[Everdawn]

A new determination filled Maén, so much so that she could not sleep, nor was she tired but glad that her Aunt Lysia understood her situation. Her own family would have locked her in her room had she ever said anything about going to find Gondor’s Traitor, and it was after all Lysia’s husband who had been betrayed as much as her father and the other Il Galoth men were betrayed by cousin Guriel. She paused at this thought, no, not cousin- traitor Maén did not know what to expect from her expedition, and not one part of her wanted to fail, mostly it was for Aunt Lysia, she did not want to fail Lysia.

Maén reached for the lantern on her bedside table , and once it was lit she made the decision to find Lysia. Lysia’s house was not as immense as her abode, but what it lacked in enormity, it doubled in extravagance. What Maén did not expect at that early hour was to find Aunt Lysia walking briskly in her direction.

“Aunt!” Maén stammered , surprised.
“Come with me Maén.” She said with a tired voice and together they set out for Lysia’s drawing room.

“I intend to go earlier than you have said Aunt.” Maén spoke sitting down in one of the drawing rooms vast leather chairs.

“And I shall not keep you from it, heaven knows none can keep you when your will is set, your chamber in your residence was your latest victim.” Lysia smiled a little, before continuing. “I will not begrudge your choices of whom you shall choose for your companions, I trust you that far. But I will tell you this my dear, choose wisely, not only the most safe companions, but ones who will aid you with the finding of Guriel Il Galoth. Most of the men these days will not harm a woman of good family.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure Aunt.” Maén scowled “A woman can still cut a man’s throat.”

Lysia held up a hand, “That may be so Maén, but still, choose to your advantage. You will offer them twenty thousand in gold each when they return with you to my residence safely. Ride now, I think you will find I have already had Hittai readied for you, and everything you will need, as soon as you are changed that is, you don’t want to be riding around Gondor in your nightdress now do you?”

“Oh Really! Aunt Lysia, I thought it was most becoming of me, I should have liked to start a fickle new trend that the ladies of Minas Tirith could have exhausted their father’s money ‘oer.” And with those words she departed to dress in her riding habit.

“The Hollowdale Swan Inn, I will send Carathir to you, in my stead, I am paying him equal to the others, he will be there tomorrow.” Lysia had said, with Maén barley hearing it as she galloped her mare through the gates and towards Minas Tirith. Maén had been riding for an hour and a half, maybe two in the pouring rain and thunder of the very early morning when on the road ahead of her she saw a tall cloaked figure.

That’s odd she said to herself as Hittai neared it, why would you want top be out in weather like this she pushed the thought to the back of her head and kept riding. It was true, Hittai was a smaller horse, but she was reliable, it was the one good ting her parents had ever done for her, though they insisted she rode side-saddle, Maén smiled to see that she now rode her horse like a man. During the time she had been caught up in her thoughts she was brought back to the cold damp reality by Hittai stopping and rearing and finally with Maén being cast onto the mud with a knife to her throat.

Maén breathed heavily, taking in the shock of the passing seconds, until she looked up into the face of the one who was holding her. Dark eyes, and a thin face of a man stared back at her. “My lady, I apologise – I did not realise.” Maén was by now very angry and very wet and cold, her bright hair was tangled and strewn with mud. The man tried to offer her a hand but she found her own way off the mud of the road. Yes, , she said to herself ill offer you a hand- so that you can stand me and stab me in the back! It was then that Maén felt her body go rigid and her stomach drop. This man had to be a ranger, and not only a ranger, but armed, strong and taller than she was. Maén realised that it was not a good idea not to come with a weapon, the one thing Lysia forgot to mention! ! she thought to herself ardently. It was the ranger who next spoke.

“This is a dangerous road for a young woman to be riding on at such a late hour.” Maén froze, he ranger has struch a chord deep within her. If I wasn’t smaller than him…. ignoring him she turned to chase down Hittai who was nipping some grass a few feet away and mounted her. “It is not dangerous unless madmen with two swords are lying in wait to terrorise young women.” She spat at him finally, but the Ranger seemed generally sorry though at this he smiled.

“I was not lying in wait. I was attempting to get to the city of Minas Tirith, coming from Rohan, although the weather has not been overly kind.”

Maén was regretting her demeanour to this man every second.

“May I escort you back to Minas Tirith, lady?”
Maén did not know how to respond at first, but she was begetting within her mind an idea.
“Why do you think I am going to Minas Tirith?” she said tesitingly.
“At this time of night, I hardly think you’d be going this way and travelling anywhere else. Please, you are unarmed, and this is not a safe road – after all, there could be all sorts of madmen with a pair of swords lying in wait.” Said the ranger.

He had a point, as much as she hated to admit, perhaps, maybe he could help me “All right ranger, you may, but at least I should like to know you name, I on the other hand am Maén Il Galoth.” She walked Hittai slowly beside the ranger, (though Hittai still did not like the look of him.)
“Atharen” the ranger replied.
They walked in silence for a while as Maén got her facts straight in her mind, it was around twenty minutes before she told the ranger her plight.
“I suppose you’ve heard of My family.” The ranger said nothing, and Maén did not know what he was thinking. “My family are a prominent military family in Minas Tirith, or were rather, Until my father’s cousin betrayed the regiment which contained nine members of my kin. My father was the only survivor. The man’s name was Guriel Il Gloth and it is said that he lives in Ithilien.”
The ranger’s pace slowed as he listened harder. “My aunt has sent me to form a company who would recover him, and pay them twenty thousand in gold upon my safe return. I would like it if someone like you would help me Atharen.” She noted hopefully as they reached sight of the gates of Minas Tirith. “Or at least, for you kindness and very good attempt at getting me killed, let me buy you breakfast, you look as though you haven’t eaten in weeks, besides. I need to find the “Hollowdale Swan” ” she dismounted Hittai but noticed that the rain had managed to wash away most of the mud from the road. It was hard to tell exactly what the ranger was thinking, “- I mean if you have no other commitments, I do really need to know the types I am taking along with me. Id hate to be in the worng company and surely a ranger would be able to sort them from the rest.”

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 3:26 PM January 29, 2004: Message edited by: Everdawn ]