The Glan Vraig camp was full. Under the sun that slowly descended behind the hills and behind the massive silhouette of Tol Ascaren more flags were up the old walls than a day before. The eagles and the emissaries reached the other camps at break of day and by the evening all aid that could safely be spared was sent to the commandment at Glan Vraig. Some of the assembled warriors joined the council table, their opinion valued due to their long experience with war plans, some were just staying close to the council table to hear the discussions eager to hear a moment sooner what their plans were while others preferred to just rest or talk, in small groups, ready to follow the order they would receive.
Turuviel was back from Tol Ascaren among the first scouts and to her surprise she saw the familiar face of Tolmen among those gathered. She started to doubt the word of the old warrior and she was pleased to acknowledge that she was wrong. He had chosen a good moment, they will need as much strength as available in the counterattack and from all that she heard the elf lacked manners but not skill nor strength. He noticed her too across the crowd and inclined his head in greeting with the usual arrogant pride in his eyes. She bowed her head politely and smiled. He grinned back.
Ruthion had too already presented his report on the Lumber Camp and now found himself a good place atop a ruined wall, with a good view both over the camp and the stairs to it. He was looking narrow eyes at the man who risked his life to recover the elf body, trying to understand. The Man was now smoking alone, in the shadow of another ruined wall, the embers of his pipe catching the eye in the relative darkness. Ruthion reached him on the way to the camp and Turuviel saw them returning together and then carrying the dead body that they recovered got her attention. She too witnessed the moment when the man went to the elf that was crying earlier for the loss of -what was the dead to her? kin? friend? husband?- and put the dead body down before her, respectfully but with no love or care. Her eyes widened and she looked at him with such a strange look before collapsing to hug the dead body. He bowed to her nevertheless and,almost unheard, addressed her a ‘My Lady!’ greeting and took his leave at the same time. There was such an awkwardness and pride in his way that it made her look at Ruthion silently asking what was that all about. He raised his shoulders: he had no idea either. She was sure now that he was equally intrigued by that episode, looking at the man behaving so strangely.
She left them both to their revelry and went to refill her quiver. She earlier spent a few arrows -none for nothing- and she had to replace them before the counterattack started.
A voice from the command table asked loud enough to cover the voices around: “Who is accustomed to mines and tunnels and volunteers for a surprise attack on the mine through the abandoned galleries?". She saw Turuninde, her brother and two others of their group rise and make their way towards the commander alongside a few dwarfs. ‘More needed!’ the call was repeated. More stepped up. Tolmen also turned from the conversation he was having and he sneered and made way towards the council table as well, with that huge shield in hand. He could have been more careful with it in the crowd, she thought, but the fighters in Glan Vraig were less prone to take offense of such lack of care than in other circumstances.Why did he choose this team, requiring more stealth through tunnels rather than a frontal attack team? He seemed to have a tendency to be quiet and pass unnoticed equal only to that of a war Mûmakil. He was bored or wanted to make a point that he avoids no fight? She raised her shoulders and decided to ask another time, she was genuinely curious about it and she also decided to try to be more friendly to the annoyingly arrogant old Noldo. She was wrong to judge people enough times before to learn to self-doubt her first impressions.
She heard her own name called by one of the officers by the council table who just stood up and started to gather his attack force. To her disappointment it was not Veryacano, but a dwarf that she knew as the second in command of Lainedhel in Ost Ringdyr. So she will join the frontal attack on the Mines, she guessed. That will do too, she thought. She nodded to him and showed him across the crowd the half-empty quiver in sign that she will join him after she briefly refills it. She would have liked to stay a bit more to see who is assigned to what task, especially of those she considered friends, but preparing herself was a lot more urgent, so she rushed to the ammunition quartermaster.
