[Imladris]

My heart popped into my mouth as the elf sat next to me: me, a humble hobbit and her so beautiful and all and being a member of the Fair Folk...I colored brightly when she complimented my drawing of Falowik. "Thank you, m'lady," I said. Then she told me that Eswen could probably make me a bit of ink if I asked her and I said eagerly, "Do you think she would?"

Lumiel nodded and said, "Yes, I think she would. Is it what you thought it would be? The journey so far I mean," she asked me.

I turned in the corner of my mouth in thought before replying, "I don't really know. I must admit that I thought we would have some sign of them -- it's rather disconcerting that we have seen neither hid nor hair of them."

Lumiel nodded and watched her hair glitter elusively in the lurid light of the fire. Elven hair was so pretty: it was as if their was a shiny brilliance coursing through their strands, like a burning river of light.

"You?" I asked, signing my name; it was actually more like a scrawl. Oh well.

"I, too, thought we would have come across more tracks and I wonder what kind of enemy we face," she said. I glanced at her: something about the way she said what she said, as if she was avoiding saying something caught my attention. I saw her eyes flick over to Falowik and then back to me. "Do you not trust Falowik?" I asked uneasily.

She remained silent for a moment and then said softly, "I just wonder if we are being deceived by our enemy."

"Or enemies," I added, agreeing with her. Yet is troubled me. She said she trusted Falowik, yet it seemed as if she was doubtful about something. I suddenly found myself in a quandry: if Uien trusted Falowik, and Lumiel didn't then where would that leave me? Two Fair Folk on the opposite end of the scale. I looked at Falowik and decided: I would just assume that Lumiel did trust Falowik: she had after all not even hinted that she didn't trust him and I could be reading a lot into a simple glance. Besides, Falowik was a good man.

Smiling brightly at her, I said, "So, my lady, what do you think of Bree?" I asked.

[ November 22, 2003: Message edited by: Imladris ]