Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or anything associated with Tolkien Enterprises. I also do not own any music by Stephen Foster, Thomas Haynes Bayly, or Caroline Atherton Mason, or S.M. Grannis. Their lyrics are included in this fanfic and they are old enough to be considered public domain.
Gandalf007-So glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks!
Katia0203-I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for Duckie's name, I am not an expert elvish pronunciation so I might have it wrong, but I am pronouncing Dúcuivië as doo-quee-vee-ey (with the last syllable literally pronounced like the letter 'a'). Should anyone who knows more than me see this and choose to help me out, I am totally open to learning! Thanks again for reading!
ooOoo
Guardians of Arda
By Ponytail Goddess
Chapter 8: Proposals
Beneath the sun's golden shimmering within the sky, Duckie easily walked through the tall grasses of the field without bending or trampling a single stalk. She followed Haldir's fast-paced steps as he led her towards the Meara who had been sent to them.
White Tempest was his name. At least, that is what the trees chose to call him.
"Gwaem." Haldir called back to her as he turned to see if she was following him, all while putting his rucksack comfortably over his shoulders. "That means 'let's go' in Sindarin."
"Gwaem." She repeated dutifully, knowing that Haldir was trying to teach her more Sindarin words after their last conversation where she had expressed her desire to learn about elves. She quickly followed along behind him, easily carrying the sleeping child in her arms.
The fire had been swiftly doused with water and was no longer smoking as they reached where White Tempest was in the prairie grass. The horse was very patient and seemed to be content standing there at the edge of the forest while eavesdropping on their conversation.
"See, you are learning already!" Haldir exclaimed, craning his head over his shoulder to reassure her. He then turned back towards the Meara and patted the horse's flank gently while whispering something in his ear. The horse exhaled a loud breath through his lips in response and Haldir's half smile could once again be seen on his handsome face. Duckie watched as he grabbed the horse's mane above his withers and effortlessly mounted the tall steed without the use of stirrups. In fact, Duckie was surprised to find the horse allowed him to mount with no saddle at all.
"You can ride a horse without a saddle?" She asked with curiosity as she carefully handed the sleeping child up to Haldir.
"We do not have a saddle today, so we will have to make due. White Tempest does not mind." He said as he took the child into his arms. He then launched into a more detailed explanation.
"Elves typically only use saddles for long journeys, as they help us carry our belongings. For everyday riding, we prefer bareback. Our bodies are light and well-suited to riding horses. We do not need help with balance as the mortals do." He clarified as he gently arranged Willie in front of him so that he was straddling the horse and leaning back into Haldir's torso as he slept. His head rolled forward a bit as he slept, but Haldir held him firmly in place and he did not so much as stir in his new position atop the horse.
"You will need to ride in the back today. Can you mount the horse on your own or will you need assistance?" Haldir asked, appearing to have shiny halo as the sun hit his silver-blonde hair, illuminating the crown of his head rather brightly.
"I do not know how to mount a horse—I have only ever ridden on a covered wagon pulled by horses." She confessed, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how little she knew. Haldir did not chastise her for this though. Instead, he simply held onto the child with one hand while reaching down to her with the other. He easily hoisted her up onto the horse in a side-saddle position. The motion was smooth, as if she weighed nothing at all.
"You are strong." She marveled out loud, then regretted it as she felt herself flushing once again. For goodness sakes, could she be any more awkward around this handsome stranger?
For Haldir's part though, he just chuckled for a moment and then replied, "Yes, I suppose I am."
She then felt him gently take hold of her left arm and felt him situate it around his middle. "You will need to hold onto me with all your strength. Mearas are known for their speed and White Tempest has made it clear that he intends to make this journey at a run."
"Okay," she acquiesced while putting her other arm around Haldir's hardened torso.
Though Duckie thought she was holding on tightly, she was nowhere near prepared for the speed at which the Meara took off. Letting out a loud cry, the horse lifted its front hooves high in the air for a moment and then launched himself into a dead run.
