Guardians of Arda

by Ponytail Goddess

Duckie is a dark-haired beauty living in Wyoming during the 1860's. Her life is turned upside-down when she meets a group of elves that chose to stay in the world of mortal men and help them survive Morgoth's predicted uprising before the end of all things. An apocalyptic adventure, GOA is an AU story filled with action, suspense, and a deep love between two elves during end times.

12. Chapter 12: A Mother's Advice

Good morning! I'm happy to announce that I've completed another chapter! Thanks for sticking with me and please enjoy the latest installment of GOA!

Ten Duel Commandments-I'm happy to have you as a reader! Thanks for commenting!

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, or anything associated with Tolkien Enterprises. I also do not own any music by Stephen Foster, Thomas Haynes Bayly, Caroline Atherton Mason, S.M. Grannis, or George Loder. Their lyrics are included in this fanfic and they are old enough to be considered public domain.

ooOoo

Guardians of Arda

By Ponytail Goddess

Chapter 12: A Mother's Advice

"Henry! Duckie! Our honored guests! So glad you could join us this evening!" A loud, masculine voice boomed over Duckie's lingering inquiries, causing her to stare at its owner as her own questions for Haldir were left unanswered. A tall and burly red-headed man wearing a worn, dirt-speckled shirt that at one point in time had been white. He was approaching them with his log-sized arms open wide, as if he was going to embrace them both at the same time. Duckie panicked momentarily, as she had just washed up for this occasion, but the man seemed to realize his mistake at the last minute and settled for heartly shaking Haldir's hand, followed by her own with a smile on his deeply tanned and freckled face.

"My name is Chester Glenn and I cannot thank you both enough for what you have done for my son Willie! We are so pleased to have him back home and safe after all that nonsense with the Thomas brothers!" He exclaimed with kindness shining in his large, mahogany eyes. Gratefulness was practically spewing from his mouth like a waterfall as the hairy man welcomed them to his home. "Come, we will put your horse in the barn and then you can meet everyone in the house. You may go on in Duckie—my wife Mabel has been looking forward to your arrival all day!"

Leaving after giving a small nod to her, Haldir followed Chester who was boisterously hustling him out to the barn. Duckie found herself left on her own to meander into the house, her mind still wondering what Haldir had said to her in Sindarin and why he had not answered her when she asked about it.

Had the words been incriminating? Did he have some sort of problem with her that he had not yet shared? She shook her head 'no' though as she remembered the body language that had accompanied the proclamation: how close his warm body had been to hers and how he had gently smoothed her hair back into place…

If she didn't know any better, she would have thought it was something romantic. Surely that couldn't be it either though, as he would have needed to say it in English for it to benefit their ruse in front of the mortals…

Still mulling the words over, Duckie walked through the thick blades of grass and up the weathered wooden steps to the door of the homestead. When she opened it, a large waft of sweet and savory aromas drifted into her nose and the loud sound of children talking met her ears. Before her eyes laid the largest homestead she had ever seen. A large living area with two massive wooden tables, each housing 10 chairs was before her. Behind that, the room continued to a large, unlit fireplace made of the same river rock that was on the front of the home. A rocking chair, a couple of cradles, and a massive bench were placed there, the latter holding a couple of loose shawls that had been abandoned in the warming afternoon weather. A couple of small windows let the glare of the setting sun splash across the freshly swept wooden floors and onto a large, woven rug that appeared to be made from scraps of various materials. It was all colors and added a lovely touch to the room.

To her right, Duckie saw a small door that appeared to lead to the kitchen area of which several younger girls were going in and out of repeatedly. Three teenage girls were setting the two large tables in front of her with patchwork placemats, metal plates, and silverware, chattering in a lively fashion as they bustled around the table. Each one wore a ruffled white apron and sported long, braided hair that was as fiery red as their father's head, their white bonnets hanging limply over them, completely forgotten.

"Hello, hello!" Duckie called out tentatively as she pushed the door closed behind her. A chorus of 'hellos' echoed back, followed by the sound of running feet across the wooden floor.

"Duckie!" Willie cried out, rounding the table and practically jumping onto her leg for a hug. He was all cleaned up and in a pair of brown pants and a white shirt, looking a lot like his father. As for the abuse Ralph Thomas had bestowed upon him, it was totally gone, healed by Rúmil's careful hand.

"I'm so happy you came! I missed you! Come with me, I want to show you something!" He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her enthusiastically through the crowd of his giggly sisters. He led her between the two tables to the large stone fireplace in the other half of the room. There, sitting in front of the empty rocking chair were two tiny red-haired girls, one looking no older than five and the other much younger yet.

"Here, you're the guest, so you get the nicest seat in the house!" He exclaimed, patting the rocking chair so forcefully that it started to rock. He then ran off as Duckie sat down, smiling down at both little girls who were staring up at her, each one with a limp ragdoll in their hands.

A moment later, Willie returned with a white stuffed toy, shaped like a horse with yarn comprising its mane and tail. The toy was dirt-stained in a couple of places and looked like it had been well-loved over the years. "This is my sisters' toy—doesn't it look just like White Tempest?" He asked loudly, his voice filled with excitement.

"Oh yes," she agreed, "Very much so. Why don't you introduce me to these two lovely ladies and then you can show them how fast White Tempest can run." She suggested, leaning forward in the chair to be closer to their level.

"That's Dorcas and Matilda," Willie said, first pointing to the littlest girl and then the slightly older one on the floor. "I'm their older brother." He said with pride while pointing to his chest with his thumb. With a grin, he proceeded to take the toy and made it run circles around both of his sisters. The girls both squealed with delight and clapped, their ragdolls completely forgotten on the floor.

After a while, Willie had the horse jump across Dorcas' head and land gently on her nose, making her giggle. The little girl then scrunched her nose up and let out a tiny sneeze. Willie immediately took a hanky out of his pocket and wiped her nose clean. "It's my job to help take care of them." He said with a smile, clearly happy to be helping.

