Welcome back to TBFF! A special thanks goes out to MoonlightArrow, Arwan, mystarlight, hrtiu, PrettyRecklessLaura, and Nienna Helyanwe 3 for their reviews on the last chapter; I appreciate all of your comments. I have been so excited to write this chapter for the last month! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do. Thanks again for reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Lord of the Rings or Tolkien Enterprises.
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To Be Forever Faithful
By: Ponytail Goddess
Chapter 40: Warg Riders
Belegwen had spent the last week with Linedhel and was surprised to find herself enjoying the serious elf's company. Though he did not often show his feelings well, Belegwen had seen a few of his tiny smiles during the last few days and figured he must be another reserved ellon, much like Haldir. So far, she had found him to be both a friend and a mentor towards her, almost like an uncle she had not known she possessed.
The healing lessons had not been terribly dull either. Belegwen had already learned how to identify several plants and their healing properties and had gotten to practice sewing up her first wound after one of the soldiers approached Linedhel, having fallen into a small patch of briars during their daily marches. Dealing with the wound itself had come easily enough for Belegwen, but the hard part had been going near the soldier after all of the rumors that she heard concerning her relationship with Haldir.
Despite her reluctance, Linedhel had been encouraging and supportive. Belegwen sighed as she thought over the conversation they had concerning the rumors.
"You have never seemed to struggle with this before, Belegwen. I have heard many rumors go around about you in the past, so tell me why this time is different." Linedhel inquired, looking down at her with a perplexed expression on his face.
"The rumors of the past were all lies wardens made up about me, so they were easy to overlook. This time there is truth to what they say though! I did break the warden's code and it is very embarrassing having the soldiers know about it." Belegwen answered lowly, staring at the ground to try and hide her visage of pain. It was pointless though; she knew it was obvious to him.
Linedhel started to try and convince her otherwise, saying, "Belegwen, surely you can-"
"I do not wish to face that soldier Linedhel. I have listened to several of their conversations while I was in hiding and they are saying horrible things about me. They all know I broke the warden's code. Some of them claim I am trying to manipulate power away from Haldir and others say I give my affections away far too easily. It is terrible to be surrounded by these rumors when I thought I had earned their respect. I did not think this was going to happen again." She said, briefly wondering if going back into hiding might be an ideal strategy.
"I know," Linedhel said, putting a hand on her shoulder to show solidarity. "Some of them do say those things and they are wrong. You have selective hearing though Belegwen, for some of them also take your side and are disappointed in how the council meeting ousted you from your well-deserved position. Really listen to all of the conversations going on around you, rather than focusing in on the negative ones and you will have a clearer perception of the true reality surrounding you."
After mulling this new information over, Belegwen found herself doubting Linedhel, even though he had been quite truthful with her thus far. "You have heard this?" Belegwen questioned uncertainly, wondering if Linedhel spoke the truth or if he was merely trying to boost her confidence.
"Absolutely. I know you do not realize it, but there are some wardens here who are more loyal to you than Haldir. They have seen your skills and talents first hand; most importantly, they know you will do whatever you can to ensure their protection, even at the cost of your own. Even I can see that within you and I hardly know you. How much more do you think they can see it? After all, they work with you every day; some have for thousands of years." He answered steadily while looking at her with full confidence, the way he always did. It was a little unnerving to Belegwen that he believed in her so deeply when she felt so bereft.
"Give the soldiers the benefit of the doubt, Belegwen. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find." He said. She had then allowed herself to be led to the bleeding soldier and had followed Linedhel's tutelage on how to sew him up. She had taken care to stop the bleeding first and then slowly and carefully stitched him up.
All in all, being around Linedhel seemed to be good for her. While she desperately missed being a warden, spending time with him was refreshing, particularly the part where he told Belegwen stories about her adar. He had filled much of their time together with conversations and stories. It was as if he sensed that she became depressed when sitting in silence. Thusly, he did his best to fill the silence with conversations about anything and everything.
