Outracing the Flames RPG

[Farael]

The morning came and Osmod opened his eyes. He looked around and could see that Meghan, Rædwald and Sythric were up already, but Eostre and Fionn had not woken up just yet. He enjoyed a few more minutes in his bed-roll and slowly got up. He had gotten a good night of sleep and felt happy and good to go. He stretched and waved happily at Meghan and Rædwald who were around. Sythric was no-where to be seen, until he came back from the river. Someone had already taken the horses there to let them drink and they all followed Sythric and Thydrë back into the camp. Good horses they were, strong and smart.

By the time Sythric sat down by the fire, Eostre and Fionn started showing signs of life and finally woke up. Lucky for them, Osmod thought, that they woke up just when Sythric offered some food and drink. After a good breakfast, Osmod thanked Sythric and could not refuse to answer when he repeated his question about the drawing on the ground.

“My friends,” he said looking at them all gathered around the fire “you will think me crazy, and after too many a night slept under the stars, I might just be. But when I was little my grandmother taught me everything there is to know about camping, or so she said. She always reminded me that if I ever set camp close to a forest there were two things I had to do. One was to draw a ‘door’ for good luck and fun times to come into my camp. That door is the drawing you have seen. The other, was to sing a song to bid them welcome. I am not as good a singer as Meghan here but I hope my voice will do.”

He smiled at Meghan, and then stood up. As he sang, he paced around the fire, giving a quick glance to one of his fellow campers, a pat in the shoulder to another, just to jump ahead and sit for a moment next to yet another of them.

I now must tell, to you my friend
A story that concerns us men,
‘tis not for elves nor dwarves nor ent,
but rather ladies and us gent
Oh, Oh, Ho! ‘tis for good ladies and good men

It was one night, when Mister Fun
Tired of wasting time around
He walked into where trees abound
To spent the night upon the ground
Oh, Oh, Ho! to spend the night upon the ground

Then Lady Luck, who felt alone
And even though the moon light shone
Into the forest she walked on,
and soon enough from sight was gone
Oh, Oh, Ho! And soon enough from sight was gone

The man was searching, right and left
For a good place to get his rest
Sang to himself as he did best
For singing often helped him rest
Oh, Oh, Ho! he sang his best to get his rest

And Lady Luck who now was lost
She heard a song of beauty most
and answering with her voice, soft
she called the one she thought a ghost
Oh, Oh, Ho! she thought the man had been a ghost

But Mister Fun, who heard her song
And feeling that he must have found
The woman he had longed for long
Towards her voice, he then moved on
Oh, Oh, Ho! towards the one he longed for long

He found her there, standing alone
Pretty she was and he swore on,
The moon and stars that lead him on
To never from her side be gone,
Oh, Oh, Ho! he’d never let her stay alone

Taking a deep breath and slowing the pace of the song a little, he sang the last part looking into their eyes. Eostre came first, then Rædwald, Fionn was sitting next to him and Sythric second to last. He finally smiled at Meghan again as he sang the last line of his song

And why I tell you this, my friend…

‘cos Luck and Fun will come to them…

Who sing their song and do it well…

For they remind them of them-selves….

Oh, Oh, Ho… they bless all those who sing as well

Osmod sat down where he had began singing, his face beaming with a big smile. “Of course this is just a myth, and it mentions so many creatures that no longer exist among us. But I thought that we would need all the luck we could muster and well… having fun is always a good thing”

Still, having mentioned their quest seemed to dampen his spirits a little, and grabbing some more lamb to chew on he offered ”I know I’m no longer the leader in here, but should we not get going? I would like to be on the other side of the river well before the sun sets in the horizon”

Lead by example, he always thought, and forcing a smile on his face, he stood up again and started packing his things.

[Valier]

Wulfham

Vaenosa stood with her head bent. She was observing some footprints she spied that overlapped the Deer tracks from the day before. They were familiar to her. Her Father had shown her some just like these when she was young. He called them Warthogs. They could be visious if provoked, but they were good to eat. Vaenosa bent down and touched one of the prints, her eyes followed their direction. They led towards some underbrush.
Vaenosa was deep in thought when she hear Incana ask if she was unhurt from the day before. But before Vaenosa could answer, she was gone. A little puzzled Vaenosa figured she must have returned to camp. Looking again at the tracks, Vaenosa began to follow them. Not far into the bush Vaenosa spied what she thought she would find. A burrow, tucked under an overhang of earth. There were fresh marks around the hole. A plan was forming in her mind as she hurried back to the camp.

