14. Webs Gone Awry
"Do you see the apple on that branch at the far side of the glade?" Arwen asked. with a mischievous grin.
"Nay, I do not." Aragorn chuckled "I do not have your elf eyes."
"Well you shall see it soon enough." she replied drawing her bow and letting the arrow fly. There was a light thwack and then a thump as the target fell to the ground.
"If I can not see it, I can at least hear that you did not miss." He laughed "You are as fine an archer as your brothers." Arwen gave him a winning smile and he felt his ears grow hot. He could not understand why she made him feel like this, he could never remember feeling this way around an elleth before.
"You have an exceptional bow." he said, noticing it for the first time. He had never seen one quite like it.
"It is a bow of the Galadhrim." Arwen replied, holding it out to him. He took it in his hands, running his fingers over the finely carved wood.
"The Galadhrim I have know have never carried a bow like this." he replied, taking in its beauty breathlessly. It was light as a feather and its hand tooled leather grip was dyed a light gray green and fashioned to look like Mallorn leaves. The staff was carved like the limbs of the Mallorn, twining to end in finely carved leaves at each tip, it's craftsmanship so precise that it almost looked alive.
"It is a lady's bow." she giggled "A number of Lorien elleths serve among the wardens."
"Do you serve on the fences in Lothlorien?" he asked in awe.
"Ada would never allow it." Arwen said with a sigh, "Though grandfather says if I were any other elf he would have me as one of his captains. I should not blame Ada, Grandfather is no less protective." He handed her bow back and together they went to retrieve her arrow.
"I do not understand why they fret so." she said with a frown. "They do not fuss over my brothers."
"It is not only you Ada shelters." Aragorn said with a boyish grin. Arwen smiled back at him with a sidelong glance. "I asked to go hunting alone once and he had me followed."
"He did not!" Arwen cried, desperately trying to hold in her laughter.
"By no less than seven guardians, including Glorfindel." he said with a sigh. Arwen burst into a fit of giggles as he knelt, picking up both apple and arrow. He jerked the shaft free, handing it to her with a frown.
"Just for that I am not sharing." he said, taking a firm bite from the apple. Arwen gave him a contrite look and he shook his head, drawing his knife and cutting the apple.
"Do not feel badly." she consoled, linking her arm with his as he handed her half. "Ada would not let me go out into the forests at all. If he knew I was out on this side of the Bruinen, even with you, he'd likely be half mad with rage."
"I love him dearly but he is far too protective." Aragorn said with a smile as they continued walking.
"He has his reasons." Arwen said softly, a frown creasing her face.
"Have I said something wrong?" he asked innocently, taking in her grim expression with obvious unease.
"No, Estel." she said heavily, finding it hard to regain a hold on her emotions. "it is only bad memories."
"Someone like you should not have bad memories." he said, looking down at the toe of his boot. Arwen stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest, tilting her head to the side until their eyes met.
"Someone like me?" she asked softly. His face burned red and he found he could not meet her gaze.
"Someone so full of life and beauty." he whispered. She stared at him in stunned silence as the flush of his cheeks deepened.
"That might very well be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." she replied, slipping her hand into his.
"I find that very hard to believe." Aragorn replied, smiling self-consciously.
"Why is that?" she asked, trying not to giggle at him.
"It is a sad state of affairs when a tongue-tied human is the only one who sees fit to compliment the most beautiful woman in Imladris." He would not even look at her now, his breathing just a bit unsteady and much to his surprise, she slipped her arms around his shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze.
"Estel, you are a dear." she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder "You can never know how you've lifted my heart. Ada named you well."
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Elladan made his way through the grove of trees near the ranges. He quickly climbed one of the tallest and settled himself on a branch where he could see everything. If nothing else it promised to be a very entertaining morning. Haldir and his brothers were already there, as was Eirien, who was flirting happily with Rumil to pass the time.
In a few moments he could see Indelin pause at the edge of the trees. She straightened her gown, concealing what he thought would probably help her the most, and strode onto the ranges with her head high, despite the fact she was shaking like a leaf. Elrohir was not far behind and he watched as his twin crossed the ranges to his intended.
"Eirien, Mae Govannen." Elrohir said with his most charming smile.
"Elladan," she grinned back at him, "You're late."
"I am sorry," he said, his heart beating madly in his chest. "I was delayed."
"Where is your brother?" Rumil asked with a frown.
