Life of Gold RPG

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

"What's that?" growled the voice, and Éomeléo grumbled at his allies. They were all so... talkative. And now they had an angry, gruff woman, most likely with rolling-pin in hand ready to bash them, about to enter the fray.

And then a strange feeling washed over the Gondorian, and he felt his inner being complemented by an additional force, and he spoke though not with his own voice -- with a voice that came from far away: "Fly, you fools!" And they flew indeed.

But before them appeared a man, short and filthy, with a mean sneer on his ugly face, and he held a small axe. "Right!" shouted Jen, dashing off to the side. Valesseka followed with Thin-Gloomy; Éomeléo dragging Miko along with him. The party bundled through a dark path, covered in bugs and dirt. Miko was horrified. He kept muttering "Oh, I say..." over and over.

The corridor ended with a door. "Well" said Valesseka, "there'd better be something good in here". Jen opened and entered, and everyone smiled. The room was small and dank and empty of people; but it had a few boxes, some cloaks and other clothes, and leaning against the wall a very welcome collection of weapons.

"Oh, I say! I say chaps indeed!"

[Thinlómien]

Weapons!

Thin-Gloomy laughed aloud in delight. It was too good to be true.

While the others rushed to have a look at the swords, he headed for the knives. There was a familiar shape among them. "My beloved Thistle-cleaver!" he shouted, picking up his old knife. He kissed it and put it on his belt. Next, he headed for the missiles. He could see his old crossbow, but beside it there was a slightly heavier one with carefully crafted bolts. He picked it and left his own bow behind. He felt more certain now, the bow in his hand. Éomeleo hastened to his side. He had a sword in his hand and he picked another crossbow, visibly satisfied with the situation.

"Are we ready now?" Thin-Gloomy growled.
Éomeleo nodded. "I am."
They turned to see the others. Valesseka had replaced her staff with a proper one and equipped herself with a dagger, Jen had picked a small sword and added a few knives to her collection and Miko was holding a sword with a curved blade and emeralds in the hilt.
"Can you use that?" Éomeleo asked him.
"No time for nonsense like that!" Thin-Gloomy grunted and headed out of the door, Jen at his heels. The others followed, Miko babbling about his new beautiful sword.

"We are now going to the so called 'throne-room' to kill the bandits, if I've understood correctly, we can also get out of this place that way," Thin-Gloomy announced.
"How many?" Jen asked, trying to keep her tone cool and professional.
"Five, although with good luck, two of them...”
“Look out!” Valesseka interrupted in an urgent whisper.
The adventurers fell dead silent.

There were two men coming along the corridor. One of them had a torch in one hand and a wooden club in the other, the other had two knives that glittered in the light. They had not seen the escaped prisoners who stood in the shadows.

“I’m sure there were noises here,” the man with the torch said.
“Nonsense, Thomas,” the smaller man sneered. “Who would make any noise down here?”

They both stopped and fell silent. Thin-Gloomy had let out a hiss of vehement hate – these two were the ones who had beaten him so many times, who had ridiculed him. In one smooth movement, he loaded his bow and let the bolt fly. With a terrifying scream, the knife-man fell onto the dungeon-floor. The bigger man dropped the torch and ran. Éomeleo released his bolt and the man yelled in pain, but they could hear him keeping running.

“Onwards!” Miko screamed, raising his sword to the air.
Before anybody could stop him, Jen let out her war cry too and they dashed to the darkness. The others had no choice but to follow. Thin-Gloomy came last for he stopped to pick up the dead man’s knives. “No point leaving good weapons laying on the floor,” he murmured as he took them.

When Éomeleo, Valesseka and Thin-Gloomy were at the end of the corridor, a horrified Miko ran into them. “There are bandits! Four of them! And they have weapons!”
“And you left the girl alone to fight them?” Thin-Gloomy asked, outraged.
Miko made no reply.
Éomeleo and Valesseka exchanged glances and ran past Miko.
Thin-Gloomy followed them suit, but he gripped Miko’s sleeve as he went. “You come too, coward!”

As they entered the hall, they saw Jen fighting two people, a blond man and a dark-haired woman. Both of them were swinging their blades in a deadly manner and Jen had to fight to parry their blows. Her side was bleeding and her face was white with effort.

A third bandit was lying on the floor near the entrance, holding his side and moaning. His fingers were red with blood. The torch man was standing further away, hastily draping bandage around his left arm.

With one effortless swing, Éomeleo finished the moaning man. Then he shouted to the two swordsmen, trying to catch their attention. With Valesseka by his side, he advanced on them. Thin-Gloomy reloaded his bow, aimed at the man who was trying to bind his wounds and let go. The man fell to the floor and gurgled. “Go kill him with your pretty sword,” the dwarf snarled to Miko. The man obeyed, eyes huge with terror.

Meanwhile, the swordsmen realised they would have to face Éomeleo’s sword and Valesseka’s staff. The man shifted his focus immediately, apparently thinking the already wounded girl could do nothing. He swung his blade and it met Éomeleo’s with a loud clang. The woman was not as straightforward, she attacked Jen one last time. The girl could not parry quickly enough and fell to the floor. She lay there unmoving.

Blow, parry, blow, parry. Éomeleo and his foe did not seem to hit each other. The woman was trying to attack Éomeleo too, but Valesseka was keeping her away by distracting her with her staff.

Thin-Gloomy reloaded and aimed at the woman. He hated her, the shrill-voiced cow. She deserved to die. His hands were shaking hatred and the bolt went amiss. It flew just an inch past Valesseka’s face. Cursing, Thin-Gloomy reloaded. This time she hit the woman on the chest. With a horrible scream, she fell.

Fury and fear flashed in the swordsman’s eyes. He swung his blade at Éomeleo, who ducked just in time, and turned to run. However, Valesseka blocked his way with her lowered staff and he tripped over it. Éomeleo pushed his sword through the fallen foe.

In the sudden silence they could hear someone sobbing. Miko had thrown his adorned blade on the floor and sat by the body of the big man, covering his face. “I killed him,” he whispered, horror in his voice.

“There’s no time for idle snivelling,” Thin-Gloomy said brusquely. “They have friends who could come here at any moment.”
“What about Jen?” Valesseka asked. She was kneeling by the girl’s side. “She’s breathing.”
“We can’t leave her here... that would be brutal,” Éomeleo said simply.

Thin-Gloomy nodded hesitantly. The humans were right. “Alright then. You lad, carry her. You lass, help that idiot, we can’t leave him here either.” Valesseka had the sense not to protest, although she gritted her teeth when she saw Jen on Éomeleo’s arms.

She yanked Miko up. “Come on,” she said, not totally unfriendlily. The man leaned to her, still sobbing and wailing.

“And what are you doing, master dwarf?” Éomeleo asked.
“I’m leading the way. And I’m shooting in case we see enemies,” Thin-Gloomy replied grimly, fingering his bow.

He kept his word. It did not take long for him to find the entrance and the weary travelers stumbled out of the bandit-lair.

Night had fallen while they had been in the dungeons. There was a cold wind and the moving clouds revealed a rising full moon. Thin-Gloomy took a deep breath. Suddenly, he smiled. He was free at last.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Éomeléo laughed as the cold air washed over him. It was beautiful, and the dinginess of his prior lodgings had not agreed with his airwaves. Miko wished to run as far as his breath would allow him but Éomeléo calmed him down; there would be no need for such panic. They had some fighters about them, with grim weapons in their hands.

He walked over to Valesseka, adjusting his feathered hat as he moved (he had found it in the weapon-room, much to his delight). Valesseka smiled at the silly gesture, then Éomeléo grabbed and kissed her. He half-expected her to be mad with him, but he was sure he saw happiness in her eyes as they parted.

Of course, because the two of them are never allowed a fine moment, an almighty clatter occured from the doorway. They turned around and braced themselves.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Out hobbled an odd-looking man. He was quite old with lank, greying hair, and he clutched a satchel. He stared at the party for a moment, then ambled closer. Éomeléo looked on in curiosity as the man stopped a few paces from him, dropped the bag, and reached awkwardly for his boot. He then disconnected what was, apparently, a wooden leg. Hardly balancing on his good limb, the man scraped around in the leg and took out a big, handsome jewel. He tossed it at Éomeléo and, without a word, put his leg back on and went on his way with the satchel.

Miko looked vindicated. "See? That would be one of the fellows who wouldn't say anything. Granted he's unusual to encounter, but not suitable for the dark. Oh if only he could have shared some stories with-"

"Indeed Miko" the Gondorian interjected. He stooped to pick up the treasure and wondered what the odd man had been through. It was green and looked specially precious. "A reward for a rescue?" Éomeléo flashed a congratulatory smile to his friends.

"I shall be very glad to be rid of this place" grumbled Miko.

"But where will you go?"

"Oh" chuckled Miko, demonstrating a new, and unsurprisingly, annoying habit of switching rapidly between moods, "there are all manners of options."

"Quite Miko, for I have no doubt that your part in the story of this Middle-earth will grow greater." Éomeléo cast a cursory glance back at the villains' lair, and then looked again upon fair Valesseka: a far more pleasing sight.

[Valesse]

Her face flushed after the kiss, Valesseka found it necessary to keep her squealling at bay by putting her fingers delicately to her lip as the one thought that she had most hoped to ensure flooded her mind and nearly spilling out of her mouth: He still likes me more than Jen!!

She sighed out a soft "My darling" and as if on a cloud she drifted toward his arm, half aware of the gemstone being thrown at Eomeleo or really much else... that is until he turned toward her an smiled which was when the world seemed to melt away completely for a few sweet moments.

The sun was slowly creeping just on the horizon, the party had to move in their own directions or as one. It was the slightly less gloomy Thin-gloomy who made this clear first, and with a little bounce in his step lead on his own way.

The Arnorian looked at those surrounding her, pausing as her glance fell on Jenifred. She was alone, and from what Valesseka's imagination could fabricate Jen was not very good at 'it'. Thus, moved by her own misguided pity for the girl, she tugged Eomeleo over and linked arms with her, giving her most comforting - and extremely gorgeous- smile and steering the three of them toward Thin-gloomy's tracks.

