~

Gimli raised himself up on his elbow to peer over at the elf, checking on Legolas yet again. He occupied a pallet that had been laid out next to the elf's, his cousin's stipulation in exchange for the concession of allowing him to stay with Legolas. The archer was still in what Gimli assumed to be a healing sleep, and in fact had not moved a muscle so far as he could tell since Gimli had arrived some four or five hours before. It was now in the early morning before dawn.

Gimli lay back down quickly before Borli could notice that he was awake. His cousin had extracted a promise of him to rest while he waited for Legolas to wake. Had it been any other among his cousins, Gimli would have argued, but Borli was the healer and arguing with the healer was never a wise idea. He had far too much sense to push his luck. 'And Legolas wonders why Aragorn never puts honey in his healing potions,' he thought. 'If I'd given Mam or Borli a tenth the amount of headaches and backchat that Legolas regularly gives the healer unfortunate enough to be stuck caring for him, I'd have been dosed into a stupor with the foulest tasting tea imaginable! I just hope that the fact that he's in my home keeps him from acting up as he usually does.'

Legolas shifted, muttering in elvish and both Gimli and Borli were at his side in an instant.

“You're supposed to be sleeping, cousin,” Borli growled, not sparing Gimli as glance as he laid his hand on Legolas' brow.

“I was. I'm used to waking about this time, and I've had more rest than I normally do already. Besides, if he's out of it you're going to need my help. He may listen to me where he wouldn't to you or Narin,” Gimli replied matter-of-factly. “He's far stronger than he looks.”

“I'm well aware of that.” Borli turned Legolas' face toward the fire, pulling his hand back when the elf flinched. “Easy now, I'm only trying to help,” he said, his voice taking on a soothing cadence.

“Is he waking?” Narin unrolled herself from her blanket in the corner and moved to the end of Legolas' pallet.

“I think so,” Borli replied. “He's not really aware of what's around him right now. Be careful.” Legolas tried to roll onto his left side, gasping when he put too much weight onto his injured shoulder. A flurry of elvish passed his lips and he rolled onto his right side, curling into a fetal position.

“Here now, lad. Take it easy, you put your shoulder out again,” Gimli said, bracing one hand on the middle of the elf's back and the other on his hip. “Just breathe, there you go. Stay on your right side for now.” The elf's chest heaved. “Easy now, that's it, just breathe.”

“Gimli?”

“Aye, lad, I'm here and I'm fine,” Gimli reassured him, never loosing his grip on his friend.

“Here, I don't want to give him anything for the pain right now but this should make it feel a bit better.” Borli laid a hot cloth on Legolas' sore shoulder and the elf sighed, relaxing a bit.

“That's a bit better, isn't it lad?”

“Aye,” the elf replied, turning his head to look at Gimli. “You are angry with me, Elvellon.”

“Some, but don't worry about it right now. We'll talk about that when you're feeling better.” Gimli helped him roll back onto his back.

“I do not regret keeping you from harm. I would do it again without hesitation, gwador-nin,” Legolas said as Gimli re-adjusted to cloth on his shoulder.

“Aye, I know that, you daft creature. Not an ounce of sense or self-preservation in you at all. You're lucky that you're such a nuisance that Mandos won't have you in his halls.” Legolas laughed quietly, wincing as his shoulder was jostled again.

“Do not make me laugh, Gimli. It hurts.”

“I ought to take the flat of my axe to that narrow arse of yours for being idiot enough to deplete your strength to the point that the cold affected you in the first place,” Gimli said. “And we're still going to talk about that later. For now, you're going to drink some broth and go back to sleep for awhile.”

“Yes, Naneth,” the elf replied, but half-heartedly at best.

“And if you're not putting up more of a fight than that you really are in sad shape, elf.” He didn't react to the face that Legolas pulled at him, knowing that had Borli and Narin not been present it might have been accompanied by a rude gesture or comment. “Now, since I know you were out of it earlier and probably don't remember, these are my cousins: Borli, our healer, and Narin. Cousins, this is my friend, Legolas.”

