Title: Healing
Author: Erandir
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Haldir/Eomer

Legolas turned from the window as he heard Aragorn enter the room they shared. The man looked tired as he trudged across the room and slumped down on the bed. "It is done."

The elf looked at him quizzically, "Is Haldir-?" He cut off, unwilling to speak the words.

Aragorn shook his head, "No, I do not know if he will," he said, looking up to Legolas, "He is tied now to Eomer."

"I thought you were not going to try that."

"Eomer insisted," the ranger explained, "Tis odd though," he mused, "I have never known someone to make such a sacrifice for a complete stranger."

~~~~~~~~~~

Eomer woke days later with a pounding head and an aching back. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly, to find Aragorn looking down at him, "Good morning," said the ranger cheerfully, "How do you feel?" Eomer groaned again and threw his good arm over his eyes. Aragorn smiled faintly, "That is to be expected. He probably feels the same.

"How long have I been asleep?" Eomer questioned through his pain.

"Three days," Aragorn told him, "And it seems not in vain, Haldir's wounds are healing. Thanks to you."

A smile crossed Eomer's face, "That is good."

Aragorn stood and turned to leave, "Plans have been made, Eomer," he said, "We ride to Isenguard on the morrow."

"What?!" the rohirrim cried, sitting up abruptly. A sharp pain shot down his spine and he fell back with a soft cry of pain.

"I am sorry, but the war could not be delayed any longer. We must ride without you." Eomer sighed and nodded. "But worry not," the ranger continued, "After we battle we shall return here before heading back to Edoras. You both should be well enough by then."

"Very well," Eomer agreed, "I suppose if fighting it comes to I will be of little use."

~~~~~~~~~~

It was with a heavy heart that Eomer watched the remaining rohirrim ride away the next morning without him. The aching in his back had lessened in the night, allowing him to sit up. A book rested on his knees, though his attention was not on it. The man's focus rested upon the elf who lay, still unconscious, in the bed beside him. He studied the elf's features as he slept.

He wondered when his fair companion would wake, for the healing wing had become very boring very fast; and Eomer knew that Haldir's wounds were no longer fatal. In fact they hardly hurt at all.

Tossing his book carelessly aside and swinging his legs off the side of the bed, Eomer leaned on his knees as he continued to watch the elf. As he did the elf shifted; moving as though he wanted to roll onto his side, but it did not work. This was the first true movement that Eomer had seen the entire time he had been with the elf.

Encouraged that Haldir would wake, Eomer reached over and brushed a lock of silver hair from the elf's face. The elf gasped and tensed at the touch. "Haldir?" Eomer questioned tentatively, moving his hand to the waking elf's shoulder.

With a slight shudder the elf's eyes fluttered open and darted about the room for a moment before resting on Eomer. He gasped and tried to sit up, jerking away from the rohirrim's hand. Both he and the man cried out in pain. Haldir fell back to the bed and Eomer cringed, "Do not try to sit up, you will only hurt us both."

"Where am I?!" The elf demanded, "What happened?"

Eomer sat back on his bed, "You are at Helm's Deep, you were wounded in battle."

Remembrance spread over the elf's face, "Who are you?"

"My name is Eomer."

"Are you a healer?"

"No... But I did save your life."

The elf looked at him speculatively, slightly confused. Then, slowly, a look of realization came over his face. "When you said that it would hurt us both..." he trailed off as Eomer nodded confirmation to his unvoiced question. "Who?"

Now it was Eomer's turn to be confused, "Who?" he repeated.

"Who formed the bond?" Haldir reiterated.

"Lord Aragorn preformed it."

"Aragorn?" the elf looked surprised, "I did not know he knew how."

"Neither did he," Eomer admitted, somewhat sheepishly, "We did not know if it would work, 'twas a last resort. You were going to die."

Slowly Haldir nodded in understanding, he was gaining a newfound respect for the man already, but he could not help but wonder what his life would be like now that he was bonded to a human. He relied now on the man's strength to keep him alive, but what would happen when that strength failed? Would Haldir die when Eomer did? The elf felt a new panic grip at his heart, he did not want to die, not this soon. If he fears were correct he would have no more than thirty years left on Middle-earth, forty at the most. That was no life for an elf to live.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Ow! Stoppit!"

"It does not hurt that much!"

"Maybe to you! I am no elf!"

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic."

"I will when you stop trying to break our backs!"

"I am doing nothing of the sort!" Haldir fumed. The argument was a familiar one, Eomer claimed pain from Haldir's wounds. Both knew he truly did feel the elf's injuries, but Haldir always suspected the man threw it way out of proportion. It was his way of keeping the elf confined to his bed.

"Please, just stop. I know it hurts, why do you keep doing this?"

"Because I will not be confined to this room the rest of my life!" Haldir exploded, he had had enough, "It is enough I was bound to you without a choice. Must you take away my freedom as well as my immortality!?"

Eomer was taken aback by the sudden outburst, "What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"You do not know?" Haldir crossed his arms across his chest, "We are bound by the soul. When you die, I will too."

Eomer had not thought of that, and Aragorn had neglected to mention the possibility, "I - I am sorry, I did not know."

Haldir snorted in a most un-elf-like manner, "Obviously not," he said, turning on his heel to head back to the healing wing.

Eomer sighed, the elf was really angry with him now. The arguments had never lead to this before. Why had Aragorn not told him? If he had known then... He sighed again and followed his elven companion back to the healing wing, feeling truly guilty now. Had he really taken away Haldir's immortality?

~~~~~~~~~~

TBC...