The Bree-land Free RP

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
In the woods

Together, after meeting up with each other at the back of the cabin, Gwestion and Gladhron cut across the overgrown yard to join Celume. They both kept alert as they went, making sure they weren't going to walk into anything unexpected. There had been no one, and no sign of anyone, anywhere around the perimeter. And the call from Celume had proven that she found it to be safe.

As they dismounted and left their horses beside Narsule, Gwestion frowned to see the state of the cabin. "Windows smashed.. door busted in." He glanced at Gladhron, then followed as his brother up onto the porch to join Celume at the doorway.

"Looks like quite a fight happened here," Gladhron remarked, looking around through the open doorway. He sighed, then looked at Gwestion.

"This.. seems to have happened months ago." Gwestion said softly. Probably, around the time that the man had been expected to arrive to take over running the inn. The last known time anyone had had any dealings with the fellow had been when Mr. Greylake sold the inn to him.

"I'll.. look around outside." Gladhron offered. They had checked around the edges of the property, but had stayed within the treeline. And when coming to join her, they had simply cut across the yard on one side of the house. He set out now to do a more thorough search of the yard and exterior of the cabin, to look for more clues.

Gwestion gave a small nod, closing his eyes briefly as he drew in a slow breath. This was not what he had hoped to find. Steeling himself, he opened his eyes again and looked at Celume. "Shall we see what clues we can find, inside?" He asked quietly.

Searching inside provided little information, but it was clear that the place had been ransacked. Everything that might have held any value had been taken, including food and other basic necessities. The only indication of who might be responsible for this was discovered on one of the walls. A sharp blade had been used to scratch the rough sketch of a snake into the wood there. Even with it being a rough sketch, lines had been added to the length of its body to make the snake resemble a copperhead, so there would be no mistake what sort of snake it was meant to be.

Gladhron came quietly while Gwestion was frowning at the image of the snake. "I.. think I found him," he spoke reluctantly. "It's um.. well, it's impossible to tell, but.." He motioned to the snake emblem and then glanced at Celume. "It's unlikely it would be anyone else." He shrugged, and looked at Gwestion. "We could not have prevented this, you know."

"Yeah.. I know." Gwestion rubbed a hand over his face, sighing, then turned to face them, keeping a neutral expression. "What now?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods

Celume watched Gladhron quietly when he said he would have a look around outside, and as he stepped away. Then her gaze turned to Gwestion, who was looking pretty miserable. She understood, of course, that this was not what he had been hoping to find. He needed hope for Bell at the Forsaken Inn. Whatever this scene was... it did not look at all hopeful.

When Gwestion opened his eyes and looked at her, she recognized what she saw there all too well. Resolve. Resolve to find out more - as well as resolve not to give in to whatever feelings were bubbling up on the inside. She nodded at his question, not replying verbally. They stepped inside, one of them close behind the other. The cabin was a mess. The snake etched onto one of the walls clearly gave Gwestion pause. Celume took it in long enough to be able to commit it to memory, before looking around at things they'd already gone over. She shook her head with a little sigh. Bandits. Human bandits. That never became any easier, and she much preferred fighting orcs and other beasts.

Her eyes were drawn to Gladhron upon his entrance. What he said, definitely got her attention. Found him? Found Harbarad? She frowned at the statement that it was impossible to tell if it was in fact, the man they were looking for. Celume observed the brothers thoughtfully, noting the quiet interactions. The attempt at reassurance from Gladhron. What looked like turmoil within Gwestion, even though he hid it fairly well.
At his question, Celume crossed her arms. "That snake," she said, nodding at the wall. "Is a mark?"

"If Harbarad is dead, then he cannot go and take over the Forsaken Inn," she mused out loud, almost immediately after. "Which also means there is no one to arrange new supplies for Bel. Which means... We need to get supplies to her?" Celume suggested. "Or arrange for them to get there?" Her frown deepened. "What happens to an inn if the new owner dies? Did he have any children who it can pass to? Do we need to go and find his will somewhere? How do these things work up here?" she asked of them. Realizing she had not simply asked a few, but as many as seven questions all at once, Celume fell silent. "Sorry," she mumbled, glancing at Gwestion. "My analytical side can... get carried away."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
In the woods

Celume's questions brought a lot of valid points, which neither Gwestion nor Gladhron had thought about until now. Gwestion felt as if he ought to have considered this possibility. He frowned at the snake emblem, pondering her first question, while Gladhron took a look at it for the first time, having been outside when they saw it first. "Must be," He answered thoughtfully. "Probably intended to ensure that everyone knows who's responsible." He frowned.

"To strike fear?" Gladhron guessed. "Make sure everyone is frightened by the copperhead gang, I guess." He scoffed and turned away. "Bunch of bullies, is what they are. I say we should hunt them down and put an end to these copperheads." He scowled. "None of the folks around here are safe until they're gone. Including Bel," He added to Gwestion.

"And there are only three of us," Gwestion reminded him quietly. "Meanwhile.. Celume is right," He nodded to her. "Bel only has so much food, and she'll need some other things, too. And she'll need more than just meat.. which will run out sooner or later." He didn't mention how much he worried about someone coming along in their absence and causing trouble for her. Perhaps, worse. He glanced around the scene before them, mentally praying nothing of the sort happened to her.

"Right." Gladhron let out a sigh, but acknowledged that Gwestion had a good point. And, he could recognize this was not a good time to tease him about his feelings toward the girl. "As for the inn.." He frowned, tilting his head thoughtfully, then looked at Gwestion. "I really don't know. How do those things work?"

Gwestion shrugged, regretting that he had no answer. "I couldn't say. At the moment, Bel has been trying to run it by herself. But, well, she is young and inexperienced, and does not really know what to do." He frowned. "I haven't heard very much about Harbarad, only that he had bought the inn and planned to come in a day or two to take charge of it. But that was many months ago.." He looked down, thinking.

"This was clearly done months ago." Gladhron mentioned. "Probably about that time, I'd guess. Assuming Mr. Greylake spoke to him in Bree to sell the place, and he planned to come out in a couple of days to see what he'd bought, then this had to have happened very shortly after he bought the inn." He frowned. "So.." he looked around with a lingering frown.

"..We won't be able to find anything of their trail." Gwestion finished, sighing softly. "Which means we don't even know where to begin looking.. unless we backtrack to where we saved the Millsons and met Celume?" He glanced at Gladhron and Celume. "That would be our freshest source of tracks, if we want to do that. We could put together a cartload of supplies to take to the Forsaken Inn," he suggested.

"Hmm.. perhaps, it could be used as bait to draw them out.." Gladhron nodded thoughtfully, still rather stuck on the thought of going after the bandits.

"Yes, but, that might prove difficult. If they do take the bait, we could be outnumbered." Gwestion frowned. "If they retreat, we would then have to choose between going after them, or continuing toward the inn with the supplies." He considered for a moment, then looked at her. "Can you think of any other ideas, that I might be overlooking?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods

Celume agreed with Gwestion on the mark. The bandits were clearly trying to build a reputation by claiming attacks like this one. Surely, this wouldn't be the only residence they'd raided like this. Concern flooded her eyes as she looked at Gwestion. He would probably be worried sick about these copperheads raiding the Forsaken Inn...

She kept quiet as she processed, while Gladhron spoke of hunting the bandits down so they wouldn't harm anyone else. His desire to protect the innocent brought a faint smile to her lips. But Gwestion was right. Between the three of them, what could they do against a group that was clearly comprised of many, many more people? Unless, of course, they used guerilla tactics. Like the Rangers of Ithilien used against the forces of Sauron. Like she had used, several times.

When Gwestion looked at her and asked for other ideas, Celume took a slow, deep breath.

"As for the inn... Harbarad probably has no living relatives living nearby. Since his home has been left like this for months now," she offered analytically, making sure to keep any feelings she might have about that firmly behind lock and key. "Which also means the inn, factually, belongs to no one. Bel could take over entirely, if she can and wants to." Subconsciously, her right thumb and index finger formed a circle as she mentally organized all of her thoughts. "But to do that, she will need help. As long as these bandits are around, and as long as she is alone, she could be in a lot of danger." She looked at Gwestion. "Which I know, isn't what you want to hear."

Another deep breath as her dark brown eyes flicked to Gladhron. If the brothers wanted to go after the bandits, there were ways. "Hunting down these bandits between the three of us would be dangerous. There are too many of them. If the group who attacked the Millsons was only a part of their full gang - if their leader wasn't even there... The only way we could go after them is to avoid head-on confrontations and perform quick but efficient attacks on their group from hidden positions. Pick off a small number of them every time. Turn these woods from their playground into a danger zone - for them."

Celume looked at the cabin around her. "As for the priority... It seems to me that the first priority is to make sure Bel gets new provisions. There's no use in protecting her from bandits if she starves." It all seemed rather logical to her. "One step after the other." Having no inclination to stay inside of the cabin any longer, she stepped outside and returned to Nársulë.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
In the woods

As Celume acknowledged that she knew that wasn't what he wanted to hear, Gwestion gave a small nod. "I have been thinking about that for days, already." He assured her quietly. In fact, ever since they left her behind. His concern wasn't as much about food, but rather.. leaving her there unprotected. He wondered, with the new information concerning Harbarad, whether she might agree to come to Bree where she would be safer. But that would leave the inn abandoned, and he knew she was not in favor of that.

Gladhron was rather intrigued by the idea that she presented, about picking off the bandits and turning their 'playground' into a danger zone. "That sounds like a good plan," he mentioned, approvingly. However, it seemed that both she and Gwestion agreed about bringing supplies to Bel, before any bandit-hunting could happen. "Else, bringing her to Bree," He suggested, hesitantly. "If she will agree. Even just temporarily, til we get this problem under control." He said, as he and Gwestion followed Celume out to the horses.

