Fate
By Ladybug


Disclaimer:  I own no one, but Anya and Cantehoon is a village of my own making.  All other characters belong to Tolkien, thank God, for he didn't see the need to kill off Haldir.  ;-)


Rated R


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Chapter 3


Deep in the mountain of Helms Deep, the women and children waited and listened to the battle that took place above them.  Eowyn and Anya took turns moving from group to group, passing on encouraging words and reminding the women to keep their children close.

"Anya, you are exhausted," Eowyn told her.  "Go sit down for a few minutes."


Anya rubbed her tired eyes.  "Are you sure?" she asked, trying to hide the eagerness in her voice.  She really was ready to drop.


"Yes, now go," Eowyn commanded.  "I will call you if you are needed."


With a slight smile and a nod, Anya found a quiet corner and sat down.  She closed her eyes, thinking she would just rest them for a few moments…


The orcs were everywhere.  It was not a battle, but a bloody massacre.  The wall had already been breached; the orcs were inside Helms Deep.


"Retreat," King Theoden commanded.  "Aragorn, pull them inside!"


Hearing the command of the king, Aragorn began yelling at the men to pull back.  He turned to enter Helms Deep and glanced up, seeing Haldir above.  "Haldir!"  When the elf met his gaze, Aragorn signaled with his hand.  "Pull them back into the Keep!"


With a nod of his head, Haldir spun around to give the order.  He was quickly met with several attacking orcs.  He fought back, cutting them down one by one.  He turned to leave and suddenly pain sliced through him as an orc appeared from nowhere and stabbed him in the stomach.


Momentarily stunned, Haldir stumbled then gathering his strength he swiftly cut down the orc.  Pushing the burning sensation in his stomach out of his mind, he looked wildly around him at the utter chaos.  Seeing an opening, he knew it was his only chance to retreat with the others, so he turned away from the carnage and started towards it, his hand pressed to the wound in his stomach in an attempt to stop the bleeding.  One step, two then a blinding pain paralyzed him from behind.


He gasped for breath, his lungs refusing to work.  Slowly he sank to his knees, his gaze fell upon his fallen comrades, his brothers.  They had failed.  His mind started to cloud, to darken.  His vision narrowing as death raced up to claim him.


"Haaaldiiirr…"


He heard his name from a distance then arms circled around him, catching him as he sank to the ground.  Aragorn appeared in his dimming vision, but his last thoughts were of Anya and the love they would never get to share.  How ironic, he thought.  That he would find that perfect love only to die before he could really experience it.  Then his vision faded completely until there was nothing but darkness…


"Haldir," Aragorn shook him, but he knew his friend was gone.  Suddenly more orcs swarmed forward and he was forced to desert Haldir to defend himself, leaving the elf's body lying amongst the rest of the dead.


"Noooo…" Anya jerked awake screaming.


"Anya!"  Eowyn rushed to her side, grabbing her flailing hands.  "You are dreaming, it's all right."


"No," she sobbed.  "He's been hurt, he's dying."


"Who?" Eowyn asked, fear coursing through her that it might by Aragorn.  "Who has been hurt?"  When Anya didn't answer right away, Eowyn shook her, forcing her to focus.  "Who was hurt, Anya?"


"Haldir," she answered softly as the tears coursed down her cheeks.  "My Haldir…"


"I'm so sorry," Eowyn responded, her heart breaking for her new friend, yet she was secretly relieved that it was not Aragorn.  They had talked earlier, sharing their secrets.  Eowyn had confessed her attraction to Aragorn and Anya had told Eowyn of Haldir.  "But Anya, it was a dream," she continued encouragingly.  "And until you hear otherwise, then cling to the hope that he is alive."


Anya tried to smile through her tears as she nodded her head.  "Yes, you are right, Eowyn," she answered, wiping at her wet cheeks.  "Thank you."


The battle above grew louder as the orcs moved further into Helms Deep.  Many of the women began to cry out and some of the smaller children began to cry in fear.  "What will we do?" someone finally asked.  "What will we do if the orcs break through?"


The soft cries of the infants were her only answer, as no one really knew.  Anya sat numbly, as she tried to cling to the hope that Haldir was fine, but the dream kept playing over and over in her head and with it a sense of foreboding.  She tried to convince herself that it was only a dream, but instinct told her the dream had really been a vision.