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nelenata
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Post A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 16, 2006 12:09
(Please PM me before joining and check into the OOC! I know the vague skeleton of the direction in which I want this to go - it's semi-scripted. Bring your ideas! )
------------

Halhigil sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes. "Erethien," he addressed his companion without opening his eyes, "the next time you decide to rearrange my life, will you please give me a little notice?"

"Well, I apologise, but I hardly dragged you here," replied the sharp-featured elleth rather ill-temperedly. She tugged at the reins of her bay mare, who managed to look as fed up as her mistress. "It was you who insisted on 'escorting' me."

"I did not risk my neck in order for you to do something foolhardy and get yourself arrested again. You are less than popular in this area of the world." The black-haired ellon scowled. By all the bright stars, the Gladden Fields were a dismal, wet, muddy place to be on an October day.

"Only in Mirkwood."

"And Imladris. And Lórien. And most of Arda. Erethien, most of the authorities of every land you have entered are after you for one reason or another. You are an outlaw. Call it what it is."

"And what does that make you?" She snorted and squeezed water out of her long brown plait. "You really are a beam of happiness in my life at present."

"The Valar only know," he sighed. "Spy? Soldier? Professional blame-taker? Village idiot?" Halhigil shook his head and blinked the drizzle out of his eyes. "I am going to have a great deal of explaining to do when I return."

In the distance the Misty Mountains loomed, grey and forboding under the low, heavy clouds. In front of them, the marshland stretched on for leagues and leagues, the monotony only occasionally broken by the odd small settlement. Not many were willing to live here, save the small folk beside the river, and the settlements here were those of Men.

Beside him, Erethien wrinkled her nose. "Halhigil, what is that terrible smell?"

Almost simultaneously, Halhigil winced as the stench reached him, carried on the wind. Heightened senses were not always an advantage to the Elves. "Something rotting somewhere, I would say." He frowned and gave a murmured command to his horse, who obediently stopped, head down and shivering. Halhigil sniffed the air before leaving the path and following the stink.

Erethien stayed beside the horses and shook her head. "What are you doing?" she called. "Come back, for goodness' sake. It is probably some animal."

Halhigil ignored her, picking his way over the marshy ground. "Perhaps..." And then he saw the arm and the boot, sticking out of the scummy water. Or what had once been an arm. Water and time had decayed the flesh so that it looked like black slime covering the bones. "Erethien!"

Behind him, he heard her approach. "Here, help me get it out," he said, swallowing his revulsion and taking hold of the decomposed hand.

Erethien looked even more revolted than he felt, which was certainly a first. Squeamish was the last word he would ususally have applied to her. "You are not serious?"

"For pity's sake, just grab the foot and help me drag it out."

Gingerly, she grasped the boot and helped him haul the corpse out of the pool. As it lay on the ground, both elves simultaneously covered their noses and mouths; the smell was appalling. "Sweet Elbereth," muttered Erethien, looking away and feeling sick. "Are you happy now?"

"No. I want to know what he is doing here." He rolled his sleeves up and shuddered involuntarily. Touching this thing was the last thing he wanted to do.

"You are not - oh, that is revolting." She covered her mouth and turned her back. "Just leave it! It was probably an accident. Suicide. One of these strange, sudden afflictions that mortals get."

Halhigil was too busy fighting the urge to gag to make a caustic comment as he peeled away the rotten clothes, searching for some clue. "Well, he is a he. And he has some sort of medallion, though I do not recognise the design."

"I do not wish to know. You are making me ill. Stop telling me and leave that thing alone!"

"Oh, you feel ill? I am the one with black slime to the elbows. It -" He broke off abruptly, momentarily even forgetting the unholy stink. "Oh, dear." He fingered the small dagger thrust between the corpse's ribs. "This does not look like an accident after all."

------------
elleth - female elf
ellon - male elf

OOC: here
All my characters are in the Db.



[Edited on 23/10/2006 by nelenata]

[Edited on 6/11/2006 by nelenata]

[Edited on 8/2/2007 by nelenata]
ElfmaidenofLorien
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 17, 2006 12:28
Amdireth and Nethwen traveled slowly on their horses. Nethwen had come from Lorien, she had become friends with Amdireth along the way and had her join in on her adventure. They didn't really know where they were heading, but they were kind of heading for Mirkwood. Anyway they came along the Gladden Fields along the way. Nethwen threw back her hood and her blonde hair fell out. Nethwen quickly braided her hair and tied it up into a bun. Amdireth's brown eyes scanned the land, Amdireth pushed a strand of blonde hair from her face. "Hey, is that someone over there?" Amdireth asked. Nethwen pushed herself up so she could see. Her blue eyes stared ahead. "Yes, two people. They both seem to be elves." Nethwen said, then she gasped. "What is it?" Amdireth asked. "They seem to be standing by a dead person." Nethwen said, her eyes glowed with excitement. "Well then I'm sure we want to steer clear of them." Amdireth said. "No Amdireth, lets see what they are doing, they may need help." Nethwen said, then she spurred her horse forward. Amdireth sighed, she wondered why she had followed her now, then she followed. Nethwen stopped before them. She stared down at them. "Whats happened?" Nethwen asked, she stayed on her horse Fairshadow. Amdireth came up beside her. "Excuse us, we were just on our way." Amdireth said. "No we weren't. I saw you two with this dead person, what was the cause of his death?" Nethwen asked. "Can you not see the dagger." Amdireth said, she rolled her eyes. "Excuse my friend's behavior. We must be on our way." Amdireth said, she grabbed Nethwen's arm. "Come on Nethwen, we have no reason to stay, just let them go." Amdireth whispered. Nethwen glared and stayed unmoved, she wanted to know what was going on. Why were they here with this rotting being? "Why did you even bother to bring him out of the slime?" Nethwen asked, at this point she covered her nose with her hand, even though she had smelled the horrible scent the whole time.

(I'm sorry if this was awkward, I hope thats good enough.)
'Not even the gods above can separate the two of us, no nothing can come between you and I.'
Sirithros_Lirenel
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 18, 2006 03:04
Adele spurred her steed on a crashing path through the forest, heedless of all the damage she must be causing to the unfortunate flora on either side of the narrow bridle lane, and of the way her hands, in her distress, pulled so hard on the reins that the animal frothed at the mouth and fought a losing battle for his head. She was not normally such an aggressive rider, nor a cruel one at all, but, she reasoned, she was worried, and annoyed, and that in the girl’s narrow mind was good enough reason for the aimless headlong dash she was currently undertaking.

Ever the wild child, Adele’s brilliantly auburn hair flew wildly, unkempt and unbound, behind her, her riding dress of expensive deep emerald velvet was rumpled and bunched from long hours in the saddle. Her well-bred features with all the characteristic delicacy of an old, well-established bloodline belied the fact that she rode astride now that she was well out of sight of the township and its gossiping inhabitants, the skirts of her dress hiked up to reveal a pair of well-worn breeches and riding boots beneath her proper attire. In her white hands – clean, long-fingered ones of which the only blemishes were the callouses from her constant riding – she held a crop, and from the sash around her slim waist there hung a dagger in an elaborately gilded case; the hilt of the small blade itself was well-made but so encrusted with gems and semi-precious stones it indicated a family of relative wealth and power, and of exceptional pretentiousness.

It had been over two weeks since her brother had gone missing, after he had left on a trip to negotiate the family's trade business to nearby Erebor. It was only the third time he had been entrusted to undertake the journey on his own, but really, she reasoned, he was a smart lad, with a good head, and he should have completed the journey well within the week it usually took for the family, complete with entourage, to make it there. But no, there had been no word whatsoever, no message to say that he had safely arrived, not even word-of-mouth from the people of Erebor, who often passed through the smaller hamlet on their way south. And people were starting to worry.

