Hey all, sorry I didn't update yesterday. Thank you to those of you that wished me a Happy Birthday, I had a very good one and I really am sorry it took me forever to update. I hate leaving you all hanging. I hope you like this chapter, let me know what you think! Oh, and thank you all so very much for your reviews!

Note: Same as the previous chapters with the dialouge.

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 35: Parting

Ana quickly braided her hair and sighed as she then fastened her quiver and bow to her back and as she went to reached for her sword belt a hand covered her slightly trembling one. Ana looked over her shoulder and gave Haldir a small smile. "How is it you can still sneak up on me?" she asked softly and Haldir shook his head.

"I do not know," he said as he took the belt from her hand and fastened it around her waist. "But, your mind is elsewhere and that will not due in battle, Ana." She nodded.

"I know that," she said quietly before she placed her hands over his as he buckled her belt. "However, once we face whatever it is we are to face, my mind will be focused solely on what lays ahead of us not behind. I'm just not certain where my path will take me." Haldir turned his hands and squeezed her hands gently.

"Where ever it takes you, I will not let you walk it alone." Ana smiled up at him and nodded her head.

"I know that too." Haldir returned her smile and leaned into her and kissed her lips briefly, but she pulled back before they could get carried away. "You should gather your weapons," she whispered. Haldir nodded. "I'll check and see if our horse is ready to ride." Haldir moved his hands to her hips and held her in place.

"He is ready." He kissed her again but slowly and deeply. Ana sighed and buried her fingers in his hair. Haldir held her face gently as he kissed her. Soon, he pulled his lips away from hers. "Take that to memory, for when this is over there will be many more like that and others more passionate." Ana smiled up at him.

"I will." She raised up slightly and kissed him very briefly before she pulled away and walked out of the room her heart pounding in her chest, but not from worry, from the ellon standing in the bedroom with a smirk on his face.

Ana rode behind Haldir as they came upon the encampment. She quickly scanned around at the various tents and she heard Haldir sigh quietly as he looked around. "What's wrong?" she him quietly and he shook his head.

"There are less men then I hoped would be here, less men then I know the king had hoped for," he told her quietly and she nodded her head. Éowyn rode beside them and Ana looked to her and smiled. Éowyn returned Ana's smile, but Ana noted there was a weary look on the young woman's face and that made Ana's heart ache for her. She had lost her parents and cousin and now there was a great chance she may lose not only her brother but her uncle as well. Ana just hoped that that would not be the case.

"Make way for the king. Make way!" a rider shouted and the king raised his hand to his men.

"The king is here!" another shouted.

"My Lord!" a third rider called.

"Hail to you, Sire!" a fourth called out and Theoden nodded his head. He scanned the men and found one he was looking for.

"Grimbold, How many?" Theoden asked and an older rider stood slowly as Theoden rode passed him.

"I bring five hundred men from the Westfold, my Lord," Grimbold said. Theoden nodded.

"We have three hundred more from Fenmarch, Theoden King," Gamling said as he led his horse to fall in with Théoden's.

"Where are the riders from Snowbourne?" Theoden asked and Ana listed on closely.

"None have come, my Lord," Gamling said.

"There are not enough men are there?" Ana whispered quietly to Haldir who nodded. She sighed and looked behind her and saw most of the men that rode with them fall into the camp and began dismounting. She looked ahead and saw the cliff where they would make their camp for the night before they rode off to war.

Ana sat in her tent on the floor and unbound her hair Haldir was out walking with Gimli and Legolas. She looked around the tent and sighed. Her weapons rested against the cot that she would be sleeping on. She stood quickly and walked out of the tent. She saw Aragorn walk over to Theoden as he stood near the edge of the cliff and she followed him.

"Six thousand will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor," she heard Aragorn say as she came to a slow stop behind them.

"More will come," Theoden said and Aragorn sighed.

"Every hour lost hastens Gondor's defeat. We have till dawn. Then we must ride," Aragorn said. Theoden nodded in agreement and Ana stepped forward.

"So, we shall ride to meet our fate at dawn?" she asked. Aragorn turned to her and gave her a small smile and nodded. Theoden looked at her surprised.

