As Always: Tolkein characters not mine, I only wish they were.

Haldir woke suddenly, something disturbing him out of his reverie. He sat up in bed, the linen sheet slipping silently off his pale, lean form as he got out of bed to pace to the window. Something is not right, he thought to himself with a frown. Still, he could not sense anything out of the ordinary in the immediate vicinity. He sighed with exasperation. "It must be the squirrels dropping sticks on the roof of my talan again," he muttered to himself. The elf tried to go back to sleep, but after trying to get comfortable for several minutes he was forced to conclude it was a hopeless effort.

Still, no real reason to get out of bed yet, he thought idly, as he enjoyed the morning light and air streaming through the open windows of the talan. As he had mentioned to Galadriel, the odd dreams he had been having, while not disturbing every night, disturbed enough of them that he was subtly on edge. A rare chance for a leisurely morning was not to be missed. A quiet knock on the door shattered that idea, as he rolled his eyes, pulling on a robe to go open the door. His eyes widened when he found Galadriel on the other side.

"Arwenamin, my lady," he said, bowing to cover his confusion. He offered her his arm, leading her to where she could sit. "What brings you to me this morning?" he asked.

"How is it I could feel you already awake this morning Haldir when I approached your talan?" She answered his question with one of her own.

Haldir looked at the Lady before responding. "I know not what woke me. I had a faint feeling that something was wrong, perhaps, but now…" he shook his head. "I was about to discount the feeling before you appeared on my doorstep."

Galadriel smiled gently. "Peace march warden, for no danger threatens our beloved woods just yet." Haldir let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as she continued. "But perhaps something else has changed?"

Haldir pondered her question in silence. Opening his senses a second time upon waking he let them feel the ebb and flow, listening to the currents of information they brought him. One thread that trickled in was different from the others, and it was this that had disturbed him, he concluded. "There is something on the southern border, but it is not evil, there is no shadow. Only," he paused, "only a strong power."

She nodded. "Seek this out Haldir, for it may provide an answer for your dreams."

"The mortal woman?" he looked at her sharply. Galadriel simply nodded. "I will go now," he said. "Am I to bring her within the wood?"

"It is my wish."

Haldir bowed towards Galadriel. "It will be as you say." Galadriel rose with a rustle of silk. He escorted her to the door, pausing as she turned towards him once more.

"Do not be harsh with her or fearful of her, Haldir,"she continued in her calm voice. "For although her coming does precede dark times, she is not the bringer of them, but a warrior to stand against them." She smiled at him in farewell and glided down the steps towards the forest floor, leaving Haldir standing by the door.

It was short work to ready himself to retrieve the mortal. His weapons were always kept carefully ready, as was a travel pack with necessities for short durations in the wild. His golden hair he braided back into the traditional braids, and pulled the rest back into a long tail. Ha grabbed a clean shirt from his wardrobe, and donned the rest of the gray garb of the galadhrim that enabled him to move as a ghost between the trees. Lastly, he clipped his lorien cloak around his shoulders was ready to head out.

He briefly considered roping his younger brother Rumil into helping, as a shield between him and the mortal, but decided that he would also have to deal with Rumil's prying questions on the ride out. His mind quickly vetoed that idea. Bypassing his brother's talan, he headed quickly to the stables. Fortunately his mount was well rested, having not been out anytime recently. The steed began to snort and whinny when he saw Haldir walk into the stable's paddock area. Haldir rolled his eyes at his antics. "Enthusiast," he accused as he swung up onto Arandel's back.

He headed outside of the city fast; Arandel's hoof beats sounding steadily. He could reach the southern borders in due time if he moved quickly, he thought to himself. Arandel responded to his cues by lengthening his trot into a canter, settling into a pace that the Elvin steed could maintain for some time. The leaves of the mallorns flowed past like river of gold in the dappled light beneath the canopy. Despite the serenity of his surroundings Haldir was tensioned as a bowstring. Only rarely had he even met a mortal, as most were too leery of the elves to approach Lorien. In his mind, this was not a bad thing. There were also the dreams.

For nigh on a month, his sleep was plagued by dreams. There appeared to me no rhyme or reason to these, only a mismatched collection of images. Darkness covering Lorien, though, that one had been clear enough. There was the other of the woman; sitting on the edge of the wall in a great stone keep, talking with a man who could have been mistaken for one of the firstborn, so pale in countenance was he. Another was of her awaking in panic, trembling in response to some nameless fear. Her sapphire eyes were wide in her face, tears shining in their depths. It was that image which drove him to find her. The mystery of it all confounded him and made him wary.

