Date: 5/23/2000 1:40 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kyttn
"Shall we pause a moment ta relieve our parched mouths?" It had been two weeks and then some since their departure from Rivendell. The journey along the edge of the Misty Mountains had proven more difficult since last Karteran had passed this way. Although Kyttnayah had proven his equal, if not his superior, in a speedy travel, certain rockfalls and landslides proved old paths impossible to travel. Time was lost due to pathfinding. An eerie
silence and strange wind had pressed them since their first day off of the Last Homely House... a presence could be sensed, but not seen. They were being watched. Since the dry morning of this day's passing, Moria's main gate has been in view. Only a few more hours and they would begin the third leg of their journey.
She nodded as she smiled at him. Her fur clung in places to her body -- a body that only seemed to produce sweat when under great duress. She panted of an occasion, in the less strenuous portions of their journey. At the moment, it seemed she was both 'glistening' and panting -- if lightly. Silence had become a companion to them in how she communicated; fear perhaps her greater reason for it. Touch was reassuring to her as much or more so than
speech.
The tracker reached into his pack and produced their waning wineskin. Only one more to go before they had to find a stream. Hopefully, it would last through their underground passage. Foregoing the relief of water for now, he handed the liquid container to his travel mate. Brief had become common between them, although neither spoke aloud of the occurrences. Each was certain the other had ulterior motive for tactile contact but the silence proved too
formidable for such intimate conversation. "Yah see yon wall-face?"
She let the liquid refreshment linger on her tongue - a few drops only. A whisper soft sigh escaped her as she leaned her shoulder against him the better to see over his shoulder and view precisely what he viewed. Her cheek brushed against the hardness of his arm as she nodded. He pointed in the direction of a flat wall near a few gnarled, dry trees. A lake, glistening in the daylight, made it harder to see. Most of the water body had leeched off
from the once great lake it had been. Traveling would be almost straight from now on. "Moria." The word fell dead on the air as soon as he spoke it. He even wondered if he said it at all. "Nothin' good has come to those who ventured too far into its depths."
Upon inspection, the path they had been traveling, although rocky, was clearly man-made. It was apparent that any attempt from then on to deviate from the path would be foiled. Sheer vertical walls rose to peaks from their feet to the sky around them. She really tried to repress the shudder; but it came, nevertheless. Tired as she was, she let it. She spoke for the first time in a while, her voice a ghost of itself. "We will make sure something
good happens."
Something in her own dry voice forced Kart to suppress his own urge to shudder. "Indeed, but we must make haste. Moria may'ap be dreadful.. but night be nay kind ta travelers here." In response, she smiled if faintly and leaned against him again. Allowing, moreover appreciating, the comfort, he paused a few moments more rest to supplement what little strength they had left for the journey to the door.
"I'll follow you anywhere in this cause." Having discovered her thread-bare voice, she used it again. "Even there."
A kind smile stretched across his weathered face, turning to look into those royal blue depths of her eyes. One could get lost easily in those, he thought. "No wonder Strider sa.." The words died away as a few small rocks slipped from the peaks above to fall at their feet.
Those very eyes he thought he could lose himself in focused at first on the crags beyond, but at his words, she turned them to him expectantly. Then, in the strange silence that had surrounded them, the tumbling rocks seemed loud in her ears and her eyes darted away again.
Did I say that? ran through his mind. A mind that had not been in its best condition these past few weeks; but instead of pondering on that he took her hand and silently, quickly, led her forward. She'd come to trust him... to trust his movements, his body almost as an extension of her own body and moved with him. He risked not another sound as they moved forward, and somehow knew that Kyttnayah would know and remain silent. So well had
they both adapted to each other that even the slightest body movement was felt, no-understood, by the other.
There were times when she wondered if it were how it ought to be; when they began this they were strangers. But, it was how it *had* to be for survival's sake and she found herself having been wondering less and less until, after a time -- even now -- it bothered her no longer.
In two hours, perhaps the most silent hours of the trek, they reached the rock face. The sun was waning as they sat silently next to each other for a bit of rest and water. Even Karteran drank this time although not nearly enough to even come close to quenching his thirst.
