The Pentagrid Net

[Laurenis]

Kaytrien had been startled at the man of Rohan's reaction and she was even more startled when he drew his sword. But yet as she was still getting a rip of the situation, it was over and Erenfor was reasurring the man. She looked over to Irid who was now sat on Birenath's bed, her head in her hands and deep in thought. Kaytrien had only known her a few hours and yet she knew that Irid had lived long and had many dear memories.

Tessar was now talking to Erenfor and the man was slowly recovering and sitting on the other bed. Kaytrien walked over to Irid and put her hand on her shoulder. Bringing herself back up from a daydream Irid looked up. "I am now retiring to bed, my friend." Kaytrien told her with a smile. "It seems that tonight has been, well, somewhat busy, and I am extremely tired. I assume we are to leave for Pentagrid in the morning. Is that the plan?"

[Lief Erikson]

"That is entirely up to you," Erenfor answered Tessar. "Have no fear, I bear you no ill will. And I am sure you are just as brave now as you were a couple ages ago," he continued with a half smile. "If your path leads you to our company, we will welcome you with pleasure. But until it does, I am content to continue with what I have." He glanced once at the man from Rohan, and then turned back to Tessar for a moment. "Will you answer any further questions he may have? I am going to catch a few hours sleep before setting out in the morning, so if you don't mind, I'd best excuse myself now."

He turned toward the door and left the room, walking down the hall to find his own.






An old man was seated on a bench beside a worn table; one that had seen many long years, as had he. He wrote in a large, leather bound volume which was one of several such books, all of which lined the shelf on his right.

"They're here again," Colmade muttered quietly under his breath as he touched the edge of his quill to his lower lip in thought. "Stupid beasts care nothing for nature or anything that lives. Foul creation of the darkness, paugh!"

He wrote in his book for twenty minutes longer till he had finished recording his sighting of the orcs on the edge of the Pentagrid earlier in the afternoon. He'd probably have to walk down tomorrow and see what they were up to, although whatever it was it would probably be over by then. Orcs hated the light of the day, as all knew. He could hope that they entered the trees; it would make it easier for all good folk to not have to dispose of them, and he knew that not one of them would come out from under those leafy boughs alive if they went that way.

"Until tomorrow," he said to himself as he pulled the blanket up to cover himself with a pale, fleshless hand. Sleep was easy to find these days, regardless of the uncomfortable bed. "Until tomorrow."

[Arat-Falathion]

BÃ*renath's heart was still hammering on inside his chest. but as Erenfor had calmed down the man of Rohan, he managed to get himself together and sat down beside of Irid, who had a tender smile on her face.
"You seem happy... what is it?"

Irids appearance made BÃ*renath somehow confortable, and he forgot the sword and the sorrow, and once more his heart lightened greatly.

-----------------------------
- Arat-Falathion

[Tessar]

Tessar, seeing that the man wanted to talk to Irid, turned to walk out and get some sleep, However when he reached to door, he turned and looked at the man till their eyes met, he threw a cautionary glance at the man the flicked his eyes to Irid and back. The man gave the barest hint of a smile and a nod.

Tessar then went to his room and fell asleep.

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid turned her head to BÃ*renath.

'I have just learned something... And I have met friends of old again. It is hard to explain now, but I can still faintly see Laska, and Thanes.'

She took Wolfbane, her sword of mithril, placing it on her knees, touching it.

"This was given to me by Thanes, for saving his life once. But he has passed away, and now, in my wolfworld I have met him again."

She looked back up, into Birenath's eyes. "That has made me happy..."

[Arat-Falathion]

Even if this would sound crazy to most people, BÃ*renath understood what she ment. More then one time had he met his sons in his dreams lately. He smiled back at her.

"Well, you should get your night of sleep now. I understand it as your comrades are leaving early for the Pentagrid tomorrow. I will, on the other hand, sleep a little longer and ask a little around the town for my brother. Maybe I will see you again some time." BÃ*renath gave Irid his hand, and they shoock it and bowed to each other.
-----------------
- Arat-Falathion

[Lief Erikson]

Morning dawned bright and fair, and Erenfor rode out of the village before the others, swiftly and heading in a different direction from that which his friends would be traveling.

His friends left the village an hour after him, heading toward the Pentagrid, and as they began their trip towards its leafy boughs, Erenfor reached his destination. Swinging down from his saddle, Erenfor looped his horse's reins around a post and ran quickly over to Slythre's tent. He was somewhat surprised to find she wasn't there, and he continued in the direction of the campfires, where breakfast was being served. His troop of men and elves had recently completed a series of successful battles against orcish parties, and they were in need of rest. Slythre on the other hand, had not been exactly involved in the hand to hand part of the battles, and he could use her to go on this scouting mission toward the Pentagrid.

