The knock was perfunctory to say the least, and the door opened before Parvon could call out for the person to enter. He compressed his lips together in a hard smile and took a breath.

'Good day to you, Elder Gomben, how may the Palace Office help you today?' he asked with every measure of politeness he could muster; the elder from Oak Village had a hard expression on his face. 'Will you sit?'

'I will not,' Gomben said. 'Instead, I will ask why there have been thefts of property from Oak Village talain?'

'Thefts?' Parvon echoed. 'Why would there be thefts, we are elves, we do not…'

'Several important items from my talan have not been brought to the New Palace!' The elder scowled. 'And I wish to make a formal complaint…'

'Indeed? The process has been undertaken by the garrison. All items found are logged, loaded onto carts and brought back here, where they are unloaded and the inventories checked and rechecked. Items are then…'

'I know the process, I spoke to the elf in charge! Not that he was any help…'

Oh, dear. Poor Faerveren! Parvon made a mental note to tell Merenor so that the family could rally round, if necessary…

'Of course, there has been considerable loss due to fire damage; there are bound to be some things missing. I will investigate on your behalf,' Parvon said. 'Meanwhile, if you would be so good as to make a list of the specific items about which you're concerned…'

'That's not good enough! I want to go for myself and see but the guard won't let me pass…'

Ah. Perhaps this was the real reason Elder Gomben was making such a fuss…

'Unfortunately, that's not possible; there is still a curfew in place restricting elves to inside the perimeter of the watch flets. The only people allowed near the villages are the work crews and the escort from the garrison…'

'But I am the Einior!'

Parvon refrained from saying that, in fact, he was but the elder of the village, not having been appointed to the higher rank. Instead, he shook his head.

'If a damaged tree falls on you, I doubt it will recognise your authority,' he said. 'It is for the safety of everyone that access is being limited…'

'I protest; this is unfair…'

'But it is the king's own order, you were there when he said that no-one was to return to the villages… I am sorry, Elder Gomben, but if you feel so strongly about it, you should protest to him in person. Meanwhile, I will see what I can find out about the salvaged items from your village talain.'

Muttering, the elder left, and Parvon shook his head before reaching for the top document on a pile of papers that had been steadily growing and growing during the last several days. He had just begun to make sense of it – a report on diverting the water supply from the villages back to the streams – when there was a second knock at the door.

He froze momentarily, but relaxed as it opened to the friendly face of Master Merenor.

'I hope I'm not intruding?' the elf said with his kindliest smile. 'But the king has no need of me this morning, so I thought perhaps I might be of use here instead… oh, have you got through those already?' he went on, breaking into his own train of thought to nod at a stack of documents on the desk. 'Well done!'

'In fact, no…' Parvon sighed. 'For each one I read another two appear… and then, every time I pick one up from the pile, someone knocks on the door and it is yet another matter that cannot wait…'

'Well, if you like, you could take a few of them out of order…' Merenor crossed to the documents and pulled out here, and there, and another… 'Yes, these are the key points to cover, I think… Why not take them into your inner room, and I'll mind the desk for you, if you like? I know enough about his majesty's plans to be able to help, I'm sure…'

'Master Merenor, would you…?' This time Parvon's sigh was one of relief. 'I hate to leave the day reports unread, and I have been so busy with enquiries…'

'You go on, have a sit down and a read through. I'll be fine, and if something should come up, well, I am sure whatever enquiries I get will keep for at least a morning.'

'Thank you… one thing, have you seen Faerveren this morning…? That is, I've had Elder Gomben in here complaining about missing items and I know it's not my assistant's fault, but I am worried lest…'

'In fact, Faerveren was running an errand for Healer Mae and so my own Hanben was there when the good ellon made his concerns known. But thank you, lad; it's good to see you taking care of my grandson.'

Somewhat taken aback at being called 'lad', Parvon nodded, took the proffered papers, and retreated to the inner room. It took him a few minutes to settle, to stop half-listening for the outer door, but the papers demanded his attention and he found himself absorbed by the chatty style of the documents presented to him. That they were appended with Master Merenor's initial went some way to explain their easy tone, but still the information was all there; damage to certain trees, which were worse than others and might need felling for safety, which expected to make a full recovery… a change in the next document, more sombre in tone, remarking the likely locations for the missing remains of those elves taken by the dragons… this was one he should have read yesterday, for it required an answer, and action, and he read it through twice and turned his thoughts towards his response – who would go to these locations and find out who may have been there, and then how to tell the families, and what to say… him, he supposed, perhaps taking one of the healers along… ah, but Maereth would be upset and… although… did not Master Hanben once work with the healers in the Old Palace? Perhaps, if he were willing…

He made a note to ask Master Merenor's opinion, and tagged the document as important before carrying on to the next.

Before he could get really started, however, he heard the outer door, Master Merenor calling out to enter and Triwathon's voice, surprised and courteous. Although the door was an encumbrance, there was no doubt Triwathon was asking for him, Parvon, and a silly sense of delight surged in him at the thought of seeing his friend, only to be steadied by the unwanted reminder that the commander had a new friend now… taking a breath, Parvon went to the door and opened it in time to hear Triwathon saying, well, yes, he was aware that Master Merenor knew almost everyone one and everything, but it really was Parvon who…

'I am just free, Commander, if you would like a few minutes,' he said, trying not to let his smile be too friendly. 'I've had one of the elders here this morning, and Master Merenor is just shielding me. But come through.'

'Thank you – it shouldn't take long,' Triwathon said, and the smile Parvon could see on his face was, surely, more than formal? '…and, usually, I would just say in passing, but…'

'But we've been passing each other in haste, have we not?' Parvon gestured to a chair. 'Well, how are things with you?'

'Busy, of course, but at least I've been out of doors, in the forest…' The commander gestured the papers on Parvon's desk. 'We – the garrison's work there – are the source of much of your recent paperwork, I am afraid. But I didn't like being indoors so much, it is, at least, a chance to breathe… mostly the smell of smoke has dissipated, so the air is good again.'

'That's good. And have you had many problems? That is, one of the elders was complaining, I think he was looking to make me let him visit…'

'Oh, constantly, the perimeter guards are forever having to stop people…! But I know you are doing all you can to remind them.'

'It's on the boards, we announce it at the day meal… well. How can I help, Triwathon?'

'Well, it's…' A puzzled expression crossed Triwathon's face. 'I understand the garrison has you to thank for two new stable hands… who formerly worked as corridor attendants…'

'Iochon and Haechor, yes. Are they suitable?'

'They are… odd. That is, they behave as if they are terrified of me, ask most politely after my health, and then elbow each other and blush… it is almost as if they are… I do not know, but… there is a tale they did not volunteer for the duty…?'

'It is my doing, I confess, that they have been moved. I heard them gossiping in the corridors and I may have overreacted a little…'

'Elves are elves, we chatter and do not always realise… but it must have been something…?'

'They were making free with the reputation of one of the garrison elves…' It was difficult to find the right words, for Parvon didn't want to give voice to the thoughts he'd had on the topic… 'Connecting that one romantically with one of the Galadhrim… which is, of course, nobody's business but theirs and I do not seek to… however. No names were mentioned, but anyone listening would have known, from what was said, which elf was being spoken of and… it seemed to me the best way to stop the gossip was to put the pair of them where they could see how hard our garrison works…'

'Someone connected with one of the Galadhrim?' Triwathon gave a rueful smile. 'Ah, mellon-nin, there is only one member of the garrison who is commonly known to associate with our Galadhrim guests on anything less than a formal level, so I understand, I think…' He paused to sigh. 'I have made it clear – have had to make it clear amongst my command that I have a working relationship, perhaps a friendship, with one of them, Lumormen, and yet the tale continues, it seems, beyond the garrison and I… what is it, why do people insist on not believing, why must they…?' A tremor came into Triwathon's voice. 'And I have not, I…'

'Perhaps people look, and make assumptions, and then cannot shake the idea even when told it is wrong because it was their idea and they do not like to admit to mistakes. Perhaps it is just…' Parvon sighed and shrugged. 'Perhaps they do not know you as I do, that is all. It is never pleasant to be gossiped through the corridors, I know, but at least console yourself with the thought that the tone of conversation was …not unkind.'

'Not unkind, I see, but… but you believe me, Parvon?' Triwathon's voice was almost pleading. 'I… I know in the past I have… after a loss, but… it is not…'

'It's not a matter of belief, Triw; it's that I know you,' Parvon said. 'If you were going to look for someone to offer you solace, it wouldn't be one of those better-than-everyone stuck-up Galadhrim!'

This drew a brief laugh.

'They're not so bad, once you get to know them. You have to work quite hard at first, it's true, but mostly, once you can get them talking, they're not unlike us. Very sniffy about poor Master Hanben's inventions, it must be said, but that's just because they don't know how clever his innovations are, how sympathetic to our lives here. Well, I had better get back; I'm supposed to be headed to Oak Village to meet Lumormen – the Galadhrim I think the gossip is all about… although what we could possibly get up to in a village full of working elves, I have no idea…'

'Keep in mind, Triwathon, it's your business what you do, who you befriend, where you spend your time,' Parvon said. 'Thank you for coming in – it's too long since we had time to talk palace business together.'

'Or any kind of talking. I would say, perhaps we could have a glass of wine together in my quarters or yours tonight, but you look tired.'

'Well, I… perhaps tomorrow night, after the meal? Bring your friend, if you like, and I'll see if Master Merenor can spare his husband for an hour; it should be entertaining…'

Triwathon laughed. 'Oh, do not say so! I am sure it would be so, but which of the two would I support…? It would be unfair. Besides, I think I would like to have you to myself for an hour or so. Good day, then, my friend.'

Parvon's smile was one of delight. 'I will see you tomorrow night, if not before.'