Life of Gold RPG

[Valesse]

"So, do you have anything against my plan?" she asked before setting off after the bandits and blue-clad Eomeleo

"No." She wanted to spit out at Jen, but another part of her didn't want to speak to the girl at all... and it was that side which won out here. Her arms were folded so tightly across her chest it forced her back to hunch giving to her uncomfortable feeling. Her feet were falling heavily on the ground with soft squishing sounds each jerky trudge Valesseka made. This definitely not the kind of 'sneaking' Jen had in mind, and did give her unamicable company warning looks about. Looks were returned and ignored.

They stopped in one of the few patches of long grass left before the sundered landscape degraded into stunted weeds over pale orange, irregular rocks. The men had disappeared underground with the Gondorian. Valesseka straightened up, squinting her eyes at the scar in the earth in front of them. If only she should get closer without risking being seen!

A minute or two had passed as the girls were assessing the situation when Bones and his companion emerged once again, both wearing smirks on their leathery faces. "Couldn'ta risked 'em see'n, Jorgen, is that why we brought 'em here?" -- "Ow!" Valesseka whispered harshly, as Jenifred pushed her down and out of sight in the grass.

Jorgen nodded and looked annoyed, "Of course! Thats why we bring all of 'em here, yeh knucklehead! Gah... Sometimes ye say more stupid than that chatty guy we got down there. How long do yeh think he'll be till he asks ta be moved ta another cell?" They laughed and stretched some. "It's been too hot, lets get us some'un ta drink." With a nod, Bones lead Jorgen into another cave, one used for storage.

"What do we do now? How do we get him out?" Valesseka the somewhat-stalwart whispered, now ignorant of the fact that 'the villianous' Jenifred was her only company in this situation. "We can't leave him in there for the bandits, he's too... Eomeleo."

[Thinlómien]

"We can't leave him in there for the bandits, he's too... Eomeleo."

Now that was the stupidest reason for anything Jen had heard for a while. It did confirm her suspicion about Valesseka and Éomeleo. She shook her head. She had never seen the point in romances - by what she had seen they were always first disgusting and sweet as syrup and then painful like an inflamed wound. This Valesseka woman was already a bit slow-witted, really bad at sneaking and if her thoughts were clouded by a silly infatuation - that was just too much. Jen cursed her luck.

"We rescue him."

It was not very smartly said, but Jen couldn't think of anything else to say. She had to admit she was getting excited. This was an adventure! Thoughts started whirling in her head.

"First, we wait until nightfall. They will have a guard or two, but we have to deal with them. Distract them, kill them, seduce or bribe them, whatever. I think distracting might be the best idea. Seducing or bribing is too suspicious - it will probably fail and then we're in trouble. Killing is a bit difficult but I can handle that if necessary." Jen tried to sound careless and self-confident. In truth, she had never killed anyone and the thought of it made her shaky.

"Distraction sounds good." Jen thought there was relief in Valesseka's tone, even though she sounded sulky and unfriendly. Fair enough, she didn't like the Arnorian either.

"Okay, so when the night comes we... start a fire in the woods. You will be there and feed the fire. Try to get the bandits come after you but not catch you. I go and rescue your boyfriend. No, don't protest! Everybody knows I'm the one of us who can sneak, pick locks and even handle bandits if it's necessary. So I'll go. I'm sure he'll be delighted to know that you're taking a dangerous part in his rescue."

"And what do we do now?" Valesseka asked rather tartly.

Jen's reply came easily. "We wait."

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo was becoming seriously annoyed. His captors had devised quite the ingenious method of slow, grinding torture in placing him in the dark cell with Miko, a character who appreciated silence less than any other living thing. The Gondorian was curious as to who else resided with them here, but not curious enough to go poking about blindly.

Miko, to no-one's surprise, spoke: Horrible, grating noise, isn't it? That drip, I think it's a drip. Water, or a burst pipe, or something, water outside I think. Hmm, doesn't it just tear at you? When it's all quiet like this but there's a noise that just won't go away? Isn't it just dreadful? Hated that back at my house, always something going wrong. Always up about five times a night checking on things, making sure they're still working, trying to fix things. Dislike it greatly, hmm, I must say. Horrible, grating noises."

At this, Éomeléo knew he was being tested, toyed with, and mocked, because there was no way this Miko could be that dull. After considering this possibility for the best part of twenty minutes, he settled on the conclusion whereby the robbers were trying to teach him a metaphysical lesson. Only a band of philosopher bandits with too much time and resources on their hands could devise such a scheme; it had to be a scheme because Éomeléo could not be this unlucky.

Miko changed subject, to "those ungrateful Shirefolk and their ways" and Éomeléo pondered how best to utilise Miko's tremendous power to his advantage.

[Valesse]

"But what if they decide to do something to him between now and nightfall? I don't want to risk it!" Valesseka obstinantly stomped her foot, the ground below it making a hollow sound. She frowned, looking down at it. Not wanting to disappear inside a kind of sink hole the Arnorian side stepped.

Jen's 'boyfriend' comment rolled off her back mostly unnoticed, or if anything with a glow of pride. At least the girl recognizes we're -together-. The Arnorian gloated inwardly. What did bother her was this idea of Jen doing the rescuing while she would be busy buring down the forest. Sure, she could sneak better but the 'dangerous' part of the rescue mission was far more 'dangerous' than Valesseka felt she could handle.

Valesseka shook her head "Think of something else! Something faster." As if expecting a miracle, she looked around behind her. "We might find someone to tell..." Her blind optimism quickly fades. "...Ooh, it's useless! What can -we- do?! You can't help but irritate people and I'm too delicate to b-ba-battle." The fair farmer's daughter sobbed an overly dainty sob. "Eomeleo... My love, I'm so sorry..."

