Micha glared at them. "Keep going..." he prodded. There were more details these men knew, no doubt. Thankfully their "boss," whoever he might be, had a very poor taste in good quality mercenaries. Hopefully this reflected on his own ability and he was no great adversary. Micha pointed a sword at the smaller man's face, glaring at him as he waited for more information.

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The smaller man stuttered into speech once more, talking quickly, "We don't know much. Just that he wants you both alive,"

"Us specifically though?" Sygnet raised an eyebrow.

"N-no. He just told us to look out for some strangers, possibly elves looking to travel through Rohan,"

"Where were you planning on taking us?"

"Not far away there is a camp. A top the ridge just to the North. It's well hidden between some cliffs." He said hurriedly.

"You're going to take us there," Sygnet demanded. The small man nodded quickly. He was visibly shaking by this point. By the looks of him, he looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. Much too young to be in with a bunch of thieving bandits and mercenaries.

"Micha, how do you suggest we deal with these other two?" she asked him.

Micha listened as the young man talked. At Sygnet's question his eyes narrowed. He hated the way he thought sometimes but caution, and perhaps paranoid thoughts, always seemed to take control.

"I'm not sure..." he said at first, then added in a lower, more somber tone. "I'm afraid if we leave them alive they will run back to their masters and give us away..."

He glanced at Stgnet, he knew she would object to killing them. He thought of different options but little else seemed a sure bet.

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Sygnet looked down at the bloodied man cowering at her feet and all at once, memories flooded through her like a dam breaking up stream. She remembered things that she had pushed away long long ago, Wanting to get rid of them and for good reason, "No. You're right. It seems we have no choice," she whispered to him. She tightened a grip on her sword hilt and then she crouched beside the man who looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"I know, my friend. Death comes for us all. Even for elves but millennia and millennia will pass before our time. It has been a good life for you, I hope?" she asked the man quietly.

He wasn't sure what to say but gave a small, frightened nod.

"Oh, shhh. It's okay. You will die quickly. That I can promise," Sygnet knelt on the wooded floor and gazed into this man's eyes.

Micha looked over at Sygnet, clearly a bit taken off guard by her response, though he didn't let the men see it. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Let me deal with them..." he said. He wasn't sure why her change in behavior but he worried for her a little. He stepped closer to the man, sword held out. "Believe me... I'm very sorry about this..." he raised his sword and took a deep breath, paysing a moment before dealing the death blow.

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While Sygnet and Micha were focused on the man on the floor. The other larger one had been inching towards the door. As Micha struck down his comrade, the man bolted. Before he took more than a few steps, a knife had appeared in his back. Silently, the man crumpled to the ground, dead, as the knife had pierced his heart. Sygnet's face was deadpan. She had just murdered a defenseless man and mercy didn't appear on her face.

This left the young boy, eyes wide with fear, standing in puddles of blood from his two friends. Sygnet took a coil of rope from her belt and tied him tightly from the front. Then she lay her coat over the rope to hide it.

"Let's go," she said darkly and gave the boy a slight push.

They made it through the inn without too much trouble. The tavern was empty and dark but she left a few coins and the keys on the bar. She made her way through the door, to the stables where they retrieved Auriela, Vorn, and Syndar. They didn't meet anyone else as Sygnet tied the other end of the rope to Vorn's saddle and finally made their way out of town, moving quietly through the streets until they were finally away from the buildings.

As they left the outskirts of the town, Sygnet's face softened to her usual expression of polite interest. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

Micha was silent as they moved through the town. He knew there were things in Sygnet's past he wasn't aware of... after all... that many years of life offered more experience than a simple human could ever have. Even one with his uncanny length of life. Now wasn't the time but he knew he would have to ask her about what had happened... if not just for his own piece of mind.

He was glad to see her back to her old self but at the time business demanded attention. Micha was no stranger to death or dealing it out either. He had not survived as an adventurer this long without living through similar situations and choices. He knew all too well that to loose focus at a time like this could cause a slip up that could cost their lives.

He glanced back at the boy after they had been walking for a while. "How much further?" He asked gruffly.

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The boy, watching his feet the whole time, said, "Not far. Just up that ridge. This way," he pointed and Sygnet turned Vorn off the path and little Auriela followed behind.

Sygnet was keeping a close watch on the boy but she was growing ever curious about him, "Boy, what is your name?" she asked, her voice a little kinder.

"Brinley, milady," he mumbled.

"Brinley..." she said to herself quietly. They moved on, the horses trudged up the ridge, and Sygnet eventually stopped in a clearing, densly covered by trees, just below a short cliff.

"Its right up there," Brinley whispered, pointing to the top of the cliff.

Sygnet dismounted and tossed the other end of the rope to a high branch in a tree. She pulled on the rope until Brinley was standing, his hands above his head. It would be hard to escape. She tied the other end of the rope to Vorn's saddle. She looked at Brinley, "Stay here and if you leave, I will hunt you down and skin you," she threatened, placing a strip of cloth around his mouth like a gag.

Micha climbed off Syndar and took the bridle off the horse, tying it to his saddle. He expected complications and didn't want Syndar easy to catch if anyone tried. He knew the horse would come to him when he called.

