Disclaimer: I actually own nothing except the plot of this fic, and an undying love for Haldir, Rúmil, Orophin and Éomer. But I'd settle down for some plushies!! ^_~
Summary: When betrayed by her own kind, a young Shieldmaiden rejects her heritage and hides in Lothlόrien. Until she must choose where she truly belongs...
By: Nueva Yui Maxwell
Universe: Alternate movieverse
Pairings: Surprise CannonXCannon pairing
Rating and Warnings: R, for implied rape, adult situations and description of war battles
Archiving: No problem! Just ask first please.
AN: Ok....I have thought a long time before starting this fic. The main reason is, I admit, the fear of this story being tagged as a Mary Sue....when it's not one! All characters mentionned in this story ARE cannon. I'm just twisting LOTR so that one small character gets a story. This is WHY it's AU. I will try with all my heart to not Suefied(sp?) any largely known cannon characters (eg Legolas, Aragorn, etc). Constructive criticism will be more than welcome, but flames WILL be use to fuel my heating system. God knows how it can get cold in here!
And one last thing, I will be true to Tolkien pairings, so if you guess it BEFORE I reveal it, please PLEASE, keep it secret, so it won't spoil the fun for other readers.
Before ending this long AN, there is a job opening for a beta-reader for this fic. Please email me if you are interested.
Thank you for your attention. Now on with the fic! And don't forget to do what you do best, REVIEW! ^_~
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"Common Tongue"
**Elvish Tongue (Sindarin)**
Belonging
Prologue: Searching for Death
As the rising sun temporarily blinded her, Lothíriel stopped her run to catch her breath. Every bits of her muscles ached, her mouth was dry and her lips cracking from thirst, her lungs burning so much, she was almost surprise she didn't exhale smoke. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she looked around. Her fast pace had taken her on the top of a hill, which, at this hour of the day, still cast its shadow over a plain, itself bordered by a lush forest. She knew behind her was the Fangorn forest, for her captors had mentionned it on the third night they rested. From what she could remember of the maps she once studied, the sun was setting over the Anduin, for it was the only river that large around. But seven days of fast riding had taken her far from her home and from what she was familiar with. The slight thundering sounds from horse's hoofs snapped her back to reality: her captors were now well aware of her escape, and she had no chances of getting away on foot when they were on horses. Unless she could make it to the forest before them, where she could hide and pray to the Valar that they don't find her. She knew they wouldn't kill her, and yet death would have been more than welcome in comparison of what was waiting for her if they catched her back. Picking up her dress, she sprang down the hill towards the forest, secretly hoping it would be the last time she had to run. Lothíriel heard their shouts and knew without looking that they were gaining on her. Keeping her brown eyes locked on the first trees of the forest, she tried to block out the fear creeping in her stomach. Somehow, she safely made into the forest, and the moment she felt the shadows of the trees surrounding her, Lothíriel looked back at her captors and failed to see the large root in front of her. It only took the time of her fall for the Elves to trapt her in a circle of drawn arrows. As she looked up, she suddenly felt a wave of relief washing over her; she thought she would have starved to death in the forest. But now that she had found a quicker way to end her tourment, she felt the need to laugh, but restrained it upon the expression of one of the Elves. Closing her distressed garment over her breast, she took a good look at him. Silvery blond was his hair, and deep blue was his eyes, his angular yet perfect face showing discontent. Unlike the others, his bow was not drawn and his arms were crossed over his broad chest. From his stance, Lothíriel guessed he was the leader of the group.
"You can go no further. Turn around and go back to your world." His musical voice said in Commun Tongue, already turning around to walk back in the depths of the woods.
"And what if I wish not to?" her bold answer echoed in the woods. It was only meet by the cracking sound of bows getting ready to launch an arrow. Opening her arm and turning her palms to the sky, she walked up to one the archer, looking similar enough to be the brother of the leader one, and only stopped when the tip of his arrow was resting over her left breast. If launched, it would pierced her heart in no time. The archer frowned a bit, but made no moves. Lothíriel then smiled:
"I beg you, please do your bidding, for my world has nothing left to offer me."
Cursing under his breath, Haldir turned around to scowl at the human female, but the words died on his lips as he took note of her appearences. The young lady's ashy blond hair were all tangled, and matted with dirt, blood and other things he dare not to imagine. Her gown was torn practically in two and barely hiding her sun beated skin. He could see rope marks around her wrists, and didn't doubt for a second that he could find similar marks around her ankles. Her face was covered with bruises and cuts, as was what he could see of her chest. As much as he hated humans, Haldir couldn't stop his heart from being filled with disgust and anger. How can one do such things to his own kind? But his thoughts were interrupted as he heard men shouting at the borders of the forest. No doubt they were searching for the young lady. Feeling the female wasn't a threat to them, most of the warriors looked up to Haldir for his commands. The March Warden looked at the Archer in front of Lothíriel:
**Take the female to safety, Rúmil. We will deal with her later. The Riders pose a greater danger**. Looking at the other Galadhrims, Haldir made a silent hand signal and they lowered their bows.
As fast as they encircled her, the Elves disapeared in the wild, leaving with her behind them the Archer. His bow was already back around his quiver, and without a word, he swiftly took her hand, and jogged deeper in the forest. Bewildered, but nonetheless feeling safer with the Elf than with the humans, Lothíriel took up as much as she could of his pace, but failing to do so as her feet seemed too heavy to lift now. She was exhausted from her previous flight and felt like she could not move anymore. Rúmil noticed her difficulty, and in one fluid movement, he picked her up and flung her over his right shoulder. Lothíriel looked up as she heard shouts and saw various arrows flying around. She gasped and felt the Elf quickening his pace. As Rúmil half turned around to make sure his brothers were safe, he failed to notice a lower branch on a young mallorn tree. It was high enough to miss his own head, but low enough to give a rather hard blow to his package. As he heard her stiffled cry, he craddled her in his arms to find out that she had passed out and the March Warden's brother couldn't help thinking:
**Haldir is going to have my head for that...**
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To be continued!
I hope you liked it! I have question for all of you. Does anyone know the TRUE order in which Haldir's brothers come?
Please, review!