[Folwren]

Folwren's post

The woman introduced herself and offered the information of where she came from quite openly. Athwen looked beyond her when she mentioned her companions and her heart skipped a beat. She must have been blind, or completely unobservant, not to have seen that the woman had companions! Too late now. She looked back at Meghan who continued to talk.

Athwen quickly got her thoughts together and her hand brushed her face unconsciously, searching for any stray tears that might still be there. There were none, thankfully, and she listened fully to Meghan. The two men they had ambushed and treated so roughly were part of this group, they had gone on ahead while the four here were in her village.

' But the orcs must be gone, yes? For you to ride so boldy, alone and unarmed. That is a good sign. Have you by any chance seen them? The two men?'

Athwen paused with slight embarassment. Yes, indeed she had seen the two men, but not in the particularly circumstances that she would like to explain. She was saved momentarily as one of Meghan's companions approached and spoke to her.

'Rædwald here, mistress,' he said, introducing himself. 'Meghan's uncle-of-sorts.' Athwen kept her eyes on the newcomer, though her quick ears caught some small sound from Meghan at the introduction that she really didn't understand. She blinked twice and waited for him to continue. 'We would be most grateful if you have seen our other friends and can tell us where they've gone. . .' a short pause, but still Athwen didn't speak, unsure if he was going to say something further. Something in his face said he wasn't finished, and in a moment, after he had seemed to consider her face carefully as though trying to see beyond it into her mind, he spoke again, and this time in a softer and gentler tone of voice, as though coaxing an animal. 'Can we escort you back to your people, mistress? Somewhere more safe for you?'

Athwen smiled a sad smile and bowed her head slightly before she replied. 'No,' she said. 'That you can not do, but I can give you news of your missing companions. I hope you won't take it wrong, but we. . .that is, they were. . .well.' Awkwardly embarrassing. She felt the blood rising to her pale face. 'We ambushed them,' she finally said, forgetting that they didn't know who 'we' were. 'We thought they were forerunners, or something, of a big group of Easterlings. Don't be alarmed though,' she added hastily as both Meghan's and Rædwald's eyebrows went up at her confession. 'They weren't hurt. . .I mean, they weren't damaged. . .too much. One of them was knocked out, that's all, and the other Brand netted and he managed to get across to us that he wasn't an Easterling, and so they let him out. But I don't know about your other companion. He got hit pretty hard on the head with Incana's rock and wasn't awake when I left.'

She stopped suddenly and bit her lip. Clearly her words weren't doing a very good job of convincing them that their companions weren't hurt too bad. Of course, she couldn't help but wonder what her mother would think if one of her brother's had gotten knocked out by some flying rock. She'd probably faint, or something. Athwen pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and tried to think of what to say that would help the two of them believe that they hadn't hurt the two men too much. A thought popped into her mind and before she considered to think if it was a good or bad idea, she said it. 'Do you want to come back with me? They're still at our camp, I imagine. Won't be leaving for a little while. You'll see - they weren't hurt too much. And we wouldn't have ambushed them at all if we had known they were loyal to the king,' she added, thinking it might help to say so. 'We just didn't know. Will you come back with me?'

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Undómë's post

Meghan


'We ambushed them.’

Meghan’s mouth dropped open as the woman fumbled to explain herself. Surely they did not think they were Orcs! Athwen’s further words concerning Osmod and Fion did little to comfort Meghan. Athwen and her companions had thought them Easterlings!

She conjured up how Osmod and Fion had looked the last time she’d seen them. They’d not been out in the rough that long, she thought, that they had begun to look outlandish and wild. But they were on this side of the river now, in the lands of the Mark proper where she’d never been before. Perhaps those who lived here were more sophisticated in their appearances and expectations.

Some assurance came as the woman continued, saying they had not been harmed and that the misunderstanding seemed to be untangled and on the road to being set right. And anyway, Athwen did not seem in the least antagonistic or of the devious sort. She seemed open and engaging despite the sorrow which hung behind her eyes. In other circumstances, Meghan thought, they might have counted themselves as friends once they’d gotten to know each other.

And what was Rædwald thinking about all this? His face had take on a serious look as the woman had spoken. Was he thinking to ride back for Sythric and Eostre. A battle plan already forming in his mind to rescue the two men. Meghan nudged her horse near his and placed her hand over his clenched one as it lay on his thigh.

With a bright smile, meant she hoped to allay his displeasure at Athwen’s description of the incident, she spoke in a light tone to him, saying, ‘Thanks be to those that watch over us! They are not hurt! I’m just thinking they’ll want to know we’re alright, too. Don’t you think so?’

Without waiting for him to answer, she turned back to Athwen, smiling at her also. ‘Yes, please. Take us to where they are, won’t you. The sooner we’re back together, the sooner we can be on our way.’

She turned to Rædwald for a brief moment and saw in the distance that Sythric and Eostre were drawing near. ‘Go back and let them know what we’re doing, why don’t you?’ she urged him. ‘Athwen and I can start off at a slow pace . . . you’ll catch up to us in no time.’