Rules      FAQ       Register        Login
It is currently March 19th, 2024, 5:19 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 469 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: December 24th, 2017, 1:30 am 
Elf
Elf
User avatar

Joined: 01 November 2017
Posts: 1169
Location: The Forbidden Pool
Country: Gondor (xg)
Gender: Female

Offline
Freja sighed, impatient with Wulgov. Did he really think he was going to find a way out of this, she wondered. Had he forgotten who had brought him to heel, to answer for his crimes, the first time? With her thoughts, her legs swung a little faster as she sat upon the bar.

It was all poised, all set, all she needed do was let Wulgov do what should have been done some time ago. Again, Freja's legs swung the faster until she noticed Hilferin looking up at her. The Ranger lifted a brow askance, likely wondering why Freja was sitting on the bar in the first place, and then flicked his fingers against the fire hardened haft of the spear she had lying along it. Then he looked over to where the Dunlending was still equivocating and back to her, pointedly.

"You neglected to say how long you wanted him tied up for," Freja remarked, unruffled, and then scowled over at Wulgov. He needed to do something, fast.

"Nor did I say he was to be released," Hilferin observed and Freja smiled for the answer to that was obvious.

"I'm to be taking orders from you now Ranger?" Freja replied, at which Hilferin heaved a sigh.

"Perish the thought," Hilferin muttered and then, "As you released him, you're accountable for him. And if he interferes with a King's inquiry....well, that's a hefty sentence, I assure you."

"Which King?"
Freja grumbled, nonplussed now, "Not mine, I'll wager. And in any case, you'd have to be able to arrest me first and let's be frank - that isn't going to happen."

Even so, she was sliding off the bar once more which certainly got Wulgov's attention. When she reached for her spear, he flattened himself against the wall.

"You sure about this...I mean, there's a way to deal with this slavery nonsense once and for all," Freja said, at which Durian perked up but again Hilferin intervened with a firm shake of his head.

And with that Freja set off for the Dunlender for the second time that night, the butt of her spear thudding ominiously into the floor boards with each step - a promise of what was to come if he made things difficult.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was dark, almost night, when Videgavia of Dale entered the stables. It had been another long and frustrating day and yet, as he crept along the row of stalls, he still entertained some dim hope that this day would not end in disappointment. The stables were a portrait of shadows and darkness and yet, as he approached one stall, he stopped and scrubbed the heels of his hands to his eyes. When he blinked and his vision cleared, he knew this was no deceit. Still, he needed to be sure.

"Béma?" he whispered, invoking the same the Shieldmaidens were known as in Rohan. Béma's Handmaids...and of course the pre-eminent amongst them had named her glorious mount for the Vala they were claimed to serve.

Freja had never been short on ambition. The towering war horse, a deep well of night, whickered in response to the name and tested the air. Videgavia hoped the animal remembered his scent. When it did not charge at the all too flimsy stall gate, Videgavia stepped within reach of the war horse and reached up to grab a handful of its mane. The horse huffed and snuffled at his shoulder as a sense of victory thrilled through the Daleman. He'd found her. He found her at the end of a long road from Edoras, a road that he was reasonably sure she had gone to some effort to conceal. If Béma was here, Freja Fireborn would not be far away at all. He knew what the horse meant to her.

With a parting scrub of Béma's neck, Videgavia crept back to the door of the inn again. It's windows were a warm glow, fingers of light reaching out across the space between inn and stables. He could not hear singing, carousing, nor the sound of pottery breaking but it was more than likely the Shieldmaiden was within. Doing what, he could only guess...and so Videgavia crouched and wondered how best to set about what came next.

_________________
R'AMEN


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: December 25th, 2017, 2:28 am 
Warden of the Knight
Warden of the Knight
User avatar

Joined: 04 November 2005
Posts: 19521
Location: In a pudle on Naboo with dragon kind and ents and Jedi and wolves living in the Last Homely House!
Gender: Male

Offline
(OOC: it's all good, I thought Lyiana was still out in the common room. Just wanted to post so you all knew I had not dropped too far behind.)


