<font color=lightgrey>After the cold of the mountains the warmth of the plains was welcoming and the going was easier for Kalam and Turin. Therlion had ridden the horse all along and by now had recovered, but his body would never again be the same.

A day and half after they left they reached the lands of the Easthomes.</font>

[ 05-07-2005, 07:01 AM: Message edited by: dplax ]

<font color=orchid>Kalam Easthome

Kalam had been brooding since they had left the mountain cave. His thoughts drifted between his people and his dead father and all that had happened in the last three days. His life had fallen apart and he had to gather up the pieces at the same time as he assumed leadership over his people. The responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders and his two companions could see this.</font>

<font color=skyblue>Turin

Turin was worried about the new young lord. He would need time and help adjusting to the new atmosphere, but in the end of it all, the city would be a safe place, and the removal of the servants of evil would make for a huge assistance to those that battled Morgoth.

Turin knew that now that this mission was over, he would have to move on and get back into the main scheme of things with the war against the Dark Lord that had taken over Middle Earth. But first things were first. He had to find his friends. Roland and Robyn came to his mind. Were they well? Were they safe? As soon as they got back, Turin was first going to find those two and make sure they were alright. He could not wait to see that place again. Everyone would surely be thrilled at having Kalam back and well. </font>

[ 01-23-2005, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

<font color=lightgrey>Tired are the arms which fought a long battle and tired are the feet which brought him this far, but Eönwë, the Herald of Manwë himself had bade him carry the news into this part of the world about the defeat of the Dark Lord. He had spotted the three riders half an hour ago on the horizon and had hidden himself among the grass. When they got nearer he saw that one of them was an elf. They weren't servants of the Dark Lord then. He stood up to show himself. He was a middle-aged man with a strong physique. A long, fresh scar ran down the left side of his face. It looked to be only a few days old.

<font color=darkred>"Hail travellers! Let it be known in the name of Manwë the great that the power of the Dark Lord is no more. Three days ago he was overcome in a great battle. When we had lost all hope the host of the Valar came and overthrew Morgoth, the one originally known as Melkor. Tell this joyous news to anyone you meet friends. I have to move on to spread the news even further."</font>

He picked up his pack from the grass, but looked at the three travelers, as if waiting whether they had questions.</font>

OOC: just bumping this. Come on Bozos! [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=orchid>Kalam Easthome

"That is good news indeed."

Kalam then drifted back into his silent, brooding state, which he had nearly not left since he had learnt of his father's death.</font>

OOC: muchas excusinos fur der procrastinatio dplax-san. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

<font color=silver>Therlion

Travelling with his companions, Therlion observed their emotions. Kalam's silent brooding got worse day by day. He has much on his mind now, as well as on his shoulders. Therlion also saw that Turin's eyes often turned to the new lordling, worrying about his and the town's future. That, as well as another set of concerns. Their friends and allies, Roland, Feldorn, Bober and Robyn, who Therlion and Turin haven seen in a week, some even more. Normally, not a long time, but the last few days have changed more than any five days in the history of Middle earth. Therlion shared the same concerns, and one more. Harmeth. Therlion hoped like nothing else to see Harmeth's big, blue eyes again. Therlion looked longingly at the general direction of teh town as a man approached them. His armor, his strong build, as well as a fresh scar over the side of his face meant the man was recently in battle. Tidings? Therlion thought before the man spoke. <font color=darkred>"Hail travellers! Let it be known in the name of Manwë the great that the power of the Dark Lord is no more. Three days ago he was overcome in a great battle. When we had lost all hope the host of the Valar came and overthrew Morgoth, the one originally known as Melkor. Tell this joyous news to anyone you meet friends. I have to move on to spread the news even further."</font> Tidings indeed. Good even! Therlion's thoughts drifted, imagining the Valar coming down on the enemy in the crucial point. He was pleased that it was all over now. The world was free of the evil of Morgoth, altho at great expense. The time to rebuild, to restore has come upon the land, Therlion realised. He also realised that he no longer had an enemy to fear, that he was free to look for his companions. He remembered the visions when he was unconcious. It could still come true, he thought. He could still be together with Harmeth, have a beautiful life... then he also remembered himself in the visions. His own body, weak... But it did nothing to sink his hopes now. The thoughts of happiness with Harmeth was all Therlion thought about now, all he let himself think about. And it was good.</font>

[ 02-08-2005, 05:12 PM: Message edited by: Bozos of Bones ]

OOC: The edit has happened. I shall be moving the plot on tomorrow.

