The Fellowship of the Fourth Age (Part 1): A New Beginning RPG

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Carl

As they rode with caution toward the back of the camp, Dirand recited a morbid tally, identifying those dead or wounded they passed, and in doing so quickly spied a dark shadow slipping steadily around those engaged in battle, though he could not tell for certain who it was. The old man lifted his sword, silently pointing the figure out to the sharp eyed hobbit who sat in front of him, and who squinted down the length of the blade raised so close to his cheek, before extending his view past it and through the haze. Carl soon saw that a man, with boots and rather more substantial clothing than that of his companion, was headed straight for the cluster of boulders where the hobbit knew so many of the vulnerable in his group lay hidden. His gait was a swagger that was altogether unfamiliar.

Pulling hard on the left rein, Carl succeeded in changing the horse’s direction, and headed now for the stealthy figure, hoping to run him off. But the slaver, who sensed their approach, and who turned to face them, seemed not in the least bothered by this new development, but firmly stood his ground, as the horse bore down on him. “What are you doing?” the old man whispered urgently, and the hobbit explained that the shadow was in fact, the enemy. “Well I'll be confounded, if that slaver doesn't think we are one of his own!” Dirand exclaimed. This came as a painful revelation to Carl, who realized in a flash that the slaver wouldn't be alarmed by their approach, and that they might actually get very close. Dropping the reins, Carl quickly ducked his head as he unslung the bow from his shoulder.

The hobbit had had no practice shooting from horseback, and struggled to fit arrow to string while being jostled about like a sheep carried to market. Finally ready he raised the bow, but before he could shoot he heard the man in front of him bark something. The horse evidently heard it too, for his ears pricked forward listening as he slowed considerably. “Oh, this is not going to be good, not by a fair margin,” Carl groaned. Dirand too, steeled himself. And letting go his iron grip on the back of the saddle, the grizzled man hunkered down clutching his curved sword with both hands.

At some point the slaver must have grown leery, for he would not be still long enough to let Carl get him clearly in his sites. And he repeatedly called to the horse keeping himself directly in front of it, so that Carl dare not let an arrow loose. When they were but a yard or two away, the horse stopped, and kick as he would, the hobbit could not budge him. Looking up Carl saw the slaver poised with a long knife in his hand, first appearing on this side of the horse's head and then on the other. He quickly took a shot, but missed, and before he could grasp another arrow the slaver sprang at him. Carl tipped his bow down, ramming it unto the slaver's shoulder. The man paused, letting his glance flickered away from the hobbit briefly, but Carl dare not follow his gaze, lest he spring on them again.

As the hobbit pulled back his bow, he heard the ringing of steel behind him. Quickly gathering the reins in one hand, he managed to cause the horse to turn, forcing the slaver and this new attacker onto the same side of them. Carl who had no time to unsheath his knife or even to think, kept busy worrying the men with the end of his bow, while Dirand slashed at them with his sword, catching them with the flat of it more often than not as the horse shifted nervously beneath them. It was only a matter of time before Carl bow was caught, and the little farmer was dragged from his high perch. But letting go of it he rolled between the horse's legs to the other side, and as he turned to stand up, he saw another stout fighter descending on them. Wheeling around, he slapped the horse's flank as hard as he could, thinking to send both the horse and the old man off toward the boulders. But instead the horse reared, pawing the air before coming down with a sickening thud as he landed squarely on the man who had caught hold of his reins, the lesser of the two slavers. Dirand, who had fallen, scuttled away drawing the attention of the second slaver, who followed him. The old man was bravely brandishing his sword as the slaver closed in for the kill. In a twinkling Carl had drawn his knife and attacked. Throwing himself at the slaver's legs, he slit the man's hamstrings, and was still clinging to them as the slaver collapsed to the ground. Dirand scrambled to his feet, quickly driving his sword home.

"There is one more," Carl panted breathlessly. Springing up, he looked around. "A very big fellow too.... Should have reach us by now. Now where has he got to, Dirand? I've grown to dislike surprises!" Suddenly, the horse tossed his head, shuffling sideways. And Carl looked at Dirand, putting his finger up to his lips as he crept silently toward the beast.

[Nogrod]

Hadith and Johari

Hadith had taken the pain bravely enough when Athwen had examined and cleaned his wound but the stiching was too much for him to bear. He fell into a numb darkness.

Next thing he became aware of was a familiar voice talking to him.
“You had better not die, Hadith,” it told him, "You'd better not."

In the depths of his faint consciousness there formed a thought. Johari?

Slowly Hadith opened his eyes. The pain that had been gone came back at the instant he realised being alive again. It was Johari. Hadith recognised her immediately. He tried to smile but the pain twisted his face to an awkward grin.

His jaws were sore and his lips were so dry that it was hard to utter anything, but finally he managed to mumble quietly “I’m allright”.

For a fleeting moment Hadith thought seeing something like relief in Johari’s eyes but that was gone in a wink of an eye. He was confused but tried to pull himself together nevertheless. He was so happy to see Johari alive but at the same time he wasn’t sure if he should say it or how she would react if he would say it. Somehow just her presence felt comforting and he wouldn’t wish to lose that comfort by saying anything stupid.

The silence grew thicker and neither of them was actually looking at each other in the eye. Hadith laid on his back and Johari was on her knees right next to him.

“Good to see you safe and sound, Johari”, Hadith said at last, immediately realising how stupid that sentence sounded in the circumstances. Johari leaned back away from him.

“Don’t go, Johari!” Hadith called her trying to rise up and taking a firm grip of her hand. “Please don’t go...” It was hard for him to find the words. It was hard for him even to understand what he was meaning or thinking in the first place. “I mean, ... I mean, I was worried about you. You aren’t hurt or anything?” At the same time his grip loosened and Johari pulled her hand away as Hadith fell back on his back again the few inches he had managed to rise up by hanging on Johari’s hand.

“No, I’m fine”, she replied tightly.

“Good”, Hadith managed to say biting his lips. He was feeling the pain again. The tumult of the battle echoed from somewhere. Hadith fought against the tears. I should be fighting with my fellows, I should not act this stupidly, I should be braver, I should be... Then his mind got lost again.

[Regin Hardhammer]

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......