The Forsaken

Disclaimer: (In the spirit of Crimson Starlight)

*rabbit flies through air* THUMP!

Haldir: *blinks* What the hell? *watches another rabbit fly through room* THUMP!

Shana: *cursing in other room*

Haldir: Ah.

Glorfindel: Ah what?

Haldir: *points at another flying rabbit* Plot bunnies.

Shana: *watches rabbit fly through opposite doorway* THUMP! *and hop away. Throws arms straight up* GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

Glorfindel: *eyebrow* And when did punting plot bunnies become a sport?

Haldir: Since there were so many in her room she couldn't walk. She had to get rid of some of them.

Glorfindel: Ah. *watches another rabbit make it through opposite doorway*

Shana: GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glorfindel: Shanastay owns nothing and no one. I think some of those bunnies are up for grabs. Anybody want one?

Chapter 3: Rude Awakening

Shar's eyes flew open at the muffled screams coming from outside her bedroom door. She turned her head, eyes meeting Haldir's focused ones.

Wordlessly the Marchwarden withdrew from their embrace, standing quickly to retrieve their robes with one hand, extending the other to pull Shar up.

Shar took the proffered hand; pulling herself quickly to her feet and slipping her robe on, knotting the belt at her waist. Haldir barely had time to close and secure his own robe before Shar flew out of the bedroom following the anguished cries.

Shar refused to let the sight that met her eyes faze her. She immediately recognized the raven-haired elf on the couch, striding forward to his side. Even in the darkened room her keen night-vision picked out the pink lines etched across the elf's ivory skin.

"Oh Valar, Erestor what happened to you?" she wondered as she took in the pale elf's still-glazed eyes. Shar turned to Haldir, speaking quickly, "He's still asleep. We need to wake him up now!"

As he struggled against his unseen attacker one of Erestor's clenched fists hit the side of Shar's head. She fell back, shaking her head to clear it. "Hal, hold him down."

The former Marchwarden followed Shar's directions without question, as she had handled situations like this more than once. Haldir caught Erestor's hands in his own, pinning them to the councilor's sides. Haldir held Erestor's legs down with his shin pressed against the pale elf's thighs.

Shar sat beside the slight elf and took Erestor's thrashing head between her hands. Stilling his movements she called out to him softly, "E… Erestor, it's Shar honey. Hal and I are right here. It's ok. Shhhhh. You're safe. Erestor please come back to us."

Haldir watched his lover with growing admiration, remembering how she had pulled him back from the edge in a similar manner.

Shar patiently kept repeating her soft pleas over and over. When she felt the tension ease from Erestor's form she told Haldir to release him, still speaking softly to the former councilor as his eyes finally began to clear.

Haldir knelt at Shar's feet by Erestor's head, watching as she gently coaxed the elf back to consciousness.

Erestor blinked several times, his eyes focusing on the disheveled female gently stroking his face. "Shar…" he managed to croak out through his raw throat.

She placed a finger over his lips, silencing him. "Shhhh… Welcome back E. I'm not gonna ask how you got here or what happened. That can wait. You were having some kind of night terror. I felt it best to wake you rather than let it continue."

Erestor nodded. Noticing one side of the woman's face beginning to purple he closed his eyes, turning his face away. I did that.

Shar gently turned his face back again. "Erestor, you're safe here, but we clearly can't leave you to sleep by yourself." She threw a pointed look at Haldir.

Catching her meaning he slipped back into their bedroom, returning moments later wearing a pair of loose sweat pants. He stood next to Shar as she looked back down at the raven-haired elf.

"You're going to sleep with us. You should be able to get untroubled rest with us near. I'm going to put something on. I'll be right back."

She waited until he nodded, then headed to her bedroom, Haldir taking up the position she had just vacated. Haldir held his friend's hand trying to reassure him.

Erestor whispered to the former Marchwarden, "I'm sorry," as new tears welled in his eyes.

Haldir smiled gently down at Erestor. "There is nothing to be sorry for. You've clearly been through a lot. Shar and I will do everything in our power to help."

Haldir looked up as Shar reemerged from the bedroom wearing a tank and shorts. She came to stand by the guardian, placing a hand on his shoulder. She nodded to Haldir before leading the way back to their room.

Haldir gathered a protesting Erestor into his arms, carrying him into the bedroom.

Shar accepted a now softly sobbing Erestor into her arms. She lay down on her back as the former councilor curled into her side. She stroked his back and hair murmuring soothingly as Erestor finally rested his head in the soft spot where her shoulder sloped down to meet her breast, his hand reflexively clutching a handful of her shirt against her stomach.

Haldir silently closed and locked the bedroom door, climbing into the bed on Shar's other side. He pulled the covers up over the three of them. Haldir settled down next to Shar, his hand reaching out to gently stroke Erestor's face until the tears stopped and the councilor's eyes drifted closed.

Haldir shifted his position slightly, kissing the side of Shar's bruising face. She turned her head to catch his lips for a moment. He looked into her eyes, whispering softly, "Thank you, Melamin."

She smiled softly at him as he buried his face in her neck, his hand on her upper abdomen just below her breasts, the length of his body pressed against her side.

Shar listened as Haldir's breathing finally evened out, releasing a trapped sigh from her chest.

Valar, she implored, what is going on? First it was Haldir's waking nightmares, then Rumil's nervous breakdown, and now Erestor. What was done to him to leave him in such a state?

With no answer forthcoming Shar resigned herself to waiting until morning for the answers she sought. I pray that whatever it is is something I have a solution for.

Her mind troubled, Shar lay awake for some time before following the elves into sleep.

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