Arahaelon

The heat of the fire fans over my face as I sit under the starlit sky, munching slowly on a hog leg. Loud laughter and chattering can be heard from all directions in our massive camp, and the glow of dozens of campfires lights the dark forest.

I sit alone, immersed in thoughts of Annalee. Ever since I left, my heart has ached. Leaving her behind was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I have been praying for the trip to end since we left. 'Tis ironic how I asked Annalee to stay busy and not miss me, yet all I have done is sulk like an elfling.

The soft sound of footsteps approaches me, and I do not have to look to know that it is Ada. He takes the open space on the log beside me, a glass in hand.

"Did you really bring such a fine goblet and bottle of wine on a hunt?" I question, smirking ever-so-slightly.

His reply is a quiet scoff, as if silently saying, "Why not?"

I glance at him, wondering what is on his mind to be keeping him this silent. His dark eyebrows are furrowed over eyes that are bright with the reflection of flames, and his mouth is set in its usual thin line, giving no indication of his thoughts.

"You look miserable," he says lowly, taking another sip of his wine.

"I am," I reply simply, and he chuckles.

"As king you must pretend to be having fun, at least. Look around you, Arahaelon. Everyone is cheerful and happy."

"I feel that, as king, all I have been doing is pretending."

Ada looks at me seriously, and I can see the pity in his eyes. "That is how it is, ion nin (my son). You are forced to attend events and be happy when all you want is to be with your wife," he says softly and smiles ever-so-slightly, as if remembering something sweet, "Those are the moments you should cherish. Missing her hurts deeply, just as badly as a knife in the flesh, but reuniting is worth the pain, always."

"I know," I reply, unable to hide my smile as I think of her promise.

Ada takes another sip of wine, eyeing Tadion from afar as he and a few other elves laugh raucously. He then smirks as he thinks of something and glances at me for a brief moment. "You asked Elrohir to stay behind," he states rather than asks.

A smile makes its way to my lips as I nod. "I did. I wonder how things are going since Annalee has become suspicious of him and Lossie," I say suggestively, and he chuckles.

"If I know Annalee, I believe that she is already trying to pair them," he replies amusedly, "And it is about time. Lossenel and Elrohir have been skirting around this for far too long."

"So you approve?" I ask him, surprised by his mirth, "You always look at Elladan as if you are plotting his murder when he so much as looks at Almarëa."

"Almarëa is my youngest. She is the most naive," he explains quietly, meeting my gaze, "To me she is still that beautiful elfling tagging along after Tadion and Legolas. No matter how hard I try, I cannot feel entirely happy about her betrothal. She is my youngest daughter, and I do not want her taken from me. You will understand someday."

I nod, understanding his deep sorrow. "I understand, Ada. If it were Tadion or Legolas getting married, I would feel nothing but happiness for them. With Lossie, I know she is wise enough to choose her partner carefully, so, I am not worried. But Almarëa... it seems that we have had such little time with her since she is the youngest. I cannot help but feel sad. Elladan is the best match for her, though, and we have to remember that. I could never choose a more worthy ellon to marry my sister."

"You are right."

"Yet, it will be sad to see both of my sisters eventually whisked off to Rivendell."

He stares at me thoughtfully. "You will surely visit them, and I know that they will come to visit us often. Rivendell is beautiful, yes, but it does not possess the things that make Mirkwood so entertaining."

"I agree," I reply, pursing my lips, "Mirkwood elves... we are louder, merrier than the elves of Rivendell, who are calm and peaceful. Well, all except the twins who have no equal to their mischievous ways." This makes Ada laugh, and I join him.

"What about Tadion? I would say that he far surpasses them," he comments with a small smirk.

"I guess you are right." We share a laugh, and I stand after a moment. "I will retire now. I need as much rest as possible in order to handle Tadion and his friends for yet another day."

"Rest well. I will keep watch tonight," is his response, and I nod.

I disappear into my tent which is much larger and more extravagant than all the others in the camp. If it was up to me, I would have a small tent, just like the other ellyn. Extravagance is unnecessary when travelling or hunting, yet I must endure it. I will admit, though, that I like the distance from the others. I love my people, my family, and my friends, but I have always valued my privacy. I very much like to be alone, unless Annalee is around. She is the only person I have ever craved desperately to be around.

