Chapter 8: Into Bree

A/N: Here's the next chapter!

Littleflower19: Sorry about that. I had come to a large block and had to take a little time off, and then I got hit by school. I'm a senior so we got a lot of shit thrown at us these past several months...yay...but, I'm back! I'll continue this story, so no worries!

The two youngest dwarves of the company heard the noise first; their keen ears had picked up clanging of swords before the others. The shouting that came after, however, was what did the company in. "Caynna's been a while," Bofur commented as he took his pipe out of his mouth and looked to the two sharpest members of the group.

"A lot longer than any one member of this company should be," Dori added. "Especially alone."

"The lass can handle herself," said Dwalin in Caynna's defense.

Thorin shook his head as he looked to the tattooed dwarf. "She has been a while, Dwalin," he stated once more.

Fili shrugged as he stood up and looked to Kili. "She took her weapons with her anyhow," he said.

"That might be her, then," added the brunette dwarf.

Tilian had picked up on the yells and fighting as well, but the horse was having a hard time discerning if it was Caynna. His doubts were confirmed when he heard Brogan's voice: "You were never the one to show fear! You were always the one to come out on top! Always sure of yourself!"

With a snort, Tilian stood from his spot. He looked torn between trying to figure out where Caynna was or to wait for the lass's call. He looked around and began to pace anxiously in the small spot much like Caynna did when she was thinking out loud. "If it is Caynna," Gandalf started as he puffed out some smoke, "then she is probably killing some bandits."

"That didn't sound like a group of bandits," Bilbo started with a concerned voice, not quite sure what was going on all too much.

"It sounded like someone she knew," Fili added.

"Tilian," Kili started hesitantly, "do you think it is someone she knows?"

The horse gave a nod as he paced. Tilian's pacing stopped as he picked up more of the words from the yelling man: "Looks like you're still without a family, bitch."

The horse's eyes turned fearful before he raced away from the camp toward the sound of the fighting. Gandalf was now on his feet. "That's not a good sign," the wizard muttered. "By the Valar, I hope she is alright."

"If Tilian would race off like that," Bofur started, "then that means something is not alright."

"That doesn't help the situation, Bofur," Kili retorted.

Less than a minute later, the company heard a shrill whistle and a neigh in answer.

She heard the horse's call loud and clear. Caynna leaned heavily on the tree as she held her bleeding side. She replayed the fight over and over in her mind and could not figure out how Brogan was able to cut her like he did. It was a clean slice right down her left side from the back of her left shoulder to the front of her left hip. He had somehow managed to reopen the scar. Caynna figured he hit her when she was rolling away from him in a poor attempt at dodging. It was the only plausible reason.

The sound of slowing hooves brought Caynna out of her thoughts as Tilian skid to a halt right in front of her, concern written all over his face. "Tilian," Caynna breathed out his name as she stumbled forward toward the horse's side.

Tilian moved forward as Caynna embraced the horse's neck in a hug, Tilian returning it by bringing his head down against the lass's back. He gave a soft nicker in concern.

"I'm hurt, yes, but still very much alive," Caynna replied with a small smile.

Tilian gave Caynna a "really" look and a small whinny.

"I just need to be patched up…"

Tilian snorted in disbelief.

"I'm not poisoned! Brogan may have been tricky, but he couldn't make poison darts to save his life."

Tilian was about to protest, but the horse just gave a whinny instead before lying down so that Caynna could climb on. The lass grimaced slightly as the horse's movements jarred her injured side. She laid her head against Tilian's neck and closed her eyes, the thought of sleep taking over her practical thinking. Tilian gave a nicker making Caynna's eyes flutter open moments after she closed them. No sleep yet, huh? she thought to herself as the horse made his way to the camp. Fine then.

Tilian finally broke cover to the camp, a less than caring Caynna astride his back as she was half asleep on the horse. "Caynna," Gandalf exclaimed as the horse came to a stop, "what have you done this time?"

