WWXLV: The Fellowship of Saruman

[Nogrod]

"Good to see you back lord Elladan. Now I might just vote for you as you're present. Amnd you clearly were trailing "good-looking" suspicions earlier on. Not only to myself but to Radagast as well - and his case was even more out-of-the-blue than mine...

But still I like the actions of your brother even less..."

X'd from Théodred

[Gwathagor]

"Indeed, Master Bombadil, and what is more worrisome about Elrohir is that he did not even TRY to persuade us. Would a traitor do such?"

EDIT: Crossed with Lobelia

[Gwathagor]

"I fear I must vote for ++ Gandalf. I will explain my reasoning momentarily."

[Thinlómien]

"A silent moment before the end? Where is everyone?"

[Aganzir]

"Hiding. They are all traitors."

[Thinlómien]

"I have a bad feeling about this last minute voting flood that is to come..."

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

The dusk was coming when the Company stopped. They stood on a hilltop, with the valleys covered by holly forest behind them and barren lands in front of them, and the ground rising slowly to the east towards Caradhras, which far away still glowed faintly red in the last light of the vanished Sun. One by one white stars sprang forth as the sky faded.
"So it is me you want to leave," Gandalf said, stating the obvious. The others stood in a little distance from him in an unmoving half-circle. The old wizard leant on his staff and sighed.
"Even the wisest cannot always help, and I had the feeling this journey is taking a bad course," he said. "There is shadow above us, and Saruman was right. Alas, I cannot protect you against yourselves. I am not going to accompany you against your own will. Do you really want me to leave?"
Dáin Ironfoot clutched his axe. Halbarad shook his head.
"Mithrandir," said Gildor, stepping forward. "You have heard what Saruman told us. There are traitors among us. Yet you are very mysterious. If you know anything, or if you have anything to tell us, speak more clearly."
"I am afraid I cannot satisfy you, my dear Gildor," said Gandalf. "I actually do not know anything, one might say, or not more than most of you do."
Tom chimed in. "Hey and ho! My friend, if wisdom is what you show by being silent as stone, this is not what Tom expects from one like you. If that is so, you better go."
Gandalf looked at Bombadil. "So it seems, my friend... I pity I cannot help you anymore. Yet maybe this is the way it is meant to be: other hands must do the work while mine are elsewhere. You were always the moss-gatherer, and I was the stone doomed to rolling. Looks like I have to roll once again... but not with you. I wish you well, all of you."

Only silence answered him. Gandalf slowly turned his face to the north. He gave a final wave of his hand, and walked off at a surprising pace. The evening was closing in, and his cloaked figure quickly vanished into the twilight.

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The Fellowship:

Aganzir - Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
A Little Green - Éomer
Groin Redbeard - Dáin II. Ironfoot
Gwathagor - Halbarad
McCaber - Elrohir
Meneltarmacil - Uglúk
Nerwen - Elladan
Nogrod - Tom Bombadil
Rune son of Bjarne - Galadriel
Sally - Théodred
THE Ka - Radagast
Thinlómien - Gildor Inglorion

Gone:

Gil-Galad - Gandalf (left the Fellowship in Eregion) - innocent
-----------------------------------------------

The first Collision is about to come. Traitors may start to PM each other already, and then send me their pick. Others may also send me their picks.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Nothing further happened that night. The next morning dawned even brighter than before. But the air was chill again; already the wind was turning back towards the east. For two more nights they marched on, climbing steadily but ever more slowly as their road wound up into the hills, and the mountains towered up, nearer and nearer. On the third morning Caradhras rose before them, a mighty peak, tipped with snow like silver, but with sheer naked sides, dull red as if stained with blood.

