Lotr Fanfic "In the Course of Time 02/07"
In the Course of Time - PART 2
***
Éomer watched how the Elf's eyes grew cold and knew he had gone to far. He had wanted to get back at him for all those small comments aimed at Men, but when the Elf rode off without a word he realised he must have made him really furious. Éomer felt ashamed with himself and decided he would have to apologise to the Elf later.
The position of the sun indicated it was shortly before midday when they finally came into sight of Rohan's capital. The Elven captain had ridden next to Gandalf for the rest of the journey and had swiftly ignored Éomer. The Rohirrim had not felt a particular urge to talk to anybody and had taken the lead of the group, silently lost in thoughts.
“There we are.” the Éomer said to nobody in particular and nodded towards city that covered the small mountain at the end of the plane in front of them. “Edoras.”
The group made their way over the plane towards the city and rode through the gates. While riding up to the stables next to Meduseld, Éomer carefully inspected the city. It felt good to be back and see that his home was unharmed, even though he noticed the reduced number of his people. On the terrace of the Great Hall stood Éowyn and waited for them, pale, beautiful and fierce as always. Éomer was relieved to see she was all right and the travel from Helm's Deep had been smooth.
The rest of the day passed fast, everybody was busy with either preparations for the feast in memory of the dead that would be held in the evening, or in taking care of the wounded. Éomer joined the preparations, he knew the tradition of a celebration for the dead was important for his people to keep them from falling into despair and to let them see hope. They would need all strength they had to go on.
When the night fell, the people of Edoras gathered in Meduseld. Éomer took his place behind his uncle and let his gaze wander through the hall. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the Elven captain sat at the first table next to the Second Marshal of the Mark and Háma, the captain of the King's gurad. The Elven archers were at one side behind their captain, the Rohirrim Riders had taken the other side. The people of the city filled the rest of the Golden Hall.
There was an expectant silence when Éowyn approached their uncle, bowed and offered him the ceremonial goblet filled with red wine. Éomer watched her smile and pass their uncle to stand behind him on the other side before his gaze went back to the crowd.
“Hail the victorious dead!” Theoden said with his strong voice and lifted his goblet. All present in Meduseld rose and followed his example and drank to the glory of the dead of Helm's Deep. Éomer swallowed a mouthful of the sweet wine, his gaze locked with the Elven captain. He needed to apologise, he remembered.
Once the formal part of the feast was over, the people in the hall mixed up and started talking, eating and drinking. Éomer walked over to the table where Háma and some of his riders sat and joined them. After a while, the Dwarf dragged the Legolas over to them and challenged him to a drinking contest. At first, Éomer thought the Elf was insane to agree to it, but once they had started, he revised his estimation.
With fascination Éomer watched the Dwarf and the Elf drinking pint after pint. He readily supplied another when Gimli had finished his and could not help his curiosity as to who would be the last standing. The Dwarf was a hard drinker, he had realised that by now, but the Elf was not bad either and seemed not really affected by the alcohol he had already consumed. Éomer was surprised, though, when the Dwarf fell backwards, obviously passed out from drinking, and Legolas just gave a small smirk and said, “Game over.”
He would not have expected the Elf to win. It was good to know that the alcohol of Men apparently did not have any effect on Elves, he mused while sipping his own ale. He let his gaze wander through the hall. Men and women as well as Elves were feasting and celebrating in memory of their dead and laughter and talking filled the room with a constant hum. He could not see the Elven captain anywhere, though, and he still felt he had to apologise for the morning.
Éomer pushed himself off the barrel he had been leaning against and started his way through the hall, looking for the Elf. When he did not find him, he went outside and checked the terrace and the surrounding balconies, but could not see him either. Determined to find the Elven captain and say his excuses, he continued searching.
***
“Aragorn.”
Aragorn turned to the sound of his name and saw Éomer coming towards him. “What can I do for you, Éomer?”
The other man stopped next to him in the corridor, a quizzical expression on his face. “Have you seen Haldir?”
Aragorn could not help one of his brow rising in surprise. “Last time I saw him he was in the Golden Hall talking to your King, but that was some hours ago.”
Then his curiosity made him state: “I see you are on first name basis.”
The Rohirrim nodded. “He offered me on today's ride to Edoras.”
“Is that so.” That was interesting. Aragorn had known the Lorien archer to be very reserved and was aware of the fact that this character trait made him appear arrogant to those who did not know him well. To offer a Man his first name after only a few days seemed very unusual for the Elf.
“What wonders you?” The Rohirrim had good instincts and he obviously picked up Aragorn's surprise.
“It was a rare offer he made to you.” the Ranger stated. He felt that making the Rohirrim aware of the gift he had been granted would not do harm. “Haldir must esteem you quite highly.”
Éomer seemed to be at loss for words and gave Aragorn a confused glance. “I do not know. He did not say anything of this sort.”
Aragorn laughed gently. “I assume in spite of it being only a the few days that you know him you are well aware that he is not likely to say such a thing aloud.”
“I dare to say it would be very unlike him.” The other man smirked slightly. “I will go on looking for him then.”
Aragorn nodded and watched the Rohirrim disappear with a determined stride into the corridor on his left. He was still surprised at Haldir's obvious willingness to befriend the Man. He had noticed the subliminal affinity the Elf and the Rohirrim seemed to have had right from the beginning, but he had not given it any further thought. Now, though, he felt intrigued. His instincts told him that these two very headstrong men, both used to command and to be obeyed, were bound to get into conflicts.
Aragorn remembered the bathhouse at Helm's Deep where he had deliberately intervened to prevent the confrontation. Maybe next time, he would just let it happen. He was confident that they were very well able to sort themselves out on their own. And they would clash, sooner or later.
***
Éomer had searched most of Meduseld and its immediate surroundings when he saw the lonely figure on the bench in the little garden behind the Golden Hall. It was not difficult to recognise the Elven captain, his long, nearly white hair was very distinctive in the soft moonlight that flooded the garden. For a moment, Éomer remained on the top of the stairs, hidden in the shadow of the hall's overhanging roof, just watching the peaceful scene in front of him.
“You might as well join me, Horselord.” he heard the Elf's voice say quietly.
Éomer wondered how the Elf knew he was there, but nonetheless he left the shadow, slowly went down the five steps into the garden and walked towards the bench. He hesitated a moment, then settled besides the Elf and cleared his throat. “How did you know I was there?”
The Elven captain did not look at him but continued to let his gaze wander over the wide planes. “Elven hearing is very sharp. I could hear you before you even came around the corner.”
“Oh.” Éomer was astonished. He had never thought about the more subtle differences their races involved. He was silent for some minutes, lost in his own thoughts, before he turned his head to look at the Elf. “I want to apologise for my comment during today's ride. It was incorrect and out of line.”
It had taken Éomer a lot to actually speak these words aloud, but he felt like he owed the Elven captain an apology for his low blow. He knew that the Elves did not have to come for Men's help at all, most of them were leaving Middle Earth anyway. And he had understood during the funeral ritual at Helm's Deep that death was an even more cruel thing for Elves than it was for Men, and the Elven archers had had great losses in a battle that had not even been theirs.
For a moment, the Elf did not react in any way and Éomer began to feel awkward. But then the captain turned his head and caught Éomer's gaze. His eyes were shadowed, but sincere. “You were not completely wrong, though. We should have joined the defence of Middle Earth much earlier.”
The reply caught Éomer by surprise. He had not been sure what kind of reaction he would get to his apology, but he had certainly not expected the Elf to agree with him. Somehow that made him much more approachable and showed a certain dignity Éomer could only admire.
“Life in the woods is very remote. It is easy to ignore the problems of the world around us as long as they do not stand at our borders.” the Elf went on, gaze still focussed on the Man.
Éomer found himself at loss for words. He would never have thought the Elf to be so open towards him. It took him a few moments before he was able to answer. “I had no right to accuse you of not helping, though. I am not certain how Rohan would have acted were it us in your position. Probably it would have been a very similar course of action. It is never an easy decision to join a war that does not seem to immediately affect you.”
Éomer thought he read respect rise in the Elf's eyes while he spoke. “And it still remains that you came to our help when we most needed it. It is thanks to you that the battle of Helm's Deep was not lost.”
The Elven captain still held his gaze and respectfully bowed his head a little bit. “I thank you for your sincere words. It helps us very much to know that our warriors did not die in vain and that their effort is appreciated.”
“It is. Believe me, it is.” Éomer looked the Elf straight in the eyes to prove his sincerity. “My people know how close we came to loosing the battle at Helm's Deep. One bow less might have made the difference. They celebrate with your warriors tonight because they grieve for your dead as much as for ours and it is our way of showing that.”
“And it is highly appreciated by my Elves. Despite the language barrier several of them already told me that they enjoyed the celebrations and felt included by your people.” The captain said quietly. “They were kindly welcomed by your people when they travelled with them from Helm's Deep to Edoras, I was told.”
“I hope you were welcomed appropriately as well when we arrived.” Éomer asked, worried for a moment because he had not paid attention to the Elf after they had entered the city. Their quarrel had kept him from looking for him and he had not seen him until the ceremony for the dead.
“Oh yes. Your sister was so kind to let me use the bathing facilities.” The Elf gave him a little smile. “And as you already stated: Elves like to bath.”
“So I have realised. Although our facilities here are not as good as in Helm's Deep, I hope they were to your satisfaction.” Éomer was surprised to find that he regretted that he had not shared the bath with the Elf and had missed the opportunity to have another look at the beauty of the captain. It felt weird to call a male beautiful, but it was the only suitable word. Ethereal beauty, despite of the definitely male shape of the body, the muscled shoulders, the strong arms and the narrow hips not leaving any doubt about him being a man.
“Éomer?” The Elf's voice reached his ears and broke through the musing. The Man realised he had been lost in thoughts - and what kind of thoughts! - and to his horror he felt himself blush, something that had not happened to him in years. Hearing his name from the Elf for the first time did not help his composure either.
“I am sorry, I was lost in thoughts.” he tried to excuse his inattention.
“So I realised.” The Elf chuckled. “They must have been very engaging thoughts.”
“You could say so.” Éomer felt his blush deepen. What else was he supposed to say to that? He would certainly not let the Elf know that it had been him who the thoughts had centred around.
“Let us go back inside.” Éomer suggested, rising slowly from the bench to not give the impression that he was fleeing. “As leaders, we cannot leave our warriors to celebrate alone.”
“That is right.” The Elf looked to the moon. “We have been absent for quite a while by now. We should rejoin them.”
The Elven captain rose as well and they silently made their way back to the Golden Hall. Éomer was still shocked and confused at his inappropriate thoughts about the Elf. He had realised he was fascinated by him, but the direction his fascination had taken was not acceptable. He respected the Elf for his skills as a warrior and for his strong mind, but he should definitely not think of him in terms like beautiful or intriguing.
