Relics of the Past

[tomcat]

The Sindar peered about him with an ability that was beyond that of his companions - sensing around them the power of Middle-earth, both shadow and light. The Elf near swooned as he did, for the presence of darkness was almost palpable and Edrahil knew that he, too, was being sensed. An evil will abandoned the blighted woods and bore down on him for mere moments, but in his mind he heard the screamed words...

"BEGONE! THESE BE MY WOODS AND MY TIME! THINE HAS PASSED HERE WITH THE AGES!"

The echoes of the words still rang within his mind and the chill of darkness crept over his heart, but then it was gone and with it fell the twisted tangle of blighted wood. Edrahil's other companions looked with surprise as the foul tree spirits abandoned their physical form and left naught but piles of vine and branch. Even Witherfinger was surprised by the collapse of the creature before her, "HOOOM TOOOM DEE DOOOM! DARKNESS RUNS BEFORE THE LIGHT OF THE CHILDREN OF THE DAWN." She looked at Edrahil, "WHERE HAVE THE ENTS GONE?"

Confusion filled the Entwife's face once more as she looked on the Men, Dwarf, and Elf. She turned and began to stride off into the woods of the Nin-in-Eliph.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Durgil was stunned, bewildered, and dumbfounded so at the development he nearly dropped his bow.  "Edrahil... what make you of this?"

[Stefan]

Nain looked down at the tree that he's just hacked large rents into.  It looked almost as if the soul of the tree had been sucked out, the graying bark seemed almost ashen.  Not as if it had died from the blows of weapons but from far more sinister power.

"Somethin's nah right about this. We did not kill these things." 

He shuddered at the thought of what being might have the power to pull the soul directily out of a living creature.

[Rothesay]

Edrahil, shuddering at the brush with such a malevolent force, turned to Durgil.

"I know not, good friend. I thought only to see if other evil awaited us in these woods while our attention was held by these blighted old trees. It has fled for the moment, but perhaps it is only gathering strength to eject us from what it thinks are its woods. Witherfinger seemed to think the spirits fled before the light - though I confess her last question mystifies me." He looks at the crumpled trees. "Were these once ents? Is that the meaning of her last question? Yet she has now left twice in a great hurry - I would not advise us to tarry overlong in this place."

[sdrotar]

"Yet she has now left twice in a great hurry - I would not advise us to tarry overlong in this place."

"Then let's move," Dirnhael suggested. "I have no desire to discover what awaits us if we linger."

[Rothesay]

"Then let's move," Dirnhael suggested. "I have no desire to discover what awaits us if we linger."

"I agree, captain." Edrahil repeats the words he heard in his head in case he was the only one. "We might follow Witherfinger, but there is something of the Shadow about this business. I do not accept it is his time and I am loath to leave this malevolence unchallenged. Still, it ought to be at a time and place of our choosing. I shall follow where you lead."

[sdrotar]

"Then let's move," Dirnhael suggested. "I have no desire to discover what awaits us if we linger."

"I agree, captain." Edrahil repeats the words he heard in his head in case he was the only one. "We might follow Witherfinger, but there is something of the Shadow about this business. I do not accept it is his time and I am loath to leave this malevolence unchallenged. Still, it ought to be at a time and place of our choosing. I shall follow where you lead."

"This malevolence may be beyond us," Dirnhael warned. "We are stout... but quite mortal. And we have a village of Men to save; one under siege by a mortal such as us."
He grinned like a wolf stalking his prey. "That challenge, I relish."

[Telcontar]

Celdarhil kicked at thr branches and brambles at his feet, his sword still in his hand. Satisified that they were no longer moving he looked at his companions.

"The ill wind of the east often blows strong, but then stops. The lesson is not that the wind will not blow again."

"Our purpose is not complete, we came her to find the men of the village. Though the evil be lesser or greater we must push on. Let us burn the husks of these creatures, and taking flaming brands press further into the wood."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Come! We must move away from here quickly and quietly," called Durgil.  "The battle is sure to bring the attention of others of a less desirable nature."  He gathers up their guides and prepares to move as soon as possible.

