Darker Days RPG

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia rushed her horse forward next to Mayonette. She swiftly grabbed one of Mayonette's arrows and notched it quickly. It soar through the air and hit the man that Mayonette had hit in the back. He fell off his horse with a blood curdling scream. She pulled out her sword and turned to the group.

"Time is of the essence General Hama. Someone should tend to the prisioner while we chase the other two down. Their existance threatens our lives," she said, her eyes wild with the spirit of Rohan. She turned and saw that they were getting away. She looked at Mayonette for guidance.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette nodded and grabbed the water that had been packed. She knew that the cantine did not hold enough to get rid of all of the fire.

"Move back! We can not fight the flame so close to it!" Mayonette exclaimed. She urged her frightened horse backwards. She saw Thomas by her side, shelding her from the heat of the fire.

[Mithalwen]

Elfride saw Mayonette go for the water bottles and inspired cried " Pour it on the cloaks not the flames, as soon as we make a gap get the horses away to the river bank - we will have to get help from the village if we can't put this out alone!"

The wet cloaks proved much more effective but she had no time for more than a couple of swipes at the flames before Hama alerted her to the man felled by Cordelia's arrow - being already dismounted she could not see and had not heard. Whatever this man had done his punishment had been summary and severe and she wondered what inquest might follow if the man died for though they had been endangered the flaming arrows had not been fired directly at them.

"What have you done?" She cried, wrapping her steaming soot filled cloak about her self as she braved the fire to reach the stricken man. Somehow she mastered her fear enough and reached him on unsteady limbs hoping the others would conquer the flames.

[Glirdan]

The soak and wet cloaks were enough to get through part of the ring of fire, but not to put the entire inferno out. "Someone will have to get to the nearest village and alert the authorities!" He cried out to Hama.

Hama, however, was preoccupied with something else. While Elfride and he had been attempting to put the fire out with their cloaks, Cordelia had fired an arrow at the back of the man whom Mayonnette had already injured. "Wow!! These two have great aim!" he thought silently.

It was then that he saw what was troubling the General. It was then that he saw Elfride stuggling through the fire to get to the man before he escaped or perished. He had put all his concentration on putting out the fire that he didn't notice that Elfride had slipped off and left him to put it out.

He watched her progress with batted breath, hoping against hope that she would make it safetly to the other side. He breathed out heavily as she reached the man unsteadily.

He turned back to Hama and repeated himself, "General! Someone has to get to the nearest village and get help! This fire could spread!! We don't have enough people to put it out!!" With that, he sprang up on Aldor, grabbed Leif's reins and rode over to Elfride to make sure she was alright and to make sure that the man didn't try something sneaky in a last attempt to harm them.

"Elfride!" he cried. "Elfride! Are you okay? You're not hurt are you. And don't turn your back on him when you anwswer me. He might try and pull something."

[Mithalwen]

Hama

The General thought quickly. Leoflic was right this fire was too much for them to put out but they might be able to control it until help arrived. Only one thing made him hesitate - they had a body (though dead or alive was as yet uncertain) and he was uncertain whether shooting a man in the back could be claimed as self-defence even in the light of the fire-raising. Cordelia's sharp shooting might have just bought her a lot of touble. But there was no help for it - the fire had made subtle progress impossible.

"Thomas, ride to Underharrow, it is less than a mile now to the north though you will have to cross the river - there is a ford a little further on - but you are local so I guess you will know the way. Tell them of the fire but as little of the circumstances as possible - do you understand? " He looked meaningfully at the young man.

"Cordelia - get the horses away from the flames through the gap... Elfride must tend the man and the rest of us must fight the fire". He sighed for he would wish to interrogate the man himself but his strength was needed as was Leoflic's.

"Mayonette, go help Elfride and ask Leoflic to rejoin us here!" he ordered, and seeing her protest, thinking he thought her too weak for the task in hand.... "it is not because you are not doing a good job here but that man surely knows where Sandrina is ... you may be able to persuade him to tell us.. and your friend, Elfride deserves some protection does she not.. he may have enough strength to do her harm" and that is another task it feels strange to delegate - even though her new puppy is in devoted attendance he thought wryly...


Elfride

"I am fine" , she said smiling grimly but not turning away from the man at whose side she knelt. "I don't think there is anything you can do here - I am not sure there is anything I can do here...but I will try - if you want to be useful - there is a celan shirt in my nearside saddlebag - give it me and then see what Hama wants - unless you have experience of treating arrow wounds". It was not her area of expertise. She debated with herself as to whether she should attempt to draw forth the dart or if it would hasten death - Hama might know she thought. The man's breathing was laboured but she suspected that the arrow was of the kind used for hunting and the head might well remain in the body even if she removed the shaft.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette heeded General Hama's words. She steered her horse through the gap in the flames and headed towards Elfride quickly. Her horse neighed softly underneath her. She patted him as she got off her horse.

She noticed the man was still breathing and was on his side. She looked up at Elfride nervously, before turning back to the man.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked the man. His eyes opened, fear gleamed in his light blue eyes.

"Yes I know who you are," he replied tightly, pain evident in his face. Mayonette took out her sword slowly, allowing him to see just how sharp it truly was.

"Are you working for Samuel?" She asked him as she looked vaguely at her sword. He looked at her sword and then back up at her. His eyes narrowed.

