Thorodriel

Chapter 23 - The Marchwarden

Thorodriel: Chapter 23

Aeweneth soon found herself climbing down the winding staircase to the forest floor. On her descent, her gaze drifted across the luscious greenery around her. From her place among the trees, she could see miles of thicket. Starlight pierced through the leaves and bounced off the water below, giving the woodland an ethereal glow. Its serenity reminded her of home. She missed her Eyrie - she missed its height, she missed its beauty, and she missed its quiet. Lost in her own world, she almost missed the blonde elf passing on her right.

Noticing the young elf's mind was elsewhere, Haldir reached out to grab her arm gently. She jumped slightly at his touch, before smiling in realisation.

"Haldir, mellon nin!" Aeweneth exclaimed, delight overtaking her features.

Her previous apprehension about Lothlorien subsided as she hugged her old friend lovingly. Whilst she had not seen the march warden since she was a child, she had missed him greatly. At her reaction, Haldir internally sighed in relief. His affection for Aeweneth was well known across Caras Galadhon, but since their last meeting had resulted in such tragedy, he had worried she would no longer call him a friend.

As she stepped out of his arms, he took a moment to fully examine her appearance. The color was back in her cheeks and she no longer looked dead, as she had only days earlier. Their eyes met, and he was reassured to find a spark within them that he had missed greatly. As a child, she may have been shy, but she was always full of life. He was glad to see she had regained her spirit after her last fateful trip to Lothlorien.

Shaking his head slightly, he brought himself back to the present. Aeweneth was no longer the same child he taught to hold a bow or climb a tree.

"You have grown, fileg" he whispered, before ruffling her hair affectionately.

Aeweneth laughed at the familiar gesture and batted his hands away playfully.

"I told you to stop calling me that mellon nin!" she brushed her fingers through her hair and rolled her eyes jokingly.

At her protests, Haldir smiled in remembrance. "From what I hear from your brothers, it's more accurate than ever!"

She giggled at his teasing and shoved his shoulder fondly. Until now, she had not realised how much she had missed Haldir. As a child, the march warden had been like family to her, and on her last visit to Lothlorien, he had been her saving grace. Whilst she was shunned by her grandmother and her family argued about her osanwe around her, Haldir had spent hours distracting and taking care of her. Together they raced through trees and danced in the starlight; he showed her how to shoot her very first arrow; he held her hand when the noise around her got too much. He was like family, and she hadn't seen him since. The realisation hurt, and she cursed herself for allowing the conflict between herself and Galadriel to prevent her from returning to see him.

Noticing her shift in mood, the march warden's concern grew, "how are you feeling?"

The bright spark in her eyes dimmed as she remembered the path behind her. No one but the Fellowship themselves knew the trauma of Moria and, whilst curious, Haldir hoped Aeweneth could heal here peacefully and without further hurt.

Not wanting to worry him further, she shrugged, hiding her pain behind a false smile. "Alive."

"I'm glad," he nodded in understanding before reaching forward to hug her again, this time more gently, "you gave us all quite the scare."

"It was the only option, even Mithrandir knew it."

At the mention of the fallen wizard's name, Aeweneth's eyes darkened further.

"I'm sorry for your loss, fileg." Haldir whispered softly.

Whilst they may have been out of touch for a time, it was known that the young elf held a strong friendship with Mithrandir. The grey wizard meant a lot to all elves but, for Aeweneth, Haldir understood that Gandalf's friendship was perhaps the only constant in her life since childhood.

She nodded silently, holding back the tears threatening behind her eyes.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, the march warden smiled playfully, "I heard you put my teaching to good use, though."

"Oh mellon nin," she cleared her throat and joined his banter, "I have come so much further than the stick and string you had me practicing with."

At the memory of the homemade weapon, the pair laughed earnestly.

"Well, I guess you will have to show me some time and see if I can give you any pointers," he continued, "I can't have you picking up bad habits and telling people I taught you them!"

"Oh, don't worry, all my bad habits were from the twins."

"I have no doubt."

They laughed again before falling into a comfortable silence, glad to have reunited after such a long time. Glancing upwards through the trees, Haldir noted his lateness.

"Fileg.." he started, before hesitating at the cautious look in her eye.

"Yes?" At his tone, Aeweneth had shrunk slightly in apprehension and he thought better than to dredge up the past when she had already been through so much.

"Nothing," Haldir relented, squeezing her hand once more before moving to begin climbing the stairs again. "I must return to my post, but I'm glad you are okay Aeweneth."

"Thank you mellon nin." she nodded, before continuing on her journey to the forest floor.

She didn't look back to see the march warden watching her leave with regret-filled eyes.