~Lasriel starts building a house and gets several visitors – visitors who don't seem to get along very well.~

~♕~

"I'm surrounded by amateurs.
You want something done,
you've got to do it yourself."

– Sebastian, The Little Mermaid

~♕~

25. Girlfriends

For several days the bricks had been finished, neatly stacked under the many waxed linen tarpaulins, ready to be put together and become a house. Lasriel wanted to be alone when she started her project, and was getting almost eager for the next time Legolas would be away a bit longer.

But only almost. Lately, having him around had been surprisingly enjoyable. He had become quite as invested as she in the baby-making project and returned home several times a day for extra sessions in her bedroom. Unlike before, he always asked her to undress first, and if it was in the evening he left the lantern lit.

She was beginning to suspect he really did find her attractive, though he never told her so, and that he would have enjoyed bedding her even if he didn't need to beget an elfling. And to be honest, so would she, now. Each time was nicer than the last one.

Whenever Legolas was at work, she was busy with the slow process of translating the Haradrim book. The first chapters were all about embraces and kisses, and the latter in particular made her recall that one and only time Legolas had kissed her. If only she dared suggest they try that again! But when he was so focused on making babies, she felt a bit silly to suggest doing something only for pleasure.

After a couple of weeks, the regular bedroom activities had to be paused when Lasriel's period arrived as an unwelcome guest. It appeared her decoctions and various fertility strategies hadn't worked after all.

Legolas didn't look too disappointed over the news. "It actually suits my plans," he said. "I need to travel to Lothlórien to bring back more saplings. This is a good time to do it, now that spring is on its way, and when I'm back we will resume our efforts."

Lasriel hid her excitement with some difficulty. Finally alone! Finally time to build a real house! "I will miss you," she said, putting on a suitably sad face.

"And I you."

Already the next day, a long caravan of elves and horses rode out of the colony. Lasriel waited impatiently until they were out of sight before hurrying over to the bricks.

She had decided to begin by pulling down the animal shed and then building the house there, both because it was slightly higher ground and because she needed somewhere to live during the time it took to make the new house. And when all was finished the goats and chickens could live in the old house instead.

It was not hard to tear the ramshackle shed down, but noisy. The goats bleated and scurried away, and Galion, Nellas and the two guards Legolas had left in the colony came over wondering what she was doing.

"I'm going to build a new, better house." She proudly indicated the first load of bricks waiting by the house, glad to finally be able to show everyone the fruit of her hard work.

"I helped make those," said Galion, equally proud. Then he gave Nellas a worried glance. "I know you hate stone cities, but stick houses are not very robust..."

"I like these bricks," she replied, patting one of them. "They are alive. I can sense the reeds within."

"I wish the guard post was made of bricks too," said one of the guards enviously. "It leaks when it rains."

"And it often rains," the other glumly agreed.

"I plan to make bricks enough for everyone as soon as my house is finished," Lasriel promised.

Then she began, laying out the bricks and using Mordor mortar for the joints, just like she had practiced in Minas Tirith that time before. Her little audience looked on at first, but then began to help her by fetching more bricks from where she had stored them near the river.

In the afternoon, when Lasriel and her helpers took a break for lunch, a group of ponies and dwarves appeared from behind a hill. Lasriel recognized Cheery Glodson, Faramir's foreman, with his workers.

"Hi!" Cheery waved. "Your house looks great already."

Lasriel happily greeted the dwarf and his companions. "Come, join our meal," she invited.

While they ate, Cheery explained that they were finished at Faramir's now. "The residence is complete, so we're heading back to Osgiliath to look for a new project. And collect our pay, of course."

That gave Lasriel an idea. "My husband has been planning to hire a dwarf workforce to drain these parts with ditches, but the person he asked is very busy. Maybe you could do it instead? Also, I need a well so I can finally get running water in the house like I had back home."

"You know about indoor pumps?" Cheery looked surprised. "You're an unusual elf, for sure!"

"I learned it from a dwarf book, actually."

"Ha! A book, eh. I can't read for the life of me, but I'm glad you find them useful."

"If you help me drain the colony and dig a well I can teach you how to read," she suggested.

"Hm. It might be useful to learn those runes but I don't fancy digging trenches. Maybe if the pay is very good...?"

"Oh." Lasriel looked at Galion, who warningly shook his head. "I, uh, guess I must ask my husband what he meant to pay that other dwarf, and hopefully it will be enough."

"You do that, and let me know when you know."

When they had finished the meal, Lasriel brought Cheery and his workers over to the building site, describing her plans. "You see here how I'm building the floor quite a bit above the ground, with this stair leading to the front door. I'm sick and tired of damp floors, you know. And here will be one of the bedrooms, and this smaller compartment will be an indoor outhouse."

"Great craftsmanship." Cheery stroked a brick with his fingertip, expertly examining the wet joint. "Mordor mortar, isn't it? Good stuff. What will you use for windows?"

"Just wooden shutters for now – but as soon as we can afford it I will ask my husband if I can buy glass panes in Osgiliath. I figured since it is soon summer we will have plenty of time before we need them."

A commotion at the gate drew their attention. "More dwarves," said Lasriel. "Your friends too?"

He squinted, and then huffed: "Not at all. Wealthy Northerners, by the look of their helmets. I may have met them downtown once or twice, but we don't move in the same circles."

To Lasriel's surprise the new dwarves were immediately let inside by the guards, and when they approached she realized why.

"Gimli!" She hurried over to him, glad to see another familiar face. "Isn't this great! I was just asking my new friend Master Glodson here to help drain the colony because you were so busy, yet here you are after all!"

Gimli gave Cheery an offhand look. "Lucky for you I made it in time then, lass; this task needs an expert."

Cheery indignantly puffed out his chest. "Actually, I had planned to accept the assignment."

"You had?" Lasriel looked at him. "But I thought–"

"It would seem you made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"Her husband commissioned me to do it a long time ago," said Gimli.

"But I got here first," Cheery countered.

"And you think a youngster such as yourself could manage advanced drainage techniques?" He shook his head. "Madness."

"Youngster? I am a hundred-and-ten!"

"That makes me over three decades your senior. Off you go, laddie!"

"I will do no such thing!"

"You certainly will!"

Nellas cleared her throat and cut in: "You could work together. Saves time."

"Absolutely not!" they replied in one voice.

Turning his back on the other dwarf, Cheery then went to one end of the colony and started to make camp along with his workers, while Gimli did the same at the other end.

"Well." Lasriel gave Nellas and Galion a helpless look. "I guess we will get twice as many trenches now... and two wells."

"Maybe they will calm down and settle this tomorrow," said Galion hopefully.

~♕~

The house rose higher and higher, one row of bricks after the other. Lasriel had to use a ladder to reach though it slowed the process.

"Want us to help you put up scaffolding?" came Cheery's rumbling voice from below.

Lasriel gratefully climbed down. "That would be wonderful! If it is not too much trouble?"

"Not at all. And sorry for before, but I just couldn't stand how condescending that dwarf sounded. As if I'm too young to drain a swamp!"

"I know the feeling. My husband is a lot like that... He doesn't seem to believe I'm capable of doing anything outside the house."

"Huh. That's guys for you," Cheery sneered. "And that's why I only employ ladies."

"Ladies?"

"Yeah, ladies, but don't tell Master Glóinson over there and his snobby, experienced Northerners. It's not proper among our people to reveal one's gender, but I make an exception because you're an elf."

Feeling her jaw slacken, Lasriel trailed her eyes up and down Cheery's muscular form, with the long, curly beard and braided mustaches. Then she turned her gaze to the workers around the nearby campfire. Their deep voices were raised in a song about jewels by the sound of it. "But you look exactly like dwarf men," she said weakly.

"Well, and to me elf men look almost exactly like elf ladies so I guess it evens out." Cheery shrugged. "Anyway. After we put up the scaffolding, would you like to come over to our camp for some nice drinking and chatting? Just us girls."

"Eh, I suppose... why not? Thank you."

"I will join you." Nellas came out from Lasriel's old house, carrying a stack of romantic books. "Also, I am borrowing these."

~♕~

To Lasriel's surprise, the impromptu party turned out to be one of the most enjoyable evenings she had ever had. Cheery and her workers entertained with songs and stories, as well as lots of interesting details about their work in the building business. The meat was tasty and the ale was strong, but Lasriel found drinking it was an acquired taste.

"I wish I could live free like you," she said enviously after Cheery had described a journey to Harad a while back to study their building techniques. "It sounds amazing."

"Just do it." Cheery gave her back a friendly pat that almost pushed her off the log where she sat.

"My husband would–"

"Screw him. I thought elf ladies were supposed to be all strong and fierce and badass! Like that old gal, whatshername... fought in the Last Alliance and survived the War of Wrath."

"Lady Galadriel?" Nellas suggested, taking a sip from her ale while turning a page in one of the borrowed books.

"That's the one!" Cheery burped.

"That happened a long time ago," said Lasriel. "Times have changed. And also, my husband wants to impress the fine human lords in the city so he says we must adopt their customs."

"That's such a load of trollshit, though. Lady Éowyn is married to a human lord, isn't she? And she's not taking any crap from no stupid old lord, let me tell you. Faramir is completely nuts over her. Guys love a lady who knows what she wants and makes sure she gets it."

"I don't think Legolas would love that at all," said Lasriel morosely. "If I tried to tell him what I wanted, he wouldn't listen."

"You could try," said Nellas.

"Yeah," Cheery agreed. "You should."

"Well... maybe I will, then." Lasriel emptied the rest of her ale and wiped the froth from her lips. "Aye. I will do it. Next time Legolas complains about something I did, I will speak my mind to him! It's about time he finds out what I want."

A/N:

Friends for the win. :) But do you think Lasriel will manage to keep her resolution?