Because of You, I Am Afraid

A/N: Thank you to you all fro your lovely reviews!! Ta!!! Very much appreciated. Now we will drop in on Haldir and see what hes thinking…let me know what you think…

Haldir returned to his flet upon the border warily, after a long week. He could finally sleep, and perhaps the cursed dreams of that…that….elleth would not return. Despite two hundred years having passed, how was it that she was still his every waking thought, and most of his sleeping ones too? Any attempts by him or his brothers to let him move on from the pain of the past resulted in catastrophe, and only seemed to make his longing sharper.

But she had betrayed him, going to the men for her purpose, having not been satisfied with him. His bitterness had long ago overtaken any anger he may have felt, to the point where he would do all in his power to disfigure the pure image of her inside his mind. The whore for men, he tried to tell himself. The trollop, the ….he bit back a sigh. It was no good, he still could not let anyone speak of her that way, not even himself.

Years before, when she had first left, and rumours were circulating wildly, a few wardens of his brigade had tried to aid their Captain in getting over his lost love. After a few too many glasses of liquor, one had the audacity to speak ill of his Imrhienna. The end result was often called into question years later, as an example as to why wardens do not drink on duty.

However, burn for her though he might, the bitterness he felt was enough to preserve him. His stubbornness was enough to keep him away, and his word was enough to keep her away from the forests of Lorien for all eternity. She had turned her back on them, they had turned their backs upon her. And still, his bitterness ruled his actions.

He laid his head upon the pallet in the flet warily, content for now to sleep for a while, and not have to think anymore. He closed his eyes.

“Haldir, where are you taking me? Haldir, slow down,” the soft laughter of Imrhienna filtered through the cool night air around him. He grinned, turning to swing her into his arms, and then breaking into a run, he took them the last few yards to the edge of the forest, where, after placing her gently back on the ground, he gave her a boyish grin. “There, we have made it in time, Imrhienna.”

And there, on the horizon, above a pinkening sky, a red sun had begun its journey upwards. “It is the smoke of the villagers that makes it that colour,’ he whispered to her, coming to stand behind her, and pulled her back against him. “Is it not beautiful?” his lips dropped to place a kiss upon her neck, his tongue slipping out to taste her flesh.

“What village is this?” she asked quietly, her attention not on the sun rise. Haldir did not stop his ministrations for even a moment.

“I believe it is the village Craigey. Look, even the mountains appear amber”

“And they are at work in the fields already? Haldir, there are small children down there.”
Haldir just sighed in to her neck, before bringing his hands up to stroke her breasts, trying to distract her.

“Haldir!”

“Mmmm?” he murmured, as he pulled her closer against him.

“Please pay attention for a moment. The people down their, they have the most horrid hacking cough. Can you not hear it?”

Haldirs lips continued their assault upon her neck, and despite her preoccupation, she shivered at the heat of his kisses.

“Imrhienna , I brought you here to see the sun rise, not to observe the habits of village life.” He turned her away from the rising sun, putting her back to the villagers. “Now kiss me.” He lowered his mouth hungrily to hers, and she bit back a moan, as he backed her against one of the trees.

One of his hands found its way inside her skirt, and lifted one leg around his waist. She sighed, half in resignation, half in desire, as she felt one of his fingers slide inside her. She could never deny him. He drove all reason from his mind. He thrust against her then, enjoying her taste, her touch, her scent…Her hand slipped between them, into his clothing to grasp his straining arousal. He groaned, arching into her…

He awoke with a start. He could still taste her upon his tongue. He would be getting no more sleep this night he thought, willing his aching self to settle down. Resigning himself to the insomnia, he folded his hands behind his head, and stared up at the stars, content for now to simply lay, and try and take her taste from his mouth, her scent from his head, the feel of her against him. All were clogging his senses, and so he was startled when a loud thumping on his door awoke him from his reverie. He leapt from the bed, only to have the blankets tangle in his legs, and force him to the ground.

Wincing, and cursing the unruly blankets, he managed to get to the door and throw it open, where his brother Rumil stood panting heavily.

