[Nuranar]

Luinien's dark head appeared at the door. "Ah! there you are, Veryadan." The Ranger admitted his presence. "Would you mind joining us in the meeting room? You too," she continued, turning to Aidwain and Osric. "Unless you're too busy, of course," she continued, a dangerous glint in her eye. Aidwain and a silenced Osric followed her and Veryadan into the inn.

Silrûth and the Northern Rangers were already in the room. Tarondo pointed to the map. "The Whittleworth farm is here near Staddle, on the east side of Bree-hill. Fen Shepherdspurse will show Silrûth and I the way there." Silrûth nodded, a small, satisfied smile on her lips. "Veryadan, you and Aidwain and Osric go here" - he pointed to a spot just east of the Midgewater Marshes - "where the shepherd was killed."

"That was a week ago," Osric spoke up. "Will there be anything to see after that long?"

"That's what we are to discover," Veryadan said coolly.

Tarondo continued, "Luinien, Thoronmir, and Menecar, you go on past Amon Sûl - that is Weathertop - to where the merchants were attacked."

"Will we meet up after we finish?" Aidwain asked.

"Yes, at Weathertop. It's three or four days' gourney from here, and we need to allow time for investigation. So we will meet no later than six days from now. If you have not even sent word by then, the rest of us will assume that you have run into trouble." He grinned suddenly. "So please be there if you possibly can. I hope that is clear?"

A few murmurs, then Menecar spoke. "What you have said is very clear. But I want to know for certain exactly what we are to be looking for."

"The King has sent us to find out what is happening," Luinien answered. That means we need to discover who is behind it. And we do that by going to the scene, studying the ground, looking for footprints, and so forth."

"All the while using our heads and thinking and fitting the pieces together," Veryadan said.

"And then we decide what to do about it." Tarondo stood up. "Fen Shepherdspurse is waiting in the common room. I suggest you saddle your horses. We can travel together as far as the road to Staddle."