"You may go now," Galadriel spoke once more, dismissing them before turning away. "Haldir will show you to your rooms."

"Wait!" Angel burst out.

The Lady of the Light turned to face the young girl, her questioning gaze piercing Angel.

"I - I mean… Jam and I have wandered in the woods so many times… and yet we've never met the wardens in the forest before. Why only now?"

Galadriel smiled warmly this time. "That is one question, pen neth, I am afraid I cannot answer as of yet," she then turned towards the doorway and called. "Haldir!"

The Marchwarden appeared out of the shadows, bowing to the Lady and Lord politely. As he did so, his hair shone in the dim moonlight, and Angel's thoughts wandered once more to the subject of his ethereal beauty.

"Yes, my Lady?"

Angel was startled out of her reverie as the object of her affections spoke.

"Show our guests to their rooms," Galadriel commanded regally before latching on to Celeborn's arm and walking, no floating away.

Haldir bowed respectfully again, and proceeded to lead Angel and Jamie through a series of twists and loops and turns.

Five minutes later, Angel was getting dizzy.

"Are we there yet?" she hissed to Jamie, wavering slightly. "I mean, it's like this huge walking roller-coaster thingy… and at this rate we could get lost just trying to locate our rooms!"

Jamie nodded, and glanced worriedly at his best friend. She seemed slightly queasy. Haldir, on the other hand, while having appeared to hear Angel's remark, did not comment.

Finally the Marchwarden stopped at the door of a talan.

"These are your rooms," he intoned coolly. "Have a nice day." With that, he left without looking back.

Angel and Jamie opened the door of their new residence.

"Wow…cool!" Angel squealed happily, bouncing on her bed. "The sheets are so soft!"

Jamie nodded, his gaze thoughtful.

… …

"Duuuuuuuude… but it's so damned unfair!" whined Angel. She was feeling particularly annoyed, bouncing the tennis ball around - the one she'd found in her backpack.

"Like, why can't she just tell us everything and make things easier for everyone?"

Where is the bloody bag anyway?

"Oh Valar, I'm stuck in Middle Earth with only a ball to my name," she muttered to herself.

Jamie cracked up.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

Jamie was rolling on the floor, trying to talk between gasps. "Y-you sound - you sound like a guy w-with on-only one ball. Mutilated. Hahahahahahahaha…"

Angel rolled her eyes heavenward. Guys. Seriously. Why are they so friggin' immature?

"Earth to Jamie. I was only wondering where my bag went."

The teenage boy glanced around the room, scratched his head, and then looked down at himself.

"Oops, sorry," he handed the bag to Angel. "I was sitting on it."

Angel mock-glared at him.

"You're worse than my cat, squishing my stuff to pancakes," she remarked, causing Jamie to grin annoyingly at her.

"Thank yew veruh much," Jamie did a little bow, only to receive a whack on the head. "Ow!"

"Shut up, Jam," Angel smirked. "I'm going to change."

Jamie could hear his best friend cheerily whistling away in the bathroom.

"Girls," he mumbled to himself.

A few seconds later, he was on the floor in a mess of tangled sheets, face to face with a certain smirking dark-haired Angel.

"Ow," he winced, shifting himself up so that he was leaning on his elbows. "I think I broke little Jamie."

Angel grinned. "Having gender crisis now, are you, Jam?"

"Very funny, Ange. What was that for, anyway?" Jamie growled at the mischievous look on Angel's face.

"I dunno," Angel shrugged innocently. "Just felt like it, I guess." She sighed contentedly, laying her head on Jamie's stomach like they had done ever since they were kids.

"That was fun," Angel commented. "Can I do it again?"

"No wa - " Jamie's voice trailed off as the door opened to reveal the Marchwarden.

Haldir's eyebrows were raised. Very, very raised

A wave of jealousy passed over the Marchwarden at seeing the attractive girl so close to another, but he immediately squished it down. Inwardly, he thanked the Valar for millennia of practice at hiding his emotions.

It wouldn't work anyway, he thought. I am an elf and she is human.

