Elves Do It Better

Warnings: Explicit content, discussion of suicide and suicidal tendencies, violent scenes and physical injury

Disclaimer: I own nothing connected with either LotR or Twilight. They belong entirely to their respective owners

Their progress down from the Dimrill Dale was slow, as Bella was too injured to be jostled so, as he carried her in his arms atop Ernil. They eventually stopped and made a bed with cloaks, laying her upon it as Haldir despatched wardens to the borders a few leagues distant, to fetch help.

Night was drawing in, and they were wary of further attack. Some of their people had remained in the Dale to burn the carcasses of the Orcs and guard against any more forces coming from Moria or the Dimrill Stair.

Bella was deathly pale, her wound bound tightly, but she continuously thrashed in delirium, moaning incoherently. Haldir was no healer, he could see a fever from the poisoned blade burned in her veins, sapping her strength.

A hand curved his shoulder, and he looked around into his Lady's wise, omnipotent eyes. There was no smile on her luminescent face, and her gaze was grave.

"Alphwen is strong," she told him quietly. "This poison drains her life, but she is fighting."

He looked down at his Isabella, and took her hand. It burned.

"I cannot lose her, my Lady," he breathed. "And I fear her mortality will not lend her the strength to fight this poison."

"Do not doubt her, Haldir," the Lady suddenly smiled, her hair and robes glimmering in the twilight. "There is more to her than first meets the eye. There are few in Middle-Earth who have the power to keep me out of their minds, and Isabella does so without conscious thought. I do not think even the Dark Lord could penetrate her thoughts. And there is more…"

He thought the Lady might go on, but she stopped talking, and she lapsed into thought. He could not deny Bella was changing, had changed, and for the Lady to be unable to see into her heart and mind…

"I will do what I can for her," the Lady murmured, and he stood aside, although he still held her hand. The Lady knelt and placed her hand on Bella's dewed forehead, sweeping back her hair. "She burns," she breathed. "But this fire can destroy her or remake her anew. I will do what I can, but she must make the final decision, to live or to fall into darkness."

The Lady closed her eyes, and Haldir watched as she strove to heal the young mortal laid out between them. A small frown marred her smooth skin, and her mouth tightened, as Bella gasped.

His Lady suddenly exhaled, and Bella stilled, and such an expression of peace came over her, that he bent my head, to kiss her forehead. "I have called her back from the brink. She is strong, her soul forged as if from fire, but her heart glows like gold," the Lady him, rising gracefully. "Isabella Swan is not beaten yet."

He did not answer, as he looked down at Bella, now peacefully sleeping on the makeshift bed, and he chafed her cold hands. He thought back to her words in the stable at Rivendell, and the scalding kisses she had pressed on him when I had pulled her to him not long ago.

Was her resolution weakening? Was there hope?

"There may be more than you think," the Lady broke his reverie, and he gazed into her deep blue eyes. "Bella has a choice to make, one she is making even now, but which she does not yet realise or understand. You must help her, Haldir."

"I do not understand," he replied, frowning.

"You will," she assured him, with a gentle smile before she moved away and left him to his silent vigil.

Bella was surrounded by darkness, lost, burning hot and frightened. Leering faces appeared out of the dark, cloying and pawing at her, mocking her as she pushed them away.

She could not see, she could not feel beyond what sensations the nightmare world gave her. What had happened? Where was she? Where was Haldir?

She called his name, but she only heard gleeful shrieks and more foul laughter. She spun, searching for something, anything but there was only the dark and the leering faces.

Bella just wanted to sleep, to leave behind this horrible world. Any strength she felt dissipated and she fell to her knees.

'Alphwen…'

'Haldir…?'

But no, it wasn't Haldir. It was another voice, one she had heard once before. That voice, familiar, warm, loving as a father to his daughter, pulled her from the darkness.

'The world has not finished with thee, Alphwen of Rivendell and Lothlórien. You have much yet to do, and a choice to understand…'

'What choice?! I've made no choice…'

'Yes you have. Now you have to understand it. Come back to the light, and back to those who need you, Isabella Swan…'

'Isabella…'

Another voice joined them, and the darkness was already lightening. It was like a cool wave of water, washing away the invisible flames licking at her skin. Arwen?

No. The Lady Galadriel.

'Come back, Isabella. Come back.'

But she was still blind and she could not see her. She could only call out, 'I'm coming!'

'Go to the light. It will lead you home…'

Light? What light? Bella spun but saw nothing, and she felt like screaming in frustration. Then, as if a new sense was opened to her, she felt a light grow within herself she closed her eyes and grasped it. Here, within the confines of her heart and soul, she was safe from all intrusion, behind ramparts of flame and gates of unbreakable steel. She saw more strength inside than she had ever known was possible, but the steel did not cut nor did the flames burn her. They were her, were as part of her as her hair or her eyes, and so they could not harm her, not unless she let them. They broke over her like waves upon the shore, gentle and loving, yet she sensed their hidden ferocity and she laughed in wild exhilaration.

She was safe. This time, when darkness fell over her vision, she allowed it to take her, away from nightmare, away from pain and into the healing oblivion of sleep.

When Bella awoke, it was to a canopy of silver barked trees that glowed with an inner radiance, their leaves edged with gold, sliding away as quickly as they came.

"She awakens," a voice, unfamiliar, murmured, and she felt herself lowered. She was lying on some makeshift bed of cloaks and tree branches. She looked to the side and saw a tall, golden haired Elf clad in silver and grey, wise and beautiful. "Her strength returns."

The Lady came into view on her other side, and smiled down her. "Welcome to Lothlórien, Isabella Swan."

Bella smiled weakly, but could barely move her fingers. The poison and her subsequent delirium had left her extremely weakened. Then a familiar face came into her line of sight, and her heart raced with new life in her chest.

Haldir.

Bella slept, at peace, with the Elf she loved nearby, in the land of Lórien.