Vaniel, My Heart

Vaniel, My Heart
Chapter 31: Chapter 31 - The Rescue
by Sienna
Disclaimer: All familiar characters are owned by JRR Tolkien and are used without permission. No monies are being made from this work. Original characters are part of the story and owned by the author.

Vaniel, My Heart
by Sienna Dawn

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 31 - The rescue

Vaniel grabbed Rumil's arm and stopped them.

"Haldir!" Her eyes turned to Rumil. "He's in danger!" She turned her head toward the direction of the Anduin and then looked back at Rumil.

"I must go to him now!!"

"Nay, Vaniel!" Rumil exclaimed, alarmed, but knowing he could not let Vaniel risk her life. "You cannot go!"

But Vaniel was not listening, and she made to turn back. Rumil's strong grasp held her.

"You cannot go back!" He repeated. "Whatever killed Eodwyn is in that wood, Vaniel. You cannot go back!" His blue eyes locked with her own golden orbs.

"Yes!" She breathed, freeing her arm from Rumil's hold, "And what stalked us is now stalking him! Rumil," her voice now lowered to a whisper, "He has been hurt. He needs our help!"

Rumil turned briefly to glance at Olmiel. "I cannot go back, we must get Olmiel tended. When we do this, then we will go and search for Haldir."

Vaniel looked at Olmiel and met his eyes. She saw understanding and compassion there, "Rumil," he said, "go...take the Lady and go, the wound is clean now and it can wait."

Rumil was at a loss. He knew Olmiel's wound was serious, and that the elf had lost a great deal of blood. He knew Athryn was the presence that had stalked them and killed Eodwyn. But how had she escaped Orophin? And now Vaniel sensed that Haldir too was in danger. And what of Orophin? Were both his brothers' lives in peril?

Turning his eyes back toward the river's direction, he shook his head, "Nay, Vaniel, I cannot leave Olmiel, nor can you go back alone." He saw the protest in her eyes, and hastened to add, "As soon as we meet the border sentries of this part of the woods, we will go back, you and I."

"Rumil, that may be too late." Vaniel said loudly.

She turned to go back and just as suddenly stopped, her mind filled with images, "Oh..." she grabbed her head and sat heavily on the ground.

"What is it?" Rumil helped Olmiel to sit and came to kneel beside her.

When Vaniel turned to Rumil, he saw her eyes were full of tears, "Oh, Rumil, Haldir is in pain....so much pain..." Tears dropped to her face, "I cannot go on....I must turn back!"

With that she stood abruptly, and before Rumil could stop her, Vaniel ran quickly into the woods, following the path they had taken from the river. Behind her she heard Rumil's shouts, but she ran ahead, Olmiel's great bow still slung behind her back.

In what seemed like moments, Vaniel had reached the Anduin's banks and dropping the bow, she swiftly crossed it back to the side of the fires, to where Haldir was, to where his thoughts called her. Forgotten was the danger and Rumil's warnings. All she knew was that her other half, her soul mate, her edar, needed her and to him she must fly!

After crossing to the other side, Vaniel re-entered the woods and sprinted toward the encampment where she knew the other elves had their talans. After what seemed like an eternity, she came to the clearing and looked up. Whispering a call, she frowned when it was not returned. She realized the talans were deserted. Vaniel frowned. What did this mean? Where were the elves?

She sniffed the air and soon located the direction where the smoke was the heaviest and with a grim and determined expression began walking in that direction. If the elves had all left the talans and were fighting the fires, then by following the line of smoke she should come unto them soon enough.

But as she walked she heard nothing and sensed nothing. The smoke was thicker now, and the smell of burnt wood was stronger. She did not see flying embers or ash, but she knew she was getting very near the fires. She was glad for her elven blood, for only elven eyes would be able to see past the thick haze and only elven lungs could breathe in the dense smoke.

Vaniel tread quickly but with care, alert for fires. Just then she heard a muffled cough and called out, "Haldir?"

And a sweet response came to her, "Vaniel?"

It was Haldir!

Vaniel stopped in order to regain her balance, for the thick smoke and her worry for Haldir had dulled her senses. "Haldir, where are you? Speak and I will follow the sound of your voice." Her eyes darted, searching. Behind her crackled new firelines and she knew they had little time.

"I am here..." Haldir's voice called.

Vaniel realized his voice was pained. She cautiously stepped around a cluster of burning leaves and looked carefully about her. In moments her keen eyes made out a shape on the ground and she walked toward it. Yet, Vaniel frowned, it seemed too small and slender to be Haldir and when she approached the still figure she gasped in realization.

It was an elf, a female. Vaniel frowned and called out again, trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "Haldir? Haldir?" She called loudly, turning once to look at the still form of the elven female.

"Vaniel..." Haldir's whisper came from her left and she saw him, stumbling out of the smoke and into her arms.

"Oh, meleth!" Vaniel grasped Haldir to her, thanking the Valar he had been spared. Haldir's body felt tense and she realized he was speaking.

"...need to move quickly."

Vaniel stepped away from him and looked into Haldir's face. It was then, for the first time, she saw the scratches that covered his face, from scalp to chin and the blood that had pooled into his eyes. Frowning, she raised her hand and touched his cheek and saw him wince. Then, understanding, she lowered her eyes to the still form on the ground. The female was obviously dead, from the way her neck craned to the side. The hair was matted, the clothing tattered, arms scratched, the face turned away from her so Vaniel was not able to see the features.

Turning to look at Haldir, who clutched her arm, she said sadly, "Is that Athryn?"

At the sound of the name, Haldir's head snapped back and his back stiffened. "Where?" He asked tersely.

Vaniel slowly turned her gaze to her husband's face, "There, on the ground." She watched Haldir's face carefully.

Haldir sighed and turned his head slightly away from Vaniel, but seemed to come to a decision and turned his head toward her again, "I am blind, Vaniel. I cannot see." His eyes, nearly shut from the swelling wounds, were a mass of blood and torn flesh.

She knew...of course she knew. How could she not? He was her soul mate. And beside that, Vaniel had seen him stumbling out of the smoke, his hands searching for obstacles. But when she saw his eyes. The beautiful sapphire eyes now torn and filled with his blood, she knew in her heart.

Stifling a sob, Vaniel held Haldir tightly to her body, and felt his body tremble. Not knowing what to say, she turned and began leading them out of the wood, the way she had come, taking Haldir back to safety. Neither mentioned Athryn's body. In her heart Vaniel blamed the elleth's parents for forcing Haldir to take on a responsibility that never should have been his in the first place. And she also felt a great anger toward Orophin, though she knew him not, yet Vaniel blamed him for allowing Athryn to escape, for obviously had he been responsible in his duty the mad creature would not have gotten away. Anger and grief welled up inside of Vaniel and she was not sure she would ever be able to understand how and why this had come to pass. What had they done, she thought, save love one another? How could the Valar so have turned against them?

And as they struggled to flee the fire and the smoke, Vaniel felt despair for the first time in her life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~