Kayden took a Stern breath as he opened his eyes to see someone there with him, but quickly relaxed as he heard Lyiana's voice.

He took a deep breath and lay his head back down. He nodded slowly, "Yes, please... And thank you."

He felt her hand on his arm and the touch of her skin made his heart speed. He tried to rain calm and closed eyed, but he found it hard not to gaze up at her face as she unwrapped the old bandage.

_________________
Image

Image

Visit The Varsian Kingdom!


Top
 Profile       WWW     YIM        
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: December 29th, 2017, 1:52 am 
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
User avatar

Joined: 21 March 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Middle earth
Country: Rohan (xr)
Gender: Female

Offline
Dawn guessed it had been long enough for darkness to come. She emerged from the closet and was relieved that nobody had come in to the room. She made her way to the window, and gave a slight whistle to summon Whisper, and she climbed out the window and hung there for a moment. Whisper came around and paused, looking for her. Dawn had to let go. She dug the toes of her feet in, and let her fingers slip, pushing them hard into the wall as she slid down. Her fingers burned as she crumpled to the ground. Whisper came over, and Dawn grabbed him and mounted up, turning and running west down the road toward Bree. It was her only choice. She would have to try and sneak into, then out of Bree. It would be difficult. She did not look back at the Inn by the side of the road.

OOC- Sorry, but I have been really busy and have not kept up with this. Maybe someday in the future when things are less hectic, I will return Namarie.

_________________
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.
You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet,
there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings


Top
 Profile       WWW            
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: December 29th, 2017, 2:28 am 
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
User avatar

Joined: 02 January 2007
Posts: 3561
Location: The Lakeshore of Annúminas
Country: Gondor (xg)

Offline
(OOC: No worries Deumeawyn. Take care and see you around.)

Up at the bar, Hilferin and Durian leaned against it and sipped their ales. Hilferin then said,

”Durian, you were supposed to report in at our meeting at the Prancing Pony a month ago. Now if you have good reason, it will be taken into consideration, but Malvagil wants to arrest you for desertion. If you come with me to Bree, I’m sure we can work out something.”

Durian looked over to the door of the kitchen where Caila and Caira were having an increasingly heated discussion. Glancing briefly back to the table where Mariel and Fahalas were talking, he looked back to Hilferin and said as he leaned toward him,

”Would gaining knowledge of someone killing, stealing, and defrauding the King be a reasonable excuse?”

“I’m listening.”


Hilferin said. Durian shook his head and said,

”No, we will talk after we get to Bree. I will go back with you and answer for myself. Would you object if I took Mariel with me?”

“No objections from me, but her husband may have some. Maybe I will be bringing him back with us.”


Hilferin turned and looked at Mariel and Fahalas, as did Durian. At that moment, Caira started yelling at her sister as Caila started yelling at the kids that had gotten into things in the kitchen, Both Durian and Hilferin saw the Dunlanding starting to move as the shieldmaiden neared him….

~ ~ ~

Meanwhile back at the table… Fahalas sat silent as he looked at Mariel, considering her words. He said,

”Mariel, when I searched you out, I was determined to tie you up and throw you over my horse and take you to Khorghar as payment. But seeing your fire as you ran, well, I remembered why I fell in love with you and married you. I realised my blessing that I have thrown away.”

He met her eyes with his, and said after a moment of silence,

”How else can I prove it? I have literally admitted my transgression to this ranger, and being he said he was conducting this as a King’s Enquiry, I have in effect already turned myself in. What would you have me do Mariel?”

He looked behind him to see Hilferin and the ranger at the bar, then turned back to Mariel. Wulgov saw Freja heading for him, not looking at all happy, so he made his move. Fahalas saw the shieldmaiden heading for the Dunlanding that he had paired up with in Bree. It was then he saw the blade come out of the sheath on the Dunlanding’s belt as he lunged at him. Fahalas could barely react and pushed his chair back and it started to fall backwards....

