[Alatariel Telemnar]

Alatariel burst out the door, running fast behind the hobbit. "Wait! I do not wish to harm you! I want to ask you something," she called after the hobbit. He ran around the side of the Inn and into the stables. Alatariel stopped, knowing that there was only one way out of the stables, besides jumping out a window. She walked inside. "You can't hide from me. I will find you!" she yelled into the stable.

She heard a noise over on the west end of the stables, but she was not easily fooled. Alatariel walked over to the west side of the stables, where Aranel was. Then, she crept over to the east side and crouched down in a dark corner against a stall. The young hobbit lad slowly crept out of a nearby stall. He scanned around looking for Alatariel, not noticing the small bundle against the stable. He quietly crept away. Alatariel jumped up and grabbed him by the shirt. "Got you!"

The hobbit yelped in shock. "Please, M'lady, I meant ye no harm. I-"

"What did you want with my mare?" Alatariel interrupted, not letting go of his shirt.

"Nothing, M'lady. I was jus' feedin' her. That's all. I like to stay at the Inn. The horses..." the hobbit was at a loss of words.

"Follow me," Alatariel said, not giving the hobbit much of a choice as she pulled him along with her. She took him into the Inn, and over to the darkest table in the darkest corner. She sat him down on a chair against a wall, leaving him with no escape path. "I saw your past. I know what kind of pain you went through," she said to him.

"M'lady, it is awkward talking to ye, for I do not even know your name," the hobbit lad said.

"The only name I can leave you with at this moment is, Marya," she answered, "What about you?"

"I'm afraid I can't leave ye any name."

"Very well then, I wanted to say that I have shared a similar past as you. When I helped you the other night, I saw your past, and I have had one so very much like it," Alatariel said.

"Well, them I'm sorry for what ye have gone through. I saw it too, and it was the same as mine. Now isn't that odd," the hobbit said.

"Yes, 'tis. Well, since we know each other’s past, why not talk about the present."

"Yes, so, Marya, what brings ye to the Inn?"

"I dun' really know. I guess my heart. What about you?" she answered sighing

"I stay here, I love the horses. I enjoy feedin' them. That's why ye startled me. I'm not used to the owner's coming up out of nowhere, as ye did," the hobbit said sighing.

"May I ask, if you saw my past, and you knew who I was, then why did you run away from me?" Alatariel asked.

"I dun' really know. I guess I thought talking to you would be like facing my past, and I wasn't sure if I could do that," the two continued in conversation, as the rain thundered down on the Inn's roof outside.

[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Alatariel Telemnar ]