Note: If you did not happen to see the note on the review board or my profile page, I'll just let you know that I've been across the country for a while unexpectedly. However, now I'm back and I hope to keep writing consistently again.

I want to thank all of you for your patience! I haven't abandoned you! Though this chapter is pretty slow and bland, no worries. I will spice it back up in the following.

Thanks to: Dazzler420, Tarilenea, Cherryfaerie, Aerlalaith, Anarya of Lorien, Lady Magewhisper, leggylover2004, Haldir's Heart and Soul, LadyJadePerendhil, LegolasnDcolorblueinterestsme, Kuro kyoko, ElvenMaidenHobbitGirl, Julia, and Flesca

Thanks for everything guys. I hope the wait hasn't thrown you off. Hugs

Chapter Five: Of Advice and Contracts

Haldir

"She slapped you!" Rumil repeated, bursting in laughter. He pointed at me, howling with childish laughter. "A woman slapped you!"

"Rumil," Orophin warned from the other side of the room as he peered at a broken window.

I glowered at my youngest brother while walking through the kitchener. Running a hand over the counter, I grimaced at the amount of grime I managed to pick up. However, I did not pause my story.

The woman was obviously taking things far too much at heart. Her completely irate reaction to innocent words in a tavern was unnecessary. I hadn't meant that Gronig could take her to bed for free and she wouldn't care! I meant that he could take her in and she would not mind at all. Surely, she'd go anywhere but in my presence.

Valar knew I'd face a cave of Orcs to reverse this situation.

Ending the brief addition to what I told my brothers, Orophin turned to look at me. "Haldir, she is a woman in a delicate state. She's lost her home and her family's acceptance, and - apparently - her virginity to someone who does not even remember it."

I shot him a looked and he quickly held his hands up. "Not that the loss of memory is consciously your fault," he quickly added. "But, perhaps you can be a bit kinder to her."

"Kinder?" I questioned. "What more does she want me to do? I am giving her a home and taking my time to do it! What else can I do?"

"Giving her what you are is your duty and we all know it; including her," Orophin said while Rumil wandered up the stairs near the door. "Being kind is quite different. And, frankly, I have not seen it from you to her as of yet."

I grumbled under my breath. "When did you become the guiding voice?"

I had ever been the one to look after and advise my brothers. It was my welcomed obligation as their older brother, and as their caretaker for a dozen years after our parents died.

Orophin smiled. "Since you became lost," he told me, a hand settling on my shoulder.

I looked at him with a sigh. "This is all a mistake."

He shrugged slightly. "Perhaps so, but it is what it is."

Something suddenly crashed upstairs and we both looked as Rumil's voice rang out in curses of all languages. Suddenly, he came stampeding down the steps, flinging his arms about while bats came flooding after him.

"Open the door!" he screeched.

Orophin and I both rushed towards the door, barely containing our laughter as we were quick to berate his idiocy.

The door stuck as Orophin tried to open it. It took us both to yank it open and Rumil dove outside, still yelling at us.

Finally, he was rid of the bats and turned around; his hair disheveled and face slightly red. With this, being his older brothers, Orophin and I burst into laughter.

That Evening

Haldir

I wouldn't admit to many that I had stayed downstairs at the inn for some time so I would not have to face what was upstairs, but I did admit it to myself.

Gronig told me he and Ashk had managed to weave out a working schedule. He always said he needed another hand around. He'd also said she'd retired early and looked a bit green in the face.

I earnestly hoped she wasn't sick.

Dragging myself up the stairs I came to the door and glared at it a moment. Entering almost silently, I peered around in the pale firelight for a moment and did not see Ashk anywhere.

Where would she have gone to?

It didn't take but a moment more to spot the figure strewn on the bed. Still dressed and not under the blankets, she was sleeping peacefully. She didn't seem so venomous when asleep.

Standing at the side of the bed, I frowned slightly, seeing the discoloring of her left wrist. What had she done to her hand?

Just thinking of it made me want to groan. I had almost grimaced and apologized earlier that day when I had slammed her hand into the door. But in my anger, I only let her go when I realized I realized how hard I pinned her. She was a woman, not an Orc…

I hadn't meant to hurt her. I had never hurt a woman or any other female in my long life. No matter how impossible she seemed, I would never harm her.

