For Disclaimer please view Chapter 1.

Author's Note: Quick chapter, things are moving slowly, but moving. I hope you read and enjoy! Kersi.

Chapter 16: I am a healer

He kept hearing the cracking sound that Aurel's arm had made and the scream she had cried thereafter. It had been hours since he had been pushed back into the dark library and he no longer knew if it was light or dark outside. It felt dark, but that could have been because he felt dark. He was in an impossible situation, with no where and no one to turn to. Even if he tried to escape, he could never leave without Aurel, and even if he found a way to have her with him, she was no longer in any condition to be travelling anywhere, especially by foot. The constant reminder of what his actions had caused was enough to make him want to scream. His chest ached, he wounds were closed but still raw, he needed to concentrate on healing.

He began to remember a time, what seemed like another life now, when he had to concentrate on his own healing. He wished it was those days again.

He felt it and it seemed unreal. Before he fell to the ground he saw and heard Aurel running towards him. If he had really wanted to he could have probably at least dragged himself over to a tree to make himself more visible. He tried to quiet his mind to conserve energy, this was not his first and the arrow did not seem to be anywhere that would cause any real damage, still, it hurt more than he cared to admit. He heard another person running towards him, quick and human.

"Ada!!" Ethaen's hands reached for him as he knelt beside him. "I did not see you! I am sorry!!" His voice was panicked.

Legolas strained to hide the pain. "Calm Ethaen. All will be well. Aurel is on her way."

Ethaen jumped up at the mention and tried to look beyond the tall grass. "I do not see her." He rose onto the top of his feet to catch a better look, but he could not see her still. He gazed at Legolas once more. "Oh Ada!!" He panicked again.

"She will be here."

The boy frowned and knelt by his side once more. "I let go too soon...I---"

Legolas closed his eyes.

"Does it hurt?" He asked quietly.

Legolas seriously considered telling him the truth, but he feigned a smile. "A little. You are not the first to impale me with an arrow. I will live." He tried to jest.

But it did not work as Ethaen burst into tears. "I---I am so—rrr---ryy."

"Child, calm." He repeated and Ethaen quieted his sobs.

Aurel burst through the tall grass, relieved that Legolas was still conscious. She examined the arrow. Legolas tried to sit up, she gently nudged him back. "Keep still." Her tone serious.

"Naneth?" asked Ethaen cautiously.

She gave an exasperated look to Legolas, before composing herself and turning to face the frightened child. "Do not worry so my love. Ada will be well."

He fell into her arms sobbing once more. She wrapped her arms around him lovingly and soothed him. "I need you to do something for me now, do you think that you can?"

He pushed himself away from her and wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and nodded.

"I need you to run as fast as you can and bring back aid. We will need a way to bring Ada back. He is too heavy for me to carry." She chuckled to set Ethaen more at ease.

He nodded and made his way through the long grass immediately. And she turned her attention back to Legolas who had closed his eyes once more.

"Legolas?" She asked worried.

"I really should spend more time with him when he is practising his archery." He replied smiling.

She broke the end of the arrow off and he groaned. "He was not supposed to be out in the field without supervision for this very reason." She said obviously annoyed and cast the broken arrow aside.

He was starting to feel a little tired, he knew it was probably something that Aurel was doing and he opened his eyes to be able to see hers. "Come now Melethril. It was a mistake, we have caused plenty of injuries ourselves."

"Ha! We never injured our parents." She grabbed hold of the broken end of the arrow. "Ready?" She said giving him no time to prepare himself and swiftly pulled out the pointed end, tearing more flesh. Fresh blood poured out.

Legolas could feel the warm liquid, as he closed his eyes again to concentrate on healing. He could hear Aurel's chants and knew that everything would be better soon. "Do not make me sleep." He muttered.

"But you need it."

"Aurel. Please. I want to stay awake. I am not a weakling."

She chuckled as she covered the wound. "You are worried about your men seeing you like this. Silly Elf."

"No." But that was exactly the reason why.

"As you wish, no sleeping, I promise." She smiled and kissed his forehead. "Now how long will it take the little one?" She looked out past the grass as if trying to measure the time.

"Days most likely. We can start our way back." Said Legolas moving to stand.

"It would be better if you..." She sighed as he continued to try and stand. She stood and reached her arms out to him so that he could steady himself. "...did not stand and waste your energy."

"I can walk half of the way and you can carry me the other half." He said as he put one arm around her shoulders.

"And that you would not mind your men seeing?" She asked grinning.

They began to walk slowly, but he stopped his hobbling when things began to spin in his vision.

