Ithilien, Harondor, The Eastern Fiefdoms (Free RP)

[Ercassie]

Here be fiefdoms of Gondor which have been long contested between the forces of good and evil. Sitting perilously on the eastern edges of the kingdom, the regions of Ithilien and Harondor are close and intermittently conquered by the Enemy.

Those of any or alternating alignment are welcome to play here, and in any period of time over the entire count of years since Gondor first claimed these fiefdoms, back in TA. Rangers and raiders, unsettled settlements and estranged neighbours, Ithilien and Harondor are susceptible to both instances of ancient conflict, and of hopeful challenges to build bridges and establish a new peace in the Fourth Age.

Ithilien

“So they passed into the northern marches of that land that Men once called Ithilien, a fair country of climbing woods and swift-falling streams. The night became fine under star and round moon… Before them, as they turned west, gentle slopes ran down into dim hazes, far below. All about them were small woods of resinous trees, fir and cedar and cypress, and other kinds unknown in the Shire, with wide glades among them; and everywhere there was a wealth of sweet-smelling herbs and shrubs…

South and west it looked towards the warm lower vales of Anduin, shielded from the east by the Ephel Dúath and yet not under the mountain-shadow, protected from the north by the Emyn Muil, open to the southern airs and the moist winds of the Sea from far away. Many great trees grew there, planted long ago, falling into untended age amid a riot of careless descendants”

(The Two Towers, Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit)



Emyn Arnen

Following the Return of the King, and the end of the War of the Ring, Faramir, son of Denethor rules as Lord of Emyn Arnen, and Prince of Ithilien; with the White Lady, Eowyn of Rohan at his side. Much as their mutual kinsman Imrahil has long presided over Belfalas from his similar seat as Prince of Dol Amroth.

Emyn Arnen is a cluster of hills in South Ithilien, with a tradition of providing home to Numenorean nobility. The Line of Hurin, from whence came the earliest Stewards of Gondor, Lord Faramir’s predecessors and ancestors both; originated here. The Gardens of Emyn Arnen came to be a thing renowned, after Legolas of Mirkwood brought Elves south to lend influence about the region in the Fourth Age.



Harondor

As unlikely as it may seem that a realm named for ‘South Gondor’ should appear in a thread for Eastern Edges of the kingdom, Harondor is technically situated in South-Eastern Gondor.
The Northern border is the River Poros, and the Southern border is the River Harnen. This buffer between two warring nations ranges from the Bay of Belfalas in the West to the Ephel Duath in the Far East. The realm itself thus reaches from the free seas to the fences of Mordor and has been described as a ‘desert’ or wasteland, though this is more a reference to it’s desolated war-torn condition than any indication of climate.
Harondor is certainly more fertile than the ash realm of shadow or the sands of Harad, and is made up large of semi-arid grassland. But as it is little known and ever less frequented, all and any non-canon locations which could plausibly exist here, you are welcome to introduce here, with as broad or vague a culture etc as you wish.




Rules

1) Please state your location at the top of your post, as this thread incorporates a number of possible settings. Likewise feel free to include the year, if appropriate/flashback/ etc
2) Mark your post as ‘Private’ if you do not wish any unplanned interactions from other writers to influence your RP.
3) Please white out any brief OOC, or take non-IC questions/concerns to City Hall/discord, etc
4) Please explore Middle Earth based rp in this thread. It doesn’t have to be strictly ‘canon’ but please keep it believable for the very wide expanse of Tolkien’s fantastic world-building.
ie no drinking cans of Dr Pepper or use of time travel, etc.
5) As this thread caters to a setting of ‘contested’ lands, it is equally as dangerous/liberating for everyone who dares set foot there, regardless of your character’s alignment. Loyalties do not linger long, it is said, in the Eastern Edges of Gondor. The Steward/King’s reach doesn’t extend this far as much as he would like.
6) General Plaza Rules apply re: not Godmoding etc. Thankyou.

[Rillewen]

(solo flashback story - private)

The Death of Ryn
(Warning; there will be blood and death...)


Southern Ithilien
A couple of years before the War of the Ring




Ryndir Dringolben, Ranger of Ithilien

A cool breeze filtered through the trees, carrying the fragrance of oak and poplar, pine and sycamore, which mingled with other scents of the forest. Ryn paused, inhaling slowly, listening. Despite the forest’s calm, still appearance, he sensed something was off. The young man was a trained ranger by now, having been at this a couple of years now, though not as skilled as some of his elders. He gazed around, trying to put his finger on whatever was wrong.

It was too quiet, he realized. He glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. After a moment, he heard something. Then he saw them. Deer, running. Ryn frowned, watching them leap and run in panic. His gaze followed the pair of them until they had disappeared from sight, then looked back the way they had come. Something had frightened them. What was it? If there was a threat in the forest, then it was something he ought to check out, the ranger decided. Making good use of his training, Ryn located the deer’s tracks, following them carefully backward, seeking the source of their panic. With any luck, it was just a minor disturbance that had startled the deer. The further he went, the more he began wondering if this might be nothing, but he’d come this far, so he might as well continue to satisfy his curiosity, if nothing else.

Ahead, the quiet sound of a hushed voice stopped Ryn in his tracks. Chanting? Frowning, the eighteen-year-old slipped behind a tree and waited a moment before cautiously peeking around it. He couldn’t see anything; other trees blocked his view, so he moved cautiously to the next tree, closer. His previous thoughts that this might be nothing were gone, now. There was definitely something going on here. A chill went down his spine as he peered around the oak. There was a young man, about his own age, kneeling before a deer’s carcass, doing some sort of chant in a foreign language, his face hidden by a hood. There was a lot of blood all over the ground, and the whole scene was highly disturbing.

There was definitely something wrong here; Ryn had no doubt about that now. Whatever it was, it looked like a threat of some sort, though he wasn’t sure what. Carefully setting aside his bow, quiver, and a pack for fear it might hinder him, Ryn stepped out from behind the tree. The ranger frowned at the hooded stranger in his forest as he moved into view of the stranger. “Hey, you. What are you doing?” Ryn called out, inflecting as much authority into his tone as he could manage. Someone had to do something about this, after all, and Ryn knew that was him, because he was the only one around here. It was his job to protect these lands from intruders, or other threats. He wasn't sure exactly where this guy fit into those categories, but he fit in somehow.

The stranger froze, but didn’t raise his head. Was that a smile growing on his face? He had a knife in his hand, still bloody from the deer as he slowly looked up. Yes, he was smiling, and it was quite unsettling. “Hello, Doggy. Come to play fetch? I could save you a bone to chew on.”

Ryn stared at him, stunned. He recognized this man as soon as he looked up. Aderic Androllius, or, as they had begun calling him, 'Rip'. The bully who used to torment everyone in school that he could. Iole, Cali, and so many others. Sometimes even the little kids like Toby, or even Ryn or Nal or Trev, if he could get them alone, but never when they were all together. He was too chicken to face the three of them at once. Ryn glanced down at the deer, a slight chill going down his back at what Ric had done to it. “I’ve never seen anyone gut a deer like that,” He commented with a frown. Looking back up at Ric, he tried to make sense of what he’d come upon. “What are you doing here, Aderic?” He demanded, trying to be professional and not call him names, childishly. “What is this?”

“That is a good question, Doggy. This…" He motioned, not to the deer, but toward Ryn. "This can’t be a coincidence,” The other commented with a smile as he began to slowly circle his former classmate. “Isn’t this interesting… here I am, making a sacrifice to Lord Zigur, and then.. you just 'happen' along. As if it was meant to be.” Ric grinned. “As if he sent you. He really does listen...”

Lord Zigur? Sacrifice? Feeling a little horror wash over him as he heard these words, Ryn recalled something he'd heard or read somewhere, that Zigur was what they called Sauron in one of the other countries. It didn't take much to figure out the implication there. Ryn slowly drew his daggers. “What are you talking about, Aderic?” Ryn frowned, turning in place to keep him in his sight. “I.. I think I need to arrest you.” As much as this guy had tormented him and his friends as children, it wouldn’t bother him at all to see him in prison. It would be a pleasure to arrest him even without having a proper cause, but with the things he was saying…

Ric started laughing. “Arrest me?” He grinned and he held up his hands mockingly, as if surrendering. “Do you think you can, Doggy?”

That old mocking nickname from their school days, twisted from the fact that his name meant ‘hound’. Even now, it irritated Ryn, but he ignored it. There was something else nagging at his thoughts. A detail that seemed important, but which he couldn’t quite place at the moment. “I have authority here,” He reminded the bully. “I’m a ranger now, not some school kid you think you can pick on. And you’re under arrest. Lay down your weapon, Aderic Androllius. I’m warning you…”

“Ranger or not, you’re all alone out here. That means you’re still the same dumb dog you always were. Here boy, heel.” Ric laughed. “You think you can fight me?”

“My sister could fight you, Rip.” Ryn scoffed, giving up on professionalism after the other young man seemed unwilling to give the same courtesy. “And she has, too. That’s how you-” Ryn paused as it suddenly hit him, and tilted his head, feeling a bit confused. This was the bully he’d always known, alright, but… something didn’t add up. “Wait a moment,” he muttered, trying to sort this all out quickly. As the smug young man continued to circle him like a wolf, Ryn turned along with him, watching for an attack. “You…you aren’t Rip. Ric. Whatever...” he stared at the young man. It was Rip’s face, but.. “I just saw Rip, yesterday… in the city. He had a black eye..” What was going on here? “You can’t heal a black eye that quickly.” He muttered. The Ric he had seen in the city had not behaved like this, either. That Ric had been the quiet, timid version, the one that Ryn knew would deny anything they accused him of and blame it on a 'twin brother'. But now here he was, out in the forest, acting like the same old bully he'd known since they were both very small…

“Oh, did he?” Ric’s smirk faded slightly. “Perhaps I have medicine that’s beyond your knowledge.” The smirk returned.

Realization suddenly dawned on Ryn… several incidents suddenly returned to mind..all the times over the years when the Androllius boy acted differently… sometimes he would act like a nice, polite, even shy boy, and claim to have a twin brother, but then other times, he would pick on everyone mercilessly, and say he'd made it up about having a brother, and acted like he hated everyone. There had even been suggestions that he had a split personality... but he couldn't be in two places at once... Suddenly, all that came crashing back to Ryn’s mind, and all the pieces fit together at last and he realized what an idiot he had been to fall for such a trick… and how sorry he felt to the true Ric, wondering, in that instant, how many times they had ‘retaliated’ against him instead of the true culprit of the bullying.

Stunned, he pointed, weapon in hand, toward the mysterious ‘other brother’, his jaw dropping in shock. “You… Ric was telling the truth about having a brother! You were the one..!” He accused. “You’re the one who tormented us all through school!” Ryn glared, furious with this guy for all the horrible, mean things he had done to himself and his friends, his sister, and all the other kids in the city. Even to his own brother, Ryn realized… because of what he had done, he’d made all the others dislike the other Androllius brother. They had treated him badly in return for how they thought he was treating them. What kind of person would do that? And to his own brother?

‘Ric’ stopped, gazing back at him with a sigh of disappointment. “You figured it out, finally. It only took you.. what, thirteen, fourteen years?” He smirked, shaking his head slowly. “You really are slow, Doggy. But, I really didn’t want anyone to know about that. Especially now, with my new plans.” He informed him. “So, I’m afraid I’ll have to kill you, now.”

Ryn narrowed his eyes. “You can try,” He growled.

No sooner had the words left Ryn’s mouth, than Androllius did try. He leaped forward, his knife slashing. Ryn swiftly parried and backed away, a bit surprised by how swift ‘Ric’ had become since their last schoolyard fight. Blades clashed, and Ryn blocked a flurry of blows, then retaliated with his own. They seemed equal opponents, as if Androllius had learned a good deal since his school days. Or had he ever really fought this brother before?



(to be continued in another installment...)

[Rillewen]

(solo flashback story - private)

The Death of Ryn


Southern Ithilien
A couple of years before the War of the Ring




Ryndir Dringolben, fighting one of the Androllius twins

The fight between the two young men went on. For a moment, it seemed that Ryn had the advantage; Androllius was more accustomed to fighting with a sword, not daggers. But suddenly, to Ryn’s alarm, ‘Ric’ blocked a backward-slashing attack, and like lightning, looped his arm around Ryn’s and gave a yank, turning his body slightly. Ryn lost his grip on his dagger due to whatever leverage the other had used, and then Androllius had his weapon. His oldest brother, Dawion, had owned that dagger before him. Ryn carried two; one made by Dawion, and the other was made by his other brother, Berthion. Both were dead, killed in battle, and he chose to carry these weapons because they had belonged to his brothers, and they were the reason Ryn had joined the rangers.

Surprised by that move, Ryn hastily tried to block the counterattack that immediately followed, catching Androllius’ right wrist.. but not his left. Ryn cried out in pain as the dagger.. his own dagger.. plunged into his shoulder, near the clavicle. How did he manage that? Shoving his opponent away, Ryn staggered back a couple of steps, switching the other, smaller dagger into his right hand as his left hand pressed to the wound, struggling to forget the pain.

“Shouldn’t they have taught you to hang onto your weapons, Dogboy?” ‘Ric’ smirked. Ryn honestly wasn't sure whether this twin was named Ric, or the other, nor what name the other twin went by; the only name he knew for either of them was Ric. 'Ric' twirled his newly acquired dagger a couple of times, as if testing the weight and balance. “Hm, that move really does work.. I’ll have to thank Reilly for teaching it to me, later.” He commented absently.

Trying not to let on how much his right shoulder hurt, Ryn took his hand away and narrowed his eyes, circling his opponent warily as he took the dagger back into his left hand, which was his stronger hand anyway. What other tricks had his childhood enemy had learned? It was bad enough seeing him holding Ryn’s own dagger, but to have it used against him, that was even worse.

“Ha, look at that,” ‘Ric’ laughed. “Your armor is just falling apart! I thought the famous Dringolben forge was supposed to make the best armor around,” He sneered. “What, did you let your sister make that one or something? Or did you use it for a chew toy?”

Ryn gritted his teeth, both confused and angered. He had no explanation for why the rivets had come loose, allowing the blade to penetrate his shoulder, unhindered. He didn’t bother looking; he could feel the shoulder piece hanging apart from the chest piece. The rivets should have held up, but didn’t. What happened?

All that really matter right now, of course, was staying alive and apprehending this guy. Ryn swiftly ducked to one side as Androllius leaped at him, evading his double-bladed attack, then Ryn lunged toward him, intent on stopping his enemy. Androllius spun around, just in time to block Ryn’s attack, swinging the second blade around his head toward Ryn’s. Ducking just in time, Ryn blocked the next blow, and his strike had such force that he sent the knife spinning out of Androllius’ hand, bringing a startled yelp from his opponent. Ryn smiled, pleased to see that he’d hurt his hand, hopefully enough to leave it bruised. He swiftly kicked the blade out of reach, and leaped aside as ‘Ric’ lunged for him, slashing as he leaped. He knew he’d left a cut; he felt it when the blade made contact, and turned to see a line of red appearing on the sleeve of ‘Ric’s’ upper arm.

