Welcome Guest 

Register

Forum Home » Roleplaying » TR Archives » Hunting The Bounty
1234
Author Topic:
celebmir3
Council Member
Posts: 12
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 14, 2005 06:33
Sionn smiled, "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. And Lothlorien is close to where we are going."

Adastrea smiled slightly and looked down, "Thank you, my lord" She said quietly, feeling a little awkward at the kind of comment with his wife sitting right there. She was happy that she would not have to ride the distance alone like the ride here. She mounted Silivren and turned to them, "When we get there, I am sure my father would be happy to let you all stay and rest for the night or however long you wish to, we have plenty of rooms amd food."

She urged Silivren forward when they started moving. The white mare brought her ears back against her head and stomped, not pleased at all with something. Adastrea didn't pay much attention to it.

[Edited on 15/8/2005 by celebmir3]
Iceman331
Council Member
Posts: 140
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 15, 2005 04:53
ooc: sorry i havent been on our connection wasnt working. I edted that post Alsin. Sorry about that, it just slipped my mind.

IC:Callixtus was in an inn with Alec, Linath and Naradir when denother returned with news that he had seen Thon. They prepared to leave while Denother told them what he had seen.
Alsin_of_the_Forest
Council Member
Posts: 790
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 15, 2005 08:17
Ooc - All good Iceman!

Ic - As our villans left Edoras' Eastern gate to aim for the Entwade ford Thon hung back slightly until he drew levelw ith Gadai.
"Nessa has never done anything to you Gadai. Think now and tell me when we reach camp, why is the very existance of the mother of my son an insult to you?" Before Gadai even had a cahnce to open her mouth to reply Thon laid heels to Lessana and moved to the fore of their little party to scout the way.

**********

Denother had decided that for now it would be prudent to keep his relationship to Ethoner close to his chest and reveal only what he needed to. Callixtus he knew was OK and the girl, Linath he thought her name was, seemed just confused and a little scared about the whole situation. It was that Alec character that was causing Den problems, he fitted various descriptions the Rangers had recived of a lone man responsible for some incredibly violent crimes and he seemed to carry an air with him that made the experienced Sergeant's hackles rise. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers and these were the people Den found himself hoping would help him in his own personal mission.
"I saw your three, two men and a woman anyway, but they seemed to have hooked up with another, an Elf maid if I'm any judge." He paused as at least two pairs of eyes around their table grew dark with purpose, "Look, I know this 'Thon' is supposed to have commited some atrocious acts but that's no reason to take the law into our own hands. We capture him alive and force him to face the good justice of Rohan."
dreamdancer
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 1226
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 15, 2005 09:30
"I saw your three, two men and a woman anyway, but they seemed to have hooked up with another, an Elf maid if I'm any judge." He paused as at least two pairs of eyes around their table grew dark with purpose, "Look, I know this 'Thon' is supposed to have commited some atrocious acts but that's no reason to take the law into our own hands. We capture him alive and force him to face the good justice of Rohan."

"He deserves death," Linath answered darkly, "they all do. They murdered my cousins- children they were, just children!- in cold blood, destroyed my home, took everything of any real worth..."
Realizing that she had spoken without thinking, the woman mumbled an apology and turned her eyes downward. She didn't need for Denethor to know she had hired Alec- she saw the way the man glanced at him, probably trying to figure who he was. If he did figure out that Alec was a criminal and that Linath had hired him, she would be in trouble as well. But having the ranger- valuable though his aid would be- would hinder her revenge.
Walkers_Shade
Council Member
Posts: 478
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 15, 2005 03:47
"Capture him alive and force him to face the good justice of Rohan?" Alec said, breaking his silence. He stood up and stared Denethor in the eyes.
"The only justice thatthing deserves is the tip of my sword! Besides," he continued in a lower voice. "He still has my coat."
Timpenin
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 4417
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 15, 2005 07:38
"Think," Thon had told her. And Gadai thought all the way to camp and then some. Her jaw had nearly dropped. Years together and never once a hint of--! The mother of--! That explained his persistence in the matter, though at this point she wished Thon would just let it go! Gadai made a point to never regret anything--remember not to commit the same mistake next time, if mistake it was, perhaps--but she surely wished the situation had never come up. Especially as she was sure what Thon's answer would be, should she tell him the truth. But did he not deserve it? Then again...did anyone?

