Title: Slave Of Your Affliction
Author: Luthien Tinuviel
Email: luthien_of_lorien@hotmail.com
Pairing: Celeborn/Haldir
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Celeborn receives a leaving gift when he goes to live in 
Imladris, but the gift turns out to have a more complicated story behind 
it...
Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I don't own this. You should know that by now.
Warning: Non-con sex, graphic violence
Authors Note: This fic is written from two points of view - one of these is 
Haldir's, and it should be obvious which is which. Westron speech is in 
'...', and I have made an attempt to use Elvish when it is Haldir's 
perspective (Ai, Elbereth, help us!!!). The translations are at the bottom if 
you want to know what has been said, but I have not included them in the 
text because I think it adds to the idea that Haldir can't understand what is 
being said.
   
Takes place after the Quest. Galadriel has sailed to Valinor and Celeborn 
is leaving Lothlórien for Imladris. I don't know much at all about Haldir 
and his family...come on, barely anything is know about Legolas and he 
appears in more than one chapter in the whole book! For the sake of 
argument, Haldir is the youngest of the three brothers, and I also think that 
it's fairly safe to assume that this is AU (yes, I know that Haldir is 
Guardian of ‘Lórien)...ah, well, it's Elendor's birthday present. Her plot 
line, my incessant ranting. Happy birthday, girl, you don't know what 
you've got yourself into here!
   
  ***************
  CHAPTER 1
  ***************
   
  The Gift
 
"We have one last gift for you ere you go, my lord," announced Rúmil 
proudly. Celeborn stood from his throne, which he was soon to leave 
behind, and smiled at the Guardian of the Golden Wood. "Really, Rúmil, 
that is not necessary," he replied, laying a hand on the warrior's shoulder. 
"Your service over the countless years has been more than enough 
already."
 
Rúmil bowed his head. "Please, my lord, do us this last service of 
accepting our gift," he insisted, turning and walking to the mallorn trees 
that outlined the edge of the clearing of Caras Galadhon; his brother, 
Orophin, walked forwards to meet him, leading with him another tall 
figure that Celeborn did not recognise, grasped firmly by one arm as if he 
would try to escape. Rúmil took the other arm and aided his sibling in 
dragging the stranger, who appeared to be another Elf, to the feet of the 
Lord of ‘Lórien, where they then forced him to his knees. The unknown 
Elf struggled weakly in the grasp of the brothers but was unable to escape, 
and instead stared ashamedly at the floor as he knelt with Rúmil on one 
side of him and Orophin on the other, each still firmly holding a shoulder.
 
Celeborn studied the figure with interest; now that he was able to inspect 
him more closely he could tell that he was indeed an Elf, most probably of 
Silvan origin. He was young, and had long, silver hair that was unbraided 
to show that he held no position of importance, although he had been well 
dressed in gold and green velvet, the colours of Lothlórien. "Who is this?" 
enquired the Elven-lord, stooping to lift the young Elf's chin with two 
fingers since he refused to meet his eye. He met no resistance, and gently 
raised the silver head to reveal fair, handsome features and a pair of 
stunning hazel eyes that held a humiliated expression and were sparkling 
slightly despite the surprisingly vacant look on the rest of his face.
 
"We felt that you might be lonely in Imladris now that Lord Elrond has 
departed, my lord," replied Orophin, regarding the Elven-lord's reactions 
expectantly. "He is to be your consort."
 
Celeborn raised an eyebrow and then looked back down at the young Elf. 
"What is your name, little one?" he asked gently, for he seemed to be 
somewhat dazed and frightened.
 
"He does not speak Elvish, my lord," supplemented Rúmil helpfully. "He 
has been raised by the Men of the Dales and only speaks Westron - when 
he speaks, that is. He does not speak much at all and will only do as he is 
told, but nonetheless we have sedated him for your journey, just as a 
precaution."
 
Celeborn acknowledged Rúmil's comment with a nod but never took his 
eyes from the bewitching hazel pair before him. 'What is your name, little 
one?' he repeated in Westron, and a flicker of recognition crossed the 
young Elf's face.
 
'Haldir - my name is Haldir,' he whispered, gazing up at the Elven-lord 
with hope shining in his eyes. His words were slurred and he still looked 
somewhat dazed, proving Rúmil to be correct when he had said that he 
had been drugged. Celeborn smiled at him kindly as he continued 
speaking. 'Well then, Haldir, it appears as though you are to accompany 
me to Imladris. Can you ride?'
 
The silver-haired Elf shook his head and averted his eyes shamefacedly, 
but Celeborn placed a hand on his shoulder and caused him to look up 
again. 'Do not worry, you shall ride with me,' he said, and then turned 
back to Rúmil and Orophin. "I am afraid that it is time for me to leave," he 
declared, a hint of sadness in his voice as he switched back to his native 
Elvish language. "I cannot thank either of you enough for your service in 
the Galadhrim through the years, and I wish you all the best."
 
The brothers bowed to the departing Lord of ‘Lórien, before Rúmil seized 
Haldir roughly beneath the arms and yanked him to his feet. Keeping one 
eye on Celeborn as he went to bid farewell to the other bystanders, he 
lowered his head to whisper something in the younger Elf's ear whilst his 
back was turned; his face paled at the words with fear creeping back into 
his hazel eyes. Celeborn then turned again to the brothers, motioning for 
them to follow him, along with Haldir, to his horse. As he looked over his 
shoulder, however, he caught the eye of the youngest Elf positioned 
between the two brothers and frowned slightly, noticing for the first time 
how similar Haldir looked to Rúmil and Orophin. He shrugged it off 
nonetheless, reminding himself that it was not uncommon for Elves to 
appear alike, and instead busied himself with his waiting horse.
 
~~~
"Tula sinome!" hissed Orophin into his ear as he tugged on his arm, and 
Haldir found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he could at least 
understand some Elvish. His head was light from whatever drugs had been 
forced down his throat and his body parts were not completely under his 
control, making it even more difficult for him to obey what he did not 
know was being asked of him; he discovered that soon enough, however, 
as he was dragged by one arm into the unfamiliar clearing, filled with tall, 
fair Elves, all surrounding one whom he did not recognise, standing in 
front of a throne. He assumed this Elf to be of some importance so he 
dutifully lowered his eyes as he concentrated on merely placing one 
disobedient foot in front of the other, although not before noticing that 
Rúmil had been standing next to the important Elf and was now 
approaching him. He did not know why he was surprised.
 
Although the Men with whom he was familiar had taught him not to resist 
superiority, and to always be submissive, he could not help but make a 
feeble attempt to escape the harsh grip of the two brothers as they forced 
him to his knees before the tall, fair Elf. It was all to no avail, of course, 
and his efforts only served for the brothers to tighten their grip on his arms 
so that he was certain to have bruises there the next day. Yet more to add 
to his collection, he thought absently.
 
He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the floor, knowing that it was improper 
for him to look directly at someone who was obviously of a high position, 
as this Elf seemed to be, but then started when he felt two fingers brush 
past his jaw and gently but firmly lift his chin, so that he was compelled to 
raise his eyes. He could feel his face burning with embarrassment, for he 
knew that he should not be looking at his superior in such a manner, yet he 
did not resist for he knew that it was the important Elf who wished him to 
do so.
 
"Ya naa sina?" The tall important Elf was speaking, and from the tone of 
voice Haldir guessed that it was a question. Orophin replied. "Lye nowe 
lle naaya ereb e' Imladris sii' wanye Elrond Peredhil, aredhelamin. Ro 
nauva mellonle."
 
By this point Haldir had grown accustomed to not being able to 
understand what was being said around him, and could only look at the Elf 
before him in dazed confusion when he spoke directly to him.
 
"Mani naa essa en lle?"
 
Haldir tensed up unconsciously when he was spoken to, for he was afraid 
that he would be punished for not answering, but relief swept over him 
when Rúmil spoke quietly to the other Elf and realisation dawned on his 
face; although he could not hear what had been said, and would not have 
been able to understand even if he could have done, a spark of hope struck 
in his heart when the tall Elf leaned down and spoke to him in the 
language that he could understand.
 
'What is your name, little one?'
 
'Haldir - my name is Haldir," he muttered slowly, having to make a 
supreme effort just to make his tongue obey him, and noticing absently 
that his voice sounded strangely drowsy and his words somewhat run 
together. The tall Elf did not seem to care, however, and continued talking 
to him. 'Well then, Haldir, it appears as though you are to accompany me 
to Imladris.' Imladris. That name sounded vaguely familiar, but in this 
less-than-coherent state Haldir could not think for the life of him where he 
had heard it before.
 
'Can you ride?'
 
He paled at this last question and dropped his eyes again, shaking his head 
sadly. To be able to ride a horse was the one thing that he desired to be 
able to do above all others, save perhaps speaking Elvish, and he knew 
that the Men by whom he had been raised had deliberately not taught him 
either so that it would remain clear that he was to be subservient to others. 
A hand on his shoulder made him look up again, and he found himself 
looking straight into a pair of clear, green eyes that were filled with 
compassion and understanding. 'Do not worry, you shall ride with me.'
 
Haldir's heart leapt at these words as it slowly dawned in his drugged mind 
that he was actually going to leave this place, with this Elf, who seemed to 
understand him, and leave Rúmil and Orophin behind. He made no 
attempt to decipher the stream of Sindarin that was now leaving the tall 
Elf's mouth, instead running these thoughts repeatedly through his mind; 
he was jerked back unceremoniously to reality, however, when Rúmil 
yanked him roughly to his feet by grasping him under his arms, and then 
bent his head to whisper into his ear in not-so-fluent Westron whilst 
squeezing his arm hard, his fingers digging viciously into Haldir's flesh. 
He winced.
 
'I warn you behave, brat,' he hissed, never once taking his eyes from the 
tall, important Elf. 'He can have temper, get very very angry, if not 
careful. You get hurt, then you come back to us. We more than hurt you. 
So remember what you taught, I want not see you again.'
 
He could feel his already pale face drain of colour at this, for the last thing 
that he wanted was to return to Rúmil and Orophin; even the Men had 
treated him better than they had. Fortunately for him the tall Elf had 
finished speaking to the other bystanders and, turning, motioned for them 
to follow him. The grip tightened on his arms yet again as he was led 
towards the waiting horses, but was then reluctantly released when the tall 
Elf placed his hand gently on his shoulder instead. Haldir felt his 
unresponsive body relax automatically when the two brothers stepped 
back from him, and he looked up into the green eyes of the tall Elf, if a 
little guardedly after what Rúmil had told him. He was not certain whether 
to believe him or not, but decided that, for the time being, it would be 
wiser to accept his words as the truth. The other Elf smiled at him 
reassuringly before he spoke to him again.
 
'Have you ever been on a horse before, little one?'
 
Haldir nodded; he had indeed been on a horse before, but one could hardly 
call it riding; he shook his head to clear the unpleasant memories from it, 
then looked up to see a somewhat bemused expression on the tall Elf's fair 
face. He managed a weak smile as he voiced his answer with slurred 
words. 'Yes, once.'
 
The tall Elf smiled again and then walked around so that he was standing 
behind Haldir. 'That is good. You shall ride in front of me; I will give you 
a leg-up.'
 
Haldir frowned in confusion; what was a leg-up? He turned his head so 
that he was looking over his shoulder at the tall Elf, to see that he was 
standing with his back bowed and his fingers linked together, waiting 
expectantly. He must have read the apprehension in Haldir's wide hazel 
eyes, however, for he smiled indulgently and spoke to him in a calm voice. 
'Bend your left leg and put both hands on the front of the saddle; I will lift 
you up, then swing your right leg over the horse's back.'
 
Haldir nodded slowly and nervously lifted his left leg off the floor. The 
tall Elf liked his fingers around his shin and suddenly boosted him off the 
ground; Haldir tried his best to swing his right leg over but found that his 
body was still not responding properly to his commands, and instead 
landed back on the floor in an ungraceful heap. He shut his eyes in shame 
and bowed his head, hearing sniggering coming from Rúmil and Orophin's 
direction, but the tall Elf silenced them with a few words as he offered 
Haldir a hand and helped him to his feet again.
 
"Naa'o dínen. Ta naa i selaib lle one ho; ron poldora ho tyar ve' sina."
 
Haldir looked up warily at the tall Elf and flinched when he extended both 
hand towards him, expecting to be punished for what he had done; instead 
the other Elf merely grasped him firmly around his wait and easily lifted 
him up into the saddle. Haldir blinked in the surprise of suddenly finding 
himself sitting several feet off the ground, and, finding it rather unsettling, 
he clung tightly to the pommel of the saddle with both hands and shut his 
eyes momentarily, only to open them again when he felt the balance of the 
saddle shift slightly and a pair of strong arms snaked around his middle, 
pressing him securely to the firm chest behind him.
 
'Do not worry, I will not let you fall,' came a deep, reassuring voice from 
behind him. 'Just relax and you will be more comfortable.' 
 
Haldir leaned back against the tall Elf's chest and wiggled a little in the 
saddle, trying to become more at ease in this unusual position, but he did 
not release his death-grip on the front of the saddle. A few last words were 
exchanged in Elvish between the tall Elf behind him and the bystanders on 
the ground, before one arm left his waist to take hold of the reins and he 
felt the tall Elf's body move slightly behind him; suddenly the horse below 
them stated moving forwards quite disconcertingly, and he clutched the 
pommel even tighter with one hand whilst he brought the other up to clasp 
the strong arm around his middle. He tensed up again for a few moments 
and closed his eyes again, and the tall Elf held him even more firmly to his 
chest in way of reassurance until he gradually grew used to the steady 
rhythm of the horse beneath him and started to relax a little, wondering 
blearily where he was being taken next.
 
***
 
Elvish Translations: (I have no doubt that these are riddled with 
mistakes, but I have tried my best! Please feel free to correct me if you 
find anything that is wrong.)
 
[Come here]
 
[Who is this?]
 
[We thought that you may be lonely in Imladris now that Lord Elrond has 
left, my lord. He is to be your consort]
 
[Be quiet. It is the drugs that you have given him; they are causing him to 
act like this.]


  ***************
  CHAPTER 2
  ***************
   
  The Ride
   
To Haldir's surprise he soon grew used to the steady movements of the 
horse underneath him and started to relax back against the chest of the tall 
Elf, who was still holding him tightly. He laid his silver head upon the 
strong shoulder and sighed heavily; the deep exhalation must have caught 
the other Elf's attention, because he felt his body move behind him and a 
deep voice came in his ear.
 
'Why the sigh, Haldir? Is anything wrong? Are you uncomfortable? '
 
Haldir felt the planes of the Elf's chest vibrate softly from the deep bass 
tones of his voice and shook his head against it. 'No, nothing is wrong,' he 
replied truthfully, his words still noticeably run-together from the 
sedatives that Rúmil and Orophin had forced upon him. 'I was just 
wondering to myself.'
 
'What were you wondering about?'
 
'Everything.'
 
The Elf laughed softly, sending vibrations rippling down to his stomach 
and through Haldir's back. 'Would you care to be a bit more specific? You 
can talk to me, you know.'
 
Haldir smiled weakly to himself. 'I was wondering who you were,' he 
slurred quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. 'And where we are 
going, and what is to become of me, and -'
 
The Elf cut him off with another soft laugh, and Haldir tilted his head 
lazily to look up at him. 'One question at a time!' smiled the Elf, looking 
down at him with an amused expression on his face. 'First things first; my 
name is Celeborn. I used to be the Lord of Lothlórien, which is the place 
that we have just left, but I have recently given up my position, after my 
wife sailed to Valinor.'
 
Haldir froze at these words and immediately averted his eyes from those 
of the Elven-lord. 'I am sorry, my Lord,' he muttered, feeling his face flush 
crimson to the tips of his ears. 'I had no idea of your status; I should not 
even be talking to you, let alone look directly at you as I have.'
 
The hand on his waist moved to his jaw line, gently pushing his chin up so 
that he was forced to look up at Celeborn, just as he had when they first 
met. 'Who in Middle Earth has taught you that?' came an incredulous 
voice, the owner of which frowned down at him. He shifted in the saddle, 
suddenly becoming very uncomfortable again, as he replied.
 
'I...I - the Men by whom I was raised,' he murmured, trying to look away 
from the Elven-lord, but a firmer pressure was applied to his chin and he 
was forced to maintain the eye contact. 'It is just what I have been taught, 
ever since I was small.'
 
The brow of the fair Elf looking down at him knitted. 'What else did they 
teach you?' he asked, kindness showing in his voice if not in his face.
 
'That I am inferior and should not resist superiority; I am here to serve 
those above me and should do nothing unless told,' said Haldir 
immediately, repeating words so familiar that they had almost become a 
mantra to him.
 
'And what happened if you disobeyed them?'
 
'I was punished,' replied Haldir simply. He did not want to go into any 
more detail; he had soon learned to do only as he was told, for failing to 
do so would result in him being severely disciplined, and it was extremely 
rare for him to consciously disobey his orders. 
 
Celeborn seemed satisfied with his answer, however, for his face softened 
slightly and he did not probe the matter further. 'Well, I cannot say that 
you will be entirely free once we arrive at Imladris, but you will have 
plenty of liberty and be treated as more of an equal, provided that you 
behave yourself. Yes, you are still to do as you are told, but you do not 
have to do *only* as you are told, and you do not have to worry about 
looking at or speaking to anyone who is above you; you are my consort, 
after all, but you will be treated well and fairly. I hope that this seems 
reasonable.'
 
Haldir smiled up at the Elven-lord and nodded as vigorously as his doped 
muscles would allow him to; he had not expected, by any chance, that this 
would happen. Despite what Celeborn had just told him he would not 
easily forget that he was subservient, and he had up until now, only 
imagined having even the smallest amount of freedom and to be well 
treated. Celeborn smiled at the enthusiastic response, and continued 
talking to him as he released his hold on his chin.
 
'Have you ever been to Imladris before?'
 
'No,' replied Haldir truthfully, 'although I have heard of it. What is it like?'
 
The Elven-lord smiled at him again indulgently and began to speak of the 
city, its history, and of Lords both past and present in a low voice; Haldir 
relaxed again and allowed his bleary mind to wander, lulled by the secure 
feeling of the arm around his waist, the steady rhythm of the horse moving 
below him, and the pleasant thoughts of what awaited him in the beautiful 
place that was being described to him. He laid his head back against 
Celeborn's shoulder once more and closed his eyes, content to listen to the 
deep, calming voice that whispered of his new home into his ear.
 
