Er, I feel I should warn anyone who's a bit down – this ain't gonna help! Wow, this was a tough one! I feel quite drained – lol! Still, never mind, got to look on the bright side (cos it's gonna get worse!) Oh my!
Um, Sofie – When you get to the 'suggestive' stuff, CLOSE YOUR EYES! (Rofl!)
………………………………………………………………………………………….Forever Yours
Chapter 25
A week passed, and no word was forthcoming concerning the Fellowship. Haldir resumed his command on the northern border, the number of Galadhrim greatly increased, as the threat of attack grew with each passing day. Arien filled the long hours of his absence either walking the endless paths of the city, or in the solitude of her home. She had begun to read several of the many books in her husband's study, but each time, the chosen tome failed to involve her mind sufficiently to provide the distraction she craved, so she would discard it in favour of another. Occasionally she encountered the Lady on her walks, and for a short time Arien would find consolation in Galadriel's soothing conversation, but their meetings were brief and inevitably she returned to her solitude and the tortuous workings of her mind.
Her mood lifted slightly when, on the eighth day following the departure of the Fellowship, letters arrived from her father, one for her, the other for Legolas. Arien gazed at the elegant script of her father's hand on her brother's missive and was saddened Legolas would not be able to read it. She set it aside, carefully, for safe-keeping and turned her attention to her own letter. She quickly scanned over the opening words of customary greeting, and searched for any mention of her brother's well-being, but as her eyes reached the bottom of the sheet, she realised there was none. Indeed, her father appeared to be as anxious as she and in that moment, loneliness overcame her. The Elves of Lorien were friendly and kind, but with the absence of her husband, she yearned for the familiarity of Mirkwood and the comfort of her father's arms.
She missed Haldir greatly, never more so than at night when she lay in their bed and ran her figers softly over his pillow. She would close her eyes and picture him next to her, the molten silver of his hair spread over the white cushion, his eyes fixed firmly upon her as if in contemplation of his next, innovative lesson in love. She would smile as she reflected all he had taught her in the short time they had been together and the eroticism of her thoughts would lull her mind into an uneasy slumber.
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Two nights later, when all in Caras Galadhon slept, Haldir and Rumil returned to the city. They had received word from the Lord and Lady to return as quickly as possible and had lost no time in responding to the summons. They went straight to the audience chamber and their anxiety at their recall was compounded when they saw the grim expressions borne by Galadriel and Celeborn. Galadriel greeted them warmly and immediately began the explanation for their presence:
"You have probably realised the news is bleak or else we would not have called you here."
She looked at the Marchwarden and he felt her within his mind, as she continued:
"You are correct, Captain, to be concerned for our security but I am certain you have trained your Second in Command to adequately compensate for your absence!"
Haldir smiled in acknowledgment, and thought to Orophin's objections to remaining behind at his brother's recall. The Lady continued:
"Dire news has reached me this day from Lord Elrond, concerning the Fellowship. One of their number has fallen to the evil of Saruman. Boromir of Gondor gave his life in defence of two of the Hobbits, though to no avail, as they have both been captured by the creatures which attacked them. Of the remaining two, Frodo and Sam, we know little, save they have separated from their protectors and will travel the remainder of their journey alone."
Haldir said nothing, but his eyes betrayed his concern for his wife's brother and he barely dared breathe as the Lady continued:
"The remaining three, Aragorn, Gimli and," she paused to look directly to Haldir, "Legolas, continued in pursuit of the little ones, but lost them in the forest of Fangorn. They are currently in the company of Theoden, King of Edoras. The king has retreated to the fortress of Helm's Deep in an attempt to save his people from certain death at the hands of Sauron's minions. This, my dear wardens, brings me to the reason for your presence here. I have spoken deep and long with Lord Elrond and we have decided we must rise to the aide of Men. However the fate of the Ring is resolved, the time of Elves is at an end. The mortals cannot face this onslaught alone; they will not withstand the might of the Dark Lord. We shall stand with them; one last gesture of friendship from Elf-kind to Men."
Haldir considered the Lady's words, and then said disbelievingly:
"My Lady, are you suggesting we go to their aid. What of our own people? Do our loyalties not lie first with them?"
"I understand your concerns, Marchwarden, for they are also my own. But tell me, do we let them stand alone and permit Middle Earth to fall to the evil which threatens it? Our people have a choice; to stay and fight or to sail to the West. Men do not have this choice. They must stand and probably, will lose all."
