She opened her eyes slowly, not quite certain if she really wanted to wake up just yet. Lifting her head, she realized that her companion still lay beside her, silent and unmoving. It was odd, as he would typically be awake and working by the time she awoke, but she wasn't going to object. She laid her head back on his chest and closed her eyes as she listened to his breath and heartbeat.

"Shall you sleep through the day as well?" she heard him mutter. She lifted her head back up to look at him. "I wasn't going to sleep, I was waiting till you woke up, I guess I didn't need to wait long." she replied. "When did you wake up?" he said nothing. "Do you ever intend on answering my questions?" she questioned, "Do you intend upon rising?" he replied. "As a matter of fact, no! I'm quite comfortable." she said, laying her head back down.

"Well, then here we shall stagnate until carrion gain an interest. But at least you will be comfortable." he mocked. "Oh keep your hair on, I'll get up." she shifted, moving closer, straddling him. "Is it being a commander that makes you so bossy?" she muttered, pressing a kiss to his jawline. She moved across him and stood from the cot. She turned, making her way to the jug of water. She barely noticed the creak from the cot before she felt the forceful grasp of his hand on her waist pulling her against him. She could feel as much as hear his low growl as his hot breath hit her neck.

"Oh no you don't!" she said pushing his hand away as she stepped out of his grasp. "Go have a bath and we'll talk." she said with a smirk. He crossed his arms as he glared at her. "And you accuse me of being despotic." he grumbled. "Go on, you poor, oppressed peon." she laughed. He raised an eyebrow but exited the cot to do some unknown, menial task he always seemed to find. She shook her head with a chuckle as she filled the cup of water she had mostly lost interest in.

She got dressed and brushed her hair, ignoring Ghashnaga's intermittent looks of impatience regarding her "elven niceties". She did, in fact, exit the hut and engage in her own daily chores, none the least of which, gathering the proper wood to feed her smoker. "You know, if it hadn't been for this damned thing, those orcs wouldn't have found me." she said. "I would not be so quick to pass the blame onto a useful tool." he replied, as he boiled the fat from their last hunt. "If you had stayed your arrow-"/"They would have found me, and I wouldn't have had the advantage." she interrupted.

He glared at her but turned back to his work. "Perhaps it was an unavoidable encounter." he muttered. "Thank you! Finally, some appreciation for my dilemma!" she said, "Though you could have handled it better. And that would exclude insulting the orcs in their own tongue." he said with a faint smirk. "Hey, all turned out well, with little to no injuries!" she said with a laugh. "Speaking of which, how's your back?" she asked. He gave a curt, "Fine." as his only reply.

He had been stirring the pot of fat, but abruptly stopped. He was silent for a time as he knelt by the fire until he broke the silence. "Elayin," she gave a "hmm?" in response. "What would you have done had I not come back?" he asked. She paused for a moment in her work to think. Then she shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I might have thought of something. Or maybe not. But you did come back, so it doesn't matter. Why?" she asked. "Because it was an unavoidable encounter..." he whispered.

She set the wood she held aside and approached him. She laid her hands soothingly on his shoulders, ignoring as she felt him flinch on contact. "Hey, don't worry about what happened. We're both here, so it doesn't matter." she said. His face remained unchanged from his usual stoic expression, so she wasn't sure if her words helped with this strange mood. "Hey, come on. Don't let that fire get too hot." she said. This did shake him some, as he returned to his work.

"Come on, insult me, I like it much better than when you go all thoughtful." she said with a smirk. "You make this a surprisingly simple task." he muttered over his shoulder. "There you go, bet you feel better already!" she chuckled as she moved back to her wood. She hoped that would be the end of it, but she couldn't help but feel like he was still bothered by his thoughts. Despite his relaxed response to her, he seemed quiet and distant. As time passed, he remained in a state of hushed contemplation. He was often slow to rest. Though he had always fallen asleep after and rose before her, he began to sit silently late into the night, lost in his thoughts. She wasn't sure if he knew she had noticed, but he said nothing of it. He simply worked and sat in relative silence.

