Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

@Arnyn
Of course, Gladhron had not meant his comment to mean anything about Celumë. He didn't know her well, so he had no idea whether she was also meticulous, but he did know Gwestion pretty well, and knew that he seemed almost obsessively careful about the least little things. At least, in Gladhron's opinion.

He thought about Celumë's question as he began to give Gaeroch her usual grooming for the night, working alongside Celumë who had begun doing the same with her horse. "It's hard to say..." He answered slowly, trying to think like Gwestion. While he was still thinking on that, she asked him about the ride. He smiled. "Very nice. I believe I've made a new friend," He added with a little laugh. "Gavyn," He nodded toward the boy who was gathering up some sticks from the treeline, "is very talkative and friendly, and told me just about everything there is to know about them and the little settlement they came from, and the few families who live there, and his family's plans and their reasons for moving to Bree..." he trailed off with a shake of his head, smiling a bit as he took a moment to check her hooves to make sure she hadn't picked up any stones.

"Their family name is Millson," He mentioned to Celumë. "Ethan and Faith," he added, with a nod to each of the boy's parents in turn. "He's from a long line of millers, and they've bought a mill near Bree, hoping to make a better life where there's more business coming through regularly." He explained. "Oh, and I've promised to tell him a few stories later," He remembered as he offered Gaeroch a carrot taken from one of his saddlebags. "There you go," He smiled and rubbed around her ears. "Enjoy. There's some nice juicy grass over here you might like, too." He told her as he led the horse to some tall grass growing beside the road. "Might have an apple for you later, also." he added with a smile, as if she could understand.

Once he had done all of that, he looked around again, and frowned. Still no sign of Gwestion. He walked a few paces into the woods and glanced around the area slowly, checking for any sign of him, but returned with a shrug. "I didn't expect him to fall this far behind," He commented with a slight frown. Hesitating, he debated for a moment before deciding to divulge information that he knew his brother would rather he kept to himself. He lowered his voice a bit as he spoke to Celumë. "He wouldn't like me telling you this," He began, hesitant, "But he was injured a couple months ago, and was only recently cleared to travel again," he explained. "His most grievous injury was a broken leg. I fear it may have begun troubling him..." He cleared his throat, a little awkward, "I.. ought to have remembered that it might be a problem, before I recommended him for the stealth thing, but.. I was only thinking of which of us would be better suited for which task, and that didn't occur to me until after." He admitted. "And he's too proud to admit he might not have been up to the task, and by the time I remembered it, it was too late, for he had already agreed. And I knew that if I'd tried to tell him he shouldn't, he'd just insist on it..."

Sighing, he looked toward the forest on the left-hand side of the road. It was getting dark under the trees by now, and from here he could barely see beyond the first few trees. The rest beyond that was dark, especially while standing near the glow of the campfire. "He would've made the bird call if he was in any danger," He muttered to himself. "He wouldn't though, if he were only having a bit of difficulty keeping up. That's why he said he might trail behind... he knew that might happen." He revealed what he had guessed of his brother's motive in saying that. "I don't know whether to go look for him, or wait. I'm sure he wouldn't be lost, but I don't know how far behind he is." He glanced at the horses. "And, if he doesn't come soon, I'd probably better take care of Mael for him. I thought he surely would have been here by now."

@Rillewen
"Stories?" Her brush moved with habitual strokes. "Gwestion-approved stories?" she couldn't help but ask with a slight tilt to her lips. She also led Nársulë to the grass Gladhron had led his own mare toward. She knew her stallion liked the company of other horses, and Gaeroch didn't seem to mind.

The information about Gwestion's recently healed injury made her frown. She was no stranger to pride - not in herself nor in others, so she could understand that much. But it would have been useful to know about before they had started moving. "If I had known about that, I would not have so readily presented the option of guarding opposite sides of the road, nor would I have easily agreed to it upon your brother's insistence," she admitted, before continuing in more of a mumble: "I would not have refused his right to choose it, but it would have been... a conversation."

Celumë crossed her arms, looking off into the trees while Gladhron moved to look after Mael. "Gwestion would have made the bird call if he saw and recognized the danger beforehand," she agreed, her tone pensive and analytical. "But if someone caught him by surprise, either with stealth or a ruse, he would not have been able to sound the call." She uncrossed her arms and flipped back her long braid, having made up her mind. "If you think he would have joined us by now, it is time. Either way, I promise I will not be long." Before Gladhron could say much, she had already reached the treeline. "Look after Nársulë for me." And then she was gone.

@Arnyn
"Gwestion-approved stories?"

The question brought a little smile to his face. A teasing one. "Maaaybe." He answered, trying (unsuccessfully) to hide a grin. "Might have to wait for him to go to sleep first." He added 'innocently'. Of course, he knew his brother would probably not want him telling anything, nor speaking to anyone at all if he had his way about things, but he would make sure not to tell anything that ought not be told. Honestly, it was like Gwestion thought everything was a great secret, even the smallest things like his favorite color, or even their names.

As she mentioned how the information about his recent injuries would have been useful to know, Gladhron nodded slightly and sighed. "I would have told you about that, too, except I know he would have been very upset." He rolled his eyes at that. He debated mimicking his brother, and what he would have most likely said to that, but decided it might be a bit childish, in front of someone else. Had the brothers been alone, he absolutely would have done so... but instead he refrained.

Listening as she suggested a possibility that he had not considered, Gladhron frowned, a bit more concerned now. "Right.." He muttered, his thoughts flashing to the swift ambush attack which had led to Gwestion's injuries in the first place. Before he could make any suggestions about who should do what, she had set off to find Gwestion, promising to be back soon. He opened his mouth briefly with thoughts of protesting, but swiftly realized that it was probably best that she went to look for him while Gladhron tended to his brother's horse. Mael had come along with Celumë before, surprisingly, but he knew, just like her owner, the mare was slow to trust strangers, and he didn't know whether she would be willing to accept a grooming from Celumë. He smiled slightly at the request that he look after her horse, but she had gone before he could reply to that.

Since she had already tended to the stallion for now, he turned his attention to Mael, unsaddling her while he softly hummed, giving her the same attention as he had given Gaeroch earlier. "Sorry, Gwestion's not available," he mentioned after a moment. "He'll be here soon, though." He assured her. "So, for now, you're stuck with me. But you're probably used to that, huh?" He smiled and scratched between her ears. "Better than that stable guy at the inn, I hope." He laughed lightly, then went back to humming as he worked. He could tell Gaeroch was jealous that he was giving another horse his attention, but he ignored her for now, and focused on Mael. He was trying to keep busy so he wouldn't worry so much about his brother, but couldn't help glancing periodically toward the forest.

@Rillewen
It would not be easy to find Gwestion if he had been stalled somewhere. And if he had run into some sort of trouble - or ambush - then she may not be able to find him at all. She hoped dearly that it was only the injury that was giving him a harder time. Not that she did not wish for Gwestion to be healed. It was, simply, out of everything her mind was imagining, the best option.

Given the information she'd just received from Gladhron, she did not first scout the perimeter near the campsite. Instead, she made her way back, and assumed he would have kept more or less the same distance from the road she would. He was a ranger, too, was he not? Although they might have been trained differently, and although their experience differed - this had been a pretty clear-cut mission. Gwestion would have needed to be able and keep his eyes on the road, and the wagon - yet far enough into the trees not to be noticed if someone were trying to target the family they were escorting.

She paid special attention to any signs of a struggle. If there had been one, she had no doubt that Gwestion would have made sure to leave visible traces of it. He had struck her as a smart man. Too careful a man, if anything. He would have made sure they'd be able to find something.

With evening falling, and the light swiftly failing, especially underneath the canopy, she had to stay very alert and aware. She hoped to find something sooner rather than later. Or her search might be in vain.

@Arnyn
It was already quite dark beneath the trees, and while he could look up and see that the sky wasn't fully dark above, it was difficult to see much within the forest. That made it harder to see branches that might hit him in the face of he didn't duck, or bushes that would trip him if he didn't go around. Gwestion's progress slowed more the darker it became, and his frustration grew as well. It was also more difficult to be silent when he kept stumbling into things or stepping on dry leaves he couldn't see in advance.

If he had been a child, he imagined that the darkness might have frightened him, feeling lost and alone out in the woods, unable to see well where he was going. As it was, he didn't feel frightened, but frustrated rather, and anxious about enemies hearing him. He stopped to rest with his back to a large oak and took a few deep breaths to regain his composure before proceeding. That gave him a moment to listen for any indication that he was not alone. It also concerned him that he had long since lost sight and sound of Gladhron and the others. Not only did that leave only Celumë to provide aid should they require it, but if she should need assistance on her side of the woods, he wouldn't be able to come. He sighed silently and determined that all he could do at this point was keep going and try to catch up to them.

Just as he was preparing himself to go on, a noise caught his ears, like that of someone or something moving nearby. He held his breath and stood very still, listening intently. Was it one of the many nocturnal creatures of the woods, or a person approaching? His mind raced with possibilities, dismissing as many as he could find reason to, all the while listening for any sort of telltale sounds to help him pinpoint what might be near him. After a moment, it occurred to him to wonder whether the others might have discovered by now that he had fallen behind. Would they come looking for him, or wait?

He pondered on that for several seconds before deciding to do a test; he let out a soft whistle, the sound of a willow wren. If it was an animal, it would likely think nothing of the bird call and go on about its nighttime business. If it was an enemy, they would surely only assume it was a bird and ignore the sound. But if it was an ally, they would recognize the sound and know that Gwestion was nearby. Hopefully, he thought belatedly, if it was Celumë, she wouldn't immediately assume he was in danger and needed help.

@Rillewen
The sound of the willow wren halted her in her steps. She drew near to the trunk of a tree and then went still, so no one passing by would be able to define a human silhouette or shadow. Her eyes narrowed as she peered around her in the gathering darkness. When she saw nothing, she moved on, into the direction from which the sound of the willow wren had hailed. Was Gwestion in trouble? Was it a coincidence? Had he gotten lost and was trying to see whether she could hear him and possibly find him? She severely doubted the latter. And between Gwestion and Gladhron, it seemed like Gladhron was the one with better odds of finding trouble - or trouble finding him. Then again... the blonde moving through the forest did not readily believe in coincidences.

At last, she replied with the bird call she had demonstrated to Gwestion earlier. Not too loudly - but hopefully loud enough.

@Arnyn
After making his call, Gwestion waited and listened, his heartbeat sounding loud in his ears as he strained them for any other sound. And then, at last, another bird call came as if in delayed answer. And it wasn't just any bird, but the unfamiliar one that Celumë had declared she would use, if she needed to use one. He slowly let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and felt his shoulders relax slightly.

He waited a moment, then gave another willow wren call, softly. Having done that, he began to move slowly around the next tree, toward the sound of her call. He'd forgotten to ask what that kind of bird was called, regretfully, but it was unique enough that he could tell it wasn't anything indigenous to this area, and so the only logical conclusion was that she was nearby. But, he wasn't sure that the noise he had heard had come from Celumë. So, just in case, he preferred to continue in stealth and avoid making any unnecessary sounds.

As Gwestion moved slowly toward where he believed Celumë to be, he couldn't help moving with a slight, involuntary limp as the muscles protested all the strenuous walking, but he tried not to let it hinder his ability to move quietly. A doe suddenly noticing his presence took off deeper into the woods, startled. Gwestion was equally startled, having not seen her either, due to the darkness enveloping the forest by now. He stood still for a moment while letting his heart slow back to normal. While he was standing there waiting, he became aware of something else, a person he guessed, moving very silently in his direction, but he couldn't tell much about them. He hesitated, debating whether to speak out her name, but didn't like the idea of it until he was sure. Instead, a soft willow wren sound greeted the approaching person, and he hoped it would be her.