Éomer knew the taste of male flesh, he was no innocent. Spending most of his life with his fellow warriors had of course led to the experience, it was quite common within the Riders. Even though nobody talked about it aloud, it was well known which Riders were shield mates. But for Éomer it had only been about mutual satisfaction or comfort, he had never thought about any man as beautiful or fascinating. Those feelings were reserved for the ladies and he had never questioned this distinction before.
Éomer was almost relieved when they entered the hustle and bustle of the hall, it helped him to push aside the disturbing thoughts. He looked around the hall and saw Aragorn and Legolas at a table, talking and drinking slowly . He indicated them to the Elven captain and they made their way over to the table and joined Legolas and the Ranger who was quietly smoking his pipe.
“Be welcome to sit with us, my friends.” Aragorn offered with a gesture of his hand to the bench on the opposite site of him and Legolas.
***
Aragorn saw Legolas sitting at a table and walked over to him. “I heard you won against Gimli in a drinking contest?”
“I was the last one standing, indeed.” the Elf answered and Aragorn knew him well enough to read the hidden amusement in his voice.
“You will tease him about this, will you not?” Aragorn asked with a smirk while he settled next to his friend on the bench.
“You sound like you expect me to take pleasure in his defeat.” The Elf managed to sound indignant. Aragorn only raised a brow.
“Maybe a little.” Legolas admitted after a moment, a small grin ghosting over his face. “Look who entered the hall.”
Aragorn followed his friend's gaze and saw Haldir and the Rohirrim Marshal step into the hall together. This time, they did not look like they had had a quarrel, though. They looked around for some time, then they seemed to have discovered Legolas and himself and came over to their table. Aragorn invited them to sit down and noticed the faint blush on the Man's cheeks with interest.
“How do you like the celebrations so far?” the Rohirrim asked while he and Haldir settled on the opposite site of the table, both a mug in their hands.
“It is a pleasant feast.” Aragorn replied, puffing out the smoke of his pipe. “And the wine is good.”
Legolas lips quirked a smile. “The ale is not bad, either.”
“Well, it does certainly not happen every day that one sees an Elf outdrink a Dwarf.” the Man chuckled, a grin on his face. “Congratulations, by the way, Master Legolas.”
Legolas accepted the praise with a modest bow of his head. “Thank you, my Lord. It was my pleasure.”
“So I believe.” Aragorn heard Haldir comment and saw him grin slightly.
“It was a honestly earned victory.” Legolas stated quietly, the smile still ghosting over his lips.
“I can attest to that, since it was I who was handing out the ale.” the Rohirrim said, raising his jug to him. “I am amazed, though, at the amount you were able to drink. And even now you do not seem to be affected by it.”
“We are unaffected by your kind of alcohol.” Haldir supplied an answer instead of Legolas. “It differs from the alcohol we produce, because that one affects us as much as yours affects you.”
“So you can drink it like water and you would never be drunk?” The Rohirrim seemed surprised. Aragorn had known the ineffectiveness of the alcohol of Men on Elves for decades and had grown used to it.
“Well, it still feel a tickle in my fingertips, but apart from that I am indeed sober.” Legolas clarified and Aragorn had to suppress a grin. He was well aware what a massive amount of alcohol it took to make an Elf feel this tickle, and he silently complimented Gimli to the hard competition he must have been if he had made Legolas drink that much.
“I have never had that tickling sense.” Haldir let them know. “It takes much to get it.”
“Indeed.” the Rohirrim laughed. “I freely admit that I will never be able to win against you, or Master Gimli for that matter.”
“That is not surprising, Horselord.” Haldir explained with a smile hovering on the edged of his lips. “We have a much higher resistance to your alcohol. If this game was to be played with Elfwine, you might have more chances. It affects us even more than your wine affects you.”
“It is good, then, that there is no Elfwine available, or I would dare you to prove that to me.” the Rohirrim replied with a challenging grin. “We would see then which one of us is more resistant.”
“I will come back to that dare, Horselord.” Aragorn meant to see a teasing glimmer in Haldir's eyes that he had never seen in his normally so reserved friend before.
An easy discussion developed between the four of them and Aragorn kept a careful eye on the Man and the Elf opposite of him. He was certain Legolas had noticed something as well, but he was as well trained at hiding his thoughts as Aragorn was himself. It had become very late and the hall was mostly populated by sleeping drunken men and some tables were still occupied with groups talking and laughing.
Haldir looked around and then stood up. “I will take my leave and get some sleep, my friends.”
“It is late.” Aragorn agreed. “We will soon follow your example.”
“I will leave as well.” the Rohirrim said and rose to join the Haldir. “We will see each other in the morning, my friends. Sleep well.”
“You too, Éomer.” Aragorn answered kindly and nodded slightly as a goodbye. The Man turned and Haldir walked next to him towards the door, here and there stepping over sleeping Men on the floor.
“What do you think about them?” Legolas asked very quietly and made a vague gesture that included Haldir and Éomer who were just about to leave the hall.
Aragorn followed them with his gaze, one brow raised. “It will be interesting to follow their development.”
“My guess is it will be quite intensive.” Legolas added, still watching the door the Man and the Elf had disappeared through. “For them.”
After a short pause, he continued, more reflective this time. “In the long time I have known Haldir, I have never seen him so...” Legolas stopped for a second, looking for the right word. “... fascinated by anybody.”
“Especially by a Man.” Aragorn added what Legolas had not said aloud. “I agree with you. He is very forthcoming and open towards Éomer, it surprised me from the beginning. He tries not to show it, though.”
“So I realised.” The Elven archer fell silent for a while, letting his thoughts wander. “Do you think they noticed their attraction to each other yet?”
The Man thought about it for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “Noticed, maybe, but not acted on it. They are both very fierce and I think it will take them some more time to acknowledge it.”
“That was also my guess.” Legolas said and leaned back, obviously deep in thoughts.
***
Haldir woke in the middle of the night to screams for help. He was wide awake and upright instantly and found Pippin writhing on the floor, the palantir burning in his hands. Aragorn was already with the Hobbit, freeing him from the evil eye and fighting with it himself before he managed to let go and it rolled through the room. Gandalf was fast to react, covering the seeing stone with a cloth to take its powers.
One glance at the halfling left no doubt he was not well. He was motionless, eyes wide open and he looked as if he were dead. Gandalf rushed to his side and somehow managed to bring him back. The Hobbit was obviously shell shocked when the wizard forced him to tell everything that had happened, and they all were aware of the possibility that Sauron now knew about Frodo and the Ring.
It was very early morning when they met with King Theoden and Éomer in the Golden Hall, the first rays of sunlight just filtered through the high windows. Haldir let his gaze wander over the Rohirrim and enjoyed his slightly ruffled appearance that suggested that he had just recently woken up. Once Gandalf began to talk, though, he looked very alert, brows furrowed and listened attentively.
It was clear that the war for Middle Earth had entered a new level. The king of Rohan seemed not entirely too inclined to go to war for Gondor, but Gandalf made it unmistakably clear that this war concerned the whole of Middle Earth and that their only chance against Sauron was to do what the evil lord feared most, namely uniting under one banner. Haldir could see that the Third Marshal did not like the idea to lead his people to war again so soon either, but he seemed to understand the situation and therefore be willing to do it if necessary. When Gandalf left with the Hobbit Pippin, everybody knew to look for the beacons. They would have three days at least until the wizard arrived in Minas Tirith, then they would be waiting for the call for aid of Gondor, even though it was not certain yet if the king of Rohan would decide to follow it.
Shortly after the meeting, Haldir and some other Elves joined the healers who still fought for the lives of several Men, even though all Elves in their care had started to recover. The speed of Elven healing surprised the healers, but they were happy about the improved condition of their unusual patients. Every life saved lifted the spirits of everybody at the house of healing. Haldir enjoyed the company of the old woman, the healer Melanwyn by name, whom he had worked with at Helm's Deep. She was very skilled, Haldir noticed, and he tried to learn some of her knowledge by watching and listening to her while they were working together.
It became evening before he saw the Third Marshall again. Haldir went to the Golden Hall for dinner and met Legolas, Aragorn and the Dwarf at the entry. He greeted them and decided to join them at a table, letting his gaze wander over the people present in the hall and searching for the Rohirrim. The Man sat with his uncle, his sister and the other Rohirrim leaders at a table and appeared to be deeply involved in a discussion. He wore a tunic and had forgone the armour, hair loose and expression concentrated on the topic of the conversation. Haldir watched him, noticing again how fascinating the Man was. He seemed to radiate wild power and thoughtful discipline at the same time and Haldir wondered how it was possible to combine such contradictory traits in one person.
“You seem to be quite intrigued by the Third Marshal.” he heard Aragorn remark next to him.
“I find Men very fascinating.” Haldir replied evenly and casually took another piece of bread. “They are very different from Elves.”
“Indeed, they are.” Legolas agreed. “They show passion where we restrain and courage where we do not expect it.”
“I think we should have more contact between our two races instead of harbouring and cultivating prejudices on both sides.” Haldir said after a moment. He was one of the few Elves who had on their own accord left the Woods several times to learn about Men and who actually spoke the common language. Even his brothers knew only a few words, not much more than most of his archers.
“That is a very good thought. Maybe this war will help our races to cross the borders as necessity forces them to seek each other's help.” Aragorn mused. “I noticed that some of your archers started to befriend the people of Rohan and some even try to learn the common language. It may be a beginning.”
Haldir nodded. “I encouraged them to do so. And the people of Rohan show us great hospitality that makes it much easier to get into contact with them.”
“I find it also very easy to get along with the Rohirrim.” Legolas agreed with an affirmative nod. “They are good and honest people.”
“And they have great ale.” the Dwarf remarked, raising his mug as if to prove his point. “They know how to drink properly.”
Legolas smirked. “Elves do know that as well.”
The Dwarf made an indignant sound that let everybody at the table know what he thought about that. Haldir chuckled, he took pleasure in the fact that Legolas had beaten the Dwarf in the drinking contest of the night before.
It was long since dark when Haldir retreated to his shared room. He thought it was a pity that there had been no occasion to talk to the Third Marshal. He enjoyed the Man's company and their conversation in the garden behind the Golden Hall had proven it could be very interesting to talk with the Man when they did not get in a quarrel. Lost in his thoughts, Haldir undressed and got ready for bed. When the Hobbit came in some time after him, he was still thinking about the Man.
The sun was still some time away from rising when Haldir got up and left the room he shared with the Hobbit and the Dwarf who were both still sound asleep. He made his way to the garden behind the Golden Hall to find some space and calm to train and take a sunbath afterwards when dawn would break. Before he turned the corner before the garden, his sharp hearing picked up the sound of a sword swung through the air and the rhythmic movements of feet that were typical for a single person training. Haldir approached the garden without making any sound and remained in the shadows of the overhanging roof of the hall.
He could make out a lonely figure going through swift, fluent moves of combat. It did not take him long to recognise Éowyn, niece of the King, showing perfectly carried out attacks and parries with a middle length broadsword. The colour in her cheeks indicated that she had already been training for some time and Haldir decided to retreat and not disturb her. It was obvious to him that she practised here at this early hour because she did not want to be seen and it was not his place to disregard her wish. As silently as he had come, he retreated back around the corner of the Golden Hall and walked to the front of the building.
