War of the Ring

[Acalewia]

Saradoc laughed.
"We met when I was in my tweens. Out roaming through the Old Forest I was. Oakleaf here was more afraid of me then I was of her," he laughed again as Oakleaf russled her leaves. "It seems I am the only one in The Shire that can make what Ents eat: Entdraught." Saradoc turned to the two Hobbits. "Now, Entdraught is not for young Hobbits. Run along now, before that wizard decides to start his fireworks without you. I'll be after in a few minutes," Saradoc and Oakleaf went into the forest, leaving Merry and Pippen to watch them go.

***


Acalewia awoke in the House of Healing.
"You're lucky those arrows didn't hit your chest or back," Boramir said with a wink. One of the women handed her her now mended tunic. She frowned when she realized all she wore were her breeches and the mithril coat she had been gifted by an old dwarf, now dead. As she dressed and strapped on her weapons, Boramir said
"Father wished to speak with you. For what reason I do not know," Acalewia nodded and left.

[YayGollum]

Gladeo shared the laugh and relocked the chest. "Ah, magic must have different meaning to elves, then! But it was Nandreeson who picked up the scent. He is an odd one." He turned back to point out the pantryish section of the wagon before taking his seat out front again. "Feel free to refresh yourselves. You could likely use a meal."

[Pip]

Revion grinned at Gladeo's invitation and retrieved some food from the area, handing some to Raenambar before taking a small bite himself. They had packs of lebmas with their things, but he figured if they were being offered food, might as well take it and svae the waybread for when they would need it.
"So," he said conversationally, "what is your group doing out here? And where are you from?"

[Tuinor]

"And where did you pick up these... characters," Raenambar asked, referring to Guy and Nandreeson.

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

Merry felt himself torn deeply between the desire to check out this "Entdrought" and seeing old Gandalf's fireworks. After a few moments of excrutiating inner conflict he decided that any old drink wouldn't nearly be as exciting as the old wizard's fireworks. With his mind made up, he grinned at Pip and suddenly sprang into a dash towards Hobbiton.
"Loser owes the winner a drink!" he cried as he darted off to the party.

[Pip]

Pippin was more curoius as to this new dreature and the ent draughts. However, his hope of finding out more about it was dashed as Merry dashed.
"No fair!" he shouted as he burst into movement, his thoughts already on the race and away from the draughts. HOwever, Merry had already had enough of a lead and was a stronger runner that he eventually won. Pippin sighed in mock resignation as he bought both of them a mug of ale. After a while he whispered conspiratorily to Merry.
"Do you think if we asked her, Oak leaf would tell us more about those draught? No offense, but it doesn't look like we'll be getting anymore information from your father."

[Tuinor]

"Father's just trying to be mysterious," said Merry after a sip of his well-deserved ale (it was a long run!). "Maybe tomorrow we'll try to find her. For now, let's see if we can get a better view of the fireworks!"

[Pip]

Pippin grinned, nodding in agreement as he followed Merry's lead. Gandalf always made the most exciting fireworks. Actually, Pippin couldn't recall anybody else making fireworks. But he thought Gandalf would make the best even if someone else made them. An idea came to his mind.
"Do you think Gandalf would show us how to make them if we asked?" It was a long shot, Gandalf would probably send them away with some osrt of remprimand but Merry had always been able to figure out how to make something work. Perhaps, Pippin thought, he knew how to achieve this.

[YayGollum]

A small sigh as from one who has heard such getting to know you questions one too many times, then Gladeo turned to sit backwards while speaking. "Hm. Well, I am from Harad, born to a wealthy merchant family, but struck out to earn my own fortune, as young men are wont to do. I found Guy in the Brown Lands. Apparently, he wished for more. He doesn't talk much, but is, as you can see, very useful. I met Nandreeson during a stint as owner of a circus. He is a tumbler, a fire-breather, but noone knows where he came from. It is difficult to obtain a straight answer from him, but he is essentially harmless."

