The Fourth Age (closed)

[queenclaire]

Eruve watched Uther ride off, hopeful that his brother had survived. She looked Legolas as he asked her to follow Uther. She nodded and rode off to where Uther had. She had arrived as Uther leapt from his horse and got the attention of a wounded man. She dismounted and silently walked up behind Uther as he questioned the man about his brother. She was relieved to see that not all the men had fallen, including Uther’s brother.

She looked at Uther as he turned to see her there and smiled at her. She smiled back at him when he said his brother had made it, “That is wonderful, Uther. I am glad to hear he made it.” She looked around at the tents that held the men and sighed softly. She looked to Uther, who seemed much more relieved now.

 

[KieranSoares]

Uther was so relieved, in fact, that he simply hugged Eruve before he went to the center of the camp. Men in all states emerged from tents to salute and welcome Uther, who was a highly respected Lieutenant in Gondor and Rohan. Soon, a party of ten mounted men carrying five deer between them rode into the camp, and among them was a man who looked to be a much more rugged, older mirror of Uther. "Brother!" The older man bellowed, leaping from his horse to embrace Uther.

"Oswyn, you scared me half to death, I thought you were dead!"

"Me? Die? Hah!" Oswyn's voice boomed like thunder. He seemed a much more open sort of man than Uther. "Ah, little brother, haven't you learned yet that nothing can kill me? Sauron himself tried and failed!"

"I know," Uther chuckled. "But you can boast later. First, how did you come here, how did you know the hobbits needed you?"

Oswyn became very serious then, his eyes darkening. "We saw the beasts of Delnirith fly overhead, and we did our best to stay ahead of them to warn those ahead. When they landed here, we met them. I had near one-hundred men when the battle began. We can't resist another attack like that."

"I hope you won't have to. My small party is headed to Delnirith's shores to learn what we can about it and fight to find the source of all this trouble."

"Who is with you?"

"Gimli son of Gloin, Miras of Moria, Legolas Greenleaf of Lorien, Lexan Greenleaf, nephew of Legolas, Prince Bheyard of Minas Tirith," and Uther looked to Eruve, "and my dear friend Lady Eruve Calime of Mavanue."

"A fine group, to be sure. Good evening, milady," Oswyn bowed courteously to Eruve before looking back to Uther. "Listen, Uther... as able as you are and your party, you're not enough to fight back Delnirith. We need armies, brother."

"And they will come, but the King sent us first to forge ahead."

"Well... the King is wise, I won't question his logic... but be careful, Uther. I don't want to lose another little brother." Oswyn hugged him tight again before going to tend to his men, leaving Uther in a momentary state of silence at the memory of a lost brother.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve hugged Uther back and watched him go off and be greeted by the men of the camp. She stayed back for a bit, just looking at the men as they emerged. Some were better off than others, but all looked battered from the battle. She quietly walked up, not wanting to disturb anything. It was interesting to see how Uther was treated by them. All respected him. It was much different from Gimli’s teasing.

She watched as a group approached the camp. She could tell which one was Oswyn instantly. He looked so much as Uther, yet different. She smiled as he leapt from his horse to hug Uther. He was much more outgoing than Uther. Watching them reunite was nice. Uther had spoken so highly of his brother, it was good to see them together.

Eruve bowed her head and smiled softly as Uther introduced her to Oswyn. She furrowed her brow as Oswyn hugged Uther and told him to be careful, that he did not want to lose another brother. She watched as Uther stood silently after he left. She walked up beside him. She looked at him, giving him a moment and then finally speaking. “You lost a brother?” she asked softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

(Terribly sorry I've been missing so long, it's been a long month)
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Uther sighed, casting his eyes down to the ground, "His name was Rory- well, Roran, but we never called him that. He died last year when he was fifteen. He'd just become a soldier and went to join in eradicating a group of orcs from outside Moria. He was so ready to serve the king and be a great warrior, he walked right into an ambush. We never got the chance to bury him, his body was taken by the orcs, and ever since then, Oswyn and I have always reminded each other never to walk in blind or rush. Rory's intentions were pure and he was a hero for giving away the orcs position, so no other man in his unit was killed, but he was over eager and blind to the signs that he was walking into his death."

 

[queenclaire]

(no worries, I have not been on much either)

Eruve listened to Uther tell the story of his fallen brother silently. It was very clear that Uther had lost so much in his life. But the times were turbulent and many have lost some much, as he had. She had sheltered from that to an extent. No one was free from losing someone, even the elves.

“I am so sorry, Uther,” she said softly as she put a gentle hand on his shoulder, “I am sure it is no comfort, but he did die a hero. And he lives on in your and your brother’s hearts. Plus the men he saved that day. Always celebrate the life he lived, not the death he had.” She knew he would always mourn the loss of his brother, nothing would change that.

 

[KieranSoares]

Uther managed a weak smile, and his answer to her was simple: "I'm glad you're here, Eruve." He took her hand which laid on his shoulder, kissed it, and turned to step further into the camp, meeting some of the men he knew. Soon, the rest of their group arrived, all was in order with the hobbits. Oswyn was already planning to escort them to Moria for safety.

