The sun had hide beneath the iron-grey cliffs marked with copper veins some minutes ago but the landscape was already growing very dim. The shadows cast on the rocky soil by the few twisted trees faded but an overall shadow was descending over everything like a bad omen. The silence around was too deep and the clouds too low.
There was one month since she came to The Moors camp this time..one silent month. A few scouts of the enemy testing the vigilance of the Vale’s defenders, one assault of the elves on a forward new camp that the discovered, that was about all. She would think it the calm before of a storm if she cared more, but since she did not she just kept to her watch in the dark.
There was no fire and no sound in the direction of their camp either, the elves were unseen when they wished for it. For a brief moment she missed the warmth of fire and song from Imladris, but only for a brief moment. She did not need that noise and liveliness around her, now here was her place, beyond the margins of the elf-heaven of Imladris but guarding its peace, like others guarded her own lighthearted peace long time before.
She found herself a more comfortable position leaning against the mossy rock and concentrated fully on the now: sounds, smells, even thoughts of an enemy she would notice if it got closer. She was an invisible guardian against any malice that would try to descend upon her people that were resting nearby, unseen and unheard. Tomorrow they would scout further in search of news on the enemy’s movements.
***‘
“How is she doing?” she asked.
The blonde elf clad in a pale blue robe let go the hand of his patient and straightened his back before turning to answer to the visitor.
“She is better than when you arrived, that is for certain, friend. More than this.. we need more time. The herbs are good, the cleaning of the wound is correct but she lost blood and the malice of that weapon is darker than average. She needs to fight the darkness herself, we can only help her this much.”
Turuviel nodded and stroked gently, with the back of two fingers, the hair of the sleeping elf lady. Even though she knew her to be quite old, now, just by looking at her extremely slender figure under the wrappings and by the delicate features of her asleep face one would have judged her to be only a child. She seemed so helpless but the huntress knew better: if fighting the darkness was all that it took to recover, then it will not take her long, she was tough as the iron of weapons
“You will fight it off, my friend, I know it.”
The healer bowed his head with a small smile and went to attend his other duties leaving the two alone. As he departed a sunray that was previously blocked by his tall figure fell of the wounded elf’s hair making it shine silvery-gray in the stained glass filtered light.
