Dusk (LotR Fanfic)

Chapter 14 - The eyes of a bat and the ears of a snake.

In the fading light of dusk, we entered the forest of Lothlòrien. Our walk was silent if you didn't count the sound of our footsteps or the occasional sniffle.
Despite himself, Legolas was very excited to be here. He was waxing poetic about how Lothlòrien was the most beautiful dwelling of our people. It was gorgeous, I agreed with that, but I couldn't appreciate it, the loss of Gandalf was still too recent for me to feel anything but a numb pain.

I saw movement in the trees above, but couldn't make out if it was potentially dangerous. "Stay close, young Hobbits. They say a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again!" Gimli warned the Hobbits. Frodo looked slightly afraid.
Suddenly, Elves broke from the trees and surrounded us with their bows drawn. They did this silently enough for Gimli not to notice. "Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" As he turned his head he looked right down an arrow.
"I find myself disagreeing," I said as I raised my hands slightly.

Legolas, who had been walking among the trees, trying to cheer us up by telling about the beauty of Lothlorien, had bumped into someone and fell out. Gimli reflexively caught him, and both of them froze for a few seconds. Gimli cleared his throat and helped Legolas on his feet, after which they embarrassedly avoided eye contact.

"The Dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," the captain said to Legolas before he welcomed us.
"Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil, and Kahlahari, queen under the mountain."
I nodded my head to him. I had met him before, when I was younger, no doubt. Suddenly it came to me. His name was Haldir. I'd seen him around Mirkwood a couple of times, but never spoke to him other than to state business.
"Our fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lòrien," Legolas said politely.
"Oh, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us."
"Haldir."

Our greetings were all fairly pleasant, despite still being held captive, but the better part of the Fellowship didn't know what we were saying. That really bothered Gimli, judging from what he said next. "So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand!"
"Behave yourself, Gimli," I ordered him in his native tongue, so that Haldir couldn't understand. Though he might have guessed that I was telling Gimli off.

"We have not had bad dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days." Haldir was confused at Gimli's hostility. He motioned for his men to put their weapons away when he realised that they might come across as hostile.
"And you know what this Dwarf says
to that? I spit on your grave!"
"Gimli! Could you possibly be any ruder?" I scolded him.
"Easily!"
Aragorn took him by the arm. "That was not so courteous," he scolded sternly. Gimli was grumbling something about it being annoying to have several friends that speak multiple languages. Maybe it was so for most people. Thorin and I mostly used it to talk shit.

Haldir decided to ignore threats he didn't understand and moved on to Frodo. "You bring great evil here." He turned back to Aragorn. "You cannot go further."
Haldir walked off, deciding that was that and we wouldn't need to be escorted out, but Aragorn went after him, explaining our situation and how desperately we needed their help.

"Come, she is waiting." Aragorn had evidently convinced Haldir that we needed their help. Galadriel's more specifically.
We were led through the darkening forest. But where Mirkwood was shadowy and creepy after sunset, Lothlòrien only got more beautiful. In the forest there was all kinds of starlight shimmering. In the trees, in the ground, in the water, in the sky. No wait, those are actual stars.