The Company set out with good speed at first; but soon their way became steep and difficult. Laboriously they climbed up, and then dim white flakes of snow began to fall upon their heads and shoulders.
They went on. But before long the snow was falling fast, filling all the air, and swirling into their eyes. The wind whistled and the snow became a blinding blizzard. Now Radagast was leading the way, but he went on slowly, leaning on his staff. The snow was already ankle-deep about his boots and it kept falling. Soon even Uglúk found it hard to keep going. Tom Bombadil trod the deep snow in his high yellow boots, but he was not singing anymore. It was plain that they could not go much further. The Elves were the only ones who felt no fatigue. Halbarad the Ranger was silent and covered his face from the snow. Éomer's feet felt like lead, and Théodred was thinking about sitting in a saddle, though he knew that a horse would have been no use up here. Lobelia was dragging behind. Even Dáin, as stout as any dwarf could be, was grumbling as he trudged.
The Company halted suddenly, as if they had come to an agreement without any words being spoken. They heard eerie noises in the darkness round them. It may have been only a trick of the wind in the cracks and gullies of the rocky wall, but the sounds were those of shrill cries, and wild howls of laughter.

And then, stones began to fall from the mountain-side, whistling over their heads, or crashing on the path beside them. Every now and again they heard a dull rumble, as a great boulder rolled down from hidden heights above.
"We cannot go further tonight," said Halbarad. "Let those call it the wind who will; there are fell voices on the air; and these stones are aimed at us."
"I do call it the wind," said Elrohir. "But that does not make what you say untrue. There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those that go on two legs, and yet are not in league with Sauron, but have purposes of their own. Some have been in this world longer than he."
Tom kept looking around, as if trying to pierce the veils of snow by his gaze. "Let us go, as quick as we are able! This is not good place for us to stay. Old Tom knows too well, although he was not here ever before," he said.
"But what shall we do?" asked Uglúk. "We cannot just give up! There is no other way!"
"We have to go back," said Radagast. "It is no good going on. And sure Caradhras has more snow yet to fling at us, if we go on. The sooner we go back and down the better."
"And what is the other way?" asked Elladan, but at the very moment it happened. A loud clash was heard and a huge stone fell with deafening crash right into the middle of the company. Everyone tried to jump aside and cover.

When the echo of the clash faded away, the Companions slowly lifted themselves from their covers and assembed again in the middle of the pass.
"Is everyone all right?" Dáin asked.
"We are," said Lobelia, sweeping the snow off her body. "But it really seems now that we should turn back. Whatever way we need to take, this one is not going to be safe if we continue."
"Wait," said Éomer suddenly. "Where is Elladan?"
Everyone looked around. There were just eleven of them.
"My brother!" cried Elrohir. "What happened to him?"
"Look," Halbarad said, pointing at the edge of the cliff nearby. There were fresh steps in the snow, although not very well visible, and they were rapidly disappearing in the blizzard. They ended on the edge, and the snow there was broken, as if something larger slided down there into the pit under the cliff.
"He – he fell!" cried Elrohir. But then they saw it: aside from Elladan's footprints, there were other footprints, barely visible, as the snow already almost covered them, but they were leading to the first trail and then they disappeared in the mass of new footprints made by the Companions as they rushed back to the meeting point.
"Someone pushed him!" shouted Uglúk.
"Indeed," said Théodred. "But the tracks are destroyed – we cannot find out more."
"Come on," Galadriel interrupted them. "This is a bad place to debate. We cannot find more here, but the mountain's wrath has not passed yet - so let us leave at once."
"Yes," said Radagast. "Come on! There is a darker path we must thread now that Caradhras is closed to us. But we must descend from it first safely. It is not going to let us go easily. Come!"

The Companions slowly turned and started their descend back to the valley. Caradhras has defeated them.

-----------------------------------------------
The Fellowship is descending the pass from Caradhras and around Sirannon towards the Gates of Moria.
-----------------------------------------------

The Fellowship:

Aganzir - Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
A Little Green - Éomer
Groin Redbeard - Dáin II. Ironfoot
Gwathagor - Halbarad
McCaber - Elrohir
Meneltarmacil - Uglúk
Nogrod - Tom Bombadil
Rune son of Bjarne - Galadriel
Sally - Théodred
THE Ka - Radagast
Thinlómien - Gildor Inglorion

Gone:

Gil-Galad - Gandalf (left the Fellowship in Eregion) - innocent
Nerwen - Elladan (lost in the Pass of Caradhras) - innocent

-----------------------------------------------

The second part of the Journey begins. Traitors stop PMing. Everyone may post now.

[Groin Redbeard]

Dain walked in silence listening to the argument of others. They were beginning to express their concernes and their suspicions of the other members, and this is when Dain spoke.

