Life of Gold RPG

[piosenniel]

The Elf sat with his back against the side of the cold, hard wall, re-reading the letter he had received. His long blonde hair fell straight back, glistening in the sunlight that was shining on him from the East. For the sun had just risen and Glirdingo had just arrived in Rohan.

He sighed and looked up from the parchment. The letter was an important one. The Dwarf Thin-Gloomy, (“The one who beat me in a race!”) had been kidnapped and a message was sent (or so he assumed) to the other contestants.

He shook his head and started thinking. “Why did I even come? I don’t even like Dwarves! I just hope that Galadster or Kafkalina show up for this…” For he had gone on an expedition with them shortly after the Great Golden Hoard race to Fangorn. He had seen many interesting things on that expedition. But he vowed to himself never to repeat them. “For people would be frightened if I did,” he thought sadly.

He got up and started pacing back and forth, debating whether or not to enter the Inn. For the letter had said to meet the caretaker inside. But he felt wary. For he did not know the land of Rohan to well for the only time he had ventured forth from his home in Lorien was on the quest for the Great Golden Hoard and his expedition with Galadster and Kafkalina.

He continued pacing back and forth, sometimes stopping and looking at the Inn, sometimes to look East. But most often, he looked North East to where his home lay. He was just about to decide to go in when his eyes looked out and saw a figure approaching. He couldn’t tell who it was for they had their head bowed.

He continued to watch the stranger until he (or she) had come straight up to him. “Good day to you stranger! And who might you be?”


--- Glirdan

[piosenniel]

Crystal Heart’s post

She watched the elf from beneath her hood of soft blue as she approached the in. She smiled. He hadn't changed since the last time she had saw him. Well, she had to take back that thought. He was grown into an elven man now. The last time she saw him he had been just an elven lad, running along the river with her. He had found something that had led him away from Lorien and from her.

She had missed him. He had been her good friend. Since their lives had changed it was so hard not to look at him and remember a simpler time. She had never imagined that she would find him here. Especially not in Rohan.

She was only in Rohan because her father had finally allowed her to go on a quest. She had finally finished and she had wanted to take a break before she headed back. She never dreamed she would have ran into him.

“Good day to you stranger! And who might you be?” She asked him with a bright smile, pulling back her hood to reveal herself. She wondered if he would remember her.

[piosenniel]

Valesse’s post


Valesseka glared at the parchement furiously. Convinced, somehow, that it was from a certain nobleman who at their parting she imagined travelling far to the south and east never to be seen again. She wanted desperately to know what the unknown symbols read, so much so that after a day of scowlling at them she gave in and asked for someone to read it to her.

It wasn't from Eomerleo, nor did it mention him specifically, but from the wording she felt there was a real chance of seeing her fellow traveller once again. Wasting no time she collected her things and set out for Rohan. The Arnorian moved quickly southward, somewhat glazing over the world around her, and used the same method she had in racing those months ago.

At the door of the White Horse she paused somewhat expecting to hear that crazed shouting she once heard at the Sea of Rhun. Smirking to herself she shook her head and made her way to the door.

[piosenniel]

Eomer of the Rohirrim's post


Éomeléo sauntered up the path whistling cheerily, some would say obnoxiously, considering the circumstances. He could not possibly comprehend such a viewpoint, though. At the moment he was caught up with the question of why some clouds were pink. He hadn't the faintest idea, but it amused and puzzled him no end. The suffering of others was as locked in a cage. Very prepared was he not to look inside.

He had been staying in Rohan for a few months now. He thought it pleasant, far less stuffy than Gondor. He was only slightly worried that his whereabouts would be revealed. His contacts in Rohan were all well-off and settled. It was unlikely that any of them were going to betray him to his family (especially since his family were notoriously resentful of the Rohirrim). Yes, Rohan was good.

When he got the communiqué detailing the plight of Thin-Gloomy, he was more than happy to help. The lure of a great reward was obviously pressing, but Éomeléo did honestly feel a degree of empathy with the Dwarf. He realised that he would have suffered the same misfortune had he been skillful enough to claim the treasure. Also, he had nothing better to do with his time. His best friend Holaert had gone off for a few weeks on business and so the opportunity for great fun in Rohan was diminished.

There was also the Valesseka issue but Éomeléo couldn't quite clarify that yet.

[piosenniel]

Cordelia Harrison's post


Marieme had seen a lot of things, but she had never dreamed that she would see a real place to sleep again. Granted, it would hold nothing to her lovely bed back in Lorien. Yet, it was far far better than spending another night sleeping on the ground. She couldn't complain. She had learned to appreciate her home and her family far more now.

She rode the tired horse over the hill and sighed. She had finally found the Inn that she had heared about. She was thankful that she had found it. She had figured that she would never ride over the ridge and find a kind, safe place to sleep. She sighed and led her horse down the ridge.

[piosenniel]

The Sixth Wizard's post

In a large open field somewhere in Rohan, a small figure was hurrying through the bright sun. Heavily dressed, he was nevertheless in a state of disrepair, and looked as though he had travelled a long way. This was in fact a dwarf known as Dárin of the Iron Hills. And Dárin the Dwarf was in the state of mind that had carried him through the past few weeks. Grumpy.

"Witch-Kings and Necromancers! Elves and Dragons! Spiders and Skin-changers! Goblins and Trolls! I can't take it any more, no I can't, I am too old, too old. Why oh why did I ever begin this journey? I don't like Thin-gloomy! I should've earned my bread at home, or become a builder, ...or something anyway! And curse this infernal grass!" A stream of mixed curses and profanities were dispatched from Dárin as he plucked a few spines from his clothes.

There were many miles behind him, and many a clue from travellers he had met over the disappearance of his second cousin Thin-Gloomy. The main reason Dárin had left the Iron Hills was because of his poverty, brought on because he was terrible when dealing with gold, and the thought he may profit from helping his relative. And somewhere there were some family ties hidden under his gruff exterior. He actually had quite a loyal heart.

Finally he began to draw near to civilisation. Civilisation, he laughed. People of the farms know nothing of stonework! One thing they're good at though, making ale. He hastened toward the nearest Inn, ignoring their stares, and a snuffling horse. A good drink awaited.

[piosenniel]

Thinlómien’s post


When Thin-Gloomy had won the race for the hoard, all the things he had could thought of had been the victory and what to do with the prize. The reality had hit him the next day. How was he to carry the enormous treasure home? And what was 'home' for him? Did he really wish to return to the Iron Hills? Where else could he go?

He had had no idea what to do, so he had started from the smallest of matters. He had begged an audience from King Malvegil of Arthedain. He had told the King he was about to establish a trade caravan carrying coal, and needed a few wagons and able drivers. King Malvegil had agreed after a little while. He had probably wanted to seem generous and, after all, he had owed Thin-Gloomy quite a lot of his knowledge of the Angmarian army.

Thin-Gloomy had made a fatal mistake. Instead of asking the king for guards to protect him he had decided to hire some sellswords from Annúminas after he had got the treasure. He had not expected that the knowledge of the prize and his victory had already been heard by ears whose owners bore little good intention.

The day had been a beautiful one, more beautiful that it had been for weeks. The sun had shone and there had been no clouds. Even Thin-Gloomy couldn't have expected an attack on such a lovely day. I have doubtlessly become softer and lost all my wits, if I ever had any, Thin-Gloomy thought later. He was angry with himself and well, gloomy.

The attackers had hidden in the trees and shot the wagon drivers before their attack was even noticed. Thin-Gloomy had managed to hit one with a bolt from his crossbow, when a shrill female voice had called: "Drop your crossbow right now, or there'll be five arrows through your heart." Thin-Gloomy dropped the bow. It was from old memory. When the bulliers had attacked him, he had always given up to shorten his torment.

"Thomas and Jack, tie the dwarf and see that he's not harmed... yet. Cover his eyes and his mouth too so that he can't scream for help", the same shrill voice had ordered. "Mica, help Samson down and to one of the wagons. We'll take just one wagon. When you've done that, stay here and look after the remaining beasts and wagons. Thomas and Jack will come back to help you to fetch them."

All had been done as the shrill-voiced woman had bidden. She obviously had a firm grip over the four men. A nice little harem she has, Thin-Gloomy thought dryly.

The journey to their destination hadn't been long, but it had been uncomfortable. The only pleasure for Thin-Gloomy had been hearing the wounded man, Samson, wailing with every bump the wagon took before the woman ruined it and told the man to shut up.

In their destination, Thin-Gloomy had been carried at least a few stairs down and locked in a cell.

[Glirdan]

“Good day to you stranger! And who might you be?” the cloaked figure had asked as he/she came up to Glidingo. He was slightly taken aback at the voice he heard coming from underneath the hood. That voice...it sounds so familiar...

"Well, I thought that you would have the pleasure of responding first as I am the one who asked you first. However, I will tell you who I am. I am Glirdingo from the realm of Lorien. And now I ask you once again, who might you be for I reconize your voice, but I cannot place a face." He said this all in one breath as he was quite anxious to find out who was beneath the cloak.

The person lifted their hands slowly to their hood and began to lower it and Glirdingo gasped in shock. "You!"

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna giggled and smiled. How she had forgotten just how much she loved to tease him. She lowered her hands to her sides and looked him over. How he had changed since she had last saw him. They had both changed a lot.

"Yes it is I. Do you recognize me now my dear Glirdingo?" She asked him softly. She wanted to embrace him, but she remember how he would protest when she would do that.

[Glirdan]

"Yes it is I. Do you recognize me now my dear Glirdingo?" Arianna asked him softly. How could he ever forget!?

They were the best of friends as children. Then they grew apart. It wasn't long after this (well, for Elves anyway) that he found the bottle containing the letter to the Golden Hoard hunt. He left abruptly without saying goodbye to anyone. Then he went on his ventures with Galadster and Kafkalina.

Throughout his adventures he never stopped thinking about her. They way they used to run along the river banks in Lorien, playing hide and seek, they way she smiled at him when he did something silly, her laugh...

He shook himself from his reverie and looked her straight in those deep eyes. "I could never forget you my dear Arianna. There hasn't been a minute when I haven't thought of you on my ventures," he replied quietly, as if they were the only two people in the world.

He looked her up and down. Wow...She has grown so much since I've last seen her...She is now truly and Elven lady. He looked back into her deep eyes and saw them twinkling with delight. He smiled and said, "Shall we go in? We may be more comfortable in there then out here. Besides, I am to meet someone here on a matter of great importance. And I would like to hear everyhing that has passed since I left." He took her hand (Oh, how soft her hand is...) and led her to the door of the Inn.

[Crystal Heart]

She giggled in delight to hear him say her name once more. He was the only one that could cause her to giggle for no reason. Especially when he did something silly. Sometimes he would do silly things on purpose and she had come to miss that, as well as miss him.

"I have missed you so Glirdingo. Yes, let us go inside. It is far warmer and you can tell me of this important matter. Perhaps I can help," Arianna replied. She sighed softly when he took her hand and led her inside.

He was no longer the little elven boy that she had once known. He was an elven man. One that caused her heart to stir in such a way that she had never known before. She had heard elven ladies speak of the heart of a lady and finally finding that elven man that had it. Could it be that her long time childhood friend would cause such an effect in her? She decided not to dwell on it. There was something behind his stoic surface that told her that this important matter was dire.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo led the way into the Inn and too a table in a corner next to a window which looked out across the plains of Rohan. He sat down opposite to Arianna and looker at her passionately.

Then he noticed that she was looking at him intently and he looked away and stared out the window and noticed a figure walking towards the Inn. Another wanderer perhaps... he thought to himself silently. But that figure looks oddly familiar...

He looked away from the figure and out across the plains of Rohan, thinking back to when him and Arianna used to play together. Those were less complicated times, he thought. But now... I've missed her so much but I've never felt like this before...Have I fallen in love with my best friend?

He looked back at Arianna and decided. "Arianna, I have something I must tell you..."

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna could tell that there something that he wanted to tell her. She knew that it would be best to wait for him to tell her. She reached over the table for his hand and took it gently.

"What is you need to tell me Glirdingo? You seem very afraid. You know you can tell me whatever you need to. I'm here for you," she replied softly. She watched him intently and her heart pounded wildly at holding his hand. She half hoped he would say the words that were on her heart at the moment before diving into my serious matters.

As much as she hadn't wanted to admit it, she had fallen for her best friend long ago. She had thought that it was only a mere childhood crush, but she was coming to find now that it wasn't.

She had tried to get over him when she lost him. She had dated several other elven lads that came to call before her father had sent her away on her missions. Yet, none of those relationships ever did last. They were lacking something very vital: her heart. She hadn't realized it then, but sitting across from Glirdingo now she finally understood. Her heart hadn't been there. It had traveled with Glirdingo and he still kept it all the time through.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme sighed as she finally got to Inn. She slid off her horse and gave the stallion a pat on his nose.

"Good boy. Thank you," she whispered to him. She brought him into the stable and paid the stable boy to take care of her horse. She ensured that her hood was still in place before entering the Inn. She walked over to the bar and sat down softly upon the stool.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo looked at her intently an smiled. "I won't be afraid if you come with me my dear Arianna. For you see, the journey I went on when I left awhile back was to find the Golden Hoard. I won't go into to much detail about it here however."

"But, the winner of the quest has been kidnapped and a request has been sent out from his caretaker too meet him here." He looked over at her. "I do hope you will come with us and whoever else shows up of the old contestants."

It was then that he glanced at the bar and noticed someone sitting there. Hmmm, I didn't see her come in...and from the looks of it, she's an Elf! He looked back at Arianna and asked, "Does that Elf look familiar to you? Like our old friend Marieme?"

Without waiting for an answer he called out. "Marieme!! Over here!" He continued looking at her, hoping the Elf would turn around and look at them.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna listened to what he had to say. She nodded as she listened. Yes, he would need help and if he had been as lonely as she had been to see another elf then he would need her help in this.

"I will follow you in this quest my dear Glirdingo. Wherever this shall lead us, I will be there. I promise," Arianna said with a bright smile.

She then looked over at the person that Glirdingo was pointing out. She narrowed her eyes and gasped. It couldn't be! "Why! It is Marieme! Oh what a glorious day this is," she gasped.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme's heart stopped as she heard her name. The voices sounded very familiar. Too familiar. But it couldn't be them, could it? Marieme asked herself. She turned slightly to look out the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened as she saw two people she had thought she would never see again.

She lowered her hood and stood up, smiling brightly. She walked over to the pair and sat down, giggling brightly.

"Arianna and Glirdingo! What in the name of Rohan are you doing here?" She asked them excitedly. It had been far too long since the three of them had been parted. She could still remember the carefree days of their youth when they would play down by the river. Glirdingo had been the first to disappear, then Arianna. She was the youngest out of the group, always taging along with them. She had missed them horribly after they had been whisked away to what she had been told was missions.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin hobbled toward the bar, intending to buy a drink. He bought a pint of ale, turned toward his table and noticed annoyedly that two elves had seated themselves there! Determined not to talk to them, or even draw attention to himself, he sat on his stool for a moment, which turned into a minute as another elf entered, was called over, and they started into conversation.

I have left my axe and blanket there! thought Dárin suddenly. He realised the only way to get them back was to walk over, interrupt the elves and take them. What ill luck!

He slowly limped over again, leaning on the tables. Keeping his head down, Dárin happened to overhear some of their conversation. "... the winner of the quest ...kidnapped and a request has been sent out from his caretaker..."

Dárin sat quickly on the other table, loudly shouting to the barmaid that he had poor ears, as she asked him for a further order. The Golden Hoard! Thin-Gloomy! He was almost certain these bright eyed elves had something to do with his disappearance. Convinced they were the kidnappers, he drank his ale slowly, waiting for more news.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo smiled brightly as Marieme sidled in beside Arianna. The first time in a long time since they were all together. How he missed those carefree days.

"Arianna and Glirdingo! What in the name of Rohan are you doing here?" she had asked. He looked at her and smiled gravely. "I'm here on urgent buisness. An aquaintance of mine has been kidnapped and I've been requested to meet his caretaker here and find out the details. And Arianna has just agreed to come with me," he looked over at her and smiled warmly.

Then it hit him. "What if you came with us, my dear Marieme? It would be nice to have all us friends together once more. And Eru knows that we could use all the help we can get,"

"And if you don't mind me asking, why are you two here in Rohan?" This question had been burning him the whole time but everything else drove it out of his mind. He looked across the table at his best friends and waited for their response.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme nodded at his question. Had he forgotten who she was?! She was the adventurous one and if someone needed her help then she would be there without a doubt.

"Of course I'll come along. I couldn't allow my two best friends to have all the fun," she laughed. She rolled her shoulders and yawned. It had been a long journey.

"Well I'm in Rohan because I'm tired of sleeping on the floor and I was returning to Lorien since my mission is over."

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna smiled when Marieme said that she would come. She knew that this journey would be far more enjoyable since they were all coming.

"I'm in Rohan because I was invited to a human's wedding. Odd, I know. However, I did help her in her mission and I guess she feels in my debt. I said I might come, but now more pressing matters are at hand," Arianna replied. She reached into her pack and took some elven bread out. She handed her friends each a portion before eating her own.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo smiled at both Arianna and Marieme. Having his two best friends along for the journey would make it that more enjoble.

He nodded as they related their reasoning for being in Rohan. He remebered the missions. He had neve been on his. Unless you count the Golden Hoard search as my mission, he thought.

He turned and looked out the window and noticed a shadow reflecting in the window. A Dwarf! he thought to himself. What does he want? He looked at Arianna and Marieme to try and communicate his discovery, but to no avail. They were deep in conversation about other things.

Finally, he decided to be blunt and invite the Dwarf into the conversation. Besides, I would like to know why this Dwarf is eavesdropping on us...

"Okay Dwarf, you can come out from hiding now," he said out loud. He waited patiently for an answer.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin listened intently for a while, as the elves talked of missions completed and other such mysterious matters, but nothing to change his mind they were involved. After all, they are elves, and elves are not to be trusted! he thought mutinously. An aquaintance of his! Victim, more like. This must have been a mission to steal our well earned gold!

The heist proceded without interruption until one of the elves appeared to notice him, the male with the blonde hair. "Okay Dwarf, you can come out from hiding now!" Oh the cheek! Dárin's annoyance was further elevated by the fact that he was eavesdropping after all.

Drawing breath, Dárin said in the Common Speech, "Hiding? You were mistaken, elf... I was merely enjoying my pint of ale upon my way to Eriador. My silent exterior goes via my ears, I am hard of hearing you see." This was not quite a lie, but Dárin chose to exaggerate the fact to keep aloft his innocent alias. And he was scared, thinking these elves were bandits or worse, murderers. "What were you speaking of?"

[Thinlómien]

The night after his capture Thin-Gloomy had hardly slept at all.

The cell he was in was small and it smelled of rats. Both were things Thin-Gloomy was accustomed to. But he wasn't accustomed to a locked door between him and the world, nor to sleeping in hay without a coat or blanket between it and himself. The hay prickled his skin and got everywhere and there was probably more hay than beard growing from his chin.

The cell was dark, but it posed no problem to the dwarf. He was used to darkness. He was glad to notice a little hole near the roof though. It probably won't be any help with escaping, but it will probably tell me wether it's day or night outside.

It was not long after the moment when light finally crept to the cell from the tiny hole that they came for him. They were the same men that had handlled him before. The tall and broad-shouldered one with lifeless brown hair and gruff air about him and the young one with red hair, an ugly scar across his face and a gap between his teeth. Thomas and Jack they were called, if I recall correctly.

"Get up", the bigger man grunted. "Aye, obey when he tells you to", the redhead echoed. Thin-Gloomy saw no point in resisting and got up. "Where are you taking me?" he asked. "Not your business", the big man said, pushing him out of the cell rather ungently. "And don't even try to run. Jack's got a bunch o' throwing knives and I daresay he can use 'em too", he added, looking at the smaller fellow, who was grinning and toying with a sharp, broad knife.

They walked the dark corridor. There were a few other doors, but Thin-Gloomy presumed the other prison cells were empty. At least there came no sound from them and the dust covered the outer doorsills. "So, where are you taking me?" he repeated. "To the boss", the redhead with the knife answered casually. "Ah, that shrill-voiced cow. I see." The hit came sooner than he had anticipated. "That's not the way you speak o 'her, crippleback", the man called Thomas told him.

When they arrived to a big chamber, Thin-Gloomy was examining his face, wondering if the gruff man had broken something. His bones seemed to be undamaged, but his face definitely hurt and his ears rang.

"Bring him here." The same unpleasant, shrill voice. Thin-Gloomy lifted his head to see the owner of the voice. She sat on a high chair on a wooden platform (did she fancy it a throne?) and looked at him with a disgustd look on her face. She had long, straight, dark hair and cold light blue eyes. If you forgot her curiously short nose and square jaw, men would even call her pretty, Thin-Gloomy reflected.

"Thomas, bind his hands so he can't do anything." The order was obeyed. "Now, tell me, dwarf, where is it?" Thin-Gloomy had been anticipating this one. "Where's what, beginng your pardon, my lady?" The big man hit him on the stomach. "You do know what I'm speaking about", the woman answered coldly. "I don't have the slightest idea, dear lady", Thin-Gloomy said, "and even if I had, I wouldn't tell you." The big fist hit him again.

The bandits played the ask and hit game for a while, until they saw it had no results. Thin-Gloomy was used to being beaten. "Take one of his fingers off, then. Jack, you do it", the woman ordered. "No!" Thin-Gloomy screamed inspite of himself. "O' course, boss", Jack the Redhead replied and unsheathed one of his big knives. Thin-Gloomy struggled to keep the horrified face.

Jack lowered the knife and pressed it lightly on his left littlefinger. "Where be that treasure, strawbeard?" Thin-Gloomy let tears to come to his eyes. "Don't cut my finger. It hasn't done anything to you", he wailed. "Tell us, and I'll let it in peace", the gap-teeth boy answered with a cruel smile. Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath. "I'll show you, if you have a map."

The bandits exchanged doubtful glanced. "Mica, fetch him a map", the woman shrieked. The fair-haired bandit disappeared and came back with a big, badly-drawn map of the North-Western parts of Middle-earth. "Jack, unbind him, he needs his fingers to point", the woman ordered. "Jack's still got his knives, remember that", the big man hissed to him.

The woman ascended from the platform. "Show me", she said. Thin-Gloomy, still weeping, put his finger on the map. "There at the Northern North-Downs", he lied. Then he continued sobbing violently.

"You know what happens if you lie to me", the woman said and made an unmistakeable gesture across her throat. "Thomas, Jack, take him away. Mica, I have a couting job for you."

Though Jack and thomas didn't treat him gently, Thin-Gloomy was happy on their way back. I did it, I did it! Their bad they don't know the dwarvish mentality too well.

One for me, zero for them this far, Thin-Gloomy thought.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna turned from the dwarf and tried not to laugh. He had been listening in. It was evident on how intense his face looked. It wasn't the intenseness of thought, but that of listening carefully for information. She had seen that face many times in her journeys.

"We were first discussing the circumstances why Glirdingo is here. Then we in turn told of why we are in Rohan. We are on a mission together and we are waiting for someone before we can move on. We have been asked to find a dwarf like you. His name is Thin-Gloomy and he has been kidnapped. Do you know any information about him?" Arianna asked.

[Valesse]

As gracefully as Valesseka could manage, she openned the door to the inn and stepped inside. She was half-expecting to see a blue-clad figure somewhere nearby with a big grin, but this simply wasn't the case. However, there was one face that she could recall from the feast after the quest for the golden hoard. It was that of an elf by the name of... oh what was it? Glandoe? That didn't sound right.

