“No!” Nym exclaimed in horror, putting a hand on Layla’s shoulder. “How can that be?”
Lana frowned at them both, confused. It sounded as if sickness was an unheard of thing.
“We don’t know,” Layla responded. “Perhaps the land has forsaken us. The children have been falling ill and some have died. We don’t know what causes it but the grown elves seem to be immune so you two should be safe here.”
Lana immediately began walking toward the tent. After a moment, Nym followed her.
“What do you think to do, Lana?” Nym asked her curiously. “If the land has forsaken these elves for whatever reason, there is nothing that can be done. It’s nature’s way.”
“I don’t know anything about the land forsaking anyone. I merely feel a need to visit with these children. We may be able to offer them some comfort.”
“Of course,” Nym responded, looking at Lana compassionately. “Maybe we can.”
The tent was very large and enclosed on all sides, perhaps to contain the virus that was killing children. There were several pallets on the ground and three of them contained young elves in various levels of distress. One girl near the entrance simply appeared to be sleeping, her cheeks rosy and a thin sheen of sweat on her brow. Another one was doubled up in pain, weeping quietly while an elf woman tried to console him. The third was so still and quiet, Lana thought that he may have died and no one had noticed yet. She went to him first.
Kneeling next to the small body, Lana placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He was cool to the touch but she could detect the slightest rise and fall of his chest. She left her hand were it was, feeling a deep sense of despair for this poor child.
Suddenly, she felt a change within the boy. There was a flicker of… something. She almost drew her hand back in surprise but some instinct kept her still. She focused.
There it was again, a feeling, an awareness. It was like when she listened to the trees. She could feel what this little boy was feeling. He was sad and alone. He was tired. The young fellow was searching for something, a thing that had always been there and was now gone.
Lana looked up at one of the elves who were tending to the sick children and beckoned her over. The woman approached and looked down sadly at the boy under Lana’s palm.
“That one is lost to us,” she told Lana softly. “When they begin to cool, there is nothing to be done.”
“Have you been able to treat any of them? Do any survive this?” Lana asked.
The woman merely shook her head and began to turn away.
“What medicines have you tried? Do you have anything that can bring down the fevers? Ease the pain?” Lana felt frantic, she was desperate to find a way to heal these poor children.
The woman looked over her shoulder at Nym quizzically. Nym gestured for her to return to her duties and turned to Lana.
“We have no medicines here,” she said softly. “The land provides. It’s an old saying but it’s also the way of the elves. We don’t become ill. Our wounds heal quickly. This sickness is… unheard of.” She seemed very shaken.
“The land is not providing, Nym. Look at him,” she gestured to the small form of the little elf under her hand who was desperately clinging to life.
Nym stood, looking down despairingly at Lana and the child. She silently shook her head and walked away. Lana knew she should follow her, this child was not her responsibility, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave his side. He had no one to care for him. The other elves had already decided he was hopeless, but Lana couldn’t let him die alone. She settled down and took his hand, listening to the voice of his spirit while tears slipped down her cheeks.
“You are not alone, little one,” Lana whispered. She stretched out next to the boy, wrapping her arms around him as she waited for him to die.
* * *
Someone was stroking her hair. Slowly, Lana opened her eyes and found a small face looking down at her curiously. Blinking her eyes, and slightly alarmed, she tried to remember where she was or how she got there. Lana sat up and glanced around.
She was still in the tent with the sick children and the little boy who had been so sick the day before was sitting up, staring at her.
“You’re pretty,” he said shyly. “You have pretty hair.”
Lana gasped in shock. He was alive! How could that be? He had seemed so close to death. She took his face in her hands and he giggled.
“You’re okay?” she asked him. The boy blinked a few times in confusion and then frowned.
“I’m hungry,” he said and Lana sighed in relief.
“Then let’s go find you something to eat, okay?” She took him by the hand and together they left the tent. They walked over to the communal dining area where there were already a handful of elves seated on cushions scattered around the ground with blankets instead of tables.
Lana spotted Nym chatting animatedly with a handsome young male elf and thought perhaps she shouldn’t intrude but Nym caught sight of her and waved them over. Nym introduced her to the man, Ilann, and he leaned over to embrace her in greeting. Then Nym’s gaze fell on the boy who was trying to hide behind Lana and her eyes widened in shock.
“Child,” she exclaimed. “You live!”
The young boy ran a hand through his brown hair, seeming very uncomfortable.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said shyly.
Nym looked at Lana and then at the boy, at a complete loss for words. Layla had spotted them and hurried over quickly, throwing herself down next to the boy and drawing him into her arms.
“Josiah, how are you feeling?” she asked him softly, her voice full of emotion.
The boy was completely overwhelmed
