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Old 03-26-2008, 03:06 PM   #91
Legate of Amon Lanc
A Voice That Gainsayeth
 
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
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Legate of Amon Lanc is spying on the Black Gate.Legate of Amon Lanc is spying on the Black Gate.Legate of Amon Lanc is spying on the Black Gate.Legate of Amon Lanc is spying on the Black Gate.Legate of Amon Lanc is spying on the Black Gate.Legate of Amon Lanc is spying on the Black Gate.
Cruel Caradhras

Nothing further happened that night. The next morning dawned even brighter than before. But the air was chill again; already the wind was turning back towards the east. For two more nights they marched on, climbing steadily but ever more slowly as their road wound up into the hills, and the mountains towered up, nearer and nearer. On the third morning Caradhras rose before them, a mighty peak, tipped with snow like silver, but with sheer naked sides, dull red as if stained with blood.

The Company set out with good speed at first; but soon their way became steep and difficult. Laboriously they climbed up, and then dim white flakes of snow began to fall upon their heads and shoulders.
They went on. But before long the snow was falling fast, filling all the air, and swirling into their eyes. The wind whistled and the snow became a blinding blizzard. Now Radagast was leading the way, but he went on slowly, leaning on his staff. The snow was already ankle-deep about his boots and it kept falling. Soon even Uglúk found it hard to keep going. Tom Bombadil trod the deep snow in his high yellow boots, but he was not singing anymore. It was plain that they could not go much further. The Elves were the only ones who felt no fatigue. Halbarad the Ranger was silent and covered his face from the snow. Éomer's feet felt like lead, and Théodred was thinking about sitting in a saddle, though he knew that a horse would have been no use up here. Lobelia was dragging behind. Even Dáin, as stout as any dwarf could be, was grumbling as he trudged.
The Company halted suddenly, as if they had come to an agreement without any words being spoken. They heard eerie noises in the darkness round them. It may have been only a trick of the wind in the cracks and gullies of the rocky wall, but the sounds were those of shrill cries, and wild howls of laughter.

And then, stones began to fall from the mountain-side, whistling over their heads, or crashing on the path beside them. Every now and again they heard a dull rumble, as a great boulder rolled down from hidden heights above.
"We cannot go further tonight," said Halbarad. "Let those call it the wind who will; there are fell voices on the air; and these stones are aimed at us."
"I do call it the wind," said Elrohir. "But that does not make what you say untrue. There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those that go on two legs, and yet are not in league with Sauron, but have purposes of their own. Some have been in this world longer than he."
Tom kept looking around, as if trying to pierce the veils of snow by his gaze. "Let us go, as quick as we are able! This is not good place for us to stay. Old Tom knows too well, although he was not here ever before," he said.
"But what shall we do?" asked Uglúk. "We cannot just give up! There is no other way!"
"We have to go back," said Radagast. "It is no good going on. And sure Caradhras has more snow yet to fling at us, if we go on. The sooner we go back and down the better."
"And what is the other way?" asked Elladan, but at the very moment it happened. A loud clash was heard and a huge stone fell with deafening crash right into the middle of the company. Everyone tried to jump aside and cover.

When the echo of the clash faded away, the Companions slowly lifted themselves from their covers and assembed again in the middle of the pass.
"Is everyone all right?" Dáin asked.
"We are," said Lobelia, sweeping the snow off her body. "But it really seems now that we should turn back. Whatever way we need to take, this one is not going to be safe if we continue."
"Wait," said Éomer suddenly. "Where is Elladan?"
Everyone looked around. There were just eleven of them.
"My brother!" cried Elrohir. "What happened to him?"
"Look," Halbarad said, pointing at the edge of the cliff nearby. There were fresh steps in the snow, although not very well visible, and they were rapidly disappearing in the blizzard. They ended on the edge, and the snow there was broken, as if something larger slided down there into the pit under the cliff.
"He – he fell!" cried Elrohir. But then they saw it: aside from Elladan's footprints, there were other footprints, barely visible, as the snow already almost covered them, but they were leading to the first trail and then they disappeared in the mass of new footprints made by the Companions as they rushed back to the meeting point.
"Someone pushed him!" shouted Uglúk.
"Indeed," said Théodred. "But the tracks are destroyed – we cannot find out more."
"Come on," Galadriel interrupted them. "This is a bad place to debate. We cannot find more here, but the mountain's wrath has not passed yet - so let us leave at once."
"Yes," said Radagast. "Come on! There is a darker path we must thread now that Caradhras is closed to us. But we must descend from it first safely. It is not going to let us go easily. Come!"

The Companions slowly turned and started their descend back to the valley. Caradhras has defeated them.

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The Fellowship is descending the pass from Caradhras and around Sirannon towards the Gates of Moria.
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The Fellowship:

Aganzir - Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
A Little Green - Éomer
Groin Redbeard - Dáin II. Ironfoot
Gwathagor - Halbarad
McCaber - Elrohir
Meneltarmacil - Uglúk
Nogrod - Tom Bombadil
Rune son of Bjarne - Galadriel
Sally - Théodred
THE Ka - Radagast
Thinlómien - Gildor Inglorion

Gone:

Gil-Galad - Gandalf (left the Fellowship in Eregion) - innocent
Nerwen - Elladan (lost in the Pass of Caradhras) - innocent

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The second part of the Journey begins. Traitors stop PMing. Everyone may post now.
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