The Littlest Warrior

Elwaith jumped at the chance to be of comfort to Andras; quickly he grabbed his herb satchel and moved to the young elf’s side. “It will be just a moment Andras; I must get the mortar and pestle and boil some water. Is the pain bad?” he asked as he set the herb bag down next to the lad and then moved to prepare the kettle.

“It plagues me Waith, it will not let me rest…and I am so weary – I just want to take the medicine and go straight to sleep.”

The comment stopped Elwaith in his tracks, and he returned and knelt at his friend’s side. He thought Andras’ request to be somewhat odd, and out of character, considering that throughout their journey Andras had distained of taking the potion at all. The mixture, though helpful, was foul of taste and often Andras had struggled with them as they tried to hold him still while Elwaith forced the elixir into his mouth. For him to willingly request it now was odd indeed.

“All right my friend,” he said as he gently placed his hand on the lad’s good shoulder, “I will be quick.”

Returning to the fire Elwaith enlisted Haldir’s help with the preparation of the drug.

“Haldir, would you be so kind as to lend your help with Andras?”

The March Warden immediately put his supper down, and looking to Elwaith responded; "Of course, I would be happy to, what do you need me to do?”

Handing him the mortar Waith asked, "If you could muddle the herbs while I prepare a comfortable place for him to sleep…”

“I can prepare his pallet,” Orophin chimed in, wanting to help.

“Thank you ‘Phin, if you could take care of that then I can make the hydrating liquid for his arm while Haldir makes the sedative.”

The three elves set to work going about their tasks good-naturedly; but while they worked, Andras worked on a task of his own. With Elwaith turned away from him, and Haldir focused on crushing the herbs, Andras slipped a small pouch from Elwaith’s satchel. The pouch was clearly marked, ‘Cowbane’, a very poisonous plant, internal use quite often led to a painful death if the herb was not mixed in the proper dosages. The symptoms were cramps, hallucinations, and eventually paralysis of the respiratory organs, but despite the dangers, this herb, in a diluted form, was used as a painkiller and also as a remedy for epilepsy. In the wrong hands it was deadly, and it was exactly what Andras wanted. As the others worked, he secreted the small pouch in the top of his boot, then sat back and waited for Elwaith.

As the healer worked, Haldir glanced in the direction of their patient, leaning over he whispered in Elwaith’s ear; the elf nodded his understanding and quietly replied, “I will handle it.” As promised Elwaith returned quickly and began at once to gently reposition the arm so that he could soak the bandages with the anesthetizing liquid. Glancing surreptitiously at his satchel he looked at Andras then lowered his voice, speaking just above a whisper.

“I understand gwador, the journey has been exhausting for all; I caught Orophin nodding off a while ago with his stew bowl still in his hands. Had I not shaken him he would have undoubtedly wound up with a lap full of steaming hot stew,” he laughed nervously as he continued, “trust me; that would have been one injury that I would not have looked forward to treating.”

Andras managed a small smile as he answered, “Oh, I do not doubt it Waith, I suspect it would not have been an injury that he would have wanted anyone to treat…and Elbereth knows his brothers would never let him live it down.”

Elwaith smiled as he imagined the tall handsome Warden having to drop his leggings and heaven only knows what else to allow the treatment to take place.

“Yes, I imagine it would have been quite embarrassing! One can only imagine the teasing he would have had to endure from Rúmil, he can be quite the little jester when the three of them are together – the stories Haldir tells of his exploits – I tell you it puts the Elrondions to shame.”

Andras closed his eyes and allowed his head to fall back against the downed tree, then finally spoke again.

“Elrondions…Waith do you really think there is any hope for me? Do you think that Lord Elrond will be able to do anything to help me?”

“I do. I know that now, with everything that has happened, that things seem bleak,” he paused then, placing his hand on Andras’ shoulder causing the young elf to open his eyes and look in his direction. When he was sure he had his friend’s attention he continued…“I can only imagine how frightened you must be…and I know it looks like all may be lost…but I have faith in Lord Elrond, as does Lord Celeborn, he is truly the greatest healer in Arda Andras, it is not an exaggeration. His skill is without parallel…and that is why…”

“Why what?” Andras queried.

“Why you must not give up…why you must have faith, and why you must return the pouch you removed from my satchel.”

Andras' eyes widened, and the shakened look on his face was telling. “Pouch? What pouch? I know not of what you speak,” he said hastily.

Elwaith was unfazed and continued, “The pouch of Cowbane that you took, it was clearly marked. Where have you secreted it? Your boot perhaps? I doubt that you had time to find a more original hiding place.”

Raising his voice and speaking somewhat harshly, Andras responded, “I know not of what you speak healer.”

The tone of his voice drew Haldir’s attention and the March Warden inquired, “Is everything all right Elwaith?”

“Everything is fine Haldir, Andras and I were just having a little ‘discussion’ about his treatment; please finish with the herbs I will need them shortly.”

As the Warden nodded his assent, Elwaith returned to his interrogation of Andras. Locking eyes with the young ostler, the intensity of his stare was enough to make an orc wither back, feeling subjugated. Were that not enough, his words brought home his point loud and clear.

“I have known you since the day of your birth, I was present, assisting, when your mother brought you into this world, and in all that time of watching you grow to your majority, I have never known you to be a liar. Please tell me that that has not changed.”

