[maikafanawen]

The next three days after Reynion's surgery were spent in recovery. Ihwesta had shed her share of silent tears over the pain. She could never understand the agony Reynion felt, and that made it worse. No one had anticipated this additional and injurious impediment to their progress. It came as a shock to everyone when Taurëwen announced what she had to do. The operation was uneasy for the whole fellowship and the following days of peaces and recuperation were sorely needed. Finally, though, the sun peaked over the golden leaves of the forest and its rays shone down on the company of elves and Ceros announced (with a bit of persuasion from Ihwesta) that they needed to get moving again.

So they were off, Reynion hobbling on a pair of makeshift crutches and being more or less spotted by Taurëwen or Gilbereth. Arië brought up the rear by about fifty yards. They were making very slow time on account of Reynion but Ihwesta didn't care. She was very sore that her friend had to loose a limb, especially a leg. As a tracker she went continually back and forth telling Ceros and Ainemetion every detail of what lay ahead and making up idle excuses that kept their pace slow enough to accommodate Reynion. She wished there was more she could do.

On the fifth day after they set out again, Ihwesta caught an unpleasant scent in the air as she wandered ahead of the company. She froze completely and concentrated her senses on her surroundings. Something was very different and very wrong. A few paces further and she broke the forest to look across and up an awesome hill atop which sat a monstrous, ugly, black tower that seemed to reach the sky. Smoke was coming from what seemed to be small industrial stations scattered at the tower's base and there were orcs everywhere, bustling to and fro with their vile tasks and manufactures. Then she caught sight of a new sort of devilry. It looked a lot like a man: a very large and muscular man with big hands and broad shoulders. Its face was pallid, though and the eyes had an inclined, devious look to them. The aura about him was not that of a man, Ihwesta noted, and when he spoke, his accent held the croaks and wheezes of an orc. The vile means of producing such a monster surpassed Ihwesta and a hand flew to her mouth to keep her from expressing her disgust.

Trolls there were as well. She blinked again as she realized that they moved, breathed, and even roared in the morning sunlight. Trolls that did not turn to stone under the great star? They stood chained to the sinister tower as smaller underlings worked before them on Eru knows what. The fortress, as it appeared, was set up incompetently. Obviously designed only to keep things in, and even so very poorly. There were not visible sentinels at the gate. Ihwesta guessed that there were other devices within the tower and possibly below that did the job for whatever it was that had designed, built, and kept it.

She wasn't sure who or what it was that lived there, but she had little desire to find out either. Ihwesta was so terribly captivated by the colossal tower and its mechanics that she forgot about the company. They soon appeared beside her and also gazed in awe and terror upon the sight before them. Words escaped them and hope fled their hearts.

"Dear Eru, Ceros," breathed Ihwesta at last. "What do we do?" The leader elf placed his hand on her shoulder and looked again out to the nightmare before them.

[ September 22, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]

[ September 22, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]