Chapter 20

Holly knew she had just about narrowly dodged a conversation about where their 'relationship' was going. Haldir had let the subject drop, she knew this, but he was stubborn and forward and he would bring it up again, she was certain. It was now morning and she was laying in bed, enjoying the warm rays of sun that streamed through her open window. She had slept fitfully, nervous for her first day of training with Lord Elrond, but also unused to the eerie silence of Imladris at night. There was no sound of the rustling of leaves in the wind, or the the soft pitter-patter of squirrels and other woodland creatures. The elves attracted many animals to their presence and Lothlorien was always filled with the murmuring sounds of wildlife. In Imladris, peaceful and serene as it was, she could hear nothing save for the chirps of crickets and the distant sound of running water. It was not quite the same.

She hadn't thought of what Haldir had said to her until this morning. She had been so exhausted the night before that she had fallen asleep almost instantly. If only she had remained in that state, but instead she woke several times, tossing and turning and pacing around her room. Elves did not need much sleep, but stress and exhaustion affected them much the same as their human counterparts. What she wouldn't give this morning for a cup of coffee. Did they have that in Middle-Earth? Perhaps she would request the strongest tea possible at breakfast.

Breakfast! It was still early, just after dawn, but she did not want to be late. Holly dressed quickly in her simple blue healer's gown and donned her boots. She pulled her hair into her favoured side braid and washed her face quickly. She glanced at her appearance in the mirror. No bags under her eyes, no dark circles. Ah, these elves had it too easy. During her human days she'd have looked quite the sight right about now, but in her current form she looked no worse for wear. Thank Elbereth for small mercies.

Holly left her chambers and shut the door quietly behind her so as not to disturb any of her neighbours. She walked down the hall and past Haldir's door. She paused ever so quickly, but upon not sensing any movement from inside, determined that he must have already gone down to the dining hall for breakfast. She would likely find him there, or perhaps already on the training grounds. Haldir often rose before the sun, strange elf that he was.

Holly managed to recall the way to the dining hall without too much trouble. As she entered, she was offered a hot beverage in a earthenware mug by one of the serving elves. She took it gratefully and thanked the elf, who simply nodded and gestured for her to enter the hall. With her mug of mystery beverage in hand, she made her way to the table and plopped herself beside an elf with very familiar silvery-blonde hair. Haldir looked over to her and smiled,

"Good morning, elanor." he said, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he spoke. Holly furrowed her brows in confusion,

"Who is elanor?" she asked, setting her cup down beside the plate in front of her, eyeing the fruits and nuts and assortments of spreads and jams for bread greedily.

Haldir raised a hand let his fingers entwine themselves in a lock of her hair, which had come loose from her braid and hung by her cheek. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she felt his fingertips almost imperceptibly graze her cheekbone. "You know what elanor is. I call you elanor for that is what you smell like."

Holly sniffed the end of her braid, "I do?"

Haldir nodded, "Always."

"I guess it's the hair soap I use. I don't really know where it came from, it was given to me when I first arrived in Lothlorien and I've somehow found my stores of it constantly replenished ever since." she answered with a shrug, "I'm glad you like it."

Haldir glanced around quickly and seeing that no one was in the immediate vicinity save for some elves she did not recognize, he picked up her hand in his and brought her knuckles to his lips, leaving a soft kiss there before saying, "I do, it reminds me of home."

Holly resisted the urge to launch her face at his, it was only just after dawn, after all. Instead she gave him a soft smile from behind lowered lids, allowing her eyes to flutter closed as he kissed the back of her hand. He pulled his hand down slowly but did not let go of hers, and instead clasped as he continued to pick at what was left of his breakfast. Although impractical, Holly was also loathe to wiggle her hand from his grip, and opted instead to eat and drink one-handed for the time being.

She sipped at the hot drink in the mug that had been given to her. It tasted fresh and invigorating. It did not have the comforting effect of a hot cup of coffee, but as with most elvish things created with a specific purpose, it succeeded in energizing her just enough. She swirled the warm liquid around in her mouth, tasting the fresh fruitiness and the distinctly 'green' flavour,

"Haldir, do you know what this is" she asked thoughtfully, trying to pick apart the flavours and guess before he could answer. He took the cup from her and sniffed it, then took a small sip,

"It is a tea made in Imladris, one of Lord Elrond's own concoctions. I have not been able to find it in either Lothlorien or Mirkwood, though I think Galadriel has some in her own personal stores. Lord Elrond will not reveal all of the ingredients, but I always thought I could taste nettle, elderflower and some sort of berry."

"Maybe he'll share his secrets with me today!" Holly said enthusiastically, reminding Haldir of her first lesson with Lord Elrond. He set the cup down and gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go. Holly suppressed a sigh,

"Are you looking forward to your first lesson?" he asked her, clearing the last of the fruit from his plate. Holly finished chewing her own morsel before swallowing exaggeratedly,

"A little nervous, to be quite honest." she answered. Haldir gave her a sympathetic smile,

"Having taken lessons from Lord Elrond myself, I can assure you that while he is a very exacting instructor, you will find that he is far more diplomatic than Nestarion. If you have gotten used to our Healer's ways, I'm sure you will find Lord Elrond more than tolerable." he answered, giving her a light pat on the shoulder. Holly shrugged him off,

"No, I'm not exactly worried about Lord Elrond, I'm more worried about myself." she answered quietly.

"You're nervous that you will not perform to his expectations? That you will not rise to meet the reputation that precedes you?" he asked, rather bluntly, she thought. Holly raised her eyebrows,

"You don't mince your words, do you?" she said dryly. Haldir smiled and shook his head,

"No, no. I do not mean to say that this is the truth of the matter, only that I understand your fears. I do not think you have anything to fear. The Lady would not have sent you here if you were not ready." he said. Holly only nodded along, "Unless that is not really what you are afraid of?"

"What do you mean?" she asked. Haldir rolled his eyes,

"Come, now, Holly, we both know you are far too intelligent and self-aware for me to believe you do not know why you are truly nervous." he said, giving her a look of shrewd disbelief. Holly rolled her eyes back at him,

"If you're talking about the mystery that is my parentage, then yes, that is exactly why I'm nervous. I'm not sure I'm ready to know all of this." she said, fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. Haldir let out a quiet sigh, though it did not sound exasperated or impatient,

"You have nothing to fear. It's not as though Lord Elrond would simply...spring that kind of sensitive information on you. I'm sure he will only offer what he knows when you inquire." he said. Holly nodded but said nothing. She left the last of her fruits and nuts on her plate and picked it up, getting to her feet. Haldir followed suit and followed her to the dais that led out of the room. Holly set her plate down on the small cart by the door, mimicking Haldir's practised motions.

"I should go," she began, turning back toward him, wringing her hands in front of her, "I don't want to be late meeting Lord Elrond."

"Do you know where you're going?" Haldir asked her, amused.

"Err, not quite." she said sheepishly, letting out a quiet giggle. Haldir shook his head and offered her his arm. Holly took it and allowed him to lead her down the main hall and down the set of stairs they had first come up on their arrival. Holly tried to memorize the route so she could find her way back later. Haldir was walking slowly, slower than she wanted to be going. He wanted to speak to her, she could tell. It was practically radiating off of him. He wasn't nervous, only determined. She prepared herself mentally for the conversation that she knew was coming.

He had brought her to a small garden. It was nestled in a cozy enclave surrounded by stone walls covered in several varieties of vines and ivies. Haldir pointed to a door down the hallway they had just walked down and said, "That is Lord Elrond's study," he then pointed at a larger, double door a few feet down from the smaller one, "And that is where you can find the Houses of Healing."

Holly nodded, "Great, thank you. I guess I should be going."

Haldir pulled her arm gently and guided her toward a stone slab bench along one of the stone walls, "Not yet, if you don't mind. I wish to speak to you."

Holly gulped and gave a short nod. She found that suddenly her mouth was very dry. She sat down beside him on the bench and placed her hands under her thighs to stop their shaking. She waited for him to begin and he needed no encouragement, launching into what was clearly a prepared statement,

"Holly," he began slowly. Holly wondered if she could detect a slight waver in his voice, but brushed the thought aside, "Holly, I want you to know that I care for you a great deal."