Aurel sighed again. "I told you." She helped him sit down. "Always stubborn until the very last."

"I am old." He said as he laid back down slowly on the grass.

She laughed, and he imagined her laughter to be a thousand little bells flying through the air around him. "You are not old, you are stubborn. The first rule of healing is that you need to save your energy. Which means no moving, which would be best acquired if you allowed me to help you sleep."

He mouthed the word no.

"Legolas!" She whined, and then she laid down beside him, watching the sky.

He knew he would be well. It was only an arrow, and it was only his shoulder. Long moments passed as he looked up to the sky, a purple pink colour that was brought on by the slow setting of the sun. The first stars were beginning to shine. "Shall I recount to you the story of the stars?" He asked Aurel, but he received no response. He turned his head to find her fully asleep. Of course he had forgotten that she was probably just as exhausted as him, if not more so. He smiled as he watched the steady rhythm of her breathing. "You are just as stubborn as I am." He put his hand over hers and watched more stars appear until at last he heard his aid arrive.

As he fell into sleep his hand opened and released the green stone. The sound it made when it hit the floor was a small clink and then it rolled under the table Legolas was sitting next to. The sound woke him from the beginning of his slumber and he cursed under his breath. It hurt to move, he decided, and he would pick the stone up later. The happy memory that he had almost fallen asleep to had faded away, and was replaced with darker thoughts that the stone brought back with it.

Ene tried to carefully wrap Aurel's arm. "Stop moving." She muttered.

Aurel had to stifle a few screams as Ene attempted to help her. "Ene you are causing more pain!" She said as she bit her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut.

"If you would only stop fidgeting. Can you not just heal yourself?" She said frustrated as she threw the wrappings towards the ground and stood away from her with crossed arms.

"Bones take longer to heal, I only have one hand to use, and my strength is failing me. Call for a healer."

"No."

"Why not?"

Ene uncrossed her arms and went to pick the wrappings up from the floor. "Because I can do it."

"No, this should be enough." said Aurel as she looked down at her half wrapped arm.

Ene reached into one of her pockets and handed her a purple flower. "For the pain."

Aurel shook her head. "No. I cannot."

Ene was confused for a moment. "Because you are with child?"

Aurel nodded as she moved her broken arm towards her. "Will you construct a sling for me?"

Ene placed one of her hands over Aurel's stomach. "He does not move."

"He sleeps." replied Aurel. "My sling?" She said trying to distract Ene away from her.

Ene put a hand to Aurel's face and caressed it. "Still so soft, even after all these years." She brushed away a strand of hair that covered Aurel's cheek, then frowned. "I am sorry that I cut your hair."

Aurel tried to push away the feelings of disgust as Ene caressed her face. "It does not matter." She said softly. She took a step back and kept her gaze low, her face partially covered by her short hair. "I should try and sleep."

"I scare you." said Ene.

"You confuse me. One moment filled with hate, the next tending to me as if you cared."

"I do care. It is just difficult to show when he is around." She took the cloth to make a sling for Aurel and stepped close to her once again.

"Who? Legolas?"

Ene nodded. "He has always made it difficult. He has always been in the way. And it fills me with rage." She tied the knot to the sling tightly as she finished.

It made Aurel sad to hear Ene say that. "He loved you."

Ene made a tsking hissing sort of sound and walked away from Aurel. "I really wish you would stop saying things like that. It annoys me."

She sat herself down. "Why?"

"Aurel." Her tone was flat, uncaring, unmoving. It was the colder side of her again. "All the years I lived here, he never accepted me for who I was, he continually tried again and again to make me into the Elfling he wished I was....had been." She shook her head. "I did not really----" She stopped and turned around to face Aurel. "I knew that every time that I disappointed him, I disappointed you. I wanted that regard you held for him."

Aurel shook her head slowly. "Oh Ene...."

"No, no, I do not want to hear the pity in your voice. Fortunately I grew accustomed to never being what either of you wanted. I have what I want now." She sat in front of Aurel and placed her head in her lap. "Will you not comfort me Naneth?"

Clearly the woman was mad, and torn between two worlds, it made her unstable, and unpredictable and dangerous.

Aurel softly caressed the top of Ene's head, perhaps if she was able to remind Ene of what it was like when she was younger, help her remember times when she was happy, perhaps then she could help end what was happening in Eryn Lasgalen.

"Sing that song you used to sing to me....when I could not fall asleep....I have not slept for many a day, I am weary." She turned her head to look up at Aurel, and rested her chin on her lap. "Do you remember it?"

