This part takes place six months after Narwain kissed Haldir on the
archery field. They are now engaged, but both are having second thoughts.
Narwain because of Rumil's declaration of love and Haldir because of his
loyalty to the Lord and Lady
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They say all stories have a beginning, but do they all have an ending? Leaning back against the trunk of the mellyrn tree that housed the talon I was in, I toyed with the taunt string of my bow as a million questions filled my mind. The world was changing and I wasn't sure I could handle all the changes that were taking place around or within me. The Ring of Power was gone, destroyed by the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his friends but the darkness created by Sauron had not vanished with him. The Orcs still remained, still causing trouble for the world of Men and Elves.
Shifting my gaze, I studied the vast green plains that stretched out from the edge of Lothlorien and vanished into the distance beyond it. What lay beyond the horizon I did not know, having never set foot out side of the golden wood in the four thousand years that I have been alive. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back, enjoying the feel of the warm summer wind on my face. A smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as a shadow fell over me, blocking the sun.
"You would be dead Narwain." A stern voice said. "If I was an Orc."
I didn't even bother to open my eyes. "Look again Rumil."
The blonde elf looked down and grinned at the sight of an arrow resting on the string of her bow. The gleaming metal tip was pointed directly at his chest. "I fear that my brother has trained you too well." Sighing, I opened an eye and stared up at him. Like me, he was dressed in a soft grey tunic and leggings of the March wardens. Like him, I had long silver blonde hair and blue-grey eyes. Reaching up, I brushed a lock of wind swept hair out of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear as my gaze went once more to the plain outside of the woods. "Has there been any word on when he will be returning from Gondor?" "Nay, there has been no word." He replied as I returned my arrow to my quiver and stood up. I knew that he was worried about his brother's. This having been the first time that they had gone anywhere without him. Reaching out, I put a hand on his shoulder. "Fear not my friend. They will return and all will be as it should be. Haldir was right when he said you needed time to recover from your injuries." Rumil snorted. "It takes more than a scratch from an Orc sword to bring me down." I lifted an eyebrow as I folded my arms across my chest. "Scratch? You forget Rumil, that it was I who carried you back to the city. It took me three days to get all the blood out of my tunic from that 'scratch'." "You are not going to let me live that down, are you?" He asked. "Which part?" I asked as I shouldered my bow. "How you complained or the way you flirted with me the entire way back?" Rumil fained a look of shock. "Me flirt with my brother's intended? Why Kara I would never do such a thing." "'Ah, Narwain, Haldir does not deserve you.'" I said, imitating his voice. "Run away with me and I shall make you very happy.'" When he turned to look at me, something in his eyes told me that he hadn't been joking about what he had said. I felt my heart skip several beats as he turned and stepped closer to me. This is not happening. My mind screamed as his hand came up to trace the side of my face. Then it happened. Slowly, ever so slowly, he dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine. It lasted only a moment, and then he stood with his forehead resting against mine. "All I ask is that you rethink your betrothal to Haldir, Kara." He whispered softly. "His first loyalty will always be to the Lord and Lady and to these woods. You and I both know this." I pushed away from him, turned and gripped the rail of the talon as I fought to breathe again. "I.I can not do this. I need to think." And with that I swung myself over the rail and dropped to the forest floor below. I could not return to the city. No, the Lady would know that something was wrong and I did not wish to face her of this just yet. As I raced through the woods, I wonder how and why my life had just become far more complicated that I would have liked. I loved Haldir of that I was certain, wasn't I? Feeling lost and confused, I ran deeper into the woods until I found the one place where I could simply sit and think
Chapter two: "It has begun." Galadriel said as she looked up from the image of the fleeing elf. "Valor guide her steps and aide her in the trials that are to come."
Haldir stopped at the top of the hill just on the outer edge of Lothlorien. Though he had only been gone from his home for six months, it felt like an eternity. But there was another reason that he was looking forward to returning this time. Narwain would no doubt waiting for him as he entered the golden woods. The March warden shook his head slightly, there was no doubt that she would take his decision to end their engagement hard. But he simply couldn't see himself marrying her. He was the Captain of the guard and his heart belongs solely to defending the woods and the Lord and Lady.
Why is this happening? I wondered as I sat by the edge of the Nimrodel. I was engaged to Haldir, something that I had wanted for as long as I could remember. Why now was I questioning my choice? If Haldir loved me as much as I loved him, why had it taken him so long to admit it? And why had he waited for a century to ask me to bind with him and then decide to wait another year before we under went the marriage ceremony? I knew that Rumil's declaration was at the heart of my confusion, but the question now was what did I do about it? "Haldir has returned, Narwain." Galadriel said as she stood beside me. "Why are you not among the first to welcome him home?" "My Lady," I said as I rose to my feet and bowed to her slightly. "I did not hear you approach."
