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Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 16, 2010 12:45
1 League is equal to 3 miles or 4.8 Km

Lindir broke into a smile and together they retrieved the wine skin. The dust and dirt from the tumble simply added to what was already there and he was finally able to see Idhren smile. Her smile betrayed the warrior exterior and showed a lady in spite of the dirt. The days of running did Lindir a good service. The shadow that had crossed his mind now seemed completely lifted. They ran due West for two days and northwest on the third day. He hoped to lead the company to the last out reaches of Emyn Uial (Hills of Evendim) which would leave them with only 46 leagues to travel due north. They would have company at their next camp of that he was sure, but it would not be orcs, they would not dare come within 20 leagues of their next camp.

Sirion’s comments of Miruvor caused him to think back the grand banquets in Imladris and the music that was so intoxicating. They could all use some rest and hot food about now. All through the last day and a half he had seen birds of prey in numbers more than one would expect to see naturally and he knew what that meant. The sun was low in the summer sky and as they approach the first of the outcroppings of rock he slowed the pace and watched the distant hills closely. Again he saw a bird of prey circling high above on the day’s last rising air currents. After a league they approached the first trees and a half league further on they came into the forest proper. He lead them into a cluster of trees and there Lindir stopped.

“We can make a fire and set camp with what we have but I believe we will have company this night, and I think they will provide us with a fine meal. Here we are in the northern most territory of the Dúnedain. They have known of our imminent arrive for at least a day and a half. I’ve been watching for them and the birds they use to send messages from the furthest reaches of their territory. We have been spotted by their sentries on at least four occasions if not more. Their chieftain Araglen knows of our mission but not the route we were to take, our arrival will have been unexpected.”

He took his flask and drew a long drink.

“I’ll wager that neither orcs or the foul creatures that lead them will trouble us here.”

Each one of the company began the work to set a traditional elven camp. Water was found and a fire soon drove out the shadows. Each had their own thoughts and were typically quiet as the work progressed. Lindir thought of Lady Idhren and his eyes would stray and watch her from time to time. He had been surprised with the feelings that began to stir within him. Since Míriel’s departure to the undying lands he had had no such feelings stir within him. And what of Míriel, does she still await him or has she grown tired of the wait and found another. His thoughts were broken when the sound of light footsteps were heard approaching the camp. They had all heard the footsteps and stood ready to draw swords but they were not the sounds of heavy orc foot falls.

“Greeting my friends and welcome.” said a voice familiar to Lindir.

“Araglen my friend, you do us an honour.” Lindir bowed as the Dúnedain chieftain entered the clearing. “I would not have expected you to be here but come and join us and your men also.”

“You were first seen two days ago moving at great speed for one on foot.”

This surprised Lindir but at that time all they wanted was to lose any orcs that may have picked up their trail.

“We had news of companies of orcs leaving Carn Dûm so our scouts moved out further and setup new watch posts. I figured you must have run into some trouble with them, but fear not, they did not find your trail.”

Dúnedain men came into the camp carrying several rabbits, grouse and a wild boar. The animals had already been cleaned and in no time was meat and wild potatoes roasting by the fire.

Lindir shared their encounter with the orcs and the robed creatures though Araglen did not seem surprised by this news.

“They are Nazgûl my friend. They serve the witch-king and Sauron. They came out of Mordor not long ago and routed the Gondorians at Minus Ithel. They now hold Minus Ithel and have named it anew, Minus Morgul, there is nothing Gondor can do about it. There is nothing under those robes but shadows for none can see them. The Valar must have been watching over you. To escape them at such close contact is a miracle indeed. I have no doubt that they will be awaiting your return with the stone. Had they stopped you it would have been much easier for them to simply go and take it. You are now in a race with orcs to see who can reach the ice mens’ encampment quickest. Whoever arrives first will determine the fate of the icemen. Have you seen the crebain?”

“Crebain?” Lindir looks up in surprise. “We have seen no crebain at all.”

“Well I guess my first thought was wrong. I thought they were looking for you, and all the while they must have been watching us, to see if we were going for the stone. The last over flight was 4 days ago. From what you say it’s about the time they figured out where you and a company of my men were. I am glad they were of assistance to you. I would be mindful of any shadows moving quickly across the sky in the days to come, crebain do not fly this far north naturally. Come now, enough talk of trolls orcs and Nazgûl, for tonight my friend we shall eat well and rest peacefully.”

Lindir realised that the run in with the trolls had cost them the secrecy of their route. They could not have avoided the trolls but he would be mindful of any chance encounters in the days to come. For this night though he would not concern himself and so he welcomed the Dúnedain’s hospitality. He went to the nearby stream striped off his shirt and washed off three days of grime. As he finished he saw in the shallow water the reflection of Lady Idhren standing behind him.
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 16, 2010 02:10
Idhren had strayed into the nearby woods, enjoying the hospitality of the dunedains but wanting some time of her own. She hear running water and decided that perhaps to follow the running water would bring desirable results, for she could bathe.

She wandered aimlessly until she saw a sight that struck her hard. Lindir was bathing in the stream, shirtless, rubbing, rinsing all the grime and dirt off his skin. His back was beautiful, his spine straight and his long golden hair fell down his back.

She caught her breath. It was as if his skin, glowed some how. He was truly... beautiful.

She caught herself for a moment, and worried that he would be offended. She decided to turn back, but whilst doing so, stepped on a twig.

He turned around to face her, his gleaming chest bare, and she had once again to catch her breath.

"My Lord, I am so very sorry... I did not mean... I did not mean to come this way, to intrude... I-I...." she did not know what else to say.
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 16, 2010 09:43
Lindir did nothing at first not wanting to embarrass Idhren. As one who has travelled many roads there are times when privacy is not an option. He rinsed his shirt out but the sound of a twig snapping brought him to his feet and he turned to face her. He could see she was feeling terribly embarrassed so he quickly wrung out his shirt and pulled it over his head as she tried to apologise.

"My Lord, I am so very sorry... I did not mean... I did not mean to come this way, to intrude... I-I...." she did not know what else to say.

“My Lady there is nothing to apologise for.” He took a few steps closer. “I am an old campaigner and I did not think to choose a place more private. Privacy is a luxury to a soldier and old habits have a way of staying with you.” He again walked a few paces closer. “Idhren, if I have caused you any embarrassment the fault is mine.” Now he found himself lost for words. “I’ll.. I’ll see to it that you’re not disturbed, take all the time you need.” As he walked past he looked at her and in spite of the dirt, and a tuff of grass in her hair she was beautiful. Once again that long lost longing came over him as he walked back. Along the way he met Mithennor and directed her down the trail to Idhren.

Everyone had been told what Araglen had said about the Nazgûl and Gondor’s defeat earlier. When he got to the camp he joined Thane and Sirion who were in conversation of what was to come. Lindir pulled out his sword and stone and began to tend his blade. Sirion reached over and took the sword from him with a scowl. The guard on his sword was somewhat bent as a result of the troll battle. Sirion made a comment but had no tools with him. None the less he gave the sword a quick inspection and commented on Lindir’s inability to maintain his sword properly.

“Sirion my friend, when we return home I give you my word that you may show me how to tend to my sword. But until then it will have to do.” The thought of home brought a moment of melancholy on Lindir. “Sirion I have to tell you that you chose on hell of a time to volunteer for your first mission. When we return home my friends I will supply all the Miruvor we can drink. But now I would even settle for a large mug of ale.”

“Here you looking for some ale?” One of the Dúnedain piped up. “I’ve got mugs if you need them gentlemen and a cask of ale to fill them.” All the of the ellon looked at each other and their faces seemed to light up.
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 17, 2010 07:52
Still more than a little sore about being beaten out of the wineskin by the likes of Lindir, Thane did his best to pretend it did not matter. He conversed idly with Sirion in attempt to forget the matter completely, and shook his head in disbelief when the topic of Nazgul came up. Wraiths on this side of the mountains? It definetly sounded like a few of the horror stories he had heard in recent encampments. The memory of the cursed kings still fresh on the ellon's mind brought a much needed distraction in Thane's thirst for alcohol... that is, until the Dunedain decided to share.

This was definetly the reason why he enjoyed keeping mortal company over elven kind. It was much easier to relax around his fellows. The Dunedain who had offered the ale sat down near the fire with the ellyn and produced from his shirt pocket a small wooden flute. Being the gracious host that the man was obviously set on portraying, he put the instrument to his lips and volunteered to provide the nights entertainment. Thane recognized the song as a tale of battles long gone, but decided that he did not have enough ale in him to join the Dunedain in his music.

Thane gladly took the mugs from the ranger and, for the sake of protocol, even helped pour the man a drink. He returned to his seat by the fire with a drink for himself and two more for Sirion and Lindir. The mood around the camp suddenly picked up and all stood in reverence as they toasted the success of the mission ahead. The ale went down cool and bitter, just the way the ellon liked it.Thane sighed in relief and sank down onto the stump he was sitting on. He glanced into his mug for a moment, concerned. Alcohol always managed to bring out the worst in him. Quickly he surveyed the area and was glad to find that the ladies were no where to be found. He shrugged, satified, and returned to his mug.
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 17, 2010 04:46
Mithennor, while used to being dirty, seldom passed up an oppertunity to remedy the situation. Besides, she owed Idhren something for tripping her when she and Lindir had caught up, enabling him to get the wineskin. While none partook of much, Mithennor definetly had expected Thane to overtake her for the wine, so when Idhren had tackled her with apparent glee allowing Lindir to overtake her...

She headed towards some of the more secluded streams and ran into Lindir on her way. There was an odd look on his face. She didn't mention it, but she had her suspicions if he was walking away from Idhren's direction...She went down the path, and her, redfaced.


