The food was delicious. Especially the cake that the nice chubby woman gave to her.
"What is it, Kaachan?" – Eiko asks when she sees the older one watching her. Sometimes Eiko thinks that Kana could discover all the things someone wanted to hide just by looking at them. It's as if the eldest was reading one of those books – but with people instead.
When Eiko does something wrong, she got very nervous with that look – even though Kana had never hurt her. But normally, Eiko loved the attention Kana gave her. Especially when, like now, the eldest had that soft expression that made her feel a warm love in her heart.
"Milk mustache." – Kana says, gently pushing the milk from the child's lips, who was swinging her feet back and forth, finishing her meal. Once she was done, Kana took her hand, helping her down from the chair, and both Uchihas headed towards the stables, where the injured elf and the old stranger wizard were. The elf seemed to have her eyes open, sitting up, but she didn't really seem to be awake, which caused confusion in the younger one. Eiko squeezed Kana's hand tighter, hesitating at the sight of the older man, remembering another old man, one who had hurt her and her family.
"They're not the same, they're not. The other had black hair, dressed in shadows, and was mean."
"Oh! I see you've already eaten. We can start our journey then. But before that, I have a gift for you, little one. Can I? – The wizard looked at the teenager, who nodded, although she was rigid. Then he looked at the child, moving closer and kneeling to be around the same height as her. Eiko hide as best she could behind Kana's leg, eyeing him warily as he held out his hand.
Despite being nervous, Eiko found herself watching with interest and surprise when the eldest's hand, previously empty, made some gestures, and then, a flower was in front of her eyes!
"Woah!" – Eiko sighed, fascinated by the sudden appearance of the flower. He held it out and waited for her to take the flower and Eiko looked uncertainly between him and Kana, who gave her the slightest wave, encouraging her. She took the wizard's flower shyly and gave him a small smile.
"Thanks."
Gandalf smiled and stood up, with good humor. Before they left the lodge, however, they heard several footsteps and voices, and three women entered, looking breathless.
"We arrived in time!" – A girl who looked to be 14 years old exclaimed and then approached Kana, along with the others, holding Kana's free hand.
"We wanted to thank you for saving us. Not everyone could find the words at that moment. We were supposed to see you earlier, but then yesterday's healer told us to rest." – One of the older women spoke up.
"Hm." – The Uchiha clears her throat and slowly lets go of the hand that the other girl was holding, scratching the back of her head. – "You're welcome?"
Eiko is surprised when all three of them give Kana a short bow and then feels proud of her Kaa-chan because she was a hero.
"U-uh. Fine, I, hm, got it. I accept your gratitude." – Kana says and then looks at them all, tilting her head. – "How are the injuries?"
"We will survive. Sigrid... her mind hasn't fully returned to us yet." – Another said, about the fourth woman who was not present. Pointing at the elf, she asked:
"What about her? Will she recover?"
"Hm..." The Uchiha looked at Gandalf, who spoke for the first time since the arrival of the women.
"She will be treated at Rivendell, her home, and hopefully, being back home and in the care of her loved ones will help her. May I ask if you ladies know her name?
"It's Haleth."
"It's easier to say than Lele's!" – Eiko whispered to Kana, who snorted and nodded.
Once they said their goodbyes and Eiko was left beaming because her Kaa-chan was a hero, they made their journey.
Eiko still didn't know if she could trust the old man, but the young Uchiha looked at her gift for a long time during the first hours of the journey, sitting on the horse in front of Kana, with one of the older's arms around her waist so she wouldn't fall.
When night fell, they stopped to rest. The trees surrounded the road, and Gandalf lit a fire to keep them warm. The food wasn't as good as at the previous inn, but it was certainly better than the food at that place. The three-year-old, almost four, shudders.
"Kachan, I'm cold." – She says, opening her arms, although she wasn't really cold, she wanted to be as close to Kana as possible. The teenager has a knowing look, but takes her in his arms and allows her to finish her meal on Kana's lap.
