<b>Pegawen nodded, before grabbing Allassiel's arm and dragging her off. Neither of them spoke until they got to the stream – Pegawen was too annoyed and Allassiel … <br/>
<br/>
She'd also noticed the change in Thorgan, though she'd assumed it was just from the ambush. But the way he'd come after that troll, taunting the beast to come after him. What if she hadn't been able to stop it? He would have been injured – or worse. <br/>
<br/>
The image made her shudder as she strode into the stream, armour and all, to clean off. <br/>
</b><br/>“<b>I heard what Lotharn said. You didn't mention that part.” Accusation tinged Pegawen's voice as she sat at the edge of the stream.</b><br/><br/><b>Allassiel glanced back from scrubbing her face. “What was there to say? I watched him charge a troll with only a sword, and almost get himself killed? He wasn't even dressed!” She paused and dunked her head beneath the surface, the water turning cloudy from the blood. She came back up, gasping for air. “Why? Why did he do that?”</b><br/><br/>“<b>Perhaps you should ask him that,” Pegawen retorted. “Or better yet, ask yourself why it upsets you so much that he did it.” She stood and brushed her robes off. “I'll go check on the others.” With that, she turned and headed towards camp.</b><br/><br/><b>After Pegawen's departure, Allassiel stumbled back to the edge of the stream and sat, half in the water. She stared down as she continued to scrub at the leather, watching the dark stains slowly fade. There were so many questions in her head, and she didn't have the answers to them. She wasn't even sure she knew the words in the human tongue to even form the questions. <br/>
<br/>
<i>'Ask yourself why it upsets you so much that he did …' </i>The words echoed in her head. She'd rarely seen Pegawen angry before, but she knew her cousin was right now. It didn't matter how she felt about it. It only mattered that he'd almost gotten killed. </b><br/><b>Burying her face in her hands, she sobbed.</b><br/><br/><br/><b>Pegawen returned to the camp to find that everything had returned to normal – if normal was even the right term. She could see the men were about their activities – most likely discussing how to keep watch over the group as they slept. The hobbits, already at their bedroll, were still – likely asleep already after all the excitement. She joined Lotharn and shook her head, before taking in the faces in front of her. “Are we going to have watches while we sleep? I'll take one.”</b>