Leaving Haldir's World

Leaving Haldir’s World
By Sinda

Chapter Four – Needle In a Haystack


“Was there a problem?” Rúmil asked, putting his arm around Elda and rubbing the back of her neck as they fishtailed down the road.

Haldir glared at him briefly before returning his attention to his seatbelt. “Only that it is not quite so easy to hide oneself in the trees while dressed completely in black. I forgot that I was not wearing my tunic and elven cloak. The wardens saw me rather easily but fortunately the humans here are slow.”

Haldir continued to look over his shoulder as they drove, but there was no sign of anybody following and he finally began to relax.

~~~~~~~~~

The proprietor of the coin shop looked up at Rowland, his expression masked. “Yes, I’d love to buy some of these off of you.” The man named a price but it meant absolutely nothing to Rowland who showed no response. After just a few seconds of silence, the price was raised. Catching on, Rowland was able to get him to raise it one more time, without ever saying a word. Finally handing over a handful of the coins, Rowland was given a stack of one hundred dollar bills in their place. Taking the cash, he and Elisabeth left the coin shop and started down the street.

“I have no idea how much this is worth,” Rowland said after he tucked the cash away. They went inside a few stores so that they could discover the prices of the various items that were being displayed. Between the two of them, Rowland and Elisabeth began to realize that their silver was worth much more in this world than it had been in their own.

“Maybe we can stay at an inn tonight, rather than in the woods,” he said to Elisabeth.

Elisabeth was silent. What she wanted was to find Haldir and get back to their world, not to spend a night with Rowland anywhere. She still wondered if she should get away from Rowland but was hesitant to do so. Not only would she be completely alone in this world, but she had no money. She hated being dependent upon him, but didn’t see what choice she had at the moment.

“That would be wonderful,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t try anything. They spent the rest of the day window-shopping, since Rowland was spellbound by all the exciting things in this world and wanted to experience as much of it as possible. Elisabeth simply hoped that she might spot Haldir while wandering around the city. The shoes were uncomfortable, but she wanted to spend every minute possible outside, just in case. For that reason, she kept quiet about the blisters that were beginning to form on her feet.

~~~~~~~~~

“What do you want to do now?” Elda asked the two elves.

“I would like to look around your city and see if I can spot Elisabeth,” Haldir decided. “How large is it?”

“Not that big,” she told him. “The population is around forty thousand.”

Haldir stared at her, incredulous. “Forty thousand people?”

“Yes, approximately,” she replied, trying to ignore Rúmil’s hand that was now caressing her thigh.

Haldir looked forward, staring out the windshield. “How will I ever find her in such a large city?”

“Believe me, this isn’t large,” she laughed. “I was reading just the other day that the population of London is over seven million and New York City has over eight million people. This little city is relatively small.”

“Not if you are searching for one woman,” Haldir said solemnly.

“We’ll go downtown and drive around. Maybe we’ll see her,” Elda offered. “What does she look like?”

Haldir thought for a moment. “She is shorter than you are, with dark hair that falls past her waist. She has the most beautiful pale blue eyes I’ve ever seen.”

“What about her body? Chubby, skinny, just right…” she asked.

“Just right,” both elves answered at once. Haldir raised an eyebrow at his brother.

“I am simply stating the facts,” Rúmil said.

“And what does this Rowland guy look like?” Elda asked.

“He stands as tall as I do and is of similar build,” Haldir answered. “He has dark hair that falls at his shoulders and he also has dark hair on his face. Unless they’ve changed their clothing, they should stand out.”

“Are you hungry?” Elda asked them.

“Yes, but I will need my bow if I am to hunt anything,” Haldir told her.

“You hunt anything around here and you’ll wind up behind bars,” she warned.

“What sort of bars?” Haldir asked.

“Jail, prison…never mind, just don’t hunt anything. We’ll go grocery shopping later. We’ve got burger places, Mexican food, subs…” she hesitated. “Which probably means absolutely nothing to you, does it? We’ll just get burgers today.”

She pulled into a fast food restaurant and they went inside, though Haldir was intrigued by the drive-through and wanted to know all about it.

The restaurant was crowded and Haldir grew tense at once, feeling uncomfortable among so many people. He looked around for Elisabeth, just in case, but there was no sign of her. Turning his attention back towards Elda, he listened as she tried to describe the different food items.

When the elves proceeded to stare blankly at her, she sent Haldir to get them a table and she simply ordered a variety of food. She knew that the elves did not have any funds and that she would be feeding them while they stayed at her apartment, but she decided that they would splurge a little and call it a vacation. After three years at the accounting firm without taking a vacation day, she had so much leave accrued that she was going to start losing it if she didn’t take some days off soon. She would call when they got home and tell her boss that she was taking a week off.

Returning to the table where Haldir was looking suspiciously around the room, she and Rúmil set down two trays full of food and drinks. Pointing at each item as she named it, she suggested they sample a little bit of everything to try it all. They looked at the wrapped food and didn’t know where to start, so Elda finally began to tear the burgers and sandwiches into halves and distribute them. She piled fries in front of each of them and opened packets of ketchup. The elves watched her dip a couple of fries and take a bite of her burger before they dug in. Haldir seemed to especially enjoy the fries, while Rúmil thought the chocolate shake was the best thing he’d ever tasted. It was like watching children open presents at Christmas, Elda thought, smiling.

When they left, Elda took them to the grocery store and it was quite an experience. When he wasn’t busy looking around for Elisabeth, Haldir wanted to taste the food and Elda had to convince him to wait until she paid for it. He didn’t understand the concept of paying and she tried to explain it, but it was difficult with Rúmil distracting her. They ended up filling the cart to overflowing, not because they needed that much food, but because the elves wanted to try everything. When they got to the counter, Haldir was amazed at the conveyer belt.

“Look, it is continuous,” he pointed out to Rúmil, who had other things on his mind. “Watch this dark spot and it shall come back around.” He pointed excitedly when he saw it again and Rúmil smiled, but he was more concerned about reaching his arms around Elda under the pretext of unloading the cart. Elda decided that if he didn’t stop it soon, she was going to drag him into the closest shrubbery and have her way with him.

When Elda paid for the food, Rúmil watched the cash register open, listening to the sound of the bell. He asked the cashier if she could do it again, but the woman just stared at him, warily. Haldir was more interested in the green paper that Elda handed over and she explained that this was what she had been talking about earlier, about money and paying for goods. Haldir frowned slightly as they walked out to the truck.

“You are doing labor in return for this money and then you trade the money for groceries and other goods, is this correct?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, glad that he understood.

“Then we are taking advantage of you,” he said, frowning. “You are doing labor to buy food for us and it should not be that way.”

“You can help me do things to make up for it,” she told him. “Besides, I don’t mind. I have nothing better to do with my money.”

After stopping by the park again, only to find a patrol car still there, they took the groceries home. Elda understood Haldir’s concerns and wanted to make sure he felt useful, so she had them carry the groceries inside. They also helped her put the food away and as she had expected, Haldir was astounded when he saw the refrigerator. When she thought that he might start tearing it apart to see how it worked, she grabbed his arm and led him away.

“Come with me,” she said, leading him to the computer in the corner of the living room. She indicated that she wanted him to sit down and he did so, watching her as she explained briefly what a computer was and what it did.

“I can’t give you all the details, but you can use the computer to answer just about any question you have,” she told him. She showed him how to turn it on and she set up a user account for him. Once she was online, she showed him how to do searches and marked a dictionary website for him.

“O.K. Now let’s try it,” she told him. “What do you want to learn about first?”

“The refrigerator,” Haldir said immediately.

“Type it in,” she told him. He struggled with the keys a bit and finally got the word right. The search showed several hits.

She gave him a few more instructions then left him alone. Within moments, he had almost forgotten that anything else existed in the world except for the computer. Elda smiled and moved to join Rúmil on the couch.

~~~~~~~~~

“We would like a room for the night,” Rowland told the innkeeper, “and a meal.”

“A king sized bed or two Queen sized beds?” the girl asked, typing on the keyboard.

Rowland answered with “king sized” at the same time Elisabeth said, “two beds.” She stared him down and he relented. “Two beds,” he said finally.

“Can I see some I.D.?” she asked.

“I do not know what that means,” he admitted.

“Identification?” she asked. “Driver’s license, credit card?”

“We are not from here,” he told her, not sure what to do.

“If you don’t have a credit card, you’ll need to put down a $200 deposit,” she told him, eyeing him guardedly.

He counted out two of the bills and handed them to her.

“Address?” she asked.

“I do not understand that word, either,” he told her, growing frustrated.

“You’re, like, from a different country or something, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yes, we are from Gondor,” he told her.

“Never heard of it. What is it, an island somewhere?”

“Uh, yes, it is an island somewhere,” he said, hoping she would accept that answer.

She typed in some information and then handed him two plastic cards and a sheet of paper, which she proceeded to write on, drawing arrows and circles. He had a hard time following her directions, but Elisabeth was nodding, so he didn’t ask questions. When they left the lobby, he asked Elisabeth where they were supposed to go.

“She said we were here,” Elisabeth pointed to a circle on the paper. “And this represents our room.”

When they found the room with 303 on it, Rowland tried to open the door but could not get it to work.

“Wait a minute,” Elisabeth said, taking one of the square plastic items from him. “This seems to be the perfect size to fit in here.” She pushed the key into the lock and the light turned green. She turned the doorknob, happy to see it open.

“It is like elvish magic,” she told him. He nodded, walking in behind her. They both looked around the room before moving into the bathroom.

“Well, we know what this is for,” Rowland said as he looked at the toilet. Turning towards the tub he added, “And this must be for bathing, judging by the size.” He turned the knob and watched as the water began to flow out. He moved a lever and Elisabeth saw that it closed the drain.

“It is amazing,” she said, watching the water fill the tub. “This world has so many wonders.”

She turned to try out the sink just as she heard Rowland yell and jump back, water dripping from his face and head. He sputtered as he grabbed a towel to wipe his face.

“In case you were wondering,” he told her, pointing at the small knob on the spout, “pulling this makes it rain.”

She looked at the water raining down and wondered what purpose it served.

“Since you are already wet, why do you not bathe first?” she asked him.

“Why do we not bathe together?” he asked, smiling.

“I think we both know the answer to that one,” she reminded him, leaving the room. She pulled the door shut behind her a bit harder than necessary.

Looking around the room, Elisabeth saw a lamp, but it had no place for oil and she did not understand how it could work. There was a large black box with glass across the front and a few feet away from it was a square box that was cold inside when she opened it. Walking back towards the door, she found a switch on the wall and flipped it up, holding her breath. The room lit up. She gasped, looking up at the ceiling where the small round globe was now glowing with light. There were no other switches that she could see, but she suddenly remembered observing one inside the bathroom. Cautiously opening the door without looking into the dark room, she reached her hand inside and flipped the switch. Rowland made a surprised sound as the light went on and they both jumped at the sound of the fan.

Closing the door, Elisabeth went back to the lamps once more, looking them over more closely. She found the switches and tried them, happy to see the room light up even further. This truly was an astounding world.

When Rowland finished bathing, Elisabeth had her turn after cleaning out the filthy bathtub. It looked as though it had been quite some time since the man had bathed, based on the amount of dirt covering the white porcelain. When it was clean to her satisfaction, Elisabeth filled it again and as she waited, she looked at the two small bottles of liquid on the counter. Opening them both, she smelled them and read the labels, though the words were very hard to understand. She determined that the honey colored liquid was for washing one’s hair, yet the yellow lotion was a mystery to her. She bathed, using the shampoo, but when she went to rinse her hair, she realized that there was no bucket for the job. Remembering the rain, she started the water again and pulled the small lever, letting the falling water rinse her hair. She had to open the drain because the water level grew too deep and she found if she stood, that it was easier to rinse the shampoo out. She changed back into her dress after drying her hair with a towel.

As Elisabeth turned off the bathroom light and opened the door, she froze. There were voices coming from the room. Cautiously, she stuck her head around the corner and almost ducked back inside the bathroom when she saw the people who were speaking from the black box. She glanced at Rowland to find him absolutely spellbound by the sight. Moving quietly into the room, she stood where she could see it better.

“What is it?” she whispered to him.

“I do not know,” he said. “They do not seem to be able to see us, but we can see them.”

He waved his hand in front of the box, but neither of the people on the screen reacted.

“Have you tried these buttons?” she asked him.

“No,” he said, pushing one now. The volume began to increase and he pushed the small arrow the other way, lowering it. He pushed the next button and the picture changed. Elisabeth sat on her bed as he flipped from channel to channel. The commercials seemed to really catch Rowland’s attention with their higher volume and bright colors.

“We could learn much about this world from this box,” he told her.

“Yes,” she agreed, “but I wish to go look for Haldir again.”

“Elisabeth it is already dark outside,” he stated the obvious.

“We need to eat supper,” she reminded him. “Can we not walk to a different inn to eat, so that I may look for him?”

Rowland sighed, not wanting to leave the T.V., but not minding the idea of a meal and an a few pints.

