Well… happy belated holiday! /meek smile/

I always overestimate my writing abilities. I thought I'd get two done. But the world didn't want to cooperate, apparently. Shall I give excuses? Yes. First, my grandma was here, so I wanted to spend time with her. Second, when I did have time, I listened to music that made it impossible for me to concentrate on anything but the music. Third, this chapter was too serious for its own good. So there. But I did get it done. Aaand, I have finals in a week, so I'll have short days, after which I can write. Hopefully.

/smile/

Lala, reviewer people. Good good stuff. Really, you guys can't understand how much I appreciate you. You seriously are the only reason I keep writing. If I didn't have people waiting for chapters, I would… stop. No joke. I have other things that need my creative attention.

Ruler-of-Da-World: When my mom gets me up, I have no idea what she says. My brain isn't on yet. Glad it was a nice chappie. That's what I aim for, after all. This update took like… a month. Ew.

XNemesis: You would think they would stop it, wouldn't you? And I'm sure they would have. But that would just ruin all the fun of what I'm doing, wouldn't it? /grabs ice cream, while, due to the after Christmas/New Year thing, she really doesn't need it/

Feagliniel: /bites lips to keep from smirking/ Mmmhmmmm… It's all good fun though, isn't it? /smile/

kingmaker: /bow/ Your reviews always do loads for my esteem. Thank you. And of course elves sleep. …But they do seem to do so in a slightly creepy fashion, if that bit in TTT when Legolas was sleeping is any indication. Heh… Haldir almost is the least elf-like elf. He's odd. But that's why he's fun. I hope this chapter came out well. I had to think a lot with it… /sigh/

AzureDragoness: I love my plot hole. Hahaha. I'm glad that the fast chapters were good anyway… and I hope the one that took forever is okay as well! The next chapter should be faster though, since it doesn't have anything serious in it at all. Wahahaha.

Spoofmaster: I made Frodo like he was in the book. Hehe, yup. Sauron IS older than dirt. … Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! …And that's it. Poor Forks. She's beside herself from that.

Darth T-Rex: Yeah, I'm finally getting towards what you might be able to call a climax. That would be quite the trick, wouldn't it? Heh… ah well.

Crystal113: Yea! Thank you for delurking! That is veray special. Hehehe… yeah, the Valar probably wouldn't be too happy with him. Haldir was not really the wisest of choices for what they wanted him to do. But that's just how it goes. Poor Frodo… but… it isn't as bad as it could be. /shakes head/ Again, thank you for delurking!

Black Thunder44: Ooo… Sauron's not nice though. Not really. /rubs chin/ I fail to see why he's so spiffy. He's such a turd.

Nessa Ar-Feiniel: Nobody can really change Sauron. He's too stubborn. So any changes are gonna be things that he does himself. More or less. But Lalaith… yeah… she's… /closes mouth/

Midnight Proc: Aren't all days rather busy in some way or other? …Crap. I just remembered that I need to read the history chapter. I didn't do anything I meant to. I was going to read all the crap in my binder. Whoops. Mmm… yes. Poor Frodo Baaaaaggins. Heh. Don't you just love things that really aren't that funny and yet make you laugh anyway? That… happens to me a lot. Hard to image, isn't it?

JadedFire: Well… I DID update, just not soon. Heeeh… oh well. /rubs head/ I don't think this is very… showdownish. But we'll see, I guess. We'll see.

Soooo yes. As I said, I have something of a mini break coming up, and, with the less serious tone of the next chapter, I should be able to get the next one up pretty quickly. …Hopefully. I'll really try.

I:I:I:I:I

They approached the door, Haldir trying to keep his mind bent upon the well-tended shrubs lining the sandy path. He had, in fact, done such a good job in doing so that he ran into Sauron, who had stopped abruptly in front of the door.

Sauron looked back at him and frowned. "Can you respect my personal space, hm?"

Haldir just muttered under his breath and stepped back, staring at the fine sand beneath his feet.

Although he looked at Haldir for a moment more, Sauron turned back to the door, knocking on it a couple times. Just as he did this, however, the door swung open.

