[Nerwen]

"Besides," said Asta fiercely, "I am most definitely not going to play a halfling!" She had not realised until this moment just how much the rôle of the Elf-maid meant to her. While she played various walk-on parts– she was now, for example, draped in a sheet as a Ringwraith– her only other speaking rôle was the much-less glamourous Gollum the She-orc.

"Not that I believe any of you are sober enough to remember what this Samwise person said– if you ever met him in the first place– and I refuse– refuse, do you hear me– to have our play butchered on the word of a gang of fool actors who are clearly to drunk to stand up straight!" The glare with which she finished also took in Amdír, whom she held responsible for the entire mess, and Aldarion.

"And no, Aldarion, we can't put on anything else– there isn't time, and none of the trolls are in working order, and the bear costume got moth-eaten so we can't do the battle scene in "Smaug". And as for "Children of Húrin"– look, you must know it won't do. I mean, really!"

It was not that she did not appreciate the playwright's attentions, but the part he had written her as his love-interest in that dismal epic crossed the line from flattering to downright disturbing. He claimed it was all historical fact, but Asta had her doubts.

"Now," she drew a fold of cloth across her face, "if we could manage to get on with the rehearsal? Sereth, I think it's your line."