Lillah: Chapter 9

Lillah watched the March Warden stare fiercely at Anna and then he turned abruptly on his heel and stalked down the hall, while the woman watched him from where she stood. Once the elf had left the building, evidenced by the quiet slam of the front door, Anna turned to face Lillah and Rinethel.

"I do not know what is going on between you, but that is the last time I will intervene on your behalf. He's a good elf, that one is, and I don't like seeing him hurt." She nodded at the two elves and moved away down the hall while Lillah ducked her head, embarrassed.

Rinethel smoothed his lips, his dinner forgotten, and then he finally looked at his sister. "You do realize what you are up against?"

Lillah met his gaze curiously. "Your meaning?"

"You have not only to fight against Haldir's incredible sense of loyalty to his wood, but also his reputation, and, my lovely sister, a fierce sense of pride when it comes to being picked on. Do so at a cost you may regret."

~**~

Elrohir watched, unnoticed, as Haldir strode rapidly away from the healing house in a fury. He smiled in amusement and then straightened from the doorway where he had waited for the warden to exit the healer's abode. Clearly, Haldir had received no satisfactory answer from Lillah, just as he had not from either Elladan or Elrohir. It would not deter the March Warden long; missing a horse was not much of an obstacle to overcome. Aragorn would simply give him another should the elf ask for one, but for Haldir to do so would be a blow to the ellon's pride. That was the difficulty and the reason for his anger.

Elrohir chuckled, weaving among the pedestrians lining the street, keeping the silver-haired elf in his sight through the crowd. A few moments later, he spied Elladan and with a slight tip of his chin, allowed his twin to continue trailing Haldir.

Elrohir turned back and headed for the healing house. He met Lillah on the steps outside.

"We have done as you ask," Elrohir stated, taking the elleth's fingers to help her down the steep steps. "He is not happy."

She sighed, shivering briefly. "No, I know."

Elrohir tucked her hand beneath his arm, guiding her through the throng of people milling about the street. The city was full, the houses all packed with refugees. Some streets had become nearly impassible with tents and temporary housing. Aragorn was being hard-pressed to find them all shelter. Many people watched the two elves pass, stopping sometimes to stand in the street with mouths open. Elrohir generally ignored their surprise, but did smile at a young woman holding a tiny baby to her breast. The woman blushed profusely and turned away.

"You are still the same," Lillah complained dryly.

Elrohir looked at the petite elleth at his side. "Should I be changed then?"

Lillah smiled and shook her head. "With all the trials of this war, I suppose I expected everyone to be grim and serious all the time."

Elrohir frowned briefly. "And what good would this do? Life is indeed difficult for many still, some as you were, have been wounded both physically and mentally. Their hearts bear heavy burdens, Lillah. Why should I not attempt to add some lightness or offer a lady a token of my appreciation for her beauty. I have embarrassed the young woman with her child, yes, but she will relay it to her friends and remember it with a lighter heart. I hope," he added with a wink.

Elrohir patted Lillah's hand, amused when she laid her cheek against his arm.

"Am I wrong in making him angry?"

Elrohir considered her carefully. "Who can say but Haldir? If you want him then take him," he said. "My sister shouted that at the Nazguls when she had Frodo, you know. They tried, but of course were defeated by our magic." He stopped and turned Lillah to face him. "Will you find defeat in this course? Ask yourself just what you want from him. He is who he is, my friend. You cannot change him, nor should you. And you cannot ask him to leave what is part of his soul. You must decide what you can accept."

She gazed at him curiously. "And what do you want from life, Elrohir?"

He chuckled. "I have not yet decided."

~**~

Haldir was fully aware of the elf trailing his steps. He moved slowly and methodically without any real purpose or destination in mind, his thoughts conflicted as he walked. His anger had cooled and had been replaced with amusement. Lillah's obvious attempt to thwart his return to Lorién was a sharp contrast to her distance on the ride back.

What did the elleth want?

What did he want?

