Two Guys on the Road

Anorien: Great West Road

You stand amid the westernmost reach of Gondor, in the land called Anorien, or Sun-land. The Great West Road cuts a swath through the rolling hills which appear on either side the ground here being very rocky and covered with a thick brown grass. South rises the might Ered Nimrais, the White Mountains, soaring vast and high above your head, while to the north the faint outline of the river Entwash may be seen, though one\'s eyes must be great indeed to see over such a distance. East and west the road, which is broad and well-travled, continues onwards as far as the eye can see.

[Daerien(#21777)]

The horses are tied up, the camp has begun being set up, a simple series of tents with the rudiments of a fire laid. Daerien has left the camp however, walking gingerly out amongst the lands adjoining the road, attempting to work out muscles sore from yet another day in the saddle. After a while, he returns, walking slowly carrying a pair of coneys and entering the rudimentary campsite, tossing the hares down near the firepit and walking up to Ceredir \"I seem to be making a habit of giving you flowers. Just don\'t read anything into it.\" and throwing a few petal-less bulbs down in front of Ceredir\'s tent. \"It still has some of the seeds, they\'re pretty tasty, though don\'t have the same effects as the plants blood.\" standing up, unwilling to sit down yet, he starts to skin the animals, gutting and draining blood over the piled kindling.

Ceredir has had his share of saddle soreness these past few days, as well, and he is kneeling before his tent, sharpening the blade of his sword with a whetstone. At Daerien\'s approach, he sets blade and stone aside for the moment on a nearby flat rock. \"Flowers I can cope with. Just don\'t start showing up at my family\'s house and asking if you can court me,\" he smirks. Still, he reaches over to pick up the bulbs, turning them over in his hands. \"Been trying a few things with these. Boiling their essence down to concentrate their liquid. Makes it more effective for easing things like the back all this riding brings.\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

A shrug of his shoulders as he stabs two stakes through the center of each rabbit, setting them up beside the fire as he retrieves his flint and steel to set the campfire burning, a few strikes before the tinder catches and he is silent until the flames finally catch and tongues of fire start to lick at the sky. \"Break a few open, sprinkle them on our dinner.\" as he goes to retrieve his water skin to wash the blood from his hands \"Don\'t worry, I fully intend to make that serving girl at the Drover\'s Arms mine. You\'ve got lovely legs Ceredir, but you\'re just not my type.\"

\"Her? I\'ve had her,\" Ceredir snorts, though the glint of humor in his eyes says otherwise. \"She\'s nothing. I\'m setting my sights higher than a serving wench.\" He gets up carefully, wincing from sitting on his knees. \"How those horse boys do this all the time is beyond me,\" he mutters, taking a small knife carefully to one of the bulbs and lancing it open. The liquid is drained carefully over the cooking rabbits, the juice steaming when it hits the flames.

[Daerien(#21777)]

Glancing under his arm as he rubs his hands together and wipes them off on his pants \"How was she?\" he asks, moving back to the campfire to tend to the rabbits, leaning them out over the flames as he just stands there. \"If I could sleep standing up, I would. Either they have extra cushion on their backsides, or they\'re so numb that they wouldn\'t even feel if you stabbed one of them back there. My bruises have bruises.\"

A low chuckle escapes the younger scout. \"I think they have rocks where their rears are, honestly, but if I get a chance I\'ll see if I can test out your theory.\" He grins, as if he\'s not really serious about that. \"As for yer serving wench...\" Ceredir shrugs, stooping to reach for another bulb and to drain it over the cooking meat, \"She makes this funny little noise when....well, never mind that. You\'ll just have to find out for yourself.\" His gaze wanders for a moment across the landscape, looking west. \"How many more days of riding do you reckon we have? I\'m starting to wonder why I ever volunteered to go on this rotten trip. Just to see a madman and his wife...now...his wife...there\'s a shame. Pretty young thing she is, married to, well, he must have been a pretty fiercesome soldier at some point, by the looks of his scars. But what good is that now? The man that once was is gone, his mind a shell. And here\'s his pretty young wife, getting no....attention...at all.\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

Waving the long heavy bladed skinning knife at you in a mock threat as he continues slowly twisting the rabbits over the flames as the meat starts to sizzle and the aroma of poppy seed rabbit suffuses the camp in the fading light of day\'s passage \"Mind yourself, you\'re a friend, but I won\'t be breaking you out of whatever they call a dungeon amongst the horse lords.\" doing a squat, wincing at the pain as he struggles to stand up and rubbing at his lower back, looking around at the campsite and frowning a moment \"Don\'t like being this far out in the open. Anything out there could see us here, long before we could spot them.\" resheathing his blade, wandering slowly back towards the water skin to drink deeply, some spilling off around the spout to dribble down his chin. \"So you get instructions from Lord Endaerion? What exactly are we supposed to be doing? The Rovacil won\'t like us trying to infringe upon their trade if that\'s what we\'re about.\" Tossing you the water skin as he returns to the fire to check on dinner, slicing into one leg, frowning as the juices still run red. \"Almost, but not quite.\"

