Hot Air Balloons

Despite being tired and sore, Aisling couldn't help but smile in relief as the opened gate to the village of Bree came into sight. They were planning to stay in an inn while there so she would finally have a bed and a bath once again. God, she was so ready for a hot bath and finally feeling clean again. Though they had stopped a few streams and springs on their way here, it wasn't the same as lounging in hot water and sudsing up.

Though it also didn't come with catching a glimpse of Haldir without his shirt, but Aisling was still trying (unsuccessfully, obviously) to get that image out of her head.

While things had returned to normal since their talk, there was still an edge of something there. Something left unspoken. Something had changed that day. For a moment, Aisling thought she saw a genuine interest from him, more than just feeling responsible for her. But it was so brief, that she wasn't completely sure it had been there at all.

Perhaps it hadn't been, now that she thought about it. It wasn't like he had said or done anything to her about it. Though she was pretty sure if he had said something, she would die of mortification, because really. Why would a guy like that be interested in someone like her? He was 3,000 years old and she was basically a baby to him.

But he hadn't pulled away from her, either. Riding at her side every day and helping with her lessons at night. Exactly as he had been doing this entire time.

Though it wasn't like it mattered. Soon they would find this wizard and she would go home.

Excitement buzzed through her veins. Home. It was so close. Soon she would see Liam and Tiernan again. Sleep in her own bed. Go back to her life…

And have to leave Middle Earth.

Aisling's stomach dropped slightly as the smile slipped slightly. Was she seriously feeling sad about leaving here? Surely not. She had nearly been killed by a wolf, was sore and stiff from sleeping on the ground and roughing it. And she was unused to the lack of modern conveniences. But as she glanced over at Legolas, then Aragorn and finally at Haldir, she knew that yes, a part of her would be sad to leave. Spending 10 days on the road with these guys had forged a bond of friendship.

Shaking her head, Aisling turned her attention back to Aragorn, who was leading them through the village towards an inn that he knew the wizard frequented when in town.

"Focus on home, Aisling," she ordered herself. "And then this will all be a dream…"

There was an odd twisting in her stomach at that thought.

Aragorn came to a stop and hopped down from his horse, looking back at the group. Legolas was peering around at the people milling around on the street, the two elves getting more than their fair share of looks. Aisling reminded herself that they were in human territory. Everyone here looked far less refined than the elves. And from the way they were staring, it was unlikely they got many chances to see one elf. Now they had two in their town.

"I will see to the rooms and start inquiring about our friend," Aragorn said before turning and walking into the inn.

"You guys ever get used to it?" she asked, looking from Legolas to Haldir. The marchwarden raised his eyebrows, a slight smile on his face though it quickly disappeared. "People staring at you?"

"It is no concern of mine," Haldir said, casting a glance around the street, though Aisling wasn't sure what he was looking for.

"You stop caring about such things when you have lived as long as we have," Legolas added. Aisling just shrugged and glanced around the street again, her mind turning to the thought of a hot bath. She really, really wanted to have a nice long soak.

And then they could find the wizard.

Shortly after, Aragorn returned and hopped onto his horse.

"Come, the stables are this way," he said, already starting off.

"Is he here?" Aisling asked.

"First, let us get situated in our rooms and rest. Then we will speak of Gandalf," Aragorn said, not looking back at her. Aisling frowned slightly.

"But did you at least ask?" she pushed.

"Not now," Haldir said. Aisling whipped her head around to look at him, finding the elf carefully watching Aragorn. He then looked back at Aisling, offering her a small smile, a glint of something in his eyes. "Surely you would like to rest before we continue our search. And as I recall, you have been rather vocal about your desire for a proper bath of late."

Aisling blinked a few times and then looked away, blushing slightly.

"Right," she said, her thoughts - yet again - returning to that moment. God, she really needed to get to her room and fast.

OOOO

Sighing, Aisling leaned back in the tub that had been brought to the small room Aragorn had acquired for her as the only woman in the party. The others were sharing a room just next door. She had finished scrubbing every nook and cranny of her body to rid it of all the dirt and dust that she had accumulated over the last 10 days and then cleaned her hair a good three times before taking the chance to relax before the water got cold. She wasn't expected downstairs until supper time, and figured that the others were probably out tracking down the wizard. She gathered that he hadn't been at the inn when Aragorn asked and therefore they were going to have to do a bit more searching.

Truthfully, she was perfectly happy with staying at the inn and getting some rest in relatively more comfort than she had lately.

