She turned back to L'Endriel, reaching a hand to steady Gorfynt, who snorted and tossed his head.

"I thank you for the warning, my brother," she said at last. Then she sat back, and for the first time noted the weaponry upon his person. She crooked a brow.

"I was about to suggest that perhaps one who has such night-visions might be a boon to us on our quest to retrieve the lad, but I see you come prepared to do more than soothsay."

She nodded to the twin axes upon his belt. Then she smiled to him.

"Indeed, prithee, come with us and assist. For if what you speak bears truth indeed, then more hands than the six of ours shall be needed."

With that she turned her head, and cupped her hands to her lips. That same eerie keening she uttered the night she encountered the Ringwraith arrowed from her lips, to echo and rebound into the darkness of Wydde's Wood. Beneath her, Gorfynt trembled, pawing the earth as he tossed his mane hither and yon. It flew into her face; quickly, she raised a hand to brush it from her eyes, and peered into the shadows from whence there now issued a series of distant hoofbeats.

They burst in upon them then, two of them, unicorns of Gorfynt's ilk. One a golden color, his mane and tail the purest of snowy white, his horn the color of the sun; the other a dark charcoal, his hide covered with silver dapples that matched his mane and tail and horn. The burst in upon them with paired wild bugles, skidding to a halt before Gorfynt, to whom they bowed their heads and fell to one knee. Then they regained their footing and stood in docile silence, waiting.

Eirianna waved a hand toward the two magickal steeds.

"If join us you do, then a steed of your own you must have. Unless you prefer an eagle's wings once again, to follow Hecate above our heads, choose one of my beloved Gorfynt's clan. They stand ready and willing to assist us in our endeavor.

"Here are Greot the Gold, who carries the strength of the sun, and his brother Brisgean the Silver, who has the power of my own beloved moon in his heart. Both are stout and brave and true, although--"

She leaned forward now, and laid her tresses against Gorfynt's sleek hide. Her pale locks intertwined with his mane, joining them in a union few seldom achieve.

"--although not as stout and brave and true as is my own dear Gorfynt."

The unicorn snorted, and shook his head again.

With that she fell silent, turning now to E'rae that he understand one of the unicorns was meant for him as well, should he choose to take her up on this offer.

[ 01-08-2003 07:50 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Eirianna ]

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With that he turned and approuched the darker of the two great steeds, spendign a moment looking at the great animal, he offered his hand silently so it could take in his scent.

Finaly to E'rae's relief the great unicorn took a step forward and nussled his hand gently before shaking his head and allowing E'rae to mount the silvery animal...

he then pat the neck of Brisgean and nodded... He could tell the creature was not to confident in E'rae as a rider of yet, but he could also feel that he would not be dissmounted save his own stupidity.

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"I am indebted to you and your kin once again. Give my regards to the your lord."

The eagle almost seemed as if it nodded its head once, and beat its wings slowly, taking off into the night sky. L'Endriel's eyes followed the path of the great bird for a moment, before turning towards the unicorn pracing its paws nervously before him.

"A most magnificent steed..."

L'Endriel approached the horse, which started shaking its head wildly, as if saying it would not bear L'Endriel. L'Endriel raised his hand slowly, and began to speak softly to the animal. He patted it's great neck gently, and whispered in its ear for a little bit, until it completely stopped moving. L'Endriel looked into the steed's eyes once more, and smiled at what he saw. Then, without hesitation, L'Endriel mounted the unicorn.

L'Endriel looked towards E'rae and Eiranna. "I still fear that the three of us may not have enough strength to challenge this great power..." L'Endriel's voice trailed off.

"But I fear for the young boy that it holds captive even more."

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At length she spoke up once more.

"My brother, if you have knowledge of others who would assist us in our quest, then speak now that we might ride hence and beg that aid of them. For if naught, then indeed the life of the young one rests solely upon the strengths of we six."

Here she smiled again, spreading out her hands to either side to indicate the three unicorns, a gentle reminder to all that though they bore the form of common horses, they were magickal and sentient beings, who only chose not to speak in the lesser tongues of bipedal creatures with whom they shared living space within the boundaries of Middle Earth.

