His chin he held high
And the courage in his voice
Was like the burning of the sun
But like the breath of an angel

~ “Still My Bleeding Heart”, lyrics by Steve Vai

Time.

Time is of little consequence to an elf, for our lives are tied to the world and to one another.

I am young for one of my kind, but I no longer feel so. In my short years upon this earth I have seen more death than I care to remember. I have fought beside so many that have fought so well. But there was one… there was one I will never forget.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first time I saw you, what seems now like ages ago, I thought to myself that I had never met one so impressed with one’s self, so filled with their own importance. ‘Who is this elf who turns away the Ring Bearer?’ I questioned silently. But in time, in time I came to know who you were and what you were.

Standing upon the battlements of the tomb I believed Helm’s Deep to be, staring into the wasteland of violence and death I thought would be the last sight my Elven eyes would see in this life, I saw you again. You marched tall and proud; grace and elegance combined with deadly strength. You were a warrior of unparalleled skill and craft. Brave beyond measure.

Proud yes, but that pride was earned; it was a badge of honor you wore for the sacrifices you made in your long life. Yes, Haldir, you earned the right to be proud.

What had I earned? Nobility by birth, not nobility earned. I was skilled, this is true. I was widely regarded to be one of the finest archers in all of Elvendom, and in time I would succeed my father as king. To me, slaying Orcs was no different than exterminating pests; I took pleasure in felling the foul beasts.

But you, Haldir, you took no pleasure in slaying anything, not even the Dark Lord’s abominations. You were a soldier, a warrior; you killed because it was your duty, not because you enjoyed it.

I stood upon the battlements of Helm’s Deep, staring into a dark abyss of swarming, black death. I turned and looked at you, standing tall and proud, chin held high in defiance of the fell rain that soaked us. It was as if you were defying the Dark Lord himself, daring him to send his worst, proclaiming that Elves and Men united would defeat him once again, and this time, this time he would not return.

I was overcome with remorse at the doubt I had so vehemently displayed earlier. What right had I to do so, when you marched willingly into this fortress, willingly proclaimed your allegiance to these men, to me? I felt unworthy of such faith, of such loyalty. Who was I to ask it from so noble an elf?

I glanced at you again as we drew our bows; steely gray eyes fixed on your target, a look of calm determination gracing your aristocratic face. I drew my bow and smiled; if I were to die, I would die beside the best warriors in all of Middle-earth.

“Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc,” (Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arm)
I growled, and I saw the smile cross your lips, your regal face lit by flashes of lightening.

Time.

Time was of little consequence to me until that night, when it became the one thing I needed.

~~~~~~~

“Haldir!” I heard Aragorn’s voice echo my own as I slashed my way through the swarm of black death.

Time.

Time was everything to me; time was all that mattered in the few seconds it took that beast to put out the light within you.

Time slowed to a halt as I scrambled over the bodies of both elves and men to reach you.

Time was the one thing I needed and would never have as I watched the light in your eyes go out.

~~~~~

Time.

Time is my enemy. Time wears upon me like a burden.

I stand now on the plains of Rohan, my good friend Gimli at my side, his rough hand upon my back, seeking to offer me comfort where none can be taken.

“I am sorry, laddie.” His gravelly voice echoes in my ears.

“Not half as sorry as I am,” I answer as I kneel beside your grave.

“Hiro ho hîdh ab’wanath,” (May you find peace after death.) I whisper as I lay my bow over the mound of earth that covers the vessel that once held your spirit. “Until we meet again, mellonen.”

Time.

Time is all I have left now, and it grows short.

~Finis