Aurel nodded and smiled tenderly and began to sing until Ene completely fell into slumber.

"The moon is rising to fill the night. So blue, so bright.

In starry skies, I sail above the world."

"The dawn is breaking upon the earth. Bright sun, new birth.

In the morning light, I sail across the world."

Legolas swore he could hear Aurel singing, singing a lullaby he had heard her sing a thousand times to Ene and Ethaen when they were young, and it filled his heart with both joy and sorrow. If she was singing then perhaps she was recovering more quickly that he thought she would. He closed his eyes and pretended that she was right beside him, singing only to him.

Lachnen had been lost in thought when the singing began. The song made his heart ache in every desolate empty space within him and he wanted it to stop. He knew where it was coming from and walked diligently towards where Aurel was being kept. He stood outside the doors, listening for the sounds inside of the chamber. As he unlocked the doors and walked in, he was surprised to find Ene asleep, with her head on Aurel's lap, almost childlike.

Aurel knew that he had entered but continued singing anyway. He walked in until he was only a few feet from them, and still she continued her singing.

"So many times, I've passed this way before....with eagles wings.

The tide has come and now I drift again, down towards the shore."

She did not dare to look at him as she continued to caress Ene's head and play with her golden hair. As her song ended she continued to look away.

"What do you think you are doing?" asked Lachnen. "Have you enchanted Ene to do your bidding?"

"She is sleeping, not enchanted. You must not believe the stories of Elves you have been told." She darkly jested. "Unless that is, you can enchant?"

"I cannot." He replied coolly. He went to Ene and touched the top of her head. "She sleeps." He said to himself.

"She is exhausted, unlike yourself, this child needs to rest."

He looked at her broken arm in the sling and then at her face, she still would not face at him. "Why do you let her sleep on your lap as if she was your child?"

Aurel smiled sadly. "Because a part of her still is." Her heart ached at the memories of happier times.

"This causes you pain." observed Lachnen.

She pressed her lips together, then gathered the courage to look him in the eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Your singing pestered me, I wished to stop you."

"Yet you did not."

A flicker of emotion passed through his face. Too quick for Aurel to dwell upon, but enough for her to notice something had moved him.

"Ene." he said loud and firm. "Awaken." He commanded.

Her head rose, confused at first, then when she realized that Lachnen was near, she stood up clumsily.

"If you needed to sleep, then you should have slept, but not here." He said flatly.

Ene looked embarrassed.

Aurel looked away again, leaning her head on her hand, trying to ignore the two in her chamber as they conversed.

"Leave." He commanded once again.

Ene did as she was told and left the chamber without question.

When he heard the door close behind her he began to speak. "She is human and weak, but I am not and know better. I know what you are doing Aurel."

She clenched her fist. "I do nothing."

"It would be useless to try, she is too far from you to be rekindled."

Aurel dropped the hand that propped her chin up. "Get away. Go." She said sadly.

Her words only prompted him to move in closer to her. He leaned in placing both his arms at each side of her, pinning her to where she sat. She stayed very still, she even closed her eyes to avoid his stare. "You fear me now, when just a day ago you held me in well enough regard to let me converse with you." He sneered.

"Yesterday you had not brutally injured my husband." She said in a low tone of voice. "Or broken my arm."

He took one hand and cupped her chin, forcing her face to face his. "And I will do much more than just that if I ever catch you interfering with Ene or anyone for that matter, again. Do not forget it is not just Legolas or yourself I can injure." He let go of her chin and placed a hand over her stomach. "Not too much longer now. Be careful." He pushed himself away and was very happy with himself as he left Aurel in silent tears.

"Get up Princeling." said one of the guards as the doors were abruptly flung open.

Another guard pulled Legolas up, and pulled him by his bound hands. "You have visitors."

Legolas was intrigued and took no mind as they pulled him out of the library and headed towards the back entrance of the throne room. Ene and Lachnen were both there, waiting for him in the room that led to the throne room. Legolas wondered who the visitors were that had made Lachnen and Ene so unhinged.

Lachnen approached him and untied his hands. "I expect you to behave Legolas. I think you and I have reached an understanding, please do not make me do anything that I do not wish to. You will ask your kin to leave."

He raised his brow. "Kin?"

"Just tell them to go." said Ene as she pointed for him to go out.

As Legolas walked out to the throne room he could not hide his relief at seeing those before him. Elrohir, Elladan, and Aragorn all stood there, without arms and with serious looks that softened when their eyes met his. Legolas walked to all three of them and each greeted one another.

