Translation of Elvish: Ion - son. Peredhel - half-elven. Pen-neth - young one. Meleth - love. Meldir - friend. Ada - daddy. Calen Glad - Greenwood; Elvish name of Mirkwood. Melin chen - I love you. Nín anoriel - my sun-maiden. Mellonen - my friend. Goheno nin - forgive me. Adar - father.

Chapter 15 - Making Peace

Looking one last time at the sun, Éowyn closed her eyes. The handle of the dagger was warm in her hands. How she longed for that warmth; it would replace the cold of her heart. She was so immersed in her thoughts, she was only dimly aware of someone calling her name. Then the voice came again, more insistent now. Eyes flying open, she recognised it. Haldir... Why would he...

The dagger fell to the ground when she felt strong arms wrap themselves around her. She was drawn to a warm body, her head pressed against a marble chest. A heartbeat, matching her own, promised more than words ever could. Blinking, she sensed another's presence in her mind, and suddenly the bond between their souls flared to life again.

Her name upon his lips, he tightened his hold of her. 'Please, let this be true. Let it not be a trick my mind plays me.' But he was there, Éowyn could feel him. 'And if this is just a dream, never let me wake again...' Raising her head, she gazed into midnight-blue eyes. Suddenly, she understood. "Haldir," she murmured. Then the world turned mercifully black.

---

"Rise and shine," a laughing voice whispered into her ear. A yelp, followed by a sulky 'show some respect to your elders.' Had Éomer lost his mind completely. It was still early, or so her body told her. She didn't want to get up yet. But wait, that voice hadn't been her brother's. No, it rather belonged to that insane elf...

Prying her eyes open, her gaze fell upon a beaming Balrog Slayer. "See, the sleeping beauty has joined us again." A fist appeared out of nowhere, knocking the back of Glorfindel's head. Turning towards the owner of said fist, Éowyn's sleepy eyes met with sparkling grey. Elrohir was chuckling to himself while he tried to draw his mate away from the Shield-maiden.

A door opened somewhere, and an annoyed voice said, "My Lord Glorfindel. Would you stop harassing my patients?" Lord Elrond stared at his Seneschal, murder in his eyes, "I told you to wait outside." Turning to his son, he added, "You disappoint me, Ion. I thought you had him a little more under control." Elrohir just shrugged. "Be that as it may, I would prefer it if you left now..."

Glorfindel had freed himself, and now leaned towards Éowyn again. "I am not harassing anyone. Tell him that I am not harassing you..." Once again the fist descended upon the blond's head, who turned and, raising his eyebrow, asked, "Meleth, what do you think you are doing?"

Elrohir winked at Éowyn and whispered, "Hmm, I do not know. Searching for your brain perhaps?" Glorfindel leaned in, brushing the young peredhel's lips with his. "Oh pen-neth. You have to search a little lower if you wish to find it..."

Somewhere to Éowyn's right someone was having a coughing fit, and when she turned towards the source of the noise, she saw a shaking March Warden. Glorfindel had reached his side and was now patting Haldir's back. "Is something wrong with you, meldir?" Unable to speak, the Galadhrim could only shake his head.

Elrond, who had been almost petrified after hearing the innuendo, was striding towards his Seneschal. Placing one slightly shaky hand on his shoulder to gain the blond's attention, he just pointed towards the door. Glorfindel was about to respond, but whatever he had intended to say never made it to his lips. Elrohir had been sneaking up behind him and now his fingers had taken hold of the tip of Glorfindel's ear and pulled him away. "Ouch, ouch, ouch," was all the proud Balrog Slayer managed in lieu of words.

Smiling at the chuckling Éowyn, the younger twin dragged his lover out of the door. Before it closed behind them, he stuck his head in again and, grinning mischievously, whispered to his father, "I will keep him occupied, Ada. I think he has an awful swelling that needs my attention." Not waiting for Elrond's reply he disappeared and shut the door with a loud bang.

