Wow, chapter 10 already! It's a little bit shorter than previous chapters, but I hope you guys enjoy it!

Chapter 10:

I leaned back on a pile of hay with my eyes closed, basking in the sunlight that streamed through the window of the barn. The peaceful sound of the horses munching on their hay was like music to my ears and brought a smile to my lips. The only thing that could have made this better was if I had a Mike's to sip on. I couldn't be bothered to look up as I heard the soft sound of boots on the cobblestones interrupting the otherwise perfect ambiance of the barn. I assumed that it was probably one of the stable hands and that they would soon be gone, but as the footfalls came to a stop next to where I was lounging, I figured I had better look.

Opening one eye, I squinted against the sun and was surprised to see Haldir looking down at me, amused.

"Oh! Haldir, I wasn't expecting to see you here!" I laughed as I sat up, picking a few pieces of hay from my hair before giving up. Haldir had seen me in far worse states, so I didn't really care if I was less than presentable. Haldir chuckled as well before offering me a hand. Though I didn't really feel like moving from my bed of hay, I took his hand and stood up beside him. "What are you doing here anyways? Are you leaving?" I asked, suddenly feeling disappointed that he might be running off again already. He had told me that he wasn't due to head back to the border for another couple of days.

"No, it is nothing like that," he shook his head, smiling. "Your lodgings were vacant," he stated simply.

"So you figured that I would be here," I said with a grin. He nodded in confirmation. "Did you change your mind about giving me the day off?" I said, trying to conceal the disappointment in my voice. I had worked hard yesterday, and had been overjoyed to hear that today would be a day for me to rest.

"Actually, no," he winked. "I came to ask you if you would like to accompany me on a ride."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's the special occasion? I've been here for a while and never have you suggested that before," I replied, wondering what his reasoning was.

"Funny you should ask. I did not think that you would forget about your own date of birth," Haldir said with a teasing grin.

"Oh!" I paused in surprise. How had I managed that? "Well, we never were able to figure out the exact date, so I guess it just slipped my mind."

"I had intentions of asking for permission to hold a small celebration, however I was pressed for time and that idea did not come to fruition."

I stared at my friend, stifling a giggle. He had meant to plan a celebration for the sole occasion of my 20th birthday? "Thanks, Haldir. Though in all honesty, I've always preferred keeping a low profile." I paused. "And yes, I would love to go on a ride with you!"

It didn't take long for us to saddle up our horses. Faenelin seemed overjoyed to be heading out for a ride, and I realised with sadness that I hadn't been able to put aside nearly enough time lately for the aging mare. She certainly was not showing her age today, and pranced around lively as I tightened the cinch and mounted up. Haldir was in the saddle moments before me, astride a great grey stallion. I had learnt most of the horses' names, but this one had slipped my mind. Too many grey horses here. They must be a nightmare to keep clean. As soon as we were mounted and ready to go, we set out from the stables at a brisk trot.

Haldir picked a trail that I had not yet had a chance to explore, one to the far east of the pastures. Faenelin snorted as we trotted down the path, her steps lively. We rode along the path quietly, both of us content to enjoy the serenity of the autumn forest. The golden leaves danced around us in the breeze, shimmering in the sunlight. No matter how many times I had stopped to admire them ever since I had arrived, the beauty of the golden mallorn leaves would never grow old for me.

We must have ridden for nearly 20 minutes before Haldir broke the silence, asking me if I wanted to canter. With an enthusiastic nod, we shot off down the trail, silver and brunette hair whipping back in the wind. Though I didn't want to push Faenelin too hard, the fiery mare had a mind of her own, racing right alongside the much younger stallion as if to impress him. I did my best told hold her back, but I felt better about letting her go than hauling on her mouth, so on she ran.

We only pulled up once we reached a spot in the woods where the sun shone down through a large gap in the canopy above. Slowing to a walk, we let our horses have a loose rein while we made our way down into a shallow valley, weaving our way through the boulders and trees.

"We are nearly there," Haldir said suddenly. I gave him a curious glance, but he provided me with no further answer. Shrugging my shoulders, I followed the big grey stallion and his rider down the rest of the hill. I guess we'll find out where 'there' is when we get there.

It soon became apparent to me where exactly 'there' was. Once we had climbed down the hill, we found ourselves climbing right back up the other side. When we reached the top, I was met by a beautiful sight. We pulled up our mounts as I took in the view before me.

The hill we were standing on gave way once again to another small valley, though this one was dotted with mallorn trees. A river fed by a small waterfall at the west end of the valley zig-zagged across the grass, running into a small lake before disappearing off the side of a cliff at the east end. The autumn sun reflected on the scene before me, making it glimmer in hues of silver and gold. Even the grass seemed to sparkle.

I was so awestruck that I wasn't aware that I had a hand covering my gaping mouth until Haldir began to chuckle. Immediately lowering my hand and closing my mouth, I flushed in embarrassment and let out a laugh of my own.

