Hytorax Part 2

[Mathron]

Aasinav glanced at the fireplace, and raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

The image of Dagankor smiled, and he said, "You are wise enough to be able to see that for yourself, Aasinav - are you not?"

The sage frowned, and then shrugged. "My shadow is not a toy to be used for whims. You know enough about it to know how dangerous its use is. And there are others of the Shadowhand who have tools just as suited for your purposes."

He did not add: And I have already sent it a mission, and that mission includes keeping an eye upon you.

Dagankor's smile grew cold. "Very well. If that is your answer, so be it. I had hoped that a brother of the order would be more cooperative with our mutual needs, but if that is not the case, that is your choice." His image vanished abruptly, and the flames in the fireplace went out immediately.

Aasinav sighed, and walked over to the fireplace, lighting it again and stirring the wood with a poker. He despised politics, both among the order itself, and among the world in general. The Shadowhand had what they needed to gain the power - and knowledge - desired. What use had they for consolidating their hold on a petty kingdom.

He shook his head, and returned to his research.

[Earniel]

OOC: Do you perhaps mean vulnerability, Arat?


As Athalt left them, both Tareod and Imarwyn went their own way. Imarwyn slipped back into the citadel through the door at the stables.

But Tareod took the more visible route and went to the main gate of the citadel. Entering through there seemed more befitting to his disguise as new ambassador of Rohan than sneaking in through a back door.

At the gate he made his errand known to the guards. Though they looked on him with some curiousity, they soon let him in the care of an official who would escort Tareod to the king.

[Lief Erikson]

"An ambassador is here to see the king."

Dagankor was annoyed. He didn't have time for this, and right now of all times? If Eomer had waited just a few more days, the ambassador would have been more than welcome, and would have been dealing directly with the Shadowhand. As it was, this was rather annoying.

"Show him in," he said, his voice quiet.

The man bowed and hurried away, leaving Dagankor alone for the moment. He fingered his sword's hilt thoughtfully, and picked up an ordinary dagger from the mantle piece. This he slid into a sheath beneath his robes.

Walking back across the living area, he was just reaching for the door handle when he froze.

A door was softly being pushed open in the adjacent room; he could hear it. Light footsteps coming in, oh, so light. The elves. They were exactly why Dagankor had wanted the Aasinav's Shadow in the first place; it wasn't a mere whim.

They were in his room already then, were they? They'd moved faster than he'd anticipated. He could handle that, though.

Opening the main door, he slipped out and eased it closed behind himself again, gently.

He turned around to find himself face to face with a young man, along with his officials. The man from Rohan, Dagankor realized at once. Things were indeed moving fast.

"You're very quiet at closing your door," the man said, smiling slightly. "Someone sleeping, within?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, ambassador," Dagankor answered, forcing a small answering smile. "You wish to see the king, I presume? Right this way."

He led the man over to the adjacent room and opened it. Vahatres sat inside, alone. He looked weak, regardless of the strength he'd so recently been showing as he made his speech to the council.

"This is the ambassador from Rohan, my king," he said, quietly. Tareod walked inside and Dagankor closed the door behind him, remaining outside.

Now, to work.

[Arat-Falathion]

*Clap clap Eärniel! That was the word I was looking for! *

Glimdrell and Fimbren followed easily after the long, determined strides of Hruad, but hold a little distance -just enough to escape the worst stench of the jailor's leather suit. Suddenly Hruad turned and whispered. "We are here."

[Earniel]

OOC: *bows* But I had to look up the right spelling anyway.

Tareod wondered briefly what other pressing matters the counsellor had to attend to, to leave so hurriedly. But he quickly pressed it into the back of his mind. He himself had other things that demanded his attention.

The king motioned him to come closer. Tareod obeyed and bowed during which he quickly studied the king. The man before him looked worn, which Tareod assumed, was the effect of the control the enemy held over him.

He finally shook off the last shreds of the ill ease he had been feeling. It was too late to turn back now. He could only hope to keep up the deception long enough.

"Hail, King of Enedwaith!" he said " My name is Tareod. I am send by my lord, King Éomer of Rohan who wishes for an alliance with thee."

[Lief Erikson]

"An alliance?" Vahatres glanced at the door Dagankor had just passed through, wishing that the other man had stayed. His advice on this issue would have been useful. "A military alliance?"

"Military as well as trade."

"Our countries are already trading . . ." Vahatres glanced at the door again. "I think I would like to discuss this matter with my councilors; I must give it some thought. I will see that some suitable quarters are made for you."





Hruad glanced about the place. "Nice room," he muttered, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy at being in the place. He felt as though a pair of eyes were watching him from behind, yet that was impossible.

