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Elven Script: Oh my! Then maybe Norbert is a bit dangerous! Hmm…how is your brother feeling? Looks like you guys fight a lot!
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Yes, there is. I think it is ch.10. Thanks for the review!
Radbooks: I am honoured! Really "really" honoured when I get reviews! If you can give such a detailed review, I honestly believe that you would write excellently. Looking forward to reading your story.
Anonymous: Couldn't have put it better myself! Guys slower than women! Yes they are! And he already knows it in his heart… but it is hidden from him. Or something like that! LOL
Lady Fae: Here you shall find your answers. Hehehe!
Crecy: Thank god! I hate it when people do that! Hope you never shock me like that! And it looks like you're not the only one being dramatic! : cough: Haldir :cough:
Dragonsinger: keep the reviews coming! And thanks for the review!
Firbereth: You will! Believe me, you will.
Elainor: Thanks for the review. You must understand that for Haldir, a March Warden who has never had things go beyond his control, this is a trial he would find nerve racking! But let us hope for the best! )
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I have also uploaded a one-chapter Glorfindel fic, under the name, Dannen Aglar Fallen Glory. If my dear readers would be kind enough to check it out and tell me how it is, I would find that very 'very' helpful.
Now that all is settled, let the story begin!
Disclaimer:
Ah come on! I don't own LOtR! Does it look like I do?
Thoughts or dreams are in Italics
- Anarya of Lorien
CRYSTAL DREAMS
Chapter – 16 (Flares of temper)
Anya's Point of view:
I stared at the door as it slammed at my face. He had left me again. I knew I was to blame, this time. I had been harsh and he could have come to apologize. But then again, it was not every day that you woke up to find you are pregnant! I sighed as exhaustion took its toll on me. I slowly walked to the armchair that was there in the hall and sank into it. The words that were spoken then came clearly to my mind.
I had told him never to come back. I had told him that I needed none of his help. I sighed as I closed my eyes. The Lady would be talking to him now. I could picture his denial. I could picture his arrogance. The Lady would try to make him accept. Order him to… but then, it would be an order…my child shall be loved by his father because of an order. Not because Haldir loves him or her. I sincerely hoped it would be a girl. I had, had enough with men already.
I could see my future. Here, where I would have my child and live with him or her. And then one day, to die amidst the elves of Lothlorien. Tears spilled as I though of my future. I had a life. Friends, school, but now…I took a deep breath to steady myself. I slowly stood up to prepare lunch. It would be a simple affair now that there was only me…no. There were two of us now. I smiled as I slowly caressed my abdomen through the grey raiment. My child.
I stepped into the kitchen and opened the larder. There was some bread. I could always have bread and milk. I slowly got the bread out and next searched for milk. I got fresh milk from Olwen who in turn had it bought from a village outside Lothlorien. People like me populated the village - mortals. I sighed as I considered the prospect of going and taking a living in that village, it would mean less questions about my condition. I sighed as I took some vegetables to make broth.
As I was cutting the vegetables, I heard the door knock. I slowly placed the huge knife on the table and cleaning my hands in my robe, I walked towards the door. It was most probably Olwen come back to ask me about Haldir. I would have to tell her some lie. Maybe that he came to see Ithilwen. It sounded lame even to me. But that would have to do.
I reached out for the door knob and pulled the door open to face –
"Haldir?" he was turning the other way and turned back to face me when I called him name. His face was hard and he seemed angry. More angry than I had ever seen him. But then, so was I. I slammed the door just when he was about to step in.
"Anya!" his voice sounded muffled. "Would you kindly open the door?" his voice then went towards a window beside the door, which was open.
"Anya?" he ordered. OH how I hated him! I walked towards the window and pulled the screen across. He pushed the screen aside and put his hand inside. But then it was of no use. I was back in the kitchen, cutting vegetables with a vengeance.
"Anya! I command you to open the door!" his voice sounded dangerous. I walked back towards the door and opened it but did not let him in.
"What do you want?" I asked him, not minding to keep my voice soft. His brow creased as he placed a hand between the door and the doorway and pushed me inside. I marveled at how strong he was. I was easily pushed back inside.
"You have no right to come here." I said, my voice raising. He turned to look at me.
"Are you telling me that I have no right to come here? Is that what I hear?" his voice rose more noticeably. I glared at him as I walked towards the door. He followed me.
"It is good that you have some sense. You shall accompany me to our home." I turned back to stare at him. His face was livid. It was as though he would rather have an orc at his place than my child and me.
