Ranger Commons II

[Rillewen]

Ranger Duinion Raedor
Headquarters

The way the captain was frowning at him, arms crossed, and looking quite disapprovingly, Duinion felt certain he was definitely in trouble, but he could think of nothing that might be the cause for it. He couldn't help a bit of fidgeting under her stern gaze, but resisted the urge to edge backward. Was there something wrong with his uniform? He was tempted to look down at himself to check, but refrained, meeting her gaze with uncertainty in his own eyes. It seemed to take ages before she finally spoke again, and..with a smile.

His confusion now complete, it took Duinion a few moments to really absorb what she was saying. He blinked a couple of times as he watched her pin something on his shoulder, and stared down at the pin. A little dumbfounded, he heard the words, but it seemed unreal. Looking back up at Captain Alarion, his expression now showed his astonishment. No words would come, and he looked back down at the badge. He wasn't in trouble. Quite the opposite. Swallowing back the lump that had sprung to his throat, he let his fingertips lightly touch the pin, as if to confirm it was real. Relief washed away the tension once he learned what was truly happening, and he looked up again with a small smile at his new Captain, as she was introducing him.. as Tirdinen.

It took a couple of seconds before it hit him that he probably should say something. He was terrible at speaking in front of groups of people, and had no intention of trying that. "Th-Thank you, captain." he managed to get those two words out, still feeling a bit dazed by the whole thing. "I-" Nothing else came to mind, and he hoped to say the rest with a heartfelt salute. "...thank you." He repeated softly, having no other words that would suffice.

Already, a million thoughts started to rush through his mind. Romeran seemed quite eager to congratulate him, and it was hard to not smile back at the recruit as he shook his hand. It sounded strange, but good strange, to hear himself called Tirdinen. Rome's eager words helped draw Duinion back from feeling dazed, and he smiled back at him. "Thank you, I look forward to our next lessons, Recruit Romeran, and seeing how you've improved." He answered with all sincerity.

[Karis Ziranphel]

Ranger Thûllir Bregedyr
Headquarters

It was good to hear and see the joy and confidence that the new Captain’s countenance bore at the recognition and accolade. He returned the salute she rendered them and listened quietly to her words. Good words. Building foundations and a cohesive unit were the right direction. Doing so was always the challenge.

Thûllir bowed his head in recognition to the King as Elessar left the room, before returning his attention to the Captain.

He was curious when he heard her call a name unfamiliar to him. Duinion? He looked the man over as he seemed to walk forward with great reluctance. He had the look of one uncomfortable with his surroundings and uncertain of himself, but Thûllir did not recognize him from previous meetings. Perhaps he was from Arnor or elsewhere? Many had joined the forces during the war and after, so he was no longer familiar with everyone. Even the Rangers of Ithilien had seen new bows and spears in the intervening years so he gave a mental shrug. Their travels to Anfalas and back had taken quite some time, so it made sense that others had been invited to join the King’s Rangers in the intervening period that he didn’t necessarily know.

The emblem that Captain Alarion brought forth was not yet familiar, as the specializations of this new Ranger Company was not something Thûllir remembered discussing in much detail after their return from the south. But the familiar title when spoken stung unexpectedly, and only the training of years kept him reacting in any fashion. Long hours of hardship and discipline were reflected in that name, and while that was true of any group, his memories of the sessions with Master Lôkhi and sometimes Kaylin had held a different note than his Ranger training. The intelligence organization had been officially disbanded after the war, and although he knew there were likely still some who plied a similar craft on behalf of the kingdom, to hear the term now applied to a different group that he was not a part of was strange indeed.

Thûllir’s gaze flicked to his cousin, who lifted her shoulder minutely in response before raising her hands to clap in congratulations. Internally he sighed and then blinked acknowledgement back before moving to do the same. May the new status of the name more truly fit the meaning of silent guardians.

Restlessness stirred his soul even as he stood here with the dust of long travel not yet washed off. He was still unused to gathering in this building with a group, and knew he would need to adjust, but it would take. Biting the inside of his lip, the idea floated to the surface. He would request a patrol mission to the northeast. Those were still the province of Rangers even if he was no longer officially part of Faramir's unit, and it might settle him. Soon… Turning his head, he looked at his wife and revised that… at least two weeks out. That would give them both time to recover from the long journey and for him to prepare well for anything he might encounter.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr
Headquarters

She was still processing that the King was there when he turned to leave. While she hadn't been uncomfortable at all, she did realize how unique of a situation it was - at least for her. She had never before seen Aragorn II Elessar in person - aside from very far away, when she could hardly make out his features. Her gaze trailed after him when he left.

When Pele named Duinion, someone Kaylin had yet to meet, as a Tirdinen, she almost instinctively put a hand on Thûllir's arm. Not because she thought he might say or do anything out of the ordinary, nor because he would begrudge Duinion the honor. She simply knew of her husband's love for the forest, his skill at navigating them, living in them and scouting in them. Despite Thûllir taking up residence with her in Minas Tirith, he was a woodsman more than he was anything else. It was in his blood in more ways than one. Moreover, he had received a lot of Tirdinen training, too - back when it had meant something else. While Kaylin had had some of the training herself (focusing on infiltration and city stealth), Thûllir had put in many more hours. While it didn't bother her, it could be a little close to home for him that the name was re-used. She assessed his reaction from the corner of her grey-blue eyes. He might never put it into actual words, but he wanted that badge. Or at least, Kaylin was convinced that he did.

It was almost cruel, perhaps, how she had been named Hyandaner. Kaylin had no attachment to the term, having previously served in the army and not any form of the rangers. She appreciated the link it had to her old rank of Master Sword (which had been her all time favorite), but that was just about it, really.

She stopped herself from putting that hand on his arm, however. Instead, she just lightly leaned a shoulder into him as she clapped for Duinion. If Thûllir felt some of what she suspected, he would know where the gesture came from. And on the off chance that he didn't feel any kind of sting, he might not think anything of it. When he turned his head to look at her, she searched his eyes. Hmm. Looked like her woodsman had plans.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters

Pele was rather amused at the confusion she had caused to Duinion, though she felt just a tiny bit guilty for teasing the man like this in public since she was aware of how he disliked being in the city and stuck among people. She was not about to admit to it though, and instead heartily returned his salute and then clapped his shoulder in a friendly way, as she observed the other Rangers to see their reactions.

"All right," she said after a while, having allowed enough time for congratulations. "The official part of the meeting can be considered closed, and you are welcome to stay and socialise a bit, or feel free to leave should you need to tend to any other things."

Having said that, Pele found herself wondering how the weight of her new rank would affect the current relationships; she hoped very much that the 'business' side of it would not leave a negative mark on any of the close friendships developed this far. It should not. And she knew she would need friends more than ever. Taking a deep breath, and her joy lessened somewhat by these serious thoughts, Pele sought for the apple she had left on the clerk's table. It was still there, and she snatched it up, playing with it, as she perched herself on the edge of the desk and looked at the gathered Rangers thoughtfully.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters

Such pleasure she took in watching Pele get her promotion, as well as watching how those gathered agreed with the King's assessment! With a smile that could not be banished from her face, she watched Pele, her new Captain, as she tried on the role and immediately chose to promote one of the Rangers to Tirdinen. Splendid. And how typically Pele. It ook care of some business and served to draw some of the attention away from her. The blonde Ranger almost smirked.

"Congratulations," she called out to Duinion as she joined some of the others with a short clap. He was the first to earn the Tirdinen specialization, wasn't he?

When Pele dismissed them and took a seat on a desk to watch them, Arnyn shook her head. Well, first things first!
She approached her friend. "Captain Pele!" she smiled at the woman, holding out her arm to Pele for a warrior's clasp. She was planning on pulling Pele in for a hug if she chose to take it. "Well done. And followed by a perfect distraction," Arnyn added, raising an eyebrow. "I see what you did there."

[Rillewen]

Tirdenin Duinion Raedor
Headquarters

At last, it was all over and people were free to leave. He was relieved; not only did he want to get out of this crowded place, but he could hardly wait to show his new badge to a few people. Still, he hesitated, not rushing out immediately. Despite how pleased he felt, there was still a little bit of doubt in Duinion’s mind. It almost seemed like a mistake. He wasn’t sure if he was really worthy of this, and it occurred to him that he might ask to speak with Pele, more privately, to ask. To make sure, before he became too excited. He glanced after the ranger's new captain, and considered moving to go and speak with her, but someone else beat him to it, a woman he was unfamiliar with. Pausing, he glanced down at the badge and he hesitated.

After a moment, he decided that if the king trusted Pele’s judgement enough to make her captain, then he ought to trust it as well, in everything, not just out in the woods and in combat. Everything. Taking a deep breath, he decided maybe he could slip out now, but first he'd have to get past all those still assembled in the room... and there was one young ranger he would like to speak to before he left, but as he glanced around, he didn't see Unalmis right off.

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Headquarters

“You may go in now, miss.” The guard informed Cali after none other than the king himself had exited the ranger headquarters. That explained all. The young woman had come several minutes earlier, hoping to speak with whomever was in charge, only to be informed that she couldn’t go in at this time. The fact that there were two citadel guards standing by the entrance had puzzled her, for they were usually only found in the seventh level, unless things had changed since she was last in this city. But when the king appeared, the two guards snapped to attention. Cali, with her arm still in a sling, standing a little off to the side of the guards, had bowed her head respectfully (partly to hide her startled expression to see the king passing by so close!) and otherwise tried to keep from drawing attention to herself as she watched him go by. He actually glanced her way and nodded, much to her surprise. And then the guard paused to let her know she could go in, before he caught up to the other guard, and then they were gone.

Cali had to take a moment to recover from the unexpected event, hesitating a little before the door of the place. Taking a deep breath, she wondered if maybe she’d be better off to come back another time. No..if she kept putting it off for another day, she may never go forward with this. Without giving herself another moment's hesitation to back out, she pushed open the door and stepped inside, only to stop the moment she had got in there, half-wanting to slip back out again once she saw how many people were there. So many unfamiliar faces... she hadn't quite expected so many all right there. There should be at least one familiar face around here somewhere, but the young woman didn't know if he was here at the moment, and didn't see him during her brief scan of the room.