Hestitating no longer the Arnorian tossed her hair to one side and stepped forward... onto her hem. The entire manuveur could have been viewed as some what artful if it weren't for a delightfully human squawk while Valesseka tried to catch herself. "Err" she stammered pushing her now overly tossed hair out of her face and blushed "Glerr..? Glaa-?" It was no use. She couldn't remember the elf's name. She hoped this wouldn't be the way he remembered her... elves living until the end of the world and all.

"You're here about... did you get the letter too?"

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo turned when he heard the door open, letting the others discuss the issue at hand. He half expected to see Galadster. But it wasn't. Instead, it was the Arnorian woman who also took part in the Golden Hoard quest. Oh gosh darn! It's what's her name, Vareska? No, that can't' be it...Valesseka? I think that's it.

He turned to the other three, quickly excused himself, got up and walked up to her. "You're here about... did you get the letter too?" He was shocked at her how blunt she was about things. He smiled at her. "And it's a pleasure to see you too, Valesseka. I see I'm not the only one who got this letter. I wonder who else will show up on this wild expedition," he said.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin disliked these elves more and more. One indeed appeared to be holding back a laugh. Still they protested that he was eavesdropping, and still they talked of a mysterious mission. But it was hard to get through Dárin's iron wall of prejudice and suspicion without some hard truth.

Luckily, at this moment of tension, another person burst into the room. She was northerner, by the looks of her, and had been travelling a long way, just like all of them. The Arnorian said, "You're here about... did you get the letter too?"

Relief washed over Dárin like a wave. If they had got a letter as well, they must be the others that were contacted. It all said so in his letter. Shakingly, he produced the letter in question from his backpack, sent to the Dwarves of the Iron Hills. The only difference was that his didn't contain instructions to go to the Inn in Rohan. Thank goodness for this coincidence then.

"Well," said Dárin. "If you are really the other contestants of the Race, I suppose I should admit I was on my way to Eriador to find Thin-Gloomy myself. If I aspire to that goal, I guess I shall need a few more people to help -"

"And a few more centimetres!" laughed the blonde one. Dárin sighed. Elves. "So I'll come with you, if you don't mind. When shall the expedition start?"

[Valesse]

"And it's a pleasure to see you too, Valesseka." The elf replied "I see I'm not the only one who got this letter. I wonder who else will show up on this wild expedition?"

Of course the Arnorian already had some idea of who she wanted to set out in search for Thin-gloomy, but past that there was no way for her to know. Careful not to trip on her hem again, Valesseka started back toward where she saw Glirdingo when she first walked in. "G-" She still couldn't recall his name. "...Hopefully those that do show up will be good friends."

She eyed the others in the tavern to make sure she hadn't over looked anybody but no one was familiar other than Glirdingo."How many are going that are already here?" When were they going to leave? Where were they heading to? Her head was starting to really form questions now that she had arrived at the starting point-- unlike at the Sea of Rhun months ago.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo had overheard what the Dwarf had said as he and Valesseka walked back towards the table. "So I'll come with you, if you don't mind. When shall the expedition start?"

"How many are going that are already here?" Valesseka had asked as they arrived at the table. He looked around at those who had gathered. "Well, so far, everyone here at this table. Why don't we go through introductions? I am Glirdingo. Those two lovely Elves are my oldest and closest friends, Arianna and Marieme," he said with a huge grin on his face.

"Arianna, Marieme, Dwarf, this is Valesseka, another quester for the Golden Hoard which Thin-Gloom had beat us too," he looked at her and smiled. It would be nice to have another companion from the Golden Hoard with him. Then he turned to the Dwarf. "And who may you be as you have not had the pleasure of introducing yourself."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo strode up to the Inn. He was eager for a drink and not at all prepared to hold it off until he had pondered the history of his adventures over the past year. That would have to wait. He scanned the house and thought it quaint and good, typical of this pleasant land. He wondered if anyone had showed up yet, and whether he'd actually get to talk with anyone about this mission he hoped to join.

Through the doorway, and into the pub. It was quite dark, and not too busy. He became aware of just how conspicuous he looked with his bright blue feathered hat. He removed it from his head, and walked straight to the bar.

"Water, please, and lots of it" he said. With a knowing wink, the barman went about fulfilling the order. After several long draughts, the Gondorian turned around to survey his surroundings.

He saw her immediately, and noted that she was staring back at him. He nodded and smiled at her, then quickly noticed that she was sitting with a few Elves, and one Dwarf who looked suspiciously like an interrogation victim. At least to Éomeléo: he had been taught of a very black-and-white relationship between Elves and Dwarves.

[Valesse]

Glirdingo! She thought, mentally slapping her forehead. That was his name! Valesseka nodded to each of the other elves, Arianna, Marieme, who Glirdingo introduced as old friends and then once more at her introduction. Out of the corner of her eye she had noticed the door open, drawing all of her attention away from the current conversation.

She bit her lip down hard to keep from grinning stupidly as Eomerleo removed his blue feathered hat and made for the bar. "Why is he lingering there?" She thought, furrowing her brows a little concerned that he wasn't completely overwhelmed by the sheer presence of her being in the building. But after a long daught he did look over and grin widely.

Without another moment to lose, she made haste to the cheerful Gondorian at the bar "I believe I recognize your face," Valesseka grinned "but I'm pretty sure I remember the hat better. How have you been and how was your journey here?"

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna felt a little dizzy from all the people that seemed to be here. How many had been called to this quest? She smiled politely and diplomatically as she was introduced to so many.

She watched Glirdingo make the rounds. He seemed so at ease and more confident now then when they were children. He had changed so much more than she had anticipated. It made her realize just how much she had missed him.

Arianna stood up and touched Glirdingo's hand gently to get his attention. "If everyone has been invited here, then where is the caretaker? Shouldn't we be worried that this was a set up?" Arianna asked him.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo laughed and replied "It is good to see you, Valesseka!" Giggling together, they had hardly missed a beat despite not seeing each other for many months.

Their partnership had remained shrouded in secrecy from all others. The most anyone—such as Glirdingo—knew was that the two had spent some time together on the quest for the Great Golden Hoard, as well as some time together after it. No-one had had the opportunity to ask further, more detailed, questions; regardless, they would be lucky to get any clear answers. Some things are best left quiet.

"I have been kept busy. I still haven't been back home, you know. The journey here was easy and hopeful, not unlike the start of the journey last year. And you, well, I trust you are good and healthy and invigorated, of course!" He smiled, and he really meant it.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme stood up and smiled as she was introduced to everyone that was standing around. Eating the elven bread that Arianna had given her that added boost that she had needed. She had run out of elven bread several weeks ago and hadn't had time to make any more for herself. The lack of it in her diet had drained her.

She started to wonder if the caretaker was coming. She didn't want to be engaged in a bloody battle.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"Well you can stop calling me by my race, at any rate!" said the Dwarf in question, hypocritically. "I am Dárin of the Iron Hills, and Thin-Gloomy is distantly related to me. And I'm not surprised so many people were attracted to this quest. With a share of the dragon-gold possibly up for grabs, I wouldn't be surprised if armies had arrived at the Inn." He introduced himself to Valesseka, the tall Arnorian, Éomeléo the Gondorian, and the elves Marieme, Glidingo and Arianna.

But still not a dwarf, said his thoughts. He had expected maybe Grimbal or Shás to come, they were something along the line of first or second cousins of Thin-Gloomy, perhaps they were lost on the road? Well I guess I should just deal with it. There's no way I'm taking on a full band of bandits on my own...

"Well, what are we staying here for? Is there someone who has a map, or information? Are we waiting for an informant?"

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo turned as Eomleo had entered. Might as well let the two travellers have their reunion, he thought, a slight smirk crossing his face. Then he turned as he heard the Dwarf, Darin, ask what they were waiting for. He was just about to respond as the door opened once again.

He turned to look at who had entered this time. In walked in the most ragged person he's ever seen. He was bald with a little moustache dressed all ragged. That can't be the caretaker, he thought. But as soon as the man saw him, he started walking towards him. He walked upright with no slouch. "Hello, I am Thin-Gloomy's caretaker. Would you be Glirdingo?"

Glirdingo gasped in shock. "Uh, umm, yes. But how did you_"

"Thin-Gloomy left a description of all his fellow questers. And, as you see, I am not in the cretaking buisness for the money. Now, would all these lovely people be those who will be aiding you in this quest?"

Glirdingo was silent, taken aback by the bluntness of this fellow standing in front of him. Then he snapped back into reality. "Uh, yes they are. Before you seat yourself, I shall introduce you to everyone."

He led the caretaker around the small gathering and introduced him to everyone. Once he was done, he went back to the table were Arianna, Marieme and Darin were still sitting. "Excuse me everyone," he said, trying to call attention to the group, but the chatting continued. "EXCUSE ME EVERYONE!!!" he yelled. The barman looked over at him agitatedly with a mingle of shock on his face. "Oh! I'm sorry my good fellow," Glirdingo apologised quite embarassed at the ferrocity in his tone.

He looked back around the crowd. Everyone was looking at him. "Um, ah, yes. Shall we begin?"

He looked at the caretaker and nodded for him to begin. "The reason why some of you have been summoned, or why you have volunteered (and I thank you deeply for your aid in this), is because the winner of the Golden Hoard has been kidnapped," he said flatly in his deep, monotone voice. "He was kidnapped on his way to the Hoard itself to claim the treasure. All of his aids, with the exception of one, were killed. The one who lived made it back to me and informed me. I took action immeadiately and sent the letters out. They're headed for Tharbad. I believe that's where the gang's hideout is. Are there any questions?"

[Crystal Heart]

The man before them frightened her. Yet, she wouldn't show anyone that. He was so gruff and ragged. She had met many people in her journey's, but she had never met someone that looked like him.

She stood behind Glirdingo. She peered at the man around Glirdingo's shoulder. She rested her hand lightly upon Glirdingo's lower back. Her other hand held onto his forearm.

"Will you be leading us?" Arianna spoke up, coming out from behind Glirdingo. She had let go of his arm. Her other hand hand slowly dragged along his back and rested on the hilt of her sword.

[Glirdan]

As the caretaker spoke, he felt Arianna slip behind him and rest her hands on his back and arm. He shuddered slightly at the touch of her soft skin on his. Her skin is so soft, so warming...

"Will you be leading us?" she asked. He started out of his reverie. She had let go of him and found her hand holding the hilt of his sword. He turned to look at her and smiled. "Well, I don't know about leading anyone anywhere. But I am going after them. Thin-Gloomy and myself may have not been the best of friends, but we were still friends."

He stopped and looked at Darin. "Yes, a Dwarf befriended an Elf. And the Elf is going to save the Dwarf." He looked away from him and looked at the group at large. "And if you all are going to partake in this expedition, I would be more than happy to travel with you. The more the merrier."

He looked back at Arianna and smiled. He already knew one companion he would have and he was quite happy. Happier than he's ever been. Then he looked over at Marieme and nodded to her, knowing that she would go wherever her friends went.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo frowned. Now that the caretaker had brought up the most pressing subject of the kidnapping, he was wondering whether there should not be more bodies embarking on this quest. The escapee's estimate of the gang's numbers mattered little. In all the time that had passed since then, many more peole could have got involved in this crime. So much gold will lead the gang to turn against each other, and maybe call other factions into play. Éomeléo wasn't sure what the caretaker expected from the volunteers.

His mind turned to the might of his land, Gondor. Couldn't he be more responsible and call for aid? But what a can of worms to open. Éomeléo just stood there, fidgeting. No questions.

[Crystal Heart]

She smiled and nodded. She would have led, but she didn't have the same information as Glirdingo did. Yet, she knew that the more they sat here the more the time was ticking by. Time was key in finding and saving someone.

"Time is of the essence. We should leave now for Tharbad. We are waisting time just standing here," Arianna pointed out. She looked back up at Glirdingo. Her hand lingered on his sword. She slid her hand down softly to just touch his hand gently. As much as she wanted to fight it, she loved him. She hadn't been near him in so long. She just wanted to be close to him, to touch him, to hear his voice.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo looked at Arianna and nodded. "You are indeed right. We need to move out. However, we do not have the proper provisions for this. For instance, I do no have a horse," he smiled sheepishly. He also knew that they werer going to need food for such a quest.

"I have taken care of everything," the caretaker said. "There are 8 or so horses in the stable behind the Inn. Provisions are packed on each of them for 2 weeks travel. Now, get going before it's too late." With that final monotone speech, he arose from his seat and walked to the door. He turned before leaving, looked at the group and nodded. With that, he left, standing straight, his rags swishing behind him out the door.

Glirdingo looked at them. "Well, what are we waiting for!? We have someone to save!" He started to the door but stopped abruptly. "You all go on. I need to have a word with Eomeléo," " the others walked ahead while he stayed behind with Eomeléo.

He turned and looked at Eomeléo. "Now, I noticed there was something troubling you. What is it?"

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin listened neutrally as the caretaker came inside and Glirdingo explained the situation. He was (relatively) pleased until the mention of Tharbad, a faraway fort or ruin as he remembered, and the other mention, horses.

"Horses?" said Dárin. Oh no, I should have seen this coming. "I'm afraid I have no experience riding the beasts. Dwarves concentrate upon civilised society rather than huts and riding. I shall need to find one of you to ride with, I fear." He wondered how he could possibly continue his mission if he had to learn to ride.

And another problem presented itself. Which to ride with? He thought for a moment, and rested upon the Gondorian, Éomeléo. He liked the southern realm, they knew of good stonework and were hardy. But he stands close to the other mortal, Valesseka. I will be in the way, perchance. Dárin decided to take the chance.

"Éomeléo, man of Gondor, I have taken a liking to you. Will you ride with me?"

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna watched as Glirdingo started to head for the door, then stop. She walked over to him and smiled.

"Don't be long," she whispered as she walked out of the Inn. She wondered if she dare take the time to switch the provisions onto her Elven horse. She decided that she would. She didn't want to leave her horse behind.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo looked at Glirdingo, even now slightly awestruck by the magnificence of the Elves. He didn't hesitate to share his concerns with a fellow Hoard-seeker, though. "My friend, I am concerned by all this. I had expected a larger gathering. How can we be confident in rescuing Thin-Gloomy when we have so few warriors among us? This quest could be more dangerous than we have wanted to believe. Yes, we sought adventure last year; but we go now to challenge criminals, ruffians, bandits. Does anyone here really know what they're getting themselves into?"

Glirdingo pondered the thought, and as there was a silence between the two, the Dwarf Dárin asked whether Éomeléo would ride with him on the quest.

"Of course we will journey together! I would jump at the chance to speak at length with a Dwarf, never having spoke with one other than Thin-Gloomy — and even then not too much at all."

"But I presume, of course, that we will not be broken up into factions yet. As you may have noticed there is someone else here with whom I need to speak; and I would have us all ride together. We will see what the caretaker suggests. Now let us go to the stables."

And with that, the Inn was emptied of the brave adventurers.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo thought of what Eomeléo had said. It is true that they were few. But he knew that he, Arianna and Marieme would be able to take care of themselves. He also knew of the stubborness of Dwarves and their bravery. Darin shall be alright... Valesseka and Eomeléo himself...Well, they've both been through much hardship. I am sure we will be fine.

He walked out of the Inn behind Darin and towards the stables. Before he got to the horse that would be his (which he named Léoflic), he went over to Eomeléo. "I have ben pondering what you said in the Inn. I know that you, Darin, Valesseka and myself can all take care of ourselves and you may be worried about Arianna and Marieme. But don't be. They can take care of themselves. And I will be there to look after them. But I do share your concerns about their numbers. But we will deal with that later. For now, let us ride,"

He went over to Léoflic, hopped up on the horse. "Come, let us ride!" With that, he rode off in the direction of the Gap of Rohan, not knowing what to expect on this jorney.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna had gone outside and had quickly switched the provisions. She then paid the stable boy to send her horse back with the message of great thanks for the horse, but that she had her own.

Arianna swung her leg up onto her horse just as Glirdingo raced off into the darkness. She reached down for a lantern and raced after him.

"Glirdingo! Slow down!" She called. She ran her horse beside him.

"What are you doing? You don't have a lantern and the rest of the group is still gathering their things and getting on their horses. You can't go galavanting into the darkness without us. Especially not me!" Arianna said forcefully. She sighed. He hadn't changed since their youth. He always had been the one that ran into the thick of things without waiting or thinking about what was to come. She was thankful that she was here to talk some sense into him.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme headed out of the Inn quickly to switch her provisions onto her own horse. She couldn't leave Flower behind. They had been through many things together. She switched and was about to hop up onto her horse when she saw Glirdingo rush off. She looked over at Arianna who sighed, grabbed a lantern, and ran after him on her horse. Marieme smiled and laughed. It is so good to be with them again, she thought.

She got up onto her horse, patting the mare's neck gently. She decided to wait and help the others if they needed it.

[Glirdan]

"Glirdingo! Slow down!" Arianna shouted from behind him. He slowed down and waited for her to catch up. "What are you doing? You don't have a lantern and the rest of the group is still gathering their things and getting on their horses. You can't go galavanting into the darkness without us. Especially not me!" She sighed deeply.

He looked at her sadly. "I am sorry. I am just eager." He grined sheepishly. "I guess I haven't changed that much since we were young. Thank o for stopping me. I may have hurt myself rushing off like that."

A sudden temptation overcame him. He leaned over Léoflic, grabbed her and pressed his lips gently to hers. He realised what he was doing and broke the moment. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me..."

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna melted at his kiss. Her heart beat wildly. Then as suddenly as it started it ended. She opened her eyes reluctantly. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me..."

She reached over, grabbed him, and kissed him back passionately. After several moments she pulled away gently. Her lips were only inches away from his.

"Oh Glirdingo. I love you so," she whispered. She looked up at him and sighed deeply. She had dreamed of this since she he had left. She hadn't believed it would ever happen.

[Valesse]

Valesseka blinked as the stange old caretaker left... she did have a question- several, really- but felt they would only prove in embarrassing her with her current company. Instead she held her tongue. As half of the party departed for the stables outside, she looked at Eomerleo but he, the dwarf and an elf were already busy sharing words with one another.

"He's preoccupied... I could ask later." the Arnorian thought to herself with a sigh. Valesseka followed the other two elves out to their 'new' horses and found her's quickly. Buinn, an older but strongly built grey gelding with a perpetual scowl soon carried her as well as her supplies out, waiting for the other rescuers to climb on their horses and settle in.

Without warning "Gllaa- Glo- Oh what was it? That horrible name... I can't remember..." Valesseka grimaced half to herself and half to the elven couple speeding off into the horizon. "At least now I can talk to Eomerle-" her thought broke off. Way ahead two of the elves were presses their faces together and... and... kissed!

In no time Valesseka was very red, and scowlling like Buinn.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme got up on her horse and saw that Arianna and Glirdingo were sharing a moment. She smiled. About time!, she thought to herself. She saw the human woman watching them. She guided her horse over to the human woman and smiled.

"You're Valesseka right? Sorry, I just like to try to remember the names of the people that I travel with. And I'm pretty poor with names. So I apologize in advance if I ever mess it up. Where are you from?" She asked, trying to draw her attention away from her friends.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo was not used to riding a horse, so his going was quite slow. It gave him plenty of time to think, though all he was really thinking about was getting the first part of this journey over with so he could have conversation with someone. On the ground. No way was he going to try two things at once.

He tried looking around to see his companions but every time he moved his head his horse seemed to sway wildly, causing Éomeléo to hold on tight and stare straight ahead.

Out in the open, alongside the other adventurers, Éomeléo began to feel uncomfortable. For an instant, he was hit by the urge to just run away. But as his horse slowed to manoeuvre around an obstacle, he was able to look around, catching glimpses of all the others; and he chastised himself for considering such an act.

[Valesse]

The other elven woman pulled her horse closer to Buinn and Valesseka with a soft smile and started inquiring about her. "You're Valesseka right?" asked Marieme, "Sorry, I just like to try to remember the names of the people that I travel with. And I'm pretty poor with names. So I apologize in advance if I ever mess it up. Where are you from?"

"Erm, yes." What was it that Gil-fellow called this one? "Marieme, correct? My name is fairly easy to remember" Valesseka half-boasted to herself, figuring that it had to do with remembering her 'gorgeous' face. "I'm from...er"

A farm in some obscure little village to the North. Valesseka wiggled uncomfortably in the saddle trying to find some way to glorify her past for the elves. "You've probably never heard of it" the Arnorian smiled sweetly, putting on her best show-face. "But how about you? You look as if you've probably seen a good many interesting things."

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Eomerleo lagging further and further behind. To her, he looked unsure of the horse. Being who he was, she suspected perhaps his new stead wasn't quite up to par with those he normally rode so he didn't trust it. Then again, Eomerleo was doing a good bit of wobbling on his own... When he finally looked at the rest of the party Valesseka, flustered, smiled bashfully back at him before focusing back on the party's path.

[Glirdan]

Arianna had pulled him back and kissed him passionately. His stomach did a summersault. "Oh Glirdingo. I love you so," she whispered to him.

He smiled warmly. "And I love you. I always have," he looked away from her to hide his embarassment. "I-I just never knew how to express it." He looked back to her shinning face and smiled widely once more. "But now that fear has passed."

He leaned over and kissed her once more. When they broke apart, he looked behind them and saw Valesseka and Marieme, who was smiling. Oh my. Did they see that!? He blushed. "I think our dearest friend over there saw us," he whispered to Arianna. "But enough about that. Where are Eomeléo and Darin?"

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna looked over and smiled to see that they had been spotted. She stroked Glirdingo's cheek gently.

"I don't know where they are. Let's just wait a moment. They are probably just getting on their horse. Just stay here with me a moment. Once we depart I won't be able to be in your arms and I shall miss it so," she replied, kissing him gently once again.

[The Sixth Wizard]

The gang (for want of a better word) headed out toward the stables. A few horses were ready there for them. Dárin prepared himself for an ordeal.

The first try wasn't lucky. He missed his footing and fell back down the side of the mare. Trying again, he leaped too hard and frightened it, almost getting stepped on. Eomerleo quickly stepped in and helped up Dárin who protested, but didn't really mind. The next thing to do was get himself into a good position on the saddle. It was difficult to get behind the Gondorian without falling off. Needless to say, he did. But they got there somehow.

Dárin sighed, finally getting into a rhythm. It was taking a toll on his old frame already, this adventure. How will I make it back in one piece? he wondered. The fear was strengthened as they set off, he heard of the two elves kiss each other on the way. It will distract them. They won't have their minds on the task, but on each other's welfare. Were they already falling apart?

Dárin forced himself to think of other things. "The Gap of Rohan. Éomeléo, would you have a map I could see? I know little of these parts. Isn't there a river, or a tower or something? Isengard? Made by your people?"

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"Aye" proclaimed Éomeléo, "Isengard is a famous place indeed. made by Giants, they say; although who 'they' are I was never told. I regret to say, Master Dwarf, that I have no map but the one in my head. Nevertheless, stay beside me and you should not get lost too badly.

Dárin looked ever-so-slightly reassured.

After a few minutes, Éomeléo stopped. When Dárin asked what the matter was, the young man spoke in a mystified voice.

"My friend, where are the others? We've barely started this quest and we're already separated from them. Weren't Valesseka and one of the Elves ahead of me earlier? How could this have happened?" How could I be so careless with her... he muttered.