Holly's heart felt like it was flying into her throat. She felt suddenly incapable of speaking. Was he about to break up with her before they even got together? She had been nervous to have this discussion with him, but not because she didn't like him, but because she was anxious about what that meant for them. This, she had not been expecting. Haldir seemed to sense her concern and he immediately shook his head,

"I can see I phrased that badly and that similar phrases are also used in your world when one is trying to...cut someone loose, so to speak." he said with a smile. He reached out and took her wrist in his hand and pulled her hand out from under her leg. "That is not what I meant, quite the opposite, in fact."

"Oh?" was all she could manage, before he continued on.

"I only meant that, well, I care for you a great deal. You are beautiful, and kind, and intelligent, and a wonderful mystery to me."

Holly's breath hitched in her throat. She inched her face toward his almost involuntarily. His hand came up to touch her cheek, his thumb grazing over he lower lip.

"You know, I believe, that is it customary for elves to take lovers, have relationships...before bonding themselves to another." he whispered, his mouth so very close to hers. She nodded, but not enough to shake his hand from her face. He was still holding one of her hands in his. She removed the other from under her leg and brought it to his thigh, resting it there. She saw his chest heave as he took a deep breath, "And what I am trying to say is that while I do not know where this will go, I would like to find out."

He closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply. Holly threw her arms around his neck and clutched at his hair, deepening the kiss. His arms moved to snake around her waist and before she knew it, he had hoisted her onto his lap, on hand resting on her hip, the other pulling her closer to him. He tasted of fruits and the tea they had sampled this morning. His lips were soft, but demanding against her own. She felt his tongue run softly across her bottom lip and shivered in delight. Holly felt him smirk against her lips at her reaction. She let out a raspy giggle she felt his urgency growing beneath her. He pulled back and cocked his signature eyebrow at her, "I do not enjoy being laughed at."

Holly smiled and placed a soft peck on the tip of his nose, "I know."

Haldir shook his head, a few strands of hair falling out of his neat braids, likely a result of her roaming hands, "Are you going to answer me or keep laughing at me?"

"Wasn't that an answer?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. He laughed and rested his forehead against hers, his hands now resting gently on her waist. Holly relished the warm feeling and wished they never had to move from this place.

"Not an explicit one, no." he answered with a challenging look that said 'I'm not letting you joke your way out of this one'. Holly let out a small sigh,

"If I must answer you explicitly, I would say 'ditto'." she answered. Haldir looked confused,

"What is ditto?" he asked. Holly smiled,

"It means 'same for me,' or 'me too'."

Haldir returned her smile and bestowed a small kiss on her lips. They sat there for a few more moments, alternating kissing and simply holding each other. Holly felt relieved. She had been worried that he would tell her that he was simply having fun, or wasn't looking for anything serious, or something of the like. It was a foolish thing to think, for while she knew that elves were not monks or saints, neither were they loose or free with their affections. Lovers were common amongst unattached elves, she knew this, but it was never without affection and caring. In short, elves took lovers, but only lovers they cared for. Taking a lover was a test, an experiment before deciding whether or not to bond with another. Once bonded, their union was eternal, physical, mental and all-encompassing. There was no turning back and their fea would remain linked together forever.

She no longer felt nervous and anxious while looking at him, only bold and excited. She wanted to know him more, not as friends and not in the nerve-wracking way they had grown closer while travelling together. Not tip-toeing around each other and existing in a constant state of uncertainty and tension.

"Holly, I would like to court you. Formally." he said, finally, releasing her waist and taking her hands in his again. Holly blinked,

"Formally? As in what? We must be escorted by a chaperone at all times? You request permission to see me? Discuss my dowry with my parents? Good luck with that, by the way." she said sarcastically. Haldir shook his head with a laugh,

"Is that what courting means in the human world? In your world?" he asked.

"In the human world here, I don't know. It's not like that at home either, at least not anymore." she answered.

"It has changed?" he asked, inviting her to elaborate.