Well, at least her family was starting to worry, at any rate. As for the rest of the villagers – underbred bumpkins that they were, Adele fumed – gossip was about the only thing their heads and idle tongues were good for. Never mind that the son of the richest, most influential man in the township had gone missing, dropped off the map entirely. Never mind that her brother – perhaps the only living being Adele could be controlled by and the only living being the girl properly cared for – had just disappeared in mysterious circumstances, and the entire family was distraught. All she got were smirks, sniggers, and snide remarks of him taking up with various kinds of foreign women and squandering the wealth and trust of the family to elope and escape, for after all, he thought himself too good for life in a secluded little village, like all of his hoity-toity snob family, just that he was the only one with sense to hightail his prim-and-proper rear end out of the area…

Light hazel eyes narrowed imperceptibly, a stubborn chin was thrust outwards in a delicate pout, and Adele hauled harder on the reins, her train of thought abruptly ended by a disgusting stench carried on the sudden breeze, and the quivering grey animal beneath her halted, his flanks heaving and hair matted with sweat. The horse shifted uneasily and blew hard, transferring his weight from foot to foot – his ears were well back and it was plain enough to Adele that he at least wanted to be out of here. The girl herself was caught between utter revulsion and curiosity – she had never smelled anything quite like it, and did not really know its significance.

There were voices, too, carried on the wind. She strained, trying to catch what was being said, and identified two speakers at least – male and female – having what sounded remotely like a dispute. But then she realised she could understand none of the conversation, for Elvish, although liquid and musical and pleasant-sounding, registered on Adele’s unenlightened ears as mere pretty gibberish. Her curiosity kindled, she urged her protesting mount forward at a slower pace, a sleeve pressed over her mouth and nose as scant protection against the putrid smell.

The air became more and more fetid as Adele emerged into a clearing on the edge of a bog to find two beings standing over… something in the wet marshland. She thought of them as beings, for they were obviously not human; the way they spoke, and dressed, and of course the mythical pointed ears identified them as elven-folk. She had to conceal a grin of excitement, for although she had seen elves once or twice on trips to Erebor, they were still very much a novelty and an enigma – creatures of fairy-tales and bedtime stories, or of wanderers’ yarns, heard of but never seen. As she moved in, she realised there were two more elves standing in the mist that twirled in tendrils in the humid air, and all were gazing down at the something with expressions of disgust and horror.

With her usual bluntness, Adele leapt from her horse and strode briskly into the company, eyes shining in amazement and anticipation – she was getting to meet real elves! How many mortals had such a chance?

It was then that she caught sight of the talisman on the ground.

A soft scream ripped from the girl’s throat, and, all traces of her former excitement gone – indeed, all awareness of company gone, Adele ran the last few steps and dropped to her knees to pick up the tarnished gold disc.

It was her brother’s.

[OOC: There. I hope it’s alright! ^^ Oh, additional info – Adele’s about in her early to mid-teens (I haven’t quite worked that one out yet) and yes, she’s supposed to be irritating LOL. So you all have every right to get annoyed with her if need be. ^^]


[Edited on 23/10/2006 by Sirithros_Lirenel]
ElfmaidenofLorien
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 18, 2006 04:47
Nethwen and Amdireth looked on the girl with surprise, they did not expect anyone else to be around here. They both kept silent standing in the shadows, then when she scremed they both stepped out. "Is something wrong?" Nethwen asked, her blue eyes looked concerned. Amdireth stood nearby brushing her horse. The girl seemed to be struck dumb. Amdireth was still confused by all of this, she still had no idea what was happening and who these other elves were, she was utterly confused. "Stop everyone." Amdireth said as she stepped in. Everyone went silent. "I am very confused by all of this, we come upon two elves and one dead body. This girl now comes and she evidently knows this fellow, please tell us how you know him and maybe we can clear some of this up." Amdireth said calmly, her voice was very strong and commanding.
'Not even the gods above can separate the two of us, no nothing can come between you and I.'
nelenata
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 18, 2006 08:37
"Whats happened?" Nethwen asked, she stayed on her horse Fairshadow. Amdireth came up beside her.

"Excuse us, we were just on our way." Amdireth said.

"No we weren't. I saw you two with this dead person, what was the cause of his death?" Nethwen asked.

"Can you not see the dagger." Amdireth said, she rolled her eyes. "Excuse my friend's behavior. We must be on our way." Amdireth said, she grabbed Nethwen's arm. "Come on Nethwen, we have no reason to stay, just let them go." Amdireth whispered.

Nethwen glared and stayed unmoved, she wanted to know what was going on. Why were they here with this rotting being? "Why did you even bother to bring him out of the slime?" Nethwen asked, at this point she covered her nose with her hand, even though she had smelled the horrible scent the whole time.


"It is called having a sense of responsibility," replied Erethien rather tartly to the elleth with the blue eyes; both had fair hair. Involuntarily, she looked down her nose at the unexpected arrivals - they were petite for ellyth, and at over a foot taller than them, it was difficult not to. She had never taken kindly to being interrogated by strangers, and Halhigil was one of the very few people whose defense she was willing to leap to.

"Erethien, would you favour us all greatly by thinking before opening your mouth?" Halhigil sounded more weary than angry. He was too used to Erethien. He did not rise from his kneeling position; considering that his hands were covered in rotten flesh, he felt that decorum had already been left by the wayside. "But no, my ladies, I am not accustomed to dismissing such things as being none of my concern." A lock of black hair flopped into his left eye, and he blew it away.

Erethien's sharp ears had caught the sound of a horse approaching, but having been distracted by the two ellyth, she was a little startled when a maiden with coppery hair burst into their midst. She was rather striking for a daughter of men, with her bright hair and her fine, though slightly crumpled green dress. She was about to speak when a warning glance from Halhigil made her shut her mouth. He was better at these things than she was.

As the girl gave a short cry and dropped to her knees, the brown-eyes elleth spoke, but Halhigil said nothing, merely watched her quietly, waiting for the girl to speak. She clearly recognised the medallion, but it was not for him or for anyone else to ask. It was up to her.

[Edited on 18/10/2006 by nelenata]

[Edited on 21/10/2006 by nelenata]
Sirithros_Lirenel
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 19, 2006 03:19
She turned the tarnished metal disc over and over in her hands, running her fingers over the familiar grooves and raised edges, and the smooth glassy glaze colours. How many times had she done such a thing, admiring the intricate designs engraved into the gold, the way light reflected off the glossy patches of colour, as it hung around her brother’s neck. Gondorian make, her parents had told them proudly; it had cost more than Adele’s older sister’s dowry, but anything was worth it for the firstborn son of the house, the one who would raise and elevate it back to its former glory. Adele’s face was pale, her eyes wide with terror and disbelief, and her brow crinkled as she bit her lip and forced herself to look at last upon the putrid, festering object that had drawn her here in the first place, fearing what she would see.

If there was something to be thankful for, the length of time the corpse had gone unnoticed, combined with the humidity and filth of wet bogland had decomposed its mortal remains to a nigh unrecognisable state. Adele was spared at least the trauma of recognising her brother dead, and she could go only by the half-rotted rags that had once been his fine garments, but together with the talisman, it was more than enough. She was positive it was him.

With this revelation, the world whirled around her as her mind reeled and struggled to process what her eyes saw, and the girl fluctuated between panic and utter disbelief. She rose quickly, almost clumsily to her feet, unconsciously trying to back away from the scene laid out before her, and then realised once again that people – no, not people. The elves – were talking.

For the first time she looked up to survey her companions. There was a dark-haired male elf, and beside him, a sharp-featured lady, rather tall in build, and with an annoyed and disagreeable look on her face. Further in the background, there were two other ladies, more petite, leading a pair of fine horses. The ellon was crouched close to the ground, his hands up to the elbows covered in unidentifiable black slime and flith.

She did not trust herself to talk, for her voice caught in her throat and the words would not form. Instead, she cast a fearful, questioning look at Halhigil, for he was closest to her from his position on the ground, and she did not like the feel of the other elves’ stares, especially the duo who stood well back together, watching with an almost detached interest...
nelenata
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 19, 2006 04:00

The girl looked at him, questioning, the expression on her pale face almost fearful, as if she was too afraid to speak. She glanced almost nervously at the other Elves. Instinctively, Halhigil gave Erethien's leg a subtle nudge in case she was staring. Erethien's stare was unnerving for many of her own kind, let alone a distressed mortal girl.

