I'm sorry this took so long, I had the worst case of writer's block when I got back to vacation that it took me this long to get back into the groove of things. I hope this chapter makes up for it!
Predictably enough, after Haldir's display of temper, some members of the fellowship did not wish to accept her help in guarding against the power of the ring. It was decided that if one had reservations and refused, then all should refuse. Alanya knew precisely who held the reservations, and argued with the fellowship incessantly, but there was no moving any of them. She understood their point of view, but still cursed their stubbornness. The thought of dropping the shields into place regardless briefly entered her mind, but was quickly discarded as completely wrong. So it was with much regret that she accepted the fellowship's decision.
The ensuing weeks until the fellowship left passed quickly enough, as all the important parties involved were constantly busy. Haldir doubled his efforts on training his troops and rarely returned to the talan before nightfall. Even then it was for not much more then to eat dinner and collapse into bed. Celeborn spent much time orchestrating the plans for the defense of the wood when so many elves would be leaving, and Galadriel spent her time gazing into the mirror in an effort to gain more clarity of vision on the quickly moving events that were beginning to take place. Alanya spent much of her time in trances siphoning mage energy into readily available reservoirs, wanting to be ready when her abilities were needed.
As such, that was how Haldir found her as he dragged himself back to the talan after a particularly grueling day. She sat cross-legged in a corner of the room, several diagrams chalked in on the floor around her. Her eyes were closed to the world as she was enmeshed in the ethereal plane that brushed up against the material world. With the delicate touch of a jeweler she selected appropriate energy threads and directed them into an area of stasis for future use. Judging that she had spent enough time doing so, she slowly brought herself out of her trance.
Her sense of self was the first to return. Her heart pounded a steady rhythm, as other senses were quick to follow. The light of the sun had waned and left her, leaving it chill where she sat. The sound of nightbirds floated in the open windows. Carefully she opened her eyes, the image of the ethereal slowly bleeding away until only the material world lay before her eyes.. Her eyes rose to find a steaming glass of sweet mulled wine sitting next to her elbow and Haldir sitting patiently across from her. She gave him a sweet smile as she stretched to warm muscles stiff from so much stillness.
"You're home early, its not quite sundown." Alanya said by way of greeting, carefully leaning in to give Haldir a soft kiss on the lips. She didn't feel quite at home in her physical body yet, the effects of the trance were still lingering, playing havoc with her sense of balance. Haldir helped her rise, picking up the wine for her and seeing her settled onto the couch.
"There was little else to be accomplished this eve," Haldir said somberly, standing to look out the window. Alanya heard the dim note in his voice and cocked her head, hesitant to ask him what was about. Her heart sank as she acknowledged her suspicions that the fellowship was leaving soon. Which meant that the army headed for Rohan would be leaving soon.
"Is something on your mind?" She finished the last of her wine and set the glass down, looking directly at Haldir. He let out a small laugh.
"For not being an elf, not much gets by you." He replied with a small but genuine smile.
"Really, for not being a woman, not much gets by you." She replied pertly, her eyebrows rising.
"I suppose that could have sounded bad in the wrong light." Haldir winced and Alanya merely nodded, putting her hand on his soothingly. He gently took it and sat, absently laying a kiss on the back of her hand.
"The fellowship will be departing soon, will they not?" Alanya asked softly. She dreaded the answer, knowing that if the fellowship were departing, hard on the heels of that would be their departure for battle.
"Tomorrow." Haldir nodded. Her only reaction was to close her eyes. One deep breath later she opened them, looking into Haldir's eyes. Her eyes were silently asking the question she did not want to ask. Haldir sighed and took her face in his hands, caressing her cheek and laying a kiss on her forehead as his only response. She moved in against him, hiding her face in his shoulder as he stroked her back.
"I wish I had the power to stop time."
"I know lirimaer, I know." The two sat in silence, one holding on to the other deep into the night.
