Chapter 3
The wheels creaked along the path, into the grey snow, the party's personality matching the twilight gray around them. The only sound that could be heard for a long while was the creaking of wheels, the coughing of men, babies crying, and mothers shushing them. A scout ran to the party, breathless. He panted to Elvaldur "Orcs....Uruk hai....along the next ridge...." Elvaldur furrowed his brow, brooding. The party stopped. Elvaldur looked up, brow smooth once again. "What's wrong with you, fools? Keep going, we're not going to get scared by a couple of Orcs." Elvaldur said this a bit too loudly, his voice shaking ever so slightly. He knew it was more than a couple of Orcs...it was probably 5 score or even more, sent to invade the mountains. Elvaldur was the only one who had seen that many Orcs, and knew his men would be too weary. He stopped again, asking the scout beside him, "How much extra armour and weapons do we have?" The scout closed his eyes, thinking. "Oh....about enough for 30 men." Elvaldur pondered this, calling out "Any women or boys who want to fight for their people, get armour and swords. Now."He started off again.
As Bazli suited up, he had the strong feeling of dread. The party had now come to the ridge, where a small line of Orcs could be seen. Both parties stopped in mid-stride as they examined each other. The men nd women lined up in a ragtag front line as they went down the slope, stopping about 3/4 of the way down, as the Orcs ran up the slope. Bazli stood on the front line, as he was gripped with a Vision. He threw down his weapon, and ran up the slope, falling in the snow, heading towards the rest of the fighters, women, and children. "THEY'RE IN THE SNOW! THEY'RE IN THE SN-" Bazli was cut off as a man punched him with a gauntleted hand, knocking him out cold. Orcs and Uruk-hai raised up from the snow, surrounding the party, hissing. They charged.
Elvaldur screamed, kicking his horse hard in the side, running down the slope towards the Orcs, long Mirkwood blade held in front of him, decapitating several Orcs before he jumped off his horse, spinning around three times before landing on the ground, his blade going straight through a Uruk-hai. One of the horses attached to a wagon became terrified as a flaming arrow hit the wagon, made of tinder-dry wood and food. The horse and wagon, now consumed by flames ran down the slope, unable to stop. The flaming wagon swung around, hitting five men before it and the horse lay on the ground. Elvaldur watched his men dying, and stopped everything, just staring. A long, black, fearsome lookigng arrow hit him in the side, as an Elf, clothed all in black came out of the darkness, smiling, pale face visible in sharp contrast to the black of his cloak. The Elf spoke "Ah...Elvaldur....we meet again, though I am sad to say this time in less....desirable conditons." Elvaldur's face was stricken, as he realized who it was. Maeglin, his own brother. Elvaldur looked at his brother, screaming "FLESH OF MY FLESH, YET TRAITOR TO MY BLOOD. SON OF MORGOTH, SON OF DARKNESS BE GONE. MAY LIGHT FILL YOUR LIFE ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR ENDLESS LIFE!" A slight breeze picked up around Maeglin as Elvaldur spoke these words, the Darkness lifting a bit. Elvaldur then babbled mindlessly in Elvish, as Maeglin punched him, knocking him out. Maeglin smiled as he raised his sword, but another black arrow struck him in the side. Maeglin's eyes widened, as his head rolled off his neck. A woman, with long, greasy, dark hair stood where Maeglin stood, tatooes covering half of her face. She picked Elvaldur up with incredible ease, saying a few words in Elvish, rousing him. She spoke in a soft voice. "I am Larien of Nagothrond, Aelfborn as well." Elvaldur groaned, and slipped back into unconciousness. She put Elvaldur down in a grotto in the rocks, and went to fight. As the Orcs, Uruk-hai, and Elves began to leave, a Dark Elf picked up the unconcious form of Bazli, smiling to herself. She walked into the darkness, joining the Orcs and Uruk-hai, singing a drinking song in Orcish.
Many hours later, Elvaldur stood up, groaning. The Orcs and Uruk-hai were gone, and so were many of his men. Only 10 survived, along with the Aelfborn woman, Larien. The party started off to the South again, without another word. Tears stained all of their cheeks.