His father, the famed Lord Elrond of Imladris, stood once again dumbstruck, shaking his head while he chanted to himself, "I am not hearing this, I am not hearing this." Unable to stop herself from laughing anymore, Éowyn began to giggle into her pillow. Haldir made a strange whimpering noise and when Éowyn managed to raise her head, she saw him fighting to stay upright. He was biting his fist in a futile attempt not to chuckle. Tears were running from his eyes, and when they caught hers, amusement made them twinkle.

"You have to forgive them," Elrond had calmed and was approaching Éowyn. "They are impossible sometimes." Seeing Éowyn smile, he continued in a more serious manner, "We are very glad that you are still with us. I have to apologise to the both of you for failing you. Thranduil brought you here so that I might help you where he could not." Sitting down by the Shield-maiden's side, he took her hand in his, gazing into her sparkling blue eyes. "It seems that Lord Glorfindel, no matter what my opinion of him might be currently, knew better than I what the cause of your problems was..." His gaze shifted to Haldir, who was approaching the bedding and now sat down on Éowyn's other side.

"Aye, and we have much to thank him for. If it had not been for him..." He looked away, not wanting to upset his beloved. But the mere thought of what could have happened made his heart cramp as his hand searched Éowyn's. "I was a fool," he whispered, his voice almost breaking.

"I shall leave you two alone for a while. I believe there is a lot you have to talk about." Elrond slowly made his way towards the door, but before reaching it, turned again. "There are a few people outside, your brother and Thranduil among them. Would you like to see either of them once you have discussed what happened?"

Elrond had been startled when he had first seen the Mirkwood King after Haldir had carried Éowyn back. The fear in his eyes and open worry upon his fair features... Very much like he had looked all those years ago, when his own blindness and anger had cost him not just a wife, but also an ally. Gazing down at Vilya, he cursed himself. Gil-galad would never forgive him for betraying his trust. It had taken him too long to see the truth. But maybe Thranduil was willing to give him a second chance? The King had made the first step by coming to Imladris, and Elrond would be damned if he did not follow Erestor's advise...

"My Lord Elrond?" the gentle voice of Éowyn brought him out of his musings. "I would very much like to see both of them." Smiling at her, Elrond nodded and placed his hand on the door handle. "Then I will tell them to give you an hour alone before joining you." With that he turned, leaving the two lovers to their talk.

For minutes, the only sound was their steady breathing, then Haldir let go of Éowyn's hand and rose to his feet, walking to the foot of the bed, his back to the Shield-maiden. "I ... I am sorry." Slowly, he turned around to face the mortal maiden that had almost slipped out of his reach for all times. "This is my doing. Because of me you almost took your own life..." Tears appeared in his eyes, but instead of brushing them aside as a sign of weakness, he let them spill from his eyes. What had Glorfindel called them? Healing tears...

Éowyn opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by Haldir. "Please, let me finish." Gazing down at his clenching hands, he began again, "All my life have I thought I had to prove myself. Already as a small elfling did I always try to best my friends in our studies, on and off the sparring field. When my parents considered leaving for the Undying Lands it was my promise to look after Rúmil that convinced them to go. But I was too young. And failed him. It was..." A memory took hold of him and made him gasp. By Elbereth, how could he have forgotten? "It was Thranduil who became his father figure. When our realms drifted apart, Rúmil must have felt it keenly. But by then he was old enough to hide his feelings..."

Sitting up, Éowyn reached for Haldir's hands, grasping them tightly. "You are very alike, he and you. Like a, well, very energetic version of you." Raising her eyebrow, she managed to force a smile upon Haldir's lips, and when it reached his eyes, she felt warmth spread throughout her body.

"You are right. We are alike in many ways. Like him, I never loved before meeting a mere mortal, who at first I believe unworthy of my attention. In that respect, Rúmil was wiser. In that respect only of course," he added with a grin. "Only that he was truly searching for his other half while I remained with one I cannot even stand around me now. In doing so, I also wronged her..." Sitting down again, his arms went around Éowyn's waist, drawing her to him. "After what happened in Calen Glad..."

