Legacy of Traitors RPG

[Eorl of Rohan]

"Little would you know, Crystal daughter of Dorian." Ferethor stirred and raised his grey and steadfast gaze to meet Crystal's level one, a faint trace of a derisive smile softening his hard countenance. "Yearning for vengeance for wrongs done us is one of the most fundamental desire that courses through us from the beginning of time. Such a desire could easily overthrow very reason and rationale of a person, and at last shape that person into a blood-lusting wraith that knows naught but to seek for revenge and would have no reason to live after such as been accomplished or found vain."


"I do not say that Maen is such a person, but I do know that Vengeance is a sweet, sweet desire that would not be satisfied except for in blood." Ferethor's grey eyes gleamed with bitter remembrances, and then he turned his head away as he said in a low voice scarce discernible. "Do not ever trust in a person, Crystal. Trust only betrays one. Remember, for one day you'd come to realize it."


Ferethor cast an unnerved and doubtful glance at the Great River as he said it, for he had scarce dealing with the sea or great water as he spent his childhood days in the edge of Eryn Lasgalen.

[Crystal Heart]

Crystal looked away from Ferethor.

"I have lived a life where trust meant death. I have seen what trust in another can do to a single solitary life. I know that desire for vengenance. I understand all that comes with. I may just be a mere girl pretending to be a grown up woman, but I do understand even the slightest of what you are talking about, Ferethor. There is something that you should learn, something that you should know right here and now. Trust can betray you, yes I will admit to what you've said but trust can also save your soul. To never trust is like never breathing. Have you ever lost your breath and finally regained it? Trust is like that Ferethor. Especially when you trust the right person. Maybe one day you will trust and maybe give your heart to a woman. Maybe then you'd understand where I was coming from. Yet again we come at an impass of thought. I accept your opinion. Try one day to accept mine. You may be surprised by what you find in trust. You can trust me. I shan't ever destroy it or ever cause you to regret trusting me, Ferethor," Crystal said to him softly.

She looked out over the water and breathed deeply. She had learned too much, had been forced to grow up to quickly then she would have liked. She vowed that her daughter or son, if she was ever granted with such blessings, that they would be allowed the childhood that she should have had. Times were hard in her childhood, they still were in fact. Each childhood would see its hard times, but there was so much more happiness in other childhoods then she had been granted.

Maybe that's the reason she thought the way she did. This journey had made her question her beliefs and what she had originally thought. She had in fact grown in the way that she thought, had taken one of the last steps to becoming the adult that she should have been. She had jumped a gap from the little girl still yearning for what she could never get back to the confident young adult that looked at the world in a new way. She had learned to trust. She had learned that trust could burn her very soul. She knew that she could be betrayed again by trust, but she refused to give it up. There were some beings that trust could be entrusted to. Arty had been one of those people. She knew she could have trusted him forever. Unfortunately she had trusted her father to be kinder to a young lad then his daughter. Her trust in that slim chance had costed Arty's very existance. He had been burned in the most worst possible way by trust. She had been partly to blame.

She had vowed to never trust another soul after that. She had been wary for years of the other travellers she had found herself with. She had always been on guard, never believing that trusting another was ever a good thing. Then she had met Atharen and somewhere deep inside she knew that she had to trust this man. She could feel that he wouldn't try to hurt her, try to betray her by the trust she had placed in him. She knew that this trust would not be her end.

She watched as they glided along. She could trust again. She had learned how. She had even trusted a man that knew her father, Ferethor. Why she had decided to trust him after being so wary of who he was she could never explain in words. She had realized that he was just as human as she was. She had realized that he had been hurt in similar ways as she had. They were two people that had shared similar life experiences that had created lasting impressions of distrust in their hearts. She had overcome hers, she hoped that he would as well.

[Amanaduial the archer]

"Trust is something to be very careful with."

Atharen's voice surprised the other two, for he had been quiet for some time now, staring over the grey water pensively beneath the current of his own thoughts. He didn't turn around so sensed rather than saw Ferethor nod.

"That is not to say it is wrong, Ferethor," he continued with a small grin, and turned to face them. "'Twas a fine speech that you made Crystal, and for someone with your past to trust is...a fine thing. I can only hope you will be rewarded." He smiled gently at her and his eyes held hers for a moment, the secret promise in the air between them before the ranger looked back at Ferethor. "And many things in it were true. But on such a quest, dangerous..undercover...you must be careful with where you place your trust."

As Atharen said this, he couldn't help but let his opaque, unreadable eyes flicker over to Carathir for a moment. The movement could be taken for simply a checking of the boat, maybe glancing at some movement made by a bird, but although Atharen did not linger on the easterling he had made sure to have him in his sights for much of the time recently. Since the very first meeting of the company, Atharen had not felt quite comfortable about the easterling and his strange isolation from the group and quiet, almost menacing watchfulness of them and especially of Maen. Maybe it was simply that he was one of the Haradrim and that Atharen had fought too many of them: that would probably explain the distrust of Carathir for the ranger as well. But Atharen was a little above that, he felt: there was something else...

