EDIT: I got an error message when I posted this chapter yesterday. It updated the chapter but neither sent out an alert nor posted it on the update page. So here we go again!

Author's note: Starting a personal "post a day" challenge during US National Child Abuse Prevention & Sexual Assault Awareness months (when you work on a Child Abuse team...) is maybe not the smartest thing I've ever done. (Please PM me for information about child abuse and sexual assault resources in your communities and how you can advocate for fair and equal services.) But now it's May! And posts will be coming out again a few times a week, at least.

No beta, zero edits—all mistakes are my own.

Story note: Characters from "Enough," "To Rekindle Hearts," "A Small & Passing Thing," and a few other short stories are featured in this chapter. Saida is one of Legolas' dearest friends and agemates who had once trained and for a short time was a warrior and then elected to train recruits instead. Ithildim is Legolas' best friend and a captain-in-training at this point (Legolas is training to be his second). Anaron and Orodiel are Ithildim's mother and father; Anaraon is the lead healer. Legolas has spent extended periods of time with Anaron and Orodiel. Piniriel is Legolas' younger sister. Amonhir is one of the captain's over Legolas and Ithildim's unit. That's the basics of the backstory, for those not familiar with the characters. :)

Midden: Day Five

Legolas sat up from the tree he had been leaning against when he heard Saida and her dog finally round the bend in the path behind him. He had been listening to them for a few minutes at that point and was—though loathe to admit—eager for company. He had received a thorough verbal lashing from Captain Amonhir that morning; Ithildim requested Legolas not be present for the Captains' meeting that afternoon; Anaron had refused to speak to him over lunch—"not because he does not love you, Legolas, but because he does not know what to say," Orodiel had promised him—and Piniriel and his father were in court all day, which was almost the very last place Legolas wanted to be.

True, he was not supposed to be alone in the woods yet, but Saida seldom lectured, and when she did it was gentle, and he could handle gentle today. (Though he was not sure how gentle she would be once she realized what a foolish mistake he had made, but it was too late to change that, and he did need her help, and he could humble himself to admit defeat when necessary.)

So he called out to her softly before she approached so as not to startle her unduly: "Saida?"

Saida's head snapped around from where she had been peering into the woods to the left of the path, for the brush was thick here and the dog had started to list off the road, following some sent of interest.

"Legolas!" she said in surprise and smiled widely.

Legolas crossed his arms across his chest casually as he leaned back and Saida called for the dog to follow as she jogged to him.

"What are you doing here?" Saida asked.

Legolas raised his eyebrows and started to answer, but when he did not rise to stand with her she dropped to her heels and hooked her bow over her shoulder. Legolas closed his mouth again and tightened his hold around his ribs.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated, rocking back onto her rear and folding her legs in front of her, motioning for the dog to lay down beside them; he laid down with his eyes on the southern path.

Legolas tilted his head and considered her for a moment before uncrossing his arms and dropping his hands into his lap. He shrugged. "Saida, I could ask you the very same thing, you know!"

"Yes, but I am done with my duties for the day and may go where I want. Furthermore," she said, raising an eyebrow and then reaching up to tug at the leather thong securing her hair and letting it down, "I am not on a Rest Order nor under the watchful eye of Healer Anaron as are you."

Legolas smiled and chuckled, and Saida slipped the thong between her lips and took her hair in two hands, running it through her fingers before splitting it into threes to rebraid. Legolas rubbed his arm as he replied: "Hm, well, you have me there, I think. Though I am no longer under Anaron's watchful eye. He has assigned me a new healer and is no longer speaking to me."

Saida froze and looked up at Legolas with eyes silver as midwinter's bright noon day wide in suprise. She opened her mouth to drop the leather thong from it and then she was frowning at Legolas as she hastily braided her hair and began to speak. Legolas would have laughed had the timing been appropriate—Saida had always been frighteningly easy to read.

"Anaron would never stop talking to you, Legolas," she said. "Without a good reason, that is. You are practically his son."

"Yes, I agree. But I have given him a good reason, I think," Legolas said quietly, and he closed his eyes as he leaned back against the tree and away from Saida's heightened energy—sometimes her avian insistence once her anxiety was piqued was overwhelming.

"What could you possibly have done to cause Anaron to cease treating you and, furthermore, not speak to you at all, when you are staying in his own house? What does Ithildim have to say about this? Does Ithildim know about this?" She stopped momentarily to take a breath and tie off her braid, but began speaking again before she had even finished tying the knot. "In fact, where is Ithildim? This afternoon is the Captains' Meeting in the barracks. I am getting new recruits after today's meeting, and when I met with you both after you had...returned Ithildim said that I would hear today after the meeting, which you were both to be observing. Why are you not at the meeting?"

Legolas breathed deeply and then winced and wrinkled his nose, frustrated. "Ithildim is peeved with me at the moment."

"Whatever for?" Saida asked, and Legolas could feel her energy dropping back down to a controllable trickle as she dropped her hands in her lap before leaning forward and placing her hands on Legolas' shoulder, though he did not yet turn to look at her.

"I-" he said. "It had been a long few weeks in my father's house before we left on our rotation, and it has been a longer week since I returned." Saida scooted forward and Legolas finally turned to look at her. His nostrils flared slightly as he admitted: "I have made some poor choices these past two days."

