A mysterious visitor arrives at their camp, and Gwin and Candaith take advantage of their privacy. I know some of you find the spicy stuff to be a little uncomfortable to read, but I try and keep it tasteful! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 91

Once we returned to camp, I decided to approach Halbarad. I needed to speak with him regarding what I had learned about Tal Methedras. I wanted to help them, truly, but it was not up to me to decide where we would go next. Aiding Aragorn was our main objective, and arriving to help on time was the most important. However, if the Falcon Clan was fighting against Saruman, would it not be prudent to help remove the barricade and allow them to spread the message to other clans more effectively? They could do little, trapped as they were.

Halbarad greeted me with a smile as I approached, with Candaith still at my side. I wondered if he could tell I was feeling better. "Hello Gwin, Candaith." We responded in kind, and he continued, "What can I do for you?"

I told him of the strange conversation I had with the tree, which made him raise his eyebrows in surprise. "You spoke with a tree?" were the first words out of his mouth, and I suppressed a laugh at his flabbergasted expression.

"My people are able to do so," I replied. "Can be very useful in sticky situations."

"I would not doubt it," Halbarad said, still looking amazed. Finally shaking it off, he became more serious. "You say they are starving?"

"It seems so; however, we cannot know for certain unless we went to see for ourselves. You remember the messenger we rescued in Lhaid Ogo?"

"Ah yes, he was of the Falcon Clan," Halbarad replied, making the connection. "As allies against Saruman, I believe the people of Lhanuch would wish for us to help this clan." He frowned. "However, it seems it is very far out of our way to travel there."

"Perhaps I could go, and the rest of you could make your way to Galtrev," I suggested.

Halbarad gave me an exasperated look, "You seem to keep forgetting that the people of Dunland view Elves with suspicion; if you alone were to show up, they may think you are trying to trick them with your offer of help."

I frowned, thinking. "What if I was able to get one of the people in Galtrev on our side? They could travel with me and vouch for me."

"Hmm," Halbarad mused. "Perhaps it could work."

Before we could continue our conversation, there was a commotion on the outskirts of the camp. The three of us drew our weapons and ran over to where Lothrandir was detaining someone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Halbarad asked sternly, quickly assessing the situation.

Lothrandir had the grip of someone's arm tightly in his, and I could see they were in disguise. They were of a smaller stature, and had their hood up and face covered with cloth. "Let go of me, Duvodiad!" the person shouted, and the voice sounded vaguely familiar. However, Dunlendings sounded similar in general, with their accented tone when speaking Westron. It seemed like they were trying to purposefully disguise their voice.

"Not until you reveal yourself," Lothrandir said firmly, a grim expression on his face; it was odd to see. He had his other hand on his sword, which was still sheathed but could be drawn quickly.

The Dunlending who was staying at Echad Naeglanc noticed what was happening and stormed over, looking furious. "Unhand them now!" Naeglanc had followed nervously, with Prestadir closely at his side. I wondered again at their relationship. Not the time Gwin.

"Peace, everyone," Naeglanc said, trying to sound authoritative. "Let us try and remain calm."

"You are strangers in our land!" the Dunlending shouted, facing Naeglanc. "I thank you for allowing me to stay in your camp for a time, but this is not your home."

Lothrandir, who had not yet taken his eyes off the cloaked stranger, said, "You attempted to sneak into camp; therefore, it is a direct threat to those staying here at the outpost."

"I am not here to harm you!" the person exploded. "I only wish to speak with your leader."

Halbarad strode forward. "That would be me. Relieve yourself of your weapons, and we may speak further."

"Then make him release me, or I cannot do so," they spat. With a nod from Halbarad, Lothrandir let go of their arm, but all of us still remained alert, with our weapons in our hands in case of a surprise attack. I did not sense any evil from them, but as I had learned over my life, looks could be deceiving.

The number of weapons they had was surprising; three daggers and a sword, along with a short bow and small quiver. After Lothrandir gave them a 'look', they sighed and removed yet another dagger from their boot. Why were they so armed? Were they a warrior?

"Now," Halbarad began, "Who are you, and what is your purpose?"

"I come to warn you about the danger you may find in Galtrev, should you choose to travel there," the person replied, sounding a little less angry. "The lower and upper villages have different alliances, with the upper village having all the power. You would need to work hard to get the majority of the people on your side, as there are multiple clans living in the city. Saruman also has his own lackeys controlling the people."

Halbarad sighed, "That is ill news, but not unexpected." He moved closer to the stranger, still with a hand on his sword. "How do you know of our route?"

They huddled deeper into their cloak, pulling it tighter; they seemed nervous. What were they hiding? "I only assume you are to travel there; it is the biggest city in Dunland, and the best place to refresh supplies."

I found I could not stay silent any longer, and gently pulled away from Candaith to move closer. "Who are you?" I asked kindly. "You do not need to fear us; if your intentions are good, we will not harm you." The stranger seemed to relax a little, so I continued. "Are you in need of help? We have some extra goods to spare, should you need them." I realized belatedly that I should probably have run such a thing by Halbarad first, but I had a sense I was doing things correctly. I gave them a friendly smile.

