Through the Window

Chapter Three: Into which Haldir is introduced and, too, the dark faerie gown

The two elves carried Niamh to a great tree from whence fell a ladder that was wrought of silver twine so very thin that any unknowing mortal would deem it impossible to bear the weight of a grown being.
“Hurry now, be swift!” Said the first elf to the second as he lay the sleeping girl upon the soft grass.
The secong elf quickly climbed the silver ladder and when he reached the elven flet atop it, he held his arms to the girl as she was lifted gently in the air while still she slept. Taking her weightlessly into his arms, the second elf took the girl from his brother, carrying her to a bed of earthen mosses and elven silks.
There he lay her softly, kneeling beside her to brush the hair from her cheeks.
“She is lovely.” He sighed to his brother as he joined him there. His brother shook his head slowly as he lay his hand upon the girl’s brow.
“Aye... she is so...” He said, “but that...” however, his voice faded into nothing as if he deeply pondered upon words that were not to easily come to him. He sighed heavily.
“She would be very well for you, bother,” He continued slowly, “But I have come to fear that the lord and lady of light will nt take delight in her pressence here. She is mortal and we do not know what evil this faerie Donnaghue that has followed her brings. He may be a mere threat to comfort... or, he may be a danger. The lord and lady shall send her away if they know that it is her that has brought the faerie here.”
The second elf was silent.
“The lord and lady will feign to rid you of her. As well as the impending faerie evil she has brought, in their eyes, it could seem that she would be a distraction to your duties as marchwarden.”
“She will not be a distraction.” The second elf said quickly, removing his gaaze from where it had rested upon the young girl’s lips.
His brother sighed. His golden eyes moved to the girl’s hands as her fingers fumbled the silk.
“She wakes.” the first elf said quietly, rising to his feet. He motioned for his brother to follow, but he did not.
The second elf remined with his vision fixed upon the girl. Then, suddenly, he turneed to his brother with a gaze so very feirce, it was un elflike.
The second elf rose to hisfeet and went to the edge of the flet, looking down to his brother who had only just began to climb down it again.
“Say noting of the girl to Celeborn and Galadriel.” The second elf hissed as he glanced oer his shoulder upon the girl as she stirred in her bed. “I wish to keep this girl here with me, but the lord and lady will surely take her into their custody.”
The first elf nodded his head and said: “Well now little brother, I suppose my thoughts of her for the whole of this guard were awry. Forgive me, I will keep her presence unknown. If she must come away from ere, disguise her... you are quite good at that.” Whereuopon he swiftly climbed down the ladder and bid his brother a farewell.
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Niamh awoke witht he morning light as it poured over her. It was very early morning, with the stars only just beginning to hide themselves and the sun had only climbed to the ege of the horizon. The girl rose to her knees and looked about her as she felt a slight pain in her side. She ruefully remembered the occurances of the previous day and she moaned, falling to the bed once more.
The air about her felt of mosses and of the earth itself. Niamh had never smelled something so lovely.
Then, there came a quiet noise, like that of a rustle and a moan. Niamh looked about her, seeing upon the floor beside her an elf who slept soundly. His golden hair fell loosely about his shoulders and his silver wrought tunic of light shone in the early light.

Niamh went to the elf, creeping over the floor silently for fear of waking him from his beautiful state. The girl came to him and knelt before him. She gasped at the lovely countanance of his face, for his cheeks were rosy and his lips opened slightly as if he spoke in his sleep.
Niamh’s heart beat feircely within her breast and she held her hand to it to silence its mighty beating. She had never seen so lovely a man. But he was no mortal man, either, he was an immortal elf and they are fairest of all the living creatures.
Niamh could contain herself no longer as she gazed upon the elf; bending down to meet his face with her own, she kissed him lightly upon his soft lips.

The elf gasped sharply as he was awakened with a start and he rose quickly to his knees. When he looked and saw that it was only the mortal girl, he sighed with a chuckle and smiled. The girl was startled, but she smiled as well, and hid her face in her hands as she felt her cheeks redden.
“Forgive me.” She said quietly, rising to her feet and backing away. She did not see the edge of the flet draw ever near to her, nor did the elf see it, and she came very near to falling, had her backside not felt a slight breeze. However, when she turned and saw the ground so very far beneath her, she took a fright and lost her footing.
The elf dashed to her side as she toppled over the edge, grasping her hand in his own as he held her safe.
“I have you!” He cried as the girl screamed in terror. The elf gave a mighty heave and pulled Niamh safely to the floor of the flet and she fell to her face as soon as she touched the blessed floor.
The elf burst out in a clear, ringing laughter that was fairer than any she had heard yet, and it was so very merry that she, too, laughed.
“Forgive me, sir elf, forgive me for my foolishness!” The girl said breathlessly as she clutched her heart dearly in her bossom.
The elf said nothing of it as to weather or no it angrred or irked him, but he mocked Niamh-- much to her dislike --of her fall and laughed.
“I did not see the edge, sir elf,” Niamh said with a slight chuckle, “and you would do best to leave the mocking of me to rest alone!”
“It is true,” The elf laughed, “that young girls of Man are very foolish indeed! I heard such talk, but defied it, and now... now you have proven me wrong!” And he burst out in laughter anew, falling to the floor beside her.

