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tawar_meldis

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 11, 2006 03:49

)sorry about the delay in posting)

Bain saluted ellon who spoke to her.

(advance warning I dont speak sindarin so you will need to bare with me.)

Bain spoke softly and in sindarin now that she was speaking to an elf, "well met, I am Bain of Lothlorien. I was told by one of great forsight, that you would be in need of another fighter and probably a healer. I seek to join your mission. "

She paused then continuted. "I was not told of your mission only that good King Ellesar sent you which tells me it is a good mission and likely to succeed."

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 15, 2006 12:27

Raniean's eyes narrowed. "Bain of Lorien, well met," he said with customary politeness. "I am not the leader to give you permission or to deny it, but I would inquire of you who told you we are on a mission. Of a truth, it was known only to a few; those closest to King Elessar."

He glanced sideways as he felt Ahlara return. Concern rose in him; something was wrong, and he determined to ask more of it as soon as this woman...Bain...spoke the truth and he could pass her to Macar.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 16, 2006 03:46

[[OOC: Right, I came up with a twisting little thing for my character and the plot line. The palantir in the north is being used to watch the company and its progress. Something is guarding it and so thats why Ahlara went all funny at the top of the hill. All we have to do is come up with something thats guarding it. Maybe the last part of evil in Middle Earth...and maybe they're checking if King Elessar's with the company to set ambushes to kill him, etc. If it sounds rubbish, tell me, and we'll forget it =) ]]

Ahlara stood quite still, listening to Raniean and the elven lady, Bain, speak. She looked up at the sky which was now turning from white to a light sheet of grey. Ahlara's eyes blurred as she stared at where the sun would have been. Tiny splatters of rain started to fall onto her pale face.

Ahlara's mind began racing as she tried to explain to herself what had happened on the hill. She could not find an answer except it felt as though somebody had been watching her...not from closeby but from far away. Ahlara could not explain it though. As the rain started falling harder, Ahlara looked to the hill. The rain made it look misty and lonely and she felt an urge to climb it again.

She put one foot in front of the other and tried to walk, but she suddenly felt very dizzy. She grabbed onto Raniean's arm and steadied herself. She closed her eyes, and when she openened them, her dizziness had ceased. She pulled her hood low over her face.

"We need to start moving," Ahlara whispered to Raniean. Her hand remained on his arm and she felt her hand turn from a numbingly cold to a hot warm.

tawar_meldis

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 16, 2006 01:48

Bain had heard the famale human come back.

She opened her mouth to speak when the female spoke.

We need to start moving," Ahlara whispered to Raniean. Her hand remained on his arm and she felt her hand turn from a numbingly cold to a hot warm.

the voice did not sound right in Bains ears. Maybe she was imagining it. She looked much closer. but with the hood pulled forward there was nothing she could see.

Bain spoke again this time in common. "what is worng with you child." Her hand appeared to be gripping Raniean's arn rather tighter then there was reason.

Then bain looked at Raniean whose whole attaension seamed to be on her. She turned back to sindarin,"The one who told me was close to the lady of light before she departed. I trust his forsight with my life. I have before and it has never lead me astray."

Bain hoped that would be enough for this not quite leader.

(will correct typos later, sorry time is short)

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 16, 2006 08:58

((Speaking for myself, I like the idea. Who knows what lives in the north? Maybe some ice trolls who are fairly intelligent, or some lackey of Saruman's or Sauron's who escaped to find the palantir.))

Raniean cupped a gentle hand over Ahlara's, using what his healer brother had taught him to help soothe someone without words. "I know," he replied just as softly, glancing down at her with a slight smile as his other hand supported her elbow.

Ignoring Bain's question to Ahlara, he turned to the other elf. "Pardon my caution, my lady," he said, bowing his head slightly. "Being raised in Mirkwood during the dark time gives one a certain paranoia. But I must insist on knowing your informant's name and how he knew of our quest from afar." When Galadriel was around, Raniean could see her knowing that; he had seen her mirror and how it worked. But Galadriel had taken sail, leaving Celeborn to govern without her.

Lifting his head as the wind changed, the Mirkwood elf smelled the wind and frowned. Rain was on the way. Well, they expected that. But he had looked at the sky earlier in the morning, and there were no clouds for miles. Where was this threatening rain coming from? Plus there was a sense in the air...one he hadn't felt since the one time he was in South Mirkwood before Sauron was driven out. Someone was watching them; the little hairs on the back of his neck did not lie.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 17, 2006 12:28

[[OOC: Alright, sounds good then!]]

Ahlara had not felt this way since she had seen thousands and thousands of dead bodies at the gates of Minas Tirith. She had been sickened by the stentch of death that had bestowed her kinsmen and yet now she felt the same sickness, as though evil was sweeping over her. She had come to learn gradually that she was very sensitive to the balances of good and evil.

Ahlara's thoughts broke when Raniean placed his hand on hers and she felt the dizziness retreat. She felt somewhat refreshed and eventually the feeling that drew her towards the hill had left. Her hand fell from Raniean's arm and it focused on tightening her belt.

Everything was quiet, save for the rain on the grass and trees, until Bain spoke.

"What is wrong with you child," she said. These words echoed in Ahlara's head.