"We still have two or three hours o' daylight left 'fore nightfall... an' we dinna wanna hesitate fer a long time once we begin our trek in th' depths o th' caverns beyond. I suggest we dine now." Giving her a smile he would show no other, he set down his pack and began to prepare for the evening's meal.
She watched him, concerned that he needed more water... for she felt it as surely as she felt her own thirst and did her part in their evening ritual. Silently. She was aware of something... something in the air that made *this* one meal different somehow. She would, at times open her mouth to speak... but then close it, either thinking better of it or trying to think of something worthwhile in the speaking.
"Aye... bein' watched, we are." He said, his voice barely a breath as he munched on a bit of their meager supply of salted meat and waybread. A breath again, his voice fading on the wind almost as soon as it broke the silence. "I dinna kno' who.. or wha'... but I kno' this... It nay be ... *her*..." Avoiding that name at all costs, as if saying it would make her appear- here and now.
Her fur stood on the nape of her neck and she shook her head slightly, her ears falling back to show her displeasure even of the thought. "I can't think," she whispered finally, in an effort to deflect the mixture of emotions thinking of Strider's dangerous Ex brought on, "Of a better person to share this … meal with." She'd nearly said "last meal" and didn't allow it, but thought it all the same.
He couldn't deny the attachment, the dependency that had developed in him for the felinoid in this time of travel. Thinking about it, he wasn't even sure if he could have made this trip without her. His heart felt weak and invulnerable at the same time. Words were lost as he stared into her eyes. Food half-chewed became stuck in his dry mouth, and he had to swallow another pull from the shallow supply of water to get it down.
She bit off the nearest to last bit of waybread in her hand, chewed and swallowed, the last small bite lingering in her fingers as she studied his face intently. Words raced in her head. Kyttn had a tendency to babble when she was excited or nervous and as she sat with him, she was both; but, no words left her lips.
His sudden movement towards her was something he didn't even plan. It was a meeting of lips as he came to her from across their table spread. A few fingers grazed her downy furred cheek. His now slightly hairy face scratching and tickled a bit. The motion was sudden, but not brief. Eyes that had seen the most cruel of women punish him closed purposefully now in trust before this female.
The tingle of his touch ignited the fur along her spine and her tail curled forward toward him, it reaching for him as much as her hands did. She dropped that last morsel of her food to close with him for a kiss that was breathless, hard and as wild as the landscape around them. Hands with claws that could rend the flesh from his throat brushed silky soft pads instead against him instead; but the contact, as the kiss, was not soft. It was
insistent, urgent and hungry. Robert's words rang in her head about just going out and getting it over with; here was an opportunity. Only... something inside wouldn't let her.
He wanted her... by all that breathed he did so... but something caused him to pull away, albeit regretfully. His senses kicked in when his eyes slowly came wide again, and he realized what caused the interference.
Kyttn's mouth lingered open as her breath went in puffs from her nose, letting the glands in the roof of her mouth scent the air. A multitude of spoor assaulted her... his, hers... Something strange as well that she'd rarely smelt before. Kyttn spun in place, crouched, eyes scanning the stone around them, the distance ahead, the sky above.
"Drow..." he whispered. A searing screech, inhuman if not insane, tore open the silence. The battle cry echoed resoundingly throughout miles of the terrain. Identifying the location of the crier was impossible. "Damn my foolishness..." He muttered as he gathered up their belongings and slung the pack over his shoulder in nearly one movement. "Come… we must away... they be near, if'n nay already upon us." He offered her an outstretched hand.
"Aye," she growled, taking the hand, her agreement with him complete to including her foolishness with his.
He turned and led her to the flat and defiant wall face. It seemed immobile. No doorway could be seen, nor crack... only a blank, dusty wall -- imperfect and definite. He gently let go of her hand, and came to the wall until his face was nearly touching it.
She couldn't stop the question. "Where ... ?" She watched him but kept an eye out around them. The stone felt cold and unforgiving at her back.
His breath, sending dirt aloft in clouds, was quick as he stared at the rock face. His eyes were once again closed... save this time his lips were pressed together in a thin, nearly invisible line of concentration. His hands slowly began to move over the rock as fingers probed and prodded. Then, it came forth. Slowly, as if materializing from nothing, silver lines began to well from the rock. Perfect in every curve and dip, words and symbols
appeared, outlined by a rectangular mithril line showing the defining characteristics of a door. Most of the silver formed script was completely foreign to the felinoid; but in the center rested a depiction. It was a tree with stars all about it seemingly shining bright from the waning sun. A crescent moon rested above this tree along with its daily brother.
Her skin under her fur ... rippled. She shivered and stared and she found this place never ending with it's miracles. In the moment, she forgot the danger of pursuit. Tilting her head to one side to study the symbols and then to the other to gaze on that tree she was astounded by it's beauty.
Then, in a flawless, flowing script, a line of elfish characters formed beneath the depiction. It was the symbol of the old elves which rode on every flag and armor piece of Gondor. Finally, Karteran stepped back a bit and opened his eyes to take in the Gate of Moria. In gazing on the wonder of it all, Kyt's warrior heart ached for armor and blade, banner and shield.
"Beauteous, eh?"
"Oh... yeah," she whispered.
The symbols, which ran in an arch above the elven depiction, were dwarvish. Yet the script below the depiction was elfish. "Naught else in this world is o its like... naught else has these two languages in unison."
She let her eyes wander it and asked finally ... "What does it say?"
"The elfish merely states th' passageway before us.. "The Gate of Moria"... tis th' dwarfish tha' holds th' key to unlockin' this door. Tha' says... "Speak friend, and enter." A riddle tha' nearly cost a Fellowship their ringbearer once... long ago." Then, in a voice never heard by the ears of Kyttnayah (at least from Karteran), the traveler commanded, "MELLORN."
The urgency to be through had crept up on her again but as he spoke, her eyes went wide, and his voice had her full attention. As nearly as the words were spoken, a crack flashed through the center of the ruins on the rockface and the mountain parted. In answer to his command, those inhuman/insane shrieks began to rise up from all around. Without hesitation, he took the felinoid's arm and rushed in as quickly as he may. As soon as the threshold of
the breach in the mountain was crossed.. the gate slammed shut.
Her ears fell back, trying to close off the noise. Her tail whipped around her leg then back, balancing. She'd never had any great reason to dislike the Drow ... 'til now. Darkness... as tangible as it was foreboding, surrounded them on all sides. The inky ooze seemed to almost suffocate the two travelers when they were totally enveloped in the blackness.
"An' Eru said, 'Let there be light!'"
Every instinct told her this was not the place to be. Kyttn's eyes were mortal... they needed light to see contrary to the popular belief about felines and felinoids in general. If not for Kart's cry, she'd have been utterly unprepared for the 2nd creation of day from night.
Humor in the most damnable of places, a quality of the Ranger shown through his foster son, seemed both queer and yet comforting in the darkness. As he spoke, he sparked a flint produced silently from his waypouch. A torch was brought forth from their pack, and the small light became enough to provide them with a guiding source through the broad passage.
The tiny source was plenty and as Kyt's orbs fluttered open, black for the centers consumed the irises, she found inner balance from being able to see him. As their eyes adjusted to the amazingly dim lighting, the definitions of the passage could be made out. The confines of Moria, in its entrance, were as wide as the door. And only a few feet ahead of them was a stairwell leading upwards until the roof cut it off from sight. Kart had been this way
only a few times before, and each time he couldn't decide which was more tangible; the darkness or the silence. Now that one was broken, the other needed to be finished as well. "Tis a solemn path, aye? Ages ago, twas one o th' greatest cities in all o Middle Earth."
Caves she was used to and chatting in darkness as well; though the weight here seemed ... ancient and harder to overcome. "Not so dark then as it is now, I'm guessing?"
"All it took twas a bit o time... now it be naught but ruins." A brief chuckle escaped from his lips. "Nay... twas an illuminated city.. full o splendor an' wealth. Ye see, tis th' only place in this world tha' one can obtain Mithril.. if'n ye kno' o what I speak. "
"Time can change so many things." She turned her head to look at him as he spoke, trusting her hand on his arm and the sensitivity of her feet.
His look at her was more than a glance when that was said. He wondered just what things she was referring to... but decided to leave that unquestioned.
"Mithril..." she quoted.