[ 02-08-2005, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]

<font color=lightblue>The messenger left them and made his way more towards the south. Kalam turned to Therlion and Turin.

<font color=orchid>"Morgoth's defeat means that our town is now free from the burden placed on it. Come, I wish to see the walls of my city, and it's people again."</font>

Kalam urged his horse to a comfortable trot and then looked back to see the others following him. The town was not far away and in less than two hours time they came in sight of it. Or at least of what remained of it. All that remained of the town were the smoldering ruins of it. Some pillars and parts of walls still stood, but mostly the city was just a pile of ash and here and there bodies of dead soldiers or citizens could be seen. Around the town and inside there were also dozens of bodies of dead orcs. Yet nowhere among the dead could Kalam, Turin and Therlion find either their companions or Harmeth.

Their search through the rubble of the town led the to the city hall, which was the only intact structure in the whole town, due to it being built out of stone. Yet the large entrance doors had been torn off of their hinges and their burnt remains were next to the building. As the three companions went inside they were confronted by destruction and looting. In the quarters of the Easthome family the paintings had been torn of the walls and books lay on the floor, their pages blowing in the slight breeze coming through the smashed window. Kalam fell to his knees in front of his sister's room and putting his head in his hands started slowly crying.

In the main hall as Turin went that way he encountered a gruesome scene. On the table, where not even two weeks ago he had feasted the body of the late guard captain was stretched out surrounded by pools of dried blood. His head was several feet away from the body, at the farther end of the table. The face betrayed the amount of pain the man had faced before finally dying. Remains of orcish food were on the table and littering the floor next to it.

Therlion made his way towards the quarters of the cooks and maids and there found them. All were dead, horribly mutilated.</font>

<font color=skyblue>Turin

Turin had not expected so great of news to be as the one given him by the messenger. Morgoth had fallen faster than had even been planned! The Valar must have had a hand in this great victory. he could not wait to see his friends again and tell them the good news. Now that it was all over, maybe he'd stay in Kalam's city and live out the rest of his life in peace.


No explanation could be found. No feeling could be expressed. To see the charred and smoldering city as it lay in ruin brought back too many memories of lost loved ones. The more they searched the remains for those that he knew, and could not find, the more heavy his heart became. Robyn, Roland...where were they? Could they have escaped? Been captured? Or did they meet their end here, somewhere? Despair was quickly turning into anger, and Turin could take it no longer. He screamed to the top of his lungs into the air, filled with horrible anguish. Why had this thing happened to him twice?

He finally found voice enough to curse this tragedy and swear an oath that he would discover who did this, and eliminate them, one by one, to the entire army if he had to, and would find out what happened to his friends. They would sit in the graves unavenged. </font>

<font color=lightgrey>For Turin:

Silence follows the curses of the man. A heavy silence carrying the scent of death on it. The silence is broken by small scratching sounds behind cracks in the walls. The stench of decay is made heavier by the smell of rat feces and urine. A small rat emerges from a crack in one of the walls, where it had hidden when the man came close. The rat runs to the corpse it had been feasting on and calmly starts to chew on an ear.

A voice startles Turin from behind him. The voice of Kalam.