~~~ 
Celeborn noticed the way that the young Elf in his arms relaxed properly 
for the first time as he began to relate tales of Imladris to him, and the 
smile could be heard in his voice as his mouth worked without any true 
intervention from his wandering mind. He had been shocked to hear the 
admissions from Haldir, and, although the younger Elf was there to be his 
consort, he had every intention of treating him as fairly as the next servant. 
He was, of course, expected to obey orders, but the former Lord of ‘Lórien 
found it incomprehensible to grasp the way in which Haldir had been 
brainwashed into thinking that he was completely subservient; it went 
against all morals to treat another being like that.
 
Eventually he finished speaking, and Haldir lifted his head and opened his 
hazel eyes again, flicking them up to look at the silver-haired Elven-lord. 
'It sounds beautiful,' he sighed, his voice now tainted with notes of 
drowsiness to add to the haze of the sedatives. 'How far away is it? What 
will happen when we get there?'
 
'It will be two more days before we reach Imladris,' responded Celeborn, 
looking kindly at the young Elf and noting his enthusiasm, even despite 
his weariness. 'And there are countless things to do there; you can ride, 
and hunt, and read -'
 
Haldir hung his head and his shoulders slumped as if defeated, his 
unbraided hair falling forwards about his face and creating a glimmering 
curtain of silver that hid his shame. 'I can do none of those,' he murmured, 
and Celeborn noticed that the pointed tips of his ears had flushed bright 
scarlet. 'The Men did not teach me, I know, to make certain that I was 
subservient. I cannot even speak Elvish.'
 
Celeborn's arm tightened around the pitiful creature in front of him 
reassuringly, but the silver head did not lift. 'I shall just have to teach you 
then, won't I?' he said nonchalantly, cocking his head slyly and looking 
straight ahead in the direction that they were riding.
 
Haldir's head snapped up and he whipped around in the Elven-lord's arms, 
fixing wide hazel eyes on him expectantly. 'You mean that you would 
teach me Elvish?' he gasped, the disbelief showing in his voice despite his 
best attempts to disguise it. Celeborn allowed his bright green eyes to flick 
down to the fair young face, smiling upon seeing the newfound hope in the 
beautiful glittering orbs.
 
'Yes,' he replied simply, before adding 'and I suppose I could teach you to 
ride whilst I am at it. What do you think?'
 
He beamed even wider when he saw that the young Elf had actually been 
struck speechless; his mouth was moving but no words were emerging, 
and Celeborn could not help but think how comical the sight was. 
Eventually Haldir gave up on trying to speak, an inane grin spreading 
slowly across his face instead. The Elven-lord merely raised an eyebrow 
and settled the younger Elf back against his chest again, dumbstruck 
himself at how Haldir must have been treated if learning to ride and to 
speak Elvish could mean so much to him.
 
After a while the figure in front of him was starting to become heavy in 
his arms. He yawned widely and his silver head lolled upon Celeborn's 
shoulder, who noticed that the hazel eyes were half-closed by this point.
 
'You look weary, Haldir; do you wish for us to stop?' he murmured quietly 
to the young Elf.
 
'No, I am just being a bother,' came the drowsy reply, soon followed by 
another enormous yawn. 'Besides, I want to get to Imladris.'
 
Celeborn chuckled to himself, surprised yet again by Haldir's attitudes and 
at how easy it was to please him. 'Do not worry, you are not being a 
bother. It is another two days' ride to Imladris yet, and soon we shall need 
to stop for the night anyway.'
 
Haldir turned his round hazel eyes up to the Elven-lord, blinking and 
smiling sleepily. 'I will be fine, I shall stop when you wish to stop.'
 
Celeborn smiled back at him. 'Very well; in that case I wish to stop now. I 
feel that it would be best for you to get some rest, before you fall both fast 
asleep and off this horse!' He then turned in his saddle as much as he could 
and called back to the rest of their small company in Elvish.


A/N: Uh, just re-read the appendix in ROTK. Seems that I've neglected to 
notice that Celeborn went to Mirkwood and reigned there for a while 
before he went to Imladris. Let's ignore that fact, too...
 
Oh, and by the way, this chapter is crap. Sorry.
 
***************
CHAPTER 3
***************
 
"Ta mori natula - amin nowa lye daruva sinome."
 
Haldir looked up at Celeborn as he spoke. 'What did that mean?' he asked 
expectantly, eager to understand some of what was being said around him.
 
The Elven-lord laughed softly at the question. 'I can see that you are keen 
to begin your studies, aier; that meant, "it is getting dark - I think that we 
will stop here tonight".'
 
Haldir felt his cheeks colour again slightly. 'And aier; what did that 
mean?"
 
'It means "little one". Come; there will be plenty of time for lessons when 
we reach Imladris. I do not know about you, but at the moment I am 
hungry and wish to eat, and I think that you should also get some rest and 
sleep off those drugs that you have been given.'
 
The younger Elf nodded sheepishly in agreement and averted his eyes in a 
forlorn, embarrassed manner, but was unable to suppress another gaping 
yawn. Celeborn laughed again as he squeezed the reins between his 
fingers, and the horse drew to a halt.
 
'By the Valar, Haldir! If I did not know better I would say that you were 
trying to swallow us all up!' he jested, swinging his right leg over the 
horse's back and jumping gracefully onto the soft grass at his feet. 'Let me 
help you down,' he offered, extending both arms up to the younger Elf. 
'Lean forwards, then swing your right leg over the top of the saddle and 
slide to the ground, as I have just done.'
 
Strong hands wrapped around Haldir's slim waist to steady him as he 
nervously did as he was instructed, and supported him whilst he slid to the 
floor. He relaxed again at finding his feet back on solid ground and looked 
about him, blinking dazedly; the sudden unwinding of his muscles was 
enough to set him swaying a little as he finally realised just how weary he 
was and he reached out one hand almost instinctively to help balance 
himself, only to find himself grasping Celeborn's shoulder. 
 
He paled, drew breath sharply over his teeth and snatched his hand back, 
turning his wide hazel eyes, filled with the irrational fear brought on by 
the heightened emotions of fatigue, up to the Elven-lord's fair face. To his 
utter amazement Celeborn smiled at him kindly and his sparkling jade 
orbs filled with compassion; suddenly Haldir felt a strong, steadying arm 
creep around his shoulders, pulling him close to his side, and the former 
Lord of ‘Lórien's deep voice sounded close to his ear.
 
'I do not think that those drugs have quite worn off yet, aier; come with 
me and I shall get you something to eat whilst we set up camp, and then 
you shall go straight to sleep.'
 
Haldir nodded drowsily in agreement, although the words had not truly 
sunken in for he was fast falling asleep on his feet by this point. 'What do 
you want me to do?' he slurred, forced purely by habit when he heard 
something about setting up camp.
 
'What do I want you to do?' purred the low voice, and Haldir could detect 
touches of incredulity even in his semi-conscious state. 'I want you to eat 
something and go to sleep.'
 
'But what about the camp?' he protested weakly. 'You cannot be expected 
to set it up; that is what I am here for. And...the horses, what about the 
horses?'
 
His minor objection was succeeded by yet another huge yawn, and this 
time his eyes became vacant for a moment or two.
 
'Look at yourself, Haldir; you are so tired, not to mentioned sedated to the 
back teeth, that you can barely stand. To be honest I think that you would 
be more of a hindrance than a help, so I suggest that you do as you are 
told.'
 
The younger Elf was too incoherent by now to be able to perceive the 
obvious jesting tone in the Elven-lord's voice, and nodded mutely whilst 
averting his eyes, humiliated, to the floor.
 
'And do not concern yourself with the horses,' continued the Elven-lord, 
who had clearly failed to notice Haldir's misunderstanding of his last 
remark, 'they are Elven and unlike those of Men. Once they are untacked 
they will take care of themselves, and will not stray from the campsite.'
 
On saying this a thought struck him, and he turned to call to another Elf 
from their company. "Merthol, roch-nîn, saes. Haldir anta est. Amin 
me'uva naur."
 
"Uma, heruamin." The other bowed courteously and started removing the 
Elven-lord's horse's saddle and bridle whilst Haldir was led towards the 
clearing where they had decided to spend the night. Celeborn stopped and 
released his shoulders by a large tree at the edge of the glade and motioned 
for the younger Elf to sit, which he did gratefully and leaned against the 
trunk. The Elven-lord set about gathering fallen sticks and branches and 
piles of dead leaves, enough to start a small fire, and piled them in the 
middle of the clearing. He then took a small box from the pouch hanging 
at his belt and drew out two flints, which he used to skilfully set fire to the 
dry kindling.
 
Haldir drowsily watched the scene in front of him with quiet fascination as 
the remainder of their company joined them one by one; here was an Elf 
of very high status starting a fire for their camp himself, when he could 
easily order any of the people around him to do so instead. He blearily 
shook his silver head and laid it against the tree trunk behind him, still 
watching the scene with interest even as everything began to go blurry and 
the fluent streams of Elvish that was being spoken around him merged into 
a pleasant buzz before fading out altogether.
 
                                                        ~~~
 
Celeborn looked up from the fire once it was lit, and smiled to see that 
Haldir had fallen asleep against the tree. His round hazel eyes were 
completely vacant, his silver head lolled against the bark of the trunk, and 
there was a surprisingly serene expression gracing his fair features. The 
tall Elven-lord walked over to where his pack had been left and extracted a 
large blanket from it, spreading it on the ground a little way away from the 
fire, but close enough so that it was well within the range of its heat, 
before moving to the edge of the clearing where the younger Elf was 
sitting, propped against the tree-trunk.
 
He knelt down beside the slumbering Elf and gathered the slender frame 
into his arms, lifting him easily and bearing him the short distance to the 
blanket where he laid him gently down and covered him with the fabric. 
Haldir sighed happily and shifted a little under it, turning onto his side and 
muttering softly to himself under his breath; Celeborn smiled to himself 
and absently ran his hand over the silken silver hair, smoothing over any 
errant strands, before getting to his feet again and setting about aiding with 
dinner.
 
Celeborn glanced over at Haldir once more as he sat down to eat; the 
young Elf was still sleeping soundly, and had not stirred all evening 
despite the cheerful chatter and laughing that had surrounded him. The 
silver-haired Elven-lord's brow furrowed as he considered waking him, 
since he had no idea of when Haldir had last eaten, but he looked so 
peaceful as he slept that he decided against it. He had been shooed away 
from the fire as dinner was prepared, the other Elves insisting that he had 
had a hard ride with Haldir and had built the fire to start with, so instead 
he sat back and idly watched them cook the food, occasionally joining in 
with their casual conversations.
 
