Elendor
Skirmish at the caves
A group of dwarves and the Elf King investigate a set of caves near the abandoned Beorning outpost and find more than they bargained for.
Sort Date: no date set
Location: Dark Cave
Game Date: Day 28 of August 3046
IC Time: Early morning
Description: ** Real time is: Sat Apr 11 17:54:46 2009, GMT -8 **
Elendor time is: Late Morning (1100) on Monday, Day 28 of August 3046.
In the Summer sky, Tonight the moon will be waxing gibbous.
Dark Cave
This is an underground cave of some sort, small and dank. In fact, it is so moist in this cave that you feel as if you are almost in the river itself. Its roof barely rises five feet off the floor towards the center of the cave, and elsewhere it is rare if it is more than four and a half feet tall. The ground and the roof have a few jagged outcroppings of rock protruding from them, making navigating this cave even more difficult. Moss grows throughout the cave, and covers most surfaces, making them slick. Towards the far wall of the cave, you can hear the rushing waters of the river, and you can only help but wonder just how much rock separates you from the rushing torrent.
Light plays eerie tricks with the outcroppings of rock and the stone walls, casting strange shadows all about. Towards the far wall you can see an odd shaped rock and a small pit underneath it, with what looks like the old remains of a fire in it.
Contents:
Eirdis
Jiatl
Glubb
Small Fire
Thranduil
Thari
Obvious exits:
Out
[Frarin] Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. Thunk. The steady drip of water from the ceiling of this underground cave seemed magnified an hundred times, but the sudden scuffing of a boot against the ground echoes even louder than the water. The mouth of the cave is hidden, masked by the thick growth of old trees outside, which shield also what light of the early morning there is.
And cautiously into the cave move a small group, made up of dwarves and a few men of the Beorning village (an elf or two perhaps also?), come to investigate the whispers of old men that these caves may be a hidden travelway for the goblins of the mountains. Shuttered lanterns cast sparse light over the walls as they move further into the caves, only to investigate, not to find trouble...Right?
[Frarin] One of the dwarves near the fore is Frarin, clutching in one hand his war hammer and holding aloft in the other one of the shuttered lanterns. He does not advance far into the cave, scanning instead the walls and peering into the darkness beyond as if listening for some sign that the old men of the village spoke true. Silently his lips move, as if muttering thoughts to himself but none other.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari, a dwarf just a little shorter than the others, is toward the center of the group and behind Frarin. There's an axe in hand, just held to the side, and the healer is peering over Frarin's shoulder into the cave darkness.
[Jiatl(#29415)] Deep into the cave, still well away from the lights of the lanterns and very much out of sight, a troll slowly gets to her feet. Easily hearing the approaching party, she motions to the small group of orcs that managed to live through their time with the Captain. With a gesture she quiets them, and closes her eyes and listens intently.
Glubb moves along side the massive figure. His eyes dart around as he sniffs around a small snarl coming to his lips as he reaches to his back a gnarled and dirty looking bow found it's brought to hand also an arrow places to string waiting for a target as he creeps along with the others of his kind.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb takes off Wooden Shield.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb wields Bow.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Bearing both sword in his scabbard and shield upon his back, amidst the diminutive dwarf-folk, is a lone elf. Peering into the darkness, even as he raises a torch above his head, he murmurs. "So this is where the troubling sounds have come from?" he asks, "Trust a Dwarf to suss out a cavern, indeed."
Casting down a small pile of brush the King bends to light the wood, and thus the cave, forming a surprisingly well-ordered fire.
Thranduil pours some more torch fuel into Small Fire.
[Frarin] Frarin frowns, brow furrowing as the steady drip drop from the ceiling above continue. He glances at the Elf King with a sarcastic humourless smile. "If it serves the purpose, my lord," he says, voice muted but echoing nonetheless. "Have a look about," he says, looking to the others. "If goblins have been here, I don't doubt they would have left their filth behind."
Eirdis wrinkles his nose and smirks as Frarin speaks, "Aye, the stench of the goblins is here, I still have it on my clothes, nasty creatures.. Hrmf.." He peers into the gloom, his axe out of its loop on his belt, the younger Dwarf healer noticably suspicious of any sound or movements, probably due to nearly being decapitated and having his knee almost crushed by the goblins and few orcs last time he was in this area.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari limps on the left, but doesn't move with the hesitance of Eirdis. A squinting look within, "If there are goblins here, there aren't any now," and Thari moves to the right along the wall of the cave, looking about with interest, moving further into the cave. "Sound anyway, seems like. Don't like the dampness. Not particularly comfortable. This cave, I mean."
[Jiatl(#29415)] Smiling to herself, she continues to listen.. the massive frame filling the space between cave walls. With a movement of her hand she tells one orc to move forward to give count to how many are there.. Again she waits, knowing the twisted figure moving into the dark may very well never return.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Messenger," the Elven-King calls in Thari's direction, "Keep a watch on the fire, as well, for even underground, I can be more swift your wounds are not yet healed."
With that, the King reaches behind his back, and unfastens his shield, before drawing the torch back out of the fire, and holding it ahead of him.
Hildis wriggles into the cave, squeezing through the small opening.
Hildis has arrived.
Eirdis stifles a chuckle unsuccessfully and grins to Thari, shrugging at the Elven-King's words. "It was not I who said it, mind.. True, I thought it, but did not say it." He glares into the dark and harrumphs, squinting. "Blasted stench.."
[Frarin] Frarin glances again at the King, then quickly to Thari with a roll of his eyes. He murmurs to the healer. "For once he is right, mind your thigh, hm?" The silversmith lifts one hand to rub gently at the scar just under the neck flap of his helmet. But then he moves forward, farther into the cave, his boots echoing as he goes. His eyes follow mostly the shadows that his lantern cast upon the ground, but now and again he looks up, always cautious of the yawning darkness that leads further on.
Glubb nods back licking his lips perhaps half nerves half excitement. The newly announced scout moves forward into the blackness of the cave seeing well enough he slinks keeping behind rocks and to corners finally coming upon the sounds of voices and figures moving in a hastily tossed fire. He watches a moment hungrily before backing off once again.
[Combat(#13388)] Thranduil puts on Metal Shield.
[Combat(#13388)] Thranduil smoothly slides the ancient blade Endumegil into its scabbard.
[Combat(#13388)] Hildis hefts Dragon Tooth with a menacing grin.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The King moves swiftly forward from where the fire has been set, brandishing his torch ahead, to light his way, as he moves on light feet--his own boots of soft leather make little sound, even on the hard stone floor of the cavern. In relation to the dwarf-folk around him, his mail shines brightly--his cloak cast aside, it does not dampen the glow of torchlight upon truesilver shirt, nor upon the bright helm upon his head.
Jiatl yawns, not bothering to cover the sound.. letting it echo into the chamber where the others are gathered. The report of her scout, surprizing still alive, gives her little incentive. She waits til the sound of her yawn dies before she speaks to the explorers in a quiet, grovelly voice. "Why are you here.."
[Hildis(#23062)] Footsteps make a faint, careful scrape in the passage behind the others. A measured step accompanied at the last by a very soft whistle announcing a friend. Hildis's chain mail barely glints in the light of the torches but the light strikes a ruddy glow in his beard and along the edge of his axe. In a low voice not addressed to anyone in particular he announces, "Had me some business. Er. Any sign of them?"
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari looks back, startled at Thranduil's call. And then another look is shot to the rest of dwarves, a bit eye-rolling-- and then Frarin speaks. Thari's lips thin.
Thari moves somewhat closer to the fire. A glance at something glowing. "By Durin's beard!" Thari suddenly cries, pointing at the Elf King. "Where did you get that?" The dwarf is pointing at Thranduil's chain shirt.
The finger is left hanging in the air as a gravelly voice is heard further into the cave. "Hush, Hildis," an urgent murmur.
[Glubb(#28384)] The scout grins as he makes it back turning around and taking only a couple well hidden with him as he scoots forward. Glubb snarls again raising the bow from his place of hiding perhaps the drawning back of the string and the "twang" is heard as an arrow is released.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Ow! You've been injured for 6 hp's by the bowshot.
Arrgh! The arrow is stuck fast, requiring treatment.
ARB: Please RP this injury accordingly.
Eirdis hisses under his breath at Hildis's voice but does not spare him a glance, listening intently. "Knew it, I -knew- there was something wrong here," he mutters under his breath, ears piqued for any odd noises. "What in Durin's name was -that-?"
[Frarin] Frarin too spares a moment to stare without apology at the King as the elf is removes his cloak, but before he can say anything (and indeed, Thari manages before him in any case), the voice like stone echoes from further up the chamber. The silversmith pauses abruptly, straightening quite stiffly as he squints at the darkness ahead of him. His lips part as if readying an answer to the disembodied voice, but then there comes the twang of a bowstring.
A second later Frarin's left shoulder suddenly jerks back and he grunts as if the wind is knocked from him. A swift curse follows as the silversmith drops his lantern, instinctively reaching for his shoulder. A long black shaft protrudes.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Before your line was founded, Naugrim," comes the answer to Thari, "Now hush--" He manages this last as the arrow is launched, and strikes the Dwarf a short way ahead. Stepping forward with his left foot, the torch is lofted, end over end, in a smooth arc, as he returns it whence the arrow came.
In another flash, the King's sword is drawn, and in a few leaping bounds, he is at Frarin's side, near the edge of the fire's light.
Jiatl laughs low as she hears the sounds from further ahead. "Another.." she commands of her orc, and simply waits to see what the visitors choose to do. Meanwhile, behind the thick legs of the troll, a few of the orcs make their impatience known with small shrieks and growls of their own.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari's eyes narrow, but they do not apparently track the arrow's flight. But Frarin's jerk, the curse prod the healer to move forward, limping quickly. "Back, Frarin, step back!" comes a hiss from the dwarf. "I will bind it quickly!"
[Hildis(#23062)] A hand raised in a gesture of bewilderment, Hildis shrugs and mouths, "What did I...The arrow whizzing out of the dark cuts the gesture off and the question off. "Mahal," he breathes, ducks and goes to Frarin's side. His first instinct is to darken the lantern and he does it as quickly as he is able. Then he goes to Frarin's side, kneeling, his axe still in its sling on his back. He moves out of Thari's way eyes trained into the darkness where the jeering voice has come from.
[Combat(#13388)] Thranduil smoothly draws the ancient blade Endumegil from its scabbard.
Glubb looks back towards the mammoth figure noddding unsure if it's seen or not, but another arrow is brought to string with practiced ease and it's pulled back a new target moving quickly is selected and another "twang" rings into the darkness.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Glubb's bowshot hits Thranduil, mildly wounding him.
[Frarin] Another string of curses follow as Frarin lowers his war hammer and takes a step back, even as Thranduil arrives at the fore in a flash. "By the Maker," the silversmith grits through clenched teeth, the shaft clearly having easily penetrated the chainmail hauberk beneath. A dark stain is already spreading at his shoulder. He does not take a second step back at Thari's command, however.
"Leave it, leave it," he says, teeth still clenched. "Twill only bleed more." He leans his hammer against his side and quickly reaches up, snapping off the arrow with a couple of inches to spare. He grunts.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The next arrow also strikes in the shoulder of its target, above the heads of the dwarves. But this one does not stick, instead it glances aside with little harm to the shining mail of the elvenking, "I have no fear of your minions, nor of their bow, coward! Did I not say that that I would return to seek you out? Hide in your shadows, you will be found!"
Jiatl laughs again, letting the bellowing sound fill the space between them.. She motions toward the orc for another arrow to be cast. "No fear? Then come closer, elf."
[Thari(#31038)]
"Let me look, two seconds while the elf-king is distracting them, glowing like the moon in our truesilver," Thari murmurs quickly as the shrieks of the orcs echo off of the walls. The healer lifts shield-arm before Frarin, covering him and trying to prod at the base of the arrow with that hand.
