Meeting Amid Branches

Western Edge of Mirkwood

Under the renewing eaves of Mirkwood, the twilight sky is shadowed a bit. The whole area is sprouting in the night cool air.

The edge of the foreboding forest continues on in a north-south orientation, and the wide open spaces of the Anduin Vale lie off to the west.

The stars and moonlight from twilight warms the area with a soft pale white light.

Contents:

Haldir

Elnara

Obvious exits:

SouthEast, NorthEast, North, and South

[+TIME] Middle-earth time is:

Twilight on Trewsday, Day 30 of May.

Execute the +TIMEFRAME command for year information.

Real time is: 22:03:03 MDT on Fri Mar 12 2010.

[Haldir(#25231)]

Twilight shines over the lands, bathing Rhovanion in violet glory and starlight. Mirkwood is an impenetrable mass of dark, forbidding and quiet, although its nocturnal residents scurry about furtively on four legs.

In a tree sits Haldir, nigh invisible through the dead foliage and his grey cloak. A strung longbow lies by his gloved hand, should he suddenly find warrant for its use. He is watching, eyes searching.

[Elnara(#30361)] The only creature likely to see or hear the approaching elleth would be Haldir Elnara moves through the branches gracefully, not even letting the branches move with her weight. She seems to have gotten to him unscathed, though her outfit does have a small slice through it, whatever blade having been stopped by the mail underneath. \"I see you have dried yourself out, Marchwarden,\" she comments with a slight smile, coming to a stop in a branch next to him.

[Haldir(#25231)]

Haldir turns, acknowledging the Sentinel with a nod. \"And it seems you meddled with their affairs for quite a time. Did you meet them again?\"

The marchwarden\'s frame is slightly stiff, as if wrapped with new bandage still, this hampers him not, and his gaze returns to the forest floor in its guarding.

[Elnara(#30361)] \"I did. The Shaman... I\'m afraid I erred, because I left him alive...\" Elnara looks down to the marchwarden, her lips drawn into a thin line. \"Don\'t bother chastising, I\'ve done enough myself... I almost took his hand off in the fight... It just hit a little too close for me.\" She moves to his branch, sliding down to sit, her legs dangling off the edge. \"Regardless, I do not think that particular bit of filth will be much of a bother for at least a little while, until he can heal.\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

The marchwarden merely regards the elleth mildly, with raised eyebrow. He says nothing to her self-reproach, though he soon rises without sound or disturbance. \"Then the camp will continue to toil. We now know its plans -- we ought to report this to Lord Celeborn, for this is a matter that will require many bows.\"

[Elnara(#30361)] Elnara stands as well. \"Of the two of us, I would be the faster. You are still injured. I will return with more bows, unless you would like to see to the matter yourself?\" She glances down toward the river a moment. \"I do not think we should leave them unattended. They should remember that we will be there to thwart them, as much as we can...\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"It is a trifle. T\'would be better for us both to return refreshed and prepared. I think,\" says Haldir, setting a confident palm against the trunk of the pine they stand in, \"the cover of the trees provides enough terror for them now.\"

[Elnara(#30361)] Again, Elnara\'s lips form a tight line, but she does not speak right away. \"At the very least, they will always look for something to drop on their heads, whether they figure out that it was a trick or not.\" She looks up at the sky that peaks through the leaves, watching the clouds move. \"At least I have tested my blade now... I know it to be a good one.\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"Whet it often. You will have the opportunity to use it again, soon.\" Haldir steps from one arm-like branch to another, moving west in the cover. \"We ought to leave soon, if they continue their work so fervently.\"

[Elnara(#30361)] Elnara follows him, nodding. \"I would hate to miss them... I would enjoy poking holes in their rafts and let them sink.\" She tosses her hair over her shoulder before raising her hood, partly obscuring her face as she moves swiftly through the trees. \"I wonder what their purpose is in building rafts, when they cannot stand the water. If I did not care for something, I would not want to surround myself by it.\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

\"They will go south to meet the horse-lords,\" offers Haldir, though he makes no further comment as the two maethyr disappear into the tangle of twilit branches.

[Elnara(#30361)] Elnara pauses as she moves, frowning a bit. \"I cannot believe the Rohirm would willingly give up their horses to them...\" she mutters, shaking her head. \"Butchers and horse-thieves... I really should not be surprised at the depths of their vileness... Not after fighting them for most of my life. But the lengths they go to still simply astound me.\"

[Haldir(#25231)]

Haldir is now silent, and a briefly raised hand as they come near the forest\'s edge signals that they both ought to take caution. But a grim smile sets upon his face at the sentinel\'s words.