[Arvedui III]

"Hello Rangar. Escaping the humans?"

Rangar turned and saw Enien in the opposite corner of the stables, getting Meliant settled. He chuckled. "If I could do that, my elven friend, then I'd be far away from here." She laughed, "That's mean." "The truth hurts." He responded grinning. "The Chambria's are very" "I know, but this isn't." Rangar interrupted, gesturing at the neat collar brushing irritably against his neck. Enien shook her head. " You'd rather be in those filthy rags of yours?" "Yep." She laughed again. "Well, on that note I'm going to get some sleep in a nice warm bed."

She said, putting a noticeable emphasis on 'nice warm bed', then yawned; And headed back towards the house. Rangar smiled, and got up as well. Walking towards his own horse, he stretched and yawned, thinking it could wait till morning. But, he reached the stall and began stroking the creature lightly before he could change his mind. "There's still the matter of your name." He mumbled, and the horse seemed to nod quietly in his sleep.

"Am I disturbing something?" Called a voice from behind, and Rangar turned around sharply, a jolt of panic hitting him. The figure to whom the voice belonged moved into the light, and Rangar saw it was Wren's father. "No Sir." Rangar near stumbled over the words, glad that it wasn't who he thought it was. "You can always tell a man by what he does after dinner." Maurice mused, seemingly to himself as he walked closer to Rangar. "And you, Rangar, are a man of Rohan who likes peace and quiet. Which makes me wonder why you took my daughter along with you." He finished, a grin now lighting his face. Rangar stared blankly for a second.

Was he confronting him? Get off the subject. "Forgive me sir, but I thought that you retired." Rangar asked. "I did, but as I say, you can tell a man by what he does after dinner. And, I go outside and smoke for a time." Maurice answered, holding up a pipe. "Then you are a man of Gondor who likes nothing better then simple pleasures." Rangar guessed, thinking if he made the exchange the man would just smile and leave. But, he didn't. "Very good. You catch on quick." "Yes sir." Rangar said, unable to think up a better answer. He wants me to tell him something.

"Anyway, I'd like to thank you for getting Wren back here in one piece. What is it you do?" Ah, right. Thought that was coming. Er, what do I? Think. "Well, erm, I don't run an escort service, that's for sure. Wren's quite capable of handling herself, with all due respect sir." "Of course, but will you be needing her for whatever you're doing?" No more pretense now, um, what do I? Turthol would be happier. Do we really need? Well, this was her original goal anyway, I guess. But, maybe, nah. Well, what do I?

"Because I could compensate you if, "Oh no sir. I wouldn't hear of that. It's up to her if she wants to continue on. We could spare her, but she would certainly be missed." He replied quickly, wondering afterward what decision he had just made. "You'd make a good diplomat, with those contradictory answers." Maurice replied shrewdly. "Yes sir." Rangar said, once again unable to find a better answer. "But you sound like a soldier from all those ‘yes sirs, no sirs'"

Rangar stared blankly at his host for a moment. "Well, um, with your permission sir," He stammered, motioning at the door to the stables, wanting for whatever reason to get to sleep. "Of course." Rangar moved past the man and walked very quickly back to the house.
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In the morning Rangar found his cloths folded neatly on a table, and after a quick breakfast he found the rest of the company. He resolved not to talk to anyone about what Wren's father had said, so with nothing else do to do he said, "Well, um, I guess we should be going." Looking around at the faces told him that no one was really ready to go. "Rangar," Said a voice from behind him. It was Wren. "I have a way we could get to Harad."

[ June 06, 2003: Message edited by: Arvedui III ]