Riders of Rohan: Fourth Muster

[lark]

Great post Dan!!

Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. My computer was down for over two weeks and then I’ve been so busy, it’s taken me another week just to get around to posting here. But summer is coming and once I’m done with home-school, I should have more time …I hope!

[lark]

Wow! This is about as slow as I’ve eve seen this place! Could this really be…*gulp* the end? I hope not!!

I have some ideas to liven up the old RP if anyone is interested…or thinks it’s worth the effort. Forgive me for being so pessimistic, but I really love this thread and it breaks my heart to see it languishing like this. I’m not trying to take it over, mind you! If anyone else wants to do something, I’m more then willing to try anything anyone wants to do to bring it back to life!

Is anyone still out there?

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

I'm still out here! Truthfully, I've actually had an idea for half of a post floating around my head for about two months now... just a combination of being writer- blocked on an interesting way to end it, and real life catching up with me (since spring and fall are the busiest times I have work-wise....ah, the joys of having 3 jobs.) So, Lark, if you have any interesting ideas that could possibly involve my character, give me a buzz on email or IM sometime.

[Gwenare]

It isn't much, but I hope it helps. I know time-line wise, it doesn't get us any further than before, but maybe this post will add a nice twist.

Later in the evening, Almiel found herself sitting up pondering all that had transpired lately. She was unable to sleep between this deep uneasiness that beset her at bedtime and then the trouble that she, her brother, and Maerwyn were bound to be in. If only their father were here, he would know what to do. She allowed a sigh to escape which alerted her brother she was indeed awake. "You know," he whispered as he came to sit beside her on the bed, "you should get some rest."

"I know, but..." he reply was enough to cause his arms to wrap around her.

"Mie, I know you're worried, but everything will be alright. You'll see." His bright blue eyes so full of life, desiring an adventure reminded her of their father. She couldn't help but smile even though she didn't feel like it. "See," he replied lifting her chin up, "just like always. Everything will be alright." He gave her a hug.

"Elmund, this isn't like always." She broke his hug turning to look him straight in the eyes. "This isn't some game. This is real and we could be hurt or worse killed. What would Poppa ...."

"He would say," interrupting her clearly knowing this irritated more than anything, "to do what we could for the King." Almiel rolled her eyes as he continued with his tirade of living for the King, serving the King, fighting for the King, and almost dying for the King. It was his deepest desire to follow in their father's footsteps, but his size prevented him from being that captain figure their father was. He had to settle for the life of a hunter which had been explained to him on more than one occasion was a noble profession. Hunters were more valuable than most believed, and their father was proud he chose to be one. Almiel knew that inwardly her twin was jealous of their brother Heruwine for he could fulfill Elmund's dreams.

Placing her hands on her hips she exclaimed, "Are you finished now?"

"Well..." he mumbled while cocking his head to the side. He laughed as he saw the horror on his sister's face and said, "Yes, I am quite finished now."

"Good, because I believe that Poppa would want us to..." He put his finger over his mouth to silence her. Almiel immediately hushed and began to listen as she watched her brother move to the door placing his ear on it. She could barely hear them, but it was clear that someone was in the hall. From the look on her brother's face, there was something amiss, terribly amiss. In the pit of her stomach, she knew they should have told someone else what was going on. What would they do now? What would happen to them and to their parents should something terrible happen to them? She couldn't suppress the shudder that escaped as her thoughts tortured her. She remained perfectly silent keeping watch over her brother until he moved motioning for her to gather what little she could in haste. They had to leave that room and quickly. "What is wrong?" she mouthed to her brother.

He whispered in her ear, "Trouble. We must leave here at once." Elmund gathered the lasts of their belongings and made his way to the window. He quickly crawled out then helped his sister. In the darkness, they left the inn not realizing the grave danger they were in.

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

Hunters were more valuable than most believed...

Not to mention that they rock.

Elrosar--

Ok, back to business...

Great post, Gwen! I hope they're not in too much trouble yet...

Lark and I are working on something. Which I'm hoping to get a chance to finish my part soon. Slacker.

[lark]

Great post Gwen! So glad to see you back again!

As Smor said, she and I are working on something together. Hoping to shake things up a bit.

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

Well, I nearly killed my computer trying to finish it , but here is Lark's and my post. She wrote the first half, I wrote the second.

Lyrria nervously twisted the cleaning rag through her fingers and tried to concentrate on what she was doing. Her duties as one of the head servants rarely took her to the kitchen at this time of the day and it had taken some maneuvering to placer herself there, but as luck would have it, it had been a long time since the pewter dishes had been polished and it was at least a believable excuse if not an enjoyable one. All she had to do now was wait for the distraction that Dunraith had promised her.

The kitchen was always a busy place just before the evening meal. The Cook was bustling about, putting the finishing touches on this dish and that, as well as tasting and advising the servants and handmaidens that were there to assist her. The pop and crackle of cooking fires mixed with pots being stirred and scraped, goblets and bottles bumping together and the constant kitchen chatter melted together into the evening music that went unnoticed by those who worked there night after night, but to Lyrria, who’s nerves were already frayed, it was like nails on a chalkboard. She felt the bottle of poison on her pocket for the hundredth time. She had come to terms with the idea of killing the King. She didn’t like being involved, but she had sat with the thought of it long enough that it no longer bothered her as it had in the beginning, but this was different. Of course Dunraith was right in his decision. She couldn’t deny that his reasoning was sound. What she didn’t understand was why she felt so disturbed at what she was about to do. Perhaps somewhere in the deep recesses of whatever was left of her soul there was still some shred of what might be called a conscience. Killing the King was one thing. In some convoluted fashion she had convinced herself that he deserved to die. But the Princes were still so young… Lyrria felt the bottle of poison in her pocket again.

