Love and Hate - Alliances Made

Title: Love and Hate, Alliances Made, Chapter 3
Author: Sim
Pairings: Glorfindel / Herugil (OMC), Thranduil / Haldir, Rúmil / Lindir
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Elves are lost, Elves are found and Alliances are made
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, nor do I make any money from my writings, it’s just a daydream, honestly, I’ll return them to canon as soon as I’m done.
Beta: Jilly – All remaining mistakes are mine
Feedback: Yes Please :o)
Warnings: AU, Slash

He scrambled over logs and forest debris, an inexplicable sense of urgency overwhelming him, and soon the forest seemed to open out and he could hear the sound of a river nearby.

Close now,

Close now,

Close now, murmured the trees.

Pushing through a small group of saplings he came upon the body of a chestnut horse, which had been felled by a sturdy branch torn violently from a nearby tree. He stepped forward at once and laying his hands upon the horse’s nose whispered words of comfort to the dying creature.

Haldir looked about him frantically searching for the body of the rider and briefly wished that he had the talent to speak to animals as he had talent to speak to trees.

There! His eye was caught by something gold that lay by the river’s edge and with a last caress of the horse’s flank made haste to the rider’s side.

“Are you hurt?” He asked as he fell to his knees beside the golden haired youth. Emerald eyes the likes of which he had never seen before fixed him with a determined gaze.

“Are you hurt?” He asked again, he could see no immediate sign of injury and this elf while youthful in appearance was no elfling as the trees had said. But still the golden haired elf simply stared at him in some confusion before he seemed to relax, his eyes growing instantly vacant, as if his mere presence had set the elf to sleeping.

The darkness comes,

The darkness comes,

The darkness comes, warned the trees.

The trees had not misled him and Haldir heeded the warning, grabbing the golden haired elf from where he lay and tossing him over his shoulder to join his saddlebags.

Too late,

Too late,

Too late, hissed the beeches.

Haldir shivered at the mocking words and burdened as he was had no choice but to flee towards the relative safety of the sturdy oak. Without pause for thought he skilfully climbed till he had reached the upper branches. The tree urged him to flee further into the forest, but Haldir was still unsure of what danger they were facing, so he lingered.

Now Haldir had heard tales of the giant spiders of Greenwood. He’d heard stories of the size of them and the foulness of them, he had even heard talk of the stench of them and he had always been sceptical of the truth in those tales. He was sceptical no longer as he witnessed the spider’s slow advance into the clearing.

His eyes widened in amazement and trepidation as he studied the beast. It would be no easy task to take out such a large creature with arrow and bow and for the first time he wondered how he could save himself and this foreign elf.

Moving swiftly and decisively Haldir placed the golden haired elf into a nook made by three strong branches and fastened his saddlebag and quiver securely to his belt. Removing the rope from his bag he bound the fallen elf’s wrists together cutting the remaining rope from the secured hands. He slipped the bound arms over his head and manoeuvred the unconscious elf onto his back, finally binding the elf’s legs tightly about his waist. He took his bow in hand and drew it, shifting the elf to a position that would not obscure his reach, satisfied he turned his attention back to the clearing.

What he saw made his heart ache, the grotesque creature was standing stock still in the rain, though it was not this that had caught his attention but the chestnut horse, which though close to death had seen the spiders approach and was using the last of his strength to struggle free of the branch that held him and perchance flee. The horse was terrified and its cries struck straight at Haldir’s heart.

With sadness he drew his bow and aimed. The arrow flew through the air, straight and true, and the horse cried out no longer. However the Lórien elf’s kindness had an unfortunate consequence as the hideous creature let out a screech and turned.

For just a moment it was as if time froze, even the forest seemed to hush and the rain ceased to fall, and Haldir let out a breath. Then inhaling sharply leapt from the oak tree to the ground and ran with just one thought, he had to get back to the forest path and somehow reach aid.

Single-mindedly he flew through the forest, he dared not turn his head to see how close the creature was, but knew he was being pursued, for he could feel the darkness pressing upon his back. As he ran the oaks cried out to him, and he followed their directions, understanding their intention. They led him through small spaces and through hawthorn bushes with the intention of putting obstacles in the path of his pursuer. He was vaguely aware that he was going north or so it seemed, away from the path and safety, but he had no time to question.

One of the sleeves of his tunic fell away as he passed through another hawthorn bush, the sharp needles scratching at his skin. On and on through the forest he ran, scrambled and jumped, he was tiring burdened as he was and with no end in sight. He faltered, falling heavily to the forest floor, scrambling up again as he heard the spider’s cry, close now and felt the horror in his heart when he heard an answering cry to his left and to his right also.

Run,

Run,

Run, rumbled the oaks

Die,

Die,

Die, hissed the beeches

Haldir shook his head as he set off again at a run another hawthorn bush to fight through.

Close,

Close,

Close,

He was slowing now, the weight of the Greenwood elf heavy on his back and the rain impairing his sight. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement just behind and to the left of him, moving fast, and he looked for some place to make a stand. Though he knew the odds now stood against them, he should have stayed on the forest path, now they would both die needlessly.

Just up ahead a giant gnarled oak stood tall, shielded by hawthorn bushes of vast age,
It’s voice pleading him to reach it. Haldir turned before the spiked fence of bushes in time to see five spiders. The one from the river clearing entered the dell screaming its displeasure as the others came over the trees at an alarming speed. Haldir gulped and threw himself and his companion with gusto into the spiked bushes.

Haldir stumbled once more as he cleared the bushes, the feeling of bewitchment he had encountered earlier on the forest road hitting him full force and he fell unconscious to the ground.

Safe now,

Safe now,

Safe now, cooed the oak