"Where is Eomer?" Dain said. "My suspicion falls on him at the moment, but I wanted to wait to see if he would talk, and it seems that he is nowhere to be found. I will give my opinion of him none the less and he can defend himself when he shows up.

"Eomer has in my mind been the most suspicious of all the fellowship right now. He speaks very seldom, infact only twice and one of them was to condemn Galadriel saying that she is the most sinister of all his suspects, but does not explain why. Indeed he seems to be the most hasy of us all.

"I now call on you to defend yourself against my accusation Eomer, Marshal of Rohan."

Dain fell into silence after this, listening to the conversations of others and waiting for Eomer's response.

EDIT: X'd with Gildor

[Gwathagor]

"I concur with Gildor that there is all too little talking going on.

"Presently, I am most suspicious of Elrohir and Lobelia. Galadriel seemd suspicious based on her vote of yesterDay, but since her explanation and apology she has not done anything else suspicious...indeed, she has said nothing at all.

"Elrohir's vote against Ugluk yesterDay was dangerous and flippant. It may have been the calculated decision of traitor wishing to hide behind a facade of semi-righteous indignation, or it may have merely been the action of an impassioned and angry, yet innocent. I cannot tell. However, the latter possibility is as dangerous as the former, if not more so.

"I voted for Lobelia to be Ringbearer, because I had great confidence in her courage and strength of heart. She has shown both of these qualities, but I do not like the way this has turned out for us. Since the beginning of our journey, she has been one of the most vocal members of our party and has accused nearly every member of the Fellowship, and most more than once. I have counseled scrutiny of all, but Lobelia has taken it too far. What are we to make of the fact that three-parts-out-of-four (three-quarters) of the Fellowship are, according to Lobelia, traitors? Finally, I do not like how her accusations seem to be based on personal dislike, with the circumstances interpreted to fit her biases."

EDIT: Crossed with Mistress Lobelia

[Gwathagor]

"I see Lobelia has decreased the scope of her suspicions. No doubt this will be for the best of everyone. I would speak further on what she has said, but at the moment I must travel ahead to scout out our path. I will return as quickly as I may, perhaps in 3 hours."

With that, Halbarad shouldered his pack and trudged off down the gentle boulder-strewn slope.

[THE Ka]

Originally Posted by Lommy

I think he was either killed in order not to leave tracks - like I already said - or because Iarwain is a foul conspirator and wanted to kill someone only he had suspected in order to look more innocent, because in normal conditions traitors do not kill those they can turn the mob against.

" Fair Gildor, despite what others may say, I can see good reasoning in your words here. Though, if I may add now that i've looked back on the events of this journey I do not wholly think that brave Elladan's passing was trackless. There were not many, but a few who openly resented his judgement, but I do not believe they contained serious threats. If so, then we would have lost our heads indeed in such blindness. Instead there were others who did resent his words, but did not let their rage out openly, something that can be dangerous to a strained mind. If I may quote your own wisdom, we should look to what few words have been said by those who easily follow any suspicion. If anything, the traitors may be those who say this, or when confronted, they will come to defend those who unknowingly support them when the tide changes out of favor."

Radagast took a short sip from his waterskin and continued,

" Though Iarwain's actions do appear odd, I have to wonder whether if we were at his home or in his Wood, would he appear any more or less so. Though, I must think back more on this matter, since I cannot yet put names to trial so easily. Always remember, one swallow does not make a summer."

He resumed back to his analyzing of the past days as a bear searches the river, knowing that another look can bring a better catch.

[Aganzir]

Lobelia turned to look at Gildor and laughed dryly.

"So, at last, it has come to this! Yet I am glad that you seem to trust your own judgement, not that of Bilbo Baggins'. I hear you, and I can understand why you think the way you do. But my suspicions are those of an innocent.

"Also, I just remembered I was to accuse Halbarad of yet another thing: his reluctance to defend himself - until now that we have left Caradhras. It seems quite clear that in Hollin he tried to avoid the discussion swirling around him.

"Master Halbarad, I wonder why you find an angry random vote possibly more dangerous than the calculated decision of a traitor.
And why is it for the best of everyone that I have decreased my suspect list? Don't I have so many traitors there anymore?

