RP 🎲 RP 36: Redemption

As Herugurth scanned the area, Ciamare lept to the trees for a higher view of the area. He climbed higher, his keen eyes searching until finally he saw ...
"Men!" He hissed, but his sister was no where in sight. Without a sound he dropped back down to the ground next to Herugurth. "Men, about 30 of them." He whispered. Herugurth nodded grimly.
"Where is your sister?"
He whispered back.
Caimare shook his head.
"I did not see her." He said, then grinned slightly. "Though that does not mean she is not still near."
He tilted his head to the side, listening and drew his sword quickly.
"Make ready." He said. "They are coming."

Caimarë drew his sword. The edge gleamed wickedly in the evening light. He grinned. "It seems my sword might come in useful after all. Do you think we can take all the humans ourselves? Or should we retreat back to the camp?" Even as he spoke, he was quickly limbering up for combat. He looked towards Herugurth for an answer.

Some distance away, back at the camp, Eäritila said to Maedhros: 'Even at a distance Herugurth's words carry to my ears on the wind. There are Men nearby it seems. Let us hope they are friendly to our kind, and not brigands. We are yet betwixt the Havens and the Tower Hills, so there should be some hope of that. Let us wait and see how our hunting friends fare, but we should be on our guard I deem.'

You're right Eäritila, I would hope that they are men who would be friendly to us. I wish to avoid confrontation and killing. I have already killed to many and my heart is heavy with that.
Unfortunately I have a bad feeling about this.

Men shouting and the sound of running horses could heard approaching the forest's edge. Caimare and Herugurth retreated deeper into the lengthening shadows. Caimare's concern for Nildadari's safety was growing the darker it got. Soon there wouldn't be enough light to successfully track her. He glanced up and was pleased to see that a nearly full moon was just edging up over the tree-tops...

Herugurth waits until the most of the men have passed. He see Nildadari bound hand and foot and thrown over the lead horse like a rucksack. As the last of the line of horses gallops away, he bolts out of the woods and leaps sidelong unto the horse while stabbing the rider with a knife to the throat. He carelessly threw the man on the ground and yelled for Caimare to get out of the woods and jump on the horse with him. Caimare leaps on the horse in mid-gallup behind Herugurth and they dart after the kidnappers.

'Did you hear that!' whispered Eäritila hoarsely. 'Fighting! Let us find out what is afoot!'

She and Maedhros set off silently through the dark of the forest, no more than two shadows flitting between the trees. With the sharpness of elven ears they knew where to look. They came to a trail, where many feet had recently trod.

'Look!' cried Eäritila, pointing at the body of a man, with blood still dripping from a wound to his throat. She percieved he still lived, but barely.

She ran to him. 'What has happened?' she asked, scarcely expecting a reply. The man struggled to speak, through the blood gurgling in his throat...

Herugurth whispered to Caimare, "Hush and hold on tight. I am unfamiliar with this horse and the terrain.... but we must keep up with these fiends." Herugurth whispered in the steed's ear and slowly undid the halter as the horse picked up speed. Herugurth threw the halter into the brush as they flew past. The horse had gone from a fast run to a dash and seemed to glide in the night.

"When they stop, mark our place and go and get the others. The two of us can do little against so many," Herugurth mumbled to Caimare. "Tell them to bring bows and as many arrows as they can find. And remember that I dropped a bow near the spot where we hunted."

Herugurth noticed that the dust cloud ahead was dissipating. He whispered to the horse and it slowed to a slow gait. "They've stopped," said Caimare. "I've got eyes!" Herugurth replied. "They appear to be headed for yonder caves!" Herugurth jumped off and whispered to Caimare, "Go get the others" he cried. "Now off with you!" He whispered in the horses ear again and it took off back in the direction of the camp.

