Whatsoever You Do
By Dreamstrifer
Disclaimer: I only own Nindariel, and even then, she totally has a mind of her own…
Chapter Three: Step one, Loosen tongue… with wine
"A festival? Tonight?" Nindariel looked pleadingly at Rumil. "Oh, please don't make me go. My cousin will be there, and I'm sure he will bully me into dancing with someone."
Rumil smiled. "Nin, it's just harmless fun. And you don't have to dance with anybody you don't want to." He took her hand, and stopped her. They'd been taking one of their daily walks, and it was four days since the border patrol's return. "Please go, for me? I shall be pitifully bored without you there. After all, teasing one's brothers gets quite old after a few centuries.
Nindariel sighed. "But I don't enjoy myself. I'd much rather be alone."
"Well, you're in luck. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn will not be attending. This isn't a big festival, Nindariel. You don't have to socialize. This is just something small. More of a dance, really." Rumil gave her a charming smile, and dropped her hand. "You have to have fun sometimes."
"I do have fun, Rumil. Not the same kind of fun as you. I don't like parties. They make me feel uncomfortable."
"That's just because you're surrounded by males. This won't be bad, you know it. Stop convincing yourself otherwise and have a good time."
"Oh fine, if it will shut you up." Nindariel smirked and continued walking. Rumil always could talk her into it. It was that stupid smile of his. Worked like a charm.
*~*~*~*~*
"Rumil, I am not going to one of your silly parties." Haldir glared at his brother and went back to polishing his sword. "You know I hate them. And you know I'll sit there the entire time, brooding and glaring at all the disgustingly cheerful couples, wondering how anyone can enjoy such things."
"You sound so much like Nindariel it's quite frightening." Rumil smirked, which earned another glare.
"Don't tell me you talked her into this too? Why me, anyway?"
"You need to cut loose sometimes, Haldir. You're always so stiff, it seems as though you need a good swift kick in the seat of your pants."
"If you were anyone but my brother I would hurt you for that."
"I really don't doubt it." Rumil gave him a smug look. "And don't tell me you won't go. You will go, you will drink wine, you will dance with a pretty elf maiden, and you will enjoy yourself."
"I certainly hope you weren't this forceful with your Nindariel friend." Haldir sheathed his sword and looked expectantly at Rumil.
"Of course not. She's a girl. You're just my brother."
"Happy to know I mean so much to you."
"Happy to know you care."
*~*~*~*~*
Nindariel was playing with her sleeves. Yes, she was nervous. She hated parties, and always felt like an outsider. She didn't mind much the she-elves, but did they have to spend so much of their time dancing with the males?
"Don't be so nervous." Rumil smiled at her as they walked to the pavilion.
"I can't help it. What if somebody asks me to dance?" She looked worried, and Rumil could do nothing but laugh. "It's not funny, Rumil! I don't want to offend somebody by running away."
"What you do, Nin, is take their hand and sway around in patterned circles. If you feel you must run away, at least run away for a good reason, such as an Orc attack."
"Oh, do stop teasing me!" Nin cried. She threw her
hands down at her sides in frustration. "You are absolutely insufferable."
"I definitely am," Rumil solemnly agreed. "But dancing is certainly not the life or death situation you are making of it. I know you like dancing."
"Yes, but not with anyone but you or Ada." She shivered. "I do not like having anyone that close to me."
"It isn't even close, Nindariel." Rumil just shook his head. He'd have to break her of that little fear of closeness. It was fine for the other maidens, but get her close to a male, and she'd start trembling like a leaf. It was kind of a strange phenomena. She had nothing to be scared of, truly.
"I know, I just can't help it." Nindariel bowed her head as they walked under the pavilion. A few tables had been set for a feast, and most of those attending the party were already there, including Celvandil, Ára, Orophin, and of course, Haldir.
And unfortunately, Rumil led her right to the empty seat across from his marchwarden brother. He gently pushed Nindariel in the seat next to her sympathizing sister, and sat on her other side, sharing a grin with Orophin.
Haldir brooded. "I still don't want to be here, Rumil."