"I am sorry," he said after a moment, in his lilting, softly accented Westron. He guessed that she likely spoke none of the Elven-tongues. "I cannot tell you how he came to be here, or who committed such a crime." He nodded towards Erethien, who had for once taken pity on the girl and stopped looking at her. "Erethien and I found him no more than minutes ago." His gaze shifted from the corpse, grey eyes meeting hers. "My name is Halhigil. Did you know him?" It was a stupid question, but it needed asking.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 19, 2006 05:42
Nethwen kept staring at the girl, while Amdireth had lowered her gaze and stared at the ground. "You do know it's rude to stare." Amdireth whispered. Nethwen looked at Amdireth, but then she returned her gaze to the scene. "We should probably be on our way, we don't need to bother them." Amdireth said.
"No, I want to hear what she says and I want to help if I can." Nethwen said, she was always very determind, and if she had her heart set on something it was hard to change her mind. Amdireth turned back to the scene also, she listened as Halhigil asked her if she knew him,Amdireth listened closely to the girls answer, but she stayed back, she didn't want to get involved if she didn't have to.
Nethwen looked on she had stepped closer to the scene so that she could see everything that was going on, her blue eyes scanned everything, she looked at the girl, she looked confused and afraid. Nethwen felt sorry for her, losing someone you know is one of the most hard things in life, she had lost both parents; her Father died in war her mother left to go to the Grey Havens, leaving her only child alone. Haldir, the captain of the elven army, took care of her and she became a guard of the borders of Lorien, but lately she wanted some adventure and so she left looking for a quest and so she found one.
She could see plainly that Amdireth wanted nothing to do with this but that wasn't going to stop her.


(broken up from a single paragraph by PB)

[Edited on 20/10/2006 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
'Not even the gods above can separate the two of us, no nothing can come between you and I.'
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 21, 2006 03:18
[OOC: Extreme apologies for the holdup! >< I was SO busy…]

"I am sorry," he said after a moment, in his lilting, softly accented Westron. He guessed that she likely spoke none of the Elven-tongues. "I cannot tell you how he came to be here, or who committed such a crime." He nodded towards Erethien, who had for once taken pity on the girl and stopped looking at her. "Erethien and I found him no more than minutes ago." His gaze shifted from the corpse, grey eyes meeting hers. "My name is Halhigil. Did you know him?"


It would appear that the musicality of Elvish speech carried over to other tongues as well, for Adele found Halhigil’s soft voice, with its strange and lyrical accent, not at all unpleasant. Bright grey eyes, kind and almost sympathetic, met her own, and not without effort she found the voice to answer him.

“He… he was my brother.” She replied quietly. “He went missing two weeks ago, and we have had no news or sight of him since, but we have reason enough to believe he has been waylaid.”

Adele was not inclined to reveal much more to these strange, foreign beings, not until she knew more about them, but there was something in Halhigil that made her want to trust him. Perhaps a certain kindness, a quiet watchfulness that spoke of responsibility, or was it just the way he seemed like he would not mind helping?

But right now, help or no, Adele realised her main priority was to get the news back to her family. It was not pleasant news, but it had to be told, and investigations started, and some sense of closure provided to the weeks of waiting they had all endured. He would need a proper burial befitting someone of his rank and her family’s standing. And Adele wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. Already the girl’s recklessness and bull-headed practicality was taking over, because a burning desire to track down her brother’s killer and do all manner of unpleasant… things to him or her or whoever it was, had arisen within her, roughly pushing away all grief and sense of loss. After all, the little voice said, he was already gone – long gone – so it would not do to sit around and weep. Constructive action in the form of retribution would be so much for fulfilling.

She stood tall and straight, still biting a little of her lower lip, and retrieved the reins of her horse.

“I must return to my home. The family must be told.”

Then a sudden idea struck her, and she continued.

“Perhaps you would come with me? I believe you would like to get clean…” she cast a meaningful glance at the mess on Halhigil’s hands, and included the rest of the strange group with a quick, almost uncharacteristically shy, gaze, for the elves – the way the rest of them had stood motionless, and merely stared, combined with all the fuzzy tales of her childhood and all sorts of fantastical hearsay – made her more than a little self-conscious and even nervous, and that was a great accomplishment on their part considering the way Adele was usually the one who did the discomfiting.
nelenata
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 21, 2006 08:33
She stood tall and straight, still biting a little of her lower lip, and retrieved the reins of her horse.

“I must return to my home. The family must be told.”

Then a sudden idea struck her, and she continued.

“Perhaps you would come with me? I believe you would like to get clean…” she cast a meaningful glance at the mess on Halhigil’s hands, and included the rest of the strange group with a quick, almost uncharacteristically shy, gaze, for the elves – the way the rest of them had stood motionless, and merely stared, combined with all the fuzzy tales of her childhood and all sorts of fantastical hearsay – made her more than a little self-conscious and even nervous, and that was a great accomplishment on their part considering the way Adele was usually the one who did the discomfiting.


"I am sorry," said Halhigil quietly. He knew what it was like to lose family, and there was little else he could say. Too many words would be empty and useless. "But Erethien and I would be more than willing to come with you, if we can help in any way." The characteristic wry, one-sided smile tugged at his mouth, and he glanced at his hands. "I have to say, a bucket of hot water or similar would be welcome."

"Hot water is not going to suffice, Halhigil. You are not coming anywhere near me until you have scrubbed your hands raw with strong soap and preferably alcohol," retorted Erethien in rapid Sindarin. Unusually, she was not annoyed at Halhigil for volunteering her; she was interested in this, and suspected that she had likely met whoever had done it. If there was any organised crime in the area, Erethien had almost certainly had dealings in it at one stage or another. It came with her work.

She observed the girl. Privately, Erethien was deeply impressed at her self-command. She looked to be not a day over sixteen to her eyes, and quite possibly younger, and yet she kept to the practicalities rather than breaking down. "Where is it that you live?" she switched to Westron, her speech less markedly accented than Halhigil's, but nonetheless carrying the lilt of a tongue more foreign than her companion's native language. Erethien was curious now. The girl's attire was far richer and more elaborately ornate than she would have associated with the settlements in the area.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 21, 2006 05:30
"I am sorry," said Halhigil quietly. He knew what it was like to lose family, and there was little else he could say. Too many words would be empty and useless. "But Erethien and I would be more than willing to come with you, if we can help in any way." The characteristic wry, one-sided smile tugged at his mouth, and he glanced at his hands. "I have to say, a bucket of hot water or similar would be welcome."


His companion, the sharp-featured, rather large elleth, rattled off something that sounded rather disgruntled and almost panicky, and Adele managed to assume that the elleth’s name was Erethien, and that she was none too happy about something, though the girl wasn’t sure what.

Then Erethien turned her gaze onto Adele.

"Where is it that you live?" she switched to Westron, her speech less markedly accented than Halhigil's, but nonetheless carrying the lilt of a tongue more foreign than her companion's native language.


“Not far off.” She replied somewhat awkwardly, winding her brother’s medallion on its chain around her wrist for safekeeping. “It’s a small township, right near the edge of these marshes, by the river.”

As she turned and looked over her horse, which was by now snorting and stamping and pulling on the reins, eager to be off, Adele felt Erethien’s eyes still on her, the gaze uncomfortably boring holes into her back, and wondered about these strange, enigmatic people. She felt scrutinized, like a bug under the lens of her grandfather’s magnifying glass – another family heirloom, for such novelties were hard to come by and even more expensive to buy. But no matter, there were things to be done.

“It’s this way.” The girl gestured at the small, narrow path by which she had entered. She did not re-mount, though, for decorum said it would seem impolite to ride when some of her companions appeared not to have mounts. “I will have people sent back for his body.”
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 22, 2006 04:53
Amdireth mounted her horse again, she expected that Nethwen and herself would head once again to Mirkwood like they had intended. "Come on Nethwen, we must continue." Amdireth whispered to her in Sindarin. Nethwen looked at her. "What do you mean? We are going to follow this girl to her home and find out what we can do to help solve this mystery." Nethwen said, also in Sindarin. Amdireth rolled her eyes. "Are you mad? We shouldn't get involved, it will only lead to trouble." Amdireth said. Nethwen shook her head and turned back to the others. "Would one of you like to ride with me? My horse is strong and can carry another on her back." Nethwen asked the other elves, they obviously didn't have horses of their own. Amdireth sighed, she hated getting involved with other peoples problems, she had many of her own. "I won't be joining you if this is the path you are going to take Nethwen." Amdireth said. Nethwen looked back at her. "Don't you want to help at all?" Nethwen asked, she was surprised she thought that Amdireth might be one that liked adventure. "No, I have problems of my own. I hope you have fun solving the mystery." Amdireth said, her brown eyes seemed sad. Nethwen looked at her curiously, she had never asked about Amdireth's past. She began to feel curious, but didn't speak. Amdireth turned and spurred her horse in the direction of Greenwood, she knew staying at Greenwood would be folly so she was planing just to pass by.Where Amdireth was heading she didn't really know. Nethwen stared after her companion for a minute but then turned back to the others. "Do any of you need to ride with me?" Nethwen asked again.