The day dragged by, as mile after mile of plain was lost beneath their horses hooves. Gadai forced herself to seem merry, acquainting herself with their newest addition--however temporary it might be. It would not do to have her become afraid and run off before they let her. The elf was quite pretty, with long black hair and a fair complexion. Just the sort of woman that Thon adored. The elf was quite a pleasant person as well, innocent and charming and very obvious in her opinion of Sionn, though, thinking him married, it never went beyond looks throughout the day.

Slowly, shadows grew longer and they stopped to make camp along the Entwash while there was light enough to see. Thon cornered Gadai while she was rubbing down her mount. Sionn was making their dinner, and the elf was carefully choosing a spot far enough from camp for her to feel comfortable and close enough that she thought they would not notice.

"Have you an answer for me?" he said quietly. They were standing near the bank of the river and the rush of the water would have made his words inaudible just a few feet away. She had her back to him, her brush paused on her mount.

"I have many answers. Which would please you most?" That did not sound like anything but a spoiled child, but Gadai used the extra seconds to gather her thoughts.

"The truth," Thon growled, rapidly becoming annoyed.

"Aye, then, the truth." Gadai turned to face him, shaking her hair back from her face, holding herself erect, and breathing from her chest to flaunt all the charms she possessed. "How can I not be offended by a woman who is far older than I, yet still manages to capture your interest, when it undoubtedly runs to younger women. Women of my age." She walked two steps closer, the divided dress she wore swaying, and lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "How is it that, in all our years together, you have yet to see me as a woman except to know that other men do? You certainly see others of my age so, ones less...gifted than I. Yet, where your eyes merely pass by me as if I were no more a woman than Sionn, they linger on an aging innkeeper. Now you have a child by her. If you are going to use me, as you often do in our journeys, against other men, perhaps you could at least have the courtesy to show yourself a little affected as well!" Abruptly, she turned back to continue grooming the horse, pausing for only one long look over her shoulder. "Maybe this jealousy is misplaced. But you asked for the truth and you have it."

Gadai moved the brush smoothly and evenly over her horse as she waited for Thon to reply.

Yavannildi and proud!
celebmir3
Council Member
Posts: 12
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 15, 2005 09:21
As they rode, Adastrea was silent unless one of the others came to her and started a conversation. When they stopped to rest, she dismounted and let her horse free. She moved away from the group to give them room and privacy. She made her bed underneath a tree, she leaned against it and ate a bite from some lembas bread that she had brought from her homeland to last her throughout her journey.

The quiet elf maiden closed her eyes slightly, listening to the sounds of the night. She didn't want to go home, she would just be getting beat by her father, like everyother day. She was no more than a slave in that house, but she did not complain. Adastrea looked up at the stars, glimmering brightly above her.
Iceman331
Council Member
Posts: 140
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 16, 2005 04:38
Callixtus was silent after Alec and Linath made it plain that they would accept no other punishment than death for Thon and the others. He agreed with Den that they should try to bring him back to the king for judgement but also knew that they would find it difficult to do even without two of their number trying to kill him. He would have to talk to Den about it later but for now they had to find Thon. Up to now they had always been one step behind. If they stayed that way Thon would kill more people. They had to find him soon.
Alsin_of_the_Forest
Council Member
Posts: 790
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 16, 2005 08:12
Thon sighed. He had supected something like this but had pressed it to the back of his mind as mere fancy so although he was not surprised he was shocked at the vehemence Gadai had shown and the extent to which her feelings had grown that they clouded her judgement so.
"Gadai," He began softly, "You seem to forget that I myself am ageing, already I am older than many in our line of work. I started in this business likely before you were walking properly, I was only fourteen. After a few years my mentor introduced me to a lovely young Fence in Edoras and my head was thoroughly turned. We courted when I could be there and one day I returned to find her pregnant. Had she been any other woman I would have paid her off with some valuable trinket but I loved her, I went legitimate for her, raising clean money for her and my son to live off of. It was all fine until a year and a half later when Denother, my son, fell ill. At first we thought it nothing more than 'flu or something but he got worse. Slowly. Painfully. I watched him die! For six weeks I watched him fade to nothing and simply give up. I couldn't stay behind after that. I turned back to my old ways and stayed pretty much as you found me and as I have been ever since." He sighed, "I'm sorry Gadai. You didn't need to know that, I didn't mean to pour out my troubles to you. But I think what I'm trying to say is that you deserve more than a quick tup which is all I can give you. You deserve someone who can give you their heart and keep yours in return. I can do neither in good conscience."