"So I see you had a similar idea..." She laughed fondly "you have more earth on your person than most kings lay claim to."

She nodded towards the stream "Mind standing guard? I may resemble an orc in some ways, but I'd rather not smell like one. I'll then return the favor, should you be inclined" she added as she removed her boots.

Idhren agreed and seated herself on a rock, her back towards the water while Mithennor washed away the grime from the journey. She changed into the spare set of clothes she had brought and washed the ones she had been wearing, laying them out to dry. She and Idhren changed places, and when Idhren was in no condition to just walk off Mithennor started in a conversational tone as she raked her fingers through her wet hair, thinking of the smells and sounds of dinner starting to drift towards them as the sun set.

"So... What are your thoughts on Lindir?"
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 19, 2010 04:09
Idhren felt even more ashamed of the situation after Lindir had taken the blame on himself and voluntarily left the scene, when Mithennor showed up, a gleam in her eye.

She unbuckled her boots and asked Idhren to stand guard while she bathed. Of course she agreed wholeheartedly and asked if she may do the same for her in the end. Mithennor began to fully undress, and she got into the river and began to conversationally bring up a topic which Idhren prayed to the valar that she wouldn't bring up. But there was nothing stopping it now, she had barely felt it before the words left Mithennor mouth.


"So... What are your thoughts on Lindir?"


Idhren sighed for a moment, almost subconsciously and realized after that it gave away far too much.

"Mi'Lady... my thoughts are thoughts I wished not to have. And yet I have them without my stopping it." With that, she looked up to Mithennor. Her knowing gaze was unavoidable. She looked away, averting her gaze.
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 20, 2010 06:34
It was the morning of the second day and all things considered the two Lossoth tribes men had made good time. Burodan kept his plans for the stone to himself but with typical ease Nerrivik was certain he knew where they were going. Creativity was not Burodan’s strong suite and had never been. Nerrivik always knew when Burodan was up to something and he usually figured out what.

“I know a quicker way.” Nerrivik said coming to a stop.

“How can you know a quicker way when you don’t even know where we’re going?” Burodan replied in condescending tone.

“You’re going to the great ice mountain and the ice caves Burodan, and don’t deny it.” He turned and pointed up the trail from where they had just come. “On top of that we’re leaving a trail that the Urco (Orc) will be able to follow. No one has walked this way since we hunted the white bears two winters ago. We don’t even know if the caves are still there. You can hide the stone in water or the ice but one day it will come back to curse our people again. You must think of some place that men and Urco (Orc) won’t go. It must be some place far from here and hard to follow.
_____________________________

Sirion and Lindir had been talking for some time and both managed to finished off a second pint of beer. By this time Thane had moved to a area where the Dúnedain men were drinking and singing songs of old. Lindir had always known that Thane was more comfortable with humans rather than elves. Even now his human side betrayed him by showing that he did not have the elven resistance to the effects of alcohol.

The aroma of the cooked meat permeated the camp and created an air of expectance. Camp dogs, more wolf than dog, were at the edge of the fire pit excitedly pacing as the assortment of meats were tended to. Every now and then the man tending the meats would toss them pieces of pork rind for them to squabble over. As long as the dogs were about the chance of an orc scout watching them was nil. The dogs would smell him long before he arrived and tear him to shreds.

“Watching the path won’t make them, or should I say her, arrive any quicker.” Sirion said

Was it that obvious Lindir thought. He had to be careful not to allow this to cloud his mind. It could very well compromise the mission. He sat back and tried to keep his mind on the conversation he was having with Sirion. When Sirion looked up Lindir followed his gaze, the ladies were back. Lindir quickly jumped to his feet and walked over to greet them.

“You look beautiful my lady, ladies.” He quickly added. “The Dúnedain have provided ale if you would like to have a drink. It is good ale, well enough for a prince of men. It makes for a change from water. Ah... L,Lady Idhrenniel could we walk for a moment.” She agreed and they walked off into the woods just out of site of the others.

“My Lady please don’t consider me to be presumptuous or to forward with my comments. I have only known you for a matter of weeks but I must confess that I... ah... well...” He took a deep breath. “I must confess that I have been”... I can’t believe this I’m lost for words. He took her hand in his. “I have been taken by your charm and beauty. My thoughts seem to strayed to you and I hoped that you may have felt my presents in your mind and felt likewise. I know such talk and emotion when on a mission is unwise but I did not wish to wait until we returned to Imladris. I have not felt this way for many years and I found my thoughts of you clouding my judgement. I thought it best to speak openly to you of my feelings.” He gently released her hand and stepped back.

“If you do not feel as I do I will not bring up this matter again. Please accept my apologies for intruding on your privacy.”
Naucoaran
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 20, 2010 09:40
Before Sirion could push the subject any further with Lindir, the two elleth returned from the river. Linder and Idhren seemed to stumble awkwardly over words before the ellon invited her to a jaunt through the woods. As they were leaving, Sirion and Mithennor shared knowing glances, and then silently snickered with each other at the departing two. "A fine diplomat, that one makes." Sirion jested. "Said to have the quickest wit and a silver tongue to match when he's in the courts. Women must not be his forte." The two laughed again before Sirion poured a mug of the ale for Mithennor. "He did speak truly though. While not as fine as anything elves can make, the draught is fine for any roadside camp." She took it with a light smile, and then the two sat down to relax.

Soon after they were seated Thane came over to them, now slightly inebriated. "During my time away, Sirion, I learned a game or two that we use to play in camps when the mead was plentiful and battle scarce. It has come to my attention that you have not learned to loosen up enough while you spent your years bent over a forge." He swayed slightly, as if a stiff breeze had just blown by him. "It's simple, and you can play too, Mithennor." He said as an after thought when it seemed he had noticed her sitting with the ellon.

Thane sat down next to the two, and waved for some empty mugs to be brought over, along with a small tankard. As six mugs were laid out in a line, Thane pulled out a small worn die and showed it to the two. "Six empty mugs, one dice. If you roll a number corresponding" the word was a little long, Thane slurred it slightly "to an empty mug, it gets filled, a full one, you drink it. Simple right?" Sirion and Mithennor seemed a little reluctant, not wanting to be too drunk in the morning to continue on, but Thane goaded them into playing for a little while at least.

"Where'd the other two go?" he then snickered to himself at a private thought then shook his head slightly "They'll just have to join in later I suppose." He cleared his throat, then rolled the first throw, then filled the fourth mug in the row from the tankard. The die went from Thane to Sirion, to Mithennor, then back to Thane in a circle. Cheers and jeers went up from some of the surrounding men and the players when they would luck out, or their luck would run out. The mugs were smaller than normal, so the game could be played longer than normal without causing too much pain to the players.

They started to make it more interesting when the three loosened up some, adding in side wagers to a few of the mugs. Some of them were a few coins, other deeds that would have to be performed on the spot or at a later time. Through an act of dexterity, Sirion managed to stand on one foot while drinking his mug in one hand, and twirling a dagger between his fingers with the other. When he finished, the ellon smacked the mug down on the makeshift table and raised his hands in triumph to the cheers of the small audience the elves had gathered with their games.

In truth, Sirion had not been one to drink very often, or very much. A drunk blacksmith couldn't do his job, and shoddy work meant shoddy pay, or no pay at all. The typical resistance to the drink offered to him by his race still held strong though, and it took him longer to feel the effects of the drink than it did Thane, who seemed to be on his way to pickling himself. A faint voice in the back of his head warned him not to get too carried away, but in a moment it was gone, replaced by laughter as he handed the dice to Mithennor and urged her on to take her turn rolling.
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 20, 2010 03:49
Poor Idhren looked both delighted and terrified when Lindir approached. Mithennor doubted that had she not returned, no one would particularly have noticed... Idhren and Lindir were preoccupied, Sirion might have, even sooner rather later, but she doubted Thane would as much as bat an eye should she be run through by an orc in front of him. She quite got the impression that he would rather she not be there at all. But no matter; she caught Sirion's eye as the pair walked off and the snide comments had flown. Laughing with him had come to be something she looked forward to

As he pressed a mug of ale into her hands, she made a toast low enough that only he heard;


"To silver-tounged ellons, and the elleths that love them" they clanked their mugs together "may the valar protect me from mine" she gave a wry smile and drained her mug.


The overall joviality of the evening was momentarily marred by her invisabilty to Thane.. It wouldn't have bothered her much, but this was not the first time, and it was growing irksom.

The game was simple enough; and fun. While most of Mithennor's time was spent alone, when she did have companions, they were normally men, she was no stranger to drink and gambling. Thane preferred the drink; but gambling was were Mith had a bit more practice... And skill.

This was evidenced by the small pile of coins next to her, larger than Sirion's or Thane's.


She held the worn die in between her two fingers and thought a moment; there were two empty mugs...interesting.


"I roll either a 2 or a 6, then the next of you two to drink owes me a song. Something cheerful, and preferably not something to be heard at Imladris. And if not... Then I sing a song of your choosing" It had been her that had poor Sirion balancing and twirling, but later she had had to drink her mug whilst doing a hand stand.


She tossed the die and watched intently as it spun upon one corner until it finally landed.


(Ooc: how about the next person decide how it lands? )
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 20, 2010 05:18
((Carandra and NaucoAran. Gave your characters a line or two. hope you don't mind.))

The half elf swayed back and forth while on his feet but, while his body may have only moved slightly, his head felt as if the very world spun in front of his eyes. Had he stopped drinking even two mugs earlier, Thane would have been able to notice his resolve break. He was a physically social drunk, and was no longer in the presence of mind to ignore the beauty of the women in their camp. More specifically Mithennor, since Idhrenniel was hiding away with her paramour. He looked down thoughtfully at the single die in the elleth's hand and leaned forward onto the stump they were using as a casting table.

