By the time Savina had made three beds in an unused corner of the kitchen, brought out more food, helped move Legolas to his bed in the kitchen, and made sure her guests were comfortable, the sun was already coming over the horizon. Yawning, Savina opened the door and windows and started baking bread and getting the tavern ready for it's normal stream of visitors and travelers.

She was kneeling on the ground, picking up wet, bloody rags and listening to Gimli snore when someone touched her shoulder. She looked up and saw her mother standing over her, looking confused and tired.

Relinot Septulinar had once looked as beautiful and young as an angel, but the stress and grief of the last two years has weighed heavily upon her and fine wrinkles had appeared around her eyes. Her eyes had lost some of their shine and there was a thin streak of gray in her hair. Now she looked down at Savina with a puzzled expression, "why didn't you come home last night? Whose blood is that? And who is sleeping in my kitchen?"

Savina sighed, picked up the last rag, and stood up. "Malia," she began, using the elvish word for mother, "they came to the door early this morning, when I was almost done cleaning-"

"They? Who are they?"

"-a human man, named Aragorn, he's a ranger-"

"By ranger, he means thief and murderer."

"-a Dwarf named Gimli-"

"A DWARF! In my kitchen?"

"-one of them had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder-"

"an arrow! Probably his own fault."

"-after that his hood slipped off, and he was an elf-"

"Maybe it wasn't his fault."

"-Aragorn pulled the arrow out and I helped stop the bleeding-"

            "Did you cleanse your hands afterward?"

"-they were tired and hungry, so I fed them-"

"the Dwarf, too?"

"-they had nowhere to go!"

"So they had to come here?"

"I offered them shelter until Legolas is better."

"You WHAT?" Savina's mother shrieked.

"Shhh!" Savina pointed to the kitchen, "it was the kind thing to do, you're always saying people need to be kind to each other-"

"Oh really, Savina," Relinot turned toward the kitchens, wincing at the sound of the Dwarf's snoring.

"Father would have taken them in," Savina said resentfully, "but I guess I can ask them to leave," she started toward the kitchen.

"Wait," Relinot held out her arm, "it…it would be the kind thing to do. Your…your father would want to help them."

"So they stay?"

Savina's mother turned away, "yes, I…I suppose."

Savina smiled behind her mother's back and took the rags to the kitchen so she could clean them when she had a chance.

"Savina?"

She turned at the sound of her name and found Aragorn standing behind her.

He fidgeted, "I hope I didn't cause a problem with your mother."

Savina waved her hand dismissively, "it's no problem, she just needed to get used to the idea."

He nodded, studying her fixedly, "I want to thank you again, and offer my help in the tavern for as long as we are here."

Just then Relinot entered the kitchen, took one look at Aragorn, and gave a small cry of surprise, "it's awake!"

Savina bit her lip, "Malia, this is Aragorn, the ranger. He just offered to help in the tavern for as long as they stay with us."

The half-elf surveyed the human skeptically, "you are strong…fine. You can start by chopping wood in the back of the tavern for firewood, I want half of it small and half of it large," she said, motioning with her hands.

            Aragorn nodded, "thank you for letting me and my companions stay." He glanced at the door that went out the back of the kitchen, then at Savina, questioningly.

            Savina nodded and Aragorn disappeared silently out the door.

            Relinot watched him go, "he isn't half as bad as I would have thought."

            Savina started to chuckle, but a low moan from Legolas distracted her.

            Relinot looked toward the corner, "is that the injured elf?"

            Savina nodded.

            Relinot took a rag out of the cupboard and put water on it, "what did you say his name was?"

            "Legolas."

            At the sound of his name, Legolas moaned again.

            Relinot dropped the rag she was holding, "Legolas?"

            Savina raised her eyebrows, "uh…yeah."

            Relinot snatched up the rag again, "why didn't you tell me?"

            "Tell you what?" Savina asked, puzzled, as she followed her mother to Legolas' side.

            Her mother knelt down and washed Legolas' face, which was beaded with sweat, "Legolas is the Prince of Mirkwood! I'm from Mirkwood!"

            Savina knelt down beside her, "it's really him?"

            Relinot smoothed back his hair, "I'm almost completely sure, I saw him once when I went back to visit my friend, Ilia, a few years ago." She stroked his cheek, as if she were his mother, "oh, Prince Legolas, how did you end up with an arrow in your shoulder?"

            Legolas' eyes opened slowly, he looked from Savina to Relinot, confused, and tried to sit up quickly, but only succeeded in hurting his shoulder. "Damn," he said under his breath, "it hurts worse than it did yesterday when Aragorn yanked the arrow out…" Then he seemed to remember where he was and what had happened. He looked at Savina, "I…I'm sorry if I was rude to you at all last night, I was in quite a lot of pain," he winced, "you are Relinot Septulinar, her mother?"

            Savina's mother looked surprised that he knew her name, "why, yes…I am."

            He laid back slowly, then looked at Savina again, "I don't remember very much of last night, but I do remember that my companions and I came to your door in the odd hours of the morning, dirty, tired, and, in my case, injured, and you opened your door to us," he paused, "I owe my life to you and your mother. I could never thank you enough."

            Relinot blushed and fixed the blanket around him, "you are welcome to stay as long as you like Prince Legolas."

            Legolas raised his eyebrows, "you know me?"

            Savina's mother nodded, "I am from Mirkwood."

            Legolas nodded slowly, "I remember your daughter telling me the story of your family and, especially, your father," he was silent for a moment, "I am terribly sorry about his disappearance, I will keep my ears and eyes open to news about his whereabouts."

            Relinot coughed, "Savina told you all of this?"

            Legolas was silent for a moment, "I was in horrible pain, lady, and your daughter's voice soothed me." His eyes rested on Savina, "I thank you for that, too."

            Savina looked down at her hands, it was like a fairytale she'd heard when she was a child, about a horrible hag coming to a handsome prince's door in search of somewhere to stay. The prince had turned her away because she was ugly, not knowing that she was really a beautiful sorceress in disguise. It had barely sunk in that she had unintentionally saved the prince of Mirkwood's life.

            On Legolas' other side, the Dwarf, Gimli, gave a loud grunt and rolled over.