Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

The vale of the River Gilrain is thought of as a land unto itself. The small mountain near the upper end of the Gilrain bore a beacon post, as did the chain of mountains that formed the spine of Dor-en-Ernil so that the Prince of Dol Amroth could receive or send warning as readily as Minas Tirith. The farmlands of Lebennin were famed, but up near the roots of the mountains the land was less populated and the people living there felt less kinship with those of Dol Amroth or Minas Tirith. The concerns of the Steward and Prince, and now the King, were not seen as important in these insulated hills. They had grudgingly supplied as much as they could spare and more to the cities in support of the war effort, and then had taken on the burden of refugees from the city when Sauron’s forces had gathered to attack Minas Tirith. The time of hunger and want left strong and bitter resentment amongst those whose loyalties were already shaky. The crowning of the King and return to peace had not quickly restored their fortunes, and some of the young men remembered the whispers of their fathers who had in times past courted trade with southern lands and felt strong enough to attack patrols and take what they wished, selling what they didn’t want to those in the south, whether goods or people. It seemed good to them to do similarly. What fear of the city and the rule of the king should they have? He had disbanded his armies after all. There would be none nearby strong enough to thwart their desires and strength of arm. The root of the black tree had planted itself in their hearts, and they felt invincible.

The reports first began to filter into Linhir of petty thefts up and down the vale. Items missing from farms. Implements and food were the beginning, and then larger animals. A raid that stole two steers from one farm, and another that took five from another. Then they became bolder and decided to steal from caravans passing through and even a regular patrol to resupply the beacons. The two men-at-arms were found beaten, bloodied, and dead, with their packs gone. Urgent word was brought to Linhir by the veteran Lothar, who had been serving as guard on one of the attacked caravans. Those on the beacons would be going hungry soon, and their lifeline had been cut.

Ranger Thûllir Bregedyr and Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr had been in Linhir on personal leave and went to scout the area at the Captain of the Linhir Guard’s request. They sent a note to Captain Pele Alarion and Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen to inform them and request assistance, as the bandit group is estimated to be between 15 and 20 strong. Thûllir and Kaylin have since located the bandit camp and will await assistance before proceeding further than observation.
A small force is gathering at Lt Dealedwen’s command to take ship down the Anduin to Linhir.

RPG rules:
Rangers only - Please indicate your name and rank at the top of every post.
Prompts will come from the relevant officers or Karis as thread runner.

@Isolde Alarion @Rillewen
Arnyn was dressed in a combination of browns and black, wearing her black leather cuirass and matching bracers, pauldrons and boots with a combination of mostly brown cloth. There was no need for her gambeson as of yet, so she hadn't donned that. The only reason she had appeared wearing the armour she had was because she knew it helped to prepare mentally. It got everyone, not just herself, into the right mindset. Her Lieutenant's badge was clipped onto the shoulder of her woollen black cloak. Not that there was any risk of anyone forgetting who she was. It was simply protocol. No more, no less.

She'd been early, but surprisingly had not been the first one there. Two of the Rangers who would be coming along were already there. The Lieutenant led Nársulë toward them, extending the expected greetings as well as a compliment aimed at their more-than-timeliness. Any supplies they might need for the journey from Harlond to Linhir had already been transported to the harbour. It was probably being loaded onto the ship even as the three Rangers outside of the Great Gate waited for the others to arrive.

Leading the bay gelding down the busy levels had given Mourgan time to finish his breakfast or what was the last part of it, an apple, before he could see past a few people at some gathered just off the road. He wore a mix of browns and his black boots. His armor was simple. Leather vambraces that had seen their share of use and nearly matching in its use a jerkin vest. Across his back rest his sword and tucked away was a small collection of knives.

He'd awoke early and had packed what he thought he might need for the length of the mission, minimal yet everything had a purpose. A place for everything from the cloak tied and draped across the back of the saddle to the waterskin lightly jostling with the movement of the horse. Mourgan took a last bite of the apple and chewed it slowly as he approached the small gathering. "Morning." He greets them around a swallow, giving each a nod as he held the uneaten half of the apple for the horse to enjoy.

He looked at his roommate Trastion. "Well. Your first mission. Did you pack everything including the kitchen wash basin?" He chuckled, teasing him lightly. His brown eyes glanced over to Arnyn. He gave her a small greeting of her own. "Lieutenant."

Turning at the sound of Mourgan's voice, Trastion grinned at his question. If only he knew. While Trastion had managed to accumulate some new things since he'd come to live here in Minas Tirith, he still owned hardly anything. In fact, just about everything he owned could still fit into his pack, not counting his armor and weapons. And therefore, just about everything he owned.. had been packed. Just about. A few things had been left back in the dorm, but he had everything he needed for this mission with him now.