A sound she had been listening for suddenly pulled her from her thoughts. The wine was being poured. That meant the meal preparations were nearly complete and there was still no sign of Dunraith or his distraction. Though part of her was angry at his incompetence, there was another part of her that was relived at the thought that she might not have the opportunity to carry out her duties. Her relief was short-lived as a very loud “thud” vibrated against the back wall of the kitchen. Those closest to it stopped their activity and turned to look, questioning each other as to what it could have been.

The cook’s daughter, who was nearest to the door, opened it and looked around the corner. “Looks like someone smashed a pumpkin!” she called back in. Just then, Lyrria caught sight of a large orange projectile arching gracefully through the air before smashing against the crossbars of the open window and sending soggy chunks of yellow guts and seeds over everything and everyone in it’s path. There were shouts of surprise and disgust. Before anyone had time to recover, another pumpkin came flying through the open door, barely missing the cook’s daughter and breaking against the floor instead.

“Who in the world is throwing pumpkins at us!!” Demanded the cook. Everyone crowded to the windows and door to see. “I can’t see anyone!” Said someone as another gourd hit the wall outside. “How are they throwing them so far?” Said someone else.

Lyrria didn’t hesitate. She knew this was Dunraith’s distraction and she didn’t have much time to do what needed to be done. As quickly and quietly as she could she crossed the kitchen, pulling the small bottle from her pocket as she did. She glanced once at the group of servants looking out the back to make sure no one was watching before dividing the poison as evenly as she could between the King’s cup and the two prince’s cups.

“That one nearly hit the Prince!” The cook yelled as another pumpkin plummeted to earth. “Where are they coming from?” Lyrria started to return to her spot but thought better of it and instead joined the others at the window taking a place at the back of the group.

Just as she did, Prince Theodred hurriedly pushed his way in past the group by the door, his pants splattered with pumpkin guts. “What on earth is going on out there!?”

“That’s what we were trying to figure out.” Maerwyn answered, handing him a dishrag to clean himself off with. “All of the sudden pumpkins just started flying at us.”

“I think they’ve stopped now.” The cook said, staring hard out the window. “Some of you young men should go see if you can find out who’s behind this prank. They nearly ruined the King’s meal!” She said angrily. Reluctantly, a couple of boys who had been helping out in the kitchen bolstered their courage and carefully stepped out the back door, but there was no longer any need to fear. The barrage had ended. As they went off to find the prankster, the rest of the kitchen staff went about cleaning up the mess and finishing the rest of the meal.

Lyrria found if difficult to keep herself from shaking after her close call. If Theodred had walked in two seconds sooner, he would have seen what she was doing, and even now his presence in the same room made her feel incredibly uneasy. He sat on a stool wiping his pants clean only a few feet away from the poisoned wine goblets. What if he should decide to drink some of his wine now, before his dinner? The poison would be discovered before the King and Elfwine drank theirs and there would be no question that it came from the wine. Lyrria bit her lip and pretended to work on the pewter. She wanted desperately to get away from the kitchen now.

The boys returned to the back door all out of breath from running. “We didn’t find who did it, but we found what he used to chuck the pumpkins so far!” One of them said. “It was a catapult! Just like the ones they use at Helm’s Deep, only smaller!”

“A catapult? Who on earth would have one of those the city?” Maerwyn wondered, looking out of the window again to see if she could spot the offender. She watched as another rather large pumpkin rose through the air, making a graceful arc before beginning its descent. Looking back down to see where they were coming from, she didn’t notice that the flying gourd was headed straight for the window until she heard someone call, “Look out!” and felt herself roughly yanked back and pushed to the side just before the pumpkin hit the bars. It still wasn’t quick enough to prevent her getting hit with some rather large chunks of the broken shell, the orange goop splattering against her face and hair and quickly getting tangled in the curls. “What were you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself hurt?” the voice continued lecturing, and she looked up to find Theodred looking down at her, his stern expression somewhere between concerned and annoyed—though the effect was somewhat diminished by the strings of pumpkin guts sliding slowly down his face. It was clear that he’d taken the brunt of the latest hit, and it bothered her. Though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why…probably because it seemed he had this perpetual need lately to try and rescue her. Whether she needed it or not.

Feeling irritated at the thought, she quickly stepped back from him, breaking the hold that he still had on her arms. “I’m fine,” she snapped. “And the window would have kept me safe.” Glaring up at him with her hands on her hips, she asked, “Why can’t you just leave me be, anyway? Why do you like to torment me so?”

Looking quite exasperated, the Prince folded his arms, his scowling face making him look very much like his father when the King was displeased about something. “The way you attract trouble, you’d probably be dead within a week if someone didn’t keep an eye on you!”