@Rillewen
At the repeated willow wren sound, she unsheathed her dagger, slowly, quietly. It would be at the ready - just in case. The sudden sounds of someone moving through the forest, as if startled, made Celumë fall into a guard. Rather than peering around her, though, she just kept her eyes relaxed and ahead. She wouldn't be able to see much anyway, not with what was left of the light underneath the canopy. And if she moved too much, it would be that much easier for someone else to see her. But as she stilled, muscles tense, her experience told her that the sounds most likely came from a skiddish animal rather than a human.

In the ensuing silence, she heard something else. What she heard was faint, but it was also rhythmic. More like a human would move - at a steady pace. She couldn't see far ahead, but if someone was moving that quietly, then surely they were alone - and not dragging someone behind them or even over a shoulder. Right?

Her approach was still cautious. The repeated bird call made her relax. It was coming from the direction of the sound. All signs pointed to the idea that this individual was Gwestion. And that he was alright.

Celumë continued her quiet approach, however. Who knew what Gwestion had seen, and who was perhaps lurking nearby? Frowning lightly, she approached until she could clearly see the silhouette of who she thought was Gwestion. She kept the dagger at her side, half hidden behind her - just in case her instincts were terribly off. But she pushed back her hood with the other, lifting some of the shadows from her face, and pulling forward her long, blonde braid which might catch some of the remaining light. If it was Gwestion, at least he would now be certain it was her... if he could see her hair. They were still a few yards removed from one another. Celumë stretched out her left arm, her palm up. An invitation.

An enemy would yank at her, pull her off balance, or attack some way. If it was Gwestion and he still had his doubts, he would move away. If it was Gwestion and he knew it was her, he would at least gesture in some way to let her know. Or so, she assumed.

@Arnyn
As the sound of the fleeing deer faded from the vicinity, Gwestion was more easily able to pick out other sounds, and focused his senses more directly on the person moving toward him. He could tell it was a female, at least, which confirmed the idea that it was Celumë, and when she put her hood down and revealed the long braid of pale hair, his doubts faded significantly. The gesture of a raised arm, with the palm out, helped to further confirm that it was an ally, and not an unknown person.

After a quick moment's thought, he decided it was probably safe for a whispered conversation. He'd been paused here in this vicinity for a bit and had not heard any sign of anyone except for this person, so he only hoped he wouldn't be making a mistake by speaking. "Celumë?" He uttered softly, just to make certain. Once that was settled, he lowered his bow which he hadn’t consciously realized he had held ready, and relaxed. "Was I so delayed that you came to find me, or has something happened?" He asked in a quiet whisper, concerned as he tried to think what might have caused her to leave the wagon and come to his side of the forest.

@Rillewen
At the sound of her chosen name, she nodded - and smiled faintly. It could only be Gwestion, now. Yet she did not relax until his bow lowered. And even then, she was still on guard - albeit rather for other possible dangers than the man in front of her now.

"Delayed," came her succinct response, confirming nothing had happened by the choice of the other option he had presented. She did not add anything else - not verbally. Instead, she merely gestured they should go, and started off into the direction the others had made camp.

The two of them made their way through the forest more or less beside one another. But while Celumë started out with a slow and steady pace, she gradually quickened her steps to the pace she would normally adopt in such circumstances. That pace, she knew both from Gladhron's information as well as how far behind she'd found Gwestion in the end, would be too fast for him.

For a while, she pretended not to notice. She kept moving, and when he started lagging behind more than a few yards, she halted. To wait for him.

Wordlessly, they continued - yet she sped up to her usual pace a second time, and now waited longer before pausing. This time, she turned around to face him while waiting for him to approach. Once again, she did not comment.

The third time, after once more creating a distance between them, she circled around to take up position behind Gwestion rather than beside him. She stayed in that position, not speaking so much as a word - all the way to camp. Gwestion would emerge from the trees first, closely followed by Celumë.

@Arnyn
Though he had spoken more words in making his inquiry, Gwestion appreciated the very brief use of words in return, to explain her reason for coming. He gave a tiny nod in reply, and wordlessly set off alongside her, while mentally fighting the feeling of frustration that he had apparently fallen so far behind that it was noticeable. He said nothing for now, as this was not a good time to offer explanations or any other words, but he was thinking about what he would tell, when they had arrived wherever Gladhron set up camp. And, he also hoped that nothing was happening where Gladhron was, that he might need help which was a long ways off.

After a few minutes of walking, he noticed Celumë had gotten ahead of him. He made a brief attempt at pushing himself to catch up, but his leg was not ready for such strenuous walking. After months with little to no exercise, being unable to use his right leg, his muscles had grown weak, and he'd only had a little bit of rebuilding since then. And it was already protesting from what felt like several hours of walking. His lower leg was burning intensely, and only got worse as he went on. Plus, his shin still felt a little sore from where that kid had kicked him, and he wanted to stop and rest. When he had caught up to Celumë, he was glad she asked no questions about his lagging pace, but almost immediately, she had set off again, without giving him a chance to rest. He held back a sigh, paused briefly while she wasn't looking, leaned his hand against a tree while he held his foot up off the ground, and shook his foot briefly in hoping to loosen the tight, burning muscles. It only slightly helped, and only for a few seconds.

Neither of them spoke, but after a long while, when he had caught up to her, he saw that she had turned to face him, and was waiting. Was she feeling impatient? He couldn't tell, even if there had been enough light to examine her expression he doubted she would have let on. He remained silent, painfully aware that his limp was gradually becoming more noticeable. As she set off once more, a part of him wanted to ask for a short break, just to rest his leg. But, his pride rose up, and instead, he grit his teeth, resolving that he would not ask for a halt, nor let on that his leg was in pain. So, he pushed on, focusing his efforts mostly on not walking into bushes or tripping over things that were hard to see in the dark. His goal was to still move quietly despite his altered gait. It was a good thing to practice, anyway. When she finally circled around and took up position walking behind him, it wasn't much of a comfort, for it seemed that she had only done that to make a point.. that she knew he was struggling. Though, it was some small consolation that now, he no longer had to worry about trying to keep up with her. Still, it was a bit frustrating that it must be evident to her that he was not at his best.

At last, the glow of a campfire was visible ahead, and he paused at the treeline to check that it was, in fact, Gladhron and the others. And it didn't take long before he could hear his brother laughing and talking. Once he was sure of who was there, he suppressed a bit of annoyance at his brother as he emerged from the forest and approached the camp fire, still silent and thoughtful and making his best effort not to let his limp show too much.

---

Gladhron had tried to keep the Millsons from noticing his concern for Gwestion. While he waited for Celumë to return with his brother, he began telling some tales, partly to entertain the boy who was very eager to hear whatever he had to tell. In fact, it reminded him of when he was a teenager, when he had gone with his father on adventures and would come home telling his brother and sister all about his adventures. They had listened just as eagerly as Gavyn now was. The thought saddened him slightly, thinking of the sister who was gone, but also made him think of Gwestion, wondering what was taking him so long, and hoping he was alright. Hopefully, Celumë would find him and they would both return soon.

After what felt like ages, and after several exciting tales, he had just concluded the latest tale when he finally caught sight of the two figures emerging from the shadowy depths of the forest. Finally! He breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. "Excuse me," He said to the family as he rose to his feet. Then, he hastened to meet his brother and Celumë. He couldn't help but notice the way Gwestion was limping a little, despite how he tried to hide it. "Are you alright?" He asked softly as he got nearer, quiet enough that the family weren't likely to hear.

"Yes." Gwestion answered quietly. "But there is something which I think I ought to tell you about. Both of you." He added with a glance toward Celumë, then nodded his head in a direction a little further from the campfire, where they could talk a bit more privately.

@Rillewen
Gwestion had told her nothing of his injury. And while she would not expect him to share anything too personal, such as the exact nature of the injury or how it had befallen him, she had expected to be informed of anything that might actually hinder their cooperation. Being slowed down to this extent definitely fell under that category. Neither of the brothers had thought to tell her, but she held Gwestion more responsible since it was his information to share - not Gladhron's.

The limp had been downright impossible to ignore, even though Gwestion was still trying to hide it as best he could all the way back, even upon their arrival to camp. The relief on Gladhron's face was almost palpable, and that display of brotherly affection from Gladhron slightly tamped down her annoyance with Gwestion.

She nodded when Gwestion indicated a spot a ways more removed from the heart of the camp - the fire - but she waited for their lead to move. She would leave the talking to the men as well. For now.

@Arnyn
Though very curious, Gladhron followed Gwestion as they went a little distance away. Enough not to be overheard by the family, but close enough to come to their aid quickly if necessary. Gladhron frowned at the way his brother was favoring his right leg, and when he had stopped and faced himself and Celumë, Gladhron stopped him before he could say anything, and pointed to a nearby log that lay along the side of the road. "Sit. Rest your leg." He insisted. Time to use his "big brother authority", right? "I won't hear anything until you do."

Gwestion frowned at him briefly.

"I've already told her about your recent injuries." Gladhron added, rolling his eyes slightly.

Gwestion let out a small sigh as he gave in, and took a seat on the log. It was nice to finally rest it, but he didn't like it when Gladhron was bossy, and he also didn't like him saying things so openly. Stretching his leg out in front of him, he laid his bow against the log beside him and looked up at his brother as if to ask, 'happy now?'

"Alright. What happened?" Gladhron asked. He sat down on the ground so Gwestion didn't have to look up at him.

Gwestion hesitated, and first turned to Celumë. "I apologize for not mentioning this before. It isn't the sort of thing I typically speak about, to those I don't know well." Surely, she wouldn't be offended by that, since it was true that they did not know her well. "But, what I wanted to tell you both about is something which happened a few hours ago, about the time that I couldn't hear the wagon anymore. Anyway.. I began to feel as if I were not alone.. almost as if I were being followed." He explained. "So I ducked behind a tree, and waited to see what I would find. But what I did find was not what I was expecting." He paused. "It was a young boy. About the same age as him," He nodded toward the boy with the wagon.

Gladhron frowned slightly and leaned forward, listening curiously. He glanced briefly at Celumë wondering what she might make of this.

"I believe he was surprised to encounter me, so I'm not sure whether he was intentionally following me, or just happened to be in the area.. but he seemed startled and nervous." Gwestion went on. "He claimed he was out foraging, and that his mother had sent him. But.." He hesitated, then continued, "He had no bag or pouch to carry things with, so I'm not sure whether he lied, or merely left home unprepared. I know it is possible... but I also noticed a knife or dagger at his side, but..it could have merely been for protection, or for cutting plants.." He had been thinking about this a lot since it happened, and still could not be sure about anything.

"I warned him of the danger of bandits lurking about, and suggested he ought not be wandering alone in the forest and said that he should stay home. Then I offered, that if he lived as far as Bree, he could join our group and travel with us. I'm not sure whether he was afraid of me or what, but.. he did not seem to like that idea. He kicked me in the leg, then ran off." He sighed, and added, rubbing his shin where it still hurt a little, "The same leg which was already bothering me."

@Rillewen
She watched the exchange between the two brothers in silence. Gwestion seemed unhappy about Gladhron telling her about his injuries, but then apologized for not mentioning it earlier. Since it did not seem like a very heartfelt apology, she did not respond to it with anything other than a minute nod. She did not care much for empty courtesy, and that's what this felt like. Yet she did not see any use in discussing it any further, either. Clearly, Gwestion was a very private person. In many ways, she was being the same.

Her eyes narrowed in thought as Gwestion told them about the boy. "If he had been foraging, he would have had something to carry back what he'd gathered. He was lying," she stated in a noncommittal fashion. A light frown settled on her face, as well. "And you saw nothing of him, or anyone else, after that?" If the boy ahdn't been foraging, then what? Was there another traveling group nearby? Surely they must have encountered them on the road, if that was the case. But they had not. "He wasn't carrying anything at all other than a dagger? If he had no supplies or bags on him at all, he wouldn't be traveling alone. And given we encountered no one on the road... whoever he is with, is staying unseen."

@Arnyn
Gwestion nodded in reply to Celumë's observations. But he did have a few thoughts of his own to add. "I was concerned about that as well," He agreed. "But, I don't know these parts well. For all I know, he may live nearby. Near enough that he could run home easily. And," He looked toward his brother. "A kid might go off to do a task unprepared, mightn't he?" He asked his brother, somewhat pointedly.

Gladhron cleared his throat. "Very possibly." He agreed, without remarking on the fact that he was the sort to do just that in his younger days... and sometimes even now. "He might have thought he could carry whatever he gathered, in his shirt." He pointed out with a shrug. That was certainly what he would have done, especially at that age.

"I am, by no means, dismissing the matter, but I have been trying to think of all possibilities." Gwestion explained, frowning slightly. "The entire thing troubles me, and I don't like not knowing all the details. I even considered going after him, but.." He sighed. "He was gone very quickly, and I knew I would not have been able to catch up. And, that would have meant having to stray from the road. That could have even been the intention..." He added thoughtfully. "I decided to let him go, but it was some time before I was able to properly put weight on my leg again," He admitted, looking down a bit, uncomfortable with admitting it. "That is partly why I fell so far behind, I suppose. And after that, I had to rest more and more often," He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Gwestion.. I should have remembered you weren't supposed to be walking so much yet. We'll swap up tomorrow." He promised.

Gwestion nodded slightly but decided not to say anything for now, lest it become an argument between them. He preferred to avoid stuff like that when they were not alone. "I did not see nor hear any sign of anyone else, until you found me." He confirmed to Celume. "There was a deer, and what I think may have been a raccoon or some other creature, and an owl, but nothing else." He paused, then suggested another idea, "He could also have been a runaway.. or perhaps these bandits had attacked his family as well, and he had escaped. He might be lost and frightened." He frowned. "Or," He hesitated. "it occurred to me also that he could be.. with them. But that seems.. I don't know. Far-fetched, given his youth. Still, I know little about these bandits." He looked at Gladhron. "Have you had a chance to question them any?"

Gladhron shook his head. "I have not ventured to, yet. Perhaps we should? But first, you two should have some supper." He rememebered that Celume had left to find Gwestion before the evening meal was finished. "I made sure there was enough saved for you both."

@Rillewen
Yes, the boy could live nearby. But she'd been traveling this area for a while, and she hadn't come across many houses. While it was still a possibility, the odds were small. She frowned at the exchange between the brothers. Was Gwestion reprimanding Gladhron? Had Gladhron been a kid who went off to do things much too spontaneously? Celumë held back a sigh. She was glad she and her own brother were much less inclined to bring up the past or point out each other's points of improvement...

"Everything is possible," she admitted. "If he kicked you... I'm less inclined to think he's just a boy who lives nearby. But speculation in either direction will do us little good." She nodded her thanks at Gladhron. 'Supper sounds great. Thank you for thinking to save some of it. I hope there was enough to satisfy everyone? And that we are not making the Millsons run through too much of their supplies?" Probably not, since they were not all that far away from Bree. But you never knew - maybe they had prepared exact provisions.

@Arnyn
"He could have just been frightened." Gladhron mentioned. "You're the one always telling people they shouldn't trust strangers, can you really blame him?" He said to Gwestion.

Gwestion shrugged lightly and did not reply, although he did have a few thoughts that might explain the boy's actions. As Celume said, there was no point debating back and forth about this or that. What really mattered, was being prepared in case of the worst. Having noticed her frown, he realized a bit belatedly that perhaps he had been a bit less subtle than he'd intended to be, with that little remark to Gladhron. He had not intended for anyone but his brother to catch that, but now.. well, it was too late now. He'd be more mindful of what he said in the future, however. "Indeed, supper would be most welcome," He agreed with her, dropping the matter for now.

Gladhron smiled and stood up. "No, they assured me they have plenty. Said it's the least they can do, for saving their lives." He answered. "You stay there," He pointed to Gwestion. "I'll get you a plate. And you," he added to Celume. And with that, he set off toward the campfire to fix up two plates.

Gwestion watched him go, somewhat baffled by how he was suddenly acting so nice toward him. No teasing? No comments about this lady's cooking being better than his? Perhaps that was yet to come. He looked around and spotted the horses tethered over near clusters of tall grass, and he nodded slightly in approval when he noticed that Mael had been tended to in his absence. While Gladhron was by the campfire, it seemed like a good opportunity to say something to Celume, but he could think of nothing that would seem fitting, and also, he didn't really know what he should say, if anything. Instead, he turned his attention to his leg, trying to stretch to keep the muscles from stiffening up too much now that he was off of it. "I.. suppose we should work out who will take which watch shifts," He finally mentioned, finding something practical to mention. He glanced up at her, curious whether she would have a preference. Or, perhaps, something else to say.

@Rillewen
With some relief, she smiled faintly at Gladhron's reassurances. Good. She would not feel comfortable with accepting the food otherwise. Nodding her thanks to Gladhron yet again, she watched him go and prepare their plates, just like Gwestion was doing. Celumë was ill-inclined to make conversation with Gwestion at the moment. And she assumed he was not interested in speaking with her, either. Once they got this family safely to Bree, she was planning on bidding the brothers farewell.

To give herself something to do more than anything else, she started taking apart her braid, starting at the bottom and slowly working her way to the top.

When Gwestion started about watch shifts, she had just finished. Celumë first combed her fingers through her now loose hair, before looking back at Gwestion. "Did not figure you would trust me taking a shift alone," she said neutrally.

@Arnyn
Celume's response caught him by surprise. Although, in retrospec, he realized he couldn't really blame her for that. And he probably had it coming, if he was honest. He gazed back without flinching, but rather considered the comment thoughtfully. "Does it offend you that I wanted to be sure of your intentions and motives?" He wondered with a slight frown. He hesitated slightly, unwilling to speak of things that weren't any of her business, and also not entirely wishing to tell of something which might make his brother look bad, but at the same time.. perhaps she would understand a little better, if he did... then again, did he really care if she understood?

All these thoughts ran through his mind in just a couple of seconds before he reached a decision, and spoke quietly while meeting her gaze with his. "At least twice now, one or both of us," he motioned toward himself and Gladhron, "has been in peril and nearly killed, due to trusting a woman who was not what she seemed." He shrugged lightly and looked over at where Gladhron was starting back toward them with a plate in each hand. Inwardly, he was glad he had managed to find a way to phrase it without stating who was responsible for these near-death experiences...

He looked back at Celume and let out a little sigh. "Before you aided us in the fight against the bandits.. no, I don't think I would have trusted you to watch alone. After that, and.." he hesitated, but continued, "after you came to find me earlier.." He did a little shrug of one shoulder. "Well, I believe now that you are an ally, and that you and we have the same goals, at least." He managed a faint, wry smile. "Else, you could have killed me out in the forest and told Gladhron that you found me that way."

@Rillewen
She looked at Gwestion as he spoke, her dark eyes displaying a pensive expression. That the brothers had faced life-threatening experiences due to strangers, and female strangers at that, would of course change their perception of women whom they did not know. And... it was not like she had giving them her birth name or telling them where she was from and who she was. Her mood softened.

She silently accepted the plate from Gladhron, and gave him a nod to thank him instead. Most of the plate was empty by the time she spoke. Not that it took her very long. She'd been starving. "Words are one thing, actions are another," she allowed, still looking at her plate. It might be confusing for Gladhron, having missed that tiny bit of conversation, but he'd be able to tie it together soon enough. "It all boils down to trust in the end, though." Her voice was quiet, and she finally looked at Gwestion. "If I meant you harm, I could still be biding my time - for whatever reason. You can never be truly sure. When it comes down to it, it is always about instinct. And it's always a leap of faith. I'm used to people giving me their trust, which explains why I... am not offended," she said begrudgingly, finally replying to his earlier question, "but it is still a reality I find difficult to accept." They all had their past, their own experiences. Shaping them into who they were and how they responded to everything.

"If you trust me enough to take a watch, I'd prefer not to take the first one tonight. The day has worn me out," she spoke plainly, with what some would find disarming honesty.

@Arnyn
He thought Celumë appeared thoughtful after his words, at least. He hoped that small bit of information would have helped. He didn't intend to be offensive or anything, but really.. with Gladhron as he was, always trying to befriend everyone they met, someone had to be the cautious one.

As Gladhron handed him a plate, Gwestion smiled slightly. "Thanks," He ate in silence, but listened as Gladhron talked about what all he had learned about the family they were escorting, most of which he had already told Celumë, but Gwestion hadn't been there yet when he told her.

He was very hungry, having only had a canteen of water to keep him going during the evening's walk through the woods, and he wasted no time in digging in. About the time he was finishing his plate, he glanced back up at her again when she finally spoke again. Indeed, sometimes words differ from actions, but was that what she meant? He managed a small nod in reply, showing he agreed with that statement at least. As she went on to express the things that he had already thought of, he gave a vague smile in reply. "Indeed, you could be." He agreed quietly.

Gladhron glanced from one to the other with a small frown. "Surely, you don't still suspect her?" He asked incredulously of Gwestion.

Gwestion ignored him for now. "As you say, it comes down to instinct." He shrugged and set his empty plate aside, undecided if he he wanted to elaborate on what he'd just said.

"I can take the first watch," Gladhron spoke up. "And regardless what Gwestion said, we don't think you're an enemy." He rolled his eyes and nudged Gwestion with his elbow. "What'd you say to her?" He whispered with a frown.

Having already stated that he believed her to be on their side now, Gwestion didn't bother adding anything else on the matter. "Believe it or not, I do occasionally come to trust some people." He added, mildly amused to wonder what she might think of him. Suppressing a sigh, he shook his head at Gladhron and chose not to answer that question. "I will take whichever shift you don't." He said to Celumë, letting her have the first choice of the remaining two shifts. "Unless you were trying to get out of taking a shift?" Maybe he was teasing slightly now, but it wasn’t as obvious as it would be if Gladhron had said it, since the shift in his tone was almost imperceptible, and there was only a faint hint of a smile to be seen.

@Rillewen
She smiled softly when Gladhron asked his brother if he still suspected her and then told her neither of them thought of her as en enemy. "He was not impolite, if that is what you are wondering. To the contrary, Gwestion said he now believes me to be an ally," she told Gladhron. "HIgh praise," she added, resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow.

The following question from Gwestion made her narrow her eyes with a suspicious smile playing around her lips. "Hardly. I'll take the second shift." After a pause, where she debated whether or not to continue, she finally bit down on her bottom lip to hide a smile before adding: "Between the two of us, given your injury, you could use the added rest that a longer sleep cycle providesthe most." Before Gwestion could protest, she raised a hand to stop him. "It's not to do you any favors. It would simply be the most beneficial to our joint goal of protecting the Millsons." She figured that would take away most of his objections.

@Arnyn
"Oh?" Gladhron was a bit surprised, and laughed lightly. "Well, then that brings the count up to..what, three?" He asked with a small smirk toward Gwestion. "Or should I include Bel in that count, too?" He added with a grin.

Gwestion rolled his eyes and didn't deign to answer that remark, although he shot Gladhron a look to convey his annoyance that his brother would bring her up again, and in front of someone else. It was obvious to him that Gladhron was seeking a chance to poke fun at him and probably inform Celume all about the "romance" that Gladhron imagined existed between him and Bel. He was not eager for him to do that and tried to steer the subject back to more practical matters.

Celume opting for the second watch, and her reason for it, mildly surprised him, but after hearing the rest of her reasoning, he gave a small nod in answer. "Fair enough." He replied, inwardly feeling somewhat relieved that he could rest up until the early morning.

"Well, then, it's all settled?" Gladhron asked, slightly surprised how easily that had been worked out.

"Seems so," Gwestion looked around to see where his gear had been put, and as his gaze swept the campsite, he noticed the bandits tied up carefully off to the side. He considered them thoughtfully. "Are we waiting to let the authorities in Bree question them, or..?" He wondered. As for himself, he had many questions he'd like to ask them.. but he wasn't sure what the other two had in mind.

@Rillewen
Celumë smiled faintly at Gladhron's reaction that she was - apparently - one of three people. Well. She wasn't going to count her lucky stars or anything... but it was a good thing if they were going to be guarding the Millsons to Bree.

It was good, as well, that Gwestion did not fight her on the watch shift. So, he was analytical enough at least to understand she was right. And not too concerned with his 'image'. In the past, Celumë had found that could be problematic with some people. And with men more often than with women. She was glad it wouldn't turn into a whole discussion.

She added her agreement to the statement that it was settled, with a quiet nod. When Gwestion brought up the bandits, and questioning them, she put down her plate on the ground for a moment and leaned her elbows on her knees. "Best case scenario, only that one man is left - the one who escaped. Worst case they outnumber you much more than five to one." Her brown eyes flicked between the two brothers. "Planning on chasing after a whole group of bandits with just the two of you?" she inquired in a deceptively light tone of voice.

@Arnyn
Gwestion returned his gaze to look at her, and tilted his head slightly. "I only asked about questioning them." he pointed out. "I would like to ask a few things. Like, how many more there are, and so forth." He shrugged. "That doesn't mean I intend to chase down the whole group."

"We probably could handle it, even if we were outnumbered." Gladhron put in, in an overconfident sort of tone. He shrugged slightly. "I mean, we've handled worse odds before. Like with those orcs, remember? If they don't know we're coming we could-"

"We don't even know how many there are," Gwestion cut in. "Nor where they are based. Nor.. anything about them." He frowned. "Which is why I would like to ask them about such things. If it is a large group, then it would be better to seek out other rangers and work together.. if we could find them." He added quietly. "Though, easier said than done." He sighed. "Still. Questions can be asked, without anyone rushing off into the wilds to seek them out foolishly." He glanced at Gladhron. "We will not be doing that." He added, in case there was any doubt.

Rolling his eyes, Gladhron shrugged and stood up. "Well, anyway. They'll keep til morning. You two should get some sleep." he suggested.

@Rillewen
"They could lie," she stated matter-of-factly. Neutral. "The lie that there are a great many of them, would not be such an issue..." she glanced at Gladhron, "- if you prepare accordingly. If it ends up being a smaller group, all the better." Her eyes returned to Gwestion. She shook her head. "If they were willing to kill the Millsons for their belongings, they would not think twice about ambushing a few rangers by downplaying their real number."

Celumë rose to her feet. "However, it is generally worth a shot to question people. You may find them more forthcoming than you are yourself." One corner of her mouth tilted upward as she looked at Gwestion. "I agree with Gladhron, for now. Sleep is what you and I need the most." Turning to Gladhron, she smiled softly. "The Millsons would probably be most comfortable with you taking the watch where they get ready for bed and turn in. Given that you've spent the most time with them. Good thinking on taking the first watch."

Then she moved away from the brothers to return her plate, greet the Millsons and also to bid them goodnight. After a brief talk with the three, she sought out the things she needed to turn in. After a brief disappearance into the woods, she paid her stallion another visit. Finally, she laid out her bedroll near the campfire, said goodnight to those who were listening for it, and closed her eyes.

(22)

@Arnyn
"Exactly," Gwestion nodded as Celume pointed out the same thought that he had already considered, and looked pointedly at Gladhron. Honestly, he was annoyed that he had brought up the orc incident. The same incident which he was still recovering from. Which had nearly left him permanently crippled, and which had come close to killing him. Gladhron had come through it with only a bad blow to the head, but Gwestion.. had not been so fortunate. Sure, they'd both survived, but that was hardly the same as 'handling it' as if it had been nothing, as Gladhron made it sound. He slowly inhaled, and let it out as Celume stood, and made a comment about that they might turn out to be more forthcoming than himself. Gwestion glanced up at her, and returned the hint of smile that he caught there.

"That wouldn't be difficult," Gladhron snorted softly in amusement. "Anyway, I guess you're right." He agreed with a little sigh, though a bit disappointed to have to pass up a chance to wipe out a threat to innocent folks. He nodded as she mentioned that the Millsons would probably feel most comfortable with him, and was pleasantly surprised when she complimented him for having thought of taking the first watch. "Thank you," He smiled. As Gwestion never said anything of the sort, he wasn't quite expecting that, but it was nice. Even if he hadn't actually been thinking of that when he decided to take the first watch. Actually, he had only been thinking of making sure his brother got to get some rest... hoping to make up for having pushed him to walk through the woods instead of riding. "Good night, Celume."

Shaking his head slightly to himself, Gwestion stood up and took a moment to carefully stretch his calf muscles, then flexed his foot and turned it a few different ways to try and prepare his foot before he went across the campsite. Once he felt it would be alright, he set off to follow Celume with his own empty plate. "Thank you for the meal," He spoke softly to Mrs Millson, with a polite nod of his head to her. "It has been agreed between my companions and I that I will be guarding the camp when morning comes, so I thought I might make breakfast for us all. Would that be acceptable?" He asked. When the lady had agreed, albeit slightly surprised by the offer, he nodded and bid the family good night and went to check on Mael, as well as gather his bedroll and other things, before preparing for bed.

"Sleep well." He answered Celume softly, having placed his bedroll on the other side of the fire from where she had chosen. Close enough to be warmed by the fire, yet far enough to have a respectful amount of space between them. Despite being exhausted, Gwestion lay awake for a little while, deep in thought. He had his bow and arrows close at hand, as always. His borrowed sword lay nearby as well, though covered by the edge of his blanket. He was being extra careful with that, unwilling to risk losing it, as he had vowed to return it unharmed. As he thought about the sword, his thoughts then drifted to the one who had loaned it to him. Some things Bel had said to him returned to his mind now, and he played through her words in his mind, thinking about her, and what had happened today, and then thinking back to some of the things she'd said to him. Almost without realizing it, a little smile had come to his lips, somewhat amused at the way that girl had spoken to him so bluntly.

"Hey.. you asleep yet?" Gladhron's very quiet whisper broke through his thoughts, as he crouched near Gwestion and lightly poked his shoulder.

Gwestion opened his eyes, resisting a sigh. "What is it?" He asked. Surely, there wasn't trouble already? He was sure he had only been lying there about five to ten minutes.

"Sorry... where's the coffee?" Gladhron explained apologetically.

Typical Gladhron. Gwestion nearly rolled his eyes, but instead just closed them and let out a soft sigh. "Right pommel bag. In the bottom." He answered tiredly. "Anything else, before I actually get to sleep?"

"No, sorry. Thanks. Sleep well." Gladhron answered quietly before moving as quietly as he could toward where he'd left the saddles.

Gwestion rolled onto his side, determined to ignore any further sounds from his brother, and soon dozed off.

---

Gladhron was not planning on making any coffee just yet, but he had thought that if he began to get tired later, it would be nice to have some. And, maybe Celume would like some when he woke her later for her shift. He set the small package of grounds near the pot so it would be ready when he did want it. After bidding everyone goodnight, it felt a bit strange to be the only one awake. It was different than normal, when it was only himself and Gwestion. He paced around the edges of the campsite, trying not to disturb anyone who was sleeping, and yet at the same time, trying to keep himself amused so not to get bored. Boredom led to sleepiness.

A long time passed, and eventually, he deemed it time to brew some coffee. He was getting tired, and figured there was still some time left before he should wake Celume. He hoped the smell wouldn't waken anyone prematurely, but he couldn't do much about the aroma. He did, however, make sure to be as quiet as possible while doing it, and worked from the part of the campfire furthest from either of their heads. Once he had a cup of coffee, he moved away from the fire so not to disturb anyone.

His cup was nearly empty when he heard a sound. He turned, his free hand automatically moving toward the sword at his side as he scanned the tree line, which was as far as the firelight would allow him to see.

"Please.. don't attack." A young woman spoke up quietly as she stepped out from the darkness. She looked about the same age as him, and was rather pretty. "I just.. I saw your fire, and smelled the coffee.. and..." She smiled slightly and tucked a curtain of dark hair behind her ear. There was the slightest tint of reddish hue as the firelight gleamed on her dark hair. "I hoped you might be friendly." She explained in a shy tone.

Gladhron blinked in surprise and stared. He cast a quick look toward those asleep by the fire, checking that they hadn't been disturbed, then smiled toward her. "No, no one here would attack you, miss." He assured her. "But what are you doing out here, so late at night? Are you alone?"

"Oh, yes. And I'm so relieved. I've been so frightened.." She stepped closer. "All alone out in the woods, for hours.. days even..." She wrapped her arms around herself and sniffled. "I got lost, I suppose. I was traveling with some others, and we were attacked by these bandits, and.. I barely escaped with my life.." She looked up at him with big brown eyes brimming with tears.

He frowned, glancing quickly toward the bandits who were bound nearby, and noticed that a couple of them had awakened, and were watching with interest, though he couldn't make out much from their expressions. He turned back to her. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that, miss. You'll be safe with us." He promised with a smile, keeping his voice hushed. "Would you like some coffee? It's nice and hot, and still pretty fresh."

"Oh, I'd love some," She smiled at him, also speaking softly. "I suppose it's lucky for me that you were awake." She commented, clasping her hands behind her back. "Could you not sleep, sir? Is that why you're awake when everyone else sleeps?" She tilted her head as if curious.

"Ah, no. I'm on guard duty," he explained as he started toward the coffee pot, then remembered he only had one cup out - the one he was using - so he altered his course and instead went to the saddles to get the other cup from Gwestion's gear.

"You're guarding everyone here, all by yourself?" She sounded a bit surprised and even a little impressed, unless that was his imagination. "You must be quite a warrior."

Gladhron couldn't help a little grin at that. "Well, the others have to get some sleep," He shrugged. "We're taking it in turns." He paused as he recalled that she'd said something about wandering in the forest for days. "If you're hungry, we have a few things here to munch on, and in a few hours my brother will be making breakfast," he informed her, having overheard Gwestion's words to Mrs Millson. "Don't tell him I said this," He dropped his tone to a whisper, smiling slightly. "But he's actually a very good cook."

She smiled. "Oh, breakfast sounds wonderful. I'm starved," She declared, moving closer so he could hear her whispered tones. "What have you got to eat, in the meanwhile? Is it here in these bags?"

"Yes, indeed." He smiled. "Let me see what we've got.." Gladhron set both cups down on a nearby stone, and dug around in the saddlebags. "There's some dried fruit in here somewhere.. and jerky.. some traveling biscuits. Nothing much I'm afraid, and the biscuits are hard, but it should help ease the hunger pains until breakfast..."

"Oh, that's just fine." Ruby declared, looking past him with a little nod toward her boyfriend, who had crept out of the tree line opposite her. While Gladhron was busy searching in the saddlebags, with his back to the bandits, he was stealthily approaching their comrades who had been captured earlier, a knife in hand. If he could free them, then that would be best; they could help in the next phase of their plan, but if they failed in that, then he would at least make sure they couldn't talk if they were interrogated...

@Rillewen
She didn't think so much of Gwestion's respectable distance as she thought about how it was good they would now cover the whole site if they were both either looking toward or away from the fire. She still heard Gladhron approaching his brother with a question, though she didn't catch the whispered words themselves, nor did she let on that she heard any noise at all.

Not really knowing the MIllsons nor the brothers, Celumë hardly fell into a deep sleep. Yet it was not as light as it might have been, had she been able to ride Nársulë all day. Her body was tired, and it showed in the way she slept more soundly than she otherwise would have. And so, she did not wake when Gladhron was preparing the coffee. The combination of smell and sounds was not enough.

Nor did she wake upon the whispers between Gladhron and the young woman who came upon their campsite. Instead, it were Nársulë's ears which started twitching from his position upon the soft grass. The stallion's head moved when Gladhron approached the saddles to retrieve another cup. As the woman approaching Gladhron and their gear, Nársulë caught her voice, which was new to his ears, and he let out a displeased snort.

The snort did wake Celumë. She had learned to become sensitive to the noises she recognized as her stallion's - especially when they were travelling alone, which they had been for months now. She opened her eyes. Being a back sleeper, she only needed to move her head to peer into his direction. To see two silhouettes near the saddles. Gladhron and... She frowned. A woman's? Did Mrs Millson need something?

As Gladhron was rummaging through the saddlebags, Celumë followed the woman's gaze to the bandits. To see another shape. There could be no doubt that something was going on that wasn't right. The way that person was moving, was too sneaky. Too stealthy. Her gaze snapped back to the shape near Gladhron, who was watching the sneak when Gladhron wasn't looking at her. So. Definitely not Mrs Millson. Celumë checked the dagger at her belt. She'd kept it on, despite it not being the most comfortable option. It was close at hand. Even though she would prefer... her eyes shifted to Gwestion's bow and arrows. So close and yet so far. Quickly, she assessed the situation.

Two options for these strangers. They either wanted to free the bandits or silence them. If they silenced them, they could no longer be interrogated. Not too bad of an outcome, since the truth of their words would be hard to discern anyway. But if these two wanted to free the bandits... then the bandits could get away. Or help the two newcomers - not that that would be much of a threat to the three of them, Celumë figured. Not with the wounds already inflicted. Gladhron's safety was a bigger concern. If he did not believe that woman to be a threat, and she acted fast... And they also had to think about the Millsons. It would be best if Gwestion and Gladhron knew of the threat. So the three of them could work together. And if she could see the man or woman sneaking up to the bandits.. He or she would also be able to see her sneaking up toward the woman with Gladhron, if she tried such a thing.

Instead, Celumë quietly stayed very low as she moved out of her bedroll and around the fire, keeping the fire between her and the strangers. As she moved... toward Gwestion. And his bow. Gwestion's wouldn't like it, she assumed. But she felt it was her safest bet in order to protect Gladhron right now. She tucked an arrow into each sleave and then took a third to nock onto the bow. "Gwestion," she said quietly, giving him a nudge to pull him more quietly from his sleep before she rose to her feet and spoke loudly, aiming an arrow at the woman near Gladhron. "No more sneaking," she ordered, her feet moving into a position where she could shoot at the woman without also having Gladhron in range. "Unless you want the lady to take an arrow to the chest."

@Arnyn
About the time Gladhron was pulling out a parcel of jerky from the bag, several things happened which he did not see coming. Celume's voice broke the quiet of the camp, telling someone to stop sneaking? Gladhron straightened, puzzled and wondering if she was mistaking him for a thief. But before he could turn to assure her that all was fine, things suddenly weren't fine.

Ruby was a bit startled when the woman spoke out a threat.. at her. She had been so preoccupied with watching the young man to make sure he didn't spot her boyfriend, she had failed to check whether the others were still sleeping. She didn't even take the time to utter a curse. A dagger was in her hand before anyone could see where it came from, and the ranger nearby suddenly became a shield to her...

Gladhron's eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly found a knife pressed to his throat, and the girl.. the supposedly helpless girl, who claimed to be a victim of a bandit attack.. suddenly had a strong grip on his hair, pulling his head back as she held him at an awkward angle, making it difficult for him to move without the knife digging into his throat. He froze, caught off guard by this sudden change, both in her manner, and in their positions. Having been kneeling by the bags, he hadn't had a chance to get to his feet before he was pulled slightly backward, the young woman crouching behind him, and pulling his head back to expose his throat.

"Put down that bow, or I'll be happy to cut into your friend here." Ruby called out to Celume. Her tone had changed from the 'Poor little me, I'm so helpless' act she had been using before. She sounded cold and hardened, like she wouldn't hesitate to do exactly what she said, while making sure she was mostly shielded by him. These people were so predictable, she figured they wouldn't shoot one of their own.

Across the clearing, nearer to the captives, the 'sneak' froze for a split second at the threat of the woman shooting Ruby. Blade, as everyone called him, saw that she had reacted swiftly. Smart girl. One of the reasons he liked her so much. He smiled once she was out of the line of fire, and then hastily ducked behind the wagon, so not to give the archer a clear shot at him. He was thinking fast about how to regain the advantage, and he kept to the shadows while he tried to move toward where the family were sleeping.

---

Gwestion rarely slept so deeply, especially with others around that he didn't know well, and even more especially with the possibility of an attack looming over him. But he was quite exhausted after the day's exertions, and once he fell asleep, he fell in deep. Until someone nudged him. His name was spoken at the same time, and as his mind slowly fought to climb out of the depths of drowsiness, he mumbled, "What now, Gladhron?"

A moment later, it connected that it was a female voice that had spoken, not his brother's. And then he recalled that Celume would be waking him for his watch. Was it time already? As she spoke again, more loudly, the words didn't make sense to him. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times to try and clear his groggy vision so that he could make sense of what was happening. For the briefest moment, as he saw Celume standing nearby with a bow... was that his bow? and arrow aimed at someone, he had the panicked thought that she was going to shoot Gladhron. Only to realize, once he sat up a little and looked with more alert eyes, that there were additional people present, and Gladhron was, in fact, being held at knife point by one of them. He looked down to where he'd left his bow, and back to Celume. She did have his bow.. and that left him with nothing but his blades to use.

The first matter to deal with.. was Gladhron being in danger. He looked back across to where he and the woman(of course, it would be a woman to trick him...) were, trying to catch his brother's eye, then spoke a few brief words. It was a blend of Sindarin and Rohirrim, but was spoken so rapidly that it would be difficult for most to make sense of those few words even if one knew both languages. Unless they were accustomed to hearing both mingled together like that, as both brothers were. And even if anyone else did understand what he'd said, the words would mean little to them.


While Gladhron understood the words, he had to think for a second or two before realizing what his brother was reminding him about. An incident from a little while back. The moment he remembered this, he acted before he had a chance to think better of it. It was a bit risky, but he hoped to catch her by surprise. Both hands swiftly came up to where the girl was holding the dagger, grabbing her wrist and pinned it close against his shoulder, while at the same moment he threw himself, with a slight twist, to the ground so that he ended up on his side. The motion pulled her down with him, so that she was dragged down onto her side behind him.

Ruby let out a little gasp of surprise as the move indeed surprised her, and before she could recover, he had rolled back so that his shoulder and back was pressed against her upper body, pinning her partially under him. She growled in annoyance as she tried to yank her knife hand free, but her arm was trapped under his shoulder. When that didn't succeed, she tried to reach around him to take it with her other hand, and found that she couldn't manage it. So, instead, she tried to grab his knife from his belt.

@Rillewen "Put down that bow, or I'll be happy to cut into your friend here."

Celumë bit down on her own teeth. Careless, Gladhron... The bad news kept on coming when the sneak hid behind the wagon. Where was he going? Worry about the Millsons gripped her. They had been through enough!

Thankfully, at least one of the brothers still had his wits about him. Gwestion said something she couldn't quite discern, but it seemed to be enough to snap Gladhron out of his confusion and into action.

Figuring that Gwestion would prefer to go help his brother, added to her own growing concerns about the family they were escorting, Celumë moved around the wagon to go after the man who'd been sneaking around. She only had the three arrows and a dagger at her belt. But it would have to do.

@Arnyn

As soon as he saw Gladhron act upon his hint, Gwestion took a swift glance around to assess the situation a bit better. He was still feeling sleepiness drag at the back of his mind, but shook his head to try and shake himself awake. Celume took off after whoever she must have been talking to when she threatened to shoot the woman. With his bow. Gwestion hadn't seen that person, and so he assumed that she had a better idea of what she would be dealing with, and where they had gone. Putting the thought of his bow from his mind, he rushed across the clearing toward his brother.

As he reached them, he saw that her arm was pinned under Gladhron, and he was struggling to keep her weapon away from his neck. Gladhron was doing a good job of keeping her arm trapped, but when Gwestion arrived, he forced her arm out against the ground. Gwestion swiftly placed a booted foot on the woman's wrist and put his weight into it, forcing her to let go of the knife she was still trying to twist around in her grip so she could do some harm to him. The moment she opened her hand enough, Gladhron snatched the knife from her hand.

Ruby found that the knife was an inconvenient angle for her to draw it smoothly, but she continued to try. Then the other ranger arrived, and she winced with a little snarl as he stepped on her wrist. The pain forced her to release her weapon, but about that time she managed to get the first ranger's own knife out of the sheath on his belt. Things weren't going according to her plan, but maybe she'd even the odds a bit, now...

---

Keeping to the shadows, Blade listened to what was going on. A struggle, near where Ruby had been distracting the ranger. He wanted to go help her, but she also probably, hopefully, didn't need much help. She was good with her knives, he knew. Almost as good as him, he thought smugly. There was a constant argument between the two, about which of them was more skilled, and they sparred often to keep those skills sharpened as much as their blades.

No, he told himself, Ruby probably wouldn't need his help, but even if she did, he couldn't go to her aid yet. Right now, he needed to worry about that archer woman who had come toward him. He pressed up against the wagon, using the wheel, which was in shadows, to hide his feet. Hopefully, she wouldn't realize he was there. He waited, knife in hand as he listened for her approaching footsteps.

The moment she came around the corner of the wagon, he planned to leap at her and attack. He'd have to be quick, catch her off guard, and knock the bow away before she could shoot... then he figured it shouldn't be too difficult to kill her. Then, he could go help Ruby, if she still needed it by then...

@Rillewen
She released some of the tension on the bowstring as she drew around the wagon, though she kept the arrow nocked and the weapon up and ready. She knew he had to be hiding behind it somewhere. And if she wanted to be able to use Gwestion's bow (err - she might have to apologize about that, later) then she would need a little distance to use it. So as she worked her way around, she stepped back a few yards in order to avoid the sneak possibly getting the jump on her. Or that was the hope, anyway.

Before she rounded the corner, she drew the arrow back. Ready. Adrenaline was coursing through her, her muscles were tight. And then the man jumped at her. He was very quick - and thus so was the release of her arrow. Before she'd been able to properly take aim. It ended up in his thigh but he still went for the bow. Unwilling to force it out of his grip and risk damage to a weapon that wasn't hers, Celume allowed Blade to simply knock the bow away, meanwhile drawing the dagger from her belt. He was holding a knife after all...

@Arnyn
There was a moment of waiting. Breath held, Blade listened, expecting the woman to come around the corner any moment. He hoped to surprise her, but it seemed that she was ready for him. A curse left his mouth as her shooting reflexes proved quicker than his knife, but despite the pain in his leg, he still managed to knock the bow down as he lunged to attack the woman. He'd need to get the arrow out of his leg but it'd have to wait.

He had no idea how skilled the woman might be, but he figured it shouldn't be that hard to defeat her. The arrow in his leg was the biggest issue for him, as it limited his movement, but he pushed past the pain. It didn't hinder his knife-weilding arm from moving swiftly to attack at her face. Drawing another knife from somewhere, he used it to aim for her body, and kept up a rapid barrage of attacks, hoping to overwhelm her, or at least tire her if she did manage to block his attacks.

---

As he caught sight of the knife in Ruby's other hand, Gwestion swiftly lunged to catch her wrist before she could stab his brother. In doing so, he half fell over them both. He tried to pin her arm to the ground, while Gladhron twisted around to help by grabbing for her other hand. Instead, he ended up taking a hook punch to the jaw, and fell back from them, stunned for a moment as he tried to blink away the stars in his vision.

She brought her knee up sharply into Gwestion's side. It hurt his ribs, causing him to wince and let out a little gasp of pain, but he refused to let go of her wrist, trying to hold it down to the ground so she couldn't do any harm with the knife she'd taken from Gladhron.

After a bit of struggling, Ruby managed to break free of his grip and got their positions switched so she was sitting on him, swiftly attempting to stab him. Gwestion hastily caught her arm, only just holding off the knife from plunging into his chest, and they struggled against each other; Ruby trying to stab him, Gwestion trying to push the knife away from him. After a few seconds, she drew out a smaller knife from her boot and tried to stab at his side, where he couldn't see as easily.

Just then, Gladhron grabbed her from behind and yanked her off of Gwestion, trying to throw her face-down on the ground. She proved a bit more agile than he expected, however, and twisted around to break out of his grip, after elbowing him. He grunted as she rammed her elbow into his ribs, but he happened to be wearing a thick leather vest beneath his shirt, so it wasn't as bad as it might have been.

As soon as she'd broken free of one ranger, Ruby turned to run and found the other now on his feet, blocking her path, his dagger drawn. She glanced back and saw that she was trapped between the two rangers, both having drawn their weapons. She let out a short laugh as she held out a dagger pointed at each of them, her stance suggesting she was prepared to fight them both at once.

@Rillewen
She brought up her dagger in time to meet the blade that was aiming for her face, and used her bracer to ward of the second knife that came all too quickly.

He was fast and precise - and the flurry of attacks spoke of his skill. Hence it didn't take long for Celumë to realize that this man's knife skills outmatched her own. While she was holding her own against his barrage, it was difficult to keep up with him, especially because she had only one dagger against his two knives. She could match the speed of his moves, but it was difficult to protect herself against two such small blades.

When he got in a cut at her side - which thankfully had NOT been a stab, since her leather cuirass did not have a metal plate hidden inside of it at that particular spot, and a stab could have pierced through while the cut had only partially sliced through the leather layers - Celumë knew she had to act swiftly. With her free hand, she grabbed the arrow embedded in his leg and pulled.

The pain would distract him. Would slow him. Hopefully enough for her to relieve him from one of his knives, at least.

It wasn't elegant, she knew. But this was not a duel against a comrade. This was a fight - and this man was not holding back. He would kill her if he could, and Celumë was not planning on leaving this world just yet.

@Arnyn
The sudden yank as the arrow was unexpectedly extracted from his leg brought forth a cry of pain. Blade had just about gotten used to enduring the throbbing pain, when a fresh wave of it assaulted him. His leg nearly buckled under him and he was thrown off a little. A slash aimed at the woman's face went a bit wide as he staggered slightly. Gritting his teeth, Blade attempted to recover himself, trying to let his anger fuel him to put an end to this woman.

Somehow, though he wasn't even sure how she managed it, one of his knives went off into the woods somewhere. Blade was surprised the fact that she'd accomplished such a feat, but he quickly improvised by aiming a punch for her middle, using the now blade-less hand. His plan was to make her double over, then finish her off with his knife while she was reeling from the impact. But somehow, his plan went awry...

---

For a brief moment, the three stood staring at each other, catch their breaths after all the wrestling and grappling on the ground. Gwestion had drawn his knife, which he hadn't even taken off to sleep. The sword, Bel's family sword, he had left hidden under the edge of his blanket. Though there would have been room for him to use his sword, right now, the previous situation had been too close for a weapon like that. But he was reluctant to use it anyway, lest he break it as he had done his own.

Gladhron did have his sword drawn, and he was glaring at the woman with great annoyance. It was bad enough she'd deceived him and taken advantage of his compassion, and, well, weakness for a damsel in distress. But then to try and kill both him and his brother, that was something he wouldn't tolerate.

Ruby glanced from one to the other, eyeing them each and silently appraising which would be best to attack first. One held only a knife, while the other held a sword. The sword would have a further reach, so if she got in close to attack him, the other would have a difficult time getting close enough to do any damage to her without risking accidental harm to the swordsman. She made her decision.

Making a feinting move toward Gwestion, she then suddenly altered her direction, knocked Gladhron's sword aside and lunged toward him with a stab aimed for his face.

Gladhron swiftly pivoted at an angle as she lunged at him, inwardly amused as this threw the woman off balance a bit. He caught her sleeve with his free hand as she overextended herself with her attempted stab, and in the same motion he swung her around himself and let go so that she went flying toward Gwestion.

While Gwestion had tensed when he thought she was coming at him, he was watching when Gladhron flung her toward him. The brothers had fought side by side for a while now. Despite their frequent verbal disagreements and more than occasional quarrelling.. they made a pretty good team when it came to this sort of thing. He would have caught her as she came stumbling toward him, propelled by the momentum of Gladhron's shove, except...

Ruby twisted nimbly in middair as she felt herself being swung like a ragdoll. The ranger was good, she realized, but she still felt arrogantly convinced that she was better than either of them. Before the slimmer one could catch her, she threw herself downward into a roll, bringing her just past him as he was reaching out to grab onto her. She came up behind him, already in the motion for a stab at his torso as he whirled around. His blade came down to block her upward strike as he did.

Gwestion swiftly backed away as the woman advanced, coming at him with swift slashes and strikes. He was hard pressed to block or evade them, and while he had not removed his armor for sleeping, there were places that his armor was compromised from that orc ambush. He'd planned on getting that fixed when they arrived in Bree.. so, he didn't want to trust to his armor too much.

Gladhron, meanwhile, was disappointed that she'd managed to outmaneuver Gwestion. Seeing her coming at his brother so swiftly, Gladhron realized that he may need a bit of help. He tried to get around behind her, annoyed that she had his own knife to use against them. Yet, somehow, she managed to prevent him from getting behind her, by circling around so that she kept them both in front of her. He attempted a stab at her torso, and she smoothly pivoted away from his sword while still managing a slash toward Gwestion, with her other hand.

Leaping back to avoid her slash, Gwestion found himself somewhat amazed at the level of aggression in this woman. She left him little chance to do much besides blocking and ducking, or leaping back if necessary. If this kept up, he'd make a mistake, fail to block or something, and that would be the end. He couldn't let that happen. If he could just leap back enough, maybe Gladhron could jump in. Like a tag team. They'd done it before. With the longer reach of his sword, he could hold her back better. So long as she didn't get in too close to him...

But every time he tried to leap back, or off to the side, she was right there on him, unrelenting. Where had Gladhron even gone? For a second, he lost sight of his brother, but then he was aware of him just to the left, delivering little jabs and occasionally slashes with his sword in hopes of driving the woman away from Gwestion. She was smiling, and looked quite smug as she managed to get a cut in on his face. He was outmatched, and they both knew it. Except...

As she leaped in closer with a slash, Gwestion was focusing a little more on not tripping on a pile of sticks that were gathered for feeding the fire, and he dodged her slash a little late. Swiftly seizing the tiniest opening she'd left after her attack, Gwestion's foot lashed out as hard and swift as he could manage, and caught her in the abdomen right as she was lunging at him, and shoved.

With a surprised grunt, Ruby was thrown to the ground and landed on her rear. That was unexpected. The kick had knocked the wind out of her, and thudding onto the ground didn't help, either.

Relieved to see her knocked to the ground at last, Gladhron swiftly placed his own foot against her shoulder and shoved her the rest of the way down flat, and placed the point of his sword against her neck. He glared, making sure that the sharp tip dug into the skin of her throat a little, yet not enough to puncture the skin. "Drop the knives where they are. Hands above your head." He ordered, without any trace of his usual humor in his tone.

Gwestion was breathing hard, but he put away his knife once she had reluctantly obeyed. Her dark eyes were narrowed, glaring at him as if she hoped they would both drop dead just from her stare. He ignored that, and moved to collect the knives from where she had dropped them on either side of her, though still kept a careful eye on her to make sure that she didn't try anything. Briefly, he spared a glance toward where Celume had disappeared after the other, but for the moment he felt it best to ensure that this enemy was properly secured before moving to see how things were going with her.

@Rillewen
She'd relieved him from his off hand knife when he'd tried to cut at her face again with it in anger. Her left hand had been positioned on the inside of his wrist and she'd slammed her dagger-holding hand into the back of his hand. Since her left hand blocked his wrist and arm, though, the arm could not move aside. His hand had been forced inward, toward his wrist, and inevitably his grip on the weapon had loosened by his fingers opening slightly. It went flying off due to the impact of her right hand.

Quickly, Celumë let go and took a step back, still weary of his other weapon. But they each had one, now. She'd only been able to pull this off because of her distraction with the arrow in the first place, otherwise his second weapon would have been too much of a threat.

He stepped in and tried to punch her. Punch her? That was a mistake. He had better knife skills than she did, but clearly he was nowhere near as experienced as she was. He should have kept using his knife. She stepped to the right and used her left arm to grab his extended arm at the wrist, turned into and around him and took his arm with her until it was twisted behind his back in a painful position, with her right there behind him. "Drop it," she ordered, twisting his wrist further. If he didn't comply, he'd soon be on his knees from the pain in his wrist, arm and shoulder.

@Arnyn
As soon as he and Gladhron felt comfortable with how well they had bound the woman, Gwestion drew his knife again, and set off toward where he had seen Celume go. He'd hardly had a moment to think about his leg, although he registered that it was a bit stiff. He couldn't have had enough time to rest it, but that hardly mattered at the moment.

After pausing near the corner of the wagon, he listened for a moment and heard her ordering the man to 'drop it', and soon after, heard a soft thud as a weapon hit the ground. Somewhat satisfied that she must have him under control, Gwestion cautiously peered around the corner and saw that she had him held in such a way that he wouldn't be able to get out of it easily. He was grimacing as if in pain, but wasn't trying to struggle anymore.

"We've got the woman subdued, and securely bound." Gwestion informed her quietly. "I thought you may have need of some help here, but I see that you have it under control already." There was a slim line of red stretching across his left cheekbone, but he hardly noticed. In the shadows behind the wagon, it might be difficult for anyone else to notice it, either, but it would definitely be noticeable once they had moved back toward the firelight. "Need some rope?" He offered a length that he had brought along.

If she asked for, or seemed to need, any assistance with binding the man, Gwestion would provide it, along with ensuring the man was relieved of all weapons. If not, he would merely stand by as a guard, to ensure he didn't try anything even if he got a chance. There were quite a few weapons, mostly daggers and knives of varying sizes. After retrieving his bow from where it had been dropped, Gwestion then glanced at the arrow she had pulled out of the bandit's leg. Thankfully, no damage had come to it, and he was able to wipe it off and return it to his quiver after they had returned to the campfire.

Blade glared at them, especially Celume, the entire time that he was being bound, searched, and brought to where he would spend the remainder of the night. He said nothing, however, and only winced slightly with each step. Looking over at where Ruby sat, bound, he gave her an apologetic shrug before turning away to watch their captors sullenly.

@Rillewen
When the remaining knife dropped, Celumë did not release nor relax her grip. She firmly maintained her hold on the man, knowing he would likely use any moment of reduced alertness or reduced control to wriggle his way out of the situation. Really, could she blame him? His situation was hardly a good one.

Gwestion's arrival did not change her grip on Blade, either. Celumë looked at the ranger and nodded. It was good the brothers had also secured the woman. This whole thing might have gone sideways just as easily, she knew. Celumë accepted the rope, and even asked Gwestion tie the man up while she restrained him. After Blade's weapons had been removed, Gwestion retrieved his bow. She ignored the way that Blade glared at them, and mostly at her. He could glare all he wanted. What difference would it make?

Miraculously, the MIllsons had not awoken. When Celumë returned to the campfire as well, after reassuring herself that all those they'd captured and bound were secure - and after retrieving her own sword and bow to keep them close - after all, it was her watch now - she took a better look at both of the brothers. She knew she'd better mention something about the bow, too...

"I apologize for taking the liberty to use your bow, Gwestion," she said quietly, her eyes resting on the scratch on his cheekbone for a moment. "It seemed like the only viable option at the time. Did either of you get hurt, other than..." she gestured along her own cheekbone to convey she meant Gwestion's scratch. "How is that feeling, by the way? Nothing strange going on?" It wouldn't be the first time that knife or dagger using criminals would use some kind of poison, she supposed.

@Arnyn
Gwestion carefully placed each of the knives taken from Blade into the growing pile they'd taken off of the other bandits. Ruby's had swelled the collection already after Gladhron added them. Looking up as Celume spoke, he took a moment to glance at the bow in his hand, eyes swiftly appraising whether it had taken any harm. It seemed alright. "No harm done," He assured her quietly. Before he could add anything else, she asked about injuries, other than.. she indicated her cheekbone. He frowned slightly, bringing a hand up to touch the spot on his own face, and looked at the little amount of blood that came away on his fingertips. "Hardly noticed it," he admitted. "It feels alright. Nothing strange," He assured her, guessing what she meant. They had encountered a poison-using enemy, before, and made a mental note to pay attention to how that cut felt. In the meanwhile, he went over to sit on his bedroll. The knee-strike into his rib still hurt a little, but he figured it would be fine once he'd slept a little more.

"You really think you've won, don't you?" Ruby scoffed from where she was sitting, amused as Gladhron stepped back from tying her a reasonable distance apart from the others. "Think you're some heroes, huh? Idiot. You're all just like a thorn in our side, and you're going to be in big trouble the moment our leader hears about this." She raised her voice somewhat angrily at the last part. "You really don't want to be around for that." She smiled smugly.

"I don't know about that, but I do know that I don't really want to hear your mouth." Gladhron told her. "I'd be happy to bind it, if you don't keep quiet." Gladhron offered with a quick glance toward where the Millsons were asleep. Thankfully, the sounds of battle hadn't been terribly loud, and they must have been tired and worn out from the fear from earlier. "People are trying to sleep." He put a finger to his lips as if to shush her, then turned to join his brother and Celume while Ruby glared after him, but didn't speak again for now. Gladhron approached where Celume and Gwestion were, slightly hesitating, as he suspected the was probably going to hear plenty about what he should have done, or not done.

Gwestion had used a little water from his canteen to dab at the blood on his cheek. He looked up at Gladhron. "So much for a night of unbroken sleep," He mentioned quietly. "Why is it, I always seem to get beat up and attacked on account of you?" He wondered, maintaining his usual serious expression even though he was teasing.

"I'm sorry, alright?" Gladhron sighed, not quite catching the glint of amusement in Gwestion's eyes.

Gwestion sighed too and shook his head slightly. "I'm too tired for this right now," He muttered, knowing it would end up an argument. He laid down again. It would be his turn to watch all too soon, so he might as well get what sleep he could, now.

@Rillewen
The small cut on Gwestion's cheek looked shallow, and the blades Gwestion had taken from the man had been clean - and even though she had learned long ago not to take many risks in that regard, she kept her thoughts to herself. For he dismissed the scratch entirely and she did not find herself in the position to go against him. She could not call on any bond of friendship to do so, nor any other reason that would be valid in this scenario. Besides, it would likely be perfectly fine anyway. Therefore, she let it go.

But by the time Gladhron joined them, Gwestion was cleaning the cut a bit, and this brought a faint smile of satisfaction to her lips.

The interaction between the two seemed private, even though she was right there. She thought there might have been some jesting to Gwestion's words, although it was difficult to know for sure. Gladhron in any case did not suspect there might be any, based on his reply. Celumë's faint smile was replaced by a faint frown. She directed it at the ground between her feet rather than at one of the brothers. Especially when Gwestion simply dismissed any chance of ending the exchange on a more positive note by saying he was too tired and then lay down... Celumë gently bit the hollow of her cheek in silence.

When it became clear that Gwestion did indeed not intend to say any more, and simply wanted to sleep, Celumë gestured at Gladhron. She got to her feet and moved a few yards away, to wait. Once he came over, she tried to assess his expression. "Gwestion said neither of you were hurt." It was a statement, but there was still a hint of a question in there. Was it true? Or might Gladhron have hidden something from his brother, given the sometimes wobbly dynamic between them? Thinking about that, and unable to just let it go entirely... she ventured a different question. A much broader question.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently.

@Arnyn
Gladhron watched his brother return to hopes of sleep, and kept quiet. He knew that tone. Gwestion was upset, but he didn't want to get into an argument right now. On the one hand, he supposed he couldn't blame him, but on the other hand, he wanted to defend his actions and not have Gwestion be sore at him. But, he did accept that this whole thing had cost Gwestion some sleep.

Seeing Celume motioning for him to move further away, he wondered what she might have to say. Quietly, he followed. Whatever there was to say between them, he didn't want to annoy Gwestion further by keeping him awake.

The question that she asked was not quite what he had expected, however. He hesitated when she followed up, asking if he was alright. The first thought to come to mind was to mention that his jaw still felt a bit sore from the bandit girl's punch. But he quickly decided that it was a bit embarrassing to admit he'd been punched, and even knocked out, by a girl. So, he decided not to mention that. He cleared his throat softly, glanced briefly toward the bandits, then back at Celume. "I think the only injury would be to my pride." He admitted quietly. "I.. do feel a bit like a fool for being deceived so easily." He shrugged and looked down. "I'll survive that, though." He looked up and smiled faintly.

"Are you alright?" he wondered. He hadn't seen any obvious wounds, but that didn't mean she hadn't received any.

@Rillewen
She smiled genuinely as he returned the question and asked whether she was alright. "I am," she confirmed quietly. After a brief moment of deliberation, Celumë reached out to touch his arm. "You were deceived... but I am assuming she presented herself to be alone and in some kind of need, yes?" She looked questioningly into his eyes. When he nodded, she slanted her head and the smile returned. "Then I would not beat yourself up too badly over this, Gladhron. Believing in the good things makes life worth it." She squeezed his arm a bit. "At least, that's what I think. If you had reacted to me as suspiciously your brother had instead of with friendliness, I would not have bothered trying to say much more than hello. I would have immediately gone back on my way, back at that little stream. And who knows what might have happened then."

"I could have been on the road with the family, surrounded... Or I might have gone off between the trees and you and Gwestion would have been fighting the bandits with the two of you - which could have still turned out well, but it also might not have. And if it did, and you had both been here, now - the woman might have succeeded. Gwestion was fast asleep. The man with her might have freed the bandits, the woman might have taken you by surprise with help of the others... the two of you could have been their prisoners now."

She shrugged lightly and let go of his arm. "I know these are all what if's... But when it comes down to seeing the light or seeing the darkness, in people or in situations - I know what I'd pick." Celumë smiled again, inviting a response from Gladhron. "You want to share the game she was trying to play? It could help me once we part ways, so I know what to look out for?"

@Arnyn
Hearing her kind words, Gladhron smiled faintly, a little relieved. He knew Gwestion would likely criticize him for falling for the lies, and he probably deserved some of it, but it was also nice for someone to recognize the good in his being so trusting. And really, if it were up to Gwestion they'd never end up making any friends at all, and.. yes, she pointed out some good 'what if' scenarios. "Thank you," he answered with a little smile. He felt a bit better, now, and it was good to know at least one of their party didn't seem to be upset with him.

When she asked what sort of game the bandit woman had been playing, he glanced over at her, briefly, then back at Celume with a little sigh. "She claimed she'd been attacked by bandits days ago." He informed her, keeping his voice down. "Said she'd been wandering in the woods, lost and afraid, without any food. So, I was trying to find something for her to eat, when.." He gave a one-shouldered shrug. She knew the rest from there. "Perhaps I ought to have been a bit more cautious, but I would never turn away someone in need of help. Especially a young lady." He admitted. He didn't delve into the reasons behind that, but at least part of that reason wouldn't be hard to figure out. He figured Gwestion would have probably found many reasons to disbelieve the woman's story, but he preferred to believe the best about people, himself.

@Rillewen
"So she was playing the victim of their own band?" Celumë mumbled, although it would be audible to Gladhron. Resisting to look over at the woman, she glanced at the ground instead before looking back at Gladhron. But then she changed her mind and turned a bit to watch all of the captives, old and new. "It would have been difficult for any of us to judge whether or not she was speaking truth. Even if Gwestion would have been cautious, or if I might have been, the distraction may have served all the same," she thought out loud.

"Did I smell coffee?" she changed the subject, trying on another smile. "And then I promise I will let you sleep, as well."

@Arnyn
Gladhron nodded in reply to her mumbled words, feeling a bit annoyed that the woman had preyed on his willingness to help her. "I don't know," He shrugged. "Maybe I should've noticed something off." Sighing, he ran a hand over his throat where the knife had been pressed. It didn't seem as if her knife had done any damage, at least, but it had been a bit too close for his liking.

"Ah, yes," He smiled when she asked about coffee. "By the fire," He pointed. "And, I had just dug out the other cup.." He went back to where he and Ruby had been when Celume woke up, and retrieved the cup that he'd been searching for when things went downhill. Bringing that back, he offered it to Celume. "If you don't care for it black, there is a bit of sugar in there," He pointed to one of the pouches he had left near the fire. "No milk, though. We haven't yet taken to bringing any cows along with us." He grinned.

"I hope your watch is less.. eventful than mine." He added with a little smile. "Good night." Getting his bedroll from among his gear, he chose a spot by the fire and tried to get comfortable. He was asleep before long.

@Rillewen
"Thank you." With knowing resignation, she nodded at his comment about them having sugar but no milk. Taking milk with you on travels was nearly impossible unless you actually... well, took a cow. Like Gladhron said. Therefore, coffee with milk was what she always enjoyed first whenever she spent any time at a pub or inn up here. "I'll take it black," she said, and accepted the cup with a smile. "Good night."

Her watch was, indeed, uneventful. Celumë often walked around camp, both the inner and outer perimeter, so to speak, to stay alert and keep a good eye on the prisoners. Most of them were, or pretended to be, asleep before long. She kept a steady count of them, too. Along with an eye on their surroundings. She wondered what the best approach would even be if someone else came up to the camp, asking for help. She wasn't sure exactly what the best response would be. First wake Gladhron and Gwestion, probably, so they could still keep an eye on everything...

Before she knew it, the time for Gwestion's watch was upon her. In doubt, she looked over at his sleeping form by the fire. And gave him another half an hour.

Finally, she crouched next to him and gently woke him up. "Gwestion," she whispered. "It's Celumë."

@Arnyn
As he was nudged awake, for a second time, Gwestion's brain was reluctant to comply. It took him a moment to force his eyes open, feeling almost as if they were glued shut, but eventually he got them open. Sleepiness made his vision blurred at first. There was no urgency to Celume's voice this time, at least. Rubbing the weariness from his eyes, he made himself sit up. "No trouble, I hope?" He checked, and nodded in relief to hear the negative.

The previous day's exertion had definitely left him tired. He had expected to take a little while to fall asleep after the fighting, but had apparently dozed off quite quickly. Also, was it his imagination, or was it a little later than he thought it ought to be? He spared a questioning glance up at the sky, but decided not to ask about it. Once he'd taken a moment to stretch somewhat, he stood and retrieved his bow and quiver, then hesitated briefly before deciding to grab the sword as well. He hoped not to have to use it, but, after last night... better be safe than sorry. And, as for 'last night'...

He was thoughtful as he quietly strapped the sword belt around his hips, then turned to Celume. "I meant to thank you, by the way." He said quietly. He glanced toward his sleeping brother. "No telling how things might have gone last night, if not for you." He looked back up at her, hesitating slightly before offering his hand toward her. "My apologies if I was too weary to think about saying so, at the time. But I am grateful."

@Rillewen
"All was quiet," she confirmed. As he got up, she retreated to a respectable distance to warm herself by the fire. When he said he'd meant to thank her, the surprised frown on her face was there before she could hide it. Celumë followed his gaze to his sleeping brother before she focused back on Gwestion. Listening to his words, she had to resist the urge to make light of the compliment. She watched his hand, reached out to her, for a moment. While his apology sunk in.

Slowly, she reached out her hand in turn and closed her fingers around his wrist. Then she looked up at him. "Your apology is.. unnecessary. But appreciated all the time. You're welcome." Just as slowly as she'd reach out to close her fingers around his wrist, she let go again. "But in truth, Nársulë was the real hero. His snort woke me." She smiled faintly at that, a bit amused. "But I'm glad he did." After adding some wood to the fire, she started readying her bedroll. Sitting down on it after positioning her weapons around her, she looked up at Gwestion. "Your brother might not be as careful as you or I," she said quietly, "but there is a beauty in his persistence to see the good in people." She slipped into her bedroll and turned toward the fire, no longer facing Gwestion. "Nársulë and I were only here last night because of his friendly manner." She closed her eyes.

@Arnyn
Gwestion remained quiet after Celume had spoken her piece. He didn't say anything in return, merely gave a small nod to show he had understood, but he was thinking. One of the things he couldn't help thinking, was, 'Perhaps so, but "his persistence to see the good in people" nearly got us all killed... would you still find it beautiful then?' But he didn't speak his thought. He could appreciate her point, but wasn't sure that she could fully understand the frequent frustration that Gwestion had to deal with, when his overly trusting brother seemed to constantly get them into difficult or dangerous situations.

He had taken the meaning she had intended. He recalled something someone else had said, some time ago, about the brothers needing each other because they were so different. Perhaps it was for this very reason.. because he was sure that he would not have called out to invite the woman to join them, if he had been alone. And yet, Gladhron would have done the same even if it had been the bandit woman, and he may not have lived long enough to regret it. In a way, it sort of balanced out, he supposed.

Deciding not to let it get to him too much, he let out a quiet sigh and looked around. Gladhron's cup from earlier was still where he had left it. Rolling his eyes slightly, he went to retrieve it, dumped out the cold coffee left over, which Gladhron had forgotten about with all the excitement that happened, and then used a bit of water from his canteen to wash it the best he could. Since Celume had used the other cup, Gwestion claimed this one and filled it with fresh, hot coffee, to help him wake up a bit better.


The night passed quietly. As the time passed, his suspicion was soon confirmed; that it was a little bit later than he should have been wakened. Either she didn't know how to tell the time, or she'd done it intentionally. He was intrigued, suspecting the latter, but didn't know if he ought to ask when she woke. He was glad to notice that the aching in his leg muscles had mostly abated, so the rest had done him good. It would take a while before the muscles were as strong as before, which was a little frustrating but at least it wasn't a permanent thing.

Eventually, it began drawing toward dawn. Gwestion hadn't forgotten his intention to cook breakfast for them all. He took a look at what supplies were available, and began gathering what he would need. He had a few cooking supplies he carried in his gear, but it was nice to find pots and pans among the Millson's supplies. Along with flour and other items that he often wasn't able to carry along, since everything they carried had to be able to fit in their saddlebags and not weigh down the horses too much. He soon got a fairly nice breakfast going in a pot.

While he put the lid on and stepped away from the fire to let it cook, he noticed the bandit girl wriggling slightly, but she quickly stopped when he looked her way. Frowning in suspicion, Gwestion went over and carefully checked the bonds on each of the bandits, especially those two new arrivals. He found that she'd been working on trying to loosen her ropes, so he made sure that it was secure.

"You know," She looked up at him with fluttering eyelashes, smiling at him as he checked her ropes. "You and I could probably help one another a great deal."

"Not interested." He replied curtly.

"Oh, come on. There must be something you want." She whispered, and cast a quick glance toward the others sleeping by the fire. "If you'll just untie me, I promise you won't regret it. I could help you."

Gwestion rolled his eyes and didn't reply.

"What about we make a deal?" She whispered. "I have so much information. I could tell you whatever you want to know about these bandits."

Gwestion moved back into a crouch after he was sure her bonds were secure, and frowned. "You really think I'm that stupid?" Obviously, she was desperate. And, also obviously, she wasn't going to follow through with her end of any deals she tried to strike with him. She was more likely to try and strike him the second she was freed.

Ruby pouted. "Come on. At least hear me out?"

"If you really want to talk, then talk. I'm listening." He decided to see what she'd say.

Ruby hesitated, glancing around before attempting to speak in an even more hushed tone. "There's captives back at the camp. Women, you know.. the young, pretty ones. They're like slaves. But with what I can tell you, you rangers could be heroes..."

"Or be slaughtered as we walk into an ambush."

"No, no.. they wouldn't know you were coming. Really. All you have to do is just let me go. I'll take you there myself." She whispered. "Do you think I'm helping them because I want to?"

Gwestion narrowed his eyes. "Yes." He answered, then stood up, frowning at her. The way she had attacked them last night was not the actions of someone who was being coerced, but rather someone who genuinely wanted them to die. But, he was also troubled by what she claimed about these captives. Inwardly, he wanted very much to ask more about these supposed captives. How many were there? How long had they been the bandit's captives? From where did they capture these people? And, how long had they been in operation, and how far abroad did their group venture... All these questions flashed through his mind, but he couldn't just come right out and ask. This girl wouldn't answer truthfully, and he wouldn't believe her even if she did. Inwardly torn, he turned to glance at the fire, thinking he ought to check on the cooking.

As he glanced that way, he caught a little glimmer that revealed a pair of eyes looking this way, and realized Gladhron's were open. He still looked a little sleepy, but he must have caught some of the whispers. The brothers' eyes met briefly, and there was a sort of understanding that passed, like a flash, between them. Gwestion gave the tiniest, nearly imperceptible nod, then walked away from the bandit without another word. He would have to trust that Gladhron would be able to handle this, and tried his best not to give anything away.

"Wait..." Ruby whispered after him, but dared not raise her voice too loud, lest she wake the others.

Gwestion ignored her, acting as if he didn't notice that Gladhron had awakened. He crouched down by the pot and checked the contents. Purposely turning in such a way so that his brother was now behind him, he ignored any further sounds from that direction.

---

He wasn't exactly sure what had awakened him. The smell of food beginning to cook, probably. But, as he was tempted to roll over and drift off to sleep again, he caught a faint whisper. It was a little difficult to hear, but the place that Gladhron had chosen to lay out his bedroll was actually closest to where the bandits had been tied. He slowly opened his eyes, and observed. Now that he had wakened, he found it easier to piece together the snatches of whispers and make a guess at what was going on. The bandit girl was trying to bargain. He could have laughed at the irony... that she had chosen the one guy in the world who was least likely to even hear her out, to try her deception on.

However, he kept still and thought about how they might turn this to their favor. Thinking out a plan. When Gwestion looked toward the fire, Gladhron caught his eye, and noticed the slight nod. Good. He had passed the figurative baton to Gladhron. Like a tag-team, or something.

Acting as if he were trying not to let his brother notice his actions, Gladhron slipped out from his bedroll and crept over to the bandit girl. He stole a glance back toward Gwestion, then knelt near Ruby. "Did you mean that?" He whispered. "About.. helping us rescue those captives?"

Ruby blinked in surprise, but quickly seized an apparent opportunity. "Of course." She replied softly, trying to make her words a bit honeyed. She smiled. "I guess you're the smarter one. What do you want to know?" She asked softly, with a stealthy glance past him to check if his brother had noticed he was over here talking to her.

@Rillewen
She lightly rolled her shoulders in the bedroll upon waking up. Drawing in a deeper breath, enjoying the smell of the breakfast Gwestion was cooking up, Celumë allowed herself a minute or so of snoozing. But the sound of whispers finally made her open her brown eyes. She saw Gwestion on the other side of the fire. Behind him, slightly off to the side, she saw Gladhron sitting with their only female prisoner. Blinking away the last remainder of sleep from her eyes, she noted the thoughtful expression on Gwestion's face. Thoughtful, and... he had his head tilted just so... Her eyes flicked back to Gladhron and the woman. Listening in?

She got the inexplicable feeling, the instinctive idea, that the brothers were up to something. Had they decided to begin their questioning? They'd wanted to do that from the very beginning, after all. Celumë stayed down, cosy in her bedroll, trying to figure out what their game plan was, before she might ruin something by sitting up or speaking. Her eyes returned to Gwestion, trying to figure out if this expression was - at last - an unguarded one. Because something on his face seemed to be missing. It took her a while to figure out it was reserve. He did not think anyone was watching him. He looked kinder, like this.