"I still don't care, Haldir," Rumil said, not looking at his brother. Nindariel started playing with her sleeves again.
"Be calm, sister," Ára whispered. "It is just a party."
Nindariel nodded. The food was served, and she kept her eyes either on her meal, or trained on Rumil or Ára. She'd never been one to enjoy social gatherings, and didn't consider herself a good conversationalist at one.
She took a sip of wine.
"Nindariel," Rumil said, and she totally missed the mischievious glint in his eye. "Drink freely, for tonight is a celebration."
A celebration in actually getting me to a party? She thought. She took a more generous gulp of wine.
"Rumil, how is your arm?" Nindariel looked up at Haldir's voice. She turned to Rumil who was glaring at his brother.
"It is well, Haldir."
"What happened to your arm?" She asked. Rumil sighed at the concern in her face.
"I was scratched by an orc blade, Nin. Only a scratch. There's nothing to be worried about."
"Really, Nindariel." Orophin joined in, trying to sound comforting. "Don't be concerned on Rumil's account."
"I j-just don't want him t-to get hurt, that's all…" She looked down at her plate as she said it.
"Rumil is quite old enough to take care of himself, Nindariel. A scratch is a scratch," Haldir couldn't help but put his own two cents in, invited or not. After all, Orophin got to say something.
Nindariel took another large gulp of wine without answering the Marchwarden. Strains of music were starting, and a few couples were standing up to dance, including Ára and Celvandil.
"Up for a dance Nindariel?" Rumil asked, smiling kindly at her.
"Very well," she said quietly. He took her hand, flashed a smile at his brothers, and joined the others dancing.
"She's a pretty little thing," Orophin observed as he watched his brother and Nindariel dance. "She's a trifle shy, though."
"A trifle? She's positively skittish." Haldir smirked and took a sip of his own wine, in far more moderation than Nindariel seemed to be doing.
"That may be true, but I can hardly hold it against her." Orophin shrugged.
"Why? Do you like her?" Haldir looked at his brother impassively.
"That remains to be seen, doesn't it?" Orophin just grinned and pushed away from the table, asking another young maiden to dance.
Haldir smirked once again, to no one in particular and took another sip of wine.
"Please, do not make anything of my injury," Rumil said before Nindariel had a chance to speak. "I know I did not tell you, but I did not want you to worry."
Nindariel sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't have to hide everything if I didn't worry. I do it too much."
Rumil just smiled. "A fault, maybe, but your heart is in the right place." Nindariel managed a small, wobbly smile back. After the dance, he led her back to the table, where he poured her another glass of wine. She took it gratefully. Nervousness often led her to more than just playing with her sleeves. She felt she needed to do something, and drinking helped. It wasn't that she was trying to get drunk, she just needed something to do to keep her hands busy.
Haldir looked from the maiden to Rumil. "Don't you think she's had enough?"
"She's a grown elf; she can handle herself," Rumil said, still with that mischievious glint in his eye. Haldir caught it.
"Rumil, what-"
"Why don't you dance with Haldir, Nindariel?" Rumil asked pleasantly.
"Rumil, what-" Nindariel was cut off by Rumil hauling her up and pushing her into a surprised Haldir's arms.
"Go, the night is young." Rumil strode off to ask someone to dance.
"P-please don't-" Nindariel started, but she was once again cut off.
"You do not have to dance with me," Haldir told her gruntly, dropping his arms. He wasn't too happy with his brother, for obvious reasons. Rumil was just too overzealous sometimes.
Nindariel nodded, and sat back down, taking another long drink of her wine. Hastily she poured herself another glass.
"You're going to get drunk," Haldir said, matter-of-factly.
"I'm n-nervous," She whipsered. "L-leave me alone and t-t-terrorize somebody else." She closed her eyes and tipped back once more. Haldir just watched her with something akin to fascination.
"I'm quite fine where I am," Haldir said, rolling his eyes and turning to the dancing couples. Why did I ever let Rumil drag me here? He knows I won't ask anyone to dance unless he practically forces like he tried just now.
