I'd like to thank all my reviewers, Tolkien, and coffee for making this story what it is today. * sigh * Coffee. Too bad they didn't have it in Middle Earth. I've always wanted to see a caffeinated Elf.

Questions

"And then he gave me this."

Danali held up a small longbow, it's smooth gossamer length gilded with silver Elven runes that wrapped around the handle and stretched to the ends. She held it out proudly for the brothers to see; never before had she owned something so fine, and from an Elven king no less. The other three widened their eyes, and Haldir smiled in appreciation of the gift.

They had eaten a delicious meal, and were now seated in front of the fire. Rumil was reclining in a chair, and the others were sprawled out on the floor haphazardly, snatching what relaxation they could get. After Rumil had retrieved Danali from Celeborn, he had been strangely silent, almost sullen, and hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the incident. Now it was he who broke the peace.

"So what does he want you to do now, serve in the Guard? Shall I tell them to build guardrails on the flets in preparation?" His icy stare fell on the girl, who was taken aback by the sheer malice in his tone. Danali met his glare with the same ferocity, but the Elf merely sneered. "Shall I assign you a personal guard to ensure that you do not run away without telling people?"

Haldir sat up swiftly. "Rumil, that's enough."

Danali felt the anger swell, it's hot-cold tendrils surging up her spine. She put her bow on the floor and sat up straighter, her cheeks flushed. "What on earth is your problem? You're the one who fell asleep, you know."

Rumil rolled his eyes as his features twisted into exasperated anger and he flung his arms out over the sides of the chair. "Oh, yes, I forgot, it's all my fault, you know. 'Danali, don't go running off.' 'Hmm, I think I'll go run off.' Is that about the extent to which you are capable of following orders? Because that's what I gather."

Now Haldir was trying to hush his brother, whose voice was rising with each phrase, but to no avail. Danali was leaning over her crossed legs, her voice raised as well.

"Never once did you tell me not to 'run off,' and I don't believe it's any of your business what I do with my life anyway."

Rumil suddenly sat forward in the chair, his eyes reflecting the fiercely burning fire. His voice dripped with barely controlled rage.

"It becomes my business, girl, when you fly off and start causing trouble in the forest. It became my business after you nearly got us flogged ten times over for breaking the Lord Celeborn's advisor's arm. It is my business, because you can't seem to keep your mouth shut and your feet off the path to trouble."

Danali's eyes blazed. "Is that what you think of me? Come on, Rumil, tell me what you think of me." Her face was contorted into something fearsome, and Orophin was sitting up with a cautionary hand on her arm and a meaningful look on his face as he stared at her, but she heeded him not. Haldir raised his hands and spoke, but neither of the verbal combatants heard him. Their words had woven a web which they were now trapped in, and pride enmeshed them further still.

Rumil untangled himself first, and the spark in his eyes dimmed as he took a deep breath, the scowl lingering on his face.

The anger bubbled and burst upon the surface, and Danali didn't bother to try and conceal it any further. Her blood boiled and clamored for more, and her abused spirit railed against having to bow down any longer. She clenched her fists and jumped to her feet as Rumil turned his head away, shouting, "Finish what you start, stupid Elf-maid! Tell me!"

Orophin leaped to his feet as well, and stepped smoothly in front of her. Danali paused and glared at the Elf, her arms crossed in defiance. She was shocked to see the usual mirth replaced with deadly seriousness, and the intensity of his gaze told her she had gone too far.

She was even more shocked when he calmly raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, once.

Time stopped as she slowly lifted her hand to her stinging cheek. She remembered seeing the kitchen and observing the fine carving detail on the sides of the counters. She remembered that her mouth was hanging open. She remembered how swiftly the strands of anger flew from her soul, and felt them escape in hot streams flowing from her eyes. It seemed like an eternity as she turned her head back to face Orophin, who had a much gentler expression in his unwavering gaze. She saw Rumil standing behind him, unreadable, inaccessible; like her, she thought. Haldir's eyes were averted.