While Haldir and Sauron were both a bit surprised, the person who opened the door seemed to be so as well. It was not the small hobbit that Haldir had suspected would, after a minute, answer the door. Instead, a tall elf maid stood in the doorway, looking up at them, one fine brow raising slowly.

"How can I help you?" she finally asked.

Sauron didn't show any inclination to speak, so Haldir did. "We were wondering if we could speak with Mr. Baggins," he said in the most business-like tone he had.

Eyeing them for a moment more, she nodded her head. "I'll see if he's willing to have visitors at this hour. Please wait here."

She disappeared into the house. After rubbing the back of his neck for a moment, Haldir took a step forward and peeped into the house. While elvish qualities could be found in everything, there was a distinct difference to the furniture and décor, a rustic touch to them. He couldn't say why, but it made Haldir's spirit dip even more. This simple hobbit was getting wrapped into something more complex than he could possibly know.

He had glanced around the hall once when he became aware of a shadow entering at the end. Looking farther down, he saw the owner, whose silhouette stood out against the flood of morning light coming in the large window behind. Each step he took forward made his features clearer, and Haldir presently could make out the face of the aging hobbit he had met not long ago.

His brown, curly hair seemed grayer than Haldir remembered, and what he had in the way of wrinkles were more noticeable. He appeared very care-worn, something that Haldir had been able to note in other mortals, but none so much as with this halfling. Was this the same hobbit he had met back in Lorien? It looked as though an unimaginable burden was etched into his features.

Of course, Haldir knew what it was. He just about wanted to turn to Sauron and strike him… or more correctly, he REALLY wanted to, but knew it was not something that would be very proper at the moment. But there was such an acute pain written in Frodo's eyes, it cut Haldir. And the hobbit had accepted that burden on behalf of everybody.

At the moment, Haldir just sighed, trying to vent the deep bubble of anger that had welled within him.

"Good day, Mr. Baggins!" Haldir said as cheerfully as he could, smiling falsely.

Frodo studied him, obviously trying to place his face. "Haldir?" he ventured finally.

Haldir nodded. "I'm pleasantly surprised that you remember my name," he rejoined, in fact a bit amazed.

With a small smile, the hobbit nodded. "I won't lie by saying that it came easily." He paused, glancing at Sauron. While Frodo did a good job trying to conceal it, Haldir caught a slight slip in his smile.

"This is Iaewur. He wished to accompany me and meet the one who saved us from the Shadow," he said, hoping that the comment just burned Sauron to hear.

Indeed, a muscle along his jaw did twitch. Haldir smiled triumphantly to himself.

Frodo gave a half-hearted smile. "Would you like to come in? I just finished having breakfast, but I have some tea I could get ready." He took a few steps back from the door, waving them in.

Haldir took the invitation, walking over the threshold of the door, Sauron following closely behind.

The house, as Haldir had seen from the door, was very quaint. The walls, instead of the usual stone, were paneled with pale wood, finely inlayed. There was a vase of flowers on the table in the hall, while a walking stick was propped up against the wall precariously. It seemed so strange that this home was really in the center of Eressea.

Continuing down the hall to its end, they took a right into a large room, obviously serving as both the kitchen and dining room. Windows enclosed it, facing out to a large lawn and then, due to the house being near the top of a hill, to the sea.

"You were lucky to get such a view," Haldir noted, stepping up to the window and looking out appreciatively.

"It was a very generous gesture that I was allowed to live here," Frodo replied modestly, nodding as he moved to the kitchen half of the room.

"Whose estate is this?" he asked, turning back to the room.

"Gandalf's," Frodo answered, filling a kettle with water and setting it over the small fire that was burning in the hearth.

Haldir raised a brow. "Mithrandir resides there?"

Frodo nodded, sitting down at the table and motioning for Haldir and Sauron to do the same. "It was his before he came east, and he said on the way here that he would be returning to it."

By now they were all seated at the table. Personally, Haldir found the chairs a bit on the small side, but knew that, on the same token, they probably were a bit big for Frodo.

All this time, Sauron had not uttered one word. He remained silent, considering Frodo with a completely blank expression. So much for a chat. Haldir couldn't even hope that this was all the meeting would consist of.

