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The Snow of Caras Galadhon	By : kathmco Category: -Multi-Age > Het - Male/Female Views: 1851 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Title: The Snow of Caras Galadhon

Author: Emmess

Rating: R (NC17 in later chapters)

Summary: Haldir must confront the return of someone from his

past.

Genre: Romance, Haldir/OFC

Chapter Two

"You there! Do you not know that Elflings are not allowed on the training grounds? Go home now, before the March Warden sees you and uses you for target practice! Quickly now!" Aldaríon admonished the young elleth, who sat partially hidden behind a water barrel on the edge of the Galadhrim training field.

"Aldaríon!" Haldir called from his place behind a line of archers. "Come here and take over." He watched the blonde warrior turn and immediately trot toward the line of archers, nodding his understanding at his commander. "Captain, an Elfling has wandered onto the field…"

"I know. Make sure they hit directly in the center of the targets this time. Last shot there were several who were off-center. I do not wish to see that again," Haldir replied tersely, several of the archers cringing at his words, before he turned and stalked away to see to the Elves who were practicing swordplay nearby.

"He knows?" Aldaríon repeated to the Elf closest to him. "Did Haldir just say, "He knows that an Elfling is sitting on the edge of the training grounds?" Shaking his head, he put it from his mind as he called out the order to fire.

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Haldir waited until his troops had been dismissed for the midday meal before approaching Nee as she sat silently behind the water barrel.

"Suilaid, Nee," he said, peering at her from over the water barrel.

"Suilaid, Haldir," she replied, smiling up at him.

"Did you enjoy watching my guards train this morning?"

"Aye, Haldir! But that tall skinny one told me I could not stay," she confessed, biting her lip. "Are you angry with me? He said you would use me to practice on."

"Nay, Pen neth…I may use him, though…"

She giggled, then stood and walked around the barrel to face him. Impulsively throwing her arms around his waist. she hugged him tightly. "I am so glad that you are my friend, Haldir!"

"And I you, mellon min. You may come to watch us anytime you please, but make certain to let one of my guards know that you are here…the training grounds can be very dangerous, pen neth. You must promise not to come any closer than here, by this barrel. Agreed?"

"Aye, Haldir! I promise. This afternoon will you show me how you fight with your sword? I did not see you fight…I only saw you running about shouting at the others."

"I was not shouting, Nee…I was instructing," Haldir gently corrected her.

"It sounded like shouting. Yes…I think it was definitely shouting. You were louder than the baker was when those Elflings ran off with his fresh batch of waybread!"

Haldir laughed, patting her on the top of her snowy head. "I suppose I was shouting, pen neth. I will try to do better, and perhaps I will practice with my sword this afternoon. Tell me, pen neth…have the others bothered you much lately?"

"No, Haldir…not since you told them not to and made angry faces at them."

Haldir bit back a grin, remembering the incident a few days ago when he had caught a group of Elflings tormenting his new friend. He had simply talked to them as he would have any green recruit caught doing something wrong…and had had the same results - blanched faces, a few tears, and a couple of wet leggings. He was certain they would leave Nee alone in the future.

"I think perhaps you should run home now and see to your midday meal, Nee. You may return afterward, if your Nana and Ada are agreeable."

"I will, Haldir…and I will bring you an apple…we have a whole basket full of them at home!" she called, happily skipping away in the direction of her parents' talan.

Still smiling, Haldir watched her go, before turning to see to his own meal.

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"What is that?" Haldir asked Rumil, peering over his brother's shoulder as he labored over a table in their talan. Acknowledged as a fine carver, Rumil's deft hands slid a sharp blade over a piece of wood, carefully detaching paper-thin shavings from it.

"What does it look like?" Rumil murmured, slightly annoyed at the interruption in his concentration.

"A sword."

"Then it is a sword, Haldir."

"Why would you carve such a small sword, Rumil? Is it a practice sword? It is too big for a dagger…too small for a short sword…besides which, what trainee, even if it were big enough to use, has need of such a finely crafted practice piece?" Haldir inquired, his curiosity peaked.

"It is for our visitor. I tire of watching her swing her stick, trying to mimic your movements, Haldir. She should have a sword, if she wishes to train so badly."

"Bah…better you should carve her a loom, Rumil!" Haldir replied, although secretly pleased that his brother thought enough of the wee Elleth who watched the training grounds every day to craft something for her. "She'll have no need for training weapons."

Haldir had worried that her presence would distract the guardians, but in truth, she never uttered a word or moved from her spot behind the water barrel as she watched them practice. After a short while, as the guardians became aware that Haldir tolerated her presence on the field, they became rather fond of her, often inviting her to share their midday meal with them, or letting her swat at their swords with the stick she carried with her always. It was her "sword" and she would no more leave it at home than one of the warriors would leave behind their weapons.

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Nee's interactions with Haldir and the Galadhrim had not escaped the Lord and Lady's notice. One fine, clear evening, as Celeborn walked with his wife through the gardens she so loved, he mentioned the elleth who had seemingly been adopted by the whole of the Galadhrim.

"I have never known Haldir to even take notice of the young ones before, Meleth… what is it about this one that has captured his attention?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Does she not remind you of someone…someone who was once lonely? Someone who is lonely still…different from the others because of the burden of responsibility? Isolated because of a dedication to that responsibility? Perhaps he sees himself in her, my dear."