“I can take care of myself. And shouldn’t a Prince have better things to do than follow a commoner handmaiden around anyway? There’s usually only one reason that royalty pays any attention to maidens who aren’t of noble birth, and you can forget that!” Theodred looked quite angry at that accusation, and she realized belatedly that she had not only overstepped her bounds on that, she’d taken a flying leap past them. Her eyes darted around nervously, looking for some form of escape as she quickly stammered out something resembling an apology. Then she turned to run out of the kitchen, but before she could, she spotted one of her fellow handmaidens taking advantage of the distraction she'd provided; the young woman was draining the wine from Elfwine's goblet.

Maerwyn rolled her eyes; it wasn't the first time she or one of the other handmaidens had been forced to intervene in a situation like this. The poor girl had been pining away after Elfwine for the entire time Maerwyn had known her. For nothing, really--though Elena was very sweet, she just didn't have the makings of a queen, at least not one that would be good for Rohan. She was far too mild-mannered and timid, and really didn't have a lot of common sense in Maerwyn's opinion. And besides, it was common knowledge that Elfwine was more likely than not going to end up marrying the eldest daughter of the King of Gondor. Knowing already what Elena's protest would be--that it was the closest her lips could get to her beloved Prince--she headed in her direction with the intent of taking the goblet from her and refilling it. "Elena, how many times do we have to tell you--oh!" The stone floor of the kitchen was slippery from the pumpkin innards scattered all over it, and her foot went out from under her as she stepped on a pile of it, sending her sliding rather gracelessly against the table that the wine goblets were sitting on. She was vaguely aware of Theodred racing over to try and steady the tray, but managing only to snatch one goblet before the entire tray and its contents crashed to the ground. The wine splashed all over her dress, soaking it through as she landed hard, facedown against the cold stone with the wind knocked out of her.

The entire kitchen was silent for a moment as she lifted her head from the ground. Then it erupted into a frenzy of motion, a couple of the kitchen girls carefully picking their way through the debris to help her up while other servants hurried to retrieve and wash the goblets before refilling them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lyrria turning away with a look of disgust on her face, But then, that was perfectly normal for her. Theodred just watched as the servants got Maerwyn steady on her feet, trying vainly to brush off the front of her ruined dress. When she dared to glance up at him, he smirked--of course he wouldn't miss the irony of her basically just proving his point!--though his eyes were still filled with a cold anger. "To your grace, milady," he said softly, raising his goblet before taking a sip.

Maerwyn balled her hands into fists, trying desperately to calm her temper before she did something she'd really regret later. But before she could respond, she heard another clatter and looked over to see that Elena had dropped the wine goblet. Her face was red, and Maerwyn stepped over. "It's all right, Elena... if anyone should be embarrassed, it's me," she said. But Elena didn't respond, other than a few choking noises. "Elena?" she asked. The handmaiden's eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed to the ground. Theodred, Maerwyn and a few others all rushed over to her, the head cook slapping her face lightly to get her to wake up, thinking she'd fainted. When her eyes opened again, Maerwyn knew instantly that something was horribly wrong-- her mouth was opening and closing as if she was trying to speak, but instead she could only gasp for air. Then her eyes rolled back again, her body stiffening and then suddenly jerking violently. The cook tried to keep her head up so she could breathe, but the frightening convulsions continued for what seemed like a long time. The choking noises continued too, as her nose began to bleed. Her back arched one final time, then she collapsed to the ground, her lifeless tear-filled eyes looking at the ceiling, her face frozen in an expression of panic.

Once again, the kitchen was silent, all of the witnesses in shock. "She's dead," the cook finally whispered, bowing her head as she gently reached down and closed Elena's eyes.

Theodred's face was pale. "Was it the wine?" he asked. Maerwyn's head jerked up, her sudden fear mirrored in his eyes as they looked at each other.


Gotta love Punkin Chunkin.

[lark]

Awesome job Smor! Your half of the post turned out great!

Poor Theodred! He’s sure to be feeling that in the morning.

[Quimrill_Renctar]

Wow, things have really gotten underway since I've been gone! I think the last time I posted was about.... six pages ago or something

Well I'm back for the summer, about another month and a half, I don't think I'll be around long enough to add anything meaningful but I did want to stop by and say hi. I'll try and stop by more often anyway.

That and I wanted to flaunt the fact that I'm getting married this August! happiness is!

But just in case, just maybe I might want (ok so I do want, but do I have time?) to add something, anybody up for giving the prodigal a quick recap

Its good to come back and see you all still here! Hopefully before too long life will slow down just enough for me to come back here a bit more often, for now I'm running just to catch myself.

Well work beckons!

~Quill

[lark]

CONGRATULATIONS QUILL!!!! I can’t believe you're getting married! It seems like only yesterday you were dressed in drag and dismembering evil elves in Fangorn …or maybe that was your character. Well, I hope so, for you future wife’s sake.

I can’t remember if you were ever in on this RP or not. It’s been fun but it moves quite slowly. If you want to get caught up with it, it wouldn’t take you long to read it. There’s some bios on page two but the actual story starts on the top of page three. I know that seems like a lot of reading, but it really isn’t. It’s mostly been me, Smor, Dan, Gwen and J_F writing it, with a guest appearance here and there. Feel free to join if you think you’ll have time! We’re always in need of good writers and I always loved your plot twists.

