is a person. I cannot see who it is./

/We will find out, in good time./ Mithrandir tried to reassure her.

/Saes, Mithrandir, how is Elrond? It worries me that I cannot sense him. Where he should be there is a black hole. I miss him./

/Elrond is sleeping. Gailarphen had to give him poppy tea. That is why he is masked. I am sure that as soon as he recovers somewhat then you will have contact once more. Trust me, Galadriel you would not wish for him to be awake and feeling the pain of his burns./ Mithrandir had seen them and knew the truth of that.

/I know. It just feels so wrong. How is Legolas/

/He has been awake and was aware. Thranduil is better due to that. They are also sleeping at the moment. How goes it with you/ Mithrandir had a feeling that not all was as easy as it appeared to be in Fornost.

/Some of the Edain think that we have done this deliberately. We have found out that some of them left to follow Celeborn. I am uncertain of their purpose in following him though. The deliberations have come to somewhat of an impasse./ Was that a tinge of amusement that the Maia heard?

/Oh/

The laugh was light and seemed to fill him like bright sunlight. Oh yes, that was amusement.

/There are very few of the delegates left to make the meetings. Most are no longer, or have never been, in Fornost/

/I am sure that this will soon be rectified. We will be with you shortly. All of us./ Mithrandir's voice was calm.

/Burns/ Galadriel's voice was suddenly sharp as she realised what Mithrandir had been saying. /What burns/

The latter was almost a shout and caused him to wince.

/Galadriel, I.../

/Do not 'Galadriel' me, Mithrandir. What burns and how did my daughter's husband receive them/ It was a demand.

/It happened when Elrond was helping Legolas. The darkness was turned against him. He fell into the fire and sustained both scalds and burns./ Don't ask any more, please, do not ask any more. Mithrandir could only whisper to himself. He wanted to see about his friend's eyes and how they were recovering before telling his family the news...

/How bad? And poppy tea? That is... He must have been in a lot of pain./ Galadriel's voice/thoughts were suddenly subdued as the implications truly sank in.

/Yes, but my old friend, Gailarphen, is pleased with his progress./

/For that, I will be eternally thankful. Saes, watch out for my grandchildren/

/Of course and as soon as they are here, I will contact you./

/Hennad, Mithrandir./

/You are welcome. Rest now, Galadriel./

With that Galadriel could feel him begin to remove himself from her presence.

/Mithrandir? If you ever hide injuries from me again, like Elrond's, you will wish you had never been sent to Middle-earth.../ Mithrandir was left in no doubt as to what she was saying to him. She was, after all, seen as a great threat by Sauron during the War.

/I will definitely bear that in mind. Sleep well. Oh, you can tell Orophin that Haldir is safely in Imladris and that Rumil is traveling with the Mirkwood party. He was well when I last saw him./ Mithrandir felt it only fair to let the younger elf know the news about his brothers.

/I will, he has not mentioned it but I know that he has been worried. I will keep things calm here. I will see you soon, I am sure. We will talk later./

Galadriel blinked the haze from her eyes to see Orophin standing beside her, a goblet in his hands.

"Nana?" There was an undercurrent of worry in his voice.

"I was speaking with Mithrandir. He wanted me to let you know that Haldir is safe in Imladris with Elrond and that Rumil is also well and traveling with the Mirkwood party." Galadriel had to suppress as groan as she sat up.

"I am glad to hear that. Any news on Ada? Drink this, saes?" He handed her the goblet when she was upright.

"Hennad." She took a sip of the Miruvor. "No news, yet. I will try to contact him later when I am a little better."

"I have some tea for you as well. I will get that." Orophin made his way back to the fire and began to pour the tea.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Arwen sat beside her Adar's bed, a book in her hands. She was lucky that Erestor had released her from classes for the moment, though she was determined to keep up with the work. She promised herself that she would not fall behind. Her father would not like that, but she refused to leave his side.

She glanced at Elrond again. He was asleep, still drugged following the debridement that had been necessary earlier that morning. Arwen had not been present for that. She had not thought she could take seeing her Ada like that, not with the wounds and scalds. Gailarphen had warned her that it could be painful for Elrond as well.

"Ducks..." She looked up once more as her Ada mumbled under his breath.

Ducks? Why would he be thinking or dreaming about ducks?

"Watch... Glorf... dangerous... well... spiders... rabbits? No... no not the ducks..." Arwen had to smile at the words that left her father. This was the poppy juice talking, but there must be something from the past that had brought the memories to the fore.

Her father was afraid of ducks?

"Mice... watch... bite... mellon..." Arwen had to snigger behind her hands. She would love to find out what this was all about.

"Did Elrond just mention mice?" Glorfindel asked from where he sat, held upright by cushions and pillows against the headboard of his bed. He was looking a lot better now that the bite had been treated and the infection lessened.

"Yes he did, and ducks." Arwen missed the way that the blonde elf's face went white. "But he also mentioned spiders and rabbits."

"Good, that is good." Glorfindel almost sagged with relief, that meant that Elrond was not...

"Watch... Glorfindel! They bite! Legs... watch the legs... Sit down!" Elrond was obviously in a world of his own.

Glorfindel, though, wished that he was.

Why now, and so publicly? He had hoped to forget this and put it aside...

"What is Ada talking about?" Arwen watched him almost too innocently. The only thing that was out of place was the bright, almost devilish, twinkle that he knew so well in those blue-grey eyes. They reminded him of Celebrían when she was in a playful mood and knew you were trying to hide something.

"Yes, mellon-nin, I would like to know that as well." Thranduil spoke from where he sat up in bed with Legolas asleep beside him.

Glorfindel wanted to hide his face with embarrassment. He had hoped no one else had heard.

"Flying... ducks... bite... NO!" Elrond sounded shocked.

"Glorfindel?" Thranduil smiled widely. His face was pale but his eyes were alert and bright.

"That sounds as if it is that time you and he were hunting and the..." Gailarphen looked up from where he was bent over Nestoron.

"No! No, it is not." This was rapidly getting out of hand.

"Hunting? What happened?" Thranduil asked brightly.

This was it. Thranduil would not let this go, not now, and that would mean he would have to tell them what had happened.

Mithrandir grumbled from where he sat in his chair, seemingly asleep. Glorfindel looked at him suspiciously. Was that a smile that he saw on the Maia's lips? He must have imagined it.

"Well, Elrond and..." Gailarphen began without turning away from his task.

"I will tell it!" Glorfindel cut in. If he told it there would be no little embellishments and he could tone down some of the more interesting parts.

"As you wish, but you have to tell it exactly as it happened or I will tell them anyway!" Gailarphen shot him a 'look'.

Glorfindel's return look would have quelled an orc, but Gailarphen just shrugged it off.

"Elrond and I decided to go out to do a little hunting. You had not yet been born, Arwen, so your Nana stayed here. We took Elladan and Elrohir with us as they had been getting on your Naneth's nerves." Glorfindel settled back against the pillows and accepted the water Gailarphen offered him.

FLASHBACK

It was high summer in the valley of Imladris and the days were long and languid. Not exactly the perfect time of the day to be out hunting, not with the sun at its highest zenith in the sky on what was surely the hottest day of the year so far.

The four riders were taking their time, enjoying the feel of the wind on their faces.

Three of the riders were strikingly similar. They had long dark hair with grey eyes. The other rider had blond hair and blue eyes.

The two elder were considerably older than the younger two, those two were identical.

The elder of the two, the one with dark hair, looked distinguished and had a regal air about him. There was a graceful ease in his movements as well.

He looked over his shoulder. "I should not have left. I am sure I will be needed." There was worry in his voice.

"Elrond, there is little more than a month before the babe is due. She and Celebrían are well. You need a break from your work as well." The blond-haired elf assured him.

"This feels wrong. I fear that something will go wrong." Elrond, Elf Lord of Imladris, would not be reassured. How could he leave his eleven-month-pregnant wife alone? And just because their sons wanted the baby born, now!

"When can we hunt, Ada?" One of the twins at his side asked.

"Soon, Elladan. Once we get to the hill yonder." Elrond was not really listening, that was obvious to everyone but him. Elrohir had asked the question. Ada never got his sons confused.

"It is me, Ada, Elrohir." There was worry in Elrohir's voice now. He could see the way that his Father kept looking over his shoulder. Was something wrong with Nana?

Now that the thought had made itself known, Elrohir felt it grow and multiply. They had not wanted to come on this trip. They had been quite happy at home pampering Nana, to be TOLD they were going on a hunting trip and given no choice in the matter...

"I am sorry, Elrohir." Elrond sighed and shook himself. "We will stop once we get to the hills and have lunch before we begin to hunt. I am sure we can soon fill the larder between us."

Glorfindel had to smile at the sight of his friend trying, and failing, to put Celebrían out of his mind. His healer friend had been like this since the day of conception, worried and fretting that everything was perfect.

"Good, I can try for a deer?" This time it was Elladan that asked.

"If there are deer about, then yes, some venison would be nice." Elrond tried to smile at his son.

"Good, we have never hunted deer with you." Elladan sounded smug.

"Why did we have to leave Nana?" Elrohir sounded thoughtful.

"She wanted some rest and claimed that she could not rest with us hovering over her like... we were smothering her." Elrond admitted quietly. They had been doing that. He could imagine how annoying that was. He could not help it though.

Glorfindel coughed his laughter into his fist. Smothering? That was an understatement! Celebrían could not blink without the three of them firing worried questions at her. It had gotten so bad that, in the end, Celebrían had asked the three to leave so that she could speak to Glorfindel. They had grumbled and groaned all the way to the door.

Celebrían had waited until the chamber door closed before rounding on her friend. Her arms were crossed over her swollen, gravid belly. Her beautiful blue eyes flashed like a summer storm and her lips were thin as she gave him a look that was so like Galadriel's it was frightening.

He had been on the receiving end of that look far too many times and he had a good idea as to what was coming next.

"You!" Her voice was gentle. Almost still like a summer breeze and yet all the more compelling because he knew she was in a towering temper.

"Yes, Celebrían?" It was best to be calm when Celebrían was like this. It only happened when she was pregnant, but her temper got short and her moods could be mercurial.

"You will get them on horses and take them out of my way! Take them to Mithlond! Visit Nana! Take them to Mirkwood to see Thranduil and Minerella! Just get them away from me before I kill them!" She was almost hysterical by the time she finished.

This was rare and unusual to see his normally-placid friend this upset. He made the mistake of smirking.

"This is not funny! If they ask me once more if the babe is coming, or do my pillows need fluffing, or my feet rubbed, I will knock their heads together. You! It is all your fault! I should have known you would do this!"

Glorfindel blinked at her and his mouth had dropped open. His fault? How, by Elbereth, could this be his fault? "Celebrían..."

"Do not!" She wagged her right index finger at him. "Do not 'Celebrían' me! You will get them away from here, away from me. You will leave me to have some peace, a bath, a nice long relaxing bath followed by a walk in the gardens, alone. So, Glorfindel, you are going to do this for me, are you not?" Her voice was suddenly sweet. Glorfindel found that he could not look away and his mouth became dry.