Caynna shrugged and sat up some before she attempted to dismount only to stumble and fall on her butt and then purposely fall on her back. "I got my ass kicked," she mumbled and lifted her head slight. "I think I'll just sleep here…"

Gandalf looked over Tilian's slightly bloodied back before ushering the horse away. Oin, who had seen the injuries on the lass before the wizard, was making his way to Caynna's side, the company's medic already prepared to take care of Caynna's injuries. Gandalf went to move to Caynna's side but stopped when he saw two particular dwarves were already at the lass's side. "I'm not that hurt…" Caynna said though it was weak.

"You've lost a lot of blood, lassie," Oin said as he motioned to Caynna's multiple wounds. "I need to sow a few up."

"Figured as much," Caynna mumbled as her eyes opened and she tried to sit up.

The two brothers helped the lass into an upright position with Caynna leaning more or less on Fili to her left, the side compensating for her more injured right side. Caynna refused help to take off her weapons, and removed them herself with speed that made a few grimace. "Slow down before you hurt yourself further, lassie," Oin warned.

Caynna shrugged as she tossed her gauntlets to the side along with her gloves. She undid her leather jerkin and threw it on the messy pile of items to her side. Caynna went to remove her shirt, but stopped as more blood flowed from the wound. "Well…shit…" she murmured before quickly taking her shirt off, and then her undershirt leaving her in her underclothes with a binding about her chest. "Help me stand."

The two brothers helped her stand up, both looking at Caynna like she had two heads. "Screw sowing me up," she said as Oin stood as well. "We don't have time for that."

"Yes, you do and you are going to sit down," Gandalf piped up slightly angered.

Caynna gave a sigh. "I didn't mean it like that," she said in exasperation as her mood worsened with the amount of blood she lost. "Help me over to the fire…please…" she said to Kili and Fili.

They both exchanged a look, and a few of the other dwarves snickered causing Caynna to glare, the look so cold and foreign on the lass that it made her seem all the more intimidating. Fili shot his brother a smirk to which Kili returned with a glare. "Shut up," he murmured.

Kili and Fili helped the weakened lass over to the fire to where she sat down with Oin to her left examining her large, reopened scar. Caynna pulled a dagger from her boot and stuck the blade into the fire, her glare hardening. "Do you know how to seal a wound shut by burning it?" she asked in a cold tone

The company looked at Caynna as though she had spoken elvish. "What…no," Kili started as he sat on Caynna's opposite side to keep her steady.

"That's not going to happen," added Fili as he steadied Caynna's swaying form.

"Like hell," Caynna snapped at them as she watched her blade grow yellow-white hot. "Do you, Oin?"

"I…yes…" the medic stammered.

Caynna pulled the blade out and handed it to the medic. "Then burn it shut for me," she snarled at him and basically shoved the blade into his hand. "Or I will do it myself."

Oin looked ready to protest and Caynna's glare hardened. "Alright, lassie, alright," he said.

Caynna braced herself as the searing hot medal contacted her skin. She dropped her head as the pain increased tenfold, her face screwed up in pain, yet not a word was uttered from her as Oin sealed the reopened scar. As he finished, he half expected Caynna to pass out, but the lass seemed only to become increasingly pissed as she snatched the blade from Oin and stuck it back into the fire again to reheat it a bit. "I've seen worse, alright?" she said in a short tone as she thrust the blade back into Oin's grasp and held her injured right forearm out to him. "Seal it."

Caynna's glare at the fire turned into something close to rage and hatred as Oin closed up the wound. He tentatively handed the dagger back to Caynna to which she shoved back into the fire before turning to her legs. The knife was still stuck in her thigh, and she glared at it. "Fuck you too," she told the knife in a harsh tone as she handed Oin the hot dagger once more. "Last damn one to seal."

Caynna stood on her own, thanks to the anger she felt, as she pulled the knife out of her leg with a little more force than necessary and tossed it to the side. Blood poured from the wound before she removed her boots and pants so that she could get to her legs. Tilian, the horse being smart, had taken Caynna's cloak in his mouth and brought it over to the two brothers positioned behind the assassin in case she fell. He gave a nicker, and promptly shoved the coat into Kili's arms. As Caynna sat back down, Kili draped the lass's cloak over her shoulders as a decency. Caynna thanked Kili before snatching the dagger from Oin and sealing the wound on her leg. The dwarves winced as Caynna removed the dagger, slight steam coming from the sealed wound. "There," Caynna said. "Quick, easy, and painless."