A high-pitched scream pierced the air as Duckie grabbed large fistfuls of Haldir's shirt and held on for dear life. His silvery blonde hair was immediately whipping her in the face as it took to the wind. Duckie found herself burying her face into Haldir's back to try and avoid the sting of the strands smacking her face.
"I'm going to fall!" She shouted into his shirt, "We are going way too fast!"
"You will not!" He called back to her jovially, sounding as if he was somehow enjoying the same experience that was currently traumatizing her. "Have faith Dúcuivië! You were born to do such feats as this! You are an elf, after all!"
"I do not believe you!" She shouted as they crashed through the long grasses of the field at breakneck speeds.
"About what—being an elf or being able to ride a horse?" He called back lightly, teasing her as they approached a fallen tree on the outskirts of the forest.
"Being able to ride of course!" She shouted, her voice going suddenly high as she realized they were hurdling over the tree in midair. Duckie clung to Haldir even more tightly after that, not daring to let go lest she fall off.
They followed the tree line, running around the outskirts of the forest. For a majority of the trip, they rode in silence, which was only interrupted by the rhythmic pulse of the horse's footfalls. An icy blue sky and fluffy white clouds rapidly passed by overhead. The golden sun took its regular spot in the sky as they hastily bounded towards the settlement.
Luckily for Duckie, the ride was over fairly quickly.
When at last they came to a halt just outside the settlement, Duckie was the first to slide off the steed. She nearly fell, grabbing onto the horse's back to steady herself at the last possible second. Her heart felt as if it would thump right out of her chest as she slowly reoriented to the ground. She watched as Haldir slid effortlessly off the steed with the child in his arms, totally unphased by the experience.
"Ni 'lassui mellon." He said, carefully holding young Willie in one arm while giving the horse's cheek a final rub before waving to him. He carefully extracted another apple from his pocket and fed it to the horse while complimenting him. "Today, you have lived up to your name!"
The horse whinnied in acknowledgment of Haldir's gratitude and then loudly blew air from his lips. After her body had calmed a bit, Duckie also decided to walk up to the horse and lightly touched his nose with her fingers, no longer scared of him.
"Yes, thank you. I am sorry for my shouting on the trail—I am unaccustomed to riding on horseback, but I do appreciate the ride. Thank you very much." She said softly, doing her best to be polite to the horse who had saved them a few hours of difficult hiking that day.
As mysteriously as before, the horse bent its knees and bowed its head down low before her. Duckie found herself curtsying before the horse too, hoping she was conveying how much she appreciated his efforts. The horse seemed to be satisfied with his treatment and with a final bellowing cry, turned and ran at full speed back into the forest. Duckie watched as he ran directly into the tree line and disappeared into its depths.
When she turned around, she found a whole mess of people from the nearby settlement had taken notice of them and talking and pointing to them from the middle of the street. After a few minutes, several of them were headed their way. Duckie walked towards them right beside Haldir, who carried young Willie as he slept, in addition to the rucksack on his back. After they came close enough for the mortals to identify them, a few people started to run towards them.
"WILLIE!" One blonde-haired woman screamed at the top of her lungs, pulling ahead of the bunch at an all-out run. "WILLIE!"
Sensing she was his mother at the same time as Haldir, Duckie looked over to find him whispering the child awake with his hand on his forehead. He was just coming to as his mother arrived. Haldir quickly set the groggy boy on the dusty dirt road and his mother, who slid on her knees through the dirt in an effort to make it to him faster, immediately thrust him against herself into a tight embrace.
"Momma," He murmured weakly, coughing loudly as he inhaled the dust she had just stirred up. Duckie watched as the boy wriggled around a bit in her arms, clearly uncomfortable with how strongly she was hugging him. "I'm back."
"Are you hurt?" She asked as she abruptly pulled him away from her to inspect his tiny frame more closely. Other than his bleary eyes, Duckie thought he looked pretty normal. Rúmil had done a wonderful job healing his bruises last night; she could not see any evidences that the child had sustained hits from Ralph Thomas the prior day.
