Daughter Of Lórien || Book 1||

Ch 12 ~ The Healers Wing

Marching into the healers wing I order my brothers to sit on two of the beds as I go around preparing bandages and mixing salves. My healing gift is nowhere near as good as my father's but I am still the best of my siblings, and probably of all of Mirkwood. As I finish up making the various salves, I mindlessly wipe my hands on my clothes and gasp, as I remember what I had been wearing. I glance down at my nightgown, the white material now smeared with the colors of whatever salve I had just made and cringe.

That'll leave quite a stain.

I make a note to clean it out later, to save the maids from doing the hard work.

I go to Elladan's bed first, considering he has a broken leg, and order him to stretch it out. He winces, but obeys the command.

"I'm guessing you broke this trying to climb a tree with that sprained ankle of yours?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

He grins sheepishly.

"You know me too well, Celé- ouch!"

He yelps in pain as I begin to bind the wrappings around his ankle.

"Not so hard!" he growls.

I smirk at him.

"Oh quit your complaining, you'll be fine," I say, rolling my eyes. "I know what I'm doing."

His face is pale and he frowns at me, but I ignore him, finishing up on his leg. I move to the other side of his bed and start patting ointment at the many bruises and cuts across his face. Finishing cleaning him up, I hand him a piece of ice and tell him to hold it on the bump on his head. Taking it he places it on his head, and then lies down to rest. Satisfied, I move onto Elrohir.

"You're in a little bit better shape than Elladan," I joke, and the sight of him grinning, even with that black eye, makes me chuckle. "I see nothing can dampen your spirits."

He laughs and then shrugs, looking over at Elladan.

"A broken leg might have done the trick."

I roll my eyes and start to clean up his face.

"You were pretty stupid to let him climb a tree with a sprained ankle," I scold him as I work. "You should have done it yourself."

His smile falls.

"I know," he mutters sourly, looking down at the floor. "I wasn't thinking."

As I finish up, I look at his downcast face and sigh.

"Just rest up Elrohir," I say, placing a hand on his shoulder and handing him some ice for his black eye. "We're all safe now."

He suddenly looks up at me, his features distraught.

"But that's what is bothering me Celé." His voice is soft but full of dismay. "When it mattered most, I couldn't keep the two of you safe."

He gestures between Elladan and me, a defeated expression on his face, and then holds his head between his hands.

"I am the eldest, that's my job," he whispers and his grey eyes fill with shame. "And I failed."

I sit at the edge of his bed and give his hand a small pat.

"Elrohir, you didn't fail," I reassure him gently. "We're all here and all in one piece.... more or less."

I glance over to Elladan with a smirk, and a smile slips past Elrohir's lips.

"That counts as a success in my books," I murmur, giving his hand a small squeeze. "Ada and Nana would be proud."

He smiles at me, but his eyes fill with sadness again as my words stir an old memory. His shoulders droop, and he turns away from me.

"I miss Nana," he whispers, his voice strained.

His words hit me hard and I feel my eyes sting with tears as I turn to him and whisper back.

"I miss her too."

At the hurt in my voice he starts and turns back to me, his own sorrow neglected for the sake of reassuring his younger sister. He squeezes my hand, the warmth of the action soothing me.

"She misses us too, wherever she is." He gives me a smile. "I know she does."

I nod with a small smile and then turn to leave the room but Elrohir's voice stops me.

"It's funny..." He says sadly and I turn back to him.

"What is?"

His lips upturn as he looks at me. "In so many ways, you remind me of her."

I know his words are meant to be consoling but they fill me with sadness instead. I force a small smile onto my face if only for his sake, and then go about the room blowing out the candles, composing my image into that of the overprotective sister once more.

"Get some sleep," I whisper to my two brothers, and then walk out of the dimmed room, heading for my chambers.

As the door to the healers wing closes behind me, I let the mask fall, sinking to the ground and letting sadness consume me, as the silent tears fall freely down my face.