This was not good. This was dangerous. This was very dangerous. Ai! He would rather be facing another Balrog than this.

"What... what should I do?" He actually took a step back, away from her. He glanced around, as if checking that there were no sharp blades within her reach.

"Get them out of Imladris and give me some peace!" Suddenly, Celebrían's mood had totally changed and she was crying into her hands. "I cannot stand it anymore. I need some time for me. Saes, Glorfindel help me?"

Glorfindel rushed forward to hug her to him. "Shhh, it will be over soon. There is only a month to go..."

"A month! No! No, not a month! I could not take another month of this! You have to get them away from me! You have to! Either that, or you will leave!" Tears were still running down her face and, for one moment of madness, she wished there was a knife nearby...

That brought her back to reality and she slumped back in her chair with a groan of despair.

"Glorfindel, I am so..." She was interrupted as the chamber door flew open and a harried looking Gailarphen hurried in.

"Celebrían, what is wrong? I heard you groan..." He stopped when he realised that she had been crying. "Celebrían?"

That only caused the tears to fall even faster. "I want this babe to be born, I want her out! I cannot wait another month! I will burst! I will never make it! Glorfindel, you have to help me. I need time for myself..."

"I will take them hunting and make sure that we are not back until tonight. Will that help?" He had to try and help her.

"Anything! If they force more water down my throat or try to feed me any more... "

As he listened, Gailarphen suddenly realised what he was seeing. For the last eleven months, the two sons of Celebrían had been in a state of almost nervous panic. The minute Elrond and Celebrían had announced to the Elven Realm their happy news they had taken an almost manic interest in their Naneth's health and well-being.

At first, it had been sweet to watch. If she wanted a book, it was there. A cup of tea? No bother. Warm bread and jam? It was there right away. Back rubs? Done in an instant.

All families went through this, but it calmed down as the wait began to make itself known. A year is an awful long time to wait when you want that something right now.

Not so the Peredhil family. Oh no, they could not be like the normal families could they? Oh no! Because all of the incidents previously mentioned were just with the twins. Elrond had not even been factored in! Anyone would think that this was his first experience of a pregnant wife and not the second. With the twins, he had been calm and relaxed up until the last month. Then he had become a 'father in waiting' in every sense, not wanting to miss a moment of the twin's arrival. He had driven both Celebrían and Gailarphen almost to despair.

There was only one good point in all of this mess. The Lady Galadriel and Hir Celeborn had come to stay for these last months. Celeborn had taken Elrond under his wing and kept him out of their hair, most of the time.

The babe's chamber had been decorated and ready a month into the pregnancy. Celebrían had tried to reason with them, to tell them they had a year to wait and as of yet were not really certain that it was only one babe and not two as it had been with Elladan and Elrohir, nor did they have an idea about the babe's gender.

That had not stopped them. Soon a bright pink chamber was ready, with a handcrafted cot. Woodland scenes and animals had been lovingly carved into the wood and stuffed cloth forest animals lay scattered around the chamber.

This had carried on for the entire year. The three Peredhils seemed to be trying to outdo each other! If one brought an animal the others brought one. If one made something the others had to as well.

Elrohir had started that. The youngest twin had turned his hand to making a cloth animal. It was meant to be a fox. The colour of the cloth was perfect and the head very realistic, but did a fox really have five legs and one-and-a-half tails?

Elladan had tried to do better, but decided that it had to be a mûmakil for his coming sibling. Well, it looked nothing like a mûmakil. It looked more like a grey lump, but every stitch had been lovingly placed and they both now lay beside each other on the tiny pillow, ready for their new owners' arrival.

PAUSE FLASHBACK

Arwen was smiling at this part of the story and the thought of Ada and the twins' joy and panic at her conception. She had never heard these tales. She would certainly jest with them over this.

The one thing that she would not tell them was that she still had the small cloth animals that they had made for her, stowed away in one of her chests in a corner of her room. They were threadbare and well-loved but she would never get rid of them.

FLASHBACK (Continued)

Glorfindel sighed. He knew now what he had to do, but how? What could he say to convince the three he must take with him?

"I will make sure that Celebrían is safe and well this afternoon. A nice walk in the shade of the trees will do you some good..."

The act of getting Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir out of The Last Homely House had been relatively easy. He had expected them to argue and demand that they stay. He suspected that Celebrían had 'encouraged' them to go as well.

They had been worried about leaving Celebrían and it had taken a lot of reassurances from Gailarphen that he would stay with her while they were gone, but finally they were on their way and for a short time the inhabitants of The Last Homely House could breathe a sigh of relief and relax somewhat.

They had reached the small hillock and were headed towards the shade of the trees. It was a relief to be out of the glare of the sun. During the ride, the two identical ellyn beside them had returned to their usual boisterous antics.

"Ada, we are going to look around." Elrohir's voice was bright and cheerful. Yes, this ride had been a good idea of Celebrían's. They all needed the time to relax and take in some fresh air.

"As you wish, but be back in ten minutes and do not wander. If you see any sign of orcs get back here. Do you understand?" Elrond pinned them with a stern gaze.

"Yes, Ada, we understand." The two lifted up their bows, with a quiet pat on their horses' noses, they left the clearing.

"Do you think there will be water nearby in this heat?" Glorfindel looked up from where he was sorting out their food.

Elrond shot him a look of utmost incredulity. "Water? Glorfy, we are in Imladris, there is always water nearby!" He had to laugh. It was the one thing that was a given.

"Good, I am glad. What are you laughing at?" Glorfindel was puzzled and he had not even noticed that Elrond had used the hated shortening of his name.

"You, mellon-nin. I am laughing at you. Water in Imladris, indeed. There is a small lake just over this hill." Elrond rested back, laughing softly.

"I was not thinking." Glorfindel had the grace to blush, though he chuckled as well.

"That I can understand. Why did you ask?" Elrond was still chuckling softly.

"I thought it might be a nice idea to partake of the cool water while it is too hot to hunt. Any game would be resting and well-hidden in the heat of the day." Glorfindel was already removing his outer tunic.

"The thought of swimming does have its appeal." It had been a long time since Elrond had indulged in that activity.

"Swimming? Ada, can we really?" Elladan swung down from the tree above them.

"Yes, I think that would be a very good idea." The more he thought, the better it sounded and he soon was also removing the leather hunting jerkin from his chest.

"Ro! We are going swimming!" Elladan called out to the tree on the opposite side of the clearing.

"Yes!" The voice sounded overjoyed.

Both Elrond and Glorfindel were laughing at the two boys' antics.

"Last one into the water is an orc's bottom!" Elrond was up and running before he had even finished the sentence.

"Ada!"

"Cheat!"

"Unfair!"

The outraged cries came from behind him as he laughed with carefree abandon. He reached the water's edge and dived in. The water was warm and refreshing at the same time.

Soon he heard splashes beside him and he could feel the others' entrances through the water itself. When he pushed himself back up to the surface, he had to smile.

"You are an orc's bottom! Glorfy is an orc's bottom!" Elladan was swimming around the blond elf in ever decreasing circles.

"You cheated!" Glorfindel sounded quite affronted. "And my name is Glorfindel!"

"Of course it is, Glorfy!" Elladan cheerfully replied. "Who wants a race?"

Soon the four of them were racing each other several times across the small lake. Elrond had to admit that this had been a good idea. He could not recall the last time he had felt so relaxed. It felt good.

A sudden loud quacking was heard from the side of the lake.

Glorfindel turned to look and saw a small family of ducks going for, what he assumed to be, the ducklings' first swim. Out of the seven ducklings, four had made it into the lake, but three still stood on the side, watching and debating their next move.

The mother duck was trying to get then to come into the water, but nothing would persuade them to do so.

Glorfindel had just made up his mind to go and help them when Elrond broke the silence.

"That would not be a good idea, Glorfindel. You know how protective a mother can be over her chicks." There was a hidden meaning in there and Glorfindel chose to ignore it.

"What can they do to me? Bite me?" Glorfindel grinned and continued to move toward the ducklings.

"Actually, yes."

"Ahhh, you worry too much!" Glorfindel waved off his friend's warning.

"Glorfindel..."

"Do not spoil this moment." And with that Glorfindel began swimming to the side of the lake.

"Ada?" Elladan sounded a little worried. Even they knew better than to get between any mother and her babe.

Elrond shrugged and grinned. "He wants to do this. I have tried, Penneth. It is in Glorfindel's hands now." Elrond knew all too well what could happen. He had tried to warn Glorfindel. He also had witnesses to that fact.

Glorfindel had made it to the shoreline and pulled himself up from the water. The liquid seemed to slide off him, leaving a sheen on his skin that glistened brightly in the afternoon sunshine.

He made his way over to the three ducklings still standing on the shore. They had realised they could not reach their mother from here and were beginning to panic.

"Easy, Penneth, I will get you to your Nana." He spoke calmly to the first duckling closest to him.

The sharp angry quacking from behind him should have been warning enough, but Glorfindel chose to ignore that as well. After all, he had taken on such daunting creatures as the Balrog and Celebrían, what could a small inconsequential duck do to him?

He gently lifted the first duckling and walked it to the lake's edge. He knelt and placed it in the water. To his delight the mother made her way to her offspring and looked it over with a querying quack. The duckling ducked its head and then lifted it out of the water to shake it. Water sprayed everywhere causing the elves to laugh.

With a smile Glorfindel stood and turned his back to the water. There were still two ducklings left to move.

It was the biggest mistake of his life.

The mother duck made her move against this being that she feared was about to injure her babies. In one swift move, she flew through the air and clamped her beak on the nearest thing to her, his buttock. She held on and beat him with her wings in an effort to scare away this perceived threat to her young.

Glorfindel's scream, a very shrill scream they would recall later, echoed across the lake. Elrond felt his jaw drop in surprise. Who would have known the mighty Balrog Slayer could scream like an elleth?

Elladan's mouth drop open at the incredible sight before him and then he began to laugh so hard that he inadvertently swallowed a mouthful of water, getting some in his lungs. He continued to laugh, though sputtering and coughing as well.

Elrohir and Elrond soon joined him.

To add insult to injury, the two remaining ducklings decided that this would be a good time to join their family and sedately walked to the edge and flopped into the cool water.

"This is not funny!" Glorfindel cried, his dignity in shreds.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The ride back to Imladris that night was uncomfortable and long. There was no position that he could comfortably take. To make it worse, Celebrían had laughed so much at his ill fortune that he thought she might get her wish to have the babe early. He was certain that, if she had not been sitting down, her waters would have broken right then.

That night Elrond had given him a sleeping herb with pain killers and then helped him into bed, still chuckling, knowing that his friend would have to sleep on his abdomen to be comfortable.

Glorfindel's temper had only gotten worse as the day progressed. This was beginning to gall him. He had only been trying to help, for Valar's sake!

It had been a relief when his friend had finally closed the door, cutting off the sound of laughter. Glorfindel closed his eyes. The look on Erestor's face when he had learned of the incident would not leave him. Glorfindel felt he had been overly-amused. He could not show his face in Imladris for some time to come. Perhaps now really would be the best time to go and visit Mirkwood.