**********

Den cursed silently. This was going to be ahrder than he had first thought. Oh well, he could at least find Thon and try to talk to him, something at least before he was killed, which he intended to not let happen.
"Be that as it may, this land has laws and if we fail to respect them then we are little better than he is!" He stood abruptly, "Anyway, before we can do anything to him we need to find him. I must return to base to collect my horse and provisions. Meet me outside the base in an hour. Callixtus, you know where it is?" The other Ranger nodded, "Good. One hour." And without any further ado Den left.
East_Emnet
Council Member
Posts: 108
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 16, 2005 04:56
Naradir felt like an outsider looking in during the conversation. Since the man named Alec allowed him to accompany them, nobody had said a word to him. He was leaning against the wall with his gaze downcast and arms crossed, halfheartedly listening to the discussion, until:

"He deserves death," Linath answered darkly, "they all do. They murdered my cousins- children they were, just children!- in cold blood, destroyed my home, took everything of any real worth..."

Naradir thought to himself, Her situation reminds me of the situation of someone I know, very well. He paused briefly, Now, I get to chase down criminals after being chased down as if I were one. Isn't life full of irony?

After Den left, Naradir waited to see if any of these people would talk to, or even notice, him.
Iceman331
Council Member
Posts: 140
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 17, 2005 06:34
After Denother left Callixtus sat silent for a few minutes then turned to Naradir. "As we have an hour to lose why don't you tell us your story. It would probably be best to stay indoors until its time to leave to prevent interruption from your 'friends'."
East_Emnet
Council Member
Posts: 108
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 17, 2005 03:54
Naradir found a chair and sat down in it. "It is a rather long story," He began, "I'll start with the beginning. Both my mother and father died before I can remember. When they died I was left under the care of a man named Carith, who had a son who was my age and named Irinor. As children, me and Irinor were the greatest friends. It was said that one of us would not be seen without the other." He sighed, "It did not last like that forever, though."

"As we grew older, Carith began to favor me over his own son. Me and Irinor's friendship began to disappear. He would not talk to me as much as he did. Whenever I asked him if anything was wrong, he said, 'Nothing is wrong.' I was young then, and too trusting."

"We grew and were soon adults. I got married." He paused, "I built my own home. I had a baby daughter. One day Irinor came to visit. He asked me to go hunting with him the next day. I thought 'Maybe, he is trying to renew our old friendship'. So I agreed to come."

"It was a trick, a trap." he shook his head, "He had hired men to kill me during the hunt, but I escaped. I ran towards my home with them tailing me. And then I saw smoke on the horizon. They had burned my home to the ground. I found my wife and child dead. I found my sword and I had to run from Gondor, but they fallowed. I tried to lose them in the White Mountains, but they were always behind me. They fallowed me all the way to here."

"If I ever see Irinor again, he will regret what he has done. He will regret it!" With that, he fell silent.
Timpenin
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 4417
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 17, 2005 06:49
"I see," Gadai said softly. Her hair fell in front of her face as she bowed her head, fingers kept relaxed on the brush with effort. While her hate for Nessa no longer burned quite so fiercely after Thon's recital, she still felt somehow....alone. He was perhaps the first man to tell her to her face that he did not desire her, something that had been a fact of life from the time that Gadai first noticed the glances that men gave her.

Lifting her head proudly, she turned around to see a somewhat worried look on Thon's face. "If you will excuse me," she said calmly, setting the brush down on the ground and walking past him away from the camp. Having even one man tell her that....frightened her. Her body was the sum and whole of her power, able to get her anything she wanted every time, until now. What if other men were like Thon? As for his suggestion that she find someone who would keep her heart, what did he think she was? A brainless girl who believed that men would stay with them, no matter the temptation?

