Forget me not

Chapter 18

The ride was not hard, but the waiting was. I was glad that Haldir was with me for if he wasn’t I am not entirely sure I would have made it through. My thoughts kept flying to Merewen and how she must feel at the moment, for she witnessed the light fade from the man she just realized that she deeply loved.

Haldir somehow kept me going, most likely because he told me that I was needed to help Merewen. One would have thought that at times like this, romance would simply not be allowed, but Haldir still managed to show me how much he loved me.

One night, I was sitting alone by the fire because Haldir was out scouting, I felt two arms encircle me and hold me tightly. “I see that you are back, did you see anything?” I asked Haldir, knowing that it was he.

“There was nothing, but when I came back I saw the most beautiful maiden sitting all by herself, and I have decided to sing to her.” Before I could say a word, he began to sing.

We've got the afternoon,
You've got this room for two,
One thing I've left to do,
Discover me discovering you.
One mile to every inch of
Your skin like porcelain
One pair of candy lips
And your bubblegum tongue.

Cause if you want love
We'll make it
Swim in a deep sea
Of blankets
Take all your big plans
And break 'em
This is bound to be awhile.

Your body is a wonderland
Your body is a wonder I'll use my hands
Your body is a wonderland.

Something about the way the hair falls in your face,
I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillow case,
You tell me where to go though I might leave to find it,
I'll never let your head hit the bed without my hand behind it.

If you want love
We'll make it
Swim in a deep sea
Of blankets
Take all your big plans
And break 'em
This is bound to be awhile.

Your body is a wonderland,
Your body is a wonder I'll use my hands.

Damn, baby,
You frustrate me.
I know you're mine all mine all mine,
But you look so good it hurts sometimes.

Your body is a wonderland,
Your body is a wonder I'll use my hands,
Your body is a wonderland.

His words and voice were breathtaking. I realized from that moment that there was no turning away from the love we shared. We spent the rest of the night in each other’s arms.

*****

At sunrise, we continued along the path, in hopes that we would find my friend soon. I knew that she was safe, for in my vision, I saw her surrounded by elves, but I needed to know for sure that Merewen was all right. At sundown, we were shocked by the greetings of fellow elves with their arrowheads. I spoke briefly to the leader of the band, who turned out to be Price Legolas of Mirkwood and the same elf that saved Merewen. He led me to my friend, and what I saw was not to my liking at all.

Merewen was fading, quite quickly, by the looks of it, for her natural glow was barely visible, and her complexion was a sickening shade of grey. I told Legolas that he needed to leave and take the rest of his group because Merewen was empathic and picked up all the feelings that surrounded her, presently grief and sorrow. Legolas, however, did not leave, and I had not the heart to make him, and somehow I knew he would not hinder anyone with his emotions.

I began to make a tea that Elrond made several times that was used to give nourishment to those who could not obtain it themselves, usually unconscious elves. I decided that if Merewen was to get out of this, her body would need all the strength it could muster. I then began to do the chant that Elrond used to bring people back to the light, I told her that she was still needed in this world, and people loved her, and we didn’t want her to leave us for the halls of Mandos.

I knew that this was going to be hard for her, but I used everything that my Healer training taught me to help her through it, only hoping that Merewen would be the lucky elf to pull through after she started to fade, for no one had ever returned from this state.