Haldir's brow furrowed with thought, and after a few moments, he replied:
"I bow to the wisdom of your words and submit my service to your command, My Lady!"
Galadriel smiled and laid her hand upon his shoulder:
"You are ever my faithful Captain, Haldir! Lord Elrond is sending his own force to Lorien as we speak. They should arrive soon and you must be ready to depart as soon as they have rested and fed. You will meet again in the morning with my husband, at which time the final details of your mission will be resolved."
Haldir and Rumil bowed before leaving the chamber. Suddenly, Haldir stopped and sent his brother ahead, telling him not to alert Arien to his presence as that was to be his pleasure. Rumil could not understand his brother's delay in seeking out his beautiful wife, but knew better than to question his decision and began a slow walk to his own home, his mind occupied with the words of the Lady.
Haldir walked slowly back to the chamber where Galadriel still remained:
"I waited, for I knew you would return, Haldir. Your thoughts are heavy with the memory of what you once saw in the mirror. I can only repeat what I once told you; what you saw was only a possibility, it is not inevitable. If you surrender to pessimism, then you are already lost to us, as it will only serve to cause your surrender to what you believe your fate to be. You would do better to seek out your beloved and find solace in her company. Short is the time before you must lead the Elves of Lorien and Rivendell to the Deep. Do not waste it in melancholy."
Haldir looked into the face of Galadriel and tried desperately to veil his thoughts, but to no avail:
"I do not force you to go, Haldir. The choice is yours, and must be made freely. Know only I feel no other commands the respect and affection of the wardens sufficiently to see this matter through to a successful conclusion. However, you should not permit my words to influence your judgement. Leave now, and consider your choices."
Galadriel turned from the Marchwarden and glided gracefully from the chamber. He remained still for some time, his head bowed as he stared at the place the Lady had stood, his eyes blind to his surroundings. He saw only the image he had beheld in the mirror, swirling and reforming in his sight, time and time again. The sound of Galadriel's words merged with the vision to create a maelstrom of emotions which almost overwhelmed him. Suddenly, he raised his head, his mind clear; his expression resolute. He had made his decision. As he walked from the chamber in search of his love, he hastened his stride, aware of the passing time, time which now seemed so precious and so short.
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Galadriel slipped silently from the small niche from where she had shared the turmoil of her Marchwarden. She ascended the short staircase to an upper chamber where she knew Celeborn awaited her. He looked up expectantly as the door opened and watched as his wife walked slowly to an open window and starred into the velvet darkness. He moved to stand beside her and was saddened to see her sorrowful expression:
"He is going!" she stated, simply.
Celeborn remained silent and raised his hand to brush away the tears she could no longer hold back.
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Haldir entered his home and walked silently into the bedchamber. He looked upon the sleeping form of his wife and was overcome by the intensity of his love for her. He fought the urge to scoop her into his arms and decided upon another, more subtle method of awakening her. He disrobed and slipped gently between the cool, crisp sheets. For a few moments he did nothing but luxuriated in the opportunity to commit every contour and nuance of her beautiful face to memory. He moved only enough to capture the edge of the cover between his fingertips and slowly pulled down the cover, revealing her bit by enticing bit to his vision. He was consumed by barely controlled desire and breathed deeply in order to remain in control, as his hand released its hold on the sheet and moved upward to the golden halo of her hair. He ran the soft tendrils through his fingers and bent to savour its fragrance. She smelled of strawberries and jasmine; this too, was committed to memory. He stilled as she stirred slightly, and waited until she slid once more into the depths of her reverie. Then he turned his attention to her body and ran his fingers down the length of her arm, her hand, her fingers and finally across her stomach. His touch was so light as to be almost imperceptible, but it was sufficient for his intention and soon he was satisfied he would be able to evoke an image of her, wherever he was. He determined he had explored her in secrecy for long enough and set about awakening her. Few hours remained until the morrow and he wished to spend each and every one of them in affirmation of their love. He turned his attention to her face and began to stroke her nose gently, with gradually increasing pressure until he was rewarded by a tiny twitch of irritation. He smiled and stopped his movement, only to resume his ministrations, this time, on her sensitive ear. He ran his finger up the back to the delicate point, and circled it gently, before leaning forward to kiss it, softly.
