View Full Version : Reclaiming the City RPG
piosenniel
03-27-2003, 08:46 PM
The Ruling Ring's first post for Fededhor
Fededhor walked along the dirt path slowly, the road and the errand the only thing to distract him from the misery that weighed like chains. He reached the meeting place, a small garden with a line of benches and one in front of them. He took his place in the latter, sitting back with a dismal sigh.
No sooner had he settled himself, than three soldiers entered the scene. They all halted when they saw him, gazing at him hesitantly, expectantly. Fededhor returned this only with a look of mild recognition, signaling with his eyes that they should sit down.
“We shall wait for the others, to begin,” Fededhor said softly, forcing a meek smile. “And I hope you understand, but I don’t feel as if I could speak, until then.”
The others nodded in their turn, then sat rigid as they waited, not even speaking to each other, barely looking to their left or right, preferring to stare surreptitiously at the ground.
After a pause, the last four soldiers came into the garden, speaking in low voices to each other. They looked in near-unison at Fededhor and the other soldiers, their talk ceasing at the sight. They took their seats swiftly and silently. Fededhor breathed in.
“Men,” he began. “I am sure that you have all found out one way or another already what has happened to the settlement outside of this place, and it is mostly for this reason that I will not speak of it again. What you may not know, though, is what you will be asked to do about it,” he looked up and around him with a steely gaze. “This village has not just broken communication with us in the usual way of not sending or responding to goods, and the like. The people of the place have also stopped all contact with friends and relations living here, there hasn’t been a rider or errand runner to emerge in weeks, not a fire can be seen at night. But for its proximity,” Fededhor gestured vaguely to the trees at his right, outside of which was a stretch of the road that passed the settlement, “I would think that the village had ceased to exist! And this is very troubling to me—,” he broke off hastily then, his eyes flickering back to the dirt, before riveting back on the soldiers, who merely sat, looking on in silence. He breathed in deep again. “We are being sent to find out what has happened to the settlement. We are merely to investigate it. Even if something dreadful has happened, we are to return here, for reinforcements at least, before doing anything else. But rest assured, if something dreadful has happened, when reinforcements are assembled, I plan to be at the head of the line,” he looked around at the others, the pride of his statement, echoed in his face, dissolving into a look of submissive sadness. “I hope that, when the time comes, you are all there, too…and that we are all glad for it,” Fededhor stood up, his hand vaguely brushing the hilt of the sword that hung at his side. “Still, I know that I am getting ahead of pressing matters. It is true, we don’t know what has happened, or what to expect, when we reach the settlement, and all any of us will be expected to do is find out.”
[ March 28, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
piosenniel
03-27-2003, 08:48 PM
The Ruling Ring's first post for Pirk
Pirk looked down at his reflexion in the muddy water at his feet, gathering a pinkish hue as the blood of the human in front of him dribbled down the face and dripped into it. Pirk kicked the puddle, splashing filthy flecks of water on the human, and the orcs surrounding him.
"Take him away," Pirk grunted at this subordinates. He raised the hand he'd gouged the human with and signalled to his second in command, who came after him, separating himself from the orcs that held the rebellious soul. "Things are bad," he said, turning to Groshan. "They want to know what we're going to do next."
"Who?" the other said. "Not--"
"Of course!" Pirk hissed. "Who else? They want to know what we're doing now, and what we'll do next. And I can't tell them any of that."
"What's wrong with--?" the other orc began again.
"Can't you see?" Pirk mumbled. "What do you think will happen, if they find that we haven't even crushed the remaining humans here, yet! What kind of soldiers are we training to be? They only let us come here to train, and we've barely begun that. How can we, with these humans scrabbling about?"
"So, let's be done with them!" his companion replied. "Make a quick snack of the lot. There can't be many left."
"But, that's just it," Pirk turned his troubled, pallid eyes to meet those of the other orc. "There are."
[ March 28, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Arvedui III
03-28-2003, 10:12 PM
Grumish leaned against a poll. The fire and wreak of the ransacked city surounded him. The air was full of burning flesh, it was to him, wholesome. The uruk's black eyes stared unseingly at serveral bodies on the ground. He drew his scemitar. "Not yet." said a voice behind him, it was Pirk. "I did as you said, now for my end of the deal." "You can't, not yet. We've got to take control of this town, take prisinors." "Prisoners?!"
Grumish was outraged. What possible use could prisoners be? He'd held up his end to Pirk, undergone the training, yielded to, them. Why did they have to take prisoners? The rage he felt didn't show though, his face was a hidious, callous mask. He looked down at the orc in front of him.
This always made him feel better, staring down at Pirk. Even if he had to take orders, they both knew who would win a test of one-on-one combat. He had no intention of doing so, though. Pirk had given him two little orcs to look after. He had hated them, and the responisibily of them. They were annoying. They had died.
So, he had a gruding respect in Pirk, something rare for orcs.He trusted his judgment. Grumish drew his swords and headed away from the tantilizing bodies to a part of the settlement not smoldering. The silent eyes chose their target, a small humble house tucked neatly into a corrner.
He hacked the door open. There were screems, and to him they were better then any song in any tounge. "Pirk!" he called, and Pirk along with several others ran to him. "Prisoners you wanted, prisoners I give." and he grined his horrible orc grin at the poor souls trapped in the house.
GaladrieloftheOlden
03-28-2003, 10:36 PM
Oghurn looked around, his glance passing without stopping over burnt down houses and corpses in the streets, dropped weapons and limbs all around, looking only for an orc to take an order from. He was wondering what it might be, and already felt the pleasure of the evil tasks he felt sure were ahead consume him. He shook off the feelings as he saw Pirk and Grumish standing in the midst of the wreckage.
Oghurn could not hear them from where he stood, but he was a better reader of faces than he had ever let on. If he had shown his gift, some larger orcs, no doubt, would rid him of it, and much else besides. He saw in Grumish's face a dark rage, concealed well, but, nonetheless, not from those watching from afar. He wondered vaguely what it was about, but decided not to interfere. He saw a Man crawl out of a dwelling wouded, and kicked him hard with his iron-tipped boot. He groaned and lay still. Oghurn's face changed expression to what would have been called a rather evil grin, if it had been upon a fairer face.
He stood among the bodies and the ruins, and smiled again. This was what he, Oghurn the Orc, reveled in.
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Meoshi
03-28-2003, 11:23 PM
The morning after the night raid. The sun shimmered on the trees and water, and birdsong was carried in the wind. The dew shone many colors on the grass. It was a beautiful morning.
The scene was promptly ruined by the large spider that descended on a thread from a tree. He was about the size of a full-grown hobbit, or a young human- it didn't matter to him, they were both tasty.
Morachion poked the human stuck in webbing that he had hung between the trees. She was a young woman, and had been trying rather violently to break free when he had bitten her with the sleeping vemon. Now, she hung limp on the web. There was another human caught in another part of the web, also stunned. He was a man of roughly the same age. Pirk will want to see this, he thought to himself. Still, if these were running from the city, others could have escaped.
Morachion began cutting the human loose from the web, and dragging her back toward the burning city. Perhaps they will let me have some of them as a snack, he mused. Some hideous form of a smile broke out on the spiders face.
[ March 29, 2003: Message edited by: Meoshi ]
Mauwurz
03-29-2003, 12:11 AM
Mauwurz looked around at the ruin and destruction of this small town,it was completely destroyed and would have to be rebuilt from the foundations.
A smile formed on the hideous face,burnt and scarred,he threw back his head and laughed,if you could call it a laugh,it was more a cackle.
*This is what I love*Mauwurz thought,plundering and killing,fighting was fun aswell but not as joyful as killing innocent people and burning their houses and belongings.He reached up a long,hairy arm and scratched his head,*this was hard work* he though to himself.
Mauwurz walks of to try and find some of his companions,he draws his sword and slashes at bushes and trees that haven't been totally burnt.
[ March 29, 2003: Message edited by: Mauwurz ]
Niluial
03-29-2003, 05:16 AM
“Mommy, where are we going?” Emilia asked, with a teary confused face. Georeliela did not answer, she had no answer! There was too much on her mind. Where were they going? What if one of the orc’s catch up? Georeliela thought back to the horrifying night before…
Bash bash, her heart went cold. She held Tonguir her baby close in her arms and grabbed Emilia by the hand, but squeezed ever so tight. She draped a black cloak over them! The back window was open and they climbed out running into the streets ducking and making sure no orc saw them. She looked back on her house. No sooner the house was on fire and she could see the shadows of the orcs along the wall, searching for them! They ran far but they still remained in the burning city. The smell of burning flesh made her sick and the site of the houses burning made her cry.
“Mommy, mommy!” Emilia tugged, bringing Georeliela back to earth, “why are you ignoring me mommy?” Georeliela picked Emilia up and kissed her silky forehead, holding both her children in her arms. Georeliela wanted to cry and tell her children that they must be faithful and that everything was going to turn out but she just couldn’t speak. Emilia played with a piece of her moms hair. They kept on walking but they hid behind trees and made sure there was no orc in site. All she needed to make her life worse was to be captured or killed.
Georeliela herd some movement in the bushes next to her. She couldn’t see who it was but she froze. She caught site of his face, and his hairy arms and a great large polished sword. She saw the face again and her breath was taken away. She gasped for air but she couldn’t breathe. “Mauwurz” she whispered to herself. She hid behind a tree not wanting this evil man to see her. He looked in her direction. He must have heard something she thought. So she made sure she was perfectly inline with the tree. But he walked over in her direction ….
[ March 29, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
[ March 29, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
Malcu Luinthol
03-29-2003, 03:06 PM
Unglusch looked down from the top of the bank. Scout duty. He hated it, but it always seemed to be his role in these larger attacks. Maybe it was because of the extra spped offered to him by his warg mount. These thoughts would have to wait, however, as the main concern at the moment was the lone human wandering towards the battle scene wondering about the smoke which was clearly visible for miles around.
The human was young, and looked as though he was some sort of messenger. This would be his last message...
Unglusch growled, and Grulfang padded slowly towards him. He leapt onto his mount, reached for his bow and skidded down a nearby embankment. One shot and the man was down. Unglusch approached the body, and lifted the bag the man had been carrying. Leaving the corpse for Grulfang to feast on, he walked back to the top of the hill to continue his duty. Once the watch was changed he would notify Pirk of his discovery. Th information might be useful, and even more useful would be having Pirk in his debt...
Unglusch smiled, if it could be called that, and turned back to his watch.
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
03-29-2003, 03:14 PM
Farien’s eyes flickered open. A strand of her long brown hair was plastered across her face, trailing into the muddy water. Farien stared at it for a moment, trying to comprehend what had happened. She realized she was lying on the ground with her face in a puddle. She struggled to sit up, but couldn’t move. A wave of pain threatened to knock her out again. Slowly she raised her hand to her face, touching the puffy bruised flesh around her eyes. She groaned.
A tiny whimper beside her brought her attention back to the moment. The curly blond head of her two year old daughter, Arrin, nestled at her side. The mud in Arrin’s hair made Farien furious, she suddenly remembered all that had happened.
***The dark in the house was shattered by flames elsewhere in the town. Farien gathered her children together in the back bedroom. Ten year old Telmir held the youngest, Arrin, in his arms while Serra, age six, huddled in front of them, her wide brown eyes filled with terror. The screaming began, voices crying out in the night, voices Farien might have recognized had she been paying attention.
Eregiâth, her husband had left when the attack started, gone to help whoever needed helping. Farien was proud of her husband, watched him go; understanding that he might not return. She took up a kitchen knife and hurried to the back bedroom.
They had waited for hours when the door was kicked open. The ugly twisted face of an orc had loomed over them. Farien reacted before she thought, slashing out at the orc with her knife. She grazed the side of his arm with her knife point, saw blood dribble down, before she was backhanded by the furious orc. The world spun around her, the knife fell from her fingers, and she was dragged outside, dragged away from her children. She heard Serra scream as a second orc threw her over his shoulder.
Farien struggled wildly, screaming her children’s names, “Arrin! Serra! Telmir!” The orc holding her laughed. She turned and spit in his face. His heavy hand struck her across the face and she lost consciousness.***
Farien rolled over in the mud, ignoring the aches from where the orcs had beaten her. She reached out and pulled Arrin in close to her, kissing her on the top of the head, comforting the crying girl. She looked around. Serra and Telmir were sitting close by watching all that went on with wide eyes. She reached out to them. Serra ran to her, burying her face, and Telmir came close and took her hand. She pulled him to her and hugged him. Then they sat, waiting, to see what the orcs would do with them.
ArwenBaggins
03-29-2003, 06:41 PM
Eregiâth moaned as his eyes opened, making blood trickle from a cut on his brow. For a split second he didn’t know where he was, but was painfully reminded by Orc laughter and Mortal screams. A large Orc came up to him, lifting his chin with a long blade.
"Get up." The Orc hissed. Eregiâth grunted a no as the blade sliced across his throat, spilling blood on the blade. "Don’t you hear me??" The Orc kicked Eregiâth’s leg, making him stand.
Anger ran through his blood. "Where are my wife and children? If you hurt them..." He pushed himself in the Orc’s direction.
The Orc pretended to be concerned, pulling the blade from Eregiâth’s throat and pointing it toward a dark corner. "Oh, the sorry mother with the three bratty kids? We threw them over there."
Eregiâth put up a fist, but lowered it because he knew the Orc would fight back. "Farien is not sorry. She is a great woman," He narrowed his eyes. "And Telmir, Serra, and Arrin are not ‘bratty’. The are very well-mannered and respectful."
The Orc laughed. "I’m sorry. My mistake. Now get over there with them before I change my mind about it." As Eregiâth walked away, the Orc kicked him, causing him to fall in a wet hole.
"We will fight back. We will reclaim our city. Our dead will be avenged." He grabbed a rock and hurled it at the Orc. The Orc threw it back, but Eregiâth was already faded into the darkness.
[ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: ArwenBaggins ]
Mauwurz
03-30-2003, 12:44 AM
Mauwurz hears a faint noise so he starts to look around a group of bushes.*that was where the noise came from*He thought to himself.He pushes the bushes aside and see's three humans.
They jump out of the bush and try to run away,Mauwurz chases after them and grabs the elder one by the neck.She struggles until she finnaly gets free but Mauwurz grabs her arm with his strong Orc claws.
He wrenches the smallest child free of the groping mothers grasp.He throws him tot he ground.
"You,capture those humans"Mauwurz says pointing in the direction that the mother and child fled
Mauwurz turns his attention to the child on the ground and grins.
*I could have lots of fun with you*He thought.
He lifts his spear and prods the baby,the bundle of cloth on the ground wriggles and squirms.
*It's not dead then*Mauwurz though evily.
He brings his scimitar blade swinging down onto the childs neck,blood squirts everyhwere.
Mauwurz gets down on his hands and knees and licks the blood of the chnhilds clothing,finnaly he licks his knife and elts out a terrible war cry.
"I will get you"He says remembering the fleeing lady.
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Niluial
03-30-2003, 01:19 AM
Georeliela ran holding Emilia in her arms. Tears were running down her face, her baby boy, he was gone! She knew she couldn’t turn back to see if her baby boy was still alive because then she would be risking Emilia’s life and hers! They ran for a while. She listened to her feet hitting the hard ground ‘clop, clop, clop’, and listened to her daughters cries “where is my brother, mommy where?” she would say over and over again each time with more tears. Georeliela was still crying and she had to stop, she was angry, hungry, tired and all she wanted was for this nightmare to be over!
Emilia and Georeliela sat down, both of them crying. It started to rain and she got a blanket out of the one plastic bag she took with her on this horrible trip. The blanket was a nice, woolly, warm one, given to her by her mother a long time ago, when she was still considered ‘a member of the family’. The blanket the cloak and a teddy bear for Emilia was the only belongings she had with her! The rain came pouring down making both of them shiver. While Georeliela sat on he dirty, muddy ground feeling disgusting and dirty she cried a river of tears. She cried and cried, I shouldn’t even be saying cried it was more like howling! It looked like the orc was far behind them, and they could rest just for a while!
“Mommy where is my brother?” Emilia asked again. “Oh my angel, remember mommy told you about heaven?” Georeliela said in a teary voice. Emilia nodded. “Well that is where your brother went”. Georeliela went quiet and sat thinking maybe they should have just let Mauwurz kill us, then we wouldn’t have to live in this terrible heartless world she thought. She put her fingers through Emilia’s hair, to get all the knots out.
She looked in the distance, a black dot was running up the hill. No it was a orc! She grabbed Emilia in her arms running in the mud. Whenever she took a new step the mud would splash everywhere! She couldn’t run anymore she fell to the ground. She must have fainted! The orc was not just any orc, it was the same orc that had stolen her baby and killed her baby earlier on, it was ‘Mauwurz ‘.Mauwurz walked closer and looked at the two bodies laying on the ground…..
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
Mauwurz
03-30-2003, 01:57 AM
"snaga you useless runt,get over here"Mauwurz yelled looking down at the two bodies.
"What do you want?"grumbled the scrawny slave.
"Run back and tell Pirk that we have twotarks here"Mauwurz commanded
With that the scrawny,little,underfed Orc ran off back to the town where the other Orcs were looting it of all it's possesions
Mauwurz picked up the larger female and threw her over his shoulder,he pciked up the smaller one and placed her under his arm.
With that Mauwurz set of at a galloping run,stoppin occasionaly to adjust the captives position so as to not make it uncomfortable.
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Niluial
03-30-2003, 02:19 AM
Georielas eyes opened. She heard the horses feet hit the ground as it galloped away. Her head was resting on a mans shoulder. She thought she had woken up from the nightmare but then she saw who it was. It was Maurwurz, her heart stopped and she wanted to hit him over the head or stab him with her knife in her pocket, she wanted to kill him!
She saw her little girl sitting comfortably in front of him. She could see this orc did have a nice caring side to him but still he had no heart, he killed a little innocent baby, not just any baby but her baby! She wanted to jump of the horse but she knew she couldn’t escape this mans powerful hands so she had to stay for her and her daughters sake. She was going to ask Maurwurz ‘Where are you taking me’, but she didn’t, she was to scared of the truth, she didn’t want to know what pain her daughter and her were going to have to endure!
She was scared, but luckily she could see her daughter was calm and relaxed, and that made her feel better. So she closed her eyes and went to sleep again, hoping she would never wake up again and find out where he had taken them and what reality she was going to have to face!
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Lyra Greenleaf
03-30-2003, 10:35 AM
"Hush little baby-" Lara stopped midsong and turned to her husband with a worried frown. Somehow it seemed out of place on a face designed for smiles and laughter.
"Ered, I'm sure there's something wrong with Laila" she said, rocking back on her heels.
Her husband turned from his place at the window and gave a distracted smile to his wife.
"You're always sure there's something wrong with the baby. I don't know where my jolly wife went"
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. With a sigh she leant against him. Now that her back was facing him Ered's smile was replaced by a frown, but there was still a forced calmness to his tone.
"She is fine. She is always fine. We're fine." He sighed. "We are fine" he repeated, but there was a lack of certainty in his voice.
Appeased, Lara began to sing again and Ered returned to his post at the window. He had felt something for a while now, something bad. He shook himself, mentally asking why a grown man with responsibilities should pay heed to silly feelings, but nonetheless he had not gone to his farm today and had discouraged Lara from attending the market.
Lara herself felt no such worry. Ered had assured her Laila was fine and she trusted his judgement completely. And he had always been right on the subject before! Dangerous fevers had turned out to be teething, and deadly poisons merely a touch of colic. She knew she worried overmuch but it was her first child and she did not know exactly what she was doing. She wished sometimes that she had stayed near to her mother, but Ered's future was hers, and she had known that since the day they met. Also it was good to be seeing a little more of the world than if she had stayed in Hamere, even if this village was practically the same. Ered had promised to one day take her to the city. Minas Tirith! she now thought excitedly. One day-
A loud noise from the village startled both of them. Lara grabbed the baby and Ered's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. Laila began to scream at being woken so suddenly. Her screams were joined by similar sounds from the village. Colour drained from Lara's face.