"Mithenn--" he cursed under his breath when he started slurring her name, unable to finish the last syllable. "Mithy," he said thoughtfully, even affectionately. "I would love it if you sang for us. The odds are stacked against you anyways!"

Of course, they were not. Thane was no gambler and his arithmetic skills were about equal to this ability.

Sirion and the elleth both exchanged curious glances at Thane's pet names before Mithennor finally decided to simply brush it off. If she had known the half elf was so utterly horrible at this, raising the stakes would have definetly been the better option. She smiled and replied, "I'm certain that they are." To Thane's idiotic ramblings.

Thane reached over the table for the die, already forgetting who's turn it was to roll. Mithennor slapped his hand away, reminding him that she had yet to complete her turn. Thane chuckled stupidly and drew back his outstretched hand, leaning over towards the elleth's side of the table.

"Need I remind you again?" she said, annoyed.

"Lady I meant only to blow on your die for good luck," he snickered.

Mithennor pushed Thane back to his seat, well aware that the half elf was more likely to spit in his drunken stupor than anything else.

Thane's visage was filled with mock hurt as he propped himself up on his elbows, awaiting the roll.

Mithennor rolled a two and the ellon howled in triumph, though somewhat sad about not getting more ale. He jumped up to stand on his seat and beat at his chest like some sort of animal.

"Thane, what are you celebrating for? You lose." Sirion reminded.

The ellon stopped in mid howl and, instead of getting down gracefully, fell flat on his back.

"Something cheerful now, Lord Thane." Mithennor said with a big smile.

Thane propped himself up and finished his numbered drinks, for once, quietly. Once the affects set in, Thane stumbled and was unable to stay upright for very long. So he laid back down in the dirt next to the orc hounds, even going so far as to use one for a pillow. Unfortunately for Thane, most of the mongrels were flea infested, but he would deal with that later. "Cheerful songs," he muttered. He knew few, but in his drunken state one came to mind. Thane was a mediocre vocalist at best, but when drunk he had an odd habit of trying to harmonize to his own sound. It tended to make dogs howl, and it did in this camp as well once he got warmed up.

He picked an old song he had been taught in a small village on the borders of Rohan, and even went as far as to attempt the feat in their home language. The story was simply about a young boy chasing a rabbit with his dog, though there wasn't a soul there who could have understood the peredhil son.

Little did he know, the hounds were not lifting their muzzles in song for any love of the half elf, but rather for their love of orc blood. Thane was unable to comprehend this in the same sense that he was also unable to stand.

A cry went up in the camp as the hounds grew louder and concerns were voiced that Lindir and Idhrenniel had not yet returned.

[Edited on 21/9/2010 by Ohtariel]
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 21, 2010 02:00
((Ooc: that was just perfect))


The last person to have called her "Mithy" or something similar was a barely older than a toddler. She cast a quick look at Sirion and arched an eyebrow in response to the second bit of affection... She recalled briefly the kiss he had bestowed upon her hand while still back in Imladris. She dropped it, he was gone. Though he did seem to think it was his turn, which she corrected.

And it landed on a 2. She grinned- though Thane was under the impression that she had lost. Sirion corrected the poor ellon, he was far too drunk to care. He started a song that she recognized vaugly as having come from Rohan. As he started and sought sometimes for a few moments for the right note, Mithennor grinned even broader. Though she almost changed her mind about this being a good idea when he sought a note for a few measures. Almost.



The dogs started to howl, for a moment everyone in the camp thought that it was Thane's song that brought on the howling. The dawning realization that the orc hounds were howling for a more sinister reason brought an instantaneous change. The smiles were gone, drinks stopped halfway to lips and then dropped and weapons were drawn. Orders began being shouted.

Mithennor and Sirion both stood up, faces grave and looked at one another; Lindir and Idhren were gone and Thane was as well, though in a different manner. She swore and grapped Thane and hauled him to the barrel of water. She dunked his head in, brought him back up, slapped him hard across the face, dunked him again and repeated the process. Eventually he was alert enough to fight back... Almost.


She held him out at arms length and gave him an appraising look.

"Close enough. I'll sing you an apology later, should you wish. But you'll be alive to hate to me." She called to Sirion

"Here, take him, I'm going to go and find the others. I do not believe they have weapons and they're out where the orcs will strike first. Take care." She grabbed up her sword as well as Idhren's and another sword that she knew wasn't Lindir's, but should serve anyway. She darted off, meeting a few orcs along the way...




By the sweet light of Earendil, where were they?



Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 21, 2010 05:26
Idhren wandered into a nearby wooded area, and walked the path with Lindir leading. Suddenly he stopped, turning abruptly, and began to speak. His voice was nervous, rushed... but low, almost in a whisper.


“My Lady please don’t consider me to be presumptuous or to forward with my comments. I have only known you for a matter of weeks but I must confess that I... ah... well...” He took a deep breath. “I must confess that I have been”... I can’t believe this I’m lost for words. He took her hand in his. “I have been taken by your charm and beauty. My thoughts seem to strayed to you and I hoped that you may have felt my presents in your mind and felt likewise. I know such talk and emotion when on a mission is unwise but I did not wish to wait until we returned to Imladris. I have not felt this way for many years and I found my thoughts of you clouding my judgement. I thought it best to speak openly to you of my feelings.” He gently released her hand and stepped back.

“If you do not feel as I do I will not bring up this matter again. Please accept my apologies for intruding on your privacy.”


She simply looked at him, her heart pounding in her chest, awestruck for a moment. How could he feel that way about her? Of all the people, why Idhren? She drew in a breath. No one had ever confessed their feelings to her before, ever. She did not know how to take it, how to respond.

Do I feel this way for him? If I do not, will I hurt him? And yet I feel as if I may... A whirlwind of thoughts pressed into ever corner of her mind. She could hear nothing more but the voices, saying this and that, do this, do not do that... going back and forth in her head. She averted her gaze for a moment, thinking. And suddenly she knew what at the very moment, the right thing to do was.

She looked back up at him, a twinkle in her eye. Then she stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips against his.

She had never kissed anyone before... she did not know what it felt like. Until now. And it was wonderous, she thought. She did not know how he would react to this use of affection, but she hoped it would be with favor.

She did not wait for him to respond, she simply stayed, sliding her hands up his back, and kissed him.

Not a moment but the present. She thought happily.
Naucoaran
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 22, 2010 05:12
Mithennor stalked off into the woods, a shadow in the night. Thane, however, stumbled over to his temporary care taker. He nearly collapsed onto Sirion, using the elf as support to keep his balance. "How can you possibly fight?" Sirion asked the drunken half-elf. Thane gave some dismissive waves and a few sounds that may have been only slightly voluntary. Sirion let out a light sigh before moving off into the darkness. Thane took a few steps to follow before stumbling and crashing to the ground.

He struggled for a moment before sitting up "I'll catch up, go!" he said finally as he continued to struggle. Sirion sighed again, a hint of frustration in it, before rushing off. Before he cleared the camp, two of the rangers along with an orc hound joined him to start a search. The hound sniffed the air, then bayed as it started dashing off in the direction it smelled prey. The three warriors followed the hound, jumping over fallen logs and brush. As they came into a clearing, they could see the hound barreling into the last orc in the line of ten. It carried a large spear, and was not ready for the hound as it crashed into the beast, ripping at its throat in a quick snap of its iron jaws.

A snarled scream cut short into a gargled cry as the orc was quickly dispatched, the dog was about to leap at the second when Sirion and the two rangers crashed through and engaged the others. Sirion's first cut severed an arm at the elbow, then used the momentum of the swipe to follow through with a quick stab. The orc decided to be stubborn by clawing at Sirion while stuck on the blade before finally dieing. The blade slid free of the corpse and went back to hacking, parrying, and stabbing more orcs. By the end of the battle, Sirion had killed one more orc before they all were dead. Each fighter had a few new cuts and bruises but were not seriously injured. "We must continue on, the others will be just as busy." One of the rangers said as he cleaned his blade on the jerkin of a dead orc. Each nodded determinedly, ready to put down a few more creatures before the nights end.
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 22, 2010 09:12
Lindir did not expect what happened next. When he courted Míriel, and had made his feelings known, it was several months before either of them would dare discuss kissing. They held hands, shared laughter, explored Imladris, sat together in the evenings when the songs of the Eldar put them into a waking trance. After an appropriate period of 4 months they kissed. That is how it was taught to him in the blessed realm and that was what he knew.

He was rather formal at first. When Idhren slid her hand up his back and ran her fingers through his hair and then kissed him, he was taken completely by surprise. It took only a moment for him to decide that he preferred this method to the formal courtship. He took Idhren in his arms and kissed her. He held her tight and stared into her eyes and then kissed her again and again. This is what he had longed for, to be with her, but he had dared not to even dream of it. Now nothing mattered, and for a few moment the world would have to go on without them.

He scooped Idhren up off her feet but just as quickly he set her down. There was a sound, the orc hounds were baying and it was not the sound of them at play.

“The hounds.” He said. They listened for a second and then heard the shouts of the Dúnedain. “Orcs... but how?” Lindir said puzzled. A second later a black feathered arrow struck the tree just in front of them.

Instinct kicked in as they both reached for their swords only to find them gone. They had left them at camp. They broke into a swift run just as more arrows pelted through the brush behind them. They did not have to go far before they saw Mithennor racing down the trail toward them. She gave a shout and tossed two swords into the air and bounded off. The swords were caught and the race was on. Lindir ran toward the noise of the hounds but he didn’t have to go far.

