Assasin's Shadow

[Acalewia]

Colomir went to find Acalewia. He didn't know her well, but he knew something was bothering her. He found her alone, looking out over the walls. Only her eyes were closed. Suddenly they shot open. She turned and saw Colomir.
"Where is your brother?" She asked quickly.
"In the main chamber. Why?" She shook her head.
"I think not. If Curamir is not in Osgiliath, then he is in great danger" Colomir narrowed his eyes.
"What kind of danger?"
"I had a vision. I saw Curamir's pale face. He looked like Boramir after his death" The two went to look for Curamir.

[rohirrim TR]

Curamir's thought crowded around in his head as he moved through the darkness of the forest. It was odd to not have Colomir behind or ahead of him, he had thought about asking Colomir to go with him, but his older brother would have talked him out of it he knew, Colomir was cautious, a sure thing guy, like his father. Curamir was more like Boromir in both stature and temperment. He heard a branch crack, immediately he became aware, he was not alone....
************************************************** *******
Morluin got up stiffly, he had not expected a challenge like that so soon, "you will pay for that, my old friend" he growled to himself cursing. The huts he had been thrown through were gone, nothing but ashes were left , when a haradrim scout examined the town....

Back in the rangers hiding place Hluor told Gimli the story of the wizards, and bound up Arhors wound. Alatar sat in the corner apparently asleep; Although his eyes were wide open....

[Curubethion]

Makoin and Curmaar halted for the day. They were on the edge of Ithilien, and the next day would see them in sight of Minas Tirith. The dwarf piled some wood into a fire, and prepared to light it. Curmaar stood.

He offered, "I'll go hunt."

"All right...I'll have a good roaring fire by the time you come back, lad!"

Nodding, Curmaar passed into the woods. He watched the trees for signs of anything he could kill for food, but the forest was oddly silent. Something else was in the wood. Something that was unfriendly...

Who is there? he wondered.

In an instant, a warrior leapt out! It was a Haradrim! Curmaar screamed a battlecry, reaching for the stone that was his constant comfort and strength. He struck, and instantly entered a melee with half a score of fighters!

[Acalewia]

Their search turned up nothing.
"He's gone" Colomir said.
"But where could he have gone?" Colomir shook his head. His brother was just like the uncle he had never met. Acalewia now seemed lost in thought. "Minas Tirith! He's gone to warn the King!"
"What makes you think that?"
"Curamir is just like Boromir. That's what he would have done."
"What do you propose to do?" Acalewia turned to Colomir.
"My judgement of late has been ill, yet you ask me what we should do. You will stay here. I will go."
"I will not abandon my brother!"

[rohirrim TR]

Curamir ducked out of sight, adn off to his left he heard a battlecry, several harad passed right by him without noticing. He moved forward and saw Curmaar fighting with five haradrim. He nocked an arrow and one died the three others had met the sharp end of Curmaar's broadsword the remaining one had no chance between the arrow the took him in the chest and the blade coming down upon him.
************************************************** *******
Alatar came awake with a jerk, "come" he said, "we must leave this place, we
are being watched" "what?" said Hluor "we just go here, and anyway no one knows of this spot save for a few rangers" "I have dreamt of the enemys movements we are being scouted even now, our chances will be better in the woods, let us go to the lonely mountain it is the safest place at this moment"." alright follow us then friends" commanded Gimli.

[Acalewia]

Acalewia studied Colomir. He looked and acted just like his father. Colomir, like Faramir, could not be dissuaded once he made up his mind.
"Fine. We must slip out quickly and quietly." The two went out from Osgiliath unnoticed. Colomir thought back to when they met. Like himself, Acalewia was a master of stealth. They walked side by side so not lose one another. As they moved, Acalewia's mind was on the other vision she had seen. Rangers bound to a post. Where she could not tell. She knew one, but she could not tell if it was Arlegon's brother or her own. Then she saw another Ranger and a dwarf free them. Colomir grabbed her arm, waking her from her thoughts
"We are not alone," he wispered.

[Curubethion]

Curmaar looked directly at Curamir. The ranger looked back; both men were stunned for a moment. Then Curmaar turned away, tucking the mithrilstone in his pocket, and ran. He passed trees at a pace like the wind, until he heard a dwarf-voice call, "Curmaar!"

It was Makoin.

"Where have you come from?" shouted Curmaar.

The dwarf answered, "Oh, I heard the battle sounds, and came to help. But it looks like you had help enough."

