The Pentagrid Net

[Selwythe]

Alfwine knelt in his stupor, blanking out the insignificant mutterings around him. He trembled uncontrollably in his burning rage as he saw the life seep out of the horse. It was gone, torn from its duty and bond to him by a stray arrow, and he knew all too well the murderer of all things fair.

"And might this be the traveller with me last night in the inn?" the elven newcomer jumped in surprise, "and what do you in these precarious woods?"

"The horse took the arrow for you. Here it lies," he replied bitterly before his voice quavered. Then he turned and looked in the direction of the attacker, and he spake no more.

[Arat-Falathion]

BÃ*renath vaged on a memory of his own loss there he stood looking at the rohirim grieving over his lost horse. "I am sorry of your loss. I understand that men from rohan has a very special relationship to horses."

Turion looked into the forrest, tried to get the attacker within sight, though it wasn't possible. He drew his sword and carefully approached the area from which the arrow had flung. BÃ*renath was right behind him, and the others were also spreading into the bushes in the same direction. Only the man from rohan was left with his horse.

Suddenly BÃ*renath saw something between the trees some 30 feet ahead of them, and he yelled "Ai!" and started running. He knew the others followed him, but his vision was focused on the being infront of him, and he ran, ran, ran..!!

Suddenly BÃ*renaths feet lost contact with the ground as he ran into something, and he flew through the air and banged his head into something hard. He fought to catch his focus.

The others came right behind him. Turion stoped as he saw what had felt BÃ*renath. A tombstone, it was a grave. And what had BÃ*renath crashed into? a hut! Turion ran over to the elf and helped him onto his feet. "I believe we finaly found your brothers hut, my friend." Turion opened the front door. "But I believe noone is at home."

BÃ*renath walked over to the grave and looked at the inscriptions. "This is written in tengwar" he said as he looked at the inscriptions on the tombstone. "Caita Eänel sÃ*men". He looked up at the others. "It says, here lies Eänel." He shoock his head and stood up. "But that is Lumënion's wife!" He felt a presure of tears in his eyes.

"Noone is in this hut" Turion said as he came out after searching through the hut. "It is empty, and have been for some days."
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OOC: oooh.. long text ...ok, not as long as it felt while I was writing it anyways

- Falathion

[Mathron]

Malagar looks through the woods, and then shakes his head. "No good - whoever was here is already gone."

Harnauro scowled. "We shall worry about that later, then. For now, let us make sure these people do not blunder into the forest - and then let us return to our mission."

[Selwythe]

Alfwine barely watched as the elves left him, his eyes fixed steadily on the ground. His sensations were numb, and he knew no fear from what they had sighted. He looked dully at the patch of trees where had seen those cold eyes. It was now still and silent, tranquil but cautious.

He stood up slowly and threw his lance away. It was now of no use without its accompaniment. He withdrew from a sheath in his belt a sword that glimmered silver around the edges and he ran into the patch, towards the heart of the forest, sped by bloodlust and driven by grief.

[Mathron]

The woods started to fly by Alfwine, with tree branches slashing into his face and the wind whipping around him. It all ended, abruptly, as a dark form suddenly appeared in front of him, and he lifted his blade to strike - only to find his grip caught, and then a sudden pain blossomed in the back of head.
Slowly, unconsciousness overtook him, though he heards words floating over him as darkness closed in. A dark, rough voice said, "Sleep for now, Son of Rohan, and renew your grief without such folly."

[Irid al'Menie]

There was a silence in the hut. The two people and the old man were silent. Irid touched her necklace, the amulet that was now so normal for her, most of the time she didn't even think of it. She thought back on the day, so long ago, still in the second age, when she had found it. Brought to her by a wolf, send to her by an elf with dark, long hair, of whom she didn't know the name, but she had seen him in a vision, thanks to the amulet...

[Irid al'Menie]

Suddenly the amulet showed her something... Wolves, her wolves, the ones that had raised her. Or better, the descendents of the ones that had raised her. They were in trouble, they needed her...

She knew it, she had to go and help them. She explained to the others what she had seen, and that she had to help them. "If any of the others come here, tell them what happened, and that I am very sorry but I couldn't stay..."

She went out together with her wolves, and jumped on her horse. In a dazzling gallop she rode away...

