Out of Mirkwood
Scribbles-on-Parchment
October 12, 2019
Chapter 14 – Fever
"Open your eyes," Elrond repeated placing his hand gently onto the young ellon's warm brow, "You are safe. We will not hurt you… trust me."
Tamír watched, his heart quickening. He wanted the Sinda to open his eyes, even for a second. It was clear that the elfling was at least semi-conscious of the world around him, but why would he not open his eyes? Was he afraid of them?
"Avaro naeth," Tamír knelt beside the elf lord, "I eneth nín Tamír. Man i eneth lín?"
The Sindarin words flowed out of his mouth with ease. It had been so long since he had spoken to anyone in the language of his people and it felt refreshing.
These elvish words seemed to have an immediate effect on the young elf, for the eyes of the elfling soon fluttered open. It was all Tamír could do to keep himself from gasping loudly. The eldar's eyes were a bright blue, flecked with gold sunlight. The last being he had seen with such brilliant eyes had been the ruler of a nation and his closest friend.
Legolas blinked rapidly as the bright sunlight assaulted his eyes. He could not stop the groan that had escaped his lips. His headache had spiked with the effort of opening his eye and all he could see was the sky.
He had not anticipated on opening his eyes, but there was something about the Sindarin voice that had convinced him otherwise.
As his vision began to clear Legolas heard someone say, "Well done penneth!"
The prince forced himself to turn his head so he could see the speaker however, the motion sent a shooting pain through his head. He snapped his eyes closed and clenched his teeth swallowing back his cry of pain. Why did he hurt so much?
"I know that you are in pain, mellon. I am going to help you sit up and I will give you something to help dull it."
The gentle voice spoke in Sindarin again, but Legolas did not respond. He was afraid that the pain of any more movement would make him sick. Why were they being so kind to him? Did they not try to kill him before?
The young prince flinched as arms snaked under his neck and shoulders. Pain shot through his body again as he was sat up, propped against someone else's chest.
In any normal circumstance, Legolas would have been embarrassed, but he was in too much discomfort to care. He just tried to focus on his breathing and forget the awful churning in his stomach. The last thing that he needed was the added humiliation of throwing up in front of his captors.
The ellon who was holding him upright was murmuring softly in Sindarin, however, Legolas's pain-racked brain refused to process what was being said. And what did it matter? Surely his adar or Êmand would be here soon to rescue him or they would kill him and put him out of his misery.
"Drink this."
A cup was placed at his lips. Legolas could smell the herbs in the drink and feel the steam coming up from it. His mind instantly remembered the last time he had been offered something to drink. They had said it would heal him, yet it had instead drugged him and made him feel much worse.
The young elf pressed his lips together, refusing the drink. He would not fall for the same trick again.
Tamír spoke softly as he held the Sinda upright. The pain was obvious in the tenseness in his body and he could feel the unnatural heat radiating off the young elf.
"You are safe with us penneth. No harm will come to you, trust me."
The Silvan hoped that these words would help to calm and comfort elfling. He was sure that this young eldar was scared and not thinking clearly in his pain. Elrond knelt in front of them, a look of great concern on his face. The elf lord was holding a cup that smelled strongly of herbs. The two friends made eye contact for a moment, before Elrond offered his friend a soft smile. It was then that Tamír knew that the young elf would be fine.
"Drink this," the Noldo said in perfect Sindarin.
Tamír looked at his friend in surprise. He had never known that Elrond knew the language of his people. He made a note to ask the ellon about this later.
The steaming cup was placed at the parched lips of the fevered Sinda, but instead of opening his mouth to accept the pain-relieving herbs, the ellon pressed his lips together causing the liquid to spill onto his chest instead of into his mouth. The bright blue eyes of the elfling flew open as the drops of hot tea soaked through his tunic.
Elrond had quickly pulled the cup away as soon as he saw that the eldar was not going to drink it willingly.
"Why will he not drink it?" Tamír cast a worried glance at his friend, "Does he not trust us?"
The elf lord did not respond but slowly put the cup back to the elf's mouth, "Do not worry mellon. There is nothing in here that can hurt you. It is only meant to take away your pain and bring down your fever."
However, once again the young elf pressed his lips closed and refused to drink, all the while glaring angrily at the Noldo elf in front of him.
Seeing that this was getting nowhere, Elrond pulled the cup back and looked over at his sons, "Did you give him any reason to not trust anything I give him?"
"No ada," Estel said quickly, "Ever since we found him he has been very distrustful. But he drank the tea that Elladan made for him yesterday, so I do not know why he is refusing it now."
Elrond looked hard at his eldest son, "Let me guess, you put a sleeping agent in the tea and now he is afraid that I will drug him."
Elladan nodded slowly, "I thought that perhaps it would be best for him. That it would allow him to sleep through the fever and wake when it broke. As you can see it was not…"
The elder twin was cut off by an exclamation from behind him and a loud curse from Tamír. Both ellyn looked over at the sound as Estel cried out,
"Ada! What is wrong with him?"
The elf lord looked and saw the Sinda sagging in Tamír's arms, on the verge of unconsciousness and breathing heavily.
"Elladan," Elrond barked, "Come and help me. I need him to take this, preferably before he loses consciousness."
Legolas did not feel well. Ever since he had opened his eyes the sick feeling in his stomach had grown. The pounding in his head was getting worse and his eyes would not focus on the elf in front of him anymore.
When the cup was taken away from his lips for the second time, Legolas began to regret it. Perhaps he should have just drank. He doubted there was any way he could feel worse than he did at that moment. The young eldar half wished that he could take the drink and let them drug him, then at least he would not be in such pain.
Legolas could feel himself leaning heavily against the ellon behind him, but he had no strength nor will to do anything about that. His body felt lifeless. He was dimly aware of someone speaking to him a cool hand tilted his head up.
They are going to kill you, Legolas thought desperately.
He tried to struggle, but his weak attempts did not last long as his energy gave out.
This is the end, he thought going limp, they are going to cut your throat. I am sorry adar. You were too late this time.
Yet instead of a knife at his neck he felt something be forced between his lip and a warm liquid filled his mouth. Legolas gasped in both shock and relief and immediately choked. The cup was removed from his mouth as the prince coughed, spewing the liquid out. The strong hands of the eldar behind him held him firm as his body shook with the force of his coughing. Thankfully he soon stilled, breathing heavily.
The next time the cup was put to his lips, he was prepared and the flow of liquid was much less than before. This time he drank.
Estel breathed an internal sigh of relief when Elladan pulled the empty cup back from the elfling's lips. Everything would be alright now. His ada knew what he was doing.
The blond ellon was leaning heavily on Tamír and was breathing heavily, his eyes half-closed.
"Did you drug him ada?" Estel frowned, "I thought you just reprimanded Elladan for doing that without telling him?"
"I did not drug him ion nín. He is only exhausted , not under the influence of anything," the elf lord helped Tamír gently lay the young elf back onto the ground, "The pain and fever should diminish long enough for me to figure out the antidote for the poison."
Elvish Translations:
avaro naeth – don't worry
i eneth nín – my name is
man i eneth lín – what is your name
penneth – young one
adar – father
ada - dad