Haldir found another peaceful spot at the side of the platform of Meduseld where he took his time to go through his practice routine and stopped only shortly after sunrise. He sat down, back leaned against the stone platform of the Golden Hall, closed his eyes and let the sun caress his skin. When he heard the noise from the hall indicating that breakfast had started, he got up, stretched and walked up the stairs to the entry of Meduseld. He found his friends already sitting at a table and helping themselves with the food and joined them. The Third Marshal was nowhere to be seen and had still not arrived when Haldir and Legolas left the hall to join the other Elves in repairing weapons and armours. There was a lot to work on and Haldir went over the plans for the day with his archers before starting to work his own sword.
“Do you care to join us in hunting, Haldir?” At the sound of his name in that particular voice, the Elf looked up from the bench he sat on and sharpened his sword. The Third Marshal stood in front of him, wearing what was obviously hunting gear and holding a longbow in his hand.
“I would very much enjoy that.” Haldir agreed and set the grindstone aside.
“We will leave in a few minutes. Meeting at the stables.” the Man let him know and turned to leave. Haldir got up, sheathed his sword and went to his room to retrieve his bow, the quiver and his hunting knives. Not much later he was at the stables and saddled Merod in the courtyard. Some Rohirrim were preparing their horses as well when the Third Marshal joined them, leading his horse.
“We will ride over to the forest. We need meat, you are allowed to shoot at will.” the Man said loudly while mounting Firefoot. ”At the moment we need everything you can shoot, from rabbits to deer. We are short of supplies after the journey to Helm's Deep, so do your best.”
Haldir mounted Merod at the same time as the other Men of the hunting party and noticed they were a group of about twenty riders, all equipped with bows and arrows. They rode out of the city, led by the Third Marshal, then over the planes towards a forest not too far away. Still, the ride took at least an hour, according to the position of the sun, before they reached the rim of the woods. With every metre they approached the trees, Haldir felt the spirit and the presence of the forest grow stronger in his mind and he enjoyed the feeling of this connection he had missed since he left Lorien. In some distance to the tree line they stopped and dismounted.
“We leave the horses and enter on foot. Form groups of at least two people. We will meet here again before sunset.” the Third Marshal announced and left it to the Men to organise themselves. “Go, Rohirrim, and bring good prey!”
The Men took their supplies from the saddles and quickly gathered in small groups. Haldir decided to stay with their leader and watch him. It would be very interesting to see how he behaved in the woods and how he hunted. It told a lot about the character of a person, the Elf had learned a long time ago.
“If you do not mind, I would like to join you.” the Elf said to the Rohirrim while he took his water bottle from the saddle.
“Of course not.” the Man replied, counting the arrows in his quiver, then looking up. “It will be my pleasure.”
Haldir walked next to the Rohirrim towards the rim of the forest, around them other groups were already disappearing between the trees. The moment his feet touched the leaf-covered ground, Haldir felt the spirit of the forest sing in his whole being. He realised how much he had missed this feeling and understood again why so many woodland Elves were reluctant to leave the forest. They were able to live without this connection, but they were never complete without it.
The Rohirrim had a very careful and silent footing, Haldir noticed while they ventured deeper into the woods. The Man was alert and ready to shoot at any moment, arrow at the bowstring, bow pointed downwards, the same position Haldir had taken. They were both concentrated on their surroundings, but Haldir had the advantage of being able to feel the woods and the life in it. He saw the rabbit next to a small rock and had shot it before the Man even had noticed it. There was another one only a few steps away that had started to run, but Haldir had already aimed and shot a second arrow.
The Man stood next to him and had just realised what had happened when Haldir lowered his bow and walked over to his prey. He made sure the animals were dead, retrieved his arrows and bound the rabbits together at their hind legs. “Let us go on.”
Without a word, but with a wrinkle on his forehead, the Rohirrim caught up to him. Haldir knew he was showing off to the Man on purpose. They were in his domain now, the woods were an Elf's territory and Haldir was well aware that his abilities were superior to the Man's, especially as long as they were in here. It somehow tempted him to let the Man see some of that strength.
With the rabbits bound to his belt, Haldir took up the hunt again. He always knew where the Rohirrim was by the tiny sounds he made, not audible for a Man's ear, but easily perceptible for his sharp Elven hearing. They walked the woods for some time until Haldir picked up on a wild pig in the distance. He slowed down and raised his bow, aimed and let go of the bowstring. The squeak of the pig let him know he had hit the mark. The Man stood besides him, a frown on his face. Haldir suppressed a smirk and started to cross the distance to where the wild pig lay on its side. When he was about to bind the pig's legs together, he heard the Rohirrim come to an halt next to him.
“That is a nice prey. You are a skilled hunter.” the Man remarked and Haldir was pleased to hear the hidden respect in the words.
“I am a woodland Elf, Éomer.” Haldir said with a little smile, deliberately using the Man's name.“My connection to the forest is at least as deep as yours to your horses.”
“What does that mean?” the Man asked with a quizzical expression, the little wrinkle still on his forehead.
“It means that I am one with the forest. I can feel it, hear it, understand it.” Haldir explained. The Man had a right to know after Haldir had made him look like a fool. “I can pick up on the animals far earlier than you can, also thanks to my Elven hearing.”
“I would call that an advantage.” the Rohirrim stated dryly, arms crossed.
“Indeed.” Haldir smiled apologetically. “I used my abilities without letting you know. I beg your pardon.”
“You proved to be the better hunter, though.” the Man said and pointed at the two rabbits and the wild pig. “I have not even shot once today.”
“You will.” Haldir smirked. “I have to carry the pig, I cannot shoot anymore.”
The Rohirrim snorted, a crooked grin on his face. “Thank you very much. I feel better now.”
“That was my intention.” Haldir chuckled and picked up the wild pig to fling it over his shoulder. He followed the Man, letting him lead the way. He had had his share of amusement on this hunt and decided not to show off any more. When they stopped to eat something some time later, the Rohirrim had shot two rabbits of his own and Haldir felt it did the Man some good to prove his own hunting skills. The Elf set down his prey next to Éomer's, settled on a rock opposite of the Man and took out his provisions for the day. They ate in companionable silence and Haldir enjoyed the peace of the forest, the sounds of the animals and plants around them and the smell of the woods.
When they had finished, Haldir excused himself for a while to collect some healing herbs he wanted to give to Melanwyn because he knew the healer ran short on some supplies. He walked slowly between the trees, gaze fixed on the ground and stopped here and there to gather some herbs and store them in the pouch on his belt. When he returned to the place where they had eaten, he found the Man binding another rabbit to the bunch of prey.
“Have you been successful?” the Rohirrim asked and looked up.
“Aye. I have found enough supplies of the herbs the healers will need in the next days.” Haldir replied and patted the pouch. “But I see you were no less successful.”
With a smirk, the Man looked at the dead animal. “It happened to cross my path.”
Haldir chuckled. “Did it? How convenient.”
“Indeed. Let us try to hunt some more, we do not have much time left.”
“If the others were as successful as we were, Edoras will have enough meat for the next time.” Haldir mused when he picked up the wild pig.
“I hope so. My people need it.” the Man agreed, then they continued to walk the woods. When they approached the rim of the forest where they had accessed it, the sun had begun to set and the bunch of rabbits had grown further. At the place they had left their horses they found several of the other Men had already returned, all with rich prey, one group had even managed to shoot a deer. They were occupied with attaching the dead animals on the saddles of the horses that had waited the whole day right where they had been left.
Haldir and Éomer joined the others and started to secure the prey to their saddles as well. When all hunters were out of the forest and ready to leave, they mounted and rode back to Edoras. The journey took longer because of the additional weight and the difficulty of transporting the deer. When they entered the city and stopped the horses in the courtyard, many women and young boys from the kitchens already waited for them and accepted the dead animals, carrying them wherever they were processed into food. Haldir took care of Merod, groomed him and brought him fresh water and hay before the returned to his archers.
For the other Elves, he day had been filled with all those little works that needed badly to be done in order to restore their fighting strength. The repair of weapons, from swords to bows, the production of new arrows and the cleaning and repairing of armours. Haldir joined the works until it was time for dinner. He felt messy, he knew he had stains of dirt and grease from weapons and armours all over his clothes and face like his fellow Elves did. They would have to finish some smaller works in the morning, but they had mostly achieved what had been intended for the day.
Haldir left the smithy where he had worked last to sharpen the blades of several Elven swords and went to get some water to wash off the dirt as far as possible before he entered the Golden Hall for dinner. Most people were already sitting at the tables, after a short moment Haldir saw Aragorn, Legolas and the Dwarf sharing the table with the Third Marshal and made his way over to them.
***
“May I join you?”
Éomer looked up at the words to see who had asked, even though he had recognised the voice immediately, when Aragorn already answered. “Of course, my friend.”
The Elven captain sat down on the free place next to Éomer and set his plate and his mug down.
“You spent the day with repair works, it seems.” Aragorn remarked with a look to the obvious stains on the Elf's tunic.
“As did Legolas.” replied the Elf and with a little smile pointed out Legolas equally dirty clothes.
“Indeed. It was work that needed to be done, as unpleasant as it might sometimes be.”
“That is true.” Éomer agreed. He had spent the rest of the day devoted to repairs of all kinds as well. It was one of the curses of battle.
“Even an axe needs caring.” Gimli agreed. Éomer was still surprised at the obvious friendship between Legolas and the Dwarf, he would never have expected an Elf to befriend a Dwarf. The captain of the Elven archers did not seem to share Legolas' attitude towards the Dwarf, though.
Aragorn turned to Legolas to ask him something and Éomer listened with half an ear while eating his dinner. Gimli joined their discussion, but Éomer did not pay much attention to them. He watched the fascinating Elf next to him out of the corner of the eye, finding that he appeared much more approachable with those little stains on his skin and his clothes.
“Say, Horselord, can you tell me a place where it is possible to take a proper bath?” The Elf had turned towards him and looked at him.
“We have some tubs, as you know. The servants can fill one with hot water if you wish so.” Éomer wondered about the question, but since he had understood the Elf's need for baths he did not question it any further.
“I would prefer something like a stream or a lake.” The Elf demonstratively looked up and down his own appearance. “I am filthy. I want to be able to immerse in the water, to get thoroughly soaked. That is hardly possible in a tub.”
“The water of any stream will be cold, you know that.” Éomer remarked with a doubtful undertone before he took a sip of his wine.
The Elf gave him a small smile. “That will be no problem, for Elves do not get cold.”
“Well then, who am I to deny you a little pleasure if it can so easily be achieved.” Éomer agreed with a little sigh. “We will need to ride for a short while, tough. We shall get to the stables after dinner then.”