“At your service, and that of your family,” Legolas said, nodding to both of them. “Or, I will be as soon as I am able.”

“There's no need to be formal now, Lord Legolas,” Narin said. “No one would expect it as you're hardly at your best.” She slipped an arm under his shoulders, careful not to jar the injured one, and lifted him to rest against her shoulder. “Here's some broth for you.” He drank obediently when she held the mug to his lips.

“Thank you, it is very good.” He glanced up at her. “Gimli's family has no need to call me 'lord', my lady.”

“The one who pulled my cousin from a river and kept him alive through a blizzard has no need to call me 'my lady',” she countered, holding the mug to his lips again. “My name is Narin. You may use it as my cousins and brothers do.”

“I am honored to do so, thank you.” He sighed. “The broth is good, Narin, but I have had enough for now. I would rest some more, please.”

“Rest well, and I'll see if I can tempt your appetite with something other than broth when you wake again. You're too thin.” Legolas chuckled.

“So says every other lady of my acquaintance. I bow to the wisdom of all of you and will eat when I wake.” He winced as she helped him lay back down. He sighed deeply and his eyes lost focus as he drifted into reverie.

~

“He's out of immediate danger, and Gimli's fine so far as I can tell,” Borli said, leaning against the frame of the door to the guest room Legolas was occupying. “I'll come back this afternoon to check on both of them but in the meantime just make sure they take it easy. And if you can, get the elf to eat as often as you're able. He really does need to put on some weight. No restrictions on what, just feed him whatever he'll eat.”

“We will, and thank you, Borli,” Naris said. “Here's a loaf of my bread for your breakfast.”

“You know I'd never turn down a loaf of your bread, Naris. Thank you.” He nodded to both Gloin and Naris. “I'll see you later, then.” Gloin turned to his wife.

“I'd best go see the king. He wants to be kept abreast of things, of course.”

“I'll send a loaf of bread with you for him. He loves it as much as you and Gimli do.” Naris headed into the kitchen area of their dwelling, returning with a loaf of bread wrapped in cloth. “It's still warm, he'll like that.”

“Aye, he will. Everyone loves your festival bread, my gem.” He took the loaf from her. “You did keep enough for us, I hope?” She snorted.

“Of course I did! How do you think I plan to get our guest to eat later? Besides, you and Gimli can eat a loaf apiece at one sitting. I made a triple batch this time.” She grinned at her husband. “I'll have a plate full waiting for you when you return.”

“I won't be long. Don't let Gimli eat all of it while I'm gone.”

~

Naris opened the guest room door quietly, peering around it. Gimli sat beside the elf's pallet, keeping his hands busy by carving what looked to be a piece of white wood or bone. He looked up and smiled at her as she entered the room.

“I thought you might like some bread to break your fast,” she said softly.

“I'd love it, Mam, thank you.” He glanced down at Legolas grinning when he saw the elf's nose twitch. Legolas blinked and looked from Gimli to Naris.

“That smells wonderful, whatever it is, my lady.” Naris laughed.

“I'll have to tell Gloin that my bread also brings injured elves out of healing sleep. There should be enough for both of you here. Gimli, mind you let him have his fair share of it. There's plenty more in the kitchen.”

“Not to worry, Mam, he can have as much as he'll eat.” Gimli grinned at Legolas. “This once, anyway. Next time he might have to fight me for it. This is the bread I was telling all of you about that night in Hollin.” He took the plate from his mother and handed a piece of the bread to the elf. Legolas took a bite and Gimli grinned again to see his eyes roll back in his head with pleasure.

“It tastes even better than it smells,” he said, finishing the piece he had been given and reaching for another, which Gimli promptly handed to him. The dwarf grinned up at his mother.