Slowly the throb seemed to die down and he relaxed on the pillow against his cheek. The pillow was blissfully cool and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He was just about to sleep when he felt it.

At first it was almost as if a feather had touched him and he froze, suddenly wide awake. He did not move, just lay there trying to sense what had moved.

Nothing. He must be imagining all of this.

He relaxed once more. Sleep was but a second away when he felt something wet against his skin. Wet?

He did not dare move, there was something on him.

He lay for a while hoping it would go away. When nothing more happened and he had relaxed once more, Glorfindel decided he could not lay there. His mind was obviously playing tricks on him. He tried to turn, to sit up.

It was his second mistake of the day. The moment he moved, he disturbed the small creature that had crawled out of hiding and sought the cool surrounds of the Last Homely House.

The mouse, for that was what it was, sank its teeth into Glorfindel's uninjured buttock.

For a second time that day, Glorfindel screamed. It was long and very, very loud.

Quickly, the sound of running feet could be heard and voices calling out questions and reassurances.

"Glorfindel!" Elrond's voice was concerned. Glorfindel could not answer. He was biting his lower lip and trying to work out just how he should get out of bed, hopefully without being attacked again by whatever it was.

"Glorfindel?" Elrond entered the chamber, Hadafhang ready in his hand. Behind him came Elladan and Elrohir, swords also in hand, bringing up the rear was Erestor, a sword rather than a quill in his surprisingly steady hand.

"I am well." Glorfindel's voice was resigned.

"What happened?" Elladan was not far behind his father with his brother. They had been trying to keep their Nana calm after hearing the Balrog Slayer's shrill scream.

"Nothing. I was dreaming." Glorfindel would not look at them.

"You screamed as if Sauron was taking you apart slowly because you were dreaming?" Elrond lowered Hadafhang and looked at his friend in amazement.

Glorfindel muttered something into his pillow, but because of the way he was laying no one could hear what he had said.

"We did not hear that, what did you say?" Erestor looked mightily amused at seeing his friend in this position.

"I said that if everyone but Elrond would leave, I will tell him what the problem is! Ai! Are you all deaf?"

Elrond steered the others out the door, in spite of their reluctance to go, then closed the door and moved further into the chamber. "What is this all about?"

"I have been bitten!" The consternation in Glorfindel's voice was such that Elrond could not help but laugh aloud.

"Bitten? By what?" He somehow managed to stop laughing as he reached the bed.

"It is not funny." Glorfindel skewered him with his blue eyes.

"No, it is not funny, but at the same time it is hysterical. Oh, mellon-nin, only you can get bitten twice in one day!" Elrond had to take a deep breath to stop from laughing once more. He knew four people who were going to love this little story. "Where did you get bitten and by what?" Elrond asked once more as the healer part of him took over.

"My left buttock and I do not know. I could not see it."

"I will need to look at it." Elrond's grin grew wider just at the thought.

"I know." Glorfindel sighed resigned to this further humiliation. "But... if you tell anyone of this you will live to regret it for eternity. You will have no rest, not even in Valinor. Do you understand?"

"It may be a little late for that." Elrond had just seen a face peeking through the curtained windows, Elrohir.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing, I would never tell anyone of this, mellon-nin. Let me see."

Glorfindel gently lifted the sheets and moved the nightshirt that covered the area. The wound was obvious. The bite mark was raised and red where the creature had sunk its teeth into the soft skin.

"That looks sore, but the bite is small so it is only a tiny creature." Elrond gave a sigh of relief. He had been worried that perhaps a snake or something larger had managed to get into the house. This looked like it could be a mouse.

"It is sore!"

Elrond had to smile at that. Only Glorfindel could complain about this little pain above all other. This was nothing compared to some of the injuries he had received in the past, seen and disregarded as inconsequential. Elrond suspected it had more to do with wounded pride than anything else.

"You can be such an elfling at times. Be thankful it was not a snake, I would not wish to have to remove the venom from there!" He gently palpated the tender area. "That needs cleaning. Wait here."

A grunt was his only reply. It wasn't like he would go anywhere, not like this.

Glorfindel had not moved when he returned but was glowering into the corner. "It is there! That sneaky mouse is there!"

"We can deal with him later. This needs to be cleaned now." Silence fell as he carried out his ministrations.

Then he checked the other buttock, wincing when he saw the bruises that were rapidly spreading. Being an elf, they would heal quickly, but they would both hurt for some time and make sitting and riding a near impossibility.

"You will have a few problems sitting comfortably, but I do not foresee any permanent damage."

Glorfindel could just hear the grin in his friend's voice.

Elrond sounded cheerful to Glorfindel, too cheerful for his liking.

"What are you so happy about?" He turned to fix his friend with a gimlet glare. Oh yes, Elrond was enjoying this far too much."I was just thinking that perhaps we should move you to somewhere a little safer."

"What do you mean 'a little safer'?" There was suspicion and anger in Glorfindel's voice.

"Perhaps you should move up into the eaves, away from nasty, sneaky mice. I am sure they will not find you there!" Elrond could not help but laugh at the look on Glorfindel's face at just the mention of the mouse. "Or maybe we should get you a pet duck?"

All that could be heard in the hallway outside Glorfindel's room was Elrond's laughter and Glorfindel's growling. In a moment Elrond came bursting out of the room, closing the door behind him just before something shattered against its inner surface. Elrond was still chuckling. "He will recover quickly." Was all he would tell anyone as another object shattered in the chamber.

FINISH FLASHBACK.

Laughter was all that could be heard in the healing wing as Glorfindel finished the recollection. Thranduil was breathless and clutching his chest, much to Gailarphen's worry. Still, it was good to see him looking so relaxed.

"He threatened to get you a pet duck!" Thranduil laughed even harder and he was soon joined by the others. Even Mithrandir was almost crying with laughter, all pretext of sleep long forgotten.

"Is that why you will not go near any duck, Glorfindel?" Arwen wiped her eyes. It was rare to hear of something like this happening to Ada's old friend.

"Y...yes." The voice was barely a croak beside her.

"Ada! How are you feeling?" Arwen immediately turned to her newly-awakened Adar. Gailarphen crossed to his side, a scowling Tarias trailing beside him.

"Better. Water, saes?" Elrond asked hoarsely as he felt around with his good hand.

"Of course!" Arwen hurried to pour him some water from the jug.

"I recall the look on your face, Glorf..." The sharp cough that interrupted Elrond's speech made him wince.

"It was not funny!" Glorfindel sounded belligerent as he crossed his arms, not without a little pain in his shoulder. He glared at his friend, oblivious of the fact he could not see it.

"Here, Ada. We will sit you up." With help from Gailarphen, Elrond was soon resting a little more comfortably against his pillows. He then took small sips of the life-giving fluid. It eased his sore throat.

"You should tell them about the spiders." Elrond could not help but tease, despite his pain.

Thranduil laughed once more, more than aware of what that story entailed. He had been there, after all.

"What? No!" Glorfindel now sounded horrified.

"Saes, do Glorfindel. I have heard one of the stories I have been teased with. Though I still need to hear about the spider and the kitten from Bremoline." Haldir had been lounging against the doorway. He looked relaxed but was on the alert. He was watching Tarias' every move. The story of what had happened while they were not here or otherwise engaged had spread already and he did not trust the other ellon.

"No, not now." Glorfindel blushed. He would not tell both stories at the same time. They were too embarrassing. "How do you feel, Elrond?" He pointedly changed the subject, aware of Thranduil's smirk at his discomfort. Oh, he would get his own back. When Legolas was well enough, he would have the elfling crying with laughter at some of the stories he could tell about his Adar.

"I feel better, sore and uncomfortable, but a lot better than I did. Where are we?" Then he recalled that Arwen had helped him and that could mean only one thing. "We are home?" His voice sounded hopeful.

"Yes, mellon-nin, we are all home. Mithrandir arrived with Gwaihir and some of his kin. They brought us here." Gailarphen had already decided that it would be better not to remind Elrond about Nestoron, just for the moment.

"Mithrandir? Mellon?" Elrond tried to look around before sighing with frustration. "What is wrong with my eyes?" His voice was stern, despite the croak and hoarseness that was still present. He still felt muddled from the effects of the poppy tea and did not recall things clearly yet.

"I am here, Elrond. All is well." Mithrandir rose and moved beside Elrond's bed.

"Legolas?"

"He is doing better. He is asleep at the moment."

Hannon-le. His leg is bad."

"Ada, I will be back. I need to see Erestor about something." Arwen stood and kissed her father gently on a reddened cheek before she hurried from the chamber.

Gailarphen was taking Elrond's pulse, having slipped into the spot recently vacated by Arwen.

"Do not worry about Legolas. You should concentrate on your own recovery. Your eyes will heal, but they will just take some time. Can you recall what happened?"

Elrond tilted his head, contemplating. He frowned. It was hard to recall much at the moment. "Legolas was not breathing, I tried to help him. Minerella! I saw Minerella."

"Yes, Elrond. We both did. Hannon-le for saving Legolas. Without you..." Thranduil did not finish the sentence. He just looked down, blinking fiercely.

"You caught him?"

"I did, Elrond. I am sorry that you were injured during..."

"That was my choice, Thranduil. I just did not expect to be taken literally, that is all. When I said I would never see Legolas in his hands..." He shivered unconsciously.

"Do you know who is behind this?" Gailarphen asked gently.

"No, I could not see him clearly. How are you, Thranduil?"

"Worry more about yourself, Elrond. I am doing well, thanks to Gailarphen and Mithrandir." Thranduil smiled at the others.

"Now, Elrond, you need to eat. You have lost a lot of fluid and need to replenish it. I am pleased that the burns and blisters have stopped weeping as they were. The infection is under control as well." Gailarphen was also pleased with his pulse. Yes, Elrond was recovering quickly now that the spells had been removed.

"Good, but my eyes?" Elrond would not let this go.

"They will need to be covered for the next few days and then we will look at them again. Until then, I want you to rest in bed, and no unnecessary moving about the bed. I am sure that Glorfindel will see that you keep my orders. The same goes for him." Gailarphen smirked at Glorfindel.

"Glorfindel? You did not say that you had sustained injuries." Elrond was worried over this.

"I am not really injured."

"You had a fever along with an infection. You were hallucinating. How is that not really injured, mellon-nin?" Gailarphen raised his right eyebrow.

Thranduil had to cough to hide his amusement. This was entertaining.

"Fever? Infection? What?" Elrond's concern was growing. What had he missed?

"It was but a minor wound, Elrond." Glorfindel's scowl warned them against saying any more.

Unfortunately, Elrond could not see it. "Where did you get the wound? You should have told me. Have you been hiding...?" Elrond coughed again and had to stop and sip the cool water that was such a relief to his throat. Talking was becoming difficult.

"No, I have not been hiding injuries from you!" Glorfindel practically shouted. This was getting out of hand. Why did he get the feeling that this really was 'get at Glorfindel' day?

"Then how?" Elrond truly wished he could see. He knew the look on Glorfindel's face would be priceless about now. It was then that he realised just how quiet the chamber had become. "What?"

