A/N: Guess what? More credit! I'm barely writing any of this myself anymore. Andraste Emeraldpetal must be mentioned here because it was her that came up with Seregwen and not Avarelin. Also, it was Andraste who supplied me with most of the Elvish in this chapter.
Chapter 5: Secrets Revealed
Seregwen squirmed in the grasp of the cloaked figure who had taken her from behind. "Na sel (Translation: Be calm)," he whispered, then shook off the hood of his cloak, "It is I." Standing before Seregwen was Haldir. Or Arin. She couldn't tell who, and she wasn't going to risk anything on it. "I'm going to let you go now," he said in a soothing voice, "But you must promise not to call for help. There is an imposter in Lothlorien and I do not want my presence known here right now."
Seregwen nodded. If it was Haldir, she saw the logic in his thinking and would do as he asked. If it was Arin . . . she had no choice but to obey. The blonde Elf released her from his grasp and looked at her, "My beloved," he whispered, blinking back tears, "I feared I would never see you again." Then he pulled Seregwen in an embrace that could only belong to Haldir. She buried her face in his shoulder and wept with tears of joy at seeing Haldir - the real Haldir - once again.
Eventually she turned her tear-stained face upwards to face her love and said in a shaky voice, "I feared that Arin would have had you killed by now."
"He almost did," Haldir replied, gazing into her eyes, then turning away as if the memory brought him pain. "He ordered his men to . . . dispose of me, but even the servants of one as heartless as Arin have some morals within them. They hesitated. They, at least, remembered the Kinslayings*. One finally came at me, his dagger raised high above his head. But my legs weren't bound. I managed to kick him hard enough that he fell to the ground, dropping the knife. The other two came at me after that, but they were clumsy and doubting in their movements. None of them were willing to hurt me any time soon. I easily knocked them to the ground as well. Eventually the first one got up and picked up his dagger. The other two cowards had fled, but this one was perseverant. He slashed through my tunic and cut my stomach. I screamed in pain, and Arin probably heard it. Hopefully he thinks I'm dead now."
Seregwen interrupted him with a concerned look. "He cut your stomach? Let me see."
"It's nothing, Seregwen," Haldir soothed her.
"I want to see that wound!" she had put on the tone of voice that Haldir knew could not be argued with.
"I swear, you will be the death of me, woman," he sighed. "All right, I'll show you the wound. But not here, the Elves are starting to stir. We must go someplace safe."
"But where?" Seregwen asked, "Arin will be waking soon, and he will get suspicious when he sees that I'm not there."
"True," Haldir said thoughtfully, "Very true. Fine. You go back home. I am supposed to have guard duty today anyway; remind him of that. If he wants to stay in character, he'll go."
"I don't want to leave you!"
"You must! You must play an actor's role as much as he has to. Pretend you still think he's me. I will be waiting for you in the clearing. You know which one. No one else goes there." Seregwen consented to this, and with a final kiss, the two parted, hoping that they would see each other again.
~~~~~~~
Amargwaith sat, staring at the door. He had been awake for over an hour, and she was nowhere to be found. Seregwen ran through the door, out of breath and red-faced. "Where were you?" he asked, his face showing now emotion whatsoever.
"I-I took a walk," Seregwen stuttered, surprised at seeing him waiting for her.
"Then tell me, my sweet, if you were just taking a walk, why were you running to get home?"
Seregwen paused for a moment, thinking. Amargwaith saw this and his eyes narrowed. She knew. "Well, I saw that it was getting late, and thought I should be getting home. I didn't want to worry you Haldir."
Amargwaith was about to say something, but was cut off by his former concubine. "Don't you have guard duty today? With the attack on the Lady Galadriel, the forest guard will need it's best and brightest to protect from a second attack."
Amargwaith raised an eyebrow. "No. I don't think I'll go to guard duty today." He stood up from his chair, "You have caused more trouble than you are worth, filthy wench." Amargwaith advanced on Seregwen.
Her eyes grew wide and she turned and ran through the city shouting "Tua! Tua! (Translation: Help! Help!) Amargwaith headed out the door after her. Who cared if he was spotted? He was well overdue for another shift anyway. For 500 years, he had waited to finally get rid of the one who had betrayed him, and for that exhilarating feeling, he would be willing to pay any price.
~~~~~~~
Seregwen ran through Caras Galadon, and straight into Orophin. He grunted as the she-Elf slammed into his chest at full speed. "What is the hurry?" he asked.
"Orophin! Tua! Your brother is trying to kill me!"
"Surely you jest, Seregwen." Orophin said, giving his sister-in-law a strange look.
