Set in Stone - Haldir's Story -

Chapter 17 - The Districts of Mithlond

The world had started spinning around Haldir. The first clear thought that stood still long enough for Haldir to grasp was that he could lose his immortality. That he would lose his immortality. Everything he had wanted his life to be... The Undying Lands had always been part of the plan. And he didn't want to die. He wasn't meant to die: he was an elf after all! Haldir felt it all taking over and went to sit on the edge of the bed. "When..." He made himself look at her. "When were you intending to tell me?" She wouldn't have kept it from him until it was too late, would she? She would have told him anyway, and soon. When she shook her head, the world started to shrink around him, hardly leaving him any air to breathe. — "We... they... I would have found a way to... undo your affection for me. So you wouldn't have to die." — Haldir briefly closed his eyes. "Who is we?" — Daëra looked at him as if caught in the act, but she seemed to realise that now she could do nothing but tell the truth. She lowered her gaze. "Your brothers. They overheard me when I was talking to Elladan." — "They knew?They knew?" Haldir would have said things, asked things, but he didn't seem to be able to find any words at all. It hurt more than he could possibly express. Had everyone, everyone he loved and cared for been keeping secrets from him? Daëra tried to meet his eyes, but Haldir looked the other way. — "I just didn't want you to get hurt," she said, her voice pleading. At this, he finally met her gaze. "You did not want to have me hurt? — As I see it now there are two options: either you are leaving for the last time on the morrow, or I... become mortal, you will die and I will live on— until I finally do die as well. Do you see where the mistake is?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "The mistake is that I am going to lose you either way, and it is going to hurt no matter what I do. Or you do. Or anyone does, for that matter."

Daëra was crying so much now Haldir wasn't sure she would ever be able to stop. He would have loved to comfort her but he felt he couldn't. She had lied to him, had been lying all the time when he had thought he was her... friend, lover, call it what you will. She had known all the time that she would break all they had together. Haldir didn't even try and plead with her, try and make her change her mind and become elven instead of human — he couldn't muster the strength for it.  Daëra's voice was choked when she spoke. She said something about the Valar telling her in a dream she would be human like her mother. Haldir felt the last bit of hope leave his body like the last ray of the sun disappearing off the earth after the golden orb had set behind the horizon. So pleading wouldn't even be worth it. It seemed as if fate was set in stone this time. Slowly, Haldir got up and left the flet, knowing that he most likely wouldn't come back. He had best start to let her go right now, perhaps then the time without pain would come sooner.

"What has she done?" — His wife's voice was a mere whisper. Celeborn wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You and Círdan both told her to keep her parentage a secret, yet you knew it was going to be found out some day. I am quite surprised it stayed unnoticed for so long. I would have thought someone would have... seen it and made the right conclusions. Elladan for example. He is an excellent warrior, yet he is more like his mother than his father. He took her on his travels with him and never even wondered why she was not in her reckless years as every other elf her age would be. Nor did he know there was something between Daëra and Haldir." Celeborn looked down at Galadriel out of the corner of his eye. "You, though, did know, did you not?" — She met his gaze and it was all the answer he needed. He had suspected his wife knew about the March Warden's relationship, yet Celeborn had gone through great pains to prevent himself from speaking to her about it. He had kept his promise not to interfere with Díniel's sons for so long and was still sticking with it. Celeborn slowly shook his head. "Why did you never put an end to it? — You knew she wanted to become human." — A slightly longer look at Galadriel told him. "You hoped he might change her mind, did you not? When their love was but new, you hoped it for her, since you would not want to see your friend Círdan grieved. Yet later, when their love had grown strong, you hoped for Haldir's sake he might have her change her mind."

Suddenly, the Lady stepped out of Celeborn's embrace and looked at him sadly and fiercely at the same time. "He would have changed her mind. In cases like that I believe love is the only thing that can prevent us from doing something we believe we owe our mother. That we believe we owe ourselves too, the only path we see for us, since we have never actually contemplated the other. I do not know why... it seems as if her becoming human cannot be changed, yet I cannot think of a reason, why. The future is never decided until it has happened." — Celeborn didn't know what to say at that. Once again he wasn't able to help his wife — he had given her free rein to do whatever she felt was right with the brothers, yet that also meant he could not help her carry the burden, either. Celeborn stepped closer. "Haldir is in a much better situation alive and grieving than in Mirkwood and dead. I am very much convinced he would agree," he said with the slightest hint of a smile. Galadriel's gaze though went out of the window and lingered somewhere on the horizon that was lined with trees. The branches were wearing the first soft shades of gold. Celeborn was just about to say something when he felt a presence — or rather two — not too far away from Lórien: in the mountains, to be more accurate. There were only so many people in Middle-Earth who did have a noticeable presence at all, ring-bearers and wizards mostly. Galadriel looked at him, a slight smile on her lips. "Mithrandir and the halfling," she said. "They are almost here." — Celeborn frowned. "They took the darkest path possible. Orcs have taken over the Mines of Moria, do they not know? Mithrandir must know about the Balroc of Morgoth." — Galadriel just kept looking into the distance, never answering. Celeborn though felt a subtle sense of relief flush through him. Wizards were of a different stamp, their council was very useful, since they never ceased to surprise with their answers — especially Mithrandir, stubborn as he might be. Perhaps Mithrandir would know what to do: in any case Celeborn desired very much to speak with him.

*A/N: In the Tolkien-books, Elrond is a half-elf who has chosen the elven side. His brother though decided to become human and — as humans do — died. Just mentioning it for all of you who were wondering at me writing about Elrond the half-elf =)

Did you recognise the allusion to the movies in the last sentence? =D

Please comment and voooote!!! Love, Jazzlin*