Darker Days RPG

[Dimturiel]

Edhener smiled amused as Cordelia and Garnae rode giggling and nearly ran into Hama. The morning was bright, and the sun was shining and hope was in everything they saw. How different it all was, from that day of darkness and of fear, when they rode forth into the dreadful gloom, their hearts heavy and desperate. Now talk and laughter rang about him, while then there was only silence, and even the sound of hoofbeats seemed unreal.

In that darkness, Edhener remembered now, he had vowed that he would give anything and anyone in exchange for the smallest ray of light. He had now light enough to please him, but the price had been paid. If he had known clearly what this would mean, maybe he would not have been so eager to make the exchange.

"What exchange?" he asked himself."There has been none, you know it. Your brother would have died anyway, that was his fate. Fate cannot be changed, nor can you parley with it." But then, alll the dreams from before the batttle, alll the signs, what had they meant? Edhener had beeen so sure that it was he who was going to die at Pelennor, and yet...

Edhener shook his head vehemently. There was no point in thinking about this. What had happpened had happpened. His time would come too, and maybe sooner than he thought. He stirred his horse until he was close behind Leoflic and Elfride. Wanting to appologize for having disturbeed them, he told Leoflic:

"I am sorry if my presence is in any way intruding. But there are thoughts that trouble me, and I need company to chase them away."

[The Sixth Wizard]

Children! thought Garnae indignantly. She looked but a few years older than he was! To say that to a Rider of Rohan! Perhaps he should be more mature about this after all. But there was something in Elfride's eyes that said that she had experienced much more than simple Garnae had. A sad life maybe, full of darkness.

Garnae hated to admit it, but there wasn't much room for error in this quest. A mistake of judgement could see two lives lost, Sandrina and the baby, let alone the rest of the group. Who knows what was waiting within that property of Sam's? There were dark tales of that region, not stifled by the return of Elessar. There would be no room for his average mistakes.

Looking back at Cordelia, Garnae smiled. The girl had helped him so much! How his fragile mind-set could have survived for so long without her he didn't know. But somehow, he would have to carry on by himself. Garnae decided to put off being distracted by Cordelia. If they were both still alive by the end of this, they could celebrate it then. Not that I won't defend her with my life! he thought.

Riding next to Cordelia, he held her hand, and wondered upon the future. Fate lay ahead.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia set her mind at the task at hand. She knew that anything could happen at any moment. She couldn't allow her heart to run her life. Then again she had never allowed her heart to control what she did and said. It seemed to be doing that a lot since she had met Garnae.

She gave his hand a soft squeeze and a gentle smile. She watched her surroundings and hoped that they would find Sam's cottage soon. She wanted to destroy him so she could get on with her life.

[Crystal Heart]

A single arrow flew through the air, narrowly missing everyone's head. The group stopped immediately at attention. Swords and bow and arrows were raised, ready to destroy anything that came their way.

Three men on dark brown stallions speeded towards them, burning the grass around them. Mayonette shot one in the arm with her arrow. He let out a bloody scream.

"YOU'LL RUE THE DAY THAT YOU DID THAT!" He yelled as the three men sped away. She looked over frantically at Hama, hoping for guidance as the flames licked around them.

[Mithalwen]

Elfride

"Why should you be intruding?" Elfride had said puzzled but the attack had come too swiftly for any answer even if it had been heard. She had not expected this ...a confrontation perhaps when they came to the kidnapper's hideout but not not an ambush in broad daylight so soon into the journey. There had been some skirmishes with orcs when she had travelled with her father and his eored but such encounters had been one sided and Elfride had never felt in danger.

This was her first experience of an attack on men by men and she didn't care for it much . Nevertheless as a soldier's daughter she mastered her feeling and drew her sword, wheeling her horse around in a manoeuvre she had only practised with her brother as a child, but which the old warhorse had performed for real often.
The violence shocked her. As a child she had dreamt of great deads and as a teenager envied the role of the Lady Eowyn at Pelennor but since then Elfride had become a healer and a mother, helped to bring lives into the world and fought to prevent others leaving it too soon. She drew her sword but had no desire to use it and though the irony was not lost on her she was glad that she was surrounded by these brave, strong men whose vocation was other than hers. But the fire was something she could fight.

