Welcome back to TBFF! Thanks for coming back to enjoy the final chapter! My thanks go out to Addy White, mystarlight, PrettyRecklessLaura, and Arwan for reviewing the last chapter! My thanks to all of my readers for your continuing support on this long journey that I've embarked upon.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Lord of the Rings or Tolkien Enterprises.
ooOoo
To Be Forever Faithful
By: Ponytail Goddess
Chapter 59: Sunshine and Starlight Forever
"His elfling is here. She has survived the attack." The unfamiliar voice announced. Belegwen was unnerved by the sudden presence of an unknown elf and trembled terribly with fear. She barely allowed herself to peek at him through the cracks between her fingers while he spoke with whoever else was behind him in the talan.
Though the elf had quickly put his knife down, Belegwen continued to panic internally because her hiding spot had been compromised. The world around her spun a bit and her ears started to ring as she became hyper aware of the elf in front of her. While she could see he was trying to speak with her, she could not seem to hear anything other than her own frightened thoughts and the wild pounding of her own heart.
Was he responsible for what happened to her parents and brother?! Was she now going to be murdered too?!
Too afraid to look at him any longer, Belegwen cowered down behind the brooms and mops, hiding her face again. Her entire body was shaking with fright and she had no idea what would happen to her now that she had been discovered. Within the panicked confines of her mind, she prayed to Eru Iluvatar to protect her.
Suddenly, she sensed a change in the area around her and gasped as she saw the ellon in front of her carefully removing a broom from the closet and laying it down outside of the closet. Frightened that he was trying to get to her, she grabbed the remaining two mops and held onto them as if they were safety nets. Belegwen would not allow herself to be taken out of the sheltered area of the closet. It was the only place where she could hide and she did not want to leave!
She watched the blue-eyed elf in front of her as she clung tightly to the mops that were blocking her in. He immediately stopped trying to move the mops and started trying to speak to her again. Belegwen could see his lips were moving and could distantly hear the lilting sound of his melodious voice, but it seemed so far away that she could not make out what he said. He sat there speaking to her for the longest time. After a long while had passed, Belegwen felt herself relax a bit since he was no longer trying to remove items from her sacred space.
Surely if he was going to hurt her, he would have already done so… Right?
Belegwen started mentally arguing with herself about whether or not this stranger meant her any harm, but abruptly stopped when she saw his hand slowly encroach upon her space in the closet again. She froze and watched as he opened his palm up for her so she could see he had nothing in his hand. He moved it ever-so-slowly towards her own hand, which was still tightly grasping the mop handle.
She whimpered for a moment and he stopped right away, looking closely at her, as if trying to decide what to do next. The hand then continued towards her, but even more slowly this time. A moment later, she jumped when she felt the warmth of his hand hesitantly touch her own clammy one. Though she thought he would grab her, he did not. After a few awkward moments, Belegwen found the elven contact strangely comforting. When she did not move away, he laid his hand down on top of hers completely and continued speaking with her.
Something about the physical contact brought Belegwen back into reality and she suddenly realized the elf was a warden and that she could indeed hear his voice. He was not talking to her after all, but was singing a familiar song in a light, tenor voice. It was the same song her naneth sang to her when she was frightened, the one about Nimrodel. This tidbit of familiarity slightly assuaged Belegwen's anxiety as she let the remaining words resonate within her mind.
"The elven-ship in haven grey
Beneath the mountain-lee
Awaited her for many a day
Beside the roaring sea.
A wind by night in Northern lands
Arose, and loud it cried,
And drove the ship from elven-strands
Across the streaming tide.
When dawn came dim the land was lost,
The mountains sinking grey
Beyond the heaving waves that tossed
Their plumes of blinding spray.
Amroth beheld the fading shore
Now low beyond the swell,
And cursed the faithless ship that bore
Him far from Nimrodel.
Of old he was an Elven-king,
A lord of tree and glen,
When golden were the boughs in spring
In fair Lothlórien.
From helm to sea they saw him leap,
As arrow from the string,
And dive into water deep,
As mew upon the wing.
The wind was in his flowing hair,
The foam about him shone;
Afar they saw him strong and fair
Go riding like a swan.
But from the West has come no word,
And on the Hither Shore
No tidings Elven-folk have heard
Of Amroth evermore."
When he finally stopped singing, Belegwen stared at him and waited for him to break the silence. He looked back at her very seriously and asked, "Can you hear me now?"
Belegwen nodded, still too scared to speak. It did not seem to matter though, as the warden before her continued to address her without expecting an audible answer. "I have three sons and when they were young, I would sing to them when they were afraid and it helped them. It is my hope that I can help you too, little one. Will you allow me to assist you?" He asked. His expression seemed satisfied when she nodded after thinking it over for a short time.
"If I am to help you, I will need to take the mops out of the closet. May I remove them now?" He asked her quietly, then quickly took them out when she nodded again.
"Have you been injured by the orcs?" The warden asked her gently. Belegwen watched as an unknown emotion flashed in his eyes before he pushed it deep within himself and continued to look stoic as ever.
She shook her head no because she had not even seen the orcs, who she now presumed were responsible for her family's demise. Belegwen had never even seen an orc before. All she knew was that when her adar spoke about them, he called them things like 'foul beasts' and 'unfeeling evils of the night.' They truly must have been nasty things if they were capable of slaying elves as they had with her family.
A crystalline tear slid down Belegwen's face as she realized she would never hear her adar complain about orcs and other evil creatures ever again. In fact, she would never hear his comforting voice or feel the feather-light touch of his hand holding her own...
