Chapter 10

Rinethel finally felt well, his chest no longer pained him nor did the leg that the healers had efficiently forced him to rest. He grinned, remembering Anna's powerful persuasion to make him stay in bed. He had wondered long into the night after waking without a stitch of clothing left to his name just how she had removed his garments without him knowing it. And he wondered, how much had the lady enjoyed both her bullying and the disrobing of an elf ages older yet one that looked like he could be her son.

Women never tired of looking, he knew, no matter their age.

The occasional smile Anna flashed his way told him as much.

Shaking his head, he pushed open the door to Lillah's room, given to her by Aragorn himself. Even though she knew him only by rumor and the brief healing episode, somehow the man had taken his sister under his wing in a protective manner that pleased the ranger immensely. The King's guardianship had deterred the most ardent of admirers, except perhaps one.

He was a very determined admirer and one who had the expertise to use both seduction and intrigue to lure Lillah into his net. Did it matter though? Rinethel considered the effects the March Warden had on his sister. She had returned to her brother a different elleth than the one he had last seen, wedded to a mortal he had not like or one who deserved the elleth he had taken, yet Rin had not interfered in his sister's decision to take the man to heart. Did he have any reason to step in between here either?

No, rather, as he had done just a few nights past, he had simply remained a dedicated observer.

Rinethel had been awake the night Haldir had made his way into Lillah's rooms. Sharing her accommodation had put him purposely in between the March Warden and Lillah -- which was fine with him for the moment. She would choose the time she would further their relationship, even if the warden thought otherwise.

But Haldir was good; Rinethel had to give credit where it was due. The elf had made his way into the room by way of the window, only a pale shadow that woke Rinethel from a light reverie. Rinethel had not moved, merely watched as Haldir moved stealthily through the room to lean over Lillah. She had been dreaming, having fallen asleep on the small chaise near the window. Rin heard her breathing quicken as if she sensed Haldir's presence, yet she did not wake. His kiss was gently done, barely a whisper across her lips, and then he had straightened, leaving the flower on her chest.

In moments he was gone, but not without a faint touch to his brow as he passed Rinethel.

And now, Rinethel wondered as he stood in the room where he and his sister slept, how long did he keep his vigil over Lillah?

"Rin?" Lillah's voice was hesitant, her steps stopping just inside the door. "Are you all right?"

The ranger turned to face his sister, deciding it was time to find out just what she expected from him. "Aye, but we need to talk."

Her expression went from surprise to curiosity, and then after a moment, changed once again to amusement.

"I am no longer the shy maiden you once thought I was."

Rinethel smiled. "I never thought you a shy maiden, love. But I still am here to protect you."

She crossed the room to hug him tightly. "I appreciate your worry. I agree we need to talk." She took his hand and led him to the chaise to sit down. "I need your help, brother."

Rinethel laughed in response. "That was not what I was hoping to hear."

**~~**

She had found the package inside the door without markings. The gown inside had taken her breath away. She assumed it was from Haldir.

A wicked gift, she was sure he expected her to wear it to please him.

She would, but not as he anticipated. The thought made her smile. She left the gown hidden beneath her bed and went to find Anna. She needed a few things she was sure the woman could procure for her. She hurried from her room into the street still teeming with refugees. Things were slowly being organized in the White city; few people sat on the side of the street looking lost anymore. Most went about their way with purpose, if not smiles.

She had reached the healing house when the clamor arose, heard even as far as they were from the sixth level of the city. The healing house sat near the outer wall in the fourth tier, while above them the levels rose gracefully into the sheer granite of the mountain. The noise was from high above where Aragorn had begun rebuilding some of the buildings damaged from the horrendous attacks from the trolls and Sauron's forces. A huge wooden crane stood along the outer wall, built from massive timbers nearly as big as she was. Used to lift bricks and such up to the upper levels of the damaged buildings, it was a monstrosity that had loomed over the lower levels , the arms swinging out over the city with their heavy loads for hours on end.

It now leaned precariously over the wall, broken and twisted, and the noise coupled with the screams of the men injured had brought Anna and Lillah rushing outside the healing house.

Lillah could only stare in horror, certain the crane would come crashing down at any moment.

Clatters of hooves made both women turn around to find Legolas and the twins, with Haldir a few steps behind, thundering toward them. The first three elves swept past them, while Haldir reined in so abruptly his horse pranced several steps sideways.