~~~~~~~~~

Rúmil pulled Elda closer and captured her lips with his. With one hand on the back of her neck, he brushed the hair back from her cheek with the other before slowly beginning to slide it down her body. A small moan escaped her lips as she felt his tongue dart into her mouth. He pulled back after a moment and smiled at her before easily lifting her onto his lap, giving him better access to her mouth. He deepened the kiss and she let her hands begin to explore his chest. Elda pulled her mouth away from his now and feathered kisses back to his ear, where she ran her tongue along the tip, anxious to see what his reaction would be. Rúmil sat very still, his eyes closed as he moaned at the feel of her tongue. Suddenly Elda found herself flipped into a prone position on the couch as Rúmil lowered his body onto hers.

“That was very dangerous, Elda,” he informed her, his eyes glazed with passion. “I warned you about my ears.”

This was a different side of the carefree, easy going Rúmil that she had been getting to know. She liked it. Lifting her head, she took the tip of his ear into her mouth and played with it, using her tongue to caress the flesh. He almost managed to stifle the groan, but not quite. Haldir turned briefly to investigate the sound before turning immediately back to the computer.

Pressing his body against hers even harder, Rúmil reinitiated the attack on her mouth, biting softly on her lower lip before running his tongue along her bottom teeth. He pulled one of her legs up over his hip and ground himself against her.

“Are we going to join together, Elda?” he whispered into her ear. “If we are not, I need to know right now.”

“Normally, I would have to get to know somebody much longer than I have known you, Rúmil,” she told him, “but I don’t know how long you’ll be here. I don’t want you to think I’m easy, because I am not.”

“Easy?” he asked.

“Cheap, slutty,” she sighed. “I have only made love to a few men and only then in a long-term relationship. I don’t normally do this sort of thing. I enjoy sex, but there has to be more than just a physical attraction. I have to care about the other person and I do care about you, but I don’t know how you feel about me. I don’t want to fall in love with you and find out that you were just looking for somebody to shack up with for a couple of days and that I meant nothing to you.”

He smiled at her, “Elda, you mean a lot to me already. If I had just wanted a warm body to use for a few days, I would have accepted Felicity’s offer last night. I enjoy being with you and not just for physical reasons, though I am hoping that will be included. I desire you, but I also enjoy just spending time with you.”

