The ride seemed to grow longer with each step. He wanted nothing more than to turn and run the other way. What a plague it was to him, the fact that he, Glorfindel, the Golden Flower, could slay demons, but could not face an elleth. Quite frankly, in the face of all this, it made him feel increasingly like a bit of Balrog slaying right now….but a look behind him at the escort (who was quickly becoming a guard to keep him on the road) stopped that idea.

(&&89

Despite this, however, they arrived on the borders of Lorien far too soon for Glorfindels liking. And the closer they came to Golden city, the closer his eyes drew to the ground, determined not to appear as though he was looking for a certain someone.

Upon arriving, he asked his escort to show him to where he would be staying. Despite his firmest resolve not to, he scanned the trees, intent upon catching a glimpse of Sallahra. He went wanting, as the bright eyed escort led him to a talan. As he stepped inside, the escort left him with a hurried bow.

"Odd," murmured Glorfindel, as he surveyed what looked suspiciously like a lived in talan. Was this some kind of farce at his expense? The sound of the door opening at the other end of the talan made him start.

He turned at the sudden sound. She stood behind him, unaware of his presence due to her preoccupation with the basket in her hands, but when she looked up at him, her whole body froze.

It was though he was seeing her for the first time. She could not look away. As though making up for the last time they had been together, when she would not look at him, now she could not stop. If leaving him had torn her apart, seeing him set her heart beating again. And when Haldir walked into the room, and saw the two, unable to tear their eyes off each other, he knew then that she would not fill his arms again. And he left silently, to once more go without the one that his shallow love of Sallahra had staved for a short while.

&&

Glorfindel spoke first. "I have heard that you and the Marchwarden are lovers."

Not one to be beaten, she snapped back, before she could stop herself. "And I heard that you are every maid in Imladris's lover. Again."

"Do you love him?"

"Do you love any of them?"

"Did you love me?"

"What do you think, Glorfindel? I left my home so I would never have to look at you again. Of course I loved you! I love you still."

Glorfindel snorted. "And so the Marchwarden is what, YOUR WHORE?" he shouted, as they both grew closer, and redder in the face.

"Did you ever really love me, Glorfindel?" she sneered his name. "I gave you everything I had, and yet you still went to another."

"IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK HAPPENED?" Glorfindel screamed, as a single moment of confusion suddenly became clear to him. "I would not have touched Gwyneth or any other, from the moment you told me that you would be mine, and I told you I was yours. I thought her to be you."

Sallahra stared at him for a moment, finally putting a thousand pieces together. "You….did?" she asked haltingly.

"Yes. And I can't function without you. If we were to no longer be together, I'd fade from this world."

"You….love me still?"

"I never stopped." He said hoarsely. She allowed herself to pull a little closer to him, wishing he would close this gap between them, that seemed as impassable as a chasm to her.

"And what of Haldir?" Glorfindel asked, having to know the truth, before he dared to hope.

"He was my countless others. To forget you. And I died a little more every time it was his arms around me, not yours."

And with that, Glorfindel threw his arms around her, and kissed her soundly, passing whatever had lain between them in a single step. She felt her heart crashing against her ribs almost painfully, as if answering to Glorfindels heart, which was so close just then.

And she realized then, that for the first time, he had truly saved her.

&(&(&(7

Lonely, Joselyn sat at the river, when she heard another behind her. When she looked up, she saw Haldir staring, as if into nothingness. When he realized he was not alone, the sight of her bathed in moonlight chased the care worn lines of his face away, as he forgot to breathe for a moment. Perhaps, there was light in his seemingly unreturned love for Joselyn. She looked at him, and saw what pain he carried, his remorse at the way he had treated her, the way he had lived his half life without her. And a small spark of hope lit within her. He had never allowed himself to show her how he truly felt before. Always, it seemed, it was Haldir the Marchwarden she knew, not simply…Haldir. Perhaps there was a time to truly forgive him after all. And for the first time since they had last spoken, she smiled.

"Now I really must see Celeborn's advisor," he said, tearing himself away from her. She murmured something that sounded suspiciously like a curse, before she pulled him back to her.

"You're not going anywhere," she murmured, her eyes still closed, holding him firmly against her tiny frame. The difference in strength between the two of them was laughable, to the point where Glorfindel could have broken her hold without thinking. But he stayed where he was. She slid her hands down to grasp him to her, and she sighed with contentment as she felt him slip inside of her once more. It was strange to think that the very same act that had broken her seemed to make her whole again. The difference being Glorfindel.

And when they had once more slaked their lust for one another, they lay in stillness, barely moving, neither speaking. But it was enough, until they finally fell asleep, exhausted. Satisfied. At least, until the next time she woke him, wanting more.

&786

He had finally managed to dress, but only with the promise to return to her as soon as was at all possible. He had ran to the council room to meet Lord Celeborns advisor, and intended to be out of there as quickly as possible. But as he soon found out, he was to be out of there sooner than he thought.

"What do you mean, he did not send for me?" Glorfindel asked, wide eyed, mouth open in shock.

"Lord Celeborn had all matters of concern attended to at the meetings of the past week, My Lord," the Seneschal of Lorien replied, looking a little surprised himself. Glorfindel replayed in his mind Elronds words, his tone of voice upon sending him here, the twinkle in his eyes….the…..

The meddlesome old goat! He had tricked him! Tricked him into coming to Lorien, into seeing Sallahra again! He tried as hard as he possibly could to be angry, furious, frustrated, anything, but he found himself bursting into loud peals of laughter that echoed through out the hall. If anything, he owed Elrond a very good bottle of wine. And then he winced. After the past weeks, he realized he no longer had any left.

He returned to the talan he had spent the past night in with Sallahra, who lay curled, sleeping in the warmth he had left when he had vacated the bed. She woke at the sound of him closing the door.

"Either I have slept a long time, or you were swift to the point of rudeness, Glorfindel. What happened?"

Quick, he thought to himself. Think of an excuse. Don't tell her the real reason! "Ahhh….I used my…undeniable powers of persuasion to…bring the meeting to an end quickly," he said, sliding into the bed beside her once more. She raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

"The only persuasive powers you have, my love, involve a bed and that rather wicked tongue of yours. Now what happened?"

Unruffled, he went to his next excuse. There was no way he could tell her the truth. It was far to embarrassing, even now. "They told me to come back tomorrow."

"Glorfindel…" she said, sitting up.

"They had already sorted it out for themselves?" he tried once more, and Sallahra folded her arms.

"How about you just use your worst excuse quickly so I can then use my powers of persuasion to get the real answer out of you?"

"What, that a squirrel was found in one of the pantries this morning and upon discovery it knocked over a boiling pot of…something, which subsequently resulted in there no being enough food to feed us so we shall have to leave Lorien straight away and never speak of this again?" he said, looking a little surprised himself. How had he come up with that one?

Sallahra fought back laughter, a sly grin on her face. "Alright. Now the truth, or you may find yourself sleeping on the floor for the next year."

"I don't see why that should faze me. The floor is a perfectly good place to make love to y-"

"Alone".

Glorfindel nearly tripped over himself in his hurry to tell her the truth. "Ëlrond tricked me into coming here to see you by telling me there was a meeting when there really was not and it was all a farce on his part to stop me drinking and neglecting my duties because I couldn't function without you, which I already told you last night." He looked up at her sheepishly, and she laughed. He may have been a few eggs short of a dozen at times, but she loved him. And he, her. She lay back down beside him, reaching down between them to grasp hold of a part of him that was currently begging for her attention.

"By the Valar, Glorfindel, there is some sort of creature in the bed with us!" she said in mock-horror, stroking the length of him, making him shiver, and pin her beneath him.

"Do you think it is the squirrel from your story?" she said, continuing to torment him, as he buried his head in her neck, trying to gain some semblance of control over himself. He wanted to reply. He wanted to look her squarely in the eye and correct her that no, it was not a squirrel, it was a mighty serpent intent upon ravishing her. But for some reason, his mouth wouldn't work. (Thank the Valar)

She smiled at him. He was the silliest ellon she had ever met. She stopped stroking him, bringing her hands up to pull him closer to him. He growled at the loss of her hands upon him, only to drive himself deeply within her. She felt so good to him. He thrust into her, again and again, driving them over the edge of all rational thought, as they both reached their climax quickly, as though to make up for lost time. As they lay their shaking minutes later, breathing heavily, he finally found himself capable of coherent speech again. "I'm going to love you twice a day for the rest of our lives."

"Sometimes three times?" she whispered, too tired to do anything more then curl up next to him.

"As many times as I can find hours in a day." he said, drawing her tenderly against him.

He smiled down at her. His only. And for the first time, ever, in his long life, he was truly at peace. As was she.

A/N: okay. Last chapter. I promised it would be a long one. Enjoy, and don't forget to tell me what you think. Stay tuned for the new story. Will be up in a few weeks. I just want to take the opportunity to thank all my reviewers. Your feedback is very much appreciated, and I answer all of them. Thanks very much