The streets of Avallónë, Tol Eressëa bustled with activity in the light of late morning. For a port town, it was very crowded, but then again, when one travelled with one’s wife and brothers and gwedyr and all of their wives and all of the collected children and grandchildren and some additional generations of great-grandchildren…Well…any place would be crowded at that point.

“There is a group coming up behind us, Adar,” Beleg said.

“Did you use your superior tracking skills to figure that out, Nephew?” Rúmil asked cheekily.

“Of course! I turned around and noticed what every one of you overlooked: the guard of three kings and the abundance of royalty on horseback directly behind us,” he replied amiably. “Perhaps we should step aside off the street and let them pass before they trample us.”

“Now where would the fun be in that?” Rúmil asked.

As if on cue, the entire group of family behind Rúmil parted (notably none of them were Rúmil’s descendants), very obviously making him an easy target for the horses.

“Hey! Now that was rude!” Rúmil called to those who had moved aside.

“But we are simply showing our respect for the royalty behind us and getting out of their way, Uncle,” Orophin’s eldest son replied innocently.

Laughter rang out from the kings and their entourage behind the group of Galadhrim.  Dutifully, though grumbling irritably, Rúmil moved off the street along with the rest of the snickering family so those on horseback behind them could pass. Bowing and curtsying, the Galadhrim paid their respects as the horses passed.

One of the riders stopped directly in front of Haldir and his brethren, causing those behind her to draw up short while others gathered around. “Arise!” she commanded.

Haldir and his brethren stood at attention, huge smiles lighting their faces as they recognized the Lady Galadriel.

“My Lady!” they cried joyfully as she dismounted and embraced each of them.

She flushed in embarrassment and stepped back, clasping her hands in front of her and assuming a more regal pose. “Forgive me. I just…It is so good to see you all again! Familiar faces from among the Galadhrim are rarely seen in Tirion, and I desperately miss my folk of Lothlórien.” The kings, queens, and others in the royal entourage smiled in greeting.

“We have missed you, too, my Lady,” Haldir replied struggling to contain his joy. It had been so very long since he had last seen her!

“Were you recently released from Mandos?” she asked.

“Yes,” Gilwen answered for them. “Lord Námo kept my husband and his brethren for a very long time, thousands of years in fact, which is most unusual.”

Galadriel regarded her strangely. “Your husband? Who would that be and why was he kept for thousands of years? Forgive me, but I was speaking to these ellyn: Haldir, Rúmil, Orophin, Ferevellon, Fereveldir, and Angaril. They served me as march wardens for thousands of years. Haldir was my captain until-,” Galadriel blinked a few times, and pursed her lips as she looked away, bowing her head.

One of the kings with golden hair similar to hers dismounted as well and put his arm around her shoulders. “The thousands of years spent in Middle-earth lie heavily upon my daughter, and she has required much healing since her return to Aman, so she may not yet be quite as you remember her,” he said by way of explanation. Looking to Galadriel, he gently asked, “He was your captain until when or what?”

Taking a deep breath, Galadriel visibly steeled herself, though she still looked more tired and worn than Haldir had ever seen her, as she replied sadly, “Until Celeborn and I sent him and his brothers and the other three I mentioned to their deaths in the battle at Helm’s Deep. Two hundred marched on our orders and not one came home again.”

“Yes, well…” Haldir started to say, but the king’s powerful gaze met his and he found he could no longer find the proper words to say. A great sense of awe swept through him as it became very clear to him from which parent Galadriel received her commanding presence.

“Such is the burden of leadership, my daughter, as you well know,” King Arafinwë of the Noldor said quietly. “Eru knows I have sent my share of warriors to their deaths in battle as well. I understand what you are feeling, but they obviously are reborn and hale now, and, unless I am badly mistaken from the way they hugged you just now,” he paused, a broad smile lighting his face, “they do not appear to harbor any ill will against you.”

Haldir struggled to calm himself enough to finally reply, “No, my Lady, we harbor no ill will against you. In fact, we owe you our gratitude for sending us. If you had not, then our kin surrounding us now would not be here.”