~ ~ ~

Caila ran into the kitchen and startled Rin who had climbed up the larder shelves. Lock turned and looked at the innkeeper as Caira followed Caila in. They were in trouble, and Rin slipped and fell. Loch jumped to catcher her before she hit the floor, but knocked over a candle into some oil pots, setting them ablaze. Caila was about to grab them when Caira plunged a knife into Caila’s back. Loch picked himself up and dragged Rin out the back door. Caila fell forward as Caira pulled the knife from her back and smiled. She wiped the blood off in Caila and looked back into the common room. There seemed that something was happening there that took all eyes away from them, so Caira slipped out the back door.

A horse with a woman sped by almost knocking her over, and she fell backwards into the grasp of a man. Videgavia steadied her and asked,

”What is happening m’lady?”

Caira started bawling and hugged Vidigavia, saying,

”That woman.. she killed my sister Caila!”

Videgavia looked into the distance, but she was gone. He turned around and saw that the inn was ablaze inside the door. He pushed Caira aside and went to draw water from the well.


Top
 Profile       WWW            
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: December 29th, 2017, 3:05 am 
Elf
Elf
User avatar

Joined: 01 November 2017
Posts: 1169
Location: The Forbidden Pool
Country: Gondor (xg)
Gender: Female

Offline
Fires and inns never mixed well. The inn's tiny kitchen was, in essence, the powder keg for the entire building. It went up rapidly and soon the common room was engulfed. Instinct made Freja duck and, with a backward glance to the kitchen, she realised it would soon be in the hall. The rooms. How many were in there, she could not know.

People were shouting. Men bellowed and she could hear women screaming and wailing. Acrid smoke made her eyes run and she held the crook of her elbow over her mouth to breath. Sucking in smoke made her cough and closed her throat. Breathing made her lungs burn but she drew what she could as she staggered towards the hall.

They had to get out. But if she opened every door it would only make it easier for the fire to gather strength. She could not do that.

Freja bellowed at the top of her lungs a warning, banging with her fists and kicking on each door to wake even the soundest sleeper, "Fire! Flee! Through the windows, if you have one."

The windows, for the hall was a death trap.

The end was already wreathed in smoke and she could hear glass cracking and shattering. The roof was groaning. It would soon cave in, but still she lingered trying to rouse whoever might be in their rooms to flee for their lives.

For Shieldmaidens, they ran from no foe. Not even fire itself - no matter how it roared and raged and it was doing that now. The sound was deafening.

_________________
R'AMEN


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: December 31st, 2017, 12:17 am 
Warden of the Knight
Warden of the Knight
User avatar

Joined: 04 November 2005
Posts: 19521
Location: In a pudle on Naboo with dragon kind and ents and Jedi and wolves living in the Last Homely House!
Gender: Male

Offline
Lyiana had barely finished bandaging Kayden's wounds when in the hall a commotion was heard.

"Fire! Flee! Through the windows if you have to!"

Kayden sat up quickly, looking to the window not far away. He stood, ignoring the pain, and hurried over to the window. With the chair, he broke the glass and cleared the window of debris so they would not get cut climbing through.

"Hurry," he said, looking to Lyiana. "We better get out before this place burns to the ground!"

_________________
Image

Image

Visit The Varsian Kingdom!


