[Imladris]

Aman glanced up, surprised, and said, "I am sorry, but your services are needed as of yet. Thank you for asking."

Lira smiled at her and bowed. She rather liked the inn-keeper and thought her rather pretty. She drifted from the kitchen and glanced about her. Many more people had wandered in and Lira suddenly felt rather lonely. Most people had a tragic tale to tell like Esgallhugwen. Some had dark pasts that they preferred not to talk about, also like Esgallhugwen, Lira mused as her blue eyes roved the room. Others had interesting tales to tell of their roving lives, tales of horrific battle, of leering orcs, of intrigue and betrayal and treachery. She was rather uninteresting, she thought with a small laugh. She rather liked it because...well because she was a normal elf, an elf who had lost her secret love to the arrow of an orc. Deep sorrow filled her soul as she remembered him, remembered his fair elven face still and cold, his kind grey eyes closed in the sleep of death, his slender fingers still gripping his bow, the bow from Lothlorien, those fingers that would never strum upon a harp again, his voice that would never sing in fair melody beneath the stars. He had died and he never knew of her love for him so it wasn't as tragic as it could have been, she thought, biting her lip. She remembered running swiftly towards him when he fell, grasping his hand, her tears carressing it, and he asking her to sing to him for her voice brought joy into his heart, like a flower opening in the faint light of day that was covered by the dark clouds of war.

A crash woke her from her muse and staring about her, she saw a hobbit upon the floor, his food over and around him instead of in him and Ruby apologizing profusely. Glancing around the room, she saw the familiar cloaked figure of Esgallhugwen and a smile flashed across her face. Beside her was another elf, weary with sorrow and a long day's journey. A wooden staff stood beside him, a tankard of wine before him. Lira glided over to them, eased herself down beside Esgallhugwen and said, "Greetings, Esgallhugwen. I hope you rested well? Our services are not needed as of yet." Then turning towards the other elf, she said, "I am Lira of Ithilien and this is my friend, Esgallhugwen. What, prey, is your name?"