Dream Warrior
Author: Heather Lynn
Email: ring_of_adament@yahoo.com
HET/ NC-17
Haldir/Lirimaer
Disclaimer: The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of J R R Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate and Tolkien Enterprises. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended
Summary: This story begins in the year 3018 (S.R. 1418), the same time that Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin have begun their journey. They are now with Aragorn, having left Amon Sûl (Weathertop) after battling the ringwraiths. Arwen Evenstar has Frodo and is taking him to Rivendell. Lirimaer is an elf from Rivendell who journeys to Lothlórien to speak to Galadriel about the haunting nightmare she repeatedly has. Haldir comes across her along the way and he leads her to Lórien.
Notes: While writing this, I followed the Tolkien's books and the two movies and made up a few things as well. My timeline does not coincide with the books, only to try to keep things short! The numbers after a sentence means there is a definition at the end of the chapter. I hope the translations are correct, if not please email me so I can make any necessary repairs. I hope to add drawings soon, having just moved I will need some time. I hope you enjoy my first fan fic I've ever written, please let me know what you think! This fan fic was also part of the www.haldir-lives.org Fan Fic Challenge.
Chapter 29 – The Next Day
"Over here! There's one alive over here." She felt someone pulling her arms, dragging her. She tried to focus her eyes, the early morning light blinding her. The pain in her head was incredible. "Haldir!" she tried to say, barely able to hear her own voice.
"Lirimaer! By the grace of the Valar! You're alive!" She recognized Vuranor's voice. She made out some blurry shapes, her eyes slowly focusing. She was able to make out Vuranor's face in front of hers.
"Haldir! Where is Haldir?" She looked around her, her head pounding. She caught sight of someone next to her on the ground, trying to get her eyes to focus. Then she saw the shine of golden armor and long, blonde, bloodied hair. "Haldir!" He was lying on his side, his back to her, unmoving. She felt someone trying to move her again, swift pain shooting up her leg from her shattered ankle. She cried out, loosing consciousness once more.
When Lirimaer awoke later that morning, her head still throbbing. She was lying on her side on a bed; her leg had been splinted and bandaged. Her vision was still a little blurred. Vuranor was sitting next to her in a chair, looking exhausted. Haldir! She tried to sit up but Vuranor's hand held her down. "Where do you think you are going? You are in no condition to be getting up."
"Where is he?" she cried. She remembered seeing him lying on the wall, unmoving, his armor split open down his back and bloody. "I didn't save him, did I? My dream became a reality! I have failed!"
"The only thing you failed at was not noticing that he is laying on the bed next to you sleeping!" Vuranor said, smiling.
She rolled over, looking right into Haldir's face. She reached out and touched his cheek. He looked so pale. "Is he alright?"
"He lost a lot of blood. The wound on his back is bad, but it will heal. He took a blow to the head as well. He'll probably sleep for a while, which is something I highly recommend you to do as well!" Vuranor said. "You took a nasty blow to the side of your head. And of course your ankle is indeed broken. You were very brave up there on that wall. You fought well. And I believe this belongs to you," he said, handing her the dagger. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll stop by later to check on you and to bring you something to eat. Now sleep!"
"You look like you could use some sleep as well," she said, noticing his arm in a sling. "Thank you for everything." She rolled back over and looked at her husband, smiling. I did it! she thought to herself. I have saved him! She lifted up his arm and wrapped it around her, snuggling up against him, falling quickly to sleep, without any dreams.
Vuranor came back around noon with some food. Haldir still hadn't moved. He told Lirimaer how the night had unfolded, how everything had looked grim. Then at sunrise, King Théoden, Aragorn, Legolas and a few remaining men and elves rode out to meet their enemy. Suddenly Gandalf appeared on the hilltop, brilliant in his white robes, with Éomer, the King's nephew, at his side. They and two thousand fresh troops charged down the hillside, the morning sun blinding the Uruk-hai, confusing them. The Uruk-hai were all slaughtered.
