Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings trilogy was written by
J R. R. Tolkien.
I make no
monetary profit from this story.
Summary: Éomer finds Haldir after the battle of Helm’s
Deep. Non slash.
Rating PG
~~~~~~~~
THE AFTERMATH
Éomer of Rohan
took a breath as he saw the dead upon and around the Hornburg. Countless bodies of Men and Elves and debris
lay strewn across the battleground. The
Rohirrim began to collect the wounded and take them inside. Éomer saw a cape red as blood and at first he
thought it had been stained, but then he saw the cape itself was vermilion.
“This Elf lives!” he yelled, upon closer
inspection. “He breathes! Though he is badly wounded.”
Éomer’s
kinsmen helped carry the armoured Elf inside.
There they laid him upon a bed in an empty room.
“He saved us
all,” a child said, tugging on Éomer’s clothing. “If he had not lead
the Elves to Helm’s Deep, all would have been lost... And he saved my life.”
Éomer knelt down.
“Tell me your name, little one.”
“My name is Haleth.”
“I am called Éomer.”
“We are indebted
to you as well.”
“No debt will
be taken, for it was the duty as well as the pleasure of the Rohirrim to come
to aid and do what we can to rid this world of its evils. Do you know the name of this Elf?”
Haleth shook his head. “He fought bravely, defending a people he
hardly knew.”
Éomer took a look at the unconscious Elf lying on the
bed.
“I thank you,
Master Elf. I will return when you have
awoken.”
Two of the Rohirrim stayed with the Elf, removed his
armour and saw to his wounds.
Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and King Théoden sat in silence to honour the dead.
“May you all
be at peace,” Aragorn said softly, a tear meandering down his cheek.
Legolas spoke just
as softly in his own tongue. “Aa’ le rada lîn athrad.”
{May you find your way.}
The Elf in the red cape slept through the night, the
following day and the following night and day before he awoke. Startled at first, he looked around him. He winced in pain as he turned, and saw his
wound bandaged.
“You are
fortunate your armour took the blow of the Uruk axe to your back.”
Haldir looked up to see a scraggly haired man
bringing him a tray of food and water.
He nodded. “Fortunate indeed.”
The man left set the tray down.
“Thank you,”
Haldir said as he began to drink. He
hadn’t realised how thirsty he was and drank the entire contents of the
carafe. However he was not very hungry
and ate little.
He thanked the man again. “May I have the pleasure of your name?”
“I am Losan
of the Rohirrim.”
The Elf gave him his name.
“I bid thee
well.”
Losan left to find Éomer.
“The Elf is
awake,” Losan said, giving Éomer his name.
“This is good
news, thank you.”
Éomer entered the room. The Elf placed down a half eaten piece of Rohannian
waybread.
“Do you require
more sustenance?” Éomer asked.
“No thank
you, but I would like some more water.”
“Fetch
water,” Éomer ordered one of his Rohirrim.
He turned back to Haldir.
“I am Éomer,
leader of the Rohirrim and I thank you, Haldir of Lórien, for I am told that
without your army we would nay have lasted the night.”
“I merely led
my people. They would have followed
another.”
“And you
fought bravely.”
“So did my
kin. Please do not elevate me above
them.”
“I am sorry
if I have caused offence, I only wanted to thank you for saving my people.”
“And it was
my pleasure as well as my duty. Long ago
men and Elves fought and died together and we have done so again. Let the souls of those who did not make the
night rest in peace. They did not die in
vain.”
Éomer nodded.
“I thank you again, Haldir.”
“And I you, Éomer,
for I am told that it is you who found me, if you had not, perhaps I would nay
have survived.”
“It was my
pleasure, Haldir of Lórien.”
Éomer spoke to the others about Haldir.
“The one who
lead the Elves survived,” he said.
“Though he does not wish us to elevate him above his kin and we shall
not, but Haldir of Lórien shall be forever remembered as a hero of Rohan.”
“Haldir ..” Aragorn stared at Éomer wide eyed. “He lives? …
But I saw him fall…”
“Fortunately,
his wounds did not go deep,” Éomer said.
“He survived.” Éomer pointed to
where the Elf rested.
Aragorn bolted to the room. Haldir sat up in bed.
The Ranger looked at him. “Ae le car yana ad, im gruthos
le anim.” {If you do that again,
I’ll kill you myself.}
The Elf chuckled.
“Im avo thel an, En Meldir.” {I don’t intend to, My Friend.}
“Maer.” {Good.}
Aragorn smiled, then laughed
as he hugged his friend. He looked up
and Haldir wiped a tear from his cheek.
“Why do you
cry for me, Aragorn, Son of Arathorn?”
“I have too
few friends in this world, Haldir, I do not want to
lose them.”
Softly, Aragorn kissed Haldir’s forehead. Gently Haldir embraced his friend.
“I am more
than glad you are still with us, Haldir of Lórien…”
“As am I, and
I too am glad you are amongst the living, Aragorn, but many of are not.”
Aragorn nodded sadly.
“Aye, may the dead rest in peace.”
Haldir nodded, sadness in
his eyes.
Legolas and Gimli entered the room.
“You never
fail to surprise me, Haldir of Lórien.”
The older Elf smiled.
“It is good to see you amongst us, Legolas, and you Master Dwarf.”
“And you,”
Gimli said. “There is little joy left in
this world. I am truly sorry for my
insult to your kind when first we met.”
“As am I,”
Haldir said. He took both their
hands. “I must rest,” he said. “I have just awoken, but I feel like I have
not slept in an age.”
“Then rest,”
Aragorn said, “and do not let me catch you wandering about.”
“Otherwise
you’ll kill me?”
“Aye.” Aragorn
smiled. The others did as well.
“You have no
concern there, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, for I feel like I can sleep until the
Fifth Age.”
Aragorn smiled.
“Anything you need will be brought to you.”
“Thank you.”
Haldir laid his head down on the pillow and fell
asleep in an instant.
Some time during the night, Rúmil entered Haldir’s
room and sat on the floor by his brother’s bed and wept silent tears. Orophin, Haldir’s oldest brother waited
outside, holding back tears of his own.
Haldir was awakened, not by the sound of tears, but
by the sadness. He turned in his bed to
see his youngest brother weeping. Gently
he placed his hand atop his brother’s head.
“Why do you
cry, Rúmil?”
“To lose you
would be a burden I could not bear.” Rúmil spoke in his own tongue.
“But you have not lost me, My Brother. Many of our kin and men fell that night. Do you grieve for them also?”
“Of course I
grieve for them,” Rúmil said sadly, “but you are my brother.”
The young Elf threw his arms around his brother and
embraced him gently. Orophin entered the
room. “Rúmil, your wound needs to be
seen to, lest it become infected.” He spoke in Elvish. Gently Orophin touched Rúmil’s
bleeding brow.
The younger Elf nodded and started to leave. Orophin knelt beside his brother’s bedside. Rúmil waited by the door, out of sight. Orophin removed his helmet.
“When I heard
you had fallen, Haldir, if felt as if an Uruk and run me through.”
He took his brother’s hand. Haldir could feel him shivering.
Orophin could hold back his tears no longer. “Ohh, Haldir… I could not bear to lose you …”
This was the first time Haldir had seen his oldest
brother cry.
Rúmil entered the room and knelt down by his brother.
“Why did you
not-“ Orophin started to say.
“You did not
want me to see you like this.”
“I … I did
not want … you to … see me falter …”
Rúmil wiped his brother's tears away. “All I see is your love.”
More of Orophin’s tears flowed as he embraced his
youngest brother. Both Galadhrim them turned
to Haldir and took their brother’s hands.
Haldir smiled warmly. Legolas and
Aragorn entered the room, and were about to leave.
“Join us,”
Haldir said, then he shook his head and smiled. “…What on Middle Earth did I do to deserve
such loving brothers and friends?”
“By being nought but yourself, Haldir of Lórien,” Aragorn said. “Now you need some more rest.”
The Elf smiled.
“I hope this means you are not going to be mother henning me.”
“Like you
would not believe,” Aragorn said.
All smiled.
“I will be
nursemaid,” Legolas said with a smile.
“And you are not to perform any strenuous activities for at least two
months.”
Haldir chuckled.
“Remind me to get wounded more often.”
All in company laughed as Haldir laid to rest. His brothers gently kissed his forehead
before leaving him.
Haldir awoke the following afternoon and felt strong
enough to walk, but Aragorn insisted that he have a guide.
“Am I to take
it I am to be mollycoddled for the entire time it takes me to heal?”
“In a word, yes.”
Haldir chuckled.
“Again, I say what did I do to deserve such friends as you?”
Aragorn caught Haldir as he almost fell.
“Nought,” he
said, “but being who you are, Haldir of Lórien.”
Haldir’s brothers became ready for the journey home, packing
provisions and readying a carriage for their brother.
“They fussed
so with the carriage, Legolas said, “Rúmil even made pillows.”
The young Elf blushed, Haldir smiled. “I thank you, my beloved brothers … My dear
friends, this is where I leave you to return home where I must grieve for our
lost kin.”
Aragorn nodded.
“Aa’ mma râd athrada
ad, Haldir o Lórien.” {May
our paths cross again, Haldir of Lórien.”
“Aye, they
will Aragorn of the Dunedain. Vanya sulie” {Fair winds}
Aragorn watched as Haldir and his brothers took the
road to Lothlórien.