Castle Maladil - RPG

[Gandalf_theGrey]

“Daerohil. ... you ... hear? Do ... where ... herbs?” Aislan asked the stable lad, and wondered how much he had understood.

* Daerohil bowed, and wanting to please his honored guests, blinked a small blank smile at the words of Aislan. But Calimiel was the one who'd known herb lore, and Calimiel had gone, hidden before his eyes. At Andreth's arms reaching achingly out to him after pointing to the downed pony, Daerohil cocked his head into a concerned frown. *

* Too late to save Whinney. But Daerohil would help. Taking up a pitch fork, the stable lad removed straw from his very own hiding place. With slow reverence, he tossed the gentle yellow covering from his own secure haunt onto the pony. As Whinney's burial haystack grew, Daerohil's dwindled so that the skeleton beneath grew more and more evident. *

[ April 06, 2003: Message edited by: Gandalf_theGrey ]

[TheLadyAerowen]

Alearindu nodded, dazed. She was still taking in all that had happened; the 'death' of the girl ghost, the other castle ghosts finally leaving, and the thought of what might happen next.

She slowly came back to her senses, and looked at Gandalf. "I will ride to Sarn Ford the long way by the Northeast road; and Midnight by the Northwest, or however he may choose. As soon as I can, I shall find my way to the Andrath Greenway and travel forth from there as fast as my dear Mornen shall allow. I expect to reach Sarn Ford within three days and stay there no more than one day. I shall travel back with as many men as Sarn Ford can spare. I hope to make it back at the same rate I went; but I know not how that will go for I hope to have more than myself coming back!"

Gandalf nodded appreciation, smiled encouragement, leaned heavily on his staff in the weary contentedness of middle night after battle's end. "I'm certain, Alearindu, that your bravery in taking this road alone will inspire many to follow you on your way back. You'll start out at first light. Best grab what sleep you may before then."

Alearindu managed a smile, and nodded again. It being near 3:30am, and having not slept in a few days, she decided this was probably a good idea. Without knowing how she knew; she knew she need not check on Mornen, for he was fine. Alearindu found a place to sleep near the tree-line, sat down, pulled her knees to her chest, and fell into a light sleep. She had sat facing east so the light of the sun would wake her and she could begin her vital journey at first light. Gandalf, as well, found his place to sleep near the campfire where earlier he'd been keeping vigil and entertaining the ghostly men-at-arms with fire-juggling and tales. What the new day would bring, one could only guess.

[ April 06, 2003: Message edited by: TheLadyAerowen ]

[*Varda*]

Poppy looked up at the two elves standing beside her and smiled.

“I would love to journey along with you. Much as I feel I should go back to the Shire, my heart speaks against it…this journey only makes me want to explore more of Middle Earth.” She held the Green book to her even more tightly, before carefully putting it in her bag. She smiled again to herself, staring up into the sky, feeling for a short time in her life, that she was complete and whole.

She had accepted a little of the gold from Gandalf, enough to keep her while journeying, and to give to her family, should they need it. The rest of her share she left for the House of Healing, feeling others would need it more than she did. Yes, she would go home when she was ready. They knew she could look after herself. Even better, she knew she could. The small hobbit continued to stand there silently, gazing into the depths of the blue sky that went on forever. Feeling the book in her bag, she knew that this experience too, would be remembered forever.

[Mithadan]

Nardol stood facing away from the Castle, looking out towards the dark surrounding its walls. Beside him stood the remaining shades, standing guard as they had done for so many centuries. But from somewhere within him, Nardol knew that this would be their last night at the Castle.

He listened to Gandalf speak with Alearindu and frowned when he heard that it would likely be six days before assistance arrived. The Elf could hear Orcs scuttling about in the woods outside the walls, and if they were allowed to do so, he knew they would bring others. Sheathing his sword, he took up his bow and, again, leapt up on the wall. The only way to force the Orcs to keep their distance would be to strike them quickly now. He whistled softly into the wind and, after a moment, heard the sound of hoofs beating upon the road. Then he and Rustal went hunting...

He returned nearly two hours later, ridng upon his horse. His quiver was empty, but he was satisfied that there were no Orcs within a mile or more of the Castle. The shades were still standing in the courtyard as he entered, but they seemed less substantial now, as if they were fading before the coming day. To his surprise, Gandalf stood by the gate.

"We need not concern ourselves about Orcs this evening," said the Elf. "And likely not tomorrow either, though undoubtedly they will return in the days to come." The wizard nodded without speaking. He seemed to be measuring the Elf with his eyes. Then he nodded again.

"You have not chosen your reward yet," said Gandalf. "Will you not take some of Elrond's gold?"

