CALDUR: Burn, baby, burn

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

Most walk, those that can walk at least, in a form of depraved stupor. Only the hardiest of Amroth's men remain at full capacity amidst the growing squalor of Caldur's keep. Impassive and greyeyed they, it is their judgement alone that dictates the fates of those that remain. And amongst these, one voice rises above all others: the Knight-Captain, Imrakhor Bragollach.

"Do not let the men rest too long, food or no food. The day is new and we shall have them remember our names, one way or another," he says, as the sun breaks over the Keep. Knights shuffle off into a myriad of directions.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          Among those that are still able to walk is the injured sailor Halered, about his neck are heavy bandages as well as his left leg and arm, it seems he has received a number of injuries upon this campaign. Hearing the words of the Knight Captain he stands tall and seems to eye the man.

[Lominzil(Turlach Temp)] 

Nearby stands a dour young man, his white tabard long stained to grey. He is impassive to the words of the Knight-Captain, watching him with pale eyes like embers silence gives his assent.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

Imrakhor stands alone for a moment, lilting his chin upwards to smell the air. He breathes it in deep, deeper and deeper. And then he smiles. Death.

His moment of solace is broken by a call from upon the battlements.

"Ships! Ships!" it passes across the mostly silent ranks. "Gondorian ships!"

The Knight-Captain frowns and motions to Halered and the dour young man, "Come. If this is madness, put the man under arrest immediately."

[Halered(#31750)] 

          Hearing the words of the Knight Captain the Sailor makes his way over, adjusting the bandages upon his neck a bit, though they seem to fall down a bit still. Be it the mass amount of sweat pour from the mans head, or them being entirely too old. His neck shows what might appear like a nasty burn or scar.. something.

 

Lominzil, White Squire, straightens, lifting his head at the call. A slow grin, stark in its incongruity, unfolds upon his young face, and he ascends the battlements with nimble feet.

The slip of the older sailor's wounds is missed.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

The Bragollach lord strides out in front of the pair he has called, and if he takes notice of the scar, he makes no indication of it. His steps are swift and firm up the stairs to the battlements proper, to the top at last.

The lookout is almost giddy with delight, but his legs are weak and can hardly pull him off the ground. "Look, sir, the ships! Minas Tirith has come!"

It takes the Captain but a moment to conclude the same, his reaction even.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          Seeing the sails of the Gondorian ships Halered says in a sour tone "They have come" and then turning about he moved back down, the scar, burn, or perhaps brand upon his neck is showing now as he moves away.

 

"Gondor, Gondor has come at last! My lord, they land!" Lominzil cries, the delight in his voice roughened by hunger and a long-kept desire for bloodshed.

Neither Halered the sailor's departure is missed by the sharp youth, nor his wounds: "Sir, your dressings will not keep. Battle is nigh you must be ready," he says brightly, reaching for the older man's arm.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          As the squire speaks, Halered rushes to fix the bandages. Feeling the hand of the squire upon his arm he spins about quickly and with a look of fear on his face he says "It is fine, it is fine.."

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

Imrakhor turns to put a hand on the shoulders of Lominzil behind him but sees only Halered's look of fear. It takes not the eyes of the Dunadan to tell the reaction is queer, but he has those and says, "Did I dismiss you, man?"

[Halered(#31750)] 

          Hearing the Knight Captain, Halered says "umm No sir, no you didn't." trying to fix his bandage he starts moving back towards the Knight Captain, the look of fear still on his face. 

 

"Pray, is something wrong with the fleet of Gondor, sir sailor?" Lominzil queries, concern still upon his face for the wounded sailor (though surely many in that Keep bear old wounds). "I can count only four vessels."

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

The Knight-Captain cranes his neck around Halered. "Your bandage, sailor. Perhaps we should replace it. It seems to keep falling off." He comes up close to the man and walks around him, inspecting. "Squire Lominzil, call for a new bandage for this man. Sir Aramore should be nearby," continues the Captain.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          All this talk of the bandage the Sailor bows his head and says "I thank you for such kindness sir, but I assure you it is fine.." still he fidgets with it trying to cover his neck and that same look of fear upon his face. 

 

"My lord, what of Gondor?" asks Lominzil curiously, tearing his eyes away from the wondrous white sails, but he hurries down to the center of the keep, disappearing under crumbling arches.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

"I believe you mistake my words for requests or suggestions. They were not. Take off the bandage and let me see your neck," says Imrakhor sternly.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          As the Knight Captain becomes stern the Sailor's eyes turn to one of anger and he says "I would rather not, Sir!' and then with that he rushes the Knight Captain. Throwing a punch at the jaw of the man.

