Good Dog

--------------------------------Isengard Time---------------------------------

Real time is: Mon Apr 19 21:19:39 2010 - Elendor time is

Early Afternoon on a Rainy Autumn Hevensday, September 21, 3049

The Moon\'s Phase is: first quarter

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[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Rain beats down from the sky this afternoon, leading Men and Dwarves and Elves to cover their construction and take brief rest beneath their tents. There are some who have found the Gathering House to be less pungent than it was at the beginning of this project, and cheery lanterns shine at the once-dark windows.

Nurenhir, however, is not bothered by the rain. Although a dark cloak does little to shield him from the rain, he wanders unhindered beneath the trees some distance away from the walls, a basket in one hand. A long-tressed head turns this way and that -- he is, again, searching for something.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

Searching, searching the Elf may be, but the pair of crimson eyes that look on are not, having found something to focus themselves on. From within a scraggly bush Narhsaak observes, for now crouching in silence. The uruk-hai remains motionless as well, aside from a sudden flick of a gloved claw that sends a clump of what looks to be weeds out from her foliage. Perhaps she thinks the steward will pick them up, or at least wander closer in that direction.

[Ollie(#15066)] A few steps behind the elf, Gidon is also looking for something. He has a bag slung over his shoulder, and a spear in his good hand - and at his side, stiff with responsibility and pride and about to piddle himself with excitement, Hraefengar\'s puppy stalks.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Something moves off to the side, but the rain bounces off leaf and fern, sending most things into an animated waving motion. The cold wind does not help...

Nevertheless, Nurenhir shivers a little, glancing back at Gidon. \"Are you sure? You might take a chill...\"

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The orc grumbles lowly to herself, frowning a bit that the weed tossing failed to attract any reactions but still Narshaak watches, though not contentedly nor patiently, for she slowly begins to file one edge of her broadsided blade against a small whetstone. The patter of the rain and the wind twists the grating noises, though they might be picked up by the keen of ear. The Isengarder\'s red gaze moves from Elf, the boy, to pup, and back again.

[Ollie(#15066)] \"M\'not cold,\" Gidon says, absently. He crouches down, setting his spear aside and reaching out for a feathery plant. Fingering the leaves, he considers it for a minute, then breaks it off at the root and puts it carefully in his bag. The puppy is sniffing eagerly at the ground nearby, and now he lifts his head and barks once.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Nurenhir regards the boy and his puppy with a gently worried gaze, but then smiles. Sighing, he kneels as well, plucking a few yellow-flowered plants and slipping them under his cloak. Something catches his eye ... something crushed? The Elf moves forward a little, fingers probing the ground. His back is turned to the Isengarder.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The eyes in the bush flicker then, excited at the sight of an opportunity as Nurenhir faces away from her, unaware it seems. The whetstone is stuffed into a pouch, and Narshaak snatches her sword in her right claw. She pounces suddenly, darting out from her hiding place -- but surprisingly the she-hai does not aim her weapon for Elda back.

The orc moves toward the boy instead, skirting around the puppy for now, and reaching to grasp Gidon about the collar with her free hand.

[Ollie(#15066)] The puppy doesn\'t wish to be skirted. He bursts into a frenzy of barking, leaping up at the orc on legs that are still too long for his body. Gidon looks around, perplexed at the hither-to well-behaved dog\'s antics - his eyes land on the on-rushing orc, eyes widening. Off-balance, he falls to one side, throwing out his arm to try and catch himself. He can\'t get it out far enough and clawed fingers close around his collar, the cloth choking him. Desperately, Gidon reaches for his spear.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

A blur of rain and movement. Nurenhir\'s knife is neatly separating stems of rue from their roots one moment, and the next instant it is clenched in one hand. The Elf\'s dark eyes flash towards the orc -- a hint of recognition and cold anger therein -- and the dagger leaves his hand, speeding for Narshaak\'s form.

[Combat(#13388)] Nurenhir throws a dagger...

Nurenhir removes Dagger.

Ow! You\'ve been injured for 3 hp\'s by the dagger-throw.

ARB: Please RP this injury accordingly.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The elven dagger is aimed true, and it wins a small cut along the lower half of the orc\'s leg swiftly it is yanked out and thrown unceremoneously aside with a growl. Alas for the boy, for the creature\'s attention returns to him.

