Of Wraiths and Kings, and Friends and Rings (Calling All Nazgul)

[The last sane person]

Ray and Marty had yet to see where the red head Lily dissapeared. Marty, being the quicker of the two (and the one more into the Be-Buxomed woman) got out of his seat and yanked Ray up as well.

"What on earth?! Ray, you saw what I think I saw?" Ray and Marty had darted to the corner nearest the door. Ray was still scanning the crowd for the redhead.

"Friend, I think I saw what you didn't. I think that redhead lifted the pockets of that sailor as a distraction." Marty nodded his head to the departing sailor, with whom the landlord was bickering and waving a menacing looking club at.

"I dont know about the pickpocketing part, but I do know that the woman Dissapeared! Just plain gone! Where did she go?"

"Now how do you expect me to know? She went invisible, that means you cant see her or where she goes. Wait, there she is, she fainted!"

Marty shoved Ray in annoyance, for in truth, he wasnt all to pleased that they had hesitated and not rescued the woman outright. That and having failed to miss Lily's bit of fainting. "Well, that was a golden opportunity as any to get acquainted with said woman...Stay here, I am going to go help her up and see if she is alright."

The attention of the denizens of the bar had shifted to the impending fight between the landlord, the sailor and the cut throats they had first noticed. Marty made his way over to where Lily lay sprawled, Ray taking a lookout should trouble break out.

"uhm, Madam? Are you alright?" He asked as he knelt next to her.

[Butterbeer]

Boomerang caught the updraft and glided above the moonlight scene by the pools of Nin-in eliph ...

he could hear the swans chattering elegantly among themselves
"funniest accent i ever heard" said one ...

"maybe it was a ventriloquist?" said another.

"never seen so many of the walking folk round these parts this time o' night..." quaked a duck passing by and joining in.

beautiful hovered, delighting in the sensation of floating in the night air - listening to the the conversation of the walkers below he was suddenly aware of the oddly concealed presence of a wraith closing in ... scanning the reeds below he saw a dark horse riding stealthily towards the king and the Elf...

they were coming one by one he pondered, distracted momentarily... they had answered his wraith call to come North ... each with their own reasons no doubt ...

"The Reed-Elves of Nîn In Eilph have withdrawn themselves from the world's cares and courts. This is an age of Men, not of Elves."


"The Elves here have little wish of being sought out, our lady included. Although she might have made an exception for the King of the Northern Kingdom, had she known he desired to speak with her."

Beautiful Boomerang focused in on these words ...

"You also have chosen your time to visit poorly, as you would not find the Lady of Nîn In Eilph in her house, should you by chance have stumbled by it tonight. She has left the swamps on business of her own."


mmm thought Boomerang, what is afoot here? why does Eärniel speak so guardedly, he wondered... looking closely now at the heir of Isuldir he noticed the glint in the man's eyes as he beheld the Elf Lady ... he noticed too the body language of the Elf .... how the man's eyes noticed her hair glistening and blowing slightly in the gentle breeze ...

Interesting...

[Valandil]

Valandil was hardly surprised that she knew who he was - Elves have this uncanny thing about knowing your name, even if you wouldn't know them from Beor. He wondered about who SHE was, and subtly bent his mind toward her. It was harder to 'read' an Elf like this than a fellow Man, certainly without turning it into a struggle of sorts, but he sensed regality... an ease with giving commands. Could this indeed be the very lady he had sought? Even her speech might indicate so, for the Elf maiden had spoken haughtily at first:

"The Reed-Elves of Nîn In Eilph have withdrawn themselves from the world's cares and courts. This is an age of Men, not of Elves. The Elves here have little wish of being sought out, our lady included. Although she might have made an exception for the King of the Northern Kingdom, had she known he desired to speak with her."

It took great effort to focus on looking at her EYES... not to allow his gaze to drift... there, oh goodness, the wind had blown her hair about just a bit and the movement had drawn his eye... hopefully she could tell that this was where his own gaze had gone. Her eyes... her EYES...

"You also have chosen your time to visit poorly, as you would not find the Lady of Nîn In Eilph in her house, should you by chance have stumbled by it tonight. She has left the swamps on business of her own."

Then her tone had lightened. She seemed perhaps pleased with herself, or amused by the situation - or maybe decided to take note of his plight.

