I did not create Middle Earth, Imladris, Greenwood the Great, Lord Elrond, Estel/Aragorn, Erestor, nor Noldo, Sindar, or Silvan elves. Tolkien did, and I am grateful to him for it. I did, however, create Mellolaes and Cuilbron.

This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.

Estel sat on a marble bench warmed by the sun. He leaned over to gaze at the book Erestor held in his hands. Erestor's voice was never so animated as when he read to him. He could make his voice as deep as a dragon's or speak sweetly like a Noldo king. Estel's little fingers gripped the edge of his marble seat.

"Excuse me, my Steward?"

Erestor stilled his voice and lifted his head.

Estel's head and eyes snapped. His mouth pursed. It was worse than when ada was home and they were "disturbed" as Erestor put it. Now that ada wasn't here he and Erestor got disturbed even more than he and ada had! The elven servant didn't even glance at him as he kept speaking to Erestor.

"You wanted me to come and tell you as soon as I had gathered the best … cleaners in the household. I have. Also, the other matter is nearly seen to. In fact, it should be finished within mere moments."

Erestor nodded. "Good." He rose and put the book down upon the bench. Then he turned to Estel. "I will finish the chapter tonight, my lord's son, but for now I must go."

Estel laid back upon the bench, stretched his body out, scrunched up his eyes, and whined. "Erestor …"

The Noldo shook his head at him. "Do not give me 'that' young one. You know how to behave more maturely."

Estel lowered his gaze and puffed out a breath. "Yes, Erestor."

"Good."

While knocking the toes of his shoes together with the beat of a solemn drum, Estel overheard Erestor whisper to their "disturber."

"Find Mellolaes and send her here immediately."

After another moment, he couldn't hear them at all. Estel sat up and glanced over his shoulder. Both elves had disappeared. He turned back around and sighed again. Then he clenched his jaw.

Estel jumped down and began to walk along the garden wall. He glanced through its gate. Then he darted out. He breathed in the familiar scent of all the healing plants growing in the next garden. He stared at the low-lying building beyond them. He'd been told what seemed forever ago to stay away, but that was forever ago.

. . .

"Mmm sorry, Erestor … mmmm sorry …"

"Shhhhh …" Mellolaes kissed Estel's fevered brow. Then he felt the kiss of a cool, wet washcloth dabbing the same place. Her sweet voiced drifted into his ears making his throbbing head feel ever so much better. "Erestor has gone to see about something important Estel, but he will be back very, very soon. Besides … what have you done to be sorry for?"

"I went into the Healing Wing … He told me not to, but I did. He also wanted me to stay on the bench. I know he did … I knew it. I just didn't."

Estel stopped and swallowed. Then he winced and sobbed. Mellolaes picked up the goblet of water and held it to his lips. She waited for him to finish swallowing, then set the goblet aside, and looked back into his flushed face. Then she set a single finger against his lips. "Shhhhhhhhhh … Don't work your poor, throbbing throat so. Just speak if it's an emergency, like if one of your pains gets much, much worse. And what is done is done. Do not fret. I already kept you from playing a while that day, remember? And ... Erestor does not need to know about it."

Estel's frown deepened every so slightly. The boy winced as he tilted his head in habit. "He doesn't?"

Mellolaes bent down and kissed his hot forehead again before drawing herself back up and replying. "No, 'he doesn't'."

. . .

Erestor stared at the healing supplies and counted them again. He growled, to himself, but being in the same room Cuilbron overheard him clearly. The healer rolled his eyes at the steward's words.

"I should have prepared better than this …"

Cuilbron shrugged. "Even the plants outside used to fight this disease had mostly recovered from all the harvesting while the adan was here. Mellolaes and I had already gathered more of what we couldn't get from there. Blaming yourself will aid no one, Steward."

A voice soft, yet dark so it sent a quiver down the healer's spine spoke from behind him. "What … did you say?"

Cuilbron straightened and turned. He'd been bent over a pestle and its dish filled with leaves. His blue eyes widened.

Erestor's face had what the servants called his "scariest" expression upon it. The head healer reminded himself he was not under the Steward's authority and thus had no reason to fear him as he turned back around and began to grind the healing leaves again. "I only meant … She thought it might be wise, since there was a man with the summer fever so nearby …"

A grip like dragon's claws latched onto his arm. Cuilbron spun around to see dark eyes stabbing into him. "You meant more than that. What did that Silvan say to you? Why were you laying in supplies? And I think my admittance to a lack of preparation to treat 'two' mortals with the summer fever in the span of two months was not all you referred to earlier. What has the Silvan elleth said to you?"

Cuilbron sighed, clenched his jaw, ran his tongue over his teeth and replied slowly. "What did she say to you in Silvan the first night we spent in Estel's room?"

"That help, not blame was needed. That summer fever can spread even when extreme measures are taken to prevent it. That Estel's health matters as much to her as it does to me, and that if I want to get rid of her, I will have to wait for my lord to return and convince him to send her away. Now! What did you mean moments ago when you spoke to me, after I spoke to myself?"

Cuilbron shrugged. "That you should not blame yourself for Estel's sickness. As she told you before, blame does no good."

"And why would I blame myself for Estel's sickness? Laying in a better supply of what is used to treat the summer fever I should have done, since it is summer and this is a healing ward frequented by mortals, but what did you mean?"

Cuilbron closed his eyes, bowed his head, and breathed out through slightly parted lips. "Erestor … perhaps you should just release me and let me get back to preparing this, for Estel."

"How can I let someone treat him I do not trust? You and this Silvan are in league to hide something from me! You have all, but admitted it. What is it?"

Cuilbron's gaze lifted and eyes flashed. "Alright, Steward. For your trust in us then. She wanted us to hide from you the fact that when you left Estel to give instructions to those you already knew had complete knowledge of how to sanatize a healing ward, in order to tell them how to properly and thoroughly do so, for Estel's sake, Estel himself was entering and wandering this same healing ward. You left him unattended before she had arrived to take your place guarding him. When she went looking for the manling where you left him, he was gone. She searched and found him here. Apparently, I was wrong when I thought she already told you of this the night Estel first grew ill. She is a remarkable elleth for not doing so herself after the way you accused her that night." Cuilbron's blue eyes widened as he gazed upon the other ellon. "Erestor?"

The steward released his fellow elf's arm, backed away, and let his head hang so he looked to the right of his feet. He stared at the spot with a grey face growing still darker grey. His lips slightly parted, but no sound came out.

Cuilbron stepped forward and poked the steward in the shoulder still staring at the other elf's slack face. "Erestor …"

The other elf did not look up, but raised one arm and waved it at him. "Go back to work, Cuilbron."

The healer raised an eyebrow, turned, and began to crush the leaves again, but he angled his body in such a way as to keep the steward visible from the corner of his eye. The other ellon finally raised his gaze to the doorway into the rest of the house. "You can do well enough here on your own?"

Cuilbron tried to keep his voice from going too stiff and dry. "Yes."

The steward nodded. "I am going to return to Estel's side."

A little tension left Cuilbron's form and he slowly nodded. "I think that would be wise."

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God Bless

ScribeofHeroes