[Frarin] "Then look, look quickly!" Frarin murmurs urgently to Thari, already peering again into the darkness as the Elf King throws his threats at the voice beyond. "Out of the light, move out of the light, lads, quickly!" Even as he stands still as if waiting to be loosed while Thari prods at the arrow wound, Frarin waves with his free arm at the other dwarves, gesturing quickly for them to move away from the light of the hasty fire at the centre.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The light grows more dim with each step, but the elf's keen eyes guide him well, he advances unerringly, "I shall come, if you will meet me. Lets be done with this, or are the giants of the mines of Moria enamoured of their wits?"
Glubb snarls as his arrow is less effective, not one to give up easily another arrow is brought to bow the figure approaching makes a right nice target. The scout takes aim and releases his arrow into the air.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Glubb's arrow flies wide, doing no harm.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Each step brings the sword of the Elvenking closer to the source of the arrows. He does not pause as another whirs through the air in his direction, nor does he raise his shield to protect himself from their flight. "Fly, yrch, fly. Do not think I shall be kinder than your master," he hisses.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari prods quickly and hard at the base of Frarin's wound, and then CLANG! the dwarf-healer's axe goes to the floor of the cave despite the arrows and the troll's voice. Cloth is found and wound swiftly around the arrow's snapped shaft and the taller dwarf's shoulder as the elven-king threatens their foe.
Thari removes Axe.
Thari puts down a Axe.
[Hildis(#23062)] The merchant rises already heading to follow the Elf King but not without a long look at Frarin as the healer prods the wound. Hildis grinds his teeth when the orc cackles and unslings his axe. He is a small dark shadow beside the glowing figure of the Elf King.
Jiatl grows bored with the banter. She motions for the orc to continue firing his arrows as she takes a step forward. "Are you hiding behind your shorter company, elf?"
[Frarin] Frarin's attention snaps back to Thari when the healer's axe drops with a clang. His eyes flick to the blade on the ground, then back to Thari. "Enough, that is enough, bind it properly after," he mutters quickly, teeth still clenched. "A pebble does not stop a stream, nor will your single archer save you," the silversmith growls abruptly, lifting his voice even as he quickly gestures for Thari to retrieve the fallen axe. "Or will you hide in your precious darkness, as is your wont? That shall save you neither, begone or meet your foes!" He hefts up his hammer again, stepping forward after the King and Hildis.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Are you blind, or merely stupid, troll?" demands the King, his long strides outdistancing the Dwarves easily, "Come, or crawl back into the darkness, but bother me no more."
Glubb grumbles breathlessly as he misses raising a last arrow before the figure is at last too close. The bow is pulled tight once more and a twang is heard, but even as it is the orc backs away to ready for closer action.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Glubb's arrow flies wide, doing no harm.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari barely has time to quickly tie the bandage before Frarin steps away. The healer stoops to the ground and grips the axe again, looking only now toward the darkness-- and up, studying the troll's tall figure.
Thari picks up a Axe.
[Combat(#13388)] Thari wields Axe.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The elf-king takes a swifter step forward, and then another, in pursuit of the archer. His sword-arm swinging back wide, and then lashing out with the flat of his blade, aimed at the retreating orc, "Fetch your master, fool! For your doom is in this blade!"
Thranduil attacks Glubb with his Longsword and mildly wounds him!
Jiatl pulls her club free as she listens to the attacks, a smile pulling at the edges of her thin mouth. She steps forward until the flickering light just barely moves over her round eyes.. making them glint in odd shades from within the shadows.
[Glubb(#28384)] The skittering of the small group which followed the scout is heard as he himself is lashed lightly with another snarl. There is a clatter as the bow is dropped behind a rock than a slight ring as a blade is brought into the air, and a shield brought to arm. Glubb stands ready and the other orcs follow suit wicked blades brought to hand ready to fight.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb unwields Bow.
Glubb puts down a Bow.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb wields Scimitar.
[Combat(#13388)] Jiatl wields Rel'Ik.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb puts on Wooden Shield.
[Frarin] Frarin glances back at Thari, nodding sharply once, then looks ahead again. Both hands grip his hammer, though he holds the weight of the mallet in his right hand to avoid the weakness of his left shoulder. He advances quickly after the King and others who have gone ahead. "Why stand you quacking so violently?" the silversmith barks in return to the snarls in the dark. "If we have frightened you so, then be on your way, that we may better recognise you by your backsides, goblins!"
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari lets loose a deep and sudden laugh, limping slowly forward with axe in hand. Grey eyes switch to the elven King.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The Elf King is undaunted by the face of the troll, though his blade swing around before him, and his shield is raised. "Indeed. Fly, or strike us down but make haste, slovenly beast, or have you grown too fat to swing your club?"
Jiatl seems unbothered by the words of the elf, letting her gaze flit to the others in the party. "So few of you.." she drones, "Enough for a snack..". Stepping forward swiftly now, into a wider portion of the cave, she swings her club toward the elf, intent to strike his middle.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a long shot.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The swing comes up short, for the elf remains quick upon his feet. Bounding backward, and then forward again, the King lets fly an overhand sweep of his blade, striking downward at the hand that holds the club, as it sweeps past.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Jiatl blocks the attack from the elven sword, the chuckle rising again like rumbling thunder. She does not bother herself with the rest of the party, and swings again toward the elf - from right to left - in an attempt to slam him into the rocky wall.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
[Glubb(#28384)] The orcs take the queue from the large figure attacking and move forward the scout at there head. Glubb's blade held at the ready for action growling. They move to come upon the others of the party. "Your doom approaches." they call in booming echo's as the move nearer
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The elf's shield-arm holds firm, raised and braced against the blow, angled to guide it aside. "A!" he calls out, "Yallume!"
His return comes swiftly, with another step forward, he lunges and thrusts the tip of his sowrd towards the thick hide upon the belly of the troll.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but he misses by a handspan.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Thari(#31038)]
Some of the dwarves are watching this back-and-forth with mouths open, and Thari is one of them. "It's the truesilver that lets him do that," the healer eventually says.
And then the goblins begin moving forward. Thari limps to the side and forward to meet one-- Glubb, as it happens. "Our doom?" the dwarf gruffly mocks. "You think that's you?"
And Thari's small axe whips toward Glubb's belly.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Combat(#13388)->Frarin]
Your Current HP: 90 Max-HP: 97 Health: Good
[Frarin] At last the sounds of battle begin and the troll's massive figure is a deeper shade of black than the rest of the cave, as are the rabble of other small creatures who surge forth. Frarin growls into his beard as the action begins, glancing as the Elf King takes on the troll alone, but the silversmith gives his immediate to the rushing orcs.
"Khazad ai-menu!" Frarin barks as he rushes forward, join Thari as he sweeps the mallet of his hammer low at the forerunner's knee.
You attack Glubb with your War Hammer...
[Combat(#13388)->Frarin]
Glubb parries your attack with his Scimitar!
Jiatl continues to dodge the attempts made by the talkative elf. She turns, swinging so that her club is aimed directly for his stomach.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club and lightly wounds him!
[Glubb(#28384)] The small band of orcs come about the dwarves and those they travel with blades swinging. Glubb moves swiftly as he can the axe spotted in time to sidestep it. Another attack and he is forced to roll to the side a swift orc. "Fall to the darkness!" he cries as he its his turn lashing out with his curved blade at his first attacker.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar, but Thari parries the attack with her Axe!
[Frarin] "Oh we're already in it," Frarin growls, "and we aren't dropping, are we?" He punctuates every word. Further attack on Glubb is distracted by the sudden appearance of a cudgel, wielded by a shorter goblin with thin fingers. Frarin lashes out, first turning the offending weapon with a grunt, then punching the head of his hammer at the goblin's stomach. The creature doubles up and the silversmith charges him, ramming his good shoulder at the goblin and driving him to the ground.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Struck, once again, the King takes a step back, but he does not reel. Instead, he plants his right foot hard on the cold stone floor, and whips his sword-arm around once again, the blade slicing through the air, towards the troll's belly once more.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
[Jiatl(#29415)] Shifting her weight again she manages to avoid the attack. Wasting no time, the troll sweeps the club toward the elf once more..aiming now for his legs.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a handspan.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari does not move so swiftly as Glubb. The little dwarf limps steadily aside and then moves the axe forward in a practiced way to block his blade. "Tell me," growls Thari, "of Khazad-dum?"
Thari crouches and the axe darts out again, trying to hook behind Glubb's knee, to slice him and pull him down!
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by a long shot.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
This time the elf does drop--but it is not from the troll's blow. Driving forward with his back foot, Thranduil raises himself up only slightly from his knee, driving forward instead, and taking a quick swipe at the troll's ankle, instead.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Jiatl's round eyes narrow as the elf flits around. She grinds her foot into the ground and rushes toward him as the elf's attack narrowly misses her bulk. She swings her club down hard toward his shoulders.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a mile.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Frarin] Frarin's hammer flies up and over as the shorter orc falls to the ground and it strikes the unfortunate creature's chest with a sickening crunch, at which it quickly stills. Straightening quickly, the silversmith turns immediately back towards Thari and Glubb, but Thari seems unharmed thus far and Frarin instead swings at the knee of another charging orc. The goblin's notched blade scraps against Frarin's knuckles and then the goblin skips back quickly, avoiding Frarin's swinging hammer.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Again, the troll's heavy club is too slow, The elf-king rises tall again, and it is as if he is standing where the troll was, a moment ago, the futile swing of the club finding only the empty space above the cavern's floor.
"Death to the foes of the Nandor!" he cries out,, striding and thrusting towards the troll's lower back.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Glubb dodges to the side even as the other orcs dance around with the others trying to wound and being wounded in return. One falls to the weapons of the dwarves and another takes his place fighting as best they can. The scout turns taking another swipe with his blade at the dwarf
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar, but Thari parries the attack with her shield!
Jiatl manages to turn, her shoulder brushing hard against the wall of the cave.. sending shards of rocks to the ground. Hoisting the club again, she brings it down toward the elf's shoulders once more.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a handspan.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari is a bit like a turtle. Hunkering down low, the shield rounds upward to meet Glub's scimitar with a thunk. Already the dwarf, slow and methodical, has turned the axe to slice upward between the goblin's legs.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Frarin] One of the shards from Jiatl's brush with the cave wall tumbles down, hopping along the ground until it strikes the orc Frarin fights against the back of his leg. The goblin briefly glances down and Frarin swings again, this time catching his opponent just under the ribcage. The orc rolls away with a scarl, disappearing amidst his comrades.
Now Frarin's eyes flick to the mass that is Jiatl and the darting figure that is the Elf King. Another glance is spared for Thari, but then the silversmith rushes forward, even as the troll swings down at Thranduil's shoulders. Frarin rotates his hammer in his hands and he swings out, the spike aimed at the side of Jiatl's ankle.
You attack Jiatl with your War Hammer...
[Combat(#13388)->Frarin]
Your attack against Jiatl moderately wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
This swing merits a swift duck, and a step to the shield-side, to let the club swing past. But once again, the blow dodged, the elf-king chooses the moving target of the troll's club-wielding fist, to strike at, with a long, overhand blow.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Glubb moves and ducks and dances around another axe strike narrowly avoided in the fight. "Doom." he calls in a half snarl as he moves back into the attack his blade swinging through the air a low strike aimed at the legs of the dwarf.
Jiatl cries out as the hammer slams into her ankle, the resounding 'crack' nearly as loud as the troll herself. She manages to block the attack from the elf before turning her furious glare toward the dwarf. "Your bones will rot in our halls.." Moving fast, the club swings now toward the bearded attacker.
Jiatl attacks you with her Club!...
...and she hits! Ouch!
ARB: You've been injured for 48 hp's by Jiatl's attack...