Child? First she was ridiculed for being a lady who dared raise a sword, and now she was being called child. Perhaps from all the hill-top commotion, Ahlara thought of it as offensive but perhaps it was meant that the lady elf was much older and therefore looked upon others as children, as they were a few thousand years younger. Ahlara's said nothing to Bain, and remained still. She looked to the sky; all she was waiting for now was for the rain to come hammering down, more so than it was already.

The company still had not moved, and Ahlara became impatient.

"Look," Ahlara said finally, pulling back her hood to her face was visible. Her hair fell forward and crept down her shoulders. "We need to move, or at least find some trees to travel under so we dont get extremely wet and cold."

Ahlara paused for a second and looked up at Raniean. She could sense that he had felt something by the way that he held himself. He was more tense and alert. Ahlara finished speaking with the slighest whisper in Raniean's ear so that none could hear her words.

"Perhaps we also need to stay out of sight."

[Edited on 18/8/2006 by Ahlara]

tawar_meldis

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 21, 2006 09:47

Now Bain looked at the female. She know something out of the ordinary was going on.

Bain nodded. "Yes, that seams to be a wise idea."

Bain looked very close at her. "You do not seam to be quite as young as I had originally thought. I ment no offense with the word child. It slips out some times when I first meet humans, at times I forget how little time it takes for a human to become an adult."

Bain looked briefly at the elf. "We can finish our discusion when camp is made for the night." Bain knew from personel expereince that to proclaim her honor and intension would only raise more questions.

Then Bain started moving toward the near by trees that were in the same direction the group had been going.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 21, 2006 02:24

Raniean didn't like it, but there was no other choice. As Bain headed for the trees, the rest of the group followed. Raniean stayed by Ahlara's side as they continued on their way. His mouth was set in frustrated thought.

Moments later, the promised rain began to hammer down, and Raniean pulled his hood up in what he knew was a futile gesture. It wasn't long before the garment was soaked through, but he ignored the wet rather easily. After a moment, he glanced at Ahlara. "You felt it too," he said quietly. Her reactions, at about the same time as his sense of being watched, told him that she had sensed it too.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 22, 2006 02:34

As soon as the company reached the trees, the rain started to come down with such force, that even sheltered by the trees everybody was soon soaked. Ahlara was soon completely wet, and it was all seeping through her hood into her face. She removed her hood with numb delacate hands, and her face was once more revealed. Her cheeks were rosy red from the cold, and her eyes were glazed over from thinking too hard and not blinking. The frown she was wearing did not leave her face.

"You felt it too," Raniean said quietly. Ahlara jumped a little, for she was not expecting to be spoken to for awhile.

"Yes," she whispered. "But it has chosen to effect on me differently."

Ahlara said nothing of her sensitivity. It had once fallen on her at the wrong time, and the concequences were unforgivable. Ahlara looked at Bain who was riding silently ahead. She did not like the feeling she had bought to the company, and the feeling of being watched had only started when Bain had arrived.

"We need to get deeper into the trees," she said, quietly. "We are still too close to the edge and if we are to set up camp in here tonight, then it should be a dry camp."

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 22, 2006 08:26

"It is still some time before we set up camp," Raniean said mildly. According to his inner clock, it was midmorning. They had wasted a lot of time with that Bain woman, and he was silently angry about that.

Bain worried him in a way he couldn't fully define. It had nothing to do with her being a woman; he trusted Ahlara, and she was a mortal woman. No, it had to do with her unwillingness to name the source who had told her of the mission. That was a danger signal for the paranoid captain of Mirkwood.

Nonetheless, there was nothing he could do. Macar was the leader, not him, though the man had been remarkably silent about the two female additions. In fact, Raniean had not heard him speak since the battle. Of course, he had been away with Ahlara. Still...he sighed. This debating would ruin him for any rational thought.

To distract himself, he studied Ahlara. The rosiness brought on by the cold only made her prettier, in almost a childish way, but her glazing eyes and the frown detracted from her appearance. "Remember to blink once in a while," he said with a slight smile. "It will dry your eyes out painfully if you do not."

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 24, 2006 08:24

As Ahlara was walking, she felt much more relaxed underneath the trees. The smell the rain had bought was fresh and the shades of green all around the company was calming. It was now in this calmness, that Ahlara's thoughts were quite clear before her, and she was perhaps thinking too much.

Her thoughts led her to a place in her that was quiet lonely and she knew that she was a perfect target for sensitivity. She was a woman, who could blame her? Women were meant to be more emotional than the men because the men had to be stronger to work and fight. Yet Ahlara hated this and disagreed with the debate; she shouldnt have to hide her gender to do what she believes in. Sure, she was sensitive, but it wasnt like she couldnt handle it...or handle herself. Ahlara understood the risks and dangers, the commitment and understanding of her actions. She was passionate at heart but she felt as though she had to keep it to herself because if she proved herself to anyone they would surely judge her by her gender.

Yet underneath it all she was scared. Perhaps of her emotions holding her back from being the person she wanted to be...or perhaps it was because she had no family to keep her strong and return to. But as she walked alongside of Raniean, she felt as though a companionship was growing. It was ever so slight, but yet so strong. Ahlara had had friends, yet the bond was broken by many deaths during the war.

She jumped a little as she heard a voice in her ear.

"Remember to blink once in a while," Raniean said with a slight smile. "It will dry your eyes out painfully if you do not."

Ahlara smiled and finally blinked, her eyes stinging alittle. She sighed a little and wiped some stray raindrops from her face. Her fingertips were cold on her face and her cheeks were numb.

