Written by
Zhie and Maggie.
Rated NC17. Work In Progress;
The main characters are Legolas, Gimli, and Haldir.
There
was an abrupt knock on the door, alerting Haldir to the fact that the person he
had heard moving down the hall was destined to enter the library.
Unsure of whether he was to bid them enter or not, he closed the volume
he was reading, placed it back upon the shelf, and proceeded to the door,
opening it.
The
young woman holding a large, silver dining tray curtseyed, then entered, saying
nothing. Haldir opened his mouth to
protest, but shut it as the aroma rose to greet his nostrils.
Things he had not before smelled, scents foreign to him.
He smiled as the maiden looked up at him. She shyly glanced away, placing the tray upon the small
table, finding it would not easily balance.
Holding the tray against one hip, she began to distribute the contents on
the small tables, placing on each what they could manage.
Hurriedly, the elf squatted near the tray to assist with the task, all
the while keeping a careful watch of the woman.
She
was pale, but it seemed this was natural for her, for she did not appear ill.
Her hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck, but fanned out along
her back – a length that would make many a she-elf jealous.
Little surprised him more than the color – red as blood, and bright as
the sun, and yet while thick, it shined and appeared it would be soft to the
touch. It was now his turn to look
away as their eyes met yet again, though it saddened him to turn from such
lovely green pools.
Her
smile threatened to turn to a grin, and she stood, heading for the door to hide
her blush, empty tray held at her side.
“Thank
you.” Said Haldir, breaking the pleasant silence.
The
maiden halted, looking over her shoulder with surprise.
“Master Brandybuck told me you do not speak Westron.”
“Did
he?” Haldir sighed inwardly,
wondering who else the hobbits had graciously ‘informed’.
“And his companion did not correct the error?”
“Master
Took? Why no, Lord Haldir-“
“Saes,
not Lord.” Pleaded Haldir with a
smirk, recalling the first names of the hobbits now.
“I am merely Haldir.”
The
maiden frowned. “I am not used to
such informality. There must be
some prefix by which to call you. If
not Lord, then Master, mayhap? Or
Sir?”
Haldir
cringed slightly at each of these. “If
you are intent to call me more than my name, you may use Captain, for it is the
only one which I have earned.”
The
maiden nodded. “Captain Haldir,
then. Is there anything else I
might bring you or do for you this evening?”
Haldir
wondered how far that invitation was extended, but shrugged away the thought.
“If I may, what might I call you?”
“I
am Skye, the kitchen maid.”
“Kitchen
maid does you no justice, m’lady.” Haldir crossed his arms in thought.
“I should like to call you Lady Skye, if you are to insist on
formalities.”
Green
eyes widened, Skye shook her head profusely.
“Oh, no, it would not at all be proper!
Especially not with the Lady Queen Arwen here.”
“Then
I shall simply call you Skye, for I refuse to call you kitchen maid.”
The elf sat upon the couch again. “Will
you not stay to have supper with me?”
Again,
her eyes widened. “You wish for
me to eat with you?”
Haldir
patted the empty part of the couch next to him as he lifted the cover off of the
nearest plate. “Goose…and…”
He leaned further over the dish. “Some sort of fruit.”
“Cranberry.”
Skye sat down, and began to describe the items Haldir was unfamiliar with.
“You
did not make all of these, did you?”
“Oh,
no.” The maiden set the tray to
lean against the couch. “I assist
the head cook in preparing the meals, but most of the work is done by her.
I have not the skill for this myself.”
“And
what skills are your own?” asked Haldir, selecting a large mushroom from one tray that
had been filled with spicy venison.
“I
have none of which I can speak, save carrying a steady tray through the kitchen
and setting a dining table with accuracy.”
Haldir
arched an eyebrow at her. “You
have no skills to boast? You play
no instrument, complete no craft, study no subject?” Skye shook her head.
“What do you do when not performing your duties?”
The
maiden hung her head. “Captain Haldir, I do not wish you to think me discontent.
