Ardenia ran. Away from the three who pursued her. Their grabbing hands, their bruising touch. She ran as though the very forest itself lent her strength. And yet, they still gained upon her, their horses making more speed with their four feet than she with her two. After thirty years though, she wasn't about to give up. Not at this one small taste of freedom. She felt as though eyes followed her from the canopy above, but she did not stop to see who they may be. Finally though, the inevitable happened, and she was thrown to the ground, bruising her head. The three closed in, blocking off what little light there was to be had filtering through the dense canopy.

Haldir had heard the cries. He was fast approaching the fences of Lorien, but the closer his feet brought him, the softer the cries seemed to become. His brother Rumil, and one of his wardens, Callaharn, rallied around him, as he blended in to the trees, just able to make out the form of a woman thrashing around on the ground, trying to fight off the three men that were trying to force themselves onto her already bruised and bleeding form. He leapt from his hiding place, his wardens with him, throwing the three men off of her with little effort. As Rumil and Callaharn fought to restrain the three, Haldir approached the woman, still fighting the memory of the lecherous hands upon her body. He knelt beside her, and swore to the Valar beneath his breathe. Not only was she Elven kin, but she was young. No more than three or four centuries. She bore the marks and scars of a brutal beating and rape besides, and she flinched from his touch, despite it being the gentle hands she had only ever dreamed of. She had lived a hard life, to be sure.

She opened her eyes, to see an icily handsome face above her, his eyes betraying very little, but his fury regarding the terrible crime that had been committed to one of his own kind.

He threw his cape from his own shoulders, draping it over her shivering form, before rising to glare down at the cowering forms of the men.

'We…we ain't done nothin'." One of them stammered, only to have an arrow aimed at his throat by Callaharn.

"Yeah.. she..she's ours..by..right. we bought her thirty years back. She belongs to us by right of our peoples law." Another of them found their tongues.

Haldir strode over, and grabbed the man by his tunic.

"And I suppose that your people do not look down upon the deeds of slavery and rape as a crime than?" he demanded icily. His eyes were like glaciers, frozen in the fury of his face.

The three said nothing. Haldir released the man, as though he was some kind of scum that sullied him just by being in his presence.

"Take them back to 'their peoples' justice", he spat through gritted teeth, every muscle in his body tensed, straining to bring these defilers to his own form of justice, at the end of his sword in testimony for their heinous crimes. He exercised control of the highest degree, a quality that had helped him gain the position of March Warden in the first place. Rumil and Callaharn bound the men roughly, showing no such control, and dragged them away, throwing them over the horses that had been brought, seemingly from no where, and out of sight. Haldir watched them go, before kneeling beside the elleths shaking form. Taking atheleas leaves from his belt, he began to tend the worst of her wounds, too serious to leave for a later time, when a more skilled hand could tend them. Her bruised form uncurled slowly, until finally, she sat up beside him. "Lie still", he murmered, trying to make her lie down again. She refused.

"No!" she whispered. Her bruised lips barely able to form the words. "Unhand me! I must …"

"My lady, you must do nothing but lie still or you will only make your wounds worse." She grabbed at his arm, clutching at it as though it was the only thing keeping her in this world. Her grip was like iron, and the trength in that small hand came as a surprise to Haldir, who had thought her to be as weak as she was small. "I must escape from…from"

"Shh." He whispered, marvelling at the strength and will, even after her ordeal." You are injured in body and spirit, broken one. Lie still. You are safe. You are on the fences of Lorien."

He continued to bind the chafe wounds on her wrists, which looked suspiciously as though she had been bound, for some time and none to gently.

"No! you don't understand. I cannot be safe.." she clutched at him, trying to make him understand, and threw herself upright, only to stumble, her legs too weak to hold her and ended up leaning against the remaining horse. Haldir leapt to his feet after her, only to catch her within his arms, as she collapsed in a dead faint, what little strength she had left fading.

He mounted his horse, resettling her in his arms. It was only then he noticed the scarf binding her hair, so he could not see what colour it was. As he spurred his horse on, riding hard to reach the court of Lorien, he found a strand of her hair that had escaped the tight bindings. The wind blew the gold kissed red strand up to caress his face, before he hurriedly drew his knife and sliced the small strand, intending to keep it out of both her wounds, and his eyes. But instead of dropping it, he tucked it into his belt to examine later. He rode on, her slight form a welcome weight in his arms.

He rode for days, without stopping for rest, only to pour a few drops of water between her swollen lips.

Upon finally reaching the court of Lorien, he reigned in his horse outside of his own talan, taking her inside. Feeling the Lady Galadriel brush his mind, he mentally requested she and Lord Celeborn help the abused elleths. He placed her upon his scarcely used bed, not entirely sure why he had brought her to his talan, of all places. Instead of the house of healing. But despite this, he couldn't help but possess a strange feeling that this was the best place for her. Where she would be safest. He shook his head, dispelling such sentimental nonsense. The silver lord swept in to the room then, grasping Haldirs shoulder in greeting.

"My lady will be along shortly. Take me to her." Haldir led him to the tossing elleths, where he immediately began to unbind her wounds. His raised his eyebrows at the extent and nature of the wounds but said nothing. It was then that Galadriel entered, rushing to the bed side, her hand reaching to the elleths forehead, which was partially obscured by the scarf.

"What is it my Lady?" Haldir asked, sponging the dried blood from her wrists, as Celeborn removed the bandaged from her ankles.

"I have seen this woman before," she said, her hand leaving the elleths forehead.

"Who is she?" asked Haldir, drawing his knife, and cutting away the grimy rags from her shoulders that had served her as clothing.

"This is the young lady Ardenia of Imladris. One of Lord Elronds most favoured foster daughters. She has been missing for more than thirty years. Elrond Halfelven has been searching fruitlessly for her."

"I know of whom you speak also." Said Lord Celeborn, recognition playing over his features. "although I almost didn't recognise her with out her…" he trailed off, indicating the scarf ties about her head. Both monarchs assumed that the scarf was there to hide a shaven head. Haldir didn't understand. He knew her hair was there. Had he not cut a lock of it himself?

"She was a great warrior, despite her young age though. Greatly skilled in sword play, and taught the arts of bowman-ship from Legolas Thrandulion. Glorfindel himself taught her the blade. She had been thought lost to us, after she disappeared all those years ago, with nary a trace found of her. Where did you find her, my March warden?"

"She was being brutally raped and beaten by three men on the fences. I do not know where she came from, nor how she came to be there."

"Mayhap when she wakes she can tell us something."

When she finally awoke three days later, she found Haldir healing the last of her bruises. Truth be told, she had too many such marks coating her body, that it had taken him three days to heal them all. She stared up at him, until he finally realised she had woken.

"My Lady Ardenia", he breathed, noticing for the first time her dual coloured eyes, one blue, one the deepest of greens. "It would seem you have a knack for disappearing."

"Ardenia…I haven't heard my name..my name..in.. the longest of times." She tried to sit up, only to find any strength she had gone. Haldir reached for her wrist to check to see if he had completed healing the last of her wounds, but she flinched away, holding her wrist to her. Looking into her eyes, his penetrating gaze searching her tensed face, that seemed poised for battle and full of fear at the same time. He slowly reached out to take her hand between the two of his, his gaze boring in to her, indicating that he would not hurt her, but would not tolerate any more denial on her part that would prevent her from healing. He held her hand between his, slowly reaching for the bandages that covered what was left of her chafé wounds.

"I will not hurt you Ardenia", he said, his eyes never leaving hers. " I saved you from the hands of those lecherous dogs, and I will not let anything more happen to you. I will protect you, do you believe me?" His voice sent a shiver through her. The first kind words she had heard in over thirty years. She let him tend her wounds. Once he had finished, he took her hand in his again.

"Now. You must tell me Ardenia. What did they do to you. How did you come to be in their possession, and how did you come here?" His eyes never left hers.

"I've been away from my own people, my family, even a gentle word for nigh thirty years, and tormented for longer still. I hardly know you, so you will forgive me if I don't share my entire life with you." She tried to remove her hand from his, but found she not only lacked the strength to do so, but he was far stronger than she. And he was not letting go.

"My wardens and I risked our own welfare to save yours my Lady. Forgive me, but I believe you owe me some answers"

"My lord, forgive me, but I owe you nothing. You were doing your job in saving me, Marchwarden, am I correct? Yes. Don't look so surprised. I know who you are. And whilst I can never repay you for saving me from the hell I have been forced to endure since leaving Imladris, you'll excuse me, if I don't tell you a thing."

First Chapter edited.