And so they sat there, Nindariel slowly getting drunk, Haldir slowly getting more and more agitated, and Rumil and Orophin both watching the two. Rumil, to see how his plot was progressing, and Orophin… well, let's just say his eyes wandered more towards the elf maiden than his brother.
"I think I sssshhhould go home," Nindariel slurred to nobody in particular. Haldir looked over to her. She was standing up, and staggering ungainly away. He turned to look for Rumil. She was his friend, and he got her drunk. It was his responsibility to help her back home before she hurt herself.
Rumil was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Orophin, who probably would have jumped at the chance to escort the drunken maid home.
Haldir squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. They just had to go and make things difficult for him, didn't they? He heard Nindariel trip and go tumbling down a slight incline. "Oops!" he heard her giggle. Now, he hadn't even heard the elf laugh. He didn't know her well at all, only saw her with Rumil. And he barely heard her speak, let alone laugh. But she was giggling. Quite drunkenly, as well.
Against his greater desire, Haldir used his judgement and stood up. He'd help her, by Elbereth, whether she wanted it or not. He would never be accused of turning his back on someone in need, and this elf maiden surely would not find her way to her talan as dead drunk as she was right now. He squinted his eyes and saw her small form stand back up, sway a bit, and go stumbling off in the darkness. Haldir looked over his shoulder, to search out Rumil one last time, but saw nothing.
He sighed, and went on forth. Hopefully she wouldn't be totally unreasonable… He reached her as she tripped again, and he quickly moved without thinking. He caught her in his arms, and she giggled again.
"Hi Rumimil…" She frowned as she looked up. "No wait, you'er Rumil not Haldir. I mean, Haldir not Rumil." Her voice was slurring, and and she grinned. "You're the stiff one!"
Haldir blinked. What did she mean by that? He set her up straight, and she held her spine stiffly. She put a hand up, index finger pointing at him. "You're the hates who one me!"
Haldir would have smiled, but what she actually meant prevented him. She thought he hated her?
"I wouldn't go that far, Nindariel." He furrowed his brow. "I will escort you to your talan. You won't be able to find your way there." He thought for a moment, then finally did smirk. "You aren't stuttering."
"'Course not, idiot. 'M drunk…" She giggled again, more high pitched this time, and collapsed on the ground. "Whoopsies. Looks like my wine can't hold my stomach." More giggly laughter.
Haldir was getting a headache. He much preferred her silent and stuttering. Apparantly the wine eased her nerves greatly. It was kind of a shock to see this she-elf who normally couldn't even look him in the eye act so…friendly.
"I told you that you would get drunk."
Nindariel let out a great belly laugh, and Haldir winced at the sound. Surely they could hear it all the way at the pavilion. "'course you're right, Halli-dear.You're always right, you great big Orc." She smiled, rather ungainly. Haldir leaned down to pick her up. "But an orc would eat me 'stead of picking me up."
Haldir tried to set her straight again, but she kept swaying and leaning, so eventually, he just kept an arm around her waist to keep her upright. He ground his teeth together, and bore it rather well for how he usually took things.
"You're soft an' squishy," Nindariel said, closing her eyes and tucking her head against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him. "How can you be stiff and still be soft an' squishy?"
"That is truly a question that has plagued elves for centuries," Haldir said, quite dryly.
"Where we goin'?"
Haldir stopped, and looked down at her. She looked up, silly grin plastered on her face, and her eyes held that drunken glassiness. Haldir just realized something that truly made himself feel stupid. He did not know where Nindariel's talan was. The only reason he found it when he wanted to talk to Rumil was because he'd had Nindariel's sister, Ára, show him the way. Assuming he would no longer need to know such trivial information, he didn't commit the location to memory.
Apparantly that was not the wisest of things to do.
"Do you know where your talan is?" He asked. It would be a stupid question, if she hadn't been so completely drunk. Honestly, soft and squishy?
"It's up in a tree." Her grin grew wider. "An' it's by Larien's."
"Unfortunately I don't know this Larien." Haldir sighed. This was just going from bad to worse. She couldn't tell him where her talan was, and surely she couldn't lead him to it. So what was he to do? He wasn't going to drag her back to the pavilion to find Rumil or Ára. That would just be entirely too… embarrassing. And Haldir hated to be embarrassed. Dragging around a drunk elleth would do nothing for his reputation.