"Afterwards, a warm magic bath?" – Eiko asks, brown eyes shining with the reflection of the stars. Even with the mask on, the youngest knew that Kana was smiling.
"Mm-hmm."
"Magic bath?" – The wizard asks, intrigued, watching the interaction between the two. Kana shrugs her shoulders and Eiko can't help but get excited as she explains to the eldest.
"Kachan does some things with her hand, and then the earth opens up!" – Eiko gestured excitedly, trying to imitate the sound of the earth sliding.
"And then, and then! More things with the hand and water appear out of nowhere! Then Kaachan puts the water in the hole, and that forms the cute little lake, of course. Finally, Kaachan launches the fireballs – fwossshh-, heating the water and that's it! Magic bath!" – She finishes, clapping her hands together, satisfied with the deep and contagious laugh of the wizard, who knew how to appreciate her wonderful explanation, unlike Riki-nii and Kaachan, who had the most boring reactions.
"That looks like a lot of fun to watch."
"Yeah! Kaachan can show you, can't you, Kaachan?" – Eiko asks, excited and the teenager shrugs her shoulders.
"Mn."
"Totally boring! Bleh!"
"That was a yes." – Eiko says and then leans a little, as if to tell a secret, putting a hand around her mouth and trying to whisper to the wizard. – "It's just that sometimes Kaachan is too lazy to speak properly."
"Eiko." – Kana speaks in a warning tone and Eiko turns around, an innocent look on her face.
"Hiiii, beautiful Kaachan?" – The older one shakes her head, rolling her eyes. The mage has a smile on his lips, appreciating the presence of the child, who had been growing brighter now that he was close to Kana.
As the youngest slept, Gandalf saw the care with which the young woman stroked her straight hair.
"Are you really sisters? Or is it part of the story you told at the inn?"
"We are related by blood. She's practically a..." He studies with interest when the younger one pauses, a complicated look on what he could see on her face, as if she wasn't sure what she was going to say, before clearing her throat. –"... sister. They all are like young siblings to me."
The mage hummed thoughtfully. She was reserved, strong, and an enigma. He'd wanted to know her, but all his attempts to find out more about her during his captivity had been pointless, and his intuition told him he'd get the same results now if he asked about her.
"Would you tell me more about your family?" – There was a moment of silence in which the young woman looked at him so penetratingly that he, once again, wondered if she was as young as she looked. Probably not; there was no way a young woman could go through what she had without having a breakdown. He knows she's looking for any sign of malice, any hint that he wasn't simply curious about them; it's almost as if she expects to see some kind of deception in him. When she concluded that he was genuine in his question, she looked away and continued stroking the sleeping child.
"Eiko is the youngest, she will be four this year. She is a cheerful, sweet, and intelligent child. She can also be very headstrong when she wants something, and I'm not sure if she's always been that way or if it's because we ended up spoiling her a bit since she's the youngest. Oh, and this petulant little thing loves sweets."– Kana says, exasperated.
"And the other two young boys you mentioned?"
"Katsuo and Riki." – She nodded and Gandalf patiently listened as she gave some information about them. It was the most relaxed she'd seen him so far, but even then it was clear she didn't give him very deep details about them; Kana told about the other two things as vaguely as she had told him about Eiko, but he took it all in carefully.
He felt as evasive as she was, they were making some progress.
Eiko Uchiha woke up with screams and tears in her eyes because she was having bad dreams, about that horrible place, the stinky monsters, that bad old man, and even the terrible men and dwarves that had hurt them when she was younger. She chokes on saliva and snot comes out of her nose she grabs Kana, sobbing and desperate.
"Hey. I am here." – But her little body won't stop shaking and she can't stop thinking about the bad dreams. – "Eiko, tell me five things you see. Come on, I know you can do It."
The familiar phrase reached her ears and Eiko opened her eyes, looking around, still panicked.