"I'm fine momma." The child murmured, wiping his eyes and shaking out his head for a moment before focusing on her. "I'm just tired. You would not believe the dreams I was having… There were pictures moving in the wind and a big white horse, just like the ones you were telling me about in those stories!"
Upon hearing about the moving pictures on the wind, Duckie met Haldir's eyes for a moment and then stared at the child again, uncertain as to why he now thought her song was a dream when he had argued so vehemently about it less than an hour ago. Haldir merely shrugged in silence and then turned back towards the scene playing out in front of him.
"Momma, have you met Duckie and Henry before? Duckie saved me from that terrible man who killed the sheriff and then Henry found us and helped us get back home." Willie said, pulling on the sleeve of his mother's plum colored dress to draw her towards his new friends. The woman obliged her son and then held out her hand to Duckie. When Duckie took hold of it, the woman began shaking it with such a powerful grip that Duckie nearly flinched in pain.
"It's nice to meet you Duckie. I don't believe we've met, but I'm your neighbor Mabel Glenn. Perhaps you met my husband Chester and some of my boys the night they found Lewis out in that field? I was truly sorry to hear about Lewis' passing—what a terrible thing to endure on what should have been the happiest day of your life. I'm so sorry for your loss." She said as she brought her hand back down and placed it firmly on her son's shoulder.
Haldir's face unexpectedly changed expressions upon hearing this. Duckie looked over and caught a glimpse of something akin to horror passing over his face. It only lasted a second though, as he quickly schooled his face into a neutral position. Duckie paused as she tried to decide what that had been all about, then set about answering Mabel's inquiry.
"I did not get a chance to meet your family that night because of the chaos of the search, but I do owe them a large debt of gratitude. It was very kind of them to come and help Father John look for him. I appreciate your condolences—his passing was unexpected and has weighed upon my heart for the last week." She said, placing her hand over her heart as she spoke.
"Consider that debt paid in full—you have returned one of my youngest boys to me and for that, I am eternally grateful. When I heard what happened yesterday, I thought I might never see him again." She said, her voice filling with emotion as quickly as her blue eyes filled with tears. "Thank you—both of you," she said, acknowledging Haldir's presence as well.
He accepted her gratitude with a simple nod of his head and shook her hand while introducing himself. "My name is Henry Deere ma'am. I am happy I was in the right place at the right time to help. It is also good to meet you, as my cousins and I are your new neighbors as well. We have purchased the land next to Lewis' farm and will soon be turning it into a cattle ranch."
Mabel smiled at him and then addressed them both simultaneously with her hands folded in front of her strong figure. "Truly, I am indebted to you both. Please—come have supper with my family tonight so that we may all thank you together. I'll have everything ready at about seven o'clock or so. I am certain my husband Chester and his father Old Roy would both like to meet you and extend their gratitude for what you've done." She said as she took Willie by the hand.
"Certainly." Duckie replied with a smile for them both. "We would love to be there."
After smiling at Mabel, her attention was drawn to the growing number of people gathering around them. The dirt road that led to the settlement was starting to become crowded and loud as more townsfolk gathered around to try and hear their tale. It was slightly unnerving to Duckie, who did not enjoy being at the center of everyone's attention.
"As for right now, we need to go and find the two search parties that are out looking for Willie. They've been searching for the boy in the forest. It will be relief for them to hear he's home, safe and sound. Willie—what do you need to say to our kind neighbors for bringing you out of the forest?" Mabel asked after tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"Thank you." He chimed in softly, still a touch dazed from the heavy sleep Haldir placed him under. "I appreciate all that you-"
"DUCKIE!" Another voice shouted and suddenly, Duckie found herself in the powerful embrace of her friend Margaret. "Oh Duckie, thank God you are home! Are you hurt? That chowderhead Ralph Thomas, he… he didn't do anything to you, did he?" She asked, looking into Duckie's eyes as she pulled her face down close to her own to for an inspection.