An awkward silence descended over the table. The faint wail of the gulls could be heard outside.

"So…" Frodo said hesitantly, looking up at the ceiling in a way that implied that he was searching for a subject to talk about. "Your family, or your siblings at least, were on the same boat as I when we came here."

Haldir, for the first time truly realizing what it meant that those two goons he had for brothers had been on the same ship as Frodo, hoped that they had been kind to the poor hobbit and hadn't bothered him. "It was from them that I learned you were here. With you so near, I figured that I might visit you."

Frodo didn't reply to this, instead nodding slightly, his eyes darting momentarily to Sauron, but then returning to Haldir. "Please tell me if I'm being terribly rude by inquiring into this subject," Frodo began, and Haldir could pretty much bet what subject he was implying, "but you were absent from your family when they came here. Your sister -- Lalaith, if I recall correctly -- knew a bit more Westron than your brothers, so it was from her that I got most of my information. She said that you had been killed in battle."

"I was," Haldir affirmed. "I spent some months in Mandos, and then was released. I've been living in Valmar since then."

"Isn't it unusual for that to take place so quickly?" Frodo asked.

With slight discomfort, Haldir gave a short nod. "Usually, yes."

This time, a different type of silence descended upon the table. Haldir shuffled his foot against the floor, looking around the room. By the expression on the hobbit's face, Haldir knew that he was aware that something out of the ordinary had taken place. What he guessed that to be, however, Haldir had no idea.

At that moment, the kettle let out a high whistle, startling Haldir. "The water is ready!" Frodo said cheerfully, jumping up from his chair and hurrying over to the hearth.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Haldir asked, turning around in his chair.

Frodo shook his head. "No, it's fine. I just need to get some tea. I picked some from the garden this morning, but it only got as far as the porch. I'll be back in a moment."

With that, he left the room.

Haldir turned back to the table again and looked over at Sauron. "So?"

"So what?" he answered without looking at him.

"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish. You just sit there and sulk."

"I am not sulking," Sauron retorted, his impassive expression falling into a scowl.

Haldir rolled his eyes. "Well, one of its synonyms then. He knows that something his up, and that it has to do with you. He keeps glancing at you as though it will let him figure it out. Haven't you noticed?"

"Of course I've noticed," he said, folding his hands and leaning against the table. Again his countenance changed, turning pensive. "He knows."

Raising a brow, Haldir cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"He knows who I am."

Haldir snorted. "I think he would be showing a little bit more emotion if such were the case. He'd do something differently than he is."

Sauron shook his head slowly. "He knows; I can tell. But the thing is that he won't let himself believe it."

Still not willing to accept Sauron's theory completely, Haldir leaned back in his chair. "Even though, I'd think he would have us out of here by now if he even felt that way."

"No he wouldn't; it isn't the way they work."

"What?" Haldir asked with a laugh, both puzzled and amused.

Sauron looked at Haldir critically. "I probably know more about these halflings' customs and such than you do; after all, I did have spies. He doesn't want to be rude to you, therefore he puts up with me."

"I'm sure," Haldir said skeptically.

"Really though, you didn't think that I was who I am at first, in Mandos, remember? If you didn't, why would he? Everybody told him that I would be completely destroyed. Besides," he continued, a bitter smile crossing his lips, "I'm not the most intimidating figure in the world in this manifestation."

Haldir had to concede to that. "All right, that part makes sense. But why wouldn't he say anything?"

"He probably thinks he's lost it," Sauron stated concisely, pushing his hair back over his shoulder and leaning his head against his hand. "Nobody would dare even insinuate that they thought somebody was the ruined Dark Lord. Terrible insult, that!" he spat, frowning.

"Okay," Haldir said, stretching uncomfortably. He decided to change the subject. "What are you going to do? We'll have tea, and then we will have to leave. Are you actually going to be decent and just go?"

Sauron looked around the room at the kitchen. "There's a block of knives over there," he said, nodding his head in the direction. "Suppose I could find something usable in that."

"Don't even joke," Haldir said, narrowing his eyes.