"Ered, what-" she began in a shaking voice.
"Stay here Lara, quiet Laila and don't make a sound" There was a studied calmness in Ered's voice, belied by the terror in his eyes. He kissed Laila, then Lara's head.
"I love you both."
He swiftly left the room, brown cloak swirling around his legs. Lara followed him to the door.
"Ered-" she began again, and he turned on the stairs.
"Lara stay there, stay silent" he said desperately. "Please"
Mutely Lara turned and re-entered the bedroom. She began to hush Laial and soon the baby's screams became gulps. Then there was a crash at the front door. Lara screamed along with her child.
Ered stood at the foor of the stairs, undecided about going out to see what was happening or staying with his family. Before he had a chance to make a decision the door flew off it's hinges with a curved blade appearing through the gaps. Ered swayed on his feet.
Why is this happening to us? he wondered fleetingly, before a huge ugly faced followed the sword. It gave a grin to the man, making it's face seem even worse than before. Eru help me! thought Ered and brought up his sword. Screams from upstairs and outside the door rent the air. Ered lunged, getting a smaller creature who had wriggled through the doorway straight in the throat. It fell, but another approached from the right. Ered turned and swang the sword, hitting its arm. It fell back with a muffled curse, black blood covering Lara's clean room. A wave of dull pain hit Ered from the back. He fell to the floor panting. His eyes began to close, but he struggled. Lara! he thought desperately. Laila!
Once again his eyelids drooped, and this time they did not open.
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Lyra Greenleaf ]
Lutfiska
03-30-2003, 01:06 PM
Globhűr was standing by the other orcs looking at Pirk and Groshan as they were walking away. As Groshan was the biggoer of the two they made quite a funny couple walking besides each other
He was wondering why such a good leader as Pirk had chosen Groshan as his second in command. He thought that Groshan wanted to take over the lead from the leader he worshipped so much. But Pirk did as he wanted. Beginning questioning Pirk would be suicide as he was protected by the Nasgűls. But Globhűr had no intention of doing so. Pirk was a good leader and Globhűr wouldn´t question any of his orders.
He now realized that all the other orcs were looting the village so he went off into the closest house that wasn´t totally burned down. He dragged out a corpse he found and started to gnaw on it.
tangerine
03-30-2003, 01:51 PM
Culedhel made his was stealthily through the grove of trees once Fededhor had dismissed them, moving sillently towards the road that lead to the settlement. He had not known Fededhor long, but he knew that he had close kin living in this village, which explained his somber mood while addressing the men.
He stopped at the point where the trees ended, and the road began, and immediately knew something was very wrong in this place. The Moon was a full one this night, and yet what seemd to be a shifting screen of smoke fought to obscure its light from where he crouched. His eyes were drawn down to where the village was supposed to be, but all he could see from his position was a few smoldering bushes, and what may once have been a house, but was now a smoking ruin.
Culedhel heard a noise, and quickly moved back into the shadows. A gutteral, snarling voice reached his ears, the words unintelligible. A large shadow at the top of the bank of the other side of the road a hundred feet away caught his eye. The voice had been that of an orc, Culedhel would have wagered his sword on that fact. Just a few dozen feet down the road from his position lay a young man, face-down in the mud. Culedhel was unable to detect any signs of life from him.
Rising to his feet, Culdehel began moving slowly back into the grove. Though his hands were itching for his bow, his presence here was only to investigate, and he had seen enough. Best be back before the wind changed and that foul creature caught his scent.
Meoshi
03-30-2003, 02:00 PM
Morachion set the human down in one of the less-ruined streets, then turned and went back for the other. He could see the hills full of orcs pursuing the fleeing humans mercilessly.
Foremost, however, he noticed the one called 'Mauwurz' stabbing a small human lying on the ground. He knew that Mauwurz loved harming defenseless things; Mauwurz had stabbed many of his people's eggs on the raid in which Morachion had been captured. Someday, he thought, all that that orc has done will come crashing down on him. He knew that he was only one of many that desired to bring that about.
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Meoshi ]
The Ruling Ring
03-30-2003, 03:02 PM
"Pirk! Pirk!"
Pirk halted in his tracks, groaning slightly as he turned to face the little messenger orc.
"Mauwurz," the orc panted, "Mauwurz has two--tarks with him. Live ones."
"Does he wish to boast?" Pirk said miserably, looking over Snaga's shoulder at the leaping flames and flitting figures.
"I believe he wishes to share them, Pirk sir," Snaga continued. "Where do you want prisoners?"
Pirk's head snapped violently to, glaring down at Snaga, then looking desparately at Groshan.
Prisoners... He hadn't thought of holding any humans prisoner, despite how hard it seemed to make these humans fall. He looked back at Snaga.
"Just--" he faltered. "Just--tell Mauwurz to bring them here."
----------------------------
Fededhor frowned, holding his head as if ill, making his way away from the meeting place. He was exhausted, and he knew he would need all strength starting tomorrow, for that was when they would be leaving. All staying details, such as food and supplies, he had organized before the meeting had even been arranged. He wanted to leave nothing to be done but for the men to agree to come, or not.
Suddenly, he heard a frantic scurrying noise, and fell back on the ground as a body collided with him. He gave a startled yelp, reaching for his sword, but then hearing the other one do the same. He sat up.
"Culedhel?" he mumbled, squinting at him through the darkness. "What are you doing here now? What's wrong?" he could tell the man was quite out of breath, and a bit frightened.
Phervasaion
03-30-2003, 03:21 PM
After the meeting had finnished Pherdur departed and made his way too his cabin. Later he went out for a walk and was thinking what could have happened to the city that they had no conntact with in a long time.
"It couldnt have just dissapeared," he said to himself in a whisper. He was hoping that no one had been hurt as he new some people that lived there and some were old relatives of his. Suddenly his thoughts were broken from a yelp that came from not far behind him.
Pherdur began to walk swiftly up to the path from where he came from. He ran round the corner to find Fededhor and Culedhel standing there, and Cudedhel seemed exhausted from something.
"Whats happened?" Asked Pherdur hoping somthing bad had not took place .
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Phervasaion ]
Barodir
03-30-2003, 04:48 PM
"Let's go, old man!" an Orc shouted at him. He was shoved and fell to the ground. He landed in the mud and dropped his walking stick some distance from himself. He found himself crawling for it only for it to be placed under an Orc's foot. "You want this old man? Here, you can have it...after you pry it from under my foot!" The Orcs laughed at him as he began to dispair...
Garodin had no clue how this came to be. It had been a pleasant day out, and he was out chopping wood at the slow pace that age had set for him. Even after sixty years in this world, he found it necessary to do work. His old military habits would not leave him, even if he was crippled by time.
He had just finished chopping the wood when he heard it: screams of pain and terror. "Surely this is a joke that my head is playing on me!" he said. But it was not, as he saw a house burst into flames.
Then they came: the Orcs. The soldiers of pain and fear in Middle Earth. He had fought them before in his younger years, but would not be able to win now. He threatened the Orcs with his hatchet, only to have it knocked away. He could do nothing but struggle helplessly as the Orcs dragged him and the other townspeople that had survived out of the city...
"...Come on, old man! You can do it!" the Orcs shouted at him as he struggled to grab the stick, always being shoved away. He looked around for anything to help him. Anything at all, whether it be a stick or a blade.
He then realized that he had his two knives on him. He slowly drew one out. "So, you think that since I'm old, I cannot fight?! Well take this!" he shouted as he slashed at the Orcs calf, successfully cutting it. "ARGH!" the Orc exclaimed. He success grabbed his stick and hit the Orc over the head with it. "Foul beast!" he shouted as he attacked the Orc. Others came, though, and broke the fight up. One hit Garodin over the head, and he blacked out...
------------------------------------------
Barodir stood at the edge of the establshment. He looked around the city that had been ravaged some time before by the Orcs. "Such senseless destruction. Have these beasts no hearts?!" he asked in vain.
He had gone ahead of the rest of the soldiers to scout out the area. He could almost still hear the screams of the people as they were either killed, taken away, or worse, saw their loved one's slaughtered. This was not the first place that the Orcs had ever destroyed. It was their way of life, in a manner of thought. Thier sole purpose in life seemed to only instill fear in the hearts of their enemies.
All these thoughts ran through Barodir's head. He couldn't bear thinking of how many people were killed. Men. Women. Even children. It was almost as if there was a mass extinction of all ages of life.
And the Orcs wouldn't be stopping here. They'd continue to attack and kill. Beat and murder. Destroy at any cost.
"For too long, this hate has gone on! The Orc's will be punished for their misdoings! I'll stop them, even if I have to take them on by myself! Even it claims my life..."
He thought about this. If he was killed, what would protect his own family? They were in a town cose to here, and they could be next, if the Orcs aren't stopped. "I won't let that happen!..."
Barodir turned around and headed back to meet Fededhor. "Sureley, he'll want to see this" he thought. He took off into the wood-laid path, hoping to make it in time to stop the Orcs reign of terror...
[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Barodir ]
tangerine
03-30-2003, 05:44 PM
Culedhel composed himself before speaking. He had been calm enough upon witnessing the atrocity that the town had become, but had bolted back to this place in a panicky sense of urgency as soon as he was a few steps back into the grove.
"The place is burning," He told Fededhor, and Pherdur. "Orcs patrol the roads, has gotten in or out alive, as far as I can see. Houses near the borders are in ruins. However," he added quickly as he saw Fededhor's face fall, "I only got a good look at the state of the border patrol there. There may very well be people still alive in that place."
Meoshi
03-30-2003, 06:17 PM
Morachion had reached the woods where his other victim has bound. Suddenly, the spider heard rapid footsteps coming up the path. He quickly climbed a tree. Looking down, he could see that it was indeed a human, armored and carrying a blade. Likely a scout, he thought. The human was almost under him now. Now was his chance.
Morachion sprang from the branch. Barodir heard the twigs cracking, and looked up just in time to see the spider falling toward him...
[ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: Meoshi ]
Mauwurz
03-30-2003, 11:40 PM
Mauwurz checks his steed to a halt and looks into the horizon,he thought he could see a black speck running towards him.After a few seconds he could faintly see a small Orc,crouched over running as fast as he could.
"What orders do you have"Mauwurz asked,looking down upon the Orc from his horse.
"The orders are as follows,you must bring the prisoners to Pirk now and you will be rewarded"The scrawny Orc said panting,he had obviously ran all the way to the town and back again without rest.
Mauwurz threw a small bag with a few coins of little worth to the slave.The slave looked at him and then grinned.
"None of the others reward their slavers"He said pawing through his bag
"You should consider yourself lucky that I was felling in a good mood,before you leave to dow hatever it is you do where am I supposed to meet Pirk?"Mauwurz asked
"Just meet him outside the town"the snaga said running away
The smoke rose from the town in the distance,he could see that the Orcs were busy destroying the buildings and taunting the captives.He kicked his horse in the ribs and galloped of towards the city.
[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Niluial
03-31-2003, 01:54 AM
Georeliela woke up when she heard the discussion between Pirk. Her heart was racing, she was sad but happy! They weren’t going to kill her and Emilia they were going to take them prisoner which would give her an opportunity to escape, in other words live a decent life again!
She wondered where she was going to be kept. And she wondered what food would they feed them. Will they look after her? She lifted her head from Mauwurz’s shoulder. He turned his head and looked at her. He smiled, but this was no ordinary smile it was an evil smile, then he took his hand and put it through Emilia’s hair trying to make sure she was still calm and comfortable! Georeliela wanted to shout “Take your grubby hands of her” but she didn’t! He turned back his head and said “I’m taking you to him! I don’t know what he is going to do with you! He will probably keep you in a camp with the rest of the prisoners!” There was silence but Maurwuz broke it “We are almost there, about ten minutes!” and he never said another word until they were at the gates……
[ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
The Ruling Ring
04-01-2003, 12:42 PM
Fededhor felt the dread hit him like a wave of water. It was true...
He had, of course, suspected that something horrible had happened to the people of the settlement, but he had always kept the faint hope foremost in his mind that there was merely a small glitch in communication, nothing more. But now, he knew. It was definitely true. He looked back at Culedhel and Pherdur.
"We must move," he said. "We must round up the other men. I had hoped to stay until morning, but it is obvious that these people need our help."
----------------------
"Ah, and here you are," Pirk grunted, seeing Mauwurz bouncing along on his horse, encumbered by two indistinguishable objects. As he came closer, he saw that they were people.
Pirk pulled the woman off of Mauwurz back, casting her onto the ground, in the mud.
"Well now," he said. "This scrawny tark would barely make a snack, would it?" he eyed the other human, who seemed littler. "What's that?" his gaze settled on Mauwurz.
Aerandir Carnesir
04-01-2003, 12:55 PM
As the soldiers were leaving, Alkladion ran up. "Wait up for me," he said, "I thought I was lost when everyone was not to be seen, and all I could hear was the screaming of innocent people. I found some bodies laying back in that clearing." He pointed to a small glade which was shaded with a mysterious, dark mist. He said,"There are a few bodies back there. They looked as if they have been sucked clean empty. I think that there are more than just orcs in this gang of mauraders."
The soldiers trudged on, keeping sight on eachothers backs, and looking up into the forest canopy; Hoping that no foul creature would come down on top of them. They were not alone.
GaladrieloftheOlden
04-01-2003, 03:59 PM
Herlion groaned and pulled awake, thinking for a moment that perhaps he was sick. He opened his eyes, and closed them. Opened them again. Nothing changed. The scene was the same. Then it came back to him....
* * *
He had been at the edge of the woods when he had heard a trampling sound in the woods. Having not known what it was by sound, and deciding it was some sort of wild bear, he yelled to a friends and ran back to his house to get something to defend himself with. His wife, Iavas, met him at the door with their children clinging to her hands. He hurriedly told her what had happened, and was about to run out again. Suddenly he heard screams and saw the hideous face framed in the window.....he had fought valiantly, and felled 2 or 3 of the creatures, but then one managed to grab Iavas from behind him. He went crazy , hacking at any limbs within reah. Finally, he had heard something move behind him, and looked behind him. He froze, seeing the blunt end of an axe coming down towards him, and he went down into a peaceful darkness. He had a vague memory of something hitting him, hard, multiple times, but nothing more.
* * *
Suddenly he remembered: where was his wife? But he had no more srength to raise his head, and his wounds were paining him. Wounds? He didn't remember getting wounded...but then, he decided, he coudn't remember much just then. He lost consiousness again, not aware even of where he was.
[ April 01, 2003: Message edited by: GaladrieloftheOlden ]
[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Arvedui III
04-01-2003, 05:04 PM
Grumish stared. Pirk was pacing up and down, trying to stop the smaller orcs from eating the prisoners. He wanted to eat too, but they were waiting for Mauwurz. Mauwurz. He didn't much like him. He was too arrogant a thing, and Grumish at that moment would of loved to take his flesh. This wasn't the highway though. He couldn't just kill someone becuase they were arrogant. Grumish missed the old ways dearly. Pirk was the only thing keeping him in line, keeping them all in line. His subordenet couldn't hold things up, he had no patinece. Well, neither did Grumish, but other orcs knew not to try him. Groshan was another matter.
A great howl came up the road. Mauwurz. Some of the human childern cried. Oh, how he longed to get at thier flesh! Pirk had Mauwurz put them down, and he talked to one of Mauwurz's little orcs and motioned them over. "I think it's best to wait for orders." he said. "Tell them we took prisoners, they should like that, and tell them we await commands." "The longer we wait, the more time the city has to react, I say we eat them now!" Said Groshan. "I agree, but if we are to stay, then best set up some defences." Grumish added, anoyed that he didn't agree with Pirk for once. "They'll think were too parinoid. No. We'll stay in the center of town, guard these tarks untill we get orders." "That may take weeks." said Mauwurz. "and the city wont ignore this area for long." "No more arguing! We stay." said Pirk, but they all knew that he didn't really have a baring on what to do anyway. Grumish was severly anoyed at the descition. He stared down at his commander.
This always made him feel beter, staring down at Pirk...
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
04-01-2003, 10:17 PM
Farien stared up at each captive that was brought close to her. She scanned each face for a glimpse of Eregiâth, her husband.
Arrin had fallen asleep on her lap, completely exhausted. Her little pink mouth hung open at the corner, and her white face was muddy. Telmir sat beside his mother sturdily. He was a serious boy, old enough to know not to move or make a sound. She was proud of him, acting so grown up. Serra however, didn't understand what was going on. She whimpered constantly under her breath and her big brown eyes trickled a stream of tears. Farien wiped her nose on a corner of her skirt.
"Where's Daddy?" she asked with a little hiccup. Farien smoothed her hair back with the hand that wasn't holding Arrin. "I don't know, love, Daddy's coming in a while." she whispered, more to keep Serra quiet than because she belived it. But she continued to scan the faces of the men who were brought near.
As she watched another man's form began to materialize out of the fog in front of her. He looked familiar. It was... "Eregiâth!" she whispered to him.
"Farien!" he replied, kissing the top of her head. "Are they alright?" he asked, motioning to the children. "Are you alright?"
"We're all fine." Farien answered, but was cut off by Serra's soft voice, "Daddy's bleeding!"
"Daddy's fine." Eregiâth insisted, as he scooped up the wriggling girl and sat in her place beside Farien. "We have to get out of here," he whispered in her ear.
Sadbh
04-02-2003, 12:31 AM
Iavas had never lost full conciousness. Her vision had blurred somewhat when she'd been slapped in the head, yet she was able to remain perseptive. Her two year old, Aglarel she carried on her hip, and her four month old Thoronhen was strapped to her back. She had been shoved to the muddy ground in the center of the settlement, sitting roughly in the wet road. With her free hand, she stroked Aglarel's damp black curls, reliving the recent memories.
.............
The short handled broom was sooty and dirty in her hand. She had bent at the hearth, raking the damp ashes from the after noon's drizzle to make way for new logs. Aglarel stood sleepily at her side, hand clutching her dress. Thoronhen was sleeping in his cradle board on her back.
Standing slowly, so as not the disturb Aglarel for the moment, the woman placed the broom against the wall and bent to retrieve her toddler from the folds of her skirt. He sighed and smiled up sleepily at her.
Just as her oldest seemed to drift off, Herlion burst into the house. Aglarel was wide awake. "Herlion, he just-" But her husband caught her off softly.
"There's a bear in the woods. I'll be right back." But Iavas was not listening. A great, scarred face was in the window frame, and it was twisted into a a scowl. A disgusting uttering came from its throat. Herlion reacted immediately to his wife's white-faced silence and turned quickly.
With an instant and swift movement, Herlion had drawn his sword and and set upon the creature, hacking wih his blade. The woman tried to draw herself back from the doorway, yet was unable.
In the blink of an eye, gruesome arms were wrapped around her side. Unbidden, she screamed, and Herlion rushed to her defense, cutting away at the scuttering orc. It screached and drew its claw over her lip and lower face. Aglarel was screaming.
With the butt of his crude axe raised high, a orc lumbered towards Herlion and brang it smacking down on the man's skull. Unable to call, for the orc gripped at her throat with scabby ahnds, she was forced into the dreary road, where screams and the smell of burning skin overwhelmed her.
Lyra Greenleaf
04-02-2003, 11:29 AM
Desperately Lara crawled under the bed, trying to calm Laila. The baby refused to be quiet, and Lara could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Please she whispered save us!
She didn't know who she was talking to, but it made her feel slightly better. The sound of footsteps was closer now, and a smell entered the room. It was a smell of blood, death, fear and everything disgusting.
Please! she prayed silently. Please!
But it was no use. There came a tug on her leg, and she was hauled backwards from under the bed. Both her and the baby were screaming, but the sight of the hideous creature was enough to shut them up. The creature put her over his shoulder, groaning at the weight. It was all Lara could do to avoid squashing Laila herself. As they went down the stairs the creature put her down, then snatched Laila with a leering grin, and handed the baby to a smaller creature.
