More time in Tur Morva, and a sparring match with a Dunlending spirals out of control. I reworked this several times before I was happy enough with it, so I hope you like it too!

Chapter 102

Realizing Candaith was still in deep conversation with Halbarad (what on earth were they talking about?), I decided to make my way over to the weapons practice area. It had been a couple of days since I had used my bow or knives, and I was in the mood to let the familiar act of shooting arrows calm me.

I was surprisingly the only one there when I arrived, but I realized how busy the market area was, and knew most people were either working it or making purchases, as well as helping fortify the village. Spotting a well-used practice dummy, I stood back as far as I could and began my exercises. I decided to focus on speed more than accuracy, although even when I was sloppy, I managed to hit the dummy or target, but not always in the center. After a little while, my shoulders started to ache, but the burning in my muscles felt good in a way. My injuries to my shoulders had caused some scarring, and I could feel them pull each time I drew my bow back. However, I knew I needed to get my body used to this again, or it would be even more difficult in the future.

Once my arrows were exhausted, I wandered over and collected them before pulling out my knives. Stretching first, I focused on my form. I had noticed in the battle that I had gotten a little careless, and had survived without injury mostly due to luck and the protection of others. I couldn't afford to assume anyone would have my back, especially if we faced another large-scale battle.

Lost in my actions, I startled as another weapon clashed with mine. My eyes widened as I noticed the person was the man who had burst into the Brenin's tent in protest of our presence. I stepped back and assessed him. His eyes were glittering with…something, but it certainly wasn't friendly. "What is your name?" I asked, very aware of where his sword was and ready to defend myself if needed. Clearly, he had been released from the jail cell he was supposedly put into upon our arrival.

He smirked at me, "Why should I tell you, duvodiad?"

"You seem determined to spar with me, and I would know the name of the person doing so," I replied with a measured tone.

The man looked at me with some disdain, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "Very well, Elichthi. I am called Evan, and I own the apothecary here in Tur Morva." He relaxed his stance, but his grip on his sword was just as firm.

Curious as to why he was here, I asked, "Did you seek me out, or was it a…happy coincidence to find me here?"

"You think I want to spend time around someone like you?" he said condescendingly. "Hardly. We are at war, Elichthi, and everyone needs to be ready for when the enemy approaches." He moved closer, and I put my guard up. "Perhaps it already has." My eyes widened, but I was ready when his sword lashed out. It met my right knife with a clang, and I shoved him away from me. "What is this? A…warrior who is afraid of a little sparring match?" He laughed harshly. "Come at me then, duvodiad. I don't bite."

Annoyed, I took a deep, cleansing breath and said through gritted teeth, "Very well, but do not come crying to me when you find yourself flat on your back."

"Perhaps it will be you who is flat on her back," he replied, and I felt a shiver at his strange tone. Brushing it aside, I moved my knives lightning fast against his sword, but he met them confidently with his weapon. I decided to pull back a little, and use some defensive maneuvers to determine his strategy of attack.

He quickly became frustrated with me, "Why do you play with me, Elichthi?" he spat, his eyes flashing in anger.

"Sparring does not just involve offensive strikes, Evan," I said calmly. "You must also know how to defend yourself against an enemy stronger than you, to give you an opportunity to find a weakness, and therefore a way to defeat it."

"So you are saying I am stronger than you?" he asked arrogantly. "Clearly you know your place."

Furious at his insinuation, I gave into the urge to go on the offensive, and he grinned ferally before swinging at me with all his strength, which was considerable. My knives were whirling and crossing as we went back and forth, both trying to get the upper hand. I was surprised at his skill, and noted he was more than just some apothecary owner. Clearly, he had battle experience, and was no ordinary warrior.

All it took was a wave of worry and confusion from Candaith to distract me just enough for Evan to find the opening he needed. The flat of his sword hit the side of my head, and I was dazed as he roughly swept my legs out from under me. I went crashing to the ground, and the breath was knocked out of me as I landed on my back. My breathing was further constricted when he had the gall to sit on top of me, and I froze as the blade of his sword settled an inch away from my neck. Before I could say anything, he hissed, "I could do it, you know. I could slit this filthy throat of yours in an instant, and there is no one around to prove it wasn't just an accident."

I was shocked at the tone in his voice; I had not expected such a significant amount of hatred. His weight was heavy on my chest, and his knees pressed hard on my arms. With his blade so close to my neck, I had little options of escape. Instead, I sent a plea to Candaith, "Meleth, please help me! I am at the practice grounds!"

