New Dawn

Chapter 13

My forces, a contingent of thirteen galadhrim hand picked by myself and Lord Celeborn, and I were tracking down these rumours. I remember pinning the source of them... yet I cannot recall where. Nor can I recall any details of the environment I was in or even the enemy I must have met.

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L U M O R N E L
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The twins, I had decided, were much better than Dever.

They weren't brooding spies of gloominess—they were animated, they let me write in my journal, and they had clean bandages! Not only did Elladan had medical supplies, but he had been trained in the arts of healing. His face, however, had darkened upon hearing how I had acquired the wounds.

The uur rauko, apparently, were a plague to all parts of the land.

I needed stitches, something Elladan had to ruin his bow for. My makeshift stitches were made from the bow's string and every time we stopped to rest—I had a sinking suspicion they were only stopping because of me—he inspected me for signs of infection. Although he masked it well, the way only a healer can, I could tell he was worried. My ripped flesh wasn't healing fast enough. I had lost a lot of blood. I was exerting myself—although we all knew I had no choice but to keep moving.

But what was worrying me was the removal of the stitches. Once we reach the Western Hope... a healer would have to pull them out and replace them... I shuddered at the thought.

Not only did they care for my health, including keeping me fed, and after an argument and a threat to chase me down if I left from Elrohir, letting me sleep away from camp after our first meal, they talked to me. Like I was a normal person.

Well not normal, but not like I was a monster. Something to hiss and kick at.

They asked me questions about myself, seeming genuinely interested, and seemed to like talking to me. They shared things about them too. About their sister. Their father. Briefly on their mother. Raids they went on. A man named Estel.

I had asked about my past, if they knew me, why I don't remember anything. But they only said that, no, they did not personally know me, but heard plenty of things about me and that someone else would have to fill me in on my past. They became silent when I pushed for answers. And then, of course, Elrohir had to make some crude and corny joke, followed by a blinding grin.

Five days later, traveling at breakneck speed and moving effortlessly among the wintered trees, I felt as if I had known them for a lifetime.

"Are you sure you aren't hungry?" Elrohir said, quirking a brow. "I think you might be showing a rib or two."

I scowled while simultaneously finishing off the last of the rabbit meat. Ten minutes ago the overly fat rabbit had just finished roasting. Now, the entire poor hare resided in my stomach.

"It's not my fault this thing," I sent a harmless fuzz of white energy towards his chest, fizzingly out at contact, "makes me eat."

It was true, the more I used the thing, the hungrier I became. It was like it fed off my fuel. And after last night, when I had bolted upright from a nightmare, the fear making me practically spew the sun, I had almost depleted my light stores.

"I swear you could be pregnant," Elladan said, sauntering over to pat my belly. "I've only ever seen expecting mothers eat as much as you."

"Actually," Elrohir corrected while I glared. "Estel did consume an entire feast. After he awoke from that sleep father put him in."

"And then he vomited all over Lindir's freshly polished floors," Elladan laughed, then paused. "Maybe he was pregnant."

"Or had worms."