Pitfalls of the Palantir

"When will we leave?" Haleth asked, each word as clear and hard as a diamond.

They had been in Dale for just over two weeks, and Haleth had been confined to the house that King Bard had loaned to them for most of that time. At first she had been content to sit in the garden during the warm days and increasingly cooler evenings. The contentment had lasted approximately three days. Then she had begun to chafe at her inactivity.

Inglor attempted to mollify her by brining her books of the history of Dale. He had excused himself for several days, claiming to have some business with the dwarves. He strongly suggested to Haleth that she remain in the house and rest. This meant that Haleth automatically did almost everything in her power, short of jumping off the roof, to leave the premises. She was checked at every turn by the polite but firm servants that Bard had sent to attend to his guests' needs. Erysa, the extremely competent housekeeper was the best at keeping Haleth inside. No matter how quiet Haleth imagined she was being, Erysa would always manage to intercept her just before she could get out of the house. The older woman would then strike up a friendly conversation with Haleth that would always end with an offer for tea and a bite to eat. There was never any way that Haleth could refuse without appearing surly and impolite, so she always acquiesed to being stuffed with apple tart and tea until she was ready to burst. At least she never had to do much talking. Erysa happily held up both ends of every conversation.

The only thing that could interupt Erysa was her large, orange tabby cat. The cat would parade into the room on silent paws and stare at Erysa until the woman relented and found him a tidbit from the larder. This done, he would stare intently at Haleth with his copper eyes, trying to intimidate her into feeding him.

Haleth imagined that the cat followed her around the house. He seemed to magically appear whenever she was considering an escape, to be followed shorty by Erysa.

Haleth had taken to hiding and jumping out at the cat at unexpected times. When she did, the cat would train his copper eyes on her as if to ask if that was the best that she could do. Then he would give himself a bath while Haleth stalked away, unsatisfied.

Between Erysa and her cat, Haleth had been forced to limit her defiance to staying out in the garden until the stars kindled their clear, white fire in the evening sky.

She was there one evening when Inglor suddenly reappeared from Erebor.

"You should be sleeping," he said shortly when he found her seated beneath a tree.

"It's very good to see you again, too," she said sarcastically, her already short temper eroded by a day of hide and seek with the cat and listening to Ersya's endless monologue.

"Haleth, I did not say this to be rude. Your body has taken a shock and you need to rest before we resume our journey," he said.

If Haleth had been less tense from her enforced inactivity, she might have left it at that. Inglor was right, but she was in no mood to admit it.

"I'm fine," she said shortly.

"No," Inglor corrected her. "You're still pale. You need rest."

"How can I rest when I feel like I'm being held prisoner here?" she demanded in quiet anger.

"I am sorry, Haleth," he said sadly. "I did not mean to have you feel this way. I do not want you walking the streets here without my protection."

"I don't need your protection," she said shortly.

"Someone tried to murder you," he said.

"If I recall the entire episode properly," she said with the glacial calmness, "The poison was given to you. If I hadn't taken it, you would be the one requiring my protection."

"I am very much aware that you took were harmed in my place," he growled.

Haleth immediately raised her head to look at him. She had never heard Inglor sound this stern. The veil of bemused kindness that he always wore had been torn aside to reveal a grim, terrible and enraged elf lord.

Her eyes narrowed as she contemplated her next volley in this particular battle. Then the shreds of her instinct for self-preservation warned her that it was probably not the time to purse the argument. The alarm had come too late, though. All of Inglor's incandescent scrutiny was focused upon her. She twisted her fingers into the grass and tore the blades from the ground. All the while she refused to meet his eyes and silently willed him to leave.

"Haleth," he said, his voice suddenly gentle again. "I have something for you."

He knelt gracefully before her, took her hand and pressed something warm into her palm. Haleth blinked at the silver ring that glittered in her hand.

"I can't accept this Inglor," she said quickly. "I have nothing to give you in return." She held the ring back out to him, still resting on her palm where he had placed it.

"I neither need not expect anything in return," he said gravely. He folded her fingers over the ring. His hands were warm and strong. "Please, take it and wear it, at least until the palantir is in the possession of King Elessar. Then you may return it, if you still wish to do so."

He studied the stubborn set of her jaw.

"Please?" he whispered.

"Very well, Inglor," Haleth said after much hesitation. "But only until the palantir is in a place where it belongs."

She slid the silver band onto the ring finger of her right hand. It hung there loosely, sliding easily over the knuckles.

"It's a bit big," she observed.

"Here," he said and, stripping the ring from her ring finger he placed in on the index finger. It fit perfectly.

She examined glimmering circle of silver and frowned.

"Thank-you," she finally said because it seemed like she should say something polite.

"I think I should get some rest," she added and rose to go. "Good night."

"Good night," he answered in a whisper.

Haleth lay in bed that night once again staring at the ceiling. She felt like an actor who had played a scene without benefit of a script or even of the vaguest hint of background story. She assured herself that it would sort itself out when she and Inglor went their separate ways after they had finished with the palantir. With that dubious comfort, she eventually fell asleep.