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Old 01-25-2008, 06:10 PM   #16
Nogrod
Flame of the Ainulindalė
 
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wearing rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves in a field behaving as the wind behaves
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Nogrod is wading through the Dead Marshes.Nogrod is wading through the Dead Marshes.Nogrod is wading through the Dead Marshes.Nogrod is wading through the Dead Marshes.Nogrod is wading through the Dead Marshes.Nogrod is wading through the Dead Marshes.
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The three; Stigend, Garstan and Léof walked towards the burnt hall.

”I see... but I think they will stay calm for a while after the journey as you said”, said Garstan as they approached the ruins.

The grass underneath their feet grew suddenly darker. First only the tops of the grass were charred but soon it was all black and wasted under their feet.

”But we need the lines before the sun sets... Who will go after the horses tomorrow if they’re left free to roam themselves overnight?” Léof insisted.

Garstan nodded fully knowing he had no answer to Léof’s concerns.

They walked over the charred grass. Stigend’s pace was resolute like he had his mind set only to the goal they had.

”This will just take a moment...” said Stigend who had now reached the stone structure and jumped over it landing on a pile of burnt debris. There was a burst of ash that spread over them all forming a kind of a cloud that denied them any view around for a while.

”Okay, c’mon! It’s just a ashes!”, Stigend yelled to his companions in the middle of the cloud of dust. After it started to settle down at the edges he called them once more. ”Do yo see anything. I can’t?”

”There, to your left! It looks like a pole that goes under the rabble!” Garstan called to Stigend.

“Good!” Stigend yelled. “Garstan! Go and check it! And throw away any stuff on top of it! Knock it then and listen if it’s firm or hollow!” He then turned to face Léof. “Follow me Léof, we’ll check the middle... that’s the most vulnerable part...”

A cloud of ashes bursted upwards as the three made their way towards the ridgepole. Many eyes turned to stare the phenomenon even if their own duties called them otherwise.

Finally Stigend and Léof reached the center of the earlier hall and started to pull away the debris. Even more ash was dusting around as they pulled charred planks and burnt grass fallen from the roof to clear the way.

“Here it is! It looks good!” Léof shouted as he had pulled the trash from on top of the ridgepole. “It must be this! It goes from there from where Garstan is standing to the other end.”

“Go to the other end of the building and find the other end. I’ll check if this is good enough” Stigend told Léof and turned towards the part of the ridgepole they had just uncovered.

He fell down to his knees and placed his ear towards the ridgepole knocking it with her wrist first. Then he took his hatchet and knocked the log with the backside of it listening intensly for the sound.

“Okay guys! It’s good! It has not burnt into the core! We can use it!” He looked at Garstan who was at the other end of the pole. “Just bring the debris around you down... we’ll lift it in a minute”

Stigend turned the other way seeing Léof struggling over the debris every now and then through the cloud of ashes his advence created.

Just waiting for Léof to make it to his end and to call for a lift-off Stigend looked around him.



There was a skull there just a few feet from his feet. He fell to his arms and started shoving away the burnt mixture of earth, grass and wood. It was a burnt skeleton of a child. And there was another one right beside the first one, an adult figure clinging to the child. Even if he hadn’t revealed all there was to it he had seen enough.

“Ready?” called Garstan when Léof had actually reached the other end of the hall and waved for him.

Stigend came to his senses soon enough and waved both ways. “With my call... one... two... three...”

The ridgepole emerged from under the debris and was hoisted above it. A cloud of ash bursted from the debris dropping down on the charred ground.

“Can you make it?” Stigend yelled hearing only groans and puffs of the others at first while wielding all the strenght he had himself to hoist the ridgepole up.

The ridgepole moved upwards but it was encircled by a cloud of ashes around where the pieces of charred debris tumbled off from it. Stigend felt his friends were up to the task as the weight of the pole lessened even if he couldn't actually see them.

“Let’s bring it out from here... Slowly... Slowly” he called.

The ridgepole started to move forwards. Slowly but steadily it moved... everyone bringing it on feeling the way the others carried it.

“Feel the pressure and act likewise!” shouted Garstan as they came towards the stony structure.

“I’m at the corner! Wait!” called Léof as he reached the actual corner of the house. “The corner is still intact here as it has not being burnt down! I need help! I can’t hoist this over it myself”

“Thornden!” Stigend yelled out aloud wishing to hear a reply.

"I'm here!" came the answer from near enough and from the direction Léof was in. "I'll help him..." Stigend couldn’t see Thornden from behind the cloud of ashes their advance had produced but he realised he was near Léof.

Hoisting the ridgepole over the higher corner required some effort from the four but eventually it came over.

Still panting Stigend turned to Léof and Thronden “Would either one of you take the middle? You three will easily bring this one to where we will build the baker..."

“What?” shouted Garstan.

“Just bring this ridgepole to where we will build our baker. I need to see lord Eodwine... there's something he needs to know. Let’s discuss this later” Stigend answered.

After Léof came to take his position Stigend rushed away from the burnt hall to meet his lord.

“Lord Eodwine!“ Stigend yelled as he ran out from the ruins and finally reached his master.

Eodwine turned to his carpenter and looked at him with a curious expression but he had already caught the tone of his retainer’s voice.

Stigend came close to Eodwine and then whispered. “There’s a child and an adult there... They’ve been burned inside.”

Last edited by Nogrod; 01-27-2008 at 07:23 AM.
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