"I hear you had some other visitors today but you were sleeping," Vuranor said. "They said they would be back this afternoon. In fact, here comes one now!"
"Lirimaer! How do you feel?" Legolas asked, taking her hand. "I cannot believe you are here! I hardly recognized you with that black hair. How is Haldir?"
"He hasn't regained consciousness yet," she said, looking over at Haldir. His color had improved since when she first saw him. Then she smiled, looking a Legolas. "I forgot all about my hair! It was part of the disguise. I didn't want anyone to know who I was."
"Well it worked! You sure surprised the healer when he took off your armor and tunic and saw that you were a female!" laughed Vuranor. Lirimaer blushed, swatting at Vuranor, making him laugh harder.
Haldir let out a sigh. Lirimaer jumped, rolling over to face him. His eyes were trying to focus. He could see a face in front of him but couldn't make out the features. "Haldir!" He knew that voice. He reached out and wrapped his arm about her, pulling her to him, and fell back to sleep. Lirimaer caressed his cheek. "Rest my love."
"We will come back and check on you later," said Legolas, smiling, pulling Vuranor away with him.
Haldir awoke feeling parched. Soft light was coming through a window; it was late in the afternoon. There was someone lying in the bed with him, their face was buried against his chest. All he could make out was a head full of black hair. But there was something about the hair, its scent. He tried to sit up, intense pain shooting across his back. He felt pain in his arm and head as well. He let out a moan. The person next to him quickly sat up.
"Haldir!" It was Lirimaer!
"Lirimaer? How could this be?" Haldir asked. "What are you doing here? You are hurt!" he said, seeing the nasty slash and bruise running from her jaw to her hairline. He reached out and touched her hair. "What happened to your hair?"
Lirimaer laughed. "I am so happy you are awake. I have been so worried about you!" she said, tears coming to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, mindful of the wound on his back. "You must be starving. Let me call for someone."
"Just thirsty. But none of that matters right now," he said. "What are you doing here?"
Lirimaer grabbed a pitcher of water from next to the bed, pouring a glass, which he quickly drank. She told Haldir about her plan to come to battle with him, and how Elladan, Elrohir and Vuranor helped her train for battle. She told him about the hair stain that Vuranor had concocted, touching her hair and laughing. "I thought you were going to find out it was me the night we first arrived on the outskirts of Fangorn Forest, when I cried out in my sleep. That was me lying there next to Vuranor, pretending to sleep!" she said.
Haldir lightly touched the bruise on her face, gently caressing it. "Why did you do this? Why did you risk your life coming here? You could have been killed!" A look of distress was on Haldir's face.
"Do you recall when I first met you, I told you I had something important to discuss with Galadriel? It was about a reoccurring dream I had been having for a long time. In my dream, I saw a courageous warrior fighting creatures with white handprints on them, on top of a vast wall. I heard someone shouting 'na Barad!' Then the warrior got stabbed in the arm," she said, touching Haldir's arm where it had been wrapped with a bandage. "Another creature came from behind, slashing him in the back. That is why I had the red marks when I woke from the dream. I was feeling the warrior's pain. I didn't see the warrior's face for a long time, only his golden armor, his red cloak, and golden blonde hair," she said, smiling, running her hands through his hair, "and his blue eyes, his lifeless eyes." She bent forward and kissed him on the forehead over each eye. "It wasn't until we had almost reached Lórien and were attacked by the orcs that I realized my Dream Warrior was you."
Haldir couldn't believe what he was hearing. So much anguish Lirimaer had to endure, watching him die continually in her dream, and he had no idea about any of it. No wonder she cried out his name in her sleep, telling him not to die. For her to do all she had done to save his life, the training, the journey and finally the fighting, left him speechless. And to think she didn't even know the one in her dream when she started her journey!
Lirimaer looked into Haldir's eyes, seeing a puzzled look. "I did all this because I fell in love with the valiant elf in my dream: you. If you had died, I would have died as well. There would be no existence for me without you." She caressed his cheek, kissing him.
