Minas Tirith, Pelennor, The Northern Fiefdoms (Free RP)

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

Feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to run back to the armor, Romeran smiled. He was eager to learn all he could from Duinion, duplicative with his uncle or not, and listened intently and silently as he spoke, nodding occasionally. Romeran remembered being clipped over the ear as a boy by his uncle for dry-firing a bow, a mistake he was not soon to remake. The bow he had used at the time was an order of magnitude smaller than Duinion's bow so he listened carefully as Duinion explained the repercussions. His eyes widened as the ranger finished, he hadn't realized quite how dangerous it was, he better understood why his uncle had reprimanded him.

Romeran took the bow carefully, he looked it up and down. "That makes sense," he said after Duinion had finished explaining. "I can only imagine the consequences are much more dire with such a large bow." he said, admiring the weapon again.

"Eryn it is" he said with a slight bow of the head in acknowledgement. "I'm eager to learn from you both" he continued with a smile. "Aye" he agreed to her point about the size of the bow "I've never shot such a large and magnificent bow." he said reverently, "I only hope I don't embarrass myself too much" he added, only half-joking. "I'm sure I could benefit from the exercise if I have to go chasing after loose arrows." He said, hoping that he wouldn't actually have to chase after lost arrows.

Romeran looked down towards the target. It was a fair distance but he'd shot at targets about that far before. Romeran lived on a farm and while they had cattle they were mainly for milk rather than meat and one gets bored of chicken after a time. Along with his uncle, cousins, and grandfather, Romeran had been on many hunting trips growing up and had successfully hunted a deer or two himself. He was not the best shot out of his family though but he enjoyed the practice when he could get it. He had never fired a bow like this before. Not wanting to make any suggestions, he wasn't even sure if having it closer would help that much anyway, he simply nodded his head. "This seems fine to me." he said, adding a light shrug. He would find out soon enough.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, if you don't do spectacularly on your first try. You're here to learn, after all," Duinion pointed out. "You already have an advantage on me when I began; I'd never even held a bow back then." He grinned. "To watch me now, you'd probably never believe how pathetic my shooting was when I first joined up." He paused, then nudged Eryn. "I think it'd be best to use your arrows, Eryn."

"Oh, right." She selected out an arrow out of her quiver. It had a smooth tip, only a little sharp, and without any barbs. "Daddy says I have to use these for when I'm practicing, because the other kind are a lot more dangerous." She explained. "They go into the target well enough but it's harder for them to actually hurt anyone if I missed. Like the cows." She grinned. "Sometimes they wander back behind where I'm shooting, so I usually shoo them along just in case."

Duinion smiled and took a glance at her quiver. "Eryn's got two dozen, I believe. So, I suggest each of you take three shots before letting the other have a turn, how does that sound? Then when all the arrows are used, we'll gather them and see how your aim is."

Eryn handed the arrow to Rome, and smiled. "You can shoot first, I've already been practicing for a while now." She readied another two arrows for when he was ready for them, and stepped back to give him room to shoot.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

A cow mooed in the distance. Romeran smiled. He felt comfortable being on a farm, far more comfortable than he did inside the city. Romeran was comforted when Duinion confessed he had been a rote beginner. Romeran had held an assumption that even ranger recruits were expected to be exemplary rangers, he was learning that there was a reason he was a recruit and not a ranger.

Romeran chuckled at Eyn's remark about the cows. They did have a habit of wandering around. He didn't see any currently behind the target, at least. He took a look over the arrows, they were much nicer than the burnt-tipped "practice" arrows he had used growing up -- risking losing the metal on the arrow heads was too expensive if they weren't hunting. Although this meant that they rarely practiced with arrows that they used when they hunted.

"That sounds like a plan." he said picking an arrow. Romeran moved his grip on the bow to prepare. He held the arrow and fumbled trying to hook it to the bow string -- he had never been good at that. He stepped forward in front of the target. Romeran pulled back on the bowstring an inch or two to get a feel for the resistance. He couldn't believe quite how heavy of a pull it was.

Taking in a deep breath, Romeran pushed forward with the bow and pulled back the bow string in full, aiming at the target. His respect for Duinion went up considerably as he found out just how heavy the bow was, and Romeran was a very big man. He steadied his hand and closed an eye, taking aim. When he felt ready he loosed the arrow. It flew at alarming pace towards the target. Romeran was glad at least that it hadn't gone completely astray. It hit the sack, at least, well enough so that it didn't go any further. If there had been a bullseye on the target it wouldn't have made it on the paper.

Romeran let his breath out. He didn't want to get disheartened, it's not like he expected to be an expert. Romeran's next two shots weren't much different. The second one higher and the third one lower, so low that Romeran thought it might have actually hit the ground and not the sack. He wasn't sure what the best way to aim was. Each time Romeran fumbled with the arrow fletching struggling to nock the arrow. He seemed to try a different approach each time but none of them seemed to help much. Romeran probably spent more time nocking the arrows than shooting them. He stepped aside to let Erynneth shoot.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

Watching the recruit carefully, Duinion spotted most of his mistakes even before he fired the first arrow. Now, to decide which was the most important to give him corrections for. He didn't want to overwhelm the young man with a million things to keep in mind. First, he decided, he needed to be more comfortable with getting the arrow on the string. He watched each of his three shots, taking mental notes about the inconsistency of his aiming methods, and concluded that he probably didn't actually know how. "Well, that was a good start," He commented. He motioned to Eryn to go ahead with her turn. "Watch how she does it," He advised, knowing that she knew this well enough to demonstrate. "It may take some practice to get used to nocking the arrow smoothly, but it should be a smooth motion. I noticed you fumbled a lot... are you nervous, Rome?" He asked, curious. Being nervous could definitely make a difference.

Eryn, not quite used to being used as an example or having to demonstrate to another, hesitated and then picked up her bow. Choosing an arrow she tried to make sure he could see how she held the end and slipped the notch easily onto the string. "It's kind of a snug fit so it doesn't just slip around and fall back off," She explained, trying to be helpful.

"Did you see how she held the arrow just in front of the fletching? May I, Eryn?" Duinion gently took the bow from her, undoing the arrow. "Always make sure the bow is pointing towards the ground when you're setting the arrow on the string." He told Rome, figuring that he might need more step-by-step instruction. "You don't want to accidentally launch an arrow into the air, or off in a wild direction." He explained. Next he pointed to the feathers on the arrow. "Notice how two feathers are one color, and this third one is a different color?" He asked. "That's called the index feather, and you want to make sure that it points away from the bow. Once you have all those things right, you can tug the nock onto the string. Just like Eryn said, it's snug for a reason; you should feel it sort of 'click' into place. If it's not all the way on there, that could result in a dry fire or a wayward arrow." He handed the bow back to Eryn with a nod of thanks to her.

"While she's shooting, how about you practice simply nocking the arrow a few times, without firing?" He suggested. "The more comfortable you are with that step, then easier it will be to work on your aim." He wanted to make sure the young man knew how to do this part correctly and smoothly enough, before moving on to any further corrections that might begin to overwhelm him.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

Stepping back, Romeran looked over to Duinion, awaiting his corrections. He was more eager to learn what to do right than scared about being told what was wrong. "I suppose I am nervous, and excited" he confessed "it's hard not to be...". He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. "Also I never really knew where on the arrow you're supposed to hold it when you go to nock it." he elaborated "is it all the way back behind the fletching, or in front if it" he asked. Romeran demonstrated by holding the arrow in various positions, some clearly more awkward than the other.

Romeran watched as Erynneth picked up and set the arrow, watching in detail as she did it. Duinion's explanation helped to embed the knowledge. "I see." He said. "Always point to the ground, make sense" he smiled. "so in front of the fletching and with the index arrow perpendicular to the bow string." he nodded. He continued to listen as the ranger spoke, nodding when appropriate.