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and watched her as the thoughts turned in her head.

“Let’s go to my room,” she told him, a bit nervously. She wondered what it was going to be like, being with an elf. Jumping to his feet, he took her hand, following her to the bedroom. She pointed to the door, and he pulled it closed behind them.

“Not that I think Haldir will even notice,” she told him. “I think he’s in a computer trance.”

Rúmil turned back towards her and edged her in the direction of the bed, kissing her as he pulled her shirt off. He had trouble with the buttons on his, but she helped, her fingers shaking slightly.

“What is this?” he asked, eliciting a gasp from her as he ran his finger beneath the white lace.

“This is a bra,” she told him.

“I am not sure if I like it,” he told her, looking it over. “I will have to think about it later, because it is coming off now.”

He had trouble with the clasp, but finally figured it out and tossed the garment aside.

“Much better,” he said, kissing her beneath her chin before moving on to give time to most of the exposed skin on her body. By the time she felt the bed against the backs of her legs, her knees were weak and she sat immediately.

~~~~~~~~~

Haldir heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and listened long enough to be sure that it was safe. The door opened and Haldir greeted Felicity before turning back to the computer.

“Damn!” Felicity said, frozen by the sight of the elf in his black leather pants as he sat, shirtless, typing on the computer. She looked at the long blonde hair streaming down his back and wanted to run her hands through it. He turned at the sound of her curse.

“Why did you utter a curse?” he asked, concerned. “Did you wish for us to be gone by now?”

“Oh, hell, no,” she said, unable to take her eyes off of him. “You are just so damn hot I can hardly stand it.”

“I am much cooler without that thick tunic on,” he assured her.

“You are much…” she groaned, tossing her purse into the corner. “I think you’d be even cooler without the pants on. If you want to run around here naked, it wouldn’t bother me a bit.

“Where are Elda and Rúmil?” she asked. The answer became apparent within seconds as they both heard the sounds of the headboard slamming against the wall.

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “That was fast. Normally Elda makes the poor guy wait months, unlike me. You could have me right now if you want.”

“Felicity, you know that I am bound to Elisabeth,” he reminded her.

Felicity stripped her shirt off, revealing her bare breasts. Haldir stared.

“These cost me a small fortune,” she informed him. “So I like to show them off.”

“What do you mean?” he dragged his eyes up to meet hers.

“They’re not real,” she told him, walking over to the coffee table where she grabbed the remote and turned the T.V. on. “Come watch T.V. with me.”

Haldir stared at the images on the screen, torn now between wanting to find out what a T.V. was and wanting to finish this bizarre discussion.

“How could they not be real?” he asked finally.

Felicity showed him her scars and launched into a lengthy diatribe about her surgery and what had been done. When she was finished, Haldir looked appalled.

“Why don’t you come watch this with me?” she asked him, patting the couch next to where she sat.

“Because I should be out looking for Elisabeth,” he stated, grabbing the leather vest. “I shall return later.”

He walked out the door and down the stairs, fastening the buttons on the vest as he made his way down the sidewalk. There were very few people walking around in this neighborhood, so he made his way instinctively to the city center, hoping to find her there. Not knowing where to start, he simply began to walk up and down the streets, watching for her and trying to sense her with his mind. At one point, Haldir saw a patrol car come around the corner so he ducked quickly into a store where he pretended to shop. He noticed that most of the humans were not dressed like he was and he made a mental note to talk to Elda about it. Based on the looks he was getting, it did not seem as though he was blending in well.

Haldir wandered the streets for hours, looking through the crowds and inside several shops for Elisabeth. He hated the crowds, but it was probably where he was most likely to find her. As it began to grow darker outside, his hopes of finding Elisabeth lessened. The crowds began to thin out and he started feeling more conspicuous. He had decided to give up and go back to the apartment when he felt Elisabeth with his mind. He stopped, concentrating on the feeling, knowing that she had to be close by. Sensing the direction in which he needed to travel, he began to move quickly forward, but as a group of teenagers moved towards him on the sidewalk, he began to lose touch with her. There were too many people here and they were blocking his senses. Frustrated, he waited until the group passed, then searched for her with his mind to no avail. He continued walking in the same direction, hoping he could make contact again.

