Chapter 22- Beez kneez
THANK YOU REVIEWERS! Oh my goodness, y'all are awesome! I cannot believe how many good reviews you guys gave me for a story that really isn't that great.
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Simultaneous exclamations came from Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, "Haldir!""Élharma!"
Both of the stately elves dismounted their steeds and rushed to the straggling travelers.
"Mi….*gasp* Mi…*gasp* Milady!" Élharma said shakily, turning her face to the melodic voice, "We…are…being..followed! …We *gasp* haveto getout ofhere."
Galadriel ignoring the maiden's comment, gathered the exhausted form in her arms and murmured, "Oh, Élharma! I am so very grateful that you are alive. Your mind has been silent this day and I was afraid that we lost you!"
Haldir, who was receiving healing minstrations from the Lord asked, "Lady Galadriel, Do you think that her eyesight can be restored?"
The lady shook her head, "I know not yet, my faithful Haldir." To Élharma, "Open your eyes, sweet."
Élharma balked visibly, "No." She remembered the last time she had opened her eyes. The pain had been worse than when they had pressed the red hot metal onto the exposed flesh.
There was a collective gasp. It was unthinkable to deny the Lady her wishes, especially if she were only trying to help! "I apologize, my lady. It is just…it's just that raising my eyelids causes so very much pain."
Galadriel, patient as always, put her hand on the maiden's arm, "I understand, young one. If you cannot manage to open your eyes, I beg you: Tell us how they robbed you of the gift of sight?"
Élharma shuddered, "There was this contraption they put on my head. It held my eyelids open. Then they took two small, metal disks, red-hot from the fire, and placed one on each iris, leaving them there until the metal had fully cooled. After that, they just repeated the process with the same two blasted metal disks."
Galadriel was silent for a moment, deeply in thought, contemplating. After a short while, she replied, "It doesn't answer my concerns. I am sorry Élharma to ask this of you, but it is imperative that you allow me to examine your eyes. If only for the purpose that I can begin treating your wounds as soon as possible."
Élharma understood, and though she feared the pain that would likely ensue, she really did want to investigate any possibility of healing her sight. Slowly, she worked the muscles in her face, preparing for the agony that was ineventible. Finally, she drew one eyelid open and then the other. Crimson colored light poured into her head, and the excruciating torture began once again.
She screamed and fell to her knees, her face upturned and eyelids stretched open towards Lady Galadriel, her body held rigid as if the torture were happening again. With every second, the agony increased, it was as if the very air and light was acid on the sensitive flesh. She drew her mind from the physical. Away from the pain, concentrating on the singular act of holding her eyelids open.
Haldir looked on in horror as his beloved's eyes opened and revealed the bloody, scarred, red surface of eyes that had once been so clear. Now, not a trace of the liquid, swirling sea-green mists was visible through the reddened tissues. Galadriel quickly pulled out her water skin and poured the crisp liquid into the maiden's wounds, causing Élharma to immediately loose her precocious grip on consciousness.
Much to Haldir's surprise, the lady declared, "Her sight may be saved. It is not something that is assured, but a good possibility."
Haldir was shocked, and he watched blankly as the lady gathered herbs, bandages, and other medical necessities. Such a hopeful answer from the lady was as good as a flat-out 'yes'! His heart soared.
The Noldor archers who had accompanied the Lady into Rohan made quick work of the straggling southrons, easily picking their targets from the open planes.
After Élharma 'came to', the lady cleansed the rest of her wounds and bandaged the maiden's head and torso in a soft, thick and clean material.
Finally, they re-mounted their respectful steeds, and proceeded slowly in the direction of their home: Lothlorien.
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That evening, they stopped on the outskirts of Fangorn forest to rest. They could have easily ridden through the night, considering that elves had incredible durability and stamina, but they were in no hurry and both the ents and the trees of the forest beckoned for a 'chat'.
The Noldor quickly built a fire from fallen trees and branches lying upon the forest floor. With the purifying heat warming his face and hands, Haldir watched Élharma as she spoke with the ancients. Fangorn was there, of course, as well as Treebeard and a few others that Haldir did not recognize in the dim light. Despite her very obvious wounds, her beauty dazzled his every sense; her voice held the music of the waters, her smile radiated of sunlight and even her hair shone with moonbeams.
