Elven bodies littered the ground everywhere, their limbs and blood entwined with those of both men and Orcs. I raised my head and cup my hands around my mouth. "HALDIR!" I shouted as loud as I could.
I remembered the hug. How could I forget it? Wrapping my arms around his body was the closest I had ever come to him. I had buried my nose into his shoulder, not caring who was there to see me or what circumstance that I was in; I was so very glad to see him. And to my utter surprise, he had hesitantly closed his own arms around my back. It filled me with complete bliss and I thought I could die there... A feeling I only shared when I held Arwen... More! I yearned for more! But now was the time for battle and I had to face that fate before I could even consider really speaking with him. We parted, but the feel of him and his scent in my nose lingered long after. I thought about him on the ramparts before the battle began.
-------- --------- ---------
There was no answer to my call. I shouted again, "HALDIR!"
There was still no answer.
Oh no... I began to panic. Running from one healer to the next, I asked if they had seen him. The reply was the same: there are hundreds of dead, dying, and wounded elves, and nearly every one of the fits your description. How are we to know which one is he?
I left them and began the search myself. First, I went all around the courtyard where the breach had been and the Orcs had poured over the fallen wall and into our ranks. The worst of the hand-to-hand fighting had occurred there. There was no trace of him. I moved then to the wall, where I searched all along the base. I met Legolas there, who embraced me quickly with a smile of relief on his face and a glow in his eyes. "Aragorn! So glad am I to see you, so glad..." He gave my arm a warm squeeze.
"And I you! ...Have you seen Haldir? I'm looking for him, I have not seen him..." My voice was detached and impatient; the concern must have shown.
"I have not seen him... But I am sure he is well somewhere... Did you check the infirmary?"
I shook my head. "No good... I will find him. Good care, Legolas! I will speak to you later... So good to see you've made it through as well!" I said smiling before moving off.
A stairwell led to the top of the wall where I had been at the start of the battle. Up there, I paused and closed my eyes trying to think of my last memory of him. That was right! He was half a wall down from me. I remembered marking his location and waving from my post to him at the end of the watch, at the beginning of the Orcan approach. He had nodded his head.
I moved in that direction. Bodies littered the crossway and I had to push them out of the way. The Orcs I just threw off the wall, unceremoniously onto the bloodied ground below. Then I stopped in my tracks. I saw him.
He lay with his back propped against the wall and his head hung down over his shoulder. He was slumped and I saw no movement... I began to breathe in deep panicked breaths and broke into a run.
But I slowed as I got nearer. No, I did not want to believe it... I did not want it to be true... Kneeling beside his lifeless form, tears welled up in my eyes. "Haldir..." I whispered. "Haldir..." With a shaking hand, I reached out and stroked his soft cheek...
And was greeted with a shock! He moved!
"Haldir!" His eyes opened into narrow slits and he peered at me through the darkening evening.
"Ara..." But his teeth clenched before he could finish. I felt my brow furrow. Something was horribly wrong with him.
"What happened?" It was then that I noticed he was clutching his side. Gently, I took his arm and pulled it away.
There was dried blood caked on his hands in black gobs that shone in the dimming light. His side had been gashed open by an enemy's sword. "I... fell quite ear...ly..." That voice said in a raspy whisper. "I...I'm so...rry..."
I was shaking my head as the tears steamed down my face. "No... Do not be sorry. Never be sorry!" I wrapped an arm around his back and another underneath his armored legs. And with a deep breath, heaved him up so that I could carry him. I heard him wince with pain. "Shhh.... I am taking you now to the healers... be still, gentle Haldir." His head fell limply against my chest. He had lost so much blood and had lain there in the cold I know not how long. I knew I must hurry if I were to save him.
I moved mechanically and didn't even feel the strain on my battle-worn legs. His body seemed light as a feather. I was near the bottom of the stairs leading down when my foot caught on an Orcan shield and I tumbled. We flew to the ground and I felt my heart break. He lay where he'd fallen, his head back and his eyes glazed over with pain. I saw that he was already more than half dead.
"Leave...it...be... I am finished..."
"No! I won't let you, I cannot let you die!"
"So...cold..." His head fell to the side so that it was facing me. His grayish blue eyes were dull and drained of the once vibrant vivacity that had once lodged there. "Thank...y...o...u..." He managed.
I wept freely. I could not get up. So I crawled to him and ripped my breastplate off of me, casting it to the side as best I could, and pressed my body over him trying to warm him. His breaths were growing shallower and he was so cold... Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a healer.
