Long Lost Leaves - part II

[feawen]

As the gruff man rounded the corner Nami throw her arms around him, "Oh im so glad to see you!" Feeling him stiffen under her arms Nami quickly let him go and backed off a few steps.
"Sorry." Nami looked up sheepishly at the grumpy man. As he turned to go giving her a not too happy look Nami smiled. "Thank you! Oh no more whimpering, promise i'm whimper free."

Clearly already fed up with Nami's chatter, Truor was already a good few feet infront of Nami, his light bobbing away from her. Happyness due to being found as nearly over come by being left alone again as the man stormed off. Quickening her pace Nami soon caught up with him again,

Oh no, I'm not getting lost that easy again!

[Coffeehouse]

Quickleaf went forward and pointed towards the one of the four pathways with a bearing southwards, "We'll take this path" and he held up to the spiderweb infested ceilings his light of Lorien and moved into the menacing darkness with Borin and Hedrim.

As they made their way along the pathway the now ordinary sight of dead, corrupted orcbones seemed to appear less and less. The pathway had taken a dive, and was carrying relentlessly downwards in what appeared to be a lifetime of wandering. Quickleaf was glad though, to be travelling with such fine company. Borin, Orccleaver and Hedrim, the Unfearing.. Quickleaf had underestimated these races.

Quickleafs feet moved with swift pace along the age old stone tiles, every now and then taking short stops to listen for sounds, and voices. But the floor lay bathing in perpetual darkness, even the intense light of Isalien not breaking through.

Their feet clanked and clasped onto the floor. But in a moment, short as the cry of an exploding raindrop, the tiles beneath Quickleaf opened and a hole of unknown depth was unravelled!

Making a desperate attempt to jump, in air, out from the impending doom, Quickleaf struggled, but fell, losing hold of his light of Lorien, and it too fell down into the deep dark abyss below.

Scraping into the sides of the shaft, the light of Lorien, Isalien, given to Quickleaf by his father, shattered into a thousand pieces. The sound of the unconcious elf hitting water echoed through the hallways of Dol Guldur.

[orithil]

Hedrim stopped mere inchs away from the hole and was just about to reach out to Quickleaf as he heard his body his the ground. "Oh dear..." Hedrim leaned over the edge and peered down into the water. "Borin do you have a rope?"

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine nodded and turned back to Borin's Warg. Climbing on his back, she bent close to his ear.
"Takes us back to where we left the others," The Warg looked back at Radagast and Branwyn then started to trot in the direction he and Aelfwine had come from. Quick enough for them to arrive quickly, but slow enough for the two on foot to keep pace. Looking over her shoulder, Aelfwine explained what she was doing.
"He'll be able to track Borin's scent from the crossroads we split from,"

[Ingwe]

Ingwionis sensed the sound throughout Dol Guldur that had erupted when Quickleaf fell, and though he could not see what had transpired, he knew that something terrible had happened.

He looked at A'mael as if they shouldn't have even come. Damn my vanity, I came in here expecting to easily come out with everyone safe. Ingwionis looked toward Elyssa, realizing that not only was her vision not false, but it may have started to come true. "Dear Iluvatar, it is happening isn't it? I should have taken your visions as a warning. Keep your eyes open, all of you. We're on shaky grounds now. It is definitely not safe here. This place is still wholly evil."

[Midge]

Aerin heard Haldis's explanation of why she had pulled them into this room with what seemed like thousands of dusty papers, but she didn't understand it.

"The Entwives? Are you crazy? Here?? This is DOL GULDUR. You know that, don't you?" Aerin asked, mostly with sarcasm in mind. It didn't matter; Haldis had become Aerin's lifeline for the moment: It seemed as though she'd actually been outside this wretched place that morning and had chosen to come in, and so she couldn't be too far from some way out. No, Aerin had no intentions of leaving Haldis, so she began riffling through papers, looking for words she understood and that looked as though they might have something to do with the Ents or their female counterparts.

At first she found only thin scraps of scrolls with ugly scrawls that seemed to have been scratched on them, but soon she saw long scrolls that were written in a strong hand, and in Elvish script, using words she didn't know.