A disapproving sound left my chest and I could feel myself frown at my actions earlier in the day. I didn't act as I normally did around her. Even I could notice my own harshness with her, but it seemed she brought the worst out in me with her tentative glances and soft spoken words.

Her eyes suddenly fluttered before opening. Heavy with sleep, she stared at me a moment.

Suddenly, she jolted back. "Warden," she said, slightly breathless with surprise as she sat up. "Please don't sneak in on me." She looked at me slightly flustered. My gaze was questioning. She seemed more than surprised - she seemed unnerved with having my presence unbeknownst to her.

"Afraid you speak in your sleep?" I questioned. She shot a look my way and, silently, I admonished myself. "My apologies," I amended, stepping away from the bedside as she slid her legs over the other side, sitting with her back towards me.

Standing at the window, I peered through the frosted glass at the nighttime road. It was empty and frozen, not much warmer than Ashk's presence at the moment.

"I will knock before I enter next time," I told her, glancing at her in the dim light of the room. She could probably only see a shadow of me while I could see her plain as day.

"I would appreciate it," she muttered in return.

Silence settled for a moment before I took a breath, not ready to brave the front of that afternoon.

"My brothers and I toured the empty property this afternoon," I said, leaning on the windowsill as I stared at her. "The man was not much for clean, but once past the dinge and the replacing of a window or two, the home itself is decent enough; four rooms, kitchener, and a common inside"

"Sounds a bit large," she said.

I tilted my head slightly. "Not as much as you may think."

She nodded.

"There is a barn and working shed as well," I continued. "A creek isn't far. It leads towards Lorien."

"You said it needed repairs?" she asked, looking at me over her shoulder. I nodded. "How long would that take?"

My shoulders lifted slightly. "A week or two, perhaps with Orophin and Rumil about; three at the most for the home itself. The barn and shed are another matter. I will take you to see it in the morning."

She nodded murmuring her acceptance.

I fought the urge to sigh heavily in my own irritation before pushing myself off the window and walking around the side of the bed. Once I was able to see her downcast face, I said, "Ashk, about this afternoon…"

She looked up at me and I was surprised that she still looked sour with me. "Let's just forget about it, Warden. I don't want another argument."

I nearly told her that I was not looking for an argument and I was going to apologize, but she continued on her own, "If you'd excuse me a minute so I can change for bed, I'd appreciate it."

What was this? She was rejecting my attempts to fix this mess?

I bit back a grumble and nodded, turning away as she stood to walk to the water room. Seating myself on the sofa, I shook my head slightly. Forget it? Fine. Slapping, yelling, pushing, accusing, and tears forgotten; I wouldn't argue.

Morning

Ashk

Not much for clean? That was the understatement of the year!

Good Gods, the man who lived in this house probably died from the grime alone! There was no place I could look and actually see the wood of the floor or walls. I had half a mind to put something over my mouth so I would not breathe in the stale air.

"…You said two or three weeks to fix this up?" I questioned, peering at a hole in the flooring that creaked under my weight.

Haldir emerged from the pantry and I was amused to see his eyes were red and watering. I really didn't want to know what he found in there.

"Perhaps a bit longer than that," he told me, his voice hoarse from the cough strangling him.

He disappeared again and I walked towards the common room.

It was huge. The pillars that held the upper floor were twice the width of me and the fireplace itself could probably fit a foal in it. The walls had once been white but were now dark with the horrid grime that covered every inch of the house.

Peering towards the stairs, I glanced back to the pantry only to see a cloud of dust erupt from it, billowing into the kitchen while Haldir cursed fluently.

Pattering up the stairs, I a small smile came to my face as I reached the top.

A huge window was directly past the ending of the stairs, opposite of the hall toward what I guessed were the bedrooms.

The frost outside iced over the trees of Lorien that I could see. The creek that Haldir had told me of the other night sparkled like a chain of jewels in the morning sun and steam rose from its warmer depths.

Perhaps this house wouldn't be that bad once cleaned up.

Something shuffled down the hall which made me jump in surprise. Spinning around, I saw nothing.

"Warden?" My voice was answered by silence.

It was probably just an animal that found its way inside, away from the cold. I wouldn't doubt it; it had happened many times at the cottage at home.

Walking down the hall, I opened each door, ignoring that the rooms were getting bigger.

Opening the third door, I couldn't help myself but to shriek as a barreling figure knocked me backwards and I collided with the opposite wall.

