[maikafanawen]

Annanoldowen watched as they lay Sir Thagon on a small cot and covered his body with a thin white sheet. He was to be buried at dawn the following morning. She turned to see to a guard of Swan House that had been brought into the long chamber wing now surrendered as a hospital. It was then that a maid beckoned for the elf.

“Lady, do you know the whereabouts of Lady Taralphiel?” Annanoldowen shook her head absently.

“She was here a minute ago but—I don’t recall where she said she was headed. Anything I can do to help?” The maid shuffled her feet.

“Well, two little girls and one older girl have just arrived. They are from the village. It looks like they saw some of the battle.” Annanoldowen stood quickly, tumbling the saucer of gauze she had been cleaning.

“The village was attacked as well?” Closed up in the hospital wing taking care of those in the House that had been attacked, she hadn’t thought of the village. Now she realized that she should have known both places would have been attacked. The damage done there was indisputably far worse.

“Yes,” she said quickly. “I can see to them. Where are they?” She bent gracefully replacing the gauze that had fallen into the bag of dirty rags yet to be cleaned and set the saucer on the table. “Wyerwen, will you please continue cleaning the rags. And Irigon needs his bandages changed, it’s been five hours.” Annanoldowen turned as six pairs of feet shuffled into the room and before her stood three village girls. One, the tallest, swayed on the spot and would most likely fall if the two younger girls didn’t hold her up.

“Here are Fiona, Rian, and Elena,” said the maid, pointing to each girl in turn. There was barely a moment of hesitation before Annanoldowen took Rian into her own arms and rushed her into the nearest bed. The maids in the chamber paused in their duties to gasp at the elf’s sudden strength.

Dipping a clean rag in cool water she dabbed it on Rian’s face. She was conscious but only just.

“It’s nothing really serious,” said the girl called Fiona. “She’s just in shock.” Annanoldowen didn’t smile and instead looked at the girl measuring how she felt and what she was up against. The first thing that she was that the little girl was brave. Yes, and she would be very helpful. The other girl called Elena stood behind her, looking concernedly at Rian. The elf nodded.

“Thank you. I will do what I can to revive her. Now, if you two will go see Rhanien, you will be given something to eat and cleaned up a bit.” With that the elf turned to the child on the bed before her and soothed her throbbing temples with herbs and laid a warm gauze strip across her eyes with lavender tucked into it. She would sleep peacefully for now.

Turning suddenly to the maid who had brought the three children the elf commanded,

“Find Taralphiel and tell her to come here. I’ve just remembered something of great importance that demands immediate attention.” Starting at the elf’s urgency, the maid rushed from the room to summon the Swan Lady. Annanoldowen turned suddenly eyeing the rows of beds that occupied wounded guards and even the occasional maid.

Taralphiel entered not long after, apparently quite flustered.

“What has happened?” Annanoldowen turned calmly and carefully.

“Cartil is in the hands of the wild men and their king.”

Guards were spared to take this message to Laurel and Herebrand. It would have to be up to them and whoever they had with them to rescue the Gondorian politician; Annanoldowen and Taralphiel had duties to the wounded.

“Think of the wounded in the village,” said Taralphiel. The elf nodded. She had been thinking about it, ever since the three girls had arrived just an hour earlier. She didn't look up and continued to apply fresh bandages to an old man's shoulder.

“Should I go to help?”

[ July 13, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]