Chapter 2
Haldir woke slowly on the third morning, distant echoes of the battle still ringing loudly, painfully in his head. He did not know how long he had been here, or even where here was. Possibly Lorien, or not, it was impossible to tell, for he could not see beyond the sphere of candlelight next to his bed. His thoughts remained jumbled and came to him in pieces, though as he struggled into wakefulness the picture became clearer. He was in a healing room, that much was certain. Haldir inhaled slowly, feeling a dull ache in his abdomen and back. His keenly tuned senses briefly noted how vaguely familiar scents mingled in the air, permeated by the smell of herbs, tonics, and minerals. 'I must have been grievously injured indeed,' he thought, struggling to sit up in his bed, 'how long have I been unconscious?'
"My lord?" A hesitant voice resonated through the darkness, and slowly a pale figure emerged into the warm yellow light. 'A healer no doubt, perhaps she can give me the information I seek.' The past filtered itself back into his thoughts. 'Helm's Deep! We pulled back, the orcs had broken through!'
".sir?" The woman before him spoke again, and he realized that he had been looking through her like some brain-dead dolt. He cringed.
"Helm's deep." He murmured, "tell me."
Nienna's eyes widened, had he not noticed? Was it possible? Then she noted his expectant look. She told him how the rest of the battle had gone, from what she knew, though it had suffered great damage, the people pf Helm's Deep were safe once again. His shoulders relaxed at that news, his hard stare softened as she told him of their losses.
"Such sacrifice." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and a vision of the battlefield flashed across his mind. It seemed so far away now, and at the same time so close he felt as if he could reach out into it. Instead of the cold stone of the fortress, he felt solid glass, and realized that the elf who spoke to him had given him a glass of water. He put it on the table without looking at it.
"Where is my bow?"
She paused, eyeing him oddly.
"Your what?" Her voice sounded hushed and astonished.
Haldir gritted his teeth. 'Of all the moronic things to ask. Does she not know who I am?' He began to push the covers off his body, intending to look for it himself - only his legs refused to move. Shock passed over his face as his brain searched for some explanation. Something.anything.anything other than what it seemed.
"Release this spell, healer." He commanded, recalling how spells freezing the limbs were often used during treatments of the badly injured or delirious. But, the grave look on her face unnerved him.
Nienna's eyes caught the ground. "There is no spell, my lord. I.I fear your injuries were beyond the skill of elvish medicine to heal." Her voice faded with each word until it was nothing more than a whisper. She could not bring herself to look up. It was silent for a long time, until Nienna heard him slowly exhale.
"You lie." It was more of a hope than a statement, cautious, and cold.
She tried her best to ignore the comment, choosing instead to try to encourage him. "Perhaps." she spoke, edging nearer to the foot of his bed, "perhaps in time, you will learn to walk again. It wouldn't be the same of course, as if you were nor-" She halted, her eyes wide, her hand flew to her mouth. "Wait.that is not what I meant!" The look Haldir gave her was bone-chilling.
"As if I were what, elf-maid? Normal?" His eyes narrowed at the shaking figure before him. 'How dare she! How DARE she!' His mind shouted, an unfamiliar mixture of rage and humiliation sweeping over him.
"Do you really think you can just walk in here with that piteous look on your face, and tell me 'everything's going to be fine, you'll only be a half-freak?!'" Nienna could only bite her bottom lip. Now she'd done it, she mused, she was only making things worse. Haldir could feel the tension winding up into his arms, his teeth clamped tightly together.
Before Nienna knew what was happening, she found herself dodging the glass of water she had given him. It shattered upon the floor, glass scattering everywhere, the water soaked the hem of her long, silver gown. She bent down hurriedly, trying to quickly pick up the broken shards.
"Just get out."
She paused, slowly standing, a few glass shards gently clasped in her palm. "But."
"Get out." He said again through clenched teeth. Nienna felt a panic being to rise in her throat. What had she done? She could only stand there dumbly in her stupor.
"GET OUT NOW!" His booming voice shattered her thoughts, making her drop the glass again.
"I...I am sorry." She babbled, tears stinging her eyes. "I'm so sorry..."
Haldir closed his eyes, drawing one last great breath to yell at her to leave once more, but found she had vanished from where she stood. He looked down at his now useless legs for a moment, and buried his face in his hands.
Haldir woke slowly on the third morning, distant echoes of the battle still ringing loudly, painfully in his head. He did not know how long he had been here, or even where here was. Possibly Lorien, or not, it was impossible to tell, for he could not see beyond the sphere of candlelight next to his bed. His thoughts remained jumbled and came to him in pieces, though as he struggled into wakefulness the picture became clearer. He was in a healing room, that much was certain. Haldir inhaled slowly, feeling a dull ache in his abdomen and back. His keenly tuned senses briefly noted how vaguely familiar scents mingled in the air, permeated by the smell of herbs, tonics, and minerals. 'I must have been grievously injured indeed,' he thought, struggling to sit up in his bed, 'how long have I been unconscious?'
"My lord?" A hesitant voice resonated through the darkness, and slowly a pale figure emerged into the warm yellow light. 'A healer no doubt, perhaps she can give me the information I seek.' The past filtered itself back into his thoughts. 'Helm's Deep! We pulled back, the orcs had broken through!'
".sir?" The woman before him spoke again, and he realized that he had been looking through her like some brain-dead dolt. He cringed.
"Helm's deep." He murmured, "tell me."
Nienna's eyes widened, had he not noticed? Was it possible? Then she noted his expectant look. She told him how the rest of the battle had gone, from what she knew, though it had suffered great damage, the people pf Helm's Deep were safe once again. His shoulders relaxed at that news, his hard stare softened as she told him of their losses.
"Such sacrifice." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and a vision of the battlefield flashed across his mind. It seemed so far away now, and at the same time so close he felt as if he could reach out into it. Instead of the cold stone of the fortress, he felt solid glass, and realized that the elf who spoke to him had given him a glass of water. He put it on the table without looking at it.
"Where is my bow?"
She paused, eyeing him oddly.
"Your what?" Her voice sounded hushed and astonished.
Haldir gritted his teeth. 'Of all the moronic things to ask. Does she not know who I am?' He began to push the covers off his body, intending to look for it himself - only his legs refused to move. Shock passed over his face as his brain searched for some explanation. Something.anything.anything other than what it seemed.
"Release this spell, healer." He commanded, recalling how spells freezing the limbs were often used during treatments of the badly injured or delirious. But, the grave look on her face unnerved him.
Nienna's eyes caught the ground. "There is no spell, my lord. I.I fear your injuries were beyond the skill of elvish medicine to heal." Her voice faded with each word until it was nothing more than a whisper. She could not bring herself to look up. It was silent for a long time, until Nienna heard him slowly exhale.
"You lie." It was more of a hope than a statement, cautious, and cold.
She tried her best to ignore the comment, choosing instead to try to encourage him. "Perhaps." she spoke, edging nearer to the foot of his bed, "perhaps in time, you will learn to walk again. It wouldn't be the same of course, as if you were nor-" She halted, her eyes wide, her hand flew to her mouth. "Wait.that is not what I meant!" The look Haldir gave her was bone-chilling.
"As if I were what, elf-maid? Normal?" His eyes narrowed at the shaking figure before him. 'How dare she! How DARE she!' His mind shouted, an unfamiliar mixture of rage and humiliation sweeping over him.
"Do you really think you can just walk in here with that piteous look on your face, and tell me 'everything's going to be fine, you'll only be a half-freak?!'" Nienna could only bite her bottom lip. Now she'd done it, she mused, she was only making things worse. Haldir could feel the tension winding up into his arms, his teeth clamped tightly together.
Before Nienna knew what was happening, she found herself dodging the glass of water she had given him. It shattered upon the floor, glass scattering everywhere, the water soaked the hem of her long, silver gown. She bent down hurriedly, trying to quickly pick up the broken shards.
"Just get out."
She paused, slowly standing, a few glass shards gently clasped in her palm. "But."
"Get out." He said again through clenched teeth. Nienna felt a panic being to rise in her throat. What had she done? She could only stand there dumbly in her stupor.
"GET OUT NOW!" His booming voice shattered her thoughts, making her drop the glass again.
"I...I am sorry." She babbled, tears stinging her eyes. "I'm so sorry..."
Haldir closed his eyes, drawing one last great breath to yell at her to leave once more, but found she had vanished from where she stood. He looked down at his now useless legs for a moment, and buried his face in his hands.