CENTRAL TALAN

Earlinde stood in her clean March Warden Uniform with her head resting upon her collarbone. Her eyes were closed as Galadriel sought to compose her emotions.

It had been her second visit to the talan, because the first time the brothers and the warden came to find Galadriel collapsed on the floor crying for her beloved Haldir. The lord had sent them to clean up and then return.

Rumil and Orophin stood leaning on each other for support, their tears glistening on their faces. The Lord finished addressing them then turned to her.

"March Warden," The talan breaking into sobs again at the mention of the title, "We have trusted you this far, you said you can track Haldir. We will entrust you with our own. However, you will not be going alone, Rumil and Orophin will be accompanying you on your journey. They, along with any able bodied Lorien guard willing to come." He stood silent as if not knowing if there is anything to say.

Earlinde had retreated to the corners of her mind. Her emotions were locked deep inside her, and when she looked into the eyes of the Lord and Lady, they gasped, noting how truly stoic and hard she looked.

Earlinde had to be strong, for Haldir, and his Brothers, for all of Lothlorien. Her gaze bore into the Lord as she opened her mouth to speak. No longer was it the sweet voice, but the commanding voice of the March Warden.

"My Lord and Lady," she began, placing her hands in back of her, standing at ease, "Though I have stayed here in the grace of Lorien, a wrong doer is only tried in his city for the crimes he has committed. Living by that standard, I wish to tell you that even though indeed this is an affair of all of Lorien, I ask you to let me do my job." She paused and looked over to the twins.

"My Lord and Lady, Rumil and Orophin are Lorien Guards. They are not under my command, I, on our journey will have no heed over their actions, and being the brother of our victim, they will act irrationally, placing themselves, my guard, and Haldir in grave peril. No offense my comrades."

She turned back to the Lord and Lady, "In that case. I wish you for not to place them on this journey unless they are in my charge. My guard and I we have an understanding. If I say 'stay' they will not move. But Lorien guards, I have no power over."

She looked at the Lord, her eyes sharp, tearing into his mind. "Then that is what your condition is? That only Imladris Guards travel with you?"

"Yes, Lord."

"So be it. Do you have two extra Imladris uniforms? I release these two to your charge." The lord turned to face Rumil whose mouth had dropped to the floor. Orophin looked paler than he should and stopped crying.

"You are now Imladris guard, go, and protect our land of Lorien." Rumil shocked, nodded and followed Earlinde into a separate talan were she handed them each a bundle of clothing.

Silence ensued as the three travelers reached the Northern Borders again. They stood over to the side, looking defeated, while Earlinde addressed her men.

"Imladris Guard, I have a mission that I must ask only the stout hearted to embark with me on." The guard assembled quickly and watched their leader.

"With me I take 20 of you. I will set up grasshopper posts with these 20, and then I will proceed with one other, in which a grasshopper post will be settled. If I do now return, you will turn to you 1st in command, Fervor, and from a backwards grasshopper, into Lorien. From Lorien you will see the Lady and Lorien and decide you next course! Know now that these two elves (she points at Rumil and Orophin) are to be discharged from the Imladris guard and transferred back to the Lorien guard if they survive our journey! If not, they will be delivered to their family and given the proper burial!" With that the Guard brought into the clearing 23 horses, one being Maed. Earlinde mounted him, followed by Orophin, Rumil, Fervor, and Finwe on separate horses. The 23 elves assembled in two lines.

"IMLADRIS HAIL!!" Earlinde said turned in her saddle with her sword in the air.

Her answer? "IMLADRIS HAIL!!!"

"Forward, we ride with no stops until the first post!"

With that cheers went into the air by the guard remaining behind, as hooves thundered on the ground.

Few Hours Later

Earlinde slowly continued her gallop towards the distant mountains Galadriel said Haldir has been carried into. After riding for a few hours she watched as her guard fell silent of its song, exhausted. Frustrated she called for a camp.

Once camp was set up, she pulled her map out of the folds of her red cloak and placed it on a smooth rock.

He has been taken to the mountains of Angmar. They carry him now to Carn Dum, in the of old witch realm of Angmar.