"Ah, as have I," Saida reassured, smiling and squeezing his shoulder, and then rolling her eyes at Legolas' suddenly disbelieving expression.

"Yes, so many mistakes, I am sure," he teased. "All I can imagine is this one," and he gestured at the dog laid down beside them. "Hunting with a dog as if that is going to help you track!"

"I enjoy his company," Saida defended, rising to the bait and feigning a scowl.

"Well, that is good, because he will frighten everything within thirty yards of you before you even approach. Faron is good company for a long solitary walk at the very least, to that I can agree."

Saida laughed and popped Legolas' shoulder lightly with the back of her hand, and he broke into a smile as she spoke: "A solitary walk that lead me to you! I think perhaps he was bringing me to see you all along."

"Perhaps," Legolas answered.

They were silent for a moment until Legolas wrapped his arms back about his chest and there was the scrape of fabric as he leaned back into the tree.

"Well?" Saida finally prompted.

Legolas shifted and jerked his head to the side ruefully as he answered: "Anaron does not take kindly to borrowing herbs from his personal lauder without permission."

Saida stared at him.

"Especially pain reduction and antinflammatory medicine. Extra doses of valerian and yarrow for spasms are especially frowned upon. Apparently the doses were a poor combination and...unfortunately measured, which is how I was discovered."

"Oh, Legolas," Saida breathed out quietly, half admonishment and half sympathy. "Why?"

"It is silly," Legolas said quietly and did not answer, instead closing his eyes and gripping his ribs slightly tighter.

"I am sure it is, Legolas, but I have seen you do some exceptionally silly things and I have come to expect nothing less of you."

"Hm," he murmered.

There was a minute's silence, punctuated only by the pining of a few early-evening mourning doves and the call of training officer far up the path, somewhere distant on a training field.

"Well," he finally said, "I fear I am losing my sanity. Piniriel is growing up and she refuses to listen to our father though she insisted on leaving her room with Anaron and Orodiel to dwell with him. And since she will not listen to Father, he expects me to make her listen." Legolas opened his eyes and threw up his hands as he turned to look at Saida. "Which is simply not possible!" Legolas continued. "For she is seventy, and did any of us listen to our caregivers when we were seventy?"

"Well, no," Saida said. "You perhaps listened best of all, but you disregarded what you heard the most, as well. I have begun to believe my brother when he says it is a trait of your house."

"Yes well," Legolas dismissed. "I am eager to get back to the woods, or at least on some recruit's training schedule. I was hoping with extra medicinal help I could be absolved of some of my father's parenting responsibilities. Plus, I have not been feeling better and I was tired of that."

Saida smiled and shook her head. "Legolas..."

"I know," he replied. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Clearly, Anaron disagreed, and he is right. I would like to apologize, because there is nothing comforting about Gilforod's healing approach and I have never been fond of her and I wish for Anaron again. But furthermore I was beyond wrong, and I have much to atone for and much to explain."

Saida suddenly scrunched her eyebrows and looked at Legolas hard and assessingly. "Indeed."

"What?" he asked, slightly unnerved at her sudden thoughtfulness.

"I did see your name on the training schedule and thought it strange, as I had not seen you since the day after your surgery."

Legolas reddened and murmured, "I may have told Eled-nil to add me to training rotation as I expected to be well enough to work by next week."

"Legolas!"

"I know; I am well aware: I am hopless and I am a fool, and I am ready to make my apologies."

"That is well," Saida said, and she sprang to her feet and reached out a hand to pull Legolas up, but Legolas recrossed his arms and reddened even further.

"And here is the crux of the matter," Legolas said, even more quietly.

"Oh!" Saida exclaimed. "You cannot get up!"

Legolas nodded and sighed in exasperation. "I cannot get up! I perhaps slipped when I was trying to reach the lowest branch, and I fear I jostled something, perhaps irreparably. I cannot move my legs without pain in my chest and my abdomen feels lopsided."

"Your abdomen feels..." Saida trailed off and then sighed. She stomped her foot before turning around in a circle, taking a deep breath, and then facing him again. "I am calling for Anaron."

"Please," Legolas said quietly, and he leaned back against the tree again and closed his eyes again as Saida called her dog and then whispered in his ear for several seconds. He was trotting back up the path toward the training fields when Legolas opened his eyes again, undoubtedly heading straight for Anaron and Orodiel's house to fetch the healer directly.

"I am sorry, Saida," Legolas said softly, and Saida dropped back down onto her heels and then pivoted lightly so she too sat on her rear and leaned up against the tree beside him. "And thank you."

Legolas felt Saida shake her head-refusing the gratitude-and then reached toward him to tug at his arms experimentally before asking: "Which side hurts? The side with the bite?"

"Aye," Legolas murmered, and Saida pulled on his left arm so he leant more against her, relieving some of the pressure on the right side of his flask as it extended slightly.

He hissed sharply and then sighed in relief as he relaxed.

"Ithildim and I are lucky to have you, Saida," he said. Saida laughed. "I do not know that we would have made it through our childhood without you."

"Undoubtedly not," she affirmed.

They spoke of childhood memories while they waited for the dog and Anaron to return, and Legolas did not dread the reprimands he would receive, nor the forgiveness he would beg, for he knew—this time—that he deserved it.