She lifted her arm, staring at the bite mark. She wasn't sure if Haldir and Legolas had done some sort of elf magic, but it was healing faster than she expected, no longer needing to be wrapped up. She reached up and brushed her fingers over the marks, wondering if it was going to scar. Now that the terror of that night was behind her - and the confusion, for the most part - she felt a bit of pride. Legolas had said she landed some good hits before Haldir showed up and he had no doubt she would have eventually killed the creature on her own.

While Aisling had never been a fan of hunting or killing things, she did feel somewhat accomplished. Maybe she could hack it in Middle Earth.

Dropping her arms back into the water, Ailsing found herself drifting off into warm darkness before suddenly finding herself back in the woods at the stream.

Oh crap. She had to daydream about this.

She had just finished redressing, though struggled a bit with the ties on the side of the tunic as the water had been freezing and her fingers were slightly numb.

Aisling heard a twig snap and looked up, but didn't see anything. Having a small flashback of the wolf, she quickly finished and started walking back down the stream to the trail that would take her back to their camp. The guys were likely already finished up and back there, knowing them.

Rounding a bend in the stream, Aisling looked up towards the trail and came to a stop, her eyes wide and mouth opening slightly as her heart stopped and then sputtered back to life.

Haldir was bent over the water, his hands under the surface and then brought it up to splash on his face. While he was still in his boots and breeches, his tunis were off, both laid over a nearby rock. He straightened up, the water dripping down his face onto his perfectly sculpted chest. Aisling's eyes roamed his body, taking note of a scar on the lower right side of his abdomen and then another on his left bicep. God, elves really were a thing of beauty. And she found the scars made him even more attractive. For a split second, she found herself wishing she could feel those arms around her again.

But then he turned his head, his grey eyes meeting hers.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you were done," she stuttered instantly, sure that she was blushing furiously before she practically ran to the trail and not saying anything as she hurried on.

She wasn't sure just why she was acting like a skittish teenager. She had seen a man's chest before. Hell, she had seen a lot more than that. And she was a grown ass woman. And it had been an accident. So why did she feel like she had just been caught spying in the boys' locker room?

Snapping her eyes open, Aisling huffed and frowned, her relaxed mood now gone as she couldn't stop thinking about the moment. It didn't help that as she dashed past him, she was sure she saw a hint of a smile on his face. If it had really been there, he had enjoyed the moment as much as she had.

But then again, maybe she was just making that up.

Not wanting to linger in the daydream and feeling she had spent enough time lazing around, Aisling carefully lifted herself up and out of the tub and then walked over to a large cloth that had been left by the maid for her on the bed and started drying off. Casting a disappointed gaze towards her still dirty traveling clothes - the sleeve still ripped - Aisling was grateful she had at least washed her spare undertunic at the stream so it wasn't so ripe. If they intended to be here for a couple days or however long it took to find the wizard and all that, she wondered if it was possible to send her clothing off to be washed and mended, even though she had nothing else to wear. Or hell, she could fix it herself. While she mostly used a sewing machine making Halloween costumes, surely she could close up a few small holes by hand.

Quickly, Aisling dressed and then sat in front of the lit fireplace, allowing her hair to dry. Haldir had said he would come get her when it was time, so she intended to squeeze in a quick nap as long as her overactive imagination would stop fixating on Haldir's naked chest and let her.

"It doesn't matter," she murmured to herself. She would be going back soon anyway. "It doesn't matter…"

OOOO

Haldir didn't speak as he led Aisling downstairs to the now-busy tavern. While she hadn't slept as long as she wanted, she felt more rested and a nervous energy had filled her as they maneuvered through the people towards a table at the back where Aragorn and Legolas were already seated, a few plates of food already in front of them along with some tankards.

Aisling sat and turned her attention immediately to Aragorn.

"Did you find him?" she asked, her blue eyes lit up with hope. He didn't answer at first but didn't shy away from her gaze. The longer he was silent, the more worried she grew. "He is here, right?"

Finally Aragorn took a deep breath.

"I am afraid that we have missed him," Aragorn said, looking away. "He was here. However, he left but a few days ago."

Aisling's heart sank as she looked away, tears of frustration picking at her eyes. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She had been so set on finding Gandalf here that she hadn't stopped to think about what happened if they didn't find him. She was so sure that they would find him. But, now that she thought about it, nothing ever really came that easy in life, did it? Of course, they wouldn't find Gandalf in the village.

"Okay, so, he's not here. But he was here recently," she said, pushing her disappointment aside as she tried to focus on their next move. She looked back at him. "We can follow him, right?" Aragorn nodded. "Okay. So what time are we leaving tomorrow?"

