AN: Chapter three used to be chapters four and five. I've combined them because they were short, and I figured their being so short was of no use to me. And of course they're a bit reworked, but it doesn't matter. Just some restructuring to make it more readable; that's all.
Dearheart
Chapter Three: Love, The Klutz On The Move
The night wore on, and Ril once again sat on her bed, only this time she contemplated her future. How'm I going to do this, she thought. I'll never really be a part of Haldir's company. She began running over her list of reasons why she'd never make it.
1) She was female. Only the most elite women were accepted into the border patrol.
2) She was not one of those elite women.
3) Her skills with a bow were second to just about everybody, save for only the youngest Elves.
4) She had no idea how to fight in hand-to-hand combat.
5) The idea of hurting other living things appalled her. Of course, these were Orcs she was talking about here, but still! She'd never seen an Orc. They could be cute and cuddly. . .
6) Haldir himself. The final and most important reason. To watch him from afar was one thing, but to actually travel with him?! She didn't think she could take it.
Out of reasons for self-pity, and exhausted by the sheer surrealness of the task she was about to undertake, Ril collapsed on her bed and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
The first rays of dawn were just peeking through the mellyrntrees, and Haldir stood in the clearing, waiting for the patrol he know would soon arrive. And they had better soon arrive. The earlier they set out, the greater the chance that they reach the south before anything major happened. And that was very important.
Haldir sighed in frustration. The day was not starting off very well. The sun had now fully risen, and there was no sign of the Company. Did I not tell them to be here exactly at dawn?! he thought. Did I not make my instructions clear enough?!
His thought process stopped as a twig snapped. Quickly he focused his attention to the forest directly in front of him, where the sound had come from, not daring to hope that the patrol had finally come.
That unhoped hope had been fulfilled, for who should step through the trees, but his brother Rumil, followed by Orophin. Tailing them was half of the western Guard.
"It is about time," Haldir muttered to himself. To the rest of the group, however, he said, "Is everyone ready?" As if to further convince himself, he looked around at the Company. They were all as he expected them to be. Each carried a longbow and a quiver full of arrows, and strapped to his or her side were Elvish daggers and swords. They had come prepared. Excellent. "We shall be off then."
"A moment, Marchwarden," said a voice behind him. Haldir turned. Standing there was the Lady Galadriel. . .and that girl! As his eyes rested upon her, the girl turned very red and looked at the ground. Strange, Haldir thought.
"A moment?" Galadriel said again, this time phrasing it as a question.
"With all due respect, my Lady," Haldir replied, bowing as he did so, "we must be going. It is very urgent."
"I know. But it will only take, as I said before, a moment," Galadriel said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Surely you can spare that much to hear what I have to say."
"Of course, Lady." Haldir indicated that she should go on.
"I have brought before you today," Galadriel began, "a young Elf. She wishes to become a part of the border patrol. You are to take her with you as you travel southward."
What?! Haldir thought. I have to take this. . .this mere girl with me?! I would rather die!
"You may yet get that wish, Marchwarden," Galadriel said, looking positively icy. "In the meantime I suggest you stifle your thoughts and listen to me. You will take this 'mere girl,' as you have so fondly called her, and train her in the ways of the Borderguard. She has much to learn, but I am certain-"
"I cannot possibly-" Haldir interrupted.
"You can and you will," the Lady replied firmly. "Now, as I was saying. She has much to learn, but I am certain she will catch on quickly. Are there any questions?"
"Are we to know the name of this girl whom we will be training?" It was Rumil who had spoken.
Galadriel nodded. "As you wish. Her name is Elril-Galia, and I trust you will all treat her with the respect and courtesy she deserves." The Lady looked directly at Haldir as she finished the sentence.
Well at least I know her name, he thought.
"I bid you all a safe trip," Galadriel said, now looking at the whole Company. "Namarie." She lifted her hand in a gesture of parting and walked off beneath the trees.
Haldir stood for a moment, observing his new responsibility. She was tall for a female. Almost as tall as he, with golden-blonde hair that almost rivaled the color of the Lady's falling to the middle of her back. Her outfit consisted of close-fitting green pants and a silver undershirt, over which fit a green tunic. She carried a longbow and some arrows, as well as an intricately carved dagger. So she too is prepared, Haldir thought.
There was still one thing that bothered him though. He had not gotten a good look at her eyes. He could tell a lot about a person from their eyes, and not seeing them made him a little uncomfortable. Other than the fact that she was a tall female Elf that wanted to join his Company, and that her name was Elril-Something-Or-Other, he knew nothing about the person who stood before him. I will probably find out soon enough, he thought.
