Sorry for the long wait but life has kinda overtaken me at the moment – and this is only a short chapter too – please don't hate me! LOL. I am still working on chapter six so that may be while – but thanks for your patience! Please keep reading and reviewing – it does spur me on.
CHAPTER FIVE
After a few more days of visits the healer confirmed that Tala could start using her arm again and she went eagerly to find Legolas. She found him deep in discussion with a group of Lorien elves under one of the mallorn trees, accompanied by the Dwarf who was one of the Fellowship. His face was serious and in the sunlight his pale hair was illuminated.
Tala stood for a moment watching the Mirkwood elf and felt a deep affection for him fill her heart. Silently she gave up a prayer to the Valar to keep him safe and bring him back from the quest to his family. It was then he noticed her standing quietly and hailed her, coming to meet her. "Tala!"
She smiled in response and greeted Gimli also.
"I am able to start to shoot again, Legolas. Will you not accompany me to the practise fields?"
Legolas frowned, his blue eyes concerned.
"I cannot. I am sorry, Tala, but I am busy here." He seemed to glance past her for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps...why do you not ask Haldir? He is well-known to be the best archer in these parts."
Tala curled her nose dismissively. "That cold, proud, supercilious..."
Legolas' eyes widened and a silky voice behind her suggested "You missed arrogant."
She turned to see the subject of her words standing not five paces behind her and blushed fiercely to think that he had overheard. She did not like him but she had not wished to insult him to his face. He was after all still the March Warden of Lothlorien.
Haldir arched an eyebrow coolly. "You wish to start shooting already? Your shoulder will be barely healed. I would not advise it."
Tala's embarrassment caused her to brush past him brusquely. "Do not concern yourself, March Warden. I can manage alone quite well."
"Do you even know where the practise grounds are, Lady?" Haldir asked calmly, following her away from the clearing.
Tala admitted defeat and allowed her temper to cool. She did not know where the practise grounds were and besides - she was behaving like an elfling. Moreover, if Haldir was the archer that his reputation suggested, perhaps she could learn something from him.
She slowed and let him come alongside her, looking up at his profile through her lashes. His features were strong and determined, although impassive, and she thought about the night when he had hung from her hand off the flet, never once panicking, never distrusting her. Was he angered by her insult? He showed no sign.
"Why don't you call me Tala like everyone else? Lady is so formal." Her tone was gently sardonic.
He glanced down at her and she could see a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. It surprised her.
"So, Tala – short for Eruna'antale?" the elf thought for a moment. "The Valar are gracious?"
Tala nodded. She decided if they were to spend any time together she may as well be civil. If he was making an effort, so could she. The quirk of his mouth at her sarcasm suggested he might even have a sense of humour.
"Yes. My parents tried for many years to have a child. They had almost given up hope when I arrived. For them, it was as if the Valar had blessed them."
"And then – I hear – they almost lost you?"
She looked at him in surprise, to find Haldir's steel gray eyes looking down into hers, with an expression she could not quite interpret.
"Your fall from the tree? Legolas told me." he prompted.
"Oh." She looked down in confusion. "Yes. My cousin – well, Legolas – dared me to climb the highest tree in the garden of Lord Elrond's house. When he came to visit we always got into all sorts of mischief." She smiled at the memory. "I remember it was the most perfect summer day. The last one I was to see for quite some time. I could not let him win so I climbed it – and fell." She shrugged, unconcerned. "It was a long time ago."
"You nearly died." Haldir sounded genuinely interested and she pushed her hair unconsciously off her face, considered her answer for a moment, before looking up at him frankly.
"It made me stronger." She paused and smiled, "Well, apart from the fear of heights."
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Lothlorien's archery grounds stretched out in lush greenness in the warm sunshine, surrounded by trees. There were a few elves practising and the strong breeze brought the distant thud of arrow in target to Tala's ears. Tala stopped to gaze about her and then turned to the March Warden.
"You still have my bow." She reminded him.
Haldir nodded. "You can use a spare bow for now. I will have yours returned to you." He strode off in the direction of a small wooden structure on the edge of the field and returned with a bow and a quiver, filled with arrows.
He saw her face as he approached and anticipated her. "I know it is smaller than you are used to, but it will do well enough to practise with, at least until you regain your strength fully."
Tala nodded and took the bow from him. It was light and expertly carved, and, although just a practise bow, was inlaid with pearl filigree, forming a pattern of Lorien leaves along the limbs. She ran her fingers along it and glanced up to see Haldir's gaze upon her, some strange light in his eyes.
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Haldir was indeed the archer that his reputation had suggested. His muscles were finely tuned by hours of using the bow – in practise and in anger, and he knew every nuance of it. He was also a patient teacher and she was surprised to find that the hour had passed by so quickly. There had been no more harsh words between them and he had concentrated solely on her archery technique.
