“The three of them, all in Bree” the Ranger thought to herself wickedly. “It’s time to make them uncomfortable again,” she mused, and the prospect made her mouth curl onto what could be called a smile. She ducked into what passed for a tavern, nodding to Butterbur in recognition. The inn smell, of stale beer, pipeweed and unwashed bodies assailed Torn’s nose, and she wrinkled in distaste as a tiny hobbit, approached her cautiously, then turned and departed behind sturdier comrades; the barmaid Sansa and the ever-present bard who surprisingly was not bad. Guri appeared from down a side hallway and when she saw the taciturn ranger standing there the shock splayed across her pretty face and she stopped mid step… The minstrel stammered and uneasy “Help” and gazed at Daervunn, who stood resolutely behind Tornimrad, his dark eyes glinting.
“Well! Hello, Guriwen”, Torn stated, her voice dripping with condensation. “Imagine finding you all here, celebrating you victory? Wait, no… There was no victory. Your companions failed at both tasks, didn’t they?”
“Yes, sadly the lumber was just a mess…. Not our fault but it was the others, and I think Naridalis did finally get wood, but then Deorla slipped away after she said some terrible things to the kin. So was truly worse than we even could have guessed.”
“Let me guess, she is Hand of the Shadow Flame, Commander of Sauron’s Vanguard?’ Tornimrad’s steel gaze rounded on Guriwen.
“Yes, that is what she wrote, for all the kin to see.” Guriwen looked at the floor because she could not stand the shame of what being associated with Deorla meant. We are leaving the kin, what we are doing here is planning how… And how we might have influence. Our own kin, one of honor and goodness.
“I heard”, Tornimrad huffed in disgust, and ordered Daervunn who had remained implacable, a silent sentinel. “Take her outside till I leave”, she ordered him, waving them off.
Guri turned, wrenching her arm from the his grip, before he dragged her out the door. “But how, how did you know…?”
Chuckling, the ranger started to cross into the hallway. “We have eyes and ears, suffice it to say that gazebo is not very private.”
***************************
Tornimrad slipped into the back room quietly and caught both Alairif and Ulysior off guard. The Elf jumped up in surprise and offered a greeting.
“Hello, miss Tornimrad” she said her voice quiet. The surprise still wavered in her voice.
“I had the other Ranger take Guriwen outside. Yes, she is unharmed, but she was quite forthcoming.” She stood waiting for the Gondorian to threaten her, which he did not.
Watching with interest, Tornimrad saw Ulysior close her eyes a moment in concentration and a faint pink glow seemed to shimmer in the air. Having seen Lady Arwen do this a few times she recognized it because she was speaking to someone telepathically.
Before going on, Ulysior pronounced “Yes, Guriwen is safe.” It calmed both and Tornimrad realized two things, these people were close, and they had at least someone else watching on their side.
But his look told Tornimrad that Guriwen had to be managed gently. She did not really have an issue with the pretty girl, thinking she just seems too kind for her own good. She had seen other ladies of court like her, but there was something underneath that she liked about the blonde minstrel. She has a very righteous nature and deep down there was fire, not as obvious as Alairif’s, but it was there in his companion too. She likely is underestimated..not just pretty or talented, Tornimrad thought. Elessar had seen it in Guriwen too, she was always willing to do more to help the unjustly accused, the misplaced and those needing guidance.
“Oh, please, do excuse me”, Tornimrad with a wicked smile. “Do no let me interrupt your little party.”
“If you’re looking for a party”, said Alairif, with little strength in his words, “you’d better look outside”. The Elf told him to hush, and Tornimrad smirked. She also understood they had been through much these last days, and perhaps she could go easier on them. But ease was never a strong suit for Tornimrad. After all, she had not risen through the ranks by being everyone’s best friend.
“WHAT were you thinking?! You had her! How could you have let her escape?”. Tornimrad was furious.
Once the words left her mouth they did not stop. However, this time she looked at the two, who decidedly lacked the fire of the last time she had seen them.
“You were right. It was all a ploy to delay us. We should not have gone for that lumber”, he said in shame.
“Hah! Pathetic. And what would you have done, anyway? Do you have any idea of what you would do if you had stood before her?”, asked Tornimrad.
“I do not know”, admitted Alairif.
“I hope you have learned from this”, the Ranger said to the Guardian. “Leave it to us. We Rangers know how to deal with her best.”
“No!”, exclaimed Alairif, “I swore an oath to see her brought to justice, and I will see it through. I know how she moves, I know how she fights!”