Legolas came to a halt beside Eruve, and he gave her a small smile, "What was that with you and Uther, Lady Eruve?" He'd seen Uther kiss her hand.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve smiled softly at Uther as he spoke. At least he did not disregard her comment. Many are so lost in their grief and anger, they cannot see any good in what happened. He seemed to be open to it and that would make his healing easier. Her breath caught as he kissed her hand, taking her by surprise a bit. She was not used to being taken by surprise. Then again, she had not spent much time around humans. She smiled as she watched Uther walk off and join the men of the camp. She was happy she was there as well, even if it was not a fight her thought she should join.

She looked at Legolas as he stood her beside her. She looked back at Uther as he asked what had happen between them. “What do you mean?” She looked back at Legolas, “He was only saying he was happy I was here.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Legolas chuckled, "He's very fond of you, you know, and he became fond of you very quickly. You two are alike in many ways," he nudged his horse onward, and close behind him, Eruve discovered that the hobbits Merry and Pippin had tagged along. Samwise came after them, muttering about how this was a bad idea, but he wanted to go too, to have another adventure as well as secure his family's and his people's safety. He too halted by Eruve and looked up at her.

"Er..." Sam managed a smile, "Hello. You're... Lady Eruve, ain't you?" He spoke with the usual hobbit country bumpkin habits.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve looked at Legolas with an unreadable look. It was a look she had mastered while sitting on the high council. She may be outspoken, but it was usually met with arguments, so she learned to hide emotions well. It was useful to her, even now.

“I see,” she said to Legolas. As she watched him ride off she really had to wonder how Uther and she were alike. He was a highly regarded warrior, brave and strong. He was a hero and she was not. But she did enjoy being around him. He was kind and good, she had grown fond of him too.

Eruve looked down at a hobbit that asked who she was. She smiled and nodded, “Indeed I am.” She looked at him a moment, “And you are Samwise?”

 

[KieranSoares]

The hobbit nodded and returned her smile, then asked quietly, "D'you think... Mr. Uther'd let us hobbits come? Mr. Pippin and Merry want another adventure like we did when we were young. An' me... I do too, but I wanna keep those scaly monsters away from my girls back home, y'see." From stories of the later lives of the Fellowship, all knew how Samwise Gamgee had his lovely wife and two daughters. Merry and Pippin had families too, but had never changed.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve looked at Sam as he spoke. She could see why he would want to go to protect his family, yet part of her wondered if the hobbits should stay here to keep the ones left at the Shire safe in case some else were to happen. She shook her head as she answered him, “I honestly don’t know if he would or wouldn’t.” She paused for a moment looking at the men in the camp and then back at Sam with a smile, “It never hurts to ask though.” She motioned with her head, “Come, we shall ask him.”

She walked with Sam into the camp, looking for Uther. “There he is,” she said to Sam as she spotted him with some men. Not wanting to interrupt him she looked to Sam, “You really are as brave as the stories I have heard. I must say I almost doubted the stories. I am glad to see the stories were true.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Samwise blushed immediately, "I ain't brave... I jus' do what's right, s'all..." Uther glanced over and saw the two, and soon came to face them.
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"Something wrong?" Uther looked between them."
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"Uh... Mr. Uther, sir... could me and Merry and Pippin... maybe come along with you?"
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"Why would you want to do that?" Uther asked with a raise of his eyebrow. "I'd have thought you three would've had enough of all this."
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"We want t'protect our families, sir, an'... I guess I'll admit, we all wan' an adventure again."
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"Well... last time someone refused to let you all join in a fight, you all went anyway." Uther chuckled and knelt to shake Sam's hand. "Welcome aboard, Master Samwise."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve smiled as Sam blushed and said he was not brave. “A brave man never admits he is brave,” she said to him with a wink as Uther approached them. She watched as Sam asked if him and the hobbits could join the group. She smiled as Uther welcomed him to the group. She was very curious as to how the hobbits did in battle. Having only heard the stories, she always wanted to see it in person. She just hoped nothing happened to any of them. She smiled at Sam, “It will be an honor to fight alongside you and the hobbits.” She bowed to him.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was beyond glad for the acceptance, and tore off to go tell Merry and Pippin. Uther rose and smiled to Eruve, "We're sure to have entertainment with Merry and Pippin along. Anyhow, we'll be headed out as soon as Oswyn's ready, he's coming with us and sending his men back toward Moria."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve watched Sam run off. She looked back at Uther with a smile. “I have heard of their personalities and have hoped to see it,” she said referring to Pippin and Merry, “Seems I shall.” She nodded as he spoke about leaving and his brother coming along. “I am sorry for interrupting whatever you were doing. Hope we did not keep you from anything important.” She was sure Uther was busy with getting things ready before they had to leave.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Not at all," Uther's smile softened a bit. The more time he spent near her, the dearer she became. "I've already finished everything. We'll head up to the shore, there's a ship waiting there, Oswyn's going to take us across."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve continued to smile at Uther. She could not help it when he was smiling. It was nice to see him smiling, it soften his eyes and made them stand out even more. She nodded at what he said. “Sounds good,” she said, putting her hand on her hips, “How long will that take?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Maybe a half-day to the other shore," Uther shrugged. But then he froze, hearing something in the distance. Suddenly, he leapt and tackled Eruve to the ground, shielding her with his own body as arrows rained down all around them. Many men got beneath shields or carts quickly, but some were not so lucky. Uther grunted painfully, his jaw clenched tight as several arrows struck him in the back. Soon, all fell silent, and Uther slowly sat up with a growl of pain. Arrows had landed in his shoulderblade, along his rib cage, and in one calf. He looked about, scanning all around. "Where...? Where could that have possibly come from...?" There was nothing but flat land all around, no forest cover near enough to shoot from, no ditches to hide in, nothing. Just knee-high grass and flat ground.

