(Umm, that statement was my character's actions, not Mire's... )

_________________


I am a pro-cycling fan! Congrats to the Young rider of the Tour de France!
~Cyclist in Training~

(OOC: Extremely sorry for the long wait. Life must intervene at times. Oh, and pardon the spelling errors in this next post. It is late and I am exhausted from a long weekend. /OOC)

Arandil smiled and bowed yet again to the eldarin lady and her two companions, "My lady Elenanna, I would be honored to join you and your guards. Let me lead you to our meager encampment, for it is not far from the road. There my sister, Alaria is her name, shall hopefully have a freshly slain stag ready to be roasted."
Ever with his dark blue eyes glancing to both visible ends of the road and back to his own path before him, he walked without hesitation into the forest brush at the clearing's edge.
The walk was not far at all, but merely far enough from the main way as to not attract the attention of passersby.
The dúnadan had not lied when he had told his new aquaintances that his encampment was meager, for when he arrived there Alaria had not arrived yet. All that could be seen was a small stack of firewood next and two chestnut horses, one a dark mare and the other a young stallion, lounging near a thicket of blackberries.
Immediately creases of concern crossed the forehead of the soldier of Arthedain. He had indeed given Alaria enough time to at least bring the stag into camp, so what had happened? Some evil, no doubt.
His brotherly footsteps quickened as he began running to where the stag had been killed.
There his eyes took in a dreadful sight, for his sister's silhouette was accompanied by two others, one cloaked in mystery and the other a scruffy-looking man holding a bow in his right hand.
As quickly as a lightning bolt strikes the earth, Arandil's hand drew his sword and he lept in between the strangers and his dear sister. He stared them deep in the eyes and said in an unwavering yet hushed tone, "Who are you, bearded vagabond and cloaked mystery, and what brings you here? Speak quickly, or I shall slit your throats. I have killed many men in battle, and I shall not be afraid to slay you if one action comes from you that displeases me."

_________________

The traveller had jumped slightly when the arrow had hit near, and a glare was set upon the man. The figure's stance tensed, a hand now also gripped to the hilt of a sword, though the sword now revealed from beneath the cloak, was not common to those there, for indeed it was an elven blade, graceful and light in craft yet great in strength. More tense still was the stance, when a third figure intervened, demanding an answer to the firmly spoken question.

The cloaked stranger could not help but laugh in a light and gentle tone toward the explaination of the man who weilded the bow concerning the situation. Finally the tall and relatively quiet figure drew the dark hood back from a fair and wholly unmarred face, rare green eyes glimmering amid elfen features framed by ebony hair, pulled taught into a tie.

"And which maiden would you have slain first, Milord," she spoke in a lighter tone, addressing Elegost, then addressing the newcomer who had posed a question, she smiled slightly turning to face him, lowering her head slightly as a form of bow.

"As for who I am, I am afraid I cannot speak freely, though you may use the name Cora, and as I can see you and the fair maiden are companions of journey, and seemingly the elf over yonder as well" at this she motioned in the direction of the encampment not far off "I mean you no harm, nor do I wish for trouble here" Cora explained clear and calmly, her voice high enough for them to hear, but low enough not to draw attention

_________________


I am a pro-cycling fan! Congrats to the Young rider of the Tour de France!
~Cyclist in Training~

Elenanna and her guards watched silently, and Beriadan commented to Elenanna, in their native tounge "This man truly cares for his sister's welfare."

"You would be a madman if you did not." Elenanna replied. "I do care for my sisters' welfare as much as we normally do."

She thought about her younger sister, of several years-Falathiel, who usually got in mischeif when she was younger- and a small smile graced her lips.

_________________

_________________

The great gates of the Tower of the Sun were infront of Ingold as he entered into the city. Here a bit more people could be seen on the streets and it seemed to him they were more burdenless then those in Osgiliath. His heart slightly was relieved but still the strange naution could not leave him.

