Hytorax

[zavron]

ooc: errr...you went to the cupboard!

[Earniel]

A sandcoloured mare leisurely walked the lands. Its rider, a young woman from the Rohirrim patted its neck kindly. "You like traveling like this, don't you Merrah? I hope you didn't mind leaving the green plains of Rohan behind like that." The meara snorted, but whether that was a yes or a no was impossible to tell. Imarwyn sniggered. "You're probably right, but still, we're a long way off from our goal."

She looked behind her where the gap of Rohan lay. She had crossed the river Isen now two days ago and had since then traveled unfamiliar country. Not that she cared that much for it. Her trust was in Merrah and the mare had never let her down before. And Enedwaith held the promise of work, especially now with their border disputes with Dunland. "...and right now, we're close to those borders, Merrah. So have a care where you step, if you will. I don't want to end up in the middle of a battle."

Merrah neighed softly. Imarwyn laughed. "Oh, do you think I talk too much?" Despite the fact that Merrah came from a good line, Imarwyn doubted that the meara understood much of what she said. Still, she took pleasure in talking to the mare as if it understood her and replied.

Early in the evening Imarwyn found a decent spot to spend the night. After unloading Merrah and grooming her, Imarwyn made herself a simple cold meal. Suddenly Merrah became restless and Imarwyn tensed. "What is it, Merrah?" she whispered. The meara stood erect, it's eyes fixed on some spot in the distance, its nostrils flaring. Now Imarwyn too smelled smoke. She looked in the direction Merrah was staring and noticed several little flickering lights not too close, but not too far away either. She patted Merrah in her flanks. "Easy, girl. Stay here. I'll check whether it's friend or foe. I'd hate to wake up in the morning with my throath cut." After checking whether her two knives were securely in her belt Imarwyn carefully crept closer to the campfire lights.

OOC: here you go, Lief.

[Fred Baggins]

ooc: I am assuming nothing has been said about me, cause I'm to lazy to bother to read two pages, not to mention, I don't have enough time.

ic: *I sat on Merry, the white warg, as he trotted along slowly. I didn't know to where we where heading, nor did i care, we where just traveling.*

[zavron]

''Hruad, I will come with you to your city to ask permission if you will come. How does that sound? I am from a line of Ontor's of great lineage and prosper. I may be able to dissuade your councelers from keeping you locked up in that city! How about that?'' I said all this with a warm smile, i was growing quite attached to The Human.

[Lief Erikson]

"Thanks, Boulderhead, but I'd rather be at my work than doing scouting work with you and Bushbark. Besides, I'd only be in the way. You two can go on walking night and day without tiring; I'd hold you up. No, there's no reason why I should go. But I'll be very interested to talk with you about whatever you uncover- come back here when your scouting mission is done."

Hruad stood up and took a drink of Onto-Draught. "This isn't that bad," he said with a smile. "I'll need the toughening; there's a lot of work to be done tomorrow."

"It isn't mental toughening," Boulderhead informed him.

"It doesn't matter. Well, I'd best be going now. Have a pleasant journey, both of you!"

Hruad stood up, smiled once at Bushbark and then left.

[Adrian Baggins]

Intro to my character in fellowship like no other.

Adrian stood in her room at Bag End checking to make sure she had everything. She had been planing to leave and join the Rangers for quite some time. Ever since they had asked her. Sam had his suspicions. Frodo as a last wish had asked Sam to watch out for his "Baby Sis" even though she was older than Sam she was just so irrisponsible sometimes. Although most of the time she was more responsible than Sam or Frodo. Picking up her pack she reminded herself that she would come back to visit sometimes and that this was her idea and that she really wanted another adventure. "Bye Sam, bye everybody. See yah Merry, see yah Pippin, come on Swift," she called as she ran off down the road before they could have the chance to stop her. when she was sure they had no chance of catching up to her she slowed down and walked to the bar that she was going to go to for a quick drink almost forgetting that her wolf was with her till he nosed her hand. "Come on Swift, lets go in."