What could he give her that both would accept? Would it be better to simply retreat from the burgeoning emotions that had risen between them or did he want to pursue her further? A question yet to be answered and one that had hounded his thoughts for days.

He could ask Aragorn for another mount, and would be given one without question, but he had to admit he was not ready to leave Minis Tirith as yet. He could delay his journey only for so long, however, before duty called him back.

That did not give him, or Lillah, much time.

Getting the twins involved spoke of a determination that made him smile. A cat and mouse game was always entertaining. Haldir smiled and nearly laughed when a woman nearby stared at him with wide eyes. He ducked into an alley, weaving swiftly through the tangle of houses and debris clogging the narrow street, stepping into a darkened doorway to wait.

Elladan passed him by but then stopped abruptly. "How long have you known?"

Haldir moved out of the doorway to shove the elf forward a few steps. "Long enough to make you feel like a fool. She will get what she wants soon enough."

~**~

Lillah stepped into her room, a bright cheerful place on the third story of a corner building, high enough she could see over the wall surrounding the sixth level of the city. The sun was bright, a faint breeze blowing in the open window. She stopped at the sight of the open window with a frown. She had not left it open, she was certain of it.

Goosebumps prickled her skin; her heart constricted leaving her breathless. She had nothing to fear, there were no orcs within Minus Tirith. She told herself she was being silly and stepped further into the room only to stop when she noticed the goblet sitting on the table near the window. The wine glistened in the clear glass, moisture beaded the outside from the humidity. She swallowed and lifted a hand to her throat as chill swept through her.

She felt him move behind her. She knew he was there, but heard no sound to alert her of his presence. It was only a sense of his nearness, the air felt compressed around her. She stood still and tried to regulate her breathing, refusing to show him how much he affected her.

He probably already knew, she thought, closing her eyes to try to focus on her surroundings.

The air was heavy. She could hear the curtains whispering as they fluttered in the breeze. The sounds of traffic outside in the street filtered in, muffled from the height somewhat. She could feel the warmth of the sunlight on her feet, the floor tiles warm beneath her thin slippers. And after a moment, she could smell him.

How close was he? She dared not open her eyes.

"You are trembling," he whispered into her ear. His breath fluttered the stands of her hair. It was the only indication of how close he stood to her. "Are you frightened?"

She shook her head, lips tight, but could not help but press her fingers against her throat in an impulsive reaction to his nearness.

"I mean you no harm," he said. She felt his fingers brush against her neck, shifting her hair with the barest of a whisper against her skin.

"I know that," she replied, dismayed to find her voice sounded frightened. She turned around, but he moved just as quickly to stay behind her, silently like a wraith.

"Two can play games, Lillah. Do you dare?"

She dropped her hand to her skirt, tightly gripping the thin fabric. "I already play, March Warden. Are you?" she turned her head but could not see him, but felt his fingers graze her waist.

"Oh yes," he whispered. "The rules however change when I play."

She lifted her chin. "Oh really?"

His laugh made her shiver all the away to her toes. She felt him tuck something into her hair, slid gently above her ear. When he did nothing else, she reached up to find it was a flower. She turned around but found the room empty.

Heart beating rapidly, she pulled it from her hair to find it was a pale lily, nearly white with a rosy-hued throat. It was lovely and she wondered where he had found it. She lifted it to her nose to inhale the sweet fragrance, and wondered just how long it would take for her nerves to settle down.

~**~

Haldir sat on the edge of the rampart wall, one leg braced on the outside, the other knee drawn up on the stone as he wrote the missive he would soon send to the Lady of Light. He ignored the sheer drop just beside him, his perch on the highest level of the city one he did not mind, but rather enjoyed. The sunlight was warm on his head, the wind ruffling the parchment pressed against his knee and sending his hair fluttering around his shoulders in tickling caresses over his cheek.

The royal guards nearby watched him with both curiosity and trepidation should he fall.

The thought amused him.

He paused in writing, debating on just how to word his delay.

A cough from beside him made him smile.

