Chapter 11

Warnings: Ladies and gentlemen…the moment you've all been waiting for…

(PS. yes they sex)

xxxxxxxx – passage of time

italics – thoughts or memories

(Elenna)

The woods were silent. Not a leaf stirred. Still I watched on, guarding my beloved wood.

A breeze flew past the trees, shaking another leaf from the mallorn's branches.

It was spring.

The forest floor was carpeted with the dazzling gold of the fallen mallorn leaves. The beauty of these woods never ceased to astound me.

Yet I missed my home in the woods of Middle Earth.

To be free, without a care, wandering the gentle hills, winding brooks of my home.

I missed that feeling, to be free.

But I cannot leave here. I cannot leave.

A little white bird flittered in the branches above my head, chirping happily.

I called softly to it, and it flew down onto my outstretched arm.

"And what is your name, little one?" I cooed softly to it, stroking its smooth white feathers.

It chirped happily in reply. Then it fluttered off my hand and flew away. Moments later, it returned to my hand, and dropped a single bloom of niphredil on my lap.

"Thank you, my friend." I said, nuzzling it gently.

"I think I shall call you… Sùlimelos." I said smiling, "For you are like snow that falls in Sùlimë."

It cooed happily. I laughed quietly.

"So you like your new name? Do you?" I said.

Sùlimelos flittered around my hand. I giggled.

"Ah, I see you have found your long-lost sister, Ranaew."

I turned to see Haldir standing behind me with an amused look on his face. Sùlimelos disappeared into the trees.

"Maybe I have," I said, standing to face him, "But you seem to have scared her away."

"I see she has brought you a gift." he said, bending to pick up the bloom of niphredil that had fallen out of my lap when I stood.

"And so she has." I said softly as he tucked it behind my ears.

"Our watch ends tonight." He said, "We can return to the city by nightfall."

I sighed. "I like it here in the woods much better. The city is so closed."

He laughed. "You are only one of my guards who do not want to return after their watch, Elenna."

"Yes, but I am not like any of your other guards." I said thoughtfully, looking at him, my head tilted slightly to one side.

He laughed again. "No Ranaew, no you are not." He said with passion, gently pulling me towards him.

"Haldir – we are still on watch." I reminded him pleasantly.

"Then we will have to wait till nightfall." He said smiling.

"And you still haven't taught me the second half of the lesson yet." I whispered into his ear, lightly grazing it.

He groaned. "Elenna, don't start what you cannot finish." he said.

"Whatever did I start, Haldir?." I said grinning.

He swiftly turned me around and pinned me to the trunk of the mallorn tree.

"This." He said, and took the tip of my ear into his mouth, gently sucking on it.

I gasped. It felt like I had liquid fire spreading through my veins as his lips traveled down to my neck, planting light kisses on it.

And then he pulled away. Blood was pounding loudly in my head.

He smiled suavely at me.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you here with your sister now." He said silkily, "I will come for you at nightfall."

I stared after him as he left the small flet.

Arrogant Marchwarden.

Note: Sùlimelos –'Marchsnow'-Sindarin/Quenya

Sùlimë-(Quenya) is the third month of the elvish calendar

los- (Sindarin) 'snow, snow-white'

(Haldir)

I chuckled softy as I left the talan where I had left her.


My innocent little bird, you do not know you play with fire.

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"Haldir, the second watch is coming at nightfall." Orophin said to me as I arrived at the flet I kept watch in with my brothers.

"Yes, I know." I said. "Have you told the others?"

He nodded. "But I haven't told Elenna yet, I was just going to go over to her flet."

"I have told her already." I said to him.

"And what did she say?" he asked.

I laughed, "She doesn't want to leave."

"I thought so." he said smiling. "Her heart is with the woods and the trees."

"She said the city was too closed." I replied, "Sometimes I think she still misses the wilderness."

"She is a creature of the forest, Haldir." Orophin said, "Her place is there."

"I know." I said softly.

"She is restless." He said, "I fear she will not stay long."

"And yet she is still in love with these woods." I said quietly.

"I fear her love of her freedom may prevail in the end." He said softly, "You cannot cage a bird, Haldir."

"She would not leave me." I said to him.

"She loves you, yes." he said, "but she is not yours yet. She is still free to go."

I sighed. "And what am I supposed to do?" I asked my brother, turning to face him, "I cannot make her stay."

"You know what you need to do." he replied. "You are just afraid."

"She is still so young." I whispered.

"She is older than you think." He replied. Then he turned to go.

"I am going to find Rumil, I will be back in a while." He said. And with that he was gone.

I sighed again.


Elenna, what am I going to do with you?

(Elenna)

The sun was setting. Twilight settled in between the bare eaves of the branches.

Sùlimelos had left me awhile ago, going back to her own nest for the night.