"But," she continued as she jumped lightly ashore. "You may not have run entirely out of luck tonight. For had I not chanced to pass this way tonight you may have sat there until your beard had grown longer than that tree's roots. Would you like me to have a look at that ankle, my lord?"

Valandil smiled slightly and extended the leg with the sore ankle. They had a bit of difficulty removing his boot, due to the swelling, but then she knelt on the ground and bent down over his leg - the left one - holding his ankle gently and turning it slightly this way and that in her intent examination. Her touch had made him start at first... but as she maintained contact, her touch began to soothe him, and somehow the pain and swelling seemed to lessen swiftly.

'What a large foot... he is quite tall though, but not like his grandpa. Let's see...' thought Eärniel, 'Men... men... which part of this needs to relax again? What's that the Loremasters among our people say about them:'

'Once you've had Man,
You'll rejoice at the Ban!'

'Oh wait... not THAT!' (applies Elvish mind bleach) 'I mean our Elven loremasters of Healing' her thoughts continued, with a smile of her own.

Her mind continued to drift, nonetheless, and the smile vanished from her face as she imagined what her long-departed mother might say (unless her mother had remained here houseless - and spoke thusly to her spirit unbidden): 'Yes, yes... I know I always told you... NO MEN... but that was many yen ago. Time is passing by honey, and before you'll know it you've started to fade. Now sure he'd be short-lived, but at least this one is a Numenorean. And with his lineage, instead of 24-72 good years, you've got a good chance of a full YEN (144 years) of FUN!!... lots more fun than with an Elven man honey, believe you me!'

Those crazy thoughts continued, 'Besides, even Elrond is now spoken for, and there are not many others left worth speaking for, since Amroth has set his intentions elsewhere and Thranduil... well, nobody is certain about him anyway...'

Valandil noticed that her face had gone from intent examination, to amused smile, to seeming lost in thought - and now it relaxed and turned back toward him - and his eyes returned to her face. How many hours had they sat there? Or was it only moments?

"There, how is that now, our guest?" she asked him.

"Feels as good as new... really it does! Thank you... thank you!" Indeed, he felt no more pain - it was as though it had never been hurting him.

"Perhaps you've learned your lesson about riding into this land regardless though?" she continued, smiling once more.

"Well... I did what my heart bid me to do. Besides... when I have sent small companies of 6 or 8 men to bring emissary to the people of this place... well, they all ride forth, and certainly all return, but most are unable to ride again for several weeks - or months - thereafter. I thought it required my... attention. And then... the stories of this land, and She who rules here... those stories drew me, that I might see for myself what truth lay in them."

[CrazySquirrel]

Lilly waited, still "unconscious", permitting Marty to slap her cheeks lightly, to carry her to a bench, to pour some wine down her throat and to make a deft and a well-practiced move to unbutton her green dress.

At this point Lilly's lashes fluttered, and a heavy sigh left her heaving bosom. Marty watched spellbound. Lilly gave a weak cry and sat upright, drawing the cloth of her green dress over her chest. She looked frightened and shy.

"Do not be afraid, fair maid, nobody here will harm you. You are under our protection now," said Marty, not really sure he was dealing with a maiden, for no maiden in her right mind would enter the Rotting Cod at night. But he decided to flatter the girl. Moreover, she did look noble, and her velvet dress, despite being torn and dirty from the fight, was of the finest workmanship, as were her golden belt and her tiny dagger of foreign design.

"I am called Marty, and here is Rey", said Marty, bowing his head slightly.
"We are King's men and students of the University. May we learn your name, and what was your business in this dirty tavern at night?"

Lilly looked at Marty and started to cry. "My name is Lilaenwen, we came here recently from Rhun, my brother Penny and I. But he went away last night and never returned! I was dead worried, so I decided to visit his favorite pubs to look for him... I hope he is still alive!"

Lily's face was wet from tears, her eyes, pools of green light. Even while being a mortal, back in the Second Age, she had a Gift to cry at will and in a most engaging fashion.

"That was most unwise to come in a district like that at night, all on your own, Lady Lilaenwen," chided Marty.

"You can call me Lilly, you know", breathed Lil. "My late father, the hero of Dagorlad, used to tell us that in the West, among the noble Dunedain, no woman will ever be maltreated, be it at night or in the light of Arien. Is that not so?"

