Xanderian woke slowly, from dreams of darkness and anxiety. Strange flowing blends of dread and an almost erotic anticipation that left her unsettled in a myriad of ways. As her eyes opened, she heard voices nearby at the map table, and rose up on her elbows in the silken sheets for a better view.
Speaking in what they thought were low tones were Nethrida, Eduwiges and Finchley, with a fourth member of the quartet that Xan did not know, but wore a battered jerkin of the Malledhrim and had the scent of the greenwood about her.
The huntress did not bother to get out of her bed as the dream was still resonating for her, leaving her feeling languid and a bit decadent, calling with a voice still thick with sleep. “Hail my lovelies, you have brought a guest amongst us?”
They all turned to the canopied bed with a start. Finchley looked embarrassed for waking Xanderian yet both Nethrida and Eduwiges seemed relieved she was awake. The newcomer seemed mainly startled, apparently having not realized this massive chamber was also someone’s private bedroom.
Eduwiges, as usual, spoke first, nonplussed by Xanderian’s state. Anyone who lived in the House of Three Graces was used to the fact that Xanderian had little use for modesty or personal space. “G’morning Xan. Her name’s Arrothiel. Nimlindir found her wounded in Mirkwood and brought her here for help. Ahmo has fixed her up already.” The newcomer bowed a bit awkwardly as Xanderian finally rose, drawing a sheet around her shoulders against the chill. The pale blue scar on her throat seemed to stand out even more vividly against the white silk of the sheet.
“Welcome then, daughter of the twilight forest. You are welcome here as long as you wish to shelter amongst us. Sweet Nethrida, where is sister Addie? I do not feel her on the island.” Xanderian leaned against one post of the bed, suddenly more concerned as all three of her friends seemed troubled at the mention of Addiela and went silent.
Xanderian nodded. “I see….that we have lost track of her after the events in the garden the other day leaves me perplexed, and none too pleased. We should locate her and see that she is….well.”
Nethrida stepped forward, “I share your concern. To be honest, I simply do not trust her anymore. Nor do I plan to lose her to the darkness.”
“There is more of this mess with Addie? I thought this nonsense settled.” Eduwiges sighed..she hated feeling there was dissent within her adopted family.
Xanderian sighed, echoing her platinum haired friend and let the silken sheet drop to the floor with a whisper, taking up her undergown and hauberk and slowly beginning to dress as her friends waited, the newcomer looking confused and anxious to be elsewhere.
Finchley frowned a little but eventually smiled when she looked to her toes. "... I should be spendin' more time with Addie. I promised to." She raised a hand to the side of her face to give Xan some privacy even if the elf didn’t seem to require it. Bree-ish sensibilities died hard.
Xanderian slipped Heartbreaker across her back once her hauberk was strapped in place and turned, addressing Eduwige’s question at last. "When is nonsense ever ended, my beloved? I feel.....something is at hand, but I do not know what...when I look at the sensation, my mind avoids it. This alone causes me concern as do my dreams.'
Finchley looked to Xan and furrowed her brows. "... It doesn't have anythin' to do with that... dagger she had that's yours, does it?" She couldn’t help but seem to physically shy away from the discussion of the Morgul blade, taking a half a step backwards.
Resting a hand on the smaller woman’s shoulder, Nethrida shook her head,”'Do not blame yourself over Addie, Finch. She has been deceiving us for ages now I think. I only wish whatever worm it was who lured her down this dark path never crosses paths with us... For the things I would do to that beast, whoever or whatever it is, are too grievous to describe.”
Noting the newcomer’s confusion deepening, Eduwiges caught her attention, “Arro, if you are still set on going back to Mirkwood allow me to show you the armory. Let us see if there is something useful there to replace your lost gear.”
Finchley perked up, banishing her dread of that blade. Finchley never stayed glum for long. “Maybe show her to where the food is too, Edu... I promise I didn't eat it all again….”
Eduwiges led the woman into the armory where many bows and weapons of all kinds were mounted and displayed, but Xanderian did not seem to notice they had left, lost in her thoughts. “I wish I knew for sure that the blade Pride was not involved, Small Finchley...but I fear we must watch and wait. My dreams and visions tell me nothing more then a great storm is rising, and as always we seem to be at the center of it.”
