Welcome back to TBFF! It was nice to hear from some readers last week! I'd like to thank Arwan, hrtiu, and mystarlight for their kind reviews and comments. It was very encouraging to hear from you. Also, a big thank you goes out to those who are reading without reviewing. I hope you enjoy the next installment of TBFF!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Lord of the Rings or Tolkien Enterprises.
ooOoo
To Be Forever Faithful
By: Ponytail Goddess
Chapter 37: The Forest
Haldir's eyes opened. There he was, laying on his back on the talan floor once more beneath the mellyrn leaves. Each leaf reflected a splendid golden hue and they were sparkling above his head in several clusters. He was nearly blinded by the light that was shining from them and could barely make out his location or what was happening around him.
He was trapped, frozen in place on the talan floor. He did not have a single appendage that would move upon his command. Panic filled Haldir's heart as he tried to pull his arms and legs away from the talan floor. Though he could not see who it was, he knew who was coming. He would have to wait though—he always had to wait before the elf arrived.
After a short while, it happened just as he remembered. The light vibration of footsteps could be felt through the talan floor, growing a bit stronger with every passing second. A shadow slid across the floor until it covered his face, blocking the brilliance of the light surrounding him.
Orophin was back again, looking precisely as he remembered him physically. His brother was not his normal self in spirit though. Gone were his soft, easy-going features. No, today his face told a story of malevolence as he grasped Haldir's arm tightly, his fingernails painfully digging into the flesh of his arm.
Haldir could not move or escape from his grasp. The invisible bonds held him tightly and he could not free himself. Momentarily, he panicked as he felt his body start to lift off the ground limply. Orophin was staring intensely at him as he took him into the sky.
"You are not coming home, Haldir. Your flesh shall rot away and your spirit shall rove the halls, seeking a comfort it will never find!"
Internally he screamed, but then stopped as he heard a different voice screaming below him. As he lifted off the talan floor, his head lulled to the side and he caught sight of Belegwen just below him. Her feet were still on the platform, but she was struggling to stay there. He saw that his other hand was clutching her arm, though he could not feel it or move it.
"Haldir, let me go! You must let me stay here! Please, let me go so I can lead as you trained me! Please, do not take me with you! Let me go! Please!" She screamed, desperately trying to yank her arm out of his grasp with her free hand. Her legs were bent and she was pushing against the talan floor to resist coming along. Her heels were dragging against the wooden floor as he pulled her along with him and Orophin.
He wanted to let her go so badly, but he could not feel his hand or even move his lips to speak with her. There was nothing left of him and he felt the bitter coldness of death spreading through his body. He fought against these terrible happenings and the failing of his own body, but he still had a grip on Belegwen and he could not seem to release it. Helplessly, he watched her scream and struggle, trying to pull her arm away with a look of great desperation in her blue eyes.
"Haldir, no! Let me go! NO!" She screamed shrilly as her feet were nearing the edge of the talan floor. She was losing ground fast now. Again, he tried to let her go, but could not. He could see his hand grasping hers tightly below him as he continued to be pulled into the sky. Her struggling was doing no good; she could not escape him.
Above him, he could hear Orophin laughing manically as they lifted up towards the sky. All the while, Belegwen's voice rang in his ears. "Stop Haldir! Let go! NO!"
With a gasp, Haldir woke up to find himself lying sprawled across the ground, surrounded by total darkness. Light raindrops were falling on his face. He quickly looked around him and saw the outlines of several elves in the darkness. Many were sleeping, while a few were quickly repositioning their capes to acquire respite from the elements.
However, this was the least of Haldir's worries. All he could think about was his reoccurring dream about Orophin carrying him away helplessly. Haldir had dreamed the same dream night after night for weeks now.
Slowly, the dream had begun to morph though. He had caught glimpses of a third elf on the talan floor for the last week, but had been unable to identify who it was. Now he knew and was frightened about the realism of the dream.
Indeed, he could very well die and drag Belegwen into an untimely death with him. They seemed to have bonded with one another and the connection between them was strengthening over time.
Was this not what happened between married couples? Haldir had not married Belegwen, but the bond seemed to have appeared anyway. He was connected to her and she to him; that which connected them seemed to be impenetrable.
