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Journey Of A Butterfly	By : Mel99Moe Category: -Fourth Age to Modern times and beyond > Het - Male/Female Views: 5714 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places of Lord of the Rings/Tolkien. No money is being made. This is for personal enjoyment only.

Chapter List
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- 48
- 49
Chapter 48 - Keep Hope

Horphen walked down the hall towards Terrwyn’s cell. He smiled as he found her eating the meal the guards had brought her. “You are looking much better. Now, aren’t you glad I intervened?” he asked. After arriving in Rohan and finding Terrwyn in a deteriorated state, he went to the kitchens and used his charms to get the cooks to add some fruit or fresh stew to Terrwyn’s tray. It was hard enough to get the Rohirric woman to eat and the grey swill they fed the prisoners was not going to entice her.

Terrwyn finished the apple she was eating and went to Horphen, reaching for his hand through the bars. “I am very glad,” she smiled back.

“You need to get your strength back for when Feredir returns. Besides, he would kill me if he knew I did not take care of his lovely lady,” Horphen went on, trying to take her mind off her troubles as best he could.

Terrwyn released the elf’s hands and sat on a bench next to the iron bars. “Where do you suppose he is, Horphen? Do you think he is alright?” Her voice was distant as she searched her mind for a vision of her lover. “I miss him so much and I worry every minute that goes by.”

Horphen grabbed a small footstool and brought it over next to where she sat on the other side of the cell. “Oh, you know him. I think that Feredir is being Feredir.”

“That is what troubles me. He can be very reckless at times. I think Orthorien was right. Sometimes he acts without thinking and it gets him in trouble. Rhûn is no place for such careless behavior,” she said worriedly.

“Orthorien may be his brother, but I have been his battle mate for many years now. He doesn’t do anything unless he knows it is for the better of others.”

“Oh?” Terrwyn questioned accusingly. “And chasing a Southron halfway across Ithilien just for the loss of a few strands of hair is not reckless?”

Horphen laughed. “Well, he does value those black tresses now doesn’t he? But that is all just soldier stories. He went after that man because he threatened not only his life, but mine as well. If Feredir hadn’t shown when he did, I may be sitting in Mandos’ Hall right now. I was the careless one that day, not Feredir. He will go to no ends to protect those that he loves or considers friends. His only crime that day was ignoring a common rule not to run away from the battalion without giving word first. Had he gone to the Captain beforehand, the Southron would have escaped and maybe gone on to kill someone else.”

Terrwyn still looked worried. “He is not dealing with just one Haradrim this time. He is running right into the heart of the enemy . . . alone.” Terrwyn hung her head and looked to the ground. “I just don’t know what I would do without him now, Horphen.”

The brown haired elf looked at Terrwyn a long moment, studying her features and the amount of worry she carried on her furrowed brow. “You love him don’t you . . . I mean really love him.”

“I do, Horphen. He is everything to me. He is the air I breathe, my strength and stability. When everything else is wrong in the world, Feredir is all that is right. Without him, I do not know if I would have the will to go on. He consumes me somehow. I don’t know how to explain it, but without Feredir, I am just a shell. He holds my heart and my soul.”

Horphen watched Terrwyn and felt this deep love she held for his friend. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sounded like an elf right now. This is what we feel when we find our other half. There is a connection that binds us together and one cannot function without the other.”

His words brought another problem to the front of her mind. “Can . . . can I ask you something? I must know an honest answer.”

Horphen knew what she was about to ask and hoped he would not have to answer, but times were desperate and she would want to know everything now. He nodded slowly.

“If Feredir feels the same way I do . . .” She paused and took a deep breath. “If he doesn’t make it back in time and I am . . .” Terrwyn could hardly find the words.

“You want to know what will happen to him if you die,” Horphen finished for her. Terrwyn nodded. “Well, I know he loves you just the same and you know of his heritage.” He paused looking for the right words. “It is still possible, even with his human descent, to fade from loss and sorrow. It is not just a marriage binding that solidifies this outcome. If the heart is as deeply involved as it is for both of you, losing the one you love could result in despair.”

“And what about his choice? If he sails, will that save him?” she wondered.

“He could still choose to sail, but that does not mean he will survive. Not even Valinor could fill the emptiness. And to choose the life of Men will certainly mean death. Either way, it will be a harsh environment for him to live in.”

Terrwyn sighed and put her face in her hands. “It will be all my fault, Horphen. I should not have let things progress between us. It wasn’t like this in the beginning. I could have continued to ignore him or make his life miserable. He may have been safe in Ithilien and never even cared about me, and I would be here not destroying anyone’s life but my own. It was selfish of me to love an elf and let him love me in return.”

