CHAPTER SEVEN
He almost kissed me! I almost kissed him! Insufferable elf! Lothrin fled her talan when Belegorn entered, intruding on a moment between the two commanders. She was frightened, she was confused. As she fled through the city she noticed all the Galadhrim standing around the city.
The armory was taken, the royal talan was taken, and city was taken. She rushed to the gates and pulled herself up to the Royal Guard talan by the gates. As she swung her feet to the talan her nightgown caught a branch and the hem tore. She grunted and tore the rest of the hem and pulled it in her hand.
As she turned Orophin put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. Rumil stepped from the shadows and drew his bow.
"Haldir has already killed me, please leave me to my peace, friends." Lothrin stated and watched as the two brothers leaped from the talan. Lothrin walked to her desk and slumped down in her chair.
He almost kissed me! I almost kissed him! What's even most was I wanted it...I hate him! He's terrible. He's insufferable. He prides himself in butchering my honor. He hates me. Lothrin was angry, confused, torn.
Maybe he just wanted to prove once again how much better at everything he is—her line of thought was broken when Belegorn swung onto the talan and walked swiftly to her. She wiped furiously at her tears and he kneeled down beside her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Lady Lothrin, are you well?" When she didn't meet his gaze he placed his hands on her chin and turned her to face him. He took in her tears and the blood on her gown and pulled her down to him. They both sat on their knees in front of each other and Belegorn gazed at his friend.
"I am the worst Commander this guard has ever had, Belegorn."
"No."
"How can I stand among the Royal Guard as your commander, Belegorn? Why do you remain loyal to me when I can't make a single right decision?" Tears overtook her, as she refused his open arms, sitting back on her heels and bringing her hand to her face.
"Lady Lothrin, you have been my friend long before taking command of the Royal Guard. Do you not realize your strength? What you have done for this guard? Do you not recall how we united under your command? How can you forget the respect we now have, in the eyes of the Galadhrim, in the eyes of the Lord and Lady?" He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder and then pulled her up.
"Get up commander, its time to retake the city. Next time we will be ready for them, come now." He pulled his long knives and placed them in her hands and gave her a smile.
She nodded and wiped her face on her gown and pulled a spare cloak off the chair, following him off the talan.
"Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel." Lothrin bowed her head respectively and turned to Lord Elrond.
"My Lord Elrond, did you enjoy this exercise?" her weak smile was greeted by his soft gaze.
"I thoroughly enjoyed it. Do the Galadhrim and Royal Guard always engage in such drills?" He turned his gaze to Haldir who entered the Royal Talan looking pale, his shoulder wrapped and his arm raised by a sling. Lothrin stiffened and sighed when she saw him. She relaxed again when she recalled the look in his eyes before…
I mustn't think of such things! Her hands fisted at her sides and Belegorn took a protective stepped closer.
It wasn't lost on Haldir, who watched as the elleth smiled at her friend as he stepped closer.
"I think we have learned much from the Galadhrim today, my Lords and Lady, clearly the Royal Guard was given new light on protecting the city," Lothrin said as she waited expectantly to be dismissed and when the Lady dismissed her, she bowed again and walked swiftly past Haldir drawing Belegorn's long knife from the folds of her cloak and grabbed the nearest Royal Guard. After cutting his binds and the other three guards free she affixed them with a hard stare.
"Orcs have overrun the city. The Lord and Lady have been taken, and you failed to perform your duties. Report to the ranges for your punishment." Her voice was dangerously low as she raised her hand with the blade in it and pointed it in the direction of the ranges.
Belegorn remained rooted in his position watching Haldir, disgusted by the March Warden. He had exchanged words with him after Lothrin fled her talan, and anger still coursed through his veins. Belegorn turned to follow his commander, leaving Haldir with the Lords and Lady.
As Lothrin walked through the city, occasionally freeing captured Royal Guards, her anger mounted.
How did this happen! her mind screamed, and when she finally reached the ranges she watched as the guard fell in, many in uniform, many in bed robes.
Belegorn handed her a pair of leggings and she pulled them on, stuffing her gown into the belt of the leggings, and looking angrily at the guard. When Belegorn returned to his squad, she raised an eyebrow and look menacingly at the guard.
Barefoot, she started pacing and shouting relentlessly at the battalion. "WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF WATCHING THE GATES?" she didn't pause for an answer. "Because of your inept training we have let the city fall! And to who? The Galadhrim! How many of you said to me, 'Commander! We can fight as well as they?' How many?! You put your commander to shame!" In her anger she slammed the blade still in her hand straight into the ground.
"There will be no easy way to put this, guardians. You will not be returning home this day, until every bone in your body aches with pain!" she screamed, oblivious to the crowd that gathered by the fences of the ranges, watching the angry Commander.
"For your first punishment, we are going to run 20 miles. And afterwards, we will be spending three hours on swordsmanship, three hours on archery, and then another 20 miles of running. After that I will be deciding the remainder of your punishment. Do you understand?"
Haldir stepped out of the tree line and walked toward Lothrin, he tried to approach her as slowly as possible allowing her time to see his approach.
"Lothrin,"
"Commander, I ask you kindly to let me train my guard, for they have shamed me terribly." As she spoke he searched her eyes for anything but the cool detachment in her voice.
"Lothrin, listen to me."
"I have much to do; I have a guard that needs to be punished."
He nodded, falling silent, but following her into the armory. She ignored him as she pulled out a quiver from the stock shelf and then turned around to find herself at the end of her knife. He held it loosely in his hand, watching her.
"Maybe you would like this back?" she watched him cautiously as he spun the blade on his fingertips, the hilt now facing her. She took it and slide it into her belt, nodding.
Then she looked at him again. "Haldir, about-"
"No," he said shaking his head.
She let her shoulders slump a little, still holding his gaze. "I don't know what to say…" she said her voice above a whisper.
He nodded still looking at her. Lothrin looked at him and then tilted her head to the side, looking into his deep green eyes. She instinctively stepped closer to him and touched his arm that was in its sling.
She looked up at him and when she sighed, it was a sad, defeated sigh. Her hand closed around the injured arm and then smiled.
She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his good shoulder, his startled intake of breathe going unnoticed. When she stepped away, his eyes were wide and he sighed softly.
She tilted her head to the side again, and then nodded, her eyes saddened once more. She stepped away from him and out of the armory.
When she exited she looked up to see Pelilas standing in front of her, a pained smile on his face.
"Pelilas reporting for duty, Commander Lothrin." She nodded and smiled, this time a genuine smile from her heart and pulled the injured elf off to the fields.
