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Get your own Free Home PageBlanchon, not wishing to reveal his powers to any peasant folk who watched the group of adventurers, elected to taking his fine whitewood bow out and notched a green feathered arrow. In a melodic, almost squeaky voice, he said to the stars, "As you know my friends I am no warrior but if this monster is as large as Fletch is accustomed then I shall have no trouble in hitting it!"
He laughed lightly, the sound like that of a young girl being tickled by her boisterous older brother, skipping from side to side he moved towards the barn, a manic gleam flowing into his different coloured eyes, one a deep sea green and the other a summer sky blue.
Laughing shrilly Blanchon beckoned Fletch to follow. As he followed he turned back, looking once more to the stars, the moonlight giving his gaunt palourless face the semblance of a grinning skull, "Monsters in the dead of night, another test?" he whispered loudly in a questioning tone and with that he hurried towards the barn...
***
Behind the Blossom Hills, a sleepy village changed to a reddish colour when several lit torches flowed through its narrow streets. The glowing light traveled north and up the Hills, waving the young grass that gently cheered its passage. Soon it seemed to shrunk slightly as mighty footsteps stroke the ground and a mounted warrior turned aflame.
Leif rode like the wind, his feet digging into the flanks of Lessa, spurring him on to where his companions were. Leif's mind was elsewhere however, as it often did when he was riding... He thought back to his omeland, to the grassy plains of Edoras... To the Horse Herds he had tended as a youth.... "By Eru, I wish I could return!".
Suddenly his reverie was interrupted as the barn appeared before him, he could see that the door was open... He pulled back sharply on the reins and Lessa stopped... almost skidding on the wet grass as he did.
Behind, Benil watched the Rohirrim ride up and shook his head. He walked rather than ran up to the barn.
While still outside the barn he emitted a low long whistle. "Come Bogas, Heel." The dog quickly came over to Benil and Benil rubbed his head in appreciation. He looked down at his dog. "Bogas my friend, it looks like we have a bit of a hot head here. Only fools rush in before checking out the situation. Let us go my friend and see if they need any help. Keep that nose of yours sniffing. See if you can find what it is."
"Arf! Arf!", Bogas seemed to understand his master.
***
Mara Gadianton shivered. Before her, the dying campfire could not dismiss the cold night breezes thrown with the mighty waves that hit the rocky cliff. She pushed her cape closer, but it was soaked and gave her little confort. The small cave where she stood gave her some shelter. It was a wet place but she was used to harsh conditions since she had betrayed her Brotherhood. She had been on the running since then, from Linhir through the mountains of Dor-in-Ermil to the Belfalean coast.
"What a foul weather! The winter is not completely exhausted, yet.", the woman fought with her waving hair. A cloud of dust left her, revealing a blond colouring. She went to her backpack and grabbed a hairbrush made from the bones of some large beast, "I have to pay a visit to that village up there. They ought to have some blankets.". After brushing her long, dirty hairs, not without some painful groans, she started to weave them. "I could use a little hot food too."
She stood up and picked a heavy wooden quaterstaff with iron tips protruding from several leather rings. She swang it in a testing movement and smiled when she sensed its perfect balance. Still exercising with the weapon, she made her way to a small and slippery trek that went up to the top. Suddenly she threw herself against the rock in a defensive, swift maneuver. There were some voices coming from the very small patch of sand that existed between the rocks, fifteen meters below.
***
The Rohirrim spurred his horse once more and rode beyond the barn, up the road that left Vinhir. Fletch and Blanchon were thrown aside by his frenzied movement.
"Give way, shorty!"
The blood swept the hobbit's face. He had almost fallen when running from Lessa's path. "Hey, you great...". Fletch considered himself a complete warrior and demanded respect from all. Leif used to mock the hobbit the most, though nobody really liked his nature. "Where do you think you are going, coward? Come! See how a hobbit deals with a monster!". The hobbit seemed completely disturbed and started to aim his bow at Leif's back, something he had never done with no one, nor even with the goblin that stole the strawberry cake that Aunt Emily made for his sixteenth birthday. His arrow did not left the weapon. The hobbit never knew if it was his will that held it or the elven mage that stood aside weaving his hands, chanting and smirking at the hobbit.
After scouting the road ahead, the warrior from the plains turned his horse and charged down again, throwing aside both hobbit and elf, again. He presented them a broad, grin laugh.
"One of these days...", something stopped Fletch's challenge. Behind him stood the mage, a hand on his shoulder and his white hair flowing on the opposite direction of the wind.
"One of these days.", he gave the hobbit a little nod.
Benil kneeled down beside Bogas and held him firmly around the neck. The dog had been giving his master a hard time, barking furiously at the barn. "Come friend come." He crooned to the dogs ear. "What have you smelt eh! Something bad I think by the way you are going on. Come on friend calm down, hush."
The dog seemed to understand his master, but stood very excited. Feeling free from Benil's large hands, he started to run to and from the barn, urging his master. He would not enter it without him, such was the control exerted by Benil and the unconditional love he had for the shepherd.
"Let us go and see what it is. You are such a good friend to warn us all that it maybe bad, but there are some things we need to face."
