Killing Beauty

Ashva did not wander far from the tent that Orophin, another brother of Haldir, and the first elf she had met in the forest, had set up for her. There was grass and water nearby, and Glider seemed particularly pleased with his accomodations in spite of the hard run he had had to endure to get to it. But no one would tell her if Haldir lived or died, although she imagined there would be a great commotion if he did die. When Rumil returned her saddle and wolves to her, much to the horror of the wood folk, he would only tell her that Haldir was mending.

Since no one would let her see him, she thought it best to ride on, but when she tried, she was stopped. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn needed her to stay, and for that reason she was given better accomodations, a small talan not far from the grass Glider enjoyed so much. The sight of wolves among the trees startled some of the wood folk, but Ashva feared leaving them with Glider. There were some wardens who did not understand that wolves were not the savage beasts they believed.

It took almost a week before Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn requested an audience with her at their royal talan. Max and Mani, fearful of the heights, seemed content to stay behind at the talan, while she and her escort climbed higher into the great trees of the city. Among the elven folk, she thought her clothes, although clean, were sorry to their eyes. Although sired by an elf, she had none of his grace or beauty.

She was taken through the great hall to a room that looked like a library. Books, old and new, some of them so fragile looking that to touch them must turn their pages to dust, lined shelves upon shelves. Her escort left her and a moment later she heard someone enter the room behind her. Turning, she smiled to see it was Haldir.

"You survive," she observed. "I'm glad."

"No more than I," he mused, a sardonic smile tugging at his lips. "I hope never to ride another horse like that again."

She inclined her head in agreement and then looked up in awe as the lord and lady of Caras Galadhon, a halo of light surrounding them, entered the room. Ashva bowed her head and laid her hand over her heart; she had lead such a life in the wild that she wasn't certain what was right and what wasn't.

"I thank-you," Lady Galadriel began, "for returning Haldir to us."

"I could not refuse," Ashva replied, keenly aware that the three elves were watching her intently.

Celeborn, looking uncomfortable, said, "You know Lady Galadriel's sister has been taken by these same people who harmed her escort?"

"Yes, I am familar with them," Ashva replied, instinctively knowing what they were about to ask her. "These are evil beings, my Lord. I actually pray the young princess has gone into the land of shadows."

"I feel her presence," Lady Galadriel answered sorftly, her exquisite beauty accentuating her sadness.

"I grieve with you, my Lady," Ashva responded kindly, "but an army of elves can not free her from them. I believe they may even hope you send them."

"You do not think highly of our abilities when we are prepared, "Haldir interjected, a little annoyed at this silver eyed woman.

"The Os are part elf, and they hate you more than anything on Middle Earth. Truthfully I was surprised to find you with your warbraid intact and your heart still beating. On a good day they would have cut it out," she growled at him. "If you go to Lascana, their city, there will be those who remember you, and this time you won't escape with your life."

"You know a lot them," Celeborn observed. "It is our hope that you show Haldir the way to their city and help him save the princess."

"When they finish with her, there will be nothing save," Ashva retorted.

"How do you know?" Haldir spoke up.

"Because I was once one of them!" Ashva almost shouted at him. "I joke about my father being a passerby from Mirkwood, but in truth my mother captured him, mated with him under a spell, and then ripped the living heart out of his breast. If you go there, I can not say it won't happen to you. They are evil. Better to hire a man to ride there and kill her from afar." Fighting down her passion, thinking of another way to convince them of this folly, she turned to Haldir and asked, "Do you still wrap your bow strings with one hair?" He inclined his head. "The market in Lascana sells bow strings wrapped with elven hair for ten pieces of Gondor silver. You could make someone rich." Moving closer, she asked, "Do you know what they do with an elven heart? Burn it down to a powder and then sell it as magic potions. And I have heard of late that there is a market for other parts as well."

Haldir had long ago learned not to be perturbed by threats and scary talk. "I need someone who knows their way around. I need you to go with me."

"You will be rewarded well, "Celeborn added as an enticement.

Were they not listening to her? She turned away in amazement, stunned that they would risk one life for one that was already lost.

Haldir looked at her trembling back and then indicated to Celeborn that he wanted to speak with her alone. Celeborn and Galadriel took their leave in silence. Haldir needed to convince her to take him to Lascana, because with or without her, he was leaving in the morning.

"It's just us now," he said and laid a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. "If you are afraid of the risk, then just take me as far as the city."

"There are men there who remember me," she admitted, "but I am not afraid of them. I just do not want to walk into that horror again."

"Then consider this," Haldir said, "there is a young elleth in those hands, one I had sworn to protect and did not. I must go, and I know I will have a better chance of survival if you go with me." And he smiled.

Ashva almost hated the handsome elf. "All I wanted to do was find the Rohan rider," she murmured, her resistance at an end.

"I will help you look for him myself," Haldir offered readily.

"Sure you will," she said with a wry smile, resignation giving her back her spirit. "But you will do well to find some clothes that were not made by elves. We are going to Lascana, and cleanliness arouses their suspicions."

"Suggestion accepted," he replied. "We leave in the morning."

"One thing," she remembered, "my wolves must not be harmed while we are away."

"Since Rumil has spoken fondly of them, I will make them his charges," Haldir offered. "May I show you the way back to your talan?"

"That might be wise," she said with a soft sigh. "I'd hate to get lost up here."

Haldir smiled and then motioned with his hand for her to leave ahead of him. He knew she wasn't a delicate flower in danger of being stepped on, but she was still a female, and women always responded better when treated politely.

"Just out of curiosity," he said as they exited the library, "who is the Rohan rider you are looking for, perhaps I know him."

"I don't know his name," she answered with an amused grin. "I only knew him a couple of hours."

Haldir stopped and gave her a curious smile. "Why are you looking for him?"

"I want to learn his name this time," she teased. "Haven't you ever slept with someone and forgot to get their name?"

"Not in a while," he returned and resumed their walk. "But then it is hard to find a stranger in Caras Galadhon."

"Not true," she bantered back at him. "Except for you and your brothers, everyone is a stranger to me."

They said nothing else until they reached her talan. There Ashva looked up at the handsome elf, for some reason finding his lower lip quite sensuous, and asked, "Still want to help me find him?"

Her question amused him, as much as the light on her auburn brown hair fascinated him. "I think not, but if there's anything I can help you with...." he left the remark unfinished. A woman needed time to think sometimes about her alternatives. "Good night."

Ashva watched him leave and then entered the talan. Max and Mani were happy to see her, and she loved them up until they were wiggling all over themselves. Then she blew out the candal and went to bed, but Rohan horsemen were not troubling her dreams. She wasn't a kid and it wasn't hard to admit that her appetite had just been whetted by one certain elf. But it also bothered her. The last elf she had mated with had been brutally murdered in front of her. And they were riding back to the place where it happened.