Jacob wasn't certain where Richard and Calen could possibly be. He had woken up that morning to find Richard and Calen's mats empty, and the sun was just a little way into the sky. He sat up and went to eat, but still didn't see Richard or Calen. He had noted that both their weapons and gear were gone. When he brought up the point to Strider, he went out looking for them, noting a small scrape on the stone wall next to the door just outside.

"Someone who isn't used to wearing a sword was leaning right here. They let the sword scrape the stone, and the mark is still fresh. I suspect Calen was out here. They cut across the grass beside the road. See the two paths of slightly trampled grass."

Jacob had to admit, it was impressive to watch him. He walked down the street, and found small signs here and there along the path that the two had evidently left. Finally, they came to an alley that was quite dirty, save for the few jumbled footprints in the dirt.

"A new set of tracks appears right here. They encountered someone. The tracks first appear about a jumps length away from the wall, and this scuff here is the sign of someone who knows how to roll. I would have said that the person was an assailant, but they left without leaving any signs of a fight, the three of them leaving towards the gate," Aragorn said, staring at the tracks, "I believe your friends either have a new companion that they are leaving with, or they were two skilled fighters that were kidnapped by one person. The first seems more likely."

Jacob had noticed their general silence and timidness since they arrived in Middle-Earth, but he hadn't thought they would run away. They asked the guards at the gate, and they confirmed that they had seen the two wanderers leaving with a young woman in a black cloak. Jacob and Strider took the hour walk back up to the Redwin home, and found the others standing outside, waiting for them to return.

"Did you find them?" Mal asked as soon as she could speak with Jacob

"We didn't them, no," Mal's face fell a little before Jacob continued, "But we do know that they are okay and together. They even have a new party member. A young woman in a black cloak. I might have a guess as to who that would be."

"What? Who do you think it might be?" Mal asked, perplexed.

"Who do we know that has a habit of wearing dark cloaks and would easily join in a trip with those two, Mal?" Cat cut in, "It has to be Rose. That or someone else we know from this land, but nobody from this land would recognize them."

"Yep, Cat's right. It would have to be Rose, not to mention the only fact none of us have pointed out. What is the one common thing for those two?" Jacob continued.

"They're both wanderers," Cat answered, "and Rose is as well." Jacob glanced at her before remembering who he was speaking with. She was one of the few people that he considered smarter than himself. While his opinion of himself was fairly high, he knew that Cat actually seemed to love to actually learn, and her abilities for retention of detail were quite impressive. That was all without mentioning the fact that, that he knew of, she was still able to keep her wits about her when under pressure. He had never really gotten around to asking her if, like him, the pressure and adrenaline actually made focusing and performing even easier. Since he knew she wasn't one for being the center of attention, he guessed that it wasn't the case and she just worked around it. Sometimes he just needed to leave things as that, wonders. He snapped out of his dazed thoughts when he noted that Mal and Cat had started moving towards their room.

"Well, get ready to go!" Mal looked at him as he realized what was going on. Jacob turned to Drinian with a questioning look.

"No, I won't be going with you, young traveler. I need to stay here," he told Jacob to answer the look. His hand subconsciously slipped to his lower torso where Vince had put a dagger in him. He had died, but now he had a second chance. Jacob understood if he was going to spend it with the people he loved most. He turned away to grab his bow and arrow along with his sword. He slipped out the door and waited only for a few moments before Cat and Mal were standing beside him. Together, the three travelers walked through Minas Tirith, came to the gate, and stepped out on what seemed like it would finally be their last adventure.

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Cat followed behind Mal, who had taken the lead since she knew Calen the best, as the walked across the hills. She heard Mal mumbling something about wishing she had a horse, but there was little chance she would find one. Either way, neither Jacob or Cat could possibly equal Mal in riding if they did manage to find horses for each of them. Cat noted that while Mal was trying to predict where Calen or Rose would go, She wasn't accounting for the fact that Richard was actually most likely the leader of their group. He had been a wanderer the longest of any of them, excluding Vince. Cat guessed that finding Vince would be their next goal, but perhaps that wasn't the case.

They walked towards the place they knew Vince would head straight to, were he here. They figured that he would try to reestablish his dominion in Mordor, which gave them a choice to make. If the wanderers weren't looking for Vince, or didn't think he would be in Mordor, then they were at something of a crossroads. Cat decided that now was as good a time as any to put the fact that they had to decide what to do out. If they didn't come to a decision now, they were just wasting time.