A large uruk lunged at him rather clumsily out of the brush with a heavy spear but missed the mark. A moment later the uruk lay dead with its stomach splayed open. Several orcs came through the brush, to many for one to handle so Lindir fell back until he was joined by two Rangers. The orcs fell in quick order. Lindir took a quick look around and spotted two dead Rangers, both had falllen in a hail of arrows at the outset of the attack. It was then that he looked for Idhren, she was nowhere to be seen and he couldn’t look for her.

This attack was all wrong. Something else was going on because the orcs could not have made the camp even if the elven company were followed. They could not run by day under the strong northern. He’d heard stories of orcs driven north out of Arnor only to be found dead days later severely burned and blistered by the sun. Warnings would have come from the scouts by bird and not all the scouts could have been found and killed before for a warning was sent. Was it the Nazgûl?

Lindir and the two Dúnedain made for the sounds of heavy battle. They had only gone a short sprint when the answer of how the orcs arrived came through the woods.

“WARG RIDERS” Shouted one of the men as they dived out of the way of the raging beast. Archers came on scene and sent a volley of arrows into the beast face with several hitting their mark, the eyes.

The beast went wild throwing it’s rider and two passengers, who were killed in the volley, to the ground. Orc hounds seized upon on the sightless warg which snapped it’s great jaws at the hounds but it’s battle was quickly over. The dead animals stench filled the air.

Again Lindir looked for Idhren, now even calling her name but she was not there. For allowing his mind to wander in battle he paid a price. He was hit by an arrow on the left arm but its energy was nearly spent and the full head of the arrow did not fully pierce his skin. A ranger was right there and had pulled the arrow out with little difficulty. Even so blood ran down his arm freely. Other wargs now could be heard and the number of orcs rose. They rode the wargs across the bog lands and that’s how they were able to fall on them so quickly and in number. The rangers and Lindir again ran toward the sounds of the battle and the wargs.


[Edited on 23/9/2010 by Fennuir]
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 24, 2010 02:39
Idhren felt Lindir resist at first, and then suddenly he gave his all. Kissing her tenderly, again, and again. She had feelings for him... and she did not know how exactly to love someone. So this was the first way that came to mind to show him that she too cared to him.

He lifted her off her feet, and then set her down quickly as an arrow whizzed by them and hit a tree. They ran swiftly into the trees, the arrows whizzing by their heads too close for comfort. Mithennor was up ahead, she turned and threw two swords in the air, yelling. They caught them and began to fight. The Orcs were clumsy, yet vicious. But that was no trouble for Idhren. She slew them with unnatural ease.

Then she heard the cry of the dunedain and followed the voice to see the warg riders in the distance, with increasing speed.

She ran towards them, with stealth and confidence. She heard Lindirs faint voice behind her but could not turn back from the warg approaching her. She yelled and lifted her sword, plunging it deep into the flesh of its flank. It fell to the ground, its face contorted with pain.

She turned to see that Lindir was gone. She ran down the sloped hill and called his name with fury. She could not lose him, not now.
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 26, 2010 05:33
Mithennor found herself fighting alongside some of the Rangers, atop a small hillock that had flanked their campsite. She stood closer to the top, bow singing and arrows flying while they were bit lower and fighting with swords... It was when the wargs came upon them that they staggered a bit. She put away her bow and drew her sword. It was fierce and heated; they spent most of their attention on her, attacking the men only as they got in the way... though they did enjoy the kill, reguardless of who it was. They must be focusing just on the elves as much as they were due to their task. Her mind went the campsite; Sirion, while very talented with the sword was with Thane, who- while a season fighter; would still be moderatly incoherent, despite her attempts at hastened sobriety.


"I'll fall back, you fall away to sides and then converge on them once their backs are turned" she told one of the more senior Rangers. He nodded and she returned to where she had last seen the pair of ellons. Sirion had left, though she could hear him, Thane was with an orc, his movements weren't as smooth or as strong as the last time she had seen them, but he was doing surprisingly well. But... One orc had started sneaking up on him, and she returned the favor, indeed, the orc looked very surprised when her blade protruded from its neck. It slumped over, alerting Thane to her and the dead orc's presence. He muttered somethig she didn't hear as she ran off again.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 26, 2010 07:04
"Come back to check in on me dear, Mithy?" Thane chuckled, though the elleth seemed not to hear. The ellon turned his attention back to the task at hand. Mithennor's treatment reguarding the water bucket had done its job. Thane was mentally aware of the danger in the camp, but still physically incapable. It took effort to get his legs to obey and his balance was still incredibly off. He half wished that the elleth had just left him as he was, useless and oblivious. Now he was simply useless but panicked. Orcs in general were a sobering thought, but thought alone would not save the ellon.

He fought now as a berserker, throwing his weight forward hoping and praying that he was able to correctly gauge distance and grow accustomed to his handicap. It took a few tries to get this tactic correct. Thane's first few mistakes had sent his Dunedain allies running to put space between themselves and the ellon's target. He even went as far as to give the ranger who had offered him ale an accidental haircut with his wild swinging motions. The half elf was not in the right state of mind to stop and apologize.

On the orcs came, and it was all Thane could really hope to do by merely disabling the closest ones, letting the rangers behind him make the kill. It seemed for a time that the half elf would actually get away with living as he was, until warg riders broke the line. Thane swore loudly as the beast before him was kicked into a full on charge in his direction.

Seeing his distress, two of the rangers behind Thane grabbed the ellon by the back of the tunic, hauling him out of the way. The warg tossed its large head back and forth, bowling the two warriors out the the way.

Thane stumbled with the sudden momentum and fell backwards, bring his sword up as he went. The warg came bearing down on the ellon, and set its jaws around his left shoulder. The ellon felt the long sharp teeth held out by his chain mail, but could hear the links breaking with every swing of the beast's head. He brought his sword up to the animals neck, attempting to saw away at his attacker. Thane thrashed and screamed when the warg locked its jaw and proceeded to drag the ellon across the ground, attempting to sever the connection of the distressed limb.

While the chain mail held back the teeth, it could not protect Thane from the pressure of the jaws. He felt the strain mostly on his collar bone and knew it would surely break if he didn't do anything. Thane got his sword between the warg's jaws and shoved upward with the last bit of strength in his right arm. The beast gave a loud groan and staggered clumsily to the ground. Thane sighed, relieved that the animal had stopped shaking its head.

The warg rider quickly jumped down and came upon the half elf, but was dispatched by a Dunedain arrow. Thane rested for a moment, trying to regain resolve. When he tried to stand, he found that the beast had locked it's jaws in death, trapping the ellon. He swore again and tried to use his sword as leverage, but it was stuck where Thane made the killing blow. He struggled now, panicked. The more he struggled, the more his shoulder was bothered, and he cried out in pain more than once. The two rangers who had been keeping an eye on him earlier, came to the ellons rescue, but were similarly stumped with Thane's predicament.

They didn't quite have the luxury of stopping to free Thane, so they fought around him, making sure he was safe as he struggled fitfully.

[Edited on 27/9/2010 by Ohtariel]
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 27, 2010 02:18
Lindir pull his sword out of the uruk’s chest and wiped the blade on a handful of dry grass which he then tossed onto the beast. He saw no orcs standing and two seriously wounded wargs trying to get way with mounted Rangers in close pursuit.

He was cover with blood splatter from animal and orc. Other than the arrow he was unhurt and only a little of his own blood trickled down his arm. It was a good fight but it was doomed from the start. There were alone twice as many Rangers as there were orcs and then the elven company.

Lindir could see Sirion and Mithennor and Thane was a survivor no matter what.

“Idhren...Idhren !” his shout grew louder.

“Lindir, we need to talk.” Araglen the Dúnedain chieftain walked up to him.

“Not now Araglen, there’ll time enough, it can wait.”

With that he walked away and called Idhren again. He called a third time and this time a ranger claimed to have seen the she elf, fighting above them closer to the camp. Lindir bolted up the hill to the camp and saw her running down. They flew into each other’s arms and Lindir picked her up and held her.

“Thank Eru, you’re alright.” He held her close for a minute and then took a good look just to make sure Idhren was whole. Satisfied he held her again and gave her a kiss. They both then came down the hill a came across a curious site. Two rangers were using axes on the jaws of a dead warg trying to free, of all people, Thane. He appeared to be fine but for his foot in the wargs mouth. Lindir and Idhren stopped for a moment and watched the Dúnedain hacking at the wargs jaw all the while Thane was shouting at them. Either the axes were dull or the jaw bone of the warg was stone hard for little progress was being made. It was almost farcical. Wanting to avoid a long explanation they swung wide and sat on a wind fall and viewed the carnage below.

“I saw wargs break through the lower line and head up the hill. I was worried when I didn’t see you anywhere. I should have known better." He smiled at her and took her hand in his. "And what of us, where do we go from here?"

[Edited on 28/9/2010 by Fennuir]
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 28, 2010 01:42
Mithennor returned from fighting in the woods. During the last bit, an orc got in a lucky hit and had gotten her in the head. While it was nothing serious, head wounds bled copiously and as she walked back to the campsite to find everyone there, and more or less intact, she kept having to wipe the blood from her eyes. Thane was trapped under a warg. Or rather, Thane, bound by a dead warg's jaw that refused to be prised open, was trapped by the two Dúnedain trying to free him. She had an idea. Wiping her eyes clear again, she motioned for them to stop and knelt by the warg.

