Author's Note:
All mistakes and misspellings in the previous chapter and this one are mine. My beta is very busy at the moment, but I do not want the gaps between chapters to get too large. I am grateful for any beta-ing that can be done, but for the previous chapter and this one it simply did not work out. So – any mistakes are mine, and I am happy to correct them when/if I find them!
A 'thank you' to everyone who reviewed!
This is a repost with minor edits.
-o-o-o-
Chapter 13
A week later.
Haldir and Legolas had enjoyed a week of undivided pleasure. They had rested, made love, talked, gone for walks of various length and had eaten well. Haldir had made sure that Legolas had eaten many small meals; Elrond had told them that for some time to come, Legolas would have to be careful with what he ate in order not to strain his healing stomach.
Haldir had used this as an excuse to thoroughly spoil the younger elf, and had enjoyed every moment of it. He had, in small quantities, obtained all of Legolas' favourite foods. On several occasions they had taken a basket of food with them, and had enjoyed the beauty of the Lorien woods together. The bonding had added a depth to their relationship that neither had thought possible. Often, words were now unnecessary between them, as they somehow knew what the other needed or wanted. Neither Haldir nor Legolas had the ability to read the other's thoughts, but the emotional connection was so deep that it often replaced that ability.
One sunny afternoon they were sitting at the shore of a small lake, which was framed on all sides by tall, silvery-leaved mallorn trees interspersed with low hanging willow trees. Some of their leaves were already turning yellow. The scene was of such serenity that they sat together for many hours, quietly enjoying the peacefulness of their surroundings.
Finally Legolas broke the silence.
"Haldir, if I had died, what would you have done?"
Haldir turned and their eyes met. Legolas could feel Haldir's emotional turmoil at this question.
"I believe I would not have survived you long. I love you too much. I would have faded, or gone to the West."
Legolas took Haldir's hands into his own. "We are both warriors. Either of us could die in a skirmish or battle. I do not want you to fade for me. Should I die, I would like to know that you have done everything here that you want to do, and that you will continue to live in Valinor. I would not want you to join me in the Halls of Mandos. One day, we would meet again in Valinor."
Haldir kissed Legolas gently. "I would wait for you. I cannot imagine an eternity without you."
Legolas looked down at their linked hands. "We should have bonded earlier. I have denied both of us much pleasure and fulfilment by not agreeing to bond earlier. If I had known what it was like, I would not have asked you to wait all these years."
Haldir gently slipped his finger underneath Legolas' chin and tilted it up so that the younger elf had to look at him.
"And it would have been all wrong. You were not ready to bond; you would have resented the pressure. What are ten years to us? They do not matter."
"It matters to me that I made you wait needlessly."
"It was not needless – you needed this time to come to terms with what had happened before, and also," Haldir hesitated, "to grow up a bit more. Even now, you are young to bond."
Legolas shifted uncomfortably at this statement and looked down. Haldir sighed. "Legolas, I love you the way you are. There is nothing about you that I would change, and that includes your age." Haldir gently hugged Legolas. "I still find it hard to believe that you want to share the rest of your life with me. You could have done so much better – you are of royal birth, and very beautiful. You could have chosen an elf-lord rather than just a warrior from Lorien."
Legolas returned the embrace, and spoke quietly into Haldir's ear. "You have never wanted me to be someone or something I am not. With you I can be myself, I do not have to be 'the prince'. You even accept my weaknesses ... what more could I possibly want from a partner? I also find you very attractive, you know that, too." And with these words, Legolas kissed Haldir, and slowly pushed him backwards onto the grassy slope.
-o-o-o-
They only returned to Caras Galadhon the next day. Soon after their return, Elrond approached them.
"My sons and I will have to leave in a few days. Elladan asked whether you might be willing to take himself, Elrohir and Aragorn out for a few days to show them more of Lothlorien"
Haldir and Legolas looked at each other and then both nodded. Neither had any objection.
Later the same day, Haldir, Legolas and all three of Elrond's sons left for a few days exploring and also some hunting, whenever it was possible and needed. Elves did not hunt for sport but only for food. In the evenings they would rest in a forest glade, sometimes lighting a fire for comfort and sometimes simply watching the stars together.
Legolas was still more tired than usual, so they set a leisurely pace. Even though, he tended to be the first to sleep in the evenings. One evening, Legolas and the twins had already dosed of into light elven sleep. Haldir and Aragorn sat together in companionable silence, both leaning against a tree with their legs outstretched.
"Aragorn? May I ask you something?"
"Of course. If I can answer, I will."
"Legolas told me that you used to be called Estel in Rivendell. Why have you chosen to be called by your human name now?"
Aragorn turned to face Haldir, whose skin glowed faintly in the dark. This allowed Aragorn to see his companion's eyes, grey-blue, and at the moment holding a mixture of curiosity and seriousness. The young man hesitated.
