Day 31 - Sweet Dreams
Title: Sweet Dreams
Author: Grundy (jerseyfabulous)
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tolkien and Whedon. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Her great-aunt Findis is in Lorien to help with Anariel’s healing. (Things may not go as smoothly as expected.)
Word Count: 825 (before I edited in the LJ post window and Word hung on me so I couldn’t get an updated count. Definitely more than 800 and less than 3000.)
Note: I skipped a few bits, and this is not as long as I was hoping to make it, but it does tie into what’s next for Anariel, and is how I wanted to close out the month, so here it is. Also, I know I’m behind on comments, but limited internet means I can post or I can respond to comments, but both takes longer (and more patience) than I have. I’ll do my best to catch up tomorrow/Monday.
Findis, former High Queen of the Noldor, watched her grandniece settle in for the night with a watchful eye.
Anariel had woken for the first time that morning after sleeping for ten days straight, not counting a handful of brief interludes where she had roused just long enough to attend to bodily functions and eat whatever high energy foods her father put in front of her.
But today the girl had been properly awake, all day. She was rather put out about the state of her body, for she was used to injuries healing significantly faster than normal elves. Findis and her siblings had been told that before, of course, but it was one thing to be told and another to fully understand. She certainly hadn’t grasped the full meaning of ‘Slayer healing’ until faced with Anariel’s dismay at the concept of bones still healing two to three weeks after they had been broken.
Anariel had, to her father’s apparent surprise, been a surprisingly restful patient even once awake. But she had been startled to discover that Elrond was the only one in Lorien with her - less that he was there, than that he had left her brothers to settle into their new lives in Aman with only her mother, sister, and doubtless every other relative they had.
So it was that Elrond had been persuaded to take a short trip home - though it would be rather longer than it might have been had he agreed to let Melian or Tindomiel transport him. Just as Anariel’s California power apparently shortened healing, Tindomiel’s could shorten journeys. (Privately, Findis thought Tindomiel’s ‘key’ much more useful.)
At any rate, they expected Elrond and the rest of his family - well, Celebrian and the children, and possibly Elwing - back in a week or two. Anariel had promised her father - at some length, and with a truly astonishing number of loopholes nailed down that wouldn’t even have occurred to Findis - to behave herself and obey not only Findis, but any other healer assigned to look after her, and Irmo and Este.
Findis wasn’t sure what was more remarkable about that statement - the idea that healers would be ‘assigned’ to look after Elrond’s daughter rather than vying eagerly for the chance to meet the newly arrived princess of the Noldor, or that Anariel needed to be told to obey two Valar.
Irmo and Este had seemed more amused than insulted by the proceedings. Then again, they considered Elrond’s children kin, and Este in particular had been doting on Anariel as much as possible most of the day. Irmo had been a bit more reserved, and if Findis hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he was a bit puzzled by the girl.
Findis meant to discuss it all with Elimmire, who had accompanied her to Lorien for the duration. Just as soon as Anariel was well asleep.
The girl had dropped off to sleep quickly enough, but something wasn’t quite right.
Findis was already on the point of requesting Este’s presence when the girl cried out.
It was more confusion than pain or fright, but there were undertones of both in her voice.
Findis urgently sought Este, and was surprised to find that both she and her husband appeared.
Findis reached for Anariel, intending to wake her. But Irmo held up a hand in what was unmistakably a command.
“No, do not disturb her.”
“But, my lord,” Findis protested. “If her sleep is troubled…”
“I suspect it is troubled indeed,” Irmo replied, focused intently on Anariel. “But I also fear we would do worse harm in waking her than in letting this dream run its course.”
“She has not cried out again,” Este added soothingly.
Findis glanced from the pair of them to Anariel.
Had the girl looked at ease, she would not have argued, but Anariel was plainly not at ease - her body was already curled up and drawing ever tighter into the position a child took in the womb.
The healers who had served in the War of Wrath had returned with the knowledge that such posture was a sign of an elf who might be appear healthy in hroa but whose fea was badly injured. Many freed from Morgoth’s dominion over their mind had been found so. He had no longer cared how badly he damaged them once it was clear he had no further hope of using them against his foes. Findis had wished never to see it again, least of all in one of her young kin.
“My lord, my lady,” she began, surprised they did not recognize Anariel’s distress.
But that was as far as she got.
Este shook her head in a gentle but definite refusal.
“You are dismissed for the evening, child,” she said softly. “We will be with her through the night, and beyond if need be. As long as it takes.”
“Please speak of this to no one as yet,” Irmo added, his attention on Anariel. “We would discuss it with her first.”
Findis nodded curtly, and took her leave. The only comfort she could find in this unsettling turn of events was that Irmo had looked every bit as troubled by it as she felt.