"Th' Drow shall nay be comin' through yon entryway, m'lady... dinna worry. As said on th' door, friends may only enter this place..." But somehow... he felt strange mentioning the threat that only moments ago seemed more than real. Now, the Drow seemed like some far off dream in another time, if not another life. Moria had a way of forgetting things... and making people forget things.
Despite the heavy dark just beyond their small circle of light, Kyt felt her curiosity returning about this old, old place. "So, where do we go from here? Up?"
"Huh... wha'?" The Ranger was caught staring beyond the blackness, beyond even Moria to memories long past. Lifetimes it seemed since Eld, Strider and himself passed this very same threshold. She paused -- because he seemed to have, if not in body in mind. She didn't know where they were to walk or in which direction. "Fergive me, m'lady.. Stumbling about on lost memories. Aye... we be headed upwards. Fer now."
"You're sure?" She smiled at him warmly, her hand lightly squeezing his arm.
His smile was assuring… Promising... "Nay if'n ye keep questioning this poor, tired wanderer..." He couldn't really contain the jest in his voice... but his eyes gave him away for sure. Smile to smile met and shrugged off the age of the place that tried to settle on their shoulders. Stone was stone even here. No matter how dry it seemed it was always filtering water, smelling of dampness and dripping somewhere in the distant dark.
Linking arms, he led the felinoid forward... starting up the great stairwell, which lead slowly into the belly of the Mountain City. "Tell me, Kyttnayah... how well did ye kno' Strider?" A foolish question, but anything to pass the endless time was hopefully accepted. He knew time had no meaning in this dark, dreary place. And knew Kyt would find that out soon enough.
"He was one of the first people I met when I came to live in RhyDin. One of the first to become my friend for no other reason than that I knew -- somehow -- his true name; or thought I did. Time has a funny way of behaving in RhyDin. In the world I come from, there were stories about a Strider, whose name was Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of a foreign land. I don't know if I really knew him well at all -- for a very long time." She mused on
that and doing so made her eyes moisten. "I think he believed I did -- because I knew his name."
Her voice to Karteran was pleasing in this place of stone. It was the only sound, beside their footsteps, which cracked the silence.
"It wasn't until later," she went on, "after he'd been away a time or two that we drew closer in ways beyond the duels..."
"Ye loved him?" The question came forth without having time to stop it... and his eyes apologized silently for the presumption of the right to ask it.
"That part was easy." Glancing down, she studied her feet as they walked the stairs. "What was hard was knowing I loved him and knowing I wasn't the one who was supposed to. It wasn't right. Nor was I able to be there for him when I should have been ..." She sought for the words a moment and settled on the ones she wanted - but left them unspoken because, thinking he knew where she was headed, he stopped her.
"Stop right there..." Both in thought and in action, he meant, as he eased her for a moment's rest.
And it was both in thought and action that she paused, immobile until she knew the full meaning of why he'd called her to stop. In coming to trust him in the traveling they'd done, she'd learned how to instantly obey the one who knew the land and it's hazards far better than she did.
He saw in her eyes that she searched for some unseen reason for their pause, some trap or enemy that lie in wait beyond. But there was none; only his voice. "How can ye blame yeself fer somethin' ye had no involvement in?"
Understanding came and she tugged her brows together to try to her thoughts. She let out a ragged breath that brought with it a question for his question. "How couldn't I? He was my friend and I loved him and I could have been there when he needed me, I think."
"Any o his friends could say th' same, m'lady."
"But ... do they? Kart -- I did love him. I know it wasn't the love of a soul mate for a soul mate, but I am a notoriously selfish creature, I think. And so I wasn't there, pursuing my own ends..."
He gently placed a finger on her lips. Her brows twisted tight at the touch, but her protest fell silent even so. Whispering, as if the mood called for it, he said, "Ye need nay say tha' ye loved him... Tha' much is more than apparent... even ta consider this trip, knowin' there may be no return... Aye, I dinna doubt in th' least yer love fer him. But we canna blame ourselves fer th' death o loved ones... it only causes endless, unforgivin'
pain... " His look was beyond serious now. "I need nay tell ye, this. But trust me, I kno'." At that, he turned from her. "An' so does Eld." His back to her, he let the few tears fall... eyes he promised that would never be moist once again found weakness... and he cursed himself silently for it.
