Through the Window

Chapter Eight

Niamh sat at the sill of her window, watching the setting of the sun through the trees. She wondered of Haldir’s fate... if he was safe from harm or if he--- but she would not think of such grim thoughts when the merry thought of her lover coming to her resided in her mind.

She longed to sit and talk with him, to hear his sweet voice speak to her like the sighing of the wind that blew through the Mallorn trees about her. To feel his strong arms about her would be delightful... to feel his soft touch upon her. Oh! How she found that she loved him so! She loved him so very much and never did she wish to part from him. Her love, her Haldir fair.

And through the boughs of the trees she hearad a soft rustle of the leaves as if they shook to her and her alone, as if someone sat and shook them to her. With a happy sigh she lifted her head though the window and looked to the boughs of gold, seeing nothing there until the wind blew the leaves apart.

Haldir watched her as she watched him with a smile on her lips, and she called to him, beckoning him to come to her as she heard the soft cry of the fluttering elvish flutes being played near to the lovers by some elf who did not know their ears listened.

Haldir looked to Niamh and tilted his head as she called to him, looking upon her with uneasy eyes.

“Why do you look upon me so, Haldir?” Niamh asked as her voice came to his ears. He bowed his head as he slowly rose to his feet and he stepped to a lower branch that fell there beneath Niamh’s window.

The girl reached out to him and touched his golden hair and let it fall through her fingers, shimmering in the light of the sun. Haldir closed his eyes and smiled, sighing many times as he looked to her, his eyes heavy and redenned as if he had wept or longed to weep and when Niamh saw this she thought it strange.

“My love,” She said, “Why do you weep?” but Haldir said nothing to her as he looked away from her. She reached forth to him once more but he backed away from her as if he feared her touch. But this was not so, it was only that he dreaded the thought of her loving another.

“Rumil.” He said, his voice trembled and stuttered and fell as Niamh heard it and she feared at what had become of the mescheivious elvish brother.
She feared that he had perished upon his healing bed and thus was the reason for Haldir’s tears. But this was not so, it was only that he dreaded the thought of her loving another.

“Rumil?” Niamh asked urgently, covering her mouth to hide the fear that she showed there as it fell open in worry.

“You are in love with my younger brother?” Haldir asked queitly, his head tilting once more, the light of the setting sun shining upon the tears that fell from his eyes of silver that now bore within them gold as well, given them by the reflection of the light of the sun.

Niamh shook her head slowly as she saw that nothing ill had befallen Rumil and that it was only fear that plagued her lover and caused his tears to flow so freely. She sighed in releif and hung her head to hide a small smile that fell over her lips.

‘It is folly, dear Haldir,” She said, looking up to him once more, her smile showing brightly, “To suppose that I should love another.... you are my heart, my only love.” and she reached to him once more, praying that he would allow her touch. He did, and pressed his palm into her own.

He fumbled his fingers through her fingers, playing with them quietly as he watched them fall and rise over his skin. He drew her hand to his breast and held it there quietly as he looked about him and stepped nearer to her window, taking hold of her other hand tenderly and pressed it to his cheek, drawing it to his lips, kissing it softly as he smiled so very softly in releif. He had felt that it was not like her to lie to him and he knew that now she did not lie to him and that she spoke to him only the truth.

“Rumil came to me...” Niamh said faintly as Haldir at long last released her hands, “...his spirit came to me and was in distress. In my arms it would seem that he perished. I fear that something ill will befall him.” and Haldir sighed as she finished. He then began to tell her of the faerie’s evil plan and that he bore the life of Rumil within his robes in the form of a glass orb.

Haldir did not tell the girl, though, that she would be leaving them due to his brother’s plan and that she would be leaving with the faerie, for all he knew. But then, they heard a loud voice call out Haldir’s name as though the elf were happy and joyfull who called and soon they spotted Orophin leaping theough the branches of the mallorn toward them.

Haldir looked quickly away and furrowed his brow. Niamh wondered why he did not greet his elder brother when orophin finally joined them, but when she asked why he was bitter towrd him, Haldir did not answer.

Orohpin smiled and greeted Niamh despite Haldir’s coldness, and Niamh returned his greeting as he sat down upon the bough beneath her window. Haldir remained standing and looked down to his brother who returned his icy stare with a hearty smile.

