[Orual]

Rie broke into a grin. "Of course! I could hardly forget. I knew I recognized you. He was very kind--like as not I'd be up in my room with a broken leg if he hadn't been there to catch me. I've always regretted that I couldn't get to know him, but I had to leave right away." She nodded contemplatively. "He reminds me of my own brother. Well, one of them, at least--I have enough that every man I meet will probably remind me of one of them!" She laughed, and after it trailed off she added, "I liked him, I mean. I love my brother, and miss him, but I'll probably nev--that is, I don't see him much anymore." She bit her lip at her slip-up, and waited to see if Luinien would call her on it.

*****

"Why did she run away? Is there a particular reason she would hide from even you?"

"From me?" Talômi echoed. "I don't know why she's hiding from me. Well, she doesn't know I'm here, now, but I've tried to get letters to her and I've never gotten a reply. She probably thinks I'll just tell Father where she is and have her sent back home. You see, she wants to be an adventurer--I am a Ranger, and my father and all of my brothers are Rangers as well. My mother's a smith, and Rie was supposed to be one after her, but that's not what she wanted. And Rie is very used to getting what she wants, you understand? She's the only girl. Father's princess, even though sometimes she felt that he didn't notice her, since she never came with us when we went anywhere--being the daughter. So she decided she'd go, and leave us hanging for once." He stopped. "No, I'm making her sound more bitter than she was. She just wanted to do what she felt like. It had nothing to do with revenge. But I'm...afraid that, oh..." He faltered. "I'm afraid that she doesn't want me here. I'm afraid that she'd prefer it if I were back home in Gondor, with Father, and if I never thought of her again." He sighed and looked at Tarondo. "But I guess you wouldn't understand that part, since you and Luinien seem so close. We are, too, I think...I thought..."