[Pyroclastic]

Romenna and Niluial looked up in startlement as a curly haired woman slumped into a chair at their table unexpectedly. Romenna blinked and recovered from her surprise in time to remember her manners. "Would you like some tea also?" She inquired of the stranger.
"If I wanted tea, I would have ask for some myself," the stranger replied rudely. The woman stared moodily beyond Romenna at nothing, lost in her own thoughts.

Romenna sat back to better see the angry woman standing beside the table. Something was obviously bothering her, and she seemed in no mood to be comforted. The lady wanted to be angry, she needed to be angry. Romenna glanced at Niluial, studing her companion’s reaction to the angry intruder. Niluial petted her kitten as it lapped at its bowl of milk, the woman did not seem to bother her. Whoever it was that Niluial feared, this was not the person. Romenna reached up and unclasped the clip holding her brown braids atop her head, and slowly unwound the braids, giving her fingers something to do while she thought. "This is becoming quite a pattern," she thought to herself. "Everywhere I go, I somehow attract a crowd. Ah, the troubles of being friendly."

Romenna looked at each of her table mates. The newcomer was happy being grumpy and alone. Niluial took a first sip of her tea and considered the taste of it. Neither woman seemed inclined to start conversation. All three women jumped in startlement from the sudden shout of laughter by a man at a nearby table. The curly haired woman glared at the man. Niluial took a gulp of tea and cast a worried look around the Inn, once again looking for someone. Niluial’s kitten stood up from her now empty bowl of milk, and began to creep across the table, hunting some unseen prey. The kitten crouched, wiggling in anticipation, its eyes focused on the elusive object of desire. Then it leapt, its tiny claws extended, and landed on the far edge of the table. As it landed it suddenly sprang to one side, startled by some imaginary kitten foe. The kitty sprang too strongly though, hit a slick spot on the table, and skidded off the edge of the table.
"Silma!" Niluial cried. The new woman lunged across the table and caught the kitten just as it slipped off of the edge. Silma the kitten looked surprised at her unexpected adventure, and squirmed in the lady’s grasp. The lady handed the kitten back to Niluial wordlessly. Silma had other ideas. She kicked and struggled against Niluial, and landed a fierce scratch on her hand. Niluial squeaked in surprise at the pain and dropped Silma onto the table. Silma hissed proudly and skittered across the table to the curly haired woman and sat on the edge of the table, watching her and purring with a certain fierceness.

Romenna smiled and laughed while fishing a handkerchief from her pocket for Niluial. The curly haired woman looked at the cat, dumbfounded. "Cats are like that," Romenna said. Taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the kitten, Romenna decided to introduce herself. "Greetings and fair skies to you, my lady. I am Romenna of Gondor. Traveler, and guard for hire. My companion is Niluial, and I know not the name of the kitten."
Niluial smiled, "Her name is Silma." Turning to Romenna she said, "You are a guard for hire? I have never known a female mercenary before."
"I was the second youngest in a family of four boys," Romenna said. "All of them became warriors for Gondor. Without a mother to insist upon propriety, I don’t think they ever truly realized that I was a sister, not another brother." Romenna looked remenicent for a moment. Her brothers would have adored The Green Dragon. The had always had an affinity for the more obscure pubs. Especially Joren. There had been that one tavern on the outskirts of Harad…
Romenna shook her head, realizing that she had been daydreaming in the middle of her story. "At any rate, I learned war craft with the rest of my brothers. There are few opportunities for female warriors, but I have no other skill. The work is perhaps less glorious than for men, but such is the world." Romenna took a sip of her tea, and waited for Niluial’s reply.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:34 AM December 31, 2003: Message edited by: Pyroclastic ]