What does he mean by that? Curmaar thought, shocked. He must have seen...

~*~

Curamir hesitated, wondering if he should follow. There had been a look in Curmaar's eyes, something that spoke of rage and death...

[rohirrim TR]

Curamir was disturbed at the change in Curmaar, his eyes had been bloodshot and his face had been a mask of rage. He decided to keep on the path to minas tirith, getting reinforcements was the priority, on the way back he would try to find Curmaar and discover what madness had taken him.
************************************************** *****
Curamir hadn't noticed the dwarf....

[Acalewia]

Colomir drew his sword while Acalewia drew her knives. A group of orcs burst from the trees.
"Elendil!" Acalewia shouted as she and Colomir attacked. Three orcs fell soon after. Suddenly, arrows ended the life of the lives of three more.
"Elbraith!" Came the cry. As a man jumped from the trees and cut down four. The rest of the orcs fled. He wiped his blade and sheathed it. Acalewia and the man embraced.
"Am I glad to see you" She turned to Colomir. "Colomir, this is my brother, Elnar."
"Well met, Colomir" Colomir noticed Elnar was not an elf.

[Acalewia]

Elnar noticed the look Colomir gave him. He glanced at Acalewia.
"He doesn't know, does he?"
"No. Faramir and Elessar are the only ones left alive who know"
"Know what?" Colomir studied Elnar. He had shoulder lengh golden-brown hair and was a spitting image of Acalewia.
"She takes after Mother, while I take after Father" Elnar said.
"Wait a moment! You're both-" Acalewia held up a hand.
"The trees have ears. Time grows short." She turned and contuned in the direction they had been headed.

[rohirrim TR]

a group of harad slayers hacked and slashed a path through the trees of the northern woods, the commander had orders to make the treacherous wizard pay for his betrayal, he saw the tracks of the dwarves, if only i had the time he thought to himself "the lonely mountain would be a prize that would make me a king.

************************************************** ******
Alatar and Hluor brought up the rear of the party one ranger was hurt and the dwarves were not as stealthy.

[Acalewia]

Beregond tapped Faramir's shoulder.
"Your sons and the elf are gone" Faramir spun around.
"What!? When?"
"We just noticed they were gone. We don't know for how long. No one saw them leave."
"Eruanna disappears when she wants with no explainion. Colomir and Curamir always tell me when they leave. Where do you think they have gone?" Worry was etched on his face. Beregond touched his captian's arm.
"If I know Eruanna, she may be going to Minas Tirith to warn the King. Curamir and Colomir may have followed her. They have become close to her as of late."
"We have not the men to chase after them. I trust Eruanna with the lives of my sons" Faramir turned and looked out over the wood before the walls.
Do not let me down, Eruanna he thought.

[Acalewia]

The three compainions reached a body strewn clearing. Acalewia kneeled next to a body.
"An arrow of Gondor in the chest of a Harad. Curamir was here." She pointed to a deep gash near it. "As was someone else." Elnar was studying the ground.
"one man fought all these men," he said.
"One?" Acalewia threw herself on the ground and listened. She could hear footsteps going toward the White City. But she could also hear heavy steps coming toward them. She stood.
"Curamir is going to Minas Tirith. But there are others heading this way. By the sound of it, a Dwarf."
"We haven't the time to wait for him." Colomir said. "If my brother is in as much danger as you say he is, we can not tarry" Elnar nodded.
"He is right. Besides, Dwarves do not take kindly to elves."

[Curubethion]

Morluin stretched his hand out over the stone in front of him. As it began to shine, the wizard saw reality drift away...
A forest, lined with bodies of Haradrim, lay somewhere in front of his sight...an army of Uruk-Hai marched through, their leader hooded...
They were coming.
And on plains outside of the forest, a thing of power was taken...held by an enemy...the stone...the stone...the...
The wizard had seen enough.

[rohirrim TR]

"we are being followed wizard" Hluor whispered to the hooded figure in front of him. "They are staying far enough back to be out of range of the bow" "yes, i feared we did not leave soon enough" Alatar spoke slowly, "can you and the rangers get under cover, we use the dwarves as a decoy and ambush whoever it is?" "what about you?" hluor wondered. "me?,"the wizard chuckled, "oh i'll be in plain sight, yet you would not call me a decoy.
************************************************** ******
The harad thought they had the dwarves and the old man by themselves and moved in for the kill. arrows took the first two, eight more came from the left "taur-nenebth" . it was like the trees blew up thought Hluor, nothing absoulutely nothing was left of the haradrim, not weapons or armor it had all incinerated. guess we better listen to this guy Hluor thougt to himself.