Ingold left his horse by the stables of the first level and then with an even paced stride walked towards the upper levels in searching of the remnant of his men who still served the rightful king. All these men present in the city were serving Eldacar and Valdacar alike but Ingold's trust was laid only on a handful he knows the best.

It was strange for here the feeling of the pressure ws less tense then by the Citadel of Stars. Folk here almost seemed merry to an certain extend and had been running their errands with care. He percieved the fact that most of Castamir's followers come from his own home in the Southern parts of Gondor where Pelargir was the main haven and a strong city and it was devoted to Castamir entirely in that time. Further north the folk were more on the side of the Half-blooded king and most of them seem to reside in the walls of Minas Anor and in the slowly withering but proud city of Minas Ithil far yonder. Why Osgiliath was put under such pressure, Ingold did not know.

He soon entered the second and then the third level of the city and thus entered the long streets filled with soldier barracks, smithies and armouries and many other places.

_________________
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the Warrior for his glory. I love the homeland which they defend.

The three knights stalked over the rocky, ashen terrain with care. The footing was not good and one false step could prove troublesome at least. They were alert, stalking through the rough valley with great care, weapons drawn at the ready, beads of sweat could be seen from beneath their helms, helms bearing the stardard of Minas Ithil, the tower of the Moon...

Information regarding the beast were scant at best... It had been first spotted by a patrolman who had ventured down the vale of Cirith Ungol. Although his vision was clouded by the murky air surrounding those lands, he described the beast as a black dragon-like monster. Of course the mere mention of the word dragon had sent alarms shivering through the captains of Minas Ithil. Patrol of the eastern valley was doubled, with men on constant alert. It was not for another month or so until the beast was sighted again, this time actually attacking a patrol, severely injuring a soldier before fleeing into dark caves near the valley.
The unfortunate man, who is still currently fighting desperately for his life, had described the beast as 'nothing from this earth' before finally slipping into a coma.
In retaliation, is was decided that action would be taken to eradicate the beast. A troop of five soldiers were sent into the desolate land of Mordor, to rid of this menace.

It was quiet, all the men could hear was the persistant trickling of a streamlet struggling to force it's way through the harsh terrain.
'This is hopeless, we've been searching for almost 5 hours with no sign of life other than a dirty, hopeless black rat!' The lead soldier set himself down on a long, flat rock and took out his water skin.
The second looked on into the dark, murky airs of mordor and cursed under his breath. 'You're right, and besides, even if this thing was out there, we wouldn't be able to see it in this... place! The others have probably given up already, this is a waste of time!'
'I agree, it's frustrating, but we have orders. We can't let anything dark or dangerous creep back into the barrens of Mordor, let's keep going, for another hour at lea...'
The third soldier was cut off by a blood curdling screech followed by the cries of a man clearly in distress. Trying to follow the sound, the men clambered over a small hillock to get a better view. No sooner had they reached the summit than they were almost bowled over by the hideous beast swooping overhead, dropping the gondorian soldier down almost on top of them. One of the soldiers lost his footing and fell down into a ditch, knocking his head hard against a sharp rock. The other two found themselves standing face to face with the winged beast. More like the image of a great bird than a dragon, the creature looked as though it had lingered in places so dark and vile, they had not been imagined by any man. As it craned back, it's long neck reaching to the sky, long spidery wings spanning almost 10 feet, it let out a vile cry that chilled the two soldiers to the very depths of their souls.
Looking down at his fallen comrade, one of the soldiers drew his sword and held it high before the monster in defiance. His friend, seeing the act of bravery, took heart and drew his own weapon. Together the men charged at the foul beast...