"Haldis! Are you sure we can get out today?" Aerin, struck by an idea, almost shouted. When the dust came floating down on her hair from the shelves above her, she realized how idiotic even talking loudly could be in this place. She marveled that she'd been here for more than a month without it falling down on her. Then she came back to reality in time to hear Haldis say, "Oh, yes. I'm very sure we'll have to." Aerin, taken aback at this odd answer, looked up sharply, then decided to ignore it.

"Well, then, why don't we empty what little lembas I've left in my Messenger's pack here and use the pack to cart these scrolls back out of here? I've got no way to know what these mean and that torch is getting low. Plus, then we could have some sustenance while we look, so it doesn't go to waste. Incidentally, do you think that a strong Elvish hand is important?"

She drew her pack up beside her and began to unload the rest of the lembas - only three more days' worth. As the leaves came out, the oppressive feeling in the room lifted slightly. Aerin handed one wafer to Haldis and kept one for herself. "I know you don't have to eat a whole wafer to be strengthened, but you can, if you're that hungry. And would you mind adding the last wafer to your food? It might be useful at your camp."

She had all the scrolls with the Elvish hand in a small pile next to her, and she was just collecting a few more when a shelf of scrolls emptied itself at her feet. She looked at what should have been a now-empty shelf and saw... more torches!

Being careful to keep her voice low, she said, "Haldis! It looks like this might also have been a study as well as an archive! Would you like maybe a little more time to search?"

[Willow Oran]

Haldis had quickly stowed the elvish waybread in her pack, they might need it later on and she wasn't terribly hungry at the moment. On the contrary, she was beginning to feel a bit of nausea as resisting the draw of the binding spell in favor of searching the study became harder to ignore. Hearing Aerin's suggestion and seeing the newly found torches, she was forced to shake her head regretfully.

"I would very much like to search longer," Haldis said truthfully, for she had found several scrolls that seemed different than scrawled, grotesque looking jumble of letter that comprised the majority of the archive's contents and the scrolls Aerin held looked promising as well.
"But we cannot," she continued, "Take what scrolls you think may be important and bring them in your pack. We will simply have to mark our way as best we can when we leave and hope Radagast will know the tunnels better than we."

As she finished speaking a ominous splash echoed through the tunnels, startling them both, and shaking down more dust. The two women froze, wide eyed, "There is water running through these caves?" Haldis asked, palpably alarmed, eyeing the ceiling, "Quickly with those scrolls, as many as you can fit. When we leave this room, we run, we do not stop, and if you wish to leave these tunnels, you do not let go of my hand."

[Midge]

"I realize the urgency, but do not you remember the sight of my leg? I could barely walk on it, and when you sped up after those... spirit-things... it was nearly unbearable. It was unbearable.. for an ELF. Can we not bind my ankle to give it support at the very least? You, as either wise or witch woman, should know how to do that simply and quickly!" Aerin's fright surfaced as anger bent toward the first person with whom she'd had contact in more than a month and she was soon sorry for it. However, that echoing splash held more than just the threat of water. It held the balance of life in it, and Aerin sensed that with it, something very precious had been lost.

Though she'd been warned of the dangers of the world in her training as a Lady's Messenger, this was the very first time she would be experiencing it, and she found it the most frightening thing here in these awful tunnels - more than dust floating from the ceiling, or the unbearable thought of running on her injured ankle, or even the idea that a life or a treasure was lost and not to be found again.

[Willow Oran]

Haldis sighed impatiently but, motioning for Aerin to sit, tore a strip from the elf's already ragged cloak and swiftly bound the offending ankle, explaining as she did, "I do not know what caused that splash, but it sounded as if it came from above us. I fear we are deeper underground than I thought and if there is water above us and the stone gives way... we do not want to be here." Finished she stood and helped Aerin to her feet, "I would ask you if that was better, but it does not matter. We must move on. You may collapse when we are nearer to daylight."

So saying she shouldered both their packs, Aerin's now filled with the scrolls they had found and left the room, pulling the hapless elf along with her.

[Mari]

Ellysa shrunk when Ingwionis mentioned her vision. Did she hear chastisement in his voice? Scared she went closer to Carnehilion. Somehow he exuded an air of calmth that calmed her down as well.
"We have to take the right fork there" she whispered while pointing. And with an even smaller voice: "Do you really think this place will collapse? I... don't want you all to die."

[Midge]

As far as Aerin could see, Haldis had no form of guidance whatsoever; she chose effortlessly and quickly when they came to forks and she wouldn't let go of Aerin's hand.