"You intend to ride with the men?" Theoden asked and Ana looked at him and nodded.

"I do, Theoden King, and I promise I will not be a hindrance," she said before she turned and went off to find Haldir.

"She is very different," Theoden said quietly and Aragorn smiled.

"She has a strong will and a strong heart. You know part of her story since meeting Saruman," Aragorn said. Theoden nodded. "There is more to her then meets the eye, never underestimate her." His heart felt lighter as he walked away from the king, but there was still something that made him worry and it was not the battle that laid ahead of them, it was the elleth that Ana reminded him so much of.

Night had fallen on the camp and Ana once again was sitting in her tent, however, she was not alone. Haldir sat on the floor of their tent resting his back against the cot and Ana sat in between his legs resting her back against his chest. They shared a bowl of soup and she sat the empty bowl onto the floor. She laid her head against his shoulder and he leaned into her and kissed her left temple.

"We ride at dawn," she said quietly. They had talked little and had just enjoyed each others company while they ate. Haldir nodded.

"I assumed as much," he said and wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and fully relaxed her body against his. She felt him stiffen and she opened her eyes and looked at him as she tilted her head.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she sat up and saw the concerned expression on his face. He stood quickly and took her hand into his helping her from the floor. "Haldir?" she asked and he looked at her.

"Someone of great importance is here," he said quietly and Ana frowned before he dragged her from the tent.

"Haldir," Ana said quietly as he dragged her towards Théoden's tent in time to see Aragorn followed by another man Ana had never seen exit the tent. The dark haired man stopped while Aragorn continued on his way. His eyes turned in their direction and he looked at Haldir then Ana. It took Ana a second to realize that the man that stood outside the King's tent wasn't just a man, he was an elf.

"Lord Elrond," Haldir said as he let go of Ana's hand and bowed his head. Ana frowned and looked at the ellon in front of them.

"Marchwarden" Elrond said as he turned his eyes to Ana. "You must be Ana, Lady Galadriel has spoken of you often." Ana nodded her head. "Stay safe, both of you. The battle ahead of you is one unlike any that has taken place in thousands of years." With that he turned away from them and quickly mounted a brilliant white horse. Ana followed him with her eyes as she watched him lead his horse down the path of the cliff and out of sight.

"Haldir, who was that?" she asked and Haldir looked at her.

"Lord Elrond of Rivendell." She looked at him with a frown.

"The lord that rules over Rivendell? The one that sent his warriors with us?" Haldir nodded and Ana sighed. "What did he want here I wonder."

"I think I know, and I think it best we follow. We need our weapons." Haldir moved and she followed him back to their tent. Once inside Haldir quickly began gathering his armor and weapons.

"Haldir, where are we going?" she asked him as he handed her her quiver.

"We are to follow Aragorn and the others." Ana stopped and looked at him as he fastened his belt and looked up at her.

"No, not 'we'," she said and Haldir frowned. "I don't know why, but my task does not take me with Aragorn. I will ride with King Theoden and you, you will go with Aragorn and the others." Haldir shook his head and put his hands on Ana's shoulders.

"What?" he asked and she sighed. "You said you knew we'd ride together. You said that whatever your task may be we would face it together, that you would not face it alone." He lowered his hands from her and looked at her with confusion and hurt in his blue eyes.

"I will not face it alone, we are bound are we not?" He nodded and she smiled. "You are with me always, and I never feel that I am fully alone." Her dark green eyes pleaded with him for him to understand and in many ways he did. "I will ride with the King and you are to go with Aragorn. That is where your path lies. We will meet again, I can feel it here," she said as she raised his calloused hand to rest over her heart. "I know it." Haldir raised his hand from her chest and held her face gently. "Go, you're going to miss them," she whispered and swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall. Haldir leaned in and kissed her firmly. She closed her eyes tightly and kissed him back. He pulled away quickly and she opened her eyes and looked at him as he stood at the tents entrance.

"I will see you again, my love," he said softly before he disappeared out of the tent. Ana closed her eyes and raised her hand to her lips where she could still feel his heated kiss.

"Come back to me, Haldir, I will not be able to face this world without you," she said in a whisper before she sat down her quiver and laid down on the cot to patiently wait out the dawn.