Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: My Brother's Keeper (#3381)
Author: PonytailGoddess
Chapters: 2

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: This is a very angsty two part ficlet about Haldir and his brothers trying to cope with the recent loss of their parents...
Published: 03 Apr 2007
Updated: 06 Apr 2007
Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts and Violent Images
Type: Angst
Characters: Haldir; Rumil; Orophin


Chapter 1 - Part One: A Family In Need Of Change

Hi guys! Welcome to My Brother’s Keeper! This is just a small oneshot about Haldir and his brothers…I hope you enjoy it!

Note: In this fic, I have made 50 the age that elves arrive at their majority. This makes Rumil about a 17 year old by human standards and Orophin around four or five, though he is rather smart for his age.

Note: All thoughts and flashbacks are italicized.

Warning: This fic contains suicidal thoughts and graphic material. Read at your own risk!

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any other Tolkien goodies…a most unfortunate predicament, if I do say so myself

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My Brother’s Keeper

By: Ponytail Goddess

Part One: A Family In Need Of Change

Haldir sighed as he walked alone through the deserted forest, heading south towards Caras Galadhon. It was a lovely night, perfect in every aspect. The moon had rose in the early night sky and was shining down upon the mellryn, illuminating their silver leaves. All was calm and quiet, other than a few hoots from an owl and the soft tinkling of a stream in the distance.

He did not want to go home. For the first time in his life, his home was no longer a home. Everything was a total mess and his heart was still torn from the events of the past year. Overall, he was so overwhelmed by the changes in his life that nothing really made sense to him anymore. Previously, he thought his life had direction. Now, it was solitary.

He was a father now, most unexpectedly. A father to his brothers. Even now, a year after it had happened, thinking about it still shocked him to no end. His father, a strong and solid warden, had fallen in a small skirmish to protect the lands of Lorien. It had been a terrible shock to witness. Not that Haldir was there of course, but he had seen his mother when it happened.

He and his brothers had all been congregated in their tallan, sitting around the great wooden dinner table with their mother. There had been several jokes and a great sense of mirth surrounding the entire thing, as Rumil was doing silly things to entertain young Orophin, who was only a mere nine years old. Nothing had been out of the ordinary. There were no signs.

It had simply…happened.

“Naneth?” Haldir questioned, standing up quickly. His mother had just fallen from her seat at the table. Lightning fast, he was on his feet and by her side. He rolled her over to see her face, which had paled considerably in a matter of seconds. “Naneth? Naneth, can you hear me?!?” He asked, starting to become frantic as he shook her limp body.

Though he was fully focused on his mother, the scooting of the other chairs did not leave his notice. He quickly glanced over his shoulder to see that Rumil was standing up and looking quite afraid while little Orophin had stood up on the seat of his chair to try and see what all of the commotion was about.

Haldir put his fingers to her neck, trying to feel for a pulse. His breath quickened when he realized that it was not present. “Haldir…is she…?” He faintly heard Rumil whisper, trailing off, his voice tainted with pain.

Orophin, however, was confused by all of this. Too young to understand what had just happened, he became quite annoyed because none of the elves were paying any attention to him. “Wake naneth up!!!” He proclaimed into the tension-filled silence of the tallan. “I want naneth!!!” He bellowed in with his loud, high-pitched voice.

“Rumil, get him out of here! Go for help!!!” Haldir stated frantically, now trying desperately to wake her up. Looking back, he saw that Rumil had barely moved. He was shaking and his feet seemed to be frozen to the floor in fear. “NOW!!!” He yelled, outraged that his brother, who he was training to be an obedient warden, would disobey him at a time like this.

The scream was met with the loud wailing of a child. Orophin started to cry and scream as Rumil picked up the small, flailing child as best he could and started for the door as quickly as he could. “NANETH!!!” He half bawled, half screamed, squirming in Rumil’s arms as he carried the child away. “I WANT NANETH!!!”

Those screams were emblazoned in Haldir’s mind. Orophin’s screaming came back to him every time he went to sleep, every time he relived the nightmare. A nightmare it was indeed, but there was no solace from it when he woke up as it was real.

There had been nothing he could have done. His father had loved his mother with all of his heart. When he died, she followed immediately. Perhaps that was for the best… Haldir did not want his mother to stay in Lorien and suffer for long years, wasting away before going to Valinor. He loved her and wished that she was still there, of course, in his tallan cooking him a nice meal with a smile on her face as she always had—but he would not want her to suffer.

If she had stayed, she would have suffered greatly. Haldir knew this and somehow, it made the fact that she was gone okay. What he did not know, however, was how to deal with the life that had been dealt to him now that both his mother and his father were gone. He did not blame them for leaving; they had not left by choice, but it angered him that the Valar had taken them from him so suddenly and left him in this impossible situation.

Haldir was boiling with anger as he neared his tallan. The only emotions he ever seemed to have anymore were anger and confusion. He did not know why Iluvatar had bothered to put him on Arda. He had no purpose now. He was merely a babysitter for his brothers. He no longer had time for his old friends and no elleth would want to become one with him, as he came with two other mouths to feed and bodies to care for. Why did this have to be this way?!? He just did not understand-

“HALDIR!!!” An excited young voice yelled from behind him. Haldir turned to face the perpetrator who had interrupted his dark thoughts and was attacked with a hug from tiny arms that clutched at his legs with a death grip. “I MISSED YOU BROHTER!!! LOOK WHAT I FOUND WITH RUMIL!!! It is-“

“Not now brother, I do not the time for this foolishness.” He said to the young elfling, prying his little arms away from his legs. He started to walk away, only to have the little elfling’s tiny hands grasp one of his own and try to pull him back the other way.

“NO!!! You must see this brother!!! I have found a big bug that looks like a stick!!! Rumil says it-“

“I said not now brother. Go play with Rumil.” He said sternly, giving the excited elfling a cold stare before turning away from him and walking back to the tallan.

He wished he was not there.

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Rumil was smiling as Orophin ran back through the small grassy valley that sat amid the silvery mellyrn trees, but then frowned as he saw the expression on his younger brother’s face. He looked quite sad and troubled, which was not a usual emotion for the young elfling, who was a burning ball of energy most of the time. He frowned even more as the youngling grasped him into a wordless hug. No, this was not normal behavior for Orophin at all.

“Brother, what troubles you? Have you lost track of the stick bug?” Rumil asked, taking the little elfling up into his arms so that he could see him more easily in the light of the moon.

Orophin met his eyes, as his little arms reached around his neck to hold onto him securely. Rumil could see pain in his eyes and wondered what had happened, though the answer was given to him quite quickly.

“I told Haldir to come and see the stick bug, but he said he was too busy.” Orophin said softly, no longer meeting Rumil’s eyes.