"Deceits of the enemy, Éomeléo?"

"There can be little doubt, Dárin. We must find the rest as soon as is possible."

[The Sixth Wizard]

Deceits of the enemy. But who was the enemy? And how had the elves disappeared without them noticing? Dárin tried to remember back to when he had seen them last. "It was back at that last hill," he said aloud. "We last saw them then. Where have they gone? Perhaps they took a different road or were snatched off the track?"

Dárin cursed miserably. It was ridiculous. He had seen the elves seconds before, right in front. But he couldn't see very well at all, behind his companion. "What a dilemma."

[Thinlómien]

"You lied to me, you filthy little creature" she shouted. Her voice echoed in the stony hall.

She ascended from her platform all but gracefully. Her anger was so thick you could almost see a boling orange aura around her. She snatched a knife from the redhead, who did not protest.

She took a few more steps until she was standing in front of the dwarf. She put her disgust and fury in every single inch her head was higher than his and looked down to him as he was a snail she was about to crush. Hand trembling from anger, she slashed the dwarf with the knife.

Though she was skilled with a knife, she was not in the best state to attack anyone and the dwarf was aware that the cut was coming. He dodged it easily, though the big man was holding him.

Both the big man and the redhead very wary and anxious, looking at the woman as to catch a hint of what she would do next. Only the fair-haired man seemed to be at ease. "Cilia, I think that's enough. We should show him we have control over him, not the other way around", he said looking the woman straight in the eye. Her eyes narrowed as if saying "I'm the boss, keep that in mind", but she nodded.

She took a long breath and looked at the dwarf. "Tell me where it is", she hissed, leaning closer,"and no lies this time."

Oh, how I wish to spit on her ugly face, Thin-Gloomy thought. He tried to keep his dislike from his face. He wasn't going to tell her anything. He made no reply.

"Where is it?!" Oh good, this seems not to be one of her best days. I wonder if she's suffering from some feminine problems, Thin-Gloomy reflected, fighting the urge to say it aloud. He remained silent.

"Are you mute?" her tone was less angry, but a lot more dangerous. Again, he made no reply. "We can make you, if you wish", she continued. "Then you would get no response from me, my lady", Thin-Gloomy said in an overtly courteous manner. There was a flash of anger in her eyes.

The gang leader turned to her freckle-faced minion. "Jack, now cut his finger off and if he lies we'll cut his whole hand", she said coldly. The redhead came closer, fingering his knife.

This time she won't take my words as the truth as easily, Thin-Gloomy thought. He had a strategy in mind, however.

"Stop. Don't come closer", he told the bandit with the knife. "If you cut anything off me, I will not tell you anything. Anything. Ever."

The bandits exchanged nervous glances. They did not want to let the dwarf into a position where he could dictate the terms, but they were hungry for the treasure and did not dare to risk it.

"Take him back to his cell", the woman ordered with her shrill voice, "and see you don't leave him untouched. Remember, he said nothing about bruises, all he said was about cuts." She grinned maliciously and sent them away.

------

Everything was aching. Thin-Gloomy could hardly sleep. However, one good thought sailed in his mind and he grasped it. Two for me, zero for them this far.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo and Arianna sat and waited for Valesseka and Marieme to catch up with them. But there is still no sign of Eomeléo and Darin! he thought worriedly. Then his mood changed quickly. We're out for not even a full hour and they go and get themselves lost! Well, the Man got them lost becasue the Dwarf can't ride a horse! Bah!!

He turned to look at Arianna. "Where could those two have gotten too?" he asked her. "Let's ride back to Marieme and Valesseka and ask them when they had last seen them."

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme shrugged. She had seen a lot of interesting things, but none that she could regail to this woman right now.

"Oh yes. I have seen many interesting things. They seemed to be finished with their moment. Perhaps we should go up there. It makes me uneasy not knowing their plans," Marieme suggested. They eased their horses up the hill and stopped in front of Glirdingo.

"Hello dear friend. What is your next step?" Marieme asked as soon as she was closer. She looked over at Arianna who seemed to beam with a new light. She had always realized that they were made for one another. She was glad that they had finally realized that too.

[Valesse]

Valesseka was completely unsatisfied with Marieme's answer, and by the time the two of them were halted before Arianna and 'rrr-that OTHER one' as she put it, she was having a hard time to keep herself from grumbling. While Marieme paused to ask about the party's next move an uneasy feeling started to fall over the Arnorian. Sure enough, others felt it also... or at the sight of the 'infuriatingly named elf' 's expression Valesseka knew he also felt something was wrong.

"What is it?" She inquired loudly, at least assumibly for her present company's standards. Looking back in the same direction Valesseka took on the same worried look as... as -him-. "Where's Eomerleo? He was right behind me..."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

As if to accentuate the point, the mist descended upon the Dwarf and the Gondorian. They circled a couple of times, not really sure what to do. After this useless strategy, Éomeléo got off his horse and stood on the grass, chewing his lip.

"We're in a pickle now, Dárin" he said. "What wizardry is this? I can barely see even you now."

"Who said that?"

Éomeléo laughed. At least the Dwarf had a sense of humour.

"In all seriousness, Éomeléo, we are too far gone to attempt a return to the Inn. Rohan is famously a land of wide open spaces. We must try to escape this dratted fog and continue onwards in our direction. We will find the others, of course we will."

Dárin was right. Besides, Éomeléo would not be able to find the Inn again for love nor money. As soon as the mist cleared, they would be able to navigate using the mountains; and from there it was not a long journey to the Gap of Rohan.

"...unless" Dárin continued, "a worse fate than this has befallen them."

[The Sixth Wizard]

Well, this is your last chance, Dárin. said the afore-mentioned dwarf to himself. If you don't want to go through with this, hop off now and buy some more ale. There's no-one else around but a horse and a man. But he knew he would finish the job. Dárin always finished the job.

"Well nothing for it but to go forward! And start yelling a bit." He proceeded to do that for a few minutes, but gave up, soon finding it was useless. Dárin decided to change the subject. "What's the story behind your hat and its feather? And, pray tell, why is such a man dressed in noble's clothes as you doing coming upon such a mean journey? I am curious."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo pondered how best to answer Dárin. He hadn't been too keen to speak of his former life, but he supposed that he had to placate the Dwarf somehow. Taking off his hat and examining it, he began to speak.

"I have always worn such clothes. I have had this hat for years and I am quite fond of it. They are not so fine as they might appear, for they have travelled long and far and have gone through hardships they could not previously have imagined. But surely, they do invoke nobility. My family was, is, rich. I have not seen them for some time. I decided to become a bit of an adventurer and that's how I ended up here."

They began to ride north-west, the fog still hanging over them, shielding them from the sight of others. Éomeléo told Dárin about the Quest for the Golden Hoard, and began to feel more at ease, knowing that the other adventurers could take care of themselves, at least for a while.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo sat and still, pondering what move to do next. Arianna touched his hand softly and he awoke from his reverie.

He looked over at her and smiled. He then looked around him and saw that fog was coming in thick and fast. "Oh Eru! We'll never be able to find them in this pea soup!! I have nothing. Do any of you have an idea?" He asked the group.

[Valesse]

The male elf -who's name continued to evade Valesseka- spoke softly: "Oh Eru! We'll never be able to find them in this pea soup!! I have nothing. Do any of you have an idea?" causing Valesseka's calm to start ebbing away quickly.

"What do you mean you have nothing? He can't be far away, listen for them!" the Arnorian half-growlled "We should ride back to find them..." her eyes started crossing with her tiny human brain straining for a slightly more cunning thought. "I will go back and find them, who's with me?"

Pulling on Buinn's reins Valesseka turned her horse around, only for him to stubbornly completely the circle. She growlled at the geding before looking back at the three elven fair faces. "What was the dwarf's name? I'll call out for them both if no one will ride with me."

[Crystal Heart]

"Perhaps we should call for them. Riding out into this fog would be foolish as well as dangerous. Especially since we can barely see each other and we are so very close to one another. No. Let us call them. That is our best plan at this moment," Arianna replied. She held onto Glirdingo's hand, slightly frightened by how thick this fog was. And how it had come up so fast around them. It made her uneasy.

She turned to Glirdingo and lowered her voice. "Do you think that this could be a result of foulplay? This fog. . . it came up far too quickly around us and our expedition to be coincidential. Do you think that someone of magical means has done this, Glirdingo?"

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme looked up and nodded in agreement. This fog was very very thick and slightly scary. She wished that it would go away so they could get on their way. Much was ahead of them and this small obstacle seemed to be a foreshadowing of what was to come.

"Yes, let us call the dwarf and the human that is with him. Hopefully they will be able to follow the sound," Marieme agreed. Though there was something deep in her heart that made her feel uneasy.

[Valesse]

Valesseka gritted her teeth. Did that elf just call her -brilliant- rescue plan foolish? How dare her! With a huff, Valesseka looked at the OTHER two elves, refusing to grace Arianna with her acknowledgement. She had the most experiance out of this party with loosing people temporarily and considering Eomerleo was one of the lost, Valesseka was certain of one thing at least... if all else failled they'd find the rest of them before dawn.

"Shouting will do nothing if they're a league away already." she grumbled, suddenly curious just how distantly the elven ears could listen. "If we were to head back..." she started, waiting for the trio's complete attention "If they are calling out to us... You three could listen for them. We wouldn't have to ride far from one another."

Valesseka was quite blatantly unmoved by the quickness of the fog, or how uncanny it seemed to appear the night of their quest's beginning. Unlike the others around her, all of her thoughts were locked onto the task of recovering the lost half of their party and possibly how horrible it was that the fog impaired other's gazing at her gorgeous-ness.... Buinn was, however, content to graze below with the occational snort.

[Valesse]

Valesseka huffed again and tugged spazmatically at Buinn's reins in vain "Whatever we're doing we need to start doing it now." Buinn, however, was doing a very good job keeping his head and staying still with all of the Arnorian's prodding, and pressing, and pulling. When after a few seconds the human was all but seizing ontop of the geding Valesseka gave in. "What's the dwarf's name. I didn't catch it when you first introduced us."

With a sigh Valesseka looked out into the fog. What a miserable way to start an adventure, yet, sadly, such a familiar situation.

[Glirdan]

"Darin I believe. But we still have no plan. This fog is too thick for even our Elven eyes to pierce," Glirdingo repsonded exhasperatedly. "As for calling out to them, we don't even know where they are. They could be miles away from us as far as we know."

He looked around at the fog which was thickening by the minute. He squeezed Arianna's hand to reasure her that everything would be alright.

He sat there silent for awhile and finally came to a decision. "I think, however, that calling them will be our best plan of action. At least for awhile. If we don't find them, we may have to just wait this pea soup out until dawn. By then, we may be able t find them."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"...O! We ride the roads of Dwarves!"

Éomeléo smiled. "And that, Dárin, is a song I learned when I was young. Don't you like it?"

"Aye, Éomeléo, 'tis a mighty chant, for sure. The folks back home would laugh, so they would."

He had sung to the Dwarf some ridiculous song about marching into the wilderness and hunting elk. It was a good idea for it lightened their spirits. They were still hopelessly lost and praying to find something, or somewhere, soon.

"I must say Dárin, I fear we have left them behind forever." Éomeléo sniffed, and considered his own hyperbole carefully. Then he heard someone yelling:

"Can't you hear us, you fools? Where are you? Why did you go and do such mischief?"

He looked at Dárin straight-facedly for a couple of seconds, then they both burst out laughing.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin laughed. "Ah, Éomeléo, you make me feel young again. I suppose it must happen to those who travel with a feather in their hat. The Road goes ever, ever on. Perhaps we are fools to sit at our forges and hammers in the Iron Hills. But I could not bear much more of this profane horse-riding!" Dárin tried to re-adjust his posture for the fourth time in as many minutes, and promptly fell off. Before he could struggle to his knees, his pack sprung open, and all of the small items tinkled to his head one-by-one. To add to the effect, the elves chose this moment to return from the fog, and saw the whole thing.

Surprisingly though, Dárin did not get angry. He merely picked himself up from the ground, mumbled an apology, and was helped back on the horse, humming, then chanting.

"Over plains and mountains wide,
We free the chained, we ride, we ride.
Rakhâs and bandit upon the road
We will return, laden with gold.

With gold, ha-hoy, with gold!"

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo, though unable to stop grinning, was nevertheless serious with his concerns.

"I say, folks, what on Middle-earth is happening here? We rode north and east, yes! north and east. How come we by you, glad though this meeting is? Either we have gone in a circular fashion since leaving the inn, and that is highly improbable; or you have somehow burst ahead of us. Do the horses of Elves reach such great speeds? I clearly remember leaving you behind."

"Or" put in Dárin "we are being tricked and deceived. Tell us, have you heard aught strange? Whispers on the wind? Anything at all that gives cause for alarm."

Perhaps it was just Éomeléo's fast imagination, but he began to suspect that great powers were caught up in the the search for this Treasure.

[Valesse]

She had heard the singing and the banter but as if it were a whisper in the distance dampened by the filmy fog. Slowly by slowly it had grown louder until she could make out strange figures in the sunken cloud. The first thing her human eyes saw of their missing band was Dárin, the dwarf, taking a backwards tumble off of the back of his mount. Slightly - mischeviously - amused, but mostly just glad to see they had found the two stray memebers of their rescue party Valesseka laughed loudly and pushed her ankles into Buinn's sides to urge him on. "And I remember watching you behind all of us," she cleared her throat "Perhaps there is some weird force acting against us?"

The Arnorian tried to sober up her expression more, Eomerleo's grin felt contagious. "Are you hurt any, master dwarf?" - probably best if she didn't mention the tumble... just to save his feelings - "or you, Eomerleo?" Buinn, being the stubborn gedding he was, refused to move any closer after the third approaching step. So, with the roll of her eyes, Valesseka climbed down and left the lazy stead a few short paces behind her to inspect the two found riders.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin's smile faded. "Have you not felt it? Well, I have had a hunch of some impending doom, but that happens at my age. They say the dark power of Angmar has spies, birds in the trees, wights, spirits. We are not yet in Arnor but if we can feel it even here then the power is growing. There are more goblins and worse in the mountains, I know. Let us be vigilant! Stray not far from the group, even if it is one of elves and fools. We are ignorant of any peril, far-fetched though it may be."

Tharbad, Dárin remembered, was their destination. "Somewhat north of the Gap of Rohan, wasn't it? Tharbad I mean. For that is our goal, hmm?"

[Glirdan]

Glrdingo

Glirdingo rode up through the fog with Arianna and Marieme. "This is a pleasent surprise, you confounded doddlers! We thought we had lost you!"

"Somewhat north of the Gap of Rohan, wasn't it? Tharbad I mean. For that is our goal, hmm?" Darin had asked.

"Yes my friend, that is indeed where we are heading. However, I think for tonight, we rest here. It is much safer than travelling any further into this pea soup and risk getting seperated again. And possibly for good."

He held Arianna's hand squeezed it tightly to tell her that he wouldn't leave her. He brought Léoflic closer to her so he could be closer and keep an eye on her through the night.

Arianna

The group had just arrived when they heard Darin, Eomerléo and Valesseka talking about the strange whispers in the wind. "Oh yes, I remeber those..." She thought. "Quite chilling to the bone in fact."

She shuddered slightly. It was at that moment that she felt Glirdingo beside her. She rested her head lightly on his shoulder and sighed deeply, wishing the moment could last forever.

Marieme

Marieme watched as her dearest friends got closer together, and she smiled. She had always known it was bound to happen, and she was glad that it finally had.

She looked around at the rest of the group settling in for the long night ahead. "If you all would like, I could take first watch of the night. I am not tired, nor frightened and my Elven eyes can pierce this fog more than the rest of yours, discluding Arianna and Glirdingo that is."

[Crystal Heart]

She wanted to rest, but she was still a little fearful. Though, Glirdingo's presence and his hand in hers was certainly helping ease some of her fears. She hated being out in the open where anyone or anything could stumble upon them. She nestled herself closer to Glirdingo. She looked up at him, wanting to tell him over and over just how deeply her love for him ran. She opened her mouth to do so, but decided against it. Instead she just sat with him.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme sat upon her horse and peered into the pea soup fog. She depended upon her hearing too for when her eyesight failed, which it rarely did. Yet the fog was rather dense and she was relying more on her hearing at this moment then ever before.

As she looked she thought about what was occuring between her two friends. She hadn't seen either of them in so long, but she could see that they were still deeply in love. She marvelled at how life had taken them so far away from one another and yet their love still remained. She remembered that they both had been too stubborn to admit that they liked one another, but being the tag along that she had been in their youth she had seen it every day. She was glad that her observational skills had been correct even then.

[Crystal Heart]

As morning began to dawn the fog started to disappate until there was only a wisp that lingered above the ground. Arianna stretched and looked up at Glirdingo, who was still sleeping. She shook him gently.

"Glirdingo. Wake up sleepy elf. The fog has lifted," she whispered gently. She watched as he woke up. It had been far too long since she had seen the way he groggily pulled out of sleep.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo was having a wonderful dream. One of him and Arianna living peacefully back home in Lorien with Marieme. It was then that he heard his name being called from afar.

"Glirdingo. Wake up sleepy elf. The fog has lifted." It was Arianna attempting to wake him up. He looked around groggily and noticed that no one else was up as of yet.

"You silly elf. We're the only two up!" He leaned forward and kissed her gently. After they broke apart, he held her close to him and whispered in her ear, "I love you Arianna. I will never leave you." He leaned forward and kissed her once more on her soft lips.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna held him closer as he kissed her. She sighed as he pulled away and smiled up at him. She touched his ears gently, fingering his pointy elf ears delicately.

"And I love you, Glirdingo. And I will never leave you. Once this is over we can journey home and finally stop galavanting around this world and just live peacefully. It's all I have dreamt about for the longest time," she whispered. She pulled him in for another gently kiss. She rested her forehead against his.

"If this journey gets dangerous, dangerous as in . . . the possibilty of forever losing you arises don't stop me from protecting you. Promise me that," she whispered, her eyes examined his.

[Valesse]

As the elves nearby lost one another in their eyes, Valesseka was sleeping soundly in the grass decidedly further away from the couple than she had originally retired to. Dreaming peacefully until given a cue by a seeding sprout of wild rye swatted the Arnorian square in the nose, she gave a loud snort and sat up blinking.

"Whosat? Hmm?" She attempted to focus on the other up-right figures in the grass. "Is everyone still sleeping? We ought to be moving, right?" Slowly standing and brushing seeds off of her skirt Valesseka wobbled to Buinn and her pack mummbling inanely about being hungry.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme opened her eyes and saw that Arianna and Glirdingo were having a very serious moment indeed. She knew her friends well enough that this meant that a promise was being made and so she turned away, pretending that she hadn't woken up and saw them.

"Shh human. Allow our leader and his love to have a least one unbroken moment before the horrors of this day arrive. Enjoy the last moments of peace we have," Marieme whispered, closing her eyes. She slowed her breathing and meditated upon the day that was before them.

[Glirdan]

"If this journey gets dangerous, dangerous as in . . . the possibilty of forever losing you arises don't stop me from protecting you. Promise me that," Arianna had asked him as the sun slowly rose behind her casting a beautiful shine to her dark hair. He looked her in the eyes and saw how serious her statement was.

"Arianna, I could never ask you to give your life for mine. I can't promise you to let you to protect me. Your the only one I love. If you were to die, I'd die of sorrow." He looked away from her penetrating stare, not wanting to show the pain he felt at the thought of loosing her.

There was a long pause and he finally looked back at her. She was still staring straight at him with those deep, grey eyes with that penetrating stare. "Arianna, I'm sorry, but I could never ask you to do that for me. If anything, it will be me to give my life for the one I love. I'm sorry, but I cannot ask that of you."

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna smiled and shook her head. She rested her hand upon his cheek.

"Oh Glirdingo you're not asking me that. I'm just asking you not to stop me. That's all. Perhaps we should be promising that no matter what is to happen we will still love one another instead of worrying about something that might not exactly happen," she whispered. She inched foreward slowly, stopping only mere inches away from his lips.

"I vow myself to you, Glirdingo. You have all of me," she whispered. Her hands reached behind her neck and she undid the clasp of her necklace. She took his hand and placed it in his before kissing him slowly.

[The Sixth Wizard]

In truth, Glirdingo the Elf had been wrong when he claimed 'they were the only two up'. Dárin the Dwarf had been up much of the night. When his watch was over, he had started to go to sleep, but found that he couldn't. He thought of gold, and lost dragon-hoards, war and magic. Dárin walked a long way from the camp in a train of his own thought, now looking at the ground, now at the dark star-studded sky. But a trail of feet had intrigued him. They led further away. Suddenly a dark shape had been in the distance. More of them. Men? Bandits?

A cold wind blew and he had felt suddenly alone, haunted. Dárin had turned, started to walk, then hobble quickly back to camp. Was that a howl? He broke into a run. And here Dárin was, a little past dawn, running back to camp. A rustle came from a grove nearby. Eyes?! Dárin drew his axe and fell into a crouch. But then the first ray of dawn spread across the horizon.

The camp! Finally! He entered and said to the travellers, "Men. Horses. Who would be out here alone? There were more of them than us, I don't know if they are armed. What should we do?"

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo mumbled in his sleep as his companions roused around him. He was dreaming of vampires and dread creatures.

He awoke to a a pleasant morn. Dew and a slight mist were around him, and he could tell that a brilliant sunshine would soon enter the arena of Middle-earth. What a life! he thought. It made all the camping out in the rain over the past few years worthwhile.

As soon as he became properly conscious, he was aware of Dárin hurriedly telling of strangers in the vicinity. Éomeléo gazed about him sleepily. There was no immediate threat so he refused to expend energy in getting up off the ground. Instead, he listened intently to what Dárin and the Elves had to say, while looking at Valesseka.

He knew there would likely be trouble on this journey. He sometimes worried that not all the companions would make it back alive, but right now he was quite untroubled. He was more curious to meet the men than he was afraid of them. Maybe they would join forces with them and offer protection on the road?

Hopefully they had not heard of the Treasure. That could make things difficult.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna sat up, and looked over at the men on their horses. Who could they be? Yet oddly she was not afraid of these men. She watched as they gave a nod to them and headed onwards. She relaxed against Glirdingo.

"They are merely travellers like us. Pay them no heed," Arianna replied as she watched them disappear over the hill. She could already tell that it would be a long day.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo snorted. "Travellers? Like us?" He had heard all about the wisdom of Elves but he was unsure that this Arianna was quite on the gold (so to speak). The 'like us' part was all too attractive to the festering paranoia. He could see that Dárin remained unconvinced as well.

"Perhaps one of us should trail behind as a scout?" Éomeléo suggested. "I wouldn't be surprised if they have sniffed us out so that we can act as their guides. Legend grows swiftly, especially where riches are concerned."

He didn't need an answer from his fellow adventurers. He was going to keep an eye on the band of strangers. He watched them walk southwards, over a hill and out of sight.

"Well? Let us make haste! We have a friend to save!"

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo stood up with Arianna to go and pack Léoflic for the journey ahead. He was just putting his last bag on when he looked into the distance and noticed something peculiar.

"Arianna! Marieme come here please!!" he cried suddenly. "It's quite urgent! Please!! NOW!!" He cried, panic rising in him, daring to hope that what he saw, wasn't what he thought it was.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna jumped when Glirdingo called her name so sharply. She ran over to him. Her eyes were filled with fear and her heart raced. He hadn't said her name in that manner since that day he found. . . she hated the thought. It had been a horrid day for the three of them. Herself and Glirdingo had lost their childhood, and one another, that day.