“I am very grateful you allow me that little pleasure.” the Elf replied with a little bow of his head and continued to eat the bread and the cheese on his plate. Éomer saw the smile that quirked the Elf's lips and could only describe it as teasing.
When dinner was finished, Éomer left the hall and the Elf followed him down to the stables. They separated to take their horses out of the boxes and met in the courtyard. Éomer mounted Firefoot, he had not bothered with a saddle and found the Elf had not bothered either. They left the city and turned to the right. Éomer knew exactly where he wanted to go, he had a place in his mind that the Elf would surely enjoy. It was not far away, the ride took only some minutes.
“I hope this place is to your liking.” Éomer said when he stopped Firefoot at the edge of the natural pool that had formed in a little arm of the stream. He heard the Elf halt Merod not far behind him.
“It is beautiful.” The Elf's voice was gentle and when Éomer turned to look in his face, he found a content smile on his features. With one graceful motion the Elf dismounted, patted Merod on the neck and went straight to the shore of the stream. He looked around, walked over to a small rock and began to remove his clothes. Éomer still sat transfixed on Firefoot and could not help watching the Elf disrobe, apparently unconcerned by his nudity. He had no reason to be concerned, Éomer thought to himself, for he had a simply magnificent body.
“Do you plan on only watching me or will you bath yourself?” The slightly teasing tone in the Elf's voice made Éomer look up and he saw a mischievous grin on his face.
Éomer cleared his throat and dismounted. “I will make use of the opportunity and take a bath as well.”
He walked over to the rock where the Elf had laid down his clothes and began to undo his tunic. He knew he was acceptably handsome, his appearance had never displeased the ladies, but compared to the Elf he felt plump and clumsy. He removed his boots and trousers and when he waded into the little pool, he found that the Elf had turned his back to him and was gently whistling while washing the upper part of his body.
Éomer walked waist deep into the stream and watched the back of the Elf, how the bright hair flowed over his shoulders into the water in slow, elegant motions caused by the movements of the Elf. He felt the overwhelming desire to touch the fair skin, to find out how it would feel under his fingertips. He wanted to kiss him, taste him, feel him.
When Éomer saw the other warrior turn towards him he had to take a deep breath and tried to keep his emotions off his face, shocked himself about the strength of his desire. He had obviously not succeed entirely in hiding his thoughts, because he found the Elf giving him an intense gaze before slowly approaching two steps.
“Do you like what you see, Éomer?”
The Man did not know if it was the deep, full sound of the Elf's voice, the content of the question or the use of his name that sent a shiver through the whole of his body. He had to swallow and unconsciously licked his suddenly dry lips. The Elf's eyes followed the movement and seemed to darken. Éomer felt unable to speak and licked his lips again in an unsuccessful attempt to regain his composure. The only thing his mind registered was how close the Elf stood and how incredible attractive he was.
The Elf took two more steps forward, deliberately entering Éomer's personal space, eyes locked with his. His voice was deep and a bit rough. “I like what I see.”
This sent another shiver down Éomer's spine. They stood so close that he could feel the Elf's warmth on his skin. It would take but a small movement to close the distance between them. Éomer noticed for the first time that the Elf was a few centimetres shorter than him and had slightly lifted his chin as if to challenge the Man to kiss him.
Éomer noticed how the Elf slowly lifted his hands out of the water, then he felt his long fingers on his shoulders, gliding over his skin until they settled on the side of his neck an gave a little pull. Éomer followed willingly, leaning in until Haldir's lips met his and he forgot all prudence. His arms rose and settled around the Elf's waist, pulling him closer until he was pressed all along the Man's body. The feeling of the close contact made Éomer moan into the other man's mouth. The Elf used the opportunity and let his tongue slide into the Rohirrim's mouth, sending sparks all over his skin, fingers massaging Éomer's scalp and tingling in his hair.
Éomer let his tongue duel with the Elf's, not willing to let the dominant Elf take over the kiss. His hands roamed all over the beautiful body, touching all the skin he could reach, caressing, scratching lightly, massaging. He let his mouth wander along the Elf's jawline up to his ear, gently biting the lobe. When Éomer trailed his tongue up the outer shell to the pointed tip of the Elf's ear, the reaction was so immediate and intense that it took the Man by surprise. The moment his lips closed around the tip the Elf melted against him with a deep throaty moan, the long fingers clawed into the Man's shoulders, eyes pressed shut in an expression of total pleasure.
At the very first moment, Éomer thought he had done something wrong, but when the Elf's groin came into contact with his, there was no misunderstanding possible. Haldir's erection pressed hard against his, leaving no doubt his ear tips must be highly sensitive and Éomer gently licked over the flesh again to verify his assumption. Immediately, the Elf's hips pressed against his and the full lips opened to let out another moan that came from deep in his throat.
“Oh Valar...” Haldir's breath was fast and his voice had deepened with desire. Éomer found he liked the sound.
“I assume that means you like it when I kiss the tips of your ears.” He remarked quietly, surprised how husky his own voice was.
The Elf chuckled. “I think you noticed that, mellon.”
Haldir's arms were settled loosely around the Man's shoulders, his fingers tingled in the wild blonde mane. His hips were still pressed against Éomer's and every small movement imposed delicate friction onto their groins. The Elf deliberately rotated his hips in a way that made Éomer's breath catch in his throat.
Haldir bent forwards until his lips were right next to the Man's ears. “I assume that means you like what I do.”
It took Éomer a moment to form a sentence, but then he replied with a teasing smile, “Indeed, I do. But I think you noticed that.”
The Elf chuckled again, a sound that sent a prickling shiver down Éomer's spine. The Man let his hands slide down along the Elf's sides, into the water, until he could cup the nice backside and exert more pressure on their erections that were caught between their bodies. Haldir groaned against his neck and let his head fall down to rest on the Man's shoulder, mouth finding the soft skin under the Rohirrim's ear and starting to suck gently.
Éomer found that his ability to think coherently left him more with every moment he was close to this tempting Elf and decided that he did not care. He let his hands caress the Elf's backside, then he reached down between their bodies and found Haldir's hard member. As if surprised, the Elf's mouth let go of his neck with a groan, his hands tightening in Éomer's hair. Experimentally, the Man gave a few strokes and was rewarded by another low groan against his neck. To give him better access, the Elf raised his legs, using the natural uplift of the water, and wrapped them around Éomer's waist. The change of position settled the Man's erection against Haldir's backside, the feeling of the Elf's cheeks against his flesh made Éomer moan and he let his head lean onto the crook of Haldir's neck.
Éomer's perception narrowed down to the contact of the Elf's skin with his, the lips that had returned to his throat, the hands in his hair and on his back, the hard flesh his own hand, the incredible intense sensation caused by the movements of the Elf's hips. The Man licked the skin of the Elf's neck that was right in front of his mouth and kissed a path up to the jaw.
“Allow me to make love to you.” Éomer whispered against Haldir's ear, gently nibbling the sensitive tip again and sending tremors through the Elf's body, accompanied by a deep moan. The Elf's breath felt hot against the skin of his throat.
It seemed to take Haldir some time to find his speech before he answered, voice low and rough. “Do you know what to do?”
Éomer smiled against the soft skin under his lips. His Elf was still thinking to much. “Aye, I do.”
“Well, then.” Éomer could hear as well as feel the Elf chuckle. “What are you waiting for?”
He had no doubt Haldir knew the pleasures of male flesh, the Elf must be several thousand years old and Éomer was aware that relationships between the same gender were commonplace for Elves. It was good that they both knew what to do and to expect.
Éomer nibbled at the pointed tip of the Elf's ear again, seriously taking pleasure in the intense reactions this simple touch caused. Then he let his lips find Haldir's mouth, gently biting his lips before following the Elf's attempt to deepen the kiss. At the same time, the Man let one hand slide towards the backside of his lover, finding the little hole and caressing it. Haldir pressed back against him, obviously familiar with the feeling, and Éomer entered him carefully with one finger, well aware that they had nothing to ease the way apart from the water they stood in.
The Elf moaned gently into the the kiss, pushing back against the finger penetrating him. He did not seem to feel any discomfort, so Éomer went deeper, then retreated and let a second finger join the first. He stopped to let the Elf adjust when he was all the way in, then moved slowly, stretching as well as looking for that spot he knew from his own experience made this the most pleasurable coupling. When Haldir let out a sudden gasp, the Man knew he had found what he had been looking for and hit the spot a second time. He introduced a third finger, slowly, not wanting to hurt the Elf. Haldir panted against his neck, head resting on the Man's shoulder.
“I am not fragile, Éomer.” Haldir murmured against his neck, voice raw with desire as well as impatience. The use of his name in that special voice let goosebumps spread all over the Man's skin and he retreated his fingers to replace them with his hard erection. It cost him all his discipline to keep a slow and steady pace when he slid into the tight channel, but the Elf met him halfway, sinking down onto his erection with astonishing ease and a low groan.
“Haldir...” The name escaped Éomer before he could think about it when he was completely sheathed inside the Elf, loosing himself in the feeling of the tight heat surrounding him. The Elf left him no time to adjust, but started moving on his own accord, taking advantage of his position to lift himself off the Man and then sinking back on. The stimulation was too much for Éomer, his eyes fell shut and a loud moan escaped him, his hands tightening on Haldir's hips. He followed the rhythm the Elf set, angling his thrusts so he hit this spot every time and enjoying the mindless noise he extracted from his Elf.
The tension built up much faster than Éomer would have wanted, but the contact with Haldir was far too intense for him to keep going for much longer. He tightened his grasp on the Elf's erection and sped up the pace, hoping his legs would support the two of them some time longer. He felt his orgasm building up and then he came with a force he had not experienced before, hearing the hoarse cry of the Elf that told him he was not alone in climax. As he had predicted, his legs buckled under him, and he held onto the boneless Elf in his arms while letting the two of them sink slowly deeper into the water until his knees met the ground.
Haldir's head had dropped onto Éomer's shoulder, his arms hanging very loosely around the Man's neck, his breathing fast and irregular. Éomer forced himself to remain upright to keep them from sinking under water and left his arms wrapped around the Elf's back to support him. After some time that they had remained motionless and tried to regain their breath, he heard the Elf chuckle against his shoulder.
“We still have not washed.” Haldir remarked, a teasing but satisfied smile on his face. “Your hair is even still mostly dry.”
“I can assist you, if you wish.” Éomer heard himself answer and wondered where the idea had come from. Aye, their coupling had been mind-blowing, but normally he was not the kind of man to take it any further than that. But with the Elf, he did not feel the urge to get out of his sight after his desire had been satisfied. He rather wished to stay close to him, enjoy his presence and his touch some more.
“I would like that.” Haldir answered with this little smile that bordered on a full one. He pulled back enough to be able to look the Man in the eyes. “Will you let me return the favour?”
For a moment, Éomer was surprised by the question. But if he was honest to himself, this had never been just about satisfying his physical desire. He could have had that with people who were far easier to handle than this arrogant, but fascinating Elf.
He smiled gently. “I will.”