I am happy to perform my duties for the King – nay, overjoyed, in fact,
to hold such a position. When I am not needed here, I help my parents, both in the
fields and with my younger siblings. There
are seven, and quite more than a handful for my mother.”
“Seven.
I can see how that would be a handful.” Chuckled Haldir.
“I have but two younger brothers, and yet they were troublesome.
And borne nearly a hundred years apart, at that.”
“A
hundred years?” Skye’s temporary confusion faded.
“Ah, but then you’re an elf.”
She nodded. “You’ll
forgive me, I’ve become so used to the Lady Arwen and her father and the
others. I hardly notice the
differences, save but one.” Her
hand lifted slightly, nearing his face, then shot back to her lap.
“I’m sorry, Captain, forgive me.”
“You
can touch them if you want. I
don’t mind.” He said, pouring two glasses of wine, handing one to her before
beginning to sample the other delicacies.
Skye
hesitated, holding the glass between her hands now.
“Are you…are you quite sure?”
Haldir
nodded. “You wouldn’t believe
how many woman – and men – ask if they can just touch one of them.
I’ve never been comfortable with the men, but I could hardly resist a
beautiful lady.”
Half-grinning,
Skye lifted her free hand, sliding her fingers along Haldir’s right ear.
She giggled, and he smirked.
“Does
it tickle when I do this?” she asked, still letting her fingers glide up to
the point and back down.
“Nay,
it is quite a pleasant thing.” He admitted.
“Like
stroking a small kitten on the nose.” Skye
laughed again. “Now, look, the
tip is all red and swollen -
you’re blushing quite a lot, Captain.”
And that he was, for his cheeks and even neck were now a rose-color.
“I
am just not used to such – pleasant hospitality.” Remarked Haldir.
In the hall, there was a sudden clatter, like something large and heavy
being dropped. Both hurried to the
door, Haldir pulling it open impatiently to find nothing and no one at all. But his nose twitched slightly, and he knew who had been
there, but said nothing.
Skye
retrieved the platter, then made for the door once again.
“I must make haste to the kitchen, for it is late, and preparations
must be made for the morning meal.”
Haldir
nodded. “Thank you again for
bringing the meal to me. And for your company.”
“I
shall return in the morning to collect the dishes.” She promised, then left
through the open door.
“I
shall eagerly await your return.” Said Haldir, but this was not said until the
door was closed and he safely in the depths of the library.
- - -
* Meanwhile, in Lothlorien…
*
[“Rumil?”]
Orophin was resting his feet upon a cushion he’d placed near the open archway
leading outside. He lay on his back, his hands busied with wood and knife.
[“Is it not time for you to be in bed?
At your own home?”]
[“Don’t
want to go home. Elfling at
home.”] Rumil stared up through
the branches that made the ceiling to the stars overhead.
[“And
there’s the answer to ‘Why do you not have children, Oro?’
Surely, Rumil, your son cannot be that much trouble, he must be nearing
eight hundred years by now.”]
[“Nine
hundred and seventy-one.”] Rumil
sighed. [“Nine hundred and seventy-one years in Lothlorien, and not
a single month in Imladris. He
wants to go live there for some time. His
mother wants to go back there, too.”]
[“Keep
going, Rumil. I know you have a
passion for that silly place.”] Orophin
brushed the woodchips off of his chest and blew the dust from the piece he was
carving. [“You should go. Actually, you should go now.
It would give you at the very least a month before Haldir came back to
find one of his few lieutenants had run off to the valley.”]
[“He
would kill me.”] Nodded Rumil. [“And
I would miss both of you if I left. But
I cannot keep returning home to Nenniach’s constant nagging and Celebdreth’s
constant whining.”]
[“Well,
you do not have to go to your talan, but you cannot stay here.”]
Valarda was leaned against Orophin’s bent knees, looking over the
monthly schedule for her wardens. Valarda
patrolled the Southern area of Lothlorien, second only to Haldir in rank among
the march wardens. [“Isn’t the
talan of Hirban Arabeleg currently unoccupied?