He noticed her sitting beside a campfire talking to a couple men. There weren't many people eating yet; most of them were sleeping in on one of the few days they could. He didn't think he'd seen either of these two before, but he didn't know all the men in his camp individually. Another surprise; she didn't generally speak to any of his men, regardless of the fact that several had already made addresses to her. She was one of the only women in the camp, and being beautiful like she was, naturally drew his men's attention.

He walked up behind her, exchanging glances with the two men with whom she was speaking, and stopping in surprise when he recognized Sandor.

"General?" Slythre asked as she laid her plate on the ground beside her. She turned around and stood up, looking at him expectantly.

"When did you arrive here, Sandor?" Erenfor asked. And what are you doing speaking to one of my most skilled operatives, he might have added.

"Late last night," the man answered.

He couldn't very well ask more questions now, not with his men looking on. He had another purpose now, anyway. "You have finished your breakfast?" he asked, glancing at her empty plate. "Then I would like you and perhaps a few other of my men to go and accomplish a scouting mission along the borders of the Pentagrid Forest."

"This is one of the few breaks we have," Slythre objected, but her eyes were flicking between Sandor and himself, apparently having noted in his unease about the man.

"There are several friends I have already heading in that direction, though on foot. You might meet them, and if you do, join up with them. Their names are Irid al'Menie, Tessar and Kaytrien. Kaytrien is human, the other two are elves."

"Sounds fine thus far," Slythre said, but he detected some measure of disappointment in her features.

Strange; what else was she planning to do here? And where had she met Sandor?

"I assume we're looking for orcs?" she asked.

He confirmed it. "But did you have some other plan?" he asked. "I could possibly send another on this mission."

"No, your other men are mostly tired," she said, "and I haven't had to do nearly so much physical exertion as they."

"We will come with you if the general permits it," Sandor's friend volunteered after a moment's thought. "A nice horse back ride would do us good."

Could he trust Sandor and a friend of his alone with her? Come to think of it, he seemed to slightly recognize this friend of his from somewhere before too, although he couldn't easily place it. It must have been from long ago. This was dangerous, but apparently she knew them from somewhere before, for he knew that Sandor at least certainly didn't have winning a nature enough to win his way into conversation with her on first try. He would have to trust her judgement on this. "Very well, if Slythre wants either of you two along, that will be fine.

"Will you have any others?" he asked, turning back to Slythre. It wouldn't be nearly so dangerous if he had others along with her as well . . .

"No, having them along will do. I haven't spoke to them for many weeks, and it is about time we got up to date."

"It's up to you," he said, looking Sandor hard in the eyes once more as he turned back into the camp.

[Mathron]

Harnauro almost glanced at Malagar for his thoughts, but instead kept his gaze locked with Erenfor. He was still not used to being around people this much, but at least Erenfor was an elf - and his eyes were not filled with the harsh mortality Harnauro saw when he looked at humans.

He gave a gruff nod, all that Erenfor needed.

"It would certainly be our pleasure to provide aid on this mission," said Malagar, a smile dancing about his lips. He could sense that Erenfor did not know what to make of him, and it would be so easily to fall back into the old role of deception - keeping people off guard, manipulating all those around him.

With a conscious effort, Malagar turned his thoughts away from such things, and nodded to Erenfor as the elf captain walked away to deal with the other concerns of his camp.

"Sandor, eh?" Slythre asked wryly, raising an eyebrow at Harnauro, who simply turned away with a scowl, and stalked into the woods.

She took a step after him, but felt a light, but solid, hand on her shoulder, restraining her. Malagar stood behind her, and said softly, "Let him be for now."

He chuckled, and the serious look left his face. "He... doesn't like that name," explained Malagar. "And he has been quite on edge of late. I would advise treading lightly with him for the trip - for his own sake, not for yours."

Malagar stepped back, and smiled. "In any case, I hope to be of some assistance on your mission. Do you have any preperations to make?"

"I'm always prepared. Give me a few minutes, and we can be on our way."

Malagar stretched and glanced around at the camp, as Slythre grabbed the little she needed. The soldiers were starting to get busy and bustle about, and Erenfor strode through it all, confident and filled with leadership. Malagar smiled dryly, and waited for Slythre to return.

[Selwythe]

*Hmm, anybody noticed that my sword hasn't been returned?*

Alfwine rose early, and indeed he was sleepless for most of the night in his wonder and insecurity. This would make a fine tale in a tavern in fine Rohan. The Horse-Land felt faraway in his mind. It had been long.