-Do you see him my Lady?-

Nay, I lost sight of him on yester eve

Earlinde wondered who could want something from a March Warden, though was painfully reminded that March Wardens suffer the fate that their Lords and Ladies are meant to. That is the oath of a Warden, to protect his Lord and Lady by sacrificing themselves, putting him in the way of danger, a body shield.

Earlinde sat and stared at the map of Middle Earth. The realm of Angmar was on the other side of middle earth. She had twenty men, which meant 5 grasshopper posts of 4.

-Or 6 of 3…- her mind called.

With the map in her hand she located Angmar and put a red pin into the map. Then she placed a white marker where they were a few leagues from Dimriu Dale just east of the Celebrant.

Her finger traced where they should be. The fastest way to get to Angmar is to travel by water. After all, that is how the orcs got to Lorien. What hope they sought to retrieve the March Warden lied in the Anduin.

She called her men around her, and drew Rumil and Orophin closer to her. "It takes 110 day to get from Lorien to Rivendell!" she yelled pointing at the places as she spoke.

"By water it takes twenty!" she said pointing to the Celebrant.

"From Rivendell to Angmar it takes another hundred!!" She watched faces fall.

"Fear not! For we are only a few days behind the enemy! They, mindless rabble, shall not outsmart Elves!!!" nod and grunts were her answer.

"We will take to the Anduin! We will travel up the Anduin, until it merges into The Langwell! That will leave us in front of the Ettenmoors! We will cross them into Angmar and travel by the mountain! We must be speedy! We rely on each other! Everyone must do what is good for the whole!! 6 grasshopper posts of 3 will be formed!"

She looked up at her guards, valiant men, "The first! On the Carrock River! The second! On the Carrock Divider! The Third! Langwell! The fourth! Mount Gundabad! The fifth will be our half way point between Carn Dum and Angmar, the remaining two elves, the sixth grasshopper post, will be myself and another! The rest of you must hold fast to your posts, we must not lose men! We must make haste! By water it is a 60 day journey! We will make it in a week!! One! Week! If you cannot handle the travel, then DO! NOT! CONTINUE! Our brother needs us! We will not leave him to torment and death!" She continued to put yellow markers on the map, and then called to the Lady in her mind.

-Lady!-

Yes, child?

-I need you to send now 11 Elven boats with 46 oars! We need them in a now.-

Ride to the Anduin and await their arrival, they are on their way.

-Thank you lady!-

"Get up!! We ride to the east, to the Anduin then make camp again!"

ANDUIN BANKS

Earlinde stood in a boat and supervised as her warriors put meager belonging in the boats. They would be two to a boat, only necessities. That wouldn't weight the boat down and help them go faster. The last boat had three men in it, the first grasshoppers.

They set off quickly, each elf with two oars in his hands rowing hard. Earlinde shared a boat with Orophin, and looked over her shoulder at the elf that had been silent the entire time.

She started when he spoke to her, "You command the guard with an iron fist, yet they speak fondly of you."

"Indeed," she answered.

"Why?"

"Because I am their friend. We are friends first, then guards. Haldir does not see this approach fit, so his men talk unpleasantly about him when he is out of earshot."

"I love my brother, Ear—M-M-March Warden."

"I didn't say you didn't dearest Orophin, I only say that you participate in jest at his expense."

"Out of Love…"

"Out of his arrogance."

"He likes you,"

"He does not"

"He saved you."

"Indeed, and then proceeded to tell me that I have a mangled body."

"He has never established a relationship with an elleth, other that out of lust."

"Indeed, it shows in his demeanor, because he is so cold."

"He might want to try with you, if you let him try"

"Nay, it would not work"

"Why?"

"Because we are March Wardens of distant lands, one day I will have to return to my Land, as he to his."

Orophin silently pondered this.

Hours slowly passed as song touched the air. The Imladris guard sang and laughed together. Rumil and Fervor kept close paced with Earlinde.

DAY AND HALF LATER

Earlinde set her feet upon the banks of the Carrock. Impressed at the time they were making she smiled. Her arms, exhausted from the row, stood limply at her sides. Around her she looked to see elves sleeping on the ground, not wanting to set camp for their arm aches.

She gratefully lay on the solid ground and fell asleep.

