The value of the elves as an advance party had perhaps been undermined by the bickering of Erenor and Angore. Noldorin ladies of high rank do not appreciate being overruled by their guards; still less to they enjoy being undermined publically and before mortals. Erenor would have had to have deferred to Berethil and maybe even to Ereglin, the longest serving elven emissary, but, despite her respect for Angore as a ranger and fighter, she felt he had overstepped the mark. And she had refused to yield.
Since Angore was determined to stay ahead and Erenor was equally determined not to be left behind , they had moved swiftly. Faerim was young and agile and well able able to keep up with their steps if not the hissed exchanges in Sindarin ( though the elvish tongue was still known and used among the Dunedain, the speed and volume of their speech made it hard to distinguish their words ). Their gist, however, was easy enough to follow.
The scream roused them from the folly of their dispute. It rang and echoed aroung the tunnel and caused the elves and the boy to turn and retrace their steps, their light footfalls obscured by the lasting resonance of that terrible cry.
As it subsided, Erenor sensed another duller sound, it seemed, from the other direction .. the one they had been heading for before the scream. It was duller, irregular but repeated frequently - like the pounding of great drums out of time. The sound was still distant but getting nearer, heavier. Looking at Angore she knew he heard it too, though it was yet beyond mortal sense.
"Faerim, if you aren't wearing that armour, I suggest you put it on very soon, but now draw your sword and run". The elves and the boy fled back towards the scream, Erenor careful to keep Faerim ahead of her, for whatever Angore had said, she felt his young life to be precious. As she ran, Erenor tried to reach the mind of Bethiril - both to discover the cause of the scream and to warn them of the danger that threatened, for the sound had not augured a friendly presence, rather about the worst thing that she could imagine finding in a cave save a dragon.
Last edited by Mithalwen; 04-18-2005 at 01:30 PM.
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