The Plains of Dunland

You have posted in this forum: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:36 pm Post subject:

Pangor knew that the injured slaver was around. As he stepped out of the hut, he could feel that aim of the arrow on him for all directions. He had to identify which of the multiple possibilities where the enemy archer was actually at. Step by step he made his way to the last location he has seen the slaver slink off into. Step by step the distance closed. Staff in one hand, Pangor loosened his sword ready to be drawn. In the distance the sounds of battle raged, there the battle open and honest. While here it was an agonizingly slow process of stalking an waiting. Stalking the enemy, knowing the enemy was doing the same. Anticipating the unexpected arrow, hoping it would miss. unlike the din of the main battle, the only sounds here that Pangor could hear was the crunching of the soil beneath his own feet, and he slowly took step after step. Every foot fall sounded to Pangor like thunder, listening for any sound the give away the location of the enemy archer. Suddenly he heard a sound from above like someone scrambling across a roof, trying to get the drop on him form the near by building. Pangor and spun to face the attacker. Nothing was there but a squirrel, that did not ease his tension, it got worse. Suddenly it felt like he was being watched, the arrow could arrive at any moment, would he even hear it, he wondered. They say that the only arrow.... wait... another sound this time from where the archer last disappeared. Could he still be there wondered Pangor.

Pangor closed the distance and there was the slaver archer, huddled in a corner, it appeared that he had been trying to extract the bolt from his leg, Resulting in nothing other than increasing the damage inflicted. The slaver had been on alert for anyone approaching. They saw each other at the same time and neither had full advantage of weapon or position. Pangor heard a sound from behind, the creaking of a bow being drawn, as the sound slowed with the arrow at full ready for its flight, Pangor dropped and spun just as the arrow was released. The arrow barely missed Pangor as it seemed to have screamed it anger for it failure to drink of his life. From behind, Pangor heard another sound, that of gurgling followed by a thud. Pangor brought his staff up pressing the end to the chest of the slaver who would have shot him in the back. The slaver appeared amused, "Stick? is that all you have to fight with? You expect me to be frightened of a stick?" With a cold deadly tone, Pangor replied, "No, slaver, I only expect you to die." on the word "die" the slaver fell to the ground, he was dead. After standing Pangor was satisfied to see that both slavers were dead. One by a stab to his heart by Pangor's staff and other by his own comrade's arrow that struck him in the throat after Pangor had dodged it.

Pangor detected another approaching from around the corner, he prepared to attack the enemy; however, it was two of the warriors of the mark. Lowering his weapons, Pangor called to them. One was ordered to gather two more Men of Rohan with speedy mounts that and good jumpers. He also ordered him to to bring someone to deliver a message to the leader of the riders. The other was ordered to strip the slaver bodies of their quivers and to fill those quivers with the expended arrows that are all around. He ordered that rider to notify him immediately when the others have arrived but first for him to order them to gather arrows. Pangor then hurried back to the hut, he was terrified that he would be too late, no he would not permit his thought to wander into that direction. Still Erelin's condition....

As Pangor entered the hut, what he saw caused him to hold his breath. The sight of Erelin holding the infant and the sound of her glorious voice as she was singing came together into a vision that touch him so deeply, that he could not understand. It was a feeling that he had never experienced before, yet it was strangely familiar and the only word for it was wonderful. When they noticed his presence and Erelin had finished her song, he walked over and knelt by her side. All his emotions were expressed by the single word he was able to speak, "Melleth". Without another word, Pangor touched her cheek and then touched the infant.

Pangor rose and turned to face the lady of the hut. As he looked at her his mood darkened, the memory of her assult on him with the skillet profoundly dusturbed him and he knew what he had to do. He slowly drew his dagger as approached her even as he spoke to her in fully unaccented Westron, "Madam, by your actions, you have earned this..."

You have posted in this forum: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:49 pm Post subject:

Posted for Gwyndelen

Erelin was the first to notice Pangor standing at the door. She smiled into his eyes as she finished the last stanza of the lullabye. The tenderness she saw there took her breath away as he approached her, and it was confirmed in her heart by the emotion expressed by his single word of endearment and the gentle caress to her cheek. But it was the gentle touch to the babe that stirred a place deep within her heart, a place that she had not known existed.

Ellamarie watched with wonder at the touching scene before her, and wondered again about the two elves that were before her. That the white warrior Lord loved the lady was obvious, and that she loved him as well was no secret either. There was an ethereal beauty about the Lord and the Lady holding the baby, and Ellamarie felt almost like an intruder. For a moment, she was caught up in the enchantment of the fragile moment of tenderness between the two elves that seemed so out of place admist the sounds of battle raging not too far away.
The spell was broken when the Lord arose and turned to her, and his face darkened into a frown. To Ellamarie's horror, he drew his blade and approached her. “Madam, you have earned this …..“ She remembered his dark anger of earlier and in terror, she dropped to her knees at his feet. As she stared at the bright dagger Pangor brandished, she cried, “My Lord, please, I beg mercy of you! I meant no harm to you or your lady, only I feared that you were one of the slavers returned to kill us. Please, I could not bear to have my baby harmed…” Tears started down her cheeks and she bowed her head. “But if I must die for what I have done, I beg of you, spare my son!”
She lifted her gaze to Erelin. and her eyes were filled with a silent plea to the Lady.

For a moment, Pangor was dumbfounded by the reaction of the lady before him. Contemplating the moments before she so humbled herself before him, he realized how the poor lady had missinterpreted his words and actions. He was partly amused and in fact a chuckle did escape from his lips. However, his driving emotion was sympathy for the lady's imagined plight. He reached down to her and drew her to her feet. "Madam stand before me as an equal. I seek no supplicants and you have misunderstood my intentions. I intend no harm to you nor to your child. We, Pangor gestured to include Erelin are here to protect you, not to harm either of you. I apologize for causing you such grief."

"Shortly we shall evacuate from here to the relative safety. For you, to where your neighbors are. For us, with our family and your warriors to prepare for the final counter offensive against the slavers. You will be protected in the evacuation process, but this is war and we will be charging through the ranks of our enemy. So, in case..., you will need a weapon better suited for a lady and that is more effective than a skillet. This dagger, I forged in the first age, it first saw action in my hand during an assault on Angsband, it had drank of the life of many a vile creature. It will never chip, break, rust, or dull. Take this blade, it is yours. When you son is grown, it is his, may is serve both of you as well as it has served me in the fight against the dark ones. I thank you for the aid you provided to my beloved. I apologise for my outburst before, any danger or disrespect of this lady, is more hurtful to me than anything that could be done to me. You are a fine brave lady, I am honored to meet you. My name is Pangor, and this lady is Erelin, my beloved."