Someone, one of the younger Dúnedain by the sound of it asked what she was doing. She stood once more and gestured him towards her. She slid her fingers along his jaw and he looked momentarily taken aback until her fingers reached the point she had been searching on the back of his jaw, just under his ears. She probed and he protested as a sharp pain went shooting down his jaw and up the sides of his head; she explained

"Most living things had a point at the back of their jaw where it was connected by different sinews and tendons to the rest of the skull, it's very sensitive, as you've just discovered" he rubbed his jaw angrily, she continued, kneeling once more and pulling one of her shorter knives

"if you want the beast's jaws to open, cut what binds them. Hacking at it's neck won't do that. Now," she addressed Thane "I'm going to find that spot, but when I find it, the jaws will momentarily get tighter, let me know then I'll know where to cut" she ran her fingers along the jaw of the warg and Thane grimaced as they tightened so slightly. She cut the tendons and the jaw went slack, allowing Thane to once more be free of the warg. Mithennor wiped her face again.

After a few moments, she left, headed back in the direction of the stream from earlier. "I'll be back shortly, I have my knives with me, so don't follow"

when she was sure she was alone, she once more found herself quickly washing both herself and her clothes. She sat in the water, chin resting on her knees as she waiting for them to dry a bit. Th cut had finally stopped bleeding, but now throbbed. Her thoughts turned to a matter that she hadn't given much thought for many years... until tonight. See Idhren and Lindir in the woods, as they caught their swords... it had made her think of her parents. If they had been armed, would they have survived?

how much of her life would be different? would she still be the 'Wanderer of Lorien'? an empty title for an elven vagrant... Would she have noticed or even cared when that poor ellon laid his heart at her feet all those years ago? She had turned him down, rather harshly now that she gave thought to that... the poor fool sailed to the undying lands. She hadn't seen it coming and scarcely knew his name. She sighed, got out, dressed and made her way to the campsite. She put her smaller knives and daggers back in their respective places, but left the others together not too far from her. She curled up in her cloak, drawing it over her, she fell asleep.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
Naucoaran
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 28, 2010 05:56
Rather than helping, Sirion found it more entertaining to watch as Thane drunkenly thrashed in the dead wargs grip while his rescue team vainly tried to free him. He almost intervened, though he wasn't sure what he could do to help, when Mithennor walked into camp. She seemed a bloody mess, the gore caking her head and down her face into her chest and then some, but moved as if it were not serious. At the time Sirion assumed that most of it was probably not hers.

As the camp began to settle down, the sun dipped low in the sky; seeming to fight to stay above the horizon to create an almost preternatural twilight. Many began to settle down for rest, though many were edgy and stayed up. Thane eventually came to him, his chain shirt hanging awkwardly on his chest. The shoulder and sleeve had almost been torn away from the thrashing he had received. Sirion sighed and stopped the half-elf before he got out of reach. Thane gave a little trouble when he tried to take the armor from him, not seeming to realize how bad a state of disrepair it was in. The blacksmith-turned-warrior finally pried the shirt off of Thane and sat down at his bed roll to work on it with the few tools he had brought along.

"No time to make a proper bellows, but I can fix it without having to heat it too much." He said to himself as he inspected the armor links. Others seemed to take notice of his talent before long, and before long he had a short list of repairs and sharpening before he he would be done for the night. Thankfully Thanes armor wasn't as serious as he had thought, and it only took an hour to complete the links to where it would protect him. Swords and knives were easy for him. He had spent a few years learning just how to hone a blade, which angle was best for what weapons, and so on. You could split hairs with the blades when he was done with them.

Some time in the middle of his working, Mithennor came back, seeming to be in a dour mood, but he was too preoccupied to say anything. In any event, she went straight to sleep anyways. Lindir and Idhren eventually made their way to him with what little repairs they needed, and he had them done in short order. "Better than before, I assure you." He said with a grin. The two wandered off to their own respective bed rolls, a telling linger in their movements when they separated from each other. They shared some whispers along with other intimate nothings before Sirion looked back to his work with a knowing snicker.

He finally finished with his own sword, running a polishing rag over it after he had finished honing it. The shine took to the blade again before he sheathed it. Time was hard to tell by the sun this far north, but he knew it was late. Despite the need for sleep before their journey, he needed to wash the gore from himself before they moved on. He had gotten particularly close to some of the orcs when they were dispatched and the spattering of blood and gore still marred his armor and clothing.

The ellon quickly moved down to the river and stripped down, working the grime first out of his armor, then clothes, and finally his hair and skin. Bruises, welts, and cuts marred his skin, the full detail of them only visible now that he had washed the grime away. There was a particularly tender mark on his chest, the skin already swelled and swimming with blacks and purples from a lucky cudgel hit. there was also a nasty gash across his forearm and a wrapping welt and gash around his leg where the edge of cat-o-nine-tails had caught him. He had been lucky that the warg rider who had given him that did not have an open space to drag him till he died from the trauma of the bumpy trip.

His clothes were still a little damp when he returned to the bank and donned the outfit, but he had to make do. Sirion quickly returned to the camp, mostly everyone had gone to bed by now, and roughly laid down on his bed roll. He stoked the small fire, built into a small hole to hide it from prying eyes, to warm himself before drifting off to what he could only imagine would be less than a full nights sleep before they were on the move again.
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 29, 2010 09:00
After Sirion managed to steal the half elf's torn chain mail, Thane started to become aware of a strange stinging sensation erupting all over his chest and back. The night's round of unrestricted alcohol was wearing off, and the ellon was only now able to feel his extremities. Quickly he tore off his shirt and came to examine himself by the firelight. He ran his hand over his right shoulder, only to discover what appeared to be flea bites.

"As if the warg wasn't embarrassing enough," he muttered to himself as he stalked off toward the stream. Where did I even find fleas? Thane wondered. The ellon could not yet recall lying near or even on the orc hounds.

As he washed, Thane started to notice a dark bruise forming on his left shoulder along a few shallow cuts where the warg had bitten him. He sighed, suddenly disgusted with himself. Thane's repulsion seemed to run deeper than his wounds though, because a moment later he was tearing toward the shoreline to sate the need to vomit. Whether the half elf was regurgitating because of all the excess activity while under the influence, or if it was due to the fact that he had nearly been eaten that day, Thane could not tell. He didn't care to distinguish his sudden sickness. When he finished washing up, he dressed in only his pants and sat under a tree by the shoreline. There was no point in putting his tunic back on untill all the fleas decided to leave it. He shook his shirt out and tossed it away to hang on a sapling near by. Thane dozed lightly, knowing he wouldn't rest well anyway with all the alcohol he had managed to absorb. He stayed under that little tree till morning and was the first one dressed and ready to leave. The ellon was eager to put some distance between him and the rotting warg carcass out in the clearing.

They all took turns in the group thanking the Dunedain for their hospitality and, in some way or another, even apologizing for the trouble they attracted. Thane examined his chain mail as his friends packed up. When he tried to thank Sirion for his efforts, he recieved only complaints about not having the proper tools. Thane chuckled and slapped the ellon on the back. The heavy chain shirt put too much pressure on his still fresh warg bite, so the half elf stored it in his pack for later use. The reminder of his injury brought Mithennor to his attention.

He stopped her when she didn't look terribly busy and thanked her for freeing him, litterally, from the jaws of a monster. "A few more hits from those cursed axes and I would have been walking around with a beast's skull stuck to my collar bone for the rest of the trip." He joked nervously and took his place at the back of the line.

The rest of the camp saw them off as the group slowly made their way back to the northern road.

Still being a little battered from the night, their speed was not what it was a few days prior, but no one seemed to mind. The party hadn't made it half a league out yet before a young ranger from the Dunedain camp caught up with them. Apparently they were all worried about the state of the traveling group and had one of their faster warriors volunteer as an escort. Just until the group left the territory.

Thane grumbled about being escorted anywhere, but kept his complaints to himself.

((NaucoAran I know you wanted to try out one of the rangers and I was trying to move us along so there you are. This is what you get for not being online when I need you. Your welcome.))

((PS if you change your mind I'll edit.))

[Edited on 29/9/2010 by Ohtariel]
Naucoaran
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: September 29, 2010 08:29
It was not long after the elven party left that the rangers decided it was prudent to send someone to guide them the rest of the way, both to give the best paths and to be eyes where the others could not see. "Elven eyes are not use to the northern wastes like ours. We have fought the darkness in this land for countless years and know the signs." the chieftain said as he beckoned a handful of rangers to him. "You each know the land, and are some of the fastest. I can only spare one to guide the elves,"

Before any debate could be had, Adûn stepped forward and clapped a fist to his chest and bowed slightly "I will do it, the others are needed here." There was a silence as the chieftain appraised the youngest of the chosen Dunedain. Adûn was never one to seek glory, but he had a determination to him that made him the first choice for many missions. He also could read trail signs and spot danger better than most others. The chieftain agreed, and waved the other rangers away. He gave a few words to Adûn then told him to leave as soon as he could.

The ranger bowed again, then immediately went to his pack. With practiced ease, the ranger slipped his quiver over his shoulder and locked his short bow onto it. He quickly strapped his large broadsword onto his hip, the weight of we weapon completing his gait that hinted at a weapon that almost always was worn. His chain mail was hidden under the mottled green and browns that all rangers wore. Black hair cropped short and always disheveled topped his head, framing a sharp featured face with icy blue eyes, an anomaly for his people. Though he tried to shave when he could, he carried a shadow of a beard. Slinging a bed roll over his shoulder along with 5 days rations, the ranger checked and re-checked everything to make sure he had what he needed. His mental checklist finished, the ranger bid farewells to his company then headed off the direction the elves had gone.