[Edited on 24/10/2006 by ElfmaidenofLorien]

[Edited on 24/10/2006 by ElfmaidenofLorien]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 23, 2006 04:31
(OOC: Have decided to just post since you all seem to be heading over already! Give my character some time to get in position, haha.)

Jorina sighed and looked around helplessly. When the young master – she had to force herself to call him that – had not returned from his trip on time, the whole household had felt the worry, or at the very least, the effects of the worry. The tension had almost been tangible; the slightest sound of hoof-beats and half the mansion turned out in the courtyard, but to no avail. Jorina herself had often been one of the first out, heart thumping in her chest, gasping for breath as she skidded to a stop in a courtyard desolate without his presence, and then having to return to her post along with the rest of the crowd that had hoped for a glimpse of him, dejectedly, heart racing still, still hoping against hope that he would turn up the next moment.

Then finally, young Adele set off on her own to look for him. With that, the household was released from the agony of waiting. Now, instead, the servants were busy dusting and sweeping, washing and wringing; every room in the house had to be spick and span; every article of clothing, all the linens, everything, had to be cleaned and dried and put away again, for the young master – oh yes, him – was expected home once again.

The lady of the house – well, she fancied herself a lady, though everywhere people gossiped about her as if she was as common as the next person – was busy stabbing her embroidery to pieces, anxious to see her son and daughter both safely home again. Surely she would find him. Even Jorina believed as the old lady believed, that young, headstrong Adele would find him, against all odds, and he would be home safe and sound, no worse for the wear. Or at least nothing that couldn’t be patched up again. She hoped fervently. No, no, she knew he would be back. He would be.

But in any case, currently, Jorina was stuck in a little used room, still thick with dust, that had to be cleaned out, and quickly, for there were still more rooms awaiting her attention. The other girl would be back soon with cleaner water so they could continue scrubbing the floors. Oh, that the housekeeper had thought to keep all the rooms in better order! But then, all servants were at least somewhat lazy.

On her knees in the dusty room, where for a little while she would not be reprimanded for skiving off, Jorina wished and wished for him to be back with them again; she wished that he were back with her again. He could not have- no, no, she would not even consider it; he was well, laughing, joking with his sister right at this very moment; or maybe he was drinking in some dingy establishment, too drunk to remember to come home; he could even be in the arms of some harlot – though a sharp stab of pain went through her heart at that thought, still, still, he could be with another woman, surely, even that! and he would be back soon, back with the family, back with her, alive and well.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 23, 2006 07:36
I'm going to be gone for a couple days..I will try to catch up.. don't forget about my characters completely.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 23, 2006 09:22
"Do any of you need to ride with me?" Nethwen asked again.


Halhigil smiled and shook his head. "Thank you, my lady, but we have mounts of our own." He looked over his shoulder, but Erethien had already gone to fetch them. He knew that she didn't trust her horse to come when she called, though this arguably had more to do with Erethien than with the mare. He did his best to clean his hands of the worst of the filth in a patch of relatively clear water, but he made no attempt to roll his sleeves down. He wouldn't until he could get them properly clean. After a moment, he looked up at the girl with an apologetic smile. "For shame. What is your name?" he asked. It hadn't occurred to him before.

"You are still not to touch anything," said Erethien when she arrived, astride a very large, ill-tempered looking bay mare, and followed by a bright chestnut gelding. The gelding bore no saddle or bridle, after the wood-elven fashion, though Erethien rode with a full complement of tack. She didn't trust her mare any further than she could throw her.

Halhigil shook his head. "I never thought you were so fussy, Erethien."

"There are limits. How you are going to get onto this animal I have not the faintest idea."

"Speak for yourself." In what Erethien would always remember as a rather spectacular feat of agility, Halhigil took two steps back and vaulted smoothly onto the back of the seventeen-hand horse without using his hands. The gelding shifted unhappily, flaring his nostrils at the smell. "I know, Sirdhail, I know," he murmured in Sylvan. "It smells of death, and so do my hands. There is nothing to fear." Slowly, Sirdhail quieted.

"Show-off," Erethien muttered with a half-grin. She tightened her reins, and the mare tossed her head, taking half a step backwards. She looked at the girl, an odd smile pulling at her mouth. "Lead the way."
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 24, 2006 03:26
There was a bit of dissent from the two other lady elves – the ones whom Adele had not yet spoken to – as they argued quickly and quietly in their own tongue, and then one of them swung into the saddle with a hint of annoyance and left the group. The other seemed to give them a helpless shrug of exasperation, but remained and did nothing otherwise to stop her friend.

Erethien disappeared into the shadowy trees, and Halhigil busied himself in a pool of relatively clean water, attempting to wash the black slime off his hands.

After a moment, he looked up at the girl with an apologetic smile. "For shame. What is your name?"


She started, slightly taken aback.

“Adele of Eldorne house,” The girl replied simply, then wondered if she should elaborate. She couldn’t count on these elves to have a proper knowledge of human lineage, after all, and so she continued, just a little, as her mother had taught her, to suitably impress the listener. “Formerly of Gondor. We’re claimed to be descendants of Haleth.”

When the large elleth returned moments later, she had two horses. One was a brown gelding of about seventeen hands, of a breed Adele had not quite seen before, and she assumed it must be one of the animals the elves bred. He wore no tack, much unlike his companion, a tall, solid bay mare which shied and snorted and rolled her eyes at the elleth riding astride her, tugging against the reins.

She exchanged words with Halhigil, and then to Adele’s total and utter astonishment, the ellon took two steps back, narrowed his eyes, and shot straight off the ground in a quick, agile vault to land squarely on the brown gelding’s back, his hands refraining from all contact with the animal or the rest of his clothes. The horse seemed uneasy, and Adele realised it probably had much to do with the scent of death that hovered in the air around them and which probably pervaded Halhigil’s hands too, but a few quiet words on his part made his mount stop dancing beneath him, and slowly quieten down. Adele’s eyes widened – how had he managed to do that? Was it the famed “elvish magic” at work again?

"Show-off," Erethien muttered with a half-grin. She tightened her reins, and the mare tossed her head, taking half a step backwards. She looked at the girl, an odd smile pulling at her mouth. "Lead the way."


Adele nodded, and re-mounting – sidesaddle this time seeing as how they were headed back home – she led the way back down the narrow trail she had taken, with only a glance back at the filthy black mess that had once been her brother. She did not look back after that.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: October 26, 2006 12:46
Nethwen took up the rear of the group. She lookd back often, wondering if maybe Amdireth would return, but no, she never did. Nethwen sighed, Amdireth had been a good friend, although now she wished she had asked more about Amdireth's past. Nethwen gave up on her friend and focused on where they were going. "So do you know if your brother had any enemies?" Nethwen asked, she was curious about this mystery.
___________________________________________

