Aeglironion jerked awake. It saved him a fall on his face. He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, blinked, and then rubbed his eyes again. He had only meant to sit down for a minute. Once he had he found himself nodding. He was exhausted, and it was only five o'clock. "How does he do it?"

Ag muttered to himself. For a year he had been a ranger of Gondor. He had seen combat. He had survived moments when he was almost certan he was going to be killed. He had never yet felt quite so depleted as he did now. When it was his own life it was one thing. This was infinitely more taxing. "How does he do it?" He repeated to a stone on the ground. In the way of stones it gave no answer. Ag dropped off again. Nearly really dropping off. He woke suddenly, tensed, and caught himself just before he passed the point of no return. "Are you alright Ag?" Asked the stone on the ground with Ru's voice. 'I'm delirious' he thought. Until he looked up and saw Ru standing there. The young medic had come to check on his absentee apprentice. Ru looked tired too, but in no way close to how Ag felt. "I just need a minute.." Ag yawned. "You need more than a minute. Go to bed Ag you're no good to anyone like this. You're exhausted." "But" "I've got it from here" "How do you do it Ru?" "Because I must"