A/N1: This is a long chapter and for that I apologize – this part of the story absolutely refused to divide for me!
A/N2: Lady Ninniach was an old Maia from my story Possession who was murdered by a demon.
A/N3: Baraiell (Fiery Daughter)
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My Creator, give me the courage to share, and the courage to listen.
-John Peters (Slow Turtle), WAMPANOAG
Chapter 22
A Friend In Need
As soon as the quaking of the room had subsided and the people had gotten over their initial panic and had calmed down, they all went back to their partying. Anayah went back to her dancing and once more began moving herself towards the dais where a wounded and ignored Legolas sat, rocking himself back and forth in an effort to comfort himself. The hand, which he held tightly to his chest was bleeding quite badly as was his leg but he seemed to be ignoring that fact as he tried to maintain the tenuous control he had of his pain. His efforts failed, for though his time as the prize slave of the High Chieftain had not been that long in the grand scheme of things, it was enough to weaken his ability to endure this additional physical abuse.
As Anayah danced closer to her suffering friend, she saw that he was beginning to rock himself faster and knew it would not be much longer before he lost his ability to bear his pain in stoic silence. Just as she drew near, his pain and despair finally overwhelmed him and he leapt to his feet … and staggered right into the blonde slave girl in front of him, tripping on her and knocking both of them to the ground. Although she did her best to break Legolas's fall, it was still an extremely painful experience for the elf and once on the floor, he curled into a tiny ball and began to whimper.
Seeing the blood flowing freely from his hand and leg, she knew that she had to help – and quickly – before he passed out from loss of blood - or worse. Anayah first looked around and after taking a small dagger from her thigh sheath, grabbed a cloak from a passing guard, almost ripping the garment off the human in the process and after tearing it into strips, again knelt beside Legolas. She took her healer's pouch off her hip and after finding the athelas, liberally poured the herb onto the Prince's wounds then bound them with the strips of cloth made from the guard's cloak.
Her hand gently wiped the tears off the elf's cheeks then tucked the filthy, matted hair back behind his ears. The rage she felt in her chest at the sight of the Mirkwood Prince in the diminished condition he was in was painful and almost too much for her to handle, but for Legolas's sake, she took a deep breath and regained her self-control. She saw the Palace guards approaching her and so, leaning close, she whispered in his ear.
"I will save you mellon-nín."
As Anayah rose to her feet to place herself between Legolas and the guards, he finally raised his head and looked at her but since her back was already to him, he had no point of reference and so didn't recognize her. Thinking that the elvish words he had just heard were but part of his imaginings, he once more lowered his eyes and resumed his rocking.
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When the guards saw the slave girl standing between themselves and the wounded elf, they stopped and laughed.
"Know your place, slave." The guard growled at Anayah.
In turn, Anayah went into a loose-kneed stance then rotated her neck to loosen her tense neck muscles.
"I know my place, Master Guard. It is here … between you and the poor, abused slave kneeling behind me. I think it would be wise for you to come no closer."
The guard turned his head toward his companion and smiled again before turning back to the female standing in front of him. Without further warning, he lunged at Anayah but when his target was no longer where it had been just moments before, he was surprised – right up until the time he landed flat on his back so hard that the wind was driven from his lungs.
He had not seen the female move nor had he expected her to be able or even willing to defend herself and so when he landed on the floor, it was his own astonishment that kept him from leaping to his feet once more. The guards, who had been following him, ran forward but were met with a flurry of arms, elbows and feet and were soon either driven back or were lying half-unconscious on the floor.
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Rahan and Súrion had been intently watching what was going on, ready to intervene the instant they were needed and the pre-arranged signal was given. The two Guards were hoping that intervention on their part wouldn't be necessary for they both realized how vital it was not to give away their presence and possibly endanger either Legolas or what Anayah was trying to do.
That didn't mean, however, that when two Palace guards walked by their positions that they had to keep their hands to themselves. The two elves reached out from the shadows and when each of them had grabbed one of the humans by the collar of his tunic, they then swung the two humans into each other then smiled as the two slid, quite ungracefully, to the floor. Then, as stealth tactics dictated, the two immediately moved to another position.