With a wave at the terrain, "At the moment, we are headed northwest. We have never been so far north before, and I have heard that there are still some roads to the west of the Misty Mountains. Our business, besides any special orders, is jewelry-making. I like to have a variety, to give something exotic to my customers. I am certain that elves must have something interesting to show, but I doubt that either of you would have much of an interest." The last bit said with a bit of hopefulness.

[Tuinor]

"I didn't make things," Turthalion said through a bite of food, "my brother did. He was excellent at making things. He was brilliant. Jewels of all kinds he fashioned, but his cheif joy was in the making of weapons. I- I only learned how to fight, but it was never enough. It is better to create than to destroy, he taught me that."
After a moment he noticed Revion's curious glancing at him, and suddenly Raenambar recalled, "Oh, yes! But we do have something. A gift from our Lady."
He pointed out the crystal that was given to Revion. "We can't let you have it, but perhaps it will prove inspirational if you do dabble in the arts of shaping such jewels."

[Pip]

Revion nodded in agreement with Raenambar's statement. However, he was hesitant with giving up the jewel even for a moment, knowing how important it had become on their journey.

[YayGollum]

Gladeo shook his head and started to say something like, "Oh, of course I wouldn't ask for it!" but he probably trailed off in the middle once the jewel was pointed out to him. His eyes widened, but he stifled a sigh of contentment before blinking with finality, wary of such magics. "Ah, from your Lady, you say? You must be on an important mission, then! And we were only speeding along to clear the giant's territory! I shall tell Guy that more is at stake, when he rests." A look at the darkening sky later, "Which shouldn't be much longer. But! If you don't wish to speak about your business, I can understand. It is a rare treat even to have met you." Added apparently as an afterthought, to Raenembar, "What happened to this crafty brother of yours, by the way?"

[Nuelbar]

"Indeed," said Pavelon,"it should be an honor working with you." "Now O Great Sauramon," said Pavelon, "The work you sent me to do is completed, and more. "Both of the elves memories were affected directly by my spells. "If everything goes as planned, I imagine one of the ignorant fools will be dead because of hatred for the murders of his parents." Pavelon said. Sauramon stared at the high wall, while leaning on his staff, and stared across from him and noticed an orc's shadow slightly twitch beyond an arch of a door as the orc stood practically stock still. "Hmmm. . . . so easily are the minds of men and elves corrupted," Pavelon said as if he watched the fight laid out before him. Sauramon still meditated while looking at the wall, pondering everything that Pavelon, his worthy, however, most formidible servant, had told him. Now the orc's shadow moved with a drastic movement compared to before. "Sauramon, I think you would consider worthy informaiton that there were other men with the elves. "And master," Pavelon remarked the latter word with a cynical tone, "why did you wish me to put those memories into the elves minds?"

[Tuinor]

Raenambar's face grew dark, and for a moment it looked like he wouldn't respond. Then, when at last Gladeo had decided he wouldn't push for an answer, the deep voice of Turthalion said bitterly, "I killed him."
Looking away from everyone, Raenambar faced again the truth of what had happened, "I killed him. The only family I had left, and I killed him..." turning back towards Revion and Gladeo with a solemn face, he repeated, "...trust me, it is better to create than to destroy."


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


"I'm not sure if we could convince him," Merry said with a twinkle in his eye. Then, lowering his voice to a whisper he said, "...But, we wouldn't need him to if we could somehow procure one for ourselves!"

[Pip]

REvion gave a small smile at Raenambar's wisdom and dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"In deed it is," he agreed. Seeing the troubled look on the elder elf's face he leaned in and whispered some of Raenambar's own advise to him.
"Let it go," he said quietly.

***************************************
Pippin smiled mischieviously at Merry's last statement.
"Let's just not get caught this time ok?" he replied.

[orithil]

"Maybe Sauramon" said Dirith, "we should go to somewhere more private" Dirith almost sounded as if he was talking down to Sauramon.

