The Shadow Walker

49. Nightmare

I returned to my flet that evening, where Cellinneth had drawn a bath for me. I adamantly ignored her lecture about propriety and whatnot as she helped me undress, which was alarmingly difficult to do. After the still-lecturing nurse removed my bandages, I stepped into the hot water and sank into the heat, wincing. Still, it was a good kind of pain. Then I leisurely began washing off the Moria grime, accepting Cellinneth's continued assistance.

When I was clean, Cellinneth rebandaged everything and helped me into bed. I fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

The elleth was walking toward a boat in the water, then paused and glanced behind her. A dark-haired Dwarf watched her go with sad eyes, which lit up at her hesitation. She glanced at a blonde ellon, waiting for her in the boat. Then she shook her head at him. She would stay. She would help the people of Laketown rebuild their homes in Dale.

The Dwarf smiled shyly as the elleth approached him. Then he handed her a small hatchet. Picking up a larger axe, he motioned for her to follow him into the evergreen woods. As they walked, he hesitantly reached up and took her hand.

Meanwhile, at the lake's edge, the blonde ellon sat alone in the boat, his oceanic blue eyes hardening to an icy gaze.

The scene shifted. The same elleth sat in a small room, her hair straight and lank, her face gaunt. In her lap sat a baby-a happy baby. But the elleth did not share the child's joy. The elleth stood and handed the baby to a Dwarf woman, then left, never to return.

The child began to cry.

Again, the scene changed. A short, brown-haired girl was walking down a road, holding hands with a blonde ellon with loving blue eyes. At her other side walked a red-bearded Dwarf. The ellon said something, and all three burst out laughing, each genuinely happy to be with the other two.

Then time froze.

The trio of friends began walking backward, their gestures and moving lips working in reverse. The elleth walked backward into the small room and took back her child, sat and replaced the baby in her lap. The elleth and Dwarf's hands parted, and the pair walked backward to the lake. Exchanged a few words, then the elleth backed up to the initial halfway point between the ellon and the Dwarf.

The reversed vision halted, then played forward again.

The elleth gazed sadly at the Dwarf, but turned away. Got in the boat with the ellon and didn't look back. Never got pregnant. Never gave birth to the child.

The scene returned to that of the blonde-haired ellon and red-bearded Dwarf. But the brown-haired woman was nowhere to be seen. And the two males were arguing bitterly, agreeing only not to speak at all.

A new scene came next. A battlefield, slick with blood and dotted with bodies. The red-bearded Dwarf lay on his back, an Elvish arrow protruding from his chest. Blood matted his beard around his mouth, and his eyes were locked open in an eternal stare. Nearby lay an ellon, his blonde hair fanning out, stained with the blood. His head lolled to the side, his throat sliced open and already bled out. His stunning blue eyes were open, and when a fly landed on one, he didn't blink.

Legolas...

* * *

I awoke with a sharp cry, tears streaming down my face. It was a dream. It was just a dream.

I sat up in bed and focused on evening my erratic breathing, and stemming the flow of tears. This wasn't a logical reaction, after all, I'd had nightmares before.