Danali pivoted on her heel and sprung to the side, then purposefully, calmly, strode to the sleeping room and flung herself upon the mat. She hugged her knees to her chest and fixed a concentrated stare on the opposite wall, silently cursing the tears and trying to think of nothing, nothing at all.

Her mind kept showing her images of Tay. "They're like this everywhere," he had told her, after a particularly brutal session of punishment in which she had had her hair pulled, her stomach kicked in, and a couple of ribs broken. She had taken some bread from the kitchen the night before.

She heard him now, clearly, as she closed her eyes, his sweet, matter-of- fact voice droning on as he carefully cleaned her face and bandaged her chest. She had refused to believe him. More tears came.

She heard a tongue clucking, then felt arms slide around her and gently lift her into a warm lap. She sniffed as Tay pressed her head against his chest, and her fears fled as she realized that nothing could harm her now, she was safe. She opened her eyes and blinked to alleviate the blurriness, then looked up into Tay's face, seeing Orophin instead.

Danali half-heartedly pushed against the Elf, but his arms were wrapped firmly around her, and the sad smile on his lips promptly made her go limp. She slumped back against him resignedly and soon she heard him singing softly in the dark, a soothing lullaby about stars and rivers.

The song stopped after a while, and the two sat quietly, surrounded by the shade of night and the sounds of crickets serenading the woods. Danali was relishing the Elf's embrace; she had never been held before, except for a couple of times by Tay. She had never experienced the simple bliss of being loved just because, or even being held in value, and a wellspring of strange emotions was manifesting itself and causing mild chaos in her brain.

You were wrong, Tay.

The bliss was shattered when Haldir walked in with a stern countenance and beckoned to Orophin wordlessly. Danali sulked as Orophin gently pushed her from his lap, then raised her to her feet and propelled her back into the living room. Rumil was sprawled in the chair again with a carefully bored expression plastered on his face, and Haldir chose to lean against the wall with his arms folded. Danali and Orophin lowered themselves to the floor.

Haldir broke the nervous silence. "I think it's time you told us of yourself, Danali."

The girl stiffened and felt a tightness behind her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Rumil interrupted before his brother could speak. "Your past, Danali. Whence you come. Your family. That sort of thing."

The tightness squeezed. She managed a weak smile. "There is nothing to tell." Her voice was a little too high, her eyes didn't quite meet the others'.

Haldir lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what Rumil told me of your warrior skills is not true?"

Rumil leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his eyes holding hers. "The exercises I put you through today, you remember?"

Danali nodded, and Rumil continued, pronouncing each word carefully so she would understand the first time. "There are some Elves on the Guard, Danali, who cannot yet perform some of the maneuvers you mastered."

The tightness became burning. "And?" She tried to keep her voice calm, level.

Rumil stared incredulously at her for a few more seconds, then shrugged and looked off into space, turning it over to his brothers. Haldir pushed away from the wall and came to kneel in front of her, softening his gaze when he saw that her expression resembled that of an Orc looking up the shaft of an arrow two seconds before being relieved of all fears forever. "All we're asking is that you tell us where you came from." He reached for a trembling hand when her eyes widened even more. "We're not going to send you back, Danali."

Rumil's quiet voice cut through the tension. "We simply want to know how you are able to throw a grown Elf on the ground with one arm, and why you are faster than any being, mortal or not, that I have encountered."

Danali tasted purple in the back of her throat. The spark loomed at the edge of her mind. She glanced from one expectant face to another and shook her head, unable to speak. Rumil straightened a little and glowered at her. "Don't start that ag-"

Haldir silenced him with a warning look and a raised hand, then shifted his eyes back to the terrified young woman. "If it is too difficult for you, I'd rather you not tell us, but Orophin and I are leaving tomorrow for two weeks, and when we come back you are either going to tell us of your past or you are going to leave. I will ask the Lord and Lady to send you to Meduseld, where resides the king of Rohan, and he will decide what to do with you." Haldir sat back on his heels wearily. "Those are your options."

Danali nodded slowly, steeling herself. Her next words slipped from her mouth of their own accord.

"No," she murmured. "I will tell you now."

****

Dun dun duuunnn. Ok. I know at least two of you were waiting for this. Stay tuned....