The Pentagrid Net

[Laurenis]

Kaytrien stood watching Erenfor and Harnauro speak. Their appearances were very different, though she could see both their wiseness and years in their eyes.

Harnauro was very bold, much like the proud men of Gondor. He had recovered his bow and arrows and he held them in his strong and worn hands.

And there was Erenfor. As she looked at him she was reminded of how he had fought in the battle. She had only known him a few hours but already had immense respect for him as a leader and captain.

Kaytrien heard the words of Harnauro and wished to learn more of his life and history, his past and future, his friends and enemies, and many things besides. His face was relaxed once again, as if dark memories had re-surfaced, and sunk back down. She heard his question and relplied before Erenfor.

"I have spent much time in this village recently and many years ago. There has never been problems as far as I know, apart from the past month or so when there has been slight but noticable changes in the air. We had no idea of the coming of the orcs until another man rushed to the inn nearby just a short while ago, having been attacked by them. He was not hurt too badly, he will be able to tell you more about those orcs when he has recovered." She smiled.

[Lief Erikson]

"Orcs have been attacking these lands on and off for a long time," Erenfor said with a slight frown of puzzlement at Kaytrien. "Only now do I realize how sheltered from what happens around them many of these towns and villages are. Usually they act in small companies like the one we recently dealt with. It is rare that they move in large armies, although there are some forces out here which are distinctly bigger than that one."

He paused for a moment and then took a step back. "Well I believe my comrades inside have taken long enough in making up their minds, and I too would like to check out this injured man you speak of.

"We will speak again, Grim Wolf," he said with a small nod of respect to Harnauro before turning back to the inn.

[Mathron]

"Yes," said Hanauro, his voice dropping as Erenfor walked away. "Yes, we will."

He turned to go, and noticed Kaytrien, still standing there. He opened his mouth to give a short dismissal, and then stopped. Instead, he said only, "Thank you." He turned away, ready to go. He should meet back with Malagar, and inform him of the incidents of the night. And debate with himself over what to do with this information.

[Lief Erikson]

Galkier Torgalk stared hard at the wood ahead, considering how best to proceed from here. He led a force of Sauron's orcs on this mission to the Pentagrid, and he had three hunting Nrakes as well. They were impossibly rare to be found and Sauron had only a small collection of them, but a path through the hostile forest needed to be found. It was hostile not only to orcs, they knew, and that was some small relief. Any others who came across this place would have trouble with the tree guardians too.

Thankfully, he already knew something about this place, as he and his Nrakes had been given the path through the forest by a higher ranking official. How they had found out was beyond him, but his orders were to penetrate to the source of the forest, and bring back the treasure that was to be found there. His force included two hundred orcs, and there would be three Nazgul waiting at the Mendimar riverbank by the bridge to pick up the treasure when the task was done, to haul it personally into Mordor. Tonight they would wait, but in the morning they would penetrate the wood and accomplish their task.

"Find some hiding place where our troop can hide unobserved," Galkier ordered several smaller, swift footed scouts. "Bring back word of what we find, I don't want to run into this General Erenfor's army while on the mission, for I hear he is in this area."

At that moment, a runner dashed up from the back, escorted by two of his burly orcs. "I have news," the runner panted, his voice a high pitched whine.

Galkier fought the urge to either cover his ears or shove a dagger down the orc's throat. "Well what is it?" he snarled, glaring contemptuously at the messenger.

"Camdarier and all of his followers have been annihilated. They attacked the town of . . ." the orc hesitated, searching its brain for the name, "Tomeg. General Erenfor and some of his followers led the defense, and the General killed Camdarier in hand to hand combat."

"What a feat," Galkier spat. "Camdarier never had much beyond his muscles. But this is bad news, for I was hoping that those orcs would keep him pinned down for some time if they ran into him. And Tomeg is near here."

"I don't think we'll have any trouble with him," the messenger whined.

"And I've had enough of your opinions! Have you any more news to offer?"

"No."

"Good!" Galkier sliced the small orcs head off, feeling some satisfaction at finally being able to teach the impudent rascal a lesson. "Get rid of the body," he ordered the guards, who grumbled at the meniel task. He considered knocking their heads off too, but they were more skilled than most of his followers, and he needed all the skill he could get on this mission.

Glancing up, he noticed some of the scouts running back, and when they arrived they told him of a good hiding place where they could rest, not far from the invisible path into the forest.

[Selwythe]

Alfwine rode silently on the road towards Edoras, weariness creeping upon him. His face was ragged, his glimmering white robes torn, and the strength of his spirit sapped. It was a routine guard patrol, quiet and uneventful, yet Orcs had crept on them unawares, Orcs attacking from the wrong direction of Mordor and wielding brutal scimitars, where before only the Dunlendings attacked in their pitiful numbers. The battle was brief -- and he was now alone.

He had lost his pursuers a few leagues back, and both steed and rider were tired from doing so. The sky slowly darkened as night crept upon Arda. He closed his eyes and rode blindly as his horse staggered, not noticing that the shrubs and weeds were growing plentiful, not noticing that he had long left the beaten track leading towards the White Mountains and Edoras.