[Illyria_Orthriel]

Man, it's been waaaaay too long since I've been here, wow. I don't have internet at my house so I have to go other places to get it, sadness. oh well, I'm glad to be posting again! Congrats Quill, that's so exciting! I would comment on the RP posting but I'm saving it for when I'm sitting at my house bored . I'm happy that ya'll haven't completely gone to sleep hehe and no worries lark it's not the end, I don't think you could get rid of us that easily

[Quimrill_Renctar]

Thanks Lark, I admit I'm just a wee bit excited myself!

we don't talk much about the cross-dressing incident... it tends to upset her a little and its embarrassing. I tried to explain to her it was for the good of all mankind! I don't know whether she bought it or not

I'll see about reading up. I sometimes have alot of sit around time at work between things, but no interent. So maybe I'll cue up a few pages and take my laptop. hmmmm.....

Anyway, talk to ya'll later

[lark]

Dan, I tried not to move ahead any further as I know you still have something you were going to post with your and Gwen’s characters. This is still the same day as the post that Smor and I did together.

Smor, whether or not Maerwyn gets into trouble is up to you. I figure there are plenty of kitchen staff who could account for her whereabouts during the pumpkin-chunkin.

And away we go~

Dunraith shot the last pumpkin at the kitchen of Meduseld and retreated quickly. There was a considerable distance between him and his target, but he thought he could faintly hear the commotion he had stirred up among the kitchen staff and he smiled beneath the tattered cloak that concealed his identity.

Taking a round-about path and ditching his cloak in an ally, he made his way to a small side entrance of Meduseld used only by the servants. Stepping in, the fist thing he could distinguish above the excited din was music to his ears; “The prince is dead! The prince is dead!” The cook was blubbering into her apron as she ran sobbing down the passage. Dunraith could hardly contain his delight.

He kept to the shadows listening and watching, hoping to hear something about the rest of the royal family, especially the King. There was already a great deal of activity as guards and servants went to and fro trying to figure out what was going on, but there was one in particular that Dunraith was watching for. He almost missed her, as she too was keeping a low profile, but not quite low enough to escape his notice. From his hiding place he reached out and caught her by the upper arm and jerked her back to him hard.

“Damn you, Dunraith! You don’t have to be so rough!” Lyrria hissed. She cringed inwardly at his dancing eyes. She had hoped she wouldn’t have to be the one to tell him. “You can stop smiling…he’s not dead.”

Dunraith’s eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. “What are you talking about?”

Lyrria squirmed to escape his tightening grip on her arm. “It’s not my fault! I did my part…Maerwyn knocked over the wine cups.” She pleaded.

“Maerwyn!” He growled, releasing her at last. He thought for a moment, eyes narrowed with hatred. “Why did the cook say the prince was dead?”

Rubbing her arm, Lyrria answered him, “Prince Theodred was in the kitchen when she knocked the cups over and saved his own. He drank a little before the poison was discovered. One of the stupid handmaidens drank some and killed herself.” she explained. Dunraith smirked at this. “He’s very ill, but he was still alive when I left. If he’s not dead yet, I doubt he got enough in him to kill him. Even if he did, it’s only one prince, and the younger one at that.”

“It’s a start.” Dunraith muttered, obviously thinking further ahead.

“Dunraith, I don’t like this! I nearly got caught! We can’t just keep blaming all these attempts on Dunland and getting away with it.”

Dunraith grinned and his eyes lit with a dangerous fire. “We’ll get away with it. I’ll see to that. I’m going now to catch the dastardly fiend who was tossing pumpkins at the kitchen to distract the servants. All I need from you is to reluctantly come forward and confess that you saw who put the poison in the wine. Of course Dunland is still behind it all.” He finished, turning to leave.

“Who am I supposed to blame?” She asked, feeling more then a little confused and worried about what he had in mind.

“You already told me. Maerwyn!” He said over his shoulder as he strode out of his hiding place. She cringed as she heard him calling loudly for the guards.

~*~*~*~*~

Slugwortz wiped the sweat from his forehead and stopped to admire his own workmanship. He had already had several arguments with the head foreman as well as the architect but it had gained him nothing. He had finally decided that if they wanted to use twice as many support beams as were needed, that was there problem. Progress on the new stables seemed like it was being made slowly to Sluggy, but the elves tended to move quickly on such projects, and their architecture was far superior in his opinion. The impracticality of the support beams as well as the overuse of lumber bothered him, but he had at last given up arguing with them and decided just to do his best with each project he was given.

It had been a warm day and his clothes were drenched with perspiration. Many of the other boys had taken off their shirts as they worked, but Sluggy had decided against that. For one, though well developed for an elf, he was a great deal more slender through the chest then the others and nearly bare while the other boys were quite hairy. He had already received enough ridicule from the other boys for being an outsider without giving them more fodder. On top of that, there was the problem of the tattoo. It wasn’t large, not much bigger then a walnut but it was hard to miss between his shoulder blades. He had gotten it a year ago at a particularly rebellious time in his life in order to shock his mother. (nothing shocked his father)

She was not only shocked, she was more furious then he had ever seen her. The tattoo was of two snakes intertwined. He thought snakes were cool. He didn’t know that snakes were a common theme on Dunland flags and jewelry. Lark had him cleaning out stalls for months. Riot had offered to burn it off for him, but Lark had refused until they could find someone more skilled in such things. Her exact words, as Sluggy remembered them were, “someone with reason enough to know what the heck they’re doing from one moment to the next!” Sluggy smiled at the memory, but kept his shirt on.