"After Legolas left Rivendell all these years ago, I had a serious confrontation with my foster father. He forbade me to court Arwen and told me to forget my feelings for her. He said that it was inappropriate for me to love her, not only because I am mortal and she is not but also because she is one of the noblest elves remaining in Middle Earth. You can imagine that I was not pleased with this reaction!"
Even now, Aragorn's silver-grey eyes reflected his emotions at this memory. Haldir waited for Aragorn to continue.
"But it was not only that, I was also deeply hurt – I love Elrond dearly and it felt like an utter rejection of myself. I decided to leave Rivendell, to leave my elven upbringing behind and to take up the life of a ranger in earnest. And this included embracing my birth name."
"I had little idea how difficult this would be. I had spent time with humans before, but not really lived with them, and everyday there were hundred reminders of this."
Haldir was still listening in silence. He realised that he liked listening to the young ranger; his voice was deeper than that of an elf but still melodious, the lilting Rivendell accent further softening his speech.
"I was very young then, and for about five years I did not return home. Finally, I sustained a wound that would not heal, and Halbarad, the leader of our group, insisted that I went to see my father. I returned to Rivendell, only to find that my family had missed me as much as I had missed them, although some issues have not been resolved. On the matter of Arwen, Elrond and I have reached a truce for now – neither of us mentions the topic if we can avoid it."
Aragorn stopped, and Haldir looked at him for a moment in silence.
"Would you mind being called Estel again? I know that Legolas still finds it difficult to think of you as Aragorn, and your brothers slip up too, I have noticed," the Lorien elf said with a small smile.
Aragorn hesitated. "I think I would quite like this. I was Estel before I became Aragorn and here amongst friends... part of me will always be Estel" Suddenly serious, Aragorn looked at Haldir.
"Since Elrond told me of my true identify, I have always thought that I would have to decide whether I will be Estel, who grew up in Rivendell, or Aragorn the ranger..."
Haldir regarded the young man for a long moment. "Perhaps you do not have to decide but can be both."
After this comment, Aragorn and Haldir sat side by side a long time in comfortable silence. After a while, Aragorn turned again.
"Haldir? Are you still awake?"
Haldir simply nodded.
"Would you mind telling me how you met Legolas?" Aragorn's eyes were large in the dark, his expression both curious and uncertain.
"Has he not told you?" Haldir pulled up his legs and folded his arms around his knees. He was truly surprised, he had always assumed that Legolas had told Aragorn how they had met.
"I have never asked", the young man answered. "I felt it was not a question I could ask easily."
"I suppose if I had been you I would have felt the same." The Lorien elf hesitated and then smiled again. There was no harm in telling the young man.
FlashbackHaldir and his two brothers Rumil and Orophin rode through the night. Galadriel had sent them as messengers to King Thranduil, a rare treat since their duties normally kept the three brothers in Lothlorien.
The trip had gone badly. There had been news of increased orc activity in southern Mirkwood, and they had been careful. But one evening they ran into a large group of orcs, over 40 of them. Since they were on horseback, they could not avoid the evil creatures by escaping into the trees – and they needed the horses for the remainder of the journey. So the three brothers tried to ride around the orc camp but even elves cannot ride soundlessly through a forest at night, and they were detected.
Soon they were utterly beleaguered. The horses spooked wildly because of the sight, sound and smell of the orcs, and Rumil was the first to fall of his horse. The other two followed swiftly, and were quickly engaged in viscous hand-to-hand combat with the orcs. They were hopelessly outnumbered.
"Haldir!" The warden saw his younger brother being dragged down, already wounded, three orcs advancing with vicious glee on their faces. Quickly he dispatched the foe he was battling with and jumped in front of his brother, momentarily forgetting his own safety. Orophin, too, had seen their brother's plight and joined Haldir, but in the battle he had already lost his bow and had no weapons left bar his long knives. Haldir still had his bow, and shot as many arrows into the thick mass of orcs as he could. Suddenly he felt a jolt of pain in his right arm. A black-feathered arrow had pierced his upper arm and effectively disarmed him. The pain was intense, and he knew immediately that the weapon was poisoned. He was on the verge of collapse when he heard a voice above him.
"It seems that you need some help!" Haldir looked up and saw a young elven warrior looking down at them. Then he fainted.
-o-o-o-
When he woke up, he had a feeling as if his entire body had been run over by a cart, and his right arm hurt badly. Nevertheless he forced himself to open his eyes, and found himself staring at an intricately carved stone ceiling. Thranduil's palace, no doubt. He tried to sit up to see if Rumil and Orophin were here as well, but he regretted this attempt immediately. His head swam and a wave of nausea made him lay down quickly.
"You are awake." Haldir carefully turned his head and saw the same warrior who had rescued him. At least he thought it was the same person. Haldir had only been to Mirkwood once before, but on that occasion he had noticed that almost all of the wood elves were of dark colouring, with brown or black hair and dark eyes. Only Thranduil and his kin had light hair, betraying their Sindarin heritage, although there had clearly been some intermarriage with the wood elves, since some of Thranduil's relatives were as dark as their subjects.
The young warrior facing him now looked as if he belonged to Lorien, except for his eyes. In the dim light, Haldir could not make out their colour, except noticing that they were dark, whether brown or dark blue was impossible to tell. Even in his battered state, Haldir could not fail to notice the person sitting next to his bed was unusually beautiful even for an elf. He wore simple leggings and tunic in the typical browns and greens of Mirkwood, and his light hair was loose, only held back by a few strands being tied together in the nape of his neck. He had evidently read a book while he waited for Haldir to wake up.
"My brothers? Are they well?" Haldir could not see his brothers and immediately feared the worst.
"They are well. Their wounds have been seen to and they have rested. They have now gone to eat. You have been injured most gravely, Haldir of Lothlorien, so I stayed with you. I am Legolas Greenleaf."
"Thranduil's son? It was you who rescued us?" Haldir's surprise was evident. His brothers had obviously told the prince who he was.
Legolas looked at him evenly. "Is it so surprising that a prince fights with his warriors?
Haldir held the gaze of the other. "I am very grateful. Without your help, we would have died." He smiled, even though every fibre in his body ached. "I suppose I imaged a prince to be quite different, somehow more..." He trailed off, realising that he was digging himself into a pit.
"More kingly? More arrogant? Less ready to help?" There was a slight bitterness in Legolas voice, and Haldir made a mental note of this. This young prince who did not conform at all to his mental image of a prince, particularly a son of Thranduil, fascinated him.
"You need to eat and drink. Here I have got some bread and cheese, and some watered down wine."
Haldir tried to sit up again, but again the pain in his battered body was overwhelming. He shook his head. "I don't think I can do this right now. But thank you for the kind offer."
"Your body needs food. Let me help you." Legolas broke of small pieces of bread and cheese and pushed them into Haldir's mouth, feeding him until all the food was gone.
Drinking was more of a problem; Legolas did not know how to get the liquid into Haldir without sitting him up.
"You need to drink. ..."
"Perhaps you could help me sit up."
Legolas nodded and quickly took of his boots. He then carefully slipped behind Haldir and put his hands underneath the other's arms on his waist, gently pulling the other elf up and towards himself. Haldir hissed in pain but relaxed when he settled with his head against Legolas' stomach. Legolas then carefully held a cup of drink in front of his mouth. Haldir could drink in this position with relative ease.
Even though Haldir was feeling terrible, he was acutely aware of the physical proximity of the young archer. Legolas' silky hair had fallen out of its catch, and impatiently he pushed the long strands over his shoulder, where they stayed a few seconds before falling forward again, touching Haldir's face and shoulders.
Even much later, Haldir never knew what prompted him to say the next few words. They were brazen, audacious, inappropriate, verging on the rude amongst elves ... and yet he said them.
"When I am better, I would like to braid your hair." The moment he had said the words, he mentally scolded himself. How could he have said this? Braiding another's hair was considered one of the most intimate gestures, only performed by parents or lovers.
But what really shocked him was Legolas' reaction. He had fully expected a sharp retort. But Legolas smiled a somewhat hesitant, shy smile, and simply said: "I think I would like that, Haldir of Lorien."
Later Legolas told him that he had been completely surprised by his own reaction. He should have told the other elf off for his presumptuousness, but instead found himself agreeing to this impossible suggestion!
End of flash back"I finally healed, and Legolas and I became lovers. We both knew it would happen on that very first afternoon. To this day I do not know how we knew and what possessed me to speak in that way. Perhaps it was the will of the Valar." Haldir did not mention that it had taken years for Legolas to truly commit himself.
"Thank you for telling me. I have always been curious how you met because I knew that Legolas had not been to Lothlorien."
They sat together again in companionable silence, both knowing that their conversation had cemented their growing friendship.
"We should get some sleep." Aragorn stretched out next to his brothers. Haldir followed suit and curled up with Legolas, who only briefly stirred.
-o-o-o-
A few days later, Elrond and his sons returned to Rivendell. Somewhat to his own surprise, Haldir saw Elrond's and his sons' departure with regret. In the past weeks, he had grown to respect Aragorn deeply, and even admitted to himself that he liked the young man. Haldir also regretted Elrond's departure; he had to come to value the friendship of the elder elf.
Haldir also knew that Legolas would have liked to see Elrond and his sons stay a little while longer. Aragorn and Legolas had been able to rebuild much of their former friendship in the last few weeks, and enjoyed each other's company.
They all agreed to spend more time together in the future. In the following years and decades, whenever Aragorn's or the twins' travel brought them to Lothlorien, they stayed with Haldir and Legolas.
On some occasions, Aragorn also met up with Legolas in Greenwood, where the prince still had duties and responsibilities at his father's court. The young ranger also managed to spend a few special moments with Arwen in Lothlorien over the years.
And so the decades passed.
The End
Please review. (There is an epilogue)