Strange Allies

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Disclaimer - I own none of this aside from Annowe and I have made no money from this story.

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They walked through that night and well into the next, Annowe anxious to make this journey as short as possible. She could periodically go without sleep – not as long an elf – but she was determined to push her self to her very limits in order to be rid of Haldir quickly.

Silently they trudged up the foothills of the Misty Mountains with Haldir leading the way. Annowe had never had much perception of time until this journey. It seemed to stand still. The longer she had to endure the March Warden, the more she missed Legolas and wished it were he with her now.

She was furious at Elrond for making her travel with Haldir and irritated with Legolas for leaving her in such a state. Not that it was completely his fault. Her desire to help him had led her into this situation. But she could not just sit idly by hoping he would be safe. She had to do something and Elrond was right – she knew the corsairs. She knew their tactics, their hideouts and the signs to look for if they were going to attack and where.

It was perfectly logical that she travel south to Pelargir to see what they were up to. Indeed, it was perfectly logical that Haldir accompany her as far south as Lorien. The heavy snows had come in force to the Misty Mountains and the only way to Lothlorien from Rivendell was over the mountains – a territory she was not familiar with in the least.

As if to add insult to injury, she was depending on Haldir’s good will to keep her from getting lost. He could have simply walked off leaving her stranded in the snow and she would have wandered aimlessly until she froze to death or the spring thaw came. She shivered at the thought. She hated the cold. Hated it worse than she hated the March Warden and that was saying something!

She glared at the back of his flaxen head. Had he not been so broad through the shoulders she could have almost pretended it were Legolas leading her over the pass again. But the gait was wrong. Haldir moved stealthily, like a great cat where Legolas was fleet footed. She sighed dejectedly. Thankfully, Elrond had given the March Warden an earful about making sure Annowe arrived at her destination safely. She feared if he had not, Haldir would have gladly abandoned her their first night out. And Haldir had feared the wrath of the White Lady as well. No, he would not abandon her, not if he expected to be able to show his face in Middle Earth again. It was slight consolation to her, though.

They climbed higher and higher into the pass as the sun rose in the sky, following a trail that some mountain goats had created through the snow. The higher they climbed, the slower their pace became. The wind picked up and threatened to topple Annowe several times. She cursed under her breath, bent her head down and slowly trudged on, keeping Haldir in sight.

They stopped only once that day for lembas and water. Annowe was nearly exhausted but she would not complain. The quicker they moved the sooner she could be rid of him. Tonight, she realized, tonight she must rest. Had she been in the river she would not have needed to rest. But she was out of her element and would need sleep to rejuvenate herself.

She was determined to keep going until that evening before she would say anything to Haldir about stopping to rest. Sleep would be a sweet reprieve from him and she wished to dream of Legolas. Yes, her sweet Legolas. How she missed him. Not for the first time that day, she cursed him for leaving her and cursed Haldir for not being the Prince of Mirkwood.

They trudged along until finally she stopped and sniffed the air. “I smell water,” she mumbled, puzzled.

“It is a snow storm moving this way,” Haldir stopped and gestured behind them.

Annowe squinted as she looked toward the northwest. Steel gray clouds were rapidly moving toward them, driving a chill wind. She shivered. She did not like the snow and the cold affected her much worse than it did an elf.

“We will need to find shelter soon,” Haldir murmured to her. “We do not want to be caught out in the open when it rolls in.”

She nodded her agreement. The thought of being caught in a snowstorm was quite unnerving to her and she was anxious to get to safety. The two of them increased their pace as they continued to climb the pass, sticking to the trail.

When the first flakes of snow began to fall, Annowe grew more uneasy. Haldir showed no signs of stopping and the sunlight was waning. She did not want to seem too fearful but she was completely out of her element and it made her wary.

It wasn’t long before the snow began to fall in earnest and as the sun retreated behind the hills, the wind picked up, sending the temperature plummeting. Annowe stumbled on doggedly behind the March Warden, her breath coming in gasps as the wind tore it from her lungs.

They plodded on, the snow growing deeper with each passing moment as the storm increased, pelting them with ice as well as snow. Several times Haldir paused and allowed Annowe to catch up to him. It was now almost totally dark and she irrationally feared that he would abandon her in the storm. He seemed quite impervious to the cold and did not seem to notice that she could not walk atop the snow like he could.

“Haldir!” She gasped as she lost sight of him in the driving snow.

Immediately he was beside her, his delicate brows arched questioningly.

“Slow down! I can’t walk on the snow like you can,” she shouted above the wind.

In one swift motion, he scooped her up and began carrying her. Shocked, horrified and infuriated at his behavior, she howled and kicked with rage until he sat her down.

“What do you think you are doing?” She demanded hotly, the screaming wind and pelting ice forgotten in the wake of his perceived slight.

Haldir snorted. “I was trying to carry you. I can move more quickly if I don’t have to worry about losing you,” he said calmly.

Annowe bristled. He had a point but she wasn’t about to concede it to him.

“Isn’t there a cave or something nearby where we can wait this out?” She changed the subject.

“I have been looking for one but we won’t find it standing here,” he said ruefully, reaching out to grab her as she staggered from a particularly strong gust of wind.

“Let me carry you, Annowe. The snow is becoming too deep for you,” Haldir said gently.

She hesitated. “Not in your arms,” she said quietly. “On your back.” She could not bear the thought of being carried in Haldir’s arms the way Legolas had carried her to her bed in Rivendell. The mere thought sent guilt screaming through her heart.

Haldir nodded then turned his back to her and bent down so she could climb on. Begging silent forgiveness from Legolas, she slid her legs around the March Warden’s waist and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his muscular body under her and she tried not to think about it.

He gripped her thighs firmly and set off again, moving easily over the deepening snow. Annowe’s small hands clung to his broad chest and she buried her face in his shoulder to shield her self from the wind, his soft hair caressing her face. She clenched her jaw and tried to ignore the feeling of Haldir’s solid body moving so gracefully under her but it was so very hard. Actually touching him made her more aware of his presence than she thought possible. Annowe could almost believe that his body was talking to hers in some primeval language that only their physical forms could comprehend.

She tried not to think of it. Tried not to feel his sleek muscles through his clothing, his warmth, his desire but it was terribly difficult. Not for the first time in her life, she cursed her sensual nature, wishing she had an elf’s ability to simply ignore the physical sensations of her body instead of feeling them more intensely than a human.

Haldir sighed in satisfaction and concentrated on finding shelter for the two of them. Her small body was warm and solid and he could feel the slight swell of her breasts against his back. She was much heavier than he would have imagined and her thighs were firm and muscular under his hands. He enjoyed the feeling of her small hands clinging to him and the sound of her breath in his ear. Had he not been the master of his body, he certainly would have been quite aroused by now!

Annowe closed her eyes and thought of Legolas. She wished it were he moving so gracefully under her; that it were his bare neck so close to her lips. She shivered but thankfully, Haldir appeared not to notice. The guilt of having the March Warden between her legs – never mind that it was to keep her alive – was almost too much to bear. She had a feeling that it would only get worse before it got better.

She did not know how long he had walked before he turned his head slightly and told her there was shelter ahead. She nodded against his neck, smelling his scent and feeling his soft skin on her cheek. She would be glad when this was over and she no longer had to endure his presence.

He sat her down when they were close enough for her to see where they were going so she could walk the last bit on her own. Strangely he seemed to understand just how irritating she found him and he seemed to be doing his best to accommodate her. It just made her more wary and suspicious of him. He had been such a cad in Rivendell and now that they were alone he was completely different. It was unnerving. Which one was the REAL Haldir, she wondered.

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