The Heart of an Elf

The Heart of an Elf

Chapter 2

“Would you just sit still, Orophin? How can I braid your hair if you keep fidgeting like an elfling?” scolded Rumil.
“Sorry, Ru, but I cannot help it! I don’t know what kind of charm Lady Galadriel used on our brother to make him come with us, but it makes me nervous and excited at the same time!” said Orophin.
“I know what you mean! I just hope that it is a sign for good things to come! He kept himself closed beyond our borders for far too long! Maybe Haldir is ready to make changes in his life!” said Rumil with a sigh.
Both elves were silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts.
Rumil finished the last braid securing the end with a tie. Then he turned his brother around.
“You look lovely! Any elf would call herself or himself lucky tonight to dance with you!”
Orophin slapped his brother’s shoulder playfully “Do not jest with me so!”
“I wasn’t jesting, it’s the truth! And stop blushing, your ears are getting too pink and it ruins the contrast with your silver tunic!” said Rumil smiling at his younger brother.
Before Orophin could answer, the door opened and an elf stepped into the room who looked very familiar.

He was tall even by elven standards.
His long silver-blonde hair cascaded down his slightly broad shoulders, like a waterfall made of mithril. His eyes were blue like the summer sky. The elf wore a midnight blue silk tunic that was embroidered with tiny mallorn leaves at the ends of its sleeves and girdle that was made from the same material. His leggings were tight and dark gray accented by black boots.
Rumil and Orophin were staring at the elf with sheer astonishment!
“Where are your manners, my brothers? It is very impolite to stare like that!” chuckled Haldir as he made his way towards the two gaping elves!
Rumil was the first to compose himself, shaking his head with disbelief.
“By the Valar, Haldir, if I didn’t hear your voice I would have thought that you’re just an illusion!” exclaimed Rumil.
“May I take that as compliment or should I be worried?” asked Haldir.
“I’m very happy to see you in those fine garments brother, you look absolutely breathtaking!” answered Orophin, finding his voice at last.
“You’re flattering me, little brother! But the praise belongs to those who made the dress, not to the one who wears it!” said Haldir.
A soft knock on the door halted Rumil before he could voice his opinion and the three Galadhrim called out at the same time: “ Enter!”
A young elf opened the door and bowed to the brothers.
“Good evening my lords! I’m Thielsin and I’m here to deliver a message to the Marchwarden of Lothlorien. Lord Elrond is asking for the honor of Lord Haldir’s companionship at the royal table tonight. He also wishes to speak with you my lord before the celebration begins. It is my privilege to escort you to the royal chamber.”

Haldir nodded his head, and Thielsin bowed again, stepping aside from the door to lead the Marchwarden.
As soon as the door closed behind the two elves, Rumil and Orophin looked at each other with puzzlement on their faces.
“Gods, Ru, Haldir is wearing the tunic!” said Orophin with awe.
“ What do you mean? Have you seen that garment before?” asked Rumil.
“Aye, I have seen it and the memory still pains my heart,” replied the younger elf.
Orophin took a deep breath at the questioning look in his brother’s eyes and began the tale that he had kept to himself for centuries.

Lothlorien, 3434 SA, one week before the Siege of Barad – Dur

“ It was the last night before Ada and Haldir left for the war. I was still nursing my broken wrist and you were off on patrol. Every family in Caras Galadhon had someone who was leaving the next day and Naneth asked me to take a walk with her because she wished to show me something.
I was walking with a heavy heart, trying to hide my disappointment that I could not join the warriors who were chosen to go to battle.
Nana was aware of my uneasiness and spoke to me with a wisdom that only a mother could possess.
“Do not despair my son, you’ll have plenty opportunity to use your skills to defend our people when the time comes! Besides, you know very well that the enemy could try to invade our borders and the Realm needs the remaining Guardians to keep it safe!”
She was right and I smiled, admiring her ability to light up my mood with only a few words.

I noticed that we were turning to the path that led to the talan of Silendil, the most famous elven dressmaker in Arda, and I looked at Nana with a sudden curiosity.
“You’ll see, just follow me!” she said smiling at my expression.
Before we reached the entrance of the talan an elf maid appeared to greet us.

“My lady, my lord, its an honor to see you again! Lady Silendil will be at your service in a moment, please come in and have some wine in the meantime!”
We entered the talan and followed her to the main room. The place was filled with beautiful handmade fabrics of all shapes and sizes, all bearing the mark of the masterful skills of needlework.
The next minute Lady Silendil walked in with something folded in her hands.


“I have your order my lady, I hope that you approve of my design.” said the master of embroidery, folding out the garment in her hand
“I have never seen such a beautiful and delicate thing in my life!” Naneth bowed her head to Silendil,”- ”Your craftsmanship is beyond equal as always Lady Silendil! My husband and I will be proud to present our firstborn with your exceptional work of art!”

As we made our way home Nana was just as excited as I!
“I can hardly wait to see Haldir wearing this tunic Naneth; this is a wonderful gift!” I said to her.
“I too, but this garment was made for Haldir’s begetting day so you have to be patient!”
I almost blurted out that it was still three months ahead, when I finally understood:
She refused to accept the possibility of loosing her son or her husband, and was trying to occupy herself with things that brought her hope and joy.
That was the last time I saw our mother genuinely smile.
Two days later I was back on border patrol with you and for seven years none of us saw our parents or Haldir.

Before Nana left for Valinor she asked me to give Haldir the tunic on his next begetting day. She put it in a small wooden box with a letter and I kept it in my room. When our brother refused to celebrate his begetting day again, I snuck into his room and left the box on his bed.
The next morning I found Haldir sitting at the front of my talan. When he looked up at me his eyes were full of tears. But a soft smile lingered on his face as he raised himself to greet me.
“ Hannon lle!” he whispered in my ear, hugging me tight.
Since that day I was hoping that one day I would see him wearing it, but I never thought that the wait would be this long!

When Orophin finished the tale, he saw in Rumil’s eyes that his brother perfectly understood the significance of Haldir’s choice to wear that tunic. As they looked at each other, both elves had the silent question written on their faces:
Something very important happened to Haldir, but what was it?
“When Haldir told us that he decided to be present at The Fall Festival I was very surprised and delighted! Now I have warnings going off in my head!” said Rumil with concern in his voice.
“ I share your feelings my brother, but now is not the time to discuss it any further! We should make our way to the dining hall, I don’t want to be the last to arrive at the table!” agreed Orophin.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

As Haldir followed the young elf down the steps, his eyes recognized every little detail around him. It was almost 3000 years ago since he walked the same path, but it seemed like it was yesterday, for nothing had changed in Imladris. Thousands of memories surfaced in his mind and Haldir was overwhelmed with emotions.
They reached the first level of the palace where the Lord of Imladris had his personal quarters. The young elf stopped in front of the big wooden door to knock.
“You may enter!” said the unmistakable voice inside.
The young elf opened the door and bowed, “My lord, Haldir o’ Lorien is here at your request!”
“Please send him in and you may go,” said the ruler of Imladris.
When Haldir stepped in the room his eyes found the elven lord standing, face towards the balcony. He wore a long burgundy colored robe and his hair was braided for a fashion of his title, pinned with a jewel made of gold that shone brightly in the blackness of his silky hair.
“ Good evening, My Lord Elrond! I’m honored to be your guest!” greeted Haldir.
Elrond did not turn to the galadhrim, but nodded his to head acknowledge the words.
Long minutes passed when finally the Lord of the Last Homely House spoke.
“Tell me Marchwarden, how long would you punish me if Galadriel did not tell you what lays in the future?” asked Elrond still facing outside.
Haldir’s heart speeded up and his beautiful face got one shade paler, but his voice was strong and emotionless as he answered.
“ There is no punishment to speak of my lord, what made you think of such a thing?”
Elrond turned around to face the Lorien elf for the first time in three thousand years. The sight of the silver-haired elf almost brought him to his knees.
“No punishment you say, maybe you’re right… and it is more like torture!” said Elrond with a pained expression on his face.
Haldir locked his eyes on the Peredhil with a cold stare, but didn’t offer any answer.
“ You kept yourself locked in Lothlorien. Every time when I have visited the Golden Wood you were off on patrol, making sure that I couldn’t see you. I sent countless letters to you, but they were turned back without an answer. I know that your anger was just; I have asked for your forgiveness then and thousand times since that night. I would give anything to erase the pain that I have caused, but it is not possible. I’m asking again, please let me prove my love for you!” pleaded Elrond to the galadhrim.
Haldir’s gaze softened somewhat as he carefully chose his words to respond.
“As I said before, I have no doubt that you loved me, only that you didn’t love me enough to keep my heart from breaking. It was your choice to share your bed with someone else, and it was mine to stay away from it. I have the memory of our time together and I feel no regret. I have come to offer my friendship once more, but do not ask me for more than that! The love that I felt for you is no longer in my heart, still I would have our friendship renewed so both of us could put the past behind.” Said Haldir to his former lover.
Elrond watched the elf in front of him, the one who held his heart for so long. His face clearly showed the turmoil of emotions that raged inside his heart ‘till at last the elf-lord composed himself.
“If this is what you wish, I have no choice but to accept it; your friendship means more to me than you will ever know!” Elrond nodded his head.
“Please come and have some wine with me. I’m expecting another guest to call shortly and I’d like you to meet him,” he said, motioning towards the table.
Both elves made their way to the huge, magnificently carved wooden table.
Haldir watched as the older elf pour red wine into a silver goblet, his hands slightly shaking.
The Lord of Imladris offered the cup from his hand to Haldir, and when the galadhrim reached for it, their fingers touched for a moment and both elves caught their breath at the sensation.
Haldir pulled back his hand quickly and turned around to look for a seat.
“Who is this guest that you speak of?” Haldir asked quickly, lowering himself into a chair in an attempt to distract himself from the sudden flow of uneasy feelings.
“Prince Legolas Thranduilion of Mirkwood has arrived this afternoon and I believe that you have not been formally introduced yet,” said Elrond taking the opposite chair at the table.
Haldir’s mind produced a faint image of a very young elf, who visited Caras Galadhon a long time ago with his father the King of Mirkwood.
“It is true, I did see the prince when King Thranduil brought him to Lothlorien, then he was but only an elfling,” said Haldir.
“You will be seated by his side at the table tonight and it was Legolas’ request to meet you prior to the Opening Ceremony,” replied the elven lord.
The next moment someone knocked on the door.
“You may enter!” called out Elrond.
One of the palace guards opened the door, bowed and entered the room with a golden haired elf behind him.
“Prince Legolas Thranduilion of Mirkwood, my lord,” announced the guard. And with another bow he retreated closing the door behind the guest.
Elrond raised himself from the chair with a warm smile on his face to greet the prince. “Legolas, please come and join with us for a drink,” invited the elf.
Haldir was dimly aware that he stood up when the young prince entered, for the sight of the elf struck him like lightning.
The Mirkwood prince was a magnificent vision to behold! He was tall and slender.
The elf’s hair was long and golden like the rays of the sun braided around a small tiara at both sides leaving his ears uncovered.
His face was beautiful: with the soft angles of his cheekbones, with his lips seemingly made of pink rose petals, with his eyes a deep shade of blue, like a lake full of crystals.
The prince wore light green silk tunic this night, embroidered with small golden brown pine combs from its shoulder down to the edge of the sleeves and it was tied at his slender waist with a brown silk girdle. The attire was finished with tight green leggings and dark brown boots.
