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Athwen had not seen the group of horsemen standing near to where Vaenosa and Incana had killed and left the deer. She would have remained completely oblivious to them, had she not been hailed unexpected by one of their group. She and her horse turned their heads at the same instant. He brought his head up and ears forward sharply and as his nostrels dilated and his eyes opened even wider, he uttered a low nicker.
'Hey! Hey, you on the horse there! Wait up, will you?' the rider called. Athwen checked her gelding, but he didn't stop and instead he turned on his hind feet and went trotting and prancing towards the oncoming stranger and mare.
'Why you insupportable animal!' Athwen scolded under her breath. 'Really, Parith, you're quite embarrassing.' The horses were drawing closer together and Parith's neck was arching and his feet were lifting more like a stallion's than a gelding's ought. She drew him in and made him stand still. He obeyed her admireably well and they waited as the stranger slowed to a canter and then to a trot and in a moment, stopped altogether in front of them.
Anyone might have told Athwen that to turn and meet a complete stranger at such a time as that was a rather empty headed thing to do. But the thought never occured to her. She felt she had little reason to fear anything, particularly a young woman who seemed to be only a little larger than her own tiny self and who, though armed, didn't appear to be threatening at all. Anyway, she had a descent look about her, and after seeing orcs and what they did, Athwen certainly wasn't about to compare such a person to an evil creature or being like that.
'Hullo!' Athwen said, much as she would have before all the trouble of yesterday came. 'Where do you come from?'
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