Lorren

Eight

Lorren closed her eyes, soaking in Aran’s words and the energy radiating off of him. A calmness filled her heart as she sensed the truth in his words. She wasn’t alone. She could rely on him, trust him, confide in him, and not worry about him going against her. She opened her eyes to see him still looking at her. She smiled at him and cradled his face in her hands as well as she quietly said, “Edraith enni - save me.”

“It’s looking a bit cozy in here, Aran. How’s Led... Lorren faring now?” Etan corrected himself as he swung the door shut behind him, entering the room and walking over to where the two were currently sitting.

“She is doing better now, but she is to stay in bed and rest for a few more days. She needs food and water, plenty of rest, and absolutely no stress. Come with me, little brother. Her maid should be arriving here soon anyways. She needs to bathe and dress before we come back in here again,” Aran directed Etan, his hand on his shoulder as he steered him back to the door.

“If she is better, then I think it should be alright for me to sit with her while we wait for her maid to...” Etan was cut off by a small old woman entering the room, laden with a basket of fabrics and sewing materials under one arm, and a large bucket of hot water with a sponge and a bar of scented soap tied to the side of it in the other.

“Out, you two. This poor little bird can’t sit here in the buff whilst you two puff out your chests like overly-proud beasts and bicker like the old maids in the kitchens. Shoo! Out!” the little old woman demanded.

“You had Nannan come to take care of her? Are you daft?” Etan asked incredulously, his temper flaring, “She’ll scare the sense out of Lorren and you know it!”

“Oh, hush. That’s nonsense. You’re such a ninny, Etan. I practically raised you two boys myself, and you both turned out perfectly fine. I can handle a little bird like her if I can handle the two of you at the same time. Now, out!” Nannan ordered again, setting her load down next to the bed and jamming her hands onto her overly-wide hips.

“Yes, Nannan,” Aran said while smiling. He kissed her withered cheek and walked out the door, his hand firmly on Etan’s shoulder once more, in case he tried to turn back to the room.

“Now, little bird, let’s say we have a look at you, hmm? C’mon, remove those sheets dearie, I haven’t all day. That’s better... Let me have a look here...” Nannan said, gently coaxing Lorren into a sitting position on the bed, careful not to move her too fast.“My my, child! You’re nothing but skin and bones!” she exclaimed, her hands fluttering around Lorren’s shoulders and arms. “What am I going to do with you? Well, first things first, you need a good scrubbing, fresh clothes, and a hot meal. We’ll work steadily on putting some meat on you, dearie. You sure are a pretty little thing though, aren’t you? Those boys of mine will have their hands full with you, won’t they?” Nannan clucked and chuckled as she began piling Lorren’s hair on her head, commenting on how fair her skin was, or how soft her hair felt.

“Nannan?” Lorren said, looking up at the old lady’s withered face, “are you really a maid?”

Nannan pulled her hands back and smiled widely, her eyes hidden by her immense wrinkles. “Yes, birdie, I am. Those two boys listen to me because I raised them to listen to me. Their mamma and papa have always loved those boys, but needed help reeling them in. They’ve always had high energy, so when their parents weren’t around, which was often because of their station, I was there to manage them. They are good boys, the two of them,” she said fondly, her smile relaxing into one that stayed put all through the sponge-bath that she had insisted Lorren needed.

“Now, let’s get this dress on you. It’ll be loose, but that’s nothing a little fitting-charm can’t handle. We’ll have all the men in the realms licking your heels in no time at all,” Nannan said with a wink as she slid the dress over her head, causing Lorren to giggle girlishly.

“That’s the first time you’ve laughed since you woke up, gwennig - little maid,” Aran said, smiling broadly as he entered the room, followed closely by Etan, who looked sharply at his brother at the use of an endearment that was usually reserved for a woman that held a man’s interest.

“It’s the first time I’ve had reason to,” Lorren said quietly. “I cannot remember the last time I laughed. I wasn’t even sure I knew how to until just now.”

Nannan watched Aran and Etan closely, noting their expressions; Aran’s one of understanding, Etan’s one of confusion and mounting frustration. “Let’s get this girl dressed and back into bed, then one of you can feed her while the other entertains her, yes? Come along, birdie, let me see that pretty head of yours,” Nannan ordered, draping a light covering over her shoulders that complimented her gown. Next, Nannan placed an amulet around Lorren’s neck, touching it with her middle and forefinger, muttering in the same language Etan had spoken in when he had rescued her from the Imperials. When the amulet began to glow, Nannan removed her hand, smiling and assessing her handy work as the clothing Lorren wore began to form and mold to fit her body perfectly and comfortably.

“Now, about that food...” Nannan began, and was interrupted by Etan and Aran debating over who fed what to Lorren.

“She needs meat, Aran, to build her strength. Just look at how thin she is! You can see her ribs and hip bones right through her gown. I’ll feed her the rabbit stew that is down in the kitchen, it would be perfect for her,” Etan stated, claiming his right to care for Lorren.

“Etan, you know well enough that she needs to have vegetable broth and fresh bread, something light on her stomach. She’s recovering from being malnourished. Having her eat something so heavy after having nothing to eat for so long will only make her sicker. Where’s your sense, brother? If you think that feeding her something like rabbit will help her, you have no right to handle her,” Aran scolded his younger sibling.

Nannan looked over at Lorren and winked conspiratorially, causing her to smile.

“How about I feed our little bird and you two sit there, like the good boys I know you to be, and play us a song, yes? Now, I’ll run down and get her something to eat while you two decide what to play,” she instructed as she headed for the door, looking back to Lorren to assure she was back in the bed as the brothers found places to sit near the fire-bowl.