Cubby: *Marching about the office.* I don't know what you've been told!

Ren & Hyano: *Following after.* I don't know what you've been told!

Cubby: Justin Bieber CDs should not be sold!

Avp: Oi! *Stops them.* You can't say that!

Cubby: *Blinks.* Why not?

Avp: Cause we will get sued!

Cubby: Oooooh! Ok! I don't know what you've been told!

Ren & Hyano: I don't know what you've been told!

Cubby: Just-*BeepBeepBeep.* Should not be sold! *Marches off.*

Avp: *Face palms.* Enjoy the show folks…

We would also like to thank our readers for the wonderful reviews! -sends virtual hugs-

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Chapter 8 – Domesticating?

Nightfall… was let us say… was a little different this time for the peacefully sleeping young wizard.

The Nazgul mostly sat still the whole night, trying to rest as much as he could, forcing his mind back to meditating at night as well, when he would be most awake. While his mind was very much active, his body did not copy this, and was very hard to even move an inch from his position. But that didn't hold him back from giving some kind of revenge. He stood shakily in the middle of the night, hissing, then took determined steps towards the entrance of the house. There, he looked around briefly to find the sand the little dwarf dumped outside. He hissed again and looked around, finding some kind of box laying around outside, something he used to contain some of the items he found among the remains. He took it and started picking up some of the sand, then staggered as he hauled it up and brought it inside. There, he let our an angered hiss as he dumped some of its content onto the dwarf, letting it spill onto her clothes mostly, her hair and especially making sure some got into her clothes as well. Once done, he admired his handiwork, then brought the box outside, where he threw it away, almost falling forward in the process due to his bad balance caused by lack of energy. He swept the dry sand off of his robe and slowly walked back, almost tripping at the entrance, but managed to get back to his usual place without meeting the ground. He sighed, proud of himself, then took on the position for meditating and rested for the rest of the night. He couldn't wait to see her reaction in the morning. He was determined to stay alert and sense any movement from her direction.

- Morning-

Hyano woke up the next morning and grumbled when she felt extra weight on her body. She honestly forgot about the Wraith's want for revenge not being fully awake yet. She thought an animal had gotten in and decided to sleep on her again. She moved up then yelped as some sand dropped from her head onto her lap. She blinked at it a few times taking a moment to register what was going on.

The wraith didn't miss this. He didn't want to think about meditating and not seeing her reaction. He kept himself awake about this time on purpose to see it. Once she awoke and yelped, he couldn't help the small hisses that escaped him. He felt proud of himself and of what he did, and he could promise it that this is just the beginning. Seeing how she doesn't react at night to anything he did, he can easily prepare surprises for her while she slept.

"How the-?" she said then realized what had happened and wasn't sure if she should laugh or be annoyed. He really was nothing more than a big child. She looked over at his dark figure then rolled her eyes. "Very funny... I guess I had it coming though." she said to herself mostly before cringing as some sand got into her eye. Just great. She put her hand over it but didn't rub it not wanting to make the problem worse. She got up, letting most of the sand fall off of her and dusting the rest off with her free hand before getting some water and pouring it over her eye to get the sand out.

He watched as she got some water and started to clean herself. Well, it was fun until it lasted, but again, it might still last a bit longer, since the sand got into her clothes as well, and under it. He watched all the while, not taking his gaze off of her, enjoying her struggles and trouble.

The istar sighed when she still felt sand on her body. She took off her wizard robes and put them to the side to be washed. She then started to dust herself off. She had forgotten just how much sand she had brought home with her. Thanks Ren for reminding her. Even when she thought she was done she somehow found a little more. When she finally did finish she gave herself a once over and even shook her hair out a little just to be sure, then went out and got her wash bucket and started cleaning her clothes.

The Nazgul watched as she worked, amusing himself with her trouble. He could tell his little payback was worth it, seeing she won't be able to get the sand off so soon, so giving him more time to enjoy his work.

When she was halfway done, she got an idea. The child got up and walked over and tapped his gauntlet before signaling that she wanted him to give it to her. She was going to clean his metal wear, having noticed he was awake for the most part and that he never took anything off. She could at least clean the add-ons to his outfit though. She knew how to work with metal. It wouldn't take very long.

He tilted his head to the side when she came up to him, and looked down as she tapped his gauntlet and gestured for him that she wanted it off. Why in the Dark Lord would he want to take off his gear? He pulled his hand back and shook his head, hissing once at her. No, he did not want to take it off. It was one of the things that keep his form the way it is... in a more human way. If he took his clothes and metal gear off, he would look no different than any simple wraith. No true form, with just barely any shape to his spectral body. While removing his metal gauntlet might not be a danger at all, he still felt more comfortable having them on. Also, he didn't know what she wanted with it.

Hyano shook her head lightly then walked outside and came back a little later with a few leaves in her hand. She walked over and sat down beside him grabbing a piece of cloth. Alright. If he was going to be difficult, he could keep it on. She would do the job either way. She took his hand gently as always and dabbed the cloth over one of the leaves and it turned green slightly before starting to rub it on the metal of his gauntlet. Even though it was naturally made it lacked any smell. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't about to put anything on him that would smell of anything. She still had no idea what exactly he did like when it came to that area anyway. It took a few rubs but after a moment the place where she rubbed started to shine and look new again. She looked up at him curious if he was still going to give her guff or let her do it now.