"I was injured doing nothing." Glorfindel's voice was even more sullen, if that were possible.

"Injured doing nothing?" Elrond's jaw had literally dropped at hearing that. "The truth, Glorfindel, and now." There was a stern note in his voice.

Glorfindel muttered something under his breath.

"I did not hear that, Glorfindel."

"Oh, for Valar's sake, Glorfindel, just tell him the truth. You can hardly be more embarrassed considering that we all know what happened!" Gailarphen threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

"Will someone simply tell me how Glorfindel came to have an injury and infection?" The increasing croak in his voice suddenly made him sound quite pitiful. Gailarphen took pity upon him and started to answer, but, surprisingly, it was Glorfindel who spoke first.

"If you promise to stop speaking and rest your voice, we will explain."

"Go on then. I will drink and listen." Elrond sipped from the goblet once more.

"I was bitten by accident." It was said quickly, without the breaks between his words.

"Bitten by accident?" Elrond was gaping once more. "Bitten by what?" He took another sip of water, aware that he had just broken his word to cease speaking.

"You." Was Glorfindel's growled reply that had Elrond choking on the water he had just taken into his mouth.

"Me!" It was little more than a cough, a pained cough at that, but they all understood that he was trying to say. "Why would I bite you?" His face was shocked and yet innocent at the same time, as was his voice.

Glorfindel sighed. "It was not really your fault. We were dressing your burns when the pain became too much for you and you bit down on the first thing that was near to you, me. You passed out shortly after."

"I am so sorry, mellon-nin. I would never hurt you on purpose." Elrond did not quite know what to do or say to make this right.

"It was not your fault, Elrond. As Glorfindel said, it was the fault of neither of you. Unfortunately, because we were in the midst of cleaning and dressing your burns and your eyes, we could not clean and dress his bite." Gailarphen tried to explain.

"Hence the infection. How bad is it?" Elrond felt truly bad.

"Better than it was. I am awake and aware. That is better than it was." Glorfindel was rueful, but sounded quite glad as well.

"Good, I am just sorry that you had to go through that."

"Think nothing of it, mellon-nin, I would rather be bitten by you than a warg any day!" In an attempt to make a jest of it, Glorfindel gave his friend a smile, but then it dimmed as he realised that he could not see it.

"I guess. You at least know where my mouth has been!" Elrond agreed guiltily, chuckling slightly, but then winced quite noticeably.

"Do you need more tea?" Gailarphen and all the others awake could not have missed it.

"Saes, but not poppy. I am still feeling muddled. The pain is not that bad." Elrond admitted.

"I am not so sure about that, Elrond. You can be as stubborn as Glorfindel or Thranduil. I will let you have the tea, but if it has not helped in an hour I will be giving you that poppy tea, make no mistake about it!" There was a threatening note in his tone that warned Elrond that Gailarphen was serious.

"I can live with that, mellon-nin. More water, saes?" Elrond hated being this weak.

"I will get that for you, Elrond." Mithrandir accepted the goblet and turned to the table where the water jug sat.

"Good. Tarias, come with me." Gailarphen's voice was curt as he spoke to the trainee healer. Elrond noticed it right away and frowned. "I want to see if you know the basis for making a simple tea for pain."

Elrond frowned. He had never before in their long acquaintance known Gailarphen to be curt and off-hand with a student. What was Tarias doing in here anyway? It was unusual for students to come into this part of healing wing this early in their training. Unless, and this did not sit at all well with Elrond, something had happened that he was as yet unaware of.

"Arwen! What the Valar have you brought that... that THING in here for?" Glorfindel's voice was a mixture of shock and horror.

"It is for Ada." Was that a note of defiance and a little smugness as well?

"Arwen?" The croak was getting worse as his voice was being used and he knew he would soon have to stop talking.

"I brought you a present, Ada. Erestor and I thought it might help you feel better." Was that a snigger from Thranduil's direction and why was Mithrandir shaking?

Glorfindel was muttering to himself. "I just bet he did. You wait until I am allowed out of this bed, then he will know what will make me feel better."

"That is very nice of you, sell-nin. What is it?" Elrond shot a bandage-hidden glare at his friend.

"I found him two days ago and brought him home to heal, but I thought perhaps he could stay with you. Maybe Legolas would like to have him as well." Arwen was hurrying with her speech, trying to get it out before someone stopped her.

Arwen grasped his left hand and placed something soft and small into it. It was warm and obviously a living creature. A soft peeping quack was his answer. "A duckling? Arwen, where did you find him?"

"Close by the waterfall, Ada. His wing is broken and he would have died if I had left him there." She sniffed at the thought, tears filling her grey-blue eyes. "I could not leave him."

"You did the right thing, sell-nin, and yes, Legolas and I would love to help him recover." Actually, now that he thought about it, this was the perfect idea. This would definitely help Legolas to recover.

"I will have nothing to do with that thing!" Glorfindel sat, arms crossed, glowering at the duckling where it lay shivering in Elrond's hand.

Thranduil tried not to smile. To think Glorfindel could be terrified of such a tiny creature. Yes, he knew Legolas would love to be able to nurse the duckling back to health.

"You will not have to come near him, Glorfindel. Legolas and I will care for him, if that is agreeable with you, Thranduil?" Elrond turned his face carefully in the general direction where he heard Thranduil.

"Indeed it is. You will find Legolas a wonderful helper. He has helped nurse many animals back to health." Thranduil smiled down at his sleeping son.

"Gailarphen, Doroniel is awake." The voice made them all jump, but most especially Tarias. They had all forgotten the silent sentinel that was keeping watch from above.

"She is? Good, Linnathon will be taking a close look at her. I am worried there may be damage to her heart as well." Gailarphen looked up at Faunryn from where he was chopping and dicing the herbs for Elrond's tea. Then he noticed that the Great Eagle looked uncomfortable. "What is wrong, mellon-nin?"

Mithrandir looked up sharply at Gailarphen's words. The Eagle looked at odds with himself. He could only hope that he was not still blaming himself for Nestoron's fall.

"I do not know. There is something wrong in the Song. I cannot place it. It is strange and discordant. I need to speak with Gwaihir."

"I am here, youngling. We are both here. Faunryn is right. There is a disturbance. It is subtle, as if slowly creeping rather than rushing and gathering pace. The trees are moaning!" Gwaihir's head had suddenly poked in the window beside Faunryn as he spoke. Thoronneth soon appeared on the other side.

Not one of them noticed the glower that Tarias shot towards Legolas, all eyes were on the Great Eagles at the window above him.

Thranduil frowned. The trees? Well, who better to communicate with them than the King of the Wood Elves? He closed his eyes and relaxed. He could hear the sigh of the wind as it rustled through the leaves. He could hear the cry of the birds and the scampering of the many creatures that lived within the trees and then, just as he was about to give up and say that nothing was wrong, he felt it.

The trees were groaning with fear. They were terrified and calling out now in their fear. And calling out only one word and that word was...

His eyes snapped open as he looked about in time to hear another voice call out from a bed by the door way.

"What is wrong with Legolas?" It was a pale and shaking Doroniel. She was hanging onto an amazed Haldir. Not one of them had realised that she was even up from the bed, expecting her to still be sleep muddled.

"Legolas? Doroniel, what do you think you are doing up? You should be resting! Get back to bed right now or I will drug you until you are well!" Gailarphen handed Mithrandir the goblet of Elrond's tea. There was no way he would entrust the tea to Tarias, not for a very long time to come.

"No! Legolas, you must look at Legolas!" She tried to make a step towards Legolas and Thranduil, but she was shaking too much. Haldir steadied her before she fell.

"Why? What is wrong with Legolas? He is sleeping." Gailarphen was puzzled.

"No, I can feel it..." Doroniel was beginning to feel faint.

"Doroniel is right, Gailarphen. It is Legolas. You need to look at Legolas." Gwaihir called from above and all heads turned towards Thranduil and his son.

"Come and sit down, Doroniel. You should not be out of bed." Haldir practically carried her to a chair. She was shaking with exhaustion.

"Had to… could hear the ... trees." Doroniel tried to explain.

"You have done well, mellon-nin. Let me get you some water." Haldir tried to help her relax as Linnathon hurried through the door.

"Doroniel! You said you needed the bathing..." He stopped as he realised the tension that filled the air. "What is wrong?"

"Legolas. The trees are crying for Legolas!" Thranduil sounded panicked and worried at the same time.

"Let me look at him!" Gailarphen hurried to their side and stopped, only to look down in puzzlement.

Legolas appeared to be sleeping comfortably. He certainly did not seem to be in any distress. Yet, there was a slight frown between his brows but, with the state of his leg and forehead, that was to be expected.

"What are the trees saying, mellon-nin?" He asked Thranduil as he reached to feel Legolas forehead. It was very hot, clammy almost. Again, it was not surprising. He felt for a thin, limp wrist. The pulse was fast, too fast.

"They are just moaning his name over and over." Thranduil sounded breathless, maybe not as bad as he had been previously, but they could all hear his breathing.

"Rest easy, Thranduil. Take deep breaths and try to stay calm while I check to see if anything is wrong with Legolas." Gailarphen's voice was calm as he checked Legolas over.

Thranduil tried to do as the healer said, but he found it harder each time. He hated these spells, hated it with a vengeance.

Gailarphen smiled at him before gently lifting the swollen left eyelid. Peering in, he was pleased with the way the pupil reacted against the bright light. He reached to lift the right and frowned. It was a lot more sluggish than the other's reaction. It was not enough to cause him major worry, but enough to give him slight concern. It also fitted in nicely with the concussion that Legolas had suffered.

"May I?" He gestured for Legolas.

Thranduil reluctantly lifted Legolas ready to hand him over. He stopped when a small fist reached out to clamp against his nightclothes. "I do not think that Legolas wishes that, mellon-nin." It was said with a wry smile.

"That is good news. Legolas, can you hear me?" He called softly to the Elfling Prince.

A groan was his answer.

"Legolas, it is 'Phen. Can you open your eyes for me?" He tried again.

He heard another low groan and then a slither of blue appeared as Legolas opened his eyes literally just a crack.

"Good, Penneth. Do you know who I am?" Gailarphen gently brushed the hair from the wound that still cut across the skin.

"'Phen" It was just the one word, but Thranduil relaxed considerably.

"Yes, it is me. How do you feel?" Gailarphen was pleased with the response.

"Sore." Legolas closed his eyes and then opened them again, looking around almost dazedly. "Ada?"

"I am here Legolas." Thranduil gently hugged Legolas to him. He still had not let go of Thranduil's nightshirt.

"Monsters." There was fear in Legolas' voice.

"You are safe, Dian Las. There are no monsters here." Thranduil hurried to comfort him.

"Dream monsters." Legolas' voice wavered.

Thranduil realised then exactly what had been happening before they woke his son. Legolas was sinking into one of his horrific nightmares of the orcs. Thank the Valar that Doroniel and Faunryn had been alert. No wonder the trees had been moaning. They had been picking up Legolas' own distress.