Amdireth trudged along, she was slowly trotting. Then she reined in Darkfire. She looked at the trees of Greenwood looming over her. It was a beautiful place, and she had always wanted to visit it, but she knew right now it was not a wise decision. She made a small camp just outside of Greenwood. Darkfire wandered along, munching the grass. Amdireth watched and smiled as her orse grazed without a care. Then her thoughts went back to Nethwen and the mystery that had unfolded before them. "I wonder what they are doing now?" Amdireth wondered aloud. "I wonder who would kill someone like that?" Amdireth said, she was clearly speaking to her horse. Then a young elf stepped out. Amdireth jumped up but remained calm. "I'm sorry if I startled you." The elf said, he was obviously a wood elf, he wore green and brown clothes. Leaves were embordered on his clothes. Amdireth smiled sligthly. "I am not frightened easily young friend." Amdireth said. "I am Lindar, I over heard you." Lindar said. "I am Amdireth." Amdireth said with a smile. "So, who was killed?" Lindar asked, he looked very concerned. "A man, he was found in the Gladden Fields by some elves, my friend and myself bumped into them, but I was the only only one smart enough to leave." Amdireth said. Lindar still looked concerned. "Is something bothering you?" Amdireth asked. "Yes, a man was killed, that can't be good." Lindar said, his voice was low. "Well, of course it's not good, but there is nothing we can do" Amdireth cried. "I guess, but you say some of your friends are going to figure out the mystery, why don't you go with them?" Lindar asked. Amdireth shurgged."I guess I'm not interested, I have problems of my own." Amdireth said. "You don't like adventures? You seem like one who has traveled far." Lindar said, his eyebrow raised. "I have done enough traveling." Amdireth said. "Well, if I were you I'd go. Maybe I will." Lindar said. "What?" Amdireth asked. "Maybe I will go, I have been waiting for a chance to find adventure." Lindar said. "Fine, go throw your life away on a useless adventure, I'm staying here." Amdireth said. "Amdireth, I have a feeling they will need you over there, you have not finished with this mystery yet." Lindar said, he smirked. "I guess I could go back. I do miss Nethwen, she is a good friend." Amdireth said. Lindar smiled. "Just curious, but have you heard of any mysterious people around here, maybe some Greenwood elf?" Amdireth asked. "Are you accusing my friends of an evil deed?" Lindar asked, he seemed upset by this. "No, I was just curious." Amdireth said. "No, we would never do anything like that. You needn't worry, if something like that had happend I would know, now be off and rejoin your friends." Lindar said. Amdireth nodded and quickly put out the fire and placed her pack on her horse. "Thank you Lindar, I was too proud to go by myself." Amdireth said, she smirked. Lindar smirked and nodded. "You are welcome my lady." Lindar said, his brown eyes glowed with happiness. Amdireth mounted and rode off. She was begining to feel curious about the mystery.

[Edited on 27/10/2006 by ElfmaidenofLorien]
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nelenata
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 02, 2006 12:50
((Apologies for the delay! I'm posting partly to bump the thread, lol... Sirithros, it's up to you when we arrive at the place and what it looks like, considering that it's your character who lives there... ;P))

It was only Halhigil's subtle glance in her direction that prevented Erethien from giving a sardonic grin. By all the stars, some mortals were obsessed with their ancestry! As if it mattered -- as if a famous ancestor made you someone of consequence! The elleth was fully aware that her more cynical views on heritage were not shared by the vast majority of her people or indeed anyone at all. But Erethien had been bitter about authority for a long time, and she had never discriminated much in her targets.

As they rode over the winding roads through the marshy areas, the wind whipped the drizzle into their faces, and the grey skies were getting darker by the second. "You do choose your moments to discover murders, do you not?" she called to Halhigil in Sindarin, but he ignored her. She hadn't really expected him to respond.

Halhigil sat easily to Sirdhail's stride, keeping his hands free. He was wondering how long this would take. He had only a few days of leave left; if he was not back within the week, there would be serious trouble. His commander, who made Halhigil nervous at the best of times, was not someone to trifle with, and Halhigil had a nasty feeling that being absent without leave in the company of a wanted person was most definitely trifling. He blinked rain out of his eyes and scanned for any sign of a settlement.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 03, 2006 03:58
[OOC: Ahhhhhh! *runs back in* Here there be POSTS! ^^ Mind you, I have rather limited knowledge on travel on horseback (for one, horses don’t record mileage so it’s a little harder to calculate) so this is a very, *very* rough estimate.]

They rode on for a few hours along the narrow, rough path, through dripping bog woodland and grey damp fog swirling through the trees, the silence punctuated only by the soft continuous “plop” of heavy, laden raindrops onto broad leaves, the soft jingle of harnesses, a dull plodding of horses’ hooves moving over the muddy trail accompanied by the occasional rustle of legs or heads brushing foliage, and soft, disjointed conversation in a language Adele did not comprehend. They made a strange group, Adele mused, turning back every once in a while to make sure the others followed. She felt somewhat awkward, among these quiet, watchful people; there was something awfully off-putting about Erethien’s piercing stare, although Halhigil seemed nice enough, but they all had that certain aura around them, like they knew so much that she didn’t, and they were not about to say anything concerning that any time soon. Adele did not like feeling young and stupid, even though that was something which happened on a rather frequent basis.

As they wound their way through the forest, it seemed to gradually dry out, transiting from serious marshland to a generic, albeit damp, beech wood. Then the trees began to thin out, and the path widened into a proper lane through the trees, and the small group emerged from the treeline to find a little township by the edge of the River Anduin. Being one of the more remote towns, it lacked much in the way of planning, being merely a cluster of log houses arranged in a few crooked streets around the larger building that served as a town hall. Lines of washing, possibly forgotten by some negligent housewife, hung flapping in the drizzle, and chickens pecked underfoot in the dirt streets, now and then fluffing their feathers against the light moisture. In the late afternoon light, drastically weakened by the heavy, waterlogged clouds and rain, a group of scrawny boys, no older than thirteen, hustled long, slow lines of cattle, goats and sheep back into the pens that lay on the outskirts of the concentration of humanity, running barefoot behind their herds, waving haphazard willow switches as they alternately threatened and cajoled the animals. In the square of dirt left open before the town hall, vendors packed their wares and pulled down the canvas over their flimsy wooden stalls; some were already trudging back home, trundling small carts and wheelbarrows of unsold goods. In most of the houses lights shone in the windows, spilling out into the street in pools of wavering yellow that mingled with the grey and watery natural lighting. Wooden signs, the paint fading from long negligence, swung creaking on rusty chains above battered doors, as all around town doors squeaked open and close again.

Adele skirted the town, head high to avoid glances – some curious, others scathing – as she led the elves towards a more well-built two-storeyed house set a short distance from the other buildings. As they approached servants were already spilling out of the house, eyes wide as they observed their guests-to-be. The girl sighed as an older woman bustled out too, a woman with Adele’s flaming red locks, browned quite a bit by age, and the same sharp nose and chin, her dress in the style of Gondor, lavishly trimmed, much unlike the plainer, more serviceable affairs favoured by the women of this region. Then she dismounted and walked the last few yards to her mother, all the while steeling herself for what would inevitably come with her news.

“Mother… I’ve… I’ve found Faleron.”

[OOC: Sorry more disjointed notes. I had to give the guy a name. Don’t ask me why I chose that; I just opened a name book and jabbed randomly at the first page of boys’ names I opened. And the mother is open to anyone’s control, as are the servants except Jorina who belongs to Autumn_Winds!]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 06, 2006 11:28
When they arrived at the Adele's house Nethwen dismounted and walked away, she thought that maybe Adele would want some time alone to explain what had happened, and Nethwen needed to find a stable for her horse. Then Nethwen noticed a young boy was staring at her. Nethwen walked over. "Hello, do you know where the stables are?" Nethwen asked. The boy stared for a mintue, then answered. "Y-yes, I am one of the stable boys. J-just follow me." The boy said. Nethwen thought that he was acting strange but followed. As they walked Nethwen looked around the land, it was very beautiful, trees grew all around the town, Nethwen had forgotten the name of the town, but loved it anyway.
When they came to the stables Nethwen put her horse into the stall while the boy stared. Nethwen was becoming annoyed with this boy and decided to ask why he kept staring. "Excuse me, but is something wrong?" Nethwen asked. The boy shook his head slowly. Nethwen rolled her eyes. "Then why do you keep staring at me?" Nethwen asked. "Y-you're an elf." The boy said."Oh." Nethwen said, she figured that many eloves probably didn't pass through. "So I guess you have never met an elf." Nethwen said, she smirked. "No, you are so pretty, just like in the storys." The boy said, he finally smiled. "Thank you young sir." Nethwen said. The boy smiled now, he had lost his shyness. "Well I must go and see where my friends are. I'm sure I'll see you later." Nethwen said, she ruffled the boy's hair and walked out of the stables.

(I'm not really sure where we are or what this place is supposed to look like so I'm sorry if it isn't very descriptive.)

[Edited on 6/11/2006 by ElfmaidenofLorien]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 06, 2006 05:08
“Mother… I’ve… I’ve found Faleron.”
There was a pause, a rather long pause, actually, as Leia took the news in. Hers eyes widened, and her breath caught, as she started to look for her son in the bunch of people who had just arrived.

“How is he? Is he hurt?” Then, a beat or two later, “I don’t see him.”

She turned her gaze back to her daughter, to see no surprise at her statement. The girl might, in fact, be squirming.