[tomcat]

It was Fengel who spoke next, "Durgil...we must remember the words of the tree creature. The boat with our friends was seen continuing north. Remember? She pointed further up the river. Would it be wise to go on foot through this quag, or to have our remount the boats?"
this is just a GM reminder, worked in through an NPC.  

Edrahil spoke next and his voice came like a song, "No, we are not of those Men. Nor do we endure Orcs, as well. We seek those that had done this for they also harmed the people across the river - some of our people were slain at their hands, just like your trees. Four others came before us... did you see them pass? For certain they would not have noticed you. What is your name, lady shepherd?"

The Ent's voice softened to the sound of wind through leaves, "NAME?" The word drew out like a long breeze. "They called me Willow...but now I am Witherfinger. All is dying. All is dead. No more Ents to be found. The children have walked into the shadow of the wood. TOOOM BOOOM-TI-TUM! Slugs rot, insects bore...weakening our tough hides. A storm is coming. See your friends?"

The companions looked to one another as the Ent seemed to talk to them, then to itself, and then to stare off into a distant time. Fengel spoke, "I fear it is not of a right mind." To which Edrahil gestured to not speak of such things. The Sindar spoke again in the sing-songy voice, "Yes, our friends...did they come through here, or pass?"

"North, against the river's flow. A boat passed with four of the short-lived ones aboard. Further north..."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"We need speed and silence and the boats are our best choice for both," replied Durgil after a moment's thought.  "We at least now know we are on the right path."

"Or so I hope," he thinks.

"Gentlemen, we seek your expertise once more," the young Dunadan lord says looking to the slightly unnerved river-men.

[tomcat]

With a nod, the older of the two affirmed their resolution to continue - but both were scared. Orcs and Wild Men were one thing, but to see walking, talking trees and fell-spirits from milk-mothers tales...that was another. As a group, they turned their backs on the dead grove and left Witherfinger to her wanderings. They clambered into the boats and Matty and Del resumed their places, poling the craft upstream.

With the fell-creatures gone, the sounds of wild life resumed. Frogs and bugs croaked and buzzed, while birds of prey soared above on the updrafts. Long-legged heron prowled the shallow riverbank and only casually glanced as the boat passed. Finally, too, were the swans - as before, the elegant fowl floated atop the water, amongst the tall reed-grass and seemed to herald a better time - a brighter day. The Noldor had made this their home so long ago, and the grace of that folk seemed mirrored in the great birds.

Nerves calmed, but caution remained. The men worked diligently to move the boat north against both the current of the Bruinen and the confluence of the Glanduin. The small craft was pushed further out into the river, but Matty would strong-arm them back on to their course.

At last, they came to another large artery of the Glanduin entering into the Bruinen, "This is the last of the main branches of the confluence. If we go further north, we will pass the Glanduin and come to the rapids at Bare Tor. We will not be able to go further. I can only believe that Guilin would also have gone no further."

Fengel broke in, "Indeed, they did go no further!" He pointed and each of the companions followed his gaze to a small boat that bumped against the shore as it was caught within a calm eddy. Del quickly maneuvered their own craft to the shore and they saw two dead men within, black shafts protruding from their bodies - neither was Guilin.

[Stefan]

Nain would gladly have walked the rest of the way but his two companions made the decision and he had little choice but to go along with them.  He sulked in the boat while they moved slowly upriver and was elated for just a moment when their boatman said that this was the end of their journey, that was till he saw the bodies of the dead men.  This looked to be the work of those they'd fought on the river back.

"It looks like we've come to the right place.  Did they leave any sign of which direction they've gone."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Wait a moment, let me look around," cautioned Durgil.  He got out of the boat into the knee-deep water, bow in hand and arrow nocked.  He proceeded to scour the area, seeing if he could discern what might have happened here by footprints and such left behind.

  Do the arrows look like they are from orcs or from the men that we fought with the other night?
 

Observe (Spot) -  2d6+5 : 5, 2 + 5, total 12

 

Track -  2d6+3 : 3, 1 + 3, total 7

[tomcat]

The arrows are definitely orc in make, Matt.

Even with your 7 search, the TN is 5 to see if there are any tracks...many booted feet moved around in this area recently (make it about 8 hours ago). By the imprints, it was no less than twenty.