Mornenion would have just finished running down from the ruin atop Amon Sûl. Despite the injuries he gained, he keeps moving at a running speed that is neither too slow or too fast, good for running long distances. He still has his bow in his hand, as he is pursing Domruth and those that took her so it is certain that his pursuit make take a dangerous turn. From where he is now, Mornenion can't see the figures but he remembers, and by judging on how many times he turned that brought him to this position, he assumes that they must be straight ahead of him.
Mornenion would keep jogging ahead, though his eyes keep scanning ahead just in case he can see the figures in the distance, but from the shape of the landscape he can't see much further. After running a little way more, Mornenion would stop upon a hilltop as it drops down quite steeply on the other side. From this height, he pauses to take a good look at the landscape, to see if he can see the figures, as it may be the best chance he can get to see them from a high place. Scanning the land from his position doesn't reveal anything. He tries harder and even squints and all he manages to see is something very faint in the distance. It gives him the impression that it's human figures but nothing more.
Mornenion would then take a moment to look to see how he can get down the steep slope quickly but without injuring himself. A quick glance shows that the hill rolls down quite abruptly and it's impossible to walk or run down, he'd have to roll. However, he sees, in the darkness of what would now be very early morning, that on his left the path is more treadable and it doesn't go too steeply down. So, Mornenion would run a little slower to the left, moving down the hill. He keeps his eyes on the path, but occasionally looks up to the horizon to see if he is getting closer to the figures.
After some way, Mornenion would pause once more, this time looking for the figures on the horizon and also to the floor to see if there are any tracks he could follow. He can't see anything on the horizon that looks like human figures anymore but he can see that here and there the sand is trampled and the dry foliage is broken. Mornenion would assume that he is on the same path as the figures took and so keeps running forward, following where the ground is trampled.
Mornenion would stop as he reaches a large rock, looking around for more tracks and also for any signs of the figures in general. There is no sign of figures anywhere in the distance or closer. The ground here is massively trampled, he cannot say if it's fresh or not, or how many passed through. It is a large patch of tramped dry grass and sand. One or two lights high up in the distance also tell him that he is very close to Ost Guruth now. Mornenion would sigh and keeps following the trampled ground for the time being.
Mornenion would run but after a while, and no more than forty meres away the trampled area stops, he is on a patch that isn't disturbed now. He can feel it and see it if he looks around. Mornenion would look about, realising that the ground is undisturbed here. He curses under his breath angrily and then turning around, looking to find the trampled grass again and so see where it leads.
It is easy for Mornenion to trace his steps back as he only has to turn around and walk carefully. he finds the disturbed earth and walking here and there it doesn't seem to go anywhere. It looks like it's a big patch of earth, shapeless, that is disturbed as if someone has been passing over it constantly. Mornenion would turn around in a circle, trying hard to see if there is anything that shows that whatever passed here, whether it be the figures not, went from there, as something that trampled so much ground couldn't have disappeared so easily. After focusing on the marks for some moments he can easily tell that the disturbance is caused by some sort of animals. Even maybe spiders, as some traces are thin and dig relatively deeper than a paw.
Mornenion would mutter angrily to himself as he realises he was following the wrong trail, "Pe-channas!" He then carries on running East, as that is the general direction that he saw the figures running in last. As Mornenion runs, he looks in the direction of Ost Guruth for a moment, before looking ahead once more, as if deciding not to go there and ask if the figures were seen by the people who reside there.
However, a voice calls out from somewhere at a distance from him and Mornenion can spot two figures faintly, though it's not certain with the trees around him. "Who goes there? Identify yourself!" and he hears armour moving as if someone's taking an aggressive stance.
Mornenion would quickly take an arrow from his quiver and notches it. He tries to identify if the figures are dressed as the enemy would be or if they are guards of Ost Guruth. He still calls out, "I mean you no harm! I'm just a wanderer!" But, it is impossible to make out the clothing from such a distance. "What's your name and why are you wandering at this time of the day?" asks the voice sternly. Mornenion would frown, calling back in answer, "My name is Morn. I am pursing a group of armed men and a woman. I saw them head in this direction from a distance." There is a moment of silence that feels as if it's dragging, then the voice responds "Why would you pursue them? Are you hunting them?" and then he hears another voice in a hushed tone that clearly isn't for Mornenion to listen to. "What if it has to do with what happened on Weathertop?" and then she hears a clank as if armour hit armour and then a hushing sound! Mornenion would call back, hearing the hushed voice because of his elven hearing, "You know of what happened on 'Weathertop'? How?"
