Chapter 18
Author's Note: Votes are in...and the story will continue. Don't say I didn't warn you about the consequences...there's no turning back now. This fic could go on a really long time. Elrond, Erestor are the rest are just begging me to finish their story in the best way possible (or something like that).
Other Note: All my update schedules and other info will be on my bio page.
Haldir woke up in a bed not his own. He began to sit up, but found his attempts futile, mainly because there was an arm wrapped tightly around his waist, prohibiting nearly all movement. He grinned. "Wake up," he said, fighting again to get away.
Of all things, the arm tightened its grip. "I'm sleeping," said the voice behind him.
"Of course you are. Get up…or at least let me get up."
"Something important to do today?" The arm loosened its grip, but Haldir did not attempt to escape. There was no point.
"No…"
"So you can stay here as long as I want."
"Just because you're my lord doesn't mean you can order me around."
"Actually, because I'm your lord I have every right to order you around."
"Fine…but that doesn't mean I like it."
Celeborn smiled and pulled Haldir over until Haldir was practically on top of him. "You know what, I think you like it a lot."
Haldir contorted into a more comfortable position to kiss Celeborn. "I thought you were sleeping."
"Until you tried to move, I was." Celeborn kissed Haldir again. "But now you've woken me up, so I have to find something to do with you."
There was a knock on the door. Celeborn and Haldir separated, and Celeborn called, "Enter."
It was another Captain of the guards. He saw Haldir in Celeborn's bed and smiled. Obviously he had not known about the relationship. "During the night, we had a…ah…an orc invasion."
Both Celeborn and Haldir sat up, both trying to formulate an appropriate response. Haldir beat Celeborn to it and asked, "How many and how far did they get?"
"Oh, a good number, Haldir, and they got well in. They've killed a couple companies of guards so far."
Celeborn closed his eyes. "Why was I not woken as soon as it happened?" Aside from the fact that I would have told anyone to go away…but that's not the point.
The look on the captain's face made it seem like he knew exactly what was going through Celeborn's mind. But he did not say it. "Word just reached us, my lord. I thought it wise to inform you."
"Very well. You can go now." As soon as the captain disappeared, Celeborn muttered a curse.
"I'm going to go to deal with it…"
"Absolutely not, Haldir. I love you…"
"And I love you, too. But that doesn't mean I'm going to shirk my duties. I am one of your best captains, Celeborn. I can't just stay here. Everyone would know why I didn't go. I couldn't live with myself if that happened…"
"So you'd rather go get yourself killed!"
"I don't want to fight with you, Celeborn. But I am going." He leaned over to kiss Celeborn, but Celeborn turned his head away. Haldir sighed in frustration. "What do you want me to do, Celeborn? I can't just be your decadent little plaything. You know that."
Celeborn nodded. "Just don't get killed."
Elrond awoke to a knocking on the door. "Come in," he called. Whoever it happened to be was just going to have to deal with him still being in bed.
"My lord?" came Erestor's voice.
"I'm in bed," he called back.
Erestor appeared at the bedroom door. "It's nearly time for the evening meal. Or so Elladan tells me."
"Come here."
Erestor raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Because I want to pretend to know what it's like to wake up with you in my bed. Now come here and get in bed."
Erestor chuckled. "If you say so, my lord." He walked over and sat down on the bed beside Elrond. Elrond pulled him down so they were lying next to each other. Elrond put an arm around Erestor and rested his head on Erestor's shoulder. "You know, we don't have to go to the evening meal."
"I think your daughter would be most upset. You should have seen the looks she was giving me earlier."
Elrond grinned, though Erestor couldn't see it. "I don't really care what she thinks of who I choose to share my bed with." He closed his eyes again.
"You really are still tired, aren't you?"
"Mmm…take off your shirt."
Erestor frowned at the request, but did so. Elrond snuggled back up to him and closed his eyes again. Erestor found himself drifting off and considered what a good idea it would be to spend more time in Elrond's bed. Erestor pressed a kiss to Elrond's hair. "Go to sleep, then."
"You just kissed me."
"I have kissed you before. Remember, when Glorfindel first came…"
"Mmm, I remember. Shuttup and go to sleep."
No sooner had both elves settled down than the door crashed open. Elrond looked up sleepily, hoping that it was not Elladan. Or Arwen.
It was worse.
It was Elrohir.
"Father, what…by the Valar, what are you doing?"
