Darker Days RPG

[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.

[Dimturiel]

An arrow suddenly flew over the company's heads, awaking Edhener from his dark broodings. He drew his sword, clutching it in a tight grip, so tight that his hand hurt, although he was only dimly aware of the pain. His heart began to race faster, at the thought of immediate battle. He felt full of restlessness, and he could also feel the agitation of his horse. "Have patience," he thought, "It will come soon, very soon." He looked arround him, waiting for the attackers to appear, a wild and almost fey smile playing on his lips, his eyes burning with the madness that was gathering within him.

He saw three men on dark horses heading towards them, but he saw something else also, something that alarmed and sobbered him. They were setting fire to the grass arround them! Very soon, they would be surounded by flames.

A bow sang as Mayonette shot an arrow at one of the riders. He departed with his two companions, shouting threats at her. Yet the peril of the fire had remained, and was drawing ever nearer.

Edhener's horse neighed with terrible panic, and, in his frantic movements, he nearly made his rider fall. Edhener caught hold of the reins with one hand, to steady himself, while in the other he was still clutching his sword, its hard steel bringing him comfort.

" Steady, lad," he spoke to his horse. " Steady. Let us not be daunted by this small fire, we who came out alive from the pyre of the Great War. Let us not forget our dignity."

Yet even as he spoke, he felt fear overwhelming him, a fear greater than he had ever known. He had battled with the armies of Mordor, and he had attacked the great beasts of the Haradrim, but never had such dread and dark despair take hold of him as it did now, while he stood helpless watching the flames drawing ever closer to him.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia rushed her horse forward next to Mayonette. She swiftly grabbed one of Mayonette's arrows and notched it quickly. It soar through the air and hit the man that Mayonette had hit in the back. He fell off his horse with a blood curdling scream. She pulled out her sword and turned to the group.

"Time is of the essence General Hama. Someone should tend to the prisioner while we chase the other two down. Their existance threatens our lives," she said, her eyes wild with the spirit of Rohan. She turned and saw that they were getting away. She looked at Mayonette for guidance.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette nodded and grabbed the water that had been packed. She knew that the cantine did not hold enough to get rid of all of the fire.

"Move back! We can not fight the flame so close to it!" Mayonette exclaimed. She urged her frightened horse backwards. She saw Thomas by her side, shelding her from the heat of the fire.

[Mithalwen]

Elfride saw Mayonette go for the water bottles and inspired cried " Pour it on the cloaks not the flames, as soon as we make a gap get the horses away to the river bank - we will have to get help from the village if we can't put this out alone!"

The wet cloaks proved much more effective but she had no time for more than a couple of swipes at the flames before Hama alerted her to the man felled by Cordelia's arrow - being already dismounted she could not see and had not heard. Whatever this man had done his punishment had been summary and severe and she wondered what inquest might follow if the man died for though they had been endangered the flaming arrows had not been fired directly at them.

"What have you done?" She cried, wrapping her steaming soot filled cloak about her self as she braved the fire to reach the stricken man. Somehow she mastered her fear enough and reached him on unsteady limbs hoping the others would conquer the flames.