Writewraiths in Middle Earth

[Lubyla]

"Illali, you were there when it happened last time, wern't you?"

'Yes, I was.'

I sat down in the grass. the spot I chose was dry."Why? Why did history have to come back?"

'Middle Earth and Mundane Earth are but Mirrors of one another. It happened there, so it will happen here.'

[Silverstripe]

"Death? What death?!"
Oh, please, no, not this. Killer, what did you do?!
I knew she had done something terrible, because I couldn't remember, but ... I wouldn't kill anyone. "NEVER!"

[Fred Baggins]

"Star, it's done. It's done, he's gone. He's gone Kathie."

[Silverstripe]

I turned to Star. "Who's gone, what's done, and what does she mean, 'death?'" If Killer had actually killed someone, then I had become too dangerous to LIVE, let alone LEAD anyone. I wouldn't be able to trust myself, not ever.
Oh, but who ELSE do you trust? I asked myself silently.

[Lubyla]

Faith's voice seemed to carry in to wind to the spot I sat. I diddn't want to go back to the group arouund Faith.the wind howled in my easrs, and seemed to say..."It is a miror....things past will come back to be....."

[Fred Baggins]

"HE is gone. The voi- O nevermind. No one would belive me any way."

"Death has come, and death will be recieved, by he or her who killed my brother."

[Lubyla]

I sat in the field and pulled my cloak around me, and seemed to dissapear. no one could see me off in the distance that was. Illali's eyes glowed bright in the storm. The wind rang, mocking me.

[Silverstripe]

"But I thought you said that your brother died years ago?" Maybe that was it, it was just Faith's MEMORY of a death.
"And what do you mean, 'no one would believe you'? Try me."
In truth I might very well NOT believe her, but I had been Stephanie's confidante through her hard times and I hoped I could be Faith's. Because I was convinced she had, well, probably not bipolar disorder, but SOME type of mental disorder, though she might not know it.

[Fred Baggins]

"Ugh, I'd rather not tell. After all I kept it secret all these years. And it's no Memory. He was hear, an anthro hobbit. But I found his body just a few minuets ago. No memory. I'll even show you the body, that is if I thought I could stomich it. It's not...it's not...it's him."

[Lubyla]

I almost stopped the rain, as Illali stopped me.

'Dont, not yet, the rain brings comfort to some.'

[Silverstripe]

"A secret?" I laughed mirthlessly, because it looked like my fear of "going crazy," which I'd have ever since Steph was diagnosed, actually WAS justified. Sort of. Because Killer probably qualified as a mental disorder. "Look, you can keep your secret, but I think I know what's bothering you." And then her last words finally began to sink in. Freddy, the anthro? He was Faith's brother?! But if he had just been killed, then maybe Killer...maybe I ... actually HAD murdered someone!
NO! I liked Freddy, he'd never done anything to me, he was innocent, she-I couldn't have, I...
Then I caught a glimpse of Snakesnout's face. He seemed to know what I was thinking, and that made things even worse than they already were.
I was weeping now, in a way I had not cried for ten years.
My voice trembling a bit, I asked "H-how did he die?"
And Snakesnout answered.

[Fred Baggins]

*Buddy stepped forward* "We found his body, mangled. It is obvious the work was done by a warg, though I swear by my true form it wasn't me. I told the Counte-Faith that already." He caught the look in Caliens face, and he remembered his sister. "I wouldn't think it would be yo-Killer though." He then shut his mouth, and lay down behind Faith.

I felt Buddy sit down behind me. "It wasn't you Kathie."

[Lubyla]

I herd these words blow in the wind."you didn't seem to when it happened the first time, with me." I whispered into the wind.I began to sing softly to myself.

Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always one reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there

so tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
and the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lie
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here

[Silverstripe]

I stared at Mauluk for a few moments ... because that was who I was seeing. Mauluk, the brother who had been my advisor for many years. I knew he was telling the truth. He had every reason to say it HAD been me, and yet he did not. And though I would never again trust him, I stopped looking at him as scum.
'Thank you,' I whispered to Buddy. Then I turned to Faith.
"I-thank you. I couldn't remember what Killer had done. I still don't." I snarled a little. "I have to destroy Killer. If I can't, I'll...I'll choose a new leader for the Kin!"
But whom would you trust? Again that question came into my mind.
"No, I'll let them choose," I continued. "Nor will I be Empress of the Writewraiths, if this doesn't end soon. Killer makes me too unstable. Anyway, we have to find out who DID kill your brother. Because... I'm certain whoever did it had to have been a shifter. Not Buddy, or me, but possibly one of my Kin."


ooc: Don't worry, I'll try not to be too kind to Buddy. Just not actually hate him so much anymore...

[Fred Baggins]

ooc: ok

ic:Buddy smiled. No, Mauluk smiled.

"I will kill who ever it is. I thank you for beliving me." I dug into my mind, the back of my mind. "No, it wasn't a shifter...I-I know somehow, it wasn't...or maybe it was..."

[Silverstripe]

"What do you mean, 'wasn't a shifter, but maybe it was'?" I asked. Although I had a feeling that I already knew the answer.

Hunter came running up to Calien and Faith in time to see Calien give Snakesnout a grateful look. But what could Snake possibly do to deserve gratitude?! The shifter decided he would have to warn Calien again about putting any trust in Snake.

Snakesnout was, and always would be, a traitor to the Kin. None of them, least of all Calien, should ever forget that.

