A/N: It was my goal today to sit through all lovely 8+ hours of Fellowship of the Ring EE and Two Towers EE to get my 'mojo' back for this story. (Thank goodness for scheduling my classes to have Fridays off this semester.) Life has been crazy, and I confess that I hit a bit of writer's block on this story, and my mind has wondered to other things to try to get it moving again. Unfortunately for me, that idea took off and bloomed quickly and I have not been able to sit down for this chapter until now. My sincerest apologies to my dedicated readers. I promise it is coming, slowly but surely. And for those of you who have waited patiently for a little give in Cauniel's stance… here is your chapter.

Please remember that I do cherish every single review I get! I would love to hear from all of you reading and enjoy, or disliking. And if you are disliking, tell me why and I will fix it! I am completely amenable to constructive criticism. Anyway, on with the show, and as always… ENJOY!

Chapter 9- Faith

They walked for a good amount of time in complete silence, and he could not believe that she was being so acquiescent to letting him show her along the paths to a designated spot he chose. He had fully planned on her at least complaining the entire time, or, in the worst case, deciding she was going to show him where she wanted to go to in his city, to speak of whatever it was she needed to. But she seemed rather quiet today, compared to what she was like the day before. Perhaps she had changed slightly from the pervious evening. Perhaps it had been his comment about calling her an ice queen. She still had that very unmistakable edge to her personality, but it was not as showing so much this morning.

He took her to a private flet within the trees, away from the main action in the city. Walking to the edge of the flet, she let out a long sigh and turned back to glance at him. He met her eyes, "We are here, alone, no one will hear this… what is it that you are to speak with me about?"

"It is about Eregion," she said.

"I had gathered that much, my lady," he replied, trying not smile because he knew she would just sneer at him.

Cauniel took a breath and turned away from him instead, surprising him again. What was happening to her? Was she… nervous? About this? About speaking with him? She obviously had no qualms at all letting people know exactly what she thought or felt about an issue, and certainly not with him, and here she was cocooning into a small shell, apparently completely worried about speaking with him.

"I know no simple way to ask this of you," she said quietly, and glanced quickly at him, "but Eregion needs reinforcement on the borders. We suffer increasingly large attacks from the mountain orcs, and we have an inadequate number of scouts and knights to do the task of ridding them from our borders. We have many training curriculums, continually supplying new eager fighters to borders, but they are inexperienced with their age."

He sighed, nodding his head. Since she had arrived and he had learned that she was to speak of something of some importance to him, he had thought it would have to do with her guards or her land. "That would explain why Lórien's borders have been so quiet as of late."

She turned back to him then, as though she were completely surprised that he would say such a thing… or that he was taking a diplomatic role, and not snubbing her for her choices made earlier about dealing with him since her arrival into the Wood. Cauniel sighed, and closed her eyes, allowing the cool breeze to blow over her and revitalize her before continuing. "My grandfather is a wise Elf, but he can be so stubborn and unyielding when he comes to a decision about something. Ever since he decided we were going to recreate Eregion, any talk of perhaps not going through with it was succinctly squashed by him. He is so stubborn that I fear your Lord and Lady, and Lord Elrond traveling to Eregion will not persuade him to give up the land to relocate to Imladris or here."

"Stubbornness must be a family trait," he remarked.

Instead of the angry sneer he expected, he received only a small, sad smile. She crossed her arms over her chest, "When he made me Captain, it was against much opposition by the entire city and his small council. They did not think an elleth could handle such a task. With the increasing attacks from the borders and the large loss of life, my appointment has been losing favor with many others. I do not care to give my attention to gossip about the city, as I have had gossip and mean comments follow me since I was a small elleth because of my grandfather's involvement with the Rings of Power. But when it began to poison my grandfather's mind against my position, I grew worried. He grew worried, and asked me to come here to seek help from the mighty, skilled wardens of Lórien. I could not justify asking for help, though, from a land that had no idea there were Elves rebuilding on such land. I could not give into my own stubbornness to ask for help when there was no urgent need for it. For awhile I thought we would be fine, because the attacks were pitiful and easily squelched. But they started to become more violent and planned out…"

"So you are asking for my help?" he questioned, hoping it did not sound too disbelieving.

Cauniel clenched her jaw and nodded, "He threatened to strip me of my title if I did not follow his commands, even when at the time there was no need for help. Sometimes I think he just wanted to be rid of all the opposition he received as me being Captain. At the battle, the one I was captured at, I had decided to come for aide. In the meantime, my grandfather had stepped over my authority and asked Hérion to do his bidding."

