Enemy unseen, ally unnerved

[sdrotar]

  Tomcat - I love the picture you posted. It really sets the scene nicely.

[Posterboy]

Feeling the ill-ease in his pony made Ginnar even more unsettled. Having little skill in riding, the dwarf tried to calm the both of them, but his voice was gruff, "Easy now. Easy."

Speaking to himself mostly, Ginnar mumbled, "I'd almost welcome a fight... anything to get me out of the blasted saddle."

[tomcat]

Celdrahil spurred his horse onwards with Dirnhael in close proximity. The two Dúnedain were flanked at a distance by Madoc and Fengel who both were now armed with bow and arrow, while behind them the Sindar and Dwarf sat still upon their horses - Edrahil's eyes scanning the horizon for any new threat and Ginnar tensely flexing his fingers on his axe haft.

The wild horses skittered at the men's approach, trotting off a ways from them. Dirnhael looked around him now that he stood amidst the animals. He could see no sign of an encounter. The grasses were bent and broken in places where the horses had stood or moved about, but there was no characteristic evidence of an engagement. Nor was there any sign of bodies... or was there?

Celdrahil pointed and Dirnhael looked to see a figure sitting down in the tall grass, his legs drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around them. Madoc and Fengel also began to move themselves in towards their companions and both could now see him, as well. He was untidy in simple clothes and skins and looked as if he hadn't bathed in weeks. The man paid no attention to the companions as they approached, he only rocked back in forth in some sort of stupor.

Edrahil and Ginnar let their curiosity take hold and they clicked their horses forward.

[sdrotar]

"Hail, friend," Dirnhael said gently as he approached. "Are you injured? Can we help you?"
He waited for a response before asking any more questions - the man had obviously seen something.

[tomcat]

The reaction to Dirnhael's approach was a mixture of terror, confusion, and then relief. The Dúnadan could see by the man's facial features he was of the northmen stock that resided along the mountains and into Angmar - he was not one of Camentir's soldiers.

When Dirnhael spoke, the man had turned of a sudden at the sound and crab-walked backwards with his hands, a terrible dread upon his face. The dread slowly resolved itself into a look of surprise and then a smile cracked his parched lips. He stood up, looking around as he did at the Company, pointing at them as if reassuring himself that they were real.

"Are you injured? Can we help you?" Dirnhael asked again. The Northman gave a slight giggle and then said, "We must hide... the dead walk the Udanoriath!"

Edrahil could see immediately that the stranger suffered from the sun and dehydration. He dismounted and drew his waterskin off of his saddlehorn. "He needs water, Celdrahil." At the sight of the Sindar, the man's face changed once more to one of fear and he began to meekly hunker back down into the grass, mumbling as he did.

[sdrotar]

"I have heard no report of wights or their ilk of late," Dirnhael said to the rest. "But I have faced them before in unexpected places. It is possible that may be what he referred to."
Deep down, Dirnhael hoped so, at least. Anything that could be confused for the dead - but wasn't - sounded even more terrifying.

"Edrahil," he asked softly, "see what you can learn from him. In the meantime, we will be on our guard. Though I would like to keep moving, it is not right to leave this man, and since the horses still graze, this area may be safe - at least for one night."

[tomcat]

Fengel looked the man up and down, "Dirnhael, he is an enemy of your land. Afraid or no, a dagger in the night can end this quest real quickly."

Not waiting for an answer, the Éothraim began to move again on his horse, clicking with his mouth as he did in a soothing manner. He approached the first pony and took up its reins, 'Madoc! See if you can gather those horses over there and we can make move them away from our camp. We do not want to be stepped on by these stout animals."

The Sindar spoke next, "Fengel we will not be so careless as to let him go unguarded."

The Elf approached the man with hands outstretched and open, the waterskin hanging there at easy reach. "Come, man... embolden your heart. You have nothing to fear from us lest you bring it upon yourself. Here, take this water and slake your thirst."

The Northman reached out a quivering hand and slowly took the offered water. He pulled the corked seal and took a long draw from it. Once done, he looked to them all, "The night moves with the ghosts of men... and they suffer none to stand before them. Before all is a dark rider that sits atop a huge mount that has no eyes. You must make your way from here... the Witch-king has brought down his wrath on us all for disobedience! He draws now upon the dead to serve him instead of the living! In my camp, the sick and dying rise in the night and are gone with the dawn. They bolster this terrible captain's ranks!"

Again the man's face blanched from memories of what he had seen. The companions all knew that the Plague still raged through the north, even though a treatment had been found. It was mainly serving the city of Fornost and small towns, while all outlying areas and simple homesteads still suffered the illness.

[Nolmir]

"Aye," Madoc replied to Fengel. "I for one wouldn't much care to sleep in their dung, either," he added, trying to lighten the mood, though his mind rested on the resemblance between the shadows he had seen and this man's statement that the dead fought for the Witch-king.

