Artemis checked on Tauriel at intervals through the night feeding her the brew she'd concocted every few hours, she was sitting by the bed scribbling in her journal when the fever broke and she smiled. She nudged Kili and Fili awake and told them to help her change the sheets which were drenched in sweat. She shooed them out and gave Tauriel a sponge bath before laying her back down and letting them back in. She checked the cuts and changed the bandages before giving Kili instructions on how to feed Tauriel spoonfuls of chicken broth. "Talk to her, it doesn't matter what just talk. I'm going to go talk to the villagers who found her and see if I can get some answers."
She tapped on Tracey's door and grinned when she answered hair tousled. "Wing Wang." She teased and moved a lock of hair off Tracey's cheek. "Want to come talk to the villager who found Tauriel with me?"
Tracey blinked slowly and looked at Artemis through sleepily eyes, her wings fluttering a little behind her.
"Yeah I'll come with you. Just let me get a change of clothes and my cloak and then we can go... How about scrounging up something to eat while I get ready." Tracey said with a smile.
Closing the door again, Tracey went to her saddlebags and pulled out fresh clothes. Dressing quickly, she ran a brush through her hair and tied it back with some ribbon before crossing back over to the bed and sitting on the edge. Tracey gently brushed her fingers over Legolas cheek and leaned down to kiss his lips.
"My love, Artemis and I are going to talked to the person who found Tauriel." She spoke softly as she pulled back a little. "We shouldn't be too long and you may join us if you wish."
He propped his head up with one arm and smiled sleepily up at her. "I will stay here with the dwarves. Be safe my heart."
"I shall and I think you should check on Tauriel as well. I think she would be glad to see you too." She answered with a smile.
Kissing him one last time, Tracey pulled on her boots and laced them up. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, tying the cords and leaving the room. For her own sake, Tracey went to Tauriel's room and entered to see Kili clasping Tauriel's hand and his head resting on his arm. Fili was sitting in a chair in front of a low burning fireplace, his head lolled to the side also in sleep. Tracey laughed quietly to herself and then placed her hand on Tauriel's forehead for a brief moment, whispering some Elvish words of comfort before leaving the room again, meeting Artemis half way up the stairs with their food. Together they ate on the stairs before leaving the inn.
Artemis dusted her hands clean of crumbs and settled her own cloak about her shoulders. "Tauriels fever broke this morning and her cuts are clean so the antibiotics I dosed her with are working. Hopefully she'll wake soon."
"I think she will and the first face she will see if Fili's, that will make him happy and possibly the day after tomorrow she'll be strong enough to move. We might have to get a wagon, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Tracey replied, brushing her own lips free of crumbs. "Do you know where our person of interest is?"
"Yeah, I asked the Innkeeper and he gave me directions." Artemis replied leading her towards the door. "And if Tauriel can even sit up in three days I will be stunned."
"We shall see." She replied with a cryptic smile before pulling her cloak closer to her body. "Lead the way Artemis, I really want to know how she got that badly hurt and why."
Despite the hour the streets were bustling with people selling their wares and goods. Tracey kept close to Artemis as she moved between groups of people. They stepped lightly around carts, wagons and riders on horseback, but continued moving forward to their destination.
Artemis led her through the muddy streets quickly and stopped in front of a shop that looked to be the type of place that catered to hunters. Traps, hooks, knives and pelts were displayed in baskets and on racks and Artemis made her way through to a counter. She rapped on the wood. "Master Conger! Master Conger you're wanted." Her voice penetrated through the building and they heard someone banging around in the back.
A tall man with broad shoulders and wary brown eyes emerged from the back wiping his hands on a bloody apron. "What do ye want of me?" He asked giving them a dubious look.
Artemis smiled charmingly. "We were told you found the she-elf. We're here kin and have come for her, we wanted to know how you happened across her."
Master Conger considered them for a minute. "Ye do no look like any elf I ever seen." He said after a while. "She do, but no ye."
Artemis shrugged. "These are dangerous times, no female, elf or not travels alone anymore."
He seemed to accept that. "I was checking my traps when I did hear an awful racket in the brush. When I went looking I did see that she-elf set upon by a trio of orcs. Nasty brutes with beady yellow eyes, they was clubbing her something hard and one was using a great knife on her flesh. I must have surprised them because they did start and run like all the Horse Lords was bearing down on them."
