I don't own any of Tolkien's stuff, everybody knows that… I do own a few characters in this story though, but their names still belong to the Professor because he made up the language…

Um, parts of this story are lame, just a warning…

Later chapters will be more angsty and gory, so if you like that stuff, be patient, if you don't, then don't read this…

If there's a weird transition in the middle of the chapter, that's because this used to be two chapters. It will be that way with the first, like, fifteen chapters…

XXX

Jewel of the Twilight

Haldir stretched lazily as he gazed up at the clear sky. It was early spring and not much was going on in Lothlorien, especially around the borders where Haldir and his friends, Seidron and Cunir, guarded them.

"When shall we have something interesting to do?" Cunir wondered aloud, sighing from his hammock. Haldir turned his gaze out toward the seemingly endless trees about him. It had seemed like forever since they had had a mission, great or small. The most recent had been to talk to some Haradrim who were a bit too close to the borders. It had ended unlike how the elves had wanted; in blood. That had happened almost two years ago. At first the calm was relaxing, but after a few months, it got to be unbearable, especially to the younger elves like Cunir. Haldir himself was not considered extremely 'young' by elven standards anymore; he was still a little over the two-thousand year mark.

"It looks like our luck may be changing…" Cunir commented, pointing down below them.

Haldir looked over where the elf pointed and Seidron sat up. A young boy trotted up the path, obviously a messenger from Lady Galadriel or Lord Celeborn. He finally reached the tree and climbed up it quickly.

"It's a message from Lord Celeborn." The youngster said breathlessly as he pulled out a note from his pocket, handing it to Haldir. Haldir opened it and read it to himself before reading aloud:

Captain Haldir,

Mirkwood has requested help. They fear some of the smaller villages branching out from the palace may be liable for attack by orcs. I want for you to choose a small number of elves and go to their aid. Please leave as soon as possible.

Lord Celeborn

"I guess we have something to do now." Cunir said with a smile.

"Aye." Haldir said, not moving, his eyes still locked on the letter in his hand.

The boy bowed, dismissing himself, and scampered back down the ladder.

"Well, shall we recruit some chaps or what?" Cunir asked after a silence.

Haldir nodded. Their shift was done, so they left to find recruits as the other guards showed up.

The next day, they had gathered about thirty elves and were soon off. Haldir couldn't help but look back as his beloved home and forest disappeared behind them.

"Missing home already? We haven't even gotten fifty yards away!" Cunir, always playing the role of the young comic, said as he slowed his horse beside his captain.

"No, just wondering when I'll be back. I have this odd feeling that this will be a long journey." Haldir said in a far-off voice.

Cunir gave him a quizzical look, but shrugged as they continued on.

After a few days, they reached Mirkwood. The village they were looking for was a few miles in.

"Rather gloomy compared to home, eh?" Cunir remarked quietly as he came up beside Haldir again.

"Yes, I suppose…" Haldir replied.

"What's been up with you, hmm? You've been really- detached since we left Lorien. Does it have to do with your girl?" Cunir's grin widened at the last thought.

"No, what-" Haldir sighed. "Okay, yes, it's got to do with Lothwen." He admitted. "I've been thinking about it, and I've decided I want to marry her, and I was going to propose to her a few days ago, but then we left. I just hope we can get back soon."

Cunir's smile hadn't stopped growing. "That's great!" His smile faded slowly. "So that's why you've been so- distant, hmm…?" Haldir nodded. "I see…" Cunir faded off as he looked up. Haldir followed his gaze and found that they had arrived.

The village was small and quaint and quite friendly looking.

A tall, older-looking elf came from the town square, bowing slightly every few steps.

"Greetings, masters." He said with a final bow as he came up to them.

Haldir slid off his horse, and the others followed. Haldir bowed slightly to the elf, introducing himself.

"I am Captain Haldir."

"Mae govanen, Hir Haldir. I am Durfin, the leader of this settlement." He put his hand on his chest in greeting and Haldir returned the gesture, inclining his head.

"Come, my wife shall show you where you will stay." Durfin motioned to a maiden, now standing beside him. Her brown locks shone beautifully in the sunlight. "This is Mallos, my wife." He introduced her. A few other soldier-like elves came and took the horses, and Mallos showed them to a place similar to barracks. There was about twenty cots and a few desks in the large tent-like structure.

"We shall have servants bring you your dinner soon." Mallos bowed before leaving them to get settled in.

All the next day, Haldir was led through all the defenses and shown all the weaknesses of the place. By the afternoon, he was completely exhausted. He left the rest of the work to Seidron, so he could catch a nap before anything exciting happened.

He awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of clashing metal. Haldir jumped to his feet, grabbing his saber before running out the door.

Once outside, he found that the attack had come. The orcs had more in numbers, but less in skill, so it was about even. The captain quickly jumped into the fray, attacking the first orc who got in his way. He went on like this for a while, slashing and giving the orcs his best maneuvers.

