Oh oh! How special do you feel? I got another chapter out in less than a week. Just… don't ever expect something like this again because it probably won't happen. I have no idea how it even happened this week… but I just pushed myself to start the chapter and worked on it a bit every night. And I didn't have much homework, amazingly… so that helped.
Kit Cloudkicker: Ah, well you see, if I put it in the notebook, I shall be killing two birds with one stone. I need to fill up the whole thing anyways… so why not with Rehab? I'd be more productive that way, I dare say.
Dark Borg Drone: Ah… well seeing as there isn't any way I could get hurt from such a thing… I think I will just dare to do it. Muahaha.
Phoenix Golden Fire: Yes I gathered who you were; you signed your last review with AAAClub. Hahahaha. But I can't remember the movie's name… it wasn't too good anyways. I saw the majority of it… and I could have lived without that. I love kitties… unfortunately my body does not. Such is life though eh? And yes, things get interesting…
Black Thunder44: Twisted cat. Perfect for that house…
Twisted Mary Sue: I'm glad you approve! Seriously. Fighting fictional characters eh? Kinda like how I want to pet fictional characters… and it just can't happen? Or when I poke the monitor… uuugh. Yeah. I don't find that fun, but you might. I dunno!
AzureDragoness: No, you can't beat that!! I think that the muses must have listened to you, because, well, obviously… I did get another chapter done really quickly. Hopefully I'll continune to do so!
Midnight Proc: Yes, go you Proc. Oh… Highland Games. Let's go watch the people rock out and break lose on their bagpipes! Anyways… I hope this chapter is good. Eh… heh. And no, he doesn't read the comp books, at least all of them. Just tiny pieces.
XNemesis: You'll learn the cat's name this chapter! And I'd try to do the comma thing, honestly I would, but it would also make me write a lot slower… and my main thing is getting the chapters out. So I am sorry, and I hope it doesn't bother you too much!
Demonica: The kitties are calling me, alas. Oh well. Um… I dunno why the kitty likes him. Cause it's a freak. Hahaha. And it would be nice if you kept up this year. Very spiffy indeed!
Ruler-of-Da-World: Hehehehe… Lalaith. Ah, she makes me laugh. And yes, Sauron is blind. And so is Haldir. Men are just that way though. Hahaha… I always thought it was funny that he called her his cat. That just cracks me up. I'm like "…it's a spider, punk." Ahh… oh well. And the many faces of Thu eh? Hehehe… well, you know, the first time Forkie tried to draw Thu smiling it took her like 15 minutes. It just wasn't right. Thu has 2 emotions: really really mad and really mad. He just… hates everything. All the time. Heh. Thu. Funny stuff. Yes, spread Thu around! Wah! Muehehehe.
Spoofmaster: Ah, well you reviewed. That counts for something!! And I'm very sorry about your story. When I rule the universe my friend…
Feagliniel: Ahhh Haldir. And… PINK! HAHAHA! Eh, yeah. We'll leave that there eh? Yes. I loved your little ramble. Twas amusing. And I know you love kitties. Osse still hmmm? Well, I'll see what I can whip up. Although that really was my best prose-ish one. Not so… whatever most of the chapters are like. Heh.
kingmaker: Thank you for your understanding!! I won't leave the fic, especially now that I'm getting to the part that I've somewhat mapped out by chapter something like… mmm… 8 months ago. So it's just, in my opinion, getting good. There's a psuedo plot thing going on! Yea! That… really makes me happy, obviously. Mmm… and I have seen a clumsy cat. Unless it was just a self abusive one. And I like dogs, depending. My dog is stupid and sleeps all day… so he's around if you want to pet something. Tevildo, ahh… I just read that… probably like two months ago. But I'm working on that book, slowly. Thank you for the luck in school! Same to you!
