Princess Shadowcat: I am sorry I left it at that. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Valinor's Twilight: Thank you very much! I am so happy you reviewed! Here's the next chapter.
Kelly Kisaragi: I am sorry! But that was the only part I could end it properly. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Now that all is settled, let the story begin!
Disclaimer:
Oh! How I wish I owned Haldir! But misfortunes aplenty! I don't! So, please trouble me no more – ye black robed lords of the court! Phew…on with the story, folks!
Thoughts or dreams are in Italics
- Anarya of Lorien
CRYSTAL DREAMSChapter – 27 (The birth of memory…)
Anya's Point of view:
The pain seemed to increase with time. I clutched onto his shoulder as he carried me up the steps towards the healer's talan. He seemed to be genuinely worried, for his eyes seemed so confused and anxious. I cried out involuntarily as another contraction hit me. I felt his clutch around me tighten as his pace doubled.
The lady who opened the door took one look at us and ushered us in with anxiety clearly visible in her grey eyes.
"This way please…I shall prepare a room for you immediately." I did not loosen my hold on his tunic as I felt tears sprouting from my eyes.
"Hush…it will be fine." I felt his breath over my ear. I mutely nodded as I clutched onto the March warden as though for life. I was merely nineteen and here I was undergoing labor pains! I groaned again as I felt my abdomen clench another time.
"Haldir…" he placed his hand over mine – the one that almost tore at his tunic and pressed it gently. I smiled as I nodded my head. The healer walked back into the room after what seemed like an age. I was positively terrified and the tears that simply would not stop seemed to convey the message. She smiled at me as she caught my hand and gently bade Haldir stand. He gently carried me to the room which she pointed to and laid me to rest on the soft bed. I clutched instinctively at his hand as he motioned to move away. He looked at my action with surprise…then he smiled tensely as he knelt beside the bed and held onto my hand. The healer smiled at us as she nodded her head.
"It is natural for her to be tensed. Don't worry. There won't be any trouble." She smiled as she felt my forehead. I shut my eyes as I felt the pain recur.
"She bears her first child. So…this will be a lengthy process, I'm afraid. But do not worry. I have dealt with young ellith and all shall be fine." She smiled at Haldir. I tried to smile but my muscles just wouldn't move. She then turned to me,
"You will have to calm down, my child. The pain would increase if you weren't calm." I nodded my head as my hold over Haldir's hand tightened a little. Haldir was surely listening for I felt him move closer,
"We need to inform Olwen and Ithil…and the Lady…" I nodded my head as I felt the tension ease a little as I thought about the Lady Galadriel. She would have probably known about this by now…her sense of intuition or whatever it was, it was an incredible thing.
"I should really appreciate it if you could spare one of your attendants to convey a message for me." He said looking at the healer. Why wasn't he going himself? I released the hold I had on his hand but his hand still held onto mine. It surprised me.
"Yes, of course! We will inform the Lady." She said as she pulled on a rope that hung discreetly at one corner of the room. A younger healer entered the room. They spoke in whispers that the wind did not carry to me and with a final bow towards Haldir who still knelt by my side, she left the room.
"The message has been sent to the Lady." She smiled as she curtsied slightly and walked out of the room after assuring us that all was well. Now I was alone. The contractions were still bothering me but since I had clamed down, the pain was not that severe. I looked down at the hand that still held mine…I could feel the calluses that were probably the result of years of training as a warrior. Would these same hands hold my child with gentleness? For some reason, I felt at ease. I smiled at his hand as I closed my eyes…awaiting that time when the pain shall be continuous as I shall need all his support.
Haldir's Point of view:
If there was a time when I was more scared, I could not remember it. Probably when Laurelin was attacked by orcs… but now, it seemed like a distant memory. I tensed again as I felt her cry out another time, her hand clutched my tunic in a vice like grip.
"Anya…" she was in tears. She was looking at me with a pleading look.
I smiled reassuringly as I placed my hand over hers and held on. She smiled a little as she heaved a huge breath.
There was something different the way she smiled…it wasn't like she smiled at me every time we met. But now…it was almost like she trusted me.
"Haldir…" I looked down at her. She was trying to smile but I knew it would be difficult with the pain she was going through…I felt myself going closer to her.
The kiss was gentle…soft. I smiled as we broke away.
"I will be here…by your side." My hold over her hand tightened comfortingly. Just then the door burst open and in came Ithilwen. Her face was pale as though she had seen a ghost.
"What happened? I was informed by the healers…is she alright?" Anya smiled at her as she nodded her head and then turned to me. Ithilwen looked at her hand in mine and a smile crept up her face. She looked up at me and nodded. I couldn't help return the smile.
"Séregon is waiting outside. It seems as though you shall soon be delivering the child…"
"Nay. This is her first birth. The healers say it shall be long." I said, my hold tightening slightly. She nodded as she gave Anya a hug and then turned to leave the room.
When we were alone again, Anya turned to me.
"Haldir…" she took my hand and placed in on her belly, where our child lay.
"Do you really love my child?" it surprised me that she would ever consider me not loving my child.
"How can I not love my child? I have no words to express my affections, Anya."
"You will look after the babe?" I tensed as she said this. Why was she talking as though she wouldn't be with me when the child was born?
"Both of us will be there…the parents for our child." She smiled as she shook her head…
"I remember." She said as she held onto my hand. It took me some time to comprehend what she had meant.
"I remember now…Haldir." I felt my hand tremble a little. She turned to look at me. Her eyes were in tears.