Galadriel appeared both relieved and very confused as she looked at the crowd surrounding them. Suddenly she gasped as she noticed someone else in the group. “Beleg? Beleg Cúthalion? What-?” She clapped her hands to her mouth in bewilderment. “Beleg…” she repeated breathlessly, lowering her hands. “It has been so long! What are you doing here?” She looked at Gilwen again with dawning recognition then addressed her and a few others as she motioned to them with her hand. “I remember you now. You are Beleg’s naneth! You two are his sons and you are his daughter. You are his brothers and sisters...”

Then Galadriel looked back at Haldir and his comrades. “Haldir, forgive me, but why are you with these people? Do you know them from your new settlement, perhaps?”

Haldir shook his head, bowing it as he bit his cheek trying to think of how to explain. He laughed to himself. “Ah…” he finally managed as he looked up.

“Truly? Is that all you have to say?” Handir asked, crossing his arms in mock affront as he glared at his adar.

One of the other two kings dismounted and came forward, gasping in surprised awe, “Haldir? Is…is that really you? After all of these years… By all the Belain! It has been a very long time!” Striding forward, he embraced a very stunned Haldir.

Tentatively returning the embrace, Haldir stuttered, “Ah,…er… hello your m-majesty.”

Galadriel looked about even more confused. “Uncle?” she demanded “What are you doing?”

Clapping Haldir on the back, Thingol withdrew and proudly replied, “He was a member of my Privy Council. He trained my first warriors and march wardens. It is because of him and his folk from Celos Galen and the training and knowledge he provided us that we survived the First Battle of Beleriand even though he did not survive that battle. He and his brethren protected Celeborn and saw to it that he survived that battle, such was their loyalty. Is Mablung with you, too?

“No, Sir, he did not journey with us,” Beleg replied.

“A pity. I wish to see him again.” Thingol said wistfully. “Ah well, at least I have Haldir now and as well as Beleg back again.”

“Uncle, I think you are confused. That is just not possible,” Galadriel declared. “Captain, well former captain Haldir here served as one of my march wardens for five thousand years in the Second and Third Ages and was my captain after the Last Alliance. His adar and two edair before him lived in Lórien and together they served the kings there before they all died in the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age. Haldir was not even alive in the First Age.  I was in Doriath for most of the First Age and I never knew anyone named Haldir on your Privy Council.”

“And I just said that Captain Haldir here died in the First Battle of Beleriand before the Noldor ever arrived in Beleriand. Of course you did not know him then. But-” He looked at Haldir strangely, then slowly gestured back and forth between Haldir and Galadriel a few times. “You should not know her,” he said pointedly to Haldir.

“He was born in Lothlórien!” Galadriel exclaimed. “Of course he would know me!”

“I, for one, have never laid eyes on the ellon before in my life and we are blocking the road,” the third king called loudly from his horse. “How about we take this intriguing enigma of an ellon and his kin to a local inn and discuss over lunch in a more relaxed setting how you all know him and why you should not. We have plenty of time for Lord Celeborn’s ship is not due to arrive until the middle of the afternoon.”

“What an excellent suggestion, Atar,” the king of the Noldor said brightly.

“Well, Adar, it looks as if we now have lunch plans,” Beleg said to Haldir, giving him a look of intense pity as he clapped him on the shoulder consolingly.

Confounded, Galadriel looked back and forth between Haldir and Beleg. “Adar?” she asked.

“Get on your horse and we will talk at the inn, Granddaughter,” the third king said sternly.

Thus Haldir and his family were treated to lunch by the king of the Teleri, his brother the former king of Doriath, and his son-in-law the king of the Noldor.

XXXXX

Needless to say, they took over the entire dining room of the inn. Several tables were placed end to end to accommodate the large groups and to enable as many as possible to hear the conversation between the royals and Haldir and his brethren. After the introductions were made though, Haldir wondered why his brothers, Angaril, Ferevellon, and Fereveldir even bothered to sit with him for they had gone speechless, gaping in awe as soon as they were introduced to Finrod Felagund. 

Gesturing to the five, Haldir looked at Finrod and explained, “I apologize for them. They had desperately hoped to meet you when you came to Doriath, but we died before you arrived. And they had wanted to see Nargothrond when we travelled across Beleriand on our way to Doriath even though it was just some uninhabited caves at that time. I forbade them to go, which irritated them, but we could not afford the delay in our journey north. They will recover soon enough and start speaking again and then you might wish they had not.” He grinned at the confused prince.