Kitty-Kat: Yes, it likes Sauron, odd little cat.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, so. Mm, what was I gonna say, oh! Oh yes. First, I want to say thank you here to Feagliniel for helping me smooth out some ehh… rough spots, I suppose, earlier this evening. And also for supplying the kitty's name (which means "treasure" when you get to it…). Second, mm, well, some of the following chapters might be awkward. But just stick with me, I know what I'm doing. So don't freak or anything. It's all good. Okay?
- - - -
The house suddenly became a flutter of activity during the next three weeks. Although between them, Rumil, Orophin, and Lalaith had a considerable amount of wealth (including that which Haldir had saved up while he had been alive), it became apparent that they would need to get some sort of job to support themselves. Three people had been able to live comfortably on the allowance that had been given to them, which Haldir actually thought he was doing plenty of work to earn, however doubling the number was something different entirely.
None of them questioned Haldir about why he got the allotted money, and Haldir obviously could not tell them. Once Rumil had began to ask him about it, but Orophin had promptly elbowed him in the rib. After that it had been something that they understood to be a subject which would not be spoken about.
So within a course of a week both Rumil and Orophin had gone out to find themselves jobs. Haldir wondered who would want riffraff like those two working for them. However he was surprised when, in two days, they both were employed at a weapons shop. At first Haldir hadn't been able to understand why there was even a weapons shop in Valinor, but then they had explained that it was for recreation and sport. With all the practical experience they had gained in Middle Earth, the owner of the shop had only been too eager to hire them. For the moment at least Haldir had thought, shaking his head.
Lalaith had offered to get a job as well, but all of the brothers had instantly told her that she did not need to do any such thing.
"Why not?" she had asked, hands upon her hips. "I'm staying here and eating just like the rest of you, why shouldn't I do my part to support myself?"
With a look at each other, Haldir spoke up on behalf of them all. "Well, we're sort of responsible for you now, since our parents aren't around."
"I am nobody's responsibility," she had retorted, the easily stirred pride of their family again rearing its rather unfavorable head. "I haven't been living with our parents for nearly 200 years now. So you do not need to worry about me; I can take care of myself."
By then she had almost stormed out of the room, but Haldir had reached out and grabbed her arm. "We are not underestimating what you're capable of. I for one think you've probably done more than Orophin and Rumil… together."
The other brothers began to object to Haldir's words, but a smile flickered over Lalaith's features. "Please, you do enough around here to count as a job for somebody. Please?"
She had been silent for a long minute, but finally nodded slowly. "All right. So long as you give me something to do; as soon as I become bored I'll be out of here looking for work. Clear?"
Haldir sighed, and nodded. "Fair enough."
With a long look at the three of them, as though to cement her words, she had then left the room.
Orophin then went to cook dinner, Rumil of course going along.
"You were in hot water there for a moment."
Haldir twitched in the attempt to keep himself from jumping in surprise. "You were listening?" was all he replied with.
"Be a bit hard not too when I was sitting in the same room," Sauron merely said.
"You shouldn't eavesdrop. It isn't a good habit to get into."
With a slight chuckle, Sauron had walked on towards the stairs. "You're only giving me more of a reason to do it."
The next day Rumil and Orophin started their jobs, the house becoming a much quieter place during the daytime hours. More and more frequently Elhith left to see to work around the city and a couple times he left for a day or two to help at the docks. And so it was commonly just Sauron, Haldir, and Lalaith in the house.
Haldir, at this time, began to feel a bit bored and, frankly, like a bit of a bum. There was not much he had to see to, he did not really have any friends, just acquaintances, and in all honestly there wasn't much he really wanted to do. All the same, it was not very entertaining.
Sauron seemed to have taken an interest in reading lately; he spent most of his time doing it. Within the course of the past three weeks he had already gone through one shelf of them and was on the third book from the second. While this took care of having Sauron bother him, Haldir was surprisingly ready to have some sort verbal battle. At least it was something.
All the same, however, once or twice Sauron vaguely brought up the fact that he still wanted to go have a 'chat with that cursed halfling,' which Haldir had promptly denied. Interestingly enough Sauron would merely simmer for a moment but not press the matter, looking as though every gear in his head was turning to figure out something he could hold over Haldir to get him to go. Haldir found this very unlikely and so did not worry too much.
