Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings and I write this story as an avid fan with no profit or gain.
Chapter 7
Elves mourn differently than mortals. They do not experience death as often, but they feel the pain just as deeply as men do. Some would argue even more deeply. However, anyone attending the funeral would have no doubt on who grieved this loss of life the hardest. Lauren sat on the ground, arms wrapped around her legs as she stared at the makeshift wooden cross she'd made out of branches. The elves had given her full control of the proceedings, wanting to respect her world's way of respecting death. The guards had helped her dig the grave and sang softly as she slowly, but surely buried her friend. When her hands blistered, Lauren gritted her teeth and continued. No one, not even Haldir, dared to take the shovel away from her. Once she'd finish, the tears fell down her face and Lauren sat down, unable to leave her friend alone. One by one, the elves took their leave.
Lauren did not know how long she sat there, eyes blank and mind lost in memories. In her hands, clasped with such desperation, were Greer's dog tags. Days could have passed, but when the hand touched her shoulder, her body returned to the present.
"I am sorry to disturb you, but it is almost dawn," The masculine voice said. "You need to rest."
"I can't leave him alone."
"He is not alone. He is part of the forest now." Haldir cleared his throat when the woman said nothing. He was a warrior and the leader of the hardened elves of Lothlórien's guard. While he could cut down dozens of orcs, his skills in comforting a woman were severely lacking. It was strange to hear the fiery mortal so quiet and timid. Wanting to draw her out of her misery, he asked, "What is that?"
"Hmm?"
"That wooden symbol."
"It's a cross," Lauren murmured. "A symbol of Greer's religion."
"It was very kind of you to make it. He was a good man and I would have been proud to have him in my guard-"
Without warning, Lauren's body went rigid. She gasped and stood up hastily. "T-That's it! You have to train me!"
The Marchwarden withdrew his hand and frowned, "Pardon me?"
Lauren stood up and stared at the elf with hard, determined eyes. "I want you to train me to be a border guard."
For the first time, a mortal had left Haldir speechless. Sensing this, Lauren jumped on the opportunity. "I am not going to sit in the library every day while the monsters that killed my friend are still out there. Let me be a guard. Let me avenge his death! Let me-"
"No."
"Excuse me?" She hissed.
"The forest is a dangerous place and no place for a wo-"
"A woman?" Her voice rose to a screech, "Were you about to say a woman? Are you shitting me? Just in case you forgot elf, it was this woman who saved your sorry ass from being cut in half. Don't tell me where I belong. You don't know me."
"I do not-"
"You're in debt to me right? Well, your debt will be paid if you teach me to be a guard."
Haldir gave her a long, calculating look. The anger resonating off the mortal was enough to intrigue him. In all his years, he'd never met a woman with so much energy and grit. "Why do you need to be taught? Your weapons are powerful enough to protect you."
She smiled humorlessly. "I'm going to tell you a little secret. Bullets are the same as arrows. They're great for killing things until you run out of them."
This made the elf's eyebrow raise, "Can you make more?"
"No," She shook her head. "Not in this world. I have Greer's bullets so that helps but soon, I'll need a new weapon."
"I will teach you how to use a bow and even sword if you like, but there is no reason for you to be a guard."
Lauren sighed, "You should understand how I feel Haldir. I am a Marine and always will be. Just as you are Marchwarden, through and through. What could tear you away from your duty?"
The elf had no response and looked at her with what she used to see as a blank, empty expression. Now though, Lauren noticed the slight admiration. "I am a guard, whether it's in my world or your world. Don't take away my purpose. For however long I'm stuck here, let me do my job."
This seemed to finally convince the elf. "I will not object as long my Lord and Lady agree to it."
"Thank you. When do we start?"
"After you've eaten and rested."
Lauren followed Haldir away from the grave. In her fist she held onto the dog tags tightly, filled with energy for her new purpose. As long as she remained in Middle Earth, she would slaughter every orc and troll that she could find. The Marchwarden led her home and left without a word. After eating some bread and milk, Lauren forced herself to enter her bedroom. At the bottom of her bed sat a wooden chest, still open from when she'd peeked inside earlier. From the doorway, she could see Greer's uniform folded neatly inside.