"Something has come over him. Please, Orophin, you have to trust me. Stop him! Use force if necessary! This is not the Haldir we know. It will take too long to explain it now, but I promise that if you stop him, the entire realm of Lothlorien will thank you for it. I must go now. If you want to do the right thing, you will heed what I say. The one following me is not your brother." That said, she ran off toward the spot the real Haldir had told her to meet him, not looking back and hoping that Orophin believed her.
~~~~~~~
Haldir slithered silently through the forest toward the spot that had always seemed sacred to him. The clearing where he had met his beautiful Seregwen. He remembered it as if it were yesterday. He had been wandering through the forest, trying to forget the death of Rumil, his youngest brother, when he heard the sound of crying coming from the clearing. He had crept in to investigate who it was, and that was his first glimpse of her. She had been curled up under a tree, weeping like a child. As Haldir had approached her, the young Elf hastily had tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "What is the matter Lady?" Haldir had asked as he sat down next to her.
That was when the whole story came tumbling out of her mouth. Her lover had committed the act of murder on one Elf a few days ago. The Elves had been in fierce competition with each other for favor in the Lady Galadriel's and Lord Celebon's eyes. Eventually, Arin had snapped. He went out one night, and came back, apparently pleased with himself. Seregwen had asked why he was in such a good mood, and he told her. Rumil would pester him no longer.
Even after all these years, Haldir still winced at the cruel irony that had been dealt to him. Later, when he asked Seregwen why she had told him, a complete stranger, one of the deepest secrets of her heart, she said, "It just felt right. Like somehow, we were meant to find each other. Few other Elves would still love me if put in your situation."
By this time, Haldir had reached the clearing and stood, waiting for Seregwen to come. The wound on his stomach sent a sharp pain through his body and he softly grunted. Soon Seregwen appeared, hurrying through the woods. She had a distressed look on her face, and before she even stopped in front of him, she said breathlessly, "He knows!"
A/N: Wow, this is really starting to turn into a soap opera. R/R!
* For those who have not read "The Silmarillion," the Kinslayings happened when the Noldor attacked and killed many of the Teleri (both of them were different groups of Elves). This angered the Valar, and caused them to curse the Noldor and ban all of them involved from Valinor, the undying land. From then on, no Elf ever slew another again, fearing the wrath of the Valar. (this is just from the bits and pieces I remember. Please tell me if I got anything wrong, and I will change it)
Chapter 5: Secrets Revealed
Seregwen squirmed in the grasp of the cloaked figure who had taken her from behind. "Na sel (Translation: Be calm)," he whispered, then shook off the hood of his cloak, "It is I." Standing before Seregwen was Haldir. Or Arin. She couldn't tell who, and she wasn't going to risk anything on it. "I'm going to let you go now," he said in a soothing voice, "But you must promise not to call for help. There is an imposter in Lothlorien and I do not want my presence known here right now."
Seregwen nodded. If it was Haldir, she saw the logic in his thinking and would do as he asked. If it was Arin . . . she had no choice but to obey. The blonde Elf released her from his grasp and looked at her, "My beloved," he whispered, blinking back tears, "I feared I would never see you again." Then he pulled Seregwen in an embrace that could only belong to Haldir. She buried her face in his shoulder and wept with tears of joy at seeing Haldir - the real Haldir - once again.
Eventually she turned her tear-stained face upwards to face her love and said in a shaky voice, "I feared that Arin would have had you killed by now."
"He almost did," Haldir replied, gazing into her eyes, then turning away as if the memory brought him pain. "He ordered his men to . . . dispose of me, but even the servants of one as heartless as Arin have some morals within them. They hesitated. They, at least, remembered the Kinslayings*. One finally came at me, his dagger raised high above his head. But my legs weren't bound. I managed to kick him hard enough that he fell to the ground, dropping the knife. The other two came at me after that, but they were clumsy and doubting in their movements. None of them were willing to hurt me any time soon. I easily knocked them to the ground as well. Eventually the first one got up and picked up his dagger. The other two cowards had fled, but this one was perseverant. He slashed through my tunic and cut my stomach. I screamed in pain, and Arin probably heard it. Hopefully he thinks I'm dead now."
Seregwen interrupted him with a concerned look. "He cut your stomach? Let me see."
"It's nothing, Seregwen," Haldir soothed her.
"I want to see that wound!" she had put on the tone of voice that Haldir knew could not be argued with.
"I swear, you will be the death of me, woman," he sighed. "All right, I'll show you the wound. But not here, the Elves are starting to stir. We must go someplace safe."
