Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, or any of its characters. Legolas: I don't have a very big part in this fic, do I? Me: Huh? You whined about me bringing you into this at all! Now you're whining that your part is too small? Legolas: I am a star, you knowif you insist on putting me in your fic, then you should give me more lines. Me: There are no small parts, only small actors, Lego. Legolas: There's nothing small about me! Haldir: Yeah, rightsure there isn't. Legolas: What's that supposed to mean? Haldir: I've seen you in the locker room, buddy. Me: That's itthis conversation is over.

Chapter 17

Walking the Warg

"Where did that come from?" Haldir asked Caladria as they stood at the pavilion after Celeborn and Galadrial's exit. He was still in shock; his eyebrows seemed permanently attached to his hairline.

"You said you didn't like the other idea I had about giving information on animal's habitats and allso I winged it."

"You winged it? WINGED it? That scrying mirror has been a part of Lothlorien dogma since the Elves first came West! That scrying mirror and Galadrial are the only reasons anyone ever comes to Lothlorien! You've just completely destroyed our tourist trade!"

"Haldirwhat are you talking about? You agreed that you that she should not be able to send anyone else out on false errands! Remember?"

"Yesbut I didn't mean for you to destroy our entire lifestyle!"

"Haldir," Legolas interjected, "What are you two talking about?"

Haldir sighed, and gave the other members of the Fellowship a brief rundown on what had happened.

"So, that's it in a nutshell. Galadrial is a fake, Caladria is from the future, and Lothlorien's goose is cooked," Haldir said, shaking his head sadly.

"Please tell me you're kidding. Please tell me that we didn't traipse all over Arda with you for absolutely no real reason! Why didn't you tell us the truth? I thought we were supposed to trust each other, Mister Haldir!" Sam yelled, more upset about having had to miss meals, than all the time he had spent in the company of the Fellowship.

"Laddie! Ye should have told usI cannot believe The Lady lied! What else has she lied about?" Gimli hollered, anger coloring his face the same hue as his beard.

"Remember those three hairs she gave you?" Haldir said, wanting to get everything off of his chest. "They weren't hers."

"NO! Oh, my heart!" Gimli cried, clutching his chest. "Who's were they?"

"Mine."

"ARGHHH!"

"Sorry, GimliI was sworn to secrecy. I couldn't tell you" Haldir apologized.

"Haldir, it isn't the end of the worldNo one knows that Galadrial is a fake, except for uswe will take a solemn vow never to divulge the truth!" Legolas stated, holding his fist to his heart and bowing.

"What's the point? Without the scrying mirror, she won't be able to make prophecies, anyway," Haldir said sadly.

"Haldir" Caladria said softly, moved by Haldir's obvious distress over the future of his people, "Do you really think the only reason anyone comes to Lothlorien is because of some stupid prophecies? In my time, people would travel to places where EVERYTHING was fakethey knew it was fake, and they didn't care! They still experienced everything - even though they knew it wasn't real, because it was fun. They were called theme parksand they made tons of money! Close your eyes a moment."

"What?" Haldir asked, giving Caladria a cockeyed look.

"Just do itplease, Haldir?"

Sighing, he did as she asked.

Taking him by the shoulders, Caladria walked him back out to the walkway, turning him so that he faced out toward the mallorn trees.

"Now pretend you are a tourist, and have never been here before. Open your eyes."

Haldir opened his eyes and saw the millions of twinkling firefly lights, the golden leaves and silver trunks of the mallorn trees gleaming in the moonlight; the beautiful Elves gliding about here and there. He heard the Elves singing, their voices melodic and in perfect harmony.

"They'll come to see this, Haldir. They'll come to see the mallorn trees. They'll come to listen to Galadrial's prophecies, even if they know that they aren't real. They'll come to hear the voices of the Elves. They will come, Haldir," Caladria said, her hands still on Haldir's shoulders.

Haldir looked out over the city of his people, felt Caladria's hands on his shoulders, and smiled. He turned and started walking back to the pavilion.

"Where are you going?" asked Legolas, concerned for his friend.

"To have a talk with Celeborn," Haldir answered. He walked up the stairway without another word, but his step was light.