Since Legolas was awake and much calmer, Thranduil found himself calming considerably as well.

"I know, Ion-nin, but it was only a dream. I am here and they cannot get to you. See? You are surrounded by mighty warriors who will let no harm come to you." Thranduil smiled gently down at his son. "Even Glorfindel, Penneth."

Thranduil was aware of how much Legolas loved the story of Glorfindel and his meeting with the Balrog. It never seemed to bore Legolas, no matter how many times he had been told the tale.

"Where?" Legolas' eyes were suddenly wide and he gently turned his head to look for the blond elf.

Glorfindel could only chuckle. "I am here, Legolas. As soon as Gailarphen says I can leave my bed I will be over to see you."

"You hurt?" Legolas sounded worried.

"Just a minor injury. I am recovering already." Glorfindel stated with certainty.

"How?" Legolas sounded curious now.

"I was bitten by a very nasty monster." Glorfindel's tone had taken on a decidedly conspiratorial tone.

"What?" Again Legolas showed his intelligent curiosity.

"What bit Glorfindel, Penneth?" Thranduil clarified.

"Yes."

"Well, Penneth, it was a nasty animal and you must watch out for it. It bites and talks later. Its name is Elrondious." There was a bout of humorous coughing around the chamber and a deep guffaw from Mithrandir. "He looks mild and nice, but, trust me, when he raises one eyebrow, you run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. Do you understand?" Glorfindel looked completely serious.

"Will." Legolas promised, nodding slightly.

Thranduil frowned once more. Legolas was again answering with only a single word or two and nothing more. It was beginning to worry him. Legolas yawned.

"Are you still sleepy, Legolas?" He asked.

"No."

"Now that Legolas is awake, he should eat. I would prefer he did that before he goes back to sleep. It is almost time for the evening meal anyway." Gailarphen smiled down at Legolas.

"Are you hungry, Penneth?" Thranduil was very glad to see him awake.

"Not hungry." There were those two dreaded words once again.

"Saes, Legolas, you need to have some more of that nice broth you had before, just a little?" Thranduil tried to encourage his son.

"No." The little bottom lip quivered.

"Legolas, if I am allowed to move next to you, and I have the same broth, would you eat it too? It will make me big and strong again." Glorfindel called from where he sat.

"It help you?" Legolas asked quietly.

"Yes it will, it will help you as well. Will you do that for me, Penneth?" Glorfindel asked once more.

"Yes." Legolas gave a resigned sigh.

"Good."

"I will get the broth." Haldir left the chamber. Doroniel nodded at him that she would be fine where she was.

Gailarphen and Linnathon helped Glorfindel move to a bed close to Legolas. As he passed by Elrond, he muttered to Glorfindel. "Elrondious, indeed. You had better watch out, Glorfy. I will be getting my own back. I would beware the dreaded eyebrow as well!"

"I look forward to it, mellon-nin." He smiled widely, only to shudder as the duckling gave a soft peep. Arwen giggled at the glare that he shot the animal.

"Once you have eaten, Dian Las, we have a little surprise for you." Thranduil told his son.

"What?" Curiosity overrode the pain that was once more filling him.

"That will have to wait for you to finish your broth. Do you feel sick anymore?" Thranduil suddenly thought.

"No." Legolas whispered the last. "Need go."

"I will help you with Legolas, Thranduil. Once we have settled Glorfindel." Gailarphen had reached the bed in time to hear the whisper.

Elrond settled back against the pillows with a wince. He knew at the moment that the others would be more interested in Legolas than they were with him. The tea had helped, had taken a slight edge off of the pain but nothing more than that. He would eventually have to ask for the poppy tea. He was not aware that he sat there gently stroking the soft duckling nestled in his lap, almost as one would a cat. It was soothing.

A slight noise to one side made him turn his head, but he relaxed when it did not sound again.

"What will you call him, Ada?" Arwen suddenly asked.

"Call whom, sell-nin?" Elrond smiled gently, feeling the scalded skin on his face pull as he did so.

"Your duckling, he needs a name." Arwen told him patiently.

"I will have to consult my fellow healer on that one, Arwen. I think that Legolas needs to choose his name. That will give him something to think of." Elrond felt smug at the thought.

"That is a good idea, Ada. I can help him decide!" Arwen sounded satisfied. She looked over her shoulder to where the screens were once more being placed around the small Prince's bed.

No one noticed that Tarias was slowly and surely inching his way towards Elrond's bed.

"I think he would like that, Arwen. That is a nice idea. How have you been?" Elrond was relaxing. Amazing how just stroking something soft could work wonders like this. He would have to remember that.

"I have been well, Ada. My lessons are interesting and enjoyable and Erestor is pleased with my work."

"I am proud of you, sell-nin, and pleased that you enjoy your studies." Elrond was acutely aware of the sudden silence in the chamber. "What is happening? Why has everything gone quiet?"

Arwen leaned in to whisper. "Legolas needs the necessary."

"Good, that is a good sign." Elrond tried to recall when he had last done the same. With all the fluid he was being helped to drink, it should be having some effect. "I need to speak to Gailarphen when he is finished helping Legolas."

"I will let him know, Ada." He could hear the worry in her voice.

"All is well, Arwen, I just want to ask him something." He hurried to reassure her.

"I am glad, Ada, I have been worried." It sounded as if Arwen was about to start crying.

"I am sorry, sell-nin, I would never wish to worry you." A sudden memory returned. "Where is Nestoron?"

"He is sleeping, Ada." Arwen looked over at the bed that held the young healer. It was technically not the truth, but yet it was.

"Good, he will have been tired after his journey. Is Faelien about?" How he hated not being able to see.

"She is sleeping also, Ada." Arwen did not need to look to know that the young trainee was sleeping next to her bonded.

"Good, they will be pleased to be reunited." Elrond sounded contented and Arwen felt guilty at not telling her father the truth, but she knew also that Gailarphen wanted to be the one to update him on Nestoron's condition.

"Tarias? It is Tarias?" Doroniel's voice cut through the silence.

"Yes?" The young trainee replied sullenly.

Elrond moved his head towards Tarias' voice. He was closer than Elrond recalled from earlier.

"I am sorry to ask you, but could you help me back to my bed? My feet are causing me a lot of pain." Doroniel sounded to be in pain as well.

They could hear Tarias grumbling under his breath. "Stupid elleth, I have better things to do with my time than help her into bed."

"Tarias, before you go and help Doroniel, could you please come to me? I need to speak with you." Elrond's voice was gentle yet stern.

Arwen stood suddenly and turned to face Tarias. There was fire in her eyes and she looked incredibly angry.

"How dare you! Stupid elleth indeed! This is a Master Healer from Mirkwood. How dare you be so disrespectful!" Arwen drew herself up ready to carry on. Elrond caught her arm.

"Sîdh, Arwen, I will deal with this." He patted her arm. "Tarias, here, now!"

Tarias move reluctantly, his face going rather pale.

"Hir-nin, it is good to see you awake." Tarias glowered at Arwen.

"Hennad. Now what are you doing speaking to and about patients like that?" Elrond was not going let him off the hook so easily. None of his healers would speak to anyone liked that, especially patients or family.

"I... I..." He tried to think of something to say.

"Well?" Elrond prompted.

"I did not realise that she was a healer, Hir Elrond. I am sorry." Tarias could finally admit.

"That is entirely beside the point, Tarias. Doroniel is a former student, a friend and a guest in our home. I never want to hear you speak like that to another person in these Halls. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Hir-nin." Tarias looked away. "I am sorry." There was no apology in his voice.

"Is there a problem here?" Gailarphen had come from behind the screens to stand beside Arwen, who still had not taken her anger-filled eyes off Tarias.

"Just a little misunderstanding, Master Healer Gailarphen." Tarias told him.

"Oh?" Gailarphen raised his right eyebrow at his student, suspicion on his face.

"I did not realise that your patient was another healer." Tarias mumbled.

"He was very rude to Doroniel!" Arwen told Gailarphen.

"I see. We will speak of this later." He gave Tarias a look of supreme disapproval. "For now, saes, help Doroniel to her bed and them come and help us with Legolas. I have already directed that you are to stay by my side at all times. I meant it. Come. I will explain later, Elrond. For now, I need help with Legolas."

Arwen watched as the two healers went their separate ways. Tarias went to help Doroniel and then he vanished behind the screens, leaving an angry Doroniel behind.

"Arwen, what has happened?" It was obvious to Elrond that something had occurred recently between the two healers. Something was definitely wrong here.

"I do not know, Ada!" This time Arwen was not sure of what was happening.

"Very well, sell-nin. Come and sit with me." Within minutes Elrond was once more stroking the little duckling, feeling it breathe beneath his long fingers. This was really rather relaxing...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Haldir brought in a tray with two bowls of broth. One was filled much larger than the other and had thin slices of fresh bread beside it.

"I have the food, Elrond."

"Good, Haldir. They should be finishing with Legolas any minute." Even as Elrond was speaking, he could hear the screens being pulled back.

"I will take it to them." Haldir moved further into the chamber. He frowned at Tarias as that ellon moved beside Gailarphen. Good, they were keeping an eye on the young healer. He really did not trust him. It was then that he noticed that all three eagles were also watching Tarias closely. Haldir smiled. He was obviously not the only one who did not trust this ellon.

Glorfindel was comfortably resting against the pillows of his new bed. He turned his head to watch Legolas closely as the young elfling shyly nestled against his Adar.

"Are you feeling better, Legolas?"

The blond head turned towards him. There was a look of awe on the little face.

"Yes, hannon le."

"Good, our broth is here with Haldir. Have you met Haldir?" Glorfindel kept his voice light. The last thing they needed was for mealtimes to become a battle-ground for the Prince. That would help none of them and would only cause more stress for him.

"No." Was the shy but simple answer.

"Haldir, this is Legolas. Legolas, this is Haldir. He works with Galadriel in Lothlorien." Glorfindel introduced them.

"Mae Govannen, Caun Legolas. It is a pleasure to speak with you at last." Haldir smiled down at him.

"Suilad." Legolas shyly nodded a greeting, as was proper, since he could not bow. He winced then as the movement hurt his head.

"I have your broth for you." Haldir grinned at the face that Legolas pulled. "I am sure it is not that bad."

"Let me sit you up against the pillows, Penneth, and then I can help you eat the broth." Thranduil suited his words with the action. Legolas did not like that suggestion though. He did not wish to be fed like a tiny babe, a laes.

"No. I eat." He had that stubborn look to his face that Thranduil knew all too well. Oh, how he had missed that look!

"You can try, but if you have difficulty I will help you, Alright?" Thranduil could not have been prouder of his son. Even so badly injured, he would not just give in and let them coddle him.

"Yes, Ada." There was a small impish smile.

"Gailarphen? Ada would like a word with you." Arwen spoke quietly as she stood next to the healer.

"Hennad, Arwen. I will be back, Thranduil. I also want to check Nestoron once more. Tarias, with me!" Tarias sulkily did as he was bidden. He was rapidly coming to hate the elf beside him.

