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Clauriel clenched her fists, furious. She had come to realise Glinnwen was conspicuously absent on climbing through their window to retire, noting the empty cot. She had stood, shaking her head at the audacity of the elves and of one elf in particular. Gritting her teeth, she had vaulted back out of the room in similar method to her entry and had begun her chase.
She found the elves walking at a slow pace back to their Southern Borders. Catching them soon enough was easy but composing herself in her anger was not.
“Daro!” she shouted not concealing her fury in the slightest.
Glinnwen stirred in Rúmil’s arms. He held her tighter and glared at the noisy Adanel.
“You will not take her any further! Give her to me!” she strode to Rúmil with the intention of dragging her sister from him. Rúmil was not willing to let the near hysterical female have the child. Orophin was the one who halted her steps as he caught and held her against his broad chest. Haldir attempted a warning to Orophin, but his cautious look came a second too late for the elf.
Clauriel twisted against him, turning her body in a momentum as she hooked her leg around his before bucking forward thus throwing the surprised elf over her back and onto the grass at their feet. Orophin was sprawled in a very un-elven fashion and was outraged.
Rúmil snickered and rolled his eyes before he stepped away from the fray he predicted was about to ensue. He chose to lean against the trunk of a beech tree, one of many lining their realm borders.
“Losto mae, cugu nin” he whispered into the ear of Glinnwen’s sleeping form, trouble brewed before him.
Haldir chose to interrupt the impending fight on Orophin’s rising from the ground - a glint of malice in his tumultuous eyes.
“This one needs to be placed over her man’s knee and be beaten severely!” he gritted out causing a wry smile from Haldir.
“No man or elf will ever beat me! Perhaps you require another demonstration as to why?”
Orophin coloured slightly and began muttering unkind words under his breath. Haldir was stood in front of him, using his own body as a block to prevent the fiery Adanel from further attacking his unfortunate brother. Clauriel narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists…
“Do not even think it, raudnaur,” he said. “You would be less successful against myself, for I have not Orophin’s patience or restraint and I will put you over my knee for a thrashing.”
Clauriel snorted in a most un-ladylike manner.
His hand shot out before she could react further and was a steely band around her upper arm. Haldir pulled her along roughly as he strode into the woods and ignored her dragging feet and harsh curses. Orophin allowed Rúmil to step into position next so he could take the rear of their formation thus putting as much distance between the hateful female and himself as possible. Her foul language was appalling to his delicate ears. Haldir was paying no heed to her colourful slandering of their family line and his own person. He was also not listening to Rúmil’s stifled laughter.
Daybreak was well nigh when the turned from the leafy path and began on a trek down into a gorge. Haldir whistled softly in imitation birdcalls and Clauriel noted the sounds were echoed and met.
She had little time to ponder this as Haldir hauled her further into the denseness of the woods held cloistered within the sloping confines of the natural gully. Her sister remained secure in Rúmil’s arms and slept as though… in a trance? Clauriel grit her teeth and dug her heels into the soft earth, halting Haldir abruptly
“Did your nâr muindor put an elvish spell on that child?” She asked in outrage.
Orophin in annoyance, intercepted Haldir before he could respond.
“Rúmil is not nâr!”
“Then why the enchantments on a helpless babe?”
Rúmil exhaled, exasperation taking away the usual good humour he displayed.
“ It happened that a shrill and hysterical female was about to waken cugu nin.” He offered what he knew was a disarmingly, charming grin, “I merely allowed her an uninterrupted slumber from the alagos’lam”
“No dínen” she muttered irked that he was most likely in the right and not entirely understanding what ‘alagos’lam’ meant.
They continued onwards. Haldir was following an unseen path and Clauriel did not notice when Orophin left their flank and vanished up into the tree canopy. Keen eyes followed them.
“Must you continue such a harsh grip? There is no need to mark me!”
Haldir looked to her and raised his eyebrow before loosening his grip slightly. He continued to tow her along despite her protestations.
“Oh, for goodness sake! Unhand me elf! I am hardly going to flee and leave my sister in your capture!”
“It is not the possibility of your flight which makes me so cautious but rather your unchecked temper and my elves being on the receiving end of your poor grace.”
Clauriel snorted. Poor grace indeed! Her manners were not the only questionable these past hours. She was outraged at their treatment and by the arrogance of the elves. Her fathers’ wife had oft lectured them on the foolish misconceptions the race of man harboured for the elves. Indeed, to mention the word ‘elf’ in Gwirith’s presence was a guarantee that she would be drowning herself in her husband’s store of wines and ales in no time. It was better and more harmonious to comply with the woman’s opinion that all elves were men in prettier guise. As Haldir continued to pull her through Lorien, Clauriel was on agreement with her.
Tripping and stumbling for the umpteenth time, the Adanel had taken as much as her temperament would allow in one day.
“Stop” She demanded
Haldir ignored her.
“ I asked you to cease this journey!”
The elf pulled her harder.
“Thinnedhel, I will not ask you again…”
Haldir tightened his grip on her arm. Rúmil was sure he heard the woman growl like an animal and he was positive his eyes were not deceiving him when she reached back, raised a clenched fist and punched his haughty brother right to his proud jaw.
It was Haldir’s turn to stumble. He kept his grip on Clauriel and straightened with fury darkening his eyes. His free hand rubbed the reddening mark along his jaw line and he hissed out,
“You will pay for that.”