Give yourself a week of peace and tell your wife later that your dearest
sister-in-law detained you at your post.”]
While on duty, the Captain of the Galadhrim and the Commander of the
Southern March highly respected one another, but once comfortably in the
presence of their family, Haldir and Valarda had a long-lived tradition of name
calling and practically joke making. Most
recently this had resulted in Haldir coming home to a number of farm animals in
his talan and Valarda waking up in her guard post to find that overnight the
feathers of all of her arrows had been dyed green and orange under the noses of
her own troop. That episode had
caused her to become quite livid, and was followed by Haldir riding back into
Caras Galadhon early the next week. No
one dared question the Galadhrim why his hair was indigo, nor how he had managed
to remove the color later, though many regarded Valarda with deep concern these
days.
[“Did
he manage to get the goat out of there?”] asked Rumil.
Valarda grinned and nodded. [“Perhaps
I will go there tonight instead.”]
[“And
while you are there, you may begin the task of training my horse.”] Suggested
Orophin.
[“Now
there’s a lost cause,”] laughed Valarda.
[“Whatever did you do to deserve such harsh punishment?”]
Rumil
crossed his arms. [“I made a bet
with your husband, though I have yet to lose.”]
Valarda
tilted her head, curious now. [“What
kind of a bet?”]
Orophin
shook his head. [“It is a silly
one, and made only because of Legolas and Gimli.
They were not really here because there is a Gondorian festival, but
because they have wagered on our dear brother.”]
Valarda
tossed her work aside and crawled up on the couch next to Rumil, pouring herself
a glass of wine from the bottle on the end table.
[“Such excitement, and I am the last to know!
What sort of wager do they have?”]
[“What
they wager, I know not, my love, but upon which they wager is whether Haldir has
interest more in elf or in elleth.”] Orophin
looked over his shoulder upon hearing Valarda’s laughter.
[“I take it you have your own opinion on such a subject.”]
Valarda
nodded. [“But first, I must know,
which opinion do you hold?”]
[“That
he will one day find a lovely, yet likely bold and somewhat haughty like
himself, elleth that will…Valarda, stop laughing so!”] Orophin stood,
brushing himself off, and plopped down on the couch next to his wife after
hobbling over to it, exchanging his knife and wood for a glass from the table.
[“I swear, one day he will!”]
[“Upon
what do you base your findings? Because
of the poor young things the Lady introduces to him on a constant basis?”]
[“Well…yes.
And the fact he does not object to such pairings.”] Defended Orophin, filling his glass.
[“And
when last did you refuse something of the Lady?”] wondered Valarda.
Orophin
frowned, drank deeply, and filled the glass again.
[“But there is also that day in Imladris, when he almost kissed fair
Arwen.”]
[“And
there was also that day in Imladris, when he surely did kiss Lord Glorfindel.”]
Orophin nearly spat his wine back out as Rumil’s eyes widened
considerably.
[“Pray
tell how you know of news such as that?”]
Orophin refilled his glass yet again, and Valarda held out her near empty
one to him.
[“It
is a good thing to be an elleth.”] She told them.
[“There is information I cannot get by skulking around taverns in a
cloak and muddy boots. For the
truly interesting gossip, one must don a dress and quilt for the afternoon.
Only then are the secrets of the elven realm discovered.”]
[“How
long have you known about this?”] Rumil
opted for the bottle rather than a glass. [“I
mean to say, are he and Lord Glorfindel…?”]
[“Oh,
no. Not at all.
This was some time ago, and why I was so amused neither of you knew.”]
Valarda frowned at her empty glass.
[“These days, from what I have heard, your brother is not with anyone
at all. But, from that one
incident, I made my own mind up.”]
[“So
after and before so many elleths, you take a single encounter with Lord
Glorfindel to be proof of your answer.”]
Orophin said with doubt.
[“Aye.”]
Valarda smirked. [“For
unlike so many other meetings in your dear brother’s past, it stands out as
the only one he initiated.”]
