Eh… yeah, I don't have a good excuse. I just couldn't write. I'm sure you guys can understand that. I had planned on writing after my finals, but I managed to make myself disgustingly sick by stressing myself out and so just slept… don't I rock /coughs/ Mmm… yes… but after that, I just haven't had the /twirls hand/ creative energy to write the chapter. I'm sorry about that too, and I can't say I'll do much better in the near future because I'm going to have to start studying for my AP history test and for the SAT and ACT… /runs hand down face/ It'll be jolly fun. But the story is wearing towards its end… so there aren't too many more chapters you guys will have to wait for. I'm not going to abandon this sucker so close to the end though! No sir!
My beautiful reviews, I love you from the bottom of the lump of tissue I pass off as my heart.
Fireline: That is a high compliment! I'm very glad that it is entertaining. And no… Haldir isn't much a of a rehabilitating person, is he? If he was, he probably should square himself out first. Heh. I'm happy that I've characterized Sauron well. I wouldn't go so far as saying that he wasn't a lunatic though. Highly intelligent in his special way, but a lunatic. But they all are, so what can I say? Thank you for your words about the chapter; I had been rather uncomfortable with it due to it actually having a bit of /gasp/ emotional angst. /laughs/ That was a nice pick-me-up review. Thank you!
Snodgrass Winkle: I'm very glad to hear that you are enjoying the little ficlette! It never gets old to have people say such! I hope that you continue to like it.
Midnight Proc: Ello, my dear. Sauron has a heart. Somewhere. /laughs/ Nobody can kill those darn things completely. It was very un-dark-lord-ish of him… but yeah, it's better than him being the turd he usually is. /snort/
Black Thunder44: Sauron is definitely something. /laughs/ Eh… yes, you shall learn what he had in mind in this chapter. Shall be fun.
Ruler-of-Da-World: Stupid emotions, huh/snarf/ Durn things just sneak up on you sometimes. Rationalize hate? I think that would be easier. /snort/ Random is lovely. Where would the world be without randomness? …I have no idea. …Yes, friends. /shakes head/ Drinking? …. Maybe. Not that I endorse alcohol consumption.
Arzosah: Thank you thank you for reviewing! See, I do not bite. I do many things, but biting is not one of them! You don't know how much I enjoy getting reviews from new people… It's veray nice. /beams/ I'm tickled that you like it so much… man, reviews do oodles for my self esteem. /laughs/ Mmm… what Sauron said… well… /rubs chin/ I'm not exactly sure myself. Just tried to use a nice little writing trick so I wouldn't have to address it directly. Maybe it will come up sometime though. Maybe.
XNemesis: Poor Sauron? Oh man… he can deal with it. He's a big boy. It's good to know that you were good with the seriousness… I agree that humor needs a bit of it to anchor it. Or something. /laughs/ No, I have never read Discworld. I hardly get time to read anything cause of stupid English. Gah.
Nessa Ar-Feiniel: Nice naaame. What possessed you to change it, out of curiosity. Sauron and Frodo's bonding moment. Almost. Or something. /snort/
Phoenix Golden Fire: …They might be going to a pub. Or something along those lines. Hehe… and I think that would be funny too… /smiles impishly/ If I had had my way, the serious chapter would have been quickly followed by probably the silliest… but obviously I didn't get my way, did I?
Dark Lady Aranthaneth: huh what?
Spoofmaster: Down with Willy Wonka. Gosh, what a freak. /laughs/ He's even more obsessed with chocolate than spoof Sauron was. Heh. /clears throat/… How did I manage…? Did I manage? Heh… well… if I did, it was a year of work, wasn't it?
JadedFire: Yea! I feel much better… people still liked the serious chapter. /does a little jig of being happy to be a favorite/ Yahoo!
Crystal113: Wee! I'm happy you're staying delurked! Mmm… two people asked about what Sauron said… I might have to hint at it a bit more than I had intended… we shall see. I thought it might have been a stretch for good old Gandalf to be in Eressea… but I'm just going to assume that he wanted to keep Frodo company in the new place. Be a familiar face and all. /nods, then rubs hands/ I'm glad to hear that I had something up my sleeve on how the chapter turned out! And you'll see where they are headed soon enough…
Kingmaker: Shrubbery! I remember going camping and there was an area that was just… shrubs. And I always laughed at it and thought of Monty Python. Why am I telling you this? I have no idea. Anywhoooo… oh gosh, Bilbo is incredibly scary at the end of RotK. I hope Frodo isn't that far along yet. If I ever do get time, I will read ze story then. /nods/ Roaring drunk/looks around innocently/ I guess you'll have to seee. My interpretation of Frodo was interesting… now, is that good interesting/smiles slightly/
Oky doky, on with the show!