Rumil sighed heavily and furrowed his brow. “I should have known…” He thought to himself.

Haldir. His older brother who was no help to him whatsoever. His older brother who had buried himself in his work and left him to care for young Orophin because he did not desire such a job. Really, Orophin’s care was not his responsibility—it was Haldir’s. After all, he was not an adult elf yet, though he was very close, only a few years from his fiftieth birthday. He was supposed to be learning the ways of the world and flirting with all of the young and attractive elleths that resided in Caras Galadhon, not making sure his baby brother did not trip and fall over tree roots. However, Rumil knew well that if he left Orophin in Haldir’s full care, he would not be raised properly, so he took it upon himself to stick around and care for the young one’s every need.

“He needs to get over this,” He thought to himself as he smiled down at the sad elfling in his arms, “Haldir cannot go on hurting poor Orophin like this. I hate to think it, but it is almost better when he is out working because then he does not get in the way of things.”

Though he was certain Haldir did not know it, he was hurting his youngest brother tremendously. Despite the fact that Rumil was the one who cooked Orophin every meal, helped him learn to write down the written languages of the elves, and took him out to play often, Haldir was the young one’s hero. He always had been and he always would be. Little Orophin could not go over to the neighbor’s or his friend’s houses without bragging about ‘big brother Haldir’ and how he was going to be considered for the position of March Warden, the highest post that could be obtained in the golden wood, unless one was the Lord Celeborn himself. Though his older brother always brushed the youngest off with a few terse words and a good scolding, all Orophin could see was his great bravery and service to the Lady of the Woods and held him in high regard, no matter what Haldir said to him.

“Well, dearest brother, if we give Haldir some time alone to get things done, perhaps he will spend some time with us later.” He said quietly. This, of course, was a lie. Rumil found that he was quite upset with himself for lying to Orophin, but he could not stand to see the youngest of his family so upset.

“Even if Haldir and I cannot find happiness right now, he deserves to have it. He is too young to be wallowing in his sorrow like the rest of us.” Rumil thought to himself as he put his brother down.

Looking down at Orophin, he faked a smile. “Come now brother; we have played out here longer than I intended. It is time for you to get some rest.”

“AWWW…BUT RUMIL, I AM NOT TIRED YET!!!” His brother loudly whined with a frown on his face. He took two stubborn stomps back into the moonlit wood and crossed his arms so that his demeanor matched his scowling face.

Inwardly, Rumil sighed. He knew that the moment the elfling laid down on his bed, sleep would find him immediately. However, the hard part was actually getting the young one into his bed. He always wanted to stay up later like an “adult ellon.”

“Well…I suppose if you can outrun me back to the tallan, perhaps you can stay up a little tiny bit later…” Rumil started to suggest, then was off in a flash, chasing his younger brother who had immediately started running as fast as he could, giggling. Rumil easily caught up though and sprinted at his side for quite a while as the two dodged a few trees after passing through the valley. Right before they reached the tallan though, Rumil quit playing along and easily passed up the younger one, touching the bottom of the large tree that they lived in a good ten seconds before Orophin got there.

“AWWW!!! That is not FAIR!!!” Orophin whined, coming to a hault in front of Rumil who was grinning mischievously at his younger brother. “I cannot help my legs are sho—HEY, PUT ME DOWN RUMIL!!!” Orophin exclaimed as Rumil easily grabbed his brother and tossed him over his shoulder playfully, then starting to run up the stairs to their tallan to put the young one to bed.

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A shadowy figure laid in his bed, silent and brooding as he looked out the window and stared at the moon through the cascade of silver mellyrn leaves. He smiled sadly as he thought of her.

Niphredil.

His little flower.

Never before had Haldir experienced love until he had met her. Her beauty rivaled even the great Lady of Light herself: the palest golden hair that was formed into the fattest, thickest curls he had ever seen, large eyes that were as green as the leaves from the trees of men, and the softest pale satin that was her skin. Oh Vala, she was the most beautiful ellith under the sun and she had immediately captured his heart. That body, that voice…she was a minstrel and had the clearest, finest voice he had ever heard. Her singing could break open the very barriers of his heart—no other could do such a thing. When he was with her, he had felt more emotion and had shared his own, becoming more open and generally happier with his life.

It was not made to last though. Indeed, he had thought that their love was built on a firm foundation, but when trouble had struck his life, it had quickly collapsed into ruin. After the death of his parents, he had asked for her help. She had promised her undying loyalty to him and he had assumed at the time that eventually they would become husband and wife.

She refused him though. Just thinking of this made him gasp out as the pain hit his heart again, almost as if it was new, rather than a healing old scar. She had refused his marriage proposal, saying that she was too young to be a mother. She did not desire to care for his brothers, Orophin and Rumil—she did not want to share his inconvenience. Indeed, he had loved her…and lost her all because of his unfortunate circumstances.

All because of his brothers.

Haldir growled as he rolled over to look at the shadowy door of his room again. He could still hear the quietest of sobs coming from one of the rooms of their small tallan. His original plan of action had been to ignore the sound with the hopes of it stopping soon. However, it had gone on for quite some time now and was not showing the signs of stopping as he had hoped it would.

Begrudgingly, he peeled himself off of his nice and warm bed and stood up silently, all while glaring daggers at the door. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was comfort the little elfling, but it seemed that Rumil was not making any haste to help console his near-silent cries, so someone had to…

Silently, Haldir opened his door and exited into the small living area. He dodged around the small, moonlit dinner table and headed to the other side of the tallan where Orophin’s room was. He gently opened the door and peeked into the dark room. His eyes widened in astonishment.

All was well. The young elfling was in his bed, sleeping quite peacefully. Which meant…

Haldir turned around to face the other door. Rumil’s room. After considering the situation for a second, he silently opened the door without knocking. He was somewhat shocked at what he saw, but only for a moment.

There was Rumil, sitting in a lonely chair that faced away from him and towards the window. He was bent over, exhibiting none of the fabled grace of the Eldar, with both of his arms wrapped around his chest. His head was bowed and he was shaking.

Haldir let a low growl come from his throat as he looked at the disheveled elf. He found himself disgusted at this showing of weakness. “And you desire to call yourself a warrior, elfling? You are too old for such behavior Rumil. You should know better—you haven’t a reason to cry anyway.” He said in a low, cold voice.

Rumil, slowly turned in the chair so that he could see Haldir. His eyes seemed almost lifeless, but they glared at him through his tears. “And how would you know, brother?” He spat, “How would you know if I had a reason to cry? You are never here, nor do you care about what goes on here. How would you know?” He repeated, a little louder this time, the pain of the world evident in his voice.

Haldir scowled as deeply as he could at the young ellon. “I give you a wonderful life here, under my roof, and this is the thanks I get?” He hissed angrily, trying not to be too loud. The last thing he needed was for his other brother to become entangled in this banter.

His brother looked at him now like he was absurd. “A wonderful life?!? I do not see anything wonderful about it! I have quit my schooling to take care of an elfling that is your responsibility, Haldir! I have not spoken to my friends for months now!”

“You are selfish, Rumil. Selfish! I cannot wait to be rid of you!” He shot back, no longer keeping his voice in check as his anger boiled over. He started to turn away, but then stopped as he heard words that chilled him to the bone.

“I hate you.” Rumil whispered. He said it so low that it was almost inaudible, but Haldir had heard it and turned back. He met very serious, dark eyes. “In time, Orophin will learn to do so too. I do not understand why he loves you so; all you ever do is ignore him. He will soon see what an utter ass you are—how you have abandoned your family. When he is older, he will understand and he will hate you too.”

Haldir stared at him in disbelief as he heard this revelation. His brother had told him that he hated him. Hate…it was such a strong word, one that he had rarely heard uttered from an elf. When the word was used, it was always used when talking about an enemy or a disliked chore. Never had he ever imagined that his brother would use such a word to describe his feeling about him. It seemed unreal, yet he could see the seriousness in his brother’s eyes.

He had meant every word.

Haldir’s heart sank, but he stubbornly refused to let this show in front of his brother. The only sign he gave that he had registered such a horrible comment was that he stood up taller and held his nose a bit higher in distaste of what his brother had said. Not knowing what else to do, Haldir covered himself by shooting the insult right back at Rumil. “That may very well be true.” He stated calmly. “Know that the feeling is mutual.”

With that said, he made a hasty exit and left the tallan, seeking some quiet thinking time.

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Rumil sighed loudly and fell back onto his bed, exhausted and guilt-ridden. Of course, he had not really meant what he said to Haldir—he did not hate him. He was just so frustrated with this whole situation and with Haldir’s actions towards Orophin… All he really wanted was the old Haldir back. The one that had been close with him and had laughed and joked around like a normal ellon.

His thoughts were interrupted though when he saw the smallest of movements out of the corner of his eye. A little figure had cracked open his door and was peeking in. Quickly wiping away his remaining tears, Rumil jumped up and approached the door.

“Orophin?” He questioned with a rather subdued voice, “What are you doing up?”

The door swung open and revealed a rather disheveled elfling that had tears in his eyes. Rumil softened quite a bit at the sight. “What is wrong, dear brother?”

Little Orophin sniffled a bit, then looked into Rumil’s eyes painfully. “Do you really hate me, brother?” He asked quietly, watching Rumil for a sincere answer.

Oh dear…he had heard that. Rumil had said those words in haste, not really meaning them and had now hurt his little brother. Scooping the young elfling up in his arms, he pulled him into a tight, reassuring hug. “No, no, of course not my brother. I love you. You are my brother, my flesh and blood. I would do anything for you.” He said in a soothing voice, as the little one shed tears onto his tunic.

“But…but you said you hate Haldir. That means you must hate me too!” He cried out, though it was muffled as the elfling spoke the words directly into his now-damp tunic. Rumil found himself rubbing the little one’s back, trying to bring him comfort.

“I did say that…but Orophin…Orophin, are you listening to me? This is very important.” He said rather harshly, though it got his younger brother’s attention. The blonde elfling looked up at him and stared at him with sad eyes that almost tore his heart in two. “Orophin,” he said gently, his eyes softening, “I said those words in haste. I do not hate Haldir and I do not hate you. I love you both very much. I was mad at Haldir and said that in anger. Elves sometimes say things that they do not mean when they are angry, as I just demonstrated. Do you follow me Orophin?”

He nodded and Rumil smiled at him as he did and wiped away his remaining tears. “Brother?” Orophin questioned tentatively, never loosing eye contact with Rumil. “Will you stay with me until I fall asleep again?”

Rumil gave him a small kiss on the top of his golden head before putting his brother back down on the floor. “After you brother.” He said with a smile and followed the young elfling back into his own moonlit room. He watched as Orophin flung himself up into the wrinkly mass of blue sheets that covered his bed and scooted over to the far side to make room for Rumil.

Rumil sat down on the bed and curled up as close to the other edge as possible, but it was no use. The little elfling wrapped his arms around him and snuggled into his back. Rumil grimaced. He found this ‘snuggling’ very uncomfortable and awkward, but he knew Orophin needed the comfort, tonight especially. He had betrayed the young one’s trust once already; he would not do it again.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by a voice that was slightly muffled by a large yawn. “Rumil…why is Haldir so mean to us?”

Knowing that he would have to answer this question, Rumil sighed and rolled onto his back carefully, trying his best not to crush his brother underneath him in the process. When he had gotten comfortable, he tilted his head and looked into his brother’s expectant eyes.

“Haldir has changed because of ada and naneth’s passing. He is not himself, little brother. He has to take care of us, Lorien, and train for the post of high march warden. That is a lot of responsibility. Do not worry though, he will return to his normal self sooner or later.” Rumil said, trying to sound reassuring, though he did not really believe the words that he had just said. Yes, Haldir was under a lot of stress, but he was not certain that he was going to return to his previous self. Too much had happened. Nothing would ever be the same again. Rumil knew that on top of all of this, Haldir was still struggling was their parents’ death. Not to mention, his beloved had turned him down...with all this in mind, Haldir was in total turmoil.

As was he. He had nobody to confide in. His friends no longer stopped by because he did not have time for them. Because of this, Rumil found himself dealing with the death of his parents all alone. There was no comfort for him. He was lonely and frustrated at the situation. Sometimes, he found himself wishing that he was a mortal so that there would be an end to the isolation and grief.

Sometimes he wished...

His dark thoughts were hindered as Orophin cuddled into him, laying his head on his shoulder. Rumil tensed at first, but then decided to leave him alone. He relaxed and tried to fall into a state of reverie, but found that sleep was the last thing on his mind.

“Rumil…” His brother murmured softly, a small smile on his lips, “I love you brother…”

A smile slowly appeared on Rumil’s lips as all of his dark thoughts were chased away with the muttering of a few simple words that meant so much. Indeed, he could not succumb to these dark thoughts, no matter how much he desired it. Orophin needed him here.

He needed him alive.

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Galadriel’s garden was quite beautiful at night. There were lush greens of all shades and textures crawling up stone walls and twirling up pillars, all aglow with large blossoms of the deepest purples, blues, and reds, opening up the moonlight that shined overhead. The lightest breeze blew through the thick greenery, rustling the leaves and blowing a light floral perfume through the air. However, amid all of the beauty of the night, one distraught figure sat alone on a bench with his head bent down in pain.

