WWXXXV: Werewolves among the Wolf-men

[Brinniel]

After some time, a boy hooded in a dark cloak stepped out from the shadows. Sunlight splashed on his face revealing unusually soft features. He looked about the others almost hoping someone else would say something, and when no one did, he cleared his throat.

"I am normally one who prefers to remain quiet, but when no one else but Nogrod will speak, I will no longer stand to stay among the silent. This is an important matter we are discussing...all our lives are at stake. How can we go about seeking out the werewolves when everyone is quiet?

"We may outnumber the wolves now, but one by one they will pick us off. It is important that we find a strategy on how to capture them, and we must have a plan before the day is over or else we might well jump off a cliff, for certainly that would be a better fate than falling into the hands of an Enemy."

Brinn spoke these words quietly, but surely. He hoped that others would follow and step out from the shadows as well.

EDIT: X-ed with Gil-Galad

[Shastanis Althreduin]

Awaking from his much-needed sleep, the young man crawled out from under his sapphire-hued cloak and sat up, reaching for his boots. Picking one up, he paused, then overturned it, shaking it vigorously. A large insect fell out, righted itself, and skittered off.

"Damn cave vermin," he muttered, pulling on the boot and tying the laces. Looking up to see just who was awake, his gaze landed on the old man. He grinned, yanking on the other boot and hopping to his feet.

"What ho, old man! Keeping watch over the rest of us? I'm grateful, truly; perhaps, though, another, more able to fight off a beast, might sit up tonight? I, for one, volunteer, if there are no others courageous enough..."

He trailed off, waiting for a protest... and looked a bit confused when no one did.

"Very well, that's settled. Have that dwarf and the lady come back with provisions yet? I'm about to die of hunger!"

True to form, a growl let out across the cavern, originating from the young man's stomach.

[Gil-Galad]

Gil looked over to Shasta

"and you my dear Shasta, you better be saving some of these, 'Provisions', for us this time eh?"

Gil looked around the roo mand sighed

"look my lads, if we are going to get through this peril of werewolves amongst us we must keep a hearty smile at all times and we'll get through this, for as my father fought side by side with the great elven king of the days of old! i will fight with my brethern to save our group"

a voice came from amongst the group "your father was a pig farmer that got himself drunk and drowned hismelf in the lake"

Gil snarled back

"oi, but that drunk pig farmer could out do your papa any time there! jsut ask your mother"

Gil again smiled to hismelf as a rock hit him in the lower back

"oww... thats going to leave a mark now..."

[Shastanis Althreduin]

"That was one time! And there weren't that many provisions left to begin with!" Shasta protested, turning slightly red. To change the subject, he threw another rock at Gil.

"Anyway," Shasta continued, "with the amount of us here, with two of us being werewolves, we don't have a lot of leeway here... We ought to make very sure that we're executing a werewolf, because we don't have very many chances at this."

Having had his say, Shasta edged warily away from the sleeping bodies behind him, as though one or two them might grow fur and fangs at any moment.

[Lhunardawen]

"Can't a person here think in peace without being accused of sleeping?" came a woman's voice from the corner. She was hidden by her mass of tangled dark hair, which she soon parted to reveal a dirt-stained - albeit yet quite lovely - face. "It is better to keep silent when no thoughts worth voicing out would come. And you, Gil, would do well to remember that," she added with a glare towards the man.

Lhuna stood up, and walked slowly around the room; all eyes followed her, though she took no notice of it. "You were right, Shasta," she said finally, more to herself than to the person she mentioned, "we don't have a lot of room for mistakes. With only ten - eleven - of us, and two of them vile servants of Morgoth, every drop of blood counts. If it's any consolation to us we ought to be relieved that Morgoth did not think of sending more. But in our small number, should these wolves prove as shrewd as their master, we only have less than a week - four Days, if I counted it right - to spend discovering who they are before we all are killed. We should spend that time wisely, scrutinising everyone, down to the tiniest things they say.

"But as of yet, there is nothing to scrutinise - unless we make a big deal out of Gil's glibness. You'll all have things to say before the sun goes down, and for that I will wait."

Lhuna went back to her corner and sat again motionless, as though asleep.

[Nogrod]

Nogrod woke up from his thoughts when he heard that a discussion had started inside. It's about time..., he mumbled to himself and walked in to hear the conversation.

As he stepped in it was quiet again.

"I heard you Shasta! The brave and young soldier edging away from sleeping fellows in open daylight... and at the same time questioning my strength and skills. If you were my son I would teach you a lesson on respect for older people... and on how incoherence is not a personal trait worth having in this kind of situation."