"Glirdingo. What is it?" She asked him, her voice taut with concern. She rested her hand upon his forearm, fearing that he would be gone. She knew that that wasn't possible this time, now that he held her necklace around his neck, but she still feared it all the same.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme ran over to Glirdingo and Arianna. His face was pale. She didn't like the look of his fear. She could see how tense it was making Arianna. They had always been like that, sharing emotions. Arianna's had always been more prominent to read. Never Glirdingo. He had been able to control it enough not to scare Arianna or herself. Yet, something had him spooked. That much was for certain.

"I'm here. What's wrong?" Marieme inquired, her eyes darted between Glirdingo and Arianna. She licked her lips and tucked a strand of her hair behind one of her pointy ears.

[Valesse]

Valesseka shook her head and keep her thoughts of the group which the others reported seeing in the distance. To her it wasn't important to try and squint out how many or what these other travellers might be, but it was important, however, to hasten her activities. placing the saddle blanket back ontop of Buinn as well as the rest of the tacting, Valesseka checked her fastenings and then moved on to check on the others' horses.

Just then the elven male gave a shout for his companions to come near. Somewhat frightened as to what it might be and curious as to why he didn't include the rest of the party, she resisted cranning her neck toward the three elves and clumsily climbed ontop of Buinn sighing "Another delay? Thingloomy will surely waste away before we arrive." With a tug she directed the stubborn gelding toward Darin and Eomerleo. "Whatever it is can't be grave enough to keep us from our mission."

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo's heart was racing as he gazed into the distance, waiting for Arianna and Marieme to join him. Glirdingo was never one to freeze in fear when the three of them were in danger when they were younger.

When Arianna and Marieme had joined him, he knew they were scared. He looked at them worriedly. "I'm sorry to scare you like this, but I need to know what you can see in the distance. Is it just me, or does it look like a group of horses with their riders?" He asked this as calmly as he possibly could, hoping against hope that it wasn't.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo was startled by Glirdingo's obvious panic. He had never known the Elf to appear so before. Granted, he didn't know him too well, but he wondered what dread image could be flashing in his mind. He was looking toward the horizon.

Having not the sight of Elves, Éomeléo could only presume that some fell beast or mighty army was pursuing them. He often presumed the worst; all his fears of this band of adventurers being too low on numbers and strength came back to him.

He had foreseen battle, but the threat of its imminence was severely disconcerting. Éomeléo just stood there, fingering his sword, eyes flicking hither and thither.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna looked where he pointed and her eyes widened. Riders. They weren't the friendly kind that had just left them and they were too far to be the riders that they just saw. Her hold upon his arm tightened.

"Glirdingo. . . what do you suppose. . . Oh I don't like this. Not one bit," she replied, looking up into his agitated eyes. She returned her gaze back to the riders.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"Ah! Let them come! No blade or shaft will fell me today! I feel it," cried Dárin harshly. "But still may we be overwhelmed with numbers. I suppose we must take to cover. Is there any on this landscape?" The fog had cleared. The plains were flat and had little or no trees. Rocks stuck up here and there but were probably not enough.

"Ride to meet them! The other alternative is to be rooted out before we can escape. Unless our horses are swifter, which I doubt, trained by the Horse-Lords though they be." His axe grew restless. Dárin wondered if he was counseling them to their deaths. But there was no real other alternative, at least in his eyes.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo winced slightly in pain as Arianna's grip tightened upon his arm as she saw the riders approasching. So, it's just as I feared....Another group of outlaws.....question is, who are they working for? Are they independent? Or do they work for Thin-Gloomy's kidnappers?

"Glirdingo. . . what do you suppose. . . Oh I don't like this. Not one bit," Arianna said as she looked at him with fear. He looked at her and tried to smile, but failed. "Do not worry Arianna. Whatever happens, happens, and I will be here by your side ever step of the way."

It was then that he heard the Dwarf speaking. He must have overheard us, Glirdingo thought agitatedly.

"....Unless our horses are swifter, which I doubt, trained by the Horse-Lords though they be." he was finishing. Glirdingo turned to look at the Dwarf. "My dear Dwarf, even if our horses were swift enough, I am quite positive that they have now had sight of us," Glirdingo responded calmly, his logic overtaking his fear. "Even if we were to run, they would see us and follow us. I say we stay and wait."

He turned back to look at the group approaching swiftly over the plains. He held onto Arianna tightly and whispered, "Don't worry my love. I am here for you." as the group advanced closer and closer with each breath they took.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna stood Glirdingo's arms. She was shaking slightly as she tried to recompose herself. Why couldn't they have remet one another on more happier, calmer terms. Why couldn't they have the days that she so longed for now, ones that weren't filled with danger nor adventure. As she looked up at her beloved, she realized that that kind of life would never be theirs. He was too honorable and he loved adventure. Danger went hand in hand with adventure. As much as it made her fear where their lives would head together, it made her love him all the more.

She reached up and touched the necklace that she had given him. Her own neck felt so very alone without it. Yet, she had been saving it for him. She had hoped that she would one day be able to give it to him. It looked so right on him. She feared that this would be the last moment that she would ever been in his arms and at the same time she knew that it wouldn't be.

"Glirdingo, I love you," she whispered as the men came closer. Her heart raced as she looked back over at the approaching figures.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme saw the approaching men. She reached behind her and pulled out her sword. She stood in front of her two friends, ready to defend them.

"No matter what comes, I will fight to the death for both of you. You both will live even if it means I shall have to die," Marieme vowed. She watched them approach and she smiled over at the dwarf. If it was a fight that was coming then it was a fight that the men would get. They hadn't met the most fiestiest elf in all Middle Earth.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo stared in amazement as Marieme drew her sword and stood in front of Arianna and himself. Never had he seen Marieme this fiesty. He always knew she was a fiesty, free willed and spirited individual, but never to the extent.

"No matter what comes, I will fight to the death for both of you. You both will live even if it means I shall have to die," Marieme vowed. Glirdingo looked at her and smiled while drawing his own sword which gleamed in the sun. "My have you changed since last we saw each, my old friend. However, there will be no need for you to give your life for me. If this is a fight to the death, I shall go with you every step of the way."

Glirdingo looked across the plains towards the advancing men. "Get ready my friends, for this may very well be a battle. But it may not be. We shall let them make the first move." He said this calmly while his heart beat quickly, the rush of excitment coming up on him.

He moved in front of Arianna to block any arrows should they shoot them. He looked quickly behind at her and whispered, "I love you too." He looked back across the plains as the men approached quickly, waiting on the inevitble.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna grabbed her sword, getting her head finally into the game. Marieme had become more fiesty than she had once been. She chuckled. She was about to step beside her friend when Glirdingo stepped in front of her, protecting her. She smiled at his back.

"I love you too," Glirdingo replied, turning back to look at her for a moment. She stepped beside him, lighting touching his elbow as she did so.

"If we die, Marieme we die together," Arianna replied. She looked up at Glirdingo once more. "I would rather be by your side fighting for what we believe than to die without you," she lowered her voice. She was unsure that he heard her. It didn't matter at this moment.

The men on their horses were racing closer and Arianna was ready. She had acquired many battle skills during her years of travel. The men raced over to them, a few jumped down from their mounts to engage in hand to hand combat.

She jumped, pushing her sword through the first man that came at them. She pulled it out and turned to her next component. She saw a man across the field ready his bow. Arianna grabbed her bow and an arrow that lay in the carrier upon her back. She notched it with ease, aimed, and then let it sail through the air. It peirced the man in the throat and he toppled off his mount wordlessly.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme laughed as she looked over at her friends. Yes, she had changed since she had last saw them. As had they and she would do anything to ensure that they had the life that they both so deserved.

"You haven't seen how fiesty I can be! And I don't give my life just for you, Glirdingo. I give my life to Arianna as well. You and Arianna deserve a chance to live out your lives together. I will do all in my power to see it happen," Marieme replied.

She turned to the men that were coming. Soon they were upon them and Marieme's instincts started in. She jumped up onto one of the mounts and pushed the man off. He tumbled, hitting his head upon a rock. He lay dead upon the ground. She reigned the horse in, spinning it around take on the others that were coming on mounts. She rode hard, her eyes narrowed. She swung her sword, cutting the soft flesh of the men around her. One by one they fell to the ground with sickening thuds that oddly enough no longer sicked Marieme.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna's attention was diverted when she saw Marieme jump up onto one of the horses and swing her sword around dangerously. When had she learned that? A man came up and sliced at her, causing her to fall backwards. She screamed out, holding her abdomen. Painful tears sprung to her eyes as she lay wounded and helpless upon the ground. She removed her arm to see the blood that already was pouring through her white shirt.

She clenched her arm around her again, trying to stop the bleeding herself while her comrades were around her fighting. She prayed that the battle would end quickly. She was unsure of how long she could hold on herself.

[Glirdan]

It all happened so fast. Glirdingo was caught in combat with one man. He looked behind him and saw an arrow flying over his head at one of the men still seated. It struck him dead on. He screamed in agony as he toppled off his mount. Glirdingo smiled widely. That was Arianna no doubt, he thought for he saw his other friends locked in combat as well.

Marieme had just jumped up onto a man's horse (Where in Eru's name did she learn that move?) and slew him as they rode. He looked back at his opponent to finish his fight. He had gone.

Glirdingo looked around wildly, trying to find him. It was then that he heard a shrill scream from behind him. He spun around quickly and saw Arianna fall to the ground, blood pouring onto her shirt.

His blood rose with in him. He ran after the man and stabbed him through his left shoulder. He fell to the ground in pain, but not quite dead. "You stay here, or I WILL slay you. Understand?" Glirdingo hissed.

He ran back to Arianna, dropping his sword as he went. He fell to the ground once he reached her. Her eyes were closed. "Arianna?" he whispered, tears pouring forth from hiseyes. "Arianna? Answer me. Please answer me."

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin recovered quickly from the swift assault, but he was still quite shocked at the ferocity of the attack. What do the men of these lands do, ride around killing helpless strangers? he thought. The battle raged, but it was all Dárin could do to merely stay on his horse. He gave up, attempting to leap to the ground, but his aged legs buckled underneath him. Dárin tried to stand, but toppled over again.

Not Dárin of the Sigin-tarâg! No helpless stranger am I! Dárin righted himself just as a horse galloped past. The horse wheeled and charged straight at the Dwarf. Finally Dárin loosed the battle-cry every young dwarf knew, "Baruk Khazâd!
Khazâd ai-mênu! Stop fiend! Why are you here? Show some wisdom and speak, save us of the needless bloodshed! Or are you possessed, some wraith of Angmar?"

The rider ignored him and Dárin was forced to use the axe-haft to pole vault out of the way. He couldn't stand in time and was sure his time was up. May Mahal strike these orc-men down!

[Crystal Heart]

As the blood pulsed out of her the world around her began to spin and swim. She closed her eyes against the movement. Her breathing was shallow and she prayed that it wasn't a wound that was going to kill her. Never in her life had she wondered if she, as an elf, could die.

"Arianna?" A familiar voice whispered. "Arianna? Answer me. Please answer me." Sthe slowly opened her eyes, feeling more groggy now than she had a moment ago. As her eyes focused she could see that it was her Glirdingo. She gave him a very weak smile and her hand took his.

"Is . . . it bad?" She managed, fear pulsed through her veins. Glirdingo was crying and she hated to see the site. Perhaps she was worse off then she had thought. She tried to move, but pain sliced through all the way to her back. She cried out, clutching his hand harder.

"I. . . I love you. . . Glirdingo," she hissed. She wanted to say it now in case it would be the last time she would ever whisper those words to him again.

[Valesse]

Valesseka was panicked and trying her hardest to stay out of the middle of the fray. She was never 'trained' for battle and the hardest fighting she could recall was pulling weeds that had grown woody stocks back home. Clentching her 'stave' she kept her distance from the swarm and kept near her company's horses. Now more than every she was reconsidering her decision on joining the rescue of Thin-Gloomy.

She saw something moving around the other end of Buinn and whirlled around... sure enough, part of the battle had found her. With a squeak Valesseka retreated a few steps only to be matched and swung at with a crude ax. Dodging in a very ungraceful way, the Arnorian landed on her side, loosing her 'polearm' and retreated once more by crawling under Marime's horse. With the skirmish raging as it was Valesseka's chance of shucking off the bandit's attention was slim and fighting the man off appeared to be a growing delusion.

Clambering back to her feet the bandit once again appeared before her and took another swing which connected on Valesseka's upper arm. With a piteous cry, she cowered back toward the horse and crumpled. For all intensive purposes she was 'defeated'... until she could recall her bearing and make herself useful.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

A blur of movement; shapes shifting and colours raging all around him. Éomeléo, when he needed it most, had the composure of mind to halt for a few seconds to survey the situation.

The Elves had charged the attackers. Who these men were the Gondorian had no inkling but what was clear was that much blood would be spilled out of this enmity. The elf Arianna had already slain two men and the others seemed filled with bloodlust. What reasoning was there to this horror? Éomeléo spied Dárin looking bewildered despite his solid Dwarven instincts – he was able to join the fight very quickly. But in the madness of battle, Valesseka had been lost. Eyes darting, he searched the field for her.

There she was, locked in combat with one of the attackers. Éomeléo decided that here was where he was needed most. He charged her assailant and with all his might smashed the sword from his hand. The foe fled, and his nearest companion, a small wiry man, retreated in the face of the angered Gondorian. Éomeléo was free now to check on Valesseka.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo held Arianna closely, completely unaware to all that went on behind him. He only had one thought in mind and that was to tend to Arianna. He continued to watch her, praying that she wasn't dying.

Finally her eyes started to open and she gave him a very feeble smile. He smiled back, tears pouring forth and dropping like little rain drops onto Arianna's already bloodstained shirt and onto his own shirt.

"Is . . . it bad?" she finally whispered. He looked at her, to afraid to look away in case she passed on to Mandos Halls. He stared straight at her, tears continuing to pour forth.

Then she attempted to move and she cried out in pain. Glirdingo held her closer. "I. . . I love you. . . Glirdingo," she said quietly. He looked deep into her eyes and said "I love you too Arianna." He bent forward and kissed her gently.

They broke apart slowly. Glirdingo looked up and around and noticed that the battle had finally ended. Éomeléo was looking after Valesseka and Dárin and Marieme were chasing the rest of the gang away.

"Marieme! MARIEME!!" he called out to his friend urgently. He needed someone to help him with Arianna. He was never good with the healing of wounds. "Marieme!!" he called one last time before turning back to Arianna.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme had never heard her name screamed in such a terrified and desperate way. She sheathed her sword and turned the horse around in slow circles, looking for Glirdingo. She saw him kneeling over Arianna. Marieme's eyes widened as she saw the blood that came from her torso.

She hurried the horse over, jumping off as soon as she was close enough. She gave Glirdingo's shoulder a squeeze and smiled bravely at Arianna. The blood was clearly clotting, that much was a good sign.

"It'll be okay. Just let me see here, Arianna," Marieme said, making sure that her voice was steady. She lifted the blood stained shirt up, making sure that she was still decent. She stopped herself from cringing. It was a deep wound, not deep enough to have cut any organs, but deep enough to lose enough blood.

She reached into the pouch at her hip and pulled out the salve that she had from a previous battle. She opened the bottle and poured the green salve upon the long cut. She applied it thickly. She then took her cloak and her sword and cut it into a long, very thin piece. She wrapped it around Arianna's torso and tied it securely, all the while ignorning the hisses of pain that escaped from Arianna's lips.

Marieme looked over at Glirdingo and gave him a nod. She pulled down Arianna's shirt, reached over and gave Arianna's hand a squeeze. "She'll live," Marieme said softly, thankful that she hadn't lost her friend.

[Crystal Heart]

As Marieme worked she couldn't help but hiss at the pain. She clenched Glirdingo's hand and closed her eyes. Arianna trusted Marieme and her skills. When Marieme was done she opened her eyes and gave her a weak smile.

"She'll live," Marieme said softly. Arianna looked up at Glirdingo, her heart swelled. She would live and they might just see their future hopes come true. Tears sprung to the edge of her eyes.

"Thank you," Arianna whispered, giving Marieme's hand a thankful squeeze. Her eyes looked at the man that Glirdingo had caught. She knew that Glirdingo would want to interrogate him and she couldn't ask him to stay with her when his friend was in danger. She reached up and touched Glirdingo's face. "Go . . . interrogate him. . . I'll . . .be fine," Arianna whispered tiredly.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin slowly picked himself off the ground, groaning. Not for the first time he had silent doubts about this journey, and they seemed well founded now. He marched over to the rest of the battered band. Angrily he stared them down.

"You elves! I can't take it any more! No-one can! It is simply impossible to cope! Arianna almost died and she isn't even a mortal! No, we must go back. There are many miles to Tharbad still, are we to be harrassed by bandits and no-goods and wraiths?

"Face the facts! We are in over our heads here, and caught up in a plot too large for our livelihoods. We should go back to Rohan and ask the aid of the King, or abandon Thin-Gloomy, terrible a prospect though it is. Shall we forfeit our lives for one dwarf?!" Dárin rose nearly to a shout at the end.

Awaiting an answer, he turned and kicked a stone. He knew it was mad to forfeit Thin-Gloomy, and it went against his determined dwarf nature, but what use was it to go into unknown danger, where they were perhaps heavily outnumbered?

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme blinked at the dwarf's outburst. She looked around and saw the rest of the group. The only one that was really bad off was Arianna and she wasn't that bad off. She had just lost a lot of blood and was weak and the cut was over her torso, causing breath to be painful. She would survive.

"Have you no courage, man? Is it not the meaning of the life of a dwarf to fight for your comrades and family? Arianna will live. She lost blood, nothing more. You should be ashamed of what you proposed! Leaving a dwarf in need, that is waiting on us to rescue him! You can leave, but this is the nature of the beast. We will come across bandits and travellers and all the like. We shall fight and maybe one or many of us shall die. But isn't it better to die for a noble cause then to turn your back upon him and die from old age in your bed?!" Marieme argued back, her eyes were blazing.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo arose and sighed in exhasperation at the screaming and yelling that commenced. He looked down at Arianna who had closed her eyes for some rest. Some rest she's going get with all this screaming going on. He continued to look at her, happy that she was going to live yet exhausted.

The yelling progressed to a roar behind him. He turned around in anger and yelled as loud as he could. "STOP!!!" Everyone looked at him in astonishment. He looked at the Dwarf with narrowed eyes. "I understand your frustration Darin. I too am frustrated. However, if we want to save Thin-Gloomy, and you cannot stand there and say that you do not, we must perservere and keep our heads held high. We will not turn back now, not after all of this. We must move forth as soon as possible."

He looked around at his comrads, hoping that they didn't notice the fear in his eyes. He looked over to Valesseka and Éomeléo and said "If you two do not mind, I would like you to watch over Arianna while Mariem, Darin and myself go around to see if any are alive for questioning."

Without waiting for an answer, Glirdingo turned and walked to where the man he had stabbed, the man who had stabbed Arianna, lay, hoping that he was alive. As he approached, he noticed that he was breathing. But there was something different about this man. He walked up beside him, turnd him over and gasped.

The man wasn't a man. It was in fact a young woman. He noticed her eyes were open so he didn't wait for Marieme and Darin to arrive to start the questioning. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Why did you attack us!?" Glirdingo asked her all in one breath. He sat in impatiently, waiting for her to answer.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"...But isn't it better to die for a noble cause then to turn your back upon him and die from old age in your bed?!"

Easy for her to say, she doesn't fear death. But some of us have only one life to shape and experience the world, and may not squander it unwisely... But Dárin knew she was right. He just had too much experience of young dwarves letting their passions get the better of them, and dying for revenge, or for a seemingly just cause, to orcs and worse. It was the right thing to do, rescuing Thin-gloomy. Exhaustion and shock had made him grumpier than usual, but he still disliked their journey.

He grumbled and coughed. "Fine. I've got nothing to live for anyway. I'm bankrupt and have no spouse or children. I'll throw away nothing if I die. At least this way we have some chance of a just deed." The wind whistled.

[Thinlómien]

The world was fog for Jenfried. There was a throbbing, tearing pain in her left shoulder. The pain took everything. She was vaguely aware of laying on the ground, her face to the dirt and the little stones against her body. There were some distant yells and clashes of weapons. There was a faint smell that reminded her of grass and blood.

She could not concentrate. She was unable to think about almost anything. Only one thought swam in the pools of her pain: Will I die? Will this be the end of my miserable, short life?

The noises were fading. There was still shouting, but this was different... It was like... like Arunga shouting to Théodfara after he had dropped the honey pot... or like mum when Jen had brought her the dead rat family so many years ago...

Someone grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Some dark shape was between her and the starry sky. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Why did you attack us!?" the foggy shadow demanded. But it was not a shadow anymore. Through the tears of pain blurring her eyes she could recognise the shape of a young man. An extraordinarily beautiful young man with very deep and shining eyes.

Like Elves in the fairytales and histories, she thought, oh, am I having hallucinations?

"Who - are - you?" the man spelled slowly and impatinetly. His voice was eeriely melodic. "My name is Jen", she replied. The man looked at her with a puzzled, angry face. Only then did she realize that she had uttered the words in her mother tongue, rohirric, not in the common tongue the man was speaking. "My name is Jen", she said again, now in the speech of the western lands. Before the man could make any reply, she asked: "Are you an elf?"

[Valesse]

Valesseka had a moment to take in her surroundings while Eomerleo galantly rescued her from the dark horror that was the wayward way-laying band of bandits. One of the female elves had fallen in the skirmish, the one she hadn't spoken to much... Ariano? Confound it! Elves and their names! What if she needed someone's help in some ancient forest?

"I'm- I'm fine... just frightened" she whimpered some what melodramatically to Eomerleo, clentching her arm where the crude ax grazed her. Nearly about to inquire about his condition --Glamerr'o?-- the elusively named one addressed the pair: "If you two do not mind, I would like you to watch over Arianna."-- That was the elf-maid's name! Arianna!--"...while Marime, Darin and myself go around to see if any are alive for questioning."

Without another thought, or even an initial one Valesseka gave a dazed nod and stood up to move closer first to Eomerleo, and then to the elf. Running through her head was some of her basic knowledge of the medicial herbs native to Arnor... It'd do her little good here. From what she remembered King's-Foil leaf, one of the best salve ingredients to fight infection, liked the shade of trees which are 'apparently' few and far between in Rohan. "Are..." Valesseka stammered, unsure if Eomerleo could even hear her over the events nearby, "you alright, also? Thank you..."

[Glirdan]

"My name is Jen", the woman said slowly. She paused, looking long at him. "Are you an elf?" she finally asked, somewhat bewildered, somewhat in awe.

He looked at her and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am an Elf. And obviously you can hear me now. So lay still while I have my friend come and patch you up. And don't think of running awy for I shall be right here with her!" He hissed, narrowing his eyes. He looked behind him at Marieme and nodded to her to come here.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin was enraged to find one of the bandits captured alive and talking. The nerve of these foes! The elf Glirdingo was speaking to the young female human. Patch her up!

"This is an elf, brigand, and a fierce one at that. And I am a Dwarf of the mountains, deep in wisdom, fierce in anger and slow to forget any grudge. You and your fellows attacked us without provocation, forcing us to defend ourselves forcefully," he said, bristling. "In my eyes you are lower than a cursed orc, grovelling in the sunlight. Have you no moral fibre? There is a reason we are put on the good earth, not to kill and burn, the tools of the Enemy!"

