We're about to start the next story arc and I'm so excited! Hope y'all like it as much as I do. Enjoy!

Chapter 48

I began to tell Halbarad that I would relay the message, but was distracted by the appearance of Radanir, who had run up to us excitedly, clutching a wrinkled paper in his hand. "I found this nailed to a tree in our camp!" he said rapidly, and shoved it into Halbarad's outstretched hand. I moved closer so I could read it:

To the Rangers:

I am a man of Gondor, a friend to the Elves and of all good folk. Call me Ergothorn. I see the danger growing in the East and wish to oppose it.

Lheu Brenin dispatched a messenger from Tur Morva, in the region of Tal Methedras, in Dunland, but the messenger was beset by foes outside Lhaid Ogo in the Lich Bluffs and was dragged within. If he yet lives, he will have information for you.

I cannot reveal myself to you, but trust that I am a friend. I will contact you again when it is safe to do so.

Ergothorn

All three of us looked at each other in confusion. I decided to speak first and asked, "Have any of you heard of an Ergothorn?"

Both of them shook their heads, and Halbarad looked concerned. "Why would a man of Gondor be wandering around in Enedwaith, secretly leaving messages to us and using an alias?"

"Perhaps he is also of the Dunedain?" Radanir suggested.

Halbarad shook his head, "He would not be so secretive if he was one of our people. There are many of us who live here, and there is no need to hide behind a false name. None of us would turn him away."

I felt uneasy; my first instinct was to rush off and rescue this messenger of Tur Morva, but something felt off. "What if this Ergothorn is not a friend, but rather an enemy, who is attempting to remove some of us out of the picture? Perhaps his aims ally with those of Saruman? Why should we trust him, as he asks?"

"What if the messenger is innocent and really does need our help?" Radanir chimed in. I looked at him skeptically; his reply seemed a little too eager, like he just wanted something to do because he was feeling stir-crazy. "If the people of Tur Morva want to fight against Saruman, it would be good for the Uch-luth and our cause overall."

I sighed, feeling what Elladan referred to as my 'hero complex' start to burrow its way into my conscience, "The Lich Bluffs are said to be full of the undead and other foul things, and it would be wrong to leave him to torment and death, enemy or not."

Halbarad was thinking hard, and I waited somewhat impatiently for his response. Finally, he said, "I do not like this, but if this Ergothorn is telling the truth…" He turned to me, "Gwinthilnel, we need to know, and the only way is to go try and rescue him. Do not feel like you must say yes, but I ask you…will you do this?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You would have me do this on my own?" I replied, a little surprised. "From what I understand, Lhaid Ogo is swarming with enemies. Yes, I am very capable, but I am not suicidal."

"I will come," Radanir said, again seeming overeager.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Radanir, I know it is hard to be stationed here, but I would caution you to think carefully before going on such a dangerous mission."

He seemed a little offended, "Do you think I am incapable of fighting alongside you? Would you prefer if Candaith went with you instead?" He said this with some bitterness. I glanced at Halbarad and he seemed uncomfortable.

A little embarrassed, I pulled Radanir aside. "Jealousy does not become you, mellon nin." I said firmly, keeping my voice down. He was looking at me stubbornly, but I could see a little hurt in his eyes. I sighed. "Radanir, I sense…perhaps, you have feelings for me?" I felt very awkward saying these things, but I needed to get to the bottom of this. I remembered his strange manner during our conversation in Echad Dagoras, where Candaith got the sense Radanir felt more than friendship for me. I had brushed it off at the time, but perhaps he was right? "What about Elweleth? I got the impression you loved her; was I mistaken?"

The stubbornness faded into grief, "I found out…she decided to sail." I held in a gasp, and looked at him sadly. "Her sister sent me a letter, which came to me in Gwingris in Eregion. Elweleth wrote that she had grown weary of Middle Earth, and even though she loved me…it was not enough to get her to stay." He looked at me guiltily, "You remind me of her."

"But I am not her, mellon nin," I said softly, looking at him with some sympathy. We had moved near a large tree, and he slid down the trunk slowly to the ground, looking miserable. I joined him, and after it seemed he would not speak, I decided to share some of my own thoughts. "Did you know I almost decided to sail?" Radanir looked at me with some surprise. "In fact, I have considered it many times." I sighed, "Elves live forever, and our people have experienced much grief, and hardship. We become weary of the world, and look to find peace. Valinor is one place to find it."

"But you are still here, and Elweleth is not," Radanir mumbled sadly.

"Yes, I am, but it has taken all my strength and willpower to keep me here, as well as the love I have for those in my life. Mostly, I feel a sense of duty to this world; I cannot abandon it while we are under such a dark threat of evil," I replied, finding the familiar despair start to creep in; I rubbed my arms with my hands as I felt suddenly chilled, and Radanir looked at me with some confusion. Shoving it away like I always had, I continued. "I told myself when I started on my journey from Celondim many months ago that I would sail once Sauron was destroyed."