The orcs' numbers were starting to dwindle, and they were calling a retreat, when something caught Haldir's eye. A young boy, not quite to his coming-of-age, being pulled off the battlefield with the orcs. The nasty orc held him tight despite his struggles. Haldir also noticed how the boy kept eyeing the bushes near the edge of the village, but dropped the thought as he rushed forth to try to help the youth. He only got about half-way to him before more orcs blocked him off, engaging him in battle once more. He somehow knew he had to save that boy, though. Somehow, he had to.

almost an hour later

Haldir pulled his saber out of the last orc who hadn't fled. He looked up at where the boy had been, but the orcs were long gone.

He surveyed his surroundings, finding that they had only lost a few. Most of the villagers were helping carry the wounded to the barracks.

"Nicely played, Captain." Cunir commented from beside him.

Haldir grunted, not really noticing what the other had said. He then remembered how the boy had kept looking at the bushes. He strode over to the edge by a burned-down house where he had looked. The elf scanned the underbrush expertly, though he didn't find anything on the first pass.

"Haldir? What is it?" Cunir asked, vexed by his friend's behavior.

When the captain looked again, he thought he saw something shine in the sun. He walked cautiously toward the spot, raking through the leaves with his hands.

He found, peering back at him, a pair of sparkling, emerald eyes. On further inspection, Haldir found that they belonged to a small child, a young girl.

Haldir crouched down to a squat and held his hand out to the girl. She recoiled away from it, not pulling her gaze away from his face.

"I don't want to hurt you; you don't need to be afraid." Haldir reassured her. She seemed to believe him, but didn't come out.

"Are you hurt?" Haldir now noticed the splotch of blood on her forehead. She lifted her hand to the spot, but didn't reply. "We just want to help you," He said, reaching into the bush and pulling her out. She didn't resist, but she didn't come willingly. Haldir carried her to the barracks, figuring she needed medical attention, and, maybe, he could try to find her parents. He hoped her father hadn't been one of the three dead elven soldiers in the battle.

He soon got some bandages, herbs and water to wash her wound. She didn't make a sound as he washed it and rubbed the herbs on and wrapped it. Her eyes never left his face.

"So, what's your name?" He finally asked.

She didn't reply.

"Well, my name's Haldir." She still didn't move or make a sound. "In that case, I suppose we'll just have to call you 'Din'; 'Silent'." Haldir said. She didn't utter a word or even a grunt, but Haldir thought he saw a smile tug at the edges of her mouth.

"What do you have there?" Cunir asked as he came up with Seidron behind him.

"Well, she won't tell me her name or make a noise for that matter. Just call her 'Din'." He explained the girl. "I'm going to try to find her parents." He decided. Haldir was surprised when the girl jumped into his arms before he had even moved.

"I guess she does too?" Cunir said with a smile.

Haldir nodded, but took her over to Durfin. He figured the chief would be a good starting place.

"Do you happen to know who this girl is, or who her parents are?" He asked the elf who was hunched over some papers strewn on a desk.

He looked up, his eyes locking onto the girl with a strange look in his eye. At first, Haldir thought he wasn't going to answer by the way he looked at the girl.

"I suppose you could say that." He straightened, still looking at the girl. "Where did you find her?"

"Near the edge of the village, hiding in some bushes." He left out the details on how he knew she was there.

"Her parents don't live in this village." He explained, "But she's being cared for by one of my advisors, Galdar, along with her brother. Galdar was wounded in battle. She may want to see him." Durfin led the two over to a bed where a red-headed elf lay. When she saw him, the girl whimpered and struggled out of Haldir's arms. She then crawled onto the bed, curling up next to the elf, whose right shoulder was wrapped tightly in blood-stained bandages. The elf woke up as soon as Din got to the bed.

"Are you okay, Mirial?" Galdar asked, weakly stroking her gold hair with his good hand.

She didn't answer, but nuzzled her face into his left shoulder.

"Her name is Mirial?" Haldir asked after Galdar mentioned the name.

"Where did you find her?" Galdar asked.

"She was in the bushes near the edge of the forest." Haldir explained again.

"Uh, you wouldn't have happened to see her brother, would you?" Durfin asked, rather nervously Haldir thought. "He looks a lot like her, he's about this tall," He motioned his hand just below his eye level, "And he has gold hair like hers and grey eyes…"

The first image that came to Haldir's mind, when he heard this description, was the boy who was captured by the orcs. "Well, I think I saw…" Haldir stopped. He wondered how the elf would handle it if he told him about the boy being carried off by orcs. As it was, the dark-headed elf looked as if he would have a nervous break-down. Durfin could obviously read what Haldir was thinking.

"I need you to tell me if and where you saw him, no matter what that means." He said firmly, grabbing the captain by the shoulders.

"I saw a boy who matches that description being carried away by the orcs near the end of the battle. I tried to stop them, but it was too late." Haldir explained.

Durfin's face went pale. "Still alive?"

Haldir nodded. He knew what the elf's fear was; orcs taking live, elven prisoners meant one thing: they wanted to increase their army.

"Oh, Valar… We have to go look for him. The kin-" Durfin stopped himself. "I have to find him!" He started to run out the door, but Haldir stopped him.

"You need to stay here to get the village back in shape, Hir nin. I will go and look for him." Haldir said firmly.

Durfin hesitantly agreed, though he insisted Haldir not call him 'Hir nin' ever again.

"We will leave first thing tomorrow." He reassured the flustered elf.

R&R plz! If you like it, tell me and I'll post the next chapter…