I:I:I:I:I
Haldir had followed Sauron down the stairs of the tavern and outside, not surprised at all that they hadn't stopped within the building for anything. It had been pretty obvious that they would be heading outdoors.
The streets were, by that time, thinning out, filling with shadows what it lost with people. It was just as well, Haldir thought to himself. Seemed that Sauron knew his way in any case.
They walked down the road for a while, Sauron's pace gradually slowing to one that Haldir found more comfortable. Now that he wasn't having to concentrate on keeping up so much, he could consider more about what was going on.
"Well, seeing as you've gotten me out of the inn, would you mind telling me where we are headed?"
Sauron looked up at the sky for a moment, and then shrugged. "I suppose. But you couldn't guess?"
Haldir gave him a wary look that, on account of Sauron still looking up, was not seen. "I don't like to guess."
"A long while ago, when I was part of the happy bunch that now resides here," he began, just a bit of bitter sarcasm to his tone, "there was a maia who was known to make a variety of good… beverages. I heard his name mentioned this morning on the ship."
Well, that was pretty close to what Haldir had been thinking. At least the 'beverages' part had been. "Do you know where he is?" he ventured, hoping that Sauron had no idea, regardless of how he seemed to know where he was going.
Instantly dashing the meager hope, Sauron nodded. "I heard that bit as well."
"So, what," Haldir said, his expression souring slightly, "you're going to get smashed in the hopes of drowning whatever it is that is bothering you?"
For a moment, there almost appeared to be a twist to Sauron's face that hinted at something close to sadness, but it passed so quickly that Haldir waved it off as a trick of the light as Sauron had looked over at him. "That would be the plan," he conceded.
Haldir scoffed. "Have you ever really been drunk before?"
"No," Sauron admitted after a pause.
"It's not that fun. At the time, it might be, but the morning after is not a picnic, let me tell you."
Sauron actually stopped walking long enough to look back at Haldir, one eyebrow quirked. "Saying this from experience?" he said, the smallest of a smile turning up the corner of his mouth, although the expression didn't reach his eyes.
"N- okay, yes," Haldir gave in, figuring that he had completely blown the cover off that one, making it useless to even try to keep his dignity about it.
"I'm a bit surprised, and yet not really," Sauron said, walking again. "Let me guess: Thranduil?"
Haldir cocked his head a bit. "Yes. How'd you get that?"
"I could tell you all sorts of useless, petty things if I wanted. It's commonly known that Thranduil has a good store of wine around that cave of his. From there it's just simple reasoning that such would be the best place for you to get intoxicated."
Fiddling with the hair that was being blown across his forehead, Haldir decided to let that part of the conversation drop and to resume where he had intended to go. "As I had been saying though, you're sure that this is the way to deal with whatever is going on in your head?"
The almost light atmosphere of a moment ago instantly darkened. "It is the only thing I have at my disposal that I can think of doing," Sauron said, his tone dull.
Haldir paused and thought, finally voicing his question. "May I ask what it is exactly that is bothering you?
For a brief second, Sauron seemed undecided, as though he might actually divulge this measure of what was occurring in his thoughts. The moment of thoughtfulness quickly passed. "It's nothing."
"Apparently not," Haldir quipped. "You wouldn't be moping like this if everything were fine."
Sauron gave a dry laugh. "Are you actually trying to pry into my well-being? Could I truly be unmistaken in my detection of concern in your speech? I must have missed something. Perhaps you've just forgotten who I am... or was." The cool humor instantly faded from his voice.
The thought was interesting. Although Haldir was always aware that Sauron was Sauron, it was true that occasionally he forgot what that really meant. Often Sauron was merely the annoying, caustic-tongued inhabitant of the house in Valmar, nothing more. So, at times, Haldir forgot what else Sauron was as well.
The previous moment had been one of those times. Sauron's mood was unlike any Haldir had encountered from him before, and he had seen his share. Most he could deal with, but for whatever reason, this one got to him. It seemed... more down-to-earth, in a way, than Sauron's rare and almost theatrical displays of emotion. It was unsettling.
So, he said as much. Sauron only nodded.
There was another long, uncomfortable silence as they continued down the road, the few other people who were out at that time heading in the same direction.
"Do you suppose that they are going where we are?" Haldir finally asked, wanting to break the silence.
"I guess it's possible," Sauron conceded.
"Do you think we are close?"
Sauron nodded, looking around. Doing the same, Haldir noticed that more and more of the windows in the buildings they passed were lit.
Suddenly, Haldir was aware of voices. He instantly recognized the tones of them, mixed with bubbles of laughter. He concurred. They had to be very close indeed.
Then, at that moment, they passed a large building, after which the road opened up, becoming a sort of plaza. Benches and tables were scattered here and there, most skirting the sides near the buildings. All of these were apparently open: the red-gold glare of fire burst from the doors and windows of a dozen of them, as did all the singing and noise. The night sounds were instantly muted.
