She must have laid there for an hour or so, listening to the soft chirp of crickets. She grew up listening to crickets, but also the sounds of creaking trees and owls. As loud as the crickets were, it seemed almost silent compared to her forest. Between that and the bitter cold, she hadn't a hope of a good rest. With a sigh, she tried to block out the crickets and fall asleep, but as she did, she became aware of another sound. She could barely hear it. Soft and deep, but definitely there. It also sounded familiar, like a song she had known. She listened to the sound, confirming her suspicions.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she propped herself up to look at him. "What?" he questioned. "You were humming." she stated, which only made him go quiet. "Don't deny it, I heard you!" she said. "Sleep." he said. "No! What tune was it? It sounded familiar." she pressed as she sat up straight. He refused to answer, simply grumbling to himself, but it was too late as she thought through the melody. "Was that the song of Beren and Luthien?!" she demanded with a laugh as he crossed his arms.

"No." he muttered with a scowl. "Liar!" she said. "Go to sleep." he growled in growing irritation. She couldn't help but laugh. She tried to stop, but the concept of putting such a sugary sweet ballad in the head of an Uruk Hai was just hilarious to her! "If id known you would like it so much, I would have sung it for you sooner!" she said earning a low growl. She rose to her feet and walked to him as he sat, his arms still crossed.

"Who would have thought that the big tough Uruk's got a soft spot for sappy music!" she chuckled, "I do not. It was simply caught in my mind." he explained. "Sure." she mocked. "Damned woman, you should be resting!" he barked, "Damned woman? I thought I was Murtag!" she scoffed. "You are not wrong!" he said with a sneer. "Ne'er has any creature been such a nuisance to me." he muttered. "I'm just unique like that!" she said with a smirk. "Urkum golgi." he said as he began muttering to himself. She moved closer to him and pressed a kiss to his now silenced lips. He didn't complain or move away, but he did glare.

She smiled to him mischievously, "Don't be so surly!"/ "You make that a great challenge." he muttered, "And you like challenges." she replied as she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her head beside his. She knew he would fuss if she sat in his lap when he was watching for danger, but she figured even he could not complain about simply putting her arms around him. She could feel the warmth of his body, and the rise and fall of his breath as he sat as hard and rigid as a statue. A seemingly cold and callous creature, but she knew better.

She turned her head to lay a kiss on his neck. "You need a bath, my dear." she said with a smirk. "And you need to rest." he said as he gently removed her arms from around his chest. "Alright, alright. But if you choose to hum, don't stop on my account." she mocked, earning a low grumble from her companion.

She wasn't sure how long they had been crossing those planes, but it was beginning to feel like an age. She'd begun to lose count of the days that passed. Cold nights and tedious days with little to break up the boredom. Furthermore, they were going to need more rations soon, but the planes were barren. She could feel herself growing aggravated, whereas her companion seemed completely unfazed and set on his course. She was going to make an educated guess as to the days that passed, but she had learned that when it comes to the passage of time, she wasn't the best at keeping track.

Finally, she saw the horizon darken as the forest slowly came into view. A little further, and she would be back. Back in Murkwood. Back home... A mixture of emotions befell her mind. Relief that they would leave the planes, joy at the sight of the place she had spent most of her life, and anxiety knowing she had returned to the place she had long hidden from. "Elayin?" he said jarring her from her thoughts. "Huh?"/ "You stopped, what is it?" he asked. "Oh, nothing. Just got distracted." she said. He gave a curt nod then turned forward once more. "Come, if we are swift we may have shelter before dusk." he said. She shook herself and jogged to catch up with him.

The sun had practically set by the time they reached the forest. She had hoped to have a fire, but he refused, arguing that they weren't yet deep in the woods to be properly concealed. So she spent another night in the freezing cold, but now with the familiar sounds of home. She lay there, listening to the calls of nocturnal birds and the rustles of trees in the wind. These weren't just the sounds of a forest, these were the sounds of Murkwood.

She sat up as she listened. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, so she sat peering into the dark, though she could see nothing. "What is it?" he asked. She glanced in the direction of the voice, finding his yellow eyes staring at her. "Nothing, just... Nothing." she said. "What troubles you?" he pushed. "Nothing, it's just... It's been so long..." she replied. He was quiet for a time, she could only assume he was staring at her in confusion.

"This taxes you a great deal?" he said, half as a query, half as a statement. She smiled to him. "Ignore me, I guess I'm just a little sentimental." she said. He fell quiet once more, likely having turned his attention back to the distance. She shuddered as the bite of a breeze crossed her, carrying the scent of damp soil and flowers as it went. An odd mixture of pleasant and discomforting. She suddenly jumped as she felt a hand brush her cheek as it moved her hair from her shoulder. "Damn it, Ghash, don't do that!" she exclaimed. He gave a faint chuckle, "My intention was not to be surreptitious." he said. "Well I can't see you!" she said, "Strange, I can see you perfectly." he muttered, with a nigh-on audible smirk.

He sat down beside her, resting his arm on his propped knee. "So, this is the land of your rearing." he said. She nodded. "I guess we've been in both our homelands now." she mused. "Well, not exactly. I did not spend so much time on the plane." he said. "Well I wasn't in the woods all the time either!" she replied, he simply shrugged. "I will not deny that travel under the shroud of trees is far preferable to that of bare sky." he said. "Oh, right, Uruk Hai don't like the sun do you?" she asked. "I am fine." he replied.

She leaned her head on his shoulder with a sigh. "Didn't think id be back here. Especially not with an Uruk." she chuckled. "This is what troubles you?" he inquired. "Well, not the Uruk bit." she said with a smile. "Ignore my moping, it's just been a while. Wait till you see the forest in the light of day!"/"I believe I shall not find it all the more pleasant than by night." he replied. "Nonsense! The light through the leaves, the song of morning birds!" she insisted, "You can hardly see it now!"/ "You can hardly see it." he shot back. She rolled her eyes, "Have it your way, but there's little comparable to a hunt in the broad daylight of these woods!" she said, "I may have yet to experience this. A hunt is needed." he mused, "Never mind that now. Just shut up and hold me." she said with a smirk as she tugged his arm around herself. He could not help but chuckle with a raised brow at the small, strange creature, but from there he held the rest of his watch until day bade them travel once more.