Prologue
***
The Empty Vessel
Things that go bump in the night or The Lost
***
Haldir stood at the edge of the talan, dawn's light filtering gently through with the breeze. His feeling of unease had strengthened during the night. "Change comes, will you embrace it?" the voice in his mind's eye whispered. For several months, he had thought it was Lady Galadriel speaking to him, but recently he realized it was not her voice. He heard the sound of sheets rustling. He turned and looked at the beautiful Elleth in his bed.
"Come back to bed, darling," she purred, allowing the sheet to fall, exposing perfect, fit - in - your - palm breasts. She smoothed the side next to her. "You have allowed me to sleep far too much tonight."
The March Warden looked at the silver haired beauty. "I am not your darling. What will it take for you to understand that? You are nothing more than a warm bed partner; a release." He turned back to the window.
The Elleth's look changed to one of contempt the moment his attention lay elsewhere and her voice dripped venom. "You seek me out willingly enough. I have kept myself only for you for a millennium. And what do I have to show for it? You have made me a laughing stock among the Lady's maidens." She rose from the bed regally, sheet draped around her tall, slender body. Her tone changed, softened, as did the mask of her face; a face of sweetness, well practiced in her mirror. Her hand went to his well-muscled arm. "Haldir, why wait? What questions could you still have? We have been partnered for so long. Why not make it...permanent. Your parents would have been ple-"
His hand gripped hers tightly and removed her fingers from his arm. "Do not tell me what would have pleased my parents. You hold yourself out for me because you consider me your best catch. I know how many others you bed with when I am not here." Her eyes widened. "Yes," he spoke harshly before she could defend herself. "My brothers talk. I know they have enjoyed you separately... and together. I know others have as well!" He slung her hand away with contempt. "You would bed Lord Celeborn, if he would even look your way. You may well be a laughing stock, but you have made yourself one. And I am one as well, because I continued to take you into my bed." His eyes returned to the horizon and he sighed. "Change is coming. Can you feel it?"
Tears filled her eyes. "Change, change. That is all you are consumed with." She dropped the sheet and began pulling on her clothes. "If I had others, it is because you forced it on me. It is difficult to..."
"I know, I know, it is difficult for you while I am away. Once, I had convinced myself you missed me." He reached out and twirled a lock of her silver hair around his fingers, when he suddenly yanked her to him by the hair of her head. "But it did not take long for me to realize what a serpent you are." He pushed her away again and took a deep breath. "I have come to the conclusion that by my continuing to entertain you physically, you are convinced we have a future. That is not the case." He took in her look of shock.
"Surely, my darling, you do not mean to cast me out, make me look a fool..."
"I said I am not your darling!" The voice was powerful, booming. "Only you can make yourself look the fool. You and I have no future. We will not be. I will no longer be your plaything."
She stood tall and tried a different tactic as quickly as she would change shoes. "If you have decided we are not meant to be partners, we can still be friends and lovers..." she paused to give him time to ponder that offer.
His gaze returned to the dawn's light. "You always did sell yourself cheaply. That is the one thing I liked about you. No wooing of the female heart."
Her breath rushed out of her in one gasp. "Wooing? Is that what this is about? Wooing?" Her laughter was curt and harsh. "You could not woo an old woman who begged for any Elf's attention! You are Haldir the Arrogant, Haldir the Brooder, Haldir the-"
His hand went up, his back still to her. "Stop. Your flattery will get you nowhere." He looked at her over his shoulder. "Close your mouth. You look ridiculous." Her jaw, dropped open in astonishment, quickly snapped shut. She quickly gained composure and slid towards the door.
"One more thing." She stopped, but did not look at him. "Remove all that is yours from my talan. I do not wish any of the awkward ‘I forgot this and that.' Do it while I am on patrol. Have it done before I return. I wish no lingering of your essence, no reminder of you." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Do I make myself perfectly clear, darling?" His stress on the word was sarcasm at his best.
She stood as tall as she could - almost as tall as he and spat between clenched teeth...
"Perfectly."
He waited until she had left the talan and then rested his head against the flimsy wall. The voice started again. His whispered plea was drug out of him as a painful grating.
"Please, please, my lady. Cease your weeping."
***
I see fingers drop rose petals on a freshly dug grave. I can hear sobbing from afar. Does it come from my throat? The pain, is so fresh, I am torn in many pieces. My love, my love, take me with you. My throat is constricting. I can not breathe...see the light?...the beautiful light...and that beautiful voice comes back to haunt my dreams...Change. Change. Wake up, it is coming, He is coming...
to be continued...
