Aragorn eyed the hunched figures crawling across the horizon, their haggard
bodies sharply visible against the rising sun.
"We can't trust anybody this close to the Mordor boarder." He said tensely
to Astenfire.
"We won't know until we can see them, and talk to them." Aragorn glanced at
the former commander, the waxing sun reflected in her glassy eyes.
"You seem trusting."
"You must remember the hobbits. These could be victims, with information."
Aragorn and Astenfire drew their weapons, staring with dark, pitiless eyes as the haggard people staggered into their camp. One was a short, thick man with a face like a plate of mashed potato, pale white with liquid-like pools of inky blackness acting as eyes. He was cloaked in an ankle-length brownish habit, which was travel-worn and ragged. He was completely bald, his shiny, round head was beaded with sweat from an arduous day's march. His companion was taller, lanky and wore a long silky black robe. His face, a soft pale parlor, accentuated his green eyes, glassy and smooth, like a polished emerald. Around his waist a leather belt studded with semi- precious gems held a small woven brown-cloth bag to his thin form. Upon his head, a wavy mop of sleek hazel hair hung to his shoulders. Aragorn eyed them with deep mistrust, his eyes not wavering from the intense stare he gave the black-cloaked man. "What 'd you want here?" Aragorn asked sharply, his face hard and unwelcoming. The cloaked man met his gaze, smiling kindly, holding up both thin hands in a sign of submission. "Absolutely nothing. We don't want trouble. We're just passing through." Astenfire chewed the inside of her cheek, debating whether to offer shelter. They didn't seem to be carrying arms on their person, or at least visible ones. She sighed, stepping forward, and making sure her bow was prominent on her shoulder. "Laymen?" "Of course not. We come from the Indigo Tribe." Astenfire cocked her head to one side, her eyes boring into the emerald ones meeting them. "And they are?" "The Indigo Tribe- our tribe- was once a fishing tribe. We roamed the coasts on flat-bottomed skiffs, trawling for fish and the like. Then we were attacked while we were berthing off of the coast of South Gondor. Our ship was torched, and Matthias and I were the only ones to escape." Astenfire and Aragorn's gaze fell on the bald man at his companion's feet. "I have never heard of such a tribe." Aragorn said coldly. The man's piercing stare fell on Aragorn, who met it with indifference. "I'm afraid, sir, the Indigo Tribe did exist. With turbulence in Gondor, I expect we were shot mistakenly." He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. "So now Matthias and I are roaming the lands as farmers, mostly. But we've become lost in this barren land." "Do you carry arms?" "No- the Indigos was a peaceable people." Matthias, the bald man, nodded sagely. Astenfire's eyes landed on him. "Why doesn't your companion add anything?" "He is dumb, miss. Dumb from birth." Astenfire stared at the other man's flat tone. She felt a wave of sympathy towards the handicapped man- who was staring around fearfully. "Well, I suppose you can stay." Aragorn and Astenfire glanced in alarm behind them as Colette pushed her way forward. "The Committee, Serena and I agree these travelers should be welcomed into our camp." Colette smiled, nudging Aragorn in the foot. Serena, who had been taking Moony for a wing-stretch descended from flight again, wheeling into the cloud line, and coming to earth with a soft bump, right behind the newcomers. Matthias and his partner whirled around, trying unsuccessfully to hide their surprise. Astenfire smiled, and walked over to pat a large protruding black talon. "Good Moony! Hey there, Serena! Did y' meet these new travelers? They're staying with us f' the night."
Aragorn watched the hazy figures from the other side of his smoldering campfire. The sparse, dry brush burned fairly well, but sent up a thick, shimmering haze accompanied with the spasmodic black whirl of smoke as a twig collapsed and crackled. His intense stare caught the taller one's attention, and he gave Aragorn a meek smile. He rose, and made his way to Aragorn's side. "You've been very distant to me, friend. Do you not trust me?" Aragorn contemplated his answer. "Lone travelers should be wary out on the open plain." The man nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you've got nothing to fear from Matthias n' me. Oh, by the way, I'm Sagitar." "Aragorn." Aragorn grunted, clasping Sagitar's hand with unneeded force. Sagitar winced, shook it tenderly, and extracted his hand from the iron grip of his captor. "Matthias and I were wondering, what would a group o' good faring elves like y' selves would be doing out in these dead lands? Just a question. You need not answer if you wish." Sagitar added quickly, holding up both hands defensively as Aragorn shot him another piercing gaze. "Do you even know of the war which is about to be?" Sagitar seemed taken aback. "War? O' course I know about the war. My elvish relatives were slaughtered in the pre-war time." He added quietly, staring into the flames. Aragorn and Sagitar sat in silence for a while, reflecting and staring into the fire's infinite depths. And Aragorn began to talk.
Astenfire eyed Aragorn and their visitors approaching her on the east flank of the camp. Aragorn strode ahead of Sagitar and Matthias, grabbing her forearm, and turning her away from the camp. "Sagitar and Matthias offered to join our ranks. I said that was fine, as I talked to Sagitar last night." "By the fire under an open sky? Aww, how cute." Astenfire grinned broadly, as Aragorn shot her a venomous look. "You leave me n' Colette alone." "Naw, I wasn't talking about her n' you, I was relating more over to you n' Sa-" "You've got a sick mind, and you enjoy it." Astenfire smiled innocently. "Whatever it takes to annoy you, oh mighty one." Aragorn chose to ignore the jibe. "So I was talking to Sagitar, and it turns out his relatives were massacred by orc armies. He's got a lot of revenge at take." "And your point being.?" "My point is we should let him n' Matthias join us. I've seen a lot of people, good n' bad, and Sagitar passes the inspection." Aragorn smiled thoughtfully. "He sort of reminds me of me in my youth. Fighting spirit, good-natured, and quite handsome." It took a long time for Astenfire to stop laughing.