Haldir shook his head as he thought about all that had occurred between them over the last year. The knowledge of their closeness made him panic and he could not seem to slow down his rapidly beating heart as he thought about the potentially dire consequences of their love.
Internally, Haldir admonished himself for falling in love with her. Instead of bringing Belegwen love and fulfillment, all he would bring was her was her own demise. Was there a way to fix this? Could he take away his love after all that had passed between them? Was there still a way to save her from this fate somehow?
He desperately wished he could, but he knew it was impossible. How in the name of the Valar could he possibly stop loving her now, after all they had been through together?
"And thus, I will be the death of her." He thought to himself morbidly. Sitting up, Haldir covered his entire body with his cape and spent the remainder of the night mourning the inevitable twist of fate that had barged into his life.
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Rumil cringed as he watched Belegwen thrust her sword towards Heledhril, who barely escaped the jab as Belegwen's sword put a scratch into the side of his armor. What had started out as a friendly sword lesson had morphed into sparring and it was obvious to the small crowd that had congregated around the elves that Belegwen had the upper hand.
As the weeks passed by, more of these battles had started to occur before the soldiers slept. There were many elves who were eager to find something amusing to pass the time other than walking, watching, and sleeping. Naturally, the more talented of the soldiers tended to attract crowds, who in turn enjoyed placing wagers on possible winners for fun. Aside from those who had taken the advanced swordsmanship class, many elves had bet upon Heledhril's victory and were sulking on the sidelines as they watched Belegwen command the duel expertly. She was clearly in control of every motion and was keeping Heledhril on his toes with her speed, agility, and accuracy.
From behind the crowd, Rumil admired the braids in Belegwen's silvery hair that he had expertly plaited a couple weeks ago. They still looked fresh and had held up to the weather quite nicely. Most fortunately for Rumil though, they had served more than just his spoken purpose of helping his dearest friend.
They had also created a distraction for his brother Haldir.
Before calling Belegwen over to the reeds that day, Rumil had spent the day's march pondering a way he could get Haldir to reveal his true feelings for Belegwen discreetly so he could gage the intensity of their feelings for one another. He desperately needed to know if his brother truly loved his friend Belegwen or if there was merely some sort of dalliance or agreement going on between them. He knew something had happened between the two of them after what he had walked into on the last evening in Lothlorien. Now Rumil sought answers so he might know what precisely was shared between the two of them.
Rumil already knew that Haldir would not talk to him about Belegwen, as he already would have shared with him if he had intended to. Belegwen herself had also refused to talk to him about it by ignoring his questioning for the last two weeks.
Thus, Haldir was his best bet for getting information at this point. Rumil knew he would have to draw it out of his brother with actions though, as there was no way he would talk about it. He figured an unexpected change might be the best way to draw out his brother's true feelings for Belegwen and indeed, it had worked very well.
Belegwen had always been well known in Lothlorien for her abysmal braids, which had resulted in a lack of attraction between her and the wardens she spent all her time around. When Belegwen had received male attention, it was never for her looks. Her hair was always atrocious.
Rumil had long known the truth about her looks though and a simple of fix of her locks into something more agreeable had changed the dynamic between Belegwen and several of the soldiers. For the last couple weeks, she had turned many a head and it had obviously struck a nerve with Haldir. His brother, who appeared to be very indifferent about Belegwen's presence during the beginning of the trip, was growing rather agitated and snippy as of late. He had given startling dark glares to several of the Imladris elves who had been looking at Belegwen rather appreciatively during the last couple of weeks. Upon receiving said glares, they had all immediately backed down, turning from their lustful thoughts and focusing on their watches more attentively than ever before under the watchful eyes of the marchwarden.
Of course, Rumil found this absolutely hilarious, but also quite telling. Had Haldir merely been seeking comfort in the arms of another, surely those gazes would not have bothered him so much, now would they?
No, it had become apparent that Haldir, at the very least, felt protective of Belegwen and, at the very most, felt jealous that she would attract the attentions of other ellyn. Rumil suspected it was the latter rather than the former. After all, Belegwen had chosen to lie to him about it through omission. Ever since he had befriended Belegwen, she had been honest with him; that is, until this little matter had come to light.
Indeed, something was there, but what?