"We will have need of you, Anna," he declared.

Anna shook her head and grasped Lillah to push her toward Haldir. "I need supplies. Take Lillah to help you until I can get there. I will hurry," she said when Haldir's lips pressed tightly together at her refusal. "Go, what are you waiting for?"

Lillah nearly gasped when Haldir leaned down to grasp her wrist, lifting her easily to his lap. He urged the horse forward with a growl, his arms tight around Lillah while she clung to him.

The crowd parted for them even as they gaped at the precariously leaning contraption above. The horse's hooves ringing loudly on the cobbled stone street, they weaved swiftly through the narrow winding alleys in a rapid galloping gate that took them up to the next level within moments

When they arrived, everyone was still frozen in shock, while three men lay trapped within and beneath the wreckage. The elves had dismounted and were arguing with a man Lillah had to assume was the overseer of the project. He was frowning, waving his arms in an adamant gesture the elves clearly did not like.

Haldir lifted Lillah from his lap, lowering her to the ground before he slid off the horse to join the others. Lillah stared at the injured men in concern as nothing was being done to help them at all.

She turned toward the elves when the man in charge raised his voice in anger.

"We cannot move it or we shall crush Willem below. The contraption hangs in a delicate balance as it is, if it goes over we might kill more when it crashes into the buildings below. We've no way to shore up the bracing nor get ropes to the arm out there without upsetting it." He shoved a hand through his hair in frustration.

Elladan turned to study the broken crane, lips tight, the elf's eyes searching the contraption for answers to the problem.

Elrohir gripped the man's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "We shall find a way. Trust me. Aragorn will be here shortly."

"What about the men?" Lillah asked, concerned. "They cannot be left there for long!"

Legolas sighed. "We know. But the problem is the crane. Should it shift further, Lillah, it will certainly kill the man below, while the other two will be crushed worse. We have to secure the frame before we can do anything else. That means getting a rope to the outer arm." The Prince leaned closer to the wall, looking at the crane intently.

Haldir stepped back as more horses thundered down the winding street. Aragorn leaped from his horse, his expression grim. He took one look at the crane and then shook his head. "How many are caught in the wreckage?"

"Three, my lord," the over seer stated. "We do not know if we can get a rope to the arm without sending it down onto the city below."

Aragorn turned to look at the crane as well. Haldir had moved next to the base of the contraption, crouched on the wall beside it.

Legolas, though, looked at the overseer. "I can climb out to the arm with rope to secure it without upsetting the balance."

The overseer looked skeptical. Aragorn shook his head adamantly. "Nay, I cannot risk losing you, my friend. Thranduil would have my head to have you harmed in any way. No, I cannot let you do it."

"Then we can do it," Elrohir declared, arms folded over his chest. He looked at Aragorn stubbornly.

Haldir smiled, his grey eyes twinkling as Aragorn once again shook his head. "Nay, not you either! Elrond would not only have my head, but worse, Arwen would never let me forget it. But I know that we have little choice. There are none here that have the balance an elf does." Aragorn looked at Haldir. "You knew it would be you all along."

Lillah gasped when Haldir nodded and rose to his feet. "Lillah, I have hithlain on my horse, would you bring it?"

The overseer looked between the elf and Aragorn in horror. "You can't mean to send him out there, my lord! It will be his end as well as Willem's . What about the people below?"

"I have sent guards to the lower level to evacuate anyone nearby. Haldir can walk the timber without upsetting the balance. We've no other choice."

Lillah handed the rope to Haldir with a trembling hand. "You will be careful!"

He nodded. Aragorn moved beside her and caught Haldir by his tunic to pull him close. "You will be careful. I want the rope around you as much as the crane."

Haldir crouched down again to look at Aragorn in the eye. "I will do what needs to be done, as I always do. We have no other choice as you just said." The elf laid a hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "I will be fine, remember, I am an elf." He grinned as Aragorn rolled his eyes and then he was moving over the frame of the crane carefully.

Lillah moved back out of the way, glancing between Aragorn and the men lying so silently below, but mostly, she watched Haldir. He moved slowly, perfectly balanced, yet she knew he placed each step with the utmost care, aware of the crane's precarious balance.