"Must you terrify my guards, Haldir, so blatantly?" Aragorn demanded imperiously, but grinned when Haldir turned his head to meet the King's gaze with a lift of his brow.

"I am well used to heights, as they should remember."

Aragorn shrugged. "Should, but they only see a valued member of my family sitting precariously near a fall that would kill you. They still feel very protective of the hero of Helm's Deep."

Haldir snorted. "I am no hero, that title belongs to you. I will not fall. I am an elf."

Aragorn laughed and shook his head. "Spoken like the arrogant ellon I know well. What do you write, my friend? Delaying your journey home?"

Haldir sighed. "How do you guess so easily?

The King leaned against the wall beside Haldir. He would not test his guardian's protectiveness by doing anything more dangerous. "You normally would have left as soon as possible. The Golden Wood always calls you home quickly; instead I see something else has captured your . . . attention." Aragorn smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.

"I cannot argue that," Haldir replied, meeting the royal gaze intently.

"Do you need me to require your attention for a longer time than we originally expected? Perhaps Arwen has need of you."

Haldir grinned. "Nay, the Lady sees far too much. I will simply tell her the truth. I have personal matters to attend to."

Aragorn nodded and pushed away from the wall. "I do not think she will be surprised. I will send for one of the falconers. Are you joining us for dinner? I can invite Lillah?"

Haldir began to shake his head but then paused. "An excellent idea, my lord, I would be most happy to see her there."

"I will alert Arwen to the change in plans. She will be amused."

Haldir nodded and returned to his letter. Aragorn passed between his guardians and Haldir did not miss their relief. As if any harm would come to the man, Haldir reflected. Not if he had anything to do about it. Still the guards seemed happier the King had left the rampart, but still watched Haldir just as intently.

~**~

The Lady of Light read the missive a few days later without surprise. She glanced at the setting sun with a distant gaze, a faint smile curving her mouth.

"He delays," Celeborn deduced perceptively.

"Indeed, it seems he has personal matters to attend to."

"It is rare for the March Warden to take time for himself," Celeborn declared and then smiled. "It's about time he has."

Galadriel folded the letter carefully and tucked it into her sleeve. She caressed the sleek falcon that had delivered it so quickly. "Indeed, it is good to see his heart drawn from the depths of grief. I shall reply that he can return when he can."

"No time frame?" Celeborn inquired.

"Love does not often fall smoothly into time frames."

"So you believe he will fall hard for the elleth?" Celeborn again questioned, although Galadriel knew her husband did not need to ask.

"It depends on Haldir himself and what he will allow. That he has delayed his journey speaks well that he is considering it."

"Or is he attempting to find a way to let her down without hurting her," Celeborn suggested. "I could see even in the brief time we saw her, the connection she felt with Haldir. Whether it was love at that time or just a reflection of their healing bond I cannot say."

Galadriel tied the reply she had just written to the falcon's leg and then lifted him into the air, flinging the bird above her. The bird fluttered momentarily, and then with a surge of powerful wings, flew into the sky to return to Minus Tirith. She turned then to face her lover with a smile. "Whatever it is, my husband, if it eases the pain my March Warden has felt for so long, I will praise the Valar for it."

Celeborn embraced her, his arms a haven as she rested he head against his chest. "And if he decides his path lay elsewhere than the Golden Wood?"

Galadriel only smiled. "His heart is here. I would not keep him from choosing a different path, but I do not believe he will. It will be Lillah's choice, I think. I cannot say what she will decide."

~**~

Lillah only knew she did not like the game they were playing now.

Restless since her return, she worked with Anna in the healing house even though Rin was free, and fully clothed to the dismay of his attendants, to stay with her. The work kept her busy but it did not stop her mind from settling on Haldir.

He had taken control.

She had been invited several times to dinner with Aragorn and Arwen. Unable to refuse, she found her seat generally placed opposite Haldir. She wondered if Arwen did it purposely. Haldir's silver gaze was difficult to ignore, especially when it expressed so much and so little. It left her floundering, wondering just what he intended.

