For hours on end Haldir would sit by Anariel's side, watching for any signs
of life besides her shallow breathing. He did so for two weeks and still no
movement. Her wounds were almost completely healed, but she was in a coma.
"Adar?" Arthgon said, walking into the room. "Galadriel wants to see you."
Haldir looked up at his youngest song. "Please watch your mother for me."
"Of course, Adar. I won't leave her alone."
"Thank you." He ruffled Arthgon's hair and walked out of the room.
Arthgon turned to his mother. "Naneth, please wakeup. Don't you stay like this! You're too strong. Please wakeup. Please." He took his mother's hand and sat down next to the bed.
**
**
**
Haldir walked down the hallway towards the healders, he turned the corner and saw Rumil and Orophin talking to Cinedel, the head healer. He quickened his pace.
"Haldir!" exclaimed Rumil.
"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Haldir asked quickly.
"Heavens no," said Cinedel.
"Then what's going on?" inquired Haldir.
"Anariel is . . . awake!" Orophin answered.
"What! Really! Can I see her?"
"Of course! Go right on in," directed Cinedel.
Haldir ran thorugh the door and to Anariel's side.
"Thank the Valar you're awake!"
Anariel smiled. She looked upon the happy faces of her husband and her children. They all had tears in their eyes. The sight brought tears to her eyes aw well. Haldir sat on the bed next to her.
"Huh . . ." Anariel tried to speak. "I . . . ah . . . huh . . ." Pain was etched in her eyes.
Haldir understood what she meant. "Oh, honey," he cried, scooping Anariel into his arms, tears falling down his cheeks.
"Naneth?" Avantarwen said, giving her mother and father a hug.
Halles and Arthgon followed in suit.
"I love you, Naneth," Arthgon said quietly into Anariel's ear.
They broke the hug and sat around Anariel on the bed. She fell asleep shortly after. Cinedel walked in and said, "Come now, children. Let your mother rest. You can come back in the morning."
Reluctantly, they climbed off of the bed, kissed their mother goodnight, and went off to their own rooms.
"I trust you'll be staying with Anariel," Cinedel said, walking towards the door.
"Yes. I'll stay until she's completely well again," Haldir replied.
"That will be a while yet."
"What makes you say that?"
"She just awoke from a coma. She can't talk. She can't move."
"Okay, okay. I get your point. But, I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I don't care how long it takes either. I'll be by her side until she's well," snapped Haldir.
"No need to get angry. I was just sayin'. It's going to be a long time yet."
"I know. I know. But, I'll wait."
Cinedel, walking out of the room, replies, "Rest, Haldir. There are many long days ahead."
Haldir climbed into the bed next to Anariel, kissed her cheek, and said, "Sweet dreams, my love. Let no evil cloud your eyes while I stand watch."
Slowly, he nodded off to sleep. Before complete silence swept through the room, he whispered, "I love you, Anariel. I always have and I always will."
** **
**
Haldir woke to find Halles sitting in the chair next to the bed.
"Where's Naneth?" Haldir asked his son, fearing the worst.
"She's with Arthgon in the library."
Haldir sighed with relief. He got out of bed and followed Halles to the library.
Anariel looked up and put her fingers to her mouth. Haldir gave her a quizzical look.
"She's teaching Arthgon Dwarvish," Halles whispered.
"Oh. I see."
"She promised him a long time ago."
"It's too hard!" Arthgon complained.
Anariel put her arm around his shoulder. She closed the book and put it aside.
"Naneth has a point, Arthgon, you have been at it for hours. Take a break," Halles said, standing next to his twin.
"How long have you been doing this exactly?" Haldir inquired, helping Anariel out of the chair.
"Only about two hours," Arthgon answered, standing up from the table.
"Breakfast is ready if you want any," Avantarwen said, walking into the room.
"We will be right there to join you dear," Haldir said.
Halles, Arthgon, and Avantarwen went down to breakfast.
"Do you think you can make it through breakfast, baby?" Haldir asked.
Anariel shook her head.
"Then I will have food sent up and we will eat in the room." Haldir helped Anariel up the stairs and into bed. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I will make sure that the house gets taken car of, and I'm not going back to work until you get better," Haldir explained. Anariel shook her head. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. "Don't worry about it, baby, Orophin is covering for me."
Anariel glared at him. Haldir threw his hands up.
"It was his idea!"
She shook her head.
"What?" Haldir said with mock hurtfulness.
The servant arrived with breakfast. He set it down and left the room. Haldir spooned some eggs into Anariel's mouth.