Top
 Profile       WWW     YIM        
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 3rd, 2018, 8:38 am 
Ent
Ent
User avatar

Joined: 12 February 2017
Posts: 709
Location: Edoras- House of Meduseld
Country: United States (us)
Gender: Female

Offline
(OOC: Hey all, I want to apologize for the long hiatus on my part-Christmas had me traveling and just generally distracted, and I seemed to have lost my muse. But alas, I believe it has returned! And happy New Year to you all! :) )

"Fahal!" Mariel uttered her husbands' nickname in shock and worry as she watched the Dunlanding's blade come closer and closer to him. She leaned forward and twisted her body so her back was facing the Dunlanding, and as she looked at her husband, she suddenly felt the dagger slice the side of her ribcage. Her face contorted in pain and she barely had time to react before they both hit the ground with a thump.
"Fahalas..." She drew in quick, painful breaths as she looked up at her husband, hoping that what he said was true.
If he said anything, it was muffled by the sound of a fire raging just behind the counter.
She glanced behind her with wide eyes as the flames began to lick the ceiling; it was growing and there was no way they could stop it.
Smoke began to fill the Common Room and soon, her lungs and throat began to burn. They had to get out. All of them.
Even though the pain intensified by her movements, Mariel pushed herself up and stood, then squinted and coughed as she offered a hand to her husband.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lyiana felt herself start to blush as his words sent fireflies flitting around her stomach, but she merely smiled and forced herself to finish her work. As she opened her mouth to announce that she was finished, a loud banging was heard at the door followed by an order to flee.
Time seemed to slow down just for a moment as she caught wind of the smoke in the Common Room.
Fire.
Before she knew it, Kayden was up and moving quickly, much to her distress, for the movement would only irritate his wounds and prolong their healing. But there was no time for healing now. She flinched as the window shattered, and with her instruments tucked under one arm, she ran over to the window and carefully climbed out. Once her feet hit the soft earth, she dropped her instruments and reached out to help Kayden get out.
"The children!"
She looked back over her shoulder as they quickly walked away from the Inn.
"We have to get the children!"
She looked up at Kayden, but something caught her eye. When she looked at the figures at the side of the Inn, she was relieved to find it was the boy, carrying the young girl in his arms.


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 3rd, 2018, 9:57 am 
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
User avatar

Joined: 02 January 2007
Posts: 3561
Location: The Lakeshore of Annúminas
Country: Gondor (xg)

Offline
Wulgov didn't expect the blonde to try and interfere. Afterall the man had sold her into slavery to a Haradian. But in a moment, he had cut the blonde pretty badly even as the Fahalas fell over backwards. The shattering and flare up in the kitchen even as screaming echoed out of there happened atthe same time. Wulgov wasted no time pulling the knife from the woman and pushing her bleeding body down atop Fahalas even as he kicked him in the head. He then dove out of the nearby window and rolled, heading for the road.

~ ~ ~

Fahalas was seeing double even as he started to come to. He couldn't breath and he coughed as he held onto Mariel's hand and wrapped his arm about her to steady himself. He felt the warn slick blood on her hand as Mariel coughed. Tryign to get to the door, they became unsteady and were about to fall when arms slammed around them both. Hilferin had a cloth tied about his face and led them as best he coult toward the door even as embers and wood started to fall. He pushed the two through the door and they fell to the ground. He ran back in to the inn to find the others. Where did Freja go? Where is the Dunlanding? Where is Durian? He turned by the bar when a burning beam fell and hit him in the head.

Fahalas coughed as he rolled Mariel over, seeing her wound,. He slapped his hand over it, hoping to stem the bleeding.

"Don't die on me Mariel... please don't..."

~ ~ ~

Durian heard the trouble between the sisters in the kitchen at the same time he saw the dunlanding move against Fahalas. After taking steps toward the table, he turned and went into the kitchen. He made a futile attempt to control the fire, but the old wooden inn was a firetrap. He found Caila laying there face down gurgling with a knife in her back. He knelt down and she coughed blood out as she tried to speak. He lifted her and started carrying her toward the back door, but the flames had blocked the way. He could see that Caila was now dead and he fell to the floor and lay her down, gasping for breath.

~ ~ ~

Seeing that Videgavia was fetching water, Caira freed her horse from the stable and took off riding. Videgavia watched her run, then went and threw a bucket of water onto the back door. The water awoke Durian, and he managed to crawl toward the door and roll out to the ground. Videgavia gave up trying to fight the fire as the door became engulfed in flames. He looked down the wall and saw someone tryign to get out a window. He ran toward them in hopes to help.

