Naud bui Amarth

Thand Canad

Part Four

2,225 words (always excludes authors notes)

Cefrey knew not what to do about her odd "relationship" with the ranger. He made her think, made the hours tick by at a snail's pace. And he did it all without saying more than a few words to her at any given time. It was even frustrating at points. She didn't know what to say, what to do around him. And she didn't even know if he felt the same when he was around her. If he felt that tug on her heart, the pain that... to be frank she rarely noticed anymore.

She hadn't fully realized that the pain in her chest was a constant throughout the past few days during her journey. It didn't even register in her mind that it could be connected to their guide. Instead, her mind merely thought about him, not what their connection truly was.

After that night in the marsh, Strider would actually talk more to the mage. He would speak to her in Sindarin most of the time, either preferring that language, or wanting their conversations to be more private. Either way, Cefrey quite enjoyed their chats. Sometimes they would just talk about the scenery, how traveling through the many environments was nice, it brought change to their lives and a hardship to their journey. Other times, she would start singing an elvish ballad, prompting the ranger to join in, even when he didn't mean to.

During their small sessions, speaking in elvish, the hobbits behind them would notice the friendship that blossomed between the two. They would whisper to each other that Cefrey must have had some sort of charm to her, as they couldn't understand how Strider had opened up as much as he did. He rarely talked to the halflings, though they never realized how much he cared. His heart truly was filled to the brim with kindness and sympathy.

Cefrey learned through their conversations that Strider was definitely more than he seemed. She knew the Dunedain were knowledgeable in many things and yet this particular ranger had more to him than met the eye. The mage wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what was behind the layers of dark clothing, or if she preferred him the way he was; dark and mysterious.

They exited the marshlands a day after she heard him sing, and entered a simple area filled with pines and rolling hills topped with frost-bitten grass. The blonde let her hair down to add an extra layer of warmth and put her hood up, trying to keep out the chill in the air. They spent another night in the open air, the next day filled with more hiking.

Soon, however, they began to cross over a small hill, the sun had set a few moments before, and atop it stood a large ruined temple. Rocks jutted out of the sides, the once beautiful walls were crumbled and broken adding an eerie atmosphere to it all.

"This was once the great Watchtower of Amon Sul. We shall rest here tonight." The ranger took them up and over the rest of the hill, letting the hobbits drop their bags and make camp on an outcropping just below the actual ruins.

Walking over to where Strider stood watching over the plains, Cefrey looked at him, unsure of where her mind was going. "You're going to leave them some weapons before you leave, correct?"

He sighed, his gaze still pinned to the horizon. "Of course, you will be going with me, then?"

She merely nodded. The ranger had asked her a few hours before to accompany him while he scouted ahead and aid him in collecting some more food. But they both knew better than to leave the halflings unarmed while they were gone. She didn't know why he wanted her to come with him, and she didn't exactly care. She thought it would be nice to walk around the cold fields, the stars shining above them.

Strider went back to where the hobbits were setting up camp and dropped to one knee, pulling out a bundle and placing it on the stone. Unrolling it, he revealed four smaller swords, one for each of them. They picked up their weapons, most likely having never held much less fought with a sword before. Cefrey second-guessed herself then. Should she really leave them alone? She knew it wouldn't be too long before she and the ranger returned, but she still feared for her companions. Her... friends.