He was tempted to just finish the brigand, but the Elves would no doubt condemn him. Returning to the group, he said to Éomeléo, "What are we to do with this vagrant? My people would not be too merciful in the same situation. Leave her, I think.."

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme gave Arianna's hand a squeeze and then went over to where Glirdingo was with the human. She knelt down and pressed her fingers into the wound. It wasn't too bad. Deep enough to cause substantial amount of pain. She pulled out some salve and put it on there.

"There isn't much I can do for the human. The wound is deep, requiring stitches and I don't carry stitches with me," Marieme informed him.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo flashed a, no doubt, lovely smile at Valesseka. He was fine, of course. The attackers didn't seem too interested in pursuing the death of the Gondorian and so he was able to chase off those who came near him with little fuss. The Arnorian girl was surely able to notice his pristine condition. Or perhaps she was dizzy. Whatever it was, she smiled back.

"I'm afraid I know nothing of herbs and medicines. No matter, though – Glirdingo would not have left this Elf with us had she urgent need of a leaf."

Dárin shuffled over, muttering about mercy and retribution. He was clearly not happy about being attacked and probably wanted to revenge himself upon whoever Glirdingo was talking to. Éomeléo listened to his words, not keen to make bold pronouncements just yet. He was interested in hearing what this fiend had to say for itself.

[Thinlómien]

"So lay still while I have my friend come and patch you up. And don't think of running away for I shall be right here with her!" the elf shouted. Even in such a desperate situation, Jen was slightly amused. Running away? In this condition? She moved her arm a bit and a new wave of pain flashed over her. Run away... where would I even go? she wondered, closing her eyes.

She heard steps approaching her. The patcher? She opened her eyes. No way, that's an angry dwarf! The dwarf started shouting at the girl. She looked away, but his words still echoed around. "In my eyes you are lower than a cursed orc, grovelling in the sunlight. Have you no moral fibre? There is a reason we are put on the good earth, not to kill and burn, the tools of the Enemy!"

She felt her anger and frustration rising. Moral fibre? Better dead or suffering than lacking a moral fibre? She was too devastated to shout, and she only managed to mutter: "Maybe everyone does not have the chance to choose their path." But it seemed no one was listening to her.

Then another dark shape appeared between her and the starlight sky, bowing over her. This was a slender young woman, also very beautiful and, Jen thought, there was something unnatural in her eyes. Another elf?

Without a warning, the woman pressed her fingers to the girl's wound. She swallowed a scream of pain. I won't scream or cry in front of these people, she told herself, I won't scream. Jenfried felt the woman put something cool and soothing to her wound, but she didn't know what it was. Maybe she's poisoning me to end my suffering or to get rid of me...?

[Crystal Heart]

Even though Arianna was starting to feel better, the world was still spinning. She opened her eyes to see if it was still spinning and found that it was. She closed her eyes and scrunched her face up.

"Make it stop spinning," she whispered. She tried to breath evenly in an attempt to make it stop. She heard Glirdingo's voice talking. She relaxed, just listening to him talk. There was something about his voice that soothed her soul.

[Valesse]

Valesseka lowered her gaze at the wincing elf below her and put a hand on her forehead. Currently she agreed with Darin. There was no need to burden themselves any further with this bandit who has accosted them without mercy when there was an injured elf and - even more importantly- Valesseka's maybe-possibly-infected-scratch on her upper arm.

"Shh, you'll be fine" Thats a lot of blood... do elves have more blood than humans do? They're taller so maybe they do have more, that would make sense, after all... "Water, right uhh... wait here, I'll get some." Standing up and scampering toward Bruinn Valesseka chastized herself for her lack of insight concerning her advice. Duh, where else is she going to go with that cavern in her stomach? Mand- No! Don't think that! Pulling the skin out from under a number of other effects, the Arnorian hurries back to the pseudo-fallen elf and pushed the drink at her. "Relax, drink. Here... it's right here..."

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo noticed a quick, sharp wince of pain on the prisoner as Marieme administered her salve to the wound. After she had finished, Glirdingo left her there under the guard of Marieme and walked over to where the others stood with Arianna, who had awoken.

He kneedled down and kissed her lightly before standing up once more to adress the whole group, speaking loud enough for Marieme and their prisoner to hear. "We must move out now, before another band comes and attacks us. I can see a cabin a few miles in the distance. Valesseka, Eomeléo. I would like you two to go ahead and scout the cabin. You should get there well before sundown if you ride fast. If there is no one there, hold down the fort and await us there. Start a fire as we may not arrive until sundown."

Glirdingo stopped, a little breathless and surprised at how calm he was remaining. He quickly got over it and continued. "Darin, Marieme and I shall start out once we figure out away to transport Arianna and our prisoner, for I would like to question her as she still seems to be delirious from the wound."

He looked at each of them individually. Finally, he looked at Arianna, who was gazing up at him, silent. He looked back at Valesseka and Eomeléo. "Okay, we all have our jobs. Now lets hop to it."

[The Sixth Wizard]

Now, with a job to do, and one he could do with his hands at last, Dárin was first to act. "I see I am outvoted once again. We are to transport this prisoner with us? And Arianna? Then you two elves and I that are still here must make stretchers to carry them. Perhaps we shall hang them from the sides of the horses? It would be rickety, but speedy travel if we need to approach the hut you claim is in the distance quickly." He squinted into the distance, not discerning anything at all.

"We shall need wood, and rope to tie the bonds. I think it would be better if I ... stayed here ... for a while ..." The dwarf broke off, coughing. He was quite shaken from the battle and it had started to sink in at last.

Rousing himself again, he spoke again, "Would either of you object to lending me some rope, while I tie some wood together? And we shall need more wood. Take my axe..." The work began.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"Let us go then, lady" said Éomeléo, as he and Valesseka climbed on board their steeds. They trotted for a while, letting their horses adjust to the ground once more; and allowing brief conversation.

"What think you of the mercy of the Elves, then?" he questioned. "I hope they can gain information from this rascal. Glirdingo seems to have a connexion with her, strange as that may seem."

He took in his surroundings while Valesseka pondered over her response, probably just as perplexed as Éomeléo was by the events transpiring. The hills were strong and they rolled all over the land; lush green grass was everywhere. The cabin lay ahead.

[Crystal Heart]

There was something about his kiss that made her heart feel better. Even though she was still wounded and in some pain, knowing that he was here and that he was going to be here with her meant a lot to her.

Arianna watched at Glirdingo and listened to him give orders. She was tired, very tired. And she knew that she wasn't able to ride a horse by herself. She was a burden at this point, she knew that. It pained her to know that, to have to be a burden to the elf she loved.

"Glirdingo," she whispered, unable to say more. She tried to sit up, but fell backwards and sighed. She looked back up at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia stood thinking about how they could move Arianna and their prisoner. They could made a sled. But that would take a long time to make two of them. She knelt over and moved the human's flesh. She felt her tense underneath her fingers. There would be no way that she could be set over a horse.

She stood up and sighed. A sled would be a painful way to travel. She didn't care about how much it would hurt their prisoner. She was more concerned about Arianna and her injuries. They were deep and it would take a little while for it to heal. Even for an Elf. Unless. . . She had heared about it before, about trying to heal a fellow Elf with your healing powers. She had never tried it before nor seen it done. Did she dare risk it?

[Thinlómien]

They were talking about leaving and taking her with them, as a prisoner. Furthermore, they had decided to make some sort of stretchers. Jenfried felt ashamed.

She gathered all her willpower, and without using her wounded arm, she rose up to a sitting position. She ignored the pain.

"I can ride", she said, not to anyone especially. "I can ride, I don't need stretches. I've ridden in a worse condition", she continued, though she knew they wouldn't let her in fear she would escape and they would probably doubt her strength in her current condition. "My horse is probably in the woods nearby."

Or then it has ran off with all the other horses...

[Valesse]

Valesseka's eyebrows furrowed with deep concentration over the elves behavior. To some extent she was much more sympathetic to Dárin's arguement, but all the while if the fiend survived then they could have possibly gained a knowledgable ally. "It seems a little strange to me, but maybe she'll end up helping us in the end because we showed her mercy. I'm sure they've already thought of that being militarily minded and what not..."

Before them the house was reamerging from behind the cap of a hill and appeared to loom closer. Valesseka, preoccupied with memories, distantly hoped this wasn't the origin of the earlier onslaught. Subconciously she urged Bruinn to move faster rolling the situation over in her mind again until her trepidation finally overcame her: "But if she joins our party then there is a chance she'll try to sabotage our efforts. I don't think we could afford that."

The Arnorian looked up at Eomerleo "I just think we'll have to keep a very keen watch." As the two rode downhill the glass lapped higher on their horses' ankles like shallow water teased with a tame breeze. "I could be wrong though..." She wanted Eomerleo to speak his mind about the matter.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo looked down at the woman in disgusted pity. "No, you are unable to ride and there are no extra horses for you to ride in. You shall go in a sling between the horses, as Darin suggested."

He looked at Marieme and Darin. "Okay, if we are to make these slings, we shall have to sacrifice something soft. Perhaps our cloaks will do. Maieme, I would like you to stay here while Darin and I go hunt for wood." He took a step closer to her and whispered in her ear, "I trust him, yet around our prisoner, I don't. She could be very valuable to us for more than one reason."

He stepped away from her and went over to Arianna who looked at him and whispered a soft "Sorry" to him. He knealt beside her and kissed her. "It is not your fault," he said. "It is that scoundrels," he said, nodding at their prisoner in anger. "And it pains me and alarms me that I must leave you with her for a short period of time while we find some wood to make the stretchers." He held her close. "I will be back soon and I won't be far. And I am leaving you here with Marieme, so you should be safe."

He hugged and kissed her once more before getting back up. He nodded to Marieme as he and Darin set out. He looked over at the Dwarf and said, "I know you don't agree with my decision, but she could prove a valuable asset, no matter how much I detest her for hurting Arianna. But please, you must respect my decision in this." He looked at him, almost pleadingly as he and Darin walked, searching the ground for some wood they could use for the slings.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"I still wonder what it is all about. Glirdan seems confident enough to send us away. Perhaps the Elves and the Dwarf are going to do something terrible to the human."

He looked at Valesseka, mock horror etched on his face. She laughed, and so did he.

"A plot to take the treasure for themselves at our expense!" she said. "No doubt they will make use of Dárin and dispose of him afterwards."

Éomeléo chuckled. His parents had always told him to be distrustful of Elves.

But they were nearing the cabin and they had to concentrate. It was a nice, homely looking place; at least it was from certain angles. In other ways it looked creepy. Smoke was coming from the chimney and two blackbirds were sitting on the roof. Valesseka was silently observing the place.

"Let's see who's inside" said Éomeléo.

[Crystal Heart]

His kiss warmed her entire being. She gave him a weak smile and watched him walk off. Her heart thudded as she watched him walk away. She could feel her body healing, but it wasn't healing fast enough. She hated the thought that her beloved Glirdingo was worrying over her and her safety. If the wound had been anywhere else she could have road by herself. Why had she allowed herself to get distracted. That was what she couldn't understand.

Arianna had prided herself on the fact that she was a good warrior. She never got distracted in battle and was always a top contender. Yet she had been distracted in this round. Was it because she was, for the first time in their lives, fighting with her friends by her side? They had been broken up into different quests before they could fight together. Or was it because she had never seen Marieme fight? Or was she worried about her Glirdingo? She wasn't sure, but whatever it was it had laid her up. She only hoped it wouldn't take too long to heal.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Marieme nodded and stood between where the two lay. She kept a watchful eye on the prisoner, her hand upon the hilt of her sword. She was ready to attack the human female if it came to that. She would die to keep Arianna safe.

She tapped her foot and hoped that Glirdingo would be back soon. She was anxious to get going and get Arianna to safety. If she could just rest without worrying about what could happen then she would be able to heal properly.

[Valesse]

'Or we could not', Valesseka thought, embracing her cowardice. Fearing the worst she kept near Eomerleo's side, on high alert for any movement from the sides of the small building. Whoever it was could have heard them and planned an ambush to better fit the theme of the day.

"Lets just be careful..." She added timidly, climbing off of Bruinn's back to join the Gondorian on the ground. The black birds flew away through the black smoke with loud cries as the pair approached the house on foot.

Wincing she looks back to her brave protector who laughed lightheartedly, "It's just birds."

They had reached the door finally, and with a deep breath on Valesseka's part, the pair knocked and waited for an answer from within.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"Aha!" sighed Dárin as he tightened the last knot. The stretcher was really a good work of craftsmanship, and very sturdy. He looked up at the Elves. "Well, job well done, eh? Though you had to spend half the time fiddled up with that stranger and your friend." Jenfried murmered. Dárin peered disdainfully down upon her.

"In you get, outlaw! We need to catch up to Eomerleo and the other human. If we don't get to that cabin by nightfall, we shall freeze our very feet off." Heaving the stretcher toward the prisoner, he rolled her on, and with the help of the Elves, strapped her to two of their horses. The beasts seemed to whinny in annoyance at being pack animals. Even Dárin could see that they were a proud, tall kind.

So, the Gap of Rohan ahead, thought Dárin. The Fords of the Isen, the Ring of Isengard and Dol Baran. From there... I know only that it is 300 miles to the Bridge of Tharbad, if we go by the Old South Road, which would be foolish with so many bandits seemingly after us. How I wish I could be back in the Iron Mountains of my home!

[Crystal Heart]

Once they returned they got to work on the stretchers. Before, Arianna knew it they were ready. They put the prisoner on first and then her second on a separate horse. She remained silently, not wanting to make the work any harder than it was. She wished that she hadn't gotten distracted and was mentally reprimanding herself. She was an experienced battle elf! How could she allow herself to get so distracted. She wasn't sure.

They headed silently and slowly to the cabin. By the time they reached the cabin the sun was just about to set over the horizon. She looked up at Glirdingo and gave him a meek smile. They took them off the horses and set each stretcher upon the ground. They brought the prisoner in first and then Arianna.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo wandered in through the doorway, hesitantly. He did not like the look of this place. He wondered what the Elves were doing, whether they knew this land well, why they were breaking and entering. It was not too comfortable a situation.

The doorway was part of a large room, clearly the main room in the cabin. It had chairs and a table; and paintings on the wall. It was old.

He eyed Valesseka, who was hovering very near the entrance, or exit, depending on how one looked at things. She was as unsure as he was about being here, with a potentially dangerous criminal. He nodded to her, trying his best to reassure. Dárin, flitting in and out of the cabin watching the world carefully, looked no happier. Éomeléo watched the Elves, and his thoughts turned to Thin-Gloomy.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna looked around the room and noticed that it was rather dusty, typical of an abandoned place. She was just thankful that she would be able to recover in relative safety.

"Glirdingo," she whispered. Her mouth felt like sand paper. She was starting to feel somewhat better, but she needed water badly. Perhaps some water would make her feel all better.

[Thinlómien]

Jenfried was standing there, near the doorway in the liitle, dusty cabin. There was still a pain throbbing on her shoulder, but she tried to ignore it. The fair-haired elf woman was restraining her. Even though she was not in a good condition, Jen believed she could easily wrench herself free. The magic Elves won't be any good in a raw physical fight, she thought. Still, she did not nourish thoughts of escaping right then. Even if she could get free, the others would stop him. The young Gondorian, the male elf and the dwarf looked scary enough.

Besides, she had nowhere to go. Now that the bandit gang she had been a part of had been slaughtered and scattered, she didn't belong anywhere. She wouldn't be welcomed home - she was a thief. She had no property except the clothes she was wearing. These seem to be some sort of adventurers, she thought, I wonder where they're taking me and why. Hey, if they are adventurers, maybe I could join them and get on a great adventure, seeking some dragon's treasure or something! She dismissed the childish thought instantly. Even if the party were adventurers, they wouldn't take her along. They would think her useless, and besides, she had wounded one of them seriously and they all seemed to hate her. Then I hate them too!

So there she was, in a cabin in a wilderness, with unfriendly people who had no good intentions. Despite herself, Jenfried was getting a bit desperate. She looked around. The cabin seemed empty. If there just was someone here, someone who could help me. Another ridiculous and childish thought. Why would some random cabin-owner like to help her?

Nevrtheless, as no one seemed to take action and they hadn't made sure Jen couldn't talk, she called to the cottage: "Hello...? Is there anyone here?"

[Crystal Heart]

David had been out visiting a neighbor that had needed his help. He had travelled late, which was something he highly disliked, back to his cabin. He sighed when he realized that he would have to gather firewood from the firewood pile in the dark. It would not be an easy task, but he would need to do it before he headed on to bed.

As he rounded the bend, he slowed his horse down to a near stop. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. There were lights on in his house and figures moving behind the curtains that he had pulled into place. Robbers! He was only but one man, how could he take on a gang of them. He placed his hand upon the hilt of his sword.

He came straight for the house. He left his horse at the door for a quick get away. He reached out, grabbed the door handle. David took his sword out of its sheath, yanked the door open, and jumped inside.

There he found a band of people. Two wounded and the rest taking care of them. Yet, he wasn't sure what they were truly all about. He narrowed his eyes and looked around at them.

"What are you all doing in my home?" David asked roughly. An elf came forward very submissively. "Forgive us, sir," the elf started, "But we are travellers that have run into some trouble. My wife is badly wounded and we caught her assailant. We were going to nurse the enemy back to health before we ask why she and her band attacked us."

David looked over and saw a female elf lying upon a stretcher. Her face was pale and she was licking her lips slowly, yet her lips did not glisten with saliva. She was clearly dehydrated and he was the owner of this house. He could only do what was needed of him.

"I believe your wife needs water. Welcome to my home. I am David," David said, putting his hand out to the elf. The elf took it and shook it. "I am Glirdingo. Thank you for your help," Glirdingo replied.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo instantly felt very embarrassed. He could only imagine how annoyed this man was, considering his house had just been invaded. The Gondorian just wanted to apologise and get out of there.

He seemed willing to help the strangers, no doubt due to the mass of deadly weaponry they had on display.

Éomeléo was tired of not knowing what was happening. He was just ready to complain when the house-owner appeared. Deciding that now might not be the best time to argue, he kept his mouth shut; and glared at the young girl who had assaulted them only hours before.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin felt ready to trust the owner of the cabin. After all, what could David do to them when he was so outnumbered and unarmed? The dwarf was, however surprised at such a welcoming attitude from this character. We have just knocked down the door in a manner of speaking, let ourselves into his house and almost demanded health care from him. And what in Mahal's name is he doing out in the middle of nowhere, anyway? Glirdingo was very terse, but David seemed to absorb the information quickly and with an attentive mind. Perhaps that says something about his character.

Dárin was sure David would struggle to provide the numerous travellers with resources and accomodation. In Dárin's mind the invasion of a dwelling was much more sacred than the other races supposed. He felt obligated to give an explanation.

"My dear Man, greeting and apologies for the lack of introduction. I am Dárin of the Iron Hills, at your service," said Dárin eloquently. "Pardon us the unceremonious dumping of a vagabond at your doorstep. And may I commend you upon your kindness. As for the vagabond in question, we are unsure what to do with her at this point, but shall inevitably come to some agreement that will not impede you overmuch. My personal apologies once again."

Dárin was suddenly struck by a feeling of tiredness. Will this quest ever be drawn to fruition? he wondered. The enormity of their task settled down upon him, but he stubbornly blocked it out. One thing at a time.

[Crystal Heart]

David smiled at the dwarf and shook his hand. "No need to apologize. I see that you need help. I will try to accomodate where I can." He went over to the cabinet and brought forth blankets. Night time could get rather cold.

Arianna lay upon the ground, thankful that the man realized what she needed. Glirdingo came over with some water. He helped her into a half way sitting position and she drank the water slowly. As it washed down into her stomach she felt rejuvenated. After drinking the entire cup she smiled at Glirdingo.

"Thank you, love," she whispered. He lay her back down, planted a kiss upon her forehead, and smiled. "Any time babe. I am sorry I did not anticipate your need before. I shall be better I promise."

Glirdingo walked over to their prisoner and knelt down. "Now. To deal with you. Why were you trying to kill us? Who sent you?"

[Valesse]

Valesseka kept her eyes locked on the cottage owner for the sheer reason of preservation. He appeared to be a kind hearted gentle soul, sure! But this complete stranger might simply have been sizing up the prey for his cruel alter ego. Subconsciously, she held onto Eomerleo's elbow for security and kept back out of the man's way.

Quietly, the Arnorian gave her thoughts to the blue Gondorian: "I don't know if I'd feel safe sleeping here tonight... or if that would be encrouching too far into this gentlemen's space." Her attention quickly shifted to Jenfried who was being interrogated by... the male elf... whispering, she continued "besides, we're no longer in the most trustworthy of company."

[Thinlómien]

"Now. To deal with you. Why were you trying to kill us? Who sent you?"

She had expected the question.

But, he sounds like he... like he excepts a certain answer... Does he.. or they... have something to hide? Jenfireid wondered, Maybe they're on some secret mission...

"Don't you hear me?" the elf asked her, rather angrily.
"Yes, I did", she answered and spat to the ground. This was a matter of principle, she would not be a craven and give up.

The elf looked like he could hit her and instictively she tried to duck. But the elf was still standing where he were, his hands clasped to his sides. "Why were you trying to kill us? Who sent you? Speak!" he repeated, in the brink of losing his calm.

She made no reply. "Who? Why?" he shouted and the elf woman holding her twisted her sore arm so that waves of pain streamed over her. "Now stop playing tricks! Tell me!" the male elf repeated.

I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry...

Still, Jen could feel her eyes blurrying. "No one", she said in a tiny voice.

"No one sent you?" the elf asked. "Are you sure? Why did you attack us then? Why did you try to kill Arianna! Answer me!"

Jenfried lifted her eyes and forced herself to stare the bright Elven eyes. She did not flinch. "They were... I mean... we were just ordinary brigands and rogues. And you looked like worth robbing with your good equipment and valuable horses."

She paused, looking to the sky. The elf woman shook her lightly, but not gently, urging her to continue. Tears were streaming to her eyes again.

I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry...

"It seems we... underestimated you", she whispered. Then she glanced at the woman she had stabbed. In another situation the girl could have been sorry for her, but now, herself wounded as well and taken a captive, she didn't care. " As to why I attacked her... I had to attack someone, that's what happens in a figh", she explained matter-of-factly but her self-confidence was gone.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna watched as Glirdingo and Miriam interrogated the girl. Tears swelled in hear eyes as she realized that she was only a mere girl, doing as she had been raised to. It was not her fault. She was not an enemy. She was just merely at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Strength surged through Arianna, propelling her forward. She sat up and grabbed Glirdingo's leg, pulling him down and away from her. "Miriam! Stop it!" Arianna roared. She looked at the girl. "She was only doing as she taught. We can not treat her like this."

Glirdingo flashed a look at her, one of anger and annoyance. She had stopped him from interrogating the girl! What if she were lying? Then they could all expect to be dead. "Arianna! She may be lying!" Glirdingo argued.

Arianna narrowed her eyes and gave him a look that stated exactly how she felt. "No Glirdingo. I know in my heart that what the child says is true. I demand you to leave her alone." She flashed a look up at Miriam. Miriam released her hold upon the girl.

"Heal her. Nothing more," Arianna said, her voice unearthly quiet. She looked in between the two people that she loved the most. She knew that they were hurt and afraid that others would come and that she would die. Yet, Arianna knew that this girl was not evil. She had encountered evil and she was not it.