He was gone. Forever.
Sadness crashed over her like a wave as the warden locked eyes with her, bearing an unreadable expression upon his face. He carefully reached for her once again with an open hand. This time Belegwen did not fear what he would do and allowed it to happen without so much as a flinch.
"You are brave, little one. You are strong, just like the wardens I work alongside." He assured her as he carefully wiped the tears away from her face with the gentlest of touches while she sobbed out her feelings of anguish. "Hush now, little one. You are a warrior and warriors do not cry."
Belegwen felt her face contort into a visage of disbelief. The warden sighed and then smiled sadly at her. "You do not believe me? Let me tell you who I see in front of me now—I see the strongest elleth I have ever met." He declared confidently.
"It is you, little one." He affirmed. "You are capable of accomplishing all things because of your great inner strength, which is the same strength that I carry in my heart as a warden. It is strength that keeps us going during the darkest and hardest of times. It is strength that keeps you from fading in spite of what has happened to you today and it is strength that will give you the power to go on. Do you understand, little one?"
Belegwen nodded, holding onto every knowledgeable word that spilled out of the warden's mouth. She understood what he was saying and was starting to believe he was right. He was starting to seem trustworthy. Surely her adar would have wanted her to trust a fellow warden when she was in danger, right?
"I need you to listen carefully now. I would like to get you out of this closet and bring you to a much safer place. Are you willing to let me help you get out of here?" He asked her with all the patience in the world.
While Belegwen had been out her mind with fear for the last few hours, she knew in her heart that leaving the closet would be much better than staying. She felt as if her adar would have wanted her to trust this warden who seemed to be going out of his way to try and help her. With this in mind, she decided she would be brave like the mysterious elf said she was and nodded her head in response to his inquiry.
"Very good, little one. I will help you leave and get you to safety. Do you think you are well enough to stand up?" He asked gently.
She shook her head no. Because of the way she was shaking now, she sincerely doubted her legs would hold her weight up in her current state. "If you will allow it, I can carry you out. Will you let me help you in this way?" He asked, looking around the closet a bit as if trying to decide what other alternatives might be available to him.
Belegwen decided to accept his offer though and nodded her head once again, albeit a bit more hesitantly than before. He nodded back at her, his blue eyes now shining with determination as he cautiously slid himself across the floor so that he was sitting right next to her. "I am going to put one arm behind your back and the other underneath your legs." He stated, then slowly did so.
Though the warden had told her precisely what he planned to do, Belegwen still jumped when it happened. The warden immediately stopped and observed her carefully through the golden locks that were framing the front of his face as he leaned forward to pick her up. His eyes seemed to ask wordlessly if she was truly okay with what he was about to do. When she nodded to him again, he grasped her tightly and continued to pull her towards him so that she was leaned against his chest.
Belegwen immediately noticed the warden was very warm and smelled like the forest, just as her adar did when he came home from a fortnight at the border. Finding the similarities comforting, she felt herself relax a bit against him as he held her tightly.
"When I stand up, I am going to turn and carry you out the door and down the stairs. You are to keep your face here, against my chest, until I have started down the stairway. Can you do this?" He asked, sounding as though he expected absolute compliance from her.
"Yes sir," she murmured, her voice barely audible. He nodded at her though, so she knew he had heard her response. He counted to three and then started to move. As he stood up, she locked her arms strongly around his neck for security and buried her face in the grey tunic atop his chest. His soft hair tickled her nose as she felt him quickly walk through the talan and out the door. One of his hands rested firmly upon the back of her head, pushing her face into his chest to ensure that she did not see the horrors within the talan a second time.
At last, she could smell fresh air once again. She was safe in the arms of the warden. Surely it was someone her adar at least knew, if not a friend of his she simply had not met before. Belegwen trusted the mysterious warden with her life and he did not let her down. He took her to safety, just as he had promised, carrying her trembling body all the way to Lord Celeborn's office, where her life had changed forever.
Belegwen gasped as she came out of her horrified trance. At once, she realized that Haldir had seen her memory and had put two and two together. She sensed a myriad of emotions catapulting dangerously through his mind as he stared at her with a confused and hurt look upon his face. Though she knew he was struggling to process this new information, just like other members of his family, the frustration and pain he was feeling concerning this situation was making her feel terribly guilty.
"I am the reason he has been separated from his adar and naneth for so long." She thought to herself as her heart sank. "This is all my fault."
She watched helplessly as Haldir turned and walked away from them without uttering a single word. "Haldir, wait!" Belegwen cried out and started to go after him, worried about the state he was currently in. However, a strong hand caught her shoulder and when she turned around, she saw that Galadir had stopped her.
"Let him go. He needs some time to sort this out, as do we." He said carefully, then glanced over at the other members of his family. They were all staring at the two of them with looks of shock and confusion on their visages.
"Could someone please tell me what just happened here?" Orophin asked stubbornly, clearly annoyed that he did not know more about the situation.
"I will tell Orophin and Rumil," Teluial volunteered cautiously, while nodding to her husband. She motioned for Galadir to move along as she grabbed her two younger sons by their hands. "Take all the time you need with Belegwen, my darling."
Galadir nodded at Teluial, then silently offered his arm to Belegwen, much in the same way that Haldir did. "Come. There is much we have to discuss." He said, then led Belegwen along the edge of the beach, walking away from the crowd to try and obtain some modicum of privacy.
As they walked, Belegwen found herself feeling quite confused and mixed up inside. She was very worried about Haldir and how he was taking this new revelation. At the same time, there was a part of her that was relieved to have finally found the warden who saved her after all this time.
