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


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Chapter 7

The aroma of scented candles filled the room as the remaining elves who'd survived the battle gathered around their fallen leader.  Out of the several hundred that had arrived at Helms Deep the evening before, only a small handful remained, but it was enough.

Under Legolas' instruction, Anya helped him prepare the special poultice that was needed for the healing ritual.  Once the poultices were made, Anya carefully applied them to the two wounds on his stomach and his back.  With that completed, Legolas had the elves surround the bed holding hands.

"I'm sorry, Aragorn, but you cannot be here for this.  Anya can stay since she is half elf, but no human can witness this," Legolas told him.

Aragorn nodded his understanding, not in the least offended.  Having been raised with the elves, he knew all too well about their secret rituals and spells.  "No apology is necessary, Legolas.  You know I understand."

Once Aragorn left the room, Legolas joined the circle.  "Anya, you can stand here beside me.  Even though you are a half elf, your added strength will still be enough to help us."

Anya nodded as she stepped up beside Legolas and took his hand and the hand of the elf that stood on her other side.  She had no idea what she was doing, but she trusted Legolas.  Though her mother had told her many things about the elves and what they could do, there was still so much she never had the opportunity to share with her daughter.

"Just close your eyes, Anya and concentrate your whole being on Haldir.  You understand the elfin language, therefore listen to our words, let them fill you so that they overflow into him."

Anya nodded and closed her eyes, shutting out everything but the sound of the male voices rising up around her and centering her concentration on Haldir lying on the bed before her.  She listened closely to the words feeling the power behind them.  If spoken in English, they would make no sense, but in the language of the elves, it was beautiful and powerful.

As the chant continued on, Anya began to feel a tingling sensation in her fingers.  It seemed to be coming from each of the hands she held and it momentarily startled her.  Her eyes opened and she gasped softly at what she beheld.

A brilliant light filled the circle, powered by the chant and the elves.  It glittered as it swirled around and around the inner circle.  Faster and faster the light moved until it caused a soft breeze to lift her hair away from her face.  Suddenly all the elves threw their heads back, their arms lifting high into the air.  Anya was nearly yanked off her feet when Legolas and the other elf lifted their arms high.  The chanting became louder, the voices rising up above the whirl of the light.

Then the bed began to shake almost violently.  Anya feared that Haldir would be thrown from it, but instead, she watched in awe as his body began to rise up off the bed.  The light began whirling around him, shooting around this way and that, wrapping itself around him until he glowed.

During all this, the elves never stopped chanting, never broke concentration.  Anya felt as if her arms would fall off if this went on for much longer.  They felt numb as the blood raced down her arms from being held up.

Just when she didn't think she could take it anymore, the light exploded within the circle, blinding her, blowing out all the candles and knocking everyone back, breaking the circle.  Then suddenly it was gone, plunging the room into total darkness.

Silence.  It was total and complete.  She couldn't even hear any breathing.  "Legolas?" she called softly.

"I am here," he answered a moment later.  "Stay where you are, I'll light a candle."

Moments later a candle flared to life, casting the room in a soft glow.  Elves were rising to their feet moving to the other candles and soon the room was fully lit once more.  Anya stood over the bed, staring in shocked silence down at Haldir.  He lay across the bed, as if the light had never been there, only his body was completely healed.  Not a bruise, not a cut or a stab wound marred his flesh.  It was all gone, as if it were never there.

Anya reached out and touched his stomach where he'd been stabbed with a sword.  Not even a scar…

Legolas moved up next to her.  "He is healed," he stated the obvious.  "When he wakes, he will still be weak for a day or two, but no longer."  Legolas smiled as memories of how stubborn Haldir could be flashed in his mind.  "And knowing my friend here, as stubborn and arrogant as he can be, he will be back on his feet by morning."

Anya reached for a blanket and covered Haldir before turning back to Legolas.  "I don't know how to thank you."

Legolas pulled her in for a brief hug.  "We are all family," he told her.  "It doesn't matter what kindred we are from, this is what we do."

Anya smiled.  "I am still grateful to you.  If you had not been here, then I would have lost him."

Legolas ducked his head slightly, acknowledging the thanks, but feeling uncomfortable.  "We will leave you now.  He may still sleep for a bit, but he should wake soon."

Anya nodded and watched as the elves filed out.  Aragorn appeared in the doorway, stopping when Legolas paused beside him to inform him that Haldir would live.  He nodded then moved on into the room to stop beside Anya next to the bed.

"Legolas tells me Haldir will live."

Anya turned bright eyes up at him, a smile lighting her pretty features.  "Yes, he will be fine."

"Good," he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  "I will leave you to tend him then."

"Thank you, Aragorn.  For everything."

