Mae Govannen! I have returned! Thank you to reviewers of the sixteenth chapter. Elwen of Lorien, Haldir's Heart and Soul, Jousting Elf with a Sabre, Lady Anck-su-namun, werecanigeteyeslikethose, lovenhope, Nelarun, Sivaroobini Lupin-Black, Alenor Peredhel, Catalainya, Icea, ArwenEvenstar83, Jasmine (sailorstar7), Sweetblonde13, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, Brynhild, and...luvthefluf. You RULE! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sweet competition.

-------Mudannen lû ann ah narn hen-------


Disclaimer: I do not own the places, names, or anything else you may recognize.


--------I narn heria!--------Sindarin-----------(May the tale begin!)-------

Chapter Seventeen

"Does it usually rain in Lothlorien?" Anira asked as she and Minaethiel walked together in the market.

"Occasionally it does. In the winter, the trees shelter most of the snow. Outside the Golden Wood however, in the nearby fields, it snows regularly," she answered. The forest gave off a fresh scent because of the newly fallen rain. The soil was damp and soft, along with the trees that dripped sporadically on the elves that passed under them.

Looking ahead, Anira spotted Orthorien strolling towards them. She nervously pulled Minaethiel onto another path connecting to the main road. Too late. He had spotted them.

"Wait!" He yelled after them. Anira was half-tempted to leave Minaethiel behind and run away, but decided not to.

"Hello, I don't belive I've seen you in Lorien before," Minaethiel said to him. Always the cheerful one, she felt the need to greet everybody. Anira shook her head at the hopeless elleth.

"I am of Mirkwood," he answered, clearly annoyed."Would you mind if I stole your companion for a while?" Without waiting for an answer, he clasped Anira's arm and pulled her away. Minaethiel looked on in bewilderment.

"What do you think you are doing? Let go of me at once!" She said, outraged at his behavior.

"No," he replied calmly.

"I demand you to release me!" She repeated.

"I demand a civilized conversation," he answered, with the same eerie composure. They were soon out of sight and audibility of Minaethiel. Anira hoped upon hope that she had gone for help of some kind. Though she knew Orthorien to be somewhat of an honorable ellon, she did not trust him when it came to lust and anger. Or revenge.

"What do you want with me?"

"I want to show you."

"Show me what?"

"That you still love me." With that, he pulled her into an invading kiss. She tried to shove him away, resisting with all her force. Finally, he relented.

"Don't do that again. For my sake and for yours," her voice held a warning tone.

"Why not? Did you remember anything?"

"No, save the fact of how much I relished being free of you." Her words stung, but they contained truth.

"You used to love it when I did that. You used to wait for me to come back from duty," he said dreamily.

"Only to see you disregard me as a lover, I was brushed aside almost immediately after your return," she replied indignantly.

He had no answer for this and remained silent. She yanked her arm from his grasp and walked away.


Orthorien slammed the door to the talan as he entered it. Maethor looked up from his place on the terrace in surprise.

"What has you in a vile mood?" He asked. Orthorien glared at him.

"What else? You sister and her insufferable March warden. What she sees in him I'll never know," he finished, going into pathetic mumbling. Maethor could not stop the smile from reaching his face.

"Do you find something amusing, mellon?" He asked with a poisonous quality about him.

"Why do you worry? You can easily find another elleth to suit you. Obviously she is not the one for you," Maethor said, feeling sorry for him.

"Oh, yes, coming from the one who is already married. I am not giving up."


Haldir watched amusingly as he saw Anira storm out of the woods. Moments later, he saw Orthorien come out searching for her, only to see she was making her way towards himself. Looking at Haldir reproachfully, he retreated back to the guest talans.

He turned his attention to Anira, who was now no more than half-way across the clearing from him.

"Running away?" He asked. He met her eyes and saw a good deal of anger, but also hurt and sadness. He pulled her off to the side and away from the rest of the group, where they could not be seen.

"What troubles you? Your eyes show misery yet they also gleam with fury," he said.

"Old memories. It is nothing.Orthorien seems bent on proving that my heart belongs to him," she said.

"Does it?"

"It belongs to you." A pleasurable silence fell over them. Haldir swallowed and his grip on her arms became stronger. Before she had time to react, her lips were taken in a claiming embrace. An arm wrapped around her waist while a hand on her neck pulled her closer. She felt her own hands cling to his tunic.

"I answer you with equal feeling, but I must return to my duties. Nan lû i agovaded vîn, garo bost vaer," he said. After giving her another quick kiss, he returned to the training grounds.


Orthorien sat on the talan porch contemplating a strategy for winning Anira's heart. The sky was still a dull gray from the days before when it had rained. Looking into the east, one could anticipate another storm from the dark clouds already grouping. There was hardly any breeze, just a slight wind now and then.

He looked over the talan's edge to see the people of Lorien congregating in the main section of Caras Galadhon. To the northewest of that was stationed the training grounds. Orthorien recognized some of the Mirkwood soldiers among them and remembered that they had offered to help with the training.

It was then that he decided he would go for a visit, and have a another visit with this famed March warden of Anira's.


Rumil's head turned to see an unfimiliar elf enter the grounds. He was a Mirkwood soldier judging by his uniform. The ellon joined his comrades and Rumil assumed he was there to help, just like the rest of them. However, when he left the group and headed straight for Haldir, a very aggravated and provoked Haldir, Rumil began to worry.

Haldir took no notice of the ellon, he glanced at him and continued to converse with another warden. Orthorien approached Haldir with a confident stride and arrogant personality. What Orthorien did not know was that Haldir was having a less than perfect day, already irritated with the trainees' progress. When Orthorien faced Haldir squarely, he finally turned to acknowledge him.

His silver eyes bore into the Mirkwood elf's menacingly, daring him to say a single word.

"I was wondering, March warden, how well do you fancy your skills as a bladesman?" Orthorien said. Complete and utter quietness filled the clearing, the kind one hears before a storm.

"Why do you ask this of me?" He replied testily.

"I know your Galadhrim are reknowned for their archery, but I have also heard of their competence with the sword. I request a demonstration of that skill, with you." A gasp was heard from an elf farther away. "Do you accept?" He said again.

Haldir's mind considered the challenge. If he accepted, he faced the highly unlikely chance of defeat. Most likely it was a domain battle over Anira.Orthorien would probably hope that word of the fight would go out to her if he won.

"If I do, you must accept the rules of engagement. We fight to disarm, not injure. No foul play. Do you accept these terms?" Haldir said.

"I do." Orthorien's voice was steady and poised, but Haldir did not miss the trace of anxiety underlying his consent.


Anira raised her head to the now familiar sounds of an elf ascending the talan steps. These sounded different however, rapid and hurried. Panicked, almost. Opening the door to find Minaethiel, she was not surprised.

"The training grounds! Quickly! You must come!" She dragged Anira down the steps, explaining along the way.

"That elf we met earlier, the one that took you away, he challenged Haldir to cross blades with him," she said.

"This can't be happening. Didn't someone try to stop them?" She stumbled along next to her friend, face beginning to knot into worry. She reached down to smooth out the creases in her light green workdress.

"Why would they? Who would even want to try? The looks in their eyes were murderous, but they swore to fair rules of engagement."

A fairly large crowd of people were gathered at the training area. Minaethiel pushed her way through the other elves, getting to the edge of the clearing where Haldir stood facing Orthorien. Both their swords were drawn and held, ready to fight at any second.

Orthorien struck first. He jumped forward and swung his blade down hard. Haldir moved sleekly to the side, dodging it and aiming a blow of his own. Orthorien worked hard to block it, and had to parry three more as Haldir began to gain the upper hand. They moved across the clearing swiftly, never staying in one area for more than a few seconds. Haldir yet again evaded another strike, bringing them head to head with blades crossed.

"Yield?" Haldir said. "It would only be too easy."

Orthorien struggled with his strength and managed a shaky answer.

"I will yield when your face is crushed into the precious dirt of Lothlorien!" He yelled.

The swords moved again, followed by sidesteps and near escapes from the other's weapon. Orthorien tired, his movements slowed and lost their accuracy. His breath was haggard and unsteady.

"How about now?" Haldir asked again. Orthorien responded with another poorly aimed hit.

"You fight like my young soldiers!" Haldir laughed. He saw Orthorien glance into the crowd a moment, then turn back to him. Haldir followed where his gaze had been and saw Anira, unnerved and alarmed, watching them with trepidation in her eyes.

The fight continued, it neared evening.

"I yield! I yield!" Orthorien tried uselessly to catch his breath, before dropping to his knees in front of Haldir. Breathing heavily, he stood up painfully and bowed out of respect.

"You fight well, better than I. Although it may seem you won for your skills, you didn't. You fought for her. This duel showed who wanted her heart more, and who was willing to pay for it. Agorech vae, nin goheno," he said. He turned wearily and walked slowly back to his borrowed talan.


Haldir stared after him with a newfound admiration, but still a slight distrust. He turned to see Anira with a relieved look on her face. He walked towards her.

"Come for the fight?" He asked.

"Very funny. Minaethiel pulled me here. Did he challenge you?" She asked.

"Yes, he did. I do not like him less for it though. He is a talented swordsman," he said.

"Supposedly one of the best in his unit," Maethor said, coming up to them. "Haldir, your skills were excellent. My sister, it seems, has excellent taste in warriors-," he stopped at the look in Anira's face. "And I wish you both agood night, farewell." He left them and headed back the same way Orthorien had gone.

"Feisty little elleth tonight are you?" He cupped her face and kissed her, deepening the kiss just before Orophin stepped up to intrude upon them.

"Ahem, ah...Haldir...brother...March warden!"

Haldir broke off the kiss quickly, addressing his brother and warden while still inches from Anira's face.

"Yes?"

"You are needed," he said. "Sorry if I..I...eh...interrupted anything important.."

"No, no not at all," Anira said, quickly kissing Haldir's cheek and walking off to his talan.

"Think of it Orophin, only four more days of training and we can deem the recruits competent to face the borders," he said, slightly annoyed.

"That means more time for us in the city," Orophin replied.

"Exactly."


Nan lû i agovaded vîn, garo bost vaer- Until next we meet, rest well.

Agorech vae, nin goheno- You did well, forgive me


The sindarin elvish should be accurate. Like the chapter, anyone? Review! I plan to get the next one out sooner, hopefully. I will probably pick up with a day left of training for Haldir. After that, we move into the Autumn Festivities. One word: Silima. Again please leave a review! Thank you!

Ae ú-dhambeth tôl o le; ú-narn tôl o nin!

-ElfLuver13