Love's Last Breath

 Battle of Helm's Deep.

 The rain matted his white golden hair. It stung his eyes and made it harder to see the orcs, but not that hard. Letting loose arrow after arrow he felled orcs before they had a chance to take another breath. Every bone in his body ached but he pressed on. He couldn't stop, or he would be killed.

Three more orcs fell by Legolas' hand, and he moved onward to help his fellow comrades. Running through the blinding rain he came to the scene that would forever change his being. Three elves lay dead, arrows and knife wounds proved of their demise. The tall blonde elf beside Haldir fell with an arrow in the throat. Haldir cursed under his breath and with a swift movement killed the orc who slayed his kin.

 He felt the stabbing pain in his left thigh. He looked down and saw blood staining his breeches and the arrow sticking out of it. Stumbling, Haldir fired another arrow at a nearby orc, then fell to his knees in the mud.

 Legolas moved forward to aid his friend but was caught as another wave of orcs came toward him. Spending his last arrows he took out his two white knives and started the massacre to get to his fallen friend.

Rain poured and the black sky darkened even more. Halidr knelt and let his bow be his protector. He tried putting weight on his wounded leg, but the arrow was too deep and he could not take his weight on it. Thunder boomed over head and it sounded as if death itself had come down upon everyone. It rained harder

 Blinking water out of his eyes Legolas moved closer and closer, but it was too late. Haldir had heard the noise beside him, but failed to react quickly enough. The orc blade ripped through his torso and his blue eyes turned to ice. A gasp escaped his lips and he hunched forward. The orc withdrew the blade, but before it made any movement a flash of white and elven steel took its head off.

 Legolas knelt beside Haldir.

 "Legolas..." Haldir whispered in pain, and Legolas touched Haldir's wound. Blood poured through the wound onto Legolas' hand and he just stared at it in horror. Looking around he saw a pile of rubble and rock off to the right, not far. It would protect them from the pouring rain.

 "Come." Legolas said. He helped up the wounded Haldir and dragged him toward the rubble. With a swoop of his knife he felled more orcs to make a way to their shelter. He didn't even notice the other men and elves fighting mere feet away.

 "Legolas..."

 Legolas just dragged him on. Not only rain stung his eyes; but his tears. Putting Haldir gently down on the ground he pushed back some of the blond wet strands of hair off his pale, waxen face. He looked as beautiful as the day they had met.

 "Legolas, I-"  

"Shh, don't talk friend." Legolas replied. His trembling hands went down to the wound and he ripped some of the fabric away from it. Blood stained his hands. Blood of a secret love he had never told.

"I am dying, Legolas." Haldir breathed. He looked into Legolas' eyes with a sorrowful, pained stare. Tears were dripping down his face. 'Or is it just the rain?' Legolas thought.

"No! You cannot! I will not let you die, Haldir of Lorien."

"And why is that, Legolas of Mirkwood?"

"Because I-" he turned his face away and just stared at the horrors outside and gave a small sob. He brought up Haldir's head in his arms and cradled him.

 "You love me." Haldir whispered. No mortal would have been able to hear it, but Legolas did. Heartache. Heartache ripped through both of them. "Yes." Legolas said turning back to face him.

"I as well. For... For centuries." Haldir said hoarsely. Legolas bent down and kissed the cold elf's lips. With what strength Haldir had left, he met the kiss and weakly traced a fingertip on Legolas' wet cheek.  

"Why now?" Legolas said and half pleaded. "Do not leave, Haldir."

 "I cannot... Hold on very... Much longer." His breath became slower and his face was white as the snow on the Misty Mountains.

 "But I have made this grievous mistake! I cannot bear the weight of it!" Legolas cried. He kissed Haldir's brow and let a tear slip down it.

 "Don't." Haldir whispered. "Don't let yourself grieve over this. Even if we were together a hundred years.... Would this change... My state?" He shut his eyes, and his body went numb.

"Legolas... I will wait for you...." Legolas held him to his chest tighter, trying feebly to cling to Haldir's fading light. "I will wait... For you in Valinor... In... In..."

"Shhhh." Legolas breathed in his ear. "Just save your strength..."

 "Mandos Halls..." Haldir said. He drew in his last breath. Legolas placed his lips on the now dead elf and cried.

 "Haldir..." He choked out. He shook him gently and whispered his name again. Nothing.

 "Haldir.... No." Burying his face into Haldir's neck and shoulder Legolas sobbed for a love he had never felt, touched or caressed physically but for a love that had held his heart in a trance for what seemed like forever.

 Minutes went by and the battle raged on. Legolas let Haldir down on the wet ground and caressed his cheek, gave him a kiss on his brow once more. Wiping the tears from his eyes and pushing back wet hair he picked up his white knives. The orc blood trickled down off of them.  

"I will avenge you Haldir of Lorien, my love. Sauron and Saruman will pay dearly for what they did to you and everyone whom he hurt."

Taking his white knives he went out and met the storm and brought death among the evil that plagued Middle Earth and his heart.