[littlemanpoet]

Derufin got up from the table after making his offer. A week! Roofing? Falowik had never done such a thing. Shelter over his or anyone's head had been far from his mind for many years now. He had asked for means to pay for one meal, not used to thinking any further in advance than the next step, or deed, or trail. To think of a whole day was a great reach. To think of a week at a time? It was beyond his reckoning. These people were offering him a roof over his head and board before him for seven full days! Were they mad? They didn't even know him.

Derufin came back. Uien was with him. She sat between the two men, and all the world shifted toward the lodestone. She outshone all others in the room. Falowik was hard pressed to keep a clear thought in his head. Derufin was leaning toward the Light, saying something about a roofer's assistant. Uien stared at her plate, and the sun seemed to hide behind clouds. Falowik's tongue refused to release itself from the roof of his mouth. Uien's next words took him by surprise. She is concerned whether it pleases me? Her face shone almost as brightly as it had the night before.

Am I staring? He pulled his eyes away. You're supposed to be thinking about whether to accept the man's offer, fool. Uien and Derufin were joking back and forth, free and easy with each other. Falowik's throat caught as he wished that he could be that easy with her, or with anyone.

But he remembered that he may well have another man's fate in his hands. To stay an entire week might be to ensure that man's death! He could not bear to have that on his conscience. These people spoke well of this King's messenger, a harpist by all accounts. It had fallen to Falowik to do what he could for this man, and now he wanted to meet him if he might. He could not stay here the week. At most, for half a day; enough time to earn the meal he was staring at.

Uien set a piece of bread on Falowik's plate. His eye followed the hand rather than the bread. He stopped staring and began to eat the bread her hand had touched. It loosened his tongue right well, stumbling over itself trying to find the right way to speak his thought. You oaf! he told himself as he listened to his tongue splatter sounds like broken dishware on the floor.

"I - it would - please me - I mean, I would be honored to work beside you-" he was looking at Uien, he realized, and quickly forced his glance toward Derufin "-sir. But the man who is lost in the wilderness - I must do right by him. I fear a week would be too long."

A loud voice interrupted them.

"There you are, wanderer! Found yourself another free meal, I take it!" It was that shirriff hobbit, the untrusting one. Falco Buffoon or something. "I hope he's behaved hisself proper under your care, Master Derufin. Best hurry up with your breakfast, wanderer, as we've business to take care of. I hope you remember the matter of a missing man, reported by yourself, I recall? Have you made any recruits yet, as you told me you planned on doing? Or have you just been dallying?" He glanced at Uien and Derufin. "Mind if I sit down?" He took a seat. "You gonna eat all that? Seeing as it's free food-" He reached over to grab a heel of bread from Falowik's plate.

Falowik rose suddenly from his place, staring at the hobbit in rage. "I -" Do not make excuses to this fool, old man, he'll just twist them. "As soon as I have paid for my meal in labor, I am ready to join the search, Master Hobbit." He faced Derufin. "As soon as you are ready, good sir." He turned to Uien. "I - it has been my honor and pleasure, Fair One." He was unable to keep the longing out of his eyes, so he looked away as quickly as he could and walked outside, ignoring the hoots of the fool hobbit and his mocking words about seeing the way he'd looked at her.

His feet did not stop, and he found himself by the tree where he had slept, and where she had - done whatever wonder she had done. There were flowers, still fresh and blooming, lying on the blanket he had set carefully in the bough of the tree. He wondered how they might have gotten there. The wind could not have blown them in just such a way; they would have had to be placed so. Only one person knew he had been there. His rage at the foolish hobbit was gone, his heart lightened for knowing she had thought of him. But the lightness fled quickly, for he would have to leave, and soon. At least he would share a few hours with this Elf woman passing fair. He had heard the legend of Beren and Luthien, and now it seemed odd to him that there were so few unions of Man and Elf woman in all the ages of Middle Earth. But no, it was not to be so wondered, for surely most Elven women did not so humble themselves. Then why did she? He had much to learn in a short time.

[ August 26, 2003: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]