She also found that it was strange to walk arm in arm with Galadir. He did not look much like Haldir other than his blue eyes, but oddly walking arm in arm with him felt exactly the same as when she walked with her hervenn. They had the same gait and he held her arm in the exact same way.
Belegwen found herself quite speechless now that she had actually found the warden who saved her. She wanted to make a good impression on Galadir as well, but was no longer certain if that was even possible. After all, Galadir had seen her at her absolute worst moment. Plus, he might blame her for being the reason he sailed so early in his life…
It made Belegwen feel sick to her stomach with worry just thinking about it.
However, it turned out that she did not have to try and figure out what to say to Galadir, as he started to converse with her first. Her eyes immediately met his as she felt his warm hand rest atop her own, which was still comfortably on his elbow. Those familiar blue eyes looked down into hers; his face was a serious one, but Belegwen could see the underlying concern that laid within their depths. "You are well then? You have stayed in Arda for all of these years?"
Belegwen nodded as they stopped a few paces away from the large patch of ancient rocks that peeked out from the sea, just beyond the shoreline. She breathed in the fresh sea aroma and listened to the sound of waves in the distance as she stared at her long lost hero in the dull light of the cloudy day.
Galadir sighed, then stared into the distance as he spoke. "I do not think a day has gone by in which I have not thought about you. You were in such terrible shape that day… I worried you would fade after I left for Valinor. I am astonished that you had the strength to stay after you lost so much." He said quietly, his face as stoic as ever. The only indication of his emotional state was the tightness with which he gripped Belegwen's hand.
"It sometimes amazes me too." Belegwen murmured in response, finally finding her voice after Galadir's rather pointed comments. "If I am honest with myself though, I believe I have you to thank for that."
Now it was Galadir's turn to look at her in astonishment. She met his eyes with confidence now that she felt a bit more comfortable with him. He merely cocked his eyebrow up as he waited for an explanation. A sad smile tentatively appeared on her face as she thought back to those difficult days in her past.
"You are the reason I am still here today, sir. When you found me, I had no reason to go on. My family was decimated and I was scared out of my mind. There was nothing left in Arda for me—I should have faded at that point in my life." She started to explain as she removed her hand from his elbow and turned away from him. She started to pace underneath his intense scrutiny of her as she continued to explain.
"You did a great favor for me on that fateful day which prevented my fading. You were patient with me and kind. You told me I was brave like the wardens you worked alongside…" She stated as she stopped and stared at the sea, crossing her arms in discomfort. "When you told me that, a dream started to form within my mind. I desired this dream so greatly that I had to survive so I could see it through."
She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes as she tried to get ahold of her wayward emotions. At last, she turned back and saw Galadir waiting patiently for her to finish, the black cape over his olive green tunic blowing gracefully in the wind behind him. "You made me want to be like you. You made me want to help others. I dreamed I too could be a warden and surprisingly, it was enough. That dream bound me to Arda, which is where I stayed."
"I have fulfilled my dream now," she continued, feeling a lone tear start to roll down her cheek. "I have protected and saved numerous elves and men; this I owe to you, along with so much more. You saved me both physically and mentally. You gave me something to hold onto when nothing was left for me. I have a wonderful career and family now and it is all thanks to you."
Galadir bowed his head in acknowledgement. Though he said nothing in return, the sentiment was still there. She had said her piece and an understanding had been reached.
An uneasy silence lingered between them for a while before Belegwen finally spoke up again as guilt overflowed from within her. "I am glad you were there for me, but I feel terrible that you left because of me." She murmured. "I am sorry for the pain my situation has inflicted upon your family."
"Our family." He quickly interjected to correct her and then continued. "You should not feel any shame or guilt over the situation Belegwen. I knew the risks of my job when I took it, as does every warden. If it was not this situation, it would have been another. Long have wardens been facing horrifying situations, as Arda has been filled to the brim with evil for a long time. Every time one is wiped out, another rises up. It is an unending pattern that has brought much grief to Lothlorien and the other elven realms."
He carefully stepped closer to her, his face filled with an even stronger intensity as he finished. "Regardless of what happened, I am glad I was there for you. If I could do it over again, I would. It was not your fault that the orcs did what they did; you were an innocent bystander, trapped in a painful circumstance beyond your control. If I managed to bring you a bit of comfort during your tragedy, then my loss was worthwhile. Would you not feel the same way if you rescued a youngling in a dire situation?"
Belegwen squeezed her eyes shut as uncontrollable feelings of grief convulsed within her. Eventually, she slowly nodded.
While it hurt to acknowledge it, she knew Galadir was right. She would have done the exact same thing if she had found an elfling hiding in a closet. Silence then rested between the two elves, although it was much more comfortable than before. Belegwen felt herself starting to slowly release her death grip upon the guilt that had been haunting her and breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps she would find healing here, just as Haldir had insisted she would.
Perhaps she should have come sooner after all.
"You love my son." Galadir calmly said out of the blue. "Is he good to you?"
A large smile unfurled upon her face at the mere thought. "Yes. He is the most wonderful ellon I have ever met. Goodness, I am astonished that I have married into your family without even realizing it! The Valar work in mysterious ways…" Belegwen said, finishing quietly.
"Indeed. I am also fascinated by this happy coincidence. Tell me how this came about." He said, his blue eyes piercing into Belegwen's once more. Thus, she launched into the story of how Haldir fell in love with her the day she visited the border, right before she came of age. She relayed how she had accidentally told him off after a few hundred years while he waited for her and how everything Haldir felt for her had fallen into limbo for a few millennia.