"I doubt she'll agree to that," Gwestion said hesitantly, stopping by Mael. "If she feels there's any way she can be of help to rangers or travelers by keeping the inn open.." He sighed. "But there's another problem with bringing supplies to her." Frowning, he absently rubbed Mael's muzzle. "We used the last of our money buying the supplies to get us out here," He motioned. "Along with paying the blacksmith for the repairs.." They could at least see if those repairs were finished, when they returned to Bree. "Maybe, we could do a bit of hunting, and sell the meat and hides back in Bree, but.. I don't know." He frowned, unsure of what to do about that. As he mentioned that, he recalled something he'd meant to ask them before, but he wasn't sure if this was the best time.

"I'm sure we can scrape together enough to bring her some necessities," Gladhron shrugged. "Maybe Ms. Seri would help. She likes Bel, and she might loan us her horse and cart, too." He suggested. "That'd save us having to rent them, and we wouldn't have to use one of ours to pull a cartload of stuff around." He looked at Gwestion. "And you would probably be the best option to drive that, too, so you don't end up overdoing it. You've recovered a lot but you still have to build your muscles back up." He reminded him. "So.. looks like we're going back to Bree?" he asked, glancing from Gwestion to Celume.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods

As she listened to the brothers talking, it was proving increasingly more difficult for Celume to take a back seat and let them take point. They were smart enough to get there themselves, she felt, but they might not be the most efficient. As she was putting her bow back onto her horse, the gears of her mind were grinding.

"This is a time sensitive issue, right?" she checked with them, keeping her attention on fastening the bow to the back saddlebag as she waited for a reply. When Gwestion confirmed it, she was done with the bow but still didn't turn around just yet. Seemingly debating something with herself.

"Gwestion could go to Ms. Seri's. Ask for help in the form of the cart, possibly the horse." She turned around. "If missing the horse is more problematic for the lady, Mael could possibly ride it to Bree while it is empty. Meanwhile, Gladhron could go to Bree and start gathering the supplies." She raised a hand, as if to silence any protest. "I have money. You can pay me back later." Instead of mounting Nársulë, she lightly put her other hand to his neck. "Meanwhile, I'll stay here and see if I can make anything from the trail. We all meet back at Bree. Gwestion will have a cart. Gladhron will have supplies. I'll know if I can make something of this trail or not. Then we set out to the Forsaken Inn." She met their eyes, one by one. "Yes? No?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion
In the woods

At Celume's question, Gwestion considered briefly before nodding. Yes, he felt that time was rather critical. He did not like the idea of these bandits coming across a lone young woman a day's ride from anywhere, with hardly any fighting skills. He knew that Bel would put up a fight if it was necessary, but.. she would probably be outnumbered by men who knew how to fight very well. And he couldn't help recalling another young girl who had been outnumbered by enemies, still unknown to him. Despite being an excellent fighter, she had been unable to fight them all, and was now gone.

As Celume presented her suggestion of splitting up, Gladhron was mildly surprised. He would have thought that she would rather stick together, but of course, it would be more efficient to split up, he realized. Yet.. as she suggested that he get the supplies and Gwestion get the horse and cart, he couldn't help wondering how she expected them to get supplies, after Gwestion just reminded him that they were pretty much out of money. Also, what did she mean to do while they were doing that?

As she declared that she had money, and that they could pay her back later, Gladhron blinked in surprise. Well, that was really nice of her, but he also felt mildly disappointed that she was not going to be helping with getting the supplies. While he could get food supplies well enough, he wasn't sure whether there might be other, non-food things that Bel would be needing, like soap, or sewing stuff, or.. who knows what sort of stuff women would deem necessary, which he might overlook. But he nodded slowly, deciding food was probably the most important thing anyway. Hopefully he'd pick the right stuff.

Hearing that Celume planned to stay and see whether she could follow the trail, Gwestion looked at her in surprise. "It's.. months old," He mentioned, frowning slightly. "I doubt there will be much left to find.." And if she did find something, he would be very interested in learning how she did so.. "but if you think you might be able to find something useful.. by all means." He shrugged. "We'll meet you at the Prancing Pony?" He suggested a more specific location than just 'Bree'. Once they had determined a set amount of time in which to wait, they parted ways, with the brothers setting off to Bree together, leaving Celume behind.



On their way back to Bree, Gwestion glanced over at Gladhron. "Do you even know the sort of groceries to get?" he asked quietly, suspecting he would not really know the sort of things that Bel would needing, since he did not cook.

"Um, sure. It can't be that hard." Gladhron shrugged as he rode beside him. Inwardly, he was trying not to be too worried about Celume, reminding himself she could take care of herself.

Gwestion shook his head slightly. "I suggest we switch," He mentioned. "You can go see Ms. Seri, I'll get the supplies." He knew Celume did not yet know them quite well enough to know that Gwestion was more familiar with grocery shopping and that sort of thing, while Gladhron was better at speaking to people, generally.

Relieved, Gladhron nodded. "That sounds like a good plan." He hadn't gotten to see Seri the other day when Gwestion went without him, so he would be glad for a chance to see her again. And he wouldn't have to be the one trying to figure out what kind of food to get. Win, win!

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods --> Bree

When Gwestion said the trail was months old, she smiled grimly. "Yes," she drawled. "I heard you the first time." She didn't bother explaining any more, not did they ask, so that worked out well. She nodded at his suggestion about meeting back at the Prancing Pony. "Agreed."

Once the brothers had set out, she started her search, leaving Nársulë where he was for now. She needed to have eyes close to the ground, not from atop a horse. And she didn't want him trampling over anything if she could help it.

Even though any tracks or trail she might find would be months old, these copperheads so far hadn't struck her as bandits who worked alone or in pairs. Judging from what she had seen, they worked in groups. She couldn't imagine less than four people being sent here. As she was looking around, she found the body Gladhron had found as well, and had to hold back a gag. The weather was warm and that wasn't doing the situation any favours. She still searched the area around the body, though. If this was Harbarad, and they had killed and left him there... there had to be someone else here. There was no arrow in him, not one that had been left, at least. It had probably been a close-quarters kill...

*

Celume had used every bit of time she knew she had, following the trail from the cabin as far as she could before she knew she had to turn back to Bree. So she would meet Gladhron and Gwestion at the Prancing Pony and still be on time. She turned into the street, riding Nársulë, walking him up toward the inn to cool him down after the much swifter ride from where she had left the trail to the city gates.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron & Gwestion

As Celume rode up to the inn's yard, she would find the brothers finishing up with loading supplies onto a cart. Gwestion had shopped thriftily, while selecting plenty of things like flour, salt, beans, sugar, coffee, and so forth, along with some things like cider and a crate of apples, a couple of blocks of cheese, and a few things like that. He had also bought some non-food items that he recalled her being out of when they left, and yet, still had managed to save out a reasonable amount of Celume's money. The horse that would be pulling the cart was currently in the inn's stable, along with theirs. Using the borrowed money, they had gotten two rooms at the inn, the same ones they'd had before, in fact. Since they had agreed to meet at nightfall, there seemed little point to setting out after dark, and they were all tired. So, it made sense to get a proper night's rest before setting off again.

After having a meal together in the common room, they indulged in one game each of Never Nervous and Chess, respectively to those interested. Then the trio all went to bed so that they could get an early start in the morning. When morning came, Gwestion rose early, and left his brother to sleep while he went to arrange for them to have a good breakfast ready for once the whole group was together, then he went outside to prepare the horses. Once he was satisfied that Seri's horse was hitched to the cart, and that she could pull the load well enough, he went back inside to wake Gladhron. A little bit later, they both came down to the common room together, around the time they'd agreed to meet Celume for breakfast. By this time, the kitchen was nearly done cooking their breakfast.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Bree --> The Forsaken Inn

Seeing them in the yard was good - for it looked like all of them had succeeded. Gwestion told her the brothers had ended up switching tasks, which was an interesting detail to her, but didn't matter in regards to the results. Over dinner, she told them she had found a trail for them to follow if they didn't stumble upon something more recent. She hoped they would, however, for there was no guarantee that the month old trail would lead all the way to the copperheads. It was very possible she would still lose it along the way, and she told them as much. But something would be better to go off than nothing.

The game of cards with Gladhron and chess with Gwestion allowed her to relax and calm herself down quite effectively, and turning in early suited her just fine after the previous night. Celume still rose early, however, to go out for a run and to do some calisthenics - which she had forgone the previous morning. Happy that the room at the inn provided her the opportunity to wash up properly once more, she appeared at breakfast with the same pleased demeanour as the previous night she'd been able to spend there.

They kept breakfast short, settled the last of the affairs with the innkeeper and set out toward the inn. Gwestion rode the cart, as Gladhron had suggested. This time, they opted to deter rather than conceal, so they might make the best time. They all wore their weapons openly and ready to be used at a moment's notice. Celume wore her longsword at her side this time, not strapped to Nársulë. Her bow was stringed and her quiver on her back. Anyone who would be looking at them would notice the weapons as well as how alert she was. She also wore pieces of leather armour which she had not worn the previous days - a dark brown leather cuirass and matching hardened leather pauldrons and bracers.The rest of her clothing had been kept light enough to be able to deal with the warmth of the day.

They did end up making good time, despite having the cart with them. They had only stopped briefly, to give them all a chance to stretch their legs and the like, and to grab a quick meal. The evening was upon them when they arrived, although they still had the light on their side. Celume had Nársulë coming up right next to the cart, so she might speak to Gwestion without raising her voice. "One of you should probably get Bel's attention first," she suggested. "She doesn't know me, but will be happy to see you."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron, Gwestion & Attubel
Forsaken Inn

Thankfully, they encountered no trouble during the trip. For that, they were all quite glad, since it would have caused delays and potentially other problems. Gwestion had picked up what bits of their armor were repaired, when he did his shopping the previous day, and so both of them were wearing bracers. Gladhron had more pieces of armor than Gwestion, but he wore his sword readily at his side, and his bow was also ready to use. In the cart, Gwestion kept his bow near to hand, with his quiver on his back where he could easily access them in seconds.