***
BACK TO INDEX: http://nanuk-dain.livejournal.com/3357.html
***
***
Éomer watched how the Elf's eyes grew cold and knew he had gone to far. He had wanted to get back at him for all those small comments aimed at Men, but when the Elf rode off without a word he realised he must have made him really furious. Éomer felt ashamed with himself and decided he would have to apologise to the Elf later.
The position of the sun indicated it was shortly before midday when they finally came into sight of Rohan's capital. The Elven captain had ridden next to Gandalf for the rest of the journey and had swiftly ignored Éomer. The Rohirrim had not felt a particular urge to talk to anybody and had taken the lead of the group, silently lost in thoughts.
“There we are.” the Éomer said to nobody in particular and nodded towards city that covered the small mountain at the end of the plane in front of them. “Edoras.”
The group made their way over the plane towards the city and rode through the gates. While riding up to the stables next to Meduseld, Éomer carefully inspected the city. It felt good to be back and see that his home was unharmed, even though he noticed the reduced number of his people. On the terrace of the Great Hall stood Éowyn and waited for them, pale, beautiful and fierce as always. Éomer was relieved to see she was all right and the travel from Helm's Deep had been smooth.
The rest of the day passed fast, everybody was busy with either preparations for the feast in memory of the dead that would be held in the evening, or in taking care of the wounded. Éomer joined the preparations, he knew the tradition of a celebration for the dead was important for his people to keep them from falling into despair and to let them see hope. They would need all strength they had to go on.
When the night fell, the people of Edoras gathered in Meduseld. Éomer took his place behind his uncle and let his gaze wander through the hall. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the Elven captain sat at the first table next to the Second Marshal of the Mark and Háma, the captain of the King's gurad. The Elven archers were at one side behind their captain, the Rohirrim Riders had taken the other side. The people of the city filled the rest of the Golden Hall.
There was an expectant silence when Éowyn approached their uncle, bowed and offered him the ceremonial goblet filled with red wine. Éomer watched her smile and pass their uncle to stand behind him on the other side before his gaze went back to the crowd.
“Hail the victorious dead!” Theoden said with his strong voice and lifted his goblet. All present in Meduseld rose and followed his example and drank to the glory of the dead of Helm's Deep. Éomer swallowed a mouthful of the sweet wine, his gaze locked with the Elven captain. He needed to apologise, he remembered.
Once the formal part of the feast was over, the people in the hall mixed up and started talking, eating and drinking. Éomer walked over to the table where Háma and some of his riders sat and joined them. After a while, the Dwarf dragged the Legolas over to them and challenged him to a drinking contest. At first, Éomer thought the Elf was insane to agree to it, but once they had started, he revised his estimation.
With fascination Éomer watched the Dwarf and the Elf drinking pint after pint. He readily supplied another when Gimli had finished his and could not help his curiosity as to who would be the last standing. The Dwarf was a hard drinker, he had realised that by now, but the Elf was not bad either and seemed not really affected by the alcohol he had already consumed. Éomer was surprised, though, when the Dwarf fell backwards, obviously passed out from drinking, and Legolas just gave a small smirk and said, “Game over.”
He would not have expected the Elf to win. It was good to know that the alcohol of Men apparently did not have any effect on Elves, he mused while sipping his own ale. He let his gaze wander through the hall. Men and women as well as Elves were feasting and celebrating in memory of their dead and laughter and talking filled the room with a constant hum. He could not see the Elven captain anywhere, though, and he still felt he had to apologise for the morning.
Éomer pushed himself off the barrel he had been leaning against and started his way through the hall, looking for the Elf. When he did not find him, he went outside and checked the terrace and the surrounding balconies, but could not see him either. Determined to find the Elven captain and say his excuses, he continued searching.
***
“Aragorn.”
Aragorn turned to the sound of his name and saw Éomer coming towards him. “What can I do for you, Éomer?”
The other man stopped next to him in the corridor, a quizzical expression on his face. “Have you seen Haldir?”
Aragorn could not help one of his brow rising in surprise. “Last time I saw him he was in the Golden Hall talking to your King, but that was some hours ago.”
Then his curiosity made him state: “I see you are on first name basis.”
The Rohirrim nodded. “He offered me on today's ride to Edoras.”
“Is that so.” That was interesting. Aragorn had known the Lorien archer to be very reserved and was aware of the fact that this character trait made him appear arrogant to those who did not know him well. To offer a Man his first name after only a few days seemed very unusual for the Elf.
“What wonders you?” The Rohirrim had good instincts and he obviously picked up Aragorn's surprise.
“It was a rare offer he made to you.” the Ranger stated. He felt that making the Rohirrim aware of the gift he had been granted would not do harm. “Haldir must esteem you quite highly.”
Éomer seemed to be at loss for words and gave Aragorn a confused glance. “I do not know. He did not say anything of this sort.”
Aragorn laughed gently. “I assume in spite of it being only a the few days that you know him you are well aware that he is not likely to say such a thing aloud.”
“I dare to say it would be very unlike him.” The other man smirked slightly. “I will go on looking for him then.”
Aragorn nodded and watched the Rohirrim disappear with a determined stride into the corridor on his left. He was still surprised at Haldir's obvious willingness to befriend the Man. He had noticed the subliminal affinity the Elf and the Rohirrim seemed to have had right from the beginning, but he had not given it any further thought. Now, though, he felt intrigued. His instincts told him that these two very headstrong men, both used to command and to be obeyed, were bound to get into conflicts.
Aragorn remembered the bathhouse at Helm's Deep where he had deliberately intervened to prevent the confrontation. Maybe next time, he would just let it happen. He was confident that they were very well able to sort themselves out on their own. And they would clash, sooner or later.
***
Éomer had searched most of Meduseld and its immediate surroundings when he saw the lonely figure on the bench in the little garden behind the Golden Hall. It was not difficult to recognise the Elven captain, his long, nearly white hair was very distinctive in the soft moonlight that flooded the garden. For a moment, Éomer remained on the top of the stairs, hidden in the shadow of the hall's overhanging roof, just watching the peaceful scene in front of him.
“You might as well join me, Horselord.” he heard the Elf's voice say quietly.
Éomer wondered how the Elf knew he was there, but nonetheless he left the shadow, slowly went down the five steps into the garden and walked towards the bench. He hesitated a moment, then settled besides the Elf and cleared his throat. “How did you know I was there?”
The Elven captain did not look at him but continued to let his gaze wander over the wide planes. “Elven hearing is very sharp. I could hear you before you even came around the corner.”
“Oh.” Éomer was astonished. He had never thought about the more subtle differences their races involved. He was silent for some minutes, lost in his own thoughts, before he turned his head to look at the Elf. “I want to apologise for my comment during today's ride. It was incorrect and out of line.”
It had taken Éomer a lot to actually speak these words aloud, but he felt like he owed the Elven captain an apology for his low blow. He knew that the Elves did not have to come for Men's help at all, most of them were leaving Middle Earth anyway. And he had understood during the funeral ritual at Helm's Deep that death was an even more cruel thing for Elves than it was for Men, and the Elven archers had had great losses in a battle that had not even been theirs.
For a moment, the Elf did not react in any way and Éomer began to feel awkward. But then the captain turned his head and caught Éomer's gaze. His eyes were shadowed, but sincere. “You were not completely wrong, though. We should have joined the defence of Middle Earth much earlier.”
The reply caught Éomer by surprise. He had not been sure what kind of reaction he would get to his apology, but he had certainly not expected the Elf to agree with him. Somehow that made him much more approachable and showed a certain dignity Éomer could only admire.
“Life in the woods is very remote. It is easy to ignore the problems of the world around us as long as they do not stand at our borders.” the Elf went on, gaze still focussed on the Man.
Éomer found himself at loss for words. He would never have thought the Elf to be so open towards him. It took him a few moments before he was able to answer. “I had no right to accuse you of not helping, though. I am not certain how Rohan would have acted were it us in your position. Probably it would have been a very similar course of action. It is never an easy decision to join a war that does not seem to immediately affect you.”
Éomer thought he read respect rise in the Elf's eyes while he spoke. “And it still remains that you came to our help when we most needed it. It is thanks to you that the battle of Helm's Deep was not lost.”
The Elven captain still held his gaze and respectfully bowed his head a little bit. “I thank you for your sincere words. It helps us very much to know that our warriors did not die in vain and that their effort is appreciated.”
“It is. Believe me, it is.” Éomer looked the Elf straight in the eyes to prove his sincerity. “My people know how close we came to loosing the battle at Helm's Deep. One bow less might have made the difference. They celebrate with your warriors tonight because they grieve for your dead as much as for ours and it is our way of showing that.”
“And it is highly appreciated by my Elves. Despite the language barrier several of them already told me that they enjoyed the celebrations and felt included by your people.” The captain said quietly. “They were kindly welcomed by your people when they travelled with them from Helm's Deep to Edoras, I was told.”
“I hope you were welcomed appropriately as well when we arrived.” Éomer asked, worried for a moment because he had not paid attention to the Elf after they had entered the city. Their quarrel had kept him from looking for him and he had not seen him until the ceremony for the dead.
“Oh yes. Your sister was so kind to let me use the bathing facilities.” The Elf gave him a little smile. “And as you already stated: Elves like to bath.”
“So I have realised. Although our facilities here are not as good as in Helm's Deep, I hope they were to your satisfaction.” Éomer was surprised to find that he regretted that he had not shared the bath with the Elf and had missed the opportunity to have another look at the beauty of the captain. It felt weird to call a male beautiful, but it was the only suitable word. Ethereal beauty, despite of the definitely male shape of the body, the muscled shoulders, the strong arms and the narrow hips not leaving any doubt about him being a man.
“Éomer?” The Elf's voice reached his ears and broke through the musing. The Man realised he had been lost in thoughts - and what kind of thoughts! - and to his horror he felt himself blush, something that had not happened to him in years. Hearing his name from the Elf for the first time did not help his composure either.
“I am sorry, I was lost in thoughts.” he tried to excuse his inattention.
“So I realised.” The Elf chuckled. “They must have been very engaging thoughts.”
“You could say so.” Éomer felt his blush deepen. What else was he supposed to say to that? He would certainly not let the Elf know that it had been him who the thoughts had centred around.
“Let us go back inside.” Éomer suggested, rising slowly from the bench to not give the impression that he was fleeing. “As leaders, we cannot leave our warriors to celebrate alone.”
“That is right.” The Elf looked to the moon. “We have been absent for quite a while by now. We should rejoin them.”
The Elven captain rose as well and they silently made their way back to the Golden Hall. Éomer was still shocked and confused at his inappropriate thoughts about the Elf. He had realised he was fascinated by him, but the direction his fascination had taken was not acceptable. He respected the Elf for his skills as a warrior and for his strong mind, but he should definitely not think of him in terms like beautiful or intriguing.
