Beyond the Fords of Isen

Boromir and Co. II

A cold chill swept through the camp in an attempt to rouse the men from their slumber. It was early, the sun had just risen over the horizon. Most of the men were still asleep, except for Boromir. He stood with his back to a tree and kept watch over the camp, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The morning was quiet, birds sang their song, and the fire had reduced to glowing embers. Adalmaer shifted from where she lay and groaned softly, her body a bit sore from sleeping on the ground. It was unfortunate she forgot to pack a roll.

Slowly the blonde woman sat up and rubbed her face, letting out a tired sigh. Boromir noticed movement from the corner of his eye and looked over at Adalmaer, watching her as she moved around. She looked to be stretching her stiff muscles before walking towards the river. Boromir watched her a bit longer before directing his gaze back to the camp. He thought it best to leave her to her womanly things and give her some time alone.

Adalmaer knelt beside the river and dipped her hands into the cool water, bringing the liquid to her face. She then splashed herself and rubbed the grime off with a leaf she found. After a few more moments of freshening up the woman turned and headed back towards camp. Boromir turned his head when he heard soft footfalls and his eyes landed on her. Adalmaer didn't pay him any mind, she went about preparing herself and her horse for the ride ahead.

The entire camp stirred not much later and men began to wake. Boromir went to help with breakfast. This was a quick affair though, majority of the men didn't want or need to eat. "We'll ride as far as we can. Remember, no stops in villages." He spoke, his stern voice echoing through the camp. The men nodded and quickly finished preparing themselves.

Soon the horses were mounted and the band was on their way. Adalmaer had fallen into her usual place at the back of the group. "Adalmaer! Come up here." Boromir called over his shoulder and the woman frowned. She nudged her horse forward and pulled the steed into step beside Boromir. He didn't look at her, his gaze was straight ahead. A long, heavy silence settled between the two.

"Why are you here?" He finally spoke, his deep voice soft, yet demanding. Adalmaer glanced at him briefly before looking back ahead, shrugging her shoulders, "I wanted to travel." Her reply was simple. Boromir was puzzled by her response, why would a woman want to leave the comfort and safety of home? "And help with the horses if you need it." She added, answering the unasked question.

Boromir nodded slightly, his gaze still set ahead, "You know how to use your sword?" he asked. Adalmaer hummed and her hand went to the weapon strapped to her waist, "Would I have brought it if I didn't?" she raised a brow. He was caught off guard by her quick wit and he glanced to her, his face stern, yet his eyes had a hint of curiosity, "We'll see." He replied and faced the road again.

The group had crossed the fords some time ago and were now moving through a vast plain, the land was rough and brown, wild flowers grew in bunches. A strong breeze blew across the fields, causing the short grass to ripple like the waves of the sea. The horses plodded along kicking up loose soil. Ahead of them in the far distance was a silhouette of a settlement. It looked to be a large village, it was surrounded by a simple wall and had a single watchtower.