He lay quietly, and the other elves carried on their business about him. After Mearalagos and Durelin came Lofinneas, the group’s healer. As Lofinneas tended the wound with athelas, Erdaminéon winced, and looked away, gritting his teeth to hold back any sound. Mearalagos turned away, and he was thankful for this, it was awkward enough to have been so easily taken down in battle. Then his thoughts were interrupted by instruction from Lofinneas as his hand was moved to the wound.
“Here...hold this here… Provide as much pressure as you can withstand.”
The bleeding ceased, and Lofinneas turned to see to other wounds. Erdaminéon sat by the tree, holding the dressing to the wound, pressing as hard as he could bear, as instructed. Dawn would soon be coming, and he had to be ready to resume. From what he could see, everyone was indeed alive, and most were able to walk. As he watched the others, something he had been thinking before the battle had begun returned to him. He had noticed the friendships that had begun between the companions. It was a strange fate that danger and threats should bring people together, but for most it appeared to have made amazing changes. In fact, he himself felt closer to the others, although he was never one to feel comfortable in danger. His mind strayed from friendship, and Instantly, thoughts of despair overcame his mind. He was a burden to them. The others were all able to stand, yet he was lying on the ground, no good to anyone. He began to mutter silently, so none could hear his despair.
“I am a burden to them, and a burden of little use. For what good have I done them this far, and what good will I do in times to come? I am of no use to any here.”
He sighed, and sank back into deep dark holes of pain and foreboding. They had been reduced to a rabble of injured soldiers by a band of wolves, and yet they were marching to attack a fully defended cave full of Orcs and Easterlings. Surely they all went inevitably to their dooms. He continued to murmur, almost feverishly, waiting for dawn when he would force himself to stand, whatever conditions and do whatever he could to be of little trouble to the others. He would not turn back, but it would all be over soon.
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