"Yes, it used to be very structured like that, with couples not being able to spend any time alone together before marriage. But things are very different now. There aren't really any rules anymore, people just do as they please. You can be lovers without having any sort of formal relationship, but a lot of people choose only to have a physical relationship with those they care for." she explained, trying not to stutter over the words 'physical' and 'relationship'.

Haldir nodded in understanding "Then in this your ways are very similar to those of the eldar." he said. "Holly, I want you to know that I do not expect us to rush in. We have eternity."

"I know," she said, with a smile. She climbed off of his lap at last, much to Haldir's chagrin. He stood and offered his hands to help her up. She took them and allowed herself to be pulled up by his strong arms. He pulled her forward to him and held her against his chest,

"I look forward to it." he said. Holly cocked her head to the side,

"To what, Haldir?" she asked.

"To seeing where this goes." he replied. Holly, far more confident than before, leaned in and pressed a soft, confirmative kiss on his lips.

After their little chat, Haldir had left Holly at Lord Elrond's door, promising that he would be at the training grounds all day if ever she needed him. Holly stood there now, nervous but prepared to face her new instructor and formidable Lord of Imladris. Emboldened by her fruitful conversation with Haldir and far less preoccupied than before, she felt ready, at last. She rapped at the door quickly and awaited an answer. After a brief moment, she heard a distant 'come in', and pushed the heavy door open.

Lord Elrond's office was spectacular. There were plants everywhere, on every table, every shelf, on the floor and hanging from the high ceilings. How do they water those? She wondered. For every plant she saw, there was also a loose book laying around on tables, chairs and coffee tables. In a corner, seated at a large writing desk, she saw Lord Elrond, nearly hidden away by another pile of books. Suddenly, as though on just noticing her, he sprang to his feet and glided his way over to where she stood. With a hand on his heart he gave a small bow. Holly returned the gesture with a polite smile,

"Thank you, Lord Elrond, for agreeing to teach me." she managed to say despite her awe of him. Not unlike at their first meeting, Lord Elrond emanated an aura of wisdom and deep knowledge and understanding. Although his face was ageless, as with all other elves, his eyes held a familiar quality that she had only ever seen in the faces of the wise – Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and Mithrandir himself. Elrond bestowed his kindest smile on her and she felt immediately reassured,

"It is a pleasure. Lady Galadriel has spoken very highly of you and your progress. And, of course, I could not pass up the opportunity to meet the recently returned Ercassiel." he said, gesturing for her to sit down on the sofa nearest them. She did, and he sat across from her on a large, comfortable looking chaise.

"I realize that I am quite an oddity. I have only recently come to terms with my past, as well." she answered. Elrond nodded thoughtfully,

"Yes, of course. I am sure it has all been quite a lot to take in. No matter, there will be plenty of time for that. You must be growing accustomed to the concept of 'forever', but believe me when I say we have plenty of time to discuss that." he answered. With those words, letting her know that the ball was in her court, or so to speak, Holly exhaled a sigh of relief. "You are here to learn. Shall we begin?"

Holly nodded, "Yes, I'd like that."

"Very well, let us begin with the plants. As you can see, I cultivate many myself..."

With that, Holly was immersed, thrown-in, engulfed and enraptured.

"This?" asked Elrond, pointing at a dark, leafy plant with small spines along the edges of the rounded leaves. Holly screwed up her nose in thought,

"Delugwin, Fellvine." she answered confidently. Elrond nodded and pointed to another plant, a few feet away, "Easy – athelas, Kingsfoil."

"Good. Uses?" he asked. Holly thought for a moment,

"Poisons, staving off inflammation, pestilence, fever, and wounds of dark magic. A very powerful, potent herb."