"Am I interrupting something?" he enquired politely, but it seemed to Angel that he was somehow mocking the two of them, suspecting them of doing something they shouldn't have been doing.

"None of your business," she snapped. "What is it, anyway?"

Haldir experienced a flash of surprise. Why did she sound so offended? Curtly, he replied, hiding the initial hurt he had felt.

"Nothing much, arwenamin. The Lady has requested that I train you and your friend (he gestured to Jamie) in weaponry in order for you to be prepared for what is to come."

"Oh. Ooooooookay," Angel responded slowly. Train? Uh-oh. That, whatever it was, didn't sound good. "When?"

"Tomorrow," Haldir tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but his body still buzzed at the knowledge that she'd be with him the next day, though not alone. "Eight o'clock at the archery ranges."

"Okay. Thanks," Angel called as Haldir left and shut the door behind him. Ruefully, she began picking up the pillows and sheets. "C'mon, Jam, let's clear this mess up. We don't want anyone barging into the room and then reporting that we're sleeping with each other to the whole of Lorien."

Jamie's face turned a particularly bright shade of vermilion. "Fine," he mumbled.

An hour later, Angel was asleep on the bed, her dark silky waves fanning out over the pillow. Jamie watched her, an older-brotherly smile creeping onto his face. From the way she slept, so peacefully, you'd think she was an angel. Just wait till she wakes up.

Haldir knocked on the door and stepped into their talan for the second time.

"It is requested of me that I accompany your friend to dinner," he told Jamie. "Please wake her up, we must go now."

Jamie nodded easily, and nudged Angel. "Wake up, Ange," he told the sleeping girl. "Time to go for dinner."

"Don't wanna go eat," Angel murmured quietly, pushing her best friend away. "Sleepy."

Jamie sighed, and rose from the bed.

"She isn't hungry and doesn't want to eat," he told Haldir. "Could you lead me to the kitchens so that I can get some food for her in case she's hungry later? Ange may be obstinate sometimes but she will not be so foolish as to starve herself unnecessarily."

Haldir nodded. Due to his heightened senses, he had been able to listen in on Jamie and Angel's conversation.

She looks like an angel - like her name, he thought to himself. But the moment she is awake…

"Come," he told Jamie, clapping the latter's back in a friendly gesture. "I will show you where the kitchens are, and then we shall go to dinner."

… …

Angel was awake, not to mention annoyed at the disappearance of a certain Jamie.

"Where the hell is that annoying bastard of a friend?" she thought aloud, grumpily to herself. "Oh well, he's probably taking a walk somewhere. Just now… he said he wanted to explore or something."

Yawning and inhaling deeply, she got up. But she had moved no farther than two steps when the Marchwarden of Lórien stepped in, carrying a tray.

"Oh. Hi," Angel couldn't help but let the disappointment seep into her voice. WHERE is Jamie? "Where's Jam?"

"I'm glad you're so happy to see me," Haldir commented sarcastically. He would not admit that her comment had stung him. "Your friend is down at the dining hall chatting with Celeborn, I believe, and he asked me to bring this (he gestured at the tray in his hands) to you in case you were hungry."

"Oh." Angel felt guilty for mistreating him. "Hannon le."

She took the tray from him - as she did so, their fingertips brushed, sending jolts of electricity through them.

Ignore it. He's an elf, one of the first-born, for goodness sake, Ange. Of all the races of Middle Earth you have to go fall in love with the stuck-up Marchwarden, she told herself.

Haldir, on the other hand, was - shocked, for lack of a better word. His fingertips were still tingling, and try as he might, he could not get her out of his head.

Oh Valar, he mused. Why does this firiel have such an effect on me?

It was true; he had never felt this way before. Now, he even found himself looking forward to sleeping, where he could meet and embrace Angel in his dreams. She didn't know, of course.

She'd probably laugh if I told her, thought the Marchwarden. And anyway she's mortal! There'd be no future for any relationship at all.

Haldir broke out of his thoughts to find Angel looking up at him quizzically.

