A Recurrent Theme...(a please join me, tale)

[Scarfair]

Lodryn led the way deeper into the trees, and with Estren's help, a clearing was made. Jaden began gathering under-bough shoots and drybark, preparing to make a fire.

'I have provisons.' the Lady said, removing a pack from her horse, and spreading a blanket upon the cleared ground.

Soon rashers of bread and bacon sizzled on grills made of dagger points. The time to talk, plan, and even introduce had come, but both Rangers marked the Elf's silence in the campfire's light. Estren and Lodryn filled in the others of the company with the details of the long trailing of Agron's company and ambush in hard words, each casting about in the shadows of sorrow and chances missed, as they told their tales. The Lady spoke haltingly of the poor woodcutter boy who died on the trail and led her to the rescue of at least five lives. She finished with a quick rendition of mounding Agron, and meeting of Estren. Her tale of Sligroth and the massacre of her family came out, making all choke up abit. Finally that only left the Elf.

'Jaden, it is not an easy occurence that Elves should wander from the few places they attend in these lands, and in these days. 'Estren began,' So many of the fair folk have removed to the Undying Lands, surely you must have a tale to tell of? I can only assume you have a grudge against the monster we now hunt, is there something to tell?'

[Griffin]

"I was moving to the Grey Havens to sail west, with my family. That monster attacked us, killing all of them. My wife, child and siblings. I vowed to my dying wife that I would avenge her. And so I am here," Jaden said simply as he looked out into the darkness.

[Scarfair]

OOC: I screwed up fellas, hit 'start new thread' instead of 'reply', eesh! Either ignore part II and the whole raven bit, or pick up on that entry, up to you. Sorry.

[Gildor]

ooc: Here are the post from the PART II thread just continue on from here.

__SCARFAIR__
Suddenly the Elf's eyes went wide as he stared into the darkness. Estren was about to comment, perhaps to question further, but the woodelf stopped him with a raised hand. 'Hold!', he hissed, 'The air above us has become treacherous!'

Now the rest of the party resting about the fire heard the ominous sound of wings, thousands of them!

'Ravens!' Jaden cried, 'Massing above us! Get under the boughs!'

Estren and Lodryn saw a terrible beast flocking above the snowline, a dark promise of sharp beaks and rending claws filling their vison, until even their eyes would be scratched out. They made to grab the Lady and take her under the heavy boughs of the trees around, but she fought them, her concern for her horse mastering her. She ran to the dapple, flashing her greatblade and cutting the reins from the tree the horse was tethered to. 'Fly!, my beauty! FLEE!' she shouted, above the sound of storm and foe.

The horse darted out of the wood, running like a spirit across the snow. A handful of dark birds followed the steed, and were outpaced.

The Lady turned and was grabbed by the Rangers, all of them diving under the boughs as the rauccous mass of ravens hit the camp. Only Jaden stood before the attack, and Estren knew the darkbirds would kill them all unless the Elf had some trick up his sleeve...


__LELONDUL__
Lodryn cursed under his breath - the fire made them easier to find than would have broad daylight. A flock of raven at night was a formidable adversary, but this was more than a mere flock – a regiment more like. They dove relentlessly with unnerving accuracy. Pulling his hood up and wrapping his cloak tightly, he waved the others past into a thicket that appeared to offer more protection that the glade-clearing.

The ravens pecked and clawed ferociously and sought any exposed flesh or thin clothing. The Lady swatted away one with a leather gauntlet as it swooped for her eye. With a dejected squawk, it recovered and dove again. Estren who was behind, had grabbed a stick thick as a man’s arm and smote the avian assailant, snapping its neck before it could find its tender prize.

“At the hands of these beaks and claws we should wish the wargs had taken limbs at a time and been done with us!” Lodryn growled as the last crawled past him into the bracken.

Jaden, who brought up the rear, wielded a flaming log from the fire which proved the most effective at keeping the birds at bay. They whirled about the elf in dizzying patterns, attempting to bewilder and confuse while others bore down viciously in attack. Then, in a clear, ringing voice, he shouted a Sindarin phrase that the others knew not, though Lodryn and Estren marked the name Aiwendil – Radagast the Brown.

At this, the birds’ shrieking seemed to increase for a terrible moment, and the others covered their ears such was the clamour. Though now they quailed, and fell back. Their circles became lazy, and their cries less fierce, and they stopped attacking altogether. Soon, in groups or one by one, they peeled off their offensive formations and took to the night sky, only a fading errant caw to be heard.

Silence was deafening in the hollow, the wind had fallen to a whisper, and stars were now seen sparkling kindly down on them. An Evil dream the night now seemed, for the faintest light of morning was to be seen in the east.

Jaden now faced the curious looks of the group who had emerged from the underbrush, dabbing at their cuts and scrapes. “’Twas an evil veil that hung over their minds. I reminded them of their true master and that their conduct was most unbecoming.”



__LADY MIDNIGHT__
Seeing the ravens gone Caelan whistled a few soft notes and the dapple appeared at her side. She stroked the horse's nose gently, glad that she was unharmed and murmured to her in some obscure dialect. Then she turned to the others:

"I have some herbs that will aid these cuts. Come let them be tended to."

From one of the saddlebags she took a small pouch of dried, sweet-smelling leaves and a small phial of water. She then proceeded to make a wash to treat their injuries with. It stung a little but Caelan was knowledgeable in these matters and had an air of confidence that told the party that she knew what she was doing.

When that was done she turned to Jaden and smiled:

"So I am indebted to you once more then? This is getting to be a habit!"
Certainly the Elves were an intriguing people.

[CardenIAntauraNauco]

ooc:the post above was mine. I forgot to log out of my mothers name

[Griffin]

Jaden looked at the Lady and nodded slightly.

