Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Good," Haradhel nodded approvingly. "Because it might be the last chance you have."

Just then, the workers from the garden arrived, seven men and women all dirty and sweating from their work. Most of them were wiping their hands on any clean part of their clothing, and they all sat down in the shade around Haradhel, Arahad and Lin, leaning against the wooden walls of the barracks and leaning their heads back, relaxing in the coolness of the shade.

Haradhel laughed at Lin's expression of chagrin. "Why don't you give them to me," she suggested, "and then you can go off and find everyone you want to talk to personally? No one would blame you for wanting to find Elros, everyone knows how much time you like to spend with him ... and he's rather fond of you, too, which is rare. He never shows emotions to anyone, except you."

She smiled easily at Lin and held out her hand.

Haradhel laughed at that as she took the cookies carefully. "How can you not? Don't you remember what he was like when you first came here? You were riding in your father's coat pocket, such a tiny little thing ... and yet when you were introduced he didn't even blink, didn't change expression at all ... as if you were the most normal thing in the world!"

She laughed again. "Thanks for the cookies," she grinned at Lin. "I'll make sure that everyone gets one."

Haradhel laughed. "No need to thank me, just go!" she grinned. "Go on, I'm sure Elros will be very happy to see you. Just make sure you come and say goodbye before you leave again."

She winked at Lin, then turned towards the gardeners to hand out the cookies that Lin had brought for them.

Elros was indeed in his quarters, window wide open to let in the warmth and the sunshine, as well as the cool breeze that made the warmth comfortable. He was not unoccupied, as always: his desk was covered in the books and papers that were normally on his bookshelf, all of it stacked neatly, and on his bed were mounds of clothes and cloaks. His weapons were on the counter on the far wall, lain out and sorted according to size.

He was packing.

But at the sound of the knock, he paused in his work and turned to the door. He wondered briefly who it was. It was far too soon for Donovan to have returned for another hunt ...

Silently, he gripped the door handle and pulled the door open.

"Lin," he murmured in surprise, his eyes softening and the corners of his lips turning up in a faint smile. "I am glad to see you ... come in."

And he moved aside to give her the space she needed.

Elros took the cookie carefully, and a sad expression crossed his face. He fell to one knee and put his arms around Lin's back, pulling her close for a tight hug. His brow was furrowed deeply in sadness, and it was a long time before he even let his arms relax.

"Lin," he murmured, almost in a whisper, and his voice was filled with pain. "I am going to miss you ..."

Elros chuckled softly and put one hand on Lin's shoulder.

"As often as you like," he told her with a warm smile. He rose to his feet again and squeezed her shoulder gently. "I will look forward to your visits ... for a while they may be the only familiar thing that I will have in my life. I have never commanded an army before ... nor have I served under a monarch. It will be a whole new experience for me ..."

He only wished he knew how it would go.