Arianna's vision swam and she collapsed upon the ground into a deep sleep, unable to do more for the girl.

[Thinlómien]

The elf man was still looking at her inquisitevely, his eyes suspicious. Jen tried to meet his gaze, but the anger in his eyes was too great for her to bear at this moment. She turned away. Now I look guilty and like I was lying to him...

Suddenly the woman Jen had wounded sat up, grabbed the man's leg and started shouting. Jen swore. What on earth was going on? For a few seconds, the Elves were shouting at each other in their undecipherable tongue. Suddenly, the elf who was holding the girl let her go. Jenfried managed to keep her balance, but there was again a sharp pain in her shoulder.

The wounded woman said something very quietly, in a demanding tone. Then, it seemed, she passed out. Instantly the man turned to her. "Arianna?" he asked, sounding anxious. The blonde elf woman casted a warning look to Jenfried and kneeled beside her friend. She put her hand on the other woman's brow and said something to the man. He replied in a worried tone.

Jen was also looking at the woman. It seemed she had defended her and when she had said something, the other woman had let her go. Jen was looking at her beautiful, fine face and her closed eyes and wondered what ill luck had brought her to wound the only person around who was friendly to her.

She looked around. The elf woman was her only hope. The two other elves were hostile towards her, that was for sure. She had wounded their friend seriously. The dwarf was not looking at her, but she remembered his angry words. No, he hated her and that was fine because she had never liked dwarves. (Even though she had never met one before.) The two humans, the ones she had imagined could ally with her, were eyeing at her warily and whispering with each other. She was alone.

[The Sixth Wizard]

Dárin was fairly quiet as this was happening. He felt a tad indignant when the Elves insisted upon talking in their own language. What does it matter what this prisoner hears? She isn't going to escape, and if we are attacked, I will make sure that she doesn't get away alive... However, the Elf Arianna seemed to be defending the prisoner, of all things! She could have been killed! This is pure madness, not understandable Elven pity. How can she still feel sympathy for this vagabond?

As for the vagabond in question, she seemed to be taking it all in surprisingly readily. Her eyes darted around the room, pausing at some times at doors and windows, and always watching the speaker. She showed no signs of comprehension, however. This was good, the Elves had a sanctuary they could resort to in a desperate situation... If there was anything the outlaw could not hear.

Dárin refused to use Jenfried's name, even when thinking of her. It would mean a chink in his armour of prejudice, and could lead to a dangerous sympathy for her. He refused to let that happen.

The Dwarf stopped talking to David, and shuffled to the wall to watch the coming events.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna woke up a few moments later to find Marieme and Glirdingo hoovering over her. What had happened? Just moments prior she had been defending the human woman and the next she was on the ground once more.

"What happened?" She asked, looking around. She saw that the girl was safe and was giving her a grateful look. She looked around. "You fainted, Arianna," Glirdingo replied. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had pushed herself too much too soon. She was lucky to be alive.

"The girl?" She asked him. He gave her a nod. "We will do as you ask, Arianna." Arianna pushed herself up into a sitting position. She looked over at the girl.

"What is your name again?" She asked her, wanting to know the girl that she had saved.

[Thinlómien]

"What is your name again?"

"Jenfried", she answered bluntly, eyeing the woman warily. What did she want? Jen tried not to sound too unfriendly, though, as this woman was the only one this far treating her well. She looked at the woman again and cautiously she made her eply to a full sentence: "My name is Jenfried." She stopped her sentence abruptly. Anyone with a decent family would have added thier father's name to the end to be polite. "My name is just Jenfried", the girl said quietly.

Now I sounded so stupid, repeating my name that many times. I even managed to underline that I have no clue - and neither does my mum - who was my father. Some idiot, drunken vagabond most probably.

"Do you need some more help?" the cabin owner asked after a while, "And in any occasion I'd love to know who are these people in my house." He smiled, but that did not lessen the inquisitiveness of neither of his comments.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"Sir" said Éomeléo. "We are travellers on a journey. You see Elves, of course, and who indeed can interpret the oddness of those sorts? They and my friends here – he motioned towards Dárin and Valesseka – go together seeking a mutual friend. For my part, I know this friend too; and I am named Éomeléo. I live in Rohan."

"Very good" said David. "Well, I am most intrigued by your arrival but I am surely pleased to meet you, sir." And David held out his hand for his visitor to shake. Éomeléo did so.

"I have no choice but to sound extremely rude here, David, but we travellers require an urgent council and swift decisions! Time is of the essence, and we have wasted too much of it recently."

Éomeléo wondered if David would leave them alone for a few minutes. They would leave the house if need be. But perhaps the host wanted to keep his company at arm's length...

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna nodded as the girl told her her name three times. There was pain behind it, that much Arianna could tell. She was hurt that there was no last name to accompany it. Yet, she would not point that out. She knew how humiliating that could be. She had been such a child, but thankfully her mother had married a very well off elf that called her his own. She had a name because of it, but it was not the name of her blood. However, she always felt that it was her blood name - regardless of what had happened before her birth.

"I am Arianna. It is nice to meet you. I am sorry that you were injured. War is the worst possible outcome of free will. Please, allow me to apologize on behalf of all of us for the rude way we have treated you."

[Crystal Heart]

The group settled in for a night of sleep. The injured healed and the uninjured recuperated from the long day of turmoil and distress. Even the cabin owner, after a while, fell deep into the land of slumber.

At first light Glirdingo awoke and looked over at the sleeping elf beside him. He smiled and placed a hand upon her cheek gently. She had survived the night. The worst for her was over and Glirdingo could not be more relieved then he was at that moment.

Arianna's eyes fluttered open. She smiled when she saw Glirdingo beside her. She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. Her heart jolted at the kiss and it was in that moment that she knew, once again, that he was the one for her. It was such a strong emotion that it brought tears to her eyes.

"Arianna," Glirdingo breathed. She smiled and took his hand slowly. "I love you," was all that she could whisper. She watched the smile break across his face and they shared a moment that they would forever remember until the end of their days.

The rest of the company woke up slowly and packed up. It was slow going, but highly needed. No one needed a rushing morning. Not after the insane day they had spent previously. Marieme checked on the injured and reassured Glirdingo that they had healed enough over night to go ahead in their journey.

Arianna, after having gotten up and settled her things, went over to Jen. She sat down next to the human and gave her a gentle smile. The girl was alone and Arianna remembered what that had been like. It was highly difficult and now her own company was gone.

"Jen. We are going to be heading out to save a dwarf friend of ours. You are more than welcome to join us. Either way, I'd like you to have this," Arianna said, placing a small bag in the girl's hand. It held a few higher priced coins. Everything that the girl once had was now lost and this was the only way that Arianna thought of helping. She noticed that the girl was about to protest so she raised her hand to silence her.

"No. That is compensation for how my companions handled you. I am deeply sorry and I want you to have this as a token of my deepest regret. Please," Arianna told her. She gave her a smile before standing up. She took in the company. They looked slightly defeated and unsure.

"Come now! What is with these long faces! We have a good dwarf to save. Now, let's ride!" Arianna cried, causing the group to become electrified. Arianna turned and saw Glirdingo's surprise. She laughed and headed out the door to the horses.

[Thinlómien]

It had been a while that Jenfried had held a purse as heavy as the one she was holding now. Normally she wouldn't have hesitated to take it, but now she had. Something in the way the woman named Arianna had given it had made it different. This had made Jen - a girl very practical and selfish when it comes to survival - pause. It felt weird to have someone you had almost killed to give you alms.

Now the company was leaving and Jen was wondering what she should do. There was nowhere for her to go to. The return home had been denied a long time ago and now the bandits she had been traveling with had been scattered or slain. She looked at the adventurers. Their faces were distrustful, even hostile. It wouldn't be easy to win their trust or join the band.

I could make it alone in the wilderness, she told herself but she didn't believe her own words. She didn't know how to find food or water. In a city she wouldn't be given proper work being young, practically untrained to everything and female. Unless I wanted to sell myself or become a thief. Neither alternative seemed very attractive to her.

Once again, she looked at the adventurers. In their eyes she saw a challenge. I will win their trust, I will have them like me. In their eyes she saw a future. I will go with them, rescue their friend and take part in their adventure.

The spark of adventure was set aflame in her heart and it could not be denied any longer. "I will come with you", she said aloud, regardless of who was listening to her and who was not.

She strode out of the cabin. The elves were already in the yard, but the humans and the dwarf were still saying goodbye to the cabin owner. The travelers' horses were being saddled. One of them whinnied, another was eating grass. Darn, I don't have a horse, Jen realized. The horse she had been riding for past weeks had probably fled with the other bandits' horses and so was probably nowhere near.

Arianna seemed to notice her problem. The elf looked at the girl and suddenly she laughed. "I bet you don't weigh much, you can ride behind me on my horse. It can surely bear us both." "Arianna, that is not wise", Glirdingo warned. Arianna laughed again. Then there was a seriousness in her eyes. "Glirdingo dear, I trust this young manling even if you don't. Come, Jen."

Slightly ashamed but feeling somewhat triumphant, Jen mounted Arianna's horse. Eomeleo, Valesseka and Dárin emerged from the cabin. They saddled and mounted their horses.

"Northwards, then", Glirdingo announced. The little party left the cabin. Looking behind, they could see the patient cabin-owner waving to them. On a whim, Jen waved back to him and felt unbearably childish.

She eyed the northern woodlands ahead. An adventure was waiting for her. "I will buy myself a horse in the next village that is on our way", she assured Arianna.

[Valesse]

Valesseka kept consciously near to Eomerleo and the dwarf Darin while they rode. Though silent her quiet concentration on Jenfried spoke volumes of her inner criticism. That, however, was extended to the elf Arianna, who though nearly slain by this miscreant awarded her for... for what? Staying the night in that man's home? We certainly didn't pay -him- for keeping us!

She snapped back to reality after noticing that Brunn started to pick up speed. Tugging a little on his reins she corrected the animal and out-and-out glared at Jen's back. She's probably considering robbing us when we sleep, and those elves are all to quickly falling for her act. Valesseka tossed her hair over her shoulder, I'm not fooled, you little theif...

What a joy kill... Valesseka had been hoping for a light-hearted romp with the ever-dashing Gondorian and now another girl, another -human- girl, might end up being her competition. What a horrible adventure this was turning out to be.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna looked back at Jen who was perched behind her on the horse. She gave her a gentle smile. "You need not worry about buying a horse. You can ride with me if you'd like. I really don't mind it at all," Arianna reassured. She looked over at Glirdingo who was leading. He clearly wasn't pleased by what was going on here. He had always been a suspicious man, always wary of others. Arianna wasn't naive. She didn't trust easily either. It wasn't the elf way. Yet, she could read people, see the goodness within them. This girl was good, just confused and had gotten caught with the wrong crowd. Perhaps, with a little guidance, she would become a truly good and honorable woman. At least Arianna had to give her the chance to try to become such.

Marieme watched as Arianna rode with Jen behind her. She kept a close eye on her. If she even made a move to hurt her friend Marieme knew she would be ready. There would be no bloodshed on this last leg of the ride. At least, no blood shed from their party. The only blood that would be shed would be the girls. That much Marieme was sure of. If it came to that, that is. She hoped it wouldn't, for Arianna's sake more than the rest of the company's.

Their horses walked on. They traveled far and long. Marieme felt like they would never be done with this trip. She hoped they would be soon for she was tired and wanted to be safe. It had been far too long since she was last truly safe. She wanted at least a month of safety, if not more if she could get it.

Glirdingo led them on, knowing where his former companion was. They marched on, like silent soldiers. He turned often to ensure that Arianna was safe and still with them. Each time she gave him a smile and knowing look. He hated the fact that she was trusting this girl so wholeheartedly. She had been almost mortally injured by the human! Certainly, in her weakened state, it wouldn't take much to finish off his beloved.

His heart yearned for all of this to be over quickly. He wanted to save his former companion and then go off into the sunset with his beloved Arianna. He wanted to head back home, marry her properly, and give her the quiet, gentle life that she deserved. He only prayed that it would be possible.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo rode alongside the rest of the company, interested in the possibilties presented by this rogue Jen character. He didn't suppose David the housekeeper was too upset by their departure, although he may have regretted not being rewarded in any way. Before he left, the Gondorian had promised to repay him somehow. But that probably depended on the outcome of their treasure-hunt.

"I say, Dárin" as he turned to the Dwarf beside him, "we could, it seems, get use out of this youngster on this journey."

"Aye" replied Dárin, "although I'm unconvinced about the Elves' methods of treating our prisoner."

Éomeléo nodded in agreement. He looked at Valesseka, who was nervously eyeing Jen herself. Éomeléo casually directed his horse to the Arnorian.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo continued to look over his shoulder at Arianna, making sure that she was alright. Every time he did, he could tell that Arianna caught him and he smiled widely at her every time. But that was not his only reason for looking over his shoulder. Even though Jenfried had the respect of Arianna, Glirdingo was still not convinced. Perhaps because there was still some animosity for attacking him and his friends, or perhaps for wounding Arianna, or maybe even a combination of both. Whatever it was, he wanted to keep his eye on her.

He looked on straight ahead and could descry the peak of Isengard approaching slowly. We must be close the gap of Rohan...he thought to himself, a little joyed by the appearance of a well-known landmark. They rode on, the sun slowly traveling with them.

Arianna looked at her beloved Glirdingo, smiling back at him every time he looked at her. She longed for this adventure to be over. She wanted to head home to Lorien with him and Marieme, and settle down for a peaceful life. Would that happen? Could that happen with the two of them being as adventurous and rambunctious as they were? And what about Marieme? She was younger than either Arianna or Glirdingo and would probably cause a little mayhem yet!

Arianna then smiled to herself, remembering happier times. But she had grown up since those times. They all had.

Marieme continued to follow Arianna and Jenfried, keeping her eye on the young woman. She trusted her friend's judgment, but she did not know about it this time.

The sun slowly started to sink in the West. Now the could all descry the peak of Isengard and the end of the Misty Mountains. They traveled on, running into no further trouble for the day. They traveled into the night and only stopped once the moon had begun to rise. By that time, they could see half of Isengard.

Glirdingo turned to Éomeléo. "You have travelled this way before, right? How far way are we from Isengard itself?"

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Glirdingo's question amused Éomeléo, who had always had a terrible head for lengths and directions and other such features of travelling; but he did not want to appear without knowledge, so he summoned an answer.

"I say, Glirdingo, it should take three hours at the most from here." Utter guesswork on his part, but he thought the Elf had a similar time in mind. The business with the rogue-attack was still troubling Glirdingo, but he looked the better for having something to focus on. Thin-Gloomy yet waited for their rescue.

Whispering now to Glirdingo, Éomeléo asked "And what of our camp this night? We can't take any chances with our security."

[The Sixth Wizard]

"And then to the old South Road, I believe," Dárin joined in. "Miles and miles of riding in a straight line on the open road. How easy would it be for a larger force than our motley party to ambush us? How easy would it be for the ambushers in question to round up a large force of gold-hungry brigands in these wild parts? How could we hope to avoid them?" Dárin began to doubt their reason in the quest again.

But how well defended will Thin-Gloomy be? wondered Dárin. These elves claim it is better to die in a just cause than live in shame, but how do we help righteousness by killing gold-hungry mercenaries and falling far short of the rescue?

How how how. The dwarf was especially worried that Glirdingo had to check for directions from Éomeléo. It resounded a lack of knowledge and planning, at least to the cautious Dárin. Plagued by unrest, he shifted uncomfortably and ground his teeth.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo looked at the Dwarf and Man, pondering to himself. "Thank you master Dwarf for your input. I have been in Rohan only once before and do not know the way as well as I would like. However, I do remember most of the way from Isengard."

He then turned to Éomeléo and said "As for your question my friend, I have not quite decided on what to do. Should we go forth until we reach Isengard and possibly be shut out? Should we stay out in the open and risk another attack? For there is no cover between here and Isengard."

He turned to look at the rest of the group who were huddled in separate groups, speaking to one another. He then turned back to Éomeléo and Durin and asked "What do you think my fellows? Any idea on what our current course should be?"

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo raised his eyebrow at Glirdingo. He seemed to be avoiding the issue most heavy on the Gondorian's mind. "Glirdingo, we should camp here for the night and rise at the coming of Dawn; but you misunderstand me."

He ever so slightly turned his head in the direction of their new associate, Jenfried, who was staring up at the stars.

"I know not her situation, nor the Elves' judgments on rights and morals; but I do know that she has tried to kill us already!" How can we be safe tonight? We ought to tie her up, and still set two of our own to watch her."

Éomeléo, unwavering, awaited response.

[Valesse]

"Yes." Cut in the Arnorian, still close by. The entire day she had been quite uneasy and though doing her darndest to keep in her fitting role as a lady adventurer, Valesseka could not contain her opinion here, not in the open arms of twilight. Instantly she chided herself for the outburst, and hoped, more than likely in vain, that the elf Gllaaadrinn.. something didn't hear.

She keeped her eyes set straight ahead of her, looking as detached from the conversation as possible. Even glaring at the star-gazing girl seemed to tie her too closely to her interjection. 'It wasn't my place to say anything.' She thought, investigating a clump of tall grass in the distance. 'It isn't proper for a lady to place her opinions on such matter... even if it -IS- the correct one to have.'

[Thinlómien]

The stars. They were always there. They had been there, guiding her path at night as long as Jenfried could remember. She was deep in her sentimental moment. Moments like it were rare to her.

Still, her schooled awareness didn't fail her. She felt someone looking at her. Suddenly, she was not dreaming anymore. It took all her willpower not to turn from the sky to see who had focused his or her eyes at her. Still, at a quick glance from the corner of her eye, she could see no one looking at her. Weird, she thought. She was just about to lower her gaze from the starlit sky, when she heard the Gondorian speaking. "I know not her situation, nor the Elves' judgments on rights and morals; but I do know that she has tried to kill us already!" Jenfried didn't need to guess who were they talking about. She pretended she was still interested in the stars and reacted in no way, even though she wanted to shout, or at least flinch a little.

Even worse, it seemed the Arnorian angreed with the Gondorian. Once again the Rohanian girl wondered that why those who were closest to her own kin of these people, would be most vehemently against her. She could see their reasons, but she still wondered at the cruel or bizarre fate that made just them think that way, compared to the Elf's, Arianna's, almost too friendly behaviour.

[Valesse]

Huffing ever so slightly, Valesseka urged Bruinn on. Too uncomfortable to stop with Jenfred along, the Arnorian tried to hold herself in a manner that would tell those around her that she was more than willing to continuing riding for the rest of the night.

There was another mist growing over the world, though not as thick as the fog they had encountered before but she kept close to her fellow riders just incase. The stars of Varda were blurring in their black drapery until finally the girl was unable to discern them through the chilly mist. "Are we sure we're heading the right way, still?" Valesseka murmured to break the long silence.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna heard what Éomeléo had said about the young woman named Jen. She came over silently, making no sound as she moved. Just as a proper elf could. She came up behind him and cleared her throat, causing him to jump in surprise.

"Excuse me, Éomeléo but you are highly mistaken. You have no idea what that girl has gone through. I do. I have been where she has been, abandoned and frightened. She got into a bad group. Nothing more. She will not harm us. Besides, think logically. Why would a mere girl with her lack of fighting skills want to hurt all of us when she is clearly in the minority? Your argument is neither logical or sound. Listen to reason, Éomeléo. If anything the best the girl could do is take a horse and run away. However, she won't do that. No one would listen to her. Especially a girl like her. Believe me and trust me. I have wandered this earth longer than you have," Arianna replied.

She spun quickly and walked over to the young woman that was looking up at the stars. Arianna looked up herself, noticing her favorite constellations immediately.

"I love the stars. They are the only constant thing in this world. That and the sunrise, sunset, and the change of seasons. What do you think about when you look at the stars Jen?" Arianna inquired of their new companion.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo bristled in anger at the insult he had just been dealt. Who was this Elf to insult his mind? A wolf remains deadly, though her companions be defeated, and this young girl had given him no reason to trust her. Arianna's willingness to jeopardise her companions for the sake of this mysterious stranger had now gone beyond the odd, and into the realm of recklessness.

The Gondorian looked with distaste on the two of them, quiet in the starlight. Vicious untruths being circulated in their secret pact, undoubtedly. On this night his bond with the Elves was rent. He headed to the west, alone and with his belongings. He looked for Valesseka, but he could see her nowhere. This troubled him, but he continued walking.

[Valesse]

Valesseka had been too busy with her thoughts to pay attention to what was happening around her and completely missed Arianna's private conversation with Eomeleo, but now the silence of the camp was settling in on her uncomfortably. Skimming over the dower faces of her companions the Arnorian's count came up short. But he was right... right near me.

There, on top of a little dark lump moving slowly over the undulating plains sat the bobbing plume of a very familiar hat. She stood up, breaking the complete lull of activity within the camp "Eomeleo?". Valesseka looks around and noticed another thing missing-- actually a few. Everything except for Eomeleo's horse was gone. Right! He isn't going to sleep near this girl. Smart thinking! Throwing her belongings onto Bruinn quickly she wasted no time in trying to catch up to the tiny faint figure in the grass without another word to her 'inferior' colleagues.

[Thinlómien]

"I love the stars. They are the only constant thing in this world. That and the sunrise, sunset, and the change of seasons. What do you think about when you look at the stars Jen?"

Just a moment ago poetic and dramatic thoughts about the stars had been running in her mind, but the Gondorian's distrustful comment and the discussion about herself had ruined Jenfried's mood. She hoped Elves could not read thoughts, because otherwise she would be severely ashamed - what would Arianna think about her childish musings on stars?

"When I look at the stars, I think it's good that they're there because otherwise you'd see nothing in a darkness like this", she said and stood up. She kicked a little pebble (clearly hurting her foot more than the pebble) and walked away.

She sat down, her back against a tree and hugged her knees. She was so sick and tired of all this. She didn't know why she was suddenly angry with Arianna, but she didn't care. What a mess I've made of my life, she wondered.

[Crystal Heart]

Arianna smiled at the girl's musings. They were simple yet so profound. She had promise. That much was clear.

"You are a deeper thinker, Jen. Tell me, do you want a different life than the one you have been leading lately?" Arianna asked, noticing the young woman's body language change. She had always been good at reading people and their body language. They gave so much away.

Glirdingo stood off to the side, watching Arianna talk to the girl and he wondered why she was being this way. He had grown up with her and he thought that he knew everything about Arianna. Yet, now he was finding that he didn't. She had a different side, one he had never been priveliaged to know. What was this side? And where had it come from? Had she learned this during her travels? Or was it an aspect about herself that she had not allowed him to see before. Either way, he was troubled. Deeply troubled. However, he still trusted her with all his heart and soul. She had never steered them wrong before.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo strode through the long grass, scouting the area ahead. It was dark but the starlight illuminated the magnificent shape of the surrounding land. The Misty Mountains surveyed a grand space which would take days to escape. Tharbad lay far away.

He heard an approaching horse and wondered who was following him. He felt uneasy about leaving Valesseka, but knew that the girl was clever enough not to compromise herself. He expected her to be the rider closing in on him; but he didn't know whether she would stay with him, or desert him. Slipping between a few trees, he waited for the horse to get nearer. He didn't want to be caught in a bad position. These were still suspicious lands, after all.