...you have 40 left. Please RP this injury accordingly.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar and moderately wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The troll's back turns again, and again Thranduil strikes with his blade, leaping forward and thrusting hard towards the troll's flank, a blow aimed to skewer a kidney. "Death to the foes of the Nandor!" he calls out, even as his blade advances.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
[Thari(#31038)]
Glubb's scimitar slices into Thari's right calf even as the dwarf steps away (not fast enough this time). Thari looses a cry of pain at the exact same time that the sound of Jiatl's club on Frarin's body might be heard. The dwarf-healer wobbles on the weaker left leg, struggling to stay upright, and gives a wild swing toward Glubb's midsection just to keep him away.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by a handspan.
Jiatl's pain is momentarily forgotten as the club connects with the dwarf. She starts to move again toward him only to be stopped by an attack from behind. Her body bends toward the blow, feeling the blade pierce her thick flesh. She turns again toward the elf, hatred pushing her foreward to attack again.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
[Frarin] The troll's club strikes with every bit of vehemence that it no doubt intended. Frarin is lifted bodily into the air, a series of cracks sounding as he is flattened against the club for a split second and then as he crashes against the far wall. His hammer clatters to the floor beside him and he slumps forward, most noticeably the fingers of his left hand curled at odd angles. For a moment he does not move, but then a groan and a gasp can be heard, muffled as Frarin's head presses into the ground.
Removed: The Old Lord.
You drop a war hammer with a blue-tinted haft.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Again, the elf's shield is there--unlike in their last battle--and again it brushes aside a heavy blow. His feet set, Thranduil twists his hips and moves downward slightly, the shield blocking his upper body well.
Rotating back to an upright position, the shield opens up long enough for another swing of the sword, a swift arc toward the troll's hip.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
[Glubb(#28384)] "Flee, from this place, or darkness will take you little dwarf." the orc spits as his blade finds blood finally. Glubb steps back to avoid the swing of the axe, but is back and attacking quickly enough.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar, but Thari parries the attack with her Axe!
Jiatl grows tired of the swift moves of the elf. She avoids the attack from the elven sword and thrusts the end of her club toward him as if attempting to knock him backward.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a long shot.
Eirdis has been unconscious for the most part, and hiding behind a large boulder. Seeing Frarin go down makes her just plain angry instead of scared witless. She snarls and bellows, "Baruk Khazad! Khazad ai-menu," and aims at the orc with her axe, trying to make her way over to the silversmith.
Eirdis attacks Jiatl with her Battle Axe, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Now, the elf-king's feet move, and they move swiftly, to flank the troll, dodging the swing of the club in the same movement that gains him position for a swift, backhanded swipe of his blade, again, aimed towards the troll's hip.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but he misses by a mile.
[Thari(#31038)]
There is a hiss of kissing metal as Glubb's scimitar finds the iron that winds around Thari's axe-haft. The little dwarf's eyes narrow. "You daft little snake," Thari hisses, lurching forward and swinging strongly, trying to cleave Glubb's head from his shoulders.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by a long shot.
[Frarin] Dust shoots away from Frarin's mouth as he suddenly coughs, brought back into painful consciousness. He turns his head to the left, rolling slightly with another groan. Fortunately, if it may in fact be called that, his flight has taken him slightly behind the hubbub, back from where the goblins first rushed forward, and he seems to go unnoticed for the moment. Or taken for dead, who knows.
He rolls again so that he lies completely on his right side. His left hand and arm are crushed badly and the remnants of the arrow shaft have disappeared, either broken off or pushed further in. And there are likely more than a few ribs broken. The silversmith's eyes flicker open as he coughes again, spewing dust.
Jiatl's attention is drawn toward the elf, and the cries from the dwarf barely reach her ears. Moving toward the elf again, the axe narrowly misses her. The troll's club rises high and swings toward the elf once more, aiming for his ribs.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his Longsword!
Glubb grins wickedly as he seems to have struck a nerv with the dwarf with his words a worthwhile endevor of course. The orc ducks the blow luckily and with a growl thrusts his blade forward at his opponant.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar and mildly wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
A well-angled blade guides yet another blow from the troll aside, as Thranduil twists to face the creature once again. Setting his feet once again, his blade continues in its arc after the block, until it is raised high above his head.
Striking downward heavily, The elf-king drives his blade towards the center of the troll's mass.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and mildly wounds her!
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari grunts as Glubb's scimitar strikes hard leather armor and is turned away. A step back is taken. "Frarin!" shouts Thari. "Khazad!" A calculating look at Grubb.
Jiatl's stomach is struck, and for a moment gives her pause. She presses a thick hand against her gut, then looks down as a thin line of black blood rises but does not drip. She glares toward the elf, seeing the blood tainting his weapon. Her blood. Pushing toward him again, the club is brought high and brought down hard.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club and lightly wounds him!
Eirdis mutters under her breath, probably cursing, as she dodges, weaves and generally tries to avoid being killed, arriving at Frarin's side and examining his injuries. "I'm with him, Thari! Hold on a moment so I can help..."
[Hildis(#23062)] Out of the shadows a small form bowls into the side of the troll. A wall, a troll - little difference from the look on Hildis's as he shakes his head but he manages to swing his axe in an overhand at it.
Hildis attacks Jiatl with its War Hammer, but it misses by a long shot.
Mobeorn wriggles into the cave, squeezing through the small opening.
Mobeorn has arrived.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The King strikes, and is struck in return. he bends, to let the blow hit him in the upper back, but even still, the strength of the troll drives him down to a knee.
But the King again lunges forward, driving with his legs, his sword-arm swinging in a horizontal plane, the blade ringing through the air as it arcs towards the troll's shins.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Glubb pulls his blade back quickly expecting a counter attack. The orc looks to his blade with another wicked grin as if considering his next move should he attack or not. "Take your kind and go. Last chance." he sneers as he waits for a response the orc plays the game well after all.
[Frarin] "By...Maker..." comes Frarin's huff of a curse as he rolls still more, coming to lay painfully on his back with his left arm and hand hugged close to him instinctively. His eyes roll up, mouth hanging open as he strains to look behind him at the skirmish beyond. But then he has something far closer to concentrate on, for Eirdis looms quite suddenly over him.
"M'fine...M'fine..." Frarin coughs, voice strained, but nevertheless tinted with that all too familiar impatience. "Jus'...jus'...sit me...up...sit me up..." A groan escapes him again as he attempts to move on his own and jostles his crumpled left arm. He reaches out his good hand suddenly, pointing at his hammer that lies some distances away. "Jus' give...give me...that...Watch your...yourself..."
[Jiatl(#29415)] First the ankle, now the shin! The troll favors the leg for a few paces as she turns on the elf once more. Another attack from a dwarf narrowly missed as she lunges for him, sweeping the thick club from one side to another aimed for the elf's head.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Thari(#31038)]
"You're with him?" Thari shouts back at Eirdis, still watching Glugg the whole while. "Frarin?" The dwarf doesn't look away from Glugg, but continues to back off, now limping slowly toward Eirdis's voice.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Still low, the King ducks down to let the swipe pass over his head. His helm, undented, rises upwards again as he keeps one foot planted squarely upon the ground, and as he rises up towards a standing position, his sword-blade thrusts upward towards the troll's belly.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Eirdis scuttles, for lack of a better action, over to the hammer, hefts it and coughs as dust gets into her beard, then crawls back as quickly as she can to the silversmith's side, hauling him into a sitting position as carefully as she can, placing the Old Lord in Frarin's lap and hefting her axe, running with a scream at Glubb, swinging her axe dangerously.
Eirdis picks up a mighty war hammer with a shaft that glints of blue.
Eirdis gave you The Old Lord.
You pick up a mighty war hammer with a shaft that glints of blue.
Eirdis attacks Glubb with her Battle Axe and moderately wounds him!
Jiatl moves out of reach of the still tainted sword. She spares a glance toward the orcs keeping the others in the party entertained. Attention returning to her target, the club brushes the wall of the cave as she swings toward the elf's chest.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a handspan.
[Glubb(#28384)] The scout pays dearly for his moment of kindness well no more like gloating really. The battle axe isnt seen in time and it strikes knocking armor aside and opening a gash. "Skaai." Glubb cries out in pain and anger. The orc turns quickly though and his blade is swung towards the new foe.
Glubb attacks Eirdis with his Scimitar and lightly wounds her!
[Hildis(#23062)] The wind of the club blow directed at the Elven King lifts the braids of Hildis's beard as he staggers back out of the reach of the club. He turns behind the troll ready to do more damage to leg or shin. The twack of the troll parrying the elf's great sword is deafening. He moves in to attack when the cave goes pitch black. Where is the troll? He sniffs and lets his sense of smell guide him. He swings with a strong back hand hoping his nose guides him.
[Frarin] "Ahhh!" Frarin growls through clenched teeth as Eirdis helps haul him into a sitting position. When he is sat upright, he looks even more winded than before and hunches forward. He fingers the arrow wound from before, grimacing as he does so. Sweat, blood and wet, clingy dirt from the cave floor stick to his face, but a second later he seems to remember Thari's call several seconds earlier. He musters his breath. "Don't you dare...Thari!...I'm fine!"
Hildis attacks Jiatl with its War Hammer, but it misses by an arm's length.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Bounding back, the king flings both arms wide, to dodge the swinging club. Again, he catches his backwards momentum with his right foot, plants it, and drives forward again, recklessly, this time, with another long, overhand blow, the elvenking attempts to mark the face of the troll with his blade.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and mildly wounds her!
[Thari(#31038)]
Eirdis runs screaming past and strikes Glubb. Thari's eyes widen very briefly before the dwarf turns and limps hard and quickly toward Frarin, blood staining the heel of every footprint. "Frarin! Mahal's hammer." The shorter dwarf grunts with pain and drops to a knee beside the silversmith. "Can you walk if I lift ye?"
Jiatl catches sight of the small dwarf in time to avoid the attack. She sweeps her club at Hildis' sturdy frame, attempting to smash it against the far rock wall.
Jiatl attacks Hildis with her Club and badly wounds it!
Eirdis snarls and cries out in pain as the scimitar cuts into her bad knee. "Damn you, you overgrown pathetic excuse for a life! I hope Jarl meets you at your death, and takes his revenge, scum bag!" She spits at Glubb and swings again.
Eirdis attacks Glubb with her Battle Axe, but she misses by a mile.
Jiatl's attention away from the elf gives him opportunity to strike - and strike he does. She feels the pinch of pain from Thranduil's blade and turns swiftly toward him again. The club is raised and brought down toward his shoulder as she turns from the dwarf.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
[Hildis(#23062)] There is a brief moment of being airbourne that Hildis seems to find pleasant from the grin on his face. He flies through the air, axe still in hand, legs and arms splayed as though he is going to embrace the wall. He does. With a clatter of axe falling and chainmail scraping Hildis slides to the floor into a heap. The side of his helmet seems to have changed shape. He lays motionless for a long moment.
[Frarin] "I'm fine, I'm fine," Frarin murmurs, still painfully hunched forward when Thari comes to his side. "I'm fine...I can walk...I'm fine." He continues to repeat that for a few moments more, breathing laboured as if still winded, but not wheezing. "I'm fine...Thari...mind the others...this...this isn't over...I'm fine..."
Glubb is ready this time and dodges to the side of the battle axe still moving fairly swiftly despite his wound. "Taken the place of your friend as my victim?" he spits with a another sneer and his scimitar is flying at the dwarf again.
Glubb attacks Eirdis with his Scimitar and lightly wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The delay while the troll struck another Dwarf allows Thranduil to bring his shield up, and meet the blow head-on. He bends at the knees, but this time they do not buckle.