"Who said I was joking?"

"You said a chat, and a chat is all you will do. It's up to you to talk or not, but that's all. You said you wouldn't harm him."

Sauron smirked. "And how good is my word again…?"

Haldir shook his head angrily. "Just knock it off. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"I'm counting on it," Sauron replied, his smirk still lingering on his face.

Indeed, Frodo came in as Sauron spoke. Haldir noted that his face appeared paler than it had before, although he did well in keeping his emotions from his face. Frowning slightly, Haldir hoped that Frodo's blanched expression wasn't due to him hearing anything that Sauron had said earlier. However, if it wasn't from that, he didn't know what it could have been.

"Have you had tea before, either of you?" Frodo asked while opening a small, leather pouch on the counter.

"No, I haven't." Haldir said. "Iaewur?"

Sauron shook his head.

"I won't make it very strong, then," Frodo said, apparently mostly to himself.

In a minute, Frodo returned to the table, cups in one hand and the kettle in the other. Haldir took the cups from him and set them around the table, and Frodo filled them. "It probably isn't too hot anymore, since my trip for the leaves took longer than I had thought it would."

Small wisps of steam danced up from the surface of the tea, which Haldir was considering with a slight leeriness. He wasn't completely sure of this hobbit stuff. Mithrandir, when in Lorien once, had shared another cultural item of the halflings with Haldir. And so Haldir had tried pipeweed, with the result of spending the next hour coughing and hacking painfully while being laughed at by his brothers and, he suspected, Mithrandir as well.

Cautiously, he raised the delicate cup to his lips, sipping the hot liquid with slight apprehension. Sure, it smelled good, but that could be deceiving.

He was, however, pleasantly surprised with what he found. The flavor was light and distinctly green, as it were, with a peculiar herbish spiciness to it. He liked it.

To Haldir's right, Sauron was spinning the cup around slowly on the table, looking at it listlessly.

Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, Frodo addressed Sauron. "And you, Iaewur, what is your story?"

Sauron looked up at the hobbit, still expressionless as before. "I think that my story is too long to tell in one sitting."

"You've seen a couple ages then, I take it?"

"You could say that."

Frodo nodded, holding his glass, hands wrapped around it.

It was then that Haldir noticed Frodo's finger, or, rather, lack thereof. Slightly above where it would have connected to his hand, the finger had been severed, very reminiscent to the hand of the person on the other side of the table.

Apparently Sauron had noted this similarity as well. He let go of his cup, his hands slipping slowly off the table. "What happened to your finger?" he asked bluntly.

Frodo set his cup down and looked at his hands. His face was drawn, all the color drained. The distinct expression of pain that had been in his eyes now spread across his face, replacing the faint color that had been there before. Everything about his countenance spoke of a horrible sorrow that, while appearing to have receded some earlier, was now found to still be close to the surface of the hobbit's mind.

Frodo was in his own thoughts now, withdrawn from the present. He kept the maimed hand before him, but the other crept to his neck, pulling a necklace out from beneath his shirt. His fingers slipped to the pendant that hung upon the chain, rubbing it distractedly. "I don't suppose I'll ever be truly rid of it," he muttered quietly to himself, oblivious of those around him, closing his eyes.

Haldir's frown deepened. Even now, the halfling had not found peace. Not yet, at least. But he had not been there long. The magic of Eressea might prove itself after a while.

Quickly, Haldir finished what he had left of his tea. He glanced at Sauron, who seemed to be as finished as he was going to be, and then rose. "Mr. Baggins?" he said softly, touching Frodo lightly on the arm.

The hobbit stirred abruptly, turning to Haldir and blinking at him for a moment. "Please forgive me; I have not been a very good host," he apologized, getting up as well.

Shaking his head, Haldir pushed his chair in behind him. "You were very gracious, especially when you were not even expecting us. Thank you for the tea; it was strange, but pleasant." He smiled, hoping that it would somehow ease some of the pain from Frodo's face.

"You're welcome," he replied, the flicker of a smile crossing his features. "It was good to see you."

"You as well. Thank you again."