Caira rode around the inn and started to speed down the road when she felt someone grab her. Wulgov pulled her from the horse and started to mount it, Caira was not going to let him go and held on to him hard. They both finally got up on the ghorse and they rode away toward Bree.


Top
 Profile       WWW            
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 3rd, 2018, 3:23 pm 
Ent
Ent
User avatar

Joined: 12 February 2017
Posts: 709
Location: Edoras- House of Meduseld
Country: United States (us)
Gender: Female

Offline
Every breath Mariel took felt like knives were being stabbed into her lungs, and in an effort to clear them, she coughed and shielded her face as the Ranger ushered them to the door and shoved them out. She cringed and let out a small cry of pain as she hit the soft ground, then inhaled sharply as Fahalas pressed his hand onto her wound.
Her face contorted in pain and she grabbed the sleeve of her husbands' shirt and blinked her eyes open.
"Fahalas...." She swallowed, then coughed again-cringing as her stomach tensed.
"Where is...where is he?" She coughed and gasped for air, then pushed his hand off of her and rolled onto her good side as she caught her breath. Once she regained her breath, she looked up at the Inn and searched the windows, the doorway, hoping that Durian was safe.


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 3rd, 2018, 4:40 pm 
Elf
Elf
User avatar

Joined: 01 November 2017
Posts: 1169
Location: The Forbidden Pool
Country: Gondor (xg)
Gender: Female

Offline
(OOC: good to see you back Melanie - hopefully I am not now so far behind to make posting anything pointless)

The roof was caving in and it was impossible to predict which spar, which beam would fall on your head. Not with thick, blinding smoke swirling overhead. On her hands and knees, gagging with each ragged breath, Freja crawled back in the direction of the common room. At least, she thought she was. It was her best guess as she was disorientated and dizzied. Judging from the rapidly building heat, she dimly concluded she was headed in the correct direction for the fire had started in the kitchen, hadn't it?

Her thinking was muzzed. Was anyone still in the common room? Would she even be able to reach the common room? The heat was terrible, an impenetrable shield pushing her back into the hall until she distantly heard a creak from above. Instinct claimed the shieldmaiden and she rolled as fast as she could. A beam crashed down and as she sprawled on her back she saw the paler night sky revealed. This was not welcome, for the influx of air fed the flames of the common room she had rolled into. The fire would quicken now. Her life, and any still in there was in graver peril than before.

But, drawn by the influx of fresh air, the greedy flames reached upwards and took some of the smoke with them. A transitory respite, then and as she looked about she could see a foot protruding from a fallen beam. At least, she thought she could until smoke hid it once more. Grunting, Freja collected her limbs and set off to what she thought she had seen.

The flames were brutal, licking and lapping at any surface, the heat twisting the air itself. Her hair had started to smoke. It would catch soon and she had seen what came next once that happened. A reaching hand found a boot and Freja followed until she found a calf. Warm....if dead, only recently so and maybe not even dead. Though, if she could not move that beam, they'd both be.

Freja strained at it, her strength ebbing even if her determination was not. No one was left behind. Never run. What was she if she could not cling even to those fundamental creeds of her order? She may have quit Rohan. She might have done so despite her king's, and foster kin's, express admonition not to do so. But she was a Shieldmaiden. She was Freja Fireborn.

As she strained at the beam, she felt a hand pull at her sleeve.

"Flee!" a man rasped, his voice unrecognisable in the roaring din.

"Never!" Freja rasped back, baring her teeth and roaring herself until the beam budged just a little.

Enough? She shifted to grasp hold of the man's shoulders and heaved. And heaved. And heaved.

_________________
R'AMEN


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 3rd, 2018, 10:04 pm 
Warden of the Knight
Warden of the Knight
User avatar

Joined: 04 November 2005
Posts: 19521
Location: In a pudle on Naboo with dragon kind and ents and Jedi and wolves living in the Last Homely House!
Gender: Male

Offline
(It's all good Mariel. Nice to have you back, though!)

