Disclaimer: Like Always Own Nothing
Credit To: Aradiria! My Beta-Reader!
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The rain thrashed down mercilessly on those who were foolish enough to face its wrath, drenching them all to the bone. Fortunately for the firstborns, they could not feel the chilling cold, although their clothes were weighed down by the extra weight. Haldir blinked as he stood in the first row, but only more rain managed to get into his eyes, blurring his vision. He could barely see the grounds before him, even with his superior elven eyesight; his would be a definite disadvantage. He glanced to one side of him, wondering how the men were holding up. His eyes scanned passively over all the other men who stood in his row. Fear. The only emotion the guardian could read clearly from their faces. Many knew they would not live through the night. The elf grimaced as he turned back to face the front, his grip on his bow tightening. He knew of the same feeling.
****************
"Give no mercy, for you shall receive none." Aragorn's voice echoed, almost drowned out by the thundering rain. The future king's heart was pumping. This was it, the moment which would determine the fate of his people. His eyes instinctively searched for Legolas to give him courage in the deafening silence.
It was not too hard to spot the golden haired elf among the darkness; he was like a shimmering beacon of light for both men of Rohan and Aragorn. Legolas smiled gently when he noticed the man looking at him, giving as much support as could through one simple gesture. The prince, however, was frustrated. He had searched high and low for the Guardian of Lorien, but could not find him. He knew the captain was avoiding him, but that did nothing to deter Legolas's determination to locate him. The very elf stood opposite him on the other side of Helms Deep's main wall, purposely avoiding the prince's glances. Angry and confused thoughts of shooting Haldir to attempt to gain his attention were almost considered.
Aragorn watched Legolas stare at Haldir intently, the familiar surge of jealousy tinged in his heart before he turned to see what the Guardian was doing. He was almost surprised to see Haldir looking everywhere but at Legolas. His glances switched continually between the two, both stubbornly refusing to either look away or face the other. The man frowned. He knew this would be distracting during the battle. He silently urged for the two elves to get their conflict over and done with so their concentration would be 100% on the clash, though Aragorn knew he himself could not focus.
Finally, after what seemed to be eons, Haldir looked up, meeting the powerful gaze of Legolas. He obviously knew the full extent of the prince's stubbornness. The guardian trained his eyes to stare coldly at the elf that was previously trying so hard to get his attention. Legolas stared back with equal intensity, his eyes narrowed slightly.
To Aragorn, this looked almost like the two elves were having a wordless conversation. Speaking through the eyes, mind or perhaps heart. Haldir shifted, so he would unavoidably have to look away from Legolas. His was head raised slightly as though he had won the silent conversation. Legolas held his gaze a little longer, but finally turned away, his head drooping slightly as if he was defeated.
***************
Haldir ducked as a blade was swung violently above him, missing his head by a hairs' breadth. The Guardian retaliated by tripping the beast with the backs of his leg before plunging his knives into the fiend's chest. Before the elf had time to recover, another was already making its way towards the exhausted captain, but Haldir was ready. His blades whirled swiftly, slicing the uruk-hai's throat before deflecting a blow he sensed coming from behind. There were too many of them, and more were coming. He glanced quickly to his side and saw an endless see of the uruk-hai army. His heart sank. It was looking somewhat hopeless for both him and the men of Rohan. But Galadriel had promised victory, and his Queen neither lied nor was wrong. So valiantly the Guardian fought on, suppressing his fatigue.
His grip on his knives was slipping. Haldir could no longer clutch his weapons with the same strength. His movements were slower, his blows less forceful, and it was beginning to take him longer to destroy an uruk-hai. The Guardian could almost feel as though his time had come. He paused to glance up at the darkened sky, and no light of any sort could penetrate that gloom.
"Haldir!"
The voice that called for him was muffled and seemed far, far away, but instinctively the elf's head turned to the direction of where it had come from.
"Fall back."
The Guardian nodded slowly to respond to the man who signaled for him to return to the safety inside the fortress. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"Haldir!" Aragorn called for the elf again, but the voice held much more urgency. "Behind you."
The Lorien captain looked confused, but impulsively sidestepped just as an uruk-hai sword carved its way through Haldir's torso. The elf's eyes widened as he stared at the silver blade that glinted maliciously back at him. Years of training taught him to raise his arm and plunge with all his remaining strength into the beast's throat, and only then would Haldir let himself fall, dropping his weapons as he fell to his knees. One free hand pressed up against his wound while the other pulled the sword out from behind. He winced slightly but the pain was not unbearable. If Aragorn had not said anything the sword would have surely plunged through Haldir's spine, paralyzing him instantly if not killing him. But now he stared at the steady spreading of the dark liquid that flowed so freely from his wound. He knew his death would be a slow one. He suddenly felt very cold, a feeling he had only once felt before.