"Um... he was not feeling well this morning." Elrohir answered lamely. He had not given any thought as to what excuse he would give for the absence of his twin and he realized, too late, how very odd it would seem for them not to be together.
"Such a shame," Rumil leaned closer to him, lowering his voice "I had hoped I could talk him into a match with Haldir, my brother could use a little cheering up and besting Elrohir usually does the trick."
Elrohir felt his face burn red and he balled his hands into fists, desperately trying to keep from pounding the Lorien elf. A hundred sharp retorts buzzed through his mind as he glared darkly at Rumil, each more dangerous than the last.
"My brother is a very fine archer." he hissed between clenched teeth.
"Of course he is." Rumil shrugged, "He's certainly a fair bit better than I, but no one is so skilled as you, Haldir and Legolas." Elrohir felt his nails digging into his palms as the other elf shook his head with a sigh. With the state Haldir was in, Rumil didn't think he could handle being beaten by Elladan today. Little did he know how very close he came to a beating of his own.
Meanwhile Indelin had set herself up at the target next to Orophin's. The Lorien elf was leaning on his bow, talking to his older brother who was shooting at the target as if oblivious to everything and everyone around him. Indelin pulled on her gloves, trying to look determined but for all the show she was making Orophin didn't even seem to notice she existed. Elladan frowned, this might prove more difficult than he had at first thought.
Despite Rumil's commentary things seemed to be going quite a bit better for Elrohir and his twin was pleased to see that Eirien was clapping and giggling and generally making a fuss over him. Elladan thought her nonsense would have distracted him so badly that he would not have been able to hit the target at all, but if anything, the attentions of the elleth seemed to only improve his brother's performance.
Elladan shook his head, turning his focus back to Indelin. She was not pulling back far enough and her first two arrows landed in the ground only a few feet away. Such abysmal performance would have garnered at least his pity had he been on the ranges but no one else seemed to notice. He sighed, rubbing his temples with a frown. Why in arda did some elf not help her?
"You only need to get out more." Orophin was saying to Haldir with a somewhat dreamy smile, "We should go hunting. We can take Legolas and the twins and their brother and find some deer."
"You will not be taking Elrohir anywhere." Rumil said as he drew back his bow, "I think he had too much wine last night. And I do not want to take a child like Aragorn, we will have to watch everything he does."
"The distraction will be good for you." Orophin continued as if he hadn't been listening. "You can get out of Imladris for a few days and forget all about silly, fickle maidens who do not know a good thing when they see one." Indelin's arrow jumped from her bow, flying dizzily before imbedding in the base of the tree Elladan had hidden in. He cringed, perhaps he should have chosen a safer location.
"It would seem you do not have to leave Imladris to be distracted." Haldir snapped, handing Orophin his bow and pushing past him toward Indelin.
"Oh no!" Elladan groaned pressing his palm to his forehead as he cringed. "Not that elf!"
"Your arm is too low." Haldir said with a dark frown.
"My arm?" Indelin squeaked, she could feel her legs shaking as she looked up at the broad shouldered Galadhrim. She had heard once that Orcs ran in fear from Haldir of Lorien and she now felt it very brave of them, seeing as she wasn't certain how much longer she could remain standing in his presence.
"You are not sighting correctly either." he added and without so much as a pardon he slipped his arms around her, forcing her into the correct position. Indelin could feel her whole body trembling as the powerful March Warden corrected her stance, his body pressed close to hers and his breath soft against her neck. She understood now why Elladan had recommend this particular snare but as she fought to keep her arms from shaking she doubted very much if anyone had ever so much as batted their lashes at this elf, much less attempted to snare him.
"Why Haldir?" Elladan sighed to himself, dragging a hand over his face in frustration. Indelin's arrow released and had she not been shaking violently she would doubtless have hit the target.
"Better." Haldir said seriously, "again." Indelin drew another arrow, obediently fitting it to the string. She drew back , shaking, and released the arrow. This time she hit the target on the very edge and Haldir gave a grunt of approval.
"Legolas," Rumil called with a bright smile, "You looked perplexed."
"I can not find Arwen anywhere." he said with a frown as he made his way toward them, "Have you seen her Elrohir?" The younger twin jumped in surprise and his arrow went flying, imbedding itself in the trunk of the tree, only inches from Elladan's hand.
"Elladan." Eirien corrected sharply.
"Excuse me?" Legolas asked, confusion written plainly on his face. He had known Elrond's sons for almost three millennia, he was confident that he could tell them apart by now.