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

The ground shook as a rumbling filled the pit beneath. A hideous black creature was squirming on the large table in the centre of the room, as Saruman chanted mechanically. He looked interestedly as the creature slowly rose its arm as it strived to master its body controls. Gradually did the trembling stop as the creature sat up and got off the table, rearing up to its full height.

Saruman looked up at the creature, his eyes narrowed in mesmerisation.

"My child...finally you are come."

The creature flexed its arm uncertainly, not comprehending.

"My child...you don't know pain, you're immune to blows, you charge in the face of enraged arrows, you fear not the curse of sunlight"

The creature nodded, as he began slowly to discover his comprehension of the spoken word.

"You are my child, Olmog...the new breed...the fighting Uruk-hai."

[Laurenis]

Kaytrien was left outside in the street. She could see villagers returning home after the battle and could see far away the rising smoke from the fire which had burnt the orc corpses. She sighed and walked up the road in the dark.

She knew little about what was to come, and what role she would play. She wondered to herself where she would be in a week from today. Back in the inn nodoubt, chatting to some aquaintance about useless things which bothered and effected her in no way.

To the other elves and Harnauro she felt inferior; a child desperate for adventure, on the brink of adult, but not yet a woman. Capable of battle but not of mystery, of discovery outside her region, of stretching the bands of time and going to the limit....

Returning from her moment of self pity she looked to the sky. It was now an ebony black, no longer the depressing steel gray. She gazed to the stars, a thing special to her, one thing you could not aquire with age or knowledge, just a born gift of understanding and wonder at their shapes, size and role. They told her that the brief moment of evil had now passed. And yet still there were many things to come, hopefully for her.

She turned back and made for the inn. She must yet consult Tessar for his decision and talk with Irid about hers.

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid took a glass of water that Bropican had left.

"Here, drink something. Now, i can easily imagine some of the people downstairs will want to talk to you. If you feel up to it, i'll go and tell them they can come up. And no, you're not coming with me! you have to stay in bed and rest!"

Softly Irid went outside and closed the door behind her. Downstairs, she saw that Erenfor was inside.

"Ah, Erenfor. That elf that stumbled in earlier, he's countious. If you want to talk to him, I think he's up to it. His name is BÃ*renath, and he hasn't been long in Middle- earth."

Then Irid sat down and asked for a glass of wine. Bropican put it in front of her, but she didn't notice... She was deep in thought.

[Mathron]

Harnauro ran through the night with ease. The darkness and wind swept around him, yet he paid heed only to his thoughts. As Malagar had told him, the threat of Sauron was, indeed, grown stronger. Sauron... Harnauro's blood boiled at that name, yet he forced away his anger. He had determined to leave it in the past, yet it came back to plague him. But if he could defeat some measure of Sauron's evil, fight the band of orcs that plagued the hills... perhaps he could, in some small way, atone for his crimes of so long ago.

Ahead, he saw the small wood that Malagar had set for them to meet back up. He would tell him of this night's events, and then, perhaps... they would decide where their place was.

[Selwythe]

The forest loomed closer as Alfwine wandered aimlessly on his steed. He knew he was lost, and no longer possessed the energy to divert his course. He had heard in his childhood stories of caution and mystery of the forests that bordered the north of Rohan, but he was too weary now.

He entered the forest and helplessly regretted it as the trees rustled their leaves, seemingly whispering to him their hostile reception. In panic, his horse suddenly found in itself a surge of energy, charging deep into the forest. He could only hold onto the reins in terror.

[Lief Erikson]

*Good grief, he's not in the Pentagrid is he? If so, the trees will give him more than simply a hostile reception, so he'd better be only on the very outskirts of the wood, capable of getting away when they attack. Which they will; they'll admit no intruder.*

[Madrik The Dark]

May the gods have mercy on the souls of those who harbor the demon.

The creature creeped forward from the shadows of the inn, it sat at the very back of the inn deep with in the shadows. he sat and watched the different races head in and out of the inn. He watched the stairs as people came down. He sat his meal in front of him, he looked at it with disgust.

*How can these people eat already dead food?* He thought to himself as he sat watching the treavellers.

[Lief Erikson]

"BÃ*renath?" Erenfor asked as he approached the other man. "You don't know me, so I'd best introduce myself before continuing.

"My name is Erenfor, and I am the leader of a small force of troops which oppose the forces of Sauron. I want to ask you a few questions about what has happened to you. I realize you have recently been through a very trying experience though, so if it is your wish, we needn't pursue that subject."

[Arat-Falathion]

Only seconds passed after Irid had left the room before a new male elf came in the door. He introduced himself quickly.