"So, I take it you must have decided to become a warden because of your adar. Is there something he did that encouraged you to become a warden?" Linedhel asked her while looking forward and guiding the horses that pulled their cart carefully across the grassy field.
"You know," Belegwen said cautiously, pausing as she mentally tried to decide how truthful she wanted to be with Linedhel, "Perhaps he would have influenced the decision had he not been taken from me so suddenly. However, it was not ada who influenced my decision."
"The day of my family's passing, there was one warden who saved me from my hiding spot within the talan. He was very compassionate and talked with me until I was willing to leave the closet I had hidden in for hours. He covered my eyes so I would not have to look upon the scene again and then carried me into the city, even though I was much too old of an elfling for such treatment. He told me I was brave like the wardens he worked with and he rescued me by bringing me to Lord Celeborn, who then took me on as his ward." Belegwen slowly explained, only glancing at Linedhel as she finished her story.
"When he called me brave, I believed it. I decided then that I wanted to save elves in bad situations too. I wanted to stand up against evil and prevent tragedies, such as the one that befell my family, from ever happening again. That is why I became a warden and that is still what I strive to do, even to this day." Belegwen said adamantly, feeling a brief twinge of pride in her heart before the feeling of regret returned.
Oh, how she missed being a warden! How empty her life felt without it! Belegwen quickly looked away from Linedhel as tears threatened to run down her face once again, despite her best efforts to stifle them.
"May I ask who this warden is who saved you?" Linedhel asked gently.
"Well… to be quite honest, I do not know. I have not seen him since the day he saved me. He must have moved or set sail soon after the incident." Belegwen said softly, remembering the blue eyes that had stared so deeply into her own when the closet door had finally come open that day. "I do wish I knew who it was so I could thank him someday though. He was truly a hero to me."
"Perhaps someday you will see him again and get to do just that," Linedhel said, patting her on the shoulder briefly before turning his attention back to the horses pulling the cart once more. The two sat in silence for a while, Belegwen once again lost in thought as she remembered the warden who had saved her from the talan after the mysterious attack that had left her an orphan.
"Belegwen, do you see the athelas plant growing down there?" Linedhel asked, pointing to some large green plants a few paces away from the cart. "Would you go pick those for me and put them in the cart? I will hang them up to dry for future use when we stop for the night."
Happy to have something to take her mind off her dead family, Belegwen made to jump off the cart, only to have the back of her unlatched armor catch on the seat as she slid down, resulting in her nearly falling on her face as she fell into the grass.
"Are you alright Belegwen?" Linedhel quickly asked, stopping the horses immediately so he could scoot over in the seat and find out what had happened to her. From the corner of her eye, Belegwen saw him watching as she scrambled to her feet and attempted to latch her armor back into place without success. "Your armor is not fitting properly, is it?"
"No, it is not," she said softly, blushing a little because he had noticed her embarrassing problem. "I did not realize it until after we left Caras Galadhon and now it is becoming a bit of a problem."
"No matter," Linedhel replied. "Since you will not be fighting the battle anyway, perhaps you would like to borrow one of my healing robes? It will be a bit long on you, but we could hem it nicely. I imagine the robes would be much more comfortable than what you have on now and it would help the soldiers know you are available to provide healing services to them, as well."
Surely taking the armor off would not hurt anything, would it? After all, it was as Linedhel said: she was not going to battle. "Thanks Linedhel, I would like that." She replied, then quickly ran behind the cart to get the altheas. Once it was cut, she climbed into the back of the cart and was able to locate the tan healing robes Linedhel had packed easily enough.
"He is right," she thought to herself as she unfolded a set and saw that the bottom pooled on the floor when she held it up against her body. "It is going to be much too long."
Regardless, Belegwen was still relieved to get the armor off. That is, until she made a very bizarre discovery. What she had thought was excess muscle around her middle from training with Haldir was something much different. Upon lifting up the black undershirt she wore beneath her armor, she found her middle to be extended and round.
That was not muscle.
In fact, there was no mistaking what it was. Belegwen had seen many ellyth walking around the city with precisely this shape of midsection during her life.