She could feel him there in front of her -upset- and she could have said so many things. So many words sprang to mind -those things that were self recriminations- but in this moment, those were selfish. And if her selfishness was what she most despised about what she'd not given to Strider, then this moment was for Karteran, and Eld and even for herself not to linger in the selfishness of what she hadn't done. Comfort was the hardest thing in the
world in a moment like that; but, her hand went out, palm resting flat on his back to give him the real warmth of it rather than to leave him with the cold tracks of his tears. They were tears that she could *smell* on the air of the cavern.
After a moment from that contact, he straightened and his face was now as dry as the wall next to him. Turning to offer a slight, grateful smile. His *weakness* gave her a strength, whether he knew it or not and she valued him all the more highly for it. "Let us blame ourselves nay more... tis th' past. We canna be stuck in it, lest we doom ourselves tah repeat it, eh?"
"That's the last thing I ever want to do."
"Besides... a more pressing present is at hand for us to concern ourselves with." He took her hand that had recently given him more warmth and caring in one touch than others had in entire nights. He led her silently up the rest of the stairs. Silently, he smiled inside himself and knew now why Strider loved this woman so deeply.
Time was meaningless here. Eternity or an hour passed after they stepped beyond the great stairwell into the inner workings of Moria. At times, the passageways he led them through were so broad, one could seemingly lose themselves in it; yet at others, there was barely enough room for one of them to pass through at a time. All sense of direction, position, even elevation became lost. Rigid and ever curving were the pathways of the dwarves. Passages
leading left, right, up, and down were all about them.
An aged, putrid air seemed to well forth from certain passages... some of which Karteran even followed, albeit reluctantly. Flat passageways, stairwells, and stone slopes were the endless streams of this city... and always were the sound of water. Either dripping or rushing from caverns beyond, it both confused and comforted.
Stair by stair they climbed and Kyttn felt as if she were moving along the great undulating throat of some mythical beast. The caverns, her imagination said, were belly on belly -- like a great bovine -- and the twists and turns reminded her of the intestines of slain animals; replete with stench. Some of these things reminded her of her home and the caves in which her people had hidden a time or two. But this was not Mantiev and, evil for evil,
this place seemed far worse betimes. The sound of rushing water was always welcome -- though it played on her thirst some and it never seemed to materialize.
Song of Stardust
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Re: Song of Stardust - Moria pt 2
Date: 5/23/2000 1:42 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kyttn
Pausing only twice since their discussion on the stairwell, they continued further into the heart of Moria... Kart silently hoping that the way he was taking proved true. At times, great pillars and workings of the dwarves of old had shown themselves without warning. Kyttn would grip his hand then and sometimes jump a step sideways to be closer to him. Wear and tear was also a great obstacle. A few times already, Karteran had to almost throw them
both back to keep from stepping headlong into wounds that had been torn in the great stone. Twice they had been forced to take a route unfavorable and foreign to the Ranger... and he began to wonder if indeed he was lost. He felt as if they were now slowly ascending, but how could one even possibly tell in darkness such as this?
Her heart went from staccato beat to racing as alternately the weight of the place pressed down on her or the dwarf handiwork would startle her. Instinct told her almost constantly to find a way out... Then... it happened. All it took was one false step, and suddenly both were tripped and sliding downwards. A small hole, unseen, caught Kart's feet. He tried to keep her from falling by letting go of her, but the damage -- the force on pulling
her forward -- had already been done. He closed his eyes, hoping that her felinoid instincts would somehow save her. He collided with the ground. It was slanted and slick... and he started to slide downwards into some unseen tunnel on the side of their path.
Spooked as she was, she let out a short cry and thrust her arms out to grab at anything ... but there seemed to be little enough there -- fortunately, cats tend to land on their feet; even ones part human. Of course, if the floor was not even... it was hard to remain so.
Thankfully, the slide was not long... maybe a hundred feet at most. Until the tunnel vomited him out upon some wide-open floor. He fell face forward, his arms outstretched. When he landed, he hit and so did the torch. He could see its flame.
