Author Note

Hello, my lovely readers! Thank you to all who have favorited and followed this story. I'm going to try and keep my updates on this story on Wednesdays but I started driving for Lyft so I might be a day or two late sometimes. I'm driving nights which is interesting to say the least. Who knew so many people were night owls? On the upside, my husband can stay home with our daughter instead of paying for someone to watch her and I still get to be home with her during the day. But enough of that!

MissCallaLilly- Haldir really is wonderful, isn't he? And oh so sexy. I won't lie, I'm still mad at Peter Jackson for killing him.

Story

Rumil Stood sadly over the bodies of the fallen elves that had come with them. Of the twenty that had been part of the guard, ten had been fine or only sustained minor injuries. Another three were severally injured, and of the other seven four were dead and the last three were missing including Haldir. He and Orophin had yet to find their brothers body. They had watched him fall and been unable to get to him in time. It was a truly crushing blow for the brothers. Rumil couldn't even remember their parents they had both sailed before he was more than a small elfling and Haldir had been the one to raise him. He had been more father than brother and had never once given any sign that he regretted stepping into that role.

Orophin had been a bit older but still, Haldir had stepped in to help him through his adolescence and now their one constant was gone. The tears were hot upon his cheeks, the grief far too fresh to hide. How could either of them survive without their older brother? The loss was almost unbearable.

"Rumil!" it was his brother's voice shouting his name.

"Yes, Orophin?"

"Lord Elrond has returned from the site of the battle," there was a pause and he looked hesitant to go on. "there are several still missing. Both man and elf, there was no sign of Haldir."

Rumil could feel his stomach roll. There could only be one explanation for the missing bodies. Some of the Orcs must have escaped. His fist clenched, they had to find them and bring their brother remains back to rest peacefully.

"We must find him Orophin." Rumil knew he sounded desperate. The brothers shared a quiet moment before starting the hunt hoping to find their brother quickly. The most direct route back to Moria was a good place to start. The beasts couldn't have made it over the mountains yet.

It had been several weeks since they started their search and so far all the stragglers the brothers had tracked down didn't have Haldir. Orophin could feel his frustration mounting as they made their way back to Imladris once more. The rest of the elves had all returned to Lothlorien, all except them. The Lady understood why they couldn't, but their failure was still bitter. And with the snowstorms in recent days most the other trails had been lost. There were only hints left to follow and most of them were in valleys far north of any of the routs they thought likely. The orcs would have been mad to go that way but perhaps they didn't know how quickly those could be buried by an avalanche. The brothers struck out again with very little hope left and searched the deeper valleys hoping maybe just maybe the band they were looking for had gone this way. Two weeks in and they found some discarded items near a slight overhang that kept them from being buried in the snow.

As Orophin shifted through the pile he gave a shout when he uncovered a medallion. It was one he had given Haldir many years ago. A present when he had become the Marchwarden. He and Rumil picked up the pace. Hoping this was the right way this time. It grieved Rumil to think they had overlooked this way because it had been deemed too far north. He prayed that they could find more than just the medallion to take home. Even some bones would be better than an empty grave.

Eglan tried to avoid the Marchwarden as best she could over the next few days,

but it was not so easy. It was after all late winter and very cold in the mountains, and his injuries still needed tending. So it was either be cold and uncomfortable outside or warm and uncomfortable inside under his searching gaze and probing questions. Eglan couldn't meet the ellon eye to eye. Too many years of abuse to overcome. It was obvious that he didn't understand and she didn't want to tell him and see the disgust she knew he would feel looking upon her.

That didn't stop Haldir from trying to talk to her. The silence was awkward at best, not even his wardens were so quiet on watch. And he couldn't help the nagging feeling that this elleth was familiar to him. He finally started filling the silence with stories of Lothlorien and his brothers. Even if she wasn't listening it felt good to talk, to be alive.

She started sitting closer to him by the fifth day of him telling stories. Haldir wasn't sure she noticed what she was doing but he wasn't going to bring it up and frighten the elleth away. There was something soothing about having her there and each time she sat a bit closer it felt like another victory. As much as he missed his brothers Haldir wanted to spend more time trying to talk to his rescuer and perhaps persuade her to come back to the Golden Wood with him once he was healed. He didn't know why she was all alone but it pained him to think of leaving her that way.

As the weeks passed he began to notice odd things about her. She hardly slept and when she did she would wake suddenly sometimes with a quiet scream that was more like a gasp. Her eating habits were all but nonexistent and her diet was entirely plant-based. No wonder she was so skinny. Soon he was able to rise and move about and that just set off more odd behavior.

Eglan wouldn't look at him and she was once again sitting as far away as she could. Sudden movements would make her flinch. What was going on? He just couldn't figure it out. There was some missing piece here and Haldir desperately wanted to find it. The days passed turning into weeks. He was still healing but knew that the time for him to leave was drawing near. There was a sadness building inside him for the lost looking elleth that saved him. He had to somehow convince her to come with him.

One afternoon he finally ventured out from the cave after Eglan had been gone for longer than normal. Haldir was concerned for her safety. There was the sound of a waterfall nearby perhaps she was there. Haldir was lost in thought of the arguments he could make for her to return with him when he came upon an unexpected sight. Eglan was bathing. He wanted to look away but his eyes were stuck it seemed. Her eyes were closed as she leaned back as she cleaned her long auburn hair. He shivered to think of how cold that water must be.

