Arrival to Minas Tirith

[Melenglir(#1394)]

Autumn\'s chill has settled in this early evening, made worse by the breeze blowing off the water. The docks are still busy despite the hour and the chill, though, with a merchant ship now being unloaded at the docks, along with several others, some with passengers, merchants, or soldiers disembarking.

\"Which one will he be on?\" Melenglir asks quietly. He is in his heavy fur-lined cloak, yet still seems to be shivering. And this is the first he has said to Arashen in the hours it took them to ride here from Minas Tirith, other than a few polite but short replies.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"That one,\" Arashen replies, stifling a yawn. He vaguely gestures to one of the merchant ships recently moored to the dock. \"Do you and your brother look alike?\"

[Melenglir(#1394)]

A nod. Melenglir squints toward the indicated ship, and he, too, now has to yawn--but he doesn\'t stifle it.

\"We do. Except...he will be green. Sort of. He gets sick.\"

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"I\'m going to dye the hair of one of you orange, then,\" Arashen replies with a grin. \"So I can tell you apart.\"

\"Seasick you say? Hopefully he\'ll grow out of it.\"

The merchant ship that was pointed out rocks against the pilings of the dock, the wind creating small waves that has all the vessels swaying. The gangplank is lowered, and several people move off the ship, including one gangly teen that has an uneasiness to his steps. Once he\'s on the dock proper, he lets go of the sack he was dragging and stops, one hand pressing against some stacked boxes as he takes long, slow breaths.

[Melenglir(#1394)]

\"Orange?!\" Melenglir looks alarmed before he catches Arashen\'s grin. \"We don\'t dress alike,\" he shrugs. \"And Mener has a...there he is..\" He points toward the teen leaning against the boxes.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"I see. I need to memorize your entire wardrobes then to know who is who?\" Arashen teases, stirring himself from the wall against which he was leaning. The youthful Knight begins to walk towards the sick teenager, his spurs clinking dully as he walks across the wooden dock. \"Merenglir!\" he calls out loudly.

Merenglir looks ill. His face is white, his hair is hanging unkempt, and his movements are slow as he lifts his gaze in response to his name. He blinks his grey eyes a few times, studying the stranger in confusion, but when he spots his brother standing not far beyond the knight a wide smile grows on his face. \"Menelglir!\" He calls, abandoning the bag of belongings to approach and a weakened pace. Meren doesn\'t stop when he reaches Arashen, but instead makes to move past the man towards his brother.

[Menelglir(#1394)]

\"You could always -ask-,\" Menelglir grins, laughing a little at Arashen. \"Until you get to know us--we\'re different people, you know. Like brothers--you can tell brothers apart, no?\"

He hurries after Arashen, breaking into a trot to run past the Knight and throw an arm around his brother\'s shoulders.

\"Puking all the way?\" he grins, trying to help Merenglir stay upright.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"And what am I to do when the two of you do not wish to share your true identities?\" Arashen grumbles, watching the boys greet one another. He falls silent after that, leaving the pair to reunite in peace.

\"I hate boats.\" Merenglir mutters as he gladly leans upon his brother for support, the smile slipping briefly. \"I\'ll hug you later, I promise. For now I only want to get onto solid ground.\" The page says, then lifts his gaze up to the knight again. \"Hello, sir.\"

[Menelglir(#1394)]

\"Our cousin. Sir Arashen.\" Menelglir turns slightly to bring Arashen into their conversation. \"He is already complaining he cannot tell us apart,\" he grins. \"But it\'s all right. Once we dye your hair green, it won\'t be a problem.\"

Menelglir grins as he blatantly steals Arashen\'s joke.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"It will match your face,\" replies Arashen dryly. He gestures to the water with jerk of his chin. \"Go empty your stomach in the river, lad. You\'ll feel better.\"

Merenglir pulls away from his brother and bows to the knight. \"Sir Arashen.\" He shakes his head at the advice. \"It won\'t help. Besides, I haven\'t had anything to eat.\" The youth looks over at his twin then, \"Dye my hair? You\'re joking, right?\"

[Menelglir(#1394)]

\"How would I even begin to dye your hair green?\" Menelglir shakes his head. \"Though I am certain Arashen could tell you,\" he continues, half joking, half grimacing. \"And I am equally certain he would do it, too.\"

\"How, uh, was it?\" he frowns briefly. \"You going to be a Knight soon?\"

[Sirion(#20534)]

An older knight steps from the shadow of one of the large vessels.

