Not One Of You
By FlamingRebirth
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings.
*Galadriel talking mentally to Haldir*
Chapter One- How it came to be
If one was to ask what music felt like, Haldir would answer that it was a torrent of pressure and vibrancy, which hurt his delicate ears. It feared not the darkest corners and forced everything in its path to flow with it or drown in a cacophony of noise. It trapped the listeners in a vacuum of noise and desire, their bodies tightly packed together, sweat dripping from their skin and screaming to be heard over the music.
But of course no-one asked him, yet his thoughts flew freely as he listened to the heavy beats of the music. The strangled sound of an old classic, distorted and destroyed made him wince in sympathy and disgust. It seemed that every song had to have an overly loud bashing sound in it. If he was truly honest with himself, he had no true reason for being here. This was not a place for him, to listen to the other party goers screaming and practically making out on the dance floor. He needed to leave.
It was very easy to slip out of the club; no one would care for him to go off. He was the no-body. The outcast of the group. He wouldn't even call the guys he hung out with friends. They merely allowed him to hang out with them so he wouldn't be a 'social retard', or so they said. Personally he thought they liked rubbing their opinions into his face.
It was no secret he was bi, if not gay, after all he had long blonde hair and a pure face, as if he had been edited professionally on a computer. He had never been interested in women, well not as interested as he was with men. It wasn't that he necessarily hated women, but his idea of a relationship was not to listen to a girl talk about make-up, other men and her 'girlfriends'. But what really turned him off the girls were the 'few', the girls that walked around with overly orange faces and tight bras that pushed the boobs so far out he wasn't sure how they were still walking upright. Then there were the mini-skirts that hid practically nothing! But of course, he knew he was making excuses, he bet that women like that were not as common as he liked to pretend.
Besides girls didn't really like him. They don't like geeks. From the moment he could read his nose was in a book. Hell! He even read his books sitting on the toilet when he was young! Somehow his eagerness to learn translated to him being a loser and an outcast. Personally he just thought the 'popular' ones didn't like being publically outsmarted and humiliated, not that he would say that to their faces.
The problem was he was eighteen now, out of school and working with horses. He had muscles, well not prominent body-building muscles, but working with horses taught him to be strong and firm. He was a good height and he was always polite and reasonable to those he met, yet they looked at him with barely disguised disgust and annoyance. Did they know he was different? Did they think he was a freak?
But he knew the true reason. He didn't allow anyone to get close, so they would not discover his secret. Because he was born differently, he kept his long blonde, almost white hair long to cover his strange ears. His mother told him he had beautiful expressive blue eyes and that if they were real he would just be like the beautiful elves she read and heard about in stories. But they were imaginary so how was he born this way? Was he a freak? He felt like one.
But now was not the time to consider such thoughts, he had to return home in the dark. He wasn't drunk so he would be able to adequately defend himself but he had heard of attacks, mostly by drunken people on passers-by. But what made him the most wary was fully grown men were disappearing almost every day and some of them looked like body builders. A group of people were kidnapping men during the night and he didn't want to be next.
He kept his steps light and soundless, whilst keeping out of sight. He walked near enough to the lights that he could see but far enough away that he, himself would not be seen easily. His eyes watched cautiously for movement as his body instinct fully tensed read to spring into action if and when needed.
Unfortunately to return to the safety of his home he would have to pass a secluded park, where the lights did not reach. However he felt confident in his senses and dared to step through the park gate. His eyes watched cautiously for any movement, he flinched and moved his head quickly to the slightest movement. He kept to the grass as it quietened his footsteps considerably; however he kept close enough to the path to ensure he was heading in the right direction.
The small group of trees were very foreboding. During the day they were a beautiful shelter for people who wished to relax or they were a sacred place for love-struck lovers. Now they were a threatening mark in the landscape, daring all to enter their darkest depths. He was, at first, wary at entering the place but instead of becoming fearful he felt slightly relaxed. The trees to him were shelter and safety from the world, even at their most haunting.
He stepped into the deep shadows of the trees and touched the bark of the nearest tree, feeling slightly more soothed as he felt the gentle pulsing of life through the bark. It was one of his strangest skills and also the one that offered him the greatest comfort. As a child he took haven from bullies and all the worlds' troubles just by sitting safely in the large embraces of the trees.
Once he had calmed himself a little by listening to the soothing 'song of life', as he had dubbed it, he dared to step further into the darkness. He looked down to the floor and froze before turning back to look the way he had come. Masses of trees greeted his sight, instead of the familiar sight of grass and concrete. The park had vanished and he was surrounded by trees. Trees that felt extraordinarily different, the tune that he was so accustomed to listen to was different. How could this be? He had barely stepped into the small group of trees and now he was thrust into a forest of some kind.
Cautiously he stepped closer to the nearest tree and touched it, listening carefully. The feeling he got was in some ways very familiar to him, yet he could not decipher what the trees were saying or feeling as he once could not moments before. It was almost as if the trees spoke another language.
He lowered his hand in confusion and glanced cautiously around, what should he do? Should he try to return to where he came by walking in the opposite direction? Or should he dare continue in the direction he was heading before? He glanced in both directions and frowned, there was no clear signs of an exit, there was little to no grass only fallen leaves and root systems littered about the forest floor. He would not be able to determine the direction he should take; he would have to guess a direction.
He pulled out his phone and gasped, though in truth he should not have been surprised. There was no signal. The only thing the machine was good for was taking pictures, recording videos and playing songs and even then it would not survive long with no power source to recharge it. The phone was as good as useless.
As he slipped his phone back into his jeans pocket he listened to the sounds of the forests. He listened as the wind wound around the tree back and over, around and under the roots and branches. He noticed a small burrow, for a small rodent or most likely a den for badgers or foxes.
He took a deep breath and let it out, gathering himself before he turned back the way he had come. Perhaps it would lead him back to the park? But perhaps he was deluding himself; perhaps this was how all those missing people disappeared? Could it be some kind of… magical trap?
A slight sound made him pause, the animals made loud sounds of alarm before falling silent. The sound had been relatively close. He glanced around warily but saw nothing on the ground, that could only mean one thing, whatever or whoever it was, was above him. Not wanting to reveal that he knew that they or it was there, he slowly circled watching the treeline in the distance. There, in the one of the trees was a man, of this he was certain. That man was far away but Haldir knew he was surrounded by an unknown group in an unknown forest. This was not good. If they were as at home in the forest as he himself was, then he had no advantage. He had no weapons; no training and he definitely would be unable to outrun them. The only other option was surrender. With slow, clear movements he raised his hands to show that he was unarmed.
