Remember

Time Runs Short

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Rebecca is mine.

Authors note: You all should thank the Valar I got a virus. If I had not become ill, I would not have posted today. YAY FOR YOU! Boo for me! Cough sniff Review for the sick writer please!

They jogged on for hours, Elrohir never grew weary, Rebecca kept holding on to Halbarad, but it became tiring work after a while. He would drift in and out of consciousness and then lose balance and begin to fall. Several times Elrohir had to reach up and help steady him. It was difficult, and Rebecca could tell by his breathing, he was not doing well. Shallow, quick breath was not a good sign.

"We are going to have to take a rest. Halbarad cannot handle riding much longer," Elrohir said.

They rode on a short ways longer, and then they stopped. There was not much shelter, two pine trees and a maple. They went to the other side of the pines to shelter themselves from the wind. Elrohir pulled Halbarad off the horse and laid him down just under the pine boughs where no snow was.

Elrohir examined Halbarad. "The poison is working its way through him. My herbs slowed it, but not stopped it." He looked up at Rebecca, his eyes anxious. "I do not know what I can do. The only way he will survive is if he reaches Imladris by noon tomorrow."

"I'm so sorry. If I hadn't come you could ride back with him. I was foolish to make you take me," Rebecca repented. She felt terrible when she realized her foolish, selfish request could cause Halbarad his life. She knew how the books should be, but was she about to upset everything? The thought was mortifying.

Elrohir looked at her and took her hands in his. "Do not blame yourself Mirë. Do not worry, you may prove to turn things for the better. Come now, help me get him back on the horse. Ithilnaur shall have to bear three."

Despite his words, Rebecca felt terrible. She helped heave Halbarad onto the horse. Then she mounted in front of him, and Elrohir behind him. The horse grumbled, but elves are light, so it was like one fat man was upon his back.

In elvish Elrohir said to Ithilnaur, "Run as fast as you can my friend!"

The horse shot off at a surprising speed. Despite the weight, the elvish horse had dwarvish endurance. They rode on, through the afternoon, into the night. Ithilnaur was now at a trot.

"How far is it?" Rebecca asked.

Elrohir looked about and then said, "Perhaps five hours. I am not sure he shall hold out that long, he is getting worse faster than I reckoned he would. This traveling is not helping matters." They heard a sudden growl somewhere behind them and to their left. Ithilnaur heard it and sped off, running towards home. With Halbarad how he was, Rebecca growing weary, and Elrohir weary from healing, running was their best option.

After they crossed a small stream, they heard nothing behind them, and the horse slowed to a brisk canter.

"Elrohir, I'm scared," Rebecca said.

"So am I. Please, be silent," Elrohir said.

She could hear him saying something, sounded like elven poetry. She was confused, had he just randomly decided to recall the tale of Tinuviel? She was too scared to think clearly. Frightened of the wolves, afraid Halbarad might die, scared she or Elrohir might die. One morbid thought after the other raced through her head.

Elrohir's chanting ceased, but Rebecca didn't notice.

"Mirë! Mirë!" Elrohir called up to her.

"AAACK!" Rebecca cried with a start. "What!" she snapped.

"You were breaking into a cold sweat. What are you so worried about?" he asked.

"The wargs!" she snapped in response. That seemed rather obvious.

"They're gone."

"How?" Rebecca asked in wonder.

"I am not a son of Elrond for nothing!" Elrohir said, prompting Ithilnaur to continue. "I asked for a veil to hide us, and Elbereth heard me. Did you not see the wargs look at us but walk away with out seeing us?"

"N-no. I was too busy breaking into a cold sweat," Rebecca admitted slowly. She was flabbergasted at the thought, a group of vicious wargs just walking away... Perhaps she had underestimated the Valar's hand in the third age...

Elrohir just smiled at her and shook his head, but the smile died when Halbarad began coughing. It didn't sound good. He commanded Ithilnaur to go as fast as he could as long as he could, and they sped off.