"Kaa-chan. Ho-horses."– The girl said and her vision sharpening. – "Fire?"
"Very good. Continue."
"Funny hat." – She continues, ignoring the worried face of the old man who wore the said funny hat, sobbing. – "Trees."
"Now, four things touching you."
"Your…your h-hand." – Eiko says, leaning towards the caress that Kana was giving her. – "My clothes. My hair. Your hair." – She finishes, sniffing the older woman's black hair.
Kana kept asking her "three things you hear", "two things you smell", and "one taste you feel" and Eiko calmed down with each answer, closing her eyes again, although she didn't fall asleep promptly. Eiko listened to Kana's heartbeat, the wizard's voice a background noise as sleep returned.
"You handle panic attacks very well." – He says and Kana hums an "mnn" that almost sounds like a lullaby.
She goes back to sleep.
"Are we there yet? Hally is very, very white!" – The girl asks, worried, looking from time to time to the elf that Gandalf was riding with him. She couldn't understand why the elf looked like that. Sometimes Eiko thought she saw her disappear, which was the strangest thing, so Gandalf said it was because she was so sad. After all, she had been hurt so badly.
Eiko could understand. She was sad too, and sometimes she remembered the chain squeezing her wrists and the stinking monsters forcing her to eat against her will, sometimes even slapping her in the face or pushing her. Katsuo almost always intervened to distract them, but seeing him hurt for her also hurt.
So Eiko started talking to the elf, and after a few hours, she gave her a nickname – Hally – because friends had nicknames, or so she heard, somewhere. Even though Kaachan got upset and told her she shouldn't give nicknames to just anyone.
"But we're traveling together, so Hally is a friend, not just 'anyone'." – Eiko thought and, as Kana didn't scold her, the smaller one was sure she was right. There was a slight pause and Eiko shifted her gaze to Kana, who had momentarily stopped her horse and was now looking ahead.
"We're here." – Gandalf said and Eiko also looked ahead.
"Oh! Wow! Awesome!" – Eiko exclaimed, her mouth open and eyes wide, as the sight before her was breathtaking. She didn't think she would ever see a more beautiful place than this, even if she were older than her Kaachan.
The mage laughed at the little girl's reaction and watched the part of Kana's face that was visible, though he couldn't see any reaction. Not for the first time, Gandalf thought that the young woman was one of the most difficult people to read he knew.
"What do you think, Kana?"
"Astonishing."– Kana says and adds, softly, and Gandalf doesn't know if she accidentally said the next part. – "Reminds me a little of the halls of Mandos."
The magician nods, satisfied, and confesses to him:
"I know an elf who told me the same thing. I think you would be good friends."
Eiko gives an excited squeal and smiles widely as she focuses her attention on the older one.
"Kachan absolutely needs a friend! She has none! OUCH! KAA-CHAN!" – Eiko complained when Kana poked her rib.
As they got closer, the girl noticed that Haleth was looking better. Gandalf went ahead, talking to one of the elves, and soon Eiko saw several other elves carrying Haleth, one of them looking like she was crying.
"Where are they taking Hally?" – Eiko asked, clinging to Kana as she got off the horse easily.
"They'll take you to the healing room." – One of the elves said and Eiko peeked, still hugging Kana. Both elves had dark brown hair, pale skin, and gray eyes. Kana would have thought they were Uchihas like her if they too had narrower eyes and more delicate features. – "Welcome to Rivendell."
"Kachan, there are two of them! Are they shadow clones?" – The little girl asked, curious. She's only seen Kana make shadow clones. Even Katsuo only knew how to make henges, not solid clones.
"I don't know what clones are, but yes, there are two of us, little one." – One of them replied, smiling and pointing to himself. – "I am Elladan and this is Elrohir. And you, young lady, what is your name?"
"Hm… I…" – Eiko looks at Kana who nodded. – "M-my name is Eiko."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eiko." – Elladan smiles. Eiko hides her face in Kana's neck, a little intimidated by their beauty. The elves stare at the older one, waiting for her introduction.
