Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, or any of its characters. Haldir: You know, I've been Guardian of the Golden Wood since before your ancestors first trotted their hairy asses out of the cave they called home. You'd think you'd show just a little respect for your elders. Me: Gee, you don't look a day over thirty. Haldir: Really? Well, I try to exercise, eat rightHEY! Stop trying to stroke my ego. Me: But its such a BIG ego

A/N: A quick thanks to the reviewers who I couldn't emailthank you! Also, I've been requested to add an element of romance to the storyso here goes!

Chapter 15

Stubbornness and Regrets

The Fellowship approached the borders of Lothlorien as the sun climbed high into the sky. Haldir signaled a halt, as his eyes scanned the trees looking for the border patrol that he knew would be there. Waiting for them to approach, his thoughts drifted back to the last couple of days of their journey.

Surprisingly, the addition of the warg to the party hadn't slowed their progressrather the thing had actually helped speed it. Gimli had been having ass problems. The stubborn beast had reached a point where it refused to move at all, and no amount of prodding would get its stubby legs moving again. Caladria had ridden back to where Gimli sat, swearing a blue streak at the bullheaded animal. She took the baby warg out of its makeshift carrier, and held the squirming bundle up to the ass's, errear. The overgrown donkey smelled the warg's scent, felt its tiny claws on its rump, and took off at a fast trot, soon overtaking the horses in the lead. After that, Gimli's problem had been getting the ass to stop.

During the day, Caladria had made sure to keep Legolas between herself and Haldir, often falling back further to ride beside Sam, and even Gimli. Watching Caladria from the corner of his eye as she rode, laughing easily with the others of the Fellowship, Haldir found himself in the unheard of position - for him, at least - of feeling sorry for his harsh words. However, if there was one thing Haldir was not short of, it was pride. He would NOT admit that he might have overreacted to the presence of the baby warg. NOT in his lifetime, which was saying something, considering his lifetime consisted of eternity.

Caladria, for her part, had tried to keep her attention focussed on caring for the baby warg. Its appetite was astounding, considering its small size. She fed it all manners of vegetables, and had asked Legolas to keep his eyes peeled for any fresh kills that may be lying around their pathshe refused to have him hunt for the warg, but wouldn't hesitate using meat that nature provided. The wolf/boar ate everything with equal pleasure - it was omnivorous.

However much of her time the warg commanded, Caladria couldn't help stealing glances at Haldir from time to time. She actually found herself missing the arrogant Elf's astute comments and witty sarcasm. She often watched him riding in front of the group, his long silver hair blowing in the breeze behind him, broad shoulders and back ramrod straight - he was an impressive sight. But, no matter that she realized she could have handled the warg situation with a little more finesse, she, too, had pride. She would NOT apologize, and she would certainly NOT leave the baby warg behind.

Watching Haldir and Caladria attempt to ignore each other while secretly watching each other amused the hell out of Gimli and Legolas.

"Laddie, methinks that if they don't speak with each other soon, this FellowSHIP will soon be a FellowSUNK. The tension is so thick around here, I could slice it with me axe," Gimli chuckled softly to Legolas one night at the campfire.

"Ai, Gimli - they're both more stubborn than that ass of yours."

"Argh. Don't mention that beastie to me, LaddieI've a good mind to send it back to Aragorn in small, manageable pieces."

Caladria approached them shortly afterward. "I'd like to take a bath in the river, while it's still not too dark. Would you two mind watching the pup for me? She's really not much trouble at allif she starts whimpering, just shove some food under her nose."

"Ye shouldn't go off by yerself, Lassiethere's more than one warg in these partsnot to mention other things more deadly than that!" Gimli said, looking worried.

"I'll be fineit's really just off a short way from campif we plan on arriving in the Golden Wood sometime tomorrow, I would really like to batheI don't mind playing mommy to the pup, but I'd rather not look and smell like a warg, as well." Caladria laughed, earning a smile from the Dwarf.

Legolas reached for his pack and drew out one of his white short knives. He handed the Elven knife with the beautifully carved and engraved handle to Caladria. "Take this, and keep it with you, if you insist on goingI'll keep my ears open. If you need us, just call."

"Thank you, Legolas. I'll not need to use it, I'm sure." Caladria grabbed her pack and headed for the river.

Legolas, Gimli, and Sam, who had joined them at the fire, looked down at the small creature sleeping peacefully in its carrier.

"Ye wouldn't think such a tiny thing would grow up to be one of those ferocious nasties, now would ye?" Gimli commented.

Sam reached out with one finger, and stroked the baby warg's soft coat. "It's really quite endearing, isn't it? I can see why Lady Caladria would want to save it."

"Laddie, that 'endearing' little creature will soon grow big enough to rideand to bite yer head off with a single snap!" Gimli said, shaking his head. "Stillit is a cute little beastie fer now."

Caladria set her pack on the riverbank, and took out the necessary supplies for her bath. Looking around, certain she was alone, she quickly stripped out of her traveling clothes and stepped into the cold waters of the river. She gave herself some time to adjust to the temperature of the waters, wading out slowly until she was hip deep. She washed herself, then dunked under to wet her hair. She came up, flinging her hair up and behind her, and began to shampoo it, completely unaware that a pair of eyes watched from the forest.

Haldir was always aware of her at some level, even though his outward appearance was of complete indifference. He had not missed Legolas handing her his knife, or her grabbing her pack and heading for the river. He guessed her intent, and had quietly slipped away into the brush to follow her, ostensibly to protect her from her own folly. He left unnoticed, while the others were focussed on the infant warg.

"Obstinate female," he thought to himself as he silently followed her. "Running off in the near dark through the wild, imposing on everyone to watch that damn pet of hers" Haldir's brows knitted in consternation. He crouched in the deep of the brush, knowing he was invisible to her, telling himself that he was doing this for her safety. He soon forgot all about the reasons he gave himself, indeed, he forgot all about everything, as he watched her enter the water.

Not in his wildest imagination, had Haldir ever thought that any creature could be so lovely as Caladria appeared to him, at that moment. The setting sun cast golden highlights on her skin and in bright red hair, the river waters adding diamond-like sparkles to her flawless complexion. He wondered briefly if her skin would feel as soft as it looked. She seemed almost ethereal in the dimming light - almost Elf-like in her beauty. He was captivated, and could no more have averted his eyes than stop his own heart from beating.

It seemed mere moments before she stepped back on the bank of the river, wrapped herself in a blanket, and sat down on a large, flat rock near the riverbed. Using an ivory comb, she pulled the tangles from her hair, then neatly bound it in a single braid. Packing up her belongings, she made her way back to the forest, holding Legolas' knife out in front of her. Haldir once again silently followed her, making sure she got back to the camp without incident. He waited back in the brush a long while, his mind replaying her bath over and over again, before he slipped back to his sleeping place.

Now, as he watched the border patrol approach his party, Haldir pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, trying to focus on meeting his kin, and coming up with a rational explanation for the addition of the warg to their Fellowship. However, as hard as he tried not to, an image of Caladria lit by the setting sun, kept creeping back into his mind, unbidden, and he felt, for the first time in his long life, regret.