"You're doing a wonderful job." Duckie said, commending the boy's enthusiasm for his little sisters.

"Willie, are you in here? Where is Georgie? Did you leave him milking those cows all alone?" She heard a familiar voice say and turned to find Mabel with her eyebrow up looking very expectantly at her son. She had a baby sucking his thumb balanced in one strong arm and a piping hot bowl full of roasted turnips in the other. Her ruffled white apron was wrapped around her arm and hand to protect it from getting burnt by the hot food as she gave Willie the stink eye.

"But mom, I wanted to be in here to greet Duckie when she arrived! I want to make sure I get to sit with her at dinner!" He whined, frowning up at his mother.

"You know better than that Willie. Georgie needs your help or we will not have enough milk to go around at supper. Go on now and don't worry about where you are sitting at the table. I'm sure Duckie would be happy to save you a spot." She half-scolded, her tone becoming a bit more sympathetic after hearing his explanation.

Mabel watched silently while Willie ran out the door calling Georgie's name. Her face, glistening with heat from working over the stove, then smiled when she looked back down at Duckie. "Duckie, hello! I'm so glad you were able to join us tonight!" She said as she carefully adjusted her arm holding the baby, bumping him up higher so that his face was next to hers. Her blonde hair was frizzy from her efforts and her plum-colored dress looked much less clean than earlier, but in spite of it all, she somehow managed to look both joyful and pleasant.

"Now, what's this I heard about an engagement in town?" She asked brightly, her cerulean eyes glimmering down at her as if they already knew the answer to her question.

Duckie smiled up at her shyly from her seat in the rocking chair. Embarrassed, she looked down at her hands that were delicately crossed in her lap while she felt her cheeks color. "Henry and I have decided to wed tomorrow. It will be beneficial for us both." She said, finally gazing upward to see Mabel's reaction to her news.

Happiness danced in her eyes as she carefully set the turnips on the table with one hand. "Oh, but he has manners and kindness… and he's pretty easy on the eyes, I might add." She said with a chuckle, making Duckie blush a bit deeper. "This is wonderful news, Duckie! I suspect this will be a good match and I wish you both all the happiness life has to offer!"

"Thank you Mabel—that is very kind of you." She replied back shyly, unused to sharing her glad tidings with others yet. Duckie watched as Mabel nodded to her, then started to walk back towards the kitchen area.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Duckie called after her, following Mabel as she bounced the baby a bit while pushing her way through the kitchen door. A wave of heat hit Duckie like a freight train as she entered the kitchen. A roaring fire was still going in the wood-burning stove as two pots of coffee were boiling on top of the burners, bubbling and spitting their steam everywhere.

"Would you like to hold little Abner for a few minutes while I help the girls finish getting our meal set out?" She asked immediately, indicating the little one she was holding who was quietly sucking his thumb on her sweaty shoulder. Duckie got the impression that Mabel was used to asking others for help—and no wonder. Running a family of this size surely required Mabel to delegate work to others, lest nothing around the homestead would likely ever be completed in a timely manner.

"Oh, certainly!" Duckie agreed, not missing a beat. She held out her arms and immediately found herself receiving the baby. "Oof, he is heavier than he looks!" She commented, heaving little Abner up against her shoulder and then looking down into his bright blue eyes—ones that were a perfect match with his mother's.

"Yes, he is," Mabel called from the stove as she used a balled up towel to remove the coffee pots from the stove. She then spoke more quietly as they exited the kitchen together while she brought out a bowl of cooked carrots that were swimming in a buttery glaze. "We call him our 'Chubby Bubby' because he's the heaviest baby I've ever had: 12 pounds at birth, that one!"

"Oh my," Duckie said, her eyes widening at the thought. "You are definitely a little cutie though, aren't you?" She asked him in a high voice that she reserved for babies and pets while lightly tickling one of his bulging cheeks with her pointer finger.

"Yes he is," Mabel said in an equally high voice as she wiped her hands off on the bottom of her white, ruffled apron. She walked right next to Duckie, leaned over and smiled right in the baby's face through a showering of blonde flyways before kissing him lightly on the nose. Immediately, the thumb popped out of Abner's mouth and he shouted with joy and then giggled a bit as she tapped her finger lightly on his nose in a teasing manner.

The two women smiled jovially at one another and then Mabel gave her a quick once over and added, "You look good with a baby on your hip. Perhaps at this time next year, you will have one of your own to look after!" She said with a wink, her lively blue eyes glistening once more as she headed back into the kitchen while calling back to her, "Think of having a little Henry Junior crawling around the homestead! What a blessing that would be!"

Of course, this rolled off her tongue loudly, right as Haldir followed a laughing Chester into the house, along with several of the older boys. Judging by the surprised look that briefly flashed across his face, he had heard everything. However, Haldir was a fine actor; he recovered so quickly that the look went unnoticed by the surrounding group of males.

Duckie had noticed it though and her entire face immediately felt as if it had caught fire. Not wanting to make eye contact with Haldir at this precise moment in time, she abruptly turned around with the babe placed snugly upon her shoulder and bounced him a bit while her mind tried to decide if she should laugh or cry over this incredibly awkward situation. Duckie found herself wandering idly towards the fireplace, noticing that the young girls had resumed playing with their dolls, holding them and moving them in a similar way to how Willie had showed them earlier.

"Miss Hir?" She heard Haldir say as he approached her from behind. She immediately went as stiff as a board, not wanting to speak with him when she was so terribly embarrassed. When she heard her name repeated once again and felt his hand lightly rest upon her shoulder, she quickly started to babble out some sort of apology while staring at the unused fireplace intently.

"Henry, I am so sorry about those comments-"

"Never mind those comments, I need to speak with you." He blurted out, interrupting her quite abruptly. He used light pressure on her shoulder to guide her away from the chair and bench, to the corner of the room, as far away from the rest of the family as they could get without leaving the house.

When they stopped moving, she tentatively turned to face him while she tried to mentally will the flush of embarrassment from her face. Upon noticing the change in his demeanor and the seriousness of his visage, the feelings of embarrassment left her quickly as feelings of worry took their place.

