[Ransom]

While those who looked at the black haired woman usually wrote her off as eccentric, those with more skill at reading a person’s state of mind and emotion could pick up some inkling of her true feelings. Leena’s father had died shortly before the birth of his second daughter, forcing the new widow to work full time to support her children. In due time, she had fallen to a faceless murder’s knife behind the shady tavern where she had worked as a cook. The heavy weight of providing for her younger sister as well as paying rent had fallen on Leena’s narrow shoulders. Not possessing any marketable skills, she had resorted to pick pocketing and thievery to pay for food and housing. After being forcibly recruited by the Order of the Black Rose, the need to care for her sister had all but disappeared. Enna had been sent to a small (but nearby) orphanage while her older sister was trained to serve the White Tower.

At the very least, those who survived the rigorous education emerged cynical and paranoid. For Leena, the period of training had heightened the sense of unease she had been ignoring since her mother’s death. She often became quite depressed, a condition that only aggravated her normally eccentric nature. Unknown to her, this was one of the reasons she had been paired with Thagon. Even though she could recite long lists of his failings, she had to grudgingly admit that he brought some sort of stability to her life.

"Do you have any sisters? They can be a pain," Cartil began, recieving a stare from the grey eyes of Leena.

Leena broke her revile with an almost audible snap. When the rest of the group had aggregated around the fire before bedtime, the two Gondorians had pulled up a log. Thagon pulled out a small block of wood and set to work with his knife, chipping away at the wood in a never-ending quest for artistic perfection. Instead of wasting time, Leena had pulled out a small sharpening stone from a pouch on her belt and a knife from her boot and set about sharpening. Apparently, she had entered one of her more philosophical moments. That would have to be corrected as soon as possible.

“I’ve got a younger sister, but I must confess that I adore her. She’s smart enough, but puts far more value in clothing and talk than action. Your sister does seem somewhat headstrong.”

Cartil responded with a loud laugh. “You’ve just said the understatement of the year. Jess certainly has a mind of her own. But she’s insistent, and fairly good at what she puts her mind to.”

“Then you’re luckier than you think you are, Cartil. It’s a rare thing to find a person who’ll put their hearts a minds into a task these days.”

“Indeed,” replied the diplomat thoughtfully, “you certainly have a point. But points do little when their grating on your nerves.”

Throwing a half playful, half serious look at Thagon, she responded, “The elves say that Nienna gives wisdom through suffering and perseverance. ‘Tis certainly been a great comfort, or I would have gone mad long ago.”