The Sea Dunes Inn and Tavern

[Vilik]

Vilik rode the horse hard through the night back in the direction of the small coastal village the group had departed from the previous morning. The sun broke the horizon over the sea just as they rode into town and a cool ocean breeze greeted them, a relief from the muggy night. When they reached the inn Vilik dismounted, helping Idrial down before sending the horse off to be tended to by the inn's stable boy. Vilik paid the inn master for a room and asked the man if a doctor or nurse could be sent up, flashing the pouch of gold coins to let him know the bill could be paid. The inn keeper nodded, explaining that someone would be along shortly. With that the pair headed upstairs and into the room.

[Idrial]

Idrial remained in somewhat of a daze as they headed up the stairs and entered the room. Once inside, she let herself drop onto the bed, the softness of it nearly putting her to sleep. She forced herself to remain awake, however, remembering that someone would be up shortly to see to her wound. Finally, the doctor arrived. He nodded a greeting to Vilik before glancing toward Idrial. He grimaced slightly as he noted the bloody cloth. "Good thing you tied it." He said to Vilik before moving toward her. Speedily, he set down his bag and reached toward Idrial's head to remove the cloth. Idrial jerked from him, unprepared for the sudden movement...she glanced toward Vilik worriedly. How did he know this doctor of Harad could be trusted. But then...Idrial had never been a very trusting person.

[Vilik]

Vilik saw the fear in her eyes as the doctor prepared his needle for stitching. He offered a smile, "I think you'll at least be better off with him doing the work than me." He laughed, but was glad they had made it to the inn when they did. By the looks of the bandage she couldn't have afforded to lose much more blood. Soon the doctor began his work and Vilik stepped into the hall for a moment, flagging down a servant girl. He handed her five gold coins and asked that she bring them food as well as a fresh shirt for himself and a clean garmet for the lady. As he stepped back in the doctor was finished stitching and gathering his things. Vilik paid the man and thanked him for his help. He sat down in the chair beside the bed, begining to feel fatigue for the first time. He glaced over to Idrial, "Hows the head now?"

[Idrial]

Idrial gave a relieved sigh as the doctor finally left the room, and Vilik returned. She reached up and touched the new bandage as Vilik seated himself in the chair. "Painful." She moaned wearily. "I told him I got hit with the hilt of a sword." A small smile finally made its way to her lips. "I couldn't bring myself to tell him I'd fallen into a hole." She started to laugh, but the action caused her to cough instead. She decided to give up on that. "Here," Idrial said, noting that Vilik looked weary as well, "you can have the bed." She rose and motioned for him to take it. "I am used to sleeping upon the ground...but a chair would be good enough for me."

[Vilik]

He laughed at her lie about the sword, "Proud to the end eh? No wonder he gave me that look when I said you'd been kicked by the horse." He shook his head when she offered the bed. "You need the rest more than me, and besides, my mother did manage to instill some maners in me." He kicked his boots off and propped his feet up on the small writing table. "They should be sending somthing to eat and some fresh clothes up in a few hours. We ought to just rest today, stay the night and figure out what to do in the morning." He leaned his head back in the chair, he had no clue what they would do now, or if Idrial even planned to stick around. Before he could think on it much he had drifted to sleep.

[Idrial]

Idrial sank back onto the bed, too tired to do any more arguing. Within mere moments, she was asleep. She had gotten a good amount of rest before there was a loud knock on the door. The maiden lept from the bed, brushing her hair back from her face and glancing to Vilik. Not wanting to wake him, yet, she moved to the door herself. A servant handed her the clothes, waiting until she'd set them inside before he handed her a tray of food. Idrial thanked him, passing a small tip through the door before closing it and locking it once more. "Vilik." She said softly as she slid the tray over on the table in the center of the room. She went through the clothes, finding the ones that were meant for her. "Could you...could you go out for a moment?" Idrial held up the outfit, so he would know what she meant.

[Vilik]

Vilik woke slowly, yawning as asked for her privacy. He nodded, "Of course,.." and slipped his boots back on. He stood, stretched and grabbed half a loaf of bread and a glass of water. "I'll be right outside, just call when your decent." He walked out the room, shutting the door behind him. He'd left his things in room, including his pouch of gold, he turned to go back in and get just a few things but stopped. If she was the sort that would rob him blind he figured she'd have done so by now. He turned and walked down the hallway and out to the balcony at its end. He sat here leaned against the railing inspecting the small harbor beneath him. There was no shortage of good boats here and his mind started turning as he scehmed of a way to take one.