"Of course." He answered with a little smirk. In fact, he'd had plenty of experience with packing up for a journey, but Mourgan wouldn't know the extent of that. And while it was his first away mission with the rangers, it was not his first time traveling or going off to fight enemies. But he couldn't tell Mourgan anything about that, as much as he wanted to sometimes. So, he contented himself with accepting the teasing in good humor. "I suppose, you being the seasoned veteran that you are, you didn't bring a single thing that isn't absolutely useful and necessary." He grinned back at Mourgan.

Captain Pele Alarion
Lond Col

The message had reached Pele from Thûllir and Kaylin of the misdeeds by a bold group of people who had decided they were entitled to rob, injure, and kill. While she was technically on vacation and had not taken with her any equipment besides a knife, she considered the ways to respond to the message. She was sure that Arnyn would gather up some Rangers and set out as soon as possible. It would be quite useless to set out the message to communicate and agree on options. Considering the possible routes, Pele was convinced that it was more possible that the Rangers would make use of the swift travel along the Anduin rather than cut across the country in a straight line, so if she made way to Linhir there would be a possibility to intercept them and join up. Though there was still a chance that Arnyn would pick the option to take the paths instead of the River.

Deciding to strike for Linhir and then wait there for a bit to see if she had guessed correctly, Pele talked to Abrazimir to see if she could borrow some equipment and suit herself up. Having obtained permission to browse the armoury, she found that choosing armour was the most difficult part - most was knightly full armour polished to a shine which would only do if she aimed to act as bait and attract attention of bandits. Eventually she did manage to choose dark brown leather cuirass and a matching set of bracers, complete with an engraved image of swans. It would do in a pinch though.

Choosing weapons was easier, and yet not so; she spent a good couple hours testing the balance and the feel of various weapons, and eventually decided to relieve the armoury of one hand-and-a-half sword, an extra dagger to that of her own, a set of three throwing knives, and a shortbow with its quiver of twenty-five arrows. Even though this would usually suffice, Pele ended up roaming among the racks of polearms, until she chose a javelin which was approximately her own height. It could not hurt to have an extra weapon available after all.

That settled, she'd still have to make arrangements regarding things she would leave behind, stock up on some food, and set out to see if she could manage to cross ways with the other Rangers.

@Isolde Alarion @Rillewen
"Morning," she greeted Trastion with a smile in return. Mourgan was not far behind, and after his gentle teasing toward Trastion, followed by the Trainee's reply, the Lieutenant nodded at him. "Mourgan," she said, pretending as if neither of them had been joking around, even though the glint in her dark eyes betrayed her amusement.

It didn't take much longer for the remaining rangers to arrive, and as soon as they had, Arnyn led them on the road to Harlond. They were all of them seasoned rangers or former soldiers turned rangers, other than Trastion - and while Arnyn was determined to keep a watchful eye on her trainee and apprentice once things got serious, they were only on the road from Minas Tirith to Harlond now. So she left him in the company of his roommate, to bond with him and hopefilly the others as well while she rode at the front of the group of rangers, toward the harbour and toward the ship that knew to wait for them before setting out to Linhir.


At the harbour, the Lieutenant directed them toward the ship in question and dismounted before embarking. She spoke to one of the crew members, telling him she would first see her horse was well settled in below deck before she would be finding the ship's captain. Soon, the sailor was off to deliver the message and the rangers all took their horse to the stalls that had been prepared for their mounts. It was clear that the ship was set up to transport horses regularly, since it had all the necessary amenities to that end.

Once Arnyn was certain that both her horse as well as the other horses were secure and as comfortable as possible, she found Mourgan. "I will find you all on deck after I've spoken to the ship's captain," she told him. "If no one has shown you to the sleeping accommodations by then, I will." Turning sharply, she headed up to speak with the man in charge of the vessel.

"Of course, only the necessities." He tried to sound serious but of he was joking back at Trastion. In truth he probably had a few nonessentials, but they were small enough they didn't take up much room. He then turned to greet the remaining Rangers that were arriving till the Lieutenant had them head out. Mounting the bay, he settled into his seat and gathered the reins to his liking. He moved his mount to ride next to his roommate as they settled into a nice pace. Along the way he found conversation with the others easy as they spoke of various things to pass the time.

Harlond

Coming into the town he glanced over to Trastion. Motioning with a nudge of his chin to ride ahead of him till they reached to the ship where the Lieutenant halted and dismounted. He followed her lead, giving the gelding a thankful pat on the neck as he gathered the reins. He looked up at the tall mast and down the length of the sails then to the ship itself. He quickly untied his pack and anything else he wanted to keep close as their horses were quickly gathered up and being led on board.

The Lieutenant found him and told him she would find them on deck after she talked to the captain. " He nodded. "Yes Sir." He understood and watched for a moment as she left them to speak to the man in charge. He turned to the others gathered. "Gather your things and let's get on board." He announced and took his own pack and slung it over his shoulder, securing his weapons as he did so. "Trastion, stick with me." He wanted him close, if he lost him the Lieutenant would have him thrown from the ship, he was sure.