All fell silent as they ate, hungry as they were after the day's long ride, and 
soon after they had finished they began to set up their beds for the night. 
Celeborn sat quietly throughout until he was the last left awake, save the 
night watchman who was sitting a short distance away, unable to keep his 
bright jade eyes from flicking over to where Haldir was sleeping on the 
other side of the fire. He was young, without a doubt; definitely not much 
older than perhaps five or six hundred years, although his face held years 
of wisdom that he had not witnessed in many much elder Elves. There was 
a certain air about him, suggesting that he had experienced much in his 
short life; it was mysterious, and there were elements of both years of 
hardship and stories untold entwined within.
 
Despite this, however, his face was stunning whilst relaxed so peacefully 
in slumber; his skin was smooth and fair and his round, vacant eyes were 
an unusual shade of bright hazel, all offset by the long, unbraided, hair that 
flowed around his shoulders in a river of silver, glistening in the 
moonlight. Almost as if he knew Celeborn was watching him, the young 
Elf sighed softly and rolled onto his side again so that he was now facing 
the tall Elven-lord, and smiled a little. This minute change in expression 
made all the difference, for Celeborn was made suddenly aware of both 
the innocence and vulnerability now lucidly visible in the young face. He 
sighed to himself, wondering what story Haldir had to hide, and set about 
preparing himself for bed.
 
TBC
 ***
Elvish Translations:
 
Ta mori natula - amin nowa lye daruva sinome - It is getting dark - I think 
that we will stop here tonight.
 
 aier - little one
 
 Merthol, roch-nîn, saes. Haldir anta est. Amin me'uva naur. - Merthol, 
my horse, please. Haldir needs to rest. I will light a fire.
 
Uma, heruamin - yes, my lord


***************
CHAPTER 4
***************
 
The Morning
 
Celeborn looked over to where Haldir was still sleeping; the camp was 
almost packed up and they would be leaving shortly, so he decided that it 
was time the young Elf awoke. He walked over to the inert form lying 
under the blanket on the grass and knelt beside him, placing a hand on his 
shoulder and shaking him gently, whilst softly calling his name.
 
'Haldir? 'Tis time to wake up, aier.'
 
The young Elf rolled onto his side so that he was facing away from the 
Elven-lord, then turned back again. This time his round hazel eyes had 
returned to their deepened, more alert state, and he blinked sleepily before 
sitting up and looking around him. He yawned.
 
'Morning, Haldir,' smiled Celeborn, sitting back on his heels. 'Feeling 
better today?'
 
Haldir nodded slowly and passed both hands over his face, rubbing his 
eyes as he went, ere he replied. 'Yes, thank you,' he smiled back. 
 
Celeborn was pleased to notice that, despite the sleep that still lingered in 
his voice, his words were not slurred as they had been yesterday, 
indicating that the drugs had finally worn off. He cocked his head and 
regarded the younger Elf with interest, intrigued by the untold that 
surrounded him. Haldir merely blinked at him sleepily again and looked 
up; then their eyes locked for the briefest of moments, jade flashing with 
hazel, and Celeborn suddenly felt a jolt down to his stomach at the 
swirling emotions and secrets eddying within the fathomless orbs.
 
A low growl brought them both back to reality, and Haldir averted his 
eyes ashamedly and placed a hand across his stomach. 'You must be 
famished, aier,' said Celeborn, shaking his head briefly to clear it. 'You 
fell asleep before dinner last night and I was reluctant to wake you, and I 
know not when the last time you ate was. Come, let me get you some 
breakfast before we depart.'
 
'Do not go to too much trouble,' murmured Haldir, still looking at the 
grass. 'I shall be alright.' 
 
Celeborn frowned at him, taking in for the first time just how slender the 
young Elf was; how could he have failed to see it before? 'No, you need to 
eat,' he insisted firmly, fixing Haldir with his brilliant green gaze so that 
he was compelled to look up and into his face. 'You are too thin. And it is 
not too much trouble at all,' he continued, cutting off the other Elf who 
was still sitting on the grass and had opened his mouth to speak. 'Tell me 
truthfully; when was the last time you ate?'
 
Haldir's voice was quiet as Celeborn wandered over to the fire to gather 
some food, but his finely tuned Elven hearing picked it up nonetheless. 
'Well, I was given some breakfast the day before yesterday...'
 
The Elven-lord's head snapped round at this, shocked. 'Was that the last 
time anyone gave you something to eat?' he asked incredulously. Haldir 
nodded. 'No wonder you are so thin,' he murmured, returning to the 
younger Elf's side with some bread, dried meat, hard cheese and two 
wafers of lembas, along with a cup of water, and handing them down to 
him. Haldir's eyes went wide when he saw the food that he had been 
given, and took the plate and cup. He looked up at Celeborn in question; 
the Elven-lord nodded at him, smiling, then turned away to allow him to 
eat although still keeping one eye on him, watching with interest as he 
gulped down the water and bolted the food, and continued packing up the 
camp.
 
~~~
 
Haldir felt quite sick as he stood up holding the now empty plate and cup, 
and felt ominous twinges in his stomach. He set the contents of his hands 
back on the ground and pressed his palms against his abdomen, trying to 
alleviate the discomfort, but to no avail; suddenly he felt his inner stomach 
muscles contract in warning, and he rushed off into the trees at the edge of 
the clearing where he promptly emptied the contents of his belly.
 
Weakened by the heaving he sank to his knees, arms still wrapped around 
his abdomen, when he felt warm, strong hands on his shoulders and gentle 
fingers sweep his silver hair away from his face.
 
'I think that that may have been a bit more than your stomach could cope 
with, if you truly have not eaten for two days,' came the deep, familiar 
voice in his ear, the owner of which had started to rub small, calming 
circles on his back with the palm of one hand. Haldir relaxed slightly and 
nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before he turned to 
look at the Elven-lord.
 
'Come with me and I shall give you a little water and some lembas,' 
suggested Celeborn kindly. 'Something simple that your stomach can deal 
with easily, for it would not do to have you vomiting on top of my horse, 
now, would it?'
 
Haldir felt his cheeks burning. 'No, I am sorry,' he murmured quietly and 
quickly looked away as he usually did in such situations. No sooner had he 
done so, however, than he felt his chin being lifted again by two strong 
fingers and found himself looking into the Elven-lord's brilliant jade eyes 
again.
 
'Do not be sorry,' insisted Celeborn, locking his eyes onto Haldir's as he 
had done so, and the younger Elf suddenly felt electric tingles skitter down 
his spine for the second time that morning. So absorbed was he in the 
enchanting depths of the emerald orbs that he completely missed what the 
Elven-lord said next, and was jolted awake again when he realised that he 
was waiting for an answer. He merely nodded again, unable to remember 
what had been said; this seemed to satisfy Celeborn, however, for he stood 
up and held out a hand to help Haldir do the same.
 
~~~
 
At least Haldir had managed to keep down the small amounts of lembas 
and water that he had given him, mused Celeborn as their company drew 
to a halt for the night once more. He had also managed to get on the horse 
by means of a leg-up this time, too, now that the effects of the drugs had 
abated, and had taken great delight in steering the horse for a short while 
when he had allowed him to hold the reins. He managed to dismount the 
horse in what could almost be called a graceful manner, and looked 
decidedly more cheerful in comparison to yesterday.
 
Again Celeborn refused to allow him to participate in the setting up of the 
camp, mainly because he was unable to communicate with the rest of their 
company, and insisted instead that he sat at the edge of the clearing whilst 
dinner was prepared. Celeborn noticed how he watched intently, his now 
bright and alert hazel eyes flicking from Elf to Elf and task to task as he 
watched the way in which each helped the other, and had to shake himself 
mentally several times when he caught himself staring at the silver-haired 
figure leaning against a tree.
 
Haldir managed to stay awake for dinner this time, although Celeborn had 
to encourage him to sit away from the trees and closer to the rest of the 
group. The tall Elven-lord was secretly pleased when Haldir crept up to sit 
close to him, although he did not know why he should feel so, but this 
time he made certain that the younger Elf did not eat too much, and even 
then only simple food. 
 
That night also passed uneventfully, and the company rose early the next 
morning with hopes of reaching Imladris by nightfall. Again Celeborn 
allowed Haldir to take the reins for a short while, and began to tell him the 
very basics of riding a horse. He was quietly amused to see the way in 
which the younger Elf's brow furrowed and he worried at his bottom lip in 
concentration, so determined was he to master equitation, and mused that 
he could possibly prove one of the best pupils he had had the pleasure of 
teaching when it came to the lessons in Elvish.
 
As dusk threatened its approach Celeborn could tell that Haldir was 
growing tired again for his shoulders began to sag slightly and he became 
heavier in the saddle, and he leaned forwards to whisper in his ear.
 
'Are you getting tired, aier? Perhaps I should take the reins now.'
 
Haldir shook his head sleepily. 'No, I want to ride!' he insisted, making 
Celeborn laugh softly at how childish his voice sounded.
 
'Very well, very well,' he conceded, a small smile spreading across his 
fair, attractive features. 'But only if you take up more contact on Hwesto's 
mouth, else...'
 
He was not given the chance to finish speaking, however; it was almost as 
if he had tempted fate, for a sudden movement in the bush to one side of 
them startled all the horses, causing them to shy sideways before taking 
off at a swift canter. Haldir froze in the saddle, shocked, but Celeborn 
remained calm and swiftly took the reins from him with one hand whilst 
wrapping his free arm tightly around his waist and pulling him close to his 
chest, at the same time speaking calmly to the frightened animal, knowing 
that he would pay heed to his voice whilst his hands were otherwise 
occupied.
 
"Tulunka, Hwesto, lenko horthalle, lenko horthalle."
 
Eventually the stallion slowed in the canter, and eventually broke into a 
trot and then a walk as the Elven-lord's voice alone calmed him. As they 
drew to a halt and the other members of their company managed to pull up 
around them, Haldir laid his head back on Celeborn's shoulder and sighed 
in relief; the Elven-lord instinctively pulled him closer, suddenly feeling 
another jolt in his stomach as he did so, and bowed his head to speak 
again, this time calming the younger Elf with his voice as opposed to the 
horse.
 
'Do not worry, aier, we are almost there,' he murmured soothingly in his 
ear, 'Hwesto just spooked at something in the bushes back there. Perhaps I 
should take the reins for the rest of the journey, though?'
 
Haldir nodded mutely against his shoulder and heaved a sigh, fatigue 
having crept up on him once again. Celeborn smiled down at him, unseen, 
and tightened his arm around his waist as he urged the horse forwards for 
the last hour of their journey.
 
TBC
 
Elvish Translations:
 
Tulunka, Hwesto, lenko horthalle, lenko horthalle - steady, Hwesto, slow 
down, slow down
 

Ilye
"Come carpe diem, baby" ~Metallica~

**************  
CHAPTER 5  
************** 

The Surprise 

Haldir was awestruck by the splendour of Imladris. The forest encircling 
the city were filled with widely varied species of both flora and fauna, all 
beautiful to behold; the younger Elf's snapped from side to side as he tried 
to absorb the surroundings that were dappled in the light of dusk that 
seeped through the canopy of leaves above them. Never before had he 
seen nature such as this, for although the mallorn trees of Lothlórien 
appeared equally as beautiful to the eye, there was not the same variety as 
that which enveloped the city. 

Celeborn's deep voice came in his ear once again, and Haldir felt the bass 
tones of his words vibrating from his chest and into his back. 'It is 
beautiful, isn't it, aier?' he murmured. Haldir nodded in reply, hazel eyes 
still wide, and at a loss for what to say. Celeborn laughed softly. 'Then 
wait until you see the house,' he promised, causing feelings of anticipation 
to rise in the younger Elf's stomach. 

When the house eventually came into view, however, Haldir turned his 
head to look up at the elder Elf. 'Is that it?' he asked quietly. 

'Yes; why do you ask?' 

'No reason...just I found the forest much more beautiful than the building, 
and you told me to wait until I saw it,' he replied tentatively, unwilling to 
go against the silver-haired Elven-lord's opinion even now, despite his 
kindness and encouragement to speak his mind a little more. When his 
words were met by another deep laugh, however, he averted his eyes again 
shamefacedly, cheeks burning and ears tinged crimson through his silky 
silvery hair. 

The laughter stopped when Celeborn noticed this, and Haldir felt arms 
tighten around his middle reassuringly. 'I am sorry, Haldir, I was not 
laughing at you,' he insisted, and the younger Elf uncertainly turned his 
hazel eyes on the Elven-lord in way of question. The jade orbs that met 
them were filled with compassion, and Celeborn smiled down at him 
kindly. 'You should never judge a book by its cover, aier; wait until you 
are inside the building.' 

Haldir relaxed slightly, realising that he was not being mocked, and 
managed a forced smile back at the Elven-lord. He sighed wearily, then; 
the long journey had exhausted him, combined with the entirely new 
experience that had been thrust upon him. The arm around his waist 
moved so that it was now lying across his chest, and the hand was raised 
so that the thumb could reassuringly caress his cheek for a moment. Haldir 
closed his eyes and relaxed even more, enjoying the new, unaccustomed 
sensation of being comforted, and when the hand moved back to his 
middle he found that he had unconsciously leaned into the touch. 

The absence of the fingers to the side of his face was soon replaced by the 
presence of another, as the Elven-lord behind him leaned forwards so that 
he could whisper to Haldir. ' 'Tis alright, we are almost there,' he 
murmured, and Haldir felt warm, damp breath ghost past his cheek as 
Celeborn spoke to him. 'You must be weary, though, aier,' he continued, 
still in the same kind, caring, concerned tone of voice, 'and it is my mind 
that you should go straight to bed once we arrive.' 

He paused. 'After some dinner, of course,' he then said, having thought for 
a moment; then, amidst his words, he gently brought his lips to the 
delicate pointed tip of Haldir's ear, and kissed it tenderly and deliberately. 
Haldir gasped at this sensation and shuddered within the Elven-lord's 
embrace, but Celeborn had drawn back as though nothing had happened 
and was finishing his sentence. 'You are still too thin, and I should hate to 
see one as beautiful and innocent as you waste away. It would be a great 
shame.' 

*** 

Haldir had been shocked and astounded and slightly unnerved when 
Celeborn had kissed his ear and told him that he was beautiful, although 
he had unarguably relished the highly pleasurable sensations educed from 
such tender contact on such sensitive skin. The last few minutes of the 
journey had been passed in silence, for the Elven-lord had acted as though 
nothing had happened, and Haldir himself had been both too tired and too 
bewildered to say or act otherwise. 