As she conveyed how she had fallen in love with him during her marchwarden training, she felt the gentle caress of Haldir's hands upon her shoulders within her mind's eye. She suddenly paused her story as she turned to her hervenn within her mind, her eyes filled with concern over what had happened when he saw the end of her memory earlier.
Haldir's cerulean eyes were soft though and full of understanding. "I am sorry for walking away like that Belegwen. Learning what happened surprised me and I grew frustrated for a few moments. It was not your fault though; you were just a youngling caught in a bad situation. Please forgive me for my anger meleth."
"There is nothing to forgive Haldir." Belegwen stated warmly, wrapping her arms around his comforting presence. "I am sorry that my tragedy became yours. I am sorry your adar left you so soon." She murmured into his neck as they held one another tightly within the deep darkness of her mind's eye.
"I wish you never had to go through that." He murmured into her hair as he stroked it lovingly. "I finally saw the whole dream and it was terrible. Ada worked so hard to get you to safety. It seemed like he knew just the right things to say."
"Mostly," Belegwen whispered in return, pulling back from him gently to look into his eyes. "There was one thing he was wrong about though."
"Oh?" Haldir asked, his brows raising up a bit in surprise. "And what would that be, my starlight?"
"He told me warriors do not cry and I believed him. He was wrong though; warriors do cry." She said with sincerity. "You were both wrong about that. It took me a long time to figure it out, but Gilhoth helped me draw this conclusion after Helm's Deep and I now know in my heart that he was right. It is our emotions that connect us to one another and bring us together as one, not our separation."
"Yes," Haldir admitted, "You are right, as is Gilhoth. I have learned it during our last few years in Caras Galadhon too. I shut myself off when you did not return my love for you all those years ago. I hardened my heart and look where it got me—I went millennia without the love of my life and with few friends and confidants. What a waste it was! A huge waste of time!"
"We are quite the pair, are we not?" Belegwen asked, reeling a bit mentally as she thought about the horrible errors they made in Arda together.
Haldir chuckled lightly in response and tightened his grip on her as he held her closely. "Truly, we are slow learners, you and I. We finally figured it out though."
"Yes, we did." Belegwen said in return, smiling brightly up at him in return. "I am so glad I found you at last!"
"As am I." He murmured as he kissed her forehead. "As am I."
The sweet moment ended though as she sensed Galadir was trying to speak with her again. Blinking her way back into the present, she noticed that he had stepped close to her and was staring at her with a perplexed look on his face. "Are you well Belegwen? Can you hear me?"
"Pardon me. Yes, I am well." She quickly replied, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"She is well Ada," she heard Rumil's light voice say from behind them. "When she freezes up, it means she is speaking with Haldir in her mind through their bond. You will grow used to it as you spend more time with her. They are very close to one another and it happens quite frequently"
Instantly, she felt his arm wrap around her as Rumil hugged her tightly from the side. He leaned in and whispered almost inaudibly in her ear. "I am not angry about what happened gwathel, so do not even start to think it. In fact, it is much the opposite feeling—I am glad Adar was there to help you. Are you relieved to know who saved you now?" He asked gently, to which she nodded in response.
Rumil kissed her on the cheek and pulled her close once again before letting go. "Welcome to the family Belegwen." He whispered, then adopted a mischievous look upon his countenance as he teased her lightheartedly. "I fear you shall never be rid of us!"
"Good, I would not want to be!" She chimed in, then smiled as he went to hug his adar once again, clearly basking in the attention he so desperately had missed during their long separation.
"Here is your hervenn, my dearest gwathel." Orophin called out from behind her. Belegwen's eyes widened as she turned and saw him approaching with Haldir, both looking slightly ruffled and worse for wear. "I have pummeled some sense into him and brought him back to you. You're welcome." He said with a sassy voice and no small glint of humor gleaming within his blue eyes.
Belegwen grinned playfully and said, "Thank you Orophin. I do not know what I would do without you now!"
"Never fear, you can always count on me to knock some sense into this elf during his most foolish moments." He recanted, elbowing Haldir for good measure.
"Expect me to return the favor, gwador." Haldir replied in good humor, giving him a nice and heavy thunk on the back in return. He then took Belegwen by the hand and gently pulled her a few steps away from his brother.
"All is well then?" He asked softly. "Are you hurting because of this situation?"
Belegwen paused to think about it before answering. "I was… but I think I am going to be okay now. I was worried you and your adar would resent me for what happened, but he does not hold me responsible and you have already apologized. It seems you were right—your family has seemingly accepted me as I am." She said with sincerity.
"I knew they would." Haldir said in an almost smug voice, though she could tell by his expression that he was pleased everything had worked out so well. "Have you seen my naneth with Halendil yet?" He asked, pointing to something happening behind her.
When Belegwen turned around, she found Teluial holding Halendil happily by the arm and speaking to him in an animated fashion. Their son was slightly hunkered over by this, as Haldir's tiny naneth was a bit shorter than most elves. Belegwen watched happily as the two stopped and laughed with each other, clearly glad to be in one another's company.
"They are like two peas in a pod, are they not? Naneth is very taken with him. We have brought her great joy today." Haldir said, briefly grabbing Belegwen's hand and giving it a squeeze as he watched Belegwen's reaction.
Belegwen simply smiled in their direction, content to have brought someone in Haldir's family such pleasure. In the back of her mind, she could also sense Haldir's desire, which was to go and get reacquainted with his adar. He was worried about Belegwen though and wanted to stay by her side to make sure she would be alright after confronting his adar about the tragedy. Torn between the two options, Haldir did not know what to do.