As Gailarphen walked towards Elrond, he cast a look at Doroniel. He was not surprised to see that she was asleep. Even that small amount of activity had been enough to exhaust her. He really was not happy with her condition. He also wanted to check on Calandor. He would do that later, when he had sent Tarias home.

"You wished to see me, mellon-nin?" He took one look at the Lord of Imladris and frowned. "You are still in pain." It was not a question.

"Yes. I will need the poppy tea after all, I fear." Elrond felt a little chagrined at that admission.

"I had a feeling you might change your mind. I like your new friend." He shot a sly grin at Glorfindel who glowered back while encouraging Legolas to eat.

"He is sweet. Gailarphen, I am worried that I have not passed water or felt the need to since I woke." There was no easy way to talk about this.

"I would not worry, Elrond. You were very dehydrated at one point and lost a lot of fluid from your burns over a few days. That has stopped now, but you still need the fluids. Estelio nin, I am keeping a close eye on you."

Gailarphen was actually very pleased with Elrond's condition. He was not swollen at all, thank Estë. Swelling was one sign of the kidney failure that could kill burn victims. That was the basis of Elrond's worry, he was sure.

"Hennad, I am glad to hear that. I was worried." Elrond settled back against his pillows. He should have thought about that. It was a lot harder to think of things like that when you were the patient. The poppy tea wasn't helping with that as it left him muddled and unsure of the passage of time as well, another reason he was reluctant to take it.

"That is alright, mellon-nin. This is new for you." Gailarphen smiled at the sight of his battered Lord being so gentle with the equally battered duckling. "Your new friend looks comfortable."

"I am glad, but he will be going to Legolas soon." Elrond smiled at the thought of what the young Prince would say.

"I need to change his dressings again soon. That is going to hurt. I will have to give him some tea for that, but I will let him have some time with his new friend first. He will have a lot of painful episodes over the next few days, the last thing we need is for him to associate us all with just that." Gailarphen sounded worried.

"I agree, Gailarphen. The way things are going Legolas could very well grow to have a fear of healers." Elrond voiced the worry that had also been growing within him.

"He has had a lot to do with them and I fear little of it has been pleasant for him." Gailarphen turned to look in the direction of Legolas and Thranduil. "Ah, it looks as if Legolas has finished his meal."

"Would you take the duckling to him?" Elrond asked.

"Of course, I would be pleased to introduce them." Gailarphen gently lifted up the duckling. It made a small peep of distress. "Shhh, Penneth, I will not harm you. I have someone I would love you to meet." He made his way gently to Legolas' side. Tarias, mindful of what he had been told, followed him. He wore a scowl. What did a duckling have to do with healing?

"Legolas, I have a little friend for you to meet." Gailarphen said as he reached their bedside.

"Me?" Legolas' eyes were wide.

"Yes, you, Penneth. Elrond has said that you can name him if you wish." He gently set the duckling down on the bed beside Legolas. Thranduil look amused.

"A duckling!" There was wonder in Legolas' voice as he reached out to stroke him.

They all watched, apart from Elrond, though Arwen told him what was happening.

Legolas gently reached his right hand out to the duckling, his fingers shaking in rhythm with the rest of his body. Just before he touched the duckling, he stopped and debated what to do.

"Touch him, Young One. He knows you will not harm him." Gwaihir spoke from above them and Legolas smiled at the Great Eagle.

He stroked the duckling and as they all watched the duckling peeped again before reaching with its head to search for those warm fingers once more.

"He hurt!" Legolas cried out. "Poor wing."

"Arwen found him all alone and hurt and brought him back here so that he could be helped." Surprisingly, it was Glorfindel who spoke.

"Lost family. He sad." Legolas sounded just as sad.

"We will help him get better. Would you like to help him get better?" Gailarphen asked.

Legolas nodded gently. "Wing sore." He did not notice when they all froze to look at him in shock. "He hungry."

"We will have to find him some bread to eat. I will also give him something for the pain. We cannot have our patient in pain now can we?" Gailarphen asked gently.

"No. Can stay?" Legolas gently stroked the duckling as he peered up at Thranduil with beseeching eyes.

"Yes, Dian Las, he can stay. What will you call him?" Thranduil asked him.

"Not know." Legolas was all seriousness as he turned to the duckling once more. "What name?"

They were all fascinated as Legolas seemed to be talking with the duckling. It was certainly looking him straight in the eye.

"Not know." He gave a barely-there shrug. "Nenfileg?" He asked the duckling.

Gailarphen frowned as he listened to Legolas speak. His speech had been much better than this before, full-sentenced as well, not these one or two words.

The duckling seemed to give an answering peep and Legolas smiled with satisfaction. "Nenfileg, hello."

"Should we have a filthy animal like this in the healing wing?" Tarias asked. His voice was for once quite pleasant.

"Not filthy!" Legolas called.

"How dare you! We are not filthy. Birds are quite clean, thank you very much!" Gwaihir was quite insulted and his two companions seemed to agree, dipping their heads and ruffling their feathers.

Elrond's hoarse voice rose to join Gwaihir's protest. "Nenfileg will be welcome in this hall of healing, Tarias. It is not your decision to make. I say he is welcome, as are Gwaihir and his kin. When you become Hir of Imladris then you can change that. Until then keep such thoughts to yourself." His voice cracked and strained throughout his speech, but he was determined to have his say.

Elrond was becoming upset with Tarias and everything that seemed to come from his mouth. He suspected that he had made a mistake taking the young ellon to train. He did not seem to have any empathy with his patients at all.

"Sorry, Hir-nin. I just thought that you would wish to keep the healing ward clean. That is all." Tarias tried to explain, badly.

"Shut up, Tarias, or I will throw you out myself!" Glorfindel could not believe what he was hearing. He had the audacity to argue with Elrond? Especially when he was obviously in pain?

The scowl was once more in place on Tarias' face.

"Not take!" Legolas had tried to scoop the duckling up into his arms as if to protect him. The duckling seemed to be quite happy sitting there. "Ada." He turned worried, frightened eyes to his Adar.

"They will not take Nenfileg, Dian Las. I promise you that!" Thranduil glared at Tarias and the healer trainee shuffled his feet awkwardly. He was not sure who he hated glowering at him the most, Elrond or Thranduil.

"And if Tarias tries, I will turn him into a mouse and you can keep him, Legolas." There was humor in Mithrandir's voice but also a warning hint in it as well.

"In fact, Tarias, I think that you can go off duty now." Elrond tried to sound stern but only ended up coughing harshly. That did nothing to help his pain.

Gailarphen rushed to his side. "Easy, mellon-nin, here, take a sip of water. I will make you some poppy tea." He could see now just how pale Elrond was and the crease between his eyebrows was deeper than he had ever seen. He believed he could detect a fine tremor that spoke of pain as well.

"I am well." Elrond croaked painfully.

"No, Elrond, you are not." Gailarphen could not believe what he was hearing. Did Elrond think him daft? He turned to Tarias. "You may go. I want you back here after the morning meal. Do not be late." He warned. He would tolerate no more of this ellon's antics at all.

"As you wish, Master Healer. I will be here. Good day to you all." With a haughty sniff, he whirled around and swept from the chamber as if he owned it.

The entire chamber seemed to give a sigh of relief at his departure.

"There is a problem there." Elrond's voice was growing hoarser each time he spoke.

"More than you realise, Elrond." Gailarphen gave a sigh.

"Oh?" If he had eyebrows, Elrond would have raised them. The move was not lost on Gailarphen though, even with the bandage over his friend's eyes.

"We will talk later, when you are feeling better. I do not want you to speak any more." Gailarphen was adamant at that.

"I told..." Elrond could not finish. The words seemed to choke him. This time the coughing spell was even longer and when he moved his hand away from his mouth Gailarphen was shocked to see that it was stained with bright blood.

"No more talking, Elrond. I am serious. Linnathon, would you make the poppy tea? Elrond, I need to look at your throat." There was urgency in Gailarphen's voice.

"What?" Elrond's lips formed the word but there was no voice there when he tried to speak.

"No!" Gailarphen told him. "I am serious, Elrond. No more talking until I tell you otherwise!"

Elrond could sense the worry and urgency in his friend's voice. He nodded to show that he understood.

Gailarphen began to gently palpate his throat. He watched closely and it was clear when Elrond winced where the pain was. He looked for a lit candle and crossed to pick it up.

"I need to look in your throat. Can you open your mouth for me, as wide as you can?" Gailarphen watched as Elrond did as instructed.

He took a good long look. "You have irritated the back of your throat too much. It is raw and bleeding. You must rest your throat! If you continue to speak you could do serious damage. Do you understand?"

Elrond could only nod.

"Good. I also want you to gargle with athelas water. Here is your poppy tea. Once you drink that you can have the athelas." Linnathon handed Gailarphen the goblet with the tea in. "I will help you drink this."

The entire chamber was silent as they watched the two. Elrond winced with every swallow. When had his throat become this sore?

He was relieved when he had finally finished the poppy tea. Simply swallowing had hurt way too much.

"Good, rest and we will bring the athelas to you." Gailarphen was more alarmed than he was letting on. It would do Elrond no good to know that, but there was more damage to his throat than they had realised. He regretted not checking it more thoroughly after Mithrandir had removed the spells.

Elrond settled back against the pillows, suddenly exhausted. Arwen seemed to realise this.

"Legolas will not let Nenfileg go, Ada." She was smiling. He could hear it in her voice. "It is as if they both are afraid that they will be parted."

It was an adorable sight. The pale, pained Prince cradling the little fluffy duckling.

"Ada, Gailarphen is returning with the tea." She felt it only right that she forewarn him. He nodded to show he understood.

This was so frustrating for him. He could not see and now he could not even communicate!

"Gargle with this, mellon-nin. While you do that, I will give some tea to Nenfileg as I promised Legolas." Gailarphen handed the goblet to Arwen.

"I will help Ada." Arwen had the determined look of one who would not be denied.

"Hennad, he is to swallow it as soon as he has gargled. It will help to heal the wound." Gailarphen told her, Arwen nodded her understanding, and then turned to help her Adar take the athelas water.

Gailarphen moved away. He was certain that Elrond would not speak again until given permission. He wanted to speak with both Glorfindel and Mithrandir about the damage to Elrond's throat. He needed to know more about the spell that caused the damage.

When he arrived at Legolas' side he smiled at the Prince. Legolas was cradling the duckling protectively and still talking in sentences of only one or two words. He could see Thranduil's worried frown. Yes, that would be another thing he would check as well.

"Legolas, I need to give Nenfileg his medicine. Can you hold him for me?" An idea took root. This could answer a lot of questions. "Could you explain to him what I need him to do?"

That earned Gailarphen some shocked and humorous looks from Thranduil and Glorfindel. The only one who seemed unaffected was Legolas, who carefully nodded his head. He then looked into the duckling's eyes. They all stopped and watched. Arwen again acted as her Adar's eyes, explaining what was happening.

"He know." Legolas suddenly looked up to Gailarphen.