"No," answered Nardol. "Return it to him. He will have need of it."

"And you will not?" asked Gandalf. The Elf looked out to the West, then turned back to the wizard. "I do not think so," he said softly. Gandalf nodded, with a hint of a smile.

"Will you not take aught from the Castle then?" continued Mithrandir. Nardol thought for a moment, then entered the Castle. He returned several minutes later with Kenelm. It was nearly sunrise and a faint glow appeared in the sky to the east. Nardol looked to Maladil's son, then extended his hands. Kenelm silently passed the stringless harp to the Elf. "I will return it to you," said Nardol. Kenelm nodded, then faded away...

[Yavanna Kementari]

As Celebrama cantered down the well-beaten path of the Andrath Greenway Calenoreien sat astride him rocking gracefully in tune to his movements of hoof to earth. Celebrama seemed to have plans of his own this night. His steps were antagonistically quick and light.

“You know we’re not coming back don’t you,” she said in a soft voice to the silver stallion as she reached up to scratch behind his ear. She finished the endearment with a few long strokes to the smoothness of his neck.

“ Well it seems that you are excited about the whole ordeal Celebrama, but I am uncertain about going.”

She sat up straight in her saddle and sighed softly.

“Going into the West sounds wonderful, but what have I done here? I don’t feel complete. And if I go there am I still going to feel the emptiness of not seeing him again?”

She talked to the magnificent beast as if he understood her every word and some times he did. As she traveled through the open grasslands she stared up into the firmament. The stars were so luminous, they made the balmy night sky look like a giant pelt of midnight fabric that had been torn and ripped over the ages and allowed the glorious light beyond the circles of Arda to shine through.

"Ahh, I suppose Celebrama, when we are gone from here we will not be remembered.

As Calenoreien rode through the tall waving grass her eye caught a glint of steel shining in the moonlight about 2 hundred yards away. As she rode down the road she watched a man stagger wearily down the way with a sword in hand.

“ He looks like he might be hurt or sick.”

His clothes were torn and dirty, he looked sickly thin and his hair was disheveled and cast a shadow that would do any Orc justice.

“Hurry on Celebrama, we must help him.”

With that she nudged her horse and he galloped off towards the pitiable looking creature to see what she might do.

[ April 09, 2003: Message edited by: Yavanna Kementari ]

[Gandalf_theGrey]

"On your mark, … get set, …go!"

They were off in a flash of hoof and a gleam of mane, Midnight racing Mornen and Alearindu, and all of them racing against the passage of time that could see Orc reinforcements return against a Castle undermanned and now unhaunted. For the last of the ghosts had all gone with the sun's rising, Tiroedrath and Guilin and Halblung vanishing into the dewy morning mist with a final flourishing bow to the company as two dropped swords and a halberd clattered to rest. Daerohil had scampered off his usual cheerful self with a hope, a skip and a jump after Gandalf had promised to find the lad someday in a new and merrier hiding place in Valinor.

After a final glance at the rival horse, Midnight neighed, pawed the ground, flicked his haunches to adjust and readjust his gilt saddle with its message-scroll entrusted to him with an encouraging pat on his haunches by the grey man. At the shout of "go!" Midnight scrabbled into full gallop towards the Northeast. Mornen with a shake of the mane stared ahead as though the goal were already in sight as Alearindu offered final words of heart and coaching. The ranger and Mornen took to the Northwest, Mornen springing into speed like an arrow singing into a bulls-eye. They'd see who'd make it first to the Rangers' Cabin just Southwest of Sarn Ford. Winning horse would get first class accommodations inside the stables of the Trade Inn, losing horse would rough it outside the Rangers' Cabin.

Gandalf was very pleased that those in the company who chose treasure had done so wisely. Aislan's gold-inlaid currycomb from the stables and Poppy's, Menelduliniel's, and Estelarion's gold coins from the sack Maladil had dropped in the doorway of the front entrance, Nardol's harp inherited from Kenelm, meant that there'd been no traps to contend with. Searching for and disarming any traps set inside Laurëondo would be the wizard's task this day, with Anna as his guide.

************************************************** ***************

One day passed, then another.

It was eleven o'clock at night by Shire reckoning. Calenoreien had just passed the Trade Inn. She'd follow the road South for a short ways until her eyes could discern by moonlight the faint markings to the West indicating the Rangers' Cabin. Calen had a friend she wanted to wish farewell, before making her discreet way across Shire land towards the Grey Havens. The Elf could envision the waiting ship rising and falling on gentle swells of coastal water even now. Taking one hand off the reins of Celebrama, she reached down into the middle pouch around her waist. Yes, there it was. The wood carving of a gull, smoothly curving against her palm. Not quite complete. Neither was the feeling. Yet some feeling had drawn her to this path this night.

