The ships of black sails were filled to the brim with pirates and rogues from the shores to the south of middle earth. There was roughly a dozen ships, each filled with about fifty men armed to the teeth and set to join the siege of Minas Tirith. The ghosts made quick work of them. Namir shivered, snarling defensively as he watched the green army swarm over the the boats. Legolas' hand massaging his scalp the only thing stopping him from trying to hide as he watched the ghouls. The men all falling under their blades with a chilling swiftness. The ghosts then tugged the bodies over the side  and they landed in the river. Namir watched them sink as Aragorn boarded the lead ship. Gimli just behind him. The dwarf grumbling at the shabby weapons left by the now dead pirates. 

"Terrible craftsmanship. Who did they want to stab with that? A straw bale?" 

Namir kept his hand interlocked with Legolas as they walked up the plank onto the deck. The wood was slick with freshly spilled blood and it was heavy in the air. He was grateful that the ghosts had faded out into invisibility since they were not needed at that particular moment. He was still fighting his urge to flee every time he saw them. Animal senses picking up the unnatural scent of death and wanting to run. Then the elf reached back over and ran his fingers through his hair, nails scratching pleasantly along his scalp. The effect caused the tension to melt from Namir's limbs like water down a stream. 

Gimli chuckled at the sight of the skin changer now purring gently, half folded against the elf's side. "Vicious one minute, the next melting like butter". 

Namir lazily bared his teeth at him, too busy purring at the touch to truly take offence. Legolas' touch was careful of the hairstyle he had braided earlier, but still firm enough to be grounding. It kept the cat content as the ghosts got to work around them. The sails filling with an unnatural wind and the ships returning to their journey down the river, except this time they were manned by the dead. Aragorn's lips twitched in amusement at the sight of the tow of them. "We should reach Minas Tirith tomorrow around midday. With this wind, we should not be too far behind Rohan's army". It was good news. They were drawing closer to their goal, though uncertainty still hung in the air. 

There was nothing much more they could do here however. Gimli found a fire bowl and dragged the metal dish over to the centre of the deck along with it's metal stand. Aragorn pulled over two benches and they took seats around the fire as the sky darkened above them. They had spent over a day in the underground tunnels and night was falling quicker than Namir expected. The fire crackled happily, casting them all in an orange glow as the sky filled with stars. Now the ghosts weren't around and he was warm, it was easier to relax. 

Legolas moved him so that he was sprawled across the bench, head in the elf's lap as fingers kept on stroking his hair. Across the fire, Gimli was munching on lembas and grumbling about the lack of meat. "I don't even want to think about what type of food those pirates had in the hold", he huffed through a mouthful. "I bet it's bug infested". 

"We still have lembas", Legolas offered. 

Gimli pulled a face and made a disgusted noise. "I'm sick of Lembas. We've been eating it for over a week". Namir made a yowling sound and the dwarf gestured at him in agreement. "See! Even cat boy is fed up with it". 

 Namir hummed. Lembas was nice but boring after a while. He had been a bit spoilt in Rohan upon his return and had put on some of the weight he had lost during captivity. He still wasn't back to his weight before, but he wasn't so bony. Still, he was growing bored of lembas. "Go and check the hold then", Aragorn replied as he sharpened his sword. 

"Bugs", Gimli stated blandly. 

The man rolled his eyes. "Adds flavour". 

Gimli pulled another face but got up with a grumble. Namir watching through half opened eyes as the dwarf stomped across deck, grumbling under his breath. With the dwarf gone, he turned his attention to Aragorn. The man had the sword of his ancestor across his lap, the one that had faced off the king of ghosts, and was sharpening the blade calmly. He was rugged in the firelight. Dark clothes worn and skin grimy from travel. As he moved something sparkled in the hollow of his throat and Namir spotted an intricate star pendent. It sparkled seemingly with it's own power. 

"So you love an elf too". Aragorn looked up in surprise. Namir blinked at him slowly, Legolas' hand still on his head. He hadn't meant to say the observation out loud but he was content and relaxed. He gestured lazily towards the necklace. "That. Courting token?" 

Aragorn smiled slightly. "Yes. It is. I haven't returned it yet though". 

"Are you waiting for something?" Namir rolled so that he could grab for the hand in his hair. Legolas let him take it and the skin changer began fiddling with the elf's fingers. He interlocked their fingers together, then spread them back out as if to measure the sizes of their hands. Legolas watching fondly as the cat pupils grew larger with focus and curiosity. The fire casting them all in an orange glow. The sky was black now with only edges of deep blue from sunset. Legolas' hands were still longer but their palms were the same size. Long archer fingers that made Namir grin sharply. 

"I am waiting to see if we survive", Aragorn smiled sadly. 

Namir made a hissing sound of dismissal. "That's a stupid reason". He interlocked their fingers together and glanced up to meet Legolas' eyes in the gloom as he pressed the elf's knuckles to his lips in a feather light kiss. "Death could happen to anyone at any time. Even immortal elves. Why waste time?" He continued before biting lightly on Legolas' thumb. 

"Namir", the elf warned as sharp teeth poked skin. The cat took the hand out of his mouth and went back to messing with the elf's fingers innocently. 

Aragorn had been watching them interact with a thoughtful expression. "Legolas has told me of you. Suddenly, a lot of his stories make sense". The distraction technique worked and Namir was narrowing his eyes at the man. 

"Are they bad stories?" 

"No", Aragorn chuckled. "I have never seen you so happy", The second sentence was directed at the blonde. 

Legolas just merely smiled in reply. Namir beamed. "I'll take good care of him", he promised. He didn't need to know what had happened to Legolas in the years apart to know that Aragorn was a dear friend to his lover. 

"I know". 

"Namir!" Legolas scolded as the cat boy bit down on the pads of his fingers again. Not hard enough to draw blood but enough to hint at it. The skin changer replied in a rumbling purr and Aragorn laughed. 

unedited

Namir and his cat antics again. You know when you have a cat on your lap and something goes and they are just like 'bite!'? That's him. He maybe human shaped but he's still a cat.