Alanya stood off to the side, watching the fellowship receive gifts to aid them in their quest. She smiled at the hobbits excitement over the daggers, and grinned at Gimli being so bashful in response to Galadriel's beauty. She caught Haldir's eye from across the clearing and flicked her eyes to the dwarf and then back to him. The ghost of a returning smile flitted across Haldir's face before he turned it carefully back to blank. Still, she thought she saw a twinkle in his eye. Elves begun to disperse, as the leave-taking ceremony was obviously done.
Her eyes drifted back to the fellowship. Celeborn took Aragorn aside for some last minute advising, while the others turned to ready the boats. She couldn't help but notice as they were loading their supplies into the boats that the man from Gondor seemed to be in undue distress. She saw him surreptitiously itch, at first stealthily and then with increasing frequency and duration. Muffled snickers came from the two elves beside her. Rumil and Orophin stood, obviously biting back laughter. She looked where their eyes led and saw the suffering Boromir. Looking back at the brothers and then to Boromir again, certain suspicions begun to dawn on her.
"Rumil?" Alanya ventured.
"Yes dear one?"
"Orophin?"
"Yes dear one?"
"What did you two do?" She asked calmly, figuring that if there was trouble, she was not surprised they were in it up to their little pointy ears. Two voices protested quietly.
"Why, what makes you think we've done anything?" Rumil answered, as Orophin nearly had tears in his eyes from the laughter and was refusing to look at his brother. Alanya merely speared him with a glance that she had used on unruly mage children in the past, once they realized they could use their powers for practical jokes.
"I know you, that's why." The mage turned and surveyed the Gondorian man again. She bit her lips against the smile as the man found an excuse to wade into the river to waist high, seeking relief from whatever it was that was done to him. She turned back to the siblings, arching an eyebrow when they managed to control their laughter and look innocent.
"Two words, sister dear: itching powder." Orophin supplied before breaking fresh into another set of giggles. Alanya managed to get a hold of herself, but not before a squawk of laughter escaped her. She clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes brimming over with mirth as Haldir looked at her from across the clearing from his point beside Celeborn. He looked at her, his brothers, to Boromir and back to Alanya and his brothers. Alanya wasn't positive, but Haldir's eye twitched and he quickly turned away coughing.
"You two..." Alanya shook her head, unable to finish the sentence for fear of dissolving into gales of laughter. "I just...I'm not saying anything. I'm just not going to say anything."
"Somehow the picture of all three of you fills me with trepidation." Haldir's dry voice came upon them unawares. The three turned to face the owner of the voice who had sneaked up unnoticed.
"In this case you don't want confirmation. Alanya supplied, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. She placed a hand over her mouth and turned around. Haldir graced his brothers with a cool look.
"Soooo...I am not saying anything could happen to the fellowship on Lorien, like, ohhhh, practical jokes, but hypothetically speaking, one wonders what could have happened and why this, purely hypothetical event could have happened?" Haldir wondered, looking up at the sky.
"Well..." Rumil said slowly, "I'm not saying that anyone did anything. As we all know, no danger could occur within these woods. But...hypothetically speaking, if something were to have happened, it could have been itching powder in someone's leggings for being disrespectful to a certain female." Haldir let out a laugh before restraining himself. "Not that anything happened." Rumil finished, his face all solemn.
"Mmmm." Was Haldir's only response. He watched where the fellowship boats had departed around a curve in the river. "Well then, I am glad nothing occurred. And, for the nothing that occurred, I think instead of punishing my brothers for abusing a guest of Lorien, I shall have to commend them. Since nothing occurred, you see." Haldir let loose his laughter then, and all parties involved laughed until they were gasping for air.
Alanya ended up encircled in Haldir's arms, leaning her head on his chest. Dimly she heard Rumil and Orophin take their leave, but at present she was too content to respond with more then a languid wave of her hand. Haldir looked down on her with satisfaction.
"It has been too long since I have heard you laugh so unrestrainedly." His hand came up to cup her cheek and she leaned into the caress, not caring that they were still in public. Her hands rested lightly on his muscular chest, her fingertips lightly stroking him. His other hand moved to capture one of her hands, bringing it to his mouth to kiss her fingertips in an intimate gesture. "I am glad you are feeling better, lirimaer."