Through this, Lalaith kept herself busy. She made meals for when everybody came back to the house at lunch, she cleaned, but above all she had spent her time with the kitten. She had within the space of a few days named the tiny gray cat Harma, and from there she had gone on to train it. Haldir noted with interest that the cat was more than willing to listen to everything she said. With the exception of one thing.
It was true that the cat took a disturbing liking to Sauron. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, Harma would find him out and then try a variety of things to get his attention: rubbing up against his legs when he sat at the table, meowing at him if he walked by her, jumping up on him when he was laying on the couch. The last seemed to have the most effect, especially when Harma would content herself with nestling up under his chin.
As often as it happened, Sauron never snapped about it or said anything to Lalaith concerning the interruptions. After a while he did not even take the time to look away from his reading; he would simply pick up the cat with one hand and set her down on the floor. Most of the time Harma seemed to get the message, for a while at least, and wouldn't jump up on him again.
Lalaith would scold the uncomprehending kitty for bothering Sauron, but Haldir had reason to believe that perhaps Harma never really bothered Sauron. A couple times when he had walked by the living room, Haldir had seen Sauron absentmindedly scratching the loudly purring cat's neck while holding his book up a little to see better. Although he would have gotten immense pleasure out of teasing Sauron for petting a kitten, Haldir strangely was able to restrain himself from doing so.
So now life had fallen into a predictable pattern, far more predictable than Haldir liked. If he didn't feel so unsure about leaving Sauron completely unwatched, Haldir might have gone out and found himself a job as well, just to do something.
Orophin and Rumil had both left about ten minutes earlier that day, and Sauron and Haldir were on dish duty. Lalaith had gone out even earlier that morning to shop for various groceries that they needed.
Scraping the leftover food off of another plate, Haldir cringed. "I hate doing dishes."
Sauron snorted. "Could be worse," he said while drying a glass.
Although he looked at Sauron for a moment, Haldir did not reply. "And what are you going to do today?" he asked, changing the subject. "Reading again?"
"Probably," Sauron responded, nodding. "There isn't much else to do really."
Haldir decided to remain silent then. It was often at such a place in their conversations that Sauron would bring up that something they could do would be to visit Frodo.
However Sauron did not bring it up this time.
After cleaning a few more dishes, Harma suddenly appeared, jumping up on the counter. She made her way around little puddles of water, meowing in an almost indignant way.
"You stupid cat, get away from the water," Sauron sighed, watching the kitten's progress. "You're going to get the clean dishes dirty again."
The cat didn't listen, instead just continuing on.
Finally Sauron set down his towel and went to pick Harma up, but she tried to dart behind a vase on the counter. However in doing this she seriously underestimated her size, causing the vase to promptly rock and begin to fall over.
Sauron, having already began to reach out, tried to catch the tipping vase. Yet it wasn't quick enough, and the vase shattered when it hit the counter just as Sauron's hand grabbed the lip of it.
Haldir closed his eyes, figuring that Lalaith would be having a word with him, when his ears suddenly rang with Sauron's angered yells.
For a moment Haldir couldn't understand why his stomach suddenly felt like it had knotted or why a sense of dread had fallen upon him, his ears prickling. And then it suddenly occurred to him that Sauron was speaking in another language.
It didn't take much thought to figure which one he would be speaking in that would have such an effect.
Haldir immediately opened his eyes, although his unease didn't disappear instantly, getting ready to scold Sauron. "What do you think you are doing, speaking your stupid 'Black Speech' here, in Valinor of all places!" he seethed.
Sauron looked at him over his shoulder, his expression absolutely venomous. "Because of this!" he hissed, turning and holding out his left hand, which before then he had been holding close to his body.
Instantly Haldir grimaced. Although he would not have said it aloud, Haldir admitted that, if what he saw had happened to him, he would have curse too in whatever way he could.