While practicing with an arrow and his bow for a moment, Romeran paused and asked "What is the purpose of the index feather?" he assumed it served a purpose given that it had its own name. He was starting to get the hang of it now. He felt better that he had a 'process', farming was like that, a set of things you do in a particular order and a particular way and if you do them all well then you get a good yield. Romeran liked that sort of thing. He felt more confident now and less nervous. Romeran watched Erynneth intently, trying to see if she had a particular 'setup' routine.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

"That's actually a very good question," Duinion smiled, pausing to think how best to answer it. "For one, it helps you to know that you're putting the arrow on correctly," He explained, and pointed to the arrow he had put on the string for practice. "See how, when the arrow would leave the string, these other two feathers are laying so that they won't scrape on the way as it leaves the bow? Because you have that one pointing outward." He wasn't sure if that made as much sense to Rome as it did himself, but it was hard to really explain some things. "Another reason, it helps to guide the arrow as it flies through the air. The feathers, or.. fletching, as they're actually called, make sure that the arrow shaft spins while it flies through the air."

"I think everyone gets a little tangled up while nocking their arrows when they first start," Eryn mentioned as she finished firing her third shot. "Daddy says it's normal.. I mean, you've got this big bulky bow, arrows that are always a little longer than they seem, a quiver that's dangling all over the place... I bet it's even harder trying to walk around the forest like that."

Duinion smiled. "Yes, it takes some practice. You won't become an expert archer right away, and even then... once you get out in the forest, it'll feel like you're always getting caught on branches and bushes and everything." He paused, thinking back to another young ranger he'd trained a long time ago. "It gets easier, with time." He added quietly.

"It's your turn again, Rome." Eryn smiled and stepped aside. "I need to work on my aim a bit," She sighed.

"Alright, now, when you shoot," Duinion stepped a little closer to help Rome. "You want to be calm, first of all. You won't be able to hold the bow drawn for a long time, so you'll have to just learn how to aim on instinct. It takes a long time, so don't get frustrated with yourself. It's... like if I tossed something to you from over there, and you have to catch it. You use your eye to gauge the distance and.. your brain sort of figures out where your hand has to move in order to catch it. Make sense?" He hoped so, but continued with his explanation for now. "After a while you won't even have to think about it, you just point the arrow and shoot, and it goes where you planned."

Stepping aside, the ranger nodded for Rome to draw, watching him carefully. When he saw the recruit closing one eye, he figured out another problem, but waited until he had finished with that arrow before speaking up. "Try keeping both eyes open, Rome. It opens up your field of vision, and keeps your eyes from getting fatigued. I've always found that to work better, for me, because closing one eye can make it harder to see the big picture, for one. But also, think about this; hold your finger straight up in front of your face, in the center, and close your left eye. Then switch to the right eye... notice how each eye sees the finger on one side or the other? But with both eyes open, it's right in the center... I feel like it's the same when you're aiming."


(in case anyone is interested, a great deal of this info is borrowed from here and some from here)

[Pele Alarion]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
Ranger Pele Alarion seeking audience with King Aragorn
@Arnyn

The way up to the seventh circle was way too short, and Pele found herself wishing that the headquarters would have been placed in the furthest point of the Pelennor Fields; and yet perhaps it was better that the way was short as it did not let her ruminate too much on the decision she had made. Having been allowed in, she walked across the Court of the Fountain, pausing just briefly before the Fountain and feeling the eyes of the guards on her.

Perhaps she should turn back... Who was she to request being heard by the King; just a Ranger with a simple everyday report. As if he had time for any such things when there were matters of much greater importance to deal with, and it was likely that he would be busy with something else. And why had she not thought of sending a written report in the first place? Pele frowned, angry with herself for making rash decisions, and turned to go back the way she had come.

And yet. Since she was already here, perhaps it was at least worth a try... Once more she turned towards her initial destination and mentally checked her attire - she always wore immaculate uniform when working at the headquarters, and it should not be an issue at least. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the door and stated her purpose to one of the guards at the door of the hall who stepped towards her:

"Ranger Pele Alarion," she stated her reasons. "I would like to make a report to the King pertaining to the Headquarters of the Rangers." For a moment Pele almost held her breath under the suspicious gaze of the guard, who then went inside to deliver the message. Pele then took two steps back, and turned slightly to look at the fountain and the Tree, as she waited nervously for a response, most likely one of sending her away. In her mind she began to compose a letter to be sent later.

[Arnyn]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
The King's Study

"Ranger Pele Alarion is at the gate, my King", Thorgil said with a bow. Aragorn took a moment to look up from the papers scattered across his desk. It seemed to take a moment before the other man's words registered. Then the King's grey eyes grew keener, and he gestured at the man standing in the doorway. "Well, let her in then, Thorgil."

After her (rather lengthy) walk to the office, Pele could finally step inside his office. Aragorn had heard her approach, and rose from his chair even as she reached the still open door. "Yantyar Alarion," Aragorn adressed her with a fist to chest salute. "Pray tell, what brings you here to distract me from..." His gaze travelled over the papers. "... from what I am told is one of the essential pillars of managing a kingdom."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

Romeran nodded his head as Duinion answered his questions. He was glad for a teacher who was willing to answer questions, his uncle hadn't been like that. He agreed with Erynneth that it must be difficult navigating the woods, with the quiver, pulling and nocking the arrow, aiming and firing all together while either staying quiet or shooting quickly, or both! It all seemed a bit daunting to Romeran now. "Yes, it does seem like a lot." he agreed. He was glad to hear that such things came easier with time and practice.

Erynneth finished her shots and Romeran was impressed, she was definitely better than him and still young, he was sure she would make a great ranger one day. The analogy of throwing an item made a lot of sense "I see, or if a cow was running across a field I would know how to cut the shortest line to the cow based on my own running speed, I don't really think about it, I would just do it." He nodded. "I suppose it just takes a lot of practice with something we're not born with." he reasoned. On one hand he felt comforted by this prospect, his lack of ability was primarily due to lack of practice and that was to be expected. On the other hand this meant a rather daunting amount of time ahead of him before his skills did improve.

"Yes I noticed it's very difficult to hold the longbow at full draw even for a few seconds." that Romeran was able to hold it there for more than a fleeting moment was a testament to the young man's great strength, but it would tire him out quickly and in an extended combat situation would be a liability. "I suppose you have to really know your bow and all of your distances too." he said, thinking about practicing at multiple ranges a sufficient number of times in order for aim to be reliably instinctive. "What about the weather, the wind must make a difference?" he asked, the idea of also having to consider compensating for the weather was equally daunting.

Finally he stepped forward to take his shots. He felt more comfortable setting the arrows this time, he had done it at least two dozen times while Erynneth was shooting. He was glad that there was a 'way' to do it, so that he could build a correct muscle memory -- sort of like splitting logs, he thought. Romeran took several deep breaths to calm himself and steady his hands. He was feeling less anxious now. Erynneth and Duinion had been very nice to him already despite having only just met him. He decided that he would just aim at the middle of the target and not pause at the draw and then for his second and third shot he would try adjusting his aim depending on where the first hit, assuming, that he could aim consistently, he thought. Perhaps he would just try shooting them all at the middle, and then see how consistent it was.

Closing one eye Romeran took aim. He tried as best as he could, in a smooth motion, to draw the bow to his jaw and loosed the arrow. The string slapped against the armor of his forearm, there appeared to be some thin layer of metal in that portion of his armor, presumably to protect against this sort of thing. Romeran was suddenly glad for it, although he had also only just learned of its existence. Duinion interrupted his next shots and explained that he need not close one eye. Romeran nodded at what he was saying, having more field of vision also seemed to be particularly valuable in combat, especially to prevent being ambushed while tunnel visioning on a shot. "I see, makes a lot of sense" he said putting his finger in front of his face as Duinion suggested.