“We might need some more.” Naris chuckled.

“There's plenty. What are you working on, love?”

“A chess set. This is a piece of one of the tusks of the Mumak that Legolas brought down on the Pellenor in Gondor. I'm doing the black pieces out of obsidian from the ground around the Black Gate.” He grinned at Legolas again. “I wanted a good set to use when I trounce Legolas at the game.”

“I told you: if you want a challenge, play against Ada. He regularly hands me my head when we play.” Legolas said, swallowing the last of his second piece of bread. He looked hopefully at the plate, grinning when Gimli handed him another piece. “It really is wonderful, my lady.”

“I'm glad you like it, and gladder still to see you eating,” Naris said. “We weren't properly introduced earlier: I am Naris, daughter of Nanri. This unmannered lout you call friend is my son.”

“Sorry, Mam,” Gimli said, ducking his head and glaring at Legolas, daring him to say something. To his surprise, the elf looked a bit wistful.

“I am honored, my lady. Legolas, son of Thranduil at your service and that of your family.” He inclined his head. “Forgive me for not rising and greeting you properly, but at the moment it would be unwise for me to do so.”

“Don't fret about it, Lord Legolas. Your clothing was cleaned while you slept and it should be dry by now. I'll bring it to you in a moment. You eat as much of the bread as you'd like, and I also have porridge, bacon, and fruit if you'd like some.”

“All of it sounds good to me right now. I am very hungry. And, please, as I told Narin: Gimli's family has no need to call me 'lord'. I am only 'Legolas' to you all.”

“Then I am only 'Naris' to you. I will be back in a moment with your clothing.” She favored him with a smile, leaned down to pat Gimli's shoulder affectionately, and left, closing the door behind her.

“Your mother is lovely, Elvellon,” Legolas commented, rolling onto his right side and levering himself up to sit. He turned carefully to face the dwarf, arranging the blankets to cover himself modestly before snatching another piece of bread from the plate by Gimli's knee.

“Aye, she is. I've missed her this past year,” Gimli moved the plate nearer his friend. “Eat all you want, Legolas. Mam said there was plenty.”

“Your cousins did not stay all night just on my behalf, did they?”

“Almost. Narin left shortly after you went back to sleep. She's got little ones to see to, including one that was born after I left that I'm looking forward to meeting. Borli left just after dawn to go get a couple hours rest.” He eyed Legolas sharply. “Don't be getting your breeches in a twist, lad. You needed help and they were glad to give it. As you've been remarkably well behaved to them both, unlike you usually are when you're injured, I have no complaints to make. See that you continue, and I may not even pin those pointed ears of yours back for not telling me you had the ability to heal others.”

“I did not tell you because it is not something that is reliable. My Daernaneth, my Naneth's Naneth, is a healer. Naneth's talents lay in working with plants, Ada tells me, as do mine for the most part. What healing ability I have comes not often, usually only when it is most needed.” He looked sheepishly at Gimli. “Truly, I did not withhold vital information from you.”

“Aragorn knew about it, yes?”

“Yes, he did. But, only because we discovered it initially while he was in need of it.” He made as if to shrug, winced when his shoulder pained him and sighed instead. “Lord Elrond said that I might be able to strengthen it with intensive training, but since there were already more than enough healers in the realm, I chose to continue as a warrior. I could not have done both and I deemed my skill with a bow to be the more useful of the two at the time.”

“Fair enough, lad. Look, don't overdo it today. You still look like orc dung.”

“I have no intention of overdoing today.” He rubbed his hand across his face. “To be truthful, I rather feel like orc dung warmed over and served on toast.” Legolas gave Gimli a half-smile. “I know I need to eat and rest to rebuild the strength I expended in aiding you. I have every intention of doing exactly that.”

“Very well, I'll not harangue you unless you do start doing too much.”

“Very well, Naneth.”

“You know, I can still take the flat of my axe to your arse.” .