[Mithadan]

Grrralph had watched in stunned amazement as Minus Teeth burned. His attempt to limit the fire through a controlled burn had merely served to cap Minus Teeth's destruction. And as the flames rose, they drilled a cavity into his heart that he felt could never be filled. For here he had toiled for years to create a new home for himself after he left his...former employer. He sighed, remembering the many bedpans and soiled linens he had changed, the patients suffering from contagious diseases that he had comforted, the intestinal flu that had struck the city a few months ago... On the other hand, he had been advanced his vacation pay and his purse was full. He shrugged and turned away, whistling happily as he led his horse towards the back gate.

On a whim, and for no reason other than that he had no place better to go, he followed the Gallowship as it beat a hasty retreat from the city. He caught up to them as they made camp a few miles from the ex-Minus Teeth and dismounted. Ignoring the suspicious looks he received from Orogarn Two and Vogonwe, he approached Merisu with a nod.

She looked up at him in surprise, but smiled. "Why, Grrralph," she said. "Are you coming with us?" Behind Grrralph, several members of the Gallowship began attempting to catch Merisu's attention, waving their arms and shaking their heads wildly.

"Well, I wouldn't want to impose," he began. At that, Vogonwe began nodding his head so vigorously that his bow fell out of his hair. "But in truth, I have nowhere to go. What is your destination?"

Merisu stood proudly, her luxurious hair waving in the wind. "We are on a quest," she proclaimed. "We have gathered the pieces of the Ent that was Broken and now we go to reunify it!"

Grrralph's burning red eyes focused upon her for several long minutes as he digested this information. "Uh, yeah," he responded. "Well that soundsss very nice..."

At that moment Pimpi interrupted. "Yes," she interjected. "We have travelled far and wide across Muddled Mirth seeking these pieces of wood that can talk and have brought them together and must now get them rejoined!"

At times like these, Grrralph was painfully aware of his inability to blink, scowl or otherwise exhibit any facial expression of incredulity. Typically, such a reminder annoyed him, sometimes resulting in his taking swift action upon the source of his annoyance. But Merisu and Pimpi had been his co-workers, and, unlike others who had upon occasion made light of his physical appearance or mental agility (may they rest in peace), had always treated him with respect. So he restrained his natural impulses, suspended his disbelief and instead requested clarification.

"Uh, what?" he replied eloquently.

"We are taking the pieces of the Ent to a great healer, if we can find one," clarified Merisu.

A long and mournful wail was Grralph's response. When he was through (and the members of the Fellow/Gal-ship uncovered their ears) he cried out, "A healer? Yes! I will join you if you will have me! My sword is your!" He swept out his pale blade and waved it in the air, neatly slicing seven horseflies in half with one blow.

"Of course you may join us!" answered Merisu. The wind rushing over the plain sounded suspiciously like a groan at her words. Behind the tall figure, Earnur slapped his forehead and issued an ancient blessing, "Doh!"

Birdland's Post:

“Dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh“
The timeless cry echoed across the length of Grundor, causing all who heard it to dig at their ears with a fingernail, or suck their teeth. It rolled down the slopes of Mount Middlin’, ricocheted off the flame-licked but inviolate stucco of the Citibank, turned left at Ozfestiath, missed the exit ramp at Nindolt, and scattered willy-nilly-hey-dol-derry-O across Muddled Mirth.

‘Til at last it reach a small, dark, mysterious backwater of a forest, (I’m not sure where, but you can bet the Gallowship will pass through there sometime in the near future.)

“Dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”

Dozens upon dozens of shadowy forms immediately lifted sharp, pointed ears to the sky. (Yeah, kinda like an elf ear, but more curved towards the tip, and they don’t have that fleshy part at the bottom. Yeah, like that.) Wide luminous eyes (No, bigger…like a Keane painting. Think of an angst-ridden hobbit.) batted impossibly long eyelashes in alarm. And the answering cries (Higher. No, higher…that’s it.) went up.

“Prrrrrrrttttttt?”

“Aaaawwwwwppppp?”

“Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?”

And of course “Meep?”

Then, light-footed as thistledown, one shadowy form climbed to the tippy-top branch in the forest, sniffed the air and called in a high, clear voice (No, higher than that!) “He lives!”

And its fellows below responded: “And we hatesssss it foreverrrrrrr!”

[ July 29, 2003: Message edited by: Mithadan ]