Welcome back!
Here is my first proper chapter in the story and as such will be a nice introduction to one of my main characters.
Not much else to say really, apart from one thing. I will now say that I do not have the greatest knowledge of the Tolkien universe. Yes, I've seen the movies (too many times actually) and have read the books but not enough to know the details that are not in the movies. As such I may get a lot of things wrong when it comes to the lore of Middle Earth so please don't start raging and wishing my story be deleted for my heresy against Tolkien, simply correct my error in a review or message and I will be happy to rectify the issue if I can. I am writing this story to be read and I don't want anyone to be unhappy in what I write so feel free to have some input and help me set things right.
Now that I've warned you I will let you read on. Enjoy: D
TA-2221
The light from the fire flickered on the trees that surrounded the campfire and the smoke from the flames rose high into the sky.
It was cold and dark that night. Clouds had hidden both the stars and the moon from the world ensuring that the small campfire was the only beacon of light in the middle of the dark forest. It wasn't only light that was a rarity that cold night for not even the animals of the forest made their voices known, only the crackle of the fire making its presence known.
As the flames burned away its collected wood, sitting on a large stone next to the fire, a man tried to keep himself warm. The man, named Duryn, had been on the run, alone, for near a month now. Now, as he stared deep into the fire, he felt the great regret of what he did.
Duryn had lived a relatively normally life for the twenty five years of his life. Living in a small hamlet just east for Bree was not full of surprises or many otherwise exciting moments. He had worked on his Fathers farm for as long as he could remember, ensuring that he was now a well-built young man. But day after day of sowing and harvesting the fields did not do wonders when it came to quenching his thirst for adventure. Duryn wanted an exciting life, so one day his bid his farewells to his parents and set off to Bree in hopes that he may find something, anything exciting there.
It turned out that Duryn got to experience adventure just a few nights into his walk to Bree. But this was not the parts of adventure that included saving pretty women from terrifying beasts and nor was it travelling through unknown and breath-taking parts of the world as part of an epic quest. No, Duryn's experience of adventure took the form of survival in the wilderness. He soon realised that he had not eaten properly for days now, and soon enough, hunger would take him and his adventure could be halted, permanently. Though Duryn had never given thought to what seemed such an insignificant and apparently simple aspect of the adventure. Not because he was a simple man, but quite the opposite. Duryn, was in fact, a fairly intelligent man for both his age and life style. He may have lived on a farm all of his life but it was never said that Duryn was not a logical and curious person. As often as he could, he read whatever book he could find in his neighbours houses and the village hall, and he always forced himself to take and listen to advice from those old enough to give it. So it was because of this that Duryn thought that simply finding food to survive on would be a simple task, not worth giving extra thought to. Combined with his expertise with growing crops he thought he would be an expert in what plants and vegetation would be edible.
But alas, he was wrong. Duryn had never ventured off into the wilderness before and as such, had little to no knowledge in what some plants even were, deep in the wild. Neither was he a good hunter. Any animal he attempted to catch for food had either ran away from his lack of hunting experience, or was too small to be part of a needed meal.
Yet luckily for Duryn, Bree was not far and he managed to get there in one piece, albeit starved and exhausted. Soon enough, Duryn quickly forgot his bad experiences in the wild, and quickly began to enjoy and sights and sounds of Bree. To him, someone coming from such a small and quiet place, found the scale and business of Bree astounding, despite Bree not actually being that large.
Though Duryn's bad fortune had not left him alone yet. Bree, being all knew and exciting to Duryn, was just begging to be sampled and as such, Duryn spent all of his long stored and collected money on trivial and foolish decisions. He drank nights away, stayed in expensive inns and brought only the finest foods. It was only when the flow of coin came to an end that Duryn realised how stupid he had been. But he did not really know anyone to help him, and neither did he have any other experience than farming to earn money. So he resorted to the only thing one as desperate as he would do. He stole and resorted to crime to keep him alive. It was a profitable business while it lasted as well. He managed to steal enough food to keep him alive through the nights and even managed to "find" a well-made short sword while infiltrating someone's house. Though it was short lived. Guards became aware of his antics and were on constant lookout for him, even putting up posters for his capture.
