19: Recovery

The decision to leave Finrod, Glorfindel and Beleg in healing sleep came easily. Deciding what to do next proved more difficult.

"They should be taken to Lórien where they can be properly tended to," Irmo insisted and the other two Valar were apt to agree with him, but Ingwion strongly objected.

"Findaráto and Glorfindel need to be taken back to Vanyamar," the ellon insisted. "The tourney encampment has not been disbanded. Those warriors are not going anywhere until they know that my cousin and Glorfindel are well. They can be cared for just as easily in Vanyamar as in Lórien and the journey will not be as long."

"Findaráto needs to recover sooner rather than later, though," Námo stated gravely. "The elflings are not taking his absence well. Lindorillë is trying to fade. I have two of my People constantly beside her encouraging her towards Life but she’s refusing the summons, the stubborn little elleth. I fear that only Findaráto can bring her back to herself."

"Then the sooner we stop arguing about all this, the better," Laurendil chimed in. "I agree with Ingwion. We should go to Vanyamar. I think it would be better for those elflings if they see their lord come to Lórien under his own power."

"My atar’s healers are competent," Ingwion added. "Our otornor will not lack for care."

Námo gave the prince a jaundiced look. "Your atar’s healers may balk at having to treat Glorfindel and he may not be too happy to awaken and find himself once again in their care."

Ingwion gave him a crooked smile. "We’ll cross that bridge when we have to."

In the end the Valar agreed to Ingwion’s plan and soon three covered waggons were brought from the city, each one containing a comfortable cot. Each of the sleeping ellyn was placed in one of the waggons along with their attendant Maiar. Laurendil insisted on riding with Finrod while Sador rode with Glorfindel, leaving Ingwion to ride with Beleg. Word spread quickly and when the cavalcade was still nearly a league away from Vanyamar they found the road lined on both sides with Elves. Laurendil ordered the canopies removed so that the people could see Findaráto and Glorfindel. He had to assure the onlookers who called out soft enquiries as to the state of the ellyn’s health that the three sleepers were well and would soon recover.

Slowly the waggons made their way towards the city. When they came abreast of the tourney encampment it was to find an honor guard of warriors — Noldor and Sindar mostly, but also a fair number of Vanyar — who insisted on escorting them the rest of the way. When they reached the city gate, though, it was obvious that the waggons would not be able to make the steep climb towards the High King’s palace, so several warriors simply lifted the three beds onto their shoulders and walked the rest of the way with Laurendil, Ingwion and Sador leading the procession and the Maiar attendants bringing up the rear. It was a sight to behold and few who witnessed it went away unmoved.

As they came to the front portico of the palace they saw the three kings standing there waiting for them. Arafinwë stood between the other two, looking wan and ill; Ingwë and Olwë had to support him. Without a word the warriors put the three beds down before the kings. Arafinwë took one look at the child of his hröa and the child of his heart and openly wept as he knelt between their beds stroking their hair. Olwë became upset at the sight of Beleg but when both Laurendil and Roimendil assured him that the ellon merely slept, he calmed down. Ingwë ordered the beds brought into the palace and soon they were being set within a room in the royal apartments that had been set aside for them. Healers were on hand to check on the ellyn, though Ingwion noted with grim satisfaction that one or two of them flinched at the sight of Glorfindel who slept dreamlessly on with a faint smile on his face.

"We will let them waken naturally," Laurendil informed them all. Although he was but an apprentice healer himself, his standing as a Lord of the Noldor and otorno to two princes of Eldamar gave him more authority than would normally be given him. It also helped that all six Maiar bowed to his decision and Ingwë’s healers had no choice but to accept Laurendil’s authority.

While the three ellyn slept, Laurendil, Ingwion and Sador took turns telling the three kings what had happened. Olwë stared at Beleg in amazement as he sat beside the ellon’s bed, gently stroking his hair. "He will be well, though, won’t he?" he asked Laurendil but it was Roimendil, standing guard at the foot of Beleg’s bed, who answered.

"He will recover, Olwë, but do not expect him to jump out of his bed like an elfling on his begetting day. He may be weak for a time but he will recover quickly enough. And the same is true for Findaráto and Glorfindel," he added for the benefit of Arafinwë and Ingwë. All three kings looked relieved and soon the discussion moved on to the feast that would be held in their honor once they woke up.

****

Finrod was the first to awaken, only a few hours after their arrival in Vanyamar. He opened his eyes and frowned, for he had been expecting to see the rough-hewn stones of the hunting lodge, rather than the tapestried walls of Ingwë’s palace. He turned his head to see his atar sitting next to his bed, apparently asleep, for the king’s breathing was slow and even and his eyelids were half closed. There was no one else in the room who was awake that he could see.

"Atto," he whispered, his voice faint and pale sounding to his ears.

Arafinwë was immediately awake and Manveru was instantly present, smiling down at the prince and giving him a wink when Finrod raised an eyebrow at his appearance.

"Yonya!" Arafinwë exclaimed, going to his knees beside the bed and lifting Finrod up so his head was cradled against his chest. "Are you well, yonya? Oh, Finda, I thought I’d lost you again." The Noldóran started weeping. Finrod just leaned against his atar and sighed.

"I am well Atto, have no fear for me, but please, you haven’t called me Finda since I was an elfling of twenty."

Arafinwë couldn’t help laughing through his tears at his son’s affronted tone. "I’m sorry, yonya, I forgot myself." He gave Finrod a hug and kissed him gently on the head. Finrod gave another sigh of contentment.

