Woot!! Chapter 8! I hope you all are enjoying this and getting as much out
of it as I am just typing this up! I love typing! o_O Feedback! I love
feedback! Oh, and this is going to jump ahead about a month. I get bored
doing day by day things, and besides, it's only a month, enough time to get
settled and know the Twins and Aragorn better. She meets Haldir in this
chapter b/c he has come over to visit Elladan, Elrohir and Aragorn. Legolas
is coming, I promise! *hides*
Chapter Eight
After a month, Avara had grown familiar with Rivendell. So far, she had evaded every other person's attempts for her friendship, but it was because of her way of detaching herself from her surroundings and maintaining a reserved look about her that others were content just to know who she was. She was very smart and agile, and had started training under Glorfindel. He stated to Elrond one day that she would make an excellent warrior if she was ever accepted, but Elrond had merely shaken his head and gave Glorfindel such a look that Glorfindel did not breach that subject again. Avara chose one sunny afternoon to practice some archery by herself. She enjoyed the thrill of releasing the arrow, and the satisfaction when it hit dead on. She was almost ready to stop when she heard a leaf crackle behind her. She whipped around, bow and arrow ready to fire, her heart thumping madly. The surprised elf took a step backwards, but Avara did not lower her bow. "Ya naa ile?" she asked, annoyed now that the fear drained out of her body. "Haldir of Lothlorien. I don't suppose you could lower your bow now? I do not like sharp, pointy objects pointing at my head, especially when those objects belong to a beautiful elf maiden." He expected her to laugh, or even smile, but instead her eyes narrowed as she lowered her bow. "Then, Haldir of Lothlorien, you will do well to remember not to sneak up on those who carry weapons, or you just may find yourself in Valinor before your time," she replied coolly. "I am sorry. I did not mean to cause you alarm. I only wanted to see who was trying to beat my record," the blond elf replied. Avara looked at him, puzzlement written on her fair features. Haldir pointed to the tree Avara had been shooting at. "I always use that tree and time myself whenever I come here. You have almost beaten me," he said, firing an arrow. To say he was surprised when another arrow flew, splitting his in two before it even hit the tree was an understatement. Avara turned to him, a slight smile on her face. "Consider yourself beaten," she said, an eyebrow raised in amusement when Haldir continued to stare at the tree. He recovered quickly from his shock and turned to her. "You are a very good shot. What is your name?" he asked. Avara had started walking towards the tree to retrieve her arrows, but stopped and looked back at him. "I am Avara," she answered, and then picked up her arrows. She gave Haldir his broken arrow. "What am I to do with this?" he asked, a bit annoyed. Avara looked at him and shrugged. "Perhaps you should keep it as a reminder," she answered. "A reminder of what?" Haldir called after her. "Of the day you were beaten by a beautiful elf maiden." With a laugh, Avara disappeared into the woods.
Haldir watched her go, stunned and amazed at the same time. He had not expected Avara to beat him. He had been watching her for some time before he decided to approach her, and he had defiantly not been expecting her response. He heard light laughter behind him and turned around to find Glorfindel standing there, his bright eyes twinkling. "I see you have met Avara," he said, and Haldir nodded. "Indeed I have. Is she always like that?" he asked. Glorfindel thought for a moment. "She is a very reserved individual Haldir. Her past is not one she likes to talk about, but she is a very smart and wonderful elf maiden to know," he answered carefully. Haldir sensed Glorfindel was holding something back. "Why is she not like other maidens I know? None of them are trained in the skills of warriors, nor do they dress as such." Glorfindel's face got instantly serious. "She and her friend Dinfan were captives of a band of Orcs. That is why she is not like the other maidens Haldir. I would suggest to you that you treat her as any other warrior, for that is what she is. And do not ask her about her past unless she brings it up herself. There is much you do not understand about her, as I do not understand everything about her, but keep quiet the fact you know she was a captive." Haldir nodded, but questions burned in his mind as he walked towards the dining hall. When he got there, he spotted Aragorn and the Twins, and sitting with them was Avara and an elf he did not know. 'Must be her friend," he thought, going over to sit with them. He sat down beside Aragorn and nodded at the twins. "Haldir, how was your practice today?" Elladan asked, a teasing note in his voice. Haldir looked at Avara, who met his gaze unflinchingly. "It was good," he mumbled around a mouth full of sandwich. Aragorn coughed, and Elrohir shot him a look. "What was Glorfy talking to you about on the field? You looked awful weird coming in," he asked. Haldir's gaze met Avara's, and he knew she knew what Glorfindel had told him. Anger glittered in her violet eyes, but she did not say anything, awaiting his response. Glorfindel's warning echoed in his mind. "Only that he could not believe a novice bow wielder had beaten me at my own game," he answered, and Elrohir looked disappointed. Avara stood up then, as did Dinfan. "Your pardon, but we must leave now. We shall see you all later on in the evening," she said, then looked at Haldir, and a rare smile graced her face. "Sasea omentien ile, Haldir of Lothlorien." Haldir smiled and nodded his head. "Lle creosa Avara. Tenna 'ento lye omenta." Avara nodded and then she and Dinfan left.
