OMG!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!! I swear to Eru, this is the most reviews I've ever seen for three chapters! I love all of you! You all get COOKIES and BUBBLE-TEA! *gives* YAY! Ok, I'm out, bai!

~Hoshiko

All in a Day's Work

Haldir was right. She was awake and walking around at seven. First she opened all the drawers in the house, carefully pushing them back in until she found her dresses. Haldir had been reading one of his books while she slept, and while she dressed herself. Well, she attempted to dress herself. She took the night-gown off correctly, but when she tried to put on a yellow dress, she put an arm through the head-hole, and tried to put her head through the arm-hole. Needless to say, she didn't succeed. Haldir looked over his book and found she was hopping in a circle, trying to have it fit over her head. He chuckled to himself and set it the right way so it slipped over her head properly.

'Thank you, Hawdir, sir!'

'You're welcome.' He said, and Thinthar jumped over to the window.

'Wow, it's really pretty here!' she said, and he smiled. It must seem very different for her, Mirkwood was no longer a place of light, but rather dark now. He then looked at Thinthar, and back down to the Great Hall. It was morning now, breakfast would be served.

'Thinthar, are you hungry?' he asked, and she nodded.

'Luthien's hungry, too!' she said, and he raised his eyebrows.

'Luthien?'

'Yes, my dolly!' she said, and giggled, holding it out.

'I see,' he said, and smiled, 'then by all means we shall go eat!' he said and opened the door for her. She hurried out, and he walked behind, following her easily. Her small strides were rather quick, but his long legs made up for his lack of velocity. They walked into the hall, greeted by the welcoming sounds of laughter and clattering plates.

Haldir took his regular spot at the table, and Thinthar sat next to him. Soon enough the same elf that had served them last night came up to them, and replenished the serving bowls in front of them.

'Back so soon?' he asked, and Thinthar nodded.

'Yes! We're hungry again!' she said, and he smiled.

'As all children are.' He said, and left. Haldir took the girl's plate and put on it some food, and she immediately began eating. He took some for himself, and they finished at the same time.

'Did you sleep well?' he asked, the silence awkward. She nodded happily and smiled.

'Yes, your bed is really comfortable!' she said, and drank the last of her drink. When they finished, Haldir stood, Thinthar behind him. He was about to leave when the maiden with the two children, who's name was Gelwe, came up to him.

'Ah, I was just going to you quarters.' Haldir said, and Thinthar peaked shyly at the two children at their mother's side from behind Haldir's legs.

'Good, good,' she said, and looked kindly at Thinthar. 'Are you going to come out?' she asked, and Thinthar shook her head, hiding behind Haldir again. Gelwe laughed to herself, and Haldir stepped to the side.

'Come, Thinthar, these are Nerwe and Gelnor.'

'Hello!' the little girl, Nerwe, piped in and Gelwe nodded.

'We came to play…' the little boy said, looking shyer than his sister.

'To play?'

'Uh-huh!' Nerwe said, and saw the doll at her side. 'Wow, your doll is pretty!' she said, and pulled out a doll of her own, which had golden hair. 'Wanna play house with me?' Thinthar looked up Haldir, and he nodded.

'Yes, let's go!' she said, and the two girls went off together, comparing dolls.

'Gelnor, you can be the ada!' Nerwe said, and Gelnor shook his head.

'Nuh-uh! I don't wanna play house.' He said, though he still followed the two. Haldir sighed and nodded to Gelwe.

'Thank you, very much.' He said, and she waved it off.

'It is hardly a problem. One more child in my care will not be a horrid thing.' She smiled, and he nodded.

'Good bye, tell your husband to watch out for orcs when he comes home, please.'

'Certainly.' She said, and he left, hurrying up to his talan, where he got his bow, arrows, quiver, knife, and other needed items. Before he went to where his brothers were, he looked once more at the floor of the forest; Thinthar was playing with Nerwe. He reassured himself that all was well, and went to his post.

When he arrived he climbed up a tree, and looked at his two brothers, unaware of his presence. He laughed to himself and balanced himself on a branch, walking to the end of it and to the next. He was right above them, but they could not see. He waited for the precise moment, and when Rumil yawned, he practically jumped on top of them. Fear immediately fell upon the two and as they struggled to their feet, Haldir doubled over in laughter.

'Haldir!' Rumil said, voice mixed with anger, frustration, confusedness, and the slightest hint of fear.

'Very funny, brother.' Orophin said, placing his bow sharply back into his quiver. 'You truly are a riot.' He face was sour, and Haldir could finally breathe again. He stood, wiping a tear from his eye.

'I hope for your sakes orcs do not learn to climb trees.' He said, voice hoarse from laughing. Orophin sat slowly back down, and Rumil leaned against the trunk of the tree. 'Has there been any more orcs?'

'None that we have seen.' Rumil said, and flickered his lantern twice. In response another flickered only once, 'nor they.'

'Good! All is peaceful.' Haldir said, and sat himself upon the talan, legs dangling over the side.

'You are in a rather good mood.' Orophin snorted, his anger really gone now. He was just always the one to keep his act up.

