Ah… now you should all be very happy people. We have a new computer that will hopefully allow me to upload my chapters all by myself without having to send them to GollumRox! Hopefully it turns up nice though… scary stuff. So you know, I did hope to have this up like Monday or something but GollumRox is busy… yeah. Obviously she didn't put it up. But now I am in charge and so chapters should hopefully now be a once a week thing! Yea! Do say thank you to her though because otherwise none of this would be up.

Soo.. a lot of people reviewed! I feel so special.

Kit Cloudkicker: Hold your horses. We'll have to see about Finrod. Gotta wait for what the inner muse says. And I say spiffy all the time because it is the only word that can capture the meaning of what I want. Cool is somewhat close but that word isn't as neato as spiffy. That's why I say it a lot. I'm sorry if it bothers you. It is weird having Sauron falling asleep though isn't it? Oh well, he gets over it, and without pills of anything!

Carmen: Super, you actually read what it said at the start of the chapter so that you knew what minuvor was! Woot! Go you! And of course I found time to get it sent with the projects! I just stay up till three in the morning on Saturday! *twitch* I know it's hard to think that Sauron has eyelids, just try really hard, okay?

Akai Kiniro: Faithful readers are the best! :)

lirance: There are worse things to be obsessed with than !marks. I'm glad you love this, it makes it worth while to write that people like it!

AAAclub: I don't think I can make Sauron a shopoholic. Like, seriously, I don't think I can do it. But you can make him get everything for you anyways if you want. And I have some plans for Sauron, just give it time. *wanders off and cackles evilly*

Darth T-Rex: Well, personally, I think that from that shot of him when he's in Mt. Doom checking out his ring what he looks a bit pudgy. He does!! I can't help it, I laugh every time I see that. And then I want to know how the heck he can see ANYTHING when the eye holes on his helmet are like the size of a quarter. Derr, no wonder he got his hand hacked off... but maybe he doesn't really need to see because he's Sauron and he can just... see. Okay that was stupid. Hopefully this chapter contains a bit more intelligence than this reply!

Elderberry: Don't worry about the reviews, it was a bit amusing actually. And you think he'd look smashing in some mint green perhaps? Or baby blue? I'm sure he'd just make quite the dish! *snort*

Black Thunder: Yes, I'm moving up in the world! Go me! :)

Ruler-of-Da-World: Yeah, Haldir isn't sure of the house yet. He just needs time. And don't talk about the hair yet! Wait like... um... I dunno how many chapters because I haven't written it yet but something with the hair is coming. Yes. Heheee... ah yes. And wouldn't you know, but I kinda thought it was you. Just by the way you talked. Freakay. I really am sorry that it took so long for this chapter and when I kept getting your reviews it made me feel bad… but here it is finally! I looked at your bio too... cause I stalk people. Just kidding, I don't. But I was bored so I was looking at everybody's bio and you quoted the laugh! Spiffy! And you can be the ruler of the world, so long as you recognize that I am the ruler of the universe. :-D

Pherhyandoiel: I think that I would very likely scar myself if I tried to write Sauron having a fashion show. ... *suddenly remember the TTT spoof that was taped with GollumRox and Captain Tisher and recalls the song that she had to sing as Sauron for a karaoke thing at the end, causing a very uncomfortable twitch* Okay, well, my brain is pretty much scarred up anyways, so what little more can hurt!! I bet GollumRox would like it if Gollum did a fashion show. Bleh.. oh well.

XNemesis: Wow, British humor and I'm not even British! Goo meeee... it's probably because for like three years I just watched Monty Python every Friday evening. Must have rubbed off a little bit. Yeah, maybe Sauron did have to grovel on second thought. But he was good before and then became bad so maybe he didn't have to grovel because he had to be bribed in and groveling wouldn't really be a bribe unless you have issues. Procrastination... a double edged sword. Hate those things

Mystic Catface: Oooo, they have plenty to do even with the punishment over with. MUAHAHAHA!!!!! Hehehe... that's fun. Sometimes I wish I had a quick tongue... but I don't. I think of a good remark like five hours after the fact.

Ashley: Well thank you very much! You must not have minded that it said Fanor instead of Feanor in the first two chapters or whatever. That really vexed me... stupid little funny e. Anyways, I do know what you mean, but it normally has to be really bad for me to notice! I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for recommending it to your friend, whoever that is!

Spoofmaster: Yeah, it is messed up. Blegh. Oh well, you'll survive. And I know how you feel with the names, I did that too. I had to look back in the little family tree things all the time the first time I read it. SPIFFY!! Glad you likey the chapter.

Twisted Mary Sue: So there is a good annoying then? That's good! And Haldir doesn't really insult many people, just Sauron. But Sauron insults everybody. And such is their world. Sounds like fun doesn't it?

Weeell, here it is! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry again for keeping you waiting!



The room went from being pitch black to flooded with light in seconds. Haldir groaned and snaked down farther into the blankets on his bed, pulling them over his head to block out the light. However this was not very successful as they were yanked out of his hands not long after.

"What gives?" he complained as he squinted his eyes open. They had felt much better shut.

"Now now, haven't you ever heard of the early bird getting the worm?" was the reply from the one distinguishable shadow in the room.

"I've heard of it, but you are not a bird and you aren't looking for worms, so that was a stupid thing to say." He reached down to try and recover the blankets, but his hands just met empty air.

"I have this wonderful theory that if you don't have your blankets that you will get up because the room is too bright. It's seems to be working from all the signs."

"The light isn't keeping me up, you are. I thought that you were supposed to be tired anyways," Haldir said.

"I was. And so I slept. Remarkable thing, that. Who would have thought that sleeping could make it so that you wouldn't be sleepy anymore!"

"They said it'd take a while though. I feel cheated."

"It might have taken a while, but I just sucked away all of your energy and am using it for myself."

Haldir opened his eyes a bit wider, propping himself up with his elbows. He didn't really like the thought of that. It was a bit creepy... okay, it was a lot creepy.

Sauron shook his head. "I'm kidding. I figured that if they told you that I was going to be tired, that they would have told you why. Apparently not though..."

With a sigh of relief, Haldir leaned back. "No, they told me."

"So you know, and yet you weren't able to figure out that I didn't mean it? Honestly, if I am only as powerful as you and you can't go around taking people's energy or whatever, how do you think I would?" he asked. By the way he said it, he was nowhere near happy at the thought that he was on the same level as Haldir.

"I just woke up, you can't expect me to think everything in an instant." He reached out again to try and get his covers, but his hand was slapped away.

"None of that. You have to get up."

"I don't have to do anything. Now give me back my covers. I don't need you fouling them up when they are clean," he said as he sat up and blindly tried to snatch them out of Sauron's hands. He still wasn't quite used to the light, especially the amount that was coming into the room. Of course he would have picked the room that faced east.

"Why does this seem like another conversation we've had before? Odd," Sauron said, a false look of thoughtfulness on his face. Haldir tried to use this moment to regain his sheets, but Sauron pulled them away again. "You remember that I took a bit of a swim yesterday, right?"

Haldir considered that for a moment, and was a bit interested in that what fear Sauron might have had from the event had already been dispersed. That was really quick. No wonder he was such a slow learner. "Yes I recall that very clearly, but now you probably have salt all over you since you fell in the sea. I hear that it does horrors to your hair. And it makes you itchy."

"Well as you've so kindly pointed out on multiple occasions, my hair was not in lovely condition to begin with, and I don't feel itchy either. A bit of salt isn't bothering me, so it shouldn't be bothering you either."

"I still don't want it on my sheets!" He reached out quickly and wrenched the covers out of Sauron's hands, instantly pulling them around himself.

"You are not much of a morning person, are you?"

"No, I'm just a don't-open-the-curtains-and-steal-my-sheets-when-I'm-trying-to-sleep person. It's not really the most pleasant way to wake up."

"You have to get up sometime. I was just helping speed up the process a bit."

"Just because I'm awake doesn't mean that I'm going to go right away. Or at all," he added as an after thought.

"I want to get out there before the crowds. Crowds, ugh," he ended, a look of distaste painted across his face.

"You are not much of a people person, are you?" Haldir replied recalling what Sauron had said along the same lines a few moments before.

"Not really. Now can we just go and get this over with? I don't want to go out, but I kind of need to."

Haldir rubbed his eyes to clear them a bit more. "Oh, you don't need to go and get new clothes, I mean, that is a lovely non-color on you I must say."

Sauron frowned. "I don't have time for this. I've already been up for a couple hours waiting on you, and I'm not going to wait much longer."

"Patience is a virtue. One that you should figure out quickly."

"How about I try to figure it out after we come back, hm?"

Haldir ran his hands through his hair, trying to put it back in its place after having slept on it. "Fine," he said with a sigh.

Obviously quite pleased with this, Sauron helped him up (a bit more of a novel thing than Haldir had time to comprehend) and ushered him down the stairs, still half asleep, into a room that appeared to be something of a kitchen. When they got there, Elhith was sitting at a table already having something to eat.

"So you're finally up? Sleep well? I'd think so, you were out long enough. Looks like you slept in your clothes too," Elhith said as a way of greetings.

Haldir looked down at his crinkled tunic and shrugged. "I guess I was a bit more tired than I thought. At least it isn't too bad."

"Yes, heaven forbid that you have to go in public with clothes that are less than perfectly flat," Sauron remarked.

Not even taking the time to frown at Sauron's statement, Haldir continued to speak to Elhith. "And how was your night?"

"Just peachy."

Sauron tapped his foot at this considerably brief exchange, and Haldir finally gave up and sent him a slight look. "What did I say about patience?"

"That's it's a virtue, blah blah," he said, waving his hand to dismiss the statement. "Get on with it. Once you've had something to eat, we're going to go."

"Have you already eaten then?" Haldir asked as he sat across from Elhith.

"No."

"When do you plan to then? I highly doubt that you would want to be the one holding up the party."

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't had anything to eat since we got out of Mandos and you aren't hungry?"

"I had that tonic or whatever of Elhith's on the boat."

"That was a liquid, stupid." He looked over the food that was on the table quickly and decided on some bread.

"My, my, my, we're a bit cranky today, aren't we?" Sauron answered unfazed.

"I tend to be so when I don't get to sleep as long as I feel I need to. Now, you should have something to eat," he said, changing the subject.

"I told you, I'm not hungry. At least, I don't think I am."

Haldir set his food down and looked up at Sauron, finding the thought of him being unable to figure out if he was hungry or not just a bit on the childish side. "How can you not know if you're hungry?"

Sauron shrugged. "You forget that I haven't needed to eat in a long time. I don't really remember what it was like to be hungry."

"You have a terrible memory don't you?"

"Hey, I've been around long before you, and long before this world was even here. I have a lot that I have to remember. I can't keep everything in mind, and so I forget some of the trivial stuff like that."

"Then just eat something to be on the safe side. Besides, it'll keep you quiet."

"Grump," Sauron muttered as he came to the table and slowly took some bread himself.

"Now what I want to know is how you plan on paying as you have no money."

Elhith swallowed quickly at this, and Haldir turned to him. "Don't worry about that," he began. "You have an allowance here that you can use to get what you need. By the size of it, it seems that it will be replenished every month or so. It's over there on the counter."

"Are you coming along?" Haldir asked him when he got up.

"No, there are a couple of other things that I need to see to. I'll be back this evening however."

Haldir nodded, and Elhith left the room, a quiet peace falling over it that was obviously quickly shattered.

"Are you about done?" Sauron asked.

"I won't ever get done if you insist on interrupting me all the time."

This seemed to be a reasonable excuse and Sauron was silent until he finished. However, it was the instant that he was done when Sauron got up. "Elhith said there was the money on the counter, right? I wasn't really listening," he asked as he went to get it.

"That's a terrible flaw. If you don't listen you won't learn anything."

"I pick up on it if it's important."

"And having the money to get what you want isn't important?"

"Nah, you were listening to Elhith so I didn't really need to."

"That's what he said. I guess we'll just have to figure it out on our own. It can't be too bad though, it isn't like people will be underhanded or anything."

"Hmph, how do you know? They'll probably try to cheat us out of the money."

Haldir shook his head. "No, the only person that would possible try and cheat in this would probably be you." Sauron actually smirked a bit at that, but did not say anything. "I've never had anybody swindle me among my own kind. I know it will be hard for you to grasp the concept that people are not always out to better you and can actually be friendly and want to help, but at least try to understand it."

"Whatever you say, you who is so wise in the ways of the world."

Deciding not to answer that, Haldir looked at the money and tried to figure out how much to take, because it wouldn't do to bring along all that they would get that whole month and end up losing it. He picked out a couple different pieces and put them in a pouch that was in the box, and then turned to Sauron who was amusing himself by messing with the remaining coins. "Are you done with that or is it just too entertaining?"

Sauron looked up at him and blinked.

"Well?"

"I'm ready. Let's go."

He began to make his way to the door, but Haldir stopped him. "Not so fast. I still want to get something out of this."

Sauron almost succeeded in covering the cringe that was momentarily on his face. "Oh, yes, I'd forgotten."

"Yeah, I'm sure you forgot. Anyways, I thought about it a bit in the few seconds of quiet I got this morning."

"And you figured something out? Good for you."

"Yes. You have to bow to me."

There was that look of surprise again, but this time it mixed with annoyance. "I already told you that I won't bow to you."

"Then I'm not going out."

"Come on, that is totally ridiculous. Why would you want me to do that anyways?"

"Because I know how much it will irk you," Haldir said smiling.

Sauron scowled. "Listen here, I am capable of doing something a little more worth while than just bowing. You realize that don't you?"

"Yes, I know, but I still want the bow."

"Well you're not going to get it!"

"Then you're not going out."

Sauron made a sound of frustration that only made Haldir laugh. "You must have a bit more of a passion for appearance than you've led onto if it's so important to you that you are still trying to bargain on it."

Although he looked about ready to reply to that, Sauron held his tongue for a moment. "So there isn't any other way that you're going to go except if I bow to you."

Haldir nodded slowly. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"Okay, fine," he said finally, looking slightly ruffled and a whole lot irritated.

First he took a few steps back, and sank down to one knee, crossing his right hand over his chest. Then with overly dramatic flourish, Sauron bent his head down and swept his left arm back, paused for a moment, and then lifted his head back up. "Was that a good enough bow for you, Lord Haldir?" he asked, quite heavy on the sarcasm.

"Yes, that was very nice. You must have had a lot of practice."

"Hush up," Sauron replied grouchily.

"Well, now that that is taken care of, let's get this over with."

Sauron got up, straightening his tunic out. "You do know that I only did that because of the circumstance and so you shouldn't get any ideas."

Haldir continued to make his way to the door but smiled. "Yes, yes, I know. Now come on, I thought you said you wanted to get out before the crowds."



Hahaha, now you have to wait even more for shopping stuff. Although that isn't that bad, is it? I mean, Sauron had to bow in this chapter. Dun dun dun. Anywho, so that was the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! And the chapters keep getting longer and longer. The next one is like nine pages. Fun.