A/N: Another testament to just how much I hate technology: I would have changed chapter 12, but apparently, the computer thinks it's too good for that, so I have to update you on this chapter (this is going to sound really cheesy): When Amargwaith ordered Dorlas to attack Caras Galadon, he was supposed to bring Galadriel back as well, NOT kill her. Sorry about that, but it was past midnight, I was really tired, and my fingers weren't moving properly. Anyway, read on:
Chapter 13: Captured
Amid the turmoil that followed the firing of the first arrow, one lone figure stood still. Haldir stood, staring at his dead brother, directly in range of his unknown attacker. One voice in his mind was screaming at him to go to Orophin, while another was telling him to run in the opposite direction; as fast and far away as possible.
It didn't matter which part of his mind he wanted to listen to anyway; he was rooted to the spot. His eyes were glued to his brother's prostrate form, and his mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that his last remaining blood relative was gone off the face of Middle-earth. He heard a voice calling him, as if from far off, and someone took his hand and pulled him away. Haldir, still in his state of shock, gave no resistance.
As soon as he was out of sight of Orophin's body, Haldir was himself again. He looked to his side to see Seregwen. Her eyes glistened with tears, and her face held a look of grief and concern.
"Haldir..." she whispered, her voice cracking as she held back a sob. But she couldn't finish what she was about to say, as her husband pulled his hand from her grasp and headed back towards Orophin. Back towards danger.
"Haldir! No!" she cried, catching her husband's hand once again. "Four arrows have already been shot and there's already one casualty! I can't just stand by and allow another to be killed!"
"I have to go back for Orophin." He said it with such conviction; as if there was no other choice.
"Orophin's dead!" Seregwen burst out in a flurry of fear and impatience. Immediately, she regretted it.
Haldir stepped back as if she had struck him. He did nothing to hide the disgust at what his wife had just said in his face. Without another word, he turned his back on her and went to retrieve his brother's body.
~~~~~~~
Seregwen was left to watch Haldir's retreating form as he made his way through the trees. Amargwaith was the one who had fired the arrows, that was a given, but Seregwen could only hope that her enemy had enough sense to flee before he was caught. She breathed a sigh of relief when Haldir came back, unscathed, carrying the body of his brother. He walked straight past her and gently set Orophin on the ground. Slowly, carefully, he began to remove the wooden shaft of the arrow from the Elf's chest. It took a long time, but eventually, Haldir cast the weapon of his brother's destruction aside and wiped his bloodied hands on his tunic. All Seregwen could do was watch. She knew how much love the brothers had shared. Haldir had had enough trouble getting over Rumil's death. Now, with both his brothers killed by the same Elf, Haldir would no doubt try to avenge his brothers' deaths. most likely, the attempt would end in fatality. Then and there, Seregwen promised herself that she would watch out for her husband and try to protect him from doing anything foolish. It would be a hard promise to keep, but she would try.
But she couldn't get the image out of her head. The look on Haldir's face when she forced the realization on him almost broke her heart. All this time while he was tending to Orophin's body, he had completely ignored her. She had crossed a forbidden line, and they both knew it. Seregwen approached Haldir and put her slender hand on his shoulder.
"Haldir, I'm sorry," she began.
Haldir turned his tear-stained face towards her and managed a small smile. "I could stay angry at you," he said, "but that's not possible. I love you Seregwen. I'll always love you."
That was it. Seregwen collapsed on her knees next to Haldir and wept. She wept for her dead brother-in-law; she wept for her stupidity in earlier years; and finally, she wept tears of joy and thanks to the Valar for allowing her to have found Haldir, an Elf who would love her unconditionally, no matter what came between them.
Haldir held her reassuringly, and she melted in his arms. The two sat like that for quite some time, both weeping silent tears. Eventually, Seregwen pulled herself from Haldir's embrace and clasped Orophin's hand. She gave an involuntary shudder as she contacted his cold, pale skin.
"Goodbye, Orophin," she whispered, kissing him lightly on his forehead.
"Namaarie, gwanur nîn (farewell, my brother)." All of a sudden, his entire body stiffened. Seregwen looked at him questioningly for a moment, but then, she heard it as well. Footsteps. And shouting. No one had to explain. Caras Galadon was under attack.
Haldir stood up, drew his sword, and motioned for Seregwen to take shelter behind him. For a split second, both thought they had a fighting chance. Until they saw the army. It must have been over 200 strong, and they were only two Elves. It was no use even trying to fight these Elves. They had been fighting a losing battle from the beginning, and it seemed that there was no way to get the upper hand. Haldir sheathed his sword and wrapped Seregwen in a protective embrace, and held his head high, waiting for the end.
