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Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: December 28, 2011 07:02
((Joint post with the lovely Dinenlasse))

Mithennor spent the next few days staunchly ignoring the earlier night and any potential implications. Or she tried to, at least. She might admit to herself that the argument the other night was entirely at her own provocation, but no one else would ever hear that thought uttered out loud. Truthfully speaking, she almost felt attritional, but no one would hear that thought spoken either. Thane seemed to be as set to ignore that night as she, though she wondered how much of what had been heard... or seen.

She knew that Idhrenniel and Thane had spoken, she hadn’t heard what about, but the next morning Idhren had the palantir. Adun had seemed a bit put out with the shift of hands, but the rest of the group took it in stride, or they seemed too. With tihe exception of Idhren and Lindir, most of the group seemed reticent to speak to each other. Sirion seemed to have his own thoughts, such that they were, and Mthennor felt unwilling to intrude. Lindir was not the sort she felt immediately inclined to confide in, she had a sneaking fear he’d attempt some sort of reconciliation, which she’d rather not bother with. She was certain that Thane would be less inclined to listen, and she had no particular intention of making herself open to any more of the peredhil’s opinions... such that they were. She sighed to herself, looking over to Idhren. It’s odd how they spent so much time together, and had spoken much together earlier in this journey, but hadn’t spoken much in some time.

The Dunedain scouts were a welcome sight, and as they all headed back towards the encampment, Mithennor approached Idhren-

“Idhren...?”

Idhrenniel, her hand placed on the new weight on her left hip, had been walking silently in contemplation, not even speaking with Lindir when Mithennor hailed her. She had not mentioned overhearing their row or her conversation with Thane. Truth be told, she was flummoxed that the half-elf had parted with the stone in the first place, but she felt that it was probably for the better that the palantir remained in her possession.

Idhren halted in her steps and let Mithennor reach her side. “Yes, mellon, what is it?” she asked, not revealing the fact the elf had unwittingly witnessed their altercation.

Mithennor paused, she had been certain that Idhren had at least heard some of the angry words, but if she had not…. How best to broach the subject? She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple… she wasn’t even sure what or why she wished to speak to Idhren, only that she did. Mithennor opened her eyes, sighed again, searching for words...

“So... how did you come by the stone? Last I spoke with Thane, he seemed very unwilling to part with it.” she tried to keep her face neutral as she spoke his name.

Idhren cast Mithennor a passive glance, then looked down at the stone. “Last night I woke up to the sound of shouting, and I caught the tail end of some argument between yourself and Thane,” she began, not hiding the truth but not proud of admitting she had overheard something private. Idhren then recounted the remainder of her own conversation with the peredhil, hoping Mithennor would not bear anger towards her.

“Given what has happened with both Thane and our Ranger friend, I only thought it prudent I should take the stone. I cannot think it would unduly impact me as it has them,” Idhren concluded somberly.


Mithennor nodded thoughtfully. She agreed with Idhren, Lindir perhaps would have also been suitable, but she suspected that given the previous bearer's predilections Idhren was the only other alternative... She was a bit embarrassed by the knowledge that her and Thane’s argument had been witnessed... she had suspected as much, but having it confirmed... her mind went back to the ending of that fight, and she fought back a blush.

“I am sorry that we woke you...” she made an effort to keep her voice low, but even so, she felt emotion edging its way in “I know I am not the most patient of beings” Idhren had the infinitely good grace to keep her face neutral at this admittance “but I cannot recall any other man in my life that dispelled what patience I do possess with as much efficiency as Thane! And then...” she tapered off, the blush winning “I canNOT believe...” she trailed off, assuming Idhren to know what she had been referring to.

Bemused, Idhren cocked her head and waited for Mithennor to continue, but when her friend failed, Idhren felt the need to inquire further. “Mith, what can you not believe? I know not what occurred betwixt you two besides what reached my ears. The night’s cloak shielded everything else from my sight.”

Mithennor turned her head quickly and looked at her friend’s face, feeling hers turn an even deeper red... she sought for words, scrambling. She thought that Idhren had seen it all. Apparently not.
“I.... I....” she looked around quickly to make sure that no one else was close enough to hear, she lowered her voice more so-
“Thane...kissed me” she admitted before continuing “we were fighting and then....” she shrugged in an almost defeatist manner “where...? how....? I just do not understand”

Idhren shoved her fist into her mouth to stifle a giggle that almost escaped. “Oh?” was all she could muster to say. Internally struggling to remain serious, the she-elf continued. “I have to wonder what possessed him to act like that. But, I’ve always thought lovers quarreled amongst themselves far more than enemies do. Do you feel for him?” Idhren felt genuine curiosity as to Mithennor’s feelings. The loving part of her desired her friend to feel the same as she felt for Lindir, but the practical side of her knew this occurrence had been a long time in the making. Mith and Thane had had their fair share of altercations throughout their journey, and the culmination in a kiss was hardly to be unexpected.

Mithennor sputtered a bit, she’d never considered feelings for anyone, Thane least of all. She tried to ignore the giggles as Idhren tried to hide them. She felt the heat leave her face at long last, but now she was stuck on the treacherous thoughts of Feelings... and Thane, and most dangerous of all- Thane and feelings. She was not sure that there were any there, but alarmingly, she was not wholly sure that there wasn’t anything there, either. Irritation aside.
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: January 14, 2012 04:45
(Excuse me as I play a little catch-up. Somewhat JP between Ohtariel and I.)

On the night of the argument, Sirion had been sleeping on the edge of camp, his back towards the fire as it burned low. His dreams were somewhat peaceful, mixing between dreams of being back home working the forge and being with good company. He had no cares back at the forge, no worries other than the heat of the steel and the strokes of the hammer, the rhythmic pinging washing over him. The ellon had other dreams as well, though. Dreams of battle and death. Dreams of the last battle in particular. The ringing of metal was not rhythmic here, but chaotic. The sounds of death surrounded him. Screams of death and anger filled his ears.

Sirion started awake to find the screams of battle followed him, and while at first confused he soon recognized the voices involved. Confused now, he rolled over and shielded his eyes from the fire, preserving his night-vision and sought the two companions that were arguing. The argument was reaching a climax at this point, and as he watched he was suddenly even more confused as Thane leaned in and kissed Mithennor. A few things happened inside Sirion at this moment. All thoughts in his mind were stilled, and a cold pit opened in his stomach that he could not quite explain. As Thane stomped off, Sirion discretely rolled back over with his back to the fire once more and folded his arms over his chest, staring out into the darkness. Sleep was distant and unwelcome for the rest of the night.

Adun was also awake that night, and he watched the argument from the shadows with a grim smile on his face. This argument would stress the fractures that had formed in the group, and he made notes to exploit them later if he needed more help wresting the stone away from Thane. As it continued, however, his smile went to a troubled frown. Aside from the confusing ending to the fight, he also saw Idhren intercede Thane and somehow get the stone from him altogether. This was troubling news, as he was hoping Thane would cause more trouble by holding onto it. With this change of events, he thought, his plans might need to change. Sleep was hard for him to come by as well for the rest of the night as plots swirled around inside his head.

The morning after and within the following days, Sirion had distanced himself from the group; or at least from his once longtime friend and Mithennor in particular. His attitude was not so much sulking as stewing. What he had witnessed that night prodded him into thinking why he was like that in the first place, and he did not like the path it was leading him down. Instead of confronting Mithennor or his own feelings however, he buried them and forced them into a dark ball at the back of his mind. And so he stewed.

~~~~~

Upon the ranger’s first visit from the elves, word had already been spread of the discovery of the palantir. The lossoth messengers had made it as far as the refugee camp, but few were successful in their quest for Rivendell. The elves had not told them the nature of their venture, but the rangers had a fair idea. The night the elves decided to leave, the dunedain called for a volunteer. Adun met that call, and he was all too pleased to confirm the suspicions of his kin upon being reunited. Not only did the elves set out to find the palantir, they beat all odds and were thus far managing to transport it south!

The dunedain truthfully bore no ill will toward the Lord Elrond and, in normal circumstances, there were few rangers who would go out of their way to hinder his orders. But these were extreme circumstances! One of King Arvedui’s lost palantiri had been found and brought into their camp. The ability to be one step ahead of their enemies at all times had fallen into the hands of the rangers. The dunedain were a people purposefully persecuted and slaughtered for the sake of a broken royal line. Now they would finally have the strength to defend themselves!

Something told them that the elves would not be willing to barter for it. The rangers looked now to Adun to settle this matter. He had spent time with the elves. Time enough to learn the nature of each individual. Adun would know their weaknesses, and when the need arose he would exploit them. The elves were a wise and learned people, but clearly their teachings had little to do with the troubles of men. If they had their way, the palantir would likely be hidden… or worse destroyed. This could not be allowed to happen. The palantir could very well be the salvation of the rangers! They were not about to sit idly by and let it slip through their fingers.

When the elves returned to them from their journey north, they were welcomed with open arms and invited to stay and rest. They all appeared road weary and in need of a hot meal. The rangers were all too willing to accommodate them, as long as it meant their guests would remain.

Thane settled in as he did before. Secretly he had missed the company of the rangers. The rangers ate things other than cold bread and fish. The fact that they drank things other than water and turned wine was the biggest perk. He sat by the fire one night sipping idly at a mug of ale. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they had all last been in this camp. He recalled with some regret that this was the last place he could remember ever really being on good terms with Sirion. Thane sighed to himself as he watched his friend on the opposite side of the fire pit.

Sirion sat at the fire; his thoughts idle as he stared into the flames. The dancing fires seemed to ease his mind and his nerves, but they knotted back up every time he glanced up at the man across the flames from him. Thane sat there, doing much the same as Sirion.

Sirion glared at Thane and then pointedly fixed his eyes on the fire once more. What had driven this man to become so grating and foul? They had once been friends, what seemed like a distant memory now. His thoughts drifted to the palantir. Could that have really been the cause behind Thane and his unusually obnoxious pigheadedness? Was this the reason why he had become so distrusting of everyone in the group? Perhaps Adun was right, and he wasn’t fit to carry the thing anymore. It was probably for the best that Idhren had taken the thing. He had noticed she was the new bearer the morning after, but did not question it. Tempers seemed to be on edge throughout the whole camp.

As the scouting party found the elves, Adun felt a thrill of anticipation. He was back with his brothers and sisters, and he had done well in scouting the group of elves and learning of their plans and personalities. He couldn’t wait to return to the chief and inform him of the success he had. “I suspect my superiors will want an account of my actions while I’ve been away.” Adun said, breaking the quiet tension around the camp. “I don’t think I shall be too long.” He finished as he made his way to the rangers camp.

As he entered the central area, he clasped arms and shared greetings all around with the others, warm faces welcoming him back and commenting on how rough he looked. There were a few jokes on how he hadn’t had a proper meal in some time, and arrangements were being made for him to dine with the chief as they spoke. Sure enough, it was not long before he was ushered into a low tent where an empty space had been cleared for him to sit, a plate of grilled rabbit haunches with rosemary sat waiting. “Dulgîn.” Adun said simply with a light bow. The chief ushered him to sit.

“I assume you have brought good news?” Dulgîn said as Adun picked up one of the legs and took a bite of it. Where had they gotten these herbs so far north anyways?

“I have, and fortunately for us, they have already begun to splinter from each other. Cracks have formed that will give a prying hand the leverage to pry them apart.” The words stung him inside. The elves had been his friends and comrades in battle and out of it, and he felt dear to them all, but the duty to his people weighed like a mountain on his shoulders compared to the duty to the elven companions.

The Dunedain chief smiled, and spread his hands out to the sides. “Tell me everything.”

[Edited on 15/1/2012 by Naucoaran]
Carandra
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: February 09, 2012 05:47
MIthennor watched the two ellon glare at the fire pretending to ignore the other; she suspected the flames were merely the hapless recipients and that the angry stares were inspired by other sources. Lindir and Idhren had removed themselves from the scene and the Rangers who had seemed glad to see them initially, though no one broached the subject as to their tribulations. As the evening had worn on some underlying tensions had finally settled upon everyone’s shoulders and the mood became more subdued.
When last they were here it had been enjoyable and Mithennor missed the camaraderie that was so glaringly absent. Adun had left to speak with his chief and even Sirion seemed taciturn and reticent to speak. Not too much longer after the last failed attempt at conversation, Mithennor rose and retrieved some apples from the stores that the Rangers kept. They were wizened, but were nonetheless superior to the rations upon which they had been subsisting. Someone called after her, but she ignored the voice as she strode into the woods taking care to hide her tracks. The Rangers were good, but she had centuries of practice and the light-footedness of her kin. After a time, she selected a tree and nimbly scaled a tree settling in, crooking a leg over a branch and placing her weapons within easy reach and pulling out one of her apples. She bit into it and sighed, her breath misting slightly in the night air. She shifted slightly and gave serious thought to spending the night in the tree.
It would save further dark moments back around the fire since neither Sirion nor Thane seemed to welcome her presence. Thane’s attitude she was aware of, even if she didn’t wholly understand it. Sirion’s shift in attitude was entirely unexpected and inexplicable to the elleth. Through it all she felt oddly like it was her fault, though how she could not see. She glowered into the night air and took a savage bite of apple. This was, she concluded, why she so often shied away from the company of others. Though the thought of further solitude seemed unappealing, the momentary desire to leave and continue on her own fleetingly took up residence in her thoughts. She brushed it aside as the thought of kneeling before her Lady and confessing her deeds and Galadriel’s disappointment made her breath catch in her throat. No, she could not bring herself to do such. Mithennor would finish this mission to the end, no matter the cost. Such was her oath.
She finished one apple and pulled out a second, crunching into it. Her thoughts settled upon the Golden Woods… and she felt a surge of longing. She wished to return home, and not just for a few days… maybe she would return home for a longer period of time, lingering beneath the golden boughs and traipsing barefoot through the elanor. She moved the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes out of the way and pulled her cloak tighter. There were noises from the camp that occasionally drifted their way to her ears on the night air, but she was far enough removed that the finer points of what was transpiring escaped her.

Upon deciding that she would indeed spend the night in the tree, she supposed that one of her elven companions could find her should they so desire. But unless that occurred, or another orc attack, she would remain where she was until morning come.
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: February 11, 2012 08:28
(JP between Carandra and I)

As the night wore on into the later hours, the fire burned down into low coals. Rather than throwing one more log on to relight it, Sirion stood to stretch his legs. The tensions within the group had built upon themselves day after day. At times he was unsure if his companions were even the same ones he had set out with at the beginning of the journey. With one last sidewise glance at Thane and then a sigh at the state of things, he strode off into the darkness. He at first had no destination, content to just wander the darkness and be left to his thoughts. His thoughts were focused on one central thing however, and no matter how many times he shoved it aside, it came back. Frustration crept into the ellon’s mind with the continued circle of thoughts, causing anger with Thane with each time he remembered that night he had been witness to something he shouldn’t have.

After what seemed like an hour of walking, Sirion had decided on a clear direction, and he realized it was to follow Mithennor’s tracks and confront her. He was at first unsure of why he desired this, but over the days of stewing in his mind, Sirion had come to the conclusion with some clarity that he cared more for Mithennor than he at first believed. Witnessing her moment with Thane had been the final blow to his denied and buried feelings, most of which he was unsure he had had up until recently.

It was not hard to follow where Mithennor had gone, and her final resting point was conveniently marked with the remnants of devoured apples.

In her tree, Mithennor found sleep difficult to find. So she sat in her branches, letting her mind wander any and every which way expect in any direction that might be of any concern. Almost she believed herself to be alone, almost as if it were just another day, until the faintest sound of footsteps caught her attention. Glancing down, she saw the cores and cursed herself inwardly. She had not intended to make a beacon as to her location, but old habits died hard and there was Sirion at the base of her tree. Prior to all of this, she welcomed his company, but the past few days of his cold shoulder and silent brooding put her off and made her almost as wary of him as she was of Thane, though she could not immediately say why. A moment of silence passed before she called down to him, voice wary;

“Yes, Sirion?”

Sirion stared into the boughs of the tree, trying to discern her exact location before he spoke.

“I trust I did not wake you.” he called back, finally fixing his eyes on her perch. “I wanted to speak with you, it is of some import.” he finished, folding arms over his chest as he continued to stare up at her.

She sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. She uncrooked her leg from one of the branches, shifting into a sitting position, she leaned both arms forward, bracing herself against them as she looked down. “I had not fallen asleep... though of what matter would you wish to speak of?” She shifted her weight again as the branches swayed slightly in the stiff breeze that blew by. Her hair had fallen into her face, all but obscuring her view of the ellon below.
She paused a moment longer before retrieving her bow and slinging it across her back and lowering herself to a lower perch to make it easier on the pair of them for conversation.

“well?”

Sirion chewed the inside of his lip a moment in irritation. Once it appeared obvious she intended to stay in the tree he laid one hand on the lowest branch. “Shall I come up to join you then?”

she opened her mouth to speak before closing it and then starting again “As you wish”

Still chewing his lip, Sirion fixed his grip on the lowest branch and then swung himself up, grappling with the closer branches. He was not as nimble as her, but was still an elf. Sirion eventually worked his way up to her height, the tree swaying more obviously as he climbed higher. He had sudden doubts of the tree’s stability as he reached for the final branch she had perched upon and as he put his weight into to haul himself up, there was a distinctive snap. The blacksmith’s stomach fell a split instant before the rest of him did, dragging Mithennor down with him as collateral damage. He landed on one foot and fearing a break, went fluid into the roll to absorb the impact.

Mithennor was not as lucky as Sirion as she fell, landing flat on her back after having caught several branches on her way down. The wind knocked out of her, she stared up at the night sky in surprise as the events raced to catch up with each other in her mind. Finally, catching her breath, she rolled over and stared up at Sirion through her hair, which she angrily pushed out of her eyes ineffectively. She sat up, crossing her legs and leaning against the large branch that had decided to accompany them on the way down.

She waited a moment more to keep her temper under control, yelling at Sirion seemed, to the small part of her that retained some sense, to not be the wisest course of action.
“Now that you have my full attention, what is the matter?”

After his roll, Sirion had ended up a few feet away from Mithennor. He had recovered faster than her, and was already sitting by the time she had gotten up. He worked the words around his brain for a few moments before he spoke. He realized that there was no further way to delay it, and in a somewhat staggered way he said “I saw you and Thane that night.” After all the brooding on what to say, now that he was actually telling her Sirion was running short on extra words to say. He opened his mouth as if to speak more, but then closed it again shortly after as he studied her face.

Mithennor felt her stomach drop and wished that she was in the tree still. Any tree, anywhere else than this. She wished to curse Thane and disappear in the same instant. She sat there, silently, eyes alternating between Sirion’s face and the ground.

“And that was the cause of your brooding? your matter of import? Thane ki-” she cut herself off from finishing the word.

There was an involuntary flinch to her last word, and once again he had to struggle for words to properly explain. “It’s more than that.” His tone was abrupt, unintentionally so. The ellon paused again to make his voice more hospitable. “I was not aware that he and you have become so...cordial. It has been particularly confusing to witness, on my part.” He busied himself with counting the small stones on the pathway as he searched for more words. “I had once thought that there had been something close between us, with all that we had been through. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

She stammered... “cordial?! What about that, or any of Thane and my interactions seemed cordial, or did you miss the part where he pushed me away after he pulled me in?” She stopped short as the second half of what he said sunk in, she had thought it impossible for her stomach to sink any lower, but it did. She watched him counting stones and wished to be one herself. She never considered feelings for Sirion... she had never discounted them, but at this moment....

“Sirion... I... “ she struggled for words as the urge to remove herself from the situation caused her to rise suddenly.

Her sudden movement to stand startled the elf, and after a moment he too stood, trying to read her face. He was reminded of what a deer looked like when startled. Time seemed to stretch, and when she did not move, Sirion took a tentative step forward and then another. He held out a hand, and his fingers brushed the sleeve of her coat as he moved closer. Time felt agonizingly slow, Sirion was not sure why she had not left yet, and emboldened he felt pulled to move closer. His fingers had cupped Mithennor’s chin, her eyes still wide with what Sirion could only attribute to abject terror. He was dedicated to his actions, and in a small corner of his mind he ruefully thought I have committed to this too far for there to be any other choice. Their lips pressed together and for that short moment, there was no resistance. Mithennor sense’s soon caught back up to her as she stiffened, pulling away, staring at Sirion a moment longer before taking another few steps backwards and turning on her heel and running deeper into the woods, refusing to think past the pounding of her feet on the frozen earth and her breath as it misted in front of her with no real thought of where she was going, or other dangers, or of returning, only running.

Sirion watched her sprint away, mind numb as she disappeared into the darkness. Slowly he slumped down to lean against the tree, a sinking pit opening into his stomach as he thought more and more of how he had just made a huge mistake. His body seemed to shut down, and try as he might want to chase her, he could not bring himself to do it. The ellon ended up sitting against the tree for the rest of the night, mind racing with thoughts too fast and complicated to find roots in his head.

[Edited on 12/2/2012 by Naucoaran]
Ohtariel
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: February 14, 2012 08:53
((JP by Dinen and I. Fenn we used lindir a little bit. Hope you dont mind))

The half-elf stared ruefully away from the firelight and into the surrounding darkness as Mithennor left. His mood did not improve much when Sirion retired soon after. He sighed into his drink for a moment and threw a few small logs into the burn pit. Jealousy started to grow in his mind when the ellon left and Thane attempted to sooth himself in the only way he knew how. At the bottom of his mug. He sat alone for a little while, brooding quietly. He took no notice that the rangers did not linger and make merry as they did on his first stay in the camp. For all he knew, their allies were still angry about the warg riders the elves had attracted upon their last visit.

Lindir and Idhrenniel came and joined Thane before long, and their presence was enough to break his self-depreciating train of thought. “Come friends and drink with me,” Thane invited in a solemn voice. Normally it made no difference whether he was alone or with company when alcohol was involved, just as long as he had it. But tonight of all nights, Thane did not want to drink or even be alone. Not while those two were off gallivanting in the forest. Oh Mithennor what will you tell him? the half elf wondered. What now will you two create to despise me more than you seem to?

Thane set his drink down and poured two mugs for the two elves, not even waiting for a reply. He returned to the fireside and passed around the beverages. The half elf raised his glass for a toast before either could say anything. “To our Lord Elrond… and to the road. May one keep a path ever at our feet, and the other a coin in our pocket.” Something in the way he spoke suggested Thane was ready to get the whole nightmare behind him. He had never before been intentionally irreverent to their lord. Thane drained his glass before anyone could question him.

Idhrenniel cast a sideways glance at Lindir as she tipped the cup back and let the ale slide down her throat. It was not the choicest beverage ever, but at the present moment, until the company was back among civilization, it would have to do. Something in Thane’s voice concerned the she-Elf. Sirion and Mithennor had drifted off into the woodlands, and Idhren suspected something else was occurring between them. She strongly detested tension among the group, but there hardly existed a way to discern the matter from Thane. Except one. But she would still try so.

“Thane, friend, what is on your mind? You seem rather deep in thought tonight,” Idhren began, finishing off one mug and topping off her own.

The half elf smirked. “Nothing at all dear Idhren. Our journey is nearing its end and so too our cause for fellowship. What kind of companion would I be if I did not heartily lament the fact?” Thane refilled his own glass and drank deeply.

Lindir returned Idhrenniel’s concerned look, though their preoccupied friend seemed not to notice. He humored Thane and sipped lightly at his drink, thinking it rude to not at least drink to the health of their lord, even if the toast was made in jest. The ellon chose his next words carefully and decided to try and keep the evening mood cheerful. “Will you really miss us that much, Thane?”

Idhren bit her lip and inclined her head in agreement, not fully believing that Thane cared much at all for them, beyond, perhaps, Mith. “Indeed, and what plans have you for after this little excursion of ours is complete? Will you find another adventure to embark upon?” She plied him with more ale as Idhren saw his empty mug.

“There it is,” Thane growled, his mood turning from pleasant to annoyed as fast as the alcohol could register information. “What is it that makes everyone think I do not care?”

Lindir held up his hands as a sign of peace, and decided not to push the half elf further.

Thane was suddenly very aware of Burodan’s letter, still tucked safely away in his breast pocket. “When we return, I should like to send other men on adventures. Let them taste the wilds for the sake of travel and employment. I have quite had my fill of it.” He nodded his thanks as Idhrenniel passed on the next round of ale, and then waited for his friends to return to their drinks. There was no way he was doing this alone. Even if their strong elven heritage protected them from the effects.

The palantir was tied securely to the elleth’s side, and when she sat down to return to Lindir it thudded dully against the edge of her seat. That sound alone raised the half elf’s gaze from its fixed point on the fire. “Of course there is a good chance that I will accomplish none of that. But thankfully we have a way to calculate outcomes. Or so the ranger says.” Thane said, looking now at Idhrenniel.

The hair stood up at the nape of Idhren’s neck, and she touched the stone at her side. Thane’s rather sudden and fixed gaze on the palantír unsettled her. She knew she had to tread lightly in her next few words. “So they say,” Idhren quietly repeated. The elleth desired to ask what Thane thought the stone could show them, but she knew the question would only provoke the already volatile half-elf further. “Knowledge of foresight is a strange and complex ability and is best left to those with years of experience beyond even my own. Such a one is Lord Elrond, not any of us, and certainly not the rangers. History tells us how many have been corrupted by the stone’s power. I trust not that it would benefit us in any meaningful way.” Thane might perceive she spoke out of pride and desire to implement the palantír for her own uses. Instead, however, Idhren chose to acknowledge her own limitations rather than tempt fate.

Thane looked down at his hands and rubbed his fingers lightly together, noting the distinct lack of feeling in them now. “It is a sad thought, that we have come all this way suffering as some of us have, to not even be allowed to gaze upon our prize. Messengers, and indeed that is all we are now, are known to meet their deaths at the end of such requests. Were I one of those men, I should think that I would look. All is lost anyway.”

Lindir threw a warning glance to Idhren and commented, “Why discuss such sombre thoughts around a merry fire? Come now, we have come too far for such talk.”

Idhren downed another mug of ale and saw Thane copy her action. The alcohol had done little for her so far, but perhaps it would give her liquid strength. She also refilled Thane a second time and decided to enable him for the time being, if only to get him to settle down. Mithennor was an off-topic sort of conversation so Idhren dug around in her haversack for some cookware and foodstuffs. “Would you care for a new recipe I learned from among the Lossoth? ‘Tis made with lard, wheat flour, and berries. It seems like an unlikely combination, but it is rather wholesome.”

The half elf wrinkled his nose at the prospect of having to continue living on lossoth fare. “Should you make it, lady, I will eat it.” he replied simply, his stomach was growling after all. His faltering logic and failing vocabulary marked a second low in Thane’s evening. While there was no part of him that wanted anything more to do with the Lossoth, the act of Idhrenniel cooking would bring the elleth physically closer to his side of the fire. With her would come the palantir. Thane tried not to stare at it while she worked, but his inebriated mind eventually decided that it didn’t matter if he was caught looking. It wasn’t like he was going to try and take it.

But then why shouldn’t I bear it? he thought as he contented himself in his mug. I carried it thus far without issue.

Lindir scooted his seat closer to Thane while the half elf drank, ready to step in if he did anything rash.

Idhren brought forth a hot biscuit from her cooking pan before long and presented it to Thane. The half elf leaned forward in his seat to receive it, but found that the motion nearly brought him to the ground. Lindir reached out to steady his friend, and part of him thought it odd that the drink so affected the ellon. Even if it was Thane.

Lindir gave a mirth filled chuckle and hauled Thane up to his feet. He draped the half elf’s arm around his shoulder and fixed his remaining hand on his belt. “Let us pray sleep brings a better outlook for the drunkard by choice.”

Thane muttered some sort of retort but it was lost in his mumblings.

After pouring Thane into his bed roll Lindir returned to the fireside where Idhrenniel waited for him. The two sat quietly and comfortably in each others company before they too started to feel an unnatural drowsiness.

