Disclaimer: Mina and any unknown people belong to me, the rest belongs to
the great Tolkien.
A/N: I haven't written anything for a while; constructive criticism is welcome but no flames please. Reviews keep me writing so if you want chapters please review. "__"= Speaking ''= Thoughts
A figure on a grey horse trotted down a hill onto flat plains, the sun was starting to set across the cloud filled sky and the rider knew that soon they had to stop for the night. The horse drew to a halt at a small cave that was cut into the rock at the bottom of the mountain. The cave, once used by dwarves was now empty and deserted. The rider dismounted, drew back her black hood and shook her waist length red hair out. Her dark emerald eyes, which scanned the landscape, seem to shine with life in the almost black night sky. She entered the cave; leaving her horse outside.
Inside the cave in the far corner was a small pile of wood, it wasn't the first time the girl herself had used the cave and it was often used by many of her people so a pile of wood was a helpful thing to leave there. She started a fire and took off her cloak. She wore black leggings and a black tunic, decorated with silver strands. Around her neck on a thin mithril chain was a small silver circle with a picture of a mountain and elvish writing was written around the outside of the necklace, the writing read Ihiiserim. The girl leant back against the cave wall, her hands in front of her to keep them warm. Her eyes were just beginning to close when; a noise from outside jolted her from her doze.
"Horses, you think you have them figured out then...all thrown out the window," the girl muttered to herself as she stood up and started to walk to the entrance of the cave.
From an onlooker it would of looked like the girl was unarmed, but hidden by the black layers of tunic along her belt was a sword and just inside each boot hidden was a knife and just in case she had a knife hidden up her sleeve as well.
"What is wrong Silme?" She asked stepping out into the night. The temperature seemed to have lowered and there was a cold wind whipping through the trees that there wasn't before. She reached out and grabbed the mare's reins to calm her down, the horse snorted. "What are you worried about nothing is out here that I can see," the girl barely finished her sentence before she felt herself being forced backwards into the side of the mountain. Her head contacted with the rock with a slightly thud and her horse pranced away, distressed at what was happening to her mistress. A boot contacted with her stomach almost knocking the wind out of her, this was not the way she had been taught to fight she was normally given a chance first.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A voice asked near her ear, she felt a cold blade being placed at her neck. "It would be wise to speak."
"Well it would be wise for you to move that blade near my neck I think," she told him.
The voice laughed. "I am asking the questions here, now answer it."
'I try to tell people but they never listen,' she thought. 'I did ask him nicely the first time'. She moved suddenly and swung her left arm out sideways hitting what she assumed and hoped was his face and grabbed the blade from him.
"Now I am asking the questions who are you and what are you doing out here?"
The boy in front of her looked slightly surprised. 'He is only just a man I reckon', she told looking at him.
"My name is Ennasîn. I am part of a group of guards loyal to the service of the Kingdom of Gondor."
'Gondor...Gondor...' She thought to herself. 'I am quite sure I know where that is, they have an elf queen.'
"So you did found someone then Ennasîn?" A man asked walking up to them, he was dressed in travelling gear but the symbol of Gondor could clearly be seen. "Why don't you invite her to share our fire? I am sure she could use some company."
'Perhaps not yours though', Mina thought letting the boy move away from her. She walked over to her horse, which had now calmed down.
"Why don't you come and join our camp. Safety in numbers out here in the wild." the guard asked her.
'He has a good reason, travelling alone for too long is messing with my mind a little anyway.' She walked into the cave and put her fire out, she picked up her cloak and draped it around her shoulders before leading her horse over to where the guards had now moved.
"You are one of the Ihiiserim!" A guard said as she reached the fire.
"Yes, and you are a guard of Gondor. It is very obvious, even if I hadn't been told about it." She replied.
"Do you have a name?" The guard who had been talking to her a little earlier asked her. "I am Mârimpûh."
Mina threw a little piece of wood into the fire, which crackled as more wood was added. "My name is Mina."
She slipped her cloak from her shoulders, as she was warm enough by the fire. She raised her head slightly to see Mârimpûh exchanging looks with another guard.
'I wonder what they are up to and I hope it doesn't concern me for their sakes.'
Ennasîn cleared his throat and turned to Mina, who was still throwing little twigs onto the fire.
"Your horse looks a strong mare where did you get her?" He asked, standing up and walking over to Silme.
"She was gift to me from the people of Rohan, I received her when she was a young filly and she has been everywhere with me." Mina answered.
The moon was by now high in the sky, the wind was still there, moving the trees and causing the flames of the fire to flickering and almost leap.
"Where are you heading come morning?" Mârimpûh asked, watching her carefully.
"No where, I was just checking the land around the mountain and just making sure no enemies had come this way, which they haven't."
Mârimpûh smiled and moved slightly closer to Mina.
"You are welcome to travel to Gondor with us, it is safer to travel in groups and you will have protection."
Mina stood up and walked over to Silme, taking a small flask from a bag on the saddle she drank some of the liquid.
"I can take care of myself. I do know how to fight and I am well equipped."
She heard a slight laugh as she put the flask away.
"I am sure you are Mina."
'He does not believe me. Well this is certainly not the first time.'
Mina remained standing and quickly checked everyone was still where it should be on her tack.
"Why don't you come and sit down? You must be tired?" Mârimpûh said motioning to the ground beside him.
Mina shook her head though and took her horse's reins in one hand.
"I think I would prefer to sleep in the cave tonight. I will see you in the morn to be ready to ride."
With that Mina walked back to the cave, her horse walking beside her.
"She is a tough one Mârimpûh, perhaps she does not like your attention?" A guard suggested, as they watched the flame haired female walk off.
"She likes my attention she just does not wish to show it. We are only a day or two ride away from Gondor, I am sure things will change there." Mârimpûh said as he settled down to sleep.