Nildadari sat quietly as the men lowered her to the ground. Quickly and with purpose they took her to a small corner of the cave and clapped an iron anklet around her ankle binding her to the spot by a heavy chain. One of the men bound her hands with a stronger cord and removed the makeshift bindings that bound her arms as they had taken her away.
Nildadari struggled not to smile, they were making this almost to easy. Now if only they would leave, she would have a chance to escape.
A slight breeze drifted in through the cavern's mouth. Nildadari grinned as she caught scent of her brother and more strongly her sister's foul bodyguard. Reguardless of whether or not she had chance to escape, Caimare would come for her.
She watched as most of the men left, one a larger, stocky man appointed two men to watch her as he left. Nildadari watched them watching her with boredom.
"Wait till you turn your foul backs." she thought with a smile.

The captain of the brigands ambled over to where Nil lay against the cave wall apparently still unconscious. He stood over her and swept her with an appraising glance."Well, well. What have you brought me this time? An Elf-wench?" He prodded her with his boot. "She looks pretty scrawny to me, but you never can tell with Elves, they're tougher than they look. You! Turig! Hand me that knife! Let's see if we can wake the witch up..."


OOC: Note to players! This guy doesn't die!

Caimarë swore. He looked around for Herugurth, but the other Elf had vanished into the gloom, no doubt with a plan of his own.
With a quick glance at the humans, he sheathed his sword, and started to climb up the rock face. Once he reached a ledge above the cave mouth, he quickly stuck his head inside, then jerked it back out. He closed his eyes, and in his mind saw the cave; swa Nildadari, and the Atan bending over her with a knife. As fast as he could, he whipped a knife from his boot and, without looking, flung it into the cave. He then dropped to the floor, drew his blade and ran towards his sister. The knife had taken the human in the shoulder, and hurled him from his feet. The Elda reached his sister, and slashed the bonds that held her. Nildadari sprang to her feet and drew her own hunting knife. Together they retreated to the back wall of the cave, prepared to fight their way out...

Henrick

Hendrick fell to his knees as the knife cut through his flesh, but, for the moment, he was more suprised than in pain. Pain arrived some few seconds later, as he brought himself back on his feet and atempted to move his right arm. With or without pain, he did not want to let such wound be taken for free, he sharpened his eyes, grabbed his short sword and said: Come finish what you have started, 'tis time for my sword to taste your flesh!

OOC - chrysophalax invited me to the RP and I'm glad to be here

Turig grabbed Henrick and yanked him to his feet. He looked at him briefly but Henrick shrugged him off. The male Elf stood with sword drawn, a pale light gleaming in his eyes. Henrick winced, then gestured to several other men in the cave to watch the cave entrance as Turig and Henrick advanced warily on the Elves.

Herugurth looked back when he realized that he didn't hear the horse heading back to the camp. He immediately surmised that the brash, young elf would take matters into his own hands.

He quietly made his way to the cave entrance and saw Caimare rush in, the next thing he heard was shouting from the men. Suddenly, three men appeared at the entrance of the cave and positioned themselves to block someone from escaping out of the cave.

"Damn!" Herugurth screamed in his head. "They'll both be killed if I don't act now." He stole ot the cave entrance with his long dagger drawn and stabbed into the neck of the closest brigand and grabbed his sword as it fell towards the ground. "Now I am ready to fight!!" he thought. He immediately engaged the other two guards and screamed at the surprised Elves, "Fight your way out!" He slashed one of the guards across the hand with his dagger and stabbed the other one in the knee with his sword.

Nildadari rushed into the wounded Henrik and bowled him over; both of them falling onto the advancing Turig. Caimare, as quick as a cat, had his sword within an inch of Turig's throat. "You're coming with us!" he whispered. He and Nildadari edged there way towards Herugurth. They squeezed past him with their prisoner. The last thing Nildadari saw as she and Camaire made there way to the woods was Herugurth bravely blocking the entrance to the cave, guarding their escape.