[Mathron]

Malagar hefted the Rider of Rohan over one shoulder - despite Mal's slight build, he seemed to lift Alfwine like a sack of feathers, showing no sign of difficulty.

He turned to the others. "I would advise you to be careful in these woods. You may wish to accompany us, and we can take you to some others who can, perhaps, lead you safely out of her."

BÃ*renath turned to him, tears growing in his eyes. "You do not understand - I must find my brother!"

Malagar did not respond, but glanced at Harnauro, looking around for signs of the mysterious assailant, and then at Slythre, who stood watching the newcomers. Malagar gestured her closer.

He said to her softly, "There are many strange things going on near the Pentagrid, and I do not wish to use my power to discover more. I say we should return and find the others who entered here, and then track down the trail of the orcs - it seems all too much like we are simply blundering through the woods without guidance. And, perhaps, the others will have discovered something useful."

[Lief Erikson]

"Believe me, I have not forgotten about the orcs," Slythre agreed. "And Alfwine probably should be taken into the care of the elves. A moment ago he appeared to be crazy . . . I have never seen such grief over a mere horse." She shook her head slightly at the unconscious horseman.

"Also," she continued, "after we have returned to the elves one member of our company must go and inform Erenfor that the threat of these orcs is real."

Turning back to the others she spoke more loudly so that they could hear. "All of you, we will take you to our comrades. They all went running off after Tessar the elf last time we saw them; it shouldn't be too hard to find them again."

She turned her eyes to Birenath a moment later and after hesitating a moment, she walked over to him and let her voice soften to comfort him. "Who knows? Perhaps you might even find your brother where we go. He obviously is not in his home, so your liklihood of finding him is just as likely going with us as any other direction."

He didn't answer, simply staring at the hut where his brother had lived. It was true, he didn't even know how long it had been since his brother had last lived there.

"At any rate, come on," Slythre said, turning around and walking quickly back to her horse. Swiftly she swung up into the saddle. "We're going now. All who will follow us to the elves in our band, come now. And keep a sharp eye out for the creature that shot at us before. We are none of us safe; our opponents are almost certainly aware of our presence here now."

She kicked her heels against her horse's flanks and the animal moved forward, needing little urging. "Come," she said, beckoning to the others.

[Arat-Falathion]

"I will follow you!" BÃ*renath said as he made up his mind. Turning to the others he said: "Slythre is right! We are none of us safe here."

Turion walked over to BÃ*renath. "And I guess I won't get payed untill we find your brother. I go whereever you go, Arat-BÃ*renath."

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OOC: shortest IC post in history, almost...

- Falathion

[Mathron]

OOC: Don't worry, I've seen far shorter, and plenty of times! ~grin~

---

Harnauro spoke softly, as he followed after Slythre. "I shall leave you two to continue to look into the orc threat, and shall go to inform your commander myself, if you do not object."

She shook her head, wondering slightly at his soft tone and cautious words, but then turned her thoughts back to the trail before her - and to getting the other wanderers to someplace safe in the woods.

[Selwythe]

The creature froze suddenly in the bushes, aware of a presence nearby. Deft was the movement of his head as he sniffed the air - and revealed a knowing smile.

With a fluid grace did he turn around and throw his spear into a space between the trees. Then he charged forward and slashed the petrified Orc in half.

It had been noiseless, and swift.

Then he looked around. Sauron's forces were already gathering, and the Eye was closing on the object it desired. He had to get it first, and if he failed...his eyes flickered to the south, he would be avenged, a thousand times over.

[Mathron]

The woods blurred around Harnauro as he flew through them, quickly - and not in human form. The longer he traveled with Mal and Slythre, the less time he spent in his cursed shape - but the curse laid upon him by Suaron was still there, and he felt its need almost constantly these days.

He would find Erenfor, and report on their progress. But for now, he would simply... run.

[Arat-Falathion]

BÃ*renath and Turion walked side by side after Slythre. They were the only ones that didn't have a horse to ride. Them and Alfwine ofcurse. Alfwine walked last and so BÃ*renath and the others didn't notice him stopping for a while.

"I got him!" they suddenly heard him shout. Everyone turned quickly around and saw Alfwine comming out from some bushes with an orchead in his right hand.

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- Falathion

[Mathron]

Slythre glanced at the head, and shook her own. "Not the one that we saw earlier - just a common orc scout. That does mean they are nearby, though."