He took a couple steps deeper into the room, looking about him, carefully. "Our weapons are in here somewhere . . ."

[Arat-Falathion]

Glimdrell snickered at Hruads remark. It had been so obvious to the elf as he entered to room. Two large chests were placed in the room. One under the window, and one beside it closer to the bookshelf.

"The weapons must be in one of those" Glimdrell reasoned as he stepped further into the room, pointing in the chests' direction. "Be careful though, one might hold a trap of some kind."

"Macigal trap would be my guess..." Fimbren muttered under his breath.

[Mathron]

Shadow drifted through the cracks in the castle walls, smiling to himself at the scene he had just witnessed. The prisoners, escaping already!

But it was not his place to do anything about it. Nothing direct, in any case - he was here to observe.

'Observe', mused the Shadow to itself. If these prisoners did, indeed, escape, he would have to keep track of them. But he couldn't watch them alone - he had to keep up his observation of the other events in the city as well. Aasinav's orders had been clear on that - the prisoner's were not his only interest. But perhaps there was a way...


He slipped though the shadows of the citadel with ease, and soon found himself at his goal. Where that councilor, Dolais, was being held. He had begun his spying in the city just in time to see the man taken and imprisoned... and now saw he him as a potential pawn to be used.

Am I just a pawn? wondered Shadow. Does it even matter?

The councilor's prison was locked and barred. One guard stood in front of it, his eyelids flickering between opened and closed as he sought to fight off sleep.

Shadow laughed to itself as it manifested out of the wall behind the guard. It could easily help that sleep along - a good thing, as any more impressive displays would obviously leave the mark of magic, and he couldn't have that...

The guard shivered for a moment as dark hands touched his head. He felt cold, but his weariness grew even deeper, and he slowly slid back against the wall and to the floor, asleep.

Shadow manifested itself a physical form outside the door. While it could assume any form while intangible, it could only wear one while physical - that of Aasinav. Perfect for its purpose.

In moments, the Shadow was indistinguishable from the sage, all traits of darkness gone from its skin and eyes. It smiled maliciously - and then smoothed over that smile, putting on the serious and concerned expression of the sage.

He lifted the guard's keys and opened the door. The room was a stately chamber, though no less a prison for all that.

Inside, Dolais sat on a hard wooden chair, staring blankly at the wall. He looked up in confusion at the apparent sight of Aasinav hurrying in. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing here? We were told that all the company was captured... I thought all hope was lost."

"It may yet be," said the Shadow, "For only I was able to avoid being captured. Even worse, a creature has dogged by steps and betrayed the company, wearing my form. It may be able to take the shape of other creatures as well - beware any you meet!"

Dolais paused, and then nodded. "I understand. I shall be careful. But why have you freed me, if the others are imprisoned? Surely they can do more for the cause than... I."

The Shadow laid a friendly hand on Dolais's shoulder. "We all have our parts to play, and I would not leave you here to be executed. The others have already begun to engineer their escape. I would help, but have been trying to track the fell beast that wears my shape."

He drew Dolais out of the room, and gestured to the sleeping guard. "Take his sword. I shall tell you where to find some of the company, who are hiding from danger right now. You can lend them assistance if they find trouble - and more importantly, carry my word of warning, of the creature that wears my shape. You can tell of its nature if you examine its eyes, for the center of them will be blacker than the darkest night."

Dolais nodded again. "Then perhaps," he said smiling, "some hope still does remain after all."

Aasinav's shadow smiled back as it began to lead him down the safest route through the hallways. He would send the councilor to the party, carrying the confusion of his warning. Whether they figured it out or not failed to matter - it would leave them unsure, and that would weaken them.
More importantly, the mark he had left on Dolais's shoulder - a mark unseen by sight or spell - would let him find them whenever he needed to.
Though the smile the Shadow wore was kindly, the smile it carried within was the grin of a hunting wolf.

[Lief Erikson]

"We cannot avoid looking in places the weapons might be in, on the simple chance that there's a spell," Hruad said. "We have no way of knowing, and it would greatly inhibit our ability. However, there is a simpler way to discover whether our weapons are in those chests or not."

He walked over to the one by the bed and seized hold of its side with his hands. He gave a mighty heave and tugged the chest over onto its side, listening closely to the sound inside.

He looked up at the elves.

"Can't tell," Fimbren said. "Some thumping noises, but I can't tell exactly."

Hruad walked over to the one at the window and turned that one over. Both elves shook their heads vigorously- "nothing."

"Then we have no choice but to go for it," Hruad said. Reaching down, he tried the latch. It was locked.

He glanced up at the other two, and Glimdrell withdrew the dagger, inserting its tip into the lock. A moment later, it clicked.