He found his sword on the mantlepiece and descended the stairs of the inn, still relatively silent in the calm of morn.

"By any chance," he leaned over the counter at the portly innkeeper, "could you give me directions to the land of Rohan?"

He received a blank look and sighed before collecting his breakfast ration and sitting in a dark corner. Long was he gone from his homeland, and his presence would be questioned, at best missed. He too would be unaccounted for, presumably perished in that attack on the Western marches of Rohan.

Out of the corner of his eye and unnoticed, he watched slowly as 3 Elves trudged in and promptly filed out of the room. The sight of these unearthly beings amazed him still. They carried bags of inenviable bulk, yet walked with deft lightfootedness. He could see they had being in the room the night before, but knew not whether he could trust them, nor if he could summon the courage to ask them for directions.

He walked out of the backdoor and into the stable, finding his trusty steed. Fearn lowered its shimmering white body and Alfwine mounted on it before steering it out of the stable, the elves still visible far off in the thickening foliage of the forest. He had to find a way home -- and he had to start somewhere.

---------

He had long suppressed the thought of asking for directions. He felt too much a young broodling in front of them, stuttering and foolish. He followed them far behind into the forest, Fearn making scarce a sound. He would find familiar territory, and home would be but a few springing gallops away.

[Tessar]

Tessar felt that someone was following the party, "Are you going to sneak after us all day?" He called out "or would you care to join us, Horse master? there is plenty of room in our company for one more."

[Lief Erikson]

Six horses moved swiftly along the grassy plain towards the Pentagrid Forest. Three of them had riders while the other three did not, though they were saddled. Slythre, Mal and Harnauro were obviously the riders, moving as quickly as they could. For they knew that elves, even though held up by having a human in their company, could still move with great speed, and after the small band ahead reached the forest, there was no telling what they would do. They might go either way around the forest, or they might even try to plunge into it. Slythre would prefer to be connected with them as they scouted around the forest, and what lay within would likely interest Erenfor as well.

"I may not have Agravigan's eyesight," Slythre said finally, "but I think I see a man on horseback ahead."

"You're not alone in that," Mal confirmed her opinion.

They rode closer, and the man stopped, turning back to face them.

"The insignia of Rohan," Mal noted quietly, and then they were in hearing distance.

"Hello there!" Slythre called out to him. "Where may you be off to?"

"The Pentagrid," the man answered, more quietly though.

"The same as us," she said, glancing at her companions. "What draws you there?" The man was silent, and Slythre didn't press the question. She didn't have the chance, even if she'd wanted to, for at that moment two elves and a woman came out from the brush ahead. Swiftly, Slythre identified them in her head as Irid, Kaytrien and Tessar, and she smiled slightly. This man had been following them.

Somewhat irrelevant now, and she doubted very much that a soldier from Rohan would be a spy, but it would be interesting to see if he joined with them or not.

She advanced toward the newcomers and smiled welcomingly. "Greetings! Our meeting now is fortunate, for we were sent by General Erenfor hoping to meet with you. That is, if your names are Tessar, Irid and Kaytrien?"

[Tessar]

Tessar smiled, "Yes" he said "those are indeed our names, and we would welcome your company as well"

Although he smiled and sounded cheerful and bright, Slythre sensed that he was ready to leep in to action if he felt that they might be lieing, although why he would think that she had no idea. Then she saw that he was not looking at anything in particuler, and indeed his eyes were not focused, he looked like he was in a daze.

"Are you alright?" she asked with some concern.

Tessar didn't reply, and if anything he looked even less focused than before.

"Orcs" he said a moment later "there are orcs in this wood. or atleast near to it"

He was so tense that when Mal moved to brush his cloak back over his shoulder he jumped back and had his sword out of its sheath before he knew what he was doing, the sword was glowing a faint green color.

Blushing, he slamed his sword back in to its sheath and said in a gruff tone to cover his imbarassment "I'm going to climb that tree over there and see if I can't find something". before the others could say anything he was practicly flying up the tree.

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid too noticed the tense of Tessar. Something was inquieting him, but she did not know what. Next to her were the two grey wolves *which by the way everyone forgot to mention*.

"My name is Irid, for those of you who do not already know this. My companions here are Watcher and Player. I for one am not in a hurry, but now that we all have decided to go in the forest, will we not go now? It is now still day light."

She turned around, not looking back if they followed her. That was up to them to decide, whether to stay around getting to know each other, or to go to the forest and get to know each other...