There was also the remaining fact this was a time of coming darkness. What if the half remembered dreams of his were leading him false, and the mortal was a tool for the darkness, willing or unwilling. These were the things he pondered on his lonely ride out to the southern fence. As Arandel's unwavering hoof beats brought him closer to the borders the sense of something powerful lingering nearby began to invade his senses. The great mallorns began to thin, and other lesser trees filled in the openings near the border. Haldir cued Arandel to slow into a walk and also whistled a call for the nearest scout to conference with him. A form melted out of shadow to hail him.

"What news of the border?" Haldir asked quietly, his eyes never ceasing their scan of the surrounding territory. There was no disturbance of the birds, their songs ringing out into the clear air. No clue came upon the wind either.

"Strangely enough, all is clear. There were strange sounds in the night, but we have searched within the fences and found nothing. There is no sign of orcs beyond the border. We have increased the frequency of patrols, however. I pulled most of the off duty wardens onto the shift, and sent a runner back with the message. You must have just missed them coming into the city this morning."

"They had already spoken with Galadriel," Haldir replied distantly. "In what direction were these sounds?"

The warden gestured into the southeast. "A good ways off into the forest beyond our borders. There was no repetition, and all has been quiet since then. No orcs or goblins have been seen, no wild men, nothing. We can make no sense of it."

"Keep up the patrols as you have been. I am going to investigate." Haldir replied, not clueing in the warden that Galadriel directed him there. That, he reasoned, was between Galadriel and he, and their soon to be guest. He frowned. He was still no nearer to thinking that was a good idea, but he was becoming driven to meet the source of his dreams.

"Lord Haldir are you certain we cou…"the elf snapped his mouth shut as Haldir simply gave him a cool look. "Yes my lord. Do you require anything of us?"

"I am not expecting there to be trouble. I have been assured by Galadriel this morning that there is no immediate threat to the wood." He nodded to the warden and was off. Haldir nudged Arandel forward with his heel. Now that he had some direction, he could begin to search out some answers

Several hours later, his mood had soured somewhat. He could only tell something powerful had entered into territory near the Lorien border, not where the mortal was. It was as if her power was operating as a light, blinding him to any sense of her direction. He stopped by a stream to allow Arandel some time to drink and himself some time to think. He slid off the horses back to stretch his legs, when his elvish hearing alerted him to the presence of another horse. Quicker then the mortal eye could follow he had his bow in hand, as hoof beats sounded on the other side of the stream. A dark brown-black horse emerged from the brush, rider less. Haldir lowered his bow, eyeing the animal. The designs on his tack were unfamiliar. He had been decked out for a short journey, judging by the small pack behind the saddle.

Haldir crossed the stream, leaving Arandel to drink his fill. The other steed eyed him warily at first as he did so, snorting and stamping the earth. Haldir made no move to approach, only bowing his head and looking away as the horse approached. It snuffled his clothing and whiffed into his hair, stepping away after doing so. The steed lipped his arm, pulling on his clothing and then backing away. Haldir made to grasp the reins but the animal sidled sideways at the last minute, neatly evading his reach. He made a second reach and again the animal danced out of range, retreating into the underbrush down a small game trail. He made a third grasp and the animal quickened its pace slightly, snorting at Haldir. Haldir swore and followed the animal into the brush.

In the clearing beyond the brush, the curses left his lips as he beheld what lay before him. Looking like she was lying where she fell was the young woman from his dreams. Long used to assessing wounded fighters, he grew concerned as he examined her. Kneeling down next to her, he straightened her out to lie more comfortably. Her pulse felt faint and slightly irregular beneath his fingers, from some shock or unknown injury he was not certain. There appeared to be no injuries as he examined her, but she was cold and trembling, with erratic breathing.

Haldir pulled his cloak off his shoulders, wrapping her into it to warm her up and hopefully stabilize her. There was no sign of her waking, although after some time her breathing began to ease. As the sun moved across the sky he made a temporary camp, not entirely certain he wanted to risk moving the woman tonight. He made a small fire, more for her benefit then his, as his Elvin countenance was not affected by the cooling air.

Night had fallen before he noticed any change. A soft moan from her dew him from him contemplation of the stars, and he hurried to her side. Her eyelids began to tremble, signifying her return to consciousness. She moaned once more, her hand drifting to her head.

"I see you are awake," Haldir said quietly in the common tongue, hoping this woman would understand him. Her eyes shot open and she looked at him, going even whiter then she already was. She uttered something in a strange language and attempted to struggle up and away from him, though it was clear she lacked the strength. Haldir moved to hold her still, gently soothing her quiet. She rested against his chest, breathing hard, as if she had run a race. Haldir moved some of more blankets into a pillow, and repositioned her onto them so he could look her in the face as he spoke. Her eyes were as blue as gems, he thought, and then wondered why he was pondering such things when there were other more important questions to be asked.