Sauron's hand was absolutely covered in blood, a couple dark blue shards of the vase imbedded in his palm.
At first Haldir just stared, not completely able to accept what he was seeing. For some reason, actually seeing that Sauron could be hurt seemed to bring him down even a couple more notches.
"Haldir," Sauron said tersely, however there was an undertone in his voice that hinted to him being anxious at the moment. His facial expression reinforced this: his jaw was clenched, the look in his eyes showing that he was really having to work to keep it together.
Coming out of his reverie instantly, Haldir tried to think of what to do. True, he knew basic medical things, however this was a bit out of his realm of knowledge. He had never learned to take care of wounds like that, since anytime something of that nature would happen would also be in a time when healers were around.
And then, by some stroke of luck, the healer of the family turned the corner.
While her hands were full of her purchases, Lalaith seemed to be able to sense that something was wrong. "Has something happened?" she asked cautiously, quickly setting her bags down on the table.
"He has glass in his hand," Haldir said a bit dumbly.
Lalaith's brows drew together questioningly as she came forward. "What do you me-" she began to ask, but by then Sauron had turned slightly to face her, allowing a view of his hand.
She opened her mouth slightly in surprise, but for only a moment. Then she instantly started the job that Haldir had been unable to figure out.
"Iaewur, would you sit at the table please?" she asked gently.
Sauron nodded his head wordlessly.
Without pausing a moment, she took one of the clean pots and filled it with water. "Haldir, get me a couple towels," she said authoritatively as she put the pot over the still burning fire.
"Anything else?" he asked meekly.
Lalaith shook her head. "I should be fine. Just the towels."
Haldir quickly went upstairs to the chest full of linens, pulling out the top few towels and then hurrying back downstairs.
Once he was there, Haldir set the towels on the table next to Lalaith, who was at that moment sitting down at the head of the table, Sauron in the chair to her left. "Thank you," she said automatically.
Haldir decided not to bother her by saying 'you're welcome,' instead starting to tell her what had happed as he sat down in the chair to her right, figuring that he should stay close incase she ended up needing something else.
Sauron had his hand laying out on the table in front of Lalaith, who was looking at the cuts and listening to Haldir. Through this Sauron did not look down at his hand, instead staring somewhere slightly above Lalaith's head, his other hand clenched tightly.
When Haldir finally came to the part with Harma causing the vase to tip, Lalaith glanced up quickly at Haldir. "No, she didn't," Lalaith said, unbelieving.
Haldir gave a small nod. "She did."
Lalaith's face promptly turned red with embarrassment, and she turned to Sauron. "If you want me to find a new home for her, I would understand completely," she whispered sadly, looking down again at the wounds.
Sauron blinked and looked at her, opening his mouth to say something a minute before anything came out. "You don't need to," he said after a long moment.
Haldir raised a brow in surprise, observing that Sauron's expression seemed to denote that he was a bit surprised with himself as well.
While she did not look up, Haldir could see the faint smile on Lalaith's face, although it did not last long.
Soon after Lalaith gave a quiet sigh. "I'm afraid this will hurt," she said softly, leaning back momentarily and looking up at him sympathetically.
Sauron just nodded, a small bitter smile turning at the corner of his lips. "Nothing that I'm unused to," he said.
Lalaith frowned slightly, but did not reply. Hesitating only briefly, she reached out with her left hand, and, with what Haldir decidedly found to be a superfluous amount of care, slid it under Sauron's. She put her thumb over his fingers, holding them back from the wound to allow her a clearer view. Then with the other she began to delicately pull out the pieces of glass.
Almost as soon as she started Sauron blanched, looking down at his hand as more blood seeped out of the cuts. Although she didn't look up at him, it seemed that Lalaith knew what had happened because she bit her lip, a habit that Haldir had learned to recognize as one she did when she was uneasy.
For a minute or so more Lalaith quickly removed all the glass, surprising Haldir with her skill. She seemed to find every single piece, taking out tiny fragments that Haldir knew he would never have been able to see.
