Starfire

By Shadow Flare

"___"-Common speech

'___'-Elven speech

***-change of scene/time

I close my eyes

Only for a moment, then the moment's gone

All my dreams

Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind

All they are is dust in the wind

Same old song

Just a drop of water in an endless sea

All we do

Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind

All we are is dust in the wind, ohh

Now, don't hang on

Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky

It slips away

And all your money won't another minute buy

Dust in the wind

All we are is dust in the wind

All we are is dust in the wind

Dust in the wind

Everything is dust in the wind

Everything is dust in the wind

The wind

~"Dust In The Wind"

Chapter Four: Revelations

                Haldir finished speaking, and winced as four pairs of eyes looked very intently at him.  Lady Selenay especially made him uncomfortable: a strong woman she was, and it was fairly obvious that she was of the old blood, the blood of Númenor, of Aragorn and Arwen's line.  If the kingdom of Gondor still existed, she would have been the rightful claimant, but obviously, it no longer did.  The Queen of Valdemar had come in time for everything to come out, and she was no more pleased then the others about what had been hidden from her.

                "What you are telling me is that a new Dark Lord is rising in the East." Selenay said calmly, not letting anything show in her voice. "And that you and your friend Glorfindel-"

                'Friend is stretching it.' Glorfindel muttered under his breath as he stood unhappily in the corner.  Haldir pinned him with a glare, but the Elf-lord ignored it, he had worse things to worry about.

                "Were sent by those who made up the Council of the Wise to see what the hell was going on and to protect Kris."

                "And you did a very bad job of it." Dirk growled.

                Neither Elf made a response.

                "Kris is the reincarnation of Legolas Greenleaf." Selenay continued. "And as such, is pivotal in awakening the memories of his companions in this day and age. Does that sum it up?"

                "Yes, Lady." Haldir said slowly, knowing that he had left a good deal of personal information out, including the fact that Legolas had been his soul-bonded lover.  It was going to be hard enough breaking that news to Kris…if the young man ever awakened, that is. He didn't need the hell that the news was going to provoke in Kris's friends and his liege lady.

                "Now, to the events of today." Selenay moved on. "The new Dark Lord came after Kris today." She didn't need to say just what he had been attempting, as it was obvious from the state of Kris's Whites, which were tattered, very torn, and barely clinging to his body. "Why?"

                Haldir said something under his breath.

                "Repeat that?" Selenay asked sarcastically.

                Haldir sighed.  "The man, once known as Daen, who is now the Dark Lord was…obsessed with Legolas, and did not give up his obsession, even when Legolas rejected him all those years ago. That obsession has persisted over the Ages that have passed since then and since Legolas's death, and now that he has returned as Kris, Daen apparently sees another chance to have now what he could not then."

                If he tries it again, he'll have to get through me. Haldir thought darkly.

                "At least the situation has been clarified a little." Talia said, though it was obvious the Queen's Own wasn't convinced that he had been telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "There are more questions."

                Haldir mentally groaned, and looked at Glorfindel, who wasn't being of any help. Though that was hardly something he could blame the other Elf for, considering the current situation.  "And?"

                "First, why did Glorfindel have to dress up as a girl?" Dirk jumped in curiously.

                Haldir smirked. "Thought it would be less suspicious that way. And it's quite hilarious."

                Normally, this would have annoyed Glorfindel to no end, but the older Elf didn't even respond…like he hadn't heard anything. Haldir waved a hand in front of the other blond's face.

                'Hello? Is anyone there?' he asked, covering worry with arrogance.

                Glorfindel didn't respond for one long moment. Then, finally, in an irritated tone of voice, he spoke. 'Shut up, Haldir. Leave me be.'

                "Next question. What does 'Elen' have to do with your mission?" It was Talia who asked this time. Haldir winced even more. "Who is he anyway?"

                "I can answer the last question." Haldir said warily. "'Elen' was Elrond Peredhil in disguise-a damn good disguise. As to why Elrond followed us, I have no idea."