A figure crouched beside him and instinctively the elf reached for his fallen weapons, but a hushed whisper told him otherwise.
"It is only I."
Haldir tilted his head slightly to see Aragorn by his side; the man wrapped an arm around Haldir's waist pulling the light elf, demanding him to stand.
"Get up, Haldir."
The Guardian scowled as he strained, and with the help of the man he was on his feet, unsteadily.
"What are you doing?"
The elf's voice was soft, a painful contrast from it's normal brash tone.
"What does it look like?"
"Do not interfere with fate"
"You expect me to watch you die?"
Haldir was silent as Aragorn made his way back into the castle and into a small room with relative ease compared to the havoc outside. He gently lay the Guardian on the stone floor before quickly removing his armor and cutting his tunic away. The man grimaced as his eyes caught sight of the injury. Although it was not life threatening it ran deep, and the amount of blood Haldir was losing would be fatal.
"Go."
Aragorn looked up and saw Haldir peering down with what little strength he had left.
"Go." He repeated with the same whispered tone as if something was constricting his throat. "Your men need you."
Aragorn shook his head as he tore his own tunic into strips. "You need me."
"Do not be a fool, you are merely delaying the inevitable."
"Why are you so sure you are to die?"
The question caught Haldir off-guard; he leaned back onto the cold, stone ground. "It is my fate."
"No," The man replied quietly, still working at Haldir's wound. "We make our own destiny."
"Stupid human."
But the words did not contain the same amount of venom as they normally did. The insult of the word 'human' did not sting as much as it almost held a tone of respect. Aragorn glanced up to see if Haldir was ok and caught the elf staring back. The elf mused silently about the man that knelt beside him. He could see the future king in him, his loyalty to all, his leadership skill and, above all, the kindness of his heart. He would be a good king. But even in this state, Haldir would not bruise his pride by letting the man know this.
"You remind me of Isildur" The elf said instead.
"Isildur?" Aragorn repeated the disgust evident in his voice. "Isildur was weak."
"Nay, he was corrupted, blinded by the empty promises spewed on by the ring, but he was a good man."
"You knew him?"
"Aye."
Aragorn slowed his binding of the wound, as it was his turn to stare thoughtfully at the Guardian. The man's jealousy and anger had blinded what he really though of the elf. But now, as he stared into the captain's dark, gray eyes he saw something he never bothered to look at before. Wisdom. Infinite wisdom that one could only learn from thousands of years of existence. Aragorn was nothing compared to this elf, a mere speck in the life span of this firstborn.
Haldir's eyes narrowed, slightly causing Aragorn to snap out of his daze. He had put too much pressure on the elf's injury.
"I apologize. Why did you not tell me I was hurting you?" Aragorn eased off as he returned to binding the bare chest of Haldir.
"It did not hurt." Haldir scoffed. The man could not help but smile. The elf would never admit to being in pain.
"Let go of your pride, Guardian."
"I already have. I've let you save me." Aragorn raised a dark eyebrow at the elf who smiled, almost conceitedly back ,but it was half hearted. It was difficult to smile when you were numb on one side. "Take care of Legolas." The elf suddenly whispered, the energy draining from his body like the blood that continued to seep. The man began to panic as he saw Haldir's eyes glaze over. He reached an unsteady hand forward to feel for his pulse, but a hysterical Legolas burst into the room.
"Haldir!" The prince sobbed before Aragorn, who had to move quickly, restrained him. "No." he begged softly, pushing Aragorn away so he could kneel beside Haldir, staring into the hazed eyes that now could not see anything but darkness. Shakily, Legolas reached for one of Haldir's hands, holding it within his own. The skin was cold and Legolas desperately tired to warm it up, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. He saw what happened, but he was too far away to help. He came as soon as he could. The prince rested the Guardian's hand against his own tear-stained cheek. His sapphire blue eyes caught sight of the shallow, gentle rise and fall of his chest. His sights then turned to face the Guardian, running his free hand across the elf's slightly parted lips. "Stay with me." He spoke softly. "Stay with me."
***************
A/N: This has got to be the longest chapter I have written! So will Haldir live? Or die? Will Aragorn give up Legolas? What will happen to our already angst feeling love triangle participants? Could they suffer anymore? Tune in next time to. "The Price Of Love"
Credit To: Aradiria! My Beta-Reader!