"Oh, so it was an order from the Lady, wasn't it?" my temper was flaring, and I felt easily irritated. He turned to glare at me.
"I am not going to explain to you, what the Lady said, because, I think the Lady called me. Not you." His voice was harsh and it hurt when he spoke like that. I turned away from him and walked towards the house.
"I am not going anywhere, March Warden." he pulled me back and I fell against him. He then growled into my ears,
"You shall come with me and that is final." I released myself from his vice like grip and walked away from him.
"I am happy as I am, March Warden. Please stop irritating me." I said as I walked back into the house. I turned around to shut the door when he pushed me back inside. He caught my shoulders and pushed me gently but firmly towards the opposite wall.
"Anya, I am not leaving this house until you leave it with me." his eyes seemed to glow with anger. Oh! So he was this firm in following his orders? Then I had my own orders to follow.
"No. I am not coming. I don't see any reason why I should come with you." He growled again. He took my hand and placed it over my stomach.
"Isn't this proof enough?" he almost shouted. I took my hand away.
"He is my son, Anya. And no matter where you go, that truth shall remain as it is." I turned around away from him.
"My child has no father." I said in a low tone.
"What?" he asked. I turned to face him. His face looked dangerous. "What did you say?" I took a deep breath.
"I said my child has no father." He sat down on the couch and buried his head in his hands as I moved away from him.
"I cannot let my son be born illegitimate." I turned back, so this was all about his honour. About the honour of having an illegitimate son!
"And what makes you think that you can be the only man who shall have the power of making my child's birth legitimate?" he stood up abruptly. I knew I had gone too far. He strode up to me. As he neared me, his hand rose as though to hit me, but for some reason, I did not cringe though I felt like dying with fear. He stopped before he did hit me and he lowered his hand though his face still looked capable of brutal murder.
"Oh Eru! Holy Eru! Let me leave this place before I strike a woman for the first time in my life." He turned and walked away from me.
"And a pregnant one at that!" I quipped. He turned to glare at me once before slamming the door shut. But just before I could sink into the couch, the door opened again and there he stood, a vision of anger.
"Mark this well, Anya. He is my son. And if you dare try to even think of changing that," his hands curled into tight balls as he growled at me and walked away slamming the door again.
I gasped and fell into the mercifully soft couch. This was getting too much. The less I saw him, the better it would be for the both of us. After what seemed like hours, I got up and walked unsteadily towards the kitchen to cut the vegetables with a shaky hand.
Haldir's Point of view:
How dare she? How dare she? I closed my eyes as I visualized myself striking her. It frightened me to Angband and back. I almost struck the mother of my child. I almost struck my Anya. She who had some connection with my Laurelin. It had been a while since I had visited her grave and yet now I seemed to miss her less. It felt as though Laurelin was in Caras Galadhon defying me and hating me rather than sleeping peacefully in her grave. It felt as though she was there in Anya.
But this was not Laurelin. She was sweet and understanding. Not temperamental and irritable like Anya! I sighed. What sort of a mess had I gotten myself into? I turned towards my talan. I slowly climbed the steps to reach my talan and opened the door to find Ithilwen there, seated on a couch staring at the wall as though it seemed to interest her very much.
"Mae govannen, Haldir." She said. Her voice held some ice-cold in it. I dropped my cloak onto another couch in front of hers and sank into it. It had been a very trying day.
"Mae govannen, Ithilwen. What are you doing here?" I asked. She slowly stood up and walked towards the window.
"So it is true then." She said. It seemed more like a statement.
"What is true then?" I asked her, bemused.
"Haldir, how could you?" her eyes were brimming with tears. Were people everywhere trying to scare me?
"What is the matter, Ithilwen?" I turned her around to see her glare at me as she wiped her tears away angrily.
"The lady called for me." the sentence needed no further explanation. I let her go. She caught my arm and turned me around to face her.
"Is what I hear the truth?" her voice was low and quiet, but that agitated me more than her shouts. I lowered my eyes. Here she was a friend of mine, and to look like a rogue in front of her…
"Ithilwen-"
"Is she?" I sighed as I closed my eyes. I slowly nodded my head, too spent to speak. She gasped.
"Haldir! I – I don't believe this! She or should I say, the Lady told me what happened that night but you to…" she seemed to be at loss of what to say.
"Ithilwen! Please, listen to-"
"Why Haldir?" her voice was soft. But it plunged daggers through my heart.
"Let me explain." I began but she shook her head.
"What of Laurelin? What of my sister and her memory?" she whispered again. I walked towards her and caught her arms and forced her to look at me.
