[Nerindel]

Amandur

Amandur nodded his greeting to Rauthain as he joined them and as the others gave their orders to the young elf woman, he pondered how much they each knew of their quarry and if like he they knew Vanwe's relationship to Naiore? He watched the elf maiden over the lip of his tankard as she left to prepare his companions fare.


Hanasían's quiet words drew him back to his companions and he listened as he spoke his thoughts regarding the young elf. His head nodded were their conclusions matched, but as he spoke of Vanwe being but kin to Naiore he turned slightly and studied the ranger, a slight crease of the lines by his eyes told him that Hanasían indeed knew the truth of Vanwe's relationship to the criminal they sought, turning back he saw Rauthain and Maethor taking in all that was spoken, bringing him to the conclusion that neither one had meet Naiore or they would have guessed the truth of Vanwe's heritage, he knew only the truth because the elven twins Léspheria and Lóthaniel had chose to share it with him.

'And in fact may be tracking her as well, though I think it is only, as it is for most of us, due to an evil inflicted by the Ravener.' puffing thoughtfully on his pipe he contemplated these words, he knew she was tracking her mother for that is how he came to be here, he thought to show his message from their kin and king to the others, but something in Hanasían's voice conveyed a personal evil and not just the numerous wrongs she had inflicted on many of the peoples of middle earth, causing the message to remain tucked in his breast pocket.

As he drew again on his pipe he realised it had gone out during his ponderings, But Hanasian was at hand with a re-light, Puffing at the re-lit pipe he nodded his thanks and raised his tankard as Rauthain toasted the health of their king.

"Aye, to the King and his rangers!" he said, thinking of those who had gone southwest to deal with the orcs that escaped their net and now infested the blue mountains, the same orcs who some how managed to capture one of their captains.

'You know I saw and talked to Kaldir here a couple of days ago.' Amandur looked up to see Hanasían addressing him, and as he continued the vision of a thin blood soaked man wreathing on the soiled floor of one of the cold dark pits of Mordor, flashed into his mind. The ranger had been beaten and tortured so bad that they had not a first been able to tell if it was man or beast, let alone one of their own, only after the man had spoken cracked words in their Adûnaic tongue had he realised who he had found. Oh! you old fool, he silently berated himself, looking at Hanasían and Rauthain in turn he put the rangers old face and name together. 'How could I be so blind,' he thought to himself as he chewed on the end of his burnt out pipe.

"Yes, Kaldir does hunt bounty," Maethor's words interrupted his thoughts and he turned to listen what his young friend had to say

"It is grievous that though he has kept his life, he has turned to such distasteful ways."

Just then Vanwe appeared balancing a large tray with hot stew , sourdough and an assortment of cheeses, Amandur watched as she silently set the table, placing steaming bowls of stew before his companions, he noted the small smile she afforded Hanasían and Maethor and her lack of eye contact with him, 'hmmm, I have frightened her with all my questions' he thought as she hurried away. But Maethor's words brought him back to the table.

As he listened to the other reply to the younger rangers word he heard someone speak Léspheria's name, glancing round he saw that it was Vanwe who had spoken the elf woman's name, then he remembered that Léspheria had given her key to Vanwe for safe keeping. A look of concern crept upon his face as he saw that the stable master gripped her arm, but he relaxed as he let go at her request. The young frightened elf cast them a glance that only he had seen then sped up the stairs.

He smiled as he turned back to his companions, He was now almost sure that Léspheria had given the young elf her key so that she had somewhere else to hide if she needed it. Although alarmed that she hide from them, he thought it wise that she was in the relative safety of the inn rather than alone in the stable.

As he again listened to the conversation at the table he heard Rauthain say he couldn't beleive that Kaldir had turned bounty hunter.

"I was there!" they all looked to him with curious eyes, sighing he continued "I was there when Kaldir was found! Myself and a few of our kin chose to venture into Barad-dûr and search it's foul pits killing those who lingered and freeing any prisoners we found. It was here that I found Kaldir, though I did not know it was him until just now, he was in a bad way his entire body soaked in his own blood that we thought he would not last the night, but he did and we got him to Gondor. When I returned from my task in Mordor and inquired of the man we had left in their keeping they informed me that as soon as his wounds had healed he had left and I have heard no news of him till now." he paused for a second to ascertain their reaction then continued,

"I too spoke with Kaldir briefly, this morning in fact. But with the elven lady Léspheria taking a fall from her horse I did not put name and face together until you mentioned him" he said looking at Hanasían.

"Have you seen him since!" Hanasian asked concern furrowing his brow. Amandur thought back.

"Yes!" he finally said "I saw him from my room window as he left the inn with Cobhan Tupper!"

"The horse thief !" Maethor exclaimed,

"Maybe he needed a horse?" he shrugged, wondering why Kaldir would be meeting with that scoundrel. He also wondered if he knew that his tormentor was near, through Kaldir's tormented rantings of adûnaic words when they had first found him, Amandur had made out but Two words... Naiore Dannan!