Luineraugwen: Hello people, thanks for all the reviews. You're all very kind. Guess what, I've got Pirates of the Caribbean on DVD and Ned Kelly. It probably doesn't mean that much to you guys but to me, it makes my very happy. Here are your thanks. Due to a few reviewers correcting my mistake about Haldir and his brothers, Haldir is now the oldest.
Jeregrin Took: Thanks. Your reviews are always welcome my friend. Keep up the good work with your own story. Ignore the idiots that don't like it. Although they're entitled to their own opinion. Keep up the good work Jippin.
Elvinscarf: I glad that you like it. A bit short of words for the moment? I'm not saying that my story is that good, 'cause its not, but your review is so short. Oh well, the shorter they are the sooner you can get more things done.
Mia: My plan is for Katren to start a new life. I hope I can made things interesting for you all.
Winter and Lady Light: Thank you both for the information. Now I remember it, Haldir does seem to be the eldest in most stories. It's amazing just how one story can change your ideas about something. I read in a story that Orophin was the oldest so I thought 'What the hell, I'll do it too'. I've now come to my senses. Haldir is the oldest.
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Praise Haldir for his skills. I personally would trust him with my life. I too am also glad that his is a good warrior. Keep reading.
Tidus'luvr99: I'm updating now. I know that the game Final Fantasy has noting to do with the movie but its still pretty good. Animation has come pretty far.
Agent Midnight: Sorry but this story was meant to be a Mary Sue but thanks for letting me know but I don't know how to change it. If people would give me more ideas of how to do that then I might but some of them in put since no one is, I'm writing it the way it is. If you're still reading this then give me some damn ideas.
Call Me Celeb: Yeah I feel sorry for Katren to. I'm glad you like my story. By the way, how do you pronounce the last part of your name? Is it something like Kel-eb?
Warning: If any of you have read my Goddess of War story, Lady Light that's you, there is a dream in there that is rated R. I've written another dream sequence but I'm not sure if the rating should go that high. It's really not that bad but you've been warned.
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Nightmares plagued Katren while she slept. The horrible memories of her mother's death at her father's hands haunted her. She shivered, whimpered, tosses and turned for most of the night. Her dreams would not leave her.
******Dream******
Iolanthe, Katren's mother, sat on a stool repairing one of Daeron's pant legs. The needle and thread darted in and out of the fabric, joining it with the other piece of material. Iolanthe was a fine seamstress. The needed was her weapon and she wielded it with deadly accuracy. No doubt that neither of the men cared for the beauty of it. They just cared because it was warm.
At this moment Katren was sitting at her mother's side trying it out herself. Although she was still young, her father insisted that she grow up to be some kind of use instead of just being another mouth to feed. Daeron was outside fighting with all the other village boys while Daelgo was in the tavern, drowning himself in his mead. Katren loved her mother dearly, she was her only female role model, but she wished she hadn't been born into this family. She had watched night after night as her father beat Iolanthe. He blamed her for the poverty they lived in, the lack of food and practically anything else he could come up with. Tonight would be no different…or would it?
Iolanthe had already cooked dinner but Daelgo and Daeron had yet to come in. She had hailed her son many times but he ignored her. It had been the threat of the wooden spoon that had brought him in. They dare not start dinner without Daelgo so they sat and waited for him. He came staggering in when dinner was way past cold and groggily sat down at the head of the table. No thanks to the gods were said in this house, Daelgo didn't believe in them. To him, the gods were nothing more than lies, stories made by old wives to entertain their children.
As usual her father picked out something that was inadequate. Tonight it was the food and he yelled at the children to go to the other room which served as one large bedroom. As soon as they left the room, he started to scream at his wife. Iolanthe had learned not to respond to her husband's ranting long ago, so she now sat there like a statue, listening to Daelgo's pathetic, drunken anger. He began to pace, his face going bright red and his voice rising like the sun in the east. An extremely angry and violent sun at that.