Cat asked the others to hold up for a minute, and spoke her mind, "We have to decide now, guys. Are we going to search for Vince, or the others? As concerned as I am about Calen and the other wanderers, I think they can handle themselves. I think we should follow after Vince and stop him before he causes any trouble." Jacob looked at her and seemed like he was about to speak when Mal beat him to it.

"I agree that Vince is a problem, but I can't just abandon the others," Mal started, "Calen's my brother, and I dragged him into this. At least, I sort of did. I can't follow Vince until I know he's safe. He's my responsibility, and I'm going to look for him. Plus, they're probably heading to the same place anyway."

Cat watched as Jacob looked between his best friend and herself, trying to find some way to go with both. She knew what his final decision would be, and she wasn't sure she should have any way to make him change it. He was going to choose to go with her. She knew that Mal already knew that as well, but they both let him pretend like he would make another decision.

After a few seconds of him mulling it over, he met their expectations. "I've got to agree with Cat, Mal. Vince is a danger to everyone, and I'm sure Richard and Calen can handle themselves. Besides, they have a voice of reason with them. Rose should keep them from doing anything rash."

Cat decided that she would have to at least try to keep the three of them together since bad things tended to happen when they got separated. "Guys," she almost shouted, though she kept herself from doing so, "We shouldn't split up. Jacob has a point Mal. Calen can handle himself, and he isn't alone. I am going to go after Vince because I don't want anymore of the people of this world to be hurt." The sight of Drinian slumped over in the old ruins of the tower where they had been held in Osgiliath flashed through her mind, and she shook it away before Mal responded.

"I know that, but I am still going after them. You guys go after Vince, I'm going after Calen. I'm not letting him follow the pattern of the wanderers and travelers, or did you not notice that he hasn't been captured at any point?" She pointed out. Other than Vince, who was really permanently captured, each and every one of them had been captured by the "bad guys" at some point. Mal did make a good point that their pattern of becoming hostages hadn't made its way to Calen yet.

"Alright," Cat submitted, "Go protect your brother, but I'm going to protect my family here." She felt the scar on her leg tingling as she thought about the last time she had failed to protect those she cared about. She wouldn't fail again. Jacob hadn't said anything the entire time the two had been debating their plan.

"Cat," He finally spoke up, "I don't want you to go alone, especially in the case that you do find Vince, but are you okay if I go with you? Once Mal finds the others she won't be alone, but if you want me to go with her I will." Cat considered what he was asking. After he had told her about his feelings, she knew he was just wondering if it would be too awkward for them to travel together. She had asked him to just be a friend, and asking him to go with Mal would be pushing him away more. It would be better they just resolve their issues now and get back to being friends.

"You're fine. She can handle herself, can't you Mal?" She pointed out, "It'll be good to have some backup when I find Vince." He nodded his understanding, and the three of them continued onwards. Finally, they came to a fork in their road. One path led to Mordor, and the other to Osgiliath. The signs that the others had left pointed that they had gone to Osgiliath, though they didn't know why they would have. Cat gave Mal a quick goodbye hug and Jacob gave her a fist bump, wishing her luck. They walked for a few minutes before Mal was out of sight, and finally, their party was split once again.

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Mal was certain that she needed to find her brother and the others. She hated the idea of splitting the party, but it had to be done. She was on the road towards Osgiliath, wishing she could make better time, knowing that the only way she would catch up to the others at this pace would be if they stopped for a longer time than she did. As she was thinking about her speed, she thought about her horse, and finally an idea came to her. This was all in a story, wasn't it? She lifted her finger to her mouth and blew a sharp whistle. It was the call she had always used to call her horse. Surprisingly, and much to her delight, her horse trotted quickly over the horizon as though he had been waiting for the call just over the ridge.

"I didn't think that would work," She laughed to herself as she greeted her mount. She swung herself up into the saddle already prepared on his back. She took the ride light on him, knowing he probably hadn't carried a rider for a long while. They reached Osgiliath three times as fast as she thought she would, and the signs of her friends were getting clearer. As soon as she passed through the first arch of the city, which was still in some degree of disrepair, though it was in better condition than she had ever seen it, she started asking around about the three young wanderers about her age. It wasn't long before she had directions to their last known whereabouts.