Taking a heavy boot, Narshaak shifts it to try and pin the boy\'s spearhead into the muddy ground, all the while keeping the grip about his collar. With a snarl, she moves her other foot to kick the pesky puppy away and to the side. The broadsword she raises to place it against her captive\'s throat. \"I suggest you be still if you wish to live,\" the orc hisses downward, giving an awful grin of sharp teeth. \"You bring a child into the wilds, Elf?\" Narshaak addresses Nurenhir, spitting the last word. \"How irresponsible..listen now, or I might be tempted to give him a haircut..pity if I were to slip and start below the chin.\"

[Ollie(#15066)] Gidon\'s hand closes about the spear shaft, but too late. There is a heavy booted foot firmly on top it. It is luck that the ground is soft enough and the shaft stout enough that it doesn\'t break. At the threat, the boy goes perfectly still, his eyes wide and terrified above the cold steel. Despite his fear, or because of it, he is tense all over, trembling slightly with the effort of not moving.

The puppy dodges the kick, and dives in again, snapping at the boot, or the leg above it and Gidon\'s eyes follow the animal.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Nurenhir makes a small, involuntary motion, and for a moment he might be tensed to rush forward and tear at the she-hai with his bare hands. Then his eyes flicker, dark and swift, to the puppy, and to Gidon, beneath Narshaak\'s knife.

\"Let him go.\" The Elf\'s voice is barely level, and he sways slightly, clearly restraining himself. \"What do you want, filth? Is it me you seek?\"

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The uruk-hai\'s gaze gleams amusedly. \"You will deliever a message for me,\" she answers the steward, still keeping Gidon close, holding him in a sort of rough orc-hug with claw upon collar and blade beside neck. \"The workers rebuild for nothing, their efforts are in vain. They should flee while they still have the chance for we will do the same as we have done that winter passed. Fire darts will rain again from the sky, and smote houses to the dirt. Blood will bathe the grass and it will wither. Do you, do they wish that? If--\"

Whatever more the orc was on the verge of saying, it is cut short. The young wolfhound is not deterred it seems, and Narshaak yelps in pain as the thing\'s teeth bite their way into her foot. She goes to move back, but the weight of the dog against one side causes a stumble the hold on the boy losens for the moment, and her backpace has left the spear free of obstruction.

[Ollie(#15066)] Gidon feels the blade at his neck move away, the orc\'s grip loosen, and without thought, he tries to throw himself away. His clenched hand snatches up the spear but he falls to his knees, scrambling to get up. The dog, having successfully got its teeth into something, growls and worries at its prey. Tug of War! What fun.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

The Elf\'s lip curls at the Orc\'s words, disgusted, though he does not move. But as soon as Narshaak\'s balance is thrown off by the efforts of the hound, Nurenhir darts forward. \"Idle words,\" whispers the steward, rain-soaked mien drawing close to hers. \"They are more resilient than you think.\"

A pale hand is outstretched to try and seize the dagger-holding claw and twist it.

Nurenhir attacks you with his Bare Hands!...

...and he misses!

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The Isengarder is most clearly displeased about the boy\'s escape, but there is naught she can do with the dog pulling the other way. She directs her second, dogless foot, to try and push the wolfhound off. \"We shall see,\" the she-hai hisses to the Elf through clenched teeth as she yanks her weapon hand from his reach, using the blade instead to strike out for the pup that still tugs her by the boot.

[Combat(#13388)->Narshaak]

You forego your chance to attack.

[Ollie(#15066)] The puppy yelps as the orc kicks him, and tumbles backwards having lost his hold. A thin line of red springs up across his nose, and he yowls again, retreating to where Gidon has gotten to his feet and whirled around, holding the spear threateningly. But he can\'t see what to do - how to strike at the orc without hitting the elf, and so he hovers on the outskirts far enough away that he can\'t be grabbed again (he hopes!), spear cocked and ready to throw, and waits.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Nurenhir\'s dagger lies a little distance away, forgotten in the quickly softening ground. The Elf instead whirls upon Narshaak anew, having seen youth and dog retreat from grabbing range. \"You will not see them fall,\" he says, voice dreadfully soft, the tips of his fingers stabbing towards the she-hai\'s helmed face.

Nurenhir attacks you with his Bare Hands!...

...and he hits! Ouch!

ARB: You\'ve been injured for 2 hp\'s by Nurenhir\'s attack...