Fangorn and Treebeard were the epitome of chivalry, giving extensive consideration to her lack of sight. They warned her, as all noble people should, whenever she would be jostled or moved, and when a new ent would join the conversation, they were sure to make the proper introductions. Haldir could see that she was obviously in very good hands.
Taking this into mind, he approached the Lord and the Lady. They were sitting, leaning against the sloping root system of a tree, laughing quietly with one another.
"Excuse me?…" He coughed softly.
"Haldir. Of course! Come, take a seat and tell us what is troubling your heart." Celeborn invited.
Haldir did so, seating himself tensely on the ground in front of the Lord and Lady, "I need to discuss with you the information I learned from my (fortunately) brief stay in Rohan."
It only took a slight nod for Haldir to blurt out, "I don't understand this myself, but I will explain this as well as I can.
First: there was a numeranorian who survived the fall. She apparently stayed behind and has been harboring her hatred for elves ever since the last alliance. Her name is Vidalan.
Second: Vidalan has been staying with the men of the south, leading them, poisoning their minds until they shared her hatred.
Third: She wants to take your ring, Galadriel, Nenya. Somehow she thinks that if she returned it to the Valar, that she would be granted immortality and be allowed to live in Valinor."
The lady frowned, "I assume that you corrected the flaws in her logic?"
Haldir nodded, "But to no avail. Alas, she is all but hunting you, milady."
It was Celeborn's turn to frown, "Did she find out the way to Lorien? Was her methods torture successful?"
"I don't think so, but you might want to ask Élharma." Haldir replied.
"Information about the path to the golden wood died with our comrade Lirahall," Galadriel said wistfully, "And Élharma never came close to divulging anything."
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It took about three days for the travelers to reach Caras Galadhon, during which time Haldir and Élharma talked almost non-stop. It was as if they were afraid that they would never see one another again.
As the party of elves rode solemnly into the great city Caras Galadhon, they were met by many curious eyes. It was weighty matters that called the Lady of light from her beloved wood; she did not travel beyond the borders of lorien when there was any indication or prospect of danger.
It was the first night in three long and grueling months that Haldir and Élharma would sleep, each in their respectful bed, in Lorien. Home.
Before going to his talan for some much needed rest, though, Haldir tucked Élharma in; gallantly providing for her every need.
Finally, just when he was about to leave, she reached out and caught his hand, "Haldir, stay and talk for a wile, please?"
It made his heart glad to hear her ask that, it would make him forever glad to hear her ask to remain in his presence no matter how many times it happened throughout all of eternity. His mind lingered…
Forever….
Eternity…
"Thank you, my love, for everything." She murmured softly to him.
"If it were any kind of problem or burden, I would respond by answering, 'you're welcome, my dear,' but seeing that It is a great honor to just be in your very presence, I don't have an adequate response of the magnitude of thanks which I feel."
She smiled, her full, perfectly formed lips drawing taunt against the pearly white hardness of her teeth.
On an impulse, a need, a subconscious suggestion that suddenly surfaced, he bent and kissed those lips. Those perfect, luscious, inviting lips.
It was as if lightning struck her. So strong were the sensations that she felt at that one, singular moment, that the rest of the world was successfully blocked out. It was as if the only thing that mattered in the single capsule of time that was her eternity, was those lips, that kiss, the earthy scent of his clothes so close to her, the feel of his hair brushing on her neck, his hands pressing down upon the bed on either side of her head. Him.
He pulled back slightly, desperately wishing that he could see into the sea-green depths of her eyes.
"So you aren't going to slap me this time?" He teased quietly, speaking the words almost into her mouth as he hovered just a hairsbreadth from her.
She giggled, "I guess not."
"I have to go, my love. I need to get some sleep because tomorrow I have sentry duty on the borders." He murmured.
The smile never left her face as she replied, "Of course, my strong Galadrim, I insist, for in the morrow, I also have my duties to resume in the service of the Lady."
"Tomorrow evening, then." He said sadly, hating the thought of spending any time away from her.
He left with a flourish, tearing himself desperately from the presence that held his heart like no other had. On his way to his flet, one thought kept bothering him, kept nagging itself into his mind. One thought that soon consumed him.
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Well?…….
Let me know what you think.
And yes, I know that it has a really VERY random name. Oh well. As my younger sister would say, "my bad!"