The Wayfarer's Inn

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Trastion

Trastion relaxed slightly as Kaylin said it was not a problem, still. He smiled slightly in relief. She didn't ask for more information, and that was even more of a relief. He folded his arms on the table, watching as Kaylin's attitude changed quickly. He was slightly surprised by the change, in fact he hadn't expected her to become so...serious and business-like. But it was good to see she was taking this seriously. At her question, he shook his head. "Actually. I have the whole day left," he answered with a shrug. "I intended on using it to accomplish this..quest, though I seem to have wasted the whole morning away with checking all the taverns and inns on the upper levels." He explained with a sigh, and rolled his eyes at his wasted efforts. "What sort of plan do you have?" He leaned forward to listen carefully to anything she might say.

---

Trevadir

Trevadir regarded the lieutenant thoughtfully as she asked her question. There was a lot more to it than she probably realized, and he was debating how much to say. He hesitated for a moment before answering. "I don't mind telling you what I know.. I'm just..not sure whether you'll believe me." he said at last. "I know it's going to be his word against mine. And.. I know how un-credible my word is..." He said quietly, refraining from sighing. "There's a few other things I ought to report too.. Cali wanted me to, before.. at the Midsummer thing, but I was afraid. All the guards and all.. you know." He shrugged.

"But, if you don't mind," He hesitated. "First, I'd really like to get a message to a friend, as soon as possible." He mentioned, thinking of how dangerous Harlond would be for certain people right now, if Dev hadn't been caught. He doubted he would have been. "It's important to let her know that I'm no longer in Harlond, but, I don't know how to find her. But I'm sure Unalmis would know.. so I wonder if you might tell him something for me?" He asked, hopeful. He assumed Nal would be somewhere in the ranger areas, and he knew he wouldn't be allowed to go there, but the lieutenant surely would know right where to find him.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Kaylin

"Alright," Kaylin said decisively, gulping down the rest of her (cooled) coffee and flattening her palm on the table. "Let's go."

When Trastion asked about a plan, Kaylin gave him a puzzled look. "Well. We go inquiring, of course. This isn't the place. Much too upstanding. We need the First Circle. And uh... I probably shouldn't show up in armor. Though the dust from the training grounds does provide a certain look." She considered this for a moment. "Hmm. I'll leave my armor and my shield with Hildy and Alf. They know me and will keep it safe for me. Then we can go. You haven't been in any places in the First Circle yet, right?"

---

|
Arnyn | Macardil

"It's not like I'll go lynch this lieutenant of the guard right after we speak, Trevadir," Arnyn said soberly. "But information gathering starts somewhere, and if no one starts anywhere then nothing ever happens at all."

At the mention of Cali, and Unalmis, and another friend, the wheels in the Lieutenant's mind went spinning again. "Unalmis, Cali..." A pause. "Iole," she filled in, slowly, questioningly, after her mind had backtracked to her conversations with the smith. Then Trevadir was another member of this group of friends? Her eyes flicked to Macardil, who was avoiding her gaze.

"Well. I think this heralds the time for Macardil to take his leave," Arnyn continued. Of course, neither Trevadir nor Macardil knew of her message to Unalmis and the request to enter the Wayfarer's when Macardil left.

"If you would, Macardil, please deliver Trevadir's message to Cali up at the armoury. I assume she will also know where to find this friend? At least - she will if you are speaking of Iole. And even if not, she will be interested to hear of Trevadir's return." The Lieutenant looked back to Trevadir. "Unless I am drawing altogether the wrong conclusions?"

Macardil's blue gaze flicked between Arnyn and Trevadir a few times, to finally rest on his new friend. He was waiting for Trevadir's reply before moving.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Trastion

"Right," He confirmed. "I started up on the sixth and worked my way down. I was going to ask the lady here, but then I.. uh, backed out when I saw you and the lieutenant." He mumbled that last bit, awkward. "I told her I don't drink and I didn't want her to think I had lied," He explained quietly, a little embarrassed. It was uncomfortable enough to have gone around asking people if they could recognize the contents of the flask.. he'd gotten more than a few odd looks.

"Alright, so lead the way hyandaner." He added, with a smile. He stood and waited for her to finish whatever she needed to take care of concerning her gear, and would go to open the door for her when they left the establishment, then follow her out with a nod of greeting to another who entered just before they left.

---

Trevadir

Trevadir nodded slightly. Lynching wasn't exactly what he was worried about, but rather what that lieutenant would say against Trev when this lieutenant would inevitably question him. Trev knew what he was like, and he'd also seen the sort of things he was capable and willing to do. He definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of any of that. The less he knew about Trev's return and the fact he was talking to the ranger lieutenant, the better.

Hearing lieutenant Dealedwen mention Iole's name surprised him only slightly, and not for long. There was a time that one of their names would hardly ever be spoken without the other four uttered right along with them, inseparable as the five had been. While he didn't remember this lady being around back in those days, there would surely be plenty who remembered the five mischievous friends who got into so many adventures in childhood. He smiled faintly. "Yes, Iole. She's the only one I told that I was living in Harlond. I'd just.. I'd hate for her to go looking to find me there, and run into.. them.. instead." He explained quietly, concerned. "I know Nal is a ranger, and at midsummer I learned that Cali is working in your armory. But I have no idea where to find Iole, unless she's at her father's um.. former workplace." He added with a shrug.

He considered for a moment. "Yes, I'm sure Cali would also know where to find her." He hadn't quite expected Arnyn to send Macardil away, and wondered slightly why she was doing so. Because she'd mentioned it before, he recalled, before he spoke of sending any sort of messages. Something about his leaving having significance. He glanced at Macardil, clearly unsure why Arnyn had requested him to deliver this message, but shrugged slightly. "I just want to make sure Iole doesn't take some notion to go looking for me out there.. especially right now. Just in case they're still lurking around." Since the lieutenant seemed set on having him go, at least it could be useful in that way. "Dev used her against me before," He added softly. "And he would certainly remember how important she is to me."

[Arnyn]

|
Arnyn | Macardil

After listening to Trevadir's response, Macardil rose from his seat. "Very well. The Ranger Armory, it is. I will find this Cali and tell her about your arrival in the city and that you wish for your mutual friend Iole to know," he summarized, giving them an opportunity to correct him or add anything else if necessary. He bowed from the neck to Arnyn, before his blue eyes lingered on Trevadir.

Arnyn spoke quietly. "Best hurry, Macardil. I can give Trevadir your address."

That seemed to settle the remaining issue the tall man seemed to have. "Yes, Lieutenant."

"Arnyn," she corrected.

"Too alike to official business, I fear, Lieutenant."

She gave him a lopsided smile. "Then there is nothing to be done for it."

"Indeed." He bowed his head to her again, then nodded at Trevadir. "You are welcome to find me anytime." He turned and moved to leave. He finished his glass as he walked, left it on the bar and stepped out of the Wayfarer's. Once out of the door, he drew in a deep breath and let it back out with a sigh.

Then he headed away from the inn and ventured into the streets of the Second Circle, heading for the Third.

"Are you still afraid of what I might decide, Trevadir?" Arnyn asked in the meantime.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Trevadir

After a small nod to confirm that all seemed right, Trev held out a hand to Macardil as the other rose to leave. "Thank you. For everything." He smiled, truly grateful. There seemed too much to list, and some things he wasn't even sure if Macardil had realized the significance of, but he had definitely done much for Trev to be grateful for.

Once he had left, Trev returned his attention to the lieutenant, trying not to feel nervous. He absently toyed with his flute under the table, considering her question. "Not exactly, ma'am." He answered quietly, unsure if he should admit some of what he feared. "It's.. difficult to trust anyone after.. my experiences and different things I've been told." He shifted a bit uncomfortably. "But, I feel like I made a good choice in trusting Macardil. And he spoke well of you.." Still, he couldn't help wondering what she had planned for when Macardil left, and due to his past experiences, could only think of negative possibilities.

[Arnyn]

Arnyn

"He did?" she wondered quietly when Trevadir said Macardil had spoken well of her. "That is nice of him." She nodded. "I think you have done well to trust in him as well." Arnyn indicated Trevadir's bruised eye and his wrist. "He's proven to you already that he stands for what he thinks is right," she added gently.

Then she smiled. "If only you would stop the wheels turning in your mind for a moment. I am glad you have told me the things you have. I said earlier I wanted to see who I had divulged the information for. By telling me all that you have, my mind is set at ease. Now the only thing that remains is to set yours at ease, I believe." Arnyn smiled.

[Ercassie]

Ranger Unalmis Raxëlilta - as summoned ..
Two Weeks and Three Days after Midsummer.
@Arnyn   @Rillewen

There was nothing technically keeping him from entering the inn. He was old enough (these days) to not have to manage to sneak in any more. He had literally been told to report there by his superior. Why exactly would yet have to be 'clarified'. And he had seen Trevadir enter the establishment some while before now and not alone. It had thus far taken a lot of restraint to keep from running in immediately after.

But now, now that the appointed time was upon him. And now that there was no foreseeable cause not to .. Unalmis paused upon the point of entry.

He had not seen the Lieutenant arrive. So either she had done so extremely early or she was running late. The former Lieutenant though had departed, exactly as he had been led to expect would occur. Why and what Macardil had to do with any of this .. with Trev .. and why they were at the inn in the first place ?

As usual he was left to his own imagination to come to any conclusion on the matter. Thus far the options were so numerous he could not rightly separate them into plausible possibilities.

Nal  was not in uniform, for this was possibly not Ranger business, given the locale ? He suspected it must be rather less official or he would have been called to the Commanders Office in HQ. He'd had to change since his duties that morning in the stable regardless. And there'd been all sorts of rumours about Arnyn flying through the Mess Hall when he'd gathered a snack from the 'Little Mess'. He'd come down from Sixth to the Second at more haste than he had meant to.

At the end of the day though, there was only uncertainty holding him back and only answers (hopefully) waiting within. So after a deep breath he nudged the door to the inn open with one foot, and found his way inside.

Alf smiled in recognition but let the young Ranger know that "He's not here ..".

"Yes he is," Unalmis disagreed, in a mutter that the landlord could not have heard him reply regardless that they were referring to two different people. Having scanned the room, the young man had swiftly observed the Lieutenant, equally not in uniform .. along with what could only be Trevadir sitting opposite her. Stood behind her company, he could not yet see Trev's face unless that friend turned around. The hiatus made it hard to breathe. To move.  Unalmis felt like rushing both out of the inn entirely and hurriedly forward toward the odd pairing all at once.

As though the two imagined forces were actually pressing at him in both directions simultaneously, he froze, thankfully enough out of the way to not be in the way of other folks - more Rangers .. he was even more confused now .. on their way toward the door.

It was turning out that inside did not really provide any more reassurance or explanation than had outside.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Ercassie

Trevadir

Trevadir shrugged slightly when the lieutenant expressed surprise that Macardil had spoken well of her. "Well, I did ask him." He admitted, wondering if she would be curious why he had asked such a thing. Paying no attention to the door opening, he didn't turn to see who it was. Therefore, unaware of the latest entry to the inn, he assumed it was just someone coming in for a drink or something. He fidgeted slightly as she mentioned setting his mind at rest. Easier said than done, he thought. He looked down, sighing as he thoughtfully ran his finger over the engravings on his flute.

"Well, I hope you'll understand if I was a bit.. wary about this meeting with you, Lieutenant. I've gotten used to.. being tricked, if you know what I mean." He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. "So. When he told me you wanted to meet with me, I asked him if he trusted you not to pull any deception, you know." He shrugged a little. "He said he didn't think you were like that. So..." Trev paused. "Well, Macardil saved my life several times in the last two days, and yes.. proved that he has good intentions and that he really wants to help me. Without him, I doubt I would've had the chance to come here at all. If.. Dev had his way, I'd be back on his ship, against my will." He took a deep breath. "And, I figure, Macardil went out on a limb for me, going to ask you about me and all that, so.. the least I could do was not make him break his word to you."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Arnyn

With a casual eye on the entrance ever since Macardil had left, Arnyn listened to Trevadir explaining why Macardil had gone through the effort of speaking well of her. Trevadir had asked, apparently.

She noticed Unalmis opening the door.

"That you asked him about me only shows you have an inquiring mind. Surely that should not be seen as a bad thing." She sighed, as if she were resigned in her fate. "I understand you were wary," she said, managing a slight smile. "And, perhaps, that you still are..."

Meanwhile, Unalmis seemed to have frozen in the doorway. Arnyn made eye contact with the Ranger, and beckoned him over.

The information that Macardil had saved Trevadir's life several times in the last two days, made her gaze flick back to Trevadir. She let the rest of the young man's words sink in as she gauged his expression. "If what you say is true, that is a heavy debt if you choose to take it on," she said quietly. "But I am glad you honoured the agreement to meet me, regardless the reasons." She offered the young man a smile. "I do believe it went rather well. Or would you disagree?"

---

Kaylin

She chuckled briefly when he invited her to lead the way. "Hold on, recruit." Her tone was making it clear she was funning him. After making her arrangement with Hildy, Kaylin returned to Trastion. On their way to the door, she started to warn him. "Listen - maybe we shouldn't announce the fact we're rangers and all that," she suggested, nodding at Unalmis along the way - even though he seemed quite distracted by something else. "Unless at some point I choose to overtly say or mention it, then you can rest assured it was intentional."

When Trastion moved to open the door for her, Kaylin gave him a weird look but she did not comment. What a polite recruit, she thought to herself. Guess they still make 'em like this somewhere, then? She left the inn before Trastion followed them out. And then they were on the streets.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta - as summoned ..
Two Weeks and Three Days after Midsummer.
@Arnyn @Rillewen

Any other day of the week, even the brief count of words that he overheard Hyandaner Kaylin share with Trastion might have seen him look to join in what they were up to. This particular day, Unalmis scarcely blinked as the opportunity escaped him. The least surprising of all things abounding, which was .. well, surprising for that too. The situation before him was the more exceptional, not to mention pressing. And even as the two other Rangers vacated the inn behind him, the Lieutenant beckoned for him to advance toward her; and what he had begrudgingly supposed must be a private conversation. With one of his best friends …

Forget that every natural instinct of that years long friendship was urging him to hasten to Trevadir’s side. Still all of the circumstances were insisting that it seemed to be .. must be .. too good to be true. Or perhaps more terrible than he had ever dared to imagine. That Trev was here. Was back. Like it was nothing .. After .. everything .. He was just sitting in an inn, caught up with a drink in front of him and with … a woman who Nal had by now so many conflicting reports of, circulating in his head, that he knew not what in Middle Earth to expect of her next. The over-all level of bewilderment that pulsed through him was akin to some confounding dream that he could not interpret. There was nothing else for it, but to simply shrug and take it for what it appeared to be. Maybe he would wake up at some point.


And so, swallowing all better judgement, he broke the matter down into more digestible pieces, as he journeyed that brief transition to join them. One, Trevadir was alive. Thank the Stars ! He didn’t look to be under arrest or by any means threatened. Two, the Lieutenant was maybe presenting herself as outside of her rank at the moment ? Out of uniform, out of her office .. the sword which served her almost as backdrop here, he had not missed. But any potential reinforcements had just strolled merrily out of the establishment without her any complaint. So there was not likely some great conspiracy afoot. Three .. three ?? Honestly, were one and two not enough to be dealing with already ?

The third thing anyway .. Well. Unalmis did not need to glance behind him to recall who had recently left, whom he had also seen arrive along with Trevadir some while before, and whom the Lieutenant had quite clearly anticipated being there, according to her letter. Macardil. Ever since Poros there was nothing he could make sense with on that.


A slight shake of his head thus saw Unalmis finally collect himself enough to come stand just aside their table. As though he had walked a raised rope rather than the sturdy floorboards of a familiar inn to get there. He was close enough by then to gain a better view of Trev’s swollen face and at that, confusion took a backseat to annoyance. “What ha- .. ,” he began, before remembering himself and whom else was present.


“Lieutenant ?” Unalmis glanced from the one of them to the other. Because if Arnyn had pulled off a wig, leapt onto the table and broken out in song he could not have been more unprepared for all that this outing was revealing. But uniform or no, the summons to attend here had been rather official. And the last time he had been 'less than official' in Arnyn's presence, she had not seemed to take it in the manner it had been intended. The last thing he wanted to do here was make things bad (worse ?) for Trevadir. “I .. don’t understand,” Nal admitted eventually.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Ercassie

Trevadir

Trevadir merely shrugged slightly at her suggestion that he might still be wary. Yes, he was. If she knew anything about Dev, even what little he'd told her just now, she ought to understand why. But he let that matter slide away as the lieutenant made a comment about the debt he now owed to Macardil. He gave a small nod, unsure where she might be going with that, and also couldn't help wondering what more there was to say. If she'd already been convinced of his deeds and that he was not in league with the pirates, what more was there? He absently reached to pick up his glass, but remembered it had been emptied a long while ago.

"I..guess so," He answered, still slightly nervous and uncertain about what this woman had in mind now. "I mean, I don't disagree, I just..." Before he had a chance to say anything else, he suddenly became aware of another person approaching, and turned swiftly, grip tightening on his flute, just in case. But, instead of some new threat, he was surprised to see none other than his best friend, and blood brother, approaching their table! Startled, but thrilled, a brief smile broke out on Trev's face before he managed to contain it in an attempt to maintain seriousness, even as Nal stopped himself from asking what happened, and came to stand by the table. "Nal..." Trev raised dark brown eyes up to meet the lighter brown of his friend's, filled with hope.. that there were no lingering hard feelings from any of their past arguments. There were, after all, many things they had been unable to say after the midsummer festivities came to an abrupt halt, for the four of them anyway. And the way they'd parted, once again, left Trev with a few doubts about whether Nal might be upset with him.

He cast a questioning glance at the Lieutenant, suddenly wondering..was this who she had been expecting, or did Nal just happen to come in here? He cleared his throat lightly, turning back to Nal. He hadn't finished the question, but Trev didn't have to hear the rest of it. He raised his left hand up to lightly touch the bruised area of his eye, which would also inadvertently reveal the equally bruised portion on the back of that same wrist. "Dev's attempts at convincing me to come back to him." He quietly explained to Nal, not really all that worried about whether Arnyn heard. "I'll tell you about it later, if..you want." He didn't mind telling the story now, but he wasn't sure if the lieutenant was weary of hearing all his tales and adventures. Besides, the tale could wait until the other two members of the group were present too.. since they would inevitably want to hear about what happened as well.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Arnyn

Trevadir seemed to be squirming a little in reply to her question when he was interrupted by Unalmis' arrival at the table. He clearly knew Trevadir, even though Arnyn had already decided she no longer needed any proof of what Trevadir had been telling Macardil and herself. But to see their friendship confirmed so easily and in so simple a way as Unalmis wanting to know what had happened to Trevadir, was still a positive thing. She let nothing show on her face when Trevadir briefly replied to Unalmis' cut-of question.

The questioning way in which Unalmis then pronounced her rank, made Arnyn smile softly. It seemed that she was making both Trevadir and Unalmis uncomfortable, in some way. Mentally, she sighed. But she was also quite capable of self-mockery, and the humor of the situation was evident to her.

"Then let me explain," she told Unalmis good-naturedly. "Trevadir was worried to return to the City because his father claimed that there was an arrest out for him. Your friend told Macardil as such. Macardil came to check in with me whether or not Devedir's claim was true. I divulged that it was in fact a lie. But I wanted to see whether that choice would still prove a good one if I met him. Hence, this... talk. And given that Macardil mentioned Trevadir had named you as a friend, I thought it would be good to call you here as well." Arnyn shrugged. "Trevadir is bound to be uncomfortable, or weary, or even anxious - returning to Minas Tirith after five years, and having to speak with some officer he doesn't know. I thought he could use a friend. And even if he is feeling great, it is always good to meet a friend for a drink."

Her dark eyes then moved from Unalmis to Trevadir. "And to conclude our... talk... I will reiterate: You are not wanted. Not by the guard. Not by the rangers. You spoke well today. You have earned enough of my trust for me to believe I made the right call telling Macardil what he wanted to know. If any guard or ranger happens to gives you trouble on account of your father or your past associations, you have my permission to demand they involve me."

Now, she seemed to be speaking to them both. "Unalmis. Trevadir has agreed to my request to report on his father and his crew. He has born witness to many of their crimes, and Gondor should know as much as possible, for that might aid in their apprehension." A brief pause. "Trevadir in turn requested to give this information to me, not some other officer. I agreed to that. But I would like for another to be present, in case I miss anything. Two pairs of ears are much better than one. If Trevadir agrees, I would ask for your presence as this second pair of ears." She looked at both of the young men in turn. "In favor? Opposed?"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Ercassie

Trevadir

Trev quietly watched his friend's face as the lieutenant began to explain, wondering what Nal would think of it all. At the mention of 'Trevadir's father' however, he turned his gaze back to the lieutenant with a slight frown, but he kept quiet with some effort. She was talking still, and he turned his gaze back toward his friend, trying to ignore it. Let it slide, he told himself. It wasn't that big of a deal. More important right now was knowing how Unalmis was going to react to all of this.

The lieutenant turned her words toward Trevadir then, assuring him yet again that he needn't be worried about being arrested. Smiling faintly, he gave a brief nod, his first thoughts to say thank you. But the smile changed to a slight frown as she again made mention of Dev as his father. This time he couldn't quite help speaking up. The words slipped out before he could stop them. "He is not my father." He informed the lieutenant quietly, but his tone was quite adamant, and there was a trace of anger mingled with pain in his voice. He had to fight to keep a scowl off his face, though the frown remained in its place. "I don't have a father." He muttered, clenching his hands around his beloved instrument which he still held in his lap.

Then, realizing he'd spoken all of that out loud, and hearing how it probably sounded to the lieutenant, he backtracked a little, dropping his gaze apologetically. "Sorry, I mean.. well, yes, he technically is, but he's..." He frowned. "I don't call him my father, and he doesn't want to be called that, so.. I don't." He explained, a little awkward after realizing maybe he'd spoken out of line, maybe even interrupted her. Clearing his throat a bit uncomfortably, he fell silent then as he listened to what else she had to say.

He was slightly surprised to hear her asking Nal to be present for the reports he'd promised to give on Dev and his crimes, and glanced curiously at Unalmis to try and gauge his friend's reaction. Noticing his own opinion was being asked as well, Trev relaxed into a faint smile and gave a small nod, showing his favor of the idea. A familiar and trusted person being present would certainly help him to feel more comfortable with talking. Plus, in that way, maybe Trev could try to show both the lieutenant and Nal his sincerity in how much he despised Dev and his crew.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta – err .. catching up *g*
Two Weeks and Three Days after Midsummer.
@Arnyn @Rillewen

It was no surprise at all to the young Ranger that his friend’s father was still living up to his unwholesome reputation. It was however rather more of a shock that the son would admit it out loud, and in front of a relative stranger. Unalmis smiled though, despite even the evident injuries on display; when he heard his friend say the word ‘later’. There was going to be a ‘later’ ... Even if he had to follow Trev to wherever he next hid his silly hat. He very nearly declared that if his friend wanted to have someone telling him what to do and beating him into a bruise, then Cali easily had that corner covered. Nal could almost still feel the smack she’d given him the week before for running off and causing her to worry. Girls, honestly. Somehow he doubted Devedir had acted in the same panicked frame of mind, so he held his tongue long enough for Arnyn to take up the stage with her own explanation. Very soon a lot of things fell better into place. Astounding as some of them still remained.