"I was drunk. But I know that this is not hallucination of being drunk! I saw Laurelin that night. I thought it was she. I smelt the Niphredil in her golden tresses and I felt her with me, on my bed. I thought it was she. but then… it was not." I slumped into the couch and rested my head on my hands. I felt the couch dip beside me and I turned to see Ithilwen stare at me with a mixture of pity and sadness. She placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded her head.
"I feel the same way when I am with her. sometimes I think I am back with Laurelin. But then… she is dead. Isn't she?" her voice broke as she tried to stop her voice from cracking. I nodded my head and slowly hugged her. Ithilwen cried on my shoulder as I held her.
"why Haldir? Why us?" I sighed as I tried to check my own tears from flowing. She then looked up from my embrace as I released her and wiped her tears away.
"I don't know, Ithilwen."
"I have a feeling she is Laurelin, sometimes." She said but then laughed as she wiped away the tears completely.
"I am being stupid." I shook my head.
"No Ithilwen. You are not. I do not know if she is Laurelin but I know that she has some connection with Laurelin."
Ithilwen looked up at me. "What do you mean?" she asked dubiously.
"I found Laurelin's hand mirror, one which Laurelin was very possessive about, with Anya. It was my gift to her. I had been searching for it, but then…I found it with Anya." I turned to look at her. she was staring at me openmouthed.
"I don't think you lie at all. There are certain things that we don't know. I am confused." I then bent my head again on my hands. Ithilwen placed her hand on my shoulder again.
"You are not the only one, Haldir." She sighed and patted my shoulder.
Ithilwen's Point of view:
Now I was satisfied. Things were not what they seemed but still, none of them were to blame. Anya was frightened and Haldir was drunk. Not a good combination at all! I smiled as I patted Haldir's shoulder trying to comfort him. The news about Laurelin's mirror being with Anya, seemed strange. She could have taken it from Haldir's room. I smiled as I dismissed my suspicion. Yes. Anya must have found it in Haldir's room. But then again…what of the feelings of Laurelin being there near me when I was with Anya. It was all so confusing. And the one person who probably was closest to the answer amidst us, the Lady of Lothlorien, was not opening up to anything. Haldir was right. It was confusing.
"Haldir, you cannot just leave the situation as it is. She is pregnant, and none can change that fact. So, we had better do something about it." I said, my voice edged with concern. He looked up and smiled at me though I could feel no mirth there, it was a sad and sarcastic smile as he sighed and leaned into the couch.
"I have asked her to come and stay with me. I told her that I would take all responsibilities regarding my child." I brightened. It meant Anya would not face the disgrace of bearing an illegitimate child after all. I smiled as I said,
"That is a great news, Haldir." He smiled sadly and shook his head.
"But she has disagreed. She does not want to live with me. She would rather have my son alone than with me to take care of her. And she…" he trailed off. There was more.
"What is it Haldir? What did she say?" he turned to look at me, his face frightened.
"she told me that she would marry any other man rather than give me my child. She would find another man to make my son legitimate! I was angry. I got so angry…that…I almost struck her. I almost struck the mother of my child. What if…what if I did strike her and something happened to them – to the child or to her?" his eyes were moist as though he would cry any moment and that only his honor as the March warden was restraining him. I sighed as I closed my eyes. Anya was a bit too temperamental these days. Mayhap it had to do with the condition she was in.
"Haldir, please do not thin such things! She would not do anything of that sorts! She would never dream of taking your child away from you! She is not that cruel!"
"Isn't she?" he asked savagely. I shook my head and his eyes softened.
"Forgive me, Ithilwen. I did not mean to do this to Laurelin." I smiled at him gently. My dear Haldir. I slowly hugged him and spilt two tears of my own. If it was indeed as things were deemed to be by the Lady, then he wasn't cheating Laurelin after all.
I slowly saw to it that he took his supper and reassured him that Anya would be safe under my care. I then left him to leave for bed as I stepped out of his talan into the cold night air. The snow was starting to fall more and more as each day passed. Even though the city did not experience the biting frost of the winter, the borders got snow. I sighed as I landed softly on top snow covered forest ground. If this was the case, then by next winter, she would give birth to his child. To Haldir's child. I sighed as I slowly walked towards the city, where there was a mortal friend to talk with.
End of chapter! If my readers would be kind enough to say something about the story! Anything! I would be very much pleased! Thank you for the support that you have rendered to me. I hope the future chapters are up to your expectations.
- Anarya of Lorien.
