A.N: I would like to thank the following reviewers…

Anonymous: I will make sure you wait no further… here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Ariendar: I am honored to say that you think my story is good. Thank you!

Haldir's Heart and Soul: I know! But they say unhappiness like happiness seldom lingers. So have faith.

Muddie21: Gee! Thanks! Here is your next chapter. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the names you might find in the Professor's books. All right, now on with the story!

Thoughts or dreams are in Italics

- Anarya of Lorien

CRYSTAL DREAMS


Chapter – 3 (Awakening)

Anya's Point of view:

"Don't tell me you cannot even do this!" I laughed as he tried to catch me, running through the forest.

"Laurelin! Wait." He called out. I laughed as I nimbly slipped from his outstretched hands. His smile waned as he stopped running. His eyes were sad. "Laurelin, will you always run away from me?" my heart stopped a little.

He had taken this game all too seriously. I turned to look at him stand there with his hands drawn across his broad shoulders. I smiled a little as I walked slowly towards him. He turned to look at me, his face still containing remnants of sadness and frustration. I took his hand in both of mine.

"Haldir." I said, fearing I might hurt him more. He looked at me for a while before sweeping me into an embrace with all of his love laid bare for me to see. I smiled as tears welled in my eyes. I was happy.

We walked together, our arms entwining with each other as we reached Nimrodel. The stream we adored. I sat beside a mallorn near to bank, my reflection gazed back at me, my blonde hair let loose as was our custom, my blue eyes sparkling with happiness…

I woke up with a gasp. It was a dream. It was only a dream. But it had seemed so real! So real as though it had been a memory from my past. I placed my hands onto my head and drew away, sighing. My hair was the same as it was before. Brown, not blonde I reminded myself. My eyes were not blue. It was totally absurd. I reminded myself to ask Madam Pomfrey for some remedy from stupid dreams. It was then that I noticed that I was in a very strange place. It seemed like a tree house. I was lying on a silvery white bed, well covered and warm. In the room where I lay, there was a chair close to the bed, and from the dent in the cushion, someone had been sitting there, probably tending me. I gulped as I got up from the bed. My toes touched the carpeted floor softly, hardly making any sound.

My Hogwarts robe was on the top a table near the door. I heaved a relieved sigh and went closer to the table to retrieve my robe, which had my wand and the mirror, which reminded me of Benedik. He had told me something about going back where I belonged. Maybe this was his idea of a joke. I barely laid my hands on my robe when the door creaked open.

I hid myself beside the table just in time to see a pair of grey boots enter the room. I raised my head a little to stare at the back of a very tall man. His blonde hair shone in the light that filled the room and his broad shoulders showed him as someone who spent a lot of time with things I was ignorant in – warfare or exercise or both.

"My lady?" he questioned. His voice sounded oddly familiar. He turned his face to his right, so that I could see half of his face. He looked fair and pure, like some sort of other worldly being. His aquiline nose was sharp and proud. I raised my head a little more. He must have sensed my movement for he sharply turned back to stare at me. His eyes held such hidden power that I cowered in his sight. His face was noble and kingly. I merely closed my eyes tightly as I turned my face away from him.

"What are you doing there?" he asked. I slowly opened my eyes and turned to look at him. His eyes bore into mine as he knelt in front of me.

"Who are you?" he asked. I started at his voice. He seemed to notice, I was too scared to talk. He placed a hand on my shoulder as he smiled a little more.

"My name is Rumil, and there is nothing that you need fear." I nodded a little as fear slowly left me. Was it because of his reassuring touch or was it the ambience around us? I couldn't tell. He slowly rose from the floor, where I still quailed.

"I shall send my brother. He was the one who found you. What were you doing in the open glade?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't even know where I am." I said in a small voice. His eyebrows rose. "I see. I shall tell my brother. He is our captain and he shall know what is to be done. Have no fear as long as you are under the eaves of Lorien." He bowed a little and left me.

"Of Lorien?" I repeated after him. Where in the name of Merlin was I?