\"I\'m going to visit as their guest, Daerien,\" Ceredir replies, eyes rolling at the mock threatened wave of the other man\'s blade. \"I\'m not about to insinuate myself into the woman\'s bed...Still...\" he muses, sighing a little, eyes scanning the desolate landscape, \"it can\'t hurt to dream, can it? A little blonde Rohan lass? Warmth at night--better than curling up next to a horse.\" Then a snort and a derisive laugh: \"I\'ll bet you one of these bulbs that\'s how the horse men keep warm at night. Love their horses more than their women.\"

Ceredir grins again, then shrugs at Daerien\'s second question. \"How should I know? You\'re the one that\'s Cuthalion. I thought this was all about your business. I\'m just along because Laeghen was in a rare good mood, looking to get rid of me when I sent him some made-up excuse for learning enemy tactics in Rohan.\" His eyes again scan the landscape. \"Suppose we\'ll have to keep watch. Again.\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

As the sun finally falls below the horizon, The rabbits are pulled from over the flames and his own stick pulled from the earth, and walking about, the beast weaving slowly in the air as he lets it cool enough to start eating. \"Never been to Rohan, I\'ve only been north of the mountains once, but that was miles and miles to the west. All of this is new to me.\" a shrug of his shoulder as he peels back the skin over the leg he cut earlier to check and tearing it off, careful not to burn his mouth he chews upon it. \"Maybe you\'re right about the blondes, personally I\'ve always preferred the dark hair, though sometimes the flame heads to the west are pretty enough.\" a roll of his shoulders as he tears the leg free and gnawing at the meat with even white teeth. \"If anyone had told me, I would tell you. I was just told to escort you to Edoras, not what to do once there. I heard the part about trade with the Eorlings, which is why I was worried about the Rovacil, they get tetchy when you start to cut into their purses. They might be lousy warriors, but they can afford the best, I\'m not sure either of us could hide from them if they hire bounty hunters to track us down. Did you know? They probably have at least bought and sold everything you own twice before you owned it.\"

\"Dammit!\" Ceredir pulls back his hand from the stick he\'s reached for, shaking it, one finger in his mouth for a moment. He\'s more careful when he reaches for the stick the second time, grasping only a cool part and then letting the rabbit cool. \"Flame heads to the west, eh?\" He grins sideways at Daerien. \"You could introduce me to a few of those. I wouldn\'t mind.\"

For a few moments, then, he turns attention to getting meat off the rabbit, hungrily biting into the leg. \"Rovacil, you say? Can\'t say I\'m familiar with many from that house. Any, in fact.\" Another bite is taken, the scout talking wiht a full mouth. \"You think they\'ll be trouble along the way? And what does Cuthalion trade anyhow? Is that what you were doing...when you were north of the mountains?\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

A shake of his head as he tears off another leg of the rabbit, cleaning it in a few short bites as he tosses the bone to sizzle on the fire itself as he murmers \"Sure, but it\'s a long walk, and after this trip, I absolutely refuse to ride another horse, at least not until my backside returns to shape.\" pacing about, still trying to ease the pain around the rear end as he thinks a few minutes \"They\'re pretty enough, but you might need to bring along some soap, it\'s a hard scrabble life, even amongst those Gondorians I lived amongst for many years. We\'re hardly the same as the city dwellers, the nobles of Dol Amroth, or the warrior cult of Minas Tirith.\" a shrug of his shoulders as he starts to peel the skin off the animal to chew on it. \"They don\'t go out too often, it\'s better business I suppose to stay behind the scenes, makes sure no one objects to the profits they turn. When we get back to the city, go check out their manor there. You will be amazed at it, it\'s small, but wealthier then the Stewards home. And they have lodges all over Gondor, the Agendir out west, the sailors of Pelargir, the main line here in Anorien. They\'ve dominated trade basically since Gondor has existed. But don\'t mind, if there is trouble, I know I am at least irrelevant enough probably to escape their attention. As to what Cuthalion plans to sell, damned if I know. You\'ve seen our Manor, we could export spiders, and who knows what\'s in that dust.\"

\"You\'re irrelevant enough to escape their attention if there\'s trouble--but how about me? What do I do?\" the scout laughs. \"Point at you and say it\'s all your fault?\" A snort, and Ceredir finishes off his rabbit leg and, following the other\'s example, tosses the bone into the fire. \"Soap,\" he then continues, eyeing Daerien again, amused. \"You haven\'t gotten to go to Ithilien yet now that you\'re a scout, have you? Soap....there are days I could kill for a hot bath and soap. And a hot meal. Anything to not smell like mud. And look worse...and all for...\" he frowns, breaking off. \"Well, you had better get your wits about you,then,\" he says abruptly. \"Can\'t go making a trade deal with the horse men and coming back and having Cuthalion -and- Laeghen angry at you. As if Laeghen needs a reason to beat the stuffing out of anyone...\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