"We shall stay until we can find which way he was headed. If we set out without that knowledge we very well could be moving farther away from our quarry," Aragorn said, reaching for a piece of bread. "Besides, you need the rest."

Even though she knew it was a good move, Aisling couldn't help as her frustration grew a bit more. She wanted to leave now. To find Gandalf now. She wanted answers. Now. And hadn't she proven by the end of the trip that she could hack it out in the wild? Sure she wasn't a full-on backwoods woman, but she had finally stopped complaining. Was used to being on horseback for long stretches at a time and sleeping on the ground. She had even figured out how to make a fire. Had nearly killed a wolf on her own. Legolas seemed pleased with how she was coming along with fighting, now changing up her training a bit more to suit her now that he had a better idea of what she was capable of.

That had to count for something? She didn't need to stay in the village and rest anymore than they did.

"I know it is not easy. But we will soon discover where he was headed and we will find him," Legolas said. Aisling looked over at him and nodded, forcing a smile.

"Right. I know. This isn't the end of the world. Just a minor setback. We'll find him," she said, reaching for a bowl of stew and a spoon.

As she started eating, she didn't miss the look that passed among the men, though she wasn't sure exactly what it meant. Christ, did they think she was going to lose it over this? She most certainly was not. She was made of stronger stuff. This wasn't like the wolf situation at all. Hell, if they were going to treat her with kid gloves because of that, she was going to lose it on them at some point.

"Seriously, guys. I'm fine," she said. "Besides, maybe a few days with an actual bed isn't so bad. Though… is there somewhere I could wash my clothes? Maybe get some needle and thread? I don't know about you, but my stuff is not in the best of conditions."

"I am sure something can be arranged," Aragorn said.

They settled in to eat, the three commenting on where they should go to inquire about the wizard as Aisling half-listened, her eyes roaming the tavern. There were all sorts there, though the clientele was mostly men. The few women she did see looked as though they worked there, bringing food and tankards to various tables, smoothly avoiding the few advances that came their way with a cheeky remark or smile.

She then turned and reached for her tankard, finding it empty. She frowned slightly, not realizing she had drank it so quickly. It wasn't as good as the elven wine, but it wasn't bad either. Just different. And she could use a few drinks to take the edge off.

Pushing her empty bowl away, she stood, intending to go to the bar and get another.

"Where are you going?" Haldir asked, stopping her. She held up the tankard.

"Getting another. You want one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Haldir frowned slightly.

"I do not think it wise," he said slowly. Aisling snorted.

"Trust me. I'm a big girl. I can handle my liquor," she said, turning and starting her way towards the bar.

While she got more than a few catcalls and leers, she ignored them, managing to get her refill and make it back to the table, though she immediately noticed that Haldir was stiff, his grey eyes shooting glares around the room. Legolas was doing much the same, though Aragorn only seemed relieved that she was back.

"Do not go protective on me," she said as soon as she sat, causing both elves to look at her. "Trust me. I'll be fine."

OOOO

Despite her earlier proclamation, Haldir found that Aisling was indeed, not fine. Or perhaps she was too fine… As the evening continued, she had consumed more of the mead, all the while insisting that she was fine and no where near drunk. And that the mead had nothing on some drink she called tequila.

He had managed to stop her from going to the bar herself, finding that would be nothing short of disastrous with the attention she was garnering from others. The last she had gone, she had sauntered through the now rather rowdy crowd in a way that had his eyes widening and heat filling his cheeks. It was only the looks of appreciation he saw from the other men that drew him from it, causing him to glower should any of them stare too long.

But somehow, every time he turned around, she would have a full tankard in her hand as if though by magic. He was fairly sure she had made some sort of deal with one of the women working there, as he had seen one with dark hair wink at her.

"God, all they need is music. This place would be amazing if we could dance," Aisling shouted over the noise, her cheeks rosy as she began moving her shoulders around in some sort of odd dance in her chair to music that did not exist. "Liam would love this place."

She then reached for her tankard, though Haldir placed his hand on hers.

"I believe you have had enough, Aisling," he said seriously. She stared at him a moment and then grinned, laughing loudly.

"Oh, you kill me, Hal," she said, swatting his hand away. "I told you, I'm fine. Lighten up! You've barely touched your drink all night."

She then managed to get the tankard away from him and up to her lips. Haldir looked to their companions, though Legolas seemed more amused than concerned at the moment. Aragorn only watched on with a curious look.

"She has made some sort of dealing with the barmaid," Haldir said in Sindarin. Both looked at him. "Keep an eye on the dark-haired one."

"Should we not allow her a night of merriment? She is not used to being on the road. Has well-earned it in my opinion," Legolas replied. Haldir frowned at him. Did the prince not see the seriousness of the situation?

"We are all keeping an eye on her, Haldir. She shall be fine," Aragorn then said. "Though she will likely regret her decisions in the morn."

Haldir turned back to her, seeing that she was now watching a nearby table in rapt interest. It was a group of young men, all singing boisterously some sort of bawdy ditty that was not meant for the ears of the fairer sex. He flushed in anger, intending to go tell them to stop, when he heard Aisling laugh loudly. He turned back to her, seeing her head tossed back, her auburn locks cascading passed her shoulders in fiery waves. Her blue eyes were lit up in mirth. For a moment, he could not look away, finding himself transfixed by the way she smiled and looked as though she could not possibly be any happier than in that moment.

For a moment, he wondered what else could induce such a reaction from her.

But before he could get further lost in that thought, he saw her stand and start towards the table, tankard in hand. Two of the men were now on the table, incorporating a drunken jig to the song.

"Perhaps now we should intervene," Legolas said, though Haldir was already to his feet and following her.

"Aisling…"

The men had noticed her, all of them turning to grin at her as she clinked her tankard against theirs and tossed it back, emptying its contents and evoking a loud round of cheers. She then placed it on the table as one of the men standing on the table offered her a hand and pulled her up with him.

"Hello, boys!" she shouted, as the man in question held onto her waist. Haldir saw red.

"And what is the fair lady's name?" he asked, slurring his words slightly.

"I am Aisling, and I'm no lady," she said just as boisterously, earning another round of cheers.

Dear Eru and all the Valar, what was Haldir going to do with her?

"Aisling, who is not a lady, needs a drink!" the young man who still had hold of her shouted and more cheers sounded.

"Aisling!" Haldir called out as the men started into yet another tune, the one holding Aisling attempting to dance with her.

She looked over at him, breaking out into a glorious grin.

"Join us, Hal!" she shouted, though started laughing as she lost her footing a bit. The young man managed to catch her before she toppled over, but just barely as he too was losing his balance.

"Please, come down. It is unsafe," he said, feeling very much like a nursemaid as he frowned up at her.

"Oh, Hal. Why so serious?" she asked before dissolving into giggles, obviously thinking she had made some sort of brilliant jest.

"Aisling… Ash," he said, testing out the name. She had, in fact, asked him to call her as such. And he was in great need of getting her to listen in this moment. "Please, come down and return to the table."

"I believe the lady is in good spirits here," the young man said, now sneering at him. Though upon getting a full look at Haldir, his eyes widened and his grip on Aisling loosened slightly.

Aisling turned, facing Haldir, a soft look on her face that almost had him believing she was seeing sense. She blinked a few times and sniffled.

"You called me Ash," she said softly. She then took a step towards him, not realizing how close to the edge she was and promptly pitching forward.

Haldir easily rushed up, catching her in his arms.

"I like it when you call me Ash," she said, completely unperturbed by the fact that she had fallen from the table and nearly to the floor.

Haldir sighed and adjusted his hold on her before turning and making his way towards the stairs, ignoring the cheers and lewd comments from the table. He needed to get Aisling to the safety of her room before she did anything else that would land her in trouble.

"You're so strong," Aisling commented as he made his way up the stairs. "I like strong."

"You are intoxicated," Haldir said dryly.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Aisling said before snorting and giggling. "You should try it. It's so much fun."

"Forgive me if I do not find this the place nor the time," he replied, glancing down at her. "And I feel you shall regret this in the morning."

"Eh, I regret nothing. Except that one time I slept with Tyler What's-His-Face. Oh god, I regret that."

Haldir faltered slightly as he moved down the hallway, unsure of what she was saying, but at the same time having a bit of an idea. But Aisling did not notice.

"Why are you so serious always?" she then asked, peering up at him with innocent curiosity. "Did something bad happen?"

"No, it is just how I am," he replied, finally seeing the door to her room coming into view.

"Oh. Well, okay. Something bad happened to me, and I think that made me serious. Well sometimes. It made Tiernan SUPER serious. But we can't always be serious," she continued to babble. "Sometimes you just gotta have fun, you know? Life is too short!"

Haldir opened her door and walked over to the bed, putting her down. He then looked over, seeing her fire was long out. Sighing, he walked over to start it again, not wishing for her to get cold in the night.