Daelgo must have tired of yelling at her and at Iolanthe's lack of response. He suddenly lunged at her, pulling her from the chair and throwing her into the middle of the hut. Katren watched in them through the crack in the door. Daelgo began to beat his wife, his broad knuckles bruising her pale flesh. To Katren, the abuse of her mother went on for something close to eternity. As Iolanthe lay on the packed dirt, semi-conscious, Daelgo took this as an opportunity to gratify himself with her. After doing that, he dragged his wife to the fireplace, continuing to blame her as he went.
"This is not my fault Iolanthe, think of this as your punishment for not doing everything correct. It's your fault that Katren was born. She will never be anything but pathetic. I should have killed her when I had the chance. Oh well, she'll never grow up and marry. I can promise you. Daeron and I will take care of that or at least she won't marry anyone kind. That little bitch deserves the worst of the worst. I pretty sure she'll be the only one to miss you Iolanthe. Can't say Daeron and I will. Goodbye filth!" he hissed.
The whole time he hade been speaking, Daelgo had forced his wife's head into the flames and held it there, ignoring the flames that burnt his hand. Katren watched in horror as the flames licked her mother's skin and traveled up her hair. Iolanthe's fair skin was slowly darkening to red and in some places it was already black. Daelgo pulled her out when she was inches from death and threw her across the room. He then grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped her up in it. Katren could faintly see her mother's chest rising. She was alive! Her father had tortured Iolanthe enough, why couldn't he leave her alone? Daelgo heaved the bundle onto his shoulder before heading towards the door, grabbing a shovel as he went. Katren heard her father walking towards the now empty chicken coop. She could hear the spade shoveling through the chicken manure and then something heavy being dropped in the hole. The spade continued to sound and suddenly it stopped, then she heard Daelgo's final words to his wife.
"You loved these miserable creatures, so now you're buried under seven years of their shit!" It was then that Katren realized that Daelgo had buried Iolanthe alive! She screamed.
****End Dream****
Haldir had been returning from his talk with his brothers, with a small tray of food for Katren in his hands, when he heard her thrashing and whimpering, so he quickened his pace. He opened the door to find the girl still asleep but obviously having a nightmare. Haldir place the tray on the table before placing a hand on Katren's forehead but she suddenly woke up. She tried to sit up but Haldir moved his hand to her shoulder and pushed her back down.
"It's alright Katren, you were having a nightmare" Haldir said trying to calm the girl down. After a few minutes her breathing began to return to normal. Katren sighed and Haldir's curiosity got the better of him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked but she shook her head.
"Are you sure you really wan to now?" Her voice was cloaked in fear. Haldir could also see it in her eyes. After taking in her current emotions, Haldir replied.
"Although it may make you feel better, it won't make me feel comfortable unless you felt the same way. Perhaps you will tell me later, but for now you must eat. It was been decided that you should go to Caras Galadhon and meet the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. It is a long ride; you will need to keep up your strength" Haldir gently placed the tray of food before her.
"Ride? Do you mean horses?"
"Of course. It would be quite a long journey if we were on foot and it would be rude to keep the Lord and Lady waiting" Haldir replied.
"Your right. Are you sure you won't have some Haldir?" she said pointing to the tray of food.
Haldir gave a fleeting glance to the food. He hadn't eaten in quite a while but he decided against it. Katren needed it more than he did. Haldir remembered being able to feel her rib bones when he was carrying her. He knew she was thin but not to that extreme. Haldir was about to answer but his stomach beat him to it. Katren started to giggle and Haldir couldn't help but chuckle along with her.
"Nay Katren, I'll ignore what my stomach said it you will. Come on, eat".
"Well what if I'm not willing to ignore your stomach. Although I do know how to handle a human who won't eat. Perhaps it will work with an elf who acts like a child" Katren said. She knew she was going a bit too far with that last sentence but the atmosphere seemed right. Haldir raised an eyebrow at her in curiously.
"For your information Katren, I am nowhere near a child and never will be again but I am a little curious about what you plan to do". Haldir jested. Katren was slightly hesitant about answering but she swallowed and spoke her mind.
"Well the only way to make them eat is to force feed them".