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Indeed shall I keep my end of the bargain, my friend. But you would be foolish indeed to belittle my powers...

She smiled darkly once more, even as the sounds of a fist banging upon her doors interrupted her thoughts. She opened it to find one of the King's men, in a panic.

"My Lady, the King has been wounded by what looks to be the arrow of an elf and has been murdered!"

Adra played the part she was expected. "No!" she whispered, slipping past the guard and hurrying to the King's chamber only to find several of his men crowding around his body. She pushed through them.

"Let me through! I must help him!"

Hopeful, the guards complied, allowing Adra to make her way to the King's side. She knelt by him, seemingly considering the wound. Her look darkened after some length of time, and she shook her head in a semblence of despair. "It is...too late," she sighed, her eyes defocusing.

Then, after a moment, she looked to the Captain of the Guards, who was now standing behind her. "This is an elven arrow," she confirmed. "The King suspected that the Elves would seek to take over the region; even now I am certain they will move in, expecting us to fall under the loss of our beloved King who has not a wife nor an heir. We must not allow them to succeed, but must prepare for their next strike," she said simply.

The Captain of the guard nodded, then pursed his lips but once. "My Lady, you are the only one who can handle these dire circumstances properly. You shall be our only leader til a new King or Queen is decided upon."

She stood, and nodded humbly.

Everything was occurring so very, very perfectly.

"I shall lead your people into peace," she promised, her aura one of seeming honesty. "But first we will repay the Elves for what they have done to us..."

[ 01-09-2003 12:01 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Adra Slavonic ]

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In spite of the situation at hand, L'Endriel laughed at himself. He then turned his attention back to his sister.

"Alas! My wanderings in life have been solitary, so I know not of any other beings that would lend their aid, save for the beasts of the wood and the birds of the air. If needed, they may come at my call...but other than that, I know of noone else that may come to our aid."

L'Endriel's eyes wandered to the ground, as if in sudden doubt. His mind wandered elsewhere momentarily, before he began speaking again.

"This may indeed prove to be a great struggle. I can only hope that our combined might will be enough."

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"Do not underestimate the strengths of the creatures of the forest, nor the beasts of the field. I have seen you coming upon the back of the eagle; if needed to come to our aid, come they shall and shall be most formidable in that coming."

She nodded; beneath her slim body, Gorfynt moved again and softly whickered his approval. She turned her clear-eyed gaze to E'rae then, and a hand went immediately to her lips to hide her growing smile. For he was sitting astride Brisgean, a somewhat cautious look upon his face as he so obviously tried to maintain his balance. His concentration about the task broke with a start when he realized she was looking at him.

"It usually comes quite naturally to we elvens," Eirianna finally smiled. "It shall not take you long to become accustomed to the fact that other than your own two feet are in command of your mobility."

Then that smile faded, and she turned to face the shadowy unknown ahead of them, from whence Hecate's piercing cry came yet again. She blinked solemnly, then spoke up:

"Do we continue this ride now, in this night, fraught with dangers unseen and shadows most dark? Or do we now halt and set camp, to refresh for another bout of travel on the morrow?"

She paused the barest moment.

"We camp," she finally decided, then slid gracefully from Gorfynt's back and with a little tap on his croup sent him off to find a meal and resting place of his own desire.

As her companions likewise dismounted and sent their own steeds off into the night, then went about the task of preparing camp, Eirianna did not remain idle. She gave a nod, raising her head and sending a call out to Hecate, to thus inform him of their stopping for the remainder of the night.

Then she turned into the surrounding forest, and soon was nothing more than a dim shade amidst the shadows there. Following her nose, she moved swiftly and gracefully through the trees in their immediate surrounding, stooping here and there to pluck something from the soil of the earth. With each motion she uttered an apology for the act; after a bit she returned to the now complete camp and settled herself upon a fallen log the males had placed near a companionable campfire.