“I hate you.” He had said. Haldir could picture Rumil’s face from that very moment in time so clearly. There had been a burning in his eyes, a burning that was not often seen in the eyes of an elf. It had almost been…evil. It had been no act either; no, it had been too real. Rumil had really meant what he said.

He hated him.

He really did. Elves never used that word in reference to their own kindred—never! Yet his own blood brother had used it to describe his feelings towards him. Haldir knew that he had not been supportive of his brothers recently, but hate?!? Hate was such a strong word… It was all Haldir could think about now; the scene would not stop playing through his head. The more he heard it, the more it cut him to the core.

Surely he did not mean it…

But his eyes had been so serious, so stern and cold. “I hate you.” He had said it with total conviction. It was real. It had happened…it-

Haldir’s mental process finally stopped as he noticed a significant change in the wind. It started to blow considerably harder than before. It was almost…supernatural. He thought he felt a presence beside him, but when he looked to his right, there was nobody there.

“Haldir…” an echoing voice cried out in the wind, soft and feminine, yet harsh and all-knowing at the same time. A picture of the lady of light’s face flashed into his mind for one second, before it disappeared again.

An invisible hand touched his chin and lifted it up. He felt a hand, but there was nobody there. He was still physically the only person there, but the lady’s presence lingered for a moment longer. “Haldir…” Her whispery voice echoed again, “You know where to find me.”

Then everything slowly went back to normal. The wind calmed back down into the lightest of breezes and he was found himself alone again. Quickly, Haldir got up and headed deeper into the garden. Despite the fact that the lady had not told him where to go, somehow he knew exactly where she was. He could almost feel her presence calling out to him, summoning him to the right place.

And there she was, a glorious pillar of sparkling gold in the night. However, her face was emotionless and unyielding. She held her head high and stood in front of her mirror, looking rather queenly. Suddenly, she blinked and her gaze shifted to him, meeting his eyes immediately. There was a great intensity there…but of what, he did not know. She was a mystery to him and would always be such.

Finally, he arrived at her side. With the grace of the Eldar, he easily bent down and bowed on one knee. “My lady, you have summoned me.” He stated as he lifted his head up to look upon her once more, then slowly arose from the stone path that he had kneeled on.

Her eyes had not warmed at all. They remained intense and rigid as she stared at him. Though this made Haldir quite uneasy, he returned her gaze for all it was worth, being the stubborn elf that he was.

“Haldir…it has been a long time since we have spoken.” She finally said, her voice just a little above a whisper. “I know what has been happening though.” Galadriel then paused for a second, before continuing. “Because of this, tonight I offer you a chance to look in my mirror.”

His eyes widened at this revelation. He had lived in Lorien for nearly a millennia and he only knew of two other elves who had ever looked in her mirror. Their stories of the event were often laughed at and considered false, as many believed that they made up what they had seen. However, Haldir was not so certain that they had told lies. He knew of the lady’s great power…she was capable of much and was very knowledgeable about magic.

He did not know what to do.

“It is your choice to make. If you will look in, you will see the past, the present, and perhaps even a few events that have not yet taken place. Will you look?” She asked, awaiting his answer in silence.

And so Haldir contemplated what he would do. He knew it was a great honor, to look in her mirror, as few had. However, their tales of the mirror were less than desirable. On the other hand, Haldir knew that this was his one chance; he would not get this opportunity again. Quietly, he stepped up the stairs and stood on the opposite end of the mirror, facing Galadriel.

“I will look.” He whispered, meeting her eyes once more. With a nod of her head, the lady turned from him and filled her pitcher up with water from the small cascade that fell in a steady stream behind her. She then languidly drew her arm up and let the water flow out into the mirror in with one fluid motion.

“Very well then. It is time.” She said deeply, taking a step back from the mirror. Haldir drew in a deep breath, then forced himself to look into the water of the mirror.

At first, there was nothing—only his moonlit reflection. After a few moments though, the waters started to ripple and Haldir focused on the picture that was being painted before him in the mirror. The blurry colors slowly formed into a moving picture, a memory from his life.

First, he saw the swirling of soft dresses and robes…a festival dance filled with joyous faces. Among the faces, one couple stood out: his adar and naneth. Naneth was laughing as ada twirled her around, her flowing sea foam gown fluttering in the breeze. And ada, ada looked so regal in his cream colored robes, trimmed with the finest gold etching. Normally, he was very serious and calm, but not on this night. Having let his responsibilities go for the night, he seemed quite glorious with his mother. He could see how much they loved each other; it was obvious in their eyes.

Next, the mirror transitioned to a time that was a little farther ahead, to a time when he been a little older, about 19 or 20 by his best guess. He remembered this scene very well. His father had taken him out for a walk and they were now both sitting on a mossy log together, where a life-changing talk had taken place. Haldir did not see this from his own eyes though, but through those of an onlooker this time.

“Haldir, my son, I did not chose to take a job as a warden to avoid spending time with you. Family is important Haldir; they are one’s companions for life. I love you very much and am very hurt that you would make such an accusation against me.”

“But you are never here…” He saw his young self sniffle, “You are too busy for me and naneth.” He looked so forlorn in the picture, so sad. The look was so familiar…

Orophin. Young Orophin had looked at him with those same sad eyes only a few hours ago when he had arrived back at his tallan…

His thoughts drifted away from this as his father spoke again, wiping the tears away from his younger self’s face. “And for that I apologize, my son. I am failing you in these trying times. There are many attacks on the borders now—a great evil grows outside of these woods Haldir. You are right though…I have not done my part and I have greatly missed your company.”

As his younger self smiled, the waters swirled again and Haldir flinched as he saw his dearest father, his adar, shot by numerous black arrows. The scene almost went in slow motion as his father fell to the ground, his mother doing the same thing at the same time—both scenes played in the mirror as they were interlocked. He bit his lip as the tender wound of their death reopened for him. Again, he tasted the bittersweet pain. He started to turn away-

“Do not turn from the mirror!” Galadriel commanded. Haldir reluctantly obeyed, watching Orophin screaming again for naneth. Those eyes, those pained little eyes…the same ones he had seen earlier. A tear formed in one of Haldir’s eyes, but he quickly blinked it away, pushing all of the weight of the world back inside of him as he always did.

Then, as if the mirror had not already nearly taken him past his breaking point, he was taken to a scene he had never wanted to see again.

Niphredil. There she was in all of her glory: sandy curls, green eyes, and ivory skin. His beauty…turning him down. His innards seemed to twist as he heard her melodious voice once more.

