Legacy of Traitors RPG

[Crystal Heart]

Crystal looked over at Ferethor and saw her mother's pendant in the mud. She reached over him and took it out. The precious metal and jewels now had caked mud. She rubbed it away. Her eyes glared at Ferethor.

"You know Ferethor this was my mothers. She gave it to me. Had it reengraved. It brings me luck and somehow helps with wounds. I gave you this luck so you might be alright. You know you shouldn't treat the person that just saved your life like common scum," Crystal said softly to him, her anger apparent but her voice not loud.

She had stepped out on a limb with Ferethor. She had offered her healing skills and techniques and her mother's necklace. Her most prized possession. One of the last reminders of her mother. The last reminders of Arty. He had been there the day that her mother had given her that necklace. It had been her sixteenth birthday. A day that should have been a joyous time. A day that shouldn't have ended in tragedy.

Her mother's illness had taken over her and she had died at her side. There wasn't anything that she could do about it. There was belief that her father had slowly poisoned her so he could send his troops to war. Arty had even said he had seen her father do it. As soon as those words tumbled out of Arty's mouth she had wished they hadn't. Her father had been right there and Arty had accused them.

General Dorian's anger was incomprehensible. He had grabbed Arty behind his neck and had thrown him outside. She had ran after her father, pleading and crying for his life. That was the day the beatings started. He threw Arty aside and had taken out all of his hatred and anger out on her body. Arty tried to save her, but General Dorian had started in on Arty. In the end Arty lay on the ground, heaving when her father brought out his bow and arrow. Arty was slain right before her eyes.

Now here was another man that was vunerable, that could use this luck and he was casting it aside. That was how he was, she guessed.

And there was another man that held her attention, somewhere out in the woods. He hadn't returned and it was likely that he never would.

Crystal sat back and gazed out into the woods, hoping for a miracle.

[Melisil]

Aelimur had sat silently, and cold as stone as the news of all the deaths passed through his ears. He looked to the ground in dismay. Swirling thoughts of everything were passing through his head untill Crystal started to ride off.

He looked up. Crystal was returning already, Ferethor with her! He's alive! Aelimur thought quickly. His eyes scanned where Crystal had found him.

He watched the spot tentively, hoping that maybe one other wanderer, in turn, would show up. Namely Atharan or Del. He stopped himself before too long though, as the words Maen had spoken moments before Ferethor showed up returned to his mind. “I regret to inform you all that one of our companions is dead. Del has been slain in battle.”

"No." he said silently to himself, "Never trust a wish." he continued on in his own thoughts, 'Del is dead. Roryn saw him fall... I think. Did he? Maybe he did survive, maybe Del stayed behind, and with some miraculous feat defeated our attackers!' Aelimur shook himself, 'Stop it Aelimur, you fool. He died, that's all there is. Ah, at least no more fell.

Aelimur had found somewhat of a friend in Del, and he wasn't sure how many of those he would find in this company. Many aquaintances, yes, allies, maybe. But friends? Probably not many. He scanned the crowd; Maen, she was his employer, as of yet, nothing much more to him.. Crystal, she could be a friend, he wasn't sure.. Ferethor, slightly, yes. Aelimur and Ferethor were slight friends. Carathir and Idruil, neither of them he knew much of yet. Roryn and Atharan, well Aelimur didn't know much of them yet either.. probably they would know each other as no more then people that had traveled together though.

Aelimur shook himself. He stood up, and walked over to Maen, "My lady, are we to continue on when Roryn and Atharan return? Or camp here?" he asked this almost mechanically. Although it wasn't habit, the death of anyone, whether he knew them well or otherwise, tended to make him seperated from others, so he asked as a means of keeping himself going and in touch with the group.

[Eorl of Rohan]

Golden and orange color mingled into a suffuse glow in high heaven of Arda, announcing the arrival of dawn. Swirling clouds seemed as if kindled with fire and snow-crowned Eryn Luin could be descried amid flowing mist.


When Ferethor limped dejectedly back to camp after a while, he found a strange trouble awaiting him at his arrival. Crystal was awake and glaring at Ferethor, obviously incensed at his treatment of her silver pendant. "You know Ferethor this was my mothers. You know you shouldn't treat the person that just saved your life like common scum," She spoke.


As if one aroused from a deep reverie Ferethor turned to her, his thoughtful glance questioning. "Crystal, I would not have thought this necklace was of great value to you if you lent it to me of all people. Only yesterday you seemed fain to slay me where I stand, if my remembrance does not fail me utterly. And if it comes to the question of defilement, better mud then accursed myself." Ferethor said mildly.


Nodding curtly at Crystal, he circled the glade in search for a place to be alone in his grief and guilt without any untimely interruptions of these nature. Finding no such secluded place, he watched the dawn break with an expression no one could fathom. Ferethor wondered if he was crazed for a moment before discarding that forboding thought.

[Crystal Heart]

Crystal watched as Ferethor tried to find a place of seclusion. She sat and thought. Yes, it was true she had tried to kill him only a day prior but current events had caused her to see the error of her ways.

A member of their company was dead. A kind and wonderful man that she had wanted to get to know. Who knows what he could have been if he had only been given the chance.

She applied that to Ferethor. Who knows who he really is deep inside, protected by his rough and tough casing that he wore so proudly? Who really knew the man behind the sword? Who really knew Ferethor?

She got up and walked over to him softly. She stopped behind him, but didn't make a move to touch him in anyway. She licked her lips and swallowed.

"Ferethor, I apologize for my rash actions the other day. You seem so much like the men that my father leads that I was afraid. Afraid that you were an assassain that was coming along for the ride and waiting 'til the opportune time to catch me and take me back as some sort of prize. It was my fear that clouded my judgement. The only thing that I had to be suspicious towards you with was the fact that you knew my father," Crystal said. She paused as she took in a ragged breath.