As he throws aside the blow, his right arm thrusts forward, another jab aimedat the troll's face. "You will wear the mark of the Ndaedelos!" he exclaims.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Jiatl growls loudly, jerking away as the blade slides into her face. Her hand moves over the wound, feeling the thick blood well and begin to trickle down her cheek. She rushes at the elf and sweeps the club toward his head again.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
Eirdis coughs and winces as another blow from the scimitar thwacks against her side. She spits again, nearly dislodging a tooth and screaming bloody murder, "Victim my pony's left rumpcheek!" Swinging her axe, she tries again to land another hit.
Eirdis attacks Glubb with her Battle Axe, but she misses by a long shot.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Thari(#31038)]
"Shut that nonsense out of your mouth," Thari says in a hard voice. "I'll stand you up then and you'll walk out and then I'll see to the rest." The healer then hooks elbows beneath Frarin's underarms and lifts.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Sidestepping neatly, again the blow glances off an expertly-angled shield. The Elfking is swift afoot, darting to the troll's side, and turning, lashing out with another blow against the charging troll, this one aimed squarely for the buttock.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Jiatl feels the stinging slice of the blade once more, making her turn and press her back against the wall of the cave. The dancing elf draws her anger closer to the surface and she lunges a single step to sweep the club toward his chest again.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a long shot.
[Frarin] "Ahhh!" Frarin cries out as he is suddenly hoisted to his feet, his left shoulder and arm jolted terribly. Thari might feel the point of the lost arrow shaft now sticking out just above Frarin's shoulder blade. "Oh by the bloody Maker!" the silversmith growls. "Other side, other side!" He hugs his injured arm even closer to his bruised body as if to keep Thari from lifting him with it again. Amazingly, both of his legs seem unharmed, the brunt of the troll's club having caught him to the left of his chest, but even so, as he comes to his feet, he looks winded again and unsteady, using his hammer as something of a crutch.
[Hildis(#23062)] Someone is groaning and it is annoying Hildis. Annoying enough for him to consider opening his eyes. There is light in the cave again but that seems not to bother him, he blinks and seems to fall back asleep but his eyes open again. The groaning hasn't stopped. Beginning with his fingers Hildis experiments with movement. He stops when troll foot lands right next to his nose. He accelerates the experiment and one arm is not working. Very slowly he inches his way away from the foot.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The wildly swinging club again finds an empty space, as Thranduil darts back in the other direction, towards the origin of the swing. Sword raised high, he strikes downwards, hard, towards the fleeting target of the troll's club-arm.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but he misses by a handspan.
Jiatl sweeps away from the attack, twisting and bringing the club toward the elf with the momentum of her turn
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club and moderately wounds him!
Glubb dodges to the side once more his eyes blazing. "Take your friends and go, not worth my time!" he spits towards the dwarf. The foul creature must have lost his mind with bloodlust as he knows rushes forward towards the troll and his opponant and swings his blade in a high arc.
Glubb attacks Thranduil with his Scimitar, but he misses by a handspan.
Eirdis hisses and backs away, looking for Hildis and finding him in a heap. She pants a little and hooks her free arm around Hildis' middle and slowly but surely drags him out, muttering, "C'mon, lad, up you come.. Can't drag you completely on my own.."
[<#31038>]
"Sorry," Thari murmurs, removing hand from Frarin's left side while lifting him, "Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry."
Thari steps experimentally away while eyeing the silversmith. 'To the door, get to the daylight.' A quick glance around, and then a shout. 'Elf-king! Pull away!'
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis blinks. "Wha...wha?" he croaks. "Eirdis, what ye doing here?" He staggers and in a drunken lurch is on his feet, the troll foot behind him off on its dance with the Elf King. "Where is everyone?"
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Frarin] Frarin totters when Thari steps away from him, but between leaning heavily on his hammer and propping himself up again the wall beside him, he remains upright for the time. He looks jerkily back at Thari. "Go on...go on...help the others..." He is all but masked in darkness as he stumbles unsteadily along directly beside the wall, using it as a frequent support. At one point, as sweat gathers in beads upon his brow, one of his legs gives out and he half falls, suddenly clutching at the arrow at his shoulder. But a growl of frustration and he heaves slowly back to his feet and continues his slow journey towards the cave's mouth.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Thranduil does not dodge the return blow, nor does his shield rise. His blade, however, does recoil, up above his head, as he takes two heavy steps to the side, driven out of the way of another blade. He twists back, taking a step away from the troll, but does not fall back. Instead, he swipes his blade downwards towards the passing orc, "Fly! I said! Your doom is come!" he calls out
Thranduil attacks Glubb with his Longsword, but Glubb parries the attack with his Scimitar!
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari steps away from Frarin and a bit toward Thranduil, but once the silversmith stumbles, the healer abandons the elf. Thari limps quickly back to Frarin and shoves a shoulder beneath his right arm. "Stop arguing with me," Thari says calmly.
Glubb snarls "Your friends have left you, your alone fool!" the foolhardy orc says as his weapon his brought up and there is a clash of metal on metal. He manages to break it and attacks this time a low swing for the legs.
Glubb attacks Thranduil with his Scimitar, but he misses by a mile.
[Frarin] "Fine...fine...I'm fine...fine..." Whether Frarin has given in to Thari's aid or is still insisting on his ability to deal by himself is unclear from his muttered words, gritted out through clenched teeth. But in any case, he does not resist the aid of the healer's shoulder to support him.
Jiatl looks toward the remaining orcs, hissing her disapproval at their number. She motions with her club and they begin to fall back. "Today is yours, elf. Do not count on another.." She glares toward Glubb, slamming her club against the rock wall in warning for the orc before she turns and moves into the deeper shadows of the cave.
[Hildis(#23062)] Leaning heavily against the wall on his good shoulder Hildis takes deep breaths. Behind him the voices of Frarin and Thari, he mumbles to himself, "Even here, fighting." He shakes his head and takes a step from the wall his face drawn into a grimace. One arm hangs strangely. He looks about him for his axe, every turn of his head accompanied by a grunt. "Mahal, where is it?" It lays a few feet away from him. He sucks a heavy breath leaning over to pick it up. Shortening his grip on the handle he stands finding his bearing when he hears the orc taunt Thranduil. He staggers toward the troll but he moves away. "No!"
[Thari(#31038)]
"I will take the arrow haft out when we leave the cave," Thari mutters. The healer tucks the short axe into belt and reaches for Frarin's hammer. Sunlight falls on them suddenly as they near the narrow exit.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The elf does not take the day and leave he jumps back, avoiding the low swing, "Your master may flee, but not unmarked!" He laughs, striding forward once more and swinging his own blade in a long, wide arc, sweeping towards the orc's belly.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Thranduil attacks Glubb with his Longsword and badly wounds him!
[Frarin] "If you can...find...the bloody thing," Frarin growls between great heaves of breath. "Sure...it hasn't...gone...out the other...side? Would be...con, convenient." It is difficult to tell what with the constant grimace dominating his expression, but the last almost hints of a sarcastic joke. He stumbles into the sunlight, but he keeps a tight hold on his hammer, even with his arm wrapped around Thari's shoulders.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari very briefly pulls at Frarin's hammer, but soon enough leaves it. "It very nearly did."
Thari guides him away from the opening of the cave and to a nearby tree. "Lean against that. I'll take it out and bind that wound before we go further. That'll solve most of your troubles right there."
[Hildis(#23062)] The troll has moved out of his reach but an orc remains. The one that taunted the King for the dwarves abandoning him? "We don't leave a fight," he croaks and repeats louder, "we don't leave a fight." His axe gripped high on the handle he staggers after the orc. The Elf King's sword flashes in the half light as does Hildis's. He screams wordlessly and swings at an arm coming in from the orc's side.
[Frarin] Frarin leans against the tree as he is told and does not complain. The muscles about his jaw tighten as his teeth clench in preparation for Thari's impromptu surgery, but he is silent.
Hildis attacks Glubb with its War Hammer, but it misses by a long shot.
Glubb the orc pays for his distraction and taunting as he tries to dodge and is sliced a deep slice to the sword arm. It falls limply to his side and he cries out in pain and anger, but is in no form to continuing. He barely manges to dodge the next strike of the hammer. The scout snarls before backing off at last into the darkness following the troll into the mountains.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari rests her shield against the tree and steps behind Frarin. "Did you hit that troll trying to protect the elf?" she mutters, trying to tease him while prodding at and testing his wound. She slides her belt-knife out. "This should be quick. Here it comes."
Thari's knife slides into Frarin's wound and widens it while she also quickly tries to slide the arrow out.
[Combat Function Library(#15)] Thari carefully removes an arrow from Frarin...
HEALING: Thari attempts to treat your arrow injuries...
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Back, fool!" The elf-king cries, turning his eyes to Hildis' ill-fated attack for but a moment, when he looks back, the orc is gone, fled into the deeper recesses of the cave.
He does not pursue, holding the flat of his blade out before the Dwarf, to block the path as well.
"See to your friends," he says, more gently, after a moment, his gaze turning to Hildis in the dying firelight, and let them see to you wound, it is deep."
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis blinks and clutches the arm that hangs so limply looking about him. The enemy has fled. He looks back toward the cave entrance then upward at the King blocking his way. His mouth opens as though to argue but no sound issues. Dumbly he nods but not before the barest smile lifts his moustache, he nods again. "Sharp sword you have there." Blinking he turns and heads toward the daylight.
[Frarin] Frarin bares his teeth as the knife slides in and carries out its quick work, but aside from a grunt deep in his throat, he is resolutely quiet. Only after the arrow comes free, miraculously still in one piece even after the impact of Jiatl's club, does Frarin answer Thari. "And what...if I did?...King of Elves...best...he doesn't die..." Then with a faint smile, the silversmith holds up a finger. "Don't argue." And with that he stumbles further from the cave instead the quiet wooded glade beyond.
Thari rolls her eyes up but doesn't argue. She glances back to the cave, then moves toward the entrance, arms out to catch the emerging Hildis, should she need it.
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis barely manages to pull the war hammer up to his good shoulder. Turning very slowly he heads toward the light and stumbles out of the cave. He stands swaying, eyes screwed shut against the light for a moment. "Thari? That you? Where's Frarin?" He takes a tottering step towards the supporting arms.
Thari supports Hildis and pulls the other dwarf-lady further away from the cave. "Yes, it's me. Frarin's fine," answers the healer in a very iron-hard firm way. "Look at you. You shouldn't be in there." Thari runs her hands down over Hildis's wounds.
[Hildis(#23062)] A fat tear rolls and hangs suspended from the end of Hildis's blood soaked moustache. Her nose has been bleeding. Voice slurred she looks at Thari strangely, "Why? I...mean...why? My...head hurts, Thari. My arm...
"Ah, I had that happen to me once," Thari says in a calm way. "Frarin took care of me then." Her hands rest briefly over Hildis's elbow, and with a sudden, violent jerk, she resets the dislocation. Her eyes flash to Hildis's face, measuring her reaction.
HEALING: You administer aid to Hildis and think that it looks a little better.
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis's eyes roll back into her head and she sways so suddenly she nearly falls. "Owww, owww, Thari. By Mahal, owwww. What are you...doing?" Under the blood and the red of her moustache the dwarf merchant becomes an interesting shade of white and would sit down very hard were it not for Thari's supporting arm.
Thari does grip Hildis's arm supportively. "I'm walking with you down the mountain," she says in a cheery fashion, dragging the merchant along now. "Just follow your friend Thari and soon the pain will be gone!"
[Hildis(#23062)] "But...why Thari. I'm tired." Hildis looks about her, lowers her hammer to lean on it with a sigh of relief. "I can just rest here."
"No, no, if you did, who would make sure I would get down with my leg like this? Walk with me." Thari keeps her death grip on Hildis's good arm and keeps following the path.
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis nods trustingly like a dwarf child. The hammer drags in the dust beside her as she 'helps' Thari down the path.
Elendor time is: Late Morning (1100) on Monday, Day 28 of August 3046.
In the Summer sky, Tonight the moon will be waxing gibbous.
