[Nogrod]

In the morning the Villagers found the Chieftain of Haladin leaning backwards on the stairs of the Great Hall, staring emptily nowhere in particular, pale and sweating, breathing heavily.

“They came to me at Night…”, Haldir forced himself to speak as he saw his father’s face leaning over him. “They took me by surprise and there were too many of them… they blindfolded me and they bit me… they made cuts in me with knives and… they… they licked the wounds…” His voice failed for a moment. “It was a nightmare…”

“Haldir!” Glóredhel ran forwards from the crowd but fell trembling on her knees.

Hareth tried to wrestle her father away from her brother. “You must stay away from him! Father do you hear me!” With the help of Huor’s strong hands they managed to draw the sobbing old man away from his son and heir.

Back in the crowd Morwen hushed Túrin to go and take little Brandir away: “Just go and don’t let him any near his grandparents, please Túrin! You like Brandir, right? It is for his own good he stays away from there! Be a big boy now, go!”

As both Halmir and Glóredhel had been moved farther away from poor Haldir, and little Túrin did take care of Brandir pulling him away from the circle around his grandfather, Húrin stepped forwards. “These are evil tidings. So it’s not only an Evil Breath spreading – there are some cursed people behind it spreading it on purpose! People strong enough to overpower uncle Haldir together”

There was a moment of total silence. A short warble of a chaffinch felt like mockery in their ears. A voice from another world.

“Let’s pull him in to the Hall, but be careful!” Húrin added, looking to his household staff. Looking then around the crowd he added sternly: “We’ll do it”. With that also blind Ragnir nodded. He knew his masters call.

“No, no, godchild…” Haldir murmured under heavy breath. “Don’t you anyone risk yourselves. Your destinies lie higher than withering away in this little village.” He managed a thin smile, even if it wasn’t exactly reassuring, if that was what it was meant to be. “I can creep or crawl in… if you just open the door.” With that he started slowly turning around trying to get on all fours.

Húrin hesitated, but then nodded to his servants, and Sador hurried to open the heavy door to the Hall.

The people watched silently by as Haldir crawled slowly up the few stairs hissing and puffing, clearly in great pain and looking far too weak to make it – but still he did it.

There were tears of compassion in everyone’s eyes when Sador finally closed the door after Haldir had disappeared inside.

It took some time for Húrin to gather himself, but in the end he managed to steady his voice: “Come, eat and drink in the barn to strengthen yourselves. We have a long Day ahead of us.”


~*~

Dead, yes dead

Nogrod – “The Badger”, the Mod (dead on Night1)

Quarantined

Galadriel 55 – Andróg, the Cobbler (voted into QT on Day1)
Rikae – Haldir, formerly healthy person (infected by the shady Infectors on Night2)

Hanging around

Thinlómien
Legate of Amon Lanc
Huinesoron
Loslote
Pitchwife
Kath
Lhunardawen
Inziladun
Kitanna
A Little Green
Boromir88
Urwen
Lalaith
Brinniel
Eönwë
Macalaure
Rune Son of Bjarne
THE Ka
Satansaloser2005
Shastanis Althreduin


It is now Day2.

The word is free.