"Help! Help over here is needed!" I caught their attention and smiled weakly as they came running towards us. And then the world went black...
I remembered the hug. How could I forget it? Wrapping my arms around his body was the closest I had ever come to him. I had buried my nose into his shoulder, not caring who was there to see me or what circumstance that I was in; I was so very glad to see him. And to my utter surprise, he had hesitantly closed his own arms around my back. It filled me with complete bliss and I thought I could die there... A feeling I only shared when I held Arwen... More! I yearned for more! But now was the time for battle and I had to face that fate before I could even consider really speaking with him. We parted, but the feel of him and his scent in my nose lingered long after. I thought about him on the ramparts before the battle began.
-------- --------- ---------
There was no answer to my call. I shouted again, "HALDIR!"
There was still no answer.
Oh no... I began to panic. Running from one healer to the next, I asked if they had seen him. The reply was the same: there are hundreds of dead, dying, and wounded elves, and nearly every one of the fits your description. How are we to know which one is he?
I left them and began the search myself. First, I went all around the courtyard where the breach had been and the Orcs had poured over the fallen wall and into our ranks. The worst of the hand-to-hand fighting had occurred there. There was no trace of him. I moved then to the wall, where I searched all along the base. I met Legolas there, who embraced me quickly with a smile of relief on his face and a glow in his eyes. "Aragorn! So glad am I to see you, so glad..." He gave my arm a warm squeeze.
"And I you! ...Have you seen Haldir? I'm looking for him, I have not seen him..." My voice was detached and impatient; the concern must have shown.
"I have not seen him... But I am sure he is well somewhere... Did you check the infirmary?"
I shook my head. "No good... I will find him. Good care, Legolas! I will speak to you later... So good to see you've made it through as well!" I said smiling before moving off.
A stairwell led to the top of the wall where I had been at the start of the battle. Up there, I paused and closed my eyes trying to think of my last memory of him. That was right! He was half a wall down from me. I remembered marking his location and waving from my post to him at the end of the watch, at the beginning of the Orcan approach. He had nodded his head.
I moved in that direction. Bodies littered the crossway and I had to push them out of the way. The Orcs I just threw off the wall, unceremoniously onto the bloodied ground below. Then I stopped in my tracks. I saw him.
He lay with his back propped against the wall and his head hung down over his shoulder. He was slumped and I saw no movement... I began to breathe in deep panicked breaths and broke into a run.
But I slowed as I got nearer. No, I did not want to believe it... I did not want it to be true... Kneeling beside his lifeless form, tears welled up in my eyes. "Haldir..." I whispered. "Haldir..." With a shaking hand, I reached out and stroked his soft cheek...
And was greeted with a shock! He moved!
"Haldir!" His eyes opened into narrow slits and he peered at me through the darkening evening.
"Ara..." But his teeth clenched before he could finish. I felt my brow furrow. Something was horribly wrong with him.
"What happened?" It was then that I noticed he was clutching his side. Gently, I took his arm and pulled it away.
There was dried blood caked on his hands in black gobs that shone in the dimming light. His side had been gashed open by an enemy's sword. "I... fell quite ear...ly..." That voice said in a raspy whisper. "I...I'm so...rry..."
I was shaking my head as the tears steamed down my face. "No... Do not be sorry. Never be sorry!" I wrapped an arm around his back and another underneath his armored legs. And with a deep breath, heaved him up so that I could carry him. I heard him wince with pain. "Shhh.... I am taking you now to the healers... be still, gentle Haldir." His head fell limply against my chest. He had lost so much blood and had lain there in the cold I know not how long. I knew I must hurry if I were to save him.
I moved mechanically and didn't even feel the strain on my battle-worn legs. His body seemed light as a feather. I was near the bottom of the stairs leading down when my foot caught on an Orcan shield and I tumbled. We flew to the ground and I felt my heart break. He lay where he'd fallen, his head back and his eyes glazed over with pain. I saw that he was already more than half dead.
"Leave...it...be... I am finished..."
"No! I won't let you, I cannot let you die!"
"So...cold..." His head fell to the side so that it was facing me. His grayish blue eyes were dull and drained of the once vibrant vivacity that had once lodged there. "Thank...y...o...u..." He managed.
I wept freely. I could not get up. So I crawled to him and ripped my breastplate off of me, casting it to the side as best I could, and pressed my body over him trying to warm him. His breaths were growing shallower and he was so cold... Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a healer.
"Help! Help over here is needed!" I caught their attention and smiled weakly as they came running towards us. And then the world went black...