Aragorn and Astenfire drew their weapons, staring with dark, pitiless eyes as the haggard people staggered into their camp. One was a short, thick man with a face like a plate of mashed potato, pale white with liquid-like pools of inky blackness acting as eyes. He was cloaked in an ankle-length brownish habit, which was travel-worn and ragged. He was completely bald, his shiny, round head was beaded with sweat from an arduous day's march. His companion was taller, lanky and wore a long silky black robe. His face, a soft pale parlor, accentuated his green eyes, glassy and smooth, like a polished emerald. Around his waist a leather belt studded with semi- precious gems held a small woven brown-cloth bag to his thin form. Upon his head, a wavy mop of sleek hazel hair hung to his shoulders. Aragorn eyed them with deep mistrust, his eyes not wavering from the intense stare he gave the black-cloaked man. "What 'd you want here?" Aragorn asked sharply, his face hard and unwelcoming. The cloaked man met his gaze, smiling kindly, holding up both thin hands in a sign of submission. "Absolutely nothing. We don't want trouble. We're just passing through." Astenfire chewed the inside of her cheek, debating whether to offer shelter. They didn't seem to be carrying arms on their person, or at least visible ones. She sighed, stepping forward, and making sure her bow was prominent on her shoulder. "Laymen?" "Of course not. We come from the Indigo Tribe." Astenfire cocked her head to one side, her eyes boring into the emerald ones meeting them. "And they are?" "The Indigo Tribe- our tribe- was once a fishing tribe. We roamed the coasts on flat-bottomed skiffs, trawling for fish and the like. Then we were attacked while we were berthing off of the coast of South Gondor. Our ship was torched, and Matthias and I were the only ones to escape." Astenfire and Aragorn's gaze fell on the bald man at his companion's feet. "I have never heard of such a tribe." Aragorn said coldly. The man's piercing stare fell on Aragorn, who met it with indifference. "I'm afraid, sir, the Indigo Tribe did exist. With turbulence in Gondor, I expect we were shot mistakenly." He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. "So now Matthias and I are roaming the lands as farmers, mostly. But we've become lost in this barren land." "Do you carry arms?" "No- the Indigos was a peaceable people." Matthias, the bald man, nodded sagely. Astenfire's eyes landed on him. "Why doesn't your companion add anything?" "He is dumb, miss. Dumb from birth." Astenfire stared at the other man's flat tone. She felt a wave of sympathy towards the handicapped man- who was staring around fearfully. "Well, I suppose you can stay." Aragorn and Astenfire glanced in alarm behind them as Colette pushed her way forward. "The Committee, Serena and I agree these travelers should be welcomed into our camp." Colette smiled, nudging Aragorn in the foot. Serena, who had been taking Moony for a wing-stretch descended from flight again, wheeling into the cloud line, and coming to earth with a soft bump, right behind the newcomers. Matthias and his partner whirled around, trying unsuccessfully to hide their surprise. Astenfire smiled, and walked over to pat a large protruding black talon. "Good Moony! Hey there, Serena! Did y' meet these new travelers? They're staying with us f' the night."
Aragorn watched the hazy figures from the other side of his smoldering campfire. The sparse, dry brush burned fairly well, but sent up a thick, shimmering haze accompanied with the spasmodic black whirl of smoke as a twig collapsed and crackled. His intense stare caught the taller one's attention, and he gave Aragorn a meek smile. He rose, and made his way to Aragorn's side. "You've been very distant to me, friend. Do you not trust me?" Aragorn contemplated his answer. "Lone travelers should be wary out on the open plain." The man nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you've got nothing to fear from Matthias n' me. Oh, by the way, I'm Sagitar." "Aragorn." Aragorn grunted, clasping Sagitar's hand with unneeded force. Sagitar winced, shook it tenderly, and extracted his hand from the iron grip of his captor. "Matthias and I were wondering, what would a group o' good faring elves like y' selves would be doing out in these dead lands? Just a question. You need not answer if you wish." Sagitar added quickly, holding up both hands defensively as Aragorn shot him another piercing gaze. "Do you even know of the war which is about to be?" Sagitar seemed taken aback. "War? O' course I know about the war. My elvish relatives were slaughtered in the pre-war time." He added quietly, staring into the flames. Aragorn and Sagitar sat in silence for a while, reflecting and staring into the fire's infinite depths. And Aragorn began to talk.
Astenfire eyed Aragorn and their visitors approaching her on the east flank of the camp. Aragorn strode ahead of Sagitar and Matthias, grabbing her forearm, and turning her away from the camp. "Sagitar and Matthias offered to join our ranks. I said that was fine, as I talked to Sagitar last night." "By the fire under an open sky? Aww, how cute." Astenfire grinned broadly, as Aragorn shot her a venomous look. "You leave me n' Colette alone." "Naw, I wasn't talking about her n' you, I was relating more over to you n' Sa-" "You've got a sick mind, and you enjoy it." Astenfire smiled innocently. "Whatever it takes to annoy you, oh mighty one." Aragorn chose to ignore the jibe. "So I was talking to Sagitar, and it turns out his relatives were massacred by orc armies. He's got a lot of revenge at take." "And your point being.?" "My point is we should let him n' Matthias join us. I've seen a lot of people, good n' bad, and Sagitar passes the inspection." Aragorn smiled thoughtfully. "He sort of reminds me of me in my youth. Fighting spirit, good-natured, and quite handsome." It took a long time for Astenfire to stop laughing.