"...you believed you were also ill-treating me? Haldir no. I am not with you because I cannot have what I truly want. Or because I am in no mood to search." Her dislike for Anduriel was evident from the way she spoke those last words. But her voice was gentle once more when she continued, "You came to me in my hour of despair. And later, your jealousy told me more than words ever could. Namely that you loved me... Me! No one ever had, not really. I was the niece of the King, not Éowyn. Never Éowyn. Only you treated me like a..."

"If memory serves, I first treated you like a maid who did not know her place." Éowyn nodded, and, suppressing a chuckle, replied, "Aye, you did. And no one had ever dared to before. Even Aragorn had handled me as if I was made of glass. It was you who let me ride with you when only one word could have revealed me to my family. And in truth, it was you who kept me from dying after the Battle of the Pelennor, not Aragorn. By loving me, and even before, you gave me a reason to live. If only to torture you a little..."

The eyes of the Galadhrim turned to slits. "You did it on purpose? I was wounded and you..." Shaking his head he muttered. "Mortals, no respect for those deserving their reverence." Kissing the top of her golden head, he added in a whisper, "Not that I was worthy of it..." Images of his fallen comrades appeared before his inner eyes again, and he held onto Éowyn as if she was his only anchor.

As if sensing his thoughts, she said, "It was not your fault. Saruman had betrayed our friendship and we would have not survived the night if it had not been for you. You gave us hope when all hope was lost." Gently cupping his face, she searched his eyes, finding doubt. "Haldir. You did not force anyone to come to Helm's Deep with you. They all knew that they might die, and still they followed you into battle. They believed in you. You would only fail them if you now dishonoured that trust." Drawing a deep breath, she broached a topic that she had tried not to think of for weeks. "And you would fail me... I believed that you would come to my rescue in Mirkwood, and you did. You fought for me, with deadly precision." Placing a chaste kiss onto his cheek, she added, "I was wrong to fear you. For what you did, you did because you loved me..."

Disbelief was apparent in his voice as his responded, "I attacked you. How can you forgive that?" A finger was placed over his lips, silencing him. "You did not attack me but another of those raiders. The moment you realised your mistake, you lowered your weapons. There is nothing to forgive."

Guilt and shame gnawed at his soul and he drew away from Éowyn, starting to pace. "My jealousy made me attack you and Thranduil. I ... I will never be able..." Shaking his head, he whispered, "I am undeserving of your love." As Éowyn gazed at him, there was nothing left of the proud March Warden. There before her was a frightened elfling...

Slowly she stood and walked towards him. "Melin chen, Haldir. That is all that matters. We belong with each other, no matter what happens." Her arms wrapped themselves around his waist as she pressed herself to his back, her head coming to rest upon his shoulder. "I was as much at fault as you. I believed you had grown tired of me, and later... I simply couldn't make the first step. My stupid pride was blinding me to your suffering, and my own. And these last days... I could feel my strength leave me. I could fight no longer. Couldn't fight you any longer. I thought... But that was wrong. Neither of us would be better off without the other."

In those gentle words lay so much hope, Haldir could do nothing but start believing. Glorfindel had been right, she was his guiding light, his saving grace. Turning in her embrace, he raised her head tenderly, and, for the first time in too many weeks, his lips found hers. The kiss only lasted a few moments, and when Haldir drew back, he rested his forehead against Éowyn's. "Nín anoriel..."

"Now, if that is not sweet I do not know what is..." a female voice chanted from the door. When the two lovers turned, they found themselves faced with a beaming Arwen, a startled Éomer and a smiling Thranduil.

---

"Legolas did what?" Haldir did not believe his ears. How could his friend have done such a vile thing? "Tell me I misheard..." If it was true, then the Prince would be subjected to Haldir's wrath very soon indeed.

"He regrets his words more than anything he has ever done wrong. When you carried Éowyn back and we all feared for one moment that you might have been too late, he broke down in Aragorn's arms. You are like a brother to him, Haldir, and helped him when I... He felt like he had let you down after we reached Imladris and he was reunited with his mate. It was hard for him, but he was torn apart by his wish to help you both. So he chose you..." Thranduil was sitting next to Éowyn, his arm wrapped around her while they both gazed at the angry Lórien elf.