SUNRISE, CARROCK BANKS

Rumil nudged Orophin with his foot. Orophin sat up feeling groggy, and then stood his arms screamed at him, and he bit his lip in pain. Rumil looked at him understandingly, and then helped his brother over to his boat.

Rumil lowered himself into the boat with Fervor and looked over at Orophin who had sleepily settled in the other boat.

Earlinde waited until 19 elves had settled into the 10 boats, and then turned to face the grasshoppers.

After explaining to them that they were to stay in the immediate area to ward off following enemies, and to accept the injured she turned around and boarded her boat with Orophin.

The three Elves pulled their swords over their heads and gave a war cry; "HAIL IMLADRIS!" as the band, less three elves, took off with great speed.

The next marker was closer about half a day's journey if they kept pace.

When they reached the Divider, one boat landed and scrambled to the banks. The two boats were pulled up on land with four elves. Another boat pulled up and took in the extra elf, leaving three on the land. The eight boats waited patiently until the war cry was sounded and continue hard into the water.

They had slowed considerably in the next stretch; they took a day and a half of slow paddling until they reached the Langwell, struggling with pain they pushed for another day before they met the mountains where the third grasshoppers would settle, with all the boats.

Earlinde sat on the banks on a rock with a small journal in her hand, she furiously scribbled in it. Then pulled out her map, counting how many days they had taken.

-6 and half days of travel- She sighed as she looked up at the mountain. They would lose more time and energy scaling the cliffs of Gundabad.

GUNDABAD

"Master, they are here, they have landed on the banks of Langwell, the elves are tracking us." a goblin crawled to inform his master. He was back handed across the face.

"Kill them fool!" came the fierce bark.

The master turned his head back to his prize.

Haldir stood before, the master, bare-chested, his leggings torn, and barefooted. His legs were fasted by strong knots to two razor sharp rocks so every time he tried to move his foot the rocks cut deeply into this raw flesh.

His arm tied to two similar rocks in the mountain side so that he couldn't move them at all. Weak from the arm injury that had tried to seal itself only to be slowly pealed open again, his head hung against his chest. His chest and back had whip markings that had torn open the flesh. He had a black eye and his nose was broken.

Flash Back

Haldir had been tied to a tree (same way as above) and stood staring defiantly at the one the orcs had called master.

He had withstood the whips and the beatings he took. He had even withstood the mental pressure.

"Do you know what I am going to do to you? I am going to kill your family! Do you a bitch? Huh? Well I am going to take her over and over in front of you, then kill her!" His head was pulled back by his hair and he came face to face with the master who punched him.

Haldir lashed out, but his restrains held him tightly. He had not made a sound when the whipped him or beat him, he wouldn't let them get that pleasure of hearing him cry out.

The Master grabbed Haldir's wounded arm and started laughing when Haldir winced and a gasp escaped from his lips.

He looked up to see the master bent over and laughing he slowly bent down to his boot and pulled up a small dagger. His eyes flashed as he barked for Haldir to be cut down.

8 orcs held down as the struggling elf, as the master bent over him.

"Now tell me elf, where is the Mithril ring?"

Haldir eyed him in defiance.

"As you wish, pet." The master bent over Haldir's arm and slowly inserted it in the half closed wound.

Haldir squeezed his eyes tightly and renewed his struggles. Then he bit his lip in pain as he felt sharp nails grasp the skin and rip it off his arm.

Haldir let out a scream that echoed in the valley, then defeated, laid his head on the ground and sobbed.

The master had repeated the question everyday and repeated the punishment for no answer.

End Flash Back

"Now, pet, tell me" the master purred.

"Where is that little ring? Hmm? I promise I spare all your kind if you tell me."

Haldir breathed in deeply; let tears fall from his closed eyes as his body readied itself for another wave of abuse.

LANGWELL BANKS

11 elves began the 2 day trek to Gundabad. Earlinde set a quick pace by jogging the straight dirt and gravel path. The unease of the elves grew as they ran towards the gray mountain looming ahead of them.

Orophin and Rumil ran beside the March Warden who had her brow furrowed. Silently the brothers wanted to be the other elf that who journeyed forward with the Warden to save Haldir.

Rumil and Orophin fell back and looked at each other.