Finch looked to her toes again and sighed a little. She hated when Xanderian talked like this, but when she lifted her head again she had forced a smile. "Okay... It'll be alright eventually. Just have to uhh... get through all the hard stuff first."
Nethrida slapped one hand down on the map table. “We should rid ourselves of the accursed blade once all of this is behind us... No good can come from possessing it...not for you Xan, and not for Addie.”
Finchley bit her bottom lip but said nothing as Xanderian shook her head. “If the Lord Elrond allowed Pride to leave Imladris, then surely the greatest danger must be passed. Has Addie yet explained how she came to acquire it, to anyone?”
Finchley shrugged gently. "Mister Rathvald brought it to her, I think. Lif asked him about the particulars but he didn't say much and they..well…you know Lif. I think maybe... he might've just taken it. Not that I'm judgin' him or anythin'. He's very nice an' all."
Nethrida frowned again. “Mayhaps Lord Elrond knows not it is missing...”
Arrothiel and Eduwiges returned from the armory in mid conversation as the horsemistress tried to explain recent events with little success. “One of us died, but did not die…” she said rather cryptically. “Well, we thought he was dead, but he was saved and just came back to us.”
Arrothiel muttered under her breath "Necromancers." She did not seem impressed. Returning her voice to its usual register she asked "Why allow him to return? Surely it is not wise to let one such as this roam free."
Xanderian seemed about to answer the woman’s statement, appearing cross when a door slammed elsewhere in the house followed by a raised call. “Where the feck is everyone!”
Arrothiel frowned. “The loud elf again….” She muttered as Xanderian raised her voice in answer. “We are in the Chamber of Stars, Banshee.”
A few moments and Xandilif strode up the stairs, still armored. “Well, well, well, quite the party. Eh? Seems the Stray hasn’t left yet. Did somebody feed her, if so we ain’t never gonna get rid of it.”
Arro scowled deeply…it seemed she didn’t think much better of Xandilif then she did Necromancers.
Xandilif continued. “Anyway I got news. Got a message from Emery, the barkeep at the Thirsty Seer over in Trith. Seems that our little ray of feckin sunshine Addie is there. She laid down more coin then she shoulda had for a private room upstairs and has got one of the bouncers moving the damn furniture for her, tippin’ him like she’s a Breeland harlot on holiday.”
Rian raised both eyebrows as Nethrida and Eduwiges looked amazed at this news. “Is it so severe that a man with Emery’s experience raised an alarm?”
The Champion shook her head. “Don’t know about that, but I told him to keep an eye open for the HorseImp and to let me know if she was making a nuisance of herself again in the White City…and according to the boy who brought the note, she is frightening the regular customers. He says she looks like something a Morreval would leave on her plate.”
Following in the wake of Xandilif was Hawke, attracted by the Champion's bellowing. He looked confused and still somewhat weakened by his ordeal but as soon as he mounted the stairs, Finchly was at his side. “What’s all this about Addie?” he asked to no one in particular.
Xanderian sighed. "How did Addie manage to leave the island. It seems we have no choice but to go and drag her back.”
Holding her face with her hands, Nethrida cursed under her breath. “I had to meet with a fellow guard on the mainland to pass him a report for Dol Amroth. She must've taken that time to flee.”'
Finchley shook her head and laid a hand on Lif's arm before looking to Nethrida. "Addie has gotten rather good at sneakin' lately. And that's her fault not yours."
Unsoothed, Nethrida banged her fist on the table in anger. "I knew she was not to be trusted..."
Hawke laughed ruefully, “It wasn't like she was a prisoner..was she?”
Eduwiges held up a hand, a bit lost in the conversation. “Wait, Addie got off the island?” This caused a fresh burst of laughter from the friends as the tension broke for a moment.
Xanderian shook her head and hugged Eduwiges tightly. “It seems she has, my lynx…but I imagine there is little harm she can do at the Thirsty Seer, save to sour the ale.”