Standing out in the rapidly cooling evening air, the warmth of the light was very enticing. The few dozen people milling around, talking and drinking, were also a somewhat welcome sight. It was the first time that Haldir had seen a bit of a relaxation to the usually tight morals of Valinor. It was pleasant to think that he could let down just slightly.
The only trouble was that Sauron was along as well. For himself, Haldir knew how he would react to this. Sauron, on the other hand, was another story. Obviously, he had drank before, but considering that he had blatantly said that his goal was to get inebriated, something that he had not been before, Haldir was incredibly ill at ease. How would he act? It seemed pretty obvious that he'd be one of those people who got even more irritable than usual, and, considering that one didn't even have to do anything to get on his bad side, the thought was not pleasant.
For a moment, Haldir though about dragging Sauron back to the inn and shutting him up in their room, but, although it was a nice idea, he knew that it was completely impractical. They were there, and it would be impossible to get him to go back.
They both stood there for the minute, considering the many opened-door buildings before them, although with very different thoughts.
Finally Sauron turned to him, a slight, mirthless smile upon his lips. "Well, let us go see what we can find."
With that, he made for the building that was centered between the rest, and was, consequently, the grandest. Such seemed logical to Haldir, who knew that Sauron was looking for that certain maia who apparently was gifted with wonderful talents in brewing. Where else would he be but the finest building?
As they came closer, the sounds of the merriment inside became more clear. The ringing of laughter mingled with music over the din of glassware.
It was unlike any bar Haldir had been to before. Most of those within the borders of Lorien were small, not truly a place where one socialized. It was simply for purchasing drinks. Once bought, they were taken back to the home before enjoyed.
This here, though, was a huge enterprise. Inside, he found a high, lofty ceiling, dripping with chains that upheld massive lanterns that bathed the room in light. The floor was a huge area, full of chairs and circular tables crowded with people. Besides those who were sitting were crowds standing in the open spaces or perching in the window sills. On the left and right walls were dozens of doors, leading to the other buildings. People passed freely in and out. On the far wall opposite of them was a staircase, along with two sets of doors through which servers bore trays packed with glasses full of various liquids, ranging in color from dark browns to rich golds to burgundies and, surprisingly, pale greens. They wove their way between tables and people. It was incredibly busy and yet incredibly relaxed all at once - definitely one of those times when the phrase 'ordered chaos' could be applied.
That alone was at odds with what Haldir knew of such places. The fact that there were almost as many women as men shocked him a bit as well. But, Haldir acknowledged, many of the places he had been to were also the taverns of men, as those in Laketown during his visits to Mirkwood. Those certainly were less than wholesome places. This was much cleaner, which he realized he should have figured out earlier. This was not Middle Earth, it was Valinor. Certain things of decency were required.
They waded in, Sauron looking to the corners for an unoccupied table and finding none. With a sigh, he seemed to decide on a small table half way between the corner and the door, pushed up to the wall under a window.
And then they sat there, looking at each other.
"Okay, now what?" Sauron asked.
"Now you order," a cheery voice said at their side, causing both to turn around toward the sound.
An elf maid stood at the end of their table, her hands, clasped in front of her, grasping a small pad of paper.
Haldir swallowed.
She was gorgeous.
Long ringlets of bright copper hair framed her face. Haldir had never seen hair that color before; it was like a flame. In contrast, her eyes were a bright, clear blue, the color the sky seemed to get a handful of minutes before sunset. And her smile! It was just a soft one, mirroring her gentle voice.
He jolted back. What? Where did that come from? Had those thoughts been his?
He shook his head, coming back to the present. The woman's eyes were turned to Sauron, who was speaking.
How could he have missed so much of the conversation?
"...do you suppose he'd be available?" Sauron concluded to whatever he had been saying.
She gave a small frown, her brow creasing slightly. "I'm not sure..." she said, putting a finger to her lips.
Sauron paused for a moment, then leaned forward slowly. "Would you please just ask? He will remember me when he comes. You could tell him that I am being accompanied by Haldir. The name should sound familiar."
Haldir instantly recognized that voice. It was the one Sauron had used on Osse, and, more than likely, half of Haldir's family. Knowing this, he rolled his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. Thank the Valar that, for whatever reason, it never worked on him.
During this time the woman's expression relaxed, and, after blinking, she nodded slowly. "I will see if he is available."
With that, she turned from the table, making her way back into the crowd.
Haldir's watched her until she disappeared in the mass of people.
He was snapped back to the table by the sound of a snort. Blinking his thoughts away, he found Sauron laughing softly, apparently at him. "What?" he asked, frowning instantly.
Sauron sobered up quickly, which was understandable as his laughter had only been the degrading sort. "I never would have thought you, Haldir..."
"Me what? What did I do?"