His mind had swiftly been removed from that incident, however, as soon 
as he had been helped down from Hwesto and led into the entrance halls 
of what he had heard called the Last Homely House. The breath left his 
lungs when he saw the foyer; they had been painted so that they exactly 
resembled the forest that surrounded the city. Intricate details covered the 
plaster, from the different specks of colour on the bark of a tree to the 
veins on a leaf and the light that dappled through them. Assorted animals 
could be depicted between the trees and hidden in the foliage, flowers 
decorated both the branches and the ground, every petal being finished to 
perfection, and through the trunks an image of the waterfall could be seen, 
gleaming and catching the light as it tumbled into the deep, dark pool 
below. 

He stood, motionless, in the centre of the entrance hall with his wide hazel 
eyes transfixed to the walls, whilst the remaining members of their 
company greeted the residents of Imladris; a hand on his shoulder jolted 
him out of his reverie, and a light, musical voice sounded. 

"Lle tyava quel? Mani naa essa en lle? Amin ú'omente lle n'ala." 

He looked up at the one who was speaking to him with wide, confused 
hazel eyes, since he could not understand what was being said to him, and 
then looked around in confusion for Celeborn. The other dark-haired Elf, 
the one who had spoken to him, had obviously also been confused, for he 
called out to the fair Elven-lord, who Haldir then spied standing on the 
opposite side of the foyer and conversing with another dark-haired Elf. 

"Celeborn? Ya naa sina? Ro tyava quel?" 

Celeborn glanced over at Haldir and his face softened. He said a few last 
words to the Elf whom he was talking to, who nodded, presumably in 
agreement, and followed the silver-haired Elven-lord across the hall. 
Relief crossed Haldir's features when Celeborn smiled down at him 
reassuringly, and said a few soft words to the first dark-haired Elf. 

"Uma, tanya naa Haldir. Ro naa en er tel'lye." 

Whatever he had said made the first Elf smile, and he immediately offered 
a hand to Haldir. "Mae govannan, Haldir," he said, the soft, lilting tones 
of his voice breaking easily through the garbled chatter that surrounded 
them and filled their ears. "Ess'amin naa Elladan. Creoso an Imladris." 

Haldir gave him another bewildered look, then turned his eyes upon 
Celeborn. The fair Elf chuckled quietly to himself at the impatience of the 
dark before he spoke again. 

"Edain orthae ho, Elladan, ro quena ú i'lambe tel' Eldalie. Rúmil ar' 
Orophin one amin; ro naa mellonamin." 

Realisation had dawned on the face of the first Elf. "Nan' quena i'lambe 
tel' Westron, amin intya?" 

Celeborn nodded as he replied and smiled back, partly at the first Elf and 
partly at Haldir, the younger Elf noticed. 

"Uma, quena i'lambe tel' Westron. Ro istimuva quen i'lambe tel' Eldalie 
ar' sut nor rocchor re'na e' Imladris." 

The next thing Haldir knew, the first Elf had taken his hand and shaken it 
firmly, whilst speaking a fluent stream of Westron to him. 'Welcome to 
Imladris, Haldir; I am Elladan, and this is my brother, Elrohir.' 

He gestured to the dark-haired Elf with whom Celeborn had been 
conversing earlier; he smiled kindly at Haldir, although still quietly 
standing slightly behind Celeborn. Haldir looked over to him, and his 
hazel eyes widened as he did a double take. His head snapped from one 
side to the other in amazement, comparing the mirror images standing on 
either side of him, and three deep, musical laughs sounded around him. 

'Yes, we are twins,' continued Elladan, still smiling. 'We are the Lords of 
Imladris.' 

Haldir stiffened at this last comment and went to bow as he instinctively 
looked down at the floor, but a strong hand tightening around his shoulder 
prevented him from doing so. 

'No, aier,' warned Celeborn gently, 'remember what I have told you.' 
Haldir straightened again at this, although still keeping his gaze fixed on 
the floor; Elladan chuckled softly to himself and clapped the fair young 
Elf on the shoulder. 'You must make yourself at home here, Haldir. You 
are going to be living here for the foreseeable future, after all. Now, I 
expect that you are both weary and hungry from your journey; come, let us 
get you all some dinner and then you will be shown to your rooms.' 

Haldir looked up, and swiftly discovered that Celeborn and Elladan had 
vanished. He looked around anxiously, scanning the small crowd in the 
foyer, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and found 
himself peering into the liquid, chocolaty depths of Elrohir's 
compassionate eyes. 

'It appears that we have been abandoned, little one,' he smiled kindly, and 
Haldir found himself smiling back at the dark-haired Elven-lord. 'Come, 
follow me and I shall get you some food.' 

Haldir nodded in agreement, deciding that he liked this twin, and had 
taken only a few steps after him before he turned back to speak to him 
again, although this time with a definite knowing gleam in his eyes. 

'Oh, and Haldir?' 

Haldir looked at him in confusion. 'Yes, my lord?' 

'Look up.' 

Haldir cast his hazel eyes towards the ceiling after flashing the dark-haired 
Elf a somewhat bewildered glance, and gasped. The ceiling had been 
bewitched to resemble the sky, and at this moment was merging from pink 
into deep blue to match the sunset outside; bright stars could be seen 
gleaming in the higher, darker parts of the arched roof, and near the 
bottom of the western side the last still-golden rays of sunlight were 
fingering their way up to meet them. 

'So now do you see why Celeborn told you not to judge the house from the 
outside?' laughed Elrohir, breaking Haldir's momentary spellbound state 
and laying an arm around his shoulder. 'Come; dinner, then bed! You shall 
have plenty of time to haze at the ceiling when you are well-fed and well-
rested.' 

The younger silver-haired Elf nodded wordlessly, finally completely 
bewildered and overwhelmed by the surprises and secrets of that day that 
had left him totally drained and exhausted, and allowed himself to be 
escorted to the dining hall. 

~~~ 

Close to fifteen Elves were sitting around the table centred in the dining 
hall, comprising the remainder of their company that had travelled from 
‘Lórien, the two twins and both Celeborn and Haldir themselves, in 
addition to a few others whom Celeborn did not recognise, but assumed 
were permanent residents in the house. Haldir had been sandwiched 
between Elrohir and himself when they had arrived in order to make him 
feel a little more at ease, since he seemed to have taken a liking to the 
younger twin even in the short time that they had been at Imladris; it 
seemed to have worked, for the young silver-haired Elf was leaning 
contentedly against the high back of his chair with his hands folded across 
his abdomen. His captivating hazel eyes were ever so slightly glazed over 
as he focused on nothing in the middle distance, seemingly obliviously 
unaffected by the incessant Sindarin chatter that surrounded him 

Haldir then sighed wearily and caught Celeborn's attention. He finished 
his conversation and turned towards him at the same time as Elrohir did, 
and both Elven-lords gazed down at the younger Elf, smiling kindly. 

'I think it is time that you went to bed, don't you, aier?' murmured the 
former Lord of ‘Lórien to the fair young Elf. Haldir sighed wearily in 
response and nodded. 

Elrohir laughed softly. 'Yes, I agree. Come on, little one, let us show you 
to your chambers.' 

All three stood up, with a few murmured words of apology from the elder 
Elves to those who remained sitting at the table, and left the dining hall. 
The two fair Elves followed the dark as he led them up flights of stairs and 
along quiet passageways, until he finally stopped outside a closed door. 

'This is your room, Haldir; everything that you need is already in there.' 
Haldir smiled gratefully and stifled a yawn, and Celeborn and Elrohir 
grinned. 'I shall not keep you from slumber any longer, little one; I should 
be getting back to dinner, anyway. Sleep well, and I shall see you in the 
morning.' 

Haldir smiled again, and Celeborn placed a hand on his shoulder. "Diola 
lle, Elrohir, amin yanwuva rato." 

Elrohir raised an eyebrow pointedly with a sidelong glance at Haldir, 
which Celeborn caught and shook his head. "N'uma, n'sina dome," he 
muttered, equally as pointedly and tightening his hand around the younger 
Elf's shoulder. "Amin yanwuva rato." 

The dark-haired Elven lord nodded in acceptance. "Sai'thel, amin eleuva 
rato." He smiled and patted Haldir on the upper arm once more before he 
turned and walked back the way they had come. Celeborn smirked after 
him in quiet amusement and then looked back down at the fair young Elf, 
who seemed unaware of the entire exchange. Just as well, since he cannot 
understand it anyway, thought the silver-haired Elven-lord, as he placed a 
hand on Haldir's back and ushered him into the bedroom. 

*** 

Elvish Translations: 

Lle tyava quel? Mani naa essa en lle? Amin ú'omente lle n'ala - Are you 
well? What is your name? I have not met you before. 

Celeborn? Ya naa sina? Ro tyava quel? - Celeborn? Who is this? Is he 
well? 

Uma, tanya naa Haldir. Ro naa en er tel'lye - Yes, that is Haldir. He is one 
of us. 

Mae govannan, Haldir - Well met, Haldir. 

Ess'amin naa Elladan. Creoso an Imladris - My name is Elladan. 

Welcome to Imladris. 

Edain orthae ho, Elladan, ro quena ú i'lambe tel' Eldalie. Rúmil ar' 
Orophin one amin; ro naa mellonamin - he was raised by Men, Elladan, 
he does not speak Elvish. Rúmil and Orophin gave him to me; he is my 
consort. 

Nan' quena i'lambe tel' Westron, amin intva? - But he speaks Westron, I 
presume? 

Uma, quena i'lambe tel' Westron. Ro istimuva quen i'lambe tel' Eldalie ar' 
sut nor rocchor re'na e' Imladris - Yes, he speaks Westron. He will learn 
to speak Elvish and how to ride horses whilst in Imladris. 

Diola lle, Elrohir, amin yanwuva rato - Thank you, Elrohir, I shall join 
you shortly. 

N'uma, n'sina dome - No, not tonight. 

Sai'thel, amin eluva rato - Very well, I shall see you in a moment. 


***************  
CHAPTER 6  
*************** 

The Horse 

Falling asleep on his feet as he had been the night before, Haldir failed to 
notice the splendour of the room in which he was staying until his hazel 
eyes had focused the next morning and he sat up in the huge, soft bed; 
blinking blearily, he looked around the room, slowly awakening and 
absorbing his surroundings in silence. The room was cream and blue, and 
the floor was of a silvery stone that complimented the walls and the 
ornately carved furniture. A beam of golden morning sunlight that 
streamed through a crack in the floor-length curtains opposite the bed 
reflected brilliantly off the flagstones and onto the ceiling, casting dappled 
patterns onto the pale plaster. 

Haldir cast aside the beautifully embroidered bedclothes and stood, 
noticing the elegant sleeping robe that Celeborn had given him to wear the 
night before; he then walked over to the heavy blue velvet drapes, edged 
with silver ribbon, and drew them apart. 

He gasped; he had a balcony! Full-length glass doors showed a small 
rectangular area of stone, surrounded by wrought-iron railings and 
overlooking extensive gardens and the forest. He gingerly turned the silver 
doorknob, although he knew not why he should be feeling so cautious, and 
stepped out onto the silvery flagstones, walking over to lean on the 
railings and gaze upon the breathtaking view. Birds sang sweetly all 
around as he lost himself in the splendour of the setting, and the sun 
gradually appeared above the treetops. 

~~~ 

That was how Celeborn found him at about eleven o'clock, still gazing 
over the edge of the balcony as he leaned on the railings, dressed in his 
sleeping robe and lost in his thoughts. The silver-haired Elven-lord smiled 
to himself as he entered the younger Elf's chambers and saw this, before 
he made his way quietly over to the open windows and leaned against the 
doorframe. 

'Have you been awake for long, aier?' he asked softly. Haldir started, for 
he had not noticed the Elven-lord's presence, and turned around, wide-
eyed; he then relaxed when he saw Celeborn, and smiled back. 

'A while, yes, although I know not how long, exactly,' he murmured shyly, 
his bright hazel eyes darting back and forth, unable as the owner was to 
keep them from the sight below the balcony. 'I was just admiring the 
view.' 

Celeborn grinned and walked over to stand next to the younger Elf, 
placing an arm across his shoulders as they both turned to face the forest 
once more. 'Yes, it is most beautiful,' he agreed, slyly slipping the hand 
that dangled off the younger Elf's shoulder up to gently caress his jaw-line 
as he continued speaking, feigning nonchalance. ' I thought that perhaps 
we could take a ride through it today.' 

Haldir's head snapped round. 'Really?' he asked earnestly, worrying at his 
bottom lip in anticipation. Celeborn noted idly that this must be a little 
idiosyncrasy of the handsome younger Elf, and raised a delicate golden 
eyebrow. 

'If you wish to, yes.' He pursed his lips together, trying not to smile 
himself when a brilliant grin lit up Haldir's already attractive features, 
positively illuminating his face. 'We could even find you your own horse, 
if you feel confident enough.' 

Haldir practically exploded; his mouth opened and closed several times, 
but he was so overwhelmed that no words came out. Celeborn could not 
help grinning at this, and ruffled his silken, silvery hair affectionately 
before he took a step backwards. 

'Come on then, you had better get dressed!' he exclaimed when Haldir did 
not follow him, instead standing dumbly by the railings. 'I will find some 
clothes for you; get washed in the meantime. I will be back shortly.' 

*** 

When he returned several minutes later, laden with clothes kindly given to 
him by Elrohir, Haldir was sitting anxiously on the bed, still in his night 
robe. 

'Why are you not washed, aier?' questioned Celeborn, raising an eyebrow 
in surprise. 'I thought that you wished to go riding.' 
Haldir dropped his gaze and nibbled at his lower lip in embarrassment. 'I 
am washed,' he murmured softly, so much so that Celeborn had to strain 
his ears to hear. 'I just put this robe back on.' 

'Oh, I see.' Celeborn smiled kindly at the younger Elf's self-consciousness. 

'Do not worry about it. Here, I have some clothes for you to wear.' He held 
out a pair of the burgundy leggings and tunic and the golden shirt; the 
colours of Imladris had been the only clothes available that would have 
fitted Haldir's slim frame. 'Get dressed, then come and find me and I shall 
braid your hair. My room is three doors down, on the other side of the 
corridor.' 

