The Fourth Age (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Do whatever you can, love." Uther told all the others the plan, and they were all ready to move at Uther's signal, and the small werewolf woman was near the drakes, waiting for them.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve nodded and watched Uther go tell the others of the plan. She stood there focused as she whispered something in her native tongue. Soon the wind picked up a bit and swirled a bit around her before a fog rolled in. It cover just the part of the camp the Weres were and left an open path for them to get to their drakes and hopefully escape without too big of a fight. She looked to Uther for the signal.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Go," Uther whispered, and they took off all together toward the drake. But suddenly, Uther fell with a grunt, biting back a cry of pain. A knife was stuck on his thigh, thrown by a werecreature who'd seen them. "Go! Run!" He called to his comrades.

"Brother!" Oswyn rounded back to get him, only to suffer a similar wound in his side, but he picked up Uther and they hurried on to the drakes. The werewolf woman joined Lexan on his drake, and they all took off and could not be caught. After miles of fleeing, Uther collapsed from his drake and hit the ground, motionless. He'd passed out from bloodloss, and Oswyn was about to do the same.

 

[queenclaire]

Once they landed, Eruve quickly went over to Uther, who had passed out already. If he was not save quickly, his wound would be too serious for her to fix. She looked at Oswyn, who was looking rather grave himself. She looked to Legolas, “Can you heal?” Usually women perfected it since the men went to battle, but some men knew how to do it as well. She hoped Legolas was one. She did not have time to save them both and she was sure Uther would want Oswyn saved first, but Uther was worse off.

She looked to Oswyn, "Rest.” That would at least keep him from passing out faster. She looked down at Uther as she cradled his head in her lap, if she lost him, she would die herself. She knew that. The sorrow would be unbearable.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can't... Lexan?"

Lexan nodded, "A bit..." He dismounted and came to Uther, pressing his hands over the bloody wound after pulling out the blade. A tiny golden glow showed between his fingers, and when he pulled his hands away, the bleeding had stopped. He hurried to do the same with Oswyn. At least they wouldn't die of bloodloss now.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve watched Lexan stop the bleeding on Uther and Oswyn. She felt terrible she could not do it, but she had used up energy on the fog, which was worthless. She could not heal them both without depleting all of her energy to the point of passing out. She let down Uther’s head gently to the ground and rose. She drew in a deep breath and walked off to clear her head.

 

[KieranSoares]

The group remained huddled together to care for the two wounded men and Legolas, but little Pippin followed Eruve, feeling he should be there to help in case anything went wrong. He seemed unaware of his size in such situations.

The group camped there for the night, and Miras stood on watch, later replaced by Lexan. They could not afford to be captured again. But no one knew where the werewolf woman had gone til she returned with herbs to treat the wounded.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve was happy to Pippin had joined her. She quite liked the hobbit and his ways. They were so different from her own. She remained silent though. She stood there looking at the stars wondering if she had made the right choice in anything. At least Uther should live. That was all that mattered.

When she returned to the group, she sat silently. She was deep in thought as she leaned against a rock as she watched the werewolf woman returned with things for the wounded.

 

[KieranSoares]

The woman treated the three with practiced ease, relieving pain and aiding their immune systems. At a question from Gimli, she told them her name was Kenai, that she came from a tribe of werecreatures who were the Erygonians' opposites in almost every way. "They are not far from here..." she muttered, "but we will not move til morning if possible."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve watched her work on them. She did not know much about the plants on this island, they were different than their own. She paid close attention to them, noting the shape of the leaves and the colours. She looked to the werewolf, “What are you using on them?” It would be good to know for the future.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I do not know words in your language to explain them, but when we return to my people, I will send many with you and perhaps the elder will know their names in the elven languages." Kenai soon finished and tried to sleep, and thankfully, the night was peaceful.

Morning awoke Uther, who tried to get up, only to find he was unable to put any weight on his leg with the combination of the new wound to his thigh and the old arrow wound in his calf.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve nodded at what she said. At least they would take some with them. She leaned her head back against a rock and closed her eyes. She wanted to rest a bit, but her mind was racing with thoughts. She was having a hard time. She blamed herself for all this. Eventually she drifted into a state of rest.

She woke with the sun and went off to see what was close by them. She was still not in the mood for talking. She returned to see Uther waking up and unable to walk. She went to him. She spoke softly, “You probably should not move.” She looked worried for him. She had been all night.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We have to get moving..." Uther protested weakly, eventually picking himself up, relying on his good leg and leaning on a tree. "Bring me my drake, love... please... Wake the others, we can't let those beasts catch up to us."

 

[queenclaire]

Jael watched Uther sadly and nodded. He was right, but was in no shape. “When we get there, I can heal you fully if you want. No sense in your limping around.” She turned and went off to wake the others and get them moving. Once she was done with that, she got Uther his drake and brought to him. She smiled at Uther and kissed his cheek sweetly, “I was so worried about you last night and I could not help you much. I am sorry.” But now she could if he wanted it.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't be, our main priority was to get out, Oswyn was a fool for coming back to get me..." Uther sighed, "But I'm glad he did... I'm not sure I could stand to be away from your side, even in the afterlife." He kissed her lips gently, "Now let's go... Maybe this new tribe of people can aid us in reaching Dache. I don't know where we are anymore."