"Come on, Jen... you can carry my things! We'll be back in the city in no time and we'll have you all set from there!"

"Err, excuse me?"

Perhaps she could have used a better choice of words... It didn't seem as if Jenifred saw this extremely generous offer as a gift. She's such a strange girl... "You have my permission to travel with us!" announced the fairest of the farm girls, who's authority was indeed unquestionable here.

"Valesseka..." started the weary Gondorian

"But she has no one! It would be cruel to turn her back over to her own devices. She doesn't -have- to stay with us forever, we can take her to Bree and let her have something to eat and then turn her loose on the city! Out of our hands!"

Arching her brow high, Jen waited out Valesseka's arguements to slowly die off, considering her possible travelling partners. They weren't the worst kind of group a person could travel with, but it was definitely something worth thinking about.

And after giving her offer, Valesseka let her thoughts return to her previous adventures, her fortune and finally of home. Looking up at the bobbing feather of Eomeleo's hat she smiled, knowing that in a few hours of walking she could mention her want to return home, and perhaps even persuade Eomeleo to make haste again for the North.

[Thinlómien]

Jenfried

"But she has no one! It would be cruel to turn her back over to her own devices. She doesn't -have- to stay with us forever, we can take her to Bree and let her have something to eat and then turn her loose on the city! Out of our hands!"

Jen couldn’t help but smile at those words. They could have been taken as rude, no doubt, but there was friendliness in there as well. And never before had anyone offered to take her with them, she had always had to plead and beg to get involved in anything even vaguely interesting. She gave Valesseka and Éomeléo a reserved but radiant smile. They were too busy with each other to really notice it, though.

Still smiling, Jen turned to look around. As she moved, there was a throbbing pain at her side and she fell to her knees. She had to gasp for air.

“Take it easy, lass. Let me help you.”

Jen was surprised to hear the dwarf’s gruff voice from behind her. “Here, let me pull you up.” Thin-Gloomy’s tone was a little awkward, but he sounded determined. Jen let the dwarf help her. She could hardly stand, the pain was so intense.

“What if I die?” she whispered, eyes suddenly full of tears.

“Nah, you won’t. You’re young and healthy and that’s just a minor cut.”

Jen searched the dwarf’s eyes for a comforting lie, but she could not find one. The beady eyes were fixed on her with an almost sympathetic expression in them.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

The dwarf smiled, and his smile was a crooked one. Then he turned in the direction of Valesseka and Éomeléo. “Hey lovebirds! Slow down a little. Your little sister’s wounded.”

Jen saw Valesseka and Éomeléo flash a grin at each other. Then they paused and stood there side by side, waiting for the girl and the dwarf to catch up.

~*~

Thin-Gloomy

They had been walking all day and they were finally near the cave where Thin-Gloomy had hid his treasure. He was on the lead now.

“Be careful, those rocks are difficult to climb,” he advised, climbing up nimbly as a little goat. His back didn’t pain him today. In fact, the day seemed almost too good to be true.

He approached the cave cautiously, but there were no signs of anyone having been there before them. With the help of Éomeléo and Valesseka he moved a big rock that covered the entrance of the small cave.

“Oh Valar,” Valesseka breathed at the sight of the treasure, chest after chest full of jewels and gold.
“I had forgotten it was that enormous,” Éomeléo admitted.
“So had I,” Thin-Gloomy grinned.
“I’ve never seen that much gold,” Jenfried said.

“Neither have I,” said a shrill, cold voice.

The four turned just in time to see the bandit woman reload her small crossbow and shoot. “Sweet, sweet revenge,” she laughed as her bolt sank to Thin-Gloomy’s chest.

The dwarf realised he was falling. Vaguely, he thought he must have hit the floor. But there was nothing, nothing but the pain that penetrated everything. Deep, red and white pain. Then there was a thought, one single bright thought, brighter than the pain.

I died a rich man.

~*~

Jenfried

As soon as the dwarf fell on the rocky ground, both Jen and Éomeléo drew their swords and jumped at the woman. She was laughing hysterically and blood was dripping from the corners of her mouth.

“No use killing her. She’s as good as dead,” Éomeléo said with disgust.

The woman was leaning against the cliff, bringing her hand to her breast. Her fingers were red with blood and Jen could see the shaft of a bolt between her fingers. She recalled the woman laying on the dungeon floor, fallen by Thin-Gloomy’s crossbow. Oh Thin-Gloomy, had your hit killed her a little sooner…

“Ugly business,” said Valesseka as the three turned their backs to the dying bandit.

“I only pity poor old Thin-Gloomy,” Éomeléo said sadly.

Jen knelt by the dead dwarf’s side. Gently, she brought his hands to his chest and closed his eyes. Then she let her eyes travel from him to the rogue woman, and eventually to the huge pile of treasure chests.

“Guess what, friends…” she said in a weak voice.

“What is it?” Valesseka asked. Éomeléo looked equally baffled.

Jen let a smile creep to her face. “We’re bloody richest people in Middle-Earth.”

[piosenniel]

~ Finis ~