In the darkness of the new moon, on her way to meet Glorfindel at a banquet in the Great Hall, she came upon something in the corridor she never thought she would see again. And hoped, never would. The familiar outline of Glorfindels shoulders, his blonde hair, being pressed against the wall, by an elleth. They were oblivious to all else, locked in each others embrace. She stood there, frozen, unable to move, until Glorfindel opened his eyes, and saw her standing there. He looked at the elleth in his arms, realizing for the first time that she was not his Sallahra. It was Gwyneth, with darkened hair. The resemblance had been so striking, he had never noticed in the darkness. He pushed her away roughly, but it was already too late. Once more, he had ignored Sallahra's warnings, and once more, he had hurt her. Only this time, more lastingly, and more completely than any mere physical harm. And the knowledge of this tore through him, and he raced after her, to try and somehow make things right, Gwyneth's smirk following him up the corridor.
She slammed the door shut within her quarters, locking it firmly. Then, ignoring the pounding that came from her door, and Glorfindels desperate cries, she began to place her belongings in a bag. Calmly, as always. If she let the pain catch her now, she knew that she would not be able to go on. She would go to where she was wanted. She would go away from the crippling pain that took form in her blonde haired love. She would go to Lorien. To Haldir, if he would still have her, for however short a time.
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She closed the door behind her, as she went to leave, staring up the corridors of Imladris for what she believed to be the last time. She then picked up the last of her bags, and walked away. She saw him in the corridor. His eyes caught hers, imploringly, begging her to see him, speak to him anything. She turned away, unable to even grant him that small concession. She continued on down the corridor, her heart slowing a little more with each step. Leaving him was the hardest thing she had ever done. And she was afraid that if she glanced back, saw him once more, that what little resolve she had left would crumble, and send her straight back to him.
She made it all the way to the horse in the courtyard before she looked back, and then she wished she hadn't. In a window, high above her, Glorfindel watched her, and even from the distance between them, she could see the silvered tracks of tears upon his face, and haggard lines where the day before, there had been none. She turned away, and mounted her horse, the shards of her self locked away so that she could never bleed for him the way she was now, ever again.
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Haldir looked up to see her in his doorway. He sat by the fire, his face eerily handsome in the fire light. He smiled. "Come here," he said huskily, leaning back in his chair, any surprise he may have felt at seeing her there traceless. She walked across the room, forcing her legs to move. She sat at his feet, not looking at him, staring into the flames. The journey to Lorien had been some of the longest days of her life.
"I knew you would come to me," he whispered to her, his hand coming to rest upon her hair, and stroking it so gently, that after all she had endured, no touch could be crueler had he bruised her. "Once again, he has hurt you."
She tried to stop herself from shaking, as his caresses continued. "I understand your pain, Sallahra. Both of us, without the one that we long for." She looked up at him then, for the first time since she had sat at his feet.
"Come to me. We can be lonely together." he said, recognizing the pain in her eyes, that was kindred to his own. And with that, his hands lifted her from the floor onto his lap, where he proceeded to swiftly pull the garments from her half frozen form, and kiss half-voiced denial from her lips.
And as he thrust into her, for the first time, she knew then that she was truly dead inside. And she was perfectly fine with that. Because if her heart never beat again, at least the pain of not having Glorfindel would end.
A/N: I know this one was a short chapter, I'm sorry, but if I didn't give you this, there'd be nothing for you until Wednesday, and I couldn't bare to put you through that.lol. let me know what you think now. And just for the record, I may very well have gotten my inspiration back. I have an idea for a new story, and its a doozie. In that it's been done a thousand times, but hopefully I can put a new spin on it. enjoy the chapter, and sound off your opinion in a review. Thanks very much. I 've tried to answer all the other reviews thus far.