[Earniel]

"Ah... um.. right," Eärniel replied, momentarily caught of guard. She did remember those parties, she also remembered the satisfaction with watching them leave, some sitting very awkward on their horses, most of them walking beside their mounts.

"Oh, those were emissaries?" she said quickly. "We would never have known. But I eh.. guess they didn't really had much time to tell us that. But when the first party ended up in the middle of a group of unsuspecting swimming Elves and since most of those Elves tended to be female and rather keen on their privacy, I suppose the arrows started flying pretty soon... And such eh.. habits are established rather quickly around here. But I wager your emissaries didn't go into that much detail when they reported their adventures to you."

Eärniel decided to change the subject. "I would not put pressure on that foot right now." she said.

"What? What foot?" Valandil asked.

"The one you twisted a little earlier?" Eärniel suggested. She half suspected he had been putting more effort in looking at her than actually listening to what she was saying.

"I've taken care of the pain." she explained. "But your ankle isn't entirely healed yet, that might take another day. I would also suggest that happens in a slightly drier environment than these marches."

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

The Rider decided it was his time to make an appearance before the two left.
"Hello friends. I'm looking for the University of Southern Arnor in Tharbad. I've been offered the vacant Seat for Professer of Oriental languages," said the Rider in a clear voice.
"Yes. I myself am taking courses there," replied Valandil. "It is this way Professer. I'm headed back in that direction myself, I could show you the way."
"That would be much apreciated. I am Galadannun, and you are?" said the Rider.
"I am Valandil son of Isildur, King of this Realm," answered Valandil proudly.
"King you say? So you father is dead. I am so sorry, I would like to have met him myself," said Galadannun.
"Yes, he died almost 50 years ago." replied Valandil.
"Sorry to break up this ride down memory lane, but you need to get home and rest your ankle," said Eärniel cutting in.
"And who is this fair elf maiden," said Galadannun flatteringly.
"I am Eärniel," she replied unflattered.
"Well Eärniel, I will see that The King returns hom safley and rests his ankle," replied the rider.

[Gordis]

Valandil was intrigued. The stranger spoke fluent, but heavily accented Adunaic, he had dark looks of an Easterling and clearly came from afar, as the news of Isildur's demise has not yet reached his ears. Yet he produced the letter of invitation signed by Lord Ilmenzor, the Chancellor of the South Arnor University. What possessed the Chancellor to invite such a man?

Valandil has not yet met the Chancellor; actually the official presentation was scheduled for Sunday evening. Val was well acquainted with the former Chancellor, charming old Maldegil, who used to come to Annuminas to visit his numerous sons and daughters. But the old man died three years ago at a respectable age of 210, and now a new Chancellor was elected, a famous scholar from Osgiliath University. Valandil, as the High King of the realm, had to sign the official papers himself, but he had not hesitated, as Lord Ilmenzor was his third cousin, a great-grandson of Lord Amandil's younger brother. It was clear that the standards of education in Tharbad University improved greatly in the last two years. Actually, it was one of the reasons Valandil was in Tharbad now.

But right now Valandil was in no mood to dwell on State or University problems. He could not tear his gaze from the fair elven Lady.

[Butterbeer]

beautiful Boomerang normally would have been annoyed at so much activity in these normally quiet pools: most times when he had time to be here (and he liked to come here when he could) ..it was quiet and tranquil ... a perfect place to rest and think ... barring the odd distraction of bathing elf maids, their soft supple skin shining in the moonlight glistening ... and the odd arrow in anger .... how he had laughed!

but this night's encounters were interesting indeed ... he noticed the rider observing as the Sea Elf tendered to the King ... but against his best instincts he heard the chatter of the swans... and something caught his attention ...

" ... the rider? ... well he asked me who was speaking up yonder ..." the elegant swan had said.

so, thought Boomerang, this cunningly hidden rider, a wraith who was almost hidden even to a wraith ... Boomerang paused to think yet again ... mmm... he can speak SWAN fluently? he must be a master of languages? ... I must be careful of that one ... till i know how he will deal with my people...

beautiful boomerang made a mental note to alert the wings and to put the word out through the Insect insurrectionists to quietly watch this wraith!