"I was meant to meet you here…a promise to Namo. A little while…a little while…until we knew…and sometime afterwards…" I could see that she was in pain. But did the labor hurt her more or the burden in her heart, I did not know.
"I would be called back to Mandos someday…and now…" I stopped her with a fierce hug as I held onto her tightly.
"No. you shall not leave us now. Not now." I whispered fiercely as I felt tears threatening to break free.
"Haldir." I drew away from her to find her smiling serenely.
"I love you." she said, her face slowly getting sweaty. I smiled as I kissed her again…this time with all the passion I could manage. She wasn't going to leave me now.
Then suddenly…she groaned as her grip on my hand tightened. She gave a cry that seemed to convey her pain. I shouted for the healers, not wishing to leave her side. Not wishing to leave my Laurelin…my Anya.
Anya's Point of view:
I remembered…the promise…to the lord Namo as he sent me forth…to be in the land of the living for a short while…for a chance to be with Haldir for a little while longer…but fate had been against me. I hardly remembered him… and almost every time I met him, I had quarreled with him…and now, when I wanted to love him…be with him…I would soon be leaving for Mandos…to await him there. It was cruel.
And now…this babe in me…he had started his descent from my womb into the world. I felt pain like never before as I cried out, unable to keep silent anymore. I felt my vision blur with the pain as I held onto the only support I had…his hand.
I cried out another time as I felt my abdomen clench. I felt tears stream down my face as I was overcome with sadness and pain. Would I live till I saw the face of my child? How ought I to see the future? Like a mortal woman or like an eternal elf? I felt his hands wipe my tears away as he seated himself behind me, thereby enabling me to lean into his chest. I smiled a little or at least tried to as I felt the pain recur.
I could hear his encouragements…to push… to expel the bundle of joy that I held within me…to aid in the wondrous process of giving birth. I felt tears overwhelm me as I held onto him…my body slowly drenching up in sweat from my effort.
After what seemed like eons, I felt the pain becoming continuous. The push commands from the healers seemed to increase in intensity as I felt like my body was being ripped apart.
I screamed out unable to endure the pain anymore…
There was a shrill wail as I fell back onto his chest. There were cries of exclamation as I felt tears form.
"You have a son!" I heard the healer say. Suddenly the pain didn't matter anymore. I felt Haldir clasp my hand tightly in his as I laughed and sobbed at the same time. I turned to look at him and for the first time in my life, I saw tears in those gray eyes. He was looking at me with a weird expression…gratitude mingled with adulation. One that I had never seen on the March Warden's face ever before.
"Hannon Lle." He whispered as he nuzzled me gently. I smiled as I held his face that rested somewhere behind me.
"You're welcome, March Warden." I felt the healers bring something in a bundle towards me…the anticipation almost killed me.
There…in his swaddling cloth of silver gray, slept my son…the reddish tinge of his skin that still had traces of my blood…the wrinkled face that was screaming shrilly as he took his first gulp of air…the dark brown hair that covered his head and those eyes that were now closed…I carefully took the proffered bundle and held my son for the first time.
I sobbed with happiness as I felt some strange emotion choke me…a feeling of protectiveness and a sense of accomplishment. I was a mother…here was a being under my care…my son.
"Our son." I heard his voice from behind. I turned around to find his face exuberant as he gazed down at our child.
"You need to give him a name…for this child born in the hour of moon-setting." I turned to the window that opened into the western skies and sure enough…the moon had sunk low into the western horizon. Yet his rays were unmistakably illuminating the lands. I turned to Haldir who was looking at the babe in my hand.
"Give him a name, Haldir." I said. He looked at me surprised. I smiled as I looked down at my son and smiled at him. he had stopped crying and was now slowly observing me with his barely opened eyes. They gleamed gray.
"Anya…"
"You are the father. You do have the right." I said. I knew he was surprised but things had changed…I had changed. I was no longer the nineteen years old I was before. I was the mother of my son. A title I bore with pride.
"He shall be called Ithilgalad." He said with pride well evident in his voice as he carefully took the bundle from my hands. I smiled as I nodded, obviously happy with the name. it meant moon light and it suited my babe with gray eyes.
"Ithilgalad it is then!" the healer chimed as she turned to me.
"We shall leave you now. But do remember that you need to feed your son. The first milk of the mother is important. And then you shall need to rest. You are tired. I am sure of that." I smiled as I nodded my head.
I did not remember another time when I had been so happy! Here with my son and his father.
Haldir's Point of view:
I held my son as Anya slept with obvious fatigue. It was a queer sensation of being a parent. The child was looking at me with the utmost curiosity as I held him close to me…to gaze at his face…one that resembled me. then it struck me…he had the appearance of an elf.
I turned to Anya who had just retired from feeding our son. She was sound asleep. I turned to my son again. Did this mean that my son would have the fate of the Eldar? Just then the door opened gently and there stood the Lady Galadriel. Her face, far from being happy looked anxious. I smiled at her as I looked down at my son. Everything was fine and now probably she would be at ease.
The lady strode briskly towards Anya without much of a reply to my greeting and placed her palm on her forehead. For a moment her face remained unreadable but then…there was a frown which seemed to unsettle me. She turned to me, her face grave and anxious. I felt a great sense of foreboding.
The world seemed to fall silent as I stood there, having listened to what she had said,
"We are losing her, Haldir."
Author's Notes:
DUNDUNDUN! So… what did you think? I'd really like to know. Kindly review people! All your comments…the good, bad and the ugly will be welcome.
- Anarya of Lorien.
