Part: 26
Rating: Strong R
Pairing: Haldir/OFC
Characters: Just about every other elf that Tolkien created that's in the LoTR books and movies.
Warning: descriptions of wounds and sexual situations
Disclaimer: All known characters are owned by the great Tolkien, all others are of my own creation.
Beta(s): Marta, Novedhelion, and Vi
Timeline: 80 years before LoTR and extends to post RoTK events
Notes: I want to thank Marta, Zee, Mal, Kay, Suse, Phyllis, Vi, Novedhelion, Kika, Becky, Dorothy, and Rashida for their expertise. Without their input this story would not be what it is today.
Sindarian speach is shown with ""
Westron speach is show with ' '
This story follows the movieverse.
Summary: With no memory of a possible alliance with Mirkwood, an elleth, lone survivor of a devastating attack, is brought to Rivendell.
Chapter 26
Pain, agony, it stabbed through his mind sluggishly. Not knowing what he was doing, he cried out, thrashing and writhing. At the same time his mind was trying to process the information of his wounds and what was damaged.
"Help me," a voice called out as if from a great distance. "He is waking. He cannot take much more of this." The same person lowered his voice and spoke softly in his ear, "It will be all right, Haldir. You need to drink this."
Haldir felt someone gently open his mouth and pour a thick bittersweet liquid into it.
"It will help you deal with the pain, Captain."
Through the haze of pain, Haldir could sense that the elf was speaking the truth. Weakly, he swallowed it and soon felt the effects working. The pain was just as great, but with the drug he really did not care about it at the moment and he slid into a deep, deep sleep.
"I do not wish to do this, but I have to cauterize the wound now before it gets any worse, and it is too great for Tiniwen to heal." It was an elf-healer that spoke. He turned to glance at Garuth and noted the Adan's curiosity at how a gravely injured elf was to be treated.
"I do not think even Master Elrond has the amount of strength it would take to heal him fully, but thank the Valar he was wearing armor," the second healer spoke.
"Yes, thank them indeed."
The two rolled Haldir onto his stomach and started easing the blood stained bandages off the deep, ugly wound. Haldir was also very lucky his spine was not severed.
"Here, I have a blade that can be used," Tiniwen spoke as she leaned over the two healers. "It has never been used in battle and has no markings on it. Lord Elrond bade me to bring it." She pulled out the short sword from her traveling bag.
Elréril nodded towards the fire.
Tiniwen nodded, "It will be ready when you finish cleaning his wound." Turning she placed the end of the blade into the fire.
Eowyn came by with more bandages but stopped when she saw one of the wounded elves being worked on.
One of them stood up and blocked her view. He could not speak Westron very well, but he was understandable. 'My lady, I wish not you see.'
He stopped when Tiniwen approached the pair. "I will tell her what needs to be told," she told Elréril. The elf nodded in relief and hurried back to where Haldir lay.
'My lady, Haldir is badly injured. Elréril fears he will not survive and complete his journey.'
'He is alive?' she asked with surprise.
'Yes, my lady. Now saes, let them try and save him.'
Eowyn nodded, she had to find Aragorn to tell him that the leader of the elven troops had survived the battle. Rushing out she collided with Legolas. 'My lord, where is Lord Aragorn? It is very important that I find him.'
'Can it not wait?'
Eowyn shook her head, 'No, it concerns Haldir.' She gasped when she saw the elf's eyes fill up with grief at hearing the name.
'Do not bother Aragorn. He knows Haldir has traveled to the Halls of Mandos.'
Eowyn's voice hardened, 'Then you will have to convince the two healers that are working over him right now.'
It took a few moments for the information to sink in. 'Is, is he alive?'
'Very much so, but in a great deal of pain. He bears an ugly wound on his back.'
Legolas stayed just long enough to hear her last sentence before going into the healers area. It was not hard to find the two elven healers Eowyn had referred to earlier, they were hunched over the elf working to clean the ugly wound.
Legolas turned and went out looking for Aragorn. Eowyn had not found him yet, for the Dúnedain Chieftain was standing with Theoden, Eomer, and Gandalf discussing the events of the previous night and morning.
'Aragorn, I need to speak to you.'
The four turned to Legolas. "It concerns the Marchwarden. He lives."
Aragorn's eyes widened while Gandalf's eyebrows raised, "Where?"
"He is with the healers."
Aragorn nodded his head to the three, then turned and went quickly to where the healers worked.
Theoden looked to Gandalf giving him a questioning look. 'What was he talking about?'
Gandalf turned and looked in the direction Aragorn had gone. 'Haldir survived the battle, but I fear he will still loose his life.'
Aragorn stopped quickly inside the healers area when he saw one of the healers pull a heated blade out of a small fire and bring it over to Haldir's prone form. The Ranger felt a hand on his shoulder and someone push him to the side. Turning quickly, he found it to be Rúmil. The elf was carrying what looked like a bloodied cloak in his hands.
"Rúmil," Aragorn quickly put himself in front of the elf. "Let them work."
The warden looked at Aragorn for a moment before shaking his head. "Do not hinder me, Dúnedain." The elf began pushing him to the side again, but froze when he heard and smelt the sound of searing flesh and Haldir's guttural cry of pain.
"Hold him still!"
Aragorn turned while closing his eyes to the sight before him, not wanting to watch the healers care for Haldir. Sensing movement, Aragorn turned back to Rúmil. The elf was reaching out to move Aragorn off to the side again. Bringing his own hand up, the Ranger stopped it and managed to get the warden to move to another area. "You know that if you are there you could hinder the healers working over him, and that is something you do not want to happen. They are doing what they can."
Rúmil looked down at the cloak in his hand, visibly torn about between what he wanted and and needed to do.
"Rúmil."