Captain Rahan suddenly put his hand on Súrion's shoulder and when the big Silvan Guard paused and looked at his Captain questioningly, Rahan pointed to his eyes then made a circular motion with his index finger, silently telling his fellow Guard that someone was watching them. The two slipped deeper into the shadows as each looked closely at the humans near them.
Then grey eyes met those of the two elves and in an instant, each knew the other as an ally. Just before the man dropped the unconscious Palace guard he was holding upright by the collar of his tunic, the man and the two elves nodded at each other then all three disappeared deeper into the shadows.
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Ostara always loved a good fight but if she couldn't be in the middle of one, she loved to watch, for there was something about the sight of blood splattering the floor or flowing down the front of someone that was exciting to her. The slave girl impressed her, for she was holding her own with guards that were substantially taller and were double her weight. After watching her guards get battered for awhile, the High Chieftain decided that it was finally time for her to go say hello and so she rose from her ornately carved chair and walked toward the fight.
"HOLD!" She bellowed.
If someone had suddenly blown out a candle, things couldn't have happened any quicker, for the room instantly fell silent and every one of her guards were frozen in place. She noticed that the blonde slave girl wasn't backing off, going to her knees or even lowering her eyes as she approached – and this fact intrigued her - for in truth, the slave showed neither fear nor deference, an altogether refreshing occurrence.
Ostara stopped in front of the slave and for a moment, stood silently staring down at the shorter female who was refusing to drop her eyes.
"I am impressed." The High Chieftain began. "My people know that if you don't bow when I come towards you or address you, that you die. Are you not afraid of me?"
Anayah looked at the huge woman standing in front of her, noticing the masculine musculature, aggressive posture and the amber eyes that looked at her the same way she had once seen her falcon looking at a mouse. She also noted, in passing, that the mithril fillet with the gorgeous white stone looked completely out of place on the brow of this cruel leader. Whether it was her imagination or not, for a moment, Anayah could have sworn that the stone pulsed once, then inside her own mind she heard a voice whisper, "Home."
She shook her head slightly to bring her mind back on task then turned her attention to the leader of the Wainriders.
"No, I am not afraid of you and I am puzzled as to why you think I should be."
Ostara's laugh was as big and ugly as its owner was and though she didn't show it, Anayah's sensitive ears were momentarily offended. The big woman's laugh turned cold when she noticed that the diminutive slave girl was neither smiling nor laughing with her, and something about that fact disturbed her and made the hair rise on the back of her neck.
"Where are you from and what are you doing in Hoth?"
She slowly and methodically began to walk in a circle around the smaller female, noting as she did so that the slave never once allowed her back to be turned towards her.
"This one knows how to defend herself and knows not to turn her back on an enemy!" She thought to herself while nodding.
"I was taken from my Harad Master by a man from the Kingdom of Gondor. My new Master and I but pass through this city on our way home."
Ostara remained silent for a moment as she began to finger Anayah's braid but after the two again locked eyes, Anayah slowly removed her hair from the woman's hand. Ostara continued to circle the slave and in turn, the slave continued to face her, again never presenting her back. Around them, the tension was getting thicker as the crowd silently watched the two women circling each other like two alpha wolves testing each other just before a fight.
"You have some admirable martial skills … for a slave. Would you care to explain?"
"Not at all." Anayah returned as she continued to lock eyes with Ostara. "I was raised by four brothers who taught me how to defend myself."
The High Chieftain nodded slowly, almost as if she only half-believed the story that was being told to her for it was uncommon to find a female slave that could defend herself, much less defend herself well. Finally, she stopped her movements and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What business do you have showing an interest in my property?"
Anayah was quick with her answer for she had already anticipated that Ostara would want to know this very thing.
"He is unique and is therefore of great value to you. I am sure that you would not want to lose such valuable merchandise because of a neglected wound."
Ostara uncrossed her arms as her gaze turned steely.
"You still haven't answered my question. Why do you bother yourself with my property?"
