Slowly waking, she could feel a soft breeze against her skin and the sun on her face. Opening her eyes, she began to realize that she wasn't on her cot. Or in her hut. Or dressed. She snapped her head up as she rapidly tried remembering the night before. She then realized that she wasn't lying on grass or dirt, but on the hard, sleeping form of an Uruk-Hai.

Instantly, the fog of sleep left and she remembered everything. Every touch, every breath, every kiss. And as she did, she smiled, laying her head back on his chest. Maybe what she did was wrong. Her mother would certainly think that. But lying there, her hand and face against him, their legs tangled, she felt happier than she had ever felt before. She couldn't even feel the shame that should be there. Mud, dried sweat, blood, and bruises. Yet it was perfect. If she could, she would happily spend an eternity there.

She felt as he began to stir, raising his hand to his head, processing why he was asleep on the bank of a stream. Looking down, he saw her pure and fair body against the harsh, dark skin he possessed. Unlike her, his confusion only grew. This didn't seem like it could happen in reality. This did not make sense. The world didn't work this way. Not for something like him. "You slept in." she said without looking at him. No, this was reality. Only she could make the first statement after a night like that a sarcastic jab.

She felt a rumble as he chuckled, a thing she didn't hear often. She felt him brush her hair from her shoulder. "Your priorities are skewed, elf." he muttered. Sitting up, she cupped his face in her hands and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I think we both know a lot of what I do is skewed, Uruk." she said before turning from him.

She looked around in search of her clothes, tossing his to him. He gave a grunt as he tried and failed to catch the armor he had not expected. He shot her a glare, which only earned a laugh. "Indisposed are we?" she said mockingly. He sat up, "If you insist on throwing articles of clothing at me." he muttered. She smiled, "Well, dispose yourself then, I'm going to get food." she said as she walked to the hut, her clothing in hand. It was stupid how happy she felt. She felt certain that the whole of Isengard could attack right then and there, and she would meet them in battle, a smile on her face. But her companion sat on the bank of the stream silently, his hand on his head. She was practically to the point of humming, whilst he simply sighed. "Damned fool.."

She found him, fully armored and working on menial tasks. She shook her head with a smirk. She didn't really know what the "appropriate" way to spend one's day after what they had done was, but she felt it probably wasn't doing extraneous chores. This, however, did not seem to be his opinion. She figured that this was probably his way of avoiding awkward conversation as he worked wordlessly and without looking at her. Every time she'd try to catch his gaze, he'd break away. Every time she would lay her hand on his shoulder, he would move away all while acting like he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. She mostly rolled her eyes and chuckled, he could do what he wanted. She felt needlessly calm and cheerful, but her mood rapidly fell as she realized that his tasks turned to packing supplies. He didn't need to say anything for her to know what that meant.

"Going then?" she asked. He gave a grunt in reply as he rifled through his pack. "Tired of me so soon?" she said with a half-hearted smile. "If you call the amount of time I have been stuck on the sidelines 'soon'." he muttered. "Well, you're not ditching me so easily." she said with a light chuckle. "Of course not. You are an unending affliction upon me." he said with a faint smirk.

She fell silent as he rapidly packed to leave. The time before, he had packed slowly, methodically taking his time, but now he rushed, desperately racing to complete his task. She didn't say anything, she had no right to argue, but she still felt a sting of pain. He finished packing in silence. She felt she should say something, but she didn't know what. He lifted his pack onto his shoulder and stepped out of the hut. "I must depart. Do not count on my aid if you anger more orcs, so keep your arrows in their quiver and your tongue behind your teeth." he said in only partial jest. She nodded faintly. She wasn't really listening to him, all she could do was remind herself that he would leave, and it would be for the better. He had already stayed longer than he had intended, and now he would leave, and she would be fine. "I would advise that you leave these woods, but I know you would not listen." he muttered. "So I shall hold my peace. Fair well, she-elf." he said, turning from her.

She instantly reached out, grasping his arm. She hadn't intended to, but she had. He stood still under her touch, as she fought with the words she didn't have. "Ghash, I..." she muttered. "Elayin, do not do this." he said, "I'm sorry, I just..." she stammered. "This is not where I belong." he said, moving her hand from his arm. "I know, and I thought... I guess I thought that if I... Maybe it would have been easier for me after we were together...But it's not... It's worse." He heaved a sigh, turning to face her. "I do not know what you want. I do not understand what this is, I do not understand what last night was..." he fell quiet for a time before clearing his throat and turning away once more. "I do not know what you want from... Whatever this is... You need one of your kind, not an Uruk. Not me."

As he spoke, her anxious feelings rapidly became ones of aggravation, "I don't need 'one of my kind', I don't need anyone, I just want you!" she snapped. "I am the first creature you have spoken to in years, do not let this cloud your judgment." he muttered. She stared flabbergasted before punching his arm, which failed in making him so much as blink. "You think that I would say this to anybody that walked into my hut?! I'm not some child clinging to the first thing I see! That's why I left Murkwood! Cause I didn't like anyone! What, do you think I'd sleep with just anybody?!"

At this he swung round to face her, roughly grasping her shoulders. "I do not know!! I do not understand! You are an elf, I am an Uruk, you should hate me! This does not make sense! I feel..." he trailed off. "I do not know... I should never have stayed..." Her anger subsided as she looked to him, "Ghash, it's not because I've been alone for so long. The first couple of weeks, I was ready at any time to kill you, or at least try." she explained, "But now, it's different. I see the Uruk-Hai, but I see more. And I like what I see. I like hearing your voice, I like hearing your thoughts. I've never really cared for anyone, not like this."

He sighed. "I am bred to hate, to kill. I am not meant to-..." he stopped. She caught his gaze, giving him an urging look. He raised his hand to her face. She leaned into his touch with a soft hum. He closed his eyes with a sigh. "I have never wanted anyone so close..."/ "Stay with me." she whispered. "There is a war." he muttered. "To hell with the war." she replied. "You can not simply ignore it." he reasoned, "We can try." she said. "You are a fool." he said, "Well that is why you're alive." she said with a momentary smile but he simply shook his head, "I can not."

"Ghash, I laid with you last night because I care for you." she said. She paused for him to reply, but when he said nothing, she continued. "I don't know what that means to you, and I get that's probably not what you want to hear, but I just-" he placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her. His eyes were closed, and his teeth were clenched as if he were in pain. "...I do not understand what I am feeling. I have no comparison. I have never cared for anything. But I... Enjoy... your spirit. And your..." he spoke hesitantly as he tried to think. His eyes moved across her face. "Your... You... You bewitch me..." he breathed as he looked to her in an almost pleading way.

She placed her hand over his that cupped her cheek, "Then stay." a faint smirk tugged at his lips, "I do not believe that I could leave. I am bedeviled by you." he replied, earning a smile from her. He shook his head, letting his hand fall from her face. "We will fail, and I shall be the death of you." he muttered. "We won't, and you already are." she replied. "I should be strong enough to leave... You have instilled this weakness." he muttered. She flashed him a smirk. "As long as it means you're still here..."