The elf looked up and found only compassion in the Dúnedain's eyes. He looked down again and found Aragorn had reached out a hand and touched the gray cloak. "That is not Haldir's."
Rúmil shook his head. He could feel his emotions churning inside him, so much so that he felt himself about to burst. Not fighting it anymore he sat down hard and buried his face in his hands, weeping.
Many had lost good friends, Aragorn knew. He knelt then sat down beside the openly grieving elf. "Was he a good friend?" he asked quietly.
Rúmil shook his head. "Family."
Aragorn's eyes widened with dismay. "It cannot be Orophin!"
"Nay. It, it was Elaldur." Rúmil looked up for a moment and scanned the healers area. From deep inside the caves he could just see his elder brother moving in and among the wounded elves and Edain. Orophin did not know Westron, but he did come to them and at least place a hand on their shoulders to show they were not alone. Squinting his eyes, Rúmil could see Orophin's right arm in a crude sling. His eyes strayed towards Haldir's prone form, they were still working on his back. Rúmil squeezed his eyes shut at the sight before him and looked back down. "It was because of Elaldur I am here."
Aragorn closed his eyes and looked down. After a moment he looked back up and glanced over to Rúmil again. Without a second thought he placed his arm around the elf's shoulders and let him grieve.
Seeing movement again out of the corner of his eyes, Aragorn looked up and found Legolas had wandered into the area. The elf was watching the three healers working over Haldir with interest. He turned back to Rúmil and spoke quietly, "Remember, we are here. It is right to grieve for lost loved ones."
Getting the barest of nods Aragorn removed his arm and stood up. He walked over to Legolas. How is he? the elf asked when he spied Rúmil.
Rúmil grieves. Aragorn shook his head then turned to look back at the elf he had just left. Rúmil was sitting alone with his head bowed, still clutching the cloak in his hands.
Legolas nodded. Not taking his eyes away from the warden, Legolas slowly walked over to the elder elf and sat down beside him, offering comfort of companionship to the grieving elf.
oOoOo
Orophin slowly worked his way through the wounded. He knew inside that if he had any gifts in the healing area he would have been a healer and not a warden. That being so, he always did what he could to help. The ones he worked his way through were just children in his eyes. He was almost overwhelmed at the thought that all of Rohan had fought against Sarumon's orc army, and that children had taken up the defense of their people and king.
He looked down to his arm, it had stopped hurting after a while. Thinking nothing of it, he went to more of the wounded. Hearing familiar voices, Orophin looked up and found Rúmil sitting down and Aragorn was beside him. He had seen that Haldir had survived, so his younger brother was grieving for someone else. Stepping to the side rather quickly, Orophin almost lost his balance. He could feel deep inside he was weakening, but he paid no heed to that. When he was fairly close to the healers he saw Tiniwen turn around and felt her gaze settle on him. He gave her a smile and started going to someone else that needed comfort more than he did at this time.
Before he could reach the first wounded one, he felt a hand on his good arm.
"Orophin?"
Orophin turned to look at Tiniwen and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.
"Have you had your arm looked at?" She started looking at his hand that stuck out of the material. It was a sickly color.
"It is nothing. Do not worry about it." He knew it was a lost cause when she reached out to examine it. Her brow furrowed with concern when she touched the unnaturally cool skin. Giving him a hard look, one that even Elrond would be proud of, she easily brought him over closer to the healers and made him sit down.
"Tell me, can you move your arm?" she asked as she removed the sling. His arm hung limply when released from the material. Tiniwen then lifted it up and checked to see if there was any muscle resistance. The troubling thing was that there was none.
"I did not think it was that bad," Orophin mumbled as he looked up at her.
"Not bad?" Tiniwen crossed her arms in front of him. "You cannot move your arm and you think it not bad?" Uncrossing them she started unlacing the armor around his wounded arm. When it was completely stripped and down to just his skin she placed her hands on the wound and the gray skin around it. If she did not hurry he would lose his arm entirely. Becoming very still, she focused her healing powers on the damaged skin. A couple of minutes later she stumbled back a few steps and reached out her arms to regain some sense of balance. It took more energy to heal his arm than she had estimated.
When her legs started giving out arms quickly wrapped around her waist and kept her on her feet. "Please," she whispered while letting her head hang from intense weariness.
"Be easy," a kind voice spoke softly in her ear.
Turning to the voice she was mesmerized by his eyes, and almost immediately lulled back.
"Mellon, make sure she rests."
Tiniwen closed her eyes while hanging her head down. When she leaned up against the one that was holding her, she could feel his arms tightened before picking her up. What seemed like moments later she felt him placing her on one of the pallets and pulling a blanket over her.
"Please," she whispered.
"What is it?"
"I. . .need to. . ." she tried to sit up, but was too weak. Gentle hands on her shoulders kept her from rising. "Nay. You just performed major healing. You are more of a danger to the patients now than if you were untrained."
"But. . ."
"What does Master Elrond do after such a healing?"
"Rests," she whispered. "And let the other healers handle what needs to be done."
"Then rest, brave one. Orophin will be fine." He pushed a few strands of her dark hair from her face while watching her finally descend into a deep reverie.
"Is she resting, Thranduilion?" Orophin's voice spoke from behind him.
Legolas turned to look at the fully healed Lórien guard. "Yes, but only after I had to reason with her." He shook his head.
"She has always been too stubborn for her own good."
Legolas gave a short laugh at Orophin's comment. "I know of several people that are like that." Standing up he went over to the healers and told them where he had placed Tiniwen after she healed Orophin. As he walked away he felt a small sense of sadness. In a way he wanted to be there when she woke back up, but she was just a simple healer. Shaking his thoughts free, he left the keep and headed outside, he had a small score to settle with Gimli.
TBC...