~~~

The next morning Lindir and Idhrenniel were shaken awake by Sirion and Mithennor. It was later in the day than either of them were used to. To their great astonishment, it was apparent that the two had fallen asleep where they sat by the fire! Idhrenniel stood suddenly as if realizing something, and searched her belt for the satchel that should have been tied there. Lindir looked to the bedroll where they had left the half elf and found it empty, but for a few crumpled bits of biscuit.

The group quickly inquired to the rangers about their friend, but were told only that he was seen earlier that morning heading south-east at a brisk pace.

None of them really wanted to believe what they were hearing. Thane had been a loyal companion and brother in battle throughout all their trials. How could he do such a thing? But all they really had to go on was the word of the rangers, and the fact that both Thane and the palantir were gone.
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: February 19, 2012 05:05
Mithennor spent most of the rest of that night curled up at the base of a tree farther off in the woods, drifting in and out of sleep as nightmares chased one another, coupled with the emotional confrontations from the past several days that at some times made the nightmares more appealing than thinking about it all. When she decided that she should collect her weapons from where she foolishly left them the night before. She stopped when she saw Sirion still leaning against the tree, sleeping. She picked up her things and went over and shook him awake gently. He looked as though he wanted to speak and Mithennor shook her head and replied only with “we should get back to the camp”
They walked back in silence, Mithennor still trying to make last night’s conversation make sense. If Thane’s declarations were… surprising, then Sirion’s came as an avalanche in the summer. Everything else aside, she could not fathom what it was about her that managed to catch this sort of…. attention. She was surly, prone to bouts of anger, and more often than not found herself unsure how to act in company of others, and did not think herself fair to be seen.
When they got back to the camp it was mostly deserted, Lindir and Idhren still asleep by the fire, which was surprising given how late in the morning it was. They seemed surprised that they were still asleep, seeming almost groggy until Idhren had a look of terrifying clarity on her face as her hands went to the empty pouch on her belt. The palantir was gone. As, seemingly, was Thane. Mithennor inquired of a ranger what he knew of the matter and after some discussion, it would seem that Thane left earlier, moving fast.
The sinking feeling in her stomach turned sour as she turned back to her companions, Sirion’s look could have cut stone, Lindir’s was blank and Idhren did not look as though she believed what she heard. Mithennor knelt down and stirred up the fire for something to do. Frustration, disappointment, anger… all welling up inside of her, vying for dominance.
She stood up suddenly, turning to her companions, “I’ll go and find Adun, he’s traveled with us, and his insights may be of use”
Adun, after he was found, was not of much help. He seemed distracted and kept nervously glancing back at the tent from which he had exited. But he listened and nodded as she finished-
“I just cannot fathom why he would do such a thing? I mean…” she pursed her lips together to retain her temper; even if just by a mote “I knew he still thought of the palantir, I had just hoped…” she trailed off and sighed. “It would seem I had been mistaken. You were correct in your concerns… I just wish it were not so.”
Adun clapped a hand on her shoulder, which made her give him an odd look- he quickly retracted his hand “I wish it were not so as well, I would like to think that he became my friend as well as yours by the end… though perhaps some of your… experiences with him may have skewed your perspectives on the ma-”
The glare on Mithennor’s face cut him off short.
“ah, well, maybe we should rejoin the others and think on what to do about the matter.”
When they did rejoin the others, the opinions were varied and far apart, but eventually Adun made himself heard, putting forth with good reasoning that they all should travel after Thane, overtake him before someone else did. It was not only possible but probable that they were being tailed at this point and Thane by himself was a grave danger.
He had several hours of a head start, it would be prudent to move with no small amount of haste after their companion. What they were to do with him after the caught him, they were unsure.
Mithennor, however, had a question for the other Rangers which had assembled;
“why did none of you stop him?”
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: February 23, 2012 08:51
Idhrenniel was floating in sleepless dreams when consciousness and sunlight rudely awakened her. As she sat up to see the stunned faces of Mithennor and Sirion, icy fear gripped her. Frantically Idhren searched the bedding and near surroundings brush and loam scrambling beneath her fingertips. A pang of realization struck the elleth once she found the palantír removed from her side. "Where is he?" Idhren stammered, terrified at the prospect of the stone being in his incapable hands. Her nervous gaze around camp found that indeed Thane had gone from their company, palantír in tow. Then, the she-Elf took to self-beration, angry for the fact the stone was gone and for letting herself become intoxicated.

As the others debated about their next move, Idhren remained in the background, contemplating her own. A disputation arose between the Rangers and the elves as the latter sought to find the Ranger's reasoning for allowing Thane passage. Idhren instinctively knew that tensions had recently increased between the two groups, and she strongly disliked it. They were all messengers in this tricky business, and discord between them would solve nothing. While the others were preoccupied with their quarrels, Idhrenniel snatched up her haversack and silently retreated from camp.

As an elf, Idhren possessed remarkable tracking skills. In his drunken stupor, Thane's trail was not hard to miss. But, he had at least half the night's march ahead of her. Although she had not told anyone her intentions, Idhren left a mark every ten yards, a simple rune etched into tree's bark. She thought it better to leave a discernible trail rather than to leave her absence to fruitful imagination. Physically recovered from her last ordeal, Idhren knew she could match Thane for arms, but she sincerely prayed it would never come to blows.

Sure steps took the elleth through the woods, covering ground quickly. In his stupor, Thane had left a clear trail, broken branches, disturbed ferns, crushed loam. Idhren traveled like a wraith when she was not marking her trail, hoping she would come across her friend before he put himself into a dangerous situation. But knowing from experience, dangerous situations seemed to follow the group of elves like a persistent plague...
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: February 26, 2012 12:57
Lindir took a quick head count of the rangers and was somewhat relieved to see that none of them had followed Thane out of the camp. Had they known Thane's intent he was certain someone would have followed, killed him, and taken the palantir for their own. He had heard enough of the chief rangers whispers to know that he desired the palantir and felt it was their birthright to possess it.

"He can't have made more than two or three leagues." Lindir commented as he scanned south and east of the camp. "An age beneath the waves and the grinding of the ice has corrupted the stone. It was something we should have prepared ourselves for. Now that I look back the signs were clear. The stone has a grip on Thane and to what end it will lead him we cannot even guess." He turn quickly and scanned the rangers faces but his gaƶe settled on Adûn. "You should take care Adûn, we hear much better than any man or beast in Arda could hope to. Had you used the stone as you desired, it may have driven you mad. This may well be the reason why the stone was to leave Arda." Lindir picked up his bow and pack. "It is just a guess but we will find him, of that I have no fear. Whether it be dead or alive and if he still carries the stone is the only question." With a nod to the others he left the camp at a sprint to catch up with Idhren. It would take more than one to find Thane and get him back. Who knows what the mixture of ale and the power of the stone had done to Thane mental balance. Even in the best of times Thane was somewhat unbalanced and uncomfortable in his own skin.

He followed Thane's trail as it wove back and forth and at some points he had clearly fallen. Idhren's trial was not so readily visible. As he sprinted to catch Idhren he wonder what frame of mind they would find Thane in and what if he drew his sword rather than surrender the palantir? He ran for nigh on an hour but he finally caught sight of Idhren ahead; she was on one knee examining the ground. When he was within two hundred metres of her she turned and stood, startled, with her hand on her blade. He walked up to her and gave a grim smile.

"So we seek for a thief in the night." He commented and then he told her of his thoughts and why Thane may have disappeared with the stone. "I cannot guess what it is in the stone that may have a hold on him. Whether it is evil or despair. I cannot imagine the despair Arvedui and his rescuers felt when they knew death was upon them. After so much hardship only to perish with those who braved the ice to rescue him. It may have cursed the stone and now it drives him mad. It is only a theory so tell me what have you learned from his twisted trail?
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: February 27, 2012 09:03
In the distance, Adun sat in the deep shadows of the surrounding trees that grew between the ranger camp and where the elves had set up their temporary living areas. It was the night that all the plans would be put into motion, and if everything went to plan then the palantir would soon be off into hiding. Thane had been sitting alone for some time, and Adun had at first begun to worry about how the rangers would have to deal with the two elves if they did not join Thane. Thankfully, he invited them over. Adun smiled, it was even better this way, because Thane had been the one to prompt the others to drink with him. Thane poured three mugs of ale for the elves and himself, and they began to drink.

Thane will drink, it is his crutch. The hope is that the others will join him instead of leaving him to his misery alone. The words echoed in his head as the three continued to imbibe. "We have many herbs, some for seasoning, others for medicinal purposes. That which is meant to heal, can have strange effects if administered at a great enough dose. This," The wizened ranger held up a spade shaped leaf that had small ridges on the edges. "is meant to soothe headaches, but if taken in a concentrated dose, will put you into a sleep that cannot be escaped for hours." Adun took the leaf from the other ranger and broke it, smelling at the tear and then sticking one side into his mouth to chew and suck at the juices.