Up the gangplank he led the group, past those still loading the ship with goods and the horses. He seen some stairs that looked like they led to the deck, so he took them up where they gathered together. It was very busy up there, but he grabbed one of the sailors. "Sleeping accommodations?" It was all he needed to ask as the man pointed to another more in charge looking man. Mourgan let him go and made his way to the man.
"We see you for sleeping accommodations?" He asked him which caused the man to look up from his list. "Ah, yes. Rangers. Follow me." He motioned for them to follow.

Mourgan followed along and below deck they went to a hallway where they stopped at a line of small rooms. Looking inside Mourgan noted there wasn't going to be a lot of room, but it was a place to sleep he figured. The list man read off the room numbers and who was assigned to each which was nothing more than the first four slept in this first room and so on and so on. "Trastion, looks like you're with me. I get the bottom bunk!" He threw his things on it although he didn't plan on staying long. He stepped back into the hall and shouted. "Settle in then we meet the Lieutenant topside, remember your room number!" He looked back at Trastion. "Come with me. Let's go see what Harlond looks like from the railing."

@Isolde Alarion @Rillewen
After confirming the necessary details with the ship's captain once again - so there could be no misunderstandings and all mutual expectations were clear - the Lieutenant found her way to the deck, looking for the rangers who'd joined the mission and should be waiting for her.

As it turned out, they were - waiting for her on deck. And it didn't take long before she heard it had been Ranger Mourgan who'd facilitated the rangers already finding their sleeping arrangements. Arnyn herself was in a room with a few others, herself. The ship's captain had been willing to vacate a private cabin for her, but she had declined. Instead, she'd insisted she could join the other rangers. It would be no different on the road, since they were not taking separate tents for every single ranger. That would be folly.

The rangers stood to attention without any further need on her part to call them to it. "The ship is disembaring in about half an hour," she told them. "According to the captain's planning. We should make it to Linhir in good time. I surely don't need to tell you that the captain is expecting exemplary behaviour on our part, seeing as we're the King's Rangers." After a brief pause, she continued with a little smile. "We are helping out a little, as well. Especially around meal times. Two of us are to report to the ship's cook before every meal, to help with the preparation. Two others will help with the clean up afterward. I'll be one of the two first people to help clean up," she added immediately. "I expect the rest of you to determine amongst yourselves who the others will be." They were responsible adults, she figured. There was no need for her to tell them who had to do what and when. There was time enough for them to kill, after all, to discuss it if they felt a need to.
She also expected everyone to help out in equal measure, but felt like that was self-evident enough that it needn't be said. Unless, of course, if she were to notice that the same Rangers would be helping out again and again...

The ride to Harlond was enjoyable, chatting with his fellow rangers and, in general, enjoying the day. Upon arriving at the harbor, he paused to look up at the ship they would be boarding. He'd never been on anything any ship like that before, but he had been on his family's riverboat plenty of times, so he was familiar enough with leading a horse aboard and getting it stowed away for the journey. He followed the others in getting his horse secured in a stall, and offered Lightning an apple to help him get a little better settled in.

After bidding the horse farewell for now, Trastion went along with the others to find their sleeping quarters. He had decided it was probably best not to tell anyone of his prior experience with boats, which technically didn't even really apply in this situation. It was a different sort of vessel, and he had no experience with sailing anyway.

As Mourgan claimed the bottom bunk, Trastion laughed and tossed his pack(which sounded heavy) up onto the top one. "Fair enough. I prefer the upper bunk anyway." He grinned. "More climbing." He added in explanation. It was no secret to those who knew him that he enjoyed climbing just about anything. Trees, rocks, ropes, whatever.

As they left their cabin, he glanced to check which room number it was, and made sure to remember that as he followed Mourgan back up above. "Have you ever been on a ship?" He asked curiously, pausing at the railing to look at the harbor town. "I haven't," He added. He was a bit nervous, wondering how much different it would be from the boat. Mainly, he worried that it would rock and bob in the waves, and make him sick.

Soon enough, the lieutenant returned from her business, and addressed them. Trastion was mildly surprised to hear that they were supposed to help out with cooking, since he knew next to nothing about cooking, he felt a bit nervous about that, but then he figured they'd probably only be asked to do things like chopping vegetables, not actually preparing the meals. Right? Hopefully, or people would probably ask him to please not help. But he could help clean, anyway. He considered volunteering to join Arnyn with the first cleaning up shift, but someone else spoke up to claim that spot, first. It was probably just as well, though, since he realized he didn't want to seem like a 'teacher's pet' sort of person. Or, in this case, lieutenant's pet. The thought made him smile slightly in amusement, but he didn't dwell on it too long.

