A World of Danger: Part One

*(Irritated sigh) Well, if you demand an explanation, I suppose I'll give you one. Please open up your personal link for a little while, and then I'll explain myself. I will have to give away some information in order to do so, and I'm sure you'll understand how I feel about broadcasting it to every member of the game.*

*You can e-mail me at darthtater@tolkientrail.com or icq #92655375 or aim Darth Tater*

"She is still breathing," one of the villagers said as he removed his hand from her pulse. "There may yet be hope. Come on, let's get her inside. But gently!"

They quickly lifted and moved the body inside. A table was cleared and quickly bandages were brought.

A villager stepped up in front of Tal and held up a small flask and a long, black piece of fabric, cut roughly along one edge. "Sir, I found these next to the body."

Folstan watched as they carried the girl into the tavern.

"She'll get no rest there," he muttered to himself.

Folstan began walking up the large hill that led to the outscirts of town. He was tired of being around all these people, their suspicious eyes staring at him, trying to find out his secrets with one stare. He never had trusted other people, and he probably never would.

Folstan made his way over a ridge. He was surprised to see a campsite set up. Dark tents flapped in the wind, lit from the inside by a fire that was now burning low. Folstan decided to investigate further.

(Whoever's in the tavern, Elbreth's character should be involved somehow in the goings on. I'll jump in to control it a bit, to make sure everything's going as she wished)

*Wha? Hey, Tater, my dwarf was talking to you! Don't just walk away! ~grin~ You must have missed my post, I guess...*

As Folstan tries to walk past, Dain grabs his arm and swings him around, eyes flashing.

"Don't you be trying to get away from me, ye've got a dark scent around you, and looking more suspicious all the time. Ye weren't causing any trouble, now, were ye?"

*Hmm, yeah, I missed it, sorry, I'll just add a post in here then *

"Let go of me!" Folstan snarled, raising his cain. "Let go or I'll crack your skull. You don't know my business, and I have no plans to learn yours, leave well enough alone!"

Folstan broke free from the dwarfs clutches (though the dwarf undoubtedly allowed him to) and went to the last post he made.

Hushpad's tense negotiations with Folstan came to an abrupt end when a burly looking fellow stepped in Folstan's path, grabbed him by the arm and started asking questions with an accusing look in his eye.

"seems I'm not the only one who smells a rat." he thought to himself. He was about to pipe up about the skirmish in Antiar's chamber but thought better of it. He had meddled in the affairs of others enough for one night.

He turned to Antiar. "Come m'lady, you are weary. It seems Folstan has attracted another audience to distract him for the night. If you wish, take this opportunity to retire to your quarters. Just be sure to lock the door behind you."

Dain warily watches Folstan's exit, then shakes his head and heads to his own room.

---

Meanwhile, within the common room, Tal looked over the items found by the girl. He calls over Angar, and shows him the cloth and the flask, asking, "We seem to have a mystery, and these items might be a clue to it. Can you make aught of them or their purpose?"

*Hi, I'm Elbreth *

An'tiar decided to take the hobbit up on his advice. She wanted to stay out of the way as much as possible, and not seem suspicious either.

She lay in her bed thinking about what to do. She found the elves so fascinating, so beautifull and mysterious. She decided to try to follow them, they also seemed safe.

*Well, i'm not channeling elbreth very well apparently*

*Don't think we've run into a single nice elf in this story. (Faint sigh) When will this night end?*

*Apparently now.*

---

After many minutes of looking over the items and the injured girl, Tal and Angar gave up. Tal turned to the innkeeper, and ordered a room for the child, saying, "I've taken care of her wounds, which were rather light, but now she needs rest - and food, when she wakes."

Soon after, he bids Angar farewell for the night, and heads into his own room to rest and think on the night's events - the gaining of at least one new ally, but a number of mysteries arising as well.

The sun finally began to show its face over the horizon, letting its sunny beams stroke the surface of the forest land. The forest, which had seemed gray the night before now bloomed green, although still with a musty sense. Far away, but too close for comfort were the gigantic mountains which marked the location of Angband.

From the window of a room in Edlyn, an old man peered out at the landscape. He was tired, more tired than he should be. It was his old age catching up with him, as well as the action of last night. But also something else. Overnight, a burden had settled upon his aged shoulders. A burden of anxiety. But he would have to make as light of it as he could, and attempt to forget. But he could never forget now. He had shoved the memories into the darkest recesses of his mind, yet still they resurfaced to haunt him. Last night they had returned in a physical shape, bringing back a new rack of pain and worry. Plus the voice that echoed in his mind spoke more often, now. Words came through his mouth, yet he thought they came through someone else's mouth as well. And dark thoughts flitted back and forth in his mind, thoughts that had no right to be there.

