Title: Tortuous Paths 
 
Author: Haz  
 
Author email: Hazandcas@yahoo.com 
 
Rating: R for this part 
 
Genre/ Warning : slash, incest, hurt/comfort, angst, romance, (possibly 
NCS and torture later on, not all at the same time of course. Still anyone 
here? 
 
Pairings: Legolas/Haldir (overall), Haldir/Orophin in this part.  
 
Summary: Haldir remembers… 
 
Disclaimer: Much as I hate to admit it, none of these gorgeous characters 
are mine. Not even sexy Haldir. They are creations of J.R.R. Tolkien 
and/or Peter Jackson. Don't sue, no money made ! 
 
Authors Note : Originally written for the Haldir-Lives challenge. 
Feedback is always welcome. 
 
Beta-ed by Tessy :Thanks

Chapter 2 : Year 2518 of the Third Age.
 
Haldir and Orophin were grown-ups already – not even two years 
apart,which was seldom the case for Elven siblings. Although they had 
joined the daily practice, they were not fighting among the Galhadrim 
warriors yet, and would only be allowed on the battlefield or to protect the 
borders of Lorien after the training process was fully completed, which 
would not take long. 
 
On a very warm summer day, Haldir, Orophin and their companions had 
spent hours practicing archery and wrestling. After a light meal on the 
bank of the fair Nimrodel, they had felt the need to ease their tense 
muscles. Quickly discarding themselves of their dusty clothing,they had 
soon ended into the crystalline waters of the river, challenging themselves 
as to whom would dive deeper or swim faster, laughing and splashing 
around, as only those who still had one foot in childhood could do. Then, 
as warriors-to-be often did, they had started their favorite hide and seek 
game : half of the group were appointed "Orcs", while the others were the 
Galhadrims supposed to track them down. To their greatest discontent, 
Haldir and Orophin were named among the foes. They immediately 
started swimming upstream with a group of four Elves, then parted as 
Haldir led his brother towards the falls and the caves which were hiding 
behind. Swiftly progressing through the semi darkness in the now 
labyrinthine paths of the river, they eventually left the water and rose 
themselves to the rocky platforms, hoping to find the best hiding place. 
Many a time they almost slipped on the wet boulders, hurrying up as 
shouts were echoing in the distance. 
 
As Orophin reached out to grab Haldir's hand, he realized that his brother 
was no longer beside him. The blond elf turned around, but Haldir was 
nowhere to be seen. He called out his name as softly as possible so as not 
to draw the hunters' attention, but got no answer. Orophin started to feel a 
little uneasy, not believing Haldir would choose this particular moment to 
play a trick on him. The situation became worse as he heard footsteps on 
the rocky path below, which were clearly not his brother's. Orophin moved 
backwards as silently as possible, carefully retreating to where he had 
come from. He suddenly froze; another Elf was coming in the opposite 
direction. He knew he was trapped, and at the same time he seriously 
began wondering where on earth his brother had disappeared. Orophin 
opened his mouth to call out for the others, not altogether disappointed 
that they had found him so that they may help him look for Haldir. Then 
he felt a strong hand grasp his upper arm and pull him back, while another 
hand covered his mouth to prevent him from making a sound. He did not 
try to shout anyway, as he realized he was in no danger. Haldir had 
dragged him through a kind of chink on the wall into what seemed to be a 
small cavity - for what Orophin could make out - where they might have a 
chance to remain unnoticed. Orophin smiled. Haldir never surrendered, he 
should have remembered that. Haldir stood perfectly still, holding Orophin 
firmly against him. He let go of his mouth, and the hand which was not 
around his brother's wrist now rested on his torso. He could hear the two 
other Elves' voices only a few inches away, and prayed that their Elven 
hearing would not catch the sound of his heartbeat. His heartbeat… how 
could his heart beat so fast? Haldir felt a strange dizziness which had 
nothing to do with the rush of adrenaline he had experienced a few 
seconds before. He suddenly became very aware of the warmth of his 
brother's body pressed against his, his soft wet hair brushing his face, the 
well-defined muscles of Orophin's chest under his palm, his equally wild 
heartbeat, and his buttocks resting against… Haldir tried to think of 
something, anything, preferably very disgusting, but it was too late 
already. Ashamed as he had never been, Haldir felt himself grow hard… 
 