Duryn had to leave. He took as much stolen food as he could and ran, once again testing his survival skills in the wilderness, perhaps in great part to the horse he had stolen, allowing him to make greater progress in a day in order to reach the next town or village for food. But as he knew when he debated becoming a horse thief, the prize for his capture rose dramatically and thus, he become almost hunted where ever he went, ensuring that he be careful whenever he was near civilisation.
And this is where he was now. Eleven months on from leaving home and deep in a forest east of the once great city of Fornost, or so someone had said at the last village he passed through.
The plan now was the same as the last few weeks, Survive through the night, get to the next village and repeat until he got far enough to not be searched for.
So Duryn sat there, rubbing his hands together and placing them near the fire to keep them warm on a cold night. The quest to keep warm on this night was the only thing he cared about currently and he attempted to do so for the best part of an hour, which seemed to drag on. Duryn decided it would be best to stay awake, no matter how cold it was, so that he could see the fire settle down and not be such a sign of his presence. He did not want to be asleep when someone saw he fire and decided to investigate. That was suicide.
And then he heard it. Rustling of leaves in the distance. Duryn's eyes began to frantically scan his surroundings, naturally fearing an ambush. His hand instinctively found its way to the grip of his sword as the sounds grew louder and closer. Suddenly, bursting out of the darkness that surrounded his camp clearing, came a horse and its hooded rider. Fearing that this new arrival may be hunting for the bounty placed upon his head, Duryn stood up quickly and retreated a few steps, his hand all the time remaining on his sword should the situation for it arise.
Though the hooded man did not try and ride Duryn down, but instead opted to climb of his horse, with no great haste, and tied the animal to a nearby rock, again in no hurry. Duryn was left confused in the actions of this man. The stranger did not seem at all interested in Duryn and it even seemed that the man was totally oblivious to Duryn's presence.
"You!" Duryn finally decided to say, now both fed up and confused of the man's lack of acknowledgement of him. "Friend or foe?" Duryn asked, determined to know if this man was sent out to capture him.
A short pause then followed as the man finished tying up his horse and then finally turned to face Duryn. "Well neither my dear fellow" he said as he hid his face under his hood. "You are not my enemy but nor are you my friend. We have only just met after all." He said with what appeared to be a smile. It was hard for Duryn to get a good look at the man's face with the hood covering most of it.
"Met? It almost seemed like you did not notice me." Duryn replied but to no answer in return. The man only stared at him in a silent reply.
"What are you doing here?" asked Duryn, waiting a few seconds for an answer that never came.
"I saw your fire" the man replied emotionlessly. Yet this was not an answer that complied with Duryn's demands. He needed to know if his life was in danger or not.
"And now you have reached your destination or not? Have you found what you were looking for?" Duryn said, referring to if this man had now found the criminal he was hunting.
To these questions the man did not reply, but instead looked confused. Duryn would need to resort to other tactics if he were to discover this man true intent.
"What is your name stranger?" asked Duryn.
"My name?" the stranger replied, moving towards Duryn. "My name is Varius" he said as he lowered his hood revealing his face. His dark thick hair had been cut short allowing a full view of his stubble covered oval yet strong jawed face to be seen. His eyes as well almost seemed as dark as his hair, totally contrasting to Duryn's longer, sandy coloured hair.
"And what is your name? I think I deserve that same privilege" the stranger now known as Varius said.
For a second, Duryn held his tongue. This Varius was most likely withholding his true intent from Duryn and instead was opting to play the fool in hope of Duryn himself confirming that this person who Varius has found is in fact, the thief he is hunting.
"If the horse is what you want, take it! Just take it back and be gone!" Duryn said in a desperate attempt to appeal to this man's good will.
A quizzed face then appeared on the face of Varius, looking to the horse that Duryn had stolen. "Well selling the beast would fetch me a nice profit" he said as he walked back to his horse. "But keeping it would be a wise investment. This old nag has caused me nothing but trouble ever since I acquired him." The stranger Varius said, patting his horse.