Dazed, bruised, and slightly pissed, the Ranger pushed himself up to a sitting position. Rubbing his head, he turned to look up the circular opening down which he slid. Apparently, the tunnel he slid down was either some sort of service duct leading from one pathway to the next. Or perhaps it was some air duct, one of the thousands that could be found in this place. Either way, he saw that when he tripped, he fell face forward into the tunnel and
down it he went. Apparently, the grate that should have been placed over it was either removed or rusted to dust. He didn't like to entertain the first thought at all. Upon standing, he dusted himself off and turned now to face the room they had chanced upon.
She didn't want to lose him; being separated from her only guide in such a place didn't even bear thinking of. "Kart!" The thump at the bottom she'd heard him make, she made herself, scrabbling for purchase. Kyttn slid, perhaps more slowly because of the grip of her claws; whatever the reason, fur, pads, claws, she came to a stop and tried to smooth out her fur and regain a bit of her dignity. Unconsciously she glanced to see if anyone had seen
her fall - self-absorption of all felines.
After a moment, one would expect a voice, a cry of discovery or disappointment, but nothing came to her. Only silence. A sound she liked not at all. "Kart," she hissed. Trying to be soft and quiet, yet reaching out at the same time. Nothing was to be seen, or felt, of her companion. The only sight was the lonesome torch over on the floor about twenty feet away. Its light showed only one thing... a few strings the color of silk attached to that floor
beside it. Fear gripped her. She fought to control it and she stayed close to the ground, on all fours as she'd landed. The light was the start. Then, in the furthest corner of the light that she could see, what seemed like a hundred black orbs stared back at her unblinking. And through the silence... an audible hiss, the sound of something spawned from hate, slid through the darkness around her.
She had been about to move, but the 'eyes' were there and she knew her own were luminous... a target whether she willed them to be so or no. Then, those orbs disappeared... and all was silent. The air reeked of something foul beyond compare. Something undisturbed for ages... in here, it stunk of decay... of death. She was frozen to the spot, wanting the torch - so close, so far --but the smell was overpowering. Her fur stood like an army of
spikes all along her back and her tail -- could it be seen -- was twice its normal size. It alone moved... agitatedly ... at its tip.
The room was undoubtedly the largest they had come upon. What light was offered did not even touch any wall, save a massive pillar that reached far beyond the darkness to some roof overhead. Her eyes searched endlessly for Kart. The feeling of being watched came from all around. Then, a few drops of liquid fell on her back from above. It wasn't stinging, or numbing... only wet. Startling too. She looked up, skittered sideways to the torch and
held it aloft before the fear could stop her.
The moment she did so, a creature beyond mortal man's imagination fell to where she so recently was frozen. It had the appearance of a spider, yet disfigured... contorted by fear. Multiple legs, hairy and black, sprang out on all sides from a diamond shaped body. Green, glowing stripes ran to and fro in zigzagging patterns all over the black, furry bulk. Like veins, they pulsed and oozed... some kind of unknown liquid.
"Holy hell..." Kyttn hissed, brandishing the torch like a sword or shield. She kept it between herself and the thing; as if it could hope to be enough. Foul limbs, like arms and hands it had too, springing from its upper torso, reaching at her and pinching. Fangs adorned every part of this creature's limbs. Its head was both terrifying and wonderful at the same time. It was human. Yet not so... the head had no hair, and it was dirty, unkempt. Its
mouth was ripped open with a contorted assortment of fangs, needle sharp and undoubtedly venomous. Yet the most revolting things about this creature were its eyes. From the nose up, black orbs covered the forehead, cheeks, head, and temples.
Kyttn pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to keep what little food she'd swallowed down. It hissed at the felinoid. A creature of malice... and its tongue, black and pointed, flashed out to lick its face and eyes... preparing itself for the first meal worthy of such a creature.
Yet its belly, Kyttnayah nay ever reached... Just as the infinite limbs started to move the being slowly, painstakingly forward, Kart flew blindingly fast... sliding across the floor from behind the creature... under its body. Anduril was drawn and in his hand, gleaming as bright as the northern star. No sooner did the foul beast realize that a presence was under it than had Kart plunged the famed steel upwards, completely through the monster.
Kyt's eyes were wide and there were things in her experience that if you cut and they bled on you, you didn't survive ... "KART!" She shot forward and stopped cold two feet closer... she had torch fire... that was all.