Orc. The word tugged at the back of Lara's mind, a name from tales and nightmares. But this was all too real.
As the creature carried her out through the door, over it's shoulder she saw a body, crumpled by the stairs.
"Ered!" she screamed "Ered! No! Ered!"
From a combination of fear and sadness she vomited down the back of the orc. It was the last thing she remembered before she passed out.
[ April 02, 2003: Message edited by: Lyra Greenleaf ]
Niluial
04-02-2003, 12:03 PM
Georeliela stood in the muddy ground miserable, exhausted, filthy and sad. She was normally the kind of woman who spent hours in front of the mirror making sure her makeup looked good and that her hair was neat and well groomed. I would say in other words she was a perfectionist! Now look at her standing in the mud with dirty feet, her hair was dirty and no longer looked blonde but looked more ash blonde. She had no smile on her face her beautiful lips were straight and she was fed up.
She heard Pirk and the other orcs fighting about whether they were going to eat them or not. She wasn’t scared but she was angry and filled with hate towards Pirk, Muarwurz and all those hideous orcs. As they were fighting over Emilia and her she felt like an object, no longer a live thing but something that belonged to someone! She would not let them touch Emilia or her. She knew she would, make it out of this mess, alive and healthy, that’s what her husband would have wanted! She needed to be strong.
Pirk looked at her and Emilia with a smile on his face. He touched Georeliela but she bit him. He was angry, his face was red and he was in pain. “Dog she is! Dog! Just take her away, put her in a cage where all dogs belong!” he screamed! So they dragged Emilia and Georeliela away, but she looked at Muarwurz. He looked at her with a evil glare and shouted “stop”, Pirk looked at him. “As juicy as they look we need to do something ells with them instead of eating them until the final decision is made! We should take all prisoners to a camp where we hold them captive. We will feed them not much though and give them a blanket and a floor to sleep on!” Muarwurz said, Pirk looked at him with an angry face but he could maybe think about this idea so he stood there with a face that showed he was deep in thought * it could be fun, we could feed them very little, make them suffer, hurt them and show everyone that they must beware of us * Pirk thought in his Evil mind.
[ April 02, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Malcu Luinthol
04-04-2003, 03:40 PM
Unglusch had had it with scout duty. The best part of the day had passed and no-one had arrived to replace him. He spat on the groung and made a whistling noise to summon Grulfang. His mount soon arrived and he began to ride towards the area of the city.
He decided to attempt the shorter way, a perilous path with ledges on small cliff faces. He would risk the fall towards the river. It was only water...
By the time he had passed through he was regretting his decision, he was scratched and bleeding after his passage through the thick bracken after the cliff pass, and Grulfang had injured his ankle. It would have to wait, as the package he carried was likely to be of worth for Pirk. He struggled on, leaving Grulfang to slowly follow. He broke into a run and soon arrived in front of Pirk. With a grunt he explained what had happened earlier. Pirk tore open the package, revealing its contents...
[ April 04, 2003: Message edited by: Malcu Luinthol ]
Barodir
04-04-2003, 06:15 PM
"What the?!-" Barodir asked in vain as the spider fell on him, it's fangs out and ready. Barodir pushed it off before any damage could be done, though.
The spider was huge, by far the largest that he had ever seen. It's fangs were bloodstained, likely from past victims of sneak attacks. They died in vain, no doubt...
"I will not fall victim to your unjust tactics, beast!" he shouted at the spider. "Mark my words, my blade shll be the death of you!"
With that, he drew his blade and charged the spider at full force. He went to stab, but only nicked the spider's leg, slightly crippling it. The spider, now furious at his wound, threw one of it's mighty legs into Barodir, knocking him down and his blade away. As he clawled for it, the spider lunged and pinned him down.
The spider sunk his fangs into Barodir's arm, making him scream in torment. He pushed the arachnid off, dashing for his blade thereafter. But, to his dismay, all became blurry and black as he collapse from the venom...
Donlammenion
04-05-2003, 01:48 AM
The first in thoughts donlamir's head were of the small town being obliterated, but in the depths of his soul he dammed his thoughts.
He retired to his chamber before the group were to leave picking his sword and his father’s helm, albeit this was just a scout mission he wasn't taking any chances and the first sign of a orc would mean a little more revenge.
A little way inside the woods he caught up with the rest of the group and proceeded to the town. The air could have been cut with a knife as all of them knew that their mission had a new purpose they now knew that a band of orcs had attacked the town.
The reality of the mission had grown some as Fededhor had some family in the town. Whilst marching in the woods three things rung through donlamir's head about this mission and he repeated them over and over, the silence, the importance and the wait the last the one he hated the most.
[ April 08, 2003: Message edited by: Donlammenion ]
ArwenBaggins
04-05-2003, 09:46 AM
Eregiâth sat with his eyes closed up against the hard stone wall. He held his wife's hand, held Arrin in his lap, patted his son's back, and tried to calm Serra.
"Farien, we have to get out of here. I have heard that seven have been killed already. I think that Orc that let me come over to you was going to kill me," Farien gasped, but Eregiâth quieted her.
He continued, "They are going to take some slaves, torture, and kill. All of the entrance ways are blocked and gaurded."
Farien looked to him and replied, "You can fight them!"
Eregiâth shook his head. "They took my sword. I see it, over there. It is at the very top of that pile," A sly grin came over his face. "Tonight, we escape."
[ April 06, 2003: Message edited by: ArwenBaggins ]
Meoshi
04-05-2003, 03:28 PM
Morachion crashed into the stunned human. This was easy hunting, he thought, and reached his fangs down to bite. Suddenly, he was thrown off, and sprawled on the rocky path. As Morachion regained his footing, Barodir drew his blade. With a cry, he swung his blade full force at the spider. Out of instinct, Morachion put up a front leg to block it- and the end of the leg was cut clean off.
Morachion leaped at the human, lashing him with his uninjured forward leg. The blow knocked Barodir on his back, sending the sword flying. As Barodir reached for his sword, the giant spider bit a deep wound into Barodir's arm. The soldier struggled for a moment, then went limp as the sleeping venom did its work.
Morachion had forgotten about the other human hanging in his web. He would probably wake up and struggle free of the silky bonds, but this was more important.
He looked at the injured leg. It wasn't one used for walking, but carrying. He would have no chance of dragging the stunned soldier back to his master. Morachion cleared his airtubes and made a loud, piercing shriek.
Two of the snaga-orcs came running. They hefted the soldier on their shoulders like a huge pack, and began marching down the hill to the town. Morachion carefully picked up Barodir's sword in his good claw, and followed them.
Phervasaion
04-06-2003, 12:08 PM
After Donlamir had cought up with the company they made their way through the woods silently not speaking to each other a lot. Pherdur was wondering what might have happened to the people in the captured city, weather the orcs may have already eaten them all in their usual evil way, or maybe they were bieng held captive somewhere.
After pondering these thoughts Pherdur started to think what sort if a situation they were walking into with just eight men, and how strong the enemy may be. He finally turned to Culedhel to ask him a question.
"Culedhel, when you were at the captured city eirlier you didnt by any chance know how many in numbers the enemy were or how strong they were did you?"
Pherdur then turned to Fededhor and said "If the numbers of the enemy are srong then i will vollunteer to go back to Minas Tirith and get reinforcements to help us drive the orcs out of the city. If you give me permission of course."
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
04-08-2003, 01:09 PM
Farien didn't know she'd slept until she woke up. She and Eregiath had sat up talking, plans to escape flickering through their minds like flames. Eventually, though, they'd decided not to do it yet. The children couldn't run, couldn't hide. It was too dangerous. She'd clutched Arrin's sleeping form till the girl woke up and cried. Farien shushed her before the orcs could come and scold. Eventually she must have fallen asleep, head on Eregiath's shoulder, because that's where she'd woken up, to the harsh prods of an orcs' foot.
"On your feet!" it snarled at them. Holding Arrin, Farien rose slowly. Eregiath was beside her, carrying a still sleeping Serra. Telmir remained huddled on the ground by his father's feet. Farien reached down for his hand and pulled him upright. The boy made to protest, but thought better of it.
It was still dark, but barely, and Farien cold see in the distance that other people were moving, all in one direction, away from the settlement. She caught her breath, Where are they taking us?
The orcs herded her family in the same direction as the rest. Eregiath went first, then Farien, pushing a sleepy Telmir ahead of her. At one point Serra awoke and shreiked at the sight of a sneering orc face right in front of her. The orc snarled and slapped her. Her head snapped back and she was silent except for the sound of sniffling as giant tears dripped down her face.
They came into a clearing in the woods a good distance from the city. The orcs tents were pitched around the central clearing. This must be where they were camped. The orc holding Farien gave her a rough shove into the center of the clearing.
A group of other women were gathered there. Georelelia, Farien recognized immediately, holding her daughter Emilia's hand. Farien's lips tightened. She wasnt fond of Georelelia, the pretty widow with her flirtatious ways. But as she looked harder, she realized that Emilia's younger brother, Tonguir, was missing. Farien caught her breath and held Arrin tighter, touched with pity for Georelelia.
Another woman, young, with her face hidden was weeping silently into a bundle of fabric. The bundle squirmed, it was a baby. The crying mother hushed it, and continued to weep.
Eregiath steered Farien to the other side of the clearing where a woman they both knew was crouched over the bodies of three motionless men. Iavas held Herlion's hand as he lay unconscious, Iavas clutching her two small sons close. An older man and a soldier were also lying on the ground as dead. Farien watched as the Iavas handed her baby to the crying young mother who now held two children in her lap. The older boy clung to Iavas' skirt as she tended to the wounded men.
Farien shivered. Their plans of escape were useless now. Eregiath's sword was with the other weapons still... in the town. She set Arrin down and moved to help the young woman with caring for the children.
[ April 08, 2003: Message edited by: Sophia the Thunder Mistress ]
GaladrieloftheOlden
04-08-2003, 06:35 PM
Evren galloped through the fields, tired but happy to be so close to her goal. She had thought that she may have gotten lost, despite all of the maps and instructions she had taken with her from Rohan on her way to Gondor, but only an hour ago she had at last gotten her first glimpse of Minas Tirith, the White City, glimmering in the sun from far away. She would soon be inside.
* * *
Evren sighed. She had finally gotten past the guards, who simply would not understand that she was only going in to see the City for a bit, and did not mean any harm there. Now she had only to find a place to stay…
* * *
It was two hours later, and a rather disgruntled Evren was looking through yet another side street. She had heard the phrase “no, no places here tonight, sorry” so many times that she had grown to loathe it dearly. Finally, upon seeing the first stars shining up in the sky above her head, she sighed and settled down in a doorway that looked slightly cozier than the rest. She closed her eyes and hoped to fall asleep quickly.
* * *
Through the blanket of her sleep she heard voices, hushed and slightly muffled, as though coming from the other side of a wall. She stirred and wondered what time it was, hoping that it was not too early. Upon opening her eyes, however, she noted that the sun was hardly up, and all respectable people should be in bed just now, dreaming pleasant dreams. But she could not fall asleep again. For lack of something else to do, she strained to hear the muted words of the conversation inside, pressing her ear up against the wall…
* * *
She had heard quite enough by one hour later to know exactly where she was going next, which she hadn’t had a good idea of the day before. The company had already left, but her horse, who she had managed to find a stable for the night before, was swift, and she was confident that she could catch up to them. She rode out of the city, grateful that the guards were not so inquisitive as they had been yesterday, and followed the speck of dust she could just barely see, the one she knew was the group of riders, led by Fededhor.
* * *
She was dead tired, and felt like the village she was looking for would never emerge from the trees. She was still not sure of exactly why she had decided to come after the men, but when she had heard that a whole village had disappeared her adventurous blood had been awakened, and she had determined herself to go, and knew that had she asked, she would not be allowed to. Shieldmaidens were all to rare…
* * *
She was even more weary than before, if this was possible, when a day or two later she cast down her bags at the edge of the forest and tied her horse to a tree, herself darting into the shadows. She didn’t know if the village had just stopped responding or actually been captured, so she thought she had best be careful. She crept in further, looking for a clearing or at least a tree that looked easy to climb. Finally she found one. Climbing steadily up, she reached the highest branch she was comfortable with her weight on, and only then looked around. If she had not been ready for the possibility of a bloody scene, this one would have made her lose her grip on the tree. The village- or what had been the village was a mess of busily rushing orcs and bloody bodies in the streets. A group of captives was being herded out by some especially vicious looking orcs, ignoring their cries and sufferings. Evren jumped out of the tree, her mind a rush with impossibly muddles ideas. She thought for a moment and decided she had only 3 choices: to go back, and to bring reinforcements for the group of soldiers already out there, to find the group already there and join them, or to rush in herself…the moment she thought of it, she knew she could not go back. It wasn’t the type of thing that she could do, or ever would. She could not decide upon anything at all, so she wandered aimlessly through the woods for a while, lost in thought, forgetting for a moment the danger all around her….
* * *
Evren still hadn’t decided, and was still wandering, when suddenly she heard the sound of iron-shod feet on the path behind her. She jumped into the bushes, just managing to supress a loud gasp about to come from her lips, and the ‘ow’ related to the thorns that she had just fallen into. Poking her face out just a bit, she could see the orcs coming towards her, evil joy written upon every face. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, she saw something behind them. A huge…spider. It seemed to be bleeding heavily out of one leg, but able to keep up with the orcs just fine. She did not share the disgust of many women for spiders, but this hugely bloated one made her shiver with revulsion. Suddenly, she realized that the orcs were carrying something…a body of a man. No, not a corpse. It didn’t look like a corpse, but seemed unconsious. She filled with a rage as she had never felt before. The orcs carried away prisoners, sacked cities, and did many more terrible things, simply because of their own whims, or the whims of their masters. She wanted to jump out, to kill them all, but wasn’t sure that she could. And she could not forget the spider...she understood now that she could not do it, that she would merely fall into the hands of the orcs herself...she had to find the soldiers.
************************************************** ****
Herlion felt that he was lying on cold ground, unable to move. He could hardly feel his own limbs through the pain that seemed to envelop him, not letting him even open his eyes. Finally, with a great effort, his eyelids fluttered up- and again came down. He had only enough time to glimpse the face of Iavas, lined with worry, leaning over him, and the quick expression change it went through when he looked up.
* * *
And again, falling, falling...he heard, as if from a distance, the voice of Iavas, saying something to somebody else next to her, and felt a child’s hand on his face before the ground dropped from under him and the darkness began to swirl, wrapping him like a blanket, and he was asleep. Dark dreams…nightmares, even. Nothing mattered.
[ April 09, 2003: Message edited by: GaladrieloftheOlden ]
Meoshi
04-09-2003, 08:11 PM
One of the orcs gave a yell as he reached the crest of the hill. Morachion scrambled up to find out what the orc had seen. The valley had been aswarm with orcs, but the orcs were gone. Morachion panicked for a moment. They had gone and left him behind!
Something caught his eye. Off in the distance, there was a small column of Orcs, marching east. There was a group of about the same size behind, some tied, some in makeshift chains. They were ragged and miserable-looking.
Morachion waved the two orcs carrying Barodir on ahead. He scuttled after them. Being free of the dense vegetation, he had time to look at his wounded front arm. It wasn't bleeding as badly as before, but green fluid was still surrounding the spot where the end of his arm was. A new claw would grow someday, but his arm would be abnormally short for the rest of his life. He tried to put this out of his mind, and walked on.
[ April 09, 2003: Message edited by: Meoshi ]
ArwenBaggins
04-10-2003, 07:44 AM
Save
The Ruling Ring
04-11-2003, 10:28 AM
Fededhor halted, listening to the mens' words without turning around. He turned with Pherdur's question.
"It would be a perilous road," he said to the soldier. "Already, we have seen that their numbers are not trivial, but if they are great, they may have been able to afford to position some back along this road. Anyone who goes back down it alone would be in the greatest of danger."
Fededhor looked around at the others with them. There weren't many with them, but Donlamir and Pherdur's comments held water, and if Pherdur meant to go back if needs be necessary--and it looked like it was, and he did-- then, it would probably be better to send a few.
"If you go, you cannot go alone," Fededhor said. "You must take some of us back with."
------------------------------
Pirk looked with eyes narrow in consideration at Mauwurz. This could be well for them. They had already bungled so much of the job, perhaps instilling fear in the men of Minas Tirith was the best thing to be done.
"Alright," he said, then added begrudgingly, "good idea. Put them away. Make some cages, if there is not enough rope. Use the beams from these wretched houses."
Just then, Pirk saw another orcish figure running towards him. He stopped just before Pirk, flinging a sullied bag down at his feet.
Pirk dropped to a squat, Unglusch's rumbling voice sounding above his head as he tore at the fabric of the bag. Inside it were some provisions, some medicine, and a crinkly piece of parchment.
Pirk frowned, squinting at the parchment, half-soaked from being flung in a mud puddle while still in the bag. He knew very little of man-scrawlings, but he could pick out a few words. He'd have to ask his second in command to translate it in full later, but privately, without all of his own lackeys there to jeer at him for his stupidity. Besides, he pretty well understood what it said from what he could pick out.
"They were worried," Pirk straighened up, looking with delight on Unglusch. He turned back to those other orcs that were within range. "They were worried! Those poor little tarks are worried for their kind. They sent food and rubbish, but this," he waved the note in the air excitedly, "saying that they send soldiers. More men are coming! More manflesh!"
There was a brief pause as his men considered this, then a resounding cheer of jubilation at the prospective bloodshed went up, to shake the tops of the trees.
[ April 12, 2003: Message edited by: The Ruling Ring ]
Lyra Greenleaf
04-11-2003, 11:46 AM
Lara woke to find her head felt as if it was held by red hot pincers. Opening her eyes for a moment she realised
It was not a good idea and snapped them shut. The light stung her eyes.
“Ered” she groaned sleepily “I have such a-”
She paused, registering the cold stone under her back.
“Ered?” she asked, eyes still tight shut. Suddenly an image flashed into her head. Blood…Ered! Struggling to sit upright she gazed around in terror.
Laila she thought with a chill. Where is she?
Getting up with a barely stifled sob she began to run. As she went she saw faces among the treea. Some she recognised, people she had seen in the market or spoken to a few times. All their faces showed the same emotions she felt. Pain, fear, horror. Lara ignored them.
Ered she thought desperately now Laila is in danger and you are not here to tell me it will all be alright. But will it?
In a heart stopping moment she saw a woman sitting holding "laila!" she called, running over and taking the baby. Laila smiled and grabbed a loose sterand of Lara's hair. Her eyes looked just like Ered's, and Lara choked. She's so innocent she thought and even among these- monsters- she's happy. Now I have to be Papa as well as Mama. And I wasn't even a good Mama!
Suddenly she remembered the woman who had looked after Laila.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" she said to her, from the heart.
Malcu Luinthol
04-12-2003, 01:58 PM
Having delivered his message, Unglusch wandered around the camp awiting further orders. After a few hours, Grulfang made arrived, and he passed the time tending to the Warg's injured foot. As he did this he thought of the news contained in the package. More men arriving may mean death for him and his companions, but then again, he may be able to sieze leadership in the resulting confusion...
As he thought about what he would do, Pirk approached, telling him that he must leave tomorrow to check if there were messages from the Morgul Lord, and to inform him of the prisoners. Terrified as he was of the Nazgul, Unglusch had to accept. He nodded to Pirk and gathered his equipment, he would depart early in the morning, and avoid the sunlight as much as possible.
GaladrieloftheOlden
04-13-2003, 01:17 PM
Oghurn relaxed slightly, breathing in the familiar scents of blood and destruction. They always soothed him, calmed him down when he needed it. He paced along the path, glancing around continuously for a larger orc to take orders from, or an even smaller one to sneer at contempuously. That gave him almost as much pleasure as the sights and smells around him… He sat down beside a tree after slashing at it a few times with his sword and waited for someone to call him. He didn’t wait long.