"Then take it! I wish no ill will between us." Duryn cried, sick of the game that Varius was probably playing.
"And I wish for just that same desire." He said, seemingly confused in what Duryn was saying.
"And yet you have come here, seeking me! If not just the horse then whatever supplies I have. Take them!" Judging the way this was going, Varius had come seeking the bounty on Duryn's head. This is why he was here and this is what he was going to get, no matter how many things Duryn was freely offering him.
"Yes. That's right" Varius said, the same face of confusion still present as he sat down atop a rock next to the fire, prompting Duryn to suddenly recoil and step away from him. Varius's head then suddenly shot up at the sound of Duryn trying to get away from him. "What is this? Your behaviour is quite unusual stranger" he said, still apparently confused.
"Well wouldn't yours be when the person opposite has finally found what they have been seeking for?" Duryn replied.
"No. I don't think I would." Duryn was shocked. This Varius had just basically told Duryn that he did not care for what Duryn was feeling. Most likely the case was this man had killed so many people, or did it without a strand of thought, he saw the victim as a mere object about to be removed from the world. "I have not offended you have I?" Varius said.
"Pardon?" Duryn replied confused, now only expecting a sharp object to be embedded in his flesh.
"You seem to be unsure of my presence ever since I arrived. And you still haven't told me your name" Varius replied.
Again Duryn refrained himself was speaking. Questions now flooded the mind of Duryn, each considering the possibilities of the true intent of Varius. Surely if he were truly hunting Duryn than his name would undoubtedly be one of familiarity to Varius. Rarely was it that a bounty hunter did not know the name of his target less he would not have the ability to ask others about his target. Though the chance that he was simply trying to get Duryn himself to confirm that he was the target was still a very real one.
"Its…it's…my name is…" Duryn found himself saying.
"Well? Is something the matter?" Varius asked, staring at Duryn, and then, at that point, the questions that were previously plaguing Duryn's mind dispersed, replaced by just one possibility. Was this man after him at all?
"Duryn. My name is Duryn" he said slowly. In that sentence Duryn knew he had convoyed a degree of sadness in his voice, for were he to be wrong in his current presumption of this man, then this was most likely the end for him.
"Then well met Duryn" Varius said before turning to the fire.
And then, silence. Only the crackling of the flames the sole noise once more. Now it was Duryn's turn to be the burden of confusion. There he was, standing there and staring at the man that was supposed to either capture or kill him.
But neither of these things were even attempted.
As Varius continued to try and warm himself up beside the fire, Duryn was left confused and waiting for an attack that should be happening any moment now. Varius now knew that his search had been successful and now all that remained was the apprehension or killing of Duryn himself but alas, even as minutes past, Varius did not look like he was even entertaining the idea. He made no visual signs of preparing to strike and even more confusingly, he paid little to no attention to Duryn himself, almost negating Duryn from his mind and acting like he was the sole person here.
"Well?" Duryn said, finally breaking this uncomfortable silence. If this were to be the end of the road for him, then he would not go out ignorant to the true nature of this man.
"Well what?" Varius said in almost shock.
"Aren't you going to do what you do?" Duryn replied, not at all comfortable with the fact he was literally telling someone to possibly kill him.
"Excuse me?" Varius replied, squinting in confusion.
"Isn't this why you are here? For me?" Duryn was quite annoyed now at the fact that his possible death was been delayed in a cruel act that kept tension high for him.
"Well, not exactly for you" Varius said.
"What do you mean by that?" Duryn inquired.
"Well I can't keep warm by being with another person can I?" laughed Varius.
And then, like an arrow finding its target in his chest, Duryn suddenly realised the true meaning behind this meeting full of tension. "So you did not come here specifically for me?" Duryn slowly said, eagerly awaiting for the answer he knew to be true.
"Of course not my friend!" again laughed Varius. "Your fire was of great relief to this soon to be frozen body. Although since you made the fire I presume you could say I have come for you." Varius finished smiling.