"Yes." he answered simply, before pointing to another plant. They went on like this for most of the afternoon. The morning had been spent learning the names of the plants and their specific uses, and now he seemed to be administering a 'quiz' of some sort. Elrond was insistent that she be able to codify and identify all of the relevant herbs and medicinal plants before she be allowed to administer them to patients. Only after would they move on to more sophisticated forms of healing. Elrond was a firm believer in the profound power and confidence that knowledge brought, and while he was pleased with the knowledge she had acquired from Nestarion, he saw much room for improvement and expansion. Holly was drinking it all in, absorbing the newness of it all like a sponge. Soon it was time to end their first lesson. Holly had been so focused on her new work she had forgotten to eat. Her stomach growled in a very un-elf-like way and she only shrugged in apology. Lord Elrond's previously serious face broke into a very fatherly smile and she gestured toward the door,

"I believe we can end here for the day. Forgive me, I was so caught up I neglected our lunch. I will have some food brought to us during future lessons." he said, guiding her toward the door.

"Thank you, it's fine, really. I was often guilty of the same thing in Lothlorien. Nestarion would always threaten to have me thrown from the healing telain if I could not remember to eat. He said it affected my focus." she answered.

"A wise elf, Nestarion. Shall we meet here again at the same time tomorrow? Perhaps we may continue this way, lessons for two days then a day to yourself, to enjoy your time in Imladris. I'm sure Haldir would be very grateful if I released his companion to him on occasion." he said, with a knowing smile. Holly was suddenly keenly aware of how close to his study she and Haldir had been that morning.

"That would be fine." she responded, opening the great wooden door. "Thank you for today."

"You're welcome, child. I look forward to your next lesson." he answered, closing the door behind her.

Holly made her way down the hall, trying to remember the route Haldir had shown her this morning. Once she found her way to the dining hall, which was at the centre of Imladris, she could find her way to her chambers, or to the training grounds where she thought she might find Haldir. She had no idea what time it was, but she felt it must be nearer to dinner time, judging by just how hungry she felt.

After a few moments and only one wrong turn, she saw the familiar dais of the dining hall. To the left of her, then, would be the path that brought one down to the main gates and the training grounds, archery fields and stables. Holly picked up her skirts and made her way there at a brisk pace. She could hear the clang of steel on steel before she even saw the spar. She rounded the corner and saw a flurry of black and blonde hair, the sight of two elven warriors sparring. Blonde hair being rather uncommon in Imladris, she recognized one of the elves immediately. It was Haldir, sparring with an elf she did not recognize. On the edge of the training grounds sat several elleth, as well as the Peredhel twins.

Holly made her way over to the twins and sat down on the grass beside them. One of them, she could not tell which, bumped her shoulder with his and wiggled his eyebrows in the direction of Haldir and his currently nameless opponent. Elladan, then. Holly realized why – they were sparring shirtless, their chests hardly glistening with sweat, and the gaggle of she-elves sat on the edge of the grounds were swooning and fawning over the mysterious arrival of their Marchwarden from Lothlorien.

"Eru, I envy the elleth of Lorien for having such a protector." said one, a pretty brown-haired elleth with green-blue eyes. Her friend beside her sighed,

"These Silvan elves are much broader than the Noldor. What I wouldn't give to be held in such strong arms."

Holly choked back a laugh, glancing at Elladan with a smirk.

"Still, Ruthion is fairing quite well against him and shows no signs of tiring." said the brown-haired one. Her darker-haired friend made a tutting sound,

"Yes, but the Marchwarden looks as though he could go on forever. He is practically toying with Ruthion!" she exclaimed, both in awe and in frustration. Suddenly the spar seemed to end, with both elves consenting to a tie. It seemed unlike Haldir to agree to a standstill, but she supposed he was being respectful in the realm of his kinsfolk. He bowed to the dark-haired Ruthion and ran a hand through his now-loose hair. He sheathed his sword at his belt and raised his head to look straight ahead. Seeing Holly sitting there, beside Elladan, his face broke into a smile.

The ellyth sighed in delight, and so did Holly.

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Here's another update for you. I'm not very sure about this chapter, but I felt like things needed to move forward a little bit. Please tell me what you think about the pacing, as I'm not too sure, myself.

I've worked out a little more of where this story will go, so that's good news for you. Not much more to say than that :) I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, so bear with me if my fic updates are a little slow in the month of November, as my focus will definitely be on my novel. I promise to update, though :) To everyone who reviewd and followed and favourited, thank you! Please continue to pester me in reviews, they're very motivating :) xoxo