Another such night had long since fallen, and yet she lay awake. She'd been waiting for him to join her, but he'd been awake and silent for some time as he sat in front of the fire. He was again deep in thought. What thought exactly, she was unsure, but he seemed troubled by it. She had waited for some time, but he had remained unmoving. His brows furrowed, and his gaze unblinking. She had wondered if she should say something, but she wasn't certain what she could say that wouldn't make him lock up. She decided that saying nothing was probably just as ineffective, so she finally broke the silence.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He glanced to her, his expression quickly relaxing. He looked over her face for a moment before throwing out a, "Nothing." and turning back to the fire. She rolled her eyes, "Right, now tell me the truth." She said as she propped herself up. "Come on, what's up?" she pressed. She had expected him to shut her out longer, but instead, he replied saying, "There is still a war raging on the fields."/ "Yes, what about it?" she asked. He fell silent once again.

"Do you want to join it?" she asked. He shook his head, "No..."/ "Then what's wrong?" she pressed. "This war is not small." he replied. "But it's out there, not here." she said. "Is it not?" he asked looking back to her. "Thousands shall fight, from every city from here to the east." he continued. "Wars happen all the time. One idiot insulted another idiot, or one idiot stole from another idiot. It's all the same." she said. "This is not that kind of war, and it is not waged between two men, but half a dozen races!" he replied.

"I'm confused, what does that have to do with us?" she questioned. "How can you not understand?" He rose to his feet and began to pace the small hut. "We are already in a constant state of danger as we are, but what of the war's conclusion? If your people win the war, I shall be hunted, but if my people should win..." he trailed off, seeming to grow more anxious as he spoke.

"Is this what's been bothering you for so long?" she asked. "You act like the whole world will hunt us down." she scoffed. "It shall!!" he snapped. "Look, even if it does come to that, we are in the middle of nowhere, not in a big city!" she reasoned. "Elayin, you sit directly between Isengard and Rohan! You have already come in close contact with both orcs and Uruk-Hai without their initial knowledge of your existence! How long do you think it shall be before my master questions the missing soldiers!?" he finished.

She sighed but didn't argue, knowing she couldn't change his mind. "There will be more, and we will be outnumbered. You would be safer in Murkwood." he muttered. At that, her head shot up. "No, I am not going back, Ghash." she said. "Ugh, your stubbornness shall doom you!" he growled. "I don't care, I'm not going back, I'm not leaving you!" she said glaring at him. "Fool woman!! I am irrelevant, but as for you, orcs and Uruk-Hai shall kill you at your most fortunate!" he snapped. "Hundreds of elves can protect you better than one Uruk..." he muttered with a sigh. "Look, I get it. I know you're right, we can't stay here forever. I know we need to do something, but splitting up isn't the answer. We'll work it out together." He crossed his arms in annoyance. "There is nothing to be done together..."

She held her hand out for him to take. He was still for a moment, angry at the situation and at her, but he conceded and took her hand. She pulled him closer, urging him to join her on the cot. He laid down reluctantly but relaxed some as she laid against him, resting her head on his chest. "Don't worry, we'll find a way." she whispered, closing her eyes. Foolish. Endlessly foolish. How could she be so blind!? The damned elf would be her own undoing. He had not a doubt that she would regard the incarnation of death as little more than a temporary inconvenience. At this thought, he smiled. His aggravation slowly subsided and was replaced with concern.

He moved his hand to her side and held her as close as he could without the risk of disturbing her. She would die if they stayed, he knew that even if she did not. They would have to leave, but where? Nowhere would be safe. This was ridiculous! Why did he have to care? It would be so easy to simply return to battle. Death was much easier than life. For years, he concerned himself with only death. Life was for his master to be concerned with. So why did he want her to live? Why did he need her to live? He had never felt so powerless. Strength, skill, battle hardening, it all meant nothing. He could neither overpower their enemies nor what he felt for her. He wished he could, but all he could do was hold her until she finally moved away from him. Maybe that was best.