Reaching now into her bodice she drew out something which hung about her neck on a chain of spun silver. It was a disk, fashioned to look like the moon, covered with crater and mare and highland. Holding it flat in the palm of one hand, she reached out with the other and found the skin carrying their water supply. She took a bit, and poured it carefully into the largest of the craters on her disk.

Then laying the moon-disk carefully beside her, she took up that which she had sought and found in the woods: several pale white flowers whose delicate forms gave off a heady and intoxicating fragrance. Gardenia, moonflower and jasmine, they were; all the bloomers of the Night. She removed those rare petals, combining them in her hand, and with the other gently crushed them to obtain their combined juices. This she added drop by careful drop into the craterful of water on her disk.

She bent forward then, peering into that tiny pool. There reflected, the grim tale was told.

The elven lad languishing, hurt, in pain, in the dungeons of the King of Taunderon...

Who was only just announced dead by his panicky men.

She straightened with a frown, and revealed this to the others. Then she shivered and wrapped her arms about herself.

The King had been murdered by Elven arrow? But how could this be?

Hecate's cry bore the answer in one great yet awful word, which echoed into the darkness, around and around and around.

Deception....

[ 01-09-2003 02:43 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Eirianna ]

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"I apologize for my intrusion, as it seems your people are occupied with more important matters..." Arandil said, recalling L'Endriel and the wraiths in the forest. "But I must see King Gildur."

The aide looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "If you convinced the guards to let you in, then perhaps you should see the king..."

The Elf led the Man into another chamber, richly decorated just like the Throne Room.

The King's chamber... Arandil thought as he followed the aide. There, staring out the window, stood the king. Arandil was a bit surprised; he had known Elves to live long lives, especially their royalty, but Gildur looked only 20 years older than him.

A small smile appeared at that thought.

Just like Lord Elrond...

The Elven aide cleared his throat and made a standing bow to the king. "My lord, this Man has entered our realm to speak with you. Of which kingdom he has come from, I do not know. But apparently the matter he wishes to discuss is of great importance..."

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His clear eyes shot directly into Arandil's.

"Forgive my aspect, and my bearing," he said simply, now moving away from the window. The circlet of state glimmered in the dusky light of the stars which managed to send their feeble light through the canopy of trees surrounding them, entering into the Keep to mingle with the light which danced from the roaring fire in this great hall, a fire guarded by hearth and stone to keep its fierce elemental power at bay. Gildur now merely traded that fire for the shadows; his shoulders seemed to slump the least little bit as he stared into it, his gaze growing vague.

He suddenly whirled, fixing his eyes on Arandil once again. One hand waved as though in explanation, an explanation which did not fall from his lips. At length--

"It has come to my ears that you must needs seek me out, and with haste. Prithee, my good man, what is it that has sent you into my presence in such a manner? How may it be that I, King Gildur of Moon's Keep, Holder of the Light of Midnight and Watcher of the Tides, assist you? Why have you come to me in such a manner that my very own aides give way before you, and let you to my side when I would speak with no other?"

He fell silent at that, his eyes darkling into Arandil's with a quiet promise that if this young man was wasting his time in coming before him, indeed would he rue that very day....

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"Your Majesty, I have come from Rivendell with the blessings of Lord Elrond. I am on a quest that is most important and most..." he looked at the aide. "...secretive."

The Elf frowned, took the hint, and left after making another bow to Gildur. Arandil waited until he was gone before he continued.

"The heir to the throne of Gondor has been missing for 40 years, kidnapped while he was a mere baby. I have reason to believe he is still alive, and that a chieftain of the Wild Men of Dunland has information about him. I met with the chieftain four days ago. My questions were simple and quick. His answers were violent and furious."

Arandil sighed. "After fighting my way through his guards, the Dunlending took flight from his mountainous home. I have been tracking him since then. The last sign of the Dunlending led into this region...Wydde's Wood."

"Your Majesty, if your people have seen or heard of this Dunlending around this land, I must be informed. It is imperative I find him. Whatever he knows could possibly break the kingdoms of Men."

Arandil awaited the king's reply, hiding the fear that was building up if he would say no...

