Chapter 19: Revenge

"Then kill me. Why hesitate?" Galadriel raised one of her eyebrows, challenging Langolin.

"Silence, kinslayer! You have no right to speak!" Langolin pointed his sword to at her.

"You made me suffer! You killed my mother and father. I was only ten years old when they died. Do you know that? I never laugh again since then." His voice was trembling in rage when he spoke. He ran the tip of his sword through Galadriel's flawless cheek, causing it bleed. Blood dripped from the wound, staining the white dress she was wearing, but the Man-maiden* did not flinch.

She was now angry. True that she had killed her father's kin, the Noldor, in the Kinslaying at Alqualonde. But she did it to aid her mother's kin, the Teleri, therefore, she thought it was rather unfair for Langolin to cast all the blame to on her.

"I am a kinslayer. But what about the ones you take revenge for? I never killed any Elf save to aid my mother's kin!"

"Silence, I said!" Langolin was furious now. He pushed his sword further into Galadriel's throat, but she was not afraid.

"You blame me for murdering your parents. Should you not blame your own parents for listening to Feanor and slaughtering my mother's kin also?" Galadriel was unconsciously screaming, enraging Langolin even more. Before any of them realized what had happened, Langolin struck his sword deep into Galadriel's shoulder.

Shocked by what he had just done, Langolin pulled his sword. Galadriel fell to the ground, unconscious. Blood gushed out from her wound, pooling on the ground, staining her clothes and body. She was deadly pale and her chest stopped moving. There was no sign that she was alive. With horror, Langolin knelt beside her.

"No." His voice barely above whisper. "It can't be." Langolin took her hand, checking her pulse, but there was none. Panic overwhelmed him. I have killed her, a voice inside him said. She is dead. She is dead. She is dead. You killed her! You accuse her of being a kinslayer, but you killed her! You are a kinslayer too!

"No!"

Hurriedly, he tore a piece of cloth from his tunic and wrapped it around Galadriel's injured shoulder, desperately tried to stop her bleeding. Please please wake up, he pleaded. I did not mean to kill you. Please.

No, foolish. Of course you planned this. All your life you were obsessed to kill her, to take revenge. And now she is dead, you should be very happy, the unknown voice inside rebuked him again.

"No, I am not. I shouldn't have killed her," he said to himself, countering his inner voice. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have killed her. Please, don't die. Don't make me another kinslayer." At this moment he became conscious that this was not what he wanted at all. He thought his revenge would eventually release him from all his rage and pain. How wrong he was!

He tied the bandage, but Galadriel still showed no sign that she was still alive. She needs medication, he thought, casting aside his inner battle for a while. It was time for action, not to muse endlessly. As a trained warrior, he knew when he must react fast. Cautiously, he slipped one hand under her waist and another under her shoulder, careful not to touch her wound. He lifted her up and walked as fast as he could while in the same time trying hard not to shake Galadriel too much. Thank the Valar, the Lady started to breathe again.

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"Legolas!"

Hearing his name being called in such panicked voice, Legolas stormed out from the house and found both of his teachers covered with blood. Galadriel's white dress had turned completely red, soaked by her blood. Both of their bodies and hair were stained by blood. Galadriel's blood. The Lady herself was unconscious, with blood dripping from her right shoulder. The only sign that she was alive was the slight movement of her chest.

"No!" he screamed. "You killed her!"

"Perhaps we can still save her. Quick, Legolas. Boil some water!" Langolin ordered. "And bring out all the herbs and bandages."

Legolas turned deadly pale too, but he wasted no time. He ran inside and frantically searched for wood to boil some water while praying fervently to Valar for his teachers. So, the thing he feared most had come to pass. He berated himself for his helplessness to prevent the disaster. Should he just dragged Galadriel from this place or drugged her or anything, such thing would never happen. Why did he hesitate to force her to go? She would be mad, that was certain. But anything was better than this. No, she hasn't died. She will not die, Legolas tried to calm himself. The fire was lit under a large pot of water. Now, where does Limiel keep the herbs? He opened all drawers and shelves with all his Elven speed, running from room to room. Finally he got what he was looking for and brought the herbs and bandages he found to Limiel's room.

He found Galadriel lying on the bed. Langolin had stripped away her blood soaked clothes and was wiping up the blood with a towel which he found in Limiel's drawer. Quickly but carefully, Legolas removed the cloth that was wrapping Galadriel's injured shoulder and put some herbs to the wound.

"What should we do now?" he asked his teacher who was now helping him with the bandage. He tied a new bandage to the wound, but it hadn't stopped bleeding, to Legolas's dismay. She could die from loss of blood.

"I think we must stitch up her wound," Langolin answered fearfully. As a warrior, he was trained to treat injuries, but he had never encountered such terrible wound. He was not sure if he could do it, but there was no choice.

Legolas nodded and went to fetch the needle and thread. His heart was pounding in fear.

(tbc)

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How come I kill my favorite Elf? *huggles Galadriel * Though I admit I am fond of Glorfindel more. J.

This chapter isn't beta-ed yet. Sorry. I have beta readers and will soon ask her to beta all the chapters.

You can find Ardalambion here: http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/index.html