It was not long that he found them, and made good time catching up to them. He hailed them, then quickly explained why he was there. As a whole the group seemed happy for the extra sword, and a seasoned guide from the northern lands to help them through the area. There was some recognition within the group, he had fought alongside one or two of the elves during the attack. The welcome was quick, and then once more they set off again at a fast pace.
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 09, 2010 07:25
((Ooc: Yay for lung function))

Mithennor awoke in considerably improved mood the following morning, even given the small knot that had formed on her head. Breaking camp and saying farewell (and apoligizing) to the camp was a somewhat hurried affair.

She was somewhat surprised when Thane approached her and offered thanks. He cracked a small joke and smiled a little, which she returned

"You're welcome, Thane." He fell back towards the rear of the group, herself next in the line. She cast a glance back towards the ellon once more before just keeping pace... She hoped all memory of "Mithy" had left with the ale. With her luck, it hadn't... not that she'd bring it up.

Not too much later one of the Ranger caught up with them, meant to be an extra sword until they left the area. She recognized him as the ranger she had demonstrated her point on.

She hoped also that he didn't hold it against her. The look he gave her wasn't exactly unfriendly, but it wasn't friendly, either. Oh well.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 11, 2010 12:09
Idhren watched, standing next to lindir close enough to feel his warmth, as the young ranger stepped up to duty and offered his services to their company. She smiled, young courage was always a beautiful sight. It brought a smile to her lips every time. When the rangers had cleared up and the company was to set off at a quick pace, Idhren knew it was time to talk to Lindir.

She turned and looked, as he had left earlier, and wandered down a lonely path away from the camp. She found him standing by a tree, cleaning his weapons. She floated over to him and smiled.

"My Lord... you seem distant from the company, may I ask, is there something you wish to talk about? I am of course willing to listen..."

She moved closer to him and slid her hand in his. There was something on his mind, she sensed. She would get it out of him, no doubt. Idhren was very good and cunning at prying all the troubles out of ones mind usually leaving them feeling lightened and happy. This was what she was aiming for.
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 16, 2010 09:24
(OOC I have Naucoaran’s permission to play Sirion.)

Several hours earlier

Lindir sat alone by the fire staring into the flames and pondered their next move. Sirion walked into the circle of light and sat next to him. He looked about to make sure there were no prying ears and spoke low in Quenya.

“I was given something for you by Lord Elrond. He asked me to wait until I deemed the moment right. I wasn’t sure what he meant but he said I would know when the moment was upon us. After today’s raid I thought you should have this.” He pulled a leather pouch from a inner pocket of his robe and handed it to him.

Lindir recognised the pouch as one used for diplomatic notes. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect as he unfolded the parchment and wondered why this was not discussed before they left Imladris. He had his answer shortly. By habit he read it through twice and then read it again. Nothing could have prepared him for what it said and the look on his face must have said so.

“Lindir... Lindir what is it?” Sirion asked.

Lindir, staring steadfastly at the fire handed him the letter without saying a word.

Sirion read it and handed it back. “What are you going to do? Surely not this?”

Lindir tossed the parchment into the fire and watched as the fire licked at the edges. When it was nothing more than ash he turned to Sirion.

“We’ll say nothing about this or what was said. This is only between you and me, no one else needs to know. Besides there’s still time my friend and anything could yet happen. But... should I fall, it will fall to you to decide my friend. I make you my second Sirion and if you are loyal to the House of Lord Elrond you will heed this charge. If I fall you must take this ring. If you are in these western lands and are unable to make for Imladris you must seek out Cirdan in Mithlond. Show him this ring and he shall advise you. He is a lord of the Eldar and he will know what must be done. I am sorry to do this to you Sirion but you must guard the stone with your life, the enemy must not have it.”

Without hesitation Sirion accepted the charge.

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

"My Lord... you seem distant from the company, may I ask, is there something you wish to talk about? I am of course willing to listen..."

She moved closer to him and slid her hand in his. There was something on his mind, she sensed. She would get it out of him, no doubt. Idhren was very good and cunning at prying all the troubles out of ones mind usually leaving them feeling lightened and happy. This was what she was aiming for.


Lindir looked up at her and put his other hand on top of hers and smiled.

“It’s nothing my dear, nothing you need to be concerned with. Politics again, everything seems to get mired in politics.” He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek.

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

Present time

When the ranger arrived he seemed to be somewhat pedantic as he went over every weapon and item in his pack. His presence was welcome though and after a short stop he took the lead and lead them on a Northwest path. There was nothing to take cover in. Where the land rolled there was usually a bog and where there was a bog there were bugs. Where the land rose around a rocky outcrop the Dúnedain would always scout out what lay over the rise.

It was high summer and the days were long. The sun remained in the sky for all but for a
few hours of darkness. They made good time and on the second day they were reaching the end of the Dúnedain’s territory. They came to a rise and as usual the ranger went ahead to scout what lay beyond. On this occasion he motioned for the others to see for themselves. They had company.

A orc scouting company of ten had dug out a shelter in the hillside to keep out of the sun. By the looks of the camp they had been there for at least a week. There were eight northern orcs and one that was smaller than the rest and wore the colours of Mordor. He was a sniffer use to follow scent. Their captain was a large Uruk from the northern lands.

“I can take you around them but the choice is yours.”

Lindir looked at Idhren and then to Sirion and the others. Should they fight or leave it for another day.

"Sirion what do you think of this matter?" Lindir asked his second.



[Edited on 17/10/2010 by Fennuir]





[Edited on 17/10/2010 by Fennuir]
Naucoaran
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 18, 2010 11:38
The new-found duty recently laid upon Sirion's shoulders weighed on his mind for the first few days after he had delivered the letter to Lindir. He had never been tasked with something so important before. Failure could cost not just them, but many people, so much. The mood in camp was more reserved than before the warg attack, but the group still enjoyed what down time they could. Bonds forged over drink and games were still strong afterward, and Sirion, Mithennor, and Thane each became more comfortable and relaxed around each other. Despite the other two missing out on that nights revelry, Lindir and Idhren also were forming strong ties to both each other and the rest of the group.

For Adûn, it was somewhat awkward trying to join into a group of strangers who all knew one another. Because of this, he had at first kept his distance from them. This didn't last long, however, and was invited over to join the group the first night. After an awkward first few minutes, there was some jokes made about Mithennor popping Adûn's jaw, and the tension eased. After a few reassurances that there was no hard feelings, he seemed to be welcomed quickly into the group.

A few days later after leading them through bogs and hills, Adûn spotted the group of orcs on the opposite hill. It fell on Sirion to decide what should happen, and after a quick thought, it was decided that a quick attack from range would eliminate them without any risk to the group. Two volleys from their bows would kill all the orcs, and a few more arrows could put down any stubborn survivors. Each called targets and quickly sent two arrows down range, the second arrow in the air before the first had hit its mark. The party quickly made their way to the camp and examined the bodies for any clues as to why they would make camp and wait so long in such a hostile area for them.

The Mordor sniffer was of some worry, particularly for Adûn. "The enemy has stretched his arms far, he is either desperate, or has much more power than we previously believed. Either way, this bodes ill for us. A desperate animal is more dangerous and unpredictable than a strong one, and the enemy has always been cunning." More troubling news was that the orcs carried with them some tools not native to them. Some in particular, bore striking resemblance to the tools the Lossoth used sometimes. There were some other things as well, some tribal necklaces and talismans that Adûn knew the Lossoth to make and use sometimes, but they had brown stains spotting them, the remnants of dried blood.

"This is a troubling find. I said I would accompany you till we reached the edge of my territory, but this changes things. I pledge myself to your cause until this has been put right." he bowed his head as he held a fist to his chest, it was oddly formal in such a setting. "We should move on, and quickly." He said suddenly. There was little complaint. The group began to move again, putting more and more miles behind them as they grew closer to the far northern reaches.
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 18, 2010 06:08
Having neither the need or the means to keep an army, the Lossoth lacked warriors. The men of the tribe took to the borders of their encampment in shifts during the warm months. Heat usually meant a higher risk of an orc raid. Coming now into mid summer, the border guard started to relax a little. Fall would be there soon, and there would be less patrol work to do because of it. The tribe was even now making ready for their long pilgrimage towards the safety of the mountain passes that would soon fill with snow. This would keep away most outsiders.

One guard raised his hands to the sky, stretched and yawned lazily, thinking nothing of it as the first few drops of rain slowly started to splatter across his face.

---

Cloud cover had been rare all summer and the orcs were growing hungry and impatient. They were not about to waste the rain. Using the few hours of nightfall left available to them, the small battalion of warg riding vermin encircled the Lossoth encampment. When the day patrol filtered down to the night shift, the orcs began their raid. They had taken one tribesman captive a few months earlier, intercepting the news of the palantir. This had been the main reason behind their newfound bravery. The Lossoth were not warmongers like their descendants to the south, and so the orcs were seldom provoked by them. But this discovery was too much for their masters to ignore. The palantir would be retrieved quickly before the elves arrived, and it would have to be now while the light storm veiled the torment of the sun.

With a sickly howl that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard, the orcs advanced. They started with the small night patrol, and routed any who ran openly. Wailing in victory the rest of the battalion followed, tearing at the animal hides that served as huts for the peaceful people. Finally a cry went up in the camp, serving as a meager call to arms. The tribesmen didn’t have much, but they were willing to die for what they did have. Spears and long bows grouped around the farthest huts as a last minute attempt of discipline.

