Strange Allies

~~~

They traveled north for nearly two weeks, Haldir lost in his own thoughts. Annowe had become increasingly anxious a feeling of dread steadily creeping over her with each passing day. She tried to dismiss it as simply missing Legolas or not wanting Haldir to leave but she was still uneasy. It felt to her as if all of Arda were holding its breath and it concerned her greatly. With her recent surrender to the March Warden, she had almost forgotten that there was a war going on around them.

Haldir, too, had become increasingly moody and reluctant to stop their progress. She thought perhaps the pull to Valinor had become so great that he could not stop again until he had reached the Havens. Both of them seemed on edge for no apparent reason and Annowe wished she knew the cause.

Finally, late one evening, Haldir stopped abruptly. Annowe halted beside him and looked at him curiously.

“We must stop for the night,” he muttered and led the horse off of the road. Silently she followed him and relaxed slightly. Perhaps she was simply tired and that was the reason for her edginess.

Without a word to her, he removed the packs from the animal as she tied on its hobble. As Haldir built a small fire and spread out the blankets, she took her time brushing down the horse, admiring its graceful strength and even temper as her mind drifted.

Presently she caught the glow of the fire and quietly joined the elf as they both gazed into the flames. She could feel herself growing drowsier as she became warm and thought to her self to lie down but it was so nice just sitting there, gazing into the flames and watching them flicker on Haldir’s elegant features that she didn’t want to move.

Her thoughts began to drift and she sighed heavily as she continued to relax. Haldir watched her steadily. He could see her slipping into a bit of a trance and wondered what she might see. Part of him wanted to stop her, but he did not. Instead, he continued to keep a close eye on her in case she had another frightening vision and needed him.

Slowly, like a dream, the sight overtook her - vague and hazy at first then the full terror struck her. She saw Galadriel and Celeborn and Orophin and Rumil in a jumble of random pictures, each clad in armor and battle ready running hither and thither. Something was attacking Lothlorien but it was just a shadow and she could not see it clearly. She trembled in fear yet was unwilling to let go of the vision. She had to know what happened! Was this the present or the future? Desperately, she struggled to hold on to it, determined to know what was happening.

Suddenly, the White Lady sensed her presence and immediately Annowe understood all as Galadriel spoke to her without words. Lothlorien was under attack by the forces of darkness. The final battle was at hand. Men, dwarves and elves were making their final stand against Sauron all over the land.

Annowe clutched her heart, terrified for Legolas and she shivered involuntarily. She must help him! She had to get to him! Haldir was in no danger! He could take care of himself! She could not just run away when this could very well be the end of the world!

Galadriel’s angry thought cut her own off. “You must take my March Warden to the Havens!” She commanded.

The nymph hesitated. She wanted to go to Legolas. He needed her!

“Haldir needs you,” the Lady informed her urgently. “Legolas will not perish. You have seen this yourself. It is your duty to take Haldir to the Havens safely. Do not fail me!”

“Is there more danger to Haldir?” Annowe asked fearfully. How much more trouble could he get into? She wondered.

At her question, Galadriel gave an enigmatic smile and the connection was broken. Desperately Annowe called to her but the White Lady did not answer. Frustrated, she shouted, startling Haldir so badly that he actually jumped to his feet and moved to sit next to her.

“Dammit, Galadriel!” She shouted blindly. “I hate it when you do this!”

“What is it, Annowe?” Haldir asked anxiously. “Is the White Lady in danger?”

The naiad blinked several times and realized that his sense of duty as the March Warden was overriding every other consideration. She could not upset him.

“No, she is not in danger. She only gave me half an answer to a question. Like she always does,” Annowe sighed heavily. If she confided the attack of Lothlorien to him, she knew he would immediately run home and Galadriel had more or less ordered her to get him to the Havens.

But Haldir was not satisfied with this answer and frowned. “You saw something. I know you did. You had that look on your face,” he pressed.

She sighed and looked at the ground. She couldn’t lie to him but she couldn’t tell him the whole truth, either. He would panic if he knew his brothers were in danger.

