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Old 05-17-2004, 10:22 PM   #231
Orual
Speaker of the Dead
 
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Superbia
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Anorien: Ravion

Ravion glanced at the siblings, deep in contemplation about how to "walk like a man", with some amusement as he prepared Gond for the day's journey. He had earlier tried to erase the signs of their stay as much as possibly, fearing that they were being followed still. Their encounter with the merchant had left him even more paranoid than he normally was, and he was taking no risks. However, he had eventually deemed the effort fruitless. Wild mumakil make less of a mess than my companions, he thought ruefully as he glanced over their campsite. With a sigh, he looked back to the siblings.

"If everyone is ready, we need to start off," he called. Mellonin stirred from where she had been resting, and the others looked over at him. None of them seemed particularly inclined to leave. "We are wasting daylight," he said, eyebrows raised. Still no one moved. "I am asking politely!"

Aeron snorted at Ravion's half-desperate, half-frustrated tone. "And where do you have to go that merits such speed?" he asked languidly. Ravion stared at him for a moment, then took several deep breaths, counting to ten. He would not get angry. It was counter-productive and only slowed them down. He would reason with the boy, and then they would all leave and they could go on their way. By the time he got to "seven" he could tell that it was not going to be an easy fight, his battle with his temper. But every journey began with a single step...

"Nowhere but wherever our search for Mellonin's brother will lead us," he said in what he hoped approximated an even tone. Out of his peripheral vision he saw Raefindan make a strange face. It almost seemed like he was trying not to laugh. Odd.

"But surely another hour will not hinder us too much," Aeron persisted. Gwyllion elbowed him in the side, and he grunted, but did not take back his comment.

"An hour is more than we can spare, yes," Ravion said, his hand clenched tightly around the middle of his sword's scabbard. He would not make a fist. He would not show signs of anger.

"But an hour? Really," Aeron said. Ravion suddenly realized that this whole conversation was staged to aggravate the Ranger. He was all the more determined to not let the boy get his ire up.

"An hour is an hour, and more time than you think, while we are on a search," he said smoothly. Raefindan and Mellonin exchanged glances. Ravion did not bother to try to decipher what they meant. He had a feeling he did not want to know.

"How far could Mellonin's brother get in an hour?" Aeron asked.

"An hour's travle farther from us," Ravion said, his voice now tight. His fingers ached from gripping the scabbard. He hoped his face was not red.

"But surely a Ranger could travel faster than--"

"Not a Ranger burdened with the likes of you!" Ravion snapped, then bit his tongue. That had done no good.

"I can travel fast, when I am disposed." Aeron leaned back a little, glancing at Ravion with a twinkling eye full of mischief.

And that was all it took. Ravion tackled Aeron, being reluctantly careful to avoid what was surely the boy's still-sore shoulder, and pinned him down.

"Get. Packed. Now," he said. "We are leaving as soon as everyone is packed, which should be in less than ten minutes."

Aeron looked up at him, then surprised Ravion by thrusting his head up and slamming it into Ravion's chest. Ravion gave a grunt of pain, and the two of them started wrestling for true.

"Oh, that will do!" Mellonin cried, half laughing and half concerned. Ravion and Aeron stopped, both panting, and both grinning. Ravion wiped the grin off quickly and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Shall we go?" he asked in a dignified voice. Aeron stepped up and pulled a blade of grass out of the Ranger's hair, and Ravion swatted his hand away. He turned an innocent face to Mellonin and Raefindan. "We are wasting daylight."
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