"Elladan," she repeated with a frown, Legolas gave him a sharp appraising glare, he would have sworn it was Elrohir and for the life of him he could not understand the panicked look in the twin's face that he seemed intent on hiding from his lady. Legolas shook his head, he did not have time for this.
"Then were is Elrohir?" He asked annoyed.
"He is not well today." Rumil said. "Why do you seek the Evenstar?" He darted a concerned look at his brother. Haldir had gone quite pale and he seemed to be focussing his concentration on his student, desperately trying to tune out the conversation.
"I needed to speak with her but she was not at breakfast nor in her rooms." Legolas replied, his frown deepening "I wondered if any of you had seen her."
Elladan stood up on the branch he was sitting on with a sudden sense of panic, his eyes growing wide as he strained to hear every detail of the conversation. He could only think of one reason Arwen might have disappeared and he did not like the direction his logic was leading him.
"Try again." Haldir said to Indelin, his face creasing in a menacing frown as he tried to think about anything but Arwen. Indelin was near terror now as she drew back her bow and in the next moment she was not alone.
"She was so upset last night, I fear something has happened to her." Legolas said, his body tensing.
That was enough for Haldir, he whirled around, jerking his bow violently from Orophin's grasp and collecting his arrows. The distraction of his sudden movement made Indelin's arrow fly wide, heading for the trees and, to Elladan's horror, straight for him. He leapt out of the way and as he came back down on the branch he lost his footing, tumbling to the ground.
Nearly every eye turned toward the trees at the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground but in a moment it was forgotten. Meril appeared on the path from the house, her steps light and graceful, and a sultry smile on her perfect lips. Even Haldir was frozen as all five males stared at the beauty who approached the Mirkwood elf.
"Your highness," She purred. "so good to see you!" Meril was dressed in an archers gown that revealed far more than her shoulders, it was scooped low in the back , showing her creamy skin to the waist and she was giving Legolas an almost hungry look that could not be misinterpreted.
"I had hoped I might convince you to give me an archery lesson." she said sweetly, "I'm afraid my skills are a bit lacking." Legolas stared at her, his jaw moving silently as he floundered for a plausible excuse. Meril only gazed back at him with the expression of a hunter who had just bested his prey. Elrohir's face contorted in horror, and his eyes widened in fear as his mind suddenly rushed to the same conclusion as his twin's. If Arwen were missing it could not be good.
"You have not seen her anywhere?" he interrupted in a panic, catching hold of Legolas's sleeve in one fist.
"What?" the prince asked, distracted for only a moment "No." Elrohir turned back to Eirien. The look of annoyance was still on her face and he cringed, this was not good.
"I am sorry," he said in a low voice. "but I must go." with an apologetic look he turned, heading for the trees.
"But..." Eirien called after him.
"There is something important I must see to, I will meet you later." he promised before disappearing from sight.
"Now about that archery lesson." Meril smiled at Legolas, slipping her arm though his.
"I would be pleased to offer you a lesson!" Orophin said with a delighted grin. Legolas looked at him with obvious relief as Haldir pushed past him angrily, stalking toward the house.
"Splendid!" the prince replied, only momentarily distracted by Haldir "My Lady, if you'll excuse me, I must find Arwen." He untangled himself from Meril's grasp and took off quickly as Orophin latched onto her arm.
"Where did the child go?" Rumil asked with a frown, turning his attention back to the ranges. Indelin had disappeared and he shook his head, collecting his bow and heading quickly after Haldir as Orophin led Meril toward the target with a possessive arm around her waist.
"Now, Meleth nin, let us see how you do." he said gleefully, "I promise, we shall make you into the finest archer in Imladris. I shall not rest until I am sure you have it." Meril gave him a dark glowering frown, clutching her bow in an angry fist. She squared her feet and in quick succession, drew three arrows, imbedding each in the center of the target with master precision.
"I believe I have it." she snapped. "Thank you for the lesson." without another word she stormed back toward the house. Orophin watched her go with a growing smile, her gown accentuating the sway of her slender hips.
"Beauty and skill." he breathed "the Valar be praised."
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"What were you doing?" Elrohir demanded as he helped Elladan out of the bush he had effectively flattened.
"I was watching you, fool." Elladan snapped, rubbing his back with a groan.
"That was close." Elrohir grimaced, taking in his twin's disheveled appearance.