"I'm not looking forward to the upcoming battle, I'll admit it scares me, but if it needs to be done it needs to be done, that's all there is for it." She said firmly.
"Good. That is the type of spirit I like to see in my warriors."
"I'm hardly one of your warriors." She said dryly, shooting him a look. He returned it with a lazy smile, arching an eyebrow.
"You are as well, little mage, for the minute we leave for Helm's Deep, you surely will be. You may have not been in battle situations thus, but I have, and in this it would be a good idea for you listen to me."
Alanya eyed him warily, but decided that in the end he was right. She may be used to solo duels, or taking care of being attacked by small skirmishing groups, but she really hadn't seen a battle before, not anything on such a scale as to see a fortress besieged. Truth be told, the thought was making her more then simply scared. She shivered at the thought of it all, having heard stories from healing mages who had seen such things. Haldir frowned, leaning in to kiss her brow.
"It was not my intention to upset you."
"You didn't upset me, but perhaps I should have you make it up to me anyway," she smiled impishly, determined to make their remaining time before departure pleasant for his sake. His eyes darkened and she had a split second of warning before his mercurial mood shifted and his lips descended to light a fire in her blood, leaving her clutching to him for dear life.
"That, my heart, I can do." And so it was that Haldir swept her up into his arms and carried her off to spend the rest of the day in the pleasurable pursuit of passion.
Galadriel and Celeborn watched the two take off, Celeborn laughing quietly to himself and Galadriel merely smiling.
"Think you they will bind together before they leave?" Celeborn whispered into his wife's ear, his breath warm on her neck. Galadriel sighed and leaned back into her lord's embrace.
"Even the wisest cannot tell." She gently teased. "And I thought I was the one who was oft accused of being the consummate meddler in such things, not you, my lord." Celeborn made an offended sound and dropped a small kiss on Galadriel's shoulder.
"Yes well, after I gave him the ring to propose with, I would have hoped it might be gracing the hand of our fair mage." He took the opportunity to layer more kisses along the delicate line of her collarbone, causing his fair wife to sag against him breathlessly. "Perhaps we should take their example, dear love. The remainder of today is unaccounted for..." he murmured as his teeth gently nipped at her ear. He was pleasantly surprised when his wife turned and pulled his head down for a fierce kiss that this time left him the one to be gasping.
"Then perhaps dear husband you should be following me to our talan," Galadriel replied smoothly, slipping from his grasp and walking back towards their talan. "Not just standing here talking about it." Celeborn stood dumbfounded for the barest moment before grinning wickedly and stepping forward to follow Haldir's example, picking up Galadriel and holding her tight.
"As my dear wife so desires, I shall do." He purred to her, striding quickly towards their talan as her laughter floated on the wind.
Alanya sighed, going over her things one last time. There was really precious little she needed to be bringing with her. Clothing...her weapons, although those were mostly as a last resort, as in battle she intended to rely on her abilities to keep her and Haldir safe. Travel rations, and some few spell casting tools that she had manufactured while she was here. Herbal stimulant mixtures to keep her going when necessary. It all packed down to a fairly light pack, to the point where she was certain she was forgetting something.
For indeed, the time of leaving was upon them.
She gave another deep sigh, willing down the threads of nervousness that begun to creep back from where she had managed to ignore them. In exasperation she stamped her foot, causing a chuckle to come from the elf across the room.
"Save your energy for the trek, my heart, you will need it. We will be traveling fast." Haldir looked up from his own task of cleaning and packing his weapons, most of them spread out before him in a deadly array.
"How can you be so calm?!" She replied sharply, and then sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose in a vain attempt to stem off the headache she could feel arising. He likewise sighed, placing down the dagger he was cleaning with care. He rose to cross the room and take her by the shoulders.
"I have done this before, you have not. Go take a walk, it will relieve some tension. Go visit Galadriel, if it calls you. Or Celeborn."
"I can't, I've got to finish here."
