[Novnarwen]

"I search with you as well!"

Rhând heard one of the freed prisoner say this over and over again in his head. After that, another Southron had followed Grash and himself, which was indeed bad news for Rhând. When being asked for his name, Rhând couldn't quite figure what to answer. If he told them his real name, he was afraid that the Southron would react. After all, he would probably recognize the name as being a name of Harad. Instead, he bit his lip and muttered therefore slowly. "Aldor. I am Aldor." Zuromor, a man with dark filthy hair and green eyes, nodded approvingly. The Southron's name was apparently Jeren, but Rhând didn't care about him too much. Just being a Southron, looking like one and having a name from Harad, would not make him popular amongst the free prisoners no matter how kind, gentle or affectionate he was. (Not that he was either of these things . . .)

After a few minutes walking, the four of them found themselves in the middle of the courtyard surrounding the Tower. From here they spread slightly, in order to get what they needed; weapons and armours. Rhând turned, going straight towards a couple of Orcs lying lifeless at the ground. He would have to find a little orc, whose armour could fit Rhând's skinny body. After the months in the tower he had definitely lost weight. And having been a bit slender before he was locked up, he certainly looked as if he was starving now. Actually, when he thought about it, he was quite hungry. He looked over his shoulder, seeing that the others were busy finding equipment. He bent down, feeling the pain of the bite that the rat had given him on his neck, searching the orcs nearby for something to eat. Nothing! he thought, cursing in his own tongue.

"Weapons?" A voice from behind made him jump. He looked into the eyes of Zuromor, who seemed to have found most of the equipment he needed. Rhând made a nod, smiling as warmly as he could. "I'll just take these," he stuttered, meanwhile pointing down at the dead orcs' selections of knives and swords. By this, Zuromor was apparently satisfied and stalked off to see if the others had found anything.

Again, Rhând cursed, but not as loudly as before. What if Zuromor had heard him talking in another tongue than the Common Speech? Would it not seem suspicious? He had already told them that his name was Aldor, and they hadn't questioned him, so they obviously believed he was from Gondor. However, if they knew that he spoke the language of the Harad, they would certainly know that he was indeed someone else than whom he claimed to be and then it would all be over. He prayed that he hadn't heard, and promised himself to only speak the Common Speech.

Bending down again, he grabbed a hold of a dead orc and began to undress him. A few minutes later, Rhând was fully dressed; having a pair of dirty boots on his feet, bearing rusty armour and a sword which was hanging from a belt. He also grabbed a few knives of which he would not show to the others. They could be very useful one day, and he covered them secretly from everyone's view. He spotted one of the others and went towards him.