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

Anonymous: Thanks for the review! And so glad you guys didn't give up.

Sarobando: hey! You do that too! Remember an innocent elleth called Elanor? Well, I still say Haldir has to end up with her. And I'm so glad you reviewed my story.

Loveroflegolas: well, let's just say you know them already! And thanks for the review.

Ariendar: I don't know! I mean sometimes, your friends remain while everyone else leaves. But each to their own! I guess.

Haldir's Heart and Soul: I know, well but he is really devoted to Laurelin and elves don't forget sorrow so quickly do they?

Elven Script: Ai! You at least have a good Biology teacher! My biology teacher was horrible, though I was not a biology student! She came for biology lessons to the other people who took that subject. We were stuck in the same class! Especially when my Computer science teacher didn't turn up! Oh Pure torture!

Dunadan Pirates: Um…Right. ::Quietly dials for the men in the white coats::

Disclaimer:

Author: All right! All of you! Out there! I Don't Own LOtR! And I don't have any rights over Haldir or his stupid but funny brothers or over the high and mighty Lady of the woods. Neither…

Lawyer: Er…Ahem…I think the point has been conveyed, Ms. Anarya.

Author: Oh.

To the notice of my darling readers, the plot starts to thicken at this point, I mean this chapter so, enjoy! And if the end of this chapter annoys you a bit…um, well I'm sorry.

Thoughts or dreams are in Italics

- Anarya of Lorien

CRYSTAL DREAMS


Chapter – 10 (Myriad Mead)

Haldir's Point of view:

I turned back to see her stare at me. I smiled a little and waved my hand in a sign if good-bye. She waved back. I then turned myself away from her. I was shocked even at present, at what had happened in the Archery ranges. I knew she had felt something apart from friendship when I came to me and I had craved to know and now, I shuddered at that knowledge.

It was not that she wasn't a good elleth who would love me till the end of Arda but it was just that she wasn't for me. Our temperaments matched more perfectly than Laurelin but still…there had been something in Laurelin that I didn't find it in Ithilwen. I took a deep breath and turned to my talan. It was late afternoon and there was plenty of time for me to kill but my idea was to go up to my talan and sleep all this weariness and shock away. And to see Anya. I don't know what had come over me, but that girl had something she was hiding from me. A secret which I deem even she is not aware of but then, if she were to faint another time I question her, and then I would completely loose my hold over the situation. She would never open up to any one and least of them to me.

My steps were soft and left no footprints on the soft heather forest floor. I was about to climb the stairs back to my talan when I felt a pair of hands pulling me backwards. I turned around to see who it was and found myself facing my brothers.

"Rumil! Orophin! What are you doing here? I demand to know." I asked. Didn't they have border duty? They merely smiled if one could call that. It was more like a stupid grin. They placed their hands over my shoulder and dragged me away from there to Eru knows where!

"Rumil! I am your older brother. I command you to stop immediately and release me."

Rumil turned to look at me, mirth clearly shining in his gray eyes.

"Oh Haldir! You hyperventilate! We are not going to marry you off to some orc! Just keep calm and keep up with us will you?" I was dumbstruck. Knowing my brothers, getting my married to an orc wouldn't be so scandalous in their eyes.

"Rumil!" I called my younger brother, more desperate this time. He sighed and turned to look at me melodramatically.

"Haldir! Stop whining or you'll spoil the surprise." Orophin called out from my right. He was walking a little head of us.

Surprise? I didn't think this was a good idea!


Rumil's Point of view:

Orophin was the next elf to get branded as the stupidest one in the face of this world. What did he mean it wouldn't work?

"Orophin, my dearest imbecile of a brother, if you haven't noticed, Haldir is depressed and he will fade if not treated."

He looked at me as though I had lost my mind. "What?" I asked. He merely shook his head and walked away to stand by the edge of the talan where we were doing border duty. Our shift would be over soon and even as we spoke, the next troupe arrived.

"There is no cure to stop the fading. The sadness shall gnaw the heart later if not now." his voice seemed so solemn, I wanted to push him to the ground.

"But all we are trying to do is to make him happy! And I tell you there is no other better way!" I sighed as happiness flooded through my veins. How could Orophin think that was not a good idea?

"Rumil…" he began. I gave him a 'I-don't-care-you-know-that!' look. That shut him up. Good. This was going to be interesting!


Orophin's Point of view:

It was a hard life that I led. I wasn't impoverished or anything, but I had two idiots for brothers. Oh the horror of being neither the eldest nor the youngest! I sighed as I led Haldir and Rumil slowly outside the borders of Lothlorien. Haldir had opened his mouth,

"What is the meaning of this?" I could sense him getting angry. Not a good sign at all. If I was to be killed by Haldir, I swear on Eru I will not stop haunting that jerk of a Rumil. I turned to face Haldir.

"We are taking you to a tavern in a village close by." I heard him curse and Rumil struggle to hold onto him.

"Orophin, I might appreciate some help here, you know!" he yelled and later both Rumil and myself were towing a very reluctant Haldir towards the said tavern.