Horphen could not stand to see her in such a state. “Hear now Terrwyn, there is no use looking at hindsight. What’s done is done, but I’ll tell you this much. There was no other choice for him either. His heart was lost to you the moment he set eyes on you. It may not have seemed like it then, but he loves you too much for there to have been any other feeling. I’m sure he hid it well and denied it as long as he could, but it was bound to happen. This love between you was meant to be. And I’ll tell you something else while were being honest here. As long as I am in charge of watching over you, I will not let the Rohirrim take you away. I will threaten to curse them all with an ancient elvish spell handed down to me from the Valar of Doom himself, if that’s what it takes. You stop talking like that now. Feredir will return. If I know him at all, which I do, he won’t be alone either. He’ll find this witness. And let’s not forget Orthorien. He will search high and low for his brother. I imagine he’ll drag him all the way to Rohan by his pointed ears too, telling him what a fool he was.”

Terrwyn cracked a small smile at the thought of Orthorien disciplining Feredir even after all the good reasons for not waiting for the others. Horphen watched her eyes light up ever so slightly. “Now that’s a little better. Keep positive thoughts, Lady Terrwyn. It will all work out somehow or I’ll be the son of a goblin.”

She wiped the tears from her cheeks as she laughed. “I am very glad you are with me Horphen, and I cannot wait to get out of here so I may give you a hug.”

He held his hand up to the bars and she gave him her own. Horphen pulled it through just far enough to give it a kiss. “You are very special and I am glad you have captured Feredir’s heart. Deep in my gut I just know the two of you will be together once again . . .” He paused and laughed. “And eventually populating half of Ithilien.”

Terrwyn gasped in surprised and blushed before she laughed.

After his visit, Horphen went back to the King’s hall where he spent most of his time standing about and listening to the different people voice their random concerns. A mother wanted her son to join the ranks of the soldiers a couple years before proper age. Many Rohirrim men of different ranks reported to their commander about their findings on the borders. It seemed things were quiet for now, good news to Horphen’s ears. Then another man approached Erkenbrand. He seemed desperate to see a prisoner, though he would not say who. It seemed the Marshall already knew who he was there to see. Horphen listened carefully as Erkenbrand out rightly denied him access to the cells, saying it was none of his concern now. The elf wondered if he was there to see Terrwyn.

After much arguing, the man gave up and left the hall. Erkenbrand seemed disturbed at having to turn down this man’s request. He shook his head and was about to exit the hall when another older man came in. Unlike the other people that entered the hall, this man searched his surroundings, his eyes falling upon the elf sitting alone at one of the many tables. Horphen tried to remain somewhat out of sight so not to cause concern to any of the Rohirric people.

The older man’s eyes turned to slits as he gazed upon Horphen, who sat still in the shadows. The man turned his attention away from the elf as he called to Erkenbrand before he left the King’s hall.

“May I have a word with you?” the man asked quietly.

Erkenbrand nodded and went to him. The unknown man glanced once more at the hidden elf from the corner of his eye, then turned his back to him as he spoke to the Marshall. Horphen watched, trying not to look too concerned. Erkenbrand’s attention was focused on the man and then he looked over his shoulder to Horphen. The Marshall looked back to the concerned citizen, shaking his head and smiling slightly, obviously trying to convince him that the elf was not there for any reason and was harmless. This seemed to disturb the older man and he kept his voice low so no one would hear. He did not take into account the keen hearing of the elves, even at such low whispering. Sound seemed to travel quite well in the large hall. Although Horphen did not hear every word, he heard enough to understand just who this man was and what he wanted. This was the father of the man that Terrwyn killed and he was trying to convince Erkenbrand to move the proceedings of her execution along faster. The Marshall argued that this was not what the King wanted, but the man made note that the King was not here and Erkenbrand was. It would not have been uncommon for Erkenbrand to make such decisions while in charge. The Marshall almost seemed to consider the man’s advice and this worried Horphen. The elf waited until the meeting was done and the father of the dead man left the hall before he approached Erkenbrand.

“Surely you will wait a while longer. My men are retrieving a witness as we speak,” Horphen advised.

“It is not that easy, Master elf. People used to come from all over to see the hanging of an Easterling or a Southron, but lately there has been no draw. Now, one of our own and a woman no less . . . that is bringing people far from all over the Riddermark. Already, visitors gather in the city as word has spread quickly. The people will not be willing to wait for long.”

Horphen could not understand how humans would want to witness something so barbaric as one of their own people being executed. However, he hid his feelings and fed off his anger. “I would think you would at least wait for you King to return. He should be visible to his people over such proceedings, should he not?”

“It is not required and he has left such decisions up to me, though he would wish to be here this time. If the people become anxious and decide to rally, I will have no choice but to carry out the hearing and the execution.”

“Hearing you call it,” Horphen said angrily. “A hearing allows all of those involved to voice their pleas. The girl has no outcome other than execution. How can you consider this fair?”

Erkenbrand straightened up to his full height, which matched that of the elf. “It seems to me you have no say when it comes to Rohirric law. Murder is murder, Master elf, and this girl killed the son of a nobleman. The family wants to see her dead. The more cruel the execution, the more satisfied the family will be. They would choose to have her arms and legs tied to horses and rip her apart. This hearing that you find a waste is to ensure a more humane punishment.” The Marshall spoke as if this were a good thing.