"Hennad, Legolas." He watched as Legolas gently rearranged Nenfileg in his hands so that he faced Gailarphen. As he moved closer to the Prince with the unused quill that they sometimes used to give medicines to tiny elflings, he expected to have a fight on his hands. Instead the duckling opened its mouth and sat there as if waiting for him. It took the small amount of tea and he could only watch with amazement.

"Good, Fileg." Legolas gently stroked his new friend as he gently encouraged him.

Well, this was certainly something new to all of them!

"He say hennad." The Prince's bright eyes turned to look at him. They seemed to look deeply into him and he shivered slightly. They looked old, older than they should, almost ancient in that moment.

"He is more than welcome. Can you ask him to let you know when the pain is better or if it returns?" It seemed to Gailarphen that Legolas was truly speaking to the duckling. Well, this certainly answered the question he had silently wondered. He realised that Gwaihir was almost certainly right. Legolas could talk to the animals around him.

"Yes." The reply was shy and suddenly Legolas was entirely the young elfling again.

"Legolas, I need to look at your leg. I will give you some tea so that it will not hurt." Legolas pulled a face at that and Gailarphen laughed. "I have not forgotten our bargain, young Caun. I will have some tea as well." Legolas grinned at that.

"Linnathon, could you make Legolas the tea?" He knew the healer would know exactly what he meant by that.

"Of course." Linnathon was already hard at work, as Gailarphen knew he would be.

"Legolas, I want to look in your eyes. Can you open them wide for me?"

Legolas did not answer. He just opened his eyes wide. Haldir handed Gailarphen the same candle he had used earlier. He smiled his thanks before lifting the candle so that he could see into Legolas' pupils.

The left one responded perfectly, as it had before. He nodded and smiled his reassurance at the elfling, who blinked away the bright light. He then moved to the right eye. This time he looked into it longer and he ended up frowning.

When he set aside the candle and Legolas blinked again, Thranduil could not stay silent.

"What is it?" It was almost a demand.

Gailarphen shook his head and nodded to Legolas. Thranduil reluctantly nodded. He understood the healer did not want to frighten his son, though it did little to reduce his worry.

"Legolas, does your head pain you a lot?" He asked the elfling.

"Yes." His answer was succinct.

"Alright, where?"

"Everywhere." Again, just the one word.

"How else do you feel?" He was trying to get Legolas to say more than just one word.

"Sore."

Gailarphen could have sighed with frustration. This was not working.

Thranduil understood what the healer was doing and tried to encourage his son. "Ion-nin, can you say more than just one word? I think 'Phen really wants to know where the pain is worse for you."

"Leg and head." Well that was certainly more than one word.

"How bad?" Gailarphen asked.

"Bad." There were tears in Legolas' eyes.

"You should have told me." Gailarphen spoke softly and with kindness. He felt dreadful at this quiet admission.

"Fileg needed you." The blue eyes were earnest.

"When you both hurt, you should tell me. I can help you both." Gailarphen stressed the both.

"Really?"

"Really. Your tea is ready. Does Fileg want to stay with you while you sleep?"

Legolas once more consulted the small duckling.

"We will look after him as well, Legolas." Faunryn called down.

"He stay." It seemed that the Eagle's assurance was enough for Legolas.

"Good." It seemed neither new friend wanted to let the other go. "Thranduil, will you give Legolas the tea?"

"Of course." He took the goblet and gently began to give Legolas the tea, ignoring the little nose that pulled up at the taste. Gailarphen was ready with fresh water for him when he had finished.

What he was not prepared for was the quiet, yet firm, voice that asked. "You?"

"Yes, Legolas, I will have some tea." A goblet appeared, brought by a smirking Linnathon. "See?"

He knew Linnathon would not give him anything too bad and he was right. Mostly it was just herbs to aid concentration. He made a show of pulling a face to say it tasted bad and Legolas seemed to be happy enough with that.

Gailarphen fussed around the bedside while he waited for Legolas' tea to take effect, readying the herbs that he would need and making sure all was as it should be and close to hand before turning back to Legolas.

Legolas was already asleep. That was a certain sign that the small Prince was in great pain. He would have to make sure the other healers were aware of the fact that Legolas would not ask for herbs to help the pain, at least not without being pushed to do so.

"How is he, Gailarphen, and the truth, saes?" Thranduil looked him in the eyes. The meaning was clear to the healer. The worried Adar would not back down. He was also aware that they were all listening as well.

Gailarphen nodded and looked serious. "Not good, not good at all. I am worried about his speech. His right eye is sluggish and is not reacting at all as I was hoping. I want to keep a closer eye on him. I am worried that the skull fracture may be worse than we had previously thought. The possibility of some brain damage is still there." He hated to admit that, but the truth could not be avoided.

Arwen gasped. "But… he seems to be so bright and well." She had tears in her eyes at the thought.

"I know, but is he, really? His speech has deteriorated markedly since we arrived and he woke up. He was speaking in full sentences before, but now..."

"He is barely responding, I know, I have noticed. I had hoped that Fileg would draw him out of that." Thranduil sighed and closed his eyes.

"He may still do so, Thranduil. We will see. Nenfileg seems to be more than happy with Legolas." Indeed, the small duckling looked to be quite at home on Legolas' lap.

"He has always loved nature." Thranduil's smile was sad.

"And he will again, Thranduil. We can sense this." Gwaihir looked down on the Mirkwood King.

"Really? You can say that with certainty?" Thranduil asked, almost afraid to hope. He wanted to hope, to believe, but the fear of losing Legolas was still strong.

"Not one of us can say what the dawn will bring with utter certainty. All we do know is that things happen for a reason and only later will we find out what that reason truly is. Perhaps Legolas has a lesson to learn? Even at his young age, this may be so."

Gwaihir watched closely as Gailarphen brushed away the fine golden hair and began to remove the old athelas paste which covered the swollen forehead. Once through with that, he went to wash his hands in a waiting basin. Linnathon stood nearby with a towel at the ready for him. As he finished washing his hands, Gailarphen glanced back to see how Elrond was faring.

It took over an hour before Gailarphen was finished dressing the wounds again, by that time Thranduil was looking very pale.

Legolas' head was finally beginning to show real signs of healing, the bruises were fading but the wound was still deep and the infection still present, though even that was looking better. It was once more covered with athelas paste.

It was the leg that was still giving Gailarphen cause for concern. It showed little change and the infection was still present. It took a lot of packing.

Gailarphen sat with relief, once the last of the bandage and the splint was applied. Gwaihir had not moved and was watching the scene with great interest.

"That is..." Thranduil did not know how to explain how bad that looked. Words seemed to be inadequate.

"Bad? I know." Gailarphen rose and washed his hands and then rubbed at his eyes. "I will need to redo the dressings again later. Twice a day for now and the tea will have to be administered frequently. Mithrandir, is there anything you can do to help?"

"I will try." Mithrandir had been watching him and he was just as worried. If only Elrond were well…

Gailarphen smiled at him thankfully before turning to check on Elrond once more. He was finally sleeping, having taken this long for the poppy tea to dull the pain so that he could relax. He was now curled onto his left side and Arwen was gently washing the dried blood from his hand. As he watched, she dried it and then stood and hurried to Gailarphen's side.

"He is finally sleeping." Her voice was curt and held an edge of suppressed anger.

"Good, I am glad." He said tiredly.

"Gailarphen, I have questions and I want you to answer every one of them for me." She now stood with her hands on hips and her lips were thin. She looked exactly as Celebrían did when she had been unhappy about something.

Gailarphen suddenly found his mouth was dry, as it always was when Celebrían had stood before him like that.

"What?" He knew better than to try and hide from this.

"What has happened to Ada? Why is his hair falling out?" She held up a clenched fist and in it was a handful of long black hair. "And his eyebrows?"

"He was scalded, Arwen, this happens. The hair and his eyebrows will grow back." The words sounded trite, even to him.

"And his eyes? When were you going to tell me he was blind?" She arched her eyebrows in perfect imitation of her Adar. Glorfindel choked back a laugh, quickly turning it into a pained-sounding cough. She glowered at him anyway.

"We did not..." He quickly stopped before he could make an even bigger mistake.

"Think I was old enough? Trust me I am old enough! Now tell me!" It was a demand.

"Your Adar was hit by a terrible spell that targeted his eyes. That is why he cannot see. Mithrandir has helped with that and taken the spell off of him."

"He will recover his sight?" Arwen sounded frightened. Maybe she was not ready for this after all.

"We hope so..."

"Hope? You hope?" Her voice was faintly hysterical. "What does that mean?"

"Arwen, you need to understand that the spell will take some time for the effects to reverse properly. We need to be patient with this. It will lift, we just need to wait." Gailarphen tried to reassure her. He wished Mithrandir had been able to tell him more about this as well.

"I do understand. It is just so hard..." She blinked away sudden tears. "And his throat, his voice?"

"That needs lots of rest. If he does not rest it, he could lose his voice entirely." He hated saying this, but he had to be honest.

"It will come back?" She knew how important this was to her Adar.

"With rest." Gailarphen made certain that his voice was firm.

"What can I do to help?" Arwen took a deep breath and pulled herself together. If her beloved Ada needed help, she would make certain he got it.

"What you are doing, Penneth, exactly what you are doing." Gailarphen pulled her into a hug, at this moment he had never been so proud of her. She returned the hug just as fiercely and then let him go, standing back to look at him angrily once more.

"I will say this only once to you, Gailarphen. I am no longer an elfling to be coddled. I am over three hundred years old. If you ever try to protect me again, as much as I understand, you will regret it for the rest of your days. My brother's pranks will not hold anything against what I will do to you!"

"I understand, Arwen." There was an understanding smile in his eyes. When had she grown up? How had he missed it?

A peep from the duckling, seemingly of agreement, made them all laugh and once free of the hug, Arwen hurried to Legolas and Thranduil's bed to gently stroke him. "I agree, Fileg, with whatever you said."

"He said thanks." Faunryn told her quite seriously.

"Hennad, Faunryn, he is welcome." With a last stroke she hurried back to her Adar's bedside.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Legolas was warm and comfortable. He could feel the soft beating of a heart next to his own. With a yawn, he opened his eyes to look down at the duckling. He smiled, not a big smile, but a smile all the same.

"Hello, Ada." He turned his head carefully, but stopped speaking when he realised that his Ada was asleep.

"Did you sleep well, Legolas?" Glorfindel had been watching the King and Prince as they slept.

Wide surprised eyes looked at him and then the expression changed. "Yes, Glorfy."

Glorfindel found himself smiling back. The innocence in the Prince's face was touching and he found that he did not mind the despised nickname as much as he normally did. He could live with the way that Legolas said it. It was almost reverent, full of respect and awe.

"Are you feeling any better now?" Glorfindel asked him.

"Head no hurt." Legolas was stroking the duckling. "Hungry."

"Are you now? We will have to remedy that!" Gailarphen was pleased to hear the small admissions that meant so much for Legolas' condition.

Idhron had been helping Linnathon change Nestoron's dressings. They were just clearing up the detritus when he looked up. "I could go and organise some food for Caun Legolas, Master Gailarphen."

