Get Off My Mountain! (Three Horses and an Ass TP)

High Pass, Western Face
The path here twists and turns about a dangerous drop. Clouds of mist loom both above and below. The footing on this frigid and hidden underneath the blanket of snow ascent is tricky at best. The pathway leading down forks to the north into a small canyon, while it also continues westward. Above you to the east, the worst of the climb remains.

The daytime sky is heavy with sullen clouds that cling to your exposed skin with an icy grip. Little sunshine is able to filter through the freezing gloom. The early morning winter air is tepid and dry.

Contents:
Erghash
Aurfaen
Menelglir
Obvious exits:
 North leads to High Pass, Mountain Path.
 West leads to High Pass, Twisting Trail.
 Ascend leads to High Pass, Summit.

[Erghash(#11368)]
Amongst the crags and crevices of this rocky trail a small patrol moves steadily through the chill mountain air. The Morians move with ease over the rocks and stones, down from their hole in the side of the mountain. At their head is Erghash leading the way through the ice and snow with not even a grunt to show for the effort. His breath fogs the air before him as he moves.

"Keep it moving, snaga. They're along that trail somewhere, keep an eye out." Erghash growls his whisper, keeping his eyes on the snow-blocked trail below.

[Aurfaen(#16622)]
"Morning, if you can call it that," Aurfaen says cheerfully to Menelglir, kicking at chunks of ice with her boot. She kneels down beside the fire, giving a kiss to Menelglir's cheek before seeing about a snack. It's a leisurely morning- forced, because of lack of progress- but leisurely nonetheless, and the young Ranger called Bunny seems eager to enjoy it.

Menelglir slips himself into his Studded Leather Armor.
Menelglir puts on Studded Leather Helmet.

Erghash puts on the dark helm wordlessly and then gives it a hard pat to seat it firmly
Erghash You ready your shield.
Erghash Releases an axe from its loop at his waist and grips it tightly.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
It's a grunt in reply to the kiss, the Squire's concentration focused more on the fire he is tring to start, which could mean life or death here. After a moment, Menelglir sighs in frustration and shakes his head, standing up. "THe wind keeps blowing it out before I can get it to catch. Maybe you can..."

He stops, squinting eastward along the path, then slowly shakes his head. "The wind...so odd here."

[Erghash(#11368)]
The patrol of Morians move steadily in the driving wind, eyes kept shield from the sun by bits of cloth and their helmets. Erghash moves deftly from rock to rock, utilizing each of cover in his search along the trail. "Always trying to sneak by..." Erghash mutters to himself, moving through the snow.

CRASH! A scattering of rocks, and a yelp. Another orc in the patrol missteps and finds only loose rock beneath his feet. Tumbling down the mountain-side he goes towards the snow-packed trail below. CRUNCH! The orc's body hits with a solid thud against a large boulder, blown clear of snow by the driving wind. Not even a twitch is given by the orc.

Erghash's attention is fixated on the tumbling orc. "Snaga..." He shakes his head, glaring back at those remaining in his patrol before continuing his move.

[Aurfaen(#16622)]
"Of course," Aurfaen agrees, leaning closer to the place where Menelglir's been attempting to make their fire. She sends a self-satisfied little smirk in his direction once she's able to produce a little spark. Yet Bunny can't fight the wind, and it's blown out just as quickly. "I'll just keep on trying," she mutters, determined. The comment about the wind being odd isn't acknowledged, yet. Of course, the wind doesn't stop Bunny from hearing the tumble of rocks and the resulting crash.

She looks up sharply, pauses a moment, then scrambles to her feet. "Menelglir, your sword.." Aurfaen murmurs.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
The sound of a crash makes Menelglir stare into the east and the snow, only for an instant before he leaps to grab his shield, which lies nearby, and then unsheath his sword. "That is -not- the wind!" he shouts to the RAnger. "Warn the others. I'm going to have a look." He heads toward the sound.

Menelglir puts on Studded Leather Shield.

[Erghash(#11368)]
Erghash halts the patrol with a raised fist. "Movement..." He whispers to himself. His eyes fixate on the flashes of movement down below. "Ah!" Erghash grunts, his handing leaping to point out the beings down below on the trail. "There! Quickly now, move to that boulder and push!" Erghash signals the Morians to move to a rather large and precariously perched boulder located above the trail, and they dash off without a word.