They were all expecting an elfling.
Oh dear Vala.
Belegwen drew in a shaky breath as she felt where the elfling rested within her for the first time. In all her years, she had never thought this would actually happen to her. Amongst her most secret desires, Belegwen had indeed wanted to have an elfling with Haldir. However, she had not told him about this desire because he had not made any proclamations of love or marriage to her.
She had wanted this, but not in this way or at this time either, as they were rushing into a battle. Elves never had offspring during times of war; it was unheard of. Then again, was there ever a time when she and Haldir would not be facing the possibility of a battle, whether at the borders or amongst an army such as this? A time of peace might be an impossibility for the two hardened wardens who were determined to guard Lothlorien until the end of their days.
The circumstances surrounding this pregnancy were not ideal, to say the least. On top of this, Belegwen knew absolutely nothing about being a naneth or raising an elfling.
What was she going to do?
What would Haldir do? Belegwen balked at the thought, uncertain whether such news would make him angry or joyful. She felt a twinge of panic rise up within her because she was uncertain of how Haldir would react to this. He had never spoken to her about wanting elflings. Then again, he also had never told her that he loved her, even though his actions suggested he did. Belegwen repeatedly tried to reassure herself that he did have feelings for her, thinking back to the gentle and loving treatment he had given her a week ago when he laid beside her within the confines of their connected minds.
He still had not said it though. What if he did not return her feelings?
What if he did not love her?
That particular thought made Belegwen feel as though she might be sick, a full wave of anxiety washing over her and unsettling her further. She felt as if she was drowning hopelessly within its painful depths.
Quickly, she put the plain white healer's robes over her undershirt and tunic pants, then finished the look with the tan robes that belonged over the white ones. They had a metal clasp, which connected the two sides across her chest. Once it was latched, Belegwen took a moment to try and catch her breath.
The good thing about the robes was their size. They were so baggy and large that her small, pregnant stomach did not protrude from them. However, Belegwen knew they would only hide her growing middle for so long.
How long had she been this way without knowing? Belegwen knew they had been traveling for about a month and a half. She and Haldir had been together right before they left, but she doubted that instance would have led to the girth she was seeing around herself now. No, it must have happened before she and Haldir had been separated for nearly three and half months while they had avoided each other over their argument about Erthalion. They had been together multiple times during the two months before their separation.
That would mean the elfling was nearly six to seven months along, about at the halfway mark of the pregnancy or perhaps just a bit further. Was this how big she was supposed to be right now? Belegwen had no idea and grew concerned now for the elfling within her, which had not received the attention he or she deserved over the last few months.
How had she missed this?
Grabbing some tiny metal pins from one of the cart's many drawers, Belegwen set about pinning the bottom of the robes up and out of the way so she would not trip on them while walking. Meanwhile, she pondered the biggest question within her mind…
When should she tell Haldir?
Belegwen knew this of all things could not be kept a secret forever. However, she also knew how distracted Haldir had been lately and did not want to further contribute to his already troubled state. Between the dreams about Orophin, his deep-seated jealously over Belegwen, the council meeting that had gone horribly wrong, and his own deep concern about her well being, Belegwen knew his mind was not where it ought to be with the battle quickly approaching. She had never seen Haldir this distracted before when it came to his duty and it worried Belegwen a great deal.
Pushing the last pin into the bottom of the robes, Belegwen stood up, then immediately sat back down as she felt the medical cart unexpectedly come to a halt, which was then followed by a jostle from the horses. Suddenly more alert than before, Belegwen could sense that something was amiss. Someone was shouting from amid the ranks of soldiers.
"Warg riders from the northern front!"
She peeked out of the flaps just in time to see their approach. There were more than a hundred of them banded together. These were orcs who were more intelligent than most and had been trained to ride on wargs as a cavalry. She saw the elves running to meet them in battle, Haldir bravely at the front of the throng with his red cape billowing behind him, leading the way into battle valiantly.