She hurried to her pack and pulled from it a length of rope. She was almost too occupied to notice the others. She saw Incana and Brand approaching from the direction of the stream. I better let them know I will be gone for awhile. I will keep all the details of my little plan to myself for now. The others could use a little surprise today after all that blood shed yesterday. " Incana, Brand! I would let you know that I will be gone for awhile. You should not worry, I will be not gone long and I will not be far. But could either of you keep an eye out for Nay? I don't want him following me. Without waiting for a response she gave them a sheepish smile and nod. Then she headed off without another look back.

Vaenosa stopped at the waters edge in search of a long slender stick.Peering around a fallen tree she found what she was looking for. She sat on the tree and produced her dagger, It had never seen such use. She twirled the stick in her hand, then began to shave the one side into a cruel point. Her dagger was sharp making it quick work. Taking the rope from the pouch at her side she said outloud. "Well here goes! I hope this works!" She headed back to the Burrow.

After about ten minutes had lapsed Vaenosa had fashioned her rope to a branch that hung over the entrance hole. At the other end she had a loop that stood head height for a Warthog. She crouched down in a clump off grass atop the burrow, with spear in hand. She took from her pouch some berries from the day before, squishing them in her hand she threw them in front of the noose. Then she waited...........

Even before the womans legs could cramp she heared snuffling from below her. She looked over and down to see two large tusks emerge. The beast sniffed the air, caught a whiff of the berries and headed towards them, pulling the rope taunt around his neck. He began to flail and squeel, panicking as his actions pulled it tighter. He was jumping into the air and with every leap Vaenosa was sure he would escape. She acted, Jumping down from her hiding place she thrust her spear into the animals neck. He thrashed and bit at the rope even as his life spilt forth onto the ground. He fell heaving his last breath as Vaenosa pulled the spear from his neck. She stood over the beast,her hair wild,cheeks red and heart racing....

She let out a Whoop! It had worked! Her plan worked! The squeels of the animal still ringing in her ears Vaenosa pulled the rope from it's neck and bound it's hind legs.She was covered in his blood so she heaved the animal onto her back, abondoning her make shift spear and headed back to camp with her surprise.

Walking back she could not wait to see the look on her fellow travellers faces. She had brought them food. They could count on her to provide for them even if their brave men could not. Approaching the fire Vaenosa called out. " Well I say I have a surprise for all of you! I caught us dinner and breakfastl! I would like to cook it as well, for in my family the women cook. She said looking towards Dorran. But you see this was just luck that brought me this kill and I have not sleep since I left my home, but for a brief fitful sleep last night. I will sleep now if one of you doesn't mind cleaning and preparing this feast. I shall awaken in awhile to cook it myself or to take over if you decide to start it......Well okay then." Vaenosa said after a little discomfort with the whole thing, she would rather do it herself but exhastion was threatening to take over. She turned toward her bedroll, she climbed in and passed out....

[Arry]

Wulfham

What a curious breed are human females! He found Incana’s reaction to his offer of comfort disquieting. She’d held his hand and thanked him, then turned from him with an embarrassed smile and walked away. Now, Brand had older sisters, but none of them were in the least shy or perhaps the word, ‘delicate’, would be closer to the point. And Incana seemed delicate, like a flower almost. He shook his head wondering what he should do, if anything. And decided in the end just to catch up to her.

Not too far away, he could see Vaenosa exerting some effort to haul an animal into camp. ‘Now what’s she got there?’ he asked, pointing to the largish animal that lay on the ground in front of her as she stopped to talk to Dorran. ‘We’d better go see,’ he said to Incana, giving her a quick smile. ‘Looks to me she might need help skinning it out.’

When they got closer, Brand could see the displeasure with which Dorran listened to Vaenosa as she spoke to him. Taking a deep breath, he simply shrugged it off.

His eyes went appraisingly to the boar. It was a large one and would give them much meat for the days ahead. He drew his knife and wiping the blade on his trousers' leg he went over to it and began to peel back the skin.

Someone might want to build up the fire,' he called out, intent on the task at hand, there will be a lot of meat to cook here . . .'

[Tevildo]

Staring doggedly at the branches and logs that they had piled up on the far side of camp, the young man squirmed uncomfortably as he tried to pretend he hadn't seen Vaenosa give him a look at the mention of cooking the meat. Frankly, he was sick of the references to his cooking. As someone acquainted with a considerable amount of loss and hurting, he'd already guessed that Vaenosa was angry about something that had happened in her past. Dorran could understand feeling like that. He had no wish to quarrel with her. He only wanted to get along.

