Chapter 5: Part 2

At the dinner table the plates where being laid as work went on around them, as the room it self doubled as a kitchen. Steeping in General smiled as he showed of the poor seats to Elizabeth and Theodore who sat down and the food was laid out on the table.

"Shall we begin?" asked the General sitting down.

"Uh shouldn't we wait." pointed out Elizabeth.

"That is your choice, around her what food we can gather is often small, rodents and wildlife."

As he spoke roast rabbit was placed down on to the table.

"But we often do find larger game in the woods."

A single glance to the current meat being placed on the table was enough to know what he had meant.

Then in came Vincent busting in with a passion.

"Oh good you're here, we having some 'game'." repeated Elizabeth.

"We have no time for games." panicked Vincent.

The General laughed as he watched from his seat.

"What's going on?" asked Elisabeth rising up.

"I think it's in our best intestates to leave."

"Why? Where's Snarlg?"

As the two began to bicker Theodore was drawn to the general, holding his hands up to his face he leaned in and smiled as he watched. Simply smiling with a sinister grin as all the sounds in the distance grew over closer and louder. Soon his smiles grew as he began to crackle until it turned in to laughter, that pulled their gazes on him. To bare witness to him pulling out the shattered end of a black blade and lunge towards them.

Jumping out of the way Theodore bumped in to the others and the attacked missed by a scratch, the General was know leaning on the table holding his weapon.

"I think it's time we leave." said Vincent.

"I agree." nodded Elizabeth braking out his frost blade and slamming it in to the table.

"You missed." teased the General seeing the blade hadn't struck him.

"I wasn't aiming for you." she replied.

Looking down the General saw forest and ice was spreading and soon caught his foot, trapping it to the table. Pulling her blade free Elizabeth gathered both Vincent and Theodore as she hurried them to the door.

Out side Snarlg was doing battle with his mace swinging it as he crushed in Orc heads and caved in their ribs. The Orc's had no amour, and only wore what little cloth and fabric they had strewn together, allowing for the easy alienation. Joining Snarlg Vincent and Elizabeth started fighting their way though, but Theodore was with out a weapon. Seeing this as she swung back Elizabeth threw him her sword as she backed up taking out the bow.

"My Queen." she smiled jumping in to the fray with his new weapon.

The door came down with a slam as an Orc fell down with it.

"I didn't think it would hit him that hard." said Vincent.

"Never mind." said Elizabeth scrambling out.

Following after her they soon found them selves in court yard like area looking over the gate that led out of the fort. Racing out they made to the wall and looked over head seeing their exit just a long drop and sudden stop away.

"Where not making that?" said Vincent.

"Our scales our tough." insisted Elizabeth.

"Yes but our insides are not.

Spinning back around they saw an army of Orc's closing in on them, the General pushed his way to the lead, his foot still coated in ice with a section of the table still attached.

"How many of your are there?"

"We where few but now we are many, there where survivors out side us, we brought all we could here."

The others were caught of guard by something taller at the back getting closer.

"We hunted what ever, or who ever came to close to our walls and yet that foolish king who stays in his ivory place, sending out hoard's to hunt us, has no idea where here."

"Don't worry." came heavy breathes. "He will."

Spinning around the Orc's caught sight of Thanion who stood pulling his blade form a gutted Orc.

"ELF!" shouted the General get him.

The Orc's spun around and charged Thanion as he pulled out the spare to duel wiled to fend off his attackers.

"Know can we jump over the side?" asked Elizabeth looking away from the battle.

"I don't think I could hold us all." worried Vincent.

"There is another way." said Theodore.

The two turned to face him.

"Speak up." insisted Vincent.

"We could make use to the ice form the bow and sword."

"Smart." smiled Elizabeth.

"I suppose we can use that. But how."

Thanion was still feeling the biting pain of his would waling through his body, as he cut down the Orc's in his path, slashing with all his strength he found more wounds making his way in to his body, but as he peered over the Orc's towards his prize, he found it was gone.