"What think you brother?" Rumil breathed.

"I am troubled about Haldir's safety. My heart tells me his is alive, but he has been gone long from us."

"Do not think the worst brother."

"What else can I think; we are moving fast, but not fast enough. It has been already 7 days and we have not even caught site of those we pursue!" Orophin let tears show in his eyes and turned from his brother.

"If we lose him Rumil, then I will not be able to forgive myself." Orophin sped up again and ran alongside Earlinde.

They continued their tread toward the mountain and after about 15 hours of running Earlinde slowed down. She waited until the 11 companions slowed, and then turned to address them.

"Do you wish rest?" Ashe said as they formed a circle around her. A chorus of 'nays' sounded and she continued on her trek.

HALF A DAY LATER

Earlinde stood on a cliff and let the wind blow in her face. Her men watched her intently, and then Finwe broke into a song.

When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain

But in dreams
I can hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And back again

Her eyes closed as her guard fell into silence and then snapped open and settled on Rumil. He had been singing to!! A smiled graced her lips as she turned back to the rocks and her Elven eyes searched the ash and baby flowers peaking out of the realm of the old Witch King.

Orophin startled her by speaking, "They told many stories of this place in the days of old."

"Indeed…"

"My favorite is the one about the Witch King's defeat in the battle of Fornost." A small smile graced Orophin's lips before it faded into sadness. "Haldir used to tell it to me, when I was but a young child."

She threw her arms around his shoulders and looked at him, "By my life or death, I will find him, and you will hold him before the end, Orophin."

CARROCK, GRASSHOPPER STATION 1

A sea of arrows flew out of the trees at the three elves, striking them dead. Fifteen wargs carrying goblins race along the opposite side of the Anduin.

REALM OF ANGMAR

Haldir struggled to catch is breath before the whip graced his back again. They had changed the daily punishment of tearing his wound open to 3 whippings a day, and just before settling that night tearing open his wounds.

Haldir's was hoarse from the screaming when the torn open his flesh, so he settled in letting tears intermingle with blood.

GUNDABAD

9 elves continued to trek towards the overpass of the mountain, the steep climb set many off balance, as the gray razor sharp rock was not even in any spot.

"Commander they cannot have come this way!!" yelled Fervor as he helped steady his friend by pushing him closer to the wall.

"Nay! This is a shorter way!" Earlinde slipped and before Rumil, who was closest could grab her she took the razor sharp rocks down the side of the mountain.

Earlinde's arms lashed out wildly as she tried to clasp anything that would slow her. The razor sharp rocks cut her back wildly and she had to place her hand in her mouth to stop from screaming. When she reached the bottom she rolled over on her stomach and prayed to the Valar to make the pain go away.

She patiently thanked Eru that she could rest her body while her soldiers followed her down.

2 Hours Later

Fervor was the first down and tears stung his eyes when he found his commander face down in the dirt and ash. He ran to her side and cried. The rest of the elves hurried over to her side and prayers were said.

Earlinde stirred and then woke and sat up looking at her men.

"She lives!!" yelped one of them. They all moved away from her, and Finwe gave her his hand to help her stand.

She stood and looked at each of them. "Who will sit on this station?" she asked.

Three elves nodded and soon six elves trekked away. "We travel North West."

Soon the elves were traveling the well trodden paths of Angmar.

"They say these lands are still haunted by the Witch King." Finwe whispered as he unsheathed his sword.

"Nay! That is an old wives tale, it is." The company sniggered. Just as Fervor closed his mouth goblin arrows where fired at the party. One elf was struck in between the eyes, and fell dead.

"Andreth!!" Called Finwe as the elf fell.

Earlinde held her sword tightly as another elf was struck.

"Ai!! Aynor has fallen!!" Finwe and Fervor carried the dead bodies and looked at each other.

The four elves left took for cover under the mountain, and hid. The rain of arrows immediately and they could see the retreating form of about 10 orcs.

"Someone must return to the previous post with the fallen elves! Who will go?" Earlinde said as she stood in front of the cave opening flat against the wall, with one arm over Rumil's chest, who was behind her pressing him to the wall, in her other had hand her sword and her head turned to watch the retreating figures.