Somehow the Lieutenant’s unfazed, and properly ‘together’ attitude about the account still fit, even in the scope of quite what she was saying. She managed to sum up an awful lot in a very small amount of words, and Nal outright blinked as the officer calmly downplayed what sounded like it ought to have involved rather a lot from all those involved. As to what he’d previously dared to expect from this meeting, which had included anything and everything from his maybe being kicked out of the Barracks altogether for going too far with Brian .. , to perhaps a matter of Arnyn 'requesting' an insider’s opinion on how Duinion had coped sleeping over in their dorm the night before … And then, after he’d seen his estranged friend arriving .. worse than any thought before had come the fretting that Trev’s underhanded associations had gotten him into trouble with the authorities, that he might not be able to help him out of ...) To comprehend that both the Lieutenant and the former Lieutenant had gone remarkably out of their way to be of assistance to Trevadir, it was .. a lot.


“That is .. ,” the young Ranger paused, to take a breath before concluding, “ .. clarification and then some ! ” he exclaimed, rather overwhelmed but not disappointingly so, by the time that Arnyn had finished. He had frowned only momentarily, over the remark about Trev’s father falsely claiming there was an arrest out for him. Devedir was not the only one who’d tried that trick. But hearing the woman inform his friend that he was ‘not wanted’, the phrase fell out of context and Unalmis flicked his gaze up, determinedly. “I should say that he is wanted. Actually," he spoke up, suddenly. "Very much so," he better clarified. "By his friends.” As if that should be any sort of shock at all. It required the saying regardless. The careless shrug that accompanied the comment, did not take from the sentiment.


The young Ranger paused for Trevadir to respond first to the Lieutenant's concluding proposal, fully expecting that his friend would refuse, now that it came down to it. It would not have been the first time. But reflecting on just how open his friend must have already been with Arnyn and also apparently Macardil, he ought not to have stood as quite so stunned a spectator, when the musician agreed. Trev’s insistence that Devedir was ‘not his father’ .. might be what the musician needed to cling to, in order to manage what he was being called to accomplish, so Nal did not protest the matter. “He is an ass,” he put in, instead, regarding the ship's Captain. Possibly too honest an admission to spout in front of his superior, but the young Ranger did not shy away from the opinion even after realising he’d spoken it a little more aloud than he had planned to. Moving to take a seat, because he was definitely going to need to sit down before he fell down at this rate, Unalmis only found half of the chair beneath him at first and had to shift over a little ways after the fact to feel steady.


“I guess, if Trevadir can stand to tell it, then I can probably stand to hear it,” he concluded, albeit more quietly than was typical for him. Sitting still and not interrupting were not exactly listed high among his strengths, but if this was what it would take to have Trevadir come home, for good this time, then honestly Unalmis was willing to do the very little that was being asked of him. These folks who scarcely knew either of them had managed to put their faith in his friend, and Nal felt a little ashamed for having not done previously. But that was still a very complicated matter which he hoped would not come to light here and now. Those twin forces returned. The want to leave striving against the want to stay. The want for his friend to come home, properly come home and stay this time, won out; over whatever horrors he might have to hear in order to have it happen.

Against all odds, his friend was apparently prepared to do what Trev had previously always fled from facing. Maybe they had both changed some. It was become quite evident that today at least, .. anything was possible.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Ercassie

Trevadir

The smile on Unalmis' face caused Trevadir to relax slightly, and he was further pleased to hear his exclamation, as if he were excited, and possibly pleased? But then, suddenly Unalmis contradicted the lieutenant by declaring that Trevadir was, in fact, wanted. For a half second, Trev's eyes widened in alarm, tensing as he stared at Unalmis, suddenly unsure what to expect from him... several half-panicked thoughts raced through Trev's mind. Had Nal heard something the lieutenant hadn't? Why would he announce it though.. in front of her, after she just said he was not? Was this some sort of joke? Or he held a grudge from their prior argument..? Trev had thought that matter was resolved, but maybe Nal didn't agree? Though it didn't seem like Nal, he had been gone a long time.. things might have changed...

Upon hearing the conclusion of that remark, however, Trev let out a breath that was half sigh of relief, half laugh. Wanted..by his friends. Trev's smile grew into a grin at this. Of course, he should never have doubted his friend even for a second, and felt a little guilty for even thinking Nal would do anything like what he'd thought for a moment. But then.. as Trev had recently mentioned to the lieutenant, most of his ability to trust others had been shattered over the past few years, and patching it up might take some time for him. It would be a tough climb, he thought with a faint inward smile, thinking of the song he'd been working on last night.

Just then, the declaration from Unalmis about what he thought of the pirate captain brought a snort of amusement from Trevadir before he could help it. He laughed slightly. "More like a snake," He corrected with a half grin. "Or possibly an eel," He added, wondering if Nal had ever seen any of those. For a brief moment, Trev got a bit distracted trying to decide which of those unpleasant creatures seemed most like Dev.. one had venom in its mouth and was commonly associated with deception, yet the other was slimy with a mouthful of sharp teeth, and poisonous blood. After a moment's contemplation, he recalled that now was not the time or place for such comparisons.

"Anyway..." Trev cleared his throat, turning back to the lieutenant with slight embarrassment after the brief interruption. "Sorry.. um, you asked if we both were in favor of Nal being there... I am, yes." He answered, this time verbally, and with a small smile cast toward his once-closest friend. It was reassuring to know that Nal was agreeable to the arrangement, and that he would not be leaving Trev to sit through that all by himself. Trev slowly sat back in his chair, relaxing a bit more than he had thus far during this meeting. "And.. Dev and his crew aren't the only ones I ought to report about, either." He added hesitantly, slightly uneasy to bring up the other matters, but he also couldn't forget how Cali had nearly begged him to make a report about that kidnapper guy before, and he didn't want to let her down.. again. "But that's for.. whenever." He shrugged.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Arnyn

Trevadir's interjection that Devedir was not his father, made Arnyn look at the young man with some curiosity. But she had been told that Devedir was his father? And Trevadir had given no impression earlier that this was incorrect? For a moment, she wondered whether she had literally spoken the word out loud before or not. And the next moment, when Trevadir added he did not have a father, the wheels in her mind once again slowed down. Ahh. That is what he meant. So when Trevadir hurried to explain, she listened before nodding her understanding.

Unalmis seemed a little phased, if that was the word. It only lasted a moment, however. That determined gaze and the fitting words that went with it, made Arnyn smile. Wanted by his friends. Good man, Unalmis.
The assertion that Devedir 'was an ass' was so entirely unexpected - a consequence of Arnyn not yet knowing the whims or tendencies Unalmis was prone to - drew a very brief, quiet "hah!" from the Lieutenant (which coincided with Trevadir's half sigh, half laugh) before she managed to rein herself in and reduce her amusement to a rather telling smile tugging at her lips and gleaming in her dark eyes. It was thus she watched the scene of two friends in front of her as Unalmis sat down and Trevadir put his thoughts into words of how Devedir was more akin to a snake or an eel.

What was important now, however, was that both young men agreed to her proposal. "And with that," she said quietly but well audible to both of the men at the table, "I do believe my presence here has lost its usefulness. And quite likely even its desirability." The Lieutenant slowly pushed back her chair and rose to her feet. "You will have a lot on your mind and your plate, I imagine, Trevadir," she addressed him with a faint smile. "I will not impose on you for your first days back. We will agree on a time and place, later. I assume finding you will not be difficult, given your friendship with Unalmis and Cali. And finding me is not too difficult either, given my regular shifts at headquarters." Her faint smile grew slightly. "Although we should not wait overly long. Delivering such a report is probably not something you want up in the air for too long. And the same goes for me in receiving it."

Arnyn retrieved her sword from the wall. The book she'd brought was still lying on the table she'd shared with Kaylin - and Trastion - earlier, now abandoned there. But not missing. She nodded at Unalmis and Trevadir. "See you both around." Her goodbye must sound strangely informal to them, but she'd had a long and busy day - and officially she was off duty, wasn't she? The intermezzo Kaylin had provided, had indeed been most welcome. But there was more to be done. And her role here had come to an end. She raised a hand at them to complete the gesture.

If neither of them had anything left to say at present, she would then move to retrieve her book from the other table. Next, she would settle her tab at the bar before taking her leave.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta
@Arnyn @Rillewen

His opinion of Devedir did not meet disapproval, even from the officer, and Unalmis allowed himself to enjoy the moment of amusement which all three seemed to share at their enemy’s expense. The fingers of each of his hands curled around the seat beneath him, to anchor himself in. Though this was proving a wild ride of a conversation, he was not ready to leave it yet. And though he did frown a little, it was out of confusion only when Trevadir mentioned a kneel. What was that about ? Did a snake only have an ass when it kneeled ? With an unconcerned shake of his head, Nal let it go. His friend was reaffirming his intention to speak out about what he knew, in front of the two Rangers. This was so unlike anything he had been bracing for earlier ! Why, he might have kept poor Duinion up all night unnecessarily, planning his earlier scouting efforts, if he didn’t suspect very much that the Tirdinen would have scarcely slept regardless.

Nal was just about to assure Trev that there was less cause to fret over ‘that other matter’ now, for he could let the musician know what he had missed on that count .. later .. There was definitely going to be a later ! Some good news for the girls .. to have their missing member home where he belonged. But Arnyn had risen from her seat somewhere amidst the comradery and the officer made clear her want to leave them to it. Allowing for her to outline what Trevadir could expect next, without interruptions, Unalmis only rose from his own seat when the woman bid them a very unofficial farewell. If this was a dream – and it was definitely the best sort of dream he had enjoyed for some time ! – then he would have to seize this opportunity. For who knew what he ought expect from such an officer the next time he should see her ?


“Lieutenant,” he attempted, before it was too late. “I’m still not rightly sure that I know why you did .. half of all I’ve heard of what you’ve done,” the admission came with a wide-eyed marvel he had clearly not recovered from quite yet. Arnyn had explained the steps of what had led them all to end up here of course. But that still did not explain why she, or Macardil had ever gotten involved in the first place. Let alone the rumours that he’d had no time to properly pursue back at the Mess. “And that’s just today !” he half-laughed before clearing his throat in an attempt to remember himself. “But that’s alright. I am not opposed to surprises, when they are ... well, this.” A brief glance away from her patient scrutiny, returned nonetheless after a poignant flicker in the direction of Trevadir. That interval, to admire such a miracle actually sat in reach .. lasted longer than he had meant for it to; so that Arnyn might have been forgiven for thinking he had finished what he had to say, before he properly had. Nonetheless .. “Thankyou,” was the belated conclusion that he finally expressed.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn @Ercassie

Trevadir

As the lieutenant declared her intentions to leave, Trev was mildly surprised, having somehow expected that she would want to stick around and ask more questions of Unalmis and him together. He nodded as she mentioned setting another time for the three of them to meet. "Right," He agreed, nodding slightly. "Whenever you like.. I haven't got any sort of schedule as I'm sure you have." He realized that he hadn't yet figured out where he would go, but at least he knew where to find Nal. And Cali. So it shouldn't be hard for the lieutenant to get in touch with him about setting up another time.

As she got up and prepared to leave, Unalmis spoke up to stop her, and say thank you. Trev smiled as he watched his friend expressing his gratitude for what she had done here today. He wondered whether Unalmis would be interested in hearing about all that Macardil had done, too. But, for now he was hesitant to mention the name to Nal, remembering some of the things the former ranger had told him, and the fact that Unalmis knew about the incident. Trev was only just coming back home, and would prefer not to have any sort of obstacles arise between himself and Nal. So he kept quiet about that for now.

"Yes, thank you, lieutenant." He added his own thanks to Nal's, smiling as he stood up and held out a hand to shake hers. "Until next time." Realizing now that she had set it up for Nal to come here, he was beyond glad, and less nervous now. The lieutenant proved that he had nothing to worry about from her, at least. He was still nervous about all the reporting he had ahead of him, but with his friend there to support him, he ought to be able to get through that too.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen @Ercassie

Arnyn

She raised an eyebrow at Unalmis' statement. He wasn't sure he knew why she'd done half of what he'd heard she'd done... and he was talking about what he'd heard about today alone. Apparently there was talk then. Arnyn blinked as she slanted her head, smiling thoughtfully during Unalmis' half laugh and the clearing of his throat. Ah; Duinion, she realized. They were sharing the room. What exactly had the Tirdinen let on about their conversation that morning? And then she remembered her conversation with Brian. A rather public one. At the mess. There hadn't been all that many people in yet, but... some... some were enough. Her smile faded as she winced mentally. Great. Nice going, Lieutenant, she berated herself. Best not award it too much attention now, then...

The 'thank you' that Unalmis produced next, came as a bit of a surprise. Arnyn's smile re-emerged. But this time it was no longer thoughtful - it was warm. She nodded, taking a moment to appreciate it. "My pleasure," she finally responded in turn. "Though I should say my part was a small one," she added.

Trevadir joined his friend in the expression of thanks. It was almost enough to make her uncomfortable. Still smiling, Arnyn reached out to shake the hand he offered her. "Until next time." Letting go of his hand, she suddenly remembered what she'd said earlier. "And if you want to visit your new friend..." She gave the address to the young man, as promised, making sure he confirmed he would remember it.

Her dark eyes switched to Unalmis and she wordlessly touched her fist to her heart, and started walking away before she even started lowering it. It was time to leave these two to whatever private conversation they may chose to have. So far, her gamble with Trevadir had caused her no regrets. To the contrary. And that was quite enough for the Lieutenant on this sunny afternoon. She attached the sword to the straps on her belt, hardly having to look at what she was doing, retrieved the book from the other table and tucked it under arm. Then she approached the bar to settle things with Hildy.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Officially Reunion-ing
@Arnyn @Rillewen

The Lieutenant’s reactions to his remark seemed to run a tide of curiosity, but Arnyn concluded with a smile, and Unalmis was happy to suppose that meant only good things. He was certainly not about to trouble explaining exactly what he had heard even before entering the inn, for that would mean raising the subject of the Barracks Master, and there was no matter he would less enjoy right now. Which reminded him, .. bottles .. he must remember to speak to Alf .. later ..

His apparent distraction allowed for Trevadir to receive the address of ‘a new friend’, without any questions asked. Then, mirroring the officer’s motion of fist to heart, the young Ranger watched her walk as far as the bar. And decided that was definitely long enough to have waited already. Nal was definitely not sorry that Arnyn was sparing them going through the whole ordeal of his friend’s account quite yet. Not that he would not have kept his word, if it had been required to do so there and then. But the agreeing to do so at all had been a much less guaranteed and far more significant step in the resolution process than the Lieutenant probably realised. Probably. Maybe. She did seem to be far more informed upon certain matter than he ever might have expected.


“Well, first things first ..” the young man gave that much of a warning before seizing his old friend’s arm and hauling him into a brief but enthused embrace. That might have nearly seen the musician topple over, if Trev had not winced so, from evidently further injuries that he had not made clear yet, and Nal withdrew his arms back wide and hastily, as though he had just hugged a porcupine, which had then exploded. Standing back a pace, he frowned, and awkwardly indicated the abandoned chairs and table in case the other needed to sit down.

“Which do you need sooner, do you think ? A healer or a drink ? Because you know,” Unalmis relaxed somewhat into a far more casual tone as he let Trevadir know .. “I did this healer refresher training thing with the Captain only last year. So ?” A smile hovered perilously upon the cusp of coming forth. It was proving rather difficult to remember to be angry and also upset and concerned, at the same time as he was just simply .. relieved. All at once, it was a miracle he had not yet exploded himself. But he was far too tired to accomplish that, and extremely too engrossed in this surprise to close his eyes for even a moment. In case Trevadir might suddenly no longer be there, if he lost sight of him for even a moment.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn@Ercassie

Trevadir

With everything that had happened in the last hour or two.. Trev wasn't even sure how much time had passed, but it must have been a while now.. it had sort of slipped his mind about getting the address for Macardil. He nodded as Lieutenant Dealedwen told it to him, repeating it back carefully to make sure he remembered. As the Lieutenant gathered her things and went about preparing to leave, Trev turned back to his friend, and suddenly felt as if he were in the coils of one of those jungle snakes he'd heard about that squeezes its prey to death. "Oooph!" The surprising force of the hug had him stagger back a step, and he winced slightly at the pressure on the sore place on his side. Still, he couldn't help a little smile appearing even as Nal quickly let go of him. "No, it's fine," He assured him, waving off the apparent alarm that had arisen due to his pained reaction. "I just.. wasn't expecting it," He added a little awkwardly. He cleared his throat lightly. "I've been through a couple of fights, in about as many days." He added, as a vague explanation.

Blinking as his friend mentioned that he'd done a 'healer refresher training thing', about a year ago, Trev nearly laughed. "Wait, are you saying you want to practice... on me?" He asked, in a mock-horrified tone. "I'm not sure that's safe..." He managed a straight face for a few seconds. "Maybe I should get Cali to check it. Or Iole..." And then the grin couldn't be held off any longer. "I'm fine Nal, don't worry. I already had stitches and bandaging and stuff. It probably should be checked at some point but.." He shrugged dismissively. "For now, I'd rather have another lemonade." He declared. "That other stuff can wait til..later." He hesitated, briefly struggling with some inner debate, before wrapping his arms briefly around Nal in return.

He stepped back after a brief moment, before any flood of emotions could threaten to rise up inside. Clearing his throat softly, he reclaimed his seat from before and tried not to look like there was anything emotional going on. "So.." He hesitated. "How're the girls? I've been sorta worried about them, after.. you know." He vaguely waved a hand. Nal would know what he meant. He glanced down, hesitating a little as he debated how to ask what he was curious to know. "Did... did they arrest him?" Maybe he should've waited a bit to ask that, but it was a thing he was anxious about. Partially wondering if he still needed to report anything, himself.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Officially Reunion-ing
@Rillewen

For his friend to have expected it, would have taken nearly half the fun out of it. As it turned out though, hearing Trevadir shrugging off stitches and bandages, like it was nothing, like it was normal, almost left Unalmis wincing in his turn.

Admittedly they’d all had their share of bumps and breakages over the years. But a deliberate assault by a parent, even an estranged parent, went far beyond what would be counted usual. Or acceptable. And Trev had looked healthy enough just two weeks before. Which meant that the musician must have returned to that response from Devedir, instead of trusting that his friends could keep him safe in the city. The realisation made the Ranger annoyed all over again that they had let him leave. The arms around him shortly afterwards melted that annoyance some though, so that brown eyes could close just for a moment. And one hand rise to almost meet the bruised wrist, before Nal changed his mind.

“What I’m saying is .., maybe let's not let that happen again,” he trialled casually then, as Trev sat down, raising an eyebrow as he replied. It was almost as though it was not so very awful, if you did not act as though it was after all, apparently. “Else I’m bringing out the herbs and then not even the girls will be able to protect you,” he vowed, sitting down as well.


Alf appeared as though summoned by their decision to stay and have a drink, picking up the empty glass that was left alone on the table between the two young men. “Hey Alf," Nal grinned, as though a spell was broken for just long enough to convey their request "Can I get the usual, and another glass of lemonade for my friend ? Thanks”

The publican agreed, and knew better than to linger when there were words caught behind anticipation only. Wiping over where the glass had left it's sweat, before it stained, he then vanished with the drinking vessel. Trevadir seemed to wait only as long as it would take for the man to leave them to their private matters. And then the first thing he asked was of the girls. It would have been easy to reply that Cali and Iole had been just as worried over their missing friend, as he claimed to have been over them. But Unalmis was not looking for an argument.


“I can take you over to their place,” he offered instead. “By the time they’ve finished work it will be just about a good hour to sit down for the evening and .. all that ..” He could have mentioned of course that Iole was currently just down the street, working in the marketplace. But there was a stubborn selfishness that ruled his decision to keep quiet on that for a little longer. They two needed to finish what they had started at Midsummer, and preferably without an audience watching and encouraging them on to do so.

“Eventually,” he shrugged, although the Ranger’s eyes did not flit so idly away from the second question as he answered. There was no need to use any of the aliases that Arkadhur had gone by, that they even knew about. They both knew all the same who Trev was asking about. “He’s no longer in the city,” Unalmis confirmed. “Prince Imrahil sent a proper contingent of guards with a ship and everything to escort him over to answer for yet more crimes, in Dol Amroth. Are you sorry that you came to Midsummer ?” the question was tacked on to the preceding answer, almost as though it could scarcely wait for what must come before, before it took it’s own turn.


Alf chose that moment to deliver a fresh glass of lemonade and a large cup of coffee, without otherwise interrupting the conversation. He turned quickly, leaving them to it, and did not look back. A good publican just knows. Under the table, one of Unalmis’s boots struck repeatedly against the leg of the chair it was wrapped about. Perhaps betraying how keen and also timorous the Ranger was for a response. Perhaps just indicating that this was not his first coffee of the day.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Reuniting!

A small smile tugged at his face as Nal suggested they not let it happen again. "Believe me, I have no intention of it." He assured his friend. Then the smile grew into a grin at Nal's 'threat'. He kept quiet for a moment as Alf came to take the drink orders, but once he had gone off to get those, Trev looked down thoughtfully, turning his flute over in his hands. "Maybe it's best to keep the girls out of that, anyway." He mentioned, feeling reluctant to upset them about his wounds. The bruise on his face and arm, he couldn't hide, but the cut on his side... that might be better left unnoticed by their two female friends. They'd only fuss and fret about it, and it wasn't worth making a big deal about.

As Nal mentioned the idea of taking him over to 'their place', Trev was a bit intrigued, and looked up again. "Then they don't live with their families, anymore? I mean, I didn't think Iole would still live there, but I had no idea where she might be. I thought Cali was living with her mother though." Before he could inquire any more on that, he was distracted by the answer Nal gave concerning him. Trev had asked, of course, but he wasn't expecting the reply he got. "What?" He frowned, considering this news. "By ship..." He repeated more to himself than to Nal, finding this...troubling. Knowing that Dev was lurking around the area, and that he often associated with that particular Umbarian... he couldn't help wondering if it was a coincidence. But he kept those concerns to himself for now, seeing Alf returning with a tray.

As their drinks arrived, Trev smiled a thanks to the man, though he was still wrapped up in thoughts. Nal's additional question caught up to him a moment later. Trev looked back at his friend, slightly surprised he would ask that, and waited until Alf had gone away. He smiled faintly. "Am I sorry that I came? No way." He took a sip of his lemonade, enjoying the refreshing tart/sweet drink. "I was nervous.. but I really missed you all." He admitted quietly, though he left it vague about what exactly he had been so nervous about. "I like to think some good came out of my coming that day..." He glanced at Nal as if wondering if he agreed, before continuing. "The only thing I regret about it is.. that I didn't know a few things then that I do, now." He answered thoughtfully, and sighed.

Trev paused then, remembering something. "Oh.. the girls might join us sooner than you think." he warned Nal, and proceeded to explain, "At my request, the lieutenant sent someone with a message to tell Cali I was in town, and.. to ask her to let Iole know, too." He shrugged slightly, unsure whether that had been the right thing to do or not.. and suddenly felt slightly defensive of his action. "I was worried, because.. uh. Well, at Midsummer, I mentioned to Iole that I'd been living in Harlond, and that I had a job at a tavern out there.. just playing music, you know?" He shrugged lightly. "Maybe I shouldn't have told her." He cleared his throat. "It's not the nicest place to begin with, and after I left the midsummer, I got to worrying.. what if Iole took some notion to come out there and try to find me." He frowned slightly. "Anyway. After months without any sign of him... a couple nights ago, some of Dev's crewmen showed up at the tavern." He motioned vaguely to his eye. "That's where this came from. But," he offered a half-joking smile, "you shoulda seen the other guys, Nal." He said with a faint laugh, attempting to make light of the ordeal, but the smile faded quickly. "Anyway." He cleared his throat, moving on. "I just wanted to make sure Iole wouldn't go off looking for me there, when I'm not even there... especially since Dev might still be hanging around there." He explained quietly.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Officially Reunion-ing
@Rillewen

The coffee was hot, and a perfect prop, to fidget with without looking quite so nervous as he was. The caffeine might not help much with that, once it had cooled enough to drink. But Unalmis had not gotten much sleep the night before, for a multitude of reasons. And he was determined to not miss any minute of this moment. He caught the glance though, the unasked question. And was not sure if he was ready to answer it yet. Which worked out fairly well, as Trevadir was clearly putting off any thought of saying it outright.

