Dire Needs: Chapter Five
Author's Note: This chapter is also long, but mainly because of the flashback. I hope you enjoy it.
For all other notes: See previous chapters.
***********
Chapter Five: A Surprise Visit and Past Experiences
It was late evening. The injured were finally moved to more sufficient shelter. The people in more critical condition were in the healing room, where the healers were trying to stabilize them. The less injured were in their own rooms, being tended to.
Harathiel, Legolas, Elrond, Gandalf, Glorfindel, Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir, Gimli and Aragorn were in the dining hall. Elrond and Gandalf wanted to help the healers, but they both knew they had to be present. Harathiel finished telling the others about what happened between her and Sheaug, and they were having a heated discussion about what course of action they should take next.
"Harathiel, I don't think you should go. It's too dangerous," Elrond said.
"The dragon wants me. What else am I supposed to do? If I stay here or go anywhere else: Mirkwood, Gondor, even Lothlorien, the dragon will follow me and burn down everything in it's path. If I go straight to Mordor from here, i'll have a chance to avoid any settlements and villages."
"You don't even know if Sheaug or his master is in Mordor," Glorfindel pointed out.
"But it's good as good a place to start looking as any," Harathiel argued. "And it's also the most probable place for any dark wizard, man, elf, dwarf or whomever to be hiding. And I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt."
"And you cannot risk yourself, either," a new voice said from the doorway. "If you are alone, you also risk failing if ill chance should find you."
"Lady Galadriel," Elrond greeted. He rose up and went to her. "So nice of you to come so . . . soon."
"I was on my way here before I received your message," Galadriel said. "Lord Thranduil sent me a message, telling me of what has happened lately in his realm. He informed me his two children were making their way to Rivendell, and I decided to do the same."
"Well, how nice of you to join us," Elrond said. "Please have a seat."
Galadriel sat down eloquently. "Lord Celeborn and Haldir are here as well. They will be joining us in a moment." Elrond nodded.
Galadriel turned to Harathiel. "My dear child, please do not go alone. Success is often rewarded sooner with the help of a friend, as i'm sure Master Samwise and Frodo will tell you."
"Of course we will!" A voice shouted. Sam emerged from behind a curtain, tugging Frodo with him.
"Sam, the point of spying is to stay hidden," Frodo said.
I just think it's important Miss Harathiel knows the value of friendship, Mr. Frodo. And I think we're as good an example as any."
"I'm sure you are," Elrond said. "Especially when hobbits have a tendency to spy on secret councils." Sam and Frodo blushed, and everyone else smiled.
"Thank you Sam," Harathiel said. "I do believe friendship has value. Among other things," she said to herself, glancing at Legolas.
*Flashback to when Harathiel, Legolas and the twins were little elflings*
[A/N: In this, they are very young. Imagine Harathiel as a five or six year old girl. Think Bo from Signs. Legolas looks about ten, the twins twelve.]
"What on Arda are you three doing?" Harathiel asked, hands on her hips. She looked down at Legolas, Elrohir and Elladan in disgust and confusion. [Middle-earth]
"We're looking for worms," Legolas replied.
"Why?"
"We want to go fishing."
"And you specifically wanted worms from Ada's favortie garden?" Harathiel said. [Father]
Legolas stopped digging, a horrified look on his face. "Oh no," he whimpered, suddenly realized what he was doing. Elladan and Elrohir stopped digging too. "But I didn't even realize..." Legolas paled.
"You didn't notice you were in Ada's garden? You didn' notice all the flowers you trampled and dug up?" Harathiel exclaimed, exhasperated.
"Maybe we can put them back the way they were?" Elladan said, hopeful.
"You could, but Ada is coming out for his walk in four minutes," Harathiel said.
"We're in trouble," Elladan said, throwing down his trowel in defeat.
"You people are in trouble. I didn't do anything," Harathiel said proudly. She turned around to walk away, when she heard a sound from her feet. She looked down, and saw she had stepped on the limben, her father's favorite flower of all. His father planted it the day Thranduil was born. It's been in the garden ever since.
"Oh no." It was Harathiel's turn to whimper as she knelt down beside the dissheveled flower.
"Now we're all in trouble," Legolas moaned.