He felt a slight anger when she grabbed his hand, no matter if it was gentle. She still took it without permission. Not like he would understand if she asked. He watched as she rubbed a part of his gauntlet, then showed the cleaner surface of it. He pulled it back and inspected it more closely. He wasn't truly keen on being cleaned. If his gauntlets were fully clean, they would reflect the sun or moonlight too easily, giving him away to his prey. Of course, he didn't care if it glistened and was so clean or you wouldn't be able to recognize it being so dirty, he just didn't want to be spotted because of it. And this method surely would make him shine in the shadows as well. Something he didn't want. He looked at her, then at the cloth, then back at her and hissed, not giving her his gauntlet back. No way will he let her make him sparkle in the darkest of nights... If he thinks it is too dirty, he will clean it in his own way.

The wizard shrugged. "Fine." she said putting the things to the side and going back to her work for now. Once she finished washing her clothes she put them to the side before looking around. "Shipmunk!" she called out. She hadn't seen the little animal yet this morning. She was a little worried. Someone his size was very likely to get killed in the middle of the night. She hung her clothes out the window to dry then started looking about the house for him. Did she leave him behind by mistake yesterday? She hoped to hell not.

A squeak came from the tree outside, signaling he heard the call. However, he wasn't too keen to drop the nut he was holding, so quickly ate it before climbing down. Then... he stopped. He was halfway down the trunk of the tree, but stopped and dug his tiny claws into the bark. He started to slip because of his weight and then finally fell down, landing on his back. He chirped in annoyance, but after a few tries he finally flipped back onto all fours and crawled inside the treehouse. He shook his pelt and looked at her, before scurrying back to the wraith and climbing onto his shoulder, understanding his... 'duty'. He started cleaning his muzzle and pelt, using his small hands, while he watched the dark creature clean his own gauntlet on his own way, using the sharp tip of his other metallic glove. The result was a cleaner surface, but wasn't shining at all, a layer of dirt sill decorating it. But that didn't seem to bother the wraith.

Hyano laughed lightly at the little rodent. "Alright you need to go on a diet Ship. I think we have spoiled you just a bit too much." she teased him glad he was alright but noting that he weight was becoming a problem. If he was a bigger animal like a bear or something maybe he would be alright but he wasn't. At his size being overweight especially this early in the year was a bad thing. She walked over and stroked his head lightly then went over and got herself some breakfast. She ate quietly leaving the wraith a lone for now. She did have a few things to do today, mostly work on making them some things for their home. Beds for one, tables and so on. While she liked her home it would be nice if she had a proper place to sleep.

Ren was content with the fact that she didn't seem to bother him for a long time. He sighed and made himself comfortable, before continuing his meditation. The chipmunk on the other hand got bored, and once he cleaned himself, he crawled down the wraith's robe -of course falling down halfway- and scurried outside, looking for the young wizard. Once he found her, he ran up to her and crawled up her clothes as well, sitting on her shoulder, chirping once to announce his presence. However, not a few moments later he spotted a nice-sized berry not far from them and squealed, before climbing-falling down and hopped up to it.

Hyano blinked at the little creature than giggled lightly. When he went for the berry, though, she caught him and picked up the berry as well. "Nu-uh little one. No more snacking for you." she chastised him before going back to what she was doing. She was working on beds, on the first one when an idea came to mind. She smirked then started work on a rather large chair. She had never seen Ren lay down besides when forced so assumed she could work on making him something more suited to his needs. "Did you want a bed as well Ship? Or are you fine sleeping in my bed?" she inquired of the little being with a smirk.

The little creature squeaked loudly as he was picked up and extended his small hands towards the berry, wanting to grip it and sighed when it was taken out of reach. He chirped, wanting it back, wiggling in her grip, but eventually had to realize that berry is simply too far away and she won't give it to him. He sat back onto her shoulder, secretly searching for the berry with his eyes, but tried to make no move which indicated he was looking for something. Hearing her question, the chipmunk thought for a second, then informed her that he was alright with being able to sleep wherever he felt like he wanted to. Sometimes it is among some very soft fabric, or her bed or on top of the wraith's head when he senses a snake is around.

She couldn't help thinking the creature on her shoulder was beyond cute. He was still young, about her own age in chipmunk years if not a little younger. She did a sleight of hand making the berry look like it had disappeared while it was really in her pocket now. He would get it later of course but it was just too much fun to tease him.

Once she showed him that the berry wasn't in her hands, he squeaked disappointed. Where could she have hidden it away? Did she drop it? He leaned back briefly to search the ground with his gaze, but gave up and looked at her.

"I'm glad you feel alright in our home ship. Ren doesn't scare you anymore it seems. Does he still set off your senses though?" she inquired keeping her eyes on her work for now though her mind was elsewhere.

