Time seemed to pass slowly for Elrohir, who had been sent to speak with the Woses. One of the rangers in the party he and his brother led had been nicked by a poisoned arrowhead from a recent battle. While the knowledge of healing that their father had taught them was vast, it did not account for all things, and certainly not some of the things that were seen in the wilds. It seemed hours before Elrohir spoke again after being instructed to wait for the wild man before him to think. It had only been the better part of forty minutes.

“Is he asleep?” he asked another meditating man beside him, whom he had seen flex his foot for a moment.

“Shhhuuu.. he thinking,” scolded the man to his left. They were sitting cross-legged on the ground. “You patient not.”

“My friend is injured; possibly dying--”

Ghân-buri-Ghân’s eyes snapped open. “Many dying. Many dead. You wait. Leave me think.” He closed his eyes again. “Son of Elf-man not patient like father. Still boy. Boy should go home, not sleep in woods,” he mumbled.

Elrohir pouted.

Another span of time passed before Ghân-buri-Ghân spoke again, eyes still closed. “He have fever?”

“Yes.”

“Not breathe?”

“He was breathing, but he was breathing very quickly.”

“Because he have fever.” Ghân-buri-Ghân made a little huff and relaxed once again in meditation. Elrohir was about to argue that he was only answering the question that was asked, but instead gave a little huff of his own and waited. He took to watching a wasp dodge around them, and frowned when it flew off to leave him bored once again.

“He turn blue?”

Elrohir yawned, and was then startled when Ghân-buri-Ghân opened his eyes and stared at him. “Oh! Uh.. no. Not when
I left..”

“You focus. This important. Friend injured, maybe die.” Ghân-buri-Ghân shook his head. “You younger son?”

Hesitantly, Elrohir nodded.

“Thought so. You send older brother next time. More like Elf-man. Older son always more like father. My second son lazy like you.”

“I am not--” Elrohir lowered his voice. “I am not lazy, I am just concerned about my friend.”

“Everyone worried. My oldest son not yawn at elders. My second son, he yawn at me. You yawn at me. He lazy; you lazy.”

Elrohir pursed his lips to keep from responding.

“Dór-Iaur get cure for you. You give to older brother; older brother give to friend now and when sun is up and when sun come down again.” As Ghân-buri-Ghân stood up, he added, “You no give. You lazy, forget to do it.”

“I would not,” muttered Elrohir as Ghân-buri-Ghân walked away. The other drú did not go far to retrieve something for Elrohir. “Here. You give to brother,” he reminded Elrohir.

“Yes, yes, I remember. Give to my brother, because I am apparently the lazy one,” said Elrohir as he took the pouch from Dór-Iaur.

“See? You even say it.” Ghân-buri-Ghân startled Elrohir by being directly behind him. “You go now! People dying! Friend hurt! You go!”

“Sorry, yes, going now.” Elrohir tucked the pouch away carefully and bowed to them. “Thank you for you help,” he added before sprinting back to where he and his brother had made camp with the rangers.

When Elrohir was out of sight, Dór-Iaur laughed and began to speak in their own language again. “He is so serious. How can he not understand your jokes?”

“The Elf-man is like that, too. He has never laughed either,” shrugged Ghân-buri-Ghân.