Long had his brother been alone. Rumil could not even remember a time in which Haldir had pursued an elleth and at this point, he was well past the prime of his life for doing so. Most elves who desired to be married did so within the first 300 years of their lives. Haldir was well over 3,000 years old now and had not shown any signs of desiring to be with an elleth that Rumil could recall.
Rumil frowned as he thought about it. Perhaps he did not know his brother quite as well as he thought. He could not help but wonder about how many other secrets had Haldir kept from him over the years. Indeed, Haldir was now an enigma to him.
As Rumil pondered his new conundrum, a set of green eyes caught his attention in the distance. From the side of the dining wagon, where a smiling Esgalamon was serving the last few soldiers their nightly lembas bread ration, stood a dark-haired figure watching the sparring match. It was Erthalion.
His eyes were carefully observing the swordplay between Belegwen and Heledhril. Though his eyes did not appear to be angry as they had been when he attacked Belegwen, Rumil found himself feeling rather uncomfortable with how intently he stared at Belegwen as she vigorously challenged Heledhril with her sword, Nimrodel.
Rumil did not know if he should expect inappropriate behavior from Erthalion or not. He was not doing anything wrong, but there was just something about his stare that made Rumil worry about the well being of his friend. He knew he would feel terrible if something bad happened to Belegwen. Rumil was uncertain if he could forgive himself if he was to ever watch preventable harm come to her again.
Therefore, when Belegwen had taken Heledhril to the ground and he cried out for mercy, Rumil quickly made his way over to Belegwen. He pushed through many upset elves, who had lost their bets, in an attempt to get there quickly. He waited patiently beside her until she was done talking with Heledhril and had finished showing him a few maneuvers with his own sword. Then, he approached her to speak.
Belegwen assessed him coolly when her eyes first gazed upon him. This was understandable, for he had been silently harassing her with judgmental looks for the past two weeks, even though she had made it abundantly clear that she would not talk to him about Haldir. As frustrating as that was, he knew he needed to set things right now so he could get close enough to Belegwen to ensure her safety. Rumil feared Haldir had been right and that danger for Belegwen loomed much more closely than she realized.
"Let us walk meldir." He said quickly, grabbing her arm and walking her towards a spot away from most of the soldiers before she had a chance to object. Walking to the edge of the forest the group had started to circle around a few days prior, Rumil stopped and turned to face Belegwen. "I am sorry, Belegwen. You are welcome to your secrets, if you do indeed have them. I merely hope that you can confide in me if you do need someone with whom to share. I want you to find me trustworthy."
Belegwen looked him in the eyes very carefully before answering. "Very well then. All is forgiven, so long as you choose to move on from this subject."
"Good. I have missed you and this is a poor time to be lacking in friends." Rumil said genuinely, as her company had been dearly missed over the last two weeks. He had not realized how important Belegwen had become to him until he found himself lacking her company as of late.
She was his best friend. He wondered if she felt the same way about him.
"Perhaps it is time for me to do your hair then. From what I can tell, a good hairdo seems to be enough to win many new friends over to you in this crowd." Belegwen said with mild sarcasm, giving him a judgmental stare of her own.
Ah, so she had noticed the shift of the soldiers' attentions then.
Unwilling to let this topic go without comment, Rumil replied, "I am uncertain that this crowd would give the same attentions to an ellon, my dearest Belegwen. From the conversations I have been overhearing, many of the ellyn here are growing to have a singular focus as the days go by."
"Oh, yes?" Belegwen questioned, her eyebrows rising up as if she knew he was about to say something inappropriate.
She was right.
"I assure you, they could care less about me. After all, I do not have any… curves." He said as his hands playfully traced a feminine figure in front of him. He then chuckled as Belegwen swatted his arm spiritedly and chastised him for being inappropriate. Minutes later, Rumil and Belegwen were laughing and conversing as if the last two weeks of silent arguing had never happened.
After an hour of shooting the breeze together, the two settled down next to one another to get a few hours of sleep before the changing of the watch. Once Rumil felt confident Belegwen was sleeping, he reached out and grabbed her hand in his own so that he would know if anything or anyone happened to disrupt her during the night.
He would not risk the possibility of Erthalion doing anything to her. Belegwen was much too dear to him and therefore, he would protect her at every opportunity he could.
ooOoo
Disgusting. How dare he!
