[littlemanpoet]

Uien struggled against the tight grip of the orc; she knew what it wanted.

<It is I Esgallhugwen Elenglin, do not be taken by the shadows, come back to the light Uien Aduial, do not leave the twilight that you love so. Listen to me and come back to the light!>

Esgallhugwen? Uien stopped struggling and looked, seeing the Elven woman for the first time. Esgallhugwen whistled to her wolf, "Go and fetch Falowik, mellon". The wolf rushed away toward the front of the Inn.

Falowik? Where is he?

Esgallhugwen was saying something to her. "...I must teach you." Teach me what? Eswen let go of Uien's wrists. "But first I believe hearts are in need of mending." She reached out at the curious wooden object that lay in the grass and examined it with a frown. "Is this what you want, or is this what you had and lost long ago with your own mother and father? Often the past haunts our kind, mellon and this carved object may not be the future".

Uien shook her head. "I know not which it is, Eswen. I did not know what was in me that struggled so to show itself."

***************************

"Stay, Falowik!" said Aman. "Do not leave! I am sure there must be some reason."

"Some reason she has rejected me? I can tell you, she wants an Elven mate with whom she can have an Elven child. Did you not see the carving she has made?"

A white wolf came running up to them suddenly, and stopped between them, looking at Falowik. He jumped back, startled. The wolf lunged and grabbed for his wrist, pulling him painlessly back toward the Inn.

"Hey! What are you doing, wolf?"

The wolf paid no heed, but kept dragging him toward the Inn.

"'Twould seem," said Aman, walking behind, a grin in her voice, "that all Middle Earth conspires to bring you back to Uien, Falowik Stonewort."

"Wolf! Let go! I shall follow you! I promise." The wolf stopped, not letting go, and fixed Falowik with its eyes, suspiciously. "I give you my word, wolf." Falowik could not help chuckling a little, looking at himself in this fix from the back of his mind, caught by a willful wolf. It let him go and watched him closely. "Lead on, wolf."

The wolf led him to Uien and another woman. Slowly it dawned on Falowik that he knew this Elf woman. It was Eswen! And Uien was quiet, watching him as he approached. The white wolf came to Eswen, who scratched his head between the ears, thanking him for "bringing Falowik back". Falowik came to a stop just a little way from the two Elven women. He felt ill at ease, not knowing what to expect from the Elfwoman who had just told him to get out of her life; he watched her guardedly. Aman joined them, but all four seemed cast into a pall of silence.