Just then the Rider spurred slowly forward ... beautiful dropped and landing quietly on a near-by branch observed this strange meeting of Elf lady, King and wraith ...

[Gordis]

Five carried Viv out of the Inn and put her down on the dirty pavement a good distance from the Rotting Cod. They were invisible, but their voices could still be overheard.
"Hi, Vivvie", he said cheerfully, "nice to meet you again, little one. What were you thinking hindering Lilly like that? Back to your old tricks, are you?

Indeed, Viv had a little hobby. The Dark Lord Sauron used to call this hobby by an Elvish word "kleptomania", but only the Morgul Lord and Gordis knew what it meant and never told the others.

"Why are you here anyway?" prompted Five.

[Lotesse]

" I've decided to go to school, B," she sheepishly responded, looking at nothing in particular off to the side, to avoid Five's eyes. It was true, she really HAD decided to get her degree at last; she had been so young when she'd been 'wraithified', and hadn't had a chance to get a normal Numenorian college education. However, that wasn't the full story behind her appearance in Tharbad. Viniglaen was unsure as of yet whether she was allowed to speak freely on the truth of her "summons."

"An education! Very good, Viv; very good. I'm pleased to hear you're putting that fine little mind of yours through some extra refinement. Now, off you go; I have things to take care of right now but we shall most certainly speak in full later on." With that, Five whished back toward the Rotten Cod, to supervise Lilly and her new victims, making a mental note to himself to keep a close eye on Vivvie. She DID require someone to take care of her, even if she WAS one of the most enigmatic and secrectly powerful of the wraiths to have come out of Numenor - specifically, Andunie - in quite some time. There was something endearingly childlike about her, the little half-crazy tomboy master thief. But she could be a real handful when she got willful.

"O.K., see you then! Gonna go sort through this stuff I 'found...'" Viv responded to the already gone figure of Five.

[Butterbeer]

Boomerang thought back to that wild storm tossed night: he had been in ascendant wraith mode under the full 'butterly' moon, a moon and occurence that according to the Annals of Air comes but once a millenuium ...

both wings and heart pumping and circling round three times amdist the mounting winds, lashing rain and sudden stark lightning rent skies ... at the very epicentre of the sacred spiritual burial grounds of the butterflies... he had made the urgent wraith call to come North ...

thinking now... he had obviously been successful for in ever growing numbers they were answering the call ... though what had attracted so many to the north he knew not ... he suspected they had other business than his here ...

[The last sane person]

Ray spoke up, being the more affected by Lily's fountain of tears. "Worry not, no harm shall come to you while we are here!" He glanced at the bar and the ruffians still shouting at each other and the bar keep and co. "but...as valient as two dunedain such as us are...I think it was to leave while the time allows. Those ruffians do outnumber us a good deal..."

Lily fluttered her tear stained eyelashes at them, "Oh how brave, and thank you, I dont know how long I would have lain on that floor or been trampled. It makes sense that two valient young men like you are the King's Men!"

Marty snapped out of it. "oh, yes we are! Good friends and comrades of his!," he shoved Ray towards the back door "Okay, Ray, go see if the way is clear and we will escort the lady out!" Ray moved but looked a little confused.

"Lady, is there a place that you have in this city? We will escort you there, for it is an unsavory time for someone as..." He fumbled a bit "gentle and distraught as you to be down here. There are more worrisome people than that drunken sailor to be found about!"

Lily fluttered her eyelashes and gave a little cry, but seemed some what hesitant to leave. Ray had waved his arm that the coast was clear for them to get while the getting was hot. Decided, Marty helped up and pushed forward Lily just as the first blow was thrown, and out they escaped into the backstreets.

Ray tugged Marty a little bit ahead telling Lily to stay behind while they scout the allyway a bit further up, "What are we doing exactly?"

"Why, we are helping this Lady on her way home! It's the only thing two gentlemen would do! I mean, she might have lost her own brother...gets pawed by a sailor -I wish it were me-...and faints! What else were we supposed to do?"

Ray kind of halts, "'We'? I don't know what 'we' are doing but I do know that *you* are the one that's gonna get the credit, and perhaps the score with said chick! I am *always* the one that goes on the look out! The one who gets the wine...and I am better looking! I mean come on, yeah it's the right thing to do, but thats not ALL you are thinking about now is it?"