Instead, he nudged Mourgan lightly. "Want to stick together for one of those duties?" He asked quietly, hoping to stick with someone he knew a bit more than others. "Preferably cleaning, I don't know much about cooking.. do you?" He wondered, realizing that was something he didn't really know about Mourgan.

Captain Pele Alarion
Lond Col, heading for Linhir

Pele did not delay longer than necessary now that a new purpose was before her, setting out for Linhir as soon as she could even though it was possible that no overdue haste was necessary. If the Rangers came this way, she assumed it would take them at least two or three days, or more, depending on circumstances and weather. She could easily still remain at Lond Col for a couple more days, but then again it was better to be safe than sorry.

And so she set out two days after receiving the message, mostly letting Temper choose the pace of travel while she dictated the direction. The horse had not enjoyed as much movement as Pele had hoped at first to provide, imagining there would be a plenty of time to explore the surroundings. She had ended up mingling with people much of the time, and now the travel felt refreshing both to her and the horse alike. As soon as they set out it became clear that sensing the freedom given to him, Temper would make short work of the road to Linhir.

Meanwhile Pele took in the sights of the bay and of the mountains while her thoughts rested on business. She would have to look for the Captain of the Guard to see if he could fill in more details to the short note she had received, and perhaps discuss any assistance in terms of provisions and people, should the need arise. But then again, for finetune those details she'd have to see the Rangers arrive first. Once that is done... perhaps she would have some time all to herself.

@Arnyn @Pele Alarion @Rillewen

He half grinned at Trastions more climbing comment about the upper bunk. He personally didn't like climbing onto a bunk, being a bigger guy, he'd always found it harder and less comfortable. As he turned to head yopside he nodded lightly. "Once or twice but not this big." He answered as he hit the steps two at a time.

On the deck he felt a light breeze as he walked over to the rail, he leaned on it lightly as he crossed his arms. The port was busy, and he watched many people going along with their daily lives. For a moment he wondered if he would want to live here but then decided the smell of fish was not to his liking nor the crowded docks with people yelling and tossing all manner of wares around. Too busy for him he gathered and that was coming from a man that lived in a city built into the side of a mountain.

He noticed what looked like an ale house and the many scantily clad women lingering around it's entrance. He stared for a moment but when one of the woman noticed and tried her best come-hither smile on him he turned around and leaned against the rail looking over the ship. Crossing his arms before him he asked Trastion "So how long before we have you leaning over this rail losing your meal?" He joked with him as he pat the rail.

Just then he saw the Lieutenant approach them and he lightly tapped Trastion on the arm to get his attention to the fact. "Come on." He pushed himself off the railing and went closer to hear what she had to say. He stood at attention as she explained the arrangements. He nodded his understanding. When she was done, he felt a nudge and looked at Trastion. He suggested they stick together for one of the duties. He asked if he knew anything about cooking to which Mourgan simply smiled. "I've don't some cooking." He thought about the evening with Cali. "Come on, we can cook. It'll probably just be peeling potatoes and chopping vegetables and the likes. Besides, it would be good for you to learn some cooking skills. Never know when you might want to eat." He joked with him and grinned as he looked back to the Lieutenant. "Trastion and I will take the meal prep." He volunteered them.

@Isolde Alarion @Rillewen
The voyage was uneventful, and even pleasant. All Rangers had spontaneously taken up the duties she had ordered them to on that first day, and they had needed no further coordination than the initial orders. It had left them with plenty of time to spend as they would, and Arnyn had not hindered but rather stimulated the playing of several kinds of games. She had been the one to hand them a deck of cards. She had been the one to fashion a makeshift target from an unused barrel topping for a knife-and-dagger variation on darts.
On the other hand, she hadn't forgotten about Trastion's training. Being on mission would change little about their morning routine, whenever the schedule allowed. And for now, it did. So she worked him nearly into the ground every morning they woke on the ship, before most others rose from their bunks.

It took them no more than the planned amount of days to reach Linhir. Even though she had been here before, it had been a few years. Regardless of the time which had passed, she wouldn't have any trouble finding the city guard's headquarters from the harbour. Having been an officer for years - albeit not all consecutive ones - the routes to any military headquarters were the foremost thing about any given place she tended to commit to memory.

After speaking to the ship's Captain to settle everything and send word back with him to Minas Tirith that they had arrived and would continue as planned, the Lieutenant led the Rangers and their mounts ashore. And toward the guard headquarters. One of the Pelecconer who had joined the mission, currently rode next to her. They seemed to know each other well - or at least well enough to talk and, from time to time, share a laugh which trickled back toward the others.

To Trastion's relief, Mourgan was right; it was mostly peeling and chopping and other prep work that could be done easily, without knowing much about cooking. He had learned a few things from Tercen while he stayed in the house with him, but he still did not feel very confident about his own cooking abilities. He deemed it best that someone else do that, but he didn't mind helping with the simple stuff like that, and it was fun to work alongside his roommate.