"I ask only that you would do the same," he said as his eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of the birds, or other foul beasts. "We should leave this place, there will surely be more trouble should we stay."

He hurriedly packed his gear and took the lookout as the others decided their path...

[Lady Midnight]

Caelan nodded grimly. They were all indebted to the Elf for he had saved them all. She looked at Jaden, and with a serious expression, she told him:

"Of course. I would defend you unto death my friend. But you are right! We should depart else a hideous fate may befall us all."

Then she mounted the dapple and prepared to leave.

[CardenIAntauraNauco]

Estren stood and pondered for a moment. He wished now that he had been to the ruins more often as a child. He had very little memory of the long abandoned bulwark. He seemed to remember that Mieden the wanderer had been to the base of the tower once before and it seemed he entered coming from the woods of Selera north of the base. Perhaps he escaped because of the absense of guards.

He was interuppted in his thought by Jaden who had made his way to the spot Estren was standing. "Are you, good ranger, from this region"
"Nay, but I have traveled these lands I have some memory of their paths".

"We have urgent need of leaving this accursed dell. I do not know If those foul creatures of the air serve or know of Silgroth."

"So we must, Let us leave to the north and hope our path is not treachorous."

Lady Caelan was applying some form of healing medicine to the small cuts on her horses back. He wondered what would become of that horse as they neared Silgroth and his Tower, It would indeed be foul, but it would not be well to seperate the master and the horse now. He decided to make no mention of it.

He walked to the place where she was standing, "We have decided to travel to the north. I have heard of a path that runs through those woods ."

" Are destination is Selera then? I have heard also of the path you speak of but have not seen it. Let us go."

Estren turned to call jaden but found that he was already close. Lodryn was tending to a gash on his forearm. "It is time to depart" Jaden said softly. Estren put forth an arm to Lodryn who readily accepted the aid as he lept from his sitting position

The four set out towards Selera leaving the small dell at noon.

[Griffin]

Jaden lead the small group, stalking ahead of the others with his senses sharp and his bow ready.

He knew their enemy was foul and that he would take any chance to ambush those he hated.

The birds, he thought, could have been just a distraction. Something to give the group false security so they would be open to another attack as they traveled.

But Jaden knew better than to let his guard down and his eyes narrowed as he continued.

[Littledude87]

Christon stumbled into the party with his whole body burning from the bites and scratches. All he could manage to tell the strangers was. Wargs....coming. Then he blacked out

[CardenIAntauraNauco]

ooc...Littledude? Is it all right if we reserve this call to action for a little bit later in the story?... We've been fighting for a while and need some time for character development.

If you would we'll just move this to another point in time further in our journey.

[Lelondul]

With an offering of her salve, the lady saw the kindliest expression yet from the dour Lodryn who dabbed some on his wounds. While some were perilously close to his eyes, his afflictions for the most part were superficial an inconsequential as were the others’. A man of his ire could endure much more she guessed.

“Your presence here…and back there are appreciated Lodryn, was it?” After a foreboding glance over her shoulder, she smiled lighty at the man, an utterly enchanting smile that held his gaze rapt for a moment longer than he wished.

“Aye. As was yours m’lady” He said quietly, with an appreciative nod. He wrenched his eyes from her and looked down the game trail they followed.

Seeing as he was of few words, she pressed further “Estren and you are Rangers no doubt, and of near full-Dunedain blood if I’m not mistaken, do you hail from these parts?”

“Not this side of mountains. ” Said he, in guarded weariness. He knew she – and the others, to be of good makeup, though the road as a Ranger was a lonely and guarded one by necessity.

He perceived his curtness by the awkward silence, and continued, “My Grandsire and those before him were of an original line of Arnor, and we dwelt mostly in the green, hilly country between Annuminas and Fornost. A Pleasant settlement of men on a tributary of the Baranduin is where I was raised from a boy...”

A twinkle in those green eyes seemed to remember some long-forgotten sunny, Spring day of sweet breezes and small cares. His voice too, gathered a sonorous bravado, though still quiet and low as he spoke. The others had grown silent, straining ears to hear the quiet voice of their as of yet secretive companion.

‘Twas from that kind land, that my Sire began leading me into the wilds and teaching me the ways of the Ranger. ‘Twas at my age of reckoning, where after passing the trials beset me, I met Estren and other Rangers-to-be for furthering studies. For years we trained together in the arts of the wilds..." Another pause as his brow wrinkled in silent pain "Many of those whom perished during the accursed aforenight.”

It was evident that the look shared between he and Estren earlier at Agron's grave signalled a pact of unwavering tenacity, whose culmination could only mean certain death to the bringer of this evil - or themselves.

So the party came to first to know Lodryn as something slightly other than the grim wilderness master, though scare on details he was, and for awhile, intended to be. For first time in many weeks, a smile curled Estren's lip as he remembered some humorous antic of their youth.

"And what of you?" He then inquired, trying to sound friendly, "Folk do not oftern wander these parts by chance..."

ooc: sorry for the long absence friends, I hope we can continue our tale. I know Scar is still very much interested, but is beset with other duties as well

[Laurelyn]

OOC: If I want to join, where would be a good point to hop in? I don't want to get in the way . . . and if I'm not wanted, that's okay too.

[Lelondul]

I'm fairly new too (to this thread), but Scar's earlier words still ring true I gather: "If any who come upon this thread find something within their quills to contribute, please feel entirely free and welcome! Location: The Grey Mtns, north of Mirkwood, just east of Mt Gundabad. Time: Little under five years past the War of the Ring. Characters: standard Tolkien fare. "

As long as you fit that description and don't bring on your heels another assault upon our battle-weary group, my guess is, you'll be welcomed!

One warning: you can see from posting times that this thread hasn't seem much attention recently and may continue to be sporadic when it does...