Starting out on the journey south!

Chapter 25

We rode to Gwingris, and upon arrival I was sent on an errand to find an Elf named Londan to fix a broken shoe on Saeradan's horse. Candaith had offered to come with me, but I waved him off.

How much trouble could I get in, simply riding to find an Elf?

My streak of finding conflict wherever I went was not broken on this trip. Upon finding this Londan, we were accosted by a small group of Uruk-Hai. They attempted to ambush us, but Londan and I made short work of them. We discovered that a larger group of the beasts were to come through from the North, and we hastened to Gwingris to pass along this news and to allow Londan to fix the horseshoe quickly.

Candaith face blanched when he saw my leather armor had some black blood staining it, "No trouble hmm?" he said, trying to sound casual but I could see the anxiety in his eyes.

"I'm fine, neither of us were injured and it was a small group. I have faced numbers ten times as large and come out unscathed." Well, that may be a slight exaggeration. I looked at him intently, "Candaith, you know I am a seasoned warrior. You cannot panic every time I am forced to do battle. It will only distract you."

Candaith sighed, "I cannot help it; you have been through much, and it pains me to see you forced to fight more of the enemy."

"You knew what we were getting ourselves into; we are likely to face much greater numbers of foes as we go." I put a hand on his shoulder, "We all will have to protect one another, but also pay attention to our own foes." He placed his hand over mine and squeezed briefly before I stepped away to attempt cleaning my gear; the black blood tended to stain, but I had a liquid in my pack that worked well on such things.

After everyone was mounted once more, we continued South, eventually arriving at Echad Eregion, which was about halfway through Eregion. The first person to come running up to us was surprisingly not an Elf, but a dwarf. Speaking hurriedly in a panicked voice, we came to understand that his brother Funi had been dragged off to a Uruk stronghold named Minas Elendúr. He begged us to rescue him, and we met as a group to discuss.

Halbarad looked grim, "We have a mission to accomplish, and that is to reach Aragorn as quick as we can. We cannot afford to make detours such as these, especially one so risky and dangerous. If the stronghold of these Uruks is as populated as it is rumored to be, we would be walking into a horde of them."

I felt conflicted. I was used to being asked to do things by those I met in my travels that were sometimes ludicrous and almost always dangerous. I had ventured into such places before on my own, and found it easier to sneak around without others to worry about. However, I highly doubted this group would ever allow me do go in there solo…especially Candaith.

I decided to pitch it anyway, "I have scouted the outside of these ruins before when I infiltrated another camp nearby called Târ Stazg, where I killed their leader and set fire to it." The others looked surprised and even flabbergasted at the way I was nonchalantly describing what probably seemed to them reckless behavior. Ignoring this, I continued, "The doors were locked tight and I was unable to get inside. I can go scout the area once more and see if the door is open; since it is likely Uruks went through it recently, I suspect there is a good chance." I hesitated, knowing this would likely not go well. "It would be easier for me to sneak inside by myself than having others go with me; it decreases the chance of discovery, and-"

"No." Candaith said firmly.

I raised a brow. "No?" I had expected this, but decided to hear him out despite my annoyance at being interrupted.

"It is not smart to go alone, if it is as populated as it is rumored to be. If you are to do this, at least take two or three of us with you. Rangers are taught the art of stealth almost from birth, and we are good at hiding in the shadows," Candaith elaborated, his voice even.

I looked to Halbarad for direction. As much as I wanted to just run off and do this, I was a part of a group now; I had to answer to others. Halbarad sighed, "We will put this to a vote. I will say that while I admire your dedication to help, Gwinthilnel, my heart tells me there is danger here. We would need to be quick, and we would not be able to search for long." He faced the group, who had gathered in a loose circle. "Raise your hand if you are for this mission."

About two-thirds of the Dunedain raised their hands, including Elladan and Elrohir. Among those who did not were Golodir, Candaith, and Halbarad himself. He sighed and said, "So be it. Gwinthilnel, as this was your idea, who will you choose to go with you? I must make it clear that none of you are forced to go."

Not looking at Candaith, I said, "I would ask Elladan and Elrohir to join me." I held up a hand before anyone chimed in with objections, "I am not picking them simply because they are Elves. We have infiltrated fortresses together before, and their ability to communicate to each other with their minds has proven invaluable. They will also be able to hear more clearly should any enemies attempt to ambush us, and are light on their feet."

The twins nodded, and Elladan replied, "We will go with you."

Halbarad said, "Then it is settled. Make sure you are adequately prepared, and set off while there is still plenty of daylight. If we do not see you returning in 5 hours, we will come after you."

"I agree with your terms," I replied. "Elladan, Elrohir, may I speak with you?" I could see Candaith attempting to catch my eye, but I needed to make a plan with the twins before a conversation with him could occur.

After they were both next to me, I said, "This will be dangerous, but I think we will succeed. It is likely this dwarf will be near the center of the fortress, so once we enter, we will split up briefly to scout the floorplan. If you run into enemies, either dispatch them quietly or return to the entrance. We will return in a quarter of an hour of entering, so be aware of the time. If you come across the dwarf, do not approach. It is likely he will be guarded, possibly by archers hiding to attack anyone making a rescue attempt. Once we regroup, we will be able to decide what to do next. Agreed?"

"A sound plan," Elrohir said softly, and Elladan nodded in agreement.

I noticed Candaith hovering nearby. "I have to speak with Candaith before we depart, but if you could make the horses ready, I would appreciate it." Both of them wore identical grins.

Steeling myself, I walked over to where Candaith was standing, trying not to fidget. Before he could say anything, I said, "Please do not tell me not to go. I know you are worried, but I will be fine."

"Why did you not wish for me to come with you?" he murmured, sounding disappointed.

"I was telling the truth when I stated my reasoning to the group," I moved a little closer, in pretense of brushing something off of his shoulder, and whispered, "The twins will watch over me, and the thought of returning to you will make me even more determined to succeed." I pulled back and gave him a small smile, which he was barely able to return. The worry was swirling in his eyes, and I wished I was not the cause of it. I took the leather cord with a pouch that contained a ring I almost always kept around my neck. "Keep this safe for me, ok? It was my grandmother's and I don't want it to be lost."

He closed his hand around it and nodded. "Be safe Gwin."

"I will," I replied. I hoped he could see the emotion in my eyes; I was falling hard for him, and did not know what to say to convey this.

With that, I turned away from him and headed over to where the twins were waiting.

Yes, I know it was kind of short, but where I cut it made the most sense to me. I'll post the next chapter a day or two sooner to make up for it. Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you'd like!