"What's this?" asks one person. The other says something in a hushed tone again but then the ssh makes him stop. "It's hard to miss a lone cloud around it and lightning, eh? We don't get it every day. What do you have to do with it?" he asks suspiciously. Mornenion would assume now that the people he speaks with are guards of Ost Guruth, "I and some others went there to find out what was happening there and got attacked by the people I pursue. I want to see where they are fleeing to." The voice isn't as stern and now it sounds uncertain when it calls out "And why are you pursuing men and a woman?"
Mornenion calls to them, "Those are the people who attacked us on Weathertop!" Mornenion hears a sigh of relief and then a hushed voice again "I told you." and the man who was speaking speaks again "I see. Come over here then, we're no enemies." and the Elf can hear them shifting their position and weapons. Mornenion would put the arrow on his bow back into this quiver, but keeps a hand on his dagger as he walks over to the figures he speaks to. Now that he is closer he can see that the men wear the typical clothes of the Ost Guruth Watch with bits of mail on them. One holds a spear and the other a bow. He has the bow in his hand but it's down and relaxed and he holds no arrows. The other man just holds the spear not so casually as he keeps looking around. "Well met friend." Mornenion would look past the two men, then glancing at them for a moment, "Greetings. Now, did you see where the group of men and a woman went?"
"We didn't see anyone. The only reason we're out of the walls is because the undead are swarming the Dead Lake, East of Ost Guruth. The whole Watch is out to make sure none try to come close."
Mornenion would raise a brow, "The woman was able to summon undead from the ground. Did this swarm of undead occur recently, within the past few hours?"
The men looks at each other with a frown "Some time after midnight." Mornenion would nod, "It could be possible that it was the woman that awoke them." He'd pause, "If you see a blind woman with long black hair, don't go near her. I will continue my pursuit of the people who attacked me now. If it seems that they have gone where the undead are, I will not go too close to the lake or the undead."
"We're not getting close to anyone unless they want to get into the town with foul intentions friend." says the man and forces a smile before adding "I suggest you don't get too close. If someting disturbs them they may even attack Ost Guruth..." and looks back at the walls. Mornenion would try to reassure the guards by saying, though starting to take a step as he is eager to move on, "I will not try to disturb them. I am just trying to catch those that attacked me."
"As you wish." says the man. "Good luck."
Mornenion would nod in farwell, "Thank you." He'd then walk past the men and after a few paces starts running again. The men watch Mornenion go and then continue their patrol. As Mornenion runs further, he sees men with torches at the stairs and various weapons, all dressed up in the typical garb of Ost Guruth. From down towards the lake he can hear loud moans.
Mornenion would move closer to the steep hills leading to the lake, crouching down and taking a look at the lake. The whole area is swarming with figures who move about, they don't seem to have a purpose or destination. They just move around aimlessly, some even stumble on each other. But there are too many. Mornenion would then look around him, at the ground and the landscape to the south, to see if there are any signs of the figures he pursues. However, there doesn't seem to be any sign of sentient movement anywhere.
Mornenion would turn on his heel, moving away from the lake and more south-east. He would stop as he reaches the road, once more looking for signs of the figures or Domruth, yet there is nothing to be seen. Mornenion would move onto the road and runs a little way along it, going east. He would stop at the bend in the road, looking out for signs of the figures once more. But, there are certainly no tracks around.
Mornenion would then go to move off the road, up to the small ruin atop the hill that he can see in the distance, but the elf's attention is drawn back towards the lake once more and he turns to look that way. Between the hills he manages to see something that seems metallic that gives the impression of a gate, moving, as if shut. With a furrowed brow, the Avari moves closer towards the lake again. He tries to take a close a look at what seems to be a gate. Unfortunately, tt seems that he could only see that deep from a certain angle. The mountains are too close to each other and it's hard to see beyond their meeting point.
Mornenion would purse his lips, looking up at the sky for a moment to try to ascertain the time that it is now. He reckons, from the look of the sky, that he has about an hour and a half till the dawn. Mornenion would then look down at the undead to see if he could sneak past them using his fëa and get to where he caught a glimpse of the gate earlier. There would be one or two possible paths that he could take but the undead seem to be in a distress, which would make it even harder for him to sneak past through.
Mornenion would look back to the West for a moment, then back to the undead, then back to the west and once more back to the undead. He then sighs, taking a step back, muttering something in elvish about the fact that it would be tricky to get through the undead with a group and alone it would probably lead to death, so he shouldn't risk it just to follow a whim that the gate may be where Domruth is
