Learning about Scouts

[Ceredir(#1394)]

It is well into the evening on this November day, and outside thunder rattles the air and rain falls heavy from the sky. A few hearty patrons have straggled out despite the weather to sit in the tavern and drink, wet cloaks dripping from where they hang from pegs on the wall.

One such patron is in the greens and browns of the men of Ithilien, black gauntlets of rank lying on the table next to him, hands wrapped around a mug of ale as he drinks slowly. There is a newly healing scar on Ceredir\'s forehead.

The door opens to let a blast of wind blow through the room, open flames flickering and thin drops of rain misting anyone near to the entrance. It\'s quickly pushed closed again by a lanky youth with black hair pulled back into a ponytail save for a few strands that escaped. He looks around once, then goes to a table not far from where Ceredir sits, shrugging off his soaked azure cloak and carefully laying it over a chair.

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Close the door!\" someone shouts, but the youth has already done that, and the disgruntled patron goes back to his ale. The shout, though, makes Ceredir look up, and with a rather bored expression, the Master Scout watches the Page enter and take off his cloak.

\"What will you have, son?\" a pretty young serving girl says, coming up to the lad right away. \"We\'ve got some hot soup for you...\"

Merenglir is just smoothing his hands through his wet hair as the girl comes over. A grin grows on his face as he looks her over. \"Sure, soup sounds good, and some mulled cider, if you have it. If you don\'t, just get whatever warm drink you have available.\" He orders with a charming smile for the server, then the youth pulls out a chair and sits down.

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Sure thing, hon,\" the serving girl says, smiling brightly. \"Soup and something warm.\" She walks away, takign orders from a few other customers before disappearing into the kitchen.

\"Past your bedtime, no?\" This from Ceredir, who has quietly watched this exchange with a look of amusement on his face. \"I thought all the the Order\'s Pages are safely tucked in by now.\"

Merenglir begins peeling off his sodden gloves, his grey gaze wandering to Ceredir when the stranger addresses him. The page grins, \"Only those that need the extra mothering.\" He explains in a glib tone. \"I\'d rather enjoy my life than sleep it away.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Quite a logical philosophy, though you seem surprisingly young to have come by it,\" Ceredir says, lifting his mug of ale in a small salute. \"And how exactly did you come by it? Tis a rainy night with little entertainment here. I could use a good tale.\"

Merenglir lofts a brow, eying the man curiously. \"I learned a long time ago that adults shove their children into a bed when they don\'t wish to deal with them anymore. The same policy seems to still apply, even for pages. Plus, I\'m new to the city and I want to see it before I end up shipped somewhere else.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Here you are, son.\" The waitress sets suop and mulled cider before the youth, though it is not hard cider.

\"Parents. Terrible, nasty things,\" Ceredir grins. \"So what of the city have you seen, and what do you wish to see still? As for being shipped out, there is trouble in the south again. My guess is you will wind up in Harondor, but...that is the Order\'s business, not mine. And the Knight you are attached to, eventually.\"

Merenglir gives the girl another smile and a nod of thanks, but speaks to Ceredir, \"I\'m of a mind that most don\'t really care about the children they have.\" He says with a shrug, addressing the topic of parents first. The grin returns soon enough though. \"I\'ve barely seen anything. I want to go up on the walls, I want to go up to the Embrasure, I\'d like to see the different barracks.. A great many things.\"

He reaches for the mug and takes a sip, frowning when he tastes the cider though he makes no comment. Instead he asks in his best attempt at a mature voice, \"So what is the news from Harondor, then?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"What makes you say that?\" Ceredir asks. His tone is light but his brows have knitted and eyes narrowed a touch. \"Sons,\" he says with heavy sarcasm and bitterness, \"are so valued in Gondor.\" He finishes his ale quickly and waves to the serving girl to bring him another.

\"Cannot say about the walls, but the Embrasure\'s an easy thing. Walk up the streets. You cannot miss it,\" he grins.

