When I next awoke, I was holding the Galadhrim as I used to, tightly warped in my arms and the sheets. My right hand gently brushed through his hair, dirty as it was, and I resolved to try and wash it even if he did not regain consciousness this night.

My hand never stopped moving, for I fear if I did, he would not realize I was here.

I was afraid that he would never wake.

I felt his left hand tremble, the fingers flexing slightly, and I pulled back to look at his beloved face.

His brows had pulled down in a frown, his eyelids and lashes trembling before his mouth parted for a whimper.

My hand brushed against his cheek, as I intently watched him stir. “Haldir?” I whispered, at the same time believing and doubting.

“Mela…” His voice was weak, trembling in pain.

“Haldir?!” My voice took on a hysterical edge as I saw his eyes flutter open, saw recognition within their depths.

I slipped my arm gently out from under his head to gently cradle his face, pushing back his hair and feeling my soul lighten so much it hurt. Placing my cheek against his flushed one, I cried, my hands fluttering uselessly like caged birds over him. I did not know what I could touch without hurting him, and finally settled for stroking his face and hair.

His eyes fluttered as they looked into my face. “What… happened? My back… feels… like fire…”

“By the grace of the Valar,” I whispered softly. “Haldir, what do you remember?”

“The battle… then… I felt a sword thrust into my side… I was… cold…” he shivered again. “And… I still am…”

“Melamin, after that, an orc axe came down upon your back… We… we did not think that you were alive… I… found you barely alive upon the rampart… Estel, Legolas, and Mithrandir brought you to these rooms and we have been nursing you back…” I brushed my lips against his face, against his closed eyelids, and gently over his cracked lips. “Mithrandir tightened our bond so that, even more so now than before, we must rely upon each other…” I felt my eyes sting with tears. “I hope you do not object to me being your support…”

His lips tried to cure into a smile. “No… I never will…” His face went pale when he tried to move his arm and rise upon his arms.

“Haldir! Don’t move!” My hands gently caught him and eased him back down upon the bed. “Haldir,” I whispered softly, my hand resting upon his cheek. “Haldir your back is badly off. Please do not try to move yet…”

He frowned, sweat standing upon his brow. “I… still feel…”

I quickly placed my fingers upon his lips to still them. “Please, if you wait, we can bathe together, or more adequately, I will bathe you.”

He glowered at me when I laughed at the face he made. “Haldir, you are in no position to be able to do this for yourself. Allow me to tend to you as I used to, for I find I rather enjoy it.” I twined one finger in his silver hair and tugged it into his field of view.

The hairs, in most places, were no longer silver, but were coated red and black, and I saw his eyes widen slightly before he shuddered.

“Get it off,” he muttered.

I kissed his cheek. “That is what I thought you would say.”

Detangling myself from his grasp, I walked over to the door to find Legolas standing patiently there, his hand poised to knock.

I smiled brightly at him, and motioned behind me, moving aside so that he could see that Haldir had regained consciousness.

Legolas smiled brightly as he walked into the room while I snagged a wandering maid to bring a few buckets of water and some towels.

Walking back in, I watched as Legolas talked softly to him, his own hands mimicking my former actions. He turned his bright blue eyes towards me, and smiled. “You are going to wash him up, are you not?”

I laughed. “Of course! If he stays this way, I will not wish to be around him.” I smiled, walking over to touch my heart’s face. “That is if he is not object to me helping him.”

Legolas’ eyes sparkled. “I would be happy to help you tend to him, if the stiff neck does not mind.”

Haldir huffed quietly, hiding the pain of his back quite well. “I will have a stiff neck if I have to keep looking up at you.”

“A’mael,” I whispered as I brushed a kiss across his forehead, sinking down to the floor so I could place my face beside his own. “Is this better?”

His lips twitched before he responded. “No, I have to turn my head.”

I gently poked his nose. “You are stinky, and I will not get any closer until we wash you off.”

While I distracted him by verbally sparing with him, I noticed that Legolas had gone behind him to gently inspect the healing wound.