"Give your trust too freely and you are bound to get hurt." Ferethor's snorted reply brought Atharen back to the future, snapping him from his thoughts and he glanced at the man slightly irritated before shrugging. "Everyone may have his own opinion, I am sure. I can only hope your trust is more freely given than you make out, Ferethor."

The guard grunted, looking over the water, and Atharen, with a small smile, did the same, drifting back to his thoughts as they came close to the bank.

[Crystal Heart]

Crystal looked over at Atharen and began to wonder what he meant. There was a feeling of a promise within the words that he had spoken.

She wished that they could have just a moment where she could just admit to him the thoughts and feelings that were pulsing through her. She wanted to tell him right now that she trusted him on a more deeper level of thinking. She wanted to just burst out what she had been thinking since the beginning of this quest.

She knew deep down in her heart and mind that she shouldn't utter a word. She knew that if she did it would only scare him away. Besides, the urge to keep him around even just as a friend was stronger then her desire to tell him her thoughts.

She knew that she had changed a lot since she had last loved. Arty had been the only one to see her for what she truly was. He saw that she was nothing more then just a young girl that yearned to be free from her father's hatred. He had been the one to listen to her fears, her thoughts, her wishes, her hopes, and her dreams. She had thought that she would never love again.

Then she had met Atharen. She just couldn't place why her heart had felt the way it had when he had grabbed her elbow. She couldn't explain out loud why she thought she was safer near him then any place else in all of middle earth. She just couldn't think of why she was feeling this way. She couldn't even put her finger on it right now.

Maybe it was the way he had looked at her. He had held some sort of respect even for her unadult like behavior in front of him. She wondered if he could see the change of personality, the growing up that had occured in her in the past weeks. She wondered if he noticed her at all.

She brought her thoughts away. She had to stop thinking about that subject. It was one of the things that just consumed her thoughts. She had to force herself not to think of it any more. She was starting to get carried away with questions, doubts, and memories.

She thought about their quest. They had already broken into a building, were attacked in the night, and had lost Del to the darkness of death. She began to wonder what else they would have to endure before the quest became officially over with. Would another of their company succumb to death? If so who would? She hoped that they would get through safely.

Her thoughts wandered again to the man named, Carathir. She had been wary of him. She had been wary of everyone since the beginning of their quest, but she had somehow forgotten that he was there. He was very quiet. Too quiet in her opinion. Even the most untalkative of their ranks had spoken up. He hadn't uttered not even a complete sentence in her presence. He seemed to be planning something and was to busy with that to speak to the others. She made a mental note to watch him very closely in the coming hours and days.

"I know you may not believe me, Atharen but Carathir is plotting something. He doesn't speak like the rest of the company. He is always by himself or standing next to Maen, but we have not heard very many words escape his lips. Lips that are as tight as his have a great secret to hide. You must trust my words, Atharen. I've lived many years with a man that acted such as Carathir," Crystal said softly. As she had said this she had moved closer to him so others, particularly Carathir, would hear what she was saying.

[Eorl of Rohan]

"Give your trust too freely and you are bound to get hurt." Ferethor simply cut in, a slight frown creasing his brow that might have derived from consternation or rememberances. "Everyone may have his own opinion, I am sure. I can only hope your trust is more freely given than you make out, Ferethor." Atharen had answered after an annoyed glance, which made him bite his lip and look away. Trust... Was he able to give that precious and fragile gift of mind away to anyone yet, and was it worth it?


"I know you may not believe me, Atharen but Carathir is plotting something. I've lived many years with a man that acted such as Carathir," Crystal said softly to Atharen which made Ferethor recall his senses and wake from his reverie.


"Caranthir had shown no reason for us to distrust him. We all have our dark secrets that we reveal to none, Crystal, not you nor me the less. Hard would have been his life amid Gondorians who trusted him little, which would presumably have made him more withdrawn and silent." Ferethor surprisingly spoke in defense of Caranthir, though he said it in a low voice. Was it anger that tainted his tone?


"As I recall, not a single person in this expedition except for Maen Il Garoth ever spoke to him at all. Not you, Crystal, Atharen, nor anyone else ever asked him anything of his thoughts or even said a kind word to him. Do you deny it, or even noticed it?" Ferethor continued.


"Should we not consider our chauvinism and prejudice against Easterlings as the cause of this suspicion rather then his fault? Even now you raise your voice and move closer so even Caranthir himself could hear you. Are you then so sure in your proofless intuitution that you would openly claim Caranthir an untrustworthy person? Just because he has a secret that he would not tell, would you denounce him in such contemptible and distrusting tone without any regard for his thoughts on your callous and indifferent comment?"


Ferethor broke into a harsh and derisive laughter. "You tell me that you believe in trust, Crystal! And yet are you bound by the prejudice of our kind that you'd distrust a person who has done nothing whatsoever wrong just because he won't speak unless spoken to and none of you ever deigned to converse with him."


Ferethor was furious, not on any behalf of Caranthir or because he felt any especial regard or trust for the easterling, but the way that Crystal would speak of other people thus. "Ha. Amusing, I should have thought. I cannot believe that you denounce Caranthir just because he is different in his bearings. In my view, your opinions are not any more better then the Gondorian Ladies that are ever at conflict against Maen just because they are too proud to understand other people's minds. Fie on you, Crystal, I should have thought you were better then this in your opinions! You only stayed for less then three days with a person and you already put a judgment upon him?"


Ferethor asked harshly with discernable anger and contempt in his tone, for he had little patience with those who laid judgment on people just because of their difference - what did Carathir ever do wrong except for being born an Easterling and being too quiet and shy? "

[Hama Of The Riddermark]

Roryn, who had been standing a way away walked over to the group. Atharen looked at him and Roryn nodded. Ferethor looked slightly affronted at being cut off, but he didn't speak to object.

"All of you should know this," Roryn whispered audibly, but so that none that weren't supposed to hear it could not, "Carathir has been acting very oddly, I've been watching him. He smiled when I brought news of Del's death, and I noticed him grinning when Ferethor was talking about killing Maen. This means that something is going on, he's also been acting oddly, flashing scowls at me and Atharen, and Ferethor. And just so you know Ferethor, if you do try to kill Maen, guard or not I will kill you."

Ferethor's mouth dropped a fraction, not because he was afraid, not because he was threatened, because Roryn hadn't said it as a threat, he'd said it as a fact and that worried Ferethor a little. Atharen looked gravely at Roryn, ad he looked back the same.

Has it come to this, Roryn, that we kill each other over this measly traitor. Maybe that is Carathir's plan, to have us all attack ourselves before we get there...

Yes, it would seem so Atharen. Do not worry, though, Carathir will not last long once I have let his plot develop a little further...

[Amanaduial the archer]

"Roryn is right. And he has been quite as hostile towards myself and Roryn as we have thought towards him. Crystal, you say you have lived many years in the company of 'such a man'; let me tell you all now that I have lived many years more than that, and most fighting. Ferethor, do not assume we know so little in these matters: the fact he is Haradrim has some weight, indeed, but that is not a 'why' to the matter so much as an 'and'. What would you have us do? Ignore the growing threat because he is an Easterling? Have some exaggerated sense of forgiving because he is different? Maybe, but I see you give nothing such to any of the others, and we are hardly a conventional company: a retired ranger, a swordswoman on the run, a lady of Gondor with a thirst for blood. Why, even you yourself, Ferethor - a Gondorian soldier who broke into the archives and threatened another soldier." Atharen's voice was quite low and seemed moderately mild as he spoke, but Ferethor flushed angrily at this.

"I was not the one to threaten him, ranger - it was you who held the left-tenant at sword, so-called 'protecter of Gondor', 'kin to the King'-"

"I am both of those things, and you know it, Ferethor," came the sharp reply, Atharen's voice rising a little. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roryn glance at him. He continued, his voice lower, "Besides, I doubt the Gondorian authorities would see it that way in your case, Ferethor - which is all the more reason we must stick together and complete this quest. Without completion, we have no explanation, and without that no forgiveness - I address this to you mainly, Ferethor, not as a hostile threat but as a warning to you," he added, his tone more sincere. "He is too young to recognise my face easily in Gondor, but that soldier knew you, I know it. He recognises you. We must complete this quest for that reason if none other."

Turning away, not wanting to continue this in case it developed into a full blown fight, Atharen nodded curtly and turned away to look over the water.

"And what of you, Atharen?"

The voice was quite unfamiliar, not one Atharen had heard at a normal volume more than once or twice, but Atharen recognised the slightly harsh tone, actually quite like his own, as the accent of the Far South. It was Carathir who spoke. He turned slowly.

"What of me, Carathir?" he said civily, his eyes meeting Carathir's equally dark ones, the latter seeming filled with zeal and smoulder and memory for the ranger...

"You did not mention yourself. The other ranger, Crystal, Ferethor, Lady Il Galoth..." he marked them off on his fingers, then clicked them. "But not you. What makes you so difference, Atharen?"

There was something vaguely menacing about Carathir's words although they seemed harmless, civil, calm. Atharen wondered if the others or noticed, or whether he was being foolish. Certainly the man had heard at least the last part of what the ranger had said, the list of their 'unconventionality' - but how much had he really heard.

Atharen smiled very slightly. "I am...complicated, Carathir," he answered the easterling enigmatically. "Complicated by anyone's standards. Little is known about me to anyone here. Trust me or don't - but when you know so little, maybe you will not find a reason to distrust me. Innocent until proven guilty, isn't that what the laws of...many people say?" he smiled very slightly, wondering if the easterling would take up the hidden message.