"In more ways than one!" Elladan winced, noting the clean slice Indelin's arrow had left in his leggings, near his groin. His brother cringed, that one had been just a bit too close.
"You heard Legolas?" Elrohir demanded.
"Of course I heard him." Elladan replied angrily, dragging his brother after him as he hurried toward the house.
"I thought you said he could not get out!"
"He should not have!" Elladan snarled in reply, they gained the porch and bolted down the corridor taking the steps two at a time, the older twin still wheezing from his fall. They skidded to a stop in front of the door, gasping for breath.
"The string is still there." Elladan hissed, pointing to the thread in the door jamb.
"Then the door can not have been opened." Elrohir said in obvious relief.
"Aye," Elladan nodded "we had better check on him all the same." he knocked on the door, waiting patiently for an answer. There was no sound of movement inside and with a growing frown he gave the door several sharp thumps.
"Estel, get up!" he snapped. Identical eyes stared at each other as they awaited some response with a growing sense of foreboding.
"You do not think something is wrong with him?" Elrohir asked in a panic. They looked at the door with wide eyes and then at each other again before flinging the door open and charging into the room.
"He is not here!" Elrohir said in confusion, taking in the empty bed, still unmade.
"He must be here!" Elladan insisted, pulling the blankets back as if he expected to find Estel hidden in the bedclothes, Elrohir flung open the door of the empty wash room, searching for his youngest brother as his twin strode out onto the terrace. Elrohir soon joined him and they stood in the morning sun, looking back over the silent and Estel-free room.
"You do not think?" Elrohir asked, hardly daring to finish the question. Both twins walked to the terrace railing looking down over the edge into the woods below. To their elf eyes it was obvious at least one person had recently climbed down.
"You know what this means do you not?" Elrohir asked, despair filling his voice. There was a gust of wind and a loud slam as the bedchamber door blew shut behind them. Both twins looked over their shoulders at the door and then back down again at the trellis.
"Aye," Elladan said with a heart heavy sigh of resignation "I know."
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Author's note - Ladies, (and whatever gentlemen might be lurking out there) I just can't say thank you enough for all the great feedback I've been getting. You're all so awesome. It really helps me as a writer to have your input, the story's plot might already be finished but a lot of you have made comments that have made me go back and improve or clarify my character development. Thanks again!
More History, - (I should have tacked this on last chapter but I forgot, sorry.) Galadriel was living in Doriath while Luthien and Beren were courting, she was chasing Celeborn at the time who was Thingol's kin and advisor. She never comes into the account in the Sil but you have to figure that considering her station and the fact she had no family nearby she and Luthien were probably pretty close friends. This is also the reason that I assume that the Lord and Lady of Lorien must have been quite a lusty pair. Galadriel had five big brothers to baby her and she chose to move away and make doe eyes at Celeborn. This is important because it makes sense of a lot of what Galadriel is going to do in later chapters.
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Jesla - I'm not slashy myself, so if you hang around you can probably count on some more cannon based Het romances, I have rough drafts for 2 and outlines for 3 more, so as long as you guys keep reading I guess I'll keep writing.
me - confession time - the prologue is actually my second favorite part of the whole story. (and I knew what you meant)
dragonfly - boom! but not yet....
pua lahi lahi - Elladan and Indelin? Do you think?
Cerridwen - Messy enough for you?
Converted - No, and Boy George is just scary 'whatever'. Please do not drag Elijah into it, I still think of him as the cute little kid in Forever Young... Wait, where was I? I have TTT extended on DVD it's the only thing keeping me from hunting down PJ, dipping him in honey and leaving him on a fire ant hill for what he did to Faramir. And while we're at it who gave Arwen permission to steal Glorfindel's horse and go hunting her boy friend? (I have this picture in my mind of Glorfindel sitting somewhere along the Bruinen, sharpening his knife collection and saying to himself 'well, I'll just sit here then until Arwen brings my horse back, It's not the first time I've been left to fend for myself'.) I mean *sheesh*... Hold on, I have fans? Rhach, when did that happen? I thought I was just better than boredom... The working draft is at chapter 22, and it's not finished. It looks like I might make it to 30, which is absolutely hilarious since the rough draft for this story was 9 chapters.
grumpy - I just love a good dream sequence... did it come off as confusing or anything? I wanted to have a sense of mystery about who she was talking to.
Kath - I have not yet begun to cry havoc! My sympathies on your recent bereavement of bandwidth.
"Do you see the apple on that branch at the far side of the glade?" Arwen asked. with a mischievous grin.
"Nay, I do not." Aragorn chuckled "I do not have your elf eyes."
"Well you shall see it soon enough." she replied drawing her bow and letting the arrow fly. There was a light thwack and then a thump as the target fell to the ground.
"If I can not see it, I can at least hear that you did not miss." He laughed "You are as fine an archer as your brothers." Arwen gave him a winning smile and he felt his ears grow hot. He could not understand why she made him feel like this, he could never remember feeling this way around an elleth before.
"You have an exceptional bow." he said, noticing it for the first time. He had never seen one quite like it.
"It is a bow of the Galadhrim." Arwen replied, holding it out to him. He took it in his hands, running his fingers over the finely carved wood.
"The Galadhrim I have know have never carried a bow like this." he replied, taking in its beauty breathlessly. It was light as a feather and its hand tooled leather grip was dyed a light gray green and fashioned to look like Mallorn leaves. The staff was carved like the limbs of the Mallorn, twining to end in finely carved leaves at each tip, it's craftsmanship so precise that it almost looked alive.
"It is a lady's bow." she giggled "A number of Lorien elleths serve among the wardens."
"Do you serve on the fences in Lothlorien?" he asked in awe.
"Ada would never allow it." Arwen said with a sigh, "Though grandfather says if I were any other elf he would have me as one of his captains. I should not blame Ada, Grandfather is no less protective." He handed her bow back and together they went to retrieve her arrow.
"I do not understand why they fret so." she said with a frown. "They do not fuss over my brothers."
"It is not only you Ada shelters." Aragorn said with a boyish grin. Arwen smiled back at him with a sidelong glance. "I asked to go hunting alone once and he had me followed."
"He did not!" Arwen cried, desperately trying to hold in her laughter.
"By no less than seven guardians, including Glorfindel." he said with a sigh. Arwen burst into a fit of giggles as he knelt, picking up both apple and arrow. He jerked the shaft free, handing it to her with a frown.
"Just for that I am not sharing." he said, taking a firm bite from the apple. Arwen gave him a contrite look and he shook his head, drawing his knife and cutting the apple.
"Do not feel badly." she consoled, linking her arm with his as he handed her half. "Ada would not let me go out into the forests at all. If he knew I was out on this side of the Bruinen, even with you, he'd likely be half mad with rage."
"I love him dearly but he is far too protective." Aragorn said with a smile as they continued walking.
"He has his reasons." Arwen said softly, a frown creasing her face.
"Have I said something wrong?" he asked innocently, taking in her grim expression with obvious unease.
"No, Estel." she said heavily, finding it hard to regain a hold on her emotions. "it is only bad memories."
"Someone like you should not have bad memories." he said, looking down at the toe of his boot. Arwen stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest, tilting her head to the side until their eyes met.
"Someone like me?" she asked softly. His face burned red and he found he could not meet her gaze.
"Someone so full of life and beauty." he whispered. She stared at him in stunned silence as the flush of his cheeks deepened.
"That might very well be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." she replied, slipping her hand into his.
"I find that very hard to believe." Aragorn replied, smiling self-consciously.
"Why is that?" she asked, trying not to giggle at him.
"It is a sad state of affairs when a tongue-tied human is the only one who sees fit to compliment the most beautiful woman in Imladris." He would not even look at her now, his breathing just a bit unsteady and much to his surprise, she slipped her arms around his shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze.
"Estel, you are a dear." she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder "You can never know how you've lifted my heart. Ada named you well."
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Elladan made his way through the grove of trees near the ranges. He quickly climbed one of the tallest and settled himself on a branch where he could see everything. If nothing else it promised to be a very entertaining morning. Haldir and his brothers were already there, as was Eirien, who was flirting happily with Rumil to pass the time.
In a few moments he could see Indelin pause at the edge of the trees. She straightened her gown, concealing what he thought would probably help her the most, and strode onto the ranges with her head high, despite the fact she was shaking like a leaf. Elrohir was not far behind and he watched as his twin crossed the ranges to his intended.
"Eirien, Mae Govannen." Elrohir said with his most charming smile.
"Elladan," she grinned back at him, "You're late."
"I am sorry," he said, his heart beating madly in his chest. "I was delayed."
"Where is your brother?" Rumil asked with a frown.
"Um... he was not feeling well this morning." Elrohir answered lamely. He had not given any thought as to what excuse he would give for the absence of his twin and he realized, too late, how very odd it would seem for them not to be together.
"Such a shame," Rumil leaned closer to him, lowering his voice "I had hoped I could talk him into a match with Haldir, my brother could use a little cheering up and besting Elrohir usually does the trick."
Elrohir felt his face burn red and he balled his hands into fists, desperately trying to keep from pounding the Lorien elf. A hundred sharp retorts buzzed through his mind as he glared darkly at Rumil, each more dangerous than the last.
"My brother is a very fine archer." he hissed between clenched teeth.
"Of course he is." Rumil shrugged, "He's certainly a fair bit better than I, but no one is so skilled as you, Haldir and Legolas." Elrohir felt his nails digging into his palms as the other elf shook his head with a sigh. With the state Haldir was in, Rumil didn't think he could handle being beaten by Elladan today. Little did he know how very close he came to a beating of his own.
Meanwhile Indelin had set herself up at the target next to Orophin's. The Lorien elf was leaning on his bow, talking to his older brother who was shooting at the target as if oblivious to everything and everyone around him. Indelin pulled on her gloves, trying to look determined but for all the show she was making Orophin didn't even seem to notice she existed. Elladan frowned, this might prove more difficult than he had at first thought.
Despite Rumil's commentary things seemed to be going quite a bit better for Elrohir and his twin was pleased to see that Eirien was clapping and giggling and generally making a fuss over him. Elladan thought her nonsense would have distracted him so badly that he would not have been able to hit the target at all, but if anything, the attentions of the elleth seemed to only improve his brother's performance.
Elladan shook his head, turning his focus back to Indelin. She was not pulling back far enough and her first two arrows landed in the ground only a few feet away. Such abysmal performance would have garnered at least his pity had he been on the ranges but no one else seemed to notice. He sighed, rubbing his temples with a frown. Why in arda did some elf not help her?
"You only need to get out more." Orophin was saying to Haldir with a somewhat dreamy smile, "We should go hunting. We can take Legolas and the twins and their brother and find some deer."
"You will not be taking Elrohir anywhere." Rumil said as he drew back his bow, "I think he had too much wine last night. And I do not want to take a child like Aragorn, we will have to watch everything he does."
"The distraction will be good for you." Orophin continued as if he hadn't been listening. "You can get out of Imladris for a few days and forget all about silly, fickle maidens who do not know a good thing when they see one." Indelin's arrow jumped from her bow, flying dizzily before imbedding in the base of the tree Elladan had hidden in. He cringed, perhaps he should have chosen a safer location.
"It would seem you do not have to leave Imladris to be distracted." Haldir snapped, handing Orophin his bow and pushing past him toward Indelin.
"Oh no!" Elladan groaned pressing his palm to his forehead as he cringed. "Not that elf!"
"Your arm is too low." Haldir said with a dark frown.
"My arm?" Indelin squeaked, she could feel her legs shaking as she looked up at the broad shouldered Galadhrim. She had heard once that Orcs ran in fear from Haldir of Lorien and she now felt it very brave of them, seeing as she wasn't certain how much longer she could remain standing in his presence.
"You are not sighting correctly either." he added and without so much as a pardon he slipped his arms around her, forcing her into the correct position. Indelin could feel her whole body trembling as the powerful March Warden corrected her stance, his body pressed close to hers and his breath soft against her neck. She understood now why Elladan had recommend this particular snare but as she fought to keep her arms from shaking she doubted very much if anyone had ever so much as batted their lashes at this elf, much less attempted to snare him.
"Why Haldir?" Elladan sighed to himself, dragging a hand over his face in frustration. Indelin's arrow released and had she not been shaking violently she would doubtless have hit the target.
"Better." Haldir said seriously, "again." Indelin drew another arrow, obediently fitting it to the string. She drew back , shaking, and released the arrow. This time she hit the target on the very edge and Haldir gave a grunt of approval.
"Legolas," Rumil called with a bright smile, "You looked perplexed."
"I can not find Arwen anywhere." he said with a frown as he made his way toward them, "Have you seen her Elrohir?" The younger twin jumped in surprise and his arrow went flying, imbedding itself in the trunk of the tree, only inches from Elladan's hand.
"Elladan." Eirien corrected sharply.
"Excuse me?" Legolas asked, confusion written plainly on his face. He had known Elrond's sons for almost three millennia, he was confident that he could tell them apart by now.