Then, balling up with inhuman speed, Kart tucked his legs up to his chest and kicked upward, sending the creature into the air onto its back a few feet away. Slowly he stood to his feet, the kicking of the creature proving far more difficult than anticipated, but well timed to prevent any of the foul liquid from touching him. Holding the hilt of the sword out to her, he let her take it as he fell to the ground, devoid of strength.
The creature, on its back but flailing wildly in the air with its limbs, was starting to roll over. Green ooze, iridescent and steaming, started to pool all around it as it screeched and flailed. It knew death was coming, but it was determined to see that it wasn't the only thing to die.
Her hand wrapped around the hilt of Anduril and Kyttn knew she had to finish the thing off. The room was big, but she couldn't move Kart, let the sullied blade touch him or her and carry the torch at the same time. Torch in hand she positioned herself between Kart and the thing...and held both sword and torch...
Then, as if obeying some command, the sword of old suddenly blazed forth in a brilliance of light, showering the room and every corner with its luminescence. Her eyes squinted as the blade began to *shine.*
The Thing screeched more wildly than ever as if it was burning to death from the radiance. Her irises closed to fine black slits and a smile slipped across her lips. Small snaps could be heard resonating in the room as the creature broke some of its own limbs in its wild attempt to turn itself over. Kyttn leapt up, encouraged by the blade in her hand... and drew close to the deadly dying thing.
"Ye shall prevail, Kit. Find strength. Know no fear. End it!" The words came from all around, and yet nowhere at the same time.
"So Strider's sword rocks your world, eh?" she said to the foul thing, "That soo rules..." And she swung the blade, aimed for it's head, the words she thought she heard only in her heart. Singing the song of its purpose, the blade flew true... cleaving the head of the creature from the body, sending it into some forgotten corner of Moria never to be found. And at that, the sword's brilliance died away to the dull glow it always seemed to have. To
Kyttn that glow seemed all the brighter for what she had seen the blade do.
"You okay, Kyt?" Kart whispered as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder/ A smile of both pride and relief was on his face.
As the sword's light dimmed and the voice in her heart - having echoed there after speaking - faded, she began somewhat to tremble. "By God, Kart. That thing was <bleeping> ugly."
Gently taking the sword from her, he let it fall to the ground then silently wrapped his arms around her. His weakened grip still holding her tightly. Her arms dangled at first and then wrapped around him, hands searching for wounds. "No... I dinna think anythin' woulda done somethin' tha' ugly, babe."
His chuckle was short, but sincere.
She wanted to laugh, but couldn't. "You... are you all right? I swear I thought you'd been dinner and I was dessert." And she shuddered all over again.
"I dinna think twas our fate tah end up in th' belly o tha'... but aye... I kno' what ye mean."
"Christ, we're too close to that thing... " The green ooze, now pooled in that corner of the floor, was steaming and emitting a terrible odor. "Is there a way out? I really need to learn how to handle a sword better. I thought Rand could teach me but that was never his p-pla-an..." She gagged and bent and couldn't stop the rush of food exiting her body, though she managed to turn aside from getting any on him.
Still holding her, he smiled. "I'll teach ye... an' in time, ye shall hold yerself well in battle... but now we must away. Methinks twas fate for this fall. This twas th' main hall for th' Dwarven king. Had we come th' way I planned... we'd have walked right inta th' web o tha' beast." Rubbing her back silently, he reached into the pack he had set aside and produced some of the water. "Drink as we go, m'lady."
"Aw damn... I'm ..." She coughed a few times and wiped her mouth and took the water offered: "Some way to quit myself in battle, eh?"
With one arm still around her, and the other grabbing Anduril, which had no trace of the ooze on it, he sheathed the sword. Grabbing the torch and slinging the pack over his back, he led her out of the room opposite of the creature's corpse. "Ye be more courageous than most men confronted with battle, Kyttnayah." Her smirk, absent despite her quip, returned as they got away some from the smell. "Most soil themselves before th' battle an' run
before any fight takes place. At least ye killed th' damned thing 'fore doin' any soilin'." He gave her a broad, endearing smile.
She nodded, smiled, more appreciative of what he said and how he looked than she could say. "You know ... I've killed for food... and I've killed a