He had nearly walked the length of the wooden frame without incident when he froze. An ominous creak made Lillah hold her breath, while Aragorn and the other men surged closer to the wall. Haldir held up his hand without looking back. "If I move further the arm of the crane will shift. If I do not I cannot tie the rope anywhere where it will do any good. I need a counterbalance to my weight, but not as heavy." He looked over his shoulder. "A child's weight."

"Or mine," Lillah declared. "I'll not let you put a child at risk, nor will Aragorn. What must I do?" She glared at Haldir when he shifted to face them, his face pale.

Aragorn smiled grimly. "Ask Haldir. It is he who can sense the shifting better."

Haldir pointed at the frame where the arm connected to the main tower, now lying nearly horizontal rather than vertical. "I have to move onto the arm, but it may send it swinging outward further. I need you to move to the other end to counter the shift." He held up a hand when Lillah moved forward. "You need to shorten your gown. You need to see your feet."

Elladan was already beside her, a slim elvish knife in hand. "Not a problem."

Elrohir was also beside her, tying another length of hithlain around Lillah's waist. "If it looks to go down, we're not losing you. Be careful, Lalaith, this is far more dangerous than fighting orcs."

She smiled at the ranger. Legolas leaped up to the wall and held out his hand. Two men took the end of the hithlain, while Aragorn and the overseer watched intently. Lillah allowed Legolas to lift her beside him. She refused to consider the danger - the drop to the level below, but instead concentrated on the beam she must walk. It was not too narrow, far wider than many of the trees she'd climbed as an elfling. She met Haldir's gaze. "How far must I go?"

"I will tell you when to stop."

She inhaled slowly and then began to walk carefully along the beam, arms held out for balance although it was unnecessary as the beam was quite comfortable to traverse. She felt the wind lift her hair, her shorn skirts whispered around her knees but she did not look down, but kept her gaze on Haldir, on the grey eyes watching her so intently.

She knew then she wanted more of him, knew all along that the connection between them was far stronger than she could have expected. Something had clicked between them, the shared horrors of the war along with the healing had brought them together. She trusted him from the moment he had arrived at her knee in the road before Minas Tirith, when she had first looked into his eyes and knew she was safe.

The crane creaked. The wood beneath her feet shivered but did not shift.

She realized she was holding her breath and exhaled, lifting her gaze to see Haldir was still watching her, his lips a tight as if to hold in the emotions she could see reflected in the silver of his eyes. Worry. She smiled and moved again, focused on her balance and what he needed from her.

The air was cool, the sun beating on her back meant it was growing late. They did not have much time to shore up the crane and remove the men before the mountain hid the setting sun. Behind her, she could hear the low murmur of concerned voices, but not from any of the elves. They knew what could be done, and just who was taking the risk.

She froze when Haldir glanced down at his feet, hands lifting as the wood shifted in a loud clang, reset into its original position, and then as she watched, began to rotate, swinging Haldir out from her and the wall, further out over the lower tiers.

The wind seemed to swirl around Haldir, lifting his hair to blind him for a moment but he remained standing as the arm swung its full circumference and then groaned to a stop. Haldir took one step back, a slim foot braced gracefully as he removed the hithlain from his belt and began to gather the rope into loops in his hand. The arm slowly began to swing backwards, bringing the elf back to where Lillah stood, and as he passed the far end of the crane, Haldir flung the hithlain outwards, looping the thin gray line over the end of the arm. He pulled it tight, bringing him to a halt in mid swing.

Lillah clutched her chest, her fear a bad taste in her mouth.

"Throw it back, Haldir." Aragorn's voice was calm, commanding, a voice many listened to and trusted as well. A voice that held the wisdom of the ages, of pain and heartache, a voice that carried a concern for an elf who had already paid too much for him.

Haldir gave a short nod, unraveling the lengths of rope in his hand to toss them back at Elrohir and Legolas. The Mirkwood elf caught it deftly. The others gathered behind him as Elrohir grasped the rope as well, and eight men and elves began to gently tightly the elvish line to pull the beam upwards.

Haldir moved carefully along the beam back toward Lillah. She held her place, unsure if she should return or stay when the beam began to lift under her feet. She opened her mouth to cry out but it was lost in the renting sound of wood ripping.

