The Great Golden Hoard Game Thread

[Nogrod]

Novgorod was marching straight on through the grassland with fair speed and in high spirits. The sun was shining, and not regarding the low-lying shrubs, the terrain was easy to walk. Suddenly he ran into an area of familiar blue on the ground. “Blueberries!” he shouted and ran to the bushes, laying down on the ground and guzzling the sweet and ripe berries. He just loved them, had always loved.

But soon he came to think of continuing with his journey. I’ll not leave these to anyone else to pick. I’ll have to carry as much I can with me. With that he took a quick glance around to see what there was to make a basket or other kind of vessel to carry the berries. His mother had taught him how to make different baskets when he was young and he still thought he could make one from almost anything.

There were a couple of birches and poplars but they were too stunted to produce any reasonable quantities of bark for the purpose. That was sad because birch-bark baskets were both easy and fast to make and solid in use. He would have to come up with something else. He studied the shrubs with a keen eye. The stalks were thin and had just a little of broad leaves in them. The grass was knee high and had thin spindly stalks. These will have to do, Novgorod thought and took to his task.

First he searched four thickest stalks from the shrubs and cut them to different lengths. Then he took them one by one to be pre-bended. His mother had taught him that that way the stalks would slowly learn and get used to their new form and would then settle to it at will. He took a stalk with both his hands from the middle and started to bend it easily, being careful not to break it. He did all this in rhythm, moving his hands slowly farther away from each other with every bending until he reached the end of the stalk. Then he re-performed the operation. After he had handled all the four he left them to rest for a while.

Next he gathered some of the youngest and thinnest shrub-stalks to make strings for tying. He carefully gnawed the surface of the stalks to break it. This way the stalk would become supple and yielding. Then he rubbed them between his hands, twisted and turned them for a couple of minutes to gain more elasticity.

Now he had what he needed to begin the work. He went through the bending operation once again with the thicker stalks, but this time he went all the way through to bend them into a round shape, both ends of a stalk overlapping each other by a few inches. These he then tied up with the strings he had just made. Very soon he had four round circles of different sizes. The smallest one he put in the middle, the next in size around it and so on. Then he needed again some more stalks from the shrubs.

Novgorod picked four thicker stalks and eight thinner ones and came back to his framework. Carefully he slipped one of the stalks over the largest circle and then under the next one. This way he continued, slipping it over the third and under the middle-one, then over the other side of the middle-one and under the second, over the third and lastly under the largest one at the other side of the circle. He soon realised that he had not done this for a long time as it proved to be pretty difficult. The second stalk, that he threaded between the circles in a straight angle to the first one, proved even more complicated as the first stalk tried to move and go off its place as he was handling the second one. In the end he managed to slip the second through the framework and now it had nice cross-stalks keeping the circles at place. And as he had picked as curved stalks he could find, the basket was starting to get into a shape too. It was not flat, but a bit convex. After I get the two others in here, I’ll have to press the framework a bit to make the basket deeper, he thought, and performed the same operation with the two remaining thicker stalks, threading them through the circles from the middle of the triangles the two first ones had created.

Now the framework felt a lot more secure and threading the thinner ones in to the eight triangles the four thicker ones had formed was much easier. And the overall form began to settle too. It might carry, maybe three pints of berries, Novgorod estimated. That could just be enough...

Oh, if I just had some decent bark now! He thought disappointedly as the framework of the basket was ready. It would be so easy to just cover this framework with them. Well, no can do... So he resorted to a different version of a basket. He ripped a whole lot of grass and carried them to his basket-to-be. Then he took them a small handful at a time and threaded them over and under the stalks he had slipped through the circles. The first handfuls were pretty loose but as he added the stuff, they started to hold more firmly and in the end he had filled the holes between the largest circle and the one next to it. Soon he had all the holes covered and the basket was almost ready.

I need something to carry this with... Novgorod went again to the shrubs, searching for pretty thin but long stalks. In the end he had what he wanted. He moulded them to yield as earlier, but this time he plaited them into a real rope of a kind as it would have to take on the whole weight of the full basket. Then he attached the ends of the self-made rope to the brims of the basket and tried how it bore. That’s okay. It’s not a masterpiece but will do for me.

Novgorod had spent almost an hour with all this and felt he was in a hurry again. He emptied the bushes quite fast and filled the basket with the ripe and succulent Blueberries. The few remaining berries he stringed into a long stalk of grass, like he would have been making a necklage from the berries.

Carrying the basket and every once in a while slipping a berry or two to his mouth from his “berry-grass” he continued his walk, singing the little song the dwarf had taught him years ago. He was in even better mood than he had been at noon. The sun also, was still shining.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo woke up and immediately realised that Valesseka was gone. She was clearly an early starter. Getting slightly worried, the Gondorian assembled a hasty breakfast and started to jog northwards. If he was going to sleep more than any of the other adventurers (and this was practically a given) then he would need to travel faster than them by day.

It was a pleasant country to run in. Vast plains adorned with all sorts of undergrowth. Éomeléo knew that there were mountains in his future and knew that he would have to get there posthaste to stand a chance in this hunt.

The day passed, and Éomeléo was doing fine, but in the afternoon, the further north he went, the conditions changed. Grey clouds formed and the wind picked up. Pretty soon it was whipping poor Éomeléo like an abused dog and he whimpered pitifully as he jogged. He then slowed down and marched.

He was perked up by a previously unimaginable instance of horror: the wind had stolen his feathered hat, and was carting it off into the distance! Yelping in despair, Éomeléo burst into life and gave chase. The wind was always that little bit faster than him, though. Every time he got near to his hat, the gales cruelly snatched it back. Realising that the Lords of Weather were privy to the workings of harsh twists of fate, Éomeléo attempted to formulate a plan as he ran. At first he thought of shooting the hat with his crossbow, but it is fact that the young Gondorian is not the best shot even in good conditions, and so the success of this method was far from guaranteed.

For about 10 minutes of chasing the hat, Éomeléo could think of no better idea. It was then that he noticed he had entered a particularly busy section of undergrowth. Sensing the presence of numerous animals, Éomeléo paused. Just like that, the hat seemed to pause too. He picked up a small stone and threw it into a very large bush to his left. All this accomplished was to send a single rabbit scuttling away out of sight. There was another way, though; it was something that Éomeléo had often done as a child in the gardens of Gondor. He would enchant them with the music of his ocarina. He had always believed it worked by magic and his parents had never discouraged this belief.

So he played. He played for about a minute, and he even began to think the hat itself could be charmed back, for it seemed to dance about, and move closer to him. Soon enough, the music attracted the presence of several animals. There were rabbits and ground-birds, and a couple of very large hares. One rabbit spied the brightly-coloured hat, and shyly moved towards it. Pretty soon, the hares spotted this, and bounded onto the scene, scaring the rabbit away and catching the hat. They jumped onto the top, crushing it slightly, and then Éomeléo made his move. Silently adjusting his crossbow, he calmly shot the hare, piercing both animal and now-motionless hat.

The animals scarpered, and Éomeléo finally retrieved his hat. Ignoring the suggestion that the hat had been caught in a new swirling wind in the slight dip of the land, Éomeléo praised his magic ocarina, and set about finding some water to wash the hare's blood from his hat.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Ransley was making his way silently in his chosen direction, one hand resting gently on the hilt of his sword. "Stupid Eoln..." is all he could think of as he moved forward. He had by no means made any attempt to hide his hate for the elf. Along his path he had carved, "Eoln is a sissy elf." into various things. It wasn't long till he arrived at a river. The bank would be a perfect place to carve another message for the stupid elf. He drew his short sword and dropped to a knee and began to carve 'E-O-L-N I-S A S-I-S-S-Y E-L-F'. He then seathed his short sword as he rose back to his feet.

He streched his arms and looked forward. "That's interesting..." he thought as he noticed a yellowish-brown bear fishing on the opposite end. He looked at it for a while, fully aware that the bear too knew of his presence. The bear however kept fishing, seeing no reaction Ransley decided to cross the river but the moment he put a foot into the water the bear turned to him and growled. "Ah... how damned." thought Ransley as he withdrew his foot, careful not to look the bear in the eye.

