The Long Road - friends new and old

[tomcat]

"The Millfort, eh?" The weapon in Codi's hands loosened and its axehead went to the ground. "Judging by the looks of ye, I don't think you'll be wanting to make the march to the Millfort...at least not yet. Come."

The Dwarf waved for the companions to follow and he called out an order to one of the wood-men to take up charge and see the day's work through. The weary heroes followed Codi for a few hundred yards down the now revealed Dwarf Road. Roots were still present, gnarled and rugged, as they protruded between ancient cobblestones. Brush still grew throughout the clearing and trees were ever-present along its length, but it was evident that Bofri's workers had made progress.

Codi turned off the road and towards a small wood structure that had been recently built from the wood that was being cut. It was rather crude in its aesthetics, but functional in its purpose - to provide shelter and safety for the Men and Dwarves who worked here. It was large enough to accommodate at least thirty, but the companions found it empty when they entered. It smelled of fresh, raw wood and sap. There was a wood floor, but the carpenters had not been too concerned about neatness, or splinters. Someone had fashioned a cook stove and firepit that escaped the cabin through its roof. Finally, there was a stack of extra long-saw blades and axes.

The Dwarf drew back the heavy leathers that hung over the few windows to allow what light there was to brighten the chamber. He sat on a rough stool and set down his axe. "We have constructed a few of these along the road, as we move east. It is our goal to make the hills by spring."

The companions all looked to one another - the haunted hills - is what each new the Dwarf to mean.

"You may rest here. I cannot offer you food - we are in low supply ourselves, but you can rest and heal. From here, you can decide to continue back towards the Millfort, just know it is 20 leagues from here. Bofri is there but he is always moving along the road to see what's been achieved. Can I ask...what are you doing out here?"

[Eclecticon]

Yeah... I was hoping we wouldn't have to get into that.  He's either going to have to pull his workers back to avoid them coming into contact with the Werewolf (which, I guarantee you, has a new body by now) or expose them to terrible danger. 

Who wants to tell him?

[Telcontar]

"An evil of the ancient days has awoken in the mountains of the wood. A fell twisted spirit that is bound to the form of a great wolf and hungers for light and living flesh. We have battled it once already and though its hame was pierced many times and we slew the beast it's spirit fled and will bend a new wolf house it. We are resolved to hunt it in its layer, though our road has been long and weary."

[tomcat]

"We heard this beast, nigh on fifteen days ago. It was as if a nightmare moved quickly through the wood, and vanished to the south." Codi withdrew a long wood-carved pipe from his vest and proceeded to fill it with pipeweed from a small metal box. He then took a stick and lit the tobacco and puffed until it glowed. "As I said, I can't offer you any food stuffs, lest you decide you want to aid in a hunt. But we can certainly make room on the floor within our outpost here. It would be the least we can do for hunters as brave as you. By Balin's beard, I wouldn't wish to take on your path!" The Dwarf's mouth broke into a grin around his pipe. The company could see that he had a great gap between his two front teeth, and the tooth on the left was gold.

Esgalwen smiled at his glittering grin, "Well friend Codi, it would seem you have bitten into some treasure."

"Ha!" guffawed the Dwarf at the Ranger's joke, "I had it fashioned after I took a warhammer haft right to my chops. I spit blood and a tooth, and then I split the orc's skull." He patted his own axe that still sat near, but then his eyes drifted into a distant memory, "That was a great day... and a bitter day."

"Of what day do you speak?" she inquired.

"Why the day that Dwarves, Elves and Men held back the hosts of Bolg at the feet of the newly-won Erebor, M'lady. I speak of the Battle of Five Armies."

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast seats himself on a rough-hewn stool.  "Well do I know the tale of that day, though I was but a boy at the time, and my people did not learn of the battle until the carrion-crows were long-sated." 

[Telcontar]

The noldo elf took the opportunity to remove the burden of his rings of mail and sat himself in a corner of the hut. The weariness was heavy upon him and in but a short time he slipped into a heavy sleep, more like to that of men than what was usual for the Eldar.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Grimbeorn knew full-well the events of that battle, for though he was but a cub, his father was there and told him of deeds of Men, Elves, and Dwarves.  It was such a sad tale to him at the fall of the King Under the Mountain and his cousins.  "So you turned for hewing stone in the Iron Hills and orc necks to that of wood and brush?"

[tomcat]

Nodding at Arbogast's reply, Codi turned to Grimbeorn, "You could say that, although I have no problem puttin' my axe to work on an orc or two if they reveal themselves. But truthfully, it's not so much the trees, but the joy of being part of the restoration of one of my people's achievements. If I can help open the road, then I can put my name on it, too! That will be a deed that my youngers will speak of."

He drew thoughtfully on his pipe, "So what of you all - quite a company I see before me. Elf, woman, man and Beorning! I wonder at the tale that brought you together and to my doorstep. Do you really plan on marching to the Millfort before you turn east to the Mountains of Mirkwood? I'll not say it is as bad as it was, taking the road west, but nor will I say it will be easy."

"I think it was our goal to see friend old...and new, when we came north from the Elf camp near Woodland Hall," said Esgalwen. "We did not know how much Bofri had achieved, but we set the road as our goal for the first leg of our hunt. Rorin was our companion, in truth, and it was Bofri who contracted us to aid him in finding the Millfort."

"I have heard this tale!" smiled Codi. "Dark it is, and dreadful, but it seems that the strength of Aulë is within all of your meddle." The Dwarf chuckled at his own pun. "Rorin, too, is a boon companion. It was through his aid that Bofri won the backing of our king. Eh...your Elf-friend sleeps!" Codi hissed the last word in a whisper. "I will let you all get to your bedrolls, if you wish. If you wake and we are not here, you'll find us on the road."

[tomcat]

• Arbogast is refreshed with the morning - no change in PC status

• Esgalwen reduces her fatigue by 1 from rest 

• Grimbeorn is refreshed with the morning - no change in PC status

• Morirúsë recovers 5 , and reduces his fatigue by 1 from his rest; no longer WEARY 

[Telcontar]

  FINALLY!!!

Ps. I'm camping this weekend, but I may post a dream sequence for Moriruse at some point. I have been kicking the idea around but he seems to speak especially loud to me when I'm drinking bourbon in the woods.

[tomcat]

Codi told the companions that there was a possibility that Bofri might make his way down the road to their outpost, to see the progress. The Dwarf was not completely sure, but still the idea of another day's rest did not seem to be an ill-idea. It would give Morirúsë more time to return to himself and it would allow them to ready their hearts for the longest, and hardest part of their trip - to cross through the Heart of Mirkwood.

The next day came and went, but there was no sign of their old friends. The Company needed to decide - would it continue its course towards the mountains, or would they spend the next couple days traveling west to the Millfort.
Morirúsë recovers another 5

Let me know what you guys are doing based on the above choices.

I am in the midst of preparing the next legs activities, so let me know via narrative/dialogue or an OOC.

[Telcontar]

Morirúsë did not know the dwarf personally, but only through the stories of his friends.

"I do not know what will be accomplished by tarrying here longer. Your friend is unlikely to come with us, and we are decided upon our course. Unless there is some other reason that I do not know about we should move on."

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast nods his agreement.  "Greatly though it would please me to see Rorin once more, I fear our business will not permit us to tarry here.  There will come other times for the renewal of old friendships." 

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Good... the longer we tarry the further our quarry gets away and this place makes me restless," said Grimbeorn.