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Old 03-08-2008, 06:31 AM   #137
littlemanpoet
Itinerant Songster
 
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: The Edge of Faerie
Posts: 7,072
littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
The sky was ablaze with sunlight. The snow glared the light into the eyes of all so that they were almost blinded. Except for the Elf. Nevertheless, they pushed on. It was cold and the snow was deep. The path was treachersously narrow as it circled along the mountain slope, the deep chasm yawning to their right.

Ædegard supposed that there must be a fast flowing mountain stream at the bottom of the gorge, and that it must be filled quickly to a torrent in spring, considering how much snow lay upon the mountains. But for now it was a quiet waste.

Erembemlin went ahead, walking lightly on the surface of the snow. Ravion came behind, given the guidance of Erebemlin's barely discernable footprints, using his arms and feet to clear as much as he could of the snow from the path. Bergil came next, clearing what escaped Ravion's limbs. He was followed by Mellondu who cleared what Bergil left behind.

It became clear soon enough that the horse must be left behind. Mellonin/Avarien was told the situation, and agreed to walk, hard on her as it would be. She spoke to the horse, removing its gear, and set it free. It picked its way down the mountainside and was lost from view finally around the knee of the mountain.

The others straggled behind the Elf, rangers, and Mellonin, with Ædegard taking up the rear. They stopped often to rest, for the going was very difficult. Erebemlin tried not to show impatience. They all feared that Tharonwë was leaving them far behind.

So it was that the sun was just going down behind the jagged horizon of the mountains to their west when they came to the final pass, where they found a small cave. They decided that they must rest there.

To their surprise they found Indil waiting for them, as if she had been expecting them all day. Behind her stood Raefindan, calm and serious; behind them was a small and fitful fire, and sitting beyond it in a shadowy corner was Tharonwë.
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