"Thanks for reminding me," she said, looking up at Raniean.

She looked away, perhaps a little too soon. She shook her head and mumbeled, 'no', under her breath.

tawar_meldis

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: August 28, 2006 10:21

Bain kept alert. The group was moving again. in the woods it was not enough to keep dry but it was better.

Bain was careful not to out rise the men. She could have walked but for some reason she felt an unese that made her need to be close to the one friend here, her mare.

Bain would wait until camp was set then speak to the leader and the elf.

(sorry its so short, will deal with typos shen not so time pressed)

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 06, 2006 10:05

((OOC: Where is everyone? =( ))

The had company slowed down for the ground below them was full of broken tree branches and the rain had made the ground soft. The rain was still coming down as hard as ever, and Ahlara was wet head to toe. Shivers constantly ran down her spin, yet she was not all that cold.

Ahlara watched Bain riding her horse. It was quite a good idea for then Ahlara would be able to avoid the softened ground. She was not used to walking, for she had always had Aki. By this time she had let go of his reins because there were too many trees closely compacted together and the two side by side would have not fit through the trees. He was behind and did not leave more than a meter from Ahlara's back. He did not like the rain, therefore he did not stop to graze which suited Ahlara quite well.

Ahlara wondered about Bain and how she had been told of the mission...more so whom by. But perhaps when the company made camp, she would find out.

Despite the fact that Ahlara was rather quiet around many people, she was genuinly suspicious of the Elven lady. Her quiet, kept to herself nature made her vaunrable; yet perhaps those who grew close to her knew she was not a nice person to cross if she were threatened...though most people whom had known this were dead.

[Edited on 6/9/2006 by Ahlara]

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 06, 2006 08:06

((Sorry I haven't answered in so long...life's been insane between my brother's wedding and school starting...but I'm back!))

Silence had fallen between the pair after Ahlara looked away. Raniean, while bold as brass in the face of a fight, was too timid to ask what she meant when she said 'No' and turned away. He hoped this did not mean they could not be friends; he genuinely respected the young human, and his respect was not easily won by anyone.

Hours passed slowly as Macar found the path through the forest and guided them. Raniean was happy to leave that job to him; he needed to keep an eye on Bain. He could tell by the way Ahlara watched the elven lady that she wasn't entirely convinced either. Raniean wanted nothing more than to have Bain down off her horse and get the truth from her. But he restrained himself; there was no good to be had from forceful actions right now. But later...she had better be more forthcoming about herself.

He turned away from those thoughts in disgust. He would do nothing like a Kinslaying. Whatever else she was, Bain was a kinswoman by dint of her being an elf like him. He would get his answers, but he would be a gentleman about it. In the meantime, he'd just felt Ahlara shiver for the fifth time in the last minute. Working carefully, he removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. "It may help keep back the chill," he said when she looked up at him. "There is no sense in you getting sick."

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 07, 2006 05:46

Ahlara felt Raniean move beside her but she did not bother to look. She was too busy looking through the trees to her left, debating whether or not that the something that was watching them earlier was watching them now. She felt warmth over her shoulders and flood down her back as though she were in an extremely warm bath. Ahlara noticed that it was Raniean's cloak and she looked up at him.

"It may help keep back the chill," he said when she looked up at him. "There is no sense in you getting sick."

Sort of dazed at such kindness Ahlara smiled a little and removed the cloak from her soulders.

"I am not cold," she said, thankfully. "Aki's carrying an extra cloak on his back. Thank you though."

Still smiling, she handed the cloak over to Raniean. It was true, she was not cold at all. Her shivers were more anxious and in doubt of this mission and what it would bring after. She was very concious that the hairs on the back of her neck had not stopped tingling since her encounter earlier before...she still felt as if through the gaps in the trees above that something was looking down on the company and watching. She did not say anything though and kept a firm hand on the hilt of her sword.

"I wonder about Bain," Ahlara whispered quietly to Raniean. She slowed her pace from the men in front.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 07, 2006 06:51

Raniean accepted his cloak back, but didn't put it on. "You're welcome," he replied with an answering smile. He didn't feel spurned by her response; he understood well enough.

Glancing down, he saw that her knuckles were white as she gripped her sword hilt firmly. A slight frown turned down the corners of his mouth. It annoyed him that he couldn't make her feel safe, but what could he do? He felt the strange watchfulness as well, but there was no enemy to attack. He wished there was; life was so much simpler when he could throw himself into a battle and lose all inhibitions.

After a moment, a soft whisper broke his thoughts: "I wonder about Bain."

Raniean looked down at Ahlara and nodded slightly, but put a finger over his lips. "She is an elf as I am," he explained. "We can hear a bug crawl on a leaf a hundred feet away. Be watchful of your words." He looked up at Bain, riding her horse toward the front of the group. He knew she could hear them, if she turned her senses toward them, but what he thought could not be contained: "I find it strange that we both felt the watchfulness when she arrived. That worries me."

tawar_meldis

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 11, 2006 07:55

Bain rode slowly her sences highly alert.

Normally Bain took care not to eavesdrop on others it was an invasion of their privacy, but she had a sence of unease for some time now so even when there was talking she did not tune it out. Not that she went out of her way to listen but she heard none the less.

"I wonder about Bain."

