Tales of the third age

[Writer]

"Which is exactly why I don't want her coming," Tanos sighed. "She has no real experience. She's fought against people within our family, within our city... people who wouldn't really hurt her. But in a battle such as what we are about to face..." He fell silent for a second. "They want to kill us. They don't care who you are..." He shook his head. "I can't put her in that situation."

[jokemaster]

"The situation will eventually come. The elves are leaving these lands, abandoning us to our fate against the orcs." There was some bitterness in Caer's voice. "She'll have to fight against them eventually. Wouldn't you rather be there to protect her?"

[Writer]

Tanos nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I guess I would."

[jokemaster]

"Well, there you go." He didn't mention, of course, that they'd be so busy protecting her, with any luck Tanos would forget about trying to find out who he was.

[Writer]

Tanos groaned. "And now I have to figure out a way to tell her that doesn't make it seem like I caved to her wishes."

 

He sighed and moved away to find his sister.

[jokemaster]

Caer watched him go silently. Looked like he was leaving Rivendell sooner than he thought.

 

Good

[Black Knight of Keno]

Ilenal continued to wander about in the lower parts of Rivendell, near the small river flowing throught the city. He was not aware of Emara and Tanos having a fight, neither was he aware of the new arrival to the city that would not give away his name. He payed for an apple and took a nicely red apple from the basket. He thanked the merchan and walked right to the river, looking at the elven children playing like all children did in their age. He smiled and sat on a larger rock right by the water and continued to watch the children whil takinga bite of his apple every now and then. The elf looked behind him at the city and saw Emara, who looked quite furious for some reason, and stayed there,watching her. He had seen her a couple of times before, when he had still been travelling with the dunedain. Even if Ilenal would never admit it, he had been having concerning and odd feelings towards her since he left the dundedain a couple of years ago and left to travel between Rivendell and the Gray Havens and every now and then visiting the Shire on his way. The man, young in elven terms, old in human, sighed and continued to watch her quietly, not even trying to hide himself as he did so. Some part of him hoped that she would come over to talk, but most of him knew it wouldn't happen...

[Writer]

Emara sat down and stared into a pool of water, basically ignoring her surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ilenal watching her, but she wasn't in much of a mood to speak with anybody, so she did her best to ignore him as well... but it wasn't working.

 

"What is it?" she demanded, turning to look at him. "What do you need?"

[Black Knight of Keno]

Ilenal gave a light chuckle of her question and placed the rest of the apple next to the rock to decompose before standing up and walking over to her. "What makes you thinkI want anything?" he asked and sat down a feet and a half from her, by the water of course. He watched her for a moment befre he again looked at the children on the other side of the river. "What are you angry about?" he asked, as the angryness almost shone brightly on her face. "Tanos?" he asked before she could answer and turned to look at her again

[Writer]

"He knows he could use my help in the upcoming fight," Emara exploded. "And yet he demands I stay behind! He's too protective. He knows I can look after myself in a fight."

 

She paused for a moment. "Does the fact that he's my eldest brother mean I must listen to him?"

 

Before Ilenal could answer, they heard Tanos calling, "Emara!"

 

Emara ignored him. Tanos ran past in his search for his sister and Emara glanced at him as he ran past, but she made no attempt to stop him.

[Black Knight of Keno]

He followed Tanos with his eyes an then looked at Emara. "He's your older brother. He cares about you and wants to keep you safe. The blacklanders are much tougher than orcs. They can really fight and they also know tactics. You could get killed on the battlefield before you can even draw your sword to protect yourself" he said and and sighed, getting a bit closer and looking into her eyes. "If I wee your btoher, I wouldn't let you go off there to kill yourself, which is what you would most likely do" he added and smiled, placinghis other hand on her shoulder. "At least he cares about you"

[Writer]

"What neither you nor Tanos seems to remember is that I had to go through them to get here and relay the message to Elrond," Emara retorted. "I can hold my own."

[Black Knight of Keno]

"Maybe on small groups of them, but we are going to war, which meas that there will be hundreds, probably thousands, of blacklanders and many friends dying by heir spears, swords and arrows. It will be a massacre for both sides, and we are concerned also about what you have in here" he said and took the hand from her shoulder and touched her haid with two pointed fingers. "Don't doubt the words of a warrior when they are about a battle" he said and smiled, dropping his hand to his side. While they had been speaking, he had inched closer, mostly because it was just uncomfortable to stretch his hand that much

 

((Oh, shsush about cliches. I'm trying to ignite a romance here))

[Writer]

((Then maybe you should cave... she is going to go... I've decided that much. But I'm gonna keep this going a bit longer to give you a bit of time to come around.))

 

 

"I don't doubt the words of a warrior," Emara snapped. "I just don't like being doubted either."

[Black Knight of Keno]

He looked at her and shook his head. "You won't be soming with that attitude unless you dress up as a man" he said and stood up. He looked at the water quickly before pating her shoulder and starting to walk away. "Make up with your brother and ask him nicely. That might work" he said as he walked up the road, not yet that far from her

[Writer]

Emara couldn't decide if she wanted to be enraged or amused. Avoiding either emotion, she said, "Thanks. I'll do that."