At last, as they moved into evening, they could see the inn ahead. Gwestion was glad to see it, and even gladder to see that all looked as it had when they had left it a few days ago. As Celumë moved near to the cart and suggested that he or Gladhron get Bel's attention, Gwestion hesitated, a little unsure how to reply to the bit about 'she will be happy to see you'. But then, glancing back up and toward the distant inn, he noticed the barn door coming open as a young woman emerged, carrying a pail. She must be doing the evening milking for the cow, he realized. It was about time for that, of course.

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Gwestion answered Celumë, with a nod in Bel's direction, observing that the girl had stopped to look in their direction. She had obviously noticed their approach already. Gladhron was riding a bit ahead of the cart at the moment, and threw up a hand to wave at her once he saw her looking their way.

It didn't take long for Bel to recognize Gladhron's horse, and to spot Gwestion's, trailing behind the cart. The other two horses were unknown to her, but she set down the pail and hurried to meet them at the gate, a big grin spreading onto her face once they got near enough for her to recognize Gwestion on the cart. "You're back sooner than I thought you'd be!" She said cheerfully, holding the gate open to let them all pass through, with only a curious glance toward the woman who was with them.

"We have news, as well as supplies." Gwestion explained. He brought the cart near the door of the inn before climbing down.

"And a new friend," Gladhron added happily. "This is Celumë. Celumë, Bel." He concluded introductions.

"Pleased to meet you." Bel smiled as she put out a hand to offer a handshake.

"Let's get these things put away, shall we?" Gwestion suggested. "We can tell her the news after."

With all four of them helping to unload the cart and bring the supplies inside, it was done in hardly any time at all. Bel was delighted to have the new supplies, almost as delighted as she was to see them back so soon. While she was dying to hear the news they had promised, she tried to be patient. After it was unloaded, the brothers put the cart and horses in the barn, while Celume tended to her own horse. As the last to exit the barn, as Gladhron and Celume finished ahead of him, Gwestion ensured that it was securely locked, then checked on Bel's chickens and made sure they were also secure. Lastly, he glanced at the woodpile to see how much firewood she had left, before coming back inside.

Meanwhile, Bel had got to work on dishing up bowls of stew for everyone; a delicious venison stew with a few carrots and potatoes and herbs in it, which she'd already had cooking. Soon, the whole group had gathered around one of the tables in the common room. Bel was saddened to hear the news, about finding what they presumed to be Harbarad's body, but she was more disappointed to learn that they planned to leave again in the morning. Still, she understood and did not ask them to stay longer.

The stew was very good, given what little she'd had to work with, and it wasn't long before finishing his, that Gladhron suggested they all play a game together, since they had four of them, and that was a rare thing as far as he was concerned. Bel was in favor of the idea, but it took a bit more convincing to get Gwestion on board, and it was only for Bel's sake that he agreed to one game, though somewhat reluctantly... only because she was so bored here, and they would be leaving again so soon, and they'd come with disappointing news, so she needed something to cheer her up, and other reasons she gave that finally won him over.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Bree --> The Forsaken Inn

She'd given Bel a small nod upon passing through the gate, but as it turned out Celumë didn't need to wait long to be introduced. While Gwestion addressed logistics with one key sentence, the very next moment Gladhron took care of the social aspect by introducing the two women. Celume shot the brothers a lop-sided smile before shaking her head and reaching out for Bel's offered hand with her own. "Nice to meet you, too," Celume replied good-naturedly.

After unloading the supplies and making sure Nársulë was settled in, Celume saw the brothers had the rest handled and she was not really needed tohelp them. All she could do at the barn was stand there and watch them work, so she preferred to go inside and see if Bel needed any help with anything. As it turned out, she didn't either. Soon, Gladhron joined them, and Gwestion followed suit. Celume left most of the explaining to the men, mostly talking when she was asked something directly.

She was surprised, though, when Gwestion agreed to play a game with them. Even if it was only one game... She tried to be sneaky about it throughout the evening, watching the interactions between Gwestion and Bel to see what was going on there for herself, after what Gladhron had told her. They played a card game, and Celume had to laugh several times. She kindly thanked Bel for the stew before retreating to the space where she might sleep that night. This might be the last night they could sleep under a roof, with no need to set a watch, and she intended to make the most of it.

The next morning, she woke before dawn, as was her habit. After getting dressed in training clothes, she went outside to run a few laps around the property in the lingering twilight. Not wanting to spend too much time on calisthenics today, she planted her hands on the ground next to the back of the barn and threw her feet up so she ended up in a handstand. The back of the barn was no coincidence - she'd prefer to do her handstand pushups without being seen. She had no wish to come across as showy, when all she wanted was to get the best results with as few reps today.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron, Gwestion & Attubel
Forsaken Inn

Once they agreed on a game, Hearts, they gave Bel a brief refresher on how to play until she seemed confident enough about playing the game. Then, they dealt out the cards. Gladhron and Celume seemed fairly tied on their skill of playing, while Bel managed to keep up well enough. Gwestion, as it turned out, was quite good at it, despite having little interest in card games. Throughout the game, Bel, Gladhron, and Celume frequently laughed about some joke, or something someone said. Gwestion kept his amusement either to himself, or limited to small smiles now and then. He ended up the winner of the game, and while Gladhron shook his head and grumbled, he couldn't help but acknowledge that his brother was more of a strategist than himself.

Throughout supper and the game, it would be easy to see by the way Bel looked at Gwestion that she was quite sweet on him. He, in turn, seemed slightly awkward about how to react to that but for the most part, seemed more relaxed toward her.

After their game, when it was evident that her guests were thinking of going to bed, Bel realized she would need to make up a couple of beds. When Gwestion mentioned having brought a few sheets along with the food supplies, and apologized that he hadn't gotten enough to replace all of the ones that were ruined on account of him, Bel was delighted by the news, and hugged him, disregarding the apology. "You think of everything, don't you?" She grinned up at him happily.

He wore a faint, slightly awkward smile as he watched her hasten off to find the new sheets and then make up the beds. Gladhron meanwhile, glanced at Celume with a little smirk, as if to say, 'see?', while Gwestion hesitated for a few seconds before disappearing to the kitchen, where Bel had previously taken all the dirty dishes with the intention of washing them later. After a quick trip outside to get some water from the well, he then washed all the dishes so that the chore was done by the time Bel finished with preparing rooms for them.

When Celume decided to go and help Bel with her task, the younger woman was happy for an extra set of hands, as well as the company. They chatted amiably while they worked, and it didn't take long before three rooms were ready for the guests. Bel thanked Celume for the help, wishing her a good night before setting off to find out where the brothers had gone.

Gladhron had gone around to check that the place was secure; the doors were locked, windows shuttered, and so forth. In doing so, he had discovered Gwestion washing the dishes and, despite a little teasing, ended up getting drawn into helping dry. Finally, they all went to their respective rooms to get some sleep.

---

Gwestion

The sun was not yet up when Gwestion rose, quietly. He took a few minutes to stretch and exercise his legs, as well as a few brief things that Seri had suggested for his arm and hand. After getting dressed, he ventured outside, trying not to wake the others. Of course, he was not surprised to catch a glimpse of Celume running laps already. He wasn't sure whether she saw him, but he didn't call to her or do anything to draw her attention. He went first to the chicken coop, checking that there were no predators to the flock lurking about. Everything looked fine, so he gathered up the eggs that had been laid during the night, then went next to the barn. After greeting the horses.. all of them, but especially Mael, he went to the cow's stall to do the morning milking for Bel. He left the pail of milk and basket of eggs on the counter in the kitchen so that she would see it. Then he went out to check on the little patch of vegetable garden out back. He didn't still see Celume running by then, and wasn't sure where she had gone at the moment.

The garden was doing quite well, he was pleased to see, and found that she had implemented a few tricks and traps, which she had learned from both him and from her father, years ago. He was on his way to check on the smokehouse, to see whether she was still well-stocked with meat, when some motion caught his eye, near the backside of the barn. Turning his head, he saw that it was Celume.. standing on her head? Tilting his own head slightly, he watched for a few seconds, in the pre-dawn twilight. No, standing on her hands, and.. doing pushups. Interesting. He continued on toward the meat storage building. There was still enough meat to last her a bit, but he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring her more in a day or two.

Once he had satisfied himself with all of those things, Gwestion ventured toward where Celume seemed, he hoped, to be wrapping up with her pushups. "Not to interrupt.." He hesitated, not sure if his company would be welcome, but continued, because he was rather curious.. "but, would you mind some company?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

Even though he didn't startle her - he had been out and about when she'd been running laps earlier, too - Gwestion's voice did pull her from her focus a little. When her arms were fully stretched again, she glanced into his direction, still upside down. "I'm almost done with these," she half-grunted, lowering herself again. She was of a mind to complete her set. She still had to finish this one.

When she was done, she elegnantly landed back onto her feet. "Company?" she asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She considered the question a moment. "I wouldn't mind a sparring partner, actually. These kinds of exercises get pretty repetitive." She gestured at the wall where she'd been doing her push-ups. "I'd appreciate something a little more... dynamic."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

Gwestion waited patiently while Celumë completed her handstand pushups, which he thought rather impressive. He did not yet have the strength returned to his arms for anything like that, so he was not about to suggest that he try doing so. If he tried anything of the sort, he would.. well, find a secluded place where no one would see him. Like she'd done, he realized, and hoped that she did not mind the intrusion. Although, she had clearly managed to do hers, while his concern was that he would fail and have an audience to see that he did.

