See Ch. 1 for disclaimer.

Ch. 11 A Restless Night

"How is he?" Herendil asked as he quietly slipped into the room.

"He is asleep," Tavaro answered. "I kept him in the bath for as long as I could, but he could barely stay awake."

Herendil peered down at the sleeping figure, curled tight within a cocoon of blankets, the damp blond hair spread out in a cascade on the pillow. The child had regained very little colour and looked oddly fragile. "The healer has arrived. Shall I send her in?"

Tavaro nodded. "Other than the massive bruise on his back, he does not appear to be harmed elsewhere, but I will feel much better if the healer confirms that is the case. Please send her in. I will try to wake him."

"He will be all right, Tavaro. Fret not." Herendil grasped his friend's shoulder briefly before leaving the room.

"Legolas, wake up. Come on, little brother, the healer is here to tend to you." Tavaro shook his brother gently.

Legolas moaned softly. "Tired."

"I know you are. You may sleep later, as soon as the healer has checked you over. Come, can you sit up for me?"

Tavaro had just succeeded in easing his brother into an upright position when the door opened once again and Herendil re-entered the room, followed by the healer.

His eyes on his brother still, Tavaro reluctantly ceded his position by the bedside to the newly arrived elf.

"Tavaro?" Legolas was still trying to take in what was happening in the room through half-focused eyes when he felt his brother's presence leaving his side.

"I am right here, Legolas. The healer needs to tend to you now," Tavaro said quickly.

Legolas turned toward the sound of his brother's voice and seemed to be reassured when he caught sight of Tavaro standing but a few steps from his bed.

"Hello, Legolas, how do you feel?" the healer asked gently as she laid a hand upon the still pale face.

"Tired," Legolas said groggily. "I want to sleep."

"I will try to be quick so you can go back to sleep," the healer said soothingly. At the slight nod in response, she continued. "Now the first thing that I need to do is to listen to your breathing. Do you think you can help me to take your tunic off?"

Again, Legolas nodded, and began to tug weakly at his sleep tunic without much success.

"Let me help you, Legolas," Tavaro stepped forward and eased the tunic over his brother's head, wincing in sympathy at the spreading bruise that marred his brother's back.

"Can you breathe deeply for me, Legolas?" the healer asked as she pressed her ear close to the elfling's chest.

After the fifth breath, Legolas began to cough. The healer sat back and patted the young elf's shoulder reassuringly. "That is fine, Legolas. Now I need to look at your back. Can you turn a little for me please?"

Legolas could not help but gasp and flinch as the healer's gentle fingers pressed against the darkening bruises on his back. Though his eyes watered from the pain, he bit his lip to prevent giving further sound of his discomfort.

"I am sorry, Legolas. I know it must be very sore, but I must ensure that nothing is broken. You are being very brave, you know. I am sure even a grown-up would be crying aloud by now by all this probing." At last, she withdrew her hands. "There, that is all for now. Let us put your tunic back on again and tuck you into those blankets. I can see that you are cold still."

Legolas was asleep even before the last blanket had been tucked carefully around him.

"Is he all right?" Tavaro asked anxiously as he rested a gentle hand upon his brother's still head.

"Let us leave the room. He will not be waking soon," the healer said.

The others were waiting for them in the sitting room and all looked up with nervous expectancy as the healer entered, followed closely by Tavaro and Herendil. Vanye sat with Roitar huddled closely in her protective arms, the latter looking pale and more than a little frightened still. Baragallon, wrapped in a blanket, was hunched over a glowing brazier as his fingers curled around a steaming mug in his hands. Aradun sat by his side.

"Is he all right?"

"How is he?"

Tavaro and Vanye both spoke at the same time. Though Baragallon and Aradun had remained silent, the same questions could be seen in their eyes as they watched the healer unblinkingly.

"He seems quite well, remarkably so considering what he has gone through," the healer said. "And he shows no sign of disorientation. You saw how he seemingly understood and followed my instructions. Though he is still chilled, his skin is not inordinately cold to the touch. All in all, he is in remarkable condition. Unless he develops some unforeseeable complications, I believe he will be fine after sufficient rest."

"Unforeseeable complications? What unforeseeable complications?" Tavaro was quick to ask.

"He may have ingested traces of water into his lungs which can lead to infection from the water itself, or from the impurities that may be in the water. At the moment though his lungs sound quite clear, but such infection will not show itself immediately. You will need to watch him carefully over the next two or three days for any signs of distress," the healer explained.

Tavaro frowned, clearly not liking what he was being told. "He was coughing when you asked him to breathe. Is that a concern?"

"Unless it worsens, no, then it is not a concern at this time. The cold water no doubt has caused some irritation to his breathing tract. I will leave some herbs for a tea that will help to sooth his throat. Unfortunately, I have lost much of the healing herbs to the floodwater, including those which may be helpful to your brother in the event that he does develop complications. My cottage was one of those closest to the river." She looked at Tavaro apologetically.

"Can we not try to get more of those healing herbs?" Tavaro asked. "If Legolas needs them --"

"He may have no need of them. Right now, all that he appears to need is rest and warmth, and he is getting that. Let us not worry until the situation does arise. In any event, the herbs are difficult, if not impossible, to find at this time of the year."

Tavaro's frown deepened as he struggled to seek reassurance in the healer's words. Deep down he knew the healer was right. It would serve no purpose to worry about a need that may not arise, though his mind was not inclined to behave sensibly at this moment. "What about his back? The bruising is severe."

The healer nodded. "And no doubt quite painful, but there are no broken bones. Warm compresses will help to sooth the pain. Right now he appears not to be bothered by it as he is sleeping deeply. Let him sleep undisturbed as his body needs the rest to restore itself after such a traumatic experience."