"You take care of me," Aisling then stated. Haldir stopped in his task and looked over at her. She was wearing an inquisitive look. "Why?"

"Because you need it, at times," he said, turning back to the fire.

"I'm not weak, you know," she said, something in her voice changing. "I can take care of myself. I'm not some, some damsel in distress that you have to constantly save. Or well… I don't want to be. I mean… I could have fucking killed that wolf without you… or well… usually I'm not like this."

Haldir paused again, then stood, turning to face her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and attempting to maintain a stoic look, but was failing miserably as he could read everything in her eyes. She did not look away in embarrassment as she likely would have were she sober.

He could see the hurt, the pain, in her eyes. But also strength and determination.

"I don't want to be like that. In my world, I'm not. I can take care of myself… but here… I just… it's so frustrating," she continued, her voice cracking. "But I don't need minders."

Haldir walked over, dropping to his knee in front of her. Aisling's eyes widened at the action. He hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking her small hands in his before looking up at her.

"I know. I do not see you as weak. Nor do I wish to be your minder," he said softly.

Aisling only stared at him, and for the first time, he could not tell what she was feeling or thinking.

"Then what do you want to be?" she finally asked softly.

Haldir felt his heart lurch. He had seen all the signs. Knew of her growing attraction for him. And of his for her. But he also knew that this was impossible. Which is why he had attempted to maintain a distance. Reminded himself constantly that she would be leaving. Even if she stayed in Middle Earth, she would eventually leave him through death.

And even though he felt himself strong, he was not sure he could handle that.

"I want to be a friend. A shoulder to cry on and comfort, should you need it. To make sure that you are able to return to your world," he said, though his heart wanted to say something more. "And to protect you."

Aisling pulled one of her hands from his, placing it on his cheek as tears glistened in her eyes. Haldir held his breath, not expecting this reaction from her.

"You can't protect me from everything," she whispered in such a way that he thought she had somehow sobered in the last few minutes.

"But I wish to. I wish to protect you from whatever pain this world may cause you," he said, for the first time in his long life speaking without thinking. Before the shock could set it, she smiled softly, now caressing his cheek in a way that had him forgetting everything but her touch, for no one had ever touched him this way.

"I think one thing our worlds have in common is that you can't stop pain from happening," she replied with much more wisdom than he expected from her in this state. It nearly sounded like something the Lady of the Wood would say. "But… I appreciate the sentiment…"

Haldir reached up, unsure of why he was acting in such a way, but finding he did not wish to waste this moment, and placed his hand on hers. He closed his eyes briefly, reveling in the moment. He then opened his eyes, looking up into hers and finding the same soft look there.

"You deserve someone who would give you the stars," he said softly, unsure of just where this was coming from.

Aisling's eyes widened slightly, her lips parting. He knew that he wanted to kiss her, but he should not. Not while she was in this state. Nor ever. She leaned forward and though reason told him to stop, he found himself pulled in, unable to fight it.

But just before their lips met, Aisling's face contorted in discomfort and she drew back suddenly, her hand now covering her mouth. Before he could ascertain what was happening, she shot off the bed over to a chamber pot in the corner, dropping to her knees as she began to heave into it.

Haldir shook his head, finally coming out of his reverie. While unfortunate for Aisling, he was grateful for the distraction, lest they had continued. He stood and walked over, dropping down next to her, and pulling her hair back.

"You should go… this is embarrassing," Aisling managed to get out before she heaved again.

"Nonsense. You are in need of aid and I shall give it," he said, the desire to take care of her now settled in.

"Oh god," she groaned.

Once she had emptied the contents of her stomach, Haldir helped her back to the bed and then poured a glass of water. He gave it to her, urging her to drink all of it. He then took the empty glass and placed it on the table and turned back to tuck her in.

"I'm not a child," she murmured, her eyes already closed.

"I know. I do not think you as such," he said softly.

He looked down, finding her already drifting off into slumber. There was something serene about her when she slept. As though the worries she carried were swept away and she was at peace. Unable to help himself, he reached out and caressed her cheek, then bent down and kissed her forehead.

"No matter what trial you may face here, I will always be at your side, Aisling," he vowed softly, knowing she did not hear him nor would she remember.

He then turned and walked to the door, stopping for a moment to look back at her before leaving. He did not go back downstairs, instead going to his room and finding it empty. Sitting on his bed, he ran his hands over his face, feeling suddenly disoriented and unsure.

He knew that it was folly, but still, his heart hoped that it was not. For he knew that what he felt for Aisling was more than mere duty.