[Nogrod]

Aunt Clellan accompanied her through the swarming late-night town full of drunkards and jesters, pick-pockets and celebrants, the prostitutes and the beggars to the gate of the inner city and gave the guards the bribes smiling at them heartily. The guards seemed pleased and nodded to her gracefully and smiling to Edelfried they escorted her to her quarters.

While she ascended the hollow and only scarcely lit stairs leading to her room her aunt’s words were still recurring in her head. The passing of good and evil produces in emptiness. Some try to make it a virtue and turn the world into a shameless battlefield of naked power and fight for influence. The others cling to the passion and compassion, to love. You’re on that side now my little. And thank gods for that! But it will not be easy to take part in this struggle… You will feel much pain but you must concentrate. You’ll learn to control the things happening in your dreams – and that’s real influence. Just try to feel yourself, find the way as none can teach it to you…

She finally reached her room and closed the door. After dressing her night-gown on she went to the window to look at the buzzing town below her before going to sleep. There were the noises of the city but also the growing darkness of the surrounding countryside and the mountains. It felt like the whole world had wrapped this tiny island of life and people into its embrace and was slowly pulling it firmer into its grasp.

Then there was the blackbird once again singing its sorrowful melody. Edelfried felt suddenly like crying for no particular reason. All the stories aunt Clellan had told her had taken a toll on her: the falling of Telperion and Laurelin, the kinslaying at Alqualondë, the loss of Gondolin, the story of Turin Turambar, the massacre of the five armies battle, the deceit of Saruman… She struggled not to cry aloud but the tears were falling down her cheeks.

She felt one innocent soul had again lost her life. How long will this last? How can I stop it?


*~*

The gammer came slowly downstairs to have a cup of tea. She couldn’t sleep anyhow and she knew the coals would still be hot enough for a cup of hot water to boil. She went into the kitchen and took the small kettle and turned to go for the water butt when the lowly hissing noises caught her. Her heart almost stopped with the sight. But she recovered quickly and dropping the kettle was about to pick her knives to throw at the werewolves when it all went black. Then it was just pain and darkness.

The villagers were awaken that morning with their remaining elders crying from pain.

“My sister! How can they?” the gaffer Shasta howled on the porch ripping hair from his already thinly haired crown.

“This is now getting a bit too far! Show up werewolves and I’ll show you what you deserve!” A Little Green added from the doorway and went back to clean the mess swallowing her tears.

As the villagers managed to gather around the house of the elders Greenie had almost tidied the kitchen. But everyone was able to see from the remnants what had happened. There was blood all over and pieces of flesh here and there in the kitchen.

“How vulgar!” Lommy exclaimed.

“Horrible…” whispered Eönwë.

“Brutal” echoed Kath and Sally with one voice.

“Should we bury her… I mean what’s left of her.” Celuien asked quietly.

“Let’s gather the rest of the pieces?” Lhuna suggested looking at how Greenie would take it.

They buried the pieces of Izzy left outside the gate and then came back to the village.

“Now then. A meeting at the tavern. Follow me!” morm said and the others followed.


*~*

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)

+ Thinlómien, a bird tamer, adult (married to Nilp, Macalaure's sister)
+ 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)

+ 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.
Cailín, guinea pig breeder, adult (Nilp's sister); A werewolf melted into a candle-wax and burnt on Day3.
Diamond 18, dissolute, 11 (phantom's pre-teen littlesister); The seer eyes picked out (once again, what a bore...), throat slit and thrown into the well on Night4.
Nilpaurion Felagund, a house-bound sandwich-maker, adult (married to Lommy); A werewolf committed a suicide when the whole village turned against him on Day4.
Isabellkya, a gammer who loves asparagus and throwing knives (Shasta's sister); An innocent cut down in a way too horrible to describe on Night5.


Day5 begins.

A new Day. A new hope...