"P-painless? That didn't look painless," Bilbo piped up in shock. "It looked very much painful."

Caynna fixed the hobbit with a glare. "I'm used to pain," she stated bluntly. "A little more won't kill me."

Tilian had come back with Caynna's soaking wet, ruined undershirt. He handed it to Caynna and she proceeded to clean her wounds until all that was left was the sealed wounds. With Kili and Fili's help, she made it back to her spot just outside the firelight. Tilian was laying down on his stomach as Caynna pulled on her extra set of clean, undamaged clothes. The lass pulled her cloak closer around her as she sat down against Tilian, exhaustion finally overcoming her. As she curled up against Tilian, she was vaguely aware of someone sitting close to the horse's head to keep watch over both the camp and the weakened lass.

Caynna awoke at dawn, her wounds from the night before stiff and sore. She sat up slowly, wincing slightly at the minuet pain. A low, morning mist hung over the lake as Caynna looked about the sleeping camp. Tilian stirred at Caynna's movement, and lifted his head around to see Caynna. He gave a nicker in concern.

"I'm fine, Tilian," Caynna said in a tired voice as she rubbed a hand over her face.

The horse gave a small snort in disagreement.

Caynna fixed Tilian with an "are you serious" look. "I'm alive aren't I?"

"You know how much you scared Tilian last night?" someone asked as they stood from the tree they had been sitting against close to Tilian's head. "He basically panicked."

Tilian gave an indigent snort and glared at Kili.

"Did you just wake up?" Caynna asked as Kili sat down in front of her, but in sight of Tilian.

Kili shook his head. "I've been awake for the past three hours."

Caynna looked about for Fili knowing he wouldn't be too far from his brother. "And Fili?"

"Sleeping," Kili motioned with his head to his brother sleeping a few feet away. "He'll be awake in three…two…"

"Kili…shut up…" Fili groaned. "Why do you always have to wake me up?"

"Caynna said your name this time, not me," Kili said innocently.

"How are you feeling?" Fili asked as he sat up as well.

"Stiff…and sore," Caynna admitted. "But I'm fine."

"You gave Kili quite the scare last night."

"I thought it was Tilian," Caynna asked jokingly.

"Thanks, Fili," Kili added with a glare to his brother. "Good to know you have my back. He was worried just as much."

"We all were," amended Fili.

Caynna frowned. "You were?" she asked in shock.

"Yes," the brothers answered.

"Why wouldn't we?" asked Fili.

"It has been but a little over a week since I have met this company," Caynna said. "I am not family really. Why would you all care so much if I got hurt?"

"You're our friend," Kili said immediately without hesitation.

"Are you not?" his brother added.

Caynna looked at the two brothers and saw the sincerity in their eyes, and couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. "I guess," she said with a shrug.

"That won't do," Kili said with a shake of his head.

"I am?"

"I'm hurt," Fili added.

Caynna smiled as she shook her head. "I am," she said more confidently than before.

"Better," the two chorused.

Tilian snorted at the three before gently nudging Caynna who turned to the horse. A questioning look was in his eyes and Caynna knew exactly what he was thinking. "Later," she told the horse as she sighed and stood up. "Better get our stuff together."

"But it's only dawn," Fili asked rather than said.

"True, but I highly doubt we will linger here long," Caynna replied. "We are less than a day's ride from Bree, and I suspect that is where we will be stopping for the night."

"You guess correctly," someone said from near the trio.

Caynna turned to see Thorin heading towards them. She gave a nod in his general direction as she put her cloak back into her bag. "Well, it was a bit obvious," Caynna replied as she began to brush Tilian down.

"Should…should you be doing that?" Kili asked in concern as Caynna stiffly switched arms to her good one.

The lass shrugged in indifference. "Probably not," she answered honestly, "but I'll be fine."