"I will, commander." Finwe called from the inside of the cave. Rumil looked at Orophin, and Rumil nodded.

"I will I March Warden." Rumil said. Earlinde turned her face to his, and nodded.

Rumil picked up the slack body of Aynor in his arms, and looked outside.

"Come Orophin! We will provide cover for them!" Fervor and Orophin ran out of the cave and started firing arrows at the retreating figures, felling many of them.

Rumil and Finwe darted out of the cave with their burdens and started back towards the forth grasshopper station to relieve them. When they got there Finwe cried out to the heavens when three elves lay dead on the ground with goblin arrows protruding from the bodies.

Rumil gasped and dropped to his knees with Aynor in his arms.

"They have fallen!! What do we do now?" Rumil cried.

"We all of them back to the mouth of the river, where the third station will take then to the second. We will replace the third station as they will replace the second and the second the first. The first will take them home."

Rumil nodded and used a bit of torn cloth to tie the hands of one of the elves and heaved him over his back. He carried Aynor in his arms, and they shared the weight of the third elf.

So forth journeyed the two elves, back over Gundabad with 5 fallen elves.

ANGMAR

The three remaining elves continued to run until they scaled the cliffs towards the Mountain.

Earlinde wove through the labyrinth of sharp rocks and held her pace. Soon they began to climb again, and finally Earlinde's Elven eyes caught the sight of a big black figure scaling the cliff over their heads with an elf slung over his shoulder.

She broke into a run. Finally the path became so narrow that they could only pass it single file.

Earlinde stopped abruptly as a breech of the land came into view. She jumped over it, behind her Fervor ran without looking and fell. Orophin launched himself at the falling elf, and grabbed the elf by the hair. Fervor screamed and pawed at the razor sharp rock trying to find something to hold on to.

Earlinde turned toward the elf and outstretched her hand. "Fervor give me your hand!" she called.

The frightened elf yelped in pain as Orophin tried to pull him up from his hair. Suddenly Fervor's body jerked causing his hair to slip from Orophin. Two elves watched as their friend fall to the bottom of Carn Dum, and screamed. Fervor was impaled on a razor sharp spike that made him stand at his length, his head cocked awkwardly to the side.

"I dropped him…" Orophin whispered.

"I. Dropped. Him." He said higher, panic becoming clear in his eyes and voice.

"Orophin, no! Don't do this!"

Orophin began to sob and rock uncontrollably.

"Orophin! Orophin! You can make it better! (She jumped back over to Orophin holding his head and kissing his forehead) Orophin, go get him, and go to the first available grasshopper station to take him home."

Orophin nodded and turned around jogging towards the bottom of the mountain, what they had just scaled.

CARROCK, 1st GRASSHOPPER STATION

Rumil pulled his boat up to the bank, followed by Finwe. They were tired and heartbroken. Every station had been brutally murdered in cold blood. Rumil and Finwe now carried 19 dead elves. Exhausted Rumil fell to the ground and fell into tortured slumber.

CARN DUM

Earlinde quickly scaled the cliffs and came to the cave that she saw the Black Figure come into. She drew the hood of her cloak over her head and slipped into the shadows. Once inside she listened in on the voice inside the cave.

"Tell me pet. Yes, yes, that's it you want to tell me. I will not hurt you any longer." A hard slapping noise and a grunt echoed in the cave.

"Tell me where the mithril ring is!!!" A loud howl sounded in the cave followed by a maniacal laugh.

Earlinde hid her sword under her cloak, afraid that it would reflect the orange light of the inner cave, and stepped in further.

Once she was at the opening of the inner cave she pressed herself to the stone wall in the shadow, and crept in. She stood with a clear view of a battered and bleeding Haldir, and watched the Witch King himself beat Haldir.

-It cannot be!!- Her mind screamed.

-He was defeated in the battle of Fornost!! But, after he took up Minas Morgul, surely he does not search for the Rings of the Elves? Surely he will not bring siege on all the Elves of Middle Earth?-

Her eyes returned to the Witch King as he loomed over Haldir. For the first time on this quest fear struck Earlinde's heart. How was she going to save the March Warden? How would she get out alive?

A/N: Oh!! This is getting hot! What's going to happen? R/R!!