Androllius glanced at the cut, and back up at Ryn. “You can’t win, Dogboy,” he taunted. “I’ve got Lord Zigur behind me, remember?” He laughed. “I’m going to kill you with your own weapons.” He paused, and then laughed again as if some new thought occurred to him. “Don’t worry though, you be reuniting with your friend before too long. He may be dead even as we speak,” He grinned.

Ryn froze, staring at him uncertainly. “What?” Was he merely taunting him, trying to mess with him, or was one of his friends truly in danger? Trev, perhaps? He was safe in town yesterday. Ryn recalled Cali telling him that Nal was out of town, though, having gone off on some random adventure to Harlond, but that was all she knew. Could he be in danger? “What are you talking about? What do you mean?” Ryn demanded, struggling to keep from panicking.

“I know how you and Nal always did everything together.. now you even get to die around the same time. And in the same fashion, isn’t that nice?”

“What have you done?” Ryn narrowed his eyes, worried and furious at the same time.

‘Ric’ merely smiled bigger and then lunged forward. Ryn hastily leaped back, then grabbed his opponent by the collar, other hand catching his arm. Fueled by sudden wrath, concern for his best friend now overriding all concern for himself right now, Ryn wrestled the other young man against a tree, trying to pin his dagger hand behind him. “Where is Nal?” Ryn demanded. He twisted his arm until the dagger dropped from his fingers.

The traitorous Gondorian laughed in his face. “I just delivered him to some Umbarians who were quite eager to get ahold of someone from his family,” He answered, not at all ashamed of his deed. He grinned, amused by the expression that came onto Ryn’s face.

“Why? What do they want with him?”

“Probably to sacrifice him, that’s what they did with all the others,” He shrugged, smiling still. “Too bad I had to leave so soon, I would’ve enjoyed watching… but at least I can ensure that you join him.” He grinned.

Fighting the urge to break the guy’s jaw or worse, Ryn slammed him against the tree again, harder. He took a deep breath, reminding himself he should arrest him and put him in gaol, no matter how much he wanted to beat him senseless. “You’re under arrest, for…” He paused, slightly unsure what charge to even bring against him… had anyone in Gondor ever done anything like this? “Treason,” He decided at last, bringing his dagger up, holding it to his throat. “And probably a lot of other things.” Ryn glared at him, daring him to continue to resist.

“I don’t think so.” Androllius replied smugly. Hooking a leg around Ryn’s, he forced the ranger’s knee to buckle, while shoving his chest with his free hand, knocking him off-balance. Ryn yelped in surprise as he fell to the ground, Androllius leaping onto him. They struggled, rolling in the leaves. Ryn felt his opponent trying to take his other dagger from him, and gripped it tighter, determined not to lose his only remaining weapon. He swung a fist, connecting with ‘Ric’s’ jaw. He felt some satisfaction to see his lip bleeding, but it wasn’t enough to break the jaw, unfortunately.

‘Ric’ slammed a fist into Ryn’s stomach, then spotted the other dagger where it had fallen on the ground, and snatched it up. Ryn tried to block his attack, but was too late. 'Ric' stabbed where the armor had separated, exposing a little of Ryn’s chest, on the right side. With a cry of pain, Ryn felt the dagger plunge deep into his chest.

‘Ric’ yanked the other dagger from his hand, as Ryn's grip involuntarily loosened as he rapidly grew weaker. He looked down at Ryn and smiled. “Now do you believe me? I told you, Dogboy, you aren’t arresting me, I'm going to kill you.” He grinned and pulled the longer dagger out of Ryn’s chest, slowly, relishing the groan of pain it brought from Ryn.

Ryn clenched his teeth, struggling to fight the pain. It hurt to breathe. His hand clutched at the ground beneath him, fumbling around as he feebly tried to find something, anything, for a weapon. He found a rock, and swung with all the might left to him. The blow surprised Androllius as Ryn struck him on the head. ‘Ric’ only got a cut on the temple, but the effort left Ryn gasping.

Snarling, ‘Ric’ yanked Ryn’s armor further apart, and shoved the dagger into his ribs again, in a lower spot. “That better not leave a scar,” Androllius grumbled under his breath, rubbing the spot where the rock had struck him. Looking back down at Ryn, he stared at the wounds he had inflicted on his former classmate, morbidly fascinated.

Ryn’s vision blurred a little. He felt like he was choking or drowning, but it hurt to even try to breathe. Even knowing he was dying, he felt a little sickened by the look on his enemy’s face. He was enjoying this.. watching Ryn die. He leaned in closer. Ryn wanted to keep fighting, to deal out the same wounds he’d been given, or at least push him off, but he felt like his strength had drained out, leaving him lying there helpless. ‘Ric’ whispered something in his ear in a smug tone that infuriated Ryn, though he was too weak to do anything about it.

“Maybe I’ll send your sister to join you, someday. But, for now… maybe you can see your brothers again. You can tell them how you failed to avenge them. I heard that was why you became a ranger, right?” He grinned at Ryn as he sat up again. He yanked the dagger out of his side, smiling as Ryn let out another soft groan of pain. Wiping Ryn's blood off on his own armor, 'Ric' took the sheaths from Ryn, and put the daggers into them before fastening them onto his own belt. "You won't need those anymore," He smirked. Standing, he began searching around, kicking leaves aside.

Watching, struggling to keep from passing out, Ryn wondered what he was doing, until he saw him finally lean down and grab something. He had found his own knife.

“There… now we can begin.” Androllius turned back to Ryn with a dark smile.


(to be continued in the next installment)

[Rillewen]

(solo flashback story - private)

The Death of Ryn


Southern Ithilien
A couple of years before the War of the Ring




Ryndir Dringolben, with one of the Androllius twins

Watching Androllius approach him with his knife in hand, Ryn realized it wasn’t just any knife. It was actually made for making sacrifices, and it did not look Gondorian. Having grown up learning to craft weapons and other things of metal, he could tell some things at a glance. Androllius wasn’t joking or making up stories about doing sacrifices to Sauron… Ryn realized he was not simply going to die here, and that made it all the more horrifying.

Stopping once he stood over Ryn again, ‘Ric’ kicked his side, the same place where he had earlier stabbed him. Ryn’s cry was weaker now as he struggled even to take a breath, but apparently still satisfying to Androllius. He smiled as he watched Ryn curl up in pain, clutching his bleeding side. “Serves you right, for all the things you’ve done to me.. trying to steal Ric away from me.” He sneered, then crouched down beside Ryn, shoving him so he lay on his back again, rather than curled up.

Ryn was hardly listening; somewhere, nearby, a single bird cry could be heard. Ryn opened his eyes, trying to turn his head toward the sound, though he couldn’t answer it. But he knew that call. His mentor had come looking for him! Ryn had been gone too long, and Duinion had grown concerned. Thank Eru!

Ric’s twin paused, tilting his head as he noticed how Ryn had reacted to the sound. Frowning, he glanced in the direction where the young ranger had turned his gaze. They heard the birdcall again, a little closer now, then another from the left. A call on the right answered, and he cast his glance around the forest warily. “Rangers…” He realized, eyes widening. Cursing under his breath, the murderous young man stood and glanced around, listening carefully.

“Helllp…” Ryn groaned, as loud as he could manage, and with great difficulty.

Androllius cast a glare down at him, then decided not to take the risk. With another muttered curse, he pulled Ryn's armor aside and stabbed the ceremonial dagger into Ryn’s chest, closer to the center, and yanked it back out. “That ought to finish you,” He sighed, then glanced around, a bit worriedly, before hurrying away, apparently unwilling to confront any other rangers. He always was too chicken to face more than one opponent at a time, Ryn recalled vaguely, as he tried his best to cling to life a little while longer.

A moment passed. Silence filled the forest, and Ryn desperately clung on, feeling sure that his mentor would be there any second. Some part of his mind suggested that perhaps, if he got help in time, he could recover from these wounds. But he knew, deep down, that he was fading fast, and these wounds were too grievous to heal. He could taste blood in his mouth, choking him. It hurt to cough, but he couldn’t help but cough, weakly. A friend was coming… he just had to hang on a little longer.

Duinion Raedor, Ranger of Ithilien, with a small company

Ryn had been gone a little too long for Duinion’s liking. Having heard of some trouble with bandits lately, he had been against Ryn setting off alone to practice some things, though Ryn assured him he’d be alright. After he didn’t return for a while, however, the elder ranger thought it wouldn’t hurt to check on him, and set out after the boy. He came upon a few fellow rangers, who reported having recently run off a small group of bandits.

Hearing this news, Duinion hastened to find the young man he’d become close friends with. They had discovered that they were distantly related, actually; Duinion’s wife’s sister had been married to Ryn’s oldest brother, though he wasn’t sure what sort of relation that made them. He usually thought of Ryn as a younger cousin or some such thing.. perhaps a kid brother, even. With a handful of other rangers joining him, Duinion hastened onward to find his young friend.

Bird calls were a much safer than calling out his name, and he employed this means of trying to ‘call’ to Ryn, but without answer. Until, at last, he heard something. A groan? He glanced around, worried, and ventured forward. Still, no answer to his bird calls, aside from those of his fellow rangers. Not Ryn’s, and that worried him.

After a moment, one of his comrades called out, “Over here!” and Duinion hurried to find out what his fellow ranger had discovered. Catching up to the man, he frowned to see a bow leaned against a tree. Ryn’s pack rested beside it, along with his quiver. Duinion glanced down and found some tracks, following them a few paces.

He moved forward. Then, with his view no longer obstructed by the trees, he saw him. Duinion stopped, as did his heart, for a beat or two. “Ryn…” He cast a quick glance around to check for any obvious traps, then threw caution to the wind and rushed forward. He could see the boy struggling to breathe, and knew he was hurt, but he wasn’t sure how badly. Dropping to his knees beside him, Duinion’s stomach clenched into knots, seeing all the blood. “Ryn… can you hear me?” He tried to find where the wound was, desperate to try and stop the bleeding, but then he realized there were multiple wounds. He pressed his hand against the one with the most blood, trying to stop the bleeding.

“Nal..” Ryn muttered, coughing weakly, a trickle of blood making its way down from his mouth.

“No, it’s Duinion,” He correctly softly, feeling a bit choked up. He couldn’t do anything to help him, and it hurt to have to just sit by helplessly. Bandages would do little here, and it take too long to fetch a more skilled healer. Tears welled up in his eyes as Ryn stirred, reaching feebly for his arm, and grasped it.

“P-please, don’t..let Nal die,” He whispered. “Please.. Duinion.. s-see that he’s safe?”

Duinion swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Ryn.. I..”

“Please.. just.. make sure he’s.. safe…” Ryn pleaded, looking desperate.

How could Duinion tell Ryn, at a time like this, that he had no idea how to find his friend? He knew that Nal was a close friend of Ryn’s… he’d heard about him and his other friends often enough, and he knew ‘Nal’ was short for something but he didn’t know what. He managed a small nod. “I’ll keep him safe, I’ll look after him, I promise,” He finally answered, blinking back tears, though not really sure how to go about that promise. Then, recalling Ryn talking about how his friend Nal was going to join the rangers soon, he realized all he had to do was wait until he had joined up, and meet him then.

Ryn relaxed slightly, satisfied by his promise, but he was trying to say something else now. Duinion leaned closer, tempted to tell him to save his strength, but… he knew it would do no good, so he might as well say what he wanted to say.

“R-Ric..” Ryn managed after a moment. “He..wasn’t lying,” Gripping Duinion’s arm, he looked up at him intently, as if imparting some urgent message. “He..he does have a brother… tell them, he.. Rip..wasn’t lying…” He started coughing, feebly, and grimaced in pain as he struggled to get a breath.

It pained Duinion to see his young friend in such pain, and the lump in his throat grew larger. He tried to hold Ryn still, keeping pressure on the worst wound, clinging to some vague hope that he might preserve the boy’s life, somehow. Meanwhile, he was trying to make sense of these strange words. “He wasn’t lying? What does that mean? Is that some sort of code?” He asked, puzzled by this statement. Who was that? Did he say Rip or Ric? He was aware that Ryn and his friends had a lot of secrets and inside jokes between themselves, but he couldn’t help wondering if Ryn were uttering nonsense in his last moments, not knowing what he was saying.

“J-just..tell them..” Ryn pleaded.

“Alright, I’ll tell them,” Duinion nodded, trying to reassure him. “Just lie still, Ryn.. please, don’t move.”

“I’m..cold,” Ryn mumbled. Every shallow, painful breath seemed more difficult than the last.

Duinion fought tears, watching Ryn struggle to stay alive for a few more moments.

“Cali,” Ryn murmured after a moment’s silence. His sister, Duinion knew the name, though he’d never met her. His heart broke further, thinking of the heartache this would bring to her, and to the rest of Ryn’s family.

“Cali.. I’m sorry..” Ryn muttered. “Tell her.. I’m sorry... I couldn’t.. keep my promise..” He managed a weak smile. “I tried…” He winced as a wave of pain passed through him. “I’m..s-sorry.. Cali…”

“I’m sure she’ll know… you tried..” Duinion’s voice broke, and tears spilled over as Ryn slipped away at last. No longer needing to stay strong for Ryn’s sake, he bowed his head, finally letting his grief take over.

It was some time later before the ranger lifted his head again, wiping the tears from his eyes. One of his comrades had returned, waiting quietly to the side with his head bowed. Duinion took a shaky breath. “He’s gone.” He gently moved Ryn from his arms and sat back, struggling to recompose himself. “What happened here?”

“We believe the bandits were dividing up the meat from the deer over there, and he must have surprised them.”

“Tell me you caught them…”

He shook his head regretfully. “Not yet. We followed the tracks to where they joined with a larger group, and then a couple of my men went on to follow those tracks as far as they can. The bandits must know we'll be after them, so they'll press on for as long as they can, if they're smart. It might be a while before we catch up to them, but we'll get them.” He spoke confidently.

Duinion sighed, looking down at Ryn, frowning as he noticed the absence of the daggers. “They took his weapons.” He remarked softly, frowning.

His comrade quietly rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Then.. when we find the daggers, we'll find the ones responsible for this." He mentioned at last, not knowing what else to say.

“He was too young for this...” Duinion started choking up again. “Why did he have to.. if we’d only come a few minutes sooner…”

“It isn’t your fault, Duinion... but at least he had a friend with him, at the end.” The other ranger pointed out. “We’ll find those responsible and make them pay for this. For now, though, we need to get back. We must return him to the city, so that his family can bury him properly.” He motioned to a couple of others to carry Ryn back with them and led Duinion along.

Duinion followed, silently disagreeing; he should have insisted harder that Ryn not go off alone. He might have come looking for him sooner, too. Now, he probably ought to go along and speak some words of condolence to the family, but he couldn't. He couldn't bear to face them and tell of how he had failed to get to Ryn in time... and how could he then tell them that they hadn't even been able to catch the bandits responsible?

With heavy hearts, the company silently traveled back through the forest, bearing their fallen comrade toward home.

(The end)

[Ercassie]

FLASHBACK – Private with @Rillewen

’The child arrived just the other day, came into the world in the usual way
but there were [Orcs to track] and bills to pay. He learnt to walk while I was away.

