Sorry it took so long guys! Life is hectic and the other chapters that were uploaded so fast were prewritten, so I could give them to you right away. Anway, enjoy the chapter and please REVIEW!!!!

Chapter 18- Connection

She had left Orophin's arms ages ago, and had been swept up into more lively dances with the other visiting elves, the last being Glorfindel. Indilisse looked up at him now with large eyes, not believing he actually had physically pulled her from her seat all the way out to the swirling group of dancing elves. Not only did she not want to dance with him considering their past debaucheries, but also because the last thing she wanted to hear was the consistent sexual innuendos from the gold-haired elf himself. Now, though, she was held tightly in his strong grasp and he was peering down at her with a satisfied smile upon his lips.

"Quit looking at me like that, Glorfindel." Indilisse said flatly, gazing anywhere but into his dark blue eyes.

He chuckled, "Why? You are absolutely stunning, all the other elves you have been with tonight have given you the same consideration I am giving you at this very moment."

Not Haldir, she frowned. Indilisse grumbled to herself for thinking like that and finally summoned enough courage to look up at him defiantly. "Well, I beg of you to stop."

Glorfindel sighed and only pulled her closer to him. "You would not let your Lord look upon you?"

She ridiculed him with a scathing glance, "You are not my Lord, Glorfindel. Lord Celeborn is my lord. And if I was even close to Imladris, Lord Elrond would then be. And in Mirkwood, King Thranduil would be."

"But if you think about it, I am your Lord in the since that we have joined." He smiled again, expecting an even more heated glare from her.

Indilisse pulled back from him, but his hands quickly caught her wrists. She struggled slightly and then stopped, looking at him for a long while before speaking. "You are horrible, Glorfindel of Imladris. I wish to move on, and yet you constantly bring up the subject. Must you constant enrage Elladan and myself for the sake of your amusement? Was it not enough that Elladan and Elrond both easily pushed aside your misadventure? Now you wish for them to truly disregard you?"

Glorfindel chuckled lightly and pulled her close again, "Hardly, fair Indilisse, you know I only do it because it is something that we should all look upon and laugh."

"I do not seem to be laughing, Glorfindel." She said. "I take this matter quite seriously."

He sighed finally, and ran a hand down her face, "I am sorry, Indilisse. You know I also deal with my shortcomings through humor. I should not expect everyone to follow that path because I do, but I certainly cannot stand it with everyone moping about because of things that have happened in the past."

"I am not moping." She replied.

"Oh," he raised a questioning brow. "And that was not you I saw sulking at the end of the table?"

Indilisse looked up at him and grumbled, "You watch people too closely."

Glorfindel chuckled, pulling them out of the way of the other dancers so they could speak without getting trampled upon. He sighed and looked down at her closely before continuing, "I did not have to watch you to know that you were either irked or miserable about something."

"It is none of your worry, Glorfindel." She said, "It has only been a long day."

He nodded, half believing, and smiled again, "Then maybe you should go rest. I will think of an excuse as to why you had to leave."

"Considering that every elf in Lórien is here this evening, they will not believe a single thing you tell them. Especially my father and Galadriel." Indilisse smiled, and pushed away from him again, realizing he was coming far too close for comfort. "Just tell them I decided to head back to my talan because I was tired. They should understand that."

"And then they will question if I will be joining you later." Glorfindel again tried to make her laugh.

To her surprise, she let herself provide him with a small grin. "Now we know that is the last thing you should do. And if you were to come, I would geld you."

"My fairest lady," Glorfindel laughed, "I think that is a threat I will pay heed to. If you were to do that, I would not be able to woo any more elleths back to my room. Not even with my flowing gold hair and having actually killed an evil fell creature of the underworld."

Indilisse glanced around the celebration where all of the elves still were having a jolly time. The head table was pretty empty by now, with everyone having found a dance partner except for Arwen who had come back from dancing with her father a short time ago. Elrohir walked up to Arwen then, bowing cordially to his sister and offering her an arm to take. Indilisse looked around for Elladan and found him laughing at something the young elleth in his arms had said. At least he was having a good time. She sighed happily, and continued to survey the crowd, finding her mother and father dancing together, and the Lord and Lady, finally landing on Haldir. Chastising herself, she realized she had not been looking around to make sure she could slip away unnoticed, but instead was looking at each of the other elf maidens to see if they had found themselves in the strong arms of the March Warden.

