[Elora]

Vanwe did her best to remain still beneath the appraising gaze of Derufin but his offer of work not able to be resisted. Her brows arched before she could still them and lips parted in surprise. Carpentry and horses he spoke of. Horses shifted in their stalls, creatures that still held some awe for Vanwe who had such little experience with them. Yet she had always been at ease with the livestock of her village, even the ill tempered geese that terrorised the rest of the residents had responded well to her hand.

But it was the carpentry, the wood, that most appealed to her. Wood was a rare commodity in Harad and it had not been often that she had managed to come by it. Yet she loved the feel of it in her hands, and the forests of Ithilien when she had come there had stolen her breath away. She loved the scent of it, the feel of it, the way it seemed to respond to her hand.

"You would retain me?" Her voice was incredulous. First the blanket and bread, and now the offer of legitimate employment. It wasn't like the last employment offer, where her light feet had been used to transport stolen goods from warehouses to docks in Umbar. There was nothing nefarious this time. Her smile transformed into something else entirely, a rare thing seen on her face in recent times.

Derufin blinked at the change, unsure as to whether it was the same elven maiden he was looking at. Vanwe nodded before he could change his mind. "Yes, sir! I'll do anything." Her statement was for the most part true. Vanwe had done whatever she had needed to in order to make her way. The offer of legitimate employment was a blessing unlooked for and she was young enough to not question such rare good fortune.

Silvanis shifted his weight, snagging her attention and renewing her recently overlooked anxiety. One word could bring this crashing into a pile of rubble. Derufin had not so much as asked who she was, where she came from, why one so young was abroad alone. With all that uncertainty, the announcement of her parentage could make the arrangement untenable for him.

"I will work very hard. I will not disappoint you." Vanwe tucked pale golden hair back behind her ears and gave up the faintly pleading glance she had directed at Silvanis. "I could start now, if you wish sir."

She tugged her skirt a little straighter whilst she was at it, steadfastly ignoring another piece of straw that detatched from the fabric and floated to the the ground in the process.