"Why should I tell you that?" He hissed. Mayonette lowered her weapon and held it over his neck, pressing the tip against him lightly. Her eyes narrowed and darkened dangerously.

"Because I won't allow you to die. I'll allow everyone to torture you and then I'll have my friend here nurse you back to health so we can torture you some more," Mayonette threatened. She watched as his eyes widened.

"You wouldn't," he stated softly. Mayonette's small lips pursed together dangerously.

"I would. My father taught me what he knew from his time in the army. I will most certainly use it." The man looked up at Elfride as if looking for help before returning his gaze upon her.

"Yes I'm working for your uncle," he stated tensely. Mayonette took a deep breath, trying to make sure that her anger didn't become dangerous. There was a dire need inside her to kill him, but she wasn't going to do it.

"Where is Sandrina?" Mayonette asked him. He looked over at his pack that had fallen with him when he had fallen off his own horse. It wasn't within his reach. Mayonette motioned for Elfride to kick it further away from him.

"She's in the forest. . . at Samuel's cottage. I can show it to you on a map," he answered, looking back over at the pack. Mayonette pressed the tip a little harder against him.

"Make no sudden movements. We'll decide if you are lying and if you deserve to live," she warned. She looked at Elfride and silently prayed that the men were on their way.


Thomas

Thomas ran his horse heavily towards the village. He found the Inn that he had once known a long time ago. He raced over and hurried inside.

"Help! There is a fire in the valley!" Thomas called. All the men inside stopped their drinking and laughing and stood up.

"A fire? Lead us to it and we shall follow you to it!" An elderly man said. He motioned for them to follow.

"Bring buckets and the like. We can't let it spread to the homes!" Thomas called as he led the men to their horses and back to the fire.

[Glirdan]

Léoflic listened to Elfride. "Well, unfortunately, I don't know anything about healing. Wait, here comes Mayonnette, probably to question him. I'll wait here until she arrives. That way this guy," he nodded at the man on the ground, "won't be able to try anything funny."

He waited beside Elfride, watching her look at the arrow shaft and the wound. Just then Mayonnette rode up. He got up, nodded briefly to her and jumped back up on to Aldor.

He rode quickly over to where the General stood. He noticed that Thomas had ridden off. "Probably to get help," he thought to himself. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have left Mayonnette's side."

He rode up to the General. "So, what's the plan of action General? Keep beating at the flames with our cloaks until Thomas gets back?"

[Witch_Queen]

Thomas rode back towards Mayonette. He hated leaving her behind the way he did. He feared the others might have thought he ran in fright instead of love. Don't let anything happen to Mayonette. I couldn't bear to live without her. Chianna was running as fast as her horse legs would allow her. Thomas knew his horse wasn't going to let him down. He would return and the others would still be there alive and safe. But how safe could they be when they were fighting a fire with cloaks.

Thomas topped a hill and could see the fire was still trying to spread. "Quickly everyone we can't let this fire get out of control." Thomas was surprised that so many men had answered his plea. "Spread out, we don't need to waste any time." Thomas looked around. Where was Mayonette? Thomas looked deeper into the flames to only make out three figures. As much as he was worried about Mayonette he needed to concentrate on killing the fire before the fire killed one of his companions.

He didn't know where the energy was coming from but all he knews was that the fire was going to be exstinguished even if no one else was there. Mayonette was going to live and his new made friends would survive also. His brain didn't know what his heart knew. The one thing fueling him was his love for Mayonette. He looked around again but couldn't see the figures. Had the flames engulfed them. Had the fire taken away from Thomas the one true meaning for living. He dropped to his knees. "MAYONETTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He feared the worse had occured. He feared he had lost his heart, his soul, his Mayonette.

[Dimturiel]

After some moments-yet to him it seemed much more-Edhener could master his fear enough to look arround him. He saw that Elfride at least had not lost her head and that she was hiting the flames with her cloak. He took of his cloak and tried to do the same, but he had trouble keeping his horse calm, and he was not making much progress. His horse seemed to be overwhelmed by terror and madness, and his desperate movements nearly flung Edhener to the ground. Edhener got hold of the reins to steady himself and the cloak that he had used as a weapon against the fire was dropped and engulfed by the devouring flames.

Edhener bit his lips. There seemed little that he could do without some help from outside. He had not enough water to put out the fire arround him. He searched for his companions, but he could see nothing but dim shadows in the thick smoke that was blinding him. He percieved that something must be happening, he could hear voices, but he could not discern no words over the roaring flames. He thought he could see a shadow ride away towards where he knew was a small village. But was it really so, or was it only his mind that clung even to the faintest illusion of hope?

Time was passing, or was it really? To him it seemed that time had stood still in that dreadful moment when the red tongues were drawing ever near him, and the thick smoke was blinding and choking him, and the only thing that he could hear was the roaring of flames and the terrified whining of his horse.

Suddenly he thought he could hear voices arround him. He looked up and percieved shadows amid the flames, and he also realised that the fire was dying down. Seeing a path amid the red tongues that had filled him with horror, his horse ran towards it, without waiting for any command from his master. And Edhener let his horse bear him wherever he wanted to, his hope returned but his senses being too weary to care much what would happen to him.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette's heart stopped as she heard her name screamed in anguish. She knew that it was Thomas' voice. Her face when cold and white as the implications of what may have happened to him engulfed her. Yet she was in such a tight situation. She could get on her horse and find him, but that would leave Elfride with the monster that they had captured. Or she could stay here and hope that Thomas would live through whatever had happened to him.