“Haldir, surely you are not serious? Me, a mother to your brothers? I am too young for such a job meleth. Why not give them away to a couple who really wants them? Then we can truly be together…as it was meant to be.” She had murmured, letting one of her hands caress his face.

“No, I cannot forsake my family Niphredil. They are my family, my brothers, my blood. I cannot leave them for someone else. My parents would not have wanted it that way.”

There was a pause as she looked into his eyes and frowned, her face darkened and voice low. “So, you choose them over me? So be it.” She hissed, then glared at him, placing the ring he had offered her back in his hand.

It had been his mother’s wedding ring. He had removed it from her unmoving for this sole purpose, only to be turned down. More tears threatened him, but he held them in as the mirror rippled again.

“I hate you.”

Haldir’s breathing became shallow and labored as those words rang through his head again. The mirror had him relive this memory as well, that which had happened only a mere hour ago. Of all of the memories, this was by far the worst, though the shortest memory the mirror had sent him. Unable to hold it in anymore, one single, crystalline tear made a slow course down the contour of his face and curled under his chin.

But the mirror was still active, still going. He saw Rumil sitting by his window, as he had earlier. Many suns and many moons seemed to pass by the window, almost an infinite amount. Rumil did not move. Haldir watched as his brother started to fade: his golden hair lost its luster, his body slowly weakened, and his physical condition started to deteriorate.

After what felt like an eternity, the mirror shifted to a figure staggering up the stairs of the mallorn tree that his tallan was in, along with quite a few others. The figure tiredly made its way to the top of the stairs, where there was a small wooden platform, made for stargazing.

He stood dangerously close to the edge. Too close. Haldir could tell that the figure was an elf, though he looked quite aged and ragged. The elf was breathing fast and unevenly, as if he was frightened as he looked down to the forest floor from his high perch. His arms were wrapped around his shaking body. Finally, the view turned around and Haldir could see his face.

Rumil. Shock filled Haldir’s eyes as he saw that his younger brother was only a shadow of his former self. There was no sparkle to his eyes or light in his face. He simply…existed.

“At last…my pain will be numbed.” He heard Rumil whisper, as bells of alarm started to ring in his head.

Then, with a purposeful fall, he was gone.

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Hehe…cliffie. I’m so mean. Okay, so originally, this was going to be a oneshot, but it’s 24 pages long, so I’ve decided to divide it into two chapters. So, what do you think so far? I hope you enjoy it; I’ve been working really hard on this fic. The second half will be up in a few days, once it’s been edited. Have a great day!

-P.G.


Chapter 2 - Part Two:  The Start of Something Good

Hi! Welcome back to My Brother’s Keeper!

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or anything associated with Tolkien. :(

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My Brother’s Keeper

By: Ponytail Goddess

Part Two: The Start of Something Good

“NO!!!” Haldir screamed, his tears flowing freely now, dripping into the mirror and blurring part of the vision. His shaky hands latched onto both sides of the table that the mirror rested on as his knees started to give out.

Rumil was dead. Despite the extra ripples that were in the mirror from his tears, he could still see the pale, unmoving figure on the ground below. His blue eyes were open, but they were still, no longer registering anything…and the blood, there was so much blood. His body must have hit several tree branches and the sharp edges of tallans on the way down…

“Oh dear Vala…”

Haldir could take no more. Though the mirror was continuing onto what appeared to be a full-grown Orophin, Haldir could no longer support himself and fell to the base of the mirror’s pedestal. He wrapped his arms around himself as his body jolted with loud sobs.

The whole forest seemed to quiet at his uncontrolled tears. All intelligent thoughts ceased in Haldir’s head until he felt a small, tentative hand touch his back. He looked over his left shoulder to see Galadriel sitting delicately beside him, her face unreadable.

Knowing that he must have looked like an absolute mess, Haldir quickly brushed away his tears as best as he could before looking at the lady again. “I am sorry, my lady-”

“Do not be sorry, Haldir. It was the hiding of your emotions that got you into this situation in the first place. You must not let the pain of the mirror’s tidings overtake you, my warden.” She said, lifting his chin up with two of her fingers. “With knowledge comes great power and responsibility Haldir. What you have seen in the mirror tonight is not set in stone. It is only one possibility for the future. Now that you have seen these grim things, I trust that you will do everything you can to ensure that the future you were shown does not come to pass.”

She paused for a moment. “Can I trust you to do this Haldir?”

“Yes…yes, my lady.” He answered hastily. He could not let Rumil die; he could not bear to see his brother take his own life. Even the mere thought of it sent waves of overwhelming emotional pain coursing through his body. This future could not come into play—he refused to let it. He felt the terrible pain lift away as Galadriel’s words sank in.

Because of the grace of the Valar, Rumil did not have to die.

He was going to live!

Another question loomed in Haldir’s head though as he finally started to get his body under control. “My lady…I understand why I saw all of the visions of Rumil and Orophin, but why would the mirror show me my parents and Niphredil?” He quietly questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him.

A small smile appeared on the lady’s face as she slowly rose to her feet, Haldir quickly following the suit, though being very careful to avoid hitting his head on the mirror’s pedestal in the process. “Let us walk.” She said, which Haldir immediately responded to by offering her his arm, which she graciously took. With that done, they started to stroll back through the garden at a leisurely pace.

“Haldir, do you recall the first thing that the mirror showed you?” Galadriel asked quietly as they walked under a small terrace that was laced with a flowering vine.

“Yes, it was my parents at a festival dancing.” He replied, not really sure where she was going with this.

“They looked very much in love there.” She stated, not meeting his eyes, but staring ahead as they slowly maneuvered through the garden on the white stone pathway.

“Yes, one could see the love in their eyes.” He said with a small, nostalgic smile.

“Did Niphredil ever look at you like that?”

The question surprised him and he stopped abruptly, though Galadriel did not seem surprised by it in the least. Quickly, he flipped through his memories in search of something that would resemble that…but found nothing.

Indeed, he was a fool.

“You morn for her, yet she did not love you as you loved her. Because of this, you have forsaken your brothers, despite the fact that your father told you about the importance of family all of those years ago.” She said, now turning towards him to look into his embarrassed eyes. “They need you Haldir. They both need guidance and a prominent male figure in their lives. They need the comfort and strength that they can only receive from you, Haldir. Will you go to them and set things right?”

“Yes.” He said, with complete honesty and truth in his eyes. However, he found himself staring at the ground in shame a few moments afterwards. After all of this, he knew he did not have any chance of become the March Warden of Lorien. The lady had pointed out that he could not even take care of his brothers properly…why would she give him the great responsibility of watching over her whole realm when he could not properly care for two young ones?

Then, much to Haldir’s surprise, the lady chuckled softly for a moment. “You underestimate yourself greatly Haldir. You have many admirable qualities, otherwise you would not even be considered. Do not give up hope just yet Haldir.” She said with a smile. “Now go and make things right with your brothers.”

