A/n Hi! Happy red nose day! You're lucky that you're getting this chapter, I'm trying to get it all typed before seven- before comic relief starts!
Little elf
Chapter Nine
After saying goodbye to Mithglin she made her way to the archery field she had been practicing swordplay in.
When she arrived Celeborn hadn't. She grudgingly took her sword out of the scabbard. It was for a beginner and quite blunt for which Elle was quite happy about.
Elle closed her eyes and started going through the techniques Celeborn had taught her. *Sword is extension of my arm, sword is extension of my arm…* Suddenly her sword hit something, the sound of metal hitting metal making her open her eyes.
"Haldir!" exclaimed Elle grinning, dropping her sword which landed blade down in the grass.
Haldir put his knife back in its scabbard behind his back before having the wind knocked out of him by Elle as she hugged him.
"If I knew I was to get such a welcome I would have come back earlier niphredil."
"Aye, how have you been?"
"Chasing orcs. We've unfortunately not encountered anything as fair as you."
"I bet you say that to all the girls."
"Just the girls?" asked Haldir grinning , while sitting down leaning against the trunk of a tree.
"Just the girls." Confirmed Elle plomping herself down next to him, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Have the Lord and Lady kept you busy?!
"The lord has, I haven't seen the Lady Galadriel other then at meal times.
"She's a busy elf."
"I know."
"Elle, Niphredil?"
"Hmm?"
"What was you home like?"
"Why isn't Celeborn here yet?"
"He decided to give you a day off."
"Why?"
"So you could enjoy my charming company. Do you want to climb this tree?"
"You're joking! There's no way I can climb that!"
"You have never climbed a tree?" asked Haldir incredulously
"Why would I have wanted to?"
Haldir looked at her as if she had sprouted wings. "We're going to climb this tree." Haldir jumped and climbed onto the lowest branch easily.. He looked down at Elle expectantly."
Elle sighed and stood up "What am I supposed to do?"
"Jump."
Elle put her arms up, jumped and managed to grab the large branch *easier to jump as well. Gravity obviously doesn't work as well on Elves.* She pulled herself up onto the branch her muscles screaming silently. *there's a reason I don't do press ups*
She managed to sit on the branch. Haldir was standing on the branch looking for another one to climb onto "Niphredil?"
"Yeah?"
"Come on."
Haldir grabbed her hand and pulled her up so that she was standing. Elle's eyes were shut tightly her arms out to keep her balance. "Open your eyes."
"They're fine as they are, thanks."
Elle heard Haldir sigh before she felt his arms around her. Elle's feet left the branch.
"What're you doing?" Elle asked though the last bit was muffles as she was pulled against his chest."
When Elle was eventually let go she saw a grinning Haldir. Elle slowly sat herself down, a leg on either side of the branch, leaning against the trunk.
Haldir was facing her. "So what was your home like?"
"You're pretty blunt for an elf."
Haldir moved closer, their knees were now knocking each other, "what was you home like?"
Elle glanced down, reckoning to see if she could get down. She was up some 30 feet. She suddenly felt dizzy "Niphredil? Elle? What was your home like?" he asked softly "Elle! What was your home like?" Haldir was suddenly leaning over her his face about 3 inches away from Elle's, his arms on either side of her head.
Elle could feel Haldir's breathe on her face it smelled faintly of mint. His eyes were a navy blue, which were boring into Elle's expectantly waiting for an answer.
Elle sighed "Home was like…home."
Haldir gave her a bemused look "I could never leave home forever our of choice." He eventually announced.
Elle looked at him from under eyelashes
" Neither could I."
"Yet you came here, left your home; out of choice."
"I didn't come here out of choice, I came here out of duty. I couldn't be held responsible for the deaths of two broken hearted elves. I have a duty to my people to protect them."
"I'm sure they don't see it that way. What about your friends and family."
"Better one set of friends and family then two."
"Won't your realm grieve?"
"Of course they will, but they'll live."
"Do you not miss them."
"Yes, with all my heart. But I have my memories. I'm also making friends here."
"They can never replace the one's you have already."
"I'm not replacing them." Elle looked thoughtful "Most of them would die eventually."
"You're friends with men?"
"and women."
"so you know those of the race of men?"
"Well Abberant is made of men and women. Both the elves and the race of men live together in harmony. Well, there are the occasional spats but those are dealt with quickly."
They spent the next hour talking; well Haldir asked questions and Elle grudgingly answered under the threat of being left in the tree.
"Can we go down now/" Asked Elle before Haldir could ask another question.
"Of course Niphredil."
Haldir sprung up pulling Elle with him. "So how're we going to get down?"
"The same way we came up."
Haldir's arm made its way around Elle's middle, pulling her to him "Erm…Haldir." Asked Elle her head resting against the crook of his neck.
"Hmm."
"Nothing." Elle murmured talking a deep breath. Haldir smelled of fresh grass as well as something else which Elle later learnt to be the scent of the Elanor flower.
Haldir jumped the last 10 feet landing on the leaf strewn floor silently. "Was that really necessary?" asked Elle her arms akimbo.
"Not really." He smiled tucking a stray brown strand of her behind Elle's ear. "Now seeing that you cannot climb a tree I am sure that you are a Princess and not a wood elf." Elle rose an eyebrow her lips quirking into a smile. "Even though you do act like one."
Elle gasped in mock outrage, hit Haldir exclaimed "you dwarf of an elf!" before turning on talk to the centre of Caras Galadhon. Elle could hear Haldir running after her.
Just before she reached the bottom of the staircase, Haldir grabbed her around the waist and whispered "got you." Swinging her around in a circle. Elle giggles madly when she was eventually put down. "You are a very evil elf!" she gasped catching her breath. Haldir just smirked.
A/n I would answer your lovely reviews but it's the middle of comic relief and I'm writing this during a sketch I don't like. In interesting news Orlando Bloom (sigh) was in Midsummer murders (God knows why!) and her was a burglar and a prostitute- at least that's what I guessed while flicking btw channels. Only £50 an hour and all **wink *
Any whoo goign back to watch tv now!
Gwilwileth