"I-I just thought you had been looking for me" said a now very relieved Duryn, a small laugh escaping his mouth
"Ha!" laughed along Varius. "Why would I be searching for you friend? We had yet to meet but ten minutes ago?" Varius said, laughing once more, to which Duryn could not help himself partaking in. This had just been a whole misunderstanding.
So Duryn still stood there, but unlike a minute ago, when he was preparing for his death and savouring his last few moments of a short lived life, he now stood there happy and relieved for the fact that this man meant no harm to him, even not knowing that the man named Duryn was in fact, a wanted criminal.
But it was then, when Duryn looked back at Varius, when he realised that he was still awaiting an answer for a question he had asked. But Duryn would not obviously be telling the truth in this point in time. Greed might make this newly discovered peaceful intending man to an opportunistic predator wanting the bounty on Duryn's head.
"It matters not…." Said Duryn dismissively.
"As you wish. I'm just glad I finally found a fire" happily proclaimed Varius. "I doubt even dragon fire could keep a man warm on a night such as this." He said, rubbing his hands together over the fire.
And thus for just a brief moment, Duryn, for the first time in a long time, felt happy. Truth be told, his position had not really advanced. He was not better off than he was a few minutes ago and the fear that he would still be found by actual hunters was still very real yet the very fact that for once, good news was not a totally foreign aspect to him. He was, for now at least, happy.
"Aren't you going to sit down? Come sit by the fire less you freeze to death" Varius said, ripping Duryn from his moment of bliss.
"Of course" smiled Duryn, remembering he wasn't alone. "It is quite cold tonight isn't it?" asked Duryn, now ready to initiate conversation with someone who actually wasn't wanting him dead.
"Indeed. Now you understand why I am so relieved to have met you, which begs the question. Why did I find you here? I am told this forest is travelled by many a traveller heading for Bree. Is that your destination friend?" Asked Varius.
This was a question to be careful on if there ever was one. Duryn had dismissed the possibility that this man was a bounty hunter and thus now did not believe this question would be yet another attempt to personally get Duryn to confirm is presence here, so Duryn would have to choose his words with delicate care.
"Yes. That is right" Duryn replied prompting a nod from Varius. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions as well. We have the time after all" asked Duryn. A normal conversation nowadays was as rare as a normal day in which someone wasn't trying to kill him.
"Hm but of course!" gleefully smiled Varius "I suppose you are wondering who exactly I am? Or are my social skills so inadequate that such questions are not the norm during a meeting of two new acquaintances?" Duryn smiled in return, quite enjoying the sense of humour of this man.
"I am relieved to tell you that you are correct" Duryn smiled in return.
"Well then you may be disappointed that this is the case, for my life has not exactly been one of adventure and thrill" Varius said in a disappointed tone.
"I can relate to that quite well. The same can be said about my life also" sadly replied Duryn, remembering that such a life had caused him to be in the mess originally.
"If that is indeed so, you may also know that I have now discarded my previous husk of a life and have ventured out to fulfil a new one" Varius stated, allowing a sapling of some sort of connection between the two young men to spawn.
"Now that does sound quite familiar" smiled Duryn in return, feeling that by rare chance, he had met someone not at all different from himself.
A suddenly, after a brief moment of silence, a spontaneous laugh emerged from both men, almost demonstrating physic like abilities to read each other's minds.
"I'm glad I found you Varius. Already have you uplifted my spirit!" Duryn managed to say as he slowed his laughter to a stop.
"You forget my friend!" Varius replied in continued laughter, almost struggling to finish his sentence. "For it was I who found you!" he said, spurting a new burst of laughter between the two.
"Ha-ha, very true my friend!" replied Duryn.
"Ha! In fact, if I remember correctly so, you did not seem to want me here!" Again laughed Varius.
Both continued laughing after this remark but within Duryn's streak of laughter, he could not help himself let loose a brief moment of nervous laughter. The awkward moment that transpired just a few minutes ago was already causing guilt within Duryn, an act that Varius possibly seeked to exploit in some sort of a revenge against a decision that nearly cost him a place by the fire via a decision to evict him from Duryn.