Elrohir and Elladan had warned her. Legolas had smiled in amusement. They had known exactly how the elf would react to her attempt to guide their relationship.

A hand on her arm made her flinch, disturbed to find Anna beside her looking at her with a frown. The woman's expression was a sure sign Lillah had been daydreaming for some time.

"I am sorry, Anna, you have caught me wool gathering."

The woman sniffed but did not release her arm, instead she guided Lillah from the sick room to a window. She stopped and pointed outside. "Do you see that?"

Confused, Lillah shook her head with no idea to what Anna was pointing at.

"It is summer now. The birds are singing. The air is warm and lovely. It is not a time to bury yourself inside a house full of misery and illness."

"But you said I should find something to do, Anna. I wish only to help."

"And I appreciate that," Anna replied. "But I didn't expect you to stop living."

Lillah drew back from the window. "I have been out. I went to dinner at the Royal house only two days ago."

"I heard," Anna declared with a roll of her eyes. "Your brother complained to me for an hour that you and Haldir are like warriors willing to fight but yet reluctant to get inside the ring together."

Lillah snorted. "I am not fighting Haldir!"

Anna arched a brow in disdain. "Are you not?"

Lillah reached for a stack of blankets lying on a nearby chair. "No I am not. He plays games, Anna. I am just not sure yet how to counter his play." She swept out of the room and deposited the blankets with another attendant. His game, his rules, he had said. She shivered. He was very good at his game.

She left the Healing house and made her way down the street.

She had no idea what to do.

She could ask Rin, or even the twins, but the thought made her shudder. Perhaps Legolas, who seemed to watch so closely? She knew where he would be and hurried toward the entry gates to the lower levels.

~**~

Legolas watched Lillah pace back and forth. She spoke in a low voice, her hair a silken wave that lay against her back, draped to her hips unfettered.

"If I tell you, you must promise not to laugh."

Legolas pressed his fingers against his heart. "My oath, Lillah."

"He came into my room the other night, late."

Legolas arched a brow, but did not interrupt. Haldir was judiciously noble.

Lillah glanced at him and then sighed. "I was dreaming about him," she admitted, her cheeks flushing prettily. "I do not know if the kiss I felt was part of my dream or real. I woke to find another lily lying on my chest."

Legolas had to admire the elf's tactics. They had unsettled Lillah in a way that a more demanding seduction would not have. Haldir was forcing Lillah to think about him, to wonder, to want more. Even as she complained that Haldir had violated the sanctuary of her room, it was only a token resistance.

"How many does that make now?" Legolas asked, although he knew well the number. Aragorn's prize garden was seriously becoming denuded.

"Five," Lillah replied. "Arwen is sure to have his head."

Legolas laughed. "I am sure she knows exactly where her flowers are going and is not unhappy."

"So how am I to respond? Do I simply let him continue to haunt me? I thought he had to return to Lorién."

"Do you want him to return?" Legolas asked.

Lillah looked at him, pausing in her pacing with a horrified expression. "Of course not!" She laughed then with a shake of her head. "He has won, has he not? I cannot get him from my mind."

"Nor you from his," Legolas reminded her.

She blinked. "True."

"He stays for you."

"But for how long?"

"That depends on you," Legolas replied. "This is what you have to decide."

"I cannot keep him from Lothlorien."

Legolas only smiled. No, but that was not to say things could not still progress in a way that both would find acceptable. But would they find the answer? That remained to be seen.

Lillah rounded on him, fists planted on her hips, eyes expressing a sudden resolve. "I've been the mouse, I suppose."

Legolas wisely kept silent.

"He thinks he is so smart." Lillah paced again, but this time a rueful smile played about her lips. "Perhaps I can take my clue from what he had done."

She looked at him, her eyes wide as a faint blush colored her cheeks. "I must decide, you say."

Legolas nodded sagely.

"Then I decide it is my turn. Can you get me inside the guest quarters, unnoticed?"

"Not a problem," Legolas replied and he grinned.

TBC.