Chapter Eight

***

Haldir trod softly on the ground, making his way down to the river. He was tired, but he also needed to think.

Haunting singing echoed from tree to tree, laments for the fallen Mithrandir.

Haldir shook his head slowly from side to side. He simply couldn’t believe it. Aragorn had said that one of the members of his group had fallen in Moria, but he hadn’t said that it had been an Istari, and Gandalf the Grey at that. And Aragorn hadn’t mentioned anything about Balrogs, either, not until he spoke to the Lady.

He took a seat on the grassy riverbank and looked blankly out into the flowing water that glinted softly in the moonlight. It seemed that everything was collapsing in on him, and just when it had looked like it would hold up, too.

First, there had been Corwyn. She had come to him to apologize, to make up, and then the Fellowship had come. Then there had been the dwarf, trying Haldir’s patience to the limit, making him look terrible and insensitive. Then the battle, causing Corwyn to slip away a bit more, thinking that the wood-elf had saved her. Finally, there was Gandalf.

Losing Gandalf was the worst thing Haldir could possibly imagine. For Gandalf was wise and strong, and he knew the many evils of the world and how to protect all from them. He had been part of the side of Light, and without him, Haldir feared Sauron’s wrath. He feared what might happen without Gandalf, not just to the outside world, but to Lorien, as well.

With these thoughts weighing heavily upon his mind, he put his head on his arms and began to intone his own sorrowful lament.

***

“You sing for Mithrandir?”

Haldir looked up and had to bite his tongue from cursing. It was that wood-elf, Legolas. “You don’t?” he asked angrily, annoyed at having been caught off guard.

But Legolas didn’t seem to notice his tone. Instead he walked to the bank of the river and stood quietly for a moment. “I have nothing to sing about. For me the grief is still too near. Gandalf was my friend, and he led our group out of so many perils… I… I just cannot believe he is gone.”

Haldir looked at Legolas. The other elf’s face was so full of sadness and sincerity that he found he couldn’t look at it any longer. He turned his face away. “What happened? Why did you even go through Moria? Everyone knows a shadow resides there…”

Legolas sat down on the bank. “We had no other choice, Haldir of Lorien. We were pushed by forces not even Gandalf could reckon with.” He turned his blue eyes upon Haldir’s and whispered conspiratorially. “Saruman the White is no longer on our side.”

“Saruman?”

Legolas just nodded. Haldir sat in silence. Things collapsed a little bit more.

“You shouldn’t worry, Haldir,” Legolas said, “Lorien is safe. You and your brothers are safe. Lady Corwyn is safe.”

Haldir had almost begun to get along, if guardedly, with Legolas, before he had mentioned Corwyn. But when he did bring her up, Haldir jerked his head around to glare, but the elf was already retreating. Haldir crossed his arms over his chest, pulled his knees to himself and rested his head. “Things fall apart,” he muttered quietly.

***

The early morning sun shone brightly, dissipating the fog that hung in the low-lying places of Lorien. Corwyn smiled as she looked out her window. It was going to be a beautiful day!

She skipped slightly as she headed down the steps of her telain. She felt refreshed, and wanted badly to go visit Lady Galadriel. She wondered if the Lady would tell her the story of the visitors from the night before.

She wandered down towards the center of Caras Galadhon. She was about to head up to see Galadriel when she saw someone, a couple of someones, sleeping underneath the root of a nearby tree. Curly headed someones. She stopped in midstep and jogged over to the tree. She couldn’t help it, all thoughts of Galadriel were abandoned… she just adored the little hobbits!

She looked down and toed one of the lumps. It grunted. She giggled softly and poked it again. It lifted its head and opened one eye muttering “Pippin, go away!” Upon seeing that it was not Pippin poking him, the hobbit raised his head with a smile that made Corwyn smile even wider.

“G’ morning,” Merry said, “How’re you, lady Corwyn?”

“Very well, thanks. I just came to ask you, well, from what I’ve read, Hobbits enjoy eating. Tell me, is this true?”

Merry grinned and nodded vigorously. Corwyn laughed. “Then would you join me for breakfast, master Merry? And of course Pippin, Sam, and Frodo.”

Merry stood up immediately. “How can I say no?” He quickly woke the others, who were all quite eager to get something to eat. Just as they were leaving, the two men walked up, followed by the dwarf and elf. Corwyn noticed a troubled look in the man called Boromir’s eyes. He barely noticed her, even when she looked at him curiously.

“Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam,” Aragorn said, “where are you going?” he then looked at Corwyn, “I hope they’re not bothering you, my lady.”

Corwyn shook her head. “No, not at all. In fact I invited them to breakfast at my telain.”

She paused. “Would you all like to join? There will be more than enough food…”

Aragorn smiled. “I think we’d all enjoy that.”

“Then follow me,” Corwyn said.

***

“So when’s second breakfast?”

Aragorn laughed out loud and lobbed a chunk of bread at Pippin. Corwyn smiled. She was glad to see the tall, dark, and serious man having a bit of fun. Even Boromir smiled idly.