But she had found him... and an elleth had indeed wrapped herself around the warrior, and Haldir did not seem too interested in the occurrences around him except if anther pretty elleth happened to walk by. Indilisse rolled her eyes at his seeming flirtatiousness. Did the elleths of Lothlórien really fall at his feet for the sideways glances he was affording them?

Glorfindel cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to his eyes. "You know, Indilisse, I have an accord with the March Warden. If you wished a dance..."

"No dance, thank you very much." She replied emphatically, "He does not much suit my tastes. I bid you farewell, Lord Glorfindel, and wish you luck on your quest for female company."

He laughed, "And I thank you Indilisse. Do not forget of our planned meeting tonight at your talan!"

Indilisse had turned and took a few steps away, but when he said that loudly, she flipped back to scowl at him. He was worse than Rúmil when it came to sexual innuendos and not noticing when a joke was up. She clenched her fists and pondered about spouting something that any elf would be ashamed of, but decided that Glorfindel responded more to verbal digs than any other form. Indilisse sighed heavily and turned back around, leaving the celebration through a densely foliage-covered path.

The music came lesser and lesser as she walked away, and she was melancholy about leaving so soon. Usually Fall Harvests were her most favorite time, but this year it seemed a time of turmoil and grief. She was not the least bit in need of rest and there was no one to visit, so she found herself wandering aimlessly under the starlit sky, really enjoying the intricacies of the city and its architecture. Eventually she ended up at the stables and pushed back the door, finding that the overhead lantern was not lit as it should have been. Searching for a few moments, she found a thick piece of straw and carried it out to a nearby torch, lighting an end and quickly moved back to the lantern. The frosted glass windows of the light lit up the entire stables quite nicely considering the grand size of the stalls and diminutive size of the candle flame.

A few of the horses snorted and whinnied of their displeasure of interruption, but it soon turned into gracious neighing and nuzzling for her careful attention to brushing out their manes and tails. Most of the horses were not in need of any grooming attention, so she spoke to those for a few moments and then moved on to the ones who needed to be brushed. Among those was Mornhîr, whom she saved to do last. She had even debated upon not doing him for the sole reason that Haldir could find something wrong in everything that she did, even if his remarks were as innocent as could possibly be according to him.

But she stood before the gigantic horse, and spoke to him softly while placing a small stool next to him so she could easily reach the top of his back. Indilisse took her time with Mornhîr, slowly going over the animal's dander, speaking to it in a Rohirric tongue which he particularly seemed to enjoy. She was in the midst of a most impassioned story of a small mouse and a large loin who became friends when she sensed that someone was watching her. Closing her eyes for a few moments, she could barely hear the soft breathing, but she knew that indeed, she was not alone. Then she discerned that it was Haldir who stood just beyond the far door, observing her actions with the horse.

"Have you come to ridicule me again, March Warden?" She asked, wanting it to sound aloof but it came out much colder than she had meant. Indilisse did not stop what she was doing, concentrating on a particularly bad tangle in the horse's mane.

Haldir straightened himself and pulled down on his dark blue tunic with the silvery lining. "How did you know I was here?"

Indilisse took that moment to shoot him a sardonic look, "You seem to forget that I am an elf, and have developed senses just as you. Besides, Father always made me practice."

He seemed permanently implanted into the ground as he made no effort to fully enter the stable, staying a safe distance away from her. "He always said that was the key to detecting harm before it got too close."

"Are you harmful, March Warden?" She asked, hearing his disgruntled sigh. Indilisse, not in the mood for another argument, grabbed another brush and threw it at Haldir. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?"

He caught it easily, and then looked back up at her. "Am I given a choice?"

"No." Indilisse said, narrowing her eyes.

"That is what I figured," he laughed uneasily and walked to the stall. Haldir stood to the opposite side of the horse, not in need of a stool as she was a head in length shorter than him. "Why did you leave so soon?"

"Hmm? Oh," Indilisse said, glancing up quickly. "I was told to go rest."

"By whom?" Haldir questioned.

She sighed, "What of it is your concern?"

"Sweet Elbereth, maiden!" Haldir exclaimed, "I only asked who told you to go rest. There is no double meaning behind it."

Indilisse regarded him suspiciously before saying, "Glorfindel told me to leave and that he would have an excuse for my absence."

Haldir stopped his stroke and looked at her, "So that is why I heard rumors of your continued relationship here in Lórien."

"There never was a relationship, March Warden." She replied quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Why will you not call me Haldir?" He asked. "Addressing me as March Warden is too formal for these settings, even if we are grooming horses in our finery."

Indilisse glanced at him, "Do you think you deserve to be spoken to as a friend by my lips?"

Haldir paused again, seemingly completely thrown for what she was saying. "Well, I..."

She shook her head disappointedly, hearing the tone in his voice that told her he would not apologize. "You do not need to apologize."

"Indilisse..." He said again, this time quietly, but he only looked up at her with emotionless eyes.

"A silly, idiotic one time event, aye, but nothing more." Indilisse continued before he said any more, in hopes to somehow prove her innocence to him. Why was she so in need to make him believe and trust her?

Haldir sighed heavily, and stayed her hand on the horses back. The simple touch of his large hand over hers and his long fingers entwining around it made her hand burn with sensation. She tried to pull it away, unable to understand how this was happening to her body from one simple touch from his hand, but he held on tightly. Slowly she brought her eyes up to his, now a dark gray. In them was not the coldness she had seen earlier, not the haughty aloofness that constantly surrounded his being. Now there was almost a remorseful look, one of a long draw out indecision and also of apology.

"What?" She asked plainly, trying to guard herself against anything that could come from his mouth.

"I am sorry, Indilisse. Once again, I am sorry for the way I have acted." He replied.

Surprised was not a word that she would have used to describe what she was feeling, astounded and floored were not even accurate enough. Haldir, arrogance and all, was apologizing to her.

"Do not look so staggered, Indilisse." He said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Indilisse closed her partially gaping mouth and sighed, "I cannot believe you of all people are apologizing for something."

Haldir let go of her hand quickly and bent down to look at the front shoes of the horse. He said no more to her and continued to inspect the hooves very carefully for cracks and signs of discomfort for the animal. When he found none, he straightened himself back up, his long hair falling back down across his back. "I cannot stand that we are like this to each other, Indilisse."

"Like what, Haldir?" She asked.

He looked up at her with brighter eyes because of the mention of his name rather than his title. "When I ridicule you for faults that I also have."

"Faults?"

"Sleeping around wantonly with other elves when we really should be concerned about finding the one elf we are to spend eternity with." Haldir said.

Indilisse paused for a moment. Did he mean that they should find it in each other? Why was he being so civil all of a sudden, when not a few hours ago he had nearly called her a whore in front of everyone? Haldir was so two- faced. "Have you had too much Miruvor this evening, Haldir?"

"No, why?" He asked.

She shook her head, "Did either of your brothers put this idea into your head tonight?"

"No." Haldir answered, brushing along the horse's thick neck and not looking at her. "But please tell me the truth on one thing, Indilisse. Are you still involved with Glorfindel as well as Elladan?"

Indilisse let out a long breath and cleared her throat. "Has no one yet told you the tale? Your brothers know of it."

"Nay, they have not." He glanced at her quickly.

"To make a long tale short, when I was in Imladris, Elladan and I were close. We were planning on binding, but then fate intervened and I drank too much Miruvor one night, as did Glorfindel, though I suspect he was not nearly as inebriated as me." Indilisse explained, "I was attracted to his gold hair, his battle-hardened body, his arrogance... and I allowed myself to be charmed into bed with him. Needless to say, I not only destroyed my life with one moment of cloudy-mindedness, but also that of Elladan."

Haldir was completely silent and unmoving for a few moments, and then look up at her. "Did you love him?"

Indilisse nodded, "Oh, Haldir, I loved him so much. And he forgave me for what I had done, something I still cannot believe he did. If he had done something like that to me, I would have never forgiven him, but he had a big enough heart to forgive me. With that, I loved him even more."