"There is little smell, or taste to it." He noted, and the older man nodded, a thin smile on his face. "Are there any long term side-effects to such a high dosage?" he asked, wary of the answer. The rangers needed the palantiri, they were desperate. Adun would not stand by if they were to hurt his friends though, he could not abide poisoning the others if there was a chance they would not wake up from their sleep.

"There might be some fuzziness as they come to, and memories might be blurred. The lightheaded feeling will dissipate within an hour or two, there is no long lasting impairments." Adun was nodding as the other man spoke.

When he finished, Adun said "Do it, we need to be able to move the stone without them waking." Adun spit the leaf into the bushes as he left the medicine man's tent. That night, the elder ranger arranged for the ale that was to be delivered to the elves camp to be laced with a generous brew of the herbal concoction. Even one mug would be sufficient to put the elves into a slumber deep enough not to wake as the stone was removed from Idhren's belt.

Thane continued to drink generously, and after a while Adun began to worry once again that the poor drunkard might poison himself into a sleep that he would never wake from. As the night wore on, Idhren and Lindir both obliged Thane and continued to drink with him. Soon enough, it became clear that they were all beyond the influence of simple ale, and one by one each fell into a deep sleep. Adun counted slowly to 100, none of the elves stirred besides the steady rise and fall of breathing chests.

Adun gave the signal and four rangers moved in, their feet gliding silently over the earth as two moved to Thane and one to Idhren's belt. He deftly cut away the pouch and tucked the palantir into a knapsack. He had orders to head north-east to the secluded ranger encampments, hidden in the mountains. He was to make all haste, but also to leave as little trail as possible. They had chosen a rather lithe boy, young but experienced in running messages and scouting missions. He would do his job perfectly. The other two rangers unceremoniously hefted Thane up onto their shoulders and made off in a south-westerly direction. They had the same orders as the runner, to move fast and discreetly. After they had gotten a sufficient distance away they would place Thane somewhere he would be safe until he recovered and came to.

Then final ranger had no such orders. He was to head south-east, and while doing it at all speed, he was to leave a clear trail behind him. This ranger was to run as if he were a drunken man who had stolen his prize. When it was all said and done, Adun settled down to try to sleep, none found him.

As the next morning came and slowly grew into nearly noon, Sirion and Mithennor finally returned to camp to find Lindir and Idhren still unconscious. They were shaken awake and after the elves got what they believed was a grasp on the situation, Idhren followed by Lindir headed off to follow Thane.

"Why did none of you stop him?" Mithennor had said. None of the rangers had answered, and she asked again, this time louder as the chieftain worked his way to the front.

"We did not stop him, my friend, because we were not aware that we were to detain our elven allies if they had errands to run. Our sentries must have assumed that he was on an important mission, and best not to interfere. I must sincerely apologize to you, but we did not want to intrude on your affairs." He bowed his head slightly in what would appear to be shame. "Adun, you know our elven comrades best. I am commissioning you to accompany them once again to hunt down Thane and stop him. This is the best contribution I can give you to right what has been done wrong." Adun nodded grimly, as another piece of the plan went into place. He had to continue to accompany the elves, if only to help distract them as long as he could to provide more time. If he could, he would accomplish the task without them even suspecting he had been included in the original heist.

The elves broke camp haphazardly, gathering what they could and raced off down the trail that Thane had supposedly left behind. The three ran in silence, a palpable tension between the two elves that Adun felt he should not be included in. Whatever had happened between Sirion and Mithennor, he was sure it had not gone well. Or at least there were some regrets associated with it. He hoped that he would not have to regret his own actions that night as the day wore on.

Sirion had his own knot of emotions to contend with that started as Mithennor had first woken him. He had tried to say something then, to apologize, anything, but she would have none of it. His mind bounced around from Thane, to the palantir, to Mithennor and the previous night. He could not think straight, and was thankful that he was only following and not leading at the moment. His stewing made the tension between them thicken, but he knew nothing could be said now, not at this moment and not in front of the ranger. Instead, he kept trying to formulate what he would say when they were alone, but much like the night before, he couldn't find the words. He wished ruefully that Mithennor were a piece of steel, he knew how to work those. He understood metal, could anticipate how it would respond to him. When he was with her he felt a novice, overheating the metal and not knowing how to properly form a blade. He had just bungled things and made the situation even worse than it already was. Sirion was already feeling the regret of his actions that fateful night. And so they ran, in silence.
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Post RE: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: March 01, 2012 07:57
“The elves will be upon us all if he dies.” Came a low voice from the darkness. “I hope Dulgîn knows what he’s doing.”

“He lasted the night. I’ve seen wargs die of poisoning from breaking into our stores, and the fool elf drank the majority of that keg.”

Thane woke slowly, feeling extremely sick to his stomach. He stirred sorely and could hear two quiet gasps as his movement was noted. The ellon was lying half alive in the dirt, his hands and feet bound tightly. He tried to open his eyes and drag his heavy head from the cold ground, but the blind fold around his face prevented it. “Where am I? What’s happening?” Thane croaked softly. He couldn’t deny that he had risen to worse before.

“You should have left him gagged!” growled the second voice.

“We were ordered to keep him alive! I can’t do that when he vomits in his sleep! You just said your sleeping draught has poisoned wargs!” replied the first.

“It has been hours since his last fit, and he’s awake now.” A rag was shoved roughly between Thane’s teeth and over his tongue before being secured tightly behind his neck. “March on.”

The half elf could feel his captors lift him awkwardly from the ground and heft him onto their shoulders. Their gait was surefooted but stiff, making sure the ellon was aware of every bump and depression in the road. Were he not so startled and confused about his predicament, Thane might have sympathized with Mithennor and the similar fashion in which he and Sirion had treated her not so long ago. Thane tried not to panic as they bore him to some unknown fate.

Aside from the obvious things, he tried to get a general idea of what was currently wrong in his world. He realized that he couldn’t properly remember when he had fallen asleep or even how he had come to be wherever that was, but this was not so unusual a thing for Thane. If his cold feet could tell him anything, it was that his boots were missing. A curious article of clothing to steal, or so he thought. Especially since the rest of his clothing was accounted for.

Thane tried to concentrate on something, anything that might help him at this point. As the two ran, Thane could feel moisture in the air. Wherever they were, it was close to water. The half elf took his chance and started to struggle and flail. His captors, whoever they were, were not ready for this and they dropped him. Thane hit cool soft mud and even slid partly down the side of a hill. He could hear his captors cursing as they gave chase. The half elf rolled around in the mud for a few moments, trying to leave as many signs in the earth as he could. Thane received a beating as punishment for that, and the more irascible of the two men decided he was easier to deal with unconscious. The ellon received a blow to the head and knew no more.
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: March 17, 2012 08:44
((not my best, but should get things going again))

They ran following the trail for quite some time when they found a pair of boots that had been discarded in the stream that marked the trail’s end. They all stopped short as a terrible sinking sensation took a hold of all of their hearts and stomachs. Mithennor moved forward to investigate the boots. She stooped down to inspect them, picking up the boots and turning them over slowly in her hands… they were Thane’s. Someone else had been wearing them and leaving a false trail that they all followed… she closed her eyes just for a moment as frustration, anger… she stood up, turning to face the others, boots still in her hand, she started to walk past her companions, pressing the boots into Lindir’s hands as she passed.
“They’re Thane’s… we’ve all been misled.” Her voice was flat. No good could come from this turn of events, none at all.
In a hurried unison that had been somewhat lacking while they had been under the impression they were retrieving their wayward comrade they all returned to the camp, or what had once been the camp. Where only an hour before had been what had seemed a semi-permanent encampment was now broken down and expertly gone. After a few moments of despair and outrage, they searched the area thoroughly and found only two trails. Anyone else would have missed them, had it not been for the keen eyes of the fair folk. Even Adun didn’t catch them. But Sirion discovered a trail headed in one direction- it belonged to two figures that were heavily burdened. Presumably with Thane. The fact that they were going through this much difficulty to move him affirmed, atleast to a certain extent, that he was alive and that they intended for him to remain such. Though for how much longer and to what point and purpose, none could suppose.
Idhren caught the second trail, one belonging to an individual that moved swiftly and was not burdened at all. the stone is light to carry, even if heavy to bare Mithennor thought bitterly as her eyes followed the indentations in the ground until she could see them no more from where she stood. They stood around for a moment, each in their own thoughts. Adun seemed to have more preoccupations than the rest. Mithennor gave him a scrutinizing look that he could not meet.
Sirion spoke first. “I’ll go after Thane . I feel I’d be one of the ones best suited to this.” He gave Adun a discerning look “you should come with me.”
Lindir’s face grew harder than ever Mithennor had seen it since they started this quest. “I shall retrieve the stone itself, I-” Mithennor cut him off, “I’ll come with you”
He looked startled, but nodded. There was one thing that Mithennor did not want to see, or deal with- and that was Thane and Sirion and herself together, she felt her stomach clench at the idea.
They agreed to meet back where Thane’s false trail ended when the tasks were accomplished. And with that, they all took off running in their respective directions. Mithennor was grateful for the silence as she and Lindir moved forward towards their quarry.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: March 22, 2012 06:29
(It's short, but it'll move us yet along as always...)

"So we seek for a thief in the night." He commented and then he told her of his thoughts and why Thane may have disappeared with the stone. "I cannot guess what it is in the stone that may have a hold on him. Whether it is evil or despair. I cannot imagine the despair Arvedui and his rescuers felt when they knew death was upon them. After so much hardship only to perish with those who braved the ice to rescue him. It may have cursed the stone and now it drives him mad. It is only a theory so tell me what have you learned from his twisted trail?”


Idhren shook her head, confounded. Something was not right with the trail, and it perplexed her. “I wish I could say I knew something definitive. You speak veracity in your theory, but I cannot imagine why I would not have felt the stone being lifted from my belt. The more I follow this trail, the less answers I have. This trail is clear enough to lead me through the forest, but it is not the haphazard carelessness of a drunk; it is rather calculated.” She gnawed her lip anxiously, staring at the trail ahead of her. “I do not think our quarry went this way.” Mithennor soon caught up with Lindir and Idhren, and together they chased the trail down to a sunken streambed. Mith picked up Thane’s boots with not the half-elf in them. It was then they knew that someone had played them false, and sure enough, the Rangers had fled camp within the hour.

The sight of the empty camp made Idhren’s stomach quell with fear. “It can’t be,” she stammered. But then, maybe it was not so unexpected. Lindir relayed his worries and suspicions gleaned from his listening in on the Rangers to her. Idhrenniel began to pace the perimeters of camp to find a trail. It was difficult to discern, but she found one that looked to be from one figure. She knelt down on the ground and studied the footprints. They pressed deep into the soft mud, and because the edges were hardly worn, they clearly had been recently imprinted. As she continued to study the rest of camp for signs, the other four sprinted towards the stream. Idhren told Lindir and Mithennor before they left, “It is clear that our ‘friend’ with the stone is traveling much faster than we may reckon. I will remain here for a time and meet up with you on the hour. Travel safely.” She bid them farewell and began to scour the camp with a keen eye. No stone, no disturbed blade of grass remained unturned. Finding nothing among the elves’ camp, she turned her search to the Rangers.

Immediately, Idhrenniel was struck at how disorderly the men were. Debris was scattered everywhere, and the fire had only been covered up with mud, not put out with water. Sighing, Idhren went to work, picking through the debris. Then, she found something of interest. A pouch lay on the ground next to an empty wine flask with white powder scattered about. The elf picked it up and smelled the powder. It was an herb she knew that induced a deep sleep to those who partook of it. So, the rangers drugged the wine Thane gave to us, she mused, stowing the pouch into her haversack. Slow but persistent anger began to course through her veins at their betrayal. Idhren discovered little else but the pouch, but it was enough to confirm Lindir’s fears. Without further ado, the elf sprinted towards the trail and caught up with Lindir and Mith as they followed the lone figure. The pair glanced quizzically at her as Idhren leaned against a tree, catching her breath for a moment. “Lindir,” she began, catching his eye, “our ranger friends slipped this into our drinks last eve.” She held up the pouch. “It is a sleep-inducing drug typically only used with surgeries and medical procedures, but it caught us last night. That is why I felt nothing when the stone was taken from my belt.” Her eyes narrowed angrily, and she gritted her next words. “I would have words with our friends, especially Adûn. I trust he knows something of this. But now, tell me, have you found anything of interest?”
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: June 02, 2012 09:06
The progress towards their quarry was halting, the trail was cleverly hidden with false starts that sometimes even got the best of them. They kept to their silence, not only wishing to leave as little to their presence as possible, but the mood that prevailed seemed unwilling to lift itself and stifled the need for conversation.
Sometimes miles would pass between signs of the Ranger’s passing, the signifiers sometimes so brief as to almost pass their trained elven eyes. Mithennor felt the frustration rising. That they would catch the man, she did not doubt… unless this plan had been laid before they even returned with the stone, but to what end? They would catch up eventually, but she was also worried about her other companions, Thane and Sirion and Adun. She realized that she and the others had been assuming that Thane was still alive. There really was no reason or point to keeping him thus, he’d served his purpose as both the person of blame as well as the means to split their party. And once he’d accomplished both of those, he’d only serve as a liability to the duplicitous Rangers.

The terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach only grew worse as she realized that this was the scene into which Sirion would be arriving… Sirion, Thane’s closest friend. Her mouth was a thin set line that drew a concerned glance from Idhren, but when Mithennor gestured to her own expression mirrored on Lindir’s face, Idhren grimaced and nodded, her own expression grim if not as much as those on the other elve’s faces.
Eventually, they came across something new… there were other trails, now besides the one they were tracking. Others, coming in from different areas and directions…. And all converging towards a singular direction. This was rapidly becoming a trap, or a plan that was to be unraveled in a very dramatic manner, though for good or for ill it remained yet to be determined. They paused for a moment before entering a gully in the forest, which had gotten steadily thicker and thicker as the they had progressed.

“this seems like a prime spot for an ambush” Lindir made his observations known in hushed tones, Mithennor scanned the trees surrounding them, nodding agreement.
“well then, perhaps we’ll just need to spring the trap?” Mithennor thought outloud and her companions eyed her in surprise but then nodded in consent.
They concluded through varying observations and estimations that were about 5 or 6 other men hidden in the trees ahead of them, what they could not reach an agreement on, however, was who was to spring the trap, and who would be the one to come in from behind… which after a few minutes of debate and surveying of their prospective skills and weapons on hand, Mithennor made a solid point and Lindir’s few vestiges of arguments died on his lips
“They probably assume I am with the other party given… given the circumstances” she finished lamely.
Lindir’s eyebrow quirked up, but he delicately let the subject drop as Idhren’s mouth showed the faintest of smiles. Mithennor studied the fletching of one of her arrows very closely.

she continued on a moment later “and then if Idhren comes in as your obvious reinforcements, it will make my appearance even more unexpected.”
The trio glanced towards the glen as some twigs snapped.

“we should get moving before they grow more impatient and our plotting has been for naught”


and with that, Mithennor and Idhren rose and parted, separating themselves after not much longer. Mithennor retraced their earlier progress, and then cut down across another path, following a trail of one of the other men. As she neared her intended target, she slowed her breathing and calmed her steps... she slowly inched closer and closer, and then struck him in the back of the head with a rock she had procured earlier. He crumpled silently to the ground as Mithennor caught him. His breathing was ragged, but he'd live. Though the headache he'd have later might make him wish otherwise...

his companion was in a tree, some 30 paces to her right. She hid the first ranger's body in a bush as best she could and went to climb her own tree, waiting on Lindir and Idhren to spring the trap.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: July 18, 2012 01:04
Dulgîn pushed his party on warily. As captain of this wayfaring band of rangers, the decision to relieve the elves of their burden fell heavily on his shoulders. But consequences would come with that decision. These were consequences that Dulgîn had no intention of waiting around to face. The ranger left scouts in his wake to intercept the elves, should they find his trail. They were instructed to hinder the elves in any way possible for as long as they could. So far, his scouts were taking their sweet time to report back. Dulgîn feared the worst. Adun had been so sure that Elrond’s messengers would go first in search of their lost drunkard once they discovered the false trail. It seems the elves were less forgiving of an ally’s deceit than of an addict’s supposed betrayal.

The rangers ran hard for the rest of the day. They knew all too well what nightfall would bring. Elven eyes utilized the moonlight better than their own. Death would come with the sunset. The dunedain kept several hideouts scattered all over the hillsides. The trick now was to find one that the elves were least likely to penetrate. There was no hope now of reaching their encampment without conflict. Seldom did they stop and rest, unless it was to allow their scent hounds some water. Each time they stopped, the dogs grew a little more restless. Having been trained to run patterns ahead of their masters in search of their quarry, the hounds regarded the trails behind them with both confusion and anticipation. It made Duglin nervous to watch their muzzles lift to nose what lay on the wind.

The ranger patted the bag at his side, reassuring himself that the palantir was still with him. Dulgîn recalled the moment he had cut the stone from the elleth’s side. He had known then what this road would bring. If he would just reach out and take the thing, it would likely mean his death. Death at the hands of the elves! But if he succeeded it could mean the survival of his people. It did not take the ranger long to decide that this road was worth the trouble.

As he ran alongside his brothers in arms, Dulgîn repeatedly left a few behind to slow the elves. It saddened him more than a little that none of those he commanded had yet made it back to find him. He prayed that his pursuers had at least been merciful. Dusk was fast approaching now, and all that remained were the hounds and three of his officers. Dulgîn came into a glen and set his back against a large boulder. It would soon be dark, and his tactics had run their course. Facing the elves was the only thing within his dignity to do. The ranger sent his men into the surrounding woods to secure the area, but kept the hounds close to his side. He could not now allow the palantir to make it south. Not when the need of the dunedain was at its greatest. If the elves wanted it, they would have to pry it out of his hands.

He sat down against the rock and laid his sword across his lap. Dulgîn had never been in a fight with an elf before, but he had fought alongside of them. He knew their potential. The ranger would need every ounce of strength for the battle to come. He brought to mind everything he had to lose and gain.