Erghash begins to bound down the mountainside, axe in hand, towards the collection of travelers. "Get off of my mountain!" The Morian yells gutturally, the wind likely making his words impossible to understand.

[Aurfaen(#16622)]
Aurfaen obliges, after one quick look at Menelglir, and a few silently mouthed words. The girl with long raven braids rushes off to alert the rest of their party- but doubtless she'll be coming right back to the Squire's side, loathe to abandon him even for a moment.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
Despite his rushing off with a show of bravado, Menelglir moves cautiously as he goes to investigate--the footing here is treacherous, the wind makes it hard to see and despite the cloth wrapped about his face under his helm. Shield raised in front of him, he darts behind a rock on the path, trying to use it for cover to see what is ahead. He looks up but sees nothing.

[Erghash(#11368)]
Erghash moves steadily down the mountainside, shield at his left and axe at his right. The Morian pauses, the group of travelers more in focus now than before. Glancing back he yells, "Faster snaga! I haven't got all day to wait on you!"

The group of snaga patrolling with Erghash are full set up the mountain, darting for the boulder of Erghash's plan. They stumble, trip, and tear their way to their objective for fear of failing the Dush Krimput.

Again Erghash is on the move down the mountain, his legs bounding their way through the snow and rocks.

[Menelglir(#17324)] 
"Bunny!" It's a very strange war cry to shout when orcs are bearing down on you, but that is what the Squire shouts into the icy winter morning, followed by "Get help!" And then he runs forward to meet Erghash, thinking, perhaps, to take out the leader of this goblin patrol.

[Erghash(#11368)]
The Morians at last reach their destination at the rock. Quickly they begin their work, digging, poking, pushing and prodding all around the rock to loosen it from its base and send it tumbling down the mountain towards the travelers.

Erghash wastes no time now, dashing down the mountain. BANG! The Morian Dush Krimpat slams his axe against the metal of his shield. The Morian drives straight for the charging human, giving a loud cry as he closes the distance. "ARRGGH!" Erghash grunts, the distance closed and his axe already in motion in a quick attempt to remove one head from one human.

Erghash attacks Menelglir with his Axe and badly wounds him!

[Aurfaen(#16622)]
She hasn't been gone very long at all, that young Ranger woman. Aurfaen reappears just behind Menelglir, a hand reaching out for his shoulder as he races on ahead. "Wait, Menelglir! You can't take them all!" Her wide grey eyes have some exasperation in them. "I cuoldn't find the others--" she calls out, but never finishes, staring in openmouthed horror as Erghash clashes with Menelglir. Staying back where she is- for what can she do? Aurfaen draws her sword.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
Shield up, Menelglir braces for the impact of the charging orc, but all those months of practice have not prepared him for this. He manages to stop the axe from cutting off his head, but there is a rather sickening of axe cutting through leather armor, and the snow beneath the Squire is suddenly sprayed with red. He staggers backwards, loses his footing on the icy path and falls, tumbling backwards and landing at least some distance from the orc, bllod around him staining red. His sword is still in hand the shield was dropped but slides to a stop nearby as the Squire tries to struggle to his feet again.

[Sulgirion(#16643)]
A harsh call pierces the morning sky, its wild-edged call bounding from stone to mountain side, and back. High above the earth a gigantic winged shape can be seen dipping in and out from the winter clouds and mist. Blackened talons glitter in the gleam of the snow-tipped peaks, and a wicked curved beak opens once again to let forth a second shrill avian cry.

[Erghash(#11368)]
Erghash drives home his hit on the human, his eyes coming to life at the sight of the bright crimson blood. Erghash pauses as the human goes tumbling to the ground. The uruk smirks, bring the axe to his lips and licking the blade. "Better..." Erghash says, laughingly. "You will pay with your life to pass Magua's mountain." Erghash says, his eyes now cooly fixed on the downed man. Slowly, he stalks his prey.