The beast, knowing full well the land in which the skirmish was to take place, lashed out at the ground before the charging men with it's powerful tail, dislodging many of the larger footholds. The men, seeing this impending obstacle, slowed their speeds, just enough to allow the beast to swing it's tail again, this time catching both men hard across the chest.
The men recovered well and tried once more to charge, this time the beast flapped his mighty wings and lashed out at the men with it's fierce jaws, finding a firm grip of one man's leg, throwing him effortlessly aside.
The last man, dodging the attack lashed out with his blade, cutting deep into the thick hice of the beast which did little but enrage it further, swinging around viciously, the beast disarmed the man, forcing him back into a corner.
Brave to the bitter end, the man drew his hunting knife and stood tall against the beast as it lurked forward, sensing the kill.
No farther than 4 feet from the man, the beast began to crane it's neck, preparing the death blow when it was itself pounded from above with a mighty rock on the head. Taking a moment to regain it's composure, the beast looked up to see a giant of a man come crashing down on to the back of it's dark scaly back.
As it finally threw the man off, the vile creature turned to face it's new adversary. The man was dressed in full plate armour, a intimidating dark fur coat draped over mighty shoulders. Upon his head rested a helm unlike any other, a metal dragon head snarled from the crest of the helm as the man wearing it looked on at the beast through the tough steel visor.
In a rage of contempt, the beast roared a deafening roar at the man, who in turn drew from his back a might battle axe, glinting in the slight sunlight piercing through the dark clouds of ash.
Fury besot the creature as it lunged at the man who in one swift motion caught the beast square across the jaw with the butt of the axe before bringing the twin edged head down hard across the back of the neck, splitting it almost in half.
The beast reeled, spluttered a gargle of shock and pain before crashing to the floor... lifeless.

The other remaining soldier, who until moments earlier was resigned to dying at the hands of the now slain beast, looked on as the triumphant soldier removed his mighty weapon from the cloven neck of the enemy.
'The men of the west shall fear no foe of this defeated land, not now nor any time to come!' He said as he looked over the barren wastes. Setting his eyes on his friend, he continued. 'Come, let's see to the wounded, we have to get them back to the tower.'

_________________

Alynia watched Arandil as he ran to aid his sister. She smiled and swung herself onto her bay stallion's back. Falasephales sniffed the air before weaving through the dense trees to watch what commotion had followed Arandil's questioning. Forna stopped beside the stallion and shook her shaggy coat free of fallen leaves before sitting down.

A light clink sounded around the clearing as Alynia dismounted from her faithful stead. Falasephales early snorted and bent his long neak down to forage among the green leaves of the forest floor. Alynia tightened her strap that held her Bow and Quiver securly to her back. Forna looked around with her bright, keen eyes. She stood up as Alynia dismounted and wagged her tail a few times before eyeing each figure in turn. They stopped on Cora. She growled
"Forna, I've told you." Alynia started laying a hand on the collies head.

_________________

The Great Gate of Minas Anor loomed overhead, and Hadhorion stared in awe for several minutes, until the guards had to ask him to continue forward, as he was obstructing the road. The stonework was like that in Fornost, but on a much grander scale, and far more beautiful. He dismounted, leading Tarannon further into the city. The slopes of Mount Mindolluin shone, the snow reflecting the sunlight, creating a beautiful effect for the ancient city. He noticed a great banner billowing above a watchtower, the Seven Stars and the White Tree seeming to ripple. It was a beautiful sight.

[Note: For those who haven't realized it yet, the White Tower has not been built yet, so there is no Tower of Ecthelion at this point.]

_________________

[agreed with Aerandir, still some 470 years to go....]

After a longer search for those he trusts Ingold found the few of his men from the battalion that he seeked for. With each one he talked in silence and giving them warning to take heed of themselfs. Many were stricken with awe by the news of Ohtarion's death and the fact that the houses of Osgiliath are not safe anymore.

After completing the task that was ment to be done in the first place, Ingold returned to his regular duties of patroling the streets of Minas Anor. His gaze was stern and his step firm and determined as he walked with two men from his battalion named Randarion and Derufin. Randarion was of a somewhat taller built then Ingold but also a very stout man with broad shoulders, dark hazel eyes and brown hair. Derufin, a well skilled archer and scout was of Ingold's built and his clear green eyes watched the surroundings carefully.

The sun was begining to set as they ventured from the second level to the first one, a few words exchanged between them for most things were said and done before they set out.