It was nearly quitting time when he heard voices at the big arch that would be the main entrance to the stable when they were done. He looked up to see several guards, one of which he recognized as Haleth, along with a large man he had met that morning. He watched curiously as they talked to the foreman briefly then headed his way.

“That’s him! I’m sure of it!” Said the big man, pointing at him.

“You’re absolutely sure?” Haleth asked skeptically.

“Positive!”

Haleth turned to Sluggy who stood frozen in his place. “I’m afraid you need to come with us, Beorn.”

Just outside stood the catapult Sluggy had built in his spare time. A knot was forming in his stomach. “Did you build this?” Haleth asked calmly.

“I seen him working on it!” Called out one of the stable hands. An ill tempered boy who had disliked him from the start. Haleth stared him down and turned back to Sluggy. “Beorn, did you build this?”

“Yes, but I sold it to that man this morning.” He said pointing to the large man who was accusing him.

“Dunraith?” Haleth said. The light suddenly went on in Sluggy’s brain. That was the man that Maerwyn and Elmund thought had tried to kill the King! Why hadn’t he asked him his name when he sold him the catapult? He suddenly realized how much trouble he was in.

Dunraith smirked. “Oh yes, of course. He sold it to me!” He said sarcastically. “Are you sure you didn’t sell it to him?” He said pointing to one of the other guards. “I’m telling you, yesterday I saw him talking to a dark man that looked like a Dunlander and today I saw him chucking pumpkins at Meduseld. I only wish I had known what was really going on. I would have stopped him before the wine could have been poisoned!”

“Poisoned!?” Sluggy repeated. He could feel the color draining from his face.

“You’ll have to come with us, Beorn. Until we can get this all straightened out.” Haleth said. He was trying to sound reassuring but Sluggy knew how bad this looked. He allowed them to bind his hands without resisting them. He looked at Dunraith again and for a split second saw him smiling in the evening light. He thought about asking someone to tell Riot what was happening, but thought better of it. One of her drunken jail breaks could only make things worse.

The light was growing dim as they neared Meduseld. Dunraith was feeling very pleased with the way things were going but they were about to get even better for him. A man with a dark complexion stepped into view as he went on his way. The truth was he had come to Edoras do some business, but with all the rumors about Dunland going around, had decided to leave the city after dark to avoid trouble, but trouble had found him.

“That’s him!” Dunraith shouted, seizing the opportunity as soon as he saw the man. “The Dunlander I saw him talking to! He must be behind it all!”

“I’ve never seen that man before in my life.” Slugwortz pleaded.

Dunraith tore after the man before anyone else could react. He kept shouting out things like “Halt in the name of the King!” and, “Drop your weapon and no harm will come to you!” but all the while he was attacking the man viciously, never giving him a chance to do anything but struggle to defend himself. In the failing light it was difficult for the others to see what was happening. By the time they caught up to them, it was all over.

Dunraith was wiping the blood from his face and sword. “I’m sorry sir.” He said to the marshal in charge. “I know you would have liked to take him in for questioning, but he left me little choice.” He said, gesturing to the drawn weapon laying limply in the man’s hand. “But there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the one I’ve seen skulking around here and talking to that boy.”

“You did your best.” The marshal said, clapping him on the back. “Good work!”

Sluggwotz’s heart sank. He looked at Haleth who returned his look of concern.

Hope someone visits Sluggy in jail!

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

Heehee...nice. And you'd think Sluggy would have done a little research before deciding to get a tattoo of one of his mother's countries' worst enemies. (Though I thought snakes were the Haradrim? Not that Lark would like those either!)

I'll start thinking up a reply for Maerwyn--can't write it yet, as I've been having some massive computer issues over the last couple of weeks...I can get on to check internet and stuff, but I don't have my own computer atm so I don't have anywhere to save while writing.

And congrats, Quill!

[lark]

(Though I thought snakes were the Haradrim? Not that Lark would like those either!)

Hmm…I think you might be right. I knew it was one of them. Maybe Lark just really wanted the stalls cleaned. Didn’t Aragorn have snakes on his ring too? I think I could use this in a post:
****
Dunraith, upon discovering Sluggy’s tattoo: “See!? I told you he’s working for Dunland!”

Haleth: “Wait…I thought snakes were the Haradrim?”

Other guard: “No, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen snakes on a Dunland flag.”

Sluggy: “Gulp!”

Haleth: “Didn’t Aragorn have some sort of ring with two intertwined snakes on it like that? Maybe He’s just a big fan of the Dunedain?”

Sluggy: “I liked it better when you thought I was a Dunlander!”
*****

Wow! This thing writes itself! Thanks Smor! Hope your computer feels better soon!! I know you’re busy this time of year so if you want to work on a post together again, just let me know.