She turned to Elfride, her eyes filling with tears that she was trying to make sure the man didn't see. She blinked hard and swallowed.

"What do I do?" She whispered for advice. She had never been in this situation before and it was unnerving. She didn't want to lose Thomas again. Not so soon after finally finding him.

[Glirdan]

Just then, he hear a blood curdling yell. It was Thomas. "What could he be yelling about?" he said out loud. Then he heard the yell clearer. "MAYONETTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" . He looked around wildly, fear rising in him. "What's wrong!?" he thought.

He looked over at where Mayonnette and Elfride were, the fear draining for him. "He musn't see her. That's why he's crying for her." He then whooped for joy as he saw more men running up the hill behind him. "THOMAS!!" he yelled. He swung Aldor around to face him and rode up to him. "Thomas!" he cried again. "She's fine. She's with Elfride, questioning the man whom Cordelia shot. Go see her if you must. But once you're sure she's okay, come back to the fire. We may need your help." He then turned to the men standing around with the pails of water. He rode over to one, dunked his already soaking wet and sooty cloak into it. "Follow me, and hurry!" he cried as he turned Aldor around and galloped back to the fire to Edhener and the others in their attempt to douse the fire.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"Cordelia, no!" yelled Garnae as she shot the man cleanly. What in the world does she think she's doing?! You can't shoot a man in the back! Is she so naive? He wondered if this would detract from his attraction to her. But there were more pressing matters at present. Like the fire that threatened to grow. More of the group held it off by thrashing it with damp cloaks. Thomas had gone to get help, but the village was a fair way away. Garnae decided to help the fallen man, be he enemy or no.

Mayonette was interrogating the fallen man harshly. The man was still breathing and on his side. She stood up. “Herbs,” coughed Garnae to Elfride. “In my pack, for treating arrow wounds. I have them, if you have none.” Elfride quickly relieved him of the pack. The scene played itself out, until a blood-curdling yell was heard from Thomas, returning with men.

Garnae sprang up, blade in hand. But this startled Crean, who was nearby. The horse sprang up, and ran, whinnying, toward the flames. Garnae leapt to grab his reins, but missed by an inch. Crean screamed shrilly as he was surrounded by the fire, and disappeared in the smoke. Garnae turned away in horror, falling, beating the ground madly.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" he screamed. Crean was like a brother to him, he had owned him throughout the training of the Riders, he had ridden through countless fields, driven herds of cattle, slept side by side with him in the fields. Crean was the closest thing he had to a true friend. The pain was unbearable. But Garnae knew that he would meet a similar fate if he stayed where he was. The men had to get to the river. There was only one chance to put out the fire, and the river held the key.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia stayed where she was after she had hit the man with her arrow. What had she done?! The only thought in her mind was to capture him. He was the one that had started the fire.

She heared Garnae screaming at his horse as it ran towards the flames. She laid low against her own horse's back and urged her into a run. They raced the frightened horse. She urged her own a far enough to grab the reigns. It neighed and tried to pull away from her.

"Mystic, stay with me. I'm jumping," she exclaimed in her horse's ear. She then jumped into the saddle and reigned him hard to the left. She slowed him down, patting the horses' neck.

"There there boy. We are all frightened. But there is a man that needs you right now," she whispered. She pulled the two horses back to Garnae. She could see he was watching her intently, that there was a deep connection to this horse. She only hoped that he wouldn't mind that she saved his horse. And that he still liked her. What she had done was wrong.

As soon as she was close enough she dropped off of Garnae's horse and lead the two of them over. She handed the reigns over to him shakily. Her lower lip quivered and her whole body shook. This journey was already taking a large toll upon her.

"I . . . I found . . .your horse Garnae. He's okay. Just shaken . . . and scared. . . and . . . ." she trailed off. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. Her horse nudged her face softly and she held onto Mystic tightly, sobbing hard.

"What have I done?" She whispered. She could feel her legs going weak underneath her as her head screamed her transgressions.

[Mithalwen]

On closer examination the man's injuries were not as desperate as Elfride had first feared. The arrow had not gone straight but at an angle and had grazed rather than penetrated the ribcage and had lodged in the flesh of his side. Had he been a leaner man, Elfride reflected, the dart might well have missed him completely - or just snagged his clothes. the arow would have to come out but if the wound were properly cleaned and dressed he would most likely survive to fight another day. The wheezing breath that had scared her seemed more the result of a heavy man's fall at speed onto hard ground. Probably he was just winded - which meant he would be dangerous as soon as his breath came back to him.

Efride decided to distract his attention from mischief for a moment or two at least and started to probe the site of the injury while trying to ease the arrow head free. The man yelped in pain. "Oh did that hurt?," enquired Elfride with little trace of sympathy - nothing to what your poor mother suffered bringing such a wretch as you in to the world I'll wager she thought. She hoped the help Thomas had sought would arrive soon - if she was going to get this arrow head out she would need a couple of the men to restrain this villain while she did so. She realised that Mayonette who had conducted a surprisingly efficient interrogation (this was a skill it had not occured to her own father to pass on) was distracted and hoped the wounded man would not attempt to profit from it ... she half regretted sending Leoflic away but he was needed where he was.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette heard her name being screamed, but she dare not turn around. What could she do! She was standing above a dangerous man that had started a fire around them and it was only her and Elfride to stop him from escaping. Her heart beat wildly in her chest at the thought that someone was hurt.


