Wowza! So many reviews for one chapter! I'm so honoured! I looked and I was like 'whoooaaaah… brain overload!' oh, and about the pain thing, I believe that Haldir would not have felt pain before, and there is a very simple reason: he is just too good. If you saw, Legolas never was injured because everything was dead before it had a chance to cause physical harm. He never felt any pain, and I believe it would be the same with Haldir. That's just my opinion, though. Ok, I'm out, v. tired, bye!

~Hoshiko

A Decision for the Marchwarden

            Haldir and his brothers walked through Lorien, elves often giving them strange looks. It was a strange site to see; Haldir, a captain of the forest's army, carrying a child that could be no more than ten (which is equal to a toddler in elven years), asleep no less.

'Haldir, an ada!' Orophin laughed to himself, Haldir kicking him in the back of the leg. This woke the little girl up, and she looked up sleepily at the city around her. She was too tired to stay awake, though, and by the time they reached the place where the Lord and Lady lived, she had fallen fast asleep again.

Haldir laid her carefully on the ground, taking off his cloak and putting it on her. She did not wake, and they walked silently up to the doors of the royalties' chamber. They knocked on the door, and could hear it ringing through the halls inside. Shortly the door opened, and Celeborn and Galadriel appeared. The three brothers' bowed, and the two royalties nodded their heads.

'My Lord and Lady,' Haldir said, standing in front of his siblings. 'There was an orc attack out in the forest not too long ago, and we encountered a problem.' He said, and paused, trying to think of how to phrase this.

'Yes?' Celeborn asked patiently, and Haldir continued.

'We killed all the orcs, but I found near the fight a child, alone and frightened. After talking to her, Rumil found that she had been with her mother, who Orophin found slain. We do not know what to do with her.' He explained, and Galadriel nodded slowly.

'May I see the child?' she asked, and Haldir bowed.

'Certainly.' He said, and left. He found her awake, playing with his cloak. 'Hello, there.' he said, and she looked up.

'Did you find my mommy?' she asked, and he shook his head.

'No, but… umm… there is a very nice lady who would like to see you.' He said, and held out his hand. She took it, rapping his cloak over her little shoulders, and came with him back into the Grand House. She made a little gasp when she saw Galadriel, and the Lady walked down to her, kneeling to her height. Galadriel, after all, had been a mother.

'Hello, my child.' She said and smiled kindly. The girl's eyes opened like saucers, and she let her little mouth hang open.

'Wow, you're really, really pretty!' she said, and Galadriel laughed.

'Thank you.' She said, and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. 'What is your name?'

'My name is Thinthar, and I'm…' she held up nine fingers, 'this many!' she announced proudly, and Galadriel laughed again. 'My mommy taught me that, do you know where my mommy is? We really need to start going again, she said if we did not get to Imla… Imdr…'

'Imladris.'

'Yes, there, she said if we did not get there than we might be caught by the meany orcy's.' The girl said, and Galadriel glanced at Celeborn, who did not know what to do.

'Who was your father?' Galadriel asked, and the girl pouted, looking down at her feet.

'My ada died because an orcy hit him with a big shiny pointy stick a little while ago, so my mommy said we had to get to Im… the place you said. She said we'd be safe in the woods of Lor… Lor-ien, because we were in the bad part of my home.'

'What is your home?' Galadriel asked calmly, and the girl looked back up at her.

'Mirkwood, but ada always told me to call it Greenwood the Great.' She said, and nodded. Galadriel then stood, and the girl went over to Haldir. 'Here's you cloak back, I'm not cold any more.' She said, and the elf blushed a slight bit. It was a rather amusing sight to see, even Celeborn cracked a smile.

'She is of Mirkwood kin.' Galadriel informed Orophin and Rumil, who could follow very little of the conversation. 'Her father was killed by orcs in Mirkwood, and her mother was trying to bring her to Imladris, but the orcs killed her, as you know. She's only nine years of age.

'What are we to do?' Orophin asked, and the little girl went over to Haldir, tugging on his tunic.

'Hey, what are they saying?' she asked, and Haldir put a finger to his mouth.

'I will tell you later.' He said, and she looked down at her feet again.

'All right…' she said, and Galadriel turned to Haldir.