"Go. There is nothing more for you to do. Everything you need is ready."
"I should keep you company."
"And your pacing will drive me mad." Haldir gave her a little shove towards the door, mollifying her with a kiss. She opened her mouth to protest and he merely pointed towards the door, a resolute expression on his face. The mage huffed and left in a swirl of robes, the door slamming shut with a resolute thud.
Haldir sighed, turning back to the work he needed to get done and began to pack all his weapons back into their proper place. He heard the door open behind him and without turning said "Will you take my advice and occupy yourself with something other then fretting!"
"So that was the reason we were nearly run over by a small blue streak of lightening that was cursing your name with much vexation."
Whirling at the voice, Haldir found his brothers standing there. He rolled his eyes and turned back to his weapons.
"And here I thought it might be something important." He replied as he settled his weapons into their places.
"You wound us brother." Orophin said as he looked over Alanya's pack. "Well, she packs very well, I suspected much worse for a female."
"Don't let Elenwen hear you say that Orophin, she'll not speak to you again." Rumil cautioned as he flopped down on Haldir's couch. "So, what did you say to Alanya that caused her to trail off in a fury. Not that she doesn't look dreadfully adoring cursing your name to the high heavens."
"Merely that she should go take a walk, that her pacing would drive me mad." He rolled his eyes as Rumil and Orophin winced.
"For being our older brother you are not terribly wise when it comes to females." Orophin ventured.
"Hah, and that would be why I have a mate living with me and you two do not." Haldir shot back, placing his weapons along side his pack and turning to pack the lembas.
"Oh! He wounds us!" Rumil theatrically cried, tossing a hand to his forehead in a dramatic fashion. Haldir merely gave him a sour look.
"If all she does is pace here, she will grow more agitated by the minute, and I will not be able tot concentrate on the task at hand." He looked over his belongings, deciding that the only other thing would be the addition of his armor. He sighed with distaste, preferring to be attacking from the superior point in the trees, not liking the necessity of the restrictive feeling plates.
Opening the cabinet where his armor resided, his eyes fell upon the small leather pouch containing the ring Celeborn had given him, he had not yet found a time to offer it to Alanya, in truth, no moment had felt quite right. He picked it up and held it, considering whether to take it with him or leave it here. He didn't think the right moment to propose marriage was on the eve of leaving for battle, but then again, he just figured he'd be nervous about it anyway. Before he could move to put the ring away though his brother Rumil had snatched the ring away with lightening speed.
"Hey, what's this?" Rumil wondered, untying the strings.
"Give me that!" Haldir was irrationally panic-stricken at the thought of his brothers finding out what he was considering. Rumil continued to open the pouch, dropping the ring into the palm of his hand while Orophin held off his older brother, from retrieving it. Haldir groaned, slapping his hand over his eyes. Rumil and Orophin's eyes widened.
"This is the ring that Celeborn's father used to propose to his mother." Rumil breathed. Haldir took the moment of their shook to snatch the ring back.
"Yes." Haldir's reply was clipped.
"This is also the ring that Celeborn used to propose to Galadriel." Orophin ventured.
"I am well aware of that." Was the icy reply.
"Haldir...is there something that you haven't told us yet?"
"..."
The two brothers looked at each other, looked at the ring, and looked back at Haldir. that, it was! Their brother was blushing! Stalwart, solid, unflappable Haldir was blushing!
"I would call you two bastards but I well know our parents were married." He said, tucking the ring into a pocket in his tunic.
"You wish to bind with her," Rumil said wonderingly, sitting down in shock. Orophin still looked at Haldir with wide eyes. Unable to voice anything, Haldir simply nodded.
"That is amazing Haldir! We are very happy for you! This is wonderful!"
"What is wonderful?" asked Alanya, poking her head through the door. All three elves whirled with various expressions of panic on their faces. She looked from one of them to the other as they began to stutter excuses.
"I'm getting a new set of swords."
"He's moving into a nicer talan."
"He's getting a new horse."
The three brothers looked at each other.