She swallowed her fear and looked down at the man, whose eyes seemed to gleam with the knowledge that someone was fearing for her safety. She pressed her sword a little harder into his neck.

"Don't you dare make any sudden moves or you'll regret it for the few seconds that will remain of your life," Mayonette hissed. She hoped that he would believe her threat. She was a woman of Rohan and could kill someone if she needed to, but deep down she didn't want to.

[Witch_Queen]

Thomas looked deeper into the flames. Mayonette was still alive and it looked as if she had her sword drawn. Something inside him told him to tend to Mayonette that she was in trouble. Thomas rushed over to where his love was. He noticed Mayonette had some strange man held at sword-point. He cared not who the man was at the moment, right now he knew he had to aid her in any way possible.

"Mayonette, I was worried that the flames might have got you. But I see you are still just as strong as you was when I left." Thomas had his sword out and was cautious around the man laying on the ground. Thomas had heard Mayonette threatening the man but didn't know what the threats were about.

Mayonette had yet to look up from the ruffian and Thomas had his guesses. "Mayonette who is this man?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he had a chance to even think.

"Thomas this is the man that started the fire. He's working for my uncle and he knows where Sandrina is." Thomas took a closer looked at the man. Something about the look of the ruffian reminded Thomas of a man he worked for in Gondor.

Thomas gasped for air and knew his gasp was heard by Mayonette. If he recognizes me then Mayonette will never trust me. She will never be able to look at me again. How would he tell Mayonette that he had worked for this ruffian back in Gondor. How would he let her know that the work he did just to survive was not the most honest of work........ The secrets of his past was about to creep up and get him at the worst time possible. "Mayonette I know this man..."

The fire was almost exstinguished, but still Thomas knew the heat was about to rise if Zach told Mayonette about his past with Thomas.

[Dimturiel]

The fire had been extingiushed almost completely. Edhener looked around him, in search for his companions. Yet, so far he could not find them. The only men that he could see were strangers, probably villagers come to put out the fire. But the air was still thick with smoke, and he could not see far. Edhener dismounted. He felt exhausted, as if many sleepless nights had passed since the fire had been set.

As the air became clearer, and his fear gradually diminished to become only a memory at the edge of nightmarers, Edhener's mind began to fill with questions. Where was Hama? If the villagers had indeed been called by them and not by thier enemies-which seemed highly unlikely-then should not the general be with them? And what happened to the rest of his companions? Had they all come out unharmed from the destructive red tongues?

Suddenly he saw Leoflic galloping towards him. At least one of his companions seemed to have come out alive. He waved to him.

"Leoflic, what happened?" he asked "And where are the others? Are they all alright?"

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette heard Thomas gasp beside her. She watched him out the corner of his eye and could see that he was uneasy about this man. She finally turned her gaze over at Thomas quickly. She felt the man move underneath her sword and she pressed it harder against his neck.

"Don't you dare move. I will not be ashamed to kill you," she hissed. The man chuckled as he looked over at Thomas. A queer smile crept upon his lips.

"Ah Thomas, how have you been? What? No special hello?" The man asked him. Mayonette's eyes widened. She looked over at Thomas quizzically. She pressed her foot down upon his hip, pushing the embedded arrow uncomfortably against him.

"How do you know Thomas?" Mayonette inquired. Pain etched into his face. She eased up on him a little. She only wanted answers, not his death. She watched as he looked up at Thomas.

"Haven't told your fair Mayonette of what you did in Gondor? I thought you hated being dishonest. Thomas worked for me. He killed many innocent men for Samuel," he replied, sneering up at Thomas. Mayonette's heart stopped. She looked over at Elfride.

"You lie. Why would I believe a liar like you?" She spat back at the man. Her heart pounded wildly at the accusation. The sword quivered slightly in her hand and now, more than ever, she was far more than willing to kill another human being.

[Glirdan]

The fire was almost doused now. Léoflic galloped towards Edhener. "Leoflic, what happened?" he asked "And where are the others? Are they all alright?"

"Don't worry, my friend. Everybody is fine. Elfride and Mayonnette are over there questioning the man whom Cordelia shot in the back and I do believe Thomas has joined him. Cordelia and Garnae are over there, on the ground. But I cannot see the General. It is him whom we need to speak to about this mess. What was Cordelia thinking!?" he looked slightly annoyed as he said this. But really he was filled with admiration for the girl. "Not many women could shoot an arrow like that. And the same goes for Mayonnette," he thought to himself.

He turned back to Edhener. "Have you seen the General. I can't see a dog gone thing with all this smoke billowing about."

[Mithalwen]

He is definitely feeling better , thought Elfride drily, that means he will be dangerous as soon as I get this out. She may have not have been tutored in interrogation techniques but she knew that as long as the arrow remained in situ Samuel's henchman was at her mercy. She didn't like the way the conversation was going and she needed calm assistants.