“And here I was thinking that it was the Lieutenant making requests of you .. not the other way around !” the Ranger grinned, leaning back in his seat, and intent on enjoying the easier part of the conversation. They would get to it. They could work their way up to it. There was a lot that needed to be said, on many matters. Maybe those would dwarf the ‘issue’, the more they got into it.


“She told us. Iole. About Harlond …” he blurted out, honestly, although he did not go on to explain why, that their friend had been trying to console them that Trev would be fine .. Clearly that had proven not to be the case at all. “She hasn’t been so reckless, don’t worry. I saw her not a few hours ago, in fact. Sorrel is pretty much her shadow these days.” Nal shrugged. “And Mourgan, you remember, from Midsummer ? He danced with Cali .. Well our favourite Smith has been letting him hang around and walk her places. They’re good.” If there was any more to that subject and he was aware of it, no word was spoke of it. It was their business, and the prospect of either of the girls enjoying relations was akin to imagining his sisters .. If he had had sisters. They were as good as. “Their place is like the treehouse, only it’s not in a tree .. ”

Realising how ridiculous that sounded, Nal laughed, mostly at himself, nervously. His fingers cupped the coffee, which was still too hot, but might explain his almost frown. “They’ve been there since Midsummer,” the shrug cast off all need for explaining further why the girls would want to find a new place together, then of all times. “You might need to wear about five more shirts at once if you’re not going to let on though, when they find you,” Unalmis let go of the cup and considered Trev’s chances of keeping his pain hidden from Cali and Iole. “They will want to .. you know, check that you are not a figment of our imagination,” he tried to warn the musician about the likelihood of more excited greetings, once the remainder of their group found him. The matter made him glance about, after he’d said it, for any sign of baggage Trev might have brought with him. He did not see any.


“So, are you staying with your new friend ?" Nal asked, suddenly. “Macardil,” he clarified shortly after, with a shrug, and eyes that suddenly scrutinised his friend's reaction. “The Lieutenant gave you his address, didn’t she ? And ‘something good came out of your being at Midsummer’, you said. So. Your new friend. I saw him. That day. Being all .. with the music .. and you were there, also. Or do you really expect me to believe you took on an entire tavern brawl by yourself ?" All the fingers from one hand tapped the table, one at a time, slowly. "I’m guessing the two of you were working there together, with the music ? And he ended up helping you crack a few heads." Nal slowed his fingers to a complete stop after asking, and glanced back to his friend. "She said you told him," he reminded Trev "All about 'Captain Ass'. And you wouldn’t just tell all that to some stranger.”

He stopped there, feeling rather foolish, for actually Trev had clearly told an awful lot to Arnyn. Another stranger. But the entire series of sentences before had traipsed out before the young man knew quite how he felt about any of them. And the more they piled up, the more he regretted bringing it up. But at the same time, he wanted to know. It seemed to add up. But honestly he was more than a little relieved to have heard that the fights and the injuries were more a result of tavern brawls with Dev’s crew than an outright beating from the Captain himself. Not that a group coming at his friend was a good thing. But it made more sense now. How Trev had been making light of it. Joking almost, about ‘the other guy’.


“So, you let him help you out with the arrest thing. I’m not .. I mean,” he put in, almost admitting he felt a little left out, jealous even ... “You probably didn’t ask your 'old friends' to find out if you were wanted by the Guard, just because you knew we’d say it didn't matter, or just say about anything actually, to have you come home with us.” Trying the coffee again so soon was a mistake. But almost dropping it and dabbing at the small spillage with one sleeve, Unalmis avoided Trev’s expression. The two pairs of brown eyes would find one another, once they had braced for it.

“There is something I should say though, about the Guard,” Nal sighed. If only to show he cared not about the other thing. Not really. Of course, as soon as he had said the word ‘Guard’, he regretted it. “Don’t take the door at a run or anything. It’s just ...” Deep breath. Burning his fingers on the hot cup again, Nal didn’t seem to notice this time. As he made the most important point of the matter. ”It’s about Ryn.”

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Reuniting!

A little laugh emerged as Nal spoke as if Trev were making demands of the lieutenant. He rolled his eyes(one, anyway) and shook his head slightly. "She made a lot of inquiries, actually." He corrected his friend. "I kept worrying the whole time, you know.. if I say the wrong thing, will I get locked up forever, or...something." He shrugged, trying to make it sound a bit less intense than it had actually felt to him, and with less dire consequences if he had messed up. "So, yeah. I told her quite a bit of things that.. well, I don't think I would've talked about, otherwise." He fidgeted, clearing his throat lightly, then took a sip of his lemonade. He knew Nal was mostly joking, but he thought it would be good to set things straight so Nal would have a better idea of what had occurred here today.

As Nal admitted that Iole had told them about his staying in Harlond, Trev wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not. He nodded vaguely and picked up his glass of lemonade. He was in the middle of taking a sip when Nal mentioned that Cali had been letting that guy walked her around places. He choked a little and set the drink down, coughing a couple of times as he tried to clear the beverage from his airways, and turned a slightly amazed look back toward Nal. "Really? Mourgan, huh? Do you know him? I mean.. she's safe with him.. right?" He asked, slightly awkward about the whole matter since he had been gone so long, but he couldn't help feeling a bit protective of the young woman who was as a sister to him. Not that he didn't think she could handle herself, but... she'd been through a lot, he figured, and didn't need any more problems.

The reference to the treehouse brought a slight smile to Trev's face. Just a couple of weeks ago, they had discussed that treehouse as a possible place to hide out. And now, suddenly, he had a desire to go and see that old treehouse which he and the others had built, years ago. But that would mean going too close to his grandmother's house and he didn't want to do that. Not yet. Trev nodded in understanding as Nal went on to explain that the girls had been at this place since Midsummer. There was no need to explain further. They both knew why. He was glad though, to hear that they had found a safe place. Safer, he hoped, than where he'd been holed up for the last several months.

As his friend went on to suggest he ought to wear many more shirts in order to give himself more padding for his wounded ribs, Trev glanced down quietly at his shirt, feeling slightly self-conscious as this comment reminded him that this was his last one suitable for wearing. "Yeah... I guess they'll figure it out then," He answered with a faint smile. "Unless I get a lot better at not wincing." He shrugged slightly and sipped his lemonade again instead of sighing. He would have to endure the fussing, but then again, maybe it would be nice to have someone actually express concern over him, instead of the opposite. He felt reluctant, however, to say out loud that he had no other clothes but what he had on.

Trev glanced up again as Nal's question caught him by surprise. "Hm?" He blinked. Nal was asking... whether he was staying with Macardil? Trev listened with growing amazement as his friend then gave up his reasons for arriving at such a conclusion, along with saying 'your new friend' repeatedly. Trev had a slight suspicion that Nal most likely felt uncomfortable about the whole..Macardil topic.. and he slowly shook his head. "No," He hesitated, becoming aware quite abruptly that he had not actually made any sort of preparations yet for where he would stay. But before he could say anything of the sort, Nal had carried on, and Trev tilted his head in slight amusement. Despite the past few years spent estranged from his friends, Trev still knew Nal quite well. He couldn't help laughing lightly. "Nal," he grinned. "Are you jealous you missed out on all the excitement?" He asked, amused, before that faded away somewhat. "It's really nothing to be jealous about, really. Just a bunch of ruthless pirates trying to kill me, or else drag me back to the captain," he shrugged, trying to downplay the 'exciting adventure' aspect. "And no," he added with another little laugh, "I wasn't working with Macardil on the music. I didn't even know him then. I mean, I noticed him there, and he noticed me, but..no, when I said some good came of it, I meant.." He shrugged, motioning vaguely between himself and Nal. "Seeing you all, and.. you know. All that." He tried to explain, with a slight eyeroll that Nal hadn't caught on to that.

Clearing his throat, Trev went on. "As for Macardil, I only met him..well, just before that fight, actually. He came into the tavern and introduced himself while I was taking my break, and I remembered seeing him at the Midsummer thing." He shrugged. "And yeah, you're right." He smiled. "I didn't fight them all by myself. But it was only four guys, not the whole tavern." He rolled his eyes. "Thankfully." He took a moment to try and decide how much he wanted to tell Nal, and wondered how much was really for him to tell. "He saved my life a few times these past couple of days... in more ways than one." He added that last part softly. He fell silent then, thinking for a moment as he watched Nal spill a little of his coffee, and silently noted yet another subtle sign of his friends having grown up while he was off... also growing up some. Nal drinking coffee, as if he needed more energy? Trev might have laughed under other circumstances.

With a little sigh, Trev returned to the topic of Nal's supposing he must be staying with Macardil. "Anyway... no, I'm not staying with him," He added. "In fact, I.. don't know where I'll be staying, actually." He admitted a little awkwardly. "He just wanted to make sure I could find him if I needed to for some reason, I guess. The lieutenant asked him to deliver the message to Cali, and she promised him she'd make sure I got his address before she left. So, she did." He shrugged slightly and was for a moment at a loss for words, until Nal broke the silence by declaring that he had something to say about the Guard.

Trev looked up again, slightly tense. He felt that anything to do with the guards, it was almost certain it could not be good. Especially the way Nal was looking, and the way he said it. After a brief pause, the final stroke fell. It's about Ryn. Trev sat silently stunned, almost holding his breath, waiting for the rest. "What..?" He dared ask, hardly above a whisper. Trev found his mind racing with thoughts of what Nal might say, going over various possibilities of things to do with the guards that might have to do with Ryn. Though he said nothing more, Nal definitely had his full attention, and Trev's expression was practically screaming, 'Go on, spit it out already, don't keep me guessing!'

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Officially Reunion-ing
@Rillewen

Unalmis wanted more than anything for the awkwardness to be behind them and so far in the distance that they could not even recall it anymore. That they could simply share a drink as though the last five years had never happened. But they had .. happened. The guy sitting across the table from him was both his friend and a stranger all at once. Last time they had reached the point where both wanted to make things up. Quite how though, was still up in the air.

Now Trev had come all this way .. back .. And still, the more that his friend said, the more that there were parts of Unalmis which honestly, wanted to throw the table aside and tell his friend not to even joke about taking up in the company of fricking pirates. Not to dare question whether the likes of Mourgan were good enough company for Cali when he … Trev !! .. had been hanging out with the sort of men who might have killed Iole on at least one previous occasion, and both the girls on another. But Nal couldn’t bring himself to speak on any of that, not to take from the hopeful and nervous look on his friend’s face. He could not be the cause of the pain which he knew would out, if he was honest. He would have killed anybody else who threw such a devastating blow at his friend in that way. So he was sure not about to do it himself. He’d been stupid enough to let it happen once. And he’d almost lost his friend as a consequence. No. No he did not want to do that.

So Unalmis simply leaned back and raised a casual eyebrow, when Trevadir teased him for being jealous of the ‘adventures’ he’d had with Macardil. He even laughed a short burst, which sounded so outside of him that he almost glanced around to see who else might be responsible for it. But no, Unalmis had no trouble believing that the former Lieutenant had helped Trev out in Harlond. If your entire life and career and friendships had been lost to you, for whatever was the reason, that would see you slumming it in Harlond .. and fighting, well .. old habits died hard. The fallen officer had clearly made a difference so Unalmis could not hate Macardil. Except that he did. Sort of. Envy the other guy. Because Trev had trusted that other guy, by his own account .. a stranger. Instead of trusting his friends.


Nal huddled the cooling drink with a hand on each side of the mug. He glanced up, keen but equally troubled, when it became obvious that Trevadir did not even know where he was going to stay the night, let alone after that. And there was nothing that the Ranger would have liked more than to assure his friend, that he would take care of it. That Trev could come and stay in the dorms … because .. well, because no. No he couldn’t. Not after the night before, with Duinion, and then all the accounts of what had happened since, between the Barracks Master and Lieutenant Dealedwen just this very noon .. Brian would be looking for any sign of an infraction. And Nal still hurt inside at the memory of how Eryn had been so shamed and belittled and insulted for simply being in the Barracks to help her father settle in. To subject Trev to anything resembling that .. now of all times .. it would be too stupid an idea. And Unalmis had gone ahead with many a stupid idea before now. But not that, not now. The girls would soon be aware of their friend’s return though, so the musician had claimed. They might be able to .. nay, they would surely insist .. that Trev could stay at their place. Tonight at least, .. it was likely they would all be up all night just catching up. And that was the safest, most private place he knew that they could accomplish that.


So he said nothing. Not throughout all of his friend’s nervous attempts at keeping up this charade of a normal conversation. Because well .. if Cali was going to catch up to them sooner rather than later, then this matter of the Ryndir thing really absolutely had to be covered beforehand. To ensure that Trevadir was aware of where things stood. With the girls. With the entire group really.

Closing his eyes a brief moment, Unalmis then glanced up to meet his friend’s, in perhaps the one thing sure to unite them in grief, and all that came with it. Their mutual friend. Their dead friend. Their murdered friend; Cali’s twin. Yes, best get it said before she came bursting through the door and found them in the midst of the very necessary conversation. He could not have Trevadir not know. Not about this. Even if they never talked about anything ever again afterwards. This. If the estranged young man was staying, then he was going to find out sooner or later anyway. Better sooner than later. Better from him than someone else.


“They recovered his dagger,” he admitted. “One of those which had been taken from the ..” A small word, a simple word, such as ‘body’ would not present itself. “From Ryn,” Unalmis disclosed quietly. “It was your little brother who helped with finding it, by the way,” he threw in, before recognising even further efforts of diversion and made himself go on. “Cali identified it. But even if Arkadhur had it on him when .., last autumn, he wasn’t even in the country at the time that Ryn .. happened.” A deep breath escaped Unalmis as he concentrated on his coffee. And watched it going cold within his grasp. His voice was low when he forced out the remainder of what he must. "So faced with it, he admitted who gave him the dagger. Trev, he said it was ‘Rip’.” The nickname was instinctive. And might have resurrected amusing memories, in any other conversation perhaps. But not this one. “I mean, it might be a lie but .. he said Rip sent him after the girls too. On purpose. And why else would he have targeted them ?” Seeking to clarify did not help the tight pain that was balled up in the young Ranger’s chest as he dropped the blow at his friend, no doubt invoking exactly the sort of hurt which he had decided he would never wish to. “Sorrel says the Guard are investigating now, and our unfavourite lieutenant has fled rather than even try to stay and defend his name so, well. Now you know. I thought you should know.”

He wasn't sure if it exactly counted as good news< but it was important all the same.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Reuniting!

As the news began to slowly unfold, Trev sat up slightly to hear that Ryn's dagger had been recovered. One of them, anyway. His eyes widened slightly to hear this news. He hadn't expected that, and opened his mouth to ask more, but none of the questions came out. None were able to form properly, and he sat mutely for a moment as Unalmis went on to explain that Trev's own brother had been the one to find it. He tilted his head, curious about that. How did Toby fit into this matter? He wanted to ask... how Toby had helped with finding it, how Toby was doing, how all of this came to be. But he merely gave a tiny nod, showing he was still listening. He couldn't bring himself to speak right now. Perhaps more like, he couldn't trust himself to speak, at the moment.

Trev fought to keep a frown from coming onto his face, and slowly nodded as he sorted out these details in his head, as Nal gave them. When, at last, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place, Trev was left sitting in stunned silence for a few moments, processing it all. Trying to sort through his own emotions, as well as dealing with an inward struggle about what he ought to say in reply. He had discovered, last autumn, that there were certain topics which might be a bit delicate to mention to Nal. It almost felt like walking on eggshells, fearing he might upset his friend and shatter the truce they had arrived at, during the midsummer festivities. Still, he should reply to this news that Nal had dropped on him, and he knew he must say something. And Nal definitely needed to hear some of what Trev had to tell in return, before they got to that other meeting with Lt Dealedwen.

Closing his eyes briefly, Trev took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I wish I could say that it surprises me," He said at last, softly. "But, it really doesn't." He admitted quietly, dropping his gaze down to the flute in his lap, letting his thoughts stray toward their lost friend. The emblem on its side...their emblem... was facing upward, as if staring up at him. His vision blurred slightly with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He blinked a few times, swallowing down a lump in his throat as he tried to channel his anger instead of sorrow. Anger toward that traitorous murderer that had caused so much pain and upset over the years. His jaw clenched as his hands tightened on the flute. Could it be? That Ric was responsible for Ryn's death? All this time, he'd been right there, hiding this monstrous deed from everyone, laughing in secret while they were tormented with the mystery of their friend's death. And the worst part was, it seemed so obvious now, to think about it. At least, knowing what Trev knew, it made perfect sense...

After a few moments, Trev looked up at Nal again. The tears had vanished from his eyes by now, but anyone who knew him as well as Nal ought to know him should see the anger burning deep inside. "It doesn't surprise me that he's run away, either," He added with a wry smile. "That always was his style, wasn't it?" He scoffed and looked away, sighing. Debating, still. He hesitated, and decided he might as well go ahead and tell him. He needed to know what Trev knew, even if... well, regardless of whatever else came of it. "Nal.. I..." He paused, cleared his throat, and pushed on. "I need to tell you a few things, too." He hesitated, trying not to chicken out of this. He fidgeted with his flute a little nervously, taking a breath to prepare for the things he was about to say. Well, might as well get it over with. "I've seen him... many times. In Umbar." He frowned, risking a quick glance at Nal, to see what sort of reaction this might bring, but allowed a faint smile of amusement at the nickname they had given the bully, "Rip, that is. He's..." the tiny smile faded to a frown, "he's a lot worse than we ever thought possible."

This was going to need explaining, he knew. He hesitated, then turned in his chair so that he would be facing Nal. No turning away and trying to avoid this, as much as he wanted to. He swallowed, nervous, and went on. "Dev.. well, he has... ties, with that guy who... you know. The priest guy... Pharak." He spoke softly, tentatively, as he watched Nal's reaction. He proceeded cautiously, "This stuff is probably going to come up when I meet again with lieutenant Dealedwen, so I want to tell you before then, so it isn't such a shock." He cleared his throat. "Dev had a lot of dealings with him, and with his sons, Uhta and Keket. And.. well, he often sends messages back and forth to them. Especially to Pharak. And... he made me deliver the messages. All the time." He frowned. "I hated that.. honestly, Nal, I was scared to death. That place... it's horrible, and terrifying." He shuddered at the memory, briefly glancing away because he felt a little awkward admitting to anyone how frightened he'd been.

"Anyway..." he cleared his throat, trying to push on and pretend like that hadn't happened, "there were plenty of times when I was there, waiting on Pharak to read Dev's letter, or write out a reply... and I'd see him hanging around." He frowned, "Rip. He goes there. He's...friendly... with Pharak." He made a face of disgust at that. "I even heard some talk between them that sounded like they were sort of like.. teacher and student, or something. It was... weird.. and disturbing. And.. that's why I was so stunned to learn that he's actually a guard, and a lieutenant at that!" Shaking his head in disbelief, Trev honestly found it baffling how this could be going on without anyone having discovered it. "I am glad to hear he's not in the city anymore though.. I was a bit nervous about that. Cause... well, he knows I know about him..." He trailed off without feeling the need to explain why such a thing would have made him nervous.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Awkwardly Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

If Unalmis had supposed that that his news might bring any sort of closure for Trevadir, he was met with only the opposite in response. For, yes, ‘Rip’ had fled the city, and so was not on hand to cause trouble at Trev’s return. And yes, it was likely that they were one step closer now to solving how, and who and what and why had Ryndir been murdered at all. But the pained recognition of this fact .. staling silently between the friends now only made the truth more poignant. That even knowing did not, would not, resurrect what they had lost, nor make things right as though it never had gone wrong. What they had pieced together so far was hard enough to come to terms with. Whereas Trev claimed to know yet more about the matter, and about their loathsome foe, than his friend could ever not wish to hear about.

Brown eyes had been focused determinedly upon the cracked grooves of the table top, allowing for Trev to take news of the dagger, their enemy’s conspiracy, on board, without interruption. But Nal’s eyes flew up, almost indignantly, in the moment that other fell name was entered into their conversation. Pharak. The Ranger sat abruptly upright in his seat, as though a fallen rock had crashed down in between the two young men. It kind of had. And that, right there, was the reason why Trev had probably not shared his inside information until now. Had never written, nor come home to tell what he had seen .. Because there was never going to be a good time to hear .. this. And just like that, the subject which ought to have brought the two estranged young men closer together in some mutual understanding, had instead rendered them far apart on vastly separate sides of a very unwelcome truth.


“Oh,” Unalmis managed, not especially convincing in his disinterest, nor to keep the panic out of his voice. Even when the knee-jerk reaction was followed by a quieter .. “So .. Oh.” Fear and fury battled unseen for mastery of the Ranger’s tongue, and neither won out. It took both hands to raise up the steaming tide of coffee and care not even if it were cooled enough yet. All that mattered was the chance to urgently douse the words Nal did not wish to emit. The taste of distraction was strong. The scent was grounding. And even though his coffee was still too hot to enjoy, as soon as ever he could stand to raise the burning brew once again to his mouth, he did so. Sip after small sip he drank, as though each one would take no time at all to swallow. And yet, what would come after he was done, he was still not ready for yet. At one point he raised his index finger, to signify that he was almost there. And then .. drank some more. Until all too soon the drink was utterly dried out, and the cup clattered a little upon being set back upon the table. One hand carried the motion idly, to teeter the cup a little longer, unwilling to release the diversion. And so it rocked, in a recurrent, orbit of awkwardness around it's base rim; conjuring a low monotony of percussion, like a heavy wooden cradle travelling nowhere across ancient floorboards.

“Do you think that ‘Rip’ might have fled there, now I mean ?” Nal mused, testing his ability to carry on, albeit with a troubled frown to face his friend. “Would your .. Captain .. take him to hide out in Umbar ? Since he is all .. ” The thought petered away, the best of intentions failed. For, try as he might, the news even of ‘Rip’ frequenting Enemy territory, making allies of their other foes .. was taking a backseat to the fact of Trev being sent on business into that very same cesspit ! Delivering information to that same Enemy, receiving orders to bring back with him .. Just being there. 'Many times' ! There along with ‘Rip and Dev and .. Pharak. All of them .. and Trev. ‘Many times’ .. Nal’s brow creased over abounding confusion he dared not confess. He had hoped that he would hear more about what his friend's life had been like, the last five years. To replace what his overactive imagination invariably supposed about all that, with a far more reasonable and acceptable truth. It was looking more and more like that proverbial ship had sailed however. Because, even last Autumn … No. No to the returning to last Autumn. He jammed his foot defiantly against the edging open of that nagging memory. Now more than ever.


“You don’t have to ..,” Unalmis rushed extremely close to begging his friend to go no further, to not describe the scene, the Temple even, maybe .., which neither of them clearly wished to recall. “I honestly don’t know why anyone would ever go there. More than once,” he admitted eventually. A shuddering sigh left the young man as he sat up and tapped one index finger like some caffeinated morse code, on the table top. Until he realised and stopped, with a small exhalation.

As he watched the nervous musician then clear his throat, and glance away, Nal sifted stubbornly through his friend’s confession and plucked out the hope from all what had been planted in that no-mans-land between them. “You’re going to tell the Lieutenant that ? About .. that ?” he asked eventually. It had been a surprising head’s up, alright. And Unalmis might later be grateful for the chance to prepare, though he was not in any place to thank Trev quite now. He was beginning to understand why his friend had been nervous about the conversation with Lieutenant Dealedwen. But he was less clear now on why or how his friend was any less nervous now .. when Nal was assuredly more concerned than he had even expected he could be.


