[Amanaduial the archer]

Aman glanced at Snaveling from behind her wind-whipped hair, before pulling it back and twisting it over her shoulder in one hand. "Bound to Roa..." she murmured. Snaveling looked sharply at her and she gathered her wits quickly.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that you are...bound to her. Her promise certainly. But-" she stopped, debating whether to tell him what she suspected the ranger woman felt. What if she raised a false hope, only to be dashed? She wasn't sure he was ready for that - when depressed or drunk, she had already found Snaveling to be dangerous. And besides, what was to say she wasn't wrong.

"But..."

"But...well, have you discussed it with her, Snaveling? No, don't dismiss it immediately. How do you know what she feels unless you have asked her?" The Innkeeper paused, looking back at Snaveling until the man looked away, his dark eyes roving over the hills far away. Shifting slightly, the Innkeeper drew her knees up a little on the sloping roof, rearranging her skirt as she thought then placing them carefully together on top of her knees. She looked back at the Man. "Snaveling, you must discuss it with her. And if nothing else...well, at least there will no longer be this fear and doubt. You will know her mind clearly, and that, at least, is something, if not something much.

"I am glad you understood why I took you up here, although I regret that you will not be swayed. But to march up to the king and ask for..." she trailed off, looking away. It was true that she understood Snaveling, but somehow she still feared for him. Strange, Aman - he is of the Hunters, more than capable of looking after himself. But still: Aman had seen something in Snaveling in the evening in her study when he had poured out his heart to her, and it was something that others did not see, something behind the hard-faces villain or mysterious figure in gentleman's clothes that others saw. Maybe Roa had seen one side but, whatever Aman felt, she wished for Snaveling's sake that Roa had seen the same side as Aman.

"Still, what do I know of kings and ancients?" she grinned cheekily then became more solemn again, her voice soft and sincere. "Talk to her, Snaveling. Tell her truthfully, do not hide behind riddles and mystery - you are apt at it, and that is not an insult! But...but you need to give her something more. Talk to her alone, as you have talked to me on here - tell her what you told me. If she does not believe you..." she shook her head, shrugging. "Go to Gondor with her anyway. If words will do nothing for her, actions will surely speak louder."

Resting her head back against her shoulders and neck, Aman spread her arms against the wind, her sleeves, wide skirt and hair blowing back in the wind as she closed her eyes. The tantalising smell of cooking food swept up in the breeze and the Innkeeper opened her eyes slowly, turning to Snaveling, who was watching her. "Ruby is going to skin me alive if I tarry for very much longer, my friend. Listen, bear in mind my words, please - all of them, Snaveling," she added meaningfully. He contemplated her for a second with that dark, enigmatic gaze, then nodded slowly. She smiled, then rose, holding out her arms to balance as she walked towards the edge of the roof with the confidence and agility of a cat.

"Then come, Snaveling - you just managed to get up, lets see how you manage getting down again. You cannot be that much older than me - lets see how one of your position can rival a horse-maiden of Rohan," she teased.