The Crux of the Problem

PLEASE READ!!!! This is a major revision. This chapter was originally posted as Chapter 11. There is a NEW Chapter 11: Consulting that was supposed to go before this. You need to read it before this one. The chapters are now in the correct order. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Disclaimer: (In the spirit of Crimson Starlight)

Haldir and Shana: *making out on futon*

Jan: *stomps back in* And another thing… *speechless*

Legolas: *tries to slip through room unnoticed*

Jan: *glomps onto Lego* Where do you think you're going?

Legolas: Oh, so NOW you're talking to me?

Jan: *let's go* What's that supposed to mean?

Legolas: *shrug* That now you're talking to me.

Jan: *blinks* Oh. *gestures toward futon* WTF???????

Legolas: *…..* What about it? Leave 'em be.

Jan: But, but…

Legolas: *leaves room* Do whatever you want.

Jan: *looks from pair on futon to empty doorway and back again* Well crap. Fine. *throws up hands* Shanastay is only responsible for me, or so she thinks. Nothing else is hers. *storms back out*

Chapter 12: Liquid Courage

We return to the festival… still in progress…

In short order Janessa had polished off several full glasses of Dorwinnian wine, the Lady of Light and Celeborn matching her glass for glass. The two females were in the process of disintegrating into uncharacteristic girly giggles in response to a story Celeborn was telling about Haldir as an elfling.

"…and there was our future Marchwarden, standing on the bank of the river, covered from head to toe in the foulest smelling brown muck!" Celeborn finished with a flourish, raising his goblet high in a mock toast to the aforementioned elf before downing the remaining contents.

Janessa was pounding the table-top with one fist, attempting to keep herself from falling over laughing while Galadriel was leaning conspicuously against Celeborn's side, one hand covering her mouth as audible snickers and mental laughter echoed through Jan's head.

Haldir on the other hand was apparently not grasping the humor of the situation. He was still nursing his first glass of wine and for all intents and purposes had apparently returned to his "normal" state of aloofness.

Initially it had seemed that the guardian had been able to finally shed the tough exterior he habitually presented, but as the wine flowed for everyone else the Marchwarden withdrew again. Something was niggling at the edge of his awareness, something he couldn't identify or pinpoint, but that set him on edge. Something is very wrong here. I do not know what, but that does not change the validity of this feeling. His inability to locate the source of this irked him.

Haldir kept his arm around Janessa's waist, drawing her closer to him, if possible. Jan tipped her head back to look at the powerful elf in question and received a small smile and a gentle kiss on the forehead in answer. Not wishing to spoil the woman's fun, the guardian turned his face to the side, nose buried in her elaborately curled hair. He took several deep breaths, inhaling her scent as he surreptitiously scanned the room for the source of his growing unease. He brought his hand up from her waist to reassuringly play with the streaming tendrils of her locks.

If it's important he'll tell me. Maybe he's just uneasy after that very public display of affection. Whatever. I'm not worrying about it. Janessa turned her attention back to Celeborn and the "liquid courage" he had procured, a miniscule twinge of something growing in the back of her mind that was swiftly drowned by the strong wine.

Haldir's very dominant presence was having a distinctly acute effect on the redhead. She found herself squirming more and more in her seat in his embrace, the feather-light brushes of his fingertips through the ends of her hair and across her back like tiny bolts of electricity going straight to her nervous system.

More than once she found herself thankful that her clothes were black and the short-shorts beneath her dress made of absorbent cotton fiber. As it was those shorts were becoming rather quickly soaked at the apex of her thighs. Needing to know that she was not the only one thusly affected, Jan held her glass in her right hand, the left falling to rest against the Marchwarden's right upper thigh.

Jan reveled in the feel of the soft cotton-like fabric straining against Haldir's muscles, once again pleased with her choice. She let her fingers trail along the silver vines embroidered onto the skin-tight leggings, slowly moving north. As she imbibed more wine, her hand's exploration became bolder, fingers kneading the inside of the elf's thigh. As the Marchwarden's arm came back down to grip her waist she slid her palm back to cup the straining bulge in his pants.

Oooohhhh, Valar! Haldir's eyes closed and he inhaled a reflexive breath as the redhead began to oh so slowly stroke his already raging arousal through the soft material. He let her continue her ministrations for several moments, refusing to lose control of himself, but thoroughly enjoying her touch. Deciding he shouldn't test his willpower any further, the elf put his glass down and dropped his left hand to Janessa's. Interlacing their fingers, he brought her hand back up to lightly kiss the back of her knuckles before giving it a gentle squeeze and placing it back on his knee.