'"To the good in spirit, the good in luck."' Haldir said, reciting an ancient proverb he knew of.

'The child is all right?'

'The child is luck?'

'The child is fine. Thinthar was told by Galadriel, and there is enough room in my quarters for her things. She is playing with the other Elflings at the moment.' He said, and on Rumil's face crept a small smile.

'You have gotten used to her?' he asked, and Haldir shrugged.

'I've gotten used to her? No, I would not say that, but she is a very obedient girl, as long as you explain yourself.'

'Curiosity, no doubt.'

'Yes, curiosity, and much of it. It seems like she has been away from her home for many months, if not a year. She does not remember much.' Haldir said, and Orophin nodded.

'She's… appealing for a child.' He said, at a loss to describe her. He could not bring himself to say she was 'adorable.' The two others knew what he meant, though, and gave him a look. 'Do not look at me so!' he said, but did so no longer. They sat in silence for the rest of their post, and when darkness fell, they could hear others talking and laughing with each other. Their time for guarding the forest was over for another night and day.

They stood and left, telling the other group of the orcs. They nodded and said they'd keep watch, and the three brothers went home. They went to the dining hall, where they normally went after they ate, and found that dinner had all ready been prepared and was out. Haldir had started to walk to his normal spot when he heard a cry of 'Hawdir!' and saw Thinthar running towards him, past his brothers. He picked her up and she smiled brightly.

'Hawdir, today was so much fun! I got to play with the other Elflings, and I had a fun time, and we had lunch, and we played some more!' she said, and Haldir smiled himself.

'I take it you had a good day?' he asked, and she nodded.

'Yes, sir!'

'Would you like to do that almost everyday?' she nodded again and he laughed.

'Good, good, wonderful!' he said, and looked at the table. 'Have you eaten dinner?' she nodded again, before yawning. 'Are you tired?' she then shook her head, and looked around the Great Hall.

'No, I'm not done exploring!' she cried, and he set her on the ground.

'Fine, I will let you explore a bit more, but when I call for you I want you to come, all right?' he asked, and she nodded again, running to the corner along with the other Elflings. Gelwe was still there, eating and her children were playing. Haldir took a seat next to his brothers, and they joked some. When they were done, Gelwe stood and Haldir did the same with her.

'Was she any trouble?' he asked, and she shook her head.

'No, hardly. She was a very good girl.' Gelwe said, and then called to her children, who came, Thinthar following them. 'Though she and Gelnor got into a small squabble.' She said and turned to her two children. 'Time to come home, ada should be there at any time, now. She said, and the two waved good-bye to Thinthar, though Gelnor only did after his mother gave him a rather sharp look. Thinthar waved back, and went over to Haldir, who took her hand.

'Have fun!' Orophin called after him, and Haldir waved behind himself.

'Thinthar, why did you and Gelnor fight?' he asked, and she crossed her arms, sticking her bottom lip out.

'He called Greenwood a ugly place with nasty spiders.' She said, keeping her gaze ahead of her.

'What did you do back?' he asked, and she was quiet, 'hm?'

'I screamed at him to keep his mouth shut, and he screamed at me back.' She said, and he sighed.

'If someone says things like that you must ignore them. They do not know of what they speak.' He said, and she pouted.

'But!'

'No but's! It is better to just not pay attention to them.' He said, and they arrived at his quarters. She went over and jumped onto the bed, playing with her doll again. He some how knew she did not understand much of what he said. He went over to his closet, though, and put his bow and arrows in it. She saw him, and jumped lightly back onto the ground.

'What are those for?' she asked, and he flinched. He did not want to explain what they were for yet.

'They are my bow and arrows, I use them for fighting.' He said, and she gasped.

'Hawdir! You said fighting was bad!' she said, and he nodded.

'Yes, it is, but I do not fight other elves. I fight orcs, and other evil things to protect you and other elves.' He said, and she nodded.

'Ooooh! That's what you were doing when you found me!' she exclaimed and he nodded.

'Yes, it is,' he said, and she shrugged.

'All right!' she said, and was about to play with her doll again when she remembered something. 'Hawdir?' she asked, as he was taking off his outer tunic.

'Yes?'

'When Gelnor was yelling at me, he said something in a language I didn't know.' She said, and he sat next to her. 'What was it?'

'It was probably Sindarin.' He said, and she nodded as if she knew.

'Ooooh!' she said, and looked up at Haldir with her large blue eyes. 'What's that?'

'Well, it is the language of the elves. What we are speaking now is a language called Westron, used in all of Middle-earth. Mostly only elves know Sindarin.' He said, and she jumped into his lap.

'Can you teach me Sindarin?' she asked, and he thought of it for a moment before shrugging.

'Yes, I believe I could.' He said, and said a few words to her.

'What did you just say?'

'An Elven-maid there was of old, A shining star by day: Her mantle white was hemmed with gold, Her shoes of silver-grey.' He said, and her eye widened.

'Say the rest!' she said, and he did so, singing it eventually. When he was done he found she had fallen asleep in his lap. He put her to bed again as she hugged the pillow to her.