I slip off my tunic, folding it and laying it beside my cot. I then slide under the blankets, pulling them up to my ear as I roll onto my side. For a moment,I forget myself and habitually reach out for Annalee, and my heart sinks as I let my arm drop to its previous position. For a long time, I stare at the empty space beside me, baffled by how quickly I have become accustomed to sleeping by her side. Before meeting her, I basked in the few moments I was alone throughout my everyday life, yet now I am lonely. My heart longs for her, making me utterly miserable. Now, as I lie down to sleep, I miss her warmth more than ever. I wish to bury my face in her hair and breathe in her sweet scent. I want to whisper to her how much I love her, how I would surely die without her by my side.

I do find comfort, however, when I suddenly feel her emotions through our bond. Throughout this journey, I would notice a random spike in the strength of her feelings, alerting me to the fact that she must be thinking of me. The thought brings a smile of comfort to my lips as I concentrate on the warmth slowly growing stronger in the depths of my soul. To think that she is missing me now as she lies down to sleep is the most indescribable feeling. Very soon, we will be reunited, and the thought allows me to finally drift off.

__

Exhausted from a long day of meetings, I trudge back to mine and Annalee's chambers with only one thing in mind, a steaming bath. My head aches in the worst way imaginable, and I unwind the braids at the back of my head as I walk, hoping to ease some of the pain. Servants bow as I pass them on the way to the family wing, and I smile slightly in acknowledgement, just wanting to be out of sight and alone.

As I enter our chambers, I pull off my boots with a sigh, and I take a moment to massage my temples before standing and shedding my long, weighty robes. I make my way to the wash room to begin filling up the bathtub. I hesitate when I notice the door cracked open, and I peek inside curiously.

Annalee sits in the bath, her head thrown back and resting on one end and her legs thrown over the other end. Her eyes are closed in peaceful relaxation, and I cannot keep myself from admiring her beauty. The water and bubbles hide her skin from view, and her crimson curls cascade down the back of the tub in perfect spirals.

I open the door silently, making my way over to her, and I sink down onto the floor beside the tub. "Tired?"

Her eyes open quickly, and she scolds me, blushing violently. "Ar! What are you doing in here?"

"Admiring my beautiful wife," I reply simply, causing her to blush harder.

Her legs disappear into the water as she sinks lower in embarrassment. "You are so embarrassing," she mumbles.

I raise an eyebrow, grinning. "May I join you? I want nothing more than a steaming bath after the day I have endured."

This distracts her for a moment, and her eyebrows furrow. "Was it that bad? I should have known since you were gone when I woke this morning."

"My head aches, my body aches," I explain simply, staring into her breathtaking eyes trustingly. "I am exhausted."

She frowns. "Should I get Melnor to bring you some tea? Maybe some herbs?"

I stand, beginning to unbutton my tunic. "You are the only medicine I need."

"Ar," she whispers in astonishment, staring at me with doe-like eyes. "There is not enough room for you!"

I laugh, enjoying her embarrassment more than I should. "There is plenty of room for the two of us if we stick close to one another," I reply easily, chuckling.

She covers her face with her hands. "Ar! No! I was trying to have a peaceful bath, and then here you come, busting in on me! You may not join me!"

"I cannot join you?" I question amusedly, ceasing my movements for a moment as I look at her.

She shakes her head, crossing her arms over her chest which is hidden by the cursed, bubbly water. She shoots me a look which I assume is supposed to frighten me, but it makes me want to join her in the water even more than before. "No. I am naked and would not like you to be equally as bare, sitting in the water with me!" she explains, blushing once again and diverting her gaze shyly.

"You promised upon my return that we would finally complete our bond," I remind her, and she frowns. "I have been home for five days now."

"I do not know what is wrong with me," she sighs, placing her head in her hands. "We have tried several times, yet I get overwhelmed."

My gaze softens, and I step closer to the bath tub. "Nothing is wrong with you, you are just letting your fear get in the way. I am not angry, 'Lee. I will wait until you are ready. But bathing together might make you more comfortable," I suggest, going back to my task of unbuttoning my tunic, and I slip it off of my shoulders.

"Ar, please stop taking off your clothes," she squeaks, covering her face once again.

And as the good husband that I am, I do not listen to her. I discard the rest of my garments, stepping into the steaming bath water and sinking down beside her. I take her wrists gently, pulling her hands away from her face. Her innocent green eyes meet mine hesitantly, and I touch her face. "I love you."

