Post by The Pilot on Sept 14, 2007 12:35:38 GMT -5
Dawn came pretty quickly.
Lauren’s hair fluttered in tangling knots behind her (she’d never get used to it at such a length) as the horses picked up speed.
“I forgot to tell you!” Narthas shouted. “That river back there was the border between Gondor and Rohan!”
The girl glanced behind her for a brief moment then nodded dramatically. She didn’t quite feel like shouting this early in the morning.
They rode on for several hours, with a short pit stop for Narthas about two or three hours in. They took another food break at high noon, quick and anxious, before continuing on again. At maybe one o’clock they hit the main road. It was a broad dirt path loosely lined with stones and grasses. Lauren looked down and saw footprints and hoof prints in the dust, a telltale sign of considerable traffic. To her dismay, she realized that they were fated to run into at least one person while on the road. Out of nowhere, Narthas’ arm shot out and pointed away south toward the mountains on their right. “The Minrimmon beacon,” he announced. “About four or five thousand feet up. We’re almost halfway there!”
“Airlock!” the ranger called, looking up at the giant bird gliding above their heads.
The bird glanced down at her and blinked in that twitchy avian way, but a distinctly sentient voice replied. “Your command, ma’am?”
Lauren’s brain shorted for a moment as she processed being referred to in military terms, but she gained her bearings quickly enough. “Gain altitude!” she shouted. “I don’t want rumors spreading about giant eagles being seen in Middle-earth again!”
“Got it!” he confirmed before beating his great wings. Sure enough, he began to get smaller.
“You two!” She addressed Gasket and Hound. “Stick closer to me.”
“Airlock says there’s a caravan up the road about a mile,” Hound said as he ran alongside Miril.
“How do you know?”
“Radio communications!”
“Haha, whoever built you guys didn’t leave out anything! Lucky bastards.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Narthas smile and roll his eyes. “How did I know you’d settle into the leader’s role without much trouble?”
Lauren turned to her friend and grinned. “Cause I’m just like you, but with more points in charisma!”
“I was going to think up a witty comeback, but then I realized that you’re right!” The elf shrugged.
It was a few minutes later when Lauren first saw the dark dots of the caravan up ahead. She squinted and saw several shapes: four men on horseback followed by what seemed to be a line of pack mules and a pair of other larger animals… maybe oxen?
“Merchants,” Narthas said, confirming her suspicions. Of course. Now that the war was over, the road between Rohan and Gondor was a busy one, making up for all the lost years of trade. Economies were booming, and people were happy once again. Lauren hoped it would remain that way. “I think the worst that will happen,” the elf mused. “Is that we’ll get some strange looks.”
“What about rumors?”
“Bah.” He waved dismissively with his hand and knitted his brows together. “Rumors spread about everything. The only thing we have to worry about right now is the truth leaking.” Lauren nodded in agreement. “Oh! Here they come.”
The group was not moving nearly as fast as they were, and had probably been on the road for a few days already. As they drew nearer, the girl counted eight pack mules and three oxen, but then her worst fear came true.
“Hail! Hail, my lord and lady!”
The first and foremost man in the group slowed his company to a halt, and waved his hand at the two strange passerby. Gasket and Hound hung close to Lauren, and she could tell they were terrified of the situation. She saw a distant blue glow of robotic optical systems deep inside the amber eyes of the cougar next to her, and they were screaming “what the hell do we do?”
“Lie low,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “And act like animals.” She glanced upward, pleased to see Airlock circling above them.
Narthas looked at her sidelong for a split second before stepping out in front of the girl and her strange animals.
“Of what service may I be, stranger?” The elf said, self-consciously touching the hair covering his ears before grasping the reigns once again.
The group of men grew silent, their eyes upon Lauren and the giant bear and cougar at her side. Whispers rose among them, but the elf cleared his throat, commanding their attention.
“We… we wish to know the health of the Mering? Or does it, too, run dry from this heat?”
“The river runs low, traveler, but there is still water to be drunk from it.” She saw their eyes wandering again, and she assumed that Narthas did too. “But who might you be, and from whence did your company come?”
“Ah, my apologies, lord. I am Gethron, son of Guilin of Minas Tirith, and these are my men: Tilion, Aravir, and Fastred.”
“Well met, friend. I am Narthas son of Neldored of Dol Amroth, and this is my niece, Fealai.”