"But you have not answered my question." She said softly. "Does something trouble you?"
They say all stories have a beginning, but do they all have an ending? Leaning back against the trunk of the mellyrn tree that housed the talon I was in, I toyed with the taunt string of my bow as a million questions filled my mind. The world was changing and I wasn't sure I could handle all the changes that were taking place around or within me. The Ring of Power was gone, destroyed by the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his friends but the darkness created by Sauron had not vanished with him. The Orcs still remained, still causing trouble for the world of Men and Elves.
Shifting my gaze, I studied the vast green plains that stretched out from the edge of Lothlorien and vanished into the distance beyond it. What lay beyond the horizon I did not know, having never set foot out side of the golden wood in the four thousand years that I have been alive. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back, enjoying the feel of the warm summer wind on my face. A smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as a shadow fell over me, blocking the sun.
"You would be dead Narwain." A stern voice said. "If I was an Orc."
I didn't even bother to open my eyes. "Look again Rumil."
The blonde elf looked down and grinned at the sight of an arrow resting on the string of her bow. The gleaming metal tip was pointed directly at his chest. "I fear that my brother has trained you too well." Sighing, I opened an eye and stared up at him. Like me, he was dressed in a soft grey tunic and leggings of the March wardens. Like him, I had long silver blonde hair and blue-grey eyes. Reaching up, I brushed a lock of wind swept hair out of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear as my gaze went once more to the plain outside of the woods. "Has there been any word on when he will be returning from Gondor?" "Nay, there has been no word." He replied as I returned my arrow to my quiver and stood up. I knew that he was worried about his brother's. This having been the first time that they had gone anywhere without him. Reaching out, I put a hand on his shoulder. "Fear not my friend. They will return and all will be as it should be. Haldir was right when he said you needed time to recover from your injuries." Rumil snorted. "It takes more than a scratch from an Orc sword to bring me down." I lifted an eyebrow as I folded my arms across my chest. "Scratch? You forget Rumil, that it was I who carried you back to the city. It took me three days to get all the blood out of my tunic from that 'scratch'." "You are not going to let me live that down, are you?" He asked. "Which part?" I asked as I shouldered my bow. "How you complained or the way you flirted with me the entire way back?" Rumil fained a look of shock. "Me flirt with my brother's intended? Why Kara I would never do such a thing." "'Ah, Narwain, Haldir does not deserve you.'" I said, imitating his voice. "Run away with me and I shall make you very happy.'" When he turned to look at me, something in his eyes told me that he hadn't been joking about what he had said. I felt my heart skip several beats as he turned and stepped closer to me. This is not happening. My mind screamed as his hand came up to trace the side of my face. Then it happened. Slowly, ever so slowly, he dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine. It lasted only a moment, and then he stood with his forehead resting against mine. "All I ask is that you rethink your betrothal to Haldir, Kara." He whispered softly. "His first loyalty will always be to the Lord and Lady and to these woods. You and I both know this." I pushed away from him, turned and gripped the rail of the talon as I fought to breathe again. "I.I can not do this. I need to think." And with that I swung myself over the rail and dropped to the forest floor below. I could not return to the city. No, the Lady would know that something was wrong and I did not wish to face her of this just yet. As I raced through the woods, I wonder how and why my life had just become far more complicated that I would have liked. I loved Haldir of that I was certain, wasn't I? Feeling lost and confused, I ran deeper into the woods until I found the one place where I could simply sit and think
Chapter two: "It has begun." Galadriel said as she looked up from the image of the fleeing elf. "Valor guide her steps and aide her in the trials that are to come."
Haldir stopped at the top of the hill just on the outer edge of Lothlorien. Though he had only been gone from his home for six months, it felt like an eternity. But there was another reason that he was looking forward to returning this time. Narwain would no doubt waiting for him as he entered the golden woods. The March warden shook his head slightly, there was no doubt that she would take his decision to end their engagement hard. But he simply couldn't see himself marrying her. He was the Captain of the guard and his heart belongs solely to defending the woods and the Lord and Lady.
Why is this happening? I wondered as I sat by the edge of the Nimrodel. I was engaged to Haldir, something that I had wanted for as long as I could remember. Why now was I questioning my choice? If Haldir loved me as much as I loved him, why had it taken him so long to admit it? And why had he waited for a century to ask me to bind with him and then decide to wait another year before we under went the marriage ceremony? I knew that Rumil's declaration was at the heart of my confusion, but the question now was what did I do about it? "Haldir has returned, Narwain." Galadriel said as she stood beside me. "Why are you not among the first to welcome him home?" "My Lady," I said as I rose to my feet and bowed to her slightly. "I did not hear you approach."
"But you have not answered my question." She said softly. "Does something trouble you?"