Author: Grundy (jerseyfabulous)
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tolkien and Whedon. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Her great-aunt Findis is in Lorien to help with Anariel’s healing. (Things may not go as smoothly as expected.)
Word Count: 825 (before I edited in the LJ post window and Word hung on me so I couldn’t get an updated count. Definitely more than 800 and less than 3000.)
Note: I skipped a few bits, and this is not as long as I was hoping to make it, but it does tie into what’s next for Anariel, and is how I wanted to close out the month, so here it is. Also, I know I’m behind on comments, but limited internet means I can post or I can respond to comments, but both takes longer (and more patience) than I have. I’ll do my best to catch up tomorrow/Monday.
Findis, former High Queen of the Noldor, watched her grandniece settle in for the night with a watchful eye.
Anariel had woken for the first time that morning after sleeping for ten days straight, not counting a handful of brief interludes where she had roused just long enough to attend to bodily functions and eat whatever high energy foods her father put in front of her.
But today the girl had been properly awake, all day. She was rather put out about the state of her body, for she was used to injuries healing significantly faster than normal elves. Findis and her siblings had been told that before, of course, but it was one thing to be told and another to fully understand. She certainly hadn’t grasped the full meaning of ‘Slayer healing’ until faced with Anariel’s dismay at the concept of bones still healing two to three weeks after they had been broken.
Anariel had, to her father’s apparent surprise, been a surprisingly restful patient even once awake. But she had been startled to discover that Elrond was the only one in Lorien with her - less that he was there, than that he had left her brothers to settle into their new lives in Aman with only her mother, sister, and doubtless every other relative they had.
So it was that Elrond had been persuaded to take a short trip home - though it would be rather longer than it might have been had he agreed to let Melian or Tindomiel transport him. Just as Anariel’s California power apparently shortened healing, Tindomiel’s could shorten journeys. (Privately, Findis thought Tindomiel’s ‘key’ much more useful.)
At any rate, they expected Elrond and the rest of his family - well, Celebrian and the children, and possibly Elwing - back in a week or two. Anariel had promised her father - at some length, and with a truly astonishing number of loopholes nailed down that wouldn’t even have occurred to Findis - to behave herself and obey not only Findis, but any other healer assigned to look after her, and Irmo and Este.
Findis wasn’t sure what was more remarkable about that statement - the idea that healers would be ‘assigned’ to look after Elrond’s daughter rather than vying eagerly for the chance to meet the newly arrived princess of the Noldor, or that Anariel needed to be told to obey two Valar.
Irmo and Este had seemed more amused than insulted by the proceedings. Then again, they considered Elrond’s children kin, and Este in particular had been doting on Anariel as much as possible most of the day. Irmo had been a bit more reserved, and if Findis hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he was a bit puzzled by the girl.
Findis meant to discuss it all with Elimmire, who had accompanied her to Lorien for the duration. Just as soon as Anariel was well asleep.
The girl had dropped off to sleep quickly enough, but something wasn’t quite right.
Findis was already on the point of requesting Este’s presence when the girl cried out.
It was more confusion than pain or fright, but there were undertones of both in her voice.
Findis urgently sought Este, and was surprised to find that both she and her husband appeared.
Findis reached for Anariel, intending to wake her. But Irmo held up a hand in what was unmistakably a command.
“No, do not disturb her.”
“But, my lord,” Findis protested. “If her sleep is troubled…”
“I suspect it is troubled indeed,” Irmo replied, focused intently on Anariel. “But I also fear we would do worse harm in waking her than in letting this dream run its course.”
“She has not cried out again,” Este added soothingly.
Findis glanced from the pair of them to Anariel.
Had the girl looked at ease, she would not have argued, but Anariel was plainly not at ease - her body was already curled up and drawing ever tighter into the position a child took in the womb.
The healers who had served in the War of Wrath had returned with the knowledge that such posture was a sign of an elf who might be appear healthy in hroa but whose fea was badly injured. Many freed from Morgoth’s dominion over their mind had been found so. He had no longer cared how badly he damaged them once it was clear he had no further hope of using them against his foes. Findis had wished never to see it again, least of all in one of her young kin.
“My lord, my lady,” she began, surprised they did not recognize Anariel’s distress.
But that was as far as she got.
Este shook her head in a gentle but definite refusal.
“You are dismissed for the evening, child,” she said softly. “We will be with her through the night, and beyond if need be. As long as it takes.”
“Please speak of this to no one as yet,” Irmo added, his attention on Anariel. “We would discuss it with her first.”
Findis nodded curtly, and took her leave. The only comfort she could find in this unsettling turn of events was that Irmo had looked every bit as troubled by it as she felt.