She gave him a small push in the right direction and he started to walk out of the garden. “Oh, and Haldir, be very careful with what you say to Rumil. He has a very sensitive heart and can be broken down with the smallest of misunderstood words.” Haldir turned back to question her, but found himself suddenly quite alone.

Well…almost. A lingering, airy voice in his head rang out quietly. “You are your brothers’ keeper Haldir. Now go change the course of the future!”

With this said, Haldir quietly walked back towards his flet with many things passing through his head. He was not sure what he could say that would make everything right again. Would it even be possible for Rumil to stop hating him now that he had started? And what about Orophin, whom he had been ignoring for the past year as best as he could? Would they have forgiveness in their hearts for their idiot of a brother?

Suddenly, Haldir’s breath caught in his throat as he looked up.

Time stopped.

Up on the stargazing platform stood Rumil…entirely too close to the edge. The edge that he had fallen from in the mirror. Haldir found himself frozen in place with fear. His blood ran cold.

Was he too late?

He screamed Rumil’s name at the top of his lungs, then suddenly regretted it.

The young ellon jumped up in surprise and spun around to see where the voice had come from. However, he had not yet developed the full balance of the Eldar and tottered on the ledge for a few seconds. He waved his arms, trying to regain his balance, alarm evident on his face. With a loud cry, he lost control of himself …and fell.

Haldir’s blood ran cold and his heart stopped. He waited helplessly for the inevitable. He waited for his brother’s dead carcass to hit the ground…

But it never did.

Stunned, he pulled himself out of the trance he was in and ran faster than he ever had before towards the large mallorn. Not seeing Rumil anywhere around it, he flew up the stairs at the speed of lightning, taking two or three at a time, not stopping for anything. Determination was in his eyes as he reached the platform.

Three fingers were gripping the edge as best as they could, but were slipping… Haldir did not hesitate for a moment. He continued running and dove for Rumil’s hand as his fingers let go of the edge…

He grabbed him, but the momentum from his run catapulted him over the edge too. Fear struck him hard and he reached out with his other hand to find something to grasp, but there was nothing to grab onto. Hope was lost.

But then, everything stopped.

Haldir opened his eyes and started to breathe again when he realized that the fall had been stopped. What had just happened? His fingers had caught on something…a small warp in the old wooden deck—a mischievous work of the Valar, no doubt. His left hand and leg clung to the old stargazing platform securely while the rest of his body was dangling dangerously over the edge. He looked down at Rumil, who looked like he was close to fainting with fear.

“Pull me up Haldir…” He begged in a high and shaky voice of desperation, “I do not want to die!”

With that said, Haldir started to do just that. He propelled his right foot back up onto the platform, then pulled himself painfully up into a kneeling position. He then dragged the top of his brother’s body up onto the deck, then reached down, grabbed his legs, and pummeled the rest of him up.

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Rumil had never been shaken quite this badly in his life. He found that he could not bring himself to move, so he just laid on the deck on his stomach, shivering with fear. If Haldir had not come at the exact time he had…well, Rumil did not want to think about it.

Then again, Haldir had also been the cause of his fall…yelling at him like that; was he out of his mind?!? Had he been scared like that a foot or two away from the edge, the very same thing could have happened!

He turned his head and took in a breath to yell at Haldir for his stupidity, but stopped when he saw an unusual sight. Haldir was…crying?

Haldir?

Never in his life had Rumil seen Haldir cry—he had never even seen his eyes form unshed tears. Rumil was utterly shocked at the sight. Haldir always kept his emotions in check, as he claimed was the warrior’s way. Tonight, however, tears ran freely down his fair face as he stared at the platform stoically. He could hear his brother’s uneasy breathing and was disturbed at his bent over form displaying pain.

All of the angry words that had been in his mouth dissipated and Rumil’s face went blank as he stared at his brother. He did not know what to do. He did not feel right just leaving him like that, but at the same time, he thought that if he offered comfort, it would be harshly rejected.

Finally, he managed to use a small quiet voice to address Haldir. “Brother?”

Rumil slowly crawled on his knees so that he was a little closer to Haldir. Gently, he placed a comforting hand on his shaking shoulder. When Haldir looked up though, it was apparent that he did not want comfort. His face was filled with a mixture of great fear and great anger. “What were you thinking?!?” He boomed with a power that Rumil had not even expected, “You could have been killed Rumil!!! You know better than to get that close to the edge of a platform without a railing!!! What were you doing so close anyway?!? I demand an explanation! NOW!!!”

Rumil’s cheeks flushed with anger at Haldir’s outburst of fury. “It is none of your business brother! Stay out of my life!” With that said, Rumil quickly got to his feet and started walking heavily towards the stairs as a foul mood overtook him.

“You were going to jump, were you not?” An eerily soft and low voice came from behind him. Rumil whipped around in surprise to find that it was Haldir. He did not sound like himself at all. He sounded calm, too calm…and dark. Haldir’s voice was snobby and domineering, but it did not have any evil quality to it.

The meaning of his words slowly sank in.

“What?!?” Rumil exclaimed, in total disbelief that he had just heard his brother say such a thing.

“You heard me Rumil, I asked if you were going to jump. Jump and…hurt yourself on purpose.” Haldir said, obviously trying to avoid the word death at all costs, though Rumil knew the implications of what Haldir was so vaguely suggesting.

Rumil opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Haldir, whose voice had now softened a bit. “Brother…you must promise me you will not do such a thing. If you did…my…my heart would shatter. I know we have not been on the best of terms this year, but I still care about you deeply. I…I love you brother. Do not forsake your immortal life when you are still cared for here. There is much you can still experience and learn. Please…please promise me you will stay.” He said, slowly coming undone with every word, almost begging towards the end.

Rumil stared at Haldir in shock. Why did his brother think he was going to kill himself?!? He had not had that intention on this night! Though Rumil did think death could be a solace from life, he knew that he could not leave yet. If he was not here, who would care for Orophin? He would not abandon his younger brother…he simply could not. As long as he was needed, he would stay, even if his was life terrible.

Haldir had said that he needed him though…that he would fall apart without him.

He was sincere…

He was crying.

The world around Rumil blurred as tears welled up in his eyes. Everything that he had held so painfully within came pouring out: his parents’ death, lack of friends, the quitting of his studies…everything. His thoughts flooded so quickly that he thought he would be overtaken by all of the sorrow, but two kind arms caught him up in a strong hug, saving him from becoming lost in the storm.

Rumil did not know how long they stayed like this, but he felt a huge wave of relief blow over him after it had all come out. Finally, he pulled away, wiping a few straggling droplets away from his cheeks and looked into Haldir’s clear blue eyes.

