Niniel jumped as a hand was laid on her shoulder. "Pardon the intrusion, m'lady," said a vaguely familiar voice. She turned, but the man's face was in shadow and she could only see his eyes. Dynaviir looked fairly nervous as well. The stranger stepped back and his hood fell back. It was Soronume, and Niniel silently breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry, m'lady. I didn't mean to startle you."
"I-i-it's all right. W-w-won't you j-j-join us?" she asked, gesturing to a seat on her other side, between Novardaion and herself. Again she was struck by the incredible wisdom in his eyes and felt anew the old feelings of infatuation with the handsome elf. He had lost at least as much as she had...but then, so had Dynaviir, if what she had gleaned from his conversation were true, and he had no reason to lie.
"Th-th-this is Soronume," she explained to Dynaviir. "A-a-and th-th-this is Dynaviir, and th-th-that is Novardaion," she added, pointing each man out for Soronume's benefit. She was far more comfortable than she had been when she first arrived in the Shire, especially with these two, Soronume and Dynaviir. Both were kind and welcoming, and neither ridiculed her stutter. She had yet to come to a conclusion about Novardaion.
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