Days and weeks flew by it seemed, and Haldir and Rhyiel spent more and more time together. Haldir rarely left Rhyiel's side, and she would by most distressed if he left her for more than a few hours. Often they would share a bed during the colder winter evenings, and they would sleep, wrapped in each other's embrace. No less than twice had Rhyiel been visited by both Arwen and Legolas during this period, and they were the only two, besides Galadriel, who knew about Rhyiel's closer relationship with Haldir.

"Haldir…" Rhyiel pressed her head into his shoulder and he pulled her into a solemn embrace. "The time will soon come that I must track down my evil sister."
"I will be there with you until the end, Rhyiel, melamin…" An ethereal tear worked its way down her weather-beaten face.
"It is much too soon an end, I fear. I do not want to leave Lorien… I do not want to leave you…"
"I know, my dearest one, I do not want you to leave at all… But can it be helped?"
"It cannot be helped." Haldir stroked her pale cheek and touched his lips to her forehead. Snow fell all around them as they stood in the deserted archery range, oblivious to the increasing cold.

"Rhyiel! Do you not think it best that you both remove yourselves from this cold day?" The two both quickly pushed themselves from each other and turned to the speaker. Rhyiel flushed when she realised that it was only Arwen. "Come out of the snow. You both look cold enough to have been carved from ice!" Rhyiel smiled.
"Dear Arwen, dear child, I will not freeze this day. Though I will surely soon…"
"The days close too quickly, Rhyiel. I should not wish you to go."
"I know Arwen. There are too many that I will leave behind when I go." Arwen paced through the snow and took Haldir's other arm.
"Now come, Warrior," she winked at him. "Escort us to the main hall, where there is food and music enough to lift many spirits." Haldir glanced slyly between the two women, and took Rhyiel's arm in his, placing light kiss on the top of her head before they marched to the hall.

As they stepped into the hall they were greeted with a pleasurable warmth and the sounds of many voices blending together as one beauteous harmony. The voices of his brothers called to Haldir, but they were distant to him for the moment. He was in the company of his lady, and was unwilling to shift. Other voices called to Arwen, and she left them again, like a snow-covered leaf on a breeze. Rhyiel and Haldir wandered in and out of the company, taking an offered glass of wine, as it showed itself, but always wishing that they were elsewhere. Almost no one knew about their relationship, and both of them were determined not to let anyone else know. The midnight hour came and passed slowly, and silently they drifted from the room, noticed by only a few.

"I am tired, Haldir…" Rhyiel whispered to him, feigning a yawn. "Let us away to bed, so that I may sleep."
"Of course, my lady, melamin. You need to conserve your energy…"
"I want to start preparations to leave on the morrow… But now, I just want to be with you." A sad smile played upon Haldir's lips, and that same joyous sorrow stared up at him through her eyes.
"Yes, let us away to bed, melamin. I am also tired." They walked wordlessly back to Rhyiel's quarters where they knew a fire blazed in the hearth so that the room would be warm when they arrived back.

As the grey light of the winter morning finally lightened the skies, Rhyiel and Haldir awoke from a short and fitful sleep. It felt to them that they had barely closed their eyes. Haldir pulled the warm furs that covered them tighter around them.
"Oh, for that light to be the light of only a candle, then I would be momentarily happy."
"Love, that is the morning light. We must arise."
"I know, melamin." Haldir spoke softly to her, kissing her bare shoulders as he pulled her closer to him.
"We must arise…" she said, unwillingly trying to push him away from her. He held fast to her and she collapsed against him, uncaring to struggle with him. "You arrogant bastard… You would delay this as long as possible, would you not?"
"You know that I would, Rhyiel." A wicked smile masked his innermost feelings of sorrow. "Would that I could delay it forever, and that we could spent eternity in each other's grasp. I cannot, however, although I wish dearly that I could."
"Kiss me then, you fool, and later shall we make preparations to leave. I am no more anxious to leave than you are to see me go." His lips brushed against hers and trailed a line down the slender column of her throat. She murmured sweet nothings to him as he did this, and she traced her fingers down his lean-muscled body.
"I should not want to leave you ever…" she whispered to him as he thrilled and tormented her, and as he shuddered at her own touch beside her.
"Nor I you, Rhyiel. Nor I you." Together, they knew they would hold to each other until the end, no matter what fate had in store for them.

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