[Valesse]

Valesseka and Bruinn broke through the sparse tree line, overtaking Eomeleo without knowing it. She slowed the gelding to a stop and tried to take in where the Gondorian might have disappeared off to. It made her ill at ease to lose sight of the only party member she was in shouting distance-- especially after the previous events.

Quietly, she squeaked out his name and as the seconds flew by like hours, she prayed that her guess was the correct. If that figure was not her partner in travels then she was, indeed, in a very poor situation.

[Thinlómien]

Jen did not feel like answering any questions. She didn't meet the elf's eyes, but instead her eyes scanned for the others. The dwarf was standing by his mount, streaking it's mane and neck. The two other elves were wtching Arianna. But Jen couldn't see the two humans anywhere. Now where are they? Are they traitors? Are they fleeing? Or are they having some sort of a romantic meeting..?

Jenfried could not restrain her curiosity. She met Arianna's gaze and shrugged apologetically as an answer to her question. She stood up. "I have to go to pee", she announced bluntly. Without a single look back, she disappeared to the bushes. She hoped the elves would realise she had not run away because she had left her things behind. She could see a horse and a rider far away, half hidden by the trees. Quickly, she stalked closer. She put all her skill in the effort for she wished to remain unseen and unheard. Smiling bitterly, she thanked the Valar for having been a servant and a rogue: that was probably the best training someone wishing to be a good stalker could have...

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

The rider approached and Éomeléo immediately recognised her as Valesseka. He walked out from behind the trees and gestured to her. She slowed her horse and met him again.

"Where exactly are you going?" she asked. Éomeléo stood there with a look of unwilling uncertainty on his face, because, of course, he had no idea how to respond. He was glad to see her though. He already felt terrible about leaving without saying goodbye to her, and now he was happy he could put things right.

"I can't stay with that band" he replied "for I trust them not. I was never one for getting along with people; that's why the quest for the gold was so wonderful to me. I was alone, for the most part, and the remaining time featured welcome interludes with you." He smiled at her, hoping she wouldn't yell at him and draw attention. He did not want the others to find them, and hoped that Valesseka would come with him and hide on a different road.

[Valesse]

Valesseka cringed inside, imagining for a moment that Eomeleo had finished his comment lingering with how he longed for sollitude when she was so blatantly seeking his companionship away from their fellow adventurers. Looking up from Bruinn's mane, she blinked at the Gondorian for a moment. "So he's pleased with me following him?"

"Why did you not tell me that you were going to try to head off alone?" Despite initially feeling a sweet glow of girllish emotion, slowly she grew hurt. "I also do not trust them... I don't want to be left in their protection..." It was no use trying to hide it at this point, Valesseka thought of herself as a damsel, and here she was in distress.

"How could he leave me with them if this is what he feels? ... Thats too much. I'm thinking too much about this."

She looked back at those still in camp, "...I don't believe they're even considering following me... not for a while. If we hurry..." she turned her eyes back to Eomeleo "we can escape their company for the majority of our trek."

"He needs to shave."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo shifted uncomfortably from side to side. He knew he was wrong to leave Valesseka; but how to explain his decision, where in the heat of the moment he had chosen the merits of one honour over another?

"Well.... I was really mad." Perfectly done.

"I suppose they annoyed me too at times, but we sort of knew that Elves are really different from us."

"Yeah, well, I've stormed off now and I'm not going back, although I guess we might see the rest of our company before the end." He surveyed the surrounding land and assumed a thoughtful stance. "Now you are with me we can plan our next move. I think we should keep moving where we were going but probably on this side of the forest." At this, the Gondorian made a vague gesture, waving his hand over this way.

Valesseka looked unsurprised but not too worried by the itinerary. Éomeléo adjusted his hat and began walking.

[Thinlómien]

The prison was a silent place. Occasional rapping of rats' feet and the steady small sound of small drops of water hitting the stony floor. Once a day Thin-Gloomy could hear footsteps in the corridor, the sound of the door unlocking and the filthy tray being left on the floor, but nothing more. They didn't talk to him anymore. It had changed to a battle of wills. Their weapons were violence, threats and starvation. His only weapon was his endless Dwarven stubborness.

Thin-Gloomy had decided not to lose this battle. He had always lost before the Quest for the Great Golden Hoard. When you win once, it's not easy to lose anymore. One night he had sworn to himself that he would rather die than lose. Now, he still clung to that thought, although he was not keen on dying, not now when there finally was a future in front of him. But he could not see this battle ending soon. He would not give up and they thought they could still win.

If they have found my map they indeed can...

[Valesse]

Despite her silence for the following hour of travel, Valesseka's mind was all but a raging storm. "Angry! He left because he was angry! Well now -I'm- angry! Maybe I should..." She looked to either side and frowned. The attack had rattled her nerves, and now the wild and lonely landscape did nothing to comfort them. It seemed impossible at that point to even think of mustering the kind of courage Eomeleo must have to make such a decision.

Looking once again to their course the Arnorian sought out the best comfort she could give herself: "If we have any argument remotely even close to this I won't ever let him forget that." Strangely, it seemed to work.

As the second hour came and went, she found herself incapible of keeping silent and allowed herself to suddenly erupt into conversation. "We have to be out of their range of hearing by now..." she turned her head toward Eomeleo. "Where are we going to sleep? I have some food... I don't know if it'll be any good if we can't cook it, and I know we don't want those elves seeing any fire or smoke or anything... If theres jerky we could have that, but I really don't care for it too much." If he found her conversation unpleasant, this journey was certainly going to be a long one.

[Thinlómien]

This was more interesting than anything that happened this far. The two humans were planning something. They are going to run away, Jenfried realised, they're going to leave me here with these Elves and the dwarf. They're going to do the quest on their own and get more glory. Unfair.

I'm going with them, she decided on a whim. It felt better, more interesting than staying with the Elves. There's nothing for me here, she thought. Quietly, she crept back to the camp. The male elf and the nasty she-elf were kneeling beside Arianna and the dwarf was further away, keeping watch. The Elves were talking in low voices and they seemed worried. Jenfried suspected Arianna's state was worse. She was not a religious person, but she wished that there was someone out there, some Vala or something, who could help the Elf, and she also hoped that she had not wounded the kindly woman fatally.

Still, she did not go to see what was happening. Movingly silently as a cat, she went where most of her possessions lay. Quietly, she gathered them. The elves were too occupied to pay attention and the dwarf had gone away to check something. It took all Jen's self-control not to break into a run when she had gathered her things. Easy now, she told herself.

She reached the shadow of the woods and allowed herself to breathe freely again. She turned to see where the humans were, but they were not there. You can't have lost them! You idiot! At that moment she saw two figures at a distace, walking away in silence. Good, she thought and followed them. She was accustomed to moving unseen and unheard, and put all her skill in use.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

They had travelled for two days alone now. The rest would be far behind, and possibly covered in regretful tears. The landscape had changed somewhat: they were getting into the hills now. Éomeléo wished his geography was better. Real outdoors-y sorts knew about that stuff, didn't they? He wondered if he was leading his companion to a bad place. Well, he hadn't asked her to come along. He wished she was safer, actually. The idea of responsibility was just...

''Do you think we are near?'' he asked.

''Oh yes, certainly'' Valesseka answered. ''We've been aiming to reach the hills; probably these ones. It can't be much further; we've been on this journey forever.'' She winked.

It was true: they had been doing this forever. Éomeléo had that feeling inside that suggested something big was going to happen very soon. But what?

Then they heard it.

CLANG!!!!
"
''What was that?'' Éomeléo muttered.

''Not sure. Sounded like a clang, to me. Way over there''

''What's a clang?''

''A noise of metal sounding on metal'' declared Valesseka, a tad excited for the Gondorian's liking. ''We must investigate.''

And so they made for where the noise came from. It was easy to see, for many birds had been startled by it, and had flown upwards, creating a sort of arrow to the destination.

[Valesse]

"It's definitely someone... the kidnappers?" she whispered to the Gondorian excitedly, perhaps again a bit louder than fitting, "They should be somewhere nearby, shouldn't they?" she paused "I can't see anything." Without further word-- something bizarre in and of itself concerning Valesseka-- she made her way down an incline to some heavier wild shrubbery below.

"That sounded like swords clashing with one another. Is there a fight going on? Who would be fighting out here? Or maybe it was pots.. but why would someone bang pots together? Wh- What if it's some kind of ogre or orc who just killed a traveller!?"

From where he was standing Eomeleo tried signalling Valesseka back, but received no response. Her shoulders had started trembling at the thought of ogres and orcs, why did she go so far away from her brave, blue-clad protector? The distance she moved downhill now seemed like such a risk. What would happen to her if she became trapped in this patch of scraggily bushes? Perhaps.. "Ahh!"

She saw something move, a definite humaniod form behind her. The problem was, they, whoever they were, had seen her as well.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Valesseka crept about the undergrowth, down the small hill. Éomeléo stood and fidgeted, unsure whether to go after her or not. He was worried by the noises they had heard. Who could it have been? It was the clash of steel that pierced him most: undoubtedly, there was a man, but more likely men, here. What kind of people should be in this area?

And then he saw what kind of person. A scruffy-looking man had shuffled to the shrubs Valesseka had parted half a moment ago, and was peering into the gap. He had a brown cloak, and was clutching what looked to be an iron rod.

''Hi!'' the Gondorian called out, loud as he could, and then, because he didn't want to shout Valesseka's name, ''Man! There's a man!''

Said man promptly turned and growled up the hill at Éomeléo. His snarling face the last sight before the hard ground came crashing up to meet him. He had been struck, hard, on the back.

[Valesse]

What was that? She had heard Eomeleo calling out "Hi! There's a man!" but that thump-thud right after it? It was good to know that these were men, not trolls or that lot, but even Valesseka knew that men could still be dangerous. The Arnorian slowly peeked out from her hiding place and could finally clearly make out... two men? Then a third...

"Bandits?", she whispered to herself, starting to become so entwined further into this new drama that she stopped counting the heads and voices appearing in the brush. The men were discussing something for a moment before one finally bent down and hefted something large, and something with a big blue-feathered hat. Eomeleo!! They were carrying him off now toward where the adventurers had heard the clanking metal. Clearly, something had to be done. Valesseka the 'fair' was started to realize that she was needing to become Valesseka the 'somewhat-stalwart'.

[Thinlómien]

Jen knew a rogue when she saw one. And now these had attacked the couple she had been following. She shook her head lightly. Morons to run off just by the two of them - especially if they're losers like that. She was almost amused. I might have to help them.

Jen crept closer. The bandits were carrying Éomeleo away and Valesseka was hiding, staying very still. She did not notice Jen coming. The girl put a hand on her mouth to prevent her from screaming when she laid down next to her. Valesseka's eyes were wide, if because of fear, surprise or anger, Jen could not tell.

"Shhh... It's just me, Jen. I've come to help you. You can't rescue him alone." She took her hadn from the woman's mouth and smiled apologetically. She hoped she had the sense not to start shouting at her when the bandits were still quite close.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

They were in an underground passage. It looked as though it could collapse at any moment, and certainly did not seem to be professionally built. The earth and iron support were illuminated by torch-light. Éomeléo was being carried, and not very quickly. He was a fairly large man (though skinnier than he had been when he left home) and, though he felt three sets of arms supporting him, he could tell that they did not belong to Ogres or Trolls.

He heard them grumbling and making stupid jests. They had no common accent, but to be sure a pervading tone of vulgarity at which, despite his situation, he had to roll eyes.

After a short journey, they stopped and dropped him to the floor. Éomeléo landed on his arm, but was glad of it being his left arm. If he should chance upon an occasion ripe enough to punch one of these thugs right in the nose he would prefer to make it a good one. As he landed, he heard a more pronunced voice. ''Nah, Bones, don't leave 'im 'ere, 'e's to go with the rest. Open the door and drag'm inside. Bones duly obliged.

The rest? Éomeléo thought, as his eyes adjusted to the darker room he had just been offered.

[Valesse]

Valesseka's face was red with a kind of rage which made her head spin. That girl! She's probably working with these low lives too! Help! Hah!. She found no reason to shout or make noise. She was as good as caught now, and the girl -- even as much as the Arnorian hated to admit it-- was right. One maiden as fair and delicate as Valesseka would not stand much of a chance against these thugs.

In a very clipped tone she whispered back "What in the name of Manwe are you doing here?" -- Just play along like you trust her, Valesseka, she'll keep her guard down that way so if I need to run... -- "Why are you holding me down? We need to go after them!"

The sound of her voice was biting and cold. Clearly the girl wanted results, no matter how grand, and wanted them quickly.

[Thinlómien]

"What in the name of Manwe are you doing here? Why are you holding me down? We need to go after them!"

Jenfried suppressed a sigh. So this was one of those "fine ladies" with no common sense at all.

She tried to be patient but avoid seeming exceedingly so when she replied. "We cannot go after them right now. Wait a moment. If we dash after them now, they notice us and kill us. We must move so that we're out of their earshot, or at least far away enough that they can't hear us properly if we're moving as silently as we can. The ground is soft here and there's long grass, it will be easy to track them even if they get out of our sight."

Before Valesseka could interrupt, she added: "And as to why I'm here... I spied on you and the guy, I must admit... but you're far more interesting than the Elves and the Dwarves! They're never going to get anywhere with their endless discussions and oaths of love." Jen smiled smugly yet a little apologetically. "And one of them is wounded so they can't move fast," she added.

"I wonder why she's wounded," Valesseka hissed.

Jen didn't bother answering that and tried not to blush. "So, do you have anything against my plan?" she asked.

Valesseka looked at her, not very friendlily. In the end, she said nothing. Jen assumed that meant she agreed with her. So they waited until the bandits and Éomeleo were only three brown and one blue spot in the horizon. Then, they started following them as quietly as they could and as quickly as they dared.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo was thrown through the doorway; his arm hit the side of the door, and he twisted round in a violent yet comical fashion. He landed face down on the floor, though he managed to get his other arm in the way. That would be bruised, but he didn't want to lose any teeth. This action was illuminated, but when the door closed complete darkness ensued.

He heard people breathing. Assuming they were also prisoners, and being exceedingly hacked off at the situation, he threw caution to the wind and said: "So, who are you?"

"Wow! Someone who can talk!" came a reply, full of exaggeration. "Oh, er, pardon me, I didn't quite mean to sound rude; it's just that, well, no-one else talks in here, and I get so bored! You understand?"

Éomeléo said that he did understand. The voice belonged to a grown man, from somewhere up north maybe.

"I mean, it's not all bad down here; get used to it, I mean, the sitting and the lying down and the dark, but I dearly miss having a good natter! These other chaps seem to loathe conversation. Oh! I'm sure you have so much to tell me! And I have lots to tell too!"

Éomeléo wondered how much longer he would prefer being irritated to being physically threatened.

[Valesse]

"So, do you have anything against my plan?" she asked before setting off after the bandits and blue-clad Eomeleo

"No." She wanted to spit out at Jen, but another part of her didn't want to speak to the girl at all... and it was that side which won out here. Her arms were folded so tightly across her chest it forced her back to hunch giving to her uncomfortable feeling. Her feet were falling heavily on the ground with soft squishing sounds each jerky trudge Valesseka made. This definitely not the kind of 'sneaking' Jen had in mind, and did give her unamicable company warning looks about. Looks were returned and ignored.

They stopped in one of the few patches of long grass left before the sundered landscape degraded into stunted weeds over pale orange, irregular rocks. The men had disappeared underground with the Gondorian. Valesseka straightened up, squinting her eyes at the scar in the earth in front of them. If only she should get closer without risking being seen!

A minute or two had passed as the girls were assessing the situation when Bones and his companion emerged once again, both wearing smirks on their leathery faces. "Couldn'ta risked 'em see'n, Jorgen, is that why we brought 'em here?" -- "Ow!" Valesseka whispered harshly, as Jenifred pushed her down and out of sight in the grass.

Jorgen nodded and looked annoyed, "Of course! Thats why we bring all of 'em here, yeh knucklehead! Gah... Sometimes ye say more stupid than that chatty guy we got down there. How long do yeh think he'll be till he asks ta be moved ta another cell?" They laughed and stretched some. "It's been too hot, lets get us some'un ta drink." With a nod, Bones lead Jorgen into another cave, one used for storage.

"What do we do now? How do we get him out?" Valesseka the somewhat-stalwart whispered, now ignorant of the fact that 'the villianous' Jenifred was her only company in this situation. "We can't leave him in there for the bandits, he's too... Eomeleo."

[Thinlómien]

"We can't leave him in there for the bandits, he's too... Eomeleo."

Now that was the stupidest reason for anything Jen had heard for a while. It did confirm her suspicion about Valesseka and Éomeleo. She shook her head. She had never seen the point in romances - by what she had seen they were always first disgusting and sweet as syrup and then painful like an inflamed wound. This Valesseka woman was already a bit slow-witted, really bad at sneaking and if her thoughts were clouded by a silly infatuation - that was just too much. Jen cursed her luck.

"We rescue him."

It was not very smartly said, but Jen couldn't think of anything else to say. She had to admit she was getting excited. This was an adventure! Thoughts started whirling in her head.

"First, we wait until nightfall. They will have a guard or two, but we have to deal with them. Distract them, kill them, seduce or bribe them, whatever. I think distracting might be the best idea. Seducing or bribing is too suspicious - it will probably fail and then we're in trouble. Killing is a bit difficult but I can handle that if necessary." Jen tried to sound careless and self-confident. In truth, she had never killed anyone and the thought of it made her shaky.

"Distraction sounds good." Jen thought there was relief in Valesseka's tone, even though she sounded sulky and unfriendly. Fair enough, she didn't like the Arnorian either.

"Okay, so when the night comes we... start a fire in the woods. You will be there and feed the fire. Try to get the bandits come after you but not catch you. I go and rescue your boyfriend. No, don't protest! Everybody knows I'm the one of us who can sneak, pick locks and even handle bandits if it's necessary. So I'll go. I'm sure he'll be delighted to know that you're taking a dangerous part in his rescue."

"And what do we do now?" Valesseka asked rather tartly.

Jen's reply came easily. "We wait."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo was becoming seriously annoyed. His captors had devised quite the ingenious method of slow, grinding torture in placing him in the dark cell with Miko, a character who appreciated silence less than any other living thing. The Gondorian was curious as to who else resided with them here, but not curious enough to go poking about blindly.

Miko, to no-one's surprise, spoke: Horrible, grating noise, isn't it? That drip, I think it's a drip. Water, or a burst pipe, or something, water outside I think. Hmm, doesn't it just tear at you? When it's all quiet like this but there's a noise that just won't go away? Isn't it just dreadful? Hated that back at my house, always something going wrong. Always up about five times a night checking on things, making sure they're still working, trying to fix things. Dislike it greatly, hmm, I must say. Horrible, grating noises."

At this, Éomeléo knew he was being tested, toyed with, and mocked, because there was no way this Miko could be that dull. After considering this possibility for the best part of twenty minutes, he settled on the conclusion whereby the robbers were trying to teach him a metaphysical lesson. Only a band of philosopher bandits with too much time and resources on their hands could devise such a scheme; it had to be a scheme because Éomeléo could not be this unlucky.

Miko changed subject, to "those ungrateful Shirefolk and their ways" and Éomeléo pondered how best to utilise Miko's tremendous power to his advantage.

[Valesse]

"But what if they decide to do something to him between now and nightfall? I don't want to risk it!" Valesseka obstinantly stomped her foot, the ground below it making a hollow sound. She frowned, looking down at it. Not wanting to disappear inside a kind of sink hole the Arnorian side stepped.

Jen's 'boyfriend' comment rolled off her back mostly unnoticed, or if anything with a glow of pride. At least the girl recognizes we're -together-. The Arnorian gloated inwardly. What did bother her was this idea of Jen doing the rescuing while she would be busy buring down the forest. Sure, she could sneak better but the 'dangerous' part of the rescue mission was far more 'dangerous' than Valesseka felt she could handle.

Valesseka shook her head "Think of something else! Something faster." As if expecting a miracle, she looked around behind her. "We might find someone to tell..." Her blind optimism quickly fades. "...Ooh, it's useless! What can -we- do?! You can't help but irritate people and I'm too delicate to b-ba-battle." The fair farmer's daughter sobbed an overly dainty sob. "Eomeleo... My love, I'm so sorry..."

The two could, if they were trying for it, hear soft plodding sounds, growing louder in inconsistant meter. From where they sat they couldn't feel a thing, but under the surface the disappearing portion of the ceiling would have been much more noticeable. But would cave in be an escape accessable for the imprisoned?

[Thinlómien]

Thin-Gloomy

Gradually, Thin-Gloomy had begun to suspect that his initial assumption of him being the only prisoner in the bandits' lair was incorrect. There was strange screaming at nights around full moon and occasionally, the jailers were talking with some people that didn't sound like they were part of the gang.

It didn't help Thin-Gloomy much to know that he wasn't the only one there. He didn't care why the other ones were there, or where exactly were they kept. He didn't get to talk with them anyway. He only talked with the bandits, who were still looking for the treasure in the false location the dwarf had given them. Thin-Gloomy considered it most amusing, but he was terrified, too, for he knew that however dim-witted the bandits were, they would eventually learn he had fooled them. He didn't exactly look forward to that day.

He was tired of being beaten, constantly interrogated and kept with little food and locked up in a cell. He was used to contempt, violence, lack of proper food and filthy places, but he had never before been a prisoner and that was what made the difference. Maybe it all had to something do with his newfound pride, too. Before, he would have given up already, known that it was not worth fighting the bullies, and he would have accepted his situation. Now all he thought about was escape and revenge. He dreamt of killing the bandits - especially the shrill-voiced cow - in goriest of manners. It was no good, though, he would still have to find a way to get out of the cell first.

It was all so frustrating. He kicked a pebble that was laying on the floor. It hit the wall. There was a rumbling sound. He instantly backed to the opposite wall. As if something had collapsed. Surely his little pebble couldn't have caused it?

Would the walls or the roof be weaker now, could he escape?

~*~

Jenfried

They were walking around, Valesseka first and Jen at her wake. For the second time, Valesseka stopped suddenly and side-stepped, causing Jen to bump into her.

"Would you be careful where you step!" Jen said.
"There are these kind of sink holes on the ground. Surely we don't want to get stuck on the wet ground?" Valesseka replied, rather angrily.
"Ther would be no problem if you looked at where you're walking to in the first place."
"Walking, yes - why are we even walking? We are not going to the forest to follow your silly plan, anyway."
"Make up a better plan, then, if you are so very wise and all that."
"Of the two of us, I'm not the bandit used to handling situations like this! You should know, you're in the business."
"Yes, and that's why I have a plan in the first place and you don't. You're being illogical. Very illogical - see, you even kept on walking after you said it was stupid. You are an idiot."
Valesseka cast a poisonous glance at her from over her shoulder. "Idiot? Who's the idiot here in the first place? Had you not..."

Not looking at the ground, she had taken an uncareful step and suddenly, the ground gave way below her. She fell, screaming. Jen tried to back away, but she was too close to Valesseka and the older girl was grabbing her leg. So, she too fell, swearing loudly.

After a short fall, they found themselves in a tunnel with doors at either side. It would have been very dark had they not just made a hole in the roof. "I did say..." Jen started, but stopped instantly. There were footsteps approaching fast. "Quick, let's hide!" she whispered.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo started: a loud clatter came from somewhere nearby. Through that wall, was it? Or maybe to the ri-

"Oh my! What was that? I say, what is happening? Did you hear it? That noi-"

"Quiet, you oaf!" Ah, satisfaction at last. Miko was silent for once, and Éomeléo could detect his palpable sense of surprise at being reprimanded.

