Chapter 4

Warnings: none

xxxxxxx - passage of time

italics - thoughts or memories.

(Elenna)

He laughed. It was a rich, resonant sound like the rumbling of thunder. So warm, so comforting.

"My lady, I have not laughed so for many, many long years." He said to me, gasping for breath.

I smiled at him.

"Indeed, I did not think you capable of laughter, Marchwarden." I teased.

"As did I." he said dourly.

I smiled again, and looked towards the sky. The moon was climbing high into the sky.

"My lady, I think we should return now." he said. "We have been gone far too long, we will be missed."

I nodded. "Let us go."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We silently climbed back down the branches to the talan of the guardhouse below. From what I could see, there was no movement indicating that his brothers or any of the guards were awake.

"My brothers sleep like the dead." He told me as we quietly lowered ourselves onto the flet.

I chuckled softly.

"They would not awake even if a legion of orcs passed by under us." He added dryly.

"But come now, the night is almost spent. Rest a while before we continue at dawn."

"I will." I replied, turning to the place where I had been sitting.

"Elenna."

I turned back to look at him.

"Sleep well." He said softly. I nodded, "And you."

(Rumil POV)

Minutes later, we heard the sound of them climbing back down the branches and quickly pretended to be asleep.

"My brothers sleep like the dead." Haldir said, as she softly chuckled. "They would not awake even if a legion of orcs passed by under us." He continued.

I half opened my eyes to glance at Orophin. He looked at me and stifled a laugh.

"….Rest a while before we continue at dawn."

"I will."

We quickly shut our eyes again as Haldir turned towards us.

But then his steps stopped and he turned back. We cautiously opened our eyes again.

Haldir was facing the elleth, who was walking over to her place against the tree trunk, with an unusually soft look on his face.

"Elenna" he called.

"Sleep well."

She nodded, the trace of a smile faintly surfaced on her face.

"And you."

Then she settled against the tree and fell into reverie.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Haldir silently walked towards us as me and Orophin pretended to stir.

I sleepily opened my eye, "Is it our turn to take watch already?" I asked.

He glowered at us and said, "The elleth you" He turned his gaze to Orophin, "—and you were supposed to be watching left the talan and you did not even notice?"

"She left the talan?" said Orophin obliviously. "Wherever did she go?"

"Up into the trees." he said grimly, "And I had to go and get her."

"Must have been a mighty unpleasant task" I muttered under my breath.

Haldir looked at me sharply and added, "And yes, it is, in fact, your turn to take watch already. Now go, lest you find yourselves with two more weeks of guard duty."

Me and Orophin leapt to our feet and quickly marched past our brother to gap in the talan floor where the rope ladder dangled from the tree.

(Orophin POV)

We hurried, under pain of guard duty, down the ladder to the lower branches where the guards on duty sat, and relieved them of their watch.

As they disappeared up the ladder to the talan above us, me and Rumil looked at each other and finally released the laughter we had been suppressing. We leaned our heads together and laughed heartily against our hands.

"Stars above, – snigger – have you – snigger – ever seen – snigger – Haldir act like that – snort – before!" said Rumil, half laughing half exclaiming.

"No." I said, gasping for breathing, "This is most extraordinary."

"Pinch me now, Orophin, and tell me I'm dreaming" He wheezed, "This surely cannot be Haldir."

"No brother, this is real." I said. "I think our teasing has finally gotten to his head."

"Yes, I agree." replied Rumil. "I think we should be kinder to our brother from now on, now that he has shown himself capable of emotion other than contempt for his sweet little brothers."

At this we bursted out laughing again.

"If you continue on like this, you'll have attracted all the orcs east of the Misty Mountains to us." said a voice above us.

We looked up to see, to our great horror, Haldir glaring down at us.

We immediately straightened our faces.

"I'm sorry, brother," said Rumil innocently, "but we were discussing the latest attempt Orophin made in trying to get an elleth to look at him."

"Ah, and that is perfectly acceptable to be making this much noise." He said sardonically.

"Now shut your mouths and watch."

Then he disappeared again.

"My latest attempt in getting an elleth to look at me?" I mouthed at Rumil.

He shrugged. "That was all I could think of at the moment."

"Must you always make fun of me, Rumil?" I said sourly.

"No Orophin, in case you've forgotten, we usually do that to Haldir." He replied. "But really, Orophin, I've never heard him joke before."

"Neither have I, Rumil, neither have I." I said, shaking my head.

"And he NEVER associates with elleths, NEVER." He added.

"We have to get to the bottom of this curious change of character of Haldir's." I agreed.

(Haldir)

I could hear my brother's snickers down below the talan. I knew what they were laughing about. And they were right. I had never acted like this before.

I always made it a point not to have dealings with the womenfolk, except Lady Galadriel of course. They always irritated me for some reason. That high-pitched, fake laugh they laughed when ever any of the male population was around drove me to the edge of my sanity.

But she was different.

She lacked the perpetual chatter and small talk the elleths always made when they gathered. But the words she did say weighed more than all the chatter of the elleths put together.

Everything about her was so genuine, so pure, like the crystal clear waters of the stream of Nimrodel. She was calm and silent on the surface, but underneath, you could sense the power of the flowing current.

Why can I not put her from my mind? My thoughts never strayed far from her now.

Another peal of laughter came from the trees below the talan, jerking me from my thoughts.

Annoyed, I lowered myself down the ladder to remind them my brothers of their duty.

Constructive criticism and tips welcomed.