[Amanaduial the archer]

Coromswyth

"But what have I said that deserves such a look as this, lady? Do you account the Woodmen among your friends and take offence that I should weigh them so slightly?"

Ambarturion's tone was light now, rather than attacking as it may have been whilst asking the same question earlier, and his laugh made it seem more jocular. These things made Coromswyth consider her answer more carefully than she may otherwise have done, and she hesitated, regarding Ambarturion contemplatively for a long moment. Then she smiled, looking away and shaking her head. "Ambarturion, with such conversation, I do not doubt talking to the Woodmen will be interesting. I don't think you have once spoken to you and not been intrigued by your opinions."

"I don't think that I have once spoken to you and recieved a straight reply to a question," he replied.

Sharp as knives! Coromswyth grinned, unlady-like as it may have been, and held up a finger. "Ah! But that was not a straight question. I merely replied with a roundabout answer to a roundabout question."

For a split second, Coromswyth thought Ambarturion might have replied angrily, but thankfully he took the other option, smiling back at her but saying nothing, his characteristic silence coming back once more. Taking a long deep sigh, he dropped his head so it hung on his chest, then tilted it back to look up at the stars. From where the pair were seated on the ridge of the hollow, about half a metre apart in one of the uniform gaps in the trees, they could see the clear, fine night well, every winking bright star and fine diamond cushioned in dark velvet, perfectly defined. The starlight gleamed on raven black hair and noble faces as the elves sat it silence, watching the stars, each allowing themselves a few moments of peace, without worry or the world. Then Coromswyth drew in a deep breath and rose, smoothing her skirts softly as she shook her hair back, a hand automatically coming up to brush the stray strands from her face. "What time shall we leave tomorrow, Ambarturion?"

The simple question was a token gesture: Coromswyth left it entirely up to Ambarturion, without opinion of her own - allowing him to judge. He turned his head to look up at her then rose also, stepping towards her. "I shall wake you - we shall leave a few hours after daybreak, for it has been a long night."

"Wake me?" A smile played over Coromswyth's lips. "Nay, Ambarturion, I shall watch - you must be tired."

Ambarturion's face changed, shocked. "Nay, Lady, I will watch for the rest of the night - my pupils have enough trouble and one is wounded, and you may have trouble tomorrow without your horse-"

She waved this aside, shaking her head. "Ambarturion, I insist," she replied softly. "Really, you have had as hard a night as I - harder even. I admire you for it. But please - I am not a weak and liable to snap as you may think. I will watch."

He hesitated for a moment, unsure, then offered a halfway point: she would watch first, then he. "And then Megilaes," he added. "He must learn also."

Coromswyth smiled and rolled her eyes. "If you say so, teacher," she replied mockingly, smiling at him. Turning, she settled back down on the ground, next to where she had lain her sword. "Goodnight, Ambarturion."

"And you, Lady Coromswyth," came the formal reply.

~*~

Koran

Several miles from where she elves rested the night afterwards, a fiery scene had unfolded inside Herding's tent. Glaring venemously at the Southron captain, Koran contemplated saying more, then chose to remain silence, clenching his teeth together fiercely before he turned away from the other Southron captain. Touching Ehan on the arm and turning on his heel without bowing as may have been expected, walked out of the tent with stiff, dangerous, inhaling sharply as the cool night air hit him. He didn't move for a moment, a tall, lithe figure against the moonlight, looking out from the eaves of the trees under which Herding's tent had been constructed, calming himself as he breathed in the cool air slowly.

"You are a fool, Koran! You will face defeat, that is what you will do!" The other Southron Captain's words came back cruelly to Koran. He clenched his jaw, looking down at the ground and a bitter smile came onto his face. A fool? The orc knew Koran's name - and so, probably, did Herding. Not that he would ever sink to admitting it - men like that were happier when aware only of themselves. What need had the mighty Herding for knowledge of a mere youth's battles? He shook his head angrily.

"Are you alright, Captain Cenbryt?" Ehan's voice was surprisingly soft. Koran had seen the boy's surprise at the hostility that had arisen in the tent so quickly - indeed, Koran himself was a little mystified as to why things had got so out of hand so quickly. But he knew how it had started. He is the model of Ferach and Cortim...

He turned sharply to look at Ehan and saw the boy move back very slightly. His face softened and he took another deep breath, letting his young brown eyes, full of experience that Herding would never even guess at, before he looked again at Ehan, sliding his eyes sidewards at him. "Captain Herding's way of thinking is..." he hesitated, trying to formulate the right words, before giving up. "Frankly, the man reminds me all too strongly of a pair of the most despicable human beings I have ever come into contact with."

Ehan gave a short laugh. "Sounds a little dire, Koran. Can I ask who?"

Koran glanced across at the younger man and gave him and ironic smile, his white teeth and dark eyes glittering in the clear light of the stars and the moon. "Why, family of course. Didn't you guess?"