No one saw Haldir until the following morning. Caladria, Gimli, and Sam were sitting in one of the talans, having breakfast, when Haldir poked his head in.

"Morning!" he smiled, joining them at the table. He grabbed a piece of lembas and poured himself a glass of juice.

"Laddieare ye feeling alright? Ye don't seem yerselfyer smiling!" Gimli asked, smiling himself.

"Very funny, Dwarf. As a matter of fact, I feel fine. I had a nice, long talk with Celeborn last night. Told him everythingfor a minute I thought he was going to strangle Galadrial! I also told him what you told me, Caladriaabout people coming anyway, even if they knew her prophecies were false. Lord Celeborn decided to let it be known that Galadrial can no longer make true prophecies, but would be happy to make something up for anyone who was interested - for entertainment purposes only." He looked into Caladria's eyes, smiling. "I want to thank you for that, and for everything else. You were right about me, too. I was being insufferable, and for that I am truly sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"Well, Haldir, there is one thing you can do" Caladria said, greatly relieved that the tension between them had dissipated. "You can walk the warg this morning!" Caladria laughed, holding out the impromptu leash Legolas had fashioned for her the night before.

Haldir looked at the furry little creature attached to the leash, and sighed resignedly. "I suppose I deserve thisalright, you smelly, ugly, wrinkled bushratlet's go," he said, standing and taking the leash. Caladria, Gimli, and Sam's laughter followed him out of the talan.

Haldir walked the warg all the way down to the forest floor. Walking in between the massive mallorn trees, the warg snuffled under bushes, nosed around rocks, and squatted once or twice to do her business, all the while happily wagging her little warg tail. Haldir found himself smiling at the little fluffball, in spite of himself.

Hearing the sound of someone approaching, Haldir turned to greet them. He felt laughter bubble up when he saw Legolas walking toward him through the mallorn trees.

Walking was perhaps the wrong wordschlepping might have been closer to reality. Legolas was completely covered from the waist down by clinging little Elleths in Elf Scout uniforms. There were at least a half a dozen of them cleaving to his waist, as he dragged himself forward. His arms were outstretched and another elleth hung from each. The look on his face was priceless.

"Having a good morning, Legolas?" Haldir snorted.

"Help me, Haldirthey won't let go!" Legolas cried, his eyes wild. He shook his arms to try to dislodge the elleths.

The Elf Scout elleths giggled and tightened their grip. "Tell us about the time you brought down the Oliphaunt, Legolas!" they screamed. "Tell us about the time you killed the Cave Troll, Legolas!" they squealed. 'What's your favorite color, Legolas?" they cried.

"ARGHHH!" Legolas yelled, once again starting to drag himself forward, elleths and all, disappearing into the forest.

Haldir dissolved into laughter again. The little warg sat at his feet cocking its head and looking curiously up at Haldir, it's little pink tongue hanging out, panting. Haldir looked down at the pup, a grin still on his face. "I guess we're going to have to find you a name, huh? Looks like you're going to be around for a while," he said, leading the pup back toward the mallorn tree that housed the talans of the Fellowship.

Arriving back in the talan, Haldir handed the leash back to Caladria.

"Did she behave herself, Haldir," Caladria asked, bracing herself for what she was sure would be a torrent of complaints.

"Who? Little Pugugly? She wasn't any trouble at all, were you girl? Saw Legolasbut he seemed, umpreoccupied - I don't think we'll see much of him this morning," Haldir said with a smirk.

"Little Pugugly?" Caladria asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, she needed a namewe couldn't very well go on calling her 'warg' or 'pup,' now could we? Pugugly seems to suit her," Haldir said, giving the pup a scratch. The warg had curled up at Haldir's feet and was fast asleep.

"Ye were ready to serve warg stew last night, Haldirwhat happened to change yer mind?" Gimli asked, narrowing his eyes at the big Elf.

"Why, Gimli! I would never!" Haldir exclaimed, the picture of innocence. "By the way, Gimliwould you mind keeping an eye on the pup for awhile? I need to talk to Caladria privately," his voice took a stern note, and his face slipped into the old, familiar haughty expression they knew so well.

Caladria's eyes opened wide, but she didn't say anything as she followed Haldir out of the talan.