[Sicirus]

ic: I cleaned the last mug as the bar emptied and the hotel became quite. I put the now dried mug into the cabinet and sat by the fire sipping some freshly brod tea.
My father was off on another adventure leaving the hotel managment to mum and myself. it was hard work for we were starting off in these new land. But the peace was soon desturbed as another customerm opend the door letting a small gust of cold winter wind into the warm room.
I sat up and ran to the desk to greet the customer.
"Hello"

[Adrian Baggins]

"What can I get you?" the bar tender asks stepping up closer to the bar noticing I am not only a hobbit but a hobbit girl dressed like a boy walking with a wolf."A pint of ale for me and a bowl of water for my wolf. Come Swift," I go sit a a table in a dark corner, light a small pipe and candle and get out a book from the pack on my back.The book if a copy of the Red Book Of Westmarch.I looked up from my book only to find the bar tender starring at mye from the bar. I closed my book and asked, "Do you have any idea who I am?" "No, I don't though you do look firmilliar(sp)," he answered. "I am Adrian Baggins, Frodo's sister, protector of the three unknown rings, friend of elves and dwarves alike, and ranger in training under the hand of the King Aragorn Ruler of Gondor," I told him as he starred at me with wide eyes."You-you are the keeper of the three unknown?"he asked. "Yes," I told him.
The ale and water are brought to my table just as another hobbit walks in, shivering from the rain and cold.

[Sicirus]

ooc: I read that. Sorry for taking so long.

ic: The customer was a tonboy hobbit with a large wolf walking silently by her side. She asked for a bowl of water and some ale. A little nervouse from the sight of the wolf I walked to the back trying to hide my curiosity and fetched a bowl of fresh water and a mug full of ale. I lade it on the table and the hobbit left to take her seat by the fire while her pet settled down on the rug licking its lips as it finished a first long dring of liquid.

My thoughts were interupted again as another hobbit entered the room and shivered as he to dragged in a wolf just as large as the first. I hustled to the fire and made it bigger while trying to ignore the haunting stare that the wolf gave me as I passed. And came to the next hobbit who had made his way to the desk.
Behind the desk my pet grayhound laid sleeping. His slender paws crossed supporting his long nose. His long slender tail curled up between his legs. I patted him softly on the head then came to the desk.

[Adrian Baggins]

The other hobbit seeing no other seats near enough to the fire to his liking came and sat at my table.Swift growled as he got to close to him.

[Tessar]

The dawn broke over the barrows, pale and clear, pushing shadows away and forcing the wraiths back.

Elise sat beside the still glowing embers of the nights fire, her long white hair flipped over her shoulder as she combed it and then remade it into the perfect bun it had taken her so many years to master.

The stew from last night still sat in the little pot and Elise wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Digging a hole and putting the stew in it would be beyond Elise, but she couldn’t just dump it on the ground. Or maybe she could.

With a little sigh and a roll of her eyes, Elise extinguished the last glow of the fire with the stew. What a waste of good rabbit.

With another sigh, Elise broke out some more bread and cheese and broke her fast with that. Tea was out of the question for the morning had a brooding feeling and Elise was sure she didn’t want to attract any attention right now. There was evil near by and it wasn’t simply the barrow downs.

***

Elise entered a barrow, the fifth since this morning and she was beginning to tire. And the nagging feeling of another evil hadn’t left. It was only stronger.

But there! Half hidden in the barrow’s treasure, there was a gleam of green fire and polished silver as Elise’s light bounced off it.

Not quite scrambling, Elise reached the spot quickly and pulled her prize out from underneath one of the most beautiful circlets ever made in middle earth, but she ignored the circlet. The barrows could keep their gold, but they could not keep her jewel.

Narselin had been his name. A mortal human she had loved and who had loved her for the short span of his life. No human lived long, but Narselin’s passing had been bitter even though he lived much longer than any normal human.

As Elise left the barrow she put on the necklace and allowed a few tears to fall from her eyes.

Narselin had given Elise the necklace. And to her it was worth more than all the gold the barrow’s held and more.

So caught up in her though was Elise, the orcish arrow only missed her thanks to the orcs poor aim.

Elise whirled and saw the orc draw another arrow.

***

Touching the Orc’s corpse was…Distaistful. But Elise saw something on the orc’s armor that put a worry in her mind.

A flame, red as blood, stood out on the orc’s breastplate and there was a tattoo of the same flame on his mutilated arm.

The note she found on its body replaced her worry with a fear that was almost terror.

“Narashgul,

My master has raised you above all other orcs. Given you knowledge and a mind that no other orc ever had.

Your task is one of great importance. Find a green stone, a hand tall or a little taller, and bring it back to me.

If you return without it, your soul shall scream for all the ages of Middle Earth.

There are others searching for the stone. Some are with us, but some for the cursed Blue Flame. If you find any that are with the Blue Flame, slay them.”