Eve turned to see Eartila and Maedhros sprinting off toward the forest. Grumbling about the unfairness of them leaving her behind, she leaped onto her horse and heeled the grey stallion into a gallop. Soon she pulled even with the two of them. "Where do you two think your going without me?" she inquired with a sly little smile, after slowing her horse. They ignored her question, and Maehdros said "THere has been fighting here. Many feet have traveled this path recently, and here we find the bow you gave to your body-guard, Herugurth." Eve's faced pailed, and her smiled faltered, then failed all together. She picked up her discarded bow and quiver and replied grimly, "I am going to follow them, feel free to come with me if you wish."

Leaving her companions to do as they wished, she slung her bow and arrows over her back, and urged her horse into a slow gallop. The tracks were clear, and it was soon obvious that she wouldn't need a slower pace to follow them, even in the failing light. With little encouragement, Windrider, Eve's great steed, lengthened his strides and was soon flying past trees with a ground eating gallop. Suddenly, Eve brought him back to a trot, and then to a stop. In the darkness, she could see Herugurth's large silouhette creeping towards the caves. She slid off Windrider, who instantly turned and disappeared to wait in the ever-darkening shadows, and followed her faithful body-guard noiselessly.

By the time she reached the caves, Nildadari and Camaire were leaving quickly with another person. She shot them a strange look, but continued on to join Herugurth.

Turig was shaking with rage as they dragged him away. The bandits were used to easy prey and victims that fell at their feet, begging for mercy; this sudden reversal of fortune sat uneasily with him - he knew well enough what mercy captives were given.
He began to curse through clenched teeth, the name of Hendrick never far from his lips, but as yet unsounded - the wound his captain had taken looked grave, and Turig feared for his safety, but to cry out to him now would be an insult to all Hendrick had ever taught him - and he had no intention of doing that.

Several men not far from the caves saw Turig being forcably dragged by two Elves away from the cave. They slipped out from hiding and trailed them stealthily. Something wasn't right. Where was Henrick? Normally the two were inseparable. A few of them drifted back toward the caves to investigate.......

Eve slid silently from Windrider's back. In the distance, she could see Herugurth fighting off a couple of men. Praying to Eru that her arrow would fly true from such a distance, she let a shaft fly. Fast and true the arrow flew, into the throat of one of the assailants. Eve fnished the other off just as quickly.

Leaping nimbly upon Windrider's back, Eve shouldered her bow and rode like the blazes back to Eartila, and back to Maedhros, for help.

Henrick sharpened his eyes, hold tight to his knife and ignored the deep pain in his right shoulder and jump towards Herugurth. Henrick, a strong and tall man of undoubtful strength and speed, was posessed by anger and fury, being on the verge of losing the slightest capability of reasonning. That would be more than enough for him, in any normal situation, to defeat most of the men in the world, Henrick's reputation had not been given for free. Still, no matter how angry and how good he was at fighting, an armless Hendrick was no match to Herugurth, and the fight didn't last much more than e few moments.

Hendrick was quickly dominated and taken to the ground by the Elf, while the pain in his shoulder grew to levels he could not sustain during any melee combat. It had been the most humiliating defeat Henrick had ever had, he would never forgive himself and, even if he had to live longer than any Elf had ever lived, he would settle the score and have things go his way.

Even though his life had been spared, he promissed, in the deepest and darkest recesses of his mind, to himself that he would live to settle the score.

'We... we took the elf-maid. I have paid...' whispered the man, as blood gurgled in his throat. 'I am sorry...' He spluttered weakly.

Eäritila looked up at Maedhros, full of concern. 'These men have taken Nildadari. Go! Follow the trail if you can, for the others may need your aid. I will try to save this man, for he has repented and I cannot leave him to die alone in the woods like a dog, whatever evils he may have done. Go!'

She turned back to the dying man, and put forth her healing arts, such as they were. But it was no use, his coughing would not stop, until he could no longer breathe. Then it stopped altogether. Eäritila knelt sadly, and closed his eyes with her fingers. 'Yes, you have paid.' She picked a single tall blue flower, and laid it on his chest.

Eve returned to them at that moment, riding on her great horse.

'Let us make haste!'