The Witch of Mirkwood

Chapter 12 - Healing

They walked in silence for a while as Legolas lead the way, reaching for her hand occasionally to help her step over any large roots or rocks. He concentrated on listening out for danger as he glanced back every so often to make sure Nicassius was still behind.

"How long until we reach Rivendell?" She eventually asked him

"We are not going to Rivendell we are heading back to Mirkwood" he replied not looking back

"Mirkwood!" She exclaimed shocked, she was completely disorientated and had assumed they were still heading for Rivendell.

"Yes, we doubled back on ourselves when we were captured by the orcs, Mirkwood is closer, we should be there soon" Legolas turned back to look at her, she had stopped walking and looked horrified

"But the king? He thinks I am a witch, he will throw me back into prison" she leaned breathlessly against a tree.

"I will explain things to my father...." She cut him dead, "Your father!? You are Thranduil's son?" She had not realized, she thought he was a hunter not a prince!

"Yes" he laughed amused at her shocked expression "do not be afraid" he said as he took her hand and they began to walk again. She followed nervously, unsure as to what would happen to her next, as they carried on silently, she felt like she was being lead to her doom.

Legolas stopped suddenly, listening intently as Nicassius almost crashed clumsily into the back of him, he turned to face her and she was about to speak when he pressed his fingers against her lips silencing her as he listened. They heard a whistling noise from a distance, Legolas whistled back. Then from out of the trees came a group of elves, Nicassius stepped back nervously as she recognized one of them as being her previous captor. "Its ok" Legolas said reaching for her arm bringing her back towards him.

They greeted Legolas kindly and spoke to him in elvish as they eyed her suspiciously. She did not understand the conversation between them but he held onto her arm the whole time as though he was expecting her to run off. Eventually they began to walk again, the group of elves escorting them as Legolas pulled her in front of him and gently pushed her along to follow them.

"What is happening?" She asked him

"Everything is ok" he reassured "just keep walking, we are nearly there"

Her heart sank as they came face to face with the huge doors of Mirkwood once again, they walked silently through and she turned to look at Legolas for reassurance but she could not see him, he had dropped back towards the last of the group and was deep in conversation with another elf. They carried on walking, she wanted to turn and run to him but she couldn't. A young male elf took hold of her arm and lead her through a corridor as the group dispersed, she looked back searching for Legolas but he was no longer in sight. She was lead to a room that looked clinical, like an infirmary.

"Wait here" she was told as he left and closed the door behind him. She turned around and scanned the room, there was a bed made up with clean white sheets and shelves on the walls with jars and vials of what looked like herbs and medicines. There were no windows but there was a soft white light that glowed from a lantern on a table in the corner, next to it was a tray covered with metal surgical looking instruments and some clean folded towels.

The door opened again and a female elf came in holding some garments, she placed them on a chair and told Nicassius she could change out of her damp clothes if she liked. Then she left and closed the door. Nicassius picked up a pale blue cotton tunic from the items, there were also matching cotton trousers with it and it had beautiful stitching on the neck and sleeves. She put them on, glad the get out of her wet, dirty clothes. She sat on the bed as a feeling of dizziness took over her and she felt a wave of panic like she needed to get out of there, she walked to the door in her bare feet, opened it and stepped into the corridor, she started to run in the opposite direction when she saw a male elf coming towards her, her legs were heavy and she felt like she was being pulled back, the same feeling she got in her dreams when the darkness engulfed her. She turned a corner and someone grabbed her around the waist, lifting her into their arms, she looked up to see Legolas holding her. She pressed her head into his shoulder as he carried her back to the room. He laid her back down on the bed.

The other male elf came into the room behind them, he looked older and was dressed in white clinical clothes.

"let me take a look at her" he said to Legolas as he moved out of the way to allow the healer in "don't be afraid Nicassius" he said calmly as he began to examine her, taking her pulse and her temperature, then he went to one of the shelves taking down a vial of liquid and pouring some into a small cup. He handed it to Legolas "give her this, then she must rest" he said as he smiled at her then he left the room.

"Why did you run?" Legolas asked her as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You left me, I didn't know if I was going to be thrown back into the dungeons" she replied softy

"I am sorry, I am still trying to explain things to my people, I will not let them put you back in the prison" he reassured, "drink this" he said handing her the cup "you must rest, you are exhausted and this will help you sleep". She drank then lay back as Legolas stroked her hand until she drifted into unconsciousness.

Days must have passed as Nicassius fell in and out of sleep, tormented by the dreams and exhausted from the fever. The healer would come every so often to check her and at some point she was moved to a more comfortable room. She barely knew Legolas was there as he sat by her side for hours at a time, holding her when she was woken in the dark of the night from the bad dreams.

She slowly began to recover as the fever lifted and she regained some of her strength. On the fifth day she opened her eyes. She was in a large room, with soft curved walls and she was lying in a big wooden bed, that had beautiful carvings of trees at the head and foot. The furniture was of the same carved wood, intricate and detailed, there were tall wooden candelabras on each side of the room and smaller ones on the table, in the corner there was a bathtub and a wooden chest with more candles. She was alone and climbed out of bed wearily clutching her aching ribs.

There was a knock and a female elf entered carrying clean towels and her clothes, they looked like they have been washed and lay neatly folded in her arms.

"I though you might be feeling strong enough to take a bath" she said as she place the towels on the chest in the corner and left.

The bathtub must have been filled with water before she even awoke. She dipped her fingers in, it was warm and most inviting so she undressed and climbed in. The water was soothing as she submerged into the deep tub dipping her head beneath letting her long dark hair float above. She could have stayed there, letting the feeling of weightlessness take the pain out of her aching limbs, but she needed air and as she pushed her head above the water she nearly jumped out of her skin when she opened her eyes to see Legolas standing in the doorway.

"Don't you knock!" she spluttered as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wiped her hands across her face.

"I am sorry" he laughed "I should have knocked, but I am glad to see you are awake and looking much better"

She felt awkward, like she was seeing him again for the first time. He looked so regal standing there in a shiny blue tunic, and she remembered he was the prince and that it wasn't the first time he had seen her naked. She didn't know what to say and he sensed her awkwardness.

"I will leave you to your bath" he said and he excused himself as she slipped back beneath the water to cool her burning cheeks.

She laid in the bath until the water became too cold to bare. Her thoughts haunting her now as she had no sense of belonging in this world. She did not belong with the people of Rohan, and had no urge to go back there, expect to see her family of course. Who was she? Who were the people her father found dead in the woods, were they even her parents? They could have been anyone, a nursemaid and a servant escorting her back to her real parents, or an aunt and uncle taking her on a day trip. She knew nothing about them and the thought was deeply saddening.

Stepping out of the bathtub she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror hanging on the wall. Stopping to look at the woman staring back at her that she did not recognize. She looked thinner, not surprisingly. The marks on her face had faded and we're almost gone, her usually olive skin looked pale and her eyes looked darker somehow, she tore herself away and put on her clothes. She sat on the edge of the bed brushing her fingers through her damp hair when there was a knock on the door.