Brynnen

Winter, Herne. After all that had happened with Ryheric's chestnut colt Boltin in Rohan, and hearing Tarsorel speak about the ill fate of Grace, it occurred to Ryheric that while Boltin received a proper send-off from Brynleigh of Rohan, none of the other horses lost from his company in the last two years had received proper acknowledgment. Going with his gut, he detoured the group off the road and led them to the river. Small floating shrines were made and set adrift.

Dandelynn was sad. Ryheric had never known her to be melancholy before, or lonely like that. It called for some wild, drunken revelry fit for lifting a barmaid's spirits. Dandy partook of course, plenty of booze drunk. The dining table broken. Eirik later crashing into the pantry from a "sleigh" ride down the stairs. There was music, raucous laughter, plenty of food and drink ... and an absolutely trashed house strewn with hungover bodies by the end of it. Just as it should be. The most important part was that Dandy's cheer was returned to her in the end.

Ryheric took the scholar and the Rohirric healer up to Waterfall Mountain. A quiet journey, this time. So often, Ryheric's attention was demanded in large groups. He treasured his time with people; among them. But beneath it all, the Dark Bard himself was an imposter. An introvert wearing the garb of extroverted leader at need. He made sure to bring Winnie and Bryn with him, without anyone else. For he missed them both. He took a great deal of solace in the silent company of Winnie and Bryn as they simply sat, into the evening with him.

Late Autumn in Breeland. Determined to ensure Brynleigh would not feel isolated after their arrival in Bree, Ryheric gradually introduced the melancholy widow to his friends. The woman seemed shy, startlingly unapproachable at times around groups. A few uncomfortable first impressions were made, to Ryheric's chagrin. He had hoped to see her thrive a little more, back in civilisation. However, Ryheric knew another person who was timid like that, too. Thus, when Brynleigh chanced upon his meeting with Bryn the Gondorian Scholar, he was keen to see how they would interact.

The last weeks before everything changed. Exploring Cardolan together.

*The table was broken in the drunken debauchery. A great slab of it was carried up the stairs where Ryheric gathered his companions to board it. Eirik prepared to push them down.

All of them drunk and enjoying a moment of revelry and folly for thrill and life!*

---Seven months earlier---
"Didn' ye ever learn from yer father?"
Perhaps it was Aiden's death that caused Ryheric to be hard towards Bryn up until that point. Another peer of similar age. A man who could be like a brother. But Bryn was so much more sheltered, more fragile. It bought an easy, instinctive resentment from Ryheric to whom grief was foreign even as it ate at him deep down.