"I am on my way", he said firmly, not feeling the need to ask for more details. I was sure he could sense my despair and fear.

However, Evan knew nothing of this bond I had with Candaith, and his eyes held a fevered light. "Some would consider it my duty to end your life. Your kind are witches, or so they say, and therefore full of evil intent. I would be protecting my people from your machinations."

"The last person to accuse me of being a witch is now dead," I whispered carefully, very aware of the blade at my neck.

Instead of looking fearful, it only angered him more. "Then perhaps I should end you before you kill anyone else," he breathed, pressing the sword up against my skin. I could feel a little trickle of blood roll down my neck towards the ground, and I realized I needed to do something, anything, to get him to stop.

"Please," I begged, feeling tears in my eyes. "Do not do this. You will be killed, but not by me. I promise you, those of my group will not let you live, even if you claim it was an accident, because they will see through your lies." Each word was painful, as the blade was cutting against my skin as I spoke. I hoped they would be enough.

I was rewarded with some indecision in his eyes. If he waited any longer, there was a chance he would get an arrow through the neck, or some other kind of gruesome death, in order to be stopped. "I must protect my people, and you are a danger to them." I could hear a hint of desperation in his tone, and I knew he truly believed his words.

I knew Candaith was here when I felt a surge of rage mingled with fear emit from his heart. "Elladan and Elrohir are with me, and the Brenin is on his way."

"You better think of something fast, or it will be too late," I replied, my gaze locked on Evan's. "Let me go, or you will die," I repeated quietly, steeling myself in case he were to go through with his intentions. "We can discuss this calmly without violence."

I noticed Elrohir coming around from behind Evan, his steps silent on the dirt ground, with a dagger in his hand. What would he do with it? However, before anything else could happen, a booming voice shouted, "What is the meaning of this?!" Evan flinched, and the blade accidentally went a little deeper. I recognized Lheu Brenin's voice, and internally breathed a sigh of relief. "Evan, move away from Gwinthilnel. Now!"

Evan was shaking, but whether it was due to fear or anger, I did not care enough to find out. He turned to face the Brenin, but did not yet move from his position. "She is a threat to our people, Lheu Brenin," he said accusingly. "Why do you let her and the other Elichthi live? They will be our ruin!"

I could not move my head enough to see the Brenin clearly, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him move closer to us, slowly. "Release her, or you will regret it," the leader said, his tone soft but full of anger and a promise of punishment.

Evan had a look of anguish on his face as he trembled, and I wondered at what was going through his mind. However, the sword was still against my neck, and I could tell it was taking every ounce of Candaith's willpower to stay on the sidelines. "Try and stay calm, meleth nin."

"Stay calm? He has a sword against your throat!"

"I am well aware of that, but I think the Brenin has this under control." At least, I hoped so.

Slowly I felt the blade let up on my skin, and Lheu Brenin ordered Evan to toss his weapon aside. "Stand up and move away from her." He did so shakily, stumbling a little before standing tall, and I scrambled backwards to get away from him. My heart was beating rapidly, and I was finding it hard to slow down my breathing as I considered how I had yet again escaped the hands of death. Either someone was watching over me, or I was very lucky.

I did not have to move far before a familiar pair of arms pulled me up and into his embrace. No words were spoken for a moment, as I let Candaith's comforting presence help me feel safe again. Eventually he pulled back a little, and his eyes hardened as he noticed the sluggishly bleeding mark on my neck. He pulled some clean linen out of one of his pockets and dabbed at it, and I flinched at the sting. "I am sorry," he said sorrowfully.

I raised a shaking hand to his cheek and whispered, "Sorry for what? You found me, and brought help, just as I knew you would."

He sighed in frustration, "I was so busy speaking with Halbarad that I did not realize you had left the market. I should have been here…to protect you." He ran a hand through his dark hair distractedly. "We are supposed to be safe here, and yet you nearly died! On my watch, or lack thereof."

I frowned and squeezed his hand, "You cannot blame yourself for the actions of an angry person. He felt threatened, and reacted wrongly." I settled in his arms again, and he hugged me tightly. "I am safe now." It had been a close thing though; I was lucky we were bonded and he was able to get a message from me.

Reluctantly, I turned myself around so I could observe what was going on. Evan was kneeling on the ground, and the Brenin was walking slowly in a circle around him, clearly reprimanding him in Dunlendish. Evan looked stoic, but his trembling form betrayed his true feelings of fear. I noticed Halbarad had joined the twins, who were explaining what happened while simultaneously glaring daggers at Evan. If looks could kill, the Dunlending would have been dead already.