Taking a deep breath, she moved forward and sat down next to it. Gingerly, she withdrew the man's belongings. His uniform had been washed and dried, but the rip in the shoulder made her want to vomit. Putting the shirt and pants back into the chest, she looked at the assortment of items still out. One by one, she put them away too. Greer's ID card, car keys, a pen, and wallet had been found in his pockets. His utility belt with the pepper spray, clips of ammo, flashlight, and radio were placed into the chest. Inside his wallet Lauren found the usual things like credit cards and cash, but it was the picture of a young woman that made her tears return. The photo of Sophia was real. A reminder that a whole world of people like her existed somewhere out there. Unable to put the smiling woman back into the dark chest, Lauren stood and placed the small photograph on her vanity. It would serve as a reminder to keep training hard. She'd get her revenge not only for Greer, but for those who loved him.
Lauren could only sleep for a few hours. Between her grief, anxiety to begin training, and the bright sunlight that streamed through her bedroom window, she was soon up and alert. Eating an apple as a quick breakfast, she donned a tunic and boots. With swift, practiced hands she put her hair up into a tight bun. Unsure of what else to bring, Lauren settled for a flask of water and left her flet behind.
The morning air was cool and refreshing. Lauren found the dining hall close to empty when she arrived, having missed the earlier rush for breakfast. Only several elves remained and Lauren approached them cautiously. Haldir and Rúmil sat together, but not alone. With them were three elleths, who sat at flirtatious angles and with charming smiles on their faces. They were all so beautiful. They looked perfect, too perfect for Lauren's comfort.
The elleth with her back to Lauren laughed loudly and leaned forward, resting her hand on Haldir's arm. The Marchwarden smiled softly, but did not move to return the affection. His brother however, had no problem joining in the laughter and playfully winking at the elleth.
"Sorry to interrupt," Lauren lied. "But are you ready to begin Haldir?"
If she didn't know better, Lauren could have sworn that the Marchwarden looked relieved at her arrival. The elves turned to look at her and Lauren stood a little straighter, feeling the analyzing eyes of three elleths on her.
"Mae g'ovannen Lauren," Rúmil said grinning. Lauren returned the saying with a nod, glad to see the elf again. It was nice to be able to say something to him in his own language. Lauren greeted the elleths as well. Two smiled back kindly, but the third frowned slightly as they said hello respectfully. The elleth was slender like all elves, but had some curve to her figure. Her hair seemed to curl naturally at the ends which was unique as most elves had straight, flat hair. However, it was her face that made Lauren realize that this elleth must be considered particularly beautiful. Surrounded by glowing, healthy skin were two golden eyes. They were stunning.
Just as Lauren was mentally complimenting the elleth, she said something that Lauren could not understand. From the way Rúmil responded sharply, Lauren didn't think it was anything nice. The other elleths giggled, but stopped when Haldir stood up suddenly, knocking the table with his legs. He said something in a tone that Lauren was all too familiar with. It was the tone of condescending and mocking. For a moment, she thought his words were directed towards her because the frowning elleth turned to glare at her. However, the way that Haldir left the table abruptly and the awkward looks on the other two elleths' faces, Lauren realized the Marchwarden had… defended her?
Not bothering to say anything to her, Haldir strode towards the doors and Lauren followed him out. When they cleared the dining hall, Lauren pushed herself in front of the elf. "What the hell was that about?"
Haldir gave nothing away as he said, "What are you complaining about now?"
"Oh spare me your superior attitude," She crossed her arms. "What did she say?"
"It does not matter."
"Oh yeah? Well whatever it was, it made you and Rúmil angry. Let's not play this back and forth game, what did she say?"
"It was not important," He snapped. "Do you want to begin your training or not?"
"Yes."