“Adele, where is your brother?” The words were forceful, tinged with the slightest chill, as if to say, Do not take me for a fool; do not play with me.
_____________________

“They’re back! Quick, hurry up, the courtyard! They’re back!”

Servants were rushing to the front of the house, eager to catch the first glimpse of the long-awaited travellers. With a gasp, Jorina’s reverie was broken; she dropped everything, and simply ran to the courtyard, heart pounding, knowing that he must surely be standing there, laughing at everyone for believing he might even possibly be dead.

Pushing through the mass of servants, Jorina made her way to the front of the crowd. Horses… People… So many people! … There, in front of the Lady, Adele… Where was Faleron? The young master?

With a rising sense of dread, Jorina centred her attention on Adele. The girl did not look particularly happy, in fact, she might’ve been described as…

No. Adele must simply have been taken aback when she found her brother. Perhaps she was shocked at being able to find him at all, or perhaps by the place where she found him, maybe even the state in which she found him, the condition… Yes, yes, maybe he was gravely wounded, near death – but not dead, oh, never dead – and so she was worried about her mother’s reaction. Or, or maybe Adele had done something wrong on the trip, or maybe she hadn’t found him at all; maybe she brought news of his kidnapping, perhaps he had set off on some harebrained adventure to faraway lands.

The silence in the courtyard was unnerving. Maybe everyone was waiting for the Lady to reprimand her daughter, yes, that must be it; reprimand her for not being careful enough on her trip; maybe her horse had thrown a shoe, or maybe she could not stand the roughness of the wild, and so had returned, and now the Lady would be angry at Adele’s incompetence, and someone else would be sent to look for Faleron, no, the young master; yes, surely everyone was simply afraid of the Lady’s temper.

Jorina’s imagination was running away with her, but she refused to look elsewhere; she did not want to see his battered body slumped somewhere, did not want to see the wounds he bore; she did not want to not see anything at all.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 09, 2006 11:09
Nethwen walked over to the large crowd that had grown. They were all staring at Adele and the lady who was Adele's mother. The silence was unbearable, Nethwen knew that everyone was waiting to hear what had happened to Adele's brother. Nethwen walked over to Halhigil and Erethien. "Has she told them what has happened yet?" Nethwen whsipered. They shook their heads. Nethwen kicked a stone with her brown leather boots. She could feel the tension all around. Nethwen watched the crowd and waited for Adele to speak. Nethwen breathed in deeply, but the air felt heavy as well. Then Nethwen looked up at Adele, she seemed ready to speak.

(sorry about that, I won't do that unless I ask, sorry.)


[Edited on 10/11/2006 by ElfmaidenofLorien]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 09, 2006 09:01
Fordon searched the bushes and found a handfull of berries. He put them into a small pouch on his belt. He stood and moved away towards the small copse of oaks. he slowed and stepped silently into the wood. He unslung he bow and strung it. He notched an arrow to it and waited. After a while a small rabbit hopped along a small trail, worn by thousands of previous passings. He released the arrow and it peirced the rabbit cleanly, killing it instantly. He moved to it and removed the arrow. He smiled. He would eat tonight.
He headed towards the small village on the horizon. Perhaps there were some jobs he could do for food there.
When he got there however, there was a great commotion. After questioning a few people he found out that the young master of the house had returned, with his sister, but they were in the company of a pair of elves, one male, one female. No-one knew quite what was going on but there were several rumors going about. All of the rumors seemed compleatly outragious, lbut some seemed to ring the slightest bit true. He couldn't however, tell the truth from fabrication.
(Sorry about that. hope its better now.)

[Edited on 12/11/2006 by wordsmith]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 10, 2006 12:14
[OOC: Apologies again for the delay! Elfmaidenoflorien, Autumn and I would really appreciate it if you didn’t move our characters around without our saying anything about it, thanks. Adele has said nothing at all about murders and Jorina is hardly the type to break down sobbing in the middle of a crowd.]

She swallowed. If she had been the type to fidget and squirm, she would have, but Adele had gotten quite skilled at maintaining a cool composure and a clear head in most situations; it was vital in order to survive with her family, the girl thought almost sardonically. It was not going to be easy to break the news to her mother, but it needed to be done, so Adele took her mother gently but firmly by the arm and after gesturing to a servant to take her horse, she led the older woman into the house.

“I need to speak with the immediate family alone, Mother,” she began quietly. “I’m afraid I do not bring good tidings. But please, tell the servants my companions – Adele gestured to the elves who had come with her – are to be tended to first. I believe they need to wash up.”

They left the servants at the porch still whispering among themselves, abuzz over Adele’s abrupt return, her strange guests, and Faleron’s absence; Leia spoke shortly to a serving-boy, and a few maids and stable lads detached themselves from the crowd to go to Halhigil and Erethien, offering to take their mounts as well and show them indoors. Adele realised the other elf-lady, the quiet one, had already disappeared, but thought little of it for now; she had things to do. She steered her mother into the private parlour and sat her down in a chair as her younger brothers and sisters came bounding downstairs from the playroom, then the girl took a deep breath, all the better to deliver the news at one go.

“Faleron’s gone. The elves who came back with me, they found his body in the woods not far from here just this morning, in the Gladden Fields. He looked like he’d been dead nigh a week and a half, possibly more, and…” she paused, judging whether it was safe to go on from her mother’s ashen face. “I think he’d been murdered. He took a knife to the ribs.”

It was all the girl could do to maintain her calm as she awaited Leia’s response, but she knew it would not do to lose her head now. She wanted to get to the bottom of this matter; once her mother had taken in the news, Adele decided, she would start organising investigations, and she would make sure she was involved in them. Already her mind was jumping to lists of possible suspects, weighing the chances and discerning reasons. There would be time for her tears, time to mourn her loss later – in private – but for now, vengeance would come first.


[Edited on 10/11/2006 by Sirithros_Lirenel]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 10, 2006 04:59
[OOC: Yes, I'm sorry, ElfmaidenofLorien, but Jorina would be unlikely to break down sobbing, at least in this situation. Given the rather delicate state of affairs between her and the deceased, I think she'd try not to draw too much attention to herself.]

Her daughter’s antics did not amuse her; still, Leia dealt with the needs of the guests, and suffered to abide by Adele’s wishes.

As the family gathered, Leia looked at Adele expectantly. The girl had better have a good explanation for her apparent failure to bring her brother home.

“Faleron’s gone. The elves who came back with me, they found his body in the woods not far from here just this morning, in the Gladden Fields. He looked like he’d been dead nigh a week and a half, possibly more, and…” she paused, judging whether it was safe to go on from her mother’s ashen face. “I think he’d been murdered. He took a knife to the ribs.”


Leia paled as she listened to the news her daughter brought. Faleron… dead. She couldn’t believe it. That he had been murdered, though…

Though it took much effort, Leia pulled herself together. A glance at Adele told her how things might go from there, and she nodded once, grimly.

“Adele, deal with the investigations. I trust that you know how to handle matters. Your brother was not the best loved in this place; in fact, I doubt any of this family are loved – you may wish to take note of that – he was the heir, after all; nevertheless it is far from necessary to wave that fact around. You will act with discretion.

“Go now; oh, and make my apologies to the visitors. I fear I may be a less than perfect hostess in these trying times, but the servants will try their best to attend to their every need, I am sure.”

Leia waited until the members of the family left before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Even then, she could not let herself grieve openly.

Oh, Faleron! …I am too old for this.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes once more.

We will move on.

___________________________________

Jorina’s hopes fell for a moment, as Adele escorted her mother indoors. Surely it was not bad news? But then again, it ought not to be a surprise that Adele would act so, even if it were good news. The Lady could be, well, not particularly kind, at times. She could very well tear Adele to shreds, and in front of all the servants, too! Not to mention the guests. No, of course Adele would want to speak to her mother in private. Had Fal- no, the young master- returned in perfect condition, she might still be reprimanded for taking so long, or for not setting out earlier, or some such.

Hanging on to that thought, Jorina took care not to pay too much attention to the whisperings of the other servants. They would only upset her with their gossiping. She remembered that well.

With that, Jorina turned to enter the house, and return to her chores.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 10, 2006 08:01


As they passed through the straggly rows of log cabins, the smell of leaves and wet earth hung in the cool air, the horses' footfalls drowned by the clamour of animals and people, Halhigil could almost feel the villagers' gazes as they turned to stare. He winced and turned his face away, flushing; he hated being stared at. The settlement was very small and workaday, with people going about their business, animals underfoot, the road muddy from the rain. Presently he dismounted to walk beside Sirdhail, face turned towards his horse's neck. The smell of wet horse was a familiar one, somehow helping to steady such an alien situation.