If Haldir had not seen it for himself, he would have been filled with disbelief. In an instantaneous movement several figures dropped simultaneously down to the forest floor swords, bows and arrows at the ready. What was even more surprising was their appearance. They wore brown clothing, that had a shiny appearance to it and a material draped over them, almost like fine robes. They looked medieval, with delicately detailed clasps, finely cuts robes and beautiful embellished sword handles and bows. But the most striking feature was their glowing hair and pointed ears, so similar to his, but they did not hide theirs, they emphasized them with braids. Their eyes were commonly blue but he thought he spied some browns and greens.
One spoke, in a harsh demanding tone, but he could not answer for he did not understand. The man repeated himself but again he was not answered. Instead the man asked a different question and when it was not answered he spoke a single word. "Glorfindel." The elf stood silently, pointing at him waiting for an answer. But Haldir was not sure how to answer, What was Glorfindel? Was it a name? The elf must have guessed that Haldir did not understand because he pointed to himself and repeated the word.
He then realised that this must be the elf's name, Glorfindel. The elf was trying to communicate or at least find out who he was. "My name's Haldir." He stated.
"You speak the common tongue?" Glorfindel asked.
"So you do speak English?" Haldir asked in amusement.
"Eng-er-lish?" Glorfindel asked.
"English." Haldir corrected.
"En-ger-lish." The elf repeated again in his accent, Haldir chuckled in amusement. "Why did you come to this forest?" The elf asked demandingly, uncomfortable at being laughed at by a complete stranger.
"Technically I wasn't in a forest a few moments ago." Haldir replied.
"You are in a forest."
"But a few moments ago I wasn't." Haldir replied stubbornly. "I was on my way home and then here I was in the middle of a strange forest."
"Who are you? Where do you come from?"
Haldir frowned. "I've already told you, I'm Haldir and I have no clue how to explain where I came from." It wasn't everyday people were zapped to another place entirely. Though all those people that had gone missing may have been zapped to similar places if not the same forest.
"You look like us, but are not one of us. How is this? Are you an outcast or a survivor from a band of travellers?" Glorfindel demanded.
Haldir paused, did he want to reveal his ears. No, not just yet, he still had no clue about who these elves truly were. Just moments ago he had not believed elves had existed and now he was surrounded by a group of them. It was better to wait and see how this played out.
"You do not deny the outcast or survivor." Glorfindel pointed out, after a few moments.
"Where I'm from, people don't tend to like me." Haldir admitted.
"So you're an outcast?" Glorfindel asked.
"It really depends on who you're asking." Haldir replied vaguely, this guy was already getting on his nerves, but he knew the elf meant well, that he was just protecting his land, his people and himself from a potential danger.
"Why are you here?"
"I wasn't given a choice." Haldir replied honestly, staring at the elf questioning him.
"Explain."
"I was heading home and then here I am."
"How?"
"If I knew that don't you think I'd be using it to get back home?" Haldir asked sarcastically.
The elf paused and frowned thoughtfully, before giving out orders to the elves gathered, before turning back to him. "You will accompany us back to Lothlorien but you must do so blindfolded."
Haldir froze, damn it, they would discover his ears. He was very close to sulking but he refrained, but he mentally noted that he would find out who set him up for this. "Must I be blindfolded?"
"Yes."
Haldir sighed before nodding unhappily, "Very well, but before you do." He lifted his hand and pulled back his hair to reveal his pointed his ear.
"You're an elf." Glorfindel stated in surprise. Haldir just nodded, it was better than being called a freak. "Why did you not say? Are you from Rivendell?"
"Where I come from being different is considered bad." Haldir explained.
"I don't understand."
"It is not important." Haldir replied. The elf frowned but nodded signally for the elf behind Haldir to put a blindfold on him.
Haldir was immediately assaulted by the darkness and he felt his senses heighten to make up for the fact he was sightless. He listened to every quiet breath of his guards and guides, he memorised every slight sound even though he realised how little help it would be if he were to try and find his way back, but the sounds were much louder and difficult for him to ignore in his wary state. Gentle hands helped guide him over rough surfaces and when they turned, the elves remained close in silent support, even though he was a potential enemy.
Finally they came to a stop and the blindfold was pulled off, Haldir immediately blinked his eyelids allowing his eyes to adjust before looking up at the new place. It was just like some of the fairy tales he had read and watched. The forest was dark, almost black from the shade of the foliage above and the impending night, but almost like magic were the most beautiful spiralling staircases. These elves seem to have built a glowing city among the huge trees of their forest, it was absolutely stunning but Haldir did not allow himself to be distracted he glanced up at two figures that looked very majestic and powerful.
The man had beautiful hair, it was a very white blonde, almost silver, his face looked pure and untouched by time, but his eyes showed wisdom beyond his youthful appearance. His robes looked like velvet and silks, he walked and held himself in such a way that Haldir immediately assumed he was the leader of the elves.
The woman however was even more stunningly beautiful, her hair was incredibly long and golden, her blue eyes glowed with hidden power and her skin was like smooth porcelain. She walked with soft steps, her robes flowing gently behind her, she was stunning. Whilst he stared he felt a strange feeling as if she was inside his mind, his thoughts were read, much to his discomfort. But he did not react, after all he was a stranger to this forest and to them, he could be a danger to them, they had every right to check that this wasn't so. *You need not fear here child, neither I, my husband nor my people will bring harm upon you. We have waited for you for many years and now you have come to us Haldir. Welcome home. You've had a hard life of being judged, but you need not fear of that here. You'll be introduced to your two brothers. Then you'll be taught our language and our ways.*
"No, offence, but I just want to head home." Haldir replied out loud.
"There is no way home. Those who come from the 'strange place' never return. They adapt and live among their people in our world." The man replied.
*Your mother was the only one who is known to have returned to her world.* The woman continued mentally. *You are stuck here my child. But all is not lost. Your elven father is dead, fallen to the grief of losing your mother but you brothers still live and are eager to meet and talk. However they do not speak the common tongue, you will need to learn our language, my child.*
Haldir sighed. He was stuck in a strange place with a stunning elven lady who entered people's minds and now he had 'brothers' supposedly but why did his mother not tell him of them? *I am not sure why she did not tell you, perhaps she was not sure that either of you would be able to return.*
"Would you grant me the kindness of knowing your names?" Haldir asked cautiously.
"Why of course forgive us for our rudeness, my name is Celeborn and this is my wife Galadriel." The man introduced his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. Haldir felt very aware of himself with that stare, perhaps the elf was sizing him up or maybe he could read minds too and had heard Haldir's thoughts about his wife.
"It is an honour. My name is Haldir." Haldir introduced himself, politely.
"It is an honour." Celeborn parroted, he then turned and spoke quickly to Glorfindel in his mother tongue. Haldir hated not knowing what they were deciding about him. *Hush child, my husband asks Glorfindel to find your brothers, they alongside Glorfindel will teach you our language and our ways.* Haldir nodded obediently knowing that he would not be getting out of it anytime soon.