Mat Rushlight looked up, blinked at a soft-glimmering figure in his path, knuckled his sword tighter, stopped in his tracks, drew in his breath, let it out in a rasping exhale. Elvish, but substantial, not a ghost, not a threat. Mat took to trudging again. Bree was not far. But the Bree he knew would never be found. His life as a chandler had been dimmed, as a beekeeper made less sweet, now that his wife Linea and daughter Edwina were no more, no more themselves.

Calenoreien paled aghast at the Man scuffling before her going North, his head down, arm bent half to the ground with upraised sword, hair wild and eyes faraway and staring at ills unseen. "Hello, fellow traveler by night. I see you have neither food pouch nor water skin. Stop awhile and find refreshment under a friendly light of moon and stars."

As the idea of a prolonged halt hit him, Mat's knees buckled, try as he might to use his sword for a walking stick. Dropping down into a sitting position, he waited like a child at the edge of a fading dream whose mother bustled about the kitchen getting together bacon and eggs while his father beat out a steady rhythm chopping extra wood. He was handed a bite of lembas and a decanter of water, and eagerly downed both. "How may I thank you?"

"Tell me how you came to this path this night."

Mat launched into his jumbled rambling tale of a wagon beset by Orcs, the capture of himself along with his kith and kin, their being carried off to the dungeon at the cursed Castle Maladil, the death … and worse, of all the rest, the door to his cell incredibly swinging open, his run to freedom.

After procuring a room for Mat Rushlight at the Trade Inn, Calenoreien strode back to the stables to reclaim her silvery-grey horse Celebrama. There she caught sight of a Ranger she recognized, struggling to coax a black war steed inside the stables. "Aw come on Midnight, Mornen would be inside this stable instead of you, if only you could have come just five minutes later! Rules are rules, and you won! Be a good winner now." But the war steed bedecked with golden saddle backed away from the lantern-lit stables to melt against night's inky darkness, put its head down, and plucked at the greensward, heedless of any protestations.

[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: Gandalf_theGrey ]

[Yavanna Kementari]

Calenoreien strode quickly back to the stable through the warm night air to retrieve her horse. She was in such haste that her feet seemed to miss the earth as she went along. She had to get to the Rangers camp, this night, some thing was happening in Tharbad and they had to be informed about it. She was running the story over in her mind, about how Mat Rushlight described the ghostly happenings at this castle he was held prisoner in. In Mats own words he told how his wife and daughter “ un-became them selves, died and yet…lived,” as were his words. His voice had trembled and his body seemed to quake with fear as he told his tale. His eyes had the distance of a man scarred beyond healing. She knew that look all too well and his face haunted her thoughts for a moment. As Calen approached the stable she saw a Ranger she recognized, arguing with a strong willed ebony horse.

“Aw come on Midnight, Mornen would be inside this stable instead of you, if only you could have come just five minutes later! Rules are rules, and you won! Be a good winner now.”

Calenoreien laughed quietly as she saw the stubborn horse back away from Alearindu and the stable and into the darkness to graze on the sweet fresh summer grass. She saw the ranger go to another horse and began to brush him down outside the stable Calenoreien approached the onyx looking stallion. He put his head up proudly as she came with in touching distance. Calenoreien looked towards Alearindu with uncertainty.

“Suiliad, What brings a Ranger here tonight?”

Alearindu turned around to see the Elf standing near the war steed.

“ Urgent business, who asks?” Alearindu stood looking at the elf quizzically.
“Wait,” she said, “Don’t I know you?”

“ I believe you know me. I am Calenoreien of Mirkwood. You are acquainted with Aldarion, and if I remember you are Alearindu.”

Alearindu smiled and laughed faintly as she stroked her horse. “Yes that’s right, it has been a long time!”

As she smiled at Alearindu she stretched her arm out and held her hand palm up under Midnights muzzle for him to get her scent. As he lowered his head to her palm she spoke softly to him.

“U-osto, tolo si. Aphodo nin. Bedithnon minui.”

She walked forward into the stable and he slowly followed her. As he entered the light of the stable Calenoreien saw the golden saddle he wore. On it the inscription of an L had all but worn off and faded over many years. It looked ancient even to Calenoreien. As she studied the inscriptions of the design she noticed a message had been attached to the saddle.

“Alearindu, this letter here, is this the urgency?”

Alearindu’s voice grew more serious and a look of distress spread across her face.

“Yes Calenoreien, this is the urgency,”

Alearindu went into detail about how they had broken an age-old curse set by Maladil over the Castle Laurëondo and all his servants and children. She explained Gandalf’s mission to turn the castle into a house of healing and now there were orcs surrounding the place because it had once been an uncontested territory. But since all of the happenings took place they returned in greater numbers.

“So,” Calenoreien said, “this saddle is Maladil’s eh?”

Alearindu shook her head, “ Yes and poor Midnight hates to wear a saddle.”

“ I wouldn’t want to wear it either, but I know what to do.”

She told Alearindu her plan and she would meet her at the camp and when she had arrived at the cabin she would set out with the rest of the Rangers. Alearindu went to the inn and had something to eat while Calenoreien took the saddle off of the grateful Midnight. She checked on Celebrama and took the saddle back to the inn, when she came in to the well light inn she ignored Alearindu as was planned and asked if anyone was interested in purchasing an ancient saddle from the Castle Laurëondo. Some of the men jeered about not being able to set foot there, and it wasn’t real. Some of the men looked with fear upon it and wished it taken out side lest a curse fall on those at the inn. Calen was just about to walk outside when a well-dressed man approached her.

“You say that this is a saddle from Laurëondo, I would say it is worth a great deal eh?”

As the man spoke he raised an eyebrow as if he were trying to persuade her into something.

“It is said that treasures abound in that castle. I, how ever have only heard rumors I will give you twice what it is worth.”

He handed her a large sack of gold after she handed him the saddle and smiled at her menacingly. She knew what would come next but he would be paying extra for nothing.
Taking her time she met a couple of hobbits and spoke to them a little while.

She saw Alearindu get up and leave the inn after the deals were done. Calenoreien went back out to the stable to retrieve Celebrama, she watched Alearindu out of the corner of her eye ride hard to the south. After she had gone out of human sight she saw the new owner of Maladil’s saddle come out side. He looked hastily up and down the dirt road.
He looked angry until he saw Calen mount her horse and began to ride north on the road.

Celebrama went slowly at first and when she saw the buyer behind her she put Celebrama into a gallop.

“Yro Celebrama Yro.”

She saw him begin to disappear behind her and she headed southwest in to the woods.

“Celebrama, Daro, Delio”

The sterling horse halted and went behind a thicket of tall birch trees. There they watched the foolish man gallop past them and off toward Bree. She waited to see if he would stop but he didn’t.

“Yro lim Celebrama Yro lim!”

With the would-be stalker on his way to Bree she was now free to ride with out worry to the cabin. As she rode to the cabin she started to laugh about what had just taken place.

“That was fun was it not Celebrama?”

The spirited horse shook his head, neighed. She laughed at the witty response of her horse as he tried to out ride the stars to the Rangers cabin.

She smiled and closed her eyes for a moment listening to the horses hoof beats on the moist foliage of the grown over path to the cabin. The sky was turning orange through the tall oaks on the small hill and the dawn was starting to break first light when she saw the shape of a man on horseback silhouetted against the rising sun.

“Daro Celebrama.”

The rider and horse came cantering down the small incline and he saw her.
She yelled to him,

“Ias bedich, Hir nîn.”

He replied none too kindly, “You know very well!”

She dismounted and stood beside Celebrama and waited till he got to her. He was tall and broad. His long dark hair blew in the wind as he rode forth. He stopped right beside her and peered in to her face, as he dismounted his horse his steely blue-gray eyes glinted with laughter. They laughed out loud she fling her arms around his shoulders and he hugged her around the waist and picked her up and shook her.

“Oh, Aldarion it is so wonderful to see you!” she said laughing.

He set her back on the ground and smiled.

“Calen, it has been far too long.”

They mounted their horses and rode to the cabin as Calen filled him in on everything that was happening in Tharbad since he was out patrolling when Alearindu had arrived and held council with the other Rangers. She also told him about the saddle and the stalker previous to her coming, and her plans on how to spend the fortune.

“Gandalf needs our help Aldarion, orcs are surrounding Laurëondo. I am glad he has turned it into a house of healing. I will definitely join the fight to help that kind of cause. Maybe I will stay there if he allows instead of going west just yet. I used the money from the saddle to pay for linens and herbs. I have also purchased some chickens a few small pigs and some lambs so the castle will have its own establishments in order. They will come when they are sent for.”


“Aldarion smiled gently at her, you have a good heart Calenoreien.”

As they reached the Rangers Cabin everyone was busying themselves with chores and assigned duties. Alearindu strode up to Calenoreien and Aldarion.

“Ten, we are ten strong. Strider is off on an important assignment, he will be missed but we can make due with out him.”


“Count me in,” said Calenoreien

[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: Yavanna Kementari ]