After a few hours spent in the solitude of his small room, alternatively working at the newly-restored desk and reclining in the sleeping alcove watching the twinkle of the lamplit skystones, Parvon's mood began to settle again. Of course he was on edge; anxious about Triwathon, he could not help himself, he was just tied to the elf for good or ill – and awaiting word, dreading and hoping for the letter which would explain it all… well, he could not hasten its arrival, all he could do was try to be patient for a little while longer; by this time tomorrow, the mail satchel would be in the hands of Master Melion…

Parvon ran through his recent interactions with the Chief Elf of the King's Office once more and was a little ashamed of himself; Melion had tried hard to be friendly and welcoming, and perhaps by inveigling Master Oldor into the King's Office, Parvon was rather sidestepping his authority a little… he had no wish to create an awkward working environment for himself, but…

But somehow, in spite of Melion's welcoming friendship, despite protestations of equality, Parvon had not been able to shake the feeling that he had put up with indignity and implied inferiority, the jesting slur on his good character, and the quiet plans to send him to Ithilien under pretence of his health… no, he had to make a stand or he would forever be smarting under Melion's friendly superiority. Let Melion try to outflank him! He may have been in charge of the King's Office for two decades, but Parvon had run the whole thing for much longer in his day, and had learned his statecraft from a master; Melion, as nice as he was, should he choose to cross administrative swords with Parvon, would never know what hit him.

He had returned to his desk and was part-way through working out the timings of the journey to the ship when a sudden banging somewhere outside broke into his concentration. Rising, he went out, fairly sure he knew where the sound was coming from and, indeed, a drift of dust from the rooms opposite hung in the air and the banging continued, now accompanied by a pleasantly melodic voice singing a random song on the pleasures of beer.

'Master Baudh, I have no beer, I am afraid, but I do have a jug of water if the dust bothers you,' he called, interrupting the song, and the banging. Presently Baudh, covered in dirt, appeared in the doorway, grinning.

'Master Parvon! We must stop meeting like this!'

'Indeed we must, for your brother is far too easily shocked.'

'I disturbed you, I am sorry. But I did not think you would be here at this hour…'

'Nor am I; in fact, I was just collecting something on my way back to my formal lodgings. Please tell Master Oldor that I expect him in the Feasting Hall shortly before second serving, if that is convenient for him.'

'Gladly, Master Parvon! I perhaps won't join you myself, since it's not my department, but I'll be in the Feasting Hall if you should find you need another elf to handle the questions.'

'Thank you; I will bear that in mind.'

Of course Parvon did not envisage the need for any support, and he had requested Oldor's presence more to give the ellon a glimpse of the nature of the varied work of the King's Office… and to make it more difficult for Master Melion to block Oldor's appointment, since if he had been seen to represent the King's Office by a large body of elves – in this case, those planning on sailing – Oldor wold already be established in his role, albeit to a small degree... It was, perhaps, a little more devious that Parvon wished to be in his dealings, but sometimes when there was a potential problem, it was wise to cover as many aspects as possible before the need really arose…

Later, Parvon waited in the shadows of the Feasting Hal for Oldor to arrive. When he did – a few minutes early, which boded well – Parvon made his way round the corridors to appear to arrive himself, and greeted his new apprentice.

'Master Oldor, good evening.'

'Master Parvon. I don't have any formal robes, I hope this is all right, Baudh said, just nothing gaudy…'

Parvon gave an appraising glance. Dark leggings, sombre tunic, neatly braided hair, even if it was retained by several of Master Baudh's braid clasps…

'Indeed, you are far from gaudy. I will make arrangements for proper robes of office for you tomorrow, but for the present, you are most suitably attired. Now, this evening, we gather mostly so that everyone who will be journeying together can be introduced; many will already be known to each other, some may not. But there are basic facts we can tell them, and these I have written down for you here…' He passed Oldor a small folded piece of parchment. 'Journey times, order of going, possible leaving dates – although I await confirmation from Ithilien for that – and I will talk about these things during the meal. I do not expect much conflict, not at the dinner table, at least.'

Nor was there, at least, not from the invited guests. There was a minor outburst when Parvon mentioned the length of time he expected the trip to take – 'How long, Master Parvon?' one elleth asked. 'I am bringing my youngsters with me, it is a long time for small elflings…'

'In fact, it is partly because there are a number of small elflings travelling that the journey time will be so long!' Parvon said, giving his formal smile. 'But it is a fair point, and perhaps needs further explanation.' He rose from his seat to address the whole table in louder, carrying tones. 'For those of you beyond conversational hearing, the matter under discussion is the timescale of the journey to Ithilien. Let it be known, then, that there is no real need for you to be part of the convoy; if you wish to make your own arrangements, and are willing to go so far without the benefit of an armed escort, well, times have changed, and the forest is less dangerous than formerly. Simply decide within the next few days and let me know as soon as possible, that I may adjust arrangements accordingly. For a few may travel more swiftly than many, if there is a perceived need for haste. Furthermore, the potential sailing dates are really quite soon, so to facilitate your leaving, it is advisable that you make a start on your preparations as soon as you might.'

With that, Parvon inclined his head towards the far end of the table, sat down, and addressed himself to his meal once more.

'What were those numbers again?' someone at the far end of the table asked. Oldor rose from his seat.

'I believe I have the figures,' he said. 'One moment…'

Parvon caught Oldor's eye and nodded approval, earning a smile in response. He had just reached for the water jug when a voice from behind stayed his hand.

'All seems to be going admirably, Master Parvon.'

'Master Melion, indeed, we have had a very pleasant dinner and it has been rewarding to bring everyone together in this setting.'

'Have you a moment? I looked for you earlier, but really, Master Parvon,' Melion paused to give a little laugh, 'you are never where you are supposed to be, these days!'

Parvon drew in a steadying breath, glad Melion could not see his face from this angle. He bit down a hasty reply as he rose and delivered a more considered answer than to demand what made Melion think he had any right to say that…

'In fact, I am generally where I am supposed to be, it is simply that suppositions made by other people do not match with my own perceptions of where that is.' A tight smile and he walked a little way from the table, gesturing for Melion to accompany him. 'If I am not in my workroom during my desk hours, I leave word; even so, I am usually to be found at the Healer Hall, if there are elves due from the New Palace, or inspecting their planned accommodations. Or assisting with the King's Audience…'

'But you were not in your rooms when I looked for you earlier, Master Parvon.'

'This is true. I was not aware, however, that I needed to report my whereabouts at every moment, Master Melion; we are no longer on a war footing, or under emergency circumstances. For that matter, I have no idea where you spend your time, other than outside my door, knocking upon it, it seems…'

'Aha, ha. Most amusing, Master Parvon! But while we are understaffed, it is important, do you not think?'

'Is not it fortunate, then, that Master Oldor is so willing to join the King's Office, and thus take off some of the strain on us? Oh, and now, if you will excuse me, I am looked for.'

Over at the table, an ellon was talking with Oldor, both of them looking round as if seeking him. Parvon lifted a hand to draw their attention while Melion continued.

'We need to address the matter of Master Oldor…'

'A moment, then, for I really do need to attend to my guests…'

Parvon bowed and headed back to the table. He did not look to see if Melion was following him, and bit down hard on the guilty feelings that pushed once again at his conscience; surely, whatever it was, it could wait for a few minutes, his first responsibility now was these Sailing Elves…

'Master Parvon, I do not know whether you can help,' Oldor began. 'But my friend Mallostor here has a question I am not fully able to answer…'

'Yes, Master Parvon, it is that, well, some of us, we have our affairs to settle, and Oldor has said we may be leaving in two weeks, and, well, two weeks! And how do we transport our belongings?'

Parvon forbore from mentioning that many elves had got to Valinor the hard way, through the Halls of Mandos, and they took nothing with them. Instead, he nodded and smiled as if this was perfectly reasonable; while it was true that elves were supposed to be non-acquisitive, complete in themselves, he remembered how his heart had turned at the sight of his poor, neglected desk, and realised that it was not always about possessions, but about sentimental attachments.

'You will not need much, only your clothing and weapons and such small personal items which cannot be replaced; everything you will need is to be found in Valinor. I have had questions previously about taking supplies for business or craft ventures; there will not be unlimited room on the ship, of course, and so the less you take, the more comfortable the voyage, I suppose… if you are thinking of taking more than you can easily bear on your own back, it might be better to join forces with Mistress Cullasbes, whose husband…' and here he hoped, he really did hope, that Melion was somewhere within earshot, '…is making separate arrangements since they wish to take with them the nucleus of their trading wares…'

'Oh, I see. No, nothing like that, it is simply… it is odd how one gets used to one's own cup, and plate, and such, is it not?' The ellon smiled. 'And… and I think, Master Parvon, I would rather cast in my lot with these good elves and travel under the king's protection, even if all I take is my bow and my quiver. But, two weeks!'

'That is the earliest departure date, although it could be a little later; in part, it is linked with when the Ithilien relief company wishes to depart, since they are to be your armed escort. But if you were to miss the ship, you would need to wait for the next to be built, and that is a long delay, I would think.' He inclined his head. 'Give the matter some thought, Master Mallostor. As soon as I hear from Ithilien, I will know better about the leaving dates and will make them known to the company at once.'

He bowed and backed away, turning to find Melion still waiting for him near the back of the feasting hall. He made his way over, hoping for a short interview.

'When we were interrupted, I was about to raise the issue of the employment of Master Oldor in the King's Office,' Melion began when Parvon joined him. 'I have been giving the matter some consideration…' He lowered his voice. 'I do not like the plan. For several reasons, I do not think it workable.'

'How unfortunate!' Parvon said, keeping the same formal, tight tone Melion was using. 'Perhaps you could elaborate?'

'Firstly, his association with my brother. You may not be aware, Master Melion, but Baudh has had many special friendships and so far, none have become serious attachments. I fear that, when this current relationship fails, if Master Oldor is working in the King's Office, it will make for an awkward atmosphere… do you see?'

'I do, in fact. To my knowledge, since Master Baudh returned to the Old Palace and began working for the King's Office – a little while before you joined our ranks, if I recall – Baudh has had six lovers and two casual affairs. None of these relationships, however, have ended acrimoniously and so I venture to hope that, should this happen between my two friends, they will be able to continue working side-by-side. What is more, I am a little surprised that you would express such a personal opinion about your brother so openly, casting doubts upon his sincerity; "when this fails" you said, rather than suggesting it as a possibility; it suggests a lack of faith in his heart. Now, it is true you know Baudh better than I – but even so, your personal knowledge of him should, surely, be kept away from your working opinion? After all, it is not really appropriate, is it, to use your family insights to prevent a keen and helpful ellon from starting a new career?'

'Master Parvon! That is not my intent at all! It is merely – knowing they are in a relationship together…'

'I had thought that the rules that only single elves – single ellyn, for that matter – were the only persons considered for the King's Office – had been changed many years ago. Certainly, when, for instance, I accepted Master Faerveren's request to be an underscribe here, I did not ask about his personal life; it would have been inappropriate and irrelevant.'

'That is all very well, but proper decorum must be maintained! We represent the King!'

'We do indeed, but the days when King's Office personnel were discouraged from having lives – and wives, or husbands – outside of service have passed. We are trusted to behave properly within our roles, and if that means coping with unpleasant personal circumstances, so be it. Many elves in service of the King's Office have suffered bereavements or suchlike and have continued without issue in their places with no loss of decorum. I am sure you do not need to be concerned about Master Oldor!'

'Very well, since you seem so set on my employing him… we will see how matters progress. But standards, Master Parvon, must be maintained! There can be no unwarranted displays of emotion in the King's Office.'

'Indeed. We should encode that in the Book of Practices and ensure your father reads it when he returns, do you not think?'

Melion's jaw dropped open and Parvin enjoyed for a brief moment the sight of the Elf-in-Charge looking totally at a loss. Before Melion could recover, and begin once more, Parvon bowed.

'My friends at the table demand my attention. Good evening to you, Master Melion.'