He listened patiently as the two male elves spoke and Haldir found himself quietly fascinated by their speech. They spoke so softly and beautifully it was almost a whisper or a lover's caress. The words seeped into his heart and made him mentally shudder with an unexplained feeling of emotion that had risen at their speech. Perhaps he would not regret learning this language, in fact he felt himself connected to it, his heart sang with every word they spoke.
Sadly, they finished talking and Glorfindel disappeared, no doubt to collect his long-lost brothers. Whilst they waited the Lord and Lady questioned him, asking with fascination about how he had come to be in their forest. He was unable to thoroughly answer those questions because in truth, he himself did not know the answers.
When Glorfindel returned with two new elves, Haldir had repeated himself several times in different ways and was growing tired of the constant barrage of questions. It was to his great relief when Glorfindel walked forward and introduced the new elves in elfish before being dismissed. The elf walked to the edge of the stage on which they spoke remaining close enough to watch his Lord and Lady.
Celeborn smiled at the two new elves and spoke to them; they stared at him as if he had grown a second head before smiling with warmth. Haldir found himself at a loss, how could these two strange elves greet him so warmly when he was little more than a stranger. Besides, he saw little resemblance between them and himself. One had a thin face and looked to have a delicate bone structure, Haldir would have mistaken him for a female porcelain doll and the other was the complete opposite, brood, with a strong chin and dark eyes. How were they brethren?
"Haldir, allow me to introduce Rumil and Orophin." The girlish looking one bowed at 'Rumil' and the other at 'Orophin'.
Haldir nodded politely, still stumped at being related to two very different looking people. "It is an honour." He added, which Celeborn politely translated for him.
The male looking elf spoke to Celeborn in a questioning tone and Celeborn replied negatively. Celeborn then turned to him with a small smile. "Glorfindel will escort the three of you to your new home, you will report to my wife and me for thorough language lessons tomorrow morning. They will continue until we have deemed you've learnt all we can teach."
"Very well." Haldir agreed amiably. Glorfindel walked forward and began to lead the way; Haldir sighed and followed quietly as his brothers waited for him reach them before walking beside him. They engaged in idle chatter, even though it was clear he did not understand. But perhaps they were getting him used to their language or taking the opportunity to talk about him when he could not understand. They walked up one of the spiralling pathways and he silently admired how bright it truly was, the glow looked almost ghostly when he had seen it from a distance but now it was almost ethereal, an all-consuming light. They slowly travelled further and further away from the ground until all that could be seen was the slight highlights of shapes in an ebony background. He could feel the height that they were at in his bones and knew that if he were to fall it would be painful yet he felt no fear, perhaps it was because Orophin was stood at the outer-edge, like a wall of muscle to prevent such a thing from happening?
Finally they reached a beautiful sight; the place they were staying was lodged within the branches of a tree, it looked very much like a small palace, if Haldir was not mistaken it was made from marble or some sort of white stone and built in and around the trees branches. The walls glowed, emitting a soft light. The door was finely designed with intricate carvings that Haldir could not read, but he assumed that they were blessings and prayers for the safety of the owners and visitors of this abode.
It was quite surreal standing on a glowing spiral pathway and staring at a softly glowing house whilst everything else was almost ebony black. Haldir found himself to be filled with disbelief and shock. In less than one day he had discovered elves were real, that he had brothers and that elves could build a glowing civilisation in huge trees! What next?
Glorfindel bid them fair well and left him alone with his two 'brothers'. Rumil opened the door and proceeded to light some candles. He stepped forward as Orophin gestured him in, the small space was cosy, and it was obviously a place of comfort and rest. Every available surface was covered in animal skin and rich materials. There was a small bookcase against the wall, holding a variety of what he guessed were scrolls. There were four doors leading out of the small welcome room/living room but he did not know where they led.
The two brothers spoke continuously but he doubted they were speaking to him, they knew he did not understand. It seemed they were in some sort of deep discussion, so as not to disturb them he remained standing and out of the way watching and waiting. Eventually Orophin gestured him over and showed him a room, he knew automatically what it was, a bedroom. Granted it was not one he was expecting. The bed was large, as big as the room, with exquisite looking materials draped over it. It was clear that even the elves that chose to live among the trees did not surrender a good, rich lifestyle.
The elf pointed his finger at him and said a strange word. Haldir paused, was he insulting him? The elf than circled his hand around the room and once again said the word. "Do you mean this is mine?" The elf cocked his head to the side so Haldir circled his hand around the room and pointed it at himself. The elf nodded with a smile. He walked over and pulled out a chest, inside it were an assortment of robes and finery. Again the elf pointed at the clothes and then at him. These fine fabrics and materials were his? What were these elves doing giving such finery away? Perhaps they were not aware of the grandeur they possessed? But that could not be true, could it? Surely these elves were not so oblivious?
Rumil called from the other room and Orophin greeted him as they returned from his new bedroom. They both spoke quickly as they took seats in the welcome room. He was handed a bowl with cooked meat and strange herbs. He was wary at first, but the two elves just sat and began to eat. They talked quietly as he finally sat on a spare seat and began to eat. He watched and listened warily trying to understand what the elves wanted of him in return for their hospitality but the words were too foreign to him, he could find little connection to any of the languages back in his old world. He would have to learn this language by scratch.
Since, he could not speak or even understand their language; Haldir found himself feeling very out of place and useless. He began to wonder why Celeborn and Galadriel had sent him off with two elves who could not communicate with him. They knew he neither spoke of understood elfish yet they still sent him with them. Why? Did they do it so he could develop some sort of bond with the elves that were supposedly his siblings? If so, he felt their plan had failed, he felt nothing but awkwardness sat here next to two strange elves he felt no relation to. It was uncomfortable.
Finally the conversation began to wind down and the two elves remembered that he was with them, the smiled warmly but Haldir did not feel like returning it. He didn't like being here, he wanted to go home, not get stuck here with two strange elves that claimed to be his brothers. He wanted his mother and to continue working with the horses, he didn't want all this.
He watched the two elves frown, obviously unsure how to react. But Haldir found himself unable to care. After all what had they expected, a happy family reunion? He had no idea who they were and now he was stuck alone with them in a small tree house (a posh tree house, but a tree house none the less) a thousand feet above the ground!
Orophin said something to Rumil, it was clear to Haldir that they were discussing how to proceed. He found himself missing the ability to speak to someone familiar; he had no idea what to do. He was at a loss. He was alone in a huge tree with people he had never met before, claiming to be his family. What should he do?
Haldir calmed himself with a few breaths before considering his situation. The first thing he needed to do was make allies and then find a way to get home. If playing nice with these strangers meant they helped him find a way home, he would play along and take advantage. Until then he had to play the innocent, oblivious brother. It sounded cruel but he felt no desire to truly befriend these people, his only passion was finding his way home to his mother and his loves, the horses, particularly Ishtar, his mare.