"Éomer, you are sounding more honest now unless my old ears have lost their hearing. But I must disagree with you!

Originally Posted by Éomer

I decided also that lord Elrohir's vote, though hasty and ill-considered, did not straightly speak for treacherous intentions but rather of rashness or indifference. A traitor would try to affect the course of the voting more, I deem.

Or a traitor would try to survive. It doesn't matter much to a traitor who leaves, as long as he is innocent.

[Groin Redbeard]

"Gildor, I agree with you that Lobelia was a little too suspicious yesterday, but now after hearing her speak I am even more afraid of her. Her personality has changed entirely from being suspicious and pushy to being more passive, and I wonder if your suspicion of her has entirely changed her attitude."

Just then Eomer came running back to the company from scouting. Dáin listened to Eomer's response to his accusation, and then took into account his words refering to the other members of the fellowship.

"Indeed I find your defense valid, though I am still wary of you speaking only once and then immediatly voting yesterDay. Still, one can be silent and observe, you don't need to talk in order to think." The dwarf chuckled at his own words.

"I do agree with you on having the people who didn't vote yesterDay explain for whom they would have voted for. Very good idea Gildor!" Dáin bowed in the direction of the elf lord.

EDIT: X'd with Radagast

[Thinlómien]

"I do not understand all these complaints of Éomer's silence. For even though he speaks seldom, his speeches are long and tell what he is thinking. One does not need to talk all the time in order to contribute to the discussion," he said, smiling a bit self-ironically.

"Now, maybe I should say a word or two about each of you. Of Éomer I have already spoken and I will only add that I find him relatively innocent-looking. My mind is not troubled by his actions, but I'm not ready to trust him either.

His cousin Théodred then... In Eregion, he seemed like an honest man, but now I'm not too sure. Something in his late manner troubles me, but I can not tell what exactly. Yet he remains on the list of those I trust the most in this company. Maybe it is only his quick agreeing with Lady Galadriel that troubles me.

The lady herself has an innocent presence, but some of her words today have made me raise my eyebrows, mostly because of their aggressiveness or hastiness. I do not like the way she accuses me and Iarwain Ben-adar.

I do not mean to claim I find Iarwain innocent-looking. In fact, there's something very troubling in his presence. He reminds me of a treacherous Dwarf of Nogrod I met very recently. (Now, what words did I utter? Recently? From Nogrod? Nay, I believe it has long lied in ruins. How time passes...) Yet I'm not ready to send him away on such flimsy grounds...

Speaking of flimsy grounds, I think that's what Lord Elrohir is basing his accusations on. His actions trouble me to a certain extent, but I'm actually not finding him traitor-looking.

Another one I'm not finding suspicious is Radagast. His presence is so kind and honest that it is impossible to think bad of him. If he's a traitor, he's the foulest of them all.

Dáin, too, is very honest-looking. Some of his arguments I find odd and disagree with, but his overall manner is more that of an innocent than that of a traitor.

Halbarad the Ranger is an enigma. His behaviour is at times very suspicious, but a shadow crosses my mind every time I think about lynching him. I have a bad feeling both about him and lynching him.

I do not like the way Lobelia pursues him. She looks like a traitor who has found a good victim. And Saruman must have told her that it is unfortunately very easy to gain my trust by trusting me, for she seems to be following that pattern of action all too fluently. I suspect her, but I'm not truly ready to lynch her on these grounds.

Last but not least, Uglúk has been avoiding my attention. But he feels quite innocent for an Orc so I'll let him be for a while."

Gildor laughed, but there was a stony edge to his laugh. "See?" he asked. "This is what I think of you: no one seems very suspicious, yet three of you are traitors for sure." He shook his head, smiling grimly. "If I was to guess, I'd think the traitors were among Iarwain, Galadriel, Lobelia, Halbarad and Éomer."

He shadowed his eyes with his hand, looking to the distance. When he turned back to his companions, his fair face was troubled. "Already our time is running out, and we are merely struggling in the bog of uncertainity."


edit: xed with Radagast, Dáin and Lobelia

[A Little Green]

"I now call on you to defend yourself against my accusation Eomer, Marshal of Rohan."

