The next day was spent going casually about the city, buying food and provisions. Braelorn acquired heavy cloaks for each of his companions. The extra warmth provided by the cloaks was just an extra precaution. He also bought a pair of small knives, for either of the children. While they were intended for the everyday uses of a knife in the wilderness, he couldn't deny that the need might arise for the children to be able to defend themselves.


It was in the manner of highly stocked saddlebags and high spirits that the companions set out from Minas Tirith. They left quietly, early in the morning so not that many people would see them go. Keeping with their earlier riding arrangements, Cina was with Suladân and Telk was with Braelorn. As they passed through the open gate, Braelorn paused, taking a long look back at the city he would be leaving behind.

But then, the envoy appeared, with an angry expression and Braelorn was forced to urge Geld into a run to catch up with Suladân, who was leading at a slow gallop. As soon as Braelorn caught up, the two riders turned their horses to the Northeast, toward the Anduin River.

Cina was being unusually quiet during the ride. This did not escape Suladân's notice, and he soon confronted her about it. "Aren't you happy to be on the way to meeting your parents?" he inquired.

Cina looked up at him for a moment, seeming to be considering her answer before giving it, "Yes, I am, but...well, I'm not sure if they'll still be there. If they even went that way."

Suladân took pity on the girl and answered with encouragement, "I'm sure your parents wouldn't leave you and your brother on purpose. They'll have thought over carefully where you would expect them to be, and then they'd be there." The attempted encouragement only brought tears to the little girl's eyes, and she lapsed back into silence, staring at the saddle horn that she gripped with her tiny hands.

Suladân also opted for silence, instead focusing on the landscape around them. These plants seemed strange to him after the barren wastes of the Haradaic desert. Dalamyr seemed to have acclimated well, however. He was enjoying the lush grass and plentiful water for a change, and his pace was much smoother, with solid ground underfoot.


And so they continued in this manner for a week. Once they reached the foothills of the White Mountains, they put on the heavy cloaks Braelorn had bought. But soon, they had crossed over into Southern Rohan, and the cloaks became unnecessary.

They encountered no signs of other humans during their travel. The roads were deserted and there were no settlements. One night at the camp fire, Braelorn explained that this was caused by an estrangement between the two countries thanks to the Steward's paranoid and proud nature. At the end of the week, they had reached the system of smaller tributaries where the Entwash met the Anduin.

They camped early, and spent a day of extra rest bathing in the river, hunting for their food instead of eating from their stores, and overall just resting tired horses and riders.

Up to this point, their travel had been mired somewhat by the presence of forests and roads rutted by the wheels of wagons. But now that the terrain had changed from the forested foothills of the White Mountains into the plains of Rohan they would be able to increase their pace, and cover more ground.


Setting off Northwest along the Entwash River, neither rider led because of their shared unfamiliarity with the land. Although Braelorn did check the map of Gondor and Rohan he had brought with him every night in order to see how much distance they had left, and to ensure that they were headed in the right direction.

A bond quickly began to form between Telk and Braelorn. Telk was drawn to Braelorn's strength and experience in battle. He often begged Braelorn to regale him with tales of his exploits. Soon, Telk was set on becoming a mighty Knight like his idol.

It was a constant point of fascination for Saludân as to why Telk and Cina were so small. Eventually, he asked Cina of their nature. He had heard of the short stature of the Dwarves and assumed they were Dwarven children. Cina was quick to correct him.

"We're Hobbits." she explained. When she only got a blank look from Saludân, she elaborated. "My parents said that's what we are. They talk often of some place called the Shire, far away. That's where we came from. None of us grow very tall at all. And we're even shorter because we're Hobbit children. I'm only 15, and Telk is 14."

Suladân passed on this new information to Braelorn, but he wasn't surprised to hear it. Apparently, he had heard of Hobbits before in a tale he had heard in his youth about a particular one, named Bilbo Baggins. Braelorn shared the tale over the camp fire one night, and the Hobbit children confirmed that they were familiar with it, even correcting a few mistakes with Braelorn's version.

The four soon grew into close friends and companions, as is inevitable for people traveling together over such great distances. But, after another week, Braelorn said that they were nearing East Emnet, and soon they would find Telk and Cina's parents. Cina grew unusually quiet after this, and Telk was happy, but also sad that he would soon be parted from his new friends.