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Chapter 2

Mandawen's head was pounding, like the beat of a music drum in her ears. She was lying somewhere, on something very, very soft. Her mind was dizzy, but with a start she sat up and opened her eyes. "Heldreg!" she called hoarsely and closed her eyes as her body fell back onto the bed. "Heldreg," she whispered as she closed her eyes and raised a trembling hand to her forehead. With a sigh, she got her bearings and slowly climbed from the large bed. The long dark yellow gown she was clothed in pooled around her feet, but she just raised it slightly and made her way to the wood door.

She didn't know where she was, but she needed to find Heldreg. She opened the door and as she did so, she was met by a tall dark haired man, or elf, that looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Mandawen swayed on her feet and leaned heavily on the door, only to have the door swing open further. The elf moved with lightening speed and caught her before he led her back to the bed and had her sit down. However, Mandawen stood once again.

"You need to rest," he told her firmly and Mandawen looked up at him as he pushed her shoulders down so she was sitting on the bed once again.

"No, I must find my husband," she said shakily and the elf looked at her. "Heldreg, he was with me on the path. Please, can you tell me where he is?"

"He is resting. He was badly injured," he said softly and Mandawen felt her fear return. Mandawen stood, her own dizziness gone at the last words the elf had said.

"Please, I must go to him." A flutter was suddenly in her lower stomach. She put her hand on her lower abdomen and looked at the elf, whose eyes had followed her hand. "I must," she said in a whisper and the elf met her eyes.

"His room is not far, come," the elf said and he turned from her and went to the open door. On shaky legs, Mandawen followed him as they moved down a short corridor. It was then that she realized just where she was. Heldreg had told her the path would take them close to the Elvin realm of Rivendell and that must have been where they were. "Here," the elf said and he opened a door. Mandawen moved inside and on the bed of that room laid a still unconscious Heldreg.

"Heldreg," she whispered as she rushed over and sat on the edge of the bed, taking his rough left hand into hers. There was a tight bandage on his head and his right arm was bandaged as well, but it was tied to a splint as it laid at his side. She felt tears come to her eyes and she shook her head. "Oh, my Heldreg," she said as she sniffed back her tears. She raised her free hand to his pale cheek and ran her fingers down his light beard before she played with a few strands of his hair.

"He woke this morning," the elf said from behind her and she looked over her shoulder at him, her tears glistening on her face. "He asked for nothing but to know if you were safe. He is weak and with each passing day his strength leaves him."

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

"Two days," he told her softly as he stepped closer to the pair. Mandawen sniffed sadly and looked back at Heldreg.

"Will he live?" she asked, sobs threatening to erupt from her body, but she held them back.

"That is not for certain yet," came a new voice from the door. Mandawen looked over her shoulder at the doorway and saw another elf with long dark hair, but his eyes unlike the blue eyes of the first elf were grey like the sky before the rain. "I am Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and I have been taking care of both of you."

"For that I thank you, but . . . please tell me what is wrong with my husband," Mandawen said quickly as she turned her eyes back to Heldreg.

"You worry too much," came Heldreg's tired and heavy voice. Mandawen gasped and squeezed his hand.

"Heldreg?" she asked softly and raised her hand to his face as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her with a small smile. He sighed heavily as he looked at her.

"My Mada," Heldreg said and she smiled as she let her tears fall silently. "Do not worry so much for me," he told her as his grip tightened slightly on her hand, but not by much.

"I will always worry for you," she told him shakily, "always," she finished in a whisper. Heldreg gave her a small smile before he once again drifted off to sleep. "Lord Elrond?" she asked before she sat up fully and turned from facing her husband. She kept a hold of his hand but looked to the second elf that had entered the room. The elf nodded his head and looked at her. His face seemed cold, but there was a warmth in his eyes, a distant warmth, but a warmth nonetheless. "Please, you must know," she paused again and sniffed as she wiped at her face. "You must know if shall live, will you tell me?" Elrond stepped closer to her and looked down at her. She looked up and met his grey eyes.

"Your husband told us your name is Mandawen," Elrond said and she nodded her head. "I will not lie to you, Mandawen," he said sadly. "Your husband is not well, but I am helping him all I can."

"I beg you, my lord," she whispered as she squeezed Heldreg's hand and kept her eyes locked with the elf before her, "please save him." Elrond nodded his head, but did not say anything as he led the other elf from the room. Mandawen turned her eyes to her husband once again and looked at him, and waited patiently for him to wake again.


Elrond walked from the room and as Beinion closed the door behind him, Beinion spoke. "Can he be saved, my lord?" Beinion asked gently and Elrond looked to him with saddened eyes.

"His ribs are broken and the damage inside is great," Elrond whispered. "There is little hope for him." Beinion sighed softly and looked to the door before he looked to Elrond.

"Then what is to become of his wife?" Beinion asked.

"When he passes, her fate will be up to her," Elrond said before he walked from the corridor and to his study. Beinion sighed once again and moved to his office across the corridor from the two visitors, and he hoped that all would turn out well for the pair.


Three moredays passed slowly and Mandawen was walking in a large garden just down the steps and outside of Heldreg's room. He had woke for a while that morning, but he didn't bother to eat some warm broth a female elf had brought for him. She had spent the last two days in the room with him, merely watching him sleep and speaking quietly with him when he did wake. But, now she walked aimlessly trying to get her mind off the fact that he wasn't getting any better.

Mandawen sighed softly and sat down on a stone bench that was right below Heldreg's window. She smoothed out the dark blue material of the dress she was given to wear and put her hand on her stomach again and thought about the day she told Heldreg she was with child and a small smile came to her lips.


Mandawen walked to her and Heldreg's home with a small smile on her face and her hand on her lower stomach. Hilda, a midwife that lived just down the street, had confirmed her suspicions. However, she was nervous to tell Heldreg, she knew he would be excited but their plans to travel to Rohan would have to be moved up. She opened the door was surprised to see Heldreg already home and standing near the fireplace stoking a burning fire. "Heldreg, what are you doing home?" she asked smiling and Heldreg grinned at her before he quickly moved over to her and embraced her tightly as he spun her around in his arms. Mandawen laughed and put her hands on his shoulders as he lowered her to the floor of their home.

"I received a letter today, from my father," Heldreg said. "He wrote back, and said that he could not wait to see me again, and was anxious to meet my wife," he said as he cupped her face in his hands. "He said that we could live with him and he agreed to give me the plot of land he used to trot the horses so I can build us a home." Mandawen smiled brightly up at him before he leaned in and kissed her softly. "I cannot wait until you see Rohan, Mada, you will love it." Mandawen nodded as he lowered his hands from her face to rest on her neck.

"Heldreg, there is something I need to tell you," she told him softly as she moved her hands and wrapped her fingers around his wrists. He frowned and looked at her before he moved his hands and took her hands into his.

"What is it Mada?" he asked and Mandawen squeezed his hands before she put his hands on her lower stomach.

"I'm with child," she whispered. His eyes widened as they locked with hers but then looked to their hands.

"With child?" he asked before he looked back at her face. She blushed and nodded her head.

"Yes," she whispered and Heldreg's smile grew before he wrapped his arms around her and once again spun her around and laughed happily.

"My Mada," he said happily as he sat her on the floor and kissed her firmly. "My Mada, you have made me the happiest man to have ever drawn breath." He caressed her face gently and she looked up at him with a smile. Mandawen made to speak, but couldn't because Heldreg kissed her firmly once again.


"It is good to see you well," a deep voice said. Startled from her daydream, Mandawen jumped slightly and looked up to see a tall elf, but unlike the others she had seen, that elf had long golden hair and was dressed in brown breeches and a brown and white tunic.

"I'm sorry," Mandawen said slowly as she looked at him closely, trying to recognize his fair face, but failing to do so. "Have we met?" she asked and the elf gave her a small smile.

"Not formally, my lady," he said before he bowed his head. "I am Glorfindel, myself and two other found you and the man along the pathway." Mandawen furrowed her brow and stood slowly.

"The light in the darkness of the rain . . . that was you?" she asked softly and the elf nodded a little uncertain at the look on her face. She sighed heavily and forgetting her standing in the Elvin city wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, thank you," she repeated again before she pulled away from him and looked up at him with teary eyes. "If you had not found us, my husband may not be alive right now." Glorfindel gave her a small smile and nodded his head. "I am Mandawen, and my husband is Heldreg," she added with a blush remembering that she was out of line hugging the elf as she had. "I should go," she said absently. "I must check on my husband." The elf nodded his head and she moved quickly, putting her hand on her stomach as she did.


"Mada?" Heldreg asked as she opened the door and she smiled as she moved quickly to him.

"I am here, my love," she whispered and he opened his eyes as he looked up at her. Heldreg blinked a few times until his wife's beautiful face came into view. Her long dark hair was tied from her face, but a few of the unruly curls hung down around her face, that was unusually pale and there were dark rings under her eyes, telling him what he had feared; that she had been spending her time with him and not taking care of herself and their child.

"Have you been sleeping?" he asked as he freed his left hand from hers and touched her face gently. She closed her eyes at his touch and raised her hand to his on her face.

"Yes," she said as she opened her eyes.

"In your bed?" At her hesitation, he had his answer.

"No, but the chair in your room is comfortable enough," she said as she clasped his hand in hers. Heldreg sighed.

"Mada, you need to rest in your bed," Heldreg told her tiredly and winced as he tried to move.

"Don't move," she said as she stilled him, but she was too late. He gasped and his face paled. "Heldreg? Heldreg?" she asked alarmed but Heldreg took ragged gasps of air. Mandawen panicked and rushed from the room. "Beinion!" she called as she ran into the healer's assistant's study. The elf looked up at her and she could only point towards Heldreg's room as words failed her. Beinion moved quickly and ran to the open door.

"Get Lord Elrond," he told her before he went into Heldreg's room. Mandawen ran down the corridor and without knocking she charged into the Elvin Lord's study. Elrond looked up at her from the desk and she was surprised to see Glorfindel, the elf she had met an hour earlier in the garden, standing there. However, she paid no mind to him.

"Lord Elrond," she said shakily, "something is wrong with Heldreg, Beinion sent me to get you, please hurry." Her body was trembling as she ran back into the corridor. Lord Elrond was close behind, but stopped her before she entered the room.

"Stay out here Mandawen," he told her firmly and she nodded although every part of her body was telling her to go inside. She could still hear Heldreg's ragged gasps and she closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall and brought her clasped hands under her chin. She stood there for what seemed like forever, trembling as she wondered what was happening to her husband, but when she no longer heard his gasping, her heart felt as though it stopped.