Chapter 4 – Trading Insults and Fencing

Draco fumed, wishing it was possible to kill someone just by glaring at them. He was without his wand, alone, and Merlin knew where… Lothlórien. His scowl deepened at that thought. Hmph. The world would be so much better off if that bastard had kept his ideas to himself.

He toed the pile of blankets a young female elf had brought a few moments ago, while he'd still been in a state of shock. He still wasn't sure if he could believe the elf meant what he said. How can they expect a Malfoy to sleep on the floor! It's preposterous! I am no servant, or peasant to be treated like this…

"Are you going to stand there like a petulant child all day?" The elf had been moving around the talan while Draco was contemplating the horrors of the day, and now stood next to the entrance with a sword belted at his waist.

Draco glared at Haldir for a long moment, his arms crossed over his chest. "I am not a child."

There was a snort from the elf. "You're acting like one. Sulking because you can't have your way?"

An explosive growl emerged from Draco, and he narrowed his eyes. "I am not sulking. And even if I don't have a bed yet doesn't mean I won't get one." He tried to remember who was in charge of Lothlórien in the books his mother had insisted he read before he could escape to Hogwarts. Gladrag? Gladrel? Some stupid elf name like that.

Galadriel! An annoyed voice exclaimed in his head, as if it had been listening to him the entire time. And you will have no audience with me today.

Draco realized his jaw had dropped when Haldir snickered, and commented that he wasn't going to feed him like a nestling bird. He snapped his mouth shut, clenching his jaw, and glaring ferociously at the elf.


Haldir raised an eyebrow at Draco's glare, smirking. "Well? Are you done sulking, or should I find you a shiny toy to keep you entertained while I am busy?"

"Busy?" Draco matched Haldir's expression, giving Haldir the distinct impression he was being mocked. "Doing what? Climbing trees and braiding your hair?"

Haldir's jaw clenched before he could force himself to relax and not reach out and strangle the human. "As amusing I'm sure you'd find doing such things, I have more important tasks than indulging your petty whims."

"Really? Do tell." Draco waved one hand in an expansive gesture, an expression of cool amusement on his face.

Haldir returned the expression with one of disdain. "I have no need to explain myself to a child." He began down the steps, stopping when he noticed Draco wasn't following. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Draco was watching him through narrowed eyes, and Haldir could see him drumming his fingers against his arm.

Haldir pushed the desire to curse Galadriel for saddling him with the strange human, he spoke slowly, as if he would with a small child. "You cannot remain here while I am out training with the other wardens. You will accompany me there, and you will stay out of the way until the session is over."

"Training?" Draco's eyes darted to the sword at Haldir's waist. "With swords?"

Haldir rolled his eyes. "Among other weapons, yes."

Draco smiled, the expression disconcerting on his face. Haldir didn't think Draco's face was meant to smile, and bit back a comment saying as much.

"Than I will come with you." Draco paused. "Though I shall require clothing more appropriate to spar in."

Haldir choked on a laugh. "You? Spar with the wardens of Lothlórien?" He shook his head. "No. You will stay out of the way until the session is over, and then you will return here."

Draco scowled, his eyes narrowing. "You cannot dictate what I am capable of, elf. Or what I am going to do. I will spar, and I will require clothing more suitable for the activity."

Haldir turned back to face Draco. "You will not be sparring with those under my command." He took in the clothing Draco wore. "I will not argue you need clothing better suited to remaining here, but that will not cause me to grant you permission to spar."

Draco's jaw clenched. "Then I demand that you provide me with suitable clothing now."

Haldir glared at Draco a moment before taking two long strides behind the screen that kept his bed hidden from the rest of the world. He pulled out a worn tunic and leggings that were long past their prime, and shoved them into the human's hands.

"There. Wear those, human."