“That coffee was good,” the young Ranger shrugged. “I’d offer you some, but .. well I might have to look for a refill first. Thirst .. How about you ? Do you have everything you need there ?” Rising to his feet, the absence of substantial luggage that his friend had brought with him, the not even making any plan of where to spend the night, all of it was leading to assumptions which Unalmis would not rather jump to. Because if they were going to do this, they were going to properly do this. No running out. No half measures. They'd face it together. The world seemed most able to hurt them, when they were not together. They had stopped and started up this ride so many times now, he knew he could not go through it again. It was now or never.

“You don’t leave, Trev,” Nal decided suddenly, turning back around to face the table, and Trev, even as he concentrated .. far more than anyone could need to .. on pushing his chair back exactly into it's place. “I don’t know why we weren’t enough for you to stay for, the last time, or before that. And now .. even with all of the .. and Macardil ?! I, I don’t care. You’re home now. You’re safe. I’m going to go and fetch another drink. And you’re going to still be here when I get back. From over there. Just there ..” He pointed, made to go and a whole second lasted before he glanced back around again and narrowed his brown eyes at the other. “Have you eaten today ?” he asked, raising one eyebrow with a feint try at a worried grin.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Reuniting!

Observing Nal's reaction to the Umbarian responsible for.. so much awfulness, Trev felt a pang of guilt for speaking that name out loud at all. He had, of course, become used to hearing such names, and saying them, without giving much thought to it. But now, he nearly cringed at his carelessness, for not thinking about how else he might have worded that sentence so not to include a name which might bring back terrible memories for his friend. His first, instinctive reaction was to immediately apologize, to say 'sorry', but somehow he couldn't quite make the word come out, fearing it would make things even more awkward. What was going on in Nal's head, now? The nervousness returned, and he wished he hadn't said anything. Rapidly, in his mind's eye, one or two scenarios flashed before him. What if Nal said he'd rather Trev hadn't returned? What if he decided he was just another pirate now, and no longer the friend that he'd grown up with?

Dreading some angry, unfavorable reaction from Nal, Trev could practically feel his stomach flip and sink to his boots. And then he was held in suspense for what felt like an eternity, while Nal decided to drink down every last bit of his coffee. He could almost feel the tension, the awkwardness, stretching out between them. He felt almost like he could cut it with his dagger, and it felt like it was closing around his heart, tightening a little with each passing moment. Nal was going to reject him, he felt sure of it. After everything... but why should he get to judge Trev, and not even knowing the whole story?! Trev struggled to remind himself that Nal had not actually said anything... yet. He drew in a deep breath, slowly, trying to keep from getting defensive until Nal spoke the words that he feared were about to come.

But when he did, finally, speak, the words were not what Trev dreaded. It took him by surprise, then, to hear Nal ask whether he thought Rip would've taken off to Umbar to hide out. He blinked, letting out that breath slowly as he processed and considered that question. "Maybe..." He answered with a slow, thoughtful nod, and tried to ignore the 'your captain' comment. 'Not anymore!' he thought with stifled annoyance. But Nal... he hadn't really been told anything, had he? Trev frowned slightly as he considered that. Then glanced at his friend when the latter said that about 'I don't know why anyone would go there.. more than once.' Indeed, he definitely didn't want to go there the first time! Much less the next...

Slightly distracted, Trev gave a tiny nod when asked if he was going to tell the lieutenant what he'd just told Nal. That, and a few other things, but he didn't want to dump all of it on Nal at once. And suddenly, Nal was rambling about the coffee and pushing in his chair, asking if he had all he needed. "Oh, uh, yeah." he glanced at his glass, still containing lemonade. "It's my second glass, so.. I'm good, yeah." he answered, slightly confused by the sudden change of topic. And just as abruptly as he'd gotten up from the table, Nal was leaving the table. For a second, Trev misunderstood... a bit confused, he thought that Nal was leaving entirely. A little startled by that, he instinctively started to jump up, thinking to ask him to wait, to come back... but before he even made more than a half-rise out of his chair, the other had turned back and ordered him not to leave. Trev stared back at him in slight confusion, before that began to clear up as he realized he was not in danger of having Nal walk out on him. He relaxed slightly, and nodded. A tiny, faint smile flitted across his face as Nal went on talking, but it vanished a moment later when he heard something that troubled him.

'I don’t know why we weren’t enough for you to stay for..'

Suddenly it began to dawn on him that Nal didn't seem to understand at all. He just didn't get it. Trev didn't quite understand how he could not get it, until he began to think about it a bit more. About what he had expected Nal to understand. But... maybe it would help Nal to understand if he knew a little more. As much as Trev hated to talk about the stuff that he'd endured the last five years, he realized that he couldn't really, properly, expect Nal to really get it, unless he knew about it. And he didn't. Because Trev had not told him or anyone, except... well, he'd told Lt. Dealedwen some of it, just a little while ago, with Macardil there listening, but even that... he'd only told them about the stuff that he'd done to try and fight against the pirates. There was so much more...

Feeling a little stunned by this revelation, that his friend didn't actually know hardly anything, and that he had no way of understanding... Trev was caught off guard when Nal returned to ask him if he'd eaten. "Huh?" He blinked. "Oh.. um, yeah, we had a light breakfast before leaving Harlond.." He answered dismissively. "I'm not real hungry, honestly." he had felt too nervous to eat much of that light breakfast, and had been feeling nervous, anxious, fearful, hopeful, and a mix of many other emotions ever since. He wasn't sure he could manage to eat much, but then again, it had been hours ago and he probably should have something. He let out a little sigh, and took a small sip of lemonade. And now there was another one added into the mix; trepidation.. because he made up his mind he would have to tell Nal about things... things he didn't like talking about, things he wasn't sure how Nal would take them, and he wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go, but it had to happen if there was to be any hope for Nal to understand and, maybe, maybe that would finally erase all his friend's confusion and..whatever else he was feeling. Hurt? Hostility? He wasn't sure what Nal was feeling, to be honest. He just wanted to try and fix his mistakes, and this was probably the only way to do that. So he began trying to think of how to begin.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Awkwardly Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Unalmis returned with no less than four tall glasses of water, which he spread out on the table between them without explanation. The young man then sat down, lowered himself carefully back onto his seat, as Alf shook his head, wiped a rag along his counter, and told himself it was none of his business.

“Figured if I kept that up, I’ve have no tongue left to ask questions,” Nal admitted, shaking the hair back out of his face and taking just one sip, rather pointedly before sitting back uncomfortably against the chair. The water did not burn and he let it do it's work. In fact, if he did end up drinking all of that, then a bathroom break could provide another brief intermission. Else, hadn't Trev said that the girls might show up any minute ? In any case, his friend hadn’t left, he noted, with relief. Though felt rather foolish to have even blurted out his feelings about that at all. Maybe though he'd spoke up just in time ? In any case, he indicated with one hand for Trev to pick up where he’d left off, which was sure to keep the other young man where he was at for a time. But, even before the musician had chance to break words, the Ranger frowned and leaned forward again. As though he could not even wait to gain some reassurance, after .. what had just been revealed.


“So your ..” he began, before recalling how Trev had protested over Dev even being referred to, by Arnyn, as his father. “You’re saying,” Nal corrected himself carefully, “that ‘Captain Arse’ is not just a smuggler. He actually works with corsairs out of Umbar ?” The shock and disbelief might have counted that as a question, until “that makes sort of sense,” was concluded. “The nautical and the naughty and all of that. I mean, I knew he .. ”

A sense of warning stalled that conclusion, that opinion, from forming in full. "'Rip' as well, though ?" he astounded, dropping his eyes to flounder every which way but to face the other who had been .. there. Because he'd almost said 'You' .. instead of 'Rip'. Because .. Trev. Trev had been there too. The phrase ‘but that can’t be’ wanted to leap out of his throat right away. It sounded childish to even cling to the notion, but these were Gondorians they were talking about. Not Umbarians. Not minions. Not Orcs or .. anything like that. How could they be in league with the Enemy ?

Unalmis had never really had much of a good opinion of either the smuggler or the corrupt city guard. But he hadn’t imagined they would turn out to be traitors to the entire nation and all that it stood for ! The recognition struck before he had a chance to foolishly spout any of this thinking aloud. Because, well, Corsairs had been Gondorian once. Umbar was comprised of the discontented, searching for a scapegoat. Turning on their own .. With a sigh, Nal battened down against the storm which was still thundering about the horizon.


“I was under the impression,” the Ranger confessed, warily, and reached instinctively for a drink before changing his mind and clinging instead to the table top by all of his nails. “That ‘Rip’ was behind all of it. Setting up Arkadhur over the Ryn thing. Giving him the dagger and then sending him on purpose after the girls. Knowing .. but," his brow creased as confusion settled there. "Of course. I don’t expect he was planning on that plan getting scuppered," came the belated acknowledgement. "And that’s down to you, isn't it ?”

If there was gratitude, it was caught up in convoluted reams of guilt. “I’m glad you’re home Trev. It’s just a lot to .. it’s complicated. You know that. But you’re here, and they’re not. So that’s all good. That’s definitely good. That other thing though .. ” Nal's head shook, as though he had just talked himself out of proceeding where this might take them.


Pharak. It was silly that he could not speak the name now. For it was not like he had not, or had never dared to. Unalmis had heard it, said it, joked about it even, much to his father’s unease. But that was only since he’d finally assigned the Blood Priest to a heavily locked box, ironic, in his thoughts; a box marked ‘long ago’ and ‘far away’ and most certainly ‘never ever again’. To have that trove of memories now broken open, and all the pieces hurled about for him to see .. that the reality of what had happened, almost happened .. well, certainly enough had happened .. and it could not be denied .. Now in a conversation of things happening in the present, in the here and now ? The realms of possibly running afoul of ‘that guy’ again … that was the part which he was struggling with.

“I’d figured, or hoped really, that Pharak had shrivelled up into a clump of dust and blown away. When Sauron lost the war, I mean. That’s all.” Nal frowned. All, he’d said. ‘All’ was a lot, when you really stood to think about it. ‘All’ in fact was everything … “Having you talk about him, .. it’s like I’ve been over here, merrily dancing on his grave, Trev. And you’re suddenly pointing out that he’s dug his bony arse out of the earth and is stood behind me, very much not dead. Does that make sense ? I mean, he was supposed to be over, finished. And apparently .. well you're saying that he’s not.”


It was the worst case scenario he had fretted over the previous autumn. And his friend had pretty much told him at that time, that he was stupid to have ever even suspected so, back then. Now here Trev was, saying .. what he had said. “Do you get it at all, Trev ?” he glanced up, flexed his fingers and then laid them flat upon the table. As though he was running them under cold water which would soothe him. A few deep breaths escaped him before Unalmis could make himself ask “How long have you known ?”

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Nervously reuniting

When Nal finally returned to the table, Trev relaxed slightly. Very slightly. Because, now that he was back, of course that meant now they would have to get back to the unpleasant discussion. Honestly, he was sure that they would both rather talk about..well, anything else. But this was necessary. He took a deep breath, and prepared to start talking, or at least try to figure out where to begin. But Nal beat him to it. Trev hesitated, trying not to tense up as the words nearly spilled out of his friend's mouth. His father. Yes, technically, but Trev didn't want any further reminders of the fact than necessary. The alternative name that came instead, well, he had to fight a smile. Yeah, that was a much more suitable name for the guy. A tiny smile flitted over his face before he regained a straight face again. And then nodded a small, but clear confirmation. It was a delicate subject, talking about corsairs and Umbarians and Halsads.

Despite his reluctance to talk about all of this stuff, Trev was also a little anxious to explain things to Nal. To..clear up any confusion his friend must have. To try and make him understand. But Nal wasn't done talking, and Trev couldn't seem to bring himself to speak up if it meant interrupting. Perhaps it would help if he could hear what sort of things were going through Nal's mind, and what he was struggling to make sense of. If he could perhaps put his mind at ease about some of those things, then it might help matters all around. Right?

"That other thing though..."

Yes, that other thing. Trev sensed that the time was drawing near when he would need to do the talking instead of Nal. And he desperately hoped that Nal would be willing to listen, to hear what he had to say, and to..accept it. His gaze dropped down to the flute in his lap as Nal spoke about his feelings concerning Pharak. Trev nodded slightly. "Yeah. I get it," He assured Nal, sighing slightly. He took a deep breath, sitting back and hesitated before turning to look at Nal. "Known? About...him? Or..Rip?" He furrowed his brow trying to make sense of the question, and unsure how to answer. "Look, Nal.." He hesitated further. "I need to.. tell you... some things. I need you to understand..." He said quietly, feeling the knot tightening up in his stomach.

And with that said, Trevadir had to proceed, because he couldn't exactly say that he was going to explain things, and then not do it. But he had to take a couple of breaths, then a sip of his lemonade, before he could speak up. "It's..hard to talk about this..." He began. "But, I really hated being there, you know. Every day I was with them, I hated it, Nal. I wanted to come home." He stopped, fighting past a lump in his throat, and took a moment before continuing. "I wanted to, so badly. Ever since like.. a week after I left, I wanted to come back. Since.. the day I realized what he was really like." He frowned and glanced at Nal. “I’m sorry you thought... you know, that you weren’t enough for me to stay. It wasn’t that, I swear.” He looked at Nal imploringly, hoping he would understand this.

"I didn't know, when I went with him.. you know.. the sort of stuff he was involved with. I thought.. well, it would just be like, sailing around, going to far away places, having adventures, doing exciting stuff... I never imagined...you know.." He sighed. "When I realized the sort of stuff they actually did... that they were truly just criminals... I did my best to work against them, as much as I could. You know, sabotaging the ship, trying to stop their raids and warn the people that would've become their victims.. even though the crew and Dev.. weren’t too happy with me for it.” He shrugged and looked down. “I’ve just spent... quite a long time, telling the lieutenant all about the stuff I did to work against those pirates. I'd rather not have to repeat all of what I just told her. Not right now, anyway. Maybe later, when we're all together... if you and the girls want to hear about it..." He didn’t have to keep repeating the same stuff over and over, after all, and he wasn't sure if Nal, or the girls, would even want to hear. But the offer was there. “And, soon I’ll have to tell her all about the sort of crimes that Dev and his crew did.. and I intend to tell her about Rip, too. So.. I need to tell you some of this, before then.” He glanced at Nal. "But, first, I.. I guess you deserve some explanation for.. you know, why I went with him, back then... which, I thought you would've already known, but... I now realize..maybe I just assumed..." He shifted a little uncomfortably, and cleared his throat.

“All those years, growing up, you remember how desperately I wanted my father to come home? To.. you know, be there for me.. to just.. be around, and do..stuff together. Like other fathers did.. you know. You and I..we know that better than anyone, right?” His gaze dropped downward again. At least Nal's father had been physically there, even if he'd just been a drunken lump on the couch. But they'd always had that one thing in common, that they were both raised by their grandmothers, because for various reasons, neither had a mother and neither had a father who was properly involved in their life. It had, in some ways, made Trev and Nal share a special sort of bond that they didn't have with their other friends, no matter how close they had been with Ryn or Cali or Iole. He blinked to keep tears at bay, unwilling to let that be witnessed. He was glad that Nal was seated on the other side, where he would more easily see the bruised eye than the other. “Then... well, Ryn was off, being a ranger, and you..." He frowned. "You took off on that..adventure to find your uncle. And... you.. didn't even invite me." He mentioned, quietly, almost afraid to actually say that out loud. "I mean, yeah, looking back, it's probably good that you didn't. But then... well, it sorta... hurt. And I guess.. I felt left out, when I heard you'd gone off on this quest to find your long-lost uncle. I mean, Ryn was off being this..brave ranger defending our country from invadors, and then you went off on some grand adventure, being a hero and all... while I was stuck trying to come up with a two page report about some dead old steward from a hundred years ago that no one remembers, and diagramming sentences, and... and.." He let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he struggled to make himself go on.

"And then... you know... everything just... turned upside down, with.. Ryn, and the girls were... and I..." He gulped down the last of his lemonade, absently rubbing his sleeve over the wet ring left on the table, "And then they brought you back, injured.. and I thought.. I was afraid you might.." He stopped, finding it hard to put into words, and decided to just stop. It was probably clear enough what he meant, right? "And then, later.. seeing you.. and your dad..” He trailed off as emotions swelled up again, and decided not to venture too far down that trail either. For both of their sakes. He cleared his throat again, changing tactics yet again. “Anyway. When I found my dad at last, I thought that... that I’d finally have a chance to get.. what I’d always wanted. What you..had, or.. were working on having. And.. maybe some part of me thought it'd be great to have some adventures of my own, I guess. I didn’t want to leave you, or the others. Nal, I just wanted to get to know my father.” He sighed, hoping... surely, Nal could get that, right?

“Of course,” He swallowed hard, took a moment to fight through the thick emotions. “Now that I do know him," His jaw clenched, as he frowned. "I wish I’d never laid eyes on him.” With that, Trev kept his head down, taking slow, deep breaths as he tried to regain control of his emotions. He knew he hadn't managed to explain very much, but.. he'd kept so much of this inside for years.. maybe it was time to get it off his chest. And hopefully, maybe, help Nal to understand.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Awkwardly Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

For a moment he’d seen something of amusement in his friend’s face. But it faded all too fast and with good cause, given the not so great subject matter. Unalmis set his brow into one hand, propping his despair up from the elbow on the table top, when Trevadir asked for clarification. Had he been asking his friend about the Sauronic zealot, or about the murderous traitor ? Warm brown eyes closed, tight. It was tempting to linger behind that meagre line of defence, because the truth was only getting started. If the Ranger had kept his old friend from properly taking his turn until now, he was still not sure he was ready. But it was too late to now throw out any sudden vocal admirations on the wooden beams that held up the inn’s ceiling. It was too late, for too many things.

“You’ve said this part already ..” Nal muttered, mostly to himself, as Trev commenced with another hearty round of how much he had hated it with his father, and how much he had wanted to come home. But it had not all been said, as soon became apparent. There was a terrible lot more.

It was easier, admittedly, having Trev sitting just along side him at the table. As though they were at least both facing the same situation, rather than facing one another, head on, with a chasm of confusion between them. It was easy to understand how what had happened, had in fact happened, in the first place though. Unalmis had been there, after all. He had known ‘that’ Trev; the Trev who had shared secrets in their very precariously perched treehouse. The Trev who had been so excited every time that Devedir showed up, and who had tried so hard not to show his heart break each time the ‘sailor’ went back to his ship. Until the day that Captain Arse had stopped even coming back.


Nal swallowed, when he heard how Trev had learned about him also ‘going off’, just like Ryn had left them both behind, just like the stupid Captain had left his son behind. Nal knew exactly how that must have felt. It was the exact thing which was stoking his own quiet unease. Forget that he had not known, himself, that he would not be home by tea time back on that fateful day. It was harder to justify how keenly he had been counting down the days until his birthday, back then, so that he too could enlist, with Ryn. He had taken Trevadir for granted, he realised, yet how could he not have ? For his friend had been there, always. Through everything. Just next door. It was like the room next door, rather than the house next door; their young lives had been so utterly intertwined. Trev had always been one of the very few things that Unalmis could count on. Could rely on. Just to be there. It sounded like so very small a thing, but it was everything. Until of course, Trevadir too had left. The very same year as Ryn ..


“So you ran away for a life of piracy on the high seas. Rather than face some boring homework ?” Unalmis put in, with an overly obvious eyeroll, and then mouthed “Joking,” as though there should have been any doubt. The subject was getting far too close to points of no return. And he was not at all keen on what he might say if he really stopped to listen to what his friend was saying. Trev had kept on saying ‘you know’, all throughout his tale, and Nal wondered when his friend would actually get to explaining the part he did NOT know, the bit he did not ‘get’. The matter which was the real matter, really.

“I mean you would not be the first or the only one of us stupid enough to go off with someone it would have been better not to.” he shrugged. And coiled his ankle around the chair leg, as though bracing for some impact. It was coming. He could feel it coming. As though it might help, although he could not have said how, Unalmis sat up and inched one of the glasses of water, toward his friend, who had finished his lemonade. A peace offering ? An anchor ?


“Thing is though, Trev,” he began, almost casual. Keeping it as casual as he could manage. “That was five years ago,” he allowed that a moment to breath before he sought to hammer the point home. “You have been away with him for five years. Five. And Iole saw you in Pelargir since then. You docked in Harlond just last year. You were dancing and playing your flute in the Pelennor not a month ago !” His voice was rising. Nal dropped both hands into his lap and closed his eyes so that he would not have to see the look on his friend’s face. When he said it. Because at this point, there was no longer a way that he could not say it.


“He’s your father,” Nal opened his eyes, caught his fingers about the edge of the table once again, and tried not to go on, since he had already just smashed through his friend’s comfort zone. But the door had been opened and the metaphorical horse had already up and bolted. “So sure, you were curious. You went and got that curiosity good and satisfied. And now you know why you're better off without him. But none of that makes the smallest bit of difference.” Nal cupped the closest glass of water in both hands and began to tip it wildly from side to side, and wonder how long he could go on, without spilling it all across the table. Refusing to glance to the side of him. As though he were having his disagreement with the wall he was facing.

“Because you didn’t just ‘go to get to know him’.” He released the glass, and slumped back in his seat. “You stayed on with him all this time. Which means you chose him. Over all of the people who actually give a damn about you, all these years. Even knowing what he does. Knowing who he … You even went .. ‘there’ ! And now you want to sit here and have me feel sorry for you, because you say you didn’t enjoy it ! Maybe it was just too exciting to be a saboteur behind enemy lines ? More exciting than just coming home, right ? You wanted your turn to be the ‘hero’ ? It was our turn to worry about you ? I mean, why else did you not just leave him ?”



Ercassie edit: Found a typo that bugged me. Corrected.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Nervously reuniting

Trevadir fell silent as Nal spoke up at last, to give voice to what was going through his head. And he flinched slightly at the words that came at him. Even if it was 'just a joke'. Trev felt that some part of it wasn't entirely a joke, in fact, and if he was totally honest with himself, he couldn't really blame Nal for having that thought. And the next things out of his friend's mouth furthered the instinctive cringe feeling. 'Are you going to let me finish, or should I just assume there's no point?' The sarcastic retort wanted to flare up and burst out of him. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he firmly held the words at bay, lest they stir up another argument, and the progress they had made would be irreparably damaged. Taking a deep breath, Trev then sighed and rested his forehead in the palm of one hand, the elbow perched on the table, absently rubbing his forehead while Nal continued his spiel about Trev staying with his father, and 'going back to him'. Taking a few deep breaths, Trev fought hard to refrain from snapping a retort back at Nal, while his other hand closed tight around his flute. It was a way to keep himself grounded and remember to keep his temper in check. 'He doesn't know,' he reminded himself. So he must try to explain, even if he kept feeling as if the effort would be useless. It seemed like the more he spoke, and tried to explain, the worse things got, and the less Nal believed him.

"You don't get it," He muttered, holding back a sigh. "I know you don't.." He sat back in his seat, slowly exhaling. "I'm not.. trying to make you feel sorry for me, Nal, I'm..trying to make you understand." He paused for a moment, to let it sink in, or maybe, to think of what to say. "I wanted to leave," He repeated, quietly, sighing, and turned his gaze up to the ceiling for a moment, determinedly fighting against the feeling of despair that threatened to swell up within him. Seriously... why wasn't it getting across to Nal? Why didn't Nal get it? Trev frowned, trying to think how to make it clear enough to make Nal understand. And, again, reminded himself that Nal didn't know hardly anything about this. About what had actually kept Trev from coming home. Trev paused for a moment and took a drink of the water that Nal had pushed toward him, gathering his thoughts. “I asked to go home, so many times." He told Nal, staring at the water in the glass. "The first time I asked.. it was like a week after I left with him... you know what he told me?” He huffed, frowning. He risked a brief glance toward Nal, trying to look him in the eye at this point, hoping Nal would see the truth of his words. “He told me I couldn’t leave.. that I couldn't go back home. Ever.”