~~~~~~~~~

Rowland opened the door to Al’s Tavern and went inside, grabbing Elisabeth’s hand when she seemed to hesitate. They looked around and saw that there were seats at the bar as well as a few tables. Rowland began to head towards the bar, but Elisabeth asked if they could sit at a table.

“There are too many people at the bar and I do not think it is wise to converse with others until we are more familiar with this land,” she pointed out. He nodded, changing directions. Rowland could not help but notice that half the men in the bar turned to watch Elisabeth as she walked by. Maybe they would have to get her a dress that concealed more after all, though he hated to do so.

When the waitress asked what they would like, Rowland answered, “Please bring us two pints and some food.”

“Pints of what and what kind of food?” the waitress frowned. “I’ll get you a menu.”

“No, do not bother,” Rowland said, knowing it would make little sense anyway. “What do you suggest? We are not from this kingdom.”

She laughed. “This kingdom, huh? Let’s see, the pizza is good.”

“Then we shall have pizza,” Rowland proclaimed.

“Do you like, beer, wine or mixed drinks?” she asked.

Rowland had no idea what mixed drinks were so he said, “Surprise me.”

“I shall have wine,” Elisabeth said, recognizing the word.

The waitress returned shortly with a glass of Chardonnay for Elisabeth and a large mug of beer for Rowland.

“Ah, ale,” Rowland said happily.

“We call it beer in this kingdom,” the waitress told him sardonically.

~~~~~~~~~

Haldir saw the flashing blue and red lights bouncing off of the windows before he heard the patrol car slow down next to him. He glanced over to see two officers in the car and didn’t think twice, but just ran. He heard their footsteps pounding after him and one of them yelled for him to freeze, but that made no sense to him at all. He kept running and turned a corner to make his way down a darker street. He found himself on a boulevard with a row of trees down the middle and he quickly made his way into the nearest tree, moments before the two cops rounded the corner, out of breath. He stayed very still in the branches and watched them run past.

This would not do. The only reason they hadn’t spotted him was because it was dark outside now. He needed different clothing and maybe he needed to do something different with his hair. Maybe Elda would have some suggestions if he went back and talked to her about it. He would do Elisabeth no good if he ended up being captured by the wardens.

~~~~~~~~~

Felicity was watching T.V. when Haldir returned and he was glad to see that she was dressed, once more.

“I need to talk to Elda,” he said.

“Elda is very busy right now and I don’t think she would appreciate your interrupting her, if you catch my drift,” Felicity said, looking Haldir’s body over again. “Why do you think I’m still up watching T.V.? They’re making too much noise in there for me to sleep.”

Haldir sighed and sat on the opposite end of the couch from her. She explained the T.V. briefly to him and he made a mental note to look it up on the Internet later. He watched the sitcom for a few minutes but could not concentrate. He needed to get different clothes and go back out to look for Elisabeth.

“Where might I obtain different clothing,” he asked Felicity finally, when it did not appear that Elda would be leaving her room any time soon.

Felicity said. “Why? You look great in the leather.”

“Felicity, I do not care how I look, I must not draw attention to myself like I did today. I had to run away from two more of your wardens…cops.”

“Oh, all right, but you’re no fun,” she said, setting down the remote. “I got some other stuff when I borrowed those clothes, just in case.” She went into her room and returned shortly with different clothing.

Haldir took them into the bathroom to change, not completely trusting her yet. He came out a few minutes later wearing shorts and a flowered, button up shirt.