The first shot had been above and to the left of where he had been aiming. Romeran decided that the target was likely an approriate distance such that his point of aim and where the arrow landed ought to be roughly the same, pretty lucky he thought. He attributed the arrow being off target due to his own aiming inconsistency. His second and third shots he kept his eyes open. He was surprised to find that it wasn't hard, as he had expected, in fact it was quite natural. The next two shots also missed where he was aiming, it seemed that he had a habit, perhaps, of shooting slightly left of where he was aiming, although with only a few shots it was hard to tell with certainty. He stepped back and allowed Erynneth to take her shots. "Do you stand with your feet both facing the target, or side-ways such that the feet are perpendicular to the target, with one closer?" he asked, demonstrating what he meant.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

Watching the last two shots, Duinion nodded, noticing some improvement, though he still missed. It wasn't terribly surprising, with a new archer trying to learn everything. "That's a good question, but I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information at once," He laughed. "If you don't remember all that I tell you, don't feel embarrassed to admit as much. It's better that you re-learn what you forgot than to continue in error. As for stance," he considered the best way to answer that. "Your foot position is the first step of proper shooting posture, but there are a couple of ways to do it." He answered. "The main thing is that your feet need to be roughly shoulder-width apart, and your knees slightly bent."

With an imaginary bow in hand, he shifted into a couple of stances as he spoke, "This would be a 'neutral stance'. Notice how my feet are even with each other, perpendicular to the arrow, and hips parallel to the arrow when at full draw." He gave Rome a chance to study how he was standing and then showed another. "A closed stance has my feet slightly staggered, feet, with the front foot ahead of the rear. My hips are closed to the target." And finally a third, "And this would be the open stance, which staggers my feet slightly. See how the front foot is behind the rear foot, and my hips are open to the target face?" He returned to his regular, relaxed stance. "I can't really say which shooting stance is right for you, because it comes down to your preference. Try shooting from all three positions, and choose the one that feels most natural. Then stick with that one." He answered.

Hearing the question about the wind, Eryn paused and turned toward them eagerly. "Daddy, can I answer that one?" She grinned.
He smiled, wondering how well she would remember what he had taught her on the matter. "Go ahead."

She pointed to a ribbon tied on a part of Duinion's bow. "See that?" She asked Rome. "It's there to show you how the wind is blowing," She showed how hers had one as well. "I'm not real good at figuring out the wind yet, but...oh, also! If you have arrows of different weights, then you should use a heavier one for shooting in the wind. It doesn't blow off-course as easily as the lighter ones."

"Anything else?" Duinion asked as a gentle reminder.

Eryn paused, thinking for a moment. "Lots of practice shooting in the wind. But, you know, that's best left til after you get better at shooting without wind." She noticed her father seemed to still be waiting, and thought for a moment. What did she leave out? "Oh, yes! If there's other archers around, try to watch them first and see how their arrows go, because that will help you figure out how much you need to adjust your own aim. And pay attention to the trees and grass and things to see how strong the wind's blowing, that sort of thing. And practice. Lots of practice."

"Good," He smiled, pleased she had remembered all of that information. "Like she said, practice shooting without wind before you worry too much about that, but it won't hurt anything if you practice on a windy day, either. Practice is really the only way to improve, so if you intend to get good at it, I recommend devoting as much time a day practicing as you can. You can either go to the training grounds at the ranger's headquarters, or you're welcome to join us here, though we haven't got the fanciest set up."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

Romeran mimicked Duinion as he went through the three stances. He decided he would try one each on the next three shots and see if any one felt particularly more comfortable than the other. It seemed like it was largely down to personal preference. He swapped his position between the three of them a few times, neutral, open, closed.

When Erynneth pointed out the ribbon on the bow Romeran let out an "aaaah" in understanding. He had wondered what that was for, some sort of strange ornamentation? But that hardly seemed pragmatic and Ranger Duinion didn't strike him as the type. He had meant to ask about it later but it didn't seem particularly important at the time. He was glad that he had managed to discover its purpose without asking a silly question.

"I suppose that makes it much easier to tell the strength and direction of the wind." He nodded in agreement "and then I suppose it's mostly down to practice and possibly observing others to get an idea of how much your arrow will respond." He nodded. "At least archery is something I can practice alone." he said "that way I don't have to find people to bother all the time. I'm going to need the practice." he continued with a smile. Truthfully, he was looking forward to it.

Romeran took his place when it was his turn. He decided to go with a neutral stance for the first one as it seemed, well, the most neutral of the three. He tried to keep a consistent setup, how he nocked the arrow, his breathing, how he pulled the bow back. He was beginning to get a flow for the process. Ranger Duinion's bow was very nice, he thought, and powerful. The arrows flew from the bow with such speed as he had never seen in a bow before. Romeran was glad to be learning from such a master, and glad that Pele had suggested he seek him out.

His shots were becoming somewhat more consistent as they danced around the 'bullseye' although he did not hit it. The neutral stance seemed reasonable to him, but it was the first one so he also didn't have much to compare it to. He switched to an open stance for his second shot. Romeran felt that he could engage more of his back muscles in this stance, which was useful with such a large bow, but he also felt more stable, balance-wise. His third shot he tried the closed stance. This one seemed to have a similar feeling of balance. He felt like he could draw the bow back further in this position, but Romeran already had wide shoulders and a long arm-span so this did not feel particularly necessary. When he took the third shot the bow string slapped him particularly hard this time, it even stung through the protective material on his forearm. He didn't like the closed position. Romeran stepped back again allowing Erynneth to shoot.

"How long have you been a Ranger, Duinion? If you don't mind my asking." The question seemed potentially presumptuous, he was here to learn about archery not about Duinion's personal life, but Romeran was curious and he seemed friendly enough. Besides, Romeran figured Erynneth might even answer the question even if Duinion did not.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

As Eryn explained about shooting in the wind, Duinion kept quite about the source of the ribbon on his bow, but gazed at it while Eryn was finishing her shots. Many years ago, that ribbon had been donated by his wife, Idhrenel. He missed her greatly, but the ribbon helped keep her memory close to him. He didn't want to bring that up, though, and focused his attention back on his student once it was his turn to shoot again.

Watching Rome's shots, Duinion smiled slightly. "You've already made great improvement, have you noticed?" He asked the young recruit, pleased. Now that he knew the proper way to shoot, he should begin to improve his skill very quickly, with practice. He decided to wait on telling him that there were times when one might find it necessary to shoot from a different stance, depending on conditions. It was something for later, after he'd gotten familiar with shooting in general. "I will warn you that when you get a bow from the armory, it may differ slightly from mine, and it may take a few shots to get familiar with it. You'll find that will happen anytime to switch to a different bow. For instance, this is my bow, which I use primarily... but I also spend a bit of time practicing with other types, just to be sure I can use them in a moment if I need to. You never know when you may have to improvise... suppose your bowstring is cut, or you lose it, and you have to snatch up..say an orc's bow... you'd want to be able to adapt readily in a situation like that." He paused before adding, "You don't have to worry about trying to do that just yet, but I wanted to suggest that it is something to consider familiarizing yourself with different types of bows, later on."

He considered Rome's question as he watched Eryn move into position to shoot next. "A long time," He smiled. "Since I was..about her age, actually." He gave a nod toward his daughter.
Glancing over her shoulder, Eryn smiled a little mischievously. "You were younger than I am, daddy." She reminded him, then turned back toward the target with a grin.
"Mm, yes.. just slightly. But that's irrelevant. 'A long time' is sufficient."

[Pele Alarion]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
The King’s Study
@Arnyn

It took some time, and Pele assumed that she would be simply sent off either way, so she began to focus on enjoying the sounds and views of the fountain, while she still thought of what she would write when returning to the Headquarters. After all, one did not just come up to the seventh circle to take a walk in the Court of the Fountain.

“You may enter,” the voice of Thorgil who had returned startled Pele out of her reverie, “To the study.”

“Thank you,” she had wits enough about her to respond before stepping inside. The unexpected turn of events caused her to forget what neat sentences she had already composed in her mind, and she struggled to hunt them down as a flock of swift birds while she walked towards the study. Yet, the more she thought, the more she wondered what and how would she exactly say. Besides, her heart was racing so much that she thought she could hear it in her ears. “Oh, don’t be such a silly goose,” she scolded herself internally. It was not that she was an inexperienced girl or something, after all.

The door was open, so she did not even have the time to stand around and collect herself, but at least some things were so deeply engrained by years of training that it provided a good basis to start from.