********************
The rain thrashed down mercilessly on those who were foolish enough to face its wrath, drenching them all to the bone. Fortunately for the firstborns, they could not feel the chilling cold, although their clothes were weighed down by the extra weight. Haldir blinked as he stood in the first row, but only more rain managed to get into his eyes, blurring his vision. He could barely see the grounds before him, even with his superior elven eyesight; his would be a definite disadvantage. He glanced to one side of him, wondering how the men were holding up. His eyes scanned passively over all the other men who stood in his row. Fear. The only emotion the guardian could read clearly from their faces. Many knew they would not live through the night. The elf grimaced as he turned back to face the front, his grip on his bow tightening. He knew of the same feeling.
****************
"Give no mercy, for you shall receive none." Aragorn's voice echoed, almost drowned out by the thundering rain. The future king's heart was pumping. This was it, the moment which would determine the fate of his people. His eyes instinctively searched for Legolas to give him courage in the deafening silence.
It was not too hard to spot the golden haired elf among the darkness; he was like a shimmering beacon of light for both men of Rohan and Aragorn. Legolas smiled gently when he noticed the man looking at him, giving as much support as could through one simple gesture. The prince, however, was frustrated. He had searched high and low for the Guardian of Lorien, but could not find him. He knew the captain was avoiding him, but that did nothing to deter Legolas's determination to locate him. The very elf stood opposite him on the other side of Helms Deep's main wall, purposely avoiding the prince's glances. Angry and confused thoughts of shooting Haldir to attempt to gain his attention were almost considered.
Aragorn watched Legolas stare at Haldir intently, the familiar surge of jealousy tinged in his heart before he turned to see what the Guardian was doing. He was almost surprised to see Haldir looking everywhere but at Legolas. His glances switched continually between the two, both stubbornly refusing to either look away or face the other. The man frowned. He knew this would be distracting during the battle. He silently urged for the two elves to get their conflict over and done with so their concentration would be 100% on the clash, though Aragorn knew he himself could not focus.
Finally, after what seemed to be eons, Haldir looked up, meeting the powerful gaze of Legolas. He obviously knew the full extent of the prince's stubbornness. The guardian trained his eyes to stare coldly at the elf that was previously trying so hard to get his attention. Legolas stared back with equal intensity, his eyes narrowed slightly.
To Aragorn, this looked almost like the two elves were having a wordless conversation. Speaking through the eyes, mind or perhaps heart. Haldir shifted, so he would unavoidably have to look away from Legolas. His was head raised slightly as though he had won the silent conversation. Legolas held his gaze a little longer, but finally turned away, his head drooping slightly as if he was defeated.
***************
Haldir ducked as a blade was swung violently above him, missing his head by a hairs' breadth. The Guardian retaliated by tripping the beast with the backs of his leg before plunging his knives into the fiend's chest. Before the elf had time to recover, another was already making its way towards the exhausted captain, but Haldir was ready. His blades whirled swiftly, slicing the uruk-hai's throat before deflecting a blow he sensed coming from behind. There were too many of them, and more were coming. He glanced quickly to his side and saw an endless see of the uruk-hai army. His heart sank. It was looking somewhat hopeless for both him and the men of Rohan. But Galadriel had promised victory, and his Queen neither lied nor was wrong. So valiantly the Guardian fought on, suppressing his fatigue.
His grip on his knives was slipping. Haldir could no longer clutch his weapons with the same strength. His movements were slower, his blows less forceful, and it was beginning to take him longer to destroy an uruk-hai. The Guardian could almost feel as though his time had come. He paused to glance up at the darkened sky, and no light of any sort could penetrate that gloom.
"Haldir!"
The voice that called for him was muffled and seemed far, far away, but instinctively the elf's head turned to the direction of where it had come from.
"Fall back."
The Guardian nodded slowly to respond to the man who signaled for him to return to the safety inside the fortress. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"Haldir!" Aragorn called for the elf again, but the voice held much more urgency. "Behind you."
The Lorien captain looked confused, but impulsively sidestepped just as an uruk-hai sword carved its way through Haldir's torso. The elf's eyes widened as he stared at the silver blade that glinted maliciously back at him. Years of training taught him to raise his arm and plunge with all his remaining strength into the beast's throat, and only then would Haldir let himself fall, dropping his weapons as he fell to his knees. One free hand pressed up against his wound while the other pulled the sword out from behind. He winced slightly but the pain was not unbearable. If Aragorn had not said anything the sword would have surely plunged through Haldir's spine, paralyzing him instantly if not killing him. But now he stared at the steady spreading of the dark liquid that flowed so freely from his wound. He knew his death would be a slow one. He suddenly felt very cold, a feeling he had only once felt before.