"I love you, Anariel. No matter what happens."
Anariel hugged Haldir and gave him a kiss.
"Adar?" Arthgon said, walking into the room. "Galadriel wants to see you."
Haldir looked up at his youngest song. "Please watch your mother for me."
"Of course, Adar. I won't leave her alone."
"Thank you." He ruffled Arthgon's hair and walked out of the room.
Arthgon turned to his mother. "Naneth, please wakeup. Don't you stay like this! You're too strong. Please wakeup. Please." He took his mother's hand and sat down next to the bed.
**
**
**
Haldir walked down the hallway towards the healders, he turned the corner and saw Rumil and Orophin talking to Cinedel, the head healer. He quickened his pace.
"Haldir!" exclaimed Rumil.
"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Haldir asked quickly.
"Heavens no," said Cinedel.
"Then what's going on?" inquired Haldir.
"Anariel is . . . awake!" Orophin answered.
"What! Really! Can I see her?"
"Of course! Go right on in," directed Cinedel.
Haldir ran thorugh the door and to Anariel's side.
"Thank the Valar you're awake!"
Anariel smiled. She looked upon the happy faces of her husband and her children. They all had tears in their eyes. The sight brought tears to her eyes aw well. Haldir sat on the bed next to her.
"Huh . . ." Anariel tried to speak. "I . . . ah . . . huh . . ." Pain was etched in her eyes.
Haldir understood what she meant. "Oh, honey," he cried, scooping Anariel into his arms, tears falling down his cheeks.
"Naneth?" Avantarwen said, giving her mother and father a hug.
Halles and Arthgon followed in suit.
"I love you, Naneth," Arthgon said quietly into Anariel's ear.
They broke the hug and sat around Anariel on the bed. She fell asleep shortly after. Cinedel walked in and said, "Come now, children. Let your mother rest. You can come back in the morning."
Reluctantly, they climbed off of the bed, kissed their mother goodnight, and went off to their own rooms.
"I trust you'll be staying with Anariel," Cinedel said, walking towards the door.
"Yes. I'll stay until she's completely well again," Haldir replied.
"That will be a while yet."
"What makes you say that?"
"She just awoke from a coma. She can't talk. She can't move."
"Okay, okay. I get your point. But, I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I don't care how long it takes either. I'll be by her side until she's well," snapped Haldir.
"No need to get angry. I was just sayin'. It's going to be a long time yet."
"I know. I know. But, I'll wait."
Cinedel, walking out of the room, replies, "Rest, Haldir. There are many long days ahead."
Haldir climbed into the bed next to Anariel, kissed her cheek, and said, "Sweet dreams, my love. Let no evil cloud your eyes while I stand watch."
Slowly, he nodded off to sleep. Before complete silence swept through the room, he whispered, "I love you, Anariel. I always have and I always will."
** **
**
Haldir woke to find Halles sitting in the chair next to the bed.
"Where's Naneth?" Haldir asked his son, fearing the worst.
"She's with Arthgon in the library."
Haldir sighed with relief. He got out of bed and followed Halles to the library.
Anariel looked up and put her fingers to her mouth. Haldir gave her a quizzical look.
"She's teaching Arthgon Dwarvish," Halles whispered.
"Oh. I see."
"She promised him a long time ago."
"It's too hard!" Arthgon complained.
Anariel put her arm around his shoulder. She closed the book and put it aside.
"Naneth has a point, Arthgon, you have been at it for hours. Take a break," Halles said, standing next to his twin.
"How long have you been doing this exactly?" Haldir inquired, helping Anariel out of the chair.
"Only about two hours," Arthgon answered, standing up from the table.
"Breakfast is ready if you want any," Avantarwen said, walking into the room.
"We will be right there to join you dear," Haldir said.
Halles, Arthgon, and Avantarwen went down to breakfast.
"Do you think you can make it through breakfast, baby?" Haldir asked.
Anariel shook her head.
"Then I will have food sent up and we will eat in the room." Haldir helped Anariel up the stairs and into bed. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I will make sure that the house gets taken car of, and I'm not going back to work until you get better," Haldir explained. Anariel shook her head. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. "Don't worry about it, baby, Orophin is covering for me."
Anariel glared at him. Haldir threw his hands up.
"It was his idea!"
She shook her head.
"What?" Haldir said with mock hurtfulness.
The servant arrived with breakfast. He set it down and left the room. Haldir spooned some eggs into Anariel's mouth.
"I love you, Anariel. No matter what happens."
Anariel hugged Haldir and gave him a kiss.