The young elf’s eyes filled with tears, try as he might he could not sit here staring Elwaith in the face and continue to lie to him. Slowly he reached toward his boot and retrieved the pouch. Handing it over he immediately dissolved into tears, covering his face with his good hand. Elwaith, shushed him, and tried to comfort him as best he could.

“There, there now Dras…no harm has been done…I understand, I do…and we will not speak of it again.”

“The others…?” Andras sobbed.

“There is no need to bring this to their attention, it shall remain between the two of us…we will be in Imladris by morning, and you will no longer wrestle with this enemy.”

“Enemy?” the elf questioned.

“Yes,” Elwaith said softly, “fear.” “It has been your constant companion since that terrible night in the forest. There was no one to help you fight that fear before, but now you have each of us,” he said as he looked back towards the fire to their friends who were working so diligently on Andras’ behalf.

“Once we reach Imladris you will have more; you will have a champion – one who will wrestle this enemy to the ground, and restore not only your arm, but your faith. You will have Elrond Half-Elven, and one could not ask for a stronger ally. He will find the answer, and you will be made whole again, I believe this from the very essence of my being. Try to rest now, calm yourself, and I will be back with the sedative in a moment.”

Approaching the fire, Elwaith knelt and began to pour the heated water into a cup. Haldir did not look up, but continued crushing the herbs in the mortar as he asked, “Did he give it back to you?”

Without missing a beat Elwaith added Haldir’s muddled herbs to the cup and began to stir.

“He did.”

“We must be more careful with him,” the Warden offered.

“I agree, were it not for your vigilance March Warden we might have found ourselves in an almighty ‘unpleasant’ position.”

“Might?”

“My dear Haldir, surely you do not think me so careless in my craft as to leave one as seriously injured as Andras within arm’s reach of any medicine that could be used to…to bring harm? True, I did not see him enter the satchel, but I would never leave the bag unattended if there was anything of a serious or harmful nature inside.”

Glancing furtively over his shoulder at Andras to assure that he was not watching, the elf then turned back to Haldir and carefully indicated the unusual belt he wore under his tunic.

“A little ‘deception’ I picked up from Master Beregnas. It was one of the first things he taught us when he took us as his apprentices…never, under any circumstances leave dangerous potions or herbs unattended. I carry all the dangerous herbs on my person at all times.”

“Then what was in the pouch?” Haldir queried softly.

“A harmless herb, it looks much like Cowbane in appearance, but it is used as a relief for…”

“For what?”

“For cramping…human women use it to relieve the cramps they sometimes experience with…with their lunar cycle.”

“I see.”

“Trust me Haldir, there is nothing in that satchel that he could use, either alone or in combination with anything else that would do him harm.”

“I take it that he is still unaware of…”

“Yes, he has no idea that what he took was harmless; I thought it best to allow him to think that he had come close to achieving his goal. If he knew that he had been deceived…”

“He would simply try again.”

“Precisely. This way he has come to the realization of his wrong thinking on his own; I doubt that he will try this again with us.”

Haldir nodded saying, “You know, of course, that you will have to warn Lord Elrond…tell him what transpired tonight?”

“Yes, I know…but for the moment I think we will be all right…even in his denial, his first thoughts were of us…he worried what the rest of you would think if you knew. I made a promise to him that this incident would stay between the two of us…I saw no reason to tell him that you already knew, it would only have served to further humiliate him.”

“Humm…I agree, he need not know any of this. You do realize though that anyone in the trees…”

“May have already seen?”

“Yes, I know my wardens well; there is little that occurs on the ground that they do not see. Few know it, outside of the Galadhrim, but it was Rúmil who pointed out, during one of our training sessions many years ago, that when guarding anything, it pays to keep your eyes not only on the perimeter, but on the subject at hand; that while you are looking out at the bushes, the real danger may come from within. I have no doubt that he saw everything – and that he saw me see everything.”

Elwaith nodded his understanding, “That explains why he is has not come down from the trees…”

“Precisely. Do not worry, Rúmil is much more circumspect than others give him credit for, he takes guardianship very seriously. He will not speak of what he has seen to anyone until he has spoken to me. As a matter of fact, if you look in that direction I am sure that you will see that he watches over us as we speak.”

Sure enough, as Elwaith searched the trees he finally located Rúmil, and it was just as Haldir had predicted – Rúmil was watching their every move. Elwaith tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement of the Galadhel’s presence, and Rúmil nodded back.

“When we return to the Golden Wood I will be sure to convey to Lord Celeborn how well Rúmil, and all of you, have cared for him.”

“It is not necessary,” Haldir replied, “our Lord Celeborn is wise beyond even our knowing, it was not by accident that he included Rúmil and Orophin in this traveling party. Rúmil may well have the keenest eyes of any elf in Lórien, he will keep us well apprised of any potential attack, and Orophin…,” he paused to compose his thoughts, and then continued, “there is a gentleness in Orophin that is not often seen, even in an elf; a willingness to share even the most embarrassing moments of his life to help another feel better over the embarrassing moments in theirs.” “I have always admired that in him,” he said with a telling look of remembrance. “If there is anyone amongst us with whom Andras would be able to identify, or confide in, it would be him. Orophin… has a way about him, and infinite patience, Andras will need that in the days to come.”

“Did you get it back from him?”

The two elves looked up to find Orophin standing over them, expectantly waiting for an answer, a look of deep concern on his face.

“And as you can see,” Haldir continued with a smile, “Rúmil is not the only one in this family with excellent eyes.”