[mark12_30]

Here's what no longer works, from the game thread... Since posting has stalled, I figured I'd leave it here... not sure what else to do with it.

******

The three elves and Ravion had nocked arrows and ready bows; Echo and the other horses slowed to a trot; ahead of them, the three figures had stopped. One was an Elf, another a small, skinny, hairless man, and Mellonin, asleep. The Elf stood on a little hillock.

Amroth glanced at Raefindan. "This is the one you seek?"

"Yes!" said Raefindan.

The elf spoke. "Come no closer, if you value the life of this maiden!"

Amroth's lips tightened; Echo's head dropped, and the group halted.

"Ah," said Tharonwe, "the resemblance is remarkable."

Amroth said nothing. Erebemlin spoke. "Release the captive."

Amroth waited, his eyes cold and dark.

"I do not think you are in any position to give me orders, Lorien Elf." Tharonwe raised a sharp knife to Mellonin's face. The elvish bows tightened.

The little man licked his lips hungrily.

"You have never taken orders, faithless one. For that you shall answer, " said Erebemlin.

"Do you think I jest?" Tharonwe asked, his mouth twisted in anger. "You will wake up now, maiden," said Tharonwe. Mellonin's eyes blinked open. "If, Amroth, or Mellondu, maybe I should call you, you do not swear to end your quest, this woman's pain is caused by you." The short ugly man held Mellonin in a firm grip, her hands behind her back.

Amroth raised an eyebrow. “So you say, false one, but I do not hold the knife. Your cruelty is your own. The evil you do is yours.”

"You call it evil, I call it necessity. You shall not have Nimrodel. She is mine!"

Raefindan saw three heads moving through the water toward Tharonwe. Taitheneb and Erebemlin shifted their aim to the swimmers.

“I will not cease my quest. And Nimrodel shall never be yours, knave.” Amroth bent his will on the dark elf-'s hand, and his arm began to shake.

"You cannot overwhelm me, Amroth."

“Nor you defeat me, dark one.”

The three elves bent their will against the dark elf, and he quailed slightly, but recovered.

"Release the girl,” said Erebemlin.

"My blade will cut poorly then, and that will be to your blame." Tharonwe's shaking knife cut Mellonin's face. The blade went deep. Mellonin screamed.

A cry came from him the dark elf too, as Erebemlin's arrow pierced his shoulder. The dark elf's arm jerked, and more blood flowed down Mellonin’s face.

Taitheneb's arrow flew into the dark elf's throat.

“Stop!” cried Amroth. “Do not kill him! Take him captive!”

The dark elf, blood trickling from his throat, sliced one more time at Mellonin before the knife fell from his hand. But the water around him swirled, and strange shapes came out of the water.