Strange Allies

~~~
A/N:
MarzBar - oh, you know him well! Yes, indeed, it is all his idea. Hopefully these next two chapters will make it a little more clear. And then !!!! Haldir gets to play.

Aragorndreamer - you are quite right! He's one horny bastard and any chance he gets to have some fun he's going to take it!

Carawen - Indeed. I still adore The Sweet One and still hold out hope that I can get my grubby claws in him one day! LOL! I'm so glad that you enjoy my writing. Thank you for letting me know. I do appreciate it.

~~~

The sun was setting casting its last faint rays of light over the lawn when Tom and Goldberry finally slipped back into the house. There was a triumphant gleam in the older naiad’s eye and a smile on her lips making Annowe wonder what they had been doing.

While the two were gone, the younger naiad had taken it upon herself to throw a few vegetables into a pot and a loaf of bread into the oven. The act of cooking took her mind temporarily off of the situation at hand. Any distraction was welcome at this juncture.

Haldir was glaring moodily into the fire as he tried to think of a way he could bodily carry Annowe off to Valinor with him when Tom approached him.

“Come now!” Tom said heartily to the elf, clapping him on the back. “Why so sullen? We have good food and good bread! Let us eat and drink and forget our cares for a while.”

Goldberry joined Annowe and the two finished the cooking while Tom and Haldir sat the table.

“I need to speak with you after supper,” she murmured covertly to her younger sister.

Annowe nodded absently but did not reply. She was too upset and worried about Haldir to think of much else. There were just too many terrible images flashing thru her mind.

As they took their seats and began to eat an uneasy silence settled over them. Annowe picked at her food, unwilling to eat. How could she keep any food down when her stomach was knotted tighter than elven ropes?

Haldir kept one hand encouragingly on Annowe’s thigh as he ate. He did not want her to fret and grow weak again. Perhaps he should leave if staying caused her so much pain.

“Why will you not come to Valinor with me, little one?” He asked abruptly.

“I will, Haldir,” she answered.

“Then let us leave tomorrow,” he declared. He did not want to stay here. If she would go with him then why stay?

Annowe’s lip trembled and she lowered her eyes. “I need to make my peace with Legolas,” she whispered guiltily. It was foolish. How could she risk Haldir for Legolas? She had no idea where Legolas was! She could be searching for him for years as Haldir lingered, the madness growing ever closer to him.

Before he could reply, she continued. “I understand that I cannot help my sisters. If they choose to remain here I cannot stop them. And I realize that there is little, if anything, I can do to prevent Sauron from obtaining The Ring. Galadriel told me as much when we were in Lothlorien,” she sighed, laying her spoon aside and gazing at him urgently.

“But?” Haldir asked tightly. If there was nothing she could do then why did she want to remain behind?

“But I cannot abandon Legolas. I cannot. I promised him I would wait for him,” her voice caught. “And I am not waiting. I have broken my promise to him and the least I can do is tell him myself.”

Haldir studied her in silence for a few moments. He admired her determination to be the one to tell Legolas herself. It made him respect her that much more. She would simply not sneak off with him leaving Legolas to hear of her betrayal from others. In a strange way he could understand her motivation. It was something he would do himself if the situation were reversed.

“Only to find Legolas?” He asked. “You do not know where he is.”

“I know,” she whispered tightly. “But Galadriel will.”

Yes, Galadriel would. “Then I am coming with you,” Haldir said flatly.

When Annowe opened her mouth to protest, he cut her off by placing one finger over her lips.

“No argument. We have settled this discussion before,” he reminded her.

Slowly she lowered her head. Yes, that had been settled. He would not leave without her. But how much time did he have before the madness set in? And would it come more quickly the farther from the Havens he went?

“There is a way,” Goldberry murmured softly across the table. She could no longer bear to see her younger sister tormented so.

Annowe looked up hopefully. “There is?” She whispered desperately.

Goldberry held up her hand. “Later,” she murmured covertly.

With that, Annowe gave a slight nod and returned to pushing her food around without eating. Haldir sighed deeply and cast a searching glance at Tom who shook his head. She would eat when her mind was at ease.

After what seemed like hours, Haldir rose from the table. Annowe watched him walk to the fire and return to gazing moodily into the flames. She hoped that Goldberry was right and that there was a way for her to make peace with Legolas and keep Haldir from sliding into the depths of madness.

Without a word, she stood up and rounded the table. Anxiously she grabbed her sister’s arm and hauled her unceremoniously down the hall to the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

~~~