"No," she said, uncomfortable with what she was asking her in front of so many people. "No, nothing like that happened. Whatever he had planned for us was a bust because he got too drunk to drive his wagon in the middle of the forest. He was knocked out when a tree limb fell on him, so Willie and I were able to escape." Duckie explained, touching her head as she mentioned the tree limb.
She smiled a bit as she remembered the plotting trees who had helped her escape. Everything had worked out in their favor and she was grateful for all the help she had gotten, both from nature and from the elves.
"Thank you," Margaret said, looking up at the sky as she addressed God while she embraced Duckie roughly. Then, she rapidly began sobbing into her shoulder. "Thank goodness. I'm so glad you're safe Duckie. I have been worried something terrible about you!"
"Oh Margaret, it's going to be okay." Duckie said, stroking her friend's dark blonde hair in an effort to try and soothe her. "I'm okay. I promise."
As she held her best friend, she looked over and saw Margaret's husband James introducing himself to Haldir amongst the crowd of settlers. "I heard you are new in these parts and that you're getting into ranching. Is that true?" James asked Haldir, his deputy's badge gleaming in the sunshine on top of his red shirt.
"Yes," Haldir replied as he straightened his suspenders, "My cousins have joined me in moving out here from Nebraska, so we have plenty of cowhands. We simply need to build our pen and boarding house so we can get started. We have already purchased the land next to Lewis' farm to start our operation."
"Well, what were you doing before that?" He inquired, looking Haldir over as if trying to guess for himself. "Farming? Railwork?"
Haldir chuckled a bit and looked down for a moment, shaking his head. "Actually, I did what you are doing now. I was a sheriff myself for a few years, but I grew tired of it. I have long wanted to start a different career and settle down, so I left the position with the hopes of better prospects out west." He explained in a very matter-of-fact sort of way.
He had no idea where the conversation was headed though. Having known James for a few years now, Duckie saw the flash in his green eyes and immediately knew what he was about to ask for a favor and she strongly suspected she knew what that favor was. Her heart sank, as she did not know what response she wanted to hear from Haldir.
"I understand," he said with a nod, bracing himself to make his request. "This sort of life is hard and it really eats away at people. However, I am in desperate need of some help. Ralph Thomas killed our acting sheriff yesterday and the only other deputy this settlement had decided to resign on the spot after hearing the news. I am the only deputy left in these parts to maintain law and order and I don't have much experience yet—I've only done this for two years now." He explained, blowing a few pieces of brunette hair out of his face and opening his hands in front of Haldir to make his final offer.
"Would you perhaps consider joining me? I don't know if I can handle the Thomas brothers on my own and I cannot seem to find others who are willing to take up their guns and defend the area." He explained with a look of desperation flashing in his eyes.
"Well, that isn't really what I had in mind coming out here," Haldir started, clearly but James was clearly not going to take no for an answer. At least, not without trying to be more convincing.
"Please." He begged, taking Haldir by the shoulder and looking him straight in the eye. "Please help, even if it's just until I can find some replacements. There's too much crime in these parts for just one deputy to handle."
"The pay is good and I'll work extra hours so you have time to spend setting up your boarding house and pen. Hell, I'll even help you build it, if you'd like." He offered, trying to win Haldir over in any way he could.
Duckie watched Haldir as he mulled the proposition over. She doubted he wanted to agree, as it interfered with his plans to meet his brothers and Elladan on their forest search. However, his sense of duty seemed to win out in the end, as he eventually gave a nod of his head as he rolled up the long white sleeves of his shirt, showing off his muscular forearms. Duckie's jaw dropped a bit in shock as she realized what Haldir was willingly getting himself into.
"Very well then," he started, closing his eyes for a moment as if it pained him to answer as he did. "I will serve as a sheriff for your town, but only on an interim basis. I will do what I can to train you also, so long as you continue to try and find replacements for the two open positions."
A look of relief immediately passed over James' face and he shook Haldir's hand vigorously in response as he smiled graciously up at his new colleague. "Thank you, Henry. Thank you so much! Come on, let's get you a badge and have you take your oath at the jailhouse."