Struck by an awful notion, Aerin asked in a small voice, "Do you have an idea about what that splash was?"

[feawen]

Nami and Truor had been walking the paths of Dol Gladur together for a short while now, the latter seeming to trust to his nose. Finally Nami felt that she was making progress and she certainly felt calmer with the silent man.
Just as Truor was turning left a loud crash and splash followed by a slight cloud of dust came from the right hand path. Nami stopped, half way between the way out and the sound. Truors' grunt make Nami turn to look at him as he indicted the path out. Nami looked to the right and back to the left. Her interest picked, Nami turned to the right, "We should have a look Truor, what if its one of the others in trouble?" The man grunted again and Nami took it as a yes, so she turned to the right, as Truor followed. As the path lead on away from her exit, Nami begain to hear voices, familar voices. Quickening her step, all of Nami fear's of the underground where replaced as she came around the corner to a wholely unexpected sight. A very large hole in the ground with Hedrim and Borin looking over the edge.
"What happened?" Looked looked up, she counted two of her fellow adventages and not the four she had last seem. "Where's Quickleaf and Aelfwine?" Looking from the two men and back to the hole Nami made up her own conclusions. Fear of the dark was replaced by fear for her friends.

[Willow Oran]

Haldis did not answer Aerin's question immediately, but instead slowed down to a walk. She had noticed a slight upwards slant to the passageways as they ran and that the sound of running water was becoming louder. As they continued to walk forward, the dank hall revealed by their torch's light made the matter clear, "We will find out soon, I think," Haldis said, voice echoing softly.

This cavern was huge and Haldis thought that it must at one point have been a central gathering place. The underground river they had been hearing ran through the center, entering at one end as a short waterfall, and exiting at the other through a wrought iron grill.
It was crossable at two points by ornamental bridges, but as they moved closer Haldis saw that the upstream bridge had been impacted recently by falling stone. Looking upwards she could see the faint outline of a hole in the cavern's ceiling and beyond that...

Haldis let out a breath, relieved, for she doubted there was another grouo of noisy adventurers wandering this place. But it what sounded to be a good part of her company was standing around a gaping hole in the floor of their tunnel... Haldis sighed, "Aerin, I believe that splash was someone falling into the river, over here, they have probably caught up against the barrier where the water leaves this chamber. With any luck they'll not have drowned."

[Earniel]

Radagast and the others had just reached the crossroad where Aelfwine had earlier split from the other adventurers, when they heard the echoes of falling rocks.

"That doesn't sound too good," Radagast said. "Let us hurry."

The broke into a run. The warg's fine nose soon brought them to its master. There they found Borin and Hedrim crouched at a hole in the tunnel floor. Much to Radagast's surprise Nami and Truor were there as well.

"Nami! I see you've been found almost as quickly as you were lost. Good, good. But wasn't Ellysa with you? I hope she isn't down there," Radagast said, looking at the dark, gaping hole in the floor. "And where is Haldis, Truor? You better not have lost her as well."

[feawen]

Nami laughed slightly nervously, "Ha yeah i got found but Ellysa just vanished shortly after we lost the others, i hope she not down there." Nami looked at Hedrim and Borin hoping they would tell then who had fallen.
Truor grunted something about Haldis also vanishing and that he had smelled Nami before he had found her. Nami didn't know if she should take this as a complaint or not but taking the situation they were in she let it go for the moment.
Looking down into the hole Nami suddenly pointed at a bright spot in the darkness, "What or who is down there?"
Truor seemed to give a great snuff as if he was a bear hunting out food, which, thought Nami, he kinda is! After snuffing he simply said "Haldis."

[Willow Oran]

Quickleaf, Haldis had decided, was a very, very lucky elf. They had found him unconscious, but thankfully held in place by the current with his face above the water. Lugged out of the water, and the water slapped out of him, the two ladies had checked him for obvious injuries and concluded that while the fall hadn't done his previous wound any good and while he had acquired a new collection of bruises and an impressive bump on his head, he was not too terribly damaged. Now they just had to get out.

Leaving Aerin to keep an eye on Quickleaf, Haldis walked to the edge of the damaged bridge beneath the hole through which he had fallen, listening to the conversation taking place above. Thank goodness for Truor's nose. Craning her neck and looking upwards she called out, "I suppose if we're all here then we hardly count as lost! If any of you thought to bring a long enough rope, now would be the time for it. I've got two damaged elves down here and no way to carry them both."