He nodded, gave Haldir, sleeping peacefully on the bed, a last look then turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Anya turned her attention back to Haldir.  Her gaze roamed lovingly over his face, then down to stare openly - appreciatively - at his bare chest.  Warmth spread throughout her body and heated her cheeks as memories of her dream came back swiftly to her mind.

Memories she'd been forced to push aside in order to save his life.  With the memories came the discomfort.  She was sore, she realized.  Down between her legs.  But how… hadn't it been only a dream?

Haldir had told her it was a dream, yet real.  It was all so confusing.  However, none of it mattered.  He was alive and would remain that way.  She crawled onto the bed and stretched out beside him.  Her hand came to rest over his heart, feeling the steady beat of it.  She let the beat of his heart lull her to sleep, her head pillowed against his shoulder.

~*~*~

Anya became aware of warm lips pressing against hers.  Her eyes fluttered open to find Haldir hovering over her, a warm smile on his face.  "I must be dreaming again," she whispered, reaching up to touch his cheek.  Dare she hope?

He caught her hand in his and pressed his lips into her palm.  "Not this time," he answered leaning in to capture her lips once more.  He kissed her deeply, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth.  When her lips parted on a soft sigh, he slipped in to tangle with hers.

Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, pulling him closer.  His hands moved over her body, touching her everywhere.  He nipped at her jaw line then trailed his tongue down the smooth column of her throat.  He stopped when a sob suddenly escaped her lips and pulled her in tight against him.

"Anya," he whispered her name.  "Car al can, nin meleth  (Do not cry, my love.)."

Unfamiliar emotions whirled up inside him at the sounds of her tears.  They tore at his heart making him want to do anything to make her smile again.  His lips pressed against her temple as she clung to him.  All the pent up emotions she had felt from the moment she had met him came loose in a torrent of tears.  She was helpless to stop them.  Haldir could only hold her, whispering softly to her, his hands stroking over her hair and down her back.

Finally, after a long while, she grew quiet.  Haldir tipped her face up with his fingers beneath her chin.  Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks stained with dry tears.  She tried to turn her face away, knowing how horrible she must look then, but he wouldn't let her.  "You are beautiful to me," he told her, pressing his lips over each puffy eye.

Finally meeting his gaze, she gave him a shy smile.  "How do you feel?"

He lifted her hand and brought her fingers to his mouth.  "I am alive," he answered, his voice low and husky.

"I thought I had lost you," she choked out, the tears threatening to come once more.

His lips brushed against hers.  "You almost did," he whispered against her mouth, feeling the shudder that racked through her small frame.

She pressed closer to his warmth, needing to feel every inch of him.  Haldir once more dipped his head down to feast on her neck.  His teeth nipped gently at the velvety soft skin then his tongue came out to sooth and swirl.

"Do you know of what Legolas did?" she whispered.

He lifted his head so he could see her beautiful face.  His fingers came up to brush along her bottom lip.  "Yes, I know of what he did.  It is a healing ritual that has not been practiced amongst the elves in a very long, long time.  I had forgotten it."

"Why?" she asked curiously.  "Why don't the elves use it anymore?"

Haldir shrugged nonchalantly.  "There has been no need.  We have lived in peace amongst most of the Middle-earth kind.  The healing ritual was not to be used lightly and it only succeeded if Valar permitted it."

"You mean if Valar had not wished you to live, then the ritual would not have worked?"

"Exactly."

"Then you were not fated to die," she responded trying to understand.

"Yes, I was, but fate is a funny thing.  It can be changed, and mine was altered the moment you freely gave me your love.  If I had not… if I had not come to you when I did, before going into battle, if you had not declared your love to me before I left you, allowing me to carry that love in my heart then I would have perished up on that battlement."

Her brow furrowed as she took it all in.  Haldir smiled, chuckling softly.  "Do not spend so much energy trying to understand it all, my love.  It is not that important now and besides," he leaned in to nip lightly at her jaw.  "I would rather use that energy for other things."

Anya flushed hotly at his words, her thoughts returning to her dream and how he'd made her feel.  "I love you, Haldir of Lothlorien."

His lips brushed against hers.  "And I love you, Anya of Canteroon," he answered her softly, his dark eyes meeting hers.  "Always.  When this war against Saruman and Sauron is over and we have defeated them, I will take you to Lothlorien and there we will be united in the way of the elves.  We will live out our lives there until we grow weary of our existence.  And then, we will go to the Uttermost West… together and find eternal peace."

"Can we have lots of children?" she asked, her eyes bright with love and a possible future with him.

Haldir laughed and rolled onto his back, dragging her with him until she lay sprawled across his chest.  "We can have as many children as you wish, my love."

He pulled her face down to kiss her, their mouths coming together in a heated open-mouthed kiss.  Anya felt her heart soar with love and happiness.  She was realistic enough to know that the war was not over yet, that she could still lose him in another battle, but she clung to hope and to their future and some how she knew that in the end that peace would once more reign on Middle-earth.

The End