Away up the mountain the Morian uruks continue their task of disloding the boulder. Rocks are tumbling, dirt is being sprayed, and more than a bit of sweat is being poured to the ground as they do their work. It seems they are nearly there, the dirt beneath the boulder is beginning to disappear and it seems they snaga have begun to rock the boulder to and fro.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
Dazed, Menelglir manaages yet to stagger to his feet, reaching for the shield fallen nearby. Dark red stains the snow where he fell. He doesn't rush forward to meet the orc, but sways, eyes focusing in and out on the sight of doom coming his way.

The shield is weakly held it is his left side that is most wounded. One small step forward, then two, then he slashes out at his enemy or perhaps only at the air.

[Aurfaen(#16622)]
Aurfaen watches with mixed shock and horror as blood sprays onto the snow, drawn from the Squire. Then someone is screaming loud enough to summon every orc in these parts- and it's her, she realizes after a moment. "Menelglir, no!" she screams again. As the uruk captain advances, she has eyes for no other. "Here, ugly!" she cries out to him, raising her long blade.

"This is no one's mountain."

[Sulgirion(#16643)]
Lower soars the massive bronze and gold form of Sulgirion, and his amber gaze is fixated down, watching the horrors of the monsters below. His feathered brow furrows in disgust, and the great wings are angled. Like a large rock the eagle plummets from the heavens, a fearsome angel of death with his claws splayed outward, and bright eyes gleaming at the sight of the yrch that plague the mountain side. For a moment the sky-creature seems torn between the two: aiding the poor battered Squire, or preventing a devastating avalanche. But as the boulder begins to rock back and forth, the avian directs his attention that way. He dives--talons aiming for the snaga who toil to dislodge the giant rock.

[Erghash(#11368)]
The Dush Krimpat Erghash is prepared for this haggard attack by the human, and as the feeble strike is given Erghash merely steps back to avoid the blow. The Moria begins to chuckle. Thunk! Slice! "Arrrgghh!" Erghash moans a cut deep into the upper portion of his right arm quickly emerges from the slicing blade of Aurfaen. Taken aback by the unseen attack, Erghash quickly regroups and slashes defensively at Aurfaen with his axe a blow aimed to trade for space rather than to empty the bowels of the human Aurfaen.

The Snaga work steadily at thier assigned task, but not so diligently as to not hear an Eagle siming their way. "Bird!" Cries out one of the Snaga, pointing and staring at the creature rather than running. The remaining Snaga scatter from around the rock and seek quick cover, diving to the ground in the best places they can find. The rock itself settles back down on the mountainside, unmoved for now.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
"Bunny! Get back! Get the others to safety!" Menelglir shouts as the woman steps forward to attaack. "There's too many of them--run now!" He presses forward trying to take advantage of the woman's attack and go for Erghash's side, but already he is unsteady on his feet from his wound.

[Aurfaen(#16622)] "Not yet!" Is all Bunny says to Menelglir, the girl slashing out at Erghash again, this time aiming rather high, trying to strike at the uruk's neck. "If you killed him, I'll kill you!" she shouts at the creature, despite that Menelglir is still breathing well enough to tell her to get back. Attacking Menelglir seems to be the thing that gets the young Ranger's anger flowing best. She presses forward toward Erghash as she tries to hit him again. She's only dimly aware that the Eagle has joined them as well.

[Sulgirion(#16643)]
Alas for the foolish snaga who sacrifices fleeing for pointing. The small orc is swiftly snatched up in the bird's enormous claws, and powerful winds blast the mountain side as Sulgirion ascends spiraling into the hazy air. The captive uruk is subjected to a crushing grasp, ere he is dropped unceremoneously toward the earth underneath.

The raptor makes several low swoops over the snow-covered tooth of the mountain to deter any of the cowering creatures from deciding to return to their attempt--at least for the time being. Then, a fresh screech rends the area, and Sulgirion dives once again, this time beak bearing down to smite the orc leader's shoulders. "Begone from here, filth!" comes raspy Westron amidst the avian calls.

COMBAT - Wielded: Eagle Beak

You attack Erghash with your Eagle Beak...
[Combat(#13388)->Sulgirion]
Your attack against Erghash badly wounds him!