“King Elessar,” she responded to his greeting, pressing her fist over her heart in salute, when she had stepped into the office and closed the door. Then her gaze followed his to the desk, and instead of feeling reprimanded for coming here – which she had feared – she suddenly found the King’s words humorous, and he seemed to be in the same predicament she had landed into.

A passing glint of carefully concealed laughter appeared in her blue eyes, but nothing else testified of the sudden relief that washed over her. She remained standing at attention, her face serious, as she said: “I am afraid, Your Grace, that I have come to distract you with more of the same, though rather in spoken word instead of written.”

“I have concerns about the matters at the Ranger Headquarters, sire,” Pele got right to the heart of the matter without beating around the bush. “I can report that paperwork is in near perfect order; but new additions keep coming in almost every day…”

She paused, searching Aragorn’s face for understanding, and then continued: “Yet I am sure that orders given to me do not authorise me to keep dealing with it continuously, or handle new recruits, or plan strategies for training or otherwise. I am just a Ranger, my King.”

“I…” Pele faltered in her speech and lowered her eyes. “I… would like to ask you kindly to appoint someone authorised to handle those matters, and…” She struggled with putting her request in more or less eloquent words. “Since I have fulfilled my last orders, I do not feel it is my right to keep sitting in that office… If anything, the plant on the windowsill can be watered by the clerk, though I do not know about the rest...”

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

Watching Erynneth and Duinion interact made Romeran wish that he had grown up in a similar family. His uncle wasn't a bad father figure, per-se, he was just a busy and stern man who had his own children. He also got the feeling that his uncle felt disgruntled against Romeran's father who had, in his mind, abandoned his sister and son to go off and 'get himself killed' as his uncle had occasionally reminded Romeran if he had had too much to drink. His uncle had treated him fairly, or at least equally, with his own children, he just wasn't terribly kind to any of them and brooked no failure. His uncle was a straightforward and honest man and he made it clear to Romeran that his eldest son (Romeran's cousin) would inherit the farm and that he likely would likely take Romeran on as a farm hand if he wished. But when Romeran's mother had died, he felt a sudden desire to do something more and the life of a farm-hand on his cousin's farm did not entice him.

Duinion's complement about improving snapped Romeran back to the present. He nodded "Yes, it already feels better." he smiled, he was glad to be making progress even with such little time. As Duinion explained how different bows would shoot differently but that also a ranger must be prepared to shoot a bow which he has not practiced with, Romeran began to realize just how much he didn't know. As with many things, when one don't know much about a subject it can appear to be very simple, but as one learns more they come to realize how little they know and how much they do not. Romeran was beginning to see this with archery. He felt nervous, but at the same time, excited that he had the opportunity to dedicate himself to practicing such a skill, he felt lucky to be a ranger recruit.

"That makes sense. I guess I have even more practice ahead of me than I had thought. I suppose it's one of those things that never ends? There's always more to learn?" it seemed like the likely answer was 'yes'. He didn't even want to consider what it meant to shoot in the dark, or on the run, or even mounted. The possibilities were dizzying.

Romeran's eyes widened when he learned that Duinion had been a ranger since younger than Erynneth. "Wow I didn't know you could be a ranger so young." he remarked, not having considered whether Duinion had actually followed the rules before he made his remark. "I am honored to learn from such an esteemed ranger." Romeran bowed his head again. There would be a great deal for him to learn, but he felt confident that Ranger Duinion would be able to guide him through the realm of possibility into becoming a practiced hand.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

Smiling, Duinion nodded. "Yes, you're never going to get to the point you needn't practice.. there is always more to perfect. I have no doubt that even elves who had been shooting a bow for hundreds of years, must still practice and strive to better themselves." he answered. "But the good news is, once you've learned the basics, it becomes easier to adapt your shooting for other situations. After you become familiar with simply shooting, I'd recommend changing the distance you stand from the target, and the angle you're shooting from. Try it standing, kneeling, and other sorts of positions as you start to get more familiar with it. It takes time, but it's one of those skills that could very well mean the difference... either in combative situations, or in hunting for food. Either way, it's worth learning well."

While he spoke, Eryn was busy taking her last three shots. It was nice to have another person around who was also learning, because it gave her a little refresher on some of the things she already knew. Plus, she felt somewhat accomplished because she knew some things that he didn't, and it was fun to pass on this knowledge to another, and to help her dad in teaching him.

Rome's surprised comment left Duinion slightly awkward, and he cleared his throat softly. "Yes, well, I..."
"He lied about his age," Eryn whispered with a giggle.
"Erynneth," Duinion frowned slightly, but shrugged. "I can't deny it, though." He admitted. "I claimed to be sixteen, when I was but fourteen. I told them I was small for my age," he grinned a little sheepishly. "But, that is ancient history. Don't lie to your superiors."

"Your turn to shoot now," Eryn told Rome, smiling innocently at her dad. "After this we'll have to go and retrieve the arrows."

[Rillewen]

@Fuin Elda

Ivornith, Iuldir, Iorissel Dringolben and Tobedir

Having fun at the Fayre

Watching the acrobats spin and twirl through the air, Rissy hardly heard anything Fuin said. Her gaze was locked onto the incredible feats accomplished by the acrobats.

"How could you not be able to climb ropes?" Iuldir wondered, amazed. "You're way stronger than I am. You're a great smith, anyway, and I know you can work at a forge a lot longer than I can." He wasn't quite sure how a person could be strong enough to wield a hammer and not strong enough to climb on ropes and things.

Pausing to think on the question for a moment, Toby tilted his head and considered it. "I don't really know. I like falcons, but hawks are nice too. I haven't gotten to work with a lot of different kinds of them, yet. But grandfather has a lovely peregrin falcon, and I really like her." He answered at last.

"Fuin, would you like to do anything in particular?" Ivornith asked, thinking it might be nice to give her a chance to pick what they would do.


(Sorry, thought I'd already replied to this)

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

It seemed good to have a process of increasing complexity. Going from a target in one place, varying distances and angles, and shooting positions. These all seemed reasonable things for him to practice until he could increase the complexity further. He took mental notes of the suggested exercises already planning to schedule some form of archery practice every day if he could manage it.

Romeran was glad to have Erynneth there, partly so that Romeran wouldn't be the sole focus of Ranger Duinion's attention, but also so that there would be at least one other with somewhat less of a giant gulf between their skills. He watched her again as she shot her arrows, trying to see if there was anything he could pick up on.

"I see." He said, somewhat ruefully, he hadn't meant to pry anything out of Duinion that he didn't intend. "Well I did not have to lie about my age, I'm nineteen, although only recently." Romeran said, truthfully, "although a lot of people mistake me for older" he added, he was sure he likely could have gotten away with a similar deception when he was younger, but at that age he hadn't yet had the spark which drove him from his farm life.

The next three arrows he shot, Romeran took an open stance for all three. He ensured that his approach was as consistent as he could make it. His shots were still fairly inconsistent, in terms of points of impact, but his third shot -- possibly by fluke -- hit nearly center mass on the target. Given the large number of attempts and the spread of those attempts, it was more likely luck that had the arrow hit the center than skill, but Romeran took heart in a success. He smiled gleefully to Erynneth and turned to Duinion with a smile but he tried to suppress some of his childish joy.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

Duinion nodded, agreeing about that. "Yes, I thought you were older when I saw you at a distance." Thankfully, there were no further questions, yet, as to his reasons for enlisting so young, but he didn't rule out the possibility that the young recruit might inquire further at another time. He watched Rome shoot the last three arrows, and grinned as he saw the last one.

Eryn widened her eyes as she saw the arrow hit so close to the mark, and let out a cheer. "Good job Rome!" She couldn't help getting excited for him, as it was most certainly an achievement. "Look how much you've improved in just a short while!" She grinned.

"Nice shot," Duinion grinned. "You keep practicing, and that'll happen every time." He told him, pleased for him for his success. "Now, let's go and gather all the arrows and take a closer look, shall we?"

