[Nogrod]

Old nanny’s words were sadly wrong for the fresh dreams didn’t bring relivement but only more pain. The people in her dream had first killed one of the nightly killers and were in bloodthirsty trance of some kind ready to kill everything they thought evil. Enraged by that the nightly killers had killed yet more villagers an it would go on and on. She was sure of it.

If she didn’t stop it.

Edelfried woke up shivering. Her heart felt bruised and beaten. It was as well physical pain. She felt she would throw up at any minute.

There was only one thing she could do. She should visit aunt Clennan.

She wasn’t actually allowed outside the castle on her own but this wasn’t the first time she managed to get there. There were a few good ways to do it and the easiest was when old Bellengaard was on duty at the gate. He would just let her go if she talked nicely and smiled: and promised to get him some honeycakes and a small bottle of sage- flavoured spirit from her aunt. That had always worked and it did so this morning as well.


“Oh! little miss Edelfried it is! How nice to see you for a long time!” Aunt Clennan came rushing through her messy and dimly lit room to greet the girl.

“Now what is it my dear? You look so pale and frightened! Now sit down and tell your auntie all that shadows your pure mind!” While speaking she had already pulled a chair for Edelfried, set her down and sat herself next to her. “Now, what is it?”

Edelfried told her all. It took some time but finally she got it done. Her aunt listened patiently although Edelfried could see her eyebrows wrinkling every once in a while. Her ever-familiar smile had died out already in the beginning and now she looked solemn and thoughtful. Edelfried’s eyes were nailed on her but the silence lasted for a while. Then aunt Clennan finally seemed to come back to the here and now and stroke her hair in saddened empathy.

“I would never had wished you to get this gift my little…” she whispered silently. “Your life will change now. I can be of help and show the door but you must walk the path yourself.”

“What is it aunt Clennan?” Edelfried asked now totally horrified. The tone of the voice of her aunt had made her even more anguished.

“It’s a long story… but sadly you will have to hear it.”


*~*


Macalaure was sitting, leaning to a house and ready for everything. He had a job to do and no werewolf would attack his protégé this Night. But he was weary at the same time being himself the target tonight.

He was watching at his blade when he finally heard the oncoming creeping steps. There they come then… I’ll sell my blood with a price… and they won’t enter this house if it’s up to me.

The shapes of the four werewolves emerged from the darkness coming slowly towards him. Macalaure stood up and pointed his blade at them.

“This is the ranger’s blade enchanted by the Good Wizard! You shall not pass!”

He took a step towards the four shadowy creatures and swang his blade in the air. “Dare to even try!” He shouted at them hoping people would hear it.

“We have no business inside cider-maker. We’ve come to get you…” the biggest werewolf said in a slow voice. “Go get him!” he said pointing at the two werewolves at it’s left.

They leaped on Macalaure but he stood firm parrying left and right and dealing a blow to his attackers every now and then. There was blood all over as Mac had been hit a few times quite badly but he had also managed to deal a blow or two in as well.

“Hey, this is a tough one. Just give us a hand!” The other werewolf cursed between the strokes.

“Oh you amateurs… Let’s go kill him. We have another job to do this Night as well and everyone’s waking up to this noise.” the biggest one drowned and jumped in with the fourth one.

It was soon over then. The werewolves tore him into pieces. The first attackers were so mad because of their wounds and their loss of face that they could have continued slicing him into ever smaller pieces if the biggest one hadn’t stopped them.

“Now let’s get the girl, fast!” he hissed and they disappeared to the night.



The village had heard the fight but they stayed indoors until the morning broke for fear of going outside were the werewolves roamed. But as soon as the first rays of sun came forwards they rushed out to see what had happened.

“Nooooo!” cried Di, “Daad!” she rushed to the pile of pieces of human flesh and organs where her father’s sword lied.

“It can’t be!” cried Rikae. “My husband! My love!”

The phantom looked around in ever growing anger and finally spotted a face he was looking for. “If you’re behind this aunt Roa I will deal with you personally!”

But all that was intervened with another cry. It was Lalaith.

“Who could have done this to a little ageless girlie barely of any age? Where is the justice? Why?”

The villagers rushed towards her lamentations only to find The Ka pierced with a spear by the front door of Lalaith’s house. The spear had been stuck to the ground and The Ka still held her favourite doll in her hand.



*~*

Alive:

+ A Little Green, a fortune-teller - folklorist - herb-grower - unofficial therapist, advisor and midwife, most presumably a witch, the gammer (the eccentric mother of Lommy & Mac)
+ Shastanis Althreduin, astrologer/fortune teller, gaffer (Greenie's husband, father of Lommy & Mac)
+ Isabellkaya, a gammer who loves asparagus and throwing knives (Shasta's sister)

+ Thinlómien, a bird tamer, adult (married to Nilp, Macalaure's sister)
+ Nilpaurion Felagund, a house-bound sandwich-maker, adult (married to Lommy)
+ Eönwë, Rikae's unofficial helper-person, 22 (their son)
+ Kath, tavern owner, 20 (their daughter, Brinn's life partner)
+ Satansaloser 2005, Lommy's assistant, 17 (their daughter)

+ Rikae, a lumberjack, adult (married to Macalaure, Roa's sister)
+ the phantom, sheep herder with Legate, 21 (their adopted son, Di's brother)
+ Diamond 18, dissolute, 11 (phantom's pre-teen littlesister)

+ Cailín, guinea pig breeder, adult (Nilp's sister)
+ Lhunardawen, healer's apprentice, 20 (Cailín's daughter, good twin of Durelin)
+ Durelin, poisoner 20 (Lhuna's evil twin, daughter of Cailín)



+ Roa_Aoife, school teacher, adult (mother of Legate, Brinn and Kit, wife of Nogrod, sister of Rikae)
+ Brinniel, Greenie's apprentice, 21 (Legate's sister and Kitanna's twin sister, Kath's life partner)
+ Legate of Amon Lanc, sheep herder with tp, 19 (brother of Brinn & Kit, Sally's boyfriend, Agan's ex-bf)

+ Lalaith, chocolate maker, adult (sister of Nerwen, mother of Aganzir, Volo's daughter)

+ Mormegil, adult (son of Volo, husband of Celuien, father of Gwath and McCaber)
+ Celuien, a candle maker, adult (wife of morm, mother of Gwath and McCaber)
+ Gwathagor, a highwayman, 20 (McCaber's big brother)
+ McCaber, a henchman, 18 (Gwath's little brother, dates Aganzir)


The dead:
Eomer of the Rohirrim, adult (Cailín's husband, Lhuna's and Dury's father); An innocent beheaded by the werewolves on Night1
Nogrod, the judge, adult (Roa's husband, father of Legate, Brinn and Kit); An innocent torn in two by werewolves on Night1
Nerwen, the healer, adult (sister of Lalaith, Volo's daughter); An innocent nailed to the oak-tree on Day1.
Volo, the guy who knows everything about staying alive, the gaffer (Father of Nogrod, morm, Nerwen and Lalaith); The seer mutilated and eyes pulled off on Night2.
Kitanna, a tavern wench 21 (Legate's sister and Brinn's twin sister); An innocent ripped into pieces and thrown into the well on Night2.
Aganzir, the little match girl, 15 (Lalaith's daughter, dates McCaber); A werewolf burnt alive on Day2.
Macalaure, apple farmer, adult (married to Rikae, Lommy's brother); The ranger overpowered by four werewolves in a fight and torn to pieces on Night3.
The Ka, a dog whipper (a fatherless and ageless little child of Lalaith); An innocent impaled to a spear her doll in her hand on Night3.



Day3 begins.

The forum is open again.