Oily, black smoke rose from a cylindrical building, choking the light of the sun. The victim's shrieks rose to the sky, an offering of hatred and despair.

Haleth huddled in an alleyway, hiding from the bands of soldiers who marched through the streets. The parade of grim men in glittering steel mail was hunting her. She sank further into the shadows, blending into the narrow darkness between the tall, stone buildings.

The last guard finally passed and normal activity slowly returned to the street. She heaved a sigh of relief when someone behind her grasped her shoulder.

Haleth shot bolt upright, her hand on the hilt of her knife, staring wildly into Inglor's blue eyes.

"Good morning," he murmured.

"You didn't wake me for a watch," Haleth grumbled accusingly as she recognised her surroundings and forced her hand away from her weapon.

"I thought it best if you slept," Inglor said mildly, not mentioning his concern for her behavior the previous day.

Haleth bit back a sarcastic comment.

"Thank-you," she said tersely. "Can we go now?"

"I think that would be best," Inglor agreed with a worried glance at the stone farmhouse. "But we must say good-bye to our host, first."

Haleth groaned and wished that Inglor was slightly less concerned with etiquette.

Rik was unhappy with their departure, but there was nothing he could say to persuade them to stay. In the end they promised to remind the King (or someone in charge) of Barmik's plight and ask for further orders. Rik seemed happy with these assurances. He gave them some dried fruits and berries and sadly wished them farewell.
 
Despite not taking a watch, Haleth was exhausted. Nightmares and memories had kept her from sleeping properly. She trudged next to the Inglor and waited for him to ask about Barmik's behavior.

Because she was prepared for the subject, the elf remained stubbornly silent on their experience in Fornost.

Several days passed and the subject was still not  broached. 

Haleth could no longer stand waiting.

"What did you think of our host at Fornost?" she asked.

Inglor said nothing.

"Didn't he seem a bit odd to you?"

"All humans are odd to me," he answered. "It is merely a matter of degree."

Haleth sighed inwardly. The comment had probably not been meant as an insult. If she openly accused Inglor of rudeness, she would have to explain why. The subject was difficult enough without complicating the matter. It was easier to let it pass.

"Take it from a relative expert in humans," she said dryly. "He's odd."

"I bow to your superior knowledge in this area." Inglor bent gracefully at the waist.

"What makes him that way?" he asked.

"I don't know," Haleth answered slowly. "Probably being by himself for too long. Not everyone is suited to complete solitude."

"Indeed?" Inglor was intrigued. "It was only four years."

"Four years may not seem much to an immortal elf," Haleth laughed. "It can seem an eternity to a lonely human."

The wind soughed over the grass.

"Do elves ever get lonely?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said in a tone that cut off any further discussion.

Haleth gazed across the empty leagues of countryside and said nothing.

Inglor did not mention their brief stay in Fornost again that day. By the time they stopped to make camp for the night, Haleth allowed herself to hope that he was finished with the subject. They were in the hollow of a hill, facing away from the road. She was warming her hands at their small cooking fire when her luck ran out.

"Haleth?" Inglor wore the expression of one determinedly seeking enlightment. It was a look that she had learned to dread. "Why did you imply to Ranger Barmik that we were more than traveling companions?"

"I am sorry if I embarrassed you," Haleth said, staring into the fire and hoping for a distraction like a wandering band of orcs to change the subject.

"I was not embarrassed," he answered quickly. "I was simply not expecting it. It did seem the right course of action once you mentioned it. I would like to know what made you think to say it."

Trolls. A nice big herd of trolls would be appreciated right now.

"Barmik’s manner was somewhat..." Haleth groped for the appropriate description.

"Odd?" Inglor offered.

"Desperate," Haleth corrected him.

Inglor considered this. Haleth was beginning to relax, believing that she had sated his curiosity when one of the questions she had been dreading came.

"Desperate for what?" he asked.

"Companionship," Haleth replied. At this point in time, the less said the better. Further comment would only fuel Inglor’s curiosity.

"But we were both there. I could be as good of a companion to him as you."

"Not that kind of companionship," Haleth interrupted. "Men are...Men think..." she recalled her experience with human men.

"What do I know? I have no clue what men think. Why don't you ask a man?" she said crossly.

"There are none currently available," Inglor said reasonably.

"Well ask one when you find one!" she snapped.

Inglor appeared to consider this. Haleth tried to imagine the consequences of that particular conversation. They were not pretty.

"On second thought, don't," she said, firmly tethering her temper. "I'll try to explain as best as I can. Just give me a few minutes. This isn't something we humans tend to discuss. At least not in this manner."

"Elves are immortal," she finally said. "Humans see their children as their immortality. That is part of the reason why we are so fiercely attached to them. In order to have children, a human, male or female, needs a partner of the opposite type." She hoped this would be good enough for Inglor, who was listening intently. She was very grateful that the fire's red hue masked her blush, the heat of which reached from the base of her throat to the roots of her hair.

"When people are very lonely and desperate, they may do rash things," she said helplessly, hoping frantically that he would get the idea or at least let the subject drop.

"Do you mean like Eöl and Aredhel?" Inglor asked.

Haleth quickly scanned her memory for the names.

"Yes," she said with visible relief, "That's exactly what could happen. It can create a great deal of grief for everyone involved."

She stood and stretched.

"I shalll take the second watch," he said, finally ready to let the subject drop.

"Very well," she agreed.

Haleth fell asleep with the sound of elvish singing in her ears.