I am taking advantage of the fact that everyone is sleeping or at least out of sight and lord Anglachelm seems stable to put on paper the events of the day.
And what a day...
After leaving most of our things in that abandoned place close to the fortress, we entered Dol Guldur (I got writing supply from an elf at the camp we are in now). Did I mention it was a foolish, suicidal attempt ? Well, for all the dangers we were in, we are all still alive, surprisingly.
We entered the fortress by a deserted door. Well, to be fair, the whole place looked deserted. To the point that we wondered where was the trap. Where were the orcs ? The patrols ? Guards ? Random creatures ? Anything at all ? There were a few, but clearly not as much as we though there would be.
We... Well, to say I was really of use there is a serious stretch of the truth but anyway, we made a prisoner almost as soon as we arrived in the fortress. A man clothed in red.
The man told us of the power of the army of Dol Guldur and of the unfortunate elf they had prisoner, in a cage, left outside on a hill for the crows to feed on.
How many chances did we have to find this elf alive and that this elf would be the one we were searching for ?
Once we had the answers to our questions, the man was of no use to us anymore and I would go as far as to say he was a danger to us.
Now, there was a way to keep him alive, simply unconscious for a long time. But first of all he was a man. Such solution could as well kill him for all I knew and second, once awake, he may still be a danger to us. Who knew what he learnt of us just in the little time he was in our hands.
Lord Veryacano ordered his death and for once, I was quite grateful for it. I am not disrespecting life, but if by his death it was giving us greater chances to stay alive longer, then I preferred to see that human dead. Besides, he was an enemy and the less of them were left alive, the better. It was one less pawn for Dol Guldur to use against the elves.
We followed the way the man told us to find the prisoner. Well... We were in time as he was still alive, we freed him. He was not lord Anglachelm, but we couldn't leave him there. He seemed well enough physically, if the way he ran out of his cage and out of the fortress was any indication. Famished without doubt, but contrary to the others of our little company I was wondering of the wisdom of letting him eat and drink after an unknown time without sustenance. Well, he didn't fell sick, and his body didn't react violently to it so I suppose it did no harm.
Even if that elf wasn't the one we were looking for, he had news for us. He recognized the name of our lord, and he told us where to find him. Now I wonder really how he could know that. But as it is now it didn't seem to be a trap and we really found lord Anglachelm where he told us we could find him.
The tower the elf directed us to was heavily guarded, but luck was with us as I was still useless then and didn't need to use my own sword either.
We found lord Anglachelm with several men. He seemed to be a sacrifice for a kind of ritual. At least that is what it looked like to us. He was in bad shape, but still alive. And as much as I would have liked to have the time to examine him there and then, we had no time.
I will seriously have words with lord Tindir next time he consider carrying someone badly beaten over his shoulder ! If lord Anglachelm had broken ribs (which he has but at the time I wasn't sure and the point is not there) just carrying him over someone's shoulder could have moved the ribs which in turn could have cut open his lungs, which would have killed him.
When I told him he couldn't do that, his answer was that it was good enough for lady Nirhen last time. Yes, well, Lady Nirhen suffered a concussion, NOT broken ribs !
We had no time to make a stretcher, so lord Veryacano and I carried him together outside, as carefully as we dared to without slowing our progress too much. Until lord Anglachelm began choking on blood and fainted.
We were far enough of the fortress so we put him down on the floor. And there... I don't think it a stretch to say that everyone began to panic. I heard things like 'He's dying' one too many time in a few minutes... And everyone crowding lord Anglachelm so close that there were some almost stepping on him.
Lord Anglachelm regained consciousness on his own and recognized lord Veryacano. Well, good. At least one worry gone. He is still in a state to recognize at least the people the more familiar to him. And then he fainted again.
And as usual what I said was largely ignored... Until I shout to get their attention, which could have given away our location to anything after us, but there was a question of priority there.
We finally got some space, though not enough for my tastes, but I know that they needed to be close so I let it be... mostly. I got lord Tindir help in sitting up lord Anglachelm, and tried to assert his state as quickly as I could. That's when I found out about the broken ribs, on top of lash marks and burns. I put a salve on his wound to at least reduce pain for now and bandaged his torso to keep the broken bones to shift while we were moving him. Just in case and to help ease his breathing and awaken his healing capacities, I made him drink an athelas solution.
He didn't seem to be choking on blood anymore so it may have been a result of him trying to talk on an injured throat, or of a blood vessel broken in his respiratory system. Or maybe caused by one too many hit in the abdomen, a bleeding in the mouth... Or broken ribs already having cut his lungs, but I didn't think so. And I seemed to be right on that last point as lord Anglachelm is still alive right now.
We needed to move, so we installed lord Anglachelm on his shield to transport him more easily until a camp of the elves of Mirkwood.The way was... difficult, but we reached the place. It is in some ruins, and is quite a small camp, but carefully guarded, which is perfectly fine in my opinion.
We installed lord Anglachelm under a tent, and I could finally begin to treat his wounds without anyone telling me we needed to move.
I undid the bandaged I placed on him earlier and began to clean his wounds. Well... I had quite some times of work in front of me...
I don't know how close Parnard is to lord Anglachelm but he was clearly panicked and underfoot. After sending him on an errant, I had nothing left for him to do that'd take him a little farther away so I looked at lord Tindir to maybe, get his attention on the problem... And lord Tindir went away to see if he could find food for us all... Without Parnard. Oh well, since he was there, he could as well help me.
When we were finally close to finish treating lord Anglachelm's wounds. I gave my excuses to Telpenaro and Parnard at least for the way I talked to them earlier. Well, I talked to everyone really but those two were here and not the others so... Tomorrow we will try to wake him up if he doesn't awaken on his own and to feed him as well.
I think he has good chances of survival. I could be wrong but if everything goes as I hope it will go, I will be tempted to drug him to ensure he doesn't try to move too early than is good for his health soon enough, as I told the others. (I will not do it obviously but...)
Come to think of it... how is everyone ? There was more than a few fights, is there anyone injured that I didn't see ? Not poisoned I hope... They would have say something if they were injured, right ?! If not to me at least to someone... surely...
Oh and Lady Nirhen found us at the entrance of Dol Guldur when we were leaving it. Or did we find her ? Well, we were on each other's way I suppose really.
Now... Parnard is sleeping and apart for being worried out of his mind for lord Anglachelm I suppose he is fine. Telpenaro looked fine as well... Everyone else, I don't know... First thing tomorrow I will ask them. Then see to lord Anglachelm and with some luck if nothing comes up... I'll rest. Well... And get new bandages and possibly more supplies. Or ask lord Veryacano if it is at all possible to send someone back to that abandoned place close to Dol Guldur to get back all our things. I really would like to have access to the rest of my supplies.
