“I am the leader of this expedition, not you, Haldir, regardless of your assignation to accompany us. I trust you will keep that in mind,” Legolas told the arrogant Marchwarden. He saw Haldir’s eyes flash with anger, but he kept his expression blank as he nodded in acquiescence.

Legolas had assigned Gimli to ride with Haldir as he still refused to travel in the cart with the Hobbits. Neither one of them were happy about it, but Legolas was determined to ride at the front of the party with Ciendriel. The cart came next, followed by Haldir and Gimli. Orophin and Rúmil made the rear guard. The journey to Lorien would take about a week and a half if nothing held them up. The terrain was mostly wooded.

They made good time the first day. In fact, the day was almost joyous for Legolas. He felt his sense of freedom return. He and Ciendriel could scout far ahead without worrying for the others. Legolas knew Haldir would protect them. He did have a sense of honor, even if he didn’t exercize it in his dealings with Legolas.

She looked so beautiful in the sunlight, back in her leggings and tunic that were very like his own and out of the gown Elrond had provided her with. Out of the gown. He thought about seeing her out of the gown last night, and silently cursed Haldir for bruising him so badly that he couldn’t make good on his promises. He hadn’t needed to be so rough...Legolas had already been unconscious and unable to resist. Haldir had used Ciendriel, too, and she had not a mark on her, Legolas thought. For that he was glad. It still angered him to think of Haldir touching her.

The salve she had used on him had healed his bruises indeed. He felt wonderful today. If they had truly been alone, he’d have stopped by tree or brook to make love to her in the wild outdoors. Maybe tonight, after their watch. The watches would be shorter now with the other Elves to help. The night would hold more hours for them. He couldn’t wait. They spoke little through the day, but they rode hard, and often he saw her looking his way, smiling. It near dizzied him.

When the sun set, they fell back to the others and Legolas called for camp to be made for the night. Everyone except perhaps Haldir appeared to be in a jovial mood. Rúmil and Orophin patrolled the campsite to make sure everything was secure. The Hobbits sang and whistled as they made the fire to cook the evening meal. Gimli slid off of Haldir’s horse and headed straight for Angelica. Legolas wondered briefly if the Dwarf might finally have transferred his affections from him to someone else.

Haldir stalked over to Legolas and Ciendriel, looking irritated. “The Dwarf talks non-stop,” he said.

“Perhaps you’ll learn something from him,” Legolas replied easily.

Ciendriel laughed. “I’m going to get some water from the stream we saw up ahead, for the Hobbits to cook with. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“I’ll go with you,” Haldir and Legolas said at once. Legolas gave Haldir an icy look, and the other Elf simply grinned at him.

“Thank you, both, but I’ll be fine.” Ciendriel turned and left.

Haldir sat down on the ground, reclining against a log as he watched the Hobbits build the fire. “Won’t you join me, Legolas?”

“Perhaps I--”

“Come now. I won’t bite. Not right now. All I’ve a mind to bite is my dinner. Sit down. You’re too jumpy. It’s making me nervous,” Haldir smirked.

Haldir didn’t look as though anything ever made him nervous. Legolas took a deep breath. He could not let Haldir intimidate him, and it wasn’t as if he could drag him off from the group to have his way with him here. They had been friends once, and they could be friends again. He sat down, but out of reach.

Haldir opened his pack and drew out a square of lembas bread wrapped in a leaf. “Is she a good cook?” he asked idly.

“Ciendriel? Yes. Did she...give you that?” Legolas wondered jealously why she had gone out of her way to be nice to Haldir.

“Indeed, she did.” Haldir broke off a small bite of the loaf and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm...this is...different. Sweet.”

He took another bite. Legolas frowned. Lembas bread was tasty and filling, but it wasn’t sweet. He looked at Haldir, who was chewing it slowly as if he was savoring it. He closed his eyes for a moment and Legolas studied his face. It wasn’t easy to remember how handsome he was, or how Legolas had once enjoyed gazing on those patrician features. Haldir’s expression went blank and he opened his eyes. He looked at Legolas, looking at him, and he smiled. The smile seemed forced and somewhat grim.

“Here. Try it.”

He held out the lembas to Legolas. Automatically, Legolas put out his hand and took it. He looked at it, then sniffed it. It smelled fine -- great, in fact.

“Ciendriel baked this?”

“Yes. Oh yes.”

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“I’m...full.”

Legolas took a bite of the bread. Haldir was right. It did have a certain sweetness to it. He swallowed the bread and Haldir laughed bitterly. He took the remainder of the cake out of Legolas’ hand, dug through his pack, and took out two more cakes still wrapped in leaves. He got to his feet, and Legolas thought he looked a bit unsteady.

“Are you all right?”

“No. And neither are you. Don’t try to stand up.”

Haldir walked away, and Legolas felt his stomach cramp.

***

“I bet it does!”

“It doesn’t, Pip!”

“How can you be sure, Merry?”

“Pippin, just because you feel like a pipe doesn’t mean we can find pipe weed growing wherever we are. Besides, even if you found it, it would still have to be dried out.”

Pippin still looked doubtful. He looked at Sam, who nodded in agreement.

“It might grow around here, but it would still have to be dried.”

“Well, have you got any left, Sam?”

“All out, Pippin.”

“Angelica?”

“I don’t smoke, Pip.”

“Frodo?”

“I’m out, too.”

“Gimli?”

“What?”