...you have 80 left. Please RP this injury accordingly.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The orc gets an elven finger in an eye, and a string of curses in a twisted tongue flow into the air from her cracked lips.

Freed for now of the dog, Narshaak pushes herself to her feet again, stretching her form to its full height. \"They will fall, and I promise,\" she says venomously, using her left glove to shield the injured eye, \"you and the manling will fall as well -- if not today, then soon enough.\" Gidon is yielded only a sharp glare, ere the uruk-hai takes a step closer to Nurenhir the broadsword is flung around for his side.

You attack Nurenhir with your Short Broadsword...

[Combat(#13388)->Narshaak]

Your attack against Nurenhir badly wounds him!

[Ollie(#15066)] The orc looks at him, then looks away to attack the elf, and Gidon takes a chance, flinging his spear at it - and hoping the elf can duck away if his aim is off!

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Alas, the broad blade strikes true, stabbing deeply into an injured flank and undoing the hard work of rested days, hard-won herbs, and dearly washed (rose-scented) dressings. Nurenhir cries out, glancing down at the offending weapon for a slow moment. Then a spear hurtles over head, and the steward sprawls to the ground -- gravity helps.

ARB: Nurenhir has \"passed\" on his turn to attack.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

Narshaak laughs, her unharmed crimson eye filled with malice as her attack connects. But the triumph turns swiftly into a new scowl: the spear grazes across her shoulder, tearing leather and splitting the layer of bandages underneath. A thin line of black wells up. Fortunately (for the Elf at least), this causes her to whirl around towards Gidon once more. \"How selfish of me, forgetting you,\" the orc hisses, slowly taking one step nearer to the boy, though she does not yet spring to close the remainder of the distance separting them. \"Maybe you\'d like to die first?\"

Nurenhir is left alone for now, but so is the dog...no doubt a poor decision.

[Combat(#13388)->Narshaak]

You forego your chance to attack.

[Ollie(#15066)] There is a problem with throwing a spear... you are left without it afterwards. Gidon backs up slowly, fumbling hurriedly at his belt for the sling he always carries. His eyes never leave the orc as he fits a stone into the pouch and lifts the primitive weapon, whirling it around his head.

The dog growls, but backs up, its first taste of a sword not giving it much desire for more. And after all, he is still a puppy, despite his size. He backs in a sort of semi-circle around towards the orc\'s back - and each step farther away - then seems to gain courage now that he can\'t be seen any more. Bounding forward, he leaps at Narshaak\'s back.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

The steward\'s hand searches blindly for the dropped knife -- hefts it, made a little difficult by the rainwater and fresh blood. Nurenhir rises unsteadily to one knee, a secure grip wrapped around the dagger, though as the dog leaps he does not throw it.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

The she-hai snorts as she peers at the sling the boy twirls overhead, and she raises her blade to point it forward. But her next pace nearer never comes, for the wolfhound bounds at that instance. Narshaak falls beneath the animal, flinging an arm out as she hits the ground belly first. \"Get off, flea-bitten filth!\" She tries to wriggle out from under it.

[Ollie(#15066)] The puppy barks excitedly. Look at me, look at me, I did it! Gidon lets his stone fly, aiming it towards the orc\'s head, and runs towards the elf keeping a worried eye on his dog, who seems to think the struggling orc that it\'s standing on wants to play.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Nurenhir blinks at the downed orc and hound, then focuses on Gidon. \"You\'re ... not hurt?\" he asks faintly of the youth, struggling to stand. The rainpuddle about him has turned pale crimson. \"We must go back. There might be others...\"

The Elf begins to move back towards the village, clinging from tree to tree an earnest glance beckons Gidon to follow, and the hound as well.

[Ollie(#15066)] Gidon shakes his head. \"I c\'n help you,\" he offers, looking back over his shoulder, fearfully. \"Take m\'shoulder.\" The dog, seeing itself left behind, jumps off of the orc and races after the boy and elf.

[Narshaak(#16331)]

For a while, the uruk-hai continues her struggling against the large puppy, still attempting to escape from beneath it but the dog relents, taking up after the others and Narshaak is free to to skulk back into the border of the woods once more -- muttering angrily and rubbing at the spot where the boy\'s stone had struck.

[Nurenhir(#14756)]

Nurenhir clings tightly and reluctantly to Gidon\'s shoulder, retreating towards safety as quickly as possible.