Warning: Mush

Chapter 8 - I Missed You

Frodo lay awake for some time, looking up at the stars between the leaves. Sam was snoring by his side. But there was a feeling of immanent danger and we crawled to the opening in the talan and looked down. He was almost certain that he could hear stealthy movements at the tree's foot far below.

Not elves; for the woodland folk were altogether noiseless in their movements. Then he heard a faint sound like sniffing; and something seemed to be scrabbling on the bark of the tree-trunk. He stared down into the dark, holding his breath.

Something was now climbing slowly. And its breath came up like a soft hissing through closed teeth. Then coming up, close to the stem, Frodo saw two pale eyes. They stopped and gazed upward unwinking. Suddenly they turned away, and a shadowy figure slipped round the trunk of the tree and vanished.

Immediately afterwards Haldir came climbing swiftly up through the branches. "There was something in this tree that I have never seen before," he said. "It was not an orc. It fled as soon as I touched the tree-stem. It seemed to have some skill in trees, or I might have thought it was one of you hobbits.

A strong company of orcs has passed. Orophin has gone back in haste to our dwellings to warn our people. None of the orcs will ever return out of Lórien. We must take the south road as soon as it is fully light."

Frodo nodded and went to sleep as Haldir climbed up to the place he had taken Shysa.

Haldir had been thinking about his earlier conversation with Shysa. She acted like Warious. She talked like Warious. She still carried Warious' favorite saber. She even knew Ewok and that...other language. The one thing he needed to confirm his suspicions was to see her face, particularly her eyes. But he could always wait till morning to see her eyes. But if she kept her hood down he wouldn't be able to see if he was right or wrong. So he decided to go to her, pull her hood off and wait for her to wake.

When he got there he noticed Shysa's hood was off already and that she was rolling in her sleep towards the edge. Haldir moved between her and the edge of the talan and looked upon her in the pale moonlight shining through the leaves above.

Yes, Shysa did look like Darth Warious. Right down to feint scar on her neck that she claimed came from a dream battle. The on where Darth Maul and she had faced down a past Dark Lord of the Sith. Something about earning the right to be masters.

Haldir lay down by her side, securing an arm around her to prevent her from rolling away. Shysa mumbled something and moved closer to Haldir. And so he waited for morning.

In Shysa's head…

Shysa dreamed back to a little over five years ago where she remembered Haldir.

She remembered/dreamed when she lost control and went berserk on Neo Anderson causing Haldir to shoot her down. She remembered when they went to Endor and met the Ewoks that had raised her for a littler while. She remembered their fights over ridiculous things. She remembered…remembered…What was it he had asked her? She knew Haldir had asked her something but couldn't quite remember what it was. She could remember telling him 'Yes' though. What did he ask her?

Shysa, who was once Darth Warious, struggled to remember what it was. Then she felt like something was attacking her in her mind. It looked strange when she finally saw it. It looked like a white bearded person but bad on the inside. It kept speaking strange words she could not understand, each one causing her to struggle. But as suddenly as the attack came it stopped. A feeling came over her that she had not felt in a long time. Shysa felt calmed and close to someone. No more dreams bothered her that night.

Just before light came to the earth, Shysa began to stir in Haldir's arms. He shifted to look at her face.

Shysa felt something was holding her very close. Not a good thing if it wasn't either Merry or Pippin and the person felt far too big to be a hobbit. Oh poodoo!

Shysa opened her eyes cautiously, but to a sight so familiar she thought that she was still dreaming. Haldir saw all that he needed to see to confirm what he suspected. His lips brushed hers questioningly. Shysa responded unconsciously by kissing him. But she thought she was still dreaming as she did so until…

Good morning Dutak Hutar.

"Ee choya!"

Quiet Dutak. The others a may still be asleep.

"Finally figured it out did you?" Shysa asked yawning.

"Chak. You have a certain way of annoying people that is unmistakable."

"Gee thanks." Shysa replied rolling her eyes.

"I missed you." Haldir whispered.

"I missed you more, you stupid elf!" Shysa replied.

"I haven't seen you in five hundred years! How could you have missed me more than I have you?"

"It seemed like a million and five to me."

"There is another way to decide who missed the other more." Haldir suggested.

"Yeah?" Was all Shysa managed to say before he kissed her again.

Twenty minutes later, Rúmil came up the ladder to see what his brother was up to. He nearly fell off the ladder when he saw what his brother was doing with the mortal woman that had come last night.

Haldir and Shysa were still kissing in an attempt to prove who missed the other more. So far it seemed like neither was wining…until Haldir pinned Shysa to the talan that is.

Brother, you sly one! Rúmil said sitting down a little ways from the two.

Abruptly they stopped kissing and glared at the intruding person. What do you want? Shysa and Haldir asked at the same time.

To know why you two are acting like life-mates.

This iis/i my life-mate, brother. Haldir replied.

That's what you asked me before you left! You asked me to be your life-mate and I said yes! Ha! Mystery solved. Shysa exclaimed.

Did you wish to be free of my request? Haldir asked slightly worried.

Shysa kissed him then proceeded to yell at him, in Ewok, about how she had just spent twenty minutes trying to prove she missed and still wanted him. Haldir silenced her by kissing her.

"I'm sorry War…Shysa. I didn't mean to offend you. Not yet anyway." Haldir teased in common so his brother couldn't understand.

Hey! Don't leave me out of this conversation! I want an explanation! What about Nárwen?

What about her? I only courted her to humor you and Orophin. I wasn't about to find a life-mate other than Warious! I mean Shysa.

"Woah! Calm down pedunky." Shysa spoke. "Just explain what happened."

I told him about what had happened between us and about our…adventures.

"Then tell him what you just found out."

So Haldir explained to his brother what had transpired between last night and this morning.

When Haldir finished speaking Rúmil stood up and crossed over to Shysa with a smile holding out his hand. Then welcome new sister! My name is Rúmil. Orophin, our other brother, will be just as pleased when he finds out but he has gone back to warn our people of the orcs who passed trough here last night.

And you two didn't get me up?!? Shysa demanded.

There was a large company of them Shysa. Haldir tried to reasonably point out.

I could have taken them all out! she continued to protest.

Yes, she could have, a new voice spoke up. She killed a warg that could have gotten Frodo but she threw it back against a tree without touching it. Her glowing sword is really amazing!

"Pippin, what are you doing up here?" Shysa asked.

"I was wondering what you people were talking about." Pippin replied. "By the way, what's for breakfast?"

A/N: Review please. Don't kill me please.