"Eomer sent word." said Aragorn.

Legolas nodded.

"Where is our sister?" asked Elrohir.

"And what of your appearance little brother....you are wounded!" said Elladan pointing to his torn clothing and his healing wounds. He made a move that suggested he wanted to try and help the healing further along, but Legolas stopped him.

"I have come to please ask you to leave. Your sister is well, but you must all go." said Legolas solemnly.

"We cannot." replied Elrohir. "We came for our sister, she leaves with us, or we do not leave at all."

"That cannot be." Legolas shook his head.

"If you are not the one who can aid us, then let us speak with the one who can." Aragorn stepped closer. "I will not leave here without Aurel, wherever she is, she will not be well when you are before us in such a state."

"How were you allowed to enter beyond the gates?" asked Legolas.

"We have been expected, obviously." said Elladan. "Or I am sure an attempt on our lives would have been made." He looked around. "Where are they hiding?"

"Listen to me, you must leave. You only put your sister's life at risk by being here."

Elrohir lost his patience. "Take us to her Legolas. This is insanity!"

"Please leave. Go back to your homes, think of your own families."

"Aurel is our family, you are our family." retorted Elladan.

"You are compromised, that much we understand. But Aurel need not stay here, this place is death now. You have your people dying out there, we passed many dead, women and children alike..." said Aragorn.

"I know."

"No you do not!" shouted Elrohir. "Whatever kind of men are now in your stead are going to kill you both, you will not ask me to leave my sister behind."

"And yet I do. Every moment you stay here is a moment closer to getting her killed. Please go, or there will be no sister to take back with you."

"She is being used, so that you will do their bidding." explained Elladan.

Legolas nodded to say that Elladan was correct in his assumption.

"All the more reason for Aurel to come back with us." said Aragorn. "If you must stay we are saddened for it, but Aurel must leave this place."

"No." said Ene who had walked in amidst their discussion. "Aurel stays."

Elladan had to stop Elrohir from going to her. "You treacherous snake!" shouted Elrohir. "After everything that was done for you, you go and spit on your own family!"

"Hello uncles." She said calmly. "I would beg you listen to Legolas, and leave."

Elrohir struggled under Elladan's grasp. "Come closer!"

Aragorn looked at Ene. "Ene, tell us how and why it is possible that you are willing to put Aurel in harm's way?"

"It is you that places her in harm's way. You have been asked to leave several times. There is no reason for you to be here. There is no use in trying to fight it, unless you want to end up like Legolas here."

Legolas looked to her.

She smiled and continued. "Unless you need proof of how far we are willing to go to make you understand, and I am sure that Legolas will tell you that would be very unwise. What is happening here is now not of your concern, turn away before it is your families that are at stake."

"I stay." said Aragorn.

Ene cocked her head to the side. "Unwise." she repeated. "You care not for Arwen?"

"I love my wife, and she loves her sister. I promised her I would do all that I could to keep Aurel safe. I stay. Do what you will, but sooner or later, you will need me here."

"Whatever for?"

"I am a healer. Aurel will need me for when her child arrives."

The thought of Aurel having to give birth to their child under the circumstances they were under almost made Legolas cringe.

"You will not be needed." She replied.

"Whatever you say, it does not change my resolve. I stay." He turned to Elrohir who was still locked in by Elladan. "Go. I will stay. There is no need for the three of us."

"You ask us to leave our little sister?" asked Elladan.

"No. I ask that you go back and be with your other kin, for she will greatly need you and it does her no good to be without her husband or her brothers."

"Elessar if you stay, things will not be good for you." repeated Ene.

He ignored her as he clasped arms with both brothers and they bowed their heads in sadness. Legolas stood near and felt something different, he felt a resolve rise within them, he saw their sad eyes hiding something else.

Both Elrohir and Elladan made to leave, but not before approaching Legolas. They did not clasp him by the arm, rather they embraced him, and he felt himself become stronger instantly. "Be strong little brother." Elladan said softly.

"For her." said Elrohir.

Without giving another glance at Ene who stood there carefully watching them, they left, and they were allowed to leave in peace.

When the doors were fully closed behind them Aragorn spoke. "Now I will see he who lies in the shadows."

Ene ordered the guards to bind both his and Legolas's hands. "You will be making yourself a new home in the dungeons." said Ene as she looked upon Aragorn and then turned to Legolas. "Perhaps you can keep him company for a while." With a nod of her head they were escorted away to the dungeons.

Special Note: Lullaby song is by Terry Oldfield from the CD: Across the Universe.