He begin to move into the river slowly and steadily, both hands away from his swords. No point making the bear think he was a threat. Animal evasion came natural to Ransley and a bear was an easy one. He knew well enough it would be a waste of energy to charm a beast such as this when he could just get away from it in a snap of his fingers, not literally but around that easily. He took a deep breath and repeated the steps in his mind, "Walk backwards and away from the bear slowly, keep speaking calmly and loudly and do not look into its eyes." All check.

He would need a way to get across though. He had not thought of that, luckily there were a couple of thin tress on the bank. He did not want to but had little choice at present. He drew his sword and cut one of the thin trees from the bottom, letting it fall diagonaly across the river. He fell a few more and placed them the same way forming a makeshift bridge leading diagonally away from the bear. "Here goes..."

Ransley put a foot onto the bridge, he was aware that his steps would have to be quick and light and all the while he would have to concentrate on not looking the bear straight in the eye and speaking calmly and loudly. The odds were not quite in his favor, just how he liked it. So he began, barely letting a foot touch the ground as he made his way across. Looking at the bear but not into it's eyes while speaking calmly and loudly, "I am only an illusion, pay me no heed. Go back to your fishing as I vanish into the distance. Look at yummy salmon, mmm tasty, go on and reach in. Pick one up and take a bite."

By now Ransley had reached the other end of the river, the side where the bear was. The bear had still not diverted it's attention from Ransley just as he had suspected but it was no need to worry all he had to do was keep doing th... oh damn... the bear had started to advance towards him. Well there was still no need to worry, plenty of trees around. "If thats how you want to play you big lagoot..." He drew his metallic sheet. "Come and get me."

Ransley ducked behind a tree as the bear approached him, turning away from the bear as it turned towards him. He kept moving from tree to tree whenever he found an opening as the bear kept cricling each tree Ransley passed. A couple of minutes later Ransley had completed a complete circle and found himself behind the bear. Not exactly something he had wished to do but the bear just did not seem natural to him. It was trying too hard, he drew his short sword as the bear began to circle the tree and impaled it in the top right corner of his neck taking a pot shot to his head with his metallic sheet after that.

The bear stumbled forward a bit and dropped to it's side. Ransley put the sheet back in his bag and moved over to the bear slowly. He searched around for and medicinal plants and then soaked them in the river. He then pulled his sword out of the bear's neck and pressed the plants against them. It was a tough animal, it would make it through. Once he was done nursing the bear he went over to where it was fishing and found a few salmon there. He picked them up and dropped them down near the bear. "You'll need these, champ."

He smiled at the bear and went back to the river drawing his short sword. A few fish wouldn't hurt him either. He waited there for a while and caught a good number of them himself. He looked them over, almost twenty of them. He grinned and placed just one in his bag. "They spoil fast, this will do for dinner." He then went over to the bear and dropped the rest of the fish by it. "You'll need these too, champ." To his surprise the bear raised his head and nodded letting out a low growl as to say thank you.

Ransley nodded back at the bear. "And remember Eoln is a sissy elf." With that Ransley headed off, continuing his journey till nightfall.

[Naria]

Narleah wasn't in the best of moods this day. The suns rays were relentless upon her head and her floppy hat provided little relief. It was extremely hot, making Narleah more and more miserable with every step. "Bah, is this treasure really worth all of this?" She scowled. Soon she came upon a thicket of berries that looked to have been cleaned out of its supply. "Aye, I wonder who or what has been here....and not too long ago either." She pondered this for a moment. Narleah figured that the culprit must have been the one that introduced himself to her as Novogord the night before. She was not at all impressed with the carnage that took place and kicked the bush in front of her. Almost immediately berries fell onto her foot and rolled to the ground. Narleah was very hungry and wanted desperately to eat some of the swollen fruit.

She took her hat off to examine the situation and give her head a scratch, "hmmm of course, this will work!" Holding the hat out in front of her. Narleah knelt down to take a closer look at what the bushes held for her and spied a copious amount of berries hanging from the bottom. "Ah ha, he didn't take all of them." With an evil grin on her face, she tasted one, then another and another. "Mmmm so good," smacking her lips together she filled her hat. Narleah groaned, "This will not do, I am so hungry and these will be finished before I leave here." She needed to fill her belly and just then a thought occurred to her, I am small and these berries are lower to the ground, I wonder if I were to lay down and pull myself under them. She lay on her back and pulled herself underneath the thicket. "Yes, this will work just fine" She said with a proud tone in her voice. Narleah was so close to the berries that she didn't even need to use her hands, she just raised her head off of the ground and began plucking the berries off with her teeth. If someone had not seen her wiggle under the bush, one would have assumed that a boar or a small bear was in the thicket gorging itself. The sounds that Narleah was making was horrendous, loud slurping, slapping and gulping noises as she swallowed each mouth full. She was having quite a time in her blueberry world.

A large belch escaped her belly and Narleah was satisfied. She wiggled her way out of her feeding den, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve as she picked up her berry filled hat and continued on. However, what Narleah did not realize was the mess on her face. She had blueberries everywhere! The pulp and skins were caught in her teeth, beard and hair; not to mention the juice, it was all over her skin. Narleah looked like a hairy blueberry, she was oblivious to what she looked like, nor would she have cared, and set off into a now setting sun.

[Valier]

The sun began to set on the second day. The wind was dying down and the adventurers began to settle down for the night after a long day. One traveller did not move that day, Galadster felt ill from the sun on the first day and decided to stay put at his first camp till he felt well enough to continue. (did not finish in 36 hours)

Night 2 has now begun, You have 24 hours.

Players please pm me your votes for your daily favorite, these are due in by the start of Day 3 (24hrs)


Players that may converse are in groups as follows...


Group 1
Eomeleo
Valesseka


Group 2
Thin-Gloomy
Ransley


Group 3
Galadster


Group 4
Glirdingo


Group 5
Narleah
Novgorod


Group 6
Kafkalina



All players that are in their own groups, may not converse with other players on this night, players in the same group may chat away....

[Valier]

I present the second Mod Award to..........Narleah!!!!! For her hilarious and messy,Feeding frenzy of a hungry SheDwarf!!

[Valesse]

The wind howlled grotesquely over Valesseka's thick, grassy haven where she had decided to stop for the night. It was the best place the Arnorian could figure to stay surrounded in the large plains. Here a hip-high cliff had formed in the usually gentle rolling expanse. She had greedily collected some of the taller grasses around to make a nice bed for herself, but in a spurt of boredom, started weaving it through the nearby living blades. Soon she had a fairly well-sized mat created, and let it flop over onto of her declared living space. I bet I'm ahead, she grinned to herself, sure that Éomeléo had fallen behind, or even better, not found the open plains that she had stumbled (quite literally) through.

Rubbing her face with care, Valesseka shivered. It was dry now, and she had yet to experiance the blustery sting of the frozen Misty Mountains. This journey was not going to be easy on her.

Just then she heard something coming through the grass... from the sound of it, it was large. Her eyes bugged out a little, scared to think what or who it might be. After a number of moments she mustered up the courage to turn her head and peek through the grass only to see that unmistakeable hat. I was ahead! How could this be?! she privately steamed. With a sigh Valesseka inspected her hidden camp, and stood up. "Hail, Lord Éomeléo!" that scummy man must have followed me! "There is shelter from the wind here... Come share it with me." With a kindly smile the girl sat down, secretly wishing that he was too disoriented by the gusts to ever get to her abode.

[Naria]

Narleah was a very tired and a very full dwarf. "Ugh, I couldn't eat another bite," she sighed as she plopped herself down beside the fire. Whilst giving her arse a good scratch, she couldn't help wondering where that Novogrod man had gotten himself. She remembered him humming a tune that her uncle sang every so often, but she couldn't remember the name of it nor be bothered to remember. Narleah was a tougher sort and having the males around her treating her like she was not to be seen outside was more than enough for her to have no second thoughts on taking such a journey as this.

She sat up and scanned the area for him, "that must have been him that got to the berries first, but where is his fire?" She was wondering where this man was only because she was extremely full and knew that there was no chance of getting to sleep any time soon. She was in need of some conversation. Aye, there he be. Narleah spotted him not more than a few trees away and he had a fire going. "hmmm wonder why I didn't see that before," she said with a shrug. Narleah pulled herself up off the ground and walked over to his camp. With outstretched hat, she offered her berries to him....well actually to share with him, she wouldn't have wanted all of the berries to be his.