Raniean looked down at Ahlara and nodded slightly, but put a finger over his lips. "She is an elf as I am," he explained. "We can hear a bug crawl on a leaf a hundred feet away. Be watchful of your words." He looked up at Bain, riding her horse toward the front of the group. He knew she could hear them, if she turned her senses toward them, but what he thought could not be contained: "I find it strange that we both felt the watchfulness when she arrived. That worries me."

This would explain things more soundly. Bain has assumed their attitude was just normal concern but it now looked more then that. Could it be that he was now watching. No. Even if that was the case there was no way that the human could sence him.
It occured to Bain that there must be a different source for their feelings and her own as well. She was not sure what it was.

This caused her to increase her scanning hoping to find some thing odd, but it stayed just out of her sences. But it kept her slightly uneasy none the less.

As the sky started to darken Bain began to wonder if there was a clearing near by.

Just minutes later there was one. Bain stoped and waited for Raniean. Her face and voice was emotionless,"do you think we should stop here for the night. I am not familiar with this area of the forest but I doubt we will find another clearing in the last hour before dark"

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 12, 2006 09:30

The male elf looked up at Bain for a moment, shielding his eyes from the rain. Any spot they picked would be wet; that was the sad truth of the situation. At least he could keep to the trees...

Without answering the elven lady, he walked around the clearing. It was fairly well protected; as well protected as possible, anyway. The ground was level, and there were several good trees for the lookouts. He climbed one of those and scanned for another clearing, just to be sure.

"This seems like the best choice," he decided as he landed on the ground lightly. "Though we will lose an hour's travel, I can see no better clearing in that time period." He looked at Ahlara. Macar had handed command over to him for the time being, as he had other matters to attend to besides the daily humdrum of traveling, but he wanted everyone's opinion.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 13, 2006 12:39

A clearing opened up before the company. It was a big hole in the trees with rain pouring through...not very inviting but it would have to do. Ahlara looked at the trees around it and a few looked alright to watch the lands before them. Ahlara pulled her dripping wet hood over her face and watched Raniean scan the area. She took a side glance at Bain and frowned. She did not like her at all.

Raniean came back swiftly and announced that this was the only decent clearing for awhile. It made Ahlara laugh inside, for this clearing was far behind decent, but she did not say anything for she had her eyes set on a tree that looked quite comfortable.

"I'll will stay and will gladly keep watch," she said, looking at Raniean. "I do not feel tired at all."

Ahlara smiled at Raniean as the company started to unload their packs. Most of them chose the shelter of a few jutting out trees...though shelter seemed too nice of a word to use. A few elves took to the trees to keep watch and a few rangers followed. None had noticed the perfect position of Ahlara's tree.

"I shall expect to see you later," Ahlara said quietly to Raniean, standing a little too close to him. She felt a rush of warmth over her. Ahlara wanted to know all the details when Bain explained herself.

Knowing that Raniean understood, she jogged through the clearing to the otherside where she left Aki to graze. Ahlara took the dry cloak and her belongings from under Aki's saddle and carefully, she climbed the tree. To her suprise the branches were close to dry. Most of them were too small to sit on, but as Ahlara climbed they gradually grew bigger. She chose one that was wide enough for two and a half people to sit upon and it was nicely sheltered. Ahlara placed her pack down and changed her cloak. She left the wet one to try a branch below that was also sheltered quite nicely.

Ahlara finally sat, observing all that she could see. Everything seemed to be covered in a sheet of misty rain, but she could see where the forest ended on all four sides. The clouds covered the sun but Ahlara could see exactly where the sun was for it cast an eerie orange glow on the clouds. Ahlara smiled a little...perhaps out of happiness or satisfaction, she did not know. Her thoughts carried her away but she immidiatly broke free from them for she was being silly. Instead of thinking, she busied herself unloading her pack and finding her pipe weed.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 13, 2006 10:05

Raniean placed his pack in the dry place under Ahlara's tree, but he did not take his leisure yet, despite a creeping weariness starting to take over him. He'd had little rest the night before, and while he could rest while walking, he preferred to keep alert. He was paying for it now.

Flexing his shoulders, he forced the weariness aside and looked for Bain. The woman was caring for her horse, a sign of a good rider. The captain sighed to himself. Why did the Valar insist on putting him in positions where he had to confront people? Though he was a high-ranking captain, he was very easy-going in normal situations. He preferred to keep to himself or to a small, tight-knit group of people. He hated confrontation--except with orcs, but they didn't count.

Smoothing his wet hair down, Raniean crossed to where Bain was. "My lady," he said, speaking in Elvish to keep a casual ear from hearing him, "I would speak with you, if it will not inconvenience you overmuch." His words were polite, but there was an edge to his tone that showed he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "I have need to know who sent you to join us."

tawar_meldis

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 18, 2006 01:24

Bain was well aware of the elf approaching her as she tended her mare.

His words were the proper ones and his tone was not insulting, but he was used to commanding ther was no doubt about that.

Bain paused to look at him. She had no fear of him or of anyone in the group. She had yet to see or hear any thing from the commander. There was no question that who ever he was, minor details were not something he cared about. That spoke well for the ellon.

Bain spoke in elvish as well. "I was asked to do my best not to reveal his name. I have never in all my centuries in the guard ever questioned a command of his."

Bain paused not for dramtics just to go ever very carefully exactly what he had said. This was not the time to break her word and honor.