 

She stood slowly and turned to go in the direction they'd seen Tanos go. Then, she heard his voice calling for her from another direction and headed off to find him.

 

"Tanos, I..." Emara began. Tanos shook his head, cutting her off.

 

"Emara, I wanted to apologize for not trusting your abilities," he said. "I suppose I just didn't want you to get hurt. The safest place for you would be here."

 

"I know," Emara admitted. "Tanos, I need to apologize for my reaction to your refusal of my help. I was out of line. I accept your apology. Will you forgive me?"

 

"Absolutely," Tanos said quickly. "I've changed my mind. We could use your help."

 

"But you want me to stay close to you," Emara finished for him. "You won't say it, but I know you thought it."

 

"Are you sure you're not a mind reader," Tanos laughed. "Yes, that's what I would like. Will you do this?"

 

"I will," Emara promised. Tanos nodded, seeming rather relieved.

 

"Go get some rest," he said. "We're leaving in the morning."

 

Emara smiled and went away to the room she was occupying while in Rivendell.

[Black Knight of Keno]

((And because nights and crickets and such are no fun, we are jumping to the morning))

 

It was early in the morning, just when the sun's first rays came from above the mountains. A lone man walked to the stables, his cloack wrapped around him tightly and his hood on as the wind that blew from the mountains was still a bit chilly. He rushed to a black horse and took the reins from the stable wall and the piece of cloth that he would put onto the back of his horse He rushed with fixing the horse up for some reason and his eyes gleamed in the shadows faintly. The horse nudged his shoulder and the man smiled before patting it's side

[Writer]

Tanos, Emara, and Ever entered the stable together. Ever went straight to Banton, and the pony's ears pricked and he nickered happily. Ever had brought him a treat.

 

Emara approached a white horse that seemed dwarfed by the black horse in the stall next to her. "Ah, Riina," she breathed. "We ride today." The horse nodded as if understanding and Emara smiled. No longer was she dressed in the beautiful gowns she wore in Rivendell. The dress was replaced by armor specifically designed to fit her; a mixture of leather and metals colored dark red. Over her shoulders, she wore a long, dark green cloak. The hood was over her head.

 

Moments later, Arathorn entered the stable. "Ah, Tanos. You've come. Good. You understand that you must ride today. Running will not do."

 

"I know," Tanos answered. "Which one have you set aside for me?"

 

"Hasumain," Arathorn said. The horse he named poked its head out of the stall. "His rider fell by an arrow on our way here."

 

"With any luck, I will ride to better fortunes than that," Tanos murmured. He approached the horse and found that it had already been prepared for riding. By the time, he pulled himself up, Emara was waiting for him.

[Black Knight of Keno]

Ilenal looked at Ever and Banton, shaking his head. "Who will you ride with, Ever?" he asked and mounted, even if it would be tight for him to fit throught the door if he would keep his head up. He took the saddlebag that he had left into the stall the night before and placed it inront of him, strapping it tightly onto the horse's neck. He took his hood down and smiled at Emara before the horse stepped out of the stall and beside her. Unlike usually, he now wore the full armor and had even shined it last night before going to sleep. His sword was tightly by his side and his hand, covered by a black leather glove, was on it's hilt, even if they were sill safe and sound in the city of Rivendell

[Writer]

"Oh..." Ever mumbled. "I guess I'll be riding with Tanos."

 

Emara urged her horse out of the stall next to Ilenal, glanced at him, and then looked away to where Tanos was finally getting on the horse that had been set aside for him.

 

"Ilenal, remember the man that helped us in the battle at Amon Sul?" he said. "That man is here. He is coming with us." He glanced around. "But I don't see him yet."

[Black Knight of Keno]

"Well, he better hurry. We leave soon" he said before he rode outside and looked at the mountains and the sun that peeked from over the cliffs and waterfalls. He sighed and smiled before looking inside and at Emara. He did not hide it this time ither, even if Tanos was right next to her and for what Ilenal knew, the man was usually very aware of his surroundings. The elf was passing the line of risky, but he right now didn't mind. The thoughts and guilt and other feelings would come later, and especially at night before going to sleep.

[Writer]

Emara watched Ilenal in silence. Tanos was less silent.

 

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

[Black Knight of Keno]

Ilenal unmounted and walked back into the stables. He looked at Tanos and thehis eyes locked with Emara's before he went into the stall that his horse had been in a moment befe He dug the pile of hay for a moment before he found what he was looking for. Something he had dropped. He put the small item onto a bag on his belt and got up again, just to see Emara and nothing else. It seemed odd to him to feel this way

[jokemaster]

Caer arrived on his horse. He looked at Illenal.

 

"Are we going or not?"

[Black Knight of Keno]

Ilenal was waken up by Caer's words and he turned to see him. "Yes. We leave with the archers in a moment" he said before he walked to the door again. He nodded to the stablemaster and mounted his horse. The stablemaster picked the hobbit up and placed him behind Tanos. Ilenal gave a last look at Emara before he rode towards the captain of the small archer group, all on horseback unlike usually. They spoke a few word before Ielanlnodded and looked at his group. "We're leaving"