Sauron folded his hands under his chin, tipping his head to the side, and then sighed dramatically. "Does this ring a bell?" he asked airily while making his eyes as big as he could, then raising a brow and dissolving his disturbing posture.
Haldir, who was only freaked out by this display, had no idea what it was supposed to mean.
"You were making eyes at her!" Sauron finally stated bluntly.
Haldir gawked, only figuring out that he had been when Sauron smiled, that irritating victorious, smug smile. "I was not," he retorted defensively.
"Mhmmm..." was the only reply at the moment.
Haldir shifted, folding his arms, only to unfold them again. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, don't give me that. You're utterly hopeless when it comes to lying. Don't even bother." Sauron leaned on the table against his elbows, glancing around the room. "I'm not even sure why you tried in the first place. One could hardly blame you."
On no... Haldir thought to himself. Back into topics that he shouldn't be part of.
... Haldir thought to himself. .Sauron looked at Haldir as though aware of his thoughts, but he said nothing that gave such away. "She was rather pretty, wasn't she? I haven't seen hair that red since..." He stopped suddenly.
After a second, Haldir decided to prod the subject a bit. "Since...?"
"Nothing."
It was now Haldir's turn to smile slyly.
Sauron noted the expression. "Come on now. Don't look at me like that." He slumped into his chair.
But now that the places had been changed, Haldir was willing to press his luck. "Since what? Since who? Whose hair was that red?"
"It's not important."
"Who was she, Iaewur?" he continued, smiling wider.
"She was nobody!" Sauron groused, glaring at Haldir from under his eyebrows.
Haldir jumped on it. "Ah! So it was a she!"
"Oh, please!" Sauron said, rolling his eyes and squirming slightly. "Remember that it is me you are talking to."
He merely smiled. "Oh, I'm perfectly aware of who you are. That's why I'm not letting this go quite yet. Who was she? Did you make eyes at her?"
Although the words had halted in his mouth before he had decided to utter them, Haldir had figured that he might as well say it. Besides, it was well known that he couldn't hold his tongue.
As nasty as the resulting response could have been, Haldir was actually almost rewarded. There was no scathing reply, no violent glare. Instead, he only got a dropped jaw and blank stare.
He snickered.
Blinking, Sauron quickly came up with the sort of reaction that Haldir had anticipated. With a severe frown, he spoke. "I'm going to pretend that I don't know what you are insinuating."
"Well, you may say that, but your expression betrayed all that I needed to know."
Sauron struggled for a comeback for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. Then he looked back down at Haldir and said simply, "Shut up."
Haldir only laughed again. "So you did, didn't you?"
"Of course not. Stop being so obnoxious. What you're saying is absolutely ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"Yes!" he said exasperatedly.
"Hmm…" Haldir tapped his chip thoughtfully. "I'm not positive about that. Surely at some time, ages and ages ago, something like that wouldn't have been completely foreign, even to you."
Again, there was no burst of angry words; perhaps Sauron did not trust his voice. All the same, he glared daggers at Haldir, his dark eyes burning in his flushed face.
Haldir paused. What?
After blinking, Haldir looked again. Sauron's face was absolutely red.
He was… he was…
"You're blushing!" Haldir finally exclaimed, almost too shocked to be amused at the moment. Almost.
Laughter again filled the air. But not just laughter, hysterical laughter.
Sauron quickly pressed his hands to his cheeks, first the palms as if checking to see whether Haldir could really be telling the truth, and then the backs of his fingers in an effort to cool the red away. He slipped down farther into his chair, as though this slouching would shadow his treacherous face.
Haldir folded his hands, sitting up straightly. "Well, any hope you had of shrugging that one off just flew out the window."
It was another one of those events, Haldir suddenly realized, which brought Sauron down some notches. There seemed to be a whole lot of that going on recently.
For a moment, Sauron's attention was on Haldir, the expression on his face making Haldir think that he might have been attempting to put some truth to the 'if looks could kill' saying. It really was almost too much to see him, of all people, blushing so furiously. Funny it was, and yet also highly unnerving.
Haldir was still laughing a bit to himself, and for that reason he didn't notice the subtle shift of Sauron's attention to a point behind him. But he quickly became aware of it when a voice spoke.
"Well well, I should have assumed that you were paying me a visit by the fact that the biggest piece of information I got about this costumer was that they were accompanied by an elf named Haldir."
"You didn't need any more candid pieces of information. That should have been enough."
"It was, once I started thinking about it." There was a pause. "Well then, what can I do for you?"
I:I:I:I:I
Wahoo. Yes, this is a two part chapter. I could have waited for the likely week it will take me to get the other half anywhere close to done, but I thought, considering how long it has been, that I would post this bit tonight. Just a taste, hm? But yes… I'll get the other half out soon. I have a bit of it written in my comp book already.