Haldir looked to Niamh quickly and with a small bow, he leapt to a higher branch and bid for Orophin to follow. The elder elf did so and was met by rushed and angry questions from his younger sibling.

“What is your plan, Orophin?” Haldir hissed, “To release this helpless girl to the faerie? Do you not know he will torture her and take her innocence form her! You are mad to send her to him with so little a care!” but Orophin shook his head and laughed.

“Has love made you so very blind?” He chuckled, “Nary a month ago you would have no trouble in seeing my plan!” and he laughed once more, looking to Niamh with a reassuring glance as she watched urgently from her window. “I will do no such thing as to give the girl ,who we have protected and fought for since her stepping foot within our wood, to the faerie! You are a fool to think such things, little brother!.... Well, it is that we shall give her to him in his own mind. He does not see that whilst he is bound hand and foot within the Lone flet with no soul to cross him, that he will be robbed of his glass possesion.... Rumil’s life, and that he wil be kept there until we have the means to destroy him and rid him of this world forever. He wil not have the girl and never more will he look upon her.” Then Orophin paused and placed his hand before his heart as he said with a solemn bow, “Forgive me, little brother,” he continued. “I did not tell you this sooner.”

Haldir said nothing for a moment but only looked quickly to Niamh and then to Orophin and then to the girl and to his brother once more. He would have his lady? He laughed slightly and sighed in relief. He was truly blinded by love and he thought this a wonderfull thing, despite its many disadvantages.

Orophin smiled and embraced his brother who was ashamed he had acted so much a fool. He had never acted in such a way, he had never been so very foolish and, well, dense, I suppose I shall say, though the term is rather harsh. He was a very wise and respected warrior, a captain of many, but now he was not so. he was to his soldiers and to his brothers and to them still he held his pride, but to Niamh he was a gentle lover and to himself he was foolish now.

Haldir returned Orophin’s embrace before quickly leaping down to where Niamh stood at her window, watching them still though little of the worry was gone from her brow as Haldir bounded toward her.

He said nothing to her but took her hand in his own and kissed it lightly. She smiled and laughed as he took her other hand and placed a second kiss atop it, laughing all the while so great was his joy and releif.

When Orophin joined them, he saw the love there was in Haldir’s eyes for the girl... so wonderful a light as had never shone there in quite some time. Niamh-- as Orophin had guessed --was truly a blessing to Haldir, and, as well, to Orophin, for it gladenned his heart to see his younger brother so very happy. He stepped back a ways and watched still as the lover’s lips met and they shared a lingering kiss that was soft and powerful yet, and still the pipes of the unknown elf in the ditance played on. Orophin had not heard them before, but now he heard them and in his mind thanked the elf who hummed upon them. He smiled and left eh lovers to themselves.

Haldir held Niamh’s hands within his own and played with her fingers there, from his fright of her leaving him, he had uncovered an even greater love for her within the past few moments and he now showed her this newfound, greater love to her as he drew his face to her own. He waited a moment and then he gently kissed her, as light as the night in which she had kissed him first; when he had first taken her beneath his wing, when she had never before spoken to him.

He pressed his lips to her own with a gentlness that was fluttering and lingering and with a firmness that quenched thought from the young girl’s mind. He placed his hand to rest within her firey locks, there to hold her head as he deepened his elven kiss.

Niamh’s eyes fluttered and closed as Haldir, her love, her one true love, placed his hand beneath her hair and pressed himself fully against her as she stood at her window sill and he behind it, standing low upon the bough beneath her so that she bent low to kiss him and he reached high to take her lips.

Her thick hair of fire red fell over her shoulders now as it was not hindered by a ribbon as she had worn it while in the chambers of the hand-maidens. It fell over her shoulders and met Haldir’s own as he reached up to the sill of the window, taking hold and hoisting himself to the edge of the window until he knelt there, balanced perfectly upon his toes. Niamh laughed and took his hand in her own, pulling herself to the sill as well, for it was wide and large.

Haldir turned and faced the boughs of the trees, taking Niamh into his lap and sitting her there gently. He wrapped his arms about her and lay his head upon her shoulder.
“Amin mela lle. Aiya, amin mela lle... I love you. Oh, I love you.” He whispered into her hair, and she laughed for his breath teased her flesh.
“Follow me!” He chuckled, suddenly leaping to the bough that grew beneath them and he pulled Niamh with him into his arms to carry her with him as he leapt lightly through the trees.

The elvish whistle had now ceased its flowing song and in its stead there was a chorus of voices that grew ever fainter as the elf carried the maiden through the trees and, at times, over the grass until they came to where the trees grew thick.

“Where are taking me, elf?” Niamh laughed as Haldir set her roughly upon the earth. He went to where a cluster of Mallorn grew together, where moss and ivy covered small rocks that grew about them in veils, forming a conopy that was shaded and fair.

Haldir pulled away a bit of moss from one veil that fell from a rather large standing stone and looked as if he would peer within the very rock. But he shook his head and went to a sccond, much smaller stone. He did to it the same as the first, all the while grinning broadly with a look in his eye Niamh could not, nor e’er would, dicsern. With a sigh he beckoned Niamh to join him at his side as he pulled greater amounts of the veil away from the stone and revealed a wide opening in the stone. Niamh did not see this, but the stone streatched long and it was a cave within.

“This is where I have taken you.” Haldir sighed as he stepped within the stone. He reached forth and beckoned to Naimh, but she was hesitant to follow. He took hold of her hand and gently he pulled her within. She laughed and obeyed, and soon she was engulfed in darkness.

“Haldir, I cannot see!” She gasped as she felt his arms about her.
“Aiya, speak to me, love, and you shall find me ever near to you... about you,” Haldir’s voice came nary more than a whisper and it frightened her as she could not see him nor anything about her. She stumbled over rocks there upon the earthen floor, but she did not fall for his arms held her to him. “and never shall I let you go from me.”

He pressed his lips to hers and from him there shone a light that was faint and dim. He pulled away and Niamh could only just see his form, for it seemed to flitter about and about in the shimmer of the light that shone from him.
“My love,” He murmered as he brushed his lips over hers, “be my own forever....”
“Haldir I--”
“Quiet.” He sighed and she trembled in his arms as he did so for he was so very near to her and his light grew in warmth. “Let me speak.... love. Oh, my love.... be forever with me, be forever my own... at my side forever until the end of days.”
“Of what do you speak, Haldir?” Niamh asked quietly when he had finished, and her voice trembled as she thought of what it was he had meant. But still she asked him and he replied softly thus: “Be my lady wife.”

Niamh gasped and pulled away from the elf as he stroked her arms and played with her fingertips, but when she pulled away from him in her shock, she fell to her knees, stumbled over the smaller stones upon the earthen floor. In an instant, she felt Haldir’s strong arms about her once more and despite the shock he had given her, she smiled.
“Do you see?” Haldir asked as he brought her to her feet and turned her so that she rested her head against his breast. It was firm and comforting there and she felt no more of the shock that had pervaded her so unwillingly. “Do you see that I will never forsake you?”

Niamh nodded her head slowly and clutched the silken tunic about his waist all the tighter as she opened her mouth to speak. She loved this elf, she loved him dearly, he was dearer to her than any other and she would gladly give her life to aid him.... but he asked of her something great now. She remembered how awful a disapproving look the lord Celeborn had given her and she feared that he would not permit the marriage of the elf and of the girl... she feared all of the time and she did not wish to be so frail and weak, but this she could not help. She feared what Celeborn would lay upon them if they married.

“Haldir.” She said, trying, in vain, to supress the tremble in her voice, “I-I love you....” and here she heard him chuckle faintly. She felt him lay his head down upon her shoulder. “I have loved you since I saw you first. I will gladly give my life if only to aid you, for you are dearer to me than any other, but it is your lord and lady that I fear.”

Haldir loosened his hold on her and, though his elvish light had faded long before, Niamh felt as though she could see him look upon her with question.
“I spoke with the lord Celeborn.” Niamh said quickly. “For Rumil had come to me as a spirit, and I had cried out. The hand-maidens came to my aid along with the lord Celeborn. We spoke short words, but still he found our love to be true. He does not wish it the way this love has befallen us, Haldir, he says that you are his most trusted warrior and he cannot have you playing around with women.” Though the young girl’s voice faded as she spoke the last words and Haldir knew that she would speak no more for fear of him finding her to be weeping. He smiled at this and shook his head, releasing her from his hold.

