It seems vast, and impossible to cross without getting spotted. Even from the forest where we are, we see a village nestled in the valley below. We shall have to be careful, and cross it in the night-hours, hoping that the moonlight will be bright enough to light the way for our horses safely.
There are watch-towers, too. I don’t like the sight of them!
But imagine our surprise when, after having stepped out of the forest to scout our path, we were accosted by a voice from the shadows!
We had not seen the figure hiding in the shadow of the tree when we passed - indeed, the person was dressed in dusty black so I had trouble seeing her even when she decided to make herself heard.
Her - it was a woman, hooded and armed, dressed in pants and leather like a man! Her face was hidden, so I at first thought it was a young lad speaking, until Andswaru corrected me.
She quite correctly advised us not to ride by daylight, but wait until the fires in the watchtowers had gone out. What her real reasons for accosting us were we did not find out, and she retreated into the shadows of the forest before she could give a good answer. She is no woman of Dunland, that’s for sure, as she spoke Westron with Andswaru. I feared she might have a band of robbers at her command, ready to pounce on unwary travellers, but so far nobody has disturbed our rest in the hidden camp we made to wait out the sunset.
Somehow, meeting her put my heart a little at ease. How strong she seemed, how secure in her leathers and cloak, stringing the bow just like a man might do! If a woman that is not even of the Rohirrim can be so bold, alone in the wilderness, then so can I. And so will I!
I don’t know how we are going to cross the lands before us. But then, we went there knowing that we would not know the way, so we know neither less nor more than when we went in.
We will just have to trust our luck to find a way. We must!