"Orcs are not to me trusted"

[Nuelbar]

"No, they are not to be trusted," Sauramon said the latter part slowly to add emphasis. "Let us retire to a more private room," said Sauramon, "follow me." Then Sauramon led the way to a more private room set off to the side on the left side of the main chamber. While Pavelon and Dirith followed an agreeing glance passed between them. "Now," Sauramon said as they all entered the room and Pavelon closed the door, "what is it that has come to your attention Pavelon?" "There were others with the elves," Pavelon said while putting his hand in his pocket and gripping his wands handle unnoticed. "They matter nothing to our greater plan," Sauramon remarked sardonically. "Now, what is more important, is that one of the elves are dead," Sauramon said, "which is what I hope happened." "Why does Sauron want them dead?" said Pavelon. "You ask a lot of questions apprentice," Sauramon said the last word as if it pleased him, and Sauramon smiled when he saw it brung anger to Pavelon." "NOT FOR LONG!" Pavelon almost screamed as he drew his wand and fired a giant fireball right at Sauramon. Sauramon had already had his staff ready when he angered Pavelon and he blocked Pavelons Fireball with a wave of his staff. But Sauramon looked at his hand after he blocked the fireball and noticed that his hand had been partially burned. What power my apprentice has, Sauramon thought to himself as he studied Pavelon. Then one after the other, before Sauramon could regain his thought, Pavelon sent fireballs half the size of cars and then giant iceballs at Sauramon. Sauramon trying to get out of the anslaut remembered a door behind him and started creeping slowly backwards toward the door behind him while still blocking blow and blow. It was at this instant Sauramon realized that his hands were numb. Gosh he is expending a lot of energy, Sauramon thought but if I could only regain a moment to launch a spell at him.

It was at this moment that Sauramon tripped over a broken chair. Being thrown off just a milisecond though, cost him this battle. He was hit by 3 fireballs before he hit the ground. This would have killed a normal human, but Sauramon had enchanted jewelry on, and Pavelon knew this would only make him pass out. Then Pavelon cast a magical rope out of his wand and it writhed like a snake towards Sauramon and then wrapped itself around Sauramon.

[orithil]

"Ha-ha-haa" Diriths voice trailed..... very good now we are the new masters and we shall take over middle earth"
Dirith opened a door and gestured to some orcs "take him to the prison, and lock the doors ten fold" Dirith took his staff and looked at it, "I believe this belongs to you my friend" and handed it to Pavelon.

[YayGollum]

Gladeo gave the perfunctory looks of shock and sympathy but hadn't actually cared beyond a bit of idle curiosity towards fellow craftsmen. He nodded sadly at the advice, then politely concentrated on the trail ahead. He mused to himself, though, that some murders he had performed were just as artful as his jewelry. When Guy started to slow and stumble, Gladeo called his attention to a cave that looked large enough to admit the wagon. Once inside, Guy wordlessly dropped the poles he had been using to pull the thing and started unpacking a few things out of the back door to set up camp.

Gladeo bowed and gestured to the cave. "We will camp here for the night. Quite a lucky find, eh? I'm sure that we can find something to make you comfortable back here." He kicked at Nandreeson and ordered, "Time to get up, night watch! And find our guests something to sleep in!" Nandreeson grumbled and flopped around on the floor for a bit, eventually making his way to a pile of bedrolls, to which he pointed. "Aha! For sleeping!" Gladeo ignored the little guy as he started up a fire. Nandreeson finally heaved his blanket off, grabbed the bedrolls, and presented them as if to his king. "Honored guests! Pray, sleep well! I shall guard your slumber!" He then somersaulted out of the wagon and collapsed exaggeratingly on the ground, giving a few twitches.

[Pip]

Revion quirked his eye brows at Gladeo's and Nandreeson's behavior. Gladeo seemed a bit melodramatic for a couple of travellers which Revion eventually just shrugged it off as Gladeo being Gladeo. He also pushed Nandreeson's behavior to his rather sarcastic character. He turned to Nandreesom and said kindly,
"Thank you very much," even though they had both brought along supplies with them. He sat down by the fire thinking, trying to plan out where they would be going and when they would be breaking off with the group. They seemed nice enough people though, so he hoped it wouoldn't be for a while.

[Nuelbar]

"Thank you Dirith," Pavelon said, accepting the staff from Dirith. Pavelon held the staff feeling the weight of it and its power. "Now, my friend, let us make ready for the battle of helms deep!" Pavelon said fiercly.