"Okay! Okay, its not but I mean come on!Look at her, and you know what parts of her I mean to look at! You arent the Pure-As-Driven-Snow Chaste Warrior type, now are you? You are thinkin' the same as me pal! And another thing that I am thinking about that you most certainly are not is the PR! Chancellor will be bound to make us official guards to the king if we manage to rescue a Noble woman from such attrocities!"

"Pff, how will that story look with out tainting the three of us? What were we meritous students doing in the Rotting Cod? And what was a noble woman doing there? And I am still probably going to be relegated to the noble side kick spot..."

"Oh cool it. History is not written if not by the hands of the conquorers! We could just be passing by and see this helpless lady being attacked! So what, we could mull over a few tidbits... and the deal is I will make sure it says you did all the rescuing." Marty turned back to get Lily, calling over his shoulder "and you are NOT better looking than me."

Ray trotted up besides him, "the deal sounds fine, but as for who gets the girl, its still up to her, no?" He took off to reach Lilaenwen. "I am much better looking than you, one eye!"

They reached Lilaewen in a huff, "my lady the way is safe and clear, where is it that you would like to go?"

[Butterbeer]

the old wharfside and slightly crooked oak-beamed building that was the unofficial news-desk of the Tharbad gazatte, i.e the Widow Watching's cafe was quiet at this time, she was just about to close the shutters outside when she noticed two handsome and slightly rougish looking Noble gentleman escorting a beautiful lady ... what was more they must all be new in town, for she did not know of them...

[Valandil]

"I am Eärniel," she had said.

So she was INDEED the very Elf Lady who ruled this place. Or at least the one of whom legends spoke. Valandil paid little attention to the rest of what the two were saying, but turned and began to walk toward his horse.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." said the Elf Lady suddenly.

"Nonsense... you underestimate your power of heali..." replied Valandil, as he set one foot forward, and quickly found that this was indeed a mistake, for he began to tumble forward headlong, his ankle giving out beneath him.

Between the two of them grabbing his cloak from behind, Valandil's somehow reaching forward to grab his horse's mane and his own efforts to shift his balance and get his weight on his good foot, he somehow managed to avoid falling facedown on the ground. His two helpers then assisted him up onto his horse, and by the time they had said their farewells and departed, the sky had lightened to show that dawn was near.

Well - no way he would be slipping back in discretely THIS morning, he thought. Would have to say he had gotten up for an early-morning ride to keep himself fit.

Later, after reaching Tharbad and pointing Galadannun in the right direction, Valandil stopped off at The Red Herring for a late breakfast by himself before returning home. A couple eggs, a bit of bread and some meat - and something hot to drink. It was Saturday and few were about. He had missed last night's bonfire, but on this ankle, wouldn't have been able to play in today's game even if his advisors weren't insisting against it. Still... maybe he could manage to go watch... if he even cared to.

He sat glumly - picking at his food and letting half his breakfast get cold, thinking of the events of last night... and the Lady of Nin-in-Eilph. He wondered if there was an 'Elf Lord'... if so, the legends were silent about him. Valandil had asked if he would ever see her again, and she had said...

[Earniel]

"Only the paths of the stars and the sun are fixed." Eärniel replied. "The paths of mortal and immortal folk are left to their own devices, so who can tell? It will be a while before I return to Nîn-In-Eilph again, so have a care should you have the desire again to visit these marches soon."

She turned to Galadannun. "Congratulations with your new position, Professor. And thank you for your aid. Farewell...for now."

She nodded to the two men as a sign of goodbye and turned around towards her raft. She jumped aboard and her feet lightly hit the reed-bottom of the boat. The pressure was just enough to jar the raft loose from the vegetation at waterside.

Eärniel pushed the raft further away on the open water using a long reed-stem. When she looked back, she noticed the two men were still looking at her.

"It is often said by Men that Elves can never say anything without being confusing, regardless of their intent to be so or not." She called back. "Should my words not have been clear, my lord, know then that this path," she indicated the water ahead her with her arm, "leads to the University of Tharbad."

After that she turned around and did not look back until she was well out of view. As she almost absentmindedly steered her raft through the marches and reeds she pondered her late-night-encounter. Perhaps she should have used her other name instead of Eärniel. She had noticed that the High King had clearly recognised it. But it was too late to change that now.