"Hannon le, Idhron. That would be good." He smiled at the junior trainee. Now this was how a healer should be. Alert and eager, ready to do whatever was needed. Not like Tarias, who seemed to hate even being here.

"I will be back quickly. Something nice and light?" He turned bright eyes to Gailarphen.

"Some broth. I do not think that Legolas' stomach could handle much more for the moment." Gailarphen was taking Thranduil's pulse, pleased by the fact that his friend was sleeping without herbs. His pulse was much better as well. Maybe now that Legolas was a little better, Thranduil would improve.

"I will tell the cook, so that he can keep some cooking. Maybe some milk pudding for later?" Idhron asked.

"That would be wonderful! It would definitely help. Oh yes, and some bread for Fileg." The shortened version of the duckling's name seemed to have stuck with all of them.

Idhron nodded as he turned to go see the cook.

Gailarphen gently set Thranduil's wrist back down on the bed and made his way around to go check on Doroniel. He patted Legolas' head and stroked Fileg before leaving them, a small smile on his face.

The smile disappeared the minute Gailarphen felt the pulse in the elleth's wrist. It was fast and uneven. He counted, alarmed at just how fast it was. "Linnathon, could I have a word, saes?" His tone conveyed urgency.

Linnathon left what he was doing and hurried to his side. "What is wrong?" There was alarm in his voice.

Gailarphen waited until the other healer was beside him. "I want you to double-check Doroniel's pulse rate for me."

Linnathon frowned and shrugged. He knew his friend would tell him when he was ready. Linnathon gently picked up Doroniel's wrist from where it lay. His eyes widened in shock and he turned worried green eyes to Gailarphen. The other healer nodded once, his worries confirmed.

With a resigned sigh, Gailarphen bent over Doroniel and rested his head against her chest, listening to the elleth's heart. It was fast and missing beats every now and again.

When he straightened, he lifted up her hand to look at the fingernails. They were a little blue, more blue-tinted than they should be. He sighed once more.

"I will need some of the powdered lhaew hûn nestadren salab. Can you measure a dose for me? Doroniel's heart has possibly been damaged as much as Thranduil's. We will need to double-check Calandor as well, although he seemed to be in a hearty mood earlier." Gailarphen mused. He was still worried because he knew for a fact the Mirkwood archer's heart had stopped when he was struck by the lightning bolt.

"Yes, he was. But then, Doroniel did exert herself earlier..." Linnathon made his way back to the herb table.

"Indeed, she did. That may have been enough to cause her heart to reveal the damage." Gailarphen's eyes lit up in understanding. "That would have been more than enough. Thranduil, Doroniel and Calandor are on complete bed-rest from this minute until you are all told otherwise. They are all to have the herbs and tea to strengthen them. If we do not restrict their movement, then the damage could progress. Do you understand?"

The healers all around the chamber nodded.

"Ada ill?" Legolas asked, looking worried. The duckling peeped at him worriedly.

"He is tired and sleeping, Penneth." Glorfindel told him.

They all noticed that Legolas brightened considerably at hearing that. "Story?" He asked the Balrog Slayer.

Arwen smirked. She knew how much Glorfindel hated telling stories, any stories.

"What story would you like me to tell you?" Who could say no to that look on that particular face? He could deny Legolas nothing at present. But then, he also did not want to upset Legolas either. He would just have to bite his tongue.

"You." The answer was to the point. Directly to the point.

"Me?"

"I think he wants to hear about you, mellon-nin." Gailarphen was smiling.

Glorfindel narrowed his eyes and glared at the healer. He then turned back to Legolas. "Is that what you want, Legolas?"

"Saes." The small grin was infectious.

"Very well." He watched as Gailarphen gently felt Legolas' wrist, counting his pulse. "Do you know the story?"

Legolas nodded eagerly.

"Good, so that you know, it happened a long, long time ago?"

"Before you start your tale and get Legolas too involved in your story..." / …and us as well. It is too rare to hear this from your own perspective, mellon-nin./ He added silently. "…I need to give Legolas some herbs."

Glorfindel's right eyebrow rose slightly in query as he nodded.

"Not need." Legolas tried to get out of taking the herbs. He had already had some earlier.

"I am sorry, Penneth, but you do need these. You are hot, are you not?" He had felt the heat of his fever when he checked Legolas' pulse.

"Yes." It was a reluctant admission.

"Then we need to give you some herbs for that. I also have some paste that I want you to have under your tongue. It is not nasty, I promise." He smiled his reassurances to Legolas.

Linnathon brought the powdered herb and a goblet of water, just enough to mix it in so that it could be placed beneath Legolas' tongue. He then hurried to Doroniel's side with another measure of the pale-green powdered herb. It was important that all the lightning victims got this herb.

Gailarphen would then go and speak with Thelion so that they could check Calandor together. He also wanted to make sure that Randis really was resting as he had promised he would. He would put nothing past the Mirkwood archer, nothing at all.

"Open your mouth for me, Legolas. This little bit of paste must go under your tongue." Gailarphen watched as Legolas reluctantly opened his mouth so that he could slide the paste into place.

The minute Gailarphen moved back and away Legolas turned expectant eyes towards Glorfindel.

Glorfindel smiled, it would seem that Legolas would not be distracted from his story.

"Well, a long time ago I lived in Gondolin..." The chamber door opening stopped him once more. This time it was Idhron with the broth for Legolas and a bit of bread for Fileg.

"Hennad, Idhron. Place it on the side. It is too hot for Legolas to have right now." Idhron did so. Smiling, he gave Legolas the piece of bread to feed Fileg before he hurried to Linnathon's side to help him give the tea to Doroniel.

"I had some very good friends there." Glorfindel continued.

"Who?" Legolas' eyes were bright once more with interest. He listened as he pinched up the bread for the hungry duckling.

"Tuor and Idril." His heart flared with remembered pain of that awful time. He had tried to give them precious time to flee the city's destruction, to get away from the orcs, dragons and other fell creatures that had descended upon Gondolin. He had tried to fight the Balrog to ensure their escape with their son. He shivered.

"Good friends?"

"Yes, Penneth, they were good friends. We used to have great fun together, a little like Elladan and Elrohir. When their son, Eärendil, came along..." Soon he was deep into the story and all in the chamber were listening. Even the duckling seemed to be hanging on his every word, but surely that was not possible?

Legolas sat entranced as Glorfindel told his story. He was not even really aware of when Gailarphen began to feed him the potion for his fever and then when that was gone, he spooned in the broth. Legolas opened his mouth automatically as his jaw dropped at certain points in the story. Gailarphen spooned the broth in at this time.

Finally, Glorfindel came to the end of his tale, his heart heavy. Silence fell.

It was broken by Legolas. "You good, Glorfy." There was no denying it now. The small prince had a big case of Hero Worship.

"Hennad, Legolas. I did what I did for my friends. They mean a lot to me." Even now, all these millennia later, he would do the same thing again, without hesitation.

"Good, they lucky." Legolas yawned.

"You need to sleep, Penneth." Glorfindel smiled once more, his heart lighter.

"Not tired." The pout was perfect.

"I am." Glorfindel gave a great yawn and stretched his good arm as if to prove this point. Legolas had not been expecting this and he looked at Glorfindel in amazement.

"You tired?" He said it as if this was the greatest shock in all of Arda.

"Yes, I am tired. I need to sleep. Agreed, Gailarphen?" He looked at the healer.

"Indeed, Glorfindel. If you do not sleep, I will give you some tea to make you sleep." Gailarphen was quick to catch on.

"No!" Legolas sounded shocked, his eyes wide as he looked at Gailarphen. He would do that to Glorfy?

"Yes, I would, Legolas. If Glorfindel needs to sleep, he will sleep!" Gailarphen crossed his arms and looked at Glorfindel as if considering what to do.

"I will sleep! Will you sleep too, Legolas?" Legolas was yawning again. Glorfindel shot a questioning look at Linnathon, who nodded. He had added a sleeping herb to the tea for the Prince's fever.

"No tired." Legolas stated once more, blinking his eyes to try and keep them open.

"But you must be. Sleep and I will tell you another story later, when you wake." What would it harm to tell Legolas the story of the Last Alliance? His adar and Elrond featured heavily in that one and Glorfindel was sure that he would love it.

"Really? Another?" There was hope in Legolas voice.

"Yes another, and it is getting dark, you need rest. Look, Fileg is sleeping." Glorfindel nodded towards the duckling. It was asleep, settled against Legolas' hands. It had not moved all afternoon.

"Tired." Another yawn, this one wider than the last.

"Then let me help you lay down and get you settled. Your Ada will be pleased when he wakes and sees you asleep." Gailarphen helped him lay down, ever careful of his leg.

"Leg sore." Legolas blinked sleepily. "Fileg stay?"

"I am sorry, Legolas, we need to make sure that your leg is straight. I am sure it will stop hurting soon. Yes, Fileg can stay with you. We will not move him." That was a promise from the heart. Elrond had decreed it.

"Hennad." The sleepy reply was followed by one more yawn.

Gailarphen gently covered him with a blanket. "Sleep well, Dian Caun. We will be here if you need us." He gently ruffled the blond silk of his hair.

"Night." It was barely a word. Then Legolas' eyes closed as he slipped off into sleep.

"Hennad, Glorfindel, I do not think he would have settled quite so quickly without you." He picked up the heart herb and slipped it with ease between Thranduil's lax lips. He noted the slight blue tinge to the Kings lips. That had not been there earlier. Yes, even his fingers were cyanosed. They would have to keep a close eye on Thranduil when he woke.

"Legolas was fighting the sleep, you could see it." Glorfindel had lowered his voice. The last thing he wanted was to wake Legolas.

"Yes, and he needs the sleep."

"Did you really fight a Balrog?" The voice came from above them and sounded almost as awed as Legolas had been.

"Yes, Thoronneth, I did." It was said with a resigned sigh.

"And lived?" The Eagle could not comprehend that someone could come back to life, for them, death meant just that.

"Eventually, yes." Was Glorfindel's reluctant admission.

"Good, I am glad. I would not have met you otherwise." Thoronneth replied happily.

"There is someone coming." This was Faunryn.

It put the entire chamber on the alert. There was no one expected in Imladris at this time of the night.

"Who is it?" Gailarphen asked.

Faunryn had not even turned to look at them but was watching whoever it was that was approaching.

"Two riders. They are in a great hurry." Faunryn sounded worried. "No wait, I am wrong. There are four people and two need help!" He rustled his wings in alarm.

"We need to meet them!" Gailarphen straightened his robes, his quick mind thinking of who was on duty. "I will take Thelion and Ladeth. Linnathon, you stay with Idhron and watch them all." He swept from the chamber.

Glorfindel wanted very much to go with him, but dare not. He could also see that Arwen felt the same.

The night was clear as Gailarphen stepped outside to meet the riders and he could see the stars shining brightly. A halo seemed to ring the moon, indicating they would be having a late frost tonight.

The sounds of hoofbeats and shouts of alarm met his ears before the horses came into sight again in the courtyard and Gailarphen found himself looking up into the face of someone he did not expect to see. His mouth dropped open and he opened his mouth to speak…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

To be continued

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