The next morning Tauren awoke to the smell of cooking meat and the banging of metal. Mumbling with disapproval, he turned around and saw Celesil crouching near the fire, cooking two birds on a make-shift spit and mashing berries with water for a sauce. The sun had just risen.

"Good morning..." he mumbled as he pushed himself up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Oh, good morning." she replied, without looking up. "I caught a few birds for breakfast..." Celesil turned towards him, and started laughing. "Hahaha, go wash your hair, Nauvar! You've got a really bad bed-head!" Then she went back to her work, giggling.

Tauren blinked sleepily. "Hmm? Oh..." Embarrassed, realizing he had slept in his leather leggings, he quickly got up and slipped on his black undertunic. Then, slipping past "Luinfalasien," made his way towards a stream. After dipping his head in the water, he ran his hands through it, then washed his face. The water was so cold, and immediately woke him up. He turned his head slightly, watching Celesil out of the corner of his eye. He thought of how soft she would be to hold...'Snap back to reality, Tauren! Keep your thoughts straight.' His Elven ears picked up horses hooves in the distance. Quickly walking back to his sleeping area, he flung on his overtunic and stepped into his boots. A few seconds later, one of Tauren's soldiers marched down the road on his black horse. He noticed the couple, and Tauren's face.

"Hir Tauren! [Lord Tauren!]" he called to his master.

"Din, Randuil. Elleth utiro man im. [Silence, Randuil. The Elf-maid knows not who I am]" Tauren replied, warning his guard.

"Im noro o adar Rauko an eithir na lle. Man na elleth? [I was sent from Rauko to check on you. Who is the Elf-maid?]" the Dark soldier interrogated, eyeing Celesil, who defiantly stared back, with narrow eyes.

"Lass elleth an im. Imchebin Luinfalasien an danwedh. [Leave the maid to me. I will keep her for ransom.]"

"Nibin danwedh, Ernil. [A petty ransom, Prince.]" said the guard, still glaring at the girl. "Man firiel nuva danwedh ehtele? [What woman will ransom well?]"

"Din lenaith! [Silence your tongue!]" the Prince commanded angrily, glancing back at Celesil. She had only learned a small amount of Sindarin with Quenya, and so did not understand what they were saying to each other. "Lass elleth an im! [Leave the maid to me!]"

"Ehtele. Im nuva noro an Rauko pedo le tiw. [Fine. I will go back to Rauko speaking your message.]"

"Noro lim. [Ride fast.]" Tauren replied, coldly.

The dark soldier, Randuil, turned his horse 180 degrees and spurred its sides, riding away. Infuriated at the...the disrespectful, insulting, condescending remark the Ethir made about Celesil, Tauren's face burned. He prayed the Sea Folk spoke Quenya only.

Apparently, they did, as Celesil questioned, "What was that all about? Why was he looking at me so?"

"Do you not know Sindarin? I suppose your Sea People speak the same as in Lothlorien." He shrugged. "Put it out of your mind, young one. Just a lost traveler. Seems he was going the opposite direction..." He calmed himself down. Just wait until he could get could get back to camp to see the soldier punished with 50, no, 75 lashes! No one could rebuke his decisions, ever! The Ethir laughed to himself evilly.

"But the look...He seemed to challenge me."

"Who knows? But to no matter. You will never see the fellow again, anyway."

The two continued to eat breakfast in silence, and then mounted their horses for the continuing journey.