"Elladan, Elrohir, get out of here," Harathiel said.
"What?" The twins said, puzzled.
"This isn't your fault. You're visiting and there's no reason for you two to get in trouble with Elrond. This is between Legolas, Ada and me. Please, go," Harathiel said firmly. Elladan and Elrohir quickly left, wondering why they were taking orders from an elfling way younger than them.
Harathiel cupped the flower in her hands. "Oh, what have I done. Ada wouldn't be too upset with the other flowers, but this..."
"Don't worry, it's not like Ada will kill you or anything," Legolas said, trying to reassure his younger sister.
"I know," Harathiel sniffed. "But I don't want to disappoint Ada."
"Disappoint me?" Thranduil said, arriving on the scene. "How would you..." he trailed off when he saw the state of his garden. "What happened here?"
"Legolas was digging for worms, but didn't watch where he was going and accidentally squashed a few of your flowers. I caught him, but then I accidentally stepped on your limben," Harathiel explained, trying not to cry. She let out a sniff.
Thranduil sighed. "Legolas, Harathiel, please go to your rooms and stay there. Legolas, you're grounded for the rest of the week. Harathiel . . . i'll talk to you later." They nodded, and left quickly. Harathiel ran ahead of Legolas. He called out to her, but she kept running. She ran all the way to her room, and buried her face in her pillow. After about an hour of quiet thinking, she went out on her balcony and climbed on the tree branch overhead. She worked her way to the next tree, and the next. A few trees later, she settled down and drew her knees close.
~~~~~~~
*A few hours later*
Thranduil knocked on Harathiel's door. His talk with Legolas went relatively well: He wasn't allowed to go outside the palace for the rest of the week, and the week after he would have to help the gardener re-plant all the dug up flowers. Legolas accepted his punishment quietly.
Thranduil frowned when he didn't get an answer. He opened the door and peered inside. The room was empty.
Worried, Thranduil started looking around the castle. He looked in all the usual places, and all the unusual places. (The most usual places being the kitchen and library, the most unusual being the dungeons and Legolas' room, which in Harathiel's point of view were the same thing.) Finally, he went outside. It was dusk.
He searched the courtyard, the gardens, and the fountain. He was looking at the outer rim of the forest when he heard a small noise. Most people wouldn't be able to recognize the noise, but Thranduil did. It was a whimper. A whimper whose source was the mouth of a young elven princess who was hiding from her father.
Thranduil went to the source of the whimper. He wasn't surprised to see Harathiel there, but was saddened at the condition she was in. She was whimpering and sobbing. Her eyes were watery, and she was shivering. Elves are immune to the cold, but Harathiel was still young. And her dress was a thin material.
Thranduil reached out and slowly brought her down. She was still hugging her knees. She didn't even look up at her dad. He brought her to the ground and took off his cloak, casting it around Harathiel and wrapping her up in it like a blanket. He hugged her, trying to warm her up.
"My dear child," he whispered. "Mankoi lle uma tanya?" [Why did you do that?]
"I don't like disappointing you and making you angry," Harathiel said. Her voice was shaky and muffled by her sobs and the cloak.
"Why on Middle-earth would I be either?" Thranduil asked.
"I stepped on your favorite flower. It's as old as you," she said. She coughed. Since she was young, she wasn't as immune to disease as other elves. At her age, elves got colds quite easily.
Thranduil felt her forehead. "You're burning with fever."
"Don't feel like it," she moaned. She closed her eyes and rested her head against her father's chest.
Thranduil stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Amin hiraetha, Harathiel," he murmured softly. [I'm sorry]
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lord Thranduil, take some rest," Elrond pleaded. "You have been here since two nights ago. You've had no food and no sleep. I will stay with her."
Ever since the night Thranduil returned with Harathiel in his arms, he haven't left her side. Her sickness was growing steadily worse; her fever was raging and she had trouble breathing. The healers were afraid it was pneumonia. [sp?]
"Elrond, amin dele ten' he," he replied angrily. "I will not leave her." [I am worried about her]
"Detholalle. But remember, you must also take care of yourself." Elrond said coldly, and left. As he was leaving, Legolas was entering. He walked up to his father. [Your choice]
"Ada, will she be alright?" he asked curiously.