“Not as good, but not bad, either,” Felicity said, admiring him. “You’ve got some awesome legs.”

“What about my hair?” he asked. “It seems to draw attention.”

“A ponytail,” she said, sighing. She retrieved a brush and band from the bathroom and brushed his hair into a ponytail. She had to pull the hair over his ears to keep them from showing, but when she was done, she told him to look in the mirror.

“That’s better,” he said. “I saw men today who looked similar.”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Felicity sighed, looking over his body again.

~~~~~~~~~

Rowland took a sip of the dark beer and pronounced it to be perfect. Elisabeth waited until the waitress walked away before speaking.

“Rowland, please promise me that you will not become drunk tonight,” she asked him, somberly.

“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked, planning on doing just that.

“Because the last time that you and I were alone together and you became drunk, you attacked me. Have you forgotten? You even cut my wrist.”

Rowland took both of Elisabeth’s hands in his and when she tried to pull away, he held them more tightly.

“Elisabeth, I owe you a very big apology for that. I still cannot believe I did that. Yes, the whiskey is probably what pushed me over the edge, but you don’t understand how upset I was when you chose Haldir over me. When you agreed to go with me to Rohan, I thought that you were giving me another chance and that we would be together. I was devastated when you told me that was not the case. I reacted very foolishly, wanting to get even with you by scaring you, but I swear to you that it will never happen again. Do you believe me?”

Feeling uncomfortable about him holding her hands, she tried once again to pull them away. He was not going to let her go until she answered him. No, she did not trust him, but she did not see any benefit in telling him that.

“Yes, Rowland, I believe you,” she finally lied. He let go and she pulled her hands away.

