Nin Chronicles: My Greenleaf

Searching And Finding

Landion opened his eyes to the same sight he had been seeing for days now; the beams of the ceiling above him. A sense of dread weighed down on his heart. Surviving each day in grief was hard. A tear welled up as he thought of his dead mother and aunt and trickled down his cheek. Their deaths were his fault! He had been the one who led Thranduil and Legolas into the trap. He had been the one whom his mother had come looking for, even when he had tried to warn her to stay away. It was his entire fault. He wished he had died with her, like he deserved to for what he had done. He deserved the festering wounds Lord Katar's branding irons had given him, and he deserved more. He deserved the pain he lived in.

The door to his room opened and Healer Jailil walked in with a bowl of warm water in one hand and a cloth in the other. He smiled at Landion. Landion knew what Healer Jailil had come for; the daily cleaning of the branded marks on his body. He wished he would be left alone, to rot. Without a word, he rolled over and let Healer Jailil do his work. He hissed as the wet cloth touched the wounds and clenched his teeth.

"Where is Nigella?" Landion asked in a forced voice, trying to distract himself from the pain.

"She has gone home," Healer Jailil replied.

Landion heaved an inward sign of relief. He had hated Nigella's pampering and Syron's concerned looks and questions. He was glad they were gone. All he wanted was peace and quiet, so he could die without trouble.

Healer Jailil finished his work and picked up the bowl of reddish water and the stained cloth. With promises to be back soon, he hurried out of the room.

Landion buried his face in the pillow, hoping Healer Jailil would take his time. An overwhelming sense of fear attacked him. He did not want to die. He wanted to live. He wanted someone like his mother he could hold onto and trust for comfort. But no one knew how he felt and no one could offer him the love he needed for no one else had been through Lord Katar's tortures. Silent tears soaked his pillow.

He looked up as soft footsteps crossed the floor to his bed. Harune sat down beside him and smoothed the damp hair from his forehead with a kind smile. Landion looked up at him before he hid his face in the pillow again to muffle his tears.

"Is Legolas all right?" Landion asked finally. "And Thranduil?"

"Yes, Harune answered. "Both of them are fine. They are resting together."

Landion's lips trembled as he thought of Legolas, sleeping happily in his father's arms. He had not lost anyone. He still had someone to love and cuddle him. He remembered Thranduil holding him and Legolas after Celebrail had been taken away. Thranduil's arms had been nice, and his presence strong and calming. A thought flashed across his mind; Thranduil knew how he felt. Thranduil had suffered with him. Thranduil could help him.

"I want Thranduil," Landion began, raising his head out of the pillow to meet Harune's surprised gaze with desperation in his eyes.

Harune hesitated for barely a minute before he agreed to Landion's request. Landion rolled over and let Harune pick him up. He winced as Harune's arms snaked over his wounds and lifted him from the bed. Harune stepped out into the hallway.

From down the hall, Healer Jailil caught sight of him. The bottle slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor, where it shattered into crystalline green fragments amidst a pool of milky liquid. Slipping over the liquid, muttering and cursing, the elf hastened toward Harune, demanding with fury, "What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

Landion looked up at Harune, pleading with his eyes for him to take him to Thranduil.

"Landion has asked for Thranduil," Harune said. "I believe Thranduil can help him more then anyone else can."

"Thranduil is injured!" Healer Jailil hissed. "He has enough on his mind already!"

Harune blinked. "My son has a strong body as well as he does a strong mind and heart. I am well aware Thranduil is injured but, if you will be so good as to add a small bed to his room, I am sure Landion will be more then happy to be in the same room as him."

Healer Jailil frowned. He looked at Landion and his resilience melted at the pleas in the elfling's eyes.

"Very well," he said grudgingly. "I will have a bed fetched."

Landion heaved a sigh of relief. Even if he could not be with Thranduil, he could at least be in the same room as him. Harune continued walking. As he entered Thranduil's room, the elf king looked up, his fingers still tenderly stroking Legolas's face. Landion swallowed.

"Landion would like to be with you," Harune said, his eyes meeting Thranduil's.

"I do not know if Landion can be in the same bed as me," Thranduil apologized. "But he can stay in the room."

"Healer Jailil is bringing a bed," Harune answered.

Healer Jailil marched into the room, directing the efforts of two young apprentices struggling with the bed they held. "More to the right—no—noo—left! Left! Straight—straighten it out, I said! Look out! Keep your voices down; this is a healing room! Left! Left! No, right. Yes, good. Set it down."

Grumbling, the two elves let the bed down to the floor in the position Healer Jailil desired. Brushing themselves off, they fled from the room before their mentor could find any other exerting tasks for them to perform.

Harune set Landion down in the fresh sheets of the bed and tucked him in against the pillows. Landion rolled onto his side to face Thranduil with a tired murmur of thanks to Harune. Within minutes, his red eyes slipped close.

"You see how much happier he is already?" Harune said to Healer Jailil.

Healer Jailil frowned. "Yes, quite so. You will have to look after him. That is to say, since you have gone through all the trouble of moving him here, he is your responsibility."

Harune smiled. The healer was tired and annoyed by his day. Taking the elf by the shoulder, he steered him out of the room, saying, "Come; what you need is a strong cup of wine."