Dark Cave
This is an underground cave of some sort, small and dank. In fact, it is so moist in this cave that you feel as if you are almost in the river itself. Its roof barely rises five feet off the floor towards the center of the cave, and elsewhere it is rare if it is more than four and a half feet tall. The ground and the roof have a few jagged outcroppings of rock protruding from them, making navigating this cave even more difficult. Moss grows throughout the cave, and covers most surfaces, making them slick. Towards the far wall of the cave, you can hear the rushing waters of the river, and you can only help but wonder just how much rock separates you from the rushing torrent.
Light plays eerie tricks with the outcroppings of rock and the stone walls, casting strange shadows all about. Towards the far wall you can see an odd shaped rock and a small pit underneath it, with what looks like the old remains of a fire in it.
Contents:
Eirdis
Jiatl
Glubb
Small Fire
Thranduil
Thari
Obvious exits:
Out
[Frarin] Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. Thunk. The steady drip of water from the ceiling of this underground cave seemed magnified an hundred times, but the sudden scuffing of a boot against the ground echoes even louder than the water. The mouth of the cave is hidden, masked by the thick growth of old trees outside, which shield also what light of the early morning there is.
And cautiously into the cave move a small group, made up of dwarves and a few men of the Beorning village (an elf or two perhaps also?), come to investigate the whispers of old men that these caves may be a hidden travelway for the goblins of the mountains. Shuttered lanterns cast sparse light over the walls as they move further into the caves, only to investigate, not to find trouble...Right?
[Frarin] One of the dwarves near the fore is Frarin, clutching in one hand his war hammer and holding aloft in the other one of the shuttered lanterns. He does not advance far into the cave, scanning instead the walls and peering into the darkness beyond as if listening for some sign that the old men of the village spoke true. Silently his lips move, as if muttering thoughts to himself but none other.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari, a dwarf just a little shorter than the others, is toward the center of the group and behind Frarin. There's an axe in hand, just held to the side, and the healer is peering over Frarin's shoulder into the cave darkness.
[Jiatl(#29415)] Deep into the cave, still well away from the lights of the lanterns and very much out of sight, a troll slowly gets to her feet. Easily hearing the approaching party, she motions to the small group of orcs that managed to live through their time with the Captain. With a gesture she quiets them, and closes her eyes and listens intently.
Glubb moves along side the massive figure. His eyes dart around as he sniffs around a small snarl coming to his lips as he reaches to his back a gnarled and dirty looking bow found it's brought to hand also an arrow places to string waiting for a target as he creeps along with the others of his kind.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb takes off Wooden Shield.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb wields Bow.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Bearing both sword in his scabbard and shield upon his back, amidst the diminutive dwarf-folk, is a lone elf. Peering into the darkness, even as he raises a torch above his head, he murmurs. "So this is where the troubling sounds have come from?" he asks, "Trust a Dwarf to suss out a cavern, indeed."
Casting down a small pile of brush the King bends to light the wood, and thus the cave, forming a surprisingly well-ordered fire.
Thranduil pours some more torch fuel into Small Fire.
[Frarin] Frarin frowns, brow furrowing as the steady drip drop from the ceiling above continue. He glances at the Elf King with a sarcastic humourless smile. "If it serves the purpose, my lord," he says, voice muted but echoing nonetheless. "Have a look about," he says, looking to the others. "If goblins have been here, I don't doubt they would have left their filth behind."
Eirdis wrinkles his nose and smirks as Frarin speaks, "Aye, the stench of the goblins is here, I still have it on my clothes, nasty creatures.. Hrmf.." He peers into the gloom, his axe out of its loop on his belt, the younger Dwarf healer noticably suspicious of any sound or movements, probably due to nearly being decapitated and having his knee almost crushed by the goblins and few orcs last time he was in this area.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari limps on the left, but doesn't move with the hesitance of Eirdis. A squinting look within, "If there are goblins here, there aren't any now," and Thari moves to the right along the wall of the cave, looking about with interest, moving further into the cave. "Sound anyway, seems like. Don't like the dampness. Not particularly comfortable. This cave, I mean."
[Jiatl(#29415)] Smiling to herself, she continues to listen.. the massive frame filling the space between cave walls. With a movement of her hand she tells one orc to move forward to give count to how many are there.. Again she waits, knowing the twisted figure moving into the dark may very well never return.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Messenger," the Elven-King calls in Thari's direction, "Keep a watch on the fire, as well, for even underground, I can be more swift your wounds are not yet healed."
With that, the King reaches behind his back, and unfastens his shield, before drawing the torch back out of the fire, and holding it ahead of him.
Hildis wriggles into the cave, squeezing through the small opening.
Hildis has arrived.
Eirdis stifles a chuckle unsuccessfully and grins to Thari, shrugging at the Elven-King's words. "It was not I who said it, mind.. True, I thought it, but did not say it." He glares into the dark and harrumphs, squinting. "Blasted stench.."
[Frarin] Frarin glances again at the King, then quickly to Thari with a roll of his eyes. He murmurs to the healer. "For once he is right, mind your thigh, hm?" The silversmith lifts one hand to rub gently at the scar just under the neck flap of his helmet. But then he moves forward, farther into the cave, his boots echoing as he goes. His eyes follow mostly the shadows that his lantern cast upon the ground, but now and again he looks up, always cautious of the yawning darkness that leads further on.
Glubb nods back licking his lips perhaps half nerves half excitement. The newly announced scout moves forward into the blackness of the cave seeing well enough he slinks keeping behind rocks and to corners finally coming upon the sounds of voices and figures moving in a hastily tossed fire. He watches a moment hungrily before backing off once again.
[Combat(#13388)] Thranduil puts on Metal Shield.
[Combat(#13388)] Thranduil smoothly slides the ancient blade Endumegil into its scabbard.
[Combat(#13388)] Hildis hefts Dragon Tooth with a menacing grin.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The King moves swiftly forward from where the fire has been set, brandishing his torch ahead, to light his way, as he moves on light feet--his own boots of soft leather make little sound, even on the hard stone floor of the cavern. In relation to the dwarf-folk around him, his mail shines brightly--his cloak cast aside, it does not dampen the glow of torchlight upon truesilver shirt, nor upon the bright helm upon his head.
Jiatl yawns, not bothering to cover the sound.. letting it echo into the chamber where the others are gathered. The report of her scout, surprizing still alive, gives her little incentive. She waits til the sound of her yawn dies before she speaks to the explorers in a quiet, grovelly voice. "Why are you here.."
[Hildis(#23062)] Footsteps make a faint, careful scrape in the passage behind the others. A measured step accompanied at the last by a very soft whistle announcing a friend. Hildis's chain mail barely glints in the light of the torches but the light strikes a ruddy glow in his beard and along the edge of his axe. In a low voice not addressed to anyone in particular he announces, "Had me some business. Er. Any sign of them?"
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari looks back, startled at Thranduil's call. And then another look is shot to the rest of dwarves, a bit eye-rolling-- and then Frarin speaks. Thari's lips thin.
Thari moves somewhat closer to the fire. A glance at something glowing. "By Durin's beard!" Thari suddenly cries, pointing at the Elf King. "Where did you get that?" The dwarf is pointing at Thranduil's chain shirt.
The finger is left hanging in the air as a gravelly voice is heard further into the cave. "Hush, Hildis," an urgent murmur.
[Glubb(#28384)] The scout grins as he makes it back turning around and taking only a couple well hidden with him as he scoots forward. Glubb snarls again raising the bow from his place of hiding perhaps the drawning back of the string and the "twang" is heard as an arrow is released.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Ow! You've been injured for 6 hp's by the bowshot.
Arrgh! The arrow is stuck fast, requiring treatment.
ARB: Please RP this injury accordingly.
Eirdis hisses under his breath at Hildis's voice but does not spare him a glance, listening intently. "Knew it, I -knew- there was something wrong here," he mutters under his breath, ears piqued for any odd noises. "What in Durin's name was -that-?"
[Frarin] Frarin too spares a moment to stare without apology at the King as the elf is removes his cloak, but before he can say anything (and indeed, Thari manages before him in any case), the voice like stone echoes from further up the chamber. The silversmith pauses abruptly, straightening quite stiffly as he squints at the darkness ahead of him. His lips part as if readying an answer to the disembodied voice, but then there comes the twang of a bowstring.
A second later Frarin's left shoulder suddenly jerks back and he grunts as if the wind is knocked from him. A swift curse follows as the silversmith drops his lantern, instinctively reaching for his shoulder. A long black shaft protrudes.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Before your line was founded, Naugrim," comes the answer to Thari, "Now hush--" He manages this last as the arrow is launched, and strikes the Dwarf a short way ahead. Stepping forward with his left foot, the torch is lofted, end over end, in a smooth arc, as he returns it whence the arrow came.
In another flash, the King's sword is drawn, and in a few leaping bounds, he is at Frarin's side, near the edge of the fire's light.
Jiatl laughs low as she hears the sounds from further ahead. "Another.." she commands of her orc, and simply waits to see what the visitors choose to do. Meanwhile, behind the thick legs of the troll, a few of the orcs make their impatience known with small shrieks and growls of their own.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari's eyes narrow, but they do not apparently track the arrow's flight. But Frarin's jerk, the curse prod the healer to move forward, limping quickly. "Back, Frarin, step back!" comes a hiss from the dwarf. "I will bind it quickly!"
[Hildis(#23062)] A hand raised in a gesture of bewilderment, Hildis shrugs and mouths, "What did I...The arrow whizzing out of the dark cuts the gesture off and the question off. "Mahal," he breathes, ducks and goes to Frarin's side. His first instinct is to darken the lantern and he does it as quickly as he is able. Then he goes to Frarin's side, kneeling, his axe still in its sling on his back. He moves out of Thari's way eyes trained into the darkness where the jeering voice has come from.
[Combat(#13388)] Thranduil smoothly draws the ancient blade Endumegil from its scabbard.
Glubb looks back towards the mammoth figure noddding unsure if it's seen or not, but another arrow is brought to string with practiced ease and it's pulled back a new target moving quickly is selected and another "twang" rings into the darkness.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Glubb's bowshot hits Thranduil, mildly wounding him.
[Frarin] Another string of curses follow as Frarin lowers his war hammer and takes a step back, even as Thranduil arrives at the fore in a flash. "By the Maker," the silversmith grits through clenched teeth, the shaft clearly having easily penetrated the chainmail hauberk beneath. A dark stain is already spreading at his shoulder. He does not take a second step back at Thari's command, however.
"Leave it, leave it," he says, teeth still clenched. "Twill only bleed more." He leans his hammer against his side and quickly reaches up, snapping off the arrow with a couple of inches to spare. He grunts.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The next arrow also strikes in the shoulder of its target, above the heads of the dwarves. But this one does not stick, instead it glances aside with little harm to the shining mail of the elvenking, "I have no fear of your minions, nor of their bow, coward! Did I not say that that I would return to seek you out? Hide in your shadows, you will be found!"
Jiatl laughs again, letting the bellowing sound fill the space between them.. She motions toward the orc for another arrow to be cast. "No fear? Then come closer, elf."
[Thari(#31038)]
"Let me look, two seconds while the elf-king is distracting them, glowing like the moon in our truesilver," Thari murmurs quickly as the shrieks of the orcs echo off of the walls. The healer lifts shield-arm before Frarin, covering him and trying to prod at the base of the arrow with that hand.
[Frarin] "Then look, look quickly!" Frarin murmurs urgently to Thari, already peering again into the darkness as the Elf King throws his threats at the voice beyond. "Out of the light, move out of the light, lads, quickly!" Even as he stands still as if waiting to be loosed while Thari prods at the arrow wound, Frarin waves with his free arm at the other dwarves, gesturing quickly for them to move away from the light of the hasty fire at the centre.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The light grows more dim with each step, but the elf's keen eyes guide him well, he advances unerringly, "I shall come, if you will meet me. Lets be done with this, or are the giants of the mines of Moria enamoured of their wits?"