Eduwiges stared in shock, her voice rising at the prospect of a friend in trouble. “She made it back to Minas Tirith? Who is going to go fetch her?”
Blinking, Xanderian would seem almost shocked by her own next words. “I suppose we should all go.” All would nod their assent, even the newcomer Arrothiel, but she seemed more concerned with what damage this pack of apparent maniacs could leave in their wake.
Nethrida banged her fist into her breastplate. “Indeed, with all due haste!”
Eduwiges put her arm around her Gondorian friend and agreed. “Let’s go, besides they have fantastic beer! We will save Addie and make a party of it!”
-----
Certain that the best course was to all stay together, including the suitably confused Arrothiel, the party arrived at Minas Tirith and made their way to the Thirsty Seer on the Scholar’s Teir.
As they entered, a racket could be heard from upstairs and Emery caught Xandilif’s eye from behind the bar. He gestured towards the stairs and held up Addie’s ever lengthening tab.
Climbing the stairs and pushing the doors open, they would indeed find one of Emery’s strongarms who normally minded the door, a local named Balt, nearly finished with his labors. He had pushed all furniture to the sides of the room and Addie was just finishing scrying a large circle in the middle of the floor in red chalk. The blonde woman looked pale and enervated and more than a big manic, muttering to herself in concentration. “My moment is at hand and I soon will see my father again at long last.”
Realizing the others had arrived, Addiela stood and dropped the chalk so that she could dust off her hands and wave everyone closer; her smile was somewhat sinister and her gaze was fixed on the silver dagger at Xan's hip. "I am glad that all of you have finally seen the light," her eyes flitted to Neth for a moment, "especially you, captain. Please.. come in and close the door behind you, there won't be any need for any outside source of light." After she spoke, she motioned for Balt to move a pedestal into the middle of the circle as a finishing touch. “LIFT IT you dolt! Do not disturb the chalk!”
Xanderian tilted her head...and then dropped her hand to her belt a bit surprised. She had not realised she had even brought the dagger, Pride, with her. She was sure she had locked it up after Addie had surrendered it to her the day before. "Sister Addie...what are you doing...the barkeep is complaining over the noise."
Nethrida calmly shook her head and stared right back at Addie. "Do not misunderstand me being here as acceptance. We are here to put an end to all of this madness" She replied with a stern, somewhat cold tone and kept her gaze fixed at Addie while Eduwiges walked up with her beer, staring. She seemed incredulous that the patrons of the bar or the staff were persuaded by Addie to let her do all this.
Hawke was honestly not sure what is going on, why they'd chased after Addie…or even why it had seemed like a good idea to him. After his head injury he was still piecing things together, but he'd accompanied everyone to offer whatever help he was able. Being so near to the dagger however left his skin feeling cold and a sense of dread lingered in his thoughts that he couldn’t explain.
Finchley followed after everyone, though she kept close to Hawk's side, glancing at him with concern every few seconds. Upon observing the scene before them her brows furrowed. She clearly had a very bad feeling about this. "Addie?... Maybe we should all go home now?"
Balt calmly placed the pedestal down, and after Addie nodded her approval toward him walked out of the room, leaving the friends alone.
Addiela reached into the satchel at her side for an aged scroll which she began to unroll. She was being none too gentle with it, despite the fact it had clearly been patched and repaired many times. Finally she took in a deep breath and spoke, her voice smoother and richer then it had been before...and vaugely familiar. "The moon is high, the stars are aligned and the energy is right.. Can you not feel it?" She looked toward Xan. The silver dagger on her hip had begun to glow with red highlights. "The dagger.. the dagger knows and is ready. May I have it please?"
Xanderian shook her firmly and gripped the dagger’s hilt. "NO, Sister Addie, I am not sure this is a wise course, there are numerous pitfalls, even though you are doomed to failure....I am....” Xanderian looked down at her empty hands, confused to notice she had already passed the blade to Addie. She didn’t remember doing that....even as Xandilif made what should have been a move to stop her, but was far too little and far too late as she just stood there watching.
A sense of inevitability was spreading through them all, a voice whispering in their ears…”This is going to happen, why fight it? It's better this way.”
