A/N: Since all is well and I passed all of my fall semester courses with good grades, I felt compelled to write this chapterquickly. As you know, I'm quite selfish ;-), and love to read reviews from anyone, so don't forget to leave me a note.
On another note, check out my bio, where you will find links to pictures of main characters for this story.
And a Happy New Year to you and your families!
Chapter 3- Impossible
Sounds of a melodic sparrow chirp found her ears and permeated her mind before anything else. The clear, thin, tonal whistles of the bird reverberated within her ears, mixing the sounds with other distant birds, but this creature sounded as though it had a distinct purpose of making her rise from her grogginess. And so she did what she thought the bird wished, and opened her eyes slowly to the early morning light within the room. She was not quite sure how long she was in such a deep state of rest, but it had to have been a few days at least by the soreness of her eyes. Slowly they adjusted to the brightness, and her skin soaked in the delicate rays of streaming light as they fell upon her face and pulled her further into the waking world. Finally her world focused around her, and she made out the carvings in the ceiling above her, that in the shape of leaves and branches.
Then it hit her. Memories seeped back into her conscious mind as to what had happened, and she realized that she could recall nothing after her sighting of the great forest. It was a thick haze she had traveled in, hoping that someone would see her and do something. She supposed, though, that since she lay on a comfortable bed, and in a clean shift, that someone had seen her and tended to her ailments.
Without any regard to her injuries, if they were still present, she sat up quickly, and threw her legs over the side of the bed. Standing even more quickly, or at least trying to stand anyway, caused her head to spin, and the not-quite healed pains to shoot through her body. Trying to stand again, she braced herself on the side table and steadied her legs. Her head was still throbbing a great deal, and her back still felt tender, but she felt well besides that. After all, she had lived through much worse.
With a deep breath, glad that she had not been too badly injured, she took a few steps in the direction of the center of the room. However, her eyes concentrated on the floor came across a pair of fine Elven boots rather suddenly, and she stumbled back. Hands reached out for her, grasping her arms firmly and steadying her. It did not do much good, though, and she could not catch her balance. The hands quickly maneuvered themselves to catch her in her fall, by scooping her up into a pair of strong arms. That was when she realized that the arms were attached to a person, and a very strong person at that.
Moving her gaze up, her eyes failed to focus for a few moments, but when they did, they beheld the face of a rather pleasant looking Elf with silver blond hair and grey eyes. She had not seen any of his kind before, and quickly made the assumption that he was indeed of Silvan or Nandorin origin, maintaining many of the qualities of the Telerin branches his Wood folk originated from. He smiled softly and laid her back down onto the bed.
"You are awake," he said with a confident, yet relieved, manner.
"I am glad you can see that," she replied, not really knowing where the sudden urge to be snippy was coming from. It was a constant thing for her to bestow upon other people- this cold, sarcastic manner- but she had hoped she could at least be civilized with those who had helped her. They at least deserved some amount of gratitude and kindness from her in return for their selfless deeds.
But he did not seem to take offense at the comment, and his grey eyes only lit up slightly with laughter. "And you are well enough to be sarcastic."
"You do not know me, how can you think this to be my normal state?" she questioned.
"Whether it be your normal state or not, my lady, it takes a good amount of mental lucidity to make remarks such as the one you did," the strange Elf replied, in an arrogant and patronizing way.
She glared at him, not knowing how she should take his tone of complete arrogance. It was as though he fancied himself an officiando on all things having to do with the health of others. But she was certainly in no mood for discussing this less than pleasing trait. "What is your name?"
The Elf moved easily about, shifting a chair into place beside her bed so that he could sit close to her. He lowered himself into the seat and looked back at her, moving his eyes down her body before returning to her face, "I am Haldir, March Warden of Lórien. Who are you?"
"Cauniel," she said, meeting his eyes pointedly. "Captain of a reformed Eregion."
That was when he chose to let loose a laugh of great amusement at her proclamation. Haldir quieted himself quickly, though he never quite lost the look of pure amusement on his face. "You a captain? Captain of what? The seamstresses' circle?"
Her rage boiled inside of her. How dare he? He had no idea where she was from, or who she was, or what her life had been like before this. If he were a good leader of military, he should have been asking her questions about Eregion. Why were they there? Who was her Lord? Why did they choose to resettle the land now infested with orcs? But no… his only response was to belittle her because she was female.
"Chauvinist," she muttered. That comment quieted him quickly as a look of anger crossed his features.
The quiet lasted only momentarily and he opened his mouth, "You are short and you are female… I am sorry, but I cannot possibly see you as a captain of any sort."