Well, this was something he needed to think about. Yes, he chirped, he was mostly used to his presence, but not to his handling... He could work on that. He certainly doesn't feel that safe around him, but safer than he would be alone... vulnerable when a snake enters the room... Like that last time when he thought this was the end. That snake came from nowhere, and grabbed him... Everything went black... The next thing he knew was that the wraith poked him.

"He saved you. Odd idea considering what he is but he saved you." she said then stepped back from her handy work and smiled. She then hefted it up and dragged it into the house. It was a lot heavier than she had planned for. She just barely got it inside and she was left panting.

The sound of something heavy dropping on the floor snapped the Ringwraith awake from his meditation, causing his gaze to travel towards the sound. He tilted his head to the side and watched as the dwarf appeared next to it. Just what in the name of the Nine was she doing? He jerked back when she started to push it, the sound of wood scraping the ground wasn't the most pleasant sound on Middle Earth. While his own natural shriek cannot be considered as bearable for the mortals, the high-pitched 'screaming' of the wood was simply not in the same frequency, making it annoying. He hissed at this, giving voice to his displeasure, before actually wording it.

"Annoyiinnnng..." he said, shaking his head, trying to get rid of the sound.

"Bloody hell." she grumbled then pushed it the rest of the way until it rested beside the Wraith. It was a chair made out of similar materials as his cot had been made of only far more sturdy. Once she had it placed she sat onto the floor. She didn't care if he woke up or not though she was sure he had. She simply decided to take a second to rest and laid onto her back.

He sighed when it finally ended and the wooden object was pushed next to him. He stared at it. Tilting his head to one side, then the other. Not quite knowing what he was supposed to do with it, the dark creature slowly turned his gaze towards the dwarf, pointing at it. What is this item doing next to him? He hoped this isn't its final setting.

Hyano laughed lightly then got up and walked up to the object and patted it. She then pointed to him.

"Ren's" she told him before sitting on it for a moment so he could see what it was meant for before jumping up and stepping back from it. She waved for him to try as well. Part of the reason she chose this was because he had been having so much trouble getting up, even with the staff. She wanted to help him as much as she could, however she tried her best to make it seem more like she was just replacing what was in the house before the fire.

The Nazgul watched her for a while, then looked back at the object he was pointing at. Slowly, he lowered his hand and inspected it more closely, running a sharp finger along the wood it was made of. He tilted his head to the side, then looked around, before looking at it again. He hummed, then finally tried to stand with the help of the staff. He found it was much easier, seeing he was able to meditate the whole night and today morning. He stepped closer to the wooden object... which was like a seat really, he judged its size or if he could sit in it the way he always did. He gave a hiss before actually trying. He was surprised to find it in the right size, and just enough for him to sit in. It wasn't that annoying soft as that cot he was sitting on back then, and was higher than the ground, making standing up not as difficult anymore. However, looking at the staff again, he put it across his lap... No way will he ever give it back to her still.

Hyano's smile grew as he sat on it not even taking note of the staff anymore. That was something she had long gotten used to. She was glad he seemed to, for the most part, like the chair. It was simple and easy for her to make and repair. She also felt it would help him improve sooner as well now that he would be using less energy to get up all the time.

"Glad you like it Ren." she said then ran back outside to continue working. Hopefully by the time the day was out she would have a bed for herself and a table.

He didn't understand her words, only his name, but it is not like he was paying attention. The wraith was too busy looking at the freshly cut wood and running his armored fingers over the surface. It wasn't bad how it smelled, maybe a little too strong in essence, but that will be drowned with time. He already felt comfortable and content, the too strong scent is just a minor disturbance. He hissed and shifted in his seat, relishing in the relative silence as it did not creak under him like the cot did, so can easily change his position and shift his weight without waking up the half forest. Well, for mortal ears it wasn't loud, but to him, being a wraith, it sounded like an earthquake shook Middle-Earth. He looked up to notice she was gone, and was glad for this. He lowered his hooded head just a little to resume his meditation for the day.

Hyano eventually came back inside deciding to take a break from her work. She was only a child by the standards of istari so she honestly didn't have the energy for so much work in one shot. If it wasn't for the fact she lived alone she likely wouldn't have the skill either. She stretched her arms over her head yawning. For a moment, she honestly forgot she had a house guest, despite all that happened, mainly because she was so deep in thought and planning all what she still needed to finish today before nightfall. If she remembered she might have tried to be a little quieter as she made her way around the shack to try and get herself something to eat.

As it would be expected, her dark roommate wasn't that thrilled about his meditation being disrupted like this. He really tried to be patient. He really did… But after about ten seconds of clangs, clatters, and murmurs later he voiced his 'opinion' about it by a furious hiss in her direction. He dearly hoped for her sake that she understood why he did this, or else he will outright throw her out one way or another. Weakened state or not. When he was furious, he felt like he can move a mumak. And sometimes the dwarf felt like that stubborn. And she seriously has all the energy to move about like this?

The child jumped, dropping the bowl in her hands. Thankfully it had been empty or else they would have had a mess on their hands. She looked to him then smiled sheepishly.