She smiles, her cheeks still beautifully red and hot to the touch. "I love you," she whispers back, and our lips meet in the sweetest, most passionate of kisses. When I pull back to look at her, she laughs quietly. "I love you, even though you are so infuriating sometimes. Oh, and please, Ar, move your foot."

___

"Arahaelon, wake up. Ar!"

I open my eyes against my will, staring up into the face of my younger brother. "Tadion," I sigh, sitting up and rubbing my aching neck. "What is it?"

"Breakfast," he replies simply, handing me a plate filled with delicious-looking food. He sits down at the end of my cot, his posture straight and eyes alert. His hair is completely unbound, something that is uncharacteristic for him, and he seems to be trying too hard to act casual.

"What is the matter?" I question him, wondering what has happened to cause him to act so strangely, and his odd behavior takes away all of the leftover amusement I was feeling from my dream.

He hesitates, but then decides to tell me. "A pack of orcs was spotted close to the camp. While you were sleeping, Ada ordered everyone to begin packing up. 'Tis nothing. Just taking precautions."

I furrow my eyebrows, remembering the panic on Annalee's face as she clung to me after waking from her vision that night. "They must have been many in number to cause Ada to make such a decision for me," I deduce, throwing my legs over the cot and grabbing a tunic and my boots.

"Ar, there is no need to be concerned. Sit. Eat," he instructs softly, watching me with worry-stricken blue eyes that put me on edge.

I shake my head and quickly tie back my hair loosely, and I grab my weapons. "I will eat once my people are safe from harm. If Annalee's vision is correct, then I will not be the only casualty in the case of an attack," I reply, casting a glance back at him as I approach the tent's opening. "Come."

Tadion follows me through the camp, where the tension is palpable. An eerie silence settles upon us all like winter upon spring, and every elf packs up his things, casting wary glances at his surroundings. A heavy feeling of unease sits upon my chest, and chills prick at the skin on the back of my neck as I cast my gaze across the fog-covered camp. The fog is thick and clinging to everything in sight, making it hard to see anything more than a few feet ahead of me. 'Tis the perfect weather for orcs to spring an attack upon us. With the fog, they have an advantage.

I find Ada a stone's throw away from our camp, crouched by a tree like a predator awaiting its unsuspecting prey. I crouch down beside him, and he meets my gaze, sending me a silent message that I can read clearly in his eyes. We are not alone.

I turn my head to look at Tadion, nodding toward the camp, and he sets off to warn everyone immediately.

I load my bow, pulling the string back until the feathers of the arrow are brushing against my cheek.

"Ion nin (my son)," Ada addresses me, and I meet his crystal blue eyes seriously, not missing the pain and fear in them. The fear is not for him, though, it is for me. "Stay close to me."

'Tis a clear demand- giving me no other choice than to follow his order. "Of course."

"I mean it," he whispers lowly, "If something were to happen to you..."

"I will be fine, Ada," I assure him.

A twig snaps, and we both have bows pulled back and arrows ready to fly in mere seconds.

"Charge!" A beastly shout growls from within the forest, and with my sharp elven sight, I am able to take down several orcs with ease as the fog is interrupted by the chaos.

Arrows sail past mine and Ada's heads and several come from up in the trees, signalling that Tadion successfully prepared everyone for the fight. We are able to hold them off for only so long before they are too close to kill by arrows, so I quickly unsheath my twin daggers, slicing through the tough, leathery skin of an orc. With an ear-piercing squeal, the beast thrusts his sword at my heart, and I meet his blade with a force that pushes him back roughly. With one swift swing, his head is tumbling at my feet, and his sword, dripping with black poison, falls at my feet.

"No dirweg!" I shout to the others as I kill two more orcs, "No dirweg! No dirweg! (Beware, beware!) The weapons are dripping with poison!"

Ada meets my gaze for a split second, eyes wild and fearful, white hair flying as he stabs the orc nearest to him, and I know what he is thinking. I swallow thickly, pushing on and fighting the fear that has begun to build up inside of me.

"Duck!" Tadion shouts, and I crouch down instantly, grunting as his foot collides with my back, propelling him through the air. I look up just in time to see him knocking down three orcs that fall like trees. My lips twitch into a grin as he disposes of them and casts a cocky smirk over his shoulder at me. "Eleven already, and the battle has just begun!"