"What is your name?" he tried. The woman only shook her head, saying nothing. Haldir assumed that meant that she could not understand him. When she motioned him close, he leaned in, not expecting her to touch him. Her hand reached up and tremblingly touched his forehead. For a moment he felt as if a whirlwind swept into his mind. He staggered and fell back, vertigo assailing him. When he could open his eyes without the world tilting he noticed the woman was looking at him, her eyes apologetic.

"I, I am sorry," she said in strangely accented elvish. "I did not understand your language. It was necessary for me to take the knowledge of it by magic."

Haldir bit back the sharp words, not liking the intrusion of a stranger into his mind but neither did he wish to harangue a female obviously ill. He looked over her again, noting that her color was quickly returning, as was her trembling easing. She struggled up, one long lock of hair falling into her face. Curious, he reached out and grasped it. Soft in his fingers, it shimmered in the moonlight, just like it did in his dreams. He was unaware he had spoke out loud until the woman answered him back.

"What dreams?" She inquired in a whisper.

"Something I thought simple moon dreams until I beheld you here this night." He replied. "I am Haldir of Lorien," he said abruptly. "You are?"

"Alanya Mystewalker, Adept first class." She lay down wearily on the blankets once more. "A mage."

"Mage?" Haldir asked in confusion, "a wizard?"

She nodded assent, wincing when the moment jarred her head. He noticed and moved to her side, helping to hold her up, offering her a flask of miruvor. She coughed a bit at first, but drank it down.

"Here, this will ease the pain in your head." Her eyes closed wearily, as if she had exhausted her strength in the effort. Haldir fetched another blanket, settling it around her against her weak protestations. Now would not be the right time to ask questions, he thought. But perhaps with her being ill she will tell me more then she might otherwise. "Why do you attempt to enter our wood? Where do you hail from?"

Her eyes snapped open once more. "What? What do you mean why do I attempt to enter your wood? I don't even realize where I am. Last I knew, I was heading through a gate to a place of my choosing, and someone, willy-nilly pulled me into this godforsaken place. And I would like to know, what you've been doing in my dreams. I would like you to cease! I haven't had a decent nights sleep in a month, every magic handling channel in my body feels like its been struck by lightening, and my very good friend is probably going to think I vaporized within the Void when I don't show up where I was expected!!" She collapsed again on her blankets, her energy spent as she panted.

"Madam, I assure you this was not my idea," he said icily, stung by her tirade "I am not in the habit of picking up stray injured mages, or whatever it is you are, I assure you. Not that I can ascertain anything wrong with you other then simple shock. I suggest you rest, and we will continue back to my home in the morning. No doubt you will be in better shape then." He could see her draw in a breath to retort, and cut her off at the pass. "No," he said, holding up one hand. "You are in my land and my care, by choice or no, and I have been told to see after you. And I have also been having dreams," he relented. He sighed, kicking a stray stick into the fire. "We will discuss this in the morning. Your body needs the rest more then your mind needs the answers." He stared moodily into the fire. He didn't like having to wait for his own answers, but it might be best to seek them in the presence of the Lady of the wood. Galadriel may have more luck making sense of this strange yet lovely mage.

"But…"

Haldir sighed. "Tomorrow, arwenamin, we will both seek answers." He could see she looked skeptical. Not terribly surprising as she didn't know him. "I swear on my honor, tomorrow." This time Alanya nodded acquiescence. "I suggest you sleep. I will be here, should you have need of me." The mage settled back on her pallet and exhaled, settling in to sleep.

Haldir rubbed his forehead, not quite sure what to think. He was certain he was in for trouble, however. He paced the edges of their small camp deep in thought. Answers to why this mage appeared in his dreams, and, apparently he in hers were not forthcoming, and he gave it up as useless. Alanya's horse nudged him, softly snorting into his tunic.

"I suppose you don't know anything about your mistress hmm? Not that you could say," Haldir murmured as he stroked that gelding's crest. He leaned tiredly against the animal, having been awake and active far longer then he wished to be this night. While it was true that elves did not need much sleep. What little of it he had lately was far from restful. After making one last survey of the surrounding area he settled in for rest, not far from Alanya's sleeping form.

Some time later, Haldir awoke, confused for a moment as to why, until Alanya's whimpers penetrated his sleep-fogged mind. He moved over to her, laying one hand on her cheek.

"Shh…Alanya, shh…it is a nightmare…nothing more. Shh…" he whispered, not wishing to wake her but hoping his words would sink into her dreams. After several moments she settled down, one crystal tear slipping from beneath her eyelid. Haldir stared for a heartbeat, his feelings towards the mage softening. Even if it was only in her sleep, he hated to see a female cry, for it always unnerved him. Gently he wiped the tear away, and pulled his blankets over to hers. He pulled the sleeping mage into his arms, falling asleep to the quiet sound of her heartbeat and her soft breath into his hair.

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