The paved streets radiated with warmth and Ingold held his helmet underneath his arm for the weather was pleasent and he enjoyed the sun. Many faces Ingold knows as the city is not so vastly populated like Osgiliath and yet he beheld many new faces at the same time.

As they approached the main gate of the first level, not far from the Guesthouse Ingold stopped with his stride as he noticed a new stranger abroad but this one was not clad in any Gondorian fashion though there was some resemblence seen to a keen eye.

He noticed the browns and greens, the same colors of the rider he beheld on the plain before he entered the city. The certainty of it being the same rider gave away his steed.

With a brief glance cast to his two companions Ingold walked down towards the newcomer from afar and Derufin and Randarion walked a step behind him.

"Greetings, stranger from afar!" Ingold called out to the man he did not know the name off "How can we be of service to you if you are in need of any?" he added in a firm but still friendly voice.

_________________
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the Warrior for his glory. I love the homeland which they defend.

_________________

While firmly planting his feet infront of the newcomer Ingold eyed the stranger for a moment before replying in a kind and helpful manner but still his awareness did not lessen.

"There are many valuable inns in this great place milord. One is just down the Lampwrights' street down yonder" he nodded over his shoulder behind him.

"As for the information about the king and his health...." he sighed and approached the man closer while lowering his voice so only he could hear it. "Not many good tidings can be expected. He is getting spent." A low murmur formed the words as Ingold's eyes bent this way and that.

Randarion and Derufin remained steady behind Ingold and their gaze also strained around but mostly it was set on the newcomer to the city.

Ingold stepped back slightly and firmed his voice while a slight hint of a pleasent smile lingered on his face "May I aquire your name milord? I rarely have the fashion of adressing new folk I meet as strangers."

_________________
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the Warrior for his glory. I love the homeland which they defend.

_________________

OOC: Veeery sorry, been some exhausting couple of days./OOC

Alaria had been taken entirely by surprise as the arrow found its way in course of the nearby tree. It was not a wonder, though, that the first contemplation of hers was that of ambush, and so she immediately took a few steps in reverse as yet one more person, a man, joined them. She still kept a firm hold about the dagger, knowing that her bow was not accessible (for it lay indeed at the side of the fallen stag). Not many moments passed, at least not enough for Alaria to entirely comprehend what had happened, before her brother swept in between her and the two strangers.
Lowering her dagger, she stayed behind Arandil, allowing herself, even so, to see in which way the conflict was turning. To learn that the cloaked figure certainly was an Elf was of no surprise to Alaria. She did not, however, trust either of the strangers to any further extent because of that, but as the mystery of the Elf was no longer such, she took a light hold of her brother’s free arm and stepped up next to him.
“Ara...” she spoke as if though she requested for him to lower his blade. She did not want to seem as a threat, but nor did she want to appear naive and carefree. Awkward was the silence that followed, odd too, thought she.

_________________


^/^^ Thanks to tulk.

Alynia watched Alaria with a slight smile on her face. She shook back her long hair.
"You could cut the tention here with a spoon.2 She said quietly. Forna barked his aggreement.
"Protective brother too." She said almost to herself.
She smiled. Her dark eyes swept over the clearing and stopped upon Alaria and her brother. She smiled at them before swinging herself onto Falasphales's back to watch the procedings.

_________________

"Of course lord Hadhorion..." Ingold replied while inclining his head in a respectful manner towards one of the men of the Northern Kingdom "...my name is Ingold, son of.... Ohtarion. Captain of the 42nd Batallion of Minas Anor at your service milord!" a strange and almost pained glance crossed his face as Ingold mentioned his fathers name that is no more.

After a moment he managed to regain his composure from the faltered gaze and motion towards the two behind him "and these are my comrades, Randarion and Derufin, trustful soldiers of my regiment" Ingold spoke, but the level of firmness in his voice faltered.

"May I enquire to what honor do we get the visit from one of our brothers from the north, lord Hadhorion?" curiousity was on Ingold's face by that time for rare are the visits from the former mighty kingdom of Arnor

_________________
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the Warrior for his glory. I love the homeland which they defend.