While being on a sailing ship on the sea was much different from his family's large paddle boat on the river, Trastion was really glad that he didn't have too much trouble with seasickness. It did take him a bit of time to get used to the way the deck pitched and swayed under his feet, but he figured it was to be expected. It made training a bit more interesting, anyway. He also made a point of going down to check on the horses, particularly Lightning, each day, to make sure that all was going well with them.

At last, they arrived, and Trastion was pretty glad to get back onto dry land again. This came with a little surprise to him, however. After having adjusted to the strange way the ship rocked almost constantly, it felt weird, now, that the ground wasn't doing that. As he led Lightning off the ship, he tried to follow close behind the lieutenant, but ended up lagging behind a little as he tried to make his legs adjust back to solid ground. He was glad when he saw others mounting their horses, and gladly pulled himself up into the saddle. He had no idea how the horses managed to not have the same problem, but he had also noticed that they didn't seem to have much trouble adjusting to the ship, either. Maybe because they had four legs, rather than balancing on just two?

As they rode along, he looked around curiously. This was a new place for him, and he wished they were here for a better reason. It would have been nice to have time to explore around and have some fun, but he assumed they would be going immediately to wherever the trouble was that they'd come to put a stop to. Trastion glanced around to take a look at some of the others who were riding nearby. Mourgan was closest to him, and after a bit, he turned to his friend. "What's your horse's name?" He asked, curious, as he didn't think this had ever come up. He wondered, was it one of the ones from the ranger stables, or did Mourgan have his own horse?

Captain Pele Alarion
Linhir

Pele had learned what details she could pertaining to the mission, of which there were not that many as to take up more than a couple hours to discuss them. Besides, after some deliberation she had opted to accept an offer to stay at the barracks rather than one of the inns of the city; she did not fancy drawing to herself curious bystanders if she rode up to an inn armed to her teeth as she was. She'd be more likely not to stick out as a sore thumb in the proximity of other military folk.

As it happened, Pele soon abandoned any thoughts of having a couple days all to herself - much of the time turned out into a partly formal and partly informal visit of experience exchange, as she learned how things were run by Linhir Guard, their daily routines and scope of activities and compared it to how Rangers worked. Since it would not do without experiencing something practical, she got involved into a couple sparring sessions and joined one of the city patrols for their round of duty.

Even though it turned out to be more business than she had intended to, the Captain had made sure to establish friendly terms with some guards on their off-duty time, and one of them showed her his favourite fishing locations and leant her his fishing gear. Fishing had not been one of Pele's hobbies before, yet it was a good way to relax even when she did not have much to show for it. And so she was returning from her third fishing outing during her stay in Linhir when she spotted the arriving Rangers. A grin grew on her lips, as she hastened towards them, looking nothing like their Captain in her sandals, light-green tunic and baggy trousers with rolled up trouser legs, holding a fishing rod in one hand and a bucket in the other.

"Hail, Rangers of King Elessar," she called out a greeting when she was close enough. "Welcome to Linhir! Would you like to buy some fish, just caught and fresh?" She lifted the bucket slightly, as if to present the contents: she had caught only four rather small fish which now swam around in the bucket filled half-way with water.

@Isolde Alarion @Rillewen @Pele Alarion
Both Arnyn and the Peleconner next to her recognized the voice, but it was at odds with the sight that met their eyes as they followed the voice to its source. The Pelecconer was gaping. Arnyn frowned for the briefest moment, then grinned. "Ahh!" she exclaimed in recognition. "Can your catch feed all of us?" Sliding off Narsùlë, the Lieutenant took him by the reins to walk the rest of the distance toward Pele. After peeking into the bucket, she laughed. "Guess not. Nice offer, though."

Quickly looking the Captain up and down, Arnyn tilted her head to indicate the rangers behind her, who'd drawn to a halt. "All ready. Do we still need to coordinate with the guard captain? What are your orders, fisherwoman?" Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement, even if her expression was focused.

@Arnyn , @Isolde Alarion , @Rillewen

Captain Pele Alarion
Linhir

An amused grin played on Pele's lips as she waited for Rangers to approach, content to see that Arnyn seemed to have them all prepared, even though she did not think it could ever be otherwise.

"I think it would be enough to add a taste of fish to a large pot of veggie stew," her blue eyes gleamed with laughter, though she commented on it with as much seriousness as she could muster. "Though it might not be as filling as should be before a long journey." She then looked past Arnyn to other Rangers, seeking to make eye contact with each as means of greeting.

"Perhaps a few small last details to settle," Pele's attention returned to her Lieutenant. "Supplies. A couple other last minute questions. I won't need long to make myself ready though I still look like on vacation, and we can set out, perhaps after a hearty meal."

