The old ways

Eowyn sat down on her chair and balanced the tray with food on her knees. She handed pieces of fruit and bread to Haldir and was very pleased to see him eat heartily.

"Oh, I meant to tell you, the messenger, also bearing your message for your Legolas has left this early morning and will move directly to Edoras. So as soon as Theoden, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli will arrive at Edoras, they should get the message."

Haldir closed his eyes for a second, and sighed in a relief under his breath. "I thank you so much, Lady Eowyn. This means more to than you can possibly imagine."

Eowyn smiled, "Then maybe you could try and make me understand."

"How so?" Haldir looked at her questioningly.

"Tell me about you two. I know you have been together for a very long time, but how come you weren't with him when he arrived at Edoras? The way you talk about him, I would assume you wouldn't let him out of your sight."

Haldir looked thoughtful "I wasn't with him when he joined the fellowship."

"The fellowship?" Eowyn shook her head slightly.

"Aye, the fellowship. All the races of Middle earth met in Rivendell, at the house of Lord Elrond and there it was decided, that the ring was to be destroyed in Mordor. Nine choose to travel together on this quest and they were called the fellowship of the ring. Legolas was one of them. We only met again when they came to Lothlorien in the Golden Woods."

"What do you mean, ‘only met again’. Why weren't you in Rivendell. Was he called there and you weren't?"

"No. No, my Lady. You have to understand, Legolas and I weren't together at that time. In fact, we hadn’t been together for the last thousand years."

Eowyn looked positively shocked. "Oh my, for that long. What kept you apart. The war? That must have been dreadful."

"Yes, it was dreadful. But no, it was not the war. It was us. We had separated all those years ago. And not on friendly terms." Haldir sighed.

"But I don't understand. You obviously love each other very much. How could that have happened." Eowyn pulled her legs up onto the chair and took a more comfortable position.

"We fought a lot. As hard as it is to believe, we were like fire and water. At first when we had gotten married, everything was going smoothly and we were very much in love. But after some years it all changed. I dare say that I was the main reason for our separation." Haldir held his eyes downcast and he looked unhappy.

"You? I don't believe that. You look so gentle and kind. So well spoken and well mannered. How could you possibly be the reason."

"Eowyn, what I am going to tell you, has to stay strictly between us two. It is not meant to be known by man or others. Well, anyway not to a certain extent. After the first years of our marriage had passed, I had already become very much scared that something might happen to my husband. It got worse and worse. I dreamt of it, I thought of and I imagined it. His death. Our people were constantly at war. Mirkwood was invaded by much fouler creatures, not only the orcs, and Legolas was always determined to fight with his folk for the freedom of the great wood. I desperately tried to keep him most of the time in Lothlorien. I tried to take his mind off the fighting. While we were livingethgether I noticed his talent for music. So I encouraged him to practice more with the harp, I made him sing for me. Asked him to learn more and new verses of the songs. To write some on his own. But it didn't help much. I think in the end I was so overeager to protect him that I made him run away. You might not believe it, but you see; Legolas is able to bear children and so...."