“Haldir, we have sighted a large party of orcs making their way through the eastern border!”

“How close are they?” He asked, noting his brothers disheveled appearance. And the scent of perfume.

“No more than a league.”

“Prepare for battle, notify the other wardens. I want a full brigade to meet them, and two more to flank them when they launch their assault.” Always calm, always collected, they may as well have been speaking about what the weather.

Rumil nodded once, and began to walk away, whistling a jaunty tune. Haldir winced upon recognizing it as the ever popular tavern song ‘Í be Going Hunting’.

“Rumil?’

Rumil turned to face his Captain, and eldest brother as he made to leave the platform.

“Yes?” he asked, looking a little surprised.

“Try not to do anything….well-”

“Stupid?” Rumil grinned.

“Well, I was going to say impudent, idiotic, dense, that could get you killed or maimed, but I think what you said basically sums it up.”

Rumil gave a cocky smile, before slipping to the ground. Haldir shook his head after his impetuous brother, before he strapped his sword and quiver on, and strung his bow. He had some hunting of his own to do.

78978

The orcs had attacked suddenly, and with little warning. Although the wardens outmatched them in skill, their sheer numbers had near overwhelmed them. Haldir barely had time to think, and was grateful for the short respite from thoughts of Imrhi...other things.

Whilst the melee had lasted for no more than half an hour, the damage done to the wardens brigade was bordering upon tragedy. And even when neighboring wardens had answered to the call of their brother-in-arms, it was not in time to stop the orc blades spilling more than a little elven blood. And Rumil, who had rushed to the aid of two wardens who were cornered by a snarling party of orcs, had been grievously injured.

Haldir knelt beside his brother, trying to staunch the blood flow. “I would have thought that not calling for assistance constitutes as…let me think…how did you put it….stupid?”

Rumil just smiled weakly up at his brother. “Well, I wanted a pretty scar to show the Ladies. Makes me seem dangerous and…” he paused for a moment, trying to catch his breath, “dashing.”

“Rumil, if you do not stop talking, you will seem most dangerous with a gaping wound to the side of your head!” Rumil gave a weak smile, and then closed his eyes. Haldir stood, and faced Orophin. His face grim.

“Haldir, he cannot be moved, look at him. That is his life’s blood on the earth!”

Haldir shook his head. Glaring at Orophin he snapped “Do you not think I know that? We will send for help from Lorien. It will arrive in a few days. I’ve staunched the bleeding. Rumil will be able to hold out until then, won’t you brother?”

Rumil opened his eyes and looked up to his oldest brother, hiding his wince as tilting his head creased a wound on his neck. “Äye brother, if you say so,” he breathed, unable to manage any more than that. Haldir nodded.

Orophin shook his head. “Haldir, the city healers have always had trouble in healing him, you know this! He is too independent and stubborn to submit easily. Even if they were to get here in time…”

“I will go for aid myself. Orophin, you take the watch until then. There may still be more of the vile creatures in the trees.” Orophin nodded a defeated look on his face, before Haldir raced from the clearing, having been unable to trust this mission to another. He would not lose one he loved. Again.

Orophin however, already had a plan inside his cunning head. He knew that there was help much closer at hand than Lorien, and he did not care for his brothers pride if it meant the life of another brother. He left the clearing silently, whispering in a few of his wardens ears, before they too followed him in to the trees. What Haldir did not know, could not hurt him.


He could see her at the edge of the forest, gathering herbs. He was in luck. She was alone. He crept closer. She looked up, scanning the tree line, having an odd feeling come over her, as though someone was watching her.

Orophin held his breathe, but she went back to pulling herbs. In his hand was his sword, the pummel bared, it’s blade still sheathed. He then raced up behind her, silently, swiftly, and brought it down upon the back of her head. She dropped like a stone, unconscious. Orophin placed the sword back on his belt, before gathering her in his arms, and placing her in front of him on his horse. “Forgive me, Lady,” he whispered. “But I had no choice.” And then, with another thought to what would happen if Haldir returned and she was still there, “Valar protect me”

A/N:Let me know what you think now