It had been more than two weeks since Desiare had stopped in Harwick, telling Rothriam to go on without her, that she would be fine. Rothriam had been reluctant to do so, but Desiare assured her that she would stay near the town while she learned to control the rohirrim steed she had been granted by the widow of Langhold's thane. Between daily riding lessons, she had spent most of her time in the library, pouring over tomes, or at the mead hall as she listened to the men tell her tales and hand out advice in equal measure. At the end of each day she would fall into bed, exhausted and sore, sleeping the few hours she would allow herself until the sun began to rise again, signaling the start of a new day.
On this particular morning, she awoke earlier than usual, feeling restless from being cooped up and desperate to do something different. Packing a small bag with food, and grabbing her fishing rod, she headed to the stable where her steed and her cat both currently resided. Tank greeted Desiare with a rumbling purr and a headbutt to her stomach, causing her to smile and stop to scratch him behind his ears before she set to work getting her steed, Starlight, ready for a ride.
Once she secured the bags to Starlight's saddle, she mounted and headed out of Harwick. Not really caring at this point where she headed to, so long as it was away, she spurred her steed on as she felt the rush of wind blow through her pale blonde hair, braided back to keep it away from her face. Tank, kept pace with the steed, the sleek white cat spurting ahead and then pausing to allow her to catch up, before speeding on ahead again, seemingly as eager to be away from town as his mistress.
They went like this for some time, and it was past noon when Desiare finally came to a stop in a small clearing near a bridge, digging through her bag for the lunch she had hastily thrown together. Sitting with Tank on her old cloak, she quickly made work of the bread and cheese, washing it down with a canteen filled with fresh water. Stretching out, she watched the water rush by, a smile playing on her face as she thought to herself that bringing the fishing pole had been a brilliant idea. Now, she thought, all she had to do was find an ideal place to go fishing.
Folding her cloak up, she placed it back into her bag and, taking one more look around, she remounted her steed and decided to follow the river around as she sought a place to fish in relative peace. As she reached the bridge to Ost Celebrant, an old set of Gondorian ruins that few traveled into due to the tale of spirits and treasure seekers, she dismounted and hitched Starlight to a large rock. Starlight seemed perfectly content to stay there, as she lowered her head and began grazing the grasses beneath her feet.
Desiare walked along the river, Tank following close beside her, as she looked for a good place to fish. So intent was she on her task, that she almost missed the cry for help, lifting her head to look around and thinking it was likely her imagination playing tricks on her. Tank, however, had also heard the weak cry for help and his ears were alert and swiveled forward as he stared off into the distance towards the bottom of the bridge across the river. Lifting her hand over her eyes, Desiare thought she could make out someone lying on the ground and, instructing Tank to stay put, she dropped her bag and pole on the ground to make her way across.
By the time Desiare had made her way across the bridge the was a large, imposing looking man standing there, looking down at something. She came up behind him and peering over his shoulder, saw a young woman laying on the ground. Obviously injured, and near delirium, the woman barely seemed to register their presence at first. The man however, looked over at Desiare suspiciously, demanding to know what business she had in these areas. "I was taking a break from my studies in Harwick," she had replied absently, as she knelt down next to the woman to assess her injuries.
Other than some bruises and a lack of food and water, for the woman appeared to have been laying there for some days, Desiare noted with dismay that she also had a broken leg. Flinching inwardly, she however remained calm and turning to the man, told him the situation and that the woman's leg would have to be splinted before she could be moved. Still apparently unconvinced about her being there, the man grunted and told her to make it quick for night would fall soon and the woman had to be moved. Desiare got up, making her way back across the water as she went in search of some sort of branches she could use to make a temporary splint.
Scouring the area, Desiare finally found a couple of branches that she decided would do temporarily and returned to the spot where the young woman lay. In the meantime, the man had given her a little something to eat and she was slightly more coherent. As Desiare worked on the woman's leg, she learned that her name was Ceciliy, and the man was Angelnarth. Learning that Desiare was from Rohan, Angelnarth seemed slightly less mistrustful of her presence, though he continued to ask Ceciliy why she was in the area.
As Desiare wrapped the splint, Celiliy told them that she had decided to travel on her own to Gondor, for a dear friend of hers was to be found there. She had, in the process, attempted to cross the bridge into Ost Celebrant, to see what was on the other side and, seeing the shades and brigands there, had startled and fallen off the side of the bridge. She'd lain there for several days; with no one noticing her cries for help and no one back home to even know where she was, she had feared that she would die alone and unmarked.
Finally, Desiare was done with the makeshift splint and looked up to Angelnarth who was scowling out at the darkening sky. Upon hearing that Ceciliy could be moved, he carried her over his shoulders, across the water as Desiare scouted the road ahead. She spotted several brigands about, reporting her findings to the man along with bringing him his steed. He assured both the women that they'd be safe in his presence and, lifting Ceciliy over his saddle, he mounted behind her, while Desiare went to collect her own steed and her cat to follow them to a nearby camp where the woman's leg could be properly tended by a healer.
Reaching the camp, the riders were stopped by the guard, demanding to know their business. Desiare called down to the man, stating their names and the nature of Celiliy's injuries and waited. Finally the guard seemed to be satisfied with her response and he let them by - but only for the night, he added. Nodding, and accepting whatever shelter and aid they could receive, the group entered the camp and headed to the small stables to dismount their steeds.
With Angelnarth's aid, they made their way to the healer who, looking rather put out by being disturbed so late in the night, still took a look at Ceciliy's leg and began to properly tend it. While the healer worked, Desiare went off to see about some supper for the young woman, as it had been days since she'd finally eaten. The camp commander frowned at her as she made her request, but sighed heavily and said there was some stew and, since Desiare was a fellow rohirrim, he would make sure her friend got fed. Nodding her thanks to the man, she waited, and soon a bowl of stew and a thick slice of bread was brought to her, which she took back to the young woman who's leg was being prepped for splinting by the healer.
The food disappeared rapidly, as the healer splinted Ceciliy's leg. Desiare looked down, as she attempted to memorize how the healer had done the wrappings, for his were far neater and cleaner looking than her own wrappings had been. Having done what he could, the healer admonished Ceciliy to travel with companions in the future, before packing his bag to return to his tent.
Angelnarth, seeing that the young woman's leg was tended and, determining both women would be safe in the camp until they could once again move, bid them farewell, as he rode off on his steed. Both women, exhausted - one from being alone and injured for days, the other from her constant studies - stayed and napped for a couple of hours before heading to the nearby town of Stangard.