The more he allowed his mind to wander, the more he realized: he did not want to die today. He had been raised to serve his kinsmen and knew that one day he would meet his demise for them. But now that he was faced with the choice, it scared him. Dulgîn suddenly stood. He felt down at the bag on his side once more. Giving up the palantir was not an option. He would not be parted from it. It was his now! He had taken it for his own!

Dulgîn started to panic and the hounds at his feet whined uncomfortably at his change in energy. He smiled then and even laughed a little when he finally decided that the elves couldn’t kill him. If they were on his trail, then their drunk companion was still in the ranger’s custody. Clearly they had higher priorities than finding their friend, but how would they react when faced with the threat of Thane’s death? Dulgîn crossed his arms over his chest and smiled broadly. He stood contentedly now in his glen and waited.
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: August 07, 2012 07:43
Darren crouched in his tree, eyes wary and kept upon the elves in the clearing. The pair knew that they were being watched and were obviously wary of traps, but seemed to not be aware of either himself or his companions.



Thus far it seemed most likely that the smith, Adun, and the short-haired she-elf had gone after the drunk, leaving the lovers to track down the stone. Slowly, so slowly he drew an arrow and started to bring it to his bow… the pair suddenly dashed out of his view, punctuated with a cry of surprise that was that of one of his compatriots. Just as suddenly something hard was around his throat, tightening. He let go of his own arms, unaware of where they landed as he clawed at the thing around his neck…. Bow, it seemed to be a bow… but… twisting in an attempt to throw off his attacker he saw the other she-elf, green eyes blazing and hair askew. There was no mercy in that intense gaze as his vision slowly faded to black…



He woke sometime later on the floor of the clearing with the others; two of the elves had their bows trained on them as a group, each with two arrows knocked and ready to fly at the slightest provocation. He studied them both as he rubbed his throat. One of them was the black haired one… Mithennor, he thought he’d heard once before… and the other was Lindir. If anything else, the quite, pure fury in Lindir’s eyes let Darren know what would befall anyone of them that tried to escape. Soon, too soon it seemed the other one, Idhren, joined them, carrying an armload of thick branches. She also wore a bleak expression and gestured at the small coil of rope that had been taken off of his belt (he realized). It would not be enough to bind them all. A small bud of hope had started to rise in his chest as he lay there unmoving, listening to the elves converse in their tongue.



Mithennor seemed to have been trying to prove a point, she then bent down to gather the rope and a single branch and headed over towards him, face like a stone. He steeled himself as he was forced to sit upright



surely they wouldn’t stoop to killing an unarmed man?

The hope that had been there moments before gone as apprehension took its place and flourished.



His knees were pushed to his chest, a branch placed firmly beneath his knees while his arms were drawn under the branch to hug his legs even tighter. He would not have co-operated excepting Lindir had both his arrows trained at him, and Darren figured that this, whatever it was, would be easier to escape from than death or the elves… momentarily they were equated with each other in the man’s mind.



He realized what was going on as his wrists were bound together. Mithennor, clever ranger that she was, knew of a way to bind them all using minimal rope… they had meant to leave them alive… though bound in these woods, there was no guarantee that they’d live to see the next dawn. The branch kept his arms immobilized and just by tying his hands.. he would have been more appreciative if Mithennor hadn’t yanked the rope so hard just then to tie him down. Soon the others were bound as well, and then gagged.



A surge of anger and frustration took over as he tried his bonds, after a few moments of struggle, his wrists were bleeding and he fell over, with no way to right himself.



The trio eyed their captives one last time before melting into the woods, both unseen and unheard. Darren wished Dulgin luck, skill and everything else he could think of. The elves were coming with death in their eyes, and they meant to take back the stone.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: August 23, 2012 07:44
The chase was on!

Idhrenniel, Lindir, and Mithennor pursued their quarries like hounds after hares. They had barely paused to secure their prisoners in the glade. They had bound the found Rangers to branches then quickly hurried on their way. Fire pounded in their veins, flew from their eyes as their steps carried them further and further into the trees. Greenery turned to a blur as they halted only to check for signs. Idhren took the front, being more experienced at such signs than the others (not that she distrusted their abilities). Barely discernible to most mortal eyes was an even subtler trail about a slow half mile from their first trap.

For a moment, Idhren paused, motioning for complete silence as she traced indentations on the loamy ground. “These are but a half hour old,” she whispered as softly as the wind. “They are shallow, ill-formed. Our friends are hurrying, stumbling, becoming more reckless. They are frightened.” She fell quiet as her slender fingers found rounder footprints. “And they possess hounds. When we encounter them, we must be careful. I fear they outnumber us three to one.” Idhren held up her hand for silence once more. “And, we are not alone.” An arrow zipped a hairsbreadth away from her head. The elleth ducked and rolled into the brush before straightening herself and brandishing her bow. The other Elves melted back into the woods and removed themselves from the path. Their keen ears caught the low baying of hounds as well as gentle footsteps treading not a few yards in front of them.

Training their bows in front of them, the trio maneuvered slowly forward and edged into another clearing. Idhren placed herself up against a massive spreading oak, and only the breathing above her alerted the elleth to a Ranger positioned in a branch. The cloaked man brandished a branch and struck Idhrenniel on the head. Winded, the elleth stumbled back a stride and fell heavily to the ground. Immediately Lindir was at her side, letting fly an arrow which embedded itself into the man’s shoulder. He screeched in alarm, and suddenly, chaos reigned.

Idhren, supported by Lindir, and Mithennor tore out into the clearing where they quickly became surrounded by a half score of Rangers. All of them had their bows trained on the trio. One Ranger held onto three burly hounds. Straining at their tethers, the massive dogs growled menacingly, their hackles raised. They were clearly trained for killing. It was a standoff. The three Elves stood back-to-back. As Idhren came back to her senses, with the onset of a migraine, she made the obvious comment in dry humor, “Friends, quite clearly we are surrounded. How do you propose we escape this little setback?” It was mutely agreed that speed would be their best chance of escaping. Though in normal circumstances the number difference posed no problem, the proximity of the Rangers coupled with the dogs lent danger to their situation.

“Well now, what do we have here?” one of the Rangers asked, sighting down his arrow. “Three Elves out for a quiet stroll in the forest. Pity that you will not live to see the sunset.” But before he could release his arrow, a dagger pierced his throat. In a split second, the trio acted. They knew better than to make a standoff against such odds, but dodging arrows where they could, the Elves sprinted off after loosing a volley of arrows. Their long strides outpaced their enemies’, but the hounds were soon on their trail. Idhren and the others fled into the cover of the trees. The dogs were but five yards behind them.

Lindir shouted of the need to slay them, and three well-placed arrows soon silenced the baying dogs. But, escape was not imminent. For who knew what other Rangers lay in wait for them? Mithennor soon took the lead and raced ahead while Lindir remained behind as Idhren began to feel light-headed. The blow to her head hurt more than she care to let on. The pursuers were soon lost, but it was a matter of time until their own trail would be followed. In the meantime, Mithennor returned from scouting ahead and mentioned an outcropping of rocks a quarter mile down another hidden trail. Could this be another trap? They conversed amongst themselves and decided to scout it out. This time, there would be no surprises.

Stealthily, they covered the last distance to the pile of what looked to be granite. All climbed trees to not only wait out their pursuers, for surely this was the direction of their travels, but also to keep an eye on the rocks. Idhren and the others suspected the presence of more Rangers. They were rewarded as their pursuers, huffing and cursing, neared the outcropping. One cried out, “Dulgîn!” before approaching. And it was at this time that the pain in Idhren’s head climaxed, and she blacked out, taking smaller tree branches with her as the elleth fell to the ground.
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: October 28, 2012 10:34
Horror bloomed across Mithennor’s face as Idhren tumbled limply from the tree. It was all she could do not to call out and attempt to catch her, she looked over at Lindir’s face, which was stricken. He jerked his head in another direction indicating that she should stay put and jumped down after Idhren. Mithennor stayed where she was- hidden and as of yet unnoticed. She watched as the chaos unfolded below her; the rangers drew themselves around Lindir and Idhren, drawing weapons and holding themselves as the dominant aggressors while Lindir held Idhren’s still unconscious figure to him protectively.

Mithennor drew further back into the foliage, slowly, silently, trying to keep her shaking under control- fear, anxiety, anger coursed through her with the adrenaline. Finally one figure, Dulgin, emerged. Even if they hadn’t called him out by name, the deference with which he was being treated would have revealed him otherwise. Her breath hissed between her teeth as she scrambled for a plan, something... anything... Lindir and Idren were in danger and the talks of the men below weren’t friendly.

And she had four arrows left. She bit her lip and brushed the tear that traced a clean path down her cheek away angrily. The dagger she had would be of no use as long as she was up in a tree. A quick glance down to the ground told her she had precisely no more time to think of a cunning escape.

“if only I had some rope” she clenched her teeth. Suddenly, an idea so recklessly ridiculous came to her mind in an almost blinding moment of clarity- she almost laughed aloud. She removed the small dagger and started to quickly peel the bark from the shinglewood tree in which she was ensconced. The bark came off in long sheets which she quickly knotted together, twisting and knotting, over and over again, in this action her mind found the clarity and resolution that she had been seeking since that morning’s dreadful dawn. She soon found her fingers slick with both blood and sap as it approached the length she estimated she’d need... carefully, she looped it over a strong looking branch above her and lowered herself to one slightly lower, knotting a loop in one end. gathering it all in her hand, coiling it and looping it for what she had in mind.. and she’d have to act faster than perhaps was possible. Making sure it was securely caught in the branch above, she braced herself and pulled out all four arrows.

Dulgin had moved to stand right below her and they were starting to toy with Lindir, as a cat does a mouse. Oddly, her blood did not boil, she stayed calm, cold.... sure. Taking a breath she aimed and shot her four arrows as the rangers moved in with their weapons- One aimed for the neck of the man with the dagger holding Idhren by her hair, moving the blade towards her neck... the other three landed in the soft ground in front of Lindir. Linder now was armed, though she took her eyes off of the fray unfolding, she could hear the cries of alarm, surprise, pain and then the bleak, final silence. Concurrently, she dropped her noose around the neck of Dulgin, caught short by the knot. She rolled off of her perch, using herself as a counter weight to drag the duplicitous ranger into the boughs above. On her way down as the man rose, she sliced the pouch from about his belt with her small blade. When she landed, she maneuvered the man to stand, barely, upon a branch. He would not die provided he did not move, or try to yell.. should he try either, he would risk either snapping the tender branch, or losing his precarious perch upon it. She knotted the rope around the branch upon which she had landed and turned to see Lindir dispatching some of the other men... grabbing a longer blade, she went to defend Idhren, still prone upon the ground.

After a few more moments when the others were down or had run off to find their compatriots and their leader she and Lindir stared at one another. Lindir lifted Idhren into his arms while opening his mouth to speak

“Not now, and not here” she cut him off, she jerked her head up towards the tree where Dulgin’s boots could barely be seen as they stood upon the tips of his toes, shaking from the effort of remaining stationary. His eyes narrowed at the figure and got even narrower as they bored into Mithennor’s face. She retrieved the pouch from where she had stowed it, and opening it, stared back at the stone. She nodded grimly and re-tied it to her waist, turning on her heel-

“we should be moving” her voice flat and hard.

“You’re bleeding” his tone wasn’t much warmer but he followed and even increased the pace. As she increased her speed she slowly became aware of a wound near the small of her back and a sticky warmth seeping down the back of her leg from it... leaving a trail.

”when did that happen?” she searched over the events of the past hour before concluding the branch she rolled onto must have had a small branch she did not spot prior to landing on it.

“You go on, aid the others. I’ll lead them off on a false trail.” A look of protest wrote itself across his face. She pursed her lips together as the wound asserted itself more vigorously now that she started to pay it mind. Idhren was starting to stir in his arms, causing momentary distraction. She tied the pouch with the stone to his belt.

“We cannot afford to have them find you, and this way I’ll give them something to chase after that isn’t important. Fly, my friend. I shouldn’t be hard to find once you rejoin the others.” Without waiting for a response, she broke away from Lindir, heading in another direction, rending fabric above the wound so that the blood would flow a bit freer, making a clearer trail without it seeming too obvious. She clenched her teeth as she felt the offending piece of wood protruding from her hip. It went in at an angle and sent a jarring pain down her leg that seemed to grow with every step.

She ran on, pausing every now and again to leave a bloody handprint on a tree while she caught her breath.


(((ooc: shinglewood- also known as a red ceder tree, most often found in the northern settings... so... yay))
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: November 01, 2012 10:46
As the youngest and swiftest of the rangers it was often Niphad’s job to run messages back and forth between his lord and the main encampment. Although his required tasks had been odd as of late. It was he who had left Thane’s false trail, and he who tracked the elves current progress towards Duglin. The scout’s his lord had dispatched to slow the elves were easily turned aside. Niphad did not feel encouraged to hinder them.

He waited patiently for the elves to move on before running to aid his beaten brothers. Among the men left behind he found Duglin’s second in command. Unsure of his next orders, Niphad went to him for an update.

“Find our hostage,” the man had bade him. “Duglin will need him now.”

At this Niphad turned and ran without a word. Light on his feet, he climbed the western mountain and strove for its crest. He wasn’t exactly sure where the elf Thane had been taken, but Niphad knew how to find him. His muscles burned but he pressed on, trying to ignore the steep grade. The ranger crisscrossed familiar trails. But in his haste he threw caution to the wind towards the peak of the mountain and simply crashed through the bracken. He stopped a moment to catch his breath. When he finally found his feet, Niphad looked down in the next valley and scanned quickly down the riverside. It would be easier going for the two rangers dragging an elf to move along around there. He spotted them at long last on the far side of the mountain, flashing back and forth between the deer trails.

The young ranger grumbled to himself at the distance remaining and shot down hill as fast as he could. The trail he left in his haste could have been picked up by the greenest of trackers. Niphad seemed not to care. His Lord required aid.
___

He’s heavy for an elf,” said the first of Thane’s captors.

“With all the forest dancing and merry making that they do, he most certainly is. Elves usually look lightfooted.” Added the second.

Thane had been awake for some time now, but knew better than to appear so. Not after his first beating. The half elf swore softly into his gag that he would kill these men when the chance arose. He was now both forcibly mute and paralyzed. Thane did not appreciate the added handicaps to his already long list.

“Hail Brothers!” came a voice from the forest. The half elf stirred a bit. The newcomer was greeted by Thane’s captor’s and he quickly imparted news of recent events. “Duglin did not make it to the encampment!” Niphad said in a worried tone. “The elves are upon him. We need the drunkard for leverage.”

The first of Thane’s captors grumbled a bit. “They did not come in aid of their friend. What makes you think his life means anything to them?”

Thane stifled a retort. The three men argued briefly before changing their course.

As far as Thane was concerned, he was not hurt by being abandoned by his friends quite as much as the prospect of being the reason they failed to kill Duglin. The half elf set his jaw and prepared for the coming pain as he fought and struggled against his captors. Their going would be slow if Thane had anything to say about it.
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: November 07, 2012 10:35
Shadows danced across Idhrenniel’s eyes and filled the corridors of her mind. She could hear the frantic conversations hovering above her, but the elleth could little fully open her eyes. Pain streaked throughout her body as Idhren shifted ever so slightly, especially in her head. Idhren knew she had suffered a concussion as soon as she regained consciousness after falling from the tree. When she finally came to, the elleth found herself in Lindir’s embrace, Mithennor gone. “What happened?” Idhren muttered, sensing they were alone.

“I cannot explain here, but we must be gone. The Rangers have run off to find their leader, and this leaves us little time to tarry. I am in possession of the stone, and we can ill afford to wait here for them to come back,” Lindir replied grimly. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

Idhren visibly grimaced. “Ill, and right miserable. I heard Mith went off on a false trail, correct?” Lindir nodded, eyes not leaving her face. “Good, then that gives you time to find Sirion and Adûn.” She shook her head slightly to stave Lindir’s protestation. “Yes, Lindir, you heard me correctly. You must leave me and search out the others. I can only assume that upon the Rangers’ return in this direction, they will see the trail and follow Mith. This leaves you to your own devices.”

“Not for the Blessed Realm would I leave your side,” Lindir began, tenderly stroking her forehead.

“You must,” Idhren returned emphatically. “We are both in danger if we are found together. You know as well as I do that we will be slain and the palantír retaken should the Rangers happen upon us. I will only hinder your travel in my condition.” She winced and closed her eyes as a wave of pain surged through her. “Do not follow Mithennor; forge your own trail without me. Once I am in their possession, I am certain the group that takes me will reconnoiter with Thane’s captors. I will plan our escape then. You must believe me.” Their sensitive ears caught the soft treading of footsteps in their direction. “Lindir, go now. You cannot wait any longer!”

Without another word, Lindir kissed her once, laid her gently on the ground, and fled like a startled deer. It was not too much longer before a group of Rangers happened upon Idhren on the ground, trying to stand against a tree. They surrounded her, and Idhren felt helpless. Without ceremony, one of the Rangers unsheathed his sword and leveled it at her throat. “Where is the stone?” he asked flatly without any ceremony. “There were three of you, and we know one of you bears it. I can see you do not. Refuse to tell me, and you die.”

Idhren laughed harshly. “Then kill me. For you will not ring out the location of the stone from me even with threats.”

“Very well, you shall tell us along the way. Seize her.” Before she could protest, Idhren’s arms were forced behind her by two sturdy men. Her wrists were tightly bound, a dirty rag stuffed into her mouth, and another club blow knocked the Elf unconscious. One of the Rangers tossed her lightly over his shoulder like a lifeless doll. The group’s leader failed to mention that at least a half score Rangers pursued Mithennor while the rest made for the remainder of their group. The less scattered they were, the better.
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: November 11, 2012 09:30
she tried to pace her steps in time with her pulse... but in time it grew too fast, and her legs grew heavy and her head grew light. She heard the footfalls behind her, far more than she would have liked, but it had the comforting fact that as many as were tracking her were leaving Lindir and hence the stone alone.

Her head spun, and somehow it felt like it had been hours... days... what did time matter?

no, it does matter, it may have only been a single hour, keep running... just keep running

and so she did. She was unsure of how long, but after a time, her head spun and she started to stumble, the wound in her back that had been a fierce ache had now gone numb, and her feet were painfully cold, her breath coming faster and faster though it felt as though she couldn’t breathe deeply enough.