She replaced the brush in the bag and turned to Tilian's saddle and moved to grab it when the horse placed himself between Caynna and the saddle in a protest. Caynna sighed before glaring at the horse. "I'm fine, Tilian," she reassured the horse. "How many times have I saddled you while I was hurt?"

Tilian gave a defeated snort and moved to the side to let Caynna take the saddle. The lass easily lifted the lighter saddle up onto the horse's back with seemingly no difficulty. The movement caused a bit of stirring in the other members of the company and slowly, but surely, the rest of the company awoke in time to see Caynna finish saddling her horse. She placed her cloak and jacket into one of the saddle bags just as the sound of a protesting dwarf reached her ears. "The sun isn't even up yet," Bofur started in a whiny tone as he adjusted his funny hat on his head. "Why must we wake up early?!"

"Get up and get moving," Thorin grumbled as he made his way through the drowsy dwarfs to stop in front of his nephews as they were readying the ponies. "Is Caynna awake yet?"

"Right behind you, Uncle," Fili replied as he finished hooking the straps of the saddle he was working on.

"What…are you doing?" he asked grumpily as Caynna made several hand gestures in an odd fashion before muttering something.

Caynna froze halfway through her gesturing as the muscles in her body tensed. A slight breeze picked up and the area near Caynna seemed to grow darker as the shadows deepened, much like when Gandalf had gotten angry at the dwarven company and rose up to quiet them. Said wizard jostled out of his slight sleepy trance and glanced at Caynna in shock and confusion, but before he could say anything, the lass relaxed and the dark area returned to normal. "I thought I lost one of my daggers for a moment," Caynna replied before turning around to look at the Thorin as she sheathed a dagger. "It was hidden in one of my saddle bags is all."

Gandalf raised his eyebrows in a concerned question. "My dear…" he started but stopped short as Caynna's cold eyes darted to the wizard's face. "…you look much better…"

The cold look was gone and instead replaced with the usual calm that Caynna normally bore. She looked to Bombur as the fat dwarf began to dish out breakfast. After the company ate, packed, and saddled up, they turned to face the dilemma of crossing the river. "How shall we go about this?" Dwalin asked Thorin.

"How wide is the sandbar?" Thorin turned to Caynna.

"Wide enough, but I would go across in a single line," Caynna replied.

"I shall go first," Gandalf said as he mounted his mare and urged her into the water, the docile horse willing to go in though a bit reluctant even though the water barely reached passed the horse's knees.

Dwalin and Balin swiftly fell into line after the wizard and were followed by Oin, Gloin, and Bombur, their ponies wading into the water nearly up, and some up to, the ponies' chests. Dori and Bifur urged their own ponies into the water, though the horses were more reluctant than the others. The trouble started when Nori's pony unwillingly walked into the water and Ori's pony shied. Caynna, who was still on the ground, held Ori's pony and calmed the poor thing just as Bombur made it to the other side. "Bofur, go on ahead. Ori's pony will follow," Caynna told the dwarf with the funny hat.

"Is this really such a good idea, lass?" Bofur asked with a slightly smug look on his face at Ori's pony.

"Get your pony into the water," Caynna snapped impatiently and gave a grumble when the dwarf sat back and didn't move. "Now, Bofur!"

Bofur looked at Caynna with a slightly startled look on his face at the remark from the usually calm lass. "Okay, I'm goin', lass," he said a bit hurt.

Ori's pony followed after Bofur's pony a bit quickly, but it followed nonetheless. Murtle, the pony Bilbo was sitting on, moved without the hobbit's asking scaring poor Bilbo. He clung to the saddle in fear as he looked down at the water, and Caynna had an inkling that the poor hobbit might not be able to swim. Caynna turned to Fili and Kili and nodded to the water. "After you," she said.

Fili gave a sigh as he looked down at his grey pony and encouraged it to walk into the water. "You can go. I'll follow," Kili said as he looked at Tilian's eager, impatient look toward the water.