Curious also how that lore-master Galadannun had suddenly turned up. He had gone far off the commonly used paths to have become so lost in Nîn-In-Eilph. There was something... not quite right about him, but Eärniel wasn't sure what. Something wrong apart from the fact that he had turned up out of the blue in her swamps.

Eärniel grew mildly annoyed. She hadn't even left her lands and already she had run into two men, wandering on their own in her territory. Nîn-In-Eilph was a swamp, a very inconvenient and bothersome place unless you knew how to live here, like the Elves did. Why would anyone want to go blundering about this place? Was this a swamp or a bloody market-place?

"Too much is changing," she muttered to herself. "Changing too fast as well. We're not even fading and Men are already knocking at our doors to explore our lands. An age of Men indeed...."

But she would counteract that by make some changes of her own.

She paused. She now had reached the end of the wetlands of Nîn-In-Eilph. She hadn't left these lands..., well,... in yen basically. She shrugged. Some changes were inevitable. And she was curious how Tharbad would now look.

A low whistle made her look up. One of the Elves that hid in the trees above her waved to her. They would monitor the road from now on. No one would enter Nîn-In-Eilph anymore without the Reed-Elves knowing it. Changes she should have made long before.

More things would change in the swamps during her absence as well. There would be no paths or trails anymore that led deeper into the swamps. It would be more difficult to venture into Nîn-In-Eilph, by horse or on foot. The Elves would see to it. Uninviting measures they were, but Eärniel could not let the people of Tharbad encrouch any further on her domain. The peace of her people depended on it.

She moored her raft to the side. Here the road towards Nîn-In-Eilph began, or ended, as the road did not go any further in the wetlands. She saw the hoof prints indicating Valandil and Galadannun had already passed this way. Good. She would be able to follow these tracks from now on and reach the University somewhere during the morning.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Curious also how that lore-master Galadannun had suddenly turned up. He had gone far off the commonly used paths to have become so lost in Nîn In Eilph. There was something... not quite right about him, but Eärniel wasn't sure what. Something wrong apart from the fact that he had turned up out of the blue in her swamps.

OOC: sort of 'looks fair and feels foul', perhaps?

[CrazySquirrel]

Lilly followed the two men and laughed silently to herself. Her acute nazgul hearing enabled her to overhear all the funny conversation that Marty was having with Ray.
What a pair of fools! You are my victims now! You will lead me to your King as surely and inevitably, as day follows night...Now we shall become your best friends, my "brother" and I. Lilly stiffed her laugh and willed more tears to spill out of her huge green eyes.

Having agreed between them to be Pure-As-Driven-Snow Chaste Warrior type, the men returned to Lilly. "My lady, the way is safe and clear, where is it that you would like to go?"

Lilly knew, she could be proud of her address. "We live in Orrodel, by the Governor’s Palace. I pray to the One that we find my poor brother there... Oh, Penny, Penny, my dearest Penny, where are you?" wailed Lilly.
Lilly's acute ears picked a stiffed laugh coming from behind. Five clearly followed. Concentrating on her ring, Lilly sent him a silent message to turn visible and to meet them at the door.

Marty and Ray were really impressed. That was the choicest part of the city. Soon the dark outline of a huge house, looking more like a palace, loomed before them. The windows showed no light.
Suddenly a tall figure rushed to meet them. Ignoring Marty and Ray, the stranger grabbed Lilly and shouted in her face "Where have you been in the middle of the night, you stupid fool?" Lilly cried incoherently and buried her face in the stranger's coat.

"A brother or a lover?" mused Marty to himself. "Perhaps a lover after all. He does not resemble her, that is sure".

Turning to Ray and Marty, the man asked menacingly: "Who are you to lure my poor innocent sister out of her house in the middle of the night?

“We are honourable men, no brigands or ravishers,� replied Marty coolly. Your sister, Master PENGOLOD, was looking for you in the riverside taverns at night. We saved her from a vile assault and now we are taking her home�.
“It’s the truth, Penny, cried Lilly, they saved my honour and my life! You should be grateful to them. Lord Marty and Lord Ray are noble Dunedain and King’s Men!�

Pengolod bowed stiffly. Ray and Marty nodded in return. Keeping his face solemn and grave, Penny said: “I am in your debt forever, my lords. We were born in the East and follow some of eastern customs. From now on my house is your house, my horses are your horses, my wives are your wives, my brothers are your brothers and my sisters are your sisters. Welcome to our house, let us celebrate our meeting and our newfound friendship.�

[Rían]

RÃ*an walked slowly along, her long, dark hair ...