Glubb snarls as his arrow is less effective, not one to give up easily another arrow is brought to bow the figure approaching makes a right nice target. The scout takes aim and releases his arrow into the air.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Glubb's arrow flies wide, doing no harm.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Each step brings the sword of the Elvenking closer to the source of the arrows. He does not pause as another whirs through the air in his direction, nor does he raise his shield to protect himself from their flight. "Fly, yrch, fly. Do not think I shall be kinder than your master," he hisses.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari prods quickly and hard at the base of Frarin's wound, and then CLANG! the dwarf-healer's axe goes to the floor of the cave despite the arrows and the troll's voice. Cloth is found and wound swiftly around the arrow's snapped shaft and the taller dwarf's shoulder as the elven-king threatens their foe.
Thari removes Axe.
Thari puts down a Axe.
[Hildis(#23062)] The merchant rises already heading to follow the Elf King but not without a long look at Frarin as the healer prods the wound. Hildis grinds his teeth when the orc cackles and unslings his axe. He is a small dark shadow beside the glowing figure of the Elf King.
Jiatl grows bored with the banter. She motions for the orc to continue firing his arrows as she takes a step forward. "Are you hiding behind your shorter company, elf?"
[Frarin] Frarin's attention snaps back to Thari when the healer's axe drops with a clang. His eyes flick to the blade on the ground, then back to Thari. "Enough, that is enough, bind it properly after," he mutters quickly, teeth still clenched. "A pebble does not stop a stream, nor will your single archer save you," the silversmith growls abruptly, lifting his voice even as he quickly gestures for Thari to retrieve the fallen axe. "Or will you hide in your precious darkness, as is your wont? That shall save you neither, begone or meet your foes!" He hefts up his hammer again, stepping forward after the King and Hildis.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Are you blind, or merely stupid, troll?" demands the King, his long strides outdistancing the Dwarves easily, "Come, or crawl back into the darkness, but bother me no more."
Glubb grumbles breathlessly as he misses raising a last arrow before the figure is at last too close. The bow is pulled tight once more and a twang is heard, but even as it is the orc backs away to ready for closer action.
Glubb launches an arrow...
Glubb's arrow flies wide, doing no harm.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari barely has time to quickly tie the bandage before Frarin steps away. The healer stoops to the ground and grips the axe again, looking only now toward the darkness-- and up, studying the troll's tall figure.
Thari picks up a Axe.
[Combat(#13388)] Thari wields Axe.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The elf-king takes a swifter step forward, and then another, in pursuit of the archer. His sword-arm swinging back wide, and then lashing out with the flat of his blade, aimed at the retreating orc, "Fetch your master, fool! For your doom is in this blade!"
Thranduil attacks Glubb with his Longsword and mildly wounds him!
Jiatl pulls her club free as she listens to the attacks, a smile pulling at the edges of her thin mouth. She steps forward until the flickering light just barely moves over her round eyes.. making them glint in odd shades from within the shadows.
[Glubb(#28384)] The skittering of the small group which followed the scout is heard as he himself is lashed lightly with another snarl. There is a clatter as the bow is dropped behind a rock than a slight ring as a blade is brought into the air, and a shield brought to arm. Glubb stands ready and the other orcs follow suit wicked blades brought to hand ready to fight.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb unwields Bow.
Glubb puts down a Bow.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb wields Scimitar.
[Combat(#13388)] Jiatl wields Rel'Ik.
[Combat(#13388)] Glubb puts on Wooden Shield.
[Frarin] Frarin glances back at Thari, nodding sharply once, then looks ahead again. Both hands grip his hammer, though he holds the weight of the mallet in his right hand to avoid the weakness of his left shoulder. He advances quickly after the King and others who have gone ahead. "Why stand you quacking so violently?" the silversmith barks in return to the snarls in the dark. "If we have frightened you so, then be on your way, that we may better recognise you by your backsides, goblins!"
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari lets loose a deep and sudden laugh, limping slowly forward with axe in hand. Grey eyes switch to the elven King.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The Elf King is undaunted by the face of the troll, though his blade swing around before him, and his shield is raised. "Indeed. Fly, or strike us down but make haste, slovenly beast, or have you grown too fat to swing your club?"
Jiatl seems unbothered by the words of the elf, letting her gaze flit to the others in the party. "So few of you.." she drones, "Enough for a snack..". Stepping forward swiftly now, into a wider portion of the cave, she swings her club toward the elf, intent to strike his middle.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a long shot.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The swing comes up short, for the elf remains quick upon his feet. Bounding backward, and then forward again, the King lets fly an overhand sweep of his blade, striking downward at the hand that holds the club, as it sweeps past.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Jiatl blocks the attack from the elven sword, the chuckle rising again like rumbling thunder. She does not bother herself with the rest of the party, and swings again toward the elf - from right to left - in an attempt to slam him into the rocky wall.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
[Glubb(#28384)] The orcs take the queue from the large figure attacking and move forward the scout at there head. Glubb's blade held at the ready for action growling. They move to come upon the others of the party. "Your doom approaches." they call in booming echo's as the move nearer
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The elf's shield-arm holds firm, raised and braced against the blow, angled to guide it aside. "A!" he calls out, "Yallume!"
His return comes swiftly, with another step forward, he lunges and thrusts the tip of his sowrd towards the thick hide upon the belly of the troll.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but he misses by a handspan.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Thari(#31038)]
Some of the dwarves are watching this back-and-forth with mouths open, and Thari is one of them. "It's the truesilver that lets him do that," the healer eventually says.
And then the goblins begin moving forward. Thari limps to the side and forward to meet one-- Glubb, as it happens. "Our doom?" the dwarf gruffly mocks. "You think that's you?"
And Thari's small axe whips toward Glubb's belly.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Combat(#13388)->Frarin]
Your Current HP: 90 Max-HP: 97 Health: Good
[Frarin] At last the sounds of battle begin and the troll's massive figure is a deeper shade of black than the rest of the cave, as are the rabble of other small creatures who surge forth. Frarin growls into his beard as the action begins, glancing as the Elf King takes on the troll alone, but the silversmith gives his immediate to the rushing orcs.
"Khazad ai-menu!" Frarin barks as he rushes forward, join Thari as he sweeps the mallet of his hammer low at the forerunner's knee.
You attack Glubb with your War Hammer...
[Combat(#13388)->Frarin]
Glubb parries your attack with his Scimitar!
Jiatl continues to dodge the attempts made by the talkative elf. She turns, swinging so that her club is aimed directly for his stomach.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club and lightly wounds him!
[Glubb(#28384)] The small band of orcs come about the dwarves and those they travel with blades swinging. Glubb moves swiftly as he can the axe spotted in time to sidestep it. Another attack and he is forced to roll to the side a swift orc. "Fall to the darkness!" he cries as he its his turn lashing out with his curved blade at his first attacker.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar, but Thari parries the attack with her Axe!
[Frarin] "Oh we're already in it," Frarin growls, "and we aren't dropping, are we?" He punctuates every word. Further attack on Glubb is distracted by the sudden appearance of a cudgel, wielded by a shorter goblin with thin fingers. Frarin lashes out, first turning the offending weapon with a grunt, then punching the head of his hammer at the goblin's stomach. The creature doubles up and the silversmith charges him, ramming his good shoulder at the goblin and driving him to the ground.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Struck, once again, the King takes a step back, but he does not reel. Instead, he plants his right foot hard on the cold stone floor, and whips his sword-arm around once again, the blade slicing through the air, towards the troll's belly once more.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
[Jiatl(#29415)] Shifting her weight again she manages to avoid the attack. Wasting no time, the troll sweeps the club toward the elf once more..aiming now for his legs.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a handspan.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari does not move so swiftly as Glubb. The little dwarf limps steadily aside and then moves the axe forward in a practiced way to block his blade. "Tell me," growls Thari, "of Khazad-dum?"
Thari crouches and the axe darts out again, trying to hook behind Glubb's knee, to slice him and pull him down!
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by a long shot.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
This time the elf does drop--but it is not from the troll's blow. Driving forward with his back foot, Thranduil raises himself up only slightly from his knee, driving forward instead, and taking a quick swipe at the troll's ankle, instead.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Jiatl's round eyes narrow as the elf flits around. She grinds her foot into the ground and rushes toward him as the elf's attack narrowly misses her bulk. She swings her club down hard toward his shoulders.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a mile.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Frarin] Frarin's hammer flies up and over as the shorter orc falls to the ground and it strikes the unfortunate creature's chest with a sickening crunch, at which it quickly stills. Straightening quickly, the silversmith turns immediately back towards Thari and Glubb, but Thari seems unharmed thus far and Frarin instead swings at the knee of another charging orc. The goblin's notched blade scraps against Frarin's knuckles and then the goblin skips back quickly, avoiding Frarin's swinging hammer.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Again, the troll's heavy club is too slow, The elf-king rises tall again, and it is as if he is standing where the troll was, a moment ago, the futile swing of the club finding only the empty space above the cavern's floor.
"Death to the foes of the Nandor!" he cries out,, striding and thrusting towards the troll's lower back.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Glubb dodges to the side even as the other orcs dance around with the others trying to wound and being wounded in return. One falls to the weapons of the dwarves and another takes his place fighting as best they can. The scout turns taking another swipe with his blade at the dwarf
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar, but Thari parries the attack with her shield!
Jiatl manages to turn, her shoulder brushing hard against the wall of the cave.. sending shards of rocks to the ground. Hoisting the club again, she brings it down toward the elf's shoulders once more.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a handspan.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari is a bit like a turtle. Hunkering down low, the shield rounds upward to meet Glub's scimitar with a thunk. Already the dwarf, slow and methodical, has turned the axe to slice upward between the goblin's legs.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Frarin] One of the shards from Jiatl's brush with the cave wall tumbles down, hopping along the ground until it strikes the orc Frarin fights against the back of his leg. The goblin briefly glances down and Frarin swings again, this time catching his opponent just under the ribcage. The orc rolls away with a scarl, disappearing amidst his comrades.
Now Frarin's eyes flick to the mass that is Jiatl and the darting figure that is the Elf King. Another glance is spared for Thari, but then the silversmith rushes forward, even as the troll swings down at Thranduil's shoulders. Frarin rotates his hammer in his hands and he swings out, the spike aimed at the side of Jiatl's ankle.
You attack Jiatl with your War Hammer...
[Combat(#13388)->Frarin]
Your attack against Jiatl moderately wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
This swing merits a swift duck, and a step to the shield-side, to let the club swing past. But once again, the blow dodged, the elf-king chooses the moving target of the troll's club-wielding fist, to strike at, with a long, overhand blow.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Glubb moves and ducks and dances around another axe strike narrowly avoided in the fight. "Doom." he calls in a half snarl as he moves back into the attack his blade swinging through the air a low strike aimed at the legs of the dwarf.
Jiatl cries out as the hammer slams into her ankle, the resounding 'crack' nearly as loud as the troll herself. She manages to block the attack from the elf before turning her furious glare toward the dwarf. "Your bones will rot in our halls.." Moving fast, the club swings now toward the bearded attacker.
Jiatl attacks you with her Club!...
...and she hits! Ouch!
ARB: You've been injured for 48 hp's by Jiatl's attack...
...you have 40 left. Please RP this injury accordingly.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar and moderately wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The troll's back turns again, and again Thranduil strikes with his blade, leaping forward and thrusting hard towards the troll's flank, a blow aimed to skewer a kidney. "Death to the foes of the Nandor!" he calls out, even as his blade advances.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
[Thari(#31038)]
Glubb's scimitar slices into Thari's right calf even as the dwarf steps away (not fast enough this time). Thari looses a cry of pain at the exact same time that the sound of Jiatl's club on Frarin's body might be heard. The dwarf-healer wobbles on the weaker left leg, struggling to stay upright, and gives a wild swing toward Glubb's midsection just to keep him away.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by a handspan.