The boy shuddered involuntarily and bit his lip as a sharp, unwelcome image of an Orc beating a woman with a heavy wooden cudgel studded with iron nails abruptly crept into his mind. Before his Aunt Raven had passed, she had once confided to the boy that his first few years in Wulfham had not been easy for either her or the other Rohanites. Although barely six at the time, Dorran had been angry and sullen, unwilling to speak about what had happened to his parents or the series of ugly events that had compelled them to flee to Rohan. But over the years, that anger had been crammed back into a tiny space in the depths of his mind, and he liked to keep it that way. It was only when he thought about Orcs that these feelings threatened to burst forth.

Maybe Vaenosa thought about men the same way that he regarded Orcs? Dorran shuddered slightly. He could not imagine being anywhere near an Orc. But he still could not figure out why Vaenosa felt this way about every single human male. And even more importantly, if she did hate all men, why had she wanted to go on this mission? Surely, she recognized how important this venture was for the safety of everyone in the village, including her own family and friends. Squabbling did nothing but get in the way. An unexpected, disturbing question raised its head. What if someday he was in a situation where he'd have to learn to cooperate with Orcs, or imperil the safety of someone he loved? But that would be ridiculous! Such a thing would never happen within his lifetime.

In an attempt to shake off his moodiness, Dorran rose to his feet, limped over to the edge of the encampment, and dragged back several logs and smaller branches, banking up the fire. All the while, he kept thinking how much he missed his sister Criede and her straightforward ways.

[Undómë]

Bregoware

Meghan


. . . And Lady Luck who now was lost
She heard a song of beauty most
And answering with her voice, soft
He called the one she thought a ghost
Oh, Oh, Ho! she thought the man had been a ghost

But Mister Fun, who heard her song
And feeling that he must have found
The woman he had longed for long
Towards her voice, he then moved on
Oh, Oh, Ho! towards the one he longed for long

He found her there, standing alone
Pretty she was and he swore on,
The moon and stars that lead him on
To never from her side be gone,
Oh, Oh, Ho! he’d never let her stay alone . . .

‘Well now, that is a pretty little song!’ Meghan lifted her pipe to her lips and played along with the last verse. ‘Who knew,’ she said, grinning impishly at him when the song was done, ‘that someone who spends his time among those great dumb beasts of cows with their out of tune voices, would have such a fair voice himself!’

Her good mood was overshadowed with his next words. ‘I know I’m no longer the leader here . . .’ She watched as he seemed to force a smile to his face and went about the business of getting ready to go.

Despite the fact she would feel better if one of the more seasoned warriors were to take the group in hand, Meghan wondered what sort of resentment this might breed in the group. Forgetting she had laid it upon herself to keep her opinions and questions to herself, she voiced the question that had formed in her mind. Her eyes darted around the group . . .

‘So, who is to be leader, now?’

[Nogrod]

Bregoware

Osmod’s words sounded, and resounded in Sythric’s mind. ”I know I’m no longer the leader in here, but should we not get going?” Well, as I so much love these youngsters, and both trust and hope so much on them, this one really makes me disappointed, time after another! Either being the center of everything, or then being the martyr! So strong feelings from such discussable matters! So itchy about the tiniest scars on their self-image! Keeping one’s honour is one thing, being pricky about these kinds of small things is another. Oh, these young people... not that I wasn’t the same, when I was of that age, though. How many times have I told myself to remember that?

Then there were the words of Meghan in the air: "So, who is to be leader, now?"

This time Sythric’s light grin was just an inward one. Simultaneosly, he was hardly pondering about his words, to get this imminent leadership-problem solved the best way he could see. Why didn’t I come up with the topic with Raedwald when we were smoking under the tree during the night? I already asked Meghan the thing. Well obviously she was there too. So charming young lady, but could we have discussed this thing in her presence, in all earnest, anyhow? We would probably just have raised more problems, with others thinking, there is a some sort of a clique of latecomers’, with Meghan inside it, making decisions about leadership-issues, and what-not? Some of the others probably thought that way already... Youth sure is heroic, and paranoid, at the same time. As Raedwald’s expression seemed as baffled as his, Sythric decided just to go for it, and make his best.

