Strange Allies

~~~

Once Annowe had fastened the necklace in place, she wrapped her arms around Haldir’s neck and slid her legs around his waist, holding him tightly as she rested her head against his shoulder. It was time.

Gradually he became aware that they were not alone in the river. Slowly he turned around with Annowe still clinging to him. He could feel her heart thudding against his back but could not understand the cause of it.

“Forgive me,” she whispered guiltily against his shoulder.

For an instant he wondered what she had done that he would need to forgive when his attention was drawn elsewhere. Nymphs of all sizes and shapes materialized around them in the river and he stared in wonder. He had never seen so many naiads! It was as if every daughter of Ulmo had come to them.

Haldir blinked several times in confusion. Did the necklace call them to him? Perhaps this was part of their bonding ritual, he reasoned. Why else would they be here? And why would he need to forgive her for this?

Reluctantly Annowe released him and moved away as her sisters slowly encircled him. He turned to look at her curiously.

“What is this?” He asked, not yet understanding what lie in store for him.

Annowe merely smiled enigmatically. “You will be safe as long as you stay with them,” she murmured.

Before he could form another question he felt greedy hands and eager lips on his skin, caressing him, stroking him everywhere. What was this madness? Why wasn’t Annowe trying to stop them? Gently he tried to move them aside to reach her but they were relentless.

“No!” He shouted angrily and slapped the water as he realized what they were up to. She was going to leave him here while she chased after Legolas! He should have known!

Instantly Annowe was in front of him, soothing him as her sisters retreated sullenly.

“Do not fight them!” She urged. He was not going to make this any easier on her!

“No, Annowe, I forbid this! I will not tolerate it!” He growled angrily. How dare she think he would be unfaithful to her now! Was her gift to him just a ploy?

“Haldir, please,” she begged, taking his hand and squeezing it urgently. “I do not want this anymore than you do but it is the only way to keep you safe!”

“I would rather have the madness,” he declared haughtily. It was insulting! How could she even consider asking him to do such a thing? He could not bring himself to it!

“But I would not!” She pleaded. “I do not wish you to suffer because of me. Please, Haldir. For me.”

“This is madness!” He snorted. “You would ask me to be unfaithful to you with your own sisters so you could make peace with the Prince of Mirkwood?”

Annowe bit her trembling lip, holding back her tears. “Yes,” she answered in a strained voice.

“Why?” He asked more gently when he realized how painful this was to her as well. How could she be so confounded hard to figure out? Just when he thought he knew her she abruptly changed direction! She would drive him mad before the call did!

Tenderly, she stroked his broad chest then fingered the pearl that hung close to his throat before raising her eyes to his. “Because if you stay with them – if you lay with them you will forget the call. You will be safe. And I want you to be safe. I could not bear it if I were the cause of your pain.”

Haldir grabbed her and hugged her fiercely. She was mad! “Annowe,” he groaned at once angry and confused as well as stunned that she would ask such a thing of him.

“You survived the wolf. You survived Helm’s Deep. All the pain you survived. Now comes the test of pleasure,” she reasoned softly.

“There has to be another way,” he hissed, tightening his fist in her hair. “I cannot do this!”

“Yes, you can,” she breathed. “You don’t have to do anything. They will do it all. You just enjoy yourself.” She closed her eyes at the thought and swallowed hard. She could feel the tears burning the corner of her eyes but he must not seem them! He would certainly refuse if he knew how deeply it tore at her.

Now that the time had come she did not want to let him out of her sight! The mere thought of him touching her sisters, kissing them as he had kissed her as they pleasured him was nearly enough to send her into madness herself!

“Little one,” he moaned miserably, squeezing her again. “Do not ask this of me! I cannot be unfaithful to you! Not now. Not after all we have shared!”

“I am not asking you to be unfaithful,” she murmured soothingly. “I am asking you to be safe.”

He sighed heavily. This certainly would not be the first time he had indulged his physical appetite without his heart and yet he had no desire for that now. It seemed so pointless without the tenderness he had with her. They had bonded – mated on a level few creatures could understand. Returning to simple physical lust seemed tiresome in comparison.

“Enjoy it, my Wicked March Warden,” she whispered. “This may be your last chance to fully indulge your pure sexual desires in middle earth.”

He snorted. Perhaps the madness was already upon him and this was just the beginning! How ironic that the notoriously bedable March Warden was now refusing the company of a bevy of naiads! His brothers would never let him hear the end of this!

He groaned miserably. “It is not right,” he scowled.

“If the madness sets in upon you on the way to the Havens, who knows what you will do,” Annowe pressed as she hugged him fiercely. “You could run off to the Mines of Moria or something and I could lose you! I cannot lose you, Haldir. If you leave I will follow. Nothing can separate us now. Not even death.”

Drawing a deep breath he closed his eyes and considered her words. It was true that he may not have control over himself or where he went in his madness. And he knew that she would follow him, just as he was determined to follow her. He did not doubt her words for an instant.

At the thought of her tracking him through the mines, he shivered slightly. Did he truly want her to follow him anywhere the madness took him? No. Not if he could help it.

“Very well,” he agreed reluctantly. Around him, he could hear her sisters twittering excitedly and nearly laughed insanely at them as he clutched Annowe tighter.

“I will return in less than seven sunrises. Stay in or near this river. I will find you,” she said, slipping out of his embrace and leaving him vulnerable to her sisters.

He nodded imperceptibly and his eyes stayed with hers as the eager naiads began to close in on him once again. Annowe could not look away – she knew she should – it was torturous to her to see him surrounded by her sisters, all squealing and pawing at his lithe form. Now she understood how Legolas had felt when he had watched Haldir pleasure her. It was a small price to pay.

She could feel her heart constrict in her chest at the sight of him and she lowered her eyes guiltily. Slowly, the naiads began to move him deeper into the river and she could feel his desire reach for her but she did not answer. Fervently she hoped that Goldberry was correct and Haldir’s overwhelming sexual indulgence would keep him safe from the madness for the time being.

With one final glance in the direction of her sisters, she turned northeast and swam as fast as she could toward Lorien.

~~~