[Acalewia]

The three compainions moved on. Acalewia dropped back beside Elnar, while Colomir walked before them, looking for any sign of his brother and listening for any enemy.
"I heard about Arlegon," Elnar was saying. "I'm am truely grieved." Acalewia said nothing.
"He was a great man," she finally said.
"I fear his brother has suffered a similer fate. He and another Ranger were captured by the villigers of Bree. They believe we are sorcerors."
"He is not dead."
"Oh?"
"I have seen his escape with the help of another Ranger and a Dwarf. Sorcerors you say? It is just a trick of the Assasin." Elnar stopped.
"The Assasin? This is Morluin's doing. He is searching for the Mithrilstone" Both Colomir and Acalewia stopped. Colomir's eyes narrowed.
"What would you know of that, Ranger?"

************************************************** ********

The survivors of the raiding party returned. The Assasin looked upon their pitiful ranks.
"They fought back," the lead orc said to his questioning. "Between arrows and blades we are no match."
"How many were you fighting against?"
"Two at first, an elf and a man. They were joined by another man." The Assasin turned to the other orcs.
How dear are Eruanna and his sons to Faramir? he thought. Dear enough to trade the Stone for their lives?
"Bring me the elf and the men. Alive. I have a little plan for them"

[Curubethion]

Minas Tirith, City of Kings. Its white towers rose gleaming above the ground. It was radiant, sprung from the heart of the mountains behind it. Men walked through the open gates, including Nakoin and Curmaar. The Southron bowed his head, hoping none would notice his bronzed skin. The guards, however, only gave him a single glance.

"Now what do we do?" he asked Nakoin.

The dwarf replied, "We shall get a room in an inn, and then try to gain an audience with the king."

"How will we do that?"

"I'm not sure...let's get a room first."

~*~

Morluin stood in the plains around Bree. He was chanting ancient spells, calling upon a power not seen for years. Ice and death! Terror and darkness! Curses poured from the wizard, summoning the Icedrake.

The North would fall.

[rohirrim TR]

by using devious routes and staying under cover Curamir believed he had eluded pursuit. at nightfall he reached the first gate of Minas Tirith. after gaining entrance to the city he acquired a horse and began the long ride up the city's seven level's he hoped that Elessar was here, there had been talk of him going to the north to see the old members of his fellowship, Curamir certainly hoped they were only rumors.

Once again Curamir failed to notice a cetain dwarf.
************************************************** ***
As Hluor and his party reached the small hill above the lake town a chill wind began blowing from the north. Alatar stopped suddenly "ahh!, evil on the air, i fear the cruelty of Caradhras may be nothing to the evil Morluin has become. quickly!, time is not on our side we must reach the lonely mountain".

As Nain son of Dain king under the mountain greeted his guest snow and hail began to fall outside, a taste of what was to come.

[Acalewia]

"I know more then you may think," Elnar said. "I also know whatever Acalewia saw happening to your brother, may or may not come to pass. we must contiune on to Minas Tirith." Elnar kept walking.
"The question, Elnar," Acalewia said. "Was what do you know about the Mithrilstone. It sounds to me you know more then I about it."
"I know what it can do. The rumors the Rangers had the Stone were true until Pelennor. The Harad killed the Ranger who bore it and took the Stone for themselves. Where it is now, I do not know."
"How do you know the Rangers had it at all?" Colomir asked.
"A close friend bore the Stone. We were among the thirty to come to be gathered in haste."
"You never told Aragorn this, did you?"
"No." The walls of the White City stood before them.
"Lets hope Curamir is within these walls," Colomir said as they headed toward the gates.

[Acalewia]

Colomir was able to get them pass the gates. The guards eyes widened with wonder as the three Rangers passed them.
"I have seen strange things of late," the younger said.
"Hush! That is one of the King's close friends." the older guard said. "Not part of his Fellowship, mind you. It is said she is the greatest tracker of all Middle Earth."
Tell us something we don't know Elnar thought. they were in the first level. Acalewia stopped and nudged Colomir. He turned and she nodded to her right. Elnar glanced in the direction. A Southron and a dwarf were talking together.
"Is that who I think it is?" Colomir asked.
"Maybe. Do not approch him. It will only draw attention to him. We must find Curamir." They continued on.