Chapter Seventeen: Secrets Revealed
The moon was high above when Mélanyë woke to the sound of clashing swords. She bolted upright, still shaking off the last bits of sleep, but realized that the camp was quiet. To her left through the trees, however, she could still hear what sounded like a fight. Cautiously she crept to the edge of the trees and peered into a smaller clearing part way inside. There she saw Lindir and Aldamir, practicing. Now that she knew there was no danger, she inched closer and watched.
Their technique was flawless. Each move seemed practiced and each strike was fluid and perfect. She found herself drawn in to their deadly dance as she looked on, transfixed by the beauty of it. Every few moments the moonlight was caught and reflected in their bright swords and flashed at her, making her blink, but she dared not look away, fearing that she'd miss something. She memorized every thrust and block and parry, learning as much as she could from these two who she thought the best.
After what seemed like hours their fight ended, and they came towards the woods where she still crouched. In a panic, she hid behind the tree and waited for them to pass. After she was sure they were gone, she looked behind her and saw to her shock, Lindir crouching beside her. She gasped in surprise.
"What are we hiding from?" he whispered. She let out the breath she'd been holding.
"You...and Aldamir." Lindir chuckled softly. "I was watching you...that was beautiful."
"Mel, you should be sleeping!" he said. "We only rest for you." Mélanyë frowned at this.
"I though Haldir said I would be treated equally," she said.
"Well, we need to rest also, but you are the only one who needs sleep."
He led her back to where she had been sleeping and looked up to the sky. He saw the bright crescent shine down on him with a glowing halo around it. 'It's going to get colder tonight,' he thought. He picked up an extra blanket and handed it to Mélanyë.
"It will be very cold tonight, Mel, you'll need this." She nodded and took the blanket. She was about to thank him when something caught her eye.
"Ai, Eärendil!" she cried, pointing to the bright light above. Some of the others nearby looked up at her cry. She gazed up at the stars in awe. They glittered sharp and clear above in the vast sky. "There's so many tonight! And Eärendil is so bright." Lindir pointed and she followed his hand.
"Valacirca," he said, and began pointing out all the constellations he could remember. They lay down on the grass under the blanket he'd brought and gazed at the heavens in wonder, pointing at the stars and telling stories of Varda the Starkindler and of the Elves of old. Slowly, the conversation died away, and they just lay together.
Lindir looked over to Mélanyë beside him, expecting her to be asleep, but saw her eyes wide, dazzled by the lights of heaven. He noticed her shivering, even under the heavy blanket and hugged her. She lay her head on his chest as they continued to admire the stars.
"Lindir," she whispered.
"Yes?"
"I love you." He squeezed her tighter and planted a kiss in her hair.
"I love you too, Meldanya," he said. She looked up into his eyes but then hesitated. Gathering her courage, she brought her lips to his and kissed him softly, their lips barely meeting. He closed his eyes, thinking himself in some wonderful dream, and when he opened them found himself trapped in her gaze.
"Mel," he whispered in awe, "why did you do that?"
"Why didn't you?" she whispered back. He searched her eyes in wonder, and discovered deep wells of emotion that for so long she had hid from him. He realized then that all his attempts to hide his feelings from her had failed. She'd seen as clearly as Aldamir had how much he loved her.
"Mel..." he said again, but could find no words. He buried his hands in her dark hair and kissed her.
The next morning dawned bright and clear as Mélanyë and Lindir lay together. He was awake, stroking her hair and watching her soft breathing. Behind him he heard the other elves stirring, and knew they'd soon be looking for him. Turning back to Mélanyë he kissed her and then got up to leave. She stirred at his touch, and held onto his hand. Their eyes locked for a long moment. Smiling, he leaned down, kissed her again, and left.
Lindir joined the others as they prepared for the morning's work. He spotted Aldamir and walked over to him. He was polishing a small bow. He noticed that the other elf was grinning at him.
"What?" he asked. Aldamir shook his head, his grin widening as he walked away.
Aldamir found Mélanyë as she was finishing packing the rest of her things. She looked up as he approached, and immediately spotted the bow in his hands. He held it out to her.
"This is for you," he said. She took it reverently, looking it over with wide eyes. "It's made from the wood of a Mallorn- very strong. I don't think we have time to practice with it, bu-" He was cut off as she hugged him. He smiled and hugged her back.
"Aldamir..." she said, inspecting the bow again. "This is beautiful! How did you do this so fast?" He didn't answer, but crouched in front of her as she looked over the weapon. It was made of the light smooth wood of a Mallorn, and its graceful curves were adorned with Tangwar. The elven script was burned into the polished wood and ran down the length of the small bow. She traced their graceful lines with her finger. 'May your arrows always find their mark' it said. She smiled, remembering all the targets she'd missed during practice.
She looked up at him, trying to find some way to express the sheer gratitude she felt at the gift. He smiled, reading every ounce of it in her eyes.
