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Old 01-15-2007, 01:32 AM   #318
Regin Hardhammer
Shade of Carn Dûm
 
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Tumunzahar/Nogrod
Posts: 364
Regin Hardhammer has just left Hobbiton.
Ishkur had meant to go immediately and find the three women so that he could give them the small bags of coins. But the smell of ale was so inviting that he preferred not to leave until he'd had a drink or two. He spent the next hour with his arm draped around Gwerr's shoulders. The two of them let loose with loud choruses from a bawdy ballad and made toasts to each other and their good fortune in discovering the chest.

Perhaps Ishkur was a little skittish about searching for Ungolt and her two companions to present them with his gifts. He had never given anyone a gift in his whole life, except for some bribes to an orc commander, and he didn't think that those really counted. He wasn't sure what he would say to the women. The wind had died down outside and the sky was getting darker when Ishkur stood up, scooped up the leather pouches, and without saying anything more to Gwerr stomped out of the tent. As he trudged quickly through the camp, he could see small groups of orcs scattered around and drinking. Some were going through the slavers' bedrolls and stripping out whatever they could find. Others had already drunk too much and were passed out on the ground.

If Ishkur's head had been clear, he would have tried to kick these orcs in the behind or take them by the collar and shake them. It wasn't a good idea for orcs to be lying half dead in the middle of the slavers' camp, even if the fighters were unlikely to return for many hours. But Ishkur was thinking about his gift to the women and his head was already buzzing from too much ale so he just kept walking.

Although he saw no sign of Zagra or Mazhg, he still kept looking. Finally, near the mouth of the pit where the slave prisoners had been kept earlier, he found the young Ungolt sorting through a pile of what looked like junk. She looked up at him warily clutching something in her hand.

"What's that?" he barked.

"Nothing," she replied, slipping her hands behind her back.

"It looks like something to me." He went over to have a look and poked his nose closer.

Reluctantly, Ungolt held out her treasure. "A bow.....it's a bow. Someone must have forgotten about it. The string is broken but the rest of it is fine. And there are even two arrows."

Ishkur ran his fingers over the curved wood and picked up one of the arrows. "They're yours," he grunted, depositing the things back in the woman's lap. "I won't take it. In fact, I'll show you how to make a new string and some more arrows. But you'll have to wait till we get some place with more game and more wood."

"Anyways, that'd not why I came. This is for you....you and your friends Zagra and Mazhg." He dumped three small pouches in Ungolt's lap. She bent down and felt the bulky outline of one of the bags.

"Coins? This is for me?" Ungolt sounded as if she didn't believe what she was saying.

Ishkur grunted in response, "Yah, and for those other two..... your friends. It should help you get started."

Ungolt opened her mouth and then closed it. She wasn't used to getting presents. The only gifts she'd ever gotten from men were in exchange for things she'd done or promises she'd made. But she had made no promises to Ishkur, and she was truly puzzled why he was doing this. She was afraid to accept the gift but she didn't want to say no. So instead she replied, "Some day I will pay you back. Maybe not with money. I am not very good at getting money, but by backing you up or getting you out of trouble." She took the pouches, grabbed the bow, and went off searching for Zagra and Mazhg.

Ishkur couldn't help laughing as he tramped off. He could not imagine a situation where he would ever need the help of a woman in getting out of trouble. He was about to walk away when he suddenly heard a noise coming from the bottom of the pit......

Last edited by Regin Hardhammer; 01-15-2007 at 02:00 AM.
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