Clauriel gulped and attempted to step back. Haldir kept her from straining away and looked at their surroundings resolutely. He spotted what he was looking for and marched the squawking female to the fallen tree trunk. He sat himself down first before hauling her form across his lap, leaving her backside within reach.
“Don’t you dare!” she cried
“Oh, but I do – you insist on behaving like a naughty child and so I shall treat you as one.”
Rúmil stared open mouthed. Haldir wouldn’t, would he? He had never seen his brother behave in such a manner, but then, he had not seen his brother be accosted in such a violent manner by a female before either! Haldir had returned to them with his mind intact but he had also accrued many more years of wisdom and the grace of one who has lived in Aman. The brothers still had some things to learn about the reborn Haldir, they were not always sure he would behave as he once would, before Helms Deep…
“You horrid elf! It is not your place to discipline me, keep away!” Clauriel was shrieking in panic
Haldir smiled to himself.
“Help! Help Me!” she was screaming loud enough to alert the Valar.
Haldir chuckled. She was squirming and wailing and he had yet to touch her. In fact, her struggles were proving quite interesting to his senses. Rúmil did not stay to see if she was going to get her ‘discipline’. He left his now, very amused brother with the noisy female and carried on to the bottom of the gorge. He could hear her shouts every step of the way down.
Rúmil was met in the shaded bottom by another fair haired elf. He nodded a greeting and allowed the sleeping child to be taken and whisked up into the trees where she would be laid to rest in a cot on the Telain. He drank from a waterskin as Dinendal spoke.
“We have had word that Lord Celeborn has sent his sentinel guards to fetch your guests. I have scouted the paths and activity is non-existent. We are fortunate to have such peace, are we not?”
Rúmil smiled warmly at his friend and voiced agreement. A piercing scream disturbed their conversation and Dinendal winced,
“What creature is this, that causes such sounds?”
“Haldir has found himself a challenge.”
A pale eyebrow raised in disbelief.
“Surely you jest?”
“Quite, my friend. It is amusing, is it not? Of all the march warden’s, Haldir is our most stout and resolute and yet he sits halfway up the gully’s edge threatening to tan the backside of one very fiery Adanel!”
The elves laughed. Orophin accosted Rúmil as Dinendal and he arrived up onto the Telain. He took delight in updating the elf on the events he had missed. Orophin was irked he had not witnessed the female punching his brother. That was a rare occurrence indeed. He strained to see through the foliage, wishing to view the female made humble by a thrashing.
Clauriel had made as much noise as possible in attempts to have the elf release her. She was surprised but very glad when he allowed her to rise without having touched her backside once. She had uttered an apology and he had released her instantly. His point was to infuse better manners and it had worked. Clauriel did not attain any joy at the thought of a beating, especially not from and elf whose every sinewy muscle was an example of well restrained and great strength. She had been unnerved by the sensations emerging from being so physically close to the large male. She did not know that it was not in the nature of an elf to physically beat a woman. Haldir had feigned the intent after seeing Adani parents use the trick on unruly children.
He led her silently along the path his brother had taken and met her dubious gaze when he informed her she would have to climb up to the Talon by herself.
“I am no squirrel. I do not climb trees.”
“Indeed and you will”
He lifted her as high as the first gnarled knot in the trunk and watched as she carefully made her way up to the first branches. She climbed higher and higher until she could find no way to continue. She was only halfway up the tree when she halted. Haldir had disappeared from her sights.
“Elf?” she called out. There was no response.
“Thinnedhel? I require some assistance, if you please?”
Haldir appeared above her and hoisted her up as though she weighed nothing. He guided her up the tree via nooks and knots in the main tree trunk itself. He would admit later that he enjoyed watching her from behind. She had a shapely rear and he noted how her body swayed and moved in a manner very different to the thinly built elleth’s of his race. Soon they reached a wooden ceiling and were let through a carved hole up onto the Telain. Clauriel was stunned at the breathtaking views. She could almost see her dwelling from this vantage point! In fact, the entire spread of plains was laid before them. The assembled march wardens could see for great distances from this Telain without the facts of their excellent vision. Clauriel joined her sister and curled next to her on the cot. She would finally be able to rest.
Dinandal approached Haldir.
“Why did you not use the ladders?” he asked innocently
Haldir smiled and left his friend holding a bemused expression.
*****
…:… Notes and Translations …:…
Glinnwen – song/tune maiden
Clauriel – splendour like or daughter of splendour
Teledhel – silver elf
Fileg - songbird
Suilaid – greetings
Nae – Alas!
U-chenion – I do not understand
Vendë – maiden, girl
Avo Pedo – silence
(or shut up in modern dialect!)
Adanel – mortal woman
Mellon
– friend
Apologies, I have mixed a few Quenyan words into this story! The Galadhrim would most likely never speak Quenyan and local populations like my OFC’s would never have! Sindarin was the main language of the elves after the Third Age so please be careful if you are copying any phrases/words for you own use.
Glinnwen – song/tune maiden
Clauriel – splendour like or daughter of splendour
Thinnedhel – Grey elf
Adanel – mortal
woman** Quenya?
Gwirith - sindarin for April
Daro – stop
Losto mae, cugu nin – sleep well, my dove
Raud & Naur – metal & fist
nâr - rat
muindor – brother
alagos & lam – storm of wind & tongue (ie windbag or mouthy!)
No
dínen – be silent (ie shut up!)
Telain – the correct spelling of Talon! Wooden platforms in the trees used by the Galadhrim. Also called flets – but they are the same.
Elleth = An elf maid. We do not say She-elf!!! It is a derogatory term!
***