Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's and the plot, everything else belongs to Tolkien and those who currently own the rights to his work.
Chapter 44 – The stars in Valinor
Third Age 3021
The remaining travelers rode north shadowed by the mountains. The night before the two elven companies would part ways, Eruanna made her way across the encampment to call upon the Lord and Lady of Lórien. She found them, ever together, seated slightly apart from the greater company who sang and danced around the bonfire.
"My Lord, Lady," Eruanna bowed politely.
"Eruanna," Galadriel acknowledged the elleth with a nod.
The silver Lord smiled, his eyes widened with feigned curiosity, "What can we do for you, child?"
Eruanna returned Celeborn's smile. She had no doubt the Lord knew exactly why she'd sought them out. "I seek permission to join your company, Lord Celeborn, and dwell in Lothlórien for a time."
Celeborn was not at all surprised by the elleth's request. In fact, he'd been waiting for her to come and see him. He needed no extraordinary power to see into this child's heart. "I take it Lord Erestor is finally willing to part with you for more than a year."
Eruanna's eyes shined with laughter. Lord Celeborn knew her father well. "It is all part of his master plan," she told him with a grin.
"And what might this grand scheme of his be, I wonder?" Celeborn mused, dramatically.
Eruanna laughed at the mischievous expression that graced the ancient ellon's face. She lowered her voice as if sharing some great confidence. "He plans to guilt Rumil into joining Elrond's house once we arrive in Valinor."
Celeborn's deep laughter echoed through the wood. It was just the type of devious strategizing he'd come to expect from Elrond's High Counselor. "Well, I wouldn't want to be responsible for thwarting Erestor," the Lord's eyes shone with mirth. "We will be pleased to have your company on the journey to Lórien."
"Thank you," Eruanna beamed, "Thank you both," she added with a glance toward Galadriel. Eruanna bowed deeply before taking her leave of the couple.
The Lord of Lórien followed the elleth as she made her way to the fire circle and took a seat between his grandsons. The twins suffered, he knew, at the loss of their sister, and had grown ever more protective of Eruanna to compensate. But they loved Rumil as a brother, and dwelling for a time in Lórien was not the same as remaining in Middle Earth forever.
No, they will not give Rumil too difficult a time.
Celeborn smiled at the thought of his foster son. With so many partings, his heart lifted at the thought of this happy reunion.
"Rumil will be overjoyed." When Galadriel failed to echo his sentiment, Celeborn turned, only to find his wife had slipped away unnoticed.
Eruanna could barely contain her eagerness as they drew nearer to the Golden Wood. Elrohir and Elladan's company did little to distract her, though their attempts to entertain her with tales of their bravery were more than admirable. The road was long, but the most trying part of the journey was yet to come-their arrival. It was the stringent formality of the proceedings that irritated her the most. The bowing, the curtseying, the formal words of welcome-mostly directed at the Lord and Lady and the twin sons of Elrond. All she wanted to do was see Rumil but she had to play the proper Lady and wait! She felt like such a child, chiding herself silently to be still. She looked about anxiously, doing her best not to let her impatience show by tapping her foot or huffing during the overlong pleasantries.
Rumil wasn't anywhere to be seen. Not that she expected him to shirk his duties for her…Haldir would never stand for it. And besides, he had no idea she was coming. She'd wanted it to be a surprise.
She watched as Haldir clasped hands with the last of the accompanying Lords and offered the entire party an official welcome to enter the Woods, and with that, the crowd broke into a merry chatter that signaled the end of the ceremony.
Eruanna practically ran across the space that separated her from Haldir and by the time she reached his side, Orophin had appeared from the shadows of the wood behind him.
She called out to the pair as she approached. "Haldir! Orophin!"
The brothers turned at the sound of her voice and Eruanna smiled brightly upon them. Her impatience got the better of her as she bypassed any greeting in favor of the question that moved her, "Where is Rumil?"
Eruanna's eyes were so lit with the light of joy that she did not see the cloud that descended upon the ellyn at her approach. She stood, looking from one to the other, but Orophin would not meet her eyes and Haldir's mask of control crumbled swiftly before her.
"Haldir?" Eruanna's voice trembled at the sight of the stoic warrior's eyes filling with tears. Her mind went numb. It cannot be! "No," she whispered, stepping away from the pain in his eyes.
"Eruanna," Haldir reached out to the elleth.
Eruanna shut her eyes against him, against Haldir's tears and Orophin's downcast eyes, "No."
"He fell," Orophin whispered, his own tears forcing their way free.
Eruanna swayed but Haldir took hold of her arms, supporting her before her legs gave way.