And below, there was a picture of the stone. A stone Elise had hoped would never be even thought of again.

The Hytorax.

***

Elise grabbed Aldeb’s mane and jumped onto to horses back with a spryness fit for a child of ten.

“Aldeb, we must find the nearest city and report this to the king. The Hytorax is being searched for.”

Aldeb reared and pawed the air for a moment before she leapt forward and began to run so fast she almost seemed to fly.

***

[Tessar]

Three days had they run, with little sleep for mistress or horse. But run they did, and fueled by fear, they found all the energy they needed.

And then it came in sigh, a city.

Elise’s horse flew through the city gates and making a sharp turn, stopped in front of one of the guards.

“Where is your King?” Snapped Elise.

“Who are you and why do you-”

“Now!” Elise snapped, fixing her eyes firmly on the guard and drawing her self up, seeming larger for a second.

“T-th-that way!” The guard stammered, backing into the wall.

Aldeb leapt out the way the man’s finger pointed and Elise seemed to shrink back to her normal size. Just a little old woman… She certainly hadn’t been any larger than before.

It took a little time, but Elise finally bullied, pushed and glared her way into the king’s chamber, leaving a wake of frightened servants behind her.

“Who are you, old woman?” the King asked, sitting straighter in his throne and eyeing Elise up and down. Taking in her dirty robe at a glance.

“I, am Elise To’nonath, my lord.” Elise said, her manner stately as she pulled off her drab robe to revel a dark green dress worthy of a court lady, her newly found jewel hanging around her neck and swinging slightly as she stepped forward.

Her distance of greeting had been as a peasant might greet his lord, but her stepping forward placed her as close to the king as an almost equal might stand.

There was a man standing beside the king and Elise locked eyes with him for a split second, making him lean back a little. A brave man as her look would have sent most running.

“I bring you a message of great importance and would speak with you in private, my lord.” Elise said, her voice quiet and firm. Almost commanding.

“This is Hurad, he may hear whatever you might have to say.” The king replied, his voice just as quiet but definitely a command.

Elise shrugged, her eyes had been moving about, taking in everything around her. But now she turned her gaze fully on the king and told him of the orc and the note.

The king eyed her again as she spoke of the orc as living one second and then as of being dead the next. This woman killed an orc? But her eyes spoke the truth. And the truth was what he did not want to hear.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There ya goes Leif.

[Adrian Baggins]

His drink was delivered to the table by the bar tender who asked"Is there anything I can get you Lady Ranger in training?" he asked wispering the last part about me and my title. "No," I told him flatly and he walked away. "Who are you?"I asked the hobbit who had seated hisself at my table. When he did not reply I got up and knocked the table over spilling his drink and mine along with it."I ASKED YOU A QUESTION NOW ANSWER IT. DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" He gave me a blank look and shook his head just as the bar tender rushed over trying to sit the table upright and exclaiming, "Calm down now, Calm down!" But I could not calm down. This smug hobbit lad had enraged me and unleashed my fury and I was not easily calmed down.Swift was joining the fight.(refer back to list of names in the flno)

[Lief Erikson]

"The Red Flame?" King Vahatres mused. "That was the insignia?"

"You know it?" Elise pressed.

"I have heard of it," Vahatres said smoothly.

"This note was on the body," Elise continued, passing him the paper. "They are searching for a stone, a magical item of ancient evil, called the Hytorax."

"That I haven't heard of."

"It was possessed last by a long dead barbarian king- I can't recall his name at the moment. It was through him that darkness fell upon the Barrow Downs."

"What are these Barrow Downs?" Vahatres asked irritably. "Are they a part of my kingdom?"

"No, they are near the Shire, in Eriador."

"Then they are out of my jurisdiction. These are matters for the folk of that region. I am busy right now- as a matter of a fact, you are holding me up for a council that I must hold with other representatives of the provinces that make up Enedwaith."

Elise, with difficulty suppressed her annoyance. Her trip here had taken several weeks, and this king didn't appear willing to do anything about it. The halflings of the Shire certainly couldn't do a thing. Tom Bombadil was out of the question, and the only other one that did have power and was even remotely close to that area was Elrond at Rivendell. And would he send elves to the Barrow Downs? A haunted place far out of his domain, the spirits of which had claimed the lives of the entire population that had once lived there? On the basis of one orc with a strange insignia. There would be little help from that area.

The man behind the king looked a little sympathetic, anyway, but it wasn't likely that he could do anything.