Overcoming her scruples as a healer she was less gentle than she might be in probing the wound site. The pain silenced the injured man momentarily. She had decided that given the arrow's trajectory and the fact she suspected it might be of a hunting type, designed to leave the head in the wound, she had decided the best course of action would be to push the dart straight through the skin rather than try to pull it out. It would be painful but better than leaving the arrowhead behind. The wound would drain better too she thought and be less likely to get infected.

She would need two strong assistants to hold him and at the moment she would prefer them not to be Thomas and Mayonette. She looked around. The fire seemed to have been put out but a thick haze of smoke remained. She saw Cordelia and Garnae together...no not them... .not the villagers who were busy checking all sparks were extinguished or talking with Hama who seemed to have drawn the village leaders to the river side of the fire - no doubt to delay expalnation of the wounded man. Then she saw Edhener and Leoflic. Perfect..
She called them over and suggested to Mayonette and Thomas that maybe the General would need their help in explaining the situation to the village elders since they knew most about it and that it would be better if those less involved helped her with the extraction of the arrow. Before she did so she made sure the man was bound hand and foot and that her assistants were ready.

"This is going to hurt a lot" she warned as she grasped the arrow firmly and with as much force as she could combine with precision she pushed the arrow through his flesh so it pierced the skin a few inches away from the entry wound. It wqas then an easy matter to remove the arrowhead and withdraw the shaft leaving a relatively clean wound. "All done - I think you'll live", she commented but the man showed little sign of gratitude to herself and her assistants who continued to stand guard as she dressed the wound. She smiled her thanks at them and then glanced across to where the others were and wondered how Hama had explained the situation to them. Hopefully they were not in Samuel's pay and the wounded man could be left in their care and custody until Sandrina was recovered - and then if necessary they could answer for their actions before the King at Edoras in the meantime, though he were off duty, Hama's status and would surely be surety enough to leave them free to proceed. Samuel clearly had locals in his pay but the Reeve of Underharrow would surely be true to the king. The village was too close to Edoras for such corruption.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"Crean!" yelled Garnae as Cordelia led the stallion towards him. "I thought I'd lost you! You're safe! That was amazing Cordelia!" Cordelia nodded but started to sob and cough in the ash, as she whispered, "What have I done?!" She fell on to the ground, staring at it.

Garnae smiled grimly. "You did what you did, it was nevertheless brave." He lifted her chin. "Don't feel bad, we all make mistakes. You just need to weather them with those that love you. Come, our friends need our attention." He hugged her swiftly, then leapt to the back of Crean.

Mayonette and Thomas were crouching over the man who had been shot. He looked not badly hurt and was talking to them. But Garnae couldn't believe what he was hearing. A murderer? Thomas? If he really did, we can't afford to keep him. Will this mean the end of our company? Can Mayonette go on if we have to get rid of him? These were dark thoughts.

As were Cordelia's omens. Just what would happen to her, even if Zach survived? He hugged the girl and stared at the smoulders. What a mess. She didn't know what she was doing. I have a bad feeling we'll be running from this on our horses. Fast.

[Cordelia Harrison]

She hugged Garnae back tightly, sobbing into his shoulder. She knew that she wouldn't be without punishment. She had judged too quickly. She only hoped that his actions of starting the fire would explain her actions. He had been the man to start the fire. Perhaps that would redeem her, but she hardly doubted it would be that simple.

"Oh Garnae. I'm afraid. I may have to leave Rohan for all the rest of my life and I don't think I could bare leaving the home of my birth," she whispered, clinging to him. And what would happen to him? If she was banished from Rohan for her actions would he come with her? Did he care enough to abandon his own home to start a new life somewhere else with her? And would Mayonette, once she was married to Thomas, ever come and visit her? Mayonette was her only friend in this world and the only person that had ever tried so hard to make her feel like family.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette looked up at Elfride and nodded, sheathing her sword slowly. She grasped Thomas' hand and they walked away from the man named Zach. She looked up at Thomas and could see the turmoil in his eyes.

"Don't let that liar get to you. I know you and I know your heart. I know that you would never have killed someone, even for a job," she said softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Yet her insides were shaking. What had Thomas done in the time that he had been away in Gondor? Had he killed innocent people in order to prove his worth?

She shook away her thoughts. No matter what he had done, she didn't care. That was in the past and he was here with her now. That was all that truly mattered. Yet it still nagged at her conscious.

"You didn't kill people. . . did you, Thomas?" She asked, her voice shaking. She stared at the burnt ground around her, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer.

[Dimturiel]

Edhener thought he would need time to allow everything that Leoflic was telling him in such an urgent tone sink in. It seemed that, even if they had made it unharmed from the fire, they were still in a great plight. They had a wounded man with them, hit by one of their arrows. There was no way of hiding him from the villagers. Would they be allowed to continue their quest? Now more tham ever did he want to know where Hama was, whether he would be able to explain their situation to the villagers,so that they would let them continue their journey or not.

Suddenly, Elfride called to them, requesting their assistance to hold the wounded man while she removed the arrow. Edhener inspected the prisonier with a searching gaze. There was something in the man's face that worried him. He seemed to have a mooking look in his eyes. What could that mean? What other mischief had he in store for them, that they could not yet forsee?

