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“You’ve been soldiers all along.” Maén said in a quite voice, knowing not what else to say. Ferethor nodded. “I have nothing to say to you, I loathe Elessar, and I will always. Nothing you can say can change that. You both have betrayed my confidence, and while I may call you friends, I will advise you that it is not wise in future. I will not come with you, Im going home.”
Carathir too was distressed, all along his only objective had been to find this Il Galoth traitor and get back his tribal rights, which were to become king of his people. He knew now that it would not happen. “Next time, there will always be another opportunity” he said quietly to himself as he rode a way behind the company.
Time passed quickly for the company on the ride home, Maén told the company that they were free to come to Lysia’s anytime they pleased to pick up their reward, as many still wanted to take care of other things first. So it was that Carathir and Maén rode into the estate of the renegade Il Galoth lady.
Lysia seemed to look more tired than ever as she ran out to meet them. Carathir immediately took Hittai and his horse to the stables to allow the aunt and niece to talk. Lysia threw her arms around her niece. “Did you find him?”
Maén looked gravely at the ground. “He had been dead all along. I had to kill Lord Arriten in the process, he was in league with Guriel” Her voice grew hoarse. Lysia nodded. And in turn began to speak.
“Your father came here, the day after you left. They don’t understand Maén, he was very angry. I think you should live here for a while rather than go back to that cold home.”
Maén looked her aunt in the eye. “Live here?”
Lysia nodded. “Estranged from your parents for a while. You have always been more like me than your own mother; she always despised me for it. You shall be educated if you wish, you shall do what you wish. And you will be mine; you will still have your title.” For the first time in her life, Maén was almost content, she was thwarted though to think that in the end it took a trip halfway across Middle Earth to gain her freedom. She had been driven by revenge, other by gold, other by orders. They had hoped to find more than what they did, but at the end of days, when the sun disappears into the west The Legacy of Traitors amounts to nothing.
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