Bain knew that in Evish she could speak his name and no one but the ellon would know. She senced his honor as well. His goal here was to keep the humans safe. That was some thing she had often done as well, taking responsibility for others.

It was not something any elf took on lightly. She knew the there was no need to not speak her commanders name. She could also see that her pause was making Raniean uncomfortable. That was not her aim so she spoke softly in elvish again, "in lorien I answer to Marchwarden Haldir. I believe at times he may still be get messages from the lady of light, but he has never said so."

There it was on the table.

(will fix typos later time almost up. Feel free to go either way with this)

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 19, 2006 07:31

(OOC:: Ahlara is in the database finally! =) still not finished most of it, but I'll get round to doing it. If you hadnt noticed yet, Ahlara is quite 'drawn' to Raniean, if you like, an attraction but we'll have to wait to see if it's friendship or romance since she isnt quite sure =)...just to make things a little interesting while the company goes along its journey.))

Ahlara sat patiently taking pulls every now and again on her pipe. It was quite masculine for a lady, but she had learnt that for her, it calmed her very well. It also made her think, and her thoughts began to cloud over her as the smoke did. She heard Raniean put his pack down in a dry spot underneath her tree and then walk off going to speak to Bain.

She wondered about Bain. It wasnt her personality for Ahlara did not know anything about her...but it was when she rode up to the company and how Ahlara had felt how she did on the hilltop. Shivers ran down her spine and she took another drag of her pipe. Perhaps the feeling of being watched had nothing to do with Bain, but why had it sprung on Ahlara at that moment?

Sighing, Ahlara blew the contents from her pipe over the branch and placed it back in her pack. She stood, ducking slightly, and shook her head as though to shake out all the thoughts she had. One thought though, took longer to leave than the rest and that thought was slowly growing into a feeling that wasnt quite welcome.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 20, 2006 05:48

((No, really?

Teasing, teasing. Let it go where it may, and we'll see how my honorable captain responds. 'Twould add an interesting aspect.))

Raniean's expression didn't change much, but it did soften a little. He knew Haldir. In ranking, the captain and the marchwarden were about equal, and in the times Raniean had been to Lórien, the two leaders became rather good friends. He also knew that Haldir would do anything Galadriel told him (though how in the world messages got from Valinor to Lórien was beyond the captain).

"And it was the marchwarden who sent you?" Raniean asked, taking up Bain's care to not speak his name. That also struck him as strange; Haldir was a private elf, but he'd never asked anyone to keep from speaking his name. Then again, with the Lady gone, Lórien was no longer the place of beauty and light it had been, nor was it as secure. Rumor had it that Galadriel bore one of the Three Elven Rings of Power, but Raniean didn't know that for sure.

Many things had changed in Lórien, just as things had changed in all the elven realms. It was part of the reason Raniean preferred living in human lands now; it was too painful to visit Rivendell and remember how Lord Elrond's love had made it a welcoming place—a home away from home, really. The twins were still there, so the captain did visit once in a while, but it was more common for Minas Tirith to be tormented by the king's visiting foster brothers.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Raniean looked at Bain again. "Did he send you on orders of the Lady?" he asked. As he waited for an answer, his sensitive nose picked up a very familiar smell. For just an instant, he thought he was back on the trails of Mirkwood with Legolas, Trelan and Strider (he'd known Aragorn's real name back then, but Strider fit the ranger better).

The moment passed, leaving him with a curious sinking feeling. Strider was King Elessar now, with a wife and family obligations. He would never drop whatever he was doing to ride off on a mad adventure, though occasionally Legolas pulled him away from the palace to remind him of his ranger background. As the prince said, "It would be no good for the best tracker in Middle-earth to lose his touch. Then where would we be the next time Raniean or Trelan gets kidnapped?"

So many wonderful memories...and yet they caused a stab of pain every time Raniean thought about them. Using all the restraint he'd learned over the long years, he repressed his memories, tucking them away for later when he could allow himself to tear up or laugh, depending on the memory.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 21, 2006 11:25

((OOC: Hehe, =) ))

Ahlara sat and contemplated her options, tapping her fingers on her leg. She kept looking down every now and again to see whether or not anyone was below her tree. A few trees next to her, she saw an elven man perched on a branch loosening his bow from his back. He looked so elegant as she watched his movements, hands from bow to tree to his light fair hair that fell gently on his face. He looked up at Ahlara and she smiled, bowing her head alittle. She then busied herself, looking through her pack.

With nothing to really find, she stopped rummaging and stood slowly and sighed. She was starting to become restless and the rain wasnt improving. Ahlara carefully climbed from the tree and looked for Aki. He was still in the same place Ahlara had left him and was happily grazing, swishing his tale and chomping loudly. Ahlara patted his back and looked around the camp. She saw Raniean and Bain speaking, hopefully he was getting some information from her, and the rest of the camp were laughinng; though their faces were cold and wet from the rain.

Ahlara sat down, feeling quite cold, on a dead log that was a few paces from Aki and pulled her cloack tightly around her body, trying to keep the warmth inside. She waited, perhaps, not for information but for Raniean. Shaking her head of such thoughts, she began tapping a familiar tune on her leg, staring at the camp.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 27, 2006 07:13

At last, Raniean was satisfied for the moment. There were still many questions he wanted to ask Bain, but this was neither the time nor the place. Later, if the questions became important, he would ask.