"Then focus on the task at hand, not at an elleth's meaningless words."
"Fine." Lauren relented and they continued walking until they reached the training grounds. It was a large, flat area of land. Running along one side was the garrison, holding the guard's equipment and weapons. Several other guards and elves already practiced on the field. Some used swords, but most shot arrows at targets staggered at various distances. Several shot them curious glances, but for the most part the elves ignored their presence. While Haldir entered the garrison, Lauren watched a young elf who looked a human age of ten shoot an arrow. To her surprise, it landed an inch to the right of the dead center. No wonder the guards were fine shots- they began during their childhood. But for all she knew, that ten year old was actually closer to ninety. So much time to perfect skills, Lauren thought jealously. But was she truly jealous? To live forever was the pinnacle of Indiana Jones movies and adventure tales. People yearned for eternal life but Lauren couldn't help but doubt immortality. Before she could continue on her heavy thoughts, Haldir returned carrying a bow but no quiver full of arrows. He didn't lead her towards the targets, but instead to an area away from the other elves.
"This is how you hold a bow," Haldir demonstrated. "Keep your fingers here, tight but do not restrict your ability to adjust your hold. You will learn that to shoot from various angles, you will need to move your hand slightly. Understand?"
Lauren nodded and took the bow when he offered it. She did her best to mimic his hold, but Haldir reached out to fix her errors. When he was satisfied, he stepped back and said, "Now draw the string back."
As this was the first time holding a bow, Lauren had no idea how difficult it was to pull back on a bow. The resistance from the string surprised her, but it was not high enough to prevent her from pulling it back successfully. Once in place, she looked to Haldir for instruction. He simply nodded in approval and waited. After several moments, Lauren began to lower her rams but Haldir said, "No. Continue to hold it."
After a while, Lauren began to understand the point of the exercise. Her arm muscles began to burn and later, begged to release the tension in the bow. Lauren's eyes narrowed and she forced her arms to stay put. Her arm holding the string back began to shake slightly.
"Release."
Instantly, her arms let the string fall back into its normal taunt position. Her right arm burned, but in the familiar muscle pain that Lauren loved.
"Good," The Marchwarden crossed his arms, "Again."
So continued her first day of training. They alternated between her holding the bow in position and drawing the string back. Once her fingers seemed to consistently hold the bow correctly, Haldir had her practice shifting their position as she continued to hold the string back. It was hard work and by the end, her arm was remarkably sore and heavy.
"That is enough for today," Haldir finally announced. "It is time for lunch and Tiriel has asked that you return to your studies after you eat."
"Alright," Lauren said as she stretched out her arms, testing their soreness. "Same time tomorrow?"
"Yes but let us meet here directly," The elf carried the bow away towards the garrison. Dismissed, Lauren returned to the dining hall and was pleased to find Tiriel already eating. Taking a bowl from a serving boy, Lauren sat down beside her friend.
"You are feeling better today," Tiriel mused.
"Just finished my first day of training," Lauren answered. "My arm is going to be dead tomorrow, but I'll grow the muscles for it soon enough. What are we doing today?"
"Today we are going to learn how to ask for things and how to give directions," The elleth responded. "I think at the rate we are going, we will be able to stop using the common tongue in about a month."
"What?" This surprised Lauren. "You expect me to be fluent in a month?"
"No! Of course not!" Tiriel smiled kindly. "But I think you will have enough foundation to begin to make the switch. The best way to learn is total immersion, forced to speak only in Elvish."
Without any effort in manners, Lauren gobbled her salad and soup. She was eager to get to the library and continue to study. The morning with Haldir and the bow had filled her with energy. The motivation from successfully holding a bow for long periods of time made her want to continue her luck in language. When they finished their meal, the elleth and woman went to the library for the remainder of the day until evening meal.