He lay his hands upon her shoulders and oh, how she wished that there was light where they stood, for she longed to gaze within his eyes as he brought his face to her own and said softly: “It matters not what law the lord and the lady lay down before us, for we bear to each other a love that is stronger than anything.”

Niamh shook her head and pulled away from him, careful now not to stumble over the stones beneath her feet. She was frightened of what might befall them if they joined together. She had longed for Haldir to speak to her of such things as marriage since the night he had held her upon the flet and had done nothing more than hold her tightly to him, singing and whispering in her ear until the rising of the sun; speaking to her in the elvish tongue words of love and of care.

Long had she waited for him to ask what he asked of her now, long had she awaited his proposal, but when it came to her as it did now, she was hesitant though she did not know why.

Perhaps it was that Celeborn had frightened her out of her wits with the distaste of their union, with the distaste of her. Did he think distastfully of her? She dearly hoped he did not, for she wanted no one to think of her so. She wished to please all, to make all happy, to do as she was told and to do as all wished her to do, but she found that this fancy could not allways be.


Oh, how she feared the answer she would give unto her elf.... oh, how she feared many things and for this she scorned herself. She lifted her head and looked about her, though the blackness was thick and she could see nothing. She reached forth into the dark and searched for the arms of her love. Soon, she was met by him as he reached for her as well. She loved him so, oh, she loved him so, for she knew he would allways protect her and his words were true when he said that he would never forsake her.

Celeborn’s power and his dissapproval of her reigned over her mind and she sighed heavily as once more it was fear that collided upon her and forced her to do what was against her will. She held on to Haldir tightly, with all of her might, and pressed her head to his breast, whispering so that he and only he would ever hear her words. Her voice trembled as she said: “Ask of me not this.”

Haldir started at her words and tightened his hold about her. “Said you not that you love me?” He said, and she could hear that he was hurt by her answer for his words were weak, weaker than ever she had heard him speak.

‘Oh, Haldir, forgive me, but I cannot--”
“Said you not that you loved me?” He said, louder now and steadier. “Do not torment me so, love, but give to me answer that is set. Do not ask of me to not ask of you such questions as I have in the stead of giving me answer!” And Niamh looked through the darkness to where she thought his face was and held forth her hand. Through the blackness, she saw his eyes that shone with the light of the stars that is, and forever will be, harbored in the eyes of the elves. She saw that he was pained.

“Oh, do not look upon me so, Haldir, love--”
“Ah! For now you call me love!” Haldir said. “If I am your love then why will you not give my your hand in marriage? I pray that you say otherwise... say that you will have me, for I love you and I will keep you forever safe, if only you will consent to me!”

But Niamh broke away and shook her head, holding her ears shut tight against his words, falling to her knees and crumbling to as small of a form as she was able, thus to avoid his ever reaching arms.

“I cannot wed with you, Haldir!” She whispered as she heard his footsteps, “I cannot! I love you, oh I do, I do, but I cannot be your wife! Oh, fie this darkness, can we not go to where there is some light, at the least?” but she was not answered by any one and there was only silence. “Haldir?”

There came no sound for a moment or two, but then she heard his faint breathing very near to her and she reached forth, feeling through the air about her until she found his large hands and she clasped them tightly in her own. Then, his voice she heard, coming to her faintly and unsteady.

“Then I will not begruge you your decision,” He said, “but, oh! How I wish that you thought differently... then I could have you forever and no other would come between us.” he released her hand and she heard as he rose to his feet. She could not hear his footsteps because of his very lightness of foot, but she soon saw a light grow at the head of the cave and she looked to see that it was light from the golden trees of the Mallorn. Haldir’s dark figure stood as a sillouhette against them, tall and with an arrogant pride that not even her cruel and tormentig answer could quench.

He was slender and broad of shoulder, his arms were long and strong. His hair fell over his shoulders in the fashion of any elf, but it was braided behind his pointed ears in the fashion of the elven warrior.

She could not see his face, but she knew that he was greatly saddened and imediately she began to rue the answer she had given him. But, then, should she regret it so soon? Was it not her choise as to weather or no she would wed the elf? She should have no reason to rue her decision, but still she found she did.