Still holding the woman's gaze, she answered.
"Elves are not that common - so why would you want to treat one in this fashion?"
"Because I can." Was the simple answer.
It was extremely difficult for Anayah to maintain a neutral tone with the woman.
"I realize that is the case, but being a woman of means as well as High Chieftain, would you rather have a prize horse in your stable or would you want a broken down cart-puller?"
Then an idea came to Anayah and even though she knew Rahan would have something to say about it later, she ran with it.
"Allow me to care for this pitiful creature. If he doesn't receive the care of a healer, he will die and then you would no longer have an elf in your stables. Allow me to care for him and I will turn him into something that will make the other Chieftains jealous of what you possess."
Anayah could see that the woman was thinking about it. The High Chieftain turned to the two jailers so quickly that both of the humans jumped.
"Take this pathetic thing back to his cell and when the festivities are over, allow this slave girl to tend him."
She looked at the two quivering jailers ominously.
"Make sure she gets anything she asks for to tend him with. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, High Chieftain – anything you say High Chieftain."
If the situation hadn't been so serious, Anayah would have laughed at how the two humans answered their leader in unison and bowed to her in unison as well.
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After the two jailers had drug Legolas off in the direction of the cellblock, Ostara put a companionable arm around Anayah's neck. Reading the warning in the smaller female's eyes, she waited an appropriate amount of time before she removed her arm.
As each of them went their separate ways, one back to the dais and her guests and the other back to her dancing, they each knew in their hearts that the time would eventually come when the two of them would meet for things other than words.
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Anayah followed one of Ostara's personal guards deep into the bowels of the monstrosity the High Chieftain called a palace. The stone, mined from the local quarry, was dark, cold and silent, which led her to wonder what being kept in a dark cell in the furthest reaches of the cellar would be doing to the tender spirit of a wood elf.
The stones themselves were silent, seemingly devoid of Ilúvatar's song - that is, they were silent unless an elf were to listen closely. Then that elf would hear a song of sadness, faintly and far off in the distance, that spoke only of dark things, and blood of innocent slaves that was spilled while cutting and mining the stones that were now a part of the walls of the Palace as well as the walls of these rooms of torment and captivity.
The guard finally stopped at a cell at the far end of a narrow corridor and as she paused in front of the door, she heard a faint skittering sound as something within the cell moved farther back into the shadows.
"Please light two torches and place them in the wall."
When the guard made no move to comply with her request, Anayah slowly turned to the human and quietly and calmly repeated her request.
"I said, please light two torches and place them in the wall."
Looking her body up and down in a lewd manner, the guard finally complied.
"Toad." Anayah spoke the word under her breath, so softly that there was no chance the guard would have heard her.
She saw her friend at the back of the cell, trying to hide his eyes from the bright light and if it were possible for flames to shoot out of an elf's eyes, it would have happened at that moment. She spun to face the guard with a look in her eyes that would have made the mighty Glaurung himself, quiver in fright and douse his own inadequate flame. As it was, the guard backed up two steps as the force of the expression in her eyes bored into his own.
"He is naked. Tell me, good sir, why this elf is currently without apparel?"
"Huh?"
"Why does he not have any clothes on? Why is he naked? Is there something wrong with your hearing?"
"No, there ain't nothing wrong with my hearing. He was bad and when he's bad, he gets his clothes taken away - among other things."
Anayah stared at the guard for a few moments in silence. When she spoke again, it was still in an even, calm tone of voice.
"I want you to get me a bucket of water, a healers kit, linen for bandages, a water flask for drinking, food, clothes and a blanket. This elf is ill and if he is treated this way for much longer, he will die."
The guard then made what was probably the biggest mistake of his long and mostly miserable life – he laughed at the female in front of him. After his next breath, however, he found himself up against the wall with the forearm of the female pressing hard against his throat and closing off his windpipe. When she spoke, though still calm, the tone of both voice as well as her words left no doubt as to her wish to be obeyed – and to be obeyed immediately.
"I want you to remember, Master Guard, that Ostara, herself, said that I was to be given whatever I needed to care for this elf. If he were to die and I was to tell Ostara that his death was a direct result of your refusal to comply with her orders, what do you think she would do to you?"
The guard turned a sickly shade of green and his eyes began to dart back and forth nervously.
"I thought so." She nodded her head and released the guard from where she held him. "Now please, make haste and bring the things I have requested - and let me into the cell before you go."
Mumbling to himself, the guard unlocked the cell door then left to get her the supplies she had requested.
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Anayah walked toward the cowering elf, her heart breaking as she watched the once proud Mirkwood Prince shift as far away from her as he could get and put his hands over his head as if expecting to be struck. Pausing for a moment, she wiped a tear from her own cheek, then taking a deep, calming breath, she lowered the hood of her cloak and walked slowly forward.
"Legolas, mellon-nín. It is I, Anayah."
She knelt down in front of him but when she tried to take his wounded hand away from his head, he jerked away from her.
"Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of Mirkwood, brother of the heart to Estel, friend of Elladan and Elrohir and savior, protector and counselor to a weepy-eyed elfling who cannot control her emotions - where have you gone? Where are you now, my friend?"
Slowly, he lowered the hand nearest to her and, for the first time, looked closely at her. She saw the recognition flicker across his face which was followed closely thereafter by a frown as he reached out with his hand and touched her blonde hair.
"It will wash out, Legolas." She said. "Either that or there is going to be a set of bald twins running around Imladris for awhile."
He was still frowning as he put his hand back over his head.
Anayah heard the guard returning and quickly leaned toward Legolas.
"My name is Baraiell, while I am here."
She stood as the guard came into the cell and placed the items she had requested inside the door. He made no move to leave.
"Master Guard, if you wish, you may close and lock the door but I do want some privacy, for this poor elf has suffered enough humiliation without you standing there staring."
Nodding his head curtly at her, he locked the door then turned on his heel and stomped away.
Taking the blanket, Anayah draped it around the shivering elf's thin shoulders. When he pulled away from her for a second time, it was her turn to frown.
"Legolas, what is wrong? I just wish to help you to the cot so please, do not fight me."
This time when she placed her hand on his shoulder, he did not pull away - but neither did he move to rise.
"I do not wish for you to see me this way."
"What way?"
Then it dawned on her - her friend was embarrassed at having no clothes.
"Oh, Legolas. Don't be embarrassed, for we are friends. Besides, I travel with four male elves. I treat their wounds, they treat mine and I have treated you before as well, and I have three brothers at home, so it is not as if I have never seen an unclothed male before. However, if it would make you more comfortable, I will take all my clothes off and then we can say we are wearing matching outfits - how does that sound?"
She stood and after removing her cloak, began to take off the dancer's clothing she had been wearing when she had danced for Ostara and her guests. Legolas threw both hands out to try to stop her, lost the blanket, then hurriedly picked it up and covered himself once more.
"No. No. That is quite all right, Anayah. I know that you would not give nakedness another thought. You win. Now help me to the bed, please."
She laid the back of her hand along his cheek for a moment then took his arm and helped him to his feet. Without thinking, he put weight on his injured leg and let out an involuntary moan as it threatened to buckle on him. Anayah braced her own body against his to provide support and in that way helped him to slowly make his way to the cot. He laid down then sighed with relief.
He tried to protest and push her hands away when she began to gently bathe him, but after receiving "the look of doom," desisted and let her help him. It took some time, but finally he was fairly clean, his hair had been combed, his wounds tended to and clothes had been put on him.
"Now let us see what they have given you to eat." She eyed the bowl containing the thin gruel and tried to hide her look of distaste. "Well, it ain't much kiddo, but with this," she reached into the lining of her cloak and pulled out a wafer of lembas, "it just might be enough to give you some strength."
He smiled and even though it did not reach his eyes, at least it was an expression of an emotion other than fear.
"I am really not hungry – I'm sorry. If I ate it, I would probably just throw it right back up."
She frowned.
"Legolas if you do not at least eat a few bites, I swear on Manwë's beard that I will take off all my clothes and dance naked while singing the battle song of the dwarves as loudly as I am able - in their language!" She held out the gruel and the lembas.
Smiling, he took it from her and managed to eat some of each. Finally, he gave both back to her and shook his head, signifying that he could eat no more, then after a few sips of water, laid back down. He was shivering uncontrollably from nerves, the cold as well as from physical weakness and so, after taking off her cloak she tucked it tightly around the shivering being then sat on the edge of his cot.
Gently, she stroked his brow, smoothing the stray wisps of hair off his forehead and tucking them behind his ears while trying to soothe his spirit but even though his eyes were closed he still shivered and so she knew he wasn't sleeping. Then she got an idea. Helping the shaking elf to sit, she scooted in behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around him from behind, sharing her own body heat with him and when he finally started to warm up and started to relax, he opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Why are you doing this Anayah?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why did you come all this way and then risk your own life to try and save me? You should not have come for there is no way for me to escape this place."
"Now that statement is just about the biggest piece of nonsense I have ever heard come out of your mouth, Prince of Mirkwood." Leaning her head down, she lightly kissed his brow. "Legolas, I do this because you are precious to me, and you are my friend. Why did you search for me and comfort me the time I was so emotionally torn up over Lady Ninniach's death?(A/N2) When a friend is in need, another friend doesn't stop and reason it out – they just do!"
Easing his hand out from underneath the blanket and the cloak, he placed it over hers. They then spent some time in companionable silence and when Anayah bent over to see if he had fallen asleep, he surprised her by speaking.
"May I ask you a question?"
"Of course. What is it you would like to know?"
"I don't exactly understand this whole destiny thing of yours. Estel's I understand - but yours confuses me. Would you mind explaining?"
When she hesitated for a moment, he spoke again.
"Of course if you are uncomfortable talking about it you don't have to."
She shifted her weight, getting a little more comfortable on the cot.
"Well, sometimes the dang thing confuses me too. The elves knew millennia ago, after Isildur refused to destroy the One Ring, that Sauron would eventually try to come back in to power. It was a given fact that he would do everything he could to drive a wedge in the relationship between humans and elves as well as within individual races themselves in order to forestall future alliances and weaken Gondor's position in the coming conflict. It was also a 'given' that Sauron and his minions would waste no trick, great or small to see that his goals were met. So the elves, in their infinite wisdom, devised a plan which was to unite the two greatest bloodlines Middle Earth had ever know, those of Elros and Galadriel, to get an ambassador as well as a champion for the future King of Men.
They were hoping that their champion would have all the strengths and powers of the Númenoreans as well as the strengths and wisdom of the elves. You know – someone big and bad with lots of hair on their chest, knuckles dragging on the ground, and with the uncanny ability to be able to pick their teeth with the front leg bone of a Mumak."
He laughed softly as he nodded.
"The elves were expecting a male. Unfortunately, not all things are in their control and so I was born and not only was I a female, but I am probably the shortest elf that there has ever been."
"How tall are you?"
"5'6", 5'7" if I stand up straight. Not a very impressive champion, huh?"
Legolas gave a light laugh and encouraged her to continue.
"What are you supposed to do? I mean, what are your duties until the king assumes the throne?"
She paused for a moment as she got Legolas to drink some more water. Then after she had again settled him against her, she continued.
"I am supposed to run interference and by that, I mean that I have to take the pressure off the future king – focus the eye of the enemy on something, or someone else." She laughed softly. "And part of my job is to get the future king's butt out of trouble when he needs me to."
Sighing softly, she continued once more.
"Some people think that I am out to prove that a female is just as good as a male. They are wrong for I am only here to get a job done and I am more than willing to do whatever I have to, to do just that and I definitely do not think that I am any better than anybody else. I am faster because I am smaller and lighter and I am stronger because I know how to focus my strength and energy to get the maximum effect. My warring skills are at a superior level because I work my hind end off, all the time, to make them that way. I am smarter – well, I am smarter just because I am."
Legolas squeezed her arm and laughed softly but when he once more spoke after a prolonged silence, his voice sad and soft.
"I do not think that I can do this."
She tightened her grip on him, trying to encourage him.
"Do what, my friend?"
"I do not think that I have the strength to get through this. I just don't think I can."
She frowned, then spoke, knowing that the next few moments were going to be difficult for both of them.
"Are you thinking of what happened years ago, Legolas?"
She knew she was right when she felt him stiffen and also knew that a shared sorrow sometimes made the burden easier to carry.
"I am going to tell you something that you are not to tell another being on Middle Earth. Do you promise me this?"
He nodded.
She took a deep breath and suddenly found herself on the verge of tears as she remembered. Legolas looked up at her with concern in his eyes, frowning. She was finally ready to reveal the secret she had been keeping from everyone because it was still such a raw wound in her own heart.
"I am only telling you this because I want you to know that we are both bound by our suffering."
Legolas felt all the blood drain from his face as he instantly understood what it was she was referring to.
"Anayah, no!"
"Yes, Legolas. During the 'demon incident' when I was kidnapped, all five of those 'humans,' abused me in the same way that you were abused all those years ago. I am not telling you this to get your sympathy mellon-nín, I am telling you because I want you to know that I feel the same fear every day that you are feeling right at this moment. Far too often I have felt that I don't have the strength to continue, although somewhere I always find just enough strength to carry on one more day. Whether I find that strength in the laughter and pranks of the twins, in Estel's infectious smile and those stupid jokes he insists on telling, the humor of my Guards, or even in your irreplaceable friendship. I go on, Legolas, even though each day is a new and separate trial for me. I have to be strong - you have to be strong - strong for those that care about you as well as yourself. Rest assured, mellon-nín, I will avenge what has been done to you here – on that you have my vow."
There was silence for a time and then Anayah felt the elf in her arms begin to shake once more although this time he was not shaking because he was cold - this time it was because he was crying. He gripped her arms tightly with both of his and began to sob, and in turn she rocked him and laid her cheek on top of his head as she soothed him. Finally, having exhausted the last of his energy, his eyes slipped shut and he finally slept.
TBC
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ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS: I love hearing from Anonymous Reviewers on any of my stories, whether or not they have been completed. I feel bad, however, that there is little to no chance of me ever being able to correspond with you and either thank you for your review or answer questions. I just wanted you to know that every review is much appreciated.
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CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Stephanie Tanner … a young woman after my own heart. I have used that phrase for everything from the exploits of the neighbor who lives across the hall to a cat I once had who would "pass wind" then look at me like I did it.
I am glad you are enjoying the story. Keep up the good thoughts because things are going to really start happening … curses, epic battles, cameo appearances, Santa Claus … just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Sorry, no Santa Claus. Thanks for the review and hope to hear from you again.
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kukumalu: Flushing Ostara down the toilet … hmmmm. Dang good idea! It pleases me to no end that you feel so "relieved" after "flushing the toilet."
ROFLMBO! You had me laughing so hard after destroying the Liliputian "B" that I almost choked! That was really a 10-tissue laugh!
There is a very good reason why the people of Hoth are afraid of things shaking but that reason will not be revealed until towards the end although there will be clues as to the reason throughout the story and when the answer is finally given, you will go, "Now that's reasonable!"
Who is Mr. Grey-Eyes? It might just surprise you although you will have to read on to find out his full identity.
No … Raquel Welch would not have been offended by me with one boob. Mae West would have probably raised an eyebrow at the horrible imitation I did of her after the death of my first balloon. Hmmm, Mae West … now I am really giving away my age … sorry.
Thanks for the review and hope to see you next time.
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aduwathiel: Hey girl! I've missed you. Thanks for reading Chapter 8. I know you will eventually make it to this chapter so …. Don't be a stranger and drop by again! BTW … how is school coming?
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Kanikan( ): I hope that you will find this note to you as I have no other way to respond to your review for Black Rider. It means a lot to me that you would be so gracious when pointing out my error. Thank you.
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horsiegurl: Welcome and thank you very much for the review. Hope you continue to be entertained.