"Wow…" I started, truly lost for words. "Haldir, this is beautiful!" I exclaimed after a moment, unable to think of anything else to say.

"I is, isn't it?" He said with a smile, before nudging his horse forward down the hill. "Come, let us find a spot to rest."

It hadn't taken us very long to find a nice spot to rest our horses. We had traveled a short distance along the river before choosing a spot just off of the lake where the trees provided just enough shelter to keep us out of the sun. The grass grew long and waved in the breeze, and the horses were quick to trot away to graze as soon as we turned them loose. I had at first been hesitant to let Faenelin loose in the valley, but Haldir had assured me that they were trained to come when called, so I had removed her bridle and saddle and set her free. Haldir had done the same with his mount, and now they were about 50 feet off from where we set on the shore of the lake, swishing away the flies as they grazed.

I couldn't think of the last time that I had felt so liberated. The valley was the essence of serenity, with not a soul nearby other than Haldir. I hadn't even bothered to question the safety of the area, since I couldn't imagine how a place filled with so much beauty could ever hold evils.

Removing my boots, I lowered my feet into the water, dragging them back and forth and watching as the ripples danced on the surface. It wouldn't be too long now before the warm days such as this one would be gone, and winter would be upon the Golden Wood. I knew that here they did not see snow, and I hoped that the temperatures would not drop too much. Not like I'm not used to freezing cold winters or anything. Nova Scotia was nice and cozy under 4 feet of snow last winter.

"I'm so glad that you chose to show me this," I said, staring out across the lake. The sun had climbed higher than I had expected, and was now resting just above the Misty Mountains in the distance. It was my first true glimpse at anything beyond the trees of Lothlórien, and came as a real shock to me. They seemed so insanely far away now, but looking at them on a map in relation to Lothlórien made them seem but a few days journey on foot. Now, I was doubting any sense of distance that I had ever established while watching the movies.

"I'm glad that you agreed to accompany me. You seemed quite comfortable on that pile of hay," Haldir teased, and though I didn't turn to look at him, I could hear the mirth in his voice.

"Well, it was nice, but this is much better," I said, gesturing to the valley around me before turning towards my friend. Haldir had a looked more content than I had ever seen him back in the city. I supposed that he must be feeling the same way that I was; carefree and completely at ease, the worries of heading back to the border far from his current thoughts.

We sat there for a long while, watching the breeze die down and the water become still and smooth as polished glass. The sun slowly continued to make its way closer and closer towards the peaks of the mountains, until eventually it began to disappear along the horizon, turning the autumn sky to brilliant shades of pink and purple. We spoke little, content to watch the coming of nightfall in peaceful silence.

As the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the Misty Mountains, the warmth of the day went with it. Wrapping my arms around my torso, I shivered slightly.

"It's going to be dark soon," I spoke up softly after a moment, hesitant to break the silence. Haldir had seemed lost in his thoughts and turned to me now, noticing me as I hugged myself.

"Here, take this. It is of no use to me this evening," Haldir said, removing the grey cloak that he had been wearing. I accepted it gratefully, pulling it on and fastening the brooch to the side of my neck. Scooting closer to my friend, I laid my head on his shoulder. I knew we should be making our way back, but I really didn't want to leave the valley.

"I almost wish we had brought camping stuff. I would give up my bed for a night like this under the stars," I mused aloud as I tilted my head up towards the sky, just barely able to pick out the few stars that had begun to appear in the purple twilight above us. We'd just need a campfire and some marshmallows and it would be perfect. Haldir chuckled and I sat up as I felt him shift beneath my head.

"Perhaps we will have to arrange for that," my friend said as he rose to his feet. Reluctantly, I pulled my boots onto my now dry feet and followed suite, rising to stand beside him as he lifted a hand to his lips and whistled low.

I had forgotten all about the two horses, and as I turned around, I saw that they were nowhere to be seen. With a worried glance at Haldir, I turned back to the valley before me, my eyes scanning the field for any signs of them. My worry was for nothing, for soon I saw the two grey horses come galloping across the grass, their ears pricked forward in answer to Haldir's call. I smiled in amazement as the two horses slowed to a trot before stopping in front of us, their nostrils flared in excitement.

"I hope you two weren't up to anything!" I teased the mare as she nudged me gently with her nose, thinking of how long she had been alone with the stallion. If Haldir knew what I meant by that, he didn't react, and for that I was somewhat relieved. No matter how hard I had tried to adjust my way of speaking, sometimes when I was with Haldir, less than appropriate things still slipped out. I guess it's because I saw Haldir as such a great friend, that he made me feel at home in this strange place.

We were soon mounted and climbing back out of the valley, the last light of the day illuminating the path before us. We kept our horses at a walk and rode silently, both reluctant to leave the serenity of the valley behind us. Though night soon fell, the full moon shone brightly and gave our horses plenty of light to see the ground beneath their hooves.

