[maikafanawen]

The pain was relentless and it tugged at her nerves throughout the night. The sage concoction helped, true, but Ihwesta felt the few drops of Gonungol's blood course through her anyhow. Sleep came, but it was plagued with dreams: horrors of the ungol infestation. She would awake feverish and afraid, eyes wide with terror before being calmed by whoever stayed beside her. In her dazed delirium she could not tell whether it be Arië, Ceros, or Taurëwen. Twice her leg-wound seared as the healer-elf cleansed and re-bandaged the external lesion.

"Will it stop?" she asked once as slender fingers wrapped gauze tightly around her thigh. Her voice sounded rigid and every word had to be said clearly and deliberately to be understood.

"In time Ihwesta. You must sleep." Then she would drift off again, her body wracked with agony.

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"She's been asleep longer even than Gil," said a man's voice. It sounded like her brother! Orodhin!

"I think she might have infused with Gonungol's blood." The two elves were not far, but their voices were hushed.

"Does being the Chief make his blood more fatal?"

"I don't know." Why couldn't she move? Was someone holding her down?

"When will she wake?" I am awake Orodhin! Here!

The female elf sighed jadedly, "I don't know." Orodhin…

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When Ihwesta finally roused with renewed strength, the sun had set twice and the others were faring well. Her eyes flickered open to stare at the canopy's underside where sunlight streamed through. Her lips seemed to be stuck together from disuse and when she did open her mouth it felt dry and sore.

"Ihwesta!" Ceros dropped to her side, holding fast to her hand. "You're awake." Ihwesta remained expressionless as her memory and voice returned. Meanwhile, Taurëwen was summoned and others gathered around. She couldn't distinguish their faces just yet but there they were anyhow.

"Drink this," commanded Taurëwen. She obeyed and a honey-sweet concoction streamed down her throat. As it began to be distributed throughout her body, the tenseness from neglect of her muscles began to lift and her lifeblood surged more rapidly. I can stand, she thought swiftly, and made to move.

"Oh n-o," said Taurëwen pushing her down again. "That usually has that side-affect of sudden certainty of one's renewed strength. You must be awake first for an hour or so. Then you can stand." Ihwesta's memory, voice, and mind had returned more quickly and even Taurëwen seemed surprised when she fought back.

"You certainly are a fine healer, Taurëwen, but this is no infirmary, and I may move when I please." The tracker would not have attempted to get up if she knew she was unable, but some inner, forgotten strength seemed to reach out and support her as she stood. The others blinked.

Ihwesta looked around the camp for her things. "Where's my sword?" she asked. Even as she said it, it dawned on her where the blade was: buried in the carcass of Gonungol. Feeble despair shown in her eyes as she looked towards Ceros. "I have no sword. What will I do?" She did not see her pack and belt-pouches either. They must have dropped somewhere. Perhaps they could still be salvaged should she dare to go back and find them.

"Ha! I see that little nap of yours didn't cost you any of your stubbornness!" said a light-hearted voice coming from behind. "One thinks you would have learned your lesson!" Ihwesta turned to see Arië appear, two hares slung over her shoulder.

"Arië!" Ihwesta beamed as the younger embraced her friend tenderly.

"You don't know how good it is to see you up," Arië said breaking away. "Well come on, I'll cook these up and we'll eat." Ceros especially seemed to be thankful Ihwesta's thought was drawn away from her missing possessions. No one was too keen about explaining to her that going back to find them would be extremely dangerous.

After the rabbits were spitted, cooked, and eaten, Ihwesta turned sort of blunt like to Ceros and said, "My sword, by now, is most likely to be disintegrated in Gonungol's body and Eru knows where my bow and arrows are. So right now, I'm completely unarmed. If I had my way I'd go back and get them right now." Ceros smiled contentedly and nodded, placing a hand on Ihwesta's arm.

"I'm glad you've come to see reason Ihwesta. I didn't know how I was going to convince you not to go looking for them." The tracker, however, laughed and stood.

"Aye, that's why I've saved you the trouble!" she said, throwing her hands in the air with a mysterious twinkle in her eyes. "The way I see it, if I can run faster than you, I can go back without you having to say a word!" Ceros's face quickly changed from a pleased expression to one of shock then irritation. But by the time he was on his feet, Ihwesta had shot off into the darkness, swiping Taurëwen's sword as she moved.

"Ihwestaieleva!" he shouted after her. Then he too shot after her into the forest. The rest of the elves moved to follow but Ceros, in his unbelievable fury, yelled for them to stay put.

In no more than twenty minutes, the duo reappeared. Ceros's face was a deep shade of red as he pushed Ihwesta before him, shouting things at her in an elvish rage. The tracker looked harassed as she stumbled forward obviously disappointed he had caught her. However, they were all surprised to see her right hand on the belt holding her pouches, and her left resting on her sword.

"How did you get it back?" Arië asked, interrupting Ceros's admonitions.

"Never you mind," Ihwesta said. "Right now I've got to help Ceros get a hold on himself." That comment launched their leader into a whole other chain of scolding that lasted until they were ready to move on again towards the southern parts of the forest like planned, and to everyone's great thankfulness, they hadn't lost a soul.