Just a Friend- Chapter 9
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and read so far! Our elf is finally awake :)
Disclaimer: see Chapter 1
It took a few moments for Telan to properly wake up in the morning. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes with a groan, before suddenly jumping to his feet. It was today! Today he would learn how to fight!
He hurried to get dressed, managing to put his shirt on backwards. Cursing under his breath, he moved it around and shoved his feet into well worn boots that had once belonged to Henric. He grinned. He would learn how to fight today!
He opened the door to the other room, taking a breath to try and calm himself. Alya was by the fire with Cat, who was stirring the pot of porridge over the flames. Her hands were already sticky with the intended breakfast. Henric was sitting at the table, whittling, whilst Strider sat next to Las' bed yet again.
Telan grinned slightly as he saw what Strider was doing. The man had a long stick in one hand, and was using a small knife to scrape down the length of it, peeling away the bark and shaping it. Another one, already finished, lay by his feet. Strider felt Telan's gaze on him and looked up.
He picked up the finished stick by his feet. "What do you think?" he asked, holding it out. It was crude, but it was the shape of a sword. Strider had even managed to take a shorter branch and make a cross hilt.
Telan grabbed hold of it. "It's heavier than I thought it would be," he said in surprise. But to his delight he didn't find it too heavy. He had grown muscles in his arms and back from all the chopping of wood and working in the fields, and Telan felt a strong urge to swing it around his head.
"It is lighter than a real sword," replied Strider, turning back to the stick in his hands. "This one is nearly finished."
"How is Las?" asked Telan, noticing the elf lying still in the bed.
Strider turned and looked at him. "Still sleeping," he said softly. "If he doesn't wake soon, I will wake him."
"Is he going to be alright?" asked Cat in her small voice from the fire. She looked up at Strider, and Strider couldn't help but smile at the porridge smeared over her hands and dripping down the wooden spoon she held.
"He will be fine," he said with a smile. Cat grinned, and turned back to the porridge on the fire, but as she did so the wooden spoon slipped through her sticky fingers and fell to the floor with a loud clatter.
Las groaned slightly and his eyes flickered open. Strider turned to him with a grin. "Mae govannen, mellon-nin," he said cheerfully.
Las grimaced slightly, and pushed himself up so that he was leaning against the wall. He ran a hand through his hair. "What…time is it?"
"Dawn," said Strider. "The day after you first woke up, if you remember."
Las nodded. "Aye, I remember," he said with a wince.
"How do you feel?"
"If by that you mean am I going to be able to keep down anything, then I feel fine," said Las with a smile. "Truly, I do not feel nauseous. After the numerous spider bites I have received, I know the feeling."
"Spiders?" asked Telan. "But spiders are tiny. They don't make you sick."
Las cocked his head, as if studying Telan, and Telan realised it was the first time Las had properly seen him. He nodded his head in an awkward bow. "My name is Telan," he said.
"Well, Telan," said Las. "In Mirkwood, the spiders are larger than dogs. If they bite you, it often means you become unconscious, and can even die."
"Has that ever happened to you?"
Las exchanged a look with Strider, and Strider sighed, his face becoming sorrowful. Las turned back to Telan. "I was nearly killed by spiders once, but it is a long story, and a sad one. I would not want to tell it."
Telan nodded, but inside he was a bit disappointed. He wanted to hear these stories of brave warriors and evil beasts. Strider leant down and passed Las a cup of water. He nodded when the elf took the cup with only the slightest tremor in his hands.
"You are better," he said.
Las smiled slightly. "You should believe me more often," he murmured, raising the cup to his lips. Strider turned back to the wooden sword and Las, putting down the empty cup, raised one eyebrow.
"What is that?" he asked.
"A wooden sword," replied Strider, focusing on his blade as it ran over the wood. "I am teaching Telan to fight."
Las smiled slightly. "You could have no better teacher."
Telan grinned. "Were you also in the war?" he asked. "I know there was only one elf amongst the Walkers, but I heard that there was fighting elsewhere, north of Gondor. At least that was what Ma said was being talked about in the city after the War. Were you part of that?"
Las frowned slightly, but instead of answering Telan, he turned to Strider, switching to the Grey Tongue as he began to speak.
"Do they not know?" he asked softly.
Strider shook his head minutely. "I thought it safer not to tell them," he said. "I did not want to impose upon them, and I can imagine it would come as quite a shock to them if I told them. I am simply Strider, and you are Las to them."
Las chuckled slightly. "Las? Surely you could have come up with a better name than that," he said. "But they really have no idea that the King of Gondor and the Prince of Eryn Lasgalen are sitting in their cottage? They don't know that they dragged one of the Nine Walkers into their home, poisoned and feverish?"
"No," replied Strider.
"When will you tell them?" asked Las with a frown. "They should know."
"I was going to send soldiers back here, once we return to the city. There are men in the town who tried to take you. I only just turned up in time."
Las looked shocked. "You could have told me this, Estel," he said. "I had no idea. Who were they?"
"I don't know," said Strider. "One of them said he was from a village on the edge of Mirkwood. He blamed the elves when the village was destroyed by orcs."
Las shut his eyes briefly. "Ai Valar," he murmured. "It has been seven years and it still haunts us. I do not know the man, but I know a lot of the mortal villages in southern areas were destroyed. We tried to do something, but towards the end we were hard pressed enough to hold our own borders, let alone head south to protect villages."
"You are not to blame," said Strider, his voice rough. "I chased them off. I don't know if they will come back."
"I had no idea they had come," said Las, his gaze straying to the little form of Cat and Telan.
"You were unconscious at the time," replied Strider. "Besides, it is hardly surprising, knowing you. You manage to get yourself into the worst possible situations all the time."
"You know I don't mean to," said Las with a smile. When he saw the shadows in the man's eyes his gaze softened. "I never mean to hurt you, Estel. You must know that."
"Aye," said Strider. "I know."
"I am sorry."
Strider sighed, and switched back into the normal tongue. "I know," he said wearily. "And I am too. I should have found you earlier."
Las shook his head, but he said nothing, instead turning back to Telan, who had been watching the rapid conversation with his mouth slightly open. Las smiled slightly. "There was fighting in the woods of my home," he said quietly. "Many elves died."
"Did you win?"
"Aye," said Las. "I guess you could say that."
Strider bent down and picked up the square of lembas bread from his pack. He handed it to Las. "Here, you managed to keep down the water, so you can eat this." Las smiled and snapped off a corner of the bread, chewing it slowly.
Telan grinned, and sat down at the small table as Henric passed him a bowl of porridge. "Eat up, son," he said with a smile. "You'll need your strength today."
Telan immediately began to wolf down the porridge, as Henric sat down and turned to Las and Strider. "You lived in one of the elven kingdoms, Las?" he asked.
"Aye, I lived in Mirkwood for most of my life," said Las, moving so he was leant against Strider as the man worked on the wooden sword. He ate another corner of lembas. "I was a captain there."
"Have you travelled much?"
Las frowned. "Not much. For most of my life I never left Mirkwood. There were too many things that had to be done, too many battles to be fought."
Strider smiled slightly as he worked on the wood in his hands. "It is nearly finished, Telan," he said. He added a few more touches, before putting down the small dagger. "There," he said, holding it up. "It will do."
Las took it from him, and though his hand trembled he held the sword like a warrior, feeling the weight and balance of it. He smiled slightly, and handed the sword to Telan. "It is good," he said. "Believe me when I say it is much better than anything Strider carved when he was younger."
Strider chuckled slightly and picked up the other sword. He stood up. "Is there anywhere flat, Henric, where we could practise?"
Henric frowned. "The area just outside the woods is flat, and won't be muddy," he said. "Telan knows where I mean." He stood up. "I must be off. Have fun, son."
Telan grinned, and Cat waved goodbye as Henric left, shutting the door behind him. Strider turned around, and then started in surprise as he saw Las trying to get to his feet. He pushed the elf back down easily with one hand.
"What do you think you are doing?" he asked.
Las looked up. "I am coming with you," he replied.
"No you are not," said Strider firmly, using the wooden sword to push Las back down once more as he tried to rise. "You are not well."
"I am well enough to go outside", said Las. He slipped into the Grey Tongue. "Saes, Estel, I have not been outside for too long. You spoke of woods."
Strider sighed. "I do not want you to fall ill again, mellon-nin."
"Strider, you know if you do not let me come, I will simply follow you anyway." Las smiled slightly from where he sat on the bed. Strider sighed.
"I knew you would say that," he said with a small smile. He held out his hand to the elf. "If you fall ill, you are to blame."
Las laughed slightly, and Telan's eyes widened at the sound. He had never heard anyone laugh like that. It sounded like the bubbling of silver springs, like... He didn't know. But his lips curved up in a smile as Las, getting to his feet, laughed again as Strider rolled his eyes as the elf stumbled.
Las smiled. "Outside?" he asked, his voice still rough and scratchy. Telan grinned, though slightly nervously, as the elf smiled at him, and Strider took one of Las' arms, slinging it over his shoulder.
"Outside," he said with a smile.
To Be Continued...
Next chapter will be up on Tuesday! Sorry for any minor mistakes- I had a very tiring and long day today.