Éomer knew the taste of male flesh, he was no innocent. Spending most of his life with his fellow warriors had of course led to the experience, it was quite common within the Riders. Even though nobody talked about it aloud, it was well known which Riders were shield mates. But for Éomer it had only been about mutual satisfaction or comfort, he had never thought about any man as beautiful or fascinating. Those feelings were reserved for the ladies and he had never questioned this distinction before.
Éomer was almost relieved when they entered the hustle and bustle of the hall, it helped him to push aside the disturbing thoughts. He looked around the hall and saw Aragorn and Legolas at a table, talking and drinking slowly . He indicated them to the Elven captain and they made their way over to the table and joined Legolas and the Ranger who was quietly smoking his pipe.
“Be welcome to sit with us, my friends.” Aragorn offered with a gesture of his hand to the bench on the opposite site of him and Legolas.
***
Aragorn saw Legolas sitting at a table and walked over to him. “I heard you won against Gimli in a drinking contest?”
“I was the last one standing, indeed.” the Elf answered and Aragorn knew him well enough to read the hidden amusement in his voice.
“You will tease him about this, will you not?” Aragorn asked with a smirk while he settled next to his friend on the bench.
“You sound like you expect me to take pleasure in his defeat.” The Elf managed to sound indignant. Aragorn only raised a brow.
“Maybe a little.” Legolas admitted after a moment, a small grin ghosting over his face. “Look who entered the hall.”
Aragorn followed his friend's gaze and saw Haldir and the Rohirrim Marshal step into the hall together. This time, they did not look like they had had a quarrel, though. They looked around for some time, then they seemed to have discovered Legolas and himself and came over to their table. Aragorn invited them to sit down and noticed the faint blush on the Man's cheeks with interest.
“How do you like the celebrations so far?” the Rohirrim asked while he and Haldir settled on the opposite site of the table, both a mug in their hands.
“It is a pleasant feast.” Aragorn replied, puffing out the smoke of his pipe. “And the wine is good.”
Legolas lips quirked a smile. “The ale is not bad, either.”
“Well, it does certainly not happen every day that one sees an Elf outdrink a Dwarf.” the Man chuckled, a grin on his face. “Congratulations, by the way, Master Legolas.”
Legolas accepted the praise with a modest bow of his head. “Thank you, my Lord. It was my pleasure.”
“So I believe.” Aragorn heard Haldir comment and saw him grin slightly.
“It was a honestly earned victory.” Legolas stated quietly, the smile still ghosting over his lips.
“I can attest to that, since it was I who was handing out the ale.” the Rohirrim said, raising his jug to him. “I am amazed, though, at the amount you were able to drink. And even now you do not seem to be affected by it.”
“We are unaffected by your kind of alcohol.” Haldir supplied an answer instead of Legolas. “It differs from the alcohol we produce, because that one affects us as much as yours affects you.”
“So you can drink it like water and you would never be drunk?” The Rohirrim seemed surprised. Aragorn had known the ineffectiveness of the alcohol of Men on Elves for decades and had grown used to it.
“Well, it still feel a tickle in my fingertips, but apart from that I am indeed sober.” Legolas clarified and Aragorn had to suppress a grin. He was well aware what a massive amount of alcohol it took to make an Elf feel this tickle, and he silently complimented Gimli to the hard competition he must have been if he had made Legolas drink that much.
“I have never had that tickling sense.” Haldir let them know. “It takes much to get it.”
“Indeed.” the Rohirrim laughed. “I freely admit that I will never be able to win against you, or Master Gimli for that matter.”
“That is not surprising, Horselord.” Haldir explained with a smile hovering on the edged of his lips. “We have a much higher resistance to your alcohol. If this game was to be played with Elfwine, you might have more chances. It affects us even more than your wine affects you.”
“It is good, then, that there is no Elfwine available, or I would dare you to prove that to me.” the Rohirrim replied with a challenging grin. “We would see then which one of us is more resistant.”
“I will come back to that dare, Horselord.” Aragorn meant to see a teasing glimmer in Haldir's eyes that he had never seen in his normally so reserved friend before.
An easy discussion developed between the four of them and Aragorn kept a careful eye on the Man and the Elf opposite of him. He was certain Legolas had noticed something as well, but he was as well trained at hiding his thoughts as Aragorn was himself. It had become very late and the hall was mostly populated by sleeping drunken men and some tables were still occupied with groups talking and laughing.
Haldir looked around and then stood up. “I will take my leave and get some sleep, my friends.”
“It is late.” Aragorn agreed. “We will soon follow your example.”
“I will leave as well.” the Rohirrim said and rose to join the Haldir. “We will see each other in the morning, my friends. Sleep well.”
“You too, Éomer.” Aragorn answered kindly and nodded slightly as a goodbye. The Man turned and Haldir walked next to him towards the door, here and there stepping over sleeping Men on the floor.
“What do you think about them?” Legolas asked very quietly and made a vague gesture that included Haldir and Éomer who were just about to leave the hall.
Aragorn followed them with his gaze, one brow raised. “It will be interesting to follow their development.”
“My guess is it will be quite intensive.” Legolas added, still watching the door the Man and the Elf had disappeared through. “For them.”
After a short pause, he continued, more reflective this time. “In the long time I have known Haldir, I have never seen him so...” Legolas stopped for a second, looking for the right word. “... fascinated by anybody.”
“Especially by a Man.” Aragorn added what Legolas had not said aloud. “I agree with you. He is very forthcoming and open towards Éomer, it surprised me from the beginning. He tries not to show it, though.”
“So I realised.” The Elven archer fell silent for a while, letting his thoughts wander. “Do you think they noticed their attraction to each other yet?”
The Man thought about it for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “Noticed, maybe, but not acted on it. They are both very fierce and I think it will take them some more time to acknowledge it.”
“That was also my guess.” Legolas said and leaned back, obviously deep in thoughts.
***
Haldir woke in the middle of the night to screams for help. He was wide awake and upright instantly and found Pippin writhing on the floor, the palantir burning in his hands. Aragorn was already with the Hobbit, freeing him from the evil eye and fighting with it himself before he managed to let go and it rolled through the room. Gandalf was fast to react, covering the seeing stone with a cloth to take its powers.
One glance at the halfling left no doubt he was not well. He was motionless, eyes wide open and he looked as if he were dead. Gandalf rushed to his side and somehow managed to bring him back. The Hobbit was obviously shell shocked when the wizard forced him to tell everything that had happened, and they all were aware of the possibility that Sauron now knew about Frodo and the Ring.
It was very early morning when they met with King Theoden and Éomer in the Golden Hall, the first rays of sunlight just filtered through the high windows. Haldir let his gaze wander over the Rohirrim and enjoyed his slightly ruffled appearance that suggested that he had just recently woken up. Once Gandalf began to talk, though, he looked very alert, brows furrowed and listened attentively.
It was clear that the war for Middle Earth had entered a new level. The king of Rohan seemed not entirely too inclined to go to war for Gondor, but Gandalf made it unmistakably clear that this war concerned the whole of Middle Earth and that their only chance against Sauron was to do what the evil lord feared most, namely uniting under one banner. Haldir could see that the Third Marshal did not like the idea to lead his people to war again so soon either, but he seemed to understand the situation and therefore be willing to do it if necessary. When Gandalf left with the Hobbit Pippin, everybody knew to look for the beacons. They would have three days at least until the wizard arrived in Minas Tirith, then they would be waiting for the call for aid of Gondor, even though it was not certain yet if the king of Rohan would decide to follow it.
Shortly after the meeting, Haldir and some other Elves joined the healers who still fought for the lives of several Men, even though all Elves in their care had started to recover. The speed of Elven healing surprised the healers, but they were happy about the improved condition of their unusual patients. Every life saved lifted the spirits of everybody at the house of healing. Haldir enjoyed the company of the old woman, the healer Melanwyn by name, whom he had worked with at Helm's Deep. She was very skilled, Haldir noticed, and he tried to learn some of her knowledge by watching and listening to her while they were working together.
It became evening before he saw the Third Marshall again. Haldir went to the Golden Hall for dinner and met Legolas, Aragorn and the Dwarf at the entry. He greeted them and decided to join them at a table, letting his gaze wander over the people present in the hall and searching for the Rohirrim. The Man sat with his uncle, his sister and the other Rohirrim leaders at a table and appeared to be deeply involved in a discussion. He wore a tunic and had forgone the armour, hair loose and expression concentrated on the topic of the conversation. Haldir watched him, noticing again how fascinating the Man was. He seemed to radiate wild power and thoughtful discipline at the same time and Haldir wondered how it was possible to combine such contradictory traits in one person.
“You seem to be quite intrigued by the Third Marshal.” he heard Aragorn remark next to him.
“I find Men very fascinating.” Haldir replied evenly and casually took another piece of bread. “They are very different from Elves.”
“Indeed, they are.” Legolas agreed. “They show passion where we restrain and courage where we do not expect it.”
“I think we should have more contact between our two races instead of harbouring and cultivating prejudices on both sides.” Haldir said after a moment. He was one of the few Elves who had on their own accord left the Woods several times to learn about Men and who actually spoke the common language. Even his brothers knew only a few words, not much more than most of his archers.
“That is a very good thought. Maybe this war will help our races to cross the borders as necessity forces them to seek each other's help.” Aragorn mused. “I noticed that some of your archers started to befriend the people of Rohan and some even try to learn the common language. It may be a beginning.”
Haldir nodded. “I encouraged them to do so. And the people of Rohan show us great hospitality that makes it much easier to get into contact with them.”
“I find it also very easy to get along with the Rohirrim.” Legolas agreed with an affirmative nod. “They are good and honest people.”
“And they have great ale.” the Dwarf remarked, raising his mug as if to prove his point. “They know how to drink properly.”
Legolas smirked. “Elves do know that as well.”
The Dwarf made an indignant sound that let everybody at the table know what he thought about that. Haldir chuckled, he took pleasure in the fact that Legolas had beaten the Dwarf in the drinking contest of the night before.
It was long since dark when Haldir retreated to his shared room. He thought it was a pity that there had been no occasion to talk to the Third Marshal. He enjoyed the Man's company and their conversation in the garden behind the Golden Hall had proven it could be very interesting to talk with the Man when they did not get in a quarrel. Lost in his thoughts, Haldir undressed and got ready for bed. When the Hobbit came in some time after him, he was still thinking about the Man.
The sun was still some time away from rising when Haldir got up and left the room he shared with the Hobbit and the Dwarf who were both still sound asleep. He made his way to the garden behind the Golden Hall to find some space and calm to train and take a sunbath afterwards when dawn would break. Before he turned the corner before the garden, his sharp hearing picked up the sound of a sword swung through the air and the rhythmic movements of feet that were typical for a single person training. Haldir approached the garden without making any sound and remained in the shadows of the overhanging roof of the hall.
He could make out a lonely figure going through swift, fluent moves of combat. It did not take him long to recognise Éowyn, niece of the King, showing perfectly carried out attacks and parries with a middle length broadsword. The colour in her cheeks indicated that she had already been training for some time and Haldir decided to retreat and not disturb her. It was obvious to him that she practised here at this early hour because she did not want to be seen and it was not his place to disregard her wish. As silently as he had come, he retreated back around the corner of the Golden Hall and walked to the front of the building.