“So…how is it that both my brother and my granddaughter seem to know you when, according to her you were born in Lothlórien in the Second Age, and according to him, you died in the First Battle of Beleriand before the rising of the sun and moon?” King Olwë of the Teleri asked, obviously intrigued.

Haldir took a swallow if his wine trying to buy himself some time to think of how best to explain himself. Setting down his cup he nodded toward Thingol’s queen and ventured, “Queen Melian could explain it. She understands as well as we do if not better.”

Everyone looked at Melian who smiled beautifully. “I do understand it,” she said simply. “But, Haldir, since you lived it, you should be the one to explain it as best you understand it.”

Thingol turned to her in surprise. “You understand now. Did you know then? And if so, why did you not say anything?”

“Oh, I knew where and when he was from as soon as I met him,” Melian said, “but he had the blessing of Ulmo on him. Ulmo told me when I met Haldir to help the ellon and not speak of Haldir’s origins other than what he chose to reveal. There was a greater purpose at work and it was vital that it run its course. Occasionally Ulmo would advise me concerning the six from Lórien, but I was only permitted to act as I was bid, so that is what I did.”

“A greater purpose…” Thingol echoed carefully.

“Yes,” Melian agreed. “Did the ellon and his comrades not train our fighters and teach us the importance of march wardens and maps and warriors for defending our borders and protecting our folk?  Would Doriath even have survived the First Battle if not for their teachings, their skill at arms, and the prowess of those whom they sired and of those whom they trained?”

Thingol glanced over at Beleg who grinned at him. “No, we would not have survived.”

“So, it is back to you, Haldir,” Olwë said, gesturing with his cup. “I commented before that you are an intriguing enigma and you appear to be proving it. Now, tell us your tale. I am particularly curious to know how you died before you were born.”

Haldir shifted uneasily in his chair, then sighed in resignation. “I was born in Lothlórien early in the Second Age. Angaril, my two brothers, and I all fought in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men and saw King Oropher, King Amdir, and King Gil-galad die. During the years of that war, we observed that Sauron would send storms filled with spells which would cause horrific things to happen. All of the warriors serving under King Amdir and King Oropher came to dread these storms for we saw firsthand how they distorted reality or caused things to appear that had not been there before or made other things disappear before our very eyes.”

Galadriel nodded grimly, “I heard report of such things from those who returned from the war.”

 “Yes,” Haldir agreed, “and when Sauron gained power again in the Third Age, we believe that through the wizard Saruman, he wielded the storm power once again. When we arrived at Helm’s Deep to aid the Rohirrim, the skies were clear and full of stars. As soon as the Uruk-hai approached the walls, the skies clouded and loosed a horrible storm of torrential rains and searing lightening. The six of us,” – he gestured to himself and his comrades – “were struck down by Uruk-hai and orcs, suffering grave injuries. I remember a great blinding flash of lightening as I collapsed in agony, and when I woke again, the six of us were in Celos Galen in the Night before nights.”

“Our hunters found them on the ground near the edge of the forest grievously injured,” Gilwen continued, squeezing Haldir’s hand where it rested on the table beside her. “We thought they all had been poisoned by their wounds and suffered head injuries for they babbled about things of which we had never before heard, such as fortresses and men and Anor and the concept of day.” She laughed at that and those at the tables who remembered the Night all smiled and some shook their heads in amusement.

 “It took many months for them to recover in body as in mind and spirit and begin to contribute to our settlement,” Gilwen continued. “In time they taught us to fight, introducing the concept of warrior in our settlement and in the surrounding settlements and teaching us the value of taking the offensive against the creatures of the dark which threatened us instead of simply moving the settlement every time the danger grew too great. They seemed so very wise in great and important matters, but they lacked all sense in the simple things which were painfully obvious to us. They suffered a lot of teasing and ridicule because of that.”

“Ah, but you ellith were quite willing to marry us anyway,” Rúmil observed triumphantly.