The wheels creaked along the path, into the grey snow, the party's personality matching the twilight gray around them. The only sound that could be heard for a long while was the creaking of wheels, the coughing of men, babies crying, and mothers shushing them. A scout ran to the party, breathless. He panted to Elvaldur "Orcs....Uruk hai....along the next ridge...." Elvaldur furrowed his brow, brooding. The party stopped. Elvaldur looked up, brow smooth once again. "What's wrong with you, fools? Keep going, we're not going to get scared by a couple of Orcs." Elvaldur said this a bit too loudly, his voice shaking ever so slightly. He knew it was more than a couple of Orcs...it was probably 5 score or even more, sent to invade the mountains. Elvaldur was the only one who had seen that many Orcs, and knew his men would be too weary. He stopped again, asking the scout beside him, "How much extra armour and weapons do we have?" The scout closed his eyes, thinking. "Oh....about enough for 30 men." Elvaldur pondered this, calling out "Any women or boys who want to fight for their people, get armour and swords. Now."He started off again.
As Bazli suited up, he had the strong feeling of dread. The party had now come to the ridge, where a small line of Orcs could be seen. Both parties stopped in mid-stride as they examined each other. The men nd women lined up in a ragtag front line as they went down the slope, stopping about 3/4 of the way down, as the Orcs ran up the slope. Bazli stood on the front line, as he was gripped with a Vision. He threw down his weapon, and ran up the slope, falling in the snow, heading towards the rest of the fighters, women, and children. "THEY'RE IN THE SNOW! THEY'RE IN THE SN-" Bazli was cut off as a man punched him with a gauntleted hand, knocking him out cold. Orcs and Uruk-hai raised up from the snow, surrounding the party, hissing. They charged.
Elvaldur screamed, kicking his horse hard in the side, running down the slope towards the Orcs, long Mirkwood blade held in front of him, decapitating several Orcs before he jumped off his horse, spinning around three times before landing on the ground, his blade going straight through a Uruk-hai. One of the horses attached to a wagon became terrified as a flaming arrow hit the wagon, made of tinder-dry wood and food. The horse and wagon, now consumed by flames ran down the slope, unable to stop. The flaming wagon swung around, hitting five men before it and the horse lay on the ground. Elvaldur watched his men dying, and stopped everything, just staring. A long, black, fearsome lookigng arrow hit him in the side, as an Elf, clothed all in black came out of the darkness, smiling, pale face visible in sharp contrast to the black of his cloak. The Elf spoke "Ah...Elvaldur....we meet again, though I am sad to say this time in less....desirable conditons." Elvaldur's face was stricken, as he realized who it was. Maeglin, his own brother. Elvaldur looked at his brother, screaming "FLESH OF MY FLESH, YET TRAITOR TO MY BLOOD. SON OF MORGOTH, SON OF DARKNESS BE GONE. MAY LIGHT FILL YOUR LIFE ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR ENDLESS LIFE!" A slight breeze picked up around Maeglin as Elvaldur spoke these words, the Darkness lifting a bit. Elvaldur then babbled mindlessly in Elvish, as Maeglin punched him, knocking him out. Maeglin smiled as he raised his sword, but another black arrow struck him in the side. Maeglin's eyes widened, as his head rolled off his neck. A woman, with long, greasy, dark hair stood where Maeglin stood, tatooes covering half of her face. She picked Elvaldur up with incredible ease, saying a few words in Elvish, rousing him. She spoke in a soft voice. "I am Larien of Nagothrond, Aelfborn as well." Elvaldur groaned, and slipped back into unconciousness. She put Elvaldur down in a grotto in the rocks, and went to fight. As the Orcs, Uruk-hai, and Elves began to leave, a Dark Elf picked up the unconcious form of Bazli, smiling to herself. She walked into the darkness, joining the Orcs and Uruk-hai, singing a drinking song in Orcish.
Many hours later, Elvaldur stood up, groaning. The Orcs and Uruk-hai were gone, and so were many of his men. Only 10 survived, along with the Aelfborn woman, Larien. The party started off to the South again, without another word. Tears stained all of their cheeks.