Rannie leaned her weight to her left side, placing her hands on the hilts of her dagger and her sword. As she waited for Gaildrin to return from his search for Cynraede. They had made good time to Angmar or at least that’s what Gaildrin had told her, it was probably due to the man hardly spoke or did anything but push on towards their destination. They traveled quickly but with little conversation Rannie found herself rather bored the whole way.
She looked around at the unfamiliar land with curiosity. High grey cliffs hugged the rock path till it opened up into what looked like a little valley where a rustic village rested, Gaildrin said it was named Aughaire. A couple of men stood near the entrance of the village, eyeing her with as much curiosity as she them. Their clothing seemed to be made up mostly of furs and leather and their hair long and mussed, both on their head and their chins.
Rannie was so caught up in her observations of these new people that she didn’t hear Cynraede till he was practically at her side. “Tisk tisk tisk. Whats this? A rat caught off her guard?" She heard him tease her and she turn to face him. He gave her a smile as he folded his arms across his chest. She gave him her traditional smirk.
“Nah, I just knew it was you that’s all” she shot back, covering the fact he really had caught her off guard.
"I’m sure” he replied, both of them knowing full well her state of attention at his approach. “The little man brought you here?” He asked and she nodded to him, keeping her stance lazy as she continued to rest her hands on the hilt of her weapons.
“Aye, though I tell ya....that lad is bout as entertainin as watchin the grass grow” she told him and he grinned at her yet again with his nod.
“He is, but brave…or stupid. I cannot decide,” he stated, with a thoughtful look for a moment before he brought his attention back to her. “Did he say anything about the task at hand?” She continued to smirk at him.
"A mix of both I say,” Rannie stated with a playful tone. “And nah he just said we was headed here." With another nod he told her to follow him. She returned his nod, following him into the village. She glanced around her trying to take in as many details as she could while they walked. He stopped at a small tent and pushed the flap aside, waiting for her to enter.
"Have a seat, make yourself at home," he told her once they were both in and began to inform her of the reason that they had come to Angmar. “While I go and scout around for the man I’m looking for-we believe he is hold up in Carn Dum- you are going to work here, the people here need our help and promised us soldiers in the coming fight,” he explained and she nodded but wasn’t sure what she could do to help and told him so. “Remember what I told you?” He asked her and at first she wasn’t sure to what he was referring. “What you're capable of,” he clarified.
“Ah, Aye I remember,” she replied, remembering their talk the night that the easterner had nearly killed her and Rannie steeled herself with determination. She wasn’t a useless rat, she could do something for these people. She gave him a little salute with a smirk. "Aye, I'll do what I can," she told him and he seemed pleased with her answer. Suddenly he asked her to stand and come to him as he held out a wooden carving of a small horse with a leather cord.
“What’s that?” she asked, not bothering to hide her curiosity as he motioned for her to hold out her hand. He put the carving into her hand, closing it then placing her hand to her heart.
"You must swear to me,” he started, not answering her question but apparently more focused on the seriousness of which he was about to ask her. “If something happens and I fall you will give that to Fairlain.” He pressed her hand to her chest with a stern look that was all she needed to see this was something important to him and she felt some pride at the fact he felt he trusted her with it but at the same time she felt worried as well.
She didn’t know exactly what he was planning to do but if he thought such a detail was necessary she was sure it was something very dangerous. “Nothin gonna happen to ya,” she told him with feigned confidence for him but for herself as well. “But aye, I swear that I'll make sure she gets it." He gave her a smile she could see he didn’t exactly feel with a nod.
“Thank you,” he told her then rubbed a hand through his beard. “You have any idea as to what you'll do first?”
“Not a clue, I never been in this land...” she told him with blunt honesty and he gave her a smirk with a raised brow before offering to show her around. “Aye, that'd be a good idea,” she told him curious to know how he knew the village so well. He lead her around the village, she was surprised to see no houses or buildings but only tents of several sizes and shapes. Some appeared to be rather fancy…well as far as tents are concerned while others appeared to be of a cruder design.
As he showed her around, Cynraede explained to her a bit about the people and their troubles. “They don't have much. The dark forces of the Angmarim have been constantly harassing them, assaults on their small villages, abducting people as slaves, children, men…women,” he explained and her heart went out to these people. She already was starting to have a few ideas of what she could do for these people.
"And these people...they'll trust us?" She asked him, curious as why these people would listen to strangers.
"They trust me, in turn they will trust you. I've known these people for a long time," he told her and her curiosity grew even more.
"Aye? Well how do they know ya? I mean name wise..." she asked and he smiled turning his attention to the ground and giving the name of which they knew him. Once more she didn’t try to hide her curiosity. “The tainted one? I'm sure there is a tale behind that name."
"There is. Yes. One you do not wish to hear, I am sure," he said looks to her with a raised brow and another smile that didn’t reach his eyes. She insisted that did want to hear it, not only to satisfy her curiosity but to know about the man that was quickly becoming a dear friend to her. “Very well. I must bathe before I ride out, let me wash, then I will call for you. I will tell you then,” he told her before walking off to one of the many tents.
She watched him leave before clasping her hands behind her back, going to wander around the village some more, thinking on what she could do for them while listening and observing their mannerisms and their speech.
