Killing Beauty

Mara awoke suddenly and found herself in a talan with Lady Arwen and Tallinin looking down at her. Both smiled.

"Are you all right?" Tallinin asked warmly. "You turned deathly white and passed right out. I feared you had hurt your head."

Mara sat up and touched the back of her head. She wasn't in any pain.

"What do you remember?" Arwen asked curiously.

"I called the stallion to me then......." She stopped as she remembered seeing the elf in the road. " I thought he was ada."

"Haldir's back," Tallinin explained to Arwen, "and he and Lanir did bear a resemblance. When the horsemaster was here, there were some comments on how much they looked alike. But that was as far as it went. Lanir was a kind soul. "

"That explains it then." Arwen decided. "Thank-you for bringing her to me." Tallinin inclined his head and left. Mara thought she ought to leave as well, but Lady Arwen would have none of it. "I will have no guardian from Rivendell sleeping in the stable with the horses. I have plenty of room."

"My lady, I couldn't," Mara protested.

"Yes you can, and you will," Arwen stated with a finality that prevented any further argument. "I knew Haldir was back, and there will be a meeting when he awakens. You and I will attend it."
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Mara followed Arwen into the great library and noticed that the other Rivendell guardians were there along with the twins and Haldir. The marchwarden was looking at a book, while the twins talked quietly to one another. That is until they noticed Mara.

"Haldir," Ellandan spoke up, "have you met our ellyth orc slayer?" Haldir looked around as Mara bridled under the obvious attempt to embarrasse her.

"Are you an orc slayer?" Haldir asked curiously, still weary from going two weeks without sleep or rest.

"I have slain an orc, my lord," she replied respectfully. "And apparently I have also slain an elf," she added and looked right at Elrohir, who did not look all that amused.

Arwen, who knew of the hunting agreement because her brothers were never discreet about their conquests, smiled and said, "It must have been a....poisonous arrow you used to keep them so agitated for so long."

Haldir found himself waking up as the jibes became more interesting. He couldn't help himself when he asked Elrohir, "And what kind of poison would an ellyth use?" He had already figured out that the young female had fallen prey to the twins. They considered it their duty to deflower as many ellyths as they could get away with in Rivendell. Haldir personally didn't care for virgins, not that there was anything wrong with them. He just liked an experienced partner.

Elrohir turned to Haldir and said simply, "She has the touch of a witch." And that was all he would say as Lord Elrond, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel entered the room.

Haldir thought that was interesting as he paid his respects to the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. Galadriel bid him approach and tell what he had learned.

" The Steward of Gondor is trying to incite men against us and the Dunedin. He wants the kingship for his line and sees this as a way to build an alliance. They have even started calling My Lady a witch." Galadriel looked surprised but said nothing. "There were men from Rohan there, but I do not know if they were as easily swayed as the Gondorians."

Mara leaned towards Arwen and whispered, "My ada always said that the horses kept Rohan honest." Arwen nodded.

"You have something to add?" Elrohir asked cynically.

"My ada knew many men in Rohan and believed them to be of honest stock. I understand that you also know men of Rohan," Mara replied with her eyes firmly fixed on the young lord. "What of the men of Bree, Master Haldir? Were any there?"

Haldir smiled. "There were a few men from Bree, but they were in no position to do more than agree or disagree with the steward. I am not worried about them," he said and waited to see if anything else interesting was going to occur. No? Too bad. He liked the young ellyth's spirit. It reminded him of......Suddenly an odd thought entered his head. He turned back to his Lord and Lady and said, "I did not hear any direct threat against us, but when men start calling us witches and make claims that we harm them, the threat is implied and I listen."

The meeting went on awhile longer, and Mara became convinced that the Steward of Gondor was a dangrous fool, but no one needed her to voice it. That was the very clear opinion of Lord Elrond.

"Indeed," Celeborn agreed. "I wish that were not so. I will read what you have brought back with you," he told Haldir, "and we will talk more later." Celeborn basically dismissed all nonfamily members.

Mara caught Haldir looking at her with a curious expression on his face, but she slipped away before he could stop her. She was still too embarrassed to think she had fainted thinking him her ada.
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Mara hid for the remainder of the day, slipping in to take care of the horses and then disappearing before Arwen or the twins could find her. She didn't want to be found. She wanted to think about black stallions with white faces and wolves in the trees. For some inexplicable reason the more she thought about the wolves, the more it hurt. It was as if she was missing them. When she closed her eyes she hear their yaps of joy, and when she stretched her hand out, she could feel their cool fur under her hands.

"Max, I miss you," she whispered and then realized that she had said a name that meant nothing to her. She didn't know a Max. And what elf would keep a wolf? Madness! Leaving her bed of hay, she decided it would be better to walk tonight. Following a path deep into the woods, she heard the soft murmur of running water. She had found a small pool and when she dipped her fingers into the water, she found it warm. And as late as it was, there was no danger of someone seeing her. Maybe it would help her relax and ultimately go to sleep. Stripping down to bare skin enjoying the warm breeze on her skin, she stepped into the water and then glided forward. It was only then she noticed the elf sitting in the shadows under a tree. How had she missed him! And why hadn't he made himself known to her?

He stood up and approached the pool, his only attire as she could see, a cloak he had wrapped around one shoulder and his leggings. There were no boots on his feet. When he got close enough for her to recognize him, she felt a twinge of fear. It was Haldir. And when he dropped the cloak and started untieing his leggings, she had to turn away. What was he doing? Stupid, you know what he's doing! She turned and watched him slide the leggings down his strong legs and step out of them. He was beautiful and if he was going to stand there in all his glory, she was going to look.