* * *
He crept through the woods, not far at all from the clearing where the prisoners were. Pirk knew that Oghurn was small, quick, and quiet, and had told him to spy out any suspicious activity of the prisoners, Oghurn being only too happy to obey. Of course there were already guards set about, but they had needed somebody as a scout: a spy, almost, he felt. To see what condition they were in, whether it was good enough for them to try and run away, whether they were trying to make weapons… He was startled out of his thoughts suddenly when he realized that he was only about 15 feet away from the clearing already, and began to walk more stealthily and carefully, watching for any movement. A minute later, he was at the edge of the clearing, peering inwards, head swimming from the light that managed to penetrate the branches and leaves above him. He looked carefully at all of the people within sight. Many men, women, and even small children stood about, with expressions of a varying quantity of despair showing upon them. A women leaned over 3 men, all of whom, Oghurn noted with a certain delight, were unconsious and bleeding heavily. No suspicious activities, it seemed. Oghurn had heard Pirk’s plan for putting them all into cages or other like things. Tie them up, he thought. Serve them right, the nasty tarks.
[ April 13, 2003: Message edited by: GaladrieloftheOlden ]
Niluial
04-13-2003, 01:53 PM
Georeliela glared at Pirk, he just glared back and gave a little snigger. “Well at least you’ll be alive, take them to the cave” he declared. Two Orcs pulled Georeliela and Emilia and put chains on them like dogs. They walked for a long time crossing the streets and roads, with burnt houses and the smell of rotten flesh everywhere. Finally they reached the other side of the city. They stopped for a rest and she looked at the city knowing that this might be the last time she see’s it. She held Emilia tight and kissed her on her soft forehead.
“Come on lets get going” an orc said. They walked for about half an hour more and in the distance Georeliela saw a large boulder covering the entrance to a cave covered in moss and Ivy. The two huge orcs moved the large boulder with all there strength. “And this is where we’ll be keeping ya all” the filthy orc said.
Georeliela kicked and screamed and they pushed her into the cave doorway. She looked up for a second and saw that this was not a small cave that she thought it would be but a huge cave. The entrance was like a huge room. The two orcs pushed the boulder closed and Emiliela squeezed her moms hand and gave a little shriek because the cave was dark with no light in it at all. The one Orc set a large, wooden torch alight and the room was suddenly lightened up. The two Orcs looked at them “This way” the one orc said. She would have run away but there was no point. A small and weak person could never push that huge boulder open. So she followed them holding Emilia by the hand.
She looked at the great room viewing the sides. She couldn’t breath because the air was so moist. She noticed that there were at least about six doorways leading out probably long passages. The orcs walked down one of the passages and she followed. Ten minutes later they were still walking down the never ending passage. Then there came a cross path but they carried on walking straight ahead. They finally came to two huge doors with a huge boulder in front of each of them. The orcs moved the one away leading them into a room.
The room was cold and empty. There were torches standing against the wall. The one orc took one and lit it. “You’ll have to make sure that, that one don’t go out, we wont be back in a while, and oh this is ya resting room. I’m sure well have some more of ya in the morning” he said throwing her two large blankets and handing her the touch. The room was big and about thirty or more could stay in there. The orcs pushed the boulder closed and left them all alone. Emilia looked at her mom “mommy I’m scared” she said. “Everything will be fine” Georeliela said pushing a smile out of her. She set the one blanket on the floor and rolled Emilia in it. She then wrapped herself in the other blanket. She snuggled up to Emilia and they both fell asleep not knowing what awaits them in the day ahead.
[ April 13, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
Phervasaion
04-13-2003, 02:48 PM
Pherdur nodded when Fededhor said this even though he'd prefer to go alone. He knew it was a dangerous road back to the city but he thought it would be better if only himself got captured or killed rather than a few more soldiers along with him. Still he new Fededhor was a wise leader and decided that he would probably know best.
They made their way through the forest quietly until they eventually came to an opening into a wide field. The soldiers knew that here they had to be wary as any orc might see them walking through the wide open space and they had to get back into the wood about a mile away. But it was still to long a time to walk out in the open in case of any spies.
About half way down to the wood Pherdur and the soldiers heard a noise to their right not too far away and they all quickly turned their heads to see what it was. They saw a few black figures moveing away from them so the soldiers quickly dived on the floor expecting they were some orcs. Then Fededhor asked Pherdur too see what was there and Pherdur crept away on his hands and knees silently.
He made his way up a small hill too see what was there, and as he peered over the top he saw orcs talkng rather loudly and moving in the opposite direction to them.
"Five, seven of them at the most," Pherdur said to himself as he looked over at the orcs squinting his eyes. Shortly after he arived back where the other soldiers were still ducking to stay hidden. Pherdur sat next to Fededhor and said "They were orcs but not many of them, five, maybe seven at the most," Pherdur paused for a moment thinking the talking of the orcs were getting nearer and then said "shall we creep around them, or shall we attack them?"
[ April 13, 2003: Message edited by: Phervasaion ]
Meoshi
04-13-2003, 03:34 PM
Morachion ebtered the camp. The orcs' tents were encircling the group of prisoners, who looked even more miserable than before. The orcs guarding the prisoners were giving the humans a look that was very similar to way one would look at a well-cooked dinner.
The small orcs laid Barodir on the ground. Pirk was silent, muttering to himself at this new development. Morachion put Barodir's sword down, relieved to be free of his burden, and scuttled up a tree to rest.
Grumish eyed the Gondorian blade lying on the ground with great interest. He picked it up in both hands and gleefully swung it upwards, slashing a thick tree-branch in two. This was better than any weapon he'd wielded before. He threw aside the greatly inferior swords he had carried before, which were ernestly snatched up by smaller orcs.
[ April 13, 2003: Message edited by: Meoshi ]
Arvedui III
04-13-2003, 04:53 PM
The blade flashed even in the darkness. Grumish had seen many tark blades, but nothing like this. He was awed as he tested the balence, it was perfect. Then, looking at his two scemitars, he cast them aside. "Like it?" said a voice that made him quail. He turned and saw the spider. He didn't like spiders, they were unatural beasts. However, Grumish grined in responce, then snached back his old swords from the hands of the stupid little orcs. "Think those are yours?" he growled at them. "Get back on watch." and the little ones slunked away to the ring of prisoners. Pirk chuckled. "You can have it, if you want." He did. "I'll just hold onto this, then." He said, and turned back to his marvelous new weapon.
This was the best part of it, the pillaging. He wished he could of done more in the city, but no matter. Pirk took him aside, "Look," Pirk wispered, "They'll be looking for them, so" "Who?" "The prisoners, the city will be looking for them. So we've got to make sure that no one finds this place." "Understood." Said Grumish slowly, knowing a command was coming. "So, we need to guard not only the prisoners, but the camp as well." "My job?" "No, Groshan and Mauwarz will do that. I need you in charge of prisoners." Pirk said in final sort of voice.
"Fine, when do I eat them?" Grumish said, annoyed at haveing firstly responsibility, and second to look at tarks all day and not eat. "No eating, just, watch them.Make some cages, tie them up, touture them, have fun. Just, no eating." Grumish nodded, then looked at the sad ring of humans. This was not going to be fun at all. He sighed, and draged some of the smaller orcs away to find wood. But, when Grumish turned back to his new shining blade, everything seemed to equall out.
Sadbh
04-13-2003, 10:07 PM
She was cold as she knelt over her husbands from. He and two others had been dragged o the small clearing in the woods, bleeding and unconcious. Besides Herlion she knew the eldest of them all, the old man called Garodin. The other was a stranger to her. Aglarel still clutched at her skirt, crying miserably, face and small hands dirty.
Thoronhen screamed mournfully, drawing malicious glances from their animalistic captors. Arching over Aglarel's fine-haired head, she wiped her sleeving over the stranger's blood-stained brow. A slight groan brought her attention back to herlion. For a second, his eyes seemed to open. She grasped his hand tighter and for a second she smiled. Then Herlion was plunged into darkness again.
Dragging a free hand across her eyes, she tended to the babe in her lap for a second, giving her and Thoronhen to the little child's mother.
As she heard footsteps behind her she turned, to see Farien, whom she knew well.
"Is there anything I could do to help?" She whispered face lined with concern.
"Not as I see. There's nothing we may do at the moment. I have no medicines, no water, even. Nothing." Iavas sh=ighed in unhappy frustration.
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
04-13-2003, 11:34 PM
Farien nodded at Iavas' words. They had absolutely nothing to use to care for the men. She knelt beside the old man, Garodin, touching his brow. He was warm. Farien bit her lower lip, she was no healer! She thought that warm must be better than cold... she hoped so at least.
The wound on Garodin's head was crusted with blood and his grey hair was matted with it. She couldn't tell how deep it was, and she didn't want to move the man. She cast Iavas a helpless glance, but the woman didn't notice. She was bent over Herlion who was moaning softly and moving around.
Farien cast a quick glance at Eregiath. He was sitting on his heels drawing in the dirt with a stick. Telmir stood beside him watching avidly. Farien smiled, Eregiath knew that Telmir loved tales. Serra and Arrin were close by. Serra was trying to teach Arrin the hand clapping games that the village girls played amongst themselves. Farien shook her head, the children could play here? in this?
Fighting rage, Farien moved to the third injured man. She didn't recognize him, but he was dressed and armoured as a soldier of Minas Tirith. Farien's eyes widened. She searched the man quickly. No weapons. Heaving a sigh she turned to see if she could tell what was wrong with him. His face was pale and his lips were blue. His breath was steady but shallow. Farien could find no wound on him. She tightened her lips.
The Ruling Ring
04-14-2003, 07:27 AM
Fededhor's eyes widened at the news of the orcs. He looked over Pherdur's head for an instant, then back at the man.
"If you think an ambush is possible for us," he said softly. "It's the only way. We want none of them escaping, to go back and tell their men."
"We can," Pherdur said. "There are not many."
"Very well than," Fededhor pursed his lips. "When we've finished, you and two other men must go back to Minas Tirith. Tell them the situation, tell them what you've seen and what's happening--and tell them that we need reinforcements."
Fededhor rose, drawing his sword slowly, looking over the hedges. He could just see the tops of the orcs heads. They were coming this way.
"Come!" he whispered sharply.
-----------------------------------
Pirk frowned, nodded, and walked out of the cave. So, keep the prisoners out of sight for now. But, keep them alive. If men came within sight, he'd bring one out--perhaps that old man, or one of the women--to lure the soldier here.
Once he had a corpse of a soldier from the city, he could contact the Nazgul--he felt a strange burbling in his stomach at this thought--and call for reinforcements. They could leave the dead soldier outside the city's walls, draw all the wretched men out, out of pride--and take them all.
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
04-15-2003, 12:58 AM
Farien rose from tending the wounded men at the sound of the harsh speech of an orc. She looked around frantically for the other captives, counting in her head. All there... except... Georelelia and Emilia. Farien breathed deeply. Were the orcs going to kill them methodically one by one? She looked over to where Arrin and Serra still sat, under Eregiath's watchful eye. They wouldn't take her babies! Farien suddenly became aware that she was gritting her teeth together and glaring at the orc who had spoken.
As she watched the orc took a rope and motioned to the nearest prisoner. It sneered as it tied her, and led her away. It returned again and again, taking another prisoner each time. Throwing Serra over its shoulder... Farien lunged toward it. Eregiath caught her by the wrist. "You can't do anything, love." he whispered into her ear.
When her turn came Farien resisted, throwing herself backward onto the ground, fighting against the rope halter around her neck. The orc simply pulled. Farien felt the skin scraping off her arms as she was dragged along the rough ground. She kicked and tried to slow it down, to no avail. She felt her skirt tear and looked behind as a large piece of the red fabric remained on the ground where she had been. Defeated, she struggled to her feet, and followed the orc.
Approaching a large cave he shoved her past two goblin-guards. She spit at him as he removed the rope harness from her neck. Snarling he moved closer to her. She felt his hot rank breath on her face as he revealed a small dagger. "Do you know what this is, woman?" he asked her in a low voice. She closed her mough firmly and stared at him. "It's a poisoned blade I sometimes use to help tarks like you calm down. It'll put you to sleep real quickly..." The hot breath hissed against her face again. "Or maybe you'd like it better if I used it on your baby? That precious curly haired girl..." Bits of saliva flew out of its mouth as it spoke, splattering across Farien's cheeks. The expression in her eyes changed immediately from defiance to terror. She remained silent, however. The orc must have read the fear in her eyes, because he removed the rope from her neck roughly, and shoved her into the cave, muttering all the time in Black Speech.
Farien fell to her knees panting, just inside the entrance. With one sleeve of her dress she wiped the foul spit of the orc from her face. After being outside, the darkness of the cave baffled her, until she heard Telmir's voice call from her right, "Mamma! We're over here!" She went that way, and gathered her children in her arms, huddled in the dimness.
GaladrieloftheOlden
04-15-2003, 05:24 AM
Herlion was falling down into a deep abyss… going down… faster… faster… he was about to hit the bottom… he woke, with a throb in his head and pain pulsing throughout his body. He opened his eyes, and saw that it was later than the last time he had woken, or perhaps it was a different day. He couldn’t tell, as he had lost all perspective of time. Iavas! Iavas would tell him… Iavas, what day is it? he tried to ask, forgetting that he wasn’t at home, sick in bed, but all that cam out of his mouth was Iavas… and then some sort of incoherent grunt. His eyes swam again as he saw Iavas’ face come slowly into focus, wearing a sudden and rather worried smile. He forced himself to stay awake and try to say something, but suddenly Iavas’ eyes became fixed upon the edge of the clearing, as he could sense, did those of all the people near him. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to a sitting position. He heard the trampleing of heavy feet and forced his eyes in that direction, just in time to see a few hideous faces peering into the clearing, then striding in with emerging armoured bodies, looking around at the suddenly hushed villagers. You. said a large orc, pointing at Georelelia, a woman he knew only slightly, and her daughter, what was it, Emilia? He walked over to the spot where they stood, frozen with fear, slapping them roughly to the ground and looping rope around their necks as the girl struggled and Georelelia struggled. The others watched, petrified. When the woman and girl had been dragged out of the clearing the large orc came back. It snarled at all of them, then spoke in the Common Speech: You’ll all be next. And then… Pirk said I could have my fun with you. The Orc grinned maliciously, threw a punch at random, turned on his heel, and left the clearing. After a moment of startled silence, a growing murmur of conversation started up again, wondering what their fate would be, where Georelelia and Emilia had been taken… Herlion fell back down again, exhausted physically from the strain of holding his weight in a seated position for so long, and mentally from the weight of the orc’s words. Iavas turned towards him again, but he was already unconsious.
* * *
When Herlion next awoke, his eyes met the bright sun and contracted. His head hurt and when he tried to move his arms he found that his hands were tied over the neck of an orc, he himself bouncing along on its back. Where…? he began to ask groggily. The orc grunted. Caves… Suddenyl realizing that he had spoken, the orc turned slightly and cuffed Herlion across the head. His last thought as the darkness took him was Iavas…the children…where…?
[ April 15, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
GaladrieloftheOlden
04-15-2003, 01:13 PM
Evren crept through the woods beside the path, glancing about every time she had to tip-toe onto it to examine this footprint, that ripped strip of cloth. She knew that she was no amazing tracker, but even she could tell the footprints of men from those of orcs, and know approximately how long ago the owners of the footprints had passed. So she knew that she was about an hour behind the soldiers. She quickened her pace. The light still left in the skywas swiftly diminishing, and barely enough to see the footprints by. She knew that when it was really dark, she would have to stop her day’s tracking, because the men might split or take a different path, and she would have to retrace her steps. And she couldn’t forget to avoid the orcs…
* * *
Evren gasped, having run completely out of breath after a long run. She knew she couldn’t run anymore, but she could walk for a bit longer, she thought. She hoped. Because she still hadn’t found the soldiers, and she couldn’t stay on her own for long…
* * *
Evren lay down into a pile of leaves, panting, her day's run certainly over now. She was beginning to drift off into a welcome sleep when she heard, quite close to her, a low man’s voice singing softly. She forced herself out of the leaf-pile, and stumbled, half-asleep, towards the voice. Hiding in some painfully thorny bushes, she peered towards the place where the voice had been coming from. She thought she could just make out a figure against the stars, pacing watchfully about, and others lying on the ground around it, probably asleep. They must be the soldiers! but even this could not grab her attention away from her drowsiness… She looked at the stars rather dreamily, her eyes beginning to go out of focus, drifting towards sleep, when suddenly she heard a slight crunch of branches at her left, and turned- just in time to feel a rough hand grab her by the wrist and yank her, head over heels, out of the bushes, scratching herself badly. As her head hit a rock, the man began to yell orc! but seeing her face started in astonishment. Through the black swirls coming in around her, she saw the men sitting, standing up, all looking at her with a mixture of surprise and distrust. It had never occurred to her that the soldiers may think of her as some sort of orc spy, or be downright hostile. But the faces around her looked anything but welcoming, and, stumbling to her feet abd trying in vain to clear her ringing head whichkept trying to pll her into unconsiousness, Evren suddenly felt very afraid.
[ April 15, 2003: Message edited by: GaladrieloftheOlden ]
Niluial
04-16-2003, 03:54 PM
Georeliela woke. Her body was in pain, she felt like she had been burnt, her skin was rough and she felt like she had broken every bone. She didn’t dare to open her eyes scared to even know what was happening. But she opened them not knowing what exactly was going on and where she was. The reality hit her like a wave hits the rocks.
The orc grabbed her and dragged her into another room "No, let me go please!" she cried while all the other prisoners sat and watched in fear. She didn't know what happened to her precious Emilia. The orc took her into the room next door. The room smelt of blood and flesh. It crossed her mind that it might have been used as a touchier chamber before. The orc took a boiling chain that they must have heated then the orc wiped her with it. It slashed against her skin. She screamed and screamed every time the chain hit her flesh. Her body became numb to it and she stopped crying but took the pain. They threw her to the corner of the room where her daughter awaited her. Emilia sat there screaming and telling them to stop. Georeliela felt calm that they had not done anything to Emilia but she knew the site of her mother being wiped would scar her for life. She sat there comforting her daughter and taking in the pain, trying to look big for her daughter. Herlion was dragged into the room and wiped next. Once Herlion was wiped the next prisoner came and the next soon there were about twenty of the prisoners sitting in the corner crying or whimpering about the pain. A orc grabbed all the children and took them out the room. Georeliela protested and so did the other mothers. All the mothers were caught and slapped hard. Each one of them fell to the ground unconscious.
She sat up still in pain. She looked around and saw prisoners but no children. There was not one child in site. She got up forgetting about all her pain. She searched the room no child, no Emilia her heart stopped. Where are the children?
The Ruling Ring
04-17-2003, 06:00 PM
Fededhor dove through the trees, the rest of the men close behind him.
The orcs looked up with the sound of their hurried steps, their bleary eyes focusing just in time to see the men burst through the trees. Fededhor raised his blade high, bringing it down in a swiping motion, across the necks of two orcs, ending in the arm of another. This one howled, startled, drawing his own blade to retaliate. Pherdur behind him sprang up and in one fell motion, landed the orc's hand on the ground, the blade still clutched in the now-limp fingers. Fededhor glanced at Pherdur gratefully, lunging forward and finishing the orc off.
The skirmish did not last long. The men were all skilled fighters, and the orcs were not many, or cunning. They suffered little more than a few bumps and bruises before they found themselves standing, solitary, the ground covered in blood, the bodies draped about the ground. Fededhor looked up at the men, nodding slowly.
"Good work," he said softly, unable to think of anything better to say. He looked at Pherdur again. "I fear this is where we must part?"
"Not yet," Pherdur said. "We are--weary," he paused, catching his breath. "And it is growing dark. Perhaps it would be better to wait for morning."
Fededhor looked behind him at the growing dusk. The road was getting no safer, definitely. It pained him to think of spending time not trying to reach the prisoners, but once more, Pherdur was correct. It would do none of them any good to burst in, exhausted, on the orcs.
-----------
Fededhor sat up, singing softly to himself. He had volunteered for the first watch, and was trying to distract himself from thoughts of what was going on in the village not far away.