“You really care about me brother?” Rumil asked softly.

“Yes. Yes I do.” He replied.

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Haldir slowly breathed out a sigh of relief. For the first time in a year, the tension between the two brothers had diminished and was replaced with a tentative understanding of the other. It seemed quite small, but it was significant. Any progress was good progress in Haldir’s eyes.

“Brother…” Rumil said slowly and gently, “You must realize that I did not come up here to do that which you assumed. I would not do that to myself…not when Orophin needs me. I could not betray him as such.”

Hearing this and seeing the sincerity in his brother’s eyes was exactly what Haldir had needed. In fact, when Haldir thought back to what the mirror had shown him, the scenario had been quite different. Rumil had been aged, withered and wilted with time. He had been partially faded. Rumil was not faded now though; the scenario that had played in the mirror had been further in the future.

Perhaps tonight would prevent that future. Haldir really hoped that his hypothesis would be true. Tonight had almost been more than he could mentally and physically take. Though he now understood much of what had been going on, still one question lingered and remained unanswered.

“If you were not doing…that…then why were you so close to the edge?” Haldir questioned with a sincere curiosity. This increased even more when Rumil started to blush and look around nervously.

“I…I was…uh…admiring the scenery.” He said awkwardly, staring at the ground.

“The scenery…in the dark?” Haldir questioned with one eyebrow cocked up, sensing the telltale signs of a lie. He got to his feet and approached the area. He looked out into the distance and confirmed that there was nothing worth looking at there—nothing out of the ordinary and nothing worth looking at without the light of the sun. It was only when he looked downward in frustration that he saw what Rumil had been looking at.

He did a double take. There, in the tallon below, lay a lithe ellith cuddled up in her bed, clearly visible through her open terrace.

She was naked.

Well, not really naked, but very close. His keen Eldarin eyes could tell that she was sleeping in the nude, only covered by a thin white satin sheet that clung to every luscious curve of her body. The sheet had fallen quite low. One wrong roll in the bed and her supple chest would most certainly be exposed.

His brother had been staring at a naked ellith. How wonderful.

“Rumil, voyeurism is not a gentlemanly quality.” Haldir said, sending him a reprimanding glance. “You will not do this again brother. That ellith deserves more respect than what you have given her.”

Rumil sighed and looked at his feet, blushing even more with embarrassment from the whole thing. “I…I did not originally come up here to…to do that either, brother. I like to stargaze up here often…but when I looked down and saw her there, I could not stop looking. She is the fairest of the fair, but does not look at me with anything other than a glare while she is awake. She looks so peaceful now…I just could not stop looking brother. I know it was wrong. It will not happen again.”

Haldir sighed as he looked up into the deep, dark abyss of stars. His brother was infatuated with his first ellith...at least, Haldir hoped this was the first ellith. “Suddenly, dealing with Orophin does not seem to be as daunting of a task,” thought Haldir as he tried to think of some sort of advice to give his brother.

Nothing was coming to him though. Haldir saw himself as a failure at love—after all, he had thought that what he had with Niphredil was love, though it quite obviously was not. Haldir was not even sure what he should call it…infatuation? Or had she simply tried to snatch him away for position and power? He did not know…

“Brother…” He said, sighing again as he drew his hand wearily down his face, “Do not rush such things. You will have plenty of time to find an ellith to love after you become of age. Why not try to become friends with a few first? After all, friendship is the starting place for any good relationship.”

“You were not friends with Niphredil before you started to romance her-“ Rumil started to counter, but Haldir interrupted him before he could get too far into it.

“Brother, Niphredil was a mistake. You are right: I did not go about things in the correct manner and what we had was not love, though I was naïve enough to think differently at one time. The more I think about it, we barely even knew each other. Of course it was not love.” He said, shaking his head with disdain as he mentally berated himself for making such a stupid mistake. “Rumil, you must not make my mistake. Do not rush love and do not rely solely on infatuation to distinguish it. This is the little advice I can offer you on the matter.”

Rumil finally looked up and gave him a small, awkward smile. “Thanks Haldir.” He was about to hug him again, but then froze as a small scream pierced the air.

Orophin.

Quickly, Haldir sprang into action, running towards the stairs. As he started to descend the stairs, he quickly glanced backwards to see if Rumil was following him-

Only to see him jump off of the platform.

“RUMIL!!!” He screamed, running back up to where his brother had jumped, in a general state of panic. He stopped at the ledge and looked down, staring at the unbelievable while taking in rapid breaths from his tremendous exertion.

His brother had jumped onto the balcony outside of Orophin’s room…which was about two floor levels down. “Rumil!!!” Haldir hissed angrily, his adrenaline pumping crazily from the scare he had. “Why did you do that?!?”

Rumil shrugged, then grinned mischievously and walked into Orophin’s room.

Apparently, he had done that before.

Idiot.

Haldir stormed down the stairway and back in the ‘real entrance’ of his flet. Quickly, he walked to Orophin’s room and flung open the door, more than prepared to yell at Rumil for his stupidity, but stopped short when looked at his two brothers.

Orophin was in tears, clinging to Rumil who was now sitting on the little one’s rumpled bed with him. Rumil was trying to comfort him as best he could by rubbing his back and whispering that everything would be alright. Haldir felt the anger melt away as he saw the tender care that Rumil gave to Orophin in his time of need.

However, the moment was ruined when Orophin looked over and saw him. Quickly letting go of Rumil, he saw the young one’s arms reach out towards himself to be held. “Haldir!” He called out in a small voice, whimpering a bit in fear as tears continued to flow down his face.

Sighing, Haldir finally gave into this and took Orophin in his arms before sitting down on the bed with Rumil. “What is wrong Orophin?” Haldir asked in a nervous voice. He had never dealt with a crying elfling before and was not certain about what course of action he should take. The little elfling did not answer him though. He only burrowed his face into his shoulder and hugged him tightly, clinging to his tunic for dear life.

Not knowing what to do, he turned to Rumil for help only to find him looking slightly discouraged and sad. What was wrong with him? Could it be that he was…jealous?

He was.

Haldir could see it in his eyes. Orophin had chosen him instead of Rumil to comfort him and Rumil was- “He had a bad dream Haldir.” Rumil said sadly, interrupting his thoughts.

Haldir frowned at this, his head still swimming with thoughts and warnings about Rumil…what was he going to do? Slowly, Haldir started to rub Orophin’s back as Rumil had, not really knowing how to go about comforting an elfling.

“Orophin…” Rumil questioned softly, “What did you dream about?” He reached over and touched the little elfing’s cheek, making him look up from Haldir’s damp shoulder.

