Remember How I Love You (Sequel to 'Through Fire and Water')

I'll Catch You

"I'm curious, as I'm sure you can imagine, what were you doing down that ravine?" Hellebore asks. He's sat on a chair by my bed and we've just finished eating a meal.

"I was being trapped"

Hellebore laughs. "Perhaps I should rephrase. What I mean is, how did you end up trapped?"

"I was out in the forest. A warg thought I'd make good meal. I ran but the ground was muddy, I threw myself into that tree rather than fly into the ravine, it was the only thing I could use to stop myself. The warg knocked the tree down, my foot slipped between those branches and I went down with it. I'd been there maybe two days when you found me"

Hellebore's quiet for a moment but then he asks another question.

"What were you doing alone in the middle of nowhere? Unarmed and without as much as a sturdy pair of shoes"

I don't really want to talk about that. It hurts even thinking of home and there's a lump in my throat that I can't quite get past.

Hellebore watches me fight through my emotions without changing his expression, his blue-grey eyes fixed on my face, never wavering.

"I was being stupid. I'd fought with my husband and I'd run off and... And I got lost... And... I was too far from home. It was so stupid and childish. Legolas was right, I'm no better than a child"

"Legolas?"

"My husband. When we were fighting he called me a child. I guess my running off only confirmed that. I've always been too much of a child"

Hellebore is quiet as I close my eyes, resting my head back against my pillow and hating myself. "Take me home, Hellebore. Please" I whisper.

"Soon" he says gently, putting a hand on my arm "When this storm let's up we'll talk about it. But I'm not taking you anywhere until you're a little stronger"

"But Hellebore, my kids... I need to see them" I sob, choking back the tears.

"I know. But with the weather like this we can't go anywhere. I don't have any way of moving you safely and if something went wrong and you bashed your leg you could hurt it even more and never be able to use it properly again. We're in the middle of nowhere and there's only the two of us here so we can't even get a message through. I'm sorry Ana, you're just going to have to wait a little longer"

Hellebore looks genuinely sorry as he says this. There's a crushingly resolute truth to his words that offers no way out and he knows it. "Rest" he says in a flat voice, standing up and signalling the end of our conversation. "I have kept you from sleep too long, you are still weak and must be tired"

I say nothing as he leaves the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Legolas' P.O.V.

"Legolas?" a voice whispers and the sound seeps into my sleeping mind. "Legolas?"

I let my eyes flicker open but it takes me a moment to place where I am, peering around until I identify my surroundings to be Estel's room. Nemir is stood next to Estel's bed, which I am currently sharing with my daughter. Nemir sees my open eyes and smiles.

"Good morning, although it's nearly afternoon"

"What?" I ask, rubbing my eyes blearily and carefully removing myself from the bed without waking Estel.

"You slept in, you really slept in"

"Thalion" I say as my brain slowly wakes up and I realise I should have been awake and looking after the kids hours ago.