Some Fall By Virtue

Chapter Three: tryin' to learn the lesson in

Sakura barely managed to conceal her snort. As if mere wolves would be a danger to her. If they had any sense, they would take one look at her and run for leagues. Well, if they had any degree of intelligence they would. "Are they much of an issue around here?"

Fainbarad hummed for a few moments. "They are the most common sort of threat which plagues Eriador as a whole, though we have been fortunate not to find many. We're north... and The North is where far more dangerous creatures linger in this day and age," he spoke, lips curling down in a frown at the mention of that which plagued the northern parts of the world. "The threats of those sorts keeps weaker creatures at bay."

"Dangerous creatures?" she echoed, running through the lists of all of Melkor's creatures in her head, wondering what lingered there. Wondering if there was something worthy of bringing out all her strength to fight...

Fainbarad simply raised a rugged eyebrow, as if to question how she didn't know such things. "Dragons, young one," he said. "The Fire-Breathers are the worst to face, though thankfully their numbers are fewer than the ones who cannot." He stood to his full height then, casting his gaze north. "Rare is it that they cross the mountain ranges, and venture south, but when they do... the hearts of us menfolk are far too easily ensnared by the spells in their gaze and their poisonous words. Pray that you never encounter one, Lothien, for they are fearsome foes indeed."

::

Days passed, blending into weeks as she found herself growing content with staying there, in the small village there, within the company of a Ranger and his wife. It was a tiny place, compared to Konoha at least, and it stood that everyone knew each other. Due to that, it was inevitable that she would come to the townsfolks' attention – especially when she brought the spoils of her hunts, with or without Fainbarad, to the market to trade.

Sometimes he came with her, others he was convinced to stay and rest his leg. It was an old injury, or so Gilithien told her one night. They were too trusting. Though part of Sakura hoped they wouldn't view her as a stranger intruding in their home. She had become something of a lodger, given her successful hunting skills, and she had been rather well-received as a result.

"Ah, Gilithien's girl!" Clovis, the wife of the local herbalist, called out in greeting. Sakura smiled, acknowledging the shout with a nod of her head. It wasn't until Sakura met the people who dwelled there that she realised that Gilithien and Fainbarad were actually something of outsiders there themselves – given the village folk weren't of numenorian decent, wanders from south who had ventured north as nomads until they decided to settle there some hundred or so years ago.

"Don't speak of—oh, Lothien," Dain greeted. "Another successful hunt?"

Sakura smiled, a small amount of joy enthusing her steps then. "Indeed," she said, gesturing to the parcels Gilithien had helped prepare. The pelts from both the rabbits and the sole deer she had caught were still being processed back at the house. "Is something the matter?" she asked then, mindful of the sharpness which had been present in the older man's voice only seconds before.

"Nay," he said, shaking his head. "Clovis here just sometimes forgets it's rather taboo to speak of Elruin, around these parts..."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that, staring at Dain, waiting for him to realise that he'd just informed her of some so-called taboo. Clovis murmured something to her husband, and Sakura could only watch at the redness which crept into the rounded man's cheeks. "What is 'Elruin'?" she asked, hating her old instincts which surged at the promise of information. She hoarded knowledge. It was what she had lived on before, because it was an invaluable, irreplaceable resource.