He was talking for a minute and as he was, he said,
‘I’m going to be like you dad. You know I’m going to be like you …
When you coming home ?’ ‘Son, I don’t know when.
But we’ll be together then. You know we’ll have a good time then ..’

(Song excerpt from ‘Cats in the Cradle’, by Ugly Kid Joe [with a tiny Middle Earth edit] )




The Brothers Raxëlilta
If you Go Down to the Woods Today - Part 1
North Ithilien, approx. 20 years ago

It stood amidst a small ring of stone teeth, what must have been a campfire. Not so very long ago at that. The lingering stench of it ran the length of the young man’s nostrils, lighting up those hollows with a choking recognition as he digested the scene. He could almost taste the roasted meat and stewed broth. He could imagine the dancing shadows that stretched up the heights of trees. Their immense trunks seemed even now huddled over, leaning in toward the memory of warmth. Though the ground was black, a grey wisp of telltale smoke waved it’s tail ever higher rising to the sky.

They had been here, he could tell that much. But as to where they now might be, or why they had moved from what seemed a certain set-up to spend the long night, he could not tell. Might be that the man who dropped down from the sprawling branches overhead might venture to explain, or one of his companions, perhaps. Domanol performed an orbit on the spot, as each soft thud declared the entrance of another Ranger. Falling like fruit from the trees.


“Your face !” the last and most broad of shoulders threw his head back in amusement. It took this one – Narradir. Of course - longer to recover than it took for the ‘invader’ to identify him. “Seriously !” he continued to guffaw. “Need you a clean pair of strides ?”

His jaw dropped open to respond, in mutual good humour, but Domanol found words not from his own mouth find him first.

“You ought not to be here.” The truth was dashed over his head like cold water, as his elder brother seized the young man then by one arm and dragged him out of the small circle of relaxing Rangers.



“Honestly, I thought you would be glad to see me,” Domanol rolled his eyes and dropped to a squat, if only to avoid his sibling’s grasp. “Your friend thought it was funny,” he mentioned, daring one eye up.

“No he didn’t” boomed the merry voice of Narradir, and the city-dweller leapt out of his skin, and rose up to full height, half-rattled.

“It is dangerous ..,” Addhor scrutinised the treeline before drawing his brother in close. That they might not make such a spectacle of themselves. Domanol was not thinking of such things, but rather waving back with great enthusiasm to someone who looked a good deal more pleased to see him. Duinion; the youngest – younger than Domanol even - Ranger was grabbed then under each arm from behind, and lifted off his feet by a retreating Narradir so that the brothers could speak privately.


“It’s Luisa,” Domanol baited his hook and cast just as far as he needed to, confident that those two words alone might spare him further lecture, should he manage to get them out swift enough. And, just as he had anticipated, Addhor shrank out of his instincts, stunned by what he had not been expecting. Not quite daring to wrestle an explanation from the possibilities, the Ranger swallowed, squatted down to the ground and then changed his mind, and stood up again. He did not prompt what Domanol clearly believed would here justify his contaminating of the Rangers’ duty. They both knew that silence would be a cruel enough device to spark up the rest of the ‘story’.

“She’s fine,” the messenger relayed, as though it pained him more to endure his brother’s held breath than it did the stabbing worrying which was tattering Addhor’s heart, like stones hurled through wet paper. The elder man closed his eyes on what horrors he had conjured up in the imagining, and opened them with a new breath, and urging glance. “They’re both fine,” Domanol fell into a smug grin, and waited for his brother to interpret the meaning of that.


The elder brother sat down after all, rocking on his heels just slightly and clasping before unclasping both his hands. His brother watched the reaction, discarding his own assumption that there would be arms flung about each the other and great roars of joy. Not every woman made it through the birthing process, and it was a particular battle that their husbands could not fight off or defend them from. Thankfully, it seemed Luisa had gotten along and come through it well enough. Addhor reclaimed his height by standing, as though led there by a relieved smile which encouraged further detail to come.

“It’s a boy. In case you were interested,” the new Uncle saved the best news for last, and caught his brother in a collision of limbs that neither rushed to escape. “You have a son, and I a nephew. So you’d best come back with me afore she has the poor mite named after her father ! Gods awful name she’s talking about using. But she’ll be made up to see ...”


A small dried blue flower bridged the gap between them as Addhor pulled away, retrieving the object from some unseen pocket stowed beneath his cloak. “Give her this,” he bid his brother soberly, and set his eyes firm on the tiny fragrant form, rather than to face the brewing condemnation stood so close. “And tell her she can name him whatsoever it might please her,” he admitted, uncharacteristically reckless.

“You’re not coming ?” Domanol fell back a pace as though the other man had struck him. “But, I told her I’d come tell you. Why aren’t ..,” his face fell, in confusion. “You can’t ‘not come’ !”

“She has done her duty and I must do mine,” the Ranger pressed the flower into his still startled sibling’s palm. He closed the numbed fingers around the delicate blossom. “Neither of them shall thank me for shirking responsibility, nor leaving us without means to eat, now more than ever .. ” The notion fell away but did not leave the recent parent’s face. He stood as one half in some other plane of existence. “It’s her favourite,” he mentioned, of the gifted flower, as though he were in fact handing over a newborn babe. “They don’t tend to bless us this early in the season.”

“Well, I’m sure she’s going to just love this !” Domanol rolled brown eyes in embarrassment for his relation. There would be small worth in any words that he might venture, for he knew his brother’s will though he often understood it not, and certainly not now. The bells of jubilation which still rung about his youthful heart clanged now disturbingly hollow, rendering him slightly off balance, with only the precious tiny flower in one hand to keep upright for. Slowly, he fell away from the farewell that seemed wanting and with a confused glance over his shoulder, headed back to leave the way he had only recently come.


“Don’t you go getting yourself killed, ‘Daddhor’” he threw as a last resort and parting shot, exhuming the petname that he’d unleashed on his brother some lost years ago. When that elder sibling had assumed the airs of a ‘father’, long before he was one in truth. “I dare say she’ll kill me, if you do !” he shook his head, only half concerned at the truth of the thought. Luisa had indeed seemed very fierce throughout the course of her labour. Domanol had been banished to the pantry but he would have sworn his mother held down a cussing corsair, rather than his sister-in-law !

“I’ll kill you myself, if the Enemy do not first find all your noise and see us all to an end,” Addhor shook his head and added quietly, “Go Home, Dom.”

Jamming his hands in his pockets, the younger man turned to leave and was immediately caught back by the arm.

“Go careful,” he was reminded, and surprised at how swift he had been caught back. Still annoyed, he immediately shook off both the arm and the advice.


A roaring cheer was unleashed as the citizen turned back for home, and as Narradir came rushing over. Unable to hold in his own joy any longer, or the fact that he had overheard the whole, brief, conversation, the larger man enveloped Addhor in a rocking embrace which almost pulled the two of them to the ground. “A boy !” Narradir threw both hands in the air as they recovered balance, so that it took both of the two others who ran over, with raised and waving hands for him to ‘shhh’. “This is fine news,” the diagnosis was little less loud. “For you know, my friend, already my dear Serenda has gifted me two girls ..We should talk.” He winked.

“What is this ? Dol Amroth ?” Castion shook his head in despair, before exchanging a knowing glance with Addhor. “You can’t just go about betrothing babies, Narry !”

“I am thinking of the future ..” came the mock injured response.

“Captain wants to move out,” Hanrad changed the subject, and the smiles on all faces back to something rather more stern. “Looks like our friends didn’t go for the bait”. If anything he looked rather disappointed that they had not come to blows with the Enemy. “After all that set-up.” A sigh. None said that the recent interruption might have seen their ruse to ruin, though all pocketed the thought in silence.

“They were close. And they will not remain elusive for long. It is not Orc’s nature,” Addhor agreed unhappily.

“Maybe they went tracking something rather less perilous than we ?” Castion considered with a shrug that froze a split second after.

All present caught his meaning, before glancing back after Domanol’s departure. The snap of a twig from the thick of trees indicated either the young man’s route or some ill that was now turned in his direction. Hanrad made a spring back to apprise their Captain without needing to be told.



Kicking at the ground before him, Domanol stalked with his head hung and his lips about rude cussing of his own. Tripping against a root underfoot, the young man came against a tree in both hands, narrowly avoiding his face meeting with it’s glaring rebuke. “Leave off,” he sighed, wiping moss against one thigh before recalling the precious flower stowed in his pocket. Gingerly he fished it out, inspecting for damage. Twirling it then, between two stubbed fingers, he could not deny it was an attractive enough thing. Still it seemed a very small shield to stand between the fierce new mother and his own beating heart. He would rather stay and face the perils of fair Ithilien any day of the week, rather than go home. And have to do so alone.

But he was not alone ...

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Duinion (age 19)
North Ithilien, approx. 20 years ago

They waited with bated breath, hiding up in the trees. The trap set, it now only required patience. That was, perhaps, the hardest thing for the youngest member of this group. Still, Duinion, for all his dislike of feeling trapped himself, had taken quite a shine to learning to lay a trap for an enemy. There was so much to learn, and the young man was eager to absorb all that he could from these others who had the advantage of more years on him. He watched their trap intently, wondering how long before the enemy took the bait.

A noise alerted him, and he glanced to either side, trying to catch a glimpse of the others. Was it the enemy? He gripped the branch before him, hazel eyes wide as he watched, leaning forward, waiting. And then… his mouth popped open in surprise at the sight of none other than his best friend stepping into the clearing! His open-mouthed expression changed into a grin that spread across his face. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Before the young ranger had quite decided what ought to be done, he watched his comrades jump down to surround poor, surprised Domanol. That, then, seemed the thing to do, though he was last in doing so. Though his belated entry to the circle put him behind the others who had gathered around the newcomer, Duinion eagerly waved with great enthusiasm to his friend, intent on making sure Dom knew that he was there, too.

This was beyond exciting! Ever since Domanol had been prevented from joining the rangers by his worrying mother, Duinion had been regretful for his friend, being stuck in the city and never getting to have real adventures. So now, here he was at last, and Duinion felt a surge of excitement as all sorts of ideas flashed through his mind of what things he wanted to show his friend… things Dom could finally get a chance to see for himself, out here in the real wild. Even as the thought crossed Duinion’s mind, that he might push his way through and greet Domanol, someone -he had little question of who- snatched him up from behind, lifting him off his feet. A surprised little yelp of protest burst forth from the young ranger’s lips as he squirmed in vain, rather comically to anyone watching, most likely, and was carried off a ways from the reunited brothers.

Being removed from the vicinity, he frowned slightly in disappointment. Clearly, they did not think he ought to say hello to Dom. Not that Duinion would let something like that stop him! He had plenty of experience in similar matters; he’d learned early on that when one thing didn’t work, it was time to think of an alternative plan, and that’s just what the young met set his mind to doing. Dom apparently had something important to tell his brother, so while he was doing that, Duinion contrived a plan so that the friends could have just a little time together before Dom returned to the city. With a fresh grin on his face, he set off to find the captain, hoping he might convince the man to grant his request...

* * *

Eagerly had Duinion learned all that he could about the forest. Skills of a ranger; Moving silently, tracking, navigating among the trees without getting lost, and so forth. Now, he employed all of those particular skills in order that he might track down his latest quarry. The other had a bit of a head start on Duinion, but that didn’t matter. Duinion still had an advantage on him, knowing the forest far better.

For some ways, the ranger tracked him, gradually closing the distance between them. Focusing his much of his attention on stealth, Duinion watched his quarry muttering and kicking at the dirt. A smile played on Duinion’s lips as he paused in his progression, so that he might smother a snicker. His friend, appearing oblivious to the presence of his ‘shadow’, continued onward. Duinion pressed on, trailing along after him, awaiting just the right moment. Working to get just a little ahead of his friend. And when he had done so, he ducked behind a tree, and watched for Domanol to draw closer. As the slightly older young man was about to pass the tree, that was when Duinion deemed the moment to be ‘right’. It was time to strike.

“Yahhhh!” He yelled, leaping out at his friend suddenly, and soon after, doubled over laughing. “Sorry, I...I couldn’t help it…” His apology seemed less than sincere, with his continued laughter, accompanied by his grin. He leaned against a tree as he struggled to gain some semblance of seriousness. He failed, utterly, in that regard. “'Never turn your back on the forest', your brother says,” He admonished Domanol teasingly. “'For you can not know what may spring out of the shadows,'” This was followed up with further snickering, though he offered a hand to Dom; a friendly handshake offered in peace, just in case he was annoyed at having been frightened like that.

Despite his own offered advice to Dom, Duinion seemed to have forgotten that his fellow rangers were expecting a company of orcs to show up at any moment, just before Dom had made his appearance. It seemed obvious, since they had not appeared, that they had no intention of appearing and therefore, were most likely somewhere else entirely. This area was bound to be safe enough, the young ranger reasoned, and thus, all that awaited him and Domanol along the way home was whatever fun adventure they found for themselves. “I’ve gotten permission from the captain to escort you home,” He added happily. “After all, you don’t know your way around the forest, and I guess they figured you need a ranger to make sure you don’t get lost… else, we might never see you again.” He teased, grinning. “And we can have some fun along the way!”

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

The morning air was fresh and cool as the ranger and recruit finished up a tasty, filling breakfast. Duinion was very pleased with how many fish they caught their trap this morning. He had instructed Rome to only kill as many as they needed, and to throw back the rest, and now they had plenty of food in their bellies to keep them going for some time, now.

After they had cleaned up from cooking, Duinion rolled up his bedding and gathered up his things. "Alright, are you ready to get started?" He asked Rome, smiling. He hoped Rome was as eager to learn as Duinion was to teach him some of this stuff. Making traps and things had always been sort of fun for him and he wondered how the young recruit was going to take to them; it wasn't for everyone, he knew that, so it was interesting to learn what skills different people tended to prefer in this business.

(Continued from here)

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Dinner the night before had been delightful, better than he had expected. The sourwood leaves imparted a sweet and surprisingly acidic flavor which complemented the fish nicely. Romeran had caved and had a small bit of his hardtack and a bit of cheese as well. He had decided he would speak with Sergeant Pete when he got back about learning more about cooking and see if the herblore of the healers could also help. All-in-all, he had been quite pleased with their dinner and after discarding the remains as instructed by Duinion, Romeran had settled down and slept quite peacefully. They didn't set a watch because they were still so close to the city and the woods of Ithilien here were still well within the realm of Gondor.

Breakfast was probably Romeran's favorite meal, he always woke up hungry and there was something about a hot meal in the morning which really prepared him for the day ahead. They were lucky to have caught several more fish, enough that Duinion instructed Romeran to return some of them. Their breakfast had been filling, although functionally the same as the night before. Farmers often ate the same things over and over again so the redundancy was not an issue for Romeran.

After they ate, Romeran packed up his belongings. He dismantled his oilcloth tarp and wrapped his bedroll in it in a nice neat cylinder and attached it to the bottom of his pack. His whetstone, cord, spice tin, spoon, and fork he rolled in his wool blanket and put it on one side of the pack. He had filled his canteen in the morning and placed it, with the metal cup on top, on the other side of the bag. The tinderbox, linen cloth and small folding knife he kept in a pouch on the front of the bag, and his food rations he put in the bag on top of his canteen and wool blanket. With his gear all packed up he slung his pack over his shoulders, it was quite light with most of the weight coming from the water, bedroll, and wool blanket but he'd sorely miss any of those in a dire situation. He nodded his head to Duinion "ready when you are" he replied.