"I'd like to see you try" Haldir said playfully but Katren shook her head. "You challenge me, yet you back away. Why? Are you a weakling?" he taunted. His hands wandered to her sides and he started to tickle her. She squealed but suddenly let out a pained yelp and doubled over.
"I am sorry Katren. You have been wounded this whole time and I gave done nothing. Let me take a look, I might be able to ease the pain" Haldir said, his smile falling off his face. Katren's face twisted in agony as she lay back down. Haldir undid the belt and moved her tunic and shirt away from her side. He gasped in horror. A huge ugly purple and black bruise covered most of her right ribcage. It was obvious that several of her ribs were broken. How she had been able to bear this pain on her own and without treatment was beyond him. What else had those people done to her? No one deserved this punishment.
Haldir's head shot up. There was someone outside his talan. Perhaps they could get a healer while he stayed with Katren. He got up and strode over to the door, reefing the door open in his hast. He found Rumil with his hand reaching for the handle. Rumil took one look at his older sibling's distressed face and immediately knew something was wrong.
"What is wrong brother?" he asked.
"There is no time to explain. Go and get a healer, any healer, and bring them here. Tell them to bring strong bandages and the paste that heals bruises. Go!" Haldir ordered and Rumil took off down the stirs like bat out of Hell. The March Warden looked behind him at Katren. Her breath was labored and she was in great pain. He had to help her. Being a warrior, Haldir had never tried healing before; he'd left that to the experts. He looked down at his hands. All elves had healing capabilities or so he'd heard. Now was the time to see if it was true.
He walked back over to the bed and sat down next to her. Haldir gently placed a hand over the bruised area but Katren gave no indication that she felt it. His head bowed in concentration. What should he do? Where should he start? His best idea was to focus on how much he wanted her pain to go away. He began to concentrate harder and Katren's breathing started to return to normal. Her eyes opened slightly so she could look at him. Katren smiled softly in her thanks before se rested her head comfortably on the pillow. Haldir felt a small hand on his own and looked down to see that Katren had placed one of her hands over his.
Haldir sat there starring at her hand. It was tiny small compared to his; then again everything about her was small in his eyes. She was only about nineteen after all but even for that age she was small. Haldir sat there admiring her as she slept. Her hair was blacker than anything he'd seen before and it lay in a dark river next to her. Katren's face was sickly pale. It was lighter than an elven skin. Haldir doubt it was natural. Her face was delicate like porcelain and the lashes of her eyes were long. She was pleasing to the eye to look at but she wasn't anything special compared to the elves.
He heard hurried footsteps coming up the stair so he moved to the other side of the bed. Seconds later Rumil and a healer burst into the room. The healer immediately went about applying a special paste and bandages to Katren's broken ribs. He then gave Haldir strict instructions that she wasn't to leave the bed for at least a week. That put a dampener on the elf's plans but he agreed. He'd have to seen a message to the Lord and Lady to explain all this.
Haldir sat in a chair next to the bed writing a message that would go to Caras Galadhon. Both the healer and Rumil had left long ago and Katren was still sleeping peacefully in the bed. How could anyone who looked so innocent deserve what she'd been given? She was most probably stronger than realized to have endured the life she had. Perhaps she would enjoy learning to fight? She might be interested. Haldir let his thoughts run away until;
"Don't you know it's rude to stare?"
He jumped. Katren had woken up without him noticing. How that happened, he wasn't sure.
"Katren you're finally awake. I'm terribly sorry about what happened earlier. How can I make it up to you?" he asked. He watched as Katren sucked on her bottom lip in thought before she nodded and pointed to the tray of uneaten food.
"Eat!" Haldir grinned. They were back at square one.
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Luineraugwen: There you go, another chapter finished. I'm not sure when the next one will be up so don't hold your breath. I could probably win the World's Nagging Contest with this one but please send in ideas. Please I'm almost desperate. I only need little things like a party, wedding etc to help fill in gaps. Also just so you know, this story is written before the start of LOTR. Haldir still goes to Helm's Deep so it was to be roughly forty years before it. It will mainly revolve around Lothlorien unless I get any really good ideas why she could go anywhere else. Okay, don't forget to REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!
Seeya