He sighed and stepped back from the window, shrugging on his gray robes and tying up the laces of his sandles. Finally, he walked down the stairs to the common room. The girl who had been injured last night had been placed in a back room, where she had a bed to sleep in. Someone with medical knowledge could still help her there, but she wouldn't ruin the innkeepers custom either.

Entering the common room, he gave the innkeeper his best smile.

A poor exchange, he thought ruefully. A smile for a rusty old innkeeper's distrusting frown. But who is this at the table in the back? Ah yes, I remember him from last night . . .

And Steward walked over to greet him.


*He can be anyone's. Its been too long since anyone posted here. I realize this is at least partially my fault, but my attentions have been rather sidetracked of late.*

*I was on vacation.*

Angar sat up late, brooding over his wine. Then he left, bringing some s****s from his table for the wolf. He did not often do this, not wishing to blunt her hunting instincts or tame her too much, but he took pleasure in the rare times that he did.

She was waiting for him patiently just inside the forest. He threw the s****s to her, and she gobbled them up greedily. Then he petted her and spoke to her softly before settling down to sleep under a tree as he was wont.

Dain looked up as the old man walked into the room, then looked back down to his breakfast, a shapeless bowl of porridge. The dinner had been good the last few days, but the morning meals left one craving for trail rations.

After another bite, he pushed the meal aside, and waved over the old man.

"Good morning," Steward said, walking over to the table. "We didn't get to talk much last night, I'm afraid. I usually try to keep not staying up late as a rule of thumb, so I'm afraid I missed several interesting travelers. Was there anything of special interest that I missed?

Dain gives a shrug. "Depends. I ran into an old cripple running out of the inn. Some girl was found injured outside. Don't know if ye find that interesting or not, meself. With the Dark One up north, I suppose strange things are becoming almost normal."

"A girl found injured is nothing unusual. And an old cripple running into you is irrelevant. No," he said with a grin. "I suppose I missed nothing.

"I'm going to have some breakfast now," he said, continuing. "In these times, you eat when you can. Who knows if the Dark Lord's hordes decide to take the town before lunch time."

He then walked over to the side of the room, hopped over the counter and began to help himself. "Innkeeper's not up yet. I'll probably have to discuss the price of this with him."

Dain finished up his meal, and the looked up as Tal slid in the seat next to him. Tal spoke softly, saying, "Strange things have been happening of late, and the rumors that the raids from his minion's are increasing disturbs me. We will need to be well on our way as soon as possible."

Dain nodded. "I'll be getting to the town's general store to pick up some supplies for us, and don't see much more to do than that."

"There is at least one other who might be able to help us, another elf in this village, albeit with strange origins. Keep an eye out for any others who might wish to join us."

Dain nodded, then headed on his way as Tal returned to his room.

Steward was just walking over to the table, his plate full when Tal and Dain suddenly exited, both in different directions.

A smirk crossed his face for an instant, but was wiped away a moment later. He sat down and ate his fill.

Then he pushed aside the plate and walked outside. He'd talk to the innkeeper later. For now, he had to think.





Angar woke up to the wolf's nudgings. "What is it?" he asked, but the look in her eyes bade him be quiet.

He looked down, and his elf eyes soon picked out a figure moving in the trees below. The wolf's ears flattened on the sides of her head, and Angar considered what to do.

The fellow appeared to be wandering aimlessly through the underbrush, talking to himself.

*Using the innkeeper as NPC*

The inn in the village was rather empty from the peace and quiet of the morn. A man in dark green robes and a hood over his head shuffled in silently with a pile of heavy sacks.

"Ah! Great news! You are here! I was running out of supplies," the innkeeper greeted jovially.

The man went to the counter and set the sacks down on it. Through it all, he never spoke a word nor showed any indication that he heard the innkeeper.

"Good, quality venison as usual, and fresh too. Could not have been dead an hour ago. Here, your payment," the innkeeper inspected the contents of the sacks before giving the man a few pieces of gold.

The man received them and prepared to go but the innkeeper stopped him.

"Hey, young man. You always stop by to sell me fresh meat but you never really stop by for a good drink and chat. Do stay, I'm in a good mood and your breakfast will be on the house. Please accept it as a gratitude of your wares."

The man hesitated but turned back and sat at an empty table. The innkeeper went up.

"So, young man, I have placed an order to the kitchen and while they prepare you a homely meal, perhaps you can tell me your name for once. Everyone is welcome here. And do take off that hood, you must be cooking in that..."

The man leaned over until his hardened eyes were visible to the innkeeper and spoke for the first time, in an unfriendly hiss, "I take off the hood when I pleassse. You leave me be, or your meat may not be so popular with your customersss."

The innkeeper jumped back and knocked over a stool, hurt from the venom of the man's words and turned toward the counter before hearing again the voice of the man, which though raised, was still only barely audible.

"And you, can address me as Arcon, a name you may be forced to memorise."