James immediately started trekking his way through the gathering crowd back into town, but Haldir paused for a moment to turn and speak with her. "I would like to see to it that you make it back to the farm safely, but I must go figure out a schedule with James at the jailhouse. Is there somewhere we can meet up later?" He asked quickly, turning to see where James had gone before looking to her again for an answer.
"She'll be at my house." Margaret answered for her, finally releasing her from the tight hug in which she had been ensnared. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she shooed him away with her hands. "Go now. My James will bring you by afterwards if you ask him."
With a nod, Haldir agreed and turned from them, jogging a bit to try and catch up with James. Duckie watched him go in fascination, wondering why he had chosen to help them when he didn't seem to be overly fond of mortals.
"Come, you must tell me every detail of what happened." Margaret said in a low voice, wiping the tears from her eyes as she grabbed Duckie's arm and pulled her out of the crowd so that they could speak privately.
"You did not tell me how handsome he was," she chided as she walked with purpose and practically drug Duckie back into the settlement.
"I did not think it was important," Duckie argued, struggling to keep up with her friend's abnormally fast pace.
"Did not think that was important…" Margaret huffed angrily. "How on earth do you not consider that important as a single woman? Have you seen how many ugly men live in these parts?!"
"Would you please slow down?" Duckie begged, as she felt like Margaret was about to rip her arm right out of its socket.
"No, we must hide you. Arthur arrived in town this morning!" She hissed, looking side to side rather suspiciously as they made their way towards her home.
"I thought you wanted me to consider marrying Arthur." Duckie said, confused about her friend's sudden change of heart. "You said there were worse matches to be had-"
"Well, that was before I knew about Henry." She clarified, hastening her way down the block towards her house.
"Henry? What does any of this have to with Henry?"
Margaret stopped so abruptly that Duckie ran into her. Her friend, who was strong as an ox, reached out and caught her as she started to fall over into one of the neighbors' bushes. Her arms held Duckie's arms firmly as her brown eyes met Duckie's hazel ones. "You do not know? Duckie, he fancies you! It was written as clear as day on his face!" She exclaimed.
"You think Henry fancies me?" She repeated, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Her face heated up a bit at the thought, but she proceeded to deny it anyway. "I sincerely doubt it. What makes you think that?"
"Did you not see the way he was looking at you earlier?" She asked, her dirty blonde hair flashing brightly in the sun as she pushed some flyaway hairs out of her eyes. "When he addressed you, his eyes softened-"
"Is that all? That isn't much evidence." Duckie pointed out, interrupting her friend's tirade. "Perhaps the sun was in his eyes-"
"He wants to make sure you make it back to the farmhouse safely." She continued as she turned to head up the stairs to her house. "Why would he bother if he didn't care?"
Well, Margaret had her there. Duckie could easily walk home on her own from the settlement. She had done it before. He said he wanted to walk her home though and had asked where he could find her when he was done at the jailhouse.
"He's just being neighborly, Margaret." She said, narrowing her eyes as her friend looked at her expectantly. "He's kind and he wants to be my friend."
"You can say that all you want to Duckie, but between a man and a woman, it's very hard to merely be friends. Remember—Henry told James he came here wanting to 'settle down.' I could have Father John talk to Henry about your situation." She offered as Duckie ascended the stairs, clearly meddling in her life now. "He's handsome and kind—that makes him quite the catch, Duckie! Maybe you two would be happy together!"
"I don't think that's a very good idea. After all, I was really hoping to teach…" She said as Margaret opened the door for her at the top of the stairs. Her words trailed off though when she saw who was waiting inside.
Arthur.
The gasp that escaped from Margaret's lips instantly told Duckie she had not planned this, but here he was, nonetheless. Arthur immediately stood up from his seat the kitchen table upon seeing the two of them entering the home.
"Margaret." He acknowledged with a nod and then his brown eyes fell upon her and lingered. "Duckie."
She met his eyes and froze upon seeing the emotions lingering within them. His gaze was gentle as he looked upon her, clearly studying her, though what he was thinking she did not know. His eyes were just as kind as she remembered though.