Erestor sat up, regarding Elrohir silently. He rubbed his eyes, smiled at Elrond, then leaned over to retrieve his shirt. "It's good to meet you, Master Elrohir."
"Who are you?" Elrohir had been good friends with Glorfindel and it wounded him deeply to see that his father had already found a replacement. "Father, Glorfindel has only been dead a few days…"
"Elrohir, this is Erestor, my Chief Advisor."
Elrohir shook his head in denial. What he wanted was for everything to go back to normal. He wanted Glorfindel to be here, not this strange elf with too-sad eyes. "Elladan…Elladan sent me here to tell you to come to the evening meal."
"Come on, my lord," said Erestor, pulling his shirt back on. "We'll be right down, Elrohir."
Elrohir fled the room.
Erestor fell backwards onto the bed with an overly theatric groan. "Why do all your children hate me, Elrond?"
Elrond ran a hand across Erestor's hair. "I don't know…and I don't care."
Erestor looked up at Elrond with a smile on his face, sensing what was coming.
"I love you, and that's what matters to me."
Erestor reached up and took Elrond's hand. "Love you, too."
"So you'll come back tonight?"
Erestor sat up and shook his head. "No, I won't." He walked to the door. "Now come on, Elrond, if we're any later your children may kill me."
Legolas had a big problem. And his name was Belegtur. He had found out that Belegtur had sent Elrohir away. So now he was stuck here with Belegtur. He had no good reason to leave, but he certainly didn't want to be stuck here with a lunatic. Still, Elrohir would be back once a week, and Legolas really would like to check up on Elrohir from time to time.
So he had a choice. He could stay with Belegtur and suffer just to make sure that Elrohir was okay. Or he could leave and go back to his life of luxury in Mirkwood. He knew that he should want to help Elrohir out. But Elrohir wasn't even family, not even really that good of a friend. He was just an elf that got stuck in some really lousy circumstances. So Legolas disappeared one night and set off to go home. It had been too long. He was sorry for what might happen to Elrohir, but he had to go home.
Elrohir and Arwen shared a glance during the meal that called for a meeting of Elrond's children. They did this occasionally. Elladan looked a little confused, which surprised both of the other two. They would have thought that the oldest, most boisterous child of the family would be the most vocal in denouncing Erestor, who sat by Elrond's side, nearly always involved in some private, apparently intensely amusing conversation with Elrond.
After the meal, all three went to Elladan's room, where they had always met.
"We have to get rid of that Erestor," said Elrohir.
"Something just isn't right about him," agreed Arwen.
"I caught him and ada in bed together. When I went up to go fetch ada for the meal. And neither of them looked even a little ashamed."
Elladan sighed. "He should know better."
"Yes, he should," agreed Elrohir. "Our father…"
"I'm not talking about our father. I'm talking about Erestor."
"What do you mean?" asked Arwen, a little confused. Still, Elladan had been here when Erestor had arrived (whenever that had been) and so probably had better information than herself or Elrohir.
"Father and I…we are engaged in a…competition, I guess you could call it…for Erestor. He spent the night with me two nights ago, so I suppose father thought that it was his turn."
"Doesn't it bother you that ada is sleeping with Erestor?" demanded Elrohir.
Elladan grinned. "I fear nothing there. Father has never slept with Erestor before." Then he remembered that his siblings didn't know Erestor's whole story. "Erestor was father's Chief Advisor before Glorfindel came. Then he was exiled for…ah…for raping Glorfindel. And now he's back…"
"And so you think we should allow this monster to stay?" demanded Arwen furiously.
Elrohir had always been the calmest of the three. He thought this over and finally said, "I think we should give him a chance." He shrugged. "If we can't get used to him, we'll find some way to get rid of him."
Arwen didn't look at all happy. "As long as ada doesn't sleep with him."
"Yes," agreed Elladan. "Let's just leave Erestor in peace until we know for certain what kind of elf he really is."
Haldir was really starting to regret his rash decision to go out and fight the orcs. There were so many of them and so many elves were dying. It was worse than what he had just experienced at Imladris. Celeborn had warned him not to get killed, and Haldir had just laughed and asked Celeborn what he planned to do to him if he did get killed. Celeborn had not replied.
This was no place for jokes, though. This was a place where battle and death roamed freely. Haldir had no time for any thoughts other than those of killing. He saw elves fall but did not fall himself. He killed and killed and killed until his sword and clothes were covered in orc blood. And he kept on going.
