Sands of Harad: RPG

[Acalewia]

Elnar had jumped up the moment Nessa had stalked out and hit Curamir. He didn't know what that glare at him meant, but he was sure it wasn't good. She disappeared before he could say anything. He held a hand out to help Curamir up.
"Ta tuluva a' lle, as you can see" he said sharply.


*It will come to you

[rohirrim TR]

"Indeed, actually friend if you recall trouble did come to us and now has happily left-with the last word of course-" Curamir replied with an odd look at the retreating cloud of dust nessa left in her wake.

"I reassured you of trust and what do you do, throw it in her face both our faces you-" Elnar retorted uncustomary anger crossing his face

"no no no, I said caution, 'wait and see' but twice in a row our 'friend' abandoned us and yet you still could not see the guile for the spell she put upon with her beutiful eyes" Curamir replied in irritation.

"Impossible just look at the sand man he had no idea she was anywhere near here" the elf countered.

"That only proves she was working on her own or with someone else,look at the facts Elnar, she played all of us, like a flute, the whole time, I am to blame, I am your captain I hold nothing against you and I'm sorry I did not see her treachery sooner" Curamir answered lowering his voice.

"whoa whoa whoa, we REALLY need to discuss this later" Hluor interjected motioning towards the VERY amused Bayhas who was leaning against a tree with a sardonic expression upon his clever face.

[Lady Willow Rose]

Nessa stopped the moment the men were out of view, dropped down into the sand and wept. It hurt so much! They didn't trust her. No one ever trusted her.

She hoped Bayhas led them over a cliff!

No, over a cliff and into an ocean full of sharp rocks and man-eating sharks.

Nessa wiped her eyes. And to think that she'd begun to really like them. Especially Elnar. He has seemed so understanding. She closed her eyes.

"Sometimes, Nessa, you must overcome the sharpest pain to have the sharpest pleasure." She across the desert and remembered the woman she'd met near the now deserted Rivendell.

"I don't think I understand you, Lady Willow," she answered. Willow smiled gently.

"Your feet may seem a curse but one day, they will become your best friends. And remember to risk your heart at the first opportunity," she added.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"All things are dangerous... when they concern the heart."

Nessa stood up and brushed the sand from her pants. Risk all to have all, she thought. Well, I won't leave the Gondorians to Bayhas's tender mercies.

Her feet protested. Nessa glared down at them and snapped, "You've caused enough trouble. Time to be the best friends Lady Willow spoke of, don't you think?" She closed her eyes and began to run. It would take only moments to reach the group again.

And how she would explain her return was all the more puzzling.

[rohirrim TR]

"Indeed young tark, played you were and played well, who would know better of her charms than me after all?" Bayhas is enjoying this way too much Curamir thought to himself blasted goatherder get to the point.

[Lady Willow Rose]

A clod of dirt hit the back of Bayhas's head. "Why don't you shut your trap?" Nessa snapped. Her feet braked to a halt in between the two groups, her red hair swirling around her like righteous fire. "After all, you're the one who pursued me. Or do you forget?"

"I did not think you would return," Elnar said quietly. Nessa didn't even meet his eyes.

"I still think you all are the scum of the earth but I also believe Bayhas is the fungus that feeds on the scum. I don't really want you all to be his next meal."

[Acalewia]

Elnar nearly laughed at the surprised look on Bayhas' face. Nessa may hate them now, but she hated the sand man even more. He was tempted to cause a little mischief.
Stop that, you old fool he thought. Now is not the time to act like an untrained boy The temptation subsided and Elnar took to watching Bayhas.

[rohirrim TR]

Curamir was definitely the most surprised, Bayhas a close second thought Hluor to himself humorously.

O god she's back Curamir thought yet oddly he was kind of relieved in a way he hated to see her leave without at least attempting to justify her actions.

"Well welcome back to our festivities my eavesdropper with the flaming hair" Curamir regained his composure very quickly and greeted Nessa with a amused smile that was probably genuine, which suprised Curamir as much as it did Nessa.

"Well you know Bayhas, since we have a guide and since I just knowthat a friend as honorable and helpful as yourself will of course overlook that slight misundersting over our un-impeachable guide, and grant us safe passage. So for that I must extend my gratitude in advance and bid you very good hunting" Curamir adressed Bayhas before he had time to formulate a plan.

"Now lets get out of here" he said quietly to Hluor and Elnar.

[Lady Willow Rose]

"Very, very quickly," Nessa agreed. She began walking swiftly and the rest had no choice but to follow, more running than walking.

"It is good to have you back, Nessa," Elnar told her quietly.

"Then you must enjoy having traitors lead you through the desert," she snapped. Nessa increased her speed and Elnar fell back.

