"You are most welcome." Reinette smiled at DĂșlinnor's words, nodding her head once to show her own gratitude. The Elven man went silent for a short while after, seemingly listening to the world around him. Suddenly he stood, grabbing what looked like a plate of food and handing it off to the younger woman.
She took it gratefully, just truly realizing then how hungry she actually was in that moment. "I believe that you still need to eat." DĂșlinnor spoke in a soft tone, and Reinette couldn't help the smile in her eyes. She nodded, taking a bite of the meal - it wasn't anything particularly special, but she felt like she hadn't eaten in ages, and so the food tasted absolutely divine to her.
She watched as DĂșlinnor took his leave from their flat, her eyes following his form out of the doorway. Turning her attention back to her meal, she quickly ate the food, hoping to not appear without manners for how fast she had eaten. She simply couldn't help it, and quickly finished her meal. She stood after a moment, and placed the empty plate on a nearby table.
Reinette stretched then, raising her arms well above her head and tilting her back backward slightly to crack the bones back into place that had shifted uncomfortably when she passed out. After a moment, she returned to sit on the bed, rather than under the covers. She crossed her legs "Indian-style", as they had called it when she was younger. It was then that DĂșlinnor stepped back into the flat.
The words words out of his mouth were, "My brother does not trust you." Reinette looked toward him with a hint of worry in her eyes. Why didn't he trust her? She couldn't help the thought crossing through her mind. She hadn't done anything to lose his brothers trust, but DĂșlinnor's next words sort of answered her thought before she could even question it.
"As is the way that many in this Realm are with Humans. It is not often that Men venture into LothlĂłrien..." There was a slight pause as he moved through the smaller flat, taking a seat on the bed opposite of hers. Reinette turned herself so that she was seated facing him, giving him her full attention. "Aglaron is much more..brash in his opinions at times, I'm afraid. I'm actually surprised that he's not taken to being cross with me again."
Reinette wanted to ask why, if he was normally cross with DĂșlinnor... but she thought better of it, and instead bit back the question and opted for sitting silently instead. She offered him a sympathetic look though, for good measure.
After a moment, DĂșlinnor spoke up once more. "We will be leaving at first light. I suggest you rest. It will then be half a days ride before we reach Caras Galadhon."
"Caras Galadhon..." she whispered quietly to herself. In her mind, she could imagine what it must look like, but she was dying to know the true glory of the city at night... All the glow from the brilliant structures, eerie in their color... She didn't dare mention to DĂșlinnor that she knew more than she was letting on. For whatever reason, she felt she couldn't share her knowledge of Tolkien, or how she knew any of this reality.
It was then that a terrible thought came to her. First, she didn't know what year it was. She didn't know what was happening, really. What if the stories that Tolkien had written were in fact true? Would her existence change them? Or would she be a valuable asset in the wrong hands?
An icy feeling seemed to grip at her stomach, heart and throat all at the same time. She almost felt like pulling into herself, and a worried expression couldn't help but cross her face.
She had a lot to talk about with Lady Galadriel. But she didn't even know how much she could reveal to her...
DĂșlinnor's voice cut through the air, splitting the cold feeling in Reinette's heart in half. At least for now, the thought was out of her mind. "I have one final patrol before we leave. My brother will be with you until I return."
And there was the slightly worried feeling again. "Your brother is... the guy from earlier, right? With the throat grabbing and the heated discussion, right?" She shifted, now slightly uncomfortable. "He seems..." Reinette paused. She couldn't bring herself to flat up lie to him. Nice? She didn't know if she wanted to put it that way. So she finished with the only word she could think of. "...Brotherly?"
A yawn began to pull its way out of her chest, and she couldn't help but open her mouth. Covering it with her hand, she apologized afterward. "Yeah, I think I could definitely use some rest..." Untying her boots, she took them off, setting them next to the bed. She took off her cardigan as well, folding it and placing it on the foot of the bed. Climbing under the covers, she rested herself against the back of the bed by the pillows, turning to look at DĂșlinnor.
"Thanks again, you know... for everything," Reinette began once more. "If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be alone right now, confused, and sleeping in the woods..." She turned to look at his face, and smiled. "It'll be nice to make this trip with you. Hopefully, together we can figure this all out..."