"Elladan," she repeated with a frown, Legolas gave him a sharp appraising glare, he would have sworn it was Elrohir and for the life of him he could not understand the panicked look in the twin's face that he seemed intent on hiding from his lady. Legolas shook his head, he did not have time for this.
"Then were is Elrohir?" He asked annoyed.
"He is not well today." Rumil said. "Why do you seek the Evenstar?" He darted a concerned look at his brother. Haldir had gone quite pale and he seemed to be focussing his concentration on his student, desperately trying to tune out the conversation.
"I needed to speak with her but she was not at breakfast nor in her rooms." Legolas replied, his frown deepening "I wondered if any of you had seen her."
Elladan stood up on the branch he was sitting on with a sudden sense of panic, his eyes growing wide as he strained to hear every detail of the conversation. He could only think of one reason Arwen might have disappeared and he did not like the direction his logic was leading him.
"Try again." Haldir said to Indelin, his face creasing in a menacing frown as he tried to think about anything but Arwen. Indelin was near terror now as she drew back her bow and in the next moment she was not alone.
"She was so upset last night, I fear something has happened to her." Legolas said, his body tensing.
That was enough for Haldir, he whirled around, jerking his bow violently from Orophin's grasp and collecting his arrows. The distraction of his sudden movement made Indelin's arrow fly wide, heading for the trees and, to Elladan's horror, straight for him. He leapt out of the way and as he came back down on the branch he lost his footing, tumbling to the ground.
Nearly every eye turned toward the trees at the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground but in a moment it was forgotten. Meril appeared on the path from the house, her steps light and graceful, and a sultry smile on her perfect lips. Even Haldir was frozen as all five males stared at the beauty who approached the Mirkwood elf.
"Your highness," She purred. "so good to see you!" Meril was dressed in an archers gown that revealed far more than her shoulders, it was scooped low in the back , showing her creamy skin to the waist and she was giving Legolas an almost hungry look that could not be misinterpreted.
"I had hoped I might convince you to give me an archery lesson." she said sweetly, "I'm afraid my skills are a bit lacking." Legolas stared at her, his jaw moving silently as he floundered for a plausible excuse. Meril only gazed back at him with the expression of a hunter who had just bested his prey. Elrohir's face contorted in horror, and his eyes widened in fear as his mind suddenly rushed to the same conclusion as his twin's. If Arwen were missing it could not be good.
"You have not seen her anywhere?" he interrupted in a panic, catching hold of Legolas's sleeve in one fist.
"What?" the prince asked, distracted for only a moment "No." Elrohir turned back to Eirien. The look of annoyance was still on her face and he cringed, this was not good.
"I am sorry," he said in a low voice. "but I must go." with an apologetic look he turned, heading for the trees.
"But..." Eirien called after him.
"There is something important I must see to, I will meet you later." he promised before disappearing from sight.
"Now about that archery lesson." Meril smiled at Legolas, slipping her arm though his.
"I would be pleased to offer you a lesson!" Orophin said with a delighted grin. Legolas looked at him with obvious relief as Haldir pushed past him angrily, stalking toward the house.
"Splendid!" the prince replied, only momentarily distracted by Haldir "My Lady, if you'll excuse me, I must find Arwen." He untangled himself from Meril's grasp and took off quickly as Orophin latched onto her arm.
"Where did the child go?" Rumil asked with a frown, turning his attention back to the ranges. Indelin had disappeared and he shook his head, collecting his bow and heading quickly after Haldir as Orophin led Meril toward the target with a possessive arm around her waist.
"Now, Meleth nin, let us see how you do." he said gleefully, "I promise, we shall make you into the finest archer in Imladris. I shall not rest until I am sure you have it." Meril gave him a dark glowering frown, clutching her bow in an angry fist. She squared her feet and in quick succession, drew three arrows, imbedding each in the center of the target with master precision.
"I believe I have it." she snapped. "Thank you for the lesson." without another word she stormed back toward the house. Orophin watched her go with a growing smile, her gown accentuating the sway of her slender hips.
"Beauty and skill." he breathed "the Valar be praised."
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"What were you doing?" Elrohir demanded as he helped Elladan out of the bush he had effectively flattened.
"I was watching you, fool." Elladan snapped, rubbing his back with a groan.
"That was close." Elrohir grimaced, taking in his twin's disheveled appearance.
