Translation of Elvish: Melethen - my love. Nín anoriel - my sun-maiden. Namárië - farewell. Cuilen - my life.

Chapter 15 - Sweet Revenge

Éowyn was asleep, her head resting against Haldir's chest. He had taken off his armour and was once again dressed in the garb of Lothlórien. Her small right hand lay in his; the warmth that he now felt returning to it filled his heart with so much joy that he feared it might burst. His left arm was lying over her waist, careful not to touch her broken arm. 'She is alive,' he kept repeating to himself, still hardly able to believe it.

The first rays of the rising sun entered the chamber and touched Éowyn's face. A smile appeared on her features, and with a loud sigh she opened her eyes. "Haldir," she whispered while turning in his embrace until she gasped with pain. "Your left arm, it is broken. Do you not remember?" Slowly she nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I do remember. The King, he is dead, isn't he? What of Meriadoc?"

Haldir leaned down and kissed his beloved's brow. "He is safe, he will live. Aragorn has healed you both." She could see uneasiness in his eyes when he mentioned the ranger's name. She took Haldir's hand in hers and raised it to her lips, kissing it softly. "Don't fear him, Haldir. I love you, I always will."

Slowly Haldir withdrew his hand from her grasp and she let it go reluctantly. He raised himself from the bed, carefully laying her back onto the cushions. All night he had been pondering over one thing. Aragorn had been able to heal her, while he, Haldir, had not been able to help her in any way. He knew it was folly, the ranger was happy with Legolas. Slowly he turned back to the bed, "Nín anoriel, I better go and ask one of the healers to look at you."

When he opened the door he almost collided with the Prince of Mirkwood. Legolas' blue eyes looked at him in question, and Haldir nodded. "She is awake, I am on my way to seek for one of the healers. Her broken arm gives her pain..." Legolas smiled at his friend, "Haldir of Lórien, she really changed you."

Éowyn's face seemed to glow when Legolas looked at her, no wonder why his friend loved her. "How fare you, my lady?" The woman sighed deeply before answering, "What do you think, with your friend around me?" She raised her eyes to the heavens in mockery. "Really, you must be the most evil elf that ever roamed this earth. You could have warned me." The Prince smiled and replied, "Well, at least I had something good to think of while," his face darkened as he continued, "while we ventured upon the road Aragorn had chosen for us."

She nodded and reached out for his hand, squeezing it lightly. "I have thought of you as well. And since the day I finally allowed my own feelings ... well, I know how much you mean to Haldir. It would have been very hard on him if he had lost you." Legolas sat down by Éowyn's side. "Not as much as your death, fair Éowyn. He was mad with grief and almost challenged Aragorn." She looked at the elf in doubt, "What do you mean? Not because he still thinks..." - "No, Aragorn was unsure of his healing powers, as he is unsure of everything except for one..." Éowyn could hardly believe her eyes but the elf actually blushed.

Teasingly she said, "Well, I wonder what that might be..." Then she continued solemnly, "I thought that I would be the reason for Haldir's death once, I still do. But he won't let me fight him any longer. And I've not the strength to fight both him and my own heart... You were right, my feelings for Aragorn were nothing compared to this. It's as if I had not really lived before he entered my life. Though at first..." Legolas continued for her, "Though at first you would have preferred to kill him. Yes, he has this effect on people."

Éowyn looked at the elf in surprise. He was Haldir's friend; he was supposed to point out Haldir's virtues to her. "If you keep telling me what a terrible person he is I might have to reconsider my feelings for him," she suggested with a wicked grin. "It is not as if you did not know this already." But then he clasped her hand in his and stared at her in earnest. "This battle that raged within you is nothing compared to what must have gone on within him. The fact that you are mortal..." Tears started to appear in Éowyn's eyes, she couldn't speak and so she only nodded.

"But then, it is his destiny to be with you. And who knows, there might be a way that you can be together, forever." Forcing herself to stop crying she was able to ask, "What way?" Legolas smiled knowingly, "That I cannot tell you, not now. But one day you will be standing at a crossroad. The path that you will chose then might change your life, for all times." Before Éowyn could say anything in reply the door opened and Haldir returned with a healer. Legolas rose and bowed to Éowyn, kissing her small hand. "Namárië." And with a nod to Haldir he left the room.

"I hope he did not speak too badly of me," Haldir asked half joking, half concerned. "He didn't say anything I didn't know already ... except perhaps..." The elf read his love's mind and answered the question before it had been asked, "Farewell, he only bid you farewell. I think someone should teach you a bit about our language, though of course I will never be tired of explaining everything to you. Lord Elrond perhaps, one day..." Éowyn smiled, "I would love that."

The healer just shook his head, 'Elves, you can't understand them. The poor woman...' A genuine smile appeared on his face as he looked at Éowyn's right arm. "That ranger really knows how to heal someone..." Éowyn almost blurted out Aragorn's true identity, only in time did she saw the warning on Haldir's face. The man now continued with Éowyn's left arm, "It'll take time to mend, but it shouldn't hurt anymore as of tomorrow. But that ranger, Aragorn was his name, yes, Aragorn said that you should remain in bed for at least ten days."

Hearing this, a broad smile formed on Haldir's features and Éowyn couldn't help asking herself why he was grinning. Then understanding dawned on her, now she would be the patient and he would be able to repay her for the kindness she had shown to him. Involuntarily she shivered at the thought, remembering her own beastly behaviour.

The healer turned to Haldir and handed him a small bag. "I found a some more athe... ehm, Kingsfoil. I thought you could bathe her hand again." He hated all these elvish words. Why couldn't people just stick with their own language? Nodding to Éowyn he swept out of the room.

"How on earth could this creature become a healer? He does not even know athelas." His arrogance had been something she first thought appalling, now she loved it as much as everything about the elf before her. "Ten days he said? Well, I for one will surely enjoy these ten days." Now the teasing tone in his voice was unmistakable. He would make her pay for her behaviour.

"You know of course that I'm supposed to rest these ten days. Undisturbed." Pride filled her eyes, unwillingness to be subdued. "Well, I think Legolas told you of my flaws ... I tend to forget the needs of others over my own." He smiled at her while stepping up to her bed. "Aren't you forgetting something, melethen? My arm is broken, and I really should not..." her remarks were stopped by Haldir's lips that brushed over hers.

A moan escaped her throat as she pulled Haldir's head down towards her. Too soon the elf broke the kiss, eyes filled with concern. "No we should not ... you are right ... you should rest. We have all this time ahead of us. Forgive me, nín anoriel, cuilen." As he saw Éowyn's raised eyebrow he added with a chuckle, "my life."