She turned and stood to pull her hair around her front to reveal the pale skin of her back. Haldir frowned. There was something different about her skin. An audible gasp escaped him drawing her attention to him. She was frozen her eyes wide seeing him there.

Eglan tried to run from the water but he was too fast meeting her at the shore one hand gripping her arm tightly forcing her to expose her back to him. He didn't even hear the small sob that escaped her lips as he took in the sacred flesh that covered her from her shoulders to the backs of her thighs. She had been whipped and clawed he realized with a shudder.

"NO!"

The sudden shout brought Haldir's attention back to the girl herself. She was struggling against his hold. Pleading with him to let her go. Begging him not to hurt her again and her fear was thick in the air. He quickly released her. She collapsed to the ground sobbing and curled into a tight ball her one arm protecting her head the other was between her legs covering her womanhood.

"Eglan," his voice was soft as he knelt next to the shaking elleth not daring to touch her again. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please let me get you back to the cave."

He continued to talk to her in a low voice until she uncurled and looked at him with reddened eyes. Her nod was so small he would have missed it if he hadn't been paying attention. She let him carry her back and dress her in clean clothes but Haldir could feel she was withdrawing from him, even more than she had been when they first met. The only thing he could think to do was pull her shivering form closer to his body and rock her as he had done for Rumil when he was young. His movements were only slightly hindered by his still tender back.

Eglan for her part was pulled into a memory that she had tried for centuries to suppress.

She was curled up in the far corner of her cell listening to the screams of one of the others taken with her. They had so far seemed to forget she existed, but for how long that would last she didn't know. The young elleth still had hope rescue would come before anything happened to her. Maybe they thought she was too young even though she had reached her majority a decade ago. She drifted off into a restless sleep.

The sound of her door slamming open startled her. A clawed hand wrapped around her wrist squeezing enough to force a cry of pain from between her chapped lips. She tried to pull back but couldn't escape. She didn't understand the course language of the monsters but it didn't really matter when she was thrown into the middle of a room full of them.

She screamed as a large one grabbed the front of her dress ripping it down the center. He laughed as she tried to pull the pieces back together protecting her modesty. Another ran his claws down her back shredding fabric and skin alike. Tears ran down her cheeks as she fell to the cold floor. They ripped her clothes from her body a bit at a time.

The largest approached her an evil smirk showing his rotting and broken teeth. He gripped her arms pinning her down snarling something in the dark language they spoke. Two more grabbed her legs spreading them as. She started screaming and fighting again realizing what they were about to do. But it was too late. The pain was terrible as her innocents was ripped away on the cold floor of the cave and her screams echoed as she was forcefully taken again and again until all the orcs were satisfied with her for that night. She was thrown back into her cell naked and bleeding praying for death.

Haldir was woken by Eglan's screams. She was thrashing around lost in some dark dream. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she screamed no. He was quick to act gathering her trembling form close attempting to wake the frightened elleth. She came to her nails clawing at him fighting to get away. He had seen her wake from nightmare before but never this violently. He was left with bleeding scratches on one arm and the side of his neck. They stung but he chose to ignore them as he brought her hands under control.

"Eglan!" His shout stilled her. "Relax, please. I am not going to hurt you young one."

"Please let me go." Her broken whisper pulled at his heart but he released her. Eglan darted to the far corner of the cave.

"What happened to you?"

Eglan flinched at the simple question. This was not something she wanted to talk about. Every moment was haunted by what had happened to her. But maybe she could make him leave her be if she revealed the truth. All she wanted was peace and this ellon prevented that. He awoke feelings she thought long buried. A longing to return to her people being the least of them. But after how the orcs had shamed her she knew she could never return. No, it was better to end this now before she became used to him being around. Or even worse formed an attachment.

The Marchwarden barely caught the word that slipped for her lips. Orcs. The horrible realization of what that met for the young elleth in front of him numbed his mind. She wouldn't look at him and now he knew why. He wanted to know when this had happened. How long had she been carrying this burden alone? Why hadn't she returned to one of the elven realms? Haldir slowly walked towards her and knelt down.

"Eglan, let me help you. Come back with me to Lorien. You should not be out here all alone."

"I have been alone for more than four-hundred years." Her quiet voice was bitter. "No one cared that I was gone then and once you have returned to your forest you can forget about me too."

She was past him and out of the cave before Haldir could stop her. Eglan did not return that night or the next day. He went out looking for her but couldn't travel far while still healing. Soon another week had passed while he healed. But she didn't return, Haldir knew in his heart she was gone. He gathered what provisions she had left behind and started the hike back to the valley floor. Once down at the bottom he paused seeing the area she had laid the ones that were taken with him to rest. Haldir promised himself he would find her again. With that, he started back to the Imladris. It was nearing evening when he heard a couple familiar voices.

"Rumil? Orophin?" Hope flared to life within him. Could his brothers really be out here?

The conversation stopped and the sound of running feet suddenly started to come closer. His brothers burst around the corner only to freeze at the sight of him. He knew that they had feared he was dead.

"Haldir!" the two younger ellyn shouted in unison and ran to hug their brother. He grunted at the slight pain in his back as they hugged him a bit too tight but he didn't complain. Even happy as he was to see them he couldn't help but worry for the elleth that had saved him. She was still out there alone and he was the only one who knew and could search for and bring her home where she belonged.