His every movement was graceful, and Haldir had a hard time not gaping at him like a child.
“My Lord Elrond, I would be delighted to share a cup of wine with you and your guest,” said Legolas, smiling back.
“ May I introduce to you Haldir o’ Lorien the Marchwarden of the Golden Wood.” said Elrond with a customary royal gesture.
Haldir put his palm on his breast above his heart and bowed his head. “Mae govannen, Prince Legolas Thranduilion.”
“Mae govannen, Haldir o’ Lorien.” replied Legolas in the same manner.
“ I am honored to meet the legendary Marchwarden of the Siege of Barad-Dur!” said Legolas with great respect in his voice.
“You give me too much credit My Lord, I’m just a warrior who did his duty as all the others,” answered Haldir almost unable to tear his gaze from the elf’s lips.
Legolas’ voice held music and the galadhrim was eager to see those lips open again to make a sound.
The prince noticed Haldir’s glance and somewhere deep inside him he felt a sudden stir. From the moment when he laid his eyes on the Marchwarden, Legolas’ heart beat slightly faster than usual.
The Lorien elf was the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen.
The elf’s silver-blonde hair was shining, like the light of Earendil. His eyes were blue like the forget-me-not flowers in the summer garden. When Legolas looked into those eyes his heart skipped a beat.
Elrond’s voice brought back both elves from their silent admiration.
“Legolas, I understand that your father will not join with us ‘til next week. Is there anything to be concerned about?” inquired the Lord of Imladris.
“No, Lord Elrond, there is nothing to be concerned about. Ada has some guests from one of the Northern realms and that is why he’s unable to depart for Imladris ‘til the end of this week” assured Legolas.
“I’m glad to hear that. Tell me my young prince, are you going to enter the archery contest this time or let someone else win the contest for a change?” asked Elrond with a playful grin in his face.
“You know perfectly well my lord, that I wouldn’t have entered to the contest in the last time if your sons didn’t spread the ‘rumors’ that I had ‘lost my touch’. Ada ordered me to prove them wrong!” laughed the prince.
“My sons have the questionable talent to act like elflings, regardless of the consequences of their actions,” the Peredhil shook his head with a smile.
Haldir was following the conversation with a slight detachment; all his senses were tuned to Legolas. As he watched him laugh, suddenly a disturbing thought probed his mind.
~ Is there an elfmaiden somewhere in Mirkwood who is fortunate enough to call Legolas her lover? His beauty is flawless and I’m sure that Legolas has no problem finding countless elves that would gladly share his bed. Maybe he already found that special elfmaiden who will be his wife. What am I thinking? I have no right to even think about something like that! I cannot be so lonely that I’m musing about someone whom I just met minutes ago! ~
“Haldir, you should know that Legolas’ skill with a bow is unmatched in the last 2500 years!” said Elrond, turning to the galadhrim.
“I have heard it from my brothers, and I’m looking forward to seeing Prince Legolas in action,” said Haldir with a challenge in his voice.
“It would be a shame to disappoint you, Haldir o’ Lorien, but I do not care for the competition,” said Legolas with a slight annoyance.
“ Maybe the Prince of Mirkwood would enjoy a special challenge, if the stakes are high enough,” probed Haldir, intrigued by the younger elf’s response.
Legolas’ eyes widened with surprise. He looked at the Lorien elf who was bold enough to try baiting him for an archery contest. Haldir’s face was almost emotionless, but his eyes were on fire, like the predator that just caught sight of its prey. The prince could not deny that Haldir was having a very interesting impact on him, and he was curious to know more about the galadhrim.
“ I take it that you wish to match your skills with mine, Haldir. I was never one who backed away from a challenge, especially when there was a worthy opponent and a special prize in sight. Do tell me, Marchwarden, what is in your mind? “ asked Legolas, staring back at Haldir with the same fire in his eyes.
The Lorien elf felt a sudden jolt in his loins as he watched the prince’s reaction. He could see it now that behind that beautiful face was a slumbering fierce warrior. Legolas was waiting to be unleashed, to take control and do substantial damage to those who would fall into his trap of false innocence! The look in those eyes made the Marchwarden shiver with excitement.
“ Have you ever heard of the ‘spinning rings’, Prince Legolas?” inquired Haldir.
A spark of recognition flashed into Legolas’ mind. His face lit up with a brilliant smile that took Haldir’s breath away.
Since the beginning of the First Age, the masters of archery had used the term, ‘spinning rings’ for a special contest. Archers from all of the elven realms dreamed of winning this extraordinary competition, which was held in Gondolin each year. Two weeks before Midsummer’s Eve, the best archer of each realm received an invitation from the king of Gondolin. They traveled blindfolded, lead by a guard to the Hidden City to match their skills with a bow. The rules were simple: Three target - boards were placed on a field 50 yards away from one another. The first target - board was at 100 yards, the second at 150 yards, and the third at 200 yards from the firing position. Each board had five different sized circles painted on it in a row, starting with the biggest in diameter from left to right. In front of each board stood two poles that held five wooden rings chained tight to each other, matching perfectly those on the target – board. Before each shot, an elf spun the rings one by one, and the archer has to hit the center of the circle on the board through the spinning ring, without impaling it.
To be able to accomplish this difficult task, the elf must have to be blessed with exceptional coordination, lightning fast reflexes, and very keen sight.