Feeling as if everyone were looking at her, she suddenly felt very out of place, and unsure who to even ask for. This was a totally new thing for her and half-expected to be turned away, but she wouldn't know until she'd at least made the inquiry. The closest person was probably the best one to ask, so Cali tried to get their attention, doing her best to hide how nervous she felt. "Excuse me, um. I'm looking for whoever is in charge, please?"

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters

"Nyn!" Pele returned her friend's greeting on a much less formal level, as she left her perch to return the clasp and heartily dive in for a hug. Stepping back again after a while, Pele gave a light shrug and a lopsided grin. "What do you mean - perfect distraction? It was a well deserved promotion, and... a perfect timing for it." She laughed softly, very well aware that Arnyn knew how uncomfortable she felt when being the centre of attention; luckily Duinion's promotion was an excellent first thing to do to show her appreciation for his work, even though Pele knew that the man seemingly felt even more awkward with attention of the Rangers focused on him than she ever would.

A draft of air from the opening door drew Pele's attention, and she waited to catch a sight of the newcomer among the other Rangers. It was a young woman she did not seem to know. A new recruit? Other business? "Now, what is it..." she wondered quietly to Arnyn, before she stepped forward to respond to the question she overheard. "I am Captain Pele Alarion," she said to Cali. "How can I help you?"

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta, Ranger
Headquarters

Given the last (and only other) time that Unalmis had witnessed a direct address from the King, he had to admit this one had been far more enjoyable. There was no bad news of treacheries to stave off with the good news of promotions earned. There was only the good news itself, of promotions earned. Elessar soonafter made his departure, and why would he not, in the sure knowledge after all that he was leaving matters in good, practiced and highly qualified hands. For Pele .. Captain Alarion, .. Nal corrected himself mentally, took no time in getting straight (back) to work.

Poor Duinion clearly took his turn at startling when his name was called, though the precedent of the day should have reassured him, if the new Captain’s character did not. The celebrations were to continue, and their ranks swelled further by another elite among their number. Not so elite at giving speeches, it seemed, but what more really was required for the man to say beyond what he had ? Rangers were known more for actions than for words, and the term itself, ‘Tirdinen’, for all it’s ambiguous beginnings, had longstanding associations with performing deeds unseen. The first Ranger recognised of that specialty was hardly likely to regale all with a rousing monologue, now was he ?

Observing the bearded recruit then speaking closely with the newly-promoted Ranger, Unalmis realised they two must be familiar, for Duinion would likely favour such a quiet exchange of words over a resounding room of attention. With this in mind he moved as though to follow but was stalled at the point of moving, by the fact of Ilisys standing with her head off tilt, as though deep in thought.

Ilisys Azrubêl, Ehtyar Ranger
Headquarters

There was no cause for the lady to doubt the judgement of their new Captain, nor the King for his own part in trusting the new Captain’s decisions. Still Ilisys found herself regarding the recent promoted Ranger Duinion with an air of undisguised interest. “I do not know this one,” she confided, quiet enough that only Unalmis likely heard her, and linger a time more.

“Well that is because a Tirdinen conducts much of his work within camouflage and concealment,” the young man shrugged. “If you’ve never seen him before, then he must be very good at what he does.”

“I would speak to him,” the Ehtyar decided aloud, even as setting forth to do that very thing. And as much as she had tendency to be quite capricious, Nal pondered if that was the Belfalasian’s way of asking him to introduce the two to one another. And as much as it was not his job to do so, he could not help but hasten after Isys regardless, rather curious by now what sort of conversation this might lead to.

“You’d best be swift,” the young man advised her, aware of the other Ranger’s tendency to flee public settings. “If you lose him you may never find him again ..”


Perhaps spurred by this incitement, Ilisys made short work of crossing the room, either unaware or unconcerned of her keen shadow who stayed close. As Duinion concluded his brief scan of surveying an escape route, the lady stepped in front of him, perhaps a little dramatically. They breed them tall in the Dor-En-Ernil, the woman alike to the men.

“Hûl, Duinion Raedor, Tirdinen” she held out no hand but rather eyed the Tirdinen with ambiguous intrigue. Unalmis withheld his own congratulations long enough that he could watch the meeting without interrupting it. How long his presence might go unnoticed, he could not say, for Duinion must be far more apt in observing his environment than Unalmis was, the latter having not yet even heeded the presence of Cali in the room. On the other hand, Ilisys had a tendency to gather attention toward her, with such eccentricities of character. So perhaps as distractions went, she would serve, for assuredly she would not easily wilt before Raedor. Whether though she might say more, or expected him to, was not clear. The Captain had dismissed the room from formalities, but escaping it would not be managed now without notice at the least.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Headquarters

Cali hadn't quite expected to be confronted right away by the very person she sought, and so was a bit taken off guard when a woman came straight to her. "Oh, hello Captain." She smiled at the woman who introduced herself as Captain Pele Alarion, slightly nervous. "I.. didn't mean to interrupt anything," She said with a slight glance around, unsure of exactly what she may have interrupted. It seemed like something, though. "I could come back at a more convenient time..." But there she was, procrastinating again. Still, now that she was here, how to go about it? She took a breath to prepare herself. "I just, well I heard there may be a position open, and was hoping to apply for it... I thought this would be the place to go for that." She explained, wondering if there might be a better place to talk.

Tirdenin Duinion Raedor
Headquarters

Duinion paused when he didn't immediately spot the young ranger he had wanted to greet, due to the fact he was standing behind someone else, though Duinion did not know that. Earlier, Duinion hadn’t missed the young man’s eager waving, and he couldn't help smiling faintly as he recalled another young ranger doing something very similar, once. Himself, when a close friend showed up out in the forest one day, quite unexpectedly. But Unalmis had moved from when he last saw him, and before he had a chance to turn his gaze elsewhere, it was drawn toward the door as a young woman entered. And stood there, blocking the exit. He paused for a moment at this, but told himself it was alright. She would move soon. Hopefully.

Before he had given it any further thought, an unexpected, and not entirely unwelcome, distraction presented itself, in the form of a woman he had not before met. Ilisys had stepped right in front of him, blocking his view of the door, and admittedly, caught him slightly off guard. "Well met, and thank you, Ehtyar." He paused. "I'm afraid we have not met before.. you know my name, but I do not know yours." He had no name to assign to her, but it was friendly of her to come over. And close behind her, like a puppy tagging along, was the young man he had hoped to say hello to. “And Unalmis,” He greeted the young man. “How are you?"

[Ercassie]

Ilisys Azrubêl, Ehtyar Ranger, with Unalmis Raxëlilta, Ranger
with Duinion Raedor, - Tirdinen. Headquarters

She did not startle when he knew her rank, though not her name. For the Ehtyar insignia was set about her uniform for any to behold. She did smile however, when Duinion responded well, and looked him over for long enough that most men would grow quite uncomfortable, or impatient. “There is no cause for you to be afraid,” she bade him in eventual conclusion, though the smile faded. “My name would not make difference. Regardless. I am Isys.”

Her words were pointedly pronounced, as though she were unused to making words. There was a depth to them which suggested more than the mere meaning of the shapes formed by her pale lips. Grey eyes observed the recognition which the two men shared in their exchange, flitting from the one to the other, and then back.


“Not as well as you, by all accounts,” Nal gave up to the new Tirdinen, along with a fist to chest in respect. “If I bid you a congratulations do you promise to not run from the room at least long enough to hear it ?” he grinned.

“I know your name,” the Lady remembered, interrupting. “Before this day. I heard it. Before you had a face,”

“Ilisys’s uncle is the second husband of my grandmother’s niece,” Nal caught the other family friend up to speed and hoped to ground the enigma into some sort of mundane existence. Despite the oddly vacant look about her transfixed face.

“Have him come,” the lady left a whisper in the closest ear of the younger man, scrutinised Duinion once more in private contemplation and then departed, with no more explanation.

“She’s from Belfalas, you know, Dol Amroth ?” the Ranger summarised, as though that justified the eccentric behaviour. And then clapped the newly promoted Ranger on one arm, changing the subject. “It has been the longest time. How is Eryn ?”

[Isolde Alarion]

Ranger Mourgan Alarion

It seemed their meeting was about to disband but then another was brought to the forefront of their attention.
Duinion. The poor man seemed to think he was going to get a tongue lashing. It was apparent he was uncomfortable in crowds and now he looked to be seeking an exit.
He watched as their new Captain then pinned him with the new rank of Tirdinen. He offered a solid clapping of the hands.
They were then dismissed and he decided it was time he headed back to the barracks. He’d just turned on his heel when his exit was blocked by both Unalmis and the woman he hadn’t met (Isys) and it seemed a woman looking to speak with Pele about joining up with the Rangers.
He waited till his pathway to the door was cleared and moved through those gathered to leave them to their gathering.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Headquarters

Having stepped into the ranger's territory, Cali felt rather out of place here. No sooner had she given a reply to the captain than she realized that she had, in fact, positioned herself standing right in front of the doorway. The moment she saw someone moving toward it, as if they'd like to leave, she swiftly stepped aside with an apologetic glance toward the young man(Mourgan), and then returned her gaze to the captain as she awaited some sort of reply.

Tirdenin Duinion Raedor
Headquarters

The woman's response took him a little by surprise, and he couldn't help a slight grin. "Pleased to meet you, Isys." He replied to her. Behind her, he observed the doorway now unblocked, but remained where he stood for now. Before he had a chance to think how to respond to Unalmis' comment, Isys' had yet again caught him off guard. Where could she have heard his name before? He tilted his head a bit, puzzled by this, and wondered at it. He certainly wasn't very well-known, but then, perhaps Unalmis had spoken of him before. A smile came upon his face again, amused by her wording even if he didn't know where she might have heard of him before. "I'm quite sure that I had a face before I had a name, actually." He replied with a small grin.

Unalmis' explanation brought a nod from him. Family ties could be a little complicated, by all that he had heard. He usually wasn't sure what so and so was to someone else, and how this relation was called by this one, and so forth. "Yes, I'm familiar with where Belfalas is," He answered with a small smile. And then the lady had whispered something to the young man and slipped away, leaving Duinion feeling rather baffled by the entire exchange. "What was that about?" He asked of Unalmis in some confusion, before recalling some things the young ranger had said, which he had yet to respond to. "Thank you, by the way," He added belatedly. "For the congratulations." He clarified. "Though," Duinion lowered his tone slightly, "For a moment there, I honestly thought I was in trouble for something, and couldn't think what I might have done." He admitted.