"Just because I am short and female does not mean that I cannot command a battle easily or hurt my foes horribly," she replied flatly. "All you need is a sharp blade."
"And yet here you lay, injured because of an attack from orcs, and no one is searching for you. If you were so high ranking, not even the fact that you are an elleth taken by orcs, others would be searching for you," he replied.
She chose then to close her mouth and not speak with him anymore on the issue. Perhaps ignoring him would be a good thing to do, since he seemed so content with the fact that he knew all, and knew that there was absolutely no possibility for an elleth to partake in the barbaric pastimes of warfare. Cauniel turned her eyes from him, "Where are the healers? I wish to speak with one about when I will be able to leave."
He sighed, "I have spoken to them, and they say you should be able to return to your land in a few weeks."
"I would like to speak with them myself," she said as evenly as she could manage, trying to maintain a level head dealing with this arrogant brute. She glanced at him quickly, and gritted out, "Please."
"I do not know why you are acting in such a way," he replied. "You would not be here if it was not for me."
She scoffed, "You mean to suggest that even if I lay dying on your borders, your wardens would leave me there to perish because you did not give them the go ahead to bring me here."
Haldir was silent again, his eyes narrowing on her as another angry expression crossed his face, "My wardens know to follow the orders of the one who is in command on the borders. Perhaps you do not run your guard as such."
"I trust my own underlings to make their own decisions," she said. "There is no need to control them… I trust their judgment."
He was interrupted from saying anything more as the door to the healer's talan was flung open and light shone through a gauzy curtain. Cauniel looked in that direction, seeing the outline of the imposing Elf making his way back quickly to them. It was not until the curtain was pulled back, though, that she was able to make out the features of this Elf, and that they belonged to one she had known well all of her life, despite their numerous problems. A look of pure relief seemed to wash over his face as he dropped the curtain back into place and strode over to her quickly. Without waiting for her to acknowledge him, he bent over her and took her hands into his much larger ones. Cauniel gazed at him oddly, wishing to pull her hands back, but he held tightly.
"I thank Elbereth that you are well," Hérion said quietly, his brown eyes truly expressing that sentiment.
"What are you doing here?" she questioned. Again, she did not know why she acted so horribly to Hérion, but it was a normal occurrence for her to do now with him after his marriage to Bainriel.
The Elf did not flinch, "I came for you."
Cauniel gazed again into his eyes, and saw straight through that half-truth. He may have come to seek her, but there were other reasons why he had turned up in Lothlórien at this inauspicious time. Never would he leave Eregion without her remaining. It was their unspoken rule that they held dear to their hearts. Often times he forgot that she knew him well enough to tell when he was telling the whole truth or stretching it, and many times, it was the other way around, but the thought that he was here for another reason worried her.
Had her grandfather finally had enough waiting, and was now doing what he had threatened?
She quickly removed her hands from his, and saw him recoil slightly with an incensed look. Cauniel met his eyes, "Why are you truly here, Hérion?"
Haldir watched closely as the Elf she had called Hérion sighed heavily and straightened himself, glancing quickly at him, then back at the elleth. He did not know if he liked this Elf that had barged in here in such a way. This Hérion seemed to be a rather shady character, even though Cauniel treated him like an ellon of great integrity despite the fact that she now looked particularly put out by the fact that the Elf Hérion was standing over her bed. Haldir was personally angry at how he had interrupted their conversation, without even caring to introduce himself or at least acknowledge that Cauniel was not the only one there. Or perhaps he was just angry that Hérion had stolen the attention the elleth had just been giving him.
He knew he was odd to like the type of attention he was receiving from this elleth whom had only just woken from her slumber and finally given him a name to address her as. But it was unlike any other conversation he had with an elleth. This elleth at least seemed to have a decent mind within her head, and regardless of her still-healing physical injuries, had a rather bristly personality. He found in a few short moments after her waking that she was not one to lay back and allow anyone an opportunity to slander her in any way. She was a very defensive person, he could tell that much by her verbal rebukes, and could almost feel the wall she quickly erected around herself. She was strong, that was for sure. And haughty as well. Dare he say even more haughty than he was?
That was next to impossible, but he sensed that for a few moments, she would be an elleth to give him a run for his money in that area.
And as much as it pained him to admit it, she did seem to be like someone who could strategize a battle or sort out guard rotations well. Her mind was swift, easily coming up with retorts to his purposefully sarcastic, baiting remarks. A warrior needed those skills, though they were different when engaged in a fight. And it would also seem that she was able to easily deal out her blows without thinking too much of the repercussions of then. That was also a useful skill, especially when it came to killing someone.