Yet Tala had found it hard to concentrate and Haldir had had to correct her stance and angle of her elbow far more than she had liked. These were beginners' mistakes and she felt a deep annoyance with herself. He had not seemed to notice, or had been too well-mannered to comment. She had been a skilled archer before the incident on the flet and she should not need lessons but only advice as her shoulder healed.
Occasionally a gray-clad warden would pass by and offer up a courteous greeting to his captain, and a curious glance at his companion, which Tala tried to ignore.
After an hour, Haldir stepped back and stated "I think that is enough for today. You should not overdo it or you will cause damage to your shoulder."
Tala nodded, her nose wrinkled in concentration as she aimed at the distant target and let fly the arrow. "Just a few more minutes and I will stop." She swept her hair back impatiently from her face, wishing she had taken a moment to braid it, and drew another arrow from the borrowed quiver.
She wanted to continue to practice without him. The nearness of him confused her and although she had done quite well she felt that if she continued without him she could concentrate more on the target, and not on his presence. The breeze caught her hair again and blew ebony strands into her face.
She stiffened slightly as the March Warden came to stand very close behind her.
"I notice you are having a few problems, Tala." Before she could move, he continued softly "Allow me." and he deftly took her long hair in his fingers and began to braid it off her face.
She stood as still as she could as his fingers wove skillfully through her hair, though in truth she was trembling inside. She could not recall the last time anyone had done this for her and the feeling was distinctly sensual. Tala wondered if he was aware of the effect of his attention, and if he had ever done this for any elleth before. She relaxed, closing her eyes, attending only to the sensation of his touch, the smooth stroke of his fingers through her hair.
All too soon the movement was stilled and he had turned on his heel and strode off, nodding to her abruptly as he left, before she could thank him. Before, even, she could recover her voice.
She reached up her hand and felt an expertly woven braid of the Galadhrim tying back her hair.
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An hour later Tala decided that Haldir might well have been right, as she turned to put away the borrowed bow and quiver. She had remained to practice for too long and her shoulder had now become stiff and painful. She was angry with herself. Why had she not listened to him?
Just as she was thinking this, she heard light footsteps behind her. She turned to see the March Warden, anger evident in the tight control of his face.
"Tala." He grimaced in annoyance. "What in Arda's name are you doing?"
He stalked up to her and took her elbow, looking as though he wanted to shake her, his eyes glittering. "Is it some problem with your hearing that makes you deaf to what I say? Or is this merely some kind of continuing rebellion against me on your part?"
Haldir was using his sheer physical presence to dominate her – and he succeeded. She could see now how he was an effective March Warden. She imagined his justice to be swift and fierce. It was clear he was furious with her and the thought distressed her more than she would like.
Tala opened her mouth to apologise but before she could speak, Haldir had merely made an angry sound, and strode back the way he had come, his back muscles rigid, turning to speak scathingly over his shoulder to her.
"First you insult me, and then you ignore my advice. I think it best if Legolas practices with you from now on. Perhaps you will listen to him. I will not waste any more of my time."
Tala stared after him in dismay. He had not given her time to explain herself and for some reason this thought brought tears to her eyes which she blinked away angrily. By the Valar, she was behaving like some stupid little elleth a century old, she thought, and it was his fault.
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Haldir stalked back to his talen. He had no idea why she had the ability to anger him so. She had insulted him and then on top of it had disobeyed an order that was given only for her own good. He would not have allowed one of his wardens to get away with so much – not even his brothers. She infuriated him, exasperated him, annoyed him – and did other things to him also.
He groaned softly at the memory of braiding her hair, feeling the thick silkiness of it, rippling darkly through his fingers. The action had been the result of a rash moment and he had to leave her before he did something else equally rash.
She made him feel a century old again and Haldir was not sure whether he was enjoying the feeling or not. This was part of the reason why he had been so furious with her, he had wanted to grip her arms, draw him to her, and kiss her hungrily - and the near loss of his legendary control troubled him.
He got back to his talen, slamming the door so hard the frame rattled. Her bow caught his eye. It stood in the corner and had done since he returned to the City. So far he had not had an opportunity to return it to her, or so he told himself. His glance would stray to it occasionally of an evening and he would imagine its owner's hand upon it. He went over now and ran his fingers over the smoothly polished wood and traced the intricate detail of its decoration of silver ivy leaves and elanor flowers.
Haldir closed his eyes and felt calmness returning. It was like touching a part of her. The wood was smooth, and warm – and curved in all the right places, just like her. His lip curled in amusement at his own foolishness. He sighed and went to run a cold bath.