While the surroundings should have put Bainith at ease, sitting in the small yet cozy office that his mentor had here in the Last Homely House was making him edgy, and feeling like a caged animal when another Elf entered and closed the door. A second chair had been brought beside the one that Zhie sat in, and the newcomer took the seat beside her. "I suppose we should make this brief, if you are planning to assist in escorting Mrs. Brandybuck back to the Shire," said Erestor as he adjusted his robes. Bainith said nothing and only nodded a little, and both he and Erestor looked to Zhie.

"I am just going to say it without going into great detail. Bainith, I can no longer mentor you."

His mouth opened to issue protest, but naught came out but a thin sound that was masked by her continued words.

"As it is, you are a rune keeper, not a loremaster. You are not even a scholar. There were many questions going into this. Now, however, there is yet another change -- one I had not expected considering your age."

"What do you mean?" he finally asked, fretting his gloved hands.

"Perhaps I can speak to that." Erestor cleared his throat and unlike Zhie who had kept her eyes on an indefinite point on the wall, Erestor looked directly at Bainith. "I often stand watch at the Haven of Orlandion not only because it is a beautiful place, but because it gives me a view of everything happening outside of this house." He waited for the dawning realization to drain Bainith's face of color and added, "That was a nice spot the two of you chose. Very serene, and hardly anyone knows of that island."

Bainith dropped his hand into his lap and covered it with the other, as if concerned that they could see through the leather of his gloves. He considered denial, and then anger, but stuck with disbelief. "So I am being punished now, is that it? Rune keepers are expected to stay solitary, or fall in line with the rest of the population when they choose a mate?"

Erestor rubbed his temples while Zhie rolled her eyes. "This is where it becomes very difficult -- delicate," she amended. "Obviously, you are keeping this somewhat secret or else you would have told me or Yucca or at least you would not be wearing gloves indoors in the middle of spring." Bainith frowned. "The extent of my training has always been as a governess. I am mistress to those I mentor, yes, but I am in a matronly position as well. There were boundaries that I explained when you first began training. A betrothal nullifies our agreement. I may say something or give you direction that your future spouse disagrees with, and we cannot have that conflict."

"So I have been dismissed, then." His voice sounded defeated, and he stared down at the floor.

"I am presenting options. I have spoken at length with a pair of brothers who are rune keepers. Dwarvenfolk, and very knowledgeable when it comes to the powers and channeling of the stones. They are more than eager to take you on as an apprentice."

"What are the other options?" questioned Bainith.

"Give up your training and go home to the Shire or stay here and live in Rivendell."

Bainith could feel his hands getting warm, the fiery heat rising within him. "None of those alternatives are acceptable," he stated, removing his gloves to keep them from burning. "I have a year before I will be married," he lied, certain they could not tell that for all intents and purposes he was already. "Keep me on until then while I seek out a new mentor."

"This is not something to be negotiated."

"I disagree. This is my life we are talking about," he argued as small flames began to lick the floor surrounding the two older Elves.

Zhie and Bainith continued to debate the situation, but Erestor leaned over his chair and watched the fire dance around them and swirl up from the ground. Just as the fire threatened to burst at them, Erestor broke Bainith's concentration with a question. "How old are you again?"

The fire seemed to sweep away as Bainith looked away from Zhie. "I turned forty-nine last week."

Erestor rubbed his chin and looked to Zhie as if seeking guidance. She shrugged, and he asked, "Is he worth my time?"

"He has potential. But... I think that minstrel of his will kill you if something happens to him."

"Nothing has ever happened to any of my apprentices," said Erestor calmly as Zhie muttered, "Except Celegorm," under his breath. Erestor sighed and found interest in a chip of wood missing from the desk. "Celegorm would not listen. He was apprenticed in name only."

Erestor took a deep breath and then leaned across the desk slightly, his full attention on Bainith. "I will give you one year. Train with me -- it will be harsh; accelerated, but in the end you will gain the knowledge you seek. In exchange, prove yourself to me. I have not taken on an apprentice in four hundred years. You will have to dedicate yourself to this."

"Yes, sir."

"Not so fast," waned Erestor. "I have watched you here and there when you have been in Imladris. As you have likely heard multiple times, the Elves are not destined to stay here much longer. A day will come when you are yet young and will sail -- perhaps from feeling the sea-calling yourself, or perhaps because your mate will. Right now, you have no problems interacting because you can speak to hobbits and men on a daily basis, and you have been immersed in their cultures. You need to know your own heritage."

Bainith nodded. "Someone is teaching me the language already, and I am learning the style of clothing and how to cook Elven foods," he explained.

"A good start. But you need to learn of the rest of the culture -- history, you have been learning from Zhie, but there are other items I expect you to be trained in. Etiquette, dancing, singing, playing an instrument, poetry--"

"I write poetry," Bainith interrupted. "But... I cannot dance and I do not sing well and--"

"At the moment, but you will." Erestor's stern look kept Bainith from saying more on the topic, though he fidgeted in his seat a bit. "Think over my offer. I do not want an answer now. Go now and assist your friend in returning home; then, if you decide to accept this apprenticeship, go to Esteldin. I shall meet you there." He made a motion with his hand and said, "Dismissed."

Before Bainith left, he bowed to Zhie. "Thank you for what you were able to teach me." She nodded back as he left the office, then she looked at Erestor when they were the only ones remaining.

"Is there ANYTHING I need to know about him?" pressed Erestor once he was certain that Bainith could not hear them.

Zhie thought carefully on her answer. "He hates spiders and he fears heights. He seems to have developed a dislike of Dwarves, but I do not know when that came about. If he knows them, he is fine, but Dwarves in general put him on edge. He was not like that in the beginning, so I am sure that something happened."

"Dourhands, perhaps?" wondered Erestor.

"Perhaps," agreed Zhie. "He has an unpredictable temper."

"He is young and plays with fire. I half expect it. He favors fire, I assume," Erestor added.

Zhie gave a nod. "He also worries a lot."

Erestor smirked. "We all do."

Zhie walked straight through the house, seemingly not noticing her husband, who was sitting on one of the steps in the main room, sketching something on an abandoned piece of frayed parchment. She made it all the way to the doorway of the trophy room when she stopped and turned around. "What happened to all of the dead animals in there? More importantly," she pressed as she strode back to the handsome Dwarf watching her, "where is the keg and why is there a bed in there?"

"The keg is right o'er thar in the corner." He nodded towards it, and Zhie sighed in relief. "Th' bed was Bandoras' idea. Said too many people were sleeping on th' floor."

She glanced back at the ex-trophy room. "This is simply going to encourage people to do other things than sleep on that bed."

"As if that matters. Do you know how many times Eledu has pulled Gwyndir up those stairs to the library? Once right in the middle of th' day, when Valarda an' I were havin' tea!"

"I wonder if Bandoras found out what we were doing out in the mushroom tent..." she muttered to herself, only half-listening.

"Anyhow," continued Vollstag, "this is quite the improvement from fallin' asleep on the floor. I might be a Dwarf, but sleepin' on stone is not my preference."

Zhie smirked. "Who am I to deny you an indulgence?"

Vollstag smiled back, and leaped down from his perch and onto the ground. "What would m'lady elf like to drink this evening? We have many fine ales in stock."

"We could stop over at the Bent Spade. I think you would like it there," she said as he pulled a bottle of her favorite from one of the shelves.

"Does the Bent Spade have a bed?"

"I... I do not think so..."

"Then we are stayin' here." He waggled his brows, and Zhie chuckled softly, sitting down so that she could unbuckle her boots. "Makes me feel a bit guilty," she conceded as she took the bottle that was offered to her and drank deeply.

"Why's that?"

"I left Bainith with Master Erestor a few days ago," she explained. "You know how he is; tough love and all of that."

Vollstag looked surprised. "Whatcha tryin' t' do, break your poor li'l rune keeper?"

"Noooo....maybe? I have no idea. He needs... someone a bit fiercer than I am."

"A bit? A bit would be... well, not Lord Erestor. Tha's like tradin' a lap cat fer a lion."

Zhie nodded slowly. "There were other options, but he chose this."

"Does th' boy have enah idea what he's in for?"

For a while, Zhie just drank the ale thoughtfully. She finally said, "He was given a list of rules and expectations before I left. Erestor is taking him back into Esteldin, and then to Ost Guruth. After that, possibly the Trollshaws. He agreed to one year of training. No smoking, limitations on drinking, and a fair amount of other provisions. Oh, and this one will amuse you -- no sparring until he can win a match against me."

Vollstag narrowed his eyes. "Not sure I like that, darlin' "

"Just sparring. I do it all the time," she said with a quick wave of her hand.

"So is this a permanent arrangement, or a temporary swift kick an' then you get him back?" asked Vollstag as he wandered to the other room to turn down the bed and fluff the pillows.

"Not sure, though I doubt he will be under my watch again. I am actually doubtful that this will last a full year. I get the feeling Erestor is trying to make a point, but I am failing to see what that is at the moment."

"No need t' worry yerself about it. A good night's rest'll do ye." Vollstag titled his head towards the inviting bed.

Zhie looked through the doorway in contemplation. "Bandoras is not going to be pleased if he finds out this new guest room is being used for such activities."

"He was th' one who put a bed in here."

"Point taken," agreed Zhie, who really needed very little prompting. The mushroom tent was becoming awfully uncomfortable...

In the few days he had been apprenticed to Erestor, Bainith learned that even perfection was never quite enough for the older Elf. Imperfection, then, was taken not only as a frustration, but as an insult.

"Are you that incompetent that you cannot manage more than one enemy at a time?"

"There were four of them," snarled Bainith, who was trying to put out the small fire that had started on the corner of his cloak. As he stomped at it, Erestor trudged past the other soldiers that had been brought along on their little venture and tore the golden cape from Bainith's shoulders with exaggerated flourish. A little wisp of smoke rose up from the heap on the ground as the fire smoldered.

Erestor kicked the cape aside for additional effect. "Rune keeper, right? Fire-starter, lightning-chaser -- who gave you the brilliant idea to wear a cloak while fighting?"

Bainith swallowed hard, his jaw twitching. "I just thought--"

"Stop thinking. Start listening. Put that away in your saddlebags, child." Erestor tapped his foot impatiently as Bainith called his mount from the field where they had hidden their horses. The grey stallion trotted up the path, snorting with disgust at the number of charred corpses he had to navigate around. Bainith scooped up the damaged cloak with a sigh and shoved it into one of the bags, then sent the horse away again. "See those three over there?"

Bainith looked past of group of trees and saw in the distance a trio of orc raiders, two of them mulling around looking bored while a third awkwardly marched up and down the side of the hill. "Yes."

Erestor removed from a pouch the pipe he had taken away from Bainith and filled it with a goodly amount of sweet leaf. "Go on, then. We still have several leagues to cover before we reach Esteldin, and they are blocking the way. Unless you want to take the long way around?" Erestor lit the pipe and sat down on the ground, then made a shooing motion at Bainith.

The rune keeper gripped the stones in his hands tightly as he turned around and headed straight for the enemy encampment. Now he knew why he liked the cape -- dramatic exits were so much more dramatic with the whipping of the cloth and the flutter of the fabric. He could feel the fire burning the tips of his fingers as he approached, his fury set first upon the anxious wandering orc. Most rune keepers were silent and stealthy, whispering their curses from a distance. Bainith was not much different, but today, still stinging with anger, he shouted his ridicules at the orcs openly. "Feel fire and burn, you dark demon of death... I will destroy you and consume your spirit with my flames!" Fire burst up around the orc, who fumbled for his bow and took aim upon the lithe Elf who flung at him fire, lightning, and insults.

Not far away, the half-dozen who had accompanied Erestor and Bainith watched; Erestor stared up at the sky looking at clouds. Finally, one of the younger soldiers said, "Feisty one you found there, sir. When he gets angry, watch out."

"Let him get angry," advised Erestor as lightning came down as if pulled from the sky and felled the third orc. "He fights better that way." When Bainith came back to his companions, he looked expectantly at Erestor. "Not the most graceful technique, but at least we are not rushing you back to Rivendell to be tended to by Master Elrond." Bainith scowled as Erestor instructed the party to move again.