Haldir sneered at the sight of his brother holding Belegwen's hand as they slept next to one another. Anger and envy had boiled up within him quickly when he had spotted it as he watched over the darkened camp. How dare his brother touch her lovingly when he was unable to! How dare Rumil say he did not have feelings for Belegwen and then do this for all the soldiers in the camp to observe!
Realizing that he was literally seething with anger, Haldir forced himself to look away from the two of them and trained his eyes back onto the grassy fields in the distance, which he knew he should have been watching more closely than he was. He focused on taking slow breaths of the cold midnight air to try and calm his ire.
"Perhaps I am being unreasonable," He thought to himself, trying to challenge his initial assessment of what was happening. "Perhaps it is nothing."
It did not feel like nothing to Haldir though. He loved Belegwen and the occurrences of the past two weeks had tainted his mind with jealously. He could not seem to rid himself of the thought that some other soldier might desire her as he did. The stares she had gotten recently were driving him to utter madness and he had caught himself becoming dangerously close to losing control a few times because of it.
Haldir knew he could not give away their secret, but keeping it was starting to seem impossible too. How could he just stand by and watch as other elves lusted after Belegwen, the elleth he desired to marry? And for goodness sake, how could he stand here for half the night and watch his brother hold her hand?!
Unable to take it any longer, Haldir started to initiate the shift change a bit earlier than normal, storming towards Belegwen quickly to disengage her hand from his brother's grip. He quickly ripped her hand out of Rumil's, then immediately started to shake her awake. The look on Belegwen's face as her eyes came out of reverie suggested that perhaps he had been too rough, but Haldir did not care. He desperately needed the scene to end so he could calm down and find a few hours of solace.
Haldir then turned to Rumil, who was now awake and sitting up as well. He glared at him in such a way that his brother cringed, then got up quickly, knowing Haldir's wrath all too well from the years of their youth. Satisfied that Rumil knew of his displeasure with the situation, Haldir laid down on the ground where Belegwen had slept and tried his best to make himself comfortable for the night. A few hours passed though before he was able to fall into a fitful sleep.
ooOoo
Belegwen watched as Haldir rolled over on the ground once again, visibly angered and unable to sleep. She could feel waves of jealousy rolling off him through their bond. There was nothing she wanted more than to go and comfort him with reassuring words and touches, but that was out of the question. Instead, she felt a great sadness wash over her as sleep continued to elude him for hours on end.
How Rumil's hand had ended up in her own, Belegwen did not know. However, one look into Haldir's eyes had told her how much it upset him. Haldir had already worried about Belegwen loving Rumil instead of him when they were in Caras Galadhon, so this had been a most unwelcome discovery for him.
Belegwen was frustrated that the situation had happened and desperately wanted to make things right between her and Haldir. Their last argument had resulted in both of them fading and that could not be risked during their current journey. Even more important though was Haldir's good opinion of her. Belegwen did not want him to think she was fickle with her affections. She understood Haldir valued loyalty and she wished to give it to him completely.
Glancing around the camp, Belegwen saw that Rumil had positioned himself all the way on the other side of the camp, though she noticed that he seemed to be watching her rather carefully. Why had his hand ended up in hers? Was it possible Haldir was right and Rumil truly desired her as a lover?
It did not seem possible though, as Rumil had never made any advances towards her. He did not stare at her with loving eyes, but instead with curious ones. She knew Rumil was still trying to figure out what had happened between her and Haldir though, which explained his perplexity. Rumil had always treated Belegwen with respect and kindness, but that had always been as far as his affections for her went.
Confused and still feeling frustrated that she could not comfort Haldir in his time of need, Belegwen turned and stared into the distance. She was watching the quiet grasslands for any signs of trouble. Another hour passed dully as Belegwen watchfully studied the tall grasses for any strange movements. She was growing weary of the night watch, but knew daybreak would be arriving soon.
As she watched carefully for the first signs of sunrise, she caught a flash of something odd in her eye. Belegwen ignored it at first, but then found a faded vision of sorts playing out before her tired eyes.
"You are not coming home, Haldir. Your flesh shall rot away and your spirit shall rove the halls, seeking a comfort it will never find!" Shouted a familiar voice distantly. Belegwen looked around briefly for a shouting elf, but did not see anyone but the other watchers. Most of them appeared to awake and vigilant and all of them were silent. Suddenly, there was more shouting, but this time it sounded as if she was listening to her own voice begging and pleading.