The elf registered the light flush ghosting across Janessa's chest and the slight turn of the corner of her lips. She knows exactly what she's doing to me. Throwing a rather dirty look in his Lord's direction in response to the positively salacious grin Celeborn was sporting Haldir settled back into his previous position, eyes open this time. Consciously tuning out the Lorien Lord's rather annoying choice in stories Haldir allowed part of his mind to wander to more pleasurable pursuits.

********

The Marchwarden leading, the couple silently made their way along a walkway high above the forest floor. Haldir had Janessa by the wrist, pulling her behind him into a secluded alcove created by the branching off of two tree limbs. This formed a kind of overhang and niche that shielded them from prying eyes. It was the perfect place to escape to for a short time from the festival.

The elf drew the woman to him, one arm wrapping around her waist, the other hand buried in the cascade of her red curls, his lips seeking and finding hers. Haldir tasted deeply of her mouth as Janessa's hands found their way into the front of his tunic, palms pressed flat, running across the expanse of his chest. The Marchwarden kissed Jan with a ferocity of emotion and raw possessiveness that spoke volumes of how badly he wanted and needed her. Their tongues dueled in a dance as old as time, each giving as much as they took.

Janessa was mildly surprised at the blatant need Haldir was silently expressing. Already flushed with warmth from the wine and their earlier antics she was more than receptive to his attentions. Slightly apprehensive about the elf's choice of locations, Jan pushed aside the trepidation at potentially being discovered, immersing herself in the sensations Haldir's roving hands were eliciting. She moaned into the kiss as she felt her knees begin to weaken.

The couple came up for air, gasping for breath, the sheer intensity of the kiss very nearly overwhelming them. The elf peppered Jan's face and neck with feather-light kisses as her nimble fingers found their way to the clasp holding Haldir's tunic closed, swiftly undoing it and baring his pale skin to her. He barely repressed a groan as her lips sought out the curve of his neck before moving down his chest to tease first one, then the other nipple. It was when he felt her hands at the laces of his leggings that he pulled her up, turning so Janessa's back was against the smooth bark of the tree.

Recognizing what they both needed, Jan uttered no protest as Haldir insinuated his hands beneath her shorts, the front panel of her long skirt draped over one of the elf's shoulders. Conscious of their position, the redhead tried to remain as silent as possible as the Marchwarden slid her undergarment over her hips and down her legs, leaving the shorts on the ground as she stepped out of them.

She could not repress a gasp as he drew one of her legs up to wrap around his waist, his free hand moving between her legs. Jan bit her lip, mewling softly as Haldir slipped first one finger, then two between her moist folds, slowing working the digits in and out, teasing her closer to the edge.

Haldir barely held in his own gasp as his questing fingers found the fiery woman wet and ready for him. He groaned quietly as he felt her hands at the laces of his leggings, releasing and stroking his turgid length as he teased her closer to the precipice.

Unwilling to put their shared need off any longer Haldir gripped Janessa's other leg, guiding it around his waist, lifting her up against the tree and then slowly down as she guided herself onto his throbbing elfhood. He muffled his moans against her neck as every inch of him slid into her clutching warmth until he was buried to the hilt in her depths.

Janessa pressed her lips together into a tight thin line as she held back the cries of pleasure she wanted to release at the feeling of slowly being filled by the elf. She clung to him as she felt them come together as one, his pulsing length throbbing within her. She gasped softly as Haldir slowly began to move his hips, thrusting shallowly into her. The nest of curls at his base rubbed insistently against her clit at the point where they were fully joined. Already driven close to the edge the woman couldn't help rotating her hips, increasing the friction of their coupling.

Haldir growled as Janessa ground against him, turning his face to capture her lips as he lifted her to increase the depth of his strokes. He drove into her fast and hard, just like she liked it, the kiss capturing their cries as they rode each other to completion. Their orgasm built swift and powerfully, taking them by surprise with the strength of their release. Haldir plunged into Janessa's depths a final time, exploding inside her as her convulsing muscles wrung every drop from his spent length. Spent, the elf slid to his knees, the woman cradled in his arms.

It was then that a shadow detached itself from the darkness, stepping out into the diffuse evening light.

"NOOOOO!!!!!"

******

A/N: I WILL post the next chap shortly. I couldn't resist the evil cliffhanger….