"That’s all right, Atto," he said, giving Manveru a mock glare. The Maia merely smiled back with benign indifference. "I just don’t want others to get any ideas."

Arafinwë laughed again as he laid Finrod back down. "I’m sure they won’t. Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

"I could do with something to eat," Finrod averred, still sounding weak. Arafinwë noted, though, that his son’s eyes were clear and the light that naturally shone from them was steady. If anything, it appeared brighter than he remembered it being.

"I’ll have some broth brought," Manveru volunteered and Arafinwë nodded.

"Where is everyone?" Finrod asked in the meantime.

"Beleg and Glorfindel still sleep," Arafinwë answered. "Laurendil, Ingwion and Sador are sleeping as well. They had a long and tiring journey bringing the three of you back to Vanyamar."

"Beleg and Glorfindel... are they...?"

"They are well," his atar assured him. "I suspect that now that you have woken they shall be waking soon as well."

Manveru appeared again bearing a tray with a bowl of broth and some soft bread and a flagon of water. Finrod grimaced at what he considered poor fare but Arafinwë insisted that anything else would prove wasted. "Ingwion became violently ill after the ordeal and the other two weren’t much better off. Have this and if you are still hungry and wish for something more we will see."

Finrod complied and soon he was sipping on the broth and munching on the bread with relish, but he fell asleep again before he was finished with his meal. He lay there with his eyes closed clutching a half-eaten crust of bread in one hand. Arafinwë shared an indulgent smile with Manveru as the Maia removed the tray and the Noldóran rearranged the covers around his son, removing the bread from Finrod’s grasp. "I think I’ll just continue calling you Finda, yonya," he said softly as he gave the ellon a gentle kiss on his brow, "for you are still my elfling." Finrod’s only response was to snuggle further under the covers.

****

Glorfindel woke next. It was an unfortunate coincidence that he opened his eyes in time to see one of Ingwë’s healers bending over him to check on his condition. He gave a yell of surprise and attempted, rather futilely, to escape from her. The poor healer, having only recently achieved her mastership, gave a high squeak and jumped back. Erunáro appeared just then and Arafinwë, who had stepped outside to stretch his legs came running in with Ingwë and Olwë right behind. The other two kings had been returning to sit with the sleeping ellyn after attending to kingdom business. All three of them barreled into the room to see Glorfindel with his back up against the headboard of his bed all the while yelling and trying to fight off a placating Erunáro. The healer merely stood there frozen to the spot, her cheeks red with embarrassment and surprise.

"Glorfindel! It’s all right, hinya," Ingwë shouted over the still yelling ellon. He came to the other side of the bed and attempted to calm the Noldo down.

Glorfindel would have none of it. "Keep her away from me!" he fairly screamed. "No more restraints. I won’t be..."

"Hush now, child," Erunáro said soothingly. "No one is going to restrain you unless you keep carrying on like this."

Glorfindel wasn’t listening. "No, no. Get her out of here, Atto. No restraints. No restraints." By now he was practically crying as both Erunáro and Ingwë tried to calm him while Arafinwë attempted to comfort the young elleth who was wondering what she had done to deserve this particular assignment.

"Glorfindel! Shut up! I’m trying to sleep."

All noise ceased as several heads turned in the direction of where Beleg was lying. There was no sign that the ellon was even awake. His eyes were still closed and it did not look to anyone as if he’d even moved. Finrod, everyone saw, muttered something unintelligible in his sleep, then settled back into whatever dream he was experiencing. While Glorfindel had been raising a ruckus, Olwë had gone to stand beside his nephew’s bed to see how he was faring and was as surprised as everyone else when the ellon spoke out. "Beleg," he said softly, "are you awake?"

"No, I’m not," came the answer, though the former Marchwarden of Doriath never opened his eyes. Instead, he rolled over onto his stomach, pulling his pillow over his head.

Glorfindel glanced suspiciously around as if checking to see if someone was pulling a trick on him. Then he tottered out of his bed and stumbled somewhat uncertainly towards Beleg with Erunáro and Ingwë on either side to lend him support. By now Manveru and Roimendil had also re-appeared and were watching all this with great amusement. Glorfindel stood by the bed with a suspicious frown on his face. Then he gave them all a mischievous look and reached down, running a finger down the bottom of one of Beleg’s feet which happened to be sticking out from under the covers.

The Sinda gave a squeak of surprise and was up and attacking Glorfindel before anyone else could react. "I said I was asleep you stupid Noldo. What part of that didn’t you understand?"

The two ellyn began tumbling around while all three kings tried to separate them. There was much yelling and shouting and even a curse or two in more than one language as the kings and the Maiar tried to bring the two elves under control. The healer, knowing a good thing when she saw it, quietly slipped out of the room, determined to hunt down the Chief Healer and demand another assignment.

"Aicanáro! Angaráto! Stop that ruckus! Do you want to wake Atto and Ammë?"

Now everyone stopped and stared where Finrod was still sleeping, though it was clear that it was he who had spoken. Without opening his eyes Finrod continued speaking. "And make sure Artanis stays quiet. She’s worse than the two of you put together." He then punched his pillow and snuggled back into bed with a contented sigh.

For a long moment they all just stared at the sleeping ellon and then Glorfindel happened to catch Beleg’s eye and before they knew it they were both laughing. Soon the others joined in, not even pretending to be quiet. None of them noticed the satisfied smile on Finrod’s face as the laughter continued.