He glanced at the young man somewhat disapprovingly but then just shrugged his shoulders and walked to his place. Youngsters... gah... After a while of searching he finally lifted a small ballshaped thing from his backpack. It was wrapped in paper of a kind. Nogrod opened the package carefully and took the small bread out from it. He cut a small piece of it with his knife and then turned towards Brinn who was sitting quietly some yards away from him.

"Catch Brinn!" With that he threw the small bread to Brinniel.

"Okay guys, we're all hungry. Take your share from my bread so that we don't need to waste our time on talking about food. We've got more important things to discuss here toDay...

You're right Lhuna. We should scrutinise everything anyone says, down to the tiniest detail. But the problem is that so few of us have said anything that could be read this way or that. Yes Gil is looking a bit glibbery and Shasta's words contradict with his actions. But this far I'm much more inclined to suspect those who just stay quiet and do not contribute to our cause. It's afternoon already and only five of us have said something... I mean, yes I know some people need more sleep than others but this is just plain ridiculous."

Nogrod fell silent for a moment but lifted his head soon again.

"If... and mark that I say if there is a number of people who do not help us toDay - not counting Mith whom we know to be out there in the wild getting us some food - and if, note if there are no better tracks to follow I might be ready to just pick toDay someone I find the least helpful of those quiet-ones and lynch her or him just out of pure frustration..."

[Rikae]

An older woman in a blue cloak had been sitting in the corner watching these proceedings for some time, though no one had paid her much heed. Now she rose, slowly, and frowned at Nogrod.

"Young man, don't think I speak out of fear of your empty threats...or that you will escape scrutany by assuming leadership of the group, though your forefathers did the same."

She lifted a gnarled wooden staff and pointed to each of the others in turn.
"Brinn has spoken only for the sake of speaking and to urge others to contribute. While I don't approve of empty prattle, his brand of it feels like an honest attempt to break the ice. There seems to be some fear behind it, though, but on the other hand, it is never easy to speak so early.

Gil is talking as much as his grandfather did; and, while discussion is needed, playing and joking in such dire circumstances is not. It is not the play, however, that worries me so much as the lack of playfulness behind it. It seems false, somehow stiff, and I will be watching Gil.

What I say for Gil goes doubly for Shasta. His actions seem staged and his mood slightly...edgy. His fearfulness makes more sense if he is evil, too, since then the majority is against him.

Lhuna,, you speak sense; though, at this point, what you say is rather obvious. I knew your grandmother, though, and she was a crafty one. You must be watched closely."

she paused, then added "it's a shame for such a lovely girl to go around with her hair unkempt..." she pulled an ornate comb out of her bag and handed it to the young woman.

"Where was I...? Oh, yes, these slugs." She indicated TGWBS, Izzabellkya, xyzzy and Macalaure with her staff, giving the last a slight nudge.

"I would hardly be surprised if a wolf lurks among them. You should especially watch THAT one - "

[the guy who be short]

Guy looked around the room, concerned. He himself had just awoken; more than half the others were still asleep. Some - like Nogrod - seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep again. Only an old woman seemed really animated, poking people with her staff.

"Friends," Guy said, arising, "there is plainly some evil at work here. This sleep is unnatural - it is late in the afternoon and my eyes have only just opened themselves. Some sort of charm lies on this room: I beseech you all, let us awake these others and step outside, into the sunlight by the pool. There, perhaps, our hearts shall be lighter and our tongues looser. For we have little time to decide what is to be done of these wolves."

The others consented. Rikae, the old woman, gave each of the sleepers a tap with her stick, and the whole group left the cave to sit around the clear pool outside. The sun was shining and they felt their wits sharpen as the sleep left them.

"Now, perhaps," Guy began, "we shall be able to decide who the wolves are. We are in a perilous position - we cannot have people keep watch at night, for fear that they are wolves. So we cannot afford to wait: we must decide who the wolves are, and slay them swiftly."

Everybody in the group looked round once again, suspicious of one another. The sunlight faded, and their moods were darkened. None spoke for several minutes.

"If none shall speak, I shall voice my thoughts, though they be half-formed only, to prevent the sleeping-charm taking a hold even here. I find that lady Rikae too willing to use that stick on others. Hers is the perfect disguise: for who would suspect an old woman. I'll warrant she needs not that staff.

"And what of Brinn? His soft features do not befit a man who has struggled to stay alive these past years. Perhaps his life has been easy under the thraldom of Morgoth."