“Yes, we were,” his wife agreed, “but we also helped to ridicule and tease you, too.”  – She flashed a wicked grin which the other five wives copied – “It was so very charming the way you seemed so knowledgeable about great or far away things like the sea and making long bows and the lay of the land beyond our forest, yet you were clueless about the customs of the tribe from which you haled.”

“We had no way of comprehending how much our culture in the Third Age had been influenced by the Sindar and the Noldor until we had the chance to live among Galadhrim who had never met either of those two clans,” Orophin defended. “It was very much of a shock to us to learn how much the Galadhrim had changed over time. There were things that we took for granted in the Third Age and even the Second which we desperately missed in Celos Galen.”

“We had to learn how to measure time by the stars and try to figure out what things the folk of Celos Galen knew about and what things were foreign to them. For example, tables,” Haldir tapped the table for good measure as he continued, “wooden chairs, maps…”

“And framed feather beds,” Beleg chimed in, causing his elder kinsmen to laugh, though the rest looked a little confused, not understanding the jest.

 “Yes, you would know about that would you not? Especially considering you had never seen one before we moved to Doriath and then your daeradar made you learn to make them for the settlement.” Snickering, Haldir continued, grateful for the levity, noticing many amused looks as their listeners seemed to be pondering the absurdity of Beleg the mighty warrior of legend making feather beds.

“Things such as these were unknown to them, while they were phenomenal hunters and moved like wraiths through the woods, keeping to the trees even more than the Galadhrim of Lothlórien do or did. Even after we figured out what had happened to us, it took a long time to figure out where we were. We journeyed on a mapping expedition and determined our settlement was located in a forest in southern Beleriand called Taur-im-Duinath.”

Finrod’s expression darkened.  “That was a place the Noldor pointedly avoided. It was filled with evil creatures and mysterious Dark Elves.”

“Yes,” Angaril chuckled, “our Galadhrim were those mysterious Dark Elves, although we had left there by the time you had arrived. As much as we wanted to meet the great Elves from our history, we also had the wit to try to avoid situations where we might be forced into revealing our origins.”

“But you died before the Noldor showed up anyway,” Beleg said, “Although Mablung, Prince Celeborn, and I were rather shocked when they showed up as adar predicted and we realized he had been telling us the truth about your past or our future when he lay dying in my arms.” He nodded to his adar who smiled back. “Mablung and I did not live to see all of the things he spoke of come to pass, such as the War of Wrath, but as you already know I did convince my naneth that she needed to take everyone to Valinor when the opportunity to do so arrived.”

“I will always be grateful to you for convincing her to go,” Haldir acknowledged. “And, getting back to the discussion, yes, we did die before the Noldor arrived. We only figured out when we were once the First Battle of Beleriand was upon us. By then such knowledge was irrelevant to us because none of us survived that battle. The Sindar did not exactly keep good or any written records of the time before the sun and moon, and tales tell little of what happened before then – even those told by the Galadhrim. The Noldor had been the ones who wrote everything down and we were grateful for what they did record and pass down through the ages.”

“So how did Ulmo figure in this?  Why did you leave Celos Galen?  How did you come to Doriath?” King Arafinwë asked in fascination.

Heaving a great sigh, Haldir toyed with his cup a bit and watched as the innkeeper came by and refilled it for him and refilled the other cups as well. Once the ellon had wandered back to the kitchen, Haldir took a drink and replied, “Our comrades and I loved Celos Galen and enjoyed the respect of the people there as well as that of the folk of the other two nearby settlements. About two or three months after my wife became pregnant with our youngest, a set of twins, we received word of wargs having attacked one of the other settlements. In the span of two weeks, perhaps less than that, the other settlement had been attacked by orcs three times before falling, the survivors of both settlements had come to join with us in Celos Galen, and Celos Galen then fell as well after a massive attack by orcs and wargs.”

He paused and everyone remained still in respectful silence for a few moments. His voice was soft and sad as he continued, “Each settlement lost its chieftain and Gilwen’s adar became the chieftain of the three settlements for they had joined together as one people now.  However, I was held as the Captain of all of the warriors of the three settlements ever since we trained the first warriors, so the survivors – all three hundred and some odd of them - looked to me for guidance in what to do next and where to go. My comrades and I saw no alternative but to lead them to Doriath and hope that Menegroth was completed and that we might find refuge there.”