The two could, if they were trying for it, hear soft plodding sounds, growing louder in inconsistant meter. From where they sat they couldn't feel a thing, but under the surface the disappearing portion of the ceiling would have been much more noticeable. But would cave in be an escape accessable for the imprisoned?

[Thinlómien]

Thin-Gloomy

Gradually, Thin-Gloomy had begun to suspect that his initial assumption of him being the only prisoner in the bandits' lair was incorrect. There was strange screaming at nights around full moon and occasionally, the jailers were talking with some people that didn't sound like they were part of the gang.

It didn't help Thin-Gloomy much to know that he wasn't the only one there. He didn't care why the other ones were there, or where exactly were they kept. He didn't get to talk with them anyway. He only talked with the bandits, who were still looking for the treasure in the false location the dwarf had given them. Thin-Gloomy considered it most amusing, but he was terrified, too, for he knew that however dim-witted the bandits were, they would eventually learn he had fooled them. He didn't exactly look forward to that day.

He was tired of being beaten, constantly interrogated and kept with little food and locked up in a cell. He was used to contempt, violence, lack of proper food and filthy places, but he had never before been a prisoner and that was what made the difference. Maybe it all had to something do with his newfound pride, too. Before, he would have given up already, known that it was not worth fighting the bullies, and he would have accepted his situation. Now all he thought about was escape and revenge. He dreamt of killing the bandits - especially the shrill-voiced cow - in goriest of manners. It was no good, though, he would still have to find a way to get out of the cell first.

It was all so frustrating. He kicked a pebble that was laying on the floor. It hit the wall. There was a rumbling sound. He instantly backed to the opposite wall. As if something had collapsed. Surely his little pebble couldn't have caused it?

Would the walls or the roof be weaker now, could he escape?

~*~

Jenfried

They were walking around, Valesseka first and Jen at her wake. For the second time, Valesseka stopped suddenly and side-stepped, causing Jen to bump into her.

"Would you be careful where you step!" Jen said.
"There are these kind of sink holes on the ground. Surely we don't want to get stuck on the wet ground?" Valesseka replied, rather angrily.
"Ther would be no problem if you looked at where you're walking to in the first place."
"Walking, yes - why are we even walking? We are not going to the forest to follow your silly plan, anyway."
"Make up a better plan, then, if you are so very wise and all that."
"Of the two of us, I'm not the bandit used to handling situations like this! You should know, you're in the business."
"Yes, and that's why I have a plan in the first place and you don't. You're being illogical. Very illogical - see, you even kept on walking after you said it was stupid. You are an idiot."
Valesseka cast a poisonous glance at her from over her shoulder. "Idiot? Who's the idiot here in the first place? Had you not..."

Not looking at the ground, she had taken an uncareful step and suddenly, the ground gave way below her. She fell, screaming. Jen tried to back away, but she was too close to Valesseka and the older girl was grabbing her leg. So, she too fell, swearing loudly.

After a short fall, they found themselves in a tunnel with doors at either side. It would have been very dark had they not just made a hole in the roof. "I did say..." Jen started, but stopped instantly. There were footsteps approaching fast. "Quick, let's hide!" she whispered.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo started: a loud clatter came from somewhere nearby. Through that wall, was it? Or maybe to the ri-

"Oh my! What was that? I say, what is happening? Did you hear it? That noi-"

"Quiet, you oaf!" Ah, satisfaction at last. Miko was silent for once, and Éomeléo could detect his palpable sense of surprise at being reprimanded.

The Gondorian stayed still but craned his neck forward in a ridiculous attempt to hear better. He heard shuffling sounds from through the wall, and hushed voices, female voices. Then they were quiet, though their movement remained audible to the trained ears of the prisoners. The dark of the cell seemed to shimmer and float, the excitement playing tricks on Éomeléo's eyes. But the noises had disappeared.

"Miko, I don't know who they were but they seemed scared; they weren't bawling like usual. Maybe they aren't the fiends who are keeping us here."

"Could be, could be, sir, it's all rather strange to me" replied Miko. "It did seem quite as if they knocked something over, something very heavy; or perhaps they fell. It reminded me of a time I was staying up North, somewhat -- well, I say up North; what I really mean is in the old country -- we call it old on account of its receiving trading rights from the old King, I forget which one exactly, well before the south. It was all to do with-"

"Miko, quiet!"

Mercifully, the sound of heavy footsteps was becoming very prominent. Éomeléo took a deep breath, several actually, and tried to compose himself.

"Miko, that's the guard. It's time. Do you feel capable of this?"

"If it's as easy as you say it is then of course, old chap!"

It was time for Miko's incomparable skills to be put to the test. The footsteps reached the door, and the key turned in the lock.

[Valesse]

The shaking of the ground and falling into a place unknown had put Valesseka back into the mindset she had long ago, trudging from the Sea of Rhun on her first adventure away from her peaceful little home. She was lost with a stranger she was not sure she could depend on in a place unknown to her, and the most important thing between the two of them would be Valesseka's survival. Of this the fair farmer's daughter was sure.

Valesseka made a quick scan of the hall open to them now and nudged Jenifred, whispering "Theres a door, and I'm not sure but..."

"There on the wall are some bronze keys... maybe it's the way out." Jen added

"I simply can't climb out of here" She bit her lip. I'm wearing a skirt! Jenifred ignored the Arnorian's whining and made haste for the key ring and lock it apparently matched. The older girl scrambling after her, "Maybe Eomeleo is in there... Or the villains and I should be quiet."

Jen turned the key and handle.

The door creaked open as it had for each tiny meal, for each beating and interrogation, but this time the doorway was filled with a shimering light, the figures appearing distorted and thin with it's intensity to the eyes of the long dark dwelling prisoner.