With his silent plans made, he returned his attention to the two brothers. They spoke at great length, pointing at the scrolls. Haldir assumed they were planning his language lessons, he was eager to start them as soon as possible so he could understand the people and this world.
But instead of beginning the lessons, Rumil said something to Orophin and him before disappearing through one of the four doors. Rumil was going to bed? Granted it was dark but would the elf really go to sleep with a stranger in his home? Orophin sighed and stood, he guided Haldir to the bedroom designated him and repeated the sentence Rumil had spoken, before wandering to another door. It did not take much for Haldir to realise that they were to sleep and wanted him to do so as well.
With a quiet sigh he wandered into the room and shut the door. He skirted around the large bed and took in the room. The bed was as large as the room but surprisingly it did not look crowded. Perhaps this was because of the white walls and the large window hidden behind the curtains. Haldir found himself amused by the fact that everything was creams, whites and browns, they were really keeping to the themes 'ethereal' and 'woodland'. He pulled off his shoes and slowly climbed into the bed, checking to make sure there were no surprises before laying his head down and pulling the soft quilt up.
Yet even with the softness of the materials around him, he found himself unable to sleep. The fear of what had happened to him and what could potentially happen next haunted his mind, making him far too wary of sleep, in case those fears translated into bad dreams and nightmares. Instead he stared at the white ceiling and re-ran everything he's seen and heard through his mind. He familiarised himself with the accents that he had heard so far and wondered what the meat was that he had eaten. He considered the idea of poisoning, but instantly shoved the thought away, the poison should have struck by now, besides it was clear these elves were warriors, they would have little challenge taking him on physically. Why resort to poisoning?
By morning, Haldir had literally ran through every murder and sacrifice theory, until he was mentally exhausted. Alongside that he had not slept one wink and found himself physically exhausted as well. Perhaps, it would have been wise to sleep; now he had to face the elves with a light head and weak knees. But at the same time Haldir did not regret not sleeping; he knew he would have been haunted by bad dreams and strange nightmares.
Slowly, with the speed of a walking corpse, he climbed out of the bed. His mind worked slowly until he finally realised that he did not know where to wash and relieve himself. The brothers had not shown him that yet. His mind wandered to several embarrassing thoughts, many were of how he could proceed in relieving himself but the three that struck him the most were the medieval toilets he had read about in his history books. Did they have a pot under the bed to collect it? Or perhaps there was a hole in the house that the waste dropped to the ground from? Or maybe there was some sort of bucket, pulley system? He found himself very un-eager to find out, but it was a basic need to know. With a tired sigh, he considered how to ask the embarrassing question. Did he do it bluntly? No, he couldn't they didn't understand him. So would he do some sort of sign language. Haldir blushed at the thought, shaking his head determinedly. How should he go about this?
With a sigh he used his hands to push himself up from the bed. He glanced at the clothes that were supposedly his, but he wasn't even sure how to put them on! They looked like a pile of rags, an expensive pile of rags but a pile of rags none the less. How was he to wear them? He could not keep the clothes he wore on today; he had already worn them yesterday and through the night. Then there was the issue of his phone and keys, where would he keep them when he changed, if he changed. He didn't want to lose them; they might be incredibly useful when he finally found a way of getting back home.
He pulled out his phone and unlocked it, frowning at the battery symbol which indicated low battery. He felt panic rise from the pit of his stomach, this could not be happening! He noticed that he still had no signal but he dared try to ring his mother, but the call would not connect. He rubbed his face in frustration taking several deep breaths to calm himself. He could not panic, he had to stay calm.
A loud exclamation of surprise made him jump; he turned to see Rumil staring in shock at his phone. He raised an eyebrow in question as he instinct fully locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He glanced at the elf and wondered if the elf had even bothered to knock or whether he had barged in. Orophin poked his head in and listened to a very agitated Rumil before glancing warily at the pocket he had hidden his phone in. He found himself grow angry with the fear that these elves would take his phone from him, his clothes, his keys and his phone were the only connection he had to his mother and home. He would fight them if they tried to take them, especially his phone.
Rumil swallowed but finely relaxed and smiled, he signalled that he wanted Haldir to follow him before walking to the fourth door; he opened it and stepped aside to allow Haldir in. Haldir found himself at a loss of words as he took in the room. There was a table to the right with a large bowl of water, with some flower petals of some sort floating in it. There was also some folded material on the side, obviously their version of a flannel or towel. There was also a seat next to it, which Haldir hoped to be a toilet. Rumil had a slight blush on his face as he lifted the seat to reveal a familiar hole. Haldir nodded to save him the embarrassment, which the elf looked very grateful for. The elf then quickly left to allow Haldir to do what he needed to do.
When Haldir emerged Rumil once again led him, but this time to his new room. The elf than pulled out some fresh clothes, Rumil immediately knew that Haldir could pull on the trousers and boots but showed him how to pull on the shirt and cloak. Once again the elf left him to get changed, but Haldir found himself un-eager to do so. That meant removing the only connections to home he had. He pulled the trousers towards him and sighed as he realised there were no pockets. How did the elves carry things of importance?
Slowly, Haldir removed the items and placed them on the bed next to him before removing his clothes. He pulled on the trousers and boots with ease, the only true difference was instead of zips he now had to use string, or some sort of string like material to secure his trousers' and boots into place. The shirt was very easy too. It was loose and hung off him, revealing a tantalising glimpse of his chest. He glanced at the silky grey cloak on the bed but decided that unless it was necessary he'd go without. But now he had to find a solution to his problem. How would he carry his phone and keys around with him safely? Or would he need to hide them?
He slipped his finger into the ring of the keys and absentmindedly swung them as he thought. The only places he could hide them was the bed, the curtain, the chest and possibly the walls or floor. The last two were out as he didn't know if there were any gaps to hide his items in the walls or floor. He could slip the items into his clothes and hide them, either in the chest or under the bed. Finally he reached a decision and slipped his keys into his clothes. He lifted the bedding and slipped his clothes under it before placing it back down and smoothing the bedding over. However that still left his phone, he gripped it tightly unwilling to let go.
He heard his name called, so with a sigh he stood and exited the room. The two brothers stopped and stared, much to his confusion before staring at his phone. He tightened his grip mentally daring them to try and take it, but instead the Orophin gave him a belt with a pouch and nodded at the phone warily. Haldir glanced at the belt and recognised how to put it on instantly. He put it on and slipped his phone into it. The pouch was small, just the right size for the phone and black so it wouldn't be noticed unless the people looking knew what they were looking for. He nodded his thanks to the elf and took a seat.