The end of her endurance was coming to a close, and swiftly. Off in the distance she heard a roaring stream, and a last idea entered into her head. Stooping to grab a roundish rock off the ground --stumbling and nearly pitching forward as she did so-- she placed it in the empty pouch that hung at her waist and slowed her pace, which seemed to make no difference as far as her body seemed to care. With the waterfall not but a few quick paces off, she stopped, leaning against the tree, holding as much to her side as the the pouch with the rock in it, as if protecting it. When the sounds of the rangers were near, she started running again towards the water. Finding one last burst of strength she evaded the snatching hands and arrows that shot past her head as she ran with a singular intent. Right before the hands caught her, she flung the pouch with the rock with all her remaining strength into the roaring water, to the sounds of fury from those around her as she fell back into the cruel hands of her pursuers. Her awareness of the surroundings grew even foggier, and while not wholly incapacitated, she was only dimly aware-

“What was that she just threw?”

“that DAMNABLE ELF!”

“was that the stone?”

the noises and voices ran together with the ringing in her ears as someone beat her with something heavy... perhaps a branch.

The journey to places and persons unknown was rough, made even meaner with the uncertainty of her fate and those of her companions. She had actually, she realized, come to anticipate them either leaving her to die or killing her once they had caught her.

Perhaps her little ploy had served to offset that fate a bit longer. She shivered and the rangers that were dragging her yanked her along. Eventually they met up with others- she heard a familiar gasp-
was that Idhren?

she looked around through bleary eyes and recognized the she-elf, grim and worried, she was a most welcome sight. Another idea crossed her mind... one mostly to antagonize the rangers.

In elvish she spoke, her voice shaking “Idhren, they think I threw the stone in the river”
Idhren nodded, managing both an expression of both deeper worry and relief, adding additional credence to her story. They both slumped their shoulders, this latest outburst earned Mithennor another kick which set her head to spinning even further, so much so that she missed what the Rangers then asked of Idhren.

Soon, too soon, they were moving again. Idhren had been gagged, and soon so was Mithennor, whose vision was now rimmed with black. The trudge was indeterminately lengthed and equally as miserable. But the pain was fading even further as a deeper chill set in. She closed her eyes, as it saved from trying to make sense of the moving scene around her. Off in the distance, she heard another band of rangers, struggling with something or... someone? Hard to say...

but there seemed to be something familiar in the sounds of the altercation... her heart wrenched a bit.

Thane... that was Thane.... he was still alive... where were Sirion and Adun?
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: January 14, 2013 10:46
Sirion and Adun had made a swift pace after the trail that the group had identified as Thane's real trail. You could only disguise your tracks so well, and with the dead weight of an unconscious victim the ranger's footfalls had been heavy. A heavy silence hung in the air as elf and man tracked Thane's captors.

For Sirion, he was still in a jumble of emotion. He was thoroughly drained from events over the past day. On top of feeling as if he had ruined a friendship with Mithennor and put a permanent awkward strain between them, the entire event of Thane going missing and the palantir being stolen compounded his jumble of emotions. He hadn't even had time to put things together for himself again before being hit with an even bigger problem. His perspective of Thane went from anger at his supposed betrayal to fear for his friend’s life as a captive. Similarity the trust he had quickly formed with the rangers of the north was shattered as they all learned of the deception placed on all of them. What of Adun? He hazarded a glance at the ranger, his normally stoic face now a mask of mixed emotions, no doubt worried about blame being leveled at him now that the ruse was over. The elf shook his head tightly as his mouth formed a thin line of anger. He quickly turned back to the path they were following. He had no evidence to suspect Adun of anything, but suspicions were running rampant. He had to clear his mind of everything and focus on the task at hand. Thane depended on him now.

Adun, also following the path and burdened with his own thoughts spent the tense silence planning. At first he had been thinking of ways to slow the trek to find Thane, but as time wore on his determination wavered. These were his friends now, to, and he had repeatedly urged the rangers not to harm any of them. Plans were quickly changing and a confrontation was imminent, and he had no idea what to do. He felt torn between two worlds, one he had grown up in and the other he had quickly been forced into but learned to love regardless of circumstance. He needed a way out, and he needed it fast and without bloodshed.

The trail eventually led along the bank of a stream and it became quickly apparent that a struggle had occurred there. The footsteps were along the ridge of a small incline above the stream, and then a large smear with deep tracks around it confirmed to the two that Thane was at least alive and struggling with his captors. It was a piece of bitter hope for Sirion. His friend was alive, but no closer to freedom than before. For Adun, it gave him hope that they had not done away with the troubling weight of a body yet and continued to drag him along. There was still a chance to make this right, but he felt as if he were grasping at straws.

"We must hasten our pace; wherever they are taking Thane we cannot let them reach their destination." Sirion said quietly as his fingers traced the edges of the footprints. The very edges showed the faintest signs of drying; they still had a respectable lead. They were able to move at a trot whenever the prints came close to the river, leaving deep tracks in the soft earth. Occasionally there would be a smear of mud on the grass or low branches, showing where the excess mud that had been caked onto the leading party had flaked or rubbed off. A twinge of sympathy ran through Sirion as he thought that Thane was now not only a captive, but one smothered in the dark mud and cool frozen temperatures of the North. Elves did not normally feel temperature the way humans did, but Thane was not wholly an elf, though his constitution at drinking certainly showed his blood was not all human. "We are running out of time." He mumbled as he tried to push even faster.
_________

Dulgin's legs burned and shook from the strain at keeping his toes placed on the branch. His life hung on the balance of the small branch and he could hardly move or re-position his weight without causing it to droop or his feet to slide. He was running out of time, and his desperation grew with each passing moment the Palantir moved farther from his grasp. It felt like he had stood there for days before he finally heard footfalls on the ground below. It was a group of his rangers, he was saved!

"Look there!" he heard one of them shout as their pace suddenly quickened. He felt relief flood him as they passed near his tree then despair once more as they continued past. They had found the bodies of Dulgin's retinue, murdered at the hands of the elves. He could not wait any longer and slowly filled his lungs with air.

He steadied himself as best he could and then shouted "Help! Here, in the tr-" before the effort dislodged him and his feet slipped. The braided noose that was around his neck pulled tight as he lost his perch. His feet kicked to find the foothold once more and in his thrashing he broke the thin branch and sent it to the ground. The rangers heard the commotion and came to investigate, one gasping and then quickly scaling the tree with a knife bared. He slashed the rope away and Dulgin fell unceremoniously to the ground, hacking and wheezing as he filled his lungs with air once more. His face slowly regained its natural color, though there was a welt that wrapped around under his chin and traces up behind his ears, showing his fight with a hangman's noose.

Dulgin shoved away the reaching hands that tried to upright him on his feet. He made it up on his own then quickly and silently went to the bodies of his fallen rangers. "The elves will pay in blood for the lives lost here today." He swore in a low growl. "They have stolen my Palantir." he announced with a simmering voice. "We will first regroup and then hunt them down, and kill them all." The two rangers that had found Dulgin had been a fair that had been knocked unconscious by the elves earlier and needed no prompting from their wounded pride to echo their leader’s remarks.

It did not take long for Dulgin and his small party of rangers to find the larger group, and by the time that he did they had caught the witch that had tried to hang him as well as the other female elf that had been in their group. The rangers who had taken the drunkard as a diversionary trail were also there, as a surprise to Dulgin, but it didn't even bother him as his plans of subterfuge had been replaced with murder. He stood in silence for what seemed like ages as he slowly garnered the attention of the rangers and even the elves who by now had regained enough consciousness to comprehend his words. A ranger who had captured Mithennor reported to Dulgin that the stone had been reportedly thrown over the falls south east of their position and he smiled at the news, a somewhat deranged glint in his eyes. "If it is true, then we shall retrieve it. If not, the elves will tell me its whereabouts before I finish with them." He turned to address the crowd. "My fellow rangers, these vermin," he sneered at the three elves bound on the ground "Have murdered your fellow kinsman in cold blood and stolen my stone and spirited it away from us..."
_________

Sirion and Adun came to another point in the path where a third ranger had come crashing through the undergrowth with no attempt at stealth. the trail of Thanes captors disappeared from that point and the only assumption was that the captors had met a third ranger and then followed on the return path he had come in on. They felt so close now, Sirion grinned at the pathway. They didn't even need to observe tracks to follow it, they could sprint through the forest to find the rangers now. Adun was becoming increasingly agitated as they gained on his kinsman. "There is no time to lose now, we must fly!" Sirion shouted back at the ranger as he sprinted off after the tracks. Adun had no other option but to follow.

Sirion's heart pounded his chest, trying to escape with each beat as they gained faster and faster. He was only mildly disappointed that the tracks were not this easy to follow the whole way, but he felt assured that they would find their quarry at any minute now. their pace slowed as stealth became more of an importance the farther down the trail they went until they could hear a faint orating voice in the distance. There was a clearing not far from there, and Sirion was sure that the enemy would be there. Adun had instantly recognized the voice as Dulgin's, and from what they could hear as well as from the tone; Adun felt a distinct difference in the man from what he once knew of him.

The neared closer and eventually reached the edge of the clearing. They scaled a tree to gain a vantage point as Dulgin's words finally became clear enough to follow. "...in cold blood and stolen my stone and spirited it away from us. This witch," he said as he gestured to Mithennor as she lay bound and gagged on the ground, "Tried to murder me as well, and stringing me up by my neck in a tree to die like a trapped animal!" He illustrated the bruised welts around his neck in sharp punctuated gestures. "We no longer need to use stealth and subterfuge with these who claimed to be our friends. They have declared themselves our enemies and made war on our people, slaughtering them to a man and leaving me to die!" He pointed at one of the rangers standing guard over Mithennor. "Bring her to me." he said, his voice now devoid of emotion. The guard grabbed Mithennor under her arms and began dragging her to Dulgin who had slid a curved skinning knife from the belt of a ranger who was standing next to him.

"We have to do something; he's going to kill them all!" Sirion hissed at Adun as he readied himself to jump from his perch. Adun grabbed his arm, his fingers like claws.

"Not yet, you will just provoke them and get everyone killed." He hissed back. "There is nothing we can do right now!" Sirion tried to rip away from the grasp as Mithennor made it to Dulgin's feet. He grabbed her short hair in his fist, tangling the strands into his fingers and wrenching her head back, leaving her delicate neck exposed.

"We do not owe these elves anything; we do not owe any elf anything!" Dulgin shouted. "They have never aided us in the past, always preferring the warmer places of the south. We are not bound to them by oath or blood!" He was gesturing at the rangers in the crowd, a number of them were worried expressions, confused at their leaders sudden aggressive stance and denunciations. In the tree Adun was panicking. There had to be something, anything to stop this. There had to be a way to do this without causing further bloodshed! Sirion was fighting to free himself from Adun's grasp, which had somehow managed to hold onto him and not let go, even with the blacksmith struggling against him. Sirion made to cry out, to do something to stop Dulgin but Adun slapped a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. He somehow had found leverage over the elf and struggled successfully to keep him quiet.

Dulgin continued "We owe the elves nothing, and we owe the Lossoth nothing. The Palantir is ours, it is mine by right and birth!" Mithennor struggled vainly to free herself from his grasp, but his fingers were iron. Farther out of reach the two other elves bucked wildly in protest trying to free themselves from their bindings to help her to no avail. Other rangers moved in and placed knees into their backs to keep them still and force them to watch Dulgin. "Arvedui, our ancestor and once king of our people carried this Palantir into the North and it was lost to him long ago, now recovered. It is ours, and no one can take it away from us!"

It all clicked suddenly for Adun then. Arvedui, the last king of the Dunedain had fled Angmar to the north and was given hospitality and rest by the Lossoth. They did in fact owe the Lossoth for that, and it was a great debt they still owed the Lossoth. Dulgin was wrong, and he had given Adun his way to end it all. "The blood of these elves will mark the day the rangers of the north swear that nothing and no one will take what is theirs. This is our birthright, and no one will own it but us!" He lifted the knife then brought it to Mithennor's neck, staring into her eyes as the knife closed in.

Sirion gave one final jerk to release himself from Adun and the pair lost their balance, falling from their perch. Adun landed on top of Sirion who struggled violently to right himself and find a knife, his sword, a rock, anything to throw at Dulgin to stop him. Adun pushed him down violently and vaulted off of him and ran forward, shouting "No, stop!" The entire clearing hesitated and stared at Adun as he ran into the circle of rangers, the progression of Dulgin's blade stopping.

"You are wrong, Dulgin. We owe a great deal to the Lossoth, and to these elves as well. While we stayed here in the forest, they stemmed the tide of a great evil, just as the Lossoth did in giving asylum to Arvedui long ago! Our ancestor would have been lost to the evils of Angmar had the Lossoth not extended a hand of friendship to him, and it is time to repay that debt! Release the elves, and relinquish the Palantir, do you not see it has poisoned you? You are not yourself, Dulgin! There must be peace between us; there cannot be any more bloodshed!"

Sirion had righted himself and were it not for a score of rangers circling him with bows drawn he would have charged forward and ran Dulgin through the heart with his blade. His knuckles whitened in frustration on the hilt of his sword and in an act of anger and submission he finally threw it to the ground, his eyes never leaving Dulgin as he simmered with rage.
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: January 20, 2013 10:33
Idhrenniel saw the scene play before her eyes, and she could only watch in horror as Dulgîn forced Mithennor to expose her throat. Then Sirion and Adûn toppled unexpectedly into their midst. And now, they were at a standstill. Time seemed to freeze as if they were waiting on the edge of a fragile precipice. One wrong move, and none of them would see the sunset. Idhren strained against her bonds and her captors, all the while thinking furiously. There had to be a way for her to break this tension before it escalated. The elleth hated her vulnerable position, but perhaps the best way to keep herself alive was to fall into a groveling role.

Then, a crazy, impossible scheme filtered through her muddled thoughts. Idhren only hoped that the others would play along. Their very survival depended on it. Her head began to throb, and Idhren struggled to stay conscious. The elf soon felt nauseous, and her vision swam. Not again she thought, shaking her head.

Biting her lip, Idhren began straining with all of her remaining strength. “Dulgîn!” she cried hoarsely, having heard his name from his fellow Rangers. All eyes soon turned to the bound elleth, squirming in vain against the tightening ropes. “What is this all about? The palantir or establishing your dominance amongst your Men? For surely if it is the latter, slaughtering Elves in cold blood bodes ill for such a goal.” Idhren knew she was infuriating him so it was time to adopt a wheedling tone. A sharp steel knife point dug into her shoulder blades and the nape of her neck so she dared not struggle further. “But if it is the palantir you seek then I shall be the one to deliver it to you.”

Idhren fully expected the disbelieving gasps and soft words which greeted her pronouncement. The leader of the Rangers stared at her in disbelief and growled his belief in Idhren’s fallacies. She smiled thinly. “You are not the only one who has born grievances against this group so I do empathize with your desire to kill us, however. I had the desire to give to you the stone, but the others dissuaded me against such an action, including your own kinsman!” she nodded her head gingerly towards Adûn. “The Elven folk should not mettle with the affairs of men, and what business have we to contest the ownership of the palantir? Why was it Arvedui failed to heed the words of the Lossoth? Surely they fed him false information! Do we have any proof that they truly desired to help the king?” Idhren laughed harshly. “Not at all! We may rely on oral tradition, but the Lossoth detest and distrust outsiders so why would they have helped Arvedui of their own accord?” She could sense the betrayal and resentment resonating around her. “Nay, Dulgîn, I would take great pleasure in handing the stone over to you.

“Now,” Idhren continued, certain that she had at least attracted Dulgîn’s interest. “My companion did not throw the stone over the falls as you may have seen. It was kept on my own person before you overcame me. I hid the stone somewhere near the rock outcropping in the hopes of returning to it in the future. None of the others know where it lies, including our other Elven companion who slinked off like the vermin he is. I therefore propose this: unhand me and unbind me. I will lead you to the stone and relinquish it into your possession in exchange for being allowed to live. I care not to what purpose you desire the stone. Feel free to do away with the others as you will; I bear no love, loyalty, or companionship to them. Just do not kill them. They fail to understand that the time of the Elven folk is waning, and we are better to travel west than remaining here.”

For a moment, Idhren could see Dulgîn considering her offer. “I understand that you may not believe me, and I expect your disbelief. But I beg you to realize one thing: without me, you will never get the stone. I sent Mithennor, Sirion, and Adûn off on false trails and to track you so I could find the best time to present you with the stone. And in the meantime, take my blades as your collateral and assurance of good behavior. You will never find better steel than my own weapons; they were supposedly crafted in Gondolin during the reign of the great kings. Yours are paltry compared to mine.”

Idhrenniel waited with baited breath to see if Dulgîn would accept her proposal. If he accepted, it bought them time to escape. If not, she may have signed their death warrants. The elleth sought to meet Sirion’s and Adûn’s eyes with complete apology and hope that they would catch wind of her story and react accordingly.
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
Fennuir
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: January 22, 2013 04:02
Lindir ran a few hundred metres and then turned sharply and bounded up a steep rock fall. A stately old tree had come down when the rock face fell and now it was bare of branches and bark, there Lindir sat with his bow ready and waited. He had only a few arrows left but they were enough if any the Rangers came looking for him. The voices that drifted down were excited and then he heard the gruff voice of the lead Ranger.

What a shame the branch he had been on had not snapped. He thought bitterly.

He knew they had Idhrenniel; his heart ached. His blood ran hot but to fall on the rangers meant certain death for himself and the others. He needed to follow them and find their encampment. He hoped they would leave a rear guard who he could pick off one by one and satiate his blood lust. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to be a shadow of death and fear as he took their lives one at a time. But they had his Idhren.

He followed well behind until they finally arrived at a larger encampment. He was surprised at their numbers and doubted himself for a moment but then he realised they had Mithennor as well, which meant they had the stone. The two elleths had been harshly treated and were trussed up as if they were animals. His blood boiled and his heart ached but there was nothing he could do at the moment but watch. Those dam stones, he thought. They were a gift to the men of Númenor from his forefathers, and now they accursed them. It would have been better if the stones had gone into the depth of the sea along with the island.

He watched and listened all the while scanning the encampment finding any weaknesses. He had but two arrows and would take what he could from the rangers. He paused a moment as the lead Ranger spoke.


Quote
Dulgin continued "We owe the elves nothing, and we owe the Lossoth nothing. The Palantir is ours, it is mine by right and birth!"