Radanir frowned, "What about Candaith? You would leave him behind, as Elweleth has done to me?" He seemed disappointed in me.

I shook my head before smiling a little sadly, "No Radanir, I could not do that. I tried not to fall in love with him, as I had planned to sail…but it was hopeless. The thought of leaving him behind makes me experience an almost physical pain." I took his hand and squeezed it, "However, do not begrudge Elweleth for her choice; it does not mean she no longer loves you. The hurts of this world were too much for her to bear, and her soul needed the healing only Valinor could provide." I decided to tell him a form of the words I had spoken to Golodir, not too long ago. "Elves feel things more dramatically than Men do, both in joy and in sorrow. I would not envy this, Radanir, as it makes the pain and heartache almost too powerful to handle sometimes."

Radanir nodded, but I could tell he still did not fully accept Elweleth's actions. It was hard for Men to understand the weight of living for thousands of years, and how it affects the soul. I also knew that there was some bitterness over the ability for Elves to leave and go to Valinor; they saw it as us running away and abandoning them. Which, to some extent, perhaps it was.

He looked at me and gave me a small, apologetic smile. "I am sorry Gwin, I spoke in anger and have not treated you fairly."

I smiled back. "I understand; it cannot be easy."

"Forgive me?" he asked, and I could hear the familiar humor return in his voice.

Glad of it, I replied, "There is nothing to forgive. We all act foolish sometimes."

"Foolish, you say? I have never acted foolishly in my life!" he said, grinning at me cheekily.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh of course, my mistake." He winked, and we returned to Halbarad, who relaxed upon seeing we had reconciled, although he had not heard the full extent of our conversation.

"Now," Halbarad continued, as if there had not been any interruption, "After some thought, I agree that it is too dangerous to do alone. I would have you bring a few of us with you, but only those who can be contacted quickly." He gestured around the camp. "Perhaps some of those who are here, or at Candaith's encampment?"

I was thinking hard. I knew Candaith would want to come, but I still worried about his ability to be objective in the face of danger. He could not afford to lose his focus because he was turning most of his attention towards me, but perhaps it would be better to expose him to these types of situations so he could become more used to it.

I also wanted to give Radanir a chance; he was the one who found the note, and he was a very skilled archer and tracker. Halbarad would be a good choice, but it was likely he would wish to stay here to manage the rest of our traveling party. Lothrandir was a good friend to me, and we worked well together. Some of the others whom I was closest to were either still in Zudrugund or making their way down, including Elladan, and as this was a matter of life and death, it needed to be addressed with all speed; we did not have the time to wait for them.

Squaring my shoulders, I faced Halbarad and gave him my recommendations. "Would you be interested in coming, Halbarad?"

As I expected, he shook his head. "I feel it is my duty to stay here, as leader of our group, just in case other matters come up."

Nodding in understanding, I continued, "I would bring Lothrandir, Radanir, Candaith, and Elrohir with me, if they agree." Radanir said yes of course, and I sensed it was more out of duty rather than some misguided affection for me. At least, I hoped it was. Lothrandir and Elrohir, who were nearby in the camp, also agreed, but Elrohir seemed uneasy not having his brother by his side. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, "He will understand; you will have to tell him about all the fun he missed when we return." Elrohir tried to smile but looked more like he was about to cry, and I realized I could not truly understand the bond the twins shared. "Would you ride to Candaith's camp and tell him of our plan? Bring Culang with you; he can take Candaith's place."

"Ok Gwin, I will be back shortly," he said softly. "Namarie."

I was looking forward to seeing Candaith again, and he would be pleased to hear I had included him in our small group. Looking south towards Lhaid Ogo, I became uneasy about traveling in the darkness. In my experience, the undead became more populous at night, and just getting there could involve fighting many foes. It was also almost towards the border between Enedwaith and Dunland, and we had not scouted the area in much detail, as of yet.

The more I considered this, the less sure I was of the wisdom of our plan. So many things could go wrong.

"I am of a similar mind," a voice said, and I noticed Lothrandir had come up beside me.

"Ah, I did not realize I had spoken out loud," I replied, a little embarrassed.

Lothrandir smiled at me and said, "No worries, mellon nin. It is good to share your thoughts, especially on something as crucial as this." He sighed. "I can see why Halbarad wants us to rescue this man, but if it could lead to the injury or even death of us…I am not sure it is worth it."

I frowned. Lothrandir had a good point. The thought of leaving someone in such a horrible place was terrible, but the thought of losing someone I cared about because of it was even worse. Did that make me selfish? We wandered over to Halbarad, and noticed he had been moving towards us already. "Gwinthilnel, I wanted to speak with you about the timing of your mission." He looked up at the sky. "Normally I would suggest you wait until morning, but if you go under the cover of darkness, it will hide you from potential enemies."

"What about those who are dead?" I asked. "They are aided by the darkness, and will still see us."

"Any Dunlendings will not, however," he countered.

I took a few breaths, trying not to let my exasperation show on my face. "From my experience, the number of undead are greatly increased during the night as opposed to the daytime."