Bowing to the elven woman, he headed back for Ahlara's tree. He only paused for a moment at the bottom to grab his pack before climbing up with the agility of a squirrel. He preferred being in the trees anyway; human gaity was a trifle too strange for his comfort. He was not against laughter and joy, but this mission was too serious to indulge in that for the moment.

He couldn't say why. Maybe because the sense of watchfulness hadn't dissipated yet. He could tell the others couldn't sense it; they wouldn't be able to joke around if they did. He didn't begrudge them the joy they found.

Climbing a little further, he found Ahlara. "My lady," he greeted quietly, wringing his hair out carefully. "You are not resting?"

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 27, 2006 08:17

Ahlara stood and took one last gaze around the camp. She became quite bored sitting beside Aki and although he was her closest companion, his grunting and chomping was of no entertainment for Ahlara. She turned to her tree and then began carefully climbing, making sure not to slip with her wet shoes.

Ahlara removed her sword from its hilt and placed it next to her pack and sat back against the tree. Her hair was quite dry now, softly blowing in the dying wind that sailed over the branches of the tree. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and she could see her breath before her as she exhaled.

All was quiet, except for the laughter and chatter of the camp. She looked out among the treetops and sat silently, watching the rain cast a mist over them. A familiar scent reached her nose, and she heard a faint rustle below her tree. She knew it was Raniean, but she did not move. In seconds he appeared on her branch, wringing out his hair.

"My lady," he said quietly. Ahlara looked up at him, smiling. "You are not resting?"

Ahlara shook her head.

"I do not feel tired," she said softly. "My eyes are alert and my mind will not stop asking questions." She frowned slightly and looked back at the treetops.

"Have you spoken to Bain?" she asked, moving her hair so it draped over one shoulder.

Her insides fluttered slightly as she looked up at Raniean. Her big, green eyes searching for information...and an answer to one of the questions that was clouding her thoughts.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 27, 2006 10:41

"I have," Raniean replied, removing his quiver and placing it on a branch that was in easy reach. "Not as long as I could wish, and there are still questions to be asked, but I do not think she is an active threat." Spreading his cloak out on the branch, he leaned back and seemed to relax.

In reality, every sense was alert and ready to spring into action at any given moment. Yes, his mind was here with Ahlara, and he was grateful for the time he had to sit and rest for a time, but his ears and nose brought in every scrap of information from below. He heard someone digging a latrine trench while someone else fought to start a fire; the smell of flint and the sound of someone cursing quietly was unmistakable.

Pulling his thoughts away from the world outside, the elf looked at Ahlara, meeting her eyes. For the first time, he noticed that they were bright green, like his. He wasn't used to seeing other green eyes; most elves had either grey or blue eyes, though he'd heard that green was pretty common with humans.

"You said you have questions?" he asked, somehow unable to look away from her eyes. There was a sweet innocence in those green depths, mixed with a sense of weariness from battle. He knew that expression; he wore it often, even when he was technically away from war.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 27, 2006 10:55

Ahlara watched as Raniean sat in front of her. He looked quite calm but yet there was an air about him that made Ahlara feel safe. As his eyes met hers, she felt her cheeks grow even more rosy.

"Merely questions about Bain," Ahlara said quickly. "If I may ask, what did she say? Of course I understand that it is none of my business, and if she has told you not to say anything."

Ahlara frowned, looked at her lap and started tapping on her leg. She felt a shiver run down her spine and she shook briefly. Her other cloack, even though dry, felt as though it was made from ice. She heard Aki snort from below, and Ahlara could make out his dark figure below. She looked back at Raniean, still tapping her fingers, and smiled a little.

Even though he was with her, she felt a little uncomfortable but did not show it.

[Edited on 27/9/2006 by Ahlara]

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 27, 2006 10:06

"She said little," Raniean replied, watching Ahlara carefully. Though she tried very hard not to show it, he could sense that she didn't feel that all was right. "She is from Lothlorien, and answers to one equal in rank with myself. I know her commanding officer well; we have a cautious respect between us." The captain smiled to himself. His friendship with Haldir had started with a verbal sparring match that turned into a duel with steel.

Raniean was an excellent swordsman, something counted as strange but useful among the Silvan. Having a Noldor/Silvan as a brother and Noldor as friends and sparring partners helped him greatly; he knew tactics from both sides of the racial line. Haldir was trained mostly in the Noldor tactics, though he was Silvan, but he was fast. Neither of the commanding officers had landed a blow on the other in the space of a half hour. After that, they called a truce and were friends.

He didn't say any of that at the moment. His thoughts were caught on Ahlara and her shivers. "Are you cold?" he asked, pulling his cloak from behind him and offering it to her.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 28, 2006 11:53

Ahlara studied Raniean as he finished speaking. He seemed to be enjoying a memory and Ahlara smiled at the playlike expression on his face. Silence poured over the two and Ahlara stopped tapping her fingers on her lap. The silence crept into her head and lightened her mood. For once, a feeling that was not all too familiar to Ahlara sunk into her.

Though still uncomfortable when she thought about Raniean on a certain level, she felt willing to relax and talk in somebody's company. She had never really sat back since all the battles and deaths that had happened; only a few times when she was in her own company and could keep to herself. Yet now all she wanted to do was sit and feel at ease for once...and that feeling only seemed to be around her when Raniean was close. She felt as though he would listen, just as much as she would.