Mal glanced at her. "Would you like me to search for them?"

She nodded, and said, "I will continue onwards with these. When you find the orc's location, let me know, and we can await for Harnauro to return before taking action."

[Arat-Falathion]

"So where are we going while we are waiting for Erenfor then?" Turion asked. "I just want my money, and then I'll be off to Gondor. I have to keep searching for Aragorn!"
Slythre turned around, ready to answer.

[Lief Erikson]

"Fine," Slythre snapped sharply. "Go your own way if you please. But you're just as likely to find him whichever way you go as you are traveling with us. He might even be captured by the orcs we seek, in which case you wouldn't be doing him a good service by blundering around anywhich way in the wood. But your path is your own to choose.

"We, in the meantime, must track these orcs to their source. Mal will loop off to the right and pass along the edge of the Pentagrid while we spread out and search these hills.

"Come on, let's get a move on," she said, spurring her horse and riding quickly up the nearby slope as the others broke up behind her.




Galkier turned angrily as an orc runner dashed into the shadow of his master's hideout, anxious to get out of the sunlight.

"What are you doing here?" Galkier snarled angrily. He had been planning to rest until nightfall, and he was already in a bad mood. The cover from the sunlight which was possible to find in this area was pathetically small, which was the cause of most of this mood. But also there was the fact that several of his orcs had failed to return, including one whole patrol, which had included a couple trolls. He didn't have many of those among his own force.

"I have word about about the missing orcs," he said as he panted for breath. "I have only recently found their bodies, but there are humans poking around. Humans and elves, skilled in combat."

Galkier snarled in fury and balled one hand into a fist. "Erenfor?"

"No, although possibly they are scouts under his command."

"If so, they must be killed as soon as possible," Galkier said. "Inform the patrols to be on top alert. And get my captains, I intend to bolster those troops with as much reinforcements as possible. Unfortunately there's little we can do while that cursed sun remains in the sky, but it only has a few hours left before evening. Go on, deliver your message and get out of my shelter! Go!"

The orc ran for it.




Erenfor was seated on his horse speaking to a lieutenant when the man reached him. He turned around as the other came into view and started.

"Sandor!" he said loudly, turning from the lieutenant and toward the other man at once. "What are you doing here? And where is Slythre?"




Colmade turned his gaze toward Tessar anxiously. "We need her, and probably will need her wolves as well. This is a last ditch defense that we'll have to fight here, and every person helps. She has many years of combat experience behind her."

"She knows her own duty best," Tessar answered.

"Probably," Colmade conceded. "Well we cannot afford to linger here. Time is precious and I greatly desire to meet your other companions. They can have no idea of their opponents' numbers, and we need to warn them."

They left the hut and started down the hill together, Colmade glancing nervously at the sky.

Tessar knew what he was concerned about. The orcs were almost certainly waiting only until they had darkness again before making their move . . .

[Mathron]

Mal nodded to Slythre, and said, "Then I bid you good luck while watching over these ones. Should I find anything, I will either seek you out, or send a signal you shall recognize."

He vanished into the brush without a response, knowing that both of them had no need to waste words when on a mission.


---


Sandor nods to Erenfor, and speaks quietly.

"My name is Harnauro now..."

He shakes his head, and then speaks in a stronger voice, "We've learned the orcs truly live, and are a threat. We have also encountered several strangers near the Pentagrid, with various reasons for being there. Most now accompany us. Slythre leads them while she searches for the main orc camp, and Malagar is assisting in scouting the region."

He crosses his arm, and glances around the camp. "I came back to inform you of our progress. The one small band of orcs we faced were no difficulty in being dealt with, but I scented an orc wandering the woods that seemed more dangerous than most. I think many forces may be at work here, and this mission may delve deeper than it seems..."

[Lief Erikson]

"You think there are enough opponents for me to bring down a detachment, then?" Erenfor asked.

Harnauro nodded.

Erenfor stared at him for a moment, wary of a trap that might be sprung, but something seemed to tell him to trust the other man. And even if he couldn't trust Sandor, he needed to find out what was happening out there. He turned his head to the lieutenant with whom he had been talking. "Shayn, gather a hundred of my men and bring them here. I want them armed and ready to ride in twenty minutes."

[Tessar]

sigh.... not sure what to post....