He smiled lazily and stepped into the water, and once it was up to his thighs, he sat down. Then for the longest time, they waited to see which one would speak first. Finally Haldir asked, "What touch was Elrohir speaking of?"

"I am not sure, it was just something that happened," she replied uncomfortably and glanced away.

He held out his left hand and said, "Show me."

"I do not know if I can do it again," she answered quickly afraid of what would happen if she were successful.

"Try." His voice left open no other options.

Mara hesitated and then moved closer. She took his hand in hers and found it to be a strong hand, a beautiful hand. She turned it over so she could see the veins that ran over the top of it from wrist to forefinger. It was a very beautiful hand. She turned it back over and started with his fingers, gently caressing and massaging them. Closing her eyes, she imagined she was caressing his entire hand from bone to skin. She moved to his wrist and forearm.

"Release me!" Haldir whispered sharply. "Release me!" Mara dropped his hand and looked at the surprise on his face. "Where did you learn that?" he asked barely above a whisper.

"I do not know," she answered. "I just think it, and it happens." She dropped her eyes and stared into the water around her.

"Look at me," he ordered softly. "You try to avoid looking at me, why?"

"I have looked at you," she answered uncomfortably.

He chuckled softly. "Not at my face," he replied. "Look at me."

She lifted her eyes to his beautiful face and found herself being held hypnotically by his gaze. Even in the warm darkness they possessed a silver light that drew her into them like a moth to a candle. Why did she think she was about to get burned? Why was she wanting more than anything to be burned by him? Could he see the sudden hunger in her eyes?

"I know you," he teased seductively and glided towards her, turning so he stopped behind her.

"Who am I?" she asked, her heart hammering in her breast as he moved the hair away from her neck and replaced it with his lips.

"You are my Ashva," he whispered and eased her back against him, his hands cupping her breasts. "I recognize you."

Mara felt herself melting against him. This was the second time today that she had heard that name. "I am Mara," she countered breathlessly. "I know no Ashva."

He circled around her, his eyes devouring her face. "Look at me," he ordered. She opened her eyes and stared at him. The hunger in her body had turned into an ache. He was teasing her.

"I am too old for games," she informed him and turned away.

"Don't do that," he said and caught her by the arm, pulling her back against his body. "Don't ever deny me. Remember what happened the last time?"

Mara stared into his eyes as something flowed into her thoughts. She had been in the water then when the solitary warg had appeared. He had killed the beast to save her. "I remember," she whispered. "I remember."

He claimed her mouth with a passion that left her breathless and hungry all at once. "Wrap your legs around me," he ordered. She readily obeyed and gasped when he entered her. There was no hurry, no need to go any faster than the water flowing around them. Mara. When it finally became too much to bear, she felt his strong arms hold her tightly as she shattered against him. He surrendered to his own need and then held her possessively against his body.

"Let us go home now," he said and released her.

"I don't remember everything," she said. "I don't know what to do."

"You will come home with me," he explained and stepped out of the water. "I do not plan on losing you again."

Mara stepped out of the water after him and dressed in silence. If she was this Ashva, if these thoughts entering her head were Ashva's thoughts, why didn't she feel like an Ashva? He had his leggings on and was waiting for her. He meant for her to go with him, and she did, and for the first time in her adult life as far as she could remember, she slept in a bed with a male. He held her possessively as if he were afaid to let her go. It felt warm and she needed to feel warm. She just wished she understood what was going on.
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"She spent the night with Haldir," Elrohir growled at his smiling sister. "This amuses you?"

"It most certainly does," she answered readily. "Finally an ellyth who can say no to one of my brothers."

"But yes to Haldir," Elladan snorted.

"Many ellyths say yes to Haldir," she reminded him. "I almost once said yes to Haldir." They both glared at her. "He said no." But it was too funny to keep from enjoying it. "And you will not say anything to her," she informed them point blank. "I'm sure there is nothing to it. You know how Haldir is."
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Mara slipped down to the barn just before daylight to see to her charges. Haldir didn't try to stop her, after all she was Lord Elrond's Horse Master, and she had to take care of the animals. She was brushing down the last horse when one of his brothers showed up and peered in the stall.

"Are you Ashva?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know," she answered. "who are you?"

"Rumil. Remember, I took care of Max and Mani."

She stopped brushing the horse and looked suspciously at him. "Who were they?" she asked.

"Your wolves, don't you remember? You kept them in your talan in the trees. When you and Haldir went to Lascana, I took care of them for you."

"I had wolves in the trees?" she asked in disbelief and then smiled.

"Yes. They were afraid of the heights, but they went everywhere you went....except that time the snow tiger attacked you. They had stayed behind on the mountain." He stopped talking. The look on her face told him that she was not grasping all that he was saying.

She stepped out of the stall and put the brush on its shelf. After a moment's consideration, she looked up at him and asked, "How did I die?"

Rumil shook his head. "That is not for me to say."

"Am I buried somewhere? Can I see my grave?"

"That is also not for me to say."

"What can you say?" she asked him curiously.

"Haldir grieved a year. I do not know what will happen if you try to leave him again."

Mara did not know what to think. When were these old memories going to merge into her current ones. And more important, she had a lover she barely knew. She needed to think.
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Haldir was not in the mood to explain his actions to Elladan and Elrohir, although they seemed to think he had deliberately seduced Mara to get her away from them...away from Elrohir. They were beside the river when she suddenly appeared. They stopped their discussion and turned to her.

"Is something wrong?" Haldir asked.

"How did I die?" she asked. "And where am I buried?"