She trotted through the streets, which actually were more populated now than they had been during the battle. As she rode, flashbacks of the last time she entered this city came to her. She recalled the orcs that she speared as she galloped through the streets, drawing the attention of the orcs right before a wave a trainees rushed them. She remembered riding down this very lane as she made her way towards the tower. The very same tower that she made her way to now. It turned out that they had managed to set up their camp in the very same tower, which had remained abandoned since Lord Xander's retreat.

She laughed, thinking of him by his dark title. She hadn't ever really gotten to know him before they became travelers, and he had been an enemy since then. He had shown up to their weekly ultimate frisbee games a few times with Jacob over the summer, but they didn't ever talk other than to call for the frisbee.

As she got closer, she saw a thin column of smoke spiraling out a hole in the domed roof of the tower. She noted how tall the tower was, wondering if it had multiple floors. If it did, then she had gotten lucky that day when she saved Jacob and Cat. She had burst in on the bottom floor and happened to find them with Vince unconscious and Drinian slumped to the floor. She silently crept in through the empty space where the door she had kicked down then should have been.

She looked up and saw that the ceiling was definitely lower than the roof had been, and she guessed the tower had three or even four floors. She looked around the room until she spotted a flight of stairs on the opposite side. She silently crept over to it, not wanting to scare off the others or, if it wasn't them, alert the new inhabitants. She reached the top and came to another door, this one still on its hinges. She pulled it open and it swung in silence, much to her surprise. She noted the fire crackling on the other side of the room with three figures hunched over nearby it, all of them with their backs to the door. She stepped through the doorway and found her foot snagging on something she hadn't seen in the dim light of the tower. Across the doorway was a strong wire, pulled taut and attached to a metalic bell. As she fell, the bell clattered and the three figures spun around in their seats, two reaching down for weapons. With their backs to the fire, Mal couldn't see their faces, but she knew she had succeeded. She had found the wanderers.

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Rose stood and stalked silently over to Mal, who was now back on her feet. She hadn't expected them to be found so soon, but at least it wasn't by a party of raiders. It was just the travelers. She approached Mal and invited her to sit with them.

"You all have a lot of explaining to do, so start talking," she commanded, and Rose was about to talk when Richard jumped in.

"We left because our mission isn't the same as yours. You had a vision, right? Told you kind of what to do, didn't it?" Richard inquired, but Mal made a so-so motion with her hand.

"It was even more vague and cryptic than previous visions we've had. What are you getting at?" Mal asked him.

"Just this, us wanderers had a significantly different vision at the same time."

"Wait, why didn't you tell the rest of us? Also, when did Rose get here?" Mal exploded with questions. Rose finally took the opportunity to explain.

"I got here shortly before you all I think. I found I was quite capable of using daggers, and was a master of stealth. I managed to find these two after a day or so, and we're working on our own quest." Mal sat silently as Rose explained. Rose wasn't certain what Mal's reaction would be to being told that the travelers weren't the only ones with missions in this world.

"Alright," Mal sighed, "You guys follow your quest, but I am coming with you. Calen is my responsibility while we're here." Calen took on a disgruntled look at this, but he remained silent. He no doubt knew what Rose was thinking.

"Sorry, Mal, but this is the wanderer's quest. We can't keep you from your own quest as well," Rose quickly drew one of her daggers and swung the base of the handle. It slammed into the side of Mal's head and she slumped backwards. "Alright, Calen you stay with her."

"What? Why do I have to-" he started to protest before stopping himself.

"We need all the wanderers there," Rose noted, "That includes Vince. You're going to have to convince her to join back up with the other travelers and find Vince. He no doubt is ignoring the vision and trying to take over the world thanks to his gift. We have to go before the others find her. It is a little odd they didn't all come together. When she wakes up, find Vince, bring him to the site, and we'll see you there." As soon as she was done giving Calen his instructions, she spun around to see that Richard had gathered his things and was ready to go. The two of them slipped out the tower together into the fading afternoon light. Mal had made too many assumptions. She thought that they hadn't had a specific goal. She had thought they were just lost. Of course, not all who wander are lost. They were the wanderers, and they did not need to be found.