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Old 01-12-2009, 11:52 AM   #92
Groin Redbeard
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Facing the world's troubles with Christ's hope!
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Groin Redbeard is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Groin Redbeard is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Together, Nisa and Onli walked towards the door on the western side of the hall. Down the centre stalked a double line of towering pillars. They were carved like boles of mighty trees whose boughs upheld the roof with a branching tracery of stone. Their stems were smooth and of sparkling black, but the red glow of torches were darkly mirrored on their sides. Nisa turned left and slowly progressed across the smooth floor of the hall. The distance was greater than it had looked.

Onli had remained silent the entire time, walking beside her with a focused gaze ahead. Nisa was glad that he had decided to walk beside her instead of behind, this would have unnerved her greatly. One or two times she had remarked about the splendor of the hall, but Onli only answered with a grunt or a silent nod and she had stopped trying. Nisa could tell that he was displeased with her, but it was not an uncommon feeling. Many a time she felt the same way when Trór was near, it was as if she could almost hear their disappointment in her for lack of character, girlish behavior, and the almost constant blabber that she regularly spewed in hopes of starting a conversation. Again she looked sideways at Onli, not being disappointed when he did not look back. From his red beard to his green cloak, in the glowing light of the hall, she couldn't help but think how handsome he looked. She thought about commenting him on this but decided better on it: his manners, when it came to talking, needed a lot to be said for, unfortunately she couldn't think of a Dwarf who would say anything positive about it.

The bridge could now be seen from where they were walking. As they came to the foot of it Onli was about to cross when a figure on the other side caught Nisa's eye. She grabbed Onli's cloak near the shoulders pulled him behind one of the pillars as fast as she could. His glare made her feel uncomfortably, it was instinct that made her react so rash, she put a finger to her lips motioning silence. The figure she had seen was a guard, he would probably go away in a few minutes to look after his other posts, but she didn't feel too comfortable explaining to one of the these tough as steel brutes why she and Onli must get pass. Finally the guard moved on and Onli made his way to the bridge again, but just as they were both on it a scratching, or scurrying sound could be heard from behind. Onli stopped and a smile crept on his face, but Nisa felt frightened at the spooky noise, especially since she was behind him, and gave Onli a gentle nudge. "Go!"

Onli moved somewhat reluctantly but he soon was running as fast as Nisa. Up the broad stair they ran and through a long echoing passage until they came to some gates. Onli grabbed a large handle on one side and gave it a pull, its groan was loud but short (Onli only opened enough for them to squeeze through). Nisa closed her eyes as she went in first, expecting to meet a row of cruel drawn swords and axes in the hands of the eight royal guards that held the First-Hall, but there were none. They passed into the hall, the bright daylight from its high windows in the east that Nisa was accustomed to seemed to let in a darkness and a silence that made their footfalls seem deafening. Suddenly before them the were Great Gates, shut and immovable save by a group of Dwarves, or one with great strength.

Slowly Nisa and Onli crept up to it. The guards were nowhere to be seen and voices could be made out on the other side. She started to search the doors for a crack that they could see through but not one could be found. Nisa gave Onli a hesitant look, he smiled, a fake smile in her opinion, and reached inside his belt and retrieved a bar of steel which he was about to knock the doors with (seeing as knocking on the stone with his hand would only give them an aching fist). However, just as he was about to do this, the scurrying noise that they had heard on the bridge came back. Nisa flung herself to Onli's side and clenched his arm. What was that noise?
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