"If you know my father, if you want to take me back as a prize to collect the reward, if you want to see me dead I don't care anymore. The reason I lent you my pendant was a sign of a peace offering. It was my way of saying even if we do not see everything eye to eye, I am placing my trust in you. Ferethor, I could have killed you with my healing. You were weak and vunerable and I could have killed you. But I could not. You are human and each human deserves a chance to be trusted. Even though you know my father, I decided at that moment to trust you no matter where that may lead," Crystal said as her head bowed.

She had no idea what Ferethor would think of her words. She had no idea if her trust would bring her to her end. She had no idea what would happen from here. She could only hope that her trust wouldn't be in vain.

"I wasn't allowed to grow up normally, Ferethor. That is my flaw. That I still must grow up. A flaw I've been over looking. I hope you forgive me and I hope that you and I could become friends at one point some day," Crystal sighed as she turned away. The camp loomed over her senses. Somewhere deep inside her she knew that this was the extent of their company now. They had lost two fine men, Del and Atharen. Her heat sadened, but she lifted her head and started to make her way over to the camp.

[Eorl of Rohan]

Crystal's brutal frankness took Ferethor at unawares, he who had only come to expect from the maiden what he would of himself - proud, stern, unrelenting for good or for evil. Ferethor wondered at the sudden change that had befallen Crystal, and then with dismay cast his hood over his raven-black hair to hide his expression of both amaze and... admiration.


"Your fears were not wholly unfounded, Crystal." Ferethor spoke bitterly yet softly, his thoughts straying back to the time when wrath came near the edge of swords. "I've done worse things than sending a young lass to certain death, in the name of duty and the good of the state. I've betrayed those who trusted me onto a bitter end, assassinated foes by poison and blade and treachery, and set ablaze a whole village leaving all its inhabitants to perish inthe devouring tongues of leaping flame. In the sacred name of Gondor, anything is excused."


And a stunned silence fell, broken only by chirping birds that greeted the dawn with joyful chatter. "Crystal, this world is hard, harsh and callous. You are young and yet full of dreams and ideals, and I would not fain have you marred and scarred thus in this accursed ARda. Is life so hard to enjoy that you offer me your trust and life so easily? Would you not try to free yourself from the uttermost depths of the abyss of despair that enmeshes your very will with strangling darkness?"


Ferethor paused and then said slowly, "If you will burden me still further by your trust, then I will not fail you in this. Yet would you for ever flee from General Dorian and your very linage, Crystal? He has the control of hundreds of soldiers at his disposal and you are bound to be caught one day or another. I say this to you, as a fellow person who have fortasted the bitterness of life, that you have to face up to him someday."


In the dread silence that followed, Ferethor took a deep breath and added, "If that time ever comes, there would be myself and the strength and power of soldiers of Minas Tirith behind you against his wrath. In this I promise not rashly or lightly." Ferethor added silently to himself, "If I live."

[Crystal Heart]

Crystal turned around and looked at Ferethor in surprise. He was promising his own strength, his troops, and his alliance. What he had just said could be considered an act of war against Rohan.

"You have no idea how much that means to me, Ferethor. I am placing my trust in you because I see now that you are only human. You have your fears as anyone else. I hope we can become allies or friends," Crystal said softly.

There was no hiding the surprise and amazement in her voice. Here was her first initial enemy at the start and now they were becoming an alliance. They were becoming friends.

Yet this change had started with in her. At first it had happened slowly, but when she was trying to heal Ferethor the end of her transformation. In her mind and in her heart she knew that she had no reason to jump to conclusions. She could own her fire, her spirit, her spunk without hurting another human being.

And that was what she had been doing. She had been inflicting her anger and mistrust against Ferethor. She felt sorry for that fact and regretted her actions.

"You are a different man, Ferethor. I would like to get to know you. I apologize for taking my anger, fear, and mistrust out on you. And I will make sure that you will live even if it takes my very life. You have that as my promise, Ferethor," Crystal promised.

[Eorl of Rohan]

Fair hemlock-leaves swayed to and fro gently in the breeze, and the dim darkness was driven out by mists of silver quivering and shimmering dawn-light. Stony and tarnished mountains tall could be descried afar off towering in barren majesty, crowned with whisps of cloud pale snow-woven.


"And I will make sure that you will live even if it takes my very life. You have that as my promise, Ferethor," Crystal whispered. "Let us hope that such things do not come to pass." Captain Ferethor answered, and then rose to his feet, fror he was afraid to speak more of his secret thoughts. Lord Dorian was overstepping his bounds if he actually tries to kill Crystal, though Ferethor was postivie that he would not do such a rash thing. Cruel and callous on some points, yes, but not crazy. If Dorian ever tries, though, he would be justified in...


Therefore he passed swiftly into the eves of the everygreen trees. Making his way through entangled vines of vivd green and passing by tall evergreens casting lenthening shadows, Ferethor came across a glade strewn with early fallen beechen leaves and adorned with wet yellow wild strawberry leaves. The golden-stained leaves of rowans danced to the rhythm of singing breese, and squirrels chattered as they fared about in a bustle of leaves. Sunlight gleamed through flitting leaves in patches of gentle light, and flowers blossoming seemed like beryls, rubies, and opals pale.


There Ferethor cast back his hood to allow for wider vision of this fair place, heedless of any peril that might assail him here. In there still the beauty that was wrought in ancient days seemed to linger and be preserved, unstained by passage of time nor lamentations uncounted. Then Ferethor stayed his steps in wonder, for Atharen the Ranger whom he deemed lost was thrusting his way through the lush woods.