Black Webs, Dark Heart

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn paused.

"Well we have here a clearing, may we not at the least learn east from west?"

[Eclecticon]

Arbogast shakes his head.  "You who were raised under an open sky may not credit it, but I know east from west even under the darkest of Mirkwood's boughs.  Every sign I have seen tells me that we are travelling westward, yet if this were so, we should already have arrived at the Dusky River.  Nothing that our eyes tell us in this place may be trusted." 

Light of the lamp, he thinks, I wonder how much the black webs already cover us.  Have we even truly moved, or are we already hanging in Tylquin's larder, lost in a dark dream of endless, weary flight?

Putting such dark thoughts aside, he says "Inside, it may be different.  This hall is no creation of the Weaver's, and it may be that she has no power over those within." 


Arbogast is going to wait a moment for any retort.  If none are forthcoming, he's going to push the door open. 

[tomcat]

With a groan, the old oaken door opened to reveal an empty, dark interior. The smell of old air and mildew wafted out and caused the man to cough at its pungency.

A crack of limbs below caused them all to turn and look, but naught was there - only the swaying of a large tree upon the river.

[Eclecticon]

With a raised eyebrow and a shrug, Arbogast enters the hall. 

Am I being lured inside by the promise of safety, or chased with the suggestion of a threat?  How much of any of this can I trust?  The Fire-watcher's mind gnaws on these questions like a hound with a bone, but finds no answers forthcoming. 

[tomcat]

The remaining companions watched as Arbogast entered the longhouse.

With a shrug, Anar said, "At least we will not spend another night inside the hollow of a tree!"

He followed with Amaswinta close behind.

The woman looked nervous, but it was clear that she was tired and weak from the whole ordeal. The fact that they were still lost within the woods was draining her will to continue. The dark longhouse was the first symbol of normalcy and it bolstered her, even in her trepidation.
I will give you guys a bit more time to give your PC narrative/dialogue before I continue.

[Telcontar]

"There is no need for all to rush in to a darkened house at once."

Hathcyn stalled, "well Woodman, what do you see?"

[tomcat]

There was no reply to Hathcyn's question, only the distant sound of a thump. He was sure it was the sound of a door closing.

The Beorning blinked his eyes to ascertain that the longhouse was still there and its door was wide open. It was.

Inside the darkness was deep and he could see no shape of his friends, or movement.

In the breeze that blew through the trees above, Hathcyn thought he heard the echo of someone crying out.

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn looked at Grimbeorn, "this is a house of woe."

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Woe befell long ere we found this place.  Torches, lamps... what do we have?  I will enter to find Arbogast but will not do so blindly," Grimbeorn said with as much steadfastness and surety as he could muster.  There was no longer any time to question why they ventured out on this fool's errand, they must see this through to the end and return at all cost.

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn seemed to steady a bit at Grimbeorn's words.

"I'll see to it."

The man quickly worked to bring to flame the embers of their watch fire into a burning brand.

[tomcat]

With brand held aloft Hathcyn's watched his patron enter the longhouse.

Again the man believed he heard the distant sound of a door thumping closed. Yet, it was wide open and the darkness revealed naught.

It occurred to Hathcyn now that he was alone, outside the house...and far off came the ghostly cries of people in dismay.

[Telcontar]

Hathcyn felt the knot in his stomach and heard only the swaying of trees. He spoke out loud to summon up his courage.

"Well Longspear, this is a trap if ever there was one. So much for taking the guidance of a Woodman in Mirkwood. Grimbeorn has gone, and where he goes I must follow, whether any mark my coming or going or not does not matter. By the fox and bear I must follow."

"Carrock!!!!" And with that he plunged into the darkness.