Anyhow, the thought that sunk into her, left Ahlara with a smile on her face. Her hair fell over her shoulders again, resuming its long, wavy structure.

"Are you cold?" Raniean asked, just as Ahlara had shivered again.

He handed out his cloak, pulling it carefully from behind him. Ahlara smiled and nodded her head. Even though she took the warm cloak from Raniean, she almost felt quite bad that perhaps he was cold as well.

"If you want it back," Ahlara said, smiling. "Then dont hesitate to ask for it. I have another, yet it is drying and by the looks of things, this rain is not dying."

Sighing alittle, she looked on the treetops, watching the misty rain change slightly in the wind. She wrapped the warm cloak around her shoulders, and she stopped shivering. It was a kind gesture and it was very much ackowleged.

"What were you thinking about?" Ahlara asked.

She tilted her head to the side and smiled. Her face was warm looking and gentle, though occasionally she would try to look away. But yet she couldnt because despite trying to remove all the thoughts or feelings from her head, she could not seem to look away from Raniean.

It annoyed her slightly, but in a way where she enjoyed the fact that she could take a chance or let it lay dormant.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 29, 2006 10:04

"When Manwe weeps," Raniean said with a playful smile, "he has a tendency to continue to do so until he chooses to stop." It was old child lore that when it was raining, Manwe, the ruler of Arda and lord of the air, was weeping for some reason. The reasons varied for every rain storm, of course. The elf didn't add that it was unlikely that he would get cold; it would have to be very cold indeed for him to feel more than slightly chilly. Right at the moment, he was comfortably warm.

His thoughts wandered a little as a silence took over the pair. It was a comfortable silence, one accented by the sounds of the soft rain and the wind through the leaves. He liked it when he was comfortable enough with someone to let the silence speak. It was only when he was in a place outside of his realm of experience--like most diplomatic missions, for example--that he went silent because he was uncomfortable or talked about the stupidest things with stupider people. Raniean was not a diplomat, despite his brother's best efforts.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by Ahlara's soft question: "What were you thinking about?" He looked at her and couldn't smiling in answer to her gentle smile.

"I was thinking about one of my first trips to Lothlorien," the captain replied, leaning back and making himself even more comfortable as he continued to meet her eyes. "You see, Ahlara, before the War, I was in a unique situation. Because I was adopted into my heart-brother's family, I was a citizen of three elven realms: Mirkwood, where I was born, Rivendell and Lothlorien. That came in handy a couple of times, but it created some awkwardness too."

He chuckled. "One of the marchwardens on the borders of Lorien--a marchwarden is about the same rank as a captain," he explained briefly, knowing that the titles were different across the world. "Anyway, this particular marchwarden--Haldir is his name--he didn't quite know what to make of me. There I was, a dark-haired Silvan elf from Mirkwood who claimed citizenship in three realms because of my brother. He's very protective of his homeland, as any commanding officer is, and we got into a verbal sparring match. I cannot recall exactly what was said, but sooner or later, he claimed that Mirkwood elves were decent with the bow--though of course Lothlorien elves were much better--but we couldn't handle a sword to save our lives. Well, I had to challenge him to a duel after that."

Clasping his hands behind his head, Raniean laughed softly. "He was amazed, to be perfectly frank. I've spent most of my life from childhood onward learning how to use a sword. In my little pack of friends, Legolas was the one who excelled with the bow, but I left everyone behind with the sword. But Haldir was no softie with the sword, either. We spent a half hour sparring, neither of us landing a blow, before we called a truce. I think Haldir decided it would be better to be friends rather than enemies."

He laughed again. "What he didn't know was that I was about to extend the hand of friendship for the same reason. I may be better as a fighter than a diplomat, but I do know enough to keep someone as good as Haldir on my side." He shook his head. "Good times."

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: September 30, 2006 02:56

Ahlara chuckled every now and again, happily listening intently to Raniean. She enjoyed his voice, and she enjoyed listening. She always listenend though, and she was good at it. She sometimes liked to keep to herself perhaps because she was afraid of the outcome if she placed trust in somebody. There were too many broken promises and betrayals in her past. Yet at the moment, the relaxed atmosphere provoked nothing she couldnt share with Raniean.

"Only yesterday did I see you in battle," Ahlara said, still smiling. "And Haldir is right to say you are an excellent swordsman. I think anybody would feel safe with you fighting beside them."

Ahlara looked to her lap, and yet her smile did not leave her face. She took a breath and looked out to the trees, then met Raniean's eyes.

"Though young as I seem," Ahlara said. "I've grown up too fast. I think perhaps everyone has because of the war, I know I certainly have. I left the north six years ago, and then I set out on my own. I didnt have anything left there at all."

Ahlara smiled softly and pulled Raniean's cloak tightly around her.

"Since I was born I have been around swordsmen," she said. "My father was before he passed away, my uncle, my cousin...everyone I've ever come to love. It was through them that I learnt their skills by their mistakes and swings, hits and moves. I remember my uncle sat me down one day and talked to me seriously. He told me I was a lady and that I was meant to grow up elegant and graceful...I wasnt meant to have dirty hands or an infatuation with swords and daggers."

Ahlara chuckled and screwed up her nose with a big smile on her face.