Lauren smiled to them but kept her mouth shut.
“May I be so bold as to ask why you have wild beasts such as those in your company?” Aravir spoke up, pointing at the two Autobots. Upon being made the center of the conversation, the two of them shrank back a little, but after an awkward pause, Gasked managed to behave a little more like a bear and let out a loud snort. “They follow you like servants and yet are not bound to you by any means that my eyes can see.”
“I have been charged with their keeping for many years now,” she said, her voice wavering the slightest bit at being put on the spot. “Tame as lapdogs, they are.”
“Never have I seen such beasts so large,” Lauren caught Tilion murmuring to Fastred.
“Aye,” was the hushed reply.
Narthas broke in, not wanting to linger with strange company for too long. “We must be on our way, men. Now if you will leave us to our business in peace, we will leave you to yours.”
Gethron shot a suspicious look at the elf (Lauren wasn’t sure if they knew he was such) and rubbed the stubble on his face pensively. What had started out as a benign encounter was becoming noticeably uncomfortable.
“Aye,” he said at length, and then nodded. After another moment, he cleared his throat and recomposed himself, sitting high in his saddle. “Good day to you both then! We will be on our way; it is a long ride to Edoras.”
Narthas smiled carefully. “It is indeed,” he agreed, then added: “Friend.”
“Farewell son of Neldored!” Gethron said, before ushering the rest of his company into movement. The caravan passed them before long, and when they were a good enough distance away, everyone switched codes and breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m afraid that’s only the beginning of the shit we’ll have to put up with,” the elf stated flatly.
Gasket groaned. “I was so nervous that I almost fried my processor.”
“I hate when that happens.” The cougar turned to the bear. “I’m afraid there won’t be a mechanic to help you start up again if it happens, though. If you feel yourself starting to overheat, just keep breathing. The air circulation cools your system down.”
The bear nodded. “How much farther, Narthas?”
“Another fifty, sixty miles until we hit Druadan forest. Up until then, you two still have to play big and dumb because we’ll be out in the open.”
The Autobot nodded distastefully, but Lauren was busy thinking. “Wait.”
“Hm?”
“Gethron said they were heading to the river we stopped at, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you guys do with the Sith’s body?” The girl went pale from recalling the memory but also fear of the consequences should Xar’s master be found.
“Don’t worry.” The elf’s voice was distant, but reassuring. “We buried him in a good, deep grave.” Lauren nodded. “Speaking of, I’d like to check on that wound of yours while we’re stopped.”
“Yes!” she cheered. “Hound, you can call Airlock down if you want.”
“Sure thing.”
Narthas dismounted his horse and gestured for the girl to do the same. She did, and they settled themselves on the side of the road, pulling the animals in a crude circle around them. A moment later and a giant eagle joined their numbers.
“Alright, just take a seat there…”
Lauren sat herself down on a rock and Narthas knelt down in front of her, assessing the situation of the bandage around her stomach. Faint red stains peered through the linen, betraying the real situation hidden underneath.
Narthas reached to her side carefully, and grabbed the end of the bandage that was tucked tightly behind another band. After what seemed like an eternity of unraveling the thing, the front of her tunic was exposed, in all it’s dark, bloodstained glory. Perhaps she really didn’t want to see the open gory mess that was her stomach.
Seemingly have read her mind, the elf made a quick suggestion. “You can look away if you want…”
Lauren was a Capricorn, which meant she was headstrong and stubborn as hell. “Don’t worry, I’m a big kid.”
Her ‘uncle’ sighed and shook his head, murmuring “If I had a copper bit every time I’ve heard that…”
Before she was able to compose herself however, the tunic was flung up to reveal her midsection…
…or at least what was left of it.
When Lauren’s stomach lurched with nausea, she saw it move. Or at least she thought that huge red gooey organ near the top was her stomach. Her face grew hot and the rest of her grew cold and yes, she looked away. “Am I allowed to recall what I said? Cause I’m getting a really awful taste in my mouth right about now.”
“I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” It was even more disturbing that she felt the breath in his reply in that gored, burned cavity. The girl wanted to vomit.
“You alright Lauren?” Gasket said, lumbering closer. “You don’t look so good.”
“I, uh. I… gross.” Gravity suddenly seemed to grow really strong, and Lauren had no choice but to give into it. The last thing she felt was her head hitting the ground before fainting again.