A/N: I haven't written anything for a while; constructive criticism is welcome but no flames please. Reviews keep me writing so if you want chapters please review. "__"= Speaking ''= Thoughts
A figure on a grey horse trotted down a hill onto flat plains, the sun was starting to set across the cloud filled sky and the rider knew that soon they had to stop for the night. The horse drew to a halt at a small cave that was cut into the rock at the bottom of the mountain. The cave, once used by dwarves was now empty and deserted. The rider dismounted, drew back her black hood and shook her waist length red hair out. Her dark emerald eyes, which scanned the landscape, seem to shine with life in the almost black night sky. She entered the cave; leaving her horse outside.
Inside the cave in the far corner was a small pile of wood, it wasn't the first time the girl herself had used the cave and it was often used by many of her people so a pile of wood was a helpful thing to leave there. She started a fire and took off her cloak. She wore black leggings and a black tunic, decorated with silver strands. Around her neck on a thin mithril chain was a small silver circle with a picture of a mountain and elvish writing was written around the outside of the necklace, the writing read Ihiiserim. The girl leant back against the cave wall, her hands in front of her to keep them warm. Her eyes were just beginning to close when; a noise from outside jolted her from her doze.
"Horses, you think you have them figured out then...all thrown out the window," the girl muttered to herself as she stood up and started to walk to the entrance of the cave.
From an onlooker it would of looked like the girl was unarmed, but hidden by the black layers of tunic along her belt was a sword and just inside each boot hidden was a knife and just in case she had a knife hidden up her sleeve as well.
"What is wrong Silme?" She asked stepping out into the night. The temperature seemed to have lowered and there was a cold wind whipping through the trees that there wasn't before. She reached out and grabbed the mare's reins to calm her down, the horse snorted. "What are you worried about nothing is out here that I can see," the girl barely finished her sentence before she felt herself being forced backwards into the side of the mountain. Her head contacted with the rock with a slightly thud and her horse pranced away, distressed at what was happening to her mistress. A boot contacted with her stomach almost knocking the wind out of her, this was not the way she had been taught to fight she was normally given a chance first.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A voice asked near her ear, she felt a cold blade being placed at her neck. "It would be wise to speak."
"Well it would be wise for you to move that blade near my neck I think," she told him.
The voice laughed. "I am asking the questions here, now answer it."
'I try to tell people but they never listen,' she thought. 'I did ask him nicely the first time'. She moved suddenly and swung her left arm out sideways hitting what she assumed and hoped was his face and grabbed the blade from him.
"Now I am asking the questions who are you and what are you doing out here?"
The boy in front of her looked slightly surprised. 'He is only just a man I reckon', she told looking at him.
"My name is Ennasîn. I am part of a group of guards loyal to the service of the Kingdom of Gondor."
'Gondor...Gondor...' She thought to herself. 'I am quite sure I know where that is, they have an elf queen.'
"So you did found someone then Ennasîn?" A man asked walking up to them, he was dressed in travelling gear but the symbol of Gondor could clearly be seen. "Why don't you invite her to share our fire? I am sure she could use some company."
'Perhaps not yours though', Mina thought letting the boy move away from her. She walked over to her horse, which had now calmed down.
"Why don't you come and join our camp. Safety in numbers out here in the wild." the guard asked her.
'He has a good reason, travelling alone for too long is messing with my mind a little anyway.' She walked into the cave and put her fire out, she picked up her cloak and draped it around her shoulders before leading her horse over to where the guards had now moved.
"You are one of the Ihiiserim!" A guard said as she reached the fire.
"Yes, and you are a guard of Gondor. It is very obvious, even if I hadn't been told about it." She replied.
"Do you have a name?" The guard who had been talking to her a little earlier asked her. "I am Mârimpûh."
Mina threw a little piece of wood into the fire, which crackled as more wood was added. "My name is Mina."
She slipped her cloak from her shoulders, as she was warm enough by the fire. She raised her head slightly to see Mârimpûh exchanging looks with another guard.
'I wonder what they are up to and I hope it doesn't concern me for their sakes.'
Ennasîn cleared his throat and turned to Mina, who was still throwing little twigs onto the fire.
"Your horse looks a strong mare where did you get her?" He asked, standing up and walking over to Silme.
"She was gift to me from the people of Rohan, I received her when she was a young filly and she has been everywhere with me." Mina answered.
The moon was by now high in the sky, the wind was still there, moving the trees and causing the flames of the fire to flickering and almost leap.
"Where are you heading come morning?" Mârimpûh asked, watching her carefully.
"No where, I was just checking the land around the mountain and just making sure no enemies had come this way, which they haven't."
Mârimpûh smiled and moved slightly closer to Mina.
"You are welcome to travel to Gondor with us, it is safer to travel in groups and you will have protection."
Mina stood up and walked over to Silme, taking a small flask from a bag on the saddle she drank some of the liquid.
"I can take care of myself. I do know how to fight and I am well equipped."
She heard a slight laugh as she put the flask away.
"I am sure you are Mina."
'He does not believe me. Well this is certainly not the first time.'
Mina remained standing and quickly checked everyone was still where it should be on her tack.
"Why don't you come and sit down? You must be tired?" Mârimpûh said motioning to the ground beside him.
Mina shook her head though and took her horse's reins in one hand.
"I think I would prefer to sleep in the cave tonight. I will see you in the morn to be ready to ride."
With that Mina walked back to the cave, her horse walking beside her.
"She is a tough one Mârimpûh, perhaps she does not like your attention?" A guard suggested, as they watched the flame haired female walk off.
"She likes my attention she just does not wish to show it. We are only a day or two ride away from Gondor, I am sure things will change there." Mârimpûh said as he settled down to sleep.