Thranduil sighed. "I don't know."
Legolas nodded, and then tears started falling down his cheeks.
"This is all my fault," he said.
Thranduil drew Legolas to him. "What do you mean?"
"If I wouldn't have wanted to go fishing and digging for worms, none of this would have happened."
"Legolas, this isn't your fault," Thranduil said.
Legolas nodded reluctantly, and looked at his father. "It's not yours either."
"What?"
"I've been looking at you all day, Ada. Your eyes look regretful. And the trees heard you apologizing to Harathiel last night."
"Well, I . . . wait, how do you know the trees heard me?"
"I heard them talking about it this morning," Legolas said sheepishly.
"You heard the trees speaking?"
Legolas nodded.
"And can you talk to them?" Thranduil asked.
"I haven't tried yet.
Thranduil looked at his son, impressed. "Amazing. I was older than you when I first heard the trees. How long have you been able to?"
"Over the past few weeks, i've been hearing some things, but now it's becoming clearer."
"Well, that is great, Legolas," Thranduil said proudly. "It's not very often an elf can hear the trees at so young an age." Legolas smiled.
"Hey Legolas," Elladan said. "You wanna explore around the dungeons?"
Legolas looked at his father for approval.
Thranduil nodded. "Go," he said. Legolas left. Thranduil looked back at Harathiel and sighed. 'Maybe Legolas and Elrond are right. I'm not accomplishing anything by staying here.' He got up to leave when Harathiel stirred.
"Manke naa lle autien?" She asked sleepily. [Where are you going?]
"Harathiel," Thranduil immediately sat back down. "Sut naa lle umien? Lle tyava quel? [How are you doing? Do you feel well?]
"I'm fine, Ada," Harathiel replied guiltily.
"Harathiel, I want you to listen to me. There was absolutely no reason for you to get upset. It was just a flower."
"But it was important to you--"
"But you're more important," Thranduil hugged Harathiel. "It was just a flower."
"But you've always liked that flower. Everyday you would tend to it, and talk to it, and help it grow."
"Yes, I did. I liked that flower. But the only flower I love is you."
TBC
Author's Note: This chapter is also long, but mainly because of the flashback. I hope you enjoy it.
For all other notes: See previous chapters.
***********
Chapter Five: A Surprise Visit and Past Experiences
It was late evening. The injured were finally moved to more sufficient shelter. The people in more critical condition were in the healing room, where the healers were trying to stabilize them. The less injured were in their own rooms, being tended to.
Harathiel, Legolas, Elrond, Gandalf, Glorfindel, Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir, Gimli and Aragorn were in the dining hall. Elrond and Gandalf wanted to help the healers, but they both knew they had to be present. Harathiel finished telling the others about what happened between her and Sheaug, and they were having a heated discussion about what course of action they should take next.
"Harathiel, I don't think you should go. It's too dangerous," Elrond said.
"The dragon wants me. What else am I supposed to do? If I stay here or go anywhere else: Mirkwood, Gondor, even Lothlorien, the dragon will follow me and burn down everything in it's path. If I go straight to Mordor from here, i'll have a chance to avoid any settlements and villages."
"You don't even know if Sheaug or his master is in Mordor," Glorfindel pointed out.
"But it's good as good a place to start looking as any," Harathiel argued. "And it's also the most probable place for any dark wizard, man, elf, dwarf or whomever to be hiding. And I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt."
"And you cannot risk yourself, either," a new voice said from the doorway. "If you are alone, you also risk failing if ill chance should find you."
"Lady Galadriel," Elrond greeted. He rose up and went to her. "So nice of you to come so . . . soon."
"I was on my way here before I received your message," Galadriel said. "Lord Thranduil sent me a message, telling me of what has happened lately in his realm. He informed me his two children were making their way to Rivendell, and I decided to do the same."
"Well, how nice of you to join us," Elrond said. "Please have a seat."
Galadriel sat down eloquently. "Lord Celeborn and Haldir are here as well. They will be joining us in a moment." Elrond nodded.
Galadriel turned to Harathiel. "My dear child, please do not go alone. Success is often rewarded sooner with the help of a friend, as i'm sure Master Samwise and Frodo will tell you."
