Haldir of Lorien found that his mouth was still tingling from Isilwen's unexpected kiss. The taste of her seemed to cling to his lips and leave him thirsting for more. This was a very, very bad time to feel hopelessly aroused, yet it was happening all the same. He swore silently to himself that he was going to rescue the Elves who were being held prisoner and save Rivendell just so that he could kiss her again.

The three of them moved swiftly through the passage which led from the library to the store rooms. They found it easily enough, but when they reached the end of the tunnel they could hear noise coming from the kitchens that lay just beyond.

"Uruk-hai," Haldir told Erestor and Isilwen softly.

"This is why Elrond said we should wait until dawn," Erestor hissed.

"We will simply move the weapons closer to the banquet hall," Haldir said.

"There is a tunnel between the kitchen and the banquet hall," Isilwen said. "We can store the weapons in that tunnel if the Uruks have not found it."

"I doubt very much that they will have made the discovery. They have not found the store room. We should be perfectly safe there, but let us stay in the passage until they leave," Haldir suggested.

The other two nodded in agreement. It sounded like the Uruks had entirely trashed the kitchen. Haldir's mouth twisted as he thought of what Elrond would say when he learned that his favorite dishes had been broken. Eventually all of the noise stopped and the three of them crept forward from the passage into the store room. It was blessedly free of Uruk-hai.

The store room they were in was well-stocked with bows, arrows, knives, swords, shields, and armor. Haldir looked over the armor, but he would rather go without than wear some designed for someone else, ill-fitting and uncomfortable. Each piece was fitted to the individual, and he wondered that Elrond kept it here at all. It would be difficult to get it over to the dining hall.

"We will have to leave the armor," he said decisively. "And concentrate on moving the other weapons first."

"How do we get out of here?" Erestor asked, scowling. "There seems to be no door but the one through which we entered."

"I imagine there is a hidden door in the far wall," Haldir said, nodding towards it. "We have but simply to discover how to open it."

"We should have asked Elrond," Isilwen said.

"He should have told us in the first place," Haldir sighed.

He started to move forwards to examine the wall, but it rumbled and began to slowly open on its own. He jumped backwards and drew his weapon.

"That was fast," said Erestor.

"I did not do this," Haldir hissed. "Prepare yourselves."

Erestor drew his bow and Isilwen her knife just as the door opened entirely and two frightened-looking Hobbits stepped inside.

"Don't shoot! It's just me, Pippin!" Peregrin Took cried. "And Angelica! Don't shoot her, either."

They lowered their weapons and the two Hobbits breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where did you come from?" Haldir asked.

"We sneaked out of the banquet hall to get weapons," Angelica said. For once she was not glaring at him. Haldir knew she had never really forgiven him for the incident between them which had gotten her banished from Hob's Corners. He pulled two daggers from the nearest stack of them and handed them to her and Pippin.

"How did you get past the Uruk-hai?" Erestor demanded.

"We went through the tunnel to the kitchens. It was getting dark and they were lighting the lamps and didn't see us," said Angelica.

"Legolas distracted them," Pippin said, looking guilty.

"Distracted them? Distracted them how?"

"Well… he got up and started walking to the window so they would be looking at him instead of us… but then… I sneezed."

A chill went through Haldir. He glared at the Hobbit, fighting the urge to pick Pippin up and shake him. Instead he asked slowly, "And then?"

"Legolas jumped up onto the window sill so that they would not notice us ducking under the tapestry," Pippin said remorsefully. "The guards grabbed him and he nearly fell out, but they hauled him back in."

"Did they kill him?" Haldir asked.

He had to know. He would never be able to bear it, never be able to live if Legolas was gone, but he had to know. An image of Legolas in their youth flashed in his mind. How beautiful and carefree he had been in those days, when Legolas had loved Haldir. Even though the time of their involvement had passed, Haldir would always hold those memories dear to his heart.

"No, but they said they were going to," Pippin admitted miserably.

"We had to leave then," said Angelica, sounding defensive. "He did it so we could get to the weapons."

"I know," Haldir said. "Let us not fail him. We will get the weapons into the banquet hall, then I will go and find Legolas."

"Haldir, there is nothing you can do for him," Erestor said. "He is likely dead already."

"I refuse to believe that," Haldir growled, turning to face the irritating Advisor. "I absolutely refuse!"

"Keep your voice down!" Erestor hissed. "Or we will all be dead."

Haldir nodded. He had to keep himself together. This was just the sort of thing Legolas would do, sacrificing himself for the good of the cause. It was something Haldir had always admired in him. Still, nothing could stop him from trying to save the Prince of Mirkwood.

"We will move the weapons, and then I will investigate," Haldir insisted more quietly. Pippin and Angelica exchanged a look, so quickly that he almost did not catch it. "What is it? Is there more?"

"Your brothers…" Angelica whispered. She looked genuinely sorry, and turned very pale.

"I saw them fighting the Uruk-hai outside this morning," Haldir said, trying to keep all emotion from his voice.

"It is said that they both fell in the battle," Pippin said. "I'm sorry."

This was absolutely the worst news that anyone could have given Haldir of Lorien. Worse even than the thought of losing Legolas, or Ciendriel, or Elrond. Rúmil and Orophin were the only family he had. They were the only two beings who had loved him always, and completely, and selflessly. He had prevented them from going to Helm's Deep because he thought that he would not return, and he almost had not. They had come for him after the battle, and it was because of them that he had lived.

Without them, he had no reason to remain in Middle-earth. Without them, he had little reason to live, except for the fact that he knew that they would want him to go on. Haldir's knees felt weak, and had he been alone, he might have dropped to them -- but never would he show how much this tore him apart in front of Erestor.

He almost fell over when Isilwen launched herself against him, throwing her arms around him. Tears streamed down her face, making the scar she bore glitter in the dim light. He wanted to kiss that scar, kiss the tears away. He envied those tears. He had no tears to shed, even for his brothers. He wished he could cry so easily. He wrapped his arms around her, an automatic reaction, and stroked her long, silky hair. She sobbed against him, her face buried in his tunic.

"Isilwen! What are you doing?" Erestor hissed.

Isilwen lifted her head and looked up into Haldir's eyes. Her words were meant for Erestor, Haldir supposed, but she directed them at him.

"They were my friends -- my only friends."

"Mine, too," Haldir replied.

"They looked after me."

"They got you into trouble," Erestor muttered. Haldir glared at him fiercely, but as Erestor looked back at him, his expression melted. "I am truly, truly sorry, Haldir."

Haldir looked away from Erestor and back to his sister, who clung to him still. Isilwen's grief was genuine, and in that moment, Haldir loved her. He loved her for her vulnerability, for her beauty and wit, for her fearlessness, for showing her grief without hesitation. He loved her for having loved his brothers.

He pressed his lips against her forehead, not caring that this earned him another glare from her brother, and set his hands on her shoulders. "Come, Isilwen. We have work to do. I will not let their lives have been given in vain, nor will I let Legolas -- or any other Elf -- follow them. Let us devote ourselves to the task."

Isilwen stepped back from him, looking up at him with naked pain on her face. She rubbed at her eyes with her fists, as a child would, and nodded. Haldir turned his attention to the Hobbits, who looked uncomfortable and sad.

"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly. He paused. They nodded. "I think it best if you two serve as watchmen while we three move the weapons across the kitchen. Angelica will stay at the door of the store room. Pippin, you take your post at the shelf which covers the tunnel to the banquet hall. Agreed?"

He looked around the room. No one made move to argue with him, which was well enough. All spoke their agreement, then Haldir moved to look out the door to the kitchen. It was in a complete shambles, but it was empty of Uruk-hai. He motioned to Pippin and the little Hobbit scampered out of the storage room over to the shelf where the entrance to the tunnel lay. Angelica moved forward to the door.

"If there is danger, retreat to the passage at the back of the store room," Haldir told Angelica. "It will lead you to the library. From there, in the third stack, halfway up, you will find a false volume titled 'Fathoms Below.' Pulling on that volume will reveal a tunnel that will take you down to a room below the palace where you made hide in safety until the coming of Gandalf."

"Thank you," said Angelica, "But with you to lead us, I don't fear for our safety."

Haldir lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "That is generous of you. Now-- to your post."

He turned to Isilwen and Erestor who were already gathering up as many bundles of bows and arrows as they could hold.

"We should go one by one," Erestor suggested. "It will be easier that way if we must retreat."

"I agree," said Haldir. "Also, if we must retreat, come back to the store room and not to the other tunnel. We must not risk exposing it. Even a few weapons will be better than none."

And so began the arduous process.

It took several hours, during which they often, thinking they heard a noise, ran for cover. Yet no Uruk-hai came into the kitchen. No one disturbed them. They worked in silence, and the work kept Haldir's mind from his terrible, terrible grief. He kept the image of Legolas in his head, willing the Prince of Mirkwood to still be living.

Once the weapons had been moved, they all gathered in the storage room. Four solemn faces looked to Haldir for guidance. Had his heart not been so heavy, it would have pleased him that somehow he had become the leader of this small band of rebels.

"Elrond told us to move at dawn, and so we shall. It is only a few hours away, so we should retreat to the rooms below to take some rest."

"Would it not make more sense simply to stay here?" Erestor suggested. "We are closer, and this way we may watch to make sure that nothing is disturbed."

Haldir looked around at the others. "What are your feelings?"

"I think Erestor is right," Angelica said slowly. "There's no reason really to go anywhere else."

Pippin nodded. "Also, Elrond used to keep food in the next room over. Would you mind terribly if we went to look for it?"

"Use caution," Haldir said. He knew Hobbits needed at least six meals a day, or they were useless, so he did not try to dissuade him. "Do not stray far. I am going to look to see if I may discover what happened to Legolas. I will return by dawn. If for any reason I do not, then go ahead with the plan."

"No!" whispered Isilwen. "Please Haldir, do not go. It is too dangerous, and so many hours have passed."

"I will be careful," he promised her. If he had any reason to care if he survived, or if he returned, she was that reason, but Haldir did not tell her this. Perhaps he would another time, he mused.

"I beg of you," Isilwen said.

"Silence, Isilwen," Erestor said, but his tone was gentle. "Haldir is right. It is what Lord Elrond would wish of us. He is exceedingly fond of the Prince of Mirkwood."

"Then I shall go with him!" she said fiercely. Her eyes blazed. Haldir opened his mouth to tell her that he did not wish her to risk any harm, but Erestor spoke first.

"It is far too dangerous for a female," he said.

"I would be pleased to have a female such as Isilwen watching my back," Haldir said dryly.

He did not understand this odd concept of Erestor's, as Elven women were in all ways considered the equals of the males, at least in Lothlorien. Isilwen had sheathed a sword around the waist of her gown already and looked as fierce a warrior as any Haldir had ever known. Still, he truly did not wish her to come to harm. He knew also, however, that a second pair of eyes often came in useful.

Erestor sighed in defeat. "There is no stopping you, is there, little sister?"

Isilwen smiled slightly. "None at all."

Erestor met Haldir's gaze, his expression desperately serious. "I am entrusting her to your care, Haldir of Lorien."

Haldir held his gaze for a few seconds, then nodded briefly. He turned to Isilwen. "Come then," he said, and led her off in hopes of discovering the fate of Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood.