[TheLadyAerowen]

Alearindu nodded at Aislan, happy that she accepted. She then noticed Gandalf was walking their way. He looked at Alearindu.

"Will you consent to serve the company again by continuing on ahead of us, to scout the road against further traps, as before? ... And remember, a ranger's skill does not end when she enters the castle door."

She grinned, and nodded. 'Of course I will. I just hope I won't run into..too much trouble.' Alearindu then checked one last time with Aislan, then walked over to Mornen.

She checked his legs and wounds from the first pit-fall. All of the wounds were healing nicely, and were almost completely healed. Alearindu then grabbed her pack, put it on her back, and vaulted onto Mornen. She nodded at Gandalf, then trotted Mornen down the path to the castle.

The company was expected to reach the castle the following evening. Alearindu figured she would go about half-way, then the next morning, scout to the castle.

Mornen cantered and galloped on for a while, and as Alearindu reached a bit before she wanted to turn, the rising sun casted one of its rays off of something black in a pile of straw. Alearindu furrowed her brow, and slowed Mornen. She dismounted and slowly walked to the straw. There seemed to be some kind of contraption of metal beneathe it.

Grabbing a decently long stick, Alearindu poked at the metal, and nothing happened. She frowned and looked at Mornen. 'What can I do?'

As if in answer, he pawed the ground, and unearthed a medium-sized rock. She laughed, and then picked it up and stood a few feet away from the piece of metal, and tossed the rock. It made a clinking noise on the metal, but once again, nothing happened. Alearindu became slightly confused, and decided on one last thing. She found a larger rock and moved a little bit closer, then tossed it. She jumped back and Mornen squealed and went to bolt as the metal clanged shut loudly.

Alearindu walked to Mornen, and quieted him before walking slowly back over to the metal. It turns out that it was a nasty leg-trap made of metal that had rusted. Alearindu picked up the stick that lay near-by again and poked around the straw cautiously, but there were no more leg-traps or anything of the sort. She went back and mounted Mornen, and then continued on.

After a while of galloping and cantering, Alearindu and Mornen found no more traps for about a day of the Company's travel. Alearindu turned Mornen, and headed back for the camp. She double-checked what she had went through before, and once again, found nothing. She slowed Mornen to a trot as the came back to the campsite, and pulled Mornen to a stop where Gandalf was.

Alearindu then reported; 'I found only one set-up. It was an interesting trap. Made for a horses leg, I believe, but, a human or an elf could as easily walked into it, most likely resulting in more injury. It was large, and rusted metal. It wouldn't go off with a stick, nor a medium stone. I had to use a large rock to finally set it off. And even then it snapped loudly and quite cleanly.' Alearindu winced at thinking what would have happened if her or Mornen, or anyone of the Company stepped into it. 'It was a good thing the Sun was shining where it was. Mornen and I just might have missed it.'

[ January 12, 2003: Message edited by: TheLadyAerowen ]