When at last the elf had silenced, Niamh looked upon him with the redness gone from her cheeks.
The elf looked upon her as well and said: “You kissed me.”
“Aye.”
“Why, maiden, would you do such a thing to a strange man whom you have never before met?”
“I would not if he had not saved my life and well being.”
Niamh smiled faintly. “You saved me from the faerie lord and it is my right as a girl, sir elf, to repay you sweetly.”
The elf chuckled. “Right?” He said. “Well now, it is a sweet one and... fair, utterly.”
Niamh smiled broadly. The elf rose to his feet and went to the far side of the flet, coming upon a wooden trunk, which he opened curiously.
“I did not leave this here with you.” He said, “Who now has been among us?”
Niamh rose quickly and ran to the trunk. She knelt and lifted it to her lap, looking closely at its make. “It is lovely.” She said, but her awe was gone when she saw the latch upon its lock: a dagger turned toward the sky... a red, red rose and a shining star donned its tip.
Niamh saw this as the image the egg yolk had taken in her silver goblet now five days ago when she had sat quietly and happily in her own chamber.
“I know this...” Niamh said quietly and slowly opened the lock that had not been closed by any key.
Within there lay a folded silken cloth that shimmered in the morning light. Niamh carefully lifted it from its hold and held it in the air for her view.
It was a gown of fairest make, fairy it would seem though Niamh did not think this, and it was woven of some strange golden thread. Silver lined its edges and jewels donned the waist belt.
Niamh sighed in wonder. “Ohhh,” She said, “How fine! Sir elf, did you set this for my finding? It would seem you found the trunk easy enough.”
“I did not.” The elf replied, taking the gown from the girl and folding it once more. When Niamh saw that he sought to put it once more in the trunk, she tore the dress quickly from him with a hiss.
“It is mine.” She said, “You cannot have it!”
“Maiden,”The elf answered, “This dress is finer than any elven make, and it is far to beautiful for to be wrought by the hands of any human. I say the faerie lord Donnghue left this here.” and he stopped suddenly, liftng the gown to his face as if he sniffed it! “And lo! Here upon it I smell earth and wine! There is some spell cast upon this gown and you shall not have it!”
“You will NOT tell me what I can and cannot have, sir elf!” Niamh said, her mind she felt become clouded and darkened and in her heart she knew this and knew that the elf was right.
The elf sighed and hid the dress withi the trunk. Shutting it and hiding it away in a branch high above Niamh’s head, he turned to the girl once more as she held her face in her hands. With a shake of her tassled head, she looked upon the elf with confusion in her great, wide eyes.
“there was a faerie spell upon that gown, maiden.” The elf said in answer to her questioning looks, “I bid you to leave it be and touch it not. No good can come of it if Donnaghue has given it to you.”
Niamh sighed. “I suppose...” She said, “... I am sorry, sir elf. I meant you no wrong.”
“Do not worry for my thoughts, maiden.” The elf said, “You did nothing to scathe me.” and he went to er and lay his hand upon her brow.
He furrowed his brow and his eyes became grim and they laughed no more.
Niamh saw this sudden change and inquired upon it. He shook his head and went silently to the edge of the flet.
“I must leave you now.”
Niamh felt a sudden drop of the lightness of her heart as she heard his words and rushed to his side, looking to the ground as she asked him to stay with her.
“I cannot...not now, maiden.” He replied ruefully, for he, too, wished to remain, “The lord and the lady have surely sensed your presence--”
“I do not wish to leave.” Niamh’s words were quick and quiet and her face flushed a horribly dark red as she spoke. To leave was something she now had reason to dread.
The elf smiled. He came up beside her and lay his hand upon her shoulder. “I will not leave you alone in this world with the faerie so evil at your heels.” He said, “I wish to.... keep you here. I have thought this when first I saw you hudled in fear amid the boughs of the tree. But, that is why I must report to my lord and lady If they know that you are here, perhaps,then, they do not know of your race. I will say that you are a wandering elf that seeks shelter. I will say that you are laying in bed and sleeping for you are weary and thus you go not with me to them.”
Niamh nodded slowly and smiled faintly. The elf smiled as well and climbed upon the ladder of silver twine. With a final glance, he finally gave his name and Niamh was made all the happier for it.
“I am called Haldir.”
“And I am Niamh.”
Then, he was gone, his feet as swift as the wind as he ran over the grass so very far below.]

Niamh sighed. She heard a ringing in er ears, very faiint, but irking and she turned and looked about her. Her eyes were drawn to the boughs of te tree in which her flet was set... the boughs where Haldir had hidden the trunk containing the faerie gown cast with some dark spell. But the girl was far to innocent to see its evil. In her eyes, it was a lovely gown.