Haldir uttered a curse and leaped toward her. The crane canted to the left just as Haldir hit her, knocking her off the beam with him as the machine twisted upwards. She screamed as they fell, but then they were jerked backwards as the ropes caught on the crane as it folded up, timbers snapping as if they were simple branches. Haldir pulled a knife from his boot and sliced through the hithlain holding Lillah, his grip on her wrist an iron band that numbed her hand to her fingers. She didn't speak, but closed her eyes as free of the rope she swung down below him held fast only by the grip on her wrist. He was caught still by the same hithlain, and had only minutes to free himself before they would plunge downward with the rest of the crane into the buildings below.

She lifted her gaze up to the elf above her, noting the elves working feverishly above Haldir to secure another line.

Haldir did not look down, but continued to grip her wrist, feet braced on the wood of the crane as it continued to shudder. He swung her out from the wall, and as she watched, unable to speak, he sliced the line around his waist.

But they fell only a short ways before they stopped once more.

Lillah knew Haldir had somehow caught something to stop their fall. She could see Willem amid the wreckage, unconscious. The crane was disintegrating.

"We have to get to Willem, Haldir."

"I know. I am going to swing you forward. You will have to trust me that you can catch that cross bar. I have to trust that you can as well."

She wouldn't give him any other choice. "Just do it quickly."

The words had hardly left her mouth when she was flung forcefully toward the crane. The wood seemed easy to grasp, but was far more slick that she might have guessed, leaving her scrambling for a hand hold. She caught the edge just as she began to slide off, holding on tightly to catch her breath.

Haldir slammed into the wood frame just above her, but with a gracefulness that made her scowl. Was this so similar to his trees it was nothing?

His grin said as much.

The wood bracing underneath her creaked alarmingly.

She pulled herself onto the cross beam, grasping Hladir's hand tightly as he pulled her along the beams toward the unconscious man. They reached him just as the cross beam Lillah had fallen on snapped in two. Above them, the men were shouting in alarm.

Haldir braced his shoulder against the wood framing pinning Willem and after a moment, or perhaps due to the fact the crane was disintegrating, the beam shifted. Willem groaned as the pressure eased on his chest, and then Haldir was there, lifting the man over his shoulder. Lillah swung around heading for the outside of the crane. A pair of feet appeared in front of her and then Legolas swung down to land on the wood beam. Haldir handed the man to him, and then the elf swung back out as both twins arrived to replace him. Lillah caught Elrohir's wrist as he swung back away and then they were free of the wreckage only to hear a loud snap above them and the wood frame finally collapsed, dropping the whole thing the hundred feet to the level below.

Lillah watched it fall and then hid her face in her arm.

Had Haldir been able to jump free?

When Elrohir was pulled back up to the wall, Rinethel was waiting, his face white. He lifted her over the stone roughly into his arms.

"What were you thinking?"

"Someone needed help." She pushed him away, turning to search for Haldir. He knelt on the wall on one knee, fingers pressed against a sharp gash over his cheek, but alive and well.

Aragorn reached him and without any words at all dragged the elf off the wall and shook him like a child. "Do you think I have the nerves of an elf? Bah, Gimli would have better words than I." Aragorn flung him away and then shook his head, hauling Haldir back into his arms. "Damn you."

Haldir accepted the embrace but his eyes rested firmly on Lillah.

She smiled and received a wink back.

**~~**

Haldir paced the narrow confines of his room, narrow only to an elf used to open airy talans. The room was fully thirty paces square but the windows were tall and slim, paned in heavy glass that blocked the breeze and the sun for much of the day.

But the sun was far gone, the darkness of night heavy as the fog that had swept in from the heights to obscure the city from view.

He paced, hands folded behind his back, dressed in his leggings and undertunic, but nothing more.

Watching Lillah today had been both heady and terrifying. She had done well, he could not have asked her to do more. He smiled at the memory, admiring her courage to do as he asked without question, while he had felt his heart stop even as he knew she was the answer they needed.

Where he needed to go from here was never more muddled.

A faint knock on his door made him turn his head, brow lifted as the door opened partially and a hooded figure slipped inside only to turn and face him, lifting the hood back with slim fingers her recognized well.

Lillah smiled, her gaze full of mischief.

"Greetings, Haldir."

"Lillah?"

She shut the door. The cloak hung heavily from her shoulders, swathing her in layers of dark fabric that hid whatever she wore completely. He lifted his chin slightly as she moved toward him.