---

The lord Arpenien sat in his hut, listening silently to the cries of his people just outside. He had expected treachery from his son regarding the palantir, but not his nephew. Burodan was not a strong speaker, and Arpenien knew there was no way he had convinced Nerrivik to join in his cause. But as angry as the old lord was, he wished now that he had taken Burodan’s side. Not necessarily in the fashion that the younger man demanded, but along the same lines. He should have sent someone else in Burodan’s stead. Who would take the lord’s place now, once the orcs broke the line?

Arpenien heard movement outside and raised his old hunting spear in defense. In his state, resistance was futile, but it was not in the Lossoth to accept this. Life was, in the tribesman’s culture, a gift from the divine. To allow the theft of his god given right was to be undeserving of it.

The perpetrator outside the lord’s tent grew closer, and as the tent flap was thrown aside, Arpenien braced himself and thrust forward. A loud yelp sounded and one of the younger tribemen jumped aside.

“Forgive me, my Lord!” he squealed, rubbing sorely at the side of his chest where Arpenien’s spear had glanced off.

“Beldan! Announce yourself next time, boy!”

“Yes, my Lord! I have come only to tell you that we will not be able to hold! My brother has run for the next valley to call upon the tribesmen east of here. I do not know if he made it past our borders.” A tear ran down Beldan’s cheek.

“He has? Good.” Arpenien said thoughtfully as he donned his cloak. “Beldan, gather the women and childen. They are to flee to our eastern tribe.”

“But my Lord they will never make it in such large number!”

“Beldan you are to lead them.” Arpenien ordered.

“But—“

“Now boy!” The old lord growled impatiently.

Beldan scrambled out of the tent as fast as he could. Arpenien took a deep calming breathe, clutched his spear and stepped outside into the rain. “Brothers to me!” he cried as he ran as fast as his old legs would carry him to the southern border of the encampment. They would make their stand here. There was a good chance their families would not make it to the next valley, but the tribesmen would give them all the time they could. What Lossoth would choose otherwise?

~

With most of the icemen out of their huts, the orcs were able to easliy search each small room. The palantir was not found, and it was assumed that the seeing stone had been moved with the majority of the tribesmen. Before the order to follow could be made, a horn sounded over the rise of the next hill. The icemen to the east had indeed been informed of their sister-tribe's plight. A second charge started, but this time in greater numbers than the first.

The line of orcs faltered, and as the wargs turned to retreat, their riders roped and captured three Lossoth tribesmen. An elder lord dressed heavily in fine furs, and two patrol men. The orcs were determined to find out what had happened to their prize, even if it meant a hostage situation... especially if it meant a hostage situation.

[Edited on 19/10/2010 by Ohtariel]

[Edited on 19/10/2010 by Ohtariel]
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 19, 2010 07:22
Just to move us on a bit

“Why are you stopping!” Burodan shouted impatiently.

Nerrivik ignored his cousin who understood little of what had just happened to him. He had stopped suddenly while in a dead run and then he slowly turned and faced the wind that blew from the direction of their village. Something had stirred the spirit within him.

“Something has happened in the village. The guide spirit speaks to me of much fear and bloodshed. The dark ones have come seeking for the stone.” Nerrivik faces Burodan. “We must run without food or rest and not stop until we reach the dragon caves or the dark ones will find us. The spirit says we must hid with the stone deep in the caves. We must go deep where the light does not reach, beyond the bones of our ancestors. There the ancestors will keep us safe until the ones who glow in the darkness come to us.”


Lindir and Idhren knelt beside the Mordor orc. Lindir spat on the blood that had dried on the orc blade and examined it closely. He showed the stain to Idhren and she agreed with his conclusion.

“The blood on the tools and swords is human. I fear for the Lossoth, we may already be too late.”

They waste no time so the distance between them and the camp grew quickly. Carrion birds wasted no time finding the orc bodies and circled high in the sky. A good orc captain would know what the circling birds meant even from a distance. A warg rider was quickly dispatched to investigate but he would still be over an hour before he returned to make his report. By then the elves and the ranger would be far from the battle scene.

Late in the day they saw the Lossoth summer encampment. They stayed well back and watched for any movement. Idhren notice that there were no children and no sentries. The others noticed that the huts had been damaged with firs strewn about the camp. There was no noise or movement whatsoever. It was decided that they should enter the camp and see for themselves if any unwanted guests had stayed behind.
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 22, 2010 10:22
((Sorry! Posting again. Just wanted to get my actual character back in. Plus, I've been waiting to use the word rapine in a sentence for the last three months and I'm not passing up this perfect setting. Thanks Fennuir.))

The group spread out quickly and started checking huts individually. The lingering smell of the recent rain was enough to wash out the stench of the orcs, but the remaining veil of cloud on the horizon was of ill portent for the coming days. Even afer their brief search, it was apparent that they were joined only by the dead who still littered the ground. Thane glanced curiously at the fallen Lossoth. This was the first time he had ever laid eyes on the icemen. He marveled at their weapons, mere hunting tools for large game. These people were not warriors and it made Thane wonder if the men of the south could ever adopt such a culture and render soldiering obsolete. Of course, he hoped they would not. The ellon could not see himself taking up a blacksmith's hammer in lack of employment.

"It seems the Lossoth were just as surprised to see the orcs as we were in the ranger's camp. May the weather carry better company in the future." Thane muttered austerely as he rejoined his friends in the center of the village.

"There are tracks headed east into the foothills, but none bear warg marks. The orcs did not pursue. Is it possible that they found their prize?" said Adûn, worry spun heavily into his words.

Sirion scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is as Thane says. The orcs came and left with the rain. Though even they do not seem to easily deterred."

"So do we pursue the Lossoth or the orcs? If we follow the icemen and the orcs already have the palantir then time is already being wasted." Mithennor added.

"The retreating tribesmen were not the object of rapine. If they escaped with the seeing stone, it was well hidden." said Lindir, who seemed on the same frame of mind as Mithennor. The group was silent for a moment, none really knowing the best course of action.

Idhrenniel walked off slowly, tracing footsetps in the dirt. "There are tribesmen with the orcs." she said at long last.

Her find was met with curious stares.

"You suspect treachery?" Mitthennor asked.

Idhrenniel shook her head. "Hostages." She pointed to the warg and human tracks that seemed to frantically overlap eachother, as if this particular tribesman was tethered to the beast.

Thane laughed a little. "Our ranger has been lax in his tracking skills."

Adûn turned a little red and examined Idhrenniel's theory closer.

"There's no need for hostages if you have what you came for." Lindir said, looking to the east. "We have more to learn from the Lossoth."

While they were all glad that the enemy had not stolen away the basis of their mission, there was some concern for the taken tribesmen. The retreating icemen left in large enough numbers to be easily tracked, and so finding them was not a worry. But could they leave the orc hostages to their fate? The elves were not bound to a rescue mission, but some did feel sympathy towards a community turned upside down. As minutes flew by, a debate was started. Wether or not the group should split to accomodate the Lossoth became a key issue.

((Gave everyone something to do. Let me know if I need to edit.))
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 23, 2010 09:58
Idhren knelt down on the ground whilst everyone was deciding what they should do presently in their situation. She touched the dirt, gently unearthing the dusty footprints. Her hand brushes against something soft and smooth amidst the dirt. She grappled for it until she grabbed a hold of it and then she gave a mighty tug. From underneath the dirt was a strap of leather, so she pulled it out completely and heard a jingle. The leather became two even pieces and a bit. She had found a horses bridle.

She picked it up and shook it, watching the pounds of earth and dust fall from the smooth, shiny leather. It was a peasants bridle, not the best leather she had seen but it was strong and sturdy. What could it mean? The orcs did not travel on horse back. Only a human...

wait! She thought to herself. This could only mean... She stood up abruptly, holding the bridle in the air. Someones horse had either been killed, or had been loosed from its bridle and bolted. But that would only leave a human, on foot. They could not have gotten very far. The bridle was in good shape, so this could only have been trampled and buried very recently. She looked at all the faces that were watching her attentively now.

"There is a human nearby... I am not sure of what age but they would not have gotten far. I will look, for they will be slaughtered by orcs if I do not find them first." She ran over franticly and grabbed her small pack, throwing it over her shoulder.

"I shall be back!"

She ran down a small slope and into a treed area. She would find whomever it was that was near.
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 23, 2010 11:53
Lindir watched as Idhrenniel ran down the slope and was loathed to let her go but he had little choice. Her finding a piece of a bridle was an odd find. This was not a land where horses were used, the ground was far to soft and wet and there was no shelter. Was it something given them by the rangers as a memento or had a trader come to their camp. It could have been dropped by an orc but that was unlikely. All they managed to get was more questions with no clear answers.

The others began combing through the area for anything that might give them a scrap of information. Lindir began to check the huts, both the ransacked and the few intact, though he had no idea what he was looking for. They had already looked through most of them and they all were very much alike. He came across one hut that had all of its hides and sod foundations torn apart with some sort of metal picks. It appeared that this one hut was targeted for a much more rigorous search, he wondered why.

The hut was larger and it had more colour and detailed design sewn and painted on the hides that were once its walls. There was even a few pieces of turned over and smashed furniture about. He picked through the pieces and found to his surprise parchment, parchment that could have only come from Imladris via the Dúnedain. The language on the parchment was new to him and used symbols rather than a flowing script. He picked up several of them which were scattered about the remains of the hut and looked closely at each. The drawings on one caught his attention. The drawing was of a box and inside the box was a ball with two symbols written beneath. He took them and found Adûn.

“Adûn can you understand the Lossoth’s language and their writings?” He asked the ranger. “Tell me you can and you shall redeem yourself.”

“I only know a little of their spoken word Lord, it is a difficult language to speak.” He replied.

“What about reading it. Are you able to make sense of the drawings?” He showed him the parchment.