Kayden climbed awkwardly out the window, thankful for the help Lyiana offered. He muttered a quick, "Thank you," as they took off running away from the burning Inn.

Lyiana's voice then called his attention back towards the burning building. "The children!"

Kayden turned, a frown covering his face. It wasn't late, he knew it. Despite that, he was just about ready to venture back into the flames when Lyiana sighed in relief and pointed out the children on the far side of the inn.

Kayden sighed, glancing around. "What on Earth happened in there?" He wondered aloud.

_________________
Image

Image

Visit The Varsian Kingdom!


Top
 Profile       WWW     YIM        
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 7th, 2018, 9:36 am 
Elf
Elf
User avatar

Joined: 01 November 2017
Posts: 1169
Location: The Forbidden Pool
Country: Gondor (xg)
Gender: Female

Offline
Lochared stood in front of the stables with his sister. The fire leapt into the night sky. Part of the roof had already fallen in. It threw a ruddy light over those that stood outside, gaping in amazement at it. It made his shadow, and that of Rin, cavort, grow and shrink upon the boards of the stable doors. Inside the stable, scenting smoke, horses screamed in terror. He could hear them kicking, their hooves slamming into the doors of their stalls in their desperation. A fire he had started.

Not on purpose.

He hadn't meant to.

It was an accident.

He had seen people flee the inn. The healer, the Dunlending, a blonde woman who was hurt and a man...he thought that they were married. And then there was the woman that had killed the one that had scared Rin. She had ridden off with the Dunlending and he hoped he'd not see either again.

But, where were the others, Loch wondered, and who was that stranger looking for a way into the flames? He paced like a wild animal, snapping and snarling at the flames that pushed him back. Rin's small hand wrapped around his slightly larger one. He didn't mind holding it right now, because he was scared too.

Where were the Rangers and the Shieldmaiden?

Rin's hand tightened as the stranger plunged within and when Lochared could tear his eyes away from the stupefying sight, he looked down to find that Rin held the Shieldmaiden's dagger in her other hand and her eyes were as wide as saucers. How long before they started asking questions, Lochared wondered, his attention drifting to the adults again.

"We should go," Lochared whispered. Best to do that whilst they were all distracted by the unfolding catastrophe. Just slip into the trees whilst it was still dark, find somewhere to hide.

But Rin shook her head firmly, "No."

"They will blame us,"
Loch pressed, for adults always did. It was how the world worked, he had learned. They would not believe that it had been an accident. That he had only wanted to catch his falling sister. That it was the fault of the angry woman that Rin had fallen.

"No," Rin repeated.

"They will beat us. They will put us in cells, with the rats. Remember the rats, Rin?"

Her shudder was answer enough but when he tugged on her hand to pull her away she leaned against him. Short of dragging her, likely kicking and screaming, Rin was not leaving and he could not leave without her. He just couldn't.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Freja stirred to find herself staring at what was left of the inn roof - flame wreathed beams and spars were outlined above. She was still within the inn and someone had a hold of her feet. They dragged her over the floor, her arms outstretched in their wake. It was momentary awareness only, soon swept away by a fresh tide of darkness.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Durian drew in a ragged gasp as he stared down at the Shieldmaiden. She lay, sprawled, on the pressed earth floor of the cellar. Unconscious. Perhaps never to wake again, though she was still breathing he thought. Shallowly, rapidly. Tottering, he turned to stare back up - now all he had to do was get Hilferin down to the only shelter they yet had before the entire inn collapsed atop them.