"I never listenend to him," she said, shaking her head. "He couldnt stop me at all and in the end he gave up. He taught me for a little while and one day said to me, 'you're quite good for a lady'. It made me so proud."

Ahlara shook her head one final time and her smile faded alittle. She looked out to the trees and ran her fingers through her hair. Sighing slightly, she turned to Raniean. His warmingly soft face made Ahlara smile again, yet this time it was quite playful.

"Perhaps," she said. "We can have a friendly fight sometime. I still have a few things to learn, and I am sure you know them."

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: October 02, 2006 09:59

The elven captain smiled and bowed his head. "I would be honored to spar with you sometime soon," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "I have not studied human sword techniques as much as I wish I had; I suspect there will be teaching from both sides."

"As to the issue of ladies being graceful and elegant...well, I do not know many ladies well, but I have seen some ladies who are pure beauty when they have a sword or daggers." Raniean smiled to himself, remembering a sparring match he'd had with Vanalosswen, Legolas' little sister. He'd almost lost because he underestimated her. "I would encourage you to continue with your training, whenever and wherever you can. These are interesting times; there may come a time when every sword hand will be needed."

Raniean stood and braced himself against a branch as he looked out over the terrain. "It's strange," he said quietly, his tone becoming pensive and thoughtful. "The world has changed so much since I was a youngling. I could wish time would stop; that we could freeze time in a perfect moment." He no longer seemed to be talking to Ahlara, though his voice was just loud enough for her to hear.

Then he chuckled. "But that is not the nature of time. Despite my people's attempts to allow time to flow around us, we cannot deny that it changes us as well, and we must go with it." The rain was beginning to slow down a little.

Ahlara

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: October 03, 2006 02:01

Ahlara was trained with obvious skill, enough for a good match with a human and enough for any orc. As one of the last remaining, pure blood Dúnedain, Ahlara's knowledge of swords traveled back far into her ancestral past. She had come to learn that her family was very small, and most of the men had been sword fighters. The women on the other hand, had learnt to be ladies as they would have been in Númenor: elegant, well spoken, and beautiful. Ahlara felt none of these.

Ahlara watched as Raniean stood, and braced himself against a branch. He looked a little troubled and he spoke as if he had not intended Ahlara to hear him. She remained quiet until he had finished, yet her eyes scanned him softly.

Ahlara stood, and leant back on the tree trunk she had been sitting against. The rain was dying, and the mist began to cease, allowing the treetops to been seen without obstruction. It took awhile for Ahlara to decide what to say.

"I believe that for most people," Ahlara said, softly. "The war is over. But then for others it is just a part of us missing for it is the only thing we have come to know. I think that perhaps there is still something to come."

Ahlara stopped and smiled a little. "My race to be once again abundant as it were," she said, quietly. "Is the only change I yearn for. As much as you wish for time to stop at the most perfect moment, I wish I could alter things for the better. But as I sit and think hard, both of these wishes would not make anything into how it is today."

Ahlara paused and sighed. "And how things are in present time, for me, is only another adventure."

Ahlara finished and smiled a little at Raniean, hoping she had made sense. She just that second realized as she was looking at Raniean, that her arm was still bandaged up. She removed Raniean's cloak and pulled her sleeve up to remove the bandage. As she did so, her wound did not look bad at all nor did it hurt. There was a purple bruise around a thin cut that had obviously closed.

"Thank you," she said, gesturing towards her arm. "It seemed bad at the time, but your remedies seem to have a great effect."

Chuckling, she pulled her sleeve down and wrapped Raniean's cloak around her shoulders. Ahlara slid down the trunk and sat down again, tapping her fingers on her lap. Her jaw chattered in the cold, and she rubbed her delicate hands together, trying to keep them warm.

"When it rains, I am used to traveling through the night," Ahlara said, explaining why she was so cold. "At least then I am kept moving, so my body doesn’t have enough time to cool down. When the rain ceases, I light a fire and then I rest."

Ahlara smiled and looked dreamily to the treetops. A flash of lightening lit up the trees, yet the rain was coming to a halt.

Vanalosswen

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RE: Hunt for the Palantir(open, slightly scripted)
on: October 07, 2006 10:14

Raniean smiled at Ahlara's assessment; she was right. For him, fighting had become everything. The War had only been the climax of a lifetime of training and fighting to defend his homeland. Now that there wasn't a definite enemy, the elf felt almost useless. After all, what good was a warrior in times of peace? All he could do was train and hope for a decent sparring match with someone.

"An adventure," he murmured to himself. "I suppose that is true; every day is a new adventure." It was hard for him to think of it like that; elves didn't usually measure time precisely. Why should they? They had all of eternity, unless they were killed. Ran did measure time, at least in years and moments. He'd been separated from his brother for years before, which made every day seem like a century, and he knew that every moment in a fight was vital.

He turned back to Ahlara as she explained about her usual routine when it rained. "I would think that traveling in rain would be almost as bad," he said with a smile. "When King Elessar was much younger and known as 'Strider' to me and my friends, he would get the worst colds after traveling through the rain. I think he's built up an immunity now, but there were some miserable nights." As he talked, he knelt beside the woman and took her hands in his, cradling the delicate fingers between his sword-worn palms and gently rubbing. He knew his hands were very warm, especially in contrast to her cold ones; her fingers felt like icicles in his hands.

As he rubbed, he glanced up and caught her eyes briefly with a gentle smile.

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