On the wall was Snarlg hand gripped the stone wall, as he dangled over the side. Hanging on to him was Vincent who in turn held Elizabeth who held Theodore, by his his drop was still a threat even at the height they all where at, dangling over the fort's main wall, and it was all on Vincent holding the ice bow.

"What know?" asked Elizabeth.

"Just let me." he said lining up a shot in to a near by tree.

He held the string back long enough to enhance the ice's strength the spread, as it Grew he kept shooting long icicles growing out the ice, making a long ice poll.

"I can't see what's going on?" asked Vincent.

"I think it's working." replied Elizabeth.

"What is?"

With every shot the ice grew longer and longer.

"Almost there." he said shooting one more shot.

Snarlg shot his face towards the wall as he felt a presence grew closer, he watched as it raised a hand as they came in to view, seeing what they where about do Snarlg let go. Falling forward they all kept their grip and Theodore reached out with his hands reaching the ice just about swinging everyone under as he took hold, but the ice broke under their combined weight and they dropped to the ground.

"That was less then lethal." said Vincent.

"Speak for your self." said Elizabeth getting up.

"Why did Snarlg let go?" asked Theodore.

"Yes why did he let go." wondered Vincent

The three looked up to see Thanion standing on the walls edge, they watched as he squinted and jumped over. He dove the spear in to the wall to slow his fall, it dug in to the stone sharpening the blade as it went, allowing him to drop down and land before them before collapsing in to kneel. Theodore charged over.

"Theodore wait." called Elizabeth.

But as he reached Thanion he looked him down, the Elf was to weak to stand let alone attack allowing Theodore to snap back his spare, before returning to the others.

"Should we kill him?" wondered Vincent.

"Leave him, were in a hurry." said Elizabeth. "We've been detoured far to long."

"Good point."

The four then made haste further west in to the woods.

Having cleared the woods the group came out in to the fields that lay out far beyond the woods.

"Where would we be, on the map now, if we where still on it?" asked Elizabeth?

"Uh." said Vincent pulling out his map "We came across a road, that would have led us towards the border road on he edge of our map. But it still does us no good, as we still need to find Moria."

"What is Moria?" asked Theodore

"A women said is was the only place to find Minthril."

"Silver." corrected Elizabeth.

"Yes, but we don't know where it is in comparison to where we are." he said wailing the map around.

"Stop that." Insisted Elizabeth.

Vincent put the map away as they looked around the vast plains.

"The mountains are a good start." Suggested Theodore.

"We need to first find a settlement not bent on killing us." said Vincent "Seeing as everyone we've met has not been of any help."

"He's still right we only need to find aid and ounce we are in familiar territory."

"And how long might that take."

"Lets we keep moving, there's no point in standing around doing nothing."

Moving through the fields they went as they spoke on their next move.

The words of friend's and foes filled the air around them as they moved further west.

"So the new plan is to reach Moria, that much we know." said Vincent. "But how we find a place in all the south lands we are."

"Like we said, we find someone to help us."

"And where do we find them, we are on time sensative mission."

"That's why we are walking as we discuss this."

"That's part of the problem, we don't seem to be getting anywhere."

"But we are moving forward."

"To what, we have no plan, no idea of what we are even going to find, nor discover out here."

"When your are lost and there is but no path to follow, the only way out is to keep moving forward."

Vincent stopped taking in Elizabeth's words before starting up again as he followed after them.

"Where did you here those words?" he asked.

"Jealous?" she sniggered.

"No, I was wondering where you heard such tripe."

"Mr father wrote me those words."

"What did he mean by them."

"If you've lost your way, and don't know where to go. The way forward is the only option left to take."

"But forward is what ever direction your face and choose to walk."

"No, it means what path you have left to take, we head towards lands we know on our the map and look help finding Moria."

"You got me there." he con-seeded.