"Could you not hide from them until daylight, should you encounter such a threat? Perhaps it is not the same everywhere," Halbarad replied, clearly thinking.

I knew the chances of it being different were low, but I did have to admit it was possible. I had the most experience, not only in fighting these enemies in the past year but really over my entire life as a soldier. However, I felt I needed to defer to Halbarad's orders. He was the leader, and although he said it was up to me to decide whether or not I wanted to go on this mission, I sensed that I needed to follow his direction.

Suddenly I noticed movement on the horizon, but it was not the people I had expected. My heart sank as I observed it was a woman riding towards us, who turned out to be Nona. Halbarad eventually spotted her, and his expression was one of carefully controlled frustration. She dismounted, had the presence of mind to give him an almost bow, and said, "Greetings, Halbarad. You may remember me as Nona, daughter of Suvulch, of the Uch-luth."

He barely inclined his head, and replied, "Hello Nona. What brings you to our encampment?"

"I wish to join you on your journey south," she said firmly. Noticing me, she added, "I am sorry Gwinthilnel, but I could not wait for your reply. I find my mission to be too important to delay."

I sighed, "Nona, it would have been better of you to have waited."

She narrowed her eyes, "I sense you were planning on telling me Halbarad does not agree with me accompanying your group?" She was looking at me, and almost completely ignoring that Halbarad was right next to her.

"I do," Halbarad said, the anger I sensed creeping into his voice. "It is not up for debate, as I told Gwinthilnel to pass on." Nona looked frustrated, but Halbarad continued before she could speak, "I understand it is difficult, but we do not wish to bring war to your enemies. Our goal is to the south, and we will go there as quickly as we can, and with as little interruption as possible. We will not be part of your quest for vengeance."

Nona's mouth was shut tight, and I could tell she was barely keeping it together. I suddenly had an idea. "Halbarad, may I speak with you for a moment?" He looked at me with some surprise, likely wondering why I was interrupting such an important conversation. "I would not ask if it was not urgent."

He nodded shortly, and I apologized to Nona. "We will just be a moment." I thought I saw Nona roll her eyes, but didn't have time to deal with her attitude. Leaning in closely next to Halbarad, I murmured, "Perhaps she could aid us on our mission to Lhaid Ogo? She could act as a guide."

He raised an eyebrow, "Why would she help, especially since I just told her she could not come with us?"

I shrugged, "Upon hearing this messenger was from another clan who is willing to join hers against Saruman, she may be willing to assist us."

Halbarad stood in thought for a moment, before nodding slowly. "It is worth a try. If she says no, we will go with the plan we already have." He looked a little unsure now, and I was a little amused at how it made him seem younger. "Would…would you ask Nona if she would help us? She seems to like you, and perhaps trust you more than she does me."

Keeping my amusement to myself, I said "Of course, mellon nin." He smiled at me and looked relieved.

I took a cleansing breath, sent a quick prayer to Elbereth to give me the right words to say, and made my way over to Nona. She was tapping her foot impatiently, her arms crossed. "Well? Did he change his mind?"

Instead of answering that question, I asked, "Nona, would you be able to help me with something?"

She looked a little shocked, likely not expecting this question, "Ah…what do you want?"

"We received a note from someone about a Dunlending messenger who was captured by enemies and dragged into Lhaid Ogo. He is from the Tur Morva clan, and it is said he has a message for Glynn Brenin that states his clan wants to join with yours in the fight against Saruman." She was looking at me and listening closely, so I continued, "We plan to go rescue him, but are unfamiliar with the area and worry about the undead who wander at night. Would you be interested in helping us get there safely?"

Nona turned away from me, clearly in thought. I waited as patiently as I could, hoping she would answer in our favor. "As he is a messenger trying to help our two clans come together…I will help guide you by safe passages to Lhaid Ogo." I went to thank her, but she held up a finger. "But, in return, I wish to travel with your group at least until the border between Dunland and Enedwaith. I mean to eventually go to Galtrev, but I will go on my own once you cross into Dunland."

"It is not my decision to make, but I will relay to Halbarad what your terms are," I replied. I felt there was a decent chance Halbarad would agree to this, but I could not be sure.

Acting as the go-between, I found Halbarad, again sitting by the fire, and told him of Nona's answer and terms. He sighed, and said, "Very well. If this is what it will take to help you and your team get to and from Lhaid Ogo safely, I will agree to her request to join us for part of our way, but she cannot ask us to aid her in her quest."

"Hannon le, Halbarad," I said softly, and I nodded to Nona from across the grove we were in. Looking pleased, she actually smiled at me. I could not help but return it; perhaps we could be friends, someday.

After a meal consisting of dried meat and waybread, I looked up at the sound of horses coming. My eyes lit up as they locked with those of Candaith, who gave me a broad grin. I felt my heart flutter, and knew my smile must be just as big.

I was so glad to see him.

Reunited and it feels so good! Looks like they have a somewhat sketchy quest to rescue a messenger in their near future. How will it go? Read/review/follow, I love reading your thoughts!