"I'm grateful for your quick aid to my kin, she is doing better and is resting easy now." Tracey replied, giving him a kind smile and a small bow of her head. "Have Orcs been seen close to your village's borders? It's a wonder that you were fortunate, Orcs usually don't like to leave survivors."
He rubbed his chin and shrugged. "We never seen them before and there was only three of them. They did seem most fearful that they'd been seen and no more showed themselves since."
Tracey looked at Artemis and then looked back at Master Conger again, pressing him for more information.
"What else can you tell us? Were there identifiable marks on the Orcs armor, or what did their weapons look like? Perhaps the direction they took?"
He gave her a strange look. "Now why would I be needing to know such? They're orcs, you kill them or run from them." He looked at Artemis and she gave him a placid smile.
"Some of her kin have made noises about hunting them down." She replied and he nodded.
"I imagine they would want such but the foul creatures are near a week gone and I don't know aught else about them. I hope your kin recovers and wish her well but I don't know anything else."
Artemis smiled and gave a short bow. "Thank you Master Conger."
"Yes thank you." Tracey replied, slipping a gold coin into his hand and tucking the coin pouch into her cloak again. "If you recall anything else of importance please send word to Master Marthelo at the inn and he'll get word to us."
Turning on her heel, she took Artemis by the arm gently and they left together. Once they were a few paces away from the shop Tracey spoke in low tones, not wanting to have people eavesdropping on their conversation.
"That was almost a complete waste of time... we didn't learn much, but I'm just glad that Tauriel is with us now and not in a hole somewhere."
Artemis shrugged and started back towards the Inn. "We learned that Orcs have been ranging a lot closer to Lothlorien than they had been and we learned that they don't want it known how close they are."
When they got back to the Inn Artemis yawned and stretched. "I'm going to take a nap."
"There is that." Tracey started to agree, nodding her head and smiling. "I'll pop in on Legolas and let him know we're back then I will check up on Fili and Kili. When we get back to Lothlorien I'm going to inform Lady Galadriel of the Orcs."
Tracey tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her pointed ears and pushed the door open for Artemis and then following in behind her, shutting it again.
"Enjoy your nap, shall I come get you for lunch or when it's time to doctor Tauriel again?"
Artemis yawned. "I gave the boys instructions on dosing Tauriel. Wake me an hour after lunch."
She made her way up the stairs but paused halfway. "If she wakes get me up though."
"Will do." Tracey replied, nudging her up the stairs and following behind her. "I will get you if she wakes up today. Get going my sweet, the rest will do you good."
She smiled and followed her up the rest of the floors to the room she shared with Legolas and opened the door, slipping in to find the room empty. Without shedding her cloak, Tracey closed the door without even stepping foot in the room and turned to look at Tauriel's door, a smile on her lips. Softly opening the door to Tauriel's room, Tracey slipped in and closed the door behind her. It was then that she draped her cloak over a second chair by the fireplace and set another log on the embers, stoking it into life again and waking Fili in the process.
"Be at ease my friend." She said quietly, fluttering her wings until she was comfortable again.
He sat up and looked at Tauriel his face concerned. "Why is she still unconscious? Her fever broke and she's strong."
Tracey glanced over at Tauriel and then back at Fili. She took a breath and let it out before speaking softly and warming her hands by the fire.
"She is physically strong, yes, but at the moment she is still recovering. I think if Kili talks to her and it doesn't have to be about anything in particular, she well hear his voice and come back. Artemis believes that she could sleep for at least three more days... I'm hoping sooner than that but this isn't something we can rush."
She clapped him gently on the arm and straightened her posture. Fili stretched and sighed. "I told Kili to go for a walk with Legolas. He's getting jumpy cooped up in here."
As if to prove the point the door opened and Kili hurried in dumping his cloak on the floor under the peg while Legolas entered more slowly. Kili sat down across from his brother and took Tauriel's hand. Legolas smiled and bent to kiss Tracey.
"Did you learn anything helpful?"
Tracey smiled and kissed Legolas tenderly, stroking his cheek before looking over at Kili and then at Fili. Concern for Kili was evident in her eyes and she turned her attention back to Legolas, reverting back to Elven speech in quiet tones.
"It would seem that Orcs are moving closer to villages, but they're gone now. A week at most, but the man from the village said that the three Orcs he saw scattered when he stumbled upon Tauriel. He couldn't tell us any more than that, I just wish there was more we could have found out." She replied softly. "Perhaps Tauriel can answer and other questions after she wakes up."
He nodded and held her snug against him while they watched Tauriel sleep.