As they rode along, Trastion was surprised by a fisherwoman stopping them. He had been chatting with Mourgan, but upon hearing the 'Hail, Rangers...' from the stranger, and 'Welcome to Linhir' he turned his attention that way as he drew his horse to a stop behind the people in front of him. What was this about? He couldn't hear everything from back here, but he saw the way she seemed to offer a bucket.. her catch? But what surprised him most was the way Arnyn laughed and spoke in return to the fisherwoman, as if she were greeting an old friend, although he couldn't really hear everything from where he was.

Though confused, Trastion kept quiet and refrained from glancing around at the others. Still, he couldn't help wondering; was anyone else as puzzled as he was? He could not see the woman very well from here, and did not know the captain as well as many others, like Mourgan. So, it took him a little while before he began to realize that the woman actually did look somewhat familiar. But it still didn't quite dawn on him that it was the captain until he saw her face more clearly as she looked him in the eye. Ah! He fought back a grin as he recognized her. Now, it all made sense. He gave a little nod of greeting in return, smiling slightly.

@Arnyn , @Isolde Alarion , @Rillewen

Captain Pele Alarion
Linhir

Luckily it the Linhir Guard were not quartered too far away, for being on foot, Pele was not inclined on running alongside horses. As the first matter of business, she gave the fish away to a lad who seemed to be headed towards his own fishing adventures and was mighty glad of the catch even if it was not his own.

Once they arrived at the headquarters, Pele waited for the Rangers to gather, and then said: "Make your horses comfortable so that they can rest before we set out in an hour or two; gather in the mess hall after." She was sure they would have no trouble finding where the mess was - the headquarters and living quarters for the Guard here were not quite as complex as their own back in Minas Tirith.

"Arnyn, why don't you come by my room when you're ready; the second door in the hallway to the right from the entrance to the barracks. For a short word," she said, turning to the Lieutenant.

That said, she disappeared indoors to return the fishing rod to its owner, and then to exchange the comfortable garb she had been wearing for that of a warrior, even if it was not Ranger gear proper.

@Isolde Alarion @Rillewen @Pele Alarion
The Lieutenant nodded to her Captain. "Of course."

Arnyn kept her feet on the ground, walking with Pele and guiding Nársulë along by the reins. At the headquarters of the Linhir Guard, the Rangers all listened to their Captain's orders and then set about completing them. The layout of the compound was rather instinctual, and after seeing her stallion settled in and making sure the mess hall was easy to locate, Arnyn told the rangers to eat their fill in preparation for the road. And a gentle reminder that they were guests here. In other words, no foodfights. Then she headed for the room Pele had described was hers. From the entrance, the hallway to the right...

The Lieutenant knocked three times on the second door. "Pele? Reporting in as requested."

@Arnyn , @Isolde Alarion , @Rillewen

Captain Pele Alarion
Linhir

Pele had managed to exchange her 'vacation' clothing for something more appropriate and was currently fitting on the leather armour she had brought from Lond Col.

"Come on in!" she responded to the knock, turning away from the mirror she used to check on the progress of fitting on armour which was not custom-made for her to the point where she did not have to think of getting all the straps and buckles done correctly. "Everyone's getting filled with good food, I assume?" she asked with a small grin, as she adjusted the positioning of the armour slightly, feeling that it had slid slightly towards one shoulder at the top. "You should have brought some with you to eat here."

"But yes, business," Pele made effort to keep her light-hearted remarks at bay and attend to what had to be done. "The Captain of the Guard offered us a couple of wagons with provisions, but I opted to accept as much as we can pack on our own horses without burdening them too much. Wagons would be no good should we take to small paths, which is very likely, I'd think. So it would not take as too long to load up that much."

The Captain turned towards Arnyn again, as she reached for the sword to buckle it on. "I was not sure how to reply to an offer of a couple guards to assist us since I was not sure how many Rangers you would bring," she explained and then sought to see what her Lieutenant's opinion would be: "I suppose we could tackle ten or fifteen bandits and not take away from the Guard. Besides, they are not much used to working outside the city and might become a hindrance rather than assistance. What do you think?"

@Pele Alarion
The door was open, and Arnyn stepped in without hesitation now she had been invited. Closing the door promptly behind her, she eyes Pele's attire before meeting her friend's blue eyes. "They should be," she confirmed, referring to the rangers who had come with her, who were hopefully filling their stomachs as ordered. Almost huffing at Pele's comment that she should have brought some food into the room with her, Arnyn gave her Captain a half smile. "Perhaps I should have."

She nodded, though, when the Captain turned to business, and her gaze wandered though the room as Pele offered what logistical information she could. She agreed with Pele on the matter of the wagons, and not taking any with them. If push came to shove, they could always hunt or forage for some additional food. Once she saw Pele reaching for the sword, Arnyn shook her head and moved behind her friend, to adjust the straps of her armour a bit better. She could tell that it was not Pele's, of course. And the earlier shift of the cuirass had not escaped her attention. "The guard can stay in Linhir and fulfill their own duties here," she agreed. "Even if the bandits are a bit larger in number, we should be able to use tactics to our advantage and outmanouver them even with a smaller number ourselves."