"Ha!" Gadai barked. She had proved those girls wrong many times. No, men saw only the outside, and the power that having a beautiful face brought was often greater than that wielded by any king; men would take a knife for a charming woman sooner than any other man. That assurance had taken Gadai far, but now Thon shook it to its core. Was she growing so old that her beauty faded, or had she lost her talent for seduction? Suddenly, even Sionn's flirting with the elf was a slap in Gadai's face and almost she wished they had not left Edoras, where she could walk about and reassure herself of her charm. A slow anger began to build inside her, this time directed at Thon for putting her in this position. She sank down onto her knees and remained there, thinking, conflicting emotions warring inside.

The night was growing cold as Gadai lay down her bedroll next to Sionn's and though she slept, Sionn found himself awakened more than once by her cries.

Moderator's note;
We wish to bring it to everyone's attention that we have now posted the new Guidelines to the Tolkien Related Forum. they can be found here .
I'm editing this comment into a post in each active thread just so that everyone will be aware of the new guidleines and get a chance to read them . {Like you, we are limited to seven posts per day, and this is the only way to reach every thread }

[Edited on 19/8/2005 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
Yavannildi and proud!
celebmir3
Council Member
Posts: 12
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 22, 2005 08:29
Adastrea was falling asleep, she shook her head slightly trying to stay awake. They might have trusted this to be a safe night, but she had learned better. After all the travel the weariness was beginning to weight on her. She closed her eyes and she was asleep. In the middle of the night she awoke shaking and breathing deeply. A scream had escaped her lips, but she muffled it quickly. She stood up and walked away before looking to see ifshe had woken anyone. She walked silently for a time, alone as she seemed to be on this journey, even though she was with three others. The were family and she was a stranger, she didn't belong with them. The elf maiden walked around a while more, it was nearing sunrise, but she guessed that if even she was there sleeping, she would wake to find the camp deserted. She had known to many people to believe otherwise. She returned after a while, moving silently and waiting for daybreak where she was before the nightmares woke her up.
Iceman331
Council Member
Posts: 140
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 23, 2005 04:54
When Naradir had finished his story they gathered up their gear and repared to leave. They met up with denother and left the city by the main gate.

it was not long before they found the trail which the rangers judged to be not more than two hours hold. The tracks were of four horses and the thought of what they might do to any who were with them spurred them on.
By nightfall, however, they had lost some ground and were forced to halt as the night was without moon.
Alsin_of_the_Forest
Council Member
Posts: 790
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 23, 2005 08:24
Ooc - Sorry I haven't been around guys, my Grandparents were visiting and you know how it is, having to be social and all that! lol! Plus let's sort some timing out again here, both groups seem a lot of hours apart.

Ic - Thon had never been much given to introspection, he lived by his sword and would die by it, one way or the other. However he could tell he had given Gadai a shock. He hadn't expected his frank confession to take her so hard but he recognised that there was very little he or Sionn could do about it. She needed to get to a city, flirt her pretty backside off, maybe lead a young man or two down the path of carnality. Ah, she'd be fine. The tall Northerner made a dismissive guesture in the direction of Gadai and her 'husband' and lay himself down to sleep.

*****************

"We'll camp here." Den said shortly slipping from his mount and setting up a temporary picket line for the horses. Ever since leaving Edoras the young Ranger had been unusually short with those who spoke to him and had wrapped himself into his own cocoon of silence when he was not required to speak. The thought of seeing his brother again, of trying to rebuild what family they were together had preyed on his mind since their Father's death and the onset of their Mother's madness, which Thon would likely not know about seeing as it happened as a direct result of his leaving.
Without saying anything else apart from the terse instruction that they would leave at dawn, Den lay out his bedroll, ate a few cold rations and went to sleep.

**************

Dawn washed over the rolling hills of Rohan and both groups began to stir.

