The Darke King

Haldir

The young red-haired woman brushed against Haldir in the pub that evening as she tried to navigate her way through the drunk and noisy crowd without being too much of a bother. "I'm so very sorry. Please forgive my rudeness, sir."

The handsome blonde Norwegian man with a bushy beard peeked up from his conversation and glanced over his shoulder. She was a beautiful girl with an aura of purity and kindness, definitely not an Earthborn witch, and certainly didn't belong in a place like this. "Not a problem, child. Be careful walking home; there's a bad moon tonight."

Noticing the healers bag she carried, Haldir realized she must be there on business. She seemed out of place as her eyes darted around the room, and she rubbed her neck. "I will. Thank you for your concern, sir." She dipped down with her knees in respect and offered him a nervous smile. "Have a good evening."

He smirked at the genuine properness only a Realmborn creature dished out and smiled kindly at the foreigner. "And you as well, young one. Hurry off now, before one of these ugly blokes tries to claim you for their own."

Haldir thought she seemed familiar, maybe, and he kept his eyes on her just a few moments more until she passed through the doorway, and the loud conversation going on around him interrupted his thoughts. When he turned back toward the bar, he missed seeing the white-haired young man slink through the door after her.

The night was a misty mess when the Immortal stepped out into the street, and he pulled his cloak tight around him. The girl's sweet face smiled at him in his memory, and a twinge of guilt gnawed at his heart. "Shit. I hope you got home alright."

His fingers wrapped around the handle of the brothel door, and time stood still as the muffled screams and cries met the ugly vision playing out over and over before his eyes. "Don't go that way. Turn around."

Running through London's streets, Haldir peeked down every alleyway he passed, looking for any sign of her. He could still see the landmarks clearly in his head, but he wasn't native to England and wasn't even sure if he was going in the right direction.

Her cries for help came from every direction as they bounced around his head, and he spun around in the street until he saw the broken gate and the horse tied to the post. "I'm coming."

The beating of his feet across the brick matched every beat of his heart until the only sound left was the gurgles and chokes coming from the alley's darkness.

His fingers grasped the hilt of his knife as he made ready to face the white-haired man, and his feet slid silently across the dirty ground.

A hiss blew through his teeth when he glimpsed red hair behind a pile of crates. He popped his cloak chain and pulled it from his back as he stepped around the corner. Over his near-thousand years, he'd seen many women bare as the day they were born, but he felt dirty and sick as he blinked away and tried to cover her first.

He tucked her into his cloak, then slid his arms beneath her and tugged her close to his chest. "Hold on, child. We're going home."

When the black fog spread out into the clean, bright air surrounding them, Haldir stepped through the mist and took a deep breath.

His teeth clenched just a little as he rearranged her in his arms and rushed across the manicured lawn before the castle. It had been a while since he stood between the snow-capped mountains of the Kingdom of Eliphas, and he hoped his old friend's healing skills were still sharp.

His arms and legs were burning as he climbed the staircase, but the swollen eyes flickered open, and he gave her a quick, quivering smile. "We're back in the Realm, sweet girl. You're going to be alright."

The tall glass doors inched open, and Haldir rushed through, then carried her down the marble-floored hall.

"Eliphas? Where are you?" Yelling out across the seemingly unending hallway, Haldir finally saw him poke out from behind a door and wave him over.

"Bring her now." Eliphas stepped aside as Haldir rushed into the room and gently laid her down on the bed. When he brushed the blood-soaked hair off her face, a teardrop dripped from his chin and landed on her hands that crossed her chest. "Forgive me for not finding you sooner. I swear, I tried."

Eliphas brought his bag to the bedside, removed vials, and placed them across the table. As his nun came to the room with a stack of bandages and clothing, Eliphas shook his head. "Oh, Rosemary. How could someone do this to you?"

Haldir wiped his bloody hands on a towel, then dabbed at the sweat on his neck. "You know her?"

Eliphas pushed his long white beard over his shoulder before pouring a vial of fluid into a bandage. "She is Lady Rosemary of the North Woods, my Goddaughter. I'll send a Raven to her father."

The Earthborn man backed away slowly to allow them room to work and crossed his arms over his chest. "She's going to be alright then?"

Haldir saw the old wizard's shoulders drop and heard the sad sigh leave his mouth as he peeled back the cloak. "The man who did this?"

"He was gone by the time I found her." Haldir's teary eyes shot back to the bloody girl. "I'm so sorry."

The King of the South glanced over his shoulder and gave the traveler a sympathetic smile. "She's alive because of you. Do not burden yourself with guilt."

***

The morning sun broke through the red, green, and blue glass beside Haldir, and he rubbed away the heat of it off his skin. When his eyes hesitantly opened, he found Rosemary watching him through her swollen black and purple eyes.

He smiled and slid his hand between his legs to grasp the chair and drug it with him as he crept closer to the bedside. "They call me Haldir. Do you remember me?"

Her red, pouty lips pressed together and turned down as her eyes pinched shut again and her shoulders jerked under her blanket. Little soft whimpers came from her nose, and Haldir slid his hand into hers. "Shh. You're home now. All that's behind you."

He pressed his lips against her fingers, then rested his cheek against her hand. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you, Rosemary. Please, forgive me."

Little whispers left her throat, still tender and puffy from the finger marks around it. "Thank you for coming for me. I was so scared."

He lifted his head to face her and rubbed her wet cheeks with his fingertips. "We've sent for your father. He's on his way."

Clicks and wheezes came from her mouth as she tried to wet her lips, and her eyes fell to the pitcher of water by her bed. Following her eyes, Haldir sat up and turned to the table beside them. "Here, child, let me help you."

Her elbow pressed into the bed, but she fell back to it, and her whole body shivered in pain. "It's alright. I have you." He slid his hand behind her back, then lifted her as he sat at her bedside.

She sucked back all the water, then pressed her head into his chest and collapsed against him. Her voice was clearer this time, but just as sweet and innocent as she sniffled and whimpered. "Thank you. I won't ever forget what you've done for me."

After he fluffed the pillows under her head and straightened her blankets over her, Haldir sank back into his chair. "I'll be heading off to the Eastlands to visit some friends in the morning; I hope you don't mind if I hang around with you until then."

She nodded as her heavy eyes knitted shut, and her hand found his. "I'd like that."

Waiting on the young noblewoman the entire day and night, Haldir tried to snuff out the blight on his conscience before he finally dozed off in the uncomfortable chair.

He wandered through the dense dark forest in his dream until he came upon a mountain with a castle built into the side. Massive gargoyles glowered down at him as he went to the wooden doors and walked inside.

Her cute, snorty giggle called him across the foyer, and he found Rosemary seated on a wooden throne with a legion of men kneeling at her feet. From all around him, an unworldly male voice spoke to Haldir. "If it weren't for you, I would have nothing at all."

When the next morning's sun woke him again, Haldir looked over the frail, trampled girl before him. "Well, Your Majesty, it seems I got something right for once."