A figure crouched beside him and instinctively the elf reached for his fallen weapons, but a hushed whisper told him otherwise.
"It is only I."
Haldir tilted his head slightly to see Aragorn by his side; the man wrapped an arm around Haldir's waist pulling the light elf, demanding him to stand.
"Get up, Haldir."
The Guardian scowled as he strained, and with the help of the man he was on his feet, unsteadily.
"What are you doing?"
The elf's voice was soft, a painful contrast from it's normal brash tone.
"What does it look like?"
"Do not interfere with fate"
"You expect me to watch you die?"
Haldir was silent as Aragorn made his way back into the castle and into a small room with relative ease compared to the havoc outside. He gently lay the Guardian on the stone floor before quickly removing his armor and cutting his tunic away. The man grimaced as his eyes caught sight of the injury. Although it was not life threatening it ran deep, and the amount of blood Haldir was losing would be fatal.
"Go."
Aragorn looked up and saw Haldir peering down with what little strength he had left.
"Go." He repeated with the same whispered tone as if something was constricting his throat. "Your men need you."
Aragorn shook his head as he tore his own tunic into strips. "You need me."
"Do not be a fool, you are merely delaying the inevitable."
"Why are you so sure you are to die?"
The question caught Haldir off-guard; he leaned back onto the cold, stone ground. "It is my fate."
"No," The man replied quietly, still working at Haldir's wound. "We make our own destiny."
"Stupid human."
But the words did not contain the same amount of venom as they normally did. The insult of the word 'human' did not sting as much as it almost held a tone of respect. Aragorn glanced up to see if Haldir was ok and caught the elf staring back. The elf mused silently about the man that knelt beside him. He could see the future king in him, his loyalty to all, his leadership skill and, above all, the kindness of his heart. He would be a good king. But even in this state, Haldir would not bruise his pride by letting the man know this.
"You remind me of Isildur" The elf said instead.
"Isildur?" Aragorn repeated the disgust evident in his voice. "Isildur was weak."
"Nay, he was corrupted, blinded by the empty promises spewed on by the ring, but he was a good man."
"You knew him?"
"Aye."
Aragorn slowed his binding of the wound, as it was his turn to stare thoughtfully at the Guardian. The man's jealousy and anger had blinded what he really though of the elf. But now, as he stared into the captain's dark, gray eyes he saw something he never bothered to look at before. Wisdom. Infinite wisdom that one could only learn from thousands of years of existence. Aragorn was nothing compared to this elf, a mere speck in the life span of this firstborn.
Haldir's eyes narrowed, slightly causing Aragorn to snap out of his daze. He had put too much pressure on the elf's injury.
"I apologize. Why did you not tell me I was hurting you?" Aragorn eased off as he returned to binding the bare chest of Haldir.
"It did not hurt." Haldir scoffed. The man could not help but smile. The elf would never admit to being in pain.
"Let go of your pride, Guardian."
"I already have. I've let you save me." Aragorn raised a dark eyebrow at the elf who smiled, almost conceitedly back ,but it was half hearted. It was difficult to smile when you were numb on one side. "Take care of Legolas." The elf suddenly whispered, the energy draining from his body like the blood that continued to seep. The man began to panic as he saw Haldir's eyes glaze over. He reached an unsteady hand forward to feel for his pulse, but a hysterical Legolas burst into the room.
"Haldir!" The prince sobbed before Aragorn, who had to move quickly, restrained him. "No." he begged softly, pushing Aragorn away so he could kneel beside Haldir, staring into the hazed eyes that now could not see anything but darkness. Shakily, Legolas reached for one of Haldir's hands, holding it within his own. The skin was cold and Legolas desperately tired to warm it up, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. He saw what happened, but he was too far away to help. He came as soon as he could. The prince rested the Guardian's hand against his own tear-stained cheek. His sapphire blue eyes caught sight of the shallow, gentle rise and fall of his chest. His sights then turned to face the Guardian, running his free hand across the elf's slightly parted lips. "Stay with me." He spoke softly. "Stay with me."
***************
A/N: This has got to be the longest chapter I have written! So will Haldir live? Or die? Will Aragorn give up Legolas? What will happen to our already angst feeling love triangle participants? Could they suffer anymore? Tune in next time to. "The Price Of Love"