Killing Beauty

Author's note: Angst! Big time angst! Believe it or not there will be an ending......sigh
........................................................
"You don't have to buy us any food or drink," Atluf told the brothers who were following him and Etta down the stairs. "You forget this is OUR home."

"We do not forget," Orophin replied easily. "We just want to show our gratitude....." Atluf spun around but before he could finish his intentions, Etta grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Ashva has been our friend for ages," she explained with an embarrassed smile and drew Atluf back down the step. "We'd have done it anyway."

"I understand," Orophin said. "Then you will not let us buy you at least a warm drink?"

Etta had to admit she was attracted to the tall elf.....and the quiet one...but she didn't see anything but curiosity in their eyes. No, they weren't going to abduct her for a night of wild fantasy, although one of the cousins on the mountain had promised her grand passion. Life was not fair.

"Atluf, let's have a drink with them," she suggested.

Atluf pressed his lips together tightly, his thoughts on things other than drinks, but then he said, "Certainly. It's the least we can do for bringing her off the mountain, half killing ourselves in the process."

Rumil and Orophin could see the man was bitter over leaving Ashva with Haldir, and they felt compassion for him, but there was nothing they or he could do about it. Haldir did not share his females, although once he was through with them, he didn't care who they bedded. Usually it was Orophin or Rumil.

"All right," Atluf relented and led them into the tavern. "Mug, we need something to eat!" he sang out and slumped into a chair at one of the tables near the door. For thiry-six years he had lived without ever seeing an elf, and now he couldn't get rid of the bastards. And he was beginning to hate the one upstairs.
...................................................................................

Ashva awoke to a seering pain in her left shoulder and all the bones around it. She remembered the tiger, and in her mind she was still fighting it. "Run Etta! Run!" she cried and tried to jerk away from the pain. With her eyes squeezed shut, she imagined the cat was on top of her biting through her skin and flesh to the bone. It hurt so bad! Rising to her knees, she tried to run. Suddenly someone had her by the wrists.

"Look at me!" he ordered sharply. "Ashva, look at me!"

Ashva looked, her mind unable to register the face staring back at hers. Haldir was in Lothlorien. "I've died," she whispered through her daze.

He smiled and said, " Then we both are." But instead of smiling back at him, her eyes clouded up. "Why are you trying to cry?" he asked curiously.

"I thought I would never see you again," she murmured as he covered her bare shoulders with the heavy blankets. "I thought I was going to die up there."

"But you didn't. Now we will concentrate on getting you well. How much do you hurt?"

Ashva looked down at her wrapped shoulder and said, "I have had better days."

He smiled. "Stay under the covers," he ordered in his most sympathetic voice. "I will go see what I can find for you to eat."

It was then she became fully aware of just how unclothed they were. Indeed if one had to rise from the dead, what better feast for the eyes? And the room was so cold. "Perhaps you might stay a little longer," she suggested. "It has been a long time."

"Of your choosing," he reminded her and got up. The room was very cold. "Stay put. I don't want you opening those wounds."

"Are you afraid you can't control yourself?" she teased and watched him dress. Seeing him again made the pain in her body less hurtful. Then it hit her. "Why are you here? Did you not think I would return?"

He pulled on his tunic and said, "There is much we need to talk about, but not now." Leaning over her, he planted a soft kiss on her lips and then said, "Rest."

"I feel as if I have been resting a long time. How long have I been here?"

"Your friends brought you in this morning. It is now dusk." Wrapping his cloak around himself, he said, "I'll be right back." Leaving the room and carefully closing the door behind him, he was somewhat surprised to find his brothers sitting on the steps. "Guarding the door?" he asked curiously.

"Ashva's wolves are missing," Orophin explained. "Etta said that they were gone when Ashva was attacked. Rumil is disturbed by this."

"She thinks they went hunting. But when they return and no one is there..." Rumil shrugged his shoulders. "I can not help but worry about them."