He broke off suddenly, his head turning sharply to the bushes. He had heard something.
"Orc!" he yelled, springing up and rushing at the hedge, plunging his arm into it, and pulling up--a girl. He looked down in amazement.
Phervasaion
04-20-2003, 08:04 AM
Pherdur sprang up to his feet as he heard Fededhor shout, reached for the hilt of his sword and then sprang over the bushes to reach him. To his astonishment it was no orc but it was a woman who liked like she had been traveling for some time.
"Who are you, and what were you doing spying on us?" Fededhor shouted to her. The woman took some time too answer, and Pherdur could tell that she was afraid of the soldiers by the look in her eyes.
"I wasn't spying on you" She said with a look of fear in her eyes. "My name is Evren, and I have come to tell you that the village, that the orcs have taken over, they are holding people prisoner there and you must do your best to rescue them. It looked looked they were going to take them somewhere else,” she paused for a few seconds and them said “Please you must believe me.”
Pherdur and Fededhor left her for a minute while the other men watched her. “Do you think we can trust her, she did seem fearful of us but what if she is telling the truth?” Whispered Pherdur.
“We have no choice but to believe her. But we will keep an eye on her in case she is not leading us into a trap,” Fededhor replied.
Pherdur then sighed and said “I think that now would be an extremely good time for me to start making my way back to Minas Tirith, in case anything bad happens,” Fededhor agreed and they both bid each other farewell as Pherdur went to collect his belongings.
The Ruling Ring
04-24-2003, 05:31 PM
Fededhor looked back at the Pherdur for an instant as he walked away, then looked back at the girl. He took her shoulder lightly.
"Listen," he said, "we have much trouble already, and we don't need some maid of orcs coming along and fouling the waters already fouled by those monsters. I believe that I should believe you. And so, I do. But if I find that you are lying," he paused, mostly for dramatic emphasis, and his mind flitted to an image of his brother and his sister-in-law, their children clutched close, in a den of filth, as orcs pitched rocks at them, "you will be returned to your head of station, and he will surely be told that you have failed him."
He released her shoulder, turning back to the men.
"It's alright," he said, feeling like he was stating the obvious. "She is no threat. Pherdur is leaving now, though," he furrowed his brow, looking about and around him. "He needs two more to go with him. Who else shall I be unfortunate enough to lose?"
----------------------------
Pirk gritted his teeth, leaning against the wall of the cave, looking out of it at the trees that surrounded its clearing.
He sharpened one blade with another, sporadically chipping off bits of the corners of his fingernails. Pirk liked cutting his nails with his knife, but he tried not to cut them too short or blunt--sharp nails were very useful.
He straightened up, looking back into the darkness behind him. He saw, far inside the cave, a human woman, kneeling over the prostrate form of a human man. In the shadows, only his feet were visible, but these were intriguing enough to make Pirk come back into the cave. Those boots...
It was a soldier! A human soldier! Pirk fairly clasped his hands together tight in glee, then grabbed the woman roughly, tossing her aside.
"Hiding my treasure, are you?" he asked rhetorically, pulling his blade up and raising it over the man's body. He'd teach those tarks to run after him. He'd leave this one's body out to dry in the sun, for the aiding soldiers to see, when they came.
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
04-24-2003, 10:35 PM
Farien sat in a dark corner of the cave. Her body ached from the beatings she'd been given, she didn't care. She huddled with her knees drawn tightly up to her chest and stared into the blackness. She'd done with resisting. What had resisting gotten her? Her children were gone.
Farien rubbed at her eye with the heel of her dirty hand, absentmindedly combing the tangles out of her long hair with her fingers. She didn't doubt that filthy orc had used his poisoned blade on them. On Arrin, on Serra and Telmir... A tear ran down her face unheeded. It left a darker place on the red of her skirt. Farien didn't notice.
*************************
In another part of the cave Telmir stood up cautiously. He was ten years old, old enough to be a man. Old enough to know these filthy orcs had come from Mordor, and he hoped they'd go back there, go back there and burn. Telmir bared his teeth in what he hoped was a fierce snarl.
His sister Arrin was curled up in his arms, her face on his shoulder. He'd told her to keep quiet no matter what, and so far she'd obeyed him. Serra was lying on the floor. Telmir thought she was asleep, she'd been asleep for a few hours, since the orc brought them in. At first he'd thought she was dead, but she was breathing, so he figured she was just asleep.
Telmir looked around, in the dim light he could see other children in the cave, but he was the oldest. Except maybe that little girl in the corner. He walked over to her. "I'm Telmir." he whispered. Her eyes were terrified, but her hair was a shiny yellow color. She was holding a very young baby on her lap.
"I'm Emilia." she whispered shakily. The baby she was holding stirred and began to whimper. She lifted it to her shoulder and rocked.
"That your sister?" he whispered. He cast an eye toward the two little boys nearby, "Those your brothers?"
She shook her head no. "But we've got to keep them quiet!" she exclaimed, "the orcs!"
Telmir nodded. He set Arrin down by Emilia, disregarding her wide eyed glance at him and her pudgy arms asking to be picked back up. "You stay there, Arrin. I'll go get Serra."
Serra wouldn't wake up. He nudged her, and then outright shook her, but all she did was moan and lie there. Telmir frowned. He was responsible for his sisters if Momma and Pappa weren't there. He couldn't leave Serra all alone over here. What if the orcs came back?
Telmir was strong for his age, but it took all his strength to heave his six year old sister over his shoulder and carry her to the lightest part of the cave. He set her gently on the floor and stood gasping, looking at all the other children gathered there. One of the small boys began to cry. Telmir gathered him in his arms and stroked his head, shushing him quietly. They'd be fine, Gondor was coming to rescue them, Telmir was sure of it.
GaladrieloftheOlden
04-26-2003, 12:38 AM
Evren was petrified. She stood in the middle of a tight circle of men, her head ringing, swaying slightly. The silence seemed deafening. The moon shone brightly on the clearing. Then one of the men spoke, finally. He asked her something. She answered, so scared she couldn't remember what she had said a minute later. The men spoke in low voices. She heard only a mutter, then ...she poses no threat... She still shook. She tried not to give in to the throb in her head, not wanting to disgrace herself and faint in front of all these men. They would probably think she was faking it anyway. Something more may have been said, but she couldn't remember at all, because of the buzzing sounds beginning to take over the rest of her hearing. To her humiliation, she began to sink to the ground, her knees buckling in under her. She saw the looks of sudden concern on the mens' faces and tried vainly to look as though she felt fine, not shocked or hurt at all.
* * *
Herlion awoke only for a moment to find himself in terrible pain. They tortured me... he thought. Pain.... They had tied him down and whipped him with red hot... somethings... and plunging back to pure pain.
Niluial
04-26-2003, 01:36 AM
Georeliela fell to the ground crying. Her precious Emilia was gone. She lay on the ground in pain from the vicious whippings. She had lost her son, then her freedom and now she had lost her daughter. She saw other women sitting in corners crying, for they had also lost their children. Georeliela saw Farien sitting in a corner. *She must have also had her child taken away* Georeliela thought. She walked over to Farien and sat next to her. Farien looked at her with pain in her eyes. “I’m sure they are ok, they probably took them away so they wouldn’t see us get torched! It’s for the better… I hope” Georeliela said. She took Farien’s hand and held it. They both sat there in silence.
The huge boulder opened and there stood a huge, dirty orc. He walked in, and kicked a women laying on the side. “I’ve come to tell ya all that ya children are ok” he said in a deep voice. He coughed and flem flew everywhere. He took a packet and opened it. Inside the packet there were two huge pieces of bread. He broke a tiny piece of bread off and handed it to a woman “I would’ve eaten it all but the master told me to give ya each a piece”. He handed everyone a bite size piece and he ate the left-overs. “Well I’ll be off now, ya wont be seeing ya children for a while” he said as he was walking out of the room.
Georeliela ate her piece of bread and savoured the rest of it. She looked at Farien and gave her a smile.
*****************************************
Emilia got up and looked for Telmir. There stood the tall boy. She could see he was older than the rest of them so she trusted him in a way and felt safe. She wanted to become friends with him, maybe he could be a brotherly figure, to her. She found him talking to someone. “Telmir, I want to back to my mother” she said. “Oh don’t worry we will be back with them soon” Telmir said knowing it wasn’t true even though he liked to think it was. Telmir could see Emilia was a strong girl and he knew she would be one of them (like him) to make it out.
Emilia reached into her pocket and took out a small packet of biscuits. She handed them to Telmir and whispered in his ear “maybe we could share it with everyone when we all get very hungry”. He smiled and put it in his pocket keeping it for the hard times. There would be enough for all the children if they broke it up…
[ April 28, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Lyra Greenleaf
04-26-2003, 05:02 PM
Lara sat up and groaned as the pain came rushing back to her. Flashes of memory came to her as she gradually gained consciousness, the Orcs beating her, being thrown to the floor, weeping, screaming...Her mouth went dry. Laila! she thought. She gazed around, there were women everywhere, weeping, many still out cold- but no children anywhere.
She struggled to her feet, pain washing over her every time she moved. There weren't any children in any of the corners of the cave, and no Orcs. That should have been a relief, but even an Orc was something to ask about Laila.
"I’ve come to tell ya all that ya children are ok”
Lara spun on her hel, which made her head spin worse. The Orc stood in the entrance, handing out tiny pieces of bread to each woman in turn. Lara moved forwards, towards him and took hers almost without realising.
“Well I’ll be off now, ya wont be seeing ya children for a while”
"No!" Lara darted forwards and touched his arm, shuddering. "Where is my daughter? Please, she's just a baby and she's all alone"
He shook her off with a grunt and continued to walk. As they reached daylight he pushed her back into the cave so she fell to the floor.
"Please! Please!" she continued to whisper, over and over, rocking backwards and forwards. "Please! Please!"
Abruptly she leaned over to one side and was sick, dry retching as she hadn't eaten anything but that small piece of bread. It seemed to break the spell and she began to cry, wracking sobs which echoed around the cave. Few of the women even looked up, too weak or in too much pain, or too involved in their own losses.
"They have your children too?" asked a sympathetic voice behind her. Turning, Lara saw a young woman giving a vague approximation of a smile, though it held no happiness. Lara simply nodded, trying to control her crying.
"I'm Georeliela" said the woman.
"Lara" Lara whispered, her voice coming out croaky. "They have my baby. My baby...she's all alone. My husband is-" she swallowed "-dead. I'm alone, and I can't do anything."
Again she began to weep.
Niluial
04-27-2003, 02:13 AM
Georeliela stood up and left Farien’s side. “They have my little girl to” Georeliela said holding back her tears. She sat next to Lara. “We need to be strong and we must try and be as healthy as possible. My daughter Emilia loves babies I am sure that as we speak Emilia is helping your daughter or doing something kind” Georeliela said. “We need an escape route” Georeliela whispered so soft that Lara only just heard her. Lara stared at Georeliela breathing deeply, for Lara knew that they could do this but it would be deadly! Lara didn’t say anything so Georeliela and Lara sat there in silence.
Georeliela woke up with Lara’s head resting on her shoulder. She looked around and no orc was in site. Everyone was asleep, they all looked so happy, they were probably dreaming sweet dreams and forgetting about all their troubles.
Georeliela woke Lara up. “Laila, my Laila” Lara said. “Shhhhh.” Lara got up and they both tiptoed to a dark corner. “I don’t know how but we must find an escape route without getting caught or killed. When a orc enters the room you shall distract him, annoy him, an..”
“But he will hurt me” Lara said interrupting Georeliela. Lara didn’t want to be hurt again. “If he hurts you then let it be! This is for your daughter! Your daughter’s life could depend on this. Would you get a thrashing for your daughter?” Georeliela whispered. Lara nodded.
“Now while you distract the orc I shall sneak out the room, with out making a noise. I would let you sneak out the room but I was the first to come here and I saw all the door ways and passages. Before the orc goes we will get Farien to put something in front of the boulder so it will not close properly. Then When I find out where the children are and where the entry to this horrible cave is I will come back. You will get as many people as possible to push the boulder open for me to come in, and from their we shall plan our escape!” Georeliela plotted. “So are you in?” Georeliela asked. Lara looked at Georeliela with a serious face….
[ April 28, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Malcu Luinthol
04-27-2003, 10:19 AM
Following the stench that he knew to be that of Pirk, Unglusch, riding Grulfang, burst through the undergrowth and headed towards the cave. Pirk needed the message from the Nazgul, it could be the difference between the survival of the orcs and their death.
As he approached the cave, he heard the rasping noise of Pirk's voice, and knew his long journey was almost at an end. Reaching the door, he left Grulfang at the entrance and headed towards where he saw Pirk standing. With a grunt, he began to give his message, unaware of the humans also concealed in the cave...
"The Morgul Lord sends word from the Great Eye, captain." Pirk turned around, stunned by the orc's voice. "The orders are to return through the balck gate as soon as possible, before the great assault begins..."
As he tried to continue, a figure burst out from behind Pirk, knocking Unglusch to the ground.
"After the tark scum!" yelled Pirk, as Unglusch got to his feet...
Lyra Greenleaf
04-30-2003, 12:07 PM
Lara gulped. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Laila, but to try to make one of the monsters angry? It was madness. Not trusting herself not to break down if she spoke, she silently stood, patted Georeliela's arm.
Oh, Ered! Why aren't you here to look after me? she thought desperately, then took a deep breath and walked towards the Orc by the cave entrance.
"Where-" she started quietly, then cleared her throat. "Where is my baby?" she asked, her voice stronger.
"Yer've been told- thats all there is to know," it said with a sneer, then pushed her away. Getting up from where she had fallen, Lara steeled herself to walk forwards again.
"I want my Laila" she said loudly.
"Sit down" the Orc snarled, still barely looking at her.
There's only one thing for it Lara thought. Drawing herself up she darted forwards, past the monster. It followed her and grabbed her arm, dragging her back to the cave. It flung her on the floor and kicked her. As it continued, Lara saw Georeliela sneak out.
I hope this works, she thought dimly
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
04-30-2003, 03:43 PM
Farien heard the commotion but dimly through her despair, but Telmir perked up his ears and listened.
"I hear a woman..." he whispered to Emilia. Her eyes were wide in her pale face as she nodded that she'd heard it too. "Something's happening!" Telmir's voice rose in volume and pitch.
Emilia shushed him, holding a finger to her lips. Arrin, sitting by his knee mimicked Emilia's gesture and said in a whisper, "quiet, Telmir, orkes will hear you."
Telmir swallowed his excited words, something was happening, someone was coming! He shook the limp form of his sister Serra again. Why wouldn't she wake up? Telmir was beginning to panic, she had to wake up! She moaned in response to his shaking, but her eyes never opened.
A whimper escaped Telmir's throat. He didn't know what to do... he didn't know! Arrin said again, louder, "Telmir! Orkes!" Swallowing his fear, he nodded.
"They mustn't hear us, we mustn't bother them." he said softly. Emilia nodded in agreement. But their silence was broken as the youngest of Iavas' sons opened his mouth in a loud howl. Telmir and Emilia looked at each other in horror, surely the orcs had heard that!
Niluial
05-01-2003, 01:07 PM
Georeliela saw Lara fighting with the orc. She sneaked behind him being as quite as a Shire Mouse. She gulped and she shacked. She slowly sneaked out of the entrance of the room and gave Farien a sign. She ran down the passage on her toes breathing deeply and hoping that she would not get caught, she didn’t even want to know what would happen if they caught her.
She heard some babies crying and she looked at a door. * It must be the room with the children inside* she thought. But two orcs came from the other side and entered the room. She hid behind the wall panicking and hoping one of the orcs would not see her. They spent a while in there and came out, and they closed the boulder. Fortunately they went the other way and laughed a evil laugh. She waited until they disappeared and then went to the boulder.
She pushed it and pushed the boulder but it wouldn’t move. She felt all this anger and with all the anger she pushed so hard that she actually got the boulder to move. She entered the room and all the children went mad. “Shush… “ she whipserd. All the children kept quiet. “I am not aloud in here, but we are planning an escape roote. You cannot tell anyone I was in here. All of you will soon be out” She whipserd, with a tear coming down her eye. She spotted Emilia and hugged her. She heard an orc and panicked so she ran out the room as quick as possible blowing one last kiss to her daughter. She forgot to close the boulder but it was such a small gab that she was sure no orc would notice.
She looked around and she must have heard voices because no orc was in site. So he ran up the passage and turned a couple of times left and right finally finding the escape. She looked at the big boulder guarding the entrance and felt a shiver down her spine. She decided it was time to run back. She ran down the one passage that she took before. As she ran down her heart pumped and she breathed deeply. She finally made it back to the boulder guarding the prisoners room. Farien had blocked it with a object like she asked her to she was relieved. She crawled inside the room and fell on the floor. Farien and Lara looked at her hoping she was ok. “Did you do what you wanted.. did you see my precious Laila?” Lara asked with a quivering voice…
[ May 01, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Donlammenion
05-04-2003, 06:45 PM
Donlamir looked back on the group which he was leaving, then back to Pherdur the soldier with whom he would be travelling with back to Minas Tirth and he thought,
" What if we don't arrive with reinforcements soon enough. The few remaining would surely be found and killed."
Then a voice called to him. "We'll need to get a move on if we are to be successful in bringing aid" It was Pherdur already starting the first leg of their journey.
He was accompanied by the newest member of their group a young lady Evren , even in these conditions still very good looking.
"I'm coming now” He replied trying not to sound too brash.
"Pher..." Don’s voice trailed off as he could no longer see his travelling companions. He started again but this time he aimed his question at the leader of their company Fededhor. “Shall the provisions that we are taking be minimal or enough to compensate any detours which we may need to take”
“Take enough rations for all of you then some more about two day’s worth, but I’d hurry or you’ll never catch up with your group”
“I didn’t think Pher was one for waiting” chuckled Don then in that same moment turned and was gone into the trees.
[ May 12, 2003: Message edited by: Donlammenion ]
GaladrieloftheOlden
05-07-2003, 04:16 PM
Evren knew she had asked to come along, but now she wasn’t sure. Perhaps I should have stayed with the men, helped them fight... but I’m being helpful here too. They need messengers. And I’ll come back with those who are sent for help. If they don’t let me, I’ll sneak along. I’ve done it once, I’ll do it again, she thought stubbornly, walking along the path with those other two, Pherdur and the one with the long name... Donla-something. She hoisted up her pack onto her back. She’d left her horse at the edge of the wood, but it wasn’t safe to go back and get him. The orcs were camped near there... she shuddered to think of what would happen to her favorite steed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Herlion moved again, then moaned. He felt as though he had been thrown onto a hot furnace and was being pressed down to it, rolled and molded with giant rollers. He could just barely crawl, but he did so, hoping to at least find Iavas or somebody he knew in the group of villagers, all nursing their wounds. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a sudden movement. He turned to look, painfully aware of the effort it took him to turn his head. It was Georelelia, running out the door. He could see another woman being thrown to the ground by an orc. He felt happy for Georelelia, for a moment. And then another thought crossed his mind.They will catch her… she will not get out. They will beat her, and she will die. He did not feel happy for Georelelia anymore. But he knew that she had made the right choice. They would die anyway, all of them… and better quickly than the ways probably readied for them when they could no longer work. Herlion made a huge effort, leant down, and began to crawl towards the door.
* * *
Nobody was watching… he was out. But the effort had left him so exhausted that he dropped to the ground, managed to roll off the path, landing in some leaves, and flickered back out of consiousness.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Oghurn strode into the room, confident, as he never was with the bigger orcs, that none could hurt him, that he could have his own way, that he didn’t need his wits just then. It felt such a pleasure to simply use force, give a kick one way, a punch in another. The villagers shrunk to the walls whenever he passed, squeezing themselves as small as they could. And they were witnessing a rare occurance. Oghurn was having fun.
[ May 07, 2003: Message edited by: GaladrieloftheOlden ]
[ May 07, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
The Ruling Ring
05-09-2003, 12:27 PM
Fededhor looked after Donlamir as they left, then turned back to the others.