"A trying experience indeed. Me nor my sons..." BÃ*renath paused and looked down on the floor to recover the strenght needed before continuing. He looked up at the elf again. "none of us had ever fought anything before; I have lived in Valinor since my birth, and so had my sons." Bringing his sons back in his memory brought also back the sorrow that Irid had managed to get away. I simply came to Middle Earth for one reason, to find my brother; and help him if that was of any need. His name is Arat-Lumënion."
BÃ*renath noticed that Erenfor listened, but he didn't come here to ask of his lifestory, he wanted to know what had caused the orc-attack; what had happened.

"The faster we get this overwith, the faster I can leave this behind me and move on... so what do you want to know?"

[Lief Erikson]

"A few different things," Erenfor said as he took a seat on a nearby chair. "One is, how did you meet the orcs in the first place? Another is where did this meeting take place, and another still is whether you have seen any other groups in the area?"

[Tessar]

Tessar sat in a corner of the Inn, I will go to Pintagrid he thought Even if I must go alone He thought of Irid, hoping that she atleast would come, The wolves would be valuable allys, that and it is good to see her again after all these years

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid looked around. In a corner sat Tessar, but she couldn't see Kaytrien. She was probably outside. She walks over to Tessar and sits down besides him.

"Well, have you made up your mind?"

[Arat-Falathion]

"It's not like I met the orcs and shaked hands with them or anything. I were told that my brother, Lumënion is living in these parts, and therefor this was where I had to go.
The orcs were simply lurking in the bushes along the road; they must have heard us coming, cause we sang on a happy song. Our hearts were happy; we should see Arat-Lumënion again!" A distant smile started to show on BÃ*renaths face.

"So like you see, we did not intend to meet them, nor did we have time to prevent the meeting. They were over us before we had time to wield our own weapons. Me and my son, Creänáth, fell off our horses as they ran away in terror. The orcs jumped right on my son and slashed him to pieces. Me, I managed to get quickly to my feet and and draw my two daggers; my bow broke as I fell of my horse and landed. My other son, Celthorn, fought bravely as well, untill he fell for an arrow through his stomack. Somehow I managed to get him up in my arms and run away, all the way to this Inn." Again BÃ*renaths eyes were red and wet of tears, but he held them back.

"Now, to where this meeting took place, I do not remember. I was too dizzy in my mind to see where I was going as I ran, it was only luck or fate that brought me here. I do remember though that I came to Middle Earth along the shore from the west and came to the havens at the south side of Middle Earth.
By the way; you seem like a man who has walked these lands for a long time... you haven't heard anything of my brother?"

[Laurenis]

Kaytrien entered the inn and saw Tessar and Irid in a corner. As she approach she heard Tessar telling Irid of how he would also be going into the Pentagrid

"And I too," Kaytrien said before they realised she was there. "I have been taking a long walk and thinking about it. The origional reason for my coming to this village was to enter Pentagrid and now I know that you two are also going I feel now is the time. But first I must know why you two are going; if you know yourselves. But I am still not sure about Erenfor. I have only just met him properly and I wonder if this will be the last time I see him or atleast the last in a long while." She said with a sigh, still not certain if she had made the right decision.

[Lief Erikson]

"I don't think so," Erenfor answered. "Although I may be mistaken; I have lived long, as you say, but my memory has difficulty when it goes too far back. I only little remember my days before . . ." Erenfor hesitated, and then sighed. "Like you now have, I also have a history which was highly painful at one time, and there is a period of my life which I remember very little, and that experience caused also large fading of my earlier memory." He gave a bare smile. "But I highly doubt that I met your brother during that time. No, I have not met him."

Erenfor stood and took a few steps away, turning back to BÃ*renath when he reached the door. "But I thank you for what help you have given, as much as it is.

"I wish you a speedy recovery from your injuries, friend," he said as he left the room.

[Mathron]

***I will have Harnauro rescue Alfwine, I suppose. And can easily have it that the forest Alfwine wandered into was simply a small one outside of the Pentagrid, though still somewhat eery due to proximity.***

----


Harnauro entered the woods that Malagar would be waiting in. At night, they seemed like a dark and dismal place, forboding even to him. The rustling of leaves and branches, and shadows passing overhead - all harmless and tame during daylight, but ominous at night.
Harnauro walked through the forest without difficulty, moving silently, a retired predator on two legs. Yet his instincts were still buried beneath the surface, and when discordant sounds broke the night nearby - the cry of a man and whinny of a horse - he immediately dropped into a crouch, sidling near to a tree as the sounds drew closer.
From out of the brush ahead of him, a horse and its rider burst forth, out of control as the trees whispered and sighed around them. Harnauro stepped back, placing one foot against the tree behind him, and then pushing off of it into a leap that carried him atop the horses back.

The forest seemed to flail at Alfwine as his horse fled out of control, though perhaps his cuts were merely from branches slapping against his face as he rode, full force, through the woods. Suddenly, without warning, a weight dropped down behind him, and a sharp blow rapped against his armor, jolting him to his senses.
A voice whispered in his ear, "You had best get your horse under control, boy, before it hits a hole or a tree, and kills you both."
The weight vanished as suddenly as it had come, and Alfwine quickly, in control of himself, at least, once more, frantically turned all his skill to regaining control of his steed....