"In more ways than one!" Elladan winced, noting the clean slice Indelin's arrow had left in his leggings, near his groin. His brother cringed, that one had been just a bit too close.
"You heard Legolas?" Elrohir demanded.
"Of course I heard him." Elladan replied angrily, dragging his brother after him as he hurried toward the house.
"I thought you said he could not get out!"
"He should not have!" Elladan snarled in reply, they gained the porch and bolted down the corridor taking the steps two at a time, the older twin still wheezing from his fall. They skidded to a stop in front of the door, gasping for breath.
"The string is still there." Elladan hissed, pointing to the thread in the door jamb.
"Then the door can not have been opened." Elrohir said in obvious relief.
"Aye," Elladan nodded "we had better check on him all the same." he knocked on the door, waiting patiently for an answer. There was no sound of movement inside and with a growing frown he gave the door several sharp thumps.
"Estel, get up!" he snapped. Identical eyes stared at each other as they awaited some response with a growing sense of foreboding.
"You do not think something is wrong with him?" Elrohir asked in a panic. They looked at the door with wide eyes and then at each other again before flinging the door open and charging into the room.
"He is not here!" Elrohir said in confusion, taking in the empty bed, still unmade.
"He must be here!" Elladan insisted, pulling the blankets back as if he expected to find Estel hidden in the bedclothes, Elrohir flung open the door of the empty wash room, searching for his youngest brother as his twin strode out onto the terrace. Elrohir soon joined him and they stood in the morning sun, looking back over the silent and Estel-free room.
"You do not think?" Elrohir asked, hardly daring to finish the question. Both twins walked to the terrace railing looking down over the edge into the woods below. To their elf eyes it was obvious at least one person had recently climbed down.
"You know what this means do you not?" Elrohir asked, despair filling his voice. There was a gust of wind and a loud slam as the bedchamber door blew shut behind them. Both twins looked over their shoulders at the door and then back down again at the trellis.
"Aye," Elladan said with a heart heavy sigh of resignation "I know."
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Author's note - Ladies, (and whatever gentlemen might be lurking out there) I just can't say thank you enough for all the great feedback I've been getting. You're all so awesome. It really helps me as a writer to have your input, the story's plot might already be finished but a lot of you have made comments that have made me go back and improve or clarify my character development. Thanks again!
More History, - (I should have tacked this on last chapter but I forgot, sorry.) Galadriel was living in Doriath while Luthien and Beren were courting, she was chasing Celeborn at the time who was Thingol's kin and advisor. She never comes into the account in the Sil but you have to figure that considering her station and the fact she had no family nearby she and Luthien were probably pretty close friends. This is also the reason that I assume that the Lord and Lady of Lorien must have been quite a lusty pair. Galadriel had five big brothers to baby her and she chose to move away and make doe eyes at Celeborn. This is important because it makes sense of a lot of what Galadriel is going to do in later chapters.
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Jesla - I'm not slashy myself, so if you hang around you can probably count on some more cannon based Het romances, I have rough drafts for 2 and outlines for 3 more, so as long as you guys keep reading I guess I'll keep writing.
me - confession time - the prologue is actually my second favorite part of the whole story. (and I knew what you meant)
dragonfly - boom! but not yet....
pua lahi lahi - Elladan and Indelin? Do you think?
Cerridwen - Messy enough for you?
Converted - No, and Boy George is just scary 'whatever'. Please do not drag Elijah into it, I still think of him as the cute little kid in Forever Young... Wait, where was I? I have TTT extended on DVD it's the only thing keeping me from hunting down PJ, dipping him in honey and leaving him on a fire ant hill for what he did to Faramir. And while we're at it who gave Arwen permission to steal Glorfindel's horse and go hunting her boy friend? (I have this picture in my mind of Glorfindel sitting somewhere along the Bruinen, sharpening his knife collection and saying to himself 'well, I'll just sit here then until Arwen brings my horse back, It's not the first time I've been left to fend for myself'.) I mean *sheesh*... Hold on, I have fans? Rhach, when did that happen? I thought I was just better than boredom... The working draft is at chapter 22, and it's not finished. It looks like I might make it to 30, which is absolutely hilarious since the rough draft for this story was 9 chapters.
grumpy - I just love a good dream sequence... did it come off as confusing or anything? I wanted to have a sense of mystery about who she was talking to.
Kath - I have not yet begun to cry havoc! My sympathies on your recent bereavement of bandwidth.