Celumë's suggestion of a sparring partner was a good one, however. After taking a couple of seconds to think about that, he gave a nod. "That would be good, actually." He agreed, while inwardly agreeing that such exercises did indeed seem repetitive. "I'll be right back." With that, he stepped inside the inn for a minute and returned with the sword belonging to Bel.

"I.. haven't really had a chance to familiarize myself with it," He mentioned a little self-consciously as he approached, looking at the sword with a hint of skepticism. "It's a bit heavier than what I am used to, and that is part of why I have hesitated to make use of it thus far." He explained. He raised his eyes up from the blade and met Celume's gaze. "Also, I have not had a chance to test how much of my skill remains, since my injuries." He added quietly. Hoping, mostly, that she would bear all of that in mind if he was not much good at fighting. Because he normally was.

"Are there any particular rules that you usually go by when sparring?" He asked, so that they were clear about all such things. Because she might do things differently than he and Gladhron usually did, and it would be good to be aware of that before they began, rather than during the sparring session.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

When Gwestion stepped inside of the inn, she soon followed suit. She hadn't brought her sword with her outside yet, either. It would have only gotten in the way of running and strength exercises. Her room was closer to the inn's exit than Gestion's, however, and she'd come back out before he did. She hadn't returned to the back of the barn, however, waiting for the ranger more in front of the inn.

Celume nodded at his words. "We can start slow. See how the sword and your condition are working out for you." She slanted her head at his question. "Don't go for the head," she said with raised eyebrows. "No killing moves unless you are absolutely certain you have full control over it and you can hold back in time..." She frowned. "What rules do you have with Gladhron?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

Gwestion nodded as Celume listed the two rules she had for sparring. "That's reasonable," He agreed. "We follow similar rules, unless we have a chance to use safer practice weapons, which is.. not often." He answered. Occasionally they might pick up a couple of sturdy sticks from the forest floor and use them as mock swords, for practice. But not in a long time.

He still did not have a lot of his armor; only his bracers had been repaired when they returned to Bree, so he would have to rely more on blocking attacks than letting his armor take it. Which he tended to do, anyway, so that worked out well enough.

After securing the sword to his side, he moved back a few paces and drew the weapon, then took a couple of tentative swings to test out the weight and balance. He had only used it once before, and briefly at that. It was a dwarven-crafted weapon, and while it was rather old, it was still in excellent condition. But it was still noticeably heavier than the sword which Gwestion was accustomed to, and he wanted to get a little better feel for it before he began sparring.

Once he had swung the blade a few times, cutting through the air a few different ways, he felt satisfied enough to turn to Celume. He nodded. "Ready when you are." He told her, curious to know what sort of skill she had compared to himself. And they had plenty of room here in the inn's yard.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

She gave him a thoughtful look. "After a few swings?" She thought not. "If we are doing this, we're going to be smart about it," she declared. "You are unsure how much of your skill remains after your injuries - and those are your own words. We can begin with you on the offensive - I will stay on the defensive. That way, you can both get a feel for the heavier sword as well as get a sense of how your body is handling the movements." She withdrew her hand and a half sword from her scabbard, leaving the sheath on the grass, off to the side.

"And that way, we can see if I know how to defend against your attacks, too. It'll be safer for both of us to test each other this way, first. Then we can switch," she suggested, so he wouldn't feel like she was taking it too easy on him. Honestly, it made sense. They each had no idea of the other's skill. They shouldn't just dive into an all out sparring session.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

Gwestion nodded as Celume suggested a plan. He thought it seemed like a good plan, and had no objection to that. "Sounds reasonable." He agreed verbally. Seeing that she had laid her sheath aside, he did the same, so that it would not encumber him or get in the way of his movements unnecessarily.

After laying his sheath beside hers, he turned back to her. "Ready?" he asked. When she had given an answer in the affirmative, he contemplated his move. It was always trickiest when starting out, trying to find a suitable opening to place an attack, and having to be the one to make the first move. And with an opponent who was as skilled as he knew her to be, it put a bit of pressure on him to pick a good move. Against an enemy, anyway, he would want to find an attack that she could not block easily. Of course, this was different. They were taking it slow, so that he could gauge himself and familiarize him with the weapon he would be using. Whatever move he made, it was going to be slow, and she was certainly going to see it coming in plenty of time to block it. That was the idea, in fact, because they were allies, not enemies.

Keeping his movements slow enough for her to see what he was doing, Gwestion made an attack, then when she blocked it, flowed into another, and so on. He found the weight of the sword not exactly too much, just.. more than he was familiar with, and figured by the end of the sparring session, his arms might feel tired. His right hand was healed from being cut up by his blade, but he was inwardly trying to gauge whether his grip was as strong as before, which made him subconsciously a little nervous about swinging too hard too fast, lest his lose his grip and send the sword flying across the yard or something stupid and novice-like as that. But he kept the attacks coming, though he felt like his fluidity was suffering, because of the sword's heftier weight. He hoped to have his own sword back the end of the summer.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

Celume blocked his attacks steadily. In a way, the slower movements were good exercise if they would keep this up for a good while - the slower movements made the muscles work harder. Gwestion seemed more insecure than she would have thought, even keeping his injuries and different sword in mind. Maybe because he generally seemed so capable?

"Alright," she stated after his last attack. "How does that feel? Do you think you could go faster?" She left it unsaid that if they encountered any of the bandits of the group they wanted to persue, and if it came to a melee - he would have to move much faster than this. And she also realized she wouldn't be able to condone Gwestion joining them in any kind of close quarters situation if he was uncomfortable using the sword he had available to him.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

While he made his attacks, Gwestion was aware that this was a helpful exercise. If he got used to using this heavier sword, then when he got his own back, it would surely feel all the lighter in his hand, right? Still, he was feeling its loss even harder now than ever. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled the words of a friend; “Your sword is not your weapon. You are the weapon. You make use of the sword. If you are robbed of a sword does that then render you no use? It ought not.” Ironic, that the man who had imparted that wisdom had lost his own sword shortly after uttering those words.

As they paused and Celume asked him how it felt, Gwestion lowered his blade so that it nearly rested on the ground. "It feels.." He let out a little sigh, trying to find the right words. Rather than trying to describe how strange it felt to him, he focused on her next question. "Yes, I could." He answered with a little nod. He switched the sword to his other hand and glanced at his palm, checking how that scar was looking. It seemed fine.

"At this time, I still feel more comfortable using my dagger or knife for close quarters, however." He shrugged. "I suppose that is the purpose of the sparring, though.. to get better familiar with this weapon." He acknowledged, and switched the sword back to his right hand. "Shall we?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

She didn't miss the comment about his dagger or knife. That was right.. more than one possible weapon for close quarters, then. That was good, then, since it allowed her to let go of her earlier concern.

"We shall," she smiled. "Stop thinking of it as something that doesn't belong to you," she advised. "It's an extension of your arm. Your arm simply got heavier, longer. Your predicament has an upside, Gwestion; it will prepare you in case you lose your own sword temporarily in battle and you can only reach another one that doesn't belong to you. Adapt." She adopted a defensive stance. "And attack!"

She resumed blocking his attacks, but added in more footwork, moving front and back and sideways, as she would do in a proper fight. She still didn't add any counterattacks, though. She wanted his speed on point. Or at least to see what speed was his limit, currently.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

At Celume's words about it having an upside, so that he could become more versatile with what weapons he could use, Gwestion nodded. "I was thinking something along those lines, already." He mentioned. "And I have done so before." He added quietly, without going into details. Referring to losing his sword and having to grab whatever was at hand. More than once, actually.. he thought of the scar on his palm but didn't look at it again.

As he attacked, he started out just a bit faster than he had been before, and built up to attacking at his maximum speed, although he felt slower than what he believed was his normal.. before his injuries. And while his attacks were reasonably good, he also felt like they were clumsy, given the fact he was trying to use a hand-and-a-half sword with only one hand. He felt as if his technique was off. His arm was growing tired, the muscles burning both in the upper and lower arm.. even the muscles in his wrist and hand were aching, but he refused to let on. He considered switching to his left hand at some point, so that both arms would be worked evenly, as he would do with his regular sword.

Having to chase her around the sparring ring made it more challenging, but he managed to keep up fairly well. All throughout the exercise, he was wishing that he was at the peak of his ability, using the sword he knew well. For anyone, friend or foe, to see him at a low point of his swordsmanship skill.. that was a bit of a blow to his pride, in a way. Because he knew that a year ago, he could've done better than this.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

"Okay," she finally said, pushing his blade away with her own - the first thing she'd done that came close to resembling a counter (though it wasn't). "I think I have a good idea of where you stand now, speed and strength wise." She slanted her head and nodded at his blade. "You're refusing to use it two-handed?" she was curious to know.

"At any rate..." She smiled faintly. "How about we switch roles now? I'm tired of blocking without a good counterattack or riposte. I'm itching to move on to some offense. I'll build up, too. So you can get a feel for my attacks as well. And I'll start with fairly straightforward moves." They were feeling each other out, after all.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

Gwestion glanced down at the sword, as she questioned his choice in technique. He frowned marginally. "Not exactly refusing," He tried to explain. "Just.. I often fight with a dagger in one hand, and sword in the other." He shrugged as he looked up again. "My own sword's handle has only enough room for one hand to grip it, so I rarely try to use the other with it.. although I do try to practice using both hands equally."

