[Orual]

Rie climbed up on the ladder, armed with a broom, humming snatches of a tune that Nuru had taught her amid threats to the cobwebs. "Ooh," she muttered, rubbing her head. She had hit it on the rafters. Gazing up bitterly at the offending piece of wood, she noticed another cobweb. A big one. A very big one.

She looked down quickly, then pulled herself up. She dearly hoped that Don wasn't watching and getting ideas. Slowly she picked her way through the rafters, inching toward the offending cobweb. "Carefully, Talmérië," she murmured to herself. "Wouldn't want to slip and land on somebody's head!"

She laughed, and continued making her way to the cobweb. She had almost gotten to it when her left leg slipped off the rafters, followed quickly by her right leg. She gave a little cry and braced herself for the fall.

But instead of the floor, she found herself, upon impact, in somebody's arms. "May I help you?" a voice asked her cheerfully. He was an Elf. She stared blankly at him for a moment, then blushed and regained her composure.

"Thank you," she said as he put her down. "Um, thank you quite a bit," she added, looking up at the height of the rafters. "I'm Rie," she continued, regaining her manners. "Talmérië, that is, daughter of Almarien. Thank you for saving me! I don't think we've met, though. You are...?" Rie dusted her palms off from the rafter dust, and waited for his answer.