"We should be going now," he said, turning to the rest of the patrol. "It is a two day march to the southern border." With a nod of his head, Haldir led his Company out of the clearing and into the woods.
"So, Elril-Galia is it?" Ril was walking with Rumil, who had taken on the job of training her with gusto.
"Just Ril," she replied, shaking her head. "I don't fancy my full name much."
"Why not?" Rumil gave the other Elf a curious look. "I rather like it."
Ril practically froze in her steps. He likes my name?! she mentally exclaimed. I don't believe this! I. . .I- no way! No way! He can't! He just- if only Haldir had said that. Haldir. . .me. . .my-
"Ril?" A hand brushed against her shoulder. Ril looked over. Rumil was staring at her with a concerned expression on his face. "Ril you have been gazing into space for over five minutes now. Are you all right?"
Ril shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Yes," she said somewhat vacantly. "Yes, I'm okay." Great. I'm obsessing again. "I guess I'm just a little preoccupied." With yet another doubtful shake of her head, Ril hurried away.
Haldir walked along in silence, trying not to think about the girl. Trying and failing. He simply couldn't help it. It is not like I care or anything, he told himself mentally. She is just. . .different, that's all. Unusual. Yes, she was a bit different, hanging around all the time, but never really noticeable. What did she want?
There it was again. That same question that he repeated over and over. Only now he knew the answer. She had wanted to be a member of the border patrol. Well, why hadn't she just asked him?! Of course, he would have turned her down anyway, but why go through Lady Galadriel? She must be desperate.
Haldir closed his eyes momentarily, then reopened them and stared down at the pathway. What did it matter that one simple girl wanted so badly to become a Borderguard? It would just mean another pair of eyes to watch the boundaries of Lorien. He lifted his gaze and looked about for the one called Elril-Galia. Finding no trace of the Elf in question, Haldir continued onward.
Ril walked until she was a good distance away from Rumil, and the Company. She could still see them, but now she was no longer in amongst them. She needed some time to sort out the drastic turn her life had just taken. Time away from the rest of the full-fledged patrol.
Ril was to be a Borderguard.
This was not a job to be taken lightly. To be a member of this group of Elves carried a heavy responsibility. They were duty-bound to protect the Golden Wood and all of its inhabitants no matter the cost. They were the best archers and swordsmen in all Lothlorien. They were dependable, faithful, and took pride in serving their fellow Elves. They were respected. And she was going to be one of them.
Ril stopped and stretched for a moment before continuing on. The air felt a slight twinge different. We must have gone farther than I thought. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the refreshing forest air.
Realizing that the Company had stopped, Ril stopped as well. She took the time to analyze her surroundings more closely. The giant mellyrntrees had begun to thin out slightly, and the grass wasn't quite as green. Sighing, she plopped down on the ground.
"Tired already?"
Ril tensed. Then, as she realized the identity of the speaker, her face twisted into a look of annoyance. "Elandor, what do you want?"
"Forgive me Lady, I did not mean to startle you," Elandor stated, a touch of humor in his voice. "Pray tell what are you doing out here all alone?"
"I'm only," Ril replied somewhat icily, "trying to get some peace, which you are so carelessly interrupting."
"But why do you seek solitude? Is not the Company peaceful enough?"
"I need time alooooooone," Ril said, drawing out the last word to make it more noticeable. "Is that so hard to understand?"
"That was harsh, Elril," Elandor remarked.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!"
"More than I can count on both hands," Elandor said with a lot more than a touch of humor in his voice.
Ril gave a very unElf-like growl. "Are you mocking me?!"
"Not at all," Elandor replied.
"This is why I came out here!" Ril snapped. "To get away from people like you!"
Haldir watched the argument with amusement. He had finally found Elril-Galia, only to see her locked in a furious altercation with the archer Elandor. The funny thing was, though Elandor towered over Ril, who was resting her back against a tree, the female clearly had the upper hand.
". . .people like you!" Ril finished. Haldir looked over to Elandor, who seemed rather flustered at the prospect of losing the battle.
"I am sorry for disturbing you," he heard Elandor say frigidly. "I only wanted to see how you were doing."
How dare he?! Ril thought, glaring up at the dark-haired Elf above her. How dare he just show up and expect to 'see how I'm doing'?! He has no idea! No idea what I'm going through! A glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Taking her gaze off Elandor, she flicked it over to a nearby grove of bushes, where it collided with Haldir's own penetrating stare. Ril jumped up. . .and tripped over a tree root.