Arien's eyes fluttered slightly before they opened fully and she squealed with delight at the surprise of finding her husband beside her. She threw her arms about his neck and covered his face with kisses whilst simultaneously demanding to know why he had returned and his purpose for being there. Haldir merely smiled, and without offering any word of explanation, clasped her arms tightly to her sides, enveloped her lips with his and pushed her gently but firmly back to the mattress. She struggled against him slightly, disappointed at being denied the pleasure of touching him, but soon forgave his dominance as she surrendered to the demands of his plundering tongue and hard body.
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Dawn came all too soon, and Haldir pulled Arien closer to him, her back against his chest, their legs entwined:
"I must arise soon, my love, for duty calls to me."
"Can it not wait until later?" she asked, petulantly. "It seems so unfair. You have scarce returned to my bed, yet are given no respite."
Haldir turned her to enable him to look into her face. He brushed away a few strands of hair which obscured her eyes from his and said, softly:
"I have delayed telling you my reason for being here so unexpectedly as I did not wish to sully our joy, but alas, I can no longer conceal it."
Arien did not wish to hear more, but knew the choice was not hers. She lay in his arms, unmoving, as he continued:
"The evil which has caused us to live in dread has grown to such an extent, we can no longer fight it from within our borders. The Lord and Lady, together with Lord Elrond, have decided we should join once more with Men. There is to be a battle soon at a place called Helm's Deep. I am to lead a force of Elves to aid the humans there in their endeavour to repel the evil which threatens them."
He paused, reluctant to continue, as he saw her previously glowing completion turn ashen at his words, but she whispered:
"Continue, Haldir!"
"I shall leave today, as soon as Elrond's contingent arrives. I do not know how long we will be gone or what awaits us, but I promise to return to you as quickly as circumstance permits."
Arien had difficulty in absorbing all he had told her. Slowly, she began to understand the portent of his words. Her expression no longer bore a contented smile, but a frown of anxiety and not a little anger:
"First my brother and now my husband! It would appear this evil is intent upon claiming everyone I love!"
She struggled to escape his arms and he did nothing to restrain her, as she hurried from the bed and angrily wrenched the coverlet from it and wrapped it around her:
Do not look at me in despair, Haldir!" she continued. "Did you think I would meekly accept your announcement? And do you truly believe your promise to return will serve to comfort me in the long days of your absence? I cannot live on promises; first from Legolas and now from you!"
She turned her back to him and walked into the sitting room. Haldir hastened to follow and stopped as he saw her. She stood with her head down, silent; unmoving. Slowly, he moved toward her but as he neared, watched with dismay as her legs buckled and she dropped to her knees, her face buried in her hands as she began to cry; not a dramatic outpouring of emotion, but the quiet, resigned sobs of one bereft of spirit and purpose. Haldir lowered himself to sit beside her and pulled her against him once more. She had not the will or desire to defy him. They remained thus for some time, until her sobbing ceased and she raised her face to his. Her eyes were red and still held tears which threatened to fall at the least provocation. Haldir kissed her lips gently, and whispered:
"My beautiful Arien. Do not think I made my choice lightly. There is so much we have not yet shared or discovered. With you, I have found the true meaning of joy and contentment. You have shown me what it is to love unconditionally, to delight in the gentlest touch, the smallest smile."
He paused and watched as Arien's lips turned up slightly as she said:
"You had a choice, then?"
He considered for a moment. Her question was tinged with sarcasm and he replied with a small grin:
"No, I do not suppose I ever had a choice in this matter. I gave up the luxury of choice when I accepted the role of Marchwarden, although," he added, his expression serious once more, "the Lady told me the decision to stay or leave is mine alone to make. If you truly desire I stay, then I will go now, and request my replacement by another."
Arien raised her hands and placed them each side of his face. She looked resolutely into his deep blue eyes:
"You are the one with whom I have sworn to share eternity. To keep you close to me, forever safe and far from threat, is my only desire. But in this matter, I know I must release you to follow your conscience. You have been Marchwarden of the Golden Wood for longer than I have been alive. I understand full-well your devotion to Lorien and the great love and responsibility you have for your people. Were I to request it, I know you would remain, but I also know you would never again feel content and would forever question your decision."
She paused, before stating quietly:
"You must go, my love!"
As Haldir looked at her, he saw the sincerity of her words reflected in her eyes and he realised she had succumbed to the nobility and sense of honour instilled in her since her birth. She truly was the daughter of Thranduil. He pulled her tightly into his embrace and buried his head in her hair; he would not allow his wife to see his own tears.
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Tbc.
Well, there you are then! Hope you're not too down? (if you are, you can R&R and tell me off! – hint-hint!)
