Nin Chronicles: My Greenleaf

He Wants What?

"My lord?" a voice hissed. "My lord Harune?"

Harune opened his eye with a groan. He forced his head off the pillow. He could make out a dim figure standing in the doorway of his room. He wondered what time it was. It must be the middle of the night!

"Yes?" he inquired.

"My name is Calais, and I am training to be a Healer. My mentor sent me to say you are needed . . . urgently, my lord. At once."

Harune hurled himself out of bed, flinging on his dressing gown the wrong way round. "Oh valar, oh valar, oh valar, please spare me this pain." Murmuring prayers, he dashed past the startled apprentice and rushed for the healing wing. "Not my son. Please not my son. Legolas . . . oh valar!"

Healer Jailil turned around as Harune skidded to an unbalanced halt in the room. He took in the elf's white face and wide eyes, and remarked, "Gracious, I never would have expected you to worry."

"What?" Harune snapped. "How could I not be worried? The ones I love most in possible lethal danger and you expect me not to worry? Now, what has happened to them?"

Understanding dawned on Jailil's face. He shook his head. "You thought Thranduil or Legolas—? I see."

Jailil moved aside, explaining with a calm expression, "Landion wants you."

Harune's eyes opened wide. He grabbed a hold of the bedpost the steady himself, his usually calm demeanor rattled. "What?"

Healer Jailil gestured to Landion's bed with a tip of his head. Harune's eyes took in the shaking form buried beneath the blankets and his ears picked up small whimpers. His shaken appearance disappeared as he sat down on the edge of Landion's bed, his mind returning to a similar situation occurring between Thranduil and Legolas some time ago.

"Landion?" Harune said softly. He reached down and folded the blankets down, revealing the elfling's tearstained face.

Landion looked up at Harune. Burying his face in the mattress again, he mumbled, "No, it is all right. You can leave. You do not want me. I am nothing but an unwanted leaf on a tree."

"Oh, Landion, that is not true," Harune said in distress. "I was surprised, that is all. I am here to comfort you. It never occurred to me you cared for my presence."

"But I do," Landion mumbled, dragging himself into Harune's lap. "Please stay with me?"

Harune wrapped his arms around Landion and slid into the bed. "Of course I will. Sleep now, and be comforted knowing you are not alone."

"I will be one day," Landion said softly as he closed his eyes and fell into his worst nightmare; dreaming about being a ward of the castle, unwanted and unloved.

Harune said nothing as he reached down to pull up the blankets. Healer Jailil blew out the candle. His footsteps walked out of the room. Harune leaned back into the pillows, feeling Landion clasped to his chest as he thought about the elfling's words.

Landion yawned and opened his eyes. He shifted, uncurling his body as he wriggled out of Harune's arms and stretched. He jumped as he saw Harune was awake, looking at him.

"You are awake," Landion said. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Harune replied. He slid his arm across the bed to touch Landion's cheek with his fingers. "I will come back at dusk."

"Must you leave?" Landion asked in dismay.

"Yes," said Harune. "I have work to do." He lifted the blankets and slid out of bed.