The Tale of a Warrior Maid
Chapter 6
As Kesteral entered the supply tent she noticed many racks of all sorted chain and plate armor in the center. Several shelves held helmets and other armor, along one wall hung swords, knives, axes and bows. She had never seen such an assortment of weapons and armor in her entire life. Turning to one side she saw shields, quivers and arrows. Tending to the arson where three dwarves. One of which was engaged in a heated argument with a young man, who appeared to want a helmet repaired.
"Good day, what is it you'll be needing miss; I'm afraid we might have trouble fitting you though, not much stuff here's built for a lady's frame." one of the dwarves began as he wondered her way. "Oh don't worry, I like a challenge."
Kesteral decided to exercise her Khazdul skill's and replied to the Dwarf in his own tongue. "I need armor for my torso, lower legs and head. I have a bow and quiver as well as arrows and knives, but I'd like someone to check them over. Oh and I'll need leather gloves."
"Oh ho, looks like they've found us a translator. We'd better suit you up nicely, you guys are hard to find. I'm Nimli at your service; these two fellows are Galine and Torin," the dwarf introduced as he began to search through the chain mail. "Hmm, I had just the right armor waiting for a person like you to come along. Here it is! Full sleeve, goes down to your thighs, it's not too heavy, but you'll be wanting to whear padding underneath it any way," he said as he pulled a mail shirt off the rack, it appeared to be made of two different types of metal. A dark, silver ring twice followed by a lighter, shimmering ring and then two more dark ones was its pattern. "It's made of steel and mithril, I was saving it for someone special. Here try it on."
"Kesteral took the mail and a padded shirt that lay near by then retreated to a closed off corner of the tent. She found that the mail fit her as if it where her own skin and with the padded shirt and the mithril blend, she barely felt its weight. "It's perfect!" She called out as she bundled up her old shirt and walked back over to Nimli.
"Oh good, now lets find you a helmet," he replied as he checked over the helms that lay on the shelves. Here's one, try it on. He said as he handed her a light Gondorien helm with wings etched into its sides. She put it on.
"No, its too big," she decided placing it back on the shelf.
"Try this one then" Nimli replied handing her a simple, undecorated helm. "It's the type archers prefer, it doesn't block their view. Kesteral tried it on, and found that it fit much better. "Lets go on to plate armor for the calves then," Nimli said excitedly. "This is going better then I thought."
"It just needs to cover the front side, okay." Kesteral told him as they neared the leg armor.
"Okay then, here's a pair that might fit. Try these on." The dwarf replied handing her a set of steal leg guards.
Kesteral plunked down on a chair and began to fasten the armor to her legs, only to find she was not able to tie them up at the back. Looking around franticly she saw that Nimli had gone to assist one of the other dwarfs with one of the elven twins who was trying on armor. "Oh, dear," she sighed noticing one of the straps had fallen off.
"Here let me help you with that," a voice offered behind her. Kesteral stood up and saw her rescuer: the young lad whose helmet was broken. "There's a reason why most warriors have squires, these leg guards are nearly impossible to put on by ones self."
"Oh, thank you" Kesteral said as he knelt down and fastened the armor to her leg.
"There you go a perfect fit," he said as he stood up. Kesteral finally managed to get a good look at him. He had dirty blond hair like her's, cut to ear length, his features where that of a Rohan, but also of a man of Gondor. He appeared to be her age and his face gave off an inviting, cheerful look, his eyes where a startling blue. Kesteral felt as though she could trust him, more then anyone else, not even Radaghast or the twins. She found it hard to believe that he was the same man who had been arguing with the dwarf when she first entered the tent. "My name is Dernhelm, If you want I can show you around the camp."
"I'm sorry, but what did you say your name was?" Kesteral asked recognizing his title.
"Dernhelm, my grandmother insisted my parents name me that. It was the name she went under when she rode in disguise to Pellenor. That's probably where you know it from. Eowyn is my grandmother," he answered her, seeing the recognition in her eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I need to pick up a new helmet before the dwarf comes back. They didn't want to give me a new one." He said grabbing the winged helmet from the shelf and exited the tent."
"Sorry about that miss, let's get you some gloves so you can get out of here, and leave your other things on the floor over there. I'll check them over and you can pick them up before first watch. I believe you'll find the schedule for guard duty posted on the main tent, everyone has a turn at it, so your name will be there too," Nimli apologized as he led her to a shelf where about a hundred pairs of leather gloves lay. He handed her a pair of smalls and insisted she try them on. They fit. "Oh, and we'd better get you some boots. I don't care how tough your soles are," he insisted noticing her bare and furry feet.