"Mani naa ta?" he enquired, hoping he hadn't just thought aloud.

"I have called you several times already," Angel blushed slightly under his unwavering gaze. "But all you did was stare at the wall."

Oh. I must've been deep in thought. "What did you wish to ask me, arwenamin?"

"Well… I was wondering if you'd eaten." Angel could've kicked herself. What a dumb question to ask, Ange, she groaned inwardly.

"Yes, I have, arwenamin. You'd better eat, you'd need the energy for tomorrow's training," he said firmly, noticing that the food was still untouched. After a moment's pause, he added. "You're too skinny."

"Yes, I am rather like a beanpole, aren't I?" she spoke ruefully, glancing at herself. "But I do take part in sports… and I've had archery lessons."

Haldir looked up, surprised. Archery lessons? "How is your skill with the bow, then…Angel?"

Angel smiled at the use of her name. It nearly brought a grin to the Marchwarden's face, until he remembered that he was the cold, emotionless Haldir of Lórien.

"Average, I guess. Jamie and I… we met at the archery ranges," she sighed fondly, remembering her childhood days. "I was ten, he was twelve then - and he shot me in the thigh."

"He shot you?" Haldir couldn't keep the incredulity out of his voice.

"Yeah," Angel was grinning cheerfully. It didn't seem so bad after the pain had gone and the wound healed. "He lost control of the bow and the arrow lodged itself in my leg," here she winced, and then continued. "It was how we became friends."

Haldir nodded solemnly.

"Very well, Angel, now," He paused, purposely looking at the plate. "Eat."

"B-but - but Haaaaaaaaldeeeeeeeeee!" Angel whined as the Marchwarden cringed at hearing his name twisted. "I'm not hungry!"

Haldir glared at her. "Don't butcher my name."

Angel glanced at him curiously, finding it odd that he should get agitated so easily. "Fine. But can I eat later instead?"

"Okay," Haldir sighed. He didn't particularly want to argue with her, especially if she was going to whine like that. He would lose his hearing permanently. "Ow!"

Angel looked at him innocently. "I didn't do anything."

Haldir gritted his teeth. "Why. Did. You. Pull. My. Ears." He enunciated and drew out each word clearly and his tone was low, dangerous.

Angel looked slightly taken aback, and for a moment Haldir regretted being so harsh towards one so young even for mortals. But once again she surprised him, and sing-songed in his face.

"I dunno. Just wanted to check if your ears were real."

Haldir groaned and made a face, causing Angel to giggle. "Of course they're real, what did it look like?"

Angel shrugged. "I dunno. Plastic?" she grinned at the confused look on Haldir's face. "You can never be too sure, anyhow. Give me your head."

"What?" Had he heard correctly? "Did you just say 'give me your head'?"

"Yeah. Sit." Angel pulled him down to sit beside her without giving him a chance to respond. To his surprise - and delight - she began combing his hair out, filtering the moon-colored strands between her fingers.

"Why are you combing my hair?" Haldir tried to get up, but Angel but made him sit down.

"Can you wait awhile?" she asked him politely. "I have to admit - I'm kinda curious… I've never seen hair like yours."

Haldir shook his head. She was full of surprises - and bold. Very bold, Haldir thought to himself. Most of the elleths preferred to let him take the lead - that is, if they were interested. And he wasn't even sure if she liked him or not. She's probably just curious, he mused dejectedly. But…

The Marchwarden was jerked out of his reverie by the realization that some strands of his hair had just been unceremoniously pulled out.

"What was that for?" He roared. Angel didn't back down.

"Well it's not MY fault," she shot back. "You were lost to the world - again. I couldn't get you to respond so pulled out a couple of strands." She looked hurt, and Haldir chastised himself once again for reacting that way.

"Amin hiraetha," he apologized, taking her into his arms - wait, was she trembling? He looked concernedly at her. "Are you alright, Angel?"

She looked up tiredly at him, her small frame making her look even more vulnerable.

"I don't know, Hald-"