“You only know what she wanted you to know”, intervened Ulysior.
“And what will you do if we do find her, hmm?”, asked the grim Ranger. “Do you have even the slightest idea of how to kill her?”
“I do not know”, repeated Alairif. “But how do you kill someone whom you trusted? One who was your dear friend, who saved you from a life of misery, who made you believe you were part of something great? That is not something anyone knows. I can only swear I will bring her to justice, one way or another.”
His noble ideals were like someone else she knew. Torn knew fully well he would not let this go… It was who he was. Unwavering purpose, in full view.
Only Ulysior interrupted, more certain of herself after centuries of life “You are too young, too inexperienced,” the elf then stated solemnly, “I see that now.”
Taking advantage of the slight admission that group had been up against something that was harder than they first surmised, Ulysior saw an opportunity and took it. “Why did you not capture her yourself, young lady?”
Frustrated at the haughty elf, Tornimrad, rounds of her “Tell me then why is it elves think the world owes them, for everything”. Then she added “old woman? Who are you anyway?”
“I am Ulysior Elliant Campbell,” she parried back seeming to draw strength in the words.
Letting her anger get the better of her, Tornimrad let her have her full wrath, “So tell me then, how did the hunting of Sauron work for your people, we could talk about Gil-Galad if you like?”
“Deorla is not Sauron,” the elf tossed back, nonplussed.
“She was. She is a commander in his army, you would do best to remember.”
Feeling the conversation turning to just blame, Tornimrad tried a different subject. Knowing the elf has someone she can “think to”, she tried to make them see it is best to let the elite guard try to capture or just kill her. “I want you to watch for her, do not expect she is gone. Send for me should you have need of us. The king will send his elite guard to weed her out.” Adding, “I know she was in Bree and was heading down into the Angle.”
Ulysior assured Tornimrad, “Yes. She is not where she said she was going. She is currently in Erebor. “
Usually careful to mask her expression, Tornimrad look surprised. The elf was more worthy than she initially had thought.
“Yes, and she was sighted at the kin house too, recently.” Tornimrad looked at the shock on Alairif’s face, he was finally listening. It would be luck and time to bring Deorla in. Sadly, good people will die… More good people.
“A quick poison arrow might be the too good for her,” Torn mused aloud.
“She will not come peacefully”, lamented Alairif. “At least, I doubt she will allow herself to be captured, let alone stand down for trial.”
Tornimrad shook her head “She deserves neither. What of the war crimes, the death of the Rangers, and of good people in Mordor and beyond? Why give mercy to someone who has none to spare?” You could be her next victims, she thought, fully realizing the gravity of their current situation. There was no reason to imagine they would come out of this unscathed.
She studied Alairif for a moment, her plain face implacable. His nobility and humanity, that ever burning kindness of his soul reminded her of someone else she knew… Once.
Pulling the letter from the king out of her sack she moved to hand it over to the young man. A twinge of memory filled her vision, and she could instantly smell the sea. The sound of masts creaked in the waves and a freckled face in an elite guard uniform smiled down at her… “Sea duty again, Ranger” he taunted. As quickly as the thought passed it was gone, shoved to somewhere the Ranger could not go.
“He has sent you this”, announced Tornimrad.
“He…?” By his eyes, Tornimrad could tell Alairif knew whom she meant.
“Recognize this?” said Tornimrad, pointing to the letter’s seal.
He held out his shaking hands, and took the parchment.
“Swear to me you will contact us should anything happen?”, she said, still wondering about the memory. She felt disjointed, off balance. “And that you will not go alone.”
“Yes” they said in unison. “If you promise the same.”
“I swear we will see her pay”, Alairif said, not speaking of how, “I will not forget my word.”
“You will fulfill it by just giving them information about Deorla,” Ulysior reminded him knowing well the challenges of Mordor and of Minas Morgul, the evils she had witnessed.
***************************
I am done here for now, Tornimrad thought nodding and slipped out the door. Once outside she whistled. A large raven making a guttural RAAAK flew from the top of the Pony and landed on her forearm where she easily slipped a small cannister onto a clip on the bird’s black foot. She stroked the iridescent feathers, and he cocked his head at her. She whispered to him softly and he took wing again flying south. Her call of a meadow lark, ignored by most, signaled to Daervunn to let his pretty captive go.
Disappearing into the shadows she headed not south, but northeast to the Dale and Erebor.