[Idrial]

Idrial quickly changed into the light blue traveling garb, loosing her hair from its pins and allowing it to fall about her shoulders. She combed through it, tossing her other clothes into the corner to be discarded, before she finally reopened the door. "Alright!" She hollered down the hall, letting Vilik know he could come back inside. She cut herself a piece of the bread, seating herself in his chair as she ate it. It felt good to have food. Idrial only now realized how hungry she truly was.

[Vilik]

Vilik sat starring out at the boats and chewing his bread. He heard Idrial call to him from the room and he gave the docks one last glance before heading back to the room. He finished his bread gulped the last of his water as he walked in, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You're looking much better, if I might say. A bit of rest and clean clothes do you good." He smiled as he watched her eat, the mood was a bit more relaxed now that there was no push by Aragorn and Ash to go infiltrating Harradrim fortresses. "So, now that your quest to put a knife in King Aragorn's back has been curtailed, what are your plans?"

[Idrial]

Idrial gave a slight smile, finishing the last of her bread and pushing away the glass. For the moment, she wasn't thirsty. "Thank you. I feel a bit better as well." She said to his first statements. But as he spoke of Aragorn, her head rose sharply. "What makes you think that was my intention?" She tilted her head and leaned back in the chair as he had done earlier.

[Vilik]

Vilik laughed. "Well, if that wasn't your intention, please forgive me. Though, just judging by the looks and canter between the two of you, I find it hard to believe you were following him out of admiration. Besides, I guess it dosn't really matter now, he's probably laying face down in a pool of blood in that forsaken fortress. I'm sure the nobles of Gondor will weep his passing, I doubt many others will care either way." He stood, grabbed his fresh shirt and knife and walked into the small bathing area of the room. He washed his face in the bowl of water and lathered some soap on his face to shave, calling back to her as he did so. "Well, regardless of what your intentions with Aragorn were, you haven't answered the question of what you plan to do now." He began running the blade across his face, removing the shadow of a beard that had formed overnight.

[Idrial]

Idrial's brow furrowed as he spoke. He knew she hated Aragorn. And if he was smart, he knew also that there was not much she could do about that hatred. She shrugged to no one in particular and cast her gaze toward the ground. She gave a forced laugh. "Plans? I have no plans. Where would I go? Back to Gondor to face the guards...I think not." She shuddered at the thought and wrapped her arms about herself. She never though far ahead of the current day...which was not always a bad thing.

[Vilik]

Vilik glanced back as he shaved, laughing when he saw the look she gave him. "Aragorn is quite the sore subject for you, isn't he? He turned back to the mirror in front of him finshing off the last bit of stuble from his face. "What are you wanted for in Gondor? Stealing?" He shook his head as he wiped his face. "The guards in Gondor have a fairly short memory. I doubt you'll have to worry about them comming after you if go back." He pulled his filthy shirt off and gave himself a quick cleanup with soap, water and rag before toweling dry and tossing the fresh shirt on. He walked back, taking his seat at the foot of the bed. "What about family? Do you have any in Gondor?"

[Idrial]

Idrial glanced up, not even bothering to answer his first statement, but as he continued to speak a few stray tears welled in her eyes. She quickly reached up, however, and brushed them away with the back of her hand. "I am not justifiably wanted in Gondor. One soldier with power seeks me out, convincing all the others that I am a thief like my family. I am no thief." She shuddered once more. "His memory is not that short...he would have had me back before the start of this journey if..." She halted, realizing what she was about to say, "if someone had not deterred the guard by telling him he sought someone elsewhere." She remembered hiding behind the elf at Gondor's docks, and she remembered Aragorn sending one of the many guards off in a different direction. But certainly he was only doing it to prolong her fate. "I...I have no family in Gondor." Her voice faltered.

[Vilik]

Vilik nodded, "So, this guard that has it out for you... what is it, a jilted boyfriend out for revenge? Do you plan on avoiding your home forever because of this man?" He noted the look on her face the subject brought and veered his questioning in a different direction. "So, after you left Gondor I imagine thats when you met up with the 'legendary' Captain Curtus and his backstabbing snake of a first mate Marcus. You know, you're lucky you made it though that meeting alive. When Marcus was working on my ship he was a little indiscriminate about who he killed."