Irresolution
Four days, four passages of the sun across the early autumn sky. It had been so long since Adras had returned to his home with the elf, too long for him to sit and speculate the elf’s identity and situation. Perhaps he is a dark elf being hunted by his own people and a source of danger. Nay, he did not seem evil. Maybe he is a great elven warrior, thousands of years old who fought the dark lord Sauron. A childlike smile appeared on the old man’s wrinkled face when he realized how he was allowing his imagination to run away with him.
He had woken up to a beautiful, warm fall morning and, as he had in days past, took his morning tea out on the cabin porch. It was the time of day that he loved most, when the occasional bray of Coal was the only sound breaking the peace and quiet. A time when Dorias had yet to return from his all night drinking binge.
His son would return home soon. Fortunately, since the elf had arrived, he had resorted to going straight to his room and passing out until it was time to return to the town tavern. Dorias’ irritation had increased since the elf had been brought into his home. As he thought of his son and the elf he glanced over his shoulder to where the fair being lay. He had arranged his chair so that he could sit on the porch and still be within earshot and sight of his wounded charge.
The elf appeared now as he had for the past four days. He hadn’t moved except for the slight turn of his head. Small moans and whimpers were the only sounds that he made and Adras was finding himself talking to the unconscious elf, even though no response was expected. At least his new company was a good listener.
"Is that not right my friend. You may feel free to join in the conversation at any time. Do not be shy." Adras waited for an answer he knew was not coming and when he got the response he expected turned back to face the road leading to his cabin.
Life had become so routine and when he had found the elf it had modified that routine, eliciting a slight charge of excitement in Adras’ life. Now, however, it had become routine again, same thing day after day. Having the elf in the home now just presented extra tasks, although he had to admit he didn’t really mind. Keeping busy and taking care of another reminded him of days gone by.
Adras missed his younger, more adventurous days. Back when he could rise from a chair without having to pause and allow the kinks to work their way out of his aging joints. When he was able to farm his own land and hunt his own meat. Now he had to wait and hope for his son to do some of the work in order to keep food in the cabin.
A loud singing interrupted his musings and Adras squinted his eyes and focused on the road. He could see a figure moving in the direction of the cabin and had it not been for the loud, out of key singing, he would have been glad for a morning visitor. As it was, he didn’t look forward to his daily confrontations with Dorias.
Glancing once again over his shoulder at the injured elf, Adras steeled himself for his son’s attitude. He turned back in time to see Dorias ungracefully dismounting his horse. Stumbling backwards, waving his arms about in an attempt to keep himself from falling onto his backside, it was obvious that it had been a long night for his son.
"Is that damned elf still here?" Dorias’ slurring shout caused Adras to flinch slightly as he watched his son stagger closer.
He didn’t answer his son, rather he rose slowly from his chair and stepped into the cabin. He walked over to look down on the elf once more then made his way to the kettle that hung over the fire. Pouring himself another cup of tea, Adras attempted to regain his composure as he listened to his sons footsteps crossing the wooden porch.
"I asked you a question old man." Dorias was now leaning heavily against the doorframe and Adras could tell it was the only thing keeping his son on his feet.
He continued to remain quiet, knowing that Dorias didn’t really want an answer, he just wanted to show his father that he could intimidate him. Adras wasn’t really all that frightened by his son, he was more afraid of the alcohol that pulsed through his veins. Ale, obviously had an ill effect on the man.
He watched Dorias closely and he made his way back to the elf and placed himself between his son and his new charge. A snarl appeared on Dorias’ face as he moved awkwardly across the cabin, coming to stand at the foot of the bed.
"Filthy creature." He glared down at the unconscious being, a look of complete disdain in his eyes. "Healthy or not, I want it out of my home." As he turned to retire to his room, Dorias swung his leg, kicking the foot of the bed causing the injured elf to be jostled.
"I WANT IT OUT!" He yelled as he slammed his bedroom door behind him.
Adras stood staring at the closed door for a moment, a series of sighs escaping his lips. He listened to the banging and bumping of Dorias moving about his room, waiting for him to fall silent. A couple of loud thumps followed by a chain of curses was the last thing he heard from his son and he whispered a prayer of thanks before turning back to the elf.
What met him caused a huge smile to overtake his face. Foggy blue eyes looked back at him and Adras quickly pulled a chair over to the bed. Elation radiated through him as life once again returned to his new friend. Perhaps now he could get some answers
"My apologies for my son. He should not have woken you." Adras’ words were rushed as his happiness became evident.
No reaction came from the elf and the old man scooted in closer, leaning his face over the elf’s and looking directly into his eyes. Tired, slothful blinks followed by a slight twitch of the iris as the elf focused his weakened gaze on the old man. Slowly, a pale, thin hand reached up and Adras gently grabbed a hold before the elf could probe his injuries.
"You do not want to be doing that my friend. Your injuries are serious and you do not want to irritate them further."