<font color=orchid>"Everyone's dead here. If there are survivors they shall have gone to Easthelm, the family keep twenty miles north of here. Your friends might also be there."</font></font>

[ 02-27-2005, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]

<font color=lightgrey>For Therlion:

As gruesome as the sight of the severed head of the guard captain is, the elf finds the silence and the total destruction of the town even worse. No sign of his friends. No sign of his companions. No sign of no one. And especially no sign of Harmeth, the one who had managed to charm him, the elf. A ray of sunlight penetrated through the broken shards of the window and the fractured light gave an unearthly air to the room. A voice, distant reached Therlion's keen elven hearing. The voice of Kalam, no doubt speaking to Turin.

<font color=orchid>"Everyone's dead here. If there are survivors they shall have gone to Easthelm, the family keep twenty miles north of here. Your friends might also be there."</font></font>

<font color=skyblue>Turin

For a long time, Turin just stood there, </font> no shit, right?! <font color=skyblue> trying to bring himself out of the despair that had sent him into a hellish abyss.

There was still a hope, as Kalam had said.

"Then let us depart from this massacre and seek those that are alive, for I know that there are survivors. There has to be! And they will need our help. Their defences are probably weakened and they wait for our arrival. Let us go!"</font>

OOC: at last someone posts!!! I've been waiting for this during several weeks. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=lightgrey>For Turin and Therlion:

Kalam and Turin walked to where Therlion was.

<font color=orchid>"Do not dwell on those who are already dead, Therlion. There are several bodies missing and other subtle signs indicate that some survivors might have gone to Easthelm, my family's keep twenty miles from here."</font>

Kalam then looked at the gruesome corpse of the guard captain on the table. A grave determination appeared on his face and he could be seen silently whispering words.</font>

OOC: I'm ready to move out, just leaving it open for any reactions. If you don't want to post anything then pm me.

<font color=skyblue>Turin

"So what are we waiting on! Let's go now!"

Turin was desperate to resolve this matter, and he knew that Robyn and Roland would still be alive. They had to be.

Life had been so...empty after the deaths of his family, and he had found two people during this adventure that could finally fill that gap in his heart...and he was not about to lose that.

He was so anxious that he was visibly shaking. </font>

OOC: I... well, I don't know what to say, something made me not post here... It's been three months, and that is some long time! Bet you all hate me now, huh? But, here I am to rectify that now!

<font color=silver>Therlion

"Ha.. they... are not here. Kalam, lead the way to Easthelm, we will find them there." not for a second did Therlion think that Harmeth could be dead. Therlion's eyes fell on the head of the guard captain again. No. Harmeth can not be dead. "They are there."
</font>

<font color=orchid>Kalam Easthome

Kalam, solemn and silent led Turin and Therlion towards the house under which the tunnel led out from the town. Even a preliminary inspection was enough to show that several orcs, maybe a dozen had died trying to enter the house. The underground passageway leading out of the town was however collapsed and they could not go that way.

They collected their horses and exited the still smoking town through the destroyed main gate. About two dozen bodies were thrown around the town gates. Looking at them Kalam recognized four of them and a tear appeared in his eye. Friends he would never see again, people he had known. Why had this mindless destruction happened?

He spoke for the first time after leaving the town next to a small stream in the plains, where they had stopped to let the horses drink, an hour later.

"Tell me Turin, if all this is over, and we find those we are looking for, what would you do? I would need men as yourself, when I rebuild all my family has lost."</font>

<font color=skyblue>Turin

"I have no family, no home, and no job now that the war is over. If you need me to help you rebuild your town, I shall be in your charge.

Tell me. How far is this place that we go? And are there any neighboring villages nearby?"</font>

[ 05-17-2005, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

<font color=orchid>Kalam Easthome

"My family's keep is nestled at the side of a small mountain about fifteen hours journey on foot from here. Our horses should manage the distance in about three-four hours if we push them hard. And given the current circumstances I would prefer speed."

He thought back for a moment on what Turin had said and a smile flashed across his face.

"You are a good man Turin. Without you I would already be dead and having you by my side would be wonderful."

Kalam took an amulet from around his neck.

"My father gave me this amulet when I was five years old. It reached until my stomach then, but now it only reaches my chest."