The question concerning his daughter brought a slight hesitation, followed by a small shrug. "She is still determined to be a ranger, though I've gotten her to agree to wait a few years, at least, before she enlists." He answered, unsure how much Unalmis may know of that particular situation. "I'm eager to get home and tell her about this, of course," He motioned to the badge with a smile. "Though I intend to stop and see your father first. Do you have any interest in coming along?" He inquired, unsure whether Unalmis would rather stay here than to visit with his father.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Headquarters

As Pele's attention was quickly drawn away, Arnyn gave her friend and new Captain a smile and a single wave of her hand. She remembered how the next order of business always seemed to sneak up on you at HQ. She would leave their Captain to it. With a nod at Cali, Arnyn moved on.

The Hyandaner waited a moment until there was a lull in the conversation between Unalmis and Duinion, and then offered a more personal recognition of the newly promoted Tirdinen. "Congratulations, Duinion! May you take as much joy in the title of Tirdinen as I do in that of Hyandaner," she smiled, meaning every word. Being a Hyandaner had always been a source of pride and joy for her.

"Unalmis," she nodded at the other Ranger in hello - and also immediately as a way of saying goodbye. She was not about to linger overlong. She had training plans today. First she would stop by the house, and then move on to the grounds. Surely the perfect obstacle course was waiting for her there.

With a raised hand to the others who were still there (such as Karis, Thûllir, Kaylin, Romeran, Caladcyll), she followed in Isys' and Mourgan's footsteps, and left HQ.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters, dealing with Calithilidis @Rillewen

"A position?" Pele asked Cali, her eyebrow raised slightly, as she tried to remember what it could all be about. The current events had taken up most of her attention, and she wondered whether she was even aware of any open positions.

The Rangers had started to leave one by one, so Pele did not see any reason to delay other business, and she told Cali as much: "There is no need for you to leave once you have come. We have finished our meeting, and I can hear you out. But let us go into the office and discuss the matters in a more private setting."

With another look over the few Rangers still about, Pele led the way to the office which was now rightfully hers, and not only for watering the plant on the windowsill and dealing with some papers. When both of them had entered, Pele nodded towards the chair. "Please be seated, if you like," she offered and then proceeded to ask: "So... who are you again and what position is it? I might be somewhat forgetful due to all the excitement and such." Sitting down, she focused wholly on Cali and the matter she had come to discuss.

[Rillewen]

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Captain's office with @Pele Alarion

Both relief and further nervousness fought for control as Captain Alarion asked her to come along to the office. At least she would be able to discuss it in private. That way, if it turned out she had heard a false rumor of an opening, at least it wouldn't be widely known and save her too much awkwardness. Following the captain, the course took her past a ranger she knew well, and the young woman couldn't help but smile as she reached out with her left hand to poke Unalmis' arm in passing, with a little wave at her friend from childhood. "Hi, Nal." She greeted him quietly without stopping, tossing a smile back at him over her shoulder. There was no time really to stop and talk to him, and he appeared to be busy talking to someone else anyway, but she couldn't go past him without some acknowledgement.

Carefully making sure she kept up with the captain, Cali quietly glanced around the office as she took a seat in the offered chair. She inhaled slowly trying to calm any nervousness. "My name is Calithildis Dringolben," she answered. "I.. I may have heard wrong, and if so, I'm very sorry for wasting your time, but someone told me that the smith who works in the armory here has been seeking a replacement, so they may retire." She hesitated, nervousness surging yet again, but forced it down as best she could. "I'd like to... ask that you consider me for that position, if there truly is such a position open." She paused and glanced down at her arm in the sling. "Obviously, I.. would need some time before I'm able to do any work, but the healers tell me my arm should be fine in a couple of weeks..."

Tirdenin Duinion Raedor
Headquarters

@Ercassie

As yet another ranger he didn't know stepped up to congratulate him, Duinion smiled, feeling glad that his comrades were so kind even to those they didn't know. It made him regret not knowing more of these people better, though preferably out in open spaces, like the forest. "Thank you, Hyandanar," he replied with a smile to Arnyn, trying to make note of her face, so that perhaps later he could learn her name. That was one downside to avoiding the city as he did, that he failed to meet many of his fellow-rangers except during missions, and he had been away for a while. But he supposed that couldn't really be helped. He would get to know them eventually, and hopefully become friends with them all.

While thus briefly distracted by Arnyn speaking to him, Duinion almost missed another nearby exchange as Unalmis' friend passed as he was trying to subtly edge himself and Unalmis closer to the exit. Almost. Yet, the one word she had uttered in passing grabbed his attention. Hearing it, the ranger paused and glanced after the young woman, mildly startled, then back at Unalmis. "What did she call you?" He wondered, unsure if he had heard correctly... if he had, then a long-standing mystery had just been solved, and that was a weight off his shoulders.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta, Ranger
Headquarters

He was well rehearsed in the sort of confusion Ilisys left in her wake, but he had equally learned it best to simply dismiss any aftereffects as swiftly as possible. “I have found it best to just accept it, and expect no explanations,” Unalmis shrugged. “Do not look too surprised though, at the promotion. It must be a while now since you were last in trouble ?”

What mirth the younger man might have recalled in stories he had heard of Duinion’s youth, he discarded with a troubled face, as the new Tirdinen spoke of his daughter. Nal was quite aware of course that Erynneth was keen to enlist. Nearly all the encounters he had known with her involved that very subject. What he could understand less so, was why parents always insisted on delaying the opportunity. As soon as Ryndir had left school, Nal had been eager to join his friend in signing up. His father had actually been on his side, arguing that it would teach him how to be responsible for his country and kinsmen, as well as for his own sake. Particularly since the young man had by then already demonstrated he would set off upon bold adventures unprepared and untrained, if so neglected. His grandmother had wept so, after losing so many of her loved ones to ‘the cause’ over the years, that they’d made him wait until his next birthday. A compromise. But if he’d only been able to enlist when he’d felt ready, he might have not had to do so after Ryndir was already lost ..


“I am sure she will be very proud of you,” he managed to swallow away the past, electing to respond to the parts of conversation which he could without judgement. Thankfully Arnyn chose the perfect moment to extend her own appreciation to Duinion, so that Nal could better resume his composure. “Hyandaner Dealedwen” he returned to the accomplished woman, respectfully, as she took leave. They had been edging toward the exit as unassumingly as Duinion could clearly herd them toward flight, so the younger Ranger was not surprised when he felt someone press against his arm. The voice which accompanied it though, did rouse him to a greater state of shock.

Cali ! What was Cali doing here ? Had he somehow conjured Ryndir’s sister into attending here, just by recalling her twin ? Staring unashamedly after the young woman, Unalmis had to shake himself back into form, when Duinion met his eye, seeming just as shocked, though he could not think why.


“Erm .. my name ?” he trialled, carefully, as though speaking to somebody who had been hit in the head. “I know you may not know everyone here, but you at least knew me a moment ago !” With a laugh, he proposed to make for the door in his due turn. He had meant to speak to Pele too, another of his mentors who had been deservedly recognised this day. But she and Cali were both gone before he could understand at all. Was Cali now come to enlist herself ?

“I think I had better see you safely there,” Nal decided, mentally adding Duinion to Isys levels of weird this day ! “It is on the way besides.” Another step toward the door, another glance after his old friend .. and a rather concerned look toward the Tirdinen. “Accepting it. Expecting absolutely no explanations,” the young Ranger muttered, shaking his head slightly as he went.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters - Captain's Office
@Rillewen

The name caused Pele's brow to furrow for a moment when she thought of where she had heard it before, yet she said nothing of what thoughts ran through her mind. "Calithildis," she repeated softly and offered her a smile to make her feel more at ease.

"The smith? Let me see," Pele rubbed her chin thoughtfully, and then opened one of the drawers to look through the stack of papers. She vaguely remembered having read the smith's note - or had it been application for retirement - or request... but she had simply stowed it away because she did not have the right to deal with such matters. "Ah, there it is!" the Captain exclaimed after a while, having found just what she had been looking for. Quickly she reread what the smith had written, and then looked up at Cali.

"It seems to be true that the smith wants to leave, so perhaps the position might become open," she said, looking intently at the new applicant. "But you do understand that the Ranger gear must be of the highest quality, yes? Do you have experience to prove that you would be able to ensure such quality?" Pele did not want to assume that Cali did not have what it takes since she appeared to be young, and yet her reasonable doubt might have been clearly implied in her questions. She had to make sure that the person taking on a job on which Rangers' lives depended would be knowledgeable and skilled.

[Rillewen]

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Captain's office with @Pele Alarion

Watching a bit nervously while the captain looked for, and then read, some sort of paper, Cali waited to hear the result of it all. And then.. yes, it was true. The current smith did indeed wish to retire. The position might become open. Might? Realizing she had held her breath, Cali slowly released the air from her lungs and nodded slightly, trying not to get her hopes up too high. But it seemed she had come at possibly the best time... they hadn't even had a chance to advertise for a replacement, and had arrived before any other potential candidates knew there was any such opening. But would that matter?

She gazed back at Pele for a second or two, taking a moment to think of the best way to reply to her question. A couple of different answers came to mind. "Yes, I understand," She replied quietly. 'More than you know,' she added mentally, feeling the familiar ache of the loss, remembering the improperly set rivets on armor that had failed to protect her brother. It was on the tip of her tongue, to mention how he had died because of faulty armor, but she couldn't say that. It wasn't widely known about the armor, and furthermore, she couldn't reveal that terrible secret and ruin her father's reputation. There were things which could not be said, even now, with him gone. Neither could she reveal that she had been the one to do all of the forge work for the last few years.

Carefully pushing her emotions down deep, lest she be overcome, Cali focused instead on how she might convince the captain of her ability without a demonstration. She couldn't tell that she had done ALL of the work, but there was no reason why she couldn't admit to having done some of it, was there? "I have experience," She answered at last. "I learned a great deal from my father," every word the truth, though he didn't know he had taught her anything. "and in the last few years before his death, I was helping him a great deal in the forge, though it wasn't common knowledge. I made some of the armor and weapons all on my own, in fact." She paused, then added, "I wouldn't be surprised if some of those things which I made are in your armory now."

Glancing down at her arm, she held back a sigh, wishing it would heal faster. It felt uncomfortable to be 'bragging' about her own ability, when she was accustomed to keeping it secret. It would be far easier to ask for a chance to show what she could do. But, looking at her injured arm reminded her of another who could vouch for her. "There is an elf who currently resides in the houses of healing," Cali mentioned, glancing up again. "A Grand Master smith from Imladris. I have worked with her and learned from her, and... I'm certain she would vouch for my skill." She just hoped Fuin wouldn't build her up too much that Cali couldn't actually live up to expectations. "My main interest in applying for this position, Captain, is to ensure that you rangers DO have the best equipment. I know nothing about your present smith, I'm sure that she's quite good at what she does. But I.." Her voice broke slightly. "I want to personally be sure that everything is made as well as it can be."

Tirdinen Duinion Raedor
Headquarters

@Ercassie


It seemed Unalmis was just as perplexed by the young woman as Duinion, though for different reasons. He could almost have laughed at the astonished expression on the young man's face, watching her go by. He obviously knew her somehow, but Duinion didn't inquire into it. He was far more interested in his recent discovery. Of course... Nal... His name. Unalmis... A smile spread onto Duinion's face, wondering how he could have not caught onto it sooner. "Of course," He nodded. It made perfect sense. Addhor's son was the right age, and even behaved much like the other young man Duinion once knew. There was little chance the two had not been friends. Like Duinion and Domanol, once upon a time. At least that was one thing he had not failed in, though he had long thought he had.

"I had never heard anyone call you that before, that's all." He answered, a bit distractedly. Should he tell him why this was so important, or keep that to himself? He was torn both ways, and so caught up with this line of thought that he hardly thought about what else the young man was saying, until a moment or two later. "Hm? On the way?" he inquired, glancing at Unalmis inquisitively. He had intended to go home after a brief stop to see Addhor, now it seemed perhaps Unalmis had other plans in store. At least they were leaving this place at last, though not the city, yet.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion with Calithildis Dringolben @Rillewen
Headquarters - Captain's Office

Pele listened carefully to everything Cali said, and she could also sense some hidden pain though quite well disguised. She decided not to pry at it, and instead focused on account of the skills and obtained experience.

"I know of the Elf you speak about," she said, a small smile appearing on her lips. "And it seems to me that you have indeed done a fair bit of work."

She hesitated for a while, considering the options at her disposal, and then said: "I would say this, Calithildis: there is no rush in getting everything sorted. Why don't you take the time to become acquainted with our armoury while your arm heals, see if you can aid our present smith a bit as I would like to have his approval of you. And then I might provide you with a test..." She paused a while, thinking of it, and then continued: "I have a chainmail shirt which I have all but written off - the spear went right through it as a knife through butter, and now it has a nice hole. I got myself a brand new chainmail to replace it, but perhaps you could take a look at the old one and even if it can't be fixed, at least tell me what might have been the cause for it to be so useless. Can we agree on these conditions?"

[Rillewen]

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Captain's office with @Pele Alarion

Cali smiled faintly, glad to hear that Pele knew about Fuin already. "I thought you might," She admitted with a tiny shrug. "My mother has told me a lot about you... master healer." She smiled. "She's a nurse at the houses of healing... Maeth." And if she knew her mother, she had probably mentioned her daughter a few times over the past few years. She knew her mother had missed her greatly while she was away, though of course, Maeth didn't know anything about Cali's work in the forge.

Listening with interest to the suggestion that she get familiar with the armory, and help the smith, Cali could hardly believe it. That sounded like she'd been accepted for the position! But there was still the other smith's approval, and she nodded slowly at that. It made sense. If she'd had her choice about it, she wouldn't turn her forge over to anyone without knowing they were capable of good work. It troubled her, not knowing what the smith was like who was renting her father's forge, but in a few years she could reclaim it, once his lease had ended. In the meanwhile, she hoped to be doing plenty of the same work right here, and ensuring the rangers were taken care of.

"That sounds wonderful, thank you." She answered, struggling to rein in her eagerness a bit. "I'd be perfectly willing to take a look at the maille," She answered, pausing with a slight frown, "Although from what you said, I could probably tell you without seeing it what happened. It sounds like it was butted, not riveted, or else the rivets weren't done right..." her frown deepened at that, wondering... where did that maille shirt come from? She was sure that she would know if she saw it, whether it was her father's work or another's, and wasn't sure which she would prefer. Like a knife through butter? That shouldn't happen. "May I..take a look?" She asked, while mentally trying to prepare herself for what she would see.

[Romeran]

Ranger Recruit Romeran
Headquarters: Captain Pele's office - some time after the promotions
@Pele Alarion

What am I in trouble for? Romeran wondered as he walked hastily from the barracks to the headquarters. Could it have been how much he had been eating? It was obvious that Romeran ate considerably more than the other rangers but he had tried to make up for it by helping out in the kitchens as much as he could and Sergeant Pete had assured him that it wasn't a problem and that he enjoyed seeing someone eat his food with such enthusiasm. This didn't help Romeran who had received a summons from the Captain in the morning and Romeran had conveniently been found in the mess. Once he had read the summons he wolfed down the rest of his food, still helped in the kitchen as was his custom, and made a beeline for the captain's office.

Quickly then he had made his way to the headquarters, not wanting to delay any more than he already had from receiving the summons to arriving at the office. He had to pause outside the office to catch his breath for a moment and get a handle on his nervousness, his heart was beating quickly but mostly it was anxiety about why he had been summoned and fear that he was in some sort of trouble than the exercise of practically running over here -- he was already in considerably good shape from years of manual labor but had even still found himself in the best shape he had ever been since joining the rangers. After a few moments he gathered up the courage and knocked on Captain Pele's office door. "Captain Pele, it's recruit Romeran, you requested to see me?" he asked from behind the door.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion with Cali @Rillewen
Headquarters, Captain's Office

"It just might happen that I have heard something about you too, but possibly not nearly enough," Pele admitted with a smile when Cali mentioned her mother. "Though whatever information I have did not include your smithying skills. So I hope you will excuse my wish to assure that it is just as you say."

For a few moments Pele looked at Calithildis when she described the possible problems with the armour, smile still lingering on her face.

"Well, let me see if it has not been discarded," she said, standing up. "The issue might already have been investigated, but I would still like to hear your opinion." Heading for one of the bigger cupboards, she took out a parcel wrapped in cloth and laid it on the table before Cali. "Here. They say a rivet or two were even forced into the wound. It did not feel very pleasant, let me tell you," Pele frowned, remembering the incident. Having unwrapped the cloth, she motioned towards the chainmail. "Take a look. A nice big hole right in the middle, isn't it? At least it held up somewhat though, lest I wouldn't be standing here. What do you think?"

@Romeran
At some later time

Pele had been reading through some rather mundane reports of everyday goings-on and sorting them into appropriate locations, when the knock and Romeran's voice caught her attention. "Aha!" she said under her breath, leaving the work behind and heading for the door. She took care in opening the door so as not to hit Romeran if case he happened to stand right behind it.

"So I did, Recruit Romeran, so I did," she said, stepping out into the main area, and then spoke loud enough for everyone who was present to hear. "And I have a very solid reason for that. It has been reported to me that you have been very eager to learn the skills necessary to become a good Rangers. And so, having received excellent recommendations, I make it known to you and everyone present here that you are now a Ranger Trainee."

[Romeran]

Ranger Trainee Romeran
Headquarters, Captain's Office
@Pele Alarion

When the captain came to the door rather than request that he come inside Romeran became immediately more nervous. Did whatever Romeran do wrong require a public scolding? he wondered. He certainly hoped he hadn't done something to warrant that. The captain, however, did not seem to be angry at him, at least at first glance. He stepped back and offered a salute as she came through the door. "Captain" he said as he did so. Despite most of the rangers generally disposing of formality, Romeran couldn't help but offer deference to the senior rangers, especially the captain even though they had had lessons together.

The news that he had moved on from Recruit to Trainee came as a surprise to Romeran, but not an undue one. He couldn't help but smile as a reaction. "Thank you, Captain Pele" he struggled to say through his happiness. "It has been a pleasure to learn from such experienced rangers" he added, he had felt particularly blessed by having such excellent masters thus far. "I will continue to apply myself wholly to the task." Romeran felt now even more motivated than he had before to become a full ranger, he knew it would take time and even when he was made a ranger he would still have a long way to go before he could count himself among those with whom he served.

[Rillewen]

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Captain's office with @Pele Alarion

"I'm not surprised," Cali replied with a faint smile. "My mother was unaware of my working in the forge." She explained, a little unsure whether to go into that any more or not. Only if the captain asked, she decided. "And I don't blame you one bit, I wish I was able to demonstrate my ability, but alas..." she sighed with a glance at her arm, frustration rising up yet again. For a moment, she briefly wondered if Pele had known her brother, Ryn, but she didn't want to bring that up, as this didn't seem like the time for discussions of that sort. She waited quietly while Pele looked for the maille in question.

It seemed the damaged maille was not discarded after all, and she watched the captain set it on the table, a flicker of trepidation stirring inside. Inhaling slowly and carefully, Cali braced herself for what she would see when the cloth was unwrapped. A frown touched her face at what Pele said. Some rivets were found in the wound? "As well as a few links, I would imagine," She murmured regretfully. After a moment, she took a look as Pele asked, and nodded slowly. She stared at the gap in the armor. It was as she feared. Thank goodness, it was nearly impossible to put a maker's mark on chain maille, or it would have been obvious where it came from. Still... Cali recognized the work... she knew his work better than anyone's. This was one that got past her, or perhaps it had been made before she learned what was happening. Whatever the case, she still felt partially responsible. Her first thought was offer an apology, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn't say that, not without revealing that she knew who had made it.