Erethien raised an eyebrow when he got off, looking distinctly uncomfortable, but she wasn't really surprised. She had long suspected that Halhigil's mission in life was to remain unseen. Erethien herself felt no such awkwardness. She had stridden into enough neighbourhoods and dwellings unannounced to be immune to unease in a new place, and what others thought of her was almost a non-issue in any case. Unconsciously, her chin lifted as they stared openly at her. 'Let them stare,' she thought. Erethien's indifference to people's gazes could at times be unnerving. 'By the stars, this is a miserable place.' For once she had the tact not to let the thought show on her face, more for Halhigil's sake than anything else.

As they approached a larger, better-built house a little way off, people flooded out of the house and onto the street to stand in the drizzle. Erethien guessed that they were servants. So, this girl was indeed well-to-do for the area. Indeed, the woman who came out - surely Adele's mother, for the family resemblance in the hair and sharp features was striking - was wearing a gown of what Erethien could have sworn was of Gondorian cut. The elleth was accustomed to analysing people and their origins, but this family was an enigma. Standing beside Halhigil, she watched, saying nothing. It was not for her to say.

"Has she told them what has happened yet?" whispered Nethwen. Erethien shook her head irritably but did not speak. 'Have you no eyes or ears, woman?' she thought. She watched Adele steer her mother into the house, and turned to Halhigil. "What do you think? Are we going to get caught up in this or not?" she addressed him in Sindarin.

He looked at her, grateful for something to take his attention from the still open-mouthed stares and whispers. "I do not know. They might well prefer us not to get involved. And to tell the truth, it would be easier." He sighed. "But if I can help, I shall." Sirdhail nudged his ear, and he smiled. "Sirdhail, I love you well, but I am not your personal scratching post." But he did not raise a hand to fend the horse off.

Erethien, who had dismounted, leaned on Cerveth, keeping a firm grip on the reins. It was a position that only an elf could make graceful. "When does your leave run out?"

"Three days. After that, I am in serious trouble."

"You left early, so you are in trouble in any case. Why not just go?"

"True," he sighed. "What was it you said? A sense of responsibility?" An eyebrow twitched upwards, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. "I wish I did not have one sometimes." He looked around as footsteps approached them.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 17, 2006 05:40
“Adele, deal with the investigations. I trust that you know how to handle matters. Your brother was not the best loved in this place; in fact, I doubt any of this family are loved – you may wish to take note of that – he was the heir, after all; nevertheless it is far from necessary to wave that fact around. You will act with discretion.

“Go now; oh, and make my apologies to the visitors. I fear I may be a less than perfect hostess in these trying times, but the servants will try their best to attend to their every need, I am sure.”


The girl nodded, dipped a quick curtsey, and left, a grim mirthless smile curling the corners of her lips as she shooed the younger children out ahead of her; she knew her mother would want to be alone with her thoughts for a while, for Leia rarely acted on anything until she had thought things through with the deliberation of a chess master. Adele, on the other hand, preferred to act on impulse and right now she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

Halhigil and Erethien were not downstairs in the parlour; the servants had not brought them inside yet, Adele guessed, so she slipped out the front doors, weaving in and out of the bemused, chattering crowd still milling around the porch, dodging glances and questions. She found the two Greenwood elves still with their mounts, Halhigil talking to Erethien with a worried expression and furrowed brow. Halhigil looked distinctly uncomfortable, quite possibly because of the way the servants and the inquisitive townspeople who had followed them here stared so openly at these strange, foreign beings, but Erethien was doing – in Adele’s opinion – a rather good job of ignoring them, for the girl had herself long experience in brushing off glances that ranged from the curious to the outright scathing, and she recognised the elleth as a master of this elusive art.

The crowd parted, turning their stares to accommodate Adele as well, as she pushed her way through. Halhigil turned just as she covered the last few yards.

“My mother apologises for her unseemly conduct as a hostess,” the girl began. “And asks that I attend to you in her stead. Perhaps you would like to come inside?”

She cast a meaningful glance at Halhigil’s hands, still filthy and foul-smelling.

“Pay no attention to these bumpkins.” Adele continued, her voice raised a little this time to carry to the onlookers. “They have seen so little, they cannot help but stare like moonstruck frogs at anything that defies their limited scope of ‘normal’, to the point where they must abandon all notion of common courtesy.”
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 18, 2006 02:13
Nethwen had walked away from the group, she felt a little uncomfortable. As she walked around she saw someone slipping around some bushes near the outside of the town. Nethwen slipped over, being completely silent. When the man began to step out Nethwen stood up and stood in his path. "Hello friend. Where are you heading?" Nethwen asked, she stared at the man. He seemed immdiately uncomfortable with this and began mumbling. Nethwen sighed. "I did not mean to frighten you, I just wanted to know what you were doing." Nethwen said, she waited for the mna's repile.
'Not even the gods above can separate the two of us, no nothing can come between you and I.'
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 20, 2006 08:04
Fordon stepped out from a small clup of bushes, and almost bumped into an Elf
"Hello friend. Where are you heading?"

Fordon started mumbling something about finding some food, when she spoke again.
"I did not mean to frighten you, I just wanted to know what you were doing." .

"Good day milady, I was just looking for somewhere quiet to have a meal. I was then going to search for a job." he said bluntly,"There would be enough meat on this rabbit for two, if you wished to join me." he said hesitantly, holding up the rabbit as evidence.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 21, 2006 12:11
“My mother apologises for her unseemly conduct as a hostess,” the girl began. “And asks that I attend to you in her stead. Perhaps you would like to come inside?”

She cast a meaningful glance at Halhigil’s hands, still filthy and foul-smelling.

“Pay no attention to these bumpkins.” Adele continued, her voice raised a little this time to carry to the onlookers. “They have seen so little, they cannot help but stare like moonstruck frogs at anything that defies their limited scope of ‘normal’, to the point where they must abandon all notion of common courtesy.”


Erethien looked a little surprised at the polite address, an expression most unusual to be seen on her. She was accustomed to being spoken to with the barest civility at best, and generally responded in kind. It came with the job. She directed an icy stare at one man who ignored Adele's sharp comment, and whose eyes seemed transfixed on a point about a foot below Erethien's eye level. Fortunately for the state of his nose, he flushed and looked away before she could hit him. Men who stared at things other than her face tended not to do so twice.

"Your lady mother has nothing for which to apologise," said Halhigil quietly, "and we are honoured that you would have us here. I am sorry for your loss." He glanced at his hands with a wry smile, one eybrow raised. "But I believe it would be best to wash my hands before coming in."

"That it would," said Erethien, turning back and now on more familiar ground. "And I am going to watch you scrub them raw."

Halhigil shook his head in mild disbelief. "All these years, and I never knew you were such a stickler. I shall remind you of this one day." He turned back to Adele, the one-sided smile reappearing. "But yes, if it is possible then a bucket of hot water or similar would go a long way to keeping Erethien happy."

[Edited on 21/11/2006 by nelenata]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 25, 2006 06:51
In spite of herself, in spite of the situation, Adele could have giggled as Erethien first froze, started, and generally looked rather taken aback as the girl’s words. The gathered crowd, having finally received the very unsubtle hint on Adele’s part, had begun to slink sheepishly away, helped in no small way by the elleth’s piercing glare.

"Your lady mother has nothing for which to apologise," said Halhigil quietly, "and we are honoured that you would have us here. I am sorry for your loss." He glanced at his hands with a wry smile, one eybrow raised. "But I believe it would be best to wash my hands before coming in."

"That it would," said Erethien, turning back and now on more familiar ground. "And I am going to watch you scrub them raw."

Halhigil shook his head in mild disbelief. "All these years, and I never knew you were such a stickler. I shall remind you of this one day." He turned back to Adele, the one-sided smile reappearing. "But yes, if it is possible then a bucket of hot water or similar would go a long way to keeping Erethien happy."


“You’d best rinse off the worst of the dirt in the scullery, then,” she shrugged. “And I’ll have the servants bring in some hot water and soap when you are done.”