                Glorfindel shrugged. 

                "But if it weren't for what he did, challenging Daen and distracting him, then Kris would be in even more trouble then he is in now." Selenay commented.

                Glorfindel's mouth twisted in sudden pain. Haldir was about to get up, just in case anything happened, but Glorfindel shook his head.

                :This is not something you can help with, Haldir.: the Elf-lord sent, his mind-voice sounding pained and dragged down into the shadow.

                Talia eyed Glorfindel. "What is wrong with Elrond and Kris anyway? It is nothing that anyone can heal, is it?"

                Glorfindel managed to shake his head. "They…are both Shadow-touched. Not even an Elven healer can do anything…"

                His hands were shaking almost uncontrollably at that point.  "Both are lost in the Shadow-realms, not dead, but not living either…trapped between, their souls barely connected to their physical bodies."

                "Just…how close are you and Elrond?" Talia asked, having a sneaking suspicion what was wrong with Glorfindel, since her Empathy, being as strong as it was, was a reliable guide.

                This was no time to prevaricate. Glorfindel chose to tell the truth. "We are…"

                "Lifebonded?" Talia questioned, then clarified at the question in his eyes. "Soul-bonded." 

                "Yes." Glorfindel managed to gasp as a sudden burst of pain shot through him. For one long moment, he was falling through blackness, falling, falling-

                The Elf opened his eyes to find himself flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, Daven bending over him worriedly, and the others in the room just as worried.

                Glorfindel shook his head. "Don't bother." He gasped. "Nothing you can do can help."

                Not now. Glorfindel knew in his bones that he was also falling into shadow, slipping sideways into the Shadow-realm: the bond that connected him and Elrond was strong, very strong, and his soul had also been touched with Shadow, though he hadn't been the one to challenge Daen.

                Obviously, whatever lifebond/soul-bond with Haldir that had carried over from his past lifetime as Legolas lay dormant in Kris Valerian at this point, for if it had been active, Haldir, too, would be falling, and he wasn't.

                Glorfindel's eyes closed again, and he could feel himself being lifted from the floor and placed onto a bed.  He didn't trust himself to open his eyes, for if his vision continued to jump uncontrollably between the worlds, he'd likely pass out again.  Even concentrating against the lure for his soul to slide sideways, he could hear Talia, Selenay, Daven, and Dirk speaking in low whispers, then two people leave the room. From the sounds of the footsteps, Dirk had been one of the people to leave, and the other had been Daven.

                "Try to rest." Selenay said softly in his ear. "The only thing that may help now for any of you three-" obviously, she was referring to Kris, Elrond, and himself-"is athelas. Dirk has a hazy memory of using that plant to help a man, a woman, and someone that looked like a little boy but wasn't come out of a darkness-induced coma."

                The hands of the king are the hands of a healer…the old rhyme of lore echoed in Glorfindel's mind for a moment. Yes…the rhyme that once applied to Herald Dirk in his past lifetime…

                He slipped into the darkness, not of shadow, but of twilight, and knew no more.

***

                Haldir paced the hallway outside the Healer's room.

                "And how much more do you hide, Haldir of 'Lorien?" Talia asked from behind him. "What do our dreams at night mean?"

                Haldir couldn't look at her. "Memories of what was…"

                "A past lifetime, you mean." Talia finished.

                "Yes." Haldir said, expecting another question. Instead, a light hand came to rest on his shoulder.

                'What do you have to fear?' Talia asked quietly.

                No. It was not Talia. Not then…not only her, but…

                He turned to face her, and he could see in the light of her eyes, a woman he had known a long time ago, who had chosen Luthíen Tínuviel's path and who had been called the image of Luthíen, the Evenstar of their people. 

                'Lady Undómiel.' Haldir addressed her half-hesitantly. 'You…have returned.'

                She smiled gently. 'Yes.'

~End Chapter~