What is the best way to start a trip to Dol Amroth? Get a few supplies, a donkey and your weapon of choice and just… go. Ask for directions? No, of course not. What could wrong?
Well, a lot of things could go wrong, as Marganil and Finnvi discovered. The reality of a trip via the wild lands hit them first thing on the face, right outside Bree! Actually, a fist really found its way on Marganil’s face by a filthy hand just South of Bree. Now, Marganil could only stare at the clouds passing by above the ruins. There was not much she could do tied up against Finnvi.
“You filthy excuse of a man!” Finnvi called to their captor. “Let us go!” her eyes spit fire at the Leader, whose name Marganil did not catch.
“Why would I, eh?” his greasy fingers run along Fin’s bow. His eye was appreciative and for good reason. Fin’s weapon of choice was a fine one. He put it aside, not paying attention to the girls’ protest. He pulled out Marganil’s sword from it scabbard. The craftsmanship was nothing like what you could see in Bree; elegant and long. Its gilded hilt with the large emerald allowed a comfortable two handed wield. The man was clever enough to understand that this was an old weapon, expensive, fine and for sure out of the paycheck of the two women. “So, where did you pick this off?”
“It belongs to me!” Marganil turned her eyes to him. “Give it back!”
“Give it back, eh?” he looked her up and down, assessing. “Can you wield it?”
“Of course”, Marganil tried to be as intimidating as her nineteen years on earth allowed her to be. “And if you do not release me now, you will regret it”.
A short pause. Marganil’s heart started beating faster, perhaps they could negotiate being released? “Oh boys”, he whistled, and his foul breath reached all over towards them. “Do you hear them? Warriors”.
Two big and stupid looking guys moved towards them. One of them stopped right in front of them, a few inches away. “I think that setting two warriors free is bad for business…” the two guys nodded. “I think that two little girl warriors, if they are set free they will run back to Bree”. His boys nodded. “I think that we cannot let the girl warriors live”.
“I think that you should pick a fight with someone who is not tied up”. Marganil and Finnvi had to lean either side of the huge bandit to see who talked. Marganil’s face shone with a smile; a few paces behind the leader with the smelly breath was standing the one and only Thurintos! Oh, how lucky have they been.
Finnvi on the other hand noticed something a bit more practical. Just out of hand’s reach lay a dagger. It looked rusty but it should do its work…
The bandit leader was obviously annoyed. “Who are you?” he demanded to know, pointing Marganil’s sword towards Thurintos.
“Oh, a passerby”. Thrurintos responded. “Let them go” he placed an arrow, ready to shoot.
“Well, no” now all three bandits were facing the hunter and Finnvi could point the dagger out to her friend…
“Well, okay then”. Without any hesitation, Thurintos let the arrow lose, piercing the leader’s shoulder. The two henchmen roared in anger as the leader bend over. The two women used this opportunity to launch themselves at the dagger and try to free themselves.
A few moments of pure chaos ensued. A lot of punches, kicks, broken bonds, more lose arrows and a body slam later the three friends stood above the unconscious bandits. They all breathed heavily, but Marganil was sure that she had her freedom, sword and all her teeth. She could not say the same about the leader though.
“He does smell really bad. I wonder if he ever washes himself” Marganil wrinkled her nose with disgust.
“I wonder where they took our stuff” Finnvi mumbled looking around. Her eyes rested on Thurintos. “I am glad to see you here”.
He pulled a letter out of his pocket. “Thankfully, I got this message on time. Otherwise, it would have been hard to track you down”. He placed it again in his pocket. “Come on, I know where they have the rest of your stuff. Let us go before they wake up”.
And so, the three of them rode off in the Sunset towards Dol Amroth, with laughter on their lips and little worry upon their shoulders. What else could go wrong? It was just a road trip away…