"Haldir, let me go! You must let me stay here! Please, let me go so I can lead as you trained me! Please, do not take me with you! Let me go! Please!"
Belegwen saw another flash in front of her eyes and caught sight of Haldir being pulled off a talan in Lothlorien. She was there too, being dragged by him while she struggled violently to get away. He looked panicked and was unmoving, aside from the grip he seemed to have on her wrist. Someone floated above them too, mysteriously carrying them away into the sky.
Orophin! It was Haldir's brother, Orophin!
This was Haldir's dream! Indeed, not only could Belegwen see the grasslands in front of her, but she could also simultaneously watch the dream unfolding in Haldir's mind. She watched as Orophin laughed at them maliciously and tried to pull them both off the talan deck. Haldir was limp and staring at her with a frightened look on his face. His grip on her did not falter and she watched as she too was carried off the ground.
"Haldir, no! Let me go! NO!" She heard herself scream out as she slung her body around, trying to escape from his grasp. Suddenly, the mellryn trees below them disappeared and faded into a vision of dark, rolling waves.
"Stop Haldir! Let go! NO!"
Then Belegwen gasped as it all suddenly disappeared. She was now fully back to watching the grasslands as the first light of day started to lighten the deep blue horizon. Noticing she was breathing heavily, Belegwen looked at the ground as she felt anxiety deep within her chest over what she had witnessed. Then, she quickly turned around and saw Haldir sitting up, staring at her.
Had he known she was there? Did he know she had seen his dream?
He was breathing heavily too as he stared at her. Immediately, she heard his thoughts about how the dream meant he would die and pull her along into death with him. Belegwen drew in a shaky breath as she took in this new information.
Haldir could not go on this way. She would take it upon herself to set him straight before they began to travel today.
With a nudge of her head, Belegwen motioned for Haldir to follow her into the forest while she started walking there herself. They would not have much time and would have to guard their words, but perhaps she could say something to fix these horrible dreams of his. Belegwen did not want Haldir to continue suffering night after night.
Behind her, she could sense him following her from a distance as she entered the dark green tree line at the forest's edge. Quickly, she used a whistle signal to command the wardens in the trees around them to rejoin the camp and start packing up. It was nearly daybreak now and they would soon start marching, so having them leave a few minutes early would not be a problem.
Belegwen walked deeper into the shadowy forest, pushing violently through the thickening weeds and shrubs, hoping to put a great distance between herself and the soldiers. The further out, the better. She did not want to be caught speaking candidly with Haldir.
When it finally seemed that she had distanced herself enough from all prying eyes and ears, Belegwen stopped and waited for Haldir to catch up to her. A couple minutes later he was there, staring at her with exasperation as he pushed down the last of leafy plants between them. "Belegwen, this is not a situation we should be putting-"
"Haldir, what was that?" Belegwen asked intensely, cutting him off abruptly as she took a step towards him. "What did I just see in your mind?"
Shock was evident on Haldir's face and Belegwen concluded that perhaps he had not known she had witnessed his dream. Her unintentional invasion of his privacy had understandably disturbed him. Belegwen would not be swayed though; this issue needed to be resolved so they could move on with their travels unhindered by personal issues.
"Well, what was it?" She hissed, growing upset with his lack of answers. Surely he at least owed her an explanation!
"It was a dream, Belegwen. Nothing more." He stated in a low voice that told her exactly how unsettled he was with her inquiry. Haldir shook his head in frustration as he answered her, no longer meeting her eyes.
"That is not what your thoughts tell me. I can hear them, Haldir. I can hear what you are thinking and I know you fear your own death awaits you at Helm's Deep. I now suspect you also fear for mine as well. Is this an accurate assessment?" Belegwen asked, boldly pushing him farther than she had ever dared to before. She knew this was a dangerous game with Haldir, especially when his walls had been up for weeks. It was a risk worth taking though if it might help.
Still, Haldir did not look her in the eye, instead opting to stare off into the darkness of the forest before once again eyeing the ground. His arms were crossed in such a way that showed his discomfort surrounding the situation. "Belegwen, whatever it is that is shared between us… it grows. The closer you are to me, the more likely it is that you will be dragged with me… into death." He said softly, finishing with a haunted look in his eyes.