Legolas breezes past me like an arrow whizzing through the air, and all I can focus on through the fog is his blonde head as he darts through the orcs, stabbing left and right with skill that stuns me for a moment. "Twenty-two!" he shouts with a childish grin, and Tadion's face morphs into a look of disbelief, causing him to start hacking through the vile beasts around him.

Elladan is silent as he battles side-by-side with a fellow elf, but I have no more time to observe the people around me because a huge monster comes hurtling toward me.

"I'll skin ya alive, elf king!" he shouts, and I barely have time to protect myself against his heavy sword that has a blade as thick as a small tree trunk.

"I would like to see you try, scum," I counter through gritted teeth, and I dodge his next two attacks like a skilled dancer.

For such a huge creature, he moves quickly, and I find myself struggling to keep an advantage. Never before have I encountered such a weapon as the one this thing wields, and I watch in awe as it slices through the air, ripping open my overly-large tunic but thankfully missing my skin.

"Arahaelon!" Ada shouts, trying to make his way toward me, but dozens of orcs keep appearing through the trees, keeping everyone busy- or distracted.

I see Legolas load his bow, aiming toward the leader that I am fighting against, but an orc slams into him, knocking him onto the ground.

"Legolas!" I shout, crouching as the huge sword whizzes over my head. "Tadion, help Legolas!"

When I get a second to look for Tadion, I see him battling several orcs at once, clearly unable to help our brother, and I curse loudly, dodging yet another attack.

"I will help him, my king!"

I turn to see Annalee's father, Rhistel, rushing toward Legolas, firing arrows at the orcs that swarm him.

"You will die today, elf king!" the ugly orc yells in my face as he slams into me with the force of a bull, and I hit the tree behind me, my head cracking against it. Black dots cover my vision as I gasp loudly, and I am barely aware of the sound of my loved ones calling my name.

The huge sword enters my side, and I choke, trying to breathe through the sudden, unbearable pain. Something hot burns my skin like lava, and a scream rips through my lungs and throat painfully.

I hear the sound of a huge body hitting the ground beside me, and moments later I am pulled into strong arms. "Arahaelon, my son," Ada cries, holding me close as I gasp for air, "Hold on. You are going to be fine. Elrond!"

The sounds of battle continue around us, but I can no longer focus on the screams or the swords clashing. Through the pain comes visions of my sweet Annalee. Hot tears pour down my cheeks as I remember how beautiful I thought she was the first time I laid eyes on her. A memory of her in her pale pink wedding dress flashes before my eyes as my body convulses from the poison and the large wound on my side. I grit my teeth, still crying and praying to Eru to save me- to allow me to see my wife again.

"Ar, you are okay," Ada attempts to soothe, but I can hear the loss of hope in his voice. I can hear his grief and the tears and the anger. "Just breathe."

"I am here," comes Lord Elrond's voice, "Help me get him back to camp. Elladan, Rhistel, and Legolas will guard us."

I scream once again in agony as I am lifted from the ground. "Annalee!" I shout deliriously, my skin already burning with fever, "Where is Annalee?"

"We will get her, ion nin," Ada replies.

"I need her," I choke out through tortured sobs. "I need her."

"Arahaelon, you must stay calm," Lord Elrond instructs, yet I continue to thrash around and cry. "Get him inside the tent."

Elrond gives orders to my father and Elladan, and I feel myself slowly beginning to lose consciousness.

In my feverish state, I see Annalee coming to stand beside me, dressed in a long red gown that shows off her porcelain shoulders. Her beauty is overwhelming as she leans over me, kissing my head. "You promised to come back to me, Ar," she chastises, raising her brow, "Do you really intend on leaving me?"

"Ar, stay awake," Ada says, breaking the vision for a moment as he places his hands on mine. "Stay awake."

Annalee's nose brushes mine as she whispers to me. "Stay awake, my love. I am awaiting your arrival."

Her hair spills over my skin, and I can smell her sweet scent so clearly. "Annalee," I whisper hoarsely.

Elrond begins to chant in elvish, and when something is pressed against my wound, I cannot keep from yelling. "Hold him down!"

Darkness begins to take me in its arms as the pain becomes too much to bear. The last thing I remember is Annalee smiling down at me, a warm glow emanating from her skin. "I love you, Ar. Stay strong."

Then, I know nothing but darkness.

____________

A/N: Yay I updated! Poor, Ar. :( It had to happen, though! Please don't hurt me! *hides as readers come at me with pitchforks and fire*