Finally she leaned back, brushing some strands of hair back from her face with the back of her hand. "I think the water should be hot by now. Would you mind bringing me a bowl of it, Haldir? And also a bowl of cold water?" she asked, her voice easing as she spoke.
He nodded and got up, taking two bowls from a cabinet and going to the hearth. Not seeing a ladle or anything nearby, he simply dipped the bowl in, cringing slightly from the heat of the water. "Yeah, it's hot," he said quietly to himself as he filled the other bowl and walked back to the table.
Lalaith let go of Sauron's hand cautiously, then dipping one of the towels in the hot water and wringing it out. Gently she began to cleanse the wounds, her frown deepening at the amount of blood. Sauron, however, looked as though he was slowly becoming more comfortable.
Once she began to use to cold water to try and slow the bleeding, Lalaith too began to look less tense. "I think it should heal fine," she said finally. "Some of the cuts were pretty deep, which is why they bled so much, but they aren't very big. I considered putting in some stitches, but as I said, they weren't very big."
"So, will I just have to be careful with it then?" Sauron asked awkwardly.
"Well, you would have had to be careful with it either way," Lalaith said, grinning. "But yes, just try not to use it if you can help it. I'll bind it up as soon as I can find some dressings for it."
"There should be some in Elhith's room, I would think," Haldir put in.
"I know I've been asking for you to run a lot of errands, but would you mind getting that for me Haldir? You've known him longer; I wouldn't feel comfortable going into his room."
Wordlessly Haldir complied, again making his way upstairs. Having been in Elhith's room a couple times before, Haldir could vaguely recall seeing where Elhith kept the sort of things he figured Lalaith was looking for.
As he had suspected, Haldir was able to find the small box, grabbing it quickly and going back downstairs a bit slower, figuring that there wasn't as much rush this time.
Handing the stuff to Lalaith, Haldir again flopped down in his chair, figuring that it might be wise to clean up the mess of glass scattered over the counter and on the floor. And it might not have been so good for everybody to come back home and see that and the bit of blood on the counter.
He then decided that he could give it a moment more.
While he considered this, Lalaith began to bandage Sauron's hand up. She frowned thoughtfully for a second, and then spoke. "Would you mind if I asked you a question?" she asked him.
Sauron frowned slightly as well, but then shook his head. "Go ahead."
"I don't mean to be rude," she said quickly, pausing for a moment before going on, "and so if I am, I'm very sorry. But what happened to your finger?"
Haldir, who had been listlessly looking at this rainbow pattern that was on the ceiling from one of the windows, instantly looked down at Sauron. At the same time, Sauron looked over at him, however then his eyes snapped back to Lalaith. "I… lost it in a battle," he said slowly, looking down at his hand and the missing pointer-finger.
"I'm sorry," Lalaith said.
Sauron sighed. "So am I," he said quietly.
By that time Lalaith had finished and released his hand. "There!" she said, her voice falsely cheery. "You'll probably have to have it changed tomorrow, if not earlier. Just be easy with it, all right?"
Sauron nodded, and then frowned.
"What?" Lalaith asked anxiously.
He shook his head. "I just wanted to say… thank you," he said finally.
Haldir noted that with surprise. Had he just said thank you? And it seemed that he actually meant it.
Lalaith smiled brightly. "You're welcome."
And then, for the second surprise in a few seconds, Sauron actually smiled back. Haldir decided that it was probably a very good step in the right direction. He hadn't even needed to say anything about it!
Haldir looked back at Lalaith then. She had smiled even wider by that time; honestly, she was practically beaming! And upon looking closer as she bent her head and turned to go, Haldir was positive that she was blushing.
For a moment he sat there, thinking deeply at what this meant. He knew that he only had to give it time and it would come to him. So he leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head, waiting for it… it would hit him any moment…
And suddenly it did, and the force of it made him tip so far back in his chair that he fell over.
- - - -
Poor Haldir. I actually do almost feel bad for him….