Today they were supposed to do some tracking and trapping and Romeran was quite excited. Although many ranger recruits might have been the most excited by swordplay or archery practice, so far Romeran was enjoying his survival and scouting training far more, Duinion seemed to be particularly strong in that area as well. He was glad to have such an expert teacher.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Once they both had their packs loaded up, it was time to set out. "We'll leave out campsite like it is, for today, because we're returning to it," Duinion mentioned. He had spent a little bit of time debating about this, because there were pros and cons to both, but in the end, for this instance, decided to just leave it since they were planning to use the same place again the next day. "There may be other times when you'd want to cover up any sign you were in a place even if you plan to return to it, like if there were enemies around that may discover your campsite. But for this instance, we should be alright."

Once all was taken care of, and he had ensured that the fire was properly extinguished, he set out into the forest. There were a couple of traps he wanted to teach him, as well as some tracking practice, and building shelters, and maybe a couple of other things, so the day promised to be busy and full of learning. After walking for a little while, he paused to take a look around. "Here's our first lesson," He spoke softly, and pointed to a patch of muddy ground that had more than one type of print. "I a few different kinds of tracks there," He mentioned. "A deer, a raccoon, and a rabbit all seem to have passed through here at some point. Can you tell me which is which?" He glanced at the recruit, waiting to give him a chance to make a guess before he said anymore.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Hiding the presence of their camp wasn’t something that Romeran had ever considered before. He hadn’t been running from or chasing after anyone such that he had to hide his tracks. Stealth was an area which Romeran had never studied beyond quietly stalking a deer. “That makes sense” he said “I have a lot to learn about being a ranger” he said smiling, more excited than daunted.

As they walked Romeran tried to pay closer attention to his surroundings. Taking queues from where Duinion would look. When Duinion motioned to the tracks he went over and bent down to look. There were three distinct tracks in the mud. One was clearly from a hoofed animal, no carnivore would have a print like that. The other two looked like paws. One though distinctly had five ‘fingers’ almost like, but not shaped like a human or a monkey. “Well the deer is the only hoofed one.” He reasoned “and so it must be that one” he pointed to the cleft hoof prints. “And the raccoon has paws like little hands” he raised his hand up to show his, considerably larger, hand. “So it must be this one” he said, pointing to the track with five fingers. “So I suppose the last one must be the rabbit” he concluded by process of elimination. He looked up at Duinion quite pleased with his reasoning. He wasn’t sure if he would have know what specific hoofed animal the deer one was or what other small mammal the rabbit had been. But he didn’t say that.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

It was fairly simple, so he was pleased(and a little relieved) that Rome was able to guess it so easily. "Right on all three." He confirmed. "Of course, those are very clear, easy-to-see tracks, and you won't always have that luxury." He took a look around. "Tracking isn’t just the search for clear footprints... often, you won't be able to find those, because of the leaves on the ground or the weather may have concealed any tracks. But there are many more traces that animals leave behind... the signs, marks, and leavings of an animal." He hoped to show him a few of those. "Trails, beds, rubs, and chews can give a general idea of the various animals that frequent the area. Hair or feathers, and other things...like droppings, can tell us exactly which animals are nearby. It’s important to learn to track by looking for these common animal signs, because in some terrains—it’s all you’ll have."

Moving on a short distance, he stopped and pointed to a tree a short distance off from where they stood, showing Rome a spot where the bark was a bit messed up. "I think our deer must have done that.. have you seen a deer rub before?" He thought he might have, since Rome had spoken of hunting deer at least a little, before, but he didn't want to assume too much. "They rub their antlers on the trees, and leave these scars in the bark. It's sort of a way for a buck to mark his territory," He mentioned. "But, since deer are a bit larger game than we want for just us two, I think we'd better go searching for smaller game... like rabbit, perhaps."

He looked around, seeing a cluster of bushes a few yards off through the trees, close to the water, and pointed those out to Rome. "That looks like the sort of places rabbits like to live in," He spoke softly. "They love brambly, brushy areas that are close to food, as well as hollow logs, fence rows, deadfall, or brush piles." He thought for a moment. "They're cautious little critters, so we'll need to find the right spot to set a trap. Probably close to those blackberry bushes." Shifting his pack a little on his shoulders, Duinion moved toward the bushes, keeping a sharp eye out for any other sign of rabbits.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

The first tracking test had been easy but that had been intentionally so. Romeran nodded his head as Duinion explained the different signs beyond footprints. “I suppose it’s the same tracking men or,” he paused, “orcs. You must look for other signs of their presence” he said applying his newfound knowledge in a slightly different application. Survival was important but ultimately the rangers acted as the marchwardens of this land and that had often involved tracking dangerous men and orcs.

The antler marks of deer was something that Romeran had remembered from hunting with his uncle and grandfather. He looked at the scars in the bark more closely. The scars were deep and wide. It must have been a large buck, he concluded. When Duinion said that the deer was too large for just the two of them Romeran didn’t hesitate to agree, nodding. Besides it wasn’t their plan to have to carry back a large deer.

Rabbit seemed a more suitable prey although they would likely need to catch a couple at least. Rabbit was an occasional meal on the farm when they were caught on the property in good enough state to eat. Romeran looked at the bush that Duinion had pointed out. He approached with Duinion, staying slightly behind and crouched down to look. He was looking for broken and disturbed branches or other signs that an animal had pushed its way into the bush. He was also curious what sort of trap they were going to construct. Romeran had been quite impressed with the fish trap from the previous day. “It looks like a few broken branches in the blackberry bush at the bottom, maybe something pushed it’s way in?” he said in a whisper pointing to the bushes that Duinion had referenced.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Duinion smiled. "Exactly. Fortunately, orcs aren't as big of a problem as they used to be, but it is still a potential threat." He nodded at Rome's observation about the branches. "And look, a little further down this way, they've made a little tunnel-path going under the bushes," He pointed out. "That shows that they tend to come here fairly often." He backed away from the bushes. "When you're looking for a place to set a trap, that's the sort of thing you want to look for. It's called a 'run', sort of like a side road that animals use to go between feeding areas, bedding areas, cover and water sources. Sometimes you'll see trails, they're far more obvious, well-worn paths that are used by many different animals, while runs are usually only used by a few animals or even just one kind." He explained.

"For trails, you’ll often find that they are worn down to bare dirt or rock, and filled with a variety of tracks. They are heavily used and they rarely change." He paused to think if he had left out any important information. "Trails are usually not a great place to set traps, since larger animals may just knock them down or mess up your trap. You might accidentally trap something you didn't want to trap. If you're going for a specific type of animal, runs like this are better suited for trap placement."

Setting his pack down, Duinion dug into it, soon pulling out a pouch filled with some crumbled black powder. "This is charcoal.. scraped from charred logs and the like. I keep a supply with me, because it helps to hide the human scent. Even the most stupid animals can usually smell a human's scent on anything we touch, so we want to cover that up." He rubbed the powder onto his hands and held it out to let Rome do the same. "This way, when we handle things, it will hide our scent as much as possible. And then we can take a slab of bark or something to kneel on, and remove it when we're finished, so as to avoid leaving any scent on the ground." He paused and added with a smile, "It helps mask your scent when dealing with orcs, too."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

That the dark lord had been defeated obviously reduced the threat of orcs greatly, however, his defeat did not mean that all of them suddenly dropped dead. Regardless, Romeran was glad that the threat of orcs was no longer dire and that he would not be likely encountering them in any great force any time soon.

The small tunnel path, or a 'run' as he had recently learned was more obvious now that Duinion had pointed it out. "So this must be some sort of small animal like a rabbit or hare or something similar" he asked estimating the size of the hole from where they currently crouched. The bushes could be a source of food or it could be near to wherever they had made their home. Romeran wasn't sure, he supposed they would need further evidence if they wanted to find out. "Does it matter what they use this place for, a home or food source, or does it only matter that they frequently come here?" he figured that it was mostly about placing a trap in a place where the quarry would go, but perhaps the type or layout of the trap would matter so he thought he'd ask in case.

The charcoal was something he hadn't considered, obviously most beasts have a better sense of smell and sometimes hearing than humans which would give them away when hunting. He knew that some hunters often used scents from the deer itself to mask the smell, but that seemed specific to deer hunting. He took some of the charcoal and rubbed it on his hands as Duinion had done. Having some charcoal handy was useful if only for fire starting but this seemed to be yet another reason. "Will we be building the trap entirely from found materials or do you have something in your pack? he asked curiously.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

"It doesn't matter too much, just so long as they frequently come here." He answered. "As for the other question, we will use the string that we brought, but the rest will be whatever we find." He took a look around the area for a moment before picking up a stick. "This should work. See how this part is sort of thick, and then this branch forks off from the main limb? We want to trim it so that this one is only a few inches and then sharpen this end of the thicker one, so that it can be driven into the ground." He explained. "I believe you mentioned you had a knife, correct?" He handed the branch to Rome to let him do that part. While he was working on that, Duinion went to a nearby log and peeled off some large, thick slabs of bark, placing them near the run entrance.

Once that was done, he took two thinner sticks, one about the size of a pinky finger, the other thinner. "This is all we need, aside from the rope and that sapling there." Duinion said, pointing to the young tree growing near the bushes. Using a piece of bark to place his knee onto, he left the other for Rome. "First, bend the sapling down and see about how far it can go. If I'm right, it should end up right about where we want it." He paused, and remembered something he had yet to tell him, "Also. The most important rule in making any sort of snare is that once it's set, you never handle the trap with your fingers or hands, because if it goes off on you, you could be seriously hurt." He mentioned, wanting to be sure that the young man learned safety as well.

Once he saw about where the sapling would bend to, he nodded a bit to himself. "Right, now tie the snare line right about here," he indicated a place on the sapling. "And now the stake goes in next, so drive it enough that it's secure." He held onto the string to let him do that. "Now, as for how this works, we're going to tie this small stick to the end of our line," He waited to give Rome a chance to do so, "Then run it under this forked branch and make sure that it stays parallel with the ground, and at a right angle of the stake. And then, to set it, we set the trigger stick here." Once all that was done, he looked it over. "If you'd like, you can test it by poking a stick in there or something, but make sure you keep clear of it. Then, once you're satisfied that it's got enough spring and strength to it, you'll tie the end of the string into a loop so that when the rabbit comes along the run, he has to pass through the loop and it'll close on him."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Building a trap in general was a new thing for Romeran and he was particularly curious as to how they were going to do it with so little material. “I always carry a knife” he said in response to Duinion’s question “especially out in the woods” he continued “it’s a particularly useful tool” he finished his remarks taking the stick from Duinion, he would have been surprised if the ranger did not also carry some sort of knife, especially since the trap he was being instructed in required a knife. He assumed he asked so that he wouldn’t have to lend Romeran a knife like he had with the bow. Romeran pulled his knife out from the sheath behind him with his left hand and started whittling the stick as instructed.

The sapling bent down to about a foot or a foot and a half from the ground when Romeran pulled it as instructed. Duinion seemed to think that was sufficient. Romeran wasn’t sure yet how exactly the trap was supposed to work. But he patiently listened and follows instructions waiting to see how it would work. When Duinion remarked about avoiding handling a set trap with his hands Romeran smiled, “yes I suppose that does make sense”.

Romeran tied one piece of string to the sapling where Duinion had instructed. He then tied the other end to one of the small sticks he was handed. He was beginning to see how it worked. When he pulled the sapling down and put the stick under the forked branch he could feel the pressure of the sapling pulling the string and the stick. “I see.” He said “Because of the hooked branch the stick goes under when it is parallel to the ground the pull of the tree wants the push this end of the stick to the ground” he said pointing to the end of the stick which would be propped up “By placing the trigger stick underneath, perpendicular, it holds the stick parallel to the ground and the sapling pulled down. That is until something touches the trigger stick.” He finished with a smile of understanding.

When he had set it up he poked the trigger stick with a larger stick and watched as it quickly released as the sapling returned to its natural position. “I see, so if I tie a slip knot on the other piece of string and tie it to the trigger stick then if something disturbed the rope, say by running through the area, it will trigger the trap and the sapling will pull the slip knot tight as it returns to position” he said, both confirming and understanding. “Very clever” he added.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Watching Rome build the trap, Duinion nodded slightly at different points, smiling to hear him figuring out the process of how it worked. With hardly any help from Duinion, Rome had it built. Duinion moved back a little as he set it off for a test, and grinned. "It works perfectly." Once Rome had reset the trap, he moved away from the bushes, taking the bark he'd knelt on away. "You did very well with the trap. And as you can see, you need very little besides a bit of string and what you can find in nature." He smiled. "There are other kinds too, some using a stick and rock."

"Let's hope we get something by the end of the day. If we didn't have the fish trap, I'd suggest we set up a few more traps around here, but.. we don't want to catch more than we need, and we still have a few more things to go over." He had been thinking about where to go from here, and then decided to let Rome decide. "What would you suggest we track next? Or would you rather walk along and just look for whatever sign we come across first?"

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

They would leave the trap now and wait to see if anything would be caught. Romeran was beginning to get the idea of trapping and it seemed, especially if you had a region over which you could easily manage, that you could make a tidy living trapping. It was also good for time since once you had set up the trap then you need not spend any more time on it and can focus on other tasks. The downside seemed that if you didn’t catch something and you had to move on then you would need to dismantle the trap, losing time in which the trap is actively set.

“I suppose it’s difficult to say what to track when I’m not sure what’s out to be tracked” he said wondering how to answer the question. “I’d be interested in learning how to ‘stalk’ something, that is to track something while remaining hidden.” He explained what he meant by the word ‘stalk’. “It seems to me an important ranger skill to remain hidden while also gathering information or tracking down a quarry, hunting for food or otherwise” he suggested. “Also covering tracks and camouflage. This is something I’ve had no experience with.”

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Considering Rome's answer, Duinion nodded thoughtfully. "All good things to learn, yes. We can practice covering tracks and stalking, though we may not be able to find anything to actually practice the skills on." He thought for a moment on how to begin, moving steadily away from the rabbit area, so they wouldn't frighten them away.

"There are a number of ways to cover your tracks." He paused, thinking. "As for camouflage, we tend to wear a lot of green and brown for that purpose, but you can also use mud, and cover your face and arms in it. If you need more camouflage than that, you can use things you find in the forest, like leaves and bark." He paused and then grinned. "Would you like to try the camouflage?" He asked, a little amused by the idea of slathering themselves in mud. But then, what fun was it going out into the forest if you didn't get a little dirty?

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Romeran had always envisioned a group of rangers dressed in characteristic grey and green cloaks, suddenly revealing themselves on an unexpected foe. Hiding in the trees and shadows, faces covered and moving only with the wind and shadows. Perhaps it was an over dramatic sense of reality but he was excited at the prospect of learning some camouflage.

