By: Shadow Chaser
Disclaimer:
Based off of the movie (Haldir does not die, but participated in the Battle of Helm's Deep) and the various history books by J.R.R. Tolkien. I do not own the characters, situations, or languages of the Elves, these belong to Tolkien and I am not making a profit from this fic.
Chapter 3 – The Journey to RivendellTimeframe: 2,000 Years and more before Fellowship of the Ring
When daylight had arisen, the Elves were already on the top of the Mountains of Mirkwood, making ready their descent downwards and towards the Old Forest Road. Haldir had found that though resting more than what a normal Elf would rest had healed most of the wound on his shoulder, leaving it still slightly stiff and sore, but at least enough that if they were attacked again, he would still be able defend himself.
Shielding his eyes against the wind swept tops of the peaks of the Mountains of Mirkwood, he looked at the high peaks of the Misty Mountains…or what was the beginning of the peaks that were the Misty Mountains. Shrouded in fog all year long, the Misty Mountains were by far even more treacherous than the Mountains of Mirkwood. These mountains were considered to be hills in the shadows of the Misty Mountains.
Looking down, he saw the old winding path that was the Old Forest Road. A bit safer than the path along the Enchanted River, it was still dangerous nonetheless to linger in the forests of Woodland anymore longer than should.
"Haldir!" Yulin's voice called from behind and he turned slightly, shielding his eyes against the snow that swept around them. Though Elves were not uncomfortable in the snow, as the cold didn't affect them too much, it was the icy particles that blew around from the high winds that really bothered them…
"What?" he called back.
"Petrio does not look good, commander!" Yulin called back and Haldir frowned from worry, not of anger.
He had awakened in the early hours of morning, just before the sun had risen to find that Legolas and Artalion were finishing up their patrol. He hadn't remembered too much of the night before, except for the fact that Artalion had dressed his wound and then he fell into a deep resting state. When he awoke, he had found out that Petrio was more injured than he was, with a deep diagonal slash across his back and the Elf had been conscious, but as they traveled, he had turned a bit delirious from the shock and loss of blood.
Now, with Yulin telling him this news, he knew that it had to be worse, as Yulin would never say anything unless something was terribly wrong. He cursed silently as he glanced at the winding road that lead to the High Pass, one of the few safe passages through the Misty Mountains, going above the Mines of Moria as not to disturb the selfish dwarves, then back to where Yulin and the others were making their way up, Petrio being supported by Davandil who was practically his blood brother.
Unconsciously his fist clenched together and he glanced down at the others, "We make haste past the High Pass. We run to Rivendell."
The others looked at him with gazes of willingness to obey, and Haldir caught Legolas' eyes as his best friend nodded curtly. Haldir returned the brief nod then turned to Davandil who was trying to usher Petrio to hurry. "Davandil," he called to the headstrong Elf, "come quickly…I will help you carry him."
The Elf nodded and quickened his pace. As the other passed by Haldir, he grabbed Artalion's cloak, halting the Guardsman, "Guardsman, do you know the way to Rivendell from here?"
"Yes," Artalion replied, "I will bid them haste."
Haldir nodded thanks then waited as Davandil pulled a slightly pale looking Petrio up to where he was standing. He knelt down in front of the injured Elf and looked into his eyes, noticing how dilated they were. He was going into shock…they needed the Elvish medicine not provided at the moment…but what worried Haldir was the fact that not even Wargs with their powerful claws can reduce an able warrior into something like this. There was dark magic at work…there had to be!
"Petrio! Listen to me!" he grabbed the Elf's chin, not so hard, but enough that his eyes bore into his own, "Do not fall into the shadow…Do not fall!"
"Commander?" Davandil looked at him curiously and Haldir spitted the other Elf with a glare, silencing him.
"Come on," he draped Petrio's left arm around his shoulders and the two of them created a chair of sorts with their arms to support the injured Elf.
Down the Mountains of Mirkwood they went, and in good haste as they had to be at Rivendell before nightfall.
* * *
With the quickened pace they had set, they had crossed the High Pass of the Misty Mountains in good time, but it was slowed as drifts of snow piled on them at times, and sometimes, small avalanches rained down upon them. It was as if the weather wanted to bar them forever in the Misty Mountains, with no way to get out.