"Has something happened?" She murmured, trying to stay calm while using a hushed tone.

"James just rode here and met with me outside. Are you familiar with the Haymond family?" He asked her quietly, his voice taking an intense tone that she had not heard from him since he saved her from the evils in the woods the night before.

Internally, she acknowledged that this was Haldir the commander, who seemed rather different than the Haldir who had tactfully shared details about her father's indiscretions with her this afternoon. There was a noticeable difference between the two facets of the complex elf standing in front of her. Duckie found herself straightening to attention a bit in silent acknowledgement of this version of him, as if she was a soldier under his watch.

Silently, she nodded her answer to his question, uncertain of where the conversation was headed. "Yes, Margaret told me their little boy was killed a few days ago while playing by the forest. Probably by those things in the forest." She added nearly inaudibly, knowing he was aware of that which she spoke.

"There is more," He replied ominously, his voice growing even quieter to ensure no one would overhear. "James said the entire family was killed in their home sometime during the last 24 hours. I must go and help him investigate their homestead this evening to try and find the cause."

"In their home?" Duckie questioned, her eyebrows raising at this curious turn of events. "But they do not live near the forest. They live in town!" She hissed as he appeared more worried than before.

"Yes, this proves to be a quandary, especially since James swears that they and the other residents of the settlement always lock their doors at night to keep intruders at bay." He said gravely, shaking his head in frustration. "I have a couple of theories, but I will know nothing for certain until I see what has taken place."

"But… what if whatever it is comes back?" She asked. "Won't you be in danger if you go alone?"

He stared at her for a moment, his face not giving away any sort of emotional response that she could read. "You need not worry about me. I will be safe and will return to you tomorrow morning."

She blinked a few times as the news set in. Memories from the night the spider attacked her made her blood run cold. Instantaneously, she felt her body tensing up as he stood there in silence. The baby, seemingly catching onto the strain lingering between the two of them, frowned and then began to quietly fuss.

Haldir immediately bent down so that he was face to face with the babe. His silver hair framed his face as he removed his hat and smiled kindly at the little one. "It's okay, young lad, nothing to fear now." He said gently to the boy, but it did not stop his fussing. Duckie tried to rock the babe a bit more, but was stopped by a hand signal from Haldir.

Rubbing his hand gently across the smattering of fine red hairs atop the little one's head, Haldir whispered to the boy, "A'vosto, henig. Losto vae, losto vae. Losto vae, ollo vae. Henig, losto vae, ollo vae."

And just like that, the little Abner was comfortably asleep in Duckie's arms with his thumb dangling from his top lip. Duckie carefully moved his saliva-covered hand to his chest so he would not wake if it fell from his mouth.

She looked up at Haldir with amazement shining in her wide hazel eyes as he straightened up. "How did you-" She started, but then stopped when his finger went to his lips.

"I will show you later. Again, please do not worry about me. I will manage just fine." He reiterated, gently caressing her cheek with the backs of two fingers as he met her eyes.

"What is this?" Chester's voice boomed from behind them, the quieted when he noticed Abner was asleep. "Not a lover's quarrel on the eve of your wedding, I hope." He said, taking note of the serious expressions on their faces.

"Of course not. I was just asking Duckie for more details on the Fall Ball that James was telling us about." Haldir replied smoothly, not missing a beat with his finely-honed acting skills. "He told me we had been declared the Hay King and Queen for the festivities, but I am new in town and know nothing about them."

"Yes, I nominated you and the festival organizers agreed this afternoon!" Chester said with a smile, giving Haldir a friendly pat on the shoulder. "The Fall Ball has been a custom in these parts for over 20 years! We celebrate our successful harvest season and everyone in the settlement and surrounding areas attends." He informed Haldir, then nodded at Duckie and held out his hand for her input. "Right Duckie?"

"Yes, everyone attends." She reiterated, nodding enthusiastically at his cue. "I went with my brother Elroy every year. The Hay King and Queen ride into town on a decorated carriage and the townspeople all follow them to the ball. They cut the ribbon and start both the first fast dance and the first slow dance." She said, trying her best to feign excitement, as it didn't seem like Chester would accept any other reaction.

"There are special costumes for you both and a large throne for you to sit in made out of hay!" Chester exclaimed with excitement. "Everyone dresses to the nines and there is a lot of special food and drinks, as well as Miss Pricilla's hair ornaments—my girls always go on and on about those things." He said, then pretend whispered to Haldir as if it was secret. "I'm sure Duckie would fancy one for her hair."

"That is not necessary." Duckie blurted quickly, not wanting Haldir to have to bother with such a frivolous thing. However, she was immediately reprimanded by two of Mabel's older girls, who had come over to join them.

"No, she will need one." The first one said with a nod.

"Oh yes, it would be terribly embarrassing to be the only girl without one, especially if that girl is Hay Queen!" The other one exclaimed, as if Duckie was about to befall some sort of horrible tragedy.

"I cannot argue with that. Such lovely hair as yours will clearly need an extra special decoration for the festival." Haldir said, settling the matter with a smile while gently placing his hand on her back. It was warm and weight of it was reassuring. Duckie slowly inhaled to calm herself down and then nodded her thanks to Haldir.

"Look at him, already dotting on his bride to be." Chester said, sounding a bit sentimental. "I remember those days of being young and newly in love. You will both make a lovely couple and once you know one another even more, things will just keep getting better and better in your marriage—you just wait and see!" He proclaimed, "Isn't that right Mabel?"

"Of course, dear," she said with a smile. "Now come along, it's time to eat!"

With his hand still gently resting on her back, Haldir followed Chester and Mabel, leading Duckie back into the crowd of red-haired family members. Most were standing around the tables visiting pleasantly, a few starting to make their way over to the chairs. An array of voices were laughing boisterously and a couple of the girls were still weaving through the crowd, bringing the remaining bowls of food to the table.