Nothing good, anyway.
"Why you helpin' me? You hate me." It was rather a strange thing to see. Nindariel proclaiming Haldir hated her with a very large grin on her face.
"Oh, Eru, Nindariel, I do not hate you. I don't know you well enough to hate you." Haldir frowned at her. She smiled.
"You can hate me if you want. 'M used to it." She giggled. Haldir shook his head. That giggling was starting to fray his nerves.
"Certainly you aren't. No one hates you. That I know of."
"You don't know me. You barely know OF me." She closed her eyes and clung to his tunic. "So how can you know if no one hates me?"
"You're drunk, and still you make a concise statement. Impressive." Sarcasm, of course. But it was still kind of strange that she could make that astute an observation when she was drunk. She looked up at him after he spoke, and her jaw dropped open.
"You're eyes are preeeetty, Halli-dear." She drawled. "Did you buy them from Lady Galadriel?"
"One does not buy their eyes from the Lady, Nindariel." Haldir had a much harder time keeping in a smile. How much wine did she drink? He'd lost track after a bottle. He shook his head as if to clear it. He had to figure out where to take this elf before someone came along and asked annoying questions. Certainly not his talan, but he didn't know where Ára's talan was either, or where their parents lived. What other choice was there?
Now, at this point, one might want to make a very obvious statement. One that Nindariel might have made had she been sober enough to not slur her speech or make non sequitur comments about the beauty of Haldir's (excuse me, Halli-dear's) eyes.
Now, Haldir was a fine example of an elf. He was fair, strong, and knew his duty and lived by it. He was intelligent, and could be considerate when he remembered. But although he was intelligent, at times the poor elf lacked common sense.
This was one such time. Instead of doing the logical thing that should have come first to his mind, Haldir did the exact opposite. If he had not done such a thing, he would have been spared much grief. And much teasing from both of his brothers.
Haldir started off in another direction.
He bit his lip. He was not about to do this. He was not…
"Where ya takin' me now, Halli-dear?" Nindariel asked sweetly. She still clung like a leech to his tunic, making it pull rather uncomfortably.
"I'm… I'm taking you to my talan for the night to sleep off that wine." Haldir winced at his words.
Nindariel giggled again. "Never seen your talan. Bet it's just as boring as you."
Haldir winced again. He was boring, now, was he? First he was arrogant, now he was tedious. Just wonderful.
"But don't be angry, Halli-dear. 'M drunk." She let go of him, and fell to the ground again, as Haldir wasn't expecting it. She was sprawled out on the ground in a most inappropriate manner. Haldir kneeled down next to her, looking quite beside himself with agitation. "I fell…" She sat up, and blinked.
Haldir nervously pulled her skirt down from where it rose almost to her hips. Nindariel grinned at him. "My legs are gone." She laughed as if it were the funniest thing in the world. "Can't see them, they leave."
It was Haldir's turn to have his jaw drop open. "Your legs are right where they've always been," He said, raising an eyebrow. Honestly, could anyone be this drunk?
She pulled up her skirt to her knees. "THEY'RE BACK!" She shrieked.
"Hush!" Haldir cried, putting a hand over her mouth. Nindariel's eyes shone, and she said something, but was quite muggled by Haldir's hand. He let go.
"If you weren't so stiff, I'd like you. Like a… rabbit." She blinked. "No, not rabbit. Like a courtship."
Rabbit? Courtship? Was she drunk or did she simply lose her mind.
"I'm not stiff," Haldir finally protested.
"Yeah. You are. You don't like to be…" She trailed off. "You never relax…." She shook her head. "N'ermind. I'm sleepy."
"I'm sure you are," Haldir said with another eye roll. He gently picked her up, not trusting her to walk again, and made quicker work of going to his talan.
Nindariel, of course, giggled. "I feel like an elfling," she whispered to him conspiratorially.
