When Rannie passed the gates of Evendim and finally left the fields of Fornost night had already fallen. The road was nearly impossible to see at this point. She saw a light of a fire in some ruins not far off from the road. She brought her horse to stop and placing a hand on her dagger as she observed the ruins for a moment, debating if she should approach it or continue on her way. Approaching seemed foolish as it could be anyone up there and in any number but continuing didn’t seem wise either.
“You going to stay there all night or are you going to come over to the fire?” She suddenly heard someone say. Rannie’s head jerked towards the sound and out from the shadows near the ruins a man dressed in dark garb walked up to her. Rannie looked back to where he was then back to him as he stopped before her horse. All his clothes were weather worn just as his features appeared to be as he gazed up at her with grey eyes that she could see no malicious intent or cruelty.
“Now that all depends,” she said with a smirk, leaning back into the saddle as if she was in company of friends but ready to spur the horse on at a moment’s notice, just in case. “What ya expect in return for lettin me share ya camp" she added with a wink. The man gave her a curious look before he started to laugh.
“If there was a price for that girl it would only be the news of what brings one as young as yourself to these lands and nothing more,” he told her clearly amused. “Come it’s dark and these roads aren’t safe even in the light of day” he insisted, as he glanced one way and the other as if looking for any threat. She nodded in agreement and followed him up to the small camp he had set in the center of the ruins. “My name is Torogethir and what may your name be girl?” He asked as he sat down next to the fire.
Rannie joined him by the fire after seeing that her horse was taken care of. “I’m Glorria,” she said after a moment’s thought.
“Well met Glorria,” he said after giving her another slightly curious look. “What could possibly bring a Bree Lander to these lands?” Rannie at first looked at him in surprise then covered it with her typical smirk. She started to reply when he cut her off. “Before you give me whatever lie you have prepared, Glorria, I assume the real reason has something to do with the Order correct?” He asked as he directed his gaze to her broach half visible under her cloak.
Rannie shrugged as she looked down at the broach as well. “Ay, and what if it is? How do ya know bout em?” She asked him back.
"The Order and the Dunedain have often worked together in common cause but the real question is what a woman barely out of her childhood would be able to do for the Order?” he asked with a grim expression on his face. Rannie swore she had heard the name dunedain before but couldn’t exactly place as to where she had heard it before. Deciding to play her luck once more, she gave a generalized explanation of what Bulivye had asked her to do.
“The people you seek is south in the ruins of Annuminas but I would advise that you not to do this. I have been camped here for some time and do not know the latest reports of their movements but their numbers are great. It would be a risk for a dunedane to sneak into their camps and many of us have trained for years in the art of battle but, no offense Glorria, you do not appear to have the years to have much skill in combat if any at all” he told her with a grim tone to match his expression.
“Aye, I know I’m no fighter and bout all I know of fightin is I gotta stick em with the pointy end. I know I ain’t very strong either” she said holding up her slender arms as proof. “I’ve been told that so many times that I’m gonna get captured and I’m surely gonna die that I dream it in me sleep,” she told him bluntly then chewed on dried meat from her pack. “But ya know what Torogethir, you don’t know me…no one has ever really known me. I know what I can do. You don’t nor do they and there are more ways ta solve a problem then usin a blade eh!”
The dunedane looked at her, a glimmer of surprise breaking through his grim features. “Yes there are more ways than the way of combat but I’m not sure what you have been tasked to do can be done without bloodshed. I must ask why are you so willing to risk your life when you have so much of it ahead of you?” He asked and Rannie’s smirk slightly faltered as her features darkened as one single reason came to her mind…Seaver.
“I don’t wish ta talk bout that but know I have me reasons. I believe I can do this and I’ve got a debt ta pay so if I can do some good then I should do it even if it is dangerous,” she argued and he gave her a look of disapproval, turning his gaze to the flames of the fire.
“You appear to have your mind made up and no words of wisdom that I may share with you would be able to sway you I fear. I hope for your sake, Glorria that you are right,” he said finally, looking up from the flames. “I suggest you go to Tinnudir, a settlement of my people, to the south east of here. There they can inform you better of the Angmarim’s numbers and positions. It is late we should get some rest before the new day breaks.” he explained.