Two boys were tossing a bread roll back and forth with one another from across the second table. When Duckie and Haldir passed them, she heard one loudly whisper to the other, "Hey, I heard he's the new sheriff in town!"

"Sheriff?" The other questioned sassily, "He don't look like no sheriff."

Duckie glanced back at them, only to see the one holding the roll hurl it Haldir's head. Duckie's panicked and she opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when Haldir reached his unoccupied arm up and caught the errant roll without even bothering to look behind him. Both boy's eyes widened significantly and they both stared at Haldir in shock as Mabel started to lay into them about not wasting food.

Haldir smiled at Duckie and set the roll on the table while they both listened to the boys once again. "Wow, I think he's the real thing Joesph!"

"Them Thomas brothers ain't gonna stand a chance against him." Joseph replied, still sounding as if he was in shock.

Suddenly, Mabel appeared in front of her, reaching for little Abner. "Oh, did my Chubby Bubby fall asleep on you? That's okay, I'll go lay him down in the next room while we eat. Thank you for holding him for me." She said, then tapped on two chairs that were close to the head of the second table. "You may both sit here. We're almost ready to begin!" She said with a smile, then headed away towards one of the cradles by the rocking chair.

Duckie turned to go to her seat, but found Haldir had already pulled the solid oak chair out for her and was motioning for her to sit. Her heart fluttered a bit, as no one had ever done this for her. She hoped she didn't look as nervous as she felt and gingerly sat down after giving him a nod of acknowledgement. She was surprised again when she felt him push the chair in for her before taking the seat next to her, closest to the head where both Chester and the grandfather, who must have been the 'Old Roy' Mabel had mentioned earlier, were both sitting.

"Coffee?" One of the older girls asked her, holding up a steaming metal carafe.

"Yes, please," Duckie answered, holding her tin cup up so the girl could fill it.

"By the way, we heard you two were getting married tomorrow. Congratulations! He's quite the find!" She exclaimed with a smile on her face, nodding while staring at Haldir with longing eyes.

"Yes, quite the find indeed!" Chimed in another sister from behind her. "Does he have any brothers?"

"Girls! Girls! That's enough of that! Let's move on and leave these two lovebirds alone!" Mabel said, pulling the girls back into the kitchen while sternly whispering, "He's a man, not a piece of meat! Leave him alone!"

Seeing as Duckie could hear that last comment, she turned to look at Haldir's reaction to it, as she knew he surely heard it too. His eyes were closed and he had a stoic, very controlled look on his face.

Too controlled. Was it just her, or had the comment rattled him a bit? Unable to control herself, a smile crept onto Duckie's face beneath the knowing look in her eyes. Haldir saw it right before she was able to cover it up with her hand.

His eyebrows practically went up to his hairline when he saw that she was chuckling at him. "Oh, you think that's terribly funny, do you?" He asked with a voice that was pretending to be affronted by her. "Don't think I haven't noticed your blushes tonight." He whispered teasingly in her ear, resulting in yet another blush from her.

"Pink cheeks suit you quite nicely. I shall have to see to it that they stay that way." He finished with that frustrating half smile, one that looked downright ornery this time around.

As his words sank in, she gasped with exasperation at his behavior. He had intended for her to have that reaction though and winked at her before turning and introducing himself to Old Roy with a firm handshake that reached all the way across the table.

Duckie stared at the back of his head in shock. What was this new side of Haldir she was seeing all of a sudden? He had seemed so serious when she first met him, but now he was laughing with the mortals and… and teasing her?! Was he really this good of an actor or had something between them changed?

Her curious ponderings were interrupted as a red-haired ball of fire came shooting into the house so fast that the door smacked into the wall before banging shut. It was Willie, complete with the requested pail of milk, which was sloshing dangerously close to the sides of the bucket. He ran in and dropped the pail off in the kitchen, then ran back to the table, quickly snagging the chair on the other side of Duckie.

"Oh good, I was hoping to sit by you!" He exclaimed excited, slightly out of breath and smelling of cattle. "Do you like roasted goose? I think it's what we're having tonight."

"It sounds delectable," she said, then clarified her answer when he looked at her with a confused face. "That means it sounds delicious." She said while Willie held up his cup for his sister to fill with milk.

"Good—I like it too!" He said, his tanned, freckled face practically glowing with happiness.

"It's time for grace." Chester announced loudly, then sat down at the table and took hands with Mabel and Old Roy. Everyone in the room swiftly followed the example of their elders and closed their eyes.

"Our dearest Lord, we thank for this food and the hands that prepared it. We are so grateful to have young Willie back in our fold tonight. Please bless our rescuers, Henry and Duckie, as they make a commitment of marriage to one another tomorrow. Keep everyone in this room and in our town hale and hearty. Amen."

"Amen." Several echoed afterwards and then the feast began.

Bowls and platters clattered as they were passed around the table by the adults and older children. Everyone was mindful to help the youngest of the brood fill their plates too though, the younger ones eagerly pointing out what they wanted to the elders. The two littlest girls, Doras and Matilda, each sat on one of their older sisters' laps and took tidbits off of small plates that had been set aside just for them, each eating silently with their fingers while they took in the crowd with large eyes.

Duckie found the full bowl of turnips to be difficult and awkward to pass, due to its size and heaviness. After struggling to get the first bowl to the elder boy sitting on the other side of Willie, she was uncertain if she would be able to lift the next big bowl without spilling it. However, it turned out that she did not have to as Haldir held out the serving spoon with glazed carrots and asked, "Would you like some carrots dearest?"

Dearest?

Her cheeks burned once again, but then catching his eye, she had to bite her bottom lip because she saw humor dancing in his eyes as he offered her the mix of orange, yellow, white, and purple root vegetables dripping with butter. "He's trying to make me blush on purpose!" She thought to herself with exasperation. Moreover, she was internally panicking because they had not practiced for this and Duckie was not certain how to react to such an endearment.

"Um, just a small portion please… darling." She answered, tacking that last word on so meekly that it was barely audible over the pounding palpitations of her own heart. Judging by the way Haldir's smile enlarged though, he had heard it as he proceeded to serve her.