Soon we were there. The girl, who opened the door to welcome us in, saw my brother and a flirtatious smile played in her lips. I gently pushed her out of the way before Haldir lost control over his temper and asked her to quickly arrange a table for three. She nodded obviously confused at our behavior. But she did not have a big brother who lost his temper so very often.

Soon we had him seated and I sat next to him, trapping him between the wall and the exit. Haldir glowered at me and I smiled back. A nice way of saying thank you don't you think? Rumil owed me a big one even if I say so. I scowled at him as the same girl who welcomed us in served our drinks. She smiled at me and asked me if I wanted any other services. I merely flicked my hand and said

"No thank you. The mead would suffice for now." she smiled again and walked away. I turned to Haldir and placed his tankard in front of him. Her eyed the drink dubiously.

"And why are you two serving me mead when you have border duty?" he asked, his tone dangerous and icy. I cringed at his tone and turned to Rumil who cleared his throat nervously and opened his mouth to start explaining.

"Well, dear brother! Since you are the 'happy and warm sunshine' like always, I will tell you." He chortled at this. Eru! He had guts. Haldir was looking at the verge of sanity.

"You seem to brood too much these days. We are worried brother." His tone changed from that of humor to one filled with anxiety. I hope he is not acting 'cause if he was, then he was good! Haldir looked at Rumil without averting his gaze to anywhere else. Good he had his attention.

"Haldir, Laurelin was a good elleth and a sweet sister to us. She was more than life to you. But…" Haldir closed his eye as he took the tankard into his grasp and downed the entire thing in one go. He had issues all right! He then turned to me.

"Can I have another one?" I nodded mutely and called for another tankard of mead. The same girl walked over and filled our tankard. She smiled at me and I sighed. I then asked her to leave her pitcher here as I sensed Haldir would not stop with this tankard either. I was right. Haldir downed the next tankard as well and turned to me expectantly. His eyes shone as he slowly became drunk but apart from the request for more mead, he did not say anything else. As he finished a seventh round of mead, he slammed his tankard on the table.

"Rumil," he called. His speech was slurred as that of a mildly drunk man. Rumil looked at Haldir expectantly. Haldir rose from his seat and hugged Rumil across the table. My darling young brother who had not been expecting this, sat there dumb folded. Both of us had not taken any mead as Haldir was taking it for us, so we were very sober.

"I want to thank you, my brother. You love me. As I love you." He said as he lifted his tankard full of mead the eighth time. I looked at Rumil with mild concern. Haldir was getting drunk fast. But Rumil merely nodded nervously as he said, "Yes brother." Haldir chuckled loudly as he placed his empty tankard onto the table again. If he were to do this every time I would soon pay for a broken tankard as well. I placed my hand over his and softened the blow for the poor tankard. He turned to look at me.

"And you too Orophin! I love you too." I smiled uneasily. Maybe getting Haldir drunk was not that good an idea.

"You know? I loved Laurelin and she loved me. We loved each other and it was love for all to see." He was bursting into poetry. Ai Eru! Help me! I cried out within myself. Haldir stopped his poetry as he turned to look at me, his eyes suddenly filled with tears. Had I not been so nervous I would have laughed but at that moment, I saw what he had been feeling for the past twenty-eight years. I placed my hand over his and said,

"We understand, Haldir." He shook his head and sent mead flying everywhere.

"No. You don't. She didn't want to leave me. But she did." He sobbed a little. I turned to look at Rumil who was looking at Haldir as though this was the first time he was seeing an elf.

"Haldir?" he called, a bit uncertain. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity and lack of sensitivity. Haldir smiled a little as he gazed at the empty tankard. I was starting to fear for his sanity now,

"Haldir. She is watching over you. In the halls of Mandos." He sighed as he took the empty tankard to his mouth but then brought it down again and indicated to me to fill it for him. I shook my head a little as I said,

"You've had a lot today, my brother. Not anymore." He scowled a bit out of focused and grabbed the pitcher from me and poured himself another drink.

"I love her. And she shall not be forgotten. That is the end of this conversation, gentlemen! We shall break this meeting then?" he said and then awkwardly stood up with a pitcher in one of his hands and the tankard in the other. I moved out of the way as he slowly walked towards the doorway and soon was out of sight. I turned to see Rumil stare at the doorway as though looking at a creature out of this world. As his eyes met mine, we both shrugged and paid for the pitcher and the tankard.

As I reached outside, I found Haldir seated on the bench beside the tavern staring at the ground. What mead did to an elf! I sighed as I smacked Rumil up his head and dragged him towards our distraught elder brother. The sun was beginning to set. It would be late soon and darkness would gather around and we wanted to spend the first day of our leave from the border in our talan. I took hold of one of Haldir's arms while Rumil caught him before he fell down. Haldir was heavy. We slowly began our half walk – half drag towards the borders of Lothlorien. We would soon be within the eaves of the Mallorn where we can safely deposit Haldir to his talan and head back here to have some really good time. Soon we were nearing the said wood.