"Do you still love him?" Haldir asked, meeting her eyes and remaining unblinking for a few long moments.

Unable to stand the intenseness in his eyes, she turned away, "I do love him, Haldir, but at different places now. Always do I feel indebted to him, and that is not how a pair should remain if they were to bind."

He sighed, nearly sounding relieved. "But what then did I see in the garden two nights ago?"

"A conclusion to our past." She replied, "If you had listened closer, you would have heard that, but alas, you must have been involved with something else."

"A conclusion?" Haldir raised a brow, ignoring her sarcastic remark.

Indilisse chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully, "He left to ride with the Dunédain and we were never allowed a time to seal our fate before I went to Mirkwood."

After a rather long silence, the only sound that of the harsh brushes traveling through coarse horse hair, Haldir looked at her again. "Has there been anyone else?"

"Why are you so concerned about my personal life, Haldir? I do not relentlessly question you about your pursuits of Nindë!" Indilisse exclaimed, only to preserve her own mind from being thrown into complete nervousness with the situation.

"I know we have not spent much time together in nearly an age, but for the time that I did, you were always a child that I looked at as needing protection." Haldir replied.

Indilisse stepped off of her stool and pushed it to the side, putting the brush on top of it, done with her grooming. "I am not a child any longer, Haldir. And in the matters of male elves, I do not need your protection."

Why did she say that? She did want his protection... and his touch... and his love.

"You probably do not." Haldir swallowed hard and turned his attention back to the horse for a few more moments, efficiently shielding his eyes from her view. His voice was full of emotion with the next thing he said, "But I still feel like I should protect you, my lady."

If he had turned around, what would she have seen? Sadness, anguish... love? The thought made a shiver travel up her back. Indilisse crossed her arms over her chest, and dug at the ground with the heel of her foot, "Haldir, March Warden of Lórien and Captain of the Galadhrim, my friend, I do wish to have your good company, but only if the situation permits itself, your protection."

He finished with Mornhîr and placed the brush on the stall wall. He whispered a few words of thanks to his horse and turned back to her. Haldir walked to her on his light feet, stopping a few inches from her and placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. Under any normal circumstance, she would have hurt anyone who came on her like he had, but the feel of his hands wrapped on her arms and his body heat so close kept her rooted into position. She looked up at him, forgetting how tall he was, even for an elf, and looked into his darkened gray eyes. The speed of her heart picked up in her chest and she felt it battering relentlessly against her breast, wishing his gaze was something more meaningful than it probably truthfully was.

She turned her head away, feeling diminutive under his eyes. Or was it really diminutive? She actually, after thinking about it for a while, felt like she was wanted in the most intimate of ways. Indilisse took in a sharp breath when she felt the archery roughened fingers of his right hand upon her cheek, turning her face up towards him. "Haldir..."

"Be quiet," he commanded, letting his eyes move down to her lips and his hand caress her cheek and move behind her neck, entwining slightly with the hair at the base of her neck. Haldir pressed closer to her, this time her body sufficiently molding in an exacting shape to his hard exterior. She too could feel his heart pounding his chest and the nervous inhaling and exhaling of his lungs.

This could not be happening. Not after all...

All of her thoughts were stolen from her right at that moment, when she felt his warm breath upon her face and his lips touched her temple affectionately. Breathing a sigh of relief that he had only kissed her there, and then rested his cheek atop her head within their long embrace. It made her think he had only meant this in a friendly way. That was until he moved his head enough to peer down at her again, leaning into place a kiss next to her ear, except this time he did not stop. His motions were slow and thought out, bordering upon methodical as though he had done this many times before when trying to seduce an elleth.

He looked down at her, his lips but a few small centimeters from hers, his breath on her and intoxicating all on its own. He remained there, staring down at her, penetrating her mind and being more deeply than she had ever thought possible, even more so than anything during a purely sexual encounter. At that very moment, she felt their thoughts mingling together, almost as if they were speaking to one another through the mind-speak powers that only Galadriel possessed. They stood there, frozen into this one miniscule moment of time, never verbally admitting to their mutual love, but understanding that indeed, they were mutually attracted to one another.

