For the Love of a Maia

For the Love of a Maia
Chapter 13 - What Plans Made Aright?
A story by Sienna Dawn

Pairing: Haldir/OFC Heterosexual
Rating: NC17 for sexuality

Summary: The Valar send Haldir to Arda in order to bring a stranded Maia back to Valinor. When he arrives, the possibility of civil war looms large. Will the Maia forsake Middle Earth and return to Valinor? A period romance set against the backdrop of Norman England.

Disclaimer: Based on characters from The Silmarillion and the Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien, (used here without permission), as well as historical events which occurred in York, England, 1173-1175 AD, during the reign of Henry II. Copyright remains with JRR Tolkien. For entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made from this work. All original characters are the creation of Sienna Dawn.

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Chapter 13

Four months later...in Rowan Bold...

Twilight descended gently upon York and it promised a chilly night. Trees, bare of covering, seemed to shiver beneath the frost of an indifferent silver moon. It was a quiet night, with no wind, nor chink of metal from the men-at-arms who rubbed their hands over fires that failed to warm their tired bones.

Inside her chamber within the stronghold that was Rowan Bold, Elyen leaned at a high window and peered out at the lands beyond. She watched the still darkness and sighed. Twelve weeks now and no news. Long weeks of waiting and knowing she could ill afford to wait and do nothing. How had she not seen this? What hand, save the Valar's, could so blind her? She sighed again, "And what of Anysse?"

Not realizing she had spoken aloud, Elyen turned away from the window and contemplated the tray of food before her. She had no appetite and slept little these days, worry and uncertainty marking her fine feaures.

Ignoring the food, she turned back to the window, leaned against the cold stone wall and began to think. So deep in thought was she that she failed to hear the soft footfall of the elf that silently entered her chamber and approached her. It was only at the last moment that Elyen turned and saw Haldir. Her features softened into a small smile and she held out her hands to him.

"My heart tells me much of what has been done has become unraveled." Her eyes searched his face and she shook her head. "It was all within reach, and yet it all became undone so swiftly." Her voice trailed off.

Haldir frowned, "I am certain that you can place things aright again."

Elyen turned back to the window. It was the stillness of her that worried him. Haldir's frown deepened. "Or can you not?"

Elyen sighed. She walked toward the table where the tray of food waited. Absentmindedly she picked at a small slice of bread, now almost stale. "I do not know." She raised her eyes to his, "Leave has been given me to do much upon this world, yet of late many things have failed me." Pulling out a chair, she sat and looked at Haldir.

"What mean you?" Haldir asked, "What things have failed you, meluiel?" His eyes softened. Coming to kneel at her side, his hand reached out of its own accord and caressed her face.

Elyen closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Suddenly she felt Haldir's breath upon her lips. His mouth gently kissed hers, and she drank in the heady taste of him. Cupping his face with both her hands, Elyen opened her eyes once and then deepened the kiss until their mouths opened and their tongues touched. The kiss seemed to last for an endless moment, each one savoring the taste of the other until Haldir broke away and gently nibbled Elyen's neck, planting small kisses here and there, licking her skin, delighting in the salty taste of her, remembering the last time they had lain together, desiring her, throbbing for her. He heard her moan and knew she desired him as much as he wanted her. He wanted to sail away with her, take her far from the death and sickness that darkened this world, but he knew he had to wait, as he had vowed, though it might take an eternity.

She leaned her head toward his shoulder. "I had not foreseen this, Haldir," she began quietly, "that Almeric may lay down his claim upon Anysse only to lay claim to Melissant." She straightened in the chair and looked directly into Haldir's eyes. "And that de Lacey would not see the folly of such a claim nor see the lie in Almeric's claim of fealty to the King."

Haldir agreed and stood. "It is true, as you say, Almeric's declaration of loyalty to the King rings hollow even upon my own ears." He knew little of the politics of this land, but had seen and heard enough to know that Almeric was not done...and far from it, he told himself. "What can be done now?" Haldir asked quietly. "Wyatt is dead, Godfrey and Matilda have agreed upon the joining of little Melissant to Almeric, siege and war has been averted Elyen," Haldir studied the Maia. "The lands of York are safe. Was this not your goal?"

Elyen stood and walked to her bed where she had deposited her cloak. Wrapping it about her body, she turned to look at Haldir, her face now bathed in shadow. "Nay, it was not so much the lands of York that I sought to safeguard but its bloodline."

Haldir frowned, uncomprehending. "Its bloodline?"

Elyen nodded and walked to him, "Aye." She reached out for his arm. "Come with me, my beautiful elf, for there is much that we must unravel this night."

Shaking his head, Haldir followed in the footsteps of the mighty Maia.

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Deep within the murky darkness, the Maia walked quickly down the stone steps as Haldir kept close behind her. Though her eyes were not as keen as that of the elves, she was still able to navigate her way around the house well enough. They walked quickly and confidently using the narrow corridor that led to the secret door they had discovered once Melissant had gone missing. The narrow passageway located at the back of the great house opened directly under the old keep. Though it was the original foundation for Rowan Bold it was neglected and not maintained. Most thought it haunted because of its great antiquity and avoided it altogether. It was then, not surprising, that the Fitzwalters had all but forgotten of its existance and even the ever-vigilant Hugh Malet had not known of it.

Stepping into the chill night, Elyen made straight for the back of the house, Haldir falling in step behind her and looking once behind him, above and beyond them, seeing nothing and relaxing but a small fraction. The Maia changed her course abruptly and Haldir realized she was making for the banks of the moat. Once she reached the water's edge, the Maia stood before the calm waters, her breathing slow and measured. Standing quietly behind her, Haldir waited, and not knowing why, he reached behind his back for his great bow.

