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"Right," Shoneah nodded. "Thank you. An oilcloth bag for holding gunpowder. Mortar and pestle for preparing it."

She sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. "I hope we won't need it, but we should ask for medical supplies as well. Who knows what's out there or what might happen to us."

She suddenly felt very tired. Not physically, but mentally. There was so much more they would be better off with, things that they could not get in a day's time. Knowledge of the land, the people, the plants and animals, weather patterns, seasons, the years ... everything was important to their survival. It didn't matter what they would be given, there was no way they would be fully prepared.

At least language wouldn't be a problem.

Shoneah considered the question, her eyes closed.

"Take some that won't go bad on us," she murmured at length. "Hopefully we can hunt enough, but I'm well aware that there will be times when we won't catch anything."

She opened her eyes and looked at Eron. When she saw him writing things down, she leaned forward interestedly.

"Are you any good at sketching or drawing?" she asked him, her brow furrowed slightly.

"Then we should also make sure to have paper so that we can record the plants that we see," Shoneah murmured, closing her eyes again. "We can test them in small amounts to find out what's edible and what isn't. Or ask people, if we come across more people."

Then she recalled how unexpectedly she had been thrown into this world, and what else she would normally have with her, but didn't.

"I'll also need oil and cloth to take care of my blades," she sighed. "This list just keeps growing, doesn't it?"

"I don't suppose they'd give us a horse to carry things," Shoneah muttered.

She fell silent once more as she reconsidered the items she'd listed. Was she missing anything?

"Can you read the list back to me?" she requested, glancing at Eron. "I just want to make sure nothing's being forgotten."

"I didn't see any," Shoneah admitted regretfully. "Perhaps they'll have something similar, though. So far most of the animals have been the same as the ones back home."

She listened to the list in silence, and when Eron finished reading it, she nodded to herself. It sounded complete. And if it wasn't, well, they would have to make do without. They couldn't carry everything on their own, after all.

She sighed and lay down, crossing her ankles and putting one arm over her eyes. "Might as well get some rest while we're waiting for dinner," she mumbled softly. "Who knows when that will be. And I've the feeling we're not meant to wander about while we're here."

She couldn't put her finger on what it was, but something about Adlanniel's word choice and tone of voice gave her the impression that she and Eron were not as welcome by the women as they had been by the men of the village.

"Maybe not," Shoneah murmured. "I hope that's all it is."

It was nearly an hour later when Jabek and Adlanniel returned with dinner for the two of them: fresh roasted meat with potatoes, vegetables and gravy, such as was a rare treat for Shoneah. The couple stayed to keep them company while they ate, and then they left the two alone for the night. It was already very dark, and Shoneah was so weary that she had no trouble falling asleep immediately, using a pile of furs for her bed.

The following day was spent in preparation for the journey ahead of them, and they were again left more or less to themselves; and the following morning, they thanked their hosts and headed out again. They had been given everything they'd asked for, with the exception of a steed to help bear the burden, as the small village simply didn't have any for them to take.

"So how are you with maps?" Shoneah asked Eron as they left the village behind and headed west again. He had been given both a sword and a hunting knife to use, appropriate sizes for him to use.

Shoneah smiled, glad that Eron would be able to do something useful. It wasn't his fault, but he was not a traveler and she knew how it felt to not be able to help out. Hopefully this would help him feel less like a tagalong and more like a partner in travel.

And so they left the Earth Elves behind and headed for the next step on their journey to Caras Galadhon to find someone who could help them: Shiezin, land of the Fire Elves.