At the beginning, Orophin had thought they would never manage to 
escape the sharp senses of the other Elves. Then, as seconds dragged on 
without anyone peering into their hiding place, he began to believe that the 
danger was gone. He had not expected another kind of danger however. 
Goose bumps blossomed over his soft skin, and in spite of the warm air 
the young warrior began to shiver. As he unconsciously pressed himself 
closer to his brother's body, realization dawned. It was actually Haldir's 
closeness which induced his current trembling state. Orophin noticed an 
unfamiliar heat in his belly which seemed to increase every time Haldir's 
fingers moved over his chest ever so slightly. Feeling foolish, he silently 
prayed for the others to go away quickly so that he may escape before 
Haldir noticed something. Then Orophin mentally froze as he felt his 
brother stiffen against him. His heart skipped a beat and he barely 
repressed a moan as he started growing hard as well. There was nothing he 
could do about it; he could not move, not only because they would 
immediately be discovered – and in a very embarrassing state at that – but 
also because … he simply did not wish to move. Orophin was taken aback 
at his own desire, and feeling Haldir equally aroused did not help him 
think coherently. 
 
When their pursuers eventually left, Haldir caught a deep breath, but did 
not let go of Orophin - and Orophin did not move either. Against his better 
judgement, he simply could not let him go;. He was experiencing 
sensations he had never known to exist before this very moment, here in 
the wet cave, with his brother's naked body in his arms. He wanted to feel 
more… although he did not know exactly what. His hand started moving 
of its own volition across Orophin's torso, caressing him, eliciting soft 
moans from the younger Elf. Then it was Haldir's turn to moan in pleasure 
when Orophin took hold of his free hand, and slightly pushed backwards, 
gently rocking his hips. 
A voice in their heads told them to run away. They had no reason to stay 
there now that the others were gone, but the evidence of their mutual 
desire prevented them from doing so, knowing that explanations would be 
needed. So very ashamed and so very excited at the same time, their feet 
were nailed to the ground. Carried away by his brother's response, Haldir 
bit Orophin's shoulder none too gently, and Orophin briefly came back to 
his senses. It was too much; this could not be. He knew such things 
happened between siblings, but he had not imagined this would happen to 
him… to them. Orophin managed to step forward and the thought of 
running back to the camp as fast as he could briefly crossed his mind… 
then he secretly thanked the Valar when Haldir reached out for him and 
dragged him back in his arms, the only place he truly wanted – needed – to 
be in this moment. 
 
The two Elves were now facing each other, trying to make out the other's 
features in the dark. If they had been able to see something, they would 
have discovered the same desire and fear burning in their eyes. With 
inexperienced hands Haldir circled Orophin's waist and pulled him against 
him, almost fainting with pleasure when he felt the length of Orophin's 
warm body and the firmness between his legs brush and press against his 
own. Orophin's mind  was now completely overpowered by his senses; his 
hands clasped behind his brother's neck and his mouth feverishly searched 
– and found – Haldir's soft, inviting lips. The feel of his brother was so 
new, so strange, and yet so good. They started kissing greedily, too 
unaccustomed to the sensations which ran through their youthful bodies to 
take their time, and within a few seconds their lips parted and their 
tongues started dueling intimately. Between kisses and purrs, exploring 
hands and shivers, an unbearable need was building up inside of them. 
Still with his arms around Haldir's neck, Orophin started to stroke  himself 
against his brother's erection, the friction between their aroused members 
threatening to bring them over the edge in a matter of seconds… Then 
Haldir grabbed Orophin's shoulders and abruptly pushed him away. The 
younger Elf let out a whimper, then felt a surge of panic when he heard, as 
Haldir had just had, the sound of footsteps coming quickly towards them 
and their companions calling out their names. Two slightly disheveled, but 
now seemingly very composed elves exited the cavity and joined their 
friends, not daring to look at each other while they made their way back to 
the river and further down to the campsite. 
 