But despite this uncomfortable moment in time, it was quickly dispersed when Duryn gave chase to the idea that, should agreeable talk continue, he could result in a friend and ally, both things long yearned by Duryn. Where a friend is a friend and could provide Duryn Company on those days in which he felt particularly alone, an ally would be extremely useful given his current situation. A companion could assist him when he needed a distraction to evade guards, for example.
"Say Varius" Duryn said, gaining said person's attention. "That night is long and cold but I may have just the thing to outlast it" Duryn began as he stood up.
"I don't know whether I should be excited or cautious" smiled Varius.
"You have nothing to worry about friend" smiled Duryn in return as he began to walk over to his back pack where within it, was a very expensive bottle of Mead which he had stolen a while back and was saving it for a far more happier occasion.
"It's in here somewhere" said Duryn as he began to delve deep into his back.
"Ah! Here it is!" he said, bringing out a very decent bottle of mead. "I've been saving this for a day like this" Duryn continued as he gazed upon the label of one of his most treasured stolen objects. "Say Varius, I wonder if-"but before he could even invite Varius to sample the mead, Duryn suddenly stopped. His sentence could not be finished.
In his lower back, a pain so sharp and cold struck, completely removing the ability to make any audible noise. All breath within him shot out in one quick gasp, and left him a frozen figure, only a pain like he had never felt before.
Nothing else then mattered. The mead he was so eager to try was dropped onto the grass beneath him, and a desperate attempt to turn around and see the cause of this pain was attempted. Though this could not be achieved. With no prior warning, a horrifying slicing noise came from behind him followed by a pain that Duryn could have never imagined existed prior.
With this, Duryn simply collapsed onto the cold ground, the ice cold pain following him all the way. As he hit the ground this pain was only multiplied. The shock Duryn felt as he hit the ground could only be translated into one large and echoing scream that reached into the night. Hell then took over Duryn.
Gone was the sudden piercing pain the rendered Duryn immobile. A constant, ever increasing pain only remained, made only worse with the continued thrashing and screaming that Duryn made.
Primitive instincts then took over. The urge to found out what was wrong with his body was the first of such instincts. Were his mind in the right place and his sense returned to him, he may have easily realised what was the matter, but in this moment of pain and shock, Duryn's hand only found its way to the area of his lower back that the excruciating pain seem to originate.
It was then when, despite being in a stage of shock in which confusion and fear reigned king, Duryn realised what had happened. The ground, and Duryn's hand, was stained red with the warm red liquid that Duryn knew was his blood. He had been stabbed.
The stabbing wound was at the moment only producing both a cold pain that was only making the thrashing of Duryn's body more vigorous, and thus, more painful. This vicious cycle was allowing the stab wound to only open up, allowing even more blood and pain to flow out.
Duryn's eyes flickered around, scanning his surrounding area in a desperate attempt to discover what was happening. This perhaps was a decision that, given a calmer and less painful situation, was one that he probably did not wish to have known.
Towering above him, with bloodied hands and a sharp knife, now red with Duryn's blood, was the person that had caused enough confusion today.
Varius looked down upon the bleeding of body of Duryn whose blood now dripped down the knife that had brought him down.
"W-w-w-why?" was the sobbing response that Duryn could manage as he knew he was now dying.
"Oh I think you know why" Varius replied coldly. "When did you steal that then?" he continued, pointing the red knife towards the bottle of mead.
And so Duryn knew that the biggest mistake of his life had been made a few minutes ago. Varius was searching for Duryn, and because he had let his guard down to someone he thought harmless, had now caused his soon to be death.
"B-b-but y-you said-"cried Duryn, words that probably sounded desperate and cowardly only coming out of his mouth.
"That I did not know who you were? All lies in afraid" Varius replied, a cold and evil smile slowly appearing on the face of the murderer. Duryn saw this and the flood gates for his tears were opened. He had been betrayed and now, he was going to die. He would not even be able to say one last goodbye to everyone he loved.
