Esmereld met his gaze with a smile of her own and then headed towards the door.

"It's not too far," she said. "Just down the street." She thought it was sweet he wanted to walk her home, but she tried not to thinknroo much of it and get her hopes up.

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Brinley nodded, "I don't mind the distance. As long as you get home safely," he assured her, walking down the darkened street with her.

Back at the Inn, Sygnet was happily washing dishes and putting them in a stack beside the sink.

Esmereld smiled and looked to her feet as she kicked a few loose rocks on the road. "That's sweet of you," she said softly, not looking up.

Back at rhe Inn Marl was tending to some other customers and Micha helped Sygnet with the dishes. He wondered how Brinley and Esmerelda were getting along. After a while he mused, "What do you suppose we would have been like if we met at that age?"

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Sygnet laughed heartily, "It would have been a different time, that's for sure. I was still in Lorien by my fourteenth birthday and was happily learning how to fight by training with the Lothlorien Border Elves," she smiled slightly, "At least I think it was fourteen..." she trailed off in thought, kind of lost in her own thoughts of her really young childhood.

Brinley looked up at the stars as they walked, his hands in his pockets as she strolled along, listening to the sounds of the plains outside the walls and the distant murmur of voices from the houses they passed. It was a kind of peace he hadn't known when he lived with the bandits.

"All too true," Micha said with a chuckle. "I would have been only a year into my quest for revenge and was quite a different person back then." He mused, meeting her far off gaze as she reminisced. "I'm afraid you might not have liked me very mich at that age," he said thoughtfuly.



Esmerelda found herself walking slowly down the street. "So... Brinley," she said, still gazing at her feet with a shy smile. "How did you come to travel with Sygnet and Micha?"

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Sygnet smiled warmly, "Then I am glad we had met when we did otherwise I would probably not be as happy," she sighed contentedly as she looked at him.

Brinley took a deep breath, "Its a long story. I was kidnapped as a child by a group of bandits and I kind of...was pushed into their ways. My group met the two of them on the road and...I didn't want to but...well, long story short, my group was killed but Sygnet took pity on me and Micha didn't kill me because of her and so I guess she adopted me," he finished his story, hoping she didnt think of him any less for what he did. He tended to ramble at the worst times.

"Well," Micha said thoughtfully. "I suppose that is a good conclusion."





"Oh..." Esmerelda said, obvious surprise in her voice. She walked on in silence for a moment, then said. "I... well you see I'm-"!she stopped and Brinley would have noticed her breathing became heavy and her face flushed. "It's not something I'm proud of but I'm..." she cringed and sighed angrily at herself as if she wanted to say it but just couldn't force herself. Finally she looked up at Brinley and looked at him directly. Worry creased her brow. "You swear you will speak to no one of what I am about to tell you... not even Sygnet?"

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Brinley looked at her, "Of course not! You can trust me," he smiled a little, trying to encourage her.

Esmerelda sighed and hung her head as a look of shame came over her and she spoke at a near whisper. "I'm... a dunlander..." she admitted. "My parents were joined with the wildmen who attacked the villages around Edoras. They tried to raise me to be the same way but I... I ran away. I wanted nothing to do with that way of life." A shiver ran down her spine. "If the people here knew... they would... well, run me out at the very least. Maybe worse..."

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Brinley was a little taken aback at what she said but then recovered with a smile, "I guess we both ran away from something we didn't believe in," he chuckled slightly, "However, if you decide to tell Sygnet, I'm sure she wouldn't care. You're not part of that life any more, but of course you don't have to tell her if you don't want to," he told her.

Esmerelda felt her heart skip a beat as his first reaction. At first she wondered if her decision to trust him had been too rash. She sighed inwardly with relief as he responded with kinder words. "I... I've heard things like that before," she said. "Sygnet seems like a really nice person and I do believe she would... overlook my past. I just don't know. What if she still can't help but look at me different? Marl lives here in Edoras... I could never tell him! Micha and him seem close so if Sygnet knows Micha will find out and he might tell Marl. It's just...." she sighed. "Maybe I'm overthinking things, I don't know."

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Brinley sighed slightly, knowing how confused she must be, "Then you don't have to say anything. I'll keep your secrets and I can be your confidante, if you'd let me," he look at her hopefully. Maybe he could have his first friend, "But of course the decision is all up to you. I don't want you to feel pressured."

"Thank you," Esmerelda said with a smile. "That means a lot to me that you would trust me and keep my secret safe." Suddenly she looked around, realizing she had walked right past her home and further down to the center of town. She laughed with embarrassment. "Uh... it seems I walked right past my home." She folded her hands in front of her and turned around to start walking the other way.

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Brinley laughed out loud and followed her, jogging to keep up, "It's alright. Sometimes you can just get carried away. A lot of times by your feet," he grinned.

Esmerelda chuckled. "Yes, very true." She glanced over to Brinley as they headed back the other way and she chewed on her lower lip. "I'm excited about our upcoming travels."

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Brinley nodded, "I have never been anywhere besides Rohan. Ive heard stories of the elves and of the trees so I hope for a welcome Chang win scenery," he took a deep breath, looking up at the sk, imagining the giant Mallorn trees.