"Of course we will!" A voice shouted. Sam emerged from behind a curtain, tugging Frodo with him.
"Sam, the point of spying is to stay hidden," Frodo said.
I just think it's important Miss Harathiel knows the value of friendship, Mr. Frodo. And I think we're as good an example as any."
"I'm sure you are," Elrond said. "Especially when hobbits have a tendency to spy on secret councils." Sam and Frodo blushed, and everyone else smiled.
"Thank you Sam," Harathiel said. "I do believe friendship has value. Among other things," she said to herself, glancing at Legolas.
*Flashback to when Harathiel, Legolas and the twins were little elflings*
[A/N: In this, they are very young. Imagine Harathiel as a five or six year old girl. Think Bo from Signs. Legolas looks about ten, the twins twelve.]
"What on Arda are you three doing?" Harathiel asked, hands on her hips. She looked down at Legolas, Elrohir and Elladan in disgust and confusion. [Middle-earth]
"We're looking for worms," Legolas replied.
"Why?"
"We want to go fishing."
"And you specifically wanted worms from Ada's favortie garden?" Harathiel said. [Father]
Legolas stopped digging, a horrified look on his face. "Oh no," he whimpered, suddenly realized what he was doing. Elladan and Elrohir stopped digging too. "But I didn't even realize..." Legolas paled.
"You didn't notice you were in Ada's garden? You didn' notice all the flowers you trampled and dug up?" Harathiel exclaimed, exhasperated.
"Maybe we can put them back the way they were?" Elladan said, hopeful.
"You could, but Ada is coming out for his walk in four minutes," Harathiel said.
"We're in trouble," Elladan said, throwing down his trowel in defeat.
"You people are in trouble. I didn't do anything," Harathiel said proudly. She turned around to walk away, when she heard a sound from her feet. She looked down, and saw she had stepped on the limben, her father's favorite flower of all. His father planted it the day Thranduil was born. It's been in the garden ever since.
"Oh no." It was Harathiel's turn to whimper as she knelt down beside the dissheveled flower.
"Now we're all in trouble," Legolas moaned.
"Elladan, Elrohir, get out of here," Harathiel said.
"What?" The twins said, puzzled.
"This isn't your fault. You're visiting and there's no reason for you two to get in trouble with Elrond. This is between Legolas, Ada and me. Please, go," Harathiel said firmly. Elladan and Elrohir quickly left, wondering why they were taking orders from an elfling way younger than them.
Harathiel cupped the flower in her hands. "Oh, what have I done. Ada wouldn't be too upset with the other flowers, but this..."
"Don't worry, it's not like Ada will kill you or anything," Legolas said, trying to reassure his younger sister.
"I know," Harathiel sniffed. "But I don't want to disappoint Ada."
"Disappoint me?" Thranduil said, arriving on the scene. "How would you..." he trailed off when he saw the state of his garden. "What happened here?"
"Legolas was digging for worms, but didn't watch where he was going and accidentally squashed a few of your flowers. I caught him, but then I accidentally stepped on your limben," Harathiel explained, trying not to cry. She let out a sniff.
Thranduil sighed. "Legolas, Harathiel, please go to your rooms and stay there. Legolas, you're grounded for the rest of the week. Harathiel . . . i'll talk to you later." They nodded, and left quickly. Harathiel ran ahead of Legolas. He called out to her, but she kept running. She ran all the way to her room, and buried her face in her pillow. After about an hour of quiet thinking, she went out on her balcony and climbed on the tree branch overhead. She worked her way to the next tree, and the next. A few trees later, she settled down and drew her knees close.
~~~~~~~
*A few hours later*
Thranduil knocked on Harathiel's door. His talk with Legolas went relatively well: He wasn't allowed to go outside the palace for the rest of the week, and the week after he would have to help the gardener re-plant all the dug up flowers. Legolas accepted his punishment quietly.
Thranduil frowned when he didn't get an answer. He opened the door and peered inside. The room was empty.
Worried, Thranduil started looking around the castle. He looked in all the usual places, and all the unusual places. (The most usual places being the kitchen and library, the most unusual being the dungeons and Legolas' room, which in Harathiel's point of view were the same thing.) Finally, he went outside. It was dusk.