When night fell, the orc attacks seemed to dissipate a little and Haldir caught a few hours of sleep. He really regretted not being able to see Celeborn tonight. He would do anything to make sure that he got to in the future. But that meant he couldn't die. So many elves had died out here already, good elves with lots of experience, some had more than Haldir. There was no reason for Haldir to expect to survive. He called on the Valar to protect him. He didn't know if they would hear his call, or if they would do anything about it, but it helped him to sleep to think that they would.
The orcs fell upon them again before dawn, and Haldir got up along with all the others. He fought until his mind was numb of everything. He fought until he could no longer see straight. All he could see were the orcs coming and coming and coming and there was nothing he could do to stop them because he was just one elf and more and more elves were dying every minute and there was nothing he could do to stop it. There was nothing he could do.
Nothing, except fight, and kill, and die.
Elrond was working in his study, feeling surprisingly tired for having slept most of the day, when he heard the door open. Involuntarily, his muscles began to tense. Was this some last lone rebel come to see him dead. Any other would have knocked or at least announced himself (or herself) at the door. Elrond's hand crept below the desk, to rest on a dagger that out of some paranoiac fear he had always kept there.
As the figure reached him, his fingers curled around the dagger…
Loving hands rested on his shoulders. "Isn't it a bit late for working?"
Elrond's hand left the dagger and he smiled at his own fears. "Erestor. You shouldn't sneak up on people."
"I always have."
"I had forgotten about that."
"Are you busy?"
"It would depend on what you would like from me." I can be as un-busy as I like. I am the Lord of Imladris. "I really don't have anything pressing."
Erestor leaned down to whisper in Elrond's ear. "Let's go to bed, then." Delicately, he kissed the almost-pointed ear. It sent shivers down Elrond's spine.
"Are you playing me again, Erestor?" asked Elrond, finding it very hard to keep any kind of grip on his emotions. What he really wanted was to turn around, grab Erestor, and take him right here, before Erestor could come up with a convenient excuse not to.
"No."
Elrond involuntarily licked his lips. "I'm sure that I…that all of this can wait until the morrow."
A knock on the door. Elrond groaned loudly, meriting a brilliant smile from Erestor. "Come in," said Erestor.
It was Elrohir. He scowled when he saw how close Erestor was to his father. "Erestor, my brother wishes to see you." Together, the three of them had figured out ways to keep Erestor from ever having a chance with their father.
"Will it wait until the morning?" asked Erestor evenly, stepping back from Elrond. Really, he didn't want to cause such hostility in Imladris. He had done enough of that.
Elrohir shook his head. "I fear it will not. Please go to him."
Erestor nodded shortly. "Then I must go. My lord, I will see you in the morning."
Elrond knew the game his children were playing and he knew that Erestor knew as well. And just when I came so close to getting what I finally wanted, it's snatched away from me. The Valar must hate me. He immediately chastised himself for that thought.
When Erestor was gone, Elrohir walked right up to his father. "Glorfindel is only just dead. How can you?"
"I loved Erestor long before Glorfindel ever arrived in Imladris. And you are my son; you should learn to accept my choices, they are not for you to question."
"Ah, but it seems that they are for Elladan to question. Just because he fought for you and I was held hostage does not make me any less your son." Belegtur was really right about some things. My father is so blind and so wrapped up in his own little world. Maybe it would be better without him.
"I know that, Elrohir, and I love you dearly, but Elladan has no power to question me, either."
"Just to sleep with the elf that you love?"
"Don't pretend innocence. I know what plot the three of you are playing out. It won't work."
"Worked pretty well this time."
"I was caught off-guard. It won't work next time. Go to bed, Elrohir. I wish you good dreams." Elrond got to his feet. He felt like throwing one of his rather infamous tantrums. But this was not the time.
"Good night, father."
As Elrond left, Elrohir thought about how easy it would have been to kill his father. Then he hated himself for thinking that. He is your father? How could you kill him? The answer his brain gave him was sickening: 'Easily.'
Legolas smiled when he saw his father. "It has been so long," he said.
Thranduil studied him. "You look different."
"Well, I believe it was on your orders that I changed my appearance, father."
His father smiled, but then shook his head. "That's not what it is. I don't know what it is, but something about you is different." That's a lie. I know what it is. You have seen war and death and kinslaying. Something you should have never had to see. Something I wish I could have spared you from. "Welcome home."
Legolas grinned. "I'm so glad. Those rebels…it was like they think the world is completely backwards. They want to change everything."
