[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman made her way to the stables out the back after assigning Awyrgan his room. Awyrgan...Aman did not recognise the name as being Gondorin or Rohirrim, or of being similar to other types. It sounded more like a name of the Northen wild men, although she couldn't translate its meaning fully. Another odd thing about this man.

Stepping out into the cold night air, the Innkeeper gasped. It was Summer, yet the night was indeed more than chilly- she hugged herself and wished she had thought to bring her cloak. Still, she would not be long- she only had to check the horses and lock the stables up for the night. Hastening across the courtyard, her feet making no noise even on the stone paving, due to the soft soled shoes she was wearing, Aman did not notice the two figures conversing, a woman and a man. But when she reached the stables, she couldn't help stopping in surprise- the stables were enclosed by two large, wooden, double doors. And one of these doors was ajar.

Lantern held high to dispell shadows and the sudden thoughts of the thing in the cellar, Aman pushed open one of the doors, and the creak seemed to echo deafeningly and eerily in the silence. All seemed to be still in the stables, but... what was that?

Aman turned quickly, her eyes searching the darkness. Out of the corner of her eye, she had been sure she had seen a sudden movement. But now nothing was there, or not in the stables. The barn joined onto them, and, curiousity winning over dread, Aman walked briskly towards the barn, shining her light as far as she could around. But there was nothing there. Or not on the ground anyway...

A shadow suddenly passed above Aman, and she barely held back a yelp and she stepped backwards and looked up, trying to shine the feeble light of the lantern into the high rafters. In the hay bales, or behind the barrels of feed, or in the many nooks and crannies of the barn, or in the rafters... there were innumerate places that a person could hide, especially is they were agile and slim enough. Aman stepped a few steps further into the barn, looking around slowly, trying to see as much as she could at once....

The young woman whirled right around this time, as something passed behind her- right behind her, so close she had felt the breeze from it, had heard the slight rustle of clothing, just as she had in the cellar. She rushed into the stables...but there was no one there- she would have been able to see them; in a few seconds they couldn't have got right out, or have got well enough hidden as to avoid her gaze. That meant they had chosen to stay in the barn. A shiver ran up Aman's spine, and she remembered Derufin's yell. Something heavy enough as to overpower Derufin, to knock that drinks thing down on him...and it could be in this deserted barn with her.

Aman forced herself to keep her nerve. "Wh...who's there?" She called, knowing it was fruitless. There was no reply and the silence was becoming crushing, ominous. That was it- for pure practicality's sake, Aman was not staying in an empty barn, alone, past midnight. Well, she knew Derufin was up- she had see him go outside and unless he had come back in by some obscure way she did not know of, the stablemaster was still outside. He too had experienced this thing- she would find him. Forcing herself to walk calmly, not to run, Aman turned and walked out of the barn to find the stablemaster, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling with the feeling that she was being watched all the way.