Ilythiiri's heart sank at their silence. She knew it didn't mean anything very good, but at least for now they were safe. Suddenly she wondered where Aragorn had gone, and hoped that the king wasn't angry with him. Of course, this did nothing to help her sleep, and she remained upright, envying her friends who both appeared to be sleeping.

_________________

Rhavaniels mind was a turmult of images, a fine sheen of sweat covered her brow.
She slept not, though neither was she in the land of the wake.
Elves, battles, a crying child, a mound of jewels, a handsome human who was excecuted for crimes against the crown of Mirkwood, her first love...

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

The noise of moving sheets and unregular breathing woke Miriel.
"Rhav..?"she mumbled silently. "Are you alright?"
As there was no reaction Miriel carefully slipped off her sofa again. The Elf's face gleamed of sweat and she seemed not to be awake.
Miriel turned to Ilythiiri in panic "We must get Aragorn.. I think Rhav has a fever.."

((Will Boromir still say something to Aragorn or can he leave? ))

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

Somehow through the bustle going through her head, the elf caught the words, and tried to raise a hand to gesture for a no, but it felt like lead.
-
"And I speak as a King, not as a man. They will walk tomorrow- You are responsible for that. If they dont, you will pay the punishment."

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ilythiiri gingerly and unsteadily got to her feet, holding tight to anything she could reach. "But we don't know where he's gone," she said urgently, "and none of us is in any condition to go anywhere...Rhav!" she said, resting a hand on the elf and moving awkwardly closer. "Rhav, wake up!"

_________________

Miriel was startled as the door suddenly swung open. In terror she imagined that Boromir came in, but she was relieved as she saw that it was Aragorn, though his grim face frightened her.
"Aragorn.." she whispered, "I think Rhavaniel has a fever.."
She watched Aragorn as he inspected Rhavaniel's wound and touched her head lightly. She sat at the end of the Elf's sofa and watched her friend worriedly and when Aragorn had given her a calming medicin, she burried her face in her hands.

_____________

Aragorn nodded, bowed his head, deeper than before, and left the studyroom.
He could barely control his anger, yet he pulled himself together and he quickly paced back to his room. He saw the startled faces of Miriel and Ilythiiri and immediately his expression softened as he noticed there was something wrong.
"Fever" he mumbled while he laid his hand on Rhavaniel's head.
"This will calm her down a bit." he said while he took a flask with a clear liquid and poured a few drops into her mouth.
He looked at the other two girls. "If you want, you may drink also, and you will have a good, dreamless sleep."

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

Ilythiiri looked uneasily at the bottle, not entirely trusting it, but she was exhausted and she knew she couldn't keep on mch longer. "All...all right," she said tentatively. "That would be - appreciated."

_________________

Aragorn nodded and gave her the flask. "Don't worry about tommorow.." he whispered "Just sleep for now.."
When Ilythiiri had drunk a few sips Aragorn turned to Miriel, who still sat motionless on the sofa. "Miriel.. ?" He offered her the flask.
___

Miriel looked up at Aragorn and shook her head.
"I know,"she said softly "It would be better and I'm not afraid to sleep. I'm just afraid to wake up in this world again."
Aragorn sat down next to her and she leant with her head against his shoulder. And as he remained silent she whispered: "Alright then.."
She sat down on her own sofa and sipped the rest of the liquid which was lewft in the bottle.
Her mind emptied and Miriel fell in a peaceful sleep.

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

Ilythiiri's large violet eyes were already closing and she lay motionless, one arm pillowing her head and the other dangling over the edge of the sofa. Yet even in this peaceful sleep, her face remained if not exactly troubled, then sober still. She looked and was very small and vulnerable lying there.

_________________

Rhavaniels face seemed to calm momentarily, and a look of peace crept over her pocelin features. Her mouth curled at the side as if she were smiling lovingly at something, and her eyes settled once again on a spot on the almost vaulted ceiling.

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

[Shall we skip on to the next day?]

_________________

((Okay Maybe one of you could start..? ))

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

(Okay)

Ilythiiri awoke feeling rather better than she had in a long time - until realization flooded unpleasantly back and a corner of her mouth turned down unhappily. Judging from the light flooding into the room through a large window, the day had already progressed a ways and as Ilythiiri remembered what was going to happen, she wished desperately that she was still asleep.

_________________

Miriel didn't open her eyes as she woke up. She hoped it all had been a bad dream, but she knew it wasn't. Every day these past years she'd wished it was all a bad dream and yet every day she was pulled back into this hard truth of present.
Niriel took a deep breath and opened her eyes and sceanned the room. Aragorn wasn't there and she saw Ilythiiri had awoken already.
"How are you?" she whispered softly, hoping her young friend would feel slightly better after yesterday.

_________________


O children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice,
Children, rejoice, rejoice..



It doesn't matter you don't believe in God, He believes in you.

Ilythiiri gave a little half-smile. "I suppose I'm less tired," she replied, knowing it was a woefully poor response. She arched her back uncomfortably, the nasty whip-weals paining her. "It still hurts, though."

_________________

The elf, who had been sitting soundlessly on the side of Aragorns bed, leafing through a leather bound book, looked up, eyes slightly too clear- painfully so. They mirrored the sofa's where they had all been lying.
Turning her attention back to the manual, she turned a page and read on.

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .