When he awoke, he was back in Lothlórien and Rathien was gone.

"The soldiers took her away an hour ago," a curt voice said, guessing Hedregon's thoughts.

"Did they wake her up?" Hedregon asked Anna anxiously.

"Lisiael?" Anna laughed, "It would have been impossible not to. No, she left kicking and screaming. I was surprised you didn't wake up."

"You! Did you have anything to do with this?"

"I? I would never betray Lisiael. Besides, I can tell that she was meant to find you. The sharpshooters took her. It must have been Lady Galadriel's orders."

"It cannot be. She is most kind and generous."

"Kind! Generous! Mortals are blunt, aren't they? The Lady has never been kind or generous to Lisiael. She took the color from her sight, locked her away from sunlight, made her speechless, destroyed her best sword and put her under various spells to keep her 'controlled' to the point where her eyes become foggy from loss of so many basic functions."

"I think she has a true heart," Hedregon insisted, "she told me that she would allow me to court Lisiael."

Anna laughed, a sound of chimes and her red hair fell to the side. "A true heart in all but her youngest daughter, whom she treats despicably."

"What makes you so all-knowing?" Hedregon didn't think he liked Anna.

"I am sorry, I did not introduce myself. I am Verianna. Lisiael is my friend."

"My name is Hedregon," he offered.

"I know."

"Oh."

"So do you want to see Lisiael or not?"

"What?! Wait, yes, yes, of course."

"Follow me, then." Perhaps Anna wasn't so terrible.

She walked him back to his temporary establishment, the hollowed out tree.

"Go in, and stay there," she said. Hedregon did not understand why he had to do this, but followed Anna's advice.

Unongleal stepped out from behind the tree, "Make sure he stays in the tree," Anna warned Unongleal, and darted away.

Unongleal turned to Hedregon, "Ah, the mortal." He acknowledged in much colder manner than he had the night before.

Hedregon grudgingly nodded, "Is Verianna setting me up for something?"

"Anna? Her heart is pure and faithful. I have quite a bit to say to you, however."

"I?"

"Aye. I want to know what you did to Lisiael. We looked for her all night, and when we found her, she was asleep . . . in your arms! You met the girl yesterday, human! How could you have the indecency to bed her?"

"I beg your pardon, but I did no such thing!"

"What, pray tell then, were you doing?" Unongleal looked furious.

"She fell asleep! I lay down next to her!"

Unongleal searched Hedregon's eyes. "We were in the same place you found us all along! I took her to my Dreamworld, so we did not really leave to go anywhere."

"Believe me, I will ask Lisiael about this."

"Go ahead."

The two glared at one another for some time before Hedregon decided that he should not make enemies in a foreign land.

"I am sorry . . . I do not like being accused of what I did not do."

Unongleal sighed, "It is all right. Ah! Mela!" he cried as Mela came out of the shadows.

"Greetings, and to you, also, son of Denethor."

Unongleal interrupted. "Hedregon, step this way a bit."

Hedregon did so, just as Rathien dropped to the ground behind him inside the tree and stood up. She brushed herself off.

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A year passed. Hedregon sent a letter to his brothers explaining where he was. They corresponded frequently, and Hedregon began to miss them all dearly. He began sleeping in a tree like the Elves. He and Rathien had expanded his Dreamworld beyond any borders; she began to put animals it, squirrels, fireflies, rabbits, and coyotes.

Hedregon was never accused of sleeping with Rathien again, and they were both scared of the outcome if they ever did sleep with one another. In fact, the human - Elf scenario did not agree with most of the Elves in Caras Galathon. Of course, Galadriel, Celeborn and Verianna were alright with it, and Unongleal didn't say anything. All of this mattered very little to Rathien and Hedregon. Everything he had ever wanted in life he found in her, and she at least said that she loved him, also.

In August, however, Hedregon received a letter with ill tidings from Faramir:

Brother, I have bad news, and no time to ask you how you are. I had tried my best to keep Boromir from Bevolen and Sircyn, but Bevolen provoked him; it was not really Boromir's fault if you look at it properly. I do not know the exact course of events, but in the end Boromir was raving mad and Bevolen was dead. Now of course there isn't a soul in the city who cares for Bevolen, so his death went unnoticed, but I think it is fair time that you came back to visit, if for no other reason to restore Boromir to his sanity. Fly, Faramir