[Ransom]

Elenna cradled a bundle of clothing in her arms as she crossed the threshold of Annewyn’s shop into the busy streets of Edoras. Much to her surprise, Azariah had remained silent during the extensive haggling. After their clash of personalities and the subsequent encounter with the troubled Halasan, she had been fairly sure that Azariah would prove to be quite a stubborn man. She found herself growing increasingly pensive as she followed the Gondorians through the city of Edoras. In a strange way, she sympathized with Halasan. She had seen more than a little suffering during her apprenticeship to the herbalist, and Halasan seemed just as distraught as the unfortunate soldiers who had wakened from a drug-induced sleep to learn that they were missing an arm or a leg.

She briefly snapped out of musing to glance at the stores that lined the wide dirt road. Her nose wrinkled as a brief breeze brought a disgusting smell to her nostrils. One of these stores was definitely a tannery. The short woman soon realized that she had lost sight of the Gondorian’s black uniform. Trying to suppress her annoyance, she shouted, “Azariah, where are you?”

One of the tall bodies in front of her abruptly turned and began to head her way. “You’d best pay more attention to where your feet are taking you, little lady.”

Elenna glowered at him, but quickly appeared at his side. If there was one thing she was aware of, it was her height. (Or lack thereof.) “Where are we going now?”

“If you’ll remember what we…discussed…last night, lady, you need a weapon. Master Turnar is one of the better blacksmiths here, and doesn’t overcharge.”

She thought about this for a moment. “Why do I have to use a broadsword? Can’t I use something lighter like a rapier?”

Azariah’s loud laughter almost caused Elenna to drop her bundle of clothing onto the road. “You’ve spent too much time in the Golden Hall, girl. A long sword’s got a better reach than those knitting needles. ‘Tis only the toy of nobles.”

As the unusual pair neared the open doors of the forge, Elenna was sorely tempted to cover her ears with her hands. She had never loved loud noises, and the steady pounding of the hammer was beginning to cause her head to ache. To add to her discomfort, the heat from the forge, coupled with her thick dress, was beginning to cause her to sweat. It seems that Azariah had been right on one count. The blacksmith spared the Gondorian a wink before returning his attention to the two men in front of her. The flighty woman immediately recognized the voice of Halasan as he breathlessly inquired on the location of his daughter.

Elenna’s eyes glazed over as she began to think. She recognized the name of the trading post that the kidnapper had taken Halasan’s daughter to, though she could not say she knew of its location. But it was towards the southeast, the very direction she and Azariah was heading. Besides, he was always prattling about the dangers of travel. The corners of her lips turned up into a thin smile. It would be nice for a change if she dictated their course of action.

“What do you want, girl?”

She jumped, startled by the sudden words, before quickly searching for the speaker. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized the axe man who had accosted Azariah the previous night. This would certainly take more work than she had anticipated. “Good day to you, sir. And to you too, Halasan. You will be heading to the south, are you not?”

Halasan was quite unsure what to make of this. “Yes, lady. It seems like that.”

“Azariah and I will be leaving for Ithilien within the week. We’ll be going in the same direction, and it would certainly be safer if we traveled in a group.”

Haleg emitted what best could be called a growl. “What makes you think you’d be able to help us, girl?”

She could hear Azariah’s boots clicking against the floor as he slowly made his way toward her, and quickly began to speak before he could stop her. “I must admit that I have no experience with fighting, sir. But surely Azariah would be able to contribute to our common defense in addition to helping you on your…quest.”

Halasan nodded. “Very well, lady, but perhaps we should consult your friend first?”

“The only way I’m going to Ithilien is with you, and Azariah is supposed to protect me. I promise I won’t give you any more surprises, Azariah.”

The only sound in the seconds after was a low and quite despairing groan coming from the Gondorian. “Very well, little lady. We’ll travel with Halasan. Just don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

[ March 20, 2003: Message edited by: Ransom ]