Jiatl's pain is momentarily forgotten as the club connects with the dwarf. She starts to move again toward him only to be stopped by an attack from behind. Her body bends toward the blow, feeling the blade pierce her thick flesh. She turns again toward the elf, hatred pushing her foreward to attack again.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
[Frarin] The troll's club strikes with every bit of vehemence that it no doubt intended. Frarin is lifted bodily into the air, a series of cracks sounding as he is flattened against the club for a split second and then as he crashes against the far wall. His hammer clatters to the floor beside him and he slumps forward, most noticeably the fingers of his left hand curled at odd angles. For a moment he does not move, but then a groan and a gasp can be heard, muffled as Frarin's head presses into the ground.
Removed: The Old Lord.
You drop a war hammer with a blue-tinted haft.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Again, the elf's shield is there--unlike in their last battle--and again it brushes aside a heavy blow. His feet set, Thranduil twists his hips and moves downward slightly, the shield blocking his upper body well.
Rotating back to an upright position, the shield opens up long enough for another swing of the sword, a swift arc toward the troll's hip.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
[Glubb(#28384)] "Flee, from this place, or darkness will take you little dwarf." the orc spits as his blade finds blood finally. Glubb steps back to avoid the swing of the axe, but is back and attacking quickly enough.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar, but Thari parries the attack with her Axe!
Jiatl grows tired of the swift moves of the elf. She avoids the attack from the elven sword and thrusts the end of her club toward him as if attempting to knock him backward.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a long shot.
Eirdis has been unconscious for the most part, and hiding behind a large boulder. Seeing Frarin go down makes her just plain angry instead of scared witless. She snarls and bellows, "Baruk Khazad! Khazad ai-menu," and aims at the orc with her axe, trying to make her way over to the silversmith.
Eirdis attacks Jiatl with her Battle Axe, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Now, the elf-king's feet move, and they move swiftly, to flank the troll, dodging the swing of the club in the same movement that gains him position for a swift, backhanded swipe of his blade, again, aimed towards the troll's hip.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but he misses by a mile.
[Thari(#31038)]
There is a hiss of kissing metal as Glubb's scimitar finds the iron that winds around Thari's axe-haft. The little dwarf's eyes narrow. "You daft little snake," Thari hisses, lurching forward and swinging strongly, trying to cleave Glubb's head from his shoulders.
Thari attacks Glubb with her Axe, but she misses by a long shot.
[Frarin] Dust shoots away from Frarin's mouth as he suddenly coughs, brought back into painful consciousness. He turns his head to the left, rolling slightly with another groan. Fortunately, if it may in fact be called that, his flight has taken him slightly behind the hubbub, back from where the goblins first rushed forward, and he seems to go unnoticed for the moment. Or taken for dead, who knows.
He rolls again so that he lies completely on his right side. His left hand and arm are crushed badly and the remnants of the arrow shaft have disappeared, either broken off or pushed further in. And there are likely more than a few ribs broken. The silversmith's eyes flicker open as he coughes again, spewing dust.
Jiatl's attention is drawn toward the elf, and the cries from the dwarf barely reach her ears. Moving toward the elf again, the axe narrowly misses her. The troll's club rises high and swings toward the elf once more, aiming for his ribs.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his Longsword!
Glubb grins wickedly as he seems to have struck a nerv with the dwarf with his words a worthwhile endevor of course. The orc ducks the blow luckily and with a growl thrusts his blade forward at his opponant.
Glubb attacks Thari with his Scimitar and mildly wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
A well-angled blade guides yet another blow from the troll aside, as Thranduil twists to face the creature once again. Setting his feet once again, his blade continues in its arc after the block, until it is raised high above his head.
Striking downward heavily, The elf-king drives his blade towards the center of the troll's mass.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and mildly wounds her!
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari grunts as Glubb's scimitar strikes hard leather armor and is turned away. A step back is taken. "Frarin!" shouts Thari. "Khazad!" A calculating look at Grubb.
Jiatl's stomach is struck, and for a moment gives her pause. She presses a thick hand against her gut, then looks down as a thin line of black blood rises but does not drip. She glares toward the elf, seeing the blood tainting his weapon. Her blood. Pushing toward him again, the club is brought high and brought down hard.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club and lightly wounds him!
Eirdis mutters under her breath, probably cursing, as she dodges, weaves and generally tries to avoid being killed, arriving at Frarin's side and examining his injuries. "I'm with him, Thari! Hold on a moment so I can help..."
[Hildis(#23062)] Out of the shadows a small form bowls into the side of the troll. A wall, a troll - little difference from the look on Hildis's as he shakes his head but he manages to swing his axe in an overhand at it.
Hildis attacks Jiatl with its War Hammer, but it misses by a long shot.
Mobeorn wriggles into the cave, squeezing through the small opening.
Mobeorn has arrived.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The King strikes, and is struck in return. he bends, to let the blow hit him in the upper back, but even still, the strength of the troll drives him down to a knee.
But the King again lunges forward, driving with his legs, his sword-arm swinging in a horizontal plane, the blade ringing through the air as it arcs towards the troll's shins.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Glubb pulls his blade back quickly expecting a counter attack. The orc looks to his blade with another wicked grin as if considering his next move should he attack or not. "Take your kind and go. Last chance." he sneers as he waits for a response the orc plays the game well after all.
[Frarin] "By...Maker..." comes Frarin's huff of a curse as he rolls still more, coming to lay painfully on his back with his left arm and hand hugged close to him instinctively. His eyes roll up, mouth hanging open as he strains to look behind him at the skirmish beyond. But then he has something far closer to concentrate on, for Eirdis looms quite suddenly over him.
"M'fine...M'fine..." Frarin coughs, voice strained, but nevertheless tinted with that all too familiar impatience. "Jus'...jus'...sit me...up...sit me up..." A groan escapes him again as he attempts to move on his own and jostles his crumpled left arm. He reaches out his good hand suddenly, pointing at his hammer that lies some distances away. "Jus' give...give me...that...Watch your...yourself..."
[Jiatl(#29415)] First the ankle, now the shin! The troll favors the leg for a few paces as she turns on the elf once more. Another attack from a dwarf narrowly missed as she lunges for him, sweeping the thick club from one side to another aimed for the elf's head.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by an arm's length.
[Thari(#31038)]
"You're with him?" Thari shouts back at Eirdis, still watching Glugg the whole while. "Frarin?" The dwarf doesn't look away from Glugg, but continues to back off, now limping slowly toward Eirdis's voice.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Still low, the King ducks down to let the swipe pass over his head. His helm, undented, rises upwards again as he keeps one foot planted squarely upon the ground, and as he rises up towards a standing position, his sword-blade thrusts upward towards the troll's belly.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but Jiatl parries the attack with her Club!
Eirdis scuttles, for lack of a better action, over to the hammer, hefts it and coughs as dust gets into her beard, then crawls back as quickly as she can to the silversmith's side, hauling him into a sitting position as carefully as she can, placing the Old Lord in Frarin's lap and hefting her axe, running with a scream at Glubb, swinging her axe dangerously.
Eirdis picks up a mighty war hammer with a shaft that glints of blue.
Eirdis gave you The Old Lord.
You pick up a mighty war hammer with a shaft that glints of blue.
Eirdis attacks Glubb with her Battle Axe and moderately wounds him!
Jiatl moves out of reach of the still tainted sword. She spares a glance toward the orcs keeping the others in the party entertained. Attention returning to her target, the club brushes the wall of the cave as she swings toward the elf's chest.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a handspan.
[Glubb(#28384)] The scout pays dearly for his moment of kindness well no more like gloating really. The battle axe isnt seen in time and it strikes knocking armor aside and opening a gash. "Skaai." Glubb cries out in pain and anger. The orc turns quickly though and his blade is swung towards the new foe.
Glubb attacks Eirdis with his Scimitar and lightly wounds her!
[Hildis(#23062)] The wind of the club blow directed at the Elven King lifts the braids of Hildis's beard as he staggers back out of the reach of the club. He turns behind the troll ready to do more damage to leg or shin. The twack of the troll parrying the elf's great sword is deafening. He moves in to attack when the cave goes pitch black. Where is the troll? He sniffs and lets his sense of smell guide him. He swings with a strong back hand hoping his nose guides him.
[Frarin] "Ahhh!" Frarin growls through clenched teeth as Eirdis helps haul him into a sitting position. When he is sat upright, he looks even more winded than before and hunches forward. He fingers the arrow wound from before, grimacing as he does so. Sweat, blood and wet, clingy dirt from the cave floor stick to his face, but a second later he seems to remember Thari's call several seconds earlier. He musters his breath. "Don't you dare...Thari!...I'm fine!"
Hildis attacks Jiatl with its War Hammer, but it misses by an arm's length.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Bounding back, the king flings both arms wide, to dodge the swinging club. Again, he catches his backwards momentum with his right foot, plants it, and drives forward again, recklessly, this time, with another long, overhand blow, the elvenking attempts to mark the face of the troll with his blade.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and mildly wounds her!
[Thari(#31038)]
Eirdis runs screaming past and strikes Glubb. Thari's eyes widen very briefly before the dwarf turns and limps hard and quickly toward Frarin, blood staining the heel of every footprint. "Frarin! Mahal's hammer." The shorter dwarf grunts with pain and drops to a knee beside the silversmith. "Can you walk if I lift ye?"
Jiatl catches sight of the small dwarf in time to avoid the attack. She sweeps her club at Hildis' sturdy frame, attempting to smash it against the far rock wall.
Jiatl attacks Hildis with her Club and badly wounds it!
Eirdis snarls and cries out in pain as the scimitar cuts into her bad knee. "Damn you, you overgrown pathetic excuse for a life! I hope Jarl meets you at your death, and takes his revenge, scum bag!" She spits at Glubb and swings again.
Eirdis attacks Glubb with her Battle Axe, but she misses by a mile.
Jiatl's attention away from the elf gives him opportunity to strike - and strike he does. She feels the pinch of pain from Thranduil's blade and turns swiftly toward him again. The club is raised and brought down toward his shoulder as she turns from the dwarf.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
[Hildis(#23062)] There is a brief moment of being airbourne that Hildis seems to find pleasant from the grin on his face. He flies through the air, axe still in hand, legs and arms splayed as though he is going to embrace the wall. He does. With a clatter of axe falling and chainmail scraping Hildis slides to the floor into a heap. The side of his helmet seems to have changed shape. He lays motionless for a long moment.
[Frarin] "I'm fine, I'm fine," Frarin murmurs, still painfully hunched forward when Thari comes to his side. "I'm fine...I can walk...I'm fine." He continues to repeat that for a few moments more, breathing laboured as if still winded, but not wheezing. "I'm fine...Thari...mind the others...this...this isn't over...I'm fine..."
Glubb is ready this time and dodges to the side of the battle axe still moving fairly swiftly despite his wound. "Taken the place of your friend as my victim?" he spits with a another sneer and his scimitar is flying at the dwarf again.
Glubb attacks Eirdis with his Scimitar and lightly wounds her!
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The delay while the troll struck another Dwarf allows Thranduil to bring his shield up, and meet the blow head-on. He bends at the knees, but this time they do not buckle.
As he throws aside the blow, his right arm thrusts forward, another jab aimedat the troll's face. "You will wear the mark of the Ndaedelos!" he exclaims.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Jiatl growls loudly, jerking away as the blade slides into her face. Her hand moves over the wound, feeling the thick blood well and begin to trickle down her cheek. She rushes at the elf and sweeps the club toward his head again.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but Thranduil parries the attack with his shield!
Eirdis coughs and winces as another blow from the scimitar thwacks against her side. She spits again, nearly dislodging a tooth and screaming bloody murder, "Victim my pony's left rumpcheek!" Swinging her axe, she tries again to land another hit.