Legolas made his way down a few sharp jagged rocks and was about to continue down when he noticed Artalion, standing at an outcropping his long gloved hand raised to his eyes, staring out at the distance. "What do you see Artalion?" he asked, coming over and peering with his hand shielding the glare of the bright sunlight from his eyes.
"Rivendell," was all that Artalion had to say until Legolas himself spotted structures of wood seemingly carved within the waterfalls and trees in the distance.
They were close to the beautiful city.
"It's beautiful," he marveled at the beauty the Elven community gave, even in the distance and turned around to see Haldir and Davandil still supporting Petrio who had grown worse. A sheen of sweat mopped his brow; his usually tied back hair was now disarray and he looked very pale. "Haldir, we are close to Rivendell!"
"Good," was the curt reply from his friend who was concentrating on not tumbling down the jagged rocks and also on carrying one of his injured.
Legolas leapt lightly off the outcropping he was on, just as Artalion followed him, and ran to catch up to the others. He saw Valiya sliding down the slope with what was her shield, an expression of joy and concentration on her face. Yulin was also watching her, then decided to follow her lead and grab the shield that was Legolas' and started to slide down too.
He didn't worry too much about the shield or his discarded helmet as he had given it to Yulin the night before, seeing that he didn't really have any use for it anymore. He didn't really like helmets or shields as he felt that they obstructed his ability to shoot and to fight, but Yulin didn't seem to mind the helmet or the shield and gladly accepted them.
"Children…" Artalion mumbled behind him and Legolas turned to the big Elf, a grin on his face.
"Will you be needing your shield Guardsman?" he asked, letting the grin inch wider.
"No, milord. If you would like to use it, you may," Artalion looked startled at the request and hastily gave him his big broad shield, fumbling a bit with the clasps and belts that attached it to his right arm. He dropped it to the ground and Legolas looked at it for a second before turning around and gave a little wave to attract Haldir's attention.
"Haldir, we switch for the moment. The burden is not for you or Davandil to bear for so long at such a pace," he said and noticed the dubious look on his best friend's face but Davandil nodded quickly, a bit hurried to unload himself of the heavy burden Petrio probably was.
After a few minutes, they had Petrio propped to Legolas, him keeping a firm arm and his bow around the Elf's waist as so not to lose him on the quick journey down the hill; he hopped onto the board and with a quick touch of his leg against the ground, they were off, Haldir, Davandil, and Artalion behind him, running.
The wind swept into his blonde hair, making it fly everywhere, but Legolas didn't pay attention to the minor detail as he kept his weight focused on the shield-board beneath him. He leaned this way and that, avoiding trees and sharp rocks that jutted from the ground. Allowing himself a brief smile of exhilaration, he noticed that both Yulin and Valiya were waiting at the bottom, both of them with their jaws slightly open as they stared at him flying down the hill with Petrio in front of him.
He suddenly ducked as a branch that was too low came towards him, bending Petrio's head at the same time then tilted to the left to regain his balance. As he neared the bottom of the hill, he suddenly twisted his legs and the shield-board came skidding to a slow stop. Catching his breath at the stop, he shook his head slightly feeling his heartbeat a bit quicker at the rush of exhilaration of sliding down a hill.
"Milor—Legolas, that was…" Valiya trailed off as he gave her a grin.
"Hadn't done that since I was an Elfling…" he scratched the back of his head then stepped off the board. "Petrio?" he shook the Elf in his arms, making the Elf turn his head slightly and Legolas recoiled at seeing the slightly wild look that was there a few minutes before when they were on top of the hill. "Petrio?"
The look in Petrio's eyes grew wilder…and there was a certain glow in them. At first, he thought that it was the exhilaration of the flight down the hill and of also the wind blowing, but as it became more pronounced, he realized that Petrio was laughing…a cold wheezing laugh…a laugh that chilled Legolas' bones. This wasn't the Elf that he had met but only a day ago…this was something different.
He hesitated slightly, staring at the Lothlorien Elf. Something warned him that Petrio wasn't what he used to be…and his danger sense that he had felt that was just an annoyance after the Warg attack was rising…it was telling him that Petrio was the danger…
With a sudden blur that even Legolas did not see with his quick Elven eyes, but his body reacted to, he pushed away Petrio just as the slightly crazed-sick Elf drew a wicked looking dagger that he did not know he carried. Leaping lightly back, his hands were a blur as he lined up his bow and drew an arrow off the back of his replenished quiver.