“Please, Osmod! Wait a moment!”, he called back to Osmod. Osmod had already almost reached his packings, but when called, he turned around, and took a few steps towards the others, still clinging next to the fire. Sythric rose up and addressed him again, now with a more talkative tone.

“I heard last night, from my young friend Meghan here, that you have been the leader of the party. Then I believe, you must be the one to whom the March-warden gave the letter for the king? Things being that way, I really do think, that you should come forwards with your stature. You have been relied on this, you have been chosen as the leader. Now you just have to act like it! I believe, that I also speak with the mouth of my old friend Raedwald now: we two were sent here to help you, not to lead you. Rest assured, we will be giving you all the counsel we can, and we will be putting ourselves at risk as the first one’s to go. But you have been chosen, so take the lead!” He looked Osmod into the eyes quite seriously. Then nodded to everyone else, took the lamb and the wineskin, and took to packing his things.

Sythric felt that Raedwald was walking just behind him, to get his own gear in order. He turned lightly and addressed Raedwald. “Even if we might be in dead-dangerous situatiuons over the following days, we could make him, and his father, a service by helping to bring out the man from this youth. We’ll see, how this turns out. I’m sure, you will be helping in this. I quess all we would have to help him. As I told you during the night, he’s a good lad, even if as this morning’s show didn’t immediately raise such thoughts in you. I know, he is more than a whining teenager. Just trust me on this. And without someone of them rising to a rank, there will be just bad feelings and disruptions. I quess Osmod is the horse to bet on now. Let's try to encourage the others at their time?”

[Maeggaladiel]

Fionn finished eating his breakfast quietly. Once more, things were getting awkward among his party. What had started as a simple party of four had escalated into a troop of six literally overnight. Meghan seemed fine with this: apparently she knew the two newcomers well. Osmod, however... Well, he wasn't exactly sure how Osmod felt about this. The morning had begun happily enough; he had seemed more cheerful than Fionn had ever seen him. But then, just as quickly, he had shown hints of discomfort. Now he was all but certain he had been demoted.

And what of this newcomer, this Sythric? Fionn recognized him somewhat; he could picture him speaking with his father on several occasions, but he himself had no reason to be aquainted with him until now.

Sythric was hiding his true feelings well, but Fionn had the sense that he lacked faith in them, at least to a minor degree. He probably throught they were too young and foolhardy for such an important mission. (Well, that's what Fionn's father would probably say, anyway.) But was it true? Fionn mused on this for a while as he rose, dreamlike, and absent-mindedly packed his belongings.

The thought hadn't really occured to him prior to this; yesterday he had the utmost faith in himself and his fellow messengers, and had assumed that the rest of Bregoware shared his opinion. But now, it seemed as though Bregoware was regretting their decision. Perhaps they had sent them merely out of desperation. Perhaps he and his new party WERE unfit for the task. Were they being sent to their deaths?

No, Fionn thought fiercely. It didn't matter what Bregoware or Edoras or Sythric or Raedwald or the March-Warden or ANYONE thought. Farmers or not, they were doing an important job, and they would not fail. After all, they were just going to Edoras.... Right?

A thought occurred to him. He looked over at the others. He had no idea how well any of them could fight. He had been absent during the hunting party, so he didn't know who was a good shot and who wasn't. He assumed that Raedwald and Sythric were adequate fighters, being Ex-Riders, but they were retired. And anyway, even if they were excellent with the spear, that would mean nothing if no one else could fight their own battle. They'd be around to protect Miss Meghan, though; that WAS the reason why Raedwald had come. Osmod probably knew what he was doing, and Miss Eostre... Fionn grinned wryly. Miss Eostre was fierce. He'd never seen her fight, but she could probably frighten away any approaching danger on her own. He'd never tell her that to her face, though, as he valued his life too much.

And then there was himself. He was a decent shot with a bow, although his experience with orcs and Eastern Men was severely limited. He hoped he could hold his own.

He was suddenly aware that a vote was going on. He looked up.

"Oh," he said, almost apologetically. "Well, I agree that Osmod continue as our leader. He's done well so far, wouldn't you say?"

[Nogrod]

Bregoware

Hearing Fionn's remark, Sythric smiled slightly to Raedwald.

"Well: some unity and comradeship beginning to appear. Now is it, or am I just dreaming the things I hear? It's a good sign, and a winning horse..."

He smiled more openly and turned to pack his lamb and wine, calling Thydrë with his low whistle. Time to go, and we'll make this!, he thought.