He heard the younger Elf sigh in relief as he handed him the garments and 
turned to leave. I shall have to do something about this self-consciousness, 
he thought to himself. It will make his life so much more difficult than it 
need be. For the moment, however, he dismissed this minor problem, and 
made his way to his own chambers to finish readying himself. 

~~~ 

Haldir timidly knocked on the hard wooden door, and winced as he 
waited. He had already knocked on the wrong door twice in the past few 
minutes - the scarlet evidence of his embarrassment was lucidly showing 
through the screen of his silver hair - and was starting to think that perhaps 
he should spend the rest of the day in his own room instead. 

He wrung his hands nervously as he heard footsteps from inside the room, 
and heaved a sigh of relief when his wide hazel eyes met Celeborn's kind 
jade pair as he opened the door. 

'Ah, Haldir, come in,' he said, his deep, melodic voice soothing the 
younger Elf's frayed nerves, and placed a hand between his shoulder 
blades to usher him in. The tall Elven-lord motioned for Haldir to sit in a 
chair before a mirror and dressing table next to the window. He did so, 
albeit a little uncertainly, sitting rigid and stiff in his seat and still wringing 
his hands. 

Celeborn stepped up behind him and rested one hand on his shoulder, 
using the other to calmingly stroke his flawless cream cheek. 'Relax, aier,' 
he murmured reassuringly as he reached for a brush on the table, and then 
brought it up and gently started to comb through Haldir's soft, silvery hair. 
Haldir had never had his hair brushed by someone else before, but soon 
decided that he liked the sensation as the blunt ends of the wooden teeth 
ran over his scalp, sending pleasurable sensations through his tense body, 
which soon loosened up at the Elven-lord's ministrations. He sighed softly 
and closed his eyes, content to feel the gentle strokes of the brush and then 
the rhythmic motions of Celeborn's fingers as he deftly plaited the silken 
locks back from his face in simple braids. 

The now familiar deep, purring voice cut through his musings, and he 
opened his eyes and focused on the image of the elder Elf standing behind 
him in the mirror. 

'Before I forget to tell you, there is a welcoming feast being held tonight,' 
Celeborn was saying, still concentrating on tying off the last of the braids. 
'It starts at eight o'clock. I shall find you some clean clothes and redo your 
hair, but make sure that you are clean and ready.' He dropped the silver 
twist that he held between his long, slender fingers and stepped back, 
motioning for Haldir to get to his feet. 'Now, shall we go?' 

*** 

Haldir had hardly eaten at the brief breakfast they had taken, so excited 
had he been about the impending ride. Celeborn himself had taken little 
more than some bread and fruit, and the whole affair had taken no more 
that fifteen minutes. 

Now they were making their way to the stables, and it was all Haldir could 
do to refrain from bouncing childishly as they walked or skipping ahead in 
his anticipation. They went into the large barn, and Celeborn led them 
both to one stable containing a sleek bay mare; he opened the half-door 
and entered, speaking quietly to the animal the whole time. 

'This is Sadoriel,' he then said to Haldir, and motioned for him to go into 
the stable too. 'Her name means "faithful" in Elvish; she will take good 
care of you.' 

Haldir nodded but said nothing, instead stepping slowly up to the horse's 
side and extending a hand to stroke her shoulder. Her bright brown coat 
was soft to the touch and glistened under the light falling through the 
skylights in the ceiling, contrasting starkly with the ebony of her mane and 
tail. She turned her head to look round at him as he touched her, and he 
felt strangely drawn in by her deep, dark, gentle eyes that regarded him 
with such understanding. Smiling, he patted the area between her eyes 
with one hand and tickled her nose with the fingers of the other, then 
looked up when he felt a presence at his side. 

Celeborn had obviously slipped out to get the tack whilst he was getting to 
know his mount, for he was holding a bridle in his hand and a saddle was 
sitting on the half-door. He manoeuvred around Haldir and the mare and 
proceeded to slide the bit into her mouth and the bridle over her head, 
checking to make certain that the younger Elf was watching. He was, 
intently at that, keen as he was to learn, and took careful note of which 
straps went where as the Elven-lord fastened the bridle and then put on the 
saddle. 

Once he had finished, he took hold of the reins and spoke to Haldir. 'Come 
with me. I shall get you on first and then come back for my horse.' 

Haldir nodded enthusiastically and grinned when Celeborn led his mount 
out of the barn; he moved to the horse's side as he had learned from their 
journey, and Celeborn gave him a leg-up. He smiled to himself as he sat 
up in the saddle, noticing how, if nothing else, he could now at least get on 
and off with some manner of elegance, and held on tightly to the reins 
whilst waiting for the elder Elf to emerge with Hwesto. 

It did not take long before Celeborn had emerged from the barn, this time 
leading his own horse, and easily swung himself up into the saddle; they 
then set off side-by-side in the direction of the forest. 

As they walked, Celeborn spoke to Haldir about the basics of riding a 
horse; the younger Elf listened fixedly to every word, worrying at his 
lower lip as he tried to take in all that was being said, remember it, and 
concentrate on what he was doing, all at the same time, not to mention 
absorbing the beautiful surroundings, too. 

'We shall only walk for today, but you should learn some Elvish 
commands, too,' said Celeborn. Haldir's heart leapt at this and he grinned 
at the other Elf enthusiastically. 

'Oh, yes please!' he exclaimed, despite himself, and educed a contained 
snort from the Elven-lord at his side. 

'I thought you might say that! Now, the command for halt is "daro"; say it 
and give the aid.' 

Haldir repeated the command, enjoying the way in which the Elvish 
syllables rolled elegantly around his tongue, and at the same time placed a 
small amount of pressure on the reins. "Daro." 

Sadoriel stopped, and he beamed radiantly at Celeborn, who laughed 
again. 'Very good! Now, the command to walk on is "no' vano".' 

Haldir repeated it again, and squeezed the mare's sides gently with his 
heels. "No' vano." Sadoriel obeyed instantly, and they set off walking once 
more. Celeborn had stopped speaking for the moment, and Haldir now 
found that his eyes rather than his ears were drawn to the tall Elven-lord, 
sitting proud upon his horse. Admiration and respect, in conjunction with 
a strong liking for the other Elf welled up inside the younger, and he 
wondered. Why was he bothering with him? Why was he doing what he 
was doing, and taking care of him in this way? Haldir had had more 
attention paid to him in the past few days since he had met Celeborn than 
he had done in the rest of his entire life, and he could not help but 
deliberate on this fact. 

That same deep voice cut through his thoughts once more, as Celeborn 
started to speak to him again. He shook his head to absorb the instructions. 
'We should turn home now; the command to go left is "hyarya", and the 
command for right is "forya". Try one of those, and we shall go back to 
the barn.' 

"Hyarya." At this command, and a little pressure from his left rein and leg, 
Sadoriel turned to the left. Celeborn followed, and they made their way 
back to the house. 

TBC 

Ilye
"Evil is a point of view" ~Lestat~ 


***************  
CHAPTER 7  
***************
 
The Feast 

It was half past seven when Celeborn knocked on Haldir's bedroom door with another 
armful of clean clothes and a hairbrush balanced on top of the pile. There was no answer 
from within, so he turned the handle with one elbow and pushed the door open with his 
foot and quietly entered the room. A smile broke on his face when he saw the younger Elf 
sitting cross-legged upon the bed, frowning at the pages of a large open book in his lap. 

'Where did you find that, aier?' he asked softly. Haldir had obviously been so absorbed in 
what he was doing that he had again failed to notice the Elven-lord's presence, and 
looked up at him with a contained, startled expression on his face. 

'It was on the table over there,' he replied distractedly, gesturing with one hand and 
extending the book with the other so that Celeborn could see. He walked over to the bed 
and sat on the edge, peering at the words with interest. 

'It is Elvish,' he stated unnecessarily, running his fingers lightly over the paper before 
looking back up at the younger Elf. 'Do you understand any of it?' 

Haldir shrugged. 'Very little,' he said, gazing at the pages wistfully and fingering the hard 
spine that bound the manuscript. Celeborn gently reached out to take the book from him 
and closed it, then turned it so that Haldir could see the cover. He traced the fine, golden 
Tengwar impressions on the hard outer shell with one finger. 

'It reads "Ainulindale ar' Valaquenta", which means "The Music of the Ainur and 
Account of the Valar"; it is a collection of tales telling of the creation of Arda and the 
early days of the Eldar in Valinor. Perhaps you could try and read it, once you have had a 
few lessons in Elvish; I feel that it may contain some useful lessons for you.' 

Haldir's stunning face lit up brilliantly at the mention of Elvish lessons, and Celeborn 
wondered again at what pleasure such a seemingly simple thing could bring to him. 
'Really?' he exclaimed, bright hazel eyes wide in excitement. 'When can we start?' 

'Tomorrow, if you wish,' suggested the former Lord of ‘Lórien as he reached out to place 
the book on the table beside the bed and getting to his feet. 'It would appear that the 
sooner we start, the better!' He then turned to pick up the clothes from where he had 
placed them on one corner of the bed and handed them to Haldir. 'But in the meantime 
we have a feast to attend; here, put these on and I will redo your braids.' 

The younger Elf's cheeks reddened slightly at this comment, and he looked up guardedly 
at Celeborn. 'Now?' he questioned softly, nibbling anxiously at his lower lip once more. 
Celeborn raised one eyebrow and regarded him sceptically, knowing full well the reason 
for Haldir's embarrassment. 

'Yes, now.' His voice was insistent, and the younger Elf immediately averted his eyes 
ashamedly when he noted the tone that he had adopted, nodding in comprehension. 
Celeborn sighed; there was that damned self-consciousness emerging again. 

'Do not worry, I shall not look,' he assured him, now placing the pile of clothes in Haldir's 
lap since he had not taken them from him. He then deliberately picked up the book that 
he had left on the nightstand and made his way over to a small table and chair in the 
corner, sitting so that his back was turned to the bed and burying his nose in the pages. 

He could hear Haldir get off the bed and begin to undress; the soft swish of cloth and 
shuffling of feet told him that the younger Elf also had his back turned, and he could not 
help but steal a brief glance over his shoulder. Even though Haldir had his back to him, 
he was still extremely taken by his beauty; his chest and back were bare, the lack of 
clothing displaying immaculate pale skin, stretched over the firm flesh and delicate bones 
that comprised his slender frame. Naturally toned muscles stirred under the creamy 
surface as he reached out to take the burgundy shirt from the bed and slipped it on, its 
soft fabric hanging in all the right places over his body and accentuating his lithe form. 
Nimble fingers flew up the tiny buttons, drawing the gap in the shirt closed over his 
chest; the hands then dropped to below his waist and hesitantly unlaced the leggings, 
pulling them open and away from his slim hips. 

Celeborn instinctively licked his lips, for his mouth had suddenly gone dry, as Haldir then 
slid the thick maroon fabric over his pelvis and down his long, lean legs without even a 
backward glance. Taught, toned buttocks were revealed as the leggings that had covered 
them pooled on the floor around his ankles, and flexed enticingly as Haldir stepped out of 
them and into the clean pair. Something stirred inside him as first fingers and then rich 
maroon cloth brushed past the smooth, velvety skin, and he shook his head violently to 
clear it of the wicked involuntary thoughts that sprang to mind. Haldir now began to 
fasten the laces once more, and he quickly turned his eyes back to the script on the table 
in front of him, though he did not make an attempt to read any of it. 

'Thank you, I am finished.' Haldir's voice was soft and still contained notes of 
embarrassment, but showed no sign that he knew that Celeborn had watched him change. 
It is just as well, thought the Elven-lord to himself. No doubt he would be absolutely 
mortified if he knew. 

He closed the book where it lay on the table and abandoned it there, instead standing up 
and moving back over to the bed where Haldir was just finishing putting on the tunic that 
he had been given. He picked up the hairbrush from where it lay on the bed and motioned 
for Haldir to sit in a chair as he had done earlier that morning. He said nothing as he 
undid the braids that he had created previously and combed out the silken silver locks 
that seemed to obey everything his fingers told them to do, much like their owner; he did 
not trust himself quite yet to say anything that would not spook the younger Elf and let 
him know that he had not kept his promise to keep his eyes averted whilst he dressed. 

Haldir visibly relaxed beneath his attentions, much as he had done that morning, and 
sighed softly when he felt Celeborn tie off the last silver braid and let it fall to his 
shoulder. Round hazel eyes were turned up to meet his own jade pair, gratitude shining in 
the former; the owner of the latter smiled. 

'Come, then, shall we make our way downstairs?' 

~~~ 

Haldir felt himself becoming more and more tense as he followed Celeborn through the 
corridors of Imladris towards the dining halls, for there seemed to be a huge number of 
other people rushing around, all seemingly dressed for the feast; he had not imagined that 
it would be such a large occasion, and felt anxiety creeping up on him at the thought of 
being surrounded by so many unknown people. 

They swept into the dining halls just as the clock was striking eight o'clock - or at least 
Celeborn swept in; Haldir peered nervously through the doorway and faltered, before 
slipping quietly inside and sticking close to Celeborn's side. The tall, silver-haired Elf-
lord was standing next to one of the twins when he found him, although Haldir was 
unsure which brother he was talking to until the dark-haired Elf turned to him and smiled 
kindly, letting Haldir know that it was Elrohir. 

'Good evening, Haldir,' said the twin cheerfully, beaming at him brightly, and the 
younger fair Elf relaxed a little. 'I hear you have had a good day; did you enjoy your 
ride?' 

A smile of his own crept across Haldir's face at this thought. 'Yes, thank you!' he 
murmured shyly, causing both Elven-lords to chuckle softly. 'It was wonderful, I have 
never -- ' 

He was cut off at this point by Elladan, who suddenly appeared at their sides, chattering 
swiftly in Elvish. " 'Quel undome, Celeborn, Haldir, amin estela llie valina. Nan' 
gwador-nîn, lle demade tog mellyn-lye yulnea. Tula, vasa ar’ yulna en i’mereth - malia 
ten' fion?" 

Haldir's brow creased, for he knew that he was being spoken to but could neither 
understand nor reply. He glanced up anxiously at Celeborn, not wishing to appear rude to 
the Elven-lord who had obviously forgotten that he could not speak Sindarin; fortunately 
for him, however, Elrohir nudged his twin in the ribs and whispered to him. "Lle naa 
penmalia, Elladan, lle demade Haldir quena ú i'lambe tel' Eldalie. Nao seasu ar' queno 
Westron." 

Elladan raised an eyebrow pointedly and pursed his lips. "Ro naa'than sarig'mool, 
gwador-nîn, ro thela kai sinome." 

Elrohir frowned at his double, and Celeborn shot him a vicious look whilst placing a hand 
protectively on Haldir's shoulder. The young blond Elf looked around in confusion to see 
what the Elven-lords were arguing about. 

"Tanya nae penante, Elladan," hissed Elrohir, narrowing his eyes. "Kelo; aayo n'at 
i'gwaith sennui." As his brother stalked off in the direction he had come, Haldir saw him 
shoot a meaningful glance at Celeborn from the corner of his dark eyes, before turning to 
the younger Elf and smiling. 'I apologise for that, Haldir,' he sighed, shaking his head 
slowly. 'My brother can be quite the insensitive fool at times. Now; let me get you both 
something to drink before dinner starts.' 

He walked off in an unknown direction, leaving Haldir standing alone with Celeborn for 
the time being. The younger Elf looked up at the elder in question. 'What was that about?' 
he asked curiously, widening his hazel eyes imploringly. The fair Elven-lord shook his 
head. 

'Oh, nothing for you to worry about, aier, just a little sibling rivalry,' he murmured 
distractedly, just as Elrohir returned carrying two cups and handed one to each of the 
blond Elves. Haldir took his and looked into it, intrigued. 

'What is this?' he enquired softly, and immediately found two pairs of incredulous eyes, 
one jade and one chocolate, fixed upon him. 

'It is wine; have you never had wine before?' said Elrohir, disbelief perceptible in his soft, 
musical voice. Haldir shook his head and sniffed the deep purple liquid, inhaling the 
heady aroma. The dark-haired Elven-lord laughed quietly as he then blinked, surprised by 
the effect of the fumes, and took the cup from him. 

'In that case I think I had better add some water to this!' he grinned, and vanished again. 
Celeborn laughed to himself and took a sip of his own drink, just as a voice sounded out 
around the room. 

"Melloneamin, vasa naa tue! Nîn gwador ar' amin utunea llie vasa ar' yulna en 
merethlye!" 

The guests began to make their way to the long table, laden with food, that ran down the 
centre of the room. Celeborn placed a hand on Haldir's back and began to usher him 
towards their seats. 'That meant that dinner is ready,' he said as they walked to their 
places. 'Come, you must be starving!' 

*** 

Haldir leaned back against his chair, satiated and contented. The food had been 
unbelievable, especially since Celeborn had not rationed his portions tonight - or with the 
food, at least. Being unaccustomed to alcohol as he was he was only permitted one glass 
of diluted wine, yet even that had made him feel a little light-headed. It flowed freely for 
the other guests, he noticed, and in particular saw that, despite continuously drinking, 
Celeborn's glass was never empty. He did not complain, however, for there had been 
plenty of other things to occupy his senses, from the exquisite food laid before him, to the 
tasteful decor of the large, spacious dining hall, to the continuous melodic babble of 
Sindarin accompanied by the soft singing of minstrels in the corner. It mattered not to 
him that nobody had spoken a word of Westron to him since the feast had begun as he 
closed his eyes briefly and sighed deeply, folding his hands across his swollen stomach, 
content to merely listen to the surrounding sounds for the time being. 

He was awoken from his reverie, however, by a hand gently shaking his shoulder a few 
moments later, and he lazily opened his eyes to see Celeborn looking down at him. The 
Elven-lord's own eyelids looked as heavy as Haldir's felt, drowsy as he was from the 
wine and the large amount of food that he had consumed, and his deep voice was slightly 
slurred as he spoke. 

'Do you wish to go to bed, aier?' he asked, cocking his head a little as jade eyes met 
hazel. 'I will take you if you wish to go.' 

Haldir yawned as he nodded. 'Yes, please,' he murmured sleepily. 'If you would be so 
kind...' 

Celeborn laughed, although Haldir was uncertain why. 'Oh, of course, of course!' he 
exclaimed, rather loudly in the younger Elf's ear. 'Come on then, upstairs with you!' 
Both fair Elves got to their feet, noticed only by the twins who looked at them 
expectantly. Elladan cleared his throat, catching Celeborn's attention. 

"Saes, lava lye kel," he murmured to the two brothers. Elladan cast a knowing glace at his 
double as he replied. 

"Uma, tanaka, sano vee' sailû vee' llie ant," he replied, a sly smirk creeping across his 
face. Elrohir shook his head at whatever his brother had said, but Haldir had no time to 
decipher the meaning for he was ushered out of the door and into the silent corridor. 
Celeborn led him back the way they had come before until they reached Haldir's 
chambers again; however, instead of stopping outside, Celeborn led him on until they 
were standing outside his own instead. Haldir was about to speak, when he was stopped 
by a hand cupping his cheek. He turned his head back towards Celeborn, surprised, only 
to see the jade orbs that were fixed upon him filled with a strange, slightly unsettling 
emotion that he could not quite define. 

'Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?' murmured the elder Elf softly, gently 
caressing Haldir's cheek with his thumb. The hazel eyes went wide, even more so when 
the other hand dropped to rest lightly atop their owner's slim hip, and he gulped and 
shook his head silently, at a loss for words. 

'Very well, then let me be the first; you are very, very beautiful,' purred Celeborn softly, 
and Haldir stiffened unconsciously when he saw the emotion in the Elven-lord's eyes 
darken the jade irises to a shade of olive. 

'Th-thank you,' he stammered, uncertain of what else to say. That problem was soon 
solved for him, however, for the thumb that had been stroking his cheek moved upwards 
into his hair, and brushed firmly against the delicate pointed tip of his ear. He gasped 
despite himself at the pleasurable sensation and his eyes fluttered closed for the briefest 
of moments; when they re-opened he saw that Celeborn was now smiling at him again, 
only this time with something other than kindness and understanding written on his face. 
The hand left his hip and moved behind him to grasp the handle and open the door, and 
he worried at his lower lip in his incomprehension of the situation. 

'Come, aier,' slurred Celeborn, stepping backwards and forcing him inside the room. 'I 
think it is time for bed.' 

*** 

Elvish translations: 

'Quel undome, Celeborn, Haldir, amin estela llie valina. Nan' gwador-nîn, lle demade 
tog mellyn-lye yulnea. Tula, vasa ar’ yulna en i’mereth - malia ten' fion? - Good evening, 
Celeborn, Haldir, I hope you are enjoying yourselves. But my brother, you have forgotten 
to get our friends a drink. Come, eat and drink of the feast - would you like some wine? 

Lle naa penmalia, Elladan, lle demade Haldir quena ú i'lambe tel' Eldalie. Nao seasu ar' 
queno Westron - You are careless, Elladan, you have forgotten that Haldir does not speak 
Elvish. Be polite and speak Westron. 

Ro naa'than sarig'mool, gwador-nîn, ro thela kai sinome - He is nothing beyond a sex 
servant, brother, he holds no significance here. 

Tanya nae penante, Elladan - That was unnecessary, Elladan. 

Kelo; aayo n'at i' gwaith senni - Go away; greet the other guests instead. 

Melloneamin, vasa naa tue! Nîn gwador ar' amin utunea llie vasa ar' yulna en merethlye! 
- My friends, dinner is served! My brotherr and I invite you to eat and drink of our feast! 

Saes, lava lye kel - Please excuse us. 

Uma, tanaka, sano vee' sailû vee' llie ant - Yes, of course, take as much time as you need. 

A/N: A warning for this chapter: explicit NCS ahead, NC-17 rating. 


***************  
CHAPTER 8  
*************** 

The Broken Promise 

Haldir could not help backing away from Celeborn as he advanced 
towards him. The Elven-lord had locked the door behind him and then 
rounded on the younger Elf, who was already standing a few steps away 
and regarding him with wide eyes, chewing hard on his lower lip; 
Celeborn cocked his head curiously and stepped towards him, and Haldir 
immediately took another step back. This motion was repeated several 
times until Haldir felt his knees connect with the edge of the bed behind 
him, and he cursed silently to himself. 

'There, there, easy, aier,' soothed the elder Elf gently, moving to stand 
directly in front of him and resuming caressing his cheek. 'You should 
know that you do not have to run away from me; you should know that I 
will take care of you. I will not hurt you.' 

Haldir gulped and could feel himself shaking underneath Celeborn's touch; 
part of him believed his elder when he said that he would not harm him, 
but at the same time the strange situation and unknown emotions flashing 
in the dark green eyes unnerved him and made his heart flutter in panic. 

Celeborn pushed his shoulders gently. 'Sit down,' he instructed gently. 
Haldir did as he was told, although his eyes never left the other Elf who 
then knelt before him and gazed into the hazel orbs; he was so tall that 
their faces were now level. Both hands now came up to cup his cheeks, 
and he brought his face so close that Haldir could actually feel his warm 
breath grazing past his chin. 'You are beautiful, you know,' he slurred 
softly; Haldir suddenly found that the breath was coming closer and closer 
to his face, until it was brushing past his very lips. 

He stiffened at the sudden realisation of what was happening, just at the 
same time as Celeborn tenderly covered his lips with his own. Gentle yet 
insistent hands, one at the base of his skull and one at the side of his head, 
prevented him from pulling backwards, so instead he sat, rigid and scared 
on the bed, as the Elven-lord kissed him. 

After a few moments the lips left his, and that familiar deep voice cut 
through the darkness. He realised that he had his eyes squeezed tightly 
shut, and opened them tentatively to see a pair of darkened green, half-
lidded, regarding him. 

'Relax, Haldir, you are far too tense,' purred the silver-haired Elf in front 
of him; he tried to do as he was told, but could not help but remain frozen 
on the bed. He still kept his eyes on Celeborn's; they widened, then, and 
all his futile attempts to loosen up slightly were dashed when the Elven-
lord brought his face close to his again. 

'You seem to be having a little trouble,' came a deep murmur, breath 
ghosting past Haldir's lips once more. He shut his eyes again. 'Here, let me 
help you.' 

Soft lips were pressed against his as they were before; except for this time 
the hand at the side of his head shifted position a little, and a thumb was 
brushed deliberately against the tip of his ear. He sucked in breath sharply 
over his teeth as Celeborn, who was now running his thumb repeatedly 
over the sensitive flesh, expertly played this weak spot as a musician 
would play his instrument, drawing sweet music from the beautifully 
sculpted wood. 

The Elven-lord's thumb then touched a particularly delicate point of skin, 
and despite all his best efforts Haldir could not help but part his lips and 
moan quietly. This was exactly what Celeborn had been waiting for, he 
deduced in shock, for a tongue immediately entered his mouth, drawing 
him deeper still into this unwanted kiss. 

Celeborn tasted warm and sweet and spicy like the wine that he had been 
drinking, but unlike the liquid the flavour of the Elven-lord was more 
potent and had greater texture. The heady taste was spread all around his 
mouth as it was meticulously explored by the tongue inside it, tracing the 
lines of his teeth and palette. Pleasurable sensations were still being 
bestowed upon him by the firm touches on his ear, but it did not aid him in 
relaxing one bit, and made no difference to the feeling of panic and the 
uncomfortable ache that were ominously rising in his stomach. 

He did not pull back, because he could not, but thankfully, just as the 
panic was beginning to rise up his throat and threatening to choke, 
Celeborn pulled away from him, licking his lips. 

'Mmmm, you taste wonderful, aier,' he commented, and Haldir felt 
himself begin to shake again as the hands that had held his head slid 
southwards down his shoulders, coming to sit his hips. His breath caught 
in his throat when Celeborn first slipped the tunic over his head, it being 
blatantly clear that the elder Elf very well intended his fingers to skate up 
his abdomen as he lifted it, and then returned to toy with the buttons on the 
shirt as his hands rested lightly over his breast. 

Those long, slender fingers now began to undo the buttons, allowing the 
shirt to hang, open, from his shoulders and reveal his firm chest as he 
slumped forwards a little, training his eyes on the floor and feeling the 
burn of shame stain his pale cheeks crimson. Hands slipped the shirt from 
his shoulders now, and it slid down to lie, forgotten, in a golden puddle on 
the bed, before they crept back up and commenced stroking Haldir's chest. 
He sucked in breath over his teeth again as the fingers occasionally 
brushed firmly past his nipples, coaxing them to hard, rosy buds despite 
his best efforts to prevent them from doing so. Although he had never 
been touched so intimately before he had a fair idea of what was 
happening, but could not understand why his body was still responding to 
the carefully placed touches and strokes regardless of the sickened dread 
in the pit of his stomach; the mind's complete incomprehension of why the 
flesh thought it wanted this. 

His breathing grew shallow as Celeborn continued to caress his chest for 
what seemed like an eternity, but in reality could only have been a few 
short minutes. He clenched his teeth together to prevent himself from 
gasping at the undeniably pleasant sensations; then they stopped. He let 
out a long-held breath in relief, but only to suck it back in sharply when 
the hands found their way to his shoulders and placed a firm, insistent 
backwards pressure on them. 

'Lie down, melui'ramin,' murmured the Elven-lord softly as he got to his 
feet. Haldir swallowed hard at this next command, but nonetheless did as 
he was told, lying back awkwardly and fixing his bright hazel eyes on the 
ceiling. He could feel the panic rising again from the pit of his stomach, 
which no amount of rational explanations could quell, and now, along 
with the panic he felt the insides of his eyelids begin to prickle. He blinked 
furiously and managed to restrain the tears for the time being, but was 
unable to disguise the tremors that shook his slender frame when Celeborn 
climbed up next to him on the bed and sat astride his hips. 

Somehow, although Haldir could not recall when, exactly, Celeborn had 
divested himself of his shirt and tunic and was now bare-chested like 
himself. The Elven-lord smirked down at him from his advantageous 
position, a predatorial glint in his lust-filled emerald eyes, before he 
lowered his face to Haldir's and proceeded to kiss him, firmly and 
passionately, once more. Haldir was too disgusted by the tongue that was 
invading his mouth to notice Celeborn's wandering hands, until he 
suddenly felt a tugging at the laces that fastened his leggings and stiffened 
on the bed. 

Celeborn now withdrew from his mouth and slid down his body to fiddle 
with the fastenings; laces were untied painfully slowly, and then he began 
to tug the burgundy fabric over the younger Elf's slim hips. Despite all that 
he remembered being told about submission and following master's 
orders, Haldir could not suppress a small, choked sob that welled up from 
his throat at this, and he whimpered softly. 

'No, please, no,' he cried; his voice was quiet and filled with pain and 
notes of pleading, and he silently beseeched Celeborn to stop with 
glistening hazel eyes as the Elven-lord played with the cloth at his hips. 

Heavily lidded darkened jade orbs were turned to him. 'But you want this, 
you know you want this,' insisted the other, finally pulling Haldir's 
leggings down to his knees. Haldir closed his eyes tightly as his most 
private parts were revealed and bit his lip hard, his face scarlet with 
embarrassment. 

'You are so beautiful - far too beautiful a creature to allow to go to waste,' 
purred Celeborn, then taking Haldir's still flaccid sex in-hand and stroking 
it firmly. The paint of arousal began to join the colour on Haldir's already 
burning cheeks as he felt strange stirring within his body at this, and he 
whimpered again. 

'No, no, please stop...' 

'You know you want this; you cannot deny it,' insisted the Elven-lord, 
relentless in his caressing that was causing a burning heat to rise between 
Haldir's legs. 'If you do not, then why is your body telling me otherwise?' 

He now ran his thumb over the slit at the top of the column of growing 
flesh, and Haldir's breath caught in his throat as a shudder rippled through 
his body. He writhed on the bed, tortured, as Celeborn continued to touch 
and stroke him, despite the pleas for him to stop, that he did not want this, 
that there must be another way...but still the hands on his body were 
everywhere at once; they repulsed him, and his own fingers clutched at the 
sheets in desperation. 

Eventually Celeborn appeared to tire of this sport - all the while he had 
been murmuring gentle, soothing words to the younger Elf, who, by this 
point, was almost sobbing from the conflict of his carnal and emotional 
torments - for now the words ceased, alongside the caresses, and strong 
hands instead moved upwards to his slender waist. Haldir felt himself 
being lifted and turned until he found himself lying on his front instead, 
and he gratefully buried his scarlet face in the embroidered coverlet, 
oblivious of what was to follow. 

If he had been listening, he would have heard the quiet rustle of cloth of 
leggings being removed as a prelude to the cool, soft, oily fingers that then 
made their way to the cleft between his buttocks. He moaned, then, a low, 
keening sound of desperation and agony, for the bed shifted beneath the 
weight of another who proceeded to straddle his thighs. The moan turned 
into a choked sob as two fingers then parted his buttocks and slid quickly 
and slickly inside him, probing hard and deep as if they sought something; 
he began to writhe in discomfort and disgust at himself, burying his head 
deeper into the mattress to hide the silver streaks that stained each crimson 
cheek, only to freeze when he twisted into a searing, immovable heat that 
pressed into the inside of his thigh. 

A gasp from behind caught his attention, and the fingers were removed 
from inside him. His shoulders slumped as he prayed to the Valar that this 
was the end, although he knew in his heart of hearts that there was yet 
more to follow; sure enough the rock-hard heat shifted from where it 
pressed into his thigh so that it was now positioned right at the still-tight 
entrance to his body. 

The realisation of what was truly about to happen now sank in, and he 
began to struggle and cry out on the bed. 

'No, please, no, get off me...you cannot do this, I do not want this, I -- ' 

His hips and upper thighs were gripped tightly between Celeborn's own, 
and he was swiftly silenced by a sharp bite to his shoulder. He fell back 
down to the bed, whimpering softly and his back shaking with unreleased 
sobs. 

'Now heed my words, aier,' hissed Celeborn in his head; he had leant 
forwards so that his chest covered Haldir's back, and the younger Elf could 
still feel the evidence of the elder's desire pushing against his opening. 
'You will enjoy this. You do want this; your body tells me that you want 
this...' 

A hand was slipped underneath his stomach to grasp his still-throbbing 
erection and resumed stroking it as if to prove a point, and Haldir could 
not help shuddering from the unwanted pleasure that he had tried so hard 
to shun. 

'And besides,' continued Celeborn, his voice now growing soft and 
soothing once more, 'I want this. You are mine - I have marked you -' he 
tenderly licked the bruise that was already forming on Haldir's shoulder, 
'and you will enjoy this. Let yourself enjoy this.' 

Haldir nodded, more out of habit since he was being told to obey someone 
rather than because he wanted to follow the orders, and buried his face in 
the sheets once more. 

'Now relax,' murmured the Elven-lord, moving both hands to grip Haldir's 
hips. And then, without warning, he flexed his hips and entered the 
younger Elf in one short, sharp, fluid stroke. 

Haldir screamed in pain at this, his agonised cries muffled somewhat by 
the bedclothes that he was biting down onto. Hands clutched at the sheets 
above his head, wringing them for all they were worth as though doing so 
would somehow make this blistering, sundering heat in his lower body 
vanish; he could hear gasping and panting emitted from above him, for 
Celeborn had begun to thrust back and forth inside him, and sobs shook 
his body as his tears now flowed in earnest. 

The Elven-lord now changed his angle slightly and thrust harder and 
deeper, and then suddenly brushed past a small, hidden spot deep inside 
the younger Elf. A choked gasp emerged involuntarily from Haldir's 
throat, for a wave of ecstasy shook his entire frame, mingling strangely 
with the over-full heat and pain in his lower abdomen and causing him to 
relax just the tiniest amount. 

He felt the whole area of bedclothes underneath him becoming damp, 
from a combination of tears wept freely now, sweat evoked from the 
occasional jolts of bliss that would sweep through him when Celeborn 
touched that sweet spot and momentarily still the burning inside, and also 
from a sticky liquid that was secreted from his own throbbing erection. It 
was not long before the Elven-lord slipped his hand underneath Haldir's 
stomach again and began to stroke him as he had done before, even as his 
thrusts were becoming more and more erratic; in his own turn, Haldir felt 
a tightening between his legs as the added pleasure coerced from his 
erection combined with the pain and ecstasy inside him, and he bit down 
so hard on his lip that he tasted blood to keep from crying out anymore. 

Above him Celeborn shuddered and groaned loudly, and his grip tightened 
where his hands lay on Haldir's body, one wrapped around his erection 
and one still resting on his hip. The forceful constriction around his hard 
flesh caused him to lose himself against his will, and even at the same 
time as the pain that already existed inside him burst into a mass of 
stinging as Celeborn shot his seed deep within, ecstasy spiralled around 
him and soothed the agony from the inside out. 

The Elven-lord then collapsed on top of him, panting hard and his body 
hot and drenched with sweat. Haldir was pressed even deeper into the 
mattress, but he did not care, simply sobbing his heart out into the covers 
at the same time as he tried to suck air into his starved lungs whilst he lay 
there, shivering. Eventually Celeborn rolled off his back, slowly 
withdrawing his now flaccid member at the same time, and, between his 
sobs and near-hyperventilation, Haldir vaguely registered feeling strangely 
empty and lost at this as he was drawn into the elder Elf's warm, strong 
arms. 

His silver hair was stroked and his brow tenderly kissed, before Celeborn 
positioned Haldir's head on his chest and allowed him to sob into his 
shoulder as he pulled the blankets up over the pair of them. Haldir felt too 
weak and drained, both physically and mentally from his bodily and 
mental war, to resist this, despite the feeling of revulsion that he felt; 
inexplicably, though, he also felt safe and wanted in the embrace, but did 
not have the strength to fathom it out. 

His sobs began to subside as Celeborn murmured softly to him; it was in 
Elvish, and despite not being able to understand what was being said it 
soothed his battered flesh and soul more than words that he could have 
comprehended. 

"Shhh, dino lisse'-nîn, melui'ramin," he muttered, cradling Haldir's silver 
head to his breast as he spoke. "Lanto kaima, quel esto - amin caela lle 
sii'." 

Soon Haldir felt the lull of slumber beckoning him, accompanied by the 
strangely settled feeling that follows weeping, and he fell asleep against 
both his aggressor and his defender. 

TBC 

Elvish Translations: 

Melui'ramin - My pretty one 

Shhh, dino lisse'-nîn, melui'ramin - Shhh, quiet my sweet, my pretty one. 

Lanto kaima, quel esto - amin caela lle sii' - Go to sleep, rest well - I've 
got you now. 


***************  
CHAPTER 9  
*************** 

The Morning After 

It was still dark when Haldir awoke with a start, his body having rested 
enough to allow him the strength to move again. He stiffened when he 
realised that he was still loosely cradled against Celeborn, and carefully 
slid out of his arms so as not to wake him. His entire body ached, not to 
mention the fire that burned in his lower abdomen, and he felt sick to the 
pit of his stomach. He felt none of it, however, for at that moment the only 
thing on his mind was his desperation to remove himself from the entire 
situation. 

He stood up cautiously and backed away from the bed for a few steps, 
cursing beneath his breath when he accidentally knocked something from 
the nightstand. Celeborn stirred a little but did not awaken, merely turned 
over in his sleep so that his back was to Haldir, muttering something 
almost inaudibly from within his dreams. Haldir sighed in relief and made 
for the door, silently but fast, only to stop again when he realised that he 
was still completely naked. 

He looked around anxiously, searching for something to cover himself 
with, and caught sight of a discarded robe on a nearby chair. He snatched 
it up and wrapped himself in it, oblivious to the fact that it actually 
belonged to the Elven-lord, and turned again to the door, stealing out of 
the room and closing it behind him without so much as a creak or a tap. 

Once in the corridor it took Haldir a few moments to regain his bearings, 
but when he had done so he made straight for his own room. The 
passageway was deserted, the reason for it being displayed by the large 
clock upon the wall that read a quarter to three. Haldir was eternally 
grateful for this, since his passage was wobbly and he stumbled several 
times in his haste, often having to reach out to steady himself against the 
wall. After what seemed to him like an eternity, he reached the door and 
slid inside, locking it behind him and making straight for the bed. 

Before he reached it, however, he felt a tightening in his stomach, and 
looked around desperately for some sort of container. Seeing a bowl on a 
stand in the corner, originally made for washing, he rushed over to it and 
promptly emptied the contents of his stomach into it. He vomited for 
several long minutes until the retching gave way to dry heaves. When the 
convulsing that shook his whole slender finally ceased he stumbled 
shakily over to the bed where he had first been headed. 

The robe was shrugged off with obvious awkwardness, for the pain 
throughout his battered body had now begun to manifest itself, and as he 
lifted one leg to stiffly climb up onto the bed something twinged inside his 
belly, making him wince and bite his lip to prevent himself from crying 
out. A hot trickle slid down the inside of one thigh, but he ignored it 
knowing that nothing could be done, instead continuing with his graceless 
clamber. Once he had collapsed, exhausted, onto the bed, he wrapped the 
sheets around himself with his knees pulled up to his chest, curling into a 
ball in the middle of the huge mattress and burying his face into the 
pillow. The tears returned along with memories and visions that he could 
not eradicate from his mind, no matter how hard he tried, and his back 
shook with the silent sobs as he fell into slumber, fitful and disturbed. 

~~~ 

Celeborn's head was pounding when he returned to consciousness; he had 
to loosen his tongue from the roof of his mouth before he was able to 
groan, and the sunlight streaming in through the open drapes hurt his eyes 
and his brain. 

Valar, I wonder how much feywine I actually drank last night, he mused 
as he threw back the covers and got to his feet, making his way over to the 
washstand where he splashed some cool water onto his face in a vain 
attempt to refresh himself and regain his composure. He caught the silvery 
drops of liquid that dripped from his chin with a towel and blinked, feeling 
a slight improvement, when he noticed a pair of maroon leggings lying on 
the floor. Not recognising them to be his he wandered over to them and 
picked them up, frowning at a nagging thought in the back of his mind that 
refused to make itself known but at the same time just would not to 
vanish. He surveyed the room with as much attention as he could muster, 
when he then spied a flash of golden fabric between the layers of the bed 
sheets and the blankets. 

He extracted the shirt from the bedclothes and examined it; it appeared to 
be Haldir's, along with the leggings.Where...what...but Haldir..? 

Panic assailed him as an accompaniment to the ominous flashbacks that he 
could not quite place; he swept back the sheets from the mattress and 
cursed loudly, for there were marks on them that could only be recognised 
as semen and blood. He then made for the door, pausing only to swipe 
another robe from the wardrobe, since his was not immediately to hand, 
and strode anxiously down the corridor to Haldir's room. 

He stopped at the door, his hand halfway between the handle and the 
motion to knock, at a loss for what to do; he allowed his hand to fall to his 
side again and sighed heavily, using the fingers of one hand to pinch the 
bridge of his nose. If I really did this last night, then surely I will be the 
last person Haldir wants to see right now, he berated himself, closing his 
eyes and moving so that he was leaning with his back to the wall, allowing 
both hands to fall to his sides. And yet, I have to make certain that he is 
not too badly injured...what if... 

It appeared that his indecisiveness served him well, for at that moment his 
thoughts were interrupted by the sound of light footfalls reverberating 
from further down the corridor. He opened his eyes and looked up, to see 
Elrohir walking towards him. The dark-haired Elven-lord was beaming, 
but the grin soon faded from his face when he saw the crestfallen 
expression of the former Lord of ‘Lórien. 

"Ata'da, whatever is the matter?" he asked with concern, stepping up 
beside his grandfather and laying a hand upon his shoulder. "Why are you 
standing out here in the corridor? And wearing such an expression?" 

Celeborn sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose again as he 
replied. "It is Haldir - last night...I...I think I..." He tailed off and cast his 
eyes downwards, thus missing the frown that crossed Elrohir's features. 

"Is he hurt?" was the first question that came to both his mind and his lips, 
for what had happened between Celeborn and his consort was already 
perfectly lucid in his head. The fair Elf shrugged, still keeping his eyes 
fixed firmly upon the floor. 

"I don't know...I was about to check, but then I thought..." 

"Would you like me to take a look?" suggested the darker of the two 
gently, earning himself a grateful smile from the fairer. 

"Oh, would you? I think you have his trust, you know...I would do it 
myself, only..." He shrugged his shoulders, at a loss for anything else to 
do. 

Elrohir silenced him with a wave of his hand, and squeezed his shoulder 
tighter with the other. "I know, I know. Now, may I suggest that you make 
yourself look halfway decent and then go and find Elladan? He will know 
what to do with you; I think he may be in the library." 

The hand on Celeborn's shoulder was now being used to usher him back in 
the direction of his rooms, and he reluctantly obeyed as the dark-haired 
Elven-lord turned to enter Haldir's room. 

"Elrohir?" Celeborn's voice was soft and sad as he turned in the middle of 
the corridor one last time, but it still caught his friend's attention. "I never 
meant to hurt him." 

Elrohir smiled wistfully in way of a reply, before tapping gently on the 
door and waiting. After a few moments there was still no answer or sound 
from within, so he tried the handle, only to find it locked. He frowned to 
himself and got down on one knee, extracting a small dagger from the side 
of his boot as he did so, and then proceeded to skilfully and silently pick 
the lock. 

It was only a few seconds before he heard a soft click, and got to his feet 
again. This time the door opened when he turned the handle and he slipped 
quietly inside, closing it behind him behind him. His attention was 
immediately drawn to the bed when he glanced around the room, and his 
brow creased when he saw the sight that occupied it. 

Haldir was curled up, asleep, in the centre of the double bed, so huge that 
it made him seem as small and insignificant as he probably felt. The sheets 
were drawn up to his chin and he was clutching the material from beneath 
them; they were white and almost matching his pale, tear-streaked face 
that was only a shade or two darker, save a dark red patch about halfway 
down them that caused the fabric to stick to his body. 

Elrohir gritted his teeth and padded over to the bed, noticing on his way a 
bowl on the floor that Haldir had obviously been sick into. Not that I 
blame him, he thought as he knelt beside the bed, and murmured the 
younger Elf's name softly so as not to spook him when he awoke. Haldir 
stirred a little under the sheets and whimpered softly in pain before his 
eyes focused and he caught sight of the Elven-lord at his bedside. 

The hazel orbs went wide in fright as he bolted upright and scrambled 
backwards in the bed, his face draining of what little colour it had 
managed to retain. He sat at the far side of the bed, shaking and chewing 
hard on his lower lip, with his knees drawn up to his chest and the sheets 
wrapped tightly around his body. 

'Shh, little one, it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you,' said Elrohir gently 
without moving from his position on the floor. 

'That is w-what he s-said,' breathed Haldir in return, as though his voice 
had deserted him in his fear. 'H-how did you g-get in? I locked the d-
door...' 

Elrohir noted with concern that the younger Elf's voice was quavering 
from the tremors that wracked his whole slender frame. 'I picked the lock, 
Haldir; I wanted to make certain that you were not too badly injured. 
Celeborn told me what happened, and he is so sorry. He never meant to 
hurt you.' 

There was no reply to this, even though the dark Elf had allowed the fair a 
chance to speak, so he continued. 'Haldir, I know that this will be hard for 
you, but will you allow me to take a look at you? You have been bleeding.' 

The young Elf stiffened visibly at these words and looked away, his 
fingers wringing the cloth of the sheets where he clasped them around his 
knees and his eyes bright with yet more tears. 

'No...no...I...no...p-please...' 

Elrohir's expression was passive and accepting. 'It's alright, don't worry, I 
will not make you. You are obviously not too badly hurt, if you can walk.' 

Haldir relaxed slightly when he heard Elrohir's words, although he still did 
not stop shaking. 'Th-thank you,' he murmured, his hazel orbs flicking 
over to the other Elf for a few moments, showing his gratitude at having 
his wishes respected in such a way. Elrohir smiled kindly. 

'Is there anything that you want? Anything that I can do for you?' 
Haldir thought for a moment, before turning his silver head towards the 
Elven-lord and gazing at him imploringly. 'Yes, c-can I b-bathe?' 

'Of course you can. Come with me, I will show you to a private bathroom.' 

Relief spread briefly across the younger Elf's face, and Elrohir felt his 
heart lift a little along with it; it soon sank again, however, when Haldir's 
face fell once more. 'C-could you wait outside, please? I h-have nothing 
on...' 

The Elven-lord simply nodded respectfully and got to his feet without a 
word, slipping out of the room and closing the door behind him. Once 
outside he turned his back to the wall and leaned against it, running his 
thoughts over in his mind as he waited for Haldir to dress and follow him. 
The younger Elf's vulnerability and self-depreciation had both struck him 
heavily, and at that moment he could feel nothing but pity and compassion 
for the terrified creature that he had seen inside the bedroom. Why, 
Ata'da?, he mused silently, of all the things, you had to do this! The poor 
boy was already frightened enough as it was, without you making it 
worse; he was just beginning to trust us... 

His deliberations were interrupted at that point by the soft creak of the 
door opening to reveal Haldir standing in the doorway, dressed in a simple 
but voluminous sleeping gown that he had found in the cupboard. He 
emerged slowly, still regarding Elrohir with a guarded expression and 
walking with apparent stiffness and discomfort. The Elven-lord said 
nothing, merely stepped away from the wall and led Haldir on his uneasy 
walk to the private bathroom. 

Elvish Translations: 

Ata'da - Granddad 


***************  
CHAPTER 10  
*************** 

The Understandings 

Elladan was, indeed, in the library as Elrohir had promised, sitting at a 
table and poring over a book. Celeborn approached him with dull footsteps 
and sank heavily into a chair opposite, slumping forwards over the table 
and burying his head in his hands without a word. Elladan looked up from 
his book in surprise, laughing softly when he saw the state his grandfather 
was in. 

"Headache, ata'da?" 

Celeborn raised his head, silencing his grandson with nothing more than a 
glance. Reproach then crossed his features and he sighed deeply, pinching 
the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger as he often did when 
stressed. 

"If only it were that simple, Elladan," he murmured wearily, causing the 
younger Elf's brow to crease in concern. "Last night, I..." He lowered his 
gaze to the tabletop, "I raped Haldir." 

Elladan stood up and walked round to the other side of the table, 
crouching down so that he was level with his grandfather and laying an 
arm comfortingly across his shoulders as he replied. "But he is your 
consort; that is what he is here for." 

Jade orbs regarded him sceptically. "But there was blood, a lot of blood...I 
must have been rough. And he was so timid before - Elbereth only knows 
what state the poor boy is in now. We were just beginning to gain his trust, 
and now --" 

Elladan cut him off with a wave of his hand and a squeeze of his 
shoulders. "You were drunk, ata'da, it could not be helped. It is his 
position in life, and he needs to learn that." 

"But in such a way as this?" Celeborn's voice was soft with undertones of 
anguish. "He has obviously had a difficult past; I was hoping that things 
could be better for him here. He wanted to learn Elvish, and how to ride, 
and I said that I would teach him." 

"He is not a pet, grandfather!" replied the dark-haired Elven-lord, his voice 
loud and compelling, the complete opposite to Celeborn's. "He is a body; 
nothing more, nothing less." 

"He is also a living creature, same as you and I, Elladan," shot back the 
fair Elven-lord, quietly, although brimming with enough poison to fell an 
oliphuant. "He has rights too. And, what is more, I promised him that he 
would be treated well and fairly, and above all that I would not hurt him. I 
have broken both of those promises to him, not to mention the suffering 
that I have undoubtedly caused. I know not how I shall even set about 
regaining his trust." 

Elladan sighed heavily. "I can see your point," he admitted reluctantly, 
pursing his lips to hide his slight embarrassment. "Where is he now?" 

"Your brother offered to take a look at him for me," came the reply. "I 
wanted to see how badly he was hurt, and yet I feared that I would scare 
him even more should I try." 

"We should wait for Elrohir to return, then, before we decide anything," 
suggested the elder twin, standing up as he spoke. "But until then, I feel 
that some food would do you good. Breakfast?" 

~~~ 

Haldir thanked Elrohir, almost inaudibly, before he closed the door to the 
bathroom. He noted with immense relief that this room, unlike his own 
chambers, had a proper bolt that could not be picked on the door, and slid 
it firmly home. Once satisfied that no other person would be able to enter 
unless either he let them in or they battered the door down, he turned to 
the steaming tub of hot, scented water that Elrohir had drawn off for him. 

He slipped off the robe that he had dressed himself in for the walk to the 
baths and discarded it on the floor, then moving to the edge of the sunken 
tub and sliding awkwardly into the water. Stinging heat immediately 
encompassed the more tender parts of Haldir's battered body, causing him 
to hiss softly in pain. The initial stinging sensation soon dulled, however, 
and he made his way over to a step carved in the stone side of the bath, 
easing himself into a sitting position. He relaxed back and allowed the 
warm water to soothe his pain, closing his eyes and laying his silver head 
against the side of the tub with an elated sigh. For the first time that day he 
felt completely unperturbed, and permitted his mind to drift to pleasant 
places for many long minutes. 

Eventually he raised his head and reopened his eyes, slowly awoken from 
his peaceful reverie by the increasingly nagging feeling of being unclean. 
Looking around, he spied a bar of soap sitting at the edge of the tub and 
picked it up, using it to work up a rich, foamy lather over his pale skin. 
Haldir rubbed and rubbed with the bar, all over his body, but still he felt 
dirty. 

Then he caught sight of a stiff brush sitting on the other edge of the tub. 
He now picked up this and used it to scrub at his skin in combination with 
the soap, gently at first, but soon the strokes became harder and more 
violent until his skin was red-raw. The stinging, burning pain of his skin 
came as a great wash of relief to him, for some obscure reason, as though 
the hurt was a way to erase the dirty, violated sensation that surrounded 
his entire being. 

Finally he stopped. His usually creamy skin was now bright scarlet and 
there were visible scratches all over, but at least he felt clean now. He 
stood up slowly and got out of the bath, wrapping himself in a towel that 
had been left for him before he started to dress in the clothes that had also 
been provided. Putting the leggings on was awkward, and it hurt, but once 
he was fully clothed again he moved to the door and opened it. 

Hazel eyes went wide in surprise when he saw that Elrohir was waiting for 
him outside, sitting on a chair. He stood up when he heard the door open, 
smiling kindly, but Haldir froze in the doorway, regarding the dark-haired 
Elf with a guarded expression. 

'Do you feel better for that, little one?' asked Elrohir gently; Haldir noted 
with cautious relief that the elder Elf was making a point of keeping his 
distance, for which he was incredibly grateful. 

'Yes, thank you, much better,' he murmured, his voice having gone soft in 
his trepidation once again. Elrohir smiled again and took a step towards 
him in a gesture of obvious kindness, but nonetheless Haldir could not 
help flinching and moving backwards a little, causing the Elven-lord to 
discontinue his motion. 

'Sorry,' he muttered, a look of self-reproach crossing his features. 'Haldir, I 
know that this will probably mean very little to you, but I just want you to 
know, I swear by the Valar that I will never harm you. If you choose to 
trust us again then understand that you can, completely and utterly.' 

Haldir gazed at him with his still-wide hazel eyes. 'Thank you,' he 
murmured again, 'I...I will try, but...but it is so hard.' He could feel tears 
pricking the insides of his eyelids as he spoke, and his breath caught in his 
throat a little. 'He," Haldir could not bring himself to say Celeborn's name, 
"said that he would not hurt me...I trusted him, and he broke his 
promise...and...and...' 

The sobs now overwhelmed him, accompanying the tears that had already 
begun to stream down his face, and he let his back slide down the side of 
the doorframe until he was sitting on the floor with his back against it. 
Through the blur of the crystalline liquid Haldir noticed that Elrohir's face 
had filled with compassion, and had somehow managed to move several 
steps closer without his realising it, but strangely this did not worry him as 
much as he had thought it would. Although he had to fight hard to keep 
from recoiling when the dark-haired Elf crouched beside him and laid a 
hand comfortingly upon his shoulder, it was not long before he relaxed 
into the unobtrusive touch and suffered the touches intended to console. 

Despite this, however, he had still not stopped weeping after several 
moments; it was at this point that Elrohir sat down so he was level with 
Haldir's tear-stained face, which he cupped in both his large, strong hands. 

'He never meant to hurt you, Haldir,' he began, gazing earnestly into the 
fair Elf's watery hazel eyes with his own chocolate pair. 'He told me that 
himself; he is so, so sorry that he has done this to you. Do you know what 
he was doing when I found him?' 

Haldir's thin frame was so wracked by the sobs that he was unable to 
speak, shaking his head instead in way of an answer. 

'He was standing outside your door, unable to decide whether to go in or 
not. He wanted desperately to see that no serious harm had come to you, 
but at the same time he knew that the effects would probably be even 
worse if you saw him then. My grandfather has a good heart, and I realise 
that you will find it incredibly hard to forgive him for what happened last 
night - understandably so, of course - but just know that it was the effects 
of the alcohol that made him do it, and he is truly repentant.' 

Haldir said nothing to this; indeed, there was nothing to say, even if he had 
been able to speak amidst the tremors that shook his body, almost 
painfully so. Then, before he realised what had happened, Elrohir had 
enfolded him gently in his arms. The embrace was loose enough that 
Haldir could pull away if he so desired, and although he stiffened when he 
first felt the Elven-lord's arms encircle him he did not pull back, instead 
surrendering all reservations for the time being and melting towards him. 

Elrohir held him until he quieted, allowing him to cry into his shoulder 
and acting as support without making any further gestures that may have 
spooked the younger Elf. Eventually Haldir lifted his head and wiped his 
eyes. His breathing was still shaky, but the worst of the tears had been 
released, and he even managed a weak smile at the Elven-lord. 

'Thank you,' he murmured, knowing that the gratitude shining in his eyes 
spoke louder than any words that he could voice. Elrohir smiled in return. 

'No, thank you,' he replied, getting slowly to his feet and offering a hand to 
Haldir. 'What next, then? I am guessing that you must be famished; would 
you come with me to the kitchen? I shall get you some breakfast.' 

TBC 

***************  
CHAPTER 11  
*************** 

The Tears 

Celeborn picked listlessly at the plate of fruit before him, thoroughly 
disinterested as he was in food right now. Elladan had finished bolting his 
own breakfast in his usual hasty manner and was leaning against the back 
of his chair, watching his grandfather push a piece of apple around his 
plate. Silence hung over the pair in the otherwise deserted kitchen like a 
lead weight, but Celeborn failed to notice this. His own musings plagued 
him enough to more than compensate for it. 

With a heavy sigh the silver-haired Elf finally pushed his plate to one side 
and placed both elbows on the table, using his hands as a means to support 
his chin. His jade eyes were dull and blank, signaling his submission to his 
thoughts, as he focused on something partway between the table and the 
far wall. The dark-haired Elf sighed in return and passed a hand through 
his grandfather's line of vision; Celeborn started and blinked, before 
looking questioningly at his grandson. 

"Please, ata'da," begged Elladan, taking one of his grandfather's long, 
elegant hands within both his own. "Will you not heed my words? I --" 
He was cut off by the soft creak of the kitchen door opening, and two pairs 
of eyes, one emerald and the other chocolate, flickered over to rest upon 
the two figures that stood in the doorway. Everybody froze; Elrohir and 
Haldir had obviously not expected to find Celeborn and Elladan in the 
kitchen. 

~~~ 

Haldir had begun to shake uncontrollably at almost the exact instant his 
hazel eyes had become transfixed upon the jade pair belonging to the 
former Lord of ‘Lórien. The elder Elf stood up slowly as they stared at 
each other, wide-eyed, unable to tear their gaze from the other's as time 
seemed to halt in its path, waiting for the pair to catch up with it again. 
Much as Haldir wished to look away, he found that he was simply rooted 
to the spot by his fears that, despite Elrohir's attempts to quell, had 
remained clearly justified in his head. Animation was suspended. 

Eventually Celeborn moved, going to take a step towards Haldir and, in 
doing so, breaking the electrically charged tension that had formed during 
that impossibly drawn-out second. Haldir took a step back in accordance, 
averting his eyes as he did so, grateful for the release but at the same time 
dreading what was to follow. 

'Haldir, ai