"We must wait here, I am afraid," he said. "Or somewhere where they will be able to find us again," he swallowed hard, thinking of his family, trapped in the dark, with the orcs. "My mind tells me that it is folly to merely bide our time with the orcs, yet I do not believe we should advance without the others. It would only result in the sheding of blood, ours and the prisoners'. If any of you disagree, please tell me what you think we should do," he bowed his head.
------------------------------
"AFTER THAT TARK SCUM!!!" Pirk roared, leaping to his feet in the muddle, bloodied by the broken skin at his knee that had resulted from his being shoved. He took off in pursuit of the person, panting more in fury that strain. Suddenly, a burst of dust flew up into his face, digging into his eyes. Pirk gave another roar, rubbing at them furiously with one hand, hearing Unglusch roar behind him, hailing some of the orcs to come.
Pirk opened his eyes to a bleary vision of three slight human forms, their little weapons in their hands. None of them looked like prisoners, but at least two of them looked like soldiers of Gondor.
Tarks, Pirk thought again. Tarks for the kill.
Meoshi
05-09-2003, 09:01 PM
Pirk had run out, and Morachion was increasingly restless. He would spin a new web, that is what he would do. But where? The orcs would want to get to the prisoners in the main room, but the room with the children- that would do. The orcs guarding that room had run off with Pirk. There was only one orc standing outside the entrance keeping the prisoners from escaping.
Morachion climbed to the roof of the entryway to the childrens' caverns, and carefully stuck a string to a rock. He forgot himself in his work, spinning the traditional pattern of concentratic circles. It was perhaps the only beautiful thing that such a hideous race could design. Before long, an impassible, sticky barrier blocked the entrance to the room.
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
05-09-2003, 09:32 PM
Farien huddled close as Georelelia told of her trip to the children's cave. "They're alright?" she asked breathlessly tears streaming down her face. "All of them? My babies?" Georeleila nodded in response. They propped up a drooping Lara, drooping from both her beating and her tears. Farien's despair all but gone she looked at the other two women. "How will we get them out?"
*********************
Telmir watched Emilia's reunion with her mother. After the woman had gone he tried to comfort the girl as she sobbed. She bit her lip to keep the noise in as her little body shook. Telmir felt completely helpless. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. The soldiers were supposed to come. Mothers weren't supposed to leave them alone again. Iavas' little boy clung to his leg. He pried it loose and deposited it by Serra. His sister still hadn't woken... Telmir bent over closer.
Was it? Was it her eyelids moving? He shook her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open. "Telmir?" she sat up. Telmir heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Telmir, I have a headache..." she whimpered. He motioned to her to be quiet. She shut her mouth, the terror in her eyes making her obedient.
From outside the caves he heard raised orc voices, he heard women screaming and the word 'tark!'. His heartbeat quickened. He spun around and motioned to Emilia. "I'm going to try to get out." he whispered in her ear.
"No... don't..." she pleaded. But Telmir wasn't listening anymore. He was tired of sitting in caves waiting for the orcs to hurt him or his sisters, he was going to find his dad. Eregiath would know what to do.
Telmir ran toward the door. He hit something firm and... sticky. Telmir tried to pull back in disgust, but he was caught, staring into a cluster of multifaceted eyes.
************************
Eregiath sat in the corner of the cave, where he'd been since the beginning of the torture. His body ached and he'd been in and out of consciousness. He suspected they'd gone harder on the men. He unrolled his body from the corner, looking around for Farien. He found her huddled with the other women. Going to her and whispering in her ear he said, "Farien, Herlion's gone..." She spun around, her eyes wild.
"Gone out of the cave? Or is he... dead?"
Lyra Greenleaf
05-10-2003, 01:04 PM
"Laila...Laila..." Lara moaned, leaning on Farien's shoulder. Farien and Georeleila seemed to be discussing how they could get out, but Lara couldn't think of that. She was so tired and hungry that she couldn't seem to think at all. The only thing she could do was feel the pain and the sadness. She'd never cried as much in her life as she had the past few hours. It had tired her out as much as the beatings or the lack of sleep, and it didn't seem to leave room for much else.
How did this happen? Why did it happen? Ered, why are you not here?
Thinking about her husband Lara began to cry again in earnest.
Malcu Luinthol
05-11-2003, 09:48 AM
Following his furious leader, Unglusch charged towards his foes, bellowing for the other orcs to join him. With a roar he lifted his spear, ready to support Pirk's attack. The Gondorian soldiers raised their shields and drew their swords. The combat seemed easily matched to Unglusch as the fight began.
'good' he thought, 'that will mean that the others will be weak at the end of the battle...perfect.....'
Niluial
05-15-2003, 12:56 PM
Georeliela sat tired and sad. All the women were asking her “Is my little girl alright” or “Are the children alright”. Georeliela felt sorry for them all but she often thought that the women forgot that she also had a little girl, she also cried at night, she also worried about her Emila. But then again she felt honoured, the women must have had seen her as a strong figure. She sat thinking, she had a picture in her head of her daughters beautiful face. “Oh I do hope she is ok” She said to herself.
She saw Lara sitting in a corner, rocking herself. She watched Lara for a while and she felt dizzy from watching Lara rock from left to right. Lara was whimpering, and singing to herself, but the words weren’t clear. It almost looked like she was in a trance. She sat staring at one place, like there was no point of going on.
Niluial walked over to Lara, and tucked Lara’s hair behind her ear. She looked at Lara. Lara looked pale, with huge bags under her eyes. Lara did not even look at Georeliela in the eyes, she just carried on rocking herself and humming. Georeliela hated watching friends in pain.
******************
Emila sat worried about Telmir. What was she to do? She cradled a baby in her arms. But she could not stop thinking that Telmir was in danger. She handed the baby to another young girl, and ran out the room to look for Telmir!
[ May 17, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
[ May 18, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
Phervasaion
05-16-2003, 01:26 PM
Pherdurs heart raced as he saw the orcs chargeing towards them.
"Prepare to defend yourselves!" Pherdur shouted as they all drew their swords. Pherdur could see that the numbers on the enemys side were far greater than theirs but he knew the only thing they could do was fight.
An orc came charging with a large spear and lunged at Pherdur, but he just managed to knock the spear aside as all three of them charged into the crowd of orcs, Pherdur, with one swift swipe beheaded one of the smaller orcs and then drove his sword through another ones stomach.
Pherdur looked up to see that Evren was fighting with them and she was skilled with her weapons. Suddenly Pherdur heard a foul scream behind him and turned to see an orc take a terrific strike at him, but Donlamir came in and finished the orc with a powerful blow to the head. Donlamir turned round and saw the leader of the orcs draw his sword and, with a srong swing, the orc knocked him out with the hilt of his weapon, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"No!" shouted Pherdur as he sprang at the orc leader, but then felt a sharp pain in the back of his right leg and looked down to see the spear piercing his armour and driven into his flesh, he let out a short scream as he felt the weight of the orcs sword on the back of his head and he fell to his knees and slowly lost consiousness as he fell to the ground.
Malcu Luinthol
05-18-2003, 11:53 AM
The attack was going badly, the men were more skilled than Unglusch and the orcs had given them credit for... However, there lesser numbers could easily be exploited. In the fray, Unglusch found himself brushed aside, falling to the ground. He did not rise up again, not because he was wounded, but because he had a plan...
He waited patiently as the battle continued, carefully choosing his moment as the men weakened, when he would know the battle would be theirs, before leaping up into the battle and attacking...
Using his spear to push himself up, he rushed towards his target, who had just knocked an enemy unconcious. He thrust his spear forwards, striking the front armour of Pirk...
GaladrieloftheOlden
05-18-2003, 04:14 PM
Evren’s eyeslids drooped a bit as she walked along the edge of the path, treading carefully, staring at the beautiful sunset. Donlamir had gone to scout, veering from the path to the left. They walked slowly, so that he would have no trouble catching up to them when he had looked around a bit. Suddenly, just as the two of them reached a clearing, a figure burst out of the bushes, breathing heavily. Evren and Pherdur’s swords clinked out of their scabbards immediately, before they realized that the figure was only Don.
"Orcs!" he gasped. "Behind me!" For a moment, they all froze, hearing trampling feet quite close, running unmistakably towards them. Then, quietly, trying to banish from their minds the thought of what would happen to them, they grouped into a semicircle, half facing the side that they knew the orcs would come from, for they had no time to run, nor did they know the speed of their enemies.
So, when they orcs burst into the clearing, they were ready, three small figures, the dying sun shining on their swords. They were lucky, because the reflected light blinded for a moment the orcs skidding out of the woods. But it was only a moment, and the orcs began to spread to all sides of the clearing, snarling and cursing at the human soldiers. "Prepare to defend yourself!" Pherdur shouted. They now stood in a tiny circle, so that the orcs couldn’t get at their backs. But it meant that they couldn’t have a wide swing, unless they wanted to save the orcs some work...
Evren couldn’t even tell how many orcs there were, as she knew that looking anywhere except to the sides from which she might be hit could easily cost her a limb. All that she knew was that there were too many, probably three or four times more than them, but her mind could be playing tricks on her, she knew, and they might even be as few as themselves… and most of their weapons seemed worse... So maybe they were equally matched... all of this went through Evren’s head in a split second, and then an orc launched himself straight towards her. Evren had no time to think, no time for anything complicated or fancy. Acting only on impulse, she merely thrust her sword forward- and the orc impaled himself on it. It was only then that Evren noticed, while battling the inclination to be sick, that a few of the orcs had no armor. It was an advantage, of course, but not much. Because now her sword was weighted with the bulk of the first orc as a second came charging at her.
She raised her sword with an effort, and managed to spear the second, though she was not sure how exactly. Then, just as the third rushed towards her, skidding on the ground, which, Evren realized with a vague sense of neausea, was covered in blood, she shook off the corpses which fell with a sickening thud to the ground. She hit the third... but her sword slid right off... something was wrong... only then she realized that this orc was wearing armor, and that he had just swooped his sword towards her... she knew how she ought to have been defending herself, but she felt as though her arms were made of lead, and time was too fast... at her left, she saw one of the me sway and fall, and, out of impulse she stepped in front of him quickly, and, as she held onto her sword tighter, she managed to dodge that of the orc.
But only a moment later, the blunt side of an axe hit the unprotected back of her head, and she fell too, stunned. The last of them, whose face was terribly blurred to Evren’s eyes, still stood, but with nobody at his back, it was soon hit, and he fell like a rock. The last thing Evren saw before unconsiousness claimed her was a groups of orcs closing in about her and the two men laying unmoving and bloody as she at her either side, one of their bloody hands on hers, but none of them could move... she drifted painfully into a swoon, knowing that both other soldiers were also unconsious. She felt a feeling of having betrayed the group of soldiers... especially that man who led them, Fededhor. She knew he had not quite trusted her, and she still could not understand why he had let her go with the men when she had volunteered... all of these thoughts rushed through Evren’s mind in a frenzy, as though pushing to get through before the door was closed. And closed it was. For now Evren was only vaguely aware of the orc who lifted her roughly and lashed her ankles and wrists all together, tying a single rope to hold onto to them, and threw her over his back like a sack, unaware at all that the men on her sides were undergoing the same treatment. The only thought that managed to keep a hold in her mind was that she had betrayed somebody... then, as she jolted along on the orc’s back, even that thought slid out and all that was left was a darkness too empty for words.
[ May 22, 2003: Message edited by: GaladrieloftheOlden ]
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
05-19-2003, 11:39 PM
Telmir let out a bloodcurdling shriek as he watched the spider advance toward him. He struggled in the web, but there was no part of his body that wasn't firmly entangled. Morachion's eyes glimmered in the faint light, and Telmir screamed again. He sobbed in terror and tears ran down his face. "Mother!" he yelled aloud as the spider's fangs sank into his shoulder.
The small limp bundle was easily wrapped and dragged to the side for later, and Morachion retreated to the shadows once more.
*****************************
Farien heard the scream and jerked upright. "Eregiath!" she whispered, clutching at his sleeve. Her husband had been sleeping but she shook him urgently awake. "Eregiath, that's Telmir! I know it's Telmir!" her voice rose in hysteria. "What are they doing to my child!" she clung to his hand.
Eregiath struggled to his feet, dragging his hysterical wife with him. "Hush, Farien!" he snapped, in a voice filled with irritation brought on by fatigue and worry. Immediately he regretted it, as Farien's face crumpled into a look of utter despair. Pulling her close he kissed her forehead and spoke soothingly to her. She wept and buried her face in his shoulder. Eregiath felt like crying too. All her defiance, all her strength, brought to this. He hated the orcs, hated Mordor.
Looking over Farien's shoulder as he held her he watched an orc running to the place the screams had come from. "Farien," he whispered, "get a stone... Can you distract that orc long enough for me to get to his weapons?" Farien looked up at him, her tear filled eyes glowing. She nodded.
Disregarding everything else, Farien and Eregiath hurled through the doorway. The one orc was standing beside a massive spiderweb. Farien barely looked at it, but threw herself onto the orc's back, smashing at it with a fist sized stone. The ugly creature shook her off like a fly and she fell back against the stone walls. Regaining her feet she flung herself at it again and clung. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Eregiath fly out of the shadows. He hit the unsuspecting orc from behind, and all three landed in a heap on the stone floor. Farien's breath hissed out of her as the orc fell on top of her. But she heard the ring of steel and realized that Eregiath had its sword.
"Farien move!" he screamed, as he raised the sword above it's head. She didn't think she could, but she shoved the bulk of the orc off her and squirmed out from underneath it, just as Eregiath's stroke fell.
Farien fumbled at the fallen orc's waist, coming up with a dagger. Breathless she turned to Eregiath. "Where's Telmir?" Eregiath's face looked glum. Farien's eyes went wild. "Where is he Eregiath? Telmir!" Her husband lifted one hand and pointed to a small silk wound bundle beside the doorway. Farien drew breath sharply. That wasn't Telmir. Couldn't be.
One stroke of the dead orc's dagger opened the curtain of web, and Farien rushed into the small room.
"MAMMA!" A shriek from the corner of the room. A barely recognizable Serra flew out of the shadows and into Farien's arms. Arrin was close behind, pale and silent. She scooped them both up and held them in her arms. Her eyes scanned the room for Telmir, but he wasn't there.
The children... she thought, wincing at the sight of their terrified faces. That one must be Georelelia's girl, she thought, gazing at the white face of Emilia, who had seen the spider take Telmir. The two little boys were Iavas'... and the baby. Oh the poor baby!
Eregiath spoke from behind her. He was holding Telmir in his arms, still half shrouded in silky threads. His face was a pasty white color "We can't take all of them, Farien." he said sadly. "We need to get Telmir out." She nodded slowly, and the two of them dashed from the room, their children clutched tightly.
The rest of the prisoners sat up fast as Farien and Eregiath darted through toward the main exit. Feet stumbling a bit on the uneven stone floor Farien fought to keep up. She was carrying two children as she ran, and she feared that Eregiath would leave her behind. A lone orc guard stood by the doorway, Eregiath slashed at it with the sword and it fell back in momentary surprise. It was all they needed. Farien and Eregiath dashed out the door and into the woods, the bellowing guard the last sound they heard from the caves.
Some yards away from the orc camp Farien slowed, gasping for air. Eregiath heard her footsteps slow and turned and waited. "We mustn't stay." he said quickly. "They'll find us."
She shook her head wearily, "I can't run anymore." Tears dripped down her dirty face and she sobbed softly. "I just can't."
Tiny fingers moved in her hair as she stood defeated, and a small voice said in her ear, "It's okay now, Serra. Mamma came, it's okay." Farien kissed Arrin's head, coming back to herself a little.
"Yes, Arrin, it's alright now, Mamma came."
GaladrieloftheOlden
05-23-2003, 12:42 AM
Evren was hiding... hiding from orcs. They were running after her, and suddenly she realized that she was no longer behind the bush where she had just been. She almost screamed with terror, her breath coming in shallow gasps or not coming at all, and ran for some shadow... but as she neared it she saw that it was not a tree but the back of an orc that she was sliding towards, slipping on mud. She turned and ran, but they saw her, and, finally finding the tree she had been seeking, she reached up and grabbed the lowest branch- but the orcs were coming so fast- she was slipping- she pulled herself up and breathed a sigh of sudden relief, forgetting that the orcs might easily fell the tree, or burn it, taking her down as well. Something protruded over the next branch, so she grabbed it- and screamed as it grabbed her back, an orcish face coming out of the foliage above her and leering at her as she struggled in its hands...
Evren awoke painfully and biting back a screech, hurting all over, unable to move, and suddenly feeling that she did not have enough air to scream. She gasped- and the welcome air came into her mouth, cooling her down a bit. Her head hurt as though it had been bludgeoned with an axe- and suddenly Evren remembered. It had. She suddenly remembered the fight, and hoped fervently that she was alive and would stay so, for a while at least, and the same for her two companions, who seemed yet to be, from the human moans she heard, echoing her own. She knew now that the jolting sensation she was experiencing and the cricks running through her body was caused by the fact that her ankles and wrists were all tied together in a knot from a rope thrown over an orc's back, and the rest of her was bouncing on the rocky road, turning her more black and blue than she already was. Managing to turn her head a bit, she saw an orc on either side of the one she was tied to, each carrying one of the soldiers. Pherdur was on her left and Don on her right, both seeming just barely conscious. She managed a weak, terrified, and slightly concerned smile and nod to Don, (for he looked about as badly hurt as she), he answering in the same way, and was just turning her head towards Pherdur as "his" orc noticed her awake, and slapped her upside the face, making it burn terribly, his hand slipping in her blood. He wiped it contempuously on her clothes and turned away. She managed to keep her consciousness, though with difficulty, and tried another weak smile, which was this time lost in the blood on her lips. She felt a terrible state, and probably looked it too, the ropes digging into her skin as she struggled, her clothes torn, her hair stained with sticky red. Suddenly, Evren thought she saw a pair of eyes- or perhaps it was more than one- peering from the side of the road, staring at them with pity. Those eyes looked too human to belong to a forest deer or other animal... she nodded to Don and Pherdur, though every movement of her neck was a terrible effort, and pointed with her chin towards the bushes, then fell back in her bonds, exhausted from keeping her weight up so long...
Donlammenion
05-23-2003, 04:00 AM
A short distance away from the track Don stopped suddenly as he caught sight of a large group of orc scum running down the hill in what he thought to be a be line for the trees where he was crouching.
"AFTER THAT TARK SCUM!!!" Retched the largest of the orcs.
Don now in two minds to stay and try to exact some revenge or warn the others and delay an obvious death chose the second. The orcs were now no less than 200 yards away so Don decided to make a break back to his companions.
The sound of the orcs feet getting closer with each breath.
“ORCS” Gasped Don bursting through the undergrowth “behind me” as he finished those last few words he realised his friends had swords drawn ready.
As the orcs tore into the opening the three charge into them knowing, expecting death.
The front man into the fight Pherdur took the burden from two orcs by removing their heads with an almighty blow. Followed by Donlamir who slid to his knees removing the legs from a larger orc. Whilst Evren parried two orcs away with a piece of masterful sword work.
“Pherdur" cried Don as he realised an orc was running toward his companion. Pherdur turned but was already engaged with another orc, Don already at a full run blocked the blow delivered by the orc then ended it with a fierce blow to the neck.
“Thank you” mimed Pherdur the look in his eyes changing.
Don spun around to see the leader of this rabid group raising his sword it was to late to block. Then it smashed the hilt of the sword into Donlamir’s unprotected face bring a nothingness.Collapsing to the floor his fathers helm rolled from his skull to become trampled, defiled by his sworn enemies.
The last thing in his mind was REVENGE.
[ May 23, 2003: Message edited by: Donlammenion ]
Lyra Greenleaf
05-23-2003, 05:05 AM
Shouts roused Lara for a moment, long enough to see Farien run out with her children. Running out, she was escaping…Lara’s head rolled. “Lara…Laila?” Lara’s face cracked with a wide smile.“Daddy’s home!” she whispered to Laila. Scooping her daughter up she went to the top of the stairs and looked down.