As the days continued, Lauren's impatience with sitting for hours in the library lessened. Finally, she found a fulfilling routine in her life in Lothlórien. In the early mornings, she went for a run before most of the city awoke. It took a week for the blisters on her toes and ankle to callous over, but she finally broke in her new boots. Her runs served the dual purpose of exercise and better acquainting herself with the city's layout. The endless staircases proved useful in challenging her legs and the trees offered practice in climbing and jumping. After her run, Lauren ate breakfast alone in her flet before going down to the training field to meet with Haldir. He remained stern during their lessons, but Lauren began to see a side of the elf she suspected existed all along. Despite his best attempts to remain sober, Haldir proved to be quite the humorous instructor. His sarcasm and wit provided the right amount of entertainment between instructions, mainly because she spat back an equally sarcastic or sharp remark. While Lauren grew to respect Haldir, she wouldn't go as far as to call them friends. They spent every morning together, but a wall remained the two of them, a sort of tension. Lauren didn't think of it much though, it didn't matter. She progressed from simply holding a bow to aiming to shooting arrows. Her progress was slower in learning the Elvin language though. While her writing and memorization proved adequate, speaking gave Lauren more trouble than expected. Still, Tiriel insisted she was doing well and should not worry. True to Tiriel's estimation, they left the common language behind after a month. The first two weeks were absolutely brutal, but gradually Lauren began to string words together and make full sentences with something that resembled grammar.
Sometimes her language lessons were interrupted with sessions with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, who updated her on their search for answers. They had sought out council from various, powerful people but learned nothing substantial. Those who responded had no answers, but promised to help in the search. King Thranduil had written that he knew nothing but offered for Lauren to travel to Mirkwood to search their library and records. However, afraid to discontinue her training and leave the only place she felt comfortable, Lauren declined. Besides, from what Tiriel said the library in Lothlórien dwarfed that of Mirkwood. If they'd found nothing in the books and scrolls here, they wouldn't find anything in Mirkwood.
"Wait, take your time," Haldir murmured. He stood inches away, in his usual spot where he could reach out and help her aim. Today though, he did not move to touch the bow. Instead, the teacher watched as his student aimed without help.
Lauren felt excited. Aiming the arrow reminded her of the first time she aimed a rifle. It was all too familiar- She breathed evenly, felt the wind's direction, focused on the target… Then her fingers released the arrow. It flew through the air and landed with a resounding thud in the second most outer ring of the target. After dozens of failed attempts and a good number of embarrassing arrows falling straight from the bow onto the ground, getting the arrow anywhere near the target counted as a victory.
"Good, very good."
Smiling, Lauren picked up the next arrow and aimed again. She hit the target three more times, but missed twice. Overall, not bad for someone who had never used a bow five months ago. Following their routine, Lauren picked carried the bow while Haldir carried the quiver and arrows back to the garrison.
"Until tomorrow," Lauren said as usual. She began to walk away when Haldir cleared his throat.
"Actually, Rúmil will be-" He continued, but Lauren couldn't understand. Tiriel had asked Haldir to stop using the common tongue with her too and she still struggled to understand everything he said. It helped though, as much as it frustrated her, to have Haldir also forcing her to practice the language.
Knowing her well enough now to know that he's lost her, Haldir began to translate and teach. He repeated the phrase in Elvish twice and slowly so she could remember, then told her in common tongue. "I am returning to the border. Rúmil will teach you while I am away."
"Oh," Lauren blinked in surprise. "Okay."
An awkward silence fell over the two as neither walked away. Haldir tilted his head slightly, "What is wrong?"
"Nothing," She answered quickly. Lauren should have said goodbye then, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, "When will you return?"
"Six weeks."
She felt disappointed. Lauren didn't know why, but she felt undeniably strange about the thought of Haldir being absent for that long. Well, at least it would give her a chance to know Rúmil better and continue her training. Unsure of what to do, Lauren held out her hand and said, "Good luck."
Haldir looked from her hand back up to her face. Just as she felt embarrassed and began to lower her arm, Haldir raised his and took her hand into his. They shook hands and Haldir nodded solemnly. Then, he let go and walked away without his usual farewell.