"She is not the same as he, Meleth. She has no siblings to raise…and she has an Adar and a Naneth, my love."

"A difference of degrees, my sweet. Lonely is lonely…different is different…" Galadriel replied, her voice a sweet melody to his ears, as always.

"You have no objections to the child being present on the training grounds?"

"No…not with this particular child," she mused, not volunteering any further information.

Together they walked on in a comfortable silence.

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"Aiya! I have you Yrch!"

" Amin lava! Amin lava!"

Nee pinned Orophin to the ground with her wooden sword, the large Elf squirming and making the most horrible "dying" sounds as she gleefully "disemboweled" him.

Haldir frowned at the two, coming up behind Nee and picking her up, effectively freeing Orophin from her attack.

"Haldir! You are letting the Yrch escape!" she cried, struggling in his arms, waving her sword at Orophin who was standing, smiling and brushing the dirt from his uniform.

"This particular Yrch has patrol duty tonight, mellon. You don't wish to see him have to stand guard without his supper, now do you?" he admonished, turning her around in his arms to face him.

"No…I suppose even Yrch have to eat…" she said thoughtfully, although disappointed that their game had to end. She waved farewell to Orophin, as Haldir carried her off the training grounds toward her talon.

"Truly, mellon…'tis not right for a lovely little elleth to play at killing Yrch so often…has your Naneth not taught you embroidery…or baking, yet?" he asked Nee.

"Yes, she has…but I don't like it. Guardians don't have to embroider or bake, Haldir…you don't embroider, do you?" she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

"No…but I am an ellon, and you are an elleth."

"So? I want to be like you, Haldir."

"You cannot, mellon min."

"Why?"

"Because I am an ellon and you are an elleth."

"So? I want to be like you, Haldir."

"But you cannot, mellon min."

"Why?"

Sighing, Haldir gave up the argument…again. He knew that he really should most probably forcibly restrict her access to the training grounds after she began to imitate their training techniques, playing with the guards at swordplay, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Morale had never been as high as it was now…the Guardians seemed pleased to have the small watcher, and outdid themselves at the tasks he set so that they would shine in her eyes.

He would not admit to himself that if she were not there, waiting for him every morning, he would miss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"NO! I don’t want to go, Adar…please…I'll be good, I promise!" the young elleth cried, her tears streaking her face as the tall silver haired Elf sat her before him on his horse.

"Shh, Nee…shh. We have been over this many times…the Lord of Imladris has sent word to the Lady that he is in need of a mapmaker…the Lady is sending me. Where I go, you and your Naneth must go…we do not wish to disobey the Lady, do we?"

"Haldir!" Nee screamed, reaching for the big Silvan as he approached with Rumil and Orophin. Smiling, Nee's father nodded to the Captain of the Guard, giving him permission to take his daughter from the horse.

"What is this I see, Nee? Galadhrim do not weep…why are you crying? Does Orophin weep when I send him to the fences for a tour? Does Rumil weep when he is sent by Lord Celeborn on a mission?"

"No, Haldir," she moaned, her slight chest hitching with her sadness.

"This is a mission, Nee. The Lady herself has decreed that your Adar, and Naneth, and you go on this assignment. Does a Galadhel weep when sent on a mission?"

"No, Haldir…" she sniffled, making an effort to stop, but the tears continued to slide down her rounded cheeks. "Who will play Yrch with me?" she managed to ask, in between hiccups. In a much smaller voice, she asked, "Who will be my friend, Haldir?"

"You will make new friends there, Pen neth…and your friends here will await your return."

She gripped him as hard as her small arms could, burying her face in his neck, as he patted her back. "We have a present for you, Pen neth…would you like to see it?" he asked, hoping to distract her from her tears.

Without picking her head up or loosening her grip, she murmured her assent.

"Look, Sweet One…look at what we have for you," Rumil said, stroking her snowy hair. She peeked up from Haldir's shoulder, her eyes still shining with tears, but widening at the sight of what Rumil held in his hands.

"For me? Really? To keep, Haldir?" she asked, reaching for the tiny bow and quiver of arrows that Rumil offered to her.

"Aye, for you, to keep, Pen neth."

Of course, the arrows had been dulled, but other than that small detail, they were a perfect reproduction of the bow and quiver of the Galadhrim…in miniature. The three brothers had worked together on the surprise, Rumil carving the bow, Orophin, the arrows, and Haldir tooling the quiver.

Looking up at Orophin and Rumil, she thanked them in a small voice cracking with her overwrought emotions. Looking up at Haldir, she once again flung her arms around his neck, although her small fists clutched the bow and quiver tightly.

Gently her father pried her arms from the neck of the proud Captain of the Guard, and seated her in front of him on his horse.

"Good Journey," Haldir wished him, nodding toward his wife, as well. "Nee, Tenna' ento lye omenta."

" Namárië, Haldir," Nee's father said as his horse set off. Nee said not a word, but watched with tear-filled eyes until the mellyrn swallowed the sight of her friend.

TBC…

Translations:

Pen neth…Little one

Mellon min…my friend

Suilaid…Greetings

Meleth…my love

Amin lava…I yield

Tenna' ento lye omenta…Until we next meet

Namárië…farewell
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The Snow of Caras Galadhon