[Acalewia]

Nessa's remark caught Elnar off guard.
Sweet Valar! he thought. She thinks I share Curamir's feelings!? Elnar shook his head.
I don't think you're a traitor he thought and realized too late he had sent the thought to Nessa. Elnar massaged the bridge of his nose. He needed to learn how to control that.

[Lady Willow Rose]

Nessa halted abruptly. Her blue eyes narrowed at Elnar. Well, she whispered back, it seems we both have much to learn. She smiled at him gently and walked on, feeling much better.

[rohirrim TR]

The tension grew as Hluor built a small fire. After dinner Curamir broke the uncomfortable silence "well I hate to bring this up but its going to happen sometime, so why don't you tell us the rest of the story? and then we can perhaps start over without any damaging misconceptions, hmm?".

"There is nothing to tell, you stupid gondorians simply jumped to conclusions" Nessas snapped.

"Oh I see well you seem to have forgotten our little adventures, so I'll describe them for you, our first meeting you decide to join us and lead us to our dead hero's tribe, instead we walk into an ambush that could have been disastrous had the sand storm not favored us. The next day you return on Bayhas's own horse with very few details upon how you accomplished it, and somehow we arrive in the middle of another ambush, and yet again you flee with no explanation, leaving us with very few conclusions my dear, either you are trying to kill us, or there is much that you are not telling us, possibly both".

[Lady Willow Rose]

Nessa sighed. "One: I stole Bayhas's horse, so don't get any ideas. Two: I did not willingly abandon you. Three: I am not trying to kill you." Curamir sighed.

"Those are not really answers."

"They'll have to do," she replied coldly.

[Udukhaturz]

"Bayhas, why do we trouble ourselves with these foolish Gondorians? Let them wander in the desert until another tribe destroys them! I have learned that a rich caravan will be leaving soon. We could fall upon the caravan quickly, take all their goods and be away, back to our own village!" Fawzan said irritably.

"Send a courier back to our men with the news of this caravan and with my order to strike it quickly as they can. We might as well make a profit out of this whole venture." Bayhas looked at the other man.

"That sounds much more sensible. Will you be leading the raid?"

"Not this time."

Fawzan got to his feet and looked at Bayhas in puzzlement.

"You are not going to lead? You always lead! Why not this time?"

"Because you and I and the rest of our men are going to be following the Gondorians, at a distance, of course."

"This is insanity! What are your motives? The woman?"

"Of course not. She is worth little, and she has the mouth of a viper."

"Then why?"

Bayhas shrugged. "She stole my horse."

[Lady Willow Rose]

A gray stallion trotted up to the camp, nickered gently and laid down next to Nessa. She blinked.

"Well, I didn't realize you liked me that much." She fed him an apple.

[Acalewia]

"If I remember correctly,Curamir" Elnar said softly as Nessa fed her horse an apple. "You were among the first to agree to her being our guide" Curamir gave him a hard look and sighed.
"Why do you insist she can be trusted, Elnar?" He watched Nessa stroke the horse's muzzle. He glanced at Curamir.
"You barely know me, yet you trust me. There is something about Nessa that says she can be trusted. As I've said before, we can trust her, just not her feet"

[Lady Willow Rose]

Nessa smiled brilliantly. "That's the perfect way to put it," she agreed. "I have itchy feet, you see. I can't stay in one place too long or the itching gets to burning and I have to hot foot it on out of there."

"How did you come by such a trait?" Nessa's smile vanished.

"I inherited it."

[Acalewia]

Elnar chuckled.
"I believe we all have an inherited trait that defines us and perhaps wish we could control" he darted a look at Curamir from the corner of his eye and smiled.

[Lady Willow Rose]

Nessa smirked bitterly. "You are more than right, Elnar." She looked up into his eyes. "The lady you spoke of, the one who lost her memory, what was her name?"

"We called her Lady Willow," he answered. "Why?"

"I met her once. She was a very wise lady. And you were right, her eyes are still sad." Elnar gaped.

"You met her? But... when? How?"

"That's not important. What's important is that she told me to take risks and there's something I've been wanting to know for a while now." Nessa held Elnar's face between her hands and pressed her lips to his.

They both felt the spark. It felt right to be there, kissing each other. It was almost as if they were born merely to touch the other. Elnar moved to take her closer but Nessa pulled away. "I need to think about this," she whispered.

Without another word, she stood and walked away.

[Acalewia]

Elnar stared after Nessa as she left. It had been over a hundred years since he felt they way he felt at that moment.
Fastinating Elnar thought.

[Lady Willow Rose]

Nessa shook her head. What was she thinking? She was already in enough trouble with an ex-lover. The last thing on her mind should be picking up a new one.

Especially not Elnar. He was a very sweet man. She couldn't just leave him whenever she liked. She'd have to say goodbye when they ended.

And it would hurt.

Staying wasn't an option. No matter how much she loved a person, she could not stay in one place. It had been just the same with her mother.

There were some things Nessa was not willing to risk.