“There you are!” said Ered with a grin, and he rushed up two steps at a time, grabbing them both into a hug. “I thought perhaps you had run away”
Lara giggled. “I tried, but couldn’t find my shoes”
”Aha! So I was right to hide them then, wasn’t I Laila?”
Laila gurgled happily as Ered tickled her chin.
“You are not allowed to leave me”
“No, I won’t leave you”
Lara shook her head firmly, eyes closed. Slowly she opened them. Ered’s smiling face was gone, and so was her house. Her smile faded. A woman was looking at her with worry in her eyes.
“Laila?” she asked faintly. She couldn’t see the baby anywhere. “L-Laila? Laila?”
Lara tried to get up, but she felt very weak. And empty. It wasn’t only hunger, although that was a part of it. “Ered?” she said slowly. A memory came to her. Blood… Lara retched, but there was nothing in her stomach. Silently she began to weep.
Darkness fell in her head again.
“Lara” The well known voice called her name again.
“Ered?” Slowly his face came to her, smiling. This time they weren’t at home, though, and Lara knew he was dead. Perhaps I’m dead too, she thought. Somehow the idea wasn’t as comforting as she had thought a few minutes earlier.
“Lara, where is Laila?”
“In the other room. Ered, you…you died. I’m going insane”
“Well, you’ve certainly changed from the woman I knew. She wouldn’t just sit there while Laila was in another room. You can get her back. Or anyway, you can try.”
“I have tried. The Orcs…” Lara whimpered in memory.
“Then try something different. Something that the Orcs won’t catch you doing”
“What Ered?”
“I know you can do it. Who persuaded your father to let us marry? I think I would rather face Orcs!”
Lara smiled, and Ered’s face faded.
“Ered…Ered!”
All Lara could see was Georelelia. Ered was gone, forever. Somehow though, her emptiness had been filled up, with white-hot anger and cold determination.
“If Farien got out, so can we” she said to Georelelia.
Shakily she got to her feet.
“We just have to decide what to do.”
Malcu Luinthol
05-23-2003, 01:19 PM
Unglusch continued his assault on his leader, it was a fight to the death for control of the group, almost animal like. He raised his shield to parry a blow before leaping backwards with an almost acrobatic quality and raising his bow for a close range shot. He reached for an arrow, fitted it on the string and fired, laughing evilly...
Phervasaion
05-24-2003, 02:52 PM
Pherdur opened his eyes and in his blured vision he noticed that the orcs were taking them somewhere on their Wargs, most likely to a prison. He tried to move except he felt a large stinging pain in his right leg, and remembered that in the fight the Orc had stabbed him with a spear.
He looked to his right noticing that Evren was just regaining consiusness aswell, she seemed as if she was unable to move also. As she turned her head, he saw the orc carrying him raise his hand and hit her round the face. Pherdur felt angry as this happened and wanted to hit the orc back, but he could find no strength to do so. Then, Turning to Donlamir he noticed that he also was in pain and could not move either.
Pherdur, Donlamir and Evren had no option but to see where the orcs were going to take them and had no strength to show any resistance to them.
Niluial
05-25-2003, 04:45 AM
Georelelia panicked…. Out! “Yes we have to escape soon. Just wait here for a minute” she said to Lara. Georelelia started to push the wall. “What are you doing?” Lara asked looking confused. “The other day I lay against the wall and something moved it never crossed my mind before but maybe there is a loose rock” Georelelia said while pushing against the wall. Lara started to push and so did another woman. A while later everyone as pushing.
The pushed and pushed. Lara pushed a certain area and a small little ray of light shone through the hole. “Georelelia, look” Lara shouted. “Oh my, you found it! There must be something on the other side” Georelelia exclaimed. “But wait before we push again we must get the children! You never know what might happen if we push that one rock, the whole cave might just collapse on us” Georelelia said wordily. “Lara you need to get the children, while I gather everyone together” Georelelia said. Lara crawled through the little gap between the boulder. “Right everyone! Get all your belongings we will soon hopefully be out!” Georelelia said, in a serious voice.
Everyone was busy gathering their belongings. For once Georelelia saw smiling faces again. She took a peak through the boulder to see where Lara was. “I hope she is ok” Georelelia said to herself. She heard two deep voices, orcs voices! She eavesdropped on their conversation. “Pirk wants them dead, and he wants them dead now! Those three are way too cleaver for us, the will be out in no time, they think too much!” The one orc said. “Ok, I’ll go get the axe, I’ll be back now. Which three did ya say I must kill?” the other orc said. “Don’t you ever listen you idiot! Lara, Georelelia and Farien I think it was” the one orc shouted! They both walked down the one passage. Georelelia’s heart raced.
Georelelia heard whispering coming from the passage. It must be Lara and the children she thought. She was right, one by one the children crawled through the gap, she saw Emilia but she could not hug her or love her now, not at the moment. They were all in and then Lara came in. Georelelia pulled Lara to a side, “they are going to kill us, we need to get out now!” Lara had a worried expression on her face. “Ok everyone to that side of the wall” Lara screamed.
Georelelia pushed the one rock out, nothing happened! Just a medium hole was in the wall with a huge ray of light shinning through. Georelelia looked through the hole. It was like a dream. She saw outside the sun, the grass, the mountains.
[ May 25, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
05-25-2003, 02:11 PM
Farien gasped for breath as she followed Eregiath through the forest. Her arms were aching, but she dared not put Serra down to walk on her own. She might fall, she might get left behind. Farien wouldn't risk her children again. Pausing for a rest in the undergrowth she laid her face on Eregiath's shoulder.
"Quiet, Farien." he whispered. "I hear footsteps." He sent her a flashing smile, and suddenly she heard them too. Footsteps marching to a regular beat. The Soldiers of Gondor were coming for them at last. Farien's eyes lit up, and without letting go of Telmir, Eregiath stooped and kissed her quickly. "It's almost over." he said. "We must go out and meet them."
The footsteps were drawing very close as Farien and Eregiath stumbled out of the bushes onto the wide path in front of them. The first indication that something was wrong was a shrill scream from Arrin. "No, mamma! Orkes!" She sobbed against Farien's neck, as she and Eregiath looked at each other in horror.
The first orc to come around the corner gave a savage yell as he saw them standing in the path. "Tarks! They've escaped!" Eregiath drew the sword he'd stolen from the dead orc in the cave and stood protectively in front of the little group, a desperate light shining in his eyes. The lead orcs rushed at Eregiath and he held them at bay. Three orcs near the back threw large bundles to the ground and rushed to join the fray.
Farien stared at the bundles, as they began to move and wriggle. "Eregiath!" she yelled, "Soldiers!" Without stopping to think she rushed across the space between them and pulled the dead orc's dagger from her belt. The Soldiers' bonds were quickly slit, and those of a young woman who was with them. The girl stood and brushed herself off.
One of the soldiers, who seemed to be wounded in the leg spoke to her. "Go back, Evren. Go tell Fededhor where we are!" he gasped. Farien's eyes widened. There were soldiers nearby? The other soldier clambered to his feet again, giving the girl, Evren, a sharp shove.
"Go! We'll cover you!" He said roughly. Farien turned to where the soldiers were looking. She saw the orcs beginning to overwhelm Eregiath, Telmir lying on the ground near his feet, still pale and cold.
"Take my little boy. Please!" She cried desperately to Evren. "He's hurt, please take him!" With that she threw herself into the fray, stabbing wildly at the orcs with her dagger. She knew it was hopeless, that they'd all be recaptured. But if only the girl could get away. If only the soldiers knew where to find them! In Farien's tired desperate heart, there was a flutter of hope.
GaladrieloftheOlden
05-25-2003, 03:40 PM
Evren’s heart beat faster as she was thrown onto the ground, aching terribly all over. There was some commotion nearer the front of the line of orcs, but she could not see it as she was lying facing the other direction, and was far too winded to struggle enough to turn over. She could see, however, that Donlamir and Pherdur could see what was happening, so in a whisper she asked: “what is it?” They merely went on staring and suddenly she felt a hand flip her back over gently, a far softer hand than that of any of the orcs. It was a human woman! Pherdur said urgently: "go back, Evren. Go tell Fededhor where we are!" as the woman struggled to untie her. For a moment she blanched, then nodded, though it hurt terribly to do so. Donlamir pulled himself up with an effort, then pushed her, hard enough to hurt, but not hard enough to make her fall. "Go! We'll cover you!" he said, seeming to understand that she was reluctant to leave them here. She looked quickly at the orcs, realizing there was a man fighting them. She saw also that he was beginning to give in, beginning to fall back. A boy lay at the side of the road. "Take my little boy. Please!" the woman yelled. "He's hurt, please take him!" Evren nodded, picking him up as she passed, his arms curling around her, making her hurt even more. As she looked back from the forest, she saw the man falling, and the woman running into the group to help him. Pherdur and Donlamir stood up, though it was obvious that what they both wanted, just like she wanted, was just a rest, and stood by the edge of the clearing. It hurt Evren to know she was the only one, that the rest would be recaptured, surely. But she could help. She walked faster, unable to run, heaving the boy over her shoulder. He did not protest. Evren was scared for him, as though she had never handled children before, it was obvious that he was sick, or hurt, or both. His face was tinged green, and the only time he had moved even a bit was when she had picked him up.
* * *
It seemed to Evren that she had been plodding on for hours, dropping what remained of her strength along the way, when finally she heard guarded voices. She could not even feel happiness for what was happening. The boy seemed to be stiffening even more, though she tried to do what she could for them. She had found a lot on her way back. She had not thought anything at all along the way, which helped, and now she knew how to dodge the branches whipping in her face, most of the time, how to forget that she was carrying something, how not to slip in her own blood, and to forget that she had left the others behind, to a possible death. She was only worried that she might be traced, because she still left a slight bloody trail behind her, but when she could bend over, she did, throwing leaves over the mess. She saw the clearing, finally, and the men pacing it. She stumbled forward, the boy suddenly seeming like dead weight to her. She looked up as she fell flat into the clearing, at the faces of the men. She would have to tell them what had happened to the others... but she could not bring herself to it just then, though Fededhor’s face looked troubled and surprised. She dropped her eyes, and hoped they would believe her when she woke.
Meoshi
05-26-2003, 09:37 PM
Morachion had slipped out of the cave. He alone couldn't stop such a large group. He scuttled along the side of the cliff, peering into the distance. The main group of orcs must be out there somewhere.
Suddenly, a rock a few meters below him on the cliff was pushed out, and a head stuck out, followed by a body. It was Georeliela.
The Ruling Ring
05-30-2003, 08:13 AM
Pirk roared, stumbling back as the arrow slammed into his upper chest, bursting through the rusty links in his armor. He ripped it out in one fell motion, the blood spurting like a fountain, spattering all over Unglusch's face and neck.
"What do you think you're doing?" he gurgled at his subordinate, thrusting his sword forward, just managing to lodge it in his upper arm. Pirk's vision blurred with the pain and increasing damage being done. He took a second to look wildly behind him, to see why his other lackeys were not helping him. They were gone...they must have left with the humans already. Pirk felt more anger swell within him, and he yanked the sword out of Unglusch's arm, aiming right for his face now.
*********************************
"This wasn't a good idea," Fededhor muttered, turning and walking back towards the men that were left.
Why had he sent three away? Why hadn't they all gone? Or, why didn't they, themselves, go on the attack now? He looked up at the others.
"Men," he said.
Suddenly, he was cut off by a scuffling noise, and a great rustling as it sounded like the hedges close by were broken down. There was a familiar, faint cry, and Fededhor turned to see Evren, bloodied and battered, fall before them. There was something in her arms...
"Evren!" he cried, running to her and kneeling at her side. He gently placed his hand on her face. Thankfully, it was still plenty warm, though her whole head looked to be in bad shape.
Fededhor tore his eyes from her face, looking at the bundle in her arms. He gave a gasp of utter horror as he realized that it was a child. A little boy. He was cold as ice, and green in the face, as well as stiff as a board. Fededhor looked helplessly behind him, as he knew not what to do with the child. Supposing he was dead...
[ May 30, 2003: Message edited by: The Ruling Ring ]
Malcu Luinthol
05-30-2003, 02:24 PM
Unglusch ducked, avoiding the blow Pirk had aimed for his head before deftly rolling around behind his opponent and thrusting his spear towards him. Pirk wasn't falling for this trick however, he quickly parried the blow with his sword before leaping up and pinning Unglusch to the ground.
Unglusch looked strangely calm for somebody who was about to die, and Pirk paused to wonder about this. It was a fatal error. From the shadows of a nearby hedgerow Grulfang the warg leapt upon his master's assailant, tearing at his throat. A few rips later and Pirk was dead.
Slowly, Unglusch rose to his feet, tired and wounded from the combat. He sneered, noting his crafty victory. He would return to camp and sieze command, then those tarks would get what they deserved... Death.
He drank a deep draught from a flask that he carried by his side, numbing the pain of his wound, before mounting Grulfang and heading back to the orc base.
He heard loud cries and shouts as he approached. Voices of men. Voices of tarks.
All was not as it should be. Perhaps he had waited too long to attack. Perhaps he had attacked to soon. If Pirk had remained alive now he could have escaped much more easily. It was too late to ponder on the past now. He would see what was happening in the camp, and claim victory if it was possible, or flee as a lucky survivor otherwise. It had worked before, why shouldn't it work again. His lord would surely favour his bravery anyway. With a sneer he dismounted and stealthily led Grulfang into the camp...
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
05-30-2003, 04:58 PM
Farien struggled vainly as the orcs overwhelmed her family again. Her last thought before collapsing into darkness was that at least Telmir was safe.
Eregiath fought on a little longer, till the rusted blade of the battered orc sword snapped in two. Suddenly finding himself defenseless he was quickly overwhelmed. The man watched helplessly as ropes were tied around Farien's arms and legs, and around the wrists of his two tiny daughters. Soon they were all bouncing along the rough road again, being carried back to captivity and death among the nasty creatures. Eregiath exchanged glances with one of the captive soldiers.
********************
Telmir's dreams were troubled. Multifaceted eyes gleamed in every shadow. Emilia's mother came and went, uncaring of what happened to them. The babies cried and he had nothing to feed them. Telmir stirred and cried out.
He felt hands holding him, a girl's voice spoke as they stumbled along. Telmir couldn't tell where they were going. He didn't know the girl who was carrying him. He struggled to stay conscious, but failed, slipping back into his terrifying dreams.
Lyra Greenleaf
05-31-2003, 05:39 PM
A hole in the wall! Lara felt exhilerated. Ered, thank you for helping me. she said silently. Pain threatened to overwhelm her agin, but Lara pushed it away to deal with later. She had to get the children. The Orcs were preoccupied with Farien's escape- only one was left at the entrance of the cave, and he looked worried if such a thing was possible. But I must be careful...
Quietly she crept through the opening in the rock. Those monsters chose the perfect prison! I've never heard of one so easy to escape from. Lara shook her head wonderingly as she emerged. The children... There were many, looking dirty and hungry. Many were crying, boys and girls.
All their faces had turned towards her as she fumbled with the rock, all her efforts at silence could not quite stop sound. We must just pray we will be safe. A soft babble of whispers had grown as she appeared.
"Hush" she whispered, finger to her lips. Obediently the children quieted. Lara gazed around, desperate to see Laila. No, I must get them out. Get them ALL out she told herself firmly. That comes first.
"Through here" she whispered, pointing to the hole. "We need complete silence or you'll attract the guard."
The children began to file through, expectation on their faces. Please let this work! Lara thought desperately.
Suddenly she noticed a blonde girl carrying a baby.
"Laila" she whispered, eyes shining. She reached out to take the baby.
"Thank you for looking after her" she whispered to the girl. "What is your name?"
"Emilia" she answered.
"Georelelia's daughter? Well, you must go through."
Lara looked back. There was only two or three children left. She followed them, and Emilia through to where Georelelia was standing looking at the wall.
"They are going to kill us, we need to get out now" Georelelia whispered to Lara as she returned.
"Let us hope the cave does not collapse" she whispered to Georelelia. "Everyone to that side of the wall" Lara continued.
Geoelelia pushed, Lara held her breath. SUddenly there was a hole. Outside, there was life. Lara kissed Laila's forehead.
"We're going to get out of here, baby"
Georelelia went through first.
"Quickly, children" Lara whispered, standing worriedly as they began to pour out.
Niluial
06-01-2003, 08:04 PM
The children crept out one by one. Each one looked at Georeliela with sleep in their eyes.. and pain and exhausted ness. Lara gave a worried smile almost to say… yes we are free but what next?
Finally all the children were out. The cave was slowly crumbling.. only slightly, it was almost like a drizzle of sand. Georeliela panicked, they needed to get out. Georeliela went out first then Lara then others. There were only five people left. As she watched the people climbing out the cave she heard heavy breathing behind her and warm breath against her neck. She turned around and gave out a shriek and the huge monster scowled and started to snap at her. His huge teeth were ready to bit and the venom ready to paralyse. Georeliela hit the monster and panicked. The great monster started walk towards her wanting to bite her but he was walking in the direction of the drop his intention must have been to push her of the cliff. She hit him and swung around. Now she had him to drop of the cliff but she was so scared she could not breath and she was shacking and her heart was beating like the drummers role. She had to try and stay away from his mouth for he might bite, and the deadly venom penetrate through out her body. She bit his one arm and he screeched, and fell to the ground.
Georeliela swung around to see what was happening with all the people. Before she could say anything she saw the cave collapsing. “No!” Lara screeched. “How many were left?” Georeliela said panic stricken. “Three” Lara aid with tears running down her face. Georeliela turned around not wanting the others to see her tears. But before she had a chance to sob she spotted Pirk walking down the road as she looked down the cliff. Pirk looked up the cliff and screamed “they have escaped”
[ June 01, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
[ June 01, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]
Phervasaion
06-02-2003, 02:24 PM
Pherdur glanced at Evren as she lifted the small child onto her shoulder and carried it away. He then turned to the man fighting the orcs and noticed the blade he was carrying shatter into pieces across the floor and he was then defenceless.
"No," he thought to himself as the orcs captured the man and came running after Donlamir, himself and the woman that had cut the ropes on their wrists before. They tried to resist the orcs but it was hopeless with so many of them. One orc grabbed Pherdurs hands and feet and tied them back together so he couldn’t escape.
"Not getting away that easily!" the orc said as he lent over to him laughing in a vile way, Pherdur felt anger rise up inside of him.
"That’s what you think," Pherdur said in a stern voice, the orc turned around and the smile left his face as he took a swift punch at Pherdur. He could barely feel the orcs hand hit him as his face felt so numb. Once again the men were captured but luckily Evren had got away safely and was going to warn Fededhor and the others that the men had been captured.
Only a few minutes later, but it almost seemed like hours to Pherdur, they arrived at the orc camp, they were taken down into a small cave and thrown on the ground violently. Pherdur sat up noticing some other people being held captive here, he looked to see how many guards there were and at that moment there was no hope for escape for the people.
[ June 03, 2003: Message edited by: Phervasaion ]
Meoshi
06-06-2003, 02:42 PM
Morachion plummeted down the cliff, landing in a heap of rubble. His wounds hurt greatly, but they would heal. He walked slowly away, hobbling slightly as he felt twinges of pain in his legs.
Suddenly, he stopped. There, right in front of him, was an orc, dead. It was one of the snagas, cleaved in two by some huge sword. He passed it by.
Then, he halted again. The body of another orc lay pinned to a tree by an arrow. The arrowhead dripped with blood. Morachion pondered this, and the female human's ability to throw him, one of the great spiders of Mordor, from a ledge. Perhaps humans were not to be fought with. He would not interfere in their actions again, thought the spider, as he walked away, far to the north, far from the terrible men of Gondor.