[ooc] Darn it, if I can't have long hair in RL, I'll have it in an RPG!!! ha HA! *thumbs nose at fate* [/ooc]

... trailing behind her in the gentle breeze. What was she to do? Where was she to go? She cursed her half-elven heritage - sometimes it was such a blessing to have ties to both worlds, but sometimes it was so difficult ...

She saw a tree leaning over a stream, and nimbly climbed up, her bare feet rejoicing in the familiar feel of smooth tree bark. A butterfly brushed past her upturned face ...

[Lotesse]

Pengolod and Lilaenwen brought their two victims - er, guests into the huge, elegantly furnished living room, and Pen bade them make themselves comfortable, while settling himself down in one of his huge chairs by the window for a nice smoke of his secret-stash pipeweed. Lilly went off to the kitchen to find serving dishes, snacks and drinks to give to Marty & Ray, muttering under her breath with extreme agitation at having to do the work of a servant, and made a mental note to herself to get a good chief household minder as soon as possible.

The two guys were quite comfortable in the house's surroundings. Having been raised in the courts of kings, they were both most at ease in the atmospheres of opulence. They didn't notice Viniglaen at first, and when Ray spotted her sitting in the corner with a huge book on her lap, peering at him with extremely critical and unsettlingly vivid eyes under a shock of wavy dark hair, he was startled almost out of his skin.

[The last sane person]

Ray had an uncomfortable feeling the moment they headed out of the tavern to make their escape. "Nay, I had this feeling...as soon as I looked into Lily's eyes....Something isnt all what is it seems this night.." But he shook his head, and continued on walking behind Lilly and Marty, acting as rearguard. The night was unusually still, and after a few minutes, the noise of the brawl outside the Rotting Cod had subsided into the blackness of night. Utterly silent, but in a way, the heaviest and more noise some sensation than the din of battle.

It was driving Ray Insane. "Just dont think about it! Start humming or something! What's the matter with me? Marty doesnt seem to be affected at all." He glanced ahead at his friend, leading the way to Orroder street. "But then again, Marty always seems to act wierd around the ladies. Now he seems as though bewitched."

Ray tapped his temple with the palms of his hand and started humming old tunes to drive off the silence. "I'm going to speak to Marty when tommorow, when our heads are clear and he isn't around her." The humming seemed to work, it drove that nagging feeling to the back of his skull, and all seemed well until they reached the house and a cloaked stranger grabbed Lily.

Ray darted to Marty's side with his hand on his dagger, but Marty's cool attitude and Lily's confirmation smoothing things over before they began. Marty shot a smile towards Ray, and nodded with his head to the elegant digs. Ray was impressed, obviously these people had power and wealth, and were not meek in showing it.

Ray remembered something of Lily's father being a hero of Dagorlad. Perhaps this "brother" ("sure doesn't look like her, I'll be bound!") knew something of the wars. Perhaps he had been in battle besides his father at Dagorlad. Ray found new respect for Pengolod. Faith in a fellow warrior, eastern traditions or not, is a strong thing. It put him to easy as he sat down in their house.

That ease was knocked right out of him as he suddenly beheld a small woman in the corner of the room, gazing at him with the most amazing eyes he had seen that had not belonged to an elf.

"GOOD GRAVEY!" He cried as he was startled almost out of his skin, and completely out of his chair. The woman laughed and caught Marty's attention as well. He started too, but regained himself lighting fast, Marty bowed to the woman, and Ray followed suit. She put the book aside and inclined her regal head.

"Lady, I am Raendil Son of _________, this is my companion, Marthalion Son of __________. We are friends of Lady Lilaenwen and Kings Men. It is an honor to meet three such noble people within the spce of an hour!"

Ha, Marty doesn't get to do *ALL* the smooth talking....that wasnt that bad if I do say so myself..though I ought to have toned down the 'gravey!' bit...I think the problem is I haven't had enough wine tonight...."


OOC: Better than nothing