((I know, someone needs to get captured my orcs or something so that everyone comes back lol!))

Melda grinned at Luthien and followed, shivering a little against the wind on the lower half of her clothes, which were wet. She looked back as the rest crossed, and wondering how they all looked so comfortable on their horses.

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[I'm here, I'm here!]

Larael urged her horse [whom she still had not named] into line behind the others, as they waded into the depths of the river. The current was strong, but against these Elvish horses it was nothing short of a slight annoyance. On the other hand, Larael was partially drenched from all the water that was kicked up. She was very happy though when she reached the other side, without much concsequence.

Underoath watched the group cross the river. "I'm glad you all got across safely."

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<R.I.P. We loved you!

"Thanks underoath! Now that we're all here, I would love to know how you arrived in Middle Earth. If Mum knew she would kill us!" Luth laughed, feeling a little better after the stress of the crossing.

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Thanks Haldir and Gil!
"You said: I know that this will hurt, but if I don't break your heart then things will just get worse..."

[I'm back from my holiday, and hoping this RP will pick up again. What happened to the days that you wake up in the morning and 3 more pages have been posted? ]


[Hmm, we need to liven it up. What do you all say to me getting swept off my horse downstream?]

(I agree...but I get dibs on the next life-threatening situation lol!)

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[Welcome back, Darrell!! Indeed, I've been finding it very hard to contribute when there's only a few of us posting.
I'm fine with that. Ahhh, life threatening situations, what could be more fun? I'd make an actual post, but I think I'll leave Darrell's own life threatening situation to be told by himself.]

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^Thanks Gily!
<By Bubble Black

(Oh yes, let's)

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[Haha... are we putting dibs on life-threatening situations? I agree though, 'twould make it a million times more interesting. ]

[We are when I'm here! Aye, we need some EXCITEMENT! ]

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[w00t, life threatening situations. Every RP needs lots of them to keep things interesting^^ Ok, here goes ]


Darrell rode his horse into the river after all the the others had crossed. His horse was reluctant, but he urged him into the current. He was caught slightly by suprise when his horse started swimming near the middle of the river, but quickly regained his balance.

What none of them had noticed whilst crossing the river, and still were unaware of, was the water was steadily rising, both in depth, and strength of current. Indeed, the water was now flowing considerabley faster than when Gwen crossed the river.

The cause of this had occurred the previous day, up at the rivers source in the Misty Mountains. A large quantity of snow off a glacier had landed in the river channel, forcing the water downstream in a wave, preceded by a rise in the water levels. This wave had gathered strength and speed on its course, and was now rapidly advancing on the fords. [Ok, I know it's lame, but I had to think up some kind of reason for a freak wave, seeing as we aren't evil^^]

Darrell reached centre stream, where his horse was struggling to hold course in the current "The others didn't have this much trouble" spoke quietly to himself. Suddenly a surge of water crashed around the bend in the river upstream. It was next to undetectable except for the sudden increase in speed of the water. Then the water hit the fords. The shallow channel of the river forced the water up into a large wave from bank to bank. Darrell barely had time to take this in before the water swept him off the back of his horse, and carried him off downstream.

After the wave had gone, Darrell's horse emerged from the water, a little downstream, apparently unscathed, but without a rider.

[There you go. Life threating situation. And a member of the group gone missing. Do you leave, assuming he cannot have survived and continue with your journey, or do you stay and search for him? ^^ you decide ]

[*Applauds* Nicely done, Darrell! ]

"No wait, not all of us are across yet," said Gwen, brushing the hair out of her face to see Darrell halfway through the river. But his horse was struggling.
Why is he having so much trouble? she asked herself.
Gwen was beginning to feel very worried as the horse was barely making any ground.
It happened too fast. All she saw was a gigantic wave rise, and then crash all of it's weight onto Darrell and his horse. Gwen let out a half gasp-half scream.
Darrell was gone. But just now his horse was scrambling up the bank. Gwen squeezed her horse's sides and cantered down to the beast. He was breathing hard and his eyes were rolling, but he looked fine. She grabbed his reins and trotted back to the others.
Those that were dismounted were now mounting up again.
"We're going to look for him, right?" Gwen said breathlessly.

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^Thanks Gily!
<By Bubble Black

Melda looked shaken. "Of course we are!" she said scathingly, sounding strained. "We can't just leave him! He's got to be downstream somewhere!"
She looked panicked for a moment, seemingly searching the map of Middle-Earth in her head. "There's no waterfall for quite a ways...he should be all right as long as - " she gulped. "As long as he can swim."

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Gwen looked at Ellie with disbelief as despair crept up on her.
"You really think that's going to work?" She said, her voice cracking.
Not knowing what else to do, Gwen urged her horse down the river at a canter, searching the water for some sign of Darrell.

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^Thanks Gily!
<By Bubble Black

Larael was shocked, the wave had come out of nowhere, and now Darrell was no where to be found. She jumped off her horse, wrapped the reins around her hand, and moved toward the waters edge, scanning the newly formed waves for any signs of life.

Then she was running, faster than she'd ever run before. Who knows how far he could have gotten, she thought, slowing to a stop when she realised she had passed up Gwen. No sense in losing two members of the group...

She continued her search, nearly losing her footing several times, but she still did not see any evidence as to where Darrell had floated off too.

[He's over here *puts big luminous, flashing arrow above head* ]

The force of the wave knocked Darrell clean off his mount and carried him a fair distant in confused mess of air, water, and flailing limbs.

When the wave eventually crashed down it's entire force pushed Darrell hard into the river bed, forcing most of the remaining breath out of his body. The current, still very strong, pulled him along the riverbed, holding him down and preventing him from getting to the surface. Naturally he began panicking, even more than he already was, arms and legs moving wildly in vain endeavours to reach the air above the water

The last thing he noticed before loosing consciousness was that the riverbed wasn't so close and he seemed to be rising. What a ride he thought as the last drops of his conscious floated off.

[Is he dead? Did he drown? Well, no. I couldn't do that to myself. Not just yet anyway Whether he continues to drift off downstream, or is washed up onto the river bank is dependent on whether you peeps find him or not^^ have fun ]