"My lady, you do not need to tell me all of this if you feel it is uncomfortable to you. All I really need to know is what you require in terms of my wardens," he said, really surprised she was opening up like this.

"Fine," she said, suddenly turning back into her harsh, cold self. "I am sorry, I did not realize I had lay bare so much about me and the politics surrounding this asking for your aide."

Haldir squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them again chastising himself for saying that. She was opening up to him after all, he should have not ended it so soon. He found he enjoyed speaking with her when she was not yelling at him. He walked to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He could nearly feel the pain in which she spoke, but since she had shown so little feeling and only bitterness toward him, he had a hard time believing that this speech was not all just a very well though out act. It almost sounded false to him, but as he looked into her eyes now, he could see it was real… that she was hiding so much more than she let on. Perhaps there was a reason for her bitterness… Did she hide herself to prevent from being hurt so badly by the things around her?

Cauniel shrugged off his hand, and took a few steps forward on the flet before turning to look at him again. "I do not need your pity, and I certainly do not need you patronizing me for my position. I have had enough of it from others."

They shared the longest silence known to Arda, as they each stared each other down, trying to understand what was going through each other's minds only by gazing upon each other's faces. But he finally broke his gaze, finding it very hard to actually look into her eyes now. They had always been that bitter and cold, but that was meant only to mask her true hurt and pain.

"Your grandfather does not think you capable of your position?" he questioned, walking to the side of the flet with a bench and sat down upon it.

"Nay," she said quietly.

"Has every male in your life been like that?"

"Aye… except Hérion," she said. "But even his faith in me has changed."

Haldir knew that what he was about to say would probably sound false to her, as her openness sounded false to him, but it was coming from the deepest part of his heart. "Cauniel, I am sorry."

"For what?" she questioned.

"For being like every other ellyn in your life, doubting your abilities," he said. "I know you probably think I am only saying this out of necessity, but I had no intention to hurt you more than you have already been hurt. My arrogance just gets away with me at times."

He heard the catch in her breathing, and had to look up at her to make sure that she had started again. Her eyes now were of complete befuddlement, as though he was slowly shattering her preconceived notions of him, but she still held onto a little bit of doubt. Nonetheless, he was winning the battle, because each time he did see this befuddlement in her eyes, it lasted longer and longer signaling her change in mind.

"Haldir… I," she paused suddenly and he smiled to himself. She had said his name in a perfectly soft, non-condescending tone, and she realized it with a bit of a blush forming on her cheeks. He did have to admit the sound of his name on her slightly lilting, Noldorin tongue was lovely.

This was certainly a completely different elleth from the one he had conversed with the day before.

She composed herself quickly, though, building that invisible wall back up around herself. "Thank you… and while we are apologizing, I suppose I should do the same since I ask for your help."

"I deserved all that I have received, except, maybe the whole charade you put on indicating an elleth who has lost all faith in the world," he said.

"What if I have lost all faith in this world?" she questioned seriously.

He met her eyes, holding her gaze for as long as she allowed him to. "Then let me restore some of your good faith, Cauniel. I will give you any number of my wardens you need, after the council between the high Elves. If they do not talk your grandfather, who seems like even less a treat to deal with than you, into removing to Imladris or Lórien, then I will see to it done."

Cauniel seemed to be trying to decide if he was telling the truth, but he held his hand out for her to take, "Are you certain you will not go back on your word?"

"There are many things you have to learn about me, my lady, if we are to work together," he said softly. "And if I promise anything, I will never go back on that promise. Anyone who does is not honorable."

She let another small smile drift to her lips, taking a hold of his hand, "March Warden, I think we are beginning to see eye to eye on some things."

He was not immune to the slight tingle he felt when she took his hand in accord to the promise, but he pushed it aside. It was not something to worry over now. "What are we beginning to agree on?"

"That the only way to be honorable is to do honorable things, and that going back on your promises and decisions are not ways to keep honor intact," she said quietly. "Everyone in my life has gone back on their promises."

"My lady?" he questioned. He could grasp some conceptualization of what she meant, but he did not want to jump to conclusions over it too hastily. No, he would try his best to never jump to conclusions again with her.

She shook her head sadly and removed her hand from his, "I do not wish to speak of it right now… I have already told you more than you probably need to know anyway."

"Let me be the judge of that, Cauniel," he pushed, but he saw the last rock being mortared into place in her wall. Her short moments of complete openness had now ended.

"Perhaps later, March Warden," she said.

She was back to using his title… at least not in a derogatory way. He was happy with that, but he had to comment, "We are back to that?"

Cauniel chuckled lightly, and he loved that sound… truly, absolutely found it intoxicating. She sighed and glanced up at him, "Rúmil and Laifennas offered to show me about Lórien today. I think I should go and find them."