Morachion was seen in later days, living among the spiders of Mirkwood. There many creatures found death in his webs, but among the Elves of Thranduil it is said that he always cut humans free from his webs when they wandered in, for fear of retribution from others of their race.
Malcu Luinthol
06-06-2003, 03:47 PM
Unglusch continued his approach into the camp, looking around as he stepped slowly closer. He sensed something nearby. Tarks. He shot a few arrows towards them before leaping onto Grulfang and speeding away towards the black gate. He would report the loss of the raiding party to the lieutenant of Sauron and make up a story about his escape. He would have his revenge against the tarks one day...
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
06-06-2003, 05:37 PM
Farien struggled wildly as the orc that was carrying her threw her to the ground. Now that they were far from the road the beasts seemed content to gloat over their recaptured prisoners. The nearest one leaned in toward her and growled, "Nothing but trouble, you human filth, all the same." Farien spat in its face, and it leaned even closer. "You know what we do to troublemakers..." he said in a low his as he dealt her a harsh blow with the back of his hand. Farien tried to hide the fact that her whole body was shaking. She kept her face as still as she could and didn't respond.
Abruptly, the orc pulled her to her feet and cut the bonds on her ankles. Eregiath, nearby, had already been hauled upright and was being marched toward the forest with the two soldiers, Pherdur and Donlamir, close behind. A whimpering sound brought Farien's attention to her daughters. Arrin and Serra were also being forced to walk across the grass. The orcs stood them all in a line.
Farien froze with horror as she saw the biggest of the orcs draw a great rusty sword. The first of the soldiers, Pherdur, drew himself up to his full height. The look on his face registered acceptance. "This is what we do to troublemakers," the orc that had been Farien's guard hissed in her ear. Farien's eyes grew wide as she realized what was coming. Wrenching free of the orc's grasp she shoved Serra and Arrin toward the woods.
"Run!" she screamed, "Run! Hide!" Arrin stood for a second, wide-eyed looking at her mother as though she'd gone mad, but six-year old Serra understood. Grabbing Arrin's hand she dragged her into the woods. Farien's orc guard shoved her roughly to the ground.
"Think they'll do better out there?" he roared at her. "They're as dead as you are." he dealt Farien a vicious kick with an iron shod foot. "Too much trouble to find the little ones." He called to his comerades who were bound for the bushes where Serra and Arrin had disappeared. "They'd barely make a snack."
Dragging Farien back upright her guard turned her to look where Pherdur and Donlamir already lay on the ground, blood forming a sticky puddle on the ground around them. Farien turned helpless eyes toward Eregiath who gave her a small tight smile. The big orc swung the rusty sword above his head. Her whole body tensed as she watched the sword hit her husband's neck, saw him cruple to the ground suddenly drenched in his own blood. She tried to scream, but all the sound she could make was a weak whimper.
"It's your turn now, Missy," her captor croaked, "And the honor's all mine." He spun a long dagger in his hands as he approached her. The shape and color of the handle told her that ironically, it was the same dagger she'd stolen from the orc Eregiath had killed in the cave. Farien's knees gave way, and the orc pulled her upright by the hair. She clamped her eyes shut as he approached, her whole body trembling. There was a sharp pain in her throat as the knife cut her, that quickly faded to a dull ache. Something warm and wet covered the front of her, and Farien knew it was her own blood, but she could neither move or speak and slowly everying faded to black before her eyes.
*****************************
Serra stumbled through the woods blindly, twigs slapping her in the face as she ran. The muted sound of Arrin crying behind her was the only sound she heard, and her own tears were blurring her vision. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was doing what Mommy said, get away from the orcs.
When Arrin and Serra thought they could run no farther the sound of voices stopped them. Serra froze, placing one hand over Arrin's mouth. The voices grew closer, and Serra no longer had to strain her ears to hear them over her pounding heart.
Arrin mumbled beside her. "Shush!" Serra said sharply, clamping her hand even harder over her sister's mouth. Soon, however, the hand was quickly withdrawn with a small whimper as Serra felt Arrin's tiny sharp teeth sink into it. "Why did you do that!" she hissed, wiping her palm on her filthy dress.
"Serra, it's Emilia!" Arrin said. Taking a few more cautious steps through the trees, the two girls could clearly see Georelelia's blond daughter with a cluster of children around her. Unable to suppress their relief, they staggered down the hillside toward the familiar faces.
[ June 06, 2003: Message edited by: Sophia the Thunder Mistress ]
Lyra Greenleaf
06-06-2003, 06:59 PM
Lara saw the Orcs come towards them with a sickening sense of doom. It seemed that she would be going to meet Ered soon enough. With a sigh she turned to Georelelia.
"We have to get the children out. There may be no other way than to stall the monsters by fighting them"
Georelelia nodded slowly.
"I think you're right" she finally replied softly. Lara thought she could see tears glimmering in her eyes as they were in her own.
"I think Emilia could take care of them" Georelelia said in a wobbly voice, then went to organise the children.
Lara turned to the other women.
"It seems like the end for us" she said carefully, trying to avoid her voice breaking. "but we can keep our children safe if we try. There are plenty of rocks around here. If we hurry we will be ready for them by the time they climb the hill."
Resignation appeared on most faces as Lara gazed at them. She felt the lump in her throat grow.
"We need to say goodbye quickly" she whispered, kissing Laila's head. The baby gurgled happily and tangled a finger in Lara's hair.
"I love you" she whispered into her scalp. "I love you and your father loved you. Everything is for you. Have a long, happy life and one day I will see you again."
She hadn't noticed that she was crying but now the tears splashed onto her cheeks. All around she could see mothers saying goodbye, hugging toddlers, explaining to tearful older children. She didn't want to break the scene up but knew it was necessary.
With the sensation of tearing out her own heart she walked over to Georelelia and her children. Slowly she put Laila into Emilia's arms.
"Take care of my baby" she whispered, then turned away. She determined not to look back, and instead glanced at Georelelia. The woman nodded with tearstained cheeks.
"It is time. The children must leave. We must be ready if there is to be any hope."
Niluial
06-07-2003, 07:37 AM
Georeliela looked at her daughter, leading all the children. They ran down a hill with their small feet hitting the ground. Georeliela wanted to run after her daughter but she knew she could not.
Lara’s face went pale as she saw the orcs run up the hill. Some on horses and some ran on their bare foul feet. They each held weapons.. long treacherous weapons. They stabbed a few people and tormented another few. Lara and Georeliela ran crying. One orc grabbed Georeliela and stabbed her with a sword.
Georeliela fell to the ground and put her hands to her stomach. Her hands were covered in blood. She lay on the ground and herd Lara scream “no”. Georeliela knew this was the end and she lay their breathing deeply remembering her daughters face. She felt her eyes shutting and her body going numb. The noise of dying people was faint. Her eyes shut and she lay there dead, never to speak or hear again.
Lyra Greenleaf
06-07-2003, 12:05 PM
Lara heard the footsteps of the children grow quieter as the drumming of the Orc's feet came closer and closer. She cast around for rocks, half blind with tears. She couldn't check that the other women were preparing themselves, she just had to trust them.
As the first monster came within range she cast down a rock at his head with all her strength. It stumbled, then got up. She had slowed it down, but it suddenly hit her with unescapable clarity that none of the women were going to get out.
All we can do is keep them here until the children have got far enough away, and hope they have not the wit to seperate and send half after the children.
With a gulp she picked up another rock and threw it at an approaching Orc. This one stayed down for a longer time, but they had reached the women now. Lara wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and deliberately straightened her back. I will make Ered and Laila proud, she thought grimly. She heard the sound of footsteps behind her and span, bringing yet another rock down firmly on an Orc's forehead. This time he didn't get up.
Turning again, Lara spotted a figure lying crumpled on the floor. It was Georelelia.
"No!" Lara wished she could see if her friend lived or not, but it was impossible.
'The best I can do for you is try to make sure that your daughter, and mine, will have a chance' she whispered to herself, once again scooping up stones and rocks.
She never saw the sword that killed her. There was a sudden sharp pain in her side, and then Lara fell to the floor. Darkness quickly claimed her, but somehow Lara thought that there was also an image of Ered, smiling.
Eru watch over my daughter, she thought vaguely as life, and pain, and grief all ebbed away with her blood.
GaladrieloftheOlden
06-08-2003, 12:17 PM
Herlion woke from his long slumber still in a muddy rut beside one of the main roads, covered in dirt and leaves. He felt a bit better than he had earlier, good enough now to crawl a bit. When he tried to stand, though, he still hurt all over and was full of pins and needles and certainly very dirty, but much fresher than when he had gotten away… when he had gotten away… He sat back down and put his head in his hands. What was I doing when I ran away?, he wondered. He had left behind his wife and children, not even tried to alert Iavas. His dark hair fell into his eyes, but he didn’t care, didn’t brush it away. He needed to get further away from the road… Herlion picked himself up a bit with a half smothered groan, and rolled down a bit on his side, falling into the woods. His sides ached now from the dirt getting into cuts, wounds, and welts, but he crawled on, further out. To him it seemed as though he had been crawling for hours, though in reality it was perhaps twenty minutes.
Finally he reached a tree the roots of which seemed to provide substantial height, which could hide himself behind on all but one side, and he settled down, trying not to cry out every time a branch brushed him as he lowered himself into the crack in the roots. When he was down, he tried to decide what to do now, where to go next. But his frenzied mind, sick with worry, would not let him stop thinking about his family. He was torn between two thoughts. He had to run away, for if he stayed here or went back, the orcs would catch him, and there would be no end to his misery but death. Even if he did manage to get back in without getting caught, he would be a slave till his death... but the other side of his mind screamed back at him: you would still be with Iavas! and that argument was probably more convincing to him than almost any other could be. And if he did get away from the orcs, What would he do? Where would he go? He had nobody in the world. All of his friends and his family were- had been- living in the village with him, were all now in the caves. His parents had died ten years 12 years previously. Did he know anybody in the world? Anybody at all? There was, of course, his brother, but he did not know where he was now, having not seen him for years, and whether he was even alive at all...
He shook the thoughts off. It would not do him any good to sit there, feeling guilty about his family. All that would happen would be that some roving orcs would find him and take him back to the caves, or more likely kill him on the spot... and, suddenly, sitting up with a jolt that made him grit his teeth at his reopening wounds, he realized that he may be not have been far at all from the truth when he thought that, for he heard harsh orc voices very close by, obvious among the soft noises of the forest. He shuddered involuntarily, his insides screaming at one another, as he pushed himself back into the crack, praying that only his messy dark mop of hair was at all visible above the ground. He could just barely see above the roots, narrowing. He suddenly understood what the expression ‘cold sweat’ meant as the orcs drew closer, now almost visible among the trees. A moment later, when the line of orcs came into sight, he was nearly drenched and shuddering. He fought a quick battle with himself and his more courageous and inquistive side won over, making him raise his face just a bit to be able to see the orcs. There seemed to be a rare one among them who was not bloody and slumped, and their speech sounded disgruntled in expression, though Herlion could not guess what they were talking about, knowing few tongues but his own. They seemed to be disagreeing about something, or perhaps that was their usual tone of voice. The train of orcs was not too long, and they all slouched, but the three at the back seemed to be sagging lower than most of the others.
Herlion waited as they came closer, then passed him, and went on. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, but when it was barely out of his mouth he sucked it back in with one of pity. Now that the orcs backs were to him, he could see why the three at the end of the line slouched. They carried three human prisoners. He winced. His own pain was still quite acute, and he could imagine what that of these men would be when they woke... then he stopped for a moment. Men? Two of them wore Gondorian uniforms, and were, but the other was a woman, and he again remembered Iavas. Moving slowly further down the path, the orcs swore and spoke as the ropes holding the three prisoners grew tighter and slackened, letting them hit the ground every other step... Thud... thud... thud...
Then, as he let his body fall back completely, no longer tense, he heard something ahead. There seemed to be some sort of commotion between the orcs, and he could hear swords. He strained his neck again, trying to see what was going on without falling out onto the path, and thought he could distinguish the voices of humans, though he could barely be sure of it, and then it seemed to him that he saw a shadow, human as well, it seemed, rush into the trees on the other side of the path... he was relieved that somebody had escaped, as he felt sorry for any that fell into the filthy hands of the orcs, but then he heard more voices, orcish ones, and the swishes of swords, and the sickening thuds of falling bodies, dying groans, and rushing blood... he turned around and was sick, feeling terrible.
By the time Herlion felt alright enough to walk, it was utterly dark. He stood, shakily, and walked across the path, going into the trees on the other side. His legs were weak and he was utterly exhausted. He walked, though he knew not where he was going, then crawled, then walked again. He knew he would not bear it for long, but he thought that he had seen the man or woman running away go in this direction, and he had nowhere to go anyhow. He had thought of going back to the orcs, but he remembered the sounds of the dying humans and was near to retching again. He could not bear the thought of his Iavas and his children being treated like that, but he could not go back... he barely remembered what direction he was headed in any more... he stumbled on, walking for as long as he could, then dropping onto all fours, pulling himself up, walking again.
Suddenly, he heard human voices. His ebbing strength returned, for a moment, because he thought that one of them sounded strangely familiar... and all of them were, unmistakably, human. He stepped onto the clearing straight ahead of him, and saw a group of men, in the uniform of Gondorian soldiers, sitting near some tents and looking very tired. Somewhere on the side lay a woman, seemingly asleep, and a child, his face tinted slightly greenish. But then he did not see anything but the face of one man... and, though many years had passed, and the face of his brother showed the strain of it, he was as easy to recognize as he had been years before. The other men jumped up with their weapons, but the two still stared at each other with expressions of strange recognition. Finally, Herlion spoke. "Fededhor...?"
He took a step forward, but then a few things happened. The child stirred, moaning, and most of the men turned their faces towards him. The woman sat up, rubbing her eyes, dried blood on her clothes and face. But, more importantly, there was a sound of tramping very near by, and it was too late to run… Herlion froze. Everybody was holding up their weapons. The woman grabbed the child, ran into the woods. Somebody seemed to remember Herlion, and, a moment later, a long knife was in his hand, for all of the swords were taken. He looked at it for a moment in disbelief, for he had not even touched anything remotely resembling a weapon in such a long time... he barely remembered how to use one.
Just before the orcs barged into the clearing, the woman ran back in, breathless, minus the child, but with a sword. Herlion went to stand beside Fededhor, for he was sure that they did not stand a chance against the orcs, and wanted to be by his brother in his last moments. Then in came the orcs... he saw Fededhor’s sword swing at one, and ducked, the weapon going right over his head, cleaving the neck of an orc. He thrust out his knife as an orc face leered at him, cutting the grinning mouth, causing it to roar with pain and annoyance. He tried to hew it down, but his long-knife was not the right weapon for such a case... but suddenly somebody’s sword cut into it from the back, and it fell, with a shriek of terrifying pain which reminded Herlion, unnacountably, of the sounds of the dying people he had heard on the path... he looked up at his brother and saw the pile of orcs around him already, all dead or dying, and smiled at him with a sense of pride. Suddenly, an orc-arrow hit him in the throat. He choked and coughed blood, but still the uncanny smile did not disappear. He died with a joyful smile playing on his lips, dropping to the ground, soon cold. But even in death, his lips curved upward still, for the happy memory of his life before.
GaladrieloftheOlden
06-08-2003, 07:14 PM
Evren slept still, exhausted through and through. She did not feel the child stirring at her side, nor hear the voices of the men around her. She knew, vaguely, that when she woke she would need to tell them where Donlamir and Pherdur were, why the child was with her, that they needed to rescue the villagers... but for now she would not, could not. Then her sleep deepened still more, not letting her think at all. Dreamless sleep of exhaustion. And then, perhaps a few hours later, she woke, hearing something...
She took in the scene around her with some surprise. She was lying on the ground still, and still drowsy, but everything around her had changed. It was night-time already, and the men all stood alert, except for Fededhor, looking at another man standing at the edge of the clearing. He was not one of them... but he and Fededhor were staring at each other with an expression that she could not place. And then it was too late to think about anything more, for she heard the unmistakable sound of orcs coming their way... everybody grabbed their swords. Evren was about to take up her own when she realized, suddenly, that the boy was still with her. She picked him up and ran swiftly into the woods. He would be safer there... a sick child had no chance between fighting orcs and men. She took him out a bit, and put him down on the ground, grunting slightly with the effort of having carried him this far. He moved a bit, and she noticed only then that his eyes were open. She smiled at him distractedly and told him, with no time for explainantions, to stay there until she returned. But as she ran back to the clearing, she glanced back, and saw him rushing into the trees... and there seemed to be a group of children waiting for him there. Evren rubbed her eyes but had no time to go back, as she knew that the orcs were coming. Her breath came in ragged pants as she picked up her sword and stood next to the other men, waiting for the fight. The new man was standing next to Fededhor, she noted...
Then the orcs burst out of the trees and were upon them. Her fighting discipline was gone, everything she had been taught... she merely swung her sword at the orcs, cleaving heads, receiving cuts herself, ignoring it all... it seemed to her that the tide of the battle was in their favor, for the amount of orcish bodies around her and the others, as well as the red shade of the grass, grew and grew, but then it turned again... she saw a man fall with a groan, then another. Then the new man, fighting next to Fededhor, dropped with an arrow in his throat. Fededhor looked agonized... She tried to go on ignoring things, but couldn’t, for seeing orcs die was one thing... seeing the same happen to men was another matter.
Then her eyes fell, for suddenly there were many orcs around her, hewing with their axes. She almost dropped her sword as her hand was cut, blood spewing. She tried to switch to her other hand, but then she faltered, for one of the dead mens’ eyes were turned to her, and they held a terrified expression which she echoed instantly in a scream of despair, as she saw more men falling, falling... she picked up speed again a moment later, but it was too late. The axes moved too fast. It was only by a bit, but it was enough... each inch she stepped back, every dodge she didn’t-quite-accomplish, every neck she didn’t-quite-hew- they were losses, and they showed. So when the last axe caught her in the arm, making her fall, she would have been almost relieved had it not been for the terrible pain of her leaving strength, and the terrible need to retch at seeing a part of her body separate from the rest... she could not breathe next, for a stone was thrown down at her stomache, knocking the wind out of her. She lay in a puddle of rusty red, gritting her teeth, trying not to yell or be sick, but could not help herself. Her dying scream echoed through the clearing, achingly pained expression showing through in the sound. But she was forgotten, and she watched in agony as the others writhed, but were given quick deaths... and as she died, her last thought was about the unacomplished dream of reclaiming the city.
Sophia the Thunder Mistress
06-08-2003, 11:55 PM
Telmir looked up at Evren's face as she set him gently on the ground in the trees. "Stay here." she told him in a hushed voice, but Telmir didn't obey. He'd heard something, a sound in the woods, a voice he recognized. As Evren staggered back into the battle, Telmir wearily dragged himself to his feet.
"Emilia!" he called into the forest, his eyes peering through the dense undergrowth as he staggered in the direction of the sound. "Serra! Arrin!" It was Emilia's voice Telmir had heard, but where Georelelia's daughter was, his sisters would be also. Telmir was certain of it. He wasn't entirely sure where he was, or how he'd been separated from the rest of the group. But it didn't matter, he'd found them again.
Pushing a branch aside Telmir caught sight of a tiny golden head in the distance. "Arrin..." he said hoarsely, breaking into a run and stumbling toward the small group of children. Emilia's face broke into a wide smile when she saw him. Telmir stopped short, stunned, looking at the group.
"Where are my parents?" he asked in a soft voice. "Where are your parents, Emilia?" The girl clutched the baby she was holding tighter and shrugged her shoulders, choking back tears.
"Dead."
Telmir's eyes filled with tears, but he dashed them away quickly. He couldn't cry like that in front of girls. "Well." he said in a strangled voice, "We'll have to find our own way back then." Serra passed him the young child she held in her arms, and Arrin took his other hand. "I think there's a village this way," he gestured with his chin. "We'd better get going."
Emilia smiled and nodded, and the small group of children filed off silently in the direction Telmir had suggsted. A group of tiny survivors leaving in search of safety.
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