He reached out and pulled her to him, never wanting to let her go. How could he possibly be so lucky to have Lirimaer in his life? And to think he had once pushed her away was beyond belief. He would never let her go again! He kissed her tenderly, savoring the taste of her mouth. He hugged her tight, rolling onto his back with her pressed against his chest, forgetting about his wound. Incredible pain shot through him, almost making him loose consciousness.
Lirimaer quickly rolled him back onto his side. His face looked gray. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry!"
Haldir forced a smile through the pain. "It wasn't your fault, my love. I got carried away by the sweet taste of your lips. I guess I will have to behave myself for a while till I heal."
"I should say so! It is good to see you awake!" Legolas said. Aragorn, King Théoden, Gimli, Gandalf and a fair-haired woman followed him into the room.
King Théoden came and stood next to the bed. "I want to thank you for coming to our aid. We would not have lasted as long as we did without you and your troops. Regrettably we must part. We are off tonight to Isengard. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want." He turned and gestured toward the woman next to Gandalf. "My sister-daughter, Éowyn, will be here for another day to see to your needs before she must return to Edoras. I will leave instruction to have horses for you when you are ready to depart."
"Thank you for your generosity, King Théoden, Éowyn," Haldir said, looking weary.
"Some food and a basin with warm water would be wonderful," Lirimaer asked of Éowyn. "Haldir could use some nourishment for strength to heal." He was looking drained and in need of some rest.
"The next time you cleanse the wound, put some athelas in some hot water. It will speed the healing," said Aragorn. "We must all say our goodbyes now. Haldir and Lirimaer need to rest. Safe journey to you both back to Lothlórien. We will meet again."
"You take good care of Haldir, Lirimaer," said Gandalf, winking at her.
"I will be sure to come to Lórien when all this is over to visit with you both," said Legolas, "and I'll bring my travel companion and friend, Gimli, with me as well. Namárië, a'mellonea."
"Goodbye Lirimaer and Haldir. I do hope to meet you both again during better times," said Gimli.
Later that evening Éowyn returned with food and the water. Lirimaer was awake and Haldir was sleeping soundly on his stomach with his arm around her. Seeing the two lovers made Éowyn sad, thinking of Aragorn. He had only left a short time ago but already she missed him terribly. She fell for him when she first met him, even though he had another love in his life. "Hello, Lirimaer. Aragorn found some kingsfoil for you before he left. I've brought you some hot water and bandages as well."
"Thank you, Éowyn. You are too kind."
Éowyn set the basin on a table next to the bed and added the athelas to the hot water. Instantly the air was filled with its soothing, sweet aroma. She handed Lirimaer a cloth, which she placed in the water. She pulled the blanket off Haldir, exposing his back. She carefully removed the bandages and looked at the wound. Lirimaer gasped. The wound ran from his right shoulder down to the middle of his back and was very deep. Tears welled up in Lirimaer's eyes. "If only I could have helped him sooner," she said.
"He is strong," said Éowyn. "He will pull through. See, it is already healing rapidly. Elves are truly amazing at how swiftly you recover. Besides from what I have heard, you did so much to save him. You are very courageous."
Lirimaer wrung out the cloth and gently placed it over the wound, making Haldir jump in his sleep. She removed the bandage from his arm and washed it with the athelas water as well.
Éowyn placed a cloth dipped in the water against the side of Lirimaer's face. "I think you could use it too. Why don't you take in some food and rest? I will bandage Haldir."
Lirimaer brushed a piece of hair away from Haldir's face. He looked peaceful in his slumber. She was feeling ravenous and fatigued. She nibbled on a piece of bread and lay back down, watching Éowyn finish cleaning Haldir's back and put on fresh bandages. "Thank you again, Éowyn." She fell to sleep almost immediately.
1. Namárië, a'mellonea – Farewell, my friends