"Haldir, please. He meant to help you. Not to hurt me. Please, sit down. Please." Extending her hand to him, she looked up at him, pleading with him. But the Galadhrim shook his head. "He will apologise, and he will do so now... Where is he?"

The question had barely left his lips, when the door opened again and Legolas stepped inside, looking around uneasily. Haldir was about to address him, but Éowyn was quicker. "Mellonen, I hoped you would come."

The Prince stared at her disbelievingly. "You, you wished for me to... Éowyn, I am so sorry. I was wrong to admonish you the way I did." Searching for his father's eyes, he whispered, "Goheno nin, Adar. I..." Never had Legolas seemed as fragile as he did now. As one, Éowyn and Thranduil rose and walked up to him, embracing him.

"There is nothing to forgive, Ion. You acted out of a desire to help your friend. Your mother raised you well..." Silvery eyes filled with sorrow, and Thranduil drew his son closer, "I am proud of you, Legolas. I know how hard it was to speak those words." Stepping away, he turned to Haldir and nodded his head in farewell. "I will have to leave now. Lord Elrond expressed his wish to speak with me and I..." He was both curious and anxious to know what the Peredhel wanted. But there was no reason to trouble anyone with his fears. "I do not want to keep him waiting."

---

When Thranduil was gone, Legolas turned his gaze towards Éowyn again, who was still holding him tightly. "Éowyn, I..." He felt more than saw her head shake, and for a moment thought she would not accept his apology.

But when she slowly released him from her embrace and smiled at him, his fears were laid to rest. "I understand you and your motives. I believe I would react in a similar fashion if anyone threatened to hurt Éomer. Though..." she furrowed her forehead as if deep in thought, "I do approve of the way Arwen handles him. It's time someone showed him his limits. He would never believe me..."

Legolas smiled nervously, and looked at Haldir who was now standing behind Éowyn, his arms wrapped once more about her waist. "Fear not, meldir. I am not going to rip your head off. Not this time... But when you feel like telling Éowyn off again, keep something in mind. I am a better fighter than you are."

Unable to stop herself, Éowyn muttered, "And so very humble..." Now Legolas' chuckling was genuine. Haldir's arms tightened around her, and she felt a kiss being pressed to the back of her head.

Aloud, however, Haldir protested, "Humble indeed. I believe I have to find your brother and tell him that you approve of that ghastly treatment Arwen subjects him to. Then we can find a way to make you pay for your insolence. Really, a mortal woman, and does not know her place." The chuckle in his voice somehow ruined the desired effect of his words, and both Éowyn and Legolas began to laugh.

---

Meanwhile, Thranduil was seated in Elrond's study and listened to the Half-elf's account of things that happened during the days of the Last Alliance. "I was a fool not to believe in his judgement. But I had so much disliked your father that I thought it impossible that you could be any different than him. Gil-galad called you friend... And he never did that without a reason. I was just too blind..." Elrond's eyes caught Thranduil's, and he continued, "I thought you wanted to control him and use him for your own purposes. The moment you married Serinde - it all but set her free to... Well, I ought to have realised why you were doing so. To help your friend, not to destroy him."

Gazing down at the ring upon his finger, he slowly took it off. "I betrayed my King, not you. He gave me his ring, not to keep it as everyone believed. I was to give it to you." Taking Thranduil's hand, he placed Vilya upon his ring finger. "Now it is where it was meant to be so many years ago..." He turned away, expecting harsh words. But the Mirkwood King's reaction was anything but what he had anticipated.

"I understand why you did not give it to me. How often did Gil-galad ask me to speak with you, to get to know you. But I ... I was too proud. I saw you as someone unworthy of my presence. Yes, I was like Oropher, if only in this." Glancing down at the blue stone, he added, "You used the ring to create a haven for everyone in need here in Imladris. I cannot see any fault in that." Rising to his feet, he moved until he stood face to face with the dark-haired peredhel. "Maybe we can finally follow Gil-galad's advice?" With that he extended his hand.

Elrond was stunned. Staring at Thranduil, he shakily took his hand. Behind them, hidden by the shadows, Erestor released his breath. At long last, old enmity would be put to rest...