[Erghash(#11368)] CLANG! Aurfaen's sword connects with the Morian's shield solidly, but Erghash's arm holds. So engaged, Erghash has little time to deal with Menelglir's renewed attack. Stepping away from the woman and twisting deftly to his right Erghash lashes out with the flat side of the axe, aiming for the head of Menelglir. The human male's blade does find the armor of the Dush Krimpat, and slices a nice opening along the side and to the back, but no blood yet falls from the hole created.

The snagas watch as one of their own is taken up by the great Eagle and dropped with a thud back to the mountainside. Quickly though, they are back to their task and the boulder is rocking, rocking, rocking.....tipping.

Even as Erghash spins to attack his body is thrust forward and down the mountain's side by the Eagle's crashing attack.

"Errrmph!" Erghash gasps, the air taken from his body, and quickly his conciousness as he makes contact with the mountainside - his armored form bouncing, crashing, smashing down the rocky slide. Slowly the Dush Krimpat slides to a stop wedged against a small boulder and the sloping mountain.

And tip the boulder does, and so do a couple of snaga with it. CRASH! SMASH! Rumbling earth and shifting stones as the boulder rolls down the mountainside, crashing towards the human encampment.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
Metal cracks on metal Erghash's axe has found the side of Menelglir's helmet. The Squire has half swayed, half moved backward at the orc's oncoming attack, so that the blow is somewhat lessened. But already weakened to the point of collapse as he is, this sends him sprawling into the snow, shield falling now, eyes shut as blackness closes in on him.

[Sulgirion(#16643)]
The sudden crashing and rumbling racket catches the Great Eagle's attention, even as his beak comes away from the Dush Krimpat, sending the Morian tumbling over the snow. A quick survey of the scene reveals the tumbling boulder, and swiftly Sulgirion twists in midair, reaiming his flight toward the immpending doom that draws nigh the human encampment. Settling into a hover, the bird beats his wings furiously, hoping to somehow--through force or luck--to steer the giant rock off course.

[Erghash(#11368)]
Erghash lay motionless on the mountainside, his body beaten and broken. However, his snaga have done their job and now begin to scatter back along the mountainside towards their home in the mountain. The rock though, does no such thing.

Slowly it rumbles and rolls down the mountain's side, gaining speed as it falls - sending yet more smaller rocks and stones tumbling down the depths. The Eagle's wings appear to do nothing at first, but the already powerful wind and the bird's great wings begin to push the rock off its desired course of travel.

CRASH! SMASH! The stone tumbles down, and appears as though it will narrowly miss the human encampment.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
One orc broken on the mountainside, and one Squire bleeding in the snow. The wind howls.

[Sulgirion(#16643)]
Sulgirion rises, turning to swoop overhead as his keen eyes study the boulder's path closely, ensuring that it does indeed miss the encampment by a hair. The golden head swerves and cants, and a new squawk would reveal that the vassal of Manwe has spotted the seemingly lifeless form of the young boy lying in the biting blanket of snow.

 A greater wind whips the scene, and it is the giant bird descending nigh Menelglir. A long brown neck stoops low over the Gondorian as Sulgirion's gaze roves over his form, inspecting him for signs of breath. A heavy screech is yielded forth as the raptor rises his head anew, and anger simmers beneath his glare--a piercing look of wrath given toward the remaining orcs who dot the mountainside.

[Erghash(#11368)]
And scatter those orcs have, back up the mountainside to escape to the safety of the Mines. Yet their leader this day is left behind, broken on the snowy mountainside unmoving. A horn is blown, it's sound carrying with the wind from the Mines of Moria. The orcs are nearly home, preferring to fight another day than dare death with the Eagle.

[Menelglir(#17324)]
There are signs of life in the Squire--breathing, at least, but not conscious, probably fortunately so. Not even the eagle's screech elicits movement from him. But back to the west is the rest of their companions, where aid can be gotten, likely.

[Sulgirion(#16643)]
With the threat of the Morians gone for now, the avian focuses his attention on the squire below one giant claw is shifted to close across the Man's middle, being careful to not squeeze too tightly. A single wingbeat sends Sulgirion airborne, and up he tows the Gondorian. "Bunny!" the eagle calls down to the Ranger. "Do not tarry here." Away to the West the bird flies, heading back to the human encampment.