A sudden, low growl coming from the front of the cart quickly caught Belegwen's attention, which made her close the curtain in the back and quietly tiptoe to the front to peak out the other cloth-covered side of the cart. Belegwen gasped at what she saw.
One of the wargs was slowly stalking towards Linedhel, growling and bearing its drool-laden fangs at the healer. Belegwen watched as Linedhel nervously felt around under the cart's seat for his sword. She cringed in horror at the scene before her. Having worked with Linedhel for a week now, she knew precisely how out of practice the healer was with his sword. His stance had been clumsy when he practiced with her and his unsteady, unconfident offensive had been easily avoided.
He was not going to make it through this attack without help.
This put Belegwen into a quandary. Now that she knew she was carrying an elfling, she firmly believed going into this battle would be a mistake. However, she also knew she could not stay back there and watch the warg kill Linedhel. He was clearly too nervous to even grab the sword, having fumbled for it underneath his seat for several seconds to no avail.
"Eru Iluvatar, please keep me and this young one safe." Belegwen whispered as a prayer, touching her rounded stomach once more before reaching for her sword Nimrodel. A moment later, she pushed herself out of the flaps leading to the front of the wagon, effectively putting herself in between Linedhel and the warg.
"Get back!" Belegwen shouted fiercly, holding her sword at the ready in front of her. When the orc riding the warg started to snicker at her, she smiled dangerously and said, "Very well then, you shall face the consequences."
The orc then urged the warg on with his reins. It reared its matted furry legs into the air with a howl, opening its mouth wide to grab hold of Belegwen on its way back down. She was too fast though. She easily spotted his opening and made her move. Immediately, Belegwen thrust her sword into the beast's open mouth, penetrating all the way through his skull, effectively killing him with a single blow.
The orc proved to be more of a challenge though. Belegwen realized after the fact that she had jammed Nimrodel so deeply into the warg that it would not come back out easily. As the warg fell to the ground, Belegwen found herself letting go of her implanted sword as the orc jumped off the dead carcass and came after her with a jagged piece of metal that was crudely welded onto a metal bar. She jumped down from the cart with ease, avoiding blow and blow from the orc with fast defensive maneuvers.
When he brought the makeshift weapon above his head to stab her, Belegwen leapt out of the way so it became stuck in the dirt for a moment. Seeing her chance, Belegwen punched the orc with all her might as he attempted to free his weapon from the dirt. The orc was stunned by the punch momentarily, which gave Belegwen the opportunity to grab his head between her two hands, which she then twisted with all her strength until she heard his spine fracture and give way.
She let go of the body and ran back to the warg to retrieve Nimrodel. Bracing herself by putting a foot on top of the warg's bloody face, Belegwen used both hands and her leg to try and pull the sword out of the beast's head. After a few mighty tugs, she stumbled backward with a bloodied sword in her hands. She breathed a sigh of relief, only to gasp as a different warg rider grabbed her by one of her arms as he loped by, laughing as she shrieked. Her legs were dragging dangerously across the ground at a fast speed, hitting a few rocks and bodies that were scattered on the ground.
Belegwen looked up and grabbed the rider's arm firmly with her own hand, then used him as leverage to flip her legs up over her head and sat behind him in the warg's large saddle. With her sword conveniently in her free hand, Belegwen smacked the orc over the head repeatedly until he let go of her arm. When he did, he turned in the saddle to try and claw her off of him, but Belegwen violently freed her arm and then pushed him off the warg. She watched him scream as his arm rubbed against Nimrodel as he fell down. It severed the arm cleanly from his body as he rolled across the ground.
Grabbing the reins in her hands, Belegwen guided the loping warg towards a group of orcs and elves who were fighting on the ground, easily beheading two orcs while she passed by. After narrowly avoiding a few arrows whizzing her way, Belegwen quickly decided to reach in front and slit the warg's throat, then jumped away from him immediately to avoid crashing to the ground with his carcass. She hit the ground running, slashing at the legs of a couple other wargs who ran a little too close to her, all while running towards a much larger melee of orcs who were no longer on their wargs.