[Illyria_Orthriel]

lark, would it be terrible of me to say that I hope that dialogue ends up in the RP? cause I think it would be pretty freaking amazing! yeah I'm crazy, and i know it

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

I'll second that, actually.

And the mostly-new and (hopefully) improved computer is now up and running.... just re-installing all my programs and such.

(Lark-- this is actually my less-busy time of year, for the most part! But I'm always up for co-writing if you have any brilliant ideas. )

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

Ok, so my internet died on Tuesday night. But we got a new router and it's back now. So since I didn't have anything like email or that *coughLotROcough* to distract me (I couldn't even load music into iTunes because it couldn't find the track listings!), I actually got a post written. Be afraid.

Maerwyn paced anxiously outside of the door to Theodred’s room, biting her lip and occasionally running her hand through her hair as well as she could—her fingers tangled in the mass of strawberry-blonde curls and she was getting a massive knot in her hair as a result, but at the moment she didn’t care. Both the King and Queen were in there with their son, along with the head healer and his apprentice, but she’d been asked to remain outside. So all she could do was wait and hope that he would be all right. And that she wouldn’t get sick herself from worry.

The poison that had killed the handmaiden must have been a highly potent one. Theodred claimed he’d had no more than a sip of the wine, but in the little amount of time it had taken her to get him down the hall to Meduseld’s healing ward, he was already short of breath and leaning heavily on her for support. When the healer had decided it would be best to bring the ailing Prince to his own room, where he could be guarded more easily should the culprit decide to attempt to finish the job, Theodred had been nearly unconscious. Maerwyn wasn’t sure if it was the poison itself, or the violent illness that had been brought on by the potion that the healer had given him to empty his stomach, hopefully before the poison could take full effect. Maerwyn had stayed with him until they’d reached his room. She couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible; Theodred likely wouldn’t have taken the wine if she hadn’t provoked him. Or been so clumsy. Or perhaps if she’d been more watchful, poor Elena would still be alive. But then, would the poisoned wine have reached the King’s entire family? She sank to the ground, propping her elbows on her knees, ignoring the fact that her skirt still heavily splattered with drying bits of pumpkin, and dropping her head into her hands. Her head was starting to hurt.

She looked up again when she heard the door opening, and Lothiriel stepped out, closing the door softly behind her. Maerwyn scrambled to her feet, forgetting all formality as she blurted out, “How is he?”

“He’s sleeping now,” the Queen answered, careful to keep her voice low. “Thankfully, the dose was small.” She smiled a bit wearily and added, “Alstan said that your quick thinking in taking Theodred to him so quickly spared him a longer recovery, if not saved his life. It seems that my family is indebted to yours once again, Maerwyn.”

The young handmaiden blushed and ducked her head. “Anyone else would have done the same, milady.”

Lothiriel’s expression darkened. “Not anyone. Certainly not whoever poisoned the wine.”

“But he is going to be all right, isn’t he?” Maerwyn asked anxiously.

Lothiriel relaxed, smiling at her again. “Oh, yes, he should be well again within a day or so. Shall I inform you when he’s awake again?”

Was it her imagination, or was that a slightly mischievous sparkle in the Queen’s eye? But before Maerwyn could respond, two of the younger guards approached, looking somewhat nervous. “Pardon me, milady, but we need to bring her in for questioning.”

It took Maerwyn a moment to realize that the gesture was at her. She was a bit surprised, but figured that they simply wanted to ask her what she had witnessed. So she nodded and took a step towards them. She wasn’t prepared at all for what happened next—one of the guards pinned her hands behind her while the other bound her wrists together behind her back with a rope. “What are you doing?” she gasped.

“Hold! What is the meaning of this?” Lothiriel asked indignantly. “You can’t possibly think that Maerwyn is responsible for this—why, she likely just saved the Prince’s life!”

“I’m sorry, milady, but we found the empty poison vial in the pocket of the apron that Maerwyn had been using,” the first guard answered apologetically.

“And one of the kitchen staff came forward and said that she witnessed Maerwyn putting the poison in the wine,” the second one chimed in.

Maerwyn’s jaw dropped open. It was true that she had left an apron in the kitchen—she’d been helping to prepare the evening meal. It wasn’t specifically one of her duties, but it was something she’d enjoyed doing when she had the time, since she had several friends among the younger members of the kitchen staff. “But….but I didn’t do it!” she blurted out, unable to come up with a better response at the moment.

“Of course she didn’t do it!” Lothiriel was beginning to look angry. “You dare to stand here before me and accuse one of my handmaidens of trying to kill my family? Including myself, for that matter? Who told you she was guilty?”

“It was Lyrria,” the first guard said.

“Lyrria?!” Maerwyn cried out. “Of course! She knows I’m on to her, and she just wants me out of the way so…” Her voice trailed off as she suddenly realized how wild and paranoid her accusations must sound, and she looked helplessly over at Lothiriel.

“I know that Lyrria has been a faithful servant to this household long before I came here,” Lothiriel stated, far more calmly than before. “But I have no reason to believe that Maerwyn is responsible for my son’s condition. Let her go.”

“I’m sorry, milady, but we have to establish some proof of her innocence before we can do so,” the second guard answered. “We can’t take any chances when the King’s life, or that of his heir, might be at stake.”