"Kana." – The eldest says, simply. After the introductions, Gandalf explains to both of them how he urgently needed to see Elrond, as he had terrible news.
Eiko paid no attention. She preferred to absorb, in the comfort of Kana's lap, the entire elven edifice, waving to some of the passing elves with an excited smile. When they arrived in a room with many books, there was a man – no, elf – sitting at the table and the little girl opened her lips at the sight of his tiara.
At first, she thought he had very good taste and was quite elegant with the accessory, wondering if she could have a pretty tiara like that until she assimilated the words Gandalf had said when introducing that elf – he was the Lord of Rivendell, which, Eiko quickly concluded, could only mean one thing.
"A king! A real king!" - She admired, blinking in fascination. Kana sits down and puts Eiko on her lap.
"We're grateful that you saved one of our own." – A serious brunette elf said to Kana, placing a closed hand on his chest. The "king" and the other elf agreed with the statement, more subtly. The teenager acknowledged with a silent nod.
Eiko jiggled her little legs, studying the place and the others present, being absolutely mesmerized by the elf warrior's blond hair that looked like sunbeams.
"Amazing hair!" - She thinks, crazy with the desire to touch it and see if it was real. It looked very beautiful and Kana always said that things that were too beautiful were usually illusions, something fake. While her thoughts were occupied with the very important question of whether the golden hair was real or not, Gandalf gave a brief introduction of Kana, saying that he had met her during his captivity after the duel with Saruman.
Elrond received the news gravely, shaken by Saruman's betrayal and worried about his friend's use of the word "captivity", as well as looking anxiously at the distracted child.
"This is disturbing news indeed, Mithrandir. However, at the moment, your health must prioritize these matters, especially the child. I would like to see the extent of the injuries if that is possible, Lady Kana."
Eiko pays attention again. The youngest Uchiha then notices that everyone is looking at her, from King El-something, the brown-haired elf who looked very serious, the shiny-haired warrior, and the old man-who-was-not-evil. Kana sighs, somewhat relieved.
"I would appreciate that. The village healer couldn't pay much attention to Eiko when there were others with more serious injuries."
Eiko frowns and crosses her arms defensively as the king approaches.
"Nope. I don't need It. I'm not sick." – The little girl says, puffing out her chest. It doesn't matter that there are places that are hurting, she wasn't weak!
"Eiko." – Kana says, exasperated. "I saw the wounds when I bathed him, did you forget?
"Is nothing. It doesn't hurt."
The older elf tilts his head and smiles reassuringly.
"Maybe should be better if the healer decides that?" – Eiko almost gives in. There was something that made her trust the elf king, a feeling that she was going to be all right.
"But I want… I need to be strong. The weak do not survive. And only the weak need healers!"
Elrond frowned, and behind him, there was tension at the child's words.
"Eiko, strong people need healers too." – Kana tells her softly, rubbing her thumb against Eiko's wrist.
"Then why do you never seem to need one?" – Eiko shot back, chest tight. The child turned on Kana's lap, standing in front of her and looking at her in defiance.
"If I were hurt, I'd see a healer." – The older Uchiha explained and Eiko shook her head, denying it. Tears and sobs began to come out of Eiko.
"L-liar! You-you-were bleeding! The bad old man hurt you! A-and- you didn't see any healers!" – Eiko sobbed, crying and hugging Kana desperately.
"It's the forest again! I will... I will... see you dying, but Lele won't be able to help!"
The eldest looks at Eiko with surprise, as she didn't imagine that the child still remembered that. Neither was Kana expecting that Eiko was paying attention to the state she was in when she entered the inn – apparently, Eiko was far more perceptive than Kana gave her credit for.
"Uchiha genes are something else." – Kana thinks and sighs, resigned, stroking the top of the girl's head.
"I'm not hurt. But if that worries you... Lord Elrond, would you mind checking my health too?"