“Yes, I did see something but Galadriel told me I must ignore it and take you to the Havens,” she replied. It was the truth.

Imperiously he drew himself up, preparing to demand that she tell him everything. She gazed at him steadily and cut him off before he had a chance to voice his displeasure.

“Do not ask me to betray Galadriel, Haldir. I will not do it. Not even for you,” she warned him.

He raised a questioning eyebrow. “Would you do it for Legolas?” The question just slipped out before he had a chance to stop it.

Without batting an eye, she answered simply, “No.”

They stared at each other in silence until Annowe spoke quietly.

“She knows, Haldir. She nearly ordered me outright to take you safely to the Havens,” she murmured. “Believe me, I would rather go to her now as well but we cannot.”

She reached out and squeezed his hand reassuringly. It was warm and firm, so solid and real to her touch and she gazed at her small hand covering his before raising her eyes to him. She wanted to tell him everything but could not betray Galadriel. She would take him to the Havens and leave Legolas to his fate.

Slowly, Haldir leaned toward her, gazing eagerly at her pink lips, the White Lady quickly forgotten. Annowe smiled invitingly and reached out to smooth his hair back from his cheek as she leaned toward him. Tenderly his lips met hers and he sighed. The Call had subsided a bit and he was anxious to stop and lay with the nymph again. Simply holding her or walking beside her could not replace the exquisite bliss he felt when he was inside of her.

His kiss grew more urgent and he steadily pulled her into his lap. Once her firm body was next to his, he moaned softly and began to stroke her thigh and murmur to her between kisses.

Annowe closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on him alone but it was so difficult. The last battle for their world was beginning around them and he wanted to be amorous!

She wondered if Holly would be safe in Mirkwood. Thranduil would take her in but Annowe still fretted for her sister. Goldberry and Tom would always be safe. Sauron would not cross Tom unless he had total control of middle earth.

She shivered at the thought and Haldir smiled, thinking it was his touch that caused her reaction. How she wished he could make her forget!

“Haldir,” she whispered and buried her face in his neck, letting his silken hair brush her cheek. She held him tightly, silently hoping he would understand her fears and distraction.

Her hand trembled on his broad chest and she could feel the steady rhythm of his heart in his breast. He was alive and with her now. She must remember that. He looked at her small hand against his tunic, his skin tingling where she touched him. He wanted her. He needed her. The Call was nearly driving him mad and he needed to lose himself in physical bliss for a while.

“I want you,” he murmured seductively to her as he gazed into her eyes.

At his words, every other thought and concern she had suddenly disappeared and her body began to quiver with desire.

Hungrily, she kissed him, turning to face him in his lap so she could wrap both her arms and legs around him, enjoying his graceful form completely.

Haldir moaned and pulled her close as his desperate tongue met hers. He could feel her desire for him rising and it only made him want her more. Twisting his hand in her hair, he pulled it aside so he could kiss and nip her neck as she sighed and pressed herself closer to him.

She dug her fingers into his back, quietly praising his beauty and strength. He did not need her. Galadriel was just being overly dramatic. Slowly, her nimble fingers worked downwards on his back, stroking his supple muscles until she reached the hem of his tunic and began to pull it up to feel his creamy skin under her hands.

It was the only sign Haldir needed to let his desire fully out on her. Some desperate urge suddenly overwhelmed him and as soon as he was free of his tunic, his eyes glittered dangerously and he clutched her in his arms. It was as if he could no longer contain his desire for her after weeks of hearing only The Call.

“Forgive me, little one,” he breathed before ripping her tunic open in one swift motion, burying his face between her soft breasts.

She gasped in shock and he roughly shoved her backwards, lying on top of her as she struggled under him. What had gotten into him? His teeth raked over one breast and he moaned as his fingers untied her trousers, his body screaming for hers.

“Stop it!” She hissed, trying to push him away. “What are you doing? Have you gone mad?”

“Yes,” he breathed between her breasts, unable to understand what was happening to him. “Let me have you.” It was the only way!