Caynna urged Tilian into the water after Fili without protest, but Kili's pony, however, refused to take one step into the water. No matter what Kili did, the pony wouldn't budge and by the time he got the pony to get its feet wet, his brother had made it across the water. "Kili, move it!" Thorin called out causing Caynna to pull Tilian to a stop halfway over to the other side of the river.

She turned around to look at Kili who was having trouble with his pony and sighed. "Let's go back and help him, Tilian," she said.

The horse turned back around and trudged through the water back to where Kili was sitting upon his unmoving pony. "He won't go," Kili said a bit sheepishly. "He's terrified of water."

"I can see that," Caynna said as she unhooked her foot from the stirrup and splashed down into the ankle-deep water. "I'll get you across. Just sit tight."

"I could have done that," Kili said.

"Yes, but you would have failed in your first attempt," Caynna replied.

"You doubt my horsemanship?" came a mock hurt reply.

"Perhaps," Caynna mumbled as she looked into the pony's eyes and narrowed her own storm grey ones. "Frightened of water…an easy problem to fix…"

"Caynna, my dear, please don't go hurting yourself," Gandalf called out in warning. "You're already hurt enough-"

"I'm perfectly fine, Gandalf," the lass replied as she waved him off. "Don't worry about me. I'm just going to help get this stubborn pony across the water is all."

She stroked the pony's forehead and spoke in a soft tone to the little beast in a language that Kili didn't understand. Caynna took a step back and the pony snorted. It took a step and then another, and began to follow the lass deeper into the water. Caynna and Kili both praised the little pony for trying to conquer his fear of the water as he continued to follow Caynna into the water that began to reach her mid-thigh, but to the pony it began to reach up past his belly. As soon as she began to let go of the reins, though, the pony halted. "Looks like he's not going to budge without me," Caynna told Kili.

"I can see that," Kili mocked Caynna.

"I'm already in the river so I'll just lead you across."

Caynna moved to the pony's head and began to lead it through the water with Tilian walking on her right. As they got closer to the other bank, Caynna let her grip on the pony's reins drop knowing very well that the pony's pace was beginning to pick up as it saw land. She swung up into Tilian's saddle once more and followed behind Kili as his pony finally made it across. "Now that we are all finally across," Thorin started with a pointed look of agitation toward Kili's pony, "we can move on. How far are we from the town of Bree?"

"Less than a day's ride. We should arrive by this evening," Caynna responded right away as the ponies and two horses began to walk onward falling into their usual positions in line with Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, and Gandalf at the front, and Kili, Fili, and Caynna taking up the back.

And she was right. They arrived on the outskirts of Bree close to the evening, but stopped there per Thorin's orders. "I'd rather not raise the suspicion of those in town with this big of a party," he started to say to Gandalf. "It should look as if we planned on meeting here rather than passing through together."

"I think that would be most wise," Gandalf said just to agree with the stubborn dwarf. "Bilbo and I shall enter from the south gate."

"Dwalin, Balin, and I shall enter from the north," Thorin started and then turned to the company. "Oin and Gloin, you will enter from the west gate. Dori, Nori, Ori, you will follow them in, but make sure you wait until they ware through the gate before you follow them. Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, you three will follow Gandalf through the south gate."

"What about us, Uncle?" Kili asked with small smile that might have spelt trouble.

Thorin turned to the remaining three he had not named. "You two will follow Caynna. We'll meet up at the Prancing Pony where we will stay for the next two nights to stock up on needed supplies."

With that said, each group started off save Caynna, Kili, and Fili. As their companions disappeared, the two dwarves turned to Caynna who sat with a blank expression on her face. "So…are you going to go?" Kili asked.

"In a moment…" Caynna mumbled as she pulled her cloak out from one of her bags and threw it on.

She fastened the clip and the pulled up the hood before turning toward the town of Bree. She gave a nod and they set off, the night sky nearly upon them now. They arrived at the gate just as night fell and, to the two brother's amazement, the gate opened without a word being said from the gatekeeper. They had to argue with the old man to let them in when they had passed through Bree. Wordlessly, they passed through the gate and began to make their way toward the Prancing Pony when Fili finally found the courage to speak up despite Caynna's unwillingness and cold shoulder. "How…how did you get through that easily?" he asked.