Vahatres stood up, a small expression of pain crossing his face, and walked over toward the door. "Come, Hruad! The council waits."

Hruad turned to Elise briefly. "Wait in the parlor outside," he told her. "I'll talk to you further about this after the council meeting."

[Tessar]

Asaar peered out from the kitchen, he thought he heard shouting and he was right.

A lady and her... WOLF?! were facing down a poor little hobbit. Asaar sudenly wished that he had worn his long knives but he couldn't just leave the hobbit.

"Now then! Stop this!" Asaar said forcefuly, steping infront of the woman, his normaly merry eyes were grave and he kept half his attention on the wolf.

The woman took a step forward to push him aside, a small dagger was suddenly in Asaar's hand and he took a step back, out of her arm reach.

"None of this!" he snapped "Calm down or leave now!"

The woman looked angry, but she sat back down and Asaar breathed a sigh of relief, she looked fierce.

Asaar twirled his little dagger unthinkingly and slid it back up his sleeve, he had learned that from an elf who passed through the town once.

"I'm sorry, sir" He said and turned to the hobbit, "Perhaps you would preffer a seat over there?" and he turned to point to a table farther away.

[Lief Erikson]

A hand clasped onto Imarwyn's shoulder and she twisted around quickly, one hand dropping to the hilt of one of her long knives while the other slapped his hand off of her.

He took a step back and drew his sword. "Don't move," he warned her, and she saw that resisting would be unavailing. A couple of the guards down below were already coming up anyway. Reluctantly, she released the handles of her daggers.

"We must take you to our captain," the sentry told her quietly.




"Come in," the voice from inside called in response to the sentry's statement.

The guard pushed open the flap of the tent and led Imarwyn inside. The room was fairly spacious. A bed lay at one side, and a man was sitting on a chair at a table. A candle was lit, and by its light he was reading a paper.

"We found this woman on the edge of our camp, spying on us," the guard told him.

He looked up and glanced at her briefly.

"You may go," he told the guard. "Get back to your position."

The soldier hesitated for a moment, then bowed and left.

The man at the table turned back to his parchment. After a couple seconds, he spoke again. "So were you spying?"

"No. I saw torches and decided to see who was approaching."

"Where do you live?" he continued.

[Tessar]

Hurad turned to Elise briefly. "Wait in the parlor outside," he told her. "I'll talk to you further about this after the council meeting."

Elise nodded, the man looked fairly capable. She swirled and left, wandering if she could find the stone herself.

If this king wouldn't help, and Hurad only wished to find out if she knew any thing else, she would have to find the Hytorax herself, there was no choice.

Elise grabbed her robe and put it back on, hiding her fine dress from sight and bending over slightly.

When she left the room, she was only another old woman standing around waiting.

[Earniel]

Imarwyn studied the man before her before she made her reply. It was obvious that this was the commander of the soldiers she had seen stationed outside. They must have been damn good soldiers, otherwise they wouldn't have spotted her that easily. That or she was really losing her touch but she didn't think so. Yet these men didn't look like Dunlanders so normally they wouldn't harm her if she could convince them that she posed no threat. Normally....

This man however would probably know immediately if she was lying or not. Not that she was planning on testing, it would have been a stupid thing to do in her current position.

"I come from Rohan." she replied at last.

The man before her nodded, he had already figured out the obvious.

"And you?" she asked casually.

A look passed over his face but it passed too quickly for Imarwyn to determine what it was. Was it amusement? Or anger? She suddenly missed the familiar feeling of the two knives in her belt.

[Lief Erikson]

"And what is your business here in Enedwaith?"

[Adrian Baggins]

Finally seeing that the smug young lad wasn't goin to andwer me I satrted to calm down. when I was sure I was totally calm I said, "I'm sorry about the mess allow me to clean it up. I was just angry and I have a short temper. I will pay for the damages, also seeing as this storm shows no sign of letting up and does however show signs of becomming a snowstorm could I get a room here for tonight. I will be on my way in the morning." "Of course we have plenty of empty rooms. The damage isn't much and I understand and after all you have been through, I mean going with your brother all the way to Mordor and seeing him turn into basically a nervous wreck, which is understandable concerning the evil he had to carry," he told me and turned to the young lad, "Would you like a room as well?" "Yes for my sister and I." he said as a young girl came in from the stables, "My name is Fred and I am seeing my sister off. Her name is Belladonna."