As she approached, she saw Eregdol and a few of the other master archers expertly taking down warg after warg with their bows, never missing a single shot. They were leaving the orcs to elves who preferred to use swords and knives. Belegwen rushed in and joined the fray, raising her sword instinctively as she approached two orcs who were bearing down on a young warden she barely knew. They were quickly beheaded from behind before Belegwen turned her attention to a crowd of orcs who were running into the melee. She raised her sword and fought the first one she came to, blocking his first two sword blows with ease. She then tripped him and ran him through with her sword once he was on the ground. As she pulled her sword back out of the orc, she screamed as another grabbed her hair and started to drag her away from the body. Belegwen awkwardly scrambled to try and maintain a grasp on Nimrodel's hilt, but felt it slip through her fingers as she narrowly dodged a heavy club she had sensed and narrowly avoided.
She was pulled back by to her feet by her hair once again. This time, Belegwen flipped around and was able to easily dodge the wooden club's second attempted blow. She pushed her fist up into the orc's nose, hearing the bones crack beneath her hand, then snatched the club from him and smacked him over the head with it until he fell.
Turning around, Belegwen went back to find Nimrodel, quickly smacking another orc over the head with the club who had dared to run in front of her. Her sword was not where she had left it, but she quickly noticed a mighty elf in a red cape wielding a sword in each hand nearby, fighting two orcs at once.
It was Haldir. Belegwen ran towards him as he took down both orcs in a matter of seconds, manuvering Nimrodel with ease in left hand while his right hand ran his own sword through an orc. Belegwen saw another orc approaching him from behind and quickly clubbed it over the head as he turned to face her, offering her sword back to her immediately as though he had been expecting her.
"Missing something?"
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Haldir flashed a quick smile at Belegwen, who grabbed her sword from him quickly, then replaced it by putting a large wooden club into his hand. Haldir had not expected to receive the club she had been wielding, but now that he had it, he figured it was worth trying out. Without hesitation, he smashed it into a nearby orc's face, immediately knocking it unconscious.
"Thank you; this is quite useful!" He said to Belegwen, whom he could sense was battling directly behind him. He was so pleased with the results of the club that he used it once again on another orc who was running by before holding it at his side to focus on a new orc with his sword.
"I thought… you might like the weight of it." She replied slowly, sounding as if she was speaking through gritted teeth. Using his mind's eye, Haldir found he was able to look through both his own eyes and hers at the same time, giving him a view of everything going on around him. Indeed, Belegwen was struggling as a large orc was trying to force a mace upon her head, which she had temporarily blocked with Nimrodel. She was using both of her hands to brace the sword above her head, but seemed to be faltering underneath the weight of it.
Quickly, Haldir found an opening and stabbed the orc he had been battling, then turned and stabbed the orc attacking Belegwen through a hole in his armor near his chest, kicking him off his sword so he could receive another one running at him from the side.
"Thank you," Belegwen said within his mind. Haldir did not reply though, distracted as he was with a new horde of orcs that were running his way. They were drawn to his red cape, for even in their stupidity, they knew to take out the commanding officer of the army they fought. Quickly, Haldir was finding himself in over his head. The two weapons he expertly wielded were not proving to be enough help.
Belegwen's plan opened up in his mind though and he widened his stance as she ducked under his legs deftly and surprised the horde with a strong offensive. Nimrodel flew straight and true, beheading three orcs who had not anticipated her arrival in front of him. They stood back to back, defending one another with slash after slash of their swords. Together, they kept switching sides to distract the orcs, using their mind's eye to perfect their timing with the turns.
Haldir caught a glimpse of Belegwen's savage glare as she pushed Nimrodel into the dirt, grabbed the club from him and used both hands to sling it over her head. Shouting with exertion, she threw it at a warg who was getting the better of Linros, the young warden who had been a witness at her hearing with the council. It hit the warg straight in the face, bringing a whimper from the beast's foul jowls and allowing Linros to gain the upper hand once again.