[Coffeehouse]

Pain. Black. Voices in a complete dark. Quickleaf looked about him but he couldn't see, only hear. His ears shot up by the sound of one.. no two.. many voices. Haldis? a second, he could not make out, an elf.. an elf maiden. Third.. Borin? And Hedrim!

Quickleaf's skyblue eyes looked around, following the sounds, but they saw nothing. Black.

[Midge]

Despite Haldis's quickness and lack of double-checking, the bindings she had wrapped around Aerin's ankle were actually allowing her to walk more quickly and less painfully.

Aerin was quiet after her companion's ambiguous answer to her fearful question, but she did notice the air around getting less stuffy, as if there were gradually beginning to be less substance above their heads. The two entered a vast cavern, so high that the light from the torches didn't reach the ceiling. The only light that far up came from what seemed to be a skylight, though the sky wasn't visible through it, only a few flickering dim twinkles which might have been leftover from a huge lantern.

Marveling at how intricate and deep these caverns and pits went, and how she'd managed to get so far down in them (especially when she'd always been careful to use the tunnels that sloped upwards), Aerin began to wander slowly, but she didn't get far from Haldis. Something told her to stay close, and it wasn't simply Haldis's warnings.

"...any luck they'll not have drowned," Aerin heard as she came back to reality.

"Drowned?" she yelped, and stepped down beside Haldis to disengage an elf from the iron grille that blocked the river tunnel at the end of the room. Dragging him to a drier spot, she noticed his dress was that of the Lorien elves. In fact, she thought, he almost looks familiar, except for the part where he is soaking wet, and very bruised. Aerin and Haldis made sure he would not be dying soon, and Haldis strode over to where her companions would hear her best to talk (or shout up) to them. The Lorien elf (Haldis said his name was Quickleaf) came to slowly, and Aerin looked at him.

"Hello. You're a Lorien elf? My name is Aerin. Do I know you?" She asked.

His head lolled back to one side as he passed out again.

[Ingwe]

Ingwionis and the group had made it to what seemed like closer to their way out, but they still did not know that the others had left the tunnels.

"Elyssa, what's wrong?" Ingwionis said to Elyssa. He knew that his comment had bothered her as she had been quiet since then, scared that the vision may be coming true. "You must realize that it is not because of your vision that we will die. If we do die, which I would like to believe we won't, it would not be your fault. As old as I am, I have yet to learn the secrets of the accomplishments of the race of men. Even if you've been among them for a long time, even after centuries, they'll still surprise you. Your visions are of a possible way that this could end, but no vision from those with foresight is guaranteed to happen the way you have thought, no matter how wise you are. You've not cursed us, Elyssa. You have given us hope. You work together with the people here and have managed well, while the older ones such as myself have given into my own visions and run into Dol Guldur myself, putting not only my own life in jeopardy, but that of those who followed me. When you ran off weeks ago, you did not put us in that grave of a situation. Am I to be judged as wise because of my race, or the clan of Elves that I come from, or because of my age?"

Ingwionis whispered to Elyssa. "With my age comes not only wisdom, but wisdom mingled with confusion, and that is a dangerous combination. I don't even remember what my mother or my father look like anymore. I don't know why I'm even here, but only that I am. Still, I understand nothing of it."

Ingwionis went back to A'mael who had signaled that the group should move on. "All that I can do is help get us through this. Remember, nothing that has happened has been your fault, young one of the Edain. I fear that without your presence, our situation would be dire. We all stand to serve some purpose here, and still I cannot find my own, after all this time I've spent in these lands." Ingwionis looked toward the ground, sad for some reason. "A curse you have not brought, Elyssa. A gift yes, but not a curse. We will live to see you realize that. Very little is certain, but that is certain. Come, let us move on. We've remained still for too long, and I do not beg your pardon for that, because every stop we make reduces our chances."

Ingwionis stepped up to a broken stairwell in the tunnel. "Ah! A slight disturbance of the air. We are closer if we go this way!"

[orithil]

Hedrim stood and took the rope from Borin, he tied it to a rusty iron hook and tugged it a few times, "I cannot go down for the rope would break under the weight of my arms and armour" he looked around "someone else will have to go down to help Quickleaf and Haldis" Hedrim peered into the blackness and thought he spied a second person.