“I know what you speak of! That challenge hasn’t been made for over 5 thousand years! I’d be honored to participate in such an ancient test!” exclaimed Legolas, clearly aroused with excitement.
Elrond looked at the two elves with a slight amusement. It seemed that Legolas and Haldir had entirely forgotten about the Peredhil.
“ That tradition is very old indeed. Only six of us remain who witnessed the glorious days of Gondolin, and only one elf lives who won the title in three consecutive years,” said Elrond with a solemn tone in his voice.
Legolas acknowledge it with a nod, “ My father told me lots of stories of Gondolin. If I’m not mistaken Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Lord Erestor, Lord Glorfindel, my Ada and you, my Lord are the last ones who saw the Hidden City. The archives are not complete, because some of them got lost after the city fell, but I know that Lord Celeborn and my father have won the title once each, and it was Lord Glorfindel who claimed it three times in a row. The chronicles also mentioned that the elf who won the most titles, eight times exactly, was the Warden of the Great Gate. Lord Ithlidin was one of the greatest elf warriors. I’m very much looking forward to competing with a son of such a champion, whom already is a legendary fighter among us,” said Legolas, bowing his head toward Haldir.
The galadhrim’s eyes turned into a dark shade of blue. No one spoke the name of his father for a long time, and hearing it from the prince’s mouth made Haldir fight for self-control to hide his emotional turmoil and keep it at bay.
Legolas immediately noticed the change in Haldir’s eyes, and his own heart contracted painfully, realizing the sorrow that he had unintentionally caused.
The golden haired elf unconsciously brought his palm to his chest.
“ I see that your knowledge of our history is very thorough, Prince Legolas,” said Haldir in a flat voice, not giving the chance for the younger elf to react. “ If Lord Elrond agrees, the competition will be announced according to the tradition. Five days from today I’ll be waiting for you at the Singing Waterfall to claim the title,” said the galadhrim.
Elrond studied the face of his former lover for a moment and then stood up from his chair.
“ I will make the announcement tonight! This contest will be a tribute to the Hidden City and its fallen heroes,” replied the Lord of Imladris.
Legolas was scarcely aware of the Peredhil’s words, his mind worked to fully understand the sudden change in Haldir’s attitude. The shadow of an agonizing pain that brushed his own heart just moments ago still lingered in his chest. He took a quick glance at the Marchwarden, but Haldir avoided the eye contact, concentrating on the wine in his cup.
At that moment the side door opened and Glorfindel entered the room.
“ Good evening my lords. I’m sorry to interrupt you Elrond, but it is time to take your place at the table with your guests,” apologized the Balrog slayer.
“ Thank you, Glorfindel. I did not realize how late the hour has grown,” Elrond looked at his seneschal with a warm smile, “ So let us join the others, and I believe that this Fall Festival will be a very memorable one, indeed!” said the elf-lord glancing meaningfully at his guests.
Glorfindel didn’t miss the look that Elrond gave to the Prince and the Marchwarden. He looked questioningly at Legolas. The young elf slightly shook his golden head, signing to the Balrog slayer that it was not the time for explanations. In the same instant, his eyes bored into the seneschal’s blue orbs, promising that the answer would be revealed later.


To be continue...