A shout came out of Haldir's own lips as a sword grazed his cheek during his moment of distraction. Immediately, he leaned away as he saw in his mind that Belegwen was using two hands and pushing her sword behind her, plunging it deeply into the orc who had nicked him.
Haldir's eyes quickly glanced at the orc's blade as it fell, checking for traces of poison. He felt relief wash over him once he could tell that it was just a normal blade.
Quickly refocusing, Haldir concentrated on fighting the orcs in front of him as well as the ones behind him, as did Belegwen. He could feel her within his mind, reading his next moves and taking action smoothly along with him. At one point, he grabbed her by the hand and they both used each other's momentum to sling one another into new battles, surprising the orcs with their speed.
Belegwen read his mind and knew exactly when to jump so that he could lean over and slash the orc she was fighting. The move took the orc unexpectedly and he was easily brought down. He read Belegwen's mind and ducked so that she could punch the orc he was fighting in the face, dazing him and making it easier for Haldir to finish him off.
Knowing she needed him to, Haldir ducked down for a moment so Belegwen could roll over his body to respond to a few more orcs that were running towards them. Once he had thoroughly taken care of the orcs he was fighting, he spiraled around her to distract the group of orcs and fought them from the opposite side, trapping them between him and Belegwen. Repeatedly, they worked with one another, two bodies moving and functioning as one among the trampled and bloodstained grass of the battlefield.
"Haldir!" She called to him at the very end of the battle and, knowing what she wanted, he had turned to boost her into the air just in time for her to land on one of the last of the running wargs. He watched as she elbowed the rider off the warg, leaving him on the ground for Haldir to run up to and kill swiftly. He then saw her reach around the beast with Nimrodel and slit its throat.
The beast bellowed loudly, rearing up and throwing Belegwen from its back. Haldir watched as she flipped off of it. At first, it had looked like she would land on her feet. At the last minute though, he could tell that Belegwen had rotated too far and then quickly adjusted herself so that she fell on her leg. She landed on her side and slid through the grass, the leg taking the majority of the blow. He could feel that it had hurt her through the bond and ran up to her.
"Are you alright?" He asked, offering her a hand up, which she took immediately. He pulled her to her feet with ease and watched her wobble a little before she started leaning on her leg that had not sustained damage. "That was not a very graceful landing."
"I am well enough," Belegwen murmured with an air of uncertainty in her voice, "Though I think my leg is going to hurt for a few days from that slide."
With the last of the orcs vanquished, they stared at each other intensely, their chests heaving heavily from exertion. Haldir had found the experience interesting, to say the least. Suddenly, Lady Galadriel's words from several months ago returned to his mind.
"You shall train her and she will learn much from you. Together, you will have the power to elevate one another towards a greatness that neither of you could achieve alone."
Perhaps this was the key to survival. Perhaps having Belegwen by his side at the battle would allow him to live. They were better fighters when they worked together; it had been obvious to Haldir as he fought alongside her. She had protected him when he had been unable to protect himself, as overwhelmed by orcs as he had become. He had been able to help her as well, taking charge and distracting orcs to make it easier for her to vanquish them.
The synchrony they had achieved was beautifully harmonious. He had seen what she was seeing, known what she was doing and what she planned to do next. He had planned his own actions around it. At the same time, Haldir had felt Belegwen's presence within his own mind, doing the same. They had perfected their timing, united in thought and plan, moving as if they were each in control of one singular body, rather than two.
In this moment, Haldir knew what he needed to do. He would have to convince the council to let her fight somehow. More than anything, he needed her by his side now to ensure both his own safety, as well as hers.
He would do whatever it took to get her back as marchwarden.
"Come. I will take you to Linedhel; your leg needs to be tended to soon." Haldir said, offering his arm to her and then helping her limp slowly back towards the medical cart.
ooOoo
This was such a fun chapter to write; I love writing action scenes! Please let me know what you think of it. I will try to have another chapter up soon. Thanks for reading!
*In case you were wondering, Galadriel's quote is referenced from Chapter 8: Receiving Advise.
-P.G.