Eventually, Lheu Brenin came before me, an apologetic look on his weathered face. "I do not have the words to express how sorry I am at the actions of one of my citizens." He sighed, "I promised you my protection, and I have failed in this."

"Yes, you have," Candaith said stonily.

"Peace, Candaith," I murmured. I then addressed the Brenin, "You are not responsible for the actions of one man; it is he who must bear the weight of what he has done."

"He will pay for it with his life, as is our custom for an attempted murder," Lheu Brenin replied, eyes trained on Evan as he was hauled away. "It will also make it clear to the rest of my people that you and your companions deserve our respect, and anyone else who acts in a similar manner will have to face the consequences." He finally raised his eyes to meet mine, and I was moved by the emotion in them. "It is not how I wish to convey this message, but it is how it must be."

Part of me wished to argue with him, to tell him he did not need to kill this man. I despised this type of punishment. However, it was not up to me this time; Evan had broken their laws, knowingly and unapologetically. He had to be aware of this, and I was surprised he would take such a risk.

And yet…the words came out of my mouth anyway. "I do not ask for his life as payment, Lheu Brenin," I said softly. "If you believe he deserves punishment, as I do, put him in jail and see if he will repent of his crimes. Perhaps some time to reflect on his actions will help him change his perspective."

Lheu Brenin's lips were pressed tightly together, and he seemed conflicted. I worried I had offended him with my words, and went to apologize, but he held up a hand, "While I appreciate your compassion, truly, we have laws in place for a reason. They must be upheld, or others will think to try their luck as well."

Candaith squeezed my shoulder gently, and I held my tongue as I nodded in reluctant acceptance. There was nothing to be done but let the Brenin rule his people as he saw fit. It also reinforced that it would not be good to end up on his bad side.

As the Brenin made his way back over to Evan, who was now being held in place by two Dunlending soldiers, I felt a wave of dizziness hit me as the adrenaline faded. I sank back against Candaith, who reflexively tightened his embrace. "Meleth, are you tired?" he asked concernedly.

I nodded, "Yes, Candaith. It has been a difficult day, and I wish to rest." My voice sounded as exhausted as I felt, and I let Candaith slip his arm around my waist as we made our way back down the road toward our temporary dwelling. A few of the villagers looked very concerned, but none approached us, perhaps due to a look from Elladan or Candaith.

I could feel Candaith's tension as we walked, and I hated the guilt I could sense from him. "If he wasn't going to be killed by the Brenin, I would have done it myself," Candaith growled, his eyes flashing with rage. I squeezed his hand, and he interlaced his fingers with mine. "I am glad you are safe, meleth nin, although I wish I could have found you sooner."

"Taking a little extra time to find help was important," Elladan said. "If it had only been you to find her, Evan could have used it to his advantage. With the Brenin present, his plan became obsolete."

Golodir happened to be in the communal dwelling when I arrived; Candaith and I didn't have a separate sleeping area, to our chagrin, but it was comfortable enough. The grizzled ranger froze in shock when he saw me, and I could see him shaking as Elladan brought him up to speed. "It is not safe here, Candaith. If we cannot trust the Brenin to ensure our safety, we must leave!"

Calenglad, I noticed, had been napping, but wandered over to my bedroll to do a quick evaluation. He gave me a sad smile before replying to Golodir, "It might only be Evan who feels such animosity."

"Or it might not be," Golodir countered, his voice rough with emotion.

Candaith sighed, running his fingers through my hair absentmindedly, "Halbarad inferred we would not be staying here much longer, maybe only a few days more. He may want to leave sooner after hearing of this."

"No," I said softly. "We cannot leave early." Everyone looked shocked at my quiet words. "They need our help, or they may not survive."

"We do not owe them anything," Golodir growled.

"They…they need help," I whispered, my voice breaking as I repeated my words. "The longer they receive our aid, the more they will trust us, and therefore be more willing to fight against Saruman." I swallowed, my throat dry. "We must do all we can to ensure this, or all may be lost."

Elladan handed me my waterskin, and kissed my forehead before murmuring, "Rest now, penneth. We will watch over you." I noticed no one had responded to my words, but was too tired to care.

The last thing I saw before my eyes fluttered shut were the intense gazes of my fellow rangers, and I knew they would continue their conversation as I slept.

Things are not going as smoothly as they all hoped, but for the most part, the townspeople seem accepting of Gwin and the others. Hopefully things will go smoothly the rest of their stay, so they can move on to help Aragorn! Thanks for reading, and leave a review!