[Earendil Halfelven]

They crouched behind the boulders and trees. He heard footsteps behind them, and he turned to see Rave and Calimir come up. He motioned for them to be quiet. Their swords glistened in the newly risen sun.

While Rangar observed the situation, Turthôl had a while to think to himself. Rangar had hit a sore spot in their conversation, about Sartir and the expedition. Rangar had accused him of bringing Sartir back to life in the form of Wren and the others. Thats why it was so hard for him to trust others-for the fear of being betrayed. He was bringing the past back to life, but he had to bury it. He had denied Rangar's accusations, but he knew they were true.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Rangar's voice. "Let's move forward. Steadily. Me, Rave, and Calimir will go around the left and bring attention to ourselves. Turthôl, you go to the right and search for Wren. I can't see any others down there. Can you?"

Turthôl looked forward. He couldn't really see anyone, but there could be some surviving wild men out there. "I don't see anyone, but still, some wild men might have survived the fight and could be out there."

"All right, let's move. Quietly now." Rangar said.

Rave and Calimir nodded and followed after Rangar, with weapons drawn. Turthôl looked after them, giving them a headstart, and then he headed to the right. Suddenly, the feeling that Wren had betrayed them, that she had told her captor about Rangar and of their journey swelled up inside of him. No, he thought. Let the past die. It died with Sartir. He shook that thought out of his mind and headed down the slope.

He had lost sight of the others, but he knew they were there. His eyes scanned the forest. Nothing, yet. If the captor had no other companions then he wouldn't stick around, not with a whole company after him. If he was here, then he had some support. Yes...as he stepped out from behind a rather large boulder, he could see someone. A wild man, with his back turned. This was going to be easy.

He snuck up behind the man. Turthôl leaped on his back, grabbed his chin with his left and the back of his head with his right, and twisted them in the opposite direction. There was a loud pop, and the man dropped to the ground, his neck broken. So there were sentries. Hopefully, Rangar, Rave, and Calimir were doing fine.

Suddenly, the sounds of yelling and the clang of steel came from the left. They had met the enemy. He glimpsed two wild men running in that direction. Turthôl stopped them with arrows in their backs. That was all he could do to help the others. He had to find Wren, quick.

He quickened his pace. He could hear Rangar's voice, and Rave and Calimir shouting. The noises become louder as he neared the fight. As he neared, he made out a pair of legs sticking out from the other side. Wren! he thought. He rushed in and sure enough, it was Wren Chambria. She caught sight of him, and shouted, "Behind you!"

Turthôl turned in time to see a wild man bring his sword down in a large swipe. He dodged to the left, and landed a punch in the man's face. The wild man brought his sword back up, but Turthôl blocked it with his own. They struggled with eachother, each trying to outdue his enemy. Turthôl knocked the sword out of the man's grasp. The man looked up and their eyes met eachother. Turthôl looked into the man's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. It seemed as if he could read the man's thoughts, until his swipe severed the head from the body.

He quickly turned to Wren and drew his dagger to cut her ropes.
"We meet again my lady," he said as he began on her ropes.

"Its about time too. My company was completely boring. He's probably antisocial." she replied.

"I don't blame him. His first mistake was attacking us. His second, and biggest, was kidnapping you." Turthôl chuckled to himself. Wren glared at him. The ropes were cut and she stood up.

He looked into her eyes, to read her soul, to see what he could see. He saw fear of death, but also courage undaunted by that fear. Let the past die. He had misjudged this woman from Gondor. That was the mistake he had made. What he saw in her eyes, as he became transfixed in them, was trust. She had not betrayed them after all.

"You did not betray us to the enemy. You were true to the company. I'm sorry for misjudging you, for taking you as just a rich woman with naive ambition. But now I see a noblewoman of Gondor, one with courage, and who can be trusted. Please forgive my doubt." he said.

Wren looked at him with a look of astonishment. What was this? He saw she was shocked and surprised at his change in behavior. No other feeling showed on her face. He hoped this changed their relationship in a good way.

"Thank you, Turthôl." she smiled. At her smile, he knew he had said what she had been waiting to hear, and that made him glad, glad in a way that he had not been in years.

"Come, Wren, let's get out of here." Turthôl said.

"What, no "my lady"? she asked

"I thought you didn't like that." he said.

"Well, I could get used to it," she said with a laugh. Turthôl smiled at this.

"Here, take my dagger. Your sword is back at camp." he handed it to her.

"Thank you." she said as they ran back towards the edge of the woods. They could still hear dim sounds of steel clinging, but nothing more.

"Were you wounded in the battle? Your clothes have a lot of blood stains on them that weren't there before." she asked. Turthôl thought he detected a hint of worry in her voice.

"No," he replied. "Its...not mine."

They hurried back towards the company. Hopefully, Rangar, Calimir, and Rave had faired as well as them.