Yulin and Valiya had also drawn their weapons and were pointing them at Petrio…whose crazed look became even glossier than ever before. He held the dagger in a style that Legolas didn't recognize and an insane smile lit up his face. The sweat ran down his forehead and he was slightly hunched over, circling them, but focusing his gaze on both Yulin and Valiya, who were closer to him.
The soft patter of feet alerted all of them to the rest of their group who had come down the mountain.
"Petrio?" Davandil's voice was one of disbelief and Legolas could very well imagine what the Elf's expression was at seeing his near-brother in such a state, even though he himself was focused on the back of Petrio. He noticed that the area where Petrio had been clawed was bleeding freely again…spots of red appearing on the cloth that Artalion had placed over the wound.
"Petrio…w-what are you doing?" Davandil was still in a shocked state.
"M-Must…k-kill…" an unearthly ragged whisper came from Petrio who suddenly hunched over then straightened and resumed his former stance of a slightly hunched over Elf.
"What in Iluvatar's name…" Artalion started to whisper before he suddenly turned around, his long sword in his hand.
It was but for a fraction of a second before something else registered in Legolas' mind. Another enemy was here… He turned and pointed his arrow in the face of another Elf just as the Elf pointed an arrow into his face.
"Hold! Do not shoot!" Haldir's voice was harsh and commanding and Legolas froze, his eyes darting from the arrow pointed at his face to where Petrio was breathing heavily, still holding the dagger. If the half crazed Elf was to attack at the moment, did he have enough time to take his dagger out and stop him, or even to shoot an arrow to stop him…
Out of the corner of his eye he saw that though Valiya, Yulin, and Haldir had arrows pointed at their heads, they were still training their weapons on Petrio. It was safe to say that if the Lothlorien Elf made even a move to attack, there would still be someone there to stop him.
"Lord Elrond sensed some trouble brewing on his borders…and he was right…" a musical female voice said behind Legolas and he turned slowly, not to startle the Elf who was holding the arrow at his face as there was something about that Elf that screamed he was a fresh-faced soldier out on his first patrol. Stepping from behind another Rivendell Elf who had been holding an arrow next to Haldir's head, the female Elf raised a hand and all the Rivendell Elves lowered their bows.
Letting lose a small sigh of relief that even he did not know he had held, Legolas relaxed slightly, but didn't let down his guard as Petrio was still hunched and waving the dagger slightly. Was Petrio going to use this momentary distraction to attack?
* * *
"Haldir of Lothlorien," the female Elf dressed in the battle armor of Rivendell, a myriad of dark reddish-brown and gold, extended a hand and Haldir took it.
He shook it, feeling her iron grip, as she was obviously the commanding officer of this patrol unit. "Rinaran of Rivendell, it's been too long."
"More like a thousand years too long," she dispensed with all formalities and laughed lightly, "you've moved up in Middle Earth since last we met."
"And you too," Haldir replied, and then glanced beyond her. A frown creased his face as he watched Petrio, still hunched over. He didn't know what had happened to the Elf, but if it was something to do with his wound that he had received last night…then was it going to completely turn him into a feral beast?
"One of mine will take care of him," Rinaran looked to where his gaze was and nodded.
Haldir watched as one of the Rivendell Elves cautiously approach where Petrio stood, under the watchful weapons and gazes of those in his company. The attack was fast and all but just a blur then suddenly Petrio was on the leafy ground, knocked out, dagger loose in his hands. The Elf walked back out, only to give a nod to Artalion who had a proud look on his face. Was there something between the Elf and Artalion that he didn't know about?
"Come, Elves of Lothlorien and Woodland…Lord Elrond has been waiting for you," Rinaran gestured for them to follow.
One of the Rivendell Elves picked Petrio gently from the ground, and carried him off, with the rest of Haldir's company following them, and he followed them. He only stopped for a second to pick up the dagger discarded from the ground, and carefully stuck it in the small pack he had around his waist. Maybe Elrond with his library of knowledge would know what had gone wrong with Petrio…and what of the dagger he carried.
* * *
Author's Notes:
Sorry that this is a short chapter, but I felt it best to end there. If this story seems a bit rushed, it's because I don't really feel like lingering so much on detail. Though some of my stories have a lot of detail, this one just seems like it wants to say write more, keep writing. So I'm cranking out these chapters. Shadow Chaser signing off…12/27/02.