"You will be leaving tomorrow, won't you?" I broke the silence, tilting my head in his direction though never taking my eyes off of the road. I could see the barn around the next corner, the faint glimmer of the lanterns that had been left lit illuminating the courtyard. It seemed that we arrived back at the stables much too soon, and it made me sad to have to go without the company of my friend yet again.

"Aye. I will be on patrol for three weeks," he replied, a hint of resentment on his tongue. "I fear war is brewing, Christa. More and more orcs have been spotted crossing our lands, and though those who have been spotted have been hunted down, I fear there are many more that have not dared to venture so close to our borders."

I pursed my lips. War was definitely coming, and it wasn't too far off now. How long until it would reach Lothlórien? I couldn't tell, Haldir, even if I did know for sure how long they had to prepare.

"Be safe," I said quietly after a moment's pause. I was unsure what else to say on the matter, and preferred to simply sweep it under the rug, at least for the time being. Perhaps I'll be home before the war starts.

We soon rode into the courtyard, the horses' shod feet clattering loudly in the still of the night. We dismounted quickly and led the horses inside. I was starting to feel the day's adventures taking their toll on me, and yawned as I began to untack Faenelin. Haldir noticed and we shared a laugh before finishing up. Once we had made sure that the two horses were bedded down comfortably for the night, we extinguished the lanterns and started off back towards our flets.

"Elves do not sleep often, do they?" I wondered aloud as we strolled through the city. I hadn't spent much time out and about during the night, but I had always seemed to notice that the amount of activity never seemed to die down simply because the sun had set. Haldir shook his head, smiling.

"No, not often. I would not call it sleep, either, for we are able to rest our minds even when awake. A rested mind means a rested body. When we do 'sleep', as you would call it, we do so with our eyes open, and we travel to a world of dreams. But that is only when we are particularly exhausted, for we tire far slower than any other race" Haldir explained, ever eager to tell me about the lives of his kin.

"I wish that I had as much energy as you elves," I said, attempting to stifle another yawn but quickly giving up. I caught Haldir grinning as I blinked.

"Is there any other gift that you would ask of me?" Haldir spoke up after a moment of quiet. I turned to him, one eyebrow raised in question.

"You already gave me a wonderful gift, Haldir. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday," I replied, smiling in honest thanks. "Really, thank you. I loved it."

"It pales in comparison to that which I had planned on giving you."

"Honestly, like I said earlier, I much preferred the ride," I offered him a smile, hoping that he would believe me.

"You're sure?" He asked me, seemingly slightly relieved. I nodded my head briskly. "Very well," he grinned and turned his attention back ahead of him as we began to make our way up the first set of stairs.

After a trek that seemed twice as long as normal, we reached my quarters. As I reached up to undo the clasp and remove Haldir's cloak from my shoulders, Haldir stopped me, taking my hands in his own.

"Won't you need it at the border?" I questioned him, raising my eyes to look up at him.

"I have another. You may keep this one," he smiled, and I lowered my hands, my own mouth curling into a smile.

"Thank you," I said gently, caught slightly off guard by my friend's generosity, but thankful none the less. "And thank you again for the lovely ride."

"You are most welcome, Christa. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with you this evening," Haldir said warmly, lifting my hand up to his lips and kissing it gently. Unable to help myself at his insistence of this formality, I laughed lightly.

"You know that you don't need to be so formal with me anymore, right?" I grinned as he lowered my hand, brushing off my comment. I swear that he nearly rolled his eyes at me. I'm brushing off on him.

"I shall return in three weeks' time. Please, do your best to stay out of trouble. I do not wish to find you in such a situation again," Haldir became serious, cocking an eyebrow. I flushed, knowing that he didn't want to have to bail on his job to save me again.

"Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere," I chuckled, and his expression softened. Though the incident still caused me to shiver, I had shaken off the actual fear of the flashbacks. My training with Haldir had certainly helped to make me feel a bit better about myself, but I knew that I would sure as Hell be in big trouble if I was to ever find myself in such a situation again. At that thought, an idea popped into my head. "Haldir?"

"Yes?"

"I don't suppose that you would be willing to, ah, teach me how to use a bow?" I asked, somewhat tentatively, and was relieved to see his face light up in pleasant surprise.

"You would like to learn how to shoot?" I nodded my head, enthusiastic now that he seemed to like the idea. "Very well," He said, smiling. "We will begin when I return."

Ah, I have to apologize yet again for the wait. I think that I should just stop saying that I'm going to try and be quick, because it almost never seems to happen haha… Oh well. I know that not much happened in this chapter, but I hope that you enjoyed reading it anyways! I am trying as best as I can to move the plot along and reach the arrival of the Fellowship, but there's only so much that I can do! So hang in there, they will be along shortly!

On that note, I'm thinking that this story is going to be broken up into several parts. My guess at the moment in on two parts, but depending on how things go, it could turn out to be three. Guess we'll have to wait and see how things play out!

Remember to please leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far! Reviews make me happy and motivate me to write faster! Thanks for reading!

-Eru