Haldir took a deep breath and lowered himself to her lips, almost to the point of intimate caress when the sound of a loud peal of laughter made them jump apart, the moment completely broken, but not nearly forgotten, as they quickly made their way out of the stables to see what was going on that had caused such an outburst.

There they saw Rúmil and Narië looking like they had just had entirely too much wine, hobbling along the path towards the staircase that would lead to the warden's talan. Haldir called out, "Oh brother, my brother, where do you think you are going?"

The happy couple paused and turned to them with embarrassed faces, but their nervousness was replaced with jovial smiles when they saw who was together and alone coming from the stables. Indilisse blushed slightly, following quickly behind Haldir. "Ah Haldir, just as I had suspected you spying on me."

"I as not spying." Haldir smiled and stopped in front of them. Indilisse looked at both Rúmil and Narië and saw the unmistakable twinkle of elven binding prominently displayed upon their brows. "I see you could not wait to announce the binding until you actually did."

"Haldir!" Indilisse exclaimed, "I do not believe you. Your brother has given himself to another for the rest of his life and you are displeased."

A look of acquiescence passed through his eyes, taking to heart what she had said. Haldir smiled and turned to Narië, "Indilisse is right, this is a joyous occasion no matter how you put it. Welcome to my family, dear Narië. I will be most pleased to call you sister."

Narië smiled brightly, "Thank you Haldir."

Haldir then excused himself and placed his arm around Rúmil's shoulders, taking him off to the side to speak with him privately. Meanwhile, Indilisse looked at Narië with a large smile, and pulled her into a friendly hug. "Oh Narië, I am so happy for you. You deserve this, Rúmil is wonderful."

Narië sighed and glanced quickly in her new husband's direction, catching each other's longing glances. "Aye, he is."

"Oh Elbereth." Indilisse giggled, "You are in the deepest love, Narië."

She nodded her head, "But I wish to spend time with my husband and yet his brother is holding him captive."

Indilisse sighed and smiled at Narië, "I will take care of that."

"Thank you, mellon nin." Narië said.

Indilisse left Narië's side and walked over to Haldir, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him away from Rúmil. Haldir stayed his position easily and glared at her, "What do you need?!"

She raised a brow and looked at Narië. "It is their wedding night, Haldir. Could whatever you have to say wait until the morrow?"

He softened his steely features and nodded, a slight pink creeping to his ears. "You are right, Indilisse. Go Rúmil, to your wife."

Without having to be given permission again, Rúmil was off running, grabbing onto Narië's hand and pulling her in the direction of the stairs, both nearly floating up the pathway to escape any more elves with the intention of stopping them. Not noticing Haldir's movement as they gazed in the direction of the departing couple, she felt a strong arm encircle her shoulders. She sighed contentedly and rested her head against his chest, and her body against his as he pulled her close.

Waiting until they heard the faint closing of the wooden door from up in the trees, Haldir finally glanced down at her. "I can take you back to the celebration which will be entirely no fun now because we have not kept up with the drinking, or I can escort you back to your talan to protect you from flaxen-haired Balrog Slayers."

Indilisse laughed and pushed away from him, "This is a situation where your protection will be greatly appreciated, though I know Lord Glorfindel had more integrity than that. After all he let you win today at the sword match."

"Let me win?!" Haldir defended, turning her in the direction of her talan. "I had him on the flat of his back with a sword pressed to his neck. I do not see how he 'let' me win."

She smiled, "I am only goading you, Haldir."

Before either knew it, they were standing in front of the heavy wooden door of Indilisse's talan. Neither knew what they should do, wanting so badly to kiss each other passionately, but the moment not lending itself to the heat the intense heat they had felt earlier. Indilisse, finding this most unproductive, raised slightly on her toes, steadying herself with her hands on his broader shoulders and placed a soft kiss upon the soft skin of his cheek.

Indilisse whispered into his ear, "Goodnight, thalionen."

"Losto vae, Indilisse, muin nín." He replied and was gone before she could say anything.

Indilisse sighed heavily, and let a calm come over her that she had not felt since the day she had arrived back in Caras Galadhon. Things were getting back to normal.

----

mellon nin- my friend

mellon- friend

thalionen- my champion/hero

losto vae- sleep well

muin nin- my dear