He switched back to his right hand once she asked to switch roles. "Alright." He nodded, thinking it best to use his better hand on the first, especially since his left arm was a bit tired now, and the right had been resting for a few minutes. "Ready when you are," He said with a nod, prepared to block whatever she threw at him.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

"You can still fight that way with a hand and a half sword," she acknowledged her agreement, "but, if may, adapting to a different weapon is about more than getting used to the weight," she tried carefully, one last time. "A hand and a half sword gives you much more flexibility." Celume raised her own sword slightly, to help emphasize that she would know, wielding one herself. "One-handed. Two-handed. Sometimes, I fight with a dagger in my off hand, as well. But most of the time?" She shook her head. Perhaps she could show him why... if he lasted long enough?

A half-smirk flashed across her face when he said he was ready whenever she was. Her expression soon turned serious, however, and she then moved forward to attack the way she would have attacked someone who was two ranks away from being a full fledged ranger in Gondor. Her movements were still precise and economical, her footwork impeccable; but she moved slower than she would otherwise, did not bother to hide any of her tells, and moved around less than she usually would.

When she saw Gwestion did not seem to have any trouble with this, she took her swordplay up one level, to the way she would spar with someone who was only one rank away from being a full ranger. Her tells - the way her shoulder would dip before a thrust, the way her sword arced too obviously before a slash, other small indications that might let him predict her blows - vanished. Her movements picked up in speed as well as force, and she started slipping into her own particular swordstyle a bit more.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion
Forsaken Inn

The first few minutes of blocking was easy enough, which enabled him to think about what she'd said. He didn't offer a reply, however. He blocked each attack until she began to increase her skill. Then he found it a little more challenging, yet he still did his best to block, while also maneuvering himself out of the way whenever possible.

Before long he switched the sword to his left hand, feeling that the right needed a break. Still, he continued to dodge and block. It was a bit challenging to fight the instinct to counterattack, but he managed to refrain, and stuck to only defensive moves throughout the sparring round.

After a few minutes, he noticed in his peripheral vision that Gladhron and Bel had wandered outside, and they both stood off to the side, watching. He kept his focus on Celume, trying not to feel self-conscious about the audience. It wasn't difficult for him to tell that Celume was more skilled than he was, and he had to focus to ensure that he didn't become distracted by wondering what Bel thought about this, and wondering if Gladhron was going to tease him.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

Gwestion was still dodging and blocking her attacks successfully. Celumë was starting to enjoy herself, seemingly unbothered by the exercise she'd done already and the time they had spent testing each other. "Focus," she warned him when it felt like he was partially distracted. She wanted him focused, because she'd decided to take her moves up another level, and to attack the way she would spar against a full ranger with a different main weapon than the sword.

This meant she was moving into a lighter version of the style she'd developed for herself. Her speed increased again, and her movements became as fluid as the name she was using here.

If Gwestion could hold his own against her then now, she would be impressed. After all, she'd gathered that the brothers had hardly had any formal training - not to mention the fact Gwestion had suffered from injuries and would not have been able to practice much if at all in recent months.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion joined by Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

As Celume's attacks became swifter, Gwestion found it more difficult to block them. He was aware that if he was fighting her in a real battle, he would be in trouble. Thankfully, this was only a sparring session. His arms were burning, and he was getting a bit out of breath from moving around, dodging and evading so much. While he wanted to take a break and rest, he didn't want to let on that he was tired. And therefore, he didn't want to be the one to ask for a rest, being determined to push through this. He wanted to get back up to the level of skill he had once known, before falling down that ravine.

Watching the two spar, Gladhron frowned a bit. He was watching Gwestion more than Celume, noticing his brother was getting tired, though he was trying his best not to show it or let on. Gladhron glanced toward Bel, who stood beside him, and spoke to her quietly. She nodded and went back inside briefly. Gladhron turned his attention back to the sparring pair, and couldn't help feeling a bit of concern as he watched Gwestion trying his best to keep at it even though the woman was obviously too skilled for him. He wasn't sure if it was a matter of not wanting to admit to being defeated by a woman, or if he was just not willing to give up in general. He thought the latter more likely.

A moment later, Bel returned, carrying Gladhron's sword. She handed it to him, but her attention was on Gwestion. Gladhron took it. Her absentmindedness was obvious, and he smirked inwardly at the concern she wore on her face, too. He climbed over the fence that bordered their sparring area. "Mind if I cut in?" He asked with an amused grin.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

Just as Gwestion was aware that he'd be in trouble if this was a real fight, Celumë was aware of it as well. His blocks lacked the strength and conviction they'd had before. He'd given up on blocking all of her attacks, relying more and more on dodging, evading. Not that this would be a bad thing - Celume was a firm believer that you should do whatever you needed to in a fight to survive. But dodging and evading had not been the assignment. Agreement - she corrected herself. Gwestion was tiring. But it was more than that, too. He was... outmatched.

She knew this. She could tell from the way he moved. The way he breathed. He had reached his limit. Yet, she did not stop. Because Gwestion also didn't stop. And she wanted to know if he knew what his limits were. And if he did, if he would listen to the limits his body imposed on him. From experience she knew that those were all good things to be aware of when you were stepping into a fight with someone. Especially if you were trying to keep them, and yourself, alive. Awareness.

Frowning as she launched another stirke at Gwestion, Gladhron's voice reached her. 'Mind if I cut in?' Celumë halted, her sword slowing and stopping mid-attack. Her eyes locked with Gwestion's for a moment, while she was still carrying that light frown, as she lowered the tip of her blade to the grass. "Do you know?" she asked the younger brother, not bothering to explain further. Do you know when it got to be too much? And in one go, telling him that she knew, as well.

After his reply, she turned to face Gladhron, wiping some sweet from her forehead with her left forearm. A half smile tugged at her lips. "I'd prefer if you didn't cut, actually." Her head tilted. "But you can try."

She took a step back, indicating with her off hand that she accepted his offer. "How do you want to do this?" she asked. Almost challengingly so. Gladhron hadn't been injured, after all. Gladhron was using his own blade, after all.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion joined by Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

As Gladhron spoke up, Gwestion felt a mixture of both annoyance and relief. But he waited until he saw that Celume had stopped her attack before he also lowered his sword.. with much relief.. and met the woman's gaze. Her question made him just a bit more frustrated at himself, but he gave a tiny nod as he dropped his gaze. No need for her to see that he felt annoyed at himself.

Gladhron laughed at Celume's reply, amused at how she had turned his sort of joke into another sort of joke. "Good one." He grinned, then looked toward Gwestion.

Since Gladhron was stepping in to take his place, Gwestion wiped sweat from his face and then went to pick up his sheath from the ground, so he could move out of their way. Since Bel and Gladhron were up now, he thought it might be most efficient if he helped Bel with making breakfast while they were sparring.

He glanced at Celume. "Gimme a moment first?" He asked, then went to catch up with Gwestion as he was moving off to the edge. He caught Gwestion's arm lightly to pull him a bit closer, speaking quietly, close to his ear so that the women wouldn't be able to hear. "You're pushing yourself too hard," He told him softly. "You should've called a stop to that when you could no longer keep up. Take it easy... your strength and stamina will return, but you'll only hurt yourself if you try to do too much too soon."

Gwestion glanced at him.. having sort of expected teasing, rather than that. Was that criticism or encouragement? He wasn't entirely sure, but he did realize that Gladhron's words were true. He gave a small nod in reply. "Yeah.. I know." Knowing this was one thing.. following it.. a bit harder. He stepped off to the side, near where Bel was waiting.

Gladhron, meanwhile, shrugged slightly as he turned to Celume with a smile. "Right then. However you want to do it is fine with me." He told her, allowing her the choice. After all, she was the lady here, and it seemed polite to let her choose.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

Gwestion's reply to her question was no more than a nod and the lowering of his eyes. She couldn't read anything from his expression, and reciognized that whatever he felt about it, it wouldn't be a positive. She would have kept her expression neutral like that as well, if she hadn't been happy with herself. But whether Gwestion was irritated, angry, concerned, ashamed, or something else entirely, she couldn't tell. Not wanting to rub Gwestion's nose into it any further, she didn't comment any further.

At Gladhron's request - to give him a moment - she nodded. And watched as he said something to his brother, too quiet for anyone else but the two men to hear. While she had no clue what Gladhron said, she might imagine. If Gladhron had been thinking along the same lines as what she'd been thinking... If. She rolled her head around slowly, stretching her neck, and rolled her shoulders as well while she waited.

Celumë lifted an eyebrow as Gladhron returned to face her. He seemed very at ease, she noted. And then he returned her question back to her. "I asked you," she pointed out, but then she sighed. "Earlier, I suggested for Gwestion and I to take turns, attacking and defending - and to build up our attacks. To get a feel for each other. Since we're using live steel and haven't sparred before." She left out the part where it had been more important in Gwestion's case, given he had been injured and was unusued to the wapon he currently wielded. "Gwestion attacked first, while I defended. Then after a while, we switched. I guess I won't ask, since you'll probably let me choose anyway..."

"If so, this time, I'd prefer to start attacking. You can block," she said, lifting the point of her sword at him as she spoke the last three words. Then she returned the tip of the blade to the grass. "Ready?" she asked with a feline smirk.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

As Celume said 'I asked you', Gladhron merely shrugged. After hearing her suggestion about how they go about it, Gladhron nodded. "Sounds good to me." He smiled as he dropped his sheath on the ground next to hers, then moved back to the center of the area and faced her. He somehow got the impression that although she had already been through blocking and attacking with Gwestion, she wasn't tired enough for it to be much of an advantage to him. So he wouldn't expect her to be tired from that already.

"Ready." He declared, perhaps with a bit too much confidence. As she began to attack, Gladhron's blocking was more solid and swift than Gwestion's had been.. which was to be expected, as he was starting fresh, and was not rebuilding his strength. It was tricky and required keeping his attention focused, as there were no obvious tells to let him see what she was about to throw. Still, he was used to fighting enemies, sometimes more than one at once, and so he managed to block everything that she threw at him with relative ease.