~~~~~~~
Seregwen buried her face in Haldir's chest, forgetting everything about the promise she had made, only overwhelmed with sheer terror. She and her husband were going to die. All the efforts they had made all the lives that had been sacrificed, had all been a waste. Amargwaith always had one more trick up his sleeve that he caught them off guard with, and this one was impossible to fight against. She closed her eyes tight and wondered how much pain she would be in when she died. All of a sudden, she was torn away from her husband, and she felt the cold steel of a dagger at her throat.
"Where's Galadriel?" a voice hissed in her ear.
Seregwen smelt the unclean stench of a Human, and knew that the Man would not hesitate to kill her if she didn't co-operate. "I-I don't know," she managed to stammer.
"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you, my pretty Elven maid?"
Seregwen closed her eyes. She was getting quite tired of being called names. "No. I'm not lying."
The Human behind her stopped for a moment, then threw her roughly to another of the soldiers, this one an Elf. "These are the two Amargwaith spoke of," he said, "Gag them and tie them up and bring them back to the lair. Do what you wish with the blonde one, but the female intrigues me. She is mine."
Violation. That was the first word that came into Seregwen's head when she thought of what this Human attacker would do to her. A piece of cloth was roughly shoved in her mouth, and tied firmly at the back of her head. Ropes cut into her wrists and ankles. Two Elves picked her up and carried her between them, out of the city. Wherever she was being taken, she knew she wouldn't like it.
Soon after she stopped struggling at her bonds, the pair that was carrying her came alongside the pair of Elves carrying Haldir. He was bound and gagged exactly the same as she, but for an instant, his sapphire eyes met her emerald ones, and she knew that somehow, someway, they were going to be all right. Haldir would protect her, and she would protect him. No words were spoken, but in that split-second meeting of minds, all the words in the world were shared between the two.
~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Dorlas led another party of Elven warriors through Caras Galadon searching for Galadriel. He had no idea where she could be hiding, but he was bent on revenge, and he wouldn't stop until that urge was fulfilled.
A/N: Once again, I have no idea what's going to happen in the next chapter. If any reviewers have ANY suggestions on anything, feel free to bring them to my attention. I'm sure every author on this site has had this happen before. I know where I'm going, I just don't know how to getthere.
Chapter 13: Captured
Amid the turmoil that followed the firing of the first arrow, one lone figure stood still. Haldir stood, staring at his dead brother, directly in range of his unknown attacker. One voice in his mind was screaming at him to go to Orophin, while another was telling him to run in the opposite direction; as fast and far away as possible.
It didn't matter which part of his mind he wanted to listen to anyway; he was rooted to the spot. His eyes were glued to his brother's prostrate form, and his mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that his last remaining blood relative was gone off the face of Middle-earth. He heard a voice calling him, as if from far off, and someone took his hand and pulled him away. Haldir, still in his state of shock, gave no resistance.
As soon as he was out of sight of Orophin's body, Haldir was himself again. He looked to his side to see Seregwen. Her eyes glistened with tears, and her face held a look of grief and concern.
"Haldir..." she whispered, her voice cracking as she held back a sob. But she couldn't finish what she was about to say, as her husband pulled his hand from her grasp and headed back towards Orophin. Back towards danger.
"Haldir! No!" she cried, catching her husband's hand once again. "Four arrows have already been shot and there's already one casualty! I can't just stand by and allow another to be killed!"
"I have to go back for Orophin." He said it with such conviction; as if there was no other choice.
"Orophin's dead!" Seregwen burst out in a flurry of fear and impatience. Immediately, she regretted it.
Haldir stepped back as if she had struck him. He did nothing to hide the disgust at what his wife had just said in his face. Without another word, he turned his back on her and went to retrieve his brother's body.
~~~~~~~
Seregwen was left to watch Haldir's retreating form as he made his way through the trees. Amargwaith was the one who had fired the arrows, that was a given, but Seregwen could only hope that her enemy had enough sense to flee before he was caught. She breathed a sigh of relief when Haldir came back, unscathed, carrying the body of his brother. He walked straight past her and gently set Orophin on the ground. Slowly, carefully, he began to remove the wooden shaft of the arrow from the Elf's chest. It took a long time, but eventually, Haldir cast the weapon of his brother's destruction aside and wiped his bloodied hands on his tunic. All Seregwen could do was watch. She knew how much love the brothers had shared. Haldir had had enough trouble getting over Rumil's death. Now, with both his brothers killed by the same Elf, Haldir would no doubt try to avenge his brothers' deaths. most likely, the attempt would end in fatality. Then and there, Seregwen promised herself that she would watch out for her husband and try to protect him from doing anything foolish. It would be a hard promise to keep, but she would try.