The Page\'s last question stops him for a half a second, and then he laughs. \"On last report, young sir, the Southrons..of Umbar..walked into our lands north of the Poros river and blatantly began harvesting our forests for their ships. Those lands are the province of the Company of Ithilien, but we were too few in number to keep them out. They left only because Captain Faramir nearly killed their leader.\"

Merenglir begins eating the soup, his eyes flicking up between bites to watch Ceredir. \"Sons are valued by their fathers.\" The page revises, offering his own opinion on the matter. \"Uncles and cousins are less interested and see you as little more than a liability oftentimes.\"

His expression brightens again at the news of the invaders. \"You are with the Company, then? Will you be returning to drive the rest away? Will the Order send knights with you?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Oh yes, sons are never a liability,\" Ceredir sneers--but he drinks deeply of his ale and says nothing until the dark mood that has come upon him passes.

\"I am a Master Scout with the Company, yes.\" He touches his black gauntlets with his maimed left hand. \"Though that is only a junior officer, and I have no say in strategic decisions. My men and I were sent back north here to rest for a while--the Southrons pressed us sorely.\"

\"As for the Order and its Knights...\" he grins, snorting into his beer. \"There is a ban on any but the Company of Ithilien being in Ithilien--Knights or anyone else that ventures there with out the express permission of the Steward Denethor are put to death. Surely they tell you such things in the Order? Last year, much of our army went South to Harondor to fight--Knights, too, by the Steward\'s order. I doubt he will do that again soon.\"

\"No, he will just leave our southern lands open to raids.\"

\"You are a Master Scout? How old are you?\" Meren asks with sudden heightened interest, his eyes widening. Then he flushes a bit in embarrassment, shrugging. \"I did not know about the ban. I was traveling quite a bit. I must have missed that.\" For all his pretending to be informed, the page is proving to be more and more clueless. \"If he sent the knights south, though, they could drive the raiders off for good.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

Ceredir laughs outright now and shakes his head, eyes twinkling in amusement at Merenglir. \"So young, so young,\" he grins. The serving girl sets a fresh ale down besides him, and he gestures to the Page. \"One for him, as well. He might as well learn,\" he winks at the girl, whose brows arch, but who nonetheless hurries to comply.

\"Our Steward sent the Knights and their Squires and Pages south last year, son. All escorted by the Company of Ithilien, who were the only ones allowed to range off the road and scout for the enemy. Those damn Knights would not have survived a day in the wilderness without us. They are all about riding pretty and making a fancy name for themselves...but put them up against the worst of the Enemy and they wet their pants, every last damn one of them. All they care about is their damned noble houses and their own fame and their stinking high-born blood. They didn\'t drive the raiders off last year--it was the men of Ithilien, on the front lines in the mud and the scum and the blood. We do the real work and the Knights try to take credit. Bunch of stinking women, that\'s what they are,\" he snorts.

\"Yeah. I am a Master Scout. That puts me behind MarchWardens and Rangers, but I will be 20 in January. And I don\'t have any damn order or noble house telling me how to behave.\"

Merenglir bites down on his lip when the scout teases him about his age, \"I\'m old enough to know that I can do a lot more than people think I can.\" He counters, but when Ceredir tells the girl to get him an ale, the grin returns and he shoves away the cider.

The boy begins to scowl again when Ceredir heavily criticizes the Order, his face darkening. \"Maybe it seems that way, but the knights train hard and fight bravely.\" His gaze goes down to the bowl of soup as he thinks hard, \"You still take orders from the captain, though. It\'s no different.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Of course I take orders,\" Ceredir grins. \"Someone\'s got to organize the actions in battle and on the field. Can\'t all go doing what we want, now. But...I command men. I lead them into dark places to ambush the enemy and leave before they even know what hits them. My officers have told me what I have to get done--but after that it is up to me and me alone.\"

\"And I still maintain that the Order is about personal glory, making a name for yourself as a noble. The Azure Knight, the this Knight...\" he says, choosing Arashen\'s name as an example. \"Ithilien is not like that. We are all brothers, no matter who we are, no matter what our families or background. Noone cares.\"

\"What\'s your name, son?\"

Merenglir stirs the soup around in the bowl, but his gaze is almost entirely on Ceredir now. His face is a mix of interest and insult. \"Maybe you are simply jealous because you have not made a name for yourself yet?\" He asks with some snideness to his tone now. \"My name is Merenglir Telpekhor.\" He lifts his chin a bit pridefully as he states his name. \"What is your name, sir?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