The three ate relatively quietly, with only the two brothers conversing quietly between themselves. After they'd finished eating, Haldir wondered how he would go about brushing his teeth. He was answered by the two brothers standing and ushering him over to the toilet and wash room. Rumil grabbed a cloth and a bowl of paste, Orophin grabbed a second cloth and dipped it into the paste before scrubbing his teeth. Haldir got the message; this was some sort of toothpaste made in the forest. He wondered what was in it that made the elves teeth so white and clean, which was a surprise since he doubted they knew what a toothbrush was.
Finally they slipped back out of the tree-flat and wandered back down the glowing pathway. Now that the shock was gone, Haldir noticed the other tree homes that he had missed the day before. It really was a civilisation built within the trees. There were many glowing pathways and stairwells leading into the trees and there were even bridges built between the trees to connect the people when they were up there. He was in awe of the scale of this place, it was absolutely amazing. What was even more awe inspiring was all the elves hidden among the trees; they were hidden just about everywhere and were as curious and fascinated about him as he was of them. Some waved when they saw him looking at them. He nodded politely in return.
Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel greeted them warmly as they approached them. The spoke at great length with Rumil and Orophin before Celeborn finally turned to him. "Rumil and Orophin claim that you possess magic of some kind." Haldir blinked and felt the classic 'huh' expression slip onto his face as he stared blankly at the Leader of the elves, Magic? "Apparently you have a glowing object." The Lord elaborated.
A glowing object, did they mean his phone? They thought his phone was magic. He would have laughed if he wasn't so worried of them stealing it from him. "Oh, you mean my phone."
"Fh-one." Celeborn tried to repeat. "What is a Fh-one?"
"It's a way of communicating with others." Haldir explained, but Celeborn looked more confused by his answer. "It's a way of passing messages on without using birds and riders that have to travel to the person. The phone instantly connects me to others."
"It does?" Celeborn asked curiously, "How does it work?"
"I normally dial a number and just call them." Haldir answered. "But it only works if the person has a phone themselves."
"And where you come from they all have phones?" Galadriel asked.
"Almost everyone."
"Does it work now?" Celeborn asked.
"No." Haldir replied sadly. "It won't work soon. It will run out of power."
"How do you repower it?"
"I can't explain that." Haldir replied, shaking his head.
He felt the Lady look interestedly into his thoughts. "His world is quite intriguing and difficult to explain. It is a world filled with magic, yet the people who live there do not consider it magic at all." She mused out loud. *You need not fear us taking it from you young one. As long as it does not endanger us it will remain in your possession.* She added mentally, Haldir relaxed with a relieved nod, putting the phone back in the pouch. "Come Haldir, you have much to learn." She turned and led him away from the three elf men.
She led the way into a small alcove hidden among the trees; she guided him to sit on one of the soft pillows set there whilst she took the other. "Now, Haldir. Let me teach you our language. Let us begin with the basics." What followed was one of the most thorough lessons he had ever had. She made him repeat words over and over again, and made him recite as much of the elfin alphabet as he could. His mind hurt with absorbing so much in one lesson but he was now able to introduce himself and ask how the other elves were. "You have done well for a beginner, Haldir, not many can recite so much of our alphabet in such a short time of learning it."
"Thank you." Haldir answered.
"I believe it would be wise to adjourn for the day, I believe my husband; your brothers and Glorfindel wish to teach you self-defence and weaponry training." She added. "I would like for you to listen thoroughly to the other elves speak and become familiar with pronunciations and accents." She stated. "Get a feel for our language; it may be easier to learn if you do so."
"Very well, my lady." Haldir responded.
"Very good. Let us return to the men." She stated. Haldir stood and offered a hand to help her up, which she took gratefully. Once again he found himself led back to the platform on which he first met the Lord, Lady and his brothers. The three males were waiting, deep in discussion and whilst he could now understand a few words, he was far from understanding the topic of conversation and participating himself. The lady greeted them with warmth which the males returned, but they did not stay to talk, instead they guided Haldir away and led him to an open area between the trees.
"We bought you here to see how you can defend yourself and which weaponry would be best to train you to use." Glorfindel began. "I'm not expecting you to be expertly skilled, I just want to get a feel for how you move and fight so I can determine what suits you best." He explained.
"Rumil and Orophin will have to leave for a short while, they promise to return but for now it will be Glorfindel and myself who will teach you self-defence." Celeborn added. The two brothers said their goodbyes before vanishing into the trees. "First off, let us begin with a fist fight, I wish to get a good look at how you move when you fight." The elf stated, looking up and down Haldir's body. Haldir felt himself shiver, he could swear the elf was looking at him in appreciation but of course that must not be true. The elf was married; no married man would 'shop' around like that, no matter the race or species.
Glorfindel removed his weapons and turned to face Haldir, raising his fists, ready for a fight. Haldir instinct fully raised his ready to retaliate. The elf nodded and moved to strike, but Haldir immediately moved back avoiding the fist. The punch turned into a sideswipe but Haldir ducked and kicked out attempting to make Glorfindel lose his footing, but the elf instantly jumped back away from the kick. The elf moved forward to strike again but Haldir intercepted the blow and bought his right leg up, hooking it around Glorfindel's left leg and pulling. The elf began to go down but with his spare hand he grabbed Haldir by the arm and twisted. Haldir found himself falling on his back onto the floor with Glorfindel sitting up on his with a hand dangerously close to his throat. The elf released him and stood, pulling Haldir to his feet. "Very good, your agile but you clearly have little experience with combat but that can be corrected easily."
"Let's go over what happened first." Celeborn added. "You ducked the first punch and sideswipe beautifully and took advantage of your position to try and knock Glorfindel onto his back, but then when he attacked again instead of just intercepting you should have moved so you were outside his arm before gripping and twisting his arm behind his back. Because you were within range of his other arm, Glorfindel was able to take advantage and pull you down to break his fall, therefore winning the fight."
"Let's try that part again." Glorfindel stated. "As I go to punch avoid it then pull my arm behind my back, it won't stop me if this was a real fight but it would give you valuable seconds to take advantage of your opponents weakness." He explained. He raised his fists once more and once Haldir had his raised moved to punch. Haldir avoided it before gripping the elf's wrist and pulling it behind his back. "Well done." The elf stated. "Whilst you have me in this hold you could strike me to the back of the head or neck or kick me in the back of my legs to bring me to my knees. But you have to act quickly because I still have an arm free to fight you with." He explained.
"Let's try the fight again." Celeborn stated. Haldir nodded and released the elf. The elf turned with a grin and Haldir mentally groaned. Something told him this was going to be a long couple of hours. "I don't want too many bad injuries, but I want you to take advantage of any possible weaknesses and manoeuvres that will help you survive and win the fight." He stated. Glorfindel chuckled but Haldir sighed before readying himself again.