The Gondorian stayed still but craned his neck forward in a ridiculous attempt to hear better. He heard shuffling sounds from through the wall, and hushed voices, female voices. Then they were quiet, though their movement remained audible to the trained ears of the prisoners. The dark of the cell seemed to shimmer and float, the excitement playing tricks on Éomeléo's eyes. But the noises had disappeared.

"Miko, I don't know who they were but they seemed scared; they weren't bawling like usual. Maybe they aren't the fiends who are keeping us here."

"Could be, could be, sir, it's all rather strange to me" replied Miko. "It did seem quite as if they knocked something over, something very heavy; or perhaps they fell. It reminded me of a time I was staying up North, somewhat -- well, I say up North; what I really mean is in the old country -- we call it old on account of its receiving trading rights from the old King, I forget which one exactly, well before the south. It was all to do with-"

"Miko, quiet!"

Mercifully, the sound of heavy footsteps was becoming very prominent. Éomeléo took a deep breath, several actually, and tried to compose himself.

"Miko, that's the guard. It's time. Do you feel capable of this?"

"If it's as easy as you say it is then of course, old chap!"

It was time for Miko's incomparable skills to be put to the test. The footsteps reached the door, and the key turned in the lock.

[Valesse]

The shaking of the ground and falling into a place unknown had put Valesseka back into the mindset she had long ago, trudging from the Sea of Rhun on her first adventure away from her peaceful little home. She was lost with a stranger she was not sure she could depend on in a place unknown to her, and the most important thing between the two of them would be Valesseka's survival. Of this the fair farmer's daughter was sure.

Valesseka made a quick scan of the hall open to them now and nudged Jenifred, whispering "Theres a door, and I'm not sure but..."

"There on the wall are some bronze keys... maybe it's the way out." Jen added

"I simply can't climb out of here" She bit her lip. I'm wearing a skirt! Jenifred ignored the Arnorian's whining and made haste for the key ring and lock it apparently matched. The older girl scrambling after her, "Maybe Eomeleo is in there... Or the villains and I should be quiet."

Jen turned the key and handle.

The door creaked open as it had for each tiny meal, for each beating and interrogation, but this time the doorway was filled with a shimering light, the figures appearing distorted and thin with it's intensity to the eyes of the long dark dwelling prisoner.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"Morning" the guard grumbled. He had brought a bag with him and dropped it on the ground.

"Good to see you" gasped Miko. "I must say, it's a fine relief to have you here, a relief fine as water on a parched tongue which, incidentally, I just might have need of, well, in good time I should think; not that you yourself would deny me some water, though that other fellow might, nastier sort he is, eastern probably, and where-"

"Stop it!" the guard rather whined, in a feeble manner. "I'm having a bad day and I don't need your gibbering!"

"But sir, I have definite concerns. The other chap in here, I'm, well, I'm sure he's dead."

"He looks fine to me" said the guard, frowning at Éomeléo, who was watching proceedings eagerly.

"No, no, not that big chap, I refer to one of the others."

The guard nodded acknowledgement and peered over to the far side of the room. There was but a small flicker of light from the corridor, and Éomeléo had never seen the whole of his cell. "There's been a rat... gnawing all morning." Miko bared his teeth in an uncomfortable grimace.

The guard sighed, and departed, locking the door behind him. Back in the darkness, Éomeléo whispered to Miko: "Good job! Keep it up, and remember the most important part. And unless you have something very important to say right now, hush up!"

Now two guards came to the room, and the one who had seen them a few moments ago creeped through the room, past Miko, a candle in hand. The other guard peered after him. The hidden depths of the cell appeared before Éomeléo for the first time, and then came the critical moment.

"Aaaaaargh!!!!" screamed Miko, with a voice that was near enough to shattering the cell walls. The guard dropped the candle; Éomeléo leapt up with all the speed of a crebain straight out of Dunland, and hurled himself at the legs of the other guard, who had jumped and faced the vanishing light. There was a definite crack, as a bone in his leg broke. Éomeléo, with the fury of the captive he was, sent his foe into the unconscious realm with a fist to the nose.

The Gondorian leapt up, his eyes well-adjusted to the darkness. He found his remaining enemy and bellowed "Now Miko!" With great heroism, as Éomeléo began his run, Miko dived at the legs of the guard. He took a hefty punch in the back and yelped in pain, but then Éomeléo almost decapitated the guard with a flying elbow to the face. There was a horrible thud as the two bodies crashed onto the floor, but Éomeléo had landed on top of the wretched prison guard and was unhurt. He grabbed Miko, hauled him to his feet, and hurried through the doorway.

[Thinlómien]

Thin-Gloomy

Thin-Gloomy was fervently looking for a way out when he heard footsteps from the corridor. They went away though, and a door somewhere rather far away was opened. Danger over? Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath and continued examining the walls. More footsteps and two voices. Female voices. Neither of them was the shrill-voiced cow, and she didn't come down here anyway. Thin-Gloomy had never known a woman to come here before.

Before he could think more, a key turned in the lock. He stepped forwards, his fists ready. He could beat two women, he knew, and then he could escape.

The light was stronger than he remembered. He had to shelter his eyes. "What is this?" he asked angrily, realising the women had an advantage over him after all.

~*~

Jenfried

"What is this?" asked an unfriendly voice.
"Not your boyfriend," Jen concluded to Valesseka and was about to close the door.
"Wait!" Valesseka said.
"You think they've turned you boyfriend into a grumpy little goblin?" Jen asked.
"I am a dwarf, no goblin. Say that again and I'll beat you, kid," the grumpy voice interfered and its owner stepped to the light properly. It was a small, thin dwarf with a long and sparse black beard. He was sheltering his eyes with his hand. "Who are you and what are you doing in my prison cell?"
"I'm Valesseka from Arnor. And this is Jen, a bandit."
"A bandit you say? Come little closer, kid, and I'll kill you. Your friends have treated me badly. But Valesseka... what does that name remind me of?"
"Who are you, you insulting smelly creature? I have no idea why we're wasting time with you," Jen said angrily. "Come, Valesseka, let's go."
"No! I think he might be..."
"My name is Thin-Gloomy, and I am a most venerable Dwarf."
"Oh..." said Valesseka. "We've come to rescue you. But we have lost Eomeleo, and we should rescue him too."
"I know you, you are the mousey girl from the race. Glad to see you again." There was darkness and sarcasm in Thin-Gloomy's voice. "Well, thank you anyway, girls, for rescuing me. Now let's go and find the guy you've lot. And then we gewt out of here. I do have some thingsa to be settled, though."

The three entered the corridor. It was dark and no one was moving there. "Which way did you come?" Thin-Gloomy asked.
"The roof," Jen said.
The dwarf laughed. The echo sent shivers down Jen's spine. The laugh was too hollow.
"No going back that way, is there?" the dwarf asked. "Let's go this way, then."
They started walking, but there was afear upon them, so they broke into a run.

That was why they literally bumped into Éomeleo and Miko at a doorway.

[Valesse]

Valesseka gasps as she fell right into the hands of another human, she could tell by the noise that Thin-gloomy and Jen had done the same to another one just to her side. Looking up she found a beauti-- Who is that?! The Arnorian jumped back, snorting as if it were Miko who ran and grabbed onto her. Now she could see the pair of them- Eomeleo! With.. with Jenifred on him!

"Well! Hello, whats your names? I'm Mik--"

"We'll have introductions later, Miko! Right now we've got to run, hurry, this way!" Eomeleo said, pushing Jenifred and Thin-gloomy off of him and lead the way toward the exit.

"-O."

All four nodded and persued him, chased by the sounds of their footfalls. Valesseka was too distracted in her glaring daggers into Jenifred again to recall exactly where it was they were going, only that it was out and she was going to make sure to stick closer to Eomeleo than Jen was! She's trying to take him from me! Falling all over him like that! Like she had the choice...

There it was in front of them, the sliver of daylight peaking around a bend in the cave walls. The mouth of the cave was in sight, but in ear shot came a new pair of voices. A woman, barking out commands to another who discurtisely spat back curses at her. From the sound of it one was about to leave in order to get more supplies for their camp.

"What do we do now?" Jenifred asked in a whisper. Thin-gloomy's little eyes were dark in what little light they had now to see them, though it was a great deal more than the dwarf was used to.

Hushed, from the back of the party, "I'm Miko, and it's so good to meet you, I suppose you know this chap here? Isn't that wonderful! I just know your friendship to one another must be stellar, yes, stellar."

"Quiet, Miko" Eomeleo hushed him and heaved a soft sigh.

"Why don't you start a fire in the forest to distract them." quibbled the Arnorian, unnessecarily brooding. The two men and Thin-gloomy, who had not be present for the previous conversation, turned to the both of the girls confused looks.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"What's that?" growled the voice, and Éomeléo grumbled at his allies. They were all so... talkative. And now they had an angry, gruff woman, most likely with rolling-pin in hand ready to bash them, about to enter the fray.

And then a strange feeling washed over the Gondorian, and he felt his inner being complemented by an additional force, and he spoke though not with his own voice -- with a voice that came from far away: "Fly, you fools!" And they flew indeed.

But before them appeared a man, short and filthy, with a mean sneer on his ugly face, and he held a small axe. "Right!" shouted Jen, dashing off to the side. Valesseka followed with Thin-Gloomy; Éomeléo dragging Miko along with him. The party bundled through a dark path, covered in bugs and dirt. Miko was horrified. He kept muttering "Oh, I say..." over and over.

The corridor ended with a door. "Well" said Valesseka, "there'd better be something good in here". Jen opened and entered, and everyone smiled. The room was small and dank and empty of people; but it had a few boxes, some cloaks and other clothes, and leaning against the wall a very welcome collection of weapons.

"Oh, I say! I say chaps indeed!"

[Thinlómien]

Weapons!

Thin-Gloomy laughed aloud in delight. It was too good to be true.

While the others rushed to have a look at the swords, he headed for the knives. There was a familiar shape among them. "My beloved Thistle-cleaver!" he shouted, picking up his old knife. He kissed it and put it on his belt. Next, he headed for the missiles. He could see his old crossbow, but beside it there was a slightly heavier one with carefully crafted bolts. He picked it and left his own bow behind. He felt more certain now, the bow in his hand. Éomeleo hastened to his side. He had a sword in his hand and he picked another crossbow, visibly satisfied with the situation.

"Are we ready now?" Thin-Gloomy growled.
Éomeleo nodded. "I am."
They turned to see the others. Valesseka had replaced her staff with a proper one and equipped herself with a dagger, Jen had picked a small sword and added a few knives to her collection and Miko was holding a sword with a curved blade and emeralds in the hilt.
"Can you use that?" Éomeleo asked him.
"No time for nonsense like that!" Thin-Gloomy grunted and headed out of the door, Jen at his heels. The others followed, Miko babbling about his new beautiful sword.

"We are now going to the so called 'throne-room' to kill the bandits, if I've understood correctly, we can also get out of this place that way," Thin-Gloomy announced.
"How many?" Jen asked, trying to keep her tone cool and professional.
"Five, although with good luck, two of them...”
“Look out!” Valesseka interrupted in an urgent whisper.
The adventurers fell dead silent.

There were two men coming along the corridor. One of them had a torch in one hand and a wooden club in the other, the other had two knives that glittered in the light. They had not seen the escaped prisoners who stood in the shadows.

“I’m sure there were noises here,” the man with the torch said.
“Nonsense, Thomas,” the smaller man sneered. “Who would make any noise down here?”

They both stopped and fell silent. Thin-Gloomy had let out a hiss of vehement hate – these two were the ones who had beaten him so many times, who had ridiculed him. In one smooth movement, he loaded his bow and let the bolt fly. With a terrifying scream, the knife-man fell onto the dungeon-floor. The bigger man dropped the torch and ran. Éomeleo released his bolt and the man yelled in pain, but they could hear him keeping running.

“Onwards!” Miko screamed, raising his sword to the air.
Before anybody could stop him, Jen let out her war cry too and they dashed to the darkness. The others had no choice but to follow. Thin-Gloomy came last for he stopped to pick up the dead man’s knives. “No point leaving good weapons laying on the floor,” he murmured as he took them.

When Éomeleo, Valesseka and Thin-Gloomy were at the end of the corridor, a horrified Miko ran into them. “There are bandits! Four of them! And they have weapons!”
“And you left the girl alone to fight them?” Thin-Gloomy asked, outraged.
Miko made no reply.
Éomeleo and Valesseka exchanged glances and ran past Miko.
Thin-Gloomy followed them suit, but he gripped Miko’s sleeve as he went. “You come too, coward!”

As they entered the hall, they saw Jen fighting two people, a blond man and a dark-haired woman. Both of them were swinging their blades in a deadly manner and Jen had to fight to parry their blows. Her side was bleeding and her face was white with effort.

A third bandit was lying on the floor near the entrance, holding his side and moaning. His fingers were red with blood. The torch man was standing further away, hastily draping bandage around his left arm.

With one effortless swing, Éomeleo finished the moaning man. Then he shouted to the two swordsmen, trying to catch their attention. With Valesseka by his side, he advanced on them. Thin-Gloomy reloaded his bow, aimed at the man who was trying to bind his wounds and let go. The man fell to the floor and gurgled. “Go kill him with your pretty sword,” the dwarf snarled to Miko. The man obeyed, eyes huge with terror.

Meanwhile, the swordsmen realised they would have to face Éomeleo’s sword and Valesseka’s staff. The man shifted his focus immediately, apparently thinking the already wounded girl could do nothing. He swung his blade and it met Éomeleo’s with a loud clang. The woman was not as straightforward, she attacked Jen one last time. The girl could not parry quickly enough and fell to the floor. She lay there unmoving.

Blow, parry, blow, parry. Éomeleo and his foe did not seem to hit each other. The woman was trying to attack Éomeleo too, but Valesseka was keeping her away by distracting her with her staff.

Thin-Gloomy reloaded and aimed at the woman. He hated her, the shrill-voiced cow. She deserved to die. His hands were shaking hatred and the bolt went amiss. It flew just an inch past Valesseka’s face. Cursing, Thin-Gloomy reloaded. This time she hit the woman on the chest. With a horrible scream, she fell.

Fury and fear flashed in the swordsman’s eyes. He swung his blade at Éomeleo, who ducked just in time, and turned to run. However, Valesseka blocked his way with her lowered staff and he tripped over it. Éomeleo pushed his sword through the fallen foe.

In the sudden silence they could hear someone sobbing. Miko had thrown his adorned blade on the floor and sat by the body of the big man, covering his face. “I killed him,” he whispered, horror in his voice.

“There’s no time for idle snivelling,” Thin-Gloomy said brusquely. “They have friends who could come here at any moment.”
“What about Jen?” Valesseka asked. She was kneeling by the girl’s side. “She’s breathing.”
“We can’t leave her here... that would be brutal,” Éomeleo said simply.

Thin-Gloomy nodded hesitantly. The humans were right. “Alright then. You lad, carry her. You lass, help that idiot, we can’t leave him here either.” Valesseka had the sense not to protest, although she gritted her teeth when she saw Jen on Éomeleo’s arms.

She yanked Miko up. “Come on,” she said, not totally unfriendlily. The man leaned to her, still sobbing and wailing.

“And what are you doing, master dwarf?” Éomeleo asked.
“I’m leading the way. And I’m shooting in case we see enemies,” Thin-Gloomy replied grimly, fingering his bow.

He kept his word. It did not take long for him to find the entrance and the weary travelers stumbled out of the bandit-lair.

Night had fallen while they had been in the dungeons. There was a cold wind and the moving clouds revealed a rising full moon. Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath. Suddenly, he smiled. He was free at last.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo laughed as the cold air washed over him. It was beautiful, and the dinginess of his prior lodgings had not agreed with his airwaves. Miko wished to run as far as his breath would allow him but Éomeléo calmed him down; there would be no need for such panic. They had some fighters about them, with grim weapons in their hands.

He walked over to Valesseka, adjusting his feathered hat as he moved (he had found it in the weapon-room, much to his delight). Valesseka smiled at the silly gesture, then Éomeléo grabbed and kissed her. He half-expected her to be mad with him, but he was sure he saw happiness in her eyes as they parted.

Of course, because the two of them are never allowed a fine moment, an almighty clatter occured from the doorway. They turned around and braced themselves.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Out hobbled an odd-looking man. He was quite old with lank, greying hair, and he clutched a satchel. He stared at the party for a moment, then ambled closer. Éomeléo looked on in curiosity as the man stopped a few paces from him, dropped the bag, and reached awkwardly for his boot. He then disconnected what was, apparently, a wooden leg. Hardly balancing on his good limb, the man scraped around in the leg and took out a big, handsome jewel. He tossed it at Éomeléo and, without a word, put his leg back on and went on his way with the satchel.

Miko looked vindicated. "See? That would be one of the fellows who wouldn't say anything. Granted he's unusual to encounter, but not suitable for the dark. Oh if only he could have shared some stories with-"

"Indeed Miko" the Gondorian interjected. He stooped to pick up the treasure and wondered what the odd man had been through. It was green and looked specially precious. "A reward for a rescue?" Éomeléo flashed a congratulatory smile to his friends.

"I shall be very glad to be rid of this place" grumbled Miko.

"But where will you go?"

"Oh" chuckled Miko, demonstrating a new, and unsurprisingly, annoying habit of switching rapidly between moods, "there are all manners of options."

"Quite Miko, for I have no doubt that your part in the story of this Middle-earth will grow greater." Éomeléo cast a cursory glance back at the villains' lair, and then looked again upon fair Valesseka: a far more pleasing sight.

[Valesse]

Her face flushed after the kiss, Valesseka found it necessary to keep her squealling at bay by putting her fingers delicately to her lip as the one thought that she had most hoped to ensure flooded her mind and nearly spilling out of her mouth: He still likes me more than Jen!!

She sighed out a soft "My darling" and as if on a cloud she drifted toward his arm, half aware of the gemstone being thrown at Eomeleo or really much else... that is until he turned toward her an smiled which was when the world seemed to melt away completely for a few sweet moments.

The sun was slowly creeping just on the horizon, the party had to move in their own directions or as one. It was the slightly less gloomy Thin-gloomy who made this clear first, and with a little bounce in his step lead on his own way.

The Arnorian looked at those surrounding her, pausing as her glance fell on Jenifred. She was alone, and from what Valesseka's imagination could fabricate Jen was not very good at 'it'. Thus, moved by her own misguided pity for the girl, she tugged Eomeleo over and linked arms with her, giving her most comforting - and extremely gorgeous- smile and steering the three of them toward Thin-gloomy's tracks.

"Come on, Jen... you can carry my things! We'll be back in the city in no time and we'll have you all set from there!"

"Err, excuse me?"

Perhaps she could have used a better choice of words... It didn't seem as if Jenifred saw this extremely generous offer as a gift. She's such a strange girl... "You have my permission to travel with us!" announced the fairest of the farm girls, who's authority was indeed unquestionable here.

"Valesseka..." started the weary Gondorian

"But she has no one! It would be cruel to turn her back over to her own devices. She doesn't -have- to stay with us forever, we can take her to Bree and let her have something to eat and then turn her loose on the city! Out of our hands!"

Arching her brow high, Jen waited out Valesseka's arguements to slowly die off, considering her possible travelling partners. They weren't the worst kind of group a person could travel with, but it was definitely something worth thinking about.

And after giving her offer, Valesseka let her thoughts return to her previous adventures, her fortune and finally of home. Looking up at the bobbing feather of Eomeleo's hat she smiled, knowing that in a few hours of walking she could mention her want to return home, and perhaps even persuade Eomeleo to make haste again for the North.

[Thinlómien]

Jenfried

"But she has no one! It would be cruel to turn her back over to her own devices. She doesn't -have- to stay with us forever, we can take her to Bree and let her have something to eat and then turn her loose on the city! Out of our hands!"

Jen couldn’t help but smile at those words. They could have been taken as rude, no doubt, but there was friendliness in there as well. And never before had anyone offered to take her with them, she had always had to plead and beg to get involved in anything even vaguely interesting. She gave Valesseka and Éomeléo a reserved but radiant smile. They were too busy with each other to really notice it, though.

Still smiling, Jen turned to look around. As she moved, there was a throbbing pain at her side and she fell to her knees. She had to gasp for air.

“Take it easy, lass. Let me help you.”

Jen was surprised to hear the dwarf’s gruff voice from behind her. “Here, let me pull you up.” Thin-Gloomy’s tone was a little awkward, but he sounded determined. Jen let the dwarf help her. She could hardly stand, the pain was so intense.

“What if I die?” she whispered, eyes suddenly full of tears.

“Nah, you won’t. You’re young and healthy and that’s just a minor cut.”

Jen searched the dwarf’s eyes for a comforting lie, but she could not find one. The beady eyes were fixed on her with an almost sympathetic expression in them.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

The dwarf smiled, and his smile was a crooked one. Then he turned in the direction of Valesseka and Éomeléo. “Hey lovebirds! Slow down a little. Your little sister’s wounded.”

Jen saw Valesseka and Éomeléo flash a grin at each other. Then they paused and stood there side by side, waiting for the girl and the dwarf to catch up.

~*~

Thin-Gloomy

They had been walking all day and they were finally near the cave where Thin-Gloomy had hid his treasure. He was on the lead now.

“Be careful, those rocks are difficult to climb,” he advised, climbing up nimbly as a little goat. His back didn’t pain him today. In fact, the day seemed almost too good to be true.

He approached the cave cautiously, but there were no signs of anyone having been there before them. With the help of Éomeléo and Valesseka he moved a big rock that covered the entrance of the small cave.

“Oh Valar,” Valesseka breathed at the sight of the treasure, chest after chest full of jewels and gold.
“I had forgotten it was that enormous,” Éomeléo admitted.
“So had I,” Thin-Gloomy grinned.
“I’ve never seen that much gold,” Jenfried said.

“Neither have I,” said a shrill, cold voice.

The four turned just in time to see the bandit woman reload her small crossbow and shoot. “Sweet, sweet revenge,” she laughed as her bolt sank to Thin-Gloomy’s chest.

The dwarf realised he was falling. Vaguely, he thought he must have hit the floor. But there was nothing, nothing but the pain that penetrated everything. Deep, red and white pain. Then there was a thought, one single bright thought, brighter than the pain.

I died a rich man.

~*~

Jenfried

As soon as the dwarf fell on the rocky ground, both Jen and Éomeléo drew their swords and jumped at the woman. She was laughing hysterically and blood was dripping from the corners of her mouth.

“No use killing her. She’s as good as dead,” Éomeléo said with disgust.

The woman was leaning against the cliff, bringing her hand to her breast. Her fingers were red with blood and Jen could see the shaft of a bolt between her fingers. She recalled the woman laying on the dungeon floor, fallen by Thin-Gloomy’s crossbow. Oh Thin-Gloomy, had your hit killed her a little sooner…

“Ugly business,” said Valesseka as the three turned their backs to the dying bandit.

“I only pity poor old Thin-Gloomy,” Éomeléo said sadly.

Jen knelt by the dead dwarf’s side. Gently, she brought his hands to his chest and closed his eyes. Then she let her eyes travel from him to the rogue woman, and eventually to the huge pile of treasure chests.

“Guess what, friends…” she said in a weak voice.

“What is it?” Valesseka asked. Éomeléo looked equally baffled.

Jen let a smile creep to her face. “We’re bloody richest people in Middle-Earth.”

[piosenniel]

~ Finis ~