It wasn't until her attack style seemed to shift a bit, so that she was flowing from one attack to another so smoothly that it was hard to predict where her sword might end up next.. then he began to have some trouble. He still managed to block, but he found that it took more concentration to keep up with Celume. And she didn't seem the least bit tired yet.

When he felt that he'd had enough of blocking, and.. well, honestly, that he would like a break.. and it was evident that her skill surpassed his, he spoke up, while still continuing to block, "Ready to switch yet?" He also thought it was about time to get a drink of water.

---

|
Gwestion | Bel

After watching for a minute, Bel moved closer to Gwestion. "Thanks for getting the milk and eggs." She smiled at him.

One corner of his mouth curled into a slight smile at that. "You're welcome." He said, without looking away from the other two.

"Well.. I thought you did really well out there against her." She mentioned, shrugging. "Considering just a couple of weeks ago, you were still using crutches to get around."

"I am.. working at it." He shrugged. "It will take time to return to where I was, before."

"Of course. Just like it took time before you could do everything else.. like walking. Just be patient with yourself." She lightly took his arm and turned him toward her, gently. "You also shouldn't compare yourself to them. Because you are not them.. you're you. I'm sure there's things you're really good at that they aren't." She shrugged and let her hand drop. "I think I'll get breakfast started."

Gwestion smiled faintly at her words. "I'll help you." That was, in fact, something he was pretty good at.

"Sounds good!" Bel smiled happily, glad he was willing to help her with the cooking. Together, they turned and went back inside the inn while Gladhron and Celume were sparring.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

He did not have any issues blocking her attacks when Gwestion had started getting in trouble. Gladhron was holding his own at the level Celume would expect a full-ranked ranger to fight. A ranger who had the sword as a secondary weapon... but still. She flashed a smile, but her face soon fell into focused lines again, as she took it a step further. She took it slow, one attack at a time, moving the level up and up incrementally with every strike.

At his question, she narrowed her eyes. "Why?" she drawled even as she slashed down faster - and he blocked it. She pushed her blade against his for a moment. "Too easy?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

A slight laugh burst out of him as he blocked her sword again, feeling as if he barely managed. "I wouldn't say too easy.. more like the opposite, to be honest." He shrugged with a little grin. "Also, I'm dying of thirst." Alright, that was an exaggeration, but still.. he was very thirsty. "How about a quick water break? You've been at this longer than I have, you must be even thirstier."

He was glad when she agreed. Lowering his sword, he wiped sweat from his brow as he led the way over to a well. The morning was warming up by now, which made it hotter now than when she and Gwestion had sparred. He drew up the bucket of water from the well and offered the dipper to her first. "I don't know where you learned to fight, but I'm impressed." He mentioned with a smile. Once he had gotten a drink, he sighed as the cool, refreshing liquid soothed the dryness in his throat.

When they'd both had a drink, Gladhron glanced over at Celume, hesitating briefly before he spoke up, addressing another topic now. "Mind if I ask.. how far would you have kept pushing him?" He couldn't help wondering. Obviously, he was referring to Gwestion. "I ask because.. I'm a little worried for him. He um," Gladhron paused, and sighed. "It's like he expects too much from himself... I mean, he was better than what you saw, before.. but.." Shrugging, he left off trying to explain. "I just don't want him hurting himself, you know."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

The genuine laugh that escaped him, made Celume grin over her sword. "Yes, you do look like you're dying," she said in a serious tone of voice - but a glint in her eyes.She stepped back and lowered her blade. He was right, though - she was thirsty, too. The rest of her agreement was silent, and she followed him to the well, sword still in hand. She positioned it against the well while he pulled up the water. She smiled when he offered her the dipper first and then complimented her. "Thank you," she said, referring to both the dipper and the compliment. She took a few mouthfuls before offering the water back to him, pondering whether or not to elaborate. If this impressed him already, then what would he be if he saw her using everything she had?

At his question, she leaned her hip against the stones of the well and loosely crossed her arms, not avoiding Gladhron's gaze. He was concerned for his brother. A faint smile crossed her lips. Then her expression turned serious. "Not much farther. I was hoping to see that he would admit to his own limits. But apparently he did not want to." For whatever reason. "He needs to be careful not to ask too much of his body, or he will self sabotage. And be worse off for it in the end. The path to recovery needs to be steady. Not rushed." She paused. "Will this be something we will have to guard for him?" Gladhron knew him the best, after all.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

Gladhron put the dipper back where it belonged after he had finished, but cupped some water with his hands from the bucket and splashed his face with it. That felt good after all the sweat. A nice little respite before they resumed.. since they still had to swap roles.

As she answered his question, he gave a little smile. "No, he doesn't generally like to," He agreed, knowing from the past that his brother was tenacious and would keep on pushing himself. When Celume added the bit about how Gwestion ought to be careful not to push himself too hard, Gladhron nodded knowingly. "Yes, that's.. more or less what I said to him, actually." he admitted with a little sigh. "It's one thing when fighting a.. bandit, or orc or something. Then, yes.. keep on fighting no matter what. Obviously." He shrugged. "But sparring..."

He considered her question about whether they would have to guard against that, for Gwestion. It was.. probably not a bad idea. But he also wasn't sure whether he should try to offer some better insight to that. "Perhaps," He answered quietly. He picked up his sword, thinking as he slowly rolled the handle between his palms, with the point in the ground. "I suppose.. it's difficult for him. He knows he isn't where he was before his injury.. and so.. I think maybe he's finding it challenging to come to terms with that."

He smiled slightly, pausing in his actions as he thought about that day Gwestion had been hurt. "He fought really well, that day, when he got hurt. Even though we got separated and I couldn't see him fighting.. I saw the results of it. And later, when I had time to think about it, I was a bit proud of how many orcs he killed. Even though he cut up his hand really bad, to kill the last one... he didn't give up fighting, even when it seemed hopeless." He shrugged. "So, I'm glad for that."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

"Gwestion would be no exception to need a little help in pacing himself," she offered quietly. "Most people struggle with that when they are injured. Especially people who pride themselves on some sort of physical skill, like the three of us. Since it's a part of who we are... it makes sense most of us want to get back what we lost the quickest way we possibly can. But that's why we have friends. And family." She slanted her head with a soft smile. "So they can help. Right?"

Watching Gladhron casually, Celumë listened to his words about the day Gwestion ended up with his injuries. The general thoughtfulness around her eyes deepened a bit. "You were proud that he fought for his life. And that he could. Despite the odds." Her tone made it clear she found that something to be rightly proud of. "I would be glad for that too, if he were my brother. And if our bandit-hunting goes south, he might need that skill again. We all might." She gave Gladhron a half-smile as she pushed off the well. "Of course, if we go about things the smart way, and these bandits aren't terribly clever, the hope is that won't be necessary at all." After running a hand through her long blonde hair, she picked up her sword again. Her voice was again, quiet. "There is little honor in such tactics. They are not how I prefer to work. Yet they are many, and we are few. And as I have come to understand it, these bandits have no respect for any life but their very own."

She started heading back to the area where they'd been sparring earlier. "Come on," she called out to him, smiling over her shoulder. "Time to show me what you've got."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

He smiled at her words. "Right." He was glad that she agreed, and therefore, that there was little more reason to try and explain his brother's actions. Because she understood. He nodded as she spoke again, as if asking whether he had been proud that Gwestion did what he did. Of course he was. Thankfully, it didn't sound as if she were disapproving of the fact, but rather the opposite. He smiled back at her as she left the well wall.

"I'd like to think we're all a bit more clever than the bandits.. but, well.. it's hard to say without knowing very much about them." He shrugged slightly and wiped the dust from the tip of his sword before following her, listening thoughtfully as she spoke then about the honor of the tactics she had in mind. "Hmm." He considered for a moment. "Without knowing exactly what you have in mind, I can't really say much about that. I'm not sure that Gwestion will like it, if it's like you make it sound," He frowned thoughtfully as he faced her in the makeshift sparring ring. "But he has done a few things that he disliked doing, before. The bandits don't exactly fight with honor either, so.." He shrugged and left the rest of that thought go unspoken.

When she urged him to show her what he had, Gladhron grinned and readied himself to attack. Once it was clear that she was ready, he began to attack her, starting out about the same level as she had begun, with him.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn

She norted when Gladhron mentioned Gwestion probably wouldn't like it. What had either of them expected, though? They clearly couldn't fight a large bandit group head on. "It wouldn't be much different from what we did to save the Millsons. Only we wouldn't actually run in for melee," she still mentioned. "And they probably won't be threatening anyone at the time of our ambush." Picking people off from a hidden position though, without giving them a fighting chance... even with bandits like this, even with the Easterlings... it still didn't feel right. Celume would need to hold on to the idea of what a diminished bandit group would mean for everyone else in the area. Less danger. More freedom. Less violence.

Gladhron started his attacks. It was easy to block them, and she noticed he was starting out where she had with im, earlier. Smiling, she blocked, again, again, and again, matching his footwork and not running or evading or dodging anything. "You can make it harder on me," she said, still smiling. They didn't have to waste much time at this level. When he did, the smile faded but she still blocked what he threw at her in a similar fashion. When she flashed him a grin in between two of his attacks, Gladhron seemed to take that as a cue to up his game a second time. Yes, she thought. Now we're getting somewhere.

After a while, Celumë could admit she was about ready to call it. After blocking his latest attack, she slid her blade around his weapon to effectively disengage. She stepped back. "We still have a long day ahead of us, I imagine," she said. "I'd like to stop here. If you don't mind."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gladhron
Forsaken Inn

Gladhron was getting pretty tired by the time Celume finally called for a stop. He smiled at how she so easily locked blades with him to get him to stop his attack, and he was tempted to try doing a similar circular motion to unlock the blades, but she stepped back and there was no need. "Sounds good to me." He was a bit out of breath, and glad to stop.