Adele led the way around the clearing throng to the back of the house, where a grim, high-walled little courtyard existed off the back of the large kitchen. She showed her strange guests through a small gate normally utilised only by the serving staff, into the grey, cobbled compound, where a wooden door directly ahead opened into the warmth and activity of the kitchen, another wider and more battered door to the left swung creaking on large steel hinges to reveal the stables, and a series of miserable dwellings formed the right wall of the small area – the servants quarters. For now, the yard was empty except for the hitching posts; in such cold, damp weather, the pigs had retreated to the stables, and the hens lay low in their coop directly by the servants’ little hovel.

She left Halhigil and Erethien there, by the rough stone well, and hurried indoors, returning quickly with two house maids and the scullery-girl, bearing a scrubbing-brush and towels. The girl immediately drew a bucket of water from the well and offered it, along with the hard-bristled brush, to Halhigil. Adele herself turned to Erethien.

“Would you like me to stable the horses, then?”

The girl busied herself with only trivial pleasantries; there was time enough for her to deliver her proposition later, and she did want to ensure herself the assistance of these elves.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: November 27, 2006 10:11

Halhigil thanked the girl quietly and set to scrubbing his hands vigorously. Despite his having laughed at Erethien, he didn't like having his hands covered in decomposing flesh any more than she liked to see them. He could feel the curious looks of the servants on his back, and he ducked his head, willing them to ignore him. From what he had seen, he didn't envy them their lodgings or lives. This was a miserable place, though he could imagine it being attractive in the summer. And privately, he could imagine Adele not always being an easy person to work for, young as she was. There was a great deal of energy about her, somehow.

“Would you like me to stable the horses, then?”


"Thank you," said Erethien, but she gave her own horse a dubious look. "Halhigil's will behave, but I think it might be wise if I were to take Cerveth. She is a..." The elleth paused while she searched for a suitable adjective. "She is not terribly biddable in this mood." Indeed, the mare's ears were back and she looked in as foul a temper as it was possible for a horse to be. Seventeen hands of truculent mare was not something Erethien cared to entrust to anyone, particularly not this particular mare.
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: December 01, 2006 04:28
[OOC: Moving us a little! Hope you don't mind...]

"Thank you," said Erethien, but she gave her own horse a dubious look. "Halhigil's will behave, but I think it might be wise if I were to take Cerveth. She is a..." The elleth paused while she searched for a suitable adjective. "She is not terribly biddable in this mood."


Adele nodded. She had recognised the danger signs Erethien's mount was so obviously displaying, and was glad she would not have to handle such a disagreeable animal. But really! Adele thought, the mare would have been sold ages ago had she belonged to *her*. She would never have put up with such behaviour in her stables; the family's mounts were all of the finest Rohirrim stock money could buy, and Adele trained them herself. It was the one thing she would never have the servants do for her, at least.

Reaching up to gently grasp the poll of Halhigil's horse, seeing as the creature wore no tack at all, Adele guided the animal into the stable block, settling it at the far end, where the guests' stalls were. The girl gestured Erethien to the empty stall directly beside the one she now stood in, then filled the water trough and forked hay into the manger, and after giving her equine companion a quick rubdown, re-emerged into the yard to find the ellon standing in a cloud of steam arising from a bucket of freshly heated water, his hands finally considerably cleaner.

When Halhigil was done drying his hands on the towel a serving-maid handed him, and Erethien rejoined the group, Adele ushered them indoors, to the parlour, where – as per orders – a pot of tea lay waiting on the table and the fire was well stoked up against the miserable weather, casting a red and yellow glow over the wooden furniture, polished to a shine and smelling pleasantly of scented beeswax, flickering off the buffed and shined silver on the table, the heavy tarnished silver frames on the walls and on the mantlepiece, illuminating the richly-coloured wall hangings and the thick woven rug underfoot.

The parlour-maids poured tea, and then Adele motioned to them to all leave the room; Halhigil had been noticeably uncomfortable with the way the servants stared so openly at him, although Erethien seemed altogether unperturbed, returning the glances with her own. She waited a tactful few minutes for her guests to make themselves comfortable, and then cleared her throat daintily. To business.

“My mother has kindly given me full autonomy to handle the investigations into my brother’s murder, she began. “And I would like to humbly ask for your assistance in this matter, seeing as you were the ones who found him, and seeing as how the skills of the elves are legendary among all peoples. I would appreciate it greatly; the village men are as miserable excuses for hunters and trackers as you will find anywhere, and even when sober are incapable of much rational thought.”
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: December 08, 2006 12:42
((Firstly, sincerest apologies for the amount of time it's taken me to post this! *pleads illness and interviews* And is it me, or has the font changed?))

----------------

The more Erethien saw of this place, the more curious she became. The interior of the house was far more rich and extravagant than she had expected, even considering Adele's clothing and the stables where she had left Cerveth. Erethien had not attempted to explain her reasons for keeping such an animal, despite Adele's subtle air of surprise -- partly because she didn't understand them herself. Cerveth was one of the very, very few animals Erethien had ever encountered that had a genuinely nasty streak, and the elleth knew it was exacerbated by her presence. And yet, she would never sell Cerveth. They were far too alike for that.

The room was like a little jewel, a haven of warmth and flickering firelight on a grey, miserable day. Halhigil took in the rich furnishings and portraits, and couldn't help but mentally compare the room to what he had seen of the servants' quarters. Where was this family from? He had heard of their lineage that Adele had mentioned, but what under the stars were they doing here? Why would a Gondorian family of such noble blood be living here in a tiny, poor settlement in the Gladden Fields? The ellon kept the questions from his usually expressive face, but he suspected that Erethien sensed his relief when the maids left the room; he was unused to being waited upon, generally more comfortable working for his keep than being granted it.

"My mother has kindly given me full autonomy to handle the investigations into my brother’s murder, she began. “And I would like to humbly ask for your assistance in this matter, seeing as you were the ones who found him, and seeing as how the skills of the elves are legendary among all peoples. I would appreciate it greatly; the village men are as miserable excuses for hunters and trackers as you will find anywhere, and even when sober are incapable of much rational thought.”


Erethien raised the cup to her lips in order to hide her smile. Definitely not from these parts, and she didn't mince her words either. She liked this girl.

"If I can help in any fashion, I would be glad to," said Halhigil, "as would Erethien." A wry smile tugged at his mouth. "But in many circumstances, I fear that one would do well to substitute 'legendary' for 'greatly exaggerated' . If you are looking for calling bolts of lightning, or flying, or the like, I fear I must disappoint you. What was it you were looking for?"

------------
((And no, that's great, Sirithros. ))

[Edited on 8/12/2006 by nelenata]
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Post RE: A Shallow Grave (PM/see OOC, please - semi-scripted.) Keep, please.
on: January 23, 2007 01:58
She allowed herself a refined little smirk to sense the approval from Erethien; Adele found herself somehow taking to this strange elleth, for there was something most intriguing, and interesting about her. While Halhigil seemed kind and polite but above all quiet, there was an aura of mystery about the sharp-featured Erethien, perhaps the slightest hints of what lay beneath, and it seemed guaranteed not to be ordinary.

"If I can help in any fashion, I would be glad to," said Halhigil, "as would Erethien." A wry smile tugged at his mouth. "But in many circumstances, I fear that one would do well to substitute 'legendary' for 'greatly exaggerated' . If you are looking for calling bolts of lightning, or flying, or the like, I fear I must disappoint you. What was it you were looking for?"


The corners of Adele’s lips twitched further upward at the sudden mental image of both Halhigil and Erethien sprouting wings and hurling lightning bolts from overcast skies.

“Just your luck I was not expecting anything of the sort, although perhaps it would have been quite amusing, to say the least. I would be highly grateful for the help of a pair of skilled trackers and brains though. I thought maybe to begin by conducting a further search of the area for leads of any sort, and a visit to the town my brother was supposed to have visited, for I am not quite sure he got there at all. If he did, I might be able to acquire more information…?”

The girl looked inquiringly at Halhigil and Erethien, her fertile mind already assembling various possibilities as she sank finally onto a carved and polished wooden chair by the table and helped herself to a cup of tea. She was, of course, dying to begin, but it would not do for them to see her impatience, and so as she set the empty cup back onto the table, the only outward indication of Adele’s restlessness were her hands in her lap, twisting and bunching small folds of the green fabric of her skirts as she awaited consent.
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