"I want a big helping Henry!" Willie called, as Haldir offered a scoop of carrots to him also. "Carrots are my favorite vegetable!"

"Very well then," Haldir replied, plopping a second spoonful on the boy's plate before passing them along. "I suspect they will help you grow big and strong."

"That's what momma says too!" He added with a shining smile. "I want to grow up to be big and strong, just like you!" The adults chuckled a bit at this comment over the clinking of forks and spoons hitting the metal plates.

"Well, don't hurry it too much along. You've got plenty of time to enjoy being a boy right now," Mabel said with a sentimental tone inflected in her voice, "And it's all thanks to these folks and their heroism. Henry and Duckie, I've never been so relieved in my life. How can we ever repay you?"

Haldir shook his head, his silver hair sprawling across his shoulders as he replied, "While we appreciate your hospitality, you and your family owe us nothing Mabel. We did the same thing that any other right and decent person would have done in the situation."

"Not everyone is right and decent though." Old Roy retorted with a scratchy voice, then stopped to take a long pull on his pipe before continuing, "If they were, we would not have found ourselves in the predicament we were in yesterday with young Willie here."

For the first time during their entire visit to the homestead, everyone fell silent and as Duckie looked around, she could see the sadness and depravity the situation had caused the family. The tired lines under Chester, Mabel, and Roy's eyes told the tale of the helplessness that had been felt when their little boy had not come home yesterday evening as planned. Duckie felt this wound acutely in her heart, as she knew the feeling all too well from her father's disappearance.

"We got lucky, our family, to have great folks like you come to our rescue." Old Roy continued as he stood up with his metal mug, his prickly voice speaking slowly over the silence with everyone's eyes fixated on him. "Let's have a toast—to Henry and Duckie, for bringing our little Willie home."

"To Henry and Duckie!" The group echoed loudly, raising their glasses in tandem and then taking a drink of their various beverages. Some of them clapped as Haldir nodded his thanks to them and then the room livened up once again. Haldir served Duckie some roasted goose, potatoes, and gravy to go along with her vegetables. Duckie also received a large, hot dinner roll from a towel-covered basket while receiving a whispered promise from Willie that he could sneak her more later if she wanted, just like he did for his brothers.

Duckie smiled at all the joyful faces around her, enjoying the moist, gamey meat and succulent root vegetables as Mabel introduced her to all of the children and told Duckie a little bit about each one. Once they had been introduced, the children became swept up in their own conversations while the females turned their attentions turned towards the men's discussion, particularly when they heard the wildcat being mentioned.

"Yes, well this afternoon I overheard a conversation about a hunting group that is going to venture into the woods and set traps for the wildcat." Chester said. When he noticed she was listening, he sympathetically added, "They want to kill it before anyone else dies."

Duckie nodded silently, knowing that he was referring to the tragedy of Lewis' death. Judging by the things Haldir had whispered to her earlier, it was already too late though. Duckie worried about whether or not the aforementioned men would be able to handle what was actually lurking in the shadows of the forest. Such things were unnatural to the world of men and would likely be received with shock and horror, rather than feats of valor.

"How many are going?" Haldir asked inquisitively, a bit of uncharacteristic worry glinting in his eyes as he took in this new bit of news. Duckie imagined he was thinking much the same as she was about the matter and was concerned for the fate of the men who would not know what they were getting themselves into.

"It sounded like at least nine have committed already, with a few more undecided." Old Roy replied while wagging his spoon at them in an animated fashion. He then used it to scoop up a glob of mashed potatoes and continued, "If enough traps are set, the beast will be captured and we can move on from this nonsense."

"Perhaps I could join as well." Haldir suggested to the men as he set his fork down to take a drink of his coffee. "I have experience with trapping—my pa and I set many traps when I was a boy to catch coyotes, raccoons, and beavers for their pelts. I still remember how to work traps from those good ol' days."

And there was his way into the fold. Duckie found herself rather amazed at how expeditiously Haldir could come up with a plan to involve himself in the settlement's business. The lies just seemed to flow right off of his tongue as if they were truths. Well, to the men they would be truths. However, Duckie knew there was a lot more to it than that.

"So long as the crime is under control in the city, I cannot imagine they would tell you no." Chester replied with a nod. "You'll want to contact Hiram Brown, who is the leader of sorts for this ragtag group."

"Thank you, Chester. I'll see if I can find him in the next couple of days so I can join in. I imagine safety would be found in numbers on this particular excursion." He replied before hastily going back to his supper.

"Indeed, I would not be caught dead walking alone in those woods right now. These are dangerous times, these are." Old Roy echoed the same sentiments as before the collective nods of all the adults in the room.

Duckie stared at her half-eaten plate, wondering what was going to become of the men if they went into the forest. Would Haldir try to stop the trapping trip or would he simply try to keep them safe while they went about setting their traps? Would being with them put Haldir into harm's way? What if something happened to him while he was performing this ruse to keep the men safe?

An elbow gently tapping her side interrupted her morbid thoughts and she gasped as she looked up from her food to find that the children and adults alike were starting to vacate the table and mull around, bring dishes with them into the kitchen for washing. Haldir's grey eyes silently met hers as she turned to him and noticed he had cleaned his plate as she had sat there fretting.

"You worry too much." He observed quietly, holding her gaze for a moment before she quickly took a big bite of carrots to try and catch up with the rest of the family, who had already finished. The warmth had left her vegetables though and they were cold and slightly congealed in her mouth. "You are doing yourself a disservice by making yourself miserable."

After choking the carrots down with a small gulp of lukewarm coffee, she calmly retorted, "If I worry, it is because I have reason to worry." She stopped talking then to finish the last bite of her roll, which still tasted delicious in its heatless state. Haldir, for his part, simply stared at her with a perplexed look on his face, as if awaiting a better answer. After a minute of awkward silence, she clarified, "I have lost too much recently for me to feel otherwise."