Draco inspected the clothing, and wrinkled his nose briefly at the obvious wear. "This will be tolerable for today only. I shall expect better tomorrow." He gave Haldir a haughty look as he stepped behind the screen, stepping back out a moment later dressed in what he had been given. "Now, you may lead the way, elf." He gave Haldir a mocking smile, and waved one hand in an expansive gesture to emphasize his words.

Haldir silently snarled, cursing whatever had brought Draco to Middle Earth, and most especially, what had brought him to Lothlórien. He took the most convoluted path he could think of that wouldn't delay him greatly, trying to ensure that Draco was well and truly lost before they arrived at the clearing where the marchwardens sparred.

There, he spotted his brothers, who both had grins on their faces. Haldir wondered how long it had taken Caladwen to tell Rúmil about the guest, and his newly assigned task of watching the little human brat.

"Heyla, brother!" Rúmil came over, looking at Draco curiously. "So this is the little drowned human you pulled out of the river, and Lady Galadriel has given you the duty to watch." He smirked, raising an eyebrow. "He looks quite charming in your cast offs. Like a little elfling."

"What is he saying?" demanded Draco, sending a sharp, wary look at Rúmil. "And what language is he speaking?"

Haldir smirked. "He is speaking in Sindarin, human. And he said merely that you look like a little elfling in my castoffs."

Draco's face went pale, with spots of red high in his cheeks, his eyes glittering. "Did he?" he asked sotto voce. He was glaring at Rúmil, and the other elf gave Haldir an annoyed look.

"Although it was what I said, it was not in the ill humour with which you told him, Haldir." Rúmil crossed his arms over his chest. "I would that you would tell him it in the manner I said it, but you have no mind to do so, I think. For though we all have little love for those from outside our forest, you have less still than any other." He sighed, and looked at Draco briefly. "So what name does our strangely-arrived guest have that we might call him?"

"He says his name is Draco Malfoy, and he appears to think himself of some importance." Haldir snorted. "And what wits he may have once had I think have been lost in the river, for he doubted when he awoke even the reality of this place."

Though he knew well enough of it, Haldir added to himself. And he knew who I was, which does not bode well for who he really may be, or where he might come from.

Rúmil was watching Draco intently as the young man glared back. "So what skill has he to practice here, brother of mine, that you brought him with you? I see nothing he has with him that he might do, except become bored, and cause mischief."

Haldir gave Draco a sneering look. "He says he wishes to spar, though I do not know how he might spar against an elf. I doubt he has the skill."

"Maybe." Orophin was standing off to the side. "We could spar with him, brother. Certainly it would ill for you to take on that task." He smirked at the glare Haldir sent his was. "Truly, Haldir. You appeared to be in a most foul mood when you arrived, and I would think to attribute it to the human, or to the task Lady Galadriel set you in watching him."


"What is being said?" Draco crossed his arms, glaring at Haldir.

Haldir glared right back. "They are speaking of you, human, and I will not stand here and tell you all of what they say."

"Why don't they speak English, so that I might understand them? It is rude to speak about someone in a language the person cannot understand."

"English?" Haldir drew the word out, looking puzzled now, in addition to annoyed. "Is that what they call the Common Tongue in the land from which you come?"

Draco gave him an odd look, wondering if the elf had hit his head. "Since that is what I am speaking, obviously that is the case." He curled his lip in a sneer of disgust. "Perhaps you have lost your wits now, elf."

"I have lost nothing!" Haldir snapped back, once more glaring. He turned to point at a tree. "Sit there, and keep quiet. I will not have you causing mischief."

"No." Draco shook his head. "I will not. I came here to spar, and I will not allow you to prevent me from doing so."

The elf who had spoken to Haldir first laughed, his eyes sparkling with merriment, and he said something to Haldir that caused the elf to scowl, and snap something back in the same language.

Haldir stalked away after the elf said something more, leaving Draco with no way to understand what the elf said.

"Rúmil." The elf touched his chest, then pointed to another elf, who bore a resemblance to both himself and to Haldir. "Orophin."