She did want him, it was just his behavior was unnerving. His hands ran over her, squeezing her thighs, stroking her sides and rubbing her breasts as he frantically kissed her everywhere. It was as if some madness had overtaken him! She stopped struggling and relaxed. She did not truly want to fight him, she just wanted to know what had come over him but he did not seem to know, either.

Haldir felt her relax and sighed, his urgency abating somewhat. He could feel her again, her soft skin under his hands, her firm body under his. He closed his eyes and pressed her breasts against his cheeks as he breathed in the smell of her. He needed her! If he did not have her now he would perish so desperate was the urge to take her!

Recklessly, he pulled her trousers off as he kissed lower on her body. She squirmed slightly but for the most part lay still so he could do as he pleased to her.

When he roughly bit her pelvis, she gave a startled yelp and pushed against his head. He grinned up at her then, in one swift motion, removed his own trousers. His hard lithe body glowed in the firelight and she gasped faintly at the sight of him, fully erect and quivering with desire for her. For a fleeting instant she was afraid he would physically hurt her but that quickly passed when his lips met hers and he moaned softly.

Then he was on top of her, forcing her legs apart with his knee as he nipped and sucked her neck, one hand squeezing her thigh as he panted hotly, straining against the urge to simply take her without asking.

“Let me in, little one,” he breathed urgently, pressing his body against her.

Annowe moved under him and raised her pelvis for him. With a lingering moan of relief, he slid into her. She gasped and his mouth covered hers as he thrust his pelvis forward, causing her to groan against his lips as his entire being overtook her senses.

He was trying to kill her, she was certain of it! His body weight was pressing against her as he thrust himself deeper and deeper into her, seemingly oblivious to her pleasure as he continually nipped her tender skin or ruthlessly mashed his lips to hers. He was like some anxious young elf and not the seasoned lover she had grown accustomed to! No longer did he caress her gently or murmur soft words to her – he was like an animal, grabbing, biting and moaning as he drove his body relentlessly against hers.

It was as if he could no longer control himself once he was inside of her and he recklessly slammed his hips forward, desperately needing to come, needing to feel that blissful overwhelming release once again. His body trembled and he moaned against her neck as she lay quietly under him, sensing that he was not quite himself. She held him tightly, hoping that once he had recovered from this madness the March Warden she knew would return to her.

Then suddenly, relief flooded his body and he cried out as his hips jerked forward. He moaned and closed his eyes, feeling the tension finally give way as the floodgates opened.

“Yes!” He gasped, closing his eyes, grateful for the release. “Oh, yes!”

Annowe grabbed his hair and held him close as he continued to pant and tremble against her, lost in the throes of climax. He had been so frenzied and intense she was almost frightened to enjoy herself. Perhaps now he would be a bit calmer.

Gradually, his contractions subsided and he relaxed against her with a sigh of relief. He rested his cheek against hers, thankful that she had not fought him or tried to make him explain his behavior. He did not know if he could since he did not understand it, either.

“Annowe,” he murmured quietly and nuzzled her neck gently. He would make it up to her. He could not remember the last time he had simply taken a lover without pleasuring them as well. It was very unlike him. She deserved better than that from him and he would make sure she had it the next time.

“Do you want to tell me what that was about?” She finally asked, only half in jest.

“I wish I knew,” he admitted softly, raising himself up on his elbows to gaze down at her.

She cocked her head at him quizzically.

Tenderly, he kissed her forehead then her eyelid as his fingers stroked her cheek.

“It was as if I suddenly woke up,” he tried to explain. “All this time my only feeling was the pull to Valinor until now.”

She smiled. “I understand,” she soothed. “It was just odd but now that I know what to expect,” she left the thought unfinished between them.

“I don’t want it to happen again,” he admitted. It bothered him more than he cared to say. How long had it been since he had lost control of himself so completely? It was almost as if he were turning back into a rash young elf again!

Reluctantly, he slipped from her then pulled her close as he lay on his side. She snuggled closer to him, feeling his damp warm skin next to hers and smiled. For a brief moment in time he had made her forget her fears.

~~~