Eirdis attacks Glubb with her Battle Axe, but she misses by a long shot.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Thari(#31038)]
"Shut that nonsense out of your mouth," Thari says in a hard voice. "I'll stand you up then and you'll walk out and then I'll see to the rest." The healer then hooks elbows beneath Frarin's underarms and lifts.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Sidestepping neatly, again the blow glances off an expertly-angled shield. The Elfking is swift afoot, darting to the troll's side, and turning, lashing out with another blow against the charging troll, this one aimed squarely for the buttock.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Jiatl feels the stinging slice of the blade once more, making her turn and press her back against the wall of the cave. The dancing elf draws her anger closer to the surface and she lunges a single step to sweep the club toward his chest again.
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club, but she misses by a long shot.
[Frarin] "Ahhh!" Frarin cries out as he is suddenly hoisted to his feet, his left shoulder and arm jolted terribly. Thari might feel the point of the lost arrow shaft now sticking out just above Frarin's shoulder blade. "Oh by the bloody Maker!" the silversmith growls. "Other side, other side!" He hugs his injured arm even closer to his bruised body as if to keep Thari from lifting him with it again. Amazingly, both of his legs seem unharmed, the brunt of the troll's club having caught him to the left of his chest, but even so, as he comes to his feet, he looks winded again and unsteady, using his hammer as something of a crutch.
[Hildis(#23062)] Someone is groaning and it is annoying Hildis. Annoying enough for him to consider opening his eyes. There is light in the cave again but that seems not to bother him, he blinks and seems to fall back asleep but his eyes open again. The groaning hasn't stopped. Beginning with his fingers Hildis experiments with movement. He stops when troll foot lands right next to his nose. He accelerates the experiment and one arm is not working. Very slowly he inches his way away from the foot.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The wildly swinging club again finds an empty space, as Thranduil darts back in the other direction, towards the origin of the swing. Sword raised high, he strikes downwards, hard, towards the fleeting target of the troll's club-arm.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword, but he misses by a handspan.
Jiatl sweeps away from the attack, twisting and bringing the club toward the elf with the momentum of her turn
Jiatl attacks Thranduil with her Club and moderately wounds him!
Glubb dodges to the side once more his eyes blazing. "Take your friends and go, not worth my time!" he spits towards the dwarf. The foul creature must have lost his mind with bloodlust as he knows rushes forward towards the troll and his opponant and swings his blade in a high arc.
Glubb attacks Thranduil with his Scimitar, but he misses by a handspan.
Eirdis hisses and backs away, looking for Hildis and finding him in a heap. She pants a little and hooks her free arm around Hildis' middle and slowly but surely drags him out, muttering, "C'mon, lad, up you come.. Can't drag you completely on my own.."
[<#31038>]
"Sorry," Thari murmurs, removing hand from Frarin's left side while lifting him, "Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry."
Thari steps experimentally away while eyeing the silversmith. 'To the door, get to the daylight.' A quick glance around, and then a shout. 'Elf-king! Pull away!'
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis blinks. "Wha...wha?" he croaks. "Eirdis, what ye doing here?" He staggers and in a drunken lurch is on his feet, the troll foot behind him off on its dance with the Elf King. "Where is everyone?"
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Frarin] Frarin totters when Thari steps away from him, but between leaning heavily on his hammer and propping himself up again the wall beside him, he remains upright for the time. He looks jerkily back at Thari. "Go on...go on...help the others..." He is all but masked in darkness as he stumbles unsteadily along directly beside the wall, using it as a frequent support. At one point, as sweat gathers in beads upon his brow, one of his legs gives out and he half falls, suddenly clutching at the arrow at his shoulder. But a growl of frustration and he heaves slowly back to his feet and continues his slow journey towards the cave's mouth.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
Thranduil does not dodge the return blow, nor does his shield rise. His blade, however, does recoil, up above his head, as he takes two heavy steps to the side, driven out of the way of another blade. He twists back, taking a step away from the troll, but does not fall back. Instead, he swipes his blade downwards towards the passing orc, "Fly! I said! Your doom is come!" he calls out
Thranduil attacks Glubb with his Longsword, but Glubb parries the attack with his Scimitar!
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari steps away from Frarin and a bit toward Thranduil, but once the silversmith stumbles, the healer abandons the elf. Thari limps quickly back to Frarin and shoves a shoulder beneath his right arm. "Stop arguing with me," Thari says calmly.
Glubb snarls "Your friends have left you, your alone fool!" the foolhardy orc says as his weapon his brought up and there is a clash of metal on metal. He manages to break it and attacks this time a low swing for the legs.
Glubb attacks Thranduil with his Scimitar, but he misses by a mile.
[Frarin] "Fine...fine...I'm fine...fine..." Whether Frarin has given in to Thari's aid or is still insisting on his ability to deal by himself is unclear from his muttered words, gritted out through clenched teeth. But in any case, he does not resist the aid of the healer's shoulder to support him.
Jiatl looks toward the remaining orcs, hissing her disapproval at their number. She motions with her club and they begin to fall back. "Today is yours, elf. Do not count on another.." She glares toward Glubb, slamming her club against the rock wall in warning for the orc before she turns and moves into the deeper shadows of the cave.
[Hildis(#23062)] Leaning heavily against the wall on his good shoulder Hildis takes deep breaths. Behind him the voices of Frarin and Thari, he mumbles to himself, "Even here, fighting." He shakes his head and takes a step from the wall his face drawn into a grimace. One arm hangs strangely. He looks about him for his axe, every turn of his head accompanied by a grunt. "Mahal, where is it?" It lays a few feet away from him. He sucks a heavy breath leaning over to pick it up. Shortening his grip on the handle he stands finding his bearing when he hears the orc taunt Thranduil. He staggers toward the troll but he moves away. "No!"
[Thari(#31038)]
"I will take the arrow haft out when we leave the cave," Thari mutters. The healer tucks the short axe into belt and reaches for Frarin's hammer. Sunlight falls on them suddenly as they near the narrow exit.
[Thranduil(#5440)]
The elf does not take the day and leave he jumps back, avoiding the low swing, "Your master may flee, but not unmarked!" He laughs, striding forward once more and swinging his own blade in a long, wide arc, sweeping towards the orc's belly.
Thranduil attacks Jiatl with his Longsword and lightly wounds her!
Thranduil attacks Glubb with his Longsword and badly wounds him!
[Frarin] "If you can...find...the bloody thing," Frarin growls between great heaves of breath. "Sure...it hasn't...gone...out the other...side? Would be...con, convenient." It is difficult to tell what with the constant grimace dominating his expression, but the last almost hints of a sarcastic joke. He stumbles into the sunlight, but he keeps a tight hold on his hammer, even with his arm wrapped around Thari's shoulders.
COMBAT: You take recurring damage from your arrow injury.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari very briefly pulls at Frarin's hammer, but soon enough leaves it. "It very nearly did."
Thari guides him away from the opening of the cave and to a nearby tree. "Lean against that. I'll take it out and bind that wound before we go further. That'll solve most of your troubles right there."
[Hildis(#23062)] The troll has moved out of his reach but an orc remains. The one that taunted the King for the dwarves abandoning him? "We don't leave a fight," he croaks and repeats louder, "we don't leave a fight." His axe gripped high on the handle he staggers after the orc. The Elf King's sword flashes in the half light as does Hildis's. He screams wordlessly and swings at an arm coming in from the orc's side.
[Frarin] Frarin leans against the tree as he is told and does not complain. The muscles about his jaw tighten as his teeth clench in preparation for Thari's impromptu surgery, but he is silent.
Hildis attacks Glubb with its War Hammer, but it misses by a long shot.
Glubb the orc pays for his distraction and taunting as he tries to dodge and is sliced a deep slice to the sword arm. It falls limply to his side and he cries out in pain and anger, but is in no form to continuing. He barely manges to dodge the next strike of the hammer. The scout snarls before backing off at last into the darkness following the troll into the mountains.
[Thari(#31038)]
Thari rests her shield against the tree and steps behind Frarin. "Did you hit that troll trying to protect the elf?" she mutters, trying to tease him while prodding at and testing his wound. She slides her belt-knife out. "This should be quick. Here it comes."
Thari's knife slides into Frarin's wound and widens it while she also quickly tries to slide the arrow out.
[Combat Function Library(#15)] Thari carefully removes an arrow from Frarin...
HEALING: Thari attempts to treat your arrow injuries...
[Thranduil(#5440)]
"Back, fool!" The elf-king cries, turning his eyes to Hildis' ill-fated attack for but a moment, when he looks back, the orc is gone, fled into the deeper recesses of the cave.
He does not pursue, holding the flat of his blade out before the Dwarf, to block the path as well.
"See to your friends," he says, more gently, after a moment, his gaze turning to Hildis in the dying firelight, and let them see to you wound, it is deep."
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis blinks and clutches the arm that hangs so limply looking about him. The enemy has fled. He looks back toward the cave entrance then upward at the King blocking his way. His mouth opens as though to argue but no sound issues. Dumbly he nods but not before the barest smile lifts his moustache, he nods again. "Sharp sword you have there." Blinking he turns and heads toward the daylight.
[Frarin] Frarin bares his teeth as the knife slides in and carries out its quick work, but aside from a grunt deep in his throat, he is resolutely quiet. Only after the arrow comes free, miraculously still in one piece even after the impact of Jiatl's club, does Frarin answer Thari. "And what...if I did?...King of Elves...best...he doesn't die..." Then with a faint smile, the silversmith holds up a finger. "Don't argue." And with that he stumbles further from the cave instead the quiet wooded glade beyond.
Thari rolls her eyes up but doesn't argue. She glances back to the cave, then moves toward the entrance, arms out to catch the emerging Hildis, should she need it.
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis barely manages to pull the war hammer up to his good shoulder. Turning very slowly he heads toward the light and stumbles out of the cave. He stands swaying, eyes screwed shut against the light for a moment. "Thari? That you? Where's Frarin?" He takes a tottering step towards the supporting arms.
Thari supports Hildis and pulls the other dwarf-lady further away from the cave. "Yes, it's me. Frarin's fine," answers the healer in a very iron-hard firm way. "Look at you. You shouldn't be in there." Thari runs her hands down over Hildis's wounds.
[Hildis(#23062)] A fat tear rolls and hangs suspended from the end of Hildis's blood soaked moustache. Her nose has been bleeding. Voice slurred she looks at Thari strangely, "Why? I...mean...why? My...head hurts, Thari. My arm...
"Ah, I had that happen to me once," Thari says in a calm way. "Frarin took care of me then." Her hands rest briefly over Hildis's elbow, and with a sudden, violent jerk, she resets the dislocation. Her eyes flash to Hildis's face, measuring her reaction.
HEALING: You administer aid to Hildis and think that it looks a little better.
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis's eyes roll back into her head and she sways so suddenly she nearly falls. "Owww, owww, Thari. By Mahal, owwww. What are you...doing?" Under the blood and the red of her moustache the dwarf merchant becomes an interesting shade of white and would sit down very hard were it not for Thari's supporting arm.
Thari does grip Hildis's arm supportively. "I'm walking with you down the mountain," she says in a cheery fashion, dragging the merchant along now. "Just follow your friend Thari and soon the pain will be gone!"
[Hildis(#23062)] "But...why Thari. I'm tired." Hildis looks about her, lowers her hammer to lean on it with a sigh of relief. "I can just rest here."
"No, no, if you did, who would make sure I would get down with my leg like this? Walk with me." Thari keeps her death grip on Hildis's good arm and keeps following the path.
[Hildis(#23062)] Hildis nods trustingly like a dwarf child. The hammer drags in the dust beside her as she 'helps' Thari down the path.
Players: Hildis, Thari, Frarin, Eirdis, Jiatl, Glubb, Thranduil