"I'm a ranger, remember?" Caynna said with a shrug. "We're here."

She dismounted and made her way into the inn leaving the two brothers behind to catch up. "Hello, sir," the inn keeper, a rather well-fed man with a head of unkept brunette hair greeted Caynna. "How may I help you?"

"Did Gandalf come through here yet?" Caynna asked and gave a small smile at the innkeeper's shocked look at the feminine voice.

"Gandalf has come in already with a hobbit. Several other people of interest had also come in asking for him. Are you apart of the company he made reservations for?"

"I am as are my other two companions outside," Caynna responded.

"Ah…so you are the last three…good. Gandalf is over by the fire there."

"Thank you sir."

Caynna exited the inn and made her way over to Fili and Kili. "We'll stable the horses and head inside. The others are here," she told them as she moved around to the back of the inn followed by the two brothers. They quickly unsaddled their steeds, brushed them down, and watered them before heading inside with their saddle bags. Upon their entrance, Gandalf met them and handed Caynna a key pointing out that the three of them would share a room. Fili snickered some and received a sharp jab in the side from his brother, however Caynna was unfazed by the news and made her way upstairs. They entered the room at the end of the hallway and found out that the room was large enough for one more person with a separate bathing room.

Caynna claimed one of the beds closest to the window as hers while the two brothers claimed the two opposite beds. Caynna removed her cloak and her weapons while the two brothers placed their own weapons on their beds to clean later. "We're going down for some food…" Fili started.

"I'm going to wash up," Caynna said as she pointed at her stomach where her wounds were. "I need to make sure these are cleaned. I'll see you down there in a few."

"Alright. Come on Kili."

Fili made his way out, but Kili paused to give Caynna one last look. "Are you hurting?" he asked.

"No, I just want to change the bandages," Caynna replied with a small smile. "I'll be down in a few. Promise."

Kili gave a nod and shut the door behind him. Caynna waited until the sound of their boots disappeared, and only then did she move into the bathing room with new bandages. She undid her hair from the braids it was in and let it fall down her back in numerous waves and curls from the position they had been in. She proceeded to strip down and undo her old bandages, and then slid into the lukewarm bath water that had been prepared per her request earlier. As she got out and pulled on her undergarments, she examined her wounds and was pleased to see they looked well, but still bandaged them just in case a slight mishap were to happen. She had pulled on her thin layer of underclothes and was about to put her long sleeved shirt on when she paused and looked into the mirror.

Her face turned from its normal impassiveness to a frown as she examined her body. Her arms were scarred as was her back and chest. Her legs had a few scars on them as well, but it was her back that had borne the brunt of many, many attacks. The comments of the two young women from nearly two weeks earlier about her being pretty rang in her mind causing Caynna to give a cold smile and a shake of her head as she pulled her light grey shirt on. "Pretty…that's not something I would describe myself as," she sneered at the mirror before pulled on her grey-brown feminine breeches.

She once again tied on the sleeve-less, dark grey-brown leather jerkin and walked out of the bathing room to find her dark charcoal grey boots and pull those on as well. Caynna looked around and caught sight of her one bag that held the majority of her weapons. She strapped her short sword to her back and pulled on her belt that held her three daggers and her pouch of throwing knives, and then pulled her nearly black, fingerless leather gloves followed by her dark grey gauntlets to which she strapped a guard-less dagger to the underside of each. She tentatively felt her brown hair which had now dried and fell in elaborate waves down to the middle of her back. She knew, without actually looking at it, that the red sheen in it from her days spent out in the sun had darkened and deepened, but she didn't mind. She had half a mind to tie it back up, but decided against it and headed out of the room down the stairs.

The inn had begun to grow noisier as more people came in for supper time, but the most noise was coming from the table of dwarves next to the fire. Caynna walked up to the table, and took up the empty seat next to Gandalf. "I see you washed up," the wizard commented. "And your hair is down. That is a first in a long time."