“The journey must have been very dangerous from what I remember of those lands. However did you cross the Andram with three hundred people, especially with your wife pregnant?” Finrod asked in amazement.

“Oh she was not the only one pregnant when we left Celos Galen, for our wives were with child as well as were a few other ellith,” Ferevellon clarified, “And by the time we left Nan Tathren, a great many more of the ellith were pregnant.”

“Why?” Queen Eärwen asked, looking from the wives to the other queens in confusion. “If you were fleeing for your lives, why would anyone think that would be a good time to bring forth a child?”

Gilwen rolled her eyes and the other wives exchanged dumbfounded looks. “You know, it is indeed a wonder that the other clans survived at all considering their fear of having children unless they were in safe pristine environments like…well like here in Aman! What is wrong with you people?” Haldir jabbed her with his elbow and shook his head, but she ignored him, causing him to roll his eyes and silently beg the Belain for mercy before his wife insulted so many royals from different lands.  Those from Aman looked at her in great surprise, clearly uncertain as to how to respond.

Gilwen sighed in annoyance and took a swig of her drink, “All right, I guess I need to explain it to you. We had wondered where you all got those crazy ideas, Haldir. Now I guess we know.” He did not bother responding. “If elves were so scared to have children until everything was just perfect around them then everyone in Middle-earth would have died out a long time ago. And there never would have been enough of our race for folk to bother leaving Cuiviénen, considering the dark things which lurked in the forests nearby and stole away the unsuspecting and those who ventured forth alone.”

“That danger had a great deal to do with why we left, if I remember correctly,” Olwë offered. “We stopped having children under less than ideal circumstances because we did not want them to die young and we did not want them to have to be raised by only one parent or by kin if there were great risk of both parents being lost.”

“But you still had children along the way as you journeyed,” she said.

“Yes, we did,” Olwë agreed.

“And that is what we did. Do you not remember the way all elves used to celebrate each new place they visited and the way they would enjoy each dear place which was familiar?” she asked.

 “Of course and we still do celebrate those places old and new with music and song,” Arafinwë said clearly beginning to take offense. “We may dwell in peace here, but we have not forgotten how to appreciate the land and how to be elves.”

 “Your majesty, forgive me, but you are too young to remember the kind of customary celebrating of which I speak,” Gilwen admonished.  “I have been in Aman for a few thousand years and have yet to observe anyone here who remembers the old ways, except maybe for some of the Teleri.”

There were many grumblings in response to that, but then Olwë’s queen suddenly burst out laughing. “Oh, I know of what you speak now! I can assure you that many of the Lindar still observe that particular custom, in fact every new ship is so...ah…blessed by that particular custom, especially if the captain or owner of the ship is married. If they are not, then it falls to the married crew members to see to the…ah…blessing. And I also agree that Arafinwë is too young to remember a time when many of our folk in Aman followed that custom.”

The Noldorin king and queen both scowled as did the others who clearly did not understand the discussion. Those who did understand struggled valiantly with their emotions to not show what they were thinking.

“Ahhh,” was Olwë’s initial comment to the still confused and flustered group as realization suddenly dawned on his face, then he shifted uncomfortably and muttered under his breath. “Probably be best if you did not further elaborate about the custom with palaces, my dear…”

Those who understood lost their struggle at that point and the rest looked angrier and more perplexed. Haldir simply put his head down on the table, silently yet desperately wishing that an uruk would suddenly appear in the room and kill him. It would be a far more preferable fate to the conversation he was having now.

Once the overly amused had calmed themselves, Rumil’s wife explained, “Nan Tathren was a beautiful land with lovely wispy willow trees and a singing river heady with the music of Ulmo’s song.”

“I understand now why more of the ellith were pregnant when you left,” Olwë said. “But was it really necessary to have children result from the…er…celebration?”

Haldir looked up as Arafinwë and Eärwen both suddenly gasped in realization and Arafinwë quietly defended, “Too young to remember it as the custom of others but not too young to have practiced the custom myself.” Then he seemed to realize he had spoken aloud for he turned bright red and quickly exclaimed and in an overly loud voice, said, “So, tell us about Ulmo!”