Chapter Eight
After a month, Avara had grown familiar with Rivendell. So far, she had evaded every other person's attempts for her friendship, but it was because of her way of detaching herself from her surroundings and maintaining a reserved look about her that others were content just to know who she was. She was very smart and agile, and had started training under Glorfindel. He stated to Elrond one day that she would make an excellent warrior if she was ever accepted, but Elrond had merely shaken his head and gave Glorfindel such a look that Glorfindel did not breach that subject again. Avara chose one sunny afternoon to practice some archery by herself. She enjoyed the thrill of releasing the arrow, and the satisfaction when it hit dead on. She was almost ready to stop when she heard a leaf crackle behind her. She whipped around, bow and arrow ready to fire, her heart thumping madly. The surprised elf took a step backwards, but Avara did not lower her bow. "Ya naa ile?" she asked, annoyed now that the fear drained out of her body. "Haldir of Lothlorien. I don't suppose you could lower your bow now? I do not like sharp, pointy objects pointing at my head, especially when those objects belong to a beautiful elf maiden." He expected her to laugh, or even smile, but instead her eyes narrowed as she lowered her bow. "Then, Haldir of Lothlorien, you will do well to remember not to sneak up on those who carry weapons, or you just may find yourself in Valinor before your time," she replied coolly. "I am sorry. I did not mean to cause you alarm. I only wanted to see who was trying to beat my record," the blond elf replied. Avara looked at him, puzzlement written on her fair features. Haldir pointed to the tree Avara had been shooting at. "I always use that tree and time myself whenever I come here. You have almost beaten me," he said, firing an arrow. To say he was surprised when another arrow flew, splitting his in two before it even hit the tree was an understatement. Avara turned to him, a slight smile on her face. "Consider yourself beaten," she said, an eyebrow raised in amusement when Haldir continued to stare at the tree. He recovered quickly from his shock and turned to her. "You are a very good shot. What is your name?" he asked. Avara had started walking towards the tree to retrieve her arrows, but stopped and looked back at him. "I am Avara," she answered, and then picked up her arrows. She gave Haldir his broken arrow. "What am I to do with this?" he asked, a bit annoyed. Avara looked at him and shrugged. "Perhaps you should keep it as a reminder," she answered. "A reminder of what?" Haldir called after her. "Of the day you were beaten by a beautiful elf maiden." With a laugh, Avara disappeared into the woods.
Haldir watched her go, stunned and amazed at the same time. He had not expected Avara to beat him. He had been watching her for some time before he decided to approach her, and he had defiantly not been expecting her response. He heard light laughter behind him and turned around to find Glorfindel standing there, his bright eyes twinkling. "I see you have met Avara," he said, and Haldir nodded. "Indeed I have. Is she always like that?" he asked. Glorfindel thought for a moment. "She is a very reserved individual Haldir. Her past is not one she likes to talk about, but she is a very smart and wonderful elf maiden to know," he answered carefully. Haldir sensed Glorfindel was holding something back. "Why is she not like other maidens I know? None of them are trained in the skills of warriors, nor do they dress as such." Glorfindel's face got instantly serious. "She and her friend Dinfan were captives of a band of Orcs. That is why she is not like the other maidens Haldir. I would suggest to you that you treat her as any other warrior, for that is what she is. And do not ask her about her past unless she brings it up herself. There is much you do not understand about her, as I do not understand everything about her, but keep quiet the fact you know she was a captive." Haldir nodded, but questions burned in his mind as he walked towards the dining hall. When he got there, he spotted Aragorn and the Twins, and sitting with them was Avara and an elf he did not know. 'Must be her friend," he thought, going over to sit with them. He sat down beside Aragorn and nodded at the twins. "Haldir, how was your practice today?" Elladan asked, a teasing note in his voice. Haldir looked at Avara, who met his gaze unflinchingly. "It was good," he mumbled around a mouth full of sandwich. Aragorn coughed, and Elrohir shot him a look. "What was Glorfy talking to you about on the field? You looked awful weird coming in," he asked. Haldir's gaze met Avara's, and he knew she knew what Glorfindel had told him. Anger glittered in her violet eyes, but she did not say anything, awaiting his response. Glorfindel's warning echoed in his mind. "Only that he could not believe a novice bow wielder had beaten me at my own game," he answered, and Elrohir looked disappointed. Avara stood up then, as did Dinfan. "Your pardon, but we must leave now. We shall see you all later on in the evening," she said, then looked at Haldir, and a rare smile graced her face. "Sasea omentien ile, Haldir of Lothlorien." Haldir smiled and nodded his head. "Lle creosa Avara. Tenna 'ento lye omenta." Avara nodded and then she and Dinfan left.