Caynna ran her hand through her hair and shrugged. "It was hurting my head," she admitted. "And I rarely ever have a chance to put it down."

"Well, if you would not jump out of windows or off of rooftops you wouldn't have the problem of having to keep your hair up all the time," Gandalf commented with a chuckle.

"Who jumps out of windows?" Bofur asked. "What kind of crazy person would do that?"

"I would, and quite frankly it's fun as long as you have a decent land," Caynna said with a small smile.

"Caynna, your hair is down," said a shock Dori.

"Yes, I know."

Kili and Fili looked up from their conversation with Dwalin and Gloin to look down the table at the lass. It was so odd to not see her hair up that the four had to give a double take on the lass as they thought it was someone else at first. Caynna's eyes looked up to gaze at the rest of the table before turning back to Gandalf. "Shadow!" someone called from across the end making Caynna's face break out into a small smile as she rose from the table and turned to meet the person.

A man who looked no older than thirty at the most was making his way through the inn over to the table. His light brown hair fell into his eyes in a wild manner and the stubble on his face showed he had recently trimmed it up. Light brown eyes burned with happiness as they found Caynna's storm grey, though not one of the company missed the ranger garments the man wore. Obviously, he knew Caynna and the lass had yet to draw a sword on him so he was not a threat. At least, not for the moment. "Astor," Caynna said as the man swiftly brought her into an embrace before letting her go.

The man named Astor smiled and shook his head. "Bree-folk, remember?" he said.

Caynna made a mock horror look on her face. "Oh no, they'll find out your real name, Hawk!" she said before fixating the man with a bored look. "Like that'll be a dilemma…"

"It could be…what are you doing here?"

A loud clearing of a throat caused Caynna's eyes to roll as she looked back at the table of dwarves. "I'll be back later," she told Gandalf before turning and following Astor back over to a table far in the corner of the inn where they sat down. "I'm here on behalf a request of Gandalf."

"And the dwarves? It's not like you to go around with a large company like that, Shadow," Astor commented.

"This isn't something I am about to freely tell you, Astor," Caynna said with a sigh. "It's my business to know and for you to not."

Astor gave a knowing nod before pointing slightly to Caynna's shoulder. "Have you been injured recently?" he asked.

"Sort of…"

"Care to indulge me on that?"

Caynna sighed and nodded. She proceeded to tell Astor about her encounter that gave her the wounds she was currently bearing, however she left out the name of her attacker. At the end of her tale, she sat back looking at Astor. "So…who was he?" the man asked.

"Brogan," Caynna spat the name out like a bad taste on her toungue.

Astor chocked on his mug of ale and took a moment to recover as he gaped at Caynna in shock. "You…you killed him? For real? He's dead?!"

"I cut his throat open until he bled out," Caynna said with venom as she reached into a small pouch next to her throwing knives and drew out Brogan's ring she had taken off the dead man, and handed it over to Astor to examine. "There's my proof."

"Have you informed your guild?" Astor asked as he handed the ring back after examining it.

"Not yet, but I'm sure that Brogan has more men out to kill me."

"How can you be so sure?"

Caynna's storm grey eyes darkened as she motioned with her head over her shoulder to a hooded man at the bar who had his eyes trained on the two Ranger's backs. "He followed us in," she said. "He's up to no good."

Astor nodded and drained the rest of his mug. "He looks like he is up to know good," he started as he stood with Caynna. "I have to go now, but I'm sure I'll see you before you reach the end of Bree-land, Shadow."

Caynna smiled and nodded as she embraced the taller man. "You will, Astor…you will…"

"Try not to hurt yourself anymore, okay?"

"I'll try," Caynna confirmed, though they both knew all too well that was one promise Caynna would never make for she could never keep it.

Astor walked out the back of the inn as Caynna made her way back to the table of dwarves. "What did Astor want?" Gandalf asked.

"He just wanted to chat is all," Caynna replied as she once more sat down with the group and began to dig into supper. "He would have stayed longer, except he has a job to do."

"Hmm…is that all?" Gandalf asked as if he didn't believe everything Caynna was saying.

"Yes."

And that ended that.