Edhener looked away from the man. He did not feel cmfortable when their eyes met. He glanced towards where Cordelia and Garnae were sitting. The girl looked dejected. Edhener shook his head concerned. He wondered what were the chances of them being alowed to continue their quest and how safe would it be to leave their prisonier in the care of the villagers. What if they were sending him actually back to his friends, who wolud free him and then begin pursuing them?Of course it was highly unlikely for the whole village to be working for Samuel, yet how many things had he once thought unlikely only to be proven that it was not at all so? He looked at his two companions questioningly.


"What do you think?" he asked them. "Will we be able to go on after all this? This man frightens me. I cannot say why, but something tells me that he is still capable of doing much harm to our quest.

[Glirdan]

Just then, Elfride called them over to her to help guard the ruffian. He nodded at Mayonnette and Thomas as they walked past each other. He drew his blade as they got nearer to the ruffian. "Don't want him to make any sudden movements," he thougth grimly as Elfride removed the arrow and dressed his wound.

He looked over the scene at hand. Cordelia and Garnae on the ground, Mayonnette and Thomas on their way to where the villagers gathered, the scorched ground which was all that remained of the fire and then Elfride and the wounded man on the ground.

"What do you think?" Edhener asked them. "Will we be able to go on after all this? This man frightens me. I cannot say why, but something tells me that he is still capable of doing much harm to our quest."

"I do agree that this man could do a lot of harm to our quest, but he doesn't frighten me. If anything, he invites sypmathy from me. Wreaking havoc amongst the innocent for pay. Shows he had a very poor childhood. But he could have changed all that. But I don't know if we'll be able to move on right away. Eventually yes. But perhaps our General will be able to find a way to postpone the judgements. Just perhaps..." he trailed off, thinking of what could happen if they were delayed. Images flashed in his mind of his father's body, and his mother on her death bed. "I will not allow this to happen to Sandrina! I will go on myself if I have to!"

"Elfride, what did he tell you and Mayonnette while I was away? Who is this man?"

[Mithalwen]

"I don't know him, but he claims to know Thomas from his time in Gondor." Elfride elided the man's accusations as she finished strapping the wound and finally rose to her feet brushing the dust from the knees of her trousers, forgetting that they were coated with the man's blood. I think there is a map or something in his pack that may guide us to Sandrina - I hope that may compensate from any delay this incident will cause us. She pointed at the bag and in doing so saw her hands and realised what a state she was in, smoke, heat and blood had all left their mark and her cloak was a singed rag.

She looked across to the where the horses were cropping grass peacefully by the river and then at her patient still bound with strips of cloth. "Can you guard him a while longer - take a look at his pack before Hama and the villagers come over ...I need to clean up a bit. Give him something to drink but watch him carefully. I won't be long".

She walked a little unsteadily to the water, picking up a leather bucket, discarded by a villager on the way. It was far too public to change clothes but at least she could wash. She scrubbed the blood from her hands feeling slightly sick. She was no stranger to the sight of blood but this was the first time she had tended a deliberate wound and the thought made her queasy. Suddenly she felt tired. She had not slept the previous night or much on previous nights and though her guests had been well provided for she had eaten little herself. She filled the bucket and loosed her hair hoping the icy mountain water would revive her even if it could not quite cleanse the smell of smoke. Leaning forward she poured the water over her head wincing as the cold water reached her scalp. Then as she sat on the bank and wrung out her hair, the horror of the still young day hit her as well as the magnitude of their task. Unbidden tears mingled with droplets from her still wet hair Samuel would clearly stop at nothing to achieve his ends. What else might he do? What else might he already have done? . "Sandrina will not be helped by your sobbing", Elfride told herself sternly, "you need to go back, to go on". she wiped her face with a grimy sleeve and returned to the others.

[Witch_Queen]

Thomas wasn't sure how to break the truth to Mayonette. In a way he felt guilty for the lives he unknowingly caused to end. "Mayonette, my sword never pierced the skin of an innocent person. In a way I could be blamed for the death of many fathers and sons. Back in Gondor I was under the command of Zach, Zach is not the most honest of people. Zach had ordered me to follow an army that supposibly was going to kill the king. My orders were to follow them and alert Zach of where the army was camping. What I didn't know was that the so called army was actually a family of farmers. I had a feeling something wasn't right but Zach told me the "farmer" look was just a disguise."

Thomas regretted the decisions he made while he was in Gondor. Thomas still had more to tell Mayonette but wasn't sure how to explain it to her. "Mayonette, you know I would never lie to you. Everything I do in life is for you. I had no choice but to return to Rohan. Rumors had it that Zach was going to blame the death of 20 innocent men on me. Of course the king didn't believe him and instead banished Zach from the realm of Gondor. If he returned it would be his life." He felt an easiness inside his heart. He held no more secrets from Mayonette. She now knew everything about Thomas.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette stopped him and hugged him gently. She knew Thomas and she knew his heart. She felt so guilty for wondering, but she had no idea what he had done in Gondor.

"I am sorry for what you thought you had to do for me. You are the love of my life and I do not care what you have done. If innocents fell because you were following what you believed to be were orders from the King, then that is just an unfortunate accident. I am sorry for wondering if you had killed innocents. I should have believed in what my heart told me and it told me that you would never hurt someone willingly. That is why I love you so," she whispered softly.

