"How in Tymora's name did we end up in this place?" The blonde man was bemused. One minute they had been on their way to Waterdeep, and the next they were in the middle of some woods. No road in sight.
The brunette man next to him hissed, "You probably did something wrong, now we're all being punished."
"The only thing I've done wrong is listen to you speak constantly!"
She looked over her shoulder, her hands gripping her blades. She was not in a good mood, and the constant bickering was starting to aggravate her more than the usual. Staring at them through brilliant green eyes, she waited for them to be silent, and proceeded to address them in elvish. I don't care who's fault it is at this time. I want to go home. If we can figure out what area of Faerun we're in, we can figure out how to get back to Waterdeep.>
"This looks like no part of Faerun I've ever been too." the blonde said bluntly, causing both of his companions to glare at him. "What? I'm sorry, but I speak true."
The three continued on, this time with no conversation. Andrinor is right, she thought, this is unlike anything I have ever seen. Even the horses are nervous. The woods here are more alive than any I've walked through. The forest is so angry.> she spoke softly, not even realizing the words had left her mouth.
The two men looked at her startled.
There is a clearing up ahead. she told them, put her helm back on, and trudged in that direction.
They came upon the clearing, to find a group of four already there. Two humans, a dwarf, and an elf, who looked just as surprised to see the others, as they were to see them. One of the humans, an old man dressed in white robes approached them; the other three stood behind him weapons drawn.
"Greetings, I am Gandalf the White." he spoke, raising his hand in greeting. He spoke in common, his voice sounding foreign to them. He looked at the three that had been delivered to them for aid. Two were male; the third was in full, plate mail and helm. The person in armor stood around 5'9", and the armor held a faint blue glow. One of the men was around 5'10", medium to slim build, studded leather armor, and a brown cloak. He was equipped with several weapons, and a bladed gauntlet. He had long brown hair, and several days were of stubble on his face. His ears were just slightly pointed, and he wore some sort of pendant around his neck. The other man, the blonde, was around 5'8". He was also medium build. Wearing dark black armor, he also had several weapons. His ears were normal.
Kat looked at her two party members, and back to the man. Tanzier, the brunette stepped forward. "Greetings, I am Tanzier. These are my companions Andrinor, and Kat." he said motioning to his friends. "We are lost, and are seeking to find what part of Faerun we have been transported to."
Gandalf stared at the man, and sensed his honesty. "Faerun? Good gracious me, I don't know of a Faerun. You are in Middle Earth., currently on the Riddemark." Gandalf saw the confusion on the face of the two men. The third figure hadn't made a sound, but he'd seen the hands tighten on the hilts of the blades. "Come, we will make camp for the evening. At first light we head to Edoras, capital of Rohan. You can accompany us, and we will try to find what has happened to misplace you."
The man, Tanzier, spoke briefly and quietly to his two companions. They spoke in a foreign tongue which sounded similar to elvish, but yet not the same. Then he turned to them. "We appreciate your hospitality and offer. We would like to accept."
The group made camp just within the shelter of the trees. Gandalf made the introductions of his traveling companions. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. The armored figure still had its back to them, but had taken the helm off. They could see the ebony hair falling down its back, with small war braids on the sides. So far the person had yet to speak to the group.
"You are human, yet not?" Legolas asked Tanzier.
"I am. I am half elven." he said grinning at the bemused look on the blonde elf's face.
"Does your friend speak?" the man Aragorn asked. He was still unsure of having these people join them. When Gandalf had told them they would be meeting new allies, he hadn't known what to expect. So far they didn't look like they would be too much of an asset. He knew he shouldn't make assumptions, but they had already lost so much.
The brunette gave an apologetic grin to the man, and called over his shoulder, Now Kat, let's not be rude to these people. They are trying to help us. We can find out where we are. You won't be stuck listening to Andrinor this evening.> he cajoled. Andrinor, the blonde, snorted at them. Kat threw a grin over her shoulder and walked back to them.
She was a beautiful woman. The ebony hair, vivid green almond shaped eyes, pert upturned nose, a cupids bow mouth, and very pointy ears. Legolas's mouth dropped open in shock, as did the other people they'd just met.
"You are Elf kind." Aragorn spoke softly.
"That I am." when she spoke her voice was accented, but it had a musical quality to it. "You seem startled by my appearance." she said, her eyes slightly narrowed.
"Forgive us; it is not… often that we see a female in armor. Elf kind or human." he explained.
"Yes, well, I've found in battle I fair much better wearing it rather than carrying it." she said dryly.
The brunette, Tanzier, smiled wider. "I fear that was the longest speech you will get out of her. She is a woman high in passion, and short in words."
"What need I words, when my blades are sharper." she retorted.
"What need of blades, when Tanzier's honeyed tongue can do the job?" Andrinor teased. Kat laughed, and Tanzier blushed slightly.
Tanzier held the pendant out, extended on its chain, "This is our good friend Dromlar." The pendant was gold, that of a rising sun.
"You name your jewelry?" Gimli asked.
"Nay, Dromlar is not jewelry. This is the holy symbol of Lathander. Dromlar's body was stolen, and his essence went into the medallion. We carry him with us always." He dropped the pendant back to his chest, and headed off to hunt.
"And he gives us his counsel on all things." Andrinor added.
"Especially when we don't want it." Kat smirked.