He is dressed in the blue of House Isilrim, but he only watches the others for the nonce with a small smile upon his hard face.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"I would just bring you to a dyer\'s yard and dunk your head in the green vat,\" Arashen replies, smiling crookedly. Some movement catches his eyes and he looks up, espying the Isilrim Knight. \"Lord IsilSirion,\" he calls out to the man.

\"How was what? Getting berated every time I opened my mouth? It was wonderful. I was so ready to be off that I actually went on the ship willingly.\" Merenglir\'s sarcasm is short lived, for he\'s grinning soon enough. \"I\'ll be a knight before you will be, I expect. And then you can be my squire, Menel.\"

Already the effects of the sea seem to be leaving the young man. His color is beginning to return and he\'s looking more sure of his movements. He looks back to where he left his bag of clothing and sundries, and notices the older knight watching them. \"Who is that? Is he here with you?\" The boy asks at the same time that Arashen calls out.

[Sirion(#20534)]

\"I am Lord no longer,\" says Sirion the Younger to Arashen. \"And who are these young fellows?\" He surveys them with a frown - for this is a knight that comes from a different generation and their sarcastic remarks do not please him.

[Menelglir(#1394)]

\"And you did, didn\'t you?\" Menelglir sighs, answering his brother. He doesn\'t look pleased by this report, and as he looks up and catches Sirion\'s disapproving expression, he looks even less pleased, brows knitting together.

\"No idea,\" he says under his breath to Merenglir. \"Have only met a few here.\"

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Two pages from the Prince\'s Court,\" Arashen replies, turning his head to look at the lads. He frowns. \"Though this one, Merenglir, served some Knight or other.\"

\"At my family\'s request they have been assigned to us here in Minas Tirith so that my mother can be their guardian. Their own parents are both dead.\"

Merenglir shrugs away his brother\'s concern and gives the new knight an elegant bow for one that just stumbled sickened off of a ship. \"Greetings, sir. I am Merenglir Telpekhor, and this is my brother, Menelglir.\" There\'s pride in his tone when he names his house.

[Sirion(#20534)]

\"Pages of Amroth,\" says Sirion with pursed lips. \"And yet this one is greensick?\" A wave of his hand to Merenglir. \"Curious.\"

\"I am Sirion Isilrim,\" he returns the greeting with a fist to his breast, bowing but slightly. \"Telpekhor,\" he says blandly with a shake of his head. \"They are multiplying like insects, it would seem. Something will have to be done about that.\" A faint smile for all three of the others, then.

[Menelglir(#1394)]

\"Sir.\" Menelglir, too, bows, moving with the same elegance as his brother as he is introduced. The politeness is short-lived: \"He can\'t help it if the sea sickens him!\" he blurts out, though, reddening as soon as the retort is out of his mouth. \"That is...\" he stutters, helpelessly for a moment.

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Sir Sirion is my mother\'s cousin,\" Arashen explains to the boys. \"And,\" he continues, offering Menelglir a stern look, \"I am sure he knows seasickness is not a deliberate action. Show respect to Knights, boy.\"

Merenglir looks sharply over at Menelglir, his eyes widening, then onward to Arashen as the knight chides him. The youth grins and elbows his brother, teasing, \"Yes. Show some respect.\" The young man goes to grab up his bag and slings it over his shoulder. \"Where are we staying, sir? I\'m starving.\"

[Sirion(#20534)]

\"And here I was under the impression the Anduin was a river,\" Sirion says with sarcasm of his own, looking at the youths for a moment longer with his unforgiving Dunedain stare \"They ask a lot of impertinent questions, Arashen. Reminds me of a certain squire I once knew.\"