That rankles, and Ceredir scowls. \"And maybe,\" he retorts, \"young boys drinking ale in a tavern in the middle of the night by themselves ought to be careful about what they say.\"

\"A Telpekhor.\" He laughs. \"I should have known. Cousin to that runt Arashen?\" he asks, though he grins. \"I am Master Scout Ceredir. Or if you prefer, Ceredir the Bastard. Not all fathers value their sons.\"

\"I\'m not a young boy. I\'m nearly fifteen.\" Meren retorts, still looking insulted. \"I could argue that you should be careful what -you- say. Arashen is my cousin, yes. One of many. I don\'t really know him.\" The page says with a shrug. then asks several questions all in a row. \"Who is your father? When did you join the Company? How old were you?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Nearly fifteen,\" Ceredir grins at the youth. \"And you will don the Squire uniform on your birthday? Who will take you on as Squire? Surely not Arashen--he is family, though he is one of the few I would say you would be lucky to have as your Knight. Arashen is my friend. You should get to know him. It would do you some good, I think.\"

Ceredir laughs and draws a drink of ale, studying the boy. \"I was 18 when I joined two years ago.Many join younger, but my circumstances were different. As for my family...I am a bastard. That means no family claims me, nor do I claim them. But I suspect Arashen might have somethign different to say on that.\"

Merenglir sits back in his chair, leaving the remainder of the soup now to grow cold upon the table. His gaze grows troubled at the question of squiring. \"I don\'t know yet. I only just arrived here. I\'ve only spoken to Arashen once. How did you become friends with him if you have been with the scouts?\" The Telpekhor pauses, then adds, \"And what would he say differently about family?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"I met Arashen when I had just joined the Scouts and we were in Dol Amroth for the tournament there. He...I was young,\" Ceredir grows more subdued as he thinks on it. \"I did and said things back then that I would not now. Two years spent at war. It changes you in ways that you do not expect, and it seems a lifetime ago. Arashen,\" he breaks off to smile, \"and I rather grew up together in that time. He and I both trained in Minas Tirith when he was transferred here, and then we survived the siege in Osgiliath when the enemy came west across the bridge over the Anduin and trapped us there.\"

\"Tell me more about the scouts.\" Meren says, reaching for his ale that appeared on the table at some point while he was distracted. He takes a sip, tasting it first before drinking more deeply. \"Anyone can join, right? And you train together with squires and knights?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

At this question, Ceredir looks surprised. \"You? Interested in the Scouts?\" He makes a small hmph noises and folds his arms over his chest to study the boy.

\"All right. We train separately. It was coincidence that Arashen and I got to train together at times. Knights...they ride into battle. Heavy armor, no stealth involved. Scouts, March-Wardens and Rangers...we are few in number compared to the Enemy, but our task is to hold Ithilien against the press of the Enemy. We alone stand between Mordor and Minas Tirith, and we count on stealth to do it. Ambushes, bow and arrow, hiding places in Ithilien that we are sworn never to reveal, on pain of death.\"

\"Why shouldn\'t I be interested?\" Meren asks in a competitive tone, growing defensive. \"You train with the sword as well, though. Not just the bow and arrow, right? Who would I talk to if I -did- want to join?\" He takes another drink of the ale, then reaches to set it on the table, watching Ceredir closely.

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Actually, my weapon of choice is dagger, but that is unusual and has many disadvantages. But I grew up using it. I was nto raised a noble to fight with sword and shield,\" he smirks. \"Many men of our Company use the sword only. If you want to join, you should speak to a Ranger--he question you and swear you in. Lord Captain Faramir is always pleased by young and eager recruits, but there is also Ranger Tuivegil or Endaerion or even Laeghen. I believe even March-Warden Tarachim can hear your oath.\"

\"Or I can swear you in,\" Ceredir smiles.