Slowly, she rose to her feet. Haldir could faintly see her form in the darkness that was lightened some by the golden daylight from outside.
She was lovely and fair and his heart grew all the heavier. He loved her, and he would allways love her. He had feared that she would be taken from him by the faerie, but then it was that she would stay until he was slain. Now, she herself had said that she would never unite with him and be his own. Oh, how he cursed the race of Men; so weak and unknowing of even their own wants they were and still are.

Haldir watched as Niamh passed him into the golden trees, but she stopped and turned to him. He smiled painfully and held out his hand to her, to lead her to her chamber once more. She was a confusing mortal, she loved him, and yet she would not be his? He supposed that she would not wish to stay in the Golden Wood when the faerie lord Donnaghue was slain. He supposed that she would leave him soon afterward, with only a word of thanks. This thought pained him and he closed his eyes breifly to prevent tears from forming; Niamh did not see this, though would she have, she would have leapt into his arms to plead his forgivness for her cruelty.

Thus, alas! Haldir led Niamh to her chamber with the hand-maidens, though rarely he had ventured so far as the hand-maiden’s quarters and those of the Lady of Light.
Niamh stood at the foot of her silver ladder and raised a hand to Haldir’s cheek. With no word, she climbed her ladder and opened her door, looking one last time over her shoulder, but seeing that Haldir had gone from her. And so she sighed heavily and went within her chamber, to ponder upon what she had done.
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Orophin traveled noislessly through the underbrush of the Golden Wood, but he did not leap into the branches as other soldiers were apt to do, because he followed the team of elves who led the faerie lord Donnaghue over the ground to his secluded Talan. There he would be kept away from aught else and gagged and tied so that he could cause no more danger until a manner of slaying him could be conjured. Orophin smiled grimly. There the faerie would wait and the place should be his death awaitment chamber.

Orophin sighed. He did not know why, but the girl, Niamh, to him was a priority and he would do anything for her. He laughed as he came upon the elves who led the faerie.

The other elves looked to him with laughing glances as they eyed the faerie who squirmed and wailed in the ties of the elven rope that was about his wrists and ankles. He was blindfolded and gagged and it did not appear by the bruises upon his cheek that he allowed the elves to do this to him with no fight to hinder them. The elves laughed lightly as Orophin joined them.

“He resisted and so we were compelled to teach him not to do so.” One elf said with a chuckle, pulling at the rope that led the faerie along. The evil creature grunted and his wailing was silenced.
Orophin laughed louder now and shook his head. “Pray that he should not do such a thing!” He said, “Lest elven wrath be inflicted upon him.”

“’Twas no ‘wrath’, captain,” The elf replied, “merely warning to him. He will cause no more trouble for us, sir Orophin.” and he motioned to the other elves to quicken their pace, for now the trees were growing thicker.
“’Twill not be long, captain,” The elf said, “before we come to the Lone flet. It is not deep into this wood, but it is within a circle of magic that is unknown to even the Lady of Light. Her husband, Celeborn, knows of it, though, and he has approved that the faerie remain there. No soul shall pass by this evil creature.”

Orophin smiled in satisfaction and placed a single hand upon his hip as he walked. “I have never seen this place.” He said in thought, “But it is that I have heard word of it from other soldiers who were far more fortunate than me to have seen it. I thought that it was a suitable place to keep the faerie.” He furrowed his brow. “I had hoped it was deeper within the wood.”

“It is deep enough, captain,” The other elf answered, “deep enough by far. He will not escape us. We will take from him the life of your brother and he will live.” and Orophin smiled.

He looked to the disgruntled form of the faerie lord. His ears twitched and closed as he heard the evil thing begin to speak some foul language that could be neither orcish, nor faerie and certainly not elvish. The elven captain supposed that it was warlock or goblin... few times he had heard these foul tongues and he rather recognised them now as the faerie mumbled beneath his breath.

Orophin walked nearer to the faerie as he continued to speak to no one but his own dishevled mind and with a sigh, the elf kicked him roughly. The faerie cried out and stumbled to his feet. With a mighty, rough heave, the elves pulled him to his feet once more and their journey continued.