Things that go bump in the night or The Lost
***
Haldir stood at the edge of the talan, dawn's light filtering gently through with the breeze. His feeling of unease had strengthened during the night. "Change comes, will you embrace it?" the voice in his mind's eye whispered. For several months, he had thought it was Lady Galadriel speaking to him, but recently he realized it was not her voice. He heard the sound of sheets rustling. He turned and looked at the beautiful Elleth in his bed.
"Come back to bed, darling," she purred, allowing the sheet to fall, exposing perfect, fit - in - your - palm breasts. She smoothed the side next to her. "You have allowed me to sleep far too much tonight."
The March Warden looked at the silver haired beauty. "I am not your darling. What will it take for you to understand that? You are nothing more than a warm bed partner; a release." He turned back to the window.
The Elleth's look changed to one of contempt the moment his attention lay elsewhere and her voice dripped venom. "You seek me out willingly enough. I have kept myself only for you for a millennium. And what do I have to show for it? You have made me a laughing stock among the Lady's maidens." She rose from the bed regally, sheet draped around her tall, slender body. Her tone changed, softened, as did the mask of her face; a face of sweetness, well practiced in her mirror. Her hand went to his well-muscled arm. "Haldir, why wait? What questions could you still have? We have been partnered for so long. Why not make it...permanent. Your parents would have been ple-"
His hand gripped hers tightly and removed her fingers from his arm. "Do not tell me what would have pleased my parents. You hold yourself out for me because you consider me your best catch. I know how many others you bed with when I am not here." Her eyes widened. "Yes," he spoke harshly before she could defend herself. "My brothers talk. I know they have enjoyed you separately... and together. I know others have as well!" He slung her hand away with contempt. "You would bed Lord Celeborn, if he would even look your way. You may well be a laughing stock, but you have made yourself one. And I am one as well, because I continued to take you into my bed." His eyes returned to the horizon and he sighed. "Change is coming. Can you feel it?"
Tears filled her eyes. "Change, change. That is all you are consumed with." She dropped the sheet and began pulling on her clothes. "If I had others, it is because you forced it on me. It is difficult to..."
"I know, I know, it is difficult for you while I am away. Once, I had convinced myself you missed me." He reached out and twirled a lock of her silver hair around his fingers, when he suddenly yanked her to him by the hair of her head. "But it did not take long for me to realize what a serpent you are." He pushed her away again and took a deep breath. "I have come to the conclusion that by my continuing to entertain you physically, you are convinced we have a future. That is not the case." He took in her look of shock.
"Surely, my darling, you do not mean to cast me out, make me look a fool..."
"I said I am not your darling!" The voice was powerful, booming. "Only you can make yourself look the fool. You and I have no future. We will not be. I will no longer be your plaything."
She stood tall and tried a different tactic as quickly as she would change shoes. "If you have decided we are not meant to be partners, we can still be friends and lovers..." she paused to give him time to ponder that offer.
His gaze returned to the dawn's light. "You always did sell yourself cheaply. That is the one thing I liked about you. No wooing of the female heart."
Her breath rushed out of her in one gasp. "Wooing? Is that what this is about? Wooing?" Her laughter was curt and harsh. "You could not woo an old woman who begged for any Elf's attention! You are Haldir the Arrogant, Haldir the Brooder, Haldir the-"
His hand went up, his back still to her. "Stop. Your flattery will get you nowhere." He looked at her over his shoulder. "Close your mouth. You look ridiculous." Her jaw, dropped open in astonishment, quickly snapped shut. She quickly gained composure and slid towards the door.
"One more thing." She stopped, but did not look at him. "Remove all that is yours from my talan. I do not wish any of the awkward ‘I forgot this and that.' Do it while I am on patrol. Have it done before I return. I wish no lingering of your essence, no reminder of you." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Do I make myself perfectly clear, darling?" His stress on the word was sarcasm at his best.
She stood as tall as she could - almost as tall as he and spat between clenched teeth...
"Perfectly."
He waited until she had left the talan and then rested his head against the flimsy wall. The voice started again. His whispered plea was drug out of him as a painful grating.
"Please, please, my lady. Cease your weeping."
***
I see fingers drop rose petals on a freshly dug grave. I can hear sobbing from afar. Does it come from my throat? The pain, is so fresh, I am torn in many pieces. My love, my love, take me with you. My throat is constricting. I can not breathe...see the light?...the beautiful light...and that beautiful voice comes back to haunt my dreams...Change. Change. Wake up, it is coming, He is coming...
to be continued...