"I…I would appreciate some food," they said quietly. "I have nearly run out since I have been traveling for quite some time."

I threw Halbarad a questioning look, and he nodded slightly. "Very well," I said softly. "If you would follow me?" Hesitantly, the stranger made their way towards me, and I guided them toward the fire. However, I did not have my guard down; I could get to my knives in an instant should they turn on me, but I instinctively did not feel threatened by them. I wondered at this. Deciding to save our lembas, I found some dried meat and regular cram and handed it over. They moved their mask aside as briefly as they could, but not quickly enough. My eyes widened as I recognized them; I moved closer and whispered in shock, "Nona? What are you doing here?"

Nona hushed me, "Be silent; I do not want them to know it is I. Halbarad denied me coming with you, and I fear he will kick me out."

"I rather doubt it," I whispered. "It would be better than how he treats you now, as a stranger who could be a threat."

She looked at me sharply, and I saw a strange fire in her eyes, "I am a threat to those who wish me harm."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her dramatics. "Why did you approach us if you did not wish to be discovered?"

Nona sighed, "I did not intend to do so; I traveled here to see if Naeglanc would aid a stray traveler and perhaps offer me some food, but by the time I realized all of you were here, I was discovered by your ranger friend…Lothrandir, right?"

Intrigued at her ability to recognize him so readily in the fading light, I nodded, "You are correct. It would be best for you to reveal yourself to Halbarad; I do not think he will detain you, as you were not traveling with us directly. I am sure we can spare some supplies, but we are running low and do need to purchase more. You say we may find trouble in Galtrev?"

"It depends. If everyone were to attempt entry at once, they may feel threatened. It would also draw more attention to your errand, as Saruman has spies in the city. It would make more sense for only a few of your party to enter, take care of business, and leave quickly," Nona said quietly, having covered her face once more.

"We hoped to convince more people to side against Saruman…but perhaps we must leave it to the tribes who have already made such a choice to take this mission upon themselves," I muttered thoughtfully. "However, now that you are here, I have a favor to ask." It would depend on if Halbarad agreed, but Nona would need to do so first.

"You have provided me with some food…and have been a good friend to me," Nona admitted, seeming a little uncomfortable. "I will help you if I can."

Pleased, I pitched my plan, "I hear the Falcon Clan in Tal Methedras is struggling to survive. As you know from Anirin, we learned they decided to fight against Saruman, but are now paying for it. I came upon further information, which included that they are starving due to a barricade put in place by Saruman's forces. I hope to try and dismantle it, and then offer our aid to the Falcon Clan, in whatever way we can."

I could not see Nona's expression, but I sensed she was surprised. "You would risk so much to help them? It would be no easy task, especially as an Elichthi."

"This is where you would come in," I explained. "I believe with you by my side, the Falcon Clan may be more willing to listen and accept help, instead of accuse me of trying to trick them with magic." I sighed in frustration. "It is unfortunate how they view my people."

Nona shrugged, "It has been that way for years uncounted, but I am sorry it causes so much trouble for you."

"Would you help me, if Halbarad agrees?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

After a beat of silence, Nona nodded. "I will do what I can."

I noticed over Nona's shoulder that Halbarad was eyeing us closely, and Candaith seemed restless as his hand hovered over the hilt of his sword, trying not to cast too many anxious looks my way. The twins were across the fire with curious expressions on their faces. It was time for Nona to explain herself. "My friend, as much as you wish to remain anonymous, it simply is not possible, especially since I need to explain my idea to Halbarad."

Nona sighed, "Very well."

At this, I gave Halbarad a small nod, and he strode over. He still had his hand touching his sword, but he seemed less tense as he noted my relaxed stance. Candaith kept his distance for now. "I will explain later." He nodded as he got my message.

"Are you willing to reveal yourself now?" Halbarad asked sternly. Nona nodded, and slowly removed her face covering. The ranger's eyebrows rose. "Ah Nona, what a surprise to see you here." His tone gave nothing away regarding his feelings about this. "What brings you to our camp?"

Steeling herself, Nona repeated what she told me. Halbarad nodded his understanding. "We can certainly spare a few things, but we will be restocking in Galtrev." Nona relayed her concerns about all of us going there, and he stood thinking for a moment. "Your words ring true. I will choose a few among us to get what we need."

Deciding I should mention my idea, I interjected, "I asked Nona to travel with me to Tal Methedras, to help the Falcon clan."

Halbarad frowned, "Just the two of you? I would send several more of us; if there is a sizeable force at the barricade, you would need more aid to dismantle it, or to find a way around it."

I agreed; there was also no way I wanted to be parted from Candaith. "Whom would you send?"

"I would send Elladan and Elrohir, due to what happened last night," he began, and I noted the paternal concern on his face. "Lothrandir seems to interact well with the Dunlendings, and of course Candaith would want to be by your side." A small smile flashed over his lips, and I couldn't help but blush. "Finally, I would have Golodir join you; he mentioned to me he would like to contribute more, and this would be a good way to do so."