Lauren’s hair fluttered in tangling knots behind her (she’d never get used to it at such a length) as the horses picked up speed.
“I forgot to tell you!” Narthas shouted. “That river back there was the border between Gondor and Rohan!”
The girl glanced behind her for a brief moment then nodded dramatically. She didn’t quite feel like shouting this early in the morning.
They rode on for several hours, with a short pit stop for Narthas about two or three hours in. They took another food break at high noon, quick and anxious, before continuing on again. At maybe one o’clock they hit the main road. It was a broad dirt path loosely lined with stones and grasses. Lauren looked down and saw footprints and hoof prints in the dust, a telltale sign of considerable traffic. To her dismay, she realized that they were fated to run into at least one person while on the road. Out of nowhere, Narthas’ arm shot out and pointed away south toward the mountains on their right. “The Minrimmon beacon,” he announced. “About four or five thousand feet up. We’re almost halfway there!”
“Airlock!” the ranger called, looking up at the giant bird gliding above their heads.
The bird glanced down at her and blinked in that twitchy avian way, but a distinctly sentient voice replied. “Your command, ma’am?”
Lauren’s brain shorted for a moment as she processed being referred to in military terms, but she gained her bearings quickly enough. “Gain altitude!” she shouted. “I don’t want rumors spreading about giant eagles being seen in Middle-earth again!”
“Got it!” he confirmed before beating his great wings. Sure enough, he began to get smaller.
“You two!” She addressed Gasket and Hound. “Stick closer to me.”
“Airlock says there’s a caravan up the road about a mile,” Hound said as he ran alongside Miril.
“How do you know?”
“Radio communications!”
“Haha, whoever built you guys didn’t leave out anything! Lucky bastards.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Narthas smile and roll his eyes. “How did I know you’d settle into the leader’s role without much trouble?”
Lauren turned to her friend and grinned. “Cause I’m just like you, but with more points in charisma!”
“I was going to think up a witty comeback, but then I realized that you’re right!” The elf shrugged.
It was a few minutes later when Lauren first saw the dark dots of the caravan up ahead. She squinted and saw several shapes: four men on horseback followed by what seemed to be a line of pack mules and a pair of other larger animals… maybe oxen?
“Merchants,” Narthas said, confirming her suspicions. Of course. Now that the war was over, the road between Rohan and Gondor was a busy one, making up for all the lost years of trade. Economies were booming, and people were happy once again. Lauren hoped it would remain that way. “I think the worst that will happen,” the elf mused. “Is that we’ll get some strange looks.”
“What about rumors?”
“Bah.” He waved dismissively with his hand and knitted his brows together. “Rumors spread about everything. The only thing we have to worry about right now is the truth leaking.” Lauren nodded in agreement. “Oh! Here they come.”
The group was not moving nearly as fast as they were, and had probably been on the road for a few days already. As they drew nearer, the girl counted eight pack mules and three oxen, but then her worst fear came true.
“Hail! Hail, my lord and lady!”
The first and foremost man in the group slowed his company to a halt, and waved his hand at the two strange passerby. Gasket and Hound hung close to Lauren, and she could tell they were terrified of the situation. She saw a distant blue glow of robotic optical systems deep inside the amber eyes of the cougar next to her, and they were screaming “what the hell do we do?”
“Lie low,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “And act like animals.” She glanced upward, pleased to see Airlock circling above them.
Narthas looked at her sidelong for a split second before stepping out in front of the girl and her strange animals.
“Of what service may I be, stranger?” The elf said, self-consciously touching the hair covering his ears before grasping the reigns once again.
The group of men grew silent, their eyes upon Lauren and the giant bear and cougar at her side. Whispers rose among them, but the elf cleared his throat, commanding their attention.
“We… we wish to know the health of the Mering? Or does it, too, run dry from this heat?”
“The river runs low, traveler, but there is still water to be drunk from it.” She saw their eyes wandering again, and she assumed that Narthas did too. “But who might you be, and from whence did your company come?”
“Ah, my apologies, lord. I am Gethron, son of Guilin of Minas Tirith, and these are my men: Tilion, Aravir, and Fastred.”
“Well met, friend. I am Narthas son of Neldored of Dol Amroth, and this is my niece, Fealai.”
Lauren smiled to them but kept her mouth shut.