Glimdrell placed his hands on the lid and pulled it upward.

The box was full of books, documents and sheafs of paper.

[Arat-Falathion]

"Aye! Only paperwork. Then the weapons must be placed in the other." Glimdrell looked to the chest under the window.

Fimbren standing closest walked over and tried to lift the latch, but it was locked as well.

"Glimdrell?"

Glimdrell quickly produced the dagger and fitted it into the lock, starting to pick it...

*Oh... sorry about that *

[Lief Erikson]

*The one they just opened was the one by the bed.*

"Obviously, then, our weapons aren't in either," Hruad said, glancing around the room again. "Shall we continue our search of the chamber, then?"

[Arat-Falathion]

Fimbren nodded and started off to the bed side again, examining under and around the bed.

Glimdrell still searched the chest he had just managed to pick. Thisone also being full of paper, but he senced something here, some sort of magic...

[Lief Erikson]

*Sorry . There's no magic in there that I can think of. There might be, however; there's not necessarily any need to edit the post. I simply can't think of what it might be, at present.*

Glimdrell suddenly paused in his shuffling through the papers. One of the ones he'd just passed over . . .

He picked it up again. Sure enough, he hadn't been mistaken. It appeared to have the word "Hytorax" written on it.

Glimdrell quickly scanned the paper, slowing down in interest. A history of the Hytorax? Logical it had been around the top, then.

Quickly, he stuffed the paper under his belt. The magic would have to wait; whatever it was, it had little to do with finding their weapons, and speed was everything. He went to help his friends in their search.

[Lief Erikson]

Tareod sought around desperately in his mind for some way in which he could stay near the king. Being treated as an ambassador was all well and fine, but he needed to protect him, not just lie to him. The lying wasn't the point of his visit.

But the servant who held his arm had it in an iron grip, and was leading him resolutely away from the king's quarters.

He had to think of something!

[Finrod Felagund]

Fimbren frantically searched for his weapons. "You have no idea" he whispered frantically. "I have the sword Ringil...Fingolfin's sword! It cannot be lost."

[Tessar]

Elise frowned and hurried over to the chest, she had felt something when it was opened...

Kneeling down in front of the wooden box, Elise traced a design lightly over it with her finger and murmured softly as she attempted to find the magic.

There was no spell in the box, but traces of magic still lingered. Whatever it had been was gone now, and that was likely a very bad thing if they wanted to get out alive.

Elise looked up and frowned at each person in turn, her gaze piercing them and searching. As she turned to Glimdrell, she saw what she was looking for. A marker spell. It would tell any wizard that he had tampered with something important... if they saw it.

"Glimdrell, what do you suppose that is?" Elise said softly and pointed to a scuffmark beside the bed. As Glimdrell turned his head, Elise waved a hand over his back and reached through the spirit realm to disentangle the marker.

"Nothing. A boot mark I suppose." Glimdrell said with a shrug.

"Oh, I suppose so." Elise said and favored him with a mysterious smile. There was no need to worry them any more than they already were, and no alarm had sounded. Just a marker spell, thank the Valar.

She wished she could get her staff, but if need be she would acquire a new one, even if it meant stealing one from their captor.

{That work for ya? }

[Arat-Falathion]

"Elise?" Hruad said surprisingly. "I though you were in the basement with the others!"

"I could not sit in that dark rathole while you were up here doing all the dirty work!" Elise responded. "Perhaps my magic might be to some assistance..."

Glimdrell nodded. "Surely I felt some magic in the chest over there." He pointed to the chest under the window.

"I felt it too." Elise said with a frown and hurried over to the chest...

[Lief Erikson]

"Your highness, if you'll follow me?" Dagankor asked the king, who was still seated on the same chair.

Vahatres got up, nodding. "Fine, but what is it now?"

"I need to show you something in my quarters."

"Oh," Vahatres said, following him.

They left Vahatres' room and in a few seconds were directly outside Dagankor's. Vahatres raised an eyebrow slightly at the twenty Shadowhand soldiers outside the door, but he didn't mention it.

"I've got all entrances sealed," Dagankor said with a smile. "You will soon see why."

[Arat-Falathion]

"What was that sound?" Fimbren whispered suddenly. The others was already looking straight at the door, they had noticed it too. The sound of metalboost against stonefloor was all too familiar.

"Oh heavens!" Hruad uttered, suddenly having his heart in the throat. "My heart does not have any good of this."

"Hide!" Glimdrell whispered as loud as he would dare. "Quickly!"

[Lief Erikson]

But Hruad was thinking along different lines. "The window," he hissed. He rushed over to it, and cursed. "Soldiers down there; we're trapped."