A/N: This is me. Just keep reading.

"Has he talked with you yet?"

Threwen glanced at the pair of kind grey eyes that were looking up at her from where she was perched on Asimma. She silently shook her head. She felt numb. The first time she'd been completely honest with Rannyn, he got mad and now it seemed like she was alone again. But she wasn't going to let that stop her. She'd had Rannyn and so she thought she could handle things with his help. And now it seemed like she had lost him. At first she'd been afraid she'd be vulnerable to Saruman and his power.

But I'm not weak anymore. I can handle this on my own.

Cadoc seemed to sense her hardness and said, "Give him time."

She shook her head. "He's not going to come back to me. I know it."

The old man sighed and said, "He cares for you, you know."

Threwen did know this. He did care for her, or at least he used to. But he probably hated her now. She supposed she couldn't blame him, although she had hoped he would've been a little more sympathetic toward her.

But he wasn't, she thought simply. Then she looked down at the old stable keeper who was quietly leading her and Asimma over the rocks and grass clumps on the path, careful not to trample any dropped belongings. And she realized she wasn't alone. She smiled as she thought about how he'd treated her so nicely ever since she first came there. And she found herself being extremely thankful for him. If it weren't for him she'd be traveling this path alone, trapped in a world of solitude.

"Thank you," she said suddenly and quietly.

He looked up at her in surprise and asked, "What for?"

She shrugged, wincing a little at her shoulder, but then smiling. "I guess I'm just glad someone still likes me."

He grinned back up at her and said, "Well if everyone got to know you I'm sure they'd like you as much as me."

She frowned. This hadn't been true with Rannyn. He now knew more about her than anyone and he didn't seem too happy with her. She silently hoped he would change his mind because, truth be told, she missed his company and his smiling face.

Rannyn bent down and picked a small wildflower, amazed at how it had survived so much people treading over it. Even more puzzling was the fact that it was not only in the very middle of their path but it was also the only one within sight. He twirled and fingered it, noticing how striking something like that could be. There was such simplicity to its beauty.

He sighed and his thoughts turned elsewhere as he plodded along, still fiddling with the flower. Why couldn't everything in life be as simple as that little flower? Lately his life had been more complicated than he had liked and he was frustrated. He realized that there might actually be something bad waiting for them when they reached Helm's Deep. Or maybe something was coming. Either way this could turn into a bad situation. Hadn't Gandalf and Lord Aragorn said so? What would happen to him? Would there be a battle? Would he live?

Would she miss me?

He frowned. He shouldn't even care. She was a traitor. In fact, she should be reported to Théoden. But the more he thought of that the more he dismissed it. As much as he was disappointed with her he didn't want to see her locked away. He had to admit, she wasn't really bad at heart, was she? She had gone to the wizard because he manipulated her into thinking she should've helped save her village. He had ensnared her when she was most vulnerable. So was that really her fault?

But she could've turned him down. She could've gotten out before she got in over her head like this. She should've made a better decision.

His face hardened and he let his clasped fingers open, the flower slowly and gently floating to the ground.

Threwen and Cadoc talked about lighter subjects for the rest of the trip. The man had some very wild stories to tell about his youth and what he and his brother had done when they were in their teens. She laughed at most of them, which made both of them feel good- Cadoc because he hadn't seen her smile all that much, let alone laugh, and Threwen liked it because she didn't normally have occasions where she could laugh.

One such occasion, outside of one of the horse keeper's stories came in the form of the dwarf stranger; she thought his name was Gimli. He had been talking to Lady Eowyn and she seemed to be enjoying his company immensely, and also Lord Aragorn's, Threwen couldn't help noticing. They were riding just a ways ahead of them and she could see them pretty well.

Suddenly the horse Gimli was atop of took off and the dwarf went flying, along with his axe and they both landed on the ground with a thud. Threwen had to laugh at that, and so did Eowyn. Threwen realized how pretty she was when she smiled. She didn't see her much but when she did she seemed very serious and a little cold.

I suppose I must seem a little like that, Threwen thought. She had to admit she wasn't one for cracking jokes. Humor had never been her strong point.

"I wonder how much help that one'll be to us," Cadoc commented.

Threwen smiled but this comment brought the possibility of a battle back into her mind. Actually she expected Saruman's army to be attacking a little after they got there. She wondered if the people of Rohan would be able to hold them back. The more she thought about it and surveyed the people about her the more she began to doubt if they even had a fighting chance.

A while later there was a commotion in the front of the procession. Threwen and Cadoc had moved ahead towards the front of the group but they still couldn't quite see what was going. Suddenly she heard a cry that sent a chill through her.

"Warg Riders!"

Rannyn took a deep breathe. Great. Wargs. There were so few people able to fight. But there weren't too many of the enemy and the newcomers were skilled fighters. He quickly mounted Isidien, readying himself for the battle that was beginning.

For a brief second, so brief it might've been missed, Rannyn glanced at the people towards the front of the long line. He caught a glimpse of someone he recognized, the green eyes looking at him intently, pleading him to come back safely. He nodded to her, pressed his heels into Isidien, and was gone.

Threwen caught his glance and silently hoped, even though she knew he was angry with her, that he would come back unharmed. She hoped he would come back at all.

She glanced down and saw something in the grass, something that looked quite trampled and looked like it had been stuck to someone's boot and had just recently fallen off the bottom in the commotion. She bent down and picked it up. It was a tiny flower, the only one of its kind she had seen during their whole trip. She fingered it.

Be safe, Rannyn. Be safe.

End Note: Well there ya are. Thank you again for the reviews and I'm glad people are enjoying it.