While Gwin tries to recover, her and Ergothorn spend some time speaking about their lives, and she reflects on her past. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 58

"I was wondering if you could help me change my dressing?" I asked Ergothorn. He agreed, and we quickly did so. He was gentle, and was surprised at how quickly the skin was mending. "Do Elves heal faster than men?" he asked, astonished. "I thought it was just a tall tale, but I see it may be true!"

I smiled at his childlike fascination. "Yes, it is indeed true. I would not say it is twice as fast as the healing of Men, but at least a little quicker."

"How interesting!" he exclaimed, before helping me wrap some clean linen around my shoulder and tying it off snugly. "That should do it for now."

I moved my arm around to test out my shoulder muscles, and winced as the soreness returned. "It will be difficult to fight for some time I suspect, at least with this arm." I was devastated at the loss of my knives; I hoped someone up in Zudrugund had retrieved them for me. My bow had been on my back when I fell, but clearly was ripped off as I went down the river. The bow was somewhat new, and I had no emotional attachment to it, but it was strange not to have one. "Ergothorn, do you have any extra weapons?"

He went and did a sweep of the cave, and came back with a few daggers and a short sword. "Here is what I have as spares. I know it isn't much, but I hope they will be of some use." I picked up one of the daggers and examined it. The hilt was made of bone, and was beautifully carved. "I purchased it in Galtrev, which is the largest city in Dunland, although I think I paid more than it was likely worth." He explained, chuckling.

"Do you mind if I borrow it?" I asked. "At least until I can get some weapons of my own."

He smiled and replied, "You can keep it." I went to object but he held his hand up. "I have plenty of weapons, and you have none. I am more of a sword person, if I am being honest." He gestured over across the fire, and sure enough, a sheathed sword was leaning against the wall. "In fact, you can have whatever you'd like. Take them all if you want!" He added with a cheeky grin.

I raised an eyebrow. "I do not think I have a need for all of these things, but thank you." Considering my options, I decided to also take the short sword. It was no replacement for my long knives, but it had a similar weight. "I will just set these over here for now." I slowly crawled over to where my borrowed sleeping palette was located and sighed; I also had no other clothes besides the damaged, ripped ones I had been wearing. I looked down at myself and reluctantly realized I would be stuck in these oversized ones.

Ergothorn seemed to notice my observations, and smirked. "Unfortunately, I do not carry women's clothing with me, but perhaps I will from now on, just in case another one comes along who needs rescuing."

I rolled my eyes, "Good idea, I am sure they will be falling at your feet, knowing you can give them new dresses."

"What a great point!" he said jokingly. "You will have to tell me of all the latest styles and trends, just so I purchase the best ones."

"I would not say I am the best person to ask about fashion," I said ruefully. "I have spent most of my life in tunics and leggings, as a dress would certainly get in the way in a battle."

He appraised me, "So, you are a warrior then?" When I nodded, he continued, "I assumed so, due to your presence with the rangers and your story about fighting in Zudrugund. Have you always wanted to be one?"

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "Growing up, I enjoyed music. I liked to play the hand harp and sing with my sister, and spent much time outdoors. In fact, my dream had been to play in the grand hall in Felegoth, which is the capital of my realm. It wasn't until my father and brothers passed away that I was forced to reevaluate what I wanted. I had to protect them, so I learned to fight." I shrugged, "There really was no choice for me." I had never truly taken the time to think on these things; I had been a warrior for so long that it felt like it was my identity. Could I have done something else, if circumstances had allowed for it?

"I am sure you are very skilled then," he replied, and I could tell he was trying to turn the conversation a bit so I felt less melancholy. "You would likely trounce me in a contest! I did not learn to fight until recently, and I only know the basics to help protect myself, should I find trouble on the road."

I raised an eyebrow. Map-makers and librarians did not generally look as fit as he did. "Really?"

He smirked, "You assume from my appearance that I must engage in some kind of training?"

I blushed slightly, trying not to react to his teasing. "No…well, yes I suppose."

He shrugged, still smirking a little, "The Rohirrim have this kind of build naturally, from what I understand. I do like to exercise, but mostly in the form of walking long distances in my travels. I am also quite a good swimmer."

His comment made me recall the memory of my father comforting me when I was learning to swim, and I smiled. "When I was young, I was quite afraid to learn how to swim. It seemed more frightening than it actually was, but once my father encouraged me to keep trying, I learned to love being in the water. My mother would call me a fish sometimes, as she would often find me swimming in the pond next to our village, late at night, watching the stars reflect on the water." I looked over at Ergothorn. "I have not reflected on these things in quite some time." I added quietly.

