Part Thirty
Haldir propelled Legolas through the trees, away from the battle with the orcs, past the
first obvious clearing, deeper into the wood. He pushed Legolas up against a tree more
roughly than was strictly necessary but Haldir's heart was pounding and his blood was high
from the fight.
"Sit down," he growled as he quickly checked the area to make sure that there were
indeed no orcs here.
Legolas glared at him, but did as he was told. He gasped slightly and clutched at his
wound. It would be worse than he had let on, Haldir knew then. He was immediately sorry
for pushing Legolas so hard. Legolas had never been one to complain. He had never dared
take a hurt to Thranduil, who probably would have soothed him all too willingly, Haldir
thought. Legolas, however, had inherited his father's pride. They were both stubborn.
"You may leave me if you wish to get back to the fray," Legolas said.
"Has the wound poisoned your mind?" Haldir said. "Take off your tunic so I may look at
it."
"I do not wish you to look at it!"
"If you preferred Lord Elrond to see to it, you should have spoken up. Now it is too late,
and you are stuck with me. I am going to tend you, will you or not."
"Must you always be such a bastard?" Legolas groused. He unfastened his cloak and let it
fall off of his shoulders. He was still breathing heavily, Haldir noted.
"Am I a bastard to care that you are wounded?"
"You do not care."
"If that is so, then why am I here?"
Legolas did not reply. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree. Haldir
knelt on the ground beside him. His fingers brushed over the hole that the orc bolt had left
in Legolas' tunic and Legolas gasped. Haldir saw a tear form in the corner of his eye.
"I know it hurts," Haldir murmured.
"No, it hurts not," Legolas said through gritted teeth.
"You need not show bravado for me, Legolas," Haldir said softly and calmly. "I am not
your father."
Legolas opened his eyes and stared at Haldir with an icy expression. "Do not speak to me
of Thranduil."
"Very well. Come, can you lift your arms? I need to take off your tunic to examine the
wound."
"How many times must I say that I do not wish you to tend me?"
"You may say it as many times as you like, but I am going to do it anyway. Do not force
me to rip your garment, Legolas. It will irritate the wound, and you will have nothing to
wear."
"I have other tunics in my pack," Legolas sulked.
Haldir grinned at him. "That sounds very much like an invitation. As for the rest of your
clothing, by now the orcs will be wearing it."
Legolas looked horrified by the thought of orcs wearing his clothes. "It was not an
invitation! And no orc could fit into my wardrobe."
"Do not worry, they are probably only shredding it, in truth."
Legolas groaned. "My favorite leggings were in that pack."
"You are beginning to sound like Arwen, who will no doubt be insufferable when her
clothing meets the same fate as yours. Now, enough. Lift up your arms and let me help
you off with this. It is already stained with blood."
"And there is a hole in it," Legolas added mournfully.
He gave in and lifted his arms up so that Haldir could take off the tunic, but the motion
caused him to cry out in pain. Haldir quickly and carefully removed Legolas’ tunic and the
shirt he wore beneath it. He could see Legolas grow paler, trembling with the pain. The
prince bit his lower lip. Haldir wished he could have taken the bolt himself and spared
Legolas this.
The wound was in Legolas' upper arm, just below his shoulder. He had been lucky that the
bolt had not stuck. There was a good deal of blood, and the wound still flowed at a mild
trickle, but it was not serious. Haldir wished that he had Elrond's pouch of medicines, for
he could have stopped the blood and healed it within minutes. He imagined that the bag
was lost along with the rest of their possessions.
"I will need to put an herb on it to slow the bleeding and to keep it from infection. It will
heal in a day or two," Haldir said.
"Infection?"
"I know such maladies are rare among our kind, but it hurts not and will aid in the healing
process. It will also relieve some of the pain. You will be fine once this is bound up."
"Have you the proper herb in your pocket?" Legolas asked, and Haldir knew the prince
was teasing him.
"It grows in abundance here. This is a place of strength and ancient magic. Would I could
wash the wound in the waters of the stream. It has some healing properties."
"Because of Nimrodel?"
Legolas looked surprised as Haldir got up to scan the area for the herb he wanted. As he
had said, it was growing in profusion, so he did not even have to leave Legolas' sight to
find some. He plucked a handful and turned back to Legolas, kneeling beside him again as
he began to shred the herb with his fingers to make a poultice. He nodded.
"Yes, because of her. I believe this is why we were sent to this place. The spirit of her has
been here for all of my life-time. I have known it before, though I knew not precisely what
it was. Can you not feel it, the sense of peace -- even after an orc attack?"
Legolas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The orcs never crossed the stream," he
said in a dreamy voice. "Even if we had not been here to fight them, they would never
have been able to pass…" He opened his eyes and looked worriedly at Haldir. "We needed
not fight them. My father--"
"Shh," Haldir said, stopping Legolas before he could make a disparaging remark about
Thranduil that he would regret. "He did what he felt was best. One less hoard of orcs in
this world is for the better."
Legolas looked doubtful but he nodded as Haldir took his arm and started cleansing the
wound with the herb. Legolas hissed in pain at first, his whole body tense, but after a
moment he began to relax.
"Already the pain is leaving me," he said with wonder.
"I will bind this herb to your arm," Haldir said. He reached for the edge of his cloak to tear
a strip from the bottom, but Legolas stayed his hand.
"Use my under-tunic. It is torn already, and I would not have you ruin your best cloak in
my name."
Haldir looked up and met Legolas' eyes. There was such goodness in this elf. Haldir felt
his heart move inside his chest. He wanted to lean forward and kiss Legolas, for caring
enough to spare him the tearing of his cloak. For caring at all. Instead he simply nodded
slightly.
"Thank you," he said, and he tore the sleeve from the garment. Carefully he tied it around
Legolas' arm, making sure it would not slip free. When the work was finished, he
inadvertently allowed his hand to slide down Legolas' arm to his elbow. He felt as though
he could not stop himself from stroking the bare flesh, and he saw Legolas shiver.
"Haldir…"
Haldir looked up as Legolas whispered his name. The eyes of the young prince were so
blue, like a cloudless midsummer sky. The full bow of his mouth was made for kisses. The
arch of his noble brow and the sculpt of his cheekbones added to his irresistible beauty,
powerful for even an elf. Haldir had never desired anyone as much as he did Legolas.
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"You are welcome," Haldir said breathlessly. He could resist no more. He leaned forward
towards Legolas' mouth, but Legolas' hand shot up between them, stopping him.
"Do not kiss me."
Angry frustration swirled inside of Haldir. "Why not?" he demanded.
"I do not wish to stir up feelings that should be left to lie."
"Stir them up? Legolas, in me those feelings have never settled -- ever. From the first
moment I saw you so long ago in your homeland of Mirkwood, I have been stirred up. I
meant not to act on those feelings again but I did -- we did. You asked me for the present.
Now I am asking you for it."
This was as close as Haldir would come to begging. He did not meant to be so vehement
but he consoled himself with the knowledge that he was doing as Thranduil had asked him
to.
"Haldir," Legolas said sharply, "I feel as you do, but there is no trust between us."
"I am sorry that I did not ask you about what happened yesterday," Haldir said as evenly
as he could.
"What about my father?"
"I do not think he will mind."
"That is not what I meant," Legolas sighed. "I saw him riding with you, then the way he
sat with you tonight as we dined. He desires you."
"And if he does? My heart and my desire lie elsewhere."
"I fear he will take you for his own."
"He cannot take me away from you," Haldir said firmly, taking Legolas' chin in his hand
and looking into his eyes. He was tempted to tell Legolas all that he had spoken of as they
rode together that afternoon.
"He can if he so desires. Thranduil is never denied what he wants. Ever."
"I believe that what he wants above all is your happiness."
"That, my son, is true," Thranduil said, stepping out from behind a tree.
Haldir immediately let go of Legolas and stood up. Legolas scrambled to his feet as well,
trying not to grimace in pain.
"Father--"
"The wound is not serious, I take it," Thranduil said, gripping Legolas' arm to look at the
binding Haldir had put on it.
"No," said Haldir. "He will be fine in a day, perhaps two. The orcs, are they slaughtered?"
"Yes. Did most of it myself, but Elrond had to get in there and show off by attempting to
help. We are safe now, and the others are resting. We have a new fire, and Arwen and
Rúmil are pretending to take a watch."
"Pretending!" said Haldir sharply. He did not like Thranduil's disparaging way of speaking
of the others. Thranduil simply grinned at him.
"There is no need for the two of you to join us," he said in a low voice. "I believe you
have much to discuss. Spend the night here, in privacy, if you will."
Legolas' blue eyes grew even more round with disbelief. "We need not, Father," he said.
"Oh, but I think you do, my beloved son," Thranduil said fondly. "Rest easily, and let
Haldir…watch over you. If there comes any more danger, I will come for you both, but I
feel the safety of this place in my bones."
He disappeared back into the trees. Legolas stood looking after him, dumbfounded.
Finally he turned his gaze back to Haldir. Haldir felt less surprised by Thranduil's
appearance (and disappearance) than Legolas seemed to be. He knew only that he wanted
to make up for the night before, which had been lost to them. He picked up Legolas' cloak
and tunic and took off his own cloak. He spread the clothing over the ground for greater
comfort and sat down upon them.
"Are you going to join me?" he asked after a few minutes as Legolas continued to stand
there.
Haldir tried to sound casual, tried not to reveal his fear that Legolas was going to turn and
bolt to the campsite. Legolas looked at him as if he had forgotten that Haldir was there,
and lowered himself down to the ground.
"I always thought Thranduil would be angry if he knew how much I desired you," Legolas
said incredulously.
"Let us speak no more of Thranduil this night, Legolas," Haldir said. "Let us speak no
more."
He bent to kiss Legolas, and this time Legolas did not stop him. Their mouths melded
together with a searing heat that burned Haldir all the way through. He wrapped his arms
around the young prince of Mirkwood, carefully avoiding contact with his wound. Legolas
made a small noise of pleasure beneath Haldir's hungry mouth and together they fell down
upon their cloaks.
