Haldir awoke from a particularly restful slumber and stretched languidly, Glorfindel was pacing the hall restlessly, as was becoming a habit, the elf's behaviour was beginning to worry Haldir, as he seemed increasingly troubled.

'Tell me Glorfindel, how long can an elf last without sleep?' Haldir asked in an attempt to find out what troubled him.

'Before what?' the golden haired elf replied sarcastically 'he dies?'

'Nay' replied the man, 'before he becomes unbearably fell-tempered and restless'

Haldir thought he caught the hint of a smile on the elf's fair face as he sat upon the edge of the cot on which he lay.

'I cannot sleep' the elf said, his eyes downcast.

'And why is that my friend?' Haldir replied confident now that he had hit upon an important matter.

The elf raised his eyes and turned to look at the man shyly, Haldir in response to Glorfindel's clearly insecure look, rested his hand upon the elf's shoulder in support.

'My dreams are full of death, and pain, they haunt me, even in my waking hours' the elf explained drawing comfort from the man's touch.

Haldir sat up and wrapped his arms about the elf's shoulders and pulled him back so he was half lying upon the cot, 'Sleep Glorfindel, I have kept you safe once before, I would do so again'. Glorfindel looked at him questioningly, and raising his feet to lie properly upon the cot, he took hold of Haldir's hand and held it to his chest,

'Please do not leave me'

The pleading look in the elf's eyes nearly broke Haldir's heart, 'I will keep you safe Glorfindel, I swear it' he whispered reassuringly.

Haldir slipped his right arm under the elf's head and left his left hand flat upon Glorfindel's chest, it rose and fell in time with his breathing and he could feel a strong heartbeat, which reassured him further.

After a time, the elf's breathing evened out and slowed and Haldir noticed the vacancy that appeared now in the sapphire depths of his bed mate's eyes.

The darkness came upon the sleeping elf, almost at once. The man was monitoring the elf closely enough to notice as soon as the darkness came. Unbidden, the mists passed into the previously clear depths of his eyes, and the elf cried out in pain, his body jerking suddenly and violently.

Haldir pulled him closer into his embrace and began to speak softly. He spoke of the woods of Brethil, of how there was no place in the world as fair on a fine spring day. He smiled as his words seemed to beat back the shadows and the elf in his arms stilled again. He continued his elaborate description of lush evergreens and hiding places in ancient trees for what seemed an age, the elf muttered incoherently at times but remained otherwise untroubled. Lost now in his own musings of a time long passed, the man failed to notice the alert elven eyes now observing him gratefully.

'Thank you', Glorfindel's voice brought him abruptly out of his reverie and he smiled at the elf in his arms, suddenly aware of his gentle hold on the elf he released him looking bashful.

Mandos frowned as he watched the man pull away from the elf.

'How fares your curious couple, husband?' Vairë said glancing up at her husband's stiff form.

'He begins to heal in the man's presence but time is running short, he will return to Arda alone I feel, to heal there amongst his own kind'

'But, what then of the man?' she questioned.

'The man is of no concern to me, he will await his turn, as the rest of his kind'

'Nay, husband' Vairë said harshly abandoning her embroidery and coming to her husband's side, 'They are bound in this time, as well you know, this is not a bond that even Manwë, powerful as he is, can tear asunder'

'You speak out of turn, wife' he scolded, 'On a matter that does not concern you' with these words, Mandos swept out of the hall, his robes billowing behind him and his wife staring incredulously at his retreating form.

'You are wrong, husband mine, this matter concerns me greatly' she muttered as she watched the man absently playing with the hem of his tunic, 'It is beneath you to play in such a way with hearts'

So it was at this time, that Vairë, wife of Mandos, filled with compassion and against the will of her husband sent out a thread to open two hearts to that which could be.

What would he taste like?

Haldir started at the thought that came suddenly and unbidden to his mind, he could not fathom where such an inappropriate thought may have come from, and he blushed despite himself

Glorfindel leant against a pillar facing the man and studied him in detail, he let a soft smile grace his lips, his eyes dancing in mirth.

'What amuses you so, my friend' Haldir asked upon seeing the mirth dancing within the depths of his companion's eyes.

Glorfindel strolled over to stand in front of the man, 'Stand' he said, offering his hand in support.

Haldir eyed the elf suspiciously as he stood, but remained silent. 'You are true to your name' at the man's perplexed expression he added 'you are tall, your name means tall one in quenya, the language of my kin, but your knowledge of my tongue is good enough to know this'

Haldir shifted slightly on his feet, suddenly feeling inexplicably self-conscious under the elf's gaze. Glorfindel smiled softly at the man's discomfort and cupped his chin gently in his hand. He lifted his face and turned his head to study his profile.

'You are quite ugly for a man' the elf said in such a matter of fact way that one might be forgiven for believing he had not just insulted the man, who now glared at him and pouted.

Glorfindel laughed at the man's expression, 'strangely, I think if you were of elf -kind you would be considered more than passing fair'

Haldir, now thoroughly confused looked at the elf in defiance. 'What is it that you want Glorfindel?' The elf let his hand slide down to the man's neck, and gently moved his thumb seductively over the man's skin, 'Have you ever lain with a man Haldir?' the elf asked.

Haldir whose discomfort had peeked, knocked the elf's arm away from him and stormed off, replying as he did so, 'that is not the way of my kind'

Glorfindel laughed softly as he followed the man to the far end of the hall. 'That was not what I asked' he said when he was once again within the sight of the man.

'Leave me be, Glorfindel, play with me no longer!'

In that moment as if his eyes had been opened to the distress he had caused he fell to his knees before the man, 'Forgive me Haldir, I am not myself'

Unexpectedly the man laughed. 'Indeed! I did not know you Glorfindel, before your death, but I would say that that which I have just witnessed is closer to your character than that of your charade as I have witnessed these last months, I was right in my greeting words to you Glorfindel of Gondolin, you ARE a coward'

The elf fixed eyes of cold steel upon the man, grabbed his tunic at the collar and with all his weight sent his fist into the man's jaw. 'You son of a goblin, I will not be spoken to in this manner'

The force of the elf's blow sent Haldir skidding across the marble floor, coming to rest with his hand clutching his jaw. He noted with some amusement that he felt no pain, though the blow had been considerable and for a moment wondered at the advantages of being dead, and of the magic of these halls.

'You are fortunate, elf' Haldir said almost jovially as he rose, 'that my father resides no longer in these halls, or he would find a way to cause you pain, regardless of the magic of these halls for calling him a goblin!'