Once she was done re-adjusting the straps and buckles here and there, she stepped back to watch her handiwork and gave a slow nod of approval. "Did you borrow this from the Captain of the Guard?"

@Arnyn

Captain Pele Alarion
Linhir

A small smile lingered on Pele's face as she set the sword back down and let Arnyn work on setting the armour aright. She had been waiting for the Rangers to arrive any day, so she kept her belongings neatly stashed in bags and ready to go retrieving something she needed only to put it right back in after the use. The room seemed almost untouched, not a single crease on the woolen blanket and sheets covering the bed, the small table cleared, except for a single cup. It lacked the comfortable personal belongings such as her own blankets and pillows, books and various small items that breathed life in her barracks room back home; and she had managed to keep this little space in Linhir as impersonal and perfect as she could.

"This is from Lond Col," she responded to her friend's asking with a light-hearted laugh. "I searched and despoiled an armoury Abrazimir gave me access to. It was hard to find something that would not make me look like a knight in shining armour coming to rescue a damsel in distress. But I did eventually arm myself up to my teeth and let Temper run his heart out to bring me here. Poor beast had been rather bored for a good long while, so I let him."

Judging from the content look on Arnyn's face that the armour was now considered to be in fit state, Pele finally buckled on the sword.

"I think... It shouldn't take us too long to pack additional provisions on horses; and I figure we could still cover quite a good distance along the road without tiring the horses out," she continued with the plans. "I don't foresee any difficulties until we come to a place where we should start looking for any signs of where to step away from it; I am sure Thullir and Kaylin would have left some markings somewhere. Have you studied the map, Arnyn? How soon do you think we should start looking for branching out off-road?"

@Pele Alarion
"Lond Col," she repeated, lifting her eyebrows a little, but she spared no more than a faint smile at Pele's joke about the knight in shining armour. "I am sure Temper appreciated the exercise," she merely replied. "Probably helped him from turning you into the damsel in distress." Temper's name, she knew, was not a far-fetched one, after all.

"I have," she answered the Captain's question. "I do not know what Thûllir or Kaylin wrote to you - but in the letter I received, Thûllir mentioned that a supply mission was supposedly ambushed near the crossroads between the road going north from Linhir and a path going more north-east? That should be easy enough to find. Depending on what tracks we find, things might grow more complicated from there. I'm not sure how obvious they intended to be in regards to leaving signs for us. And they have a good head start on us, too. The weather or other individuals might have wiped both the original trail as well as theirs away." The Lieutenant's smile faded into a serious expression. "We will simply have to wait and see what we find, I reckon."

@Pele Alarion @Arnyn @Rillewen

Their time on the ship and worked itself into a nice routine. He and Trastion helped with the cooking, even if was just a steady flow of peeling, chopping and cleaning. When not doing those things he enjoyed the games the Lieutenant made up, especially the card games. So far, he'd accrued a nice stake of IOU's which he intended to cash in at some point along this journey. Never knew when they would come in handy.
Of course he kept the slips of paper tucked away from the Lieutenants eye, she would most likely frown on their gambling, but they kept it below decks and as secret as they could.

Before he knew it they were once more on dry land and he chuckled at watching Trastion adjust to walking once more. He mounted his horse and they set off. Their next bit of travel gave them time to talk and socialize which made the time pass faster then what he thought it would and they soon found themselves approaching Linhir. He was just answering Trastions question about his mounts name as they seemed to pull up next to a fisherwoman.

"I'm not sure of his name actually." He scratched his chin in thought. "He doesn't belong to me, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give him a temporary name. Can't just call him horse I suppose." He shrugged and grinned at Trastion. Before he could think of a name he lightly halted the horse as the Lieutenant spoke with her. He watched the two. The voice from the fisherwoman was familiar but his view of her didn't match, for a moment anyways.

He looked over at Trastion and could tell he was confused. "It's the Captain." He was amused and let his mount take his time as they started to go. It was a leisurely pace to the headquartered where they were given their orders. He nodded his understanding and dismounted. "Any ideas for a name for him?" He asked Trastion as he pat the gelding on the shoulder before taking up the reins to lead him to the stables. He waited for Trastion to join him. "Nothing too flashy or ridiculous. I still need to remember it and I won't if it's too...froo froo, you know?" he grinned.

It was a short walk to the stables and Mourgan seen to making the as of the moment unnamed horse comfortable. A bucket of cool, clean water and some fresh hay seemed to do the trick. He turned to check on Trastion and how he was doing. "Don't know about you but I could do with some cool clean water and some fresh hay myself." He suggested as he leaned with one arm draped over the horses' haunches.