 

[queenclaire]

“Oswyn was not a fool, he did what you would have done if it had been him to fall.” It was true. Uther would have gone back for his brother. Or anyone in the group. Eruve smiled at Uther as he spoke of not being able to stand being away her. She felt the same way. She kissed him back and nodded at what he said. She climbed on her drake and waited to see which way they were headed.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kenai led them several miles before they began to hear the distant evidence of people, and they eventually came upon a small village not too different from that of the Erygonians. But instead of all dark creatures, these werepeople were all manner of fur colors and races. They didn't wear bone armor, though they had the occassional claw or fang necklace or jewelry. It was a thriving, tiny village set into a valley surrounded by forest and an orchard and a couple small fields. The entrance was blocked with a wooden palisade, but it was opened for them when Kenai spoke to the two huge guards outside. They hadn't hardly stepped inside when an older werewolf woman came running and Kenai met her in a tight embrace. They spoke in a language different from the Erygonians, more colorful and flowing, and Kenai told her everything before looking to Uther's group.

"This is my mother Sanoa, she'll see that you all get whatever you need here, and whenever you must go, my father Hanre will guide you, he knows the island best."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve was happy when they finally reached their destination. It already seemed more vibrant and cheery. It was a welcomed change. She watched as Kenai was embraced by an older were. She smiled, knowing it had to be a family member so happy for Kenai’s safe return. She listened as they spoke to each other, it was a beautiful langue. She smiled as Kenai introduced her mother to the group and that her father would help them out as well. It seemed they were catching a bit of break finally.

 

[KieranSoares]

The group was welcomed in and the wounded were better cared for. They all were given their own small huts to stay in, and of course Uther joined Eruve. They were all sitting out by a fire built for them when the village elder, a tiny white old werewolf man who was about the height of the hobbits, came to sit with them with two massive, hulking warriors on either side of him as his guardians.

"Welcome to Avua Village, home of the Mav Ro tribe," he spoke in a thin voice that made him sound like he could simply shatter any moment.

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve sat round the fire with the others, after they had shown their huts and been situated. There was an unspoken sadness amoung the group. The once lighthearted banter and tale telling was replaced with solemnness. She, herself, was silent for the most part. The group had been plagued with hard times since they began. Though she knew some of them would fall during this journey, it was not easy to deal with.

She watched as an elder werewolf sat with them with two larger ones. She nodded at him as he spoke. “Thank you so much for your hospitality. We appreciate it more than you know,” she said to the elder.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've heard tell what you've been though, and I'm sorry you had the misfortune of meeting the Erygonians... But please, tell me what brings you here. We have never seen people from the outside world beyond our island, except for those elves down south and a single human traveler some time ago."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve was sorry they had the misfortune as well. It was not something she would wish on anyone and she really wished they could go back and be ready for them. She nodded, “Of course. We are here because we seek to destroy Kaan Dache. He has been attacking our lands and threating our peoples.” She paused for a moment, “It is not something we can just sit by and allow. We have lost too many already and will lose many more if he is not stopped.”

 

[KieranSoares]

The elder's eyes grew wide at that name, "Please, do not speak his name here again..." Just like the elves. "We know of him... he once held our people under his rule... I was a boy when he was still a king..." He shuddered at the memory, but continued, "I will tell you all you need to know of him."

 

[queenclaire]

Eruve was growing tired of all this. This man had all the good people cowaring in their own lands. He needed to be stopped. "Thank you," she said softly. Maybe with what he knew, they could get an upper hand with him. Or maybe they would not die as fast.

 

[KieranSoares]

The little elder sighed softly, and began telling them exactly who and what Kaan Dache was. He was an ancient elf, long ago possessed by demons. But eventually, his own strong will and spirit won out over the demon. He had always been a cruel and evil person, but with the power of a demon, he became even more so. He baited and trapped demons, stealing their powers and then killing them, til even a Balrog could not stand against him. His people, the ancient elves of the times before the first age, banished him to the sea after covering him with holy seals and runes to bind him.

Out in the far beyond, a great hurricane ripped the seals from his body and freed him, and he summoned up all his strength to protect himself, and fell into a deep slumber beneath the sea in a cavern. Then, less than one-hundred years prior to the present date, he awoke and came upon Delnirith and took over the island and its people. Only after twenty years did anyone stand to oppose him. Having lost much strength, Kaan Dache lost to the forces of werecreatures and elves, and fell into slumber once more beneath the island to gather his strength and absorb more demons.

"It was only a few months ago that he awoke once more," the little elder said quietly. "He has paid us little mind, he has his sights set on all of the Middle Earth now that he is so powerful. Even the old evil of Sauron would quake in fear of him."