Notes: See Notes from pervious chapters for disclaimer. As always I would like to think my beta but this time her name is Ruth (Lady Akyrial) for her work on this chapter and I look forward to working on this story with her. I would like to say thank you to my mother for helping me with this chapter and I look forward to working with her on the chapters to come. i would like to note here that yes what will happen in the story between Legolas and Tracey could be done by Elrond but this is my story and i want it to happen like i wrote it so please dont complain i put alot of thought into the chapter and in to the whole story for a matter of fact so please enjoy this story like i do and know that i have my reasons for what i write in the story. Finally I would like to thank all of you who have read my story and all of you who have read and left a review for my story…On to the story!
Chapter 7Tracey had been training for the past 2 weeks under Elrond, his sons, and their close friend Legolas. With repeated practice, she was steadily improving with the bow and developing significant upper body strength. Though she was not nearly as proficient as her teachers, nor would she be for a long time, Elrond assured her that she was learning quickly and showing tremendous progress from when she first started.
However her last lesson of the day did not go as planned. Elrond, with controlled curiosity and pride, had decided once again to join the group on the practice field to observe Tracey's progress. He was pleasantly surprised to see that her stance and posture were both improving. He attributed this to the fact that she had finally become comfortable with the weapon's weight and draw.
Tracey noted the Elrond came down to the field and was observing her from the sidelines. She nocked an arrow and aimed for the practice target like Elrond had taught her… and as she steadied her breath, she felt a sneeze begin to tickle her nose and throat. Trying hard to ignore it, she focused on the steps that Elrond had taught her to release the tension in the bow. She was just about to let it fly when the sneeze erupted. In shock, she heard the whoosh of an arrow and then a yelp of surprise come from the edge of the field. Not daring to look, but knowing that she must, she peeked to see what damage her sneeze had wrought. When she looked to the side of the field, she thankfully saw that Elrond had sought cover behind a tree. She noticed that the arrow had impacted the tree in front of him. Had he been standing in front of the tree he would have had an arrow lodge in his shoulder.
As she thought about what had happened, Tracey became very self conscious, and couldn't focus on her techniques. Elrond sensed the discord in her mind and he strode out to the field.
"You can not give up because of an accident, Tracey. If you do not fire another arrow now, you will lose your nerve and your training will have been for naught." Elrond encouraged as he stood behind her and waited for her to nock another arrow.
Tracey sighed and knew that he was right…these damned elves always knew it all. With their centuries of knowledge, she knew that they only wanted the best for her…but being taught like a child was almost too much at times. With butterflies in her stomach, she did as her Lord and protector asked and nocked the arrow. As she raised her arms to sight, she started to shake with fear. Elrond saw her reaction and gently guided her arms to the proper position. With his face next to her ear, he whispered soothing words to her and encouraged her to remember her steps. He steadied her hands and stood behind her while he felt the tension increase in her muscles. "Breathe in, Penneth. Hold…Good, now exhale and release."
Once the lessons were over for the day, Tracey headed back to her room and took off her training clothes. She put on her jeans and her T-shirt and was getting ready to head down to the dining room for lunch. Her head was starting to pound with the oncoming cold, but she managed to ignore it and made her way to the dining hall. She took her usual seat next to Elrond and then the lunch was served. One look at the incredible lunch made her stomach start to do strange motions below the waistband of her Faded Glories…
Elrond noticed that Tracey seemed quiet during the meal, and he became concerned when he noticed a distinct pallor slip over her features. When she asked to be excused from the table, he became very concerned. He watched her as she got up and left to go to her room. Her only wish at that moment was to go and lay down. She hoped that maybe after a nap she would feel better.
After Tracey left the dining room, Elrond noticed that she had not had any of her food. The healer in him took over and he excused himself from the table. Moving to the kitchen, he got a steaming cup of chicken broth for Tracey and took it to her room with a steaming cup of herbal tea. Elrond walked quickly to the family wing and stopped outside her door to balance the tray he carried. He was about to knock on the door when he heard a muffled moan coming from behind the door. Carefully, he opened the door and saw Tracey laying face down on her bed.
Tracey heard the door open but wasn't in the mood to visit or answer questions. She just wanted to be left alone with her splitting headache and stuffed-up nose. Without turning her head, she mumbled and whined, "Go away… leave me alone… let me die in peace."
Elrond made his way over to Tracey's bed and sat the soup and tea on her nightstand. He then gently sat down on the edge of her bed and put his hand on her back rubbing gently. Then using his healer's voice, he addressed her… " Tracey, I need you to look at me and tell me what is the matter." Elrond knew that humans could get sick, and indeed as a healer, he had tended many…but he needed to know what her symptoms were to help her.
Tracey turned her head and looked at him with pained amusement on her face. "It's nothing major." she said, "I have run out for my allergy medicines, and now I have caught a cold… " she scoffed.
Elrond noticed her eyes were glassy and bright…he remembered that this was a symptom of a fever in humans. Reaching out, he laid his hand on her forehead and noted that she was slightly warmer then normal. "Tracey you have more then just a cold… you have a fever."
At that Tracey just rolled her eyes and then said, "Well… Duh! I could have told you that. I feel like crap."
Elrond then looked at her with one eyebrow raised, "Young lady, I was a healer before I was a father. Your sarcasm is not going to help you get better. Let me do my job and take care of you." he said…sounding rather put out.
Tracey looked at him with surprise when he corrected her. All of the emotions she had been keeping inside finally came to the surface. Bursting into tears, she managed to pour her heart out to the gentle soul that actually cared enough about her to see through her attitude. "I hate being sick…. I'm tired of feeling tired…. I am tired of my nose always running everywhere…. I feel achy…. And I almost killed you this morning…. And I'm thirsty ... And I miss my mother… she always knew how to make me feel better… She used to hold me when I was sick."
Elrond, sensing that the damn had finally broken, put his arms around her and held her close while he rocked her. "Penneth, I may not be your mother but I can make you feel better and I have some hot tea for you." He reached over to the night table and handed Tracey the cup with the herbal tea. She took a sip and was please to notice that it was her favorite - apple tea with cinnamon. After she had finished her tea, she sniffed and wiped her eyes. " Thank you, Elrond…this helps a lot."
Elrond smiled at her response. "You're welcome, Tracey…Now I want you to rest for the rest of the afternoon. When you wake up, I will have some medicine for your sneezing and headache." Tracey smiled sleepily and nodded as she scooted below the blankets. She was beginning to feel the effects of the sedative that Elrond had snuck into her tea. Elrond smiled gently as he tucked her in, then he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and sat beside her bed until she fell asleep.
After Elrond left Tracey's room, he headed to the healing rooms to make a medicine for Tracey's headache and cold. On the way there, he met both of his sons and Legolas as they were heading to Tracey's room to check on her.
Of the three younger elves, Legolas spoke first. "Lord Elrond, we were just going to check on Tracey. Is she well?"
"There is no need to check on her, young ones. I have just left her room and she is presently resting. It seems that she has caught a cold and is exhausted." The younger elves visibly relaxed at the news for they had never seen an illness develop quite so quickly.
Elladan, yielding to his curiosity, spoke up, "Ada where were you going?"
"I am going to the healing rooms to prepare some medicine for Tracey. When she wakes up, she will want something for her headache. You three are welcome to come with me and help me if you want." Elrond offered. He then excused himself and continued to the healing rooms. The three young elves eagerly followed behind him in the hopes that they could help their friend.
Meanwhile, Tracey was asleep and dreaming of a place that was not of the elves.
Dream Begins
She was in the forest again… running like she had done for most of her life. She was so hot… she needed to stop and cool off, but she knew if she stopped she would be caught and then tortured and killed by an evil dark shape… with no face or name… and no discernable figure. All of a sudden she stumbled and fell into a tree. The fall made her body ache more than it had earlier. Tracey could no longer breathe… the force of the blow knocked the wind out of her. She tried to take deep shuddering breaths…hoping that she could get air back into her lungs so she could continue to run away from the shadow. She was about to get up when she heard someone approaching. Her first instinct was to run for her life…but she realized that she actually heard footsteps…The thing that was chasing her did not have feet… So she painfully stood up on wobbly legs and came face to face with Legolas. Legolas reached out a hand to steady her. She did not take it at first. She was confused at how he could be there with her. Legolas, sensing her terror, spoke gently… "Tracey, do not be afraid. Elrond has sent me here to help you out of the shadow and bring you back to the ones who love you." At first, Tracey did not know what to make of this Legolas, but it felt so right. She reached out her own hand to grasp the one that Legolas offered. For a minute, Tracey could not figure out what was going on… but she felt an overwhelming peace wash over her and she was finally at ease.
End Dream
In the healing room…
Elrond, the twins and Legolas were making the medicine for Tracey when Legolas sensed something was amiss. He could not place the reason for the feeling, so he tried to put the thought out of his mind. However, as time passed, a sense of urgency grew inside of him and he knew that he could keep silent no longer.