"You are not filling Laifennas' head with ideas on how to overcome her leader, are you?" he questioned.

She only responded with a devious smirk and walked to the stairs from which they had come, "Farewell, Haldir."

And she left him there, to stand alone, listening to the last echoing of his name spoken from her mouth bouncing off the tree trunks. Was it awful he was really beginning to like her?

After the stressful meeting with Haldir, she escaped quickly to go think by herself, lying blatantly about her intended meeting with Rúmil and Laifennas. She had to get away from him, after saying all those things… nearly pouring her entire heart out to the ellon. Never had she let herself go so freely, speaking of her life and what had gone on in it, but it seemed rather easy with him once she started.

It was true that after the previous night and him labeling her an Ice Queen, she had taken great hurt in all of it. She did not think it possible to feel any more hurt in the head and heart of hers, but Haldir had successfully thrown another blow at her. And instead of make her angrier, it had only made her soften, which was a bafflement all on it's own. Whenever this happened before with others, she only sealed herself off from the further incoming barrage of attacks. It was the only thing she could do for her sanity. But then Haldir stepped into her life and completely reversed all that she had done before. She could not figure out why, for the life of her, he affected her so much. Of course he began as a rather large enemy, and still was to some extent, but whether his mere presence was riling her with anger, or making her speak so easily of her past, it was a sure thing Haldir had a certain power over her.

And that was frightening. No one had such innate power over her, not even the people she lived with and worked with.

What surprised her even more about Haldir was that he did not readily pass judgment on her, not after the morning before this. He seemed completely amenable to her plea for help, and listening to her talk. Maybe, just maybe, in the very long run, he would end up being a very valuable ally in the world, whether they were fighting or just speaking of their trade.

The sun set over the West horizon, the time by herself having passed very quickly, and she remembered suddenly that the warden who spoke with her that morning would be going to the guest telain to try to find her for whatever the other ellyth wardens had in store for her that evening. Luckily, on her way back to the telain, she found Velosswen coming down from a higher level, in an intent to get to the guest telain. The elleth was a polite elleth, as were most of the wardens she had met thus far, but Velosswen seemed a bit more wise, as though she had been doing her duties as a warden for along while. She did not seem as brash or talkative as Laifennas either, and Cauniel enjoyed the fact that Velosswen appeared to be content enough to remain quiet some of the time, but also willing to let loose on anyone she did not agree with.

The elleth saw her and smiled, walking over to her, "Cauniel, how good it is to see you again! I was just on my way to find you."

"I found a pleasant little pond to sit by and think, and the time got away from me," Cauniel replied.

Velosswen nodded her head, "I do that often as well. It helps to watch the gentle rippling of water to ease a mind that has seen the horrors a warrior has."

Cauniel smiled then, feeling as though this elleth could be yet another useful and friendly liaison, something that Lórien now appeared to be in no short supply of. "Where are we going?"

"To the wardens' telain," Velosswen replied.

"The wardens' telain?" she questioned.

The silver-blonde elleth nodded, "Aye. It is a series of talan specifically kept for the wardens when they are within the city. Haldir has his own study there in the higher levels, but he hardly ever uses it. There are also a few rooms that house weapons and instruments for teaching new wardens, but the level we use regularly is a rather large with a meeting and dining hall."

Cauniel nodded her head, imagining this place. She needed one of these in Eregion if they decided to stay there… it was probably a place very useful in building friendships and camaraderie between the wardens, and the scouts of Eregion did seem to lack that much of the time because they were so hastily thrown into the thick of battle. They had no chance to build the relationships with their fellow warriors as many of the older, wiser Elves had a chance to do before moving to Eregion.

"I think word has gotten out that you have been invited to the meal this eve, so I believe it may turn into quite an… exciting occasion," Velosswen said.

"Why?" Cauniel questioned.

Velosswen chuckled, and placed her hand on Cauniel's shoulder, "Because you are a mystery everyone is trying to solve. You have spoken naught but to a few of us… and they also wish to meet this elleth who brought down their March Warden. You may not think it that great of a deal, but in this city, where we place our venerable March Warden on a pedestal above most other Elves in city, it is huge for an elleth to come along and do away with him."

"That is why he is being so polite about me hurting him," Cauniel said. "So I do not try to do it again."

The warden laughed lightly, "That may be so, but it is unlike Haldir. I think he was truly humbled yesterday, and not worried for what other people thought of him."

"Oh," was the only thing she could think of to say to her.

Velosswen smiled knowingly and motioned in the direction of another staircase, "Come, let us go."