[The Sixth Wizard]

"No!" said Garnae roughly. "Begging your pardon, Mayonette, but I don't trust him. Then again I don't trust Zach either. How do we go on? There is still a possibility that Thomas is working for Samuel right now. Imagine if he came back from Gondor on Sam's orders just to spy on you. I for one want proof that he won't stab us in our sleep." He looked at Thomas. The man looked trustworthy, but looks could be decieving.

Meanwhile the townspeople were approaching them. Harsh words and harsh actions, he thought. Not good. How can I protect Cordelia? She was unaware of the damage that shot caused, alas. So often doom is decided in the spur of the moment. A wild spirit can be a dangerous thing.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia gasped at what he said. How could he just believe someone that had tried to set them on fire?

"Garnae, I know Thomas. He would never do anything willingly. Why are you believing the words of man that tried to kill us all?" She asked him, clutching desperately to his arm. She wasn't sure she could stand on her own.

Her eyes looked up at the villagers that were finishing puting out the fire. She hoped that they would allow her to live her life in peace. She hadn't killed the man. She had only been trying to defend her friends.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette's eyes flashed at Garnae. He knew nothing of her Thomas! How could he sit there and believe that man?! The thought enraged her soul.

"I believe him and that is all that matters," she spat out, glaring at him. She turned to Thomas and gave his had a squeeze.

The villagers came closer to where Zach lay upon the ground. A man of about thirty five years of age came forward, eyeing the wounded man wearily. He looked up at them all.

"We have put out the fire. Now tell us what is that man doing on the ground?" He asked them, his eyes narrowing. Mayonette came forward, not waiting for the General to even make a move.

"That man caused this fire. I took him down with my arrow. He tried to kill us," Mayonette informed. The man eyed her carefully.

"So that is his crime? He started this fire?" He asked her, suspicion lined his voice. Mayonette nodded. The man came forward to inspect Zach's face. He snorted.

"You finally caught this bastard? You are a fine with a bow and arrow, milady. He's been destroying homes all through our village, but none could shoot him down!" The man chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. Mayonette smiled.

"It wasn't only my arrow. It was my dear friend Cordelia's arrow that caused him to fall," Mayonette informed him. She pointed over at Cordelia, who nodded weakly. The man turned to her and smiled.

"Then we are in your debt Miss Cordelia. He is wanted for many things in our village. We will take him off your hands for you," he replied. He motioned for a couple of men to bind him and they hoisted him over a horse. The villages left them slowly.

"Thank you. We must be going. Our journey is long," Mayonette told the man. He nodded his head.

"I understand. If any of you ever need anything just come back to my house at any time. My name is Andrew and I would be honored," he offered before leaving with the rest of the villagers.

[Glirdan]

Léoflic was shocked. "I really didn't expect things to go that smoothly!" he whipsered to Elfride and Edhener. "But that was one of the many obstacles that we're going to be forced to cross on this journey. I have a feeling that there's more to this than is being let on."

Then he fell silent, thinking about Zach. "That man... he looks so familiar. Where have I seen him?" he pondered this ever since the men had first attacked them. "They were all familiar. But where have I seen them? I know I've seen them. But where?"

[Dimturiel]

Edhener knew Leoflic was more than right. They had managed to get away from the villagers, but that was not something to be too relieved about. It was quite likely that what awaited them further on their journey would be ten times much worse.

"Worse than being trapped amid the flames with little hope of escaping?" a voice inside his head asked, but Edhener dismissed the question. He could not help feeling ashamed for his moments of petrifying panic back in the burning field. The others had kept their presence of mind, more or less, and that seemed harder for him to bear. No one had lost their heads as he had done. Why had it had to happen exactly to him?

Edhener shook his head vehemently. He should not think that way. And anyway, he had other things to worry about than one fleeting moment of panic, especially one which had been witnessed by no one. He turned to Mayonette and Hama, a questioning look on his face.

"It seems that we have passed our first test." he said."But what now? Should we not be moving on?"

[Witch_Queen]

Thomas was furious that Garnae would doubt his loyalty. "I would never work for Samuel." He turned to Mayonette, he knew the group now question weither he was working for Samuel or not. "The only proof I have to show you is the scar I bear. Once I found out the truth behind Zach's lies I decided to track the liar down. I was lucky when I discovered the man's hideout. While his lackies were gone for the day I waited for Zach to exit the cave. My first thought was strike him while he wasn't expecting it. But I knew that would not be right. I wanted my face to be the last one he saw before he slipped into death. I pulled out my bow only to land an arrow a few feet in front of him. He knew I was there. He called out to me, telling me to be a man and face him. I stepped out from amongst the rocks where I was hiding. Before I knew it we both were badly injured. I bear a scar now on the right side of my upper back and one across my stomach. I was lucky to survive. If you noticed Zach's left arm was unfunctional, that would be due to our quarrel." Thomas lifted his shirt to show the group the proof he had.

He didn't know if they would believe him. Yet the only thing his heart really cared about was that Mayonette believed him and that Cordelia still trusted him.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette gasped and placed her hand upon the scar that he had shown. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at his. What in the world had he gone through? The thought scared her more than the task at hand. She placed a hand to her throat and swallowed hard.