[Laurenis]

Kaytrien turned to the company and introduced herself, "And that leaves me - I'm Kaytrien. I am half woman, half elf and am really not sure what I am doing here in this forest but, perhaps none of us know. The reason I am giving is that I am interested and worried about the area as there has been much recent trouble around here, although I am sure I have other reasons I am not totally sure of myself."

She turned around to look at Irid who was making her way towards the depths of the forest at a quick pace. Walking in moon light did not bother Kaytrien; she probably prefered night to day, and yet she agreed that they should continue the journey as it was and settle when they were in a more sensible area. She jogged and caught up with Irid and her wolves *how could we forget them!?*.

[Lief Erikson]

Slythre glanced at the elves moving off into the trees and shook her head. They must know what they were doing, and she'd been sent to join them, but still. She'd heard and believed the tales of the attacking trees, and this seemed too dangerous by far.

"Our mission," she said quietly to Mal and Harnauro, "is to find orcs."

"Then you feel the same danger that I do?" Mal asked quietly. "The same tension which came the moment Irid set foot in the forest?"

"Trees are supposed to be friendly to elves," Slythre said. "Much indeed has changed in this crazy world."





Irid felt the danger too, as did Kaytrien and Tessar. With each step they took into the forest, the more oppressive the air became, and she felt malevolence toward them coming from all sides.

She laid a hand against the bark of one of the trees, and almost seemed to feel its skin tremble at the touch, and the emotions in the air changed to a wrathful turmoil.

We mean you no harm, she told it silently.

The blow caught her under the chin and lifted her fifteen feet into the air, crashing back to the earth through several other branches, which rather than breaking her fall seemed more inclined to add to its breaking force.

Tessar gave a strangled gasp as a tree branch opened wide, gnarled fingers and seized him around the waist, lifting him into the air. In another second it would have crushed him, but his bright elven blade flashed and seared into its wrist, doing damage that no ordinary blade could have. Fire flared from his hand and the tree instantly flinched back, releasing and dropping him to the ground.

Hatred and wrath swirled in an incredible cycle, growing more and more intense. It seemed as though the forest itself would explode about them, but incredibly the whole episode thus far had taken place with hardly a sound being made. The trees were coming alive all about them, and even one seemed a match for the strongest elvish magic.

Watcher and player were trying to bite one, but teeth were ineffectual against wood, and the tree didn't even feel their bodies hanging onto one of its arms.

The forest had risen against them, and was doing its utmost to destroy all of them, Tessar being the only exception. Fire had put some measure of fear into the trees, and he had a small pool of empty ground about him where the trees had backed off. Flame hurtled from his hand and burned three trees with minor scorches, causing them to avoid crushing Kaytrien. She had seized Irid's unconscious body and was pulling it toward Tessar. A blow took her in the right shoulder, entirely numbing her arm and dropping her over the slumped body of her companion.

Watcher leapt into the air, catching one of the oak's arms in its mouth and biting down for all it was worth.

The trees surged into the small hole Tessar was in and he leapt through them, flame blasting away bark and wood about him as he reached the two women. Seizing Irid, he tossed her over his shoulder and helped Kaytrien up with the other arm.

Angry faces were all about him, their words and hatred filling his head.

Kill! Kill! Kill the intruders, kill!






He collapsed on the grass, panting for breath. Sweat rolled down his forehead and his eyes were closed. It was over. The emotions were gone, the voices, and the trees . . .

Turning his head, he looked back at the edge of the forest. The trees were just as they had been before he'd entered the forest, and he was out now. Irid was slowly coming around, lying directly behind him, and Kaytrien a couple paces behind her, moaning softly as she clutched her arm.

He heard a noise from ahead and saw Slythre, Harnauro and Mal dismount, running quickly up to them.

"What happened?" Slythre asked, quickly beginning to check their injuries.

"The trees . . ." Tessar began, but then stopped. "How long has it been?"

"Two minutes probably," Slythre answered. "We never heard a thing, and were just thinking about going in after you."

Suddenly Watcher and Player bounded out of the wood as if Durin's Bane were chasing them, landing on the ground nearby, panting.

"Two minutes," Tessar whispered in amazement.

[Mathron]

Malagar shook his hand. "I would... not advise going back in there just yet..."

He trailed off, staring into the trees. An old power was in them, and a strong one. He could not tell any more, and was not inclined to spend the power to do so. He looked at the trees through the eyes of a mortal, and saw the same strange hatred and power there.

Harnauro felt a growl rising in his chest, and forced it down. "Let us hunt orcs, then, if they are around here. With luck, they will simply blunder into the trees on their own, and we will be rid of them."

[Lief Erikson]

As soon as the words left Harnauro's mouth, a sound like the echoing boom of thunder rolled out from across the hills or plains near the forest. A second came directly after, and then a third. After that, there was only silence.