"No, I would not mind It."
Eiko looked at the elf in surprise and then at Kana.
"S-seriously? Is Kaachan really going to let a healer see if everything is okay? Like really, really?"
"Hai, hai." – Kana said, rolling her eyes and then taking Eiko off her lap, in front of Elrond. – "But first, you."
The Lord of Rivendell examines the child first, concerned about the injuries but concluding that there really was no serious harm. He is surprised, as are the other males in the room, when without any hesitation, Kana removes her shirt for examination, revealing a strip of bandages to cover her chest. Elrond thought she would do it later, although, with Eiko's anxious gaze, it was no surprise that the teenager did so soon after. Erestor excused himself, hurrying out of the room, even the tips of his red ears, but Glorfindel and Gandalf stayed.
"You are in perfect health, Lady Kana. Although…"
He stopped, looking hesitantly at the child. The young woman he had examined was not hurt, but there were a few scars that stood out on her pale skin. One was partially covered by the straps tied to the torso, but some of the cut ran from the sternum to near where the fourth or fifth rib on the left side should have been. There were two scars on her back, one that he could guess was the same gash on her chest, which meant a sword would have gone through her, and another in a circular shape a foot below the back of her neck, the same pattern he'd seen on her wrists. Though the scars were little more than fine ridges, on the skin like hers, almost free of blemishes, it was noticeable anyway.
It was the child who spoke about the scars, however, not Elrond. The little girl looked intently at the older one's wrists.
"Those weren't Itachi who did it. It was the bad old man, wasn't it?"
"Mn." – Kana replied, shrugging her shoulders and putting her shirt back on. Gandalf approached her, making a move to grab her wrists, but Kana quickly took a step back.
"The other scar." – The shining-haired warrior spoke for the first time since his introduction. Eiko found his voice very pleasant. "No one would have survived that."
Kana winces, but it's the only sign she's heard him. Eiko feels the eldest's hand in hers, a sign that they should leave the room. The youngest understands what "Golden Hair" said, but she thinks he was wrong. After all, Kana was alive next to her.
"I thank you for your hospitality. If I could go to my room?" – Kana asked and Elrond nodded, asking the warrior to show him where they would be. Eiko was pleased: the warrior was very handsome, and his hair was amazing, better even than Lele's, and that was a big deal, on Eiko's head, so she wouldn't mind staying a little longer in the company of the brilliant warrior.
"Actually, it would be nice if he was my friend. Lele let me play with his hair, I'm sure if I were friends with him, he would also let me play with his hair... Oh! And Hally too! But... I don't know his name. I can't be friends with him without knowing his name, right?"
Eiko frowns and looks curiously at the warrior.
"Hey, what's your name again?" – She questioned and the elf turned his attention to the child, surprised by the sudden question.
"Glorfindel, young lady Eiko."
"Oh, come on!? Why does every elf have a difficult name?" – The little girl thinks, pouting.
"Gor…Glor…F-finny…del? Gorfin... uhg! It's hard!"
He smiled, ruffling her hair.
"Someday you get it."
"Can I call you Glorius? Just while I still can't get his name right. Because, like, it totally suits you and is so much easier?"
He laughs, a rich, musical laugh that impresses both Uchihas, because wow, his laugh was like music.
"How can I refuse such a flattering nickname? Yes, Lady Eiko, you can call me that."
Kana watched as the elf's expression softened as he spoke to Eiko, inwardly agreeing with the younger one. The elf really did have something glorious about him, and it wasn't just his hair.
Inside the Rivendell lord's office, the wizard and elf sit more comfortably as they prepare for a long and painful conversation.
"How are you?" – Elrond asks and he wants to know about the mental part as much as the mage's physical health. They had been betrayed by Saruman, but knowing the admiration and respect Mithrandir had for the white mage, the pain of betrayal should have been much stronger.
The Maia sighs heavily, shaking his head.