"Although I am sure Aragorn has little care in what I might do, the guards here seem to think you are a treasure to be protected from any and all visitors." She sniffed faintly, reaching out to draw her hand across his chest as she brushed past him. "But I have evaded even the most diligent of your wardens, human as they are."

He grinned in amusement.

"Elrohir suggested I become a ranger. What think you?"

"You have the nerve for it, but need training should you choose that path." He turned to keep her in view as she moved around his room. She trailed her fingers over the table in front of the fireplace and then sat on the edge of his bed. He folded his arms over his chest and waited.

"I have to admit I was terribly frightened today. Could you tell?" She looked at him from beneath her lashes, her lips curved invitingly.

"Nay, you seemed quite sure of yourself." It was not quite true but she had done well."

"Liar, you knew I was afraid, yet you allowed me to continue."

He moved to lean against a nearby chair. "You agreed to help knowing there was little other choice. We must often do what we care not to do."

"Indeed," she said and rose from the bed. He caught a faint glimpse of fabric, sheer enough he had seen her knee. He blinked.

"But tonight is different."

"Is it?" he replied, trying to remember where he had seen that fabric.

"Aye," she agreed, reaching him to stand before him. "I received a package today, this morning before the crane fell."

He lifted a brow. "Did you?"

"Aye," she said again. She looked up at him, her eyes bright. "But you did not send it as I once thought."

He could have stared into her eyes all evening. "Nay," he said thickly.

She sighed as she walked her fingers up his chest. "Then I must wonder who would send me such a gift."

The fabric flashed into his head. "Arwen," he said suddenly, closing his eyes as the memory of the previous evening careened through his head, his mistaken assumption of what the elven princess had done.

Arwen had been sitting near the fire, bent over the sheer lengths of fabric covering her knees, her dark hair fallen to hide her face as she worked. Haldir had been speaking with Aragorn, his thoughts distracted as they often were to Lillah.

Arwen's soft voice had interrupted his musings.

"Do you like this fabric, Haldir?" She had held up a length to show him, her fingers and hand clearly visible beneath the blue green tint.

He had lifted a brow, faintly amused that she would ask his opinion on something he assumed was personal.

How wrong he had been, the elleth's intentions suddenly all too clear, her interference quite plain to him now.

Lillah was tapping a finger against her lips, an action that drew his gaze like a magnet. The Valar help him he knew he had lost a round against these two elleths.

She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. "Arwen? She would do something like this. She truly is a wicked elleth, you know, much more like her brothers than most would believe."

Haldir had no trouble believing it. He tried not to shudder when her fingers slid down to his navel.

"How would you know it to be her, though?" Lillah had to ask.

He reached out to touch her but the elf moved away, her fingers gripping the clasp to her cloak. "She was working on something last night that she asked my opinion of."

Lillah's smile was pure wickedness, her laughter soft. "Indeed? And what did you say, March Warden?"

He smiled faintly. "I saw only the fabric, but said it left little to the imagination."

"Ah," Lillah replied, her back to him. She stood in front of a mirror, her eyes reflected like glimmering diamonds in the firelight. "And just what can you imagine Haldir?"

"All too much," he said.

She turned away from the mirror with a smile. He watched her fingers twist the clasp on her cloak, his breath suddenly caught in his chest. The clasp came free to loosen the folds of fabric over her shoulders and then the cloak slid to her feet in a heavy whisper of cloth. He was wrong. He could not have imagined the exquisite sight before him, hidden yet revealed all too clearly to his eye. He breathed in deeply, fingers curled tightly into fists in order to not touch her.

"And your opinion now?" she asked softly.

"Stunning."

She laughed and moved closer, laying her hands on his chest. He was sure she felt the heavy beat of his heart and the difficulty he had to draw a breath. She slid her hands over his chest and then around his neck, fingers weaving into his hair to pull his head down to hers and then she kissed him.

He gripped her shoulders gently, resisting the desire to fold her deeper into his embrace, knowing without a doubt this kiss would be all she would give him.

She drew back and then bent down to gather her cloak. The fabric enfolded the delightful treasure beneath it as she closed the clasp firmly. "Shall I relay your opinion to Arwen?"

"Nay, I shall do so myself, lady. I am sure I will need her distraction this eve."

Lillah reached up to caress his cheek. "The play is now in your hand, March Warden." She smiled at him and then slipped out of the door, leaving him standing alone in his room, shaking his head with a smile.

TBC