"Er-hm...I don't know if I introduced myself yesternight. My name is Narleah." With that she sat down without Novgorod's approval. "I cannot recall the name of that song that you were humming....sir....sire?....lord?" She had no idea how to address him, with being kept away she didn't know how to act, nor how to talk to other people. Narleah pulled nervously on her beard, flicking pieces of berry into the fire.

[Nogrod]

Novgorod found a nice shelter between some boulders as the night was drawing closer. He lit a fire with the shrubs and then came up with some thicker logs from the nearby stunted birches. Soon enough he was having a merry campfire going on. The evening was just perfect: the air was not cold and the stars lighted the sky. Everything seemed to be as they would have to be; peace and quiet.

He was leaning backwards to a boulder, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the Blueberries he occasionally picked from his basket as he heard the sound of someone approaching. He was feeling too lazy to sprint up right away. The moment was too relaxed. Just from the routine, he took hold of the hilt of his sword and stared to the falling darkness of the surrounding landscape where the noises had come from.

Soon enough a figure of a dwarf appeared into the sphere of the fire. It was Narleah, the dwarf he had met the night before. She offered him some berries from her hat. Novgorod quickly showed his self-made basket almost full of berries to her and she retreated the offer.

They looked at each other for a while. Then the dwarf began: "Er-hm...I don't know if I introduced myself yesternight. My name is Narleah." With that she sat down without Novgorod's approval. "I cannot recall the name of that song that you were humming....sir....sire?....lord?" Narleah pulled nervously on her beard, flicking pieces of berry into the fire.

“Narleah! Welcome to the fire my friend! Just call me Novgo’”, Novgorod answered cheerily, casting away his doubts about the non-talkativeness of his company of this second night. “Sad you don’t remember the song, but maybe later...”, he said, pulling his breath as he was disappointed with the news. “If you have some water, we could make tea for two again”.

After a nod from Narleah, Novgorod added some more leaves to the kettle and gave the oncoming tea a new twist. “This will be a little strong, but I’ve got not so much water anymore” he told Narleah and smiled to her, passing his basket of Blueberries to the dwarf.

[Glirdan]

"Ahhh! Peace and quiet," Glirdingo said aloud to the starry night. It seemed that he was the only one had changed directions. "That just means I get to enjoy the peace and tranquility of this beautiful night."

He took out a piece of lembas, broke it in half and put the other piece back in his bag for toorrow's breakfast. He also took his canteen out of his sack and took a drink. He had filled it at a a little stream that he had passed on the day's journey.

After eating and drinking, he decided to take a little stroll in the moonlight, soaking in all the beauty that was shown to him in the moonlight. "This is beautiful, but not as beautiful as home," he said aloud, thinking about his home back in Lorien.

After an hour or so, he returned to his camp and sat down for his nightly meditation, hoping to get enough rest for the next day's journey.

[THE Ka]

Kafkalina didn't wisper a song under her breath, or made a sound that night. Her head still bore the mark of the pole she made, and it still throbbed. Sitting about a mile or so away from the recently crossed gorge, she stared off into the distance to the west.

In the west lay the border of southern Mirkwood, and with it the peak of Dol Guldur standing out. Kafkalina had heard many times from trees and other creatures of that place, and that apparently at the beginning of this age, a 'necromancer' had taken the elves' home of Amon Lanc. From then on she only heard from trees the apparent darkness that shrowded the bald hill, and of the great spiders and dark Huorns that massed to the hill and in some areas of Mirkwood.

Hmmm, it would be best if I avoided such dark places for now. Great spiders do not frighten my bark, but Huorns under such sway are blind in their furry, and they can keep more company than that of trees. It would be best to head clear of that place.

Looking now north, the dark haze of Mirkwood, one of the last great forests of the world, faded into the distance. It seemed much lighter than that of the south, and Kafkalina's memories began to return to her.

I need to find Taurduin, my ent draught will not last forever, most of it is already gone. I wonder what trees of my memory still live upon it's banks, and with the young elves to the north. I wonder if I might find company of them, and learn more about this dark place in the southern wood. Ho Hmmm, maybe I can prepare myself for what is yet to come, the winds do not seem the same as they once were.

Kafkalina toyed with her pole, possibly not all had been lost. Her leaves and branch would grow back, and the pole could be made into a needed means of protection. If she was right about the winds, she would not be chancing upon only ent friends and the first children of Eru, the world was a wonderful, but mysterious place.

'Never the same bird in a tree, or rock in a hill side', as we ents always say. I guess it means more than just a greeting now.

The ent took a carefull drink from her ent draught, and prepared for a light nap (in enttish standards, of course) as her roots returned to the soil and ancient hazel eyes closed. The wind started to pick up softly, the reminants of an early storm once far away, and they began to murmur of change in the ent's branches.

[Naria]

She thought for a moment, "I have some extra water." Narleah went to her camp and brought back her pack, after fumbling around for a few minutes she grabbed hold of her canteen. Novgorod diluted the strong brew at once and stared into the swirling leaves. "I have an idea!" Narleah exclaimed. "Why don't we just add some of these berries to the mix....it would taste awfully good." She handed him her hat, for she had had more than enough earlier on. Narleah continued, "I also learned of a recipe my Gran taught me, maybe I will get to show you sometime....if of course, the paths we take permit it."

She shrugged shyly and yawned. "I think it is time for me to take some sleep Novgo, Good Night and thank you for the tea." With that Narleah picked herself up from the fire and walked away to her camp, all the while giving her buttocks another scratch. Narleah was glad that a man was not ashamed to sit and talk to her, even if it was kind of awkward, but she was liking the company as well; and the hop in her steps showed it.

[Thinlómien]

Thin-Gloomy was just about to set his own camp and a fire, when he noticed another fire less than a mile away. Who else moves in this lonely land, but I and the beasts of wild? Thin-Gloomy wondered.

Another adventurers, seekers of the hoard... he thought. The thought of his rivals so near to him made him restless. In the other hand it gave him comfort to know that he was not trying a route that all others regarded as a folly.

If I went to visit him, I could find out something that could help me on my journey, Thin-Gloomy thought. He didn't admit - even to himself - that he wanted some company. He had been lonely for too long.

Telling himself he might be doing a big mistake he took his things and left.

Thin-Gloomy hadn't forsaken his caution though. He crept towards the light. He didn't want to take any risks. He couldn't know who would await him by the campfire.

Evidently Thin-Gloomy had taken after his forefathers - and his whole race - in what comes to hiding and stalking. "Who be there?" It was a calm voice, and probably belonged to a human male. Thin-Gloomy was relieved. He stepped forward, to the light.

"I am Thin-Gloomy the Dwarf, at your service. Who are you?"

[Sleepy Ranger]

"I am Ransley, Ranger from Arnor. Come, friend, make yourself comfortable. I was not expecting company tonight but I could perhaps make you something if you'd wish." Ransley watches the dwarf, a bit odd looking for one he had to admit, make his way into his camp. Once the dwarf was seated and the fish split between the two, Ransley began to study the dwarf. Apparently the dwarf did not adapt to wilderness to well. Ransley, over the years had become part of it.

"Tell me Thin-Gloomy, where do you come from and what business brings you here?" The ranger pauses for a moment, the dwarf did not seem all that comfortable so he decided to speak of himself first. "As I said, I am Ransley, Ranger from Arnor. Not too long back I recieved a message in a bottle of win, odd as it sounds. That message spoke of a quest and I, one with nought else to do, set off on this quest. It is not the money that interests me though."

Ransley stopped. He had meant to speak more but decided against it. He leaned in closer to the dwarf and spoke in a hushed voice. "I suspect there is a stupid elf, who goes by the name Eoln, sneaking about here. I do not wish my true intent to be known by him yet." Ransley then sat back in his position, offering the dwarf a warm smile.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo gave a queer look to the girl, but scrambled into her shelter nonetheless. "You again?" he laughed, as he took off his hat to inspect it. It looked not great. "Blood is awfully hard to wash out of cloth" he said. It had a big hole in it too, and the top was still slightly crumpled. He sighed.

