Once again, because I am a terrible scholar of Tolkien languages, here is the language key for this chapter.

"Scarlet's normal English speak."

"Westron"

On another note, this chapter's accompanying music is 'Home' by Phillip Phillips

Chapter 5: Hold on to me as we go…

In any case, as the days passed, their interactions were still rather awkward but slowly but surely, they were becoming more and more comfortable with each other and starting to care for each other. All built from their moments of silence.

After quite a long time traveling, Scarlet had lost count of the days, it was near sundown when they finally reached a place Theoraan called Bree.

For Scarlet, this was the first sign of civilisation since she arrived in this place and from what she could observe; it was exactly what she expected it to be.

From the moment she found Theoraan and his medieval attire, to the moment she defeated the gang of men in the same type of attire, she had a hunch that she was in a completely different time period. The sight of Bree only reinforced her suspicions.

'Dear lord, it looks positively medieval!'

It was a settlement of sorts with high walls and a main gate. Travellers streamed in an out the gate all busy with their businesses. Scarlet briefly wondered what business Theoraan had here.

Scarlet took everything in as they walked through the town. The sight made her cringe. Everything was grimy and dirty. Not the fresh sort of natural dirt of the outdoors but the filthy and putrid accumulation of human waste caused by the distinct lack of hygiene.

'Oh….. I am NEVER going to be clean ever again am I? Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.' Scarlet cringed at the thought and once more gave the sky a long suffering sigh.

Trying to distract herself from the cause of her disgust, Scarlet tried to look past the dirt and watch the people instead. It took a while for her to realise that the entire town seemed to watch them warily as they walked through the town square to what looked like an inn called 'The Prancing Pony'. Scarlet felt distinctly unwelcome and wondered at the cause even as she tensed and inched closer to Theoraan.

At The Prancing Pony, Scarlet was greeted by what seemed to be the inn manager; a man who introduced himself as Barliman Butterbur. Judging from the interaction between Barliman and Theoraan, Scarlet speculated that they knew each other or at least Barliman had a somewhat fearful respect of Theoraan; a strange contrast to the rest of the village.

Theoraan got a shared room for the both of them. When Barliman showed them to their room Scarlet had to stop herself from running and throwing herself onto the bed. She was still filthy from her travels and it would be a shame to soil the sheets before she even properly enjoyed them.

'A bed!' Scarlet rejoiced. 'Oh this is wonderful….. and I'm being a free loader again. This is terrible. There must be something I could do for Theoraan. But I'm broke. Completely and utterly broke.' Scarlet's mood turned sour when she remembered that she had been shamelessly taking advantage of Theoraan's kindness all this while. Racking her brains for anything she could give in return, her hand drifted to the snowflake pin on her chest. 'No.' she thought. 'This. This I cannot part with.' Scarlet sighed and dropped her hand. She would find some other way to repay him. Those thoughts made Scarlet sigh as she kicked off her boots and threw her windbreaker onto the chair on her side of the room.

She was then drawn from her thoughts by a cough from Theoraan.

Theoraan had wanted to go out and get her an extra outfit before they settled down for the night. He had noticed that Scarlet had nothing but the clothes on her back. He wanted to change that. It was a good thing he had a growing daughter of his own and hence knew the necessary basics of a young lady's wardrobe; even the embarrassing ones for special days of the month. There had been many a time when his wife was out and his daughter required assistance in material retrieval. Yet before he went out, he wanted to make sure that she knew not to leave the room. Bree was not the safest place around and the tavern would soon be filled with drunken men. It was certainly not a place for a lady. Though to be fair, Theoraan had to acknowledge that Scarlet was no hapless damsel in distress. Still, she was little past childhood. Theoraan did not know her exact age but her features were young.

He tried to gesture that she should stay whilst he left and that he would get her food in the meantime. The confused look on her face gave him no confidence and he ran his hand over his head in frustration. Mustering up the strength, he tried to sign 'you do not leave this room'. At least this time Scarlet has some sign of comprehension in her eyes. However, just to be very certain she not put herself at risk, he made sure to gesture one last time. This time, his kind efforts were rewarded with a roll of her eyes, a laughing-mocking smile and several reassuring nods, along with a 'shoo-ing' motion with the hands.

Feeling a little disgruntled at his unappreciated concern Theoraan decided to quit while he was ahead and turned to leave the room. Yet before he took half a step across the doorway, he could not help turning back to signal a 'do not open this door until I knock this code'; to which Scarlet stood and physically walked over to push him out gently, smiling and nodding all the while until the door closed on him.

Moments later, Theoraan returned with a tray of hot stew and sour dough bread for Scarlet. He was pleased when she passed the test, only opening the door for him when he knocked the correct code and not at any of the other times he knocked.

Once Theoraan had set the tray for nice smelling hot stew down on the table, Scarlet quickly sat herself down and immediately reached for the bread. She tore a small piece and stuffed it into her mouth, giving a contented sigh at the taste of freshly baked bread. However, she quickly noticed that Theoraan was still standing and smiling at her and that there was only one serving on the tray.

Feeling confused and embarrassed for her lack of manners, Scarlet quickly gestured the question, 'aren't you eating too?'

Smiling at her considerate nature, Theoraan shook his head and patted hers before gesturing for her to continue eating. He then turned and grabbed his coat once again before walking out the door, but not before once again signing to her that she was not to leave the room.

Alone in the room again, Scarlet contemplated what to do.

'Should I eat?' she thought. 'He did tell me to eat but does he not need to eat too? Hmm… what to do? What to do? Maybe I should leave half the portion for him? Would it be rude to leave him cold left-overs?'

Scarlet was at a loss on what was proper etiquette in this scenario. Thankfully for her, her stomach was not so indecisive. A determined growl harshly informed her of her body's needs and so Scarlet settled on the middle ground of eating but keeping half a portion for him. She arranged the food such that it was clear from the presentation that the food left over was not truly leftovers but was instead purposely side aside for him.

After her meal, Scarlet was sorely tempted to bathe but the only facilities in the room were a small wash basin and face cloth. Resigning herself to remaining disgusting, Scarlet merely wiped her face before curling up in the chair to rest. She did not wish to dirty the bed sheets. She hoped that she would have a chance to visit the bathroom after Theoraan's return.

Several hours later, Theoraan returned to the room. Figuring that Scarlet had eaten her fill and gone to bed, he wanted to creep in quietly so as not to disturb her. Placing his hand on the door, Theoraan turned the knob and gave a gentle push… only to be met with the firm resistance of a locked door.

'Of course! I told her to lock the room door.' Patting his pockets for the key, Theoraan panicked for a second before heaving a sigh of relief when he finally found the key in one of his many pockets. Silently entering the room, Theoraan's eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting of the room. The sight that greeted him made his eyes soften just that little bit. Scarlet looked like a kitten curled up on the chair. The sight of the dinner set aside for him made Theoraan frown a little as he had already eaten before returning to the room. The meal was fully intended for Scarlet's own nourishment yet she had sacrificed having her fill in consideration for him. Feeling appreciative of her efforts, Theoraan sat down and ate up the cold food so as to not be ungrateful.

Once done, he carried her onto her bed… or tried to at least. No matter how tired she was, Scarlet was a born light sleeper with added years of paranoia drilled into her. The moment Theoraan's hand touched her shoulder; Scarlet snapped her hand around his wrist and pressed his knife gently against his stomach using the other hand. Stunned by her reflexes, Theoraan stilled himself as he waited for her to calm down.

Scarlet stared at Theoraan with piercing eyes for a few moments before blinking a few times. As she blinked, her eyes adjusted to the room and she realised the hand in hers was not that of an intruder but that of her protector. Letting out a huff, Scarlet let go of Theoraan and kept her knife back in the holster. She gave a sheepish and apologetic grin before sinking back into her chair.

Theoraan smiled gently to reassure Scarlet but furrowed his brow slightly. Scarlet's consistent display of reflexes gave him pause. She was clearly trained from young to be ever on guard. He briefly wondered about her childhood and the possible circumstances that necessitated such paranoia. None of his speculations were comforting.

It was getting late.

Theoraan indicated the Scarlet should rest by gesturing towards her bed. Scarlet however refused his suggestion and explained her reasoning by gesturing towards her generally filthy clothing. Understanding her intentions, Theoraan decided that since she was awake anyway, he would pass her the shopping now as opposed to the next day as he had planned. Taking out a bundle from his travel sack, Theoraan handed it to Scarlet.

'What's this?' though Scarlet as she gingerly accepted the bundle. Amongst the bundle Scarlet found two shirts, a pinafore, one pair of pants, a skirt and a dress; both of which made her frown. There were also cloths which Scarlet assumed to be undergarments since they looked completely foreign to her.

"Come on then" said Theoraan as he caught her attention and signalled for her to follow him.

Scarlet immediately put the cloths aside and got up to follow him; only for Theoraan to indicate that she should take the cloth along with her as well. Taking a guess at his intentions, Scarlet gathered a top, the skirt and the cloth she figured to be undergarments and scurried to catch up with him.

As Scarlet followed Theoraan through the halls, she could not help doing a happy dance in her head and walking with a bounce in her step.

'I'm going to bathe! In a proper bath! And I have fresh clothes to wear! FINALLY! WHOOHOO‼‼ … andddddd I am freeloading. AGAIN. How disgraceful.'

The turn in her thoughts brought her back down to earth and Scarlet pondered her considerable debt as she stared at Theoraan's back. 'I must find a way to pay him back.' Scarlet was grateful to all that Theoraan had done for her and she was determined to be of use to him in some way or form, as long as her morals and dignity was not compromised.

However, as stated earlier, it was getting late and having Theoraan wait outside was a reminder that this was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. Scarlet set aside her contemplations and quickly prepared for bed.

Nothing of note happened the rest of the night.

The next morning, Theoraan and Scarlet ventured out to the village market. Theoraan was looking to restock his travel supplies and obtain a new knife, since Scarlet stole his previous one. Theoraan also brought Scarlet along because he was unsure if she needed more than what he had already provided.

Theoraan knew that some would have considered Scarlet and unwanted burden but he disagreed. From his observations, Theoraan could see that Scarlet was a capable girl; young certainly but able. Theoraan also caught the downcast eyes that always followed the initial glee whenever he presented her with something. He knew that she wanted neither pity nor charity but was pragmatic enough to acknowledge she needed help. He was certain that had she the resources; she would return the favour many times over. After all, Scarlet did pull her own weight on their travels through the woods. She helped out with hunting and cleaning the meat, collecting water, and more importantly, was able to keep up with the demanding pace without complaint.

Well aware that all she needed was an opportunity, Theoraan decided that he would assist her in finding a job so that she could eventually provide for herself. Just this morning, he had already spoken with Barliman and raised the possibility of getting her a position as a dishwasher, or server, or cook. He was certain that her determination would easily allow her to overcome the language barrier in good time. Getting her a job would also relive him of his responsibility to her and allow him to continue on his travels with a clear conscience.

Unaware of Theoraan's thoughts, Scarlet silently strolled along beside him; happily taking in all the sights and sounds of the bustling market. Once again she did note the stares from the people but brushed it off as the novelty of seeing her unusually bright red hair, a seemingly rare trait in present society.

As they stopped by a vendor selling strips of preserved meat, Scarlet's attention was stolen something brushing against the back of her knee. Turning to inspect the breach of personal space, Scarlet was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the sight of playful amber eyes and sleek black fur. It was a dog! And it looked exactly like her beloved Menace back home. Indeed, Scarlet had a shepherd back home named Menace; so titled after the terror and stress he caused her mother as a puppy.

'Awww. You're so cute!' Scarlet's heart melted as she bent down to give the dog a pat on the head.

"You are such a cutie pie!" she cooed as she ruffled his fur. "Menace would be jealous if he saw me pat you like this."

Giving the dog a belly rub, Scarlet's thoughts slowly turned to memories of Menace. Memories of Menace inevitably lead to good memories of her parents and her home. Memories of waking up to Menace's disgusting slobber all over her face; making pancakes with her mother; completing her father's challenges and seeing the proud grin on his face; sleepovers and school mealtimes with her best friend and honorary sister, Charlotte; her house, her bed, her blanket; her life before she landed in this… wherever she was.

Scarlet's heart clenched and her eyes began to water as she thought about the possibility that she would never be able to return home.

As if sensing her melancholy, the dog sat up and nosed her cheek, seemingly granting her comfort. Giving it a soft smile, Scarlet tried to blink her tears away as she hugged the dog tight. She had not cried for nine years and yet, hugging this fur-lined friend only brought up more memories of her own Menance and the feeling of home associated with those thoughts.

Clutching the dog closer as though it would save her, Scarlet quietly started to sob as memories and the dreadful feeling of homesickness overwhelmed her. She was homesick. She was. Until this moment she had concentrated on surviving but here, holding this soft companion, she could not hold back her emotions.

All this while as Scarlet was having a breakdown, Theoraan was having a panic attack of his own.

He had approached the local blacksmith with the intention of replacing his knife and perhaps granting Scarlet a set of throwing knives of her own, since he noted that those were her weapon of choice.

When he saw that Scarlet was distracted by the blacksmith's dog, he cracked a smile but continued negotiations with the blacksmith. It was only when he heard sobs coming from her direction did he turn to check up on her. Theoran was greeted with the distressing sight of Scarlet clutching at the dog as though she were drowning and it, her only lifeline. All the whilst, sobbing her eyes out.

For a moment, he almost could not believe his eyes. Theoraan had seen Scarlet as a tough little lady. Seeing her in this state only served to remind him that she was still a child; a child that he found lost and alone in the woods, a child who was trapped behind a considerable language barrier.

Feeling greatly uncomfortable, he turned to the blacksmith and they exchanged uneasy looks that said 'help! I don't know how to deal with this.' Their silent eye-battle continued until the blacksmith gave the 'she came with you, she's your problem' look before nudging Theoraan into action with a nod in Scarlet's direction.

Taking in a deep breath, Theoraan gingerly approached Scarlet and rested a warm hand on her shoulder. He had a wife, he had kids; comforting someone? He could do this. With a gentle hand, Theoraan manoeuvred Scarlet until she was tucked into his arms – the subject of a comfortable tight hug. Holding her in is embrace, Theoraan softly murmured words of comfort. It did not matter that she did not understand them; the soft and warm tone of his low voice was calming.

They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, each one relishing the simple beauty of human contact; until an insistent wet nose wiggled its way between them. Breaking apart, they smiled at the energetic ball of fur seeking attention before looking at each other. Scarlet wiped her eyes on her sleeve and gave Theoraan a reassuring smile which he returned with searching eyes and a firm nod.

The moment was over and they continued their business with the blacksmith. Theoraan acquired a new knife for himself and a set of six throwing knives of Scarlet. The blades were small enough that she could tuck them away in her outfit; something she did immediately. Then, the two of them bid a reluctant goodbye to the dog and went on their way.

Scarlet was still homesick, but now, at least whenever she thought of home she would also think of Theoraan's kindness, and how he too had begun to feel a little like home.

And that's it for now. Sorry I haven't updated in a long while. Honestly, I just had no drive to write. I had the scenes in my head and noted them down but fleshing them out was another matter altogether.

I know this chapter feels like a filler chapter but I felt it was important that Scarlet had a 'moment'. She's tough but she's human. And honestly, who wouldn't miss their doggy? My dog passed away about a year ago and until now my heart still clenches when I see other dogs or when I think about him. Scarlet is facing a similar situation; she's not sure she will ever see her family again and she's stuck in a place with no one to help her. No one but Theoraan that is. Thank heavens for him.

… I suddenly had a thought – Scarlet is pretty similar to Merida from Brave. She has red hair, is tough but loves her family and is suddenly brought into a situation where she cannot communicate with the people around her (Merida becomes a bear…) Do you guys agree?

Anyway, please review. I like to know your thoughts on Scarlet, Theoraan, the story, anything really.

Omake: Wherein Scarlet tries to raise funds to repay Theoraan Fantine style

Scarlet wandered to the outskirts of the market.

She had lost sight of Theoraan earlier but was not all that concerned. He could take care of himself and now that she had new knives, so could she. They would find each other eventually later. Surveying her surroundings, Scarlet took note that she seemed to have entered the shadier part of the village. Taking in the blackened teeth and abysmal standard of hygiene which felt far below that of the other villagers she had seen, Scarlet decided that perhaps it was an appropriate time to turn back.

Scarlet quickly swivelled and made to return to the market centre when she sensed a stranger approach her. Eyeing the - for the lack of a better term - hag, Scarlet tensed and fiddled with the blade hidden in her sleeve. The hag tried to speak to her but being unable to understand her Scarlet simply remained silent and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Scarlet's brain took this opportunity to side track and quip 'This is the most of eyebrow has ever exercised.'

The hag, seeing that Scarlet was unresponsive to her, thought that Scarlet was mute and tried to indicate what she wanted. Gesturing to Scarlet's hair and her own, she then offered up some coins with her hand. Scarlet got the idea that the hag wanted her hair in exchange for money. Seeing this to be an opportunity to earn money and repay Theoraan, Scarlet immediately took interest.

However, this was a hag. Haggling was expected and almost mandatory.

Gearing herself up for a good round of bargaining, Scarlet gestured to her hair, made an obvious inspection of the coins up for trade and then firmly shook her head. She hoped the hag got the message that her offerings were insufficient. As it turned out, the hag understood and narrowed her eyes. Reluctant as she was, Scarlet's vibrant red locks were a rare commodity and thus the hag was willing to raise her bid.

Their bartering continued for a little while more. When Scarlet had what she assumed was a good amount of payment, because she had truly no idea of the purchasing power of the coins, she was ready to give up her locks.

Theoraan however, was not so agreeable to her idea.

Just as Scarlet brought her blade to her hair, Theoraan stepped in a caught her forearm in a firm grip to stop her. Insistently shaking his head, he firmly pulled her away from the hag, all the while scolding her without care for whether she understood him or not. With no choice but to follow him, Scarlet looked over her shoulder to the hag and gave her a shrug.

It wasn't her fault she found a protective guardian; not that she'd have him any other way.