I sat on the floor of the talan, staring out over the forest alone.

I sighed. I did not want to return to the city.

When I had lived among the woodelves, I was still very young, no more than a century old. Then I did not feel closed in by the city, or the people. I still needed someone to take care of me. But as I grew older, I grew restless. I wanted to be among the trees again. I wanted to go where I pleased, eat when I wanted, sleep when I needed.

I wanted to be free.

So I left, and I never lived among people again.

Until now.

My heart longs for the forest. It is my home.

But I cannot leave.

I waited, waited for the day when the Lady thought it right to tell me of my family.

Still she remained silent.

And I cannot leave him.

I can never feel whole again without him.

I can never go back to that time before I knew what it was like to be whole.

Still, the forest called to me, beckoning me.

I knew I was still free to go. Orophin had told me so.


We were keeping watch late into the night, Orophin and me.

"My heart longs for the forest, Orophin." I said to him, "I do not belong here."

"You do not have to stay here, Elenna." He said, "Not if you do not want to."

"I cannot leave him." I said.

He sighed. "You are not bound to him yet, Elenna. He cannot make you stay."

"I do not want to leave him." I said.

"You can not love two things the most at the same time, Elenna." He said gently, "You will have to choose."

But I cannot choose.

"Elenna."

I turned. Haldir stood behind me.

"We are going now." he said. I glanced up at the dark blue sky. The first stars had started to appear.

I nodded and gathered up my bow.

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As we made our back to the city he was silent. He seemed to be deep in thought.

I walked quietly beside him. His brothers walked a ways in front of us, speaking quietly together.

"You are free to go, Elenna." He said suddenly. "I will not make you stay if that is not your wish."

I looked questioningly at him.

"Why are telling me this?" I asked.

He sighed. "I know you want to go, Elenna. You cannot fool me." he said, "I know you long to be back in the forests that were your home."

"I will not go if you do not want me to." I said to him.

He shook his head. "I want you to be happy, Ranaew." He said, "You are not happy here."

"Haldir…" I began.

"It is your choice, go or stay. I want you to choose the path you want, the one that will make you happy." He told me.

"I do not want to cage you, Ranaew." he said softly. "You belong to the forest."

I fell silent beside him.

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We parted without a word at the city gates.

He made his way back to his talan, I made my way to the abandoned watchtower, to think.

As I pulled myself up into the talan, I found that there was already someone there.

"My Lady?" I said, surprised to see the Lady sitting there on the floor of the talan.

"Elenna." she said, "Come, sit."

I went to sit beside her. We sat in silence. The stars twinkled down on us.

"What are you – how did you find this place?" I asked.

She smiled faintly. "There were others once who sought this place, like you"

"Others so like you…"

"Like me, milady?" I asked curiously.

She did not say anything, but smiled to herself, seeming to remember some long forgotten memory.

"And why are you here, Elenna?" she asked me.

"You know why I come here, my lady." I said.

"You were given a choice." she said, turning to look at me. "Yet you do not know what to choose."

I sighed. "I fear neither choice will bring me happiness." I said, staring across the dark tree tops.

"You want to return to the forests." She said.

"But I do not want to leave him." I said. "I cannot leave him."

I sighed again.

"What can I do my lady?" I asked looking helplessly up at her.

"I cannot choose for you, child." she said, "You must choose yourself."

"But I do not know what I want." I said, staring down at the talan floor.

"How long will you be happy in the forest, child?" she asked me. "A day, a year, a century?"

"I will never be happy in the forest again without him." I said quietly.

"Do you love him, child?" she asked me.

"You know I do." I told her.

"Can you sacrifice everything for him?" she asked me.

"I would give him my life." I said, looking at her.

She smiled.

"Sometimes we must give something to gain something, Elenna." she said. "It is your choice, choose wisely."

Then she stood and left the talan.

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I sat there in the talan for long hours afterwards, my mind a confusion of emotions.

"Can you sacrifice everything for him?" she asked me.

"I would give him my life." I said, looking at her

I would do anything for him.

"Sometimes we must give something to gain something, Elenna."

Would I give up my freedom for him?

"You can not love two things the most at the same time, Elenna." He said gently, "You will have to choose."

But I cannot choose.

"It is your choice, go or stay. I want you to choose the path you want, the one that will make you happy." He told me.

I fear neither path will make me happy.

"How long will you be happy in the forest, child?" she asked me. "A day, a year, a century?"

"I will never be happy in the forest again without him." I said quietly

I will never be happy without him again.

"Sometimes we must give something to gain something, Elenna."

Sometimes we must all sacrifice something for love.

(Haldir)

I laid in my talan that night, thinking.

Thinking about her. Thinking if she ever left me, what would I do?


I love you too much, Ranaew.

I stood and walked to the window.

I will not force her stay. Yet if she left I do not know how I will go on.

"I want you to be happy, Elenna." I whispered to the wind.

If it made her happy to go, I will let her go.

"You cannot cage a bird, Haldir." my brother said softly.

My little wandering bird.

Go where the wind takes you, I will not cage you.

(Elenna)

I stood on the terrace of my talan, looking down on Caras Galadhon, my white dress fluttering in the wind.


I would give everything for you, my love.

His voice seemed to be carried on the wind, speaking to me. I want you to be happy, Elenna. It seemed to say.

"I will always be happy with you." I whispered.

(Haldir)

The wind blew around the trees. It seemed to comfort me, telling me everything will be alright.


I will always be happy with you. It seemed to say.

I wish it were so meleth, I wish it were so.

(Elenna)

I stood on the pathway outside his talan, hesitant to go in. I was nervous.


What if I had chosen wrong? I asked myself.

"Do you love him, child?" she asked me.

The Lady's voice suddenly sounded in my head.

"You know I do." I told her.

I love him.

I suddenly felt strangely peaceful and reassured.

I took a deep breath and stepped into his talan.

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He was standing by the window, his hair framed in the silver moonlight.

"Haldir." I called softly to him.

He turned around with surprise on his face.

"Elenna?" He said.

"I have chosen." I said to him.

He closed his eyes. "And what have you chosen, Ranaew?"

I moved towards him, and lifted my hand, slowly caressing his face.

"I have chosen to stay here with you." I said softly.

He opened his eyes and looked at me with disbelief.

"Is this truly what will make you happy, Elenna?" he said.

"I can never be happy without you, Haldir." I said, burying my face in his hair.

"Elenna." he whispered, wrapping his arms around me. "I was so afraid you would leave me."

"I will never leave you." I murmured into his hair. "Never of my own will. You will have to kill me."

"You are no good to me dead, Ranaew." He said, chuckling. A low rumbling that reverberated in his chest.

"Haldir." I said, looking up at him. He smiled down at me. "Orophin said I was not bound to you yet."

The smile dropped from his face.

"What does he mean?" I asked.

"Elenna…"

"I want to know, Haldir." I pressed on.

He sighed.

"He means we have not – joined – yet." He said.

"What does he mean by join?" I asked looking, at him curiously with one eye.

"Valar, Elenna how am I supposed to explain this to you?" He said, paling a little.

"Then don't explain." I whispered, burying my face in his hair again.

"Show me." I whispered into his ear.

I brushed my lips across the tips of his ears, kissing them lightly.

He stiffened.

Then suddenly, he turned me around and pinned me to the wall by my wrists.

"Elenna…" he said seriously, "once I start this there is no going back."

I looked up at his face.

"Do what you will with me, Haldir." I said. "I trust you with my life."

"But I do not trust myself." He said gently, "I do not want to hurt you."

"I am not afraid of pain, Haldir." I said.

"Please…" I whispered into his hair. "Show me."

He groaned and crushed his lips to mine, this time with a passion I had not ever seen in him before. I felt the liquid fire slowly burning its way through my veins again, slowly burning, burning.

I moaned into his mouth. He pressed me against him, his hands wandering along my back until they found the ties to my dress. Slowly, slowly, he untied them, one by one, still kissing me passionately.

Then he broke away. I opened my eyes. He held me in his gaze. His eyes shining grey, watching me with a hungry look.

"We will need to continue this in the bedchamber, Ranaew." I heard him say.

I could only nod. All coherent thoughts were leaving me, I could only remember the feeling of his lips on mine.

I felt him gently pick me up and carry me through his talan.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and nuzzled my face into its crook.

Then, he gently lowered me onto the soft bed. I pulled him down with me, kissing him slowly.

He slipped one sleeve of my dress off my shoulder, then moving his mouth down my neck, he came to the exposed skin and slowly kissed it.

Where his lips touched my skin, a fire seems to ignite, enclosing me in its heat. A symphony of sensations lit off in my head, sensations I had never felt before, consuming me. Blinding lights that went off behind my eyes.

I pulled at the ties at the front of his tunic blindly. I heard him chuckle softly as he placed his hands over mine and helped me untie them. I slipped the tunic off him and ran my hands over his chest.

His skin was soft, so soft.

He moaned into my neck and pulled more of my dress down, exposing the other shoulder to his kisses.

(Haldir)

I felt my body react as she ran her hands over my chest.

I tugged at her dress, needing to feel her skin against mine.

She whimpered a little as I kissed a sensitive spot on her neck.

I slid more of her dress down her body until I pulled it off completely with a tug.

She wore a thin slip underneath the dress that left little of her body to imagination

She stretched her slender body under me as I raked in the sight with my eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Ranaew." I whispered to her.