Haldir

In the pantry, the scream was slightly muffled, but I was already up the stairs by the time I saw Ashk hit the wall across the way from where a young human was running out a bedroom door.

The young man spotted me as he broke for the stairs and skidded to a stop, staggering slightly and hitting the ground. He was quick to scramble up, but I already had my hand on his collar. Hauling him towards the nearest wall, I pinned him there.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I meant not offense, my lord!"

"You just threw down a pregnant woman and you meant not offense!" I ground out.

His eyes flashed and looked over to Ashk who had brought herself to a stand.

"Oh...Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know!"

"Warden, put him down!" Ashk hissed at me. I frowned and realized I had the human a few inches off the ground. I grumbled and dropped him, silently daring him to attempt escape again.

I looked to Ashk having half a mind to ask if she was all right, but she had her attention focused on the human.

"How old are you?" she asked.

He looked between the two of us. "Eighteen, missus," he told her. She raised a brow, as did I. This boy was not eighteen years old. Under both of our speculative looks he sighed. "Sixteen."

That too was a lie but I let it go.

It was obvious he hadn't eaten well in some time, nor had he been sleeping consistently if the dark circles under his eyes were any test.

"What are you doing here?" I asked my previous question again.

Again, the boy looked between us and sighed. "Just lookin' for a place to stay, my lord. It was cold last night."

"Where are your pare–" My next question fumbled as Ashk gave me a glare worthy of being called deadly. I swallowed the words and looked back to the other human. "Do you have a name?"

He smirked slightly. "Donavon, son of Denored."

I glanced at the pack in his hand. "Is that all you have?"

"Yessir."

"Good." I stepped back and pointed to the stairs, silently demanding he leave.

Donavon glanced at Ashk before nodding and moving down the stairs. He wasn't even out of earshot when Ashk turned to me.

"Warden, he's just a boy."

"He'll live. He's been on his own a while, obviously," I told her. The last thing I needed was that heart of a woman coming out in her now. I didn't need any more ties to this small town.

"Yes, obviously," she quipped. "He's underweight and it's the dead of winter."

"What do you want me to do about it, Ashk?" I demanded with a frown, looking at her expectantly.

She crossed her arms. "Even with your brothers here, this place is going to take a while to clean up. And what about when you're gone? I'm not going to be hammering away or milking a cow when I have two infants on my back."

I had no idea where she was going with her newest rant and she could see it plainly in my face. She sighed. "Hire him."

"Hire him? For what! You said yourself he's just a boy."

"He can do enough to earn his keep," she told me firmly.

I shook my head. "Ashk, I do not need to hire him as a working hand. He'd just be another person I'd have to-" My words died off with a grumble and she raised an expectant brow.

Unfortunately, it made me take a second look at her.

The glint in her eyes and the tussle of her dark hair made her look elusively attractive.

I swallowed.

Quite attractive.

"No, Ashk," I said, my voice gruff as I went down stairs.

There was a pause before she followed me and I was waiting for her to bring it up again. But, she didn't and I spun around as I heard the front door open and close.

With a frown, I moved to the window beside it only to see her calling after the boy who had just left.

They spoke a moment before she turned away and he grinned after her before nearly frolicking towards town.

Ashk barely spared me a glance as she entered the house again, shaking a few flurries of snow off of her.

"What did you just do?" I asked lowly, dreading to know.

She looked at me, dull eyes flashing. "I hired him." She turned away then and marched towards the kitchener. I fumbled a moment before following.

"Hired him - For how much?"

Ashk glanced back at me. "What does it matter?"

"If you expect me to pay him, I best know how much." I growled.

She gave a laugh and looked at me. "I hired him, Warden. I didn't say you did."

Baffled by this, I watched her pick up her cloak and shrug it on. Valar, she was impossible! That briefest moment of allure disappeared as she walked by me toward the door again.

"I start working in the inn by noon. We will finish this later."

With that, she whirled out the door and the old house echoed when it closed. I rubbed my temples in irritation. The sooner I had her settled and I returned to Lorien, the better. At this rate, she'd sign me into contract.

- - -

Well, what did I tell you. Pretty bland that chapter. No worries though. I have big plans for the following. Thanks again for your patience and time, everyone! hugs

P.S. Sorry for any typos. I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer, so I didn't recheck through as I should. Hope it didn't draw away from the reading.