Aragorn then stood, and thanked Corwyn for the food profusely, and after she had, for the tenth time, told him it was no problem, no problem at all, he bowed and left. Boromir soon followed, then Gimli.

“Hey, Frodo,” Corwyn said, setting a full glass of juice in front of the ringbearer, “you mentioned that your cousin, Bilbo, told you stories. But have you ever heard the story of the elanor flower?”

The hobbit smiled and shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

“Well, its very interesting.” She leant towards him and said, in a whisper, “And dreadfully humorous.”

Legolas rolled his eyes. “If we speak of the same flower, then the tale is neither interesting nor humorous.”

“Who’s the storyteller here, you or me?” she asked, and began to tell a very interesting and amusing story, that was also entirely made up. But it made Frodo crack a smile, and had the others in stitches, and to Corwyn that was the most precious thing of all.

***

It was late afternoon and Corwyn, still in a good mood, spotted Haldir. She decided to go and speak to him, while she was still in the mood.

“Haldir!” she called, running to catch up with him.

He turned and gave her a cold look. “What do you want?” he asked.

“I want to speak to you.” Corwyn said. “I thought that after yesterday we would actually talk to each other again.”

Haldir shrugged.

Corwyn rolled her eyes. Sometimes he wasn’t worth the trouble. “So, do you know when the Fellowship is leaving?”

“Why didn’t you just ask your precious Legolas this morning?” he sneered. “Or did you see him during the night, as well?”

“How dare you! How DARE you!!” Corwyn exclaimed. “I can’t believe you would say something like that! How you could assume something like that!! Just because I happen to like to talk to another elf that has gone places and done things I’ve only dreamed and read about, you assume I’m madly in love with him?”

“Well you don’t exactly act like you aren’t,” he snapped. “Who do you think saved you and the hobbits in the woods? I did! And yet you let your little fantasies block you from seeing it! Face it, you want to be with him!”

Corwyn was shocked that it had been Haldir who had killed the orc, but she was too angry to acknowledge it or give any thanks. “Haldir, you behave like this because you’re jealous!” she snapped, knowing that would get his goat. “And how can you expect me to want to talk to you if you are just going to yell?”

“I don’t care if you don’t talk to me, you seem to have a jovial enough time with that damn—”

“Is it a bad time?” the voice of Legolas Greenleaf said from behind Haldir and Corwyn.

Both turned and looked fantastically surprised, and, in a moment of unison said, with as much fake amicability as they could muster, “Not at all!”

Legolas stared at the pair. “Well then, I suppose it’s all right if I say something to both of you.” He made sure that both were listening before he continued. “I know I have caused some problems by coming here, and I apologize for that, none was intentional. But neither of you need to throw away something just because fails to work for one moment in time. It’s just not worth it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go find Aragorn, our company departs tomorrow morning.”

When he had left, Haldir and Corwyn both looked at each other, his words sinking in, but glanced away quickly. Haldir muttered something about Orophin, and Corwyn simply turned on her heel and left.

***

Soft light from a candle reflected brightly in Corwyn’s mirror. She looked at her own reflection, which was strangely shadowed in the flickering and uneven light. She sat up in her bed and swung her feet over the edge. The image in the mirror wavered.

It was no use trying to sleep, this Corwyn knew. Jumbled phrases of both Legolas and Lord Celeborn danced in her head, refusing to quiet themselves.

With a leaden sigh, Corwyn stood up and padded to her window. She stared out into the glowing darkness that would all too soon be becoming morning. A bit of movement caught her eye. She looked closely and saw a shape walking quietly through night.

As though it could feel her steady eyes, the figure looked up. Corwyn immediately recognized Haldir’s face. She was suddenly aware of many words she should say, but none made it to her tongue. She instead sat for a moment, locking gazes with the marchwarden. An unspoken apology passed between them. Haldir nodded and Corwyn smiled softly.

Feeling lighter, she turned and headed back to her bed. It would be best to sleep.

Yes, sleep.

***

Haldir stared at Corwyn’s window for a moment after she had disappeared from view. It felt very good to have a clean slate. He knew the words he had exchanged with her had been harsh… he did not want another three weeks of no communication.

But he also knew that it was really Legolas who had saved them. The wood-elf had shown a surprising amount of understanding, and Haldir was eternally grateful for that. Pondering this, he turned and began to head back to his own telain, only to find his feet led him somewhere totally different: the Fellowship’s camp.

Legolas was the only figure moving about, and he looked busy packing items into bundles.

Haldir opened his mouth to speak, but without even turning around to see who was there, Legolas spoke. “There is no need for thanks, Haldir of Lorien. I deserve nothing.”

“You deserve everything.” Haldir replied. “You deserve her.”

Legolas turned. “She loves you.”

“She does not know to whom her love shall be given. But it should not be me. You are a much better match, Legolas Greenleaf. You are kind, understanding, and sensitive. All of those are things Corwyn wishes for, but will never receive from myself.”