Haldir found another peaceful spot at the side of the platform of Meduseld where he took his time to go through his practice routine and stopped only shortly after sunrise. He sat down, back leaned against the stone platform of the Golden Hall, closed his eyes and let the sun caress his skin. When he heard the noise from the hall indicating that breakfast had started, he got up, stretched and walked up the stairs to the entry of Meduseld. He found his friends already sitting at a table and helping themselves with the food and joined them. The Third Marshal was nowhere to be seen and had still not arrived when Haldir and Legolas left the hall to join the other Elves in repairing weapons and armours. There was a lot to work on and Haldir went over the plans for the day with his archers before starting to work his own sword.
“Do you care to join us in hunting, Haldir?” At the sound of his name in that particular voice, the Elf looked up from the bench he sat on and sharpened his sword. The Third Marshal stood in front of him, wearing what was obviously hunting gear and holding a longbow in his hand.
“I would very much enjoy that.” Haldir agreed and set the grindstone aside.
“We will leave in a few minutes. Meeting at the stables.” the Man let him know and turned to leave. Haldir got up, sheathed his sword and went to his room to retrieve his bow, the quiver and his hunting knives. Not much later he was at the stables and saddled Merod in the courtyard. Some Rohirrim were preparing their horses as well when the Third Marshal joined them, leading his horse.
“We will ride over to the forest. We need meat, you are allowed to shoot at will.” the Man said loudly while mounting Firefoot. ”At the moment we need everything you can shoot, from rabbits to deer. We are short of supplies after the journey to Helm's Deep, so do your best.”
Haldir mounted Merod at the same time as the other Men of the hunting party and noticed they were a group of about twenty riders, all equipped with bows and arrows. They rode out of the city, led by the Third Marshal, then over the planes towards a forest not too far away. Still, the ride took at least an hour, according to the position of the sun, before they reached the rim of the woods. With every metre they approached the trees, Haldir felt the spirit and the presence of the forest grow stronger in his mind and he enjoyed the feeling of this connection he had missed since he left Lorien. In some distance to the tree line they stopped and dismounted.
“We leave the horses and enter on foot. Form groups of at least two people. We will meet here again before sunset.” the Third Marshal announced and left it to the Men to organise themselves. “Go, Rohirrim, and bring good prey!”
The Men took their supplies from the saddles and quickly gathered in small groups. Haldir decided to stay with their leader and watch him. It would be very interesting to see how he behaved in the woods and how he hunted. It told a lot about the character of a person, the Elf had learned a long time ago.
“If you do not mind, I would like to join you.” the Elf said to the Rohirrim while he took his water bottle from the saddle.
“Of course not.” the Man replied, counting the arrows in his quiver, then looking up. “It will be my pleasure.”
Haldir walked next to the Rohirrim towards the rim of the forest, around them other groups were already disappearing between the trees. The moment his feet touched the leaf-covered ground, Haldir felt the spirit of the forest sing in his whole being. He realised how much he had missed this feeling and understood again why so many woodland Elves were reluctant to leave the forest. They were able to live without this connection, but they were never complete without it.
The Rohirrim had a very careful and silent footing, Haldir noticed while they ventured deeper into the woods. The Man was alert and ready to shoot at any moment, arrow at the bowstring, bow pointed downwards, the same position Haldir had taken. They were both concentrated on their surroundings, but Haldir had the advantage of being able to feel the woods and the life in it. He saw the rabbit next to a small rock and had shot it before the Man even had noticed it. There was another one only a few steps away that had started to run, but Haldir had already aimed and shot a second arrow.
The Man stood next to him and had just realised what had happened when Haldir lowered his bow and walked over to his prey. He made sure the animals were dead, retrieved his arrows and bound the rabbits together at their hind legs. “Let us go on.”
Without a word, but with a wrinkle on his forehead, the Rohirrim caught up to him. Haldir knew he was showing off to the Man on purpose. They were in his domain now, the woods were an Elf's territory and Haldir was well aware that his abilities were superior to the Man's, especially as long as they were in here. It somehow tempted him to let the Man see some of that strength.
With the rabbits bound to his belt, Haldir took up the hunt again. He always knew where the Rohirrim was by the tiny sounds he made, not audible for a Man's ear, but easily perceptible for his sharp Elven hearing. They walked the woods for some time until Haldir picked up on a wild pig in the distance. He slowed down and raised his bow, aimed and let go of the bowstring. The squeak of the pig let him know he had hit the mark. The Man stood besides him, a frown on his face. Haldir suppressed a smirk and started to cross the distance to where the wild pig lay on its side. When he was about to bind the pig's legs together, he heard the Rohirrim come to an halt next to him.
“That is a nice prey. You are a skilled hunter.” the Man remarked and Haldir was pleased to hear the hidden respect in the words.
“I am a woodland Elf, Éomer.” Haldir said with a little smile, deliberately using the Man's name.“My connection to the forest is at least as deep as yours to your horses.”
“What does that mean?” the Man asked with a quizzical expression, the little wrinkle still on his forehead.
“It means that I am one with the forest. I can feel it, hear it, understand it.” Haldir explained. The Man had a right to know after Haldir had made him look like a fool. “I can pick up on the animals far earlier than you can, also thanks to my Elven hearing.”
“I would call that an advantage.” the Rohirrim stated dryly, arms crossed.
“Indeed.” Haldir smiled apologetically. “I used my abilities without letting you know. I beg your pardon.”
“You proved to be the better hunter, though.” the Man said and pointed at the two rabbits and the wild pig. “I have not even shot once today.”
“You will.” Haldir smirked. “I have to carry the pig, I cannot shoot anymore.”
The Rohirrim snorted, a crooked grin on his face. “Thank you very much. I feel better now.”
“That was my intention.” Haldir chuckled and picked up the wild pig to fling it over his shoulder. He followed the Man, letting him lead the way. He had had his share of amusement on this hunt and decided not to show off any more. When they stopped to eat something some time later, the Rohirrim had shot two rabbits of his own and Haldir felt it did the Man some good to prove his own hunting skills. The Elf set down his prey next to Éomer's, settled on a rock opposite of the Man and took out his provisions for the day. They ate in companionable silence and Haldir enjoyed the peace of the forest, the sounds of the animals and plants around them and the smell of the woods.
When they had finished, Haldir excused himself for a while to collect some healing herbs he wanted to give to Melanwyn because he knew the healer ran short on some supplies. He walked slowly between the trees, gaze fixed on the ground and stopped here and there to gather some herbs and store them in the pouch on his belt. When he returned to the place where they had eaten, he found the Man binding another rabbit to the bunch of prey.
“Have you been successful?” the Rohirrim asked and looked up.
“Aye. I have found enough supplies of the herbs the healers will need in the next days.” Haldir replied and patted the pouch. “But I see you were no less successful.”
With a smirk, the Man looked at the dead animal. “It happened to cross my path.”
Haldir chuckled. “Did it? How convenient.”
“Indeed. Let us try to hunt some more, we do not have much time left.”
“If the others were as successful as we were, Edoras will have enough meat for the next time.” Haldir mused when he picked up the wild pig.
“I hope so. My people need it.” the Man agreed, then they continued to walk the woods. When they approached the rim of the forest where they had accessed it, the sun had begun to set and the bunch of rabbits had grown further. At the place they had left their horses they found several of the other Men had already returned, all with rich prey, one group had even managed to shoot a deer. They were occupied with attaching the dead animals on the saddles of the horses that had waited the whole day right where they had been left.
Haldir and Éomer joined the others and started to secure the prey to their saddles as well. When all hunters were out of the forest and ready to leave, they mounted and rode back to Edoras. The journey took longer because of the additional weight and the difficulty of transporting the deer. When they entered the city and stopped the horses in the courtyard, many women and young boys from the kitchens already waited for them and accepted the dead animals, carrying them wherever they were processed into food. Haldir took care of Merod, groomed him and brought him fresh water and hay before the returned to his archers.
For the other Elves, he day had been filled with all those little works that needed badly to be done in order to restore their fighting strength. The repair of weapons, from swords to bows, the production of new arrows and the cleaning and repairing of armours. Haldir joined the works until it was time for dinner. He felt messy, he knew he had stains of dirt and grease from weapons and armours all over his clothes and face like his fellow Elves did. They would have to finish some smaller works in the morning, but they had mostly achieved what had been intended for the day.
Haldir left the smithy where he had worked last to sharpen the blades of several Elven swords and went to get some water to wash off the dirt as far as possible before he entered the Golden Hall for dinner. Most people were already sitting at the tables, after a short moment Haldir saw Aragorn, Legolas and the Dwarf sharing the table with the Third Marshal and made his way over to them.
***
“May I join you?”
Éomer looked up at the words to see who had asked, even though he had recognised the voice immediately, when Aragorn already answered. “Of course, my friend.”
The Elven captain sat down on the free place next to Éomer and set his plate and his mug down.
“You spent the day with repair works, it seems.” Aragorn remarked with a look to the obvious stains on the Elf's tunic.
“As did Legolas.” replied the Elf and with a little smile pointed out Legolas equally dirty clothes.
“Indeed. It was work that needed to be done, as unpleasant as it might sometimes be.”
“That is true.” Éomer agreed. He had spent the rest of the day devoted to repairs of all kinds as well. It was one of the curses of battle.
“Even an axe needs caring.” Gimli agreed. Éomer was still surprised at the obvious friendship between Legolas and the Dwarf, he would never have expected an Elf to befriend a Dwarf. The captain of the Elven archers did not seem to share Legolas' attitude towards the Dwarf, though.
Aragorn turned to Legolas to ask him something and Éomer listened with half an ear while eating his dinner. Gimli joined their discussion, but Éomer did not pay much attention to them. He watched the fascinating Elf next to him out of the corner of the eye, finding that he appeared much more approachable with those little stains on his skin and his clothes.
“Say, Horselord, can you tell me a place where it is possible to take a proper bath?” The Elf had turned towards him and looked at him.
“We have some tubs, as you know. The servants can fill one with hot water if you wish so.” Éomer wondered about the question, but since he had understood the Elf's need for baths he did not question it any further.
“I would prefer something like a stream or a lake.” The Elf demonstratively looked up and down his own appearance. “I am filthy. I want to be able to immerse in the water, to get thoroughly soaked. That is hardly possible in a tub.”
“The water of any stream will be cold, you know that.” Éomer remarked with a doubtful undertone before he took a sip of his wine.
The Elf gave him a small smile. “That will be no problem, for Elves do not get cold.”
“Well then, who am I to deny you a little pleasure if it can so easily be achieved.” Éomer agreed with a little sigh. “We will need to ride for a short while, tough. We shall get to the stables after dinner then.”