[Fred Baggins]

*As Buddy saw Hunter, and caught a galre from him, the smile quickly faded. He slunk behind Faith, hiding, but not to well. He would never be accepted again, not Buddy, because of Danger. Mauluk was forever cast out because of Snakesnout.

"Well, I mean, I remember the body, and the way it was killed...well, it is a shifter, but not Kin. It was one who killed not for the death, but as a warning. A...or what I would guess...a warning to be more careful. I don't know, It's so hard to read..."

[Silverstripe]

"I think you're right, Faith. But the thing is, there aren't that many shifters who aren't Kin, at least who can take the form of a warg." I turned and saw Hunter. "Hello, Hunter."

<Calien. I need to speak to you, alone.> He cast a meaningful look at Snakesnout.

This time, as I watched Buddy shrink under Hunter's gaze, I felt a bit of sympathy for him. This seemed to worry Hunter even more.

<Calien, please!>

<Soon, Hunter. I will speak with you soon.>

<He's a traitor, Calien, not just to you but to all the Kin. Don't forget that!> Then, with a very worried look at his sister and one last glare at Snakesnout, the warg walked away.

[Fred Baggins]

Buddy cowered behind me, but I paid it no mind. I nodded to Hunter as he came, and again, as he left. He seemed not to aknowledge me. As he left I spoke again, knowing he had probably been using the link.

"There is one...though I cannot possibly imagine why he would do this to me, unless he has turned again. There is one who can change his form, and is not a Kin. Naa Tel'raa. I'm not saying it was him, but..."

[Silverstripe]

"He isn't the only one. There are others. Of course most of them are innocent of this crime. We should think carefully before we act. Now, if you'll excuse me, I promised Hunter I'd speak with him about something. I'll be back. I strode off after Hunter, leaving Anmara behind. He was waiting in the forest, out of hearing range of Buddy.

'Hello, Calien. So you have come.'

'Yes, I've come. I know what you're about to say, and you're right. I shouldn't trust Snakesnout. Well, I don't. And I can't trust Mauluk, because I'll never know when he might become Snakesnout. But there is some good in him, I know that now.'

'Good?! He betrayed you, Calien, he used you, for years. You were nothing more than a pawn in his game, a way for Snakesnout to get to what he wanted. The leadership. You saw how quickly he turned on you when you got in his way!'


'Yes, and I trusted him then. I don't now, but he did basically save my life back there. Anyway, how can I be sure I can trust YOU?' I snapped. Hunter looked shocked and hurt, and I simply felt ashamed. I had known Hunter as long as I'd known Mauluk, and though Hunter had never had Mauluk's wisdom, I would have trusted Hunter with my life.

But you would have trusted Mauluk with your life. And look what happened with him. No, Calien, you don't REALLY trust anyone anymore, do you? Not even yourself!

I ignored this thought, and spoke again to Hunter.
'I'm sorry Hunter. It's just...'


'Mauluk's betrayal makes it difficult to trust anyone, doesn't it?' said Hunter.

I nodded. Though there is one I will always trust. Terwell. Terwell couldn't betray me without betraying himself as well.

And I knew, for an absolute certainty, that Terwell was trustworthy; that he would have been trustworthy even if there was no Link. As I thought that, I got the urge to go and talk to my shuren, my "twin" by mindlink. But I stayed to hear the rest of what Hunter had to say.

'Be careful around Snakesnout, Calien. But don't let him ruin your life. Don't let him make you decide you can't trust anyone, because that would be your doom.'

Then, when Calien didn't speak, Hunter bowed and ran off towards the other Writewraiths, signaling that his sister should return to the somewhat smaller group she'd been with. He hoped Calien had listened to his words, especially the last part.

If she didn't trust anybody... Kin that didn't trust even their own brothers and sisters quickly turned into monsters. First, they began to be unable to control themselves for the first few minutes after becoming wargs.

It was common for one of the Kin to have difficulty doing this when young, but Calien would have had no trouble after defeating Snakesnout.

But of course, if she really didn't trust anyone, that was another story.

Hunter shuddered as he thought of what came next, for any extremely mistrustful member of the Kin.

They began to show two very separate sides of their personalities. One was normal, except that it was perhaps much more fearful than usual.

The other was agressive, lashing out at everyone and everything, hating the world and all that was in it.

This happened with both forms, and it was really no wonder that eventually, the Kin began to ignore a brother or sister who was behaving like this. The wary one would go mad, then, and wander aimlessly around Middle Earth, lonely and miserable. An outcast, made so not by anyone else, but themselves.

Oh, the Kin tried to help, and most of the time the problems never got this far. In fact, Hunter had only seen one member of the Kin, his brother, act like that; there had been no others in his lifetime. (But then, Hunter was fairly young, only a little older than Calien.)

Hunter hated to think that something like that could happen to Calien, his beloved sister. He had seen the look in the eyes of his wary young brother, the one who had fled from the rest of the Kin years ago, and he would not wish his brother's situation on even his worst enemy.

But more than that, Hunter loved his people, and Calien was their leader. The Kin simply could not afford to have a leader like that. Calien was ordinarily a good leader, and Hunter wanted her to keep her position.

But if Calien didn't learn to trust other people soon, if she grew agressive and fearful, what would become of the Kin?

As I ran back to Faith and Buddy, Hunter's words kept echoing in my mind.It would be your doom... be your doom ... your doom...doom
I knew his words were true, that I had to start trusting people again, even though it was hard.