"The wind causing you problems?" asked the girl. Éomeléo nodded.

After a brief silence, Éomeléo started talking about himself. He told Valesseka that it was not necessary to call him Lord. He had always been slightly embarrassed by his privileges and had chosen to live a quiet, rather private life. For this reason, among others, he had always been viewed as the strange one in the family, and out of place among the noble class in Gondor, who always enjoyed a good party.

"I will tell you, lady, that I am on this treasure-hunt for two reasons. I needed to escape Gondor, where my family are trying to marry me off with someone I have hardly even met; but I also seek riches for my own ends. My family is wealthy; but as long as I stay with them in Gondor I am shackled by the order."

Valesseka at least looked deep in thought. Éomeléo bid her goodnight, and left her to enjoy her shelter.

[Thinlómien]

Thin-Gloomy returned the smile a little uncertainly, though he was relieved to learn that he had found a fellow hoard-seeker. Usually people never smiled to him, except the malicious, cruel grins and the few pitying smiles his appearance received. Thin-Gloomy decided he liked the ranger.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't like the elf either", Thin-Gloomy replied. Then he softened his words by adding: "That might be only because he's an elf, though..."

Realizing that his talk was idle gossip, he quickly changed the subject. "As for me, I come from the Iron Hills." Better a half-truth than to tell the man he was an outcast. "I too, seek this hoard."

His throat was dry, so he took a sip from his waterskin. "And for me it's the treasure that lures me." His own comment brought back the ranger's words and they echoed in his mind. "It is not the money that interests me though", he had said. ...and "I do not wish my true intent to be known by him yet."

"What else than money could lure a man to a quest for a hoard..." he wondered out loud.

[Sleepy Ranger]

"Hah!" The ranger let out a soft laugh when Thin-Gloomy thought out loud. "Revenge for one has led many to do more a foolish thing than money. Love, love has made many more do even more a foolish thing and revenge in the name of love? The insanity of that knows no bounds my friend." He then quickly added. "Not that I'm saying I quest for one of those things though I may. Only time will tell the truth my friend. We all have our secrets and I sense you have one too."

"Come, though, let us savour what is left of our meal before resting for the night." He gets to his feet and scans the area. "You need not fear tonight, friend. We are protected and should you hear a bear... be thankful that it is there. Now if you'll excuse me, I must leave you for a bit." Ransley picks up his short sword and walks out into the woods. He returns after a while with a satisfied look on his face and lays down under a tree. "It is as I said, we are safe tonight."

[Valier]

The night ended without any bad weather changes. The adventurers awoke early and began their quest again....


DAY 3 has now begun. You have 36 hours to complete all your daily tasks.

The daily winner for day 2 was.......Narleah!!! She will advance farther than the others for today only.

Players you may now pm me your direction choice for Day 3

Galadster did not vote 2 consecutive nights in a row, punishment will be dealt with soon.....

[Valesse]

Tried to get further ahead last night, didn't he? She thought to herself, moving carefully through the tall grass, I'll just make special care not to step on him today. But given a number of steps Valesseka nearly came to that situation, exactly. Drawing back her leg the girl slowly circled around Éomeléo's camp, and made for the west. It was another hour before she found herself able to speak again, even though it would only be to herself. Why had he confided those things to me? Was he lying? Valesseka blinked. What reason did Éomeléo have to lie... unless he wanted me to go easy on him. "That cad!" the Arnorian growled, but her expression melted. But what if he was just being open...?

She shook her head. It was much easier to be upset with her competition than friendly. "Bet he read his invitation." She grumbled jealously. "Bet he didn't have to make his own provisions." With another pause, she sobbed. She missed her family and dinky little farm in Arnor where she had vanished from... And here were people who could easily remove themselves from their day-to-day lives without feeling guilty. "Bet he didn't have to lie to get here!"

Thus starting another long period of silence for Valesseka, which was only broken by the growing sounds of the rushing river which appeared beside her. Dazed from her miserable mood, and the calming music which the elves calmed to be reminiscent of Ulmo, her thoughts were slow to take in her surroundings. Instead of watching her path, the girl watched the glittering water dancing across the bank, and instead of finding tranquility, Valesseka found a hornets nest.

Within a moment's notice dozens of hornets came swarming toward her, angry and ready to avenge their fallen home. Realizing her situation Valesseka dropped her pack in panic and ran for the water, stings and bites burning her arms and face the entire way. As if this was not enough, in her flight to the water the girl slipped on the muddy bank and fell face first into the grime crushing only a few hornets under her. Giving many painful yelps, she scrambled into the shallow water and ducked her head, holding in a deep breath. Her face was ruined, for now, and it took a great deal of self control not to let out a sob under water.

Every once and a while she would raise her head up for air, and listen for the hornets. When she was sure they were gone the girl crawled out of the river and carefully returned to her possession. Dressing into her change of clothing, she washed the dirty garb in a numb trance. Today had been horrible, but she still had some time. After washing her clothing, she smiled sadly down at the plant she had nearly being sitting on. Athelas. Luck at last. Without further thought, she took some of the herb, and then carefully went searching for others, and found a plentiful supply. It was still light out, but Valesseka had a feeling that it was soon to change. Deciding not to push her luck, she made camp, and gently administered a kingsfoil salve on her wounds.

[Gil-Galad]

Galadster does not take Blueberries and continues walking


EDIT: sorry for the plainess, i really can not think right now, sorry if this doesn't work either

[THE Ka]

Third day of the journey and the ent began to walk north towards the great forest of mirkwood, which was a taunting smudge on the horizon.

Ho hmmm, that elve from the start of this adventure said they would be following us, and watching. I guess I have never given it much thought now. Ha ro tumbula, what is this?!

Within a second Kafkalina saw a dust storm rushing in her direction, it was thick and mottled on the blur of the dry fields of rock and sparce grass, but it quickly came to clarity.

What mischief is this?! A dust storm! I have not witnessed one in many an age! Hm hommm, I guess I cannot weather such a thing by lying down, or put my rope to a good use.

Kafkalina put her rope quickly back into her bag. She had thought of using it as a protection by swinging it around overhead, but the dust storm was too tall. Quickly it approached, and as it did, the ent was struck by an idea.

Hmm ha ro tum! If I cannot rest on the ground until this passes, why not out run it?

With that the entmaiden was off doing something that would appear quite odd from far off. She ran as fast as she could towards the dust storm, but if a watcher were to look closely, she did not run into it at all. Right before the swirling mass, Kafkalina straightened herself out as far as she could and jumped to the ground at a roll. If the entwives and entmaidens were known for being lithe and strong, and ash trees this as well on their accord, the ent was making a good demonstration of it.

Faster and faster she rolled, though the ground was hard and rocky, the thistles collectively acted as a barrier and allowed her to move faster. Straight through the storm she went, and it seemed as if it was the passing into another world, and this was but the chaos between. Soon Kafkalina opened her eyes to see the other side of the dust storm as it began its journey across the dry land.

Standing up, and shaking the dust off herself, Kafkalina sighed and began her journey again. Maybe, just maybe she would find Mirkwood sometime. Also, she began to wonder about Eoln, the rather odd behaving elve at the beginning of all of this.

Hemmm ho rum... I guess the world has really changed if the elves are changing. I miss the elves of Valinor, and the first Sindar, so much strife they had, but such kind and sound people they were.

Kafkalina walked to the north, now quietly singing of the past, but she was aware and alert for any danger or, strange thing that may come.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo woke quite early; but still later than the woman who was also walking his path. He wondered how she managed to rise when the Sun was yet so low. He decided to head West today: it was high time he did that. He guessed that Valesseka had also chosen this way and maybe, just maybe, hoped that he could find her again.

At least the weather was kinder on this day, although the wind was still a bit of a nuisance (and Éomeléo made sure to keep a hand on his hat when it picked up). After many hours of seeing naught but birds and rabbits, Éomeléo met the Redwater. It looked a lot friendlier and safer than the Celduin, and the Gondorian sauntered upstream slightly in an attempt to find a shallow point. It was getting somewhat hazy on the banks, due to the day's build-up of heat. Éomeléo let his mind wander; he ambled along the sides of the river, among the inviting flowers of the water. Somehow finding himself caught in a bush, he forced an exit through the side of it, upsetting a bike of hornets in the process.