Lindir grew very concerned when this Ranger declared his right to ownership of the stone. He notch an arrow and if any move was made to harm the elleths he would see this man die at his hand first. What happened next he did not expect.

Quote
“Dulgîn!” she cried hoarsely, having heard his name from his fellow Rangers. All eyes soon turned to the bound elleth, squirming in vain against the tightening ropes. “What is this all about? The palantir or establishing your dominance amongst your Men? For surely if it is the latter, slaughtering Elves in cold blood bodes ill for such a goal.”

There was a strength in Idhren's voice and now he knew the Ranger's name,"Dulgin". She had a plan of some sort and was up to something so he waited to hear her out.


His shock at her words alone would have left him speechless but to learn they didn't have the stone gave him renewed hope. She was walking a fine line in baiting this man Dulgin, but he believed there was a reasonable chance it would work. Then the traitor Adûn showed up with Sirion. Lindir's heart fell as Sirion was surrounded by archers. He couldn't believe his eye's or what he heard coming from Adûn's lips. What compelled Sirion showed himself and why or what had brought this change in Adûn? Now all of the elven company but one was being held by the rangers.

Lindir watched anxiously as Dulgin pondered Idhrenniel words. When Dulgin spoke it was with a different tone, icy cold as he walk over to Adûn.

"They've blinded you Adûn. They have a way with words that can trap a weak minded man. Give them time and they'd have you believing your mother was some drunken Dunlending slut." He grabbed Adun by the hair and dragged him over to the elleths. "You've spent too much time with them, you even smell like them." He said as he shoved Adûn over between the two elleths.

Sirion made a move which Dulgin caught out of the corner his eye. The bowmen around Sirion stepped back nervously and drew their bows strings back.

"If he moves so much as a finger kill him." Dulgin roared.

"But my lord?" one of the Rangers murmured.

"Shut up!!" bellowed Dulgin. Spit flew from his mouth. He turned and faced his men. "They have my stone and I'll not hear one word said... You see they started. They're already beginning to poison your minds.... They`re twisting your thoughts, trying to bend them, to turn you against me.. The stone is mine and I'll not hear a word against it!! It's ours by right!!" Froth flew from his mouth and he used the back of his hand to wipe it away. "They have no right to usurp our ownership of the stone." He rounded and faced the captives. His eyes looked more like those of a rabid dog.

He walked past them pausing in front of each one to stare them in the eyes as if he were looking into their souls for the truth. His face was beet red and the veins on his forehead stood out between strands of wet sweat matted hair. The rash from the noose around his neck was prickled with tiny drops of blood.

"So young Ranger, which one of these ladies are we to believe? She said something," pointing to Mithennor, "about the stone to this one in their native tongue. I know a little of your native tongue you see. So I know one of you knows exactly where it is."

Lindir watch mesmerised as Dulgin became more and more erratic. He kept two arrows notched and ready as Dulgin walked back and forth looking in the eyes of Mithennor and Idhren.

"You're a lying witch!" He shouted at Idhren. "Your lot don't turn against your own kind at the drop of a hat. Do you really take me for that big of a fool?" He slapped her face hard and began to roar with laughter. In a sudden move he pulled his dagger out and went straight to Idhren's throat. In a flash Adûn reached out and firmly grabbed the sharp blade and twisted it downward sparing the elleth. Dulgin gasped and stared at Adûn. He tried to say something but only blood came from his mouth. Lindir had loosed his two arrows the same instant Adûn had grabbed the knifes blade. One of the arrows had lodged in Dulgin's chest and the other in his throat. Lindir stepped out from his hiding place and locked eyes with Dulgin as he slowly fell to his knees. He then fell forward snapping the arrows shafts under him.

For a moment no one moved. Then the bowmen around Sirion dropped their weapons. Lindir moved forward quickly and was cutting the ropes binding Mithennor and Idhren. He was being helped by the rangers who had been holding them. Blood was pouring out of Adûn's injured hand even as a Ranger was wrapping it with cloth from his tunic. Four Rangers had come forward and were dealing with the body of their dead leader. Sirion had quickly come to the aid of Mithennor. Minutes went by without anyone saying a word.

"I'm sorry it came to this." Lindir said as he held Idhren in his arms.

"I don't understand what happened to him and I likely never will" Adûn commented. "I looked up to him. I admired him from early on. He was a good man before all this took place. It was Dulgin that had sent me to be with your company."

"Well then he choose wisely." Sirion said.

"Does he have a son?" Lindir asked. "Someone to carry on the lineage?"

"Yes, he's ten."

"Ten years old and I have taken his father from him. At ten he is still too young to understand what happened here today. Will he grow to hate us as his father did?" Lindir was quiet for a moment in thought. "I will give my home in Imladris to his family. If at some time the mother wishes him to be taught some of our ways and skills they will be welcomed for as long as they wish."

"The men who were here know the truth Lindir. The boy will have many uncles among us to teach him our ways but I will take your invitation to his mother, when the time is right. You did what had to be done and we know that. Come now my friend and let us take the ladies to the healer's tent. I'm hoping we will find Thane there."
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Post Re: The Ice Crystal ((KEEP))
on: January 27, 2013 02:36
The cold knife pressed against her throat was nothing compared to the ice in Dulgin’s stare. Everything else was a darkening blur to her eyes. Struggling was more instinctual than effective at this point and somewhere, she knew that. She stared into his eyes, if he meant to kill her then he would do so while meeting her gaze. Unflinching, the pressure on the blade steadily grew... she could scarce hear what the man was saying over the thunderous roar of her own heartbeat in her ears... and in so many ways, the world was starting to slip from her- she tried not to shiver... she almost felt colder than she did when they pulled her from the orcs.

He shifted his grip and Mithennor drew in a shaking breath, thinking it to be her last. In truth, breathing was starting to become troublesome. Even moreso now than when she was running, she could not catch her breath....But the moment never came- there were other voices now, ones she had not thought to hear again. She wasn’t even sure they were real, Sirion and Adun should have been gone... somewhere...

Somehow, impossibly, Dulgin lowered the knife. The thin line of chill was still there, as were his fingers in her hair. At this rate his grip was the only thing keeping her upright as things grew ever dimmer. Something Adun was saying was causing a stir-

Arvedui..... the king who fled north

Somewhere within the depths of her awareness that had not yet faded with the blood leaving, realization bloomed. She marveled at the knowledge that came with it, the debts owed from generations ago and the legacy implied in such. Almost as if laid out by design. She shivered again as the world lurched further...

Idhren’s voice she could hear through the fog and the tensions reached a crescendo when another voice entered the arena. Dulgin let go and she did pitch forward, unable to catch herself with her hands bound. She closed her eyes, curling up as best she could as the chaos unfolded around her.

___________________

Darren’s mind was still racing over the events of the past hour. Dulgin lay dead at the elve’s feet, and both of the she-elves were in awful shape- the one that had bound him and the other rangers earlier, Mithennor, was pale almost beyond recognition, blood still leaking slowly from a wound in her back. Sirion went to unbind her while Lindir went to Idhren’s aid. Adun was conferring with the group and slowly, some of the other men started to melt into the shadows and fade back into the woods while still other stood around, much like himself, unsure of what to do. But then something caught his eye- the elve’s other companion, seemingly forgotten in the corner of the clearing. Walking towards the struggling figure, he cut the bands that tied Thane’s feet, before loosing those around his wrists. As he felt himself being freed, Thane lurched to his feet, yanking the cloth from around his head. Wheeling around, Thane’s eyes landed on Darren, who suddenly regretted freeing the half elf as Thane’s fist came crashing into the young Ranger’s face, knocking him to the ground and breaking his nose.

Thane went thundering off, yelling some choice oaths which were cut somewhat short as his other companions apprised him of the situation-

__________________

When next her eyes opened, Sirion’s face swam in front of her vision, concern etched over every feature, but his words lost in the haze. Her hands were loosed and someone gathered her up, holding her. Conferred whispers happened over head and there was a stab of pain in the small of her back that made its way through the chill, followed by stinging as someone stitched closed the wound in her back. Through the muddle she heard Thane’s voice, taking a commanding tone that issued orders between yelling at the rangers and whoever else seemed to be present.

Mumbling something even she wasn’t sure of, she tried to push some of the other hands out of her face, but somehow someone managed to get a bowl to her lips. She hadn’t the strength to fight and as soon those ministerings were finished, another bowl was in its place. She managed to croak out a “stop” between feeble sputterings, but a pair of rough hands forced another bowl upon her before finally relenting. Someone... Thane it sounded like, told her try to slow down her breathing, to take deeper breaths. She nodded, and tried though without much seeming success. She closed her eyes again and someone picked her up gingerly and carried her off to the side of the encampment, away from Dulgin’s body and where most of the activity would be occuring. She opened her eys briefly to see Thane’s face rigidly set... there was nothing short of fury writ there as she studied the half-elf’s features. He didn’t speak as he went to lay her down but before he could fully withdraw, she caught his shoulder to halt him.

“Thane...” she tried to meet his eyes, but looked down and moment before forcing herself to meet his gaze, face unreadable.

“Im naer” she paused, searching for a reaction as she carefully pushed herself up, kissing him briefly. She lay back down, not taking her eyes off his face-
“Im naergon...Goheno nin?”


(("I'm sorry"

followed by

"I'm deeply sorry, forgive me?"


there, look, SHE'S BEING NICE

also, I know there are a few small discrepancies in the timing and pacing, but one of the effects of blood loss according to the book I've been using is disorientation and a lack of being able to make sense of events occurring around you, so I took a bit of license. If it bothers anyone, let me know and I'll edit))
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: January 28, 2013 03:32
The ranger who had been foolish enough to untie Thane was fortunate that the half elf had only lingered long enough to break his nose. A friend of the downed dunedain shouted in protest, and Thane recognized his voice as one of his captors. The half elf threw caution, good sense and reason to the wind and tackled the man around the waist, scooping his legs out from underneath him as the two grappled. Thane turned his shoulder into the man and crashed him into the earth. The ranger fought to gain the upper hand, but could only concentrate his energy warding off Thane’s wildly thrown punches.

“That’s enough, elf!” growled a third man, Duglin’s second in command. The dunedain may have realized his newfound promotion then, but he did not rule Thane. He reached down to tug at the half elf’s collar to rid his comrade of punishment.

After being unconscious for half the day and blindfolded for the rest, Thane did not recognize this man’s voice. He didn’t care who he was either. The half elf’s hands were bloodied and torn from ruining his captor’s face but still he reached behind his head and jerked his collar free. He turned and head butted the new dunedain chieftain in the stomach and grabbed a handful of his hair when the man doubled over, dragging him to the ground. Thane shouted and cursed as he pummeled the ranger with his fists.

When the half elf stole the dunedain’s dagger from his belt he was tackled and restrained immediately.

“Cowards and fools!” Thane roared. “I’ll see you all in a pyre before the days end!” He started to hyperventilate in his excitement. The half elf cursed the rangers every moment he could. When he was finally released, Lindir explained the situation briefly. The reasons behind Thane’s capture, the movement of the palantir and the death of Duglin. Adun came forward then to explain and apologize for his actions and those of his kinsmen. Thane broke his nose.

“Traitors!” Thane screamed when Lindir stepped back in. The half elf was so frustrated and confused he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. “You all assumed I took the stone, and came looking for blood! But when the true thief is revealed you would make peace!” Thane paced back and forth as he vented.

Adun cupped his nose in his hands, blood and tears dribbling down his chin. “The palantir is yours to take.” He said, though he spat blood in the attempt.

“We have wounded on both sides from this foolhardy venture.” Lindir said simply, and his tone implied that this was the only reason they had not yet fled.

This sparked Thanes interest, for he had not yet seen Idhrenniel or Mithennor. He stopped for a moment and looked around. Sirion sat quietly with the ladies, clearly concerned. Thane spotted a healer nearby attending to the rangers before he would even look at the elves.
The half elf walked over and grabbed a considerable handful of the healer’s hair before dragging him over to the girls. “You and your people started this, and now you will finish it on our terms!” he growled and trudged back over to where the elleths were. Sirion sat hunched over Mithennor, attempting to talk to her quietly. Thane was out of patience so he put a foot to Sirions back and kicked him out of the way.
The healer worked for a little while without any more outbursts from the half elf.

Thane sobered momentarily in his own concern for the elleths, though his anger was far from gone. He felt his own hurts now more clearly the longer he sat still. His knuckles stung, the side of his face still ached from the earlier beating. Surprisingly enough his most pressing complaint turned out to be his frozen feet. The rangers had stolen his boots. Thane would see to it that they were replaced.

He left his friends for a moment to shove aside the men who attended to Duglin and removed the dead man’s boots and socks. No one hindered him. Thane spat on the dead chieftain’s body when the exchange was done. His actions started a little bit of drama, but no one wanted to start anymore fist fights with the half elf.

When he returned to his friends, they were already in discussion with a handful of rangers. All felt conflicted in the release of the stone into elven custody. Wasn’t it their job to see their lord’s dying will done? They did still outnumber the elves after all. On the other hand, the dunedain as a whole had no wish to be hunted as the Lossoth had been. Thane’s blood boiled any time a ranger opened his mouth. Lindir eventually moved the discussion away from the half elf, and left him with the healer.

Thane was glad of it. His pride wounded and body hurt, all he really wanted was a drink. He knelt beside Mithennor then and gave the healer a look that would cut stone as he worked. The healer knew better than to make eye contact with a madman, and moved about in silence. He struggled to prop up Mithennor as he administered liquids of some sort, and Thane pushed his way in to help without being asked.

The half elf had spent the morning vomiting and the rest of the day deprived of water. He took the bowl of foul smelling medicine for himself in a moment and drank.

“But you don’t… I mean that’s not for... Theres water over…” The healer tried to say, but averted his gaze to the ground when Thane glared at him. Whatever was in the bowl had been water at one point and that’s all the half elf cared about.

Thane took very little for himself and helped Mithennor drink the rest. When she finally came to, Thane tried to help her lay down and relax. Instead she fought for his attention and kissed him, though it took the half elf a moment to realize what was happening. He had no words for her then. Thane sat speechless. He cast a glare over his shoulder at the healer, who immediately abandoned Mithennor and attended to Idhrenniel instead. Thane decided he would never make sense of this day.

Rather than lose the moment in silence, he bent down and kissed her back with a sense of urgency. Thane gathered the elleth into his arms despite his aching muscles and stood.

“Were leaving.” He announced to no one in particular. “We do not require the hospitality of traitorous scum.”

He could clearly hear someone behind him sigh audibly. “And what of the stone?” Linder muttered. “Are you so distracted?”

“Bring it or leave it.” Thane growled and made for the open road with the elleth in his arms.

Dinenlasse
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on: February 17, 2014 10:12
(A post a year in the making. Welcome back, my friends! If I need to edit, as always, let me know.)

Groaning softly, Idhrenniel rested in the safety of Lindir’s arms. She had honestly thought would be the last thing she would experience in this lifetime. Never had fear gripped the elleth so much as it had when she experienced Dulgîn’s raging temper and feral eyes. Relief surged through her when Adûn stayed her death-blade until Idhren witnessed Thane’s assault on the Rangers. “Fool,” the elleth muttered to herself as Thane picked up Mithennor and stalked off with her in his arms.

Soon, a healer forced a foul-smelling and foul-tasting liquid down her throat, and Idhren choked and sputtered. Idhren thought of the palantír and had a thought when Lindir spoke. She struggled to sit up and whispered softly to the ellon. “Go after him if you’re torn between us and him. We are safe here, and some of us are in no condition to travel,” she said, head beginning to pound. “As for the stone, I will bear it again once we depart from this sorry place. If, that is, the Dúnedain release it into our custody,” Idhren added as an afterthought. She leaned back against a log as nausea overtook her.

Idhren soon suffered an emotional onslaught. She was angry at Thane for breaking the fragile peace, but she was thankful that the ordeal was over. The conversation now turned to the fate of the accursed stone. Rangers gathered around the central fire, and Idhren, with the aid of the healer, moved to join them. Smoke wreathed around them in grey tendrils, smelling of damp loam and wood, and it caused Idhren’s head to ache more.

“So, what are we to do with the palantír?” Dulgîn’s second-in-command began, his pale eyes settling on each member of the small council. “Clearly it cannot stay here, but who does it belong to?”

As arguments poured forth in favor of keeping the palantír amongst the Men of the North, Idhrenniel studied the movements and faces of each speaker. There were a round dozen in the group, including Adûn (still stifling the blood from his broken nose) and Sirion. Lindir had followed Thane to prevent any more of his foolhardy actions. Opinions were split among the Dúnedain with a few, including Adûn, arguing in favor of the stone returning with the elves. When there was a lull in the conversation, Idhren began to speak.

“Over the last few seasons, I have ventured forth to the highest reaches of Middle-earth; experienced life and death; formed and broken friendships; and nearly lost my own life, all for the purpose of the recovery of a heavy stone, forged in the West for Men. We could argue all day for one way or the other, speaking of Arvedui’s legacy and our own duties, of loyalties and rights and purposes. The stones of Númenor were once used for good. But now, with darkness growing throughout these lands, we cannot hope that this stone bodes well for the Dúnedain to have in their possession. Therefore I propose that we take the stone to Imladris, into the custody and protection of Lord Elrond Halfelven until it is safe to return to the Rangers of the North. The dangers of leaving the palantír in the hands of Men, however wise and noble their lineage, are great. In the house of Elrond, the palantír would be protected from the prying eyes of those who would do the North ill. We are entering into a period of evening, my friends, where we must fight a common enemy and not each other. My proposal may not sit well, but we must try to find common ground. Let us desist with this fighting and enmity; the enemy we should be fighting lies to the south, not across the campfire.”
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
Naucoaran
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on: February 18, 2014 04:52
(Lets get back in this thing!)

During the momentary down time with the aftermath of Dulgin's death, Adun sat separated from both elves and rangers. His hand had been spread with a poultice then bandaged, but the wound was deep and he knew that he would never have full mobility of that hand again. To compound things, Thane had reacted to his explanations and apology somewhat poorly and broke his nose to match his hand. Thinking back, Thane's reaction wasn't all that uncharacteristic or unexpected, and Adun blamed himself for not anticipating the attack.