"I think.." She hesitated, with a little effort to calm her emotions, "the smith who made this ought to have laid down his hammer and let another take his place." She hesitated, her eyes fixed upon the hole. "I think... you are very lucky, Captain, to have survived this wound." She closed her eyes and sighed softly, then took a more careful look at it, trying to put aside her personal thoughts on the matter. "As for what I think about this," She ran her fingers over the links, frowning. "It's as I thought. Some of the rivets, at least those that didn't fall off, didn't get clamped down." She found it awkward to have to use her left hand solely, but lifted up a few links of the mail to show her. "See how on these, the link is completely closed and then locked that way, with the rivet?" She then indicated some others. "And these, are.. not. The rivets didn't get hammered down, some are even missing their rivets. It looks as if several of the links are missing around the hole." She wondered if a cluster of links might have come away, thus creating such a hole. "It's hard to tell whether there were any missing rivets to begin with, but.. the smith missed far too many." She looked up at Pele. "If this armor had been made as it should have been, it should have stopped that spear, or at least only allowed the very tip to pass through." She hesitated, swallowing down a lump of emotions that had gathered in her throat. "As a smith... I feel I should apologize for the one who made this... this is unacceptable, and I'm truly sorry that this happened."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Stables

She'd just brought Nársüle back in after a much needed stretch of the warhorse's legs. Her long braid was disheveled from the wind pulling at her hair, and the shorter bits around her face had escaped as well. She brushed the strands behind her ears as she led her dark brown horse into his usual stall, but as she unsaddled him and made sure he had enough food and water available, that soon proved futile.

Promising to come back later that day to brush him down, Arnyn pulled the tie from her braid and shook out her long hair, meanwhile leaving the stables to check whether anyone was using the yard. At seeing someone entangled with a black dog, rolling around in the mud, she froze momentarily. Of all the things she had thought she might see today...

This had not been one of them.

More than slightly amused, she crossed her arms and took in the scene. She didn't recognise the young man. Even covered in mud, she would be able to make the connection with most, if not all, of the Rangers. "Excuse me," she called out, with a smile in her dark eyes. "This is a horse yard, not a doggy play pen!"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Stables (unauthorized)

"Excuse me!"

The sound of another person's voice startled him. Trastion had just barely managed to wedge a finger around the small leather pouch, trying to get a firm grip on it so he might be able to wrench it from the dog's mouth, when the woman's voice called out from behind him. He half-spun around, looking over his shoulder in surprise. In that moment, the dog gave a sharp yank; she apparently thought this was a game of tug of war. The action pulled Trastion off-balance and he yelped as he fell forward into the mud, his fingers slipping from the now-slippery leather. He watched the dog run off, and groaned, dropping his head down in momentary despair.

If it hadn't been for the woman standing there, he would have jumped up and ran after the dog. But, feeling as if he'd been caught somewhere he was probably not supposed to be, he thought it unwise to run off after the black fiend, and instead face...whatever was going to happen now. Still, for a moment after he'd sat up, he couldn't help staring after the dog, feeling somewhat dismal. Heaving a sigh, he looked down at his hands.. covered in both mud and dog-slobber, and cringed. This was not going as planned. In fact, it seemed like it was going about as badly as it could have gone.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," He climbed slowly to his feet, turning to face her. If she could see his face under all the mud-splatter, she'd probably see it was rather red. "I...uh. I... came here hoping to become a ranger... I was hoping to make a good impression," This was followed with a slightly awkward laugh as he glanced down at himself. Another cringe, then a sheepish grin. "I don't suppose there's anyplace I could clean up before I talk to...whoever I need to talk to?" He shifted uncomfortably. "See, I uh, wasn't planning on.. this." he motioned around, at himself, the mud... and cast a wistful glance over his shoulder at the dog that was now long gone. "Also I'd very much like to get that pouch back from that dog.. is she yours?" He could only hope... if the dog was hers, maybe it would come to her, and obey her.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Stables

It seemed like her voice had been the distraction that turned the dog into the victor. As the stranger fell face forward into the mud, Arnyn couldn't help but make a sorry face. She had to hide her grin behind one of her hands. By the time the stranger climbed to his feet, however, she'd lowered her hand again and her grin had faded back into a smile.

"Hoping to become a ranger? By wrestling a dog in our stable yard?" Arnyn slanted her head, briefly chuckling along with his laugh as he looked down at himself.
"I'm sorry, but the dog is not mine. I also have no experience with them, so I'm afraid I will be of no use to you." She eyed him carefully. He was young, and definitely energetic. Could turn into something. When he asked whether there was a place he could clean up, part of her wanted to show him to the barracks. He could use the baths in the men's wing, as far as she was concerned - but she held no official title over the barracks master, and he was a nitpicky sort of man. Stranger did not equal ranger, and therefore Lieutenant Brian would not want the young man in his domain.

"Oh nooo," she replied, with an apologetic shrug of her shoulders. "I'm afraid not. But, come with me, if you wish to join us." She would show him to the Captain. Mud and all.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Stables (unauthorized)

His shoulders slumped slightly upon hearing that no, she couldn't help him with the dog. This day was not going at ALL as he had hoped. And he would still have to get his things back, somehow. If the dog didn't eat them. He frowned, worrying a little about that. Hopefully the pouch would be undamaged, and its contents all safe and sound if he ever did catch the dog. But one of the three items was easily destroyed, while the other two were metal. Still, it would be very bad if the dog ate them, and he wondered who it belonged to so he could ask them to help.

The day took yet another turn for the worse as she declared.. with what seemed like amusement.. that he would not get to even clean up before speaking to the person in charge. Shoot. He held back a groan at hearing this, and dropped his head. His hands were covered in dog slobber, still, and he couldn't even wipe that off on his clothes because of all the mud. He'd probably get kicked out and told never to return, showing up in this sort of condition. He blamed it all on that dog.

"Yes ma'am," He replied with resignation, after a moment to gather his nerve. With a final glance off in the direction the dog had gone, he swung himself over the fence (far enough away not to sling mud on the woman) and turned to face her again. His first instinct was to bow politely, but he refrained from that. "Lead the way." He forced a smile, feeling sure that he was about to be laughed out of the city, or else yelled out, and told never to return. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he realized he may never get a chance to recover his belongings. Following along after the woman with his shoulders slumped, the young man remembered to at least grab his pack from where he'd left it, and started thinking about how he might manage to still recover his lost belongings, if he was kicked out.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Stables

Lead the way, he said - and so she would. But after a few steps, she realized he was simply going to follow in her wake. Arnyn had no desire to have him trail behind her as if he were a schoolboy who'd jus been scolded by a teacher. If he was to become a ranger, and he succeeded, they would be peers, after all. "Walk with me," she said, with some emphasis on the middle word, to convey her meaning.

Once he was walking beside her, she ignored the mud and dog slobber and spoke to him as if she would speak to anyone else. "I will show you the way to Headquarters, which is where you can petition to enlist. My name is Arnyn, a Hyandaner with the unit you are seeking to join."

Headquarters

"Where are you from?" she ventured after they had crossed the threshold. He did not seem to hail from the city proper, she thought. It seemed like they had an infliux of 'out of towners' recently. That was to be expected, perhaps, since the King had disbanded the army and options to join a fighting force throughout Gondor were more limited than ever.

"I'm from Minas Tirith myself, although it feels more like the exception than the norm, these days," she entrusted him with a reassuring smile. "Come!" Arnyn pointed out a heavy door, past a few people who were staring at Trastion. "That is the door to the Captain's office." She raised an eyebrow. "If she reacts in a less than ideal way when you enter, I ask that you forgive her. It is rather unusual for someone to appear at HQ in such a manner."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Stables

A couple of extra-long strides got him caught up so he was walking even with the woman, and he smiled. "Sorry." All of this was very new, and he still felt sure he was going to get kicked out, but so far she'd been fairly friendly. Maybe that was an indication of what the others would be like... hopefully. With one hand occupied holding the strap of his pack (he didn't really want to put it on his muddy back right now) he used the other hand to try and brush off some of the mud as he went. All he really succeeded in doing was smearing it into his clothing worse than before.

Hearing her introduction, the young man gave up on his fruitless attempts, and glanced up with a smile. "Pleased to meet you Arnyn, I'm Trastion." He offered a friendly grin, and almost offered his hand as well before hesitating, recalling the mud and slobber. "Uh, well. I guess you wouldn't really like to shake my hand at the moment. Maybe another time," He smiled faintly, glancing around as he walked, trying to hide just how awkward this whole thing was for him, while also trying to become familiar with the place in case he actually got to stick around.

Headquarters

"Where are you from?"
The question caused Trastion to hesitate briefly to consider how to answer that, but quickly decided on the last place he'd lived. "Lamedon," He answered with a smile. "A little village called Stonecrest, a fairly good ways northeast of Calembel." He figured most people would know of the main city in the fiefdom, to give a point of reference. The word she'd used had intrigued him, and he glanced curiously at her. "What does Hyandaner mean?" He inquired, though he had a vague idea, his knowledge of those words was somewhat rusty, and anyway, he most people probably wouldn't have studied any Quenya whatsoever, unless they were elves.

Stopping before the door, he took a deep breath. "Right," He nodded slowly, unsure if he ought to feel relieved or worried by her words. "I didn't exactly plan to arrive in this state," He shrugged and tried to smile. "Thank you though, Hyandaner Arnyn," He assumed it to be some sort of title, and therefore was probably proper to use it. "If I don't get kicked out of here, maybe I'll get to work with you sometime," He smiled and turned toward the door she'd indicated as the Captain's. Suddenly a bit nervous, he fidgeted briefly before raising a hand to knock. Glancing at the back of his hand, he paused and tried to wipe as much of the mud off as he could, then knocked, glancing around as he waited, nervous.

@Pele Alarion

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen


Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Stables

"Yes, perhaps," she grinned when he spoke a hand shake at a later date. "Well met, Trastion of Lamedon!" The grin faded to a smile when he asked what Hyandaner meant, and then stopped before Pele's door, taking in a deep gulp of air as if to prepare himself. She remembered how nervous she had been. Nervous, and proud at the same time that she was taking the step. He looked about the same age as she'd been back then, too.

"You're welcome, it was truly no trouble. How about we make an agreement: I will gladly tell you all about what it means etymologically and what it means to me, personally, when we have more time. I will let you speak to the Captain, first. Meanwhile, my faithful steed awaits." She'd better get him brushed down before going home down on the Fourth Circle. After he knocked on Pele's door, Arnyn turned to walk away, and with a wave of her hand called out to him: "If it helps, I don't think she'll kick you out."