What followed was one of the most annoying sessions he had ever experiences, they nit-picked everything, from his posture to the way he moved to how he clenched his fists. Granted the new ways actually worked but still it was an annoyance to have his tutors pretty much complain about every move he had done. They had gone on for hours until Haldir was able to knock Glorfindel onto his back three times. But then Celeborn had a go and Haldir found himself at a loss because the Lord fought tooth and nail, he did not relent until Haldir had him pinned to the floor by the throat. Even then he looked more amused and proud then scared. "Well done Haldir." He stated, "I concede." Once he stated that, Haldir released him and quickly stepped back in case it was a trick to continue to fight. The two elves nodded with pride, it had been a well taught lesson, don't trust an enemy even if they concede. "I believe we have taught you enough for today. We will continue the lessons in the morrow." Lord Celeborn stated.
Haldir nodded in relief and Glorfindel smiled in amusement. "Come let us visit the pools and bath, whilst we wait for your brothers to return." Again Haldir nodded and followed the elf as he led them away from the open area. They walked for a while, stepping over roots and fallen debris from the canopy above until they found a secluded pool. It was a beautiful sight with lush green grass that had grown from thanks to the gap in the canopy above that allowed sunlight through. The water was a clear blue and whilst he was not truly eager to use water that had not come from a tap, he did need a bath from all the exercise he had done. He glanced out the corner of his eyes; he only began to strip when he was sure the two elves were as well. Glorfindel waded into the water as naked as the day he was born. He swam to the other side and leant against the rocks there. Celeborn walked in afterwards closely followed by Haldir.
Haldir found himself surprised by the warmth of the water, even in the sunlight he would have suspected the water to be cool, but it was actually a quite warm and very relaxing. The two elf males and himself relaxed against the edge of the natural pool. The two elves mostly remained quiet but would sometimes murmur things to each other, Haldir assumed them to be compliments and pleased words on how warm and relaxing the water is, but he was unsure, they could be insulting him for all he knew.
After a while, they eventually made their way out feeling much fresher and cleaner. They shook off as much water as they could and used their cloaks to dry off or in Haldir's case, his shirt. They then walked back to the city, with the two elves opening admiring his chest much to his embarrassment and annoyance. As they returned his two brothers joined them clearly asking what had happened to cause his state of undress. Haldir sighed, had they never seen a half-naked man before?
The four elves and Haldir wandered up the glowing pathway and separated, Glorfindel and Celeborn clearly heading to their own abodes to change. Haldir walked with his two brothers back to their tree-flat and walked to his room to change. He vaguely wondered how the clothes would be cleaned but assumed that he would be shown the answer at a later date. When he emerged the two elves greeted him with warm smiles before returning to their conversation. Haldir listened quietly as he took a seat and pulled out his phone. He absentmindedly checked his signal and battery, frowning when the same 'low battery and signal' appeared. The two brother's conversation slowed as they noticed his phone but continued on. He put the phone away and sighed.
The two elves finished their conversation and urged Haldir to follow them. Haldir did, with much wariness. The elves led him half way down the glowing pathway, and then turned off onto a bridge before walking around several trees and over two more bridges. Haldir paused at the sight that met him; this had to be one of the greatest sights he had even seen. There was a large, glowing building literally hanging on thin air, only supported by the huge branches it was built around. He wondered how strong these trees really were, to be able to hold a building between them almost mid-air. It was clear to Haldir that this was the place of gathering for all elves. He could see large groups wandering in an out. He found himself wary of being surrounded by so many unknown people. He was not comfortable with crowds.
The elves watched his brothers and him in open curiosity. His brothers greeted them warmly whilst Haldir chose to remain silent and out of the way. As they entered the building, Haldir felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of elves, he had never imagined there were so many. Haldir cautiously followed his brothers to a large table; the brothers sat leaving a space between them for him to sit. Haldir slipped into the seat as Rumil greeted the other elves and introduced Haldir, the elves greeted him but only two greeted him in the common tongue, he nodded politely in reply.
Haldir found himself feeling very relieved. The elves were curious of him but they did not hound him, instead they left him in peace, but shot him looks of curiosity. The two elves that spoke common tongue dared to ask him a few questions but they were impersonal, they were just questions such as 'how are you settling in?' and 'how are you taking to speaking elfish?' He answered the questions politely, listening quietly as they translated his answers to the other elves. The meal went smoothly with conversation going on all around, Haldir talked quietly with the elves that spoke common tongue asking and answering questions. By the end of it, Haldir was sure he had earned a few more allies.
When they returned to the tree-flat Haldir was ready to turn in for the night. He was exhausted. The brothers bid him a good night and slowly disappeared into the rooms. Haldir used the wash room and then eagerly slipped into his room and removed his shirt and boots. He climbed eagerly into bed and unlike the night before, he quickly slipped into an exhausted sleep.
When he awoke the next morning, he was hit with a strong sense of confusion and then déjà vu. He had forgotten where he was for a moment but the familiar white walls and exquisite feel of expensive material soon reminded him of where he was. He sighed quietly as he realised that today would be just as bad as the day before. Galadriel had asked him to listen to the elves and get an idea of their accents and Glorfindel and Celeborn wanted to see how much he learned from yesterday so they would be confident enough to move onto weapon's training.
He pulled himself to his feet and changed quickly into a fresh set of clothes. He made a mental note to ask how to wash his clothes, if they did not tell him first. With that in mind he wandered out and into the wash room. He relieved himself and washed, when he emerged he felt ready to face the day.
After having breakfast with his brothers, they wandered down to where Celeborn and Galadriel usually hung around. Haldir observed his environment absentmindedly, still in awe at the glowing civilisation but most of his thoughts focused on learning the new language and fighting. He mentally recited what he remembered of the elfin alphabet and fighting moves. He hoped he had remembered enough to impress them, he didn't want to be berated by complete strangers.
Galadriel greeted him warmly before quickly herding him away once more. She eagerly asked him to recite everything he remembered. She did not praise or berate him after he'd done what she asked. Instead they turned to the accents and she tried to get him to adopt as much of the accent as possible. It helped that being some sort of telepath, she was able to influence and guide him into making the right shapes with his mouth and saying the words as close to correct as possible. It took some time for him to get the accent down and by the end, it was still not perfect, but Galadriel was smiling proudly. "Well done Haldir. You're really trying hard to get the accent right and to memorise the alphabet. With practice I think you'll be able to speak our language well."
When they returned to Celeborn, the male elf led him to the training area where Glorfindel was already waiting. Glorfindel immediately took a defensive position and signalled for him to do the same. What followed was a really gruelling fight. It felt like it wasn't a training fight. It actually felt like Glorfindel was trying to defeat and possibly kill him, Haldir reacted accordingly staying out of range and striking when he could. Glorfindel was fast but fortunately Haldir was slightly smaller and as a result slightly faster, which meant he could avoid some of the elf's blows. It ended with Glorfindel slamming down onto the ground, it didn't hurt too badly but Haldir was annoyed. Glorfindel however looked please and stated that he's done well for the second lesson.