Haldir noticed that both Galadriel and Finrod looked extremely uncomfortable and more than a little embarrassed. At least he was no longer the only one who felt that way while Thingol and Melian simply laughed long and loudly at everyone.

The rest of the interrogation by the royals was not nearly as embarrassing as Haldir, his sons, and his comrades dutifully answered the questions put forth. Once the food arrived, the conversation turned to the life of the Galadhrim in Aman and how the reborn were settling in. Blessedly, the time passed quickly and soon they made ready to travel to the quays to await the arrival of Celeborn’s ship.

The royal entourage went on horseback while Haldir and the others resumed their walk. A large crowd assembled to wait for the ship. Many Noldor and Sindar stood clustered in groups, cheering as the sails came into view. The ship was simple and white with billowing white sails and many elves dressed in varying hues of grey, green, dark red, and brown – the colors favored by the elves of Middle-earth.  At the prow of the ship stood an ellon dressed in white accompanied by a silver-haired ellon in a march warden captain’s uniform.

When the ship docked, the two at the prow waited until last to disembark. As they finally stepped onto the quay, they were swarmed by loved ones.

Ferevellon and Feveldir nearly tackled the march warden captain. “Adar!” they both cried, tears of joy shining on their faces.

Once they had calmed enough for introductions, Thrandronen stared in shock at the large families his sons had amassed in the seemingly short time since he had lost his twins at Helm’s Deep. “We will explain later,” was the only reassurance they could give to their clearly bewildered adar as Haldir stepped forward and embraced him in a fierce bear hug.

“I have missed you, my friend. I looked after your sons as best I could and, well…we will explain it later over a very large bottle of wine after we greet Lord Celeborn.” Haldir clapped Thrandronen on the back and watched as the rest of the confused ellon’s very large family moved to escort him away.

When Celeborn surfaced again from the arms and welcomes of his own family, Haldir and his five comrades walked up to him. Celeborn smiled joyfully as his family looked on.

“I did what you asked of me all those ennin ago,” he said by way of greeting. “I let you go, Haldir, just like you asked me to on that battlefield.”

“Yes, you did,” Haldir nodded, his heart filling with emotion. “And if you had not…Eru, how things would have gone differently!”

Celeborn nodded, obviously blinking back his own emotions. “You would not believe how difficult it was for me when I first recognized you in Lothlórien. It took me some time to realize and fully comprehend that you were the same ellyn who taught me in Doriath. And once I did understand, I could say nothing! Oh! You would not believe how many occasions I had to bite my tongue or I shared only part of my memories of those times long ago and hoped that one day you would understand what I was trying to say to you.”

He embraced each of the six ellyn before him. “When life here allows it, I would dearly love to sit with you all and talk about all of our memories together.”

Thingol laughed and when they all turned to him he said, “Nephew, you will have a large audience for that discussion.”

Celeborn looked between Haldir and Thingol confused and not a little concerned, so his uncle elaborated, “Earlier today after an amusing reunion in the middle of a busy street, Haldir told us about his adventures. I believe I speak for us all when I say that we would enjoy hearing your perspective on this as well.”

As Celeborn shifted uncomfortably, Haldir clapped him on the shoulder. “My Lord, when you are settled or when you are ready, whichever happens for you first, we would love to talk with you. Lady Galadriel knows where we are staying here and in Aman proper. You have but to send for us and we will gladly come and talk.”

Celeborn nodded his gratitude, smiling as Haldir added, “And…welcome home, my Lord. Welcome home.”

Fin (because it seems more elfy than The End, LOL)

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Notes:

Thank you so very much for reading and (I hope) enjoying this story. It took years to write this story because of the geographical nightmare it posed and trying to figure out when in the pre-First Age Haldir and his friends had ended up as well as where. Tolkien says next to nothing about the customs of the Galadhrim and about that same amount about the Elves of Middle-earth during the Night before nights as well. My betas were awesome as were the other people (Fianna, Himring, Istarnie, Marnie, and a few others) who I consulted with over the years trying to get a grip on this story so I could finally write and finish it.

atar - Quenya for father

Teleri and Lindar are the same group, but they refer to themselves as the Lindar while everyone else refers to them as the Teleri. XXXXX