"You're welcome," he said. He produced an extra harness and began to shorten it to fit her smaller frame. After hooking the bow and a quiver of arrows onto her back, he stood and looked her over.
"There! Now you actually look like a soldier." She laughed.
"Thank you, Aldamir," she said, noting that the bow didn't weigh her down at all. "I feel like one too."
The company at last departed the Golden Wood that day, heading south for Fangorn Forest. They crossed the distance between the two woods with some unease, however, after the Galadhrim had reported more strange Orcs encroaching on the borders. Several times Mélanyë saw Aldamir and Haldir whispering to each other, noting the two elves' apprehension. There was a mix of relief and dread at reaching the borders of Fangorn. Many in the group had heard the stories of the trees with voices, and were not at all interested in meeting them. Mélanyë looked up at the trees in wonder and fear, seeing their age plainly in the gnarled boughs. She held Lindir's hand as the elves entered the forest.
"We'll camp here tonight," Haldir addressed the circle of elves as they crouched over the map of Rohan. "We're nearing the borders and should reach Edoras by tomorrow night."
"We should set a watch around the camp tonight," Aldamir suggested. Lindir looked up and caught a fleeting look between Haldir and his lieutenant. Was that worry?
"Agreed," said Haldir, pointing at Aldamir. "You and Gaelen take the first watch. Cirinath and I will relieve you and Lindir and Tirian will take the third watch." All those who had been named nodded and the meeting ended.
Haldir leaned against a tree and rested. As he sat he closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He thought of Lórien his home, and the Lady he served. He remembered how grieved she had been when she sent him on this mission. She hadn't wished to put any elves in danger but knew that it the Quest of the Ringbearer failed, all elves, men, dwarves, halflings and other creatures of Arda would be in danger. Haldir had deemed it a risk that was impossible to ignore.
A smile spread on his face as he thought of halflings. The four he'd met months ago in Lorien had seemed as children to him. Brave children, to be sure, but still young and naive to the dangers of the world. The dark haired one named Frodo, however, he had seemed as one who knew all too well what was really happening.
"Haldir," Aldamir broke into his thoughts. Haldir opened his eyes with a start and realized that second watch had begun.
"Thank you, Mellon, I was lost in thought." The younger elf smiled.
"We all do that sometimes." He looked over his shoulder and then back at Haldir. The smile was gone.
"What is it, Aldamir?"
"I've seen more tracks," he whispered. "I haven't told Gaelen because I didn't want to raise alarm." Haldir nodded.
"Many things live in these woods that we do not know about. Are you sure they were not animal tracks?" Aldamir nodded.
"They look the same as the tracks we found on the borders of Lórien," he said. "And it looks like they're following us." Haldir stood immediately.
"Show me."
Aldamir led Haldir through the camp to where he'd seen the tracks, in the direction they had been travelling from. As they passed through, Haldir looked around him at all the elves, his army, at rest. Some were leaning against trees, some lying flat on their backs, others were talking softly. Some had their eyes closed, others were staring at the stars. He smiled as he saw them, but then stopped. Far removed from the others, on the edge of the camp, he saw Lindir and Mélanyë.
The two were curled up closely together under a blanket, sleeping. Haldir walked closer to them and watched as they slept, oblivious to the danger that he may find when Aldamir showed him what he'd seen. He smiled to himself as he looked on them. He'd known right away that they were in love the first time he saw them in Rivendell. When they caught her following them, all he could think of was how much she must love him to have put herself at such a risk. He had seen it in her eyes- she couldn't bear to part with him. He had also seen, as he trained her, that she was far stronger that he, or even she knew herself.
"Haldir, this way," Aldamir whispered as he took his arm. He nodded, took one last look at the blissful lovers, and followed.
Without lifting his head Lindir looked up as Haldir passed. He noticed the other elf's agitation and wondered what he was thinking. His first instinct was to get up and find out what was going on, maybe Haldir had seen or heard something to cause alarm, but then looked down at Mélanyë in his arms. It could wait until morning.
As he watched her she stirred in her sleep and looked up at him, clutching his arm tightly as if frightened. "What is it?" he whispered softly. The fear was now very clear in her brown eyes.
"Lindir..." she whispered back as if just remembering his name. She looked around her frantically before letting out a relieved sigh. "There were Orcs," she explained, "they were everywhere, and," she stopped and looked in his eyes. "You're okay?" He smiled and hugged her tight.
"I'm alright, Mel, you were only dreaming." He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. "There are no Orcs here, we're still far from where we're going." She looked up at him for a long moment, trying desperately to believe him.
"I hope so," she whispered. She seemed to relax slightly, but the fear did not leave her voice. "But it was so real," she said after a moment. "I'm so scared, Lindir!"
"Shhh..." he cupped her face with his hands as wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Don't worry, Mel. I'll never let anything happen to you," he said. He kissed her then, softly at first, but soon their kiss deepened into a passionate expression of the love they had felt for each other for so long. In the back of her mind, however, where remnants of her nightmare still haunted her, she was troubled that it may be her last chance to do so.