"Go to your adar, my sunshine. Take joy in his presence, as you have waited to do for so long now. I am well and could use a few moments to myself to think everything over." She said, trying her best to reassure him. When he did not immediately leave, she gave him a light kiss on the lips, then turned him towards his adar. "I will be fine. I promise."
"If you are certain." He said, clearly still feeling wary about her well-being after having to take care of her for so many years while she faded in Caras Galadhon. She smiled at him and then watched him walk over to his adar, who pulled him aside to speak with him privately once he had finished conversing with Rumil.
Her attention immediately went back to Halendil and Teluial. Now Teluial was whispering in her son's ear and pointing away from them. Belegwen followed their line of vision to a small group of young ellyth who were giggling amongst themselves as their family members conversed quietly nearby. She watched as Halendil flushed a bit in the face, but continued to listen respectfully to his adar's naneth as she carried on and on with a look of pride upon her face.
"Oh goodness… So soon?" Belegwen thought to herself.
But then again, had not Haldir fallen in love with her when she was of an even younger age than Halendil?
"I suppose it is just a part of growing up…" She murmured under her breath, her mind immediately flashing back to her own youthful years. Her mind quickly spiraled back to how Galadir had come to her rescue when her family passed. In some ways, remembering it still hurt, but she noticed that it seemed to be less painful now that she was in Valinor, rather than Arda.
"The magic of this place is real and alive." She thought to herself as she watched Halendil distractedly. "It is soothing my hurts already. I had no idea I would feel better so quickly!"
She hugged herself and breathed deeply, enjoying the fresh smell of the salty sea air. Healing would be found here, at long last! Soon, she too would be fully herself again! Oh, how she looked forward to that.
Smiling, Belegwen basked in her newfound respite as she watched her son interact with Teluial, who practically glowed with bliss in his presence. Her peace was short-lived though, as Belegwen unexpectedly felt the all-too-familiar feeling of danger coming from behind her.
Drawing her sword in a flash, Belegwen swung it around and heard a loud crack as Nimrodel made contact with another strong, elven sword. It was held tightly by an elf with familiar straw-colored hair and grey eyes that glistened despite the dim light.
"Heledhril!" Belegwen cried with surprise, astonished to see him recovered and well once more. She ran her sword down the side of his and the two stood staring at one another.
"Marchwarden," he acknowledged, placing his hand on his heart and giving her a bow of respect before reassuming a fighting stance. "I have come to answer your challenge."
Belegwen's eyebrows raised up in astonishment as she took in his less formal attire. She had only ever seen Heledhril wearing his warden's uniform, but today he was wearing a crimson tunic and dark grey leggings with black boots. His scabbard was the only thing Belegwen recognized on him, as it was standard warden issue in Lothlorien.
"My challenge?" She asked carefully, trying to think back to what she might have said to him before everything went hazy within her memories while she faded. Before she could think of it though, Heledhril helped her out by holding up a weathered, leather-bound book which Belegwen would have recognized anywhere.
Her adar's journal.
"You told me to study your adar's sword techniques while I was in Valinor. You said you would challenge me to a duel the moment you arrived here, but I have beat you to it!" He proclaimed with pride and no small measure of excitement present in his voice. "I have upheld my end of the bargain and have studied and practiced for long hours over the last few decades. I am ready to be tested by the best! What say you Marchwarden? Will you accept my challenge?"
Having seen the journal, Belegwen did remember issuing the challenge. She felt a bit nervous about accepting it though, as it had been many decades since she had sparred with anyone seriously. Once she had become Lord Celeborn's personal guard, she had quit sparring with elves on a regular basis and simply focused on protecting her lord and teaching other wardens new sword techniques. However, Belegwen did not want to let her former student down.
"I accept." She said confidently, though she did not currently feel assured of herself at all. If anything, she felt cautious, as she had no idea whether or not she would be able to pose much of a challenge to the disciplined elf who had been practicing diligently, just as she had requested all those years ago.
Immediately, their swords were flying in the familiar dance of battle. Belegwen parried and ducked Heledhril's first few slashes, taking up a defensive stance as he came at her with everything he had. Though she had not practiced in decades, her muscles seemed to remember just what to do. Belegwen moved with the speed she had been accustomed to using for a few millennia now.
She could instantly tell Heledhril had in fact improved his own swordsmanship over the last few decades. He was particularly well balanced and his movements were more expedient, graceful, and well thought out than she remembered them being in the past. When Belegwen glanced down to the bright green grass beneath their feet, she saw how strong his stance was and how quick and agile his footwork was, just as her adar had insisted was important within his notes in the journal.
In the back of her mind, Belegwen felt the moment Haldir realized what was happening. Her hervenn was alarmed, as he knew precisely how long it had been since she had practiced and did not want to see her get hurt. Belegwen could not blame him, as she was a bit nervous about it herself.
It certainly did not help that they seemed to be attracting a small crowd of wardens who wanted to see the results of this match, including Marchwarden Annondel himself. While she defended herself expertly from Heledhril's onslaught, she could hear wagers being made behind her. Unlike when she had fought against him on the way to Helm's Deep though, she could hear that most of the wagers were in her favor, rather than against her.
She could also feel her hervenn's worried eyes burning a hole in the back of her head as she defended herself against blow after blow. She sent a feeling of reassurance to him through their bond, hoping it would help relieve some of his anxiety.