“May I be so bold as to ask why you have wild beasts such as those in your company?” Aravir spoke up, pointing at the two Autobots. Upon being made the center of the conversation, the two of them shrank back a little, but after an awkward pause, Gasked managed to behave a little more like a bear and let out a loud snort. “They follow you like servants and yet are not bound to you by any means that my eyes can see.”
“I have been charged with their keeping for many years now,” she said, her voice wavering the slightest bit at being put on the spot. “Tame as lapdogs, they are.”
“Never have I seen such beasts so large,” Lauren caught Tilion murmuring to Fastred.
“Aye,” was the hushed reply.
Narthas broke in, not wanting to linger with strange company for too long. “We must be on our way, men. Now if you will leave us to our business in peace, we will leave you to yours.”
Gethron shot a suspicious look at the elf (Lauren wasn’t sure if they knew he was such) and rubbed the stubble on his face pensively. What had started out as a benign encounter was becoming noticeably uncomfortable.
“Aye,” he said at length, and then nodded. After another moment, he cleared his throat and recomposed himself, sitting high in his saddle. “Good day to you both then! We will be on our way; it is a long ride to Edoras.”
Narthas smiled carefully. “It is indeed,” he agreed, then added: “Friend.”
“Farewell son of Neldored!” Gethron said, before ushering the rest of his company into movement. The caravan passed them before long, and when they were a good enough distance away, everyone switched codes and breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m afraid that’s only the beginning of the shit we’ll have to put up with,” the elf stated flatly.
Gasket groaned. “I was so nervous that I almost fried my processor.”
“I hate when that happens.” The cougar turned to the bear. “I’m afraid there won’t be a mechanic to help you start up again if it happens, though. If you feel yourself starting to overheat, just keep breathing. The air circulation cools your system down.”
The bear nodded. “How much farther, Narthas?”
“Another fifty, sixty miles until we hit Druadan forest. Up until then, you two still have to play big and dumb because we’ll be out in the open.”
The Autobot nodded distastefully, but Lauren was busy thinking. “Wait.”
“Hm?”
“Gethron said they were heading to the river we stopped at, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you guys do with the Sith’s body?” The girl went pale from recalling the memory but also fear of the consequences should Xar’s master be found.
“Don’t worry.” The elf’s voice was distant, but reassuring. “We buried him in a good, deep grave.” Lauren nodded. “Speaking of, I’d like to check on that wound of yours while we’re stopped.”
“Yes!” she cheered. “Hound, you can call Airlock down if you want.”
“Sure thing.”
Narthas dismounted his horse and gestured for the girl to do the same. She did, and they settled themselves on the side of the road, pulling the animals in a crude circle around them. A moment later and a giant eagle joined their numbers.
“Alright, just take a seat there…”
Lauren sat herself down on a rock and Narthas knelt down in front of her, assessing the situation of the bandage around her stomach. Faint red stains peered through the linen, betraying the real situation hidden underneath.
Narthas reached to her side carefully, and grabbed the end of the bandage that was tucked tightly behind another band. After what seemed like an eternity of unraveling the thing, the front of her tunic was exposed, in all it’s dark, bloodstained glory. Perhaps she really didn’t want to see the open gory mess that was her stomach.
Seemingly have read her mind, the elf made a quick suggestion. “You can look away if you want…”
Lauren was a Capricorn, which meant she was headstrong and stubborn as hell. “Don’t worry, I’m a big kid.”
Her ‘uncle’ sighed and shook his head, murmuring “If I had a copper bit every time I’ve heard that…”
Before she was able to compose herself however, the tunic was flung up to reveal her midsection…
…or at least what was left of it.
When Lauren’s stomach lurched with nausea, she saw it move. Or at least she thought that huge red gooey organ near the top was her stomach. Her face grew hot and the rest of her grew cold and yes, she looked away. “Am I allowed to recall what I said? Cause I’m getting a really awful taste in my mouth right about now.”
“I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” It was even more disturbing that she felt the breath in his reply in that gored, burned cavity. The girl wanted to vomit.
“You alright Lauren?” Gasket said, lumbering closer. “You don’t look so good.”
“I, uh. I… gross.” Gravity suddenly seemed to grow really strong, and Lauren had no choice but to give into it. The last thing she felt was her head hitting the ground before fainting again.