By that time, they had all walked to the door, which Frodo opened for them. He bowed his head to them as they passed, going once again to the streets.

Haldir went first, taking a deep breath of the fragrant, sun-warmed air. It felt as though it cleaned his spirits of the depression that had fallen on him at the meeting.

Sauron had been right behind him, but it seemed that he had paused at the door. The brief moment of calm Haldir had felt vanished as he watched Sauron speak to Frodo. What was even more unsettling was that Haldir could not catch any of the words.

However, it seemed that Sauron had not made any threat, if Frodo's face was any indication. Instead of a look of dread or fear, he seemed to relax, if in an almost unperceivable way, nodding.

Haldir could not understand what he had just seen, and, by the expression that now lay over Sauron's features, he didn't think he would be finding out soon.

Sauron immediately began walking again once he had finished speaking to Frodo, passing the puzzled Haldir and continuing without looking back. All Haldir could do was hurry after him.

They made their way back down towards the docks, neither speaking. Sauron was a bit surprised that the elf did not ask him about what had happened, but could not deny that he was glad about it.

If Haldir had asked, Sauron wouldn't have know what he would say. Of course, he could easily say something about not talking or say it wasn't his business or any other of a million replies of that nature. But, while Haldir's questions could be ignored, the ones in his own head were a bit harder to maneuver around.

Yup, he was pretty sure that any question Haldir could ask would somehow reflect to those he was asking himself. What had just happened baffled Sauron probably to an even greater degree.

Sauron shook his head, trying to scatter the questions, even though he knew that, in the long run at least, it would be in vain.

But, at the moment, it afforded him a second of peace. He paused, looked around, and frowned.

"What now?" Haldir asked.

"I think we should find a place to stay before it becomes evening. It will be harder to find room when everybody is turning in."

Haldir looked at him, one eyebrow raised slightly. "I guess…"

Sauron had hardly waited for his answer before he began to walk again. After all, he hadn't really cared what Haldir would say; either way, he was going to find a place to sleep that night. For the first time in a very long while, sleep sounded very pleasant. When he was asleep, he didn't have to think.

Continuing for a few more minutes, they found a decent-looking inn. In this instance, however, decent meant one that looked relatively inexpensive.

Still, it wasn't as inexpensive as Sauron had hoped. He had rather wanted to have a room to himself, so that he would not have to worry about having the elf around. But they soon found that they could only afford the one room. It did, thankfully, have separate accommodations so that they didn't have to fight over one bed however. "Praises," Sauron muttered to himself at this as Haldir paid for the room.

They then went upstairs to the room. Haldir seemed thankful to get his pack off, tossing it to the floor and then flopping onto his bed.

Sauron took a little more time, setting his pack down on his own bed. Stretching momentarily, he then went to the window, leaning against the sill and absently looking at the activity in the street below.

He didn't know how long he stared out the window until Haldir finally piped up. "Sauron?" he asked, eventually drawing Sauron's attention.

"What."

"Well, we've gotten our room… so could we go do something now? Rather than just sitting around here?"

After a slight pause, Sauron turned away from the window. He sat on the end of his bed, resting his head in his hands. "Feel free to go out. I'd rather stay here."

Although Sauron couldn't see him, he could hear Haldir shuffle, the floor creaking when he must have gotten up. "You're sure that you don't want to come along? I don't think that staying here would be very fun."

"It's not supposed to be fun," he snarled, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes.

There was another pause. "Are you alright?"

"When am I ever alright?" he spat sullenly, dropping his hands. Taking a deep breath, Sauron regained the composure that he had momentarily lost. "Just go, Haldir. I'm not going to leave this room."

"I really shouldn't…" Haldir protested weakly.

"It will be good for the both of us."

"You're sure?"

"Yes," Sauron replied, a bit too quickly. "Yes." He then rose, straightened his tunic, and motioned to the door. "Exit that way."

Haldir eyed him for a moment, a frown slowly pulling at his mouth. He made his way to the door and glanced back at Sauron. "I'll come back around dinner, then, so that you can get something to eat."

Sauron merely nodded.

Still looking slightly skeptical, Haldir opened the door and left.