With the disappearance of her father once more in her mind, she stared down at the remnants of her dinner, noting that Haldir was staring back at her and assessing whatever new mood of hers this was. For his part, he said nothing more of the matter, but his lack of words left her stewing in her own foul mood and unable to get past it.

Duckie decided her appetite was thoroughly lost. A deep sense of emptiness flooded her chest as the uncertainty of her father's situation lingered in her mind. She quickly stood up with her plate and walked away from Haldir without another word.

Duckie went to make a beeline for the kitchen, but Willie stopped her by tugging on her brown skirt before she could make it through the door. He motioned for her to bend down and listen to him. "Momma will have a fit if you didn't clean your plate. Don't worry though, I'll help you!" He said quietly, then checked to see if any family members were watching them before motioning her to the door.

Whistling out the door, a fluffy black and white sheep dog with perked-up ears appeared from the entrance of the horse barn. "Buster! We have treats for you!" Willie exclaimed with excitement as the pup happily ran over to them and hurdled up the stairs while wagging his tail with delight.

While Duckie was fairly certain the family rule about cleaning your plate did not apply to guests, the dog was more than happy to help Duckie with her predicament, cleaning her plate fastidiously with a well-practiced tongue. Buster basked in the joyful attentions of his owner the entire time, receiving all the pets he could muster from Willie once he was done eating.

"He's great, isn't he?!" Willie exclaimed as the dog licked his face while he reached over to hug him.

"He most certainly is," She replied, her spirits momentarily lifted from observing his happiness. "Thank you, Willie. I couldn't ask for a better helper than you." Willie beamed with pride as she smiled at him, then snuck her way back into the crowd of bustling redheads to return her plate to the kitchen.

When she entered the kitchen door, Duckie was met with a frenzy of activity. A steaming basin of soapy water was at one end of the room where Mabel and one of her daughters were sitting on their knees washing dishes. They passed them down the line to the two girls at the second basin who rinsed them off and then passed the two the last of the girls, who dried them with towels and stacked them on the small wooden hutch on the other side.

"Is that the last of the dishes?" The eldest girl named Sarah asked her, walking over to collect the plate, cup, and silverware from her, then gently placed them in the washing basin.

"I think so, but I will go check." Duckie replied, then walked over to the door and peered out to see if any dishes were remaining. "Yes, that is the last of them!"

"Oh good, we're almost done!" Chanted Mabel in a sing-songy voice with her back to Duckie. "Many hands make light work!"

Indeed, with their streamlined conveyer belt system, the girls had taken care of the mess in matter of minutes. Immediately, Sarah and Jane began to beg their mother if they could go and set up the main room and practice dancing for the Fall Ball. "Only if your father agrees." Mabel answered, resulting the girls walking by Duckie expediently, as if they were racing to see who could reach the kitchen door first. A minute later they both peeked in the kitchen and shouted that Chester had indeed agreed and talk of the Fall Ball once again rose up anew amongst all of the girls.

"Yes, yes!" Mabel said when more of them begged to leave for the main room, all immediately talking over one another. "Duckie and I will take care of the water basins! Now go set up the area for dancing. All of you, shoo!"

The girls quickly scurried from the room, practically climbing over one another to get to the living room, leaving the kitchen the quietest Duckie had heard it. "I'm sorry about that—they get so excited for the Fall Ball and they love when Chester takes out his fiddle to play for them. They always want to make sure they have the dances fresh in their minds to impress the boys from school. I remember those days as well, don't you?" Mabel asked as she dried her dripping wet hands on her apron with a smile.

"Yes, I do," Duckie lied, as that had not been her experience when growing up. No one other than Arthur or her father had ever asked her to dance with them at the Fall Ball, thus making it an event she didn't anticipate in the past. A frown settled on her face as she remembered the hurt look Arthur had given her before walking away this afternoon.

"Something troubles you dear. What is it?" Mabel asked, approaching her and resting her water-wrinkled hand on Duckie's shoulder.

"Is it that obvious?" Duckie asked dubiously. "I must be wearing my heart on my sleeve tonight." She said quietly to herself. Mabel nodded though, as if the answer had been intended for her ears.

"Are you nervous about your big day tomorrow?" She asked softly, her blue eyes meeting Duckie's hazel ones with a look of empathy. Duckie slowly nodded, uncertain how much she wanted to share with the woman. However, before she was able to check her emotions, some words just seemed to tumble right out of her mouth.

"I guess… I just… Everything is happening so fast. First my brother died," she said, nearly choking on the vile word once again as it exited her mouth with an unnatural tone, "And then Lewis, and now… now I am to marry Henry. A month ago, I had no prospects of settling down at all. I am nervous and overwhelmed at how my life is changing so abruptly."

Duckie sighed with relief. She really hadn't meant to say so much, but there was something comforting and very motherly about Mabel. Duckie, who had always yearned for her mother's presence in her life, had easily unraveled at this unexpected opportunity to experience advice from a female with more experience in life than she.

"I did not think I would be a wife this soon. I… I feel woefully unprepared for such a role." She nearly whispered, closing her eyes in shame as she once again tried to sort through all of the confusing feelings surrounding her and Haldir.

"Many women who are thrust into similar situations feel the same," Mabel said, putting her hand on Duckie's shoulder in an effort to offer her some comfort. "It is normal to fear life changes, so long as you don't let it stop you from enjoying all of your life's precious moments."

Mabel's sincere eyes met hers as she took both of Duckie's hands gently in her own and gave them a squeeze. "Duckie, tomorrow will end up being one of those precious moments; a day to look back on and revere as a cherished memory for your whole lifetime. Henry cares about you and wants to share his life with you. I can see it in his eyes, as can Chester. This is a good match—do not let fear interrupt your chance at wedded bliss."

"How can you tell it is a good match?" Duckie questioned, her heart yearning for answers to questions she dared not ask Mabel. This was as close as she could get to asking harder questions without giving away too much information.