'Haldir, do you know of any one who would be willing to take in a child such as this?' she asked, and the girl gripped his tunic harder.

'I do not, my Lady, I am sorry.' Haldir said, and Galadriel looked at the little girl cling to his tunic.

'She does seem rather attached to you.' She said, laughing and Haldir looked down at her. He knew what she was hinting at.

'My Lady, I do not know if I would be able to take care of a child. I have no experience with children.' He said, but Rumil sighed.

'Haldir, my brother, we do not have many choices with us. You said yourself you do not know of any one willing to have her.' He said, and Haldir again looked at the little girl. Under her silver hair, her blue eyes shimmered in Galadriel's light. He was surprised that they were the same blue as the Queen's. In the girls eyes he could see her sadness, and he suddenly felt sorry for her. He thought of it for a second, and could hear a voice in his head. It was Galadriel.

'You care for her already; I can see it in your eyes, as you can see the same in hers.' She said, and he looked at Galadriel again.

'I do not know how to take care of a child.' He said, and she nodded.

'You would have no problem, Haldir.' She said, and Haldir looked down at the girl again.

'Fine, I will take the girl in, but I do not know how to tell her about her mother.' He said, and Galadriel nodded again.

'Her dress is dirty and torn; she is in need of a new one. I will have one of my tailors do this while I tell her. You, in the mean time, may have to make room for a child in your house.' She said, and turned to Orophin and Rumil. 'And you two should go back on guard, I do not know if there are still orcs in the forest.' She said, and all three bowed, leaving. Galadriel took the girl by the hand and led her into the room, Celeborn following after her.

Mean while, while they were walking down the stairs, Orophin pat Haldir roughly on the shoulder.

'Good job, Haldir, you really are becoming an ada!' he said, and Haldir shook his head.

'No, I am to be her guardian, not her ada.' Haldir said, and Orophin smiled.

'Oh, come along, now, Haldir!' he said, but Rumil put a hand on Orophin's shoulder.

'Orophin, I should have convinced her to give the child to you.' He said, and Orophin sighed.

'Fine. The first thing that happens in a great while, and I can not even joke of it.' he mumbled, and the two separated from Haldir. Haldir then realized that he had not needed to walk down the stairs. His house was only accessible from the talans connecting the Royal Chambers to his own living quarters. He sighed and walked back up them, his head spinning.

He did not think he was capable of taking care of a child, but knowing Galadriel's wisdom, he did not question her decision. He then walked into his house, and looked around. Everything was neat, in place. It was small, only having three rooms, a living room, a bedroom, and a washroom, but it was all he needed. He lived most of his life in the woods, after all, and meals were always served in the dinning hall, along with much of Lorien, if the elves were hungry then. Besides a mirror in his bedroom, there were no breakable things he could find. He went into his room and found an extra bow and arrows lying in the little girl's reach, and put them safely in the top shelf of his dresser. He would have to have an extra bed made for her, and a dresser for her clothes. He looked through his, though, and found that there were two free drawers. This was good, for her clothes were small and would fit.

'She will need play things…' he muttered to himself, realizing he would need something for her when he had to go out into the forest. He thought of it for a minute, and then got an idea. The maiden next to him kept many play things for small children, if they lost their own, she would give them to the child. He walked out of his house, and hopped to the talan next to him, knocking on the door. The silver-haired elf maiden opened it and smiled kindly at Haldir.

'Haldir, what brings you to my home?' she asked, and for the first time in his life he stuttered.

'I-I have a slight dilemma,' he said, and looked at the Royal Court's direction. 'I am taking in a child, a little girl, but I have nothing for her to play with.' He said, and the lady's face brightened greatly.

'Oh, certainly!' she said, and came back with a doll, the best she had. All elven girls played with dolls, weather they were with others or not. 'Here, she will love it.' she said happily, and Haldir took it, seeing it was like an elven maiden with black hair. Haldir smiled, and nodded.

'Thank you.' He said, and looked at his home. 'How much would you like?' he asked, and she shook her head quickly.

'Oh, no cost!' she said, and he bowed to her.

'Thank you.'

'Certainly, you must bring the girl over for me to see her!' the woman said, and Haldir nodded.

'Yes, I shall at some time.' He said, and left. He felt better now; at least he had a play thing for her.