Celeborn chuckled. "You've done well, you used your natural skills to try and avoid any damage whilst striking your enemy as quickly and efficiently as possible. What do you think, Glorfindel, daggers or a short sword?"
"I think we should train him with both. If in a fight he loses weapons he's got to have another set to protect himself." The elf replied staring at Haldir thoughtfully as he stood and pulled Haldir to his feet. "I think archery training should be important as well, it may teach him how to hold himself."
"Let's begin with fight manoeuvres first, get him into the flow of moving and then we'll move onto wooden daggers." Celeborn added. Haldir quietly listened, he knew the two elves were speaking the 'common tongue' for his benefit and he was grateful, even if they seemed to be talking about him as if he weren't there. The two elves spoke at length about his size, movement and abilities, asking him to move in different ways and analysing him closely. "He favours his left side more than his right, so I think we train him with the left hand swords but also do training with the right side."
"Good thinking. After all if he somehow manages to injure his left arm he will still be able to protect himself to some level." Glorfindel stated thoughtfully, Celeborn nodded in agreement. Haldir mentally agreed as well, if 'God forbid' he hurt or lost one of his arms, he would still be able to defend himself. It sounded like a really good idea. In fact it was a perfect idea. But first he had to learn how to handle a weapon. Once he'd learnt how to fight, he would not be as defenceless as he was at the moment. With that thought in mind he focused on what his two tutors were saying, eagerly absorbing all they had to say.
By the afternoon, he had a headache from absorbing all the information and had a mild backache from being slammed onto the floor but it was a pleasant ache. After all 'no pain, no gain'. By losing now, he was winning later. Or so he hoped.
They revisited the small, hidden pool to bath and then travelled back to the glowing civilisation. The two elves led him back to the dinner hall. The two elves sat with him and immediately introduced the foods. Haldir smiled in appreciation. So far he had not known what he was eating. The food looked quite similar to food he had eaten back in his own world or time or dimension. Whilst he didn't understand all of it, he knew of deer, rabbit and birds. He steered clear of the meat with names he did not recognise. The elves noticed but didn't mention a thing; instead they nudged the bowls of food he was enjoying forward in a silent message to eat more.
Glorfindel and Celeborn argued quietly about what to do next, Celeborn wanted him to work with a bow, but Glorfindel wanted to do dagger training. Eventually they called a truce. They would spend some time on both, Glorfindel would teach him how to handle small weapons and daggers, whilst Celeborn taught him the bow. With the decision made, they eagerly led him back to the training area, but this time he was handed two wooden daggers whilst Glorfindel grabbed his own set. "Let's begin with the fight manoeuvres we recently taught you." He stated and immediately moved into a fighting stance next to Haldir. After an hour or so of practicing moves with the fake daggers, Glorfindel started combat training, he talked in depth about how to handle the blades as an extension of himself, then talked about how and when to strike. What followed was a fake fight, where Glorfindel slowly showed him how the moves he had been taught would be useful in a real fight. Due to his inexperience Haldir was obviously very vulnerable, if it was a real fight he would be sporting some pretty bad bruises but fortunately Glorfindel was not aiming to win or beat him, but rather to show him his vulnerabilities and how to cover and protect himself. When Glorfindel finally stopped the lesson with some cool down exercises to relax the muscles, Haldir sighed with quiet relief. He had realised he was vulnerable but Glorfindel had found so many weak spots that it had amazed and shocked him. He was silently glad he had come across some friendly elves rather than something else or he might have been dead or badly injured by now.
Celeborn stepped forward and began showing him how to hold himself for when he had a bow in his hands. It was mostly breathing and posturing exercises and whilst it was important, Haldir found it a little more relaxing than the full on combat training that Glorfindel was teaching him.
By the evening Haldir felt more confident in a way he could not explain. Even though he was still on some level, very vulnerable he also felt very safe because he recognised his weaknesses and knew some manoeuvres to help protect himself. He also felt safe in the way he held himself. The posturing that Celeborn and Glorfindel demanded from him made him feel 'tall' and confident. It surprised him that just changing how he held himself made him feel so much better and stronger.
They returned to the pool to bath once again before returning to the glowing city for the final time that day. He met with his brothers and joined them in the huge dining hall for their evening meal. The brothers talked excitedly to each other and whilst Haldir could not understand, they tried to include him as well. Haldir smiled gently; even though the two elves could not speak the 'common tongue' they could teach him elfish without realising they were, just by talking how they were. So far he only recognised names and some words but he started piecing the sentences together and recognising where the words were meant to be place and how the natives actually spoke the words.
The next day Galadriel was eager to actually getting him speaking elfish and slowly began speaking in elfish herself. It was mostly greetings and questions asking if he was well but slowly he caught on. She also taught him some small rhymes and songs that the elves sung. She taught him the 'common tongue' version than the elfin version before showing him which words translated to 'common tongue' and vice versa. She also began getting him to write the alphabet, but that seemed slow going since the spelling was completely different from what he was used to.
He often found himself writing words and phrases out in English and he didn't realise until Galadriel asked him what he had written, it turned out that whilst 'common tongue' was similar to English there were huge differences. Pronunciations were slightly different and the way the phrases were said was different as well. Apparently 'in the morrow' was very similar to until tomorrow or in the morning. Morrow actually translated to 'in the morning' or 'next day'. The spelling was surprisingly different as well but it wasn't so drastically different that Haldir could not get the gist of it.
However the elfish language was drastically different and Haldir often stared blankly at what Galadriel had written trying to see the words she said she had written. It amused her to no end when he had told her that all he saw was some beautiful writing that made a decorative swirl, he could barely see the words, but it was not because they were not there, rather he was just not able to recognise the designs as words. Galadriel slowly showed him how the alphabet was written individually before slowly introducing him to a longer word. She then wrote his name down and taught him to write it. She ended the lesson there by asking him to practice the alphabet, the poem and writing his name.
With a nod, he took a breath and prepared himself for the long training session with Glorfindel and Celeborn. The two elves were 'slave-drivers'! The moment he appeared he found himself back at the training space faster than he could blink. Glorfindel then eagerly taught him some new moves and got him to defend himself faster and harder, it wasn't a proper fight, Glorfindel was still holding back, but it still felt like a tough fight, but then again he was inexperienced.
Celeborn watched from the side lines commenting on his posturing and positioning every now and then. He sometimes stepped forward and physically changed something to show him what to do. It was mostly the distance between his feet and the height of how he held his weapons, but it made a huge difference, Haldir actually felt his strikes getting closer and closer to Glorfindel, putting the elf into defensive moves rather than offensive.