"I will be your downfall." He whispered after a few moments of silence lingered between them. "I wish I could undo this somehow."
Belegwen was stunned that his walls had come down and that he had shared this with her. She immediately retorted, "Do you not think I am stronger than that?"
Finally, Haldir looked up and met her eyes as she continued. "Haldir, I do not believe you will fall in this battle. You are more skilled in warfare and prepared for battle than any other elf I know. However, if you did, I assure you that I would not waste away like some wilted flower in the heat of day. I would fight on valiantly, fulfilling my duty as is expected. Do not spend your days worrying about me-"
"You speak as though none of the wardens' wives had any strength to them at all! Just because they are not like you does not mean they were not brave, strong, and courageous! Many of them were all of those things, yet we have seen it happen time and time again where a warden dies and takes his wife along with him to Mandos-"
"That is not what I meant, Haldir. I know they have strength, but I also know that I have endured many battles myself at this point and would not give in so easily with the responsibility of the soldiers resting upon my shoulders." Belegwen cut in before adding, "Plus, we are not married. You need not worry about that."
Haldir immediately responded, "Our bond seems to be mimicking that of a married couple though. I fear I may yet drag you kicking and screaming to Mandos-"
"No more," Belegwen said, putting a few firm fingers over his lips. "Listen to me. You are not going to die in this battle, Haldir of Lorien. I will hear no more talk of this nature and you will now pull yourself together for the sake of the soldiers. You must focus for us all to stay safe on this journey."
"How can I focus when half of the camp is watching you like a hungry pack of dogs eyeing a piece of meat!" He exploded, pushing her fingers off of his mouth roughly as he transitioned from sadness to anger abruptly. "And for goodness sakes, why was Rumil holding your hand last night?!"
"Haldir, you are jealous." Belegwen stated, now becoming mildly annoyed with the turn the conversation had taken. "You have no reason to be though. I only have eyes for one elf and that elf is you. I do not know why Rumil was holding my hand, but I do know he is unaware of how often he touches the elves around him. He is constantly patting and hugging the other wardens and he never seems to be aware that it sometimes upsets them. I suspect this is why it happened and I will speak to him about it later. I do not want you to get the wrong idea though. Haldir, I will never think of Rumil in that way. He is my friend and nothing more. Do you understand?"
Belegwen looked at him with intense eyes, waiting for some sort of response from him. He gave none though. Sighing, Belegwen took a risk and quickly grabbed his face with both of her hands, pulled him towards her, and kissed him soundly on the lips. As she slowly savored the feeling of his mouth upon hers, Belegwen noticed the power of the bond could be felt flowing through their lips with vibrancy as she poured her heart and soul into this one act of comfort towards him.
When she finally released his lips, she held his face a moment longer, making eye contact with him as the first tendrils of daylight passed through the green leaves and cast shadows onto his face. She breathlessly whispered, "You are the only elf for me, Haldir."
A throat clearing near them made Belegwen's heart skip a beat. Immediately, Belegwen let go of Haldir and turned around to see three Galadhrim elves staring at them. Their reactions ranged from confusion to anger.
"Ahem, Haldir and Belegwen… This seems highly inappropriate." Said the middle one, who was named Eregdol. Of all the elves who could have caught them, Eregdol was the worse possible outcome, as he was a member of the city council in Caras Galadhon and was well-versed in all manner of city codes of conduct, including the warden's code.
He knew precisely what rule had been broken. Haldir and Belegwen were both in trouble now. An uncomfortable weight settled upon Belegwen's chest as she realized that she had ruined everything for both of them with that treacherous kiss.
"I am absolutely appalled by what I have seen here. Most luckily, I have witnesses to this extremely detrimental situation." Eregdol said, indicating the two other elves with his hand. "Our Lothlorien laws state that in the absence of the lord and lady, the city council may preside over broken city codes and ordinances. Come, we will convene an emergency council meeting right away to make a judgment on this matter."
Eregdol led the way back to the camp with his friends traveling beside him. Both Belegwen and Haldir followed them in silence through the forest, looking at each other repeatedly with anxiety-laden eyes as they made their way back to the camp in silence.
ooOoo
Did you miss my cliffies? I did! I love them way more than I probably should, lol! Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, so please review and let me know what you think. I will try to have another chapter up by next weekend. Thanks for reading!
-P.G.