Sauron sighed and went back to his bed, laying down. Staring at the ceiling, he presently ask, "What have you done to yourself?"

There was, obviously, no reply.

Already uncomfortable, he sat up again, finding a mirror on the wall directly in front of him. With a grimace, he looked away. He hated his reflection. He avoided it if he could. It never ceased to remind him that he was no longer anything.

Although Sauron had looked away, the thought persisted, more than usual. It did not help that the argument had been on the edge of his mind the whole time since they had left the halfling's.

Sauron had lied to Haldir, and Haldir had probably known that the whole time. He had gone to Eressea with the thought of killing. He had nurtured his hate; it was something he had, over time, gotten very good at.

And yet, when he finally had met the halfling, what had he done?

He jumped off the bed, hands in fists at his side. What was wrong with him? How many thousands of deaths had he been responsible for? How many personally at his own hands? And now what? He couldn't kill one halfling?

What was wrong with him?

No, he had not killed him. He had intended on it. The comment about the knives had hardly been a jest. His tone might not have been serious, but his intent had been.

But then, he just hadn't been able to. For a moment Sauron stopped pacing the room and considered this. Why hadn't he been able to? It wasn't from pity; he could at least claim that much with certainty. He had never felt pity before. Even though it was not that, Sauron understood that it must have been in some fashion similar.

It had something to do with his face, the expression on it after Sauron had asked him about his finger. He had recognized it instantly, although he had never seen it on anybody's face before then, which probably constituted much of the reason for why it had effected him. He knew it because it was the expression that matched a closely guarded emotion that had long tormented him.

So no, it was not pity. It was that he distinguished this small creature as bearing the same weight he did.

For that reason, he had not killed him, which was bad enough. But then he had taken it even another step.

When they had gone to leave, Sauron had paused, knowing that Haldir would probably continue on for a moment and so be out of hearing. The halfling had done well in covering the apprehension that Sauron was able to discern about him. For a second, he had paused before uttering words that he would not have even dreamed of speaking before then; words that were as close to comfort as he could manage.

So, it was empathy then.

Which really didn't make it much better.

Sauron sighed. He did not like this turn of events at all. He had gone ages without feeling anything of this nature. Literally, ages. Not since centuries before he had completely left the Valar and served Morgoth had he done anything like what he had.

Again, the mirror was ahead of him. This time he looked at it without instantly glancing away. All this time he had looked as he had so long ago, but he had been completely at odds with who he had been then. Now, however, something from that person he had been had presented itself. Was the Valar's plan working on him after all?

A flicker of the arrogance that still ran deeply within him flared up for a moment, but was quickly extinguished by the voice that was continuing to point out his huge personality slip.

His gaze dropped away from his reflection. It was still light out, but he was going to sleep. There were too many thoughts that he didn't want to continue considering at the moment.

So he went back to the bed and laid down, closing his eyes and hoping the sleep that was usually so elusive to him would, for once, be more cooperative.

And it was. Sauron didn't even know that he had truly fallen asleep until he felt his shoulder being shaken. It was quite a change of situations for him to be the one rudely woken up.

"Sauron, wake up," Haldir's voice whispered.

"Why?" he asked, burying his face into his pillow, not because he was tired, but because he had been completely oblivious for however long he had been asleep. And it had been nice.

"You need to come get something to eat. I came back earlier, but you were asleep then. I waited as long as I could. They won't be serving dinner for much longer."

Sauron yawned and sat up, his senses waking quickly. Already an idea was taking shape in his mind. This one, however, was much less dangerous than those he normally came up with. Or so he thought. "I don't think I want food."

"What do you want then? Only other thing is liquid, and that doesn't really count."

He stretched and got out of bed, rubbing the back of his head. "Of course it does. I have something in mind," he said cryptically.

"…That doesn't sound… good," Haldir replied haltingly.

Sauron smiled darkly. "You'll like it. Come on; let's go."

He made his way to the door then without waiting for a reply. After all, Haldir really didn't have a choice but to come along.

I:I:I:I:I

Where is he headed? Well, you don't get to know until the next chapter. /evil laugh/ Aaaaah… yup.