"I'm sure you do." Haldir had long since run out of patience. This she-elf was by far the most infuriating thing he'd ever come across, and that included orcs. The only reason he hadn't completely lost his temper was because she was drunk, and she was female. If this were by chance a male elf telling him some of these things, he would not only have ignored helping him altogether, but he would not have stood for the insults.
I think I'm becoming soft…He thought, then looked down at the giggling elf in his arms. And not in the way she means either.
He soon reached his talan, and climbed up, still with Nindariel in his arms. She was beginning to quiet down some. Haldir briefly wondered if it was because he was ignoring her.
"I'm going to regret this," he mumbled as he set her down on his bed. Nindariel smirked.
"It's just a Haldir, bed." Then she laughed as she realized her mistake. She sat up, and poked him in the chest. "You are more inssssufferable than Rumil, and meaner than an Orc, and scarier than Galadriel, and…" Each time she added something to his, ah, character, she poked him harder. "Arroganter than anyone I know, and stupider than my cousin…" She frowned, thinking of more bad things to say to Haldir.
"What else are you going to add to my charming list of qualities?" He asked in a heated tone. "More evil than Sauron? Uglier than a Dwarf?"
"Yeah! But not uglier. You're pretty, with your pretty Galadriel eyes." She grinned.
"Galadriel eyes?"
"An'…An'…because of all that, I wanna give you THIS!"
Haldir braced himself for a slap. After all, isn't that what usually happened? What he got, while most unexpected to himself, will probably not be completely unexpected.
She grabbed him by his tunic, and gave him a sound, wet kiss. And promptly passed out.
Haldir stood, leaning over the bed, staring at Nindariel with unblinking eyes. She'd just kissed him. It was a rather drunken kiss, but it was a kiss all the same.
Drunken elf maidens didn't kiss him. They just… didn't. Yet she did. He blinked a few times, then shook his head. No, he would definitely not understand this one. And he then proceeded to blame it all on the wine.
Wine always seems to be the unfortunate scapegoat. After all, it's not the wine's fault it's drinker drank it in the first place. It's not the wine's fault it just so happened to get many people drunk. But still, wine is always blamed for such things.
Haldir straightened up, and rubbed his temples. This was definitely not the enjoyable night Rumil had promised.
And now he was stuck with a drunk elf in his bed. Who had just kissed him. He, Haldir, the Marchwarden, who wasn't supposed to be kissed. If anything, he did the kissing.
And this was all Rumil's fault.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's Note: Nice long chapter for you folks. I decided to update before I left tomorrow for Chicago (eee.). I've had this chapter written for about a week and a half, but I've been so busy practicing for my music scholarship audition on Saturday, I didn't have time to update or write.
I am SO screwed, but hey, at least I memorized my songs!
Oh, and the kiss? That is SO totally dedicated to Tora. Because I said so.
Some of you raised the question about elves' perfection. I want to address this. My vision of Tokien's elves is kind of straightforward. I don't think Tolkien intended for his elves to be perfect, as some of you see them as. Sure, they're all beautiful, and they're all good at whatever they do, but some are better than others at things, just like humans. I also don't believe elves consider themselves perfect. Better than humans maybe, but certainly not perfect. After all, if elves were perfect, they wouldn't nearly be as interesting. I mean, if Arwen was perfect, she wouldn't have fallen in love with Aragorn, because elves aren't supposed to do that, you know?
Anyway, that's just what I think. I did a lot of research on Tolkien for an English paper, and that's just how I see elves now.
Kika1, Actually, I live in the Midwest near St. Louis. And no, we did not get slammed. We got a nice few inches of snow. And a bit of sleet. We're all pansies here (and hey, if I can get up my driveway, we can go to school.)
Lindiel Eryn, Nindariel is NOT going to realize she's in the middle of it. For all she is, observant is not one of her better qualites.
MyGirlCrais, SMOOCHIES!
Now, I must leave for that mystical land known as… Chicago. So wish me luck and maybe I just might nail that second octave A without a hitch!
"Sopranos cannot live on bread alone. We need coughdrops and tea. Lots and LOTS of coughdrops and tea." ~Me on my diet of coughdrops and tea for the past week.