[Ealasaide]

Benia

Benia awoke to the lightest touch of a hand, the gentle smoothing of a stray hair away from her face. Opening her eyes, she looked immediately to Dúlrain to make sure that he was still breathing, to see if his color had improved. She was startled to find him not only awake, but propped up on one elbow. And smiling. Her heart rejoiced at the sight of his clear gray eyes, lucid again at last.

"Good morning," he said softly.

Afraid that she might be dreaming, Benia reached out and laid one hand gently against the side of his face. "You're awake," she murmured. "Please, by all that is true, tell me that I am not dreaming."

Dúlrain reached up and enfolded her delicate hand in his. "You are not dreaming, fair lady. I have indeed lasted the night and awake feeling much better."

"The Valar be praised." A radiant smile broke across Benia's face. She bent forward to kiss his forehead, but the Ranger bent forward as well, intercepting her and touching her lips with a tender kiss of his own. Closing her eyes, Benia kissed him back, letting all of the love she felt for him flow through her lips to his. Nearly overcome with the intense mixture of joy and longing she felt for him, she wished that that single kiss could last forever.

Letting her lips linger against his, she whispered, "I was so frightened for you."

"Be frightened no more, my love," he whispered in return. "I shall not leave you."

"My love," echoed Benia, and they kissed again. When she finally drew back from him, her amber eyes sparkled through tears of happiness, as her slender fingers intertwined with his. Then, suddenly, she laughed.

"Good morning," she said, the realization striking her that she had never answered his greeting.


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Nerindel's Post - Vanwe

Not to far away another was rousing to the harmonious sound of birds singing, slowly opening her eyes Vanwe realised that she must have fallen asleep while speaking with Léspheria in the garden. A light mist clung stubbornly to the ground and dew clung to her hair and the blanket someone must have put over her while she slept. She felt refreshed and well rested, no nightmares or thoughts of her mother had plagued her dreams that night. She gasped in wonderment as the suns first rays spread out over the eastern horizon washing the valley in its golden light, chasing away the predawn mist. Pulling her blanket tighter, she sat for a moment just gazing idly at the beauty around her, listening as the birds of the valley greeted the new day. And in that moment of peace and tranquility Vanwe felt free and unburdened the woes of her life swept carefully aside so that she could enjoy the simple pleasure of watching the sun rise.

However, the trails of her life could not be so easily swept aside and even as she looked out over the valley she could not help but wonder if her mother was out there somewhere waiting for her to deliver her father. How long would she wait and what would she do when she realised that her daughter was not returning. Vanwe worried that by not returning she would bring more trouble on the elves, but she could not betray her father. The healer in her still wanted to believe that her mother suffered from some illness, a sickness that infected her mother like some evil poison making her do the terrible things that she was accused of doing, something she could heal. But the part of her that remembered the treatment she had received at the hands of her mother, the part that remembered her mother had abandoned her to the harshness of the hardrim desert, already knew that her mother was beyond any help or redemption. Closing her eyes she sighed wearily then turning away from the beauty of the new dawn she walked back toward the house.

As she drew close she could hear two voices, one she recognised as Lespheria's and another she did not know. "I have just left master Dúlrain's room and it will please you to know that his fever has finally broken and he is awake," the unkown voice was telling Léspheria.

"Indeed that is wonderful news, Celebnariel, and Miss Nightshade, she too must be relieved by this news?" Léspheria replied.

"Indeed I believe she will be when she awakes to find her young man awake before her," the unknown voice replied lightly. Vanwe too found herself pleased that the ranger was well after their efforts to save him and that Miss Nightshade was still with him and not with the bounty hunter, Léspheria had explained to her the previous night how the southern woman had come to end up in Rivendell though the fact that Kaldir was also nearby made her more than a little uncomfortable.

As she reached the open glass doors, she saw that two baths had been drawn, two large metal tubs sat in the middle of the room, the delicate aroma of lavender and rose hip rising in the steam coming off the hot bubbly water. Lespheria sat in a robe combing down her long dark hair, wet from the bath that the elf had obviously just taken. another elf the bearer of the unknown voice poured another jug of hot water in the second tub to keep it warm, but at her approach both women stopped what they were doing and turned to smile at her.

"Good morning," both women greeted pleasantly, "Did you manage to sleep well?" Léspheria asked.

"Yes, I did sleep well, thank you," she replied honestly.

"Vanwe, This is Celebnariel and she looks after the guests of Rivendell and some of the rest of us too" Lespheria laughed introducing the tall elven woman.

"I thought that you may be indeed of a warm bath and some fresh clothes after your journey," the other elf smiled warmly, indicating both the bath and a fresh set of clothes that sat on a nearby chair.

Vanwe looked down at herself realising that she still wore the fine mint silks of her mother’s gown, now smeared with the blood of those her mother saught to destroy but that she had helped to save, an irony was not lost on Vanwe as she slipped out of the fine garment and handed it to Celebnariel.

"I will see that it is washed and returned to you," the elf smiled taking the delicate gown. Vanwelooked at the dress for a moment wondering if she ever wanted to see it again, but nodded her thanks all the same. Slipping into the warm water she closed her eyes for a moment as her tense muscles relaxed.

"If you should require anything further myself or any of the other attendants of the house will be more than willing to help," the elven attendant said as she moved towards the door, Vanwe nodded her thanks, then Celebnariel turned to Léspheria, "I will have breakfast brought to you presently my lady," then a slight smile of amusement crossed her lips as she told Léspheria that the ranger Amandur had asked after her several times and as vanwe looked at Léspheria she was sure she saw the confident elf's pale cheeks colour ever so slightly as she replied.

"You may inform him that I am well and will speak with him shortly, after I have checked on my patients." with an amused grin Celebnariel nodded and silently left pulling the door behind her.

As Vanwe washed Lespheria told her the news that Celebnariel had brought with her, the news that Dúlrain was awake and that his fever had broken, She also informed her that the hobbit Toby longholes was in Rivendell and seemed to be favouring the company of Mrs Banks. "They say he came in with Kaldir and the ranger Rauthain."

Vanwe nodded relieved that the hobbit had managed to escape her mother, or at least she hoped he had escaped. There came a knock at the door and Léspheria rose to answer it, returning shortly with a tray laden with breasfast. After drying and slipping on the pale green elven dress that had been left for her she joined Lespheria and together they sat down to eat.

As they ate Léspheria delicately brooched the subject of her mother again, telling her that she could teach her how to resist her mothers intrusions. Vanwe accepted Léspheria's offer and they began at once, it was more difficult than Vanwe had first imagined, but with Léspheria's gently instruction she slowly began to build up a mental barrier. It was weak at first, but Léspheria assured her it would get stronger with practice.

By mid-morning Lespheria stopped the lesson telling Vanwe that she must check on her patients, Vanwe nodded her understanding. She was eager to go find her father and speak some more with him, tell him of the things she had learned. The two women left together and as Léspheria entered the halls of the healers Vanwe carried on towards the stairs that lead to her room, but as she approached she heard a familiar voice, one she had not been expecting. In fear she pressed herself against a pillar so she could not be seen, as the debonair form of Avanill walked across the hall, he was speaking with two elves and she strained to hear what they were saying.

"The young elf, Vanwe is well, and is she is currently in the company of the Lady Léspheria," one of the elves was telling the young man.

Vanwe did not wait to hear any more she slipped away back down the hall, she did not know why he was here, but if her mother had sent him, she would not lead him straight to her father, instead she decided to explore the halls of the elven house until Léspheria was again free and she could share her concerns with her.