Daughter of Mirkwood [Lord of the Rings | Haldir]

Chapter 17

On indicating which languages are being spoken:

*means the speaker is speaking in the common tongue.*

"Quotation marks indicate elvish."

***

The Price

At the Lady's request, as the sun set over the mallorn-trees, Aeslin came to join her. Galadriel knew the cost of Haldir's departure on Aeslin, and was worried for her, especially as the hour of battle grew near. It was that worry, in part, that kept the Lady of Light from watching the Battle from her mirror. But even without it, she could sense the events of Helm's Deep from afar, just as Aeslin would; only Aeslin would feel it through Haldir.

Few of the elves who now stood within the walls of the fortress had wives waiting for them at home, for indeed, many volunteers had been discouraged from serving because of the cost their death would have on those they left behind. This was not a fight where victory was inevitable. It would demand a great price, something that was well known by those who embarked upon it. Galadriel deeply regretted sending Haldir, but knew that she had little choice, as there were no others who could take his place.

As the two sat in silence, the night deepened. Celeborn joined them at one point, but Aeslin did not even register his approach, caught up as she was in the happenings in Rohan. There was a faint moment of relief when, upon reaching Helm's Deep, Haldir was greeted by Legolas and Aragorn. That relief was soon gone as, through Haldir's eyes, she saw the hordes of Saruman's Orcs approaching the fortress; a great, roiling sea of torches moving ever closer. Faintly she heard the guttural roars of the Uruk Hai, of the orders called and the sound of arrows being pulled and nocked as he did.

The Lord of Lorien looked on, concerned by the distant expressions on the two elven women with him. He was especially concerned for Aeslin, who already grew pale as far off in Helm's Deep the battle commenced. The room in which she sat was silent, but Aeslin could hear the screams and clashes of battle ringing in her ears. Usually, she was easily able to separate the thoughts and feelings of her husband when they were apart, but her concern was such that she was desperate not to shut him out. So it was that she saw everything through his eyes, a faint haze over her senses all that signaled her distance from being there herself.

The battle continued, with elves falling from crossbow bolts while Uruk's scaled the Deeping Wall with great black ladders to cut great swaths in the lines stationed there. Around him, elves were felled like sheaves of wheat before the unending hordes that ravaged the ravine. With a physical jolt that startled Celeborn and Galadriel both, Aeslin reacted when Haldir was caught off guard as the Deeping Wall exploded in a great shower of rock and stone, the bodies of elves, men and Orcs alike flying into the hordes than still pressed forward below.

Slowly, Aeslin's expression shifted from one of detached observer to one of horror and grief. Similarly, Galadriel soon had tears in her eyes as one by one, the elves she had sent to join this battle of men were slain.

Eventually, Aeslin stood, trembling, to stand near the arch that framed the view from the Lady's flet. Clutching the twining column, she leaned against it for support as she drew in breath after breath of cool night air, while through their bond she watched Haldir struggle to keep the unending lines of Uruk Hai at bay. He was a formidable warrior, there had never been any doubt about that, but there were simply too many foes for the small number that defended the Keep. That he was still alive said something of his skill alone.

Faintly, she could hear voices in the Common tongue and Elvish alike calling for the troops on the wall to fall back to the keep. Aeslin's gaze was drawn along with Haldir's to Aragorn as the Ranger called for retreat.