Naerwen watched the interaction between Evelyn, Rhavaniel and Aragorn pleasently. It pleased her to see smiles on her companions' faces. However she was distracted by Morfindien and a frown spread across her face. "Excuse me, sir. I do admit I mis-spoke. However I only mis-spoke because of your title not because of your manners. How dare you judge my class! You have not walked in my shoes! How dare you?" Her eyes stung.

Shaking her head, she tore her eyes from Morfindien. Naerwen raised her glass with the group. "To peace," she said quietly.

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Morfindien gave Evelyn a tight smile "May I introduce Naerwen? Although I wouldn't get to close, she has quite a bite," his black eyes glittered "Not that that should be an issue for you, dearest."

Evelyn had to pause for a second to gain her compoure and keep from saying something she might regret.

"Excuse me, sir. I do admit I mis-spoke. However I only mis-spoke because of your title not because of your manners. How dare you judge my class! You have not walked in my shoes! How dare you?" the elf Narwen said.

"Narwen." Evelyn said plesently, eager to make peace, and recognizing the elf who had greated her at the entrance to the hall. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Evelyn's eyes danced as a pretty smile was painted across her face. "And i find," She adressed Morfindien here, "that life is not worth living without knowing a few people who will bite back, Morfindien," she implied at him, but she spoke ever as pleasently as before, her eyes still dancing with mirth. " It makes life interesting, and keeps one's whits sharp." She turnd to Narwen with a smile, "Don't you agree Mi'lady?" Evelyn gracefully added the title to Narwen, with genuinuty, meaning to heal her wound, and perhaps, annoy Morfindien a little for his offence.

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Naerwen looked round to Evelyn, bowing her head in thank you. "It is a pleasure to meet you too Evelyn. I do hope your journey here was untroubled." When Evelyn addressed Morfindien, Naerwen's eyes danced with subdued laughter. "I agree with you entirely, Evelyn. It certainly does make for a more interesting life. Naerwen held out a seat beside her for Evelyn. "Come, take a load of my friend." She smiled warmly, her eyes inviting - a contrast with the picture Morfindien had painted her in.

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Linnadhiel noticed a dark stain beginning to form on the bed sheets above Nostariel's chest. She must've pulled a few stitches. There was no way she could have without moving out of her bed. "Nostariel, you fool! What did you do while I was gone?" She bent over and ripped the sheet off her chest and stomach: more blood. She tore off her material gloves, as they were covered in blood. She chucked them into a corner, scowling. Completely useless, she thought angrily, I'm only wearing leather ones from now on. Her hands were glowing a bit, but she tried to ignore them.

She took the glass of water and half emptied its contents onto a clean pillowcase that was sitting near the bed and dabbed this on her stomach, soaking up the blood. She didn't dare pulling the shirt up anymore: she'd already seen the stitches, and she'd almost thrown up.

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Thanks to Lembas for the beautiful banner and avatar! <3

Nostariel blanched even whiter than the sheets she was lying under at Linnadhiel's harsh tone.
"You fool! What did you do while I was away?" It was almost laughable--being called a fool--but Nostariel was in too much pain to do anything but let out a soft groan as the cool air hit her wound a bit. When she finally was able to answer, she gasped it out in shallow breaths.
"I...needed...something...." She didn;t dare look up, she knew her friend was angry and she hated the thought that Linnadhiel had some more grief to deal with in the form of an uncooperative patient.
She lowered her head, mortifyed at being discovered and once again the center of attention.
Ada will not be pleased, she thought ruefully. It was then that she noticed the swirled markings on Lnnadhiel's hands. They weren't scars, more like an intericate design tattooed onto the skin, although there was no needle marks to be found. Intrigued she kept staring as her friend poured the water over the wound making her bite hard on her lip to keep from screaming.

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Zirakzigil ai menu Duzhuk! Zirakzigil, at your service!
[~^!?]

Evelyn tilted her head, pleased. "Thank you, i will." She got to her feet lightly and moved across the table and sat so she was sitting next to Naerwen instead of across from her. "And the journy was untroubled, thank you. Untroubled in body, that is. My mind was in a constant swirl, wondering what was going on here."

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"I am sure we all would like to know what is going on here. It seems like orc numbers are multiplying rather than diminishing. From what I can gather at my post at Osgiliath, they are drawing in recruitments from everywhere too. It's not just orcs we are up against either, I don't think.." she looked nervous again, worrying. Her hand reached up to trace along the scar upon her cheek. "They have been trained better too," she added.

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(Since I'm stuck in the Houses of Healing, I think I'll crash the party in the form of Legolas. If you guys don't mind. I'll send him upstairs after a while.)

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Zirakzigil ai menu Duzhuk! Zirakzigil, at your service!
[~^!?]

(Since no one is complaining.........)

Legolas furrowed his brow as he glanced at Naerwen.
"Who could be in charge of this force? Sauron is defeated, his mouth," He gave Aragorn a sly smile, "was, how shall we say, dispatched? Saruman is no longer among the living, so who could be wise and powerful enough to unite the orcs and otherwise into a massive army?"

