Amras was positively sick and tired of seeing blood, and when Lachivren (that was her name, and he didn't care for whether or not she protested against it) was clawing at the door, blood running down her fingertips from splinters, he was ready to jump ship and pay a permanent visit to Ulmo who may or may not decide to drown him for all of the lives he took. Anyone who had sense would have known that he was brooding, unhappy, and the last thing he needed was seeing a maiden, of all people, to bleed.

"Lachivren," he said tiredly. "In the name of the holy Trees, what the hell are you doing?"

Lachivren raised her head from where she kneeled, angrily glaring at the door, where red fingerprints touched the wood. "My name is not Lachivren, you scoundrel!"

Resignedly, he leaned against the doorway. "You will not disclose your actual name; I have no choice but to dub you Lachivren, as I have no creativity in naming anything or anyone and you still remain stubborn against my attempts to be cordial."

"Cordial? You have no idea what being cordial means, Noldo."

Amras laughed. "I did. Once, at least." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I am not sure now."

Her eyes narrowed. "You are absolutely mad. You are a lunatic, and I am stranded on a barge with you!" She rose up to her feet and made haste to force her path out of the doorway, but Amras was beyond stronger and could have even taken her on with a missing arm and bleeding leg. Lachivren herself knew that she would not have been strong enough. "Let me through, barbarian!"

"Are you going to jump off of the ship?" he asked quietly, his voice tired, but with a deadly calm.

She was silent for a while.

"Answer me, Lachivren - "

"Stop calling me that, damn it!" she exclaimed. "My name is not Lachivren, and even if you would only name me so to have something to address me by, know that I will never reveal my name to you because you are a murdering, kinslaying bastard, and you killed my family, took their ships, and stranded me aboard!"

"I know." Lachivren slapped him, her hands shaking. There was barely any strength in her strike, but Amras humored her and allowed his head to move to the side with the force of her blow. But he continued. "I know that I am a murdering, kinslaying bastard, I know I killed your family, I know I took the ships, and I know that I stranded you aboard, because you are still here and haunting my very steps as I writhe below deck in the knowledge that I am a murdering, kinslaying bastard who killed your family, took their ships, and stranded you aboard the very same ship that I stole! What else do you want to say, maiden, for I will not deny any of them and admit them as willingly as one can after committing a Kinslaying!"

She stood there, still, and he stood there with her, his light eyes filled with a dark, intense feeling that made her feel as if her insides were deteriorating. The only thing she could have done was wounded him with her words, but now that he openly acknowledged that her words did not upset him one bit, she had no weapon. What else could she do but break down and sob?

No, she was strong. She did not cry in front of anyone "I. hate. you." She seemed to only be able to muster three word sentences, but it was questionable if she mustered enough courage to tell him, 'Say you're sorry!' Suddenly, Amras' expression changed from a stoic, calm facade to a worried, concerned one. Lachivren was confused. But as soon as he opened his mouth, confusion cleared and she felt annoyed once again.

"Please, don't cry."

"I'm not going to cry, and especially not in front of you!"

Relief swept past him. Amras didn't know how to deal with crying girls. He'd never seen his mother cry except for when he followed his father, but he hadn't had the time to console her, and his half-cousins never cried in front of him either. And now that he thought of his mother, he strode over to the bed, ignoring Lachivren, and sat down, putting his head in his hands. He could almost imagine a little scene playing out in his head.

"Mother, Mother, I am back! I have repented, and I will do all that I can to bring my name back from sin!" And then Lady Nerdanel would cry and sob and hold her last son in her arms, to her bosom, and never let go until they were finally parted as he was called to council with the Valar...

"Amras?"

Amras looked up, and he nearly jumped back as he saw how close Lachivren was to him. "W-What?"

She leaned back defensively, a scowl overtaking her face. "I just don't like seeing people upset. I actually have empathy."

He sighed. This was going to be a long day.

Great. I finally updated, me and my lazy butt-self.

Sorry, Crackers. I hope this third chapter lives up to your expectations!