Blood Run: A Terror Returns RPG

[Groin Redbeard]

Well, Sam was right. They had made downright fools of themselves, mistaking friend for foe. Although it was an honest mistake the two dwarves pride had been hurt.

Gorin’s smile had presently disappeared, now that the child he had been staring at no longer paid any attention to him, and instead clutched the hand of a young man clad only in grey.

Gorin had stepped back as the four new figures came into view. He had not said a word, but one of the figures came up to him.

By the sound of the persons voice Gorin had perceived that this was no boy, but rather a girl! Gorin stood stupefied for a second, but than regained his surely poster and grim attitude. He had never like women very much, mostly because he hated how they made him feel insecure and embarrassed at even the slightest things. All the seclusion in the wild north had made him accustomed to his own company and did not mind the company of his own kind, but this was another matter entirely.

The hobbit Sam replied on Gorin’s behalf, this slightly anode him, but he didn’t utter a word. However, he was enraged at the hobbit’s insult against Kuric, and would have been at him in a second if he hadn’t restrained himself. He shrugged the remark off.

“What the young hobbit says is true. I have only just met your friends, but unlike them you are a girl, are you not? Your guise deceived me for a second, but your voice betrays you.” Gorin faced the group as a whole, wishing to end the subject of his remarks.

“Well then, where will we be head’n now?”

[Thinlómien]

“What the young hobbit says is true. I have only just met your friends, but unlike them you are a girl, are you not? Your guise deceived me for a second, but your voice betrays you.”

Even in the dark Lea could tell that Ash was grinning. She gave him a slight push while not being able to remain completely serious herself. "Guise? Master Gorin, I have not disguised myself. I'm one of the Defenders of Bree and my name is Leanora Winkle." She paused.

"This is my brother Aragorn Winkle", she prsented him, hoping that he was not grinning sillily anymore, "and this our little brother Orin." Ash greeted the dwarf politely while Orin muttered a surly 'hello'. Grimbeorn presented himself as well.

After a silence the dwarf continued: "Well then, where will we be head’n now?"

"To Edin Cengal's place", Erling replied. "Come", he said, looking at all the others, "I'll show the way."

Some stalking quietly as cats, some less so, the party moved through the silent woods.

[Dimturiel]

Once the group was finally reunited-some of them, at least, for not all the Defenders were there- Erling offered to take them to Edin’s farm. At first he had wondered whether that was safe to be done, as the farmer had a very suspicious nature, which surely had increased due to the happenings in Bree. He only hoped he would not set his dogs on them.

Erling walked quickly and confidently. He knew the way quite well. He also was worried and wanted to be away from the dark night as soon as possible. Of course, they were all on the alert for any unusual sounds and there had been nothing so far, but what if something would spring on them, approaching them so silently and stealthily that even those with the keenest hearing would perceive it only too late? But fortunately, nothing like this happened, and presently they reached Edin Cengal’s farm. In front of it, Erling stopped and turned to the others.

“Now listen to me,” he began, looking mostly at Kuric and Gorin. “Master Cengal can be quite unfriendly at times and dislikes it when people trespass on his lands. He also has ferocious dogs. So, unless you do not want them to chase you till you reach the Great Sea, please let me do the talking and say nothing that might upset him. He knows and trusts me, and I will be able to persuade him to trust you also. But please do nothing rash. Do you understand me?”

He hoped very much that their nods meant they had and that they were not going to make matters difficult for him. No sooner had Erling touched the gate that two great dogs appeared, barking madly and trying to jump over the fence to reach the intruders.

“Master Cengal!” Erling cried over the clamour of the dogs. “Master Cengal, can you hear me?”

For some time there came no answer to Erling’s calls and he wondered whether he should not call again, when the door opened and Edin Cengal appeared on the threshold. He held a lamp in one hand and a spade in the other and he looked menacing.

“Who are ye?” he growled. “Get ye gone or I’ll have my dogs chase you all over Middle-earth.”

“Master Cengal,” Erling began, trying to sound undaunted. “We are friends…”

“Friends, eh?” growled the farmer. “Friends at such an hour? Robbers, more likely! Get ye gone, I tell ye, or ye’ll live to regret it.”

“Mater Cengal, me you know.” Erling said then. “I am Erling Headstrong and these are my…my companions. We have been appointed the Defenders of Bree. Now, could you please let us in? It is not safe to hold parley in the night in times like this.”