He smiled, "Are they good memories?"

"Mostly," I replied, smiling in return. After a pause, I realized how hungry I was. "Do you have anything else to eat? I do not want to exhaust your supplies, but mine unfortunately are lost." I frowned. "I had some candied apricots in my pack." This made me recall how I had received them, and I turned away to hide my blush, in the guise of looking for the valerian tea. "Looks like I need some more of this."

Ergothorn nodded, "I have some cram and dried meat, but unfortunately do not have any candied apricots." He looked thoughtful. "Perhaps I will need to find some when I am back on the road. They sound delicious!"

I grinned, "They are indeed! It is worth the coin, I assure you."

He brought me some food, and I spent most of the day stretching and trying to get my strength back. I was determined to leave as soon as possible. I missed Candaith terribly, and I wished I had the beryl the twins had given to me that would have led them to my location. I also knew our group needed to continue south, but this thought reminded me of what Halbarad had asked me to consider.

I was yet another burden, especially since I was now injured and would likely not be fully recovered for some time. Perhaps I would be able to ride a horse, but fight? Using a bow would be painful, although I might be able to manage it. The question would be whether or not my aim was off. Would I need to stay on the sidelines while the others picked up the slack? Candaith would likely not mind if I were to do this; it would keep me out of danger. Halbarad, however, may not give so much leeway. It would reinforce why I should return to Imladris.

I ran my fingers through my hair, wincing as I hit a snag and realizing I hadn't properly run a brush through it since yesterday morning. Ergothorn wordlessly handed me a small comb, and I carefully worked out the tangles before braiding it back. I had a wild idea to just take one of the daggers and cut most of it off, but refrained. Candaith would be sad if I did so, as he loved my long hair. I smiled inwardly as I remembered how it felt when he ran his fingers through it, and a spark of desire formed in my heart.

Pushing my worries about the future away, I tried to relax and find things to keep me busy. Ergothorn had many questions about Elvish culture, as he liked to learn new things. "I have never been to an Elven realm, and have read many books regarding the famous tales, but they speak little about daily life." In turn, I asked him to teach me some basic phrases in Dunlendish, as he was fluent. I knew it could be helpful, if I ended up going with my party to Dunland.

Curious about what languages he knew, I asked, "Do you speak Sindarin?" He smiled and replied, "Pedim edhellen (I speak Sindarin)." My eyebrows rose. "I know some of your people's languages; I can read Quenya, but am only conversational with basic phrases in Sindarin."

"Would you like me to teach you a few more things?" I asked.

His eyes brightened, "That would be wonderful!" he said excitedly. We spent the day teaching each other languages, and I found it to be very interesting. The way the people of Dunland sounded was guttural, but when Ergothorn spoke, it rolled off his tongue pleasantly. His Sindarin was also unique, as the tone of his voice was deeper than those of the Elves I knew. He wrote down some of the phrases I taught him, wanting to record them so he could practice. "You never know when you might come across an Elf," he said, winking at me.

"If we had time, I would have you teach me some Rohirric," I said. "Our party is on our way there, and I am unsure if they speak Westron in Rohan."

He grinned, "Now that is a language I would love to share with you, but it is somewhat difficult to learn."

"Even more so than Dunlendish?"

He thought for a moment, "I suppose you have a point. However, it might be hard to keep two new languages straight in your mind. If you accidentally spoke Rohirric around a Dunlending, you might not live to tell of it!"

I chuckled, "It would be quite a costly mistake. I suppose someone in my group must have a decent handle on Rohirric so they can translate for us." I knew Saeradan was good with languages, especially since learning he had taught himself how to read the Black Speech. Some of the others had traveled extensively over their lives, and could have picked up the language along the way.

"There are some who speak Westron in Rohan, so even if none of you know Rohirric, you should be able to get by," he replied. He paused, and I noticed some uncertainty on his face. I waited patiently as I watched him wrestle with himself, and finally he spoke, "What is the errand of your company? It confuses me."

Ergothorn tried to keep his curiosity at bay, but he just couldn't help but ask about what Gwin and crew are trying to accomplish. Will she tell him, or keep it secret? I know you all are wishing for a reunion; try and be patient! Thanks for reading, and leave a review!