Anya's Point of view:

I walked from one room to the other setting the place a bit neater. It was not that great and aesthetic but I did what I could. I let out a tired breath as I seated myself on the couch in the hall. It was then that I heard a knock at the door. I got up and walked towards the door only to have it opened when I was merely inches away from the door. I fell back just in time to save my nose from getting hit and as I turned to look at the visitor, I was surprised to see Lord Haldir stand there swaying dangerously.

"Lord Haldir?" I asked and in answer he fell forward. As I caught him gently, he fell on top of me. Boy wasn't he heavy! And he was drunk too. I turned to look at the entrance and found his brothers standing there looking sheepishly at their brother on top of me.

"Well, if you would be kind enough!" I cried and soon, we carried Haldir to the couch and had him sit there. I turned to face the two.

"What happened?" I asked them, anxious a bit. They smiled warmly answering as though nothing had happened.

"Too much mead! A good rest should settle him. Well then, see you tomorrow!" they waved their farewells and soon were out, leaving me to stand there staring at the closed door like an idiot. I then turned to Haldir. He was drunk all right! I sighed as I slowly walked towards him and knelt before him and slowly untied his boots. His hand landed on top of my head and he slowly ran his hands over my head, as though stroking a small child.

"Laurelin, you are so devoted! What would I do without you?" he called out to me as though he was in some distant memory, trapped there.

"Lord Haldir?" I called as I finished untying his boots and slowly made him stand up and walk towards the bedroom. It would be better for him to sleep on the bed tonight. I could sleep in the couch in the hall. I slowly bade him sit and walked towards the bathroom where there was a tub full of water. I ran my finger through the water and smiled to find the water neither too hot nor too cold. It would suffice. I then walked towards the bedroom to find the bed empty. I turned around to see Haldir stand there in front of a closed door. I smiled a little. At least he hadn't walked off to some place where he was prone to cause himself more injury. It was a wonder how a high and mighty March Warden of Lothlorien could turn into a person so dependent. The might of mead.

"Your bath is ready, Lord Haldir." I said though for some reason I panicked. He slowly walked towards the bed and when he was at but an arm's distance away, pulled me into a tight embrace. I struggled to pull free. Here was a drunken elf hugging me and if the gods thought I was to act casual, they were so wrong. But then he brought his arms around, putting a stop to my struggles, immobilizing me against him.

"Shhh. Why do you quail, Laurelin?" my eyes shot up as he said that. He was smiling at me, though his smile did nothing to sate the desire that shone in his eyes.

"Lord Haldir," he bent down and in one fluid motion had his lips on mine. I felt my struggles stopping involuntarily as he kissed me, in a display of passion and fire, his lips seemed to open some age-old secret in mine. As I felt my hands tightly grip his tunic in both my hands. Was this a gesture of self-defense or something else? I didn't know. I couldn't think as his lips left mine and bent down to kiss my neck. It was at this time that panic really struck me.

"Haldir!" I felt my own voice break up. Thick with some emotion. Was it fear? I asked myself. But he gently pushed me towards the bed.

"Haldir! I command you to stop." I cried out but his advance remained as steady as he came. Soon, I was fighting him actively trying to get him away from me, trying to get myself away from him. But his strong arms always found a way to have me bound. As I felt his hands snake through my body, doing things which had he been sober he would not even dare to dream of, I felt panic rise and as a final resort, I felt tears running down my face, to fall onto my brown tress which lay spread over the pillow.

"Why do you cry?" he asked. His voice gentle and caring I felt myself swooning.

"Haldir, do you not see that you wrong?" I asked trying everything in me to stop him. he smiled as he kissed me again, deeply and without a thought of turning back.

"No." I did not know when I stopped crying silently and when my body had relented but that night was the one, which I would never forget as long as I breathed. Haldir had made sure of that.

Sometime in the night, as we both lay passion spent, his hands snaked around my waist, I felt tears straining to break free again. I turned to see him sleep as though in a deep trance, the moonlight seemed to make his pale face glow with the ethereal light that was ever present in these woods. And here I was in the arms of a man whom I did not love and yet something told me otherwise…


Galadriel's Point of view:

And so it had happened. As I had feared. It would be their bodies that would be bound first. And who was to know if it was their last union? What if Haldir had instilled a fear in Anya's heart that would make her unapproachable? I sighed as I moved away from the face of the mirror. What was he planning to do by sending her here?

Julius… a strange name for Lorien to take in a world away from this one. And him being a Vala and one of visions and dreams did little to pacify the anxiety I felt for two souls who abided in my woods.

Lorien – what was his plan? Only time would reveal it. I slowly walked back to my talan before Celeborn noticed my absence and began to worry. I smiled as I saw him sleep. So peaceful! So quiet! I placed a chaste kiss on his brow as I lay down next to him and soon sleep overcame me.


Okay… since I am really lousy in doing scenes like the one depicted above, please bear with me and I also had to remain within the given rating level. So…you know! I'm sorry if I'm lousy. And surely the story heats up from here… as you'd expect of course! So, please read and review!

- Anarya of Lorien