"Fair enough," I replied. Before I could continue, Halbarad interrupted me. "However, if the number of enemies is more sizable than expected, and you cannot find a way around it, I would urge you to return. I would not have you engage the enemy without enough support."

"I agree," I said with a small smile. "Could you let the others know? I will begin to gather some supplies for the journey." Halbarad nodded, and we went our separate ways. "Nona, would you follow me? Perhaps you can give me more information on the Falcon clan." I peeked over my shoulder and saw Candaith clearly waiting to speak with me. "Come say hello to my husband first." Nona grinned, and it made my heart lighter.

Once we approached him, Candaith briefly squeezed my hand before saying, "Well met, Nona. I am glad you are well."

"As are you, I see," she replied. "I was concerned when I heard about what happened to you." Nona looked at me uneasily. "I worried you would not return, and that Gwin would suffer for it." Candaith's face fell, and I hated the guilt I saw. Nona must have noticed it, for she hastily said, "No one but those traitors are to blame for it. You have returned, and that is all that matters." He forced a smile, and I realized I needed to reassure him of what Nona said. His guilt was misplaced.

"Nona, could you give me a moment?" I asked.

"Of course. Is there something I should be doing?"

"I would suggest you retrieve your weapons from where you left them; I am sure you will need them," I replied. Without another word, she turned from me and made to do just that.

I placed my hand on Candaith's cheek and turned his face towards mine. "Meleth, I do not blame you for what happened. It was out of your control. We are together now," I said softly, with an encouraging smile.

He weakly returned it, and I could see the emotion in his eyes, "That may be, but I will always feel badly for the pain it caused you." He moved closer to me, and took my hands in his, "Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," I whispered, and pulled him into an embrace. He kissed my hair, and I squeezed him tighter. All I wanted to do was pull his lips down to mine, but we were in the middle of a crowded camp, and it would be inappropriate. It will need to wait until later tonight. Thinking about it made a shiver run down my spine.

Candaith misinterpreted it, "Are you cold?" Before I could answer, he unclasped his cloak and threw it over my shoulders. I smiled as I relished in the warmth. "Better?"

I nodded, and he kissed my forehead before saying, "We should help get things ready. I assume we will be leaving in the morning?"

"I would think so. Halbarad was going to speak with the others coming with us, and we can meet as a group to discuss the plan," I replied.

He interlaced his fingers with mine, and we made our way around the camp. The twins were looking forward to 'another one of your adventures, Gwin,' Lothrandir grinned in anticipation (and apologized to Nona for his earlier roughness), and Golodir looked determined and grateful for the opportunity. "I wish to do my part," he murmured, his gravely voice serious.

My lips quirked up, "You have done much to fight against the enemy, but I know how persistent you can be, mellon nin." He ducked his head and rubbed a hand over his neck, clearly as uncomfortable with praise as I was. I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will be glad to have you with me." He gave me what could perhaps pass as a smile, if you were looking closely, and clasped my shoulder in return.

Once everyone settled down for the night, I intended to get as much rest as I could.

However, Candaith had other ideas.

As soon as the tent flap was securely closed, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me fiercely. I gasped into his mouth and his hands made quick work of all my clothes. In no time at all, I was completely naked, and he was the same a few moments later. He laid me down on our blankets, his eyes full of desire.

"We will not have as much privacy on the road," he growled in my ear, before sucking on the tip.

"We…we're still in a c-camp full of people," I stammered, finding it difficult to think straight with his fingers working their magic as they moved lower.

"If we keep nice and quiet, no one will know," he whispered. "Can you do that for me, meleth?"

I managed to look into his eyes, and they widened as my hand stroked him. "Can you?" I said huskily. I smirked as he buried his face in my neck to muffle his moan. Luckily for me, he kept his own ministrations going. My hips automatically moved against his hand, keeping a steady rhythm.

As I felt like I was about to go over the edge, he replaced his hand with his much larger length, sliding inside easily. I had to clap a hand over my mouth to keep from making much noise, and Candaith still had his head against my neck, his lips hot on my skin. I wrapped my legs around his hips and pulled him closer, and ran my fingers through his thick, brown hair.

It was hard and fast, which was a much different pace than our past encounters, and I loved it. His masculine, almost aggressive movements brought a whole new level of passion. It was not long before we both came, and it was like a wave crashed over me, it was so intense.

He slowed down his movements and finally stopped, pulling his face away slightly to kiss me. He was glistening with sweat due to his exertions, and I brushed the slightly damp locks of hair from his forehead and smiled at the content look in his eyes. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, putting his forehead against mine.

"You'll do," I replied, laughing softly as he raised an eyebrow. "I will need to do some more…research to determine if you will measure up."

His eyes darkened and my heart quickened once more. "Will you? I cannot deny my lady the right to further inspect me," he whispered.

Suffice to say, we did not get as much rest as we should have.

Looks like Gwin has gotten herself into another 'side-quest'. With her 'saving people thing' she has, she just can't help herself! More details on that next chapter. Thanks for reading!