"Oh... right..." she said before picking up her bowl. She looked at him, remembering his little stunt on her this morning. He seemed to be doing better given all that had happened recently. Though... they really needed to work on his language skills. If they were to have another issue like before... she didn't want to have to blast him over and over again to get him to do what she needed him to. Maybe I could train him a bit? She thought to herself as she filled the bowl with nuts and berries before sitting in front of him looking up into his hood seeming to be thinking hard on just HOW she would make this happen.

Just ignore her... He kept chanting in his mind as he kept up his meditative position and stared at the ground in front of him, which now was shadowed by her form. But really, it was impossible to meditate while someone stared at him. His instinct would wake him up instantly, alerting him about the observation. It was useful when having to rest at enemy territory but highly useless when it started disrupting their meditation when among allies. In the end, the wraith sighed, letting his shoulders slump, and with an unseen annoyed expression raised his hooded head to look back at her, then tilted his head to the side curiously as if saying 'do you mind?' To make a point, he even gave a hiss then raised a hand and put it against her head, pushing it back.

"Aaaannnnoooyyyiiiiinnnng..." He hissed, now giving voice to his thoughts, which her rather low intelligence surely can pick up on. Right?

The little wizard meeped as she was pushed back almost dropping the bowl again but she got her balance back. She gave him a pout and rubbed her head letting him know she was annoyed too. What did he have to be annoyed about? He wasn't the one that woke up covered in sand this morning. She still was sure there was sand in places she couldn't reach. She thought a moment then stood up. What all had she taught him so far again?

"Up?" she said wondering if he remembered that word at all.

He stared at her. He could remember the times she used it and associated it with a simple motion. The wraith knew the word just fine now but... why does she need him to get up? He tilted his head to the side in confusion, then looked around to see a reason why he would need to move. Is there some kind of danger he couldn't sense? No... There is none... She seems to be rather calm for that. Is he in the way? How could he be in his new resting place? And even if he would be sitting in her way he wouldn't move. No way would he follow the instructions of a dwarf like her! He gave a hiss and simply looked away, signaling that he is not in the mood, neither in the need to follow her command.

She caught on to the fact he was being a stubborn git. This in turn made her pout slightly. She then thought a moment before smirking.

"Sit." she said, thinking he knew what that one meant by now and if he was really being as stubborn as that he might just stand up out of spite. He acted like a child after all. Why not treat him like one and use reverse physiology on him? Worst thing that could happen is he actually follows an order for once.

At first there was no reaction from the Nazgul, but his tired mind finally caught on... Sit? He is sitting already... He is sitting because he wanted to sit, not because she made him do so and as such her command doesn't count, he told himself. He hissed in annoyance at her, then reached out and pushed her again.

"Aaaannnoyyyiiinnngg..." He repeated, just wanting to be left alone, then after a minute of struggling he simply turned his back to her, sitting the other way around on his new throne-like chair with a sigh. This didn't look comfortable... Not like it mattered to the dark creature.

Hyano groaned but decided she would let it go for a second. Even though she found it would be still better if he actually moved about a little… Sitting and laying about the whole day was never healthy for anyone. Maybe even for a wraith. She needed to get him moving. This did give her an idea though. He wasn't looking now... maybe... she smirked yet again then took off out the door. She would leave him alone... for a moment. He would get his peace and quiet... until she came back... with payback!

Despite not wanting to listen to anything she did, he even wanted to forget about her existence entirely, still angry about her actions not long ago… still... her ever so quieting steps and the silence that followed made him look up and turn slightly to confirm that she was indeed gone. Feeling slightly more comfortable, knowing she is not around, the wraith finally turned around again and shifted in his position to make meditation more adequate and to his liking, then proceeded resting his mind. In the past she always left for most of the day, so hopefully he won't see anything of her until sundown.

There was no way in the void the wraith was that lucky. Considering Hyano was the one that made the house it was no real surprise that she knew all the little ins and outs of it. Including a little skylight not far from him. She was careful to make sure she let in as little light as possible as she opened it.

Having fine hearing helped the Nazgul little, if anything. He tilted his head when he heard the small noise coming from somewhere.

Hyano looked down to make sure he was still sitting in place before getting a bucket. She mentally counted...1...2...3! Then tossed the ice cold water down over him. She was sure he couldn't feel temperature but he sure could feel the difference between being wet and being dry. Right?

Ren had no time to ponder about the noise when the water hit him. He jumped in surprise and shrieked in shock when it med his cloak and spectral body, and landed on the ground with a thud, then proceeded rolling on the floor a little, trashing, unsure just what met him and what landed on him. It took him a while to notice that whatever was on him wasn't taking any effect on his being, so stopped and stood, freezing in place to try and determine the substance... Until the weight of his wet cloak actually pulled the weak wraith down onto the floor again onto his behind. He didn't make a sound as he looked to his left, then to his right, but could not find the source of the assault. Slowly, he raised an arm and noted how heavy it felt, so took a closer look, even touched it with his other gauntlet, noting how water dripped from the fabric. Water? Giving a furious hiss, he took his time look around the room for the culprit, then suddenly he looked up...

Hyano was laughing so hard by this point her sides hurt. He was fantastic. She nearly fell into the hole in the ceiling from her not paying attention. She honestly hadn't expected such a reaction from him. If she hadn't found him during a storm she might actually consider he had never been wet before with the way he acted. It wasn't until she noticed he was looking right at her that she stopped and froze.

Busted!

Her green eyes met his invisible ones for many seconds in silence, she, just like him, surprised to see one another for a moment. It didn't take him long to put the puzzle pieces together and in the next second he took a deep breath and sounded a furious and long shriek, giving all the anger he felt into it, releasing his dark aura around him. The room seemed to darken at his fury, then tried to stand, although it wasn't easy with his current state of power and the weight of the water within his cloak. But at least he attempted. The Nazgul slipped and fell a few times, each time he met the floor he hissed sharply, but in the end just gave up with a sigh.

At first she of course felt a mild amount of fear at his shriek. It was only natural to feel anything like that, right? However the moment he started falling over himself... she broke down laughing again. He was hilarious! This was better than any houseguest she had ever had and she lived with Radagast for years! This was fantastic!

Alright... So he cannot get to her at the moment... And she more than certainly will not come to him to receive punishment. Fine. Two can play this game. She better doesn't try coming in here...

When he finally gave up she looked down at him with a grin. "Payback!" she yelled then shut the skylight and jumped down from the roof. Totally worth it.

Her only answer was a hiss back, then the sound of angry words spoken in a language she didn't understand, shuffling, noise, and finally steps. Ren actually managed to stand up and started twisting the long and loose sleeves of his cloak, all the while murmuring something. He didn't know what she said to him back there, but it sounded insolent. Fine. Two can play the game. The wraith looked around the room, not sure what he could do which would lure her inside for a beating and before he could give up the search, his eyes fell on all these herbs she collected the other day. All the items she had... The books which they could save from the fire. He wandered over to a few of these items and started looking through them, before stopping by the books. Flipping through the pages, he couldn't tell if these were important to her or not. But, shrugging, he decided to give it a try. He sounded a hiss, long and loud, serving to draw her attention to him, and by the time she looked, he already had a potion she made in his hand... Holding it... maybe too loosely for comfort...

Hyano was eventually brought back by all his hissing. What in all Middle-Earth could make him cry out that loudly? He sounded like a dying warg for crying out loud. She only got him wet. She opened the door then blinked as she saw him with one of her books and a potion in hand. Oh void... he wouldn't... would he? She stepped into the shack slowly.

"Ren... don't you dare..." she said as she made her way towards him.

However, the closer she came, the higher the wraith held the potion in his hand and the loose his grip on it became, so basically threatening her two ways, which meant there is no way out. If she came closer, he will drop said potion, and probably many more. But if she went outside... well... he will drop potions and damage books as well. So she will have to decide which way she wanted to deal with this. One thing is sure; he seemed to find contentment in watching her shocked face and her careful, almost pleading eyes. What he didn't like however was the commanding tone, to which he answered by a sharp hiss, daring her to repeat her command.

She stopped altogether her eyes watching him closely. Alright... so now what should she do...? She was short on options now. He had one of her books in hand and a potion in the other and she wasn't sure which one either! None of her potions were really destructive honestly, they were all made for healing but they could still do a lot of damage to a book given many had a very bright berry color of some kind. Alright Hyano... think smart... How can she...? She stopped when she noticed Ship pop his head out of a nut jar. Hmmm... "Hey Ship... I need your help. Think you can distract Ren?" she said to him hoping maybe she could use Ren's one tracked mind to her advantage.

When she spoke, the wraith tensed slightly, almost about to drop the potion he had in his hand, but luckily didn't notice the true target of her words. The chipmunk only stared at them from the distance, not understanding why he needed to do it. He tilted his small head to the side, perking his tiny ears, but in the end gave a shrug and hopped off of the jar, scurrying over to the wraith, then grasped onto one of his metallic boots, crawling beneath his cloak this way. While he cannot tickle him like one can a human who might be sensitive enough to touch, this doesn't mean that he does not feel the pressure or the moving of his own clothing. As he started crawling towards his hood from beneath, the wraith actually tilted his head to the side at the feeling. It was... odd. After the little rodent reached a specific line where he could be visible to him however the Nazgul indeed... looked down.

Hyano grinned as he finally got distracted and swiftly she took off running at him. She jumped up kicking the hand that held her precious book knowing that even if she kicked the potion out of Ren's hand he could easily just start shredding the book instead with those sharp gauntlets of his. It was one of her text books. One of the many Saruman forced her to memorize word for word. She honestly hated that book with a passion because of it but would rather not get in trouble for letting a wraith destroy it.

The wraith didn't even have time to look back up, but was on the ground in the next moment, the book being snatched away from him, just like the potion. He gave a sharp hiss of annoyance, but... this is what he wanted, right? He got her close enough for a good beating. In the next moment he reached over to the side to take the staff that lay there, then used his feet and arms to push the wizard off of him to the side, then proceeded brandishing the staff, giving the first hit onto her side. Of course he was weakened, so it wasn't all that painful, but a hit none the less. He was dead set on beating the light out of her.

Hyano was full of energy compared to Ren. She gasped with the first hit but because he was so weak she quickly recovered. She then jumped up to her feet before jumping up and coming down on his gut. She knew she couldn't knock the wind out of him but she was sure it wouldn't feel good all the same... right?

While the pressure was more than felt, the wraith -as she expected- felt no pain, neither did he breathe, so hitting him had little effect. Well, she is about to learn how difficult it is to fight a weakened wraith already. This surely will make her question just how she will handle him if he indeed gains back his full power. The moment she came down, the Nazgul lashed out and grasped her leg in his iron grip, then pulled it towards himself to try and get her to fall backwards, once more presenting herself as an easy target for more hits with the staff.

Hyano yelped as her foot was pulled out from under her making her land on her face. She groaned and glared at him. If she knew getting him between the legs would work she might have done it but she was quite sure that was a useless trick. She instead thought before getting an idea. She smirked at the window then flicked her hand the window shades going wide open letting the light come in freely.

This caused the wraith to shriek loudly as he felt the blinding and uncomfortable light touch his cloaked and spectral form, making him back away and turn his back to the annoying source. This didn't stop him from fighting back however. After shaking his head, the Nazgul simply took the staff and swung it in an arch, hoping that it will at least catch her off guard and will hit her at some point.

"Gah!" she cried out and rolled out of the way right in time to miss getting hit by the staff. She mentally thanked the Valar for her quick skills or else she might not have been so lucky. This time though she grabbed onto the staff and held tightly hoping to start a tug a war match she might actually have a chance at winning... maybe. Not likely but given he was weak at the moment she could dream.

Once the Nazgul felt the force against his grip, his first instinct was to indeed pull, however there was the matter of his strength not being a match to hers at the moment, which caused the staff to indeed slide towards her. He looked down at the wooden object then back at her, and before the staff could completely slide from his hands, he simply did what he thought was the best choice in this case. Suddenly, the wraith did not pull anymore, but actually started to push the staff towards her, which was then followed by his own weight, pushing her backwards and hopefully pressing her to the floor.

She thought she was actually winning for a second... word is a second, then she was forced back making her yelp as now the back of her head met the hard surface of the floor. She groaned then glared up at him. In all honest she was actually having a little fun right now. Though she wasn't about to tell 'him' that.

-Later-

Hyano grumbled curse after curse as she stopped her way to the river. Her hair was now in more of a mess than it usually is. How could someone with no damn body be so much damn trouble! She gritted her teeth then knelt down and plugged her nose in before in one go she dunked her hair in the river. She came up quickly gasping for air. It was the fastest way to get rid of all the new knots in her hair though. That damned wraith! He not only messed up her hair, her robe –which now had multiple cuts- but he actually managed to chase her out of her own shack! While he was this weak… How in the Valar could he summon so much power all of a sudden to take up a fight with her…?

Squeaking could be heard from behind the orange wizard as she washed her hair, coming ever closer each second. The little chipmunk crawled over to the water and looked at her, standing on his hind legs, perking his tiny ears and tilting his head to the side in a cute curious fashion, in a way asking if she was alright. Ship saw surely everything. Well, he did participate in it himself, but only for a while. After he managed to climb out of the cloak of the dark creature he simply watched the brawl from above and safely afar. The wizard seemed to enjoy the little combat until the wraith started to play rough and after a few good measured pushes and grasps of her hair he managed to chase her out of the house. Maybe she wasn't counting on these? Who knows...? He chirped and hopped forward once, repeating the question as she grumbled to herself.

"Yeeaah. I'm fine..." she said as she looked at him before brushing a hand through her hair. She then gasped as a little flower fell out of her hair. She twitched. He ripped one of her flowers! "The son of a warg!" she yelled before letting the flower float away. "I am going to beat him senseless." she grumbled then swayed her hand over the water making a good amount of the water come out and created a oval in the air a little larger then herself. She then gripped her fist and it froze into a mirror ice. She then started working on her hair. She wasn't usually into this kind of thing but given the situation she had little choice.

The chipmunk hopped to the side when the ice item landed on the grass, giving it a shrill chirp as if scolding it, then watched as the small flower floated in front of him. He tilted his head then hopped to it, grasping it and sniffed it once. It wasn't so bad... It actually had a nice scent, which was mixed with hers, so started enjoying its looks and scent by sitting down on the grass somewhere next to her, even smearing the colorful flower onto his small muzzle, squeaking a sneeze in the end. He chirped a laughter and shook his head, getting rid of the flower... Then... he froze.

What the...?

Ship gave a shrill cry of warning and stood on all fours, arching his back slightly, his eyes fixed on the mirror in front of them.

The child wizard almost jumped out of her skin when she heard is cry, thinking he might of somehow gotten hurt before looking down at him.

"... You sure you were really meant to be a chipmunk? You act more like a fat cat." she said then giggled lightly petting his back to try and calm him. "Relax a little Ship. It is just your reflection silly. See?" she said then tapped the reflection to show that it was a hard surface and there for couldn't be another chipmunk.

Despite the explanation, the chipmunk still didn't seem to grasp it. What do you expect from a simple animal with a mind that does not grasp such complex things like reflection? He didn't know how that would be even possible, so the only explanation he found was that this was another chipmunk. He slowly and very carefully hopped over closer to the mirror, his tiny muzzle moving as he tried to sniff the air and see if he knew this particular chipmunk, but couldn't smell anything than himself. He finally reached the surface and pulled his small ears back against his skull, then pushed his nose forward meant as a greeting, seeing the other one seemed to be just as cautious, but willing to greet back. However, as soon as they touched noses all he could feel was the cold surface and backed away, spooked by it, and then finally scurried behind the orange wizard, peeking back at the mirror carefully. He squeaked, not understanding why the other chipmunk was so cold...

Hyano giggled and was about to explain to the little creature yet again when she froze. She looked to the mirror she had created before looking to the chipmunk. She then smirked.

"Oooooh this is going to be fun." she said then waved her hand making the mirror turn into a sphere and caught it before she scooped up the chipmunk and started back towards the shack. "You are a bloody genius Ship." she complemented an all too devious plan formed in her mind.

All the poor chipmunk could do was squeak once in confusion and let himself get carried. Why is he a genius? He shook his fur as if trying to get rid of the questions in his little head that way, then turned around to see if the other chipmunk was still there. Hmm... He is gone... Oh well... Maybe he had other things to do...

In the meantime, the Nazgul took his time to get back to his seat and resumed meditation. He was rather proud of himself for having chased off the annoying dwarf, seeing she was rather confident in getting the upper hand, only to have her butt land outside. Even he was surprised by the burst of energy he gained through his fury. He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing that he actually had murderous thoughts and wished to rip her to shreds at one point. And wasn't joking. A Nazgul never jokes. They don't even know what the word means. While it was normal for his kind to wish to destroy every living being in sight, he still considered her as useful to him, so killing her might later backfire. He will have to keep those thoughts in check for now. So there he sat, on his newly made resting place with the staff across his lap, meditating away.

Hyano climbed her way up to the roof again. This time though her aim was not to drop anything on the wraith's head. Though after he beat her up so much… she probably should just drop this big old ice cube on his head as payback. She looked down through the skylight then held the sphere of ice over the hole before letting go. Before it could drop too far she caught it with her magic. She held her hands in the air for a moment before swaying her hands and again moving the sphere in front of Ren and turning it into an oval full length mirror.

Ren didn't notice much of all this. Seeing he was meditating and she wasn't directly looking at him, and adding the lack of energy made him all too comfortable to move or to pay attention. However, what actually stirred him was the prickling of light magic in the air. No matter how much time he spent with this dwarf, when she cast some magic his aura and spectral body reacted to it defensively, making him uncomfortable. He gave a sigh and shook his hooded head, even giving a hiss for her to stop whatever she is doing, and only relaxed slightly when she let go of the magic, seeing the mirror now stood firmly in front of him. Ren wished to return to meditation but... something caught his attention in front of him, so opened his senses and looked up, locking his invisible gaze with himself in the mirror...

If he knew it was him.

He froze at first for a moment, not sure what he was seeing, his senses going on an overload seeing they desperately looked for an aura to identify the other wraith. This all happened in a matter of a single second, even a split second only. Because in the next moment he jumped up with a surprised shriek and tried to back up, but ended up falling to the side and down onto the floor, luckily away from the reflective surface. This calmed him somehow, but kept looking around, trying to find the other Nazgul. Who was that? He never saw that one before...

Hyano covered her mouth to keep from giving herself away this time by laughing. This was funny though. He really was a big old animal really. She was glad her magic didn't give her trick away as she watched him interact with... well... himself. Or rather his reflection. It was all too funny. She looked at Ship on her shoulder wondering if his little mind had been able to understand yet but knowing him... probably not. If anything if she set him down now he would probably start freaking out yet again. It was so funny watching these two. She couldn't imagine an istar ever acting this way... Wait... Radagast on mushrooms. Yes she can.

Ren in the meantime hissed in annoyance when he started rolling back onto his hands and knees, being not a great fan of falling, even if it doesn't hurt him. Getting up costs way too much energy. He shook his head, then looked forward, tilting his head to the side when all he saw was some kind of... item, which... was showing some kind of room? Was it this room? Was it another? Is that a portal?

What?

The reflection messed with his mind and confused it, and standing to the side also hid his own reflection from his view. After curiosity got the better of him, he stood, although crouching a little to walk to the item cautiously, nearing from its side in an arch. The Nazgul finally reached its surface and tried to pass it, but gave a surprised hiss when his reflection appeared again, making him back away to the side again, hiding from the reflective surface. Only a few minutes later he tried again, then again, each time pulling back when the 'other wraith' popped up, then finally gathered his courage to sneak in front of it and... watch the equally puzzled Nazgul in front of him. It was strange...

It was a great misconception that Nazgul have no faces. They do, just not visible thanks to the enchantment on their rings. A wraith can see and recognize another by aura, smell, and face, seeing they all are affected by the same darkness and curse. They simply walk the world of the Unseen, which is invisible to those who cannot enter it themselves, however it has its own price. Reduced vision, barely any detail of the world they are existing in… Though, they learned to cope with it with time.

When Ren tilted his head, the other dark being did the same. But weren't all his brothers gone? Then who is this? It didn't look like any of them... Slowly but surely, he gave a warning hiss towards it, only to see the same slightly hostility from the other one, which made him more uncertain. After a moment, he started nearing it again, but froze and stopped when the other one also did the same. In the end he reached over ever so slowly, and tapped the other wraith's finger -seeing he reached out too. Ren tilted his head to the side in confusion and curiosity, then continued tapping the mirror, watching as the other mimicked him so accurately. Strange one this wraith is... Although he was still all too cautious and any sudden move the other made -so he made- he pulled back with another warning hiss.

Well this proved to the wizard that he didn't have a sense for temperature. Maybe he would have noticed the difference between him and the image. Well... actually they both were rather cold so maybe not. She wondered just how long this little show would go. She laid on her stomach and crossed her arms under her head making sure to keep quiet as she watched Ren experiment. Maybe... I could mess with him a little more. She thought then smirked before waving her hand. This caused the mirror to shift slightly becoming more like a funhouse mirror. She wanted to see if this would either give the game away or make the game that much more fun.

As soon as the shape of the wraith in the mirror altered, seeing the surface was bent, so Ren jumped back again, hissing in surprise at the change. The wraith tilted his head to the side, now finding the strange creature even more odd, so stepped closer, only to stop after just a single step after he noted his the shape changed each time he moved... But when he stayed still... the other Nazgul stopped moving as well, just like didn't morph either.

Strange...

He hissed again, drawing closer, moving his head in different angles like an owl would when observing something, watching as the other dark creature changed shapes. He didn't understand this... What is going on? In the end, Ren backed up a little and stood, just staring at the strange being which stared back at him just as confused. Hmm...

Hyano couldn't hold it in anymore. She just broke down laughing. For someone who looked so much bigger and older then her he really acted like an animal most of the time. He was just hilarious! He was a man at one point right? Why couldn't he recognize his own reflection?

The wraith hissed in shock when he heard the dwarf again, giving out the same sounds she did when she spilled the liquid over him. He can understand as much that she gives out this one when she finds something satisfying or entertaining... So she finds his confusion and the other wraith entertaining too? He looked up at her, sounding a threatening hiss at her, daring her to come down...

This in turn though also made the wizard's concentration on the mirror slip and since there technically was nothing else holding the mirror up... it came crashing down hitting the floor and splitting into a thousand pieces of ice on the floor. Hyano cringed at the crash but still giggled.

Well... there goes the game.

The wraith's train of thoughts was severed when he heard the crash and averted his gaze from the annoying girl, noting that not only did the other Nazgul vanish, but all that remained on his place were some broken shards of something... solid. He tilted his head to the side and stepped towards one piece, picking it up in his gauntleted hand, turning its surface towards him. He hissed and drew it back when he saw that other wraith again... But... What? He moved his head a little and flipped the item, noting how small it was... Yet showed another wraith... Hmm...

Wait...

Hyano watched him and for some reason noted that it probably finally clicked in his head what had happened.

"About time." she said then held her hand up. "And for the finally..." she flexed her hand and the ice turned to water again before she flicked her hand and it all shot at the wraith all at once... officially drenching him in water... for a second time today.

Oh payback was SWEET!

She was probably going to regret this stunt sooner or later but for now... she was going to enjoy it for all it was worth. I mean who wouldn't? She soaked the horrible scary wraith twice. She doubted anyone who was still alive could say that. Though she also doubted anyone could say they were also letting a wraith live in their home... Huh... Was she lucky or out of her mind? Maybe taking a mushroom from Radagast's stash once had hurt her more mentally then she thought.

Life for them continued on like this. Hyano would wake up to a prank of some kind or another soon realizing she would have to get used to this while Ren was forced to endure the more natural smells and actions of the little wizard. Hyano even tried to teach him how to cook once to which she earned a 'are you stupid?' look from the wraith. Considering he has no visible face, and pushed by the need to communicate, she slowly learned to give more attention to his body language, hence why she could distinguish his 'expressions'. His expressions were his movements and positions, also the small sounds he gave out. For example, she learned that even a hiss can have three different meanings, but one can decide which one he used at a time. If it is forced and sharp, it means distaste and anger, if it is slow, almost gentle, then it means he is content and pleased, if it is very short and deep… it means he saw something or senses danger. Or the tilt of his head means confusion and curiosity. She still had a lot to learn of course.

Not only was she the one who was trying to make communication work. Ren actually felt forced to learn a little of her language in order to give more clear orders. Words were hard to learn, seeing he wasn't all too keen to speak the language of weak beings like humans, but there was little choice. Along with the words, he also learned that this isn't the only means how she tries to get herself understood. The way her face changes compared to her change of mood can be a nice indicator of what she wishes from him. He learned to distinguish some emotions. Sadness, happiness, confusion, frustration… Mainly this is all he could understand. About the rest…. he didn't care.

A wizard and a Nazgul living in peace together is only known in fairy tales told to little children after wars to help them go to sleep. For Hyano and Ren? This fairy tale was reality.

Well… kind of…

But every fairy tale has an ending…

Happy or sad?

One will only find out if one reads on.

THE END

Lol! Just kidding. There are too many chapters after this to quit now.

Next chapter comes next week!

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