[Elora]

Vanwe touched a light finger to the paintwork on the freshly carved hitching posts. It was dry, she noted with satisfaction, the warmth of the day quickly seeing to the paint. She maneouvred the posts, two supporting beams and a cross beam, onto sackcloth and begane to drag them to the front of the inn. It was not a long way, from back of stable to front of inn, but with that weight it seemed to be miles.

Determined, Vanwe pulled the burdened sack cloth to where the old, rotten hitching post lay. It hadn't moved since she'd dug it up that morning when someone relayed the need of repair to her. Apparantly someone had hitched their horse to the old post in the night, failing to notice the rotted state. It was a wonder the horse was still there to be collected. When Vanwe had inspected it, the wood was all but collapsed.

Despite her slight and delicate stature, a life spent in toil gave Vanwe a surprising strength that belied her appearance. She dragged the posts to the front of the inn and worked the two supporting posts into the ground. Packing earth around them, they settled easily into the waiting holes. She slotted the cross bar into their waiting joins, pleased with the accuracy of her measuring.

Dove-tail joints, precisely carved earlier that morning, gripped and she leant against the new hitching post to examine her handiwork. Seemed her facility with wood was not limited to useless carvings afterall, and she was well pleased if somewhat thirsty at the proof of that. It was good to know she had something of value to offer.

The paintwork had also taken some time. Vanwe had ferretted out white and ivy green paint, and paint brushes as well. In a flight of creativity, she'd described in green pain a twining and elegant green dragon that rose around each supporting post. Vanwe had added a few vines to trail along the hitching bar as well. Such decoration had no place on a functional feature, but she'd added it all the same. A green dragon winked and smiled at her from one post.

Vanwe patted the cross bar and smiled back at it. This hitching post should last for some time, years upon years, and with a little care the dragons and vines would endure with it. There were no harsh desert winds that ate through rock and soil and flesh here in the north to obliterate them.

The sound of a reproachful whicker from the stable floated out to Vanwe's hearing. She's spent the day on the hitching post and hadn't done anything in the stables proper. She tucked fine blonde hair back behind her ears and straighted. Her stomach protested the very thought of going to the stables instead of the kitchen. The idea of a cool drink, perhaps wine, made her thirsty indeed.

Still, her work called and she could not enjoy neither meal nor wine until she had seen to it. With a tired sigh, Vanwe turned away from the hitching post and towards the stable.

"I'm coming," she murmured to the displeased equine denizens in the vain hope her promise would appease them. When Derufin appeared, walking from the stables, Vanwe smiled and inwardly hoped her new hitching post in it's bright newness would meet with his pleasure. If not, she had a long night fixing it ahead of her.

"I've finished the new hitching post," she called to him as he walked towards her. She extended her arm to gesture in elven grace towards the white and green creation. "I'll see to the horses now, too, if you like Derufin," she added. She could see he seemed preoccupied and hoped the offer would ease the many things that she sensed pressed upon the man.

She shaded her face from the sun with one hand held at her brow as she waited for his assessment of her work. Absently, she brushed at wood shavings that had taken up residence in the worn cotton of her blue dress or her hair. Beren walked behind him, her blue gaze shifting to settle upon him for a moment and then back to Derufin.