Title: In Times Like These
Author: Yih
23: Reunited (January 19, 2004)
.IV. 121.
Memories crashed when she saw him again. Oh Elbereth! How much it ached inside of her to see him before her, standing there alive and well, not within her reach yet. She didn't know if he recognized her first--- or she did. Maybe it was instantaneously. It felt so right to want to run to him, but it also felt wrong. She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't. What of Elrohir?
She was horribly confused as she felt her legs start running to this elf--- Haldir--- that she did not know but that she knew that the Anaire in her knew and loved so deeply, so truly, so utterly that how could this ever be wrong? But what of Elrohir? It had not felt wrong to want him even if she had known about Haldir in her memories. Oh sweet confusion and oh horrible perplexity. Where did she stand now?
In his arms, in Haldir's arms--- in her soul-mate's arms? Was he though? Why did she feel such a pull to Elrohir if she was heart bound to Haldir? Why then? Wasn't such feelings and emotions like that suppose to drift away once the soul of an elf maiden found her elf lord? That as what she had read about in all the texts of the past that she could dredge up on the subject. But no, it was not the case with her--- and her soul was in turmoil because of it.
"Anaire," he whispered hoarsely, his face buried in her pale wheat hair, "I thought I lost you. How? I saw you, I felt you drift to Mandos. How are you here now? So alive? So well? So warm to my touch?"
"Because she has been reincarnated as my daughter," Glorfindel declared, his eyes watching the scene with a calm acceptance. He knew that he couldn't stop Elen from being with Haldir, not from what he'd known about Anaire's past love of Haldir. But this was right. It wasn't right between Elrohir and Elen, no matter how much Elen insisted that she love Haldir. Hadn't this proven it? When she'd run into Haldir's arms when she had never seen the elf before? "Her name is Elen."
"Elen," Haldir whispered, his face lifting so that he could brush his lips against her cheeks, then her lips, "you are Elen, but you are still my Anaire--- are you not? Or are you a dream that my weary and worn mind has conjured up? I have dreamt so much of you that I do not know whether or not to believe that you are real. You feel warm to my touch, but my delusions have this frightening reality about them."
Her heart hurt to hear him say these things. Oh, Haldir! "This is true," she murmured back, her lips kissing him back. "This is real." Her tongue traced his lips. "This is not a dream." Her lips pressed against his firmly. "This is too good to be a dream."
"It is."
They had found each other. Finally. More than a hundred years later. More than the miles of Arda. through the distance of the sea to Valinor--- they were finally in each other's arms--- and it had only taken Anaire's soul the journey back to life and the pain of memories relived to find Haldir again.
-
.IV. 200.
She was young, very young for an elf--- still young for a half elf. Most elves married when they were near a thousand years old, but she was not even 200 years old. But she could not mistake Haldir's intention when he'd gotten down on his knees in front of her favorite tree. He was going to ask her, and if he was asking her--- that meant he had gotten Glorfindel's approval.
It had been nearly 80 glorious years that they had spent together. They had learned to love each other all over again, and her heart's indecision about Elrohir had faded--- especially as she had come to the realization that Elrohir likely was never coming back to her--- that he was never going to journey home to Valinor. It had been 80 years since she'd left Arda, and it was 200 years since the Age of Men had begun and the Age of Elves had ended. If he ever was going to come. it should have been at the time when she had left.
So the memory of him had dulled into a colorless vision of what had been. In her heart now, she had grown to love Haldir absolutely--- a fresh love that came from their love of the night and of the forest. The two of them were so much alike, and he--- unlike her father--- was more than willing to teach her how to fight and battle even if it was unnecessary now. Glorfindel thought it wasteful since the world was so beautiful and would remain so forever. But he and others that had been part of wars past never let their skills go to waste--- so why could she not learn?
Haldir was happy to instruct her, more than happy to teach her of her best weapon--- the elven knives and tease her about how she was still lacking with the sword, but for her skill with the bow--- he left that to a master, Legolas. Legolas had come to mean as much as Elladan to her, a brother and comrade. She still thought it inexplicably sad that he had never found anyone to love, and wished that he would.
Sometimes, she thought he would look to her with want in his eyes, but whenever she thought that--- she thought it was silly. Legolas was like an older brother to her and nothing more, and he knew--- of all elves since he had been with Anaire through the torturous journey--- should know that Haldir was the only elf she had ever given her heart to fully.
"Will you marry me, Elen?"
She glanced down into his beautiful celestial eyes. How she loved Haldir, how she loved him so. "Yes, my love," she whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you."
He pulled her down into his arms and held her tightly to him, like he'd never let her go no matter how much time would past nor how the years would fade into the skyline of eternity. It didn't matter. his love was timeless and she felt secure and safe within his arms like she had never had before. Elrohir. was a thought and a memory. Haldir. Haldir was her beloved, her soul-mate, and her husband-to-be.
"I have waited for so long," he whispered hoarsely to her, "and I have never loved you more than now."
"I know."
"Love is eternal," he declared fiercely. "My love for you is forever."
~
Author's Note: Wee! Another short chapter, my deepest and sincerest apologies. I can't seem to help it, but at least I posted again--- eh? There will be one or two more before this story wraps up. We get to see Elen have her first baby ;p and see Elrohir re-enter her life. ahhh. how will that go? Please review. Thanks!
23: Reunited (January 19, 2004)
.IV. 121.
Memories crashed when she saw him again. Oh Elbereth! How much it ached inside of her to see him before her, standing there alive and well, not within her reach yet. She didn't know if he recognized her first--- or she did. Maybe it was instantaneously. It felt so right to want to run to him, but it also felt wrong. She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't. What of Elrohir?
She was horribly confused as she felt her legs start running to this elf--- Haldir--- that she did not know but that she knew that the Anaire in her knew and loved so deeply, so truly, so utterly that how could this ever be wrong? But what of Elrohir? It had not felt wrong to want him even if she had known about Haldir in her memories. Oh sweet confusion and oh horrible perplexity. Where did she stand now?
In his arms, in Haldir's arms--- in her soul-mate's arms? Was he though? Why did she feel such a pull to Elrohir if she was heart bound to Haldir? Why then? Wasn't such feelings and emotions like that suppose to drift away once the soul of an elf maiden found her elf lord? That as what she had read about in all the texts of the past that she could dredge up on the subject. But no, it was not the case with her--- and her soul was in turmoil because of it.
"Anaire," he whispered hoarsely, his face buried in her pale wheat hair, "I thought I lost you. How? I saw you, I felt you drift to Mandos. How are you here now? So alive? So well? So warm to my touch?"
"Because she has been reincarnated as my daughter," Glorfindel declared, his eyes watching the scene with a calm acceptance. He knew that he couldn't stop Elen from being with Haldir, not from what he'd known about Anaire's past love of Haldir. But this was right. It wasn't right between Elrohir and Elen, no matter how much Elen insisted that she love Haldir. Hadn't this proven it? When she'd run into Haldir's arms when she had never seen the elf before? "Her name is Elen."
"Elen," Haldir whispered, his face lifting so that he could brush his lips against her cheeks, then her lips, "you are Elen, but you are still my Anaire--- are you not? Or are you a dream that my weary and worn mind has conjured up? I have dreamt so much of you that I do not know whether or not to believe that you are real. You feel warm to my touch, but my delusions have this frightening reality about them."
Her heart hurt to hear him say these things. Oh, Haldir! "This is true," she murmured back, her lips kissing him back. "This is real." Her tongue traced his lips. "This is not a dream." Her lips pressed against his firmly. "This is too good to be a dream."
"It is."
They had found each other. Finally. More than a hundred years later. More than the miles of Arda. through the distance of the sea to Valinor--- they were finally in each other's arms--- and it had only taken Anaire's soul the journey back to life and the pain of memories relived to find Haldir again.
-
.IV. 200.
She was young, very young for an elf--- still young for a half elf. Most elves married when they were near a thousand years old, but she was not even 200 years old. But she could not mistake Haldir's intention when he'd gotten down on his knees in front of her favorite tree. He was going to ask her, and if he was asking her--- that meant he had gotten Glorfindel's approval.
It had been nearly 80 glorious years that they had spent together. They had learned to love each other all over again, and her heart's indecision about Elrohir had faded--- especially as she had come to the realization that Elrohir likely was never coming back to her--- that he was never going to journey home to Valinor. It had been 80 years since she'd left Arda, and it was 200 years since the Age of Men had begun and the Age of Elves had ended. If he ever was going to come. it should have been at the time when she had left.
So the memory of him had dulled into a colorless vision of what had been. In her heart now, she had grown to love Haldir absolutely--- a fresh love that came from their love of the night and of the forest. The two of them were so much alike, and he--- unlike her father--- was more than willing to teach her how to fight and battle even if it was unnecessary now. Glorfindel thought it wasteful since the world was so beautiful and would remain so forever. But he and others that had been part of wars past never let their skills go to waste--- so why could she not learn?
Haldir was happy to instruct her, more than happy to teach her of her best weapon--- the elven knives and tease her about how she was still lacking with the sword, but for her skill with the bow--- he left that to a master, Legolas. Legolas had come to mean as much as Elladan to her, a brother and comrade. She still thought it inexplicably sad that he had never found anyone to love, and wished that he would.
Sometimes, she thought he would look to her with want in his eyes, but whenever she thought that--- she thought it was silly. Legolas was like an older brother to her and nothing more, and he knew--- of all elves since he had been with Anaire through the torturous journey--- should know that Haldir was the only elf she had ever given her heart to fully.
"Will you marry me, Elen?"
She glanced down into his beautiful celestial eyes. How she loved Haldir, how she loved him so. "Yes, my love," she whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you."
He pulled her down into his arms and held her tightly to him, like he'd never let her go no matter how much time would past nor how the years would fade into the skyline of eternity. It didn't matter. his love was timeless and she felt secure and safe within his arms like she had never had before. Elrohir. was a thought and a memory. Haldir. Haldir was her beloved, her soul-mate, and her husband-to-be.
"I have waited for so long," he whispered hoarsely to her, "and I have never loved you more than now."
"I know."
"Love is eternal," he declared fiercely. "My love for you is forever."
~
Author's Note: Wee! Another short chapter, my deepest and sincerest apologies. I can't seem to help it, but at least I posted again--- eh? There will be one or two more before this story wraps up. We get to see Elen have her first baby ;p and see Elrohir re-enter her life. ahhh. how will that go? Please review. Thanks!