The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - THE LONELY STAR (Contd. from BD birthday party)

mark12_30 · 08-13-2002, 10:42 AM

Lindo watched in horror as little Pongo's body was tossed aside, along with little Lily. But as he heard the order to return to work, he walked forward to get Pongo's body. An orc slapped him, and he reeled and staggered; the children's parents were likewise being driven away from Lily's and Pongo's bodies, but Lindo turned to the orc and replied, "You told me to get back to work; Pongo is under my care."

The orc slapped him again, but another said, "Let him have the brat's body. What good will it do him? Let him cry." But Durshnakh stepped forward, and snarled, and gave Lindo a backhanded blow that send him flying. He hit the ground hard, and struggled to get up onto all fours, retching, unable to stand, orcish laughter echoing in his ears.

Suddenly another voice, Kemba's, spoke in his ear. "The other twenty-one still need you. Go."

Lindo crawled back to the Workhouse. He got to the door, pulled himself up by the doorpost, and turned and looked back. Pongo's and Lily's bodies still lay in front of the storehouse, bloody and still, like Niphredil had lain on the wall the day of the invasion, he remembered; he began to shake.

She had come with her message to Kemba among the archers, and he had told her to return home. And she had walked partway along the wall to where she would climb down, and had found a childhood friend's body, lying dead. His bow lay beside him with his quiver of arrows. She bent down over him and kissed his brow, and then shouldered his quiver and picked up his bow.

"Niphredil! " Lindo had cried. "Go home! What are you doing? Get off the wall!"

Kemba had heard Lindo yell, and had turned, and saw her, and added his voice to Lindo's. But as she loosed her third arrow, ignoring them, an arrow found her. She staggered. Another struck her, and she fell. At least her death was quick.

Kemba got there first, bursting into tears, and held her, rocking and weeping, and picked up her body and bore her away. Lindo had stood helplessly by. He ached to hold her so, and carry her, but he had no right; he had never yet held her; he had not even proposed yet. He would not be of age for another two weeks. And so he had returned numbly to the wall, and fired arrow after arrow, cold and shaking, too angry to weep. He never saw where Kemba put her body.

A cry drew his attention back inside the Workhouse, and he stumbled in, and picked up a baby. Wrong one. He picked up the crying child-- Larkspur, Niphredil's tiny cousin.

Bending over little Larkspur, Lindo burst into tears, and sobbed and sobbed til he was hoarse.

[ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

08-13-2002, 10:42 AM	#505
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Lindo watched in horror as little Pongo's body was tossed aside, along with little Lily. But as he heard the order to return to work, he walked forward to get Pongo's body. An orc slapped him, and he reeled and staggered; the children's parents were likewise being driven away from Lily's and Pongo's bodies, but Lindo turned to the orc and replied, "You told me to get back to work; Pongo is under my care." The orc slapped him again, but another said, "Let him have the brat's body. What good will it do him? Let him cry." But Durshnakh stepped forward, and snarled, and gave Lindo a backhanded blow that send him flying. He hit the ground hard, and struggled to get up onto all fours, retching, unable to stand, orcish laughter echoing in his ears. Suddenly another voice, Kemba's, spoke in his ear. "The other twenty-one still need you. Go." Lindo crawled back to the Workhouse. He got to the door, pulled himself up by the doorpost, and turned and looked back. Pongo's and Lily's bodies still lay in front of the storehouse, bloody and still, like Niphredil had lain on the wall the day of the invasion, he remembered; he began to shake. She had come with her message to Kemba among the archers, and he had told her to return home. And she had walked partway along the wall to where she would climb down, and had found a childhood friend's body, lying dead. His bow lay beside him with his quiver of arrows. She bent down over him and kissed his brow, and then shouldered his quiver and picked up his bow. "Niphredil! " Lindo had cried. "Go home! What are you doing? Get off the wall!" Kemba had heard Lindo yell, and had turned, and saw her, and added his voice to Lindo's. But as she loosed her third arrow, ignoring them, an arrow found her. She staggered. Another struck her, and she fell. At least her death was quick. Kemba got there first, bursting into tears, and held her, rocking and weeping, and picked up her body and bore her away. Lindo had stood helplessly by. He ached to hold her so, and carry her, but he had no right; he had never yet held her; he had not even proposed yet. He would not be of age for another two weeks. And so he had returned numbly to the wall, and fired arrow after arrow, cold and shaking, too angry to weep. He never saw where Kemba put her body. A cry drew his attention back inside the Workhouse, and he stumbled in, and picked up a baby. Wrong one. He picked up the crying child-- Larkspur, Niphredil's tiny cousin. Bending over little Larkspur, Lindo burst into tears, and sobbed and sobbed til he was hoarse. [ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] [ August 13, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.