He seems amused by Arashen calling them \'boy\' and \'lad\', but only says with another slight bow: \"Welcome to Minas Tirith, lads. When you grow weary of Telepekhor foolishness, the doors of House Isilrim will be open to you.\"

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"They are impertinent,\" Arashen agrees with no trace of humor. \"Encounters with less indulgent Knights will cure them of that soon enough.\" He grins then. \"You can\'t mean me. I was the soul of courteous obedience.\"

He turns back to the boys: \"You will live in the Pages dormitory of the Chapter House,\" Arashen replies, glancing at the other twin. \"This is Harlond Minas Tirith is a couple hours ride away. I did not think you would be hungry so soon.\"

[Menelglir(#1394)]

\"Sir,\" Menelglir says, Arashen\'s words not doing anything to lessen the reddening of his face. He looks up to Sirion and opens his mouth to say something more, but just shifts uncomfortably under the weight of the man\'s stare, quickly looking down again.

\"Isilrim?\" he does manage to ask after a moment, as curiousity gains the upper hand. \"How will that work...sir?\"

To Mener, he adds under his breath, \"Chapterhouse. And I have a horse! Tonight at least..\"

\"River or sea, it makes little difference, sir.\" Merenglir answers Sirion with that long-suffering note in his voice. He looks on to Arashen, \"I haven\'t eaten much since I stepped on the ship. I apologize, sir. I can make it a few more hours, I\'m sure.\" He shifts the load on his shoulder awkwardly, then waits with only a small show of impatience fidgeting, throwing his brother a slight grin for the muttered comment.

[Sirion(#20534)]

\"I meant me,\" says Sirion with a smile of his own. \"Impertinence is oft multiplied in twins and triplets, as my own youth was testament. I am certain they will grow out of it in time.\" Another look to Menel- and Merenglir. \"If not, it is nothing a drop from the Embrasure cannot cure.\"

\"You will see in good time, young Menelglir,\" he says then with a wink to the two youths. He seems to have little difficulty telling them apart - being the eldest of three triplets himself, and the father of twins, it is no wonder.

\"I have some fruit in my pack,\" he says to Merenglir. \"It should hold you until the white city.\"

[Arashen(#24692)]

\"Then let us waste no time,\" Arashen replies nodding to the boys. \"You can ride with your brother, Merenglir.\"

\"Are you returning to the city,\" he asks Sirion, \"Or do you yet have business in Harlond?\"

Meren\'s grin widens at the talk of impertinence, throwing his brother a glance. \"We\'re not that bad, are we?\" He asks with a small snicker. The mention of fruit snags his attention back to Sirion though. \"Thank you, sir. But.. I think we are to be going.\" He says as his gaze flicks over to Arashen, obviously uncertain if he should accept the offer.

[Sirion(#20534)]

\"I am tempted to commandeer a vessel and return to Amroth,\" says Sirion with a wistful look at one of the moored vessels. \"But I will demur this time and return to Minas Tirith instead.\"

[Menelglir(#1394)]

Sirion\'s response draws a look of surprise from Menelglir, who now stares openly at the Knight, despite the joke or threat about the Embrasure. \"Sir...\" he continues, a note of curiousity entering his voice.

He glances to Merenglir, grinning at his brother\'s question and then, when Merenglir hesitates to accept the food, he reaches forward to take it for him, if Sirion will hand it to him. \"Thank you for the fruit,\" he says, continuning to Merenglir, \"come on. You can ride -behind- me and eat,\" he grins.

[Arashen(#24692)]

Arashen follows the Isilrim\'s gaze and sighs. \"Yes. I mislike this posting too.\"

\"You are welcome to ride with us then, if you would like. But we return now. I want to get these boys fed and settled in.\"

\"Come along,\" he says to the twins, \"The horses are tethered around the corner.\" The young Knight walks away, clearly expecting the Pages to follow.

[Sirion(#20534)]

Sirion disappears for a moment and returns leading a great warhorse. He fishes in the pack and withdraws three apples - one for the beast, and two for the youths. The horse looks askance at the other two, not yet having been taught the value of sharing by his knight. He tosses the apples at the youths, not bothering to watch if they actually catch them or not.

With that, he seems to ready to depart.