Blood Run: A Terror Returns RPG

[Dimturiel]

It was over before Erling had even had time to realise what was happening around him. He looked puzzled at the Warg that lay dead at his feet. He thought he heard himself give a shout of triumph, but he was as yet much too bewildered and tired to understand its meaning much.

He looked around him. Gradually, the realisation that they had won was making its way in his mind. They had won. There would be no more troubles from now on, the Breelanders could sleep peacefully at night once more. They could once more pick up their former, carefree life. Or, at least, those who had not seen the battle could, for Erling very much doubted he would have the strength to be carefree again. Perhaps later on, much later on.

And it had not been without sacrifices, Erling thought ruefully. He remembered Grimbeorn dead near Edin Cengal's farm, and now Kuric, and...But suddenly, he realised something was wrong. They were too few. Not all of them were there.

"What happened to Kun?" he asked. "Where is he?"

[Thinlómien]

Lea was supporting her twin as well as she could. He was leaning on her and his breathing sounded pained. Lea could see his clothes were bloody all over and his face was very pale. Horrible thoughts were coursing in her head. She could not lose him. They had always been together, he could not leave her now. She didn't dare to ask how bad it was, she didn't even dare to take a proper look at his wounds. She was trying so hard not to cry.

Ash tried to focus his eyes but couldn't. He was weak, so weak. He had never been like this before. He felt as if he would faint. He was glad of his sister, his brave strong sister, being there and holding him. Amidst all the pain and confusion he could sense she was not as calm as usual. Was something wrong?

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked around. He could see Lea, anguish in her eyes. A wave of weakness hit him suddenly. "Lea... I need to sit. I feel... so frail. But... I'm going to be... alright."

Orin could see his sister helping his brother sit down. They were only concentrating on each other, once again. Fair enough, he did not want any company now. He stood up. He was still shaking from all the effort and tension. He knew he should have been happy for their victory, but there had been too much blood and death. It made him sick. He could see the big warg attacking Ash again and again... He spun around and disappeared to the woods while no one was looking. He hoped he could be alone for a moment.

Just a while ago, the dark forest had been the most terrifying thing imaginable. Now it was comfortingly calm and silent. The darkness was better than the moonlit images of the clearing - here there were no mutilated bodies, no blood, no death.

It was then that he saw what was left of Parkun Felderth, a twisted shape in a pool of blood. Orin let out a cry of terror and ran.

[Durelin]

The dark wood around him was more oppressive than ever. He did not have the strength to move any part of his body, if he could even feel any part. The pain had been the greatest when he had first been torn open, but in just minutes it went beyond something he could register as pain. And now…it was so cold.

Kun was dying. He was dying. He was alone, all alone, and dying. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He had escaped. He had brought the others to where he had been told. He had done his part, it wasn’t his fault they weren’t ready, that the crazy dwarf had charged off ahead, that things hadn’t gone right. Things had gone all wrong, but it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t deserve this. No one deserved this. Alone and dying and left to be eaten by the scavengers of the forest.

Kun could see those eyes, and he thought at times they were all around them. He could not turn his head to look and see, but they would flash at him from out of the corner of his eye, and he could feel them boring into him. Just as those claws had into his gut…

He heard footsteps again, and when he couldn’t breathe for a moment he thought this was the end. But his eyes saw a figure and his ears heard a scream. And then it was gone and though he could breathe again Kun barely choked out any words. “Come back, come back…come back!”

He did not think he had enough energy left to do so, but he began to cry. He was dying. They’d all leave him for dead. Did they know? It didn’t matter. He would be dead before any others came upon him. It was so close now. Why did he want to see them anyway? Why did he want them to see him? But he did not want to be alone. He cried because he was still afraid – because it was cold, it was dark, and he was dying.

[mormegil]

All was black and fading, Kuric knew or remembered nothing; there was no pain, no fear, no suffering. Quietly he began to drift into the eternal sleep, suddenly deep in the recesses of his soul it came to him; there was unfinished business still at hand.

Pain overtook his frame and mind as he regained consciousness, he wasn’t sure he would be able to complete his final mission, his pride and stubbornness wouldn’t let him fade, not yet.

Groggily he began to open his eyes, all was hazy and cloudy. He couldn’t make out any images, just fuzzy outlines. “Lad,” he called out weakly, hoping to call for Gorin for, as fortune would have it, he would only trust this task to a fellow dwarf and providence had provided just such a dwarf.

All warmth was leaving his body and he knew that he didn’t have long. Mustering up his strength he managed to call out “Gorin, come here lad” with more volume than the previous plea. A figure approached acknowledging Kuric, he knew not who it was but there was precious little time left. “Gorin,” Kuric said feebly, “I need ya ta…” Kuric began coughing violently and took a moment to regain his ability to speak. “Gorin, I need ya to bring me mail back…” Kuric again coughed and felt his strength leaving him, “bring it back to me king, he’ll understand. I just hope…” Kuric began to doze, quickly shaking it off he began to talk again “I just hope I made a difference in Middle-earth”

With that, Kuric knew it was finished and let death come over him quickly, he would fight no longer.

[Dimturiel]

Orin's cry made Erling start. What was happening now? Was it not over, after all? Was there more to come, more batles, more blood, more death? He looked at Lea and Ash and saw that they could not possibly go and see what had happened to their brother.

"I'll go." he assured them, and sped through the darkness of the forest towards where he had heard Orin's cry. Suddenly he bumped into Orin himself who was running from the opposite direction. The boy looked terrified. "More Wargs, then." Erling thought, biting his lips. But it was not that.

"Parkun..."Orin gasped, pointing to the forest behind him. "Lying over there... Dead, I think..."

Erling nodded urgently and dashed forward. Perhaps he was not dead yet. Perhaps he could be saved somehow. He had to see. But when he finally caught sight of Parkun he realised he had been wrong. He was not dead yet, but he was surely dying. There was nothing anyone could do for him.

Erling kneeled beside Parkun and saw a flicker of recognition in the dying man's eyes. "Don't try to talk." he told him quickly. "It's..." But he could not go on. It was wrong, he thought, telling someone who was about to die that it was going to be alright when they could easily see it was not true. But he had to comfort him somehow. No man deserved to die without comfort. True, Parkun had abandoned Toby to the Wargs, and had ran off while they had been fighting, but he still did not deserve to die without comfort, without hearing one last kind word. Erling took Kun's hand in his, determined to stay with him until it was over. "Don't worry." he told him. "I'll stay with you. I...I'll see you through this."