“You need washed, especially your back, Haldir. We cleaned what we could, but we do not wish for it to fester.” Legolas tugged Haldir’s hair over his shoulder, keeping it clear of his wounds. “I will be more than happy to help.”

Haldir sighed, closing his eyes. “If it will make the princeling of Mirkwood happy, I will allow myself the humiliation.”

“Humiliation? Why do you think that, A’mael?” My fingers clasped around his limp ones, gently stroking them. “It is not dishonoring you because you cannot do this yourself. I am your bonded, and as such, I must be your support when you need me…” I leaned closer, my free hand stroking the backs of my fingers against his clammy cheek. “As when I need you…”

I nuzzled my face against his when I heard the soft knock on the door. With a parting caress, I stood, walking slowly to open the door.

The little maid was back and she bobbed a curtsy before allowing me to take two of the buckets and walking them in towards the fire.

“Legolas, would you grab the other?”

With a nod, he walked towards the second little maid and grabbed the bucket and towels. He smiled at them. “Many thanks,” he said before lightly shutting the door and locking it behind him.

“Now, how are we going to do this?” Legolas asked as he set the bucket by the other two.

“The only way we can: use a towel.”

Legolas helped slip his clothes off and move his head to the edge of the bed, his neck resting against my thigh.  His hair hung over my leg, and with slow hands, I unbraided his hair, letting it cascade further down, some hitting the water.

I heard Haldir sigh and saw him close his eyes as I poured some water over his head, wetting the strands and his neck in the process. The water flowed down his hair, running over my hand that supported his head, and then down into the bucket beneath us.

It was a slightly… messy prospect, but he enjoyed the feeling of water, and I was not about to deny him anything.

Running my hands through his hair, I made lather from the soap that I had pulled from my pack and gently started the painstaking task of removing the blood from his silver tresses.

While I tended to his hair, Legolas was gently wiping down his back and side, removing any unwanted piece there. With butterfly touches, I saw him probe the back wound, making sure it was truly shut correctly and was healing.

“How is he healing, Legolas?” I asked lightly while I ran a warm, wet cloth over Haldir’s face

“Very well… However I would not suggest that he walk any time soon. It would put too much stress upon his spine.”

I felt Haldir jerk in my arms, and his breath came out in a hiss. “What did you do, Legolas?” I quarried as I tried to ease the pain that nearly had the Galadhrim in tears.

“I tightened a stitch that had come out.” He rested his hand against Haldir’s arm. “I am sorry, Mellonamin.”

“S’kay,” he hissed through his teeth.

I ran my hands against his shoulder, hoping to ease him. After his breathing quieted somewhat, I finished rinsing out his hair with clear, cool water.

I felt his body relax, his fingers gently curling and kneading the sheets like a cat.  I wrung his hair out, gently wrapping a towel around the damp ends.

My hand gently caressed his cheek, and his lips parted with a sigh. I looked up at Legolas and we both had to stifle our laughter.

“We had best put him further back up on the bed before you get a cramp in your leg.”

I smoothed my hand down his skin, feeling the little jumps of the muscles as they trembled. “Yes, we better before he catches chill. Now that he is asleep, it should be easy to slip him into a sleeping robe.”

Legolas and I had little trouble manipulating his body so that we could slip his sleeping robe on, and place him fully on the bed.

I smiled at my impish friend, and we laughed quietly as we tucked the March Warden in securely before we sat down at the small table.

We ate in silence mostly. Only a few questions or comments were made, and those mostly were about how I was feeling, or how Estel was doing.

He helped me rise from my chair and walked me over to Haldir’s bedside and helped me to lower myself beside him.

Instantly, my Galadhrim’s arms were around me, holding me close as he nearly purred.

“Aragorn, Glimi, and I will be leaving to finish this quest.” His fingers lingered on my face, and then gently traced Haldir’s. “Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva.”

I reached up to grasp Legolas’ hand. “Namaarie, Legolas.”

He brushed a kiss across my forehead. “Go home, Ven. Go home with your bonded and the new little life.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out the door, and more importantly, into the pages of history.