[littlemanpoet]

“Do you often walk into other conversations without an invitation, mister?”

Falowik felt the words as if they were a hand forced into his chest. He exhaled involuntarily and felt an urge to turn his back on the man and again leave the company of other folk, forever. Uien's fair face came into his mind's eye; she had healed his heart, and this small sting need not send him back to his former despair. All this passed in his thought in a brief moment, for it was not the first time he had had to face such effrontery from another Man since he had met Uien.

"Nay. 'Tis unlike me to put myself forward in such fashion. But the question was one that I could answer easily, and chose to."

The man called Galither seemed the more angered by his words; Falowik wondered why. The man said, “I need some fresh air outside and alone. I am going to scout the area and will be back after lunch.” He walked hastily from the common room.

Falowik was relieved that it had not been himself who had walked away. Apparently he was not the only man who had darknesses to face from within.

The other men introduced themselves again, to Falowik's further relief, as Thenergol Lingman and Sherman Dalsbury.

Thenergol said, “I am sorry for Galither leaving but you have to understand he is very sensitive about love after, well he will tell you if he feels right about it.”

Sherman replied “Well it doesn’t matter now. We both have women back at Gondor and are deeply in love with them. Falmir on the other hand does not care for love. He only uses women for his own purposes. I think he sees love as an illusion for passion.”

"What of you, Denegal?" Falowik asked. "Have you ever been in love?"