"They are wolves," Haldir reminded him. "I do not think they are in any danger." He stepped past his brothers who got up and followed him. Since there weren't many places for one to go in Wolf's Lair, they resisted the urge to ask him where he was going. When he entered the tavern, they did too. Haldir went up to the bar where Mug was pouring flaggons of ale for his customers, which on this night was greater than the previous night.

"Can I get you some?"

"I need to get some food for Ashva. I understand you keep a stew," Haldir explained as his brothers leaned on the counter on either side of him.

"Bastard!" a soft voice hissed. Orophin and Rumil recognized the drunken voice and stiffened, but Haldir paid it no mind. "Fuckin' freak!" Haldir glanced up but did not move, although his brothers were now glancing over their shoulders at Atluf, who was sitting at a table with some friends. He was very drunk, and the anger in his voice was aimed at Haldir. And the fact Haldir was ignoring him only added fuel to the fire. "Look at me!" he roared this time and rose unsteadily to his feet. "What's amatter? Not enough whores in your woods that you have to come steal ours?"

Haldir turned around.

"I love that woman," Atluf continued in his drunken misery. "Where were you when she was attacked? I was up on the mountain! Where were you?" Clenching his fists, he wanted to pound them into Haldir's face. "I hate you!" Haldir slowly nodded as if that made perfect sense to him. When Mug returned with a bowl of stew, Haldir took it and started to give him some money, but Mug shook his head and said it was on him. It was his facial expression that warned Haldir of Atluf's lunge.

Atluf's lunge carried him to the bar where Haldir had been standing. Beside himself with anger and hurt, the hunter looked up into the elf's expressionless eyes. Orophin and Rumil moved away, unsure of how their brother was going to handle this. Etta, hearing the commotion, came out of the kitchen and started to say something but was stopped by Rumil who put his finger to his lips to silence her.

Atluf swung at Haldir again, but this time Haldir grabbed the hand and pressed his thumb into the palm, forcing the man down to his knees. Atluf's face contorted in pain. Haldir sank to his knees in front of the man and whispered, "I do not hold this against you, this time. Attack me again and I will hurt you." Making sure he had the hunter's full attention, he added, "There are no whores in the wood, and I did not steal her from you." Releasing Atluf's hand, the hunter falling to the floor, Haldir stood, took the bowl of stew and left the tavern with his brothers behind him.

AShva was sitting up, thoroughly wrapped in blankets and fur when Haldir and his brothers arrived.

Orophin sitting on the bed beside her, grinned and said, "We heard you have taken to hunting tigers with yourself as bait."

Ashva grinned and then looked up at Haldir. "So, what is going on that your brothers are with you?" she asked suspiciously.

Haldir sat on the bed side opposite Orophin and handed her the bowl of food. "When the pass opens, your mother will be sending horsemen south. She wants revenge on us. My brothers have come to help me destroy them in the pass."

Ashva frowned and tried to imagine who would be leading the Os, when a terrible thought occurred to her. "Haldir, if the Os have a new leader, and I fear they do, then I am certain I know who he is."

"Who?" Orophin asked. Having not met any Os horsemen, one name was as good as another.

"His name is Kalan," Ashva answered. "He and my brother were lovers, and Kalan will be twice as dangerous as As'pa." She looked from Haldir, to standing Rumil to Orophin. "He is a cold blooded killer."

"Then we'll need to be extra careful," Orophin said and stretched himself out on the bed beside her. "This is very comfortable, and I believe it is large enough for three. " Looking up at his older brother, he grinned and said, "Unless you fear the lady will forget which of us is which."

"If my lady can not tell me from...you, then she has been away too long."

Ashva was surprised that Haldir allowed Orophin to lie on the bed with them, but then it made sense in a way. It was too cold to ask them to sleep on the floor, and there was no mistaking Orophin for Haldir, who did not undress entirely but did remove his tunic. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her close, his warmth mixing with hers under the blankets. And it was a good thing he was not tired, because she spent most of the night caressing him, and every so often placing light kisses on his skin. Once he thought she was going to draw the sweetness out of him, but Orophin's snore stopped her. He didn't know whether to thank his brother or not.