After a few seconds the elf seemed to comprehend what Adras had said and the gray man could feel the elf pulling against his grasp. Adras guided the elf’s arm back to his side and placed it softly on the bed. He then turned and grabbed his cup of tea from the bedside table. "Would you care for some tea?"
There was no answer, the elf just stared blankly at Adras and the old man grew concerned. He had managed to ease some fluids down the elf’s throat over the past four days, but it wasn’t enough and he knew that the elf needed the nutrients in order to heal. Reaching back to the table, he grabbed a spoon that had been left there from the day before and scooped up some tea. Slowly and cautiously he moved the spoon to the elf’s mouth and was pleased when the elf parted his lips allowing Adras to pour the liquid into his mouth.
They repeated the steps until the tea was gone, taking far longer that Adras had expected but causing the smile to return to his face at both of their accomplishments. "Well done my friend." He complimented as he rose from his chair and took the cup and spoon to a water basin across the room.
A slight spring appeared in his step now as he rejoiced in the fact that the elf had finally woken. Maybe now he could get some answers. More importantly, it appeared that the elf would be fine and that was all that Adras had really hoped for.
He returned to his chair to find the elf’s eyes upon him once again. An inquisitive look appeared on his pale face and his lips moved slightly but exuded no sound. Adras watched the elf’s actions for a moment before concluding that the blonde being looked confused.
"Ah. I am called Adras." The look of confusion seemed to ease slightly and Adras continued. "I, or more accurately, my mule found you four days ago in the forest just south of here. You were injured and unresponsive and I brought you to my home to tend to your wounds."
Adras leaned over the elf and pulled the blanket up a little higher. He then gently pulled at the bandages around the elf’s head to ensure that they were still tight. "I think that you are healing well." He smiled down at his charge.
Blue eyes drifted around the small room briefly before landing on the old man once again. Adras became apprehensive as he saw the look of confusion remained on the elf’s face.He searched his memory for any effects that a serious head injury would cause and although he knew of many in men, he had never met an elf before, let alone treated one’s injuries.
He knew that confusion was probably the number one effect resulting from head injuries in men and concluded that it couldn’t be much different in elves. So, with that in mind, he resolved to just sit and talk with the elf until he fell back to sleep. Which Adras suspected would be soon.
"I know not how you came to be injured and alone in the woods. But then again, I do not know much about elves, maybe it is a common occurrence for your kind." Adras smiled down at the elf with this sentence to let him know that he was joking.
"There was a horrible storm the night that Coal found you." Adras stopped to check that the elf was still awake. "Coal is my mule. He wandered off and I went in search of him and found you. Not exactly what I had been expecting, but life throws us the unexpected from time to time.
"I imagine that you have someone out searching for you even as we speak." He paused again, looking for any answer, but the elf just turned his head slightly and looked far off in thought. "Perhaps I should send word to town in the event that someone comes for you."
It was an idea that had crossed Adras’ mind on several occasions over the past four days. He wondered if it was worth the risk leaving the elf alone for the time it would take to travel into town and leave word with the authorities there. Something continually stopped him from going, in the back of his mind there was a nagging voice telling him to not go and the more he thought about it and listened to the voice, the more he agreed.
Adras didn’t know who had attacked the elf and left him for dead. If he left word that he had found an injured elf in the woods and said elf now resided in his home, healing from wounds inflicted by some unknown person and would anyone with information please come to the cabin a half mile south of town, he didn’t know who would show up. He had decided to follow his gut instinct and wait for the elf to wake, even at the risk of missing a search party.
"Then again, I think we should wait on that." His smile never faded from his face as he spoke to the elf and he was pleased that the blonde being had stayed awake as long as he had. Now, however, he could see the elf’s eyelids drooping and there was one thing he wanted to know before he drifted off to sleep again.
"What is your name my friend?" Adras watched the elf closely after this question, understanding that he had yet to say anything since waking.
The smile finally slipped from his face as he noticed the distressed look on the pale face. What could be seen of the elf’s bandaged brow was now furrowed in despair and Adras subconsciously grabbed the pale cool hand from the bed. "Are you well? Can you tell me your name?"
Heavy eyelids drooped even further and Adras felt his own heart clench as the elf’s eyes misted over. "Please do not despair. I will not leave you, nor will I allow further harm to come to you. We will figure all of this out. Just sleep for now."
He continued to speak encouraging words to the sorrowful elf, holding his hand tightly in his own for comfort. It didn’t take long for the elf to fall back into a deep slumber and Adras released the slender hand and rose from his seat. He made his way back onto the porch stopping in the doorway, his own face now colored with confusion and distress.
He replayed the conversation over and over in his mind trying to determine what had caused the elf such anguish. He had only asked the elf his name and couldn’t understand why that simple question had seemed to hurt the now sleeping elf. He turned from where he was standing in the doorway and looked back at his charge. "Surely you know your own name."
Adras walked absentmindedly out onto the porch and returned to his earlier seat. A huge range of emotions surged through him as he contemplated his and the elf’s current situation. That little voice in the back of his head was screaming at him again. Telling him that he needed to prepare himself, things just got a lot worse.