"I never imagined he would do that. How could he, Elrond?"– The Maia asks, raw emotion in his voice. – "I barely recognized him, in his corruption. The things I saw... the vileness that was in his Tower, that only then could I perceive its extent..."
The elf waited until his friend was ready to recount how, exactly, that treachery had taken place. He listened without interruption to how Gandalf had sought advice from Saruman, the strange omen of death the wizard had felt as he rode to Isengard, how his once-friend was using the Palantír, and the attempt to bewitch him to join him and Sauron.
"Then we duel. I always knew his power surpassed mine, and whatever happened to him made him stronger, though much crueler and darker. He took my staff and threw me to the top of his Tower. That's where I met Kana."
"Your new and rather reserved friend."– Elrond said, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Oh, you have no idea." – The wizard snorted and the elf watched with growing interest.
"The young woman, if she really is a young woman, is quite a mystery. The most I've gotten directly from her is her name and how much she cares about her adopted children – though she insists they're her siblings, I've lived long enough to recognize a mother's love when I see one. The rest is all my inference. But I can't really get angry with her withdrawn nature, not after meeting her as I did."
The Maia looked away and shuddered; a tense atmosphere weighed down on him.
"Elrond… it was awful. She had been under torture for some time, that much was clear. You saw her slight look: he left her with minimal food and water for who knows how long; she never told me. He immobilized her with chains made of evil magic, chains that pierced her wrists, her ankles, and her back. He also blinded her. That's just the things I've seen, and I'm not sure the orcs who brought her food ever…" - He made a vague gesture, which the elf understood immediately and felt a shiver of dread.
"I don't know how much of her distrust is a result of what Saruman did to her."
Silence fell between them, and the elf took in the report with acute unease, thinking of someone else who had been subjected to this kind of torture: his wife. That was too close to home. He needed to think about something else, needed to focus on anything else.
"Why…" – Elrond begins, though his voice cracks a little. – "Why would Saruman need to chain her and blind her? And how is she with only a few scars that look like they were from years ago, instead of the state she should be in?"
"The scars and her state of health are…complicated to explain. I will get there. But as for Saruman doing what he did, it's because Kana is powerful. Very powerful – you felt it, didn't you? When you checked her health. The wave of pure energy flowing through her body; it's not magic, and I have no idea what it is, but it's certainly a power Sauron would want to use. She did not accept his offer and I believe Saruman was pushing her to the limit until she could no longer refuse. I suspect she was a real threat to Saruman, or he would not have taken such drastic measures. I fear to think what would happen to have her as an enemy, and I've only seen a little of her skills."
This alarmed Elrond. In all the years he had known the mage, that honest admission that he feared having someone as an enemy was what alerted him to threats of gigantic magnitudes.
"Do you trust her?"
The istari took off his hat, rubbing a temple.
"I want to trust her. And yet, I don't know... I just don't know her enough."
The Lord of Rivendell, contemplating the elder's anguish and conflict, perceived that Gandalf had felt some kind of connection with the young woman; he was intrigued by the facets he was discovering of the dynamic between them. Therefore, Elrond pushed his own doubts and worries away from the woman and focused on his friend's apprehension.
"It's all right, Mithrandir, do not fret so much. Why don't we start with what is already known about her?"
The eldest nodded, his weary face softening and a minimal smile of gratitude directed at the elf.
"She is badly hurt, and I am not saying just about the physical aspect. When I offered to check her health the first time, she was still blind, and I didn't warn her that I was going to touch her; she reacted badly to physical contact. Saruman was also holding her family hostage, and now two of her family members are missing. She helped me escape. I wouldn't have left there if it weren't for her."
A slow smile appeared on Elrond's lips. Though he did not discount Gandalf's concerns about her being powerful, he could see a fair nature in the woman.
"She saved a group of women; an elleth of my people, even."
Gandalf nodded, and then added the last relevant information in a whispering tone:
"And about her blindness and her body in good shape? That's because she died and came back to life."