Hama

The general had never been on an expedition quite like this and was seriously wondering why he had got involved. Was anyone focused on the job in hand? If it wasn't enough to have two pairs of young lovebirds forming the majority of the party he had just caught young Leoflic looking at Elfride in a way he understood even if she was oblivious - or maybe she just had the sense not to notice.

He wondered if she felt it kinder not to notice an attraction if she could not reciprocate but as he thought back it was possible she had not noticed. He was sure she never realised how many sorrows had been drowned in the White Horse the night her betrothal had been announced. She had only had eyes for Theodmund, her brother's best friend, and had never noticed that other eyes had been on her since she had metamorphosed from a gawky girl into a graceful young woman. Not his eyes of course, he was married himself by then and she regarded him as an extra big brother.

Nevertheless he expected her to be more worldly wise now - with the experience of the years both sweet and bitter. They had left their mark on her, that was sure - the spririt had been tempered by grief but her smile was still beguiling... and of course she was rich by the standards of many - but to give the lad his due his regard did seem focused on the woman - "You aim high my boy..." he thought and then the assault came and he chided himself for letting his mind drift as badly as the lovers from the task in hand.

It took second for panic to set in such an undisciplined company and already an arow had been fired. They had reached northernmost end of the fateful woods. THe village of underharrow was a little further south on the eastern side of the Snowbourn. The attackers had come from the western slopes skirting the denser woodland and setting fire to the scrub around them.

"Hold hard" he shouted " this attack proves we are on the right track to follow them may lead us away from Sandrina and into peril". Even his voice, pitched for the battlefield was not clear above the screaming whinnies of the frightened young horses.

Elfride heard him and responded " They flee - the fire we must fight - whatever peril it holds it is also the livelihood of many" . The dry grass and shrubs burnt as swift as tinder and though her horse was ready to charge she had sheathed her sword and started to beat the flames with the cloak she had thrown off when the sun's increased warmth had rendered it unnecessary.

[The Sixth Wizard]

An arrow flew over their heads, and three black horses cantered down a wide slope toward them. Sam's cronies? The riders charged, but seeing the size of the company they started running back in terror. The sun shined off Hama's sword as he drew it, but strangely Mayonette was the first to draw weapon and fire one of the riders in the arm. They were off as soon as they had arrived. The encounter was a chilling reminder that defeating Sam was never going to be easy. Quick attacks could kill them while sleeping. Garnae shivered at the thought.

But the thrill of the chase was on him. Someone had dared to try hurt Cordelia (and the rest of he group) and as the arrow sped toward the rider's arm, he thought he caught a black streak on the sleeve. A burn mark? he thought automatically. The swine! Garnae was willing to bet it wasn't from boiling a kettle on a fire.

"Come!" he shouted. "We can cut them off at the hills!" But he didn't rush forward yet, Hama was still his superior, even though he was technically off duty.

[Glirdan]

Léoflic looked back at Edhener. "Not at all my friend. Please, is there anyway that we can help you dispatch your worries?"

Just then, an arrow soared overhead and thudded into the ground somewhere near the end of the group. Then he saw them, three men rushing forward on horses...with torches lit. The men circled the group and lit the grass around them on fire. Aldor turned quickly around to escape the fire, nearly throwing Léoflic off.

Just then, another arrow zoomed overhead and he saw it hit one of the men in the arm. He looked around and saw Mayonnette had been the one who fired it off. "At least I'm not the only one here with a bow," he thought grimly. He saw her look quickly back at Hama.

"Come! We can cut them off at the hills!" he heard Garnae shout.

"No!! We cannot! Have you forgotten our present plight? There is fire surrounding us and our horses could be harmed if we tried to run through it or jump over it! We need another plan." He too looked over at the General. "Well, any ideas?"

It was then that he noticed Elfride beating at the flames with her cloak. "I say, what a brilliant idea!! Even if it does harm to our cloaks, at least we shall be safe from the fire!" And with that, he removed his own cloak and joined her at beating the flames.