You Must Have Faith

Chapter Sixteen

Vera caught up fairly quickly, and walked next to Thranduil in silence as they headed to the lake.  The minute that they got to the secluded spot, Vera headed for the tree that hung out over the lake; climbing up and laying flat on her back on the branch, staring up into the stars.  Thranduil sat down at the base of the tree, facing towards the lake so that he could see the little bit of her that wasn't hidden by the branch.  They sat in silence for a moment, just listening to the chirping of crickets.

"Do you know how I met Haldir, Thranduil?"

Thranduil remained silent, sensing that it was a rhetorical question.

"It was the day that I lost my sister, the day of her death, or so I thought.  Orcs surrounded us, unconcerned with our pitiful little campfire.  We fought, but it was just us, and in such close quarters our bows were useless.  She was the only one who knew how to use it properly anyhow, I just had it for appearances.  I was an awful shot at the time."

Here she paused for a minute, lost in thought.

"It was like I was in some sort of hell.  Firelight flickering off the faces of those horrid creatures, glinting off of our weapons as they clashed.  Off the blood that had been spilled.  My screams, her screams, the orc's screams.  Every creature in the area probably heard our cries.  Thank the Valar for that, if it weren't for the noise Haldir would have never found me.  We were outnumbered, losing miserably.  We were both wounded, bleeding out.  She lost her sword, and the orcs grabbed her, started running with her.  I picked up the blade and charged after her, following the sound of her shouts.  But before I could get to her, Haldir came charging in, killing the orcs around me and lifting me onto his horse.  I begged, pleaded, for him to turn around, to go after her, but he refused.  On orders from Lady Galadriel, he told me."

Silence once again reigned, and Thranduil plucked up the courage to speak.

"So that's why you hate her so much?"

She snorted.

"Yes.  I have harbored a hatred, a bitterness towards her for centuries.  I believed that if Haldir had turned back that I could have saved her, but I know now that I would have died trying.  Haldir knew it as well, I'm sure.  He was brave, if he had thought that there was a chance to go after her, he would have, and ignored his Lady's orders.  But he knew that there was no hope of her rescue."

The sound of wind rustling the leaves replaced her voice, and this time Thranduil remained silent.

"I woke up in Lothlorien, and ran, in my nightgown, to Lady Galadriel.  After a full hour of screaming at her, I ran into the forest and climbed a tree.  Not even ten minutes later Haldir came and sat with me for the rest of the day and into the night.  We didn't exchange a single word, and yet I feel that it was that moment that our friendship was solidified.  With Haldir's help I managed to come to terms with what happened, and moved on.  In those three months I made a year's worth of memories, all of them with a seed of joy within. "

She started to laugh, the melodious sound echoing up into the sky.

"I remember we were sparring one day, the day before he was going to be going on a week long reconnaissance mission.  I was winning, obviously, and he had no hope of winning.  And yet he still decided to launch a last-ditch attempt to beat me.  I didn't have time to bring my swords up, so I used my only other option.  I dropped one of the swords and punched him straight in the chest.  Turns out that I broke one of his ribs, and when he got back he yelled at me for a half hour straight, complaining about how much it hurt to ride a horse with a broken rib.  I can't even remember any of what he said to me, I was laughing so hard that I couldn't hear him."

Vera stopped there, laughter over-taking her, similar to her laughter in the story.  Finally she quieted and sobered.

"I suppose you must be wondering why I didn't want him to see me wearing red.  Well, here's what went down.  It was the end of my second month in Lothlorien.  I had only worn green the entire time I was in the place, and Haldir was tired of it.  So, unbeknownst to me, he snuck into my room while I was out.  When I got back and went to get changed for dinner, my entire wardrobe had been filled with bright red clothes.  When I saw them, I marched into the dining hall, still in my filthy green clothes, and screamed at the top of my lungs.  "HALDIR YOU SON OF A TROLL, GIVE MY BACK MY CLOTHES!"  It was with immense satisfaction that I saw his entire face go as red as the clothes he had given me.  Needless to say my usual attire was back in place the next day."

This time it was Thranduil laughing.  He had managed to hold it in the entire time he was listening to the stories, but that one broke him.  He laughed, long and loud and deep.  A laugh like the rolling thunder coming off a mountain-top.  It startled Vera enough to make her look down at him.  At his hair shining in the moonlight, mouth open with the laughter escaping it.  Hands holding onto his stomach, rolling on the grass with mirth.  Vera felt a strange twitch inside of herself at the sight, but she ignored it and lay back down on the branch, smirking at the chuckling king.

"Enjoying the story are we?"

She teased him.  His laughs subsided down to chuckles at her words.

"Very much so, yes."

"Well then.  You're going to love this one.  I was in my other form one day, just playing around in the water.  Haldir got the bright idea to sneak up behind me and try and scare me.  Ordinarily it wouldn't have worked, hearing of a mountain lion and all that.  However, since I was making so much noise, I didn't hear him heading towards me.  Imagine his surprise when I suddenly shift to my human form.  That wouldn't be a problem now, but back then I hadn't learned how to shift and keep my clothes on me.  So Haldir comes running out of the woods to see me stark naked in a stream.  I screamed, he screamed, and he went running back into the woods.  He later defended himself by saying that he had shouted, not screamed.  Anyway, it was very awkward the next couple of days."

They were both laughing now, Vera barely able to keep herself on the branch and Thranduil unable to breathe.  Once they had both calmed down, Vera came down from the branch, climbing down the tree with the agility of her animal and seating herself next to Thranduil.

"Thank you."

Was all she whispered to him.

"You're welcome."

A/N:  Well, there's that.  I figured I would give you guys a calm before the storm.  Hold on to your britches ladies and gentlemen, there's an East Wind coming.  (And if you got that reference you are an amazing human being).  The picture is what I imagine the tree to look like, just sized to fit the Greenwood.  Comment what you thought, I know this is a little bit of a filler, but you got some nice backstory, and things are definitely going to be heating up pretty darn soon.  Vote if you liked it, love you guys!