The predawn was heavy with dew as I padded through Caras Galadhon to the Lord and Lady’s talan as I had promised. I was met by Celeborn who smiled at me and beckoned me towards the smaller room.

What greeted my eyes was not what I expected.

The Lady of the Galadhrim sat on the floor, two of the little ones in her lap while she laughed. Haldir, I noticed, sat away, his head cocked to the side to listen to her.

He heard my approach even before I was half way across the first room. He stood, waiting for me to come closer before he tilted his head, the silver strands slipping over his shoulder, and some into his face, as he looked up at me.

I placed one knee down in front of him. Gently, I took the hand that he held up to me, and enveloped it within my much larger one.

“The Lady tells me that your name is Haldir.”

His midnight blue eyes watched me for a moment, and then nodded his head.

I smiled at him. “My name is –“

“Vendea.”

Blinking, I tilted my head to watch him. “You know my name?”

He nodded as he took a step forward to lean against my leg.

Without thinking, I pushed some of his silver hair that had fallen into his face behind his ear. “How do you know?”

“I do not know.”

I knelt there, watching him as intently as he watched me. His voice, even for one so young, held the quality of being regal. His voice would be a smooth lilt, and, if I did not miss my mark, that voice would be quite seductive.  His eyes, even now, were captivating. They thoroughly enthralled me.

He reached out his hand to gently wrap around one of my braids as he came closer to lean further against me. He studied the braid within his hand, and without looking at me, he took a breath to speak.

“Will you leave?”

I shook my head. “What do you mean?”

“Leave like adar and naneth?”

“What makes you think I will leave?”

“Because you will. Everyone leaves us.”

I felt my heart break, and I reached out to brush my hand through his silver hair. “We shall not leave you, Haldir.” I smiled at him. “I am fond of you.”

He looked at me through the corner of his eye.

“Well, I am!” Trying not to startle him, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him against me so I could burry my face into the soft silk of his hair. “I promise to you, Haldir, that we shall not leave you.”

I awoke to the feeling of someone stroking my hair gently.

“Vendea,” the soft voice lilted. “Come. Get something to eat.”

My eyes were tired as I turned to look at the soft, if sometimes rambunctious, Prince of Mirkwood. I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand. “What time?”

“Second watch.”

I looked into his light blue eyes. “There’s still food?”

He smiled at me. “Aragorn and I just finished helping the healers with the wounded, and we’ve not eaten anything. He is waiting outside with a tray that Eówyn made.”

Nodding my head wearily, I looked back to my Galadhrim and gently brushed his cheek with my fingers before giving him a soft kiss upon his sweat-damped brow.

I rose, or more accurately, I tried to rise. I ended up falling back against the chair, feeling incredibly weak of a sudden.

“Vendea?” Legolas quarried. “What happened?”

“I… do not know.” I felt ill, my stomach rolling violently. I had felt nauseous before, but it had faded and I had taken it to be a result of the long march. I had rested, and it did not return until this moment. I tried to rise again with little success.

Estel had come in at Legolas’ bidding and came to help as well.

“Are you well?” His hands rested upon my upper arms, looking into my face.

I swallowed, shaking my head. “I do not know what would cause this sickness.”

Legolas took up gently stroking my hair to ease my growing panic. He pushed the wayward strands from my face as I once did for him and Haldir. My stomach kept churning violently, and I did not know if I could still sit there and not be sick.

“I… I truly feel awful…” Suddenly, I felt the bile rise in my throat and I bolted, as best I could, to the small bathroom to loose what little food I had within my stomach.

I felt two sets of gentle hands on me; one pulled back my hair while the other set gently braced me so that I did not collapse to the trembling within my arms.

After emptying my stomach, I collapsed with a whimper against the person that was holding me upright.

“Vendea,” Estel whispered as he pulled me up, my stomach still reeling.

Legolas stroked back my hair from my face as he offered me a cup of water to rinse my mouth out.

I leaned weakly, almost boneless against Estel as my head throbbed. I rested my aching head against his shoulder, which he did not seem to mind.

Estel rested his healer’s hand against my belly, gently searching for a cause.

Legolas for his part was running his elven fingers along my neck, feeling with his own sense as his dark brows drew together in concentration.

I felt Estel’s fingertips kneading into my belly under my shirt and the edge of my pants. Closing my eyes, I allowed Estel to searching with his fingers and do what always came naturally to him: healing.

He stilled and I felt him turn towards Legolas. “Feel here, Legolas, as your hands are more adept at this. Is this what I think?”

Legolas’ fingers danced upon my belly, pausing for a moment before withdrawing. “Yes.”

Estel curled his fingers under my chin and turned my face to his own. “Vendea,” he whispered, careful of my aching head. “Do you know that you carry a child?”

My whole body seemed like it was thrown out into the Celebrant. My mouth moved but no sound came forth.

“I… I… did not know…” I was in a shock as my body started to tremble.

“It seems you are, Vendea.” Estel shook his head slightly. “And you did not know?”

I closed my eyes as I felt tears prick them. “No,” I choked. “I did not…”

Legolas sat closer to me, and I felt him take me into his arms, away from Estel. “Vendea, the Valar do strange things.”

My fingers curled in his green tunic and I buried my face into the soft fall of gold as I cried. “Why do this? Why when he could…” My voice choked on the word, refusing to come out of my mouth.

Estel ran his hand over my back. “He will live. We must believe in this, Vendea. Do not let your faith falter.”

“We are not meant to die,” I whispered, and I felt Legolas’ arms tighten about my shaking form.

“The toll was high for these people… and most yet do not realize that eternal beings, ones who had lived for many hundreds of years, had their light snuffed out.” Legolas’ soft hands stroked my hair absentmindedly, as if he were searching for comfort himself.  “All because we wished to help… Most men would not feel grateful.” I felt him jerk his chin towards the door. “Most do not.”

Estel shook his head. “Most believe that we as humans are inferior to you. That is what spurns their hatred on of elves. They do not realize, even as Lord Elrond once learned, there is not much difference between us.”

“Lord Elrond is wise,” I whispered. “But men know nothing. They see the same falls again and again, and most do not resist it.” I sighed. “What world will this child be born into? Will the little hobbit fail, or will he succeed?”

There was a taught silence before Estel sighed. “I can only hope that they succeed.”

Legolas smiled. “They will succeed. I have faith in that. This world will be freed from the Ring’s influence.”

“It will also be free of elves,” I stated. “So the question, I suppose, that is a more pressing one is: do I sail and when?”

Estel jerked his chin towards Haldir’s bed. “Once he recovers, and this war is won. We will escort you to the shore.”

I turned to look at the Heir of Isildur. “I… but what if I do not wish to sail?”

Legolas gave a soft laugh. “You will only sail if Haldir decides to sail, and it goes both ways, for you will stay if he will stay. So do not worry your head about this. It is still many years off for all of us.”

Nodding, I turned my face back into his shoulder, sighing quietly. I heard Estel rise and gently rummage through his pack he brought.

I dozed off lying against my friend’s shoulder until Estel gently woke me with a shake.

“Drink this; it should help quell your stomach.”

Without complaint, I drank the bitter tasting draught before I rested my head back against Legolas’ shoulder, my eyes straining to close.

“How does he sleep?”

Estel turned to look at me, brushing some of my hair behind my pointed ear. “He sleeps almost soundly except for the occasional whimper. His breathing is fast and shallow, which is well considering his wounds.”

“He sleeps better when I touch him.”

Legolas smiled at my sleepy eyes. “That is because you are bound.”

I laughed quietly, my hand catching his before he tried to brush my hair again. “Must I ask for permission to go back there and stay with him?”

“Only if you take better care of yourself, and you eat something that we brought.”

I snorted, shaking my still aching head. “Of course, turn the tables on me why don’t you.”

“Of course! We will gladly turn the tables on you for the trouble you put us through; at least when you had visited Arwen and the twins.”

“She always was a martinet when it came to behavior and etiquette.”

I grumbled, tugging on one of Legolas’ braids. “Behave, Blondie.”

He laughed as he swept me up in his arms, standing before he brought me back to my Galadhrim’s sick room