Micha walked over beside Sygnet and looked from her to the top of the cliff. "Shall we climb?" He asked. He then looked at the boy, whom he had been to deep in thought to remember his name. "Or is there a pathway?"

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"If you climb, it takes you to the back of the camp so you can avoid most of the enemies. There's a path around the ridge that's easy to find but a little out of the way," the boy explained.

Sygnet looked at Micha, "Climb it is," she said, sheathing her sword and attaching her whip to her belt. She moved to the rock face, grabbed a secure ledge and began to climb the cliff side.

With a nod of agreement Micha joined Sygnet on the cliff face, making his way slowly and silently from one secure hand hold to another. It wasn't the easiest task to climb silently but thankfully it was a doable climb. Micha could hear soft voices growing louder as they neared the top. It sounded like half the men were probably drunk... which was a good thing. By the sound of it there were several but he couldn't be sure. Again, Sygnet's elven ears would be able to tell them more.

"What does it sound like we have up there?" Micha whispered, barely loud enough for even Sygnet to hear. "Five? maybe more?"

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"Seven, or eight," she mouthed to home, "they seem to be bigger than normal," she nodded. Sygnet moved to the top of the cliff ever so quietly. She peered over the edge and looked around.

"I see a large tent right up on the cliff face. I'm willing to bet our missing elves are there," she whispered. She climbed the rest of the cliff and took cover in a large bush beside the precipice. She waited for Micha to join her before filling him in on her plan.

"Okay, I'm going to get to that tent and scout for our missing elves. If they are there, I'm going to sneak in to rescue them. Is it possible for you to make a distraction for me?" she asked him quietly.

"A distraction?" Micha asked with a wry grin. "I might be able to come up with something." He did not take much time to think before slunk off into the darkness. It was a little bit of a wait beforehe was ready but soon a small fire started upwind of the camp. When the brutes came out to put out the fire that was headed straight for them, they were met by Micha's waiting arrows that took the first several down before they got close rnough to fight hand to hand.

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Sygnet smiled a little to herself before quietly slipping in the back of the tent. Silently, she dispatched of the single guard standing in between the elven ambassadors, both sitting on the ground, tied to the tent supports. She ungagged the female and cut her free.

"My name is Sygnet and I was sent by the Lady Galadriel to rescue you. Can you stand?" she asked, offering her an arm.

"Yes, thank you," was all she said, taking the offered hand.

Sygnet turned to the man and began to cut him loose, "Are your horses nearby?" She asked.

"Maybe. We heard the sounds of some that way," she pointed in a directions.

"Okay if you go out the way I came and down the cliff side, you will be in a clearing with three horses and a young boy. Keep an eye on the boy and don't let him go, whatever you do. Wait there and my companion and I will join you shortly," she instructed before moving to the front entrance to the tent and peering out.

This part of the camp was deserted, off investigating Micah's racquet. She made her way around the perimeter of the camp, keeping an eye out for enemies. Two elven horses, tied to a post, were waiting for her. She mounted one and, leading the other, rode off towards the sound of commotion, looking to rescue the love of her life.

Micha dodged, bocked and parried, ducking beneath an attack and spining around with his own blade to catch the enemy in the back. A howl of pain shot out but the foe still stood. Tbese things were tough. Micha had dispatched two and still fought three. He was able tonavoid theninjured one easy enough but a hard blow from the largest of them sent his entire hand into a throb of pain as he struggled just to keep his sword from flying out of his hand. He regained his composure just in time to reach up and block the attack from the second enemy... only his wrist took the edgemof the sword, not his own blade. He was seconds too late. His thick leather arm guard absorbed much of the blow but he could feel the edge sink to his bone.

Not to waist an injury for nothing he held his arm up, dropped his sword, caught it in his left hand and theust the enemy through the heart.

Just then he looked to his right and saw Sygnet coming with a couple horses.

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In a swift and immediate strike, the head of one of the brutes separated from his neck as Sygnet's sword swiped through the vertebrae. She stopped with both horses there and provided cover as Micha mounted and together, they rode out of the camp, leaving the others behind, "We need to lead them away from our campsite," she called to him, galloping in the opposite direction.

Arrows began to fly at their backs. Sygnet ducked low and moved into the trees for better cover. The wind began to roar through the trees and thunder cracked over head.

As they rode through the trees, the area seemed secure. She slowed to a stop and looked around, "It's too quiet," she said. No sooner had the words left her mouth than the trees erupted into noise as snipers dropped down and encircled them. The horses reared up in fright, throwing their riders into the dirt as thunder boomed and the rain began a downpour. The magnificent beasts soon disappeared through the trees as the snipers closed in.

Sygnet put a hand on her head as pain flared. She had hit a rock going down. Head spinning, she stood and reached for her sword. However she was seeing two of them and then promptly fell over trying to stand. From her place, sprawled in the mud, she counted twenty enemies surrounding them. Or maybe 10. Each had a bow, loaded and ready to shoot them.

As her vision swam, in and out of focus, the rain washing over her head as she lay, staring up at the sky. The stars were invisible behind the clouds above their heads.

And then her vision faded and she was out cold.