 
**********
 
A few days after the incident, Celeborn summoned all the young Elves 
who were soon to become part of the Guard of Lorien to a private council. 
They gathered at sunset in the chamber where the Lord usually held his 
daily meetings, feeling slightly uneasy in front of the Elf they loved and 
respected most, yet whom they seldom got to see. 
 
Celeborn informed them that they were very soon to depart to Imladris. As 
he had sometimes done in the past, his kinsman Elrond had decided to 
hold a huge gathering within the walls of his City, which all the younger 
warriors from Imladris, Mirkwood, the Grey Havens and Lorien were to 
attend. He believed it was a way for them to get to know and understand 
each other's customs better, and to share their knowledge in terms of 
fighting or healing techniques. Seventy three warriors from the four Elven 
kingdoms were expected to meet there, among whom twenty one from the 
Golden Wood. Celeborn had indeed decided that this little trip to Imladris 
was the perfect step before the ceremony which would take place in 
Lorien shortly after they had returned, and during which all the warriors 
would formally be integrated into the active Guard. The departure date 
was set for the following day, and the Lord informed the young Elves that 
all of their duties had been cancelled for the rest of the day so that they 
could get ready for the journey. Upon this he bade them farewell and 
eventually dismissed them. 
 
As Haldir shut the door of his room behind him, closed his eyes and 
heaved a deep sigh. In other circumstances and faced with the perspective 
of such an exciting thing as this trip to Elrond's city, he and Orophin 
would have been running around, chatting and laughing while packing 
their belongings, imagining how Imladris would be and fighting over who 
would show the greatest skills once there. But he knew none of this would 
happen unless a miracle occurred. Since they had returned from the river a 
couple of days before, he and Orophin had barely exchanged a word. Even 
Rúmil felt the uneasiness between his two older siblings when the Elf-
maiden who took care of him left the three of them alone at the end of the 
day. He stared with huge questioning eyes when instead of playing 
together and ending up falling asleep in the same bed, either Orophin or 
Haldir chose to retire to his own room with a quick "good night", leaving a 
very distressed Rúmil wondering what was wrong . 
 
As much as Haldir hated the situation they found themselves in, he could 
not figure out what to do. He knew the two beings he loved more than life 
itself were grieving, although for very different reasons, and he felt it was 
his role as the elder to try and sort things out with Orophin so that 
everything would return to normality. But one thing prevented Haldir from 
asking Orophin to forgive him and to forget anything had ever happened 
between them, and this one thing made Haldir feel extremely guilty: as 
much as he tried, he could not convince himself that they had done 
something wrong. Worse, every time he laid his eyes on his brother he felt 
an urge to reach out for him and to hug him, to place butterfly kisses over 
his lovely face and to tell him that the memory of their brief encounter was 
one he would cherish forever. But the very few times Orophin's gaze had 
met his since the incident, he had only seen shame and  pain instead of the 
love and joy which always filled his green eyes every time  he was looking 
at his brother. 
 
Haldir felt extremely guilty and at the same time he could not help but 
wondering why fate had been so cruel to him. He was no longer innocent 
enough not to have noticed sparkles of interest - and even of lust -in the 
eyes of other Elves around him. And yet, his slumbering sexuality had 
awoken at the touch of his own brother, of all people! Shaking himself out 
of his somber reverie, Haldir headed for his closet, yanked down a dusty 
leather travel bag – a gift from his mother a long time ago it seemed – and 
started packing.
 
***********
 
It was still dark on the following morning when the twenty one warriors 
gathered on the outskirts of Caras Galadhon. An escort including five 
warriors of the Lorien Guard and one of Celeborn and Galadriel's official 
messengers were also there. Haldir and Orophin had left their tree house 
separately, and when Orophin deliberately chose a place in the riding party 
as remote as possible as Haldir's, the elder brother clearly understood that 
the upcoming trip was going to be a little strained. 
 