Orophin was studying Draco minutely, ignoring Rúmil's introduction of him to the young wizard. A corner of the elf's mouth twitched upwards in a smile, and he pulled the blade that hung at his waist, offering it to Draco hilt first.

Draco regarded it for a moment, before accepting it. He took a step back, to ensure they were out of his way, and tested the balance and weight of the weapon. A smirk came to his face at the quality of the blade.

Rúmil tapped the end of the blade with his own, a grin of amusement on his face. He said something Draco didn't understand, and the young wizard could see Haldir scowling across the clearing.

With a grin, Draco nodded, settling into a ready stance, slowly circling Rúmil as the elf turned on one foot. He struck out, his form perfect, and yelped as the flat of the elf's blade smacked his hand. "What the bloody hell…?"

Rúmil raised an eyebrow, and called over to Haldir. There was a reply in the same liquid language, before Haldir rolled his eyes, and said, so that Draco could understand, "My brother says you fight like a child who has just picked up a blade. All show and no real skill."

Draco's jaw dropped, and he glared at both of them for a long moment, before he tried to launch another offensive.


Haldir smirked as he looked down at Draco, who was leaning against a tree at the edge of the clearing, the clothing he wore soaked through with sweat. "You look little better than when you were pulled from the river, human. I wonder that you have survived this long, if you are always half-drowning yourself in water or in your own foolish arrogance."

Draco opened one pale grey eye to meet Haldir's gaze. "You are lucky my wand was lost in that river of yours, elf. Or you would look no better than I." His lip curled upwards in a sneer. "And I am not so weak as you think I am."

Haldir chuckled. "Really? You appear to have more bruises than I did when I first tested my mettle against the wardens who guard this city."

Draco didn't deign to reply, using the tree he was leaning against to haul himself to his feet, and to steady himself as he swayed. "I want something to eat, elf. So where in this bloody place do I go to find food?"

Rúmil came over, having packed his weapons and gear to return them to his talan. "You ought to take him to see Caladwen, Haldir. His balance appeared to be off in the later rounds, and I think that it is not because he is human. Tired, perhaps, but I recall that you pulled him from the river, and that Caladwen said to watch him for signs that not all has healed from the blow he took to the head whilst in the river."

Haldir grimaced. "So she did."

"What did he say now?" Draco snapped, one hand rubbing at his temple.

"That you ought to see the healer before anything else."

"I don't need some healer for a few bruises!"

Haldir's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed Draco by the arm, hauling the young man in the direction of Caladwen's talan. "I didn't say it was for a few bruises, human, and nor would I suggest it. Unless you are weaker than you pretend to be?"

Draco yanked his arm out of Haldir's grasp, and stumbled, reaching out to steady himself against a tree. "No!"

Rúmil reached out a steadying hand, pulling back once Draco was steady on his feet. "No one told him he had struck his head hard enough to give him a concussion, did they, Haldir?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No," Haldir replied, biting off the word as he pushed his annoyance down. "You are going to the healer, Draco, now."

"Why should I?" Draco crossed his arms over his chest, a scowl on his face. "She said nothing about me going back."

"She said to bring you back if there were signs of a concussion." Haldir raised an eyebrow, daring Draco to argue with him.

Draco's eyes widened. "Concussion? And no one thought to tell me I had a concussion!"

Haldir rolled his eyes. "One would think you would have the intelligence to notice that something was wrong. I must have been mistaken."

He merely received a glare from Draco, before the boy turned, and stalked in the direction Haldir had been directing him. Rúmil sighed, shaking his head at his brother, and followed, catching Draco when the boy stumbled, and steadying him the rest of the way.

Why couldn't you have had Rúmil watch him? Or someone else who might survive dealing with the human with their sanity intact?

Haldir scowled at his thoughts, and followed Rúmil and Draco to Caladwen's talan, to make sure the human didn't do anymore damage to himself.