Joma, 6th of Malins Welcome, 1324:: My home is gone and the High Prince Native is responsible:: Was I simply negligent, living so close to the borders of Orcish land? Where the green reaches; there lies Malinor. The sands expanse; the no-mans’-land; so I thought at the time. As dusk set I made to return to my dwelling, driven out by a pair of Orcs as I was installing a battlement to better fortify against the Undead that roam about at night.::Caught completely unawares the threats upon my life seemed almost too surreal, the severity of their shouts and warnings not dawning upon me up until I hear “5….4…….3……2…..1…”; counting down how much time I had left before my flesh would learn just how sharp and diamond blade could be.:: I am sprinting for dear life, with several wounds to carry too, with the violent curses of my pursuer close behind me. The garments are drinking in my blood, and the once prestine white of my robes is now dyed with the most ancient of crimsons.:: I reach my hand down into a damp pocket . “Wha’s tha’?!” I hear yelled. :: “What if it doesn’t have enough power?”, I wonder to myself, barely managing to formulate this thought into a coherent monologue. I start to feel light-headed, and the rifts in my body are pulsating in pain. The object in my grasp begins to emit its own rhythmic energy, as if in unison with that organ which even now was struggling to keep life and memory from escaping me.:: :: “One more…”, I utter to myself, my knees in the moist, cool soil. My mind drifts to Laurelin; the caressing breeze of the wind and the soft sounds of the leaves as they play in their endless folds, the dancing… :: I longed to be back there. More than anything I wished to be under the canopies of the trees, to bask in their ageless wisdom and strength. :: I feel a familiar sensation as the object in my hand starts to warp; the smell of the Orc in my nostrils as the world around me begins to change faster than my darkening mind can comprehend. :: Fortitude fails me as I succumb to the pull of the Earth; muscles slackening, body rolling slowly to the side. :: Some time passes before I realise something peculiar. The presence of the death-dealer absent, I pondered to myself: “Did I die?”, still lying; head against the firm surface. I drifted in and out of consciousness, not much caring what the answer was to the question I posed the sky, which was also not to be seen. “Where am I?”, I ask myself, my senses sharping at a slow but steady rate. Cautiously I begin to sit up, in as gentle a manner as possible, before scanning my environment. :: I crawl backwards to a log wall for comfort. Deeply I sigh, closing my watery eyes with and equally deep sense of relief. “Home”, I say to myself. :: I was back in Laurelin. :: The valour of the Elves grace me with renewed strength; a Power to Will. “My body may still ache, but I am determined to return there”, so I resolve myself. “They are probably ravaging my work even now!”; noticing my fist clenched, relax and regain my composure. “Very well. My belongings may be pilfered, but even if not they are not what I will go back for. No. The truth is what I want. Krug may have been cursed with blood-lust, but he also had honour. If they dismantle the walls, the Undead will surely enter and attack them. Those diamond swords do not make them invincible.” :: I began to concern myself for the Orcs safety, despite having nearly been slain by the duo. Dusk was falling, and with the rising of the moon brought with it urgency. “Now is the time. I must go, lest my questions fall on the ears of a corpse!” :: And so I made my way along the walls of Laurelin’s frontal gate, as I had so often done before when returning to the Wilderness from the city. After finding the usual vantage point some 70 meters to the South I leaped from the edge of the wall, over the moat, falling a distance to land that was far from as comfortable as I would have liked it to be. “When will they ever build an Eastern Gate here? Perhaps they fear that a gate would be a liability if ever Krugmar went to war with Malinor. I pray that day may never come.” :: I proceeded to head East – under the cover of darkness – some 130 meters before arriving at my destination. I take an underground route to enter, in the hope of buying more time to investigate the condition of the property and my possessions. :: “Everything seems to be intact. The chests have yet to be plundered”, I whisper to the dully lit redwood. :: “Twiggie!?” I hear off not far from me. “I smell Twiggie!” “Pointy eurs?”, another voice inquires. “Take down dis wall, dis gonna be firewood!” “Unklomperz!” :: “What a rough brood”, I voice only to my ears as a though occurs to me: “Ha! Imagine what Nether they might bring to the Undead!”, the irony of which struck me a moment thereafter. :: “AHH! BEIN ATTACKED!”, I hear, suddenly alarmed. I rush to the balcony that overlooks the garden. Zombies are below and the Orc is attempting to fend them off. His companion is a litte way off. I unsheath my iron sword and spring to the defendants aid, completely ignoring the ladder leading down. The impact does not stagger me. As I strike the beast from his flank it lets out a low, deep moan, before turning on me The Orc drives his diamond blade into the creature, but fails to be pay him any notice despite the grievous wounds it’s already sustained. It’s arm lands a medium blow, made all the worse by what I had already pushed my body through to even get here. I exclaim before laying the foul creature to rest with a final blow, when I hear another zombie nearby and the Orcs companion yelling to me: “Wha?! You die!”, accounting only a wounded friend and my bloody blade. He steps forward, ready to return my spirit to the halls of my Ancestors. “Wait!”, the other says, “Twas zombie, not elf.” :: I say to them both: “I came here, because I know no place else.” “Ya got 5 seconds ta leave” “Wait” “5” “4” “Ya die if no leave” “3” “2” “He is a elder.” “1” “0” “Ya dead” “We cannot kill and unarmed elder!” I said to them in between that exchange: “I made this my home, and now you say the High Prince has ordered you do destroy it.” “We can’t kill ‘n’ unarmed elder! That is just unworthy.” “Uhm, okay den”, he says, although I do not feel assured of my safety because of it. “We all have a common enemy.” The Orc throws a rough, stone blade ay my feet, brandishing his own diamond blade as he does so. “Now I can kill him” “I will not fight you”, throwing away the blade. :: “Lissun elfie, we gonna destroy dis no matter what. Leave before we kill ya ukee?” “If lat hash problem tell Mistuh Prince”, one says to me, the other still keen on killing me, judging by the wild glint in his eyes. “Slay me if you must, but allow me this small favour: what is it that brings you here? I must know! The truth is something will have, if it costs me life too”, and so my request was posed. “We destroy ’cause Worgoth said so. Don’t need no more reason. Ya shuld leave.” :: “If only I knew the motivations behind this..”, I half say to myself. “I don’t care ’bout that.” The Orc I aided begins to speak again: “Lissun, you make big pretty tree on OUR land, we klomp it.” “And you have every right to it, but are these not the borders of Malinor?” “Nub”, both of them say together. “The High Prince give us shiny to destroy dis”, one says. “He say we can destroy too”, says the other. :: Very well. Go about your business. I will talk to the High Prince myself when I can. I shall take my things before I go.” :: “Now ya got 5 seconds before we klomp”, and he begins counting down again. “Wait, let him take heesh stoff”, the other demands. “Ya shood run, twiggie!” “Toopid twiggie :: “Do not intimidate me, I will do as you say.” I hand them my armour; “Take this. You will have more use for it.” The countdown ends. “Run twiggie! Me wants to kill!”, and I do just that, having finished collecting my things. :: He chases me through the woods, his speed formidable, and despite my superior knowledge of the terrain he manages to close distance between us. :: As we approach a denser part of the woods I feel I will be able to lose him. I underestimated the gap between us, and he managed to grab hold of the pack in which I kept my things. Struggling to break free I lose my possessions before being able to shake his hold on me, and made my way back to Laurelin. :: Now it is time to find the High Prince and discover the true meaning of all this.