He was right in that, as during the eleven days of their journey, whether 
they be riding or resting for the night in a makeshift camp, Haldir seldom 
had the opportunity to exchange more than a few words with his brother. 
As a consequence of this estrangement, he could not help being extremely 
irritable and distant even towards his most beloved companions, and some 
of them seriously began wondering what had come over their usually 
light-hearted and playful friend.  
 
When Haldir first caught a glimpse of Rivendell however, he was struck in 
awe at the sight of the place he had been told so many tales about, and 
forgot for an instant all his brooding thoughts. The fair Elven city was 
shrouded in the golden light of the setting sun, with its wonderfully 
elaborate buildings  interwoven with all the natural elements flourishing 
there, and was indeed impressive enough to leave the young Elf that he 
still was without words. How different from Caras Galadhon was the 
realm of his Lady's son in law! And yet, how friendly were the – mostly - 
dark-haired Elves which came to greet and welcome them!  
 
Soon their weary horses were lead to the stables and the group was guided 
through the paths of the city to a big courtyard which was bustling with 
representatives from the four Elven realms of Middle Earth, all clad in 
their best fighting garments. A tall, dark-haired Elf whose name was 
Erestor – as Haldir learnt later on – was striving to catch the assembly's 
attention. When the racket eventually abated, he cleared his voice and 
began speaking. 
 
"Friends from afar, our beloved Lord Elrond bids you welcome to 
Imladris. It is our great pleasure and honor to have you join this festival. 
Although the city is still foreign to most of you, we hope you'll soon learn 
to know and love it as much as we do. Tonight our Lord will preside over 
a great banquet during which the schedule of the upcoming events will be 
presented to you" Erestor paused a little while " But right now dear 
friends, please allow my assistants to show you the quarters that will be 
yours for the duration of your stay, for I am sure you will appreciate some 
rest after such a long journey. Again, welcome, and see you tonight at the 
feast" 
 
With these final words Erestor beckoned to the Elves who had taken place 
beside him and they hastily walked towards the group of newcomers they 
were supposed to take care of. Haldir, who was still enthralled by his new 
surroundings, barely noticed when one of them approached Quendendil - 
the Lorien guard who had taken the lead of their party - and they started 
commenting on a piece of white parchment he had just unrolled…. 
 
**************
"Third corridor on the left… No, second corridor on the left and third door 
on the right… that's it!!". 
Haldir had great difficulties remembering the exact location of his room. 
First of all, because when he had been shown the way to his quarters 
earlier in the evening he had not paid the necessary amount of attention to 
the indications he had been given. He had barely tossed his bag inside 
without a second glance, eager as he was to visit the palace and most 
especially the Bath House. Secondly because his most vivid – and the 
word was highly inappropriate – memory of the banquet he had just left 
was when an Elven maid had filled his glass with miruvor for the eleventh 
time … or was it twelfth? Haldir seldom indulged in drinking, but this 
night he had seriously broken the rule and outdone himself. The world 
around him seemed a bizarre succession of archways and swaying walls. 
As he finally stood before a well-crafted oak door, a flash of recognition 
made its way through the haze that was currently surrounding his mind, 
and Haldir knew that he had somewhat managed to reach his room. 
 
He fumbled with the latch for a few seconds until the door opened with a 
soft creaking, and the last thing he knew he was trying to regain some 
semblance of balance by leaning against the now closed wooden panel. 
After the dizziness wore off, the youngEelf carefully reopened his eyes for 
fear the world would go spinning once more, then froze.  
 
If Haldir had ever found himself in state of drunkenness before, all traces 
of his previous condition immediately vanished as his gaze met with that 
of the bare-chested Elf standing in front of him, who was currently folding 
his tunic on the bed. 
 
"W-what.. are you doing here?" Haldir stammered out.  
 
"I might ask you the same question, brother" Orophin uttered, incredulity 
showing on his pale face. 
 