"The way his eyes follow you around the room… the kindnesses he has shown you." She said, then continued listing out examples, "The fact that his eyes linger on no one else, no one else but you. The fact that he served you and Willie first, before himself. Duckie, a man who puts others before himself, that is a rare thing—a treasure to be held close to one's bosom for all time!"

"You think so? Is Chester that way?" Duckie asked, her eyes delving into Mabel's to try and see if there was any trace of a lie in her eyes.

"Oh yes dear, I am very blessed with Chester. He would do anything for me or the children. He looks after our welfare first and cares for others in town also. Remember how he came to look for Lewis when he was missing? I am certain Henry would do the same. Both are honorable men and we are lucky to have them." She soothed, nodding her head with conviction.

"I know this is all new and overwhelming for you. Give him a chance to prove himself though. You will become partners tomorrow and will have to learn how to care for one another. Listen to him and he will likely do the same in turn for you. Instead of harboring fear for the future, try to see this as a wonderful opportunity and in time, love will blossom between you until neither of you can imagine yourself with anyone else." She pronounced most assuredly. "I did not know Chester when I married him either, but with a little work, both of us have been able to create a happy home and a loving family. If given the choice, I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

"Truly?" Duckie asked, grasping for every last bit of reassurance she could garner.

"Truly," Mabel said, her blue eyes shining in quickly dying light of the setting sun. "Now, come help me dump out these basins so we can join in the fun!" The two women each grabbed a handle and hauled the basins outside one by one to rid themselves of the dirty dish water while the dulcet sounds of four fiddle strings being tuned rang out through all of the lively chatter that filled the main room.

When the women were done, they joined the foray as voices rang out with requests for Chester regarding which dance they should practice first. Duckie noted that both of the large tables had been pushed against the walls, out of the way of all the children. A large fire burned brightly at the opposite end of the room in the large stone fireplace, filling the room with flickering golden light now that the sun had receded from its throne in the sky. A couple of oil lamps also burned brightly, one on each of the empty tables, adding a little extra light to the darkened corners of the massive room. Despite the dimness of the room, the warm feelings of glad company seemed to cast a light that penetrated the darkness and set an intimate mood.

Duckie saw that Haldir had parked himself by Chester and Old Roy. Chester had a fine chestnut-colored fiddle on his shoulder and was adjusting his bow as his children crowded around him. Old Roy was now occupying the rocking chair and Haldir stood next to him, both engaged in a quiet conversation with one another while smoking pipes. Idly, Duckie wondered if Haldir hated the human custom of smoking as much as her father had as she watched him take a long draw from his pipe.

"The Bridge of Athlone it is!" Chester suddenly announced and many of the children cheered. "Form the set!"

The children mingled amongst themselves, choosing partners and starting to form a tunnel formation in the rectangular room, with the gents on one side and the ladies on the other. Duckie watched as Mabel joined the lady's line and faced her eldest son Jacob, while her other progeny swarmed merrily around her, seeking out partners of their own.

"May I have this dance?" Willie asked, suddenly appearing in front of her with his hand out rather formally for someone so young. Playing along with the formal invitation, Duckie smiled as she curtsied gracefully and nodded her agreement while leaning downward to place her hand atop his. She found herself a spot facing Willie in the middle of the lady's line. Voices of excitement died down to whispers as everyone found their places in the formation.

The friendly sound of a fiddle reel rang out and, when the rest of the group began to move at Chester's invitation, Duckie also began. She started to walk forward and backwards with the lady's line, clapping Willie's hands when they met the gent's line in the middle, then backing up before trading places with him.

Willie seemed quite familiar with the dance, clapping and stomping to the beat of the tune with his brothers and sisters as the head couple sashayed up and down the middle of the formation. Duckie smiled at his enthusiasm—his positivity was utterly contagious and she found herself smiling and leaving her cares behind as she became engrossed with the dance.

With each repetition of the dance, Willie and Duckie slid closer to the front of the line until it was their turn to be the head couple. As they took hands and sashayed down the line, Duckie found herself giggling with Willie and trying her best to match his child-sized stride. Her eyes caught Haldir's as they made their way to the end of the tunnel. He was still standing beside Old Roy at the end of the formation, his face nearly devoid of emotion as he watched her intently while smoking his pipe.

The two of them finished sashaying back to the front of the line, only to cast off and lead their respective genders in a line behind them, stopping once again near Haldir and Old Roy to form a tunnel for the rest of the family pairs to pass under as they reformed the set. Duckie giggled once more as she noticed how low Willie's older brothers had to duck to get under his side of the bridge.

However, it was her turn to struggle next! Once everyone had passed through, they all grabbed hands with their partners and formed a long tunnel for Duckie to stoop under and pass through, followed by Willie, who didn't even have to bend over when it was his turn to conquer the tunnel. When he returned to her, now at the end of the formation rather than the top, the two took hands and spun around vigorously to the music's pounding beat before the dance started once again.

After three more rounds, everyone had gotten a chance to be the lead couple and Chester finished his tune with a delightfully jaunty little coda, ushering in the collective applause of the entire group to acknowledge a job well done. Once again asking for suggestions, the boys and girls called out several dances to their father, all talking over one another in a loud, muddled mess of sound to which everyone in the room seemed well accustomed.

"Kings and Queens!" Chester shouted gleefully over the crowd while holding his fiddle and bow above his head to the loud cheering of the entire room. Immediately, the children began to mingle and mix again, trying to find a different partner than the previous dance, as social norms dictated. After performing an overly formal bow to her, Duckie watched as Willie went to ask one of his older sisters for the next dance.

"Henry, you should go practice with Duckie!" She heard Mabel exclaim loudly over all of the hubbub. "This is the first dance at the Fall Ball and the Hay King and Queen always start it as the head couple!"

No more invitation than that was needed for Haldir. He quickly dumped out the remaining contents of his pipe into a small bowl Old Roy offered him, then carefully placed his pipe in his shirt pocket for safekeeping while walking over to her. Duckie gulped as his grey eyes met hers, a questioning look tentatively adorning his face. He smoothly extended his open hand to her as a silent invitation to dance.

Her first inclination was to step backwards, but she closed her eyes and stopped herself as she remembered how Arthur had reacted to such cues. The two of them could not afford any more setbacks or causes for doubt if they were to pull this act off. This was hard for Duckie though because something about being near Haldir simply made her feel anxiety in her chest and butterflies in her stomach that she was unaccustomed to others. The familiar voices of memories from earlier in the day rang through her head as she gathered herself:

'Give him a chance to prove himself.' Mabel implored her.

'Trust me… please.' He had whispered under his breath to himself, hoping… wishing…

'Destiny.' The wind had breathed down her neck over and over today. Even now, she could hear it whispering the same word over and over again outside the cabin. It lingered all around her, lightly echoing through the flue of the fireplace and into the confines of the homestead…

Her eyes opened. Her copperish-green and blue orbs met his grey eyes in the dim firelight. She gently slid her fingers over his, stopping them when her fingertips reached the slight rise of veins at his wrist. Her heart pumped faster and she felt her blood noticeably pulsating through her body as his fingers gently wrapped around her own. His eyes were clearly pleased with this baby step of trust she had offered him. She heard him exhale gently through his nose, as if he was relieved that she had mastered herself.

Holding her hand in the warm embrace of his own, she turned in tandem with him as he escorted her to the front of the set. The brown calico of her dress spun behind her, caressing her legs along with her double-layer of petticoats as they matched pace with one another. When they were at the top of the set, they stopped and stood face to face. Though the noise level in the room had not changed, Duckie suddenly felt as if she and Haldir were the only two people in the room.

Once again, Duckie found herself hyper aware of his proximity, as he stood much closer to her than she was accustomed to experiencing. A squeeze of her hand brought her attention back up to him as he leaned towards her and whispered for her ears alone, "If I offended you earlier, I am sorry. My intention was to ease your concern, but I suspect my consolation was not received in the manner I wished it to be."

Duckie shook her head gently, her eyes flickering down to his chest as a small smile broached her face. "I know your words were not ill-intended. It is simply hard for me not to worry after all of the recent disappearances and deaths. I do not want to lose anyone else." She affirmed, her eyes hesitantly gazing back up at him to analyze the reception of her comments. There was nothing but thoughtful consideration in his grey orbs though as he gazed back down at her placidly.

"I understand." He replied, then turned to look at Chester and nodded to denote that he was ready. "Are you familiar with this dance?"

"Yes, are you?" She asked back, suddenly concerned they might make a spectacle of themselves if he did not harbor any familiarity of it. His eyes lit up with joy as he nodded and then took one more step closer to her so he could hold both of her hands comfortably as the introduction to a different fiddle reel rang out from the other side of the room.

She could practically feel the adrenaline in his body as he readied himself before declaring, "Here we go!" Gently holding onto her hands while galloping down the tunnel of the set, Duckie smiled with glee as they sashayed perfectly in time with one another while the others in the set clapped along to the beat of the moderately-paced song.

Aside from being taught the dance, the only man she had ever performed it with was Arthur, who had been clumsy and awkward with his motions. As a couple, their galloping had also never lined up, likely due to the major difference in inseam between the pair. Duckie found herself marveling though, for with Haldir as her partner, their feet hit the ground with perfect timing with every bound they took.

After he released her right hand, Duckie let him lead her back down the middle of the set at a walking pace. Each couple they passed on their way bowed down to them as if they were royalty. When they were at the end of the set, they let go of one another and joined their respective lines. The 'queens' all took hands, as did the 'kings' and both groups stepped up to one another and then back again. Without hesitation, Duckie and Haldir lifted up their right hands and pressed them lightly together to form a star and turned in a circle before returning to their respective lines. Next, they came back for a left-handed star and circled one another again with perfectly harmonious motions.

Then there was the gypsy, one of the more intimate dance moves: both dancers circled around one other with their right shoulders practically touching, holding the gaze of their partner while executing the turn. Duckie was pleased that she got to look up to meet Haldir's eyes, rather than looking downward to meet Arthur's. Haldir's gaze never faltered either; even once they were done with the gypsy and began to clap for the new head couple, his eyes stayed glued to hers as if he was somehow mesmerized by her.

They repeated the dance over and over again for each new head couple. Every time their hands touched in the star, Duckie's heart fluttered and every time they moved around one another for the gypsy, she felt more and more drawn to him, as if he had somehow cast a spell upon her and made everything else pass from her knowledge but him and his welcome touches.

Alas, when the song came to an end, neither was ready to be done and Haldir lingered near her while everyone around them started clapping enthusiastically. Her hands were still held by his, as if she were ready to begin as the head couple once more. Gently holding her gaze, she watched as he tenderly brought her right hand up to his lips and kissed it, sending a small shiver through her body as she inhaled slowly. Her entire body seemed to come alive in a new and pleasant way as his lips lingered lightly against her hand, his warm gaze never leaving her eyes for a moment… not even as he at last allowed her hand to lower down, much to her pounding heart's disappointment.

In the end, it was Chester who ended the moment by approaching Henry and giving him a hearty slap on the back, then rubbing his shoulder while offering his congratulations on a fine dance. Duckie was soon after drawn back by the eldest of Mabel's girls, both clutching at her shoulders and practically swooning over her and Haldir's performance.

"If only I had a handsome man kissing my hand!"

"You are the luckiest girl in the whole world!"

"He is so incredibly handsome and a good dancer to boot!"

"Are you sure he doesn't have any brothers?" The same one asked a second time, causing both to break out into blushes and giggles as they pined away as young girls often do, sounding as if they were more in love with love than with Haldir himself. Duckie hardly heard any of it though, as her mind ran wild with the implications of the kiss and the tingling feeling that remained on the back of her hand.

ooOoo

Losto vae-sleep well

Ollo vae-dream well

Henig-child

A'vosto-don't be afraid

I hope you enjoyed my work! Please feel free to leave a comment below—I always love to hear from my readers! There is more to come soon!

-P.G.