Night was falling on the camp of men not too far overall from Stangard. Lusseriel was sitting on the edge of the camp, just close enough to a fire to have enough light to write.
“Ilthirian joined us again before we left Haldirith. And so we left the camp to run after Nona again, as she seemed to decide that since the Rohirrims were more likely to think ill of her it was better to go there straight away.
Human logic or Nona’s logic, I’m not too sure.
Anyway, we got to Stangard, and it’s… particular shall we say.
I decided to try to stay discreet on the fact I’m an elf and kept my head covered by my hood, but quite frankly I’m pretty sure no one is fooled there. Oh well, we’ll see what happens if something happens.
We had to bring Nona’s sword to a man named Horn, Nona showed herself to be prideful and stubborn, as usual, which doesn’t inspire me with much confidence, to be honest. But in any case, we were allowed entrance into Stangard, and Horn asked us to meet him outside of the city to talk.
Again, that inspires so much confidence…
He told us many interesting things. The first one being that Horn doesn’t quite trust some of the men in Stangard... The second being that the whole city is composed of criminals who were still loyal to the king of Rohan and were sent there as penance.
Well, my problem here is that it’s easy to pretend loyalty to a king. Meaning that indeed, any of these men may well be a traitor and a danger more than anything else.
Also we were attacked by orcs. So close to the city, and a camp of the Rohirrims, that doesn’t give much hope regarding the state of things…
Also there seems to be a big issue with the Easterlings.
After that enlightening conversation, we went back to Stangard to spend the night within the walls of the city. We were lucky, we found they had an inn so…
And come morning, much to my amusement, Andrahir promptly went and said that the bed were absolutely terrible, right in front of a man working there at the time. I think that in the end, the only reason he sold us breakfast at all was that Rolegard was his usual enthusiastically cheerful self.
And here I thought he was better than me at tact and diplomacy. So of course, I absolutely *had* to tease him. You can’t give me that kind of opportunity and think I won’t use it. It was just too good to pass.”
Lusseriel had a vague smile at the memories of the conversation between Andrahir and her and Ilthirian’s reaction to it, but soon a frown reappeared on her face and she kept on writing.
“Alas, Ilthirian seemed to have taken our conversation seriously. Oh well… She’ll learn or decide she never wants to hear about me again next time we part way, whichever.
Far less fun however, is the fact that Andrahir keeps harping on the fact the men here are all former criminals. Quite frankly if they’re mostly loyal to rohan still, I’d consider there’s crime and crime. I mean, who’d blame someone for stealing food to feed their kids? Or murder someone to protect their family or a friend or something along those lines?
Of course, there’s many types of crimes possible for many reasons possible, but until I get proof that they’re unredeemable, I’ll consider that their past is their own problem, not mine, and just pointing that little fact out at any occasion is only going to start a fight sooner or later.
… Actually that might be entertaining.”
Lusseriel looked thoughtful for a short moment, contemplating the merits of an all out fight before she shook herself and went back to writing in her notebook.
“Of course, I won’t trust anyone until I get proof I can actually trust them, but then, I never trust anyone I don’t know so that isn’t anything new…
Alas, we also discovered this morning that Ardirien had left. Left for where, when, and how, we don’t know. She was just gone without a word.
She could say of Arcangar…
In the inn we were joined by a woman wearing Rohirrim armor. She didn’t want to talk to us in the inn, which I find rather suspicious.
When we left the inn, she followed us and stopped us on the way back to Horn to talk to us.
Her name is apparently Salhael. She’s a highly suspicious woman whose reason to talk to us is making her even more suspicious.
Apparently she feels there’s troubles in the city and in Rohan in general, she doesn’t know who to trust, so of course the thing to do was to trust the first group of people she never heard of, met or anything in the past to tell them of her issues and ask them for help…
Because, of course, we were so trustworthy looking outsiders. I mean, who wouldn’t think so?
I’ve known spies with far better excuses to be where they were to do whatever they wished or were tasked to do.
And if she told us the truth and her problems come from some specific people, there’s very good solutions to get rid of the problems permanently and I’m definitively not impressed by her decision making skills.
And Ilthirian and Andrahir who agreed to her whole story… “It’s kind of you to offer” said Andrahir. And Ilthirian told me in sindarin that and here I quote because it’s absolutely epic as far as justifications go: “my instinct is to trust her”.
… Like Arcangar’s instinct was to trust the falcon clan?
I mean, it’s not like we saw how THAT ended right?
Instinct can’t be wrong after all, and Arcangar just decided to take a nap, I’m sure.
Honestly, at this rate, next time we meet Saruman, he will just have to tell us he’s sorry for everything and he wishes to make amend and Andrahir and Ilthirian will give him a spot in our company.
Ugh. How far can naivety go? How can they even be this open and trusting of utter strangers after that kind of behavior cost us the life of one of our friends?
Andrahir told me that he believed Horn could be trusted about her. He fought orcs at our side after all, so we could trust him and if he trusted her, then she was probably truthful.
Hm… Falcon clan anyone? No? That doesn’t ring a bell? No one remembers? Not like Arcangar trusted them. Not like everyone in our group considered that they worked together enough to trust them, no, not at all.
So why stop to think and be wary of strangers, right? Can’t imagine what can go wrong with trusting the wrong person…
We’re never going to survive that journey.
And then Ilthirian, and Andrahir proceeded to chat about Ardirien like that was absolutely not problematic at all to say outright that we had a friend missing, alone, potentially distracted and distressed gone out of Stangard without letting us know where she was.
“I’m having a private conversation with Andrahir” said Ilthirian… yes, in the middle of a street patrolled by guards, next to a total stranger and Horn, such a trustworthy man… That we met the previous day only.
I think I’ll only ever tell Ilthirian and Andrahir things I want everyone to know. Apparently discretion isn’t a part of their vocabulary…
And Andrahir had the nerves to tell me and here I quote: “This busy place is not the best place to cause an even bigger scene.”
No… but it’s totally the place to discuss the weaknesses of a friend who’s gone missing. That totally wouldn’t endanger her if the wrong person heard and decided to do something about it.
I mean, it’s not private enough for an argument, but it’s totally private enough to detail how easy it would be to ambush our friend. I totally agree with that sense of priorities…
Pride is ever the sin of men I guess.
Anyway, we left Stangard for Parth Celebrant, to go speak to a man name Cerdic. Salhael led us here. And as the conversation went during our journey there, Salhael didn’t appear anymore trustworthy at all. Main example of that, when Andrahir asked her where she came from she answered: “I travel”
Like that’s totally not the kind of answer I give when I don’t want to answer a question.
She hails primarily from the Wold. Great, and I came from Beleriand. Did anyone have the answer they sought from that?
I can’t trust her, and I think that as of right now I’m just waiting for Ilthirian and Andrahir to trust the wrong person with the exact right kind of information…
And here I thought they were more able than that. I guess we’ll see how long we’ll survive while they trust everyone they cross path with. Perhaps I should make a game out of it. Something along the line of : if we survive X more days despite their sense of priorities and abysmal trusting abilities, I’m getting a new harp. I’ll call it Unlikely Miracle… if I survive long enough to get it.”
Lusseriel let her eyes fall on her companions, in other places in the camp, and Salhael nearby. She closed her journal and put it in her backpack, picking it up before she decided to leave the camp to scout around a bit.
Far too many strangers in a place she didn’t know made her skittish, and she decided that she’d feel better with knowing at least the basic lay of the land around.