Lothiriel’s eyes narrowed. “You can be sure that Eomer will hear about this. And when you find Haleth, send him up here immediately."

The two guards mumbled in the affirmative, then began to lead Maerwyn away. She could hear snatches of their conversation—it was obvious that they were both reluctant to be the ones to do this, with her being the niece of one of the head guards, but neither could they lay the matter aside without looking into it further. For Maerwyn’s part, she was in such a state of shock that she couldn’t react beyond a numb obedience as they led her down to the dungeon and put her into one of the cells, locking the door behind them once they'd unbound her hands. As she heard their footfalls heading back up the stairs, she looked around at the thick stone walls and heavy iron bars, and promptly sank to the floor in a daze. She would get out soon, she told herself. After all, she was innocent. Surely her uncle would be able to get her out of here soon....right?

[Illyria_Orthriel]

Oooh good post! poor Maerwyn, saving people's lives and sent to the dungeon for her troubles. sad sad. keep it up ya'll!

[lark]

lark, would it be terrible of me to say that I hope that dialogue ends up in the RP? cause I think it would be pretty freaking amazing!

I could do that!

Awesome post Smor!! Poor Maerwyn! Maybe her and Sluggy will be within shouting distance of each other and be able to keep each other company.

Dan, I’ll wait until you’ve had a chance to post before I really start pestering J_F to post IC again.

[Illyria_Orthriel]

Poor Maerwyn! Maybe her and Sluggy will be within shouting distance of each other and be able to keep each other company.

Hahaha that's great lark

[lark]

Hello fellow riders!! I’m back from my trip to the big city. It was pretty exciting for a farm girl like me. If any of my pics turn out well, I’ll get a PM and show them off.

Still no IC posts? Who’s turn is it? J_F hasn’t posted in a while but I guess Dan should post to get his character and Gwen’s caught up with the rest of us. Everyone help me pester Dan now!
Daaaaannn
Daaaaannn
Daaaaannn…

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

Hello fellow riders!! I’m back from my trip to the big city. It was pretty exciting for a farm girl like me. If any of my pics turn out well, I’ll get a PM and show them off.

Still no IC posts? Who’s turn is it? J_F hasn’t posted in a while but I guess Dan should post to get his character and Gwen’s caught up with the rest of us. Everyone help me pester Dan now!
Daaaaannn
Daaaaannn
Daaaaannn…

Ooooh, I can help!

*takes big stick*

*starts poking Dan*

Did you post yet? Did you post yet? Did you...

Glad you had a fun trip, Lark!!

[Elladan_Elfhelm]

Alright, alright, I'll post. Some day.......

Seriously though I'll get a post up as soon as I can. I've had brain lock over here, but I think I have a way to do some stuff soon.

[Illyria_Orthriel]

ya'll crack me up

[Johnny_Flett]

J_F stumbles in and collapses on the floor. When it becomes apparent that nobody is paying him the least bit of attention, he gets up, brushes himself off, and gets his mingle on.

"Oh hi. Illyria, isn't it? *whistles* Those are some nice looking shields. Seriously, you better cover those bewdies up (stage whispers) THERE ARE A LOT OF PRUDES IN HERE.

You should really join the RP, Illyria. You seem to have a knack for actually posting, and frankly we're all getting tired of ...

SMOR! I didn't see you over there! It's been a long time! I haven't seen you since we all got lost on our way to Smordor, and ended up in the Smines of Smoria...

And there's good ol' Elfadan! Where would we be without our fearless, peerless leader? Besides a lot further along in the story, I mean...

Well, well, well. I can see that I have arrived just in the nick of time, to save you all again from..."

J_F disappeared,having accidentally stepped into one of those unexpected valleys, narrow with steep sides, that opened suddenly at his feet. They all ran over and looked down, and were surprised to see trees below them. A loud crashing and a cursing was heard, and a distant splash told them that there was running water at the bottom.

[lark]

"Oh hi. Illyria, isn't it? *whistles* Those are some nice looking shields. Seriously, you better cover those bewdies up (stage whispers) THERE ARE A LOT OF PRUDES IN HERE.

I think that was J_F’s way of saying congratulations on reaching 200 posts. Isn’t he charming? He was right about one thing though; you really should join the RP. You’re here as much as anyone, (more then some) you have a good sense of humor and we could certainly use the writers! Think about it!

Still waiting for that post, Danny-boy!
*poke*
*poke*
*poke*

[Elladan_Elfhelm]

The wait is over, as your fearless and pearless leader has posted!!!

Elmund and Almiel disappeared into the darkness behind the inn. “Where are we going?” Almiel asked as her brother steered her through the darkness.

“I don’t know,” Elmund admitted. “We could find another inn I suppose, but I’m not sure that would be safe.”

“Who were those people?” Almiel questioned as they ducked into some stables near the city walls to gather their thoughts and to decide what to do.

“I don’t know who they were, but I heard two voices,” Elmund said. “I heard them mention the king, but what startled me was that they mentioned finding the two young whelps that were new to town.”

“And you believe they were speaking of us?” Almiel peered out into the darkness to see if anyone had followed them.

“Who else could they be speaking of,” Elmund replied, though the word ‘whelp’ irritated him to no end. “Why they were looking for us I do not know, but I aim to find out.”