He searched the courtyard, the gardens, and the fountain. He was looking at the outer rim of the forest when he heard a small noise. Most people wouldn't be able to recognize the noise, but Thranduil did. It was a whimper. A whimper whose source was the mouth of a young elven princess who was hiding from her father.
Thranduil went to the source of the whimper. He wasn't surprised to see Harathiel there, but was saddened at the condition she was in. She was whimpering and sobbing. Her eyes were watery, and she was shivering. Elves are immune to the cold, but Harathiel was still young. And her dress was a thin material.
Thranduil reached out and slowly brought her down. She was still hugging her knees. She didn't even look up at her dad. He brought her to the ground and took off his cloak, casting it around Harathiel and wrapping her up in it like a blanket. He hugged her, trying to warm her up.
"My dear child," he whispered. "Mankoi lle uma tanya?" [Why did you do that?]
"I don't like disappointing you and making you angry," Harathiel said. Her voice was shaky and muffled by her sobs and the cloak.
"Why on Middle-earth would I be either?" Thranduil asked.
"I stepped on your favorite flower. It's as old as you," she said. She coughed. Since she was young, she wasn't as immune to disease as other elves. At her age, elves got colds quite easily.
Thranduil felt her forehead. "You're burning with fever."
"Don't feel like it," she moaned. She closed her eyes and rested her head against her father's chest.
Thranduil stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Amin hiraetha, Harathiel," he murmured softly. [I'm sorry]
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lord Thranduil, take some rest," Elrond pleaded. "You have been here since two nights ago. You've had no food and no sleep. I will stay with her."
Ever since the night Thranduil returned with Harathiel in his arms, he haven't left her side. Her sickness was growing steadily worse; her fever was raging and she had trouble breathing. The healers were afraid it was pneumonia. [sp?]
"Elrond, amin dele ten' he," he replied angrily. "I will not leave her." [I am worried about her]
"Detholalle. But remember, you must also take care of yourself." Elrond said coldly, and left. As he was leaving, Legolas was entering. He walked up to his father. [Your choice]
"Ada, will she be alright?" he asked curiously.
Thranduil sighed. "I don't know."
Legolas nodded, and then tears started falling down his cheeks.
"This is all my fault," he said.
Thranduil drew Legolas to him. "What do you mean?"
"If I wouldn't have wanted to go fishing and digging for worms, none of this would have happened."
"Legolas, this isn't your fault," Thranduil said.
Legolas nodded reluctantly, and looked at his father. "It's not yours either."
"What?"
"I've been looking at you all day, Ada. Your eyes look regretful. And the trees heard you apologizing to Harathiel last night."
"Well, I . . . wait, how do you know the trees heard me?"
"I heard them talking about it this morning," Legolas said sheepishly.
"You heard the trees speaking?"
Legolas nodded.
"And can you talk to them?" Thranduil asked.
"I haven't tried yet.
Thranduil looked at his son, impressed. "Amazing. I was older than you when I first heard the trees. How long have you been able to?"
"Over the past few weeks, i've been hearing some things, but now it's becoming clearer."
"Well, that is great, Legolas," Thranduil said proudly. "It's not very often an elf can hear the trees at so young an age." Legolas smiled.
"Hey Legolas," Elladan said. "You wanna explore around the dungeons?"
Legolas looked at his father for approval.
Thranduil nodded. "Go," he said. Legolas left. Thranduil looked back at Harathiel and sighed. 'Maybe Legolas and Elrond are right. I'm not accomplishing anything by staying here.' He got up to leave when Harathiel stirred.
"Manke naa lle autien?" She asked sleepily. [Where are you going?]
"Harathiel," Thranduil immediately sat back down. "Sut naa lle umien? Lle tyava quel? [How are you doing? Do you feel well?]
"I'm fine, Ada," Harathiel replied guiltily.
"Harathiel, I want you to listen to me. There was absolutely no reason for you to get upset. It was just a flower."
"But it was important to you--"
"But you're more important," Thranduil hugged Harathiel. "It was just a flower."
"But you've always liked that flower. Everyday you would tend to it, and talk to it, and help it grow."
"Yes, I did. I liked that flower. But the only flower I love is you."
TBC