Orophin
sat for a while, attempting to come up with a suitable answer to retaliate with,
but finally settled on a very short consession.
[“Damn.”]
[“Well,
I’m feeling rather good about all this.”]
Announced Rumil, handing the bottle to Valarda.
[“Thank you kindly for the information, dear sister, I shall be in your
debt. Brother, I am off not to Haldir’s tree, but to find a nice
large log for you to begin work on in the morning.
Namarie!”]
- - -
When
Gimli awoke the next morning, he crept down the hall to the door of the library.
He listened, but there were no sounds coming from within.
Gimli found his way to his own room, readied himself for the day, and
left his axe before leaving for the main dining hall.
Once
there, he took note that food was laid out along the table, but that there were
no chairs, signifying that the castle’s occupants would have taken breakfast
with them. All, except one.
Leaning
against the wall that served as the doorway into the kitchen was Haldir, in one
hand a half eaten apple, the other being used to help retell some story or
another to whomever was in the kitchen proper.
Gimli marched past the table, catching Haldir’s gaze.
The elf abruptly bit into his apple, the smile leaving his face.
He gave a nod to Gimli as the dwarf came and peered into the kitchen.
The kitchen maid from the night before was there, and no one else.
Gimli frowned.
“Is
there anything I might do for you, Lord Gimli?” she asked.
“I
was, uh, just looking for the elf. Not
this elf.” He said, thumbing behind him, “But the other one.
Legolas. Have you seen
him?”
“He
was here at breakfast first thing inquiring about you.” Answered Haldir as his
back. “It seems you were not in
your bedchambers this morning.”
“I
wasn’t the only one not in my bedchambers.” Grumbled the dwarf.
“I will just have to search for him myself.”
Haldir
merely nodded as Gimli strode back through the room, picking up a few sausages
for the road, so to speak. Once
gone, the elf was greeted to a slap on the shoulder with a dishrag.
“You should have told him where his friend was.”
“Ah,
but he asked only if I had seen him, not if I knew where he was.” Pointed out
Haldir, grinning as he finished the apple.
Skye
shook her head as she removed her apron. “I
am finished here for now and will not be needed for a few hours.”
Haldir
disposed of the core in the garbage bin, then offered his arm to Skye.
The pair walked to the library. The
Lorien elf had devised for himself a plan to busy his mornings and afternoons,
keeping himself out of the way, entertained, and from having to socialize with
too many of the guests. After
breakfast, he would spend a few hours in the library with Skye, instructing her
in basic Sindarin. Though it would
keep her from duties at her home for a bit of time, he assured her the return
would be worth it – in the years to come, when translators were needed for
elvish scrolls and books, her skills would be in demand.
He would take lunch in the library, and Skye would return in the
afternoon to study Quenya with Elrond as instruction was given to Haldir.
Though her lesson would be but an hour or two, Haldir planned to study
with Elrond until supper, which he would again have in the library, and then to
bed. The plan seemed flawless
enough.
Or
so he thought.
But
Skye was called away early by Arwen, for further preparations were needed for
the celebration, and she did not return with lunch as Haldir had hoped.
Elrond was late, and did not stay long before he, too, was taken from the
library by Legolas, with an excuse about having to decide upon the decorations.
‘If those two are in charge of the decorating committee,’ thought
Haldir, ‘this is a sadly planned event indeed.’
When suppertime came, Haldir decided not to expect it would be brought to
him.
In
the dining room he took the only seat available – between Mithrandir and
Merry. He pretended not to have
noticed the worried look exchanged between the two hobbits, the fact that
Legolas and Gimli had suddenly stopped talking upon his arrival, or the strange
looks of sympathy he was being discreetly given by the other elves.
It
was going to be a very, very long night.
Continued...
Notes
This is the first time Hirband Arabeleg gets used. The basic idea behind this is that Valarda is calling him Captain High and Mighty. She respects him, but she also thinks he has a huge ego. Not that it is undeserved, but she's a much more humble sort of warrior and is playfully the hero, where Haldir flaunts his abilities at times.