Last Ride of the Heir RPG

[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.

[Mad Baggins]

Beroth had not had more than a few moments' rest when they were called to move on again. Everyone was quite somber as they began to walk, but the silence turned to shouts of confusion as they realized that they had become lost. Arathorn ordered Elladan and Elrohir to climb a tree and scan the area to find the road. They were in luck; they had but to walk in a straight line from the tree that the elves were in and they would find the road.

Beroth followed the others as they picked their way swiftly through the forest. He kept his eyes on the ground, glancing up every so often to make sure he was with everyone else. He noticed the forest becoming lighter as the sun rose higher into the sky. The light brought a new feeling of energy to Beroth, and he jogged faster.

Hours later, he heard Arathorn announce that they were almost at the road. Beroth sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of relief. The forest was beginning to have a closed-in feel; the scent of pine and earth was becoming cloying and clingy. When the trees began to become sparse and they could see patches of the road, Beroth ran faster. He burst out of the forest, breathing deep the fresh air of the open country. He barely heard Owacyn's remark about ignoring Orcs.

[Phervasaion]

The death of Anga and Nuwethion saddened the whole group, but Paladir thought they had died most honorably and that the cause was true. The burying of the two valiant warriors was indeed one of the most touching things that Paladir had seen, even though it only seemed to last a few minutes, and soon they were on their war-torn feet again making good pace through the forest.

It was not easy, considering that Paladir had a large gash in his right leg which was bandaged up with rags torn from his clothes. Paladir limped as he ran, but still managed to just about keep up with the others and, even though the group was delayed at one point getting lost in the confusion of the numerous trees, they found the road before sundown.

All were relieved once they gotten to the road and felt free in the more wide and open spaces. Arathorn led the group down the road for some time until the sun finally sank behind the mountains, and then he said that they would make camp at the road side until sunrise.

Paladir volunteered for the first shift for night watch, which was rather uneventful, but even though he was glad to be out of the trees the open spaces gave him some feeling of insecurity. Suddenly, Paladir felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the smiling, yet very tired face of Hanindur. “What brings you here my friend?” asked Paladir. “My shift doesn’t finish for another hour.”

“Just finding it difficult to get to sleep I suppose… I was too busy thinking about the last battle and the loss of Anga and Nuwethion. And how close I came to loosing my own life,” Hanindur responded in a quiet tone of voice.

“Aye,” Paladir began. “We all had luck in that battle. Still, I seem to find that luck plays a large part in most battles, and hopefully it will hold for many years to come. And, even though its saddening thinking of the lost who have died in battle, I always try to think on the more bright side of things. When I do, I feel even luckier. For one, we were lucky that only two of us died, and that the sun decided to come out when it did as if it didn’t, we would have all perished. If another one of us passes away on this journey try to think that they died for a good cause, and hope they have a better life, wherever they have gone.”

[ArwenBaggins]

Eirian could not walk another step. They had jogged at a quick yet normally non-strenuous pace, but with the current state it was a struggle for everyone. When they finally reached the Road at sundown, Eirian breathed a small sigh of relief in the cool open air. They decided to make camp on the roadside and continue in the morning.

"Good thing too," he called to anyone who would listen as he leaned against a tree. His wrist had not stopped hurting since the end of the battle, and he was beginning to feel the consequences of it not being properly bandaged. He was lightheaded and striving to just keep his eyes open.

True, the deaths of Anga and Nuwethion had saddened everyone and dampened their spirits, but they all tried to look on the bright side of things. He was more cautious, however, and realized how precious life really is. His thoughts fell upon his expectant wife and young daughter. I shouldn't have left them, he confessed silently, holding his wrist close to his chest. I was so caught up in the fighting aspects that I didn't take their health and well being into consideration… how stupid can I be?

He volunteered for third watch. The night was very uneventful; he even noticed a scarcity of woodland creatures. "The bloody trolls probably scared them all away," he scoffed aloud, kicking a small stone down the dark Road. "As long as they stay away from here, they can have the animals."

[astarielle]

Elladan barely slept that night but lay gazing up at the inumerable stars that set the night afire. They blazed like glittering gems on a sea of shapeless shadow. As he lay his mind wandered accross many plains, forests and mountain ranges and at last to the sea. He could her the waves rolling repeatedly onto the shore and the distant cry of gulls over the ocean waves. Elladan could taste the salt in the air that blew in his face. He stood there motionless listening to the breaking waves and the whisper of the wind.

"Long you will yet live in our hearts and ever on in our dreams, Newethion and Anga" He spoke into the wind. The wind rose then fell as if that his thought had been acknowledged.

Slowly the vision faded and the air felt cool and the soft sound of the waves was replaced with a rippling of leaves of the forest behind. It was still dark but by his reckoning it was near dawn. Elladan glanced around, he could tell that it was not only the watchman that was awake at that time. He got up and walked around the camp, he knew he was not going to get anymore sleep.

[Saraphim]

Elrohir slowly washed his wound in the small stream he had found not far from camp.

It was a shallow cut, as the troll's weapon had merely glanced at his arm, and for that Elrohir felt grateful. He winced as he wrapped a rag lightly around it and slowly eased his arm back into his tunic.

He knew he was lucky, as he walked slowly throught the forest back to camp. They had made graves for too many of thier comrades already.

Stepping into the light of the fire, Elrohir came upon his brother. No words were spoken for several minutes as the two just looked at the stars.

"There is no sleep in you tonight," said Elrohir.

"Nay, and neither in you," said Elladan, " And not simply due to your wound."

Elrohir shook his head.

A few more moments passed in comfortable silece between the twins.

"They will go go quickly to rest in the halls of thier fathers," said Elrohir, speaking to both himself and his brother, who nodded.

"But come," said Elrohir," It would be an insult to thier memories not to be well rested in time for any other battles that we may find."

"You may go attempt sleep," said Elladan, "But I will stay watch for tonight."

"Very well," said Elrohir, who began walking back to the fireside,"But you forget I am you brother, who knows you better than any other," he turned slightly and smiled back at Elladan,"And I know you will soon join me in sleep,"