“Well only their Chieftain would have parchment. The rest used wood or small stretched skins with ink from sea animals mixed with charcoal. I can read it better than I can speak.”

“What’s this about Adûn?” Lindir asked pointing at the box.

Adûn sat for several minutes and perused the writings of interest to Lindir.

“As best as I can make out it speaks of a box in the Chieftain’s tent. To be written of the box must have been important to them. It was taken or sent, I’m not really sure which, by two men who left the camp and went north and east. That was two days ago. It names the men but I don’t understand it. The box, or what’s in it, they called the ice crystal. If you wish I’ll go through all these parchments and see if I can pick out anything else?”

Lindir laid his hand on the rangers shoulder. “You’ve done well Adûn, very well indeed. See what else you can find.”

Sirion was close by picking through the remains of a central dais. Lindir went to him and explained what Adûn had said. Sirion was of the same mind as Lindir. The name ice crystal could only have meant the palantir. How else would the Lossoth have named a clear smooth stone ball that never warmed even when placed by the fire. The orcs didn’t have the stone, of that they were certain. Who had the stone and where were they were taking it they didn’t know. Was it stolen or sent away? Did any of the hostages know where it was going? Now both Lindir and Sirion were standing over Adûn hanging on his every word. Without warning shouting could be heard coming from the scrub tree area where Idhren had ran to. Lindir bolted down the hill with his sword in hand.
maerwyn2233
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 24, 2010 01:46
A young, shivering man stood, his back against the tree, staring at Idhren with angry eyes.

She approached him, with her hands by her sides and no weapons in reach. She did not want to be a seemingly threatening figure. She wanted only to know what was the matter. His countancence was one of a fearful, vicious, threatened victim.

"Please, sir... What may I ask, is the problem ?" She said, with a soothing, gentle tone.


He had ruffled brown hair and a dirty, bloodied face, and looked as if he was about eighteen or younger. She glanced at his hands. They were shaking, but holding on to nothing. He had a small dagger at his side yet he was not reaching for it.

"Are you an elf? You traitor!" He yelled. She stepped back in surprise.

"You witch! Leave me be, I am but an innocent bystander! LEAVE ME BE!" He yelled even louder.

"My Lord I mean no harm, please, calm yourself. Let us talk like civilized folk. Surely, there has been enough savage behavior? Come, let us sit..." She walked closer to his and he struck out with his dagger, skimming so very close to her face that a streak of red appeared on her white cheek.

She stiffened, affronted.

"What business do you have here? In these barren lands?" She remained calm and composed. She heard a thumping of feet and she looked behind her and saw Lindir and some of the others running down the slope to find her.

She turned and faced them.

"I believe I have found the one to which the leather belongs to." She smiled teasingly back at the young man who somehow felt threatened by her. Ah, well. Better that they find them then that the Orcs do.
Fennuir
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 24, 2010 01:36
Lindir was the first to reach the bottom of the hill with the others close behind. Idhren turned and raised her hand to stop him. It was then he saw the blood that had trickled down her cheek.

Lindir looked angrily at the shell of a man. He would have been an easy kill had Idhren not told him to sheath his sword. When his stance didn’t change she asked him to sheath his sword a second time and that everything was alright. Lindir did as she ask. It was at that point the others arrived.

“You’re all witches. I know the things you’ve done to mens’ minds now leave me be.”

Idhren continued to try to assure the man that they were not witches and that they meant him no harm, but he was frightened and likely still in shock. Lindir slowly came to Idhren side. He took a quick look at her wound but it looked worse than it was.

“Get back or I’ll kill you!” the man shouted.

“You’re not going to kill anyone my friend and neither are we, unless a orc shows his face.” Lindir’s spoke in a smooth conciliatory tone. “See here.” He beckoned to Adûn to step forward. “We travel with one of the Rangers of the north, he is our guide and one of your distant kinsmen. We were summoned by the Chieftain of this village. We have travelled long and hard to get here. I fear the orcs arrived before us.”

The man’s eyes got a wild look in them. “Orcs, yes the orcs, they were everywhere. Our mule got stuck twelve days ago. My partner and I couldn’t get it free. They fell on us at night. I ran and I ran till I fell into the mud. I went back after the sunrise, they were gone. They ate the mule, and my kinsmen. What kind of animals are they?!!” he shouted, while weeping and shacking, though he still held the knife high. “He was my brother!!”

Listening to the man’s dialect Lindir was able to place him to Lamedon, a region of Gondor. Lindir spoke of the Lamedon it’s governor and of the high King of Gondor who he had both met within the last year. With his silver tongue he was able to convince the man that they were not witches and that they had indeed been sent for. The man’s knife finally fell from his hand and they learned his name was Ulbar. As Idhren picked the knife up he apologised to her for the cut to her cheek. Idhren very graciously assured him that it was nothing. The bridle was the only thing he had found in his camp after the orc attack and it was his only connection to his dead brother and the doomed journey. The orcs had plundered everything and destroyed the clothing and packs and smashed the bones of the mule and his brother.

They learned that Ulbar and his brother were craftsmen and had travelled the north in hopes of finding ivory. They knew nothing of the northern lands and were poorly prepared for the long journey. The Lossoth had found the emaciated Ulbar on the tundra three days earlier. They had carried him to their camp and fed and nursed him until the orcs fell on them. He had lain unconscious under debris until the morning after the attack. When he came to the camp was empty except for the dead. He knew nothing about a box or what the orcs had been searching for.

Lindir tended to the cut on Idhren’s cheek and when he was done they held each other tightly for several minutes. It had been a close call. Later they returned to the shattered camp and joined the others around a fire that had been built by Thane. Lindir explained what Adûn had translated from the parchment and left it open for the others to give their view.

What are we to do now. Lindir thought to himself. Find the hostages and try to free them or seek out the palantir.

He knew there was really no choice. If the palantir fell into the hands of Sauron many thousands or even tens of thousands would die. The loss of a few hostages was but a small price to pay to prevent what would come. Even so it was a difficult decision.


[Edited on 25/10/2010 by Fennuir]
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 26, 2010 05:20
Mithennor had been uncharacteristically quiet after the unfortunate discovery. They were now torn- looking at things from a purely practical perspective they ought to make all haste and find the palantir... but the villagers weighed on her mind very heavily.

She sighed. The man of Gondor that Idhren had found eyed her... and the rest of them suspiciously, even with LIndir's ambassadorial skills. Personally, she would have much preferred to drag him around a bit with the accusations of witchery. Which was why Lindir was an ambassador, and she was not. What to do with him she mused.

"I do not know what you all may think.... but the fate of the villagers will not leave my mind. It is folly to abandon the stone when it is this near, especially with the yrch in close pursuit. What if we were to part ways temporarily? To obtain both ends that we are now faced with...?"

she left the question in the air. In her mind she was seperating them into the best groups already... Lindir and Idhren, for reasons now blatantly obvious.... The thought of Thane being stuck with the pair was almost enough to makes her laugh from her thoughts... until the realization that, from a more practical manner, he should accompany her.

In fact, given the tasks, Adûn should accompany Lindir and Idhren, Thane and herself... Sirion would be useful in either group.

"I propose that Lindir, Idhren, and Adûn should seek the palantir... while Thane and myself will attempt to find out what befell the villagers and aid them, if possible. Sirion, " she turned to face him "you would do well in either pairing, so... which journey would you take?"

the others paused and digested her suggestion, glancing at one another as they did so.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
Naucoaran
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 26, 2010 06:16
Sirion folded his arms, and then rested his chin on the palm of one hand. It really only took a few seconds of thought for him to make up his mind. Lindir and Sirion shared a knowing look. It was just a glance, so fast that if you hadn't been looking for it, you would have missed it. They both knew that they couldn't be in the same group. With divided resources they weren't as strong, and if one group fell, the other had to be able to lead. One who knew the contents of Lindir's letter.

"I shall accompany you, Mithennor. Someone has to watch over that mangy beast anyways." he said in a jovial tone, gesturing at Thane. He was scratching his head again, a hint of more fleas. "The villagers cannot be ignored, but our mission is paramount. I agree that you, Lindir, should continue on with Idhren and Adûn." The plan was mulled over with little debate, and soon they were making plans of when and where they would meet after a certain amount of time. Adûn chimed in that he could keep in contact with the other group via the messenger hawks that the Dunedein frequently use.

It was getting late into the day, though the sun still rolled lazily across the horizon. It held the false promise of night, always hovering between falling below the horizon and climbing back up. There would be only a few hours of night tonight. "We should take rest now, and in the morning we will break the party and see to our separate tasks. Rest well. Each of our group will be weakened, and where each of us are headed is yet unknown."

The mood was somber in camp that night. There were no festivities, and each dug their heads into their bed rolls to hide their eyes from the burning sun. Morning seemed to come fast, and each packed quickly and quietly. After a few more plans and alternate plans were made, they each said some quick fare-wells. Lindir and Sirion grasped forearms and stared one another in the eye, an unspoken bond to canny out the duty laid upon them no matter what. The sun seemed to hover in the same place as before, a perpetual spotlight just over the horizon. The only thing that changed was its direction. The path was easy for Sirion's group to follow. Orcs and wargs did not hide their trail, and the muddy terrain made a soft canvas.

For Adûn, it was a harder trail. He was tracking the Lossoth, through mud as well, yes but the trail already cold and recent rain storms may have destroyed any reliable tracks. He was Dunedain though, and there was no trail he could not find. The first thing they needed to do was talk to the remaining Lossoth. The remaining tribesmen could have vital knowledge for the quest, and any information garnered from them could be what they need to get on the right path.

[Edited on 27/10/2010 by Naucoaran]
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