The Northman rode up to Dirnhael and spoke to him in a lowered voice. "Dirnhael, might these dead with their dark captain be the danger Gandalf sent me to warn you of? I know not what the shadows were that attacked the pair of us, but the spirits of the dead seems as likely an explanation as any."

[sdrotar]

The Northman rode up to Dirnhael and spoke to him in a lowered voice. "Dirnhael, might these dead with their dark captain be the danger Gandalf sent me to warn you of? I know not what the shadows were that attacked the pair of us, but the spirits of the dead seems as likely an explanation as any."

"Such spectres would be well-enough reason for warning," he nodded. "We shall be vigilant."
He planned to consult with Edrahil; hoping the centuries-older and wiser elf might have some insight into what they might be facing.

[tomcat]

With the horses now gathered and moved a distance away, the companions began to search the area for any signs of their captive's companions, Camentir's people, or any evidence of the roaming dead. There was plenty of trampling of the ground but there was nothing to show that any men died here, save the horses that were in disarray and riderless.

The sun lay on the horizon at their backs and so Fengel and Madoc made themselves busy with a preparation of camp. They found a defilade, which would allow shelter of the light from their fire, and cleared a ring of grass so that one could be safely built. Gear was retrieved from the flanks of their mounts and things were slowly made ready. All the while, Edrahil stood and watched the northern and southern horizons for any sign of men... or anything. But only the natural wildlife of the plain was visible - hawks that floated in lazy circles over the prairie, only to pitch down into dives that either ended with some unseen prey, or a miss.

Soon a crackling fire was glowing and the companions began to gather. The northman had been bound to assure that no daggers in the night would end this troupe, and also to keep him from running away. The Sindar sat next to the fire, while Ginnar constructed a small metal support that he carried on his pony, on which he hung a cooking pot. He smiled up at Edrahil, "When Madoc and Fengel return, I will show you how good a cook a dwarf can be. A couple stewed coneys will make for a happy belly!" The Elf smiled in agreement, "I look forward to tasting your stew, Ginnar."

Dirnhael and Celdrahil had been keeping watch, but soon made their way to the fire ring. If anything was coming, they had plenty of time to make decisions, as there was nothing to be seen in any direction. Besides, though the day had been quite warm, the endless plain quickly chilled without the sun. The breeze stirred and rustled the grasslands as it blew cool air out of Angmar. They were three days ride now to Eldanar and their first intended goal given to them by Gandalf the Gray.

[sdrotar]

"We ride in the morning," Dirnhael said. "I see no reason to tarry here."
He looked back to the rattled man within their camp.

"We cannot simply leave him to his fate, troubled as he is." he suggested. "But I am at a loss in deciding what is to be done with him."

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil studied the terrain a bit and looked at the places where the natural line of drift would funnel anyone approaching the camp. The draw would hide their fire smoke, but the depressions in the terrain would also tend to channel someone into their campsite as the easiest path for anyone mounted or on foot. The Dunédain checked on his horse and began working the harness of his horse. He worked the silver bells of the horses harness and blanket off. What at first seemed to be superfluous aristocratic ornament soon revealed itself as a detachable object. In his hand he now held a tightly woven silken thread from which silver bells hung. Taking the line he went off again into the dark towards one of the paths that led into the camp. In a few short minutes Celdrahil had tied the rope off between some scrub brush about six inches off of the ground, effectively setting up a trip wire to alert the camp if anyone tried to cross it in the dark.

Returning to the campfire the warrior next removed his bow from his traveling gear and strung it, placing several arrows in the ground by the bow and the place he would soon be sleeping in. Sitting down he caught the last comments made about the prisoner.

"The northern men are not so sundered from the Elendili in speech that we have forgotten our ancient kinship. Let us give the man a horse, some water, and send him on his way. After all he is a northman, not an easterling or other swarthy servant of the shadow."

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael nodded in agreement. "So be it. Sleep lightly tonight, my friends. In the morn, we will send him on his way."

[Nolmir]

"There are plenty of horses to give the man, to be sure," Madoc said. The northman stood and paced. "But you all saw how he was when we found him. Do you really think he will be able to survive on his own in the wild?" He paused. "I don't know what else to do with him, though.

"Still, my mum used to say, 'If you want a friend, be a friend.' Who knows, this man may be able to tell us more, once he's calmed down some." He returned to sitting by the fire. "But if I'm the only one who feels that way, then so be it."

[sdrotar]

"There are plenty of horses to give the man, to be sure," Madoc said. The northman stood and paced. "But you all saw how he was when we found him. Do you really think he will be able to survive on his own in the wild?" He paused. "I don't know what else to do with him, though.

"Still, my mum used to say, 'If you want a friend, be a friend.' Who knows, this man may be able to tell us more, once he's calmed down some." He returned to sitting by the fire. "But if I'm the only one who feels that way, then so be it."

"We shall attempt to speak to him further before he send him on his way - and make sure he has recovered well enough to ride," Dirnhael noted with an appreciative nod. "But we cannot linger, especially if something walks these plains."