"You will not need your weapon," Elyen called out softly.

Haldir arched an eyebrow and dropped the mighty bow back in place.

Enveloped by a dark night that was softly illuminated by the frost moon of January, the Maia's own light suddenly flared as she called out words in a tongue foreign to Haldir's ears. Then, just as abruptly as it came, the light from the Maia's body subsided and all was quiet again. Haldir waited, casting a glance about him and seeing nothing amiss.

In a moment Elyen turned to him. "We must go into the Wood. Quickly!" She hurried away from the edge of the water and walked quickly toward the back of the house, making for the bridge that spanned the moat and led directly to the Wood. Silently Haldir followed.

Once they had crossed the bridge, Elyen's stride quickened into a near run, Haldir always close behind her. Within minutes they were deep inside the green darkness. Haldir waited, watching Elyen closely.

The Maia located a small clearing and there she slowed, coming to a standstill. Again she called out in the strange tongue Haldir knew not.

Abruptly, the leafy spires the loomed above them began to part, forming a perfect circle above them so that the sky, a brilliant carpet of stars, was revealed to them.

Smiling Elyen turned at last to Haldir, "It shan't be long now."

Haldir frowned. What was the Maia about? He wanted to ask her but thought the better of it and remained still, looking at the sky above, the sparkling stars, the few shadowy clouds that danced into view and then graced away from them.

He smelled it, felt it, before he saw it, though he was never able to say how.

In a great mist it came, swirls and streaks of gossamer white light that danced upon the sky like the tendrils of silken cobwebs upon the wind. They watched quietly as the light descended toward them in a whirlpool of sparkles that to Haldir reminded him of the ice upon the northern waterways of the Icebay of Forochel.

The light and sparkles descended swifly and both the Maia and the elf stepped back. They watched as the light turned upon itself, swirling into a whirlpool that was slowly beginning to coalesce into something more substantial. Haldir watched the spinning tendrils of light, attempting to make some sense of what he was seeing but eventually resigning himself to waiting for whatever was about to happen. He looked toward Elyen. Her faced was bathed in the same light, almost as if her lifeforce was directing the movement of the sparks and streaks of light that swirled before them.

Again the Maia spoke the foreign words and this time the light slowed, the swirling whirlpool turning into a spinning ball. Haldir watched in silence as the Maia seemed to direct the movement of this light. He frowned. Something about this light resonated a deep memory within him, and he reached into his mind for it. What was this thing? Where had he seen it before.

The ball of light was smaller now, Haldir realized. Small enough to fit into the palm of his hand. Small enough to carry. Suddenly it came to him. He knew! He remembered what it was and his eyes flew to Elyen. He was captivated by the light that came from her face, the dancing swirls in her eyes like the sparkles of a thousand stars. It was then Haldir thought, "And the stars were in her eyes."

Gently the ball of light stopped spinning as it lay upon the ground. Haldir watched Elyen whisper to it and then reach out her hand.

It was then that Haldir found his voice, "Nay, do not touch it!" His voice was a harsh whisper.

Elyen looked up at Haldir and then frowned, her hand frozen in mid-movement. "Why do you say this?"

Haldir stepped closer to Elyen and reached for her arm. "Know you not what this is?"

Elyen smiled, "Of course I know what it is, Haldir of Lorien. Why do you ask me this question?"

Haldir looked down at the globe. "It is a palantir!"

Elyen smiled, "Nay it is not a palantir, Haldir. It is far more than a palantir. It is ithildin, a seeing stone of my own design, of water and wind and the sparkle of stars and of ithildin." She pulled away from him and reached out for the stone. Cupping it in one hand, she smoothed it with the other. "Do you not remember the magic of ithildin? The secret doors and passageways? The swords and bows, and the great many gifts that ithildin bestowed upon the Children of Illuvatar?" She laughed as she caressed the stone. "Has it been so long for the Eldar, that you have forgotten the gifts of Illuvatar?"

Chastised, Haldir frowned, attempting to conceal his discomfort. Elyen had never spoken to him in such a manner, though he knew he deserved it. Who was he to dictate to a Maia? "I remember," he said somewhat coldly, "though it resembles a palantir."

"No one knows the fates of the seeing stones, Haldir," she explained, though Haldir well knew most of the palantiri had been lost in Middle Earth and no one knew who their wielders were. "This is a stone made of my own essence and that of ithildin. I keep it hidden within the waters of the moat of Rowan Bold, for water it is and starlight awakens it."

Unconvinced, Haldir cast a gloomy eye at the stone and said nothing.

Sensing Haldir's unease, she smiled and explained, "It is with this stone that we shall see if what has come to pass can be made aright." Elyen peered at the surface of the stone, once more whispering soothingly in words Haldir could not understand. And as he watched the ithildin sphere in Elyen's hands, he began to discern moving shapes fluidly taking form inside the globe. He sighed and though Elyen admonished no weapons would be needed, he still felt better knowing his Noldorin knives, well-concealed though they be, were still quickly within reach.

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Key:

Icebay of Forochel - A great bay of the Great Sea in the cold northern areas of Middle-earth which is often referred to as the 'Icebay' of Forochel.

Ithildin - A magical substance which only became visible under moonlight or starlight and remained hidden until a magic word or phrase was used. The etchings on the Door of Durin could only be seen by starlight or moonlight and then commanded to open only if the elvish word, "mellon" (friend) was used.

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Disclaimer: All familiar characters are owned by JRR Tolkien and are used without permission. No monies are being made from this work.
Graphics copyrighted Cari Buziak