[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Ehan strayed, delaying his order from Koran to go pay a nice visit to Herding. Instead, Ehan looked on curiously as his Captain watched the Elves get carted away by a band of Orcs. Ehan had noticed his Captain acting differently since they had captured the elves, but the young Southron could not quite figure out what had changed. Koran watched the cart rumble off, turning back when Ehan called his name. He turned around and away from his spot wordlessly, walking with Ehan toward Herding's tent. Neither spoke for a while, and Ehan used the time to think about the Elves.

"Sir," Ehan began at one point during the trip to the other Captain's tent. "You like the female Elf?" The younger man used it more as a statement than a question. But he was not finished, either. "You spoke to her...what did you see in her eyes?"

Ehan watched Koran's face as his own voice trailed off. He had spoken softly, not wanting to anger his Captain or cross any invisible lines that he had not been able to see. Still, Ehan could see the indignation that had come to line Koran's face sometime during his speech. Soon, though, Ehan grew tired of waiting for an answer from his Captain, and decided to break the unbearable silence.

"Oh, but a right state we have gotten ourselves into with this capture. It is just like the old stories, with heroes and fighting, now with captives, and tension and arguments..." Ehan's voice trailed off once more, the silence too unbearable for him but the sound of his own voice awkward. "Well, the only thing that is missing is betrayal. Herding seems right for the part, don't you think?"

Ehan finished off with a smile as the two Southrons approached the flap of Herding's tent.