Wiping some sweat from his brow, Gladhron went to get his scabbard. "That was fun." He grinned toward her. "You're very good, you know. I mean, of course you do.. but.. yeah." He shrugged. "Anyway.. I think it's time for breakfast. I'm starving!" He was most definitely ready to get some food in his stomach, and could already smell a delicious scent wafting out of the open kitchen window. After wiping any dust off his blade, he sheathed it and waited for Celume before they set off together to see what was for breakfast.

Bel and Gwestion had made a deliciously hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, and diced potatoes. There was even some honey to put on the biscuits, if desired. It was difficult for Gladhron to keep from eating too much, and he even turned down seconds. After they had all eaten their fill, the rangers bid farewell to Bel, mounted their horses, and set off. Gwestion let Mael fall back a little, while the other two rode more beside each other. He paused and glanced back as they neared a bend in the road, and gave a little nod toward Bel, who had remained at the gate, watching them go until they were out of sight. Then he turned his focus forward again, but remained thoughtful.

---

Gwestion and Gladhron
Leaving the Forsaken Inn

They rode for a few minutes in silence before Gwestion moved his horse up to ride beside Celume, while Gladhron rode on her other side. "I meant to ask you something this morning, and then.. the sparring made me forget." Gwestion mentioned, hesitating slightly before he went on. "Back at the ransacked cabin, you remained behind, to see if you could follow that trail." he frowned, thinking back about what she had said when they reunited again in Bree.

"I.. didn't actually think you would find anything, given how long it had been.. and yet, you did." He glanced toward her, his head tilted slightly in curiosity. "How were you able to find anything?" He wondered, aware of Gladhron listening, on the other side of her. "It was wintertime when I was injured, and it was at that time when Mr. Greylake sold the inn. There was snow.. a lot of it in Bree, I was told. Then rain in the spring, and who knows what all weather since that time... yet you followed the trail quite far, you said." He paused briefly before continuing. "I have been wondering what would have been left to find by that time."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The Forsaken Inn - & Leaving the Foraken Inn

With a half-grin, she'd nodded her acknowledgement that the sparring had been fun. When he'd complimented her skill again, she'd just smiled, unsure of how to respond other than her previous 'thank you'. So she'd happily coasted along on his eagerness for breakfast, the delicious scent of which greeted them almost at the very door. Celumë had told both Bel and Gwestion that it had been amazing, before the final preparations were made and they'd set off.

She was glad that the two brothers weren't just following her, but that Gladhron remained next to her even though Gwestion fell back. Celume had half expected Gwestion to do so - since she would have also been inclined to watch their backs if she hadn't needed to guide them to the trail - and she'd noticed the many similarities between her and Gwestion. This would just be another.
Yet, it didn't take long before Gwestion led on his horse to her other side, and she was now flanked on either side by one of the brothers. She hid her surprise at this - but it was there.

When Gwestion asked her how she'd found anything, how anything could have still been left from the trail leading from the cabin, she gave him a sidelong glance. As for the how... "I was taught how," she said, lifting one shoulder briefly. "I couldn't follow it all the way yet. I had to meet you two in Bree. So when we pick it up again now..." She hesitated briefly, wondering if either of them would really want to be instructed by her on anything. "I could show you."

Once she'd led them to the point where she'd needed to abandon the trail, their pace slowed considerably. She didn't only have to pick out the continuation of the trail, which was by no means easy, but also took the time to show the men the different things she was looking for, and what to do when the trail seemingly vanished so they might pick it up again, sometimes many yards beyond the last point where they'd found anything.

Meanwhile, the three of them discussed of how they could badger the bandits without unnecessarily endangering themselves. Celume spoke to them of the tactics she had learned in the woods of Ithilien - although she did not tell them where or why or how she had learned. Only what they were - and how they could use them to their advantage given the task they wished to undertake. Ambushes. Traps. Ranged attacks, swift and silent. Then move onto a different location and repeat the process. Never let them get close. Never let them seduce you into a melee. It was clear that, as she spoke, she was trying to detach her feelings about he tactics from the tactics themselves. When something did slip through, it would read like reluctance - and possibly even discontent that she found herself in a need to use them.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion and Gladhron
Following a trail in the woods

The offer to show him.. or rather, them.. was more than welcome as far as Gwestion was concerned. He nodded readily, though he made an effort not to let on how very eager he was to learn from someone clearly more experienced in this. They both knew how to follow a trail, of course.. but this involved a trail in which all easily-found signs had long since been washed away and eradicated by the weather. "Please, I would like to learn whatever I can." Gwestion replied.

"We do know how to follow a trail." Gladhron almost rolled his eyes, wanting to make sure that Celume knew they were not that helpless that they couldn't even follow a basic trail.

"Of course," Gwestion agreed. "But.. not tracks that old." He glanced across toward his brother. Gladhron knew what he had in mind, and neither felt the need to speak of it aloud.

Once it had been decided that she would show them, Gwestion thanked her. Then he fell back again, bringing up the rear and keeping an eye out while they rode. It seemed to take forever, but they finally reached the place where they were heading. While Gwestion was clearly eager to learn whatever he could on this topic, Gladhron observed and seemed much more aloof about the whole thing.

As the topic came up about the tactics Celume had in mind, it was evident that Celume was a bit uncomfortable with the idea. "It is logical, and effective." Gwestion agreed quietly, thinking of the incident in Lond Daer, with Gwandhyra. He hadn't exactly liked helping the other guy kill the ship's sentries as they had done, but he had recognized that it was necessary to keep the sentries on the ship from alerting everyone there were intruders on board. And in this case, he realized that these bandits wouldn't hesitate to kill any innocent travels they came across, and so.. they needed to be stopped. By any means necessary. He nodded as Celume went on with explaining the ideas she had.

"One question though," Gladhron frowned slightly. "What if the bandits are haunting an area where there are innocent civilians nearby?" He had to ask. "Like the cabin, for instance.. they obviously came there and raided the place. I know it's rather isolated out here, but there are certainly other homes out in the woods somewhere, where people may have families." He frowned. "Ms. Seri lives within an easy walk to town, but she does live out in the woods, and she does go out and gather herbs from the forest." He pointed out. "I would hate for anyone like that to stumble into some sort of trap, is all."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
Following a trail in the woods

She frowned at Gladhron's question. "We only lay traps that we monitor," she replied, as if that was the most logical thing in the world. "We obviously can't leave unguarded traps around these woods. It's not a war zone." The last sentence was added in a half-mumble. "If we come across a party of the bandits and can predict their trajectory, we can lay a trap ahead of them and make it easier on ourselves to pick them off once the trap is sprung." That was all there was to it.

While Celumë showed them more ways to follow old trails as they made their progress, the three of them also continued to speak about possible traps and tactics for the time they were to encounter the bandits. The rest of the day though, they encountered no one, and when the hour for dinner had almost come and gone, they halted to make camp for the night.

It had been a long day for Celumë, with a more extensive morning workout than she'd been used to and a long trek through the woods. Looking for an old trail was much more tiresome than a fresh one, after all, and she'd also been instructing. And thinking, along with the brothers, of good ways to engage with the bandits. After she had eaten, taken care of Narsulë and after the three of them had cleaned everything up, she found herself stifling yawn after yawn. "Sorry, boys," she said, stretching her neck and arms. "No games for me tonight, I think. Would you mind if I took the last watch this time?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion and Gladhron
Following a trail in the woods

"Ah, that makes sense." Gladhron nodded. "I must've missed that part." He pretended not to notice Gwestion rolling his eyes.

"It sounds like a reasonable plan." Gwestion agreed quietly. They continued riding and discussing plans for the rest of the day before finally stopping for the evening. Following the trail with Celume took a lot of concentration to be able to pay attention to what she was showing them, and still keep an eye on their surroundings. When Celume asked about taking the last watch, the brothers agreed. "Of course." Gladhron smiled. "Sleep well."

"Thank you, for teaching us to follow the trail," Gwestion added quietly. After she had gone to bed, he told Gladhron that he could take the first watch so that Gladhron could sleep now, as Gwestion wasn't quite tired enough to sleep yet. Gladhron was fine with that, and soon went to bed as well. Gwestion remained awake, thinking and pondering on all that Celume had showed them today.


They followed the trail for a couple of days before it seemed to vanish. Gwestion was very quiet as he waited to see whether Celume would be able to pick it up again, or if this was as far as they would go. He said nothing, but couldn't help feeling like the scenario was all too familiar.

"You don't think they might have deliberately covered their tracks, do you?" Gladhron wondered, looking around for some sort of indication of a continued trail. "Or.. perhaps they doubled back," He was mainly thinking out loud. He risked a glance toward his brother, and could guess what he was thinking about all this. He did look a bit downcast, not that it was all that noticeable, but Gladhron tried to remain hopeful. "Perhaps they changed direction, to throw off anyone trying to follow?" He suggested. "We could split up and search for something to help continue the trail?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods

She tried to pick up the trail again, but to no avail. Celumë was crouching down by one of the last signs of the trail when Gladhron suggested they might have doubled back. "I would have known if they'd doubled back," she shook her head, rising to her feet. "They didn't. But they could have gone anywhere else from this point." She held back a sigh. "I'm sorry. This is beyond my skills." She wasn't opposed to Gladhron's suggestion and agreed for them to split up in order to pick up something else. Anything else. So they did just that.

They cast a net around the area, slowly expanding their search while not losing track of one another. It was Gwestion who found something and called Gladhron and Celume to him. It didn't take the three rangers long to figure out this was a different trail. "This one... is not that old at all," Celumë mumbled, though she was certain they all knew it. "It might not be them at all, though," she warned. "It's just a possibility." Inspecting the trail as they followed it in the right direction, they debated on how large the group was who'd left it. Three horses, it looked like. That was easy enough to make out. Three horses and... four or five people on foot?