Nethrida gritted her teeth and took half a pace forward, battling through the overwhelming sensation of calm "No! Take it back Xan!" She managed to call out, but Eduwiges put a hand on her shoulder to pull her back. The Rohan girl took another pull from her beer. If Xan was alright with all this, then she was…and it indeed was excellent beer. Still something about all this seemed strangely familiar to her...and for a moment she was almost tempted to begin unlacing her heavy armor.
Hawke resisted, feeling like the overwhelming calm was cloying, and he found himself touching his temple, trying to shake away the strange thoughts as well as a familiar weight in his mind. Xanderian handing over the dagger so easily...that wasn't right and brought memories to him...images of seeing the elf lady bleeding, dying...and feeling this same weight in his mind.
Beside him, Finchley merely stood still for a moment, wide eyes trained on that dagger as it passed hands. She knew precious little about it save that Lif said that was the blade that had hurt Xan...and it was making her birthmark ache something fierce. “Please, Addie, stop this. Stop hurtin' yourself further."
Suddenly the hastily closed door burst in. Outside of it, Balt was nursing a bleeding nose as an elven woman stepped over him. The Lady Ahmo had been alarmed when she felt her friends arriving in the city unexpectedly and now no one seemed to notice her arrival as she struggled to understand the strange scene. Addie had always been like a daughter to her, but some small part of her ageless mind now whispered to her in warning…this was NOT Addie….yet Ahmo could do nothing but watch things play out
Ahmo met the eyes of the newcomer Arrothiel who looked extremely confused and conflicted, as if she was not sure what was going on, but not liking it at all…and wondering if she should act.
Addie held the dagger out over the ancient parchments she had arranged on the pedestal. Trinkets, tokens of each of her friends were scattered amongst the papers, something from each of those who had fought at Kheledul a long year past. Lastly she dropped a lock of Hawke's hair, which she had carefully snipped the day before, as she "confirmed" his resurrection, onto the scroll, which promply burst into flame. All was finally complete.
A haunting melody began and drifted into the ears of those listening like a comforting lullaby, but no one could say later where the music had come from. Addie's eyes closed for a moment as the music stirred a darker side of her magic. With a wave of the dagger, all of the flames in the room turned a deep blood red, almost black, and the room turned considerably darker. The unease that had been gnawing at each of them now flared again, alarm was spreading through the company as glamours faded, but it was far, far too late.
Addie held her left hand out over the tokens, bringing the dagger over it with her right hand and cut a deep gash into her living flesh. She didn't even feel it. The blood spurted dark and rich, crossing through the red chalk ring and then dripped heavily down onto the scroll and the tokens like melted wax as Addie began to recite the words she had memorized through all those long, secret nights in the Halls of Lore, words which she thought had been written in Rohirric, words she could easily understand. Words of love and longing for a father she missed every day and would give her soul to restore, prayers for the sanctity of his soul and for his triumphant and noble rebirth.
Those were what she thought she was speaking…but she was actually intoning words of an entirely different language and nature. From her mouth now proceeded Black Speech, the words her mind had truly read. Addie continued the words, over and over again, a chant which had now replaced the melody. She droned on and on as the very air seemed to shake, the air grew dark and electric, and her foul, obscene pleas were answered.
The room was filled with a sound like breaking ice as the dagger shattered still in Addie’s hand, the shards seeming to float in the air. Addiela was knocked backwards even as the explosion mixed with the Black Speech drove her friends to their knees in agony.
The shards began to flow together as screams echoed through the air, endless voices screaming in unison. The screams were of all those in that chamber as well as in the tavern below, perhaps of all on the Scholar's Tier...indeed screams were heard throughout Minas Tirith at that moment with no ready explanation....save for a spreading miasma of pain, that was there, then seemed to be sucked up like a toxic fume into the Scholar's Tier.
After an eternity, the screams formed into a single guttural voice that many of those present recognized as a fell spirit rose up out of the blood splattered tokens and the shards of the blade.
"FINALLLLLLYYY!!! It took you WORMS long enough!!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED