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters
with Calithildis @Rillewen

Pele leaned closer to inspect the maille once more, when Cali explained what might have caused the failure; not that she had not already explored the possibilities, but she was interested to see what experise the smith candidate would show. "Yes, there were a couple links too, they say," she added under the breath, not that she really remembered the procedure of removing the said bits and pieces from the wound, having been passed out.

"Do you think it can be fixed, or perhaps it should be discarded altogether?" Pele asked, sitting back again. "I do have a new armour, of course, properly made, so not sure what this would be good for any longer. It is just sitting here and collecting dust."

Pele paused, looking at Cali seriously, and then said: "You have nothing to apologise for as you did not make this, and not sure the one who did can be tracked down any longer." To herself she noted that she would never ever again make a rookie mistake of leaving any of her weapons unattended, no matter what the situation was like.

"I would say, go on then and acquaint yourself with our current smith, let him show you around and all that, I'm sure you'll find something to do even while your arm heals. And I will look forward to hearing any reports on how it goes," she smiled, lightening the mood. "And if you have any questions which are not mere professional - I know nothing of smith works - don't hesitate to find me. Do we have an agreement?"

~~~~~~~~~~~
with Romeran @Romeran
At some later point in time

"It has definitely been great to see your progress, Romeran," Pele told the young man, a proud glint in her eyes. She was quite sure that once he was properly knowledgeable in practical skills, he would be someone she would definitely be able to rely on.

"I'm sure we'll get to work together some more on the training grounds or elsewhere, but not at the moment," she gently nudged him with her elbow. "Go on, head out for some fun somewhere unless on duty. You have started to make friends, right? Grab one or two of them and forget all the serious stuff for a moment."

~~~~~~~~~~
with Trastion @Rillewen
Suppose some other time yet again

Pele was enjoying a bit of a pause in her work, standing with a cup of tea in hand and looking out the window. The rays of sun coming through the foliage of a nearby tree caused the shadows to play on the pavement below, and she simply watched it, lifting the tea to her lips absent-mindedly now and then. At that moment the knock sounded on the door, and for a passing moment the Captain thought of not responding and pretending that she was not there. Yet, if it was something important...

"Enter!" she called out therefore, and turned around to face the door, while leaning against the windowsill, tea cup still in hand.

[Rillewen]

Calithilidis Dringolben - Civilian
Captain's office with @Pele Alarion

Taking a thoughtful look once again after Pele's question, Cali tilted her head and considered. "I think it could," She decided at last. "I, or any other competent smith, should be able to replace the links for this section without too much difficulty, to fill in the hole. I'd want to make sure there are no other rivets in the rest of it that are about to fall out..." She moved it around a little with her left hand, studying at a glance to see whether there were any other rings that needed attention. "I'm sure it could be done, if you'd like to have it fixed." She glanced up after smoothing the maille back as it was. "If you don't want to bother having it fixed, the metal could be reused for something else, but aside from the flaws, it's still a good piece of armor. The flaws can be fixed."

Glancing back down at the armor, Cali kept silent for a moment as Pele pointed out that she had nothing to apologize. Secretly, she couldn't help disagreeing, feeling somehow responsible, even in a minor way. But she nodded quietly. "I know I didn't," She answered, sighing. "It's still upsetting, to see something like this... as if this smith has somehow given a bad name to all other smiths." She shrugged, feeling a twinge of sorrow at the comment that he probably couldn't be tracked down, biting her lip lightly as she thought, 'No, you couldn't, because he's dead now.' Luckily, the next moment, the topic moved on.

She glanced up with a small smile at Pele's next words. "Yes, that sounds fine," She smiled a bit bigger. "Thank you, I look forward to getting familiar with the armory." She could hardly believe it. She'd taken a bit of a leap of faith in even coming here, and it seemed to have paid off. Standing, Cali debated about asking if she'd like her to take the maille along for repairs, but then decided against it. The current smith may feel too busy to take on a project of that sort, and it would be a couple of weeks before Cali would be able to swing a hammer again. "I hope you enjoy the rest of the day," She added with a smile before setting off to locate the armory.

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Captain's office with Captain Pele Alarion (at some other time)

Grinning, Trastion nodded to Arnyn. "Alright, sounds good." He answered her, though he couldn't say for certain what the results would be following the next few moments. Maybe the captain wasn't in, and he'd have to come back another time... after getting a chance to clean up.

Just as he began to think that might be a good idea, he heard the voice call out 'enter!' and with a sinking feeling, abandoned all thoughts of returning at another time. Arnyn's parting words caused him to turn and glance after her, unsure whether that was a good or bad thought. She may not kick him out, but she may yell at him, or worse.. call the guards and have him arrested. He swallowed nervously as that possibility entered his mind, and tried to forget about it.

His palms were smeared with mud, quite a bit since his failed attempts at brushing the mud off his clothes. Oh well. He tried to open the door using only his fingertips, but still got some mud on the doorknob. Feeling awkward and more nervous than before, he stepped into the office quietly, wondering how he managed to get himself into such predicaments all the time. "Um, hello Ma'am," He felt some sort of apology was in order. "So... please pardon my appearance. I'm very, very sorry for... all of this," He glanced down at his mud-covered clothes, the redness returning to his face, under the mud. "It was completely unintentional..." He took a deep breath, then offered a slightly awkward, hopeful smile as he glanced up again. "My name is Trastion. I came here hoping to join the rangers... I was told this was the place to go for that. But I uh, had a bit of a mishap along the way, and then someone brought me here and said there wasn't anywhere I could go clean up first, and I'm really very sorry." The last part sort of spilled out in a rush before he could stop it.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion with Trastion @Rillewen
Headquarters, Captain's Office

Pele was raising her cup to take a sip of tea, but her hand froze half-way up when her eyes fell on the youth who entered into her office, bringing a whole lot of mud with him. She stared at him for a good long while, listening to his fumbling excuses and the reason for coming here, and then eventually completed the motion of sipping the tea.

"Trastion, then. Where do you come from and why do you think you would make a good Ranger?" she then asked, lowering the cup again. "Except for apparently being able to camouflage yourself, that is. Give me one good reason." She knew very well that the way she spoke to him might sound rather harsh, but she had decided to test his resolve and see whether there was more to him than a dirty appearance.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Barracks: Room 2, North Wing
@Arnyn

Home. What and where even was her home? Pele was not sure she could pinpoint any one particular location, though she had certainly made herself comfortable in this room and had collected quite a mound of items. Some she gave away or discarded, and yet a lot still remained, now packed away in boxes and sacks that were piled up along one wall. And yet there were still things left on her desk, and on her bed. She had figured it might be useful to move into officer quarters now that she had a new rank, though it did require a lot of time spent in sorting and packing things, and then it all still needed to be moved and unpacked again.

While she knew she should finish the last bit of packing, Pele found herself standing in the middle of the room and looking at the small collection of various random items on her bed. She picked up a ball of yarn from there, grey yarn neatly formed into a ball the size of a big apple. As if there was nothing else to do around the room, she took the yearn in her left hand and began to toss it up towards the ceiling and catch it again, squeezing it as hard as she could when she did. Pele had been relentlessly working on training the grip and strength of her impaired hand as much as she could, as she constantly looked for more ideas on how to improve her capacity, and she had found that even such a thing as a ball of yarn could help; at first she had often dropped it, but practice makes perfect - and now the same simple movement was much easier.

As she half played and half trained with the yarn, she looked over the other items remaining on the bed. A half finished woolen sock on the knitting needles, waiting to be finished. A couple wooden buttons. A small pin cushion with needles. All good things, though of similar sort. And all waiting to be put into a box which stood open and welcoming next to these. She really should finish packing, Pele thought, and yet continued her hand exercises.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Barracks: North Wing, Room 2

Pele had mentioned she was moving today, and Arnyn had unabashedly invited herself to help. She didn't quite remember whether or not she'd actually told Pele of her plans to lend a hand, however. Well, it probably did not matter much. Clearly, her friend had thought it wouldn't take her long to pack everything up, move it to another room and then unpack it all again, but Arnyn didn't find that reasoning too convincing.

First of all, it always took longer than you thought, even if all of your things were "only" in one room. Secondly, no one should move their stuff alone. It was a tedious activity, no matter how you looked at it, and company could at least make it bearable. Arnyn hoped her company might make it border on agreeable. She rapped her knuckles on Pele's door. Pele's old door, she supposed.

"Pele?" she called out through the wood, wondering whether her friend was in, or was perhaps already unpacking some boxes in her new quarters.

[Rillewen]

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Captain's office with Captain @Pele Alarion

The pause, and the look she gave him made him start to worry, but then to his great relief, she replied. And not telling him to get out, that was good. Trastion relaxed slightly, smiling at the comment about camouflaging. He wasn't sure if that was a joke or not, but decided maybe he shouldn't relax just yet, not entirely anyway. Keeping his head held high, he answered the first of her questions easily, as he had only just given the same answer to Arnyn. "I come from Lamedon, ma'am. A village called Stonecrest. I worked at the quarry there for the last year." He really had no idea whether that was information the captain would find useful but it was possible, and thought it might somehow help his case, to show that he was capable of hard work.

The second question caused him a slight pause, not because he couldn't think of a reason, but because he had to narrow it down to only one. Also, he wasn't entirely sure if that was a challenge to test whether he belonged here, or if perhaps she was looking for a reason to disregard him if he didn't have a good enough reason, or something like that. Swiftly, his mind raced through the various things he wanted to say, trying to sort out the best answer here, as if it were a riddle. 'Stop overthinking it,' He told himself, taking a slow breath to calm down. One reason.

"Well, to be completely honest, ma'am... I don't really know a great deal about what makes one a 'good ranger'," he admitted after a moment's pause, frowning slightly as he tried to think of the best way to answer the question. "I know but a little about the rangers, but what I have heard is that they use their skills to serve the kingdom... and the king, now that he has returned. And I have also heard that the rangers spend a great deal of time in the forest, and have various skills relating to the forest." He paused. "That said... I want to serve the king. And, because I'm most at home in the forest, the rangers seems like where I belong... if you'll have me." Despite feeling a bit nervous, worried he may be rejected, his blue eyes gazed steadily back at the woman, trying to show that he was definitely serious about this.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion with Trastion @Rillewen
Headquarters: Captain's Office

"Mmmm. Lamedon. That is quite a ways off from here," Pele said, thoughtfully looking at Trastion. "And you still came all the way here? Do you even have somewhere to stay? Relatives?" It seemed that the healer part of her gained upper hand for a while, and she felt more concerned whether the young man was able to sustain himself away from home rather than thinking of him in terms of a prospective Ranger candidate. Yet, other than having mud all over him he looked to be all right and not starved too much.

She observed Trastion in silence for a few moments, after he spoke his mind on why he wanted to join the Rangers. Then she sighed softly, and said: "You know, people can do service to the King in many other ways. The kingdom needs all sorts of people to function well: bakers, smiths, traders and carpenters, farmers and so on. But if you have set your mind on becoming a Ranger than know that we are a unit which is able to fight successfully both in a forest and a city, we are based here, not in Ithilien, so that we are available to the King whenever he summons us. And you will have to learn many skills and form a steadfast character. Are you up for it all?"

~~~~~~
Barracks: North Wing, Room 2
@Arnyn

Somehow Pele had imagined that she would be able to get things sorted, packed and moved just as quickly as she usually managed to grab her gear when needed for a speedy mission, but it seemed that moving all the stuff she possessed here took much more time and willpower. At the moment she even felt like not finishing the little bit that still remained because... there really was no haste. And so she kept standing in the middle of the room.

Until the knock came from the door, along with Arnyn's voice. Startled, Pele failed to catch the ball of yarn, and it rolled away under the bed.

"I'm here, Nyn, come on in!" she responded, got down on all fours, and then on her belly to crawl under the bed and fetch the escaping yarn. At least she usually kept her room clean, and there was no threat of collecting a herd of dust bunnies on her uniform.

[Rillewen]

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Captain's office with Captain @Pele Alarion

The questions about whether he had anywhere to stay rather caught him off guard. Trastion blinked at that, and a twinge of sorrow tugged at him, but he mentally pushed it aside, to the back of his mind. "I..have no relatives," He answered after a slight hesitation. He glanced down, swallowing, then added softly, "I had a brother, but..." He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence, and left it hanging, open to guesses. He felt it best not to mention his sister, nor any other family members. The less information he gave about that topic, the better, he decided.

There was a short pause after that, then he cleared his throat softly before looking up. "I've been on my own the last couple of years, I'll be alright as far as taking care of myself." He smiled reassuringly. "I didn't mind the journey, I've always enjoyed hiking and camping outside, so it wasn't much more than an adventure." He shrugged. "As for learning things," His grin returned. "I'd have to learn many new skills if I chose any of those other occupations you just listed, and the skills I'd learn with the rangers are far more interesting to me than any of those." He hadn't known that they operated in the city, but had no problem with that. Having tried a few various jobs, he'd learned which ones he did not like. With a solemn nod in answer to her last question, he replied, "Yes ma'am, all of it."

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Captain's Office with Trastion @Rillewen

Pele regarded Trastion in silence for a few moments, waiting to see whether he would elaborate on his family, but he seemed loath to do so, and she could see that there was a fair amount of pain and unwillingness, so she decided not to press him for the time being even though she would have liked to learn more of his background.

"True, everything requires a particular set of skills," she agreed with his reasoning. "And so do we. Yet, in addition to that you must also understand that a time might come when you have to come face to face with death, that of your comrades, friends, and perhaps your own," she continued seriously to make sure the young man understood the risks and the required commitment.

Pele paused for a while to let him think of it and respond, and then raised her right index finger as if an important thought came into her mind. "If you still insist on becoming a Ranger, I have a task for you. Go to the stables and get a bucket of water from the big trough near it - bring it to my faithful steed, Temper, he's the big black gelding in the third stall on the right side from the entrance. And," she hesitated again, a hint of a grin on her lips. "Afterwards make sure to wash your hands and face at least and report back here. If you manage to complete the task, I will consider you fit for a recruit. Just... Temper might bite, so be careful."

[Rillewen]

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Captain's office with Captain @Pele Alarion

"Yes ma'am, I understand that," He answered quietly, with a small nod. While he didn't know a whole lot about rangers, it didn't take a lot of knowledge to guess that anyone who fights enemies on a regular basis is likely to suffer losses now and then. He thought back to the time his family had to fight orcs to defend their property, but he couldn't tell about that without having to reveal something about his family. He exhaled slowly as he listened to Captain Alarion, putting those thoughts aside. That was a different life, he told himself, and he would do best to put the past behind him and forget it. Focus on this new life, now, as a ranger, assuming he was accepted.

"Temper," Trastion repeated with a slow nod. "Somehow, I get the feeling that task is going to be more difficult than it sounds," He asked with a raised eyebrow, then a grin. "I'll manage though." He added confidently, though wondered what he might expect from this horse. With a name like that, it could be a very bad-tempered horse indeed, but probably not much worse than Torthion's horse had been. "Where can I wash up, though?" he added with a frown. "I was told there wasn't anywhere that I could go to clean up.. or I would have done so, before coming here." He shifted, a little awkward again as he recalled just how mud-covered he was. It was drying up on his face and clothes, and he'd like to wash it off.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Barracks: North Wing, Room 2

When she heard Pele's voice calling out that she could come in, Arnyn opened the door and paused in the doorway as she saw her friend belly down on the floor and partly under the bed. A small smile made its way to Arnyn's face as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Recovering hidden treasure?" she asked, some amusement shining through her tone of voice. Performing a quick survey of the room, it seemed that Pele had made plenty of progress already. There was still some stuff on her bed and her desk - and apparently also under her bed - but other than that most of her things were packed away in the boxes and sacks along one of the walls. "Hmm. I remembered you said you planned on switching rooms today, and I wasn't lying when I said I wouldn't mind helping you - so here I am. Which of the officer's quarters are you moving into?" She knew, from personal experience before she bought her house, that there was more space in those rooms - but an officer didn't have more rooms than the other rangers (something she also knew not every officer realized). Pele would of course know what they were like already. Arnyn was just curious which one her friend had picked. Some had a more interesting window and view, or some other small details that set them apart.

"You don't mind me coming over to lend a hand, right?" She checked, just to make sure.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion with Trastion @Rillewen
Headquarters - Captain's Office

"Temper is plain mischievous most of the times, not really evil at heart," Pele laughed, thinking that the horse should not prove too much trouble to handle for Trastion if he had ever been around horses. And this way she would find it out too without asking directly. "He does like to nibble though, so watch out for that; don't startle him and let him become acquainted with you a bit."

"Well... you do not need a bubble bath and scented soap to clean up now, yes?" Pele then said with a slight tease in her voice. "You are to water a horse. There's a trough, bucket, and some water. Should suffice for you to be resourceful enough with that to at least wash off mud from your face so I can properly see you, and your hands, so you don't leave your hand prints all over headquarters. If anyone demands your right to be there, tell them I've sent you on assignment. Yes?" The Captain's blue eyes glinted with amusement, as she smiled at the lad - who might make a new recruit.

~~~~~~
Barracks: North Wing, Room 2
@Arnyn

"A treasure... perhaps it is a treasure in a sense," Pele responded, as she made her way out from under the bed and got back to her feet lifting the ball of yarn in the air victoriously as if it was a precious trophy. "I may not be a cat, but still toying with a ball of yarn. It makes for a perfect way to exercise my hand and fingers." To demonstrate the meaning of her words, she tossed the soft ball up again and then caught it.

Then she looked at the few things still lying around, and back at Arnyn. "I most definitely do not mind your help," she assured her friend. "Kind of ran out of steam with some stuff that still needs packing. And then it all still needs to be brought over to the other place and all that."

"I picked Room 3 - it does have that beautiful view of a small tree, and I must prefer it to staring at walls, or a yard without anything green in it," Pele explained with a small shrug. "Can't help being attracted to anything that remotely reminds me of forests, but suppose you know that full well already." She chuckled softly and with a bit of aiming threw the ball of yarn into an open box which was waiting to be filled with the remaining things.

[Isolde Alarion]

Amber
Potential Recruit
Headquarters

It only took a few questions to be pointed in the direction of the Headquarters. The young woman with the brown hair, freckles and amber eyes stood before the entrance and seemed to be taking it all in. One would wonder if she were in awe of the history, lore or the great Rangers that had walked through those very doors. Nope. Not one of things crossed her mind.

Exits. Always have an exit. She cast her amber gaze across the great stone building and found a few lower windows and balconies she could make her way to if need be. Of course she didn't think she would need them but a back up plan never hurt.

Within these walls she would find her hearts desire, the unscratchable itch. She would once more have what she most wanted in her grasp. It'd been taken from her before but she would have her revenge. The very thought of the betrayal curled her lip into a snarl of disgust. She started to mumble under her breath but noticed one of the guards started to take a more keen interest in her so she stopped mid breath and gave him her best smile.

"Forgot my sword. Silly of me to forget my sword the first day." She explained her course words which seemed to pacify the guard as he nodded and rolled his eyes and returned to looking forward. Her smile faded as she turned back to the door. It was now or never. Once she passed through the door she walked with her pack slung over right shoulder and looked where she thought she might find the right person.

"Anyone here?" She somewhat called out.

[Pele Alarion]

The Clerk
Headquarters

She had left her post for a while to fix a cup of tea in the small kitchen which was hidden out of the view behind one of the doors, leaving it slightly open just in case. And so it was that the call reached the clerk and told her that the desired break would have to be cut short.

Stirring the tea with a spoon carefully, she re-emerged into the main area to find a young woman there. The clerk took a few moments to evaluate the newcomer and judged her to be yet another of the people attempting to recruit themselves for the Rangers. It seemed that there was quite a steady flow of these lately, and it made her wonder whether a large-scale expansion of the Ranger force was in works.

"How can I help you?" the clerk asked, though she already guessed what the answer would be.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Captain's office, the Stables, then Captain's office again

Trastion grinned back, a little relieved to hear the captain laugh, and tease a little. Maybe she wasn't so strict as he had feared she might be. "Yes ma'am." He answered with a nod, then turned back to the door. Trying to be careful not to leave too much mud on the knob, he got it open and stepped out, giving a small smile and wave before pushing the door closed again. At least he already knew where the stables were, he thought with some amusement.

It took him only a minute to retrace his steps back there, and cast a hopeful glance around the stable yard in case the dog might still be lurking around. No such luck, sadly. He sighed and went to run a hand through his hair, but stopped when he saw the mud on his hand, and put it back down. First, water. He headed for the trough which Captain Alarion had told him of, and took a glance down at the water. The sunlight reflected off of the surface, as well as his own reflection. He cringed, seeing the mud-streaked face looking back at him. Yeah, not his best look. He snickered softly at the thought of how his mother would have reacted, had he walked into her parlor looking like that.

A bucket was hanging on a hook nearby, so he grabbed that and dipped it into the water. First, to wash his face. He didn't want to deposit all that mud into the trough for the horses to drink, so he set the bucket down and dunked his hands in, scrubbing the mud off up to the elbow, at least. "There, at least I can touch things without leaving mud behind, now." He muttered to himself, taking a glance around before splashing some onto his face. And into his hair. Before long, he felt that his head was about as clean as it was going to get, with what he had to work with. He dumped the now-muddy water out, got a little more water in the bucket, and swished it around before dumping that out as well, to ensure there was no more mud in the bucket.

Once he had a bucketful of clean water, Trastion headed into the stable with it. He paused to let his eyes adjust from the bright sun outside to the dimmer light in the stable, and smiled faintly as he looked around. It'd been a while since he was around horses, but he'd always loved them. "Temper?" He called softly, glancing around. Big black gelding, he reminded himself of the captain's words. "Third stall on the right," He smiled as he saw the big black horse in his stall, and approached slowly, making sure to stay at an angle. "Hello there, Temper," He spoke in a cheery, yet soft tone. "I have a nice, cool drink for you. Are you thirsty?" Remembering her warning that he might bite, Trastion wondered if he should hold out hand out to the horse, he remembered some of the supplies in his pack. "Oh, I have something else you might like, Temper." he smiled and set the bucket of water down, then his pack. Temper was eyeing him a bit suspiciously, and reminded him of how Ebony used to look at him before he'd snap at him.

Trastion hesitated, but remembered he had to get this bucket of water into his stall, so he continued searching. After a bit of digging, he came up with an apple. "Here you go," He spoke in a calm voice, trying to be soothing. "That's for you, Temper." Placing the apple on the post where the horse could reach it, he smiled (just a bit nervously) as he watched Temper snort, stamp the ground lightly, and move to sniff suspiciously at the apple. Trastion eased the stall door open once Temper was busy with his treat, and hung the bucket on a hook where the horse could reach it for a drink of water. Temper swiveled his head around toward Trastion just as he was getting it in place, as if wondering what the human was doing in his stall. He swiftly moved back and closed the door. "I'd rather you didn't bite me, if that's what you're thinking." He informed Temper, unsure if he was like Ebony or not. "Enjoy the apple, though." He grinned and checked that the stall door was latched before grabbing his pack on his way out of the stable, with a sigh of relief. That went smoothly enough, thankfully.

Retracing his steps yet again, Trastion glanced around as much as he could while he walked, but still saw no trace of the dog. His hopes began to sink, but he wasn't going to give up on recovering his property. He just hoped to get it back before the dog had destroyed, or possibly ingested anything in that pouch. Taking a deep breath as he arrived back at the Captain's door, he knocked lightly and waited for permission to enter before stepping in again. "Temper has been watered, ma'am." He announced. "I gave him an apple too, I hope you don't mind that. He seemed to like it." Holding up his now-clean hands, he grinned and added, "And I still have all my fingers."

[Isolde Alarion]

Ambers
Potential Recruit
Headquarters w/ the Clerk

It seemed her question was answered fairly quickly when a woman holding a tea cup appeared and took a moment to seemly size her up before asking if she could help her. Her first thought was to slap the tea out of her hand for the audacity of sizing her up and well, it was just entertaining to do so but with this new image she had to curtail some of her more baser instincts and let some things go. For now anyways.

“I’m here to join your Army of course, why else would I be here?” Simpleton. Was it not obvious why she would be her and not say a pub or the Marketplace? “Where do I sign my name?” She brushed off any objection or pathetic excuse with a roll of the eyes.

“You’re obviously not the one I talk to about this, perhaps you could take a moment from your tea and direct me to the right person? If you know who that is?” She ended with a syrupy sweet smile that didn’t match her eyes.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Headquarters - Captain's Office - talking with Trastion @Rillewen

Pele had still remained by the window, leaning against the windowsill, arms crossed - she was reluctant to start on any of the duller tasks though she would have to do those sooner rather than later, and yet she had decided to first finish checking out Trastion to see whether he would make a good enough recruit and would be able to follow orders.

"Aye!" she had called out in response to the knock, and saw the above-mentioned possible recruit enter. She was glad now to see his face more properly, without the muddy camouflage, and evaluated the condition of his hands.

"Fair enough," she noted under her breath, satisfied both with his performance in cleaning himself up a bit and managing to take care of the horse. "I am sure Temper was glad to have an apple; he is mighty fond of those, so I figure he might consider you a likeable person should you two meet again," she said, a small grin playing on her lips. "You do still want to join the Rangers, right? You haven't reconsidered? You would give all you have for the protection of our land and people? Make sure to learn and be disciplined? Follow orders without talking back?" Her tone of voice grew serious as she asked the questions, and her blue eyes looked intently at Trastion to see whether he would make a commitment on more than just a passing whim.

~~~~~~~~~
Clerk, dealing with Amber @Isolde Alarion
Headquarters

The clerk narrowed her eyes on the woman before her, as she found herself growing annoyed: the tone of voice did not match the meaning of the words said, and it painted in her mind an image of an arrogant brat. She knew that the first impressions might prove to be wrong, and yet she could not help disliking the woman.

"There may be several reasons for people to come here," she said coolly, as she still pondered over the words Amber had chosen. "You don't just sign your name somewhere. The Captain's office is there, if you care," the clerk pointed a thumb over her shoulder towards the office door. "There's someone in there at the moment, s'pose. But that is where you go to join up; tell the Captain you want to join her army, and all that business."

There was only that much that she could do not to make any biting remarks - she had to maintain a somewhat professional image; yet, she found herself hoping that the woman would find that not all attitudes were tolerated within these walls.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion

Trastion Leithor
Prospective new recruit
Captain's office

"I'm glad to hear that," Trastion answered with a smile. "I wouldn't like having a horse as an enemy; they can be quite mean." He spoke with experience, but didn't divulge any further information about that. That was in the past, and he didn't want to think about those days right now. He was looking to the future, hoping his would turn out better than it had so far. He felt a bit nervous, his palms starting to feel slightly damp, but he resisted the temptation to wipe his hands on his clothes. Standing there, he wasn't sure what to do with his hands, and felt a little ridiculous holding them carefully away from his sides, but it was the only way to ensure he didn't get mud on them again.

As for his hands, they were clearly the hands of someone who had done work and used tools. Having worked a variety of jobs in the last couple of years, it showed. Even before he ever had a paying job, there was little chance of anyone mistaking his hands for that of a person living a soft, pampered life. There were scars and callouses from various activities he'd done growing up, under the fresher ones from the more recent occupations he'd attempted.

"No, ma'am," He answered without hesitation. "I've not reconsidered in the least." He assured her, straightening his shoulders slightly further. Listening as she added more to the question, his expression grew more solemn as he nodded, feeling a little sorrow prick at his heart. "I haven't got a lot to give," He admitted with a tiny shrug. "But I would indeed give all that I do have."

He paused briefly, then spoke slowly, thoughtful. "Actually, ma'am," He frowned, gazing down at the floor as he struggled to find the right words, "I.. I didn't just wake up one morning and decide to try out being a ranger. I... I guess the seed of the idea was planted many years ago, when I was only a child." He wasn't sure why he was telling her this, but he couldn't seem to stop once he'd begun. "My brother often spoke of the idea... we both thought about it, and talked about it. Often. But... we couldn't, then." He paused as all the raw emotions balled up in his throat and threatened to choke him. He tried to clear his throat quietly, taking a moment before he could speak again. "I regret that we aren't both here. We couldn't come before, and then.. well, I didn't think about it for a long time, after..." He took a slow breath. "But then I remembered how we used to speak of joining the rangers, and.. there was nothing stopping me anymore." He glanced up after a moment. "I thought long and carefully about this before I ever set out to come here. And now, I've come a long way to get here... I have no intention of giving up now just because it might be a little hard."

A faint, teasing smile returned as he continued, "And, anyway... despite appearances, I actually am sort of capable of learning some discipline," He smiled, trying to return to a more lighthearted mood with a slight joke. He felt a little awkward, having spoken about all that to her.. someone he barely knew, and who would, it seemed, be his commanding officer if he was accepted. To have revealed even a little bit of his heart, and emotions, and things about his brother.. to a stranger... it felt uncomfortable, and he fidgeted slightly as he waited to hear what she would reply to him.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Arnyn Dealedwen
Barracks: North Wing, Room 2

At the sight of the ball of yarn, Arnyn couldn't help but smile with some surprise. Yarn? When Pele mentioned it was perfect to train her hand and fingers, the Hyandaner grew a little more thoughtful. "Hmm," she nodded, not interjecting anything else just yet as Pele glanced around the room and back at her.

When Pele had chucked her ball of yarn into an open box, she spoke. "Ah, room 3. Not a bad choice at all!" She clapped her hands together. "I will be glad to assist you getting some of that steam back, Pelepele. Let's see... anything fragile on the bed?" Arnyn was thinking out loud as she looked at the items. Most of them would be fine. She moved to pick up the box Pele had thrown her ball of yarn into and put it right next to the bed. Taking a knee next to the box, she used her arm to swipe most of the items into the open box. Then she looked up at Pele. "Perhaps not the most space efficient method," she admitted openly. "But it's fast, and we just need to pack your last few things."

Getting back up, she sat down on the bed, and put the items that might require a bit more care into the box by hand. "How is all that going, by the way?" she asked. "Getting back up to full strength, and all?" Her dark brown eyes found Pele's blues. "Any lasting injuries we will have to find a way around, you think?"