It did not. He was still quite worried about her. Already having enough on her plate at the moment though, she did her best to put his feelings out of her mind and focused on the task at hand.
A surprising thing happened as the fight progressed though. The longer her defense against Heledhril held up, the more confident she grew with her own capabilities. Though she had not practiced in a long time, the sword motions seemed to be coming to her innately. Her long hours of practice over the years had held up to the test of time. Her training was still within her!
She was still herself—both a warden and protector! A master of the sword! A marchwarden of Lorien!
It felt good.
Bolstering herself with confident thoughts, Belegwen started to look for an opening on Heledhril's end so she could gain the upper hand. He was fast though, so she knew it was going to be difficult. Meeting his eyes, Belegwen stared at him as they clashed their swords together again and again, the cracking sound echoing against the large rocks within the seawater.
At that moment she saw it—he was intimidated by her. While his appearance was quite confident, there was something about the way his eyelid twitched every so often which spoke to Belegwen of his nervousness. She could use it to her advantage. It was time to apply pressure to him, fast and hard, so she could win the battle.
Smiling because she had spotted his weakness, Belegwen pushed back for the first time. She rolled out of the way of his blows, then jumped high in the air to avoid a low blow as she got back up. Heledhril had put a lot of weight into his last slash and needed a second to resituate himself.
A second was all Belegwen needed though. Before he was ready, she began to launch an offensive that would put any swordsman to shame. Clenching her teeth with effort, Belegwen pushed Heledhril to move even faster, moving her sword so fast that she was attacking him at nearly double the rate of speed he had previously been using. To make things more difficult, she periodically used her sword in her opposite hand to make her blows more unpredictable and harder to block.
The method for intimidating him seemed to work, as she could see the furrow between his eyebrows growing deeper as his worry became more obvious upon his face. Belegwen could tell his muscles were tensing up with exertion and his straw-colored hair was starting to come out of its numerous braids; it was flying wildly around, much in the same way she imagined her own silver hair was doing.
When the speed finally became too much for Heledhril, he cried out as he pulled his sword away, simultaneously backing up at the same time to try and get a brief reprieve. Belegwen did not let him have any such thing though. Moving swiftly, she threw her own sword in the air and ducked deftly under his sword hand. She grabbed ahold of it with both of her hands and turned, flipping him onto the ground and guiding his own sword to his throat. She held it there with one hand and raised her other up into the air just in time to catch her own sword by the hilt, which she then also set upon his throat.
Heledhril's eyes were huge and he was gasping for breath as he quickly said, "Mercy." Belegwen's hardened stare instantly softened and she took the swords away from his throat, smiling with joy as Heledhril sighed with relief and closed his eyes for a moment.
A chuckle came from Belegwen's lips as she got up and then offered him a hand off the ground. "What a rush that was Heledhril! I have not had such a challenge in a long time! You almost had me there a few times! You have made great progress these last few years! I am pleased with how much you have accomplished!" She said, complimenting him as she pulled him up. She then gave him a hearty pat on the back, much like Rumil often did with the wardens around him.
"I thought you would be disappointed…" He said between gasps as he tried to catch his breath. "I thought you wanted me to beat you."
"How could I be disappointed? You have mastered my adar's skillset. Your balance and agility are much improved, as is your speed. I was simply faster today, but there will be other days." Belegwen said, then looked off to the side as another elf caught her eye.
Marchwarden Annondel was staring at her with an impressed look on his face, which Belegwen had not been anticipating. He said nothing, but simply bowed his head to her, beating his fist to his chest a couple of times before meeting her eyes once again in a show of respect.
Dearest Valar, it was respect!
Knowing this was the closest to an apology Belegwen would ever get from the elder elf, she nodded to him in return, also setting her fist upon her chest to return the gesture. Warmth filled her being as she knew the hardest elf to impress had already been won over.
Turning back to Heledhril, Belegwen smiled at him before quickly before motioning for Halendil to join them. "Heledhril, let me introduce you to my son, Halendil. Halendil, this is my first sword student, Heledhril. He is the reason we are both alive today and not in the Halls of Mandos. He saved my life and yours at the Battle of Helm's Deep. It was a sacrifice that came with a great personal cost to him."
"Mae Govannen Heledhril." Halendil replied, placing his fist upon his chest and bowing low before his fellow warden to show respect for his deed. "I am grateful for all you did for both naneth and I during the battle. Thank you, meldir."
"As am I," a voice said from behind them. Belegwen looked to see that Haldir had come up behind them and also chose to bow low before Heledhril. "I will always be indebted to you, Heledhril. When I was unable to protect my family, you took care of it for me. I offer you the sincerest of thanks."
"You are welcome sir." He replied, bowing in return to show respect to his marchwarden as he always had in the past. "I am pleased I could help and am glad this fine young ellon was born safe and sound." Heledril said, indicating Halendil with a nod of his head.
"May I challenge you next, Heledhril sir?" Halendil asked as he saw the straw-haired ellon's attention return to him. "I would like to have the opportunity to fight you with the sword too! I can see there is much I could learn from you."
Heledhril just chuckled and replied, "Perhaps another day, young lad. I think having the wind knocked out of me once today is plenty enough. I would love to some other day though."
"Then some other day we shall," he said in agreement, then turned to Belegwen and said, "Naneth, I could not believe how fast you were moving! You were phenomenal out there!"