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"Something is amiss. That much is obvious."

Silently, each member of the party pondered what Eirianna had revealed to them. An assassination of a human king, by elven arrow...It was simply impossible. It was common knowledge the elder race left didn’t interfere with the kingdoms of man and their dealings. There was almost no reason why an elf would go out of his way to kill a human king.

Was it possible that an elf had hired himself out to kill a king?

The king’s men had announced that the king was dead...and just before his death, a young elf was captured and thrown into the dungeon. It would be nearly impossible to place the blame on him, but...

"This much we know. We will not be allowed to simply walk in anymore."

L’Endriel thought for a moment, before speaking again.

"I believe great haste will now be needed on our journey. The wrath of men once kindled is hard to put out...and our young friend may become a victim of an act of vengeance."

[ 01-12-2003 04:09 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by L'Endriel ]

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Kronos took his seat, a seat in which he owned for many lifetimes, as the head guard of Ithilien...

The only Elf in the Kingdom, Kronos was very valuable to his King...

This day started like any other, the King was late for the daily strategy briefing, and the prince was waiting in the King's seat.. as a vulture awaits his prey's death...

But the boy was not in his usual spot, he wasn't even in the room..

"Ah, there you are Trevor, you had me worried.." Kronos said, as Trevor entered the room..

He did not respond, clad in full armor, Trevor passed by Kronos and into the Great Hall...

Entering the hall, Kronos could sense the King was awaiting his son..

"My Lord?"

"We will not be having our briefing today, nothing is more important than this.. 'quest'..." The King replied..

Looking around the hall, Kronos saw the Wizard Landi, and the two warriors Bendar and Vereiz...

"Quest?" Kronos asked simply...

"For the ring, my old friend.."

The room stood still, aside from the quiet fussing of the warriors weaponry...

"You cannot expect anything to come from this.." Kronos stated, as calm as the other side of the pillow...

"Oh, but I do... and so should you... you of all, should understand my wishes.. My son shall not return, until he has the ring in his possession..."

The King paused, gained a little bit of composure, then continued...

"These two," gestures toward the warriors,"will be my son's protection, along with the wizard, they will make their way across the lands... leaving no stone unturned..." The King let a mischievous laughter leave his lips...

While listening to the Kings introductions, Kronos was battling himself... should he consciously be a party to the powerfully evil ring?

He came to one conclusion: Harm must not come to a boy of his age, he must 'join' this fellowship...

"You have my bow..." Kronos said, directed toward young Trevor...

"I knew I could count on you... old friend..." The King placed Trevor's helmet atop his head,"Off you are, you have much land to cover..."

The five exited the Great Hall, and mounted their respected steeds...

Harm must not come to a boy of his age...

His eyes romed over the blade quietly, his knowing little smirk was once more on his face as he trust the blade into its sheath, ignoring the hissing that came forth as he did so.
Then his eyes turned to look at the others, his smile only growing slightly, "I have discovered... that when trust into the flames, this blade can feel the evil in the air... Red means the wards upon the blade have merly taken the heat of the fire... A yellow means that there is wildness in the night, often animals seeking blood... a deep blue screams warning of orcs and thier like... but should the blade glow black, then there is truly evil about... it was glowing black the night before i came to warn his majesty..."

His head nodded to the flames and his all knowing smirk lowered slightly in intensity, "we are safe for now, nothing dangerious is near..."
Then he fell silent and turned to look into the shadows quietly murmering to himself as much as his companions, "We should probably set out early, even more so then normaly could be expected, the more of daylight we have to work with, the better i believe..." his eyes then turned to Eirianna, "what think you M'lady?" he spoke quietly, for after all, her word was the final ruling in these matters as far as he was concerned... Blood of the court, he would serve untill the end, no matter how little he visited that court, he was of it none the less...

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"We shall set up camp here..." Came the bellow from the old wizard Landi...

"I shall scout ahead, something draws near... I can feel it..." Kronos shot off, without as much as a whimper from his steed...

"I don't trust him--""He's an Elf..." The two warriors joked...