But he failed to see how she could be an adequate warrior beyond that. She was of average size for an elleth, if not on the small side. Hardly a threat to any orc she were to come across. Besides that, Haldir was a firm believer in the notion that war and all dealings of weaponry should be left to that of ellyn and other males. It was said an elleth lost part of her fëa each time she gave birth to a child, and war could do that same thing to many an ellon. That was the natural balance of things… an elleth's war was with the birthing of children, and the ellon's was to defend the ellyth and children. In his own opinion, an elleth's place was within the city, seeing to the domestic chores about the city. Granted, there were a select few ellyth he had placed in his guard over the years, but no one beyond those few. And he made sure to keep their rotations on the borders that were not too horribly infested with foul creatures, so they would not have to see battle.
War was a very scary thing, and many females were unable to handle the sheer ferocity and evilness of it. He had seen it time and time again. An elleth would engage in a fight, to only, half way through it, become anxious and lose track of her opponent which usually resulted in a loss. The males in these battles, often lingered over the slain females, grieving so horribly over the loss of such perfect creatures… Eru's finest creation.
Nonetheless, though, she appeared to believe she was a Captain of a band of militant Elves in Eregion, where no Elves had inhabited for at least an age. Perhaps her head injuries had taken a toll on her after all…
Haldir sighed to himself, watching the heated glare passed between the two dark-haired Elves, waiting for one of them to speak. He noticed a golden ring upon Hérion's right hand, a symbol of his marriage. Had Cauniel lost hers wherever she had been taken to? Were they even bound to each other? Or was he just jumping to conclusions.
Finally, Cauniel spoke again, "Why are you truly here, Hérion? Tell me now."
Hérion glanced away from her, "We will not discuss that now. It is meant for a private conversation. Before I left, however, we heard that you were taken by the orcs into the mountains. I have spent the past day and a half searching for you."
"You know you are not supposed to leave when I am gone. Who did you leave in charge?" Cauniel questioned.
"Balanauth," Hérion said.
Haldir watched as Cauniel shook her head disappointedly, "You must go back, Hérion. He cannot command."
"I will return in a weeks time," he said. "Until then, I will stay here and make sure that you are well enough, and so that I may tend to other business."
Cauniel gave Hérion a biting glare, "I well enough as it is, but they say I cannot leave for two weeks."
"And you will listen to them," Hérion replied. "I command you to."
"It is not your choice," she said, her brown eyes quickly glancing over at Haldir.
"Then I plead with you to follow the healer's words as a friend and as your family, my lady" he said.
Cauniel narrowed her gaze on Hérion, then turned her head from looking at him, "You are only my family by marriage… please leave me be."
Hérion let out a disgruntled sigh, and shook his head. He took a few steps back out towards the door, but stopped and turned back around, looking at him, "Please forgive my impertinence, I am Hérion of Eregion, Knight in the service of Lord Thorontur."
"And I am Haldir, March Warden of these lands," Haldir replied, reciprocating the polite bow Hérion gave to him. Now, he could imagine Hérion the commander of military, being that he was the typical stature and character of a warrior.
Hérion smiled, "I believe we will be speaking again soon, March Warden. But now, I must go speak with your Lord and Lady."
"I shall be ready for it, Hérion," Haldir replied and watched as the Elf turned to Cauniel and frowned slightly at the look of pure hate she was shoot at him.
The dark-haired ellon sighed and shook his head, "I found your weapons, Cauniel. When you are well enough to leave the healer's, I will give them to you."
"Why can you not give them to me now?" she seethed. Haldir could tell she hated the way Hérion was speaking with her, even though Haldir could see it was for her benefit that she was not given the weapons back.
"Because I know you," Hérion replied. "Rest, and we will speak later."
With that, Hérion disappeared outside the talan. Haldir stared at curtain for a few moments, trying to make sense of it all, before turning back to the frowning elleth. He had to chuckle at her look of pure resentfulness as her arms crossed over her chest defensively. The elleth turned to glanced at him, able to spit out, "And you can see fit to leave too."
Haldir smirked slightly, "I can see that me being here will not aide you in healing, so I shall leave."
"Good," she remarked as he walked past the curtain and out the door into the fresh morning air.
While he had gleaned much information from this event, he found that these opened up larger mysteries that he hoped would be sorted out quickly. Unfortunately, though, despite their initial conversation and the way it had gone, he found himself slightly enamored with this arrogant little Noldorin elleth. He reminded himself quickly that it was only slightly enamored, because the last thing he needed to complicate his life was romance for an elleth who clearly had no intention of befriending him any time soon.