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

“Thanks” he said with a smile to both Duinion and Erynneth. “I’m sure it was more than a bit of luck. But with practice maybe I’ll get lucky more often” he added. Romeran had learned so much already. He hoped that with some more practice he Duinion would continue to instruct him in more advanced techniques. He would bring it up later.

Romeran nodded his head “Sounds like a plan”. As they walked towards the target Romeran got the courage to speak again. “Thanks for training me.” He said “I really appreciate it. I haven’t met too many people here yet. And you have both been awfully kind.” Minas Tirith was beautiful but daunting and the people in it were busy and active, even the rangers themselves were always doing something. “I hope you will consider training me further. Perhaps we can schedule another session? That is if you’re available and willing?” He asked, hopefully.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

Eryn examined the places where their arrows had stuck, and drew them out of the target, having more difficulty with the ones shot by Rome, as they were embedded deeper into the target. "Wow, those ones really went in deep, Rome." She laughed. "I can hardly believe you can even use daddy's bow, it's so strong."

"Well, growing up on a farm, I imagine he's built up a lot of strength," Duinion pointed out, hesitating before mentioning, "I worked on a farm for a few months, when I was a boy... so much work. I thought my arms would fall off." He laughed. "I can't imagine if I'd had to continue like that for several years." He also didn't want to think how things might have gone for him, if he had.

Rome's next words brought a smile. "You're welcome, Rome. You'll soon meet plenty of others, and I hope they will be just as kind." He smiled slightly. "Of course I'd be willing," He answered, and took a moment to think. "I believe you mentioned you were supposed to train in archery, tracking, survival, and traps, or something like that? As I mentioned before, you can practice on your own in the training grounds, or if you'd like, you can come here and practice with Eryn and I, as often as you like. So long as Eryn has no objection,"

"No, that's fine!" She smiled. "It's more fun having someone else around."

"As for the other things, I think those might be best done in the forest, so if you'd like, we could plan some time to go out in the forest and work on some of those things?" Duinion suggested. "I'm usually here when I'm not on duty, so you can usually find me here."

[Arnyn]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
The King's Study

A closed door? He wondered if Yantyar Alarion was to broach a private matter, or whether it was more a force of habit. Being indoors so much as he was since becoming King, had its challenges. Keeping doors open when they could be, was perhaps only a small way to combat the feeling of being so enclosed. He was curious what reason had brought the experienced Ranger to him - nevertheless he merely nodded and patiently waited for her to elaborate on her first sentence.

When she mentioned concern about the Ranger Headquarters, the lines in his face grew more serious. He listened carefully to her explanation, slanting his head minutely when Yantyar's Alarion's voice lost some of its earlier determination and when she lowered her eyes from his face.

It took the King a moment to realize that his own shortcomings had brought her into this very position. His brow drew together in thought.

Disbanding the armed forces save for the militias and personal forces like those of Faramir's Rangers, had gone down badly with many. Furthermore, there had still been a need to man the gates of course, to protect the people from ruffians and to operate the dungeon - and the Rangers could nor should do everything.

The City Guard (Tower Guard) was left alive and well, with a clearcut structure; its ranks slightly swelled by a number of those who'd seen nor found another option after the army's dissolution.
But, as Yantyar Ranger Alarion had now made clear to Aragorn, he had been remiss. After the loss of their Commander, Amathen, and the demotion of their Lieutenant, Macardil, the Gondorian Rangers were indeed... left leaderless.

Given that his Rangers were all selected veterans, he had not thought much of it - they would be able to keep things running smoothly - but he had forgotten the needs a city organization would bring... His grey eyes glanced at his own desk again. Papers. There was no need for paperwork in the wild. He had been thinking too much of rangering in the North, as opposed to rangering in the capital of Gondor. Besides, it had appeared there were still more threats left than the King would have thought or liked - and since his Rangers could use some reinforcements, their ranks had been opened up to old and new military personnel - in a limited fashion, as it were, but that still brought its own challenges, such as need for oversight. And people to organize it.

A measured sigh escaped him. Then the King nodded, having decided on a course of action. "An ill fate lies on the decisions I have made concerning these matters," Aragorn spoke earnestly. He had a number of former commanders among his current Rangers - four, if he was not mistaken - and making a choice between them would be difficult.

"I will call the Rangers to Headquarters. Announcements need to be made. Thank you, Pele, for bringing this to my attention. I have been remiss."

[Pele Alarion]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
The King's Study
@Arnyn

Pele awaited the King's word, ever so slightly adjusting her stance and hoping that what she had said had not sounded like too much complaining. It was not that she was really wanting complain of too much work, but it would probably be best to have things done properly, now that it seemed there was a greater load to tackle.

"Ah, no, Your Grace," she then hastened to say with a small smile when the King has responded to the point she had made. "Perhaps not ill fate at all." Pele did not want to sound as if she was picking an argument, and yet she once again looked up with renewed confidence, as she assured him: "Everything is working well as far as I am aware, and paperwork is in good order. There are no serious incidents to report. But yes.... just a little touch of formality to make everything look proper."

Not fully sure whether she was making things sound better or worse by what she said, but at least it appeared that the King had decided what needs to be done in relation to this. "Is there something I can do, any orders to relay, my King, until you summon us to the Headquarters?" she asked just to make sure, awaiting him to dismiss her, since she had nothing else to report.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

"I've never shot a bow quite as strong as this one." Romeran agreed with Erynneth's assessment. He nodded to Duinion's comments about working on a farm. "A lot of manual labor on a farm" he agreed "we had horse and oxen to pull the plough on some of the fields, others had to be hand-tilled as we did not have enough draft horses or oxen for all of them. There's always firewood to split, grain to hall, hay to stack etc. All since I was a young lad", Romeran put his hand out at his knee height indicating how small he had been when he started working on the farm. In all honesty, Romeran had enjoyed working with his hands in a physical job. Not that he had known much different.

His uncle had Romeran out helping on the farm practically from the day he could walk. This was, of course, standard practice on most farms, there was a reason farmers often had many children. It also helped that, in addition to a life of hard labor, Romeran was lucky enough to be a large man. He was as tall as some of the Dúnedain, roughly two rangar, but he was not of Dúnedain blood and he put on muscle sooner than fat. He was a perfect build for a farm-hand, or an axe-fighter.

Glad that Duinion had accepted him for further studies, Romeran smiled. "Yes, I'm supposed to work on tracking, survival, and hunting skills and the like. Ranger Pele also suggested you for such tasks" he said, confirming Duinion's remark. "If you truly don't mind" he said, looking between father and daughter "I would be delighted to join you in archery practice. Although I suppose I could use a lot of practice, I will likely take advantage of the training grounds to get in some daily practice as well" He mused.

The afternoon was getting on now. Romeran had been so eager to begin his training that he had sought out Duinion practically immediately after his admission to the rangers and acquiring his uniform (although he did take moment to eat lunch). He had learned so much already and this was still his first day as a ranger. His head was swimming with all the information. "Thanks Ranger Duinion." He started with "I would very much like to continue my studies with you. Tomorrow I have a lesson with Ranger Pele, which, form the sounds of it, may take all day. Would you be available the day after that?" he posed. "I currently have very few responsibilities, so if that day does not work I'm sure I can find some time when you are available"

[Arnyn]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
The King's Study

A touch of formality... It seemed to Aragorn that his White City could sometimes do away with some of its formality. However, in this instance, he would agree. A clear leader needed to be appointed. Besides, there was another announcement that needed to be made.

He pressed the tips of his five right hand fingers down on his desk, watching Yantyar Alarion. He wondered whether the Ranger in front of him had expectations. Surely, she had made no demands.

"No orders to relay at the moment, Yantyar Alarion. Perhaps you might warn those Rangers you come across that their presence will be required at headquarters two days hence. Bright and early. But, to aid in that regard..." He leaned forward then, pulled an empty piece of paper from a desk drawer, and dipped his quill into the well used ink pot off to his right. The note only took a moment to write.

To all Gondorian Rangers

Your King summons you to Headquarters, two days from now.
Report in after breaking your fast, at the bell of the eighth hour.

He had signed it with his kingly name, along with today's date as a point of reference.

"Will this suffice?" He asked Pele after moving away from his desk and holding the note out to her, his grey eyes hiding no small level of amusement behind their usual thoughtfulness.

[Pele Alarion]

The Citadel, Seventh Circle
The King's Study

For a few moments Pele felt as if the King's eyes searched the very depths of her heart, yet at the same time she felt that she had nothing to hide, not even if he asked for her darkest secrets, and so she met his thoughtful gaze calmly.

When he presented the quickly written note to her, Pele raised her eyebrow slightly with a questioning look. Why was he even asking her that?

"Well... Since it is signed by you, my King," she said in all seriousness, while a small grin spoke of the opposite. "The others won't think this is a covert way to recruit them for unpleasant chores around barracks that no one wants to do." Realising what she had just said in front of the King none the less, Pele muttered more quietly: "Not that any such thing has been done..."

Straightening up all the more, if such a thing was possible when already standing tall, Pele returned to proper seriousness: "I'll see that those Rangers who prefer outdoors to the city are aware of the summons, and will put the note on the board." She was satisfied that Aragorn had taken her concerns into account, and she felt heard, and to express that much she added: "Thank you for listening to my concerns, Your Grace. With your permission..." she snapped off a crisp salute, then bowed her head slightly, before taking her leave - and leaving the door open - just as she had found it.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

By Romeran's description, the farm he had grown up on had been larger, and had more people working it, than the one Duinion had spent a summer working on. Rome, apparently, had at least had family there, and others to help work. The old farmer who'd taken Duinion on as a work had that summer had been rather grouchy and unfriendly, and there was no one else around to talk to. He preferred not to dwell on those memories, as it wasn't terribly pleasant. "I'm sure they were reluctant to lose you at the farm," He mentioned, preferring to keep the topic upon something else. "It's good though, to find what you want to do. If you aren't happy with what you're doing, then you aren't as likely to put your heart into it."

He glanced at Eryn, realizing the same was true for her. She was determined, and he couldn't keep her from joining the rangers forever. It was a hard fact to face, but he knew in a few years she would be joining up, but so long as he could, he would protect her from the dangers he faced regularly.

"If you plan to join us regularly," Eryn spoke, not noticing her father glancing thoughtfully at her, "We usually begin practicing in the afternoon, just around the time you got here today. Before that I've got a lot of chores to finish," She told Rome. "And then later after supper I have more chores." She added with a slight sigh. "Cows have to be milked and all that." She smiled. "But there's a few hours for practice time."

"As for tracking and things," Duinion added, "What do you think of heading out to the forest in a couple of days, once you've had a little time to settle into a bit of a routine and get a little more familiar with everything. You can meet me here, and then we'll set out to the forest and get started." He could assess how much the young man already knew, and how much he needed to learn. Perhaps, if they were lucky, Rome might even catch supper that evening, but if all else failed, Duinion could show him how to forage and find enough to eat from the forest.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

“I don’t think they were all that surprised, to be honest, after my mother passed” Romeran almost choked up at the last word and stopped. “I think this is something I can put my heart into” he said in agreement with Duinion’s sentiment. He sorely hoped that it was true. If he was honest, all of the change and novelty in becoming a ranger was distracting from fully processing the recent death.

Erynneth’s discussion of her chores successfully brought Romeran back to the present. “Chores build character.” Romeran said with a smile “or at least that’s what my uncle would say” he supposed it did build discipline and a sense of ownership, he had to admit. “I will certainly plan to join you on the afternoons, responsibilities permitting”

Romeran was already looking forward to continued practice on the farm. It was nice to feel somewhere familiar when the city felt so foreign. As they made they way back to where Romeran had found them, he handed back Duinion’s bow. “Thank you kindly for letting me borrow your bow. I will make sure to acquire a bow at the armory so that I can continue practice.” He added.

“Two days hence.” He confirmed “I’ll meet you here in the morning?” He asked to confirm the time. “Is there anything specific I should bring?” He asked, he didn’t want to bring all of his equipment and find out that he wasn’t supposed to bring anything or even worse fail to bring the right thing and be forced to borrow something, again. Romeran was determined to be more prepared this time.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, with Erynneth
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm

The sound of pain in Rome's voice, as he spoke of losing his mother, brought a twinge of sorrow. He knew the sorrow of losing someone, though not parents. It sounded as if the loss may have been recent, and he debated about trying to offer some comforting words, or rest a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't know what to say. Before he could think of anything, the topic had moved on, and Duinion kept quiet as the other two spoke about chores and things.

After Rome had turned his attention back to him, Duinion smiled at his questions. "You're welcome," He added as he took his bow back. "As for what you should bring," He considered that a moment. "Basic supplies. Some string, your weapons, some edible supplies. It's a good ways out to the forest, so bring a bedroll and anything you may need for camping overnight. I'll bring anything else we'll need." He offered a hand to shake. "I'll see you in two days then, and we'll set out for the forest. I imagine you're eager to return for supper, but it's been nice meeting you, and I look forward to seeing your continued improvement with your archery." He grinned.

"Bye Rome, don't forget to practice." Eryn smiled. "And then you can come back again and practice with me and maybe, when you get a lot better, we can compete." She suggested with a grin.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Out in the pasture - Daisy Dairy Farm
@Rillewen

His first training session as a ranger recruit had come and passed. Romeran felt as though another major milestone had gone by. He seemed to be crossing many of them in such a short period of time. He wondered if, looking back, there would ever be another such time of great change. Life was long and strange things happened, he figured, and didn’t dwell on it too much.

Romeran took Duinion’s hand firmly in a handshake. “Thank you again for taking me on as your student” he said in response. “I’ll make sure to pack my supplies appropriately.” He said, more confident now that he had some idea of what to bring. At the mention of supper Romeran realized how hungry he had become. It was an eventful day and he was sorely looking forward to dinner in the mess hall later. He had to stop himself from fantasizing about the food.

“I’ll be practicing every day, if I can, Eryn! Although I’m sure it will take a great deal of practice to catch up” he said, agreeing with a smile. Erynneth reminded Romeran of a childhood friend, so confident, so outspoken, so happy. He smiled.

Romeran turned and offered a fist-to-chest salute to Duinion as he departed “Ranger Duinion” he said as he saluted. He turned to Erynneth and bowed “Lady Erynneth” he said with a cheeky smile hoping to get another laugh before he left.

The walk back to Minas Tirith city proper went by quicker than he had expected. His head has had been swimming with all that he had learned and all that he had to look forward to. He felt inspired and excited, the anxiety that had originally drove him seemed to have subsided.

[Pele Alarion]

Cadil, with Unalmis
Near the Southern Gate
@Ercassie , @Rillewen

It appeared that pulling the heavy bag up by the rope was a far better option than trying to throw it up at Unalmis, so Cadil applied all his strength by digging in his heels and leaning back to pull on the rope. "You know what, I'm sure you'll want some of what I've got in that bag sooner or later, and it..." the remaining thought fled the young man's mind when he heard the ominous sound from above. He stopped pulling and looked up to see if the danger was as real as it sounded.

The next thing Cadil knew was hitting the earth with his bottom when the rope loosened suddenly, and Nal, the bough, as well as the bag all came crashing down. Luckily, he had fallen away from all the other tumble and did not end up at the bottom of the pile. "What the... my bag is not all that heavy, is it now?" he muttered once he had recovered from the startle, though he knew very well from the experience of carrying it around that it was very heavy.

"Oh, they got you to practice medical skills," Cadil tilted his head slightly when Unalmis mentioned his training. "Somehow I can imagine you using a whole cart-load of bandages to cover some unhappy person in them from head to toe," he could not help but laugh. "At least I see that you landed quite softly from that fall, else I might have to tie you together with the same rope..." Turning around to kneel by his bag, he looked over the knot. All the pulling had made it so tight that it seemed near impossible to undo. "Well... the loss won't be great if I just cut it," he concluded and unsheathed the knife he had at his belt to cut the knot away from the rest of the rope.

As he coiled it and put it back in his bag, the youngster frowned at the thought of standing by the gate after they had annoyed that guy with the wagon. "Figure, the guard might be too tired by now to pay much attention to complaints, so perhaps it wouldn't be that bad," he wondered.

[The Good Hunter]

Lime Tea and Poetry
The Plum Gardens, Fourth Circle
(Open to All)

From the moment she entered the little restaurant, Walpurga could smell something different about this place. There was an air of fire here, an air of peppers. It was so strong that, upon just taking two steps inside, her eyes began to water and a tear rolled down her cheek; she coughed but laughed at the same time, producing something that might have sounded similar to the sounds her little skunk children made. It happened every time she came the Plum Gardens for lunch. Each time she assumed she would be able to weather the pepper storm, but the results never varied. It didn’t matter how much spicy curry she ate or how spicy it actually was, she was never ready for the onslaught of heat that greeted her at the door. The young Rohir would never have it any other way, of course. She found this little gem about four months ago and had been coming at least once a week since then to try all the curries the chef put in front of her. Her first excursion into the world of fiery foods had been an accidental one, Rohan wasn’t exactly known for a spice palate and, having never guess that something this spicy might exist, was floored. The entire scene was, according to the owner and chef, Krittithee, hilarious and heartwarming.

Walpurga had never had anything so spicy. She thought something might be wrong with the food or wrong with her until he came in from the kitchen to calm her down and ply with iced lemon tea. They talked for several hours after, Walpurga tentatively taking spoonfuls of curry and Krittithee expounding vigorously on his homeland in Rhûn. He sang and recited poetry in half a dozen languages, none of which Walpurga understood. Yet despite that, she found the way the words moved to be lovely. They made a deal: Walpurga would come in weekly and take language and history lessons from him and she would regain him with stories about her own travels. She thought it was a lopsided deal, given that her adventures were neither prolific nor story worthy, but nonetheless, the rotund chef insisted.

Today, she brought with her a sketchpad filled with the starts and stops of a few poems she’d tried to put together. She was, as it turned out, terrible at poetry. Still, it was a fun exercise. So far, she’d managed a few limericks about her skunks and little badger lordling and the start of a sonnet that had about three words to it so far. Krittithee would want to see them, no matter how poorly contrived or boring her stories, he listened with rapt fascination, as if there was nothing in the world he’d rather be doing. It was so refreshing (and a little daunting) to occupy someone else’s attention.

“Krittithee?” she called as she took her normal seat by the window. A nice cool breeze swept passed, smelling of jasmine and honeysuckle. This was why she loved this place; it was so outside the realm of her experiences that each new visit brought a new little fold. As she seated herself, she looked at the painting on the opposite wall. Had it always been there? It depicted a fiery bird (maybe an eagle?) flying around a figure with twelve arms, all carrying some sort of weapon. It was evocative, the bird was painted with bright colors like red and gold, while the twelve-armed figure was much darker, with black and purple. In the background were mountains, tall mountains. They looked almost familiar to her as she stared at the painting, their name just on the edge of her tongue.

Krittithee rounded the corner, his face bright and cherubic. He was already carrying a tray with two teacups and a pot. “Walpurga my dear! It is so good to see you again! I see you found your table. Good, good. And you brought me more poems! Oh delightful!” He set the tea down and laughed heartily. “So, how adventurous are you feeling today?”

Walpurga blushed but grinned broadly. “I think I’m ready for the ghost peppers.”

When he laughed, his whole frame shook precariously. “Oh, ho! Poetry and ghost peppers. Today is going to be a wonderful day for you Walpurga. Panang curry with twenty ghost peppers!”

He kissed her cheek then vanished into the back; a clattering of pans could be heard echoing from the kitchens. Walpurga gulped. She hadn’t meant twenty of them! Just one or two! She poured the tea over the city and added the lemon. She was going to need a lot of this today.

[Fuin Elda]

@Rillewen

Fuin having Fun at the Fair

Fuin smiled at Iuldir as he questioned how she couldn't be strong enough to climb the ropes. Of course she was exaggerating a bit in terms of not being able to climb rope ladders, she might not be as swift as her partners but she most certainly could do it. "A hammer is a lot lighter than my whole body weight." She said with a smile her arms folded over her chest. "And if I get tired I can put the hammer down, if I'm at the top of a mast I still have to get down. Elves despite our magical reputation do not bounce that well." She said with a chuckle as they watched the acrobatics performance nodding at the comment about a peregrin. Indeed those raptors were beautiful creatures.

Fuin gave a small shrug as she was asked what she would like to do, "Well the mumakil tails were my idea, it might be fun to see if there are some games that are rigged but still winnable might be fun to partake in. I may have gotten distracted by the snake oil vender with the sword." Fuin chuckled, they'd need to stay away from that barker though if he was on about that sword again she'd lobe it into the Anduin itself.

[The Good Hunter]

Dirty Paws
The Second Circle
(Private with Tara)

Being robbed, or mugged, or pickpocketed, or whatever the correct nomenclature, was new to Walpurga. Benton had been far too small for anyone to get away with something like that on a regular basis (and she was never around enough people for it to work to begin with) and Edoras was so insular and small that she never had to worry about walking the streets and clinging to her purse like a little old woman. She had been able to stroll about the dusty streets with her badger and skunks and not have to worry about things. As good a deterrent as her babies might be, they would get quickly trampled by all the oblivious and busy denizens of this city. The moment after she reflected on the fact that she’d been robbed, she marveled at just how big the city was. This had to be the biggest city in all the world. Could any place in history have been so large? The next feeling, however, was violation and repulsion. In just the flash of an instant, the illusion of a safe world came crashing down, splitting open like a lightning bolt hitting a tree. Someone’s hands had been on her, some stranger had taken something from her, stolen from right off her person. Her skin crawled as if covered by ants, a sick feeling welled up in her stomach and she tasted bile in the back of her throat. All the faces that she’d been looking suddenly seemed blank and sinister, there was something about them all that looked unreal as they looked and passed by her. Why were they all just walking passed her? Had they not seen what happened? Did none of them hear what she had shouted? Another sort of sick feeling began to ball up in her stomach, not nausea, something closer to dread and desperation.

Thank the green hills that Tarawen was not like the rest of them. Instead of gawking, shrugging her shoulders, or offering some useless platitude, she called to someone, a name that Walpurga didn’t recognize, and out of nowhere a man who looked like he might have been half bull, charged through the streets, parting them the way a boat sheers through the water. People, despite being unbothered and unconcerned with her plight, certainly moved out of his way. Walpurga wished she commanded that much respect. She was tall and muscular with enough meat on her bones to be able to take down a grown man, but there were some things only giants could do. He moved so quickly too, like a rush of wind through fresh green grass. Sometimes she marveled at how fast things could move that looked as though they had never moved their entire existence. He was like an avalanche, swift and brutally efficient. The chase was over in mere moments. He caught the thief and wrangled him into submission. He was efficient. A bodyguard or bouncer of some sort, she thought. Whatever he was, the young Rohir was more than happy to have him on her side. He and Tarawen both.

“Oh, thank the green fields!” she shouted, or at least she thought she shouted but the sound that came out of her was more like those of a set of bladder pipes. She rushed over to them. It was only a few dozen feet, but in that time, it felt like the whole event took she assumed the red-haired thief might be halfway to the third circle by now. But there he was, squirming and jostling with the big man who’d caught him at Tarawen’s call. He was having no luck though; it might have been easier for him to struggle against a bear’s arms. Relief was a sweet, honey-scented wind, replacing the bitter anxiety.

Unsurprisingly, at least not to Walpurga herself, anger rose up swiftly and, before she could even think twice about what she going to do, she slapped the young man as hard as she could across the face. She connected with hard and satisfying SLAP that echoed off the buildings around them. Her hand stung and where her hand connected a massive blossom of red spread over his face. Her anger didn’t subside, but she stopped herself from slapping him again. It felt good, it felt very good in fact, but another slap wasn’t going to get her point across any further. She yanked back her purse and held it like a lost child in her arms. It was ridiculous to feel that way, but for a moment she had genuinely assumed she was never going to see it, or its contents, ever again. She let out a breath, a long, deep breath and pulled at her shoulders as the tensions released.

“Oh, oh my goodness thank you! Thank you! I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t- if you hadn’t stopped him like that,” she gasped for breath, the relief flooding her more as she regained her balance and the tunnel vision that had nearly blinded her subsided. “You are a prince, thank you.” She turned back to Tarawen and smiled as widely as she could, unconscious of the tear that dripped down her cheek at that moment. “And thank you Tarawen! Oh, by the stars, how, how can I repay you two for this? Please, I insist.”

[Rillewen]

@Fuin Elda

Ivornith, Iuldir, Iorissel Dringolben and Tobedir

Having fun at the Fayre

At the mention of games, Rissy excitedly showed off her new dolly to Fuin. "Cali won my dolly at a game with these big pins, and you knock them down!" She said happily. The boys both agreed eagerly to the idea of playing some of the games, and with Ivornith being a bit outnumbered, she hung back with Fuin's nurse as the others went off to search for some games to play, knowing that it would be useless to protest, and Fuin would insist on paying for the children to play games, and they were all too excited now for her to even dream of saying no.

The children soon lost all track of time as they enjoyed themselves, and Ivornith wasn't quite sure how much time had passed either. It was nice to see the kids having fun, not having to worry about money or grown up things, and she even enjoyed a turn or two at some of the games, just as she had once done when her husband was alive. It seemed like the day was drawing to an end far too soon, and she became aware that it was nearly time for Rissy, at least, to get some sleep. And Toby's grandmother would be expecting him home before long, she remembered. She hated to be the one to ruin the fun, but there were adult things to think of. "I think one more game, and then we'll go and see the play to wrap up the evening," She spoke up, followed by the expected groans and protests. "I mean it. Tobedir's grandmother will be expecting him home soon, I'm sure, and we have to get some sleep as well. And I'm sure Fuin also needs to get some rest, at some point. And we need to find Cali too."

It was strange they hadn't seen her around in all their wandering around, but perhaps she had gone off with some of her friends, in which case she didn't know where to look for her. But she would surely find them, before it was time to return. She knew they were planning to stay overnight at the guesthouse, and head back in the morning. "So, one more game, what'll it be?" She asked the children again, smiling a bit as she watched them all eagerly point to different games before ultimately reaching a decision.

[Fuin Elda]

@Rillewen
Fuin having Fun at the Fayre

Fuin had lost track of time, and the children were sporting several new toys for their efforts at the various games that Ivorneth had oddly not argued about her paying for them and she'd even taken Fuin up on the offer to try a few of them as well she'd not done terribly well at the game which involved throwing a hoop and trying to have it land on milk bottles - One had to do it just right as the rims of the bottles were almost as big as the hoop itself making it fall off more readily than land on the bottle. However eventually their merriment was brought to an end as Ivorneth reminded them of the time and that they had only time for one last game. The children picked out a strange game, where they needed to try to catch a duck in a pond that had little ribbons tied about their necks, each ribbon meant something and the lazier fat ducks had green ribbons while the young faster ducks had red ribbons. The children decided to go for the green ribbon and were given wooden toy swords for their troubles while the ducks got a hearty feeding of greens and grains. Fuin for her part did catch a blue ribboned duck giving up on a red ribbon before she ran out of time.

She got a fancy tea set for a child and she couldn't help but laugh and donate that to Rissy who had been slowly getting small pieces of a metal teaset for a while between when she had visited and what Cali and Iuldir managed to get done since she'd visited. This one was quite fancy though made of fired clay and painted with tiny designs. What the red ribbon prize was Fuin wasn't sure but she was starting to think those ducks might be completely uncatchable. - Perhaps she got to keep the duck she caught she thought with a mental snort. "Right so to the play now?" She asked as she tugged her boots back on post duck-catching.

The group headed towards the stage and settled down all together to watch the play a comedy about hobbits in Gondor and a potato famine created by too many hobbits wanting taters with their stew. Quite hilarious and Fuin personally thought it was as much comedy as it was warning about hobbits love for potatoes which should not be questioned or doubted at any time as far as she was concerned.

[Rillewen]

@Fuin Elda

Ivornith, Iuldir, Iorissel Dringolben and Tobedir

Having fun at the Fayre

Rissy was absolutely delighted with the new teaset and it took some doing to convince her to keep it all in the box until they got home, but finally Ivornith managed to confiscate it so that none of the pieces would be lost in transit. Still, she knew it would be hard to separate Rissy from her new best friend, once it was time to go. During the play, Rissy insisted on cuddling up close to Fuin, and by the end of it she was fast asleep.

Toby and Iuldir had to be threatened with separation because they kept trying to play fight with their new wooden swords, but ultimately forgot about their duel as the play began. It was quite hilarious and Ivornith wondered if that was what hobbits were truly like, she'd only heard of them after the war, when tales of their heroic deeds began to circulate.

Eventually, once the play was over, the group began to head toward the city. "Is aunt Cali meeting us at the inn?" Iuldir wondered.
"I'm sure she will. Most likely, she found her friends and has been catching up, as they haven't seen each other since the war happened." Ivornith answered. "I'll tell her she missed seeing you, Fuin." She added. "If we have time before we leave in the morning, perhaps she might come and see you."

Once they had arrived at the Guesthouse on the first level, Iuldir said his goodbyes before going to get ready for bed...thankfully Rissy was still asleep so not to protest or whine about having to let Fuin go on her way. After getting Rissy laid down and Iuldir had gone in, Ivornith pause to speak to Fuin before she left. "Thank you for today... and for everything else, too. I really can't thank you enough. The children had a wonderful time today, and so did I. And I hope you'll come and see us again sometime, when you can. You are always welcome, as is Afarfin, of course." After they had said their goodbyes, knowing the nurse probably wanted to get Fuin back to the house of healing, Ivornith waved after them as they went on their way, then went in to put the kids to bed.

Toby still had to go to the second level to get home, and didn't forget that he had earlier offered to show Fuin where the Dringolben's forge was (not that she needed to be shown) and offered again once they had parted from Iuldir's family.

[Fuin Elda]

@Rillewen
Fuin having Returning to the House of Healing after the Fayre

Fuin helped to carry Rissy who was sound asleep by the end of the play back to the Inn and putting her down on one of the beds. She spoke for a short time with Ivornith glad that the children as well as their mother had enjoyed their day. "I shall keep you to that I quite enjoyed my last visit, though I think my nurse would be less than pleased if I did that in the next few weeks sadly." At this she motioned with her head towards the woman that was standing by the door waiting patiently for Fuin to leave with her. She gave a chuckle and a nod, indeed she would be most displeased if she had to baby sit the elven lady for nearly a week in order to visit Dol Amroth. The fact that she'd run into the Dringolben family was lucky for it meant that she had a chance to visit them on this outing as well which had been a way of keeping her from running away for a week or so.

"I would offer the same invitation to you to come to my home any time but for the moment I am afraid that I am not entirely sure when I will be at home once more. I know Afarfin would be happy to have you as well, I think though it is time for me to return to the House of Healing, I wish you safe travels and Iuldir I hope you manage to make some fantastic items so I can see them before I visit again." With that she headed out with a final wave.

The three of them headed out, Fuin let Toby show her to the forge, it was still much as it was so many years ago, a bit more time worn but she could see smoke rising from the chimney a sign of life in it and she could not help but smile, sadly it was far too late to pop in and she assured Toby that she would check it again soon, but that they should see him home now that he'd done as he had promised showing her the way. A sweet innocent child that did not realize that Fuin had turned the building into a smithy, she was glad to see him off for she was able to be silent for the rest of their trip back to the House of Healing with her nurse. A worrisome silence for the nurse, all Fuin could think of was she hoped that Cali would see her tomorrow before they left for Dol Amroth, sorrow settling in her heart that she had left the line of Cala and Rada for so long. She was happy to return to the House of Healing and collapse into her bed relieving the nurse at least of her duty to make sure that Fuin returned after her day out.

END