(Elenna)

It was as if I was in a dream, looking up at him. His silver hair, glowing softly in the moonlight, tickled me as he slowly descended upon me. His hands caressing my body, stoking the fire that seem to burn with ever increasing fury inside of me. A heat that seems to consume my entire being, a need to be fulfilled.

I could feel his hands pulling at my slip, sliding it down my body, revealing me to his eyes. His lips taking my breast in his mouth, his tongue wreaking havoc on my body. I grasped at the sheets, gasping, moaning with a pleasure I had never known, never felt before.

"Please…." I gasped. "Haldir…"

"What, my little bird, what do you want?" He said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"What are you doing to me?" I moaned.

"Doing exactly what you asked me to." He whispered sensually in my ear. "Claiming you for my own."

"But I am already yours Haldir." I said softly. He looked down tenderly.

"Not quite yet, little bird, " He said quietly, "Not quite yet."

With that he slid the rest of the slip off me, claiming my lips once again. He pressed his body close to me, a hardness rested close to my belly.

"Haldir –" I whispered, a little frightened. "What exactly are you going to do to me?"

(Haldir)

I felt a ripple of fear rip across her body, she trembled slightly under me.

Guilt filled my heart. Guilt of what I was going to do, guilt of the pain that I was going to cause her, the guilt of tainting something so pure, so innocent.

"Do you trust me, Elenna?" I said, holding her close to me. I felt her shivers subside.

"I do." She said, her voice firm, without hesitation. I felt burdened with the trust she put in me.

I sighed.

"Have you seen animals mate before, Ranaew?" I asked her gently. "Do you know how it works?"

"Yes……" she said hesitantly, "I know."

She looked up, comprehension dawning in her eyes.

But I could see something else hiding behind her silver eyes.

Fear.

"Elenna, I will not do this if you do not feel ready." I said gently. In truth, I did not know how I was going to stop, I had gone too far. My self control was wearing thin. It was all I could do not to ravish her right then and there now. But if I have to I would.

I will not push her into doing something she was not ready to do for my own pleasure.

I will not hurt her more than I had to.

"You asked me if I trusted you, Haldir." she replied, her hand lighly caressing my face.

"And I do." she said, lifting her lips to mine, kissing me. I could feel the heat rising in me, my self control was on the verge of snapping.

"Haldir." she whispered into my ear. "There is no going back."

"I am yours to take."

(Elenna)

I could feel his desire. His body was rippling with a pent up need for fulfillment so great, it frightened me.

But I trust him. I would have him seek his pleasure.

There was no going back.

I gave myself to him.

I felt him gently nudging my knees apart, entering me, gently, slowly. Afraid to hurt me still. His eyes held mine, comforting, apologizing.

"You will never hurt me, Haldir." I said softly, feeling him holding himself back.

"Take me."

With that he unleashed all remnants of his self control and drove himself deep into me.

I felt a sharp piercing pain, and bit back a whimper. A tear trickled down my cheek.

He kissed the tear away and murmuring tender words into my ear, holding me close to him, while the pain slowly dissipated.

He looked down at me with love.

His mouth claimed mine once again, and he began to move, deep within me. Driving himself deeper within me with every thrust. The fire blazing within me was being stoked higher and higher. I could no longer think, no longer see anything around me.

There was no one else but us.

White lights surrounded me, blinding. Pleasure, desire, passion……love.

Love.

I felt his soul. His warm, comforting presence encircling me, taking my soul and weaving me with his own, until we became entwined together, unable to tell where he started and I began, rising higher and higher together.

Suddenly we were flying high over the forest, the lights of the city shimmering green and gold below us, reflecting the stars in the clear night sky. My stars that bore down upon us, my stars that blessed us. We were flying higher and higher……soaring to dizzying heights I dared not imagine……skimming the velvet night sky……higher and higher……

Then the world crashed down upon us. I was falling……. falling, falling, falling.

Do not worry, I will catch you.

I will always catch you

And then we were back in his talan. He collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily. I sighed with content. He kissed me lightly.

"You are mine, little bird." he whispered softly in my ear.

"Mine for all eternity

I'M BAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCK. greetings. Je suis retournée de Toronto!

I'm soooo sorry you guys had to wait so long for this chapter. BUT I was away on an exchange trip to Toronto (Ontario, Canada? by one of those huge ass lakes? I swear it looks like the freaking ocean) for a week, then I had homework to catch up on, blah blah blah.

But now you get this luscious chapter complete with SEX.

I'm a first timer at smut so please... don't criticize too much... ok? thanks.

Nways…. read and review! I love you guys!

Note: the T. dot rocks! all those cool Torontonians. Tu es d'accord, non? oui, oui. GRIN