“Do you have any pipe weed?” Pippin asked with frustration.

“I’ve been smoking Frodo’s. Brilliant stuff, pipe weed. Delightful to smoke after a nice meal, it is.”

Pippin was getting desperate. He looked around. Ciendriel was off getting the water, and Legolas and Haldir were sharing some lembas. None of them smoked. He thought about asking Orophin and Rúmil, but he had never met an Elf who smoked, and the two of them only spoke Elvish, in which Pippin was far from fluent.

So there would be no pipe tonight, but none for the rest of the journey was unthinkable to Pippin.

“I’m going to go pick some and start drying it, then.”

“What about dinner?” said Merry.

“Sam’s still cooking it! It won’t take long. Come with me.”

Merry sighed. “After bumping around in a cart all day, I just want to relax, Pippin.”

“Who can relax without a pipe?”

“Angelica, why don’t you go with him?”

“Who can say no to that face?” Angelica purred. But she glanced over at Sam, who smiled at her, and nodded. She got up, stretched, and followed Pippin out into the woods. Before they got far, they saw Haldir rush past them.

“I wonder what got into him?” Pippin said.

Angelica paused for a moment. “He’s heading for the stream. Ciendriel’s there. We should go after him.”

“Why?”

Angelica blushed, and her blush made Pippin blush. “Just come on.”

They headed towards the stream, but before they got there, Ciendriel tore past them, running back towards the camp.

“That Haldir is trouble,” Pippin said, shaking his head.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Angelica muttered.

“I’m glad I don’t,” said Pippin. “Now let’s see if we can find the pipe weed.”

They scouted around the woods for about half an hour. Pippin found six different kinds of edible greens which he picked, some nice mushrooms, but no pipe weed.

“What about this?”

He turned and saw Angelica bending over to look at something. Pippin swallowed hard at the sight of her shapely rump sticking up in the air. He moved over to her side and looked down at the plant she was indicating.

“That’s it.”

“Oh, hooray!” She picked the plant and stood back up, looking into his eyes.

“Angelica.”

“Yes?”

“I want to kiss you. All by myself, without Merry. Can I...can I do that?”

***

Ciendriel was busily filling the water skins when Haldir came stalking through the woods towards her. The expression on his face was unfathomable. It was neither his usual smirk or his easy-going smile. He looked slightly angry, and it frightened her a small bit, especially when she saw the lembas bread in his hand. So, he’d eaten it. He knew. Good. She lifted her chin.

Haldir came up beside her and pitched the lembas bread into the stream. He turned towards her with flashing eyes. His hand curled into a fist, and for a moment she was frightened that he was going to hit her... but then he relaxed. His expression relaxed, as if he were fighting for control. He smiled, and the smile was like ice.

“Mortamoris,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Yes,” she said. “Payment for the Amordalis. I baked it into the bread. You may feel some nausea, but that will pass, and the effect of the herb should wear off just as we reach Lothlorien.”

Haldir laughed. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“What?”

“Revenge.”

“I just wanted to feel safe on this journey -- and grant Legolas that same safety,” she said hotly.

“And so you thought you would just conveniently dose me with an herb that would prevent sexual performance.”

Ciendriel nodded, though she felt her cheeks turn rosy. “Yes. There are no other ill effects. And maybe you’ll learn something--”

Haldir pulled her into his arms and kissed her, taking her by surprise. She put up her hands to push against his chest, trying to shove him away, but he was stronger than she was. His kiss branded her mouth, his hands stroked her back, and she found herself becoming aroused against her will. He was an accomplished kisser, and he nearly drugged her with just the skill of his mouth. Finally he let go of her, and she stared at him, panting.

“You use the herb to save you from your own urges,” he accused. “You want me. You enjoyed what I did to you the other night, and you know it.”

“I choose Legolas, Haldir, not you. Not you!” she hissed.

“That may be, but it is for naught. You see, my clever little Elf, I know just as much about herbs as you do. When I realized the Mortamoris was in the bread, I gave my piece to Legolas.”

Ciendriel’s blood ran cold. This effectively cured the stirrings Haldir had awakened in her. “You are cruel.”

“And you are playing with fire. This may be an inconvenience, but it will not ‘save’ you, or Legolas, and I think you will rather find it an inconvenience yourself.”

“I hate you, Haldir of Lorien.”

“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, Ciendriel of Ingra.”

She pushed past him, running back to the camp, back to Legolas. He was curled up on the ground. The Hobbits were still working at their cooking. They didn’t even seem to notice anything was wrong. He was hiding it well.

“Legolas! I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

He looked up at her, clutching his stomach. “Did you try to poison Haldir? He gave me his lembas...”

“No... I... I gave him something to prevent him from... from being able to...” She was blushing then.

“Being able to what?’

“Achieve... that is... to get a... um...”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Ciendriel, and I wish you’d tell me, since apparently I won’t be able to do it either.”

“That’s just it,” she sighed. “We aren’t going to be able to make love tonight, Legolas.”

Legolas looked horrorstruck, then started laughing. “Oh, it’s almost worth it, to know Haldir is robbed of his favorite weapon.”

Ciendriel smiled weakly. “It was foolish of me.”

“No, it was very clever.”

“You will never trust my cooking again.”

“Not if you are preparing something for Haldir.” Legolas bent and kissed her on the mouth. “The cramps are passing.”

“You will be fine, when the effects of the herb wear off.”

“And that can be none too soon for me.”