"And Rohan will answer!" cried Éomer, hurrying to the others. "I have been scouting long and far today, master dwarf. I only just returned. What comes to my vote for the Lady Galadriel, I have explained my suspicion of her already. I found her the most sinister of my three suspects because I thought Gandalf might not have been that attention-seeking if he were a wolf, and there was a small doubt in my heart on whether the palantír had been trusted to his care. After all, he seemed a sensible choice for that from Saruman's part.
I decided also that lord Elrohir's vote, though hasty and ill-considered, did not straightly speak for treacherous intentions but rather of rashness or indifference. A traitor would try to affect the course of the voting more, I deem.
I did not have time to explain this along with my vote because I needed to let lord Inglorion talk as well.

"I have to support lord Gildor's question:

Those of you who did not vote in Eregion... who would you have voted and why? And why did you remain silent?

It has been troubling my mind as well. But there is another question I would like to ask as well. Why, lord Elrohir, did you cast your vote for Uglúk?

"I place my trust in my cousin Théodred, and not only because he is my kin, but also because his behaviour has looked sincere so far; in Dáin Ironfoot, who I have considered trustworthy for long, and still do; in Gildor Inglorion, for he has not given me any reason to suspect him; and in Uglúk, who looks to be among the most sincere in here. Indeed I now wonder if I have been deceived, for I hear Uglúk is very often suspected of crimes he did not commit so now that he is not widely considered suspicious, he might actually be guilty. For now I will still consider him innocent, trusting my heart instead of my knowledge of his deeds before he joined our company.

"My heart is torn about some of you. Master Bombadil I cannot understand, nor can I read his behaviour. Lord Radagast I fear, for his gentleness and friendly manner makes it feel difficult to suspect him at all. He has not given me any reason for suspicion as yet, but I fear that if he did, it would pass unnoticed by me and by others because of his kindness. Mistress Lobelia, though giving me an uneasy feeling, is grumpy towards all of us, which makes me think better about her; my heart says that she would try to be more agreeable if she were a traitor.

"Lady Galadriel seems more sincere to me now than she did before, perhaps because she now talks clearly, and in a plain voice instead of whispering to individuals. She seems to really have something to say.

"Lord Halbarad I am not decided about. I will think about what he has said and done for a while now."


EDIT: x-ed with Halbarad and Radagast

[Meneltarmacil]

Okay, I've got a lot of stuff that needs to be taken care of later with regards to hunting for food, so I won't be around in time for the deadline. I'm casting my vote now.

++Tom Bombadil

That Gandalf vote strikes me as suspicious.

[THE Ka]

Originally Posted by A Little Green

I found her the most sinister of my three suspects because I thought Gandalf might not have been that attention-seeking if he were a wolf, and there was a small doubt in my heart on whether the palantír had been trusted to his care. After all, he seemed a sensible choice for that from Saruman's part.

"A... Wolf?", Radagast gave a little snort of confusion.

" Gandalf has dealt with wolves, but I've never seen him in their skin. I thought we were looking for traitors, not wolves. Sorry for the idle chat, just an old fellow's office of knowing the animals and speaking for them. Though, you do seem to have a wisdom of your own in saying these traitors are like wolves, they certainly are hunting like them.

I can understand your reasoning of the palantir in Gandalf's care. If anything, he had the strength to carry it, but I do know him well enough to never use it. That is more the office of Saruman, and I can never imagine Olorin being so convinced to readily use it in the light of who else may be using one. It would be an arguement, I fear, even the far away shores would hear and more or less ourselves.
If anything, Curunir entrusted something so prized to one who knows little of its use, worth or connections, merely for safety not folly. So that it could only be accessed for its intended purpose among us."

" As for whom or what I would have voted in Eregion, I could not at that time say readily. If you would think of me as any less in wisdom or strength I do not take offense, but worrying thoughts ahead on the pass of Caradhras are what distracted me as I hoped Gandalf would be the better 'man', so to speak, to lead us safely. Though we still seem divided over this vote, I will say again that Gandalf would not council us to not think of the here and now, especially after we have lost one of the company."

After thinking for a moment, he added more words,

" Though, I fear there was easy chance for any traitors amoung us to hide in that vote. For matters of that, I must think more of yesterDay's events now that I have a clear mind."