Arthur was not a tall fellow. In fact, when compared to Duckie, he was quite short. He had brown hair that just brushed the top of his shirt collar as he stood. His freckled face was clean shaven and bore soft features, such as a rounded nose and full lips. He was wearing a navy-blue vest over his white button-up shirt with grey pants; the buttons on the vest bulged a bit, as if he had outgrown it since the last time he was in town. Indeed, he did look taller and manlier than Duckie remembered and she assumed he must have had one more growth spurt while he was away at seminary school.
Duckie watched as Margaret walked over to greet him with a hug. "I hope you don't mind that I let myself in. I was hoping to see both of you today." He said brightly as Margaret held him for a moment.
"You are always welcome here." Margaret said with a smile. Though Duckie knew she was uncomfortable with the situation, she knew Margaret was also telling the truth. Arthur was a good friend to both of them and would always be welcome in their homes.
"That means a lot to me. Thank you." He replied with a look of loving care upon his face. He then approached Duckie in a much more tentative manner, looking a bit nervous and uncertain of himself.
"Duckie, it is good to see you as well. My father wrote me a letter and told me what happened to your brother Elroy last month. I was saddened to hear it—you have my deepest condolences." He said, holding out one weathered hand to her. She gently accepted the touch to be polite and was reassured by his words. "He was a good man and a believer. I'm certain you will see him again one day."
"I hope so." She said, meaning it in a different way than he. While he spoke as if her father was in heaven, Duckie was hoping her uncle's prediction was correct and that he could yet be found alive.
"He also told me about your current situation and what happened with Lewis. It seems you have had a trying month." He said, giving her hand a small squeeze of reassurance. "I returned with the hopes that my presence might help to ease some of your pain."
Duckie looked down, not knowing what to say at first. "It was kindly done."
"Perhaps we might take a brief walk together, just you and I?" He asked hesitantly. "I had hoped to get the chance to speak with you privately and see how you are doing."
Though every instinct in her mind was screaming no, Duckie did not want to be rude, especially after he had journeyed all this way just to see her. "I would like that." She said, catching Margaret's panicked glance right before meeting Arthur's gaze again. "Would you please excuse us Margaret?"
"Of course," she replied, though Duckie could tell that she was trying to think of some way to get her out of it. "Although your neighbor did say he would come by to escort you home soon. Perhaps this should wait until a different day." She suggested.
"Oh, I will be brief then." Arthur said, nodding in reply and he offered Duckie his arm. She took hold of it awkwardly and followed him to the door, shooting a pleading look backwards at Margaret. She shook her head though and held out her arms outward, also uncertain about how to fix this.
It was official—Duckie was going to be on her own for this one.
She silently fell into step with Arthur as they walked down the stairs together. Once they were walking by the small houses on the dirt road, he began to speak once again. "You are well, then? I have been worried about you for the last few days, as father said you were living out on Lewis' old farm by yourself." He said, peering over at her to see her reaction to his words. "It does not seem like an overly safe situation and I know you've never been on your own before."
"I am as well as can be expected, given the circumstances." She replied, looking down at him as they walked. "You need not worry about me. I know how to take care of myself."
Stopping in the middle of the road, Arthur turned to her and took both of her hands in his own, looking terribly worried. "Duckie, I had three people tell me one of the Thomas brothers abducted you yesterday! How could I not worry about your well-being?!"
Not knowing what to say about this, she stayed silent as he looked at her with fear in his eyes. "Duckie, I was scared to death when I heard that. I couldn't bear it if something bad were to happen to you."
"I know," she said, looking down and wishing that somehow things were different. She knew she could not marry this mortal, yet Margaret's words from the other day were still fresh in her head…
"There are a lot worse matches you could get than Arthur."
It was true—Arthur was kind and considerate. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted her to be safe.
He loved her.
It was so obvious in the way he looked at her, the gentle way he held her hands, and the way he worried about her being alone. She knew this was no ploy—he genuinely was frightened of what had happened between her and Ralph Thomas. He wanted to come home and marry her now, saving her from what he thought was a life of danger and struggle.