Sadness could be felt in Kalam's voice as he reminisced about the past.

"When I was still young he had told me that I was going to be a great ruler of my people. That was before he was seduced by the lies of Morgoth."

"He changed so much after the first envoy from Morgoth arrived."

At this point Kalam mounted his horse and indicated Turin and Therlion do the same thing. They set out slowly at first so that Kalam could finish what he was saying.

"It happened at nightfall. A rider cloaked in black came and wanted to talk to my father. I was seventeen years old at the time. My father conferred privately with this man, and when the man left he seemed very grave as if he had been threatened. I never learnt what had happened between them, but the next year my father led our troops against the neighbouring village, who had been our allies for a long time. And two years after that he openly declared his support of Morgoth."

Kalam put the amulet back around his neck.

"He was a good man at heart, but it was as if he had acted under a spell or a threat to his life. I thank you Turin for having delivered him from whatever was afflicting him. It is the best that it had happened this way, even though it saddens me greatly to have lost the great man he had been before he fell to the dark side."

Kalam remained silent for several minutes, as he left Turin digest what he had just said.

"I hope to be able to follow the example my father set in his earlier years. He was a just ruler in those times. But I do not know whether I shall be able to take the responsibility in these hard times."

He looked in turn at Turin and then Therlion.

"I shall need people like you two to help me. You have already said that you shall help me Turin, but will you also do so Therlion? I'm sure my sister would like that." - he added with a wink.</font>

<font color=silver>Therlion

Therlion thought for a long moment, he imagined what kind of task would he be doing in Kalam's service. He remembered the vision, of a house alone in the mountains, living there together with Harmeth. It would be nice, that kind of life. But it could wait, more pressing matters needed Therlion's attention. "Yes, I would like to be in your employ. Not many lands can say they have a wizard working for them." he gave Kalam a deep look before saying more "I want to make sure these lands rise from the ashes into a beautiful realm."
</font>

[ 05-27-2005, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: Bozos of Bones ]

<font color=orchid>Kalam Easthome

Kalam heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Therlion, it means so much to me that you and Turin are by my side."

His fingers started fiddling with one of the saddlestraps, and then as if having reached a decision, he pulled the strap fast.

"Now let us make haste. I would prefer reaching the fort before nightfall."</font>


---------------

Four and a half hours later

---------------

<font color=orchid>Kalam's horse was clearly exhausted. It had been long since he had last been riden this fast, and now he was clearly dying for rest. But as Kalam had told the two others just ten minutes earlier the fort was still a mile and a half away, and in the small forest paths, the going was slow.

Then after another half hour amid the trees they caught a glimpse of the stone wall of the fort.

<font color=green>Halt!</font> - the shouted command came from among the trees towards the left and turning around they spotted the sentry with his bow aimed at them.

<font color=green>"But wait! Can it be? Is it truly you Kalam? I mean is it you mylord?"</font>

"Yes it is indeed me..." - he paused a few seconds while searching his mind for the man's name. - "...Julek is it?"

<font color=green>"Yes sir, at your service sir. Your sister had ordered us to mount the guard in case the orcs come at us again."</font>

"You give me great news soldier. Up until now I had not known whether she was alive or not."

He saluted the soldier and turned his horse towards the fort.

They reached the edge of the trees a minute later and spotted the fort.

Hasty repairs had been made on the outer wall to patch a rather large hole in it, but the inner wall, which was about 3 feet higher than the outer wall looked to be in quite good shape.

A few soldiers could be seen on the ramparts, and some of them turned at the three riders curiously. The guards at the gate in the outer wall let them through as did the ones at the inner wall. However as soon as they passed through the inner wall a voice was heard from the right.

<font color=lightgreen>"Turin? Therlion? You're alive? We thought you were dead! It's...I...great to see you two! Where have you been?"</font>

Roland was running towards them, with his right arm bearing a bandage, but a large smile was on his face.</font>

OOC: time for friends to meet. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 05-27-2005, 03:58 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]