"Oh Thomas. I should have killed him when I had the chance. I am so sorry," she whispered, unable to say more. What hurt her the most was that he had gone to Gondor and had experienced all of this just to make himself worthy of her to her father. He had been injured because of her. He had horrid memories because of her. She had never wished that for him.

[Mithalwen]

Hama

"Indeed we should - we have been very fortunate here. That villain will have to answer to the king for his wrongdoings but his companions are still around. They may well still be near or they may have gone to report to Samuel. " The General answered Edhener looked sternly across to where Cordelia, Mayonette and Thomas and Garnae seemed to have moved from loves young dream to some kind of disagreement., " We are going to have to be a lot more careful from now on. If you hadn't realised it before you must now see how dangerous this may get. We must focus on the mission and not let ourselves get distracted" He looked around them. It was a grim sight, the scorched trees and blackened earth would remain for some time as a legacy of their quest but it could have been so much worse. The fire could still be raging and they could have a corpse on their hands. He was grateful that Zach had been a known criminal, giving Cordelia's rash instinct legitimacy.

The group were not exactly in the same array as they had left the Grange that morning - had really only a few hours passed? All grimy, even Elfride despite her efforts. Time to regroup. He instructed that horses and baggage be retrieved, that any injury be reported to Elfride for treatment. He noticed the bag taken from their attacker neglected on the ground and picked it up. "Whose is this he asked?"

[The Sixth Wizard]

Are the scars genuine? Garnae mused, as Thomas revealed them. Or are they from a different source, perhaps, a Gondorian soldier working for justice?

But the group seemed to lack any shadow of doubt, and Garnae knew he would need to choose his words carefully. Trouble was, he was never much of a word-bender. "I do not trust Zach either. I am merely being - cautious. Perhaps if I had known you for longer I would trust you more Thomas. As I said, there is too much deception not to be careful. I will continue with the quest, uneasy though I may be," he stated. "Think not that I have taken the side of this outlaw. Zach has destroyed many homes in the village and in the employ of Samuel.

"Think! He is most likely to be the swine who torched my home. I am merely trying to serve us for the greater good, and protect Cordelia." But does she agree with me? his other side thought.

"As I said, I will go on, but I fear there is a chance, small but present, that we will be stabbed in our beds." He realised that those last words brought off the wrong impression on Thomas, but there was no retracting them, they were said.

[Cordelia Harrison]

Cordelia looked up at Garnae, her heart flipping. His small distrust of Thomas was all based on what had happened to him and he wanted to protect her. No one in her entire life had ever wanted to protect her.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She nodded slightly to Mayonette and guided Garnae away from the group slowly. She led him far enough away in order to speak with him privately.

Cordelia turned to him and took his other hand in hers. She looked up into his eyes, the only eyes that could ever melt her heart.

"I know that you want to protect me and I know that none of us know what Thomas has been up to. Neither Mayonette or myself know what he's been up to the last five years. However, I do know Thomas and I know his heart. He is like the brother that I was never granted to have. He adores Mayonette and he would never ever hurt her. Nor me. My father took him in when his father was called off to war. For that Thomas feels he is always in our debt. He even said so to my father," Cordelia explained.

She moved closer to him, not wanting him to think that she didn't care for him. She touched his cheek gently.

"With that said I want to thank you. No one has ever wanted to protect me the way that you want to. For that, I understand your worry. I only ask for you to trust me. . . as much as I trust you, Garnae," she said softly. She got on her tip toes and kissed him softly.

[Crystal Heart]

Mayonette nodded over to Cordelia, allowing her to handle Garnae. He was a good man, he was just too over cautious. She knew Thomas and she knew that he never would do anything to hurt her or anyone else.

"We need to be moving along. Gather your things and your horses. We need to continue on. This has taken too much time away from Sandrina. We need to head deeper into the forest," Mayonette commanded. She took Thomas' hand and led him away to help her with her horse.

[Mithalwen]

Elfride smiled momentarily as she heard Hama and Mayonette give just about the same instructions to their immediate companions more or less similtaneously... if the situation weren't so serious she might have found it amusing to watch the two vie for the leadership of the expedition the claims of rank vying with thouse of blood kin. But the situation was serious and she wondered if they would have avoided some of the strife if the chain of command had been clearer. Her musings were interrupted by Hama's question about the pack.

"That .... belonged to the man Zach... in the circumstances I don't think we need return it to him" She grinned at Hama. " but ... I think, I think he said something about a map ... he might have been bluffing but Mayonette had a blade at his throat so I doubt it".

Hama opened the pack cautiously but he had no need to investigate too far. a folded piece of parchment was near the top. Opened out it was a map of the Harrowdale, cruder than those they had studied at Elfride's house, but it was fairly clear. Ther was the Snowbourne running the length of the valley, the long stretch of woodland to its west that reached up the lower slopes. The villages were marked and more significantly the property near Upbourne whence Sandrina had been taken. This had been drawn on later.

Through the wood were traced paths; Hama guessed that it was a map devised by a forester and adapted by samuel and his henchmen for their purpose. There were some further additions at the southern end of the wood, more remote from the village and closer to the entrance to the paths of the dead. There were some extra tracks and a symbol that might well be meant to represent a building.

"It seems our friend may have been telling the truth... Mayonette, what do you think, you interrogated him I believe?"