(A.N. This chapter and the last chapter both take place 6 years after Iasyn was kidnapped. I forgot to mention that in the last chapter and it may have caused for some confusion. My apologies. Thank you so much for the helpful reviews, especially on formatting. Read on and enjoy.)
"I spoke with Elrond. He is willing to help the people at Helm's Deep," Galadriel said to Haldir.
"He wishes us to go, no doubt," he replied.
"Yes. I realize you may not want to go as you still have your daughters to raise," she said.
"No, I shall go. Elessar and Legolas need our help. It is sure slaughter otherwise," he said.
"I leave that choice up to you. You will lead them into battle if that is your decision," she said.
"Then I shall lead them," he said. Armeyn and Iasyn looked at each other. They were eavesdropping on their father and Galadriel.
"Do you hear that? He goes to Helm's Deep," Iasyn said. "Where Amme's people are."
"What are you thinking?" Armeyn asked, suspicious of her sister's intentions.
"We should go with him. They are half our blood," she said.
"Iasyn, you know Atta will not let us go. He already lost Amme in battle. There is no way he would allow us to charge into a losing fight," she said.
"But if we go, then it isn't a losing fight. We could beat Isengard. You know you want to go," Iasyn prodded.
"Yes, I want to go," she consented.
"Then it's settled," Iasyn said. She dragged her sister out from their hiding place and approached Haldir.
"Atta!" she called. He turned and looked at his two children.
"Yes?" he said.
"Let us come to Helm's Deep with you. We can help you in the fight," she said. He didn't even think before replying.
"No. You will stay here," he said.
"But Atta, we're two of the best archers in all of our kind. We would be of great use," she begged.
"No, my daughters. I lost your Amme in battle. I will not lose the both of you," he said. He touched Iasyn's hair, for it mimicked Arcamenil's.
"You won't lose us. We are skilled at our craft. Let us help Elessar and Legolas," Armeyn spoke up. He looked into their anxious eyes.
"You support your sister?" he asked.
"Yes Atta," Armeyn said. His younger daughter rarely spoke in favor or against anything. It caused him to stop and consider it.
Iasyn squeezed Armeyn's hand as they waited for him to give them an answer.
"Go get your bows and robes. I will be waiting for you here when you are ready," he said.
"Thank you!" they threw their arms around his neck and ran up to the their tree to find their battle gear. Haldir looked after them, hoping that he had made the right decision.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The morning of the battle of Helm's Deep dawned red. Iasyn stood near the hole in the wall. Her father's body lay at her feet. She wiped away a tear, streaking blood and dirt across her face. Armeyn stared at her from across the gap.
"Now what do we do?" she asked.
"I don't know," Iasyn replied slowly. She looked down at his empty blue eyes staring back at her. It made her skin crawl to look into the dead eyes.
"I guess we should go back home," Armeyn said quietly.
"What other choice do we have? We have no parents to guide us now," she said.
"It's to you," her sister said. Iasyn swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I know,"
From the battlefield below, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn looked up at the two elven sisters. The older one caught Legolas's eye.
"You like her?" Gimli said.
"Yes," he replied. "She's...mysterious."
"I was thinking more along the lines of beautiful, but that works as well," he said. "How old did she say she was?"
"Eighteen," Aragorn spoke up. "A child even by our standards."
"And without parents at such a young age. Where do you think they'll go?" Gimli asked.
"Probably back to Lothlorien. Their mother was a shieldmaiden of Rohan, but I doubt they will go there. They've made their home with their father's kin for the past six years or so," Aragorn said.
"I will return with them when they take Haldir back to be buried," Legolas said. Then Iasyn looked down at them. The crimson sunlight reflected off her fiery hair. Her eyes were desperately sad and her face stained from tears. She only looked at Legolas for a second and then turned back to face her sister.
"When you see her again, she'll have become a woman. She'll be forced to grow up," Aragorn broke the moment.
"Would you not consider her grown up already?" Gimli chimed in.
"Not in the way she will be. Remember her right now. She will be different when we see her again," he said. They watched as Iasyn and Armeyn dragged their father's body out of the fortress and down to the field. The few surviving elves came to help carry him. Legolas jumped off his horse and jogged over to them.
"Sisters!" he called. "I would like to help you take your father back to the land of his kin." They looked at each other.
"Of course," Iasyn spoke. He helped lift the body up, taking the weight from the young women. They follwed behind, not looking at anyone but the other.
"Im meleth le, Atta," Armeyn whispered. Iasyn sighed in agreement. They walked back to Lothlorien, a somber procession of children going to bury their father.