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Zirakzigil ai menu Duzhuk! Zirakzigil, at your service!
[~^!?]

(Hop on in love! Was starting to look like the rp was dividing into two groups hehe)

"I am not sure. To be honest, it is more of a theory. I have watched the orcs as they roam together. They seem organised. Now you and I both know what orcs are really like. They are messy, wild creatures. It looks like they are being controlled and are working towards something." Naerwen bit her lip nervously and flashed an apologetic look at Rhavaniel. "There have been some disappearances as of late. I for one, lost my companion before I joined Lord Aragorn's forces. Rhavaniel lost her beloved. He turned up two days ago. He attacked my companions and I. I am sure Rhavaniel can tell you that that was not in her beloved's nature. Rhavaniel and I wondered if there was some trickery involved. Some magic maybe?"

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Evelyn furrowed her brow, listeing intently to the conversation. "It is grevious indeed - times like these have never been heard of." frown lines appeard on her brow as she thought, but they did not diminish her beauty. "What else has been going on, what measures have been made to fight and protect?"

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Steepling his fingers under his chin, Legolas thought back to the time when he and his companions were fighting the Dark Lord before the One Ring had been destroyed. Haradrim, Evil Men, Orcs, Uru-kei, Corsairs...all had been deminished to a more manageable number, but none of them had been completely wiped out.
Did we do enough? It was times like these that he wished for his good friend Gimli to be by his side, making remarks that would set the whole table roaring with laughter. The firebrand of a dwarf had gone on an exstended visit to his uncle's family living in the Lonely Mountain and would not be back for many months yet. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered their games as they had fought, seeing who could kill the most of the enemy. It had been the war of the age...but Legolas wondered if the downfall of Sauron had only been the beginning of the trouble for Middle Earth.

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Zirakzigil ai menu Duzhuk! Zirakzigil, at your service!
[~^!?]

Nostariel went white at Linnadhiel's harsh words. She instantly felt bad. She was already in much pain, and she had made it worse. "Lay your head back, you're hurting yourself more," Linnadhiel said gently, not wanting her going more white. She noticed that she was looking at her hands.


"Hold this," Linnadhiel said quickly, referring to the wet pillowcase, then she ran out of the room. She looked up and down the corridor, looking for a maid, a guest, someone. No one. She ran back, not wanting to leave her alone in case something went wrong.

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Thanks to Lembas for the beautiful banner and avatar! <3

Nostariel cursed herself inwardly for moving at all; why did she have to have such an impatient spirit? The blood was slowing down and as she peered under her shift--using her left arm to get a better look at the wound--she realized that she hadden't torn all the stitches out, only about a third of them.
"Linnadhiel...." she whispered.
"You are...right...I am a ...fool..." Darkness claimed her.

(Meanwhile)

Legolas suddenly felt a stirring in his heart that all was not well. Thoughts of his daughter seemed to be growing on his mind and he glanced over at Morfindien.

"Forgive me if I haven't done so before, Lord Morfindien, but I would like to express my gratitude to you for saving my daughter's life." Legolas stood and bowed deeply towards the younger elf.
"I believe I shall go see how she is fairing, would you like to join me?"

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Zirakzigil ai menu Duzhuk! Zirakzigil, at your service!
[~^!?]

"Guards have been posted all over, set with the charge to destroy any orc that crossed their path. I can guarantee they are doing the best job that they can, but these orcs just seem to be popping up right out of the ground!" Naerwen frowned deeply. "I only wish I knew what was going on. Is there scouts watching Mordor? Is there any activity there?" she asked.

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(We have a Leggy )

Morfindien sat mortified after Naerwen had stopped speaking. He had still been recovering from her and Evelyn's sharp comments, his lips pursed, a sly retort about to leave his lips. Ruscien was dead? Why had no one told him? He shifted his gaze to his sister who was sitting quietly regarding her goblet. Obviously avoiding him. Months of talks with King Thranduil, arrangements, agreements- Gone within the blink of an eye. Gold- wasted. Back-breaking assignments rendered useless. He sent a silent prayer to the heavens. Did Legolas know? Surely not, not many knew outside of the Southern Court. Or did he? The king of Mirkwood loved his son dearly, had he kept this priceless piece of information from him? He was the prince's age, give or take a few years. Would his own father have kept something from him?

He glanced around the hall shiftily and said quietly "You should have said something, sister-mine."
Rhavaniel looked up at him under dark lashes "Forgive me brother, I did not know how," she replied formally.
The duke sniffed and raised his challenging gaze to the prince and his Northern kin "My lord," he stood and returned his bow "I see now it was wrong to ask Rhavaniel and her companion to join us. Let us away to your daughter. Her life may yet be overshadowed by darkness."

He turned and inclined his head to Aragorn "Excuse us, my lord," he flicked his dark eyes onto Naerwen "I thank you for bringing this to my attention," Evelyn he ignored, not wanting the Lorien elf to see his distress.

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. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .