Last Ride of the Heir RPG

[Eowyn Skywalker]

Hanindur sagged to the ground heavilly. "Thank Eru for daylight," he said hoarsely, knowing that he wouldn't've been able to fight any longer. The sun had came out, and the trolls were stone blocks under the new light. Then he recalled that there were others still alive... but whom? The ranger forced himself to his feet, exhausted, and in pain. His sword lay on the ground, coated in rapidly thickening blood, from the trolls that were now harmless stone.

If only the sun had came earlier. If only... it always came back to that. Then maybe Anga wouldn't've been killed, or Nuwethion, or Arathorn injured. There was so much that could've been changed, but it was always the 'if' there. There was no way to undo what was done.

He stroked his sword against the torn ground, to remove the black blood from the now tarnished blade, and sheathed the blade. Hanindur didn't know what had happened to his dagger, and, at the moment, didn't care either. He cared for his friends, and for their safety, surely they were still alive, surely most still lived. Indeed, he hoped, but hope was always only hope.

Hanindur crossed the torn field, stone-turned trolls littering the way, and uprooted trees still laying on the ground, where the trolls had tossed them. So much destruction... Everything that the new light touched seemed to be destroyed, or blood-stained after the battle. He would've picked up his pace, to cross the land that had once been a great forest-- and could've been-- but the wounds he had received during the fight pained him. Hanindur bit back a cry of pain, as he wove his way through to where the remainder of their party was.

[Hama Of The Riddermark]

Owacyn let out as much of a cheer as his broken ribs would allow. The fight was over, and they'd only lost one man...He swung his sword down and decapitaed the stone head of one troll. Then his eyes strayed over the battlefield. Over the body of Anga, and the body of...

"Oh no..." he whispered to himself as he ran to Nuwethion. He lifted the dead elf's head up, and frantically sought for a pulse in his wrist and neck. He ripped the elf's chest armour off in a vain attempt to liberate his lungs and allow breathing, but it was no use. He lifted his hands and noticed they were covered in blood. Shaking, he turned the body over, and saw that most of the back of the head had been utterly smashed, and small pieces of bone fell into Owacyn's hands. Shaking with rage he stood up and screamed into the sky. Cursing it violently, before sinking to his knees again. He had never been that close to Nuwethion, but his loss still saddened his heart.

Traipsing back over to the camp, the party held the bodies of the two fallen on biers. Elladan and Elrohir walked crestfallen behind the two biers. Two of their kin lost in the fight. As they laid the biers to rest Owacyn sat by the fire and started to whittle a small wooden sword. The rest of the group sat near, not saying anything, but sad faces were worn by all...

[ArwenBaggins]

Eirian dropped his sword. The trolls were stone… he was alive. Groaning in pain, he reached to the bloodstained ground and picked up his blunting blade. Rangers and Elves were sitting, gasping for breath, not far in front of him at camp. "I could join them…" he complained aloud, he himself struggling with the pain his wrist and other wounds brought.

He noticed the two bodies were not breathing in relief on the biers. Remembering the sanguinary incident with Anga, he cursed under his breath. If only he had been there to protect him and Nuwethion. If only Arathorn had not been injured. If…

Stupidly kicking a frozen troll as he walked past, he cringed as more unwanted pain drifted through his toes and then his foot. The pain in his swollen, almost certainly broken wrist was enough to make him pass out, but he forced it away. The battle was over… there was no need to fall now. He wouldn't fall now… if he could help it.

Wiping some blood from the edge of his gray eyes, he continued to slowly stumble toward the rest of the group. Finally reaching Arathorn, he collapsed. He couldn't stand the pain any longer. He had fought many battles, but none seemed as hard as this one was. He lay on his back, his bloody head resting on the knobby roots of a giant tree. 'This is wonderful, he crooned inside of his head, his eyes falling closed.

[Mad Baggins]

Beroth lifted his sword to deliver a fatal blow and stopped in mid-air. The sun was peeking over the horizon and the trolls had fallen silent. Tentatively, he touched one of the trolls and felt stone beneath his fingers. Relief flooded through his body as he raised his sword in a gesture of victory. Wiping his bloodied sword upon his tunic, he suddenly remembered the cut he had received earlier in the night. Pressing his hand to his forehead, he felt a long gash caked in blood.

He turned to see how the others had fared and noticed two still figures on biers. One of them he recognized as Anga, but the other...Nuwethion?

Beroth's eyes filled with tears as he joined the procession, trudging solemnly behind the biers. They were laid to rest respectfully and the Rangers and Elves dispersed among the camp. Beroth wiped his forehead with his dirtied sleeve, unmindful of his injury. The cut opened and blood began to trickle down his face.

Wincing, Beroth pulled a small fabric bag out of a pocket and opened it. He pulled out a leaf of athelas and replaced the bag. Then he pushed the leaf into his cut and pressed the sleeve of his tunic against it. His eyes watered as the leaf stung, but it subsided and became a soothing coolness instead. Beroth wandered over to where a group of rangers sat and let himself fall to a sitting position, filled with grief over the loss of their comrades.

[Will Witfoot]

Wielding his blade with superlative skill, Eldín wove a deadly dance around one of their hulking opponents, wounding the troll in the critical soft spots in it's flesh and leaving it chasing shadows as he ducked out of the way of it's clumsy blows, re-appearing again only to deliver another flurry of attacks, each deadly kiss of his sword drawing black blood from the creature. After the troll was sufficiently slowed by it's wounds, the nimble elf administered the coup de grace, somersaulting in the air past his adversary's face and slicing his sword across it's throat. The troll gave a final, gurgling roar and fell to the ground, it's blood pooling up under it's dead form.

Eldín glanced around him, determined to let no foe take him unawares. Despite his difficult condition, he had learned the teachings of Imladris' weapon masters well. His guard was always up and his keen eyes ever open in case of trouble.

Suddenly, there was a lull in the fighting. The trolls that had assaulted them stood completely still, and it was a moment before Eldín could understand the reason for it. Then it all came together as he realized the suns first light playing upon the rough features of one of their gargantuan assailants, illuminating the rough, grey stone quite clearly. Eldín smiled. The light was yet stronger than darkness.

The smile died from his lips, however, when he recognized the two figures lying amidst the carnage of the battlefield. He hurried over to the still forms, pain in his eyes as he saw the relaxed features of Anga and Nuwethion, their faces smoothed by death. He felt a deep sadness, especially at the loss of Anga. Even though they had only got acquainted with each other quite recently, he had felt that they were on their way to becoming friends. It would have been the first friend that Eldín had ever had.

The surviving members of the group laid their departed companions to rest, singing songs of lament for their memory. Eldín could not hear their song, nor could he partake in it or word his sorrow at the loss of their comrades. He was truly beginning to realize how removed he was from the world.

[The Perky Ent]

Arathorn propped his back against one of the stone trolls. The battle had been won, but at the cost of two fine people. Arathorn was amazed that there was only two. He, personally, had thoughts that there might not have been a single survivor. Clearly, he had made good choices in his party. The men were all in bad shape, and probably wouldn't make it out of the forest easily. And if they couldn't make it out by night...

Arathorn rallied the others foward, after a long period of time. The sun was now well into the sky, its golden rays cascading over the forest. "Let us not forget the dead. For they will not forget us. Let us remember Anga and Nuwethion, who died on our behalf. Today will be a sollum day. No trumpets will be heard while we are present." Arathorn paused, looked at everyone. They were are mourning their loss. Arathorn took a deep breath, then said, "Well, let's get to work." And with that, Arathorn began moving one of the edges of one of the trolls axes, and began to dig.

A little past mid-day, there were two even holes in the ground. Arathorn noticed that Eldin was secluded from the rest of the group. "Do not recoil" Arathorn said, giving a soft pat on Eldin's back. "We will see them, eventually." Arathorn said, walking back to the holes. There, Arathorn, with the help of Elladan and Elrohir, placed Angakemion and Nuwethion in their graves. And when the dirt was back in place, Arathorn took the stone from the trolls, and began to hack at them. After a while, Arathorn had made two gravestones for the dead. "Angakemion and Nuwethion now rest in the Ring of the Dead. This ring will be remembered, for their sake. And for ours. And all who pass will be filled with the sorrow of the scene. They will feel our pain." Arathorn said, in a loud but sorrow tone. As the others turned away, Arathorn whispered, "Goodbye Anga. Goodbye Nuwethion."

[The Perky Ent]

Although everyone couldn't focus, the thought of another battle kept them going. The forest was very vast, and in the process of fighting, the party had lsot their way. "It's this way!" One said, pointing in a direction as another said the same thing, pointing in the opposite. "Elladan! Elrohir!" Arathorn said in fury, summoning the elves to him. "Climb the trees and scout the horizon!" Elladan and Elrohir mustered their strength, and began in climb.

"There it is!" Elladan and Elrohir shouted in unison. "Head strait from this tree and you'll find the road!" The man and elves quickly ran thought the forest, dodging felled trees and sharp rocks as they went. As they ran, the sky became lighter and lighter. "We are almost there!" Arathorn said, after a few hours of jogging.

As they came out of the forest, they could see the sun set. The red orange sunk beneath the ground, singing a sad song. "If any orcs come, ignor them. We're not getting into that again!" Owacyn said, giving a small smile.