"That's what makes them rebels, Legolas," said Thranduil gently.
"And you know what's the worst part?"
"Hmm?"
"Elrohir believes it all." He was somehow reluctant to tell his father all that had transpired between Elrohir and Belegtur. That was private, and for Elrohir to share with whom he chose. "I don't know what it is, but he believes it."
Thranduil shook his head. "He is young. He will grow out of it."
"Perhaps. Or perhaps he will cause terrible strife in Imladris, being Elrond's son and all."
Thranduil considered this. Was it enough to merit a warning to Elrond? He did not, after all, want to be viewed as a coward. But something this serious could destroy Imladris. "Thank you, Legolas. Lord Elrond should be warned."
Legolas nodded. He liked Elrohir, but some things were above friendship. And this was one of them.
Elrond went to his cold empty bed and dreamed of killing his sons.
That was not all he dreamed of though.
He had the strangest dream, one that almost seemed as though he were awake. He dreamt that he sat up in his bed. He was still alone, but there was another in the room with him. Frantically, he searched the room, for he could sense another presence, but could see no one.
"Relax, meleth," said that ever-familiar voice.
"Glorfindel?" asked Elrond. Now he knew he was in a dream.
Glorfindel appeared at the end of the bed. "Yes. I cannot stay for long; Mandos was reluctant to let me even do this. But you must know."
"Know what?" Elrond wished that he could reach out, touch Glorfindel, but even his dream self knew that that would be pointless.
"Those rebels have not lost faith. Their leader has a new plan. I cannot tell you what it is, but it has the power to destroy you, Elrond. Watch your back. Those that love you, don't always. And…Mandos doesn't want me to tell you this, but there's a prophecy about you. You have the fate of the elves in your hands…well, no, that's not true, at least not according to what Mandos says…"
Elrond smiled at his lover's rambling. "Do you remember the prophecy, Glorfindel?"
Glorfindel recited it to him from memory. That just wasn't the kind of thing you forgot.
Elrond frowned. "I'll have to think about that. Thank you for seeing me again, Glorfindel, even if this is all in my head."
"I love you, Elrond."
"Love you, too." A cheery expression appeared on his face. "Oh, and I'm not supposed to tell you this, either, but I will because I love you."
"Tell me what?"
"You will be getting a visitor within a week or two. He will be of great help in the oncoming crisis."
Elrond grinned. "Thank you, meleth."
"Make me a promise, Elrond."
"Whatever you would like."
"Don't let Elladan have Erestor. He's not worth the likes of Erestor. Being dead and all, I can see a lot more than the living…when Mandos wants to let me, that is, which is rare enough. He doesn't love him, though I'd guess you'd know that. His heart is not pure. Yours is. As is Erestor's. I…I hurt him badly when we were both younger. Only you can break those barriers down. The Erestor I met was the sweetest, most wonderful elf on Arda. Don't let him push you away again. He loves you."
"And I love him as well."
"Good. Now I bid you sweet dreams, my love."
Elrond woke suddenly. He took a deep breath. The real question was whether or not the dream was real. Had Mandos really allowed Glorfindel to visit him in his sleep? Or was this all some product of his sleep-deprived, Erestor-deprived mind? Only time would tell.
Haldir felt the spirit leave the elf he was cradling in his arms, now no more than a husk, a shell of what it had once been. A tear left his eye unbidden, but he did not bother to wipe it away. They had all shed too many tears already. To not do so would be strange.
I just want it all to go away. I want to go back to Celeborn. He can keep me safe. I don't ever want to fight again. I have been fighting all my life. I'm so tired…tired of war, and death, and killing, and sorrow. I'm so tired.
That was the thought going through his head when the orc archer smiled cruelly and shot his last arrow. It pierced Haldir's throat. Then a passing orc saw that Haldir was nearly dead and opened his back all the way down to the spine. An agonized expression appeared on Haldir's face as he dropped to his knees. I'm so tired.
He heard voices all around him, but he couldn't understand. Slowly, the pain began to sink into him. A moan of agony escaped his lips. As the elvish camp was overrun, an orc saw that Haldir was not quite finished and struck Haldir on the head with his sword. Haldir's head split and he fell face-first onto the ground.
I'm so tired.
REVIEW??? SHOULD HALDIR STAY DEAD OR WILL I HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME EXTRAVAGANTLY IMPLAUSIBLE EXCUSE TO BRING HIM BACK? LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!
