Chapter 7: Planning
"What do you mean, 'he knows?'" Haldir asked, alarmed. "Where is he? Tell me he didn't follow you here!"
"I don't know where he is," Seregwen replied, "He started chasing me, then I ran into Orophin. I begged him to stall Arin for as long as possible, but I doubt he believed me. To be on the safe side, I think we should hide."
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe; more secluded than this place." Seregwen started to sit down.
"We don't have time for that, Seregwen!" Haldir said, taking her hand and leading her deeper into Lothlorien's forest, "Arin could be right behind us for all we know!"
The two Elves ran until even Haldir wasn't entirely sure where they were anymore. The pain in his wound had become too unbearable for him to stand anymore, and he collapsed on the ground under a huge mallorn tree.
"Haldir! What happened?" Seregwen was visibly distraught.
Haldir's eyes were closed tight with the pain and he didn't answer.
Quickly, Seregwen threw back his cloak and lifted his tunic to reveal a deep gash straight across her husband's muscular stomach. There was nothing else for her to do but wrap the wound and pray he would be alright. But wait! If Haldir was still wearing his guard uniform, he would have his healing pouch on him. She frantically searched his belt and almost laughed in relief when she felt the leather bag hanging off his side. Seregwen quickly pulled it off and rummaged through its contents. She knew nothing about plants and their healing properties other than the bits Haldir had told her. She faintly remembered him saying something about one plant which had the ability to heal almost any wound. If only she could remember which one it was. Kingsfoil! That's what it was!
She found leaves of the plant most considered a weed in the bag and crushed them, then rubbed them on the wound. Hoping she did it right, Seregwen tore off a part from the bottom of her skirt and used it as a makeshift bandage. Haldir had drifted into an uneasy sleep and there was nothing else to do but wait until he woke up. Seregwen huddled under the tree, praying to the Valar her husband would live. ~~~~~~~
The hours dragged by. It was late afternoon according to the position of the sun. Haldir was still asleep. The heavy sweat he had broken into earlier had stopped. Seregwen put a hand to her husband's forehead. His fever was dissipating as well. The blade he had been injured with was poisoned, there was no doubt about that, but the kingsfoil seemed to be working. A cool breeze blew through the woods and onto Haldir's face. His eyelids fluttered and opened.
"Haldir! You're alive! Thank the gods you're alive!" Seregwen threw her arms around the Elf's neck, but the embrace was short-lived, for a voice came drifting through the trees toward the couple.
~~~~~~~
Haldir struggled to his feet and placed himself between Seregwen and the direction the intruder's voice was coming from. He nocked an arrow and raised it, ready to fire, when Orophin came into view, calling softly, "Seregwen? Seregwen! Where are you?" He had a bruise on his face. Haldir lowered his bow and started towards his brother.
"Orophin. I'm here."
Orophin put up his hands as in surrender. "I don't know where she is, Haldir. I'm out here on patrol duty."
"Orophin, what's wrong?" Haldir took another step toward him.
"Don't come any closer, Haldir. I'm warning you!" Orophin reached for his bow.
Haldir opened his mouth to say something, but Seregwen stepped up to his side. "It's alright, Orophin. This is the real Haldir."
"But," Orophin was confused, "just this morning, you told me that Haldir was trying to harm you. He did this to me." The Elf pointed to the dark bruise on his cheekbone. "He caused me to bleed as well. Seregwen, I'm beginning to question both of your behaviors."
"You'd better come sit down, Orophin," Haldir said to his brother, "It's a long story."
~~~~~~~
The sun was beginning to set when the two Elves had finished reliving the past two days to the newcomer. Orophin sat in silence for a while after Haldir and Seregwen had finished their tale. He found it hard to process all the information he had been given at once. Finally, very slowly, he spoke, "So, there are two men in Lothlorien right now who look like Haldir, and we will have no way to tell them apart."
"Except for the eyes." Seregwen said, "Even if Arin has taken on the physical form of Haldir, his hatred for all things still shows through in his eyes."
Orophin nodded. "What's to stop him from just changing into someone else?"
"Nothing." Haldir said, "That's why we trust no one."
Orophin still had questions, "What do we do, then? We can't just allow him to take over Haldir's life and possibly Lothlorien as well."
"Well, we have to get Lady Galadriel out of the infirmary," Seregwen said, "The longer she stays within Arin's grasp, the more danger we are all in."
"We should avoid being seen," Haldir put in, "Let's wait until nightfall. We'll have a lesser chance of being caught then."
The three agreed on that, and spent what little was left of the afternoon planning the specifics of their plan.
A/N: To all those technical readers: I am aware that Orophin only knows how to speak Elvish, but because of the major role Orophin plays in this fic, it would take too long to try and translate everything he says in this story into Elvish. I apologize to the readers who enjoy Elvish in the fics they read. Please R/R.