Haldir's Point of view:

"And she said, she did not know why she was here, nor the name of our dwelling. I think she is from some far off land." I nodded my head absently as I looked deeply at the Niphredil flowers in the ornament I had found. Rumil stopped speaking when he saw me.

"Brother? Are you listening to me?" I started a little as I turned to look at him, looking at me with one eyebrow cocked.

"I did listen to you. And if you are curious, I was thinking as to how a girl who knows nothing about our way or of our dwelling had this ornament in her keep." I held out the ornament for the other two to see. Their eyes widened in surprise. Orophin moved a little closer to see the ornament better.

"You speak truly brother! This is no craft of Men! Elven hands have wrought this piece and it interests me as to a mortal chanced upon it."

"I do not think she is evil." Rumil spoke. I turned to look at him critically. He ignored my look and continued on.

"She was scared when she saw me enter her room. I had gone to check on her. And she seemed to speak the truth when she said she did not know about us. Or about this place for that matter."

I nodded my head again. Then rising from where I sat, I walked towards the room where she slept.

"I shall ask her myself. But let us not reveal anything about this ornament to her. Not at least for the present."

My brothers nodded in agreement. I placed my hand on the door and pushed it ajar.

When I entered to room, I saw her, turning back sharply at the creak of the door. She wore her black robe, which Rumil had removed to see if she was injured. Her hands were tightly clasped around a wooden stick, which looked polished and well cared for.

"Mae govannen." I said. She looked at me puzzled. All right she did not know our tongue.

"Good afternoon." I said in the speech of Men. She nodded her head a little. "Good afternoon to you too." I smiled a little as I took another step towards her. She stepped back hastily. I stopped.

"My lady, you are in no danger here. All we crave to know is how you happened to lie near the glades of the Golden woods?"

Her eyes widened as I mentioned the name. "Golden woods?" she asked me, I nodded my head.

"Aye, the Golden Woods. But why does it startle you?" I asked. She looked down as she said, "I don't know." Her voice was feeble and frightened. I sighed as I walked a little closer. She looked up sharply as I held out my hands in a sign of peace.

"I seek no violence, my lady. But to merely know your name." She relaxed a little as she said, "Anya."

Her voice was a little bit calmer now. "I might call you Lady Anya, might I not?" I asked with a smile on my lips. She looked at me, smiled and nodded her head. I smiled as I bowed my head a little and walked towards the door.

As I was about to step out of the room, I heard her call me,

"What might I call you, good sir?" she asked. I smiled a little as I said, "You may call me Haldir."

"Haldir." She repeated after me. But something in the way she said my name made me turn back to look at her. She stood there looking at me surprised.

"You need rest, Lady Anya." I closed the door and walked outside. Her voice seemed too familiar. Too painful to hear! It brought back memories. I sighed as I walked out of the flet to join my brothers for supper.


Ithilwen's Point of view:

They were coming this way. Haldir, leading his brothers towards my flet. I was to take up duty after them. Haldir was to leave for the city, for another two weeks. My duty still remained for two more days.

"Mae govannen, Haldir." I greeted him. He smiled and nodded his head in greeting. I welcomed his brothers as well. They smiled at me and followed their elder brother into my flet. I seated myself next to Haldir as he took out a parchment from his cloak and laid it across the table. Another schedule to be followed by the Wardens of the Watch. I sighed a little as I remembered how Haldir had been before she left him for the Halls of Mandos. My sister, his betrothed, a soul precious to the both of us. Laurelin.

"Haldir, I know my position. Your parchments will only confuse me further." I said, in a monotonous tone. He turned to look at me surprised. I smiled a little as I grabbed the parchment from the table, folded it and placed it into my grey suede cloak. Rumil and Orophin sniggered. I then placed before him bundles of lembas in green leaf like wrappings.

"Now we sup." I said, my voice extremely motherly in fashion. Haldir sighed a little as he took one of the wrappings and slowly unwrapped them.

"You are leaving the borders, Haldir." I said as he took a bite out of his bread.

