Marie: Alrighty. Next one.

Threwen found Rannyn preparing his own things, saddling up Isidien, etc. He smiled when he saw her approaching him.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded but then said, "Would you mind if I didn't ride with you?"

He seemed confused. "Why?" His brown eyes got a teasing look in them. "Don't you like me?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I'm going to wait for the stable keeper and ride with him. He doesn't have any family."

Rannyn got a look of surprise in his eyes. "You mean Cadoc?"

Threwen stopped. She had never heard his name. But now that she knew she thought it suited him. Then she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Cadoc."

Her companion didn't appear to be upset that she wasn't riding with him to Helm's Deep. In fact, he looked pleased that she was going to be with the old man. "I'm glad, Threwen."

She grinned. "Me too."

Threwen had to admit, it was weird to consider anyone a 'friend.' But Cadoc was a kind man and he talked with her for the whole first day of the trip. He helped her onto Asimma when she got tired and he kept her company. She had to laugh when she thought about how odd a couple they must make- an old stable keeper and a mysterious girl with a sword wound in her shoulder and a bruise across her cheek.

She learned that Cadoc had never been married and so had been alone for years. Threwen thought he still missed his brother, whom had been older and had died quite some time ago. She was able to understand him though, and she thoroughly enjoyed talking with him.

When they finally reached a spot to camp for the night, Threwen located Rannyn and told him where she was going to be sleeping. Cadoc had told her she was welcome to eat dinner with him and so she accepted. Rannyn said he would come see her before the evening was over.

Dinner was stew and it was good. The steaming bowl that was placed in front of her was devoured in an instant. Cadoc chuckled at her appetite.

"I haven't seen anyone take to my stew like that in a long time." He laughed quietly. Once he was done with his soup he turned to her and asked, "So, what brought you to Edoras in the first place?"

Threwen stopped. She had hoped to avoid subjects like this.

What do I say? She decided against lying. She didn't want to do that anymore.

"Um, oh, well I just travel a lot. You know, here and there." This was true…sort of.

He simply nodded and they sat there for a while. Then he cleared his throat. "So, how did you get that shiner and that cut?" He looked her square in the eye. "I seriously doubt Asimma rearing you would do that kind of damage."

Had Rannyn told him about the fist time? she asked herself, a little caught off guard.

"Um…"

Do I trust him? Threwen had to admit that day and being able to spend time with someone besides Rannyn had made her realize how much she craved companionship. She'd been without it for so long.

And what is friendship without trust?

"I…was attacked."

Cadoc raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn't say anything.

"By a bad man."

"Why did he want to hurt you?"

She shrugged. "Different things. I just got involved with the wrong people before I came to Edoras. My past caught up with me."

"And what might that past be?" He eyed her curiously.

He did tell you all about himself. Don't you owe him the same courtesy?

"My family…" She swallowed. "My family once lived in a small village a ways away from Edoras. I had a brother and a father and a mother." She closed her eyes, the unwanted memories coming back. Her eyes flew open. "My brother taught me how to use a sword and to defend myself. He said we were living in dark times. I didn't believe him. We were happy. But that all changed."

Cadoc just listened intently.

"I left one day for a ride with Asimma here. When I came back they were gone."

The old man's eyebrows furrowed.

"A pack of Wargs had attacked. I was thirteen." She sighed and stared into the fire.

Cadoc studied her for a while and then said, "How does that make you get involved with the wrong people?"

She looked up at him. "The village was wiped out. I was the only one left and I blamed myself. I should've been there to help protect them!" She poked angrily at the fire with a stick.

"But you were only a little girl. What could you have done? You would've died with them!"

Threwen clenched her teeth in anger but then her shoulders slumped. "You're right. I was only a little girl and so I wasn't totally logical. I packed up Asimma and I left." She thought back to how she had wandered around for a while, lost and alone. "Then I chanced upon this huge forest."

"Fangorn."

She nodded. "I lived there for a while and I just…I just met a few not so great people in the years to come, that's all."

Cadoc nodded.

She wondered if he wouldn't like her anymore. She hadn't gone into detail about how she'd been a secret spy for Saruman and how she'd helped orchestrate the orc ambush on Théodred and his men. But what if he was able to see through her?

They both sat there in silence for a while when something happened. All had been quiet and Threwen was beginning to think that Cadoc didn't mind her after all when she started to get a little headache. But as the moments wore on it got steadily worse.

"Are you alright?" the old man asked her, concern in his eyes.

She nodded but this only made her head hurt more. She rubbed her temples and then she looked at her hands. They were shaking. Suddenly she couldn't breathe and the picture of an orb with swirling dark colors and a man dressed in all white flashed into her head. Cadoc looked at her in alarm.

"Threwen!"

She gasped. "He…he's found me!" She struggled to stay awake but she couldn't fight it. It was hard to breathe, like someone was clutching her throat. Her eyes closed and all was dark.

End Note: Ooh...the evil cliffhanger. Lol. I like reviews but I do not need them to survive. Would be nice though…