“It matters not in which way she would die, it is still an innocent life being extinguished,” Horphen answered.

“That yet remains to be seen. Produce this so called witness before the people have their say, and we will see if she is really as innocent as you say she is.” Erkenbrand did not wait for a reply and walked out of the hall leaving Horphen standing there praying that Feredir and Orthorien would return soon. He might have overstepped his bounds with the Marshall, but he could remain silent no more. If he angered the man, he hoped it would force him to reconsider the elf’s words carefully.

* * *

Terrwyn lay on her begrimed cot that night, her thoughts dark and her dreams even darker. She kept seeing Feredir slumped over, his glow gone, his strength diminished. He wanted death but it would not come swift enough. His heart was broken and his soul extinguished. This was his fate should she die.

Sometime late into the night, Terrwyn was roused from her restless sleep. Someone was rattling the bars of her cell. Only the light of a candle lit up her visitors face. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. “Horphen, why are you here at this late hour? Has something happened? Has Feredir returned?” she asked hopeful.

His smile was warm, but she could tell by the look in his hazel eyes that something did indeed occur, but he would not tell her. “Nothing to worry your pretty head about, my lady, rather I have brought you a visitor. We met earlier today and I saw to it that he was allowed at least one visit with you, for he has been denied many requests.” Horphen stepped aside as the outline of a man approached her cell. The elf handed the man the candle and instantly his face was illuminated.

Terrwyn looked at him with wide eyes. “Oh my, I never thought they would allow you down here. It has been so long. Taldred, I can’t begin to tell you how good it is to see you.”

“Terrwyn, it has been far too long,” the Rohirric guard said as he smiled at her. He reached through the bars and took her hands in his. “I prayed every day that it would not come to this, but here you are and now I find myself torn by guilt. I am so sorry, Terrwyn. Maybe if I had done more to--.”

“There was naught more you could have done and I thank you for everything. You know I could not have stayed. You know they would have hung me quickly,” she interrupted.

“I know you are innocent and should not be here now,” Taldred said quickly. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Your friend has told me of their plans. So there was a witness?”

“There is someone who might know of the deal that Bregmund had with the Haradrim clan close to the borders, a message runner. It might be enough to free me, though it may be too late now,” she answered bleakly.

“Crowds gather already, but Horphen here has done what he can to convince Erkenbrand to delay things. If there were something I could do, I would not hesitate,” Taldred confessed.

“You have already put yourself in enough danger. Besides, last I heard you were courting Rosloch’s sister,” she smiled trying to change the subject to something lighter.

Taldred seemed to blush slightly. For many years, he yearned for Terrwyn’s attentions, but she would not return the feelings, though they became friends. “That was a while ago. We are married now.”

Terrwyn smiled. “I am so happy for you, Taldred. I knew it would happen. Lindiel was madly in love with you. I told her to seek you out. I just had a feeling it was meant to be.”

“She mentioned you often. She cares deeply for you and wishes she could see you, but you know our laws. It was only because of Horphen that I am here now. I can’t stay much longer, but I just had to see you. If the others are anything like your elf friend here, then I would say you are in good hands.”

“They are indeed,” she said smiling at Horphen who stood back in the shadows. “I have been very fortunate to earn the trust . . . and love of the elves. It is my only hope now.”

Horphen moved to Taldred and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We must be going.”

Taldred nodded, never taking his eyes from Terrwyn. “Keep hope, Terrwyn.”

“I will,” she smiled as tears threatened the corners of her eyes.

Taldred turned to leave with Horphen following him. The elf stopped and took her hand. “I will be back first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you Horphen. Thank you for this one small blessing.”

The elf nodded and escorted Taldred from the long dark hall. Terrwyn felt better, but worry was never far from her mind. She lay back down on her cot, closed her eyes and remembered Feredir. Her thoughts slowly gave way to dreams of the lush forest and of her dark haired elf, of the first time they made love and how he suspended her above the bed. It was then that she realized how deeply she trusted him with her being. Feredir gave her everything of himself that night, his love unconditional. He had confessed his love for her throughout the night, taken care of her, held her in his strong arms. Terrwyn lost herself in this dream, wishing Feredir were with her now, wishing they were still in her small bedroom above the healing house. She could almost feel him covering her body, his warm breath caressing her ear.

A cry from one of the other inmates woke Terrwyn from her dream. Memories . . . that was all she had now. For a moment, she thought Feredir was with her, but it was only a dream. Tears pooled in her eyes and spilled over. Her elf was far from here risking his own life to save hers. Fear settled into her heart. If something happened to Feredir and by some slim chance she was set free, what would she do without him? Where would she go? How could she ever escape the loneliness she felt without him by her side. He was her world. He was her life and without him, she knew she could not go on.
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Journey Of A Butterfly