They then moved onto aiming, they talked about recognising where and when to strike. Haldir began to recognise that a fighter's weakest point was when their weapons weren't close enough to strike or had moved to strike but their opponent had avoided, at those crucial moments the fighter had no defence against a strike and if the opponent struck fast enough it would be their down fall. Celeborn then taught him about patience, that sometimes even when opportunities arise it was best to wait for the perfect strike. He used one particular movement as an example, the fighter had moved to cut off the head of a standing opponent but the opponent had ducked. The opponent could strike the fighter in the soft stomach but the sword that he had avoided could still strike. The fighter could swing the sword downwards and horrifically wound the opponent. Whereas if the opponent rolled back on around the fighter he would have a better opportunity to strike without being wounded himself. Haldir thought about this for a moment and nodded his understanding.
The two elves then went onto to talk about aiming with long range weapons like spears and bows. They told him that the length and weight could drastically change a strike and that the clearer the path the better the strike. "For example," Celeborn went on. "Two archers have a target in sight, one has a clear path for his arrow to follow the other has to negotiate foliage. The one who has to shoot and arrow through foliage has the largest chance of missing and being noticed because his arrow could hit bark or get slowed down by the leaves so when it reaches the target it does a lot less damage. However the other archer also has problems of his own. His is the distance from his target, his camouflage and the strength of the wind. Without foliage he may be easier to spot so his clothes and positioning need to hide him. Then he has to consider how far away he is from his target, the larger the distance and the stronger the wind the more likely it is for his arrow to deviate or slow down." Haldir nodded understanding instantly, arrows were very light, and the slightest change or obstacle could make the strike worthless.
"Spears and low swords are slightly different." Glorfindel continued. "They are heavier than an arrow and longer. Fighters who use these weapons have to make up for it. If their too slow they are extremely vulnerable, some spear fighters often drop their spears and pull out swords and daggers when in battle. The spears are more or a defensive line than a true fighting tool. Long swords however can be extremely useful in battle if the wielder is experienced with it, if they can handle it with speed and agility it can be a brilliant weapon. It can severe body parts in one clean slice as long as it's sharp and wielded by an experienced user. However some long swords require two hands to hold up their lengths so the back and one of the sides is practically defenceless. Some wielders are able to hold it with one hand and hold a dagger or another sword in their other hand. They are better defended but they can be slightly slower because they have to focus on wielding two weapons."
"Each weapon has its own weaknesses and the wielder has to be aware of them to protect themselves and other around them." Celeborn continued. "Short swords are the most practical because their faster to draw and wield."
"By teaching you to use both hands, I hope we can train you to handle two short swords or a short sword and a dagger. It will increase your defence for sure." Glorfindel added.
"And by teaching you the bow, it will teach you on how to hold yourself and how to aim." Celeborn stated. "By teaching you these things, you will be able to defend yourself well. In a real fight it is life and death, your purpose would be to win, losing is not an option. We will teach you how to fight to win but in the end what it comes down to is how you judged your opponents skill and how you react to them."
"Many fighters die because of over confidence. For example, just because your opponent is slow does not mean he can't strike you. In fact slower opponents often have some of the most powerful weapons. Another example is groups. When a fighter is on their own it is potentially already a losing fight because the fighter has a large group who are after him and only him, this is the time he should be on defence and trying to evacuate."
"Fighting and combat isn't for fun. It's for survival. Every fighter is only interested in one thing. Living to see the morrow." Celeborn stated firmly, staring seriously at Haldir, Haldir nodded understanding the hidden message. They weren't teaching him for fun, they were teaching him to survive. "Not every fighter wishes to fight, which is why bows are common weapons among elves. It allows us to strike our enemies down without losing as many as we would in a head to head fight." Again Haldir understood. No one wanted to die. They would try to strike the enemy first and try to prevent them coming closer to them. It was a very understandable method, it meant that the warriors weren't discovered and the enemies were quickly dispatched.
Celeborn than smiled gently. "Before I finally teach you the bow, you must first learn how to negotiate the trees and hide in plain sight. Follow me as closely and as quietly as you can." He told Haldir before racing to the nearest tree. He scaled it with practiced ease. Haldir was not too worried, he climbed many trees back home so he knew he could do it, but he's never tried to climb a tree that was so huge before. Twenty or more elves could fit inside the trunk, standing! Then he had to focus on being quiet, but he believed he could do it.
It soon turned out that he was quite a natural, granted he made a few mistakes now and then but he was delighted by how easily he picked up the skill. Celeborn led Glorfindel and him quite a distance away and slowly crept up on deer. The deer didn't even notice, even though Celeborn only had to reach his right hand out to grip the buck's antlers. They allowed the deer to wander away before heading to the canopy. Celeborn showed him how to recognise which branches would hold his weight and how to move so he could jump thin branches for larger ones.
"We are not like the wood-elves who can practically disappear into trees at will, but we are able to speak to and negotiate trees as well." Glorfindel said as he jumped onto the same large branch as Haldir.
"How many types of elves are there?" Haldir asked in curiosity.
"There have been many, young one. But currently there are three well know types. The half elves, led by Lord Elrond in Rivendell, then there are the wood-elves led by Thrandil in Mirkwood and you already know us, our forest home is called Lothlorien and we are led by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel." Glorfindel stated.
Eventually Celeborn led them back to the training area, slowly they relaxed and cooled down before heading back to the glowing city. As they arrived Haldir once again met his brothers and ate with them in the large dining hall before heading to their tree-flat to rest.
Slowly Haldir felt himself relax into the routine, in the morning he would eat breakfast with his brothers, have language lessons with Galadriel and then train for the rest of the day with Celeborn and Glorfindel. He was slowly beginning to understand his brother's words and whilst he made no attempt to speak to them yet, he was comfortable enough with just listening.
Now that he had some understanding of the language and could adequately defend himself, he was tempted to investigate what pulled him to this world or time or dimension. But he realised that at that present moment in would be inadvisable. He could still not wander alone and who knew where he'd be sent the next time, if the 'magic' was still there, that is.
He would have to wait and bide his time.
A/N:
Approximately 12,354 words (not including my author note and my title and disclaimer) which equates to about 20 pages.
First off guys, this is just chapter one! Some of the stuff in here is actually made up, particularly the toilet idea, brushing teeth and the city. I remember in the film it was glowing so kept to that theme of a glowing city hidden in the trees.
As I said Haldir is eighteen, you have often read Haldir refer to the other elves as what they are but barely refers to himself as elfin, there is a good reason for this. He has learnt to hide what he is and his mother never told him of his elfin inheritance or his brothers (all will be revealed at a later date).
And of course please review, I'd love to read your comments as long as they aren't hate-comments.
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