 

[queenclaire]

At first Eruve was not sure what was happening when she hit the ground, Uther on top of her, but seconds later it was very clear. Though it was shielding her and she could not see much, she could hear the arrows. And she could feel his body twitch every time he was hit by one. She felt bad. He should have been able to find some cover instead of protecting her.

She looked at him as he got up, growling in pain. She sat up looking around, as he spoke. She had no clue where the attack came from. It looked impossible, but at this point anything was possible. She looked back at Uther, “Thank you.” She could see the arrow out sticking out of his shoulder blade. She looked from it to him, “We need to get those out of you and cleaned up.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"No... no, make sure the others are okay first." Uther had just barely said this when Miras' voice suddenly roared over the camp.
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"I NEED A BLOODY MEDIC!!!" Beside him lay his dearest friend Lexan, and arrow having lanced cruelly down into his shoulder, dangerously near his heart. Lexan had passed out at the impact, but woke slowly at the roar. Two soldiers rushed to help him and two came running to Uther. Oswyn, unharmed thanks to a shield, assessed the damaged. One man dead, five wounded counting Lexan, Uther, two soldiers, and Merry who had an arrow through his hand. None of the wounded except Lexan were in danger of death upon a quick check. But it seemed Lexan was no so badly wounded after a few minutes. He'd passed out because of the arrow striking a pressure point and he was a little weak in the knees, but he was just fine. Uther was hurt the worst, but he insisted he was fine despite a limp from the arrow in his calf. Men were sent out to search for the source of the arrows, but none was found, not even footprints. Oswyn figured that, what with the power Kaan Dache claimed to have, perhaps it was magicks at work.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve furrowed her brow as Uther said to help the others first. He had been hit and few times and he needed to heal a bit before another attack happened. She was about to argue when Miras yelled out for help. She moved away from Uther as two soldiers came to help him.

She moved to a soldier that was hurt. She removed the arrow and stopped the bleed while others were helping Lexan. She was happy to hear that he was not wounded as badly as they first thought. She moved to the other soldier and helped him as well. She looked up from time to time, seeing Uther limping around. She sighed to herself as she finished up with the soldier. Eruve stood up from where she knelt, looking around at all around them. It seemed like the road ahead of them just got harder.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We need to get moving," Oswyn finally announced, gathering them all. "It's pretty clear that if we stay still, something's going to come after us. Get your horses and let's go." He mounted his own steed and headed toward the north end of the camp. Uther took his horse's reins from a soldier, but with the pain in his leg and his back from having to stretch up to get in the saddle, it took a second man to help him.

Prince Bheyard, who'd been rather quiet in all of this, looked stunned by the damage and the sheer magnitude of what they faced. He looked terrified.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve agreed with Oswyn’s decision to keep moving at this point. The threat was much bigger now that there was a chance of being attacked by an unseen enemy. She went to her horse, soothing his neck for a moment. He was agitated with all that was happening. He could sense something was wrong. She whispered softly to him, calming him. She kissed his nose.

Once he was calm she mounted his back and joined the group silently. She had noticed Uther needed help with mounting his horse and that the prince seemed to be in slight shock. It seemed that some hope had been lost.

 

[KieranSoares]

The ride to the north shore was fast, with each little hobbit riding with one of the explorers set forth by Aragorn. A small ship awaited, and Oswyn wasted no time in weighing anchor and shoving off once everyone and their horse was on. Finally, they all had a chance to rest, but all kept alert.

Uther found himself at the bow, practically glaring at the horizon where Delnirith would soon appear. He'd refused to sit down or rest, remaining ready for anything.

 

[queenclaire]

Once on the ship, Eruve tried to calm a bit, but that nagging feeling she had had since the being of this journey was not letting up. She sat for a while, lost in her own thoughts, letting the rocking of the ship lull her into a semi-relaxed state. Not that she was really relaxed much. She was much tenser than she looked.

After a while, she looked up to see Uther standing, very alert. She did not want to bug him, but she also knew with his wounds he needed to rest. She made her way over to him. She looked at him, seeing the glare on his face and then looked out at the sea. “You know,” she said, finally breaking the silence, “if you don’t rest some, you wounds will not heal properly.” She looked back over at him, “And we all really need you in your best shape. Whatever we will face will be nothing like we have yet. So, please will rest for a bit.”