"Ah, that will be the day... when men and elves can share the alliance they once enjoyed... more likely a friendship between a dwarf and an elf? aye, Bendar... Vereiz? Grow up..." Landi said, as he took a seat atop the first stone he could spot...

...eventually.

Adra, meanwhile, stayed close by the Captain of the Guards as the King's dead body was removed and taken so that the proper burial rights could be performed. She turned to him, nodding her head in deceptive kindness. "The peoples of this kingdom deserve to know the truth of the King's death," she said simply.

The Captain of the Guard nodded in agreement. "They will need time to mourn the death of our King."

"Indeed," Adra replied. Then, "We shall give him a grand funeral worthy of his station...

...and we should then continue onward. This must not go unavenged," she observed. "Have your men surround the boundaries of our kingdom and protect us from our Elven foes," she ordered. "And while you remain there...seek for me a magical and mystical stone, hidden by a stone."

"My Lady?" he queried curiously.

"When you find it, I will know," she replied simply.

The Captain nodded in return, respectfully. "It shall be done then. This kingdom shall not be entered so easily as it was before," he continued with, departing at that.

Even as he did, Adra turned to another guard, pursing her lips in thought. "The elves sent another of their kind, one who would seek the Ring of Power so that the Elves make work against us with it," she explained somewhat dishonestly, her aura yet seeming sincere, "We must keep a most careful eye on him. His compatriots will try to reclaim him under the pretense that he is innocent."

"Shall I send more guards to watch him?" this guard queried.

Adra considered for a moment, then, "No," she replied thoughtfully. "I shall watch him, with my faithful companion," she commented, motioning her shadow to come forward. She shifted her icy blue eyes to Talon. "Go with this young man and... retrieve our prisoner from the dungeons below. He shall not leave our sight, my friend."

Talon nodded in understanding, and with no further ado departed with the guard to the dungeons below to retreive his new charge.

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"Travel if you will to save a mere one," she murmured at length. "I find this event to be of greater distress than that experienced by the lad, sorry as it is for me to claim that fact."

She walked swiftly to the perimeter of the fire's glow, and once again uttered that piercing, keening call. In a flurry of duff and a thunder of hoofbeats, Gorfynt was soon there. She leapt lightly upon his back, then turned to the others.

"Brisgean and Greot shall still bear you upon their backs; this my dear Gorfynt as commanded of them. But I must leave you now.

"I suggest one of you take this dire news to my father, that he be able to determine the best course of action. I must depart, to use my magicks in seclusion, and in that seclusion see if there is truly anything we might do other than engage in all-out war with men, for I fear that dark shadow is upon our horizon."

With no other word than that, she spurred Gorfynt into action, and soon disappeared into the dying shadows about them. Behind her, her erstwhile companions scarcely had the time to blink as the young Elven Princess went off to a secret hiding place only she knew of, and one which was shielded by her own magicks. None would find her there, neither elf nor man, sorceress or Ringwraith.

This had stood her in good stead in the past... and she now called upon it to do so again.

Above, ever circling, the faithful Hecate followed, and with but a few hours hard riding she obtained the safety of her secret shelter....

[ 01-14-2003 03:56 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Eirianna ]

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"Dunlending... Dunlending..." he murmured a bit, then cut himself off with a shake of his head.

"This is something unknown to me, as well as is your claim that a rightful King has been taken. Perhaps my daughter would know of such a thing; her wood wraith discloses all which occurs throughout Middle Earth, and at times she is more knowledgeable than even I about some things."

He then held an arm out toward the door, obviously in dismissal.

"Even now she and a small party ride out to Taunderon, to take back one of our own who was captured in an act most foul. Perhaps you might find them, and ask this of her. For I am sorry to say, I can help you no further in your quest."

With that he nodded to Arandil, then turned and left his Grand Hall, seeking and finding the privacy of his chambers where no one would dare to interrupt him.

((OOC: Continues in To Traipse Within the Shadows of Night, thank you.))

[ 01-14-2003 05:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Graysith ]

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