Sitting near a fireplace in the tavern in Clivings, Lusseriel had her attention on the notebook in her laps.
“I last wrote when we were in Mansig’s camp. We found a good vantage point to find the direction the uruks were taking. We saw it in the form of a cloud of dust in the distance.
We got to Langhold and after a long few… adventures that included a human leader grossly underestimating the danger or overestimating himself and his men, we got into Harwick.
In Harwick it was decided clearly that we needed new mounts as crossing Rohan on foot is a laughable idea. We were gifted warsteeds.
Of course, when we were leaving, someone from Harwick asked us to do something for them. Apparently there’s too few fighting men available among the rohirrims, and Floodwend has sent an urgent message for help, and could we go there and check now that we have new warsteeds to ride quickly?
I thought it was a bad idea. I mean, they may have too few fighting men, but two of the companions we’re seeking have been taken by a party of Uruks, meaning strong fighters. And only 3 people are looking for them.
Rohirrims aren’t the only ones who need the help and ours was more of an emergency.
Brunnadan seemed to share the same opinion than I on that point.
Besides, there’s just the 6 of us. It’s not like we’re an army able to change the tide of a battle just from our simple presence.
Alas, we were outvoted.
And it’s a strange place to be, being wary of someone, thinking they may be a spy or a trap in coming, and still agreeing with their opinion.
Anyway, decision taken, we all got on our respective new horses, but Andrahir seemed to have some difficulties with his… Which was absolutely hilarious to watch. At least once we knew he didn’t get hurt.
And for the record, my new horse is black and absolutely adorable. A bit stubborn but well… So am I, so I can hardly blame the poor dear for it.
Once in Floodwend, Andrahir had to have Brunnadan's help to get his horse to accept him.
And we took more distracting orders from the locals. I mean, I get that Andrahir is used to give a hand when he can wherever he goes, being a ranger, it’s a bit in the job description right? But Ilthirian? Ardirien? Rolegard? Why do they put more importance to those demands than the lives of the Fellowship members we are looking for? I just don’t get it.
I heard their arguments: “we’re too far away”, “Aragorn is already looking for them anyway”…
We’re not going to get any closer to be able to help if we keep getting sidetracked.
But we helped in Floodwend. And then Corudan found a rohirrim with his missing bow. The orc who took it must have gone on to Rohan.
Of course the man refused to just hand over the bow and proposed a race to settle the issue.
We accepted it like it was not a rigged race at all. I mean, we didn’t know the area, we were blatantly foreigner here and the man lived here. Who had the best chances in a race starting in Floodwend and ending in a city we never saw or heard of before?
Anyone could tell it’s the local person who had the best chance to win the race.
And a race? When there’s orcs roaming the area? That’s not suicidal at all and no one could see the danger, I’m sure. What danger even? I’m sure the orcs were just watching the race with snacks at hand like civilized beings.
But Corudan accepted the terms for all of us, the fool.
I’m honestly more than willing to throw that bow in the nearest fire to settle the issue once and for all. That thing took up enough of our time already as it is.
Ilthirian seemed pretty decided to do this race. Sometimes I wonder…
And so that’s how we ended up in Elthengels. But, because it couldn’t be that simple, Elfsige, the man we were racing against, wasn’t there. No, his horse arrived alone, before we did. So the guard at the entrance asked us to go looking for him.
And we did, and we found him… And the orcs that were getting very close and very interested. He was damn lucky we arrived on time.
But all’s well that ended well, Corudan got his bow back and so on.
Back in the city, Horn asked us to go speak to people for information in the tavern, to buy them a round of drink to do so.
Of course, that seems to amuse, or interest, I’m not too sure, Rolegard, Ardirien and Andrahir. Brunnadan looked like he was wishing to be anywhere but there, funnily enough.
So while everyone got inside, I left them to it. If they were interested in the company and words of men in various state of drunkenness, they could do it. I’ve had my fill of taverns for a while myself.
So of course, it’s then that there was an attack on the city.
When I joined everyone again, in the Mead Hall of Elthengels, the fights were over, we had won, and my companions didn’t seem to be injured.
The Thane asked us to help her with a matter of “crucial import for her town” and to go to Cliving to do so.
Brunnadan told us that the Reeve is clearly not doing their job here, but that we don’t have time for further distraction.
And hate to say it, I hate to write it even, but I agree with that feeling. I’m honestly starting to feel like we’re going to visit all of Rohan before we can actually go back on the tracks of the Uruks. I want to say, if they get to Isengard before we do, it’ll be too late to do anything.
I found myself surprisingly exchanging a skeptical look with Brunnadan at everyone’s justification for going to Cliving at the behest of the thane of Elthengels.
As I told them: “And now we're losing even more time instead of catching up. Is that anyone's idea of "helping"?”
Ardirien answered that it’s hers yes. I mean… at least she’s honest?
So since Brunnadan and I were again outvoted, we rode to Clivings.
That’s getting tiring. If we’re here to just do whatever those people, who aren’t even our allies technically speaking might I add, ok fine. But I'd like for that to be clear, because for me the priority isn't quite to help here and there with things that the rohirrims should deal with on their own.
We have skilled trackers among us. Why not use that instead of stopping at every town to ask the men if perhaps they eventually saw something?
In any case, we came in too late to see the leader of Cliving. We decided to wait for tomorrow.
And… I decided to go scout ahead by myself. I have enough of the constant interruption and demands of the rohirrims who aren’t even that welcoming in the first place. Besides, I won’t be the first of our company who went alone for a while so…
At best I can find the company again later and bring them valuable information. At worst…
Well, let’s just hope for the best.”
Lusseriel closed her notebook as one of the inebriated rohirrim walked near her. She waited until his attention went to something else before opening her notebook again:
“I guess that’ll be an exercise in discretion for me, to avoid both the men and the orcs. Hopefully when I’ll join the company again, they’ll be more focused on our actual task.
One can dream.
I’m going to leave them a note at least, so they’ll know to not look or wait for me.”
Lusseriel cut a page from her notebook, and put it back in her backpack. She quickly wrote the following words: “I’m gone to scout ahead and hopefully find trace of the Uruks, don’t wait for me, I’ll find you again.”
Once that written, she folded the paper in half and arranged discreetly to leave it on Ardirien’s backpack.
She then left the tavern discreetly enough that she thought those of her companions still awake didn't take notice of her. And if someone did notice her leaving, at least they had the good sense not to stop her.
She went to the stable, and took her horse and rode away in the night, careful to somewhat at least follow the road for now.