"No," she shook her head violently, still refusing to open her eyes. "No. You are lying. You are lying!" Eruanna's clenched fists struck the Marchwarden's chest. He did not try to stop her attack but pulled her close and she collapsed in his arms.
Haldir sunk to the ground, cradling the weeping elleth against his chest. The sound of Eruanna's cries drew the entire crowd to attention. Whispers of what fate befell Rumil could be heard making their way through the crowd.
Elrohir rushed to Eruanna's side the moment he heard her scream. His eyes moved from Haldir and Eruanna to Orophin. There was only one thing that could explain the sight before him but his heart refused to believe. His eyes locked with Orophin's, "What happened?"
Orophin wiped away his own tears with the hem of his sleeve, unable to answer for a moment. Elladan now stood at his brother's side, an identical expression of shock and concern painted across his face.
Orophin spoke in a low voice so that only the young Lords could hear. "He fell, on the northern border." His voice trembled slightly and was laced with despair when he added, "It was only a small skirmish. The war was already won."
Orophin's eyes returned to his brother and Eruanna. The entire company now stared at the weeping couple, though in truth, most eyes were fixed upon Haldir. Few present had ever seen the Marchwarden cry and it was, for them, a terrifying sight to behold. Haldir rocked the elleth gently in his arms, her head resting beneath his chin. He whispered softly to Eruanna, words only Orophin and the twin Lords were close enough to hear.
"Forgive me," he cried, "I could not save him. I could not save him."
"Rumil!" Haldir shouted upon spotting his youngest brother lying on the forest floor. Without care for his own safety or what orcs may be left hiding among the trees, he ran to the fallen ellon and dropped to his knees beside him.
"Rumil," Haldir's voice trembled at the ghastly wound that lay across his brother's abdomen and the pool of blood surrounding him. He turned quickly to the young warden that followed in his wake. "Fetch Arandur, now!" he commanded, and the warden was off, vanishing instantly into the trees.
"Too late," was Rumil's choked response.
Haldir looked down to find his brother's pale face staring up at him. "Do not say that, brother," Haldir's voice trembled as he lifted the younger ellon's head onto his lap. "It is only a scratch. You will be fine." He had to be fine. He just had to be!
"I know," Rumil smiled gently in reply, but his eyes moved beyond the Marchwarden to the night sky. Oromë's belt shone down upon him. "I will be with him soon, watching over you," he whispered softly.
Haldir followed the direction of his brother's gaze, but unlike Rumil, no smile graced his lips at the sight of those stars. "No, no, Arandur will be here any moment."
Rumil's gaze returned to his brother who clutched desperately at his hand. Rumil attempted to give it a comforting squeeze but a spasm took him and when he coughed, blood poured from his mouth and nose.
When the fit passed, the lines of Rumil's face softened. "You will have to be the beautiful brother now," he told Haldir, despite the expression of horror that currently twisted the Marchwarden's face.
"I cannot, I cannot…," Haldir shook his head, refusing to accept any words of parting from Rumil.
"Alright," Rumil said, a small smile curling the edge of his mouth, "Orophin then."
Rumil's playful words shattered Haldir's fragile calm. "You must not leave us, Rumil. You have to stay with me!" Haldir's grip on Rumil tightened, as though he could will his brother to obey his command. Haldir held his brother's eyes, such gentle, soulful eyes, so much like….
Without warning a memory surfaced, one Haldir ever forbid himself to loose from the dark recesses of his mind. He was in another field, another battle and another ellon, so like this one, lay dying in his arms. Haldir spoke such words once before, on the day their father died, and like their father, Rumil lacked the strength to obey. His eyes grew cloudier with each moment that passed. 'Not again!' Haldir's heart cried to the heavens, 'Oh, please Valar, not again!'
"Always…with you," Rumil breathed, and then, as though he'd heard his brother's silent prayer, "I will tell adar… what a great… warrior… you have become… I will tell him…."
"Rumil," it was a plea, a last desperate plea for him to hold on, but Rumil's gaze was drawn once more to the stars.
Rumil watched the tiny lights grow brighter and brighter. They merged into one, as if the day had dawned and he stared straight at the sun, "Patient…must be…patient…," he whispered.
The sound of footfalls caused Haldir's head to rise and he saw the healer emerge from the wood. "Arandur, hurry!" he shouted, but a sudden jerk caused him to look down to his brother.
Rumil pulled forcefully on the neck of Haldir's tunic with the last strength his body possessed. He spoke then, one final time. "Eruanna," he gasped, drawing breath before the flood overtook him, "tell her… Haldir… tell her…the stars… are different… in Valinor."
"Rumil…no, no, no, no, no! Don't leave! Rumil!" Haldir screamed as Rumil released his final breath and the trees that drank his immortal blood echoed the cry.