Pandemonium ensued. Éomeléo was assaulted on all sides by the iniquitous insects. He cried and yelped and hollered and moaned in pain, but there were none to help him. He was alone against these barbarous beasts, this unholy foe. He ran up the river side, riveted by the rack of the stings. He just had the wits about him to spy a rabbit corpse a few feet away from the bank. Abandoning all hygiene concerns, he flung himself by the cadaver, and waited. For a good few seconds nothing changed: the hornets were relentlessly bent on destroying the human, not feasting on the open flesh of the rabbit. Éomeléo realised that this solution was more suited to an assault by flies. Curses! he yelled, scrambling to his feet. Trembling, he bent over the side of the bank. Spotting that the river here was quite shallow, he took his sword and crossbow in his hands and plunged into the Redwater, holding his weapons just above the surface of the water so as to protect them. Wading in, he felt a great sense of relief: not only had the hornets let him be, but his many wounds were soothed by the healing water.

Éomeléo just stood there for over an hour.

With much splashing, and with much labour, Éomeléo managed to plot a course along the rise on the river-bed, taking him back south again, far from the belligerent bees. He was inching closer to the prize, but was only now beginning to long for his beloved, soft bed back home.

[Sleepy Ranger]

Ransley wondered what way Thin-Gloomy had gone. He had enjoyed the dwarf's company. "Ah! Pay attention to where you're moving." He scolded himslef as he walked on lightheartedly. "Oh damn...!" he exclaimed all of a sudden as he looked down to notice he had just stepped on an ant hill and red ants were beginning to swarm over his legs. "This is lovely." He though as he raised his fingers to his mouth and then stopped. "They're insects..."

He stood still, watching the ants move about. They wouldn't do anything till they sensed movement so he probably could buy some time to figure a way out. The river was a good ten feet away so washing them off probably wasn't a smart move since it would be too much of a task to get there. "Well lets see. Ah, soil..." Ransley knew that in certain places the soil could be a good way to eliminate insects. There were apparently tiny, invisble fairies (in reality; certain protozoa and fungi) that lived in the soil that killed the pests.

He would have to bend, which would be a risk especially since he did not if this soil would be of any help. He turned his head a bit and noticed a few flies in the distance. He strained his eyes and scanned his memory... yes! These were the type of flies that drove these ants crazy. He would need to lure them closer though. He turned his bag around so it hung on his chest and shuffled through it, keeping his legs still. "Yes, this would do." He thought as he pulled out some bread and a bit of sugar. He sprinkled the sugar on the bread and raised it high, whistling a soft tune which he hoped would help attract the flies.

Luckily for Ransley it worked and the flies started approaching him. "Now for the fun." He smiled as he let the piece of bread drop to the ground, the flies darting down to get it. The ants immediatly sensed the flies and began to scurry away in panic. It took a while till they were all off Ransley but they were gone eventually. Ransley began to walk towards the river, watching the flies buzzing down onto the ants. "Losers... just like that pathetic elf... Eoln." He thought as he walked into the river shallows. Keeping his feet just immersed in the water, no sense bumping into another set of ants.

[Nogrod]

That Narleah was nice company, Novgorod thought as he continued straight forwards on his quest for the treasure the next day, even though she didn’t remember the song. Novgorod had no idea about how the race was going so far but he was quite assured that he was not in a bad position. Everything had gone smoothly and easily and he had been able to keep up a fair pace every day.

Suddenly his path was cut by a wide and deep dry gorge, spreading miles away to both directions. I’m not going to go around this one, Novgorod thought to himself as he tried to estimate the distance to the other side of the gorge. More than 10 feet, less than 15, maybe something in between... A piece of cake, without the carriage. He had to settle down to think for a while.

He could jump over it easily, there was no problem there. He could also throw all his belongings over it with confidence. But how about the Blueberries? He still had about half of the berries with him, some two pints of them in the open basket he had made yesterday. There was no chance of jumping over the gorge with them.

He took a sip from his waterskin and realised that he had not much of the water left. The day had been hot and the consumption of water had been equal to it. There it is! The sudden birth of the idea made Novgorod smile widely.

He took the basket between his feet and started pushing the berries into the waterskin. As the skin was as full as he could get it he put the lid on and started pressing and squeezing it. Soon the berries inside the skin were mashed and mixed with the rest of the water in it. Carefully Novgorod opened the lid and took a sip. Hmmm... real Blueberryjuice! After blowing into the skin softly to open it as large as possible again he started shoveling more berries into it. After performing this same operation three times he had managed to liquidize all the berries and had a fair 1½ pints of energizing juice in his waterskin.

Time to go. He packed all the belongings he could into his backpack, including the waterskin and the quiver with the arrows. He threw it over the gorge with no effort. Then he tied the laces on his sword’s sheath to secure the sword. Off it went too, followed by his bow.

Then he took some distance from the gorge, checking that his steps would fit rightly as he would approach the edge. To secure everything, he drew a mark on the ground from where he had counted he should start his speeding and made a test run. It looked fine enough. It had been a long time he had really have to make a long jump, but the distance was so short that he should make it easily. Better safe than sorry, he said to himself as he prepared for the jump.

Then he bursted into a run, gathering up speed before the edge... and jumped!

Novgorod landed to the other side, a fair two feet clear from the edge. He repacked his belongings, took a sip of the Blueberryjuice and continued his journey in good spirits.

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo decided to continue straight. This day. It was a pleasent sunny day and the warmth from the sun was quite uplifting. Every now and then, he took breaks for food and water and once stopped at a fast running stream and filled his canteen with cold water.

This was about midday. After about ten more minutes of walking, he entered a field full of flowers. "Well, this is pleasent!" he thought happily, and strolled on. He had only walked for a few more minutes when he noticed something strange about the flowers. "These flowers have a strange smell, not like tulips or other such flowers,: he thought silently. It was then that it started happening. His eyes had begun to water and his nose was really itching.

He wiped away the water from his eyes and tried to continue on but stopped almost immeadiately because they started watering again. Then he started sneezing and couldn't stop. "These flowers (ACHOO!) have a st(ACHOO!)range and nox(ACHOO!)ious smell!! I must (ACHOO!) get out of th(ACHOO!)is field!" he cried.

He wiped his eyes once more and tried to see the end of the field. But his eyes (which started to water again) and his nose prevented it. "I must walk on!" he cried desperately and bumbled on through the flower field. He kept wipping at his eyes to make them stop watering, but nothing worked. Finally, he took his canteen out of his sack and splashed his face with some water. His eyes had stopped watering!! But he couldn't stop sneezing and his eyes were still really itchy from the smell. "Well, it might not have stopped fully, but for now, it will do," he thought.

He walked and walked for what seemed like ages. Finally, he bumbled out of the field and fell face first on the ground. He wiped his face on the smooth grass and stood up. His eyes stopped watering completely and he stopped sneezing!! "Well!! This is a surprise!! It seems that grass contains some sort of anti-agent for the smell of the flowers!"

With that, he turned his back on the flower field and continued on his long journey to the hoard of gold.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Valesse recives the Mods special award for this day. It is given to her for making one mod cry and one laugh, with her hornets attack.

[Naria]

Narleah's legs had begun to cramp; she had been walking for what seemed like forever. She did not know when they were going to give out, but knew that it was probably going to be soon with the amount of pain she was in. Narleah was now dragging her pack and all desire to keep going had begun to wain.

It was at that moment that Narleah noticed that she was no longer surrounded by miles of long grass, but miles of dry cracked earth. She scanned the area the best she could and could not see a thing...nothing at all, it seemed as though this was maybe the one area where no life was present. "Oye, this would seem to be my luck" she grumbled under her breath. Narleah was in need of shade and water and at least she had one of those things. She took out her canteen and took a long swig of the cool liquid. But when she tipped her head back forward, she became dizzy and the next moment found herself laying flat on her back staring straight at the blazing beast that was slowing her down.

