[Orual]

A sister! Ravion had not taken the possibility of family into consideration. What would he do with a young girl to drag along everywhere he went? Having the boy along would be bad enough. He didn't know why he'd offered. And as for Aeron attempting to threaten him, to blackmail him into bringing the sister along..."you'll have to do your own work"? As though he needed Aeron's help! He ought to drag the boy all the way to jail by his impudent tongue. He was about to say something of that nature when he saw Mellonin cover her face with her hands.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Raefindan gently said, "You have had no word. What can you do? Nothing, til you know where he has gone."

"Who has gone, lady?" Ravion asked, confused.

"Mellondu, my younger brother," Mellonin replied, struggling to contain her grief. "He has been missing now for over three weeks. One day after work, he went out, and did not return. He left everything behind except what he was wearing. No one has heard any news."

Ravion frowned. He had that same feeling now that he had received when he first saw Mellonin. "What does he look like?" the Ranger asked, a sinking sensation telling him that he probably shouldn't have.

"Very much like me. He worked in the smithy," Mellonin responded.

Ravion nodded, and the sinking sensation came to a stop. It had apparently hit bottom. He heard himself exclaim, "So the moonstruck blacksmith is your brother! They say he has departed northward from Edoras."

"What! Edoras! Where-- how--" Mellonin stammered. Everyone stared at Ravion, who felt his face go hot at all the attention. "When? Where did he go? How far away is he? Who told you?" Suddenly her expression changed. "Moonstruck? Moonstruck! Who told you that? Why did they say that? What do you mean, moonstruck? Is he all right? He IS all right, isn't he?"

Ravion was relieved to see Raefindan grab Aeron by the belt, but then again, it robbed him of the only distraction he could see. Mellonin's eyes were focused so intently on him that they seemed to burn holes in his face. He tried to look away, but he could sense her desperation, her need to hear what he had heard.

Ravion startled when Morien spoke. "Ranger, if you have news of Mellonin's brother, pray tell us. We share in her concern. What news, friend?"

Now four pairs of eyes were boring into his head, and he gave under the pressure. "I haven't heard much," he said as a disclaimer.

"Anything you've heard will be more than I know now," Mellonin insisted. "Please. Tell me what you have heard."

Ravion took a deep breath and started in. "I was in Rohan not a week gone by," he said. "Hunting orcs, you understand--I didn't talk much to the Rohirrim. I did stay at an Inn, though, and you hear things. The popular topic of conversation was a young man who was described as looking much like you, lady. The stories varied, as stories will, but most said that they found him to be quite mad. Some said he would speak to himself incessently, others said he conversed with spirits, but all agreed that he spoke masterfully and in a manner quite unusual for a blacksmith. They say he claims to be an elf-lord, and is most convinced of it. From what I heard he was making quite a good show of it as well, behaving to the last detail like the elf-lord he claims to be. Those I spoke to said that if they hadn't known that he was a man, they would have believed him."

He stopped briefly and looked at Mellonin, who was listening, expressionless. He cleared his throat. "He was not at the Inn at which I stayed, and he is no longer in Edoras, as I said. As I also said, he is headed north. No one knew where he was bound."

He took a deep breath. "I have told you all I know. I hope that this helps you, and I will help you in any way I can." He willed that uncomfortable feeling to go away--he was only being kind. Surely Mellonin would not require any further help.