He paused, trying to let the weight of those words settle in. Because.. well, that had been a stunning revelation for him to hear, and he was unsure how his friend would receive this... wondering if he would even believe it. After a moment, he continued, “He wouldn't let me go, Nal. And he did all he could to make sure I wouldn't try to run away." He frowned, trying to think how he could make Nal understand. "He said.. that I was one of them now, and the guards would only see me as one of them, and..all this stuff about how like, because I had been seen with them, if I tried to go home, that I was on their list of wanted criminals now, and I’d be arrested on sight, that the guards wouldn’t care if I hadn’t done anything wrong... they wouldn't believe anything I tried to tell them.. and.. that they’d execute me.. in front of everyone I love, and.... and... well, all this other terrible stuff...” He paused. "I mean, I know, just saying it, now, it doesn't sound even half as bad as when he said it, but.." He shrugged and looked down again, sighing. “I really believed him, Nal. He was so convincing, and.. he kept telling me this stuff, over and over, for years..." He drew in a breath and let it out shakily. “I wanted to come home, more than anything. I was just... so scared.” His voice dropped to nearly a whisper and fidgeted, finding it uncomfortable to admit having been afraid. But he wanted Nal to hear the truth, so maybe there was a chance he might understand. "I just.. couldn’t stand the thought of.." he hesitated, and forced himself to continue, "you, and the girls, and Grandma and Toby... having to witness.. that..”

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and sighed. He took a few shaky breaths, before going on. “And then, after the king had returned? I heard all this..awful stuff about him, I mean... I know the source of this information was.. not the best source. But... well it's hard to properly explain it. Cause you weren't there. You don't... I mean, it's.. hard to put into words... but I honestly thought that there was no possible chance I could come back, without.. you know.. awful things happening." He drew in a shaky breath. "I was so terrified, I just... the thought of going anywhere near guards was just...and.. and then you told me about Rip being a guard...? A lieutenant, no less!? So... you know...” He made a sort of helpless motion in the air, with his free hand. "So, I knew then that.. even if everything else that Dev and the others had said was a lie... I knew he'd be sure to make trouble for me if I ever dared to come back... and, well.. that scared me even more." He sighed, frustrated. "So, it wasn't until I met Macardil, and he told me what the King had done for him, and he.. assured me that all the stuff I'd heard was ridiculous lies...and... then he even offered to check if I really was wanted by the guards, and when he said I wasn't..." He trailed off and shrugged slightly. "Does.. that make sense? Can.. can you understand?" He asked with an anxious glance toward Nal, hopeful, yet worried.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Awkwardly Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

None of the supposings which Unalmis had thrown at his friend were the sorts of things he could easily or want to imagine Trev to be capable of. And he did not expect they were pleasant to be accused of either, even if any of them did turn out to be true. But so far their conversation had revealed that quite a few unpleasant things that he had never thought could be possible, were in fact. So if Trev wanted to yell back why his friend was wrong with any, or better still, all of the options, then good ! The Ranger wanted to be wrong about any and all of them. The fact that Nal could not think of any better reason why his friend had just never bothered coming home .. was worrying him on just how bad the explanation was actually going to be. Something worse than what he was already imagining ? It took a moment, or a few, to realise that he would never learn that true reason if he didn’t stop suggesting possible scenarios himself.

As it turned out, Trevadir’s truth did not improve the situation. And if he knew his friend like he thought he once had anyway, then this was only the tip of the iceburg. Still, there came only hesitation. A testing of the waters ?


“Well, see, now I didn’t know about any of that,” Nal allowed eventually, as the confusion began to unravel into facts. The tale had shifted so quickly from ‘he told me that I couldn’t leave’, to ‘wouldn’t let me go’, and finally, ‘did all he could to make sure that I wouldn’t try to run away’. But that was still no explanation at all. Trev had handed him a book and pointed out the title, but so far all the pages were unwritten. “And I still don’t really,” he admitted.

“I mean, clearly it’s not your fault that you believed him,” the young man let his friend know however, when that friend seemed to have paused, no doubt to find the strength to continue. “I can understand why you might be worried about ‘Rip’ in particular. Knowing what you knew ..”


He stalled there. Shoving that strain of thought into a brick wall. Because if ever there had been reason to tell somebody what he’d inadvertently walked into, then what Trevadir had finally managed to confess, was exactly that. Underneath the table, the young Ranger’s foot began to stir nervously against the leg of his chair. The rest of him, what might be seen, was statue still, as though he waited on some precipice to be pushed over the edge. But he had said, had he not, less than an hour ago ? That if Trevadir could stand to tell it, then the least that Nal could manage was to hear it. He had been relieved that the Lieutenant had not called that bluff immediately, and now more so than ever, when he had an inkling of what it would in fact involve. But it turned out that he would be forced to hold to his word sooner rather than later, all the same. And as much as he wished he’d never committed to sitting through this, he could not make himself get up and walk away. Because it was Trevadir.


“When did you stop believing in us though ?” Unalmis sat up in his seat, clinging to the nearest glass of water as though it could help somehow. He couldn’t believe that he had to say this aloud. “I mean, what could ever make you think that we would let anybody try to execute you, Trev? Not a single one of your friends is smart enough to let it happen just because, and especially because, some ‘Guard’ says you deserve it.” He shook his head with a sigh that was only half sorry, and gave no doubt as to which particular guard’s say so, they would certainly ignore, and had done. “We would have stormed the stupid scaffold first. We would have dressed you as an old woman and kept you safely hidden in the treehouse until they forgot about it. I don’t know .. we would have done something. We would have tried at least. If you had told us .. what was really going on.”

“But you didn’t,” he swallowed uncomfortably and stared hard at the wall again. He was going to have to do it wasn’t he ? The best way to get a truth out of Trevadir was to get him angry. He did have that temper .. And if he wanted to say a thing, but couldn’t .. wouldn’t .. then he clearly needed a little help. Fortunately, Trevadir happened to have a friend who rather excelled in making people annoyed. He was just usually stood beside Nal, laughing along at their mutual antagonist. Right now though ?


“So you’re going to have to do better than that, if you want people to understand," Nal plunged in before he could think better of it. ""Because Iole, for a one, bumped into you, years ago Trev. And you stood up for her, against all the people who you’re now saying you were too afraid to stand up to. The same people that you say you have sabotaged and defied without apparent consequence for the last five years. Your friend was right there, and she was so grateful and so thankful to have found you again. Until you let her walk away without you. You let her believe that you would rather stay with them. After what they almost .. ” The thought, the memory, of his all-but-sister, how upset she’d been ? It was spurring on the suggestion. The young man’s brow creased as his hand raised up the drink he did not bring to his lips. It hovered an inch or so above the table in his grasp as thoughts usurped even unconscious actions. Finally he lowered it back to the table top.

“If you are waiting for me to storm off, or give up on you, then you’re going to be disappointed," the Ranger put in, determinedly. "I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to sit here and you’re going to have to tell me. Because you ‘need’ to, isn’t that what you said ? So come on then. Make me understand, Trev.”

This time Unalmis did drink. If only to indicate that he had emptied all options which were safe to venture into speech for now. He’d maybe pushed a little too far. But they’d tumbled onto the wrong side of too far, before now. They both needed to know they could come back from it.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Tentatively Reuniting

The knot in his stomach eased up slightly upon hearing Nal's reply. That he didn't know.. that he could understand, especially with the whole Rip thing. That was.. progress, right? If there was some way he could repair this friendship, he wanted to try. Even if that want was one sided, he would try as hard as he knew how. Because of their former closeness. Because of the girls. Because of Ryn. There was a somewhat uneasy pause there, during which Trev was debating if he should say something, or wait to see if Nal had more to say there.

Unalmis' next words, however, stunned him slightly. He blinked, his mouth dropping open slightly at the question his friend had the nerve to ask him. "When did I..?" He began, astonished that he would try to blame this all on Trev. He turned in his chair slightly, so as to face Nal more fully, and stared with a frown as his friend spoke about how they would've tried to save him and wouldn't have let the guards do anything. Which, of course, would have been down to Nal alone, since the girls were off living elsewhere at the time. "Really?" His tone was incredulous as he inwardly fought to keep a grip on his temper, though he could feel it rising. A memory flashed through his mind, dredging up intense feelings of hurt and anger he had tried to bury down deep.


"I miss my friends." Trevadir mumbled, sulking against the railing at the back of the ship. The skyline of Harlond gradually grew more distant as they sailed away from it. Beyond it, the faint glimmer of tallest point of the white city could be seen, and his heart ached to return home and be with his friends again.
"Your friends," Dev commented, sighing as he stepped up next to his son. "Trev... I'm not sure I would call them that."
Trev turned toward him, slightly caught off guard, as he hadn't realized his father had come up behind him. "Why? They are my friends." He frowned.
Dev gave him a long look, then shrugged and started to turn away. "If you say so."
"They are." Trev's frown deepened, confused. "Why would you say they aren't?"
Dev hesitated, then sighed again. "I.. didn't want to tell you about this, but.. maybe it would be better if you did know." He relented after a moment.
"Tell me what?"
"That..friend of yours, the one you tried so hard to get to come with you? With the hair down to his shoulders, what's his name?"
"Nal?" Trev felt anxiety clutching at his stomach. "What about him? What's happened?"
"Nothing. I just.. I ran into him on the docks, earlier." Dev shrugged.
Trev straightened up, surprised by this. "Nal? He was there?" He asked, hope flaring up, along with disappointment that he had missed a chance to see his friend and talk with him.
"Yes.." Dev answered, as if unsure how to proceed.
"What'd he say?" Trev glanced anxiously back toward the ever-more-distant shore, regretful that he had missed out on this chance. "Why didn't you come get me?"
"Well," Dev hesitated. "I mentioned to him, how lonely you seemed, and suggested he might go over and talk with you. I..thought it might cheer you up. You were sitting on the edge of the dock, playing your flute, just a short ways off. I even pointed you out to him."
Trev stared in surprise. "Wait, how did I not know about this then?" He remembered being there, sitting on the dock, playing a tune. He'd been there the whole time Dev and the crew were doing stuff!
Dev went quiet for a moment before answering, as if with reluctance. "He said he didn't want to talk to you." He said quietly, at last. "He said.. that you aren't his friend anymore, and he doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. He said, he couldn't care less if you're happy or not.. that you made your choice, and now you have to live with it." Dev paused, and sighed. "Sorry, Trev. I just.. didn't want you to keep thinking so highly of your so-called friend, knowing.. what I knew."
Trev stared at him, stunned, and speechless. He was reeling. It couldn't be real. Dimly, he remembered how upset Nal had been when he chose to go with his father instead of staying with Nal. But.. would he really be that angry, still? His heart sank as all hopes of his friend trying to find him began to crumble. Still, a part of him tried to cling to some hope that it wasn't really right. Maybe Dev had misunderstood, maybe he'd heard him wrong, maybe... maybe he'd mistaken Nal for someone else... as much as he desperately tried to hold onto the believe that Nal did not mean what he was reported to have said, the seed was planted, and his hope began to wither away.


The ache of that crushing heartbreak from a few years prior, suddenly resurfaced. This was unbelievable, that Nal would have the nerve to sit there and say what he'd just said, after that! "Really?" He repeated, leaning forward slightly. "You gave up on me, Nal." he retorted, before he could stop the words from gushing out. "You're the one who wouldn't even come talk to me when you had a chance, didn't care whether I was miserable or not, didn't want anything to do with me." He paused to draw in a shaky breath, swiftly brushing away a tear that had brimmed up in his eye. "If you'd just taken half a minute to come talk to me that day on the docks, maybe I wouldn't have been stuck with them those last couple years. Maybe I could've found out sooner that I actually could come home. Maybe if you'd actually cared enough to.."

Trev abruptly stopped short from the rant he had launched into, noticing the expression on Nal's face. The 'I have no idea what you're talking about' sort of look. Trev's temper wanted to carry on with his rant, to get it out of his system, let Nal know just how deeply hurt he'd been by that. But the other, rational part, was trying to connect something that he felt was important. He just had to figuratively step back and see the bigger picture to figure out what it was. And suddenly, when he fought down the impulsive anger and considered a few things, it all clicked into place. "Oh..." He realized with a sick feeling in his stomach. "Y-you..never ran into him at the docks, did you? He.. made all that up..." Trev sat very still, feeling stunned as this revelation hit him. He knew the man lied and manipulated and deceived, but to realize he'd believed yet another of his lies... and to realize how gullible he'd been...

Shortly after the anger had vanished like smoke in the wind, shame and guilt came flooding in to replace it. To think that he had ever believed that lie... he had done exactly what Dev wanted. He had allowed Dev's lies to push a wedge between him and his closest friend, and now... what if they couldn't get past this? Turning back toward the table, he left his flute in his lap as he put his head in his hands, feeling so overwhelmed with everything that he wasn't sure was true or false. "I'm..so sorry, Nal." Regret, and shame, and frustration swelled up in his heart and mind, and made it so he found it hard to look at Nal for the moment. "I.. I didn't want to believe it," He said quietly, unable to look at Nal at the moment. "When he told me about running into you, and the things he said you said, I.. I tried to tell myself he heard you wrong, or maybe he mistook you for someone else, or... something." He swallowed. "Until...last autumn, I kept hoping..maybe it wasn't true. But then.." He trailed off, and sighed, before sitting back again in his chair.

One of the other things Nal had said, then registered. A tiny scoff huffed out. "You really think there weren't any consequences to the stuff I did?" He closed his eyes, taking a slow breath in, and let it out. "Just because I don't talk about how often the crew beat up on me, or locked up in the brig, or... whatever else they did, doesn't mean they didn't... punish me for my deeds, Nal." He spoke quietly, eventually opening his eyes as he reached to take a drink of water. "I honestly don't know why Dev wanted to keep me around, because I definitely caused him enough trouble, and annoyed him enough, that I'm surprised he didn't kill me himself a long time ago." He shrugged and set the glass back down, a little uncomfortable lingering in that topic.

A frown then settled onto his face as he considered the other thing Nal had said, about the incident in Pelargir. He felt his heart sink even more at the memory of that awful day. So, Iole had told the others about that. And, it seemed, Nal didn’t really understand that either, although, to be fair, how could he? "About Iole," he turned to look at his friend, slightly confused. "She was unconscious through most of that... she fainted, while I was still fighting the guy. I'm not even sure if she saw the result of the fight." He mentioned, wondering if Iole had told him about her fainting. "So, she couldn't know what really happened." As that realization dawned on him, he felt unease gnawing at him. "Dev.. stayed with her to make sure she got home safe..." He remembered, his words coming slowly as he began to wonder what that lying snake had told Iole. He paused, recalling the absurd lies Dev had told him upon his return, claiming that it came from Iole... things that he knew had to be a lie. That had been an eye-opening moment for Trev, in fact. Yeah... he should have realized that Dev might have told Iole a set of lies for herself, probably intending for her to take back home and share with everyone else Trev cared about. Which, apparently, she had done, he realized with a sinking feeling. "What did he tell her?" He frowned. "Because... if she'd seen what really happened..."

He felt like slamming a fist on the table in his frustration, realizing how much Dev had done to deceive and manipulate things to keep him away from his friends and family, to keep Trev stuck with him. And he couldn't even understand why, since the man had made it abundantly clear that he really didn't care about his son at all. Focusing his gaze down on his flute, Trev managed to channel the anger away somewhat. He took another deep breath, and sighed. Quietly bringing a hand up to touch his bruised eye, Trev thought back about how bruised and battered he had felt by the end of that other terrible day. He sighed, realizing this was yet another thing he would have to explain to Nal. Something he had, mistakenly, thought he would already know about.

“That day.. in Pelargir,” He spoke softly, a little haltingly as he struggled to push through the emotions. “That was... one of the worst days of my life.” He let out a sigh. “I was.. trying to get away from them. I.. I did get away. And I was coming home.” He stopped as his voice broke a little. “I burned all the bridges behind me, I thought, and..” He paused, carefully leaving out any of the touchy subjects, like that sword, and a certain name of a certain ranger. “I’d joined up with some rangers, and they were heading to Gondor to fight the enemy, and they'd defeated a whole fleet of corsairs already, and I was going to go with them, and... I thought everything was going to be great, for once.” He paused, giving a sad smile. "I was going to be steering one of the ships, Nal. Maybe I would've even got to fight in the battle and everything... maybe I would've come home this great hero or something. Who knows?" He shrugged, then sighed and shook his head. "Instead, Dev caught up to me and ruined it all. I got knocked out, and..." He trailed off, sighing. "I missed everything. But.." He shrugged. "Maybe.. that was for the best after all," He added softly. "Because, if I'd come here with them, there wouldn't have been anyone left there to save Iole."

He took another sip of water, trying to gather some sense of calm before proceeding. "After I fought Samroth, and I'd won her away from him, Dev told me I could leave if I wanted. That he wouldn't stop me or anything." He paused, glancing at his friend. "Only, when I went to pick her up and leave with her, then he stopped me, and explained that there was a catch. I could go... but she had to stay... in my place." He clenched his jaw, taking a moment to calm down, though the memory of that cruel joke on Dev's part... it was infuriating.

"So, really, there was no choice at all, Nal. Dev had to know I'd never condemn her to such a horrible fate. He was just toying with me." He sighed, and swallowed past the lump rising in his throat. "After.. he made me choose whether I would stay, or she would.. well, obviously, you know what I picked.. He ordered the others to take me aboard and lock me up, but I made him swear on my mother's memory, and his love for her, that he'd make sure that no one touched Iole, and that she'd stay safe. Later, he told me that he had explained the situation to her when she woke, but.. something tells me he told her a pack of lies, instead." He sighed and rested his forehead in his hand.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Awkwardly Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Unalmis fought the urge to take umbrage when the accusations took up. It was far better for his friend to release those pesky demons which had no doubt been chasing his thoughts all about for who knew how long. Then it would be the Ranger’s turn, to try and dismantle the other’s bewilderment, however distasteful the means. This was almost the least fun he’d ever had with a friend. Almost. Nal almost spilled his glass of water when he returned it back to the table though. And with his friend facing him suddenly full on, to find some answer, it was as difficult to meet that furious expression as it was to calmly pretend that it was not mere inches away from him, directing an opera of discontent.

But as sure as Trevadir seemed in his argument, the more confused Unalmis became. It clouded his entire brow as the musician called him out for not having talked with him, ‘that day on the docks’ .. Well, sure, he hadn’t exactly run after his friend, after Trev had stormed off, last year, but it had been very clear that nothing good would have been gained from furthering their ‘conversation’ on that occasion. And that was the only time he’d seen him, apart from Midsummer. So when he was blamed for this apparent slight causing Trev to suffer for ‘years’ afterward .. it was at that point he turned without having to think about it, and the amazement must have carried without even needing words to shape it.


His friend worked it out first. Before Nal could point out how extremely unlikely he was to have been hanging out willingly at the docks, of all places, Trevadir was already apologising. “Captain Arse ..” the Ranger cursed in agreement, with a slow and despairing shake of his head; wishing there was some much better word to properly do justice to the villain who had clearly put such efforts into destroying their friendship. Into isolating Trev from everybody else who actually gave a damn about him. For what ? For fun ? Not for the first time, Unalmis harboured a wish that the elusive smuggler had come around even less frequently than he actually had. There were some people, he was learning, that it was not so bad to do without.

His oldest friend however did not feature in that category. Even when the mere reference to ‘last autumn’ had now taken Trev to a new line of indignation. And the same aversion that Nal had felt, the moment he had noted his friend’s battered eye, returned with a vengeance. As that friend detailed how he had gotten beat up and locked up, .. a whole chapter of the previous (and vague) ‘wouldn’t let me leave’ .. suddenly took shape and introduced the most unwholesome explanation. Five years of that ? The cold realisation was like a punch that slammed right through the young man’s own gut, as though to make the point unmistakably.


The mystery of why Devedir had even kept his son around, if this was how their relationship had played out, was enough to take Nal on a tour of two possible responses. One was loitering around the likes of ‘Sounds like he was having far too much fun, to be done with you’ whilst a maybe worse option of ‘Maybe that’s why he kept taking you to Umbar ..’ almost dared to rear it’s head. In the end, he risked neither one aloud, because their roundabout of woe had moved on to a new chapter of heartache. ‘The Pelargir thing.’

Somehow the tables had turned here, and it was now Unalmis worrying about what he was going to be told. Rather than Trev still fearing what Arnyn’s judgement would be of him. Nal had already heard a sorrowful account of this encounter, from Iole herself, and he had understood well afterwards, why the young woman had come home to Minas Tirith, rather than stay out where her parents had retired. Because the Great War had come to Pelargir, same as it had to the White City, only the nautical city had not known to expect the Corsairs were delivering a strike from the sea at the same time as the Enemy’s armies stained the Pelennor fields. There was bedlam and fear all amok as the soon-to-be-King and his allies swept through the streets to secure the settlement from pillaging pirates. Trev’s earlier concerns that Iole would go wandering around alone in Harlond was as laughable as it was unlikely for Nal to have done likewise. Never alone. Because they knew, what could happen. What had happened ...


Iole had been trying to find her parents on that most awful day, after they had become separated in all of the fleeing and hiding from looters and raiders and ghosts and .. everything. Until one of Devedir’s crew had come across her. Unalmis raised his head up from where he had buried it in both arms, on the table. Only a few half-hysterical short emissions had escaped him, mostly in shock, as the truth of the Captain’s betrayal and lies and general treachery was detailed by his friend. In particular at points where Trev mentioned having ‘won’ their 'all-but-sister' away from her would-be-claimant, because that was such an alien way to describe the accomplishment, if you weren’t a Corsair referencing a trophy taken. Also where the most unwilling of all ship’s crew ever had still somehow managed to believe that Captain Arse would ever keep his word, or kindly walk a traumatised young woman home …

Nal wasn’t sure if that was more astounding to hear, than the truth of how they too had fallen for the Captain’s lies. Even Iole, even after what she had seen, between all the fainting and fright. To be fair, the shock might have accounted for a lot of it.

“He told her ... something along the way of .. just because you didn’t want to watch her getting ravaged by that other 'sailor' .. it didn’t mean you wanted to stay around in some boring city and hang out with her,” the Ranger forced out the side of the story he had been sold, wincing as though the words were dragging all the way up his throat rather than present before his friend. “I’m paraphrasing of course. There was a lot of crying and sniffing and the like to try and decipher through. But basically she was left with the impression that you'd already done her this huge favour already," he paused, and blinked, as it was now apparent just what 'favour' had been managed, "That she was stupid to have even come look for you because you'd grown up, and she ought to go run along and forget all about you, the way you’d been doing fine a job at forgetting about her. Something, something .. girls in every port .. yes, that bit was a bit weird, if I'm honest.”


The damage done, Nal risked a glance sidelong to find what he might of what was left of his friend. “Seems like we’re equal shades of stupid,” he sighed. Then he picked up the glass as though he meant to hurl it furiously at the wall, but ended up stubbornly drinking down the rest of the water, which turned out to be more than he had thought it was, in one go, instead.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Tentatively Reuniting

Trev's head felt heavy, resting on his hands. His flute lay on the table between his elbows, and he kept his gaze on it as he listened to Nal take a moment to share what lies Iole had brought home to them. His heart sank a little, wondering how Iole could have believed those things. But he didn't really fault her. He knew - better than most - how convincing his father's words could be. He knew firsthand how smoothly he could lie. He wouldn't even be surprised if Dev managed to convince someone the ocean isn't actually wet, if he took a notion.

He sighed heavily, then let out a small, wry laugh. "Girls in every port.." He scoffed. "As if he would even know." He muttered. "There's only one girl.. but I don't even think he knows about her." Trev admitted softly, a faint blush coming up to his face. He kept his gaze downward as he absently spun his flute on the tabletop, watching it spin around and around in place like a top. "You know why he said that, to Iole?" He asked quietly after a moment. "It's because.. well, after all that happened that day, he was so furious with me, I.. I figured he'd never even consider letting me try to help my friend, unless.. he thought.." He hesitated, then raised his head finally. "Well, I was so desperate, I told him she and I were engaged. That we were in love, and.." He cleared his throat. "I asked him what he'd do if that were my mother in that situation... and wouldn't he do anything he could to save her? All that sorta thing."