She would have stayed like this for quite some time if it wasn't for a small tornado of dust that picked up and crashed right into her face. Spitting out the bits of dirt and pebbles, the dwarf sat up and as she did this she knocked over her water. "Umph, this comes as no surprise," she growled sarcastically. Narleah had to continue on with the race and she had to do something to bring down her temperature so she would stop feeling so woozy. She propped her head on one hand and with the other fingered the now moistened earth in front of her. The stickiness of the mud drew her attention down to what she was doing and...an idea! "Aye, methinks this will do nicely." At once she poured the rest of her water onto the parched dirt and covered the exposed parts of her skin with mud.

Narleah had many berries left, so she would use those to keep herself hydrated until she was able to find water again. Pulling her hat further down over her forehead, Narleah pushed herself onward and to hopefully a cooler climate.

[Valier]

Night 3 has now begun

The Day was long and tiresome, but now it was coming to an end. One adventurer (Thin-gloomy) decided to stay put for the day. (did not finish in 36 hours)

Some players will now be entering Roa's zone, Day 4 when you pm me your direction choices and you enter Roa's zone with your choice I will tell you and you will pm her your questions and from then on until you reach Rune's zone. Be advised, the zones get more challenging as they go....

All players now pm me your daily favorite post.

Map is where you are resting and where you will start from in the morning.

[Valier]

Players that may converse are as follows...

Group 1
Eomeleo
Valesseka

Group 2
Galadster

Group 3
Kafkalina

Group 4
Glirdingo

Group 5
Narleah

Group 6
Novgorod

Group 7
Thin-gloomy

Group 8
Ransley

[Valesse]

She had just started thinking about dinner when Valesseka found herself once more entranced by the river lapping at it's banks. After moments of holding a blank stare she became aware of foot prints leading away from the water... ones far too large to be her own... and from the looks of it, this person had reacted much the same as she did in her flight from the hornets. Curious and a bit afraid of what they might lead to, the Arnorian followed them to a small camp set up by none other than Éomeléo of Gondor. He seemed quite preoccupied at the time with his meal, to her relief, and hadn't noticed her so far. She threw her cape hood over her head and hoped it would hide her marred visage successfully. He isn't going to care if you're ugly, he's a lord of Gondor, and that girl of his that he doesn't want probably is twice as vain as you. With a deep breath she stood up from her hidden position "Greetings again, Éomeléo." I hope he recongizes my voice-- His face!

Without another word she invaded his camp. "I see you found those hornets, too..." Valesseka grimaced. I still have more than enough Athelas... but why should I share that with him? This is the -enemy-. "I'd rather have to fight that wind again, honestly." She smiled weakly. Going untreated, she knew the poison in the hornet stings could make the Éomeléo slightly ill in time, and that would give her quite an advantage in the race. ...yet he hasn't hindered me in anyway. Valesseka watched him with apparent concern before giving in and pushing something green into her mouth.

"Theres kingsfoil all over the place here. I only have a little" that you can have "right now..." In a rather unlady-like fashion she spit out a now well-chewed green mass "But it'll do a number on the stings." Only after she had held the messy salve in her fingers did she relieze that he might think her offer might be a little... disgusting. "It works." She stressed again.

I won't help him anymore. This is the only time. Very last. Valesseka bit her lip. "I'm from a little farm in Arnor. Everyone I know raises some crop or animal... I- I mean, I've only met a handful of people who can read their own names..." She sighed and smiled with a hint of regret on her face "I just wanted to see there was something more than that... The thought of adventuring for gold sounded perfect when I found that bottle." She looked back up at Éomeléo. That was enough for now, she figured, and if he asked anymore she would continue to give him half answers.

Quickly, she smeared the salve on his hand "It'll keep it from stinging, at least." The girl stood up and wandered back to her things, ready to eat, sleep, and dream.

[Valier]

Dawn of the fourth day had begun, a few adventurers arose to see their journey s taking them into the great Mirkwood forest. Others lagged behind still treading the harsh grassland, but were soon catching up. No one knew what lay ahead.....

The Day 3 winner was.....Glirdingo!!!! He will move farther than the other players for this day only. Two players failed to vote.....You know who you are *evil look* Please do not forget to vote!!!! By not voting, you do not have a say in who should move farther then you. If this happens a lot We will deal out Mod punishment (We will sick Eoln on you!! )

Some players are now moving into Roa territory.....All players please pm me your direction choice, if you move into Roazone she will be notified that you are now her's and she will pm you your scenario and answer your questions.

Day 4 has now begun. You have 36 hours to complete all your daily tasks.

Players pm me your directions

[Thinlómien]

Heading straight west is not my thing I guess... Thin-Gloomy thought. Last time thistles and this time... red ants. How nice.

The ants were swarming around him and crawling into his clothes and his thin beard and hair. And their bites hurt. Well, I guess the only thing one can do is to walk away, he thought, and did so despite of the nasty red ants.

Getting rid of the ants was not as easy as getting out of the ant hill. They evidently didn't want to leave. Though Thin-Gloomy hated water, he did the obvious thing to get rid of the red ants. He walked to the bank of the river nearby and splashed water all over himself. The ants ended up washed away and the dwarf ended up wet and itchy. Luckily he had taken the aloe vera leaves with him, so he made a new portion of salve and spread it on the bites.

He had dealt with the ants, but he was still frustrated. It is unfair that they hurt me, Thin-Gloomy thought, forgetting the fact that he had ruined their hill by walking straight into it. Maybe I could get something from them... His eyes started to glint.

He took few sticks from the ground and stuck them to the red ant hill. It took only a little while and the sticks were covered with formic acid. "Thank you, little sirs and ladies", Thin-Gloomy said and picked the sticks.

He continued his way whistling and licking his newly achieved candy sticks.

[Gil-Galad]

Galadster continued on till he came to a gorge filled with rocks, and there was a steady breeze behind him, as the grass and twigs started hitting his back.


hmmm... what to do what to do...grass...twigs...rocks... BURNINATING TIME!

galadster quickly started grabbing all the grass he can and start throwing it up into the air and piling it on the gorge, he then grabbed a bunch of rocks and started scraping them together to start sparks, sparks soon came and the grass ignited

BURNATING THE COUNTRY SIDE...GALADSTER!...BURNINATING THE PEASENTS...GALADSTER!

the fire went on for an hour or so, but the steady breeze blew it out, there Galadster looked with surprise as the gorge was still there, just a big pile of ash, that began to harden with the steady breeze, so Galadster with his quick thinking, used his dissapointment into oppurtunity and began forming steps as the breeze cooled it making it hard, And galadster continued this till he reached the top, where he just slid down on a rock shaped like a sled

Weeeeee! i'm going fast momma! i'm going fast!



OOC:hopefully that was up to standards, i might not get another time to edit this

[Glirdan]

Glirdingo had got a good night's rest and moved at a fairly fast pace the next day. It was another hot day and it was around noon when he noticed that the mountains were quite near. "Hmmm....going to have fun trying to get over those..." he thought to himself.

He stopped quickly for a bite to eat and a quick swig from his flask before setting off. He hadn't gone far before he noticed that he had entered a swamp. "Well, isn't this lovely..." he thought to himself sourly. He attempeted to walk further in and he made it a fair ways out before he noticed that he was slowly sinking into the mud. "This is wonderful!! Just what I need!! A mud bath! HA! A mud bath! I just made a funny!!" he thought, giggling silently.

"Wait! Not the time. Okay. What to do, what to do..." he looked quickly around to see if there was any trees that he could attempt to swing his rope onto and grab, but there were none. Then he looked around for sturdy bushes, but there were none either. "Only pieces of grass..." he thought miserably. "And I still have about another mile to go!! Ugh!!"

Then it hit him. It might have been because at that moment a bird decided to drop a worm on his head or because he just wanted to get out of there, but who knows? "Why don't I try and swim? And there's bound to be logs and what not protruding here and there that I could rest on! Yes! I'll swim through the mud!!" he cried. And with that he set off for the other end of the swamp, swimming here, resting there. Eventually, he got to the other end of swamp and clambered out, covered in mud.

"Well, that was interesting," he thought grumpily as he removed his canteen from his sack. He drank some then dumped the rest on himself, attempting to clear away the mud from his face, hands and hair. He took out his spare change of clothes and quickly changed. "I'll clean these and refill my canteen at the next stream I come across. For now, on I go." And with that, he set off towards the mountains which loomed nearer and nearer with every step.