"He is not going to die?" Roitar at last spoke up, his voice uncertain and tremulous.

"No, Roitar, he only needs rest, then I am sure he will be fine," the healer said gently.

The child's breath was caught in a half-sob and Vanye's arms tightened around her son. "It is all right, love. Legolas is going to be fine."

"I -I th-thought Legolas was go-going to die and - and it would be all m-my fault," Roitar said brokenly through his sobs. "I am s-so s-sorry!"

Tavaro knelt down before the sobbing child and stroked the dark hair gently. "Everything is all right now, Roitar. Legolas will be up and about before you know it. He is going to be fine. You will see." He did not know whether he spoke these words to reassure himself or to comfort the distraught elfling before him. They probably both needed the reassurance, he thought.

Vanye looked at him with grateful eyes. Tavaro acknowledged the wordless gratitude with a slight nod and slowly got to his feet to thank the healer.

"Thank you for tending to Legolas," he said to the healer as she began to don her cloak.

She smiled warmly. "You are more than welcome. Your brother is a very brave elfling."

"Or a very foolish one," Tavaro smiled rather grimly. "Nevertheless, you have my thanks."

"Though I hope it will not be necessary, but please do not hesitate to send for me should the need arises. Vanye, these are the herbs for the tea for Legolas. Brew it for an hour and give it to him should he continues to cough when he wakes." The healer set down a small cloth bag on the table. With a parting nod, she turned and made her way out of the door.

Tavaro took in a deep breath and turned to Baragallon. The latter stood quickly when he saw that Tavaro meant to speak to him.

"Baragallon, I cannot express my gratitude for what you have done today. Legolas owes you his life," Tavaro said, his voice tight with emotions.

Baragallon bowed his head. "I could not have done less, my lord. The accident should not have taken place in the first place had I been more vigilant in my watch over the younglings."

"Do not belittle what you have done, and certainly do not blame yourself. You risked your own life today to save Legolas. And for that, I am forever grateful, as I am certain, will the King. "

Baragallon inclined his head further. "Thank you, my lord. I merely did what was needed to be done. Dwell on it no further, my lord."

Tavaro grasped him briefly on the shoulder. "Thank you, Baragallon. I meant what I said. I must now return to Legolas. You too should rest, for you have certainly earned it."

Legolas was still fast asleep when Tavaro returned to the room, and continued to do so for the remainder of the day and into the night. As the night deepened and his brother showed no indication of awakening, Tavaro finally gave into his own exhaustion and slipped his weary body in between the warm sheets.

Sleep overtook him almost immediately, though it was plagued with incessant nightmares in which time and time again, Legolas was drowning before his very eyes and tried as he might, he could not move as much as a finger to go to his brother's aid. At last he awoke, gasping in fear as images of the last nightmare whirled vividly in his half-conscious mind. In a flash, he was out of his bed and hurrying to where Legolas laid tangled in blankets. He desperately needed to be reassured that his little brother was still breathing, and well. With a shaky hand, he reached out and touched the face of his sleeping brother. The blessed warmth that greeted his fingers made him nearly weak with relief and he sank into the nearby chair with a silent prayer of thanks to the Valar.

After his heartbeats resumed a near normal pace, Tavaro began to straighten the blankets that twisted around his brother's sleeping form. It would seem that Legolas' sleep had been as restless as his own. Even as this last thought crossed his mind, his brother let out a soft moan and one of his arms flung out without warning.

"No! Cannot -- cannot breathe! Water --, cold --" Legolas was muttering fearfully as he continued to thrash about in the tangled blankets.

"Wake up, Legolas! It is only a dream. You are safe now," Tavaro called out softly as he tried to restrain his restless brother.

"No! Cannot breathe! Help me --". Legolas fought desperately to free his arms from the hold that held him tightly, unwittingly trapped in the throes of his nightmare. Suddenly he fell back onto the bed. As his bruised back took the unexpected impact, he cried out in pain and was at last released from his nightmare.

"Legolas?" Tavaro called out with concern. "Are you all right?"

"My back hurts," Legolas moaned as he once more rolled onto his side. "What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare," Tavaro said gently.

"I was drowning," Legolas said in a half-whisper. "It was all happening again." He began to shake uncontrollably.

With infinite gentleness, Tavaro gathered his brother into his arms. Despite of his care, Legolas could not help but flinch as his brother's arm came into contact with his battered back.

"I am sorry, Legolas," Tavaro said and was about to ease his brother back onto the bed when Legolas grasped his tunic.

"No, please - please just hold me," Legolas whispered.

"But I am hurting your back," Tavaro said.

Legolas turned his face into his brother's chest. "It is comforting to feel you near. Perhaps the nightmares will not come back."

Tavaro eased back against the headboard of the bed and allowed his brother's weight to rest against his chest. He reached out with one arm and pulled the blankets over both of them. "Go back to sleep, Legolas."

Legolas shifted slightly and wrapped one arm around his brother's neck. "Do not leave me."

Tavaro gently cradled one arm around his young brother's waist and held him close, as he pressed his lips to the top of the bright head. "I will be right here, Legolas."

Within minutes, the soft rhythm of his brother's breathing told Tavaro that Legolas was once again asleep. The weight of his brother on his chest was oddly comforting and he realized he needed Legolas' presence as much as his brother needed his. Legolas may be right. Perhaps now the nightmares would not come back.

Just as he was about to be overtaken by sleep, a cry cut through the silence of the night. It was Roitar. So Legolas and I are not the only ones having a restless night, Tavaro thought sleepily. His ears then picked up the sound of soft soothing voices. Herendil and Vanye would be with their child now. Soon silence once again reigned in the night. Tavaro's last thought before his consciousness fled was whether Baragallon would be the next victim to fall prey to these nightmares. Somehow he did not think so.

TBC