"Well… this is my room… I guess…" Haldir went on. 
 
" Then it appears it is mine as well …" 
 
There was a lasting silence in the dimly lit room while the two brothers 
grappled with the unexpected predicament they happened to find 
themselves in. Somewhere in a remote corner of their mind was the 
assumption that Elrond had found it suitable not to separate brothers who 
were most likely used to living together, but for both of the now shaking 
Elves the predominant - and very disturbing - idea was that of having to 
face their respective and nonetheless mutual fears.  
 
Without a word, a very self-conscious Orophin turned his back on his 
bewildered brother and resumed shedding his remaining clothes, then 
briefly hesitated before slipping on one of the two pairs of  night shirts and 
leggings which had been left on a valet for them to use. Haldir carefully 
averted his gaze, then felt a pang when he eventually saw a fully-clothed 
Orophin step under the blankets on the right side of the bed, as he always 
did even when he slept alone.
 
Never, ever, in the countless nights they had spent together, had they been 
wearing a single item of clothing, and Orophin's urge to do so now spoke 
volumes of the barrier standing between the two brothers, far more than 
any word or action might do. 
 
Haldir quickly took off his cloak and clothes as well, put on his own night 
garments and clumsily sat on the edge of the bed opposite to Orophin's. 
He clearly heard Orophin gasp when he carefully lifted the sheets over his 
shoulders. Haldir felt like crying. Everything was so wrong. He was there 
trying to make himself as tiny as possible, fearing even the slightest 
contact with Orophin as he settled into his usual sleeping position, when 
they would normally have embraced before exchanging a sweet goodnight 
kiss. 
 
Tossing and turning helplessly, Haldir soon discovered that he could not 
sleep, and could tell by the unsteady rhythm of Orophin's breath that the 
younger Elf was not sleeping either. Haldir first pretended he had not 
noticed. Then an unexpected - and most probably wine-induced -courage 
filled his heart and he eventually ventured to say something.  
 
"Orophin… I know you do not wish to speak to me but there is something 
I need you to know. You are my brother and I love you more than 
anything, except perhaps Rúmil. I guess you hate me and feel disgusted by 
what has happened, and I am truly sorry for it. I would do anything within 
my power to erase that but I cannot. As much as I would like to, I cannot". 
Haldir paused. "But there is one thing I know, you mean everything to me 
and I don't want to lose you." 
As he started speaking, tears welled up in Haldir's eyes and while he 
uttered the last words, his voice was interrupted by sobs. The only thing he 
knew after that was Orophin's hand upon his cheek and a soothing, yet 
grief-stricken voice in his hear.
  
"Hush, Haldir, please. I am here. I love you… I love you so much.. Please 
don't cry… I am sorry.. It is not your fault. I can't stand to be at odds with 
you, I love you…" These words, over and over again from his brother's 
mouth, were like heaven for Haldir. Still crying he flung his arm over 
Orophin's chest and clung to him as strongly as he could. His own tears 
disappeared into the younger Elf's shirt and Haldir soon felt a similar 
wetness reaching through his hair. Orophin went on: 
 
"I could never hate you, Haldir. Never. It is myself whom I hate…." 
Haldir flinched at the words. " Yes, I hate myself because since what 
happened… I cannot keep my eyes off you. I cannot look upon you 
without wanting to hold you and kiss you and feel your body against 
mine… It's like a spell has come over me… I know it's wrong … It is a 
torture even to be alone with you in the same room. I stayed away only 
because I …" 
 
Orophin's abruptly stopped when he felt Haldir's grip on his arm tighten. 
Then his heart skipped a beat when the older Elf cupped his face, stroking 
his thumbs over the soft skin to try and calm his brother. 
 
"Orophin, I feel the same. I…you are so desirable to me, gwadur-nin… it's 
driving me mad! " He felt Orophin press his hand into his under the sheets 
and their fingers entwined. His voice was barely above a whisper when he 
shyly asked 
"What are we going to do Haldir?" 
 