But she couldn't get the image out of her head. The look on Haldir's face when she forced the realization on him almost broke her heart. All this time while he was tending to Orophin's body, he had completely ignored her. She had crossed a forbidden line, and they both knew it. Seregwen approached Haldir and put her slender hand on his shoulder.
"Haldir, I'm sorry," she began.
Haldir turned his tear-stained face towards her and managed a small smile. "I could stay angry at you," he said, "but that's not possible. I love you Seregwen. I'll always love you."
That was it. Seregwen collapsed on her knees next to Haldir and wept. She wept for her dead brother-in-law; she wept for her stupidity in earlier years; and finally, she wept tears of joy and thanks to the Valar for allowing her to have found Haldir, an Elf who would love her unconditionally, no matter what came between them.
Haldir held her reassuringly, and she melted in his arms. The two sat like that for quite some time, both weeping silent tears. Eventually, Seregwen pulled herself from Haldir's embrace and clasped Orophin's hand. She gave an involuntary shudder as she contacted his cold, pale skin.
"Goodbye, Orophin," she whispered, kissing him lightly on his forehead.
"Namaarie, gwanur nîn (farewell, my brother)." All of a sudden, his entire body stiffened. Seregwen looked at him questioningly for a moment, but then, she heard it as well. Footsteps. And shouting. No one had to explain. Caras Galadon was under attack.
Haldir stood up, drew his sword, and motioned for Seregwen to take shelter behind him. For a split second, both thought they had a fighting chance. Until they saw the army. It must have been over 200 strong, and they were only two Elves. It was no use even trying to fight these Elves. They had been fighting a losing battle from the beginning, and it seemed that there was no way to get the upper hand. Haldir sheathed his sword and wrapped Seregwen in a protective embrace, and held his head high, waiting for the end.
~~~~~~~
Seregwen buried her face in Haldir's chest, forgetting everything about the promise she had made, only overwhelmed with sheer terror. She and her husband were going to die. All the efforts they had made all the lives that had been sacrificed, had all been a waste. Amargwaith always had one more trick up his sleeve that he caught them off guard with, and this one was impossible to fight against. She closed her eyes tight and wondered how much pain she would be in when she died. All of a sudden, she was torn away from her husband, and she felt the cold steel of a dagger at her throat.
"Where's Galadriel?" a voice hissed in her ear.
Seregwen smelt the unclean stench of a Human, and knew that the Man would not hesitate to kill her if she didn't co-operate. "I-I don't know," she managed to stammer.
"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you, my pretty Elven maid?"
Seregwen closed her eyes. She was getting quite tired of being called names. "No. I'm not lying."
The Human behind her stopped for a moment, then threw her roughly to another of the soldiers, this one an Elf. "These are the two Amargwaith spoke of," he said, "Gag them and tie them up and bring them back to the lair. Do what you wish with the blonde one, but the female intrigues me. She is mine."
Violation. That was the first word that came into Seregwen's head when she thought of what this Human attacker would do to her. A piece of cloth was roughly shoved in her mouth, and tied firmly at the back of her head. Ropes cut into her wrists and ankles. Two Elves picked her up and carried her between them, out of the city. Wherever she was being taken, she knew she wouldn't like it.
Soon after she stopped struggling at her bonds, the pair that was carrying her came alongside the pair of Elves carrying Haldir. He was bound and gagged exactly the same as she, but for an instant, his sapphire eyes met her emerald ones, and she knew that somehow, someway, they were going to be all right. Haldir would protect her, and she would protect him. No words were spoken, but in that split-second meeting of minds, all the words in the world were shared between the two.
~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Dorlas led another party of Elven warriors through Caras Galadon searching for Galadriel. He had no idea where she could be hiding, but he was bent on revenge, and he wouldn't stop until that urge was fulfilled.
A/N: Once again, I have no idea what's going to happen in the next chapter. If any reviewers have ANY suggestions on anything, feel free to bring them to my attention. I'm sure every author on this site has had this happen before. I know where I'm going, I just don't know how to getthere.