_________________
R'AMEN


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 7th, 2018, 9:00 pm 
Ent
Ent
User avatar

Joined: 12 February 2017
Posts: 709
Location: Edoras- House of Meduseld
Country: United States (us)
Gender: Female

Offline
After a few long moments of frantically looking around the Inn for Durian, her heart dropped and her face lost its' color. Mariel pushed herself up to kneel, but gasped as pain shot from her side; when she glanced down, another breath left her as she saw and felt her own blood covering nearly the entire right side of her abdomen. She lifted her gaze back to the Inn and shook her head as if to keep her resolution strong.
"Durian..I'm coming." Her voice was but a whisper, for tears started to form in her eyes.
Despite her the pain in her side, she forced herself to stand, then glanced behind her to Fahalas and shook her head.
"I'm going back in. There are others still inside."
She turned away from him before her judgement could get the better of her, then quickly and carefully walked towards the enflamed building. She covered her mouth and nose with her arm and was about to walk inside when something fell. She quickly stepped back out of the way, then jumped over it and ran inside, her eyes frantically searching what was once the Common Room.
Smoke filled her eyes though and started to seep through the fibers of her clothing. Her eyes now spilled tears, but she shook her head and continued her search.
The wood was beginning to moan again, so she moved and lowered her arm, shouting his name as well as the rangers name in the hopes that they could hear her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lyiana stared at the Inn in horror and shook her head slowly.
"I don't know....I just hope that everyone is okay."
She swallowed, then coughed as a bit of smoke reached her mouth; as she turned to look at Kayden, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of calm. Her mind was still racing, thinking of all the patrons she had last seen at the Inn and wanting to go assist them, but when he looked at her, she felt...well, peace.
She swallowed nervously, realizing she had been staring.
"Forgive me, Kayden; I don't mean to stare."
She bit her lip slightly and shifted on her feet, then looked back up at him.
"Would you like to lie down, against that tree, perhaps? For I am still needing you to get some rest."
The corners of her mouth tilted into a small, bashful smile, but she offered him a hand and led him over to a large tree with soft grass in the roots.


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 8th, 2018, 3:31 pm 
Elf
Elf
User avatar

Joined: 01 November 2017
Posts: 1169
Location: The Forbidden Pool
Country: Gondor (xg)
Gender: Female

Offline
(OOC: What is written below is done so with the permission of the thread's owner: Hanasian)

Khule's nose crinkled for on the night breeze there was the distinct smell of smoke. Years spent waging war on the Eastfold made its particular scent all too familiar to him now. Frowning, he turned about, eyes on the dark sky until he saw it. A distinct, yellow glow was visible and he reached out to prod his companion sharply.

A large Southron paused and turned about with a speed that his prodigious size belied and squinted off in the direction Khule the Easterling was pointing.

"Is that..." Molguv broke off to peer up at the sky and shook his head, "I can never get my bearings here. The stars are all wrong."

"It's one of ours,"
Khule confirmed, not nearly so lost here in the north. The certainty in his voice was clear and the Southron took to muttering in his own tongue for a brief moment.

"If Hanasian finds out, we're cooked," he observed and at this Khule sighed.

"We'd best make sure he doesn't," the Easterling replied and so the men set off towards the yellow glow.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The fire roared like a beast, the destruction a wall of sound that ate up everything: voices; shattering glass; groaning timbers. But that was not the worst of it. For at the rear of the inn there stood a still - illegal of course - but even so it was there growing hotter and hotter as the fire grew apace through the nearby inn.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Civilians were, Videgavia reflected to himself, were useless. They could all hear the terrified screams of the horses and not a one of them had made a move to free them. No, they left it to him instead. He threw open the second set of stable doors and set to opening the stalls. The freed horses leapt out, kicking in their blind panic. Instinct had taken them over and they barrelled, one by one, out of the stable and into the night to run as far as their legs could carry them away from peril. Even Béma, who was one of the Méras, ran...but unlike the others including his own nag, Videgavia knew Béma would not run far and he would return.

Racing out of the stables, Videgavia found that the wounded woman had vanished. Where? Had he not enough to do? The man she had been with was pointing frantically at the inferno. In there? How foolish, how reckless could one person be? Wounded, bleeding badly, and back into the fire a Ranger that had yet to emerge had just risked himself to save her from?