"He cares about me more than he cares about himself." She thought to herself as she stared at him, knowing he had left school just for her. "He's willing to give everything up on my behalf."
"I want to help you get through this time in your life Duckie." He explained with wide eyes. She felt his hands start to shake nervously as he spoke. "I hoped to ask you this when I was done with my schooling, but I don't think it can wait any longer. I know you need a solution—a place to stay on a more permanent basis-"
"Yes, I was looking into becoming a teacher." She interjected, trying to avoid the awkward question that she knew was coming. "That would give me some more time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life."
"You don't really want that, do you Duckie?" He asked with one eyebrow raised, questioning her. "You've never spoken to me about wanting that before-"
"You've been gone for a while," she shot back, trying her best not to become cornered in the conversation. "A lot can change in a few months."
"My heart has not changed." He said softly, taking a step towards her. "Duckie, I had hoped you would become my wife when I returned from seminary school. I can take care of you, provide for you. We could be happy together, you and I." He said, staring deeply into her hazel eyes as he leaned forward.
"I do not feel the same way about you." Duckie replied, feeling terrible for having to say this to so nice of a man. "Your dream is yours alone. It is not mine."
"Please Duckie. I know you do not feel the same way now, but time is running short and you need a place to stay for the winter-"
"I can stay at the farm." She interrupted, taking a step back from him. "I am just fine there."
"If we marry before I go back to seminary school, you can stay with my father until I return." He said, reaching out to push a small piece of her dark hair away from her face. "Then, when I return, we can start a new life together. I could help you with the farm if you would like, and we could start a family together."
Duckie's heart beat faster upon hearing that as she mentally started to panic. "I'm sorry Arthur, but I'm going to have to say no. I do not want the same things that you want-"
"Please, give me a try. Let me prove myself to you." He begged her, dropping down on one knee in front of her. "Please Duckie, marry me and be my wife. I will do everything in my power to make you happy."
"That will be unnecessary."
Duckie felt her entire body stiffen up as she heard Haldir's voice coming from behind her. She didn't turn around, but could feel his presence as he confidently walked up and stood behind her, effectively interrupting the messy situation in front of him.
Arthur, looking mildly annoyed that his special moment had been interrupted, stood up and met eyes with Haldir. "I was not speaking with you, sir."
"But I am speaking with you." He said, holding out a hand to him, which Arthur begrudgingly shook after a moment's hesitation. "I do not believe we've met yet. My name is Henry Deere and I am the interim sheriff for the settlement."
Duckie's eyes settled on Haldir's chest where he did indeed wear a new, shiny badge declaring his role. Her eyes then shot back to Arthur, uncertain of what was about to happen between the two.
"Since you are new here, I am certain you have not heard about Duckie's situation." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now that her brother has died, she is in need of a place to stay for the winter-"
"I am aware of Miss Hir's situation, but your proposal is still unnecessary." Haldir said firmly, not at all intimidated by Arthur's angry stance. Granted, it was hard to imagine Arthur as intimidating at all, as he was not a physically aggressive man. Even now as he glared at Haldir, Duckie knew such feelings from him would not be long-lasting.
"I don't understand what you mean Henry." Arthur said, narrowing his eyes at Haldir in frustration as he tried to explain his plight. "Why would it be unnecessary? She needs a place to go and I want to provide her with that!"
Duckie gasped as she felt Haldir's hand came to rest gently upon her lower back a moment later. She turned to face him, but he did not look at her. Instead, he opted to stare deeply into Arthur's brown eyes. The look shared between the two males was rather intimidating and Duckie grew quite nervous from the tension that was passing between them. Silence reigned as the wind whispered the ever-present word in her ear.
Even the mention of 'destiny' did not prepare Duckie for the next words that came out of Haldir's mouth though…
"It is unnecessary because she will be marrying me."
ooOoo
Gwaem-let's go
Ni 'lassui mellon—thank you friend
I hope you like this little twist as much as I do! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of the chapter. I'll try to have more up soon.
-P.G.