The elf's eyes widened and he let out a surprised sigh before his body relaxed considerably since hearing Gandalf's worries.
"A human returned from the Halls of Mandos? But that would mean... Eru Illúvatar himself allowed her to return to life. Mithrandir, Mellon nin, I think this answers our question."
Rivendell is without a doubt the best place Eiko has ever been in her short life. The place was beautiful, the food was good, the smell was pleasant and everything had a certain grace and cleanliness. But best of all, it was the people – mostly elves. They were pleasant to see and to hear, and they always seemed to coo about her and to be especially kind to her.
Eiko was sure that, in a little while longer, she could be friends with all of them. But for now, she would settle for her friend Hally, who was still a stubborn sleeper most of the time (Eiko squealed in delight and hugged her heartily when her friend actually talked back to her), the majestic Glorius, who she, unfortunately, hadn't seen much beyond that time she'd seen him in the gardens and Eri, the all-serious elf who'd run out of the office when Kaachan was being examined, but who was really nice when he was with Eiko - which happened quite often since Kaachan spent hours helping out on patrols, as there was a possibility of finding information about Katsuo and Riki that way. The last of her friends was Bill, a short, funny hobbit – almost her size – who told her the best stories.
She was sleeping better too, without so many nightmares, and she knew that Kaachan was sleeping better too if only a little. Eiko is pretty sure it's because of the calming music the elves occasionally sang.
And finally, despite missing her siblings, having Kana all to herself was good. Kaachan still spoke little and had that strange habit of staying out of sight, albeit close by, when others approached, but Eiko had gotten a lot of warm hugs from Kaachan in the last few weeks. More than she could remember since… ever.
"Sooooooo, Hally, when are you going to be totally healed?"– Eiko, sitting on the bed with Haleth, asked, turning her head to look at the light brown-haired elf who was braiding her hair. The elf blinked in surprise, before giving her that smile that made Eiko annoyed because it wasn't the "real smile".
"Soon, my little friend."
"Hally. You're a terrible liar." – Eiko says, shaking her head with an "ah, ah." – "But don't be sad, I'm still not good either, Kaachan said it's just practice. Anyway, I don't know why you're lying to me, but I really wish you were healed soon. I want to play with you so much! You could even teach me how to make that crown of flowers you told me about the other day."
Eiko doesn't look at the elf as she rambles on about the things she wants to do, oblivious to the elf's mixed feelings of affection and sadness, she thought about how that little one was the only thing that gave her peace since she realized still be alive.
Haleth didn't expect to make it out of the White Tower alive – the truth, in those days before her rescue, she yearned to simply die. When she becomes aware enough of her surroundings and realizes she is in Rivendell, there was a mixture of relief and frustration in her heart. She might as well have faded right then and there, if she hadn't been the tiny figure, who chattered away incessantly, in a childish, vibrant voice that snapped her out of her dark thoughts.
Haleth recognized that voice – at some point, her brain, even confused, could tell that the little girl had been talking to her, and touching her gently at times. So Haleth, for the first time, contributes to the little one's conversation and was quite surprised by the kid's hug and excitement. Haleth saw her other friends, who came to visit and voice their concerns, but being around anyone other than Eiko or Kana was difficult.
Kana was the name of the woman who saved her. She usually made no attempt to converse with Haleth, sometimes simply present in the room to be close to Eiko, Haleth supposes. In search of the light and innocence that only a child could give, and that was more effective than any balm for a broken soul. And Haleth had no doubt that that was what Kana was – a broken soul – as she recognized something of herself in her savior. Maybe that's why she found it easy to be around Kana: she never asked her how she was, didn't tell her she was going to be fine, didn't even look at her with pity.
Haleth smiles bittersweetly as she finishes Eiko's hairstyle – here were two broken souls seeking hope through a child. A quest, at least as far as the elf was concerned, would be in vain. After all, Haleth didn't see how Eiko, even with all the purity and love she had to give, could fix a fading elf.