[Sleepy Ranger]

"Mirkwood... Home of the stupid elves and senseless spiders! Why did I end up coming here?" Ransley obviously regretted his decision to step foot in Mirkwood. "Well whatever... no turning back now." He took in a deep breath and continued on into the forest. He still did regret his decision but he figured it would be all the better once he got out at the other end. Now if only none of those blasted elves showed up, spiders were just dandy but the elves took the cake.

Too bad Ransley had not wished away the crows for it was not a spider or an elf that appeared it was a crow. A murder of crows rather. Ransely looked up at the crows as they began to descend upon him. The ranger was light on his feet though and rolled away towards a bush as the crows neared him. In one swift movement he had his metallic sheet out. "You want a fight? I'm going to make this one a murder!"

Ransley smirked as the crows began to rush at him. There was a fair number of them, thirty or forty. It did not matter though, he had already done the hard part and all that mattered now was making sure none got away. He took a few swings as they came closer, whack whack whack and about a dozen of them dropped the down as the rest flew upwards. Ransley never had a hard task taking out animals, or birds for the matter, since he knew them all so well.

It seemed the creatures he had encountered along his way were set to harm him. They thought of nothing other than attacking and Ransley replied in turn. He watched as they began to approach him again. He could always use his sword but this give him a wider area and ensured none would get a hit in on him. Another ten or so dropped when he hit this time. They had dwindled down to around half their number. Ransley grinned and put away the sheet. He place and arm on the hilt of each of his swords and looked up at the crows.

He watched silently as they swooped down towards and once they were close enough he drew both his swords, slashing at them. There were only a few left and Ransley ensured that only one survived as they swooped down again. It seemed this last one wished to attack as well. Ransley seathed his swords as it hovered above him. Once the crow came down at him he sidestepped and stuck out his hand, catching the bird.[/i] "Alright little guy..." He crushed the bird's head with his hand and dropped it. Covering his head with his hood, Ransley walked away.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

The Sun beat down on the glorious green grass, and Éomeléo thought it good. This day was going swimmingly. "Ha ha!" he laughed, and hopped and skipped and pranced over the country. Valesseka's medicinal knowledge had proved apt and he was fully healed from the hornets' stings. For a change, Éomeléo had woken up bright and early, and he had been trying to move away from the Arnorian as quickly as he could. "A fine start I have on her; next time she sees me I will be showered in riches!"

Unexpectedly, his backpack fell off, propelling the handle of his sword to jut into his shoulder. "However did that happen?" he muttered, as he turned around to see the rogue carrier lying poorly on the ground. He lifted it and noticed that one of the straps had snapped.

He could not tie it up without the aid of something else, and he decided against this course of action. He thought it might be best to sew it, but in his haste to leave Gondor he had failed to foresee the need of such useful gear. Still, if he could only find something sharp, he might be able to perform the most rudimentary of sew-jobs.

He sauntered over to a group of trees, slightly southwards and about half a mile away. He had noted a few birds flying about the branches. Up he climbed and on the first tree he found a nest, and a finely-crafted nest at that. The birds were gone, scattering at the sight of Éomeléo's blue outfit glinting in the Sun. He grabbed the nest and clambered back down.

Picking a few of the sharpest twigs out of the sides of the nest, Éomeléo was able to utilise them as needles, sticking them through the straps of his backpack. The strap was now a bit shorter than the other one, but it was still suitable to wear. Éomeléo also used the feathers he found in and around the tree (there were plenty) to support the twigs, twisting the feathers around the ends of the twigs and tying them in knots.

The backpack was fairly shaky, but it held; and Éomeléo continued his journey westwards. The birds in the trees watched him leave, their beady eyes awash with fury: no doubt plotting their revenge. Éomeléo, blissfully unaware, strode on cheerfully.

[Nogrod]

After a couple of days of easy trekking the going was now getting tougher by every hour. Novgorod had entered the marshlands of Dagorlad and his pace slowed considerably. At times he had to check his every step and the mosquitoes were a constant annoyance. The going was getting all the more fatiguing and so the Blueberryjuice proved to be a real treasure, partly saving his day.

But eventually his concentration slipped for a fleeting moment. That was enough to get him into trouble. Suddenly the ground just gave away from beneath him and he realised his feet being swallowed by the bog, the swamp sucking them into it’s cold and muddy embrace ever tighter. He was sinking deeper at a slow but steady pace. Novgorod was cursing loudly.

This was not the first time Novgorod had been stucked into a marsh, but this time he had no one to help him out. He had sunken thigh-deep before he remembered what to do. With all his strength he yanked his body forwards, managing to ease the pressure around his feet passingly. He landed flat on his face to the bog, his legs still sucked by the muddy substance from under his knees. This probably is the most awkward position I’ve ever found myself from, he thought to himself after the “landing” and smiled a bit just to rise his spirits as he spat mud from his mouth.

As his weight was now spread over the surface of the swamp as evenly as possible, his body stopped sinking. But just laying there, nose on the smelly bog, was both frustrating and in a long run also dangerous. The problem was, that he knew only too well that every movement he made would probably sunk him deeper if he was not extra careful.

So, careful to move only those muscles that were absolutely needed, Novgorod started slowly raising his head to assess the situation and his chances. He had a faint image in his mind of there being patches of open water blue in front of him before he got stucked. He rose his head from the ground.

And there it was! Just two feet ahead from him behind the little neck of swamp. And if there is a place that is a bit higher than the surroundings, there is a reason for it... and that is some more steady vegetation... Carefully he started pushing his right hand through the moss and mud in front of him and finally got a hold of a root of a kind under the mud. Carefully he slipped his left hand in to take a grasp of the root too. Then he started concentrating. I need strength and speed to have momentum. I need strength and speed... he said to himself, breathing deeply and readying his muscles for the pull. I have one chance, a second is up to the stars. All or nothing, now!

With that he pulled himself fast forwards, using all the energy his arms could generate. The root he had taken hold of turned out to be quite rotten and broke down and so the pull produced only a part of the force he was hoping for. It was enough to free his feet but not enough to spring him to the open water.

“Blas...” he had time to yell before his face sank into the mud filling his mouth with the incredibly foul stinking substance of the bog and the rotten pieces of wood. He raised his head up immediately and realised being only about feet away from the open water, sinking fast into the swamp because of the force he had used. Just a feet! You can do it! He took a deep breath and started struggling forwards, sinking down with every effort of a stroke he made. Soon he was totally buried under the swamp, struggling forwards. And with every movement downwards he also got a little forwards. He had never fought this furiously for his life. Down he went, and a little forwards, down he went, and...

Just as his lungs were breaking, first his hands and then his head plunged from the mud into the open water. Novgorod had to double his effort to get the rest of his body out from the squeeze of the bog. His legs were still partly stucked in the mud as he made his last effort and sprang up towards the surface of the water. I... need... air...! ...

It took a while before Novgorod came faintly back to the here and now. He was on the float, free from the mud, in open water but too tired to do anything. At last he managed to take a draught of the Blueberryjuice and started regaining both his mind and body. There was a long patch of clean water around him, bordering to another little neck of the land, but behind it there was more water. Slowly he started swimming towards the next pool of water.

Passing over the next neck of land was a lot easier as he could build up some speed in the water and then leap forwards. That didn’t mean he didn’t have to struggle. Also his clothes and packages were wetted through and turned heavy. But in the end he somehow managed to pass several necks of land and following the open waters he at last reached the end of the marshes.

Novgorod was too tired to continue. He was too tired to even make a fire to dry and make himself warm. He only pulled the thoroughly wet clothes off him and fell asleep covered only by the low shrubs against the mosquitoes.

[Valesse]

The sun had already started rising when Valesseka found the motivation to open her eyes, but within a second she was up and rushing to pack. Late, late, late! She thought, standing up like a prarie dog and frowned. Even from here she could tell that Éomeléo had left, and she found herself unable to forgive herself for helping him the night before. She raced into the shallow water after searching for the shallowest crossing. That was the VERY last time. Very last... Argg...

Moving across the landscape at a paced jog, Valesseka focused on nothing other than catching up to the Gondorian Noble -indeed-. Valesseka snarlled, oblivious to the sound of her pack strap straning to hold together. But by the time she had reached back to grab her lunch, the strap snapped. "Grrreat..."

