Weaving a Song

Chapter 31

c. 2510 TA

Haldir had felt her cry the first time and practically vaulted onto his horse. "I am sorry," he told his brothers. "I must hurry home."

Orophin eyed him with some hesitation. They were almost as close as brothers could be, but whenever Haldir had been feeling something foreign to Orophin, the self-same brother could only feel Haldir's reaction to it and not whatever it was himself. "Is it the Princess?" Orophin asked softly. "You cannot run after her to protect her all the day long."

"I know," Haldir replied, "but this was not just fear, it was pain and a cry for help as well. We are almost back anyway and would be done within the hour. I am needed." He was about to ride off with that when his face paled and he almost fell off his horse. He would have actually fallen had not Orophin been there before he did.

"What is wrong?" Haldir clutched at his chest and then shook his head.

"It is her, not me. I must go." He said. His brothers glanced at each other.

"Let us go with you then. Just to make sure you do not injure yourself."

"Fine, but I have to approach her on my own."

"Fair enough." His brothers replied.

*

"I will never let you go." Elrohir told her very sincerely and had it been anyone else, or had he actually taken time to form a proper bond, it would not have taken nearly the energy nor the power from Almiel that it did. As it was, he still did not notice Almiel tremble as he kissed her. He had no intention at the time of doing anything other than that, for her father, not to mention his, would truly have killed him for that, but he did not realize that what he was doing then was just as bad because of the gift bestowed on the Princess.

Thereby, when he got trampled, his first reaction was giddiness for all the pulsing light inside him. When he saw Haldir trying to steady the swaying Princess, however, his giddiness was swept into something else entirely, though it was still driven by all the extra adrenaline inside of him.

*

Haldir had felt the extreme fear Almiel had over the past couple minutes and had pushed his horse even faster. He arrived just in time to see the delirious Lord killing Almiel with nothing but a kiss. Haldir pushed Elrohir as hard as he could off of the Princess and then kicked him away. He grabbed Almiel quickly before she fell. He caught a murmured, "You heard me…" before she passed out in his arms. He gently picked her up and laid her sitting against the rock and he transferred enough energy to keep her alive to her body.

He felt someone approaching him and he turned to see Elrohir looking dangerously angry at him before he felt his own anger spark.

"What did you do to her?" Elrohir yelled. Haldir shook with rage before he slapped Elrohir as far back as possible. Elrohir looked shocked but he simply laughed, his adrenaline not registering the pain.

"It was not me!" Haldir yelled, pointing at him.

"I would never! You may be trying to be overprotective, but this is simply outrageous that you would behave in such a manner."

"I would do no such thing!" Haldir yelled. "You almost killed her! You took way too much of her when you ripped open a bond with her! You did this!" Something appeared to register on Elrohir's face but he still denied.

"No! Never!" Haldir shook before realizing Almiel needed to get out of there. For whatever reason, she was still giving Elrohir energy.

"I am not finished with you!" He said threateningly to Elrohir before picking Almiel up. He put Almiel on his horse. He glanced toward his brothers who were waiting nervously. She was ready to depart. Her horse is still here as well. Send him on, he knows the way, or accompany him if Galadriel accepts. He felt Orophin's acknowledgment and he tried to swing onto his horse. But Elrohir grabbed his arm before he could.