"I'm moving into a nicer talan."
"He's getting a new horse."
"He's getting a new set of swords.
Alanya merely raised an eyebrow, obviously trying to decide how long she should let them continue thus. The three brothers looked at each other again and opened their mouths to speak again to which Alanya merely raised her hand and shook her head. Their mouths snapped closed.
"Rumil."
"Arwen'amin..."
"Out!" The aforementioned elf dashed out the door.
"Orophin."
"I'm going..." He did stop at the door and give Haldir a very pointed look, at which her lover actually flushed and looked at the ground like an elf with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Alanya shoved Orophin out the door and closed it behind her with what to Haldir seemed like a very loud click.
"What's going on Haldir?" She sat down on the couch, looking at him oddly. He fingered a pocket in his tunic and dropped his hand.
"Well...." Haldir panicked. His mind was utterly blank.
"Come on Haldir...tell me. I already know we're leaving tomorrow, nothing else can surprise me." She sat with the air of someone who is willing to wait until doomsday for an answer, and if Haldir knew one thing, it was that Alanya would not let this go until she received an answer. Indeed, if he did not give her one it was likely to create an argument.
Haldir sighed, closing his eyes, asking the Valar for inspiration. He turned, panic draining from him and an odd sort of anticipation humming through his veins. He took a deep breath to steady his suddenly fluttering stomach, turning to face his love. His love. His. Maybe that was as good a place to start as any. Alanya could see a change in his expression, and her own expression softened.
"Here, come sit with me." She patted the spot beside her.
"I think better on my feet, thank you though." He replied softly, his eyes on hers. "I am so glad that you are mine."
"I can think of no one's love I'd rather be." She said with a lopsided smile. Haldir couldn't resist and leaned in for a kiss, kneeling before her to do so. He settled back on one knee, taking her hand in his.
"When I first met you I thought you slightly odd for a human, but interesting for all that." He smiled at her when she stuck her tongue out at him in response. "You were an exotic beauty that I desired to bed, lovely beyond belief, but foreign for all that still. Now, though, before me I see so much more. I see someone who is a partner before me, who fits in quite seamlessly with my life and compliments it so well."
"I never expected to find someone who fit into my life so well, who understands me as well as you. Who understands that I must do my duty, and protect my home, because that is quite simply what must be done. You have been a help at every point, being there when I am tired, urging me on to do even more, and above all, a loving presence in my home. I find myself so often thinking of the simple pleasure of returning to the shelter of your arms." He rose to his feet, pulling her gently to her feet, and sinking back to one knee, one hand holding hers, the other pulling the ring out from its place in his pocket. Her eyes grew wide at the ring and she began to tremble in his grasp.
"Lady Alanya Mystewalker, lady of my heart, beloved daughter to Galadriel and Celeborn, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, to stand beside me under the stars to the end of our days?" He held out the ring to her, his heart in his mouth as he saw Alanya smile, and with teary eyes gently take the ring and slide it onto her hand. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, and a tear slipped down his face. The mage moved forward to hold him, sheltering him against her as he clung to her, emotions in an uproar.
He surged to his feet, taking her and spinning her, joy and laughter on his face as she shrieked and held tightly to him, also laughing and crying at the same time.
"Oh by the Valar Haldir...I love you so," her voice broke and more tears slipped down her face. His touch light against her face, he smoothed her tears away.
"And I you, my Alanya." He managed to get that out before his throat closed and he could say no more, pulling her to him to kiss with a fierce passion. She responded in kind, and it was several long heartbeats later before the two pulled apart.
"Come, I think there are a few elves who would like to know of this, namely, my brothers who if my hearing serves me well are even now listening with ears pressed to the door." Haldir said dryly, but with eyes that were lit up.
"Anything for you Haldir...forever."
"Indeed....forever, my love."
And those Valar who indeed were listening to the two after the invocation of the mage agreed. Though they would not meddle in the outcome of the battle more then they already had, if Haldir and Alanya survived the battle they both would indeed have forever with each other, according to their vow just made.