A/N: Thanks again to Eliza Evenstar for reviewing! Sorry for taking so long to update. That's just me, though. J

Part Four -Betrayal

It was late afternoon before they had arrived at the farm. From what Mirwen could tell it looked respectable enough, though, slightly tired as if Ormael's brother had simply let several things slacken off. She was already thinking of how nice it would be to sleep in a bed again. The covers, a pillow… granted, it wouldn't be anything like she had been used to in Minas Tirith, but it was better than sleeping out in the storm, that could clearly be seen reforming in the east.

"I didn't think I'd see you around here again," said a gruff voice from somewhat behind.

Both Ormael and Mirwen came to a stop and turn to look at the man who had spoken. It was no wonder they hadn't noticed him, for he blended in perfectly with the fields behind him. He was tall, taller than Ormael, and from his brooding eyes it seemed clear that he was the elder of the two, if only by a couple of years. His hair was dark brown, almost black and seemed to ripple in the setting sun.

"Tobias!" cried his brother cheerfully as he dismounted from the horse and caught him up in an embrace. "Long time no see!"

Tobias briefly returned the embrace, then bent down to pick up a shovel from the ground, his eyes focusing on the handle. "Aye… three years, has it been? I'm surprised to see you alive. After you told me how you'd make your money… Thievery, looting, and that sort."

The younger sibling tried to shrug of the matter, smiling a but nervously. "Well… you have to make a living somehow." Before the other man could open his mouth to reply, Ormael made a quick gesture to Mirwen. "I hope you don't mind, but I offered the young lady a place to rest up for a couple of days before continuing on her road."

Tobias turned his gaze to Mirwen for the first time, his eyes faltering slightly and went back to the ground. "Greetings, milady. I hope my brother hasn't been too troublesome."

She smiled, his courtesy so refreshing that she almost forgot to reply. "Ah, thank you, yes, your brother has been… well… helpful, in a sense."

He continued to finger the handle of the shovel. "Well, please, continue to the house, I won't be much longer. We can speak more of this over dinner."

Ormael nodded and smiled broadly. "Of course. Just glad to see you again, brother."

The man went back to tending to the field, smiling without much enthusiasm. "I'm sure you are."

The thief turned back to Mirwen and resumed leading her towards the house. But the young princess found herself casting her gaze back towards the figure of Tobias in the fields. The two seemed far too different to be brothers. It was shocking, almost.

After securing their horses in place, Ormael led her into the main room of the house. It was simple, tidy, in order, the vision of a welcoming home. There was a fire crackling in the hearth and a rather inviting looking table.

"I'll go get your saddle-bag," Ormael said, turning back outside, as if he had now assumed the role of a loyal servant.

Before Mirwen could reply he had already gone outside. Not all that concerned, she shrugged and walked across the room, warming her hands near the fire. She was wet and muddy, had never been more uncomfortable in her life. Hopefully things would be changing that night.

Later on, Mirwen had been offered a spare room in the house, which she took to gratefully. As she dug through her clothing her hopes at becoming comfortable were quickly stepped upon. All of her clothes had been soaked through with rain water and would do her no good. Mirwen shivered a little, looking out the window as the sun dipped below the horizon. It will be cold soon, she thought bitterly.

There came a faint knocking at the door at that moment. "Milady, is everything to your liking?"

She recognized it as Tobias' voice and nodded, though she knew he couldn't see her through the door. "Yes, I'm just fine."

"Very well, then…" his voice trailed off as he walked away from the room.

Mirwen angrily raced her fingers through her long hair, praying that this would somehow get out the tangles, however, it just made it worse. The princess grumbled quietly about her current state and left the room, the thought of her sodden clothes just too much to bear. In the main room she found the two brother's dispersing a stew into bowls on the table, which smelled surprisingly good.

The meal had passed mostly in silence. Mirwen really had no desire to speak, and was truly focused on trying to ignore the cold that was slipping into her bones, and there seemed to be a tension between the brother's that neither wished to confront. It finally took Mirwen dropping her spoon for the awful silence to be broken.

"Are you alright?" Ormael asked under his breath, as though it were some sort of secret.

The princess snatched up the spoon quickly. "I'm just fine," she said from behind gritted teeth.

Tobias raised his eyes to look Mirwen directly into hers for the first time. "You don't look well," he commented. His dark eyes looked her over again. "You're cold… why didn't you change out of your wet clothes?"

"Into more wet clothes, you mean?" she snapped, unable to keep her spiteful nature down through the chill in her bones.

The man stood up, shaking his head slightly. "Why didn't you say anything? Follow me."

Almost hesitantly, Mirwen stood and followed Tobias into the other room of which the door had been slightly ajar. He knelt down in front of a chest that sat of the base of the bed, rummaging through it before emerging again, turning to Mirwen.

"You can wear this until your clothes are dry," he said, removing a faded, wool dress from the chest and carefully handed it to her as if it were a precious artifact. It felt so much warmer by comparison in her hands that Mirwen almost laughed with happiness that she could wear something dry again. She cast a glance over the contents of the chest. There were several pieces of women's clothing and a few scattered accessories, none for a man.

"What need do you have for a chest of women's things?" she blurted out, forgetting any etiquette she had learned while in the White Tower.

"They are … were my wife's," he replied softly, though his tone was disheartened he did not seem as though the question had caught him off guard. The princess' mouth was partially open as if she meant to reply, but he cut off the possibility so that she wouldn't have to. "I know that having your hair a mess like that must bother you," he replied, turning back to the chest. "Renuia always hated it," he added in a softer tone.

Mirwen found herself accepting a comb that appeared to be rather valuable, made from a fine polished wood she did not recognize. "Thank you," she breathed with relief.

He nodded a little, and Mirwen swore she saw a small smile try and creep onto his lips.

(-*_~*~_*-)

"Where do you two plan to go from here."

"To Gondor… The White Tower."

Tobias' eyes showed slight surprise at this. He had waited until the young woman to be asleep for them to carry on a conversation that was liable to end in a nasty argument. "The White Tower? What business have either of you there?"

"Haven't you heard? The Princess Mirwen was supposedly kidnapped and the king is offering a reward to whomever brings her back."

His brother tripped over his words as he tried to get everything out at once. "You… Why.. How… Are you trying to tell me you kidnapped the Princess of Gondor!?"

"No," Ormael replied quickly. "No, no, no, no, no! Not at all. She ran away. She wants me to lead her to Lothlorien at the least. I figure she wouldn't know until the last minute that I was leading her back to Gondor."

There was a pause between the two. "I don't know if you should…"

"What?! Of course I should be doing this. I'd be doing the right by bringing her back, and I'd be rewarded for it!"

"You shouldn't be tricking her into going though…" he muttered in reply. "Did you even ask her why she had left? Did you bother to ask her at all about what her motive was?"

"Why is this suddenly so important to you!?" Ormael snapped heatedly. "You always said I should stop hindering everyone and make something of myself, well, I'm trying to be helpful."

"Yes… but you could send word that maybe this is what she wanted…"

"Why does this matter to you…?" A heavy silence fell between them and he realized what had come over his brother. "I know she resembles…"

"That's not it…" Tobias said quickly but quietly.

"You know as well as I do that's what it is." He waited until his brother would look him in the eyes. "She's not Renuia."

"I never said she was!" he retorted, trying to keep his voice from rising too high. "The point is that you shouldn't be lying to her. That's all." Without preamble he rose from the table and went outside before a confrontation could escalate from their disagreements.

Mirwen sat on the edge of her bed in the other room, her body shaking with anger. She should have known that she couldn't trust Ormael. How could I be so stupid? she thought bitterly.