[Orual]

Ravion rode gently for Gwyllion, keeping a firm rein on Gond, though he knew that his horse would sense the need for gentleness. The girl, while seeming relaxed, stared around herself at the Elves that the company had fallen in with. She was leaning against him, supremely trusting and confident, and Ravion could not sense any trace of fear in her--her run-in with the merchants was not forgotten, surely, but recovered from. She was, perhaps, in awe of the Elves, but she was certainly not frightened.

He felt her sigh deeply, her shoulders rising and falling slowly. He smiled a little, though the ache that still gripped his heart seemed to keep his lips from moving too far. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Quite better!" Gwyllion replied, sounding remarkably chipper. "Do you know, I only cried a little bit when I got cut?"

Ravion's smile grew a tiny bit. "I noticed that." He sounded light, but truly, he was quite relieved by Gwyllion's relatively mild reaction. It showed growth, and it showed that she was becoming accustomed to the sort of lifestyle she would be leading.

He saw her watching the Elves, her eyes, keener than one might think, scanning them deeply. Ravion looked at those eyes, and fancied that she could see right through them, her penetrating gaze rooting out even the deepest secrets of the Elves. He nudged Gond on a bit, staring squarely ahead of himself, but not really seeing the ground. He would leave the observation to Gwyllion.