"He won't be gone forever you know!" Rumil said. I smiled a little as I stood up, having finished my small meal of lembas.

"You shall be missed even if you were to part for a moment's while, my captain. Let the journey you take to the city, ease your pain a little."

They must have known about what I had been talking, for a gloom fell over my guests. I sighed a little as I sat back down. Haldir, whose hands held his uneaten piece of lembas, trembled a little. I clutched his hand in mine as I felt his heart cry out for comfort and consolation.

" Amin hiraetha, Haldir." (I am sorry, Haldir.)

He shook his head, dismissing my apology.

"Never mind." He stood up wearily, as we three watched anxiously.

"Haldir-" he smiled a little as though to convince us, and failing utterly. Rumil and Orophin said no more as Haldir walked out of my flet. He had not forgotten anything. At last when it got unbearable, I got up from my seat and walked towards the door, towards him. He was standing there leaning against the mallorn trunk around which our flets were built. His noble and regal head was bent as though in pain and agony.

"Haldir-" I began, fearing for him.

"I love her more than any thing else." He said simply. Yet, so much emotions and pains were conveyed, it choked me.

"I know." I said as I moved towards him. He turned to look at me. His eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Haldir, he who had always remained rigid and strong was crying. My captain was crying. I sighed as my own tears threatened to escape. She was my brethren. My blood. We were close beyond endurance. But when they had bonded in the name of love and marriage, it hurt me. For I shared the same passion she held in her heart – him. Now she had gone, beyond the reach of most of us. Tears ran down my cheeks as I hastily wiped them off.

"She would not wish to see you in tears, Haldir." I said as I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, savoring the feel of his muscles beneath his cloak and tunic, feeling something beyond grief. I shook such thoughts from my head as I took my hand away. He nodded as his face turned towards the skies above.

"Amin mela lle, melamin." (I love you, my love) I started as I heard him say this. I turned to look at him. But my heart sunk when I realized it was for Laurelin, my sister. I sighed a little as I shook my head and turned to go inside.

"Ithilwen," I stopped abruptly. "Yes?" I asked, not turning back.

"Hannon lle." (Thank you) I smiled a little even as the irony bit into my heart.

"Any time, captain." I walked back into the flet.


Haldir's Point of view:

"We must bring her some food." Rumil said. I nodded as I packed two loaves of lembas into my cloak.

"Shall we leave?" I asked my brothers. They had already shouldered their bows and were ready to depart. As we reached to door, I turned back to see Ithilwen turning her face to meet my eyes at that exact moment. A smile of understanding crept into her lips. I smiled back as I said,

"Namārië." (Farewell)

She nodded her head in acceptance. I turned back to see the forest path before me. My flet lay there, where once there stood an elleth to welcome me home. I sighed once more as I quickened my pace. I hoped the mortal in my house hadn't died of starvation when we weren't there.

I stepped into the lighted hall of my house to find it empty.

"Lady Anya?" I called out. But only silence greeted me. Some ill foreboding arose in my mind as I searched each and every empty room in my flet in vain.

"Anya?" I cried out. Rumil and Orophin came running into the room to find me stare around the room, as though expecting her to spring out of some dark corner. What was I going to tell the Lady? And in some deep corner of my heart, I wanted her to be safe and sound.

"What is it, brother?" Orophin asked.

"The girl, she is not here." My brothers tensed up. Orophin was the first one to come out of his trance.

"Well, then let us search the borders. Did we not tell her to stay within the borders? Mortals always have a desire to break rules. Haldir, wait!"

I ran out of the door, slinging my bow over my shoulder as I ran. Panic rose in my heart as a dark veil cutting out everything else. As though sensing my thoughts, the Valar teased me. I heard a cry outside the borders to my right. It was she. I ran as I had never run before.

Not another time. I thought as I ran towards the cries.


Sooooo, how was it? I hope it was cliffhanger enough. Please read and review and the coming chapters are sure to sound interesting!!!

- Anarya of Lorien.