Ooc - Hope that's OK for everyone. If there is anything that needs doing before dawn feel free to backtrack a little but now everyone is in roughly the same place.
East_Emnet
Council Member
Posts: 108
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 23, 2005 05:09
Throughout the night, Naradir struggled to stay awake while the others were drifting off to sleep. The possibility of his throat being slit while he was sleeping was not a very attractive option for him. "Besides," he thought, "someone should stand guard while the others sleep." While looking at his sleeping companions he thought, "This company, to me, seems fractured. The two rangers are probably still suspicious of me, and I could not blame them for being that way. And the other two, Linath hired the bounty hunter, Alec, to hunt down the murderers. Bounty hunter," Those words stuck in his head, "just the kind of people I should be avoiding." He sighed and looked to the east. He saw the sun rise and its light spill over the plains of Rohan. "I have lived another day." Naradir said aloud.
Alsin_of_the_Forest
Council Member
Posts: 790
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 26, 2005 08:07
Sionn rose with the sun and re-kindled the fire for breakfast.
"We'd better be off soon. Your friend Alec will be following us, he may not know quite where we've got to but I want to be far from here when he works it out." He stated when Thon sat down beside him, yawning expansively.
"Mmm." He agreed gloomily, "Me too. I don't know what it is but I have the strange feeling that Alec and company isn't all I'm up against any more." Sionn looked at him oddly, "Ah, it's probably nothing but..." He shrugged, dismissing the thought.
The men sat in silence for a few minutes.
"What did you say to Gadai yesterday Thon?"
A quick calculation told Thon that it would probably be a good idea to tell the truth, lies had a way of announcing themselves in such a small company.
"I told her I didn't desire her."
"Ah."
"Mm. I didn't think it would hit her like that. I guess I don't know her as well as I thought I did."
"I'm not entirely sure anyone does." Sionn sighed. Thonr aised an eyebrow, "Oh, nothing. She just tends to keep grievances to herself, bottles them up until they explode."
Thon nodded, "My brother used to do that."
"Brother? You never mentioned a brother."
Dammit! He'd never meant to give that one away!! "It's not important." He gruffly informed the younger man.
"Ah. That kind of family are you?"
"Just drop it alright."
"Very well." Sionn turned back to trying to boil some life into the beef jerky he'd liberated for breakfast.
celebmir3
Council Member
Posts: 12
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 26, 2005 08:09
Adastrea walked over to the two men and sat down by the fire. She nibbled on a small piece of lembas bread. She sat silently for a time, then asked in her soft voice, "Did you two sleep well?" She was trying to make some kind of conversation, trying to be polite to the group who were escorting her safely to her homeland. She was just shy around people she did not know. She tried to convince herself that she had no reason to be shy around these kind people. She just didn't want to intrude, they were family and she was just a stranger.
East_Emnet
Council Member
Posts: 108
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 28, 2005 03:02
(I would just like to inform you all that I won't be able to get on to the internet (or the computer for that matter) from Mondays to Thursdays because I am not allowed on the computer, unless it is school related, on weeknights during the school year, unless I find myself alone at home. I to tired to post much of anything now, though.)
Alsin_of_the_Forest
Council Member
Posts: 790
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 30, 2005 08:17
Ooc - Well come on when you can Emnet, we'll be waiting. I'll have to add myself to the list as well - I'm starting college next week and will end up with too much h/w to do this every day. :cry:

Ic - "Did you two sleep well?" Adastrea asked.
"Not badly at all thankyou." Thon replied courteously, having gained a grip on his emotions once more.
"My wife was restless," Sionn admitted easily, "But I never sleep well outside anyway, it was no matter. How about yourself? You strike me as a person unused to sleeping rough."

***********************

Den had risen with the dawn and already had all of the horses rubbed down and tacked. Now he sat beside the fire with a strip of dried beef in one hand while the other lazily drifted over a map of Rohan and the areas directly over it's borders.
celebmir3
Council Member
Posts: 12
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: August 30, 2005 10:58
She was silent for a moment after Scionn's comment about her being unused to sleeping rough. She hesitated and said, "I used to sleep outside well enough." She gave a quick smile and shrugged it off. "When are we going to get moving again?" She really had no desireto get back home, but she didn't want to have to explain all that to complete strangers.
celebmir3
Council Member
Posts: 12
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Hunting The Bounty
on: September 22, 2005 10:10
As Adastrea waited for a response, she leaned back against a tree. As much as she did not want to go back home to her abusive father, she did miss the peacefullness of the golden woods. She had lived there for a thousand years and never grew tired of it. As they all sat together by the small fire she thought about how kind these people were being towards her. Shehad not the slightest clue about what they were and what would happen if the others caught up to them.
1234
Members Online
Print Friendly, PDF & Email