Halered attacks Imrakhor with his Bare Hands, but he misses by a long shot.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

The Captain is quick, even in the tight quarters of the battlement. He dodges aside the blow and steel flashes from his waist to Halered's back.

Imrakhor attacks Halered with his Longsword and badly wounds him!

Lominzil darts up the stairs, bedraggled linen draped over his arm. There is blood upon the battlements.

"My lord, what is this?" he cries, eyes flashing from sailor to captain, one hand ready upon his sword.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          The Knight Captains blade strikes true opening up a large gash upon his back. Sending the Sailor to his knees screaming in pain, be it adrenalin or pure rage he spins about and take a swing at the lower extremities of the Knight Captain, the attack of a coward some would say. As he screams he says "For my Mistress!!!"

Halered attacks Imrakhor with his Bare Hands and mildly wounds him!

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

Imrakhor feels his steel cut deep in Halered's back. He has seen enough to know the blow has likely enough force to end a man, but little to be wary if it has not. The Squire's arrival distracts him. "His neck. A brand," he says.

The sailor's blow lands firmly enough into his inner thigh but does little more than anger the Knight-Captain. He swings down again at Halered.

Imrakhor attacks Halered with his Longsword and severely wounds him!

"A traitor? What does he say?" asks Lominzil, good mood descending into darkness. He steps forward, drawing his own sword to cut at the screaming man.

[Halered(#31750)] 

          Leaning back to try and avoid the attack Halered screams "You will all burn!" leaning back saves his head from being split in half, and perhaps a quick death, for the blade of the Knight splits his chest open. Causing him to fall upon his back gasping for air as his blood and insides spill out of his body, blood covering everything near the man.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

"Perhaps," answers Imrakhor. He seems disinterested in Halered for the moment. "Perhaps," he repeats. He looks out to the grounds of the Keep, to all its many buildings for a long moment and then turns back to the dying man.

"Do you know what I hate most of the men that inhabit this land? It is the stench. The stench of the sun and of your cowardice. You are a plague."

"We may burn, you are right, but Caldur will burn with us."

[Halered(#31750)] 

          Halered simply gasps for air while he lays upon the ground bleeding out from the two vicious wounds he received from the Knight Captain. But after a few moment he says in a gurgled voice "You will.. die.. all. The same. Fool!" 

 

The words, they are ponderous as a doom befalling. "Caldur will burn," echoes Lominzil quietly, sheathing his sword and closing his eyes. Blood from Halered's wounds have stained his tabard anew, painted fresh red.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

"Lominzil, tell our Captains. Caldur burns. Put it all to the flame. We depart soon and we will leave nothing for them to remember her by," says Imrakhor to the Squire. "This man has not the strength to live much longer."

And the Knight-Captain strikes out again to make that time shorter.

Imrakhor attacks Halered with his Longsword and severely wounds him!

[Halered(#31750)] 

          The blade strikes Halered again, and with this he says no more.. his breathing stops and his body goes limp.. dead while his blood drains from his body.

 

Lominzil watches in silence, shuddering once as the last strike falls.

Then he raises pale eyes to Sir Imrakhor, the mad gleam of joy not yet faded from his gaze. "My lord, what of the Fleet that has come?"

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

"We can do them no good now. Their fate is their own. If they take the beach, we will meet them. But until then, do your duty. Go! Burn it!"

His command given, he turns back to Halered.

"Filth," his face twists in disgust. He shakes like a feral beast.

And he strikes...

Imrakhor attacks Halered with his Longsword and badly wounds him!

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

And again. A flurry of slashing blows.

Halered collapses to the ground, defeated by Imrakhor!

 

The sickening sounds follow Lominzil as he steps rigidly down the stairs, his pale mien carefully schooled into stone.

It is quiet in the center of the Keep. Few challenge the Knight-Captain and his message, dire as it seems: such are the Swans in accord.

The first curl of smoke, wavering ashen tendrils in bloody dawn, rise above the beleaguered battlements.

[Imrakhor(#30834)]  

Imrakhor turns man to corpse and yet his strikes continue till the body is barely recognizable. He spits and his movement remains predatory as he stalks off to grab a rope. One end is looped swifly around Halered's neck. The other end he uses to drag the body, nigh to the gates of the Keep.

There, he carefully ties a knot around one of the crenelations. Mustering all his strength, the Knight-Captain succeeds in pushing the body.

Halered hangs.

Caldur burns.

And Imrakhor, now consecrated in blood, stares out defiantly.