THE LONELY STAR (Contd. from BD birthday party) - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Birdland · 07-11-2002, 06:37 PM

Birdie noticed Mithadan's disapproval as she leapt over the side, and flipped him a flipper in return. She didn't know if he understood the gesture, but it made HER feel better, anyway.

When the guests started to arrive, and Pio went to climb the stern rope, Birdie perversely turned away and swam off down river. Heaving a sigh, Pio let go of the rope and plunged back in. She was starting to get use to the skin-changers "moods".

a few hundred yards downriver they came upon Levanto. He had found a deep section of the river, full of the detritus of battle. Silver mail, uncorroded in the sweet water, swords and the frames of shields littered the river bed, amongst the ribs and planking of destroyed ships. And there were bones. Many, many bones. Levanto was playing a strange ball game with a half a skull, flipping it with his tail, watching it roll slowly through the water and silt, then flying ahead of it to flip it back upstream.

"Levanto, what ARE you doing?" Bird whistled in irritation.

"Studying history." replied Levanto idly. "Why are you not on board the "Lonely Star", greeting your guests, Birdland?"

"I have a problem with Authority Figures" stated Bird loftily. Levanto gave her her a silent look that spoke volumes. Bird suddenly slapped her tail in frustration.

"Scrolls and Kings and Elves and Riddles!" She whistled shrilly. "What about Kali? How will all these things help him find his people?" Birdie sped down the river and braking suddenly, slapped the skull with her flukes. It flew downriver with the current, finally hitting an upthrust rock. The three watched as the head of the unknown mariner split and settled in pieces into the mud of the bottom.

"He should be down here right now, not me. But instead he will be questioned, and grilled and riddled, with the greatest concern and gravity. And then when we discover the origins of Men, Halflings, Elves, Wizards, Ents and perhaps old Bombadil himself; then what? Push him overboard to return to his rock cave? Alone?"

Pio and Levanto floated in front of Birdie, open-mouthed and silent. She glared at them both, doing her best to draw her fixed dophin smile into a sneer. Then she shuffled her tail-fins in the river silt, drawing a random pattern that flowed away with the current.

"Where are they, Levanto?" the dolphin asked sadly.

Levanto and Pio swam over to Birdie. They would have put their hand on her shoulders, if she had had any. Levanto looked into the one black gleaming eye on the right side of Birdie's delphinic head.

"I don't know, little skin-changer. But I may have found something that will give us another clue to this riddle that seems to grow bigger than anyone here understands. Come with me."

"Levanto lead the two farther downriver, around a bend in the broad Anduin. Pointing through the murk, he lead them up to the riverbank on the south-eastern side. There was a tunnel mouth. Close to the bottom, it would never be revealed, even in the times of deepest drought.

"It goes far." Levanto said quietly, "and it goes under the city."

(O.O.C. - I have no idea what is at the other end of the tunnel. Any ideas?)

07-11-2002, 06:37 PM	#11
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,751	Birdie noticed Mithadan's disapproval as she leapt over the side, and flipped him a flipper in return. She didn't know if he understood the gesture, but it made HER feel better, anyway. When the guests started to arrive, and Pio went to climb the stern rope, Birdie perversely turned away and swam off down river. Heaving a sigh, Pio let go of the rope and plunged back in. She was starting to get use to the skin-changers "moods". a few hundred yards downriver they came upon Levanto. He had found a deep section of the river, full of the detritus of battle. Silver mail, uncorroded in the sweet water, swords and the frames of shields littered the river bed, amongst the ribs and planking of destroyed ships. And there were bones. Many, many bones. Levanto was playing a strange ball game with a half a skull, flipping it with his tail, watching it roll slowly through the water and silt, then flying ahead of it to flip it back upstream. "Levanto, what ARE you doing?" Bird whistled in irritation. "Studying history." replied Levanto idly. "Why are you not on board the "Lonely Star", greeting your guests, Birdland?" "I have a problem with Authority Figures" stated Bird loftily. Levanto gave her her a silent look that spoke volumes. Bird suddenly slapped her tail in frustration. "Scrolls and Kings and Elves and Riddles!" She whistled shrilly. "What about Kali? How will all these things help him find his people?" Birdie sped down the river and braking suddenly, slapped the skull with her flukes. It flew downriver with the current, finally hitting an upthrust rock. The three watched as the head of the unknown mariner split and settled in pieces into the mud of the bottom. "He should be down here right now, not me. But instead he will be questioned, and grilled and riddled, with the greatest concern and gravity. And then when we discover the origins of Men, Halflings, Elves, Wizards, Ents and perhaps old Bombadil himself; then what? Push him overboard to return to his rock cave? Alone?" Pio and Levanto floated in front of Birdie, open-mouthed and silent. She glared at them both, doing her best to draw her fixed dophin smile into a sneer. Then she shuffled her tail-fins in the river silt, drawing a random pattern that flowed away with the current. "Where are they, Levanto?" the dolphin asked sadly. Levanto and Pio swam over to Birdie. They would have put their hand on her shoulders, if she had had any. Levanto looked into the one black gleaming eye on the right side of Birdie's delphinic head. "I don't know, little skin-changer. But I may have found something that will give us another clue to this riddle that seems to grow bigger than anyone here understands. Come with me." "Levanto lead the two farther downriver, around a bend in the broad Anduin. Pointing through the murk, he lead them up to the riverbank on the south-eastern side. There was a tunnel mouth. Close to the bottom, it would never be revealed, even in the times of deepest drought. "It goes far." Levanto said quietly, "and it goes under the city." (O.O.C. - I have no idea what is at the other end of the tunnel. Any ideas?)