Disclaimer:
All recognizable characters and places belong to Tolkien, the rest are my creation. No copyright infringements are intended; this story was written purely for entertainment and no money is being made off it.
Feedback: LadyoftheRings35@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 for some violence and apprehensive situations.
Summary:
When a young Ranger comes to stay with the Elves of Lothlórien and is accused of taking an irreplaceable crystal, Haldir must decide if she is working for the Enemy—or for some deeper purpose.
Series:
None
Spoilers:
None
The Midnight Kitten: Yes, it might well turn into a Haldir romance but I'm not sure yet. It depends on how her character develops. It might be one of those she-loves-him-but-he-doesn't-love-her-back subplots, but I just don't know yet. You're right, Haldir never got his deserved appreciation, and it was pretty sad that they killed him in the movie. Also, personally, there are a LOT of slash stories about Haldir, and while I have nothing against slash stories, really, we could use a bit more of a mixed type of stuff about our favorite arrogant elf. :D
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Daughter of the Dúnedain
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Chapter Two
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Haldir tracked the human, and murder was in his eyes.
Grim-faced healers had taken Laegheneb away while guards checked the storage rooms. Nothing was taken except for a pair of single, round crystals about the size to fit in the palm of a hand. The crystals, though, had no particularly special properties except the ability to keep track of which elves were out guarding the borders and where. They acted much like a tracking device, and so Lady Galadriel had kept them locked away, refusing to use them.
Now they was gone. In the wrong hands, the information of the position of Lórien's defenders could be devastating.
The Ranger, Laegheneb had said. There was only one Ranger in Lothlórien, and she had subsequently disappeared. Haldir, dazed with grief, had picked up her trail just outside of the City, and had gone after her without waiting for reinforcements.
He could hear her frantic breathing—she wasn't far ahead now. Blind with anger he sprang lightly into the trees, passing her below and then springing down to block her path.
Mîdhlim froze, and Haldir was briefly struck by how young and terrified she appeared. And well she should! he thought fiercely, advancing with his double knives drawn. If Laegheneb does not live, she deserves to die!
"Why did you take the crystals?" he snarled, backing her up with the points of his knives just touching her throat.
"I d-didn't take them," she stammered. A lie, he read it easily in her face. Haldir drew back his sword to strike her dead and she cried out, dropping to her knees and covering her head with her hands, pleading for mercy.
"Tell me why you took the crystals," Haldir said, staying his hand, his dark eyes flashing with anger.
"I-I had to," she sobbed. "I had to!"
"Why?" Haldir shouted.
"I can't say!" she shouted back, her head snapping up. Once again, desperation shone in her eyes, her face twisted in anguish. "I never meant to hurt him," she whispered suddenly. "Is—is he going to be all right?"
Haldir's stroke barely missed her head as she rolled clear. "How is he?" Haldir cried. "Half-dead, is how he fares! If he dies, your life is forfeit!"
Mîdhlim wept, rocking back and forth on the ground. "I never meant to hurt him," she moaned.
Haldir seized a fistful of her hair and dragged her too her feet. "Why?" he demanded. "Why did you take the crystals?"
"I don't have them anymore," she said softly. "I had to. I had to. I did not have a choice. Do you think if I had had a choice, I would have?"
Haldir searched her eyes, his cheeks flushed with anger. "I do not know," he said in a dangerously calm tone.
"Sister! What have you done?"
Haldir turned at the sound of a human voice. A young man hurried towards them, a slight limp in one leg, followed by Rúmil and Orophin. Mîdhlim gave a terrified yelp and jerked free of Haldir's grasp, running down the smooth hill.
Quick as thought Haldir strung his bow and his arrow would have killed Mîdhlim there had Rúmil's not reached his side and knocked the bow aside. Shouting in anger, Haldir turned on his brother, who merely stood there, his face full of sorrow but no anger. Haldir stopped short then, remember this was his brother, and no enemy of his.
"Forgive me," he murmured, turning back as the second Ranger hauled Mîdhlim up by her ear. She squeaked in pain and twisted, but the Ranger grimly tightened his hold on her lobe and dragged her towards the elves.
The Ranger stopped in front of him and bowed respectfully. "I apologize for my sister's behavior," the Ranger said. "We have kept her under close eye for many months now because of her tendency to be…unstable. About four weeks ago she escaped us, and we tracked her here—though perhaps not in time, I fear." The young man's face was full of sorrow. "Hithlim is my name
"She is charged with the attempted murder of one of our guards, and of theft," Orophin spoke up, giving Mîdhlim a dark look.
