[Dwarin Thunderhammer]

The members of the camp were asleep--at least most of them. Dwarin was
set for the first watch. Hours passed. It was almost time to wake
Thenamir for the next watch. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of footsteps
in the wood. He dismissed them as nothing. Several minutes later, he
heard them again. Still he ignored them. The third time, he crouched
and
listened closer. "Oh, I'm going to get you. You can't hide," he said.
Heedlessly, Dwarin plunged into the woods, seeking his unseen
annoyance.
However, despite his best efforts, Dwarin failed to find the source of
the disturbance and decided to return to the others. He walked back in
the direction of the camp, but he found several thickets in the way,
thickets that he had not remembered before. He tried to go around them,
but the forest seemed to have changed. He began to feel suffocated, so
he started shouting at the trees. That only made the situation worse.
He
felt someone or something was watching him. He cursed at himself for
leaving his axe behind at camp.

"All right, you stupid forest, if you don't let me through, I'll burn
you to the ground!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than all
went black.


Meanwhile, Kalohern had woken with a start at the commotion in the
campsite. The clearing seemed smaller than before. He spotted Arenia
kneeling before a giant tree. Suddenly he realized that the tree was
talking! A hundred thoughts ran through his mind. The first he acted on
was the impulse to defend. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and
took a step toward the giant tree, but a look from Thenamir stopped him
short. As he watched the conversation play out, his sword hand relaxed.

All seemed to be resolved when suddenly out of nowhere a small body
flew
from the edge of the clearing. Dwarin wasn't flying actually, for he
landed face first in the dirt and leaves.

"Thenamir! We're under attack! My axe! The forest is alive! Have at
them!" Dwarin tripped over a root that popped out of the ground. Elwood
grabbed Dwarin by the neck and whispered in his ear.

"This is all your fault. Everything was settled. They're not attacking.
Now be quiet or we'll let them have you!"

Dwarin stopped his tirade but stood with his arms crossed, staring
directly at the Ent. He was about to say something when Elwood shut him
up with a slap on the back of the head.

Treetop questioned Dwarin about the wood he had chosen for his spear.
Dwarin explained that the tree was already dead as best he could tell.

"Next time don't be so hasty to kill things that are still yet alive."
Dwarin just stared back defiantly.

[ November 01, 2002: Message edited by: Dwarin Thunderhammer ]