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Atharen
"Perilous, yes - but what isn't?"
Atharen regarded the man unblinkingly, then sighed. "If you wish to put yourself in danger, I will not stop you." He leaned back against the wall, one foot flat against the wall to hold him, resting his head back, and watched Ferethor from under his eyelashes. "But what of your alliance to Gondor? Does that not hold you from this?"
"I promised Maen my services and I do not intend to harm Gondor anyway - I will simply protect the quest." Ferethor's voice was slightly harder than before. Atharen let his eyes flit up towards the sky and shrugged very slightly.
"Fair enough, fair enough..but it is a capital offence. Do you not wonder why?"" His murmuring voice was once again infuriatingly calm and Ferethor glared at him, replying curtly, "Does your so called alliance to Gondor not command you to stop me?"
Atharen grinned slightly, his eyes still facing upwards. "Well, I'm not the one doing the breaking and entering now, am I?"
"If you have a better idea, ranger, speak up!" Ferethor snapped, his old distrust rising once more. Atharen held up his hands but didn't say any more. Ferethor sighed angrily. "I know not how I can be expected to trust you when you give me so little reason to, ranger!"
Atharen's head came down sharply and he looked Ferethor in the eyes. "I haven't given you reason not too, have I?"
Not knowing an answer to this, the hot-tempered guard didn't reply, just glared frustratedly at Atharen before sighing angrily and turning on his heel to walk towards Aelimur. Atharen smiled to himself, then it faded as he watched Aelimur and Ferethor conversing. No matter what the man said, Atharen very much doubted he would trust him at all if he had not guessed his secret mission - this way, Ferethor was quite probably only trusting the ranger because he didn't really have a choice. Now it was Atharen's turn to sigh, not angrily but frustratedly. Such hot-headedness, impulsiveness and distrust did not bode well for the future, and the ranger was beginning to wonder why exactly he was here.
Glancing over at Maen and Crystal, Atharen was surprised to see Crystal jerk her head back to Maen as he caught her gaze, and if he wasn't very much mistaken, the tips of her ears had gone slightly red. He raised his eyebrows. What have I done to make her feel uncomfortable? And why would one of such a fiery disposition keep so quiet about her discomfort in this way? he thought, frowning slightly. His dark eyes lingered on Crystal for a moment, but when she didn't turn, he looked away, his eyes moving onto the traveller...who was watching him with quite as much interest.
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