With a jerk, Haldir woke up. For a moment he was thoroughly confused, unable to figure out where he was or why he was there... or who he was, for that matter. He looked around and squinted as the light of the sun rising over the ocean pierced into his eyes, making them dilate painfully. "Blasted light," he sighed under his breath as he closed his eyes again.

"My sentiments exactly."

Haldir's eyes opened again in a flash. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out why that voice sounded so familiar. It only took a moment for everything to come back to him, but, when it did, he groaned.

"What? Do you have morning breath or something? You haven't been asleep that long; I can't expect that it is too bad," Sauron said.

Haldir ignored Sauron as he sat up and rubbed his neck where it was sore from laying on the bench.

Finally, thinking that he could stand without immediately falling down again, he stood. It did take him a minute to get his balance, but he did not fall.

"Bit tipsy?" Sauron asked him, promptly occupying the bench and stretching out along its length so that there would be no room for Haldir.

"A bit maybe."

"A bit," Sauron repeated, and then began to pick at a loose thread on his tunic.

"So, what have you been up to while I was off?" Haldir asked him.

Sauron looked up at him dully. "Elhith was sharing some stories with me."

Haldir couldn't help but smirk and laugh softly. "Was he now?"

"Why does that amuse you? There really is nothing funny about it," he said, finally pulling out the thread.

"Not to you, I am sure. You don't take being laughed at very well, do you?"

Sauron frowned. "You were laughing at me?"

"Not exactly," Haldir said slowly. "It was just an offhand observation for the most part."

"You are right, I don't particularly like it," replied Sauron after a moment, still looking at Haldir critically. "But that shouldn't come as much of a surprise since I don't like laughter, period! Well, unless I am the one laughing. That I can handle."

"Figures. Actually," Haldir said, having a thought, "I'm surprised that you even know how to laugh."

"Well, I can smile, can't I? If I can smile, why couldn't I laugh?"

"Then maybe I should say that I wouldn't think you would know how to smile either. Better?"

"But you know I can. I already have," Sauron pointed out.

"Oh yeah... Still, that is beside the point."

"It is?" Sauron asked skeptically. "I would have thought that it was right on the point. Do I have to go frolic in a field of flowers or something like you elves to prove that I am capable of some feelings of a positive nature, hm? You might think that I am in a perpetual state of gloom and all that, but that isn't the case. I've had my moments, and although I doubt that you would call them happy, they were to me. Point taken?" he ended, ripping out some more strings from the frayed hem.

Haldir sighed. "Fine. It's just that I wouldn't expect you to know. I mean, with all that evil crap you always were doing. Somehow evil and laughter just didn't seem to go together."

"I wasn't always 'evil' you know," Sauron said under his breath, as though he was only half sure that he wanted to rebut with such a statement.

It seemed to Haldir that it was not a statement that he should answer. Instead, he took the time to realize that his legs were getting a little wobbly, although he didn't know why they would be. Deciding to fix the problem, he sat down on the deck.

"Ah, that is better," Sauron said at a normal tone again, looking down at him. "It feels more natural to have people down below me, rather than at the same level."

Haldir shook his head but did not reply as he saw Elhith coming toward them.

This was not bad for Haldir. In fact, it was nice to think of having somebody else with whom to talk. As Elhith came over, however, he stood at least two feet higher than Sauron, who was still sitting on the bench. "Well," Sauron said with a sigh, "that lasted long."

"What lasted long?" Elhith asked.

"Nothing."

Elhith was able to momentarily pull his lips down, but they bounced back to their original position so quickly that it seemed possible that the frown might have just been a trick of the light. "Well, I see that you got Haldir up as I asked. Thank you!" he said.

"How nice of you to do as Elhith requested!" Haldir said once he registered what Elhith's words implied. Sauron scowled at him, but only mildly to prevent attracting Elhith's attention.

"I had him get you up since we will be at port soon. I figured that you would like to be able to see the city as we arrive. You are silvan?"

"Yes. How did you know?" Haldir asked.

"Rondae told me, of course."

"Well!" Haldir said, smiling widely. For the first time it was Sauron's face that was painted with the expression that asked 'why me?' instead of Haldir's.

"If you would like the come to the bow now, we should be able to see Eressea any minute. Right after it will be your first true sight of Valinor; the plains outside of Mandos do not really count, if you understand."

"Of course."

Haldir began to follow Elhith towards the bow. "Don't you want to come?" he asked Sauron quickly.

"No," was Sauron's strained answer, and, although Haldir figured out why later, he did not understand at the time.