“We can’t go back to the inn now,” Almiel whispered as she listened intently for any sounds outside the stables. “They’ll be sure to be waiting for us.”

“No, but we’ll see the innkeeper in the morning and tell him what happened,” Elmund replied. “My only fear is that he could have been one of the ones I heard talking.”

“What if he is? What will we do then?”

“We’ll turn him in…”

“To who Elmund?” Almiel questioned. “Who can we really trust right now?”

“Haleth,” Elmund said at last. “We can trust him I’m sure of that.”

Almiel nodded her head in agreement to Elmund’s mention of Haleth, Maerwynn’s uncle, but still the events of the last days were greatly upsetting to her. A part of her wished that they had just bypassed Edoras and continued on their journey home. Her mother would probably need her right now, or least could use her Almiel told herself. She hoped that her mother was well, and that she would see her soon, but with her and Elmund being caught up into this here in Edoras Almiel’s worry grew stronger each day.

“We should find a place to stay the night, but not near the Bouncing Boar,” Elmund said. “There is an inn near the Roasted Sow, which isn’t far from here.”

“What is the name of it?” Almiel asked.

“The Wandering Wench I believe is the name,” Elmund replied, as he picked up his satchel of belongings.

“I think I’d rather stay here,” Almiel said, and she was about to say more but Elmund interrupted her as his wont was to do.

“The horses!” Elmund exclaimed. “They are still in the stables at the Bouncing Boar. We’ll have to get them.”

“We should wait till morning,” Almiel had no desire to go near the Bouncing Boar again tonight.

“But they may be gone by in the morning,” Elmund’s frustration was clearly evident in his voice, and Almiel knew that there would be no changing his mind. “Alright, we’ll get the horses, but they’ll be looking for us I’m sure of it.”

“Most likely so,” Elmund said, as he placed his hand on his sword hilt. “But we will be ready for them too.”

They were about to leave the stables when they heard voices in the alley behind them. “Where do you think they went?” “I don’t know, but they couldn’t have gotten far. That fat innkeeper was supposed to make sure they didn’t get away.” “Let’s just find two others and forget about them.” “No, those two are not from Edoras, so they won’t be missed like any one else here in the city.”

Elmund and Almiel exchanged a worried glance at each, and Elmund readied his sword and Almiel her weapon as well. The two men came to the door of the darkened stables, and one of them held up a dim lantern which cast a faint glow through the front door. Elmund and Almiel were hiding amongst two large piles of straw and hay, and the two men could not see them where they were. The tension mounted as the voices continued.

“They could be in here.” “Well, if they are they’ve surely heard us coming. Go check the stalls and I’ll watch the doorway.” “No, you go check the stalls and I’ll watch the doorway.” The voices continued to argue, and the twins took the opportunity to glance from their hiding spot and view the two men in the faint light of the lantern. They had what could be considered Dunlandish looks to them, and both were weathered and beaten faced with darker hair. Both of the twins would remember them if they saw them again.

While the two men continued arguing amongst themselves the twins crept silently to the other end of the stables and thankfully the rear door was ajar. They ducked outside quickly and dashed away. They made their way back to the Bouncing Boar’s stables, and after watching the place for some time Elmund ducked inside and retrieved their horses. The twins let out a sigh of relief as they led their horses away from the Bouncing Boar and to the Wandering Wench. By this time dawn was almost upon them, so they waited until the tavern part of the inn opened. As they sat at a table eating breakfast they discussed among themselves their next course of action, and both of them agreed that the Golden Hall would be were they had to go.


Now, STOP POKING ME!!



JF, thanks for the laughs there dude!

[shieldmaidenofrohan]

The wait is over, as your fearless and pearless leader has posted!!!

Pearless? What does fruit have to do with it?

Now, STOP POKING ME!!

Awww, but poking you is fun!

Oh, fine then. Be that way. *puts poking stick away...but not far away*

Ok, seriously, good post. So who's up next? Lark? Or maybe Illyria?

[lark]

Awww, but poking you is fun!

Perhaps we should start poking Illyria.

J_F and I had kind of an idea for what would essentially be the beginning of the end for this RP but there’s a few problems with it. I thought I’d bounce it off you all and see what you think and if any of you (if you like it) can come up with a way to make it work.

J_F suggested to me that Eomer should declare war on Dunland because of the close call they had with Theodred being poisoned along with all the other attempts. This would be great news for Dunraith since Kings get killed in battle all the time and by volunteering for service, he could place himself right on the front line with the King giving him all sorts of opportunity to kack him. Of course Elmund and Slugwortz (provided he gets out of jail in time) would end up in the same eord to make things uncomfortable for him.

The problem then is keeping the girls in the story. It’s possible that Dunraith would want to keep Lyrria close to him since she has the letters that prove he is Theoden’s son and isn’t willing to give them to him until she knows she can get what she wants, but I’m not sure about Maerwyn and Almiel. I know we’ve dressed up women as soldiers before and it’s possible that they would want to stay close to their brother and cousin, but I didn’t know if you all feel like that plots been done to death. The only other option I can think of is to keep all three girls back in Rohan together, but I’m not sure how interesting that would be.

Anyway, it’s just a suggestion. If it doesn’t work, it’s no big deal. Just let me know what you think.