Disclaimer Don't make me tell you again...
Broken Mirror
By Nezumi
Chapter Six: Yarë
"Ninui!" Galadriel gasped rushing over to the rather short elf, grasping her chin in her hand. The younger elf remained motionless.
"I am Skairukh now."
"No you're not. You are my yarë, you always will be. It isn't a matter of choice. I was trusted with you."
"You were trusted with me and that trust was broken," Skairukh jerked her body away. "I am no daughter of yours. You disliked my presence, I was a nuisance. A nuisance of a promise you made to my mother! And you know the identity of my father and you won't tell me. You never have told me. You keep everything secret."
"Perhaps it is not yours to know."
"That is exactly it, it is mine to know, because he is my father. I was ostracized from your woods long before the yrch took me from your hell. This is the only hell that would be served to you on a golden platter."
Galadriel's hands rested at her sides. "It is when we lose something that we come to realize its worth, is it not so?"
The elf's jaw set, "And if they remembered me; would anyone in Lothlórien welcome me in open arms?"
Just as Galadriel's lips creased, she wondered if she should have challenged her to that. Considering the idea of fleeing the scene and riding... North perhaps to Rivendell. But where would she get the horse? She would have to steal it of course, and that wouldn't do. Not only because what was left of her elven nature forbade her and it was stealing.
Very coyly, Galadriel beckoned Haldir from his post at the entrance to her realm. Standing forth, she took his arm and place him on the opposite side of Skairukh. "Do you remember the story of how you came into my graces Haldir?"
"Yes." He did not add that Rumil liked to remind him that of his imprudence, he became an officer of the Galadhrim. Rumil liked to remind him of many things, mostly that his eldest brother thought his post was folly. Haldir did not believe he bought himself into the Guard, but he certainly believed that his comments may have held certain weight with his rapid placement; as well as the Lord and Lady's company.
"What did you ask?"
His eyes were puzzled, but answered, doubt in his voice, for what purpose this served. "I inquired of a small elf that had lost her way in the forests and... cried in the night." He looked at her. This was who he had to thank for his position? A female with too sharp a tongue? There was no one here to mourn her passing; no one had then either.
"I have found you someone who remembers your passing into the hands of the yrch."
"How delicately you put it," Skairukh replied imprudently. "My passing may be remembered, but I doubt that Haldir would welcome me to his homeland with arms wide open. Would you Haldir? What would you say then?"
Haldir looked at her, as Galadriel backed away slightly, "And if I told you I would welcome you into the Golden Wood, were it my welcome to give; what would you say then?"
She stared at him, "Why?"
"Why what?" he countered.
"Why would you welcome me here when you seem to hate me so much?"
He looked at her, hoping to Elendil this wouldn't be the end of his career in the Lothlórien military, "Because not everything is as it appears to be. Sometimes love is hate and hate is love, while resentment can be fondness and fondness can be resentment."
"That isn't what I asked," she replied, still completely puzzled. "I asked why. You did not receive me on the borders with open arms to say the least."
"I don't like many people that resent the Lady of the Golden Wood," he replied. "Or have any revenge stirring in their hearts against her."
Skairukh looked away, "Then you welcome many people."
"Except dwarves, and those who bring evil. If they only wish to stay to regain strength or the like," he replied with a small shrug. "You also smelled quite foul if I do recall."
"As if smell says much about a soul!"
"You don't know much about enemies then," he replied. "You smell rather lovely now if that's any consolation."
"You're not a poet, Haldir," she replied. "Galadriel, if you wish to help me then give me my old horse and let me leave."
"No one stops you but yourself," she replied placidly. Her dainty hands folded in front of her, and Skairukh's heart clenched up. She ran away from the garden, as fast her legs could carry her, to the dense forest. "Haldir."
He stopped his unconscious exit. "Yes milady?"
"I will pass into the West and I fear there will be no one to maintain Lothlórien's beauty."
The elf squinted, momentarily wondering what she wanted, "You want Skairukh to remain in Lothlórien? She claims she hates these woods."
Galadriel looked into the water. "She may profess that she hates it, but you know as well as I an elf can't really hate and remain the way they are. They become wretched things, distorted and ugly, miserable. But she will not. And it isn't her alone I want to manage Lothlórien." Her eyes fell upon his head. "I did not make you a commander for nothing Haldir."
Haldir took a small step back.
"You do not know. It is a odd feeling for our people to feel is it now? When we are uncertain of each other's... emotions. An elf greatly knows which way he favors when he ponders, he ponders for the sheer delight of thinking differently. However, your uncertainty of information causes you anguish. For that I have a cure, for your choice, I do not. I adopted Ninui when her mother died giving birth, her father's name I cannot tell you."
A wave of persistence washed over Haldir, "Why?"
"Because I cannot bring myself to tell her... If you've noticed, Celeborn has always had a fond affection for her. And I suppose he had already seen her within a few hours of her arrival. I will consider him her father, not by blood, but by love and isn't that all that matters?"
.-*-.
A.N. So incredibly sorry. I lied. I said the 18th. Or was it the 17th? At any rate, its the 20th. I so sorry. But I am so glad people like this! ^.^ Hopefully new chapter soon. Bug me, it comes. ^.^ Oh and Yarë is the word for daughter. So long! Have a peachy day!
P.S. Saw The Two Towers. You did what to the story!?!? Haldir doesn't die and the elves are NOT at Helm's Deep. Stupid Peter Jackson. Stupid stupid man! You could have at least let Haldir be at Pelennor Fields. .