Throwing up his hands, a globule of fat flying back over his shoulder like some low flying satelite that impacts the dusty trail of the road with an audible splat. \"Point me out, I\'m pretty sure I am all but unknown amongst any but the most specific gatherings, but speak with Arathis, the Steward. I\'m sure he\'d enjoy severing my head.\" speaking of that ill fated trip to the Baths of Mardil. Gnawing on the rabbit meat as he peers into the flames, the fires dancing, reflected in his pale eyes. \"I wanted to go to Ithilien immediately after my inclusion in the hosts, but then I haven\'t gotten orders from the army, rather from my own House Lord, only recently forgiven me for past transgressions, so I did not feel up to disagreeing with him or disobedience. So I will follow you to Ithilien one of these days, and remember to pack some soap. If hot water is in short supply at least there are a few rivers, if my study of the maps is accurate. Or have those foul beasts of Mordor poisoned them all?\"

\"No, the rivers aren\'t poisoned,\" Ceredir answers the last question first. \"There are one or two lovely places, well hidden...but then, I\'ll just have to show you. If you\'re willing that is.\" His eyes narrow briefly as he considers Daerien. \"What kind of transgression?\"

He is silent for a moment or two before adding, \"What was Arathis playing at, in any case? We had a right to be there? But, well, his words were so twisted I couldn\'t understand what he was trying to imply. Or why you seem to be angry about it even now. And that scop of Rohan that was at the bath with us? I found him wandering on a dark street afterwards. Muttering like a madman.\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

Eating the last remnants of the rabbit from the carcass, cracking open the spine to suck the juices from inside before tossing the remnants on the fire to purify and stave off the curiosity of likely predators about. \"Why not? I\'ve lived in filt, I\'ve bathed regularly, and while I would not avoid if needed the former, I find I prefer the latter.\" rolling his shoulders as he drinks deeply from the water skin, hooking the strab over his belt as he dries his hands in front of the fire. \"It\'s an old tale, and sad at that. I am not sure I want to get into it just now. Suffice it to say I was an angry child with enough cause to create trouble for my house.\" folding his hands behind his back, resting above the small of his back as he just breathes deeply \"As to that mans jibes, I\'m not really sure what he was trying to do, but yes, insinuating our supposed need to defend Gondor. I\'m just bothered when those warriors of the past somehow insinuate that we are failing in our duties.\" taking a deep breath and blowing softly into the smoke spiraling up from the firepit. \"I couldn\'t tell you exactly what the Rohirrim was doing there, or the why, just the what. And I don\'t much care for being insulted. I might not be much, but I know who and what I am, and I\'m no coward or shirker of duty. Even if that duty is something self imposed rather then a direct command from Lord Denethor himself.\"

\"He\'s mad, that scop. And madmen don\'t live long, mark my words. There\'ll be a pretty young widow needing some company, and I intend to be avaialable to her when it happens.\" Ceredir smirks and pulls out a leather flask from beneath his cloak, tiliting it up to his mouth and then handing it toward Daerien. \"As for our friend the bathing Knight, he\'s got a lot of nerve, as you say, insulting us like that.\" Anger burns in his eyes as he continues. \"Don\'t see him crawling in the mud and the freezing cold by the Anduin. Don\'t see -him- down by the tanners\' in the stench and the filth. You ever been there, Daerien? Get your nostrils full of the smell? I bet none of those fancy knights can even tell you where the tanners are...but...well, you\'re forgiven, aren\'t you? For whatever transgression.\"

[Daerien(#21777)]

A smile crosses his lips as you speak, letting you jump from subject to subject as the stars start to shine bright with the fading of the last of the light as he moves to sit down again, but wincing he just stands upright again and starts to slowly pace, kicking up small clouds of dust with each step \"I was insane myself once.\" glancing up he winks \"I got better.\" and he continues his idle pacing. \"He very well might have once enjoyed the taste of mud himself, but those days are long since past, aren\'t they? It\'s easy to be brave behind stout walls or in a suit of armor, try being brave naked out in the open. It\'s a lot more difficult, and as to the tanners, well there is a saying out near Erech, that you can make money from all trash, reuse some to sell to the nobles, resell others to the poor, the nastiest you feed to the pigs, and whatever else is left over, the tanners will buy. I like my leather, but I wouldn\'t want to have to make it. I suppose there are some things I\'m willing to pay for.\" a smile crosses his lips then \"I was forgiven for a past crime, that doesn\'t mean I could urinate on the White Tree and get away with it. We should sleep soon, before I say something treasonous.\"

The offered flask is withdrawn, and Ceredir doesn\'t seem at all amused by the saying about tanners. \"Filth,\" he hisses, taking another long drink and then tucking it away. \"He sent me to live with the worst of the filth...\" But the words are said more to himself. \"Better bank the fire,\" he then mutters to Daerien before he moves off toward his tent again, a murderous look lighting his eyes.

[Daerien(#21777)]

Daerien seems lost in his own memories, so he only grunts in response to your words, barely noticing the underlying import of what you said. \"I\'ll wake you at midnight for second watch.\" as he kicks sand over the edge of the fire, keeping it burning but lowering the height of the flames leap. Leaving it then as he goes to retrieve his bows, his arrows and stepping into the darkness to adjust his eyes to the shadows to keep the watch until the night is half way past. He is silent in the shadows, for the first time perhaps since his arrival in the east, he shows his own nature, the hunter, the stalker of shadows where in the wilds he is the most comfortable.