View Single Post
Old 04-09-2004, 04:10 PM   #156
Hilde Bracegirdle
Relic of Wandering Days
 
Hilde Bracegirdle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: You'll See Perpetual Change.
Posts: 1,488
Hilde Bracegirdle has just left Hobbiton.
Surinen

Sitting cross-legged in the darkness outside the tent, Surinen stood up as Latah emerged into the clear night air. “How is the Meldakhar?” he asked as she stopped to address him.

“She is no better, Suri,” she said looking worried. “And the flush has now crept further down her back. But I will speak to you of it later, cousin. Thorn has asked for you, and I go now to find Narayad and tell him to come here also. I will bring coffee when I return for it will be a long night tonight.”

Surinen entered the tent with his right foot first, as was proper, and carefully smoothed out the flap behind him so that no draft might enter to disturb the leader of his kin. Walking over to where Narika and Thorn sat by the bedside, he prepared to wait patiently until they were ready for him, but Thorn, seeing him arrive was eager to speak immediately.

“Sit here with us Surinen," he said. "Narika has told me that you and Narayad have met a stranger lately on your path, and that you felt he might have been at our camp as well. This is unfortunate given the health of Ayar, and I should like to have you tell me all that you noticed about this maenwaith.”

“Yes, yes, of course. All that I know!” he replied settling down cross-legged beside them and pulling his legs close. He was glad that Thorn was back; he would know what was to be done with such news.

“When did you see this stranger, Surinen?” Thorn prompted him.

“Narayad and I had just finished repairing a well, the day before yesterday. We were waiting at night for the water to fill it when a voice called for help from outside our shelter.”

“Asking for help?”

“Yes,” Surinen said. “This man, he had somehow gotten stuck in the well and could not get out.”

“This is no time to jest, Surinen…”

“No Thorn, I would not with the Meldakhar sick. No, he was stuck, and Narayad and I got him out and gave him coffee to warm him, for it was night and he was drenched.”

“What was he like? Did he threaten at all?”

“He was a pleasant guest,” Surinen shrugged, “not threatening. He said his name was Rôg, but would not tell us more, though he did not grow angry with my questions either.”

“Ah but what did he say? What did he look like?” Thorn pressed.

“He did ask what we were doing here, but I don’t think the answer interested him much…. I think he was elder to me and maybe a bit shorter, lean and with a round shoulder. I thought him a tattoist at first for his hands looked like a young woman’s with well-kept nails and he had a stain on one finger. Ah yes and he wore a golden stud in his ear here,” he said pinching the top of his own. “But he was pleasant Thorn, I don’t think a threat, but a bit nervous. Maybe a spy? If so, then certainly a clumsy one.”

“Well,” Thorn said turning to Narika. “This does not sound like the one I saw so briefly in Umbar, even were he to disguise his true intent. But I am sure that spies and cutthroats know how to be innocent too. You of all people Surinen should know that the same teeth that smile at you are the ones to bite you!”

“Yes, I do know,” he said with a broad smile. “The troubling thing is that I thought I had picked up his scent again by the fire circle on our return, but there was also some other odd smell and the prints of a heavy horse, outside camp.”

“Yes that is worrisome…” Thorn said, looking at Ayar as he was thinking. But suddenly he spoke again “He fell in the well you say?”

“Yes,” Surinen acknowledged, smiling. “And he grew nervous when we found him a great buzzard outside. So nervous, he gave us back our coffee before flying away.”

“That was not pleasant of him.”

“No, you are right it was not kind.”

“Friend, Narayad should be on his way here. I would like you to meet him and go back to the place where the odd smell came from. I know that the storm must have destroyed all trace now, but I would like you both to keep watch on our boundaries starting from there tonight. See if you can find any new scents, while you are out or more of the same. There is undoubtedly something happening, and I would like you both to join in the guard.”

Surinen glanced at Ayar, than back at Thorn. “Don’t worry Suri,” Thorn said comfortingly. “I will stay with Ayar while you are away. You go and help protect our kin.”

Surinen, bowed slightly to Narika and walked toward the door. He did not wish to leave, but slowly and obediently went in search of Narayad.
Hilde Bracegirdle is offline