“I am very grateful you allow me that little pleasure.” the Elf replied with a little bow of his head and continued to eat the bread and the cheese on his plate. Éomer saw the smile that quirked the Elf's lips and could only describe it as teasing.
When dinner was finished, Éomer left the hall and the Elf followed him down to the stables. They separated to take their horses out of the boxes and met in the courtyard. Éomer mounted Firefoot, he had not bothered with a saddle and found the Elf had not bothered either. They left the city and turned to the right. Éomer knew exactly where he wanted to go, he had a place in his mind that the Elf would surely enjoy. It was not far away, the ride took only some minutes.
“I hope this place is to your liking.” Éomer said when he stopped Firefoot at the edge of the natural pool that had formed in a little arm of the stream. He heard the Elf halt Merod not far behind him.
“It is beautiful.” The Elf's voice was gentle and when Éomer turned to look in his face, he found a content smile on his features. With one graceful motion the Elf dismounted, patted Merod on the neck and went straight to the shore of the stream. He looked around, walked over to a small rock and began to remove his clothes. Éomer still sat transfixed on Firefoot and could not help watching the Elf disrobe, apparently unconcerned by his nudity. He had no reason to be concerned, Éomer thought to himself, for he had a simply magnificent body.
“Do you plan on only watching me or will you bath yourself?” The slightly teasing tone in the Elf's voice made Éomer look up and he saw a mischievous grin on his face.
Éomer cleared his throat and dismounted. “I will make use of the opportunity and take a bath as well.”
He walked over to the rock where the Elf had laid down his clothes and began to undo his tunic. He knew he was acceptably handsome, his appearance had never displeased the ladies, but compared to the Elf he felt plump and clumsy. He removed his boots and trousers and when he waded into the little pool, he found that the Elf had turned his back to him and was gently whistling while washing the upper part of his body.
Éomer walked waist deep into the stream and watched the back of the Elf, how the bright hair flowed over his shoulders into the water in slow, elegant motions caused by the movements of the Elf. He felt the overwhelming desire to touch the fair skin, to find out how it would feel under his fingertips. He wanted to kiss him, taste him, feel him.
When Éomer saw the other warrior turn towards him he had to take a deep breath and tried to keep his emotions off his face, shocked himself about the strength of his desire. He had obviously not succeed entirely in hiding his thoughts, because he found the Elf giving him an intense gaze before slowly approaching two steps.
“Do you like what you see, Éomer?”
The Man did not know if it was the deep, full sound of the Elf's voice, the content of the question or the use of his name that sent a shiver through the whole of his body. He had to swallow and unconsciously licked his suddenly dry lips. The Elf's eyes followed the movement and seemed to darken. Éomer felt unable to speak and licked his lips again in an unsuccessful attempt to regain his composure. The only thing his mind registered was how close the Elf stood and how incredible attractive he was.
The Elf took two more steps forward, deliberately entering Éomer's personal space, eyes locked with his. His voice was deep and a bit rough. “I like what I see.”
This sent another shiver down Éomer's spine. They stood so close that he could feel the Elf's warmth on his skin. It would take but a small movement to close the distance between them. Éomer noticed for the first time that the Elf was a few centimetres shorter than him and had slightly lifted his chin as if to challenge the Man to kiss him.
Éomer noticed how the Elf slowly lifted his hands out of the water, then he felt his long fingers on his shoulders, gliding over his skin until they settled on the side of his neck an gave a little pull. Éomer followed willingly, leaning in until Haldir's lips met his and he forgot all prudence. His arms rose and settled around the Elf's waist, pulling him closer until he was pressed all along the Man's body. The feeling of the close contact made Éomer moan into the other man's mouth. The Elf used the opportunity and let his tongue slide into the Rohirrim's mouth, sending sparks all over his skin, fingers massaging Éomer's scalp and tingling in his hair.
Éomer let his tongue duel with the Elf's, not willing to let the dominant Elf take over the kiss. His hands roamed all over the beautiful body, touching all the skin he could reach, caressing, scratching lightly, massaging. He let his mouth wander along the Elf's jawline up to his ear, gently biting the lobe. When Éomer trailed his tongue up the outer shell to the pointed tip of the Elf's ear, the reaction was so immediate and intense that it took the Man by surprise. The moment his lips closed around the tip the Elf melted against him with a deep throaty moan, the long fingers clawed into the Man's shoulders, eyes pressed shut in an expression of total pleasure.
At the very first moment, Éomer thought he had done something wrong, but when the Elf's groin came into contact with his, there was no misunderstanding possible. Haldir's erection pressed hard against his, leaving no doubt his ear tips must be highly sensitive and Éomer gently licked over the flesh again to verify his assumption. Immediately, the Elf's hips pressed against his and the full lips opened to let out another moan that came from deep in his throat.
“Oh Valar...” Haldir's breath was fast and his voice had deepened with desire. Éomer found he liked the sound.
“I assume that means you like it when I kiss the tips of your ears.” He remarked quietly, surprised how husky his own voice was.
The Elf chuckled. “I think you noticed that, mellon.”
Haldir's arms were settled loosely around the Man's shoulders, his fingers tingled in the wild blonde mane. His hips were still pressed against Éomer's and every small movement imposed delicate friction onto their groins. The Elf deliberately rotated his hips in a way that made Éomer's breath catch in his throat.
Haldir bent forwards until his lips were right next to the Man's ears. “I assume that means you like what I do.”
It took Éomer a moment to form a sentence, but then he replied with a teasing smile, “Indeed, I do. But I think you noticed that.”
The Elf chuckled again, a sound that sent a prickling shiver down Éomer's spine. The Man let his hands slide down along the Elf's sides, into the water, until he could cup the nice backside and exert more pressure on their erections that were caught between their bodies. Haldir groaned against his neck and let his head fall down to rest on the Man's shoulder, mouth finding the soft skin under the Rohirrim's ear and starting to suck gently.
Éomer found that his ability to think coherently left him more with every moment he was close to this tempting Elf and decided that he did not care. He let his hands caress the Elf's backside, then he reached down between their bodies and found Haldir's hard member. As if surprised, the Elf's mouth let go of his neck with a groan, his hands tightening in Éomer's hair. Experimentally, the Man gave a few strokes and was rewarded by another low groan against his neck. To give him better access, the Elf raised his legs, using the natural uplift of the water, and wrapped them around Éomer's waist. The change of position settled the Man's erection against Haldir's backside, the feeling of the Elf's cheeks against his flesh made Éomer moan and he let his head lean onto the crook of Haldir's neck.
Éomer's perception narrowed down to the contact of the Elf's skin with his, the lips that had returned to his throat, the hands in his hair and on his back, the hard flesh his own hand, the incredible intense sensation caused by the movements of the Elf's hips. The Man licked the skin of the Elf's neck that was right in front of his mouth and kissed a path up to the jaw.
“Allow me to make love to you.” Éomer whispered against Haldir's ear, gently nibbling the sensitive tip again and sending tremors through the Elf's body, accompanied by a deep moan. The Elf's breath felt hot against the skin of his throat.
It seemed to take Haldir some time to find his speech before he answered, voice low and rough. “Do you know what to do?”
Éomer smiled against the soft skin under his lips. His Elf was still thinking to much. “Aye, I do.”
“Well, then.” Éomer could hear as well as feel the Elf chuckle. “What are you waiting for?”
He had no doubt Haldir knew the pleasures of male flesh, the Elf must be several thousand years old and Éomer was aware that relationships between the same gender were commonplace for Elves. It was good that they both knew what to do and to expect.
Éomer nibbled at the pointed tip of the Elf's ear again, seriously taking pleasure in the intense reactions this simple touch caused. Then he let his lips find Haldir's mouth, gently biting his lips before following the Elf's attempt to deepen the kiss. At the same time, the Man let one hand slide towards the backside of his lover, finding the little hole and caressing it. Haldir pressed back against him, obviously familiar with the feeling, and Éomer entered him carefully with one finger, well aware that they had nothing to ease the way apart from the water they stood in.
The Elf moaned gently into the the kiss, pushing back against the finger penetrating him. He did not seem to feel any discomfort, so Éomer went deeper, then retreated and let a second finger join the first. He stopped to let the Elf adjust when he was all the way in, then moved slowly, stretching as well as looking for that spot he knew from his own experience made this the most pleasurable coupling. When Haldir let out a sudden gasp, the Man knew he had found what he had been looking for and hit the spot a second time. He introduced a third finger, slowly, not wanting to hurt the Elf. Haldir panted against his neck, head resting on the Man's shoulder.
“I am not fragile, Éomer.” Haldir murmured against his neck, voice raw with desire as well as impatience. The use of his name in that special voice let goosebumps spread all over the Man's skin and he retreated his fingers to replace them with his hard erection. It cost him all his discipline to keep a slow and steady pace when he slid into the tight channel, but the Elf met him halfway, sinking down onto his erection with astonishing ease and a low groan.
“Haldir...” The name escaped Éomer before he could think about it when he was completely sheathed inside the Elf, loosing himself in the feeling of the tight heat surrounding him. The Elf left him no time to adjust, but started moving on his own accord, taking advantage of his position to lift himself off the Man and then sinking back on. The stimulation was too much for Éomer, his eyes fell shut and a loud moan escaped him, his hands tightening on Haldir's hips. He followed the rhythm the Elf set, angling his thrusts so he hit this spot every time and enjoying the mindless noise he extracted from his Elf.
The tension built up much faster than Éomer would have wanted, but the contact with Haldir was far too intense for him to keep going for much longer. He tightened his grasp on the Elf's erection and sped up the pace, hoping his legs would support the two of them some time longer. He felt his orgasm building up and then he came with a force he had not experienced before, hearing the hoarse cry of the Elf that told him he was not alone in climax. As he had predicted, his legs buckled under him, and he held onto the boneless Elf in his arms while letting the two of them sink slowly deeper into the water until his knees met the ground.
Haldir's head had dropped onto Éomer's shoulder, his arms hanging very loosely around the Man's neck, his breathing fast and irregular. Éomer forced himself to remain upright to keep them from sinking under water and left his arms wrapped around the Elf's back to support him. After some time that they had remained motionless and tried to regain their breath, he heard the Elf chuckle against his shoulder.
“We still have not washed.” Haldir remarked, a teasing but satisfied smile on his face. “Your hair is even still mostly dry.”
“I can assist you, if you wish.” Éomer heard himself answer and wondered where the idea had come from. Aye, their coupling had been mind-blowing, but normally he was not the kind of man to take it any further than that. But with the Elf, he did not feel the urge to get out of his sight after his desire had been satisfied. He rather wished to stay close to him, enjoy his presence and his touch some more.
“I would like that.” Haldir answered with this little smile that bordered on a full one. He pulled back enough to be able to look the Man in the eyes. “Will you let me return the favour?”
For a moment, Éomer was surprised by the question. But if he was honest to himself, this had never been just about satisfying his physical desire. He could have had that with people who were far easier to handle than this arrogant, but fascinating Elf.
He smiled gently. “I will.”
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