~~~~~~~~~

Satisfied with his new appearance, Haldir went back downtown and began to search again. He found that most of the shops were now closed, but many restaurants and taverns remained open for business. He went from one to another, describing Elisabeth and Rowland and asking if anybody had seen them. It was beginning to feel hopeless, but it was better than sitting in the apartment worrying.

~~~~~~~~~

Rowland was already on his second beer when the pizza arrived. They both thought it smelled wonderful, but looked very messy and they weren’t sure how to eat it. Rowland simply picked a piece up with his hands and began to eat, so Elisabeth tried it, having a hard time keeping the dripping cheese from falling off.

“Oh, this is so good!” she said, after her first bite. “It is wonderful!” Rowland nodded in agreement.

When they had each eaten a couple of pieces, the waitress returned and brought Rowland another beer. Elisabeth had not planned on any more wine, but Rowland ordered more before she had a chance to object. When the glass arrived, she decided she would just sip it carefully.

“Now I understand why the people in this world are all so fat!” she whispered to Rowland, after finishing her third piece of pizza. “With doughnuts and pizza and who knows what other marvelous foods, is it any wonder?”

Rowland laughed in agreement. They had both noticed very quickly that few of the people they had seen seemed to be in decent physical condition. Even those who were not fat still looked soft.

The sound of a guitar tuning up caused them both to turn and look at the stage where a band was setting up. When they started playing, Elisabeth almost covered her ears to drown out the loud music, but she saw that nobody else seemed to be bothered by it. When the dancing began, she was shocked to see the wanton behavior of some of the dancers. She watched as their bodies gyrated around, grinding against each other. Even Rowland looked surprised, raising an eyebrow at her.

Elisabeth watched the door every time it opened, hoping against hope to see Haldir walk through it, but he did not. When she grew tired, she asked Rowland if they could leave and he promised that they would as soon as he finished his beer. She turned back to watch the dancers, only to find a man approaching their table. He was about Rowland’s size, with short dark hair and a beard that only covered his chin. He walked straight up to Elisabeth.

“How about a dance?” he asked, slurring his words slightly.

“No, thank you,” she said, nervously.”

“She is with me,” Rowland said, eyes dark as he confronted the stranger.

“Hey, buddy, I’m not asking her to marry me, just to dance,” he said, leaning into Rowland’s face. The stranger grabbed Elisabeth’s hand and pulled her to her feet and before she had a chance to object, she was dragged onto the dance floor. Furious, she tried to pull away from the drunken man, but he was too strong. He pulled her into a tight embrace against his body but Rowland was there at once, freeing her from the man’s grip. He pushed Elisabeth out of the way and grabbed the man by the shirt, ready to hit him. Rowland’s fist was grabbed from behind.

“Uh uh, buddy,” said a man that made Rowland look small.

“He took my woman from her seat against her will!” Rowland yelled, whirling on the massive man.

“Calm down!” the bouncer said. He turned to Elisabeth and asked her what had happened. She explained it to the bouncer and he nodded, turning toward the man with the goatee.

“But I am not your woman,” she hissed at Rowland, under her breath.

“You’re outta’ here, buddy,” the bouncer said, throwing a thumb in the direction of the door.

The bouncer watched as the man with the goatee walked out the door before casting a look of pure hatred back at Rowland.

“You’d better watch out for him,” he warned, “Joey boy has been known to hold a grudge.”

Elisabeth told Rowland that she wanted to leave, but the bouncer told them that it might be wise to hang out for a while in case the guy was waiting for them outside. She wasn’t sure what hanging out meant, but she understood the general concept. Rowland was not in the least bit concerned about his ability to handle the man, but he didn’t want to go yet. Telling Elisabeth that he agreed with the bouncer, he convinced her to stay for a while. He tried to get Elisabeth to dance, but she just glared at him when he suggested it.

Rowland looked for the waitress, hoping that if he bought Elisabeth another glass of wine that it would help her to unwind. It was fortunate for him that he had chosen that moment to glance towards the front because the door opened and Haldir stepped inside. Rowland only caught a glimpse before the elf was hidden by the many people moving off of the dance floor. He didn’t think that Haldir had seen them yet, but he wished to take no chances. Grabbing Elisabeth’s hand, he pulled her towards a back door, hoping it led outside. They stepped outside into an alley and Rowland turned towards her.

“That man, Joey boy, just walked back into the bar,” Rowland told Elisabeth. “I thought it would be a good time for us to leave.”

“Yes, I do not wish to have any more trouble with him,” she said, trying to keep up with Rowland.

~~~~~~~~~

Haldir looked around the crowded bar. There were people everywhere and they were clouding his senses badly, but he felt Elisabeth strongly now. He wondered if she sensed him, too. It was very possible that she was in this very room. Eyes missing nothing, he wandered around looking at each table and then at those on the dance floor. After a few minutes, he could no longer sense her and he wondered if she had left. He walked up to the bartender to ask if he had seen Elisabeth, but the music was too loud and he was told to wait until the band was on a break. Haldir stood and waited, eyes searching constantly.

~~~~~~~~~

Rowland and Elisabeth turned a corner, hoping to approach their hotel from the back. The fact that Haldir had not caught up with them yet told Rowland that the elf had not seen them. The man let out a sigh of relief; that had been close. He felt some guilt over what he had done, but he justified it by telling himself that Elisabeth should have belonged to him all along; that Haldir had stolen her away from him and he was just taking back what was rightfully his.

“Rowland, please wait,” Elisabeth said, stopping. She reached down to take a shoe off and looked at the back of her heel, which was now bleeding.

“Elisabeth, what did you do?” Rowland asked, concerned.

“It is the shoes,” she told him. “They hurt.”

“Shall I carry you?” he asked, wanting to get back quickly, before Haldir found them.

“No, but I need to walk slower,” she told him. She was putting the shoe back on when a man came out from an adjoining alley and slammed his body into Rowland. A second man grabbed Elisabeth, pulling her tightly against his chest. She saw the flash of moonlight on metal as his knife moved to her throat.

~~tbc~~