Mîdhlim was doing something strange though; she kept catching Rúmil's eyes and jerking her head towards the trees over their heads. The elf stared at her, puzzled, until Hithlim noticed and gave Mîdhlim a little shake. "She has uncontrollable twitches, it's part of her disability," he explained. Mîdhlim squirmed, trying to break free, but Hithlim caught her shoulder in an iron grip. "I'm so sorry," the Ranger added, his face full of sorrow. "We tracked her as quickly as we could, but the mad can still be cunning."
With an effort, Rúmil drew his eyes away from the odd girl and nodded. "We understand," he said when Haldir was quiet. "We should be getting back to the City. Dark comes early during this part of the year."
"Do we have anything to bind her with? I don't want her to hurt herself."
Mîdhlim cried silently when the elves bound her hands, and Hithlim lead her like a dog on a leash. Her pace was slow and she kept her eyes on the ground, her hair falling into her face. Rúmil felt sorrow for the girl, of course, but also puzzlement. What had been behind her strange head jerking? It would have made more sense if she was trying to signal that she didn't trust her brother, but her motions had not been in his direction.
What was over her head? Trees, and a bit of sky…nothing unusual.
He was so contemplative that he didn't notice that Mîdhlim was staggering until she fell to her knees, shaking.
Hithlim tugged on the rope that bound her hands. "Come on, sister," he cooed. "Not far now!"
"Tired," she whimpered. "Can't…go on."
"You managed to go on from Rivendell, evading us," Hithlim pointed out, not unkindly. "It's only another few miles."
She was shaking her head all the way through his words. "No," she said. "I'm not going and you can't force me."
"But we can carry you," Hithlim threatened.
"Then carry me. I'm not walking any further."
"Or we could drag you."
"We do not have time for this!" Orophin was eyeing the forest with growing concern. "I sense danger. We must get to the City."
"Agreed." Haldir stooped and threw Mîdhlim over his shoulder. "Let us hurry."
The elves set off at a steady trot, dusk falling around their ears, Hithlim trailing a few feet behind.
They were not far from the City walls when Orophin staggered suddenly, gasping. An arrow pieced his shoulder. Rúmil cried out and pushed Haldir to one side, dragging Orophin behind one tree. Haldir cupped his hands around his mouth and made the bird call that was a cry for help.
Arrows filled the air, the elves sheltering under the boughs of the trees, trying to find where the archers were hidden. Haldir knelt by Mîdhlim who was being held down by her brother. His sharp eyes caught movement in the foliage above. A quick shot took the archer down. He heard answering twangs from Rúmil's bows. Each arrow brought down an archer until finally the barrage of arrows stopped.
Haldir turned to ask if Hithlim was all right, but the Ranger and Mîdhlim were gone.
"Orophin? Orophin!" Haldir broke cover and rushed to his brother's side, concern written across his features.
Rúmil was kneeling by the downed elf, his face serious as he probed the wound. Orophin was pale as Haldir dropped to his knees next to him.
"You always said I'd get myself in trouble, brother," Orophin said, trying to smile.
Haldir felt his eyes brimming with tears. "You're not in trouble yet, Orophin. You are going to be fine."
Rúmil looked up. "Where is Hithlim?"
"He and Mîdhlim both disappeared during the battle. I believe they went for help. Why?"
Rúmil's face grew even more serious. "Haldir, this was not an unplanned attack. Someone was waiting for us. Someone who knew we were going to take this way. Someone who managed to get around our sentries on the border."
"The Crystals," Orophin whispered.
Rúmil looked down and smiled affectionately. "My older brother finally listened to his tutors, ah? A first, to be sure!"
"Is he all right?" Haldir demanded, giving Rúmil a this-is-no-place-for-jokes look.
"As long as he remembers he's an elf and not a half-blind human, and remembers to duck next time he will grow to be very old indeed," Rúmil said, his voice on the verge of laughter.
"I've half a mind to spank you, brother," Orophin threatened.
Rúmil's smile widened. "You would have to duck my arrows, Orophin."
Haldir wearied of their banter. "Come, we must find Hithlim and his charge, and get you back to the City."
Orophin nodded and Rúmil lifted him carefully into his arms. Haldir knelt next to one of the fallen archers. He was like no man he had ever seen, dark skinned and dark haired, his skin the color of dark brown. Haldir frowned, searching him for any sign of identification.
A paid killer, Haldir thought in wonder, sitting back on his heels. These men were hired for the express purpose of killing us. But why?
Haldir's head snapped up at the same time there was a warning cry from Rúmil. The wind shifted and Haldir's ears caught the sound of screaming. The City!
It was no wonder they had not answered my call for help, he realized, running to catch up with Rúmil and Orophin.
He caught up with his brother and the three elves ran like the wind towards their beloved City, a City that had been the only home they ever had. Haldir had desperately hoped he had misheard, but his nose told him otherwise. When he came with in sight of the City, he realized with a sinking sense of dread that the attack on both them and on Laegheneb had been only a distraction.
The City was on fire.
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