As Kesteral entered the supply tent she noticed many racks of all sorted chain and plate armor in the center. Several shelves held helmets and other armor, along one wall hung swords, knives, axes and bows. She had never seen such an assortment of weapons and armor in her entire life. Turning to one side she saw shields, quivers and arrows. Tending to the arson where three dwarves. One of which was engaged in a heated argument with a young man, who appeared to want a helmet repaired.
"Good day, what is it you'll be needing miss; I'm afraid we might have trouble fitting you though, not much stuff here's built for a lady's frame." one of the dwarves began as he wondered her way. "Oh don't worry, I like a challenge."
Kesteral decided to exercise her Khazdul skill's and replied to the Dwarf in his own tongue. "I need armor for my torso, lower legs and head. I have a bow and quiver as well as arrows and knives, but I'd like someone to check them over. Oh and I'll need leather gloves."
"Oh ho, looks like they've found us a translator. We'd better suit you up nicely, you guys are hard to find. I'm Nimli at your service; these two fellows are Galine and Torin," the dwarf introduced as he began to search through the chain mail. "Hmm, I had just the right armor waiting for a person like you to come along. Here it is! Full sleeve, goes down to your thighs, it's not too heavy, but you'll be wanting to whear padding underneath it any way," he said as he pulled a mail shirt off the rack, it appeared to be made of two different types of metal. A dark, silver ring twice followed by a lighter, shimmering ring and then two more dark ones was its pattern. "It's made of steel and mithril, I was saving it for someone special. Here try it on."
"Kesteral took the mail and a padded shirt that lay near by then retreated to a closed off corner of the tent. She found that the mail fit her as if it where her own skin and with the padded shirt and the mithril blend, she barely felt its weight. "It's perfect!" She called out as she bundled up her old shirt and walked back over to Nimli.
"Oh good, now lets find you a helmet," he replied as he checked over the helms that lay on the shelves. Here's one, try it on. He said as he handed her a light Gondorien helm with wings etched into its sides. She put it on.
"No, its too big," she decided placing it back on the shelf.
"Try this one then" Nimli replied handing her a simple, undecorated helm. "It's the type archers prefer, it doesn't block their view. Kesteral tried it on, and found that it fit much better. "Lets go on to plate armor for the calves then," Nimli said excitedly. "This is going better then I thought."
"It just needs to cover the front side, okay." Kesteral told him as they neared the leg armor.
"Okay then, here's a pair that might fit. Try these on." The dwarf replied handing her a set of steal leg guards.
Kesteral plunked down on a chair and began to fasten the armor to her legs, only to find she was not able to tie them up at the back. Looking around franticly she saw that Nimli had gone to assist one of the other dwarfs with one of the elven twins who was trying on armor. "Oh, dear," she sighed noticing one of the straps had fallen off.
"Here let me help you with that," a voice offered behind her. Kesteral stood up and saw her rescuer: the young lad whose helmet was broken. "There's a reason why most warriors have squires, these leg guards are nearly impossible to put on by ones self."
"Oh, thank you" Kesteral said as he knelt down and fastened the armor to her leg.
"There you go a perfect fit," he said as he stood up. Kesteral finally managed to get a good look at him. He had dirty blond hair like her's, cut to ear length, his features where that of a Rohan, but also of a man of Gondor. He appeared to be her age and his face gave off an inviting, cheerful look, his eyes where a startling blue. Kesteral felt as though she could trust him, more then anyone else, not even Radaghast or the twins. She found it hard to believe that he was the same man who had been arguing with the dwarf when she first entered the tent. "My name is Dernhelm, If you want I can show you around the camp."
"I'm sorry, but what did you say your name was?" Kesteral asked recognizing his title.
"Dernhelm, my grandmother insisted my parents name me that. It was the name she went under when she rode in disguise to Pellenor. That's probably where you know it from. Eowyn is my grandmother," he answered her, seeing the recognition in her eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I need to pick up a new helmet before the dwarf comes back. They didn't want to give me a new one." He said grabbing the winged helmet from the shelf and exited the tent."
"Sorry about that miss, let's get you some gloves so you can get out of here, and leave your other things on the floor over there. I'll check them over and you can pick them up before first watch. I believe you'll find the schedule for guard duty posted on the main tent, everyone has a turn at it, so your name will be there too," Nimli apologized as he led her to a shelf where about a hundred pairs of leather gloves lay. He handed her a pair of smalls and insisted she try them on. They fit. "Oh, and we'd better get you some boots. I don't care how tough your soles are," he insisted noticing her bare and furry feet.