Haldir's heartbeat picked up a pace and he sighed deeply. Then, as the 
emotions raging inside his body eventually overpowered any rational 
though, he rose his head and closed the gap between their flushed faces. 
Orophin instinctively shut his eyes as he felt soft lips brush across his 
own, and hesitantly raised his hand to touch Haldir's hair, gently caressing 
it, reveling in the silky sensation. 
 
"How could that be wrong?" Haldir whispered before leaning in for 
another feather-light kiss. 
 
As the kiss deepened, fuelling the fire burning in their loins, Haldir moved 
atop Orophin's body, eliciting a muffled moan from the younger Elf. The 
heat radiating from Orophin's flesh was burning him through the thin 
fabric, and when his brother slightly spread his legs, Haldir sunk between 
them, gasping for breath as he felt Orophin's erect length against his own. 
Lifting the hem of Orophin's shirt, he plunged questioning eyes into his 
brother's, who silently nodded and raised his arms over his head. Then 
Haldir knelt back and slowly removed the offensive item, breaking eye 
contact only the instant Orophin's face was covered with the shirt. 
Marveling at the younger Elf's pale chest as if he saw it for the first time, 
Haldir drew a deep breath and leant in to kiss Orophin's neck, gently 
nibbling at his collarbone, while his brother in turn freed him from the 
piece of clothing he should never have had to put on in the first place. 
 
Haldir rolled onto his side and Orophin turned to face him. Love and fear 
were shining bright in their eyes as they drank in the passion written 
across their faces. Pulling Orophin in for another kiss, Haldir let his other 
hand roam freely over the back of the enticing body which had so often 
haunted his thoughts in the past few days. Orophin draped his leg over 
Haldir's hip, and suddenly broke the kiss, his head rolling back in pleasure, 
when Haldir eagerly pushed his hips against his brother's. Grinding their 
arousals together, Haldir let his hands slip beneath the backside of 
Orophin's leggings, cupping his firm buttocks and pressing him closer 
against him. Breathless, Orophin mirrored his brother's action, and both 
moaned loudly as they started peeling their leggings down, thus getting rid 
of the last barrier standing between them, before clumsily tossing them to 
the end of the bed, where the sheets and blankets had ended a few minutes 
before. 
 
Haldir lowered his eyes and was mesmerized by the creamy expanse of 
Orophin's naked body next to his, a body he had seen so many times 
without ever actually looking at it, an utterly perfect body he now 
rediscovered with the eyes of a lover. Blushing under Haldir's hot scrutiny, 
Orophin raised his hand to slightly tilt Haldir's chin up. He hesitated only 
a split-second, then his intense gaze locked with Haldir's before he 
breathed two little words which sent a shiver down Haldir's spine. 
 
"Touch me…"
 
Haldir nervously bit his lower lip. It seemed to him he had lived all his life 
only to hear this sweetest request fall from Orophin's beautiful mouth, yet 
he was afraid to do the next move for fear he could ruin everything. Then 
the world seemed to crumble around him as he felt Orophin's slender 
fingers wrap around his hardened length. 
 
"Touch me…like that…" he boldly whispered, and caught his brother's 
lips into his once more. 
 
"Gods… Orophin…" the name was merely a breathless gasp as Haldir felt 
jolts of fire coursing through his body. Tongues never ceased teasing and 
dueling as their hands moved in a synchronized motion, and soon loud 
moans of pleasure escaped the two lovers' lips as they discovered together 
the true meaning of ecstasy.
**************
Orophin's snuggled into his Haldir's warm chest and the older Elf placed a 
gentle kiss on his forehead. He took his brother's hand in his and placed it 
over his heart, holding it close. 
 
"Orophin ?…" 
 
"Mmm.." 
 
"I love you…" 
 
"I love you too. Promise we'll never fight again.." 
 
"Never."
With a final kiss on Orophin's hair, Haldir peacefully drifted to sleep. 
 
During the 450 years which followed, there was never a serious argument 
between the two brothers. 

TBC…