"What is it?" Slythre muttered under her breath. "It's a sunny day; could it be magic?"

"I'd guess so," Tessar answered. "I think I can sense some from there. Three or so miles away would be my guess at the distance."

"Our mission," Slythre said as she finished tying a bandage around Tessar's head, "is to scout out orcs, and the general likely will be interested in any magical beings in these parts too. I think we should at least start by finding out what is out there."

"That's the best idea we have available from the time being, anyway," Tessar agreed after a moment.

Irid was now completely conscious, and holding her head painfully. Kaytrien also seemed to be recovering, and they soon found her arm was at least not broken, though it still would be difficult to use without pain for a day or two.

Slythre stood up and walked over to her horse, picking up the long spear she'd laid on the ground upon dismounting. "We have brought extra horses for you," she told the others. She glanced at the man from Rohan. "Will you be coming with us?"

[Selwythe]

The man started, rudely awaken from his thoughts and for a long while ignored and unnoticed by the others. His look was blank, as he looked over the horizon toward the south.

"And where will you go?" he stammered softly, his eyes wandering away. "To the land of horses, where all is fair?"

Slythre's laugh was ringing in her reply, "In entirely the wrong direction. We are hunting Orcs and delving into the forest. Evil lies here, not in Rohan."

The man scowled as he pondered. He had been sure that they were travelling south, but even now, he realised too late that the trees had been clustered together, creating a blend of crossing shadows and muddling his direction.

"Evil breeds in Rohan. Isengard is closed from us, and the Orthanc spews fumes of fantastic hues in the deeps of night. Something is happening there, and the same uneasiness that transpires there creeps on me this very minute."

"He is right," Malagar said sharply, "I didn't see anything but I felt the defilment of the trees. They approach, and we are weak from that foray."

"In which case," Slythre mounted her horse, "we will have to fly, and return when we are recovered."

The man watched as the Elves left on their mounts, and stop some way off as one of them clutched her arm and shook her head.

He looked again to the south. The uneasiness was growing and for an abrupt moment, home seemed far away. It was inviting, but he still remembered the long ride in solitude the day before. Memories surfaced within him of long patrols in the darkest of nights and hottest of days, and he recalled wistfully that all his companions then had been with him the day before. They too had seen the evil that had appeared, though perhaps the speed of their steeds failed them.

He signed resignedly before turning back and riding forward.

"My horse is strong enough to bear her," he offered shyly, "wherever you people are headed."

[Arat-Falathion]

BÃ*renath woke as his dreams left him and as he turned over in bed, he noticed that the man from Rohan was gone. (*no, they were not in the same bed silly!*)
BÃ*renath stood up and got dressed, it amazed him how full of energy he felt this morning. He left the room and went down the stairs where he met the Innkeeper, Bropican, behind the bar.
Bropican smiled as BÃ*renath came walking down the stairs.

"Good to see you up and walking, BÃ*renath! How was your sleep?"

"I've slept like a child all night" BÃ*renath said as he approached the bardesk and rested his elbows on it. "You have anything for breakfast?"

Bropican showed BÃ*renath to a free table, most of the tables were free really, and the Innkeeper gave him a list over what he had to offer.
"I'll go for the bread and milk this morning, thank you."
BÃ*renath gave back the foodmap and waited silently for his meal...

-----------------

- Arat-Falathion

[Lief Erikson]

The prying eyes of orcs certainly wouldn't be good enough in the daylight to see the company's new hideaway, when they came to a stop. In the hideaway injuries were tended and spirits revived to face the coming ordeal. Tessar's sword glowed less brightly than before, although it was obvious that the orc threat wasn't gone.

"The question is how many," Slythre said quietly to Mal as they discussed the changed situation. "This elvish blade shows the distance, but the numbers and purpose? Our mission is still incomplete."

"We are well, though our elvish companions have fared worse," Harnauro mentioned. "Daylight is the time when scouting would be far more easy and less dangerous. They have almost certainly hid themselves from the sun and are waiting till morning. They may have sentries out, but that shouldn't be a problem."

"We'll continue in their direction soon," Slythre said, "but the elves have a strong power of recovery, and their wounds are not serious, with the possible exception of Kaytrien's. I'd like to wait for them, if they aren't long.

"And before we do anything," she said, rising, "let us at least have lunch first."

Walking over to her horse, she opened one of the saddlebags and reached inside. She glanced at the man from Rohan after a moment, and then walked up to him sitting down beside him. "As it appears we're to be companions, at least for a while, it would be helpful if we had a name by which to address you."