After being treated for his nose Adun once again moved off from either group. He felt alone and dejected, neither group being free from some form of betrayal from him. He no longer knew where he stood. With some members of the elves like Thane, a rift would always linger between the two of them. Trust would likely never fully form between them again. For the rangers, not only had he failed in the mission, he had actively contributed to that failure. The ending result being the death of their chieftain. Wherever his road lead after this business was settled, he did not believe it let with the rangers.

In the end, he now had only one directive to follow, which was to act for the good of all. By now a gathering of elves and rangers had formed, discussing the fate of the stone. Many still wanted to keep it in the hands of the rangers. Adun saw with clarity that this would never be an acceptable fate for the stone. The heart of man was too easily swayed, too easily corrupted. His people were no longer lords and kings of land. They had no foundation, hearth, or home to call their own. They wandered, and the life of a wanderer is no life to be keepers of things such as the palantiri. He voiced that exact concern to the group after listening to the latest argument from a ranger to hold onto the stone.

"The elves will be better guardians of such power until such a time comes when the shadow is lifted from this land." Adun argued. "These are no longer tools that those who stand against the darkness can use. They have all been taken by the shadow and bent to the enemies will. Mark my words my brothers," some scoffed at the word, a painful reminder that Adun was no longer a brother to these men, not truly. "Any who would use the palantir would only benefit the enemy, and in turn would fall to the shadow. It is already lost to us; we fight over dust when the enemy builds in strength. The elves need to take possession of the palantir, or the rangers will one by one fall to darkness." This quieted the majority of the arguments voiced by the rangers, while some still stubbornly fought on. Those that continued to fight Adun was beginning to see that they would never agree to lose such a powerful artifact, even if it were useless to them.

~~~~~

After being forced from the side of Mithennor, Sirion had moved off to the side of the group of elves, nursing his wounds and pride. He sat in silence as he watched the altercation between Thane and Mithennor, brooding to himself and trying to regain control over the pot of different emotions boiling inside him. His mind was fraying with the end of the day after all that had happened and he had gone through. Watching Thane pick Mithennor up and stride defiantly out of camp, it all finally broke within him. He waited for ten minutes, staring at the pathway Thane took to leave. When he could no longer wait Sirion stood silently and, without any fanfare, checked his swordbelt and any other belongings he did not want to abandon, then he followed through the same pathway. With everyone's attention on discussing the palantir, no one even took note of his departure. He was in much better shape than Thane had been in, and was unburdened with another body. The path was easy to follow, his pace swift. In only a handful of minutes he was able to catch sight of the two elves through the trees and make his way to them. The elf was unsure what his next course of action would be, even less sure of how Thane would react in such a temperamental state. All Sirion knew was that he had to confront the half-elf. He couldn't let him just walk away. Thane had just entered a small clearing when Sirion made contact with his companions. "Thane, stop!" he called out. "You can't just walk away from this." Sirion stood, hesitant. "You can't just take her away."


[Edited on 02/18/2014 by Naucoaran]
Ohtariel
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on: February 19, 2014 03:33
JP with Carandra

Perhaps of all Thane’s possible reactions, the one that he chose was the one she least expected. Though, as he carried her off, she couldn’t particularly identify what she had been anticipating. Words were escaping her, which had happened more on this errand than perhaps otherwise in her journeys. She adjusted her head from where it had settled into the crook between his shoulder and arm to try and gauge his thoughts from his expression, though through the dirt and grim, the only thing immediately apparent were the scowl lines.

She relaxed back into her previous posture, the effort made her vision slightly grey and the elleth felt quite finished with needing to be taken care of, although at the moment there was not much else to be done.

Still, something bothered her. Many things, actually.
“You cannot expect me to believe that all of this can be...a closed matter, not with everything that has transpired since the last sunset” she raised her head to try and meet his gaze, or as best as could be accomplished from her repose.

“what are you expecting to happen from here on out..? With the rest of our companions, the stone... and Sirion?” the last name caused a knot to form in her throat that she hoped to keep from her voice.

Thane stopped dead in his tracks. “What of Sirion?” the half elf might as well have growled the name. “Lindir and Idhren will do what they need to with the Rangers. Its what they do best. But if I hear another squeak out of those hare-brained dunedain, I fear our companions will leave me to contend with them alone as they did this morning.”

“But you already know that.” Thane’s hands shook now in frustration and he moved to rest Mithennor on a nearby boulder before risking her any injury. He felt then as a beaten dog, maddened by the rough handling of the day. Thane thought to the last thing he remembered before his capture by the rangers. The image of Sirion scampering off after Mithennor in the woods stuck with him through his blindfold and gag. “What does Sirion mean to you?”

she took as deep a breath as she could and wished, not for the last nor first time, that running away was an option.
“I cannot say that he means nothing to me, as I cannot say that about any in our companionship. But” here she stopped again, the syllables seeming to be heavier than they were previous “ as far as the answer that I know you’re seeking, it is within my scope to refuse to answer. I kissed you, and I do not regret nor wish to retract the action.. that, I suppose, will have to serve for your answer”

“what I lament is that when our group left, the pair of you could have been mistaken for brothers by your actions and obvious affections for one another, and now you growl his name and seemingly could not have a care as to his well being. And for what? And don’t you dare cite me as the reason”

Mithennor had not been the original reason that Thane had his bout with Sirion, but she was definitely the cause of their recent tension. Thane took a moment to regulate his breathing and the shaking in his hands ceased. He moved closer to her now, slowly at first due to her flighty nature. The half elf lowered himself to the base of the boulder and sat, to prevent from looming over her.

“You have never been the root of our problem,” Thane said wearily, resting his head against the rock. “But the problem is our own, and I do not believe I am required to explain myself either.”

Thane felt the days’ pain now that he rested and it settled him to a small degree. He stood despite his exhaustion to keep his muscles from stiffening.

“No, you are not... though as you can ask, so can I, and so I shall again- what do you expect of me?”

The half elf brought himself up to full height and moved next to Mithennor. Carefully he picked her back up, settling her comfortably in his arms. “It is not what I expect of you, but what I want for you.”

He kissed her forehead. “I wish you happiness and health.”

As he walked he kissed down the length of her cheek. “I wish you a life full of fulfilled promises.”

He stopped and leaned heavily against against a tree and kissed her slowly on the lips. “And above all. I wish I could give you these things.”

Thane knew then the exact reason why he hated Sirion as soon as the words left him.

And it was then that Sirion himself came calling after Thane.

Knowing that the moment was now lost, Thane quickly set Mithennor down on the cool earth and rounded on his friend. Thane was tired. He had spent the day as a captive, and a very quick part of his afternoon exacting revenge and punishment on the Dunedain. His muscles ached and his body screamed for water and rest. But seeing Sirion now, he knew his pride demanded one last stand.

“Go back Sirion,” Thane growled. “Your assistance is not required.” He shoved heavily at Sirion’s chest and, thanks to exhaustion and poor footing, nearly bounced off the blacksmith.

Historically throughout the trip, Sirion had never been one to tolerate Thane’s physical violence and the same held true now. He threw a heavy blow with his hammer wielding hand that caught Thane across the face and brought him to his knees. As if to be caught in the same loop of anger and jealousy that had bound the two in all their fights, it was all Thane could do to tackle Sirion to the ground in one last attempt to level the playing field and receive his beating.


Mithennor had returned the kiss, hesitantly at first, but as they had pulled apart she saw something of a cruel revelation in Thane’s expression, as the same one bloomed with equal ferocity within her own mind- “ I wish I could give you these things”

Ah, so that was why.

Thane set her down and turned to confront Sirion who had appeared as if their thoughts had summoned him. Now as she watched Thane try to tear him down, she wished she could get up and try to pull them apart, or walk away, or be something other than a helpless spectator... she could crawl over to them, or walk unsteadily, both would be rather pointless- brook noise over a gale’s bellowing.

she closed her eyes a moment before drawing as large a breath as she could-

“CEASE THIS. NOW”

she struggled to stand, bracing herself against the tree upon which she was leaning, her vision spotted, but she persevered slowly.

she set her own face in a hard scowl, and tentatively braced her muscles to see what they could take and then pushed herself into the direction of the nearest tree, furthest away from the fray. She caught herself hard, vision spinning and her legs threatening to quit with every beat of her heart that throbbed in ears. She paused only long enough to ensure that she wouldn’t succumb to her own current frailties before repeating the process, gaining her slow progress away from the ellons... where she was unsure, but if they could each succomb to their vices, then so could she.

Sirion lingered over Thane for a few blows before taking off after Mithennor. She did still need a healer after all, no matter what the half elf foolishly thought.

Thane stayed in the dirt where Sirion had left him, unable to summon any will to fight or even sit up. He could feel the side of his face swelling and was sure his eye would be black in a few hours. Knowing that he had made a multitude of poor choices that day did nothing to help the feeling in his gut. Through his good eye he glanced up at the cloud filled sky, hoping it would rain soon so that he would not have to crawl for the nearest stream. He contented himself by scooting under the boughs of tree for rest. His friends would conclude their business soon, and would head this way for the journey home. He deemed it safe to wait for them here.

The half elf was in no hurry at the moment to finish his business with Sirion. Hours passed and a light rain started to fall. With it came Lindir and Idhrenniel, looking to guide their friend to shelter for the night before the long road south.



[Edited on 02/19/2014 by Ohtariel]
Dinenlasse
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on: February 20, 2014 10:50
After what felt like hours of discourse (though in reality less than an hour), Idhrenniel finally convinced the Dúnedain to release the seeing stone of Arvedui. Perhaps they were as exhausted by the ordeal as the Elves were. Certainly resignation and long-suffering defeat marked their demeanors. But it was not the stone that wore them down. These dark-haired, grey-eyed Men of the North were the last remnants of the greatest generations of Edain in Middle-earth, and they bore a sad and foreboding burden. Their leader, the one who would carry on the royal lineage of Isildur, was nowhere to be found. Idhren understood that the palantír was one of the last remaining heirlooms of the Men of the West, but it was up to the Elves to safeguard that heritage. Their dwindling numbers did not lend themselves much to protection of their heritage, and Idhren was sobered at the thought of bearing yet again one of the last remaining seeing stones. But, on the other hand, Elrond would keep it safe in Imladris.

So, they had fulfilled their duty, the reason they had undertaken this wretched quest in the first place. But to what purpose? What would happen when they returned to the Elven haven with the palantír in tow? By this point, Idhren cared little. She was tired, physically and mentally and emotionally exhausted. The gregarious and friendly elf maiden who had been so optimistic at the beginning of the venture had turned pensive and responsible. Aye, she had found Lindir and made the acquaintance of several other Elves, but even their bonds had been torn and sundered because of the stone.

With these thoughts in mind, Idhren slowly followed the path of her companions. Lindir had returned to her side. Though the elleth could now stand and walk properly, she could only move so quickly. But she wanted to place as much distance between the Rangers and herself as she could before retiring for the evening. Slate-colored clouds filled the sky, and rain began to spatter on leaves and loam and ground. Lindir and Idhren were conversing quietly in low, muted tones when they encountered something peculiar.

Under the boughs of a spreading tree, Thane lay, dozing lightly. Purple, blue, and black blotches covered one side of his face. At this, Idhren tossed her head in annoyance. The tensions that had simmered between Sirion and Thane seemed to have broiled, and Mithennor and Sirion were nowhere to be found. “Thane,” Idhren called loudly, “wake up! What happened? It’s as if you decided to play with a fist and found yourself on the losing side.” Before he could utter a word, the elleth continued as she stalked over to him like an angry cat. “No, don’t tell me. Sirion came upon you and Mith, and words and fists were thrown back and forth like sparring blades. I can see it now. Your face speaks volumes.”

Lindir tried to place a calming hand on her shoulder, but Idhren shook him off. “Why is it that male Elves and half-Elves find it easier to bloody each other up instead of talking things through? But alas, even I could see that sometimes the only language you speak is violence.”

As she paced, the rain fell harder. Lindir suggested they find shelter, but Idhren was not about to relent. “What happened to you and Sirion, Thane? Please do not tell me Mithennor was the only point of tension, for two Elves to squabble over a female is more like the actions of Men than the Eldar.” And in this same vein, Idhren continued pacing, her words harsh.

Eventually, the three found a small dip in the ground, surrounded by massive oak roots. No fire was lit, and so the Elves settled into a meal of cold cheese, fruit, and salted pork. Idhren now refused to speak to Thane or Lindir, and so she rested in the lee of the roots.

But her rest was to be disturbed when Adûn found them. Out of the mist the Ranger came with an unfathomable look on his face.
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
Fennuir
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on: February 22, 2014 06:51
Lord Elrond, it was said, had great wisdom and forethought. He painstaking considers all the possibilities before he acts and then selects only those best skilled to act. Lindir recalled words said to him long ago by Gwindor, an aid to Lord Elrond. How long ago had it been? he asked himself but he couldn't recall. They were hundreds of leagues from home, betrayed, bloodied, cold, and their ranks divided. How had it come to this? Had this remotely possible outcome even been part of Lord Elrond's forethought?

Quote
"for two Elves to squabble over a female is more like the actions of Men than the Eldar"

"Squabble?" Lindir said hissed. "We are not all Eldar here." His eyes turned to Thane. "He has denied his Eldar life and dwelled with men for more than three millennium. He knows their ways better than our own and he behaves as they do. Our lives and ways have become a mystery to him, as they are to all men. He would not deny it." For a minute he said nothing.

"Sirion may be young but I do not believe it was he who laid the first blow. It is not his way. You know as well as I, that for us to find someone we truly desire to be with does not come easily to the Eldar. It is a rare gift outside of the Blessed Realm. Not one to be squabble over. You might do well to remember that." He turned away from her and stood, fighting his own frustrations and the rage inside him. He ran his hands through his hair and turned to her. "I've got to find Sirion." He paused again and tried to clear his thoughts.

"Idhren I'm sorry. I never....." He stopped putting his hand out for silence. Someone was approaching down the path. He quickly glanced in both directions hoping that Sirion had returned but he still took his bow in hand. It was not Sirion that slowly came out of the mist but Adûn.

Lindir notched an arrow. "Stay where you are Adûn. You have no have no place amongst us. Go back to your own people and make your peace with them. You will find no peace with us"

Adûn stopped. He started to raise his hands to show he was not armed but stopped short when Lindir drew his bow back further. He hesitated, looking Lindir in the eyes, trying to read him. He then took a uncertain step forward.

"I need to..." Adûn words were cut short as his hand shot to the left side of his neck. He staggered. A warm trickle of blood seeped through his fingers. Before he could react Lindir had another arrow notched. The look on Adûn's face was one of shock.

"We gave you our trust and this is the way you repay us!" Lindir roared. His anger at Adûn's betrayal now consumed him. Diplomacy was over. Revenge took over from reason. "You conspired against us and all the while the stone was the prize. You cared not if we lived or how we died! All the better if the orcs managed to eliminate one or two of us. Just so long as it didn't bloody your hands and we had the stone." He loosed another arrow and Adûn cried out falling to his knees. Blood slowly seeped from a cut along his left hip. Lindir notched a third arrow and levelled it Adûn's stomach.

"You are dead to me Adûn. Your traitorous stench fouls the air. Now get yourself up and leave while you can or I will watch you die by my hand." Lindir tossed his bow and the arrow he had notched aside and drew out his knife. He gripped his knife so that his fingers and knuckles went white. His eyes blazed with hatred. "Go now Ranger or die here. I care not." He hesitated for just an instant but in that brief moment a hand was laid on his shoulder. His madness was such that he spun around ready to strike.


[Edited on 02/23/2014 by Fennuir]

[Edited on 02/23/2014 by Fennuir]
Carandra
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on: March 04, 2014 05:33
((joint post with Naucoaran ))

Mithennor’s progress was slow and halting, having to pause at every tree so as to not pass out. Time and distance she was unsure of... she knew she’d need to stop soon, as well as she knew the foolishness of her decision to leave under her own power. She would need to stop soon, though doubtful she’d have gained enough distance to both remove herself from the situation and get some measure of perspective. She lurched from a tree, her toe catching on some unseen root that jutted from the ground which sent her pitching forward when a dark shape moved in front of her, familiarity dawned upon her as Sirion caught her from sprawling.

Mithennor resisted at first as Sirion wrapped his arms around her, trying to push away from him and stand on her own. Her legs ended up being too weak to get under her straight away after the trip and as Sirion lifted her into his arms she went limp. “You should not wander out on your own, with your strength as it is.” His words were soft and filled with care as he moved her to a more comfortable position to cradle her in his arms. He carried her a few more paces and then gently laid the elleth down with her back against a tree, then sat down next to her.

Whether it was natural inclination, exhaustion, or something else, Mithennor laid her head against the ellon’s shoulder. Her exhaustion sprung from so many fonts that she was unsure which one was going to overtake her first. Her thoughts were muddled from the day’s event, but that didn’t stop them from tripping over one another as they chased themselves around and fought for dominance. She turned her face deeper into the smith’s shoulder when a question fell out that she hadn’t meant to ask aloud
“how did it all come to this?”

Sirion turned his head as Mithennor rested hers upon his shoulder. The scent of her hair filled his nostrils, he could feel the warmth of her body as she rested next to him. Her words came out soft with her turned into his chest. He sat in silence as the seconds stretched on, thinking of how to answer. He planted a light kiss on the top of her head, taking in a breath to speak. “We have walked a long path together, filled with things most people will never experience, for good or ill.” His words were equally soft, the weight of the journey weighing heavily on his shoulders. He breathed in another lungful of air, letting it out slowly in a sigh. “I must believe that the good I have found, that we have found, must outweigh the terrors.” His hand reached out and found hers as he spoke, giving it a squeeze at the end.

She shifted her fingers slightly, curling them so that they trapped his between hers for a moment. She sighed herself, it seemed to be the only words she could muster at this moment. “And what of tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow we continue on, and hope for home. Hope for a time and a place when our days are not filled with strife and betrayal.” There was a slight twinge of pain in his voice towards the end.

“Do you ever plan on speaking to Thane again? As you mentioned we have all journeyed a long time together, and it pains me to see such a friendship as yours fall apart, seemingly over a small matter” As she neared the end of the sentence her voice grew less sure, and more weary.

