[Frodo Baggins]

Home......the beautiful snow covered mountains that glowed in the sunrise....the sigh of wind through the pine trees.....

Cromthal woke swiflty from his dream, and was grieved to find that it was only a dream. Something had awakened him, but he wasn't sure what. *Thunk* Cromthal felt his heart skip a beat. The sound had come from just outside the door. Where was Rirrym? Over there in the rocking chair. Cromthal wondered why he as sleeping there.

A rustling sound was coming from outside the door. Cromthal, trembling and breifly noticing the blanket he had not put on the bed, slipped out of bed and dug Caladbolg, his sword, out of his luggage.

"Cromthal, what are you doing?"

Already tense, Cromthal nearly jumped out of his skin at Rirrym's voice. "Afraid I would bite, Rirrym?" he asked shakily.

"What are you doing?"

I heard something outside the room, Rirrym, in the corridor."

"Go back to sleep, Cromthal, you were dreaming." Rirrym continued. Then they both heard it, a rustling, a thump and a bit of a scraping sound on the door. Rirrym stood up, Cromthal froze and shrank aganst the wall. In a very quiet, shaky whisper he said "Now you and I heard it and we were both wide awake. What is it?"

[ February 11, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]