"But where?" Seregwen asked, "Arin will be waking soon, and he will get suspicious when he sees that I'm not there."
"True," Haldir said thoughtfully, "Very true. Fine. You go back home. I am supposed to have guard duty today anyway; remind him of that. If he wants to stay in character, he'll go."
"I don't want to leave you!"
"You must! You must play an actor's role as much as he has to. Pretend you still think he's me. I will be waiting for you in the clearing. You know which one. No one else goes there." Seregwen consented to this, and with a final kiss, the two parted, hoping that they would see each other again.
~~~~~~~
Amargwaith sat, staring at the door. He had been awake for over an hour, and she was nowhere to be found. Seregwen ran through the door, out of breath and red-faced. "Where were you?" he asked, his face showing now emotion whatsoever.
"I-I took a walk," Seregwen stuttered, surprised at seeing him waiting for her.
"Then tell me, my sweet, if you were just taking a walk, why were you running to get home?"
Seregwen paused for a moment, thinking. Amargwaith saw this and his eyes narrowed. She knew. "Well, I saw that it was getting late, and thought I should be getting home. I didn't want to worry you Haldir."
Amargwaith was about to say something, but was cut off by his former concubine. "Don't you have guard duty today? With the attack on the Lady Galadriel, the forest guard will need it's best and brightest to protect from a second attack."
Amargwaith raised an eyebrow. "No. I don't think I'll go to guard duty today." He stood up from his chair, "You have caused more trouble than you are worth, filthy wench." Amargwaith advanced on Seregwen.
Her eyes grew wide and she turned and ran through the city shouting "Tua! Tua! (Translation: Help! Help!) Amargwaith headed out the door after her. Who cared if he was spotted? He was well overdue for another shift anyway. For 500 years, he had waited to finally get rid of the one who had betrayed him, and for that exhilarating feeling, he would be willing to pay any price.
~~~~~~~
Seregwen ran through Caras Galadon, and straight into Orophin. He grunted as the she-Elf slammed into his chest at full speed. "What is the hurry?" he asked.
"Orophin! Tua! Your brother is trying to kill me!"
"Surely you jest, Seregwen." Orophin said, giving his sister-in-law a strange look.
"Something has come over him. Please, Orophin, you have to trust me. Stop him! Use force if necessary! This is not the Haldir we know. It will take too long to explain it now, but I promise that if you stop him, the entire realm of Lothlorien will thank you for it. I must go now. If you want to do the right thing, you will heed what I say. The one following me is not your brother." That said, she ran off toward the spot the real Haldir had told her to meet him, not looking back and hoping that Orophin believed her.
~~~~~~~
Haldir slithered silently through the forest toward the spot that had always seemed sacred to him. The clearing where he had met his beautiful Seregwen. He remembered it as if it were yesterday. He had been wandering through the forest, trying to forget the death of Rumil, his youngest brother, when he heard the sound of crying coming from the clearing. He had crept in to investigate who it was, and that was his first glimpse of her. She had been curled up under a tree, weeping like a child. As Haldir had approached her, the young Elf hastily had tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "What is the matter Lady?" Haldir had asked as he sat down next to her.
That was when the whole story came tumbling out of her mouth. Her lover had committed the act of murder on one Elf a few days ago. The Elves had been in fierce competition with each other for favor in the Lady Galadriel's and Lord Celebon's eyes. Eventually, Arin had snapped. He went out one night, and came back, apparently pleased with himself. Seregwen had asked why he was in such a good mood, and he told her. Rumil would pester him no longer.
Even after all these years, Haldir still winced at the cruel irony that had been dealt to him. Later, when he asked Seregwen why she had told him, a complete stranger, one of the deepest secrets of her heart, she said, "It just felt right. Like somehow, we were meant to find each other. Few other Elves would still love me if put in your situation."
By this time, Haldir had reached the clearing and stood, waiting for Seregwen to come. The wound on his stomach sent a sharp pain through his body and he softly grunted. Soon Seregwen appeared, hurrying through the woods. She had a distressed look on her face, and before she even stopped in front of him, she said breathlessly, "He knows!"
A/N: Wow, this is really starting to turn into a soap opera. R/R!
* For those who have not read "The Silmarillion," the Kinslayings happened when the Noldor attacked and killed many of the Teleri (both of them were different groups of Elves). This angered the Valar, and caused them to curse the Noldor and ban all of them involved from Valinor, the undying land. From then on, no Elf ever slew another again, fearing the wrath of the Valar. (this is just from the bits and pieces I remember. Please tell me if I got anything wrong, and I will change it)