It made the Daleman's blood seethe. Useless civilians were one thing, those that endangered others were quite another.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The still was not made to withstand the pressure that had built inside it. Forces more powerful than even a properly made still swelled and finally, the still failed. It all happened with a dull whump which, had the fire not been such a din, might have given those nearby something of a warning. As it was, the explosion came out of nowhere.

It ripped through the weakened structure of the flaming inn, levelling all within its path. It was so strong that it threw anyone unwise enough to be standing near the inn back and it knocked even the stables into a slump.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Videgavia picked himself up, the inn was nothing but a ball of fire so fierce it was white hot. There was no getting in there now. Not by anyone and he sank to his knees with a mournful moan, staring at the devastation before him. His ears rang in the aftermath of the explosion.

_________________
R'AMEN


Top
 Profile                  
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 9th, 2018, 9:23 am 
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
User avatar

Joined: 02 January 2007
Posts: 3561
Location: The Lakeshore of Annúminas
Country: Gondor (xg)

Offline
Fahalas picked himself up from the ground as Mariel disappeared into the flames.

Mariel! No! You are wounded!"

he cried, but it was to no avail. Mariel disappeared into the smoke and flame. He fell back as the wve of het blasted toward him, singing his hair and taking his breath away. He had just now regained his wife only to lose her again.

~ ~ ~

Durian could not breath. The smoke and soot filled the air around him, and he managed to turn Freja's head so the debris didn't fall into her face. Air was thin, most being sucked up into the blaze that was above them. But there was a small rush of cool air, fresh, at least as fresh as one could hope in such chaos. Durian turned to ewhere the air was rushing in to feed the fire above. He slapped Freja hard across the face to see if she would awaken. When she moved slightly, he said,

"Come! I can find a way out!"

He tried to get her to move, and she finally struggled, and Durian moved to a dark corner of the cellar. Working to dig open the small hole where the air was coming from, Freja awoke enough to help. Once they broke through the hard packed earth, Durian pushe Freja through, and soon followed. He thought of the others, and knew that Mariel got out with her husbadn Fahalas, but Hilferin he was not so sure. Caila was surely dead, and what of the children and of the healer and the man she attended? He could do nothing now with the inn collapsing. He encouraged Freja to move forth to wherever this passage led to.

~ ~ ~

Hilferen was burned and pinned to the floor by a burning beam. He awoke for a moment to see Mariel come back in through the door, but then an explosion ripped through the place, causuing the weakend beams to fall. It was to be the end of the gallent ranger of the war of the ring. He survived war only to be killed in a fire at an inn.


Top
 Profile       WWW            
 
 Post subject: Re: ~ The Inn By The Side Of The Road ~
PostPosted: January 9th, 2018, 9:30 pm 
Warden of the Knight
Warden of the Knight
User avatar

Joined: 04 November 2005
Posts: 19521
Location: In a pudle on Naboo with dragon kind and ents and Jedi and wolves living in the Last Homely House!
Gender: Male

Offline
Kayden shook his head and looked to his feat as Lyiana appologized for staring. He too had been staring, though perhaps less directly.

“Oh, of course,” Kayden said suddenly as she mentioned him lying down. He had hardly realized the pain until she mentioned something. “Thank you,” he said softly, forcing away a grunt as he took her hand and she helped him to the ground.

When he sat he didn’t let go of Lyiana’s hand, his eyes locked on their hands as his held firm. It was more to avoid her eyes than anything else, but he hated to let go. It was more than her being a gorgeous young woman... she actually cared about him. He had never experienced that before. “I...” kayden started to speak but stopped. “Thank you,” he said again, finally loosing his hold on her hand. “For everything.”

_________________
Image

Image

Visit The Varsian Kingdom!


Top
 Profile       WWW     YIM        
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 469 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  




Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Boyz theme by Zarron Media 2003