LotR epilogue

[dplax]

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.

"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."

[Larry_OHF]

Turin

For a long time, Turin just stood there, no shit, right?! 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!"

[dplax]

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

For Turin and Therlion:

Kalam and Turin walked to where Therlion was.

"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."

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.

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.

[Larry_OHF]

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.

[Bozos of Bones]

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!

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."

[dplax]

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."

[Larry_OHF]

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?"

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

[dplax]

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.

[Bozos of Bones]

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."


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

[dplax]

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."


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

Four and a half hours later

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

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.

Halt! - the shouted command came from among the trees towards the left and turning around they spotted the sentry with his bow aimed at them.

"But wait! Can it be? Is it truly you Kalam? I mean is it you mylord?"

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

"Yes sir, at your service sir. Your sister had ordered us to mount the guard in case the orcs come at us again."

"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.

"Turin? Therlion? You're alive? We thought you were dead! It's...I...great to see you two! Where have you been?"

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

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

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