@Isolde Alarion
As the lieutenant and captain went off together, Trastion followed Mourgan and the others to the stable. He chose an empty stall next to the one that Mourgan had chosen, and so they were still able to talk while getting their horses situated together. "Hmm," He thought about the name as he worked on giving Lightning a good brushing. Then a grin stole across his face as his roommate said 'nothing too flashy or ridiculous'. For a moment, he tried to think of the most absurd, ridiculous name that he could, to suggest.. as a joke. Then a better idea came to mind.

"How about Flash?" He asked, glancing over at Mourgan with a grin. "Flash and Lightning. They could be a pair. Who knows, maybe they're even brothers." He shrugged, taking a step back to look at the two horses. They could be, for all he knew. "I wonder if he's as fast as Lightning.." He wondered idly as he finished grooming Lightning, made sure he had hay and water, and once the horses were situated comfortably in the stables, they left and went to the mess hall, as instructed.

Trastion hadn't really needed Arnyn's reminder about being on their best behavior, but he also couldn't speak for everyone else. As he went through the line in the mess hall, he thanked the people serving up the food for them, and then he and Mourgan went to sit with some others. Some were their fellow rangers who they had become close with during the ship voyage, while others were guards of Linhir who were taking their meals at the same time as the rangers.

Captain Pele Alarion
Linhir

"No, the message to me was not much different," Pele shook her head as she stood for a while, facing Arnyn. "And as far as I gathered from the Captain of the Guard, there has been no new word from the location since, which is only understandable. I suppose it is true enough that we'll just have to see when we come that far."

Then the Captain turned to gather her pack and sling it across her shoulders, and gathered her archery equipment and spear. "I could have come that way and explored at least the crossroads myself," she said while she looked around to make sure she left the room in perfect state, and then turned back to Arnyn. "But I preferred speed, taking a trail over the mountain ridge and along the coast. Beautiful views. Besides, I did not want to be caught should a bunch of bandits hide out waylaying people."

She gave the room one final quiet look over, and then moved for the door.

"I say we should grab some quick food ourselves, collect what provisions still need collecting and set out," she repeated the obvious next steps. "If we manage to cover quite some distance before nightfall, all the better. I really don't fancy receiving another message of more people having fallen victims while we are on the way..." She half-muttered the last sentence, aware that it might not depend on her, nor Thûllir and Kaylin alone would be able to tackle the group of bandits, especially if the said group split into several.

@Pele Alarion
"There is a reason that Thûllir and Kaylin asked for reinforcements," Arnyn seemed to agree with Pele's chosen route. "It was probably good you did not venture there alone." Arnyn nodded at Pele's instructions. "Yes, Captain."

They made quick work of a good meal and gathered what they still needed before their departure - which wasn't much. The goodbye to the Captain of the Guard was dealt with by Pele, though Arnyn did speak with him briefly afterward to say a quick hello (and goodbye). Soon, the relatively small group of rangers were on their way north.

At least the road allowed them to cover a good distance before they started looking for a good place to make camp. Close enough to the road to notice a commotion there, but not easily spotted from there either.
After a look to Pele and a nod of permission, Arnyn handed out orders without really having to think about it. She assigned one of the other rangers to build a cooking fire, gave another cooking duty alongside herself, and assigned 2 others to clean-up. A perimeter was disclosed and guard shifts were set to cover the night. Tras and Mourgan both had the last shift before dawn. Pele was part of the middle shift, Arnyn part of the first shift.

The meal was simple but good. When the ranger working on the food with Arnyn commented on it, the Lieutenant shot him a grin. "I picked up a thing or two over the years," she shrugged. "Figured it wouldn't be a bad thing. Well fed rangers are happy rangers, right?" The two if them distributed a portion to everyone and the group then sat down together.

@Arnyn , @Isolde Alarion , @Rillewen

Captain Pele Alarion

As they set off from Linhir, travelling at good speed along the road, it still took them a couple days of travel and a couple nights of camping near the road to reach the crossroads. Pele made sure that the set speed of travel would not weary out the horses unnecessarily, and, assisted by Arnyn's organisational skills, ensured that there was always a little bit of bonding around the fire each night for the evening meal.

Eventually they came to the place of what was clearly two graves, swords and shields still untouched by them. Pele dismounted and briefly paid her respects, head bowed, and making a promise to bring the weapons back home to the families when they return. Unless she rather ended up joining them... She banned the thought immediately and turned to the Rangers.

"Long enough time has passed since the events, but let us explore the surroundings to see if we can spot some marks of the trail. I would suppose that it would lead further towards the mountains, but it never hurts to double check," she said, glancing around the place. She could still see remains of a cart and a barrel, but nothing else caught her eye at the first glance.

"Let us split up in pairs and investigate in all directions, but none of us should venture so far as to lose all contact with other teams. Always remain within hearing distance if not in sight," she instructed, and tilted her head to see if people would organise themselves or if she would have to assign the teams.