"Fear not Duryn, for not all I spoke was false. You were not alone when it came to our lives. I seek my own adventure as well." Varius said in what was most likely a false and put on voice of sadness and pity.
"T-t-then why d-did you d-do this?" Duryn managed to say.
"Well I needed to start somewhere. Adventures art cheap" Varius laughed. This remark in turn led to the intrusion to Duryn's inventory sack, presumingly searching for anything that could fetch Varius a high price. "You're lucky you lasted this long Duryn, those fools of bounty hunters were so close to catching you in that last village back" the treacherous Varius continued, throwing objects he deemed unworthy of selling behind him. "Aren't you going to ask how they didn't Duryn? Varius said to the dying, finally turning his head to him as he briefly restrained himself from his spiteful robbery.
Duryn did not want to respond. Why should he humour this honourless man with a response?
"W-why?" sobbed Duryn as he lay in a pool of his own blood and wished for darkness to overtake him.
"Because of the man who finally did the deed, so to speak. Me!" Varius said as a smile so large appeared on his face that almost showed that a man who Duryn almost wished him a friend did not notice the atrocity that had been committed. "They served their purpose well. I may not have found you without their 'assistance' "he said with a gleeful smile as he turned towards Duryn shortly before resuming his searching.
This continued for at least the next few minutes, but Duryn did not care for it, not now. He could feel the life flow out of him, quite literally in this instance. His eyes began to close, possibly for the last time. His mind drifted to the treasured memories of his childhood. Memories of his family and friends, his childhood adventures of searching for evil orcs and trolls, all precious moments in his life came rushing back to him, to his last moments of this life.
"Hey! Hey Duryn!" Varius called, seemingly concerned for Duryn's detraining condition. "Don't die on me now friend. Bleeding out isn't so good when I need to collect a bounty. I need to end your life myself."
In this sentence, Duryn hoped for something more than what was said. Gone was the hope that Varius would actually let Duryn go in as much peace as possible, to actually be with him as he passed away and not to further humiliate and torture him with cruel remarks that suggested that his lust for blood had yet to be fulfilled and this he needed to once more cause Duryn more physical pain.
Seeing Duryn weep once again but relaxing all the while, as if to embrace death, Varius walked over to Duryn and put a hand on his shoulder. "Fear not Duryn, for what life you have lived has been well lived. Yes, you may have been felled by my blade, and long before your time, but you have lived a life simple enough in that you do have regrets. Unlike some" he said, lowering his head.
"B-but, but I do have …..One regret" Duryn said through gritted teeth.
"Oh?" said Varius.
"I did not finish my adventure" Duryn said. This was far from the life he would have chosen. Far from it.
"No, you did" Varius replied, hope oddly within his voice, prompting a glance from Duryn. "As you are most likely aware, this is the end for you, but as one life end, another begins. Just as when a wolf kills so that it may eat and survive." Varius said as he stood up again. "Close your eyes Duryn. You do not want to die with my face the last thing on your mind"
And so, he did. However tragic this day was, and whatever mistakes were made, the truth was that his death was imminent, and his thoughts were best placed somewhere else, somewhere better.
"Hm, this sword may be useful. Thank you Duryn, in many ways other than just this" Varius's words were not clear on that cold night. Duryn did not even attempt to ponder over them. Even as his sword was thrust deep into his heart he avoided thinking of the man that had ended both his adventure and life. As he felt his mind leave his body he gave one last thought to the only thing that ever mattered to him. Adventure.
And so Duryn left this world. Gone to where the souls of Men now reside.
Duryn's adventure had ended. Varius's had just begun.
There you have it!
Quite misleading hey? No Duryn (not said in the same was as Durin) is not the main character, Varius is.
This chapter was not that lore or plot heavy but instead more of a character introduction one so no worries that future chapters won't be so unimportant in the grand scheme.
Last thing to say. I know much story hasn't been posted yet, but I would still appreciate any reviews. How you think the story is going so far, how my writing is going etc.
Also, as you've seen, im not great at updating fast, but since these last few weeks have been busy, hopefully the next one won't be long coming.
Until next time.