"What do you mean, 'he knows?'" Haldir asked, alarmed. "Where is he? Tell me he didn't follow you here!"
"I don't know where he is," Seregwen replied, "He started chasing me, then I ran into Orophin. I begged him to stall Arin for as long as possible, but I doubt he believed me. To be on the safe side, I think we should hide."
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe; more secluded than this place." Seregwen started to sit down.
"We don't have time for that, Seregwen!" Haldir said, taking her hand and leading her deeper into Lothlorien's forest, "Arin could be right behind us for all we know!"
The two Elves ran until even Haldir wasn't entirely sure where they were anymore. The pain in his wound had become too unbearable for him to stand anymore, and he collapsed on the ground under a huge mallorn tree.
"Haldir! What happened?" Seregwen was visibly distraught.
Haldir's eyes were closed tight with the pain and he didn't answer.
Quickly, Seregwen threw back his cloak and lifted his tunic to reveal a deep gash straight across her husband's muscular stomach. There was nothing else for her to do but wrap the wound and pray he would be alright. But wait! If Haldir was still wearing his guard uniform, he would have his healing pouch on him. She frantically searched his belt and almost laughed in relief when she felt the leather bag hanging off his side. Seregwen quickly pulled it off and rummaged through its contents. She knew nothing about plants and their healing properties other than the bits Haldir had told her. She faintly remembered him saying something about one plant which had the ability to heal almost any wound. If only she could remember which one it was. Kingsfoil! That's what it was!
She found leaves of the plant most considered a weed in the bag and crushed them, then rubbed them on the wound. Hoping she did it right, Seregwen tore off a part from the bottom of her skirt and used it as a makeshift bandage. Haldir had drifted into an uneasy sleep and there was nothing else to do but wait until he woke up. Seregwen huddled under the tree, praying to the Valar her husband would live. ~~~~~~~
The hours dragged by. It was late afternoon according to the position of the sun. Haldir was still asleep. The heavy sweat he had broken into earlier had stopped. Seregwen put a hand to her husband's forehead. His fever was dissipating as well. The blade he had been injured with was poisoned, there was no doubt about that, but the kingsfoil seemed to be working. A cool breeze blew through the woods and onto Haldir's face. His eyelids fluttered and opened.
"Haldir! You're alive! Thank the gods you're alive!" Seregwen threw her arms around the Elf's neck, but the embrace was short-lived, for a voice came drifting through the trees toward the couple.
~~~~~~~
Haldir struggled to his feet and placed himself between Seregwen and the direction the intruder's voice was coming from. He nocked an arrow and raised it, ready to fire, when Orophin came into view, calling softly, "Seregwen? Seregwen! Where are you?" He had a bruise on his face. Haldir lowered his bow and started towards his brother.
"Orophin. I'm here."
Orophin put up his hands as in surrender. "I don't know where she is, Haldir. I'm out here on patrol duty."
"Orophin, what's wrong?" Haldir took another step toward him.
"Don't come any closer, Haldir. I'm warning you!" Orophin reached for his bow.
Haldir opened his mouth to say something, but Seregwen stepped up to his side. "It's alright, Orophin. This is the real Haldir."
"But," Orophin was confused, "just this morning, you told me that Haldir was trying to harm you. He did this to me." The Elf pointed to the dark bruise on his cheekbone. "He caused me to bleed as well. Seregwen, I'm beginning to question both of your behaviors."
"You'd better come sit down, Orophin," Haldir said to his brother, "It's a long story."
~~~~~~~
The sun was beginning to set when the two Elves had finished reliving the past two days to the newcomer. Orophin sat in silence for a while after Haldir and Seregwen had finished their tale. He found it hard to process all the information he had been given at once. Finally, very slowly, he spoke, "So, there are two men in Lothlorien right now who look like Haldir, and we will have no way to tell them apart."
"Except for the eyes." Seregwen said, "Even if Arin has taken on the physical form of Haldir, his hatred for all things still shows through in his eyes."
Orophin nodded. "What's to stop him from just changing into someone else?"
"Nothing." Haldir said, "That's why we trust no one."
Orophin still had questions, "What do we do, then? We can't just allow him to take over Haldir's life and possibly Lothlorien as well."
"Well, we have to get Lady Galadriel out of the infirmary," Seregwen said, "The longer she stays within Arin's grasp, the more danger we are all in."
"We should avoid being seen," Haldir put in, "Let's wait until nightfall. We'll have a lesser chance of being caught then."
The three agreed on that, and spent what little was left of the afternoon planning the specifics of their plan.
A/N: To all those technical readers: I am aware that Orophin only knows how to speak Elvish, but because of the major role Orophin plays in this fic, it would take too long to try and translate everything he says in this story into Elvish. I apologize to the readers who enjoy Elvish in the fics they read. Please R/R.