Legolas laid down the knife that he was using to mince the ingredients and headed out of the door. Elrond looked up from what he was doing and saw Legolas leave. He told Elladan to finish the medicine and bring it to Tracey's room and then he asked his youngest son to follow him.
Legolas walked aimlessly and he did not know where he was going. He just knew that he had to get somewhere. He looked over his shoulder and noticed that Elrond and Elrohir were following him at a respectable distance. All three continued walking until they stopped in front of Tracy's room. Their sensitive hearing picked up faint gasping noises coming from inside of her room.
Knowing that something was wrong, the three walked into her room and saw her wildly thrashing around on the bed. Elrond was at Tracey's side in an instant. He immediately called to Tracey and then tried to reach her through her fevered dreams. Sitting down next to her, he felt the heat radiating off of her. Tracey's fever had spiked.
Elrohir and Legolas were standing on the other side of the bed and they were worried to see Tracey covered in sweat. Elrond looked over at both of them and started to give rapid orders. "Elrohir I need you to get me a bowl of cold water and a cloth." He next turned to Legolas. "I need you to come over her here and sit next to me." Legolas quickly obeyed and listened to the healer. "Now… I need you to put one of your hands on the top of her hand and your other on her forehead." Legolas tentatively reached out and touched her skin... it was very hot. "Legolas, you are the only one that can pull her from the shadows. You need to close your eyes and enter her dreams slowly. Focus on your strength and allow it to flow through you into Tracy's body…" The words that Elrond was speaking died off …and Legolas was left alone.
He looked about at his vision changed. He was left standing in the middle of a very dense forest that was anything but peaceful. It was full of the Darkness just like Mirkwood, his home. Legolas followed an overgrown path until he spotted something, or rather someone, slumped to the ground in front of a big tree. With a start, he realized that the person was Tracey, and from the looks of her, she was terrified. He watched as she stood shakily to stare at him. He offered his hand to her but she did not take it, so he tried to speak with her instead. "Tracey, do not be afraid. Elrond sent me here to guide you back to the ones who love you." His words seemed to confuse her at first, but she eventually reached out and grabbed his hand. Legolas felt a sense of peace wash over both of them and settle into their very souls.
Tracey opened her eyes and saw the concerned eyes of both Elrond and Legolas peering down at her. She felt someone holding her hand and thought briefly how nice it felt to be loved. When the hand was moved, she realized that it was Legolas that was holding her. She smiled at him in a silent gesture of thanks and Legolas smiled back.
Just then the bedroom door opened and she saw both of the twins walked in. One of them was carrying a bowl of what she assumed was cool water and a cloth and the other was carrying a mug of something. She tried to sit up but she found that she could not do it on her own. She felt weak.
Elrond saw her try to sit up but stopped her before she could overexert herself. "Tracey, my dear…please don't try to rise… you are very weak from your illness. You should have rest to regain your strength." Taking a cue from his father, the twin that was holding the cup walked over and handed it to Elrond. Elrond then gently lifted Tracy's head off of the pillow and put the cup to her lips, as he instructed her to take "small sips." When the bitter liquid hit her tongue, she started to gag. Moving swiftly, Elrond placed a bowl under her chin and held it as she promptly and unceremoniously lost what little she still had in her stomach.
Tracey moaned after her stomach was emptied. Whenever she threw up, it just made her feel worse…and throwing up in the elf lord's arms was not what she wanted to be remembered for. As if sensing her thoughts, Elrond smiled gently at her.
"You need to finish this, Penneth. Now that the illness is out of your stomach, this will help you feel better." Elrond held the cup to her lips and waited patiently as she managed to get most of it down. Afterwards, he gently eased her head back to the pillow and placed a cool rag on her forehead.
It felt so good… the cool cloth soothed the throbbing in her head… Tracey let herself rest and smiled slightly when Elrond began singing a soft lullaby to her. She felt herself becoming drowsy and knew that for the first time in her life, she felt safe…She was safe with Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas.
Elrond smiled at her when he saw her start to fall asleep. Although she didn't know it, more had started to heal than her body that evening…Tracey had opened her soul to them and allowed herself to begin to trust again. This was the greatest healing of all.
End of chapter 7
Note 2: sorry for the long time it took me to Update this story life and the family got in the way but i am back now and i am working on chapter 8 i will have it up as soon as i can and i am also working on a Total rewrite of the first part of the story up to chapter 6 so look for Fanfiction notices on that too. So hang on for the next chapter
Kellie (potterfan2006)