For a moment, there a light in the boy\'s eyes when Ceredir makes the offer, then his tone grows glum. \"I am a sworn page..\" Merenglir says with a frown, \"I would be an oathbreaker if I abandoned my duty to become a scout.\" Apparantly his rebellious outings only go so far, but it\'s fairly obvious that he\'s considering it anyhow. \"Do you think I could do both? If it was kept quiet until I am done as a page?\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Pages swear oaths? Since when?\" Ceredir replies. \"You cannot do both--you cannot live in Card Failin, the Scout barracks and the Chapterhouse at the same time. When do you turn 15?\"

\"Nevermind.. \" Merenglir says quickly with a wave of his hand, his noble attitude starting to show a bit again. \"What do I do to swear as a scout? I want to join.\" He sits up straighter, watching Ceredir again.

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"First, Merenglir, you turn 15,\" Ceredir repeats. \"And then you tell me why a Telpekhor would go against hundreds of years of tradition in his family and be a Scout as opposed to a Knight. Your family is not house Carmayar or any of those whose lands Ithilien used to be. You are not without a family to claim as your own as I am. Why would you join the Company of Ithilien--the Scouts and Rangers that report to Lord Captain Faramir?\"

\"I will be fifteen in a month\'s time.\" Merenglir answers quickly, then grows very quiet and thoughtful when asked to present the reasoning for his desire. He reaches up to push back some drying, frizzled black hairs. \"I want to make a name for myself, but not as a knight. I want some freedom. I don\'t want to be a squire and serve until someone is satisfied that I behave exactly as they want me to. And I don\'t want to compete with my brother, he cares about it all more than I do.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"It is not an easy path,\" Ceredir frowns, \"and not one that should be embarked upon out of anger or just to prove you are better than someone or out of spite. I...\" The Master Scout pauses to smile ruefully. \"I made that mistake and would warn you against it. But we all must learn our own lessons in the end.\"

\"It may not be enough, this reasoning, though. You will swear an oath that cannot be broken save death, the end of the world or the Steward or Captain Faramir release you. Will this reasoning of yours be enough to sustain you, to hold your oath when you lie in the freezing wilds of Ithilien for days on end, unable to light a fire because it will attract the enemy?\"

\"Anger sustained me through my first year. And now the Company--my family--and my purpose do so. Will you find the same?\"

\"If I do nothing, my family will push me to be a squire with a knight of their choosing, and I will have no more control over my future. I want to make a choice for myself. If I do this, I will have chosen my own path. I could become a Ranger someday?\" Meren stands from his chair, collecting his cup and moving to sit at Ceredir\'s table. \"I could become a Master Scout as you are, and command my own men. I will not turn my back on my family, I will perhaps start a new tradition.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"Good,\" Ceredir says, pleased by this answer. \"We need men, and a man who is...independent..\" He glances with a smile to the youth\'s ale...\"And can think on his feet will go far. As will a man who does not mind, if you pardon the expression, sneaking around.\"

\"Now how will your family take it? You must speak to your parents.\"

Merenglir grins, the eagerness returning to his features. \"I do not think my family will be terribly upset, nor will they long miss seeing my face.\" The young Telpekhor says with some amusement. \"I have had some practice at sneaking before.\" Meren is silent, then speaks as if by apology and early warning. \"They tell me I am impertinant.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

A brow is arched at the reply. \"Indeed. Curious. Another son of Gondor thrown away? But you are Telpekhor--they do not relinquish their scions readily. This, too, I have experience with,\" Ceredir grimaces.

\"As for your impertinence...they speak the truth. But fear not--a little time training with the officers of our Company will change that.\" He grins but gives no deatil on how or why that might be so.

\"I will speak with Lady Telpekhor. It will be up to her to decide. My parents are dead, they have been for a long time. If I tell her this is what I want to do, she may let me join.\" Meren reaches for his cup again, drinking deeply. \"If you are friends with Arashen, that may help ease any concerns she might have.\"

[Ceredir(#1394)]

\"I am friends with Arashen, yes,\" Ceredir nods. \"Though sometimes I cannot say if mentioning my name to Lady Laeraelin will help or hurt your cause. We do not see eye to eye on many things.\"

\"What happened to your hand? How did you get an injury like that?\" Merenglir asks next, gesturing to the gap between his fingers, curiosity on his face.