"Yes, you were." Haldir said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her towards him so he could kiss her on the cheek. "You are healing meleth. It is so good to have you back!" He exclaimed and kissed her once again, no longer caring who might happen to witness it. Belegwen felt his love for her shining brightly through their bond and savored the feel of it as her hervenn celebrated her wellness by holding her close.
ooOoo
Haldir watched as Belegwen locked their trunk back up, having added her adar's journal into their belongings after Heledhril insisted that she take it back. She then hopped down from the wagon it had been situated in and walked back towards the small crowd of his family. Galadir and Teluial had insisted they come and stay in one of their guest rooms until they were able to have their own talan built in the Lorien Quarter of Valinor.
From what Haldir understood from the description, many elves were living on the ground in the forest of mellyrn, as they had in the previous ages while Amdir and Amroth had ruled the forest. However, some of the new elves who had sailed in the last few millennia had expressed their love of living in the trees and Amdir had been very accommodating of that desire.
As it stood now, Amdir was in charge of the Lorien Quarter. Galadir had assured him that he was a fair and ambivalent king, who was easy to live under and had been very accepting of the newer Lothlorien elves who had only known what the city was like under the rule of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. It sounded like his son, Amroth, had never been reborn. It was said that he may never be unless he was reunited with his love Nimrodel, who had been lost long ago and was never recovered.
This knowledge made Haldir a bit nervous, as he had never served under an elven king before. However, he had heard tales of King Thranduil from the Greenwood realm and many of his elves had spoken very highly of him. He hoped the same was true of Amdir, as he knew he very much wanted to live in a talan once again and the Lorien Quarter was the only place in Valinor where the mellryn grew.
Those who had come to greet him had all spoken highly of him, including Eregdol, who Haldir knew was not always easy to please when it came to leadership. Bragolith had also had nothing but good things to say about Amdir, so Haldir figured it would probably be alright. Still, as the cart carrying all of their belongings set off in front of them, he could not help but feel a swell of nervousness about the new chapter he was about to embark upon in his life.
What would be in store for himself, Belgwen, and Halendil in this foreign land? Would they find joy and happiness here? Would they find new things to do now that their days of serving as wardens were now over?
His feet had been mindlessly following the cart for several minutes now, as he stopped daydreaming and looked ahead. In front of him was his family, his adar and naneth, both of which were speaking with his silver-haired son directly behind the cart as they followed it down the path. They were followed by his brothers, who were already hard at work arguing about something insignificant. He had expected no less from them, as this is how they had always been while they were together in Arda.
He looked to his side, expecting to see Belegwen, but was astonished to find she was not there. When he did not see her anywhere in front of him, he quickly spun around to see that she had fallen behind and was stopped in the middle of the empty road behind them, staring up one of the first hills they had passed by on their trek to the city.
A few unfamiliar figures were standing at the top of the hill, staring back down at her. Quickly grabbing Rumil by the arm to get his attention, he said, "Tell the cart driver to stop for a moment." He then ran back to her, wondering if it could possibly be who he thought it was.
It was, for there at the top of the hill stood a lithe-looking, silver-haired ellon whose stunning features were mirrored keenly upon his hervess. Dressed in a simple light blue tunic with grey breaches, he was stunning to look upon as his silver warrior braids blew up and down in the breeze, framing his face.
When he looked at his wife, he could see that she was utterly speechless. A look of shock adorned her lovely face as she stared up at the three figures well above her, all of which looked equally stunned. When he reached her, Haldir stood beside her and waited for what would happen next, wanting to be there to support her in whatever way might be necessary.
Then the ellon atop the hill slowly descended to the bottom, leaving the bright green grass undisturbed beneath his feet. When he was just a few paces away, he stopped and examined Belegwen closely before finally speaking in a torn voice that was filled with desperate emotion. "Belegwen? Is it truly you?"
Belegwen nodded and then was immediately grabbed up into a tight hug as both father and daughter started to cry. "I cannot believe it… I cannot believe it is you…" He heard Belegond murmur over and over again as he heard Belegwen sob into his shoulder uncontrollably.
Haldir watched as the other two members of Belegwen's family finally reached her and Belegond. The elleth, presumably her naneth, wore a simple pink dress and the ellon, who Haldir recognized as her brother Nenrim, had on scholarly robes that were black with a dark blue layer underneath. The entire family had silver hair just like Belegwen's and Haldir watched them closely as they came together.
"Naneth!" He heard Belegwen cry as she finally caught sight of the elleth. She reached out with one arm and drew her into the hug as well. Her naneth's tears were completely silent, but the haunted look upon her face cut Haldir down to the core as he watched her hold Belegwen tightly.
When at last they finally drew away from one another, Belegwen only had a moment to wipe away her tears before Nenrim grabbed her into a quick hug as well. "I see the spiders did not get you…" Haldir heard him murmur into her ear, causing her to huff and playfully swat him away from her as he laughed loudly at his own joke.
"There are no spiders in Lothlorien, you dolt." Belegwen said, giving him a look of ire that was clearly fake and forced before smiling at them all herself. "You are all here. I had hoped you would be, but I was beginning to think you were all still with Mandos." She said softly as her sad eyes rotated from one family member to another, slowly examining each of them in disbelief.
"I must admit it took us a while to find you." Belegond said with a small laugh, "For I fear we were all looking for a 29 year-old elleth who was still this tall." He said as he held his hand up to his shoulder, as if to gage her previous height. "I fear I did not picture how you would look when you had grown up. How beautiful you have become, my darling Belegwen! And you do indeed have my spirit within you!" He exclaimed with pride, his voice filled with emotion. "You are a warden of Lorien, just like me!"
"Not only a warden, but a marchwarden sir." Haldir interjected quietly, at last alerting them to his presence. Belegwen turned around immediately and grabbed him by the arm, drawing him into their conversation at last.