***
The voices came from three meters below, but Mara could not understand their language. She took a careful glance over the rock where she laid and saw three slim but tall men. They were seated on small wood boxes, discussing something over a bowl full of water that stood on an improvised table at the center. Mara scanned around and noticed a small paddle boat pushed over a large boulder.
"Smugglers!", she whispered.
Behind them she perceived a short but broad man that seemed to be standing guard. He was covered with a strange plate mail that reflected a dark blue moonlight, but the most striking feature was his long halbardier. It seemed impossible heavy, hard to be held efficiently in combat for such a man. She scanned the sea for the smuggler's boat, but she could see none at first. She was wandering what to do when she saw something disappearing between two waves. She fixed her eye on the spot and with the next wave she saw the boat, or rather, saw an tremendous empty space. Its shape was so dark that seemed to eat the stars and swallow the moonlight. It reflected a creepy invisible aura upon her and she felt disturbed. It was large, huge for the common smugglers.
"Maybe they are pirates, after all...", she thought, "I don't like this. Better to clear off the place..."
***
In a masterful movement, Leif leaped from the Horse, unslung his shield and drew his mighty weapon, 'Frostbane'... After patting Lessa and whispering in his ear, he tied the horse to a convenient rock.
He drew his long sword and unslinging his warboard, he moved quickly south alongside the barn to where the others stood before the open doors. He looked at them as he said, "What are you cowards?", he grinned intently at the hobbit, "Skulking round out here when battle is inside? Well I don't know about you but I am going to take the head of whatever this is and bring it out for you to feast your eyes upon!"
The warrior moved quickly through the door and saw Meneldor and Talis moving toward a large haystack... He could sense glory! All his being was filled with battle spirit, incited by the confrontation with the hobbit. With a yell he ran forward toward the haystack sword and shield held high...
"For Edoras and for Glory!" he shouted.
Laughing shrilly Blanchon followed after the Rohirric warrior, "My, my such an excitable fellow!" As he passed through the doors he turned back, looking once more to the stars, the moonlight giving his gaunt palourless face the semblance of a grinning skull, "For Blanchon and for knowledge?" he whispered loudly in a questioning tone and with that he slipped into the barn...
Closely behind the mage, Fletch peered toward the barn, wishing he had better night vision. Sheathing his sword, he drew his bow and notched an arrow. Quietly, he made his way slowly toward the barn, stopping often to check about him.
Taking a firm grip of his staff and keeping his eyes and ears strained for any unusual activity, the shepherd moved slowly into the barn. His dog followed close by his heels.
***
Perspiration filled Mara's neck. She tried to climb the cliff silently, but the sense of terror that exuded from the boat and the party down there made her to take a rushed step and her foot slipped. A cloud of dust cascaded from the rocky face, catching the attention of the four men below.
"Jiok!", cried one of the three slim men, pointing a bony, pale finger at Mara. All three pulled over some kind of dark cape and suddenly Mara couldn't see them anymore.
"Wizards!", she was on the edge of panic. After some infuriating fight with the cliff, she forced herself to calm down. She looked down once more and sensed three figured shapes floating behind her foots. "Damn! What a foul I am. There's no such thing as wizardry. That's only to frighten kids! These must be spies from Harad. Yes indeed! They have some kind of camouflage... I don't care what they are up to. Gondor is not my liege, anyway...", she kept mumbling for herself all the way up as an assurance, but with no further delays.
Mara pushed herself over the cliff top. In front of her was another slim man like the others, naked and bathing in a small pool. He seemed to be completely unaware of her presence. In fact he looked like he was in deep sleep, though he moved. His head dove in the pool and another similar man raised from it. The dance kept going, but Mara didn't look anymore. She had became stunned with the sight and the pursuers were almost over her. To her right, two of the slim men were almost on the top. The other one had already made it, on her left, and started to rush to her holding a strange weapon. She looked behind and saw the unusual clad warrior a couple of meters below.
She leaped and took the way through the small pool, to avoid her pursuers. As soon as she stepped in, both man seemed to awake, but their ash faces just threw blank stares at her. She pushed her way between the couple and stumbled on something, disappearing under the surface. She fought with whatever was holding her feet. Panic filled her once more and she looked for a weapon. She felt a rock under her hands and started to hit at the slimy thing that soon loose her. She came up at the other side of the pool in time. Her pursuers had stopped no more than two meters to her side. They seemed in shock. Only the warrior kept going. She gave herself no rest and dove through the green woods that surrounded the area.
Behind her a massive, non human scream threw all living creatures into their dwellings.
***
Talis was the first to see it. In the dark it seemed to be a slim, tall figure, holding a longsword that swalled the light. But the most astonishing feature was his head. It was torn and uncharacteristic large. It held some kind of long and slender horns that seemed to wave from side to side, sometimes almost touching his shoulder. In that moment everything stood still.
Then Leif shouted and charged once more, taking over the Dunadan that had lead the advance. With a blazing fast jump, the creature jumped onto the haystack, then to the middle portion of the wood ladder that stood behind it. A final, mighty jump made him disappear in the second floor of the barn. Leif started to race after the beast, but an invisible hand pushed the ladder and it fell over the warrior, making him shout with rage.
The creature responded with a victory cry, that appeared almost orkish to Talis, thought more melodic. For an instant, the party stood motionless, stunned by that presence, then they passed meaningful stares between them.
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