Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant
Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything
Chapter: 7
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me
Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'
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He groaned in pain, clawing his way back to wakefullness. "Rog?" Someone whispered beside him. Blessed Powers, he knew that voice... and the fact that he was in pain meant he was not hearing it in the Halls of Mandos.
"Egal...?" Peeling his eyes open, the white-haired Lord noted he was laying on his stomach. On the side of his face was the other Lord of Gondolin, though he had the privilege of not having his face in some kind of white fur.
Egalmoth smiled warmly when their eyes met, not saying anything for a bit as Rog took inventory of his own body. His wounds had been treated, though he did wonder what had happened to his chest that it had practically been mummified. He did not recall feeling broken ribs when they were in the river.
"Where are we?" He noted that the words came out a bit more breathlessly than normal, bandages so tight around his entire torso that they kept him from taking deep breaths.
"Some Avari-village." The Lord of the Heavenly Arch carefully manouevred himself to they could rest somewhat face to face, looking paler than usual, even in the gloom surrounding them. Unlike Rog, he seemed fully capable of taking normal breaths, but simply looked as if a stiff breeze could break him. "From what I... understood, they... found us on the riverbank... They... mostly speak... in their own tongue..."
"Ah..." One of the more insular communities, perhaps. At least they had fished them from the river, so there was that. "How are you?"
"I'll... live." The splinted arm on the furs lifted slightly. He could not see the other, but hoped it had fared a bit better. "Thank you... by the way..."
"Mmh?" Experimentally, Rog tried to shift onto his side, grateful that the arm that had survived mostly unscathed would be on the bottom if he managed. Moving very slowly and very gingerly, he finally managed get in a more comfortable position to face the other. Powers, what had happened to his back that it felt like it was on fire!?
"Last thing... I recall was... Ilweran hitting that... rockwall..." The other arm of Egalmoth appeared over his body, reaching for him. Aside from some bandages around two fingers, it seemed unharmed. "Considering... I did not wake... in the Halls... I assume... you kept me alive..." A wide grin split the weary face. "So... thank you..."
Something seemed stuck in his throat at that. "Gladly." He assured the other, managing to get hold of it with his injured arm. Thick bandages wrapped around his lower arm there, but at least he could still move it. "Mouse would have been sad otherwise..." He added gruffly.
"Not only... he." They both looked up at an outcry of some kind and Rog found himself pushed gently but firmly back onto his front.
A simply dressed elleth appeared in his field of view, sharp green eyes disapproving. She wore some kind of wrap, dark hair in some kind of bun on top of her head.
"Stay flat." She mimed her hand flattening out to reinforce her words. Her accent in Sindarin was atrocious, so he could see the need. "Back bad."
That, he had noticed. He nodded lightly, which rewarded him with a smile before she disappeared out of sight before returning with a woven basket and another elf. This one was a youngster, ducking his head shyly when meeting his eyes.
Clearly, it had been time for care. Rog noted in relief that they were finished quite quickly with Egalmoth, all things considered. Then, while the youngster helped the other drink something that scrunched up his face in hilarious ways, the elleth turned her attention to him.
Humming something - notably without any Power, did she not Sing for healing? - she peeled back the furs covering him from the cool air in the abode. Blushing lightly, he realized that the bandages were the only thing covering him. That, Egalmoth forgot to mention. It did make him quite relieved that he was resting on his front.
He quickly could understand why though, as one of his hips needed care and the bandages around his torso reached as far down as they could. "What happened to my back?" He wasn't sure she understood the question, or would be able to answer in a way he could understand, but trying never hurt anyone in this kind of context.
"Water stone bad." She mimed clawing at something, nails digging into empty air. "Back bad."
"It looks... like you were... mauled." Egalmoth added, once more comfortably cocooned in his furs and looking over. He could see the damage, after all. "And that... is with... Elvish healing..." So it definitely had been an absolute mess when they found him. How long had that been, anyway?
He hissed when something thick and goopy was slathered all over his body. It stung something fierce, but he sincerely hoped the healer would not be doing something that would harm him. If they had wanted them dead, they could just have left them out in the wilds.