Valesseka pulled her pack off and inspected the strap... it would not do to simply tie it, due to the weight of her supplies, but at the same there was no catching up with Éomeléo without fixing it. Looking down at her brooch, the girl shook her head. It couldn't hold her pack without breaking. She would have to sew it back together somehow. "It was in good condition when I left..." she looked around, not sure what for, "....Éomeléo!" With a growl she stood up. "That trecherous man! It HAD to be him! And after I had helped him..." Whether she was right or not, it was enough for her to quicken her pace. Leaving her pack for now where she took it off, the Arnorian went in search for a thick briar.

"He thinks he'll get away with it, does he?" She mused, somewhat hysterically. "He thinks I won't play this game too?" She pulled a large vine up and took two savage swings at it with her throwing ax. Returning to her pack she frowned. What exactly was she planning to use as thread? Moaning in misery, Valesseka deflated and sat on the ground. This is what I get for helping people. With a sigh the girl lowered her head when it hit her, quite literally. When she had pinned her shawl on the ground with her axe, the gash had started ravelling. With a grin she started pulling at the ravels until she had collected enough to repair her pack strap.

Pushing a hole into the leather piece, she next used the thorn again to force the threading through. The entire repair took less than an hour for her, and in that time she was forced (by her stomach) to have a quick lunch. "Not bad" smirked Valesseka, pushing the vine piece in the repaired pack incase she needed it later for later repairs. With a kind of vindictive air, she returned to jogging west. We'll see who's ahead tomorrow, Éomeléo.

[THE Ka]

Kafkalina began to see the smudge of mirkwood far away, and soon found it's northern border. Walking cautiously through the trees, she could immediately sense the forests uneasiness. The dark shadow of Dol Guldur indeed had spread farther than its physical appearance, it now was a calling of great suspicion to anything coming from the south.

Oh huummm, and I thought to be amoungst trees again would bring me comfort, but all I find is distrust and none at ease. I hope only that I do not appear to be bringing more shadow to this great forest...

She was about to finish her thought, when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye, then again, but more softly now. She could sense more than trees were watching, and decided to stop and scan before moving on. Before she could, a hunting party (more like a scouting party it would seem) of elves surrounded her. Kafkalina made no attempt to run, she knew their ways and knew the folly of it. Bending slightly down to have a better view, she stared kindly at what appeared to be their leader, who was also staring with an arrow in her face. They did not seem to take kindly to her at all, but she could sense some in the party were just bewildered with curiousity as to why and who she was here.

" Speak, but do not take a further step. Tell us your business in Northern Mirkwood huorn."
The captain said in the mannish tongue, which bewildered Kafkalina more than his party members at her sight.

Why did he not speak to me in his own tongue? Ha ro tum! This indeed is strange and sad, that once to think I could come here and speak freely with them. To call me a Huorn too? Indeed something foul has come to pass for these elves of Mirkwood. Well, I have nothing to speak but the truth, hopfully they remember their own speech...

Still looking with a kind face, Kafkalina told them of her true intentions in their speech, Sindarin.

" Suilad Onodrim mellons, unless the world has changed indeed and the elves and Onodrim have parted ways, then it would seem the world has truely changed into naught. I am an Onod, though I cannot tell you my name in enttish, I have also the name of Kafkalina. I know I come from the south, and I know of the ill ways of Dol Guldur with their great spiders and twisted dark Huorns, but I speak with as much truth as Ilúvatar can grant me when I say this. I am not a Huorn, or dark and twisted roots I have bent for malice, I am of old an elve friend and the few left of the Onodrim. From what my people know of the Entwives, I may be indeed the last one, but no wive am I. I have journeyed quite far from my home in Eriador, in search of a treasure that may help my people and rebuild forests. If you have not forgotten my ways, as I have not forgotten the cunning and beauty of Thranduil's wood, you will know that nothing rousts an Onod to journey so far without a good reason. With that I will say that you will find not a single branch on me twisted with dark hatred for elvenkind, I only hold contempt for those that would cut down every tree of fair arda, as Yavanna set us Onodrim out to protect. Ho hmmm, as for my business, if you need to know, is to journey through your wood with peace and to refill my ent-draught at the Taurduin if this is approvable by you of course. I have nothing else further to say, but only that Thranduil's wood, may it one day be bright as we once knew."

The ent left the leader and his party in what seemed like a daze, but they were thinking of course. She knew that with the threat to the south, they would not suffer fools and would always be suspicious of her actions, but hopfully she did not seem to be a menace.

With arrows still pointed, the party did not move until their leader spoke.

" From what I first saw my eyes were filled with curiousity that one of the Onodrim had traveled this way, but then I know that the evils to the south can be puppets no matter how kind they may seem. Though, I know of no huorn dark or no, that could speak such in our speech, or had the ability to speak anything but a few words in the tongue of men or that of trees. It has been long since an Onod lived and walked through our forest, and the trees have grown without direction or heed of warning, thus allowing so many to become tools of malice against us and others. Though your story seems still strange to me, I shall let you pass under observation until you are out of our borders. Your presence will not be unknown, Onod, to that of King Thranduil. May you take care and your journey be a passible one. Galu Onod."

With that the party began to leave, but Kafkalina felt it unkind to not help them for the time she took from them. Calling for the leader to wait before he left, she looked through her bag, and then into a smaller bag. There lay the mallorn seeds, as bright as the day she found them. Taking one, she presented it to the leader carefully. At first he seemed suspicious, then his eyes widened for a bit in surprise and realization.

"Give this to King Thranduil and tell him I am sorry for causing so much trouble. May it help to bring light and joy back to his home."

The leader simply nodded and tucked the seed away carefully and disappeared. Kafkalina continued on her journey carefully to the forest river, now aware that she was a lucky guest to this wood of unease.

[Naria]

"Ahh, now this is much better," She sighed. Narleah had found some reprieve from the sun that had made her sick the previous day. She climbed ever higher until she reached the top of a large hill. The scenery was breathtaking, she couldn't help wondering though how she would escape the mass amount of trees that surrounded the area. The little dwarf whistled a happy tune as she moved down the other side of the hill.

Narleah was making good time, when she suddenly came to a crevice in the earth. It was not all that wide, about four to five feet across, so she figured that she would be able to jump across. She took a few steps back and ran forward as fast as her little legs could take her. Sailing through the air she thought how easy is this, I will make it no problem.Just as she was about to put her right leg forward to reach the opposite side of the crevice; her foot slipped and she found herself falling...down, down until she landed with a mighty thud. Narleah shook her head trying to clear her blurry vision...."Aye, well I should have known that my day was fairing to well for me," she sneered. It was at that time that she felt a searing pain rise from her right knee; Narleah had sprained her knee in the fall.

She sat crumpled at the bottom of the pit for quite sometime wincing in pain and trying to think of a way out. Narleah had noticed that the area immediately around the crevice had no trees, alive or dead. There were, however rocks and lots of them. She pulled her crumpled hat out of the small of her back where she put it when she arrived in the cooler climate. What to do, what to do she thought. "Hmmm, if I were to pierce a hole through my hat and pull the rope through....I could try and hook my hat on one of those rocks up there." She pondered some more and then thought what do I have to lose, I might as well try. Narleah did just that, it took some doing, but she managed to rip a hole in her beloved hat and pull the rope through. She gave a giant heave ho and threw it up....nothing, it didn't even reach half way. She gave another heave ho...this time it made it to the top, but didn't grab onto anything. Narleah watched the hat fall back down and gave it yet another lob upwards. Success! The hat grabbed hold of a rock, but would it be enough to hold her weight. She gave the rope a tug and found that the hat did not come floating back down to her. Narleah tied the remaining rope around her waist and began shimmying up to her freedom. She had found a rhythm, she used her good leg for leverage and her buttocks for support and balance. It was hard work dragging her bad leg instead of being able to use it, but she managed to work her way to the top.

Narleah reached the mouth of the crevice and found that getting herself over the ledge was actually much harder than she imagined. She took her pack off and threw it up and over the ledge and with all of her might, pulled and pulled herself until she could use her left knee to push her body up and over the rest of the way. Totally exhausted and feeling the throb in her knee, she lay on her back staring up at a now starry night.