Daphne had no idea why Furley was pulling her out of formation with the rest of the Company. To be truthful, she hadn't really been listening to Catrena all that closely either, and was thus not entirely sure what it was she specifically should be doing when they were in the Lone Lands to retrieve a few crates...or chests...to retrieve stolen goods. She did listen to Kildwin and Altheric as they gave orders, but that was nearly the extent.
Even when she'd made it to the path leading up to the ruins, with Furley, she still had no clue what he expected of her. He seemed worried, and she had a strange sense of foreboding which she attributed to him and her being there without back-up nearby.
She adjusted her helmet and looked at him, scowling once she saw he had none. "Where is your helmet?" He'd shrugged as he eyes their surroundings. "Left it at headquarters." She scowled deeper and took off her own helmet, holding it out to him. "Try it on," she ordered. He had looked down at it and grinned as he waved it away. "It's fine, you keep it. We both know there's only one brain here worthy of protection." She felt her ire rising as he spoke those words, and shoved it against his chest. "Aye, yours! Now put this on your head or I will leave it here and we will, neither of us, have a helmet!" Somehow she'd manage to keep her voice down while speaking with just as much, if not more, anger than yelling would convey.
He placed the helmet on his head and as he scowled, it was almost like looking up into a mirror. "Fine! There! Happy?" She simply nodded as her anger calmed. If it had been a less serious moment, she would have laughed at how silly her helmet looked on him.
They sprinted from bush to bush. Why? She didn't know. But it seemed to put him more at ease. Except for the times he somehow managed to select bushes which might conceal Hobbit children. He spoke of the need for...subterfuge..yes, she was proud of herself for managing to learn what this word meant, yet he practically screamed at three different points in their sprinting. "How much wine did he drink last night...?" Still, she sprinted along with him.
Unfortunately, the scouts caught up to them as they hid. She felt ridiculous as the entire group circled round the bush, grinning at her and Furley. "Should we leave you two alone?" She made a note to smack Elthhelm's hat off once they were out of the area. Finally, they moved on after a few more comments and smirks. Still, if it made Furley feel better about the situation, she didn't mind getting scratched by poky bushes and looking like a fool. Heaven knows she already looked like a fool before anyway.
They caught up to the scouts, who appeared to be speaking with a man beside a campfire. It didn't feel right and she scowled, as always. But this time, she said nothing. Even as Elthhelm invited the man to come along and fight goblins as they retrieved their goods.
"Why would someone be sitting...so casually? Right outside this fortress? I know some people like to show no fear, but this doesn't seem right." She looked at Furley and he asked with his eyes if she felt the same about the situation. She simply nodded, still scowling.
"I am Domdrudis," she had heard him say to the scouts as he stood, too readily she thought. Yet she still, for some reason, said nothing. This was to be her first regret.
