[Imladris]

A cold avalanch of anger tumbled in Aeron's stomach. Raefindan had let them go. Raefindan had said, with a nice big smile, that he didn't care what the merchants did to them. If he had cared he wouldn't have handed them over without a fight. What happened to friends sticking together? WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THIS NOBLENESS THEY WERE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT? It all disappeared when there was a fight afoot.

Aeron ran his fingers through his hair and considered making a run for it. He glanced at Gwyllion, at her pale pointed face as she backed slowly away from the merchants. How could Raefindan consign her to a cold dank prison? He scowled at her and then flicked his face towards the merchants. She frowned in confusion, and then nodded as understanding lit upon her face.

Aeron shot a dirty look at Raefindan. He had expected Ravion to have pulled a stunt like this, not Raefindan. Raefindan...how could he? How could he have agreed with what Ravion said of nobility and then do this? He could feel the anger lick his insides like an angry flame as his hand balled in a fist.

As one of the mercenaries neared, Aeron shouted something that he would assuredly not have said if he was in a more favourable mood towards Raefindan, and barreled into the mercenary, knocking him to the ground. Catching his balance, Aeron spared a look towards Gwyllion who was sprinting across the landscape.

Without a backwards glance, he sped after her, until he was running neck and neck besider her. He could feel the hoofprints pound dully behind him, yet he was not expecting the weight that bore him into Gwyllion, thus making them both tumble to the ground.

Gwyllion shrieked, raking at the soldiers with her nails, flailing wildly as the men tried to bind her hands with thongs. Her shrieks turned into screams of terror, as blood began to ooze from the soldier's cheek.

Aeron wriggled from one of the mercenaries, and leaped to the back of the men binding Gwyllion, locking his throat in a strangle hold. "LET US GO!" he heard her shriek. "LET US GO!"

He could feel hands pry him from the back of the shoulder, hands tackling him to the ground. He struggled, but they pushed him onto his stomach, prying his arms until they nearly came from their sockets. Tight leather bound his wrists together.

He was jerked to his feet and dragged to one of the horses.

Ravion, Raefindan, and the other ranger had just stood there.

"HOW COULD YOU!" he screamed, still struggling. "HOW DARE YOU!" He wanted to hit Raefindan, hurt him. Why...Aeron had tried to tell them that they could fight, yet they had done nothing. They had just stood there, complacently watching them being led away to their dooms. He snorted. Did they think that the king would care about a thief? Did he think that the courts would plead them innocent when they would be swayed by the jingling purses of the merchant?