“I would definitely be interested in trying out some camouflage, after all isn’t learning by doing why we are here?” Romeran answered with a grin. “Perhaps after you have taught me some stalking and camouflage skills then we can play a game of ‘hide-and-seek’?” It was a children’s game but it seemed surprisingly appropriate in the given situation. After all what harder prey to track than a ranger and what better practice than to try to hide from one? Romeran was certain that, if Duinion really tried that he would have no trouble winning the game, but maybe he’s to a bit easy on him in the name of training.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Duinion smiled, leading him toward the river, which he had kept semi-nearby. "Learning by doing, indeed." He agreed. "There is a little more to it than merely smearing mud on." He stopped near a muddy bank. "The best way to do it is if you can get different shades and make patterns." He dug out some brownish mud from bank and began applying it to his face to demonstrate, then found some darker, greyish mud from further away, and mingled that into a few patches, something he was well-practiced at doing by now. Last, he rubbed some wetter mud into his hair. "You see, how it makes a sort of mottled pattern? It would help blend in with the forest. Don't forget to put some in your hair, too. The mud will help hide any naturally shiny skin or hair, as well as break up the outline of your body." He smiled. "Let's see how you do with it."

He really liked the idea of hide and seek, and grinned. "That sounds perfect, but first I'd better teach you a little about moving stealthily, and finish getting camouflaged." He waited until Rome had smeared mud on himself, giving a few tips here and there where he might improve it. "You can also camouflage your gear, including your shoes, to help all of you blend in. The last thing you want is your gear giving you away, so attach leaves, sticks, and grass and coat it in dirt to help it to blend into the area as well. Moss is a great addition too, if you can find any." As he spoke, he was adding such things to his clothes, shoes, and pack.

"If you're going to be staying in one place, rather than moving, then you'll want to cover yourself in debris that is on the ground around where you want to be concealed. After you get mud on you, just get down and roll in it, that’s one of the best ways to ensure it will stick to you. Then sprinkle it on top of you where you are laying down and try to really get under it." Now covered in mud and leaves and things, moss and twigs and leaves plastered onto his gear, the ranger seemed almost a part of nature.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

This was going to be fun, he thought, as he copied Duinion in putting his camouflage on. Romeran made sure to cover the are near his eyes and his nose. He followed the elder ranger's lead by using different colors in different places so that it was not uniformly one color. Reaching down into the mud, Romeran grabbed a good handful and mixed it together before mixing it into his hair. He picked up some leaves and other debris and tangled them in as well. He must have looked a proper mess, his mother would have said, a swim in the lake afterwards was likely in order.

Most of the ranger's gear usually came in natural colors, and Romeran was no different. In addition to the grey and green mottled ranger's cloak his dark brown long-sleeve wool tunic, grey wool pants and dark brown leather boots were easy to add convincing camouflage to and he copied Duinion's method. His cloak and pack he covered with leaves, moss, sticks and grass so that if he sat in a shrub with his cowl up and his cloak around him, Romeran was sure he would be hard to spot.

The earlier visions he had about ranger's being hidden in plain sight in the woods of Ithilien and surprising an unsuspecting foe seemed more plausible. Duinion already looked as if he were a part of the very land itself and he was just standing there. Romeran rubbed mud in his beard. "Well now we look like proper rangers" he said with a smile.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Teaching Rome about the camouflage, Duinion couldn't help thinking back about the first time he learned about this, with Addhor and the other guys teaching him, and how excited he was to show Domanol what he learned, once they returned home. "Indeed, we do." He grinned back. "Now that we look like a part of the forest, let's work on how to move through the forest with stealth." He climbed back up the bank, heading back toward the forest itself. "As you practice techniques for walking softly outside, you’ll find yourself feeling more peaceful & internally quiet, while externally your senses become sharper, leading to amazing encounters with plants, wildlife, and of course, avoiding detection from enemies."

He paused to let that soak in before continuing. "Moving quietly in the forest is one of the more difficult nature awareness skills to master, but it can be crucial to a ranger's skills. One of the most important tips I can give you is to simply practice slowing down." He frowned, thoughtful. "Most people are used to walking on flat city landscapes and concrete sidewalks, you may be more accustomed to open fields. Either way, the normal way to walk in those places is to commit your momentum without paying any attention to what you’re stepping on." He stopped and took a moment to inhale the fresh, woodsy scent that surrounded him, recalling his early days.

"This was.. a little hard for me, I must admit, when I first began. I was one of those city-raised kids who had never set foot in a forest before. It was strange, being so accustomed to the hard, flat surfaces you find in the city, and then suddenly.. all of this." He smiled. "Of course, I had also grown quite a bit taller around that time, so it could've been from that. Still, I wanted to stay out here as much as I could." Shrugging, he proceeded with his lesson, "Anyway, walking swiftly in the city works fine, because everything is mostly flat, but if you use the same walking techniques in the forest, everybody is going to hear you coming. To animals, a normal city walking pace is equivalent to running in the forest. It stands out against the background noise and has the feeling of fight or flight. Animals are very sensitive to this, so you want to avoid that."

Walking slowly forward a few paces, he demonstrated what he meant. "So, if you simply slow your walking pace by about half your normal speed, you will instantly notice dramatically different results. So what I'd suggest, for beginning, is to practice slowing all your movements down by half, and take a few steps." He waited a moment to let Rome try this out. "Notice how much quieter you are. Do you feel calmer inside?" He wondered if it was only himself that felt a sort of 'inner calm' when slowing his pace in the woods. "Now listen; notice how much further you can hear things happening nearby when you aren’t causing all that sound with your steps?" He paused again to give Rome a chance to practice stepping slowly and listening.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Covered in mud, sticks, twigs, and leaves, Duinion and Romeran were beginning to become one with the forest around them and Romeran was thoroughly enjoying his lessons. Now they were going to learn about how to move stealthily which was equally interesting to him. Romeran nodded at the somewhat philosophical statement about harmony and peace, it made sense he supposed. "I will have to see for myself" he said, slightly skeptically. He had heard people talk about 'meditation' before and it certainly seemed like focusing, slowing down, and paying attention to the moment around them sounded similar to this state, so he supposed it made some sort of sense.

"Yes I suppose someone running or even walking fast through the woods is bound to step on and break twigs, knock branches, ruffle leaves, and otherwise cause a great disturbance." There was an interesting tradeoff between stealth and speed, he thought. Go to fast and you risk being noticed and consequently losing the quarry or starting a fight. But move to slow and you may not be able to catch the prey. If the target was unaware, however, they might move slower thus making the stealthy slow movement less problematic. And if they were in a rush maybe they'd be less likely to notice the signs. It was beginning to make more sense to Romeran. He nodded in response. "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast" he said, it was a phrase his uncle had used when teaching him new things which required slow and diligent practice to learn.

Duinion was right that Romeran wasn't exactly used to the stone ground inside a city and was more used to the fields of a farm. "There's not much reason to move about stealthily on a farm" he agreed "and usually a farmer is in a hurry" he added, it was an unusual day (unless it was the off season and even then there was always something that needed fixing or doing) on the farm when a farmer had the leisure to walk slowly. Romeran watched Duinion's movements carefully and tried to imitate them, moving at what felt like as snail's pace to him. As he walked slowly he also noticed how much more aware he was of his surroundings, the blowing of the wind, the rustling of birds and small animals in the trees. "I see what you mean about being more aware. I assume it makes it easier as well to time your movements with the other natural, repetitive, sounds, like the wind causing movement in the trees." There was a lot to think about, a lot of small, essential details when it came to scouting and tracking. Romeran hoped that as he practiced more these would become more instinct rather than require active attention as he was beginning to wonder how he could focus on all these things while also doing whatever else he was assigned to do.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Watching, Duinion nodded slowly in reply to Rome. "You seem to be a fast learner," He commented, pleased. "I'd suggest practicing this as often as you can. The more you practice, the easier it will become. And before long, you'll notice that it feels more natural, and helps you see more wildlife. You can think of slowing down as both a technique you can use in the moment, and also a training exercise." He knew it was hard for some to learn this, remembering one recruit who had struggled with the concept of slow and calm. "There will, more than likely, come times when you want to move quickly and silently at the same time." He mentioned after a moment. "I assure you, the more you practice walking silently at a slow pace, eventually you’ll find you can speed up again while still maintaining that silent movement."

After giving Rome a little time to practice simply moving slow, he decided to give him another thing to work on. "One of the first things you’ll notice as soon as you start trying to walk silently in the forest is your eyes feel pulled down to stare at the ground in front of you." He mentioned. "This is a very natural urge because your brain thinks, “If I look at what I’m stepping on… I can avoid sticks, or noisy leaves, or other things.” He paused to make sure he had his attention. "It’s important to resist this urge and train yourself to keep your eyes up. Don’t stare at the ground. That gives a sense of fast results because you’re using your eyes to pick and choose the best spots to step for optimal quietness… but the losses are too great for this to be a good strategy." He explained.

"When you stare at the ground, you miss a deer grazing up ahead. You miss the grouse and other birds that call out alarms and give away your location. You’re so focused on what’s happening directly ahead of you, that you miss the big picture and end up walking in the middle of a noisy thicket rather than walk on the soft conifer needles around the edge." Duinion had seen that happen often enough. He'd been one of those to do it, if he was honest, but didn't usually like to remember his clumsy training days. "If you ever need to look down, the best strategy is to stop first. Plant your feet so you feel balanced. Then look down. Then readjust your attention up and out before moving again. It just takes practice, so don't be too frustrated if it feels difficult at first. I recommend spending some practicing expanding your sight and hearing abilities while seated, you can move on to combining those skills with slow walking. You can even practice this on a grassy lawn. It will tell you, it's tough, getting the hang of all this. But it gets easier and you can eventually graduate to more challenging terrain."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Walking quietly in the woods like this was quite difficult. Romeran found that he stared at the ground searching for the most appropriate place to take his next step, it was quite exhausting and he wasn't really paying attention to what else was around him. It was at this point that Duinion corrected him explaining that one shouldn't stare at the ground. The trouble was, how was he supposed to not step on things which would make a sound if he wasn't supposed to look down. He stood there puzzled for a while until Duinion clarified that you could stop moving and then look. Still unsure, Romeran asked. "So do you stand still and plot out the next dozen steps or so so that you can avoid stepping on something loud? Or how else do you learn not to step on things?" you could, to a certain extent, feel whether or not you were going to step down on something if you moved slowly enough with a light touch, like tip-toeing, but that seemed rather cumbersome.

Keeping his head up was certainly helping for general awareness, being able to see his surrounded enabled him to pick a more deliberate path and obviously enable him to see whatever he might be searching for. He tried pausing occasionally and trying to plot out the next series of footsteps. He found it difficult to step exactly where he had planned without also having to look down at his feet to confirm. Resisting the desire to step down was difficult, but in the end he learned to trust that his feet would go where he had planned. It generally worked better than he had expected, with his body able to follow the planned route without significant effort, even when not looking. His pace was remarkably slow, however, but he felt roughly like he was getting the hang of the principle and somewhat the practice as well.

Hide and seek was going to be a lot harder than he had initially considered, especially given how slow he was moving compared to Duinion. It would still be a learning experience, win or lose, most likely lose. He was glad he hadn't made any wagers on the game.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Grinning, Duinion tried to think of the best way to answer Rome's question. "Like I said, it's hard, on the first. Once you become more familiar with doing this, it'll come to be like second nature to you. It's.. instinctive, I suppose. Don't get too frustrated if it takes you a while to get comfortable with this, it takes practice. Just like archery, and everything else." He reassured him. "Here’s one more thing to keep in mind…Sometimes you don’t need to be completely silent in order to pass like a shadow in the landscape." He paused, waited for a moment until a breeze passed through the forest, rustling leaves of the trees. "Hear that? There are times when it’s actually quite easy to blend in with the overall noise of the forest. It'd be even easier if there was a stronger wind. And then there's sounds like rain, or flowing water, even noisy bird sounds. You can use these sounds to very effectively mask your own noise."

He thought for a moment, then smiled. "Did you have any cats on your farm? Think of them, how they move, especially when they're hunting. Cats will usually take a few steps, then pause, look, and listen before taking a few more steps. This helps to ensure you’re balancing movement with open sensory awareness. It also enables you to take advantage of sound shadows like blowing gusts of wind, or momentary outbursts from territorial birds. One thing you can practice is being still when the forest is quiet, then matching the timing and speed of your movements to the background ebb and flow of the noise level. You’ll be able to cover distance with the wind, while still being very tuned in and very quiet."

After giving Rome a moment to think about, and maybe practice that, he smiled. "Now that you know a little about moving stealthy, would you like to hide first or seek first?" He grinned, wondering what the recruit would choose. They hadn't done much in the way of tracking, but he didn't want to throw a ton of info at him all at once. He could get to that in a little bit, after seeing how he did with a round of 'ranger hide and seek'. That might be an excellent training exercise for other recruits, actually... it was a very good idea.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

It would take a lot of practice to be as skilled as Duinion was, but it seemed an enjoyable skill to work on. Romeran considered how he might go about practicing the skill. Hunting seemed an obvious choice as it required many similar skills, although he would need to be confident enough with a bow before trying to hunt large game. "What do you do to practice this skill alone? Do you hunt much?" he asked curiously. Obviously with another ranger they might employ a game like hide-and-seek to determine and practice the skill but without someone or something to notice the noises it might be too easy to fool yourself that you were being quiet. "Moving with the sounds of the forest makes sense" he said, "I was thinking of that. Of course I suppose by contrast if you are being tracked or hunted you must take particular care to listen when those sounds occur," he said, considering how he might have to listen out for Duinion looking for him later "especially if you are being hunted by a skilled opponent" he added.

The analogy of with the cats was a good one. He had seen them stalk their prey, always a few steps and then pause and observe, it was interesting insight to think about how real stealthy animals moved. "Yes we had cats of course, to prevent rodents from getting into the barns where the grain was stored. I used to watch them hunt when I was a child". Romeran continued to practice walking around quietly, moving in paused motion like a cat, he was surprised at how helpful the analogy had been. Romeran envisioned himself as a cat, stalking through the forest after his prey.

It wasn't immediately obvious to Romeran whether he should hide or seek first. They had done only a small amount of tracking and mostly things like animals which weren't always so cautious to leave behind their markings. Hiding on the other hand might let him practice the skills he had just learned and then learn how Duinion discovers him so that he might use the same tactics in reverse. With this logic in mind he decided "I'll hide first." he said. "How long of a head start do I get?" he asked, hoping he'd have enough time to at least escape the immediate vicinity.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Duinion paused to think about Rome's question. "Well, it is a little harder when you're alone. Listening and observing the wildlife around you is one way. If you're frightening birds, you probably aren't being successful. When I was a recruit, I didn't do a lot of practice alone. If you're on the training grounds, that's fine, but if you come out to the forest... don't come alone." A memory flashed through his mind, one he would rather forget, but never would. "Never come out here all by yourself, even if this doesn't seem too dangerous, you never know what you might encounter. No matter how good you are, you can always find yourself in an unexpected situation that's more than you can handle by yourself." He frowned slightly, but tried to push away the sorrow.

Clearing his throat, he tried to return his thoughts to the proposed game. "Hiding then, good choice." He smiled faintly. "I will give you.." He thought for a moment on that. "A minute to find a place to hide." He smiled. It was more than enough, so that should encourage Rome to use the stealthy, slow walking skills he had been practicing. "After that I will come looking for you. And I won't be calling out to warn you, either." He added with a grin. No warning would make it a little more interesting, and more real, and unless he was very good at counting down the time while doing other things, Rome wouldn't know exactly when Duinion began searching.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

The warning about not going out into the woods alone even in training seemed to be delivered with a level of somberness that indicated it came from somewhere of real pain. Romeran nodded his head “I’ll make sure not to. I’m sure I can find another recruit or ranger who might want to go out with me for some practice” he added in an attempt to lighten the mood.

A minute wasn’t much time to get very far. Romeran needed to decide if he was better off using the time to find somewhere to hide or to get far enough away they he could search for a good hiding place with sufficient buffer. He decided that he would look out for places to hide and focus more on finding a good place rather than on when he would hide.

When Duinion closed his eyes and began the count, Romeran started by backing away as quietly as he could. He figured that he might have been expected to go forward or to the side and that perhaps backing up immediately would be his first deception. When he was several yards behind he turned around and began moving at a a slightly faster pace but taking care to move quietly and not step in places with soft mud.

Pausing for a moment, Romeran decided to leave a distraction. He made a few steps pointing one direction, ruffling some debris and leaving a footprint. He didn’t want to leave too much of a sign after all he was supposed to be being stealthy. He tried to make it appear like an accidentally misplaced but light footprint. He then turned and went in a perpendicular direction. He realized after a short while later that his sixty second head start was bound to be up soon and he hadn’t found a hiding place. He redoubled his efforts to remain silent only moving when he heard motion elsewhere.

There were no obvious caves or fallen logs or places on which he could hide, especially since Romeran was quite large. After perhaps another minute, by which time Duinion could have been close if his earlier deceptions had failed, Romeran decided that his best option was simply to climb a tree.

Within another half a minute of slow but quiet moving Romeran had found a sufficiently thick tree which could hold his weight without warping. It was a deciduous tree and tall enough with thick leaf laden branches. The biggest downsides, Romeran thought, was first that there were almost no branches low enough for him to reach and second it was a larger tree and perhaps therefore more easy to spot.

There wasn’t enough time to hesitate any longer. Romeran pulled his knife from the sheath at his left side. If he was going to get up the tree he needed something to grip which meant he was going to have to leave a mark. Hopefully if he could do it high enough and it didn’t leave too much of a trace it wouldn’t be easy to spot. Romeran jumped as high as he could and simultaneously drove the end of the knife into tree trunk. It stuck.

With another great leap, Romeran grabbed the knife and heaved his legs up to wrap around the tree. Gripping with his legs, he carefully removed the knife making sure not to drop any more debris than was necessary. He looked up. He would need to make one more point above him to pull himself to the nearest branch. He had already wasted too much time to try somewhere else.

Gripping the knife in a reverse grip he reached as high as he could and created another hand grip on the tree by stabbing the blade in. He grimaced as a piece of bark fell to the floor. With a swift motion he pulled himself up on the knife and swung a leg over ont a branch. He pulled his knife free as soon as he was confident on the branch. Romeran paused for a few seconds holding his breath and listening. When he didn’t hear anyone coming immediately he proceeded to climb up, slowly and only when the wind blew, up a few more branches into the densest part of the tree. He didn’t go any further as his bulk would stand out too much too high on the tree.

Crouched on the branch, Romeran wrapped his mottled and now camouflaged cloak around himself, pulling the cowl over his head and down as far as he could so as to cover his face with shadow. He waited, watched, and listened.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Counting slowly under his breath, Duinion kept his eyes closed. What he failed to yet mention to the recruit was how attentive to sounds a ranger became after years of tracking, working.. living in the forest. He could hear well enough, despite Rome's efforts to move stealthily, as the recruit had only barely begun to learn this art. He struggled not to smile, listening as he followed the direction of his movements. He was far better at stealth than he had been when they set out that morning, but he still had a ways to go. It was a start, though.

Soon enough, however, the sound of the young man's steps faded away as he put more distance between them. Duinion continued counting, careful not to rush the seconds. "Sixty," he muttered under his breath, slowly opening his eyes. First, he scanned the forest, searching to see if Rome was still in sight. Good, he was not visible. It wasn't very much fun without at least a little challenge, after all.

A glance at the ground confirmed the direction he had known Rome went, and the ranger set off after him, slowly. He paused briefly at one point, taking in the whole scene. A path seemed to go off one direction, and some leaves were disturbed. From where he stood, Duinion peered beyond that point, but saw nothing else to indicate he had gone that way. Frowning, a bit suspicious, his gaze returned to the ground before him, his hazel eyes skimming along ahead. Nothing that way. He moved a few steps along the obvious path, feeling there must be a point where he deviated, and then he saw it. Just after a fairly obvious 'mistake', there were small signs in the ground to indicate someone passing through. A bit of moss disturbed on a flat stone half-buried on the ground, then a little further on, he came upon a broken-off piece of a branch that had been lying there for who-knows-how-long, rotting and soft. One end was smashed, as if it had been stepped on.. and probably wasn't noticed because it was moist and soft from decay.

Standing still for a moment, Duinion searched the woods carefully, listening as well as looking. At least he wasn't making any noises, the ranger thought with a small smile. He had a ways to go about hiding his tracks, but then, they'd not really taken the time to cover that yet. He moved onward, looking for all those little tell-tale signs. In some spots it was harder to find any indication, but looking further ahead, in all directions, soon revealed little hints of someone passing through, like little blades of grass bent over from a footstep.

After a time, the camouflaged ranger stopped beside a tree, gazing around slowly. He remained very still for some time. Some sense, highly attuned after years of this work, tugged at his mind. There was someone nearby, but was it Rome or an unexpected being? He stood listening for a long moment, peering cautiously around in search of the person whose presence he sensed, and almost started to wonder if it was his imagination. But, there was something off about a tree some distance from him. A piece of bark had broken off onto the ground; from where? His eyes traveled up the trunk, the only part of him to move. There was the spot the bark had come from, high up. Too high for a person, unless...

He smiled faintly, easing back behind the tree he had been standing beside. With careful, slow movements, he circled around, ducking down to use bushes for cover. It took far longer to reach the back side of the tree which had been climbed, and he hoped the person up there was still watching the forest in the direction he had come from. With slow, stealthy steps, he crept up from the opposite direction, and crouched near some thick bushes, hoping to blend in as his gaze searched up in the branches.

Rome's Camouflage was quite good, and it took him a moment to spot the heel of his boot, standing on a branch. He only saw it as a breeze moved a cluster of leaves aside, and then once he saw the heel, the rest of the recruit began to take shape among the leaves. He smiled and called out, "You can come down from the tree now, Rome. I found you." There was a bit of a grin audible in his tone, and without moving, he watched to see how he would react, and if he'd be able to spot Duinion.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

That he hadn’t been found immediately made Romeran feel like he had at least learned something. As he sat in the in the tree, waiting to be found, he stared out into the woods trying to see if he’d be able to spot Duinion as he came looking. At first he looked mostly in the direction in which he had left Duinion, assuming he would head straight for him. He soon thought that if he had taken a more circuitous path then he could come from anywhere. He started scanning everywhere around him only moving his head slowly to extend his vision.

His eyes flicked between distances and direction, constantly moving, trying to see any signs of disturbance. A few times he thought he saw something. But each time it was a rustling of the wind. Once he saw a squirrel which he had for a moment been sure was Duinion until he saw the source of the sound.

A smile was slowly coming to his face as he was waiting to be found, he seemed to be doing fairly well. Just as he was feeling smug about his performance he heard the ranger call him down. Romeran hadn’t seen him. He’d been looking the whole time and nothing. The voice had come from his right. He turned his head to look.

Just bushes. He scanned around the bushes slowly moving his eyes across the area in detail. His eyes past a particularly thick area of brush when he did a double take. Hazel eyes. Not the kind of eyes you see in anything other than a human and in particular those were Duinion’s eyes. Romeran shouted down “if you hadn’t had said anything I don’t think I would have spotted you”. He was looking at Duinion now.

Using his knife as a make-shift pick, and not as subtly this time, Romeran eased his way down the tree. He didn’t want to injure himself on the way down even though in a pinch he probably could have landed the jump in a roll and been ok. It didn’t seem worth risking it and he could always sharpen his knife again later.

When he hit the ground he walked over to the bushes where Duinion had called for him. “Well that was fast” he said with a smile. Privately he thought he had done quite well, considering the senior ranger’s experience level, but it really had only taken him a matter of minutes rather than hours. Romeran wondered if he’d find Duinion before dark on his turn. Maybe he could lure him out with dinner.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Once their eyes met, he knew that Rome had finally spotted him. Smiling, he stood up while the recruit was returning to the ground. "That was fairly good," He told him. "Had you been hiding from an average person, I doubt they would have found you. The false trail was a clever idea, too." He grinned. It was nice when his teachings were heeded, and the student learned so easily. Of course, there was still a great deal to learn, and he wanted to take an opportunity now to teach him a little more, before testing his skills again. Particularly as he hadn't actually covered very much about tracking, yet.

"Before I take my turn hiding, I want to show you a few things." He motioned for Rome to come with him. First he pointed out the tree. "You knocked a sizeable piece of bark off, see? I don't know if you realized it or not. But, finding where it was missing from wasn't hard, as it seemed fresh. From that, and the fresh slits in the trunk, spaced about your height apart, I gathered you had climbed the tree." he explained, hoping to point out some of the various small signs a ranger should learn to look for. "Now, moving back along your trail..." This was a perfect learning opportunity, to track his own path backward. "You aren't always looking for footprints, and obvious signs of passing. Sometimes, it's so subtle, even the most attentive ranger may miss it. If the lighting is poor, or you fail to look carefully enough, you could miss an important clue about where your quarry went.. whether you're hunting prey, or seeking a foe, or simply playing a game like we are now."

Each article that had given him a clue about Rome's path, he stopped to show him. "The grass here, see how the blades are a little smashed down. It was a good thought to walk on grass, it's soft and wouldn't make any noise. But you should also be mindful of that sort of thing. Sometimes you can't help it, of course, but it's something to keep in mind." Moving on, Duinion hoped he was absorbing at least most of these tips. "And then there's some things you'll learn to avoid as you get better at this. Like this rotten stick here," he knelt to show him the mistake. "I suspect you may not have realized you stepped on it, maybe you didn't feel it underfoot, with it being so soft. Still it gave away your direction. And further on, this stone, see how the moss is just a little scuffed? I knew immediately that it had been stepped on. I will say, when you're trying to move stealthily, if you can step on rocks, go for it, if it can help you avoid leaving other prints. But be careful about moss, or you'll leave a mark anyway."

As they backtracked, he tried to think how to explain his methods for following the trail. "Your false trail did give me pause for a moment, but only because... well, it seemed too unlikely that you would have accidentally left a print and not tried to cover it somehow, knowing I'd be following. I figured you would be extra careful not to leave prints, so the fact that you did, seemed suspicious. So, guessing it was a trick, I scanned all around, trying to see beyond this spot, and find some clue to show where the real trail picked up again. Sometimes it may be hard to find. Whatever, or whoever you're tracking might manage to go a long way without leaving any other sign, but look for the subtlest things, things they may not have any control over, like the blades of grass."

All of those things now having been pointed out, the ranger stopped as they arrived back near where he had counted. "Would you like to try hunting for me now?" He grinned. "I'll try not to make it too difficult, I'd still like to show you how to build a shelter from nothing but what's in the forest, and maybe one or two other things before we had back to camp, so I don't want to make you spend too long searching."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Romeran was glad that his attempt at deception hadn't gone completely unnoticed even if it had failed to fool the elder ranger. Using Romeran's own tracks as a method for teaching seemed like a particularly good way of teaching, plus he was interested in how he was caught. He knew that the piece of bark he had dropped would have been obvious if the ranger had found it but he would have had to get to the right place first so Romeran was curious to learn. He rubbed his beard, the mud was drying and flaking off as he did so, it was somewhat itchy but he didn't feel that he should take it off just yet.

"I knew the bark would give me away, I didn't mean to knock it off but by the time I had done that I felt like I didn't have time to find another hiding spot. Perhaps I should have reconsidered." Once the ranger had noticed the peculiar bark on the ground, Romeran had figured he would be as good as caught, but maybe if he had used it as a decoy and found a different spot it would have worked. But he hadn't thought of a better place and felt as if he was running out of time. He was curious to see what the elder ranger would do.

As they made towards Romeran's path, Duinion pointed out the bent grass. Romeran had been so heavily focused on not making a sound that he had failed to consider whether he would leave a mark. "I suppose it's not all about being silent when you are the prey. Perhaps I could have looked for marks from other animals and used those so as not to make any further signs?" he suggested as a possible solution, it sounded a bit farfetched, perhaps, and the prints would need to be sufficiently large.

Romeran nodded at the next pieces of evidence. It all seemed so minor, so small, so seemingly inconsequential. But it was precisely reading these signs which made an expert tracker even when hunting quarry which knows they are being pursued. "I suppose I had been a bit overly obvious about the foot print, having not left too many until that point" he said, in agreement. His attempt to ensure the ranger would spot it was his very undoing.

The prospect of finding Duinion after watching him pick apart his own trail, knowing that the ranger would be unlikely to leave such an obvious trail made Romeran slightly concerned. But he wasn't going to back out of it, after all he had suggested in the first place. Duinion said he'd go easy on him especially since it sounded like they had more to cover that day. "I'm ready" he said, with a grin, this was going to be interesting, he thought.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

"Yes, you can certainly use signs of animals to hide your own." Duinion nodded. "Deer trails, especially. They tend to be very hard-packed, so not as likely to leave prints unless it's rained recently. And the fact that it's practically a highway for wildlife means that anyone tracking you may not be able to tell if you or a deer had passed through and snapped some twigs off a bush or whatever."

He was already beginning to think about how he would go about his hiding. He didn't want to make it too difficult, but he didn't want to be too easy on Rome, either. He wanted him to have to work at it a little, but still be successful. After he had a bit more experience, it would be interesting to test him further, but for now, he would make sure to leave small clues. In his mind, the ranger began mapping out his course even before Rome began counting. So, the moment the recruit had closed his eyes and started to count, Duinion knew where he would be going.

Setting off one direction, he focused a little more on speed than silence at first, putting a bit of distance between them before he veered off in another direction. There was some patchy grass there, and he figured if Rome was paying close enough attention he might find some clues as to which way Duinion went. Next, he skirted around a patch of ferns, hoping to demonstrate the sort of terrain would be best to avoid; as thickly as they were growing, it would be difficult not to step on any of the ferns and break fronds or crush part of the plants.

Climbing up onto a fallen log, he paused in a crouch to glance around the forest, scanning. The minute was probably close to being up by now, so Rome may have already begun after him. Carefully, with one foot, he 'accidentally' scuffed at some of the old bark still clinging to the tree, just enough to give a subtle clue he had come this way. Seeing no movement coming after him yet, he followed the line of the tree trunk from one end to the other, and lowered himself gently to the ground, unsure if the dirt near the root-end might be soft. Now that he had led a fairly good trail, it was time to find a hiding place. He took a glance around, and hopped onto a nearby boulder, making sure there was no moss to scuff up. From there, he hopped onto a patch of pine needle-covered ground and then paused, looking at the ground. There was a little mark from his boots hitting the ground, and he left it..normally he'd have covered it back up but he wanted Rome to find that.

Moving on, he was able to move swiftly from tree to tree as cover. Here and there, he let a little of his mud get smeared onto a tree as he pressed against it, and finally he arrived near the stream again. He considered jumping over, but instead decided to see if Rome would be deceived. Stepping out at the edge of a boulder that overhung the stream, he leaped over onto the far bank; barely making it. He paused and halfway covered up his tracks, smoothing the mud a bit, but not too carefully. Once that was done, he stepped into the shallow water and back across, climbing out a few feet further downstream, on a grassy bank. Rome would definitely be coming after him by now, so he really needed to find a hiding spot, so he glanced around, and moved toward a thick cluster of bushes.

There, he paused. How tricky did he want to be? This was, after all, Rome's first time trying to track anyone, but... he could hardly resist a little 'test' here. So he crawled under the thick tangle of brush for a short ways, and then pushed his camouflaged pack of gear in. If Rome followed his trail this far, and looked in there, he might think that Duinion was there as well. Crawling back out, the ranger moved a few yards away and ducked behind a cluster of saplings and bushes growing close together. He left only the slightest clue that might indicate his presence; as he went by one of the saplings, he bent one of the young green branches down a little, as if by accident, in passing. Then, pulling his hood up to cast shadow over his eyes so they wouldn't give him away, Duinion lay close to the ground and remained very, very still, pulling sprigs of matching greenery over his back and onto his head, letting his camouflage go to work.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Counting was the easy part, the hard part was actually finding the ranger. It seemed Duinion had focused more initially on getting some distance than hiding his sound as Romeran could hear him, albeit very quietly as he dashed away. At least he would have something to start on, he thought. A minute had seemed incredible short when he was the one hiding but now it seemed to last an eternity. Romeran felt that the elder ranger could have practically made it back to Osgiliath by the time he had finished counting. With the mark of the minute over, Romeran opened his eyes. He immediately looked in the direction which he had heard the ranger take off in.

Quickly glancing around at his immediate vicinity, Romeran saw no obvious clues. He decided to move in the direction he had heard Duinion go. He walked slowly looking carefully for any signs. As he moved further along, Romeran began to walk in a mild zig-zag pattern. covering slightly more area. He quickly realized that he could easily rule out anywhere which would have left obvious signs of passing, this narrowed down the region which he had to look. During his initial haste, Duinion had gone in one direction and then Romeran had lost any tracks of him. He kept following in the original path for a short time before deciding that he must have changed direction.

Backtracking, Romeran eventually came across some patchy grass and, recalling the way that Duinion had followed him, Romeran thought perhaps the ranger might have left some marks to test his recently acquired knowledge. His suspicions had proven correct as he encountered a few slightly bent blades of grass, the ranger had indeed been this way. He followed the tracks until it lead to a thicket of ferns. There was no way that anyone was going to make it through that without disturbing the surroundings greatly, he concluded that Duinion must have circled around them, and he followed suit.

Unfortunately there weren't any signs that he could see which direction the ranger had taken off in after skirting the ferns. For at least another minute, time which the elder ranger could have used to escape further, Romeran searched around for signs. Eventually he found the log and noticed that it was covered in slightly peeling bark, much more likely to fall off naturally than the bark which Romeran had unceremoniously cut from the tree, but perhaps another lesson. There it was, a small piece of bark which had been brushed off the tree too soon to be natural. Romeran clamored onto the log and followed it to the other end, it seemed the logical conclusion to having got on the log.

There weren't any signs on the other side of the log. Romeran sighed. He jumped up on a nearby boulder to try and get a better view of his surrounding. He scanned the area trying to figure out which way Duinion might have gone. Luckily for Romeran he had decided to jump on the boulder purely for better vision because he was able to see the subtle footprints in the pine needles left by Duinion. Chance meets preparation, he supposed, as he followed the footprints towards the tree. Small bits of mud marked the trees here and there as someone had moved between them, likely another deliberate clue on Duinion's part, but one which had taken Romeran the better part of a few minutes to discover.

Eventually he was back at the river. 'Had the ranger crossed the river?' Romeran asked himself. He went up to the bank and peered across, looking for signs that someone wet had walked out the other side. He didn't see anything. Well if he hadn't crossed wet maybe he had tried to jump or cross by rocks? Romeran made his way over to a boulder which overhung the river. He peered across and with great effort made out what looked like the sign of someone landing. He smirked. Nice try. With a great leap, Romeran followed across the river, but was soon stumped again as he could find no further tracks beyond where they had landed, if anything it appeared to go down river.

Following the river downstream, Romeran scanned the area. It was another trick of fate that caused Romeran to look on the other side of the river. A small bird cried out which caught his attention. He the noticed on the other side of the river a bed of grass. There were drops of water on the bed, to far from the river to be normal splashing and it was too late in the day for it to be dew. Had the sneaky ranger doubled back? There were no other signs, so Romeran decided that he had no other leads crossed in the shallow area of the stream after Duinion.

Across from the stream, looking for any signs of the ranger, who he figured must have found a hiding spot nearby, Romeran found the tangle of bushes, it looked like someone or something had pushed it's way in. Romeran crouched and looked but it was too deep and dark to see anything. Not wanting to presume success he crawled in a ways, pushing the tangles out. Eventually he saw what appeared to be a lump of non-thicket material. He squinted his eyes and could see what appeared to be the back of a pack. "I think I've found you" he declared and started to back out.

When the ranger did not respond immediately Romeran stopped backing out. "Dunion?" he asked, moving forward. He waited a few moments and still silence. He prodded the bag and revealed that it was just that, a bag. Romeran let out an audible laugh. What a trickster. He backed his way out of the thicket. Well the ranger was probably close by, he figured, he wouldn't have left his gear that far away from him. But where could he be? Romeran started moving out from the thicket in concentric circles, slowly moving further away from the ranger's pack, yard by yard.

It took some time, but eventually he found the bent branch on a sapling, it almost looked accidental but Romeran wondered if it had not been intentionally as he had guessed many of the other marks had been. The ranger must have been close, he thought. In fact, Romeran had almost stepped on the Ranger before he realized that the green and brown mound near the saplings was a cloaked man and not in fact a bush. "Duinion!" he said, almost half in fright as he had practically ran into the ranger still looking for him "well I guess I found you" he said with a wide grin. If the Romeran had been actually hunting Duinion, he was sure the ranger would have been able to strike first even though Romeran had 'found' him.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

From his hiding spot, Duinion had a fairly good vantage point to watch, aside from the leaves and the top edge of his hood that tried to block his view. For a while, all he could hear was the songbirds chirping in the distance, and the stream not far off. Still, it was only a little while after he had hidden before Rome came into view, investigating the stream. Duinion smiled faintly, his face half-buried in some ferns that kept trying to tickle his face. He disappeared for a little bit, across the stream, and then, he was back. Good, he hadn't been deceived for long.

He did, however, fall for the decoy trick. Duinion smiled and fought the urge to snicker. Had he been less experienced, he probably would have failed at that, but he'd had enough time now to suppress things like laughter when necessary. For a long while, the recruit wandered around searching. Duinion's gaze followed him the whole time, wondering if he had made the sign too subtle. Would he find it?

At last, the bent branch was spotted, and Duinion was a bit relieved, having been rooting for Rome to succeed, even if it was a bit of a challenge. Still he didn't spot Duinion, and moved closer. And closer. Duinion was starting to wonder if he would be stepped on, and debated about whether to leap up and scare him, or perhaps reach and grab his ankle or something... it might be amusing for Duinion, as well as 'educational' for Romeran. But, before he had a chance to do either of those, the recruit finally spotted him. Duinion grinned and sat up, pushing his hood back. "Good job, though I was starting to worry a little." He stood up, some of the loose leaves and things falling off of his back. "How do you think you did?" He was curious how Rome felt about it.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

There was a certain amount of relief to having found Duinion. It would have been somewhat disheartening if he had to have called out for him in resignation. Still he was sure most of the clues that Duinion had left were intentional and probably wouldn’t have gotten very far on his track without them.

“Well I found you, at least” he said, it was a reasonable summary of the situation “you left me quite a few clues and I think I got lucky in a few occasions and happened to spot some of them when I had otherwise lost the trail” he concluded. “You left me several clues which were directly related to some of the techniques we had just discussed which I think helped reinforce the learning” he concluded.

The game of hide and seek had actually been a quite effective game, he thought quietly. Maybe he would be able to convince some of the other rangers or recruits to play a round with him that might help with his tracking and camouflage skills. They had already done quite a lot that day, Romeran thought, and there were still quite a few hours left in the afternoon before the day was up. He was awfully hungry for lunch though and as his stomach growled he decided to bring it up “should we stop for some lunch?” He asked tentatively. “I have some rations in my pack” he continued. “I could probably wait until dinner if we had to” he added although he hoped this wouldn’t also be a lesson in food rationing.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

"Very perceptive of you," Duinion nodded, confirming his thoughts about the clues. "I did leave them on purpose, because I didn't want to challenge you too much on your first try," He admitted. "Perhaps later, once you've had more experience, you'll be able to find me without me having to leave clues." He grinned, hopeful of this. It would be a good test of whether the recruit had improved on the skills he was learning today.

"I wanted to also point out, what I did there with the bag as a decoy.. that's a good way to set up an ambush, or mislead an enemy and draw their attention elsewhere. Had I wanted to, I could have leaped out while you were focused on the decoy, and captured you." He smiled. "Overall, you did very well." His smile turned to a grin as Rome asked about lunch. "I was going to suggest the very same thing. I think you've earned it. I have some rations as well, perhaps we can pool our resources and have a more enjoyable lunch?"

It took but a moment to retrieve his pack from the bushes, and then he went to a cluster a boulders near the river. "This ought to make a good place to sit." He searched down into his pack to pull out the food. "Let's see," He knew Eryn had packed some of his things for him, so he didn't know exactly what was in there. "I've got some jerky, and cheese, nuts..." He found another package and looked inside. "And dried fruit!" He smiled, pleased by this surprise. "We can thank Eryn for that."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

It hadn’t come as a surprise to Romeran when Duinion admitted to having placed the clues on purpose, after all they had so neatly matched much of what he had just been taught. “Maybe one day” he said in response. He wasn’t so sure that he would ever be able to find someone like Duinion in the woods, or at least not any time soon. He still felt like there was so much for him to learn. The ranger’s trade is a vast and complicated affair he concluded.

“I had thought that you could have easily grabbed me as I wandered into you” he confessed. “But I hadn’t thought about how potentially open I had made myself crawling into that space without really being sure you had been in there. I should take better care in the future” he said with a sudden realization of the possible danger he might had put himself in had this been a real situation and not a friendly game of hide and seek. The thought was simultaneously humbling and terrible.

Glad that Duinion had agreed to lunch, Romeran had quickly removed his pack and removed what rations he had brought with him. “Salted pork” he said first “some hardtack, although it’s a bit salty for my taste” having some bread like crackers was nice, however, “and some more hard cheese” he said, adding to the cheese that Duinion had brought. It was a reasonable spread, being that they were rations carried in their bags.

As they ate, Romeran decided to ask about the rest of their trip. “So you mentioned working on some shelters and one or two other things today, what did you have in mind?” He asked in a brief gap between eating and taking a sip of his water afterwards. He wiped his muddy and now somewhat wet beard.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

The whole time he had been lying on the ground waiting to be found, Duinion had grown more and more aware of his hunger, so it was quite enjoyable to take a break and eat. Fortunately, knowing they had the fish trap that was almost guaranteed to bring them a supply of fish, and a hope for a rabbit to be caught in their snare, there was little need to worry about eating too much of their supplies. They were returning from the forest tomorrow, after all.

"Well," he thought for a moment on Rome's question. "Some of it depends on what we get time for. At least one sort of shelter, so that you know how to do that in case you're ever caught without your supplies, for certain. I'd also like to show you a few other ways of finding food, aside from meat." Foraging was another important basic survival skill, and it would help to supplement their meal that evening. "You know how to build a fire... but I wonder, could you do it without your supplies?" He tilted his head thoughtfully, debating whether that was a skill to teach him today, or later. "It might not be a bad idea to go over a few things about navigation... finding your way. Otherwise you'll get lost too easily." He smiled. "Unless, you already know how to do that?" He figured there were surely some things he wouldn't know about that area, but he may know a few things.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

The second day of their journey had been more eventful than the first, Romeran thought, having spent the better part of the previous day hiking. They would be heading home tomorrow, if he recalled correctly, which meant that a large part of tomorrow would also be spent hiking. Romeran was glad that they had at least a few more things on the 'lesson plan' for the rest of their full day in the woods. Romeran was enjoying it immensely and already planning on when he might ask for a longer, perhaps week long, trip afield.

Listening to Duinion discuss what they would do that afternoon continued to increase Romeran's enthusiasm. He was interested in some of the shelter construction, it wasn't something he had focused on in the past generally expecting to have a least waxed cloak if not his oilcloth tarp. "I don't know too much about foraging or edible plants so that will be a new skill for me to learn" he said in response to discussion on food. Romeran had a particular interest in fire building which he thought was fairly common among young boys. "I know how to find flint, or other rocks of the sort, and strike it for a spark" he said, although he usually carried flint and charcloth to make that easier "My grandfather showed me how to build a fire using a stick and either another stick or some cord and a stick. You basically rotate the tip of the stick back and forth" he mimed the action with his hands "on some tinder and if you do it fast enough you can generate some smoke and fire" he had tried it once, it took a long time.

"I can find my way north using the stars" he said, the stars had always been prominent in farmland of Lossarnach and he had enjoyed watching them at the night. It was his mother who taught him how to identify the cardinal directions from the stars. "But I'm less certain about the daytime, especially if the sun is masked and it is not obvious in which direction it is moving" he explained making obvious reference to the consistent cardinal motion of the sun.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Nodding as he listened to Rome list what he already knew, Duinion made a mental list. "Alright. I can teach you a bit easier method for starting fire, at least. And as for how to tell the direction even when the sun isn't shining," he pointed around to the trees, as this was something he could point out right here while they finished eating. "These are your compass." he smiled. "If you can't see the sun, study the trees. First, find a nearby tree with a large diameter and observe the thickness and direction of the branches. Here in Gondor, the branches on the south-facing side of the tree will be fuller, while branches on the north-facing side will be thinner and grow upwards. Depending on the tree, you can usually see this best to see if you look up along the trunk." He explained. "Also, the north-facing side of the tree will be more humid than the south-facing side, which is something most species of moss likes, and consequently, there will be more of it on the north face. Also, vegetation and undergrowth will typically be thicker on the south-facing slopes."

He pointed to a few nearby trees, indicating the moss or other growths on their trunks. "There are actually many methods of finding direction by studying tree bark. But many of them focus on the organisms growing on the surface of the bark, like mosses or lichens, not the bark itself. To make it easier, instead of memorizing a list of exactly how each species of tree’s bark looks on their north, east, south and west sides, it is better to look for these patterns each time you venture into any portion of forest you're unfamiliar with. Every time you have got your bearings, perhaps from the sun, glance at each side of the trees around you. There will be similarities in what you see, and in these lie clues. Keep practicing this habit and soon you'll find it easy to use those patterns to find direction." He smiled, remembering how amazed he had been as a young recruit to learn about this.

"There is one nice short-term method we can use after strong winds and heavy rain. All we have to do is notice which side of trees has been ‘painted’ by recent rain-bearing winds and we will have a compass that can last for many hours. Another thing you may notice is that the bark on the north side of a tree is often darker, but that is not true of all types of trees, so that's why it's a good idea to regularly acquaint yourself with how the trees look. It's rather fascinating, isn't it?" Being finished now with his meal, Duinion packed up the rest of his things again. "What would you like to learn next?" He asked with a smile.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

The many ways to determine directions based on trees and the flora that grew near them was surprising to Romeran who had never heard of such things before. "Why do the trees grow like that?" he asked curiously, perhaps if he understood it better he might have an easier time remembering "Does it have to do with the sun? Or maybe the rain?" he said, taking a guess. Trees were after all dependent on sun and rain for their survival so it seemed to him that one of these might be a reason.

That the plants grew in such a manner was also curious to Romeran and the idea of memorizing it all seemed quite daunting. Duinion's suggestion of just naturally paying attention to the trees and how things grew and connecting it with the current bearings would help implant things made him feel better. "All the more reason to go out on these treks" he said with a smile, as if he needed any more reason. Romeran was not sure he understood the part about the rain. "Can you explain that again?" he asked "about how the rain can be used as a compass?" he was frowning, trying to understand.

"Very fascinating" he said, looking around the forest as if with new eyes. Romeran followed Duinion's lead and packed up his things in his pack. He dusted off some of the now dry mud from his clothing and cloak as he stood up and got ready. "Well you mentioned an easier way to start a fire and I quite like fire lighting methods" he offered as a suggestion "and you still have to show me some shelters which don't require having my pack" he continued with another suggestion. At some point he was curious to check the trap they had laid earlier, but he assumed it was better to wait until closer to supper for that, besides the longer the trap lay the better their chances.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Duinion paused to think about the rain question. "I suppose, that really would depend upon you already knowing which direction the wind has blown from." He commented, thoughtful. "But, suppose it was raining, with a strong wind from the north." He motioned with his hand as if it were the wind coming toward the trees. "Then, you would notice that the trees have more wetness on this side." he tapped the nearest tree as if the 'wind' had flung rain at it. "Which tells you that this side of the tree is pointing..." He paused to let Rome give an answer to the direction. "Then you could use that for a guide. But, of course, it requires knowing which direction the wind has come from, so perhaps that would be considered more 'advanced'."

He looked up at the tree tops, trying to think of a proper answer about the other question. "As for the trees growing like that, I'm sure it has to do with the sun." He paused. "You may have more understanding about the 'why' of it than I do, being from a farm. All I really know is that it has to do with the direction the sun rises and sets... perhaps something to do with the way the sun shines on them the most?" He thought back far into his memory, trying to recall if anyone had ever given him an in-depth answer about that very thing. "It seems I recall maybe someone once saying that the sun is in the south longer, and that would explain it. The limbs would grow thickest toward the sunlight, and the sides of the trees with less sun would be thinner, correct? And since the northern side of the trunks are in shade longer than the southern sides... I imagine that's why the moss grows there. The southern sides would have more direct light, which would then dry it out more..." He trailed off, realizing he was mostly thinking out loud at this point. It was something he hadn't really thought a lot about over the years, though he must have asked about it when he was a young ranger.

"Right, the fire then." he nodded and took a look around. "I'm sure you already know you'll need to gather your supplies. Kindling and all that. So let's find our supplies. If you haven't got your char cloth, you'll have to find Tinder. That should consist of bits of dry, easily ignitable materials such as dandelion fluff, dead grass, withered plants, or dried stalks.. things like that. You’ll also want to collect kindling and other firewood to feed your fire once you get it started, I'm sure you already know that, but it doesn't hurt to say it anyway." He smiled. "You said you've done it before using two sticks and some cord, but this is a way you can make fire if you somehow end up out in the woods without any kind of supplies, though I'm sure if you really had to, you could probably make the stick with a string, but what if you didn't have string?" Giving Romeran a chance to gather some tinder and kindling, he paused in case the recruit had any questions before he continued.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

Once Duinion had explained the wind and the rain it made more sense. "So if the winds are coming north" Romeran motioned in the same direction from north to south against the tree as Duinion had just done. "then the water would hit this side of the tree" he said touching the tree as his hand continued "so the north side of the tree". He said nodding his head, and then in realization "I see and then because it takes longer to dry and the wind may stop blowing, you'll have a reference of which direction by looking at the parts of the tree that are still wet" he said, making sense of it "and that part will be the one hit the most by the rain, that is in the same direction as the source of the wind." he continued, over explaining at this point but trying to solidify his understanding. "I see."

When Duinion mentioned farming, Romeran came to sudden realization. "Yes you're right, the fields on the south side of a hill get more sun than those on the left and so often yield more." he remembered his uncle spending his time considering which crops ought to be planted in these fields so as to maximize the yield of the crop they needed most. "Although I heard they say that this becomes less prominent the further south that you go, but I'm not sure why" that this also caused trees and moss and things to grow more prominently made sense, although Romeran had never thought of it that way having never particularly extended the phenomenon beyond the crop fields as that was the only instance when it had occurred. "That is useful to remember" he said.

At Duinion's instruction, Romeran gathered some tinder from nearby. It hadn't rained recently, which was lucky, and he used this to his advantage. Dry leaves were plentiful, and in areas where the sun had been particularly plentiful there were small patches of dead grass and withered stalks of various weeds. Romeran gathered these along with small twigs and dried sticks which he found along the way. He brought these back to where they were. He did not bring any firewood since he figured they probably were not going to build a full fire, just practice starting one and so he set down the kindling by Duinion. "Well I suppose you could just move the stick with your hands?" he asked moving his hands back and forward with palms together and the stick between them perpendicular to the ground. "Although I imagine it might be hard to get it going fast enough" he added.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

Nodding as Rome went over the information aloud, Duinion was pleased to hear that he seemed to understand the concept, and the farming bit seemed to help to give him something to compare to. "Further south, I believe the sun rises and sets a little bit differently, though I have never gone far enough to really study it." He shrugged. "It might be something worth looking into sometime, if you can find a way to discover the information. If you do, I'd be very interested in learning what you find out."

Once Romeran had gathered some dry grass and leaves and things, Duinion picked up a stick. "I wouldn't recommend trying it that way, it takes a very long time." He answered with a light laugh. "Along with two sticks, like this," He held up the one he'd picked up, "You're also going to need a log or a rock or something. You can use your foot if you can't find anything else, but it will be a bit uncomfortable and awkward." He found a nearby rock and knelt nearby to demonstrate. "What you do is put one stick with one end on the log or rock or whatever you're using, like this, and the other end on the ground." He did that, so that the stick was at an angle. "Then you grab your other stick, and make a notch right here in the middle to make it easier on you. That way it's not sliding all around, and you can make sure it stays where it's supposed to." He handed it to Rome so that he could make the notch himself.

"Then you'll start rubbing that notch on the stick that's leaning. That'll heat up faster than most other ways, because you are focusing all the force on that notch, and you are putting your weight.. your core.. into it, not just your arms. And it is easier to hold a stick that way, in both hands. Once you get enough heat generated, I believe you know the rest?" He asked, assuming that if he had used sticks to do this before, that he would have probably learned how to get the flames going. "Just... don't put too much pressure on it or you'll break the stick, of course." He added with a slight laugh. "It's easier than other methods I've seen, though I don't know exactly what your uncle may have taught you."

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

It was not obvious to Romeran why the impact of the sun mattered depending on where you were so he shrugged "it's just something the farmers used to talk about" he said in mild explanation it wasn't something he had thought deeply about but Duinion's reminder had brought it to his attention. "I suppose if someone endeavored they could chart such things as they moved north, say from the Lonely Mountain, south into Far Harad. Although this sounds like the work of a loremaster rather than a ranger" he said, with a smile, interesting though it sounded. Romeran had enjoyed, to a certain extent, his studies with his mother and the other children nearby, but he had always longed for adventure like the stories that were read at bed time or around camp fires, these always held little Romeran's attention far better than the rather dry facts about the world which he was expected to know. It was a more interesting proposal, however, to have applied the knowledge in some way. It was for this reason that he came to sudden appreciation of some of the lore that he had been shown as a child but had not understood the application to care for it.

Romeran was glad that spinning the stick with his palms was not in fact the suggested method as it seemed particularly arduous. He watched Duinion carefully as the ranger as he crouched down by a rock and placed one of the sticks at an angle leaning against the rock and the floor. He loooked at it it curiously and took the other stick from Duinion. Reaching behind his back with his left hand, Romeran removed the knife from its sheath behind him. Although Romeran was right handed, he had practiced ambidexterity with certain tools as a child, knife, and hammer, and axe, as it made the work on the farm easier and faster if he did not have to switch hands between tasks. And so using his right hand to hold the stick and his left hand to hold the knife, Romeran carved out a notch in the middle, wide enough to hold the other stick but not deep enough as to cause a structural break in the stick which would make it easy to snap with too much pressure.

The rest of the explanation made enough sense, it was essentially the same as the method his grandfather had taught him only required fewer things. "I suppose you could carve the notch out of the stick with a sharp rock" he said, even though he had done the task with a knife. Since his knife remained firmly sheathed on the back side of his belt whenever Romeran went anywhere, even in the city, the idea of being caught without his blade seemed unlikely. Stranger things have happened and if he had been captured and his knife taken from him, he could even find himself without his most useful tool. Romeran sat down on the rock which the stick was leaning up against to hold it in place. The end of the other stick was planted firmly in the ground and as long as Romeran applied downward pressure as he rubbed the notch of the other stick up and down it should stay in place.

It took a few minutes of rubbing to soften the notch and after a minute or so later a small amount of smoke started to appear and Romeran smiled "it's working" he said, enthusiastically. As Romeran continued to create as much friction as possible on the stick, careful not to apply too much pressure and break it, eventually small pieces of black coal started to appear and clump together, smoking as it did so. When enough of a coal had appeared, Romeran paused and let it smolder for a moment while he gathered together some of the lighter pieces of kindling, dried leaves, weeds, and grass. He carefully picked up the stick to move it onto the kindling, hiding it from the mild wind and letting it catch on the kindling. Blowing on the ember gently occasionally helped it to catch and soon enough the heat generating the smoke turned into a small flame as Romeran blew on it and it caught the pieces of dried grass. At this time, if they were building a proper fire, Romeran would have transferred the kindling to some small wood shavings and pieces of tried twigs to continue growing the fire but he wasn't expecting to build a complete fire at this point. He looked over to Duinion with a smile on his face "I always found it quite enjoyable making a fire." he said, looking at the kindling as it slowly burned away "I assume we don't need to turn this into a proper fire?" he asked, although if they needed to, perhaps as a part of the next exercise, Romeran didn't want to blow it out just yet.

[Rillewen]

@Romeran

Ranger Duinion, training recruit Romeran - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War

"Yes," He answered with a nod. "If you lost your knife, your next best option would be to find a sharp stone, or one that can be broken into a sharp edge, and use that. If you had to, you could even fashion a knife out of it. That takes a bit of skill to do it right but if you were desperate enough to need to make a knife out of stone, I imagine you could manage it well enough." He may teach him how to do something like that in a later, more advanced lesson, but that was enough for now.

For a while, the only thing to do was wait as Rome worked at the stick, and soon it was smoldering. "Good work," He smiled. "How do you think that method compares to what you did before?" He wondered, then shook his head. "No, we won't be building a fire, you can put it out now." He answered. "I don't think we want to start any uncontrolled fires," He glanced around at the trees; he certainly wouldn't want to have a forest fire. Once the small flames had been extinguished, Duinion nodded in approval.

"Now you know how to start a fire without your supplies, let's work on something else." He took a look around the forest. "Assuming you're out in the forest and have somehow lost your supplies, the main things you'll need to worry about are water, food, shelter, and keeping warm. Next on the list, of course, is how to get your bearings and navigate, which we already discussed, and also, some sort of weapon to protect yourself, in case of hostile or predatory creatures. I mentioned how you can fashion a knife out of a sharp stone at need, but obviously, you can always use a sharp stick as a spear, if you have nothing else. Even without a knife to sharpen it into a point, if you can break the end just right, it may be sharp enough to serve." he paused. "Of course, preferably, you'd have your weapons, but.. you never know. It's good to be prepared for...anything." He frowned slightly as he recalled a few incidents that had not turned out well, and turned to take a look around the forest.

"Shelter," He decided after a moment. "I believe that's the next most important thing we should work on." He looked back to Rome. "Obviously, in a situation where you've lost all of your gear, you'll want to conserve as much energy as you can, so the simplest sort of structure is always best, especially if you're in a hurry... say you need to get a shelter up quickly before a storm hits. So what would be the first thing to look for, in such a situation?"

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran studying under Ranger Duinion - Day 2
Ithilien Forest - a couple of years after the War
@Rillewen

The flames were slowly catching and Romeran dropped them to the floor and stamped them out, as blowing on them may have had the opposite effect if he did not blow hard enough. Lifting his foot, Romeran checked that the fire was completely out and not smoking at all. Content that the fire was out he looked up to Duinion. "Well it wasn't as hard as I had expected, to be honest" he said. Bracing the stick against the stone had made it easier for him to use both hands to quickly create a great deal of friction across the two sticks "I will say it's not as fast as flint and steel and a bit of charcloth" he said smiling "but that's hardly a fair comparison" he added at the end, it truly wasn't a fair comparison. In Minas Tirith, Romeran had noted, candles and oil lanterns were so common that one often didn't need to look far for fire to catch tinder without having to draw a spark at all. He could imagine growing up in a big city one might not even be comfortable making fire even with a tinderbox.

"I would hope not to have to use a sharp stick as a weapon" he said with a frown, he had played with sticks as a child as many did as swords or whatever they needed them to be. The thought of using one as a weapon was unusual, but when he considered the ranger's duties it was one that they needed to be aware of. "It is better to be prepared for anything than to be caught unawares" he posed "but I will try to keep my important equipment with me whenever I can, they would have to be pried off me before I would let them go" he continued with a grin. Romeran noticed that Duinion seemed to frown however and looked away. Perhaps there was an unpleasant memory here concerning what he had just joked about. Romeran's smile turned quickly to a frown and he opened his mouth as if to say something in apology but decided it best not to say anything at all.

The change in topic came as a relief and Romeran was quick to start speaking his thoughts out loud. "Well if you were trying to conserve energy" he said, repeating what Duinion had began with "Then the best shelter is one which you wouldn't expend any energy on" he reasoned "so a found shelter, like a cave, or if not that, dense trees or large boulders -- assuming it was safe enough" he added the last part, he had seen large boulders roll down the mountainsides in the northern reaches of Lossarnach and shuddered at what terrible damage they would have caused on any unsuspecting being who slept beneath them. "A natural shelter would likely need to be checked for other inhabitants" he said, snapping out of his thought process "as it's to be expected that other creatures might also seek such a convenient shelter."