Halbarad was in very, very bad shape, and getting worse by the minute. The situation was far from ideal. He couldn't stop the poison any more, for he had used the herbs he had as best as he could. He needed to be in Rivendell, he was certain he could do better there. As it was, Halbarad had poison running through his veins, wounds not able to heal properly, and he was on horseback, unable to lie down and rest, he had to sit up and work. "Hold on," Elrohir whispered. "Hold on!"

The minutes crawled by as Halbarad's health plummeted. Rebecca turned and looked at the Dunadain a few times, each time he looked much worse.

Eventually they began to reach familiar parts, Rebecca recognized they were getting close, yet still far off.

"How far now?" She asked.

"Two and a half hours more. Now, however, I may be able to send for an elf to meet us. If a swift rider met us half way, Halbarad would reach my father almost half an hour before we do."

"That much?"

"Yes. The other's horse would not be as tired, and two ride faster than three."

Rebecca became quiet as Elrohir was busy trying to alert Elladan, his father, or anyone of their plight.

An hour more they rode, and soon Rebecca heard bells coming towards them. Soon, Glorfindel appeared upon Asfaloth.

They met and dismounted.

"Take him with all haste. Tell father he has a viscous black poison in his chest wound. Ride as fast as you can Lord Glorfindel, he will not last much longer," Elrohir quickly said as the elf lords moved the wounded ranger. Halbarad was coming back around, moaning and groaning each time he was jostled. He was quickly positioned on Asfaloth, Glorfindel leapt upon his horses' back, and sped off like an arrow from the bow.

Ithilnaur was now weary, tired, and wishing he was in his stable. Elrohir patted his neck and kissed his nose. "I know mellon nin. Mirë and I shall walk for a bit now." The horse shook his head, signifying that he liked the plan, and the two began walking.

Rebecca trudged through the snow as Elrohir walked lightly on it.

"Hey, how come you sank earlier when I walked with you to the outside Hall of Fire, but you're not sinking now?" Rebecca asked, wearily lifting her foot to take another step.

"That snow was too light for even I to walk on. It has to be packed a little bit for us to walk on it. A few hours later, while you were sleeping, I went back out, and the snow had been given time to settle, so I walked upon it. Even a bird shall make deep prints, for a bird, if the snow is too light. The same is true with us," Elrohir answered.

"I wish I could walk on snow," she mumbled, half to herself.

"If you are weary Mirë, I shall carry you," Elrohir offered.

"Thanks, but I'm good. At the moment," Rebecca replied. She knew he was as tired, probably more so than her, thus she decided she would not let him carry her, unless she was about dead.

Their going was slow, and soon Rebecca grew cold, tired, and soggy. Elrohir knew this, and so after a quiet council with Ithilnaur, they mounted the steed once more and rode towards Rivendell.

Forty-five minutes after Halbarad and Glorfindel arrived, they made it back. The shivering Rebecca was tired, but she was awake enough to take a long hot bath before going to bed.

Elrohir however, did not want to eat, rest, or bathe until he saw how Halbarad was doing. He entered the healing room he was in and saw his father at work, Elladan next to him.

"How is he doing?" Elrohir asked in a whisper.

"Not very well," Elladan replied in quiet tones. "Ada thinks he will pull through."

Elrohir watched for a few minutes, then his father spoke.

"Elrohir, how much did you use for his chest cut?"

"Three leaves," Elrohir replied. "That was all I had."

"Five would have been better, but you did well, considering." Elrond paused a moment, grabbed a towel and began wiping off his hands. "I have done all I can do at the moment. I think he shall be fine." he turned and faced Elrohir. "And how are you?"

"Exhausted."

"Was it Halbarad that wore you out?"

"Partially. His wounds took enough, but then I had to make him rest, which was not easy. He was living on an adrenaline rush. Before that, Rebecca could not sleep, then she felt ill after her first skirmish," Elrohir said.

"What happened?"

"Some wargs attacked us. The sight of battle, of any kind was completely new to her. Anyway, after I found Halbarad, some more wargs wanted to attack us, so I had to hide us. That was very straining. Then I called out to Glorfindel to come, and now I am ready to collapse in a chair and sleep," Elrohir said.

Elrond put an arm around his son's shoulders. "Come Elrohir, I'll tend to you now."

Authors note: Well, that ends that! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! REVIEW!