They discussed it quietly as they followed the trail. If this trail belonged to a group of the bandits, there could be about eight of them. If every horse carried a rider and if there were indeed five others walking along with them. Possibly one or two more, in case their prints were harder to discern or looked very similar to some of the other prints. But Celumë thought the odds of that were small. They could take eight, she declared confidently. Especially after what they'd already managed to do to protect the Millsons, she did not doubt for a second that they could take on eight of the bandits.

She got increasingly quiet and watchful as they were catching up to their quarry. That night, when they set up camp, the game of never nervous she and Gladhron played was the quietest one to date. The game of chess with Gwestion was just about as silent as always.

The next morning, she still wasn't very talkative, but after a quick breakfast she still unsheathed her longsword. "We have a trail to follow." She beckoned them to her. "Come on. Two on one."

After a brief but intense sparring session, they were off again. The trail kept changing, showing signs of more and more recent passage. They all noticed without having to point it out to each other. When they heard noises up ahead, Celumë stopped dead in her tracks. They'd each been guiding their horses along by the reins for the last mile or so. Celumë handed Narsulë's reins over to Gladhron. "Hide them," she told him in a whisper. "I'll go scout and report back. Wait for me here."

While the brothers looked for a good palce to hide their mounts, Celumë used her experience in stealth and scouting to close the remainder of the distance wihout being noticed. The group they had been following was taking a break, sitting in a loosely gathered circle to drink and eat something. Quietly, she crept forward and listened into their conversation. Long enough to hear bits and pieces of their plans. Celumë gritted her teeth. After she'd heard and seen enough, she slowly made her retreat.

When she found Gladhron and Gwestion again, Celumë's expression was dark. "Eight of them," she confirmed. "They are looking to ambush travellers down the road. It's unclear whether they know people are about to come through or they just try and get lucky." Not that it mattered much. "It's clear what they plan on doing to them, though." It made her feel less badly about ambushing them. At least there was that. "They're eating. I'd say - easy pickings. But they are heavily armed, and every single one of them has their weapons on them or within hand's reach. Two of them are keeping watch, even in the daylight. One almost spotted me." One corner of her mouth lifted, briefly. "But didn't."

After inquiring where they'd hidden the horses, and after they'd shown her, they readied their bows and quivers. The bandits were just about to set out again when Gladhron, Gwestion and Celume had taken their positions all around them...

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion and Gladhron
Following a trail in the woods

Finding a fresh trail had been a welcome surprise. Gwestion had been feeling rather doubtful that he would locate anything, given how difficult it had been for even Celume to find anything more. So, when he came across clear, fresh tracks that were fairly easy to follow, he almost couldn't believe their luck.

As they went along, he began to wonder what they would find at the end of it. And, if that didn't work out, they could always follow it back the other direction, to see where these people had come from. That would be helpful, right? He was keeping that option in mind for later. There were a few other thoughts he was keeping in mind, also, but nothing that needed to be spoken aloud.

Gladhron was quite thrilled to have some better company than just Gwestion for a change. They'd had a few friends join them for a time, working together as allies, but never had any of those stayed with them for so long as Celume had, so far. He thought that Gwandhyra staying at the inn for a while was the longest amount of time they'd had any such allies stick around. And he knew that was for an entirely different reason.

When she asked for them both to attack her at once, Gladhron was a bit surprised, and slightly hesitant. But she proved she could handle it, and he was further impressed. She really could fight better than either of them, and he wasn't sure what to think of that. Impressed, sure, but also.. like he ought to be better. He was aware that he wasn't the most devoted swordsman.. he was good, but he could put in a bit more time to practice, he knew.

He was thinking about that as they went on. How Gwestion could use a bit more improvement, but once he got back to where he had been.. how could he improve from there, with no one but Gladhron to help him gain such skills? He wasn't likely to be able to get any better than the teacher he had. So it was good that Celume could offer a bit more help to them both.

Both brothers were quiet as they led the three horses into the thicker bushes, making sure they were well hidden. Then rejoined Celume as she reported what she had found. Eight men. Gwestion nodded solemnly, frowning to hear what the men's plans were. Gwestion, in a way, was very glad for a chance to put his bow to good use. "Perhaps we ought to camouflage ourselves, however we can?" He suggested softly.

"Throwing mud on each other isn't going to work this time, little brother." Gladhron smirked slightly. "Besides, I doubt the lady would appreciate that as well as our other friend did."

Gwestion glanced away, hiding a faint smile at that recollection. It was gone as he turned back, shaking his head slightly. "That wasn't what I had in mind." He assured her. "I only thought it might be helpful to attach some natural things to our clothing, so that we are harder to spot." He shrugged.

"What do you think?" Gladhron asked Celume. Both brothers' clothing and gear was mostly browns, greens, and other forest-type colors, but there was still some room for improvement even for them. Hers seemed to be mostly brown, though with some grey and green mixed in. However, she seemed to think it unnecessary, and Gladhron was less inclined to go through all the effort of that, if she wasn't going to. Gwestion, therefore, dropped the matter.

Once they were all satisfied they were ready to go, the group set off cautiously through the woods, careful not to make any noise as they approached the bandit group. It was agreed that they would split up and attack from various angles, surrounding the camp, so Gwestion went one way, while Gladhron went another, leaving Celume to cover the group from a third angle. Once both brothers were in position, each gave a bird call to signal to Celume that they were in place.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods

Instead of giving a bird call of her own back, Celumë simply nocked her arrow, aimed and released. Her arrow first seemed to zip past one of them - seemingly having missed. But as her second arrow hit the guy next to him in the chest, the other grabbed his neck as blood pulsed out incontrollably between his fingers.

She gritted her teeth as Gwestion's and Gladhron's arrows started zipping toward the bandit group as well. They'd been moving to leave their break spot, but hadn't actually set out yet. This made them easy targets, though after the first few arrows the ones who were left started scrambling away. Celumë took a deep breath as she chose her third target, detaching herself from the situation as much as she could. Arrows were usually not an instant kill, although a well aimed one meant near certain death given enough time. She drowned out the sounds as she took aim a third time. She missed as her target just moved in a different direction. With a frown, she prepared her next arrow, but one of the brothers' arrows dispatched her target first. The arrowhead shifted, finding another target instead. It sliced through the air and went straight through one of the bandits' chests. Her frown deepened. He had just been wearing some cloth, then?

All in all, it had taken them no time to eliminate every single last one of the eight bandits that had been sitting together. After a quick count, Celumë lowered her bow and came out of her hiding place. She hooked her bow to her quiver and slowly drew the dagger from the back of her belt. She crouched near the one closest to her, who was panting with his hands around the arrow stuck in what she figured would be his right lung. "Your base camp," she said quietly. "Tell me where it is."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Gwestion and Gladhron
Following a trail in the woods

As soon as Celume unleashed her first arrow, Gwestion let his own fly. He'd had his arrow readied and aimed at a man who had mounted a horse. After the last time, he wanted to do his best to ensure that no one managed to take off on one of the horses, and so he had made up his mind he was going to keep that from happening. As that man fell, Gwestion briefly closed his eyes before placing another arrow on his string. He didn't enjoy this at all, but it was necessary to protect innocent people. People like Bel, he thought, then took aim for the next.

Meanwhile, Gladhron had hit the first man he aimed at, but missed the second. As luck had it, it managed to strike another fellow who had been running for a horse, almost as if he had planned it. He would, of course, later insist that was where he had been aiming. But for now, he focused on deciding where to aim the third arrow. By now, the remaining bandits were aware they were under attack, and were scrambling for cover. One rushed for a horse, but before Gladhron could take aim, Gwestion's arrow took care of him. Gladhron turned his toward one of the others.

Before long, all eight were down. Celume was the first to emerge from the trees, but Gladhron was next. He had lowered his bow and stepped out into the clearing, glancing around to make sure that none of them were only playing dead. He glanced toward where Gwestion had been hidden, then turned toward Celume as she tried to question one of the bandits. He frowned slightly, standing back and wondering if the man could even still talk.

Gwestion emerged after a minute and wordlessly went around collecting his, Gladhron's, and Celume's arrows, then went to gather the three horses, without looking at the dead men scattered around anymore than he could help it. Instead, he focused his attention on the horses, trying to calm them, after they had been alarmed during the panic the men had displayed when realizing they were under attack.

The man with the arrow in his lung shook his head, refusing to give any answer even if he was able to speak.

"What now?" Gladhron sighed. "There's no telling where those horses came from.. what should we do with them?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Celumë
The woods

Her dark brown eyes took in the man's expression after he shook his head. She ignored Gladhron's question for the time being, not looking up at him or turning toward him from where she crouched in front of the bandit. "It could take you a while to die," she said, almost gently. "But you will. Die." She touched a finger to the end of the arrow jutting from his chest. "Your lung is punctured." She paused, removing her finger from the arrow and putting it on the point of her dagger instead. "It's a painful thing to breathe through a collapsing lung." She drew a cross onto the floor in front of him, indicating north and south on it. "Your base camp," she repeated. "Which direction? Answer. And I will make the pain end."

The man just glared at her. And shook his head again.

Celumë nodded. "Answer enough," she said in the same, quiet tone. She reached out with her dagger for a quick, precise cut at the side of his neck. By the time she had wiped the blade clean and stood to regain her full height, the life had left his eyes.

She turned toward Gladhron, then, with a steely expression on her face. "Where is the nearest safe place we could bring them?" she asked, her eyes shifting between him and Gwestion, who had gathered the horses. "And if this is to be our task, for the time being... We may need to stall our own horses somewhere for a while. I would not want any bandits to steal Nársulë. I imagine neither of you want that for Gaeroch or Mael, either."