Thank you all so much for your reviews! I'm sorry I didn't get to all of you personally I like to respond to you guys when I can because your reviews mean so much but, I wanted to update tonight. I'll probably update again tomorrow, but if not I'll do my best for Tuesday. I hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think!

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Chapter 6: Running

Ana rubbed her temples tiredly as she closed her eyes. Galadriel had left Haldir and Ana alone for a moment and she was ready to scream. He was short in his pronunciation and explanation. "Again?" she asked for him to say the word for 'water' once more. He sighed and stood from his chair and turned away from her muttering something under his breath. "Look, I'm trying here. At least try to have some patience with me." She stood herself and walked over to the window. She absently raised her hand to her neck and felt the scar that rested there.

Ana knew he had seen it when she had come in. She was usually good about hiding it with make up or her hair and most didn't even notice it was there because it was so faded but he saw it. The scar was one of her reasons she was so defensive and ready to fight whatever threatened her.

Haldir spoke and she lowered her hand and turned and faced him, but she jumped back slightly when she realized he had come up right behind her. He looked at her just as coldly as ever and she glared at him.

"What is you're problem?" she asked and shoved past him but stopped when she saw Galadriel standing there. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't here you come back," she said quickly and Galadriel smiled and shook her head.

"I had a matter to attend to, but I do believe we should continue your lesson now," Galadriel told her and she nodded.

"Of course," Ana said quietly as she walked back over to the table. Before she sat down she glanced at Haldir and saw him take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Ana glared at him and sat down and turned her attention to Galadriel.

Haldir watched the Lady and Ana work at the table. His temper had gathered the best of him once again. He was growing tired of being angry all the time. "My lady," he said while Ana wrote notes down using a quill and parchment. Galadriel looked at him. "Is there anyway . . . anyway that she could be reassigned. My brother, Rumil, as taken to her and her to him. His patience is greater than mine and he would be a more suited candidate to see to her." Ana looked at him and then at Galadriel before she returned to her work.

"Rumil does not know the tongue of men, you know this Marchwarden. Why do you wish to be rid of her?" Galadriel asked knowing full well, but wishing to hear his words.

"I . . ." he trailed off and took a deep breath but stopped when Ana spoke. Haldir growled stopping the woman's words. "My patience is too short, I cannot deal with her rudeness, and something about her is unnerving." Galadriel laughed and shook her head. Ana just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Haldir, she is your charge and yours alone. She has come a long way for one day. The evening approaches. Escort her back to her talan so she may eat and ready for the night," Galadriel said before she stood and looked at Ana.

"You have done enough for today, Ana," Galadriel said to her and Ana turned her attention to her and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you, Lady Galadriel," she said quietly.

"Haldir will escort you back to your talan. Take to memory the path so you may find your way here in the morn." Ana nodded and Galadriel left the room. Ana looked at Haldir who seemed to burn with unshed anger. Ana swallowed hard and hoped that it would be a quick walk.

As they walked the silence was almost daunting. Ana looked at Haldir and sighed. She thought it may have been as good a time as any to try what little of Westron she knew.

They walked in silence and Haldir could not wait to be away from her. "Haldir," she said firmly and he glanced down at her. "I . . I. ." He stopped and she took a few steps before she too stopped and looked at him. She opened her mouth and closed it just as quickly before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to concentrate. "I sorry if rude I was earlier." Haldir looked at her. She had formed the sentence but it was so broken.

The cold Marchwarden broke into heavy laughter at her. Through the slight tears in his eyes he saw her face turn a deep shade of red.

Ana blushed deeply. She must have said it wrong and instead of correcting her like she had thought he would, he just laughed at her. She shook her head and lifted the skirts of the dress she wore and ran. She saw her home not far and soon, she would be back in her old clothes and she would leave the wretched place she was actually starting to like.

As she ran up the stairs she could still hear his loud laughter echo off the trees and tears came to her eyes. She ran into the bedroom and Sadie looked up from her designated spot on the rug in front of the fire and watched as she ran past.

Ana nearly ripped the dress from her body and threw on her old clothes that had been washed and put away. She slid on her flip flops and walked from the room. She threw her hair over her shoulder and called to Sadie.

"We're leaving, come on girl," she said quickly Sadie jumped up and followed her. "I don't know why I even thought of staying here. I should have ran from here last night," she said to herself as she and Sadie made their way down the stairs. "I should have left when I had the chance." Once they were down Ana looked around and went down the same path she had the night before, only that time, she broke out into a slight jog and Sadie right along with her.

Haldir took a deep breath and calmed his breathing from his deep laugh. He had not laughed like that in many years and it felt good to do so, even if it was at the expense of another. He opened his eyes and the smile left his face when the space that was once taken by Ana was empty. He glanced around and cursed quietly when he saw no trace of her, only a trail of her footsteps towards her talan.

He ran to the tree and up the steps. He was surprised to see that the door to her talan was open and he went inside. He heard nothing, not even the panting of her animal, Sadie, she had told them was the animal's name. Haldir quickly walked into the talan and down the hall towards the bed chamber. The dress she wore laid carelessly thrown on the floor, the wardrobe was open and the clothes she had worn the day before were gone. He cursed again before he too took off down the stairs of the talan, and found her trail easily enough, now he just had to find her before night fell. If she had gone too far, she would easily get lost and he would never hear the end of it.

Ana knew she had ran a great distance, but she would not stop. Not even as the sky grew dark. Sadie barked at her, but she ignored her and kept running. However, she soon slowed and took deep breaths as her eyes scanned the darkness. A chilly wind blew through the trees and Ana shivered. She hadn't realized it was so cold out, of course, when she had traveled with Rumil and Haldir to the city Rumil had given her his cloak, and she had been well covered by the dresses given to her and they were within the safety of the trees. She was still within the trees, but they were smaller and it seemed more open than it had in the city.

Ana looked down at Sadie and sighed. "Which way do we go now girl?" she asked quietly and Sadie, of course, said nothing in return, she just sat next to Ana panting slightly.

The snapping of twigs was heard and Ana jumped and looked to her right but saw nothing. Sadie, however, growled and moved to stand in front of Ana. Sadie bared her teeth and growled deeply. Ana's heart rate doubled and her hands began to tremble. She had gone from the frying pan into the fire and now she feared she wouldn't even make it out of the trees.

Haldir sighed as she followed her trial. She had gone farther than he thought she would, and it looked like she had changed direction so he paused a moment in his run and listened carefully as his eyes scanned the dark. He heard her voice then; she was at least a half a mile away and directly in front of him.

He broke off into another run but soon, he felt another presence in the trees and a slight stench reached his nose. He mood darkened suddenly. "How did they get past the guards?" he asked himself quietly. Suddenly, he was thankful he carried his sword at his side that night; he just hoped he would reach Ana before anything happened to her.