He spun the flute again, watching it. "It was all I could think of to get through to him.. to try to find any sort of compassion that might exist in that cold, hard heart of his." He frowned. "I honestly think my mother is the only person he's ever loved in his life. I think he was even a little over-obsessed with her, to be honest." He frowned. "Anyway. It worked, by some miracle. He.. gave in. But then, I guess he decided to make me prove I was willing to 'do anything' for her." He scowled then. "And that.. was also the day I began to realize just how much he lies. Because... you know, I didn't really understand until then. I knew he was a horrible person, and he didn't care about anyone but himself... I was starting to realize he didn't even care much about me, but I didn't realize how deceptive he was, until he came back and told me all this nonsense that 'my fiance' supposedly said, about how she wasn't going to wait for me, and she appreciated me saving her but she didn't want to marry a pirate, so she was going back home, and never wanted to see me again... and she was going to marry this other guy she'd met... stuff like that."

He glanced up with a half-smile and gave a tiny laugh. "I knew Iole never would've said those things, because we weren't really engaged, nor romantically involved in the slightest. So, I realized he'd made it up. Just to.. I don't know, hurt me? or turn me against her.. whatever." he sighed. "I didn't put it together with the stuff he said about you, until.. just now. I'm sorry, Nal." He dropped his gaze down to the table, feeling regretful that he ever doubted his friend. "He's pretty good at that, you know. Manipulation and deceit..." He frowned, glancing up again. "He doesn't like not getting his way about things, Nal. Like when I refused to go back to that awful temple place." He swallowed, then remembered the glass of water, and took a drink, holding onto the glass for a moment, staring at the contents. "I didn’t want to go there, you know...not the first time, and especially not any of the times after. Please, believe me... I didn't want to go anywhere near that place.”

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Committed to Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

The revelation, that they both had been fooled by the same antagonist ought to have left the two young men glad for each other’s company, finally both on the same side; with all bad feeling reserved for the man who had set such a store to turn them against one another. Unalmis placed his recently emptied drinking-glass slowly back onto the table, only noticing as he did so that his hand was visibly shaking. He could not have said whether from anger or something else, and would blame the coffee if accused. But Trev had started to explain how he had managed to lie right back to Devedir, at least the once; even if the ruse seemed to have gone south in the end. The storm of his friend’s wrath seemed to have tempered some now despite the subject matter, as the musician even laughed, albeit ruefully. Mention of a girl Tev had seemingly met along the way roused the young Ranger to glance up, only once, surprised. But he did not derail their conversation further on that diversion right now. It might well serve a pull back toward lighter things later, if they required an escape. From where they had to head through first.

Was it safe though to doubt aloud, that some golden-hazed memory of Trevadir’s late mother had made all the difference to the leniency of his nefarious father ? Unalmis did, if he was honest, doubt such an innocent strain of explanation that his friend seemed to be even now clinging to determinedly. But .. why else would such an unscrupulous Captain not have simply discarded Trev, after their bonding experiment had so demonstrably soured and his son had clearly became what could only be described as a serious liability ? Could it really be because, even now, the smuggler wanted to have some semblance of his late wife within reach ? It was certainly a reach. Sentiment had apparently not stopped Captain Ass from beating on his son, after all. Nor from locking him up, lying to and manipulating him. So to never simply untether Trev from their criminal association ? It made for an absence of all sense. Of course, so did the idea of abandoning your family and kingdom for the opportunity to consort with corsairs in the first place. So the fact that he could not rightly comprehend how Devedir’s twisted mind worked .. was not a thing that Nal was going to particularly fret on overlong.


When Trevadir apologised, for having believed the worst in him, Unalmis glanced up, surprised, from where he’d been quietly crushing the three middle fingers of his one hand, in the wringing grasp of the other. He wanted to say that there was nothing to forgive. That was the response, after all, which would best serve both he and his friend going forward, and do the most damage to Devedir all at once. But if apologies were owed, then they would be found wanting from both sides. And if he started with that .. he knew the path that it would walk them through to get past it. Because maybe his friend had been wrong to doubt him in the first place, but then Nal’s behaviour last year had likely only added strength to Devedir’s untruth. With a telling sigh, he readied to return the gesture, wholeheartedly as it turned out. Perhaps it would be possible to try and explain, the why .. But he got no further than a meagre “I ..” .. before his friend had carried on express even further remorse over .. attending at the temple in Umbar.

Nal’s hands slunk off the table and back to his lap. This again. And the fact of it having come round again in conversation for a second try, was beginning to feel very much that this was an issue which was possibly eating up Trevadir from the inside out. They’d glossed over it before. They’d given it a wide berth. So there had come no resolution. No reassurance. It was however, part and parcel of the whole Umbar-Pharak tangle, which Unalmis wanted to very much avoid all delving into. Not because he didn't believe his friend had any cause to feel guilty but just .. because.


“I believe you,” Nal could (and did) agree, again; although he seemed far from enthused by this mutual ground. It ought to be quite obvious that anyone with any sense would not wish to enter a temple of Zigur, so what Trev was really asking his friend was probably to not cast him into the same camp as the likes of idiot ’Rip‘, who apparently visited the cathedral of cruelty just for kicks.

The temple after all, was literally an embodiment of death; from the blood and ash soaked into the discoloured aisle, to the mortar which was fused with actual bone and residue of former victims. The screams of those who met their end there was equalled in resounding memory only by the mindless chanting which seemed to seep out of every stone in the place, even when it was abandoned to mere echoes of it’s alarming congregation. The song of death itself, raised in a grating duality from the throat of the breath-stealing ‘hearth on the hill’. That was what it was named by those who went there. The ones who got to go there and leave without obstacle, with breath still in their lungs. Albeit that the air choked all, even if the smell of burnt flesh did not evoke retching nausea to boot. And the war had apparently not put the zealots out of business. Any more than the wrathful judgement of the Valar had done, several thousand years before. It was now ever more apparent why the likes of ‘Rip’, who lived to antagonise and outright murder people .. would take so frequent tours to the place. But it was not exactly typical for others less inclined to be allowed to leave the abhorrent premises, not in one piece anyway.


“So you saw …” Nal began and then coughed out disbelief with a slow shake of his head, at the poor turn of phrase. And started over. If Trev was going to tell Lieutenant Dealedwen about this, about Umbar, then she was surely going to ask him about the messages that he’d said Devedir had made him deliver there. But his friend was less concerned with that right now, than other certain details.

“How long had you been with him, before he took you there ?” Unalmis wanted to know. Needed might be closer to the truth, although he did not want to need to know this. “He knew .. that you already knew .. what they do there ?” That one was more of a rheutorical question. “Because ..” He started to answer himself now, and then stopped. It would be over quicker if he could let Trevadir start. Hands grasped for the next full glass of water, just to hold on to something. His throat was suddenly astounding dry, though actually.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Nervously reuniting

Trev took a deep breath and let it out. It was a small relief to hear that Nal believed him, at least. He glanced at his friend again, hesitant as he prepared to delve into this matter. This was not only unpleasant territory they were venturing into, but also dangerous. It had a lot to do with what had gone wrong with their attempted reunion last time, or at least he thought that was it. That, along with the uncle thing. He had been very careful to avoid that topic, but this.. this was not a topic he could fully avoid. Rather, he really needed Nal to know that he did not go to that awful place of his own accord. And why he did it, despite everything in him wanting to NOT go there.

He took a deep breath, and paused, trying to decide what he meant exactly with ‘so you saw’. Saw… all of the horror and death and gruesome things? That sort of went without saying, he figured. He swallowed, and nodded slightly. “I saw.. more than I ever wanted to, if that’s what you mean.” He answered quietly. “And heard...and smelled..” He paused then, as Nal’s other question caught up to him. Then he had to think back for a moment, trying to recall. Had Dev known? His brow creased slightly as he took a moment to remember.


Around 5 years prior;

Trev stared in horror at the bustling city before him as the ship slowly eased into the docks, the crew working to secure it. He had heard about this place before. It sent chills down his back, and his eyes widened as they were, inevitably, drawn upward. To the highest point of the city. The temple. Nal had told him enough about that place to give anyone nightmares. Trev didn’t want to be anywhere near this city, let alone the temple up on the hill! Pressing his back against the mast, he stared ahead at the dreadful place, swallowing down the fear that was rising up in him. He’d be fine. It wasn’t as if he’d be going there, after all. He’d just stay on the ship, like he did every time they docked somewhere.
“There you are.” His dad pushed something at him. A folded garment of some sort. “I need you to do something. It’s very important, so you’d better not mess it up.”
Trev blinked as he tore his gaze away from the temple of horrors in the distance, and focused instead on his father. “Wait, what?” he was surprised by this, and suddenly torn between wanting to please his father, and wanting to request to pass on this errand, whatever it was. Yet, he hadn’t really been given any important tasks before, and was intrigued.
“I need you to deliver a letter.” Dev explained. “You’ll need to wear that,” He gestured to the garment Trev was holding.
“Why, what is this?” Trev frowned in confusion, and held it up so that the dark fabric unfolded. He realized he was holding a tabard, made of black cloth, with a very significant Red Eye embroidered on the front. The chills he had felt before were nothing compared to now. He felt as if his blood turned to ice. “D-dad, what is this?” He stammered, glancing up at him.
“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that?” Dev frowned. “It’s Dev. Or Captain, if you feel formal.” He reminded him sternly, and held out an envelope. “Put that on and deliver this letter to the priest at the temple.”
Trev stared at him in utter shock and horror.
“Well? What’s wrong?” Dev paused. “Son?”
Feelings his hands shake a little, Trev slowly pushed the tabard back toward his dad, shaking his head. “No… no way.. I.. I’m not putting that on, and I’m not going there! No way!”
“Trevadir,” Dev scowled. “I told you it’s important.”
“I’m sorry, but… Dad, don’t you know what that place is? I don’t wanna go there! No one in their right mind would ever want to go there!”
Dev tilted his head, regarding him thoughtfully before frowning. “You’re refusing to do as your father says?” He paused, then sighed heavily. “I’m very disappointed in you.. son.”
Trev bit his lip, feeling torn even more. He didn’t want his father to be displeased with him. He didn’t want to be a disappointment, but.. that place. Nal had made it sound so terrifying and horrible, he was feeling sick with dread just being in its shadow. “Please.. not there,” He answered quietly, imploring. “You don’t want to get involved with that guy, I know all about him.. he’s a horrible, terrifying guy who murders people for fun! He tried to kill my best friend, and he's done so many other awful things. Nal told me all about it. Please, let’s go away from here. This whole city is horrible, everyone knows that, why are we even here?”
“I have business here. I will not leave until it is concluded. And since you won’t help in that,” he sighed heavily. “I suppose we’ll have to be delayed here for a few more days until I can find someone who will deliver it.”
Trev’s jaw dropped slightly to hear this. Days? “Why can’t you send..well, any of the crew?” He asked. “Why me?”
“Because you’re the only one I trust with this important task, Trev.” Dev answered in a hushed tone. “Please, this is very important.”
“What’s so important about it?” Trev asked, tentatively taking the letter, and looked at it. The envelope was sealed, so that the contents could not be read by anyone but the one it was intended for. Not without breaking the seal.
Dev paused for a second, watching Trev. “You wanted to rescue that girl before, didn’t you?” he spoke slowly, thoughtful, recalling that incident in the cave on Tolfalas. “I’m afraid this matter is rather confidential, but… well, all I can tell you is, if you do this.. someone will live who otherwise would not.”
Trev blinked up at him. “Wait… I could be saving someone’s life just by delivering this? Why didn’t you tell me that before?” He glanced nervously toward the temple again, hesitating for a long moment, but finally took a deep breath, trying to be brave for the sake of helping someone. “Alright... I'll do it.” He said at last, quietly.
Dev smiled in approval. “You’ll have to wear the tabard if you hope to reach the temple.” He told him.
“Why?” Trev made a face at the ugly red eye on it. “I don’t want to wear this horrid thing.” He was half-tempted to throw it overboard, it was so repulsive. Not so much the garment itself, but what it represented. The Enemy.
“Because, it will show everyone that you are going to the temple, and they won't dare mess with you. If you don’t wear it..” Dev held back a sigh, “You’re very likely to be snatched by anyone who sees you roaming around in the city. You'd be easy prey here in Umbar, Trev. You could be sold off at the auctions before I would even know what happened. And we wouldn’t want that, would we? Besides,” he tapped the letter in his hand. “She’s counting on you to save her.”
Trev looked down again in disgust at the emblem, but what Dev said made sense, considering where they were. He couldn’t help making a face as he pulled the garment on over his head. “Alright. How do I get there?” he asked, fighting against the bad feeling in his gut. He just wanted to get this over with as quick as possible.
Dev smiled and fixed the back of the tabard for him. “Easy. Just follow the road upward.”

Yes, he realized, after that memory flashed through his mind, nodding slightly. Dev knew, or at least found out, that Trev knew already. But before he had a chance to say so, Nal was already asking another question. “Um, not long,” He answered, thoughtfully. “He.. would go there about once every few months. So… yeah. It was..maybe a couple of months after I joined him.” He cleared his throat, and took a moment to think how to continue. To make Nal understand how it really was. “That first time, he tricked me. Said that if I delivered his letter, I would be saving someone’s life.” He scoffed. “I never saw any sort of results to that regard… rather the opposite.” He mumbled.

He absently spun his flute on the tabletop and watched it spin. “It was bad enough.. all the..you know...” He gestured vaguely and then trailed off, knowing he didn’t have to actually describe what he meant. Nal knew. And it was hard enough for both of them to have to talk about this at all, without having to describe the horrifying sights and sounds of that nightmarish place. He continued, a bit haltingly, “But, to make it worse.. Rip was there. A lot. And... he’d say stuff, like.. like he was trying to taunt me... being all intimidating, you know.” He frowned, his gaze focusing on the slowly spinning flute. “Like... well... remember when we were kids, you know how he’d act all tough and intimidating, like if he got one of us alone, and he’d like, maybe block that one in a corner or whatever, so they couldn’t get past him, and say all this stuff.. meant to get to you, you know?” He took a sip of his water and took a shaky breath. Setting the glass down in a fresh spot, he took a moment to use his sleeve to wipe up the wet ring from the table.

“Imagine that, except.. like, times ten. And with Ph..well, Him, there. Like, I’d hand off Dev’s letter to him, and Rip would start moving toward me with a knife, and this..creepy smile on his face. Or he'd be like, 'He doesn't need both arms just to deliver messages, right?' Or like... Walking around me like he was sizing me up or something… like a shark eagerly waiting for someone to fall overboard.” He shivered. “And I had to stand there and wait while.. you know who.. would go write a message to take back to Dev.. all the while Rip would be talking about how much he wanted to hurt.. and kill me. Or more precisely.. torture me. Or.. you know…worse...” He swallowed and let that sentence die there, leaving the word ‘sacrifice’ unspoken. “I got the strong feeling it wasn’t just talk, either.” He added quietly. “I’m sure he would’ve been delighted to do everything he said, but.. Creepy Priest Guy would tell him stuff like, ‘Not yet, consider it a trial in patience'... 'some people think that just because we’ve let them walk back out before, there will never come a day when we don't'... 'one day the moon will just happen to be in the right place when he comes knocking’ and a lot of stuff like that. Th-they’d discuss.. what might happen when 'the time was right' or whatever... as if I wasn’t standing right there. Talking about… all of what they might do to me... Someday.”

He felt a little sickened at the memories, and rested both elbows on the table, one hand wrapped tightly over the other fist, and stared down at the table between his elbows as he rested his forehead on his fists. He let out a shaky breath. "Nal, I begged Dev not to make me go back there.. I begged and pleaded as hard as I knew how.. and he just... told me to stop being such a crybaby.. and that I was a wimp and a coward, and.. stuff like that.” He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath, needing to take a moment to compose himself.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Committed to Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Unalmis watched his friend release a deep breath, and did not really register that he was still holding his own. Both his hands were cradling the glass of water, rolling it along the tide of fingers without letting it escape their grasp. To anyone not familiar with the young man, they might have assumed he was bored or else disinterested in what his companion was extolling. But that, unfortunately, was not it. Nal was doing all that he could manage to keep from desperately changing the subject, barely restraining himself from dragging Trevadir by the hand to go hunt up the girls instead and be about some better welcome home celebration. Bored, though ? Not at all. He was undeniably affected by each word that was confessed. As for disinterested ? Not even that. For it mattered. Too much. He wished that it did not.

The Ranger had not believed it possible that his opinion of Devedir could have fallen any lower this day, and yet the bad just kept on coming. For a man to have deliberately delivered his own child into a nest of fanatic murderers ? The Captain had known, Trev had admitted, exactly what these people did. So Devedir could not claim to be ignorant. He knew full well what he was asking, and what his son was risking. And still, he’d made him go regardless. As if taking him to Umbar in the first place was not bad enough !


“Maybe thirty times,” Unalmis calculated, almost without sound. For ‘every few months’, Trevadir had said they’d gone there. Every few months, for maybe five years, give or take ... “Honestly, I’m amazed you made it even to the temple,” he slumped back against the seat which caught him. “I mean, ...” Brown eyes erupted in their pools and fell back to some focus somehow afterward. The Ranger whistled long and low. No wonder Trevadir had clung to the latest of what must have been so many lies. Even if he had guessed, it was probably the only way he could resolve himself with actually physically going there. Saving somebody’s life though .. did not sound like something Devedir would care about, unless it were his own. It had to have been another lie then. Or .. maybe something worse ..

“You do realise now that it was probably that Ass’s life he wanted you to save, by going there, as he’d already promised that you would,” the Ranger blurted out before he could stop himself. “It was likely some fool test of faith and loyalty. For your .. Captain,” Nal remembered to replace the word ‘father’, just in time, “to send his own blood to the worship house of Zigur ? I bet he never went up there himself, did he ? He sent letters, after all. Messages.” Nal dropped an octave almost unconsciously. Allowing Trevadir to return back to his father in one piece, that in itself was likely the return of that faith by Pharak. Maybe those red-cloaked ghouls who stalked the Priest everywhere had seen to it. Stalking their ‘guest’ back to his ship. The suspicion hatched that this might have been what inspired the traitorous Smuggler to invite his son along with him in the first place .. and keep him from leaving, no matter what costs Trev brought to their endeavours. Always with these people, a sacrifice had to be made. And blood, he’d learnt, was ever at the root of the thing.


Deciding not to share this strain of even fouler thought with his already troubled friend, Unalmis joined Trevadir in observing the spinning flute. As though it had hypnotised the both of them. The tale continued, drawing on the memory of ’Rip’s signature taunting as well. As though Umbar itself, and the temple further still, were not unnerving enough.

“I can imagine,” Nal said very simply. And there was a sadness in the word which both reassured and reaffirmed all at once. The thought had scarcely left him after all, ever since he’d heard about ‘Rip’ being Ryndir’s murderer. The understanding, that their friend had left this world knowing that his end came at that malicious little weasel’s hand. Imagining, what last words the vindictive killer might have shared in those final moments .. No. What had tormented Trev at the temple had not been just teasing. The want, the hunger to cause pain and steal life, it was all too real. ‘Rip’ had done it before. And Pharak had … certainly.


“You are many things, Trevadir, but you have never been a coward,” Nal glanced at where the other young man had finally collapsed unto the tableface, beside him. He risked laying a hand, warily, at his friend’s shoulder, for support. To remind Trev he was not alone. “Takes a brave man to put up with me, for starters,” he offered a faint grin from where he was daring a sidelong glance, to appraise his friend’s chance at recovery. “Which is the only reason I have to ask you,” he sat up straight and frowned for a moment before getting it over with. Yet another question he did not really want to know the answer to. But he, nor his friend, had so little say in dealing with .. well, any of this. “What sort of a punishment could Captain Ass have possibly threatened you with, to make you go back, which could come anywhere being near worse than what they were asking you to do in the first place ?”

Confusion may have featured in the Ranger’s voice, but if Unalmis was correct in his private guesswork, then it would explain a whole lot which had happened. And might just be the worst thing that he would have to accept this afternoon. Withdrawing his hand, he allowed for Trev to sit back up, and have this be enough. At least for today. “It can’t be any worse than I’m imagining at this point,” was the best that he could do, in terms of encouragement.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie
(Also tagging @Isolde Alarion for mentioning her (now deceased) character)

Trevadir
Determinedly reuniting

"You do realise now..." Nal's theory settled in his ears as the ranger expressed his own suspicions about Dev's motives. Trev vaguely recalled a time when he had actually saved Dev's life, during a sudden storm that threw him over the rail with an anchor caught around his leg. After nearly drowning, himself, in his efforts to free his father from the weight dragging him under, Trev had been sick for days due to the extended plunge into icy water. And Dev had never once thanked him. He brought it up now and then as a means of guilting Trev into doing things, but somehow, Trev couldn't quite believe that his trips to the blood temple had anything to do with saving Dev's life. And furthermore, he couldn't fathom how his going to deliver letters might achieve such a goal. "I'm sure it was just something he told me, to convince me to do what he wanted." He shrugged, quite ready to dismiss the lie. It was meaningless, after all. Right?

Trev let out a slow breath, shrugging slightly. "Honestly.. at the time, I thought.. hoped.. maybe he was going to let me rescue that girl you met there. Gael, remember?" He managed a faint smile. "Because.. well, I had asked him about rescuing her, before. But he said no, then. He said he wouldn't dream of even trying such a thing.. and he wouldn't get involved in stuff like that. But I thought maybe..." He trailed off, and shrugged. Obviously, that had not been the pirate's intentions at all. "I did see her there," He added quietly, glancing down. "And she did get rescued, eventually." A tiny smile tugged at his lips, recalling how upset Dev had been about that.. yet how good it had felt to help her get home at last. Even if he'd suffered the consequences. Even if she never knew what he'd done to make it happen.

The next implication of just what Dev may have planned all along was a little jarring, not to mention unnerving. Sending Trev to be sacrificed? For what purpose? Trev slowly looked up at Nal, the very thought sending a chill down his back. Could that actually be a possibility? That had actually never occurred to him, and he wondered why. Blinking, a moment later, he shook his head slightly, frowning. Denial set in. "N-no... what could that possibly gain him?" He tried to convince himself. "He just.. had some business or something, he.. I don't know." A frown settled deeper on his face, troubled by this new line of thought that he didn't want to accept as an option. One hand came up to rub his face, trying to straighten out his jumbled thoughts. But it was difficult at times to think straight, and consider everything rationally and without bias.

Feeling extremely frustrated that Dev had messed with his mind so much, confusing him and manipulating him every which way, toying with his feelings as he'd done, Trev caught the flute as it was almost come to a stop from its spinning, and clenched his hand around it, feeling as if the item might help him focus better. He brought his hand up to rest his forehead against the fist that held his most cherished belonging, taking a slow breath in and out. "No.. that.. that wouldn't benefit him at all. How could it?" He shook his head slowly. "No.. he said something before about getting payment or something.. and how he only trusted me to bring it back to him," He remembered, anxious to discard the other idea as swiftly as possible.

Belatedly, he picked up on a sort of unasked question in something else Nal had said. The bit about being surprised he even made it to the temple. He grimaced at the recollection of the awful garment he'd been forced to wear to ensure his 'safety' in that regard. "He made me wear this.. horrible tabard, each time I went." He explained quietly. "I hated that thing, but he said it would stop anyone from trying to snatch me along the way. So, I had to keep it on, the whole way there and back. It was awful. I felt.. so..." He cringed, and looked away, unable to complete that sentence. No words felt right to describe the repulsion and shame that had filled his heart each time he had to stroll through the streets of Umbar, wearing that awful thing. He spent so long searching for the right wprd that the moment sort of passed, and then Nal spoke again.

“You are many things, Trevadir, but you have never been a coward,”

The statement startled him slightly, although the hand on his shoulder was reassuring, however briefly it lasted. The words meant a lot, although he couldn't help doubting them. He looked up at his friend again from where he rested his head against his hand, and managed a half smile of amusement as Nal continued on to declare that it took a brave person to put up with himself. Another time, Trev might have laughed more enthusiastically, but at the moment he was highly distracted by the other, more grave issues. Issues which Nal wasted little time getting back to, asking about what had made him go back to that awful place. Why, indeed... that was another little heartbreak for Trev to revisit.



Around four and a half years ago:

“No, no way! I’m not going back there!” Trev insisted. “I don’t care what you say, I’m not!” He threw the hated tabard down on the deck and glared defiantly at his father. In truth, he was more terrified than angry, but there was a bit of anger involved. Angry that his dad didn’t care how he felt about this. Angry, and hurt, that he would make him go into such a terrifying situation, again and again, even after Trev had made it clear how much he did NOT want to do this. What sort of father would do this? It wasn’t like he was trying to help his son get over an irrational fear.. that, Trev would maybe understand, but to send him into a situation where he might be killed in some horrible manner, over and over and over? How could he do that?

Dev, rather than getting angry in return, stared coolly back at him, and folded his arms. “Really?” He frowned and glanced toward the city. Even from here they could hear people being sold at the auctions block. “I wonder how much a defiant young man would go for, over there…” He remarked, as if randomly.

Trev had heard similar remarks before, other times when they came. He shook his head, refusing to budge. “I don’t care if you’re bluffing or not.” He was relieved to hear his voice free from any trembling. He had not forgotten the horrors he had seen when forced to witness the slaver woman 'processing' her newly purchased slaves. Despite knowing what he might be getting himself into, he had been thinking about this since the last time they were here. While neither choice was the least bit pleasant, his fear of one overshadowed the other, horrible as it was. He took a deep breath, trying to gather up the nerve to stand up to his father. “I won’t go back to that.. place, Dev. I refuse!”

Dev stared at him with a slightly raised eyebrow, not saying anything for a moment.

“I’m not going.” Trev felt a bit unnerved by the lack of reply, and felt he must need to re-emphasize what he’d said.

“Well,” Dev began slowly. “That’s your choice.” His face was hardened and lacked emotion. “But I have no use for anyone on this ship who won’t follow the captain’s orders.”

There it was. The sort of response Trev had been expecting. The sixteen-year-old drew a slightly shaky breath, steeling his nerve as well as he could, and swallowed past a dry throat. “I’d rather take my chances with..her.. than go back there. I.. don’t care what you say, or what you do… I will not go back there. Ever.”

“I see.” Dev nodded slowly.

Trev held his breath, tense, waiting for Dev to call out to one of the other crew to take hold of him. They’d drag him off to that slaver woman, and he intended to put up as much of a fight as he could. Maybe, by some miracle, he could manage to get away and hide. If he was really lucky, maybe Renia’s ship would come by sometime soon, and he could stow away there or something, and get a ride back to safer lands. While he may not be able to go home again, he could surely find somewhere to live that was safe from his father. He’d thought about this a great deal since the last time he came from that horrid temple.

Much to his surprise, however, Dev did not do as he was expecting. Instead, he reached out and put an arm around Trev’s shoulder, as if he were a normal father talking companionably with his son. “See, that causes a problem for me.” He sighed. “I’m very disappointed in you, son.” He shook his head, sighing. “I really hoped you would have been a better son.” he paused, as if thinking. “Perhaps my other son will be more obedient,” he commented thoughtfully.

“What?” Trev turned toward him, alarmed by the mention of his brother. “Wait, you… wouldn’t. You couldn’t..” He swallowed nervously, the implication settling in. But he was just bluffing..right?

Dev turned and gave him a look of complete seriousness. His expression was like cold stone. “If you won’t do as I say, you leave me no choice.”

Trev hesitated, eyes going a little wider. “But.. you can’t,” He tried to convince himself more than anything, “He..he’s all the way home. In the city. There’s all those guards.. you couldn’t get to him.” He frowned.

A cold smile appeared on the pirate captain’s face. “You really underestimate me, don’t you, boy? Besides. Didn’t you tell me yourself about how you and little Toby always go visit grandma and grandpa every summer? Have you forgotten whose parents they are? Do you forget that I grew up there? I know every little nook and cranny of that place. Do you think I wouldn’t know how to navigate my way around my childhood home without anyone spotting me?”

Trev’s mouth felt dry, and he couldn’t think of any response to this. His heart was pounding, sinking further and further into his stomach, and he felt like he needed to sit down and put his head in his hands. But his father was not giving him an opportunity to do so. Still reeling from this awful predicament Dev had put him in, Trev stared down at the ugly tabard, trying to work out exactly what Dev was saying.. whether maybe he meant something other than Trev was thinking. But every way he thought about it, it added up to the same thing; if you don’t do as I say, I’ll get your brother to do it in your place. “Why?” Trev asked faintly, staring incredulously at the man who was supposed to be his father. “You aren’t trying to save anyone, so don’t give me that lie again. People die there in that awful place, Dev.” He heard a little tremble in his voice this time, but tried to ignore it, trying to inflect anger into his tone. “They die horribly, and.. you’re helping it happen.” He pulled away from Dev’s arm, suddenly repulsed by the revelation. “You’re working with them, supplying them with people to sacrifice, and… why do you keep sending me there?” he demanded.

“It’s just business, Trev.” Dev sighed. “I can’t trust just anyone to retrieve our payment for the merchandise we supply, now can I?”

Trev stared at him, sickened. “People are suffering. And I told you, they threaten to do those things to me... every time I go there. Don’t you care about that? Or is everything all about money for you?”

Dev sighed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t listen to that, they’re just taunting you. Having a little fun. Just ignore them.”

“They are not playing around, Dad!”

“Don’t..” Dev stopped short, and wiped an annoyed look off his face quickly. “Look, are you going to do as you’re told, or not?”

Trev hesitated, then folded his arms, heart racing. “No.”

Dev regarded him for a moment. “Fine.” His smile had a devious look about it. “I suppose it is about time I met my other son. Fortunately, it is around that time of year when he’ll be visiting my dear mom and dad, isn’t it?” He commented. “It will be a bit of an inconvenience, having such a delay, but..”

Trev felt his stomach knot up, his muscles tensing. “I don’t think you’d do it,” he tried calling Dev’s bluff. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?” Dev narrowed his eyes. He turned and called out to one of the crew, “Set a course for Dol Amroth. We're leaving right away.”

Trev’s eyes widened slightly. He was serious! “Wait! No!” He called out, hoping to catch the guy before he ran off to do what the captain had ordered, then turned to Dev and scowled. “Fine, you win. I’ll go.” He snatched up the tabard from the deck, glaring at the man before him. Yanking the tabard on over his head, he missed the flicker of a triumphant smirk on Dev’s face. “I hate you, you know.” Trev informed the pirate through clenched teeth, his voice quiet, yet he was deadly serious as he said it. “You’re not my father. And you definitely aren’t his.” He pointed a finger at him. “Stay away from my brother… if you ever touch him..you’ll regret it.” He hoped his eyes, and expression, showed how much he meant those words.



Thinking back on the threats Dev had made concerning his brother, half of Trev wanted to look down, or turn away from Nal's inquisitive gaze. But the other half wanted to look his friend in the eyes when he answered the question. Partly, to see in Nal's eyes whether he believed him, and partly so that Nal could see the sincerity in Trev's eyes as he told him. So that he wouldn't think that he was making this stuff up. It was slightly difficult to force himself to remain facing his friend while he tried to think how to properly answer him. He cleared his throat softly. "when I realized begging wouldn’t work, I flat out refused." He hesitated, but pressed on. "I tried to stand up to him... be defiant, you know? I told him I wouldn’t go back there, and nothing he said could make me...”

He cringed slightly at his own naivety, saying such a thing. “Annnd he proved me wrong without even a blink.” He scowled down at the table, and tightened his grip around his flute, as if for comfort. He looked back at Nal. “He just gave me this.. thoughtful look, and said ‘fine’. Then, he took me to meet someone. A slaver.. the scariest in the business.” He said quietly, and swallowed down the sick feeling that was rising up at these horrible memories, and continued a little haltingly. “He asked her to give me a ‘tour’ this awful place where they.. torture the people she.. buys.” He cleared his throat. "She calls it 'processing', but..." He couldn't help a little shiver, and took a shaky breath. "After all that, he told me if I wouldn’t follow orders from him, maybe I’d rather find out what would happen if I were her property and dared to defy orders. And... that got me so scared, I agreed to deliver his messages." He took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh. "For a couple of times, anyway. But even that... that didn't last. That wasn't what did it." He shook his head, taking a moment to take a drink of water from his glass as he took a moment to recover his nerve to continue.

“After maybe two more times of having to endure the horrors of that place, I realized that I was more scared of those two in the temple, than of her. I told him I’d rather take my chances with the slaver woman, and utterly refused to go back to that temple.” He hesitated. “And yes, I knew exactly what I might have gotten myself into. I..was more afraid of those creeps in the temple than of her. But.. then he said something like, how he was disappointed in me for being so rebellious, but maybe his other son would be more obedient..” he tightened his grip around the flute, angered at Dev. "He threatened to force my little brother to go there in my place, Nal." He added softly, then sighed heavily and dropped his head down again. “I’m.. still not entirely sure whether he really would’ve risked trying to kidnap Toby, but... I couldn’t take that chance, Nal. I couldn't bear the thought of Toby being made to go to that terrible place. I.. had to protect my little brother... from our own father. Isn’t that just... I mean...” He trailed off as a lump rose in his throat again. He brought one hand up to rub a little wetness away from his non-bruised eye, hopefully before it could be noticed.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Committed to Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Watching his friend struggle to make sense of what he’d suggested, tore Unalmis in two. For one hand he wanted to clarify what he’d meant, because he knew for certain Pharak had taken ‘messengers’ from his informants as payment, if he did not believe or simply if he did not like the news that they delivered. That was why the Blood Priest demanded that people who worked for him, sent those they would not wish to do without, in the first place. It was a matter of trust. However he was only seeming to upset Trevadir now by returning the favour of speaking so honestly of dread things. More than happy to simply agree with Trev that it likely did not matter really, why the Ass had chosen to send his son, to .. there, Nal did not press further, but instead followed a new and far more pleasant subject into their reach.

“I shall always remember Gael,” Nal half smiled, despite .. all else. For the astronomer’s daughter had shown up unexpedted, like a candle in the darkness, just about the time when he had begun to think that he would never see another living soul again in this world. And somehow, even in 'that place', she had brought him only comfort and kindness, though she had little of either to spare for the sake of another. Entire days had passed when he half believed that he had conjured her up in his imagination, just to stay sane, or perhaps prove that he wasn’t. But no, Trevadir was right. Gael was very real, and now was wife to the Ranger’s cousin. Which had made him jealous for the first time ever of that cousin. Gael was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, regardless. Iole could keep her ‘missing mother theories’. Nal did not care how much older his starkindler was than him. It was enough that she was happy now, and safe, even if it meant a life of boredom with his very dull cousin. She probably appreciated the boredom, after all that she’d been through. She deserved it. “She's home. She's going to be alright,” the young man agreed, relieved although entirely oblivious to the part which Trevadir had played in that.


Their conversation did not take up with that tale though. It unravelled still further unto the gloom as Trevadir returned to sizing up all evidence at his disposal. He mentioned something which his friend sat up right straight upon hearing. Receiving payment ? Devedir had received payment from the Temple ? If Trevadir were not in fact the payment that was being made, then Unalmis had missed something. But what ? He took his eyes fiercely to the floor before they might betray him and did not dare return to face his friend until Trev had begun to elaborate on how an assigned ‘tabard’ had marked him so the folks of Umbar would not dare impede his path. “Was it red ?” he asked instinctively, and so quiet that it scarcely invited any answer. “Doesn’t matter,” he decided, in the same.

Meantime Trev was wading manfully now through an account of his father making threats to sell his son into slavery; the worst of slavers around by all accounts, if he was not complicent. When Nal swallowed next he felt a want to cough, but he’d drunk all of the water that there was to hand already. He ought no longer be surprised that his friend’s father would have seen himself rid of his son. But at the same time, Devedir had apparently never allowed that same son from his side nor let him come home. Why ? Because the loss of his son could only happen if it served him somehow ? Unalmis was frowning, but at least his troubled countenance should be understood by this point in the confession. And then he heard about the threats made against Toby.


“So that’s how he knew he could get you to stay by ‘taking Iole’s place’, in Pelargir,” Nal deduced, and sat back against his chair for about the fiftieth time in the last hour. The reaction which Devedir must have noted from his eldest, when threatening the younger .. It made sense. The Ass had learned that he was on to something here. And it was .. beyond terrible. All nerves and fear had been worn out of Unalmis by this point. There was only an exhausted disbelief at how bad things had been for his friend. Was there even a right thing to say in receipt of such news ? He knew Tobe. The kid had ever been there, running after them and whining about wanting to play with them, no matter how many times Trev had told him to go home. Still, he understood. When someone else threatens what you didn’t ever stop to think that you might lose, that was sometimes when you realised what you had always had. And wanted, more than ever, just to let them know.

On the other hand, that was the Enemy’s malevolence. To have you do it’s will, one way or the other. Everybody had a weakness. Even those who would sacrifice themselves rather than surrender, would give up all rather than sacrifice others they cared for. The Ranger wanted to tell Trev that anybody would have done the same, given in, when threatened with such a horrific choice. But if everybody did, there would be no one left at the end of the day. The number of men women and children who had given their lives in the war against Mordor, and still Gondor had sent them to their ends bereft of choice. Rather than give in. When you were faced with evil, sometimes there were no right choices you could make. You simply did the best you could.


“You were alone,” Unalmis reminded his friend, and himself, as he stared hard at the table and then at the man before him. His friend. “You’re not alone any more. And look at all you managed to do against the Ass, even when you were ! But ..” he turned, and would have that friend of his realise something quite as incredible as all else that had been said today. “You don’t just get to be free of him now, Trev,” Nal sank back against his chair this time, in a state of satisfaction. “Speaking to the Lieutenant ? That’s going to make sure that he doesn’t do any of those things you’ve seen him do, or heard him threaten to do .. not to anybody ever again. Including Toby. Trev, you're going to save them all.” He grinned, and bumped not quite as gently as he should against his friend’s arm, with his own, in a closer confidence. “Thanks for, you know, letting me be there to see it.”

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Determinedly reuniting

"It was probably a bluff," Trev mentioned, concerning the pirate's threat to sell him off. "I figure it must have been, since he changed tactics later when it didn't work anymore. He switched to a new threat, rather than carrying through with what he'd said, about the slaver." Trev had thought about that quite a bit since that time. "But... I've learned not to take his threats lightly. He usually means them with complete seriousness.. and then a few other times..." He shrugged. "But, unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to be sure when he's serious, or not. I've discovered that it's usually best to just assume he means it when he makes a threat..." He sighed, having witnessed far too many occasions when folks on the ships the pirates attacked hadn't believed that Dev's threats were for real.. and had quickly been shown that he was not bluffing.

The question of whether the horrid tabard was red somewhat caught Trevadir off guard, but then he also reminded himself that Nal had some personal experience with that temple and its people, so he shouldn't be surprised at all. But before he could get the 'yes' out, Nal had moved on to declare it unimportant. He swallowed back the addition that it bore that awful eye on its front, also, and let his gaze drop downward as Nal verbalized a realization that Trev had not even made. Of course, that was how Dev knew what he would do, when it came to Iole. Because he had already learned Trevadir's character, and the things about him which the pirate would call flaws, but which Trev would, by contrast, call strengths. Still, things which Dev exploited to his advantage.

Feeling a little sickened by this further insight into his father's ways, Trev closed his eyes for a moment, taking a slow and deep breath during the short pause that followed. There were probably plenty of other things he ought to tell Nal, but which he wasn't eager to tell. But at the moment, he couldn't think of anything else. The important things, the things which he had needed Unalmis to know, had been laid out there, like pages spread out across the table for Nal to examine and draw his conclusions. It was with tremendous relief to hear the belief in his friend's voice as he heard these things. It seemed that Nal no longer doubted Trev, no longer accused him of lying, as he had before. Trev wondered whether that would last if the matter of The Uncle were brought up. But he had made up his mind not to bring that up again. Ever, if he could help it. Not if it was going to bring that same reaction as it had back in the autumn...

"You were alone," Nal broke the short silence at last.

It might well have been the longest silence between those two that there had ever been, Trev thought with vague amusement, and glanced up again with a faint smile to hear his friend declare that he was no longer alone. Still, he couldn't help being rather skeptical about the claim that his talking to the lieutenant would be enough to make sure Dev were stopped for good. He was still trying to think of how to reply to that when Nal bumped his arm, which knocked against his side. The side where he had been stitched recently. A slight wincing reaction was inevitable, accompanied by a soft hiss of pain as he drew in a quick breath and reached his opposite hand to lightly press against the spot. "Ow.. stitches, Nal!" He reminded his friend, although he wasn't sure if he had told Nal where he had stitches. "Are you still upset about something?" he half-joked. "Oh, wait.. I know, that's payback, isn't it?" he guessed, with a little laugh as he recalled years ago when Nal was recovering from his shoulder injury, and Trev had playfully punched his arm, forgetting that his shoulder was sore.

Becoming more serious again, he added with a little smile, "Thanks for agreeing to be there. I.. was really nervous talking to your lieutenant, earlier. Macardil sat through the meeting with me, so that helped some, but.." He hesitated. "New friends are nice, but it isn't the same as one who's been there since the beginning.. who's been there through many years." He wanted Nal to know that. "You and I.. we were like brothers, you know.. and well, we were always way closer than I ever was with my actual brother." He admitted, a little twinge of guilt arriving in his mind, at that. He should have been nicer to Tobedir, he thought with a little sadness. He'd been stupid not to realize how much he cared about his little brother, before. He'd get to that reunion, eventually, and hoped he could repair that relationship. But for now, his focus was directed toward Nal, along with a small smile. "I'm glad we're still friends."

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Realising that this is really Reunion-ing !
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Unalmis winced himself, when Trevadir’s pain was revealed. This latest pain, that was. It had been rather a painful conversation, all in all. And as much as he wasn’t sure there weren’t things still unsaid, he could not bring himself to put his friend through any more. He really did not want to waste any of their time together mulling over miserable memories that were best left behind them. There had been far too much of that the last few years. It hadn’t exactly been a reassuring exchange of news this day, but on the other hand, it kind of had been. A few bewilderments had been untangled. Nal wasn’t even entirely sure he had completely digested all he’d heard, not properly, yet. But they were out of drink, for one thing. As though the inn’s refreshments had fuelled their reunion.

“Yeh,” Nal all but scoffed, when Trev teased about the stitches payback. “But think of the very exciting scar you’re going to have now,” he almost laughed. Brown eyes smiled, though the rest of him had not quite recovered enough for mirth yet. “Sorry,” he began again, and then paused a moment. Decided not to go there. Not now.


“Truth be known,” he picked up and put down the nearest drinking glass, as though to measure the emptied weight of it. “I had no idea what was going to come of this meeting either,” the Ranger confessed, picking up on his friend’s observation of Arnyn. “Lieutenant Dealedwen didn’t give me any indication at all that she was expecting you today. Certainly plays things close to her chest, that one. I could tell you though .. , but actually, no,” Nal began and then withdrew from his own exposition. He tapped one side of his nose and winked. “I’ll tell you a little something that I heard about her, a little closer to the time when you have to talk to her again. Just in case you get any nervous by then. I promise it will make you feel happier, then, about going ahead,” he swore.

“Of course, you will have to tell me the whole tale of your tavern brawl at some point, in return,” he allowed. Venturing gingerly close to, without properly broaching, the subject of Macardil, whom his friend had just raised in conversation anew, and repeatedly, as a new friend. The Ranger knocked his friend’s flute slightly, more safely, with the glass, rather than poke at him. It was a gesture, even if that was all that he could offer thus far.


It took only for Trevadir though to reference their growing up, as good as brothers, and Nal raised his palm up, an invitation for the other’s scar to meet him there. “And nobody is going to take off with your little brother,” he swore, in earnest. In case Trev was worried about that; having apparently called Dev’s bluff by absconding. “Toby’s recently started a carpentry apprenticeship, you know,” This time he did laugh, at the sheer unlikelihood of that, of all things. “He's not the little trail-along that you remember.” A shake of the head did not entirely dispel the thought which his friend had mentioned. Of whether the Ass’s threats could or should be taken seriously. That was one horror they would see to denying at least.

“Now that ‘Rip’ is on the run, and Arkadhur is already in Belfalasian custody, .. and it is the Ass who will find himself arrested if he dares even think of showing up here ! Honestly, I think we’re all better off right now than we have been for a long while,” he realised, on a deeper level than the mere sentence could convey. “So you can relax some on that score. Worst thing on your cards today is the girls trying to cook you dinner, I imagine.”


Unalmis did not mention Pharak, aloud, in his summary. That subject may not be restricted any more to long ago, but it was still far away. All of the Blood Priest’s associates that they knew about were in no current position to strike at them on his behalf, after all. As to later, ..well, he’d worry about that later. He’d promised that he would. And for Trevadir, he knew that it was the very least that he could manage. But no one was going to intrude on the two young men finding their way back to friendship, proper. Unless the girls were close by this point to breaking in through the door to crush their lost companion with affection all their own.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Reunited at last!

Trev scoffed in amusement at Nal's mention of an 'exciting scar'. "Exciting to who?" He wondered, laughing lightly. As if he didn't have enough scars. "Still, you shoulda seen the other guy," He added, with a half-grin. "Sorry, the other two guys, I should say." It was a bit easier to joke about it now, after it was all over. And it was, in fact, quite true. He wasn't exactly eager to boast about the tale, but he meant, rather, to attempt to laugh about it for the sake of furthering the regrowth of their friendship. He had said what he did, about new friends versus old friends, for the sake of assuring Nal that he could never be replaced. A few things Nal had said earlier in their conversation had held the potential for suggesting that his blood brother may have feared as much, and Trev would have him know that such a thing was not possible.

He was slightly surprised to learn that the Lieutenant had not even given Nal any sort of warning about what he would find here. No wonder he had seemed so astonished and confused, when he saw Trev and Lieutenant Dealedwen sitting together. But then, Trev shouldn't have been surprised, really... "She didn't tell me you were coming, either," Trev admitted, and reminded himself that she wouldn't have had any idea about.. the falling out that had occurred between them back in the autumn, nor the tentative attempt at patching things up, at Midsummer, which hadn't gone quite as well as Trev had hoped. She wouldn't have known that things were still a bit tense between them, so she likely only thought it would be a joyous surprise for them both. He couldn't fault the lieutenant for that, and in fact, it had worked out well in the end, anyway.

Intrigued somewhat by what Nal was about to tell him, he was then a bit disappointed when Nal changed his mind, and declared that he would wait. "Alright, then." He laughed slightly. "Tormenting me with curiosity? It must be quite a good story." He was already wondering what sort of tales his friend might be able to tell about his commanding officer, especially when Nal promised it would be worth the wait and would make him feel better, in case he got nervous about the second meeting with her. "I'll hold you to that," Trev declared.


“Of course, you will have to tell me the whole tale of your tavern brawl at some point, in return,”

Nal's 'condition' brought a little grin to Trev's face. "Of course, I'll tell you all about it." he vowed. "And the girls too, if they want to hear it." He wondered where they were, as he felt there would have been plenty of time by now for Macardil to have walked up to the sixth, found Cali, gave her the message.. then for Cali to go to wherever Iole was, and then for them both to come here. He couldn't actually imagine them walking when they would surely be excited, so he wondered if perhaps there was an obstacle that had delayed them. "There was actually another fight that happened, some while back," he mentioned as an afterthought, hesitating briefly before adding, "Your cousin helped me, that time. Him, and some friend of his. They didn't stick around after, though." He'd been so long in his boss's office, trying to convince the man to give him a second chance, that by the time he came back out, both Warder and his friend had gone. Thankfully, so had Samroth.