“Ada and nana died…then Sticky was squished and died too!!!” He wailed rather loudly. “They all died!”

Haldir’s eyes widened at this. He had thought that the elfling had gotten over their parents’ death quite easily. Haldir had originally thought that Orophin had been too young to understand what had happened, which would explain why he had quickly returned to his normal carefree self. Apparently, it had affected him more than he had originally realized…

“Sssshh…” Haldir said softly, kissing his youngest brother on the top of his head. “Do not be sad Orophin. We will see adar and naneth again. One day they will be reincarnated and then will sail to Valinor and meet us there. We have not seen the last of them…”

“And what about Sticky?” The little asked, sounding terrible from all of the crying.

Haldir cocked up one of his eyebrows. “Who is Sticky?”

“A bug.” Rumil stated quite bluntly.

Orophin’s eyes lit up at this question though. “He’s about this long…” he said excitedly, holding his finger about three inches apart, “and he’s really, REALLY thin!!! He looks just like a twig off of a mallorn tree! Rumil said other bugs cannot see him because he looks like that, so he will never get eaten!”

Haldir smiled with relief. At least Orophin had snapped back to normal. “Well, I am certain that if Sticky can blend in as you have said, he will be safe from danger. Now, little one, it is time for you to go back to bed-“

“NO!!!” Orophin suddenly screeched, clinging to him again. “I do not want to dream bad things again! Please stay with me!!!” He begged, staring into Haldir’s eyes sadly.

“Very well then…” Haldir said, giving in to the young elfling for the second time that night. He pried the little one off of him and laid down on the bed…then tensed as Orophin cuddled up right next to him, hugging him and resting his head on Haldir’s shoulder. Haldir tried to adjust himself in a way that Orophin would have to move, but stopped as he felt the bed shift. He watched as Rumil got up and walked towards the door, head down in defeat…

“Rumil, do not go!!!” The elfling bellowed.

Rumil looked back with surprise. “Do not leave me!!!” Orophin cried out again, “I need you too, brother! You can protect me! Two are better than one!”

Both brothers looked at Orophin, quite surprised. That was a very intelligent thing to say for such a young elfling. Rumil smiled a small, half smile and slowly came back. Haldir scooted to the very edge of the small bed in an attempt to make room for Rumil. The bed let out a small groan when he sat on it, as it was not made for three occupants. Rumil quickly squeezed onto the bed, laying on his stomach with one arm draped around Orophin and the other dangling limply off the edge of the bed. As Haldir maneuvered the blanket to cover all three of them, Rumil pulled Orophin close and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Good night brother. If you need protection, all you must do is ask.” He whispered softly, then settled back down to fall into a slumber.

Once Haldir was done with the blankets, all three of them settled down in the dim room. Haldir laid there, looking up through the skylight at mallorn branches filled with soft silvery leaves and beyond, to the stars, with their dazzling contrast against the dark blanket of sky.

“Haldir…” Rumil’s muffled, sleep-filled voice said softly, “What I said earlier…I did not …mean it…” He said, slightly dozing in the process.

“It is already forgotten Rumil…now go to sleep brother. Both of you.” He said, looking down at the wide-awake youngling whose head rested on his arm. Unfortunately, Orophin did not look like he would be tired anytime soon.

“Sing to him…” Rumil muttered, almost totally in his meditative state.

Haldir smiled a bit at this and thought back to his past; when Rumil was as small as Orophin, he had always begged Haldir to come in and sing him to sleep when he was on break from boarder patrol. It was a pleasant memory for Haldir. It had been a time when he and Rumil had been very close.

He missed that closeness.

Softly, he started to sing the song about Nimrodel. His soft tenor voice rang clearly and beautifully through the soft breeze that was blowing in through the balcony, fluttering the sheer white drapes that hung there.

Time seemed to almost stop as Haldir sang quietly. He was so lucky to have his brothers…brothers that were so forgiving of his wrongs. He loved them both very much. Towards the end of the song, he solemnly vowed to himself that he would never allow this to happen again. He was his brothers’ keeper: their strength and support, as they were for him. He would not want it any other way.

When the song was over, Haldir carefully bent his head down to look at Orophin. The little one was lying still. Haldir squirmed a bit to get comfortable, and started to doze off himself.

“Haldir…” a light voice questioned, “Will you be here when I wake up?”

“Yes Orophin.” He replied, looking down at the blonde elfling in his arms.

There was a small silence, but then he saw Orophin smile a bit. “You make me…feel safe…” He murmured softly. “That is why you will be the high march warden…” He said as he yawned, “You make lady Galadriel feel safe too…” He said, trailing off.

“Mmm.” Haldir replied, now lost in thought about the position. He still had his doubts about being the right person, but the lady seemed to think he could…and Orophin seemed to see no other option.

Who knew? Maybe it would happen…

As if on cue, Orophin replied, “You will be the best commander ever…Haldir.”

“Go to sleep Orophin.” Haldir said softly, tightening his grasp around the youngling for a second to simulate a hug. “I love you brother.”

“Are you…going to sleep…too?” The persistent voice questioned right back.

Haldir thought that over. With all that had happened during the day, he doubted that sleep would find him easily. The images from the mirror were still haunting him…he could still see Rumil, gone from this world…

“I do not know brother. I might have nightmares.” He whispered, thinking that Orophin was finally asleep as his breathing seemed to have a rhythm to it now.

Wrong again.

“Do not worry brother…if you have nightmares…I shall protect you…Rumil will help too…” He muttered, almost asleep. “I love you…”

“I love you too Orophin.” Haldir said again, softly kissing the top of his head as the elfling finally fell into his meditative state.

“He is so insightful…” Haldir mused as he laid in the bed silently, “He will surely be a great intellectual when he comes of age…”

Slowly, sleep started to cloud Haldir’s pulsating mind as he mulled over everything that had happened. “Tomorrow…” He thought, “Tomorrow is a brand new day. I shall start afresh tomorrow…”

Indeed, there were still quite a few things that he needed to work out between himself and Rumil… Rumil needed to get out more, start his schooling again and meet with his friends on occasion. Haldir did not know how he was going to make this happen just yet, especially if he was given the extra duties of the commanding march warden, but he knew that he would somehow find a way. It was not right of him to abandon him to parenthood for the next 40 years. He deserved to have a life and fun too.

And he would. Haldir would make certain of it.

“A new day…perhaps I’ll even get to meet Sticky…” he thought with a chuckle, then drifted off into a relaxing slumber, knowing that his brothers would love would love him no matter what.

The End.

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There we have it! What did you think of my ficlet? It’s kinda mushy, but I enjoyed creating it. Anyways, please feel free to tell me what’s good and bad about the fic. I love feedback! Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day!

-P.G.
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