"Oh, I am sorry—I did not realize you were behind me. Ada, this is Haldir Galadirion, my hervenn. Haldir, this is my adar Belegond, my naneth Nenwen, and my brother Nenrim." She said, using her hand to denote each member of her family with care.
"Mae Govannen." Haldir said with pride, gently bowing before Belegond and saluting him with his fist upon his chest. "I am overjoyed to meet you at last. Nenrim, I do believe we have met before though. I remember you being one of my history instructors while I was in the upper levels." He related calmly, hoping Nenrim did not remember what a handful he had surely been back in those days.
Yes, he and Bragolith sure had made a lot of trouble in their younger years…
"Indeed, I do remember. It is good to see you again and even better to see a Marchwarden of Lorien wed to my sister." He replied with a happy nod.
"A marchwarden of Lorien…" Belegond marveled, first staring at Haldir and then at Belegwen, both of which were wearing the mark of the marchwarden upon their hips. "I can hardly believe this! My own daughter a marchwarden and married to Galadir's son!? We have recently become good friends with your adar, upon finding out the role he played…" He said, trailing off as if he did not wish to speak of the tragedy aloud.
He eventually found the right words though and continued, "I have heard great things about you Galadir-ion. Welcome to our family! We are pleased to find Belegwen married to such a distinguished elf and so well cared for in your hands."
Haldir nodded in acknowledgement, then to his surprise found himself hugged by Belegond himself. When he let go of him, he smiled at his hervess' family and invited them into their group. "Come, let us introduce you to our son, Halendil."
"A grandson too?! Such blessings have been bestowed upon us today!" Belegond exclaimed loudly, then looked to the sky and proclaimed, "Praise Eru Iluvatar!"
Then, without wasting another moment, the group headed over to the cart. Upon spotting Haldir's adar, Belegond shouted, "Galadir, have you heard the wonderful news? Your son and my daughter have wed! 'Tis a blessed day for us!"
"We are now family meldir!" Galadir said in return, embracing Belegond with such familiarity that Belegwen and Haldir exchanged a surprised glance with one another before approaching to introduce Halendil to Belegwen's family. They were somehow able to pry the ellon away from Teluial's greedy grasp for a few moments and then watched happily as Belegond immediately struck up a conversation with him about his sword while Nenwen carefully fixed one of his messy braids in a way that only a naneth would.
After a few minutes, Belegond cried out of the entire group, "Come, let us celebrate this occasion at my talan with wine! Come, yes, the whole family! Come! Brothers too! Let us make merry together, for my daughter is finally home with us and has a new family of her own!"
"He is bursting with joy…" Belegwen whispered, holding Haldir back by the arm for a moment while the rest of the group continued to walk down the pathway together, now more boisterous and livelier than ever. Belegond's delight seemed to enliven everyone in the group. "He is friends with your adar! Can you believe it?"
"No, I cannot. I had no idea! And now he is apparently getting out wine to have a celebration for us. We have gone from a family of four to a family of many, many more!" Haldir murmured back excitedly, his hand coming to rest upon his hervess' shoulder in a comfortable way he had grown accustomed to over the last 74 years.
"Indeed. Welcome home my sunshine…" Belegwen whispered in return, drawing close. He could feel her breath upon his chin as he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her softly upon the lips. Even in the unfamiliar land of Valinor, their bond remained strong and true, tingling beneath the soft caress of his lips gently sliding over hers. His heart fluttered with ecstasy as he pulled away and looked into her sparkling blue eyes. A large grouping of clouds finally began to move away from the sun; the deep orange and golden hues of the sunset lit up his hervess' face as she smiled up at him.
And in that moment, he remembered all of the special times they had shared together, from the first time he had laid eyes on her on the border, to how he had nervously held her against him as he helped her shoot his bow, to the dance lesson that had gone horribly wrong… How she had climbed the tree without a ladder in that tight navy blue dress at her coming of age party… and how she had looked bathed in the moonlight within its upper branches…
How she had unknowingly turned him down during one of her weakest moments…
…only to slowly fall in love with him again as a marchwarden over 3,000 years later.
He remembered praying for her to live after the fire, before he could even bring himself to remember how much he had loved her in the beginning. He remembered how attractive he had found her once he saw her with her braids undone, that gorgeous silver hair tantalizing him in the same way it had when they had first stood together on the talan with Bragolith…
He remembered when he had unknowingly made her his own after they had battled one another fiercely in the woods… How he had cared for her when she was attacked. How deeply he had felt her commitment towards him when she had shared her feelings for him in the forest, on their way to Helm's Deep…
How sweet the moment had been when she had first relayed to him that he was going to become an adar, as he had always hoped he would be… The moment he finally admitted he loved her before dying…
…and then waking up in her arms months later and meeting his sweet little son.
Through the good times and the bad, the love between them had endured, as he knew it would eternally. He had loved her for nearly his entire life and would forever, as she was his hervess, his life…
His everything.
He smiled down at her as his own wave of joy washed over him. He tenderly caressed her cheek as he looked deeply into her gorgeous blue eyes, sending his most heartfelt feelings of love into her mind through their bond. "Welcome home, my starlight. Let us begin our eternity together."
He kissed her forehead and then, seeing that the others had gotten ahead of them, the two ran towards them, laughing and racing one another as they had on their wedding night in Caras Galadhon. Hand in hand, they ran into the deep orange and gold sunset to live out their lives together…
Forever.
ooOoo
The epilogue is still to come! Thanks for reading!
-P.G.