The woman, Kat, was busy removing her armor, revealing a slender, muscular body, with high full breasts. Under the armor, she was in a white linen blouse, and brown leather leggings. The leggings clung to her almost as a second skin, and rode low on her hips. She had taken off her boots, and even her dainty bare feet were lovely. She sat down on a log to mend and care of her armor, not really saying much as the two men did all of the talking.
They explained that they had been on their way to a town called Waterdeep, when a brilliant white light flashed, and they found themselves in this forest. They had no clue what had happened, or how to get back.
Gandalf finally spoke, puffing on a pipe, "I was told of your coming. We have need of your aid." He then told the story of the ring, and the events that had led up to where they were now. "We are fighting a great evil in Sauron. You were sent here for a purpose. Of this I am convinced."
Kat spoke without looking up from her armor, her lilting voice seeming out of place. "You say we were brought here to aid your cause against this Sauron? How are we to know that it isn't Sauron who is in the right?"
At her words Gimli shot up off the log he was sitting on. "Listen here, you..." He began angrily; his accent rolling heavily with his words. Before the first words were out of his mouth, both Aragorn and Legolas had one hand on either side pulling him back. Most astonishing though, was that there were two blades crossed at his neck being held by the she elf. "On my beard, I never even saw you move…" he said faintly, noticing that she seemed completely at ease, no expression on her face, no tension in her body.
"Keep in mind Sir Dwarf; I have been brought to a place I know nothing about. My only priority at this time is myself and my friend's survival." she slowly pulled her swords away from the dwarf. Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn were standing as still as statues, keeping their eyes on the woman they had underestimated. "I have no qualms with doing what is necessary for that."
"Why don't you allow me to tell a little story?" A wizened voice intoned. The group looked over to Gandalf, who had not moved an inch, still puffing away on his pipe.
Kat shot a grin at the old man. He was definitely more than just a wizard, she thought to herself, in fact he reminded her of Elminster.
Andrinor and Tanzier were still watching the squabble, tension seeping out of their muscles, pulling their hands away from their weapons. They looked at each other, knowing that the danger had passed.
Gandalf proceeded to tell their new friends of the first war, and the evil of Sauron and the one ring of power. At the end of the telling Kat, Andrinor, and Tanzier looked at each other in astonishment.
"Soooooo, what you're telling us," Andrinor began cautiously. "Well, you're basically telling us that the reason you're having this horrible dilemma now is because of weakness and greed?"
Tanzier looked at Gandalf for confirmation that what his friend was saying was accurate.
"Correct." Aragorn supplied. Kat snorted in derision, and Aragorn looked at her with amazement. "Are you laughing at this evil?"
"Um, let me explain, or at least try to…" Andrinor began quickly, trying to head off another disagreement. "Perhaps it is that we… would have handled things….well, differently." he finished.
"All this trouble over a greedy man, and a high and mighty elf." Tanzier muttered.
"And what pray tell, would you have done differently?" Legolas asked hotly, anger at these people who knew nothing, yet insulted Lord Elrond.
Andrinor smiled wryly, and looked to Kat, "Kat dearest, what would you have done if say, Lord Pygiron had done as this king of men did?"
Kat looked up at the blonde; the whetstone halting momentarily from sharpening her blade. "I would have told him he'd made the wrong choice, and pushed him over the side."
"And Kat, when asked what happened, what would you have said?" Tanzier finished asking.
"I would have either said, he chose to sacrifice himself with the ring, feeling it had altered his judgment forever, or that he slipped off the narrow precipice, and fell to his death." Kat blinked slowly, and resumed sharpening.
All but Gandalf stared at the female in shock. "What kind of elf are you?" Legolas asked in horror. "That such a lie could fall from your lips, or that you would take the life of a man not in control of himself."
Kat leaned forward and looked at the blonde elf lazily, "I am the 'kind of elf' that was called here to assist you because two men were not strong enough to get it done the first time." She put away the whetstone, and continued. "We are the people who will help you to destroy evil. If you aren't happy with this prospect, well, that really isn't a concern of mine. If helping you win your war is what I have to do to get us home, then so be it. You will win your war, and I will happily return home. You need not concern yourself with my conscious, I sleep quite easily with the decisions I've made, and the actions I've had to take."
"You are supposed to be an elven maiden, not some murderer." Legolas spouted angrily.
"Well, that is too bad now, isn't it? I am no elf maid who sits and strums harps, or embroiders. I am a warrior and a damn good one. How is letting the man who let this horrible evil continue less than murder? How many people have died due to this Sauron? It could all have been stopped in one instant. You could be sipping tea right now with your precious elven maids." she stood and stretched. "In all truth, I'd say you should count yourselves lucky. You could ask for no better than what you have now received. I shall take second watch." With that she strode a short way to her backpack, stretched out on the ground, and went to sleep.
"What kind of world do you come from?" Aragorn asked still reeling from the shock of their words.
"Obviously our lands are of great difference." Tanzier told the confused man. "Here it appears you make choices based on the simple fact that there is only one name to your evil. Where we are from, we fight many evils, and strive for honor, but even mere survival comes at a high price. For Kat that price was the loss of her family, and most of her memory when she was very young."
Andrinor added. "In our land it seems no matter how much bad you destroy, or put a stop to, two more nightmares take their place. It is a constant battle, and a wearing one. You should not judge Kat for knowing how to survive. Together we have saved countless people from the evil that threatens. She is hard to befriend, but once friendship is given she will go to any length to help you."