“You are her eldar, her soul mate, Haldir. I have seen the way you look at her… are you not filled with some strange sense of correctness when you look at her? Do you not feel that all the pieces of your life come together when you are with her? You are the one for her.” Legolas replied. He could sense Haldir was uncertain, and that his words struck a chord.

Haldir frowned. Legolas had hit his feelings with dead on accuracy. But something else bothered Haldir’s mind. “But you yourself have the same feelings for her. Does that not mean you are also her eldar?”

Legolas turned back and began to pack again. “I do not know. I would never before have guessed that one maiden could have two eldars… but,” he paused, obviously embarrassed. “I simply do not know. It does not matter, at any rate, as she loves you.”

Haldir nodded. He understood that Legolas was forfeiting his feelings for Corwyn; he was admitting that she was Haldir’s, and Haldir’s alone. “I must thank you in some way, Legolas,” Haldir said resolutely.

“I need no thanks,” the wood-elf replied.

Haldir shook his head. “You will receive it, no matter what you would like. Good night.”

With that, Haldir turned and walked to his telain, his mind at ease.

***

“For all of you, I give these Elven cloaks. May they hide you from evil eyes.”

Corwyn stepped forward and presented each member of the Fellowship one of the specially woven gray-green cloaks with beautiful brooches shaped like mallorn leaves. She didn’t make eye contact with Legolas, though she could feel him looking at her. Once everyone donned the cloaks, she stepped back beside the Lady and Lord, her hands clasped in front of her.

“And for each of you, a gift.”

Corwyn sighed and kept her eyes downcast as she heard the Lady present each member a special gift. She overheard Galadriel speaking softly in Elvish to Legolas as she gave him a bow and two sets of the white arrows of the Galadhrim.

“Legolas, may these serve you well. You will face much evil on your quest, but with this bow I pray you will defeat it. It is a special bow that has served its former owner for many years. He wanted you to have it.”

“Haldir,” Legolas whispered.

Galadriel smiled and moved on.

Corwyn’s eyes widened and she looked up at Legolas’s new bow. It was indeed Haldir’s. She looked to the other side of the river. Haldir stood there, looking over at the Fellowship. Corwyn caught his eye and mouthed “your bow…”

Haldir smiled a bit sadly, but nodded stubbornly.

Corwyn couldn’t believe he had given his precious bow to Legolas. She stared at Haldir until the gift giving had ended, and it was time to say farewell to the Fellowship.

***

Corwyn tried to keep her eyes dry as she bent over and hugged all the hobbits, then rose and hugged the rest, but she couldn’t do it. By the time the last namarie had been wished, and the last hug hugged, she had tears flowing down her cheeks.

She held the Elven canoes steady while the hobbits climbed in. Legolas was just stepping foot into his canoe when he looked at her. Then he looked over at Haldir. His message was clear. Go to him.

And so Corwyn did. With her tears slowing, but her heart as heavy as ever, she crossed the wooden footbridge that led to the other side of the river. Haldir was waiting for her at the other side.

***

Together Haldir and Corwyn stood on the banks of the river, watching as the Fellowship, now clad in their elven cloaks and bearing their gifts, paddled out into the river. He felt saddened to see them leave. Aragorn had long been an acquaintance of his, and the others, even the dwarf, had grown on him during their stay. He hoped, foolishly he knew, that he would be able to see them all again, and alive.

Corwyn didn’t say a word as she watched the last canoe launch.

When the Fellowship was prepared to leave, Legolas turned around and locked eyes with Haldir. He put a hand on his new bow and nodded. Haldir understood and nodded back. Legolas then set down his paddle and raised his hand at Corwyn in a farewell wave. She returned it with a watery smile.

Then he picked his paddle back up and with strong, sure strokes, made his way out to the rest of the group.

Haldir watched as the boats moved further and further away. He knew he was standing beside Corwyn, but somehow, as the boats became smaller and smaller, he realized he had never felt more alone.

He felt someone then take his hand. He looked at Corwyn, whose green eyes concealed tears. “You might have been happier with him, you know.” He said quietly, knowing he didn’t have to say whom. “I promise I wouldn’t mind. All I want is for you to be happy.”

Corwyn gazed down the river, and Haldir half expected her to tear away and begin running after the canoes. But she didn’t. Instead, she looked up at him, and blinked away her tears. “I’m already happy,” she said, “You make me happy. When you’re not being jealous.”

Haldir smiled softly and squeezed her hand. He opened his mouth to reply, but Corwyn stopped him, shaking her head.

“Don’t speak,” she whispered. “Don’t say a word.”

Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.

***

Across the river, watching the pair, stood Galadriel. Celeborn gently reached out and put a hand on her arm.

“I fear for them,” Galadriel whispered. “There is always a calm before a storm.”

Celeborn frowned and looked at his marchwarden and healer, who were now hugging tightly, her head on his chest, his resting on top of hers.

“I know, but there’s nothing we can do against fate.”

Galadriel turned away, heading back to her palace, knowing that her Lord was right.

***