A smirk crossed his lips as she finished talking. “You, your affection is no small matter, meleth nín.” he said quietly. “Time heals all wounds, I would not scorn a friendship with Thane while he draws breath. He is a brother to me, though he can bring me great pain.” After a moment of quiet. “I believe Thane’s greatest enemy is himself, not I.”


"That I think he realizes, which is perhaps the origin of his contention with you... " here she paused before starting again, lower in tone " I did not mean to cause such strife, to rend such a friendship. Or..." Her gaze dropped to their entwined fingers " I did not intend for any of this to happen" her hand remaining where it was as her gaze focused to the point of abstraction of the shapes she regarded.

“This entire journey was full of things none of us ever intended.” he said, following her eyes to their entwined fingers. With his other hand he put his fingertips on the edge of her jaw, tracing the line down to her chin then lifting her head to make their eyes meet. “If I could go back and change it, I would not. There was hardship, yes. There was also joy.” Their eyes lingered together “Joy in friendships made,” the corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile “Joy in battles won.” he leaned in and delicately pressed his lips to hers. “Joy in finding love.” the last sentence was quieter, their faces still close together. He could feel the moisture from her breath. He kissed her again, bolder than the first, lingering in the moment.

After they broke apart, she watched his face- the lines and cares and scars that were not there when they first left Imladris... and she did not wish to see any more etched upon his features. She raised her other hand to trace his jawline, before letting her hand drop back to her lap.

“and after we return to Imladris, mission and oaths fulfilled- you’ll return to your forge and perhaps make that pretty trinket you spoke of making months ago, and... “ she dropped her gaze and trailed off, a touch of hopelessness in her voice.
“and maybe I’ll stay for a few months, until the road calls again, or until my Lady sets another task before me, as she is sometimes wont to do, as is her right and my duty...would you come with me then? stay behind?... wait? None of that would be fair to you and I do not wish to make promises I am not sure that I can keep, that I could happily stay in a single place and be contented with never seeing new moonrises over distant plains”

she felt a bitter tear threatening to escape and she turned her face away, hoping that it’d escape his notice.

As she continued to speak, a flutter of fear started in his chest. He couldn’t let her run away from this without fighting back. “When duty calls you, you will go. I’ll serve my own duty at the forge. When wanderlust calls to you, and you desire to see the moon from distant plains, I will be there to share it with you. I am tired and want for home, but my desire to be with you makes all other want pale in comparison. If there are times that we must be apart, then so be it, I know that the time will come when your path would lead back home, and I will rejoice in those moments as a sweet return of the one I love.” He wiped the tear away from her eye, his hand lingering on her cheek. “Do not spurn me and run away from fear. Come with me, and we will walk those paths together.”

She tried to smile, placing her hand overtop his to gently remove it, but not before kissing it, and then lay her head once more on his shoulder. He helped her draw her cloak around them as the rain started, silence seemed to be the best answer for the moment as sleep drew nigh.
Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
Naucoaran
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on: March 05, 2014 06:36
A few hours passed as Sirion and Mithennor slept under the tree, wrapped in a single cloak together. The blacksmith woke to the somewhat distant sound of raised voices. After a few heartbeats, he was able to identify the voice of Lindir. Sirion stirred to rise, trying his best to disentangle himself from Mithennor without waking her, unsuccessfully. After a moment of disorientation from waking together, Sirion took her hand is his and gave it a squeeze.

"Stay here and rest, I will not be long." He kissed her lightly on the forehead as he rose, disappearing into the trees towards the voices.

The scene he came upon was reaching a boiling point as Lindir released his first arrow at Adun. Sirion hastened his pace to reach the confrontation as Lindir released the second arrow. As he knocked the third arrow Sirion grabbed Lindir by the shoulder to stop him. Lindir, who by now was fueled with rage towards the ranger spun to lash out at the blacksmith. Sirion pulled back as deftly as he could, the swing missing his face. Lindir had swung with his empty hand thankfully, instead of the one wielding the knife.

"Stop this now, Lindir!" Sirion's words snapped out like a crack of a whip. "There is nothing to gain by further bloodshed!" Sirion reached out and grabbed Lindir by the forearm, then slowly disarmed him of the blade. "Yes he has betrayed us, but if it were not for his actions many of us would likely be dead at the hands of the other rangers, whom he has chosen to walk away from. Adun will have to judge himself for his actions. He may have lost our trust, but I will not stand for his blood to be spilled by our hands after he worked for our freedom."

Adun still sat hunched a few steps away, protecting his body with his arms and legs. "If you truly demand justice for his actions, then bind him and take him to Lord Halfelven. We are no executors."

Adun stood at this time, a look of calm resignation on his face. "I have nowhere else to go, and no hearth or home to call my own. I am truly sorry for my actions against you, and I despise what became of my brothers who lusted after power. I submit to you, if you must take me." the ranger said slowly, blood from his neck slowly dripping down into his collar.

"Regardless of what we decide tonight, tomorrow we continue to Imlandris, to fulfill our duty. The hour is late, and we all need rest. I do not believe Adun to be a threat to us any longer, but I defer to you, Lindir, if you choose to bind him and take his weapons. Whatever your action, I demand civility. Anything less would equate our actions to those that did us harm." Sirion said flatly, then turned his back to the group and walked back through the trees to find Mithennor.

He found her in much the same place, though she had readjusted to be more comfortable. Upon kneeling down next to her, she awoke once more. "It is only I, meleth nin. Go back to sleep." he spoke softly, trying to keep the strain from his voice at dealing with the confrontation. He was no longer tired after the fight, adrenaline still pumping through his body. He sat down next to the tree where he could keep watch over the soft outline of Mithennor's profile as she laid next to him, waiting for the sun to rise.
Dinenlasse
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on: April 08, 2014 10:32
(Kinda JP between Ohtariel and me...she wrote the beginning, and I liked it so I kept it. I can edit, as always.)

Lindir was finished with Adûn. Thane had already received his pound of flesh from the Ranger and was indifferent to his fate. Idhrenniel and Mithennor were in no shape to mold the Dûnadan’s new role, so the responsibility fell upon the remaining member of the group.

Sirion demanded civility. After having the ranger removed of his remaining teeth and claws, Thane found it almost comical that civility equaled indentured servitude. Adûn took care of their immediate needs as they made the slow, crippling journey south. He prepared their meals, worked as a healer tending the elleths, and even carried the heavier items out of the packs. The palantir was the only thing of substantial weight that he was not allowed to look at, speak of or think about. If he was frustrated with any one of the elves, the Ranger did not show it.

Slowly Idhrenniel grew more bitter by the day. She now disavowed any responsibility of her companion’s actions. Where once she would play arbitrator, the elleth now remained silent. What little patience she now bore withered away as they pressed farther south. Frosty silence and glances now were the only ways Lindir and Idhren communicated, for she refused to speak to him after his attack on Adûn. Perhaps the one she felt the most pity for was Adûn himself. Had she been in better shape and frame of mind, Idhren would have stepped in to intercede for him. Be that as it may, she now kept to herself, bearing the stone in its pouch slung around her waist.

One evening, about a week after the entire company regrouped (almost, ironically, like old times, she mused), they stopped for dinner in a thick copse of oak and beech. As Adûn stoked the fire and spit a brace of rabbits over the flames, Idhren lapsed into her thoughts. Where had it all gone wrong? Where had their sense of camaraderie and kinship failed? Was the palantír to blame? And, most importantly, when would they return to Imladris? Usually a fair and accurate navigator, Idhren had now lost all sense of direction. They could be two days or two months from the Elven haven for all she knew. With these thoughts in mind, Idhren accepted a leg of rabbit from the Man with muttered gratitude and stalked off into the woods.

Idhren felt the heat of Lindir’s gaze as she left, but she refused to acknowledge it. All Idhren desired was to return to Imladris and forget the whole sorry business. Pain in her head became an ever-present companion, sometimes waxing, sometimes waning, but always there. Branches and twigs caught at her tattered and dirty clothing as she strode past, snapping off and hindering her progress. Idhren eventually wedged herself into a tree nook alongside a narrow path when she heard what sounded like hoofbeats. Throwing the rabbit to the side, she stealthily climbed the tree like a cat and hid herself in the leaves. A half dozen slim and majestic horses plodded along the dirt- and leaf-strewn path, their riders garbed in elegant but functional armor and cloaks. As a grey palfrey rode beneath her, Idhren recognized a golden-haired elleth who seemed to be the group’s leader. “Valadriel?” she cried croakily.

Valadriel halted and peered up into the foliage. “Idhrenniel?” she returned, holding out a hand to halt the other riders. “Is that really you?”

A suspended moment of disbelief hung in the air. “It is,” Idhren replied, slowly making her way down the tree. Once she righted herself, Idhren presented herself to the riders. “What brings you out here into the wilderness?”

Valadriel laughed, a musical tinkling noise like the sound of running water over rocks. “You are really not so far from Imladris. Lord Elrond sent us to search for you. You are many weeks past your expected return so we were to search until we found signs of your fate. Where are the others?”

Tears of joy streamed down from Idhren’s eyes, leaving streaks of clean skin amidst the dirt and muck. “Over the ridge. Follow me; it is not far.” The elleth gestured and began to walk. “It gladdens my heart to see friends and to know we are not so far from our destination. It has been a hellish journey.” With a new spring in her step, Idhren led the riders to their dismal camp.

[Edited on 04/09/2014 by Dinenlasse]
"There is no such thing as a geek, just those who love things the rest of humanity finds weird."
Ohtariel
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on: May 20, 2014 09:22
After months of waiting, the elven border patrol finally heralded the coming of the lost fellowship. Unbeknown to anyone but the travelers, the journey had exposed them to regicide, betrayal, and torture to name a few things, and the Lord of Imladris would hear it all. His top priority, however, would be their secret. Elrond lamented the fact that he could not allow the group to rest for long, but the needs of many would outweigh any want for comfort. As he watched his chosen group descend into the hidden valley, Elrond could see the changes in them instantly. Even at a distance, his messengers walked and even regarded each other differently. They now numbered six instead of the original five, and their progress was slow… as if their spirits were not the only thing to be damaged on the journey.

They had all returned with their lives and, knowing the resolve of his subjects, the elven Lord thought it safe to assume that the mission was successful. He left the window in his chambers that over looked the ridge into his lands. Elrond made his way into an anteroom, hoping to receive his messengers in quiet privacy. No one was to disturb this meeting. The needs of the lossoth had been placated for now. It was the elves turn to worry over the fate of the stone.

~

Thane gazed upon Rivendell now as if for the first time, though it brought him no joy. He knew that at long last there would be a safe place to sleep, a warm meal devoid of smoked fish, a glass of wine lacking poisonous sleeping draughts and a soft bed to combat the aches in his back, but still remained remorseful. Thane could not now recall why he had decided to come on this journey, or what he had expected to get out of it. But then, most of his adventures had ended this way. Seeing their final destination did nothing to add spring to his step as he trudged wearily behind their escort.

The half elf took at spot in front of his comrades, instead of his usual place bringing up the rear. His temper remained mildly low as long as he didn’t have to physically look at Sirion. This journey had cost Thane some unwanted self-reflection, and he had no desire to brood upon any of it. It served only to frustrate him. He wanted only to find a never ending goblet of wine before returning to his old life… habits and all.
Carandra
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on: June 25, 2014 07:28
((Joint post with Dinen ))

Nothing had been the same, everything seemed broken as they traveled southward. Her inclination to speak had dwindled, in fact there seemed to be whole days where she spoke not at all, not even to Idhren or Sirion, who had taken to either hovering just out of her range of immediate reach or retreating to the opposite edge of the party from wherever Thane was.

The arrival of the scouts was a welcome reprieve, brief though it was. After Idhren’s initial bout of joy at being reunited with her friends, the somber miasma that had permeated the fellowship seemed to infect even the new-comers to such an extent as to give them the postures of ones who had been along for the entirety of the venture.

But with the valley now in sight, steps were a bit lighter if for no other reason than to see this deed through to it utmost fulfillment. Mithennor hesitated a moment as she crested a ridge, watching her compatriots, those she had come to know and to trust... love even, she looked away for a moment. She approached her friend slowly, meaning to just lay her head upon Idhren’s shoulder but a gnawing feeling had supplanted her initial urge to silence and prompted her to speech-

“I do not know from where, but I feel the need to apologize”

Lost in her own thoughts and conscious to nothing but the deep cleft of the riven dell which grew in her sight, Idhren snapped from her reverie and creased her brows in question.

“if nothing else, I am sorry to have disturbed your thoughts” she tried to make light of the situation, but it was less than effective.

Idhren turned her gaze to her friend. Mithennor looked to have lost some of the light in her eyes, as had they all. And Idhren felt that she was partially to blame, having little will to ease their spirits or raise their morale where she had been their light-hearted companion even in the midst of darkness. “Mithennor, my friend, please do not apologize. For you have been a truer friend than any other as we walked this wretched path. But come, what is wrong? Something must be amiss.”

“that perhaps there was more I should have done, or should not have done... that I, without any intentions, have ruined a friendship that when first we set out I thought was unsunderable...” she trailed off and her eyes went from one to the other, she sighed, still watching Thane before turning her gaze elsewhere and her voice dropping “I never meant to hurt him, and I cannot name when or what I may have done...” she left the rest of that unsaid. Truthfully, she could not identify when she may have started to garner Sirion’s affections as well. Never had she before entertained the idea of perhaps finding such affection and attachment to such an extent that she had deliberately rebuffed any early inclinations. But now?

“Do you still not know which in your heart to choose?” the elleth asked, reading through Mithennor’s thoughts like a book.

“saying it like that... it almost sounds as if I had orchestrated this whole debacle. If I were to go with my inclinations when this fellowship first started, I’d say neither and keep to starlit solitary paths. But...I think, my feet may seek adventure more lightly if my heart were to be entrusted to someone less likely to break it and then mend it with wine.” and here she paused again as a small revelation dawned “it... is not that I do not care for Thane, indeed I’d say that I do love him, but I love him not as he wants, and I love him more the way one might love something broken and see the potential. And that... that is not something either of us could live with”

“Wisely said, mellon. I do not think anyone will make Thane happy, least of all him. But that is not to say he is beyond all help.” Idhren considered her as they walked slowly down the sloping paths back to their beginning. Mithennor’s musings stirred something in Idhren’s heart: Lindir. She caught herself stealing a glance in his direction, but it was as if an iron cage had formed around her heart. Not weeks ago had she reveled in the ellon’s company, speaking of the future in great halcyonic terms. But now...now… “Mithennor, how were you able to endure the torments of the heart on our journey?”

The question was not anticipated, for most of the journey it had seemed as though Idhren and Lindir had been mutually drawn to one another, and while there had been much strife, Mithennor had thought that their union would persevere. Her brows creased as she cast quick glances at the ellons with which they had traveled before returning her attention to the elleth;
“I am not so sure that I did...” she sighed “back when first we made camp with the Dúnedain, when you left the campfire with Lindir, I had made a toast with both Thane and Sirion in honor of ‘silver tongued ellons’, and that I may kept safe from such. I would not think that I was successful in such. What ails you in those matters?”

"Perhaps it is the dreaded ice crystal which has been our bane for the length of our journey, but I find myself questioning if what passed between Lindir and I was a result of circumstance and convenience over true mutual affection." Shadows clouded Idhren's face though she felt relieved to share her thoughts with Mithennor. "That being said, I cannot be certain if Lindir will remain in Arda or travel to the Undying Lands when our mission is complete. For though I know my fate, I do not think ours will entwine."

Mithennor took Idhren’s hand within her own and held it fast. She felt sorrow, sorrow for a great many things, but no small amount for her friend’s loss. All were silent as they finished the descent into the valley, where upon they were told, and not unkindly, that they were to meet with Lord Elrond in his council chamber.

Ragged, worn, and aching, the ellons and elleths made their way to the peredhil's council chamber. Elrond greeted them somberly. "Welcome back to Imladris, my friends. You will take your ease shortly, but I must see the stone safely in my hands before you can do so." He bowed his head respectfully before casting his kind but piercing gaze to each companion in turn.

Idhren tentatively removed the glassy stone from its shelter at her side. She stepped across the oaken-paneled floor to Elrond and placed the stone in his slender hands. "Here is the stone, my lord," the elleth said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Some internal feeling tugged at her, a malicious, belligerent emotion that felt like pure evil. Idhren quickly removed her hands from the stone as if it were made of fire. "Lord Elrond, may I speak to you at the present? I do not care to wait until I am rested to spin the yarn."

Mithennor was second to last to enter and had a hard time meeting Elrond’s gaze at first, and he had to raise her face to meet his. As he did so their eyes met- he nodded almost imperceptibly and Mithennor knew that somehow, in much the same way that her Lady would know, that he understood.Idhren approached and spoke, finally handing over the palantir, Mithennor leaned against the wall as opposed to taking a seat. As tired as she was, her thoughts roiled in her head and heart, and she knew that as soon as she was allowed to collapse, there would be no rousing her. Idhren began to speak, and Mithennor nodded when appropriate, staying mostly silent. Not too long into the tale, however, Sirion took up a spot against the wall as close as he could without seeming presumptuous. Without looking backward, she took a step and slowly leaned into him. He almost seemed startled, but then moved ever so slightly to better accommodate her presence.

Lindir spoke as well, for a good measure, but Idhren seemed to have a difficult time tolerating it when he did so, and her heart ached for her friend. She looked over to the far side of the room where Thane sat, trying his best to ignore all (seemingly with success). When at last Elrond dismissed them to the baths and the healers, Thane was the first one out. Mithennor stayed with Sirion like for a moment more before they broke apart slowly. She gave him a brief kiss upon his cheek “I will see you soon. Go, take your ease, and perhaps visit your forge” and with the she she left to be tended to, and then seek a bed.

Idhrenniel waited until all others vacated the room, but Lindir lingered. Idhren did not know if he waited for a word alone or for her, but she steadfastly ignored him. "My lord, may I have a moment...alone?" She emphasized this last word, and Lindir left the room.

Elrond and Idhren spoke at great length, and the elleth explained her final plans. With great hesitation, Elrond agreed to Idhren's proposal. He slid his hand under her chin and said gently, "You are a brave and wise fool, Idhrenniel, but I will not deny you. The deed must be done, and perhaps you are the best fool for such a task. Now, go rest and find the light. Your heart has been heavy for too long, and you need more food and cheer and song to make you merry." With that, Idhren bowed and took her leave of Elrond. Now that she had her next move planned, it was as if a weight had been lifted from her burdened chest.




Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster. (My heart is kind, but I am a monster.)
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