And so they carried on though fields, and soon the sound the flowing water was calling to their ears. The growing sound caused excitement as they soon rushed closer and as the sound grew the water came in to view and was a found site to them all, soon they where all racing to the waters edge. It sat beside the land of the forest Lothlórien, but their minds went not to the forest but the water it self.

Coming to the banks, they fell to their knees and looked at them selves looking back at them, their faces distorted in the waters surface, only broken by their plunging their heads in braking the surface. They took in all the water they could, before pulling out their heads wet and dripping, wile Snarlg sat idle as he let his body rest on the waters, as the others took the time to rest on the shore of the river. Choosing to remove what little clothes they had they dropped down to the bare scale's and chose to clean them in the water of the river.

Wile other spices poses out going appearance to detect female and male bodies of a species Dragon-Kinn do not have such features on show, as it's hard to see where these lie with the naked eye. All though they are called Dragon-Kinn, they are in fact more closely related to snakes and serpents. This is true in body and biology, as they are know for shedding skin, which is often used to insulate the body amour of the Gnargs who are accustomed to warmer temperatures.

As the water ran down their scales they rejoiced in the sun rise that came up over the sky and dry them as they parted the water.

Thanion still struggled though the woods, driven by anger and hatred he found the strength that drove him forward, as he fell form tree to tree, stumbling his way forward. But the further he moved and fell the more he had to crawl him self back up, but his strength was falling away as he tried to grip the trees.

Falling to the floor he shook up the forest floor and looked up to see a figure loom over him, reaching out a hand Thanion was glad to have it taken in they pulled him up, to great them face to face.

"I didn't think you'd come." he said as leaned on a tree to stand.

The figure chose to turn and leave.

"Didn't you receive the Kings address, they are still out there."

Choosing to remain silent the figure looked back.

"I see, if that's how it is, I will do this alone."

Lowering their head the figure turned back around and put their arm under Thanion's to help him.

"Thank you." he said as he helped though the woods.

The figure kept quite as they made haste.

"I'm sorry, for everything." said Thanion almost quelling up.

"Don't." they said, speaking at last.

Now it was Thanion who chose to keep quite.

"After you where overcome by obsession, I chose to wait for you. Hopping you'd join me, join the kids."

Thanion looked away.

"They missed you, all the way up to their journey to the Grey Haven's."

His tears said it all as he hung his head.

"I could not leave, knowing you where still..." she lost her words. "Harbouring your obsessions."

Thanion looked to his wife of many years, her skin was smooth as silk and urban hair still the same length it had been since they first met. She had not aged a day over five hundred, and to still looked like she was under two hundred and fifty.

"I'm going to leave as well."

"What." said Thanion braking his silence.

"I've spent so much time, hoping for your return. But it seems there is little hope left for you."

Before he could answer they had came to the edge of the forest where more Elf's had gathered.

"This is as far as I go." she said parting form him.

"Wait." he said as he was left to lean on a tree.

"No, I waited for you long enough, you know where I'll be."

Trying to follow her, he fell forward landing him on his knees. Reaching out he watched as she left him behind as the other Elf's blocked his view and picked him up to carry him away.

Quill hit paper as the ink was taken form the pot to the page, as it was moved in such a way it created words, in symbols that slithered like a snake. As the scaled hand looked over at the words he had put on the parchment he stained the page with a tear, before a large knock came form a far.

"Just a moment he called."

Looking over Alistair saw as a guard stepped in, he was in the queen's chambers and he looked back to the page, then to his ink pot that was no empty. Looking back to the words he had written, more tears fell marking the page, forcing himself to wipe away the tears he lay the page on the bed and put the quill back in the pot. As he got up and made his way over to the door, he stopped and looked at the guard.

"Has the time come?" he asked.

"Yes, yes it has." the guard replied.

"And there has been no word of the queen's return."

"No." sighed the guard.

"Very well." he nodded "Has everything been prepared."

"Yes, and you will be serving your people."

"Yet it will leave you in worse position."

"Don't make this harder on your self."

Sighing he nodded and was escorted out as the door closed behind them.