Haldir thrashed around in the bed, his hands tearing at the side of the bed where Ardenia should lay, as though that somehow, if he screamed loud enough, or fought long enough, she would return to him. He felt her mind slip away from his, leaving him empty in a gathering darkness that threatened to consume him. He collapsed on to the bed, curling in to a ball, before screaming his pain to the still red dawn.

Malanion heard the roar of loss, and knew it was Haldir. He smiled maliciously. He felt Ardenia's mind grow further and further from Lorien with each passing minute, and knew that the end to his self imposed exile was almost over. He lifted himself from atop the shaking body of the elven maid he had taken that night, his personal little victory celebration. She threw herself off the bed and curled up in the corner. She knew the routine by now. One word of this to any one…His laugh haunted her, but even his seemingly unquenchable lust for female flesh satisfied after this night of important events. He dressed in a robe, before sidling over to the window to watch the sun rise, in a dawning of what would be a new era. He laughed to himself again. Suddenly, he found himself kneeling upon the floor, and having no control over his voice.

"Do you really think you've won, Malanion? You filthy scum! Haldir will find her. She will not kill these people once she knows who they are. She and Haldir will make you pay for this!"

Malanion fought for control, yelling in a somewhat manic tone, "No! you think me stupid you pathetic lord? Even now she does not know who her family are, but will kill them in their sleep. She has instructions as to which sleeping chamber is theirs, that is all, she will kill them, then I will take my place as rightful heir to Thranduil's throne! She will come back to find nothing where she had thought a life awaited. I will see to it!"

He found himself losing control again, before Celeborn's voice filled the room.

"You will not win this battle Malanion. I have not fought for a hundred years, distraught in my own pain, with little to fight for, but rest assured, in the wake of the events that you have put in to place, I will fight!"

"You think you able to defeat me? Me who has possessed your body for over a century? No, under this dying moon, in the forests of Mirkwood, this will all end. You will perish too Lord Celeborn, and I shall retake my true form, and rule, whilst you shall not again draw breathe!"

It was then that Haldir burst through the door, having heard every word that had passed between the two. He had come to Lord Celeborns talan as quickly as he could, determined to have the Lords permission to follow after Ardenia, to bring her back to him. But was shocked to hear the argument that had taken place from within the chambers, and stopped to listen to the harsh words of the Silver Lord and the demon. Now, having heard Malanions explanation to the situation, he burst in to the room, determined to bring this fiend to justice. He held his sword to Celeborns/Malanions throat. He saw two people looking back at him, one the familiar gaze of his Lord, one whom he had not seen in an age. The other, a recently familiar evil that made his own body quake in fury.

"You, demon, leave my Lords body!" he commanded.

"No Haldir, you must go…stop Ardenia…bring her…back…"his voice abruptly cut off, as though someone had clapped a hand over his mouth, before his voice returned, a cold voice, filled with an emptiness that not man, elf or dwarf could ever hope to fathom. "You think you can bring her back, little lordling? She is already beyond the borders of Lorien. You will not catch her, not if you drove a chariot of fire pulled by Maia! She will complete her task, and you, will die!"

Haldir felt an invisible hand close over his throat, distracting him long enough for Malanion to grab a blade from Celeborns belt, striking at Haldir. Haldir rolled, pulling back Malanions head by his hair as he followed through his thrust, catching the chord that bound the amulet that held Malanion within Celeborn, and snapping it, leaving the Lord a collapsed figure, gone of his previous life, the dark spirit inhabiting the body gone, leaving Celeborn to regain his own senses. Haldir saw the amulet turn to dust within his hand. He heard ghostly voice "Still the windows, there's a silence. Sorrow and defeat will reach you. You had best ride hard little Marchwarden, for I take my own body now!" He felt a dark wind sweep out of the room, before he knelt beside his Lord, helping him to his feet.

"My Lord?" he asked somewhat tentively.

"Go Haldir, you have saved me, but it may be too late to save Ardenia. I am fine, just unsteady after so long gone from this body. Go!" He watched, as Haldir ran from the room. It was then he saw the little maid cowering in the corner, little more than a few centuries old, naked, but for her cloak that she clutched around herself. Horrified a t what Malanion…he had done, he went over to her and knelt before her.

"Don't be frightened, little one, you know who I am now." She looked up in to the clear eyes of her Lord, and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing in to his robe. He held her, before gently releasing her. "You will be rewarded for your bravery small one", he whispered. "no more shall you wait on the royal family, but become a noble yourself. You are no longer a serving maid, but fit to join the very court of my people." He led her to the bathing room. " Bathe, I will see to it that you are taken care of." He left her, then returned to his own quarters, before collapsing over the bed, exhausted after being in his own body again. He slept a long, dreamless sleep.

Haldir rode. Eyes like the sunrise watched him, as he rode low over his horses neck, the Valar itself giving him strength, and speed of passage. It was as though he held a blade to his own throat, driving him further, determined to get to Ardenia in time, to stop her from killing the family that had only ever wanted her back with them. And, to give her back what she had so tearfully cast away in hopes of sparing his life, which he would now give, if it meant she could live free of the burden of the crimes she was about to commit. He felt every hour pass like a second of time, each one bringing him closer to his goal, but never quite close enough. He heard no sounds around him, but in this silence, he heard the words repeating over and over within his head like a leaf floating in an icy world, "You are my soul…You're my light in darkness…I love you." Just a little longer, he thought, pushing his horse further, crossing the borders of Lorien, and throwing himself on to the fresh mount that one of his wardens stood waiting for him. Along with two others.

"Rumil! Orophin. Go! I must not be held up any more!"

"Indeed, oh brother of thine," said Rumil, grinning cheekily, spurring his own horse on.

"And we go with you! You wait for starlight, but watch the moon, you'll be lost without us. You cannot see your way for your head is filled with gallant notions, we are here to keep you humble!" Replied Orophin, his own horse drawing even with Haldirs, as he laughed in defiance of his brother. Haldir just shook his head, determined not to waste more time arguing. The three of them rode on, Haldir's weary soul finding rest for a while in the enlivening presence of his brothers. His brothers, who had always been there before, and would be once again. "We'll find her Haldir," whispered Rumil, thinking back to that fateful day, weeks ago when he had helped save her.

"Yes. She will be yours again," Orophin whispered back, all laughter gone from his voice, as he too bent determinedly low over his horses neck.

A/N: Okay, so I don't now how to spell the name of the horses that Shadowfax belongs to. Don't hurt me for it. Haldir is gonna make toast of Malanion! Now. Just a little FYI. Now that Haldir unknowingly broke the amulet holding Malanion within Celeborn, our much loved baby is back! Lol. Malanions spirit has been forced back in to its own body. Now here's were things will get interesting! And stay tuned for more smut, Rumil and orophin antics, and much much more.

An btw: some of the lines were taken from the song : 'And then there was silence' by Blind Guardian. Excellent band. I love them! v.powerful lyrics.