Upon seeing Nal's upraised left palm, bearing the scar of their 'brotherhood', Trev's smile widened, and he clasped Nal's hand with his own, albeit hoping his friend would observe the lingering discoloration on the back of his wrist where it had been bruised, along with his eye. For a brief moment, he came close to spilling out an apology that had been brewing in the back of his head for years, but he hesitated, unsure how to find the right words. And then the moment passed as Nal spoke, instead, about Trev's brother. He greatly appreciated the words, assuring him that Toby would be safe, although he still struggled to fully feel as confident about it as Nal sounded. But he didn't have time to dwell on that, as the next sentence caught him off guard. "A carpentry apprenticeship?" He asked, smiling slightly in surprise. "Really? Does he like it? Is his boss good to him?" He realized, after asking, that Nal may not actually know the answers to these things, but hoped to get some sort of reassurance on it, regardless. "I figure he's around fourteen now. It's...weird to think about that." He added quietly. It saddened him, actually, to think about how many years he had missed out on. Tobedir was only about a year younger than Trevadir had been when he left home, and that realization was a little stunning.

He was a bit wrapped up in that thought, and nearly missed what else Nal said, after. But he didn't miss it entirely. He smiled a little in amusement at the joke about the girls' cooking, but was more concerned with the matter of the Umbarian guy. "You mentioned Prince Imrahil sending a ship for him, and guards and all that." He remembered, frowning slightly, hesitating slightly before deciding not to venture into his concerns about the ship. "Why did they move him, though? I thought he was going to stand trial here, for.. you know, what he did to Cali and Iole." He frowned at that. "I thought you three were going to testify against him and make sure he didn't manage to talk his way out of that... what happened?"

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Getting the hang of this .. Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Unalmis raised a single eyebrow, when Trev laughed off the mere mention of ‘exciting’ scars. He wondered how many more his friend wore now, than the last time they’d compared notes. Brawling, fighting, it was all good exercise of course when done for the right reasons, and they had known several tumbles over the years. Ryndir when he was training had literally asked the two younger boys to try and tackle him, like Orcs. It had ended in hilarity though more often than not. Now it was impossible to miss Trevadir’s black eye, his discoloured wrist, and the understanding sank low and deep. Trev's own father had hurt him, on purpose. And it wasn't the worst that Devedir had apparently managed, not by half. But still, that alone was worse than Nal had really suspected, even of that low life.


“Well you’re certainly going to have to tell the girls something, to keep both from flying at you and fussing all over,” he shrugged, when the other pondered telling of his time in Harlond to a wider audience. The Ranger was in fact quite curious to hear more about Trev’s experience with Macardil, now that the initial jealousy and irksomeness had dissolved. Now that he realised why his friend would have trusted a total stranger, rather than simply come home with them when they’d urged him to. How could he begrudge Trev having found a single, or maybe one of only two people, who he’d been glad to know during all his years away ? No, he just wanted to be sure, that this man who was still a relative stranger to him, was not going to turn out such bad company for his friend as the last company had. If Unalmis had learnt anything today it was that you could always be surprised. Some of the unlooked for experiences had been utterly well received, others .. less so. Still, all unexpected. He still could barely believe this was Trevadir trying to joke around. Here, right in front of him.


“What ? My cousin ?” he marvelled though as though that was the cause for his expression. “You must have been mistaken,” the young man shook his head in disbelief. “Nardy would spend more time apologising than fighting anyone,” he supposed, and rather exaggerated. But it felt good to have them both at fun, for the first time in a long time. When Nal’s hand came apart from the musician’s counterpart, it retreated so, satisfied.

“I believe the job is a fairly recent thing,” he shrugged with regard to Toby’s apprenticeship. “Only since Midsummer. Toby seems to be enjoying it, though I .. have .. heard things said about that new ‘boss’ of his. Wild rumours, the like of which small boys ought not believe,” A grin was growing across the young man’s jaw as he leaned back and delivered his punchline. “He seemed alright when I stopped by the other night anyway, for dinner. Your brother was just leaving, to rush home and tell GrammyU what he’d been learning.”

Nal gave it a moment, to see if Trevadir would put the pieces together there. But the final question that his friend would have of him did dull the amusement somewhat. His smile came unto a line, and hands turned over an empty drinking glass to see if any drop might slink out onto his opened palm.


“The telling, it .. wasn't ideal at all, since our unfavourite Guard was present for the questioning, if you can believe that." A repulsed sigh shook through Unalmis at even the memory. Of that smug expression .. "I'm glad you were not there, Trev. I, swear, I almost lost it. There 'Rip' was, asking all innocent like for me to tell him what had happened at the gate ?! When he knew of course. When in fact HE was what had happened ! But we weren't the only ones who got thrown by his being there. Arkadhur by all accounts; tried to end himself just to escape 'Rip's custody the only way he could.

The girls' testimony was damning against him, and the dagger of course clinched him into that crime; but once it became clear he could not have killed .. in Ithilien .. not himself, then somebody was smart enough to get him to admit that ‘Rip’ was who gave the dagger to him. And thus that 'Rip was to blame for him targetting Ryn's sister of all people. It does sound like something 'Rip' would organise, especially with all that you've found out about him. But even if it was just a liar's way of assigning the Guards' attention in another direction from himself, after the whole stink that we," Nal did not even blink at the fact that he ought to have used 'I' at this point, but continued .. "kicked up about 'Rip' and his part in things last year, well, the command had to at least investigate further. We're not exactly likely to corroborate a lie of Arkadhur's, after all. Of course that's when 'Rip' took his chance to slip off before they officially called him in. Sorrel is all kinds of worked up about it all actually," the admission slipped out quietly, from under brown eyes which refused outright to rise up and meet those awaiting, expectant.

"That's why they've moved Arkadhur beyond all clear reach, for even a Guard on the run, until they have 'Rip' himself in custody," the Ranger concluded what he had only hinted at earlier, hoping that might ease Trev's clear bewilderment over the matter. "My cousin is thrilled, really, that Prince Imrahil agreed to the transfer of custody. Nardy has been trying to tie our unfavourite Umbarian to the death of Lord Estennin out there, for years now. So that’s one murder they might still be able to pin on him in the meantime. He’s certainly not getting a free ride by going over there instead of here. They were really just making sure ‘Rip’ doesn’t find a means to silence Arkadhur in the dungeons here, before he can answer all the questions they still have for him over there.”

“The further from here he is, the better, as far as I’m concerned,” Nal confessed himself. “You didn’t see the half of it Trev, how scared the girls were, that night. Just knowing he was in the same city as them ... Nothing would ease their fretting that he’d somehow get free and come for them. Now though, he’s leagues off. And I’m fairly sure the Guard of Belfalas are more experienced with Umbarians than we are here. They hate Corsairs and all that ilk. He’ll pay, I trust in that. Someone ought to. After all that has been done.” The drinking glass was returned, safely if unsatisfying, to the table. "You care to drink to that ?" the Ranger asked, noting that they were by now bereft of refreshment on both counts.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

Trevadir
Reunited at last!

Trev grinned. "Yes, your cousin." He answered. "That was... I sort of got flung into his table, and.. well, that's a whole other story. I'll have to tell you about that later," He hesitated, recalling how things had gone the last time he told Nal anything about encountering one of his relatives, but this was a different relative, and a different circumstance. That one ought to be safe enough to tell, he hoped. He had no idea, of course, that those two he'd encountered in the Siren were actually involved with that same relative which he was trying not to bring up.

The matter of Tobedir's apprenticeship was of great interest to him. Only since Midsummer? That explained why no one had mentioned anything about this, then. He gave a small nod at that point, then tilted his head in curiosity as Nal began to tell him more about the boss. For a moment, he was mildly puzzled, until he mentioned having stopped by for dinner. For dinner? Wild rumors... and then something came to mind from not long before he'd left home, five years ago. Nal's father had been recovering from years of alcoholism, with plans to work with wood for a new career, since his ranger days were over. And suddenly it all fell together, and Trev's jaw dropped in astonishment. "No way!" He declared, his eye widening. "You're kidding me, right?" He laughed in amazement to think of Tobedir actually going to work with Addhor. "I can't believe it, he's actually working for him? Your father?" He asked, finding it rather incredulous. Not that he thought Nal would be lying, but it was just so unexpected!

"I sure wouldn't have expected that," He declared with a grin, after calming a bit from the fit of laughter that had come over him. "But, I'm glad, too." He added, more quietly, with a touch of seriousness. Thinking of all those ridiculous tales the older boys had told the younger, he felt a bit guilty to realize how similar he had behaved to his father. "Then, he no longer believes those crazy rumors someone told him?" He asked, hopeful. If that was not the case, then Trev may have more than one apology to make to his brother.

The quick break from all the seriousness was nice. It felt good to laugh with his friend again, but soon enough the news turned serious once more. He had asked, so he couldn't blame Nal for the mood dragging down again with the news about Arkadhur. His smile faded again as he listened, and soon turned to a frown. A scoff burst from him as Nal mentioned Rip feigning innocence. "Big surprise, there." He commented sarcastically, referring to the way the bully would always put on his innocent act whenever any grown-ups came around, even back when they were children. His eyebrow raised in surprise, though, at the mention of Arkadhur trying to end his own life just to escape from the crooked guard. "Yeah.." He frowned, thoughtful. "I suppose that would be the only way to ensure he'd have a swift and painless death," He muttered, but he didn't feel any sympathy for the man.

He felt silent for the next bit, thinking as Nal went on to talk about the rest of what had happened. And a slow chill crept down his back as he realized something that he hadn't quite connected before. As Nal concluded his tale, Trev was momentarily distracted trying to think of who Sorrel was, before recalling that was the girl whose father was friends with Nal's. Same girl who always used to pick Nal up for some reason. Just because she could? He wasn't sure why she would be upset, unless maybe she was also a victim of the traitorous lieutenant? He decided it didn't really matter at the moment.

"So.." He swallowed past a dry throat. "You realize, Rip's tried to kill each one of us, now." He frowned down at the table. "First you, then.. Ryn.." Sadly, that attempt had been successful, "and I'm sure he would've killed me by now if a certain Umbarian had given him the go-ahead... and now, finally, the girls." He sighed heavily. "Too bad Cali didn't scratch his eyes out, that one time, instead of just giving him a black eye." He scowled, recalling that little altercation. He remembered telling Nal all about that incident, later, after he was out of the houses of healing. They'd had a good laugh about it, then. But now.. it wasn't quite so funny. "Maybe none of this.." He trailed off, not finishing that thought. That had been the day just before Ryn died, he remembered. So, it occurred to him that if they could have seen the future, they could have stopped the creep then, before any irreparable damage was done. "But, of course, that was after he'd sent you off to what he meant to be your death... I'm glad he failed at that one, at least." Drawing in a slow breath, Trev pushed away those wishful thoughts. They couldn't change the past, and there was no point in thinking about the what-ifs.

His attention was drawn swiftly back to Nal as he heard a familiar name. Sitting up with interest, Trev turned back to Nal. "Estennin?" He repeated, troubled to hear of this. "He.. he's dead?" That was news to him, and sad news, even if he hadn't known the man at all. He'd assumed, all this time, that he and his daughter had been happily reunited for some time, and that had made Trev feel glad to think about now and then. "When..?" He wondered, half-hoping that it was a recent development.

He was even more upset to think of how frightened Cali and Iole must have been, and it must have been a lot for it to be as Nal described. "I saw her arm, originally," he mentioned, frowning. "And how.. shaken.. they both were, then." He had hoped, after seeing them more recently at the Midsummer dance, that all of that terror and trauma was behind them, but it seemed that was not the case. At the mention of how much the Belfalas folks hated 'corsairs and all that ilk', Trev shifted slightly, and hoped that no one considered him a part of that group. Surely, not his friends, but what about others?

He tried not to think about that, and smiled faintly as Nal asked about a fresh drink. "Yeah, we should get another. We've had a lot of talking to get through. Thirsty work, you know?" He grinned, trying to put aside the sad and upset of the previous discussion. He cleared his throat though, "Although, I should warn you, I have limited funds," He added, meaning to make it clear that he was not expecting anyone else to pay for his drinks. "I didn't get to collect what little pay I'd earned from the last two weeks. The scumbag kept it to pay for 'damages' to the tavern, from the fight." He explained, and rolled his good eye. He was slightly annoyed about that, although he had known it would happen if he got into another fight. He'd been warned. Not that he could help the fight happening, and both he and Macardil had tried to ask to be left alone.

[Ercassie]

Unalmis Raxëlilta. Yet more .. Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir. @Rillewen

Unalmis was as astonished to accept that his cousin had been even present at a tavern brawl, as Trevadir was astonished that his brother had taken an apprenticeship with Addhor. The stunned laughter had been sincere on both sides. But then the maybe more astounding subject reminded both that silver linings always come with clouds. Had the two young men come to the far side of all the turbulent exchanges that had come between them ? Perhaps. At least for now. Still that latest one .. left more than it’s share of foul aftertaste.

(‘You realise, ‘Rip’s tried to kill each one of us now,’)
Trevadir’s observation had not, in fact, been something that Nal had realised. At least not until this very heart-stopping moment. Because ..
(‘First you, then Ryn … after he’d sent you off to what was meant to be your death .. …’)


Unalmis clenched his hands together in his lap. No, he almost spoke up and protested. Because he was definitely missing something this time. He had gone with Pharak, to go ‘find his Uncle’. And that’s when everything had gone wrong for him. ‘Rip’ wasn’t there at all.

Except .. that Pharak had come at all because of Nal’s uncle. And how had some Blood priest out in Umbar even known where Domanol’s family were ? “He told him,” the Ranger assumed, albeit grudgingly. “Are you telling me .. that ‘Rip’ told that .. he told Pharak where to find us ?”


He wasn’t even sure he wanted an answer. Because his own words from not five minutes before were ready to torment him. With a most unwelcome truth. (It does sound like something ‘Rip’ would organise. Especially with all that you’ve found out about him ...)



Trev was still talking, something about Estennin now. Had his friend even known the man ? And then .. talk of payment .. again. Unalmis closed his eyes against it, wishing he could close his ears. There was too much in his head all of a sudden, too much to make sense of and sort all at once. He was trying to make sense of it, and now for the first time perhaps doing so completely. Wide eyes returned to his friend, as Nal collected himself and tried to keep from falling off the edge of his seat. Literally.

“It’s on me,” he waved off his friend’s concern about the drinks. “I’ll go .. I’ll just ..” Picking up his feet, somehow Unalmis rose. But veered off first towards the washroom rather than the bar, and half stumbled out of sight with a small crash.

---

Iole Ishen. Entering the scene

Trevadir though might have little time to confuse over that. For time had thrown new surprises at him also. Iole for the first time in her life, did not wait for somebody else to go first. She made through the door to the inn, just as the washroom door closed behind Nal.

“It’s true…” she breathed, stopping up short when she recognised the musician. And no doubt blocking Cali a half-moment more from following her in. The young woman wore a rose of pink exertion on both her otherwise pale cheeks. Just like the last time she had seen Trevadir, at Midsummer. But this time the sun was not to blame.

“We ran, but .. it’s my fault. I had to find somebody to cover the shop so we could .. ” Iole gave up on about half a dozen half-formed sentences to explain why they had taken so long, and slowly began to gravitate towards the musician. “You idiot !” she swore, still almost out of breath, but she was smiling. Both arms rose invitingly before she reeled in and embraced the young man’s head, bringing that dark mess in to lean him softly against her. She took a moment to enjoy the relief of it, before remembering that Cali was likely to share her want, for their most wanted vagabond.

[Rillewen]

@Ercassie

|
Trevadir | Cali Dringolben
More Reunions

Trev had not really given much thought to what he'd said. It seemed, he was making a habit of that, even when he was trying very hard to not say something to upset Nal, he still managed just by speaking aloud his sudden revelation. The look on Nal's face, however, revealed something else to him quite suddenly. "You didn't know..." He uttered, a look of apology swiftly crossing his face. Of course, he realized belatedly, remembering back to the period after that traumatic experience of Nal's. The things he had told Trev had never once revealed any indication that he knew of Rip's involvement. That was something Trev discovered later, and had simply come to believe that it must be known back home, by now. Especially after all the news Nal had shared about him being involved in Ryn's death. That was something Trev had not known. Still, Trev could have kicked himself for this.

"I..." He tried to get out an apology for that oversight, inwardly cringing as Nal asked a couple of stunned questions. had Rip told Pharak where to find them? 'Probably, but that's not even all,' Trev thought in reply, but didn't attempt to venture an answer just yet. Not that he had time to.

Before he quite knew what to do, Nal had jumped up from his seat, and.. rushed from the room. Was there a back door out of this place? Had he really just left? Trev blinked, staring after him in dismay as well as astonishment, his heart sinking down to his boots at the thoughts racing through his mind at the moment. That was normally Trev's part to play, the whole 'storming out of the room'. But this time, Trev was left feeling frozen in place, unsure what to do here, or how to fix it. Should he rush after him? Was Nal angry? At Trev? For not telling him about this, perhaps. Things had been going so well, and then he just had to open his stupid mouth! He ought to have known to be more careful about that subject. It did have a great deal to do with the whole 'falling out' from most of a year ago. Idiot, he told himself in frustration, just as the door burst open.

Despite the panic and dismay threatening to overwhelm him at the moment (fearing he had just ruined all the work of reuniting that he and Nal had just accomplished) Trev forced the best smile he could muster, upon spotting his two practically-sisters, practically piling on top of each other to get through the door.

"Iole," Cali laughed as she bumped into her friend, when the former stopped abruptly in the doorway. She peered around her, and grinned in delight to see Trev sitting there. "It is true!" She agreed with Iole's 'it's true' statement, and grinned as she followed her inside. She would have rushed in, past Iole who was moving slowly, but when he turned to see them enter, Cali caught sight of his black eye. She stopped in her tracks, her own eyes widening slightly. That was new.

Holding his flute lightly in one hand, Trev stood, slowly (due to a bit of lingering stunned-ness from Nal's abrupt departure) as Iole approached with her arms outstretched. Her words took him slightly by surprise. Not the apology for taking so long to get here. The 'you idiot' part. He blinked, wondering.. how could she possibly know what had just transpired between him and Nal? Unless she was listening? But maybe she was just teasing. Regardless, his smile faded a little. "Yeah, I sure am.." he agreed quietly as Iole hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her in return, grateful she was at least doing so gently.

Not even waiting for Iole to move out of the way, Cali hastened toward the two. "I can't believe you're finally back!" She declared with delight, and wrapped her arms around them both at once. Group hug! Only, where was Nal? She couldn't help wondering about this, as she thought Iole had mentioned that he was here, but she took the moment to enjoy the reunion for a moment, first.

Trev winced slightly as Cali's arm squeezed around his middle, but hoped neither of them would notice. But his hope was immediately dashed.

"Alright, what happened to you?" Cali demanded, frowning as she stepped back, swiftly releasing him. "The man who brought the message didn't say anything about you being injured," She mentioned, concerned about what had caused him to wince. She did recall that he had mentioned something about Trev having got into some trouble in Harlond, and that he would be 'safe' now. Hmm, that didn't sound good at all. "Don't even try to claim you're not injured, either." She added. "We're not blind," She motioned toward his eye, "and I saw you wince when I hugged you..." She paused, and glanced around. "And, where's Nal?" She added, worried suddenly that maybe he and Trev had returned to being mad at each other, despite all their efforts from Midsummer. "I thought you said Nal was already here?" She added to Iole. "Did you two idiots start fighting again?" She asked of Trevadir, frowning, folding her arms.

Trev hesitated, caught off guard by the 'interrogation'. "Uh.." He paused, and glanced briefly toward the door Nal had gone through. "One question at a time, alright?" He forced a slightly awkward smile.

[Ercassie]

Iole Ishen and Unalmis Raxëlilta. Group Reunion-ing.
with Trevadir (and Cali).. @Rillewen

Iole had not uttered so much as a gasp at the sight of Trevadir’s injuries, much less demanded to know their cause. She was simply glad to see him at all. Maybe he'd been forced to come in from Harlond for treatment at the Houses of Healing. But the injuries did not look severe enough to have met them on the Sixth. “We worried,” she whispered though as the musician wrapped his arms back around her. He had come home, finally. And she half-laughed as he admitted he had been an idiot. “I didn't think it would take you this long,” was her only chastisement though, and clearly all that was bothering her. Before Cali whumphed into their embrace as well, adding new strength and power to the sentiment. The massive relief. He couldn’t have escaped now if he wanted to !

Iole was not initially sure whether Trev then winced from their excited welcome, or from the demands that their mutual friend leapt into as they broke more carefully apart. Moments later, Cali remarked on quite when exactly she had observed his anguish. Like a mother-in-training, she missed little to nothing. And demanded explanations.

“You have not been self-medicating against the pain, have you ?” the slighter young woman put in as well, spying the many emptied drinking glasses on the table Trev had risen from. Gingerly she lifted the closest of these, between the very tips of two fingers. “You’ve taken the time for a little party anyway,” she remarked, sniffing the abandoned vessel briefly before she returned it, almost surprised at it’s innocent perfume.

“I figured he would have a cause to linger,” was all that could be offered, back over her shoulder, to Cali and the enquiry about Unalmis. “Sorrel and I were walking at lunch earlier, and spied Nal scoping out this place from outside,” she admitted to the Musician. “Now it’s clear what had seized his attention,” she smiled back, blinking in approval at their returned member of their group. She was about to ask Trevadir if he had at least seen Nal. The sheer number of glasses about supposed so. But the young man just then begged reprieve from their inquisitive onslaught, citing only one question at once would be considered. Just as Unalmis returned to their midst from the wash room, and answered at least half of the most recent.


“Oh thank goodness, it's you,” the Ranger exclaimed, shaking hair back out of his face. “From the noise I thought a flock of squealing Nazgul had descended !” The young man glanced, almost conspiratorially towards Trevadir and, catching the other’s stunned expression, he nodded once, to reassure him. "You're good ?" he checked. "We're .. good," he translated back to the group then after. Or decided. His face was a little more pale than usual, and his eyes flicked about the gathering slightly erratically, before settling on the bar. After taking a deep breath, he brought both hands together before him.

“I was just about to get us in another round, before I realised quite what a round we’d already put away,” he grinned, explaining, at least what sounded like a reasonable excuse for taking a ‘moment to himself’. Iole at least believed him, screwing up her nose in disgust at even the insinuation of bathrooms, but was glad they did not have to go hunt him down now, to be all together here.


“So what’s it to be ?” he put to each of the three in due turn. “Are you frightful creatures going to take advantage of our celebrating the hero of the high seas over there, or shall I close this bill down so you can spirit him back directly to show off your lair ?” Unalmis shrugged an elbow in the musician’s direction, and indicated Iole toward where Trev had dropped his small belongings near his seat. It was no wonder he had not even noticed it before. All that their friend had to his name was apparently not too weighty at all. “He’s got nowhere to sleep tonight, you know ..” Nal mentioned, rather deliberately. And began to count down on his fingers behind his back.

“You’ll stay with us, of course,” Iole spoke up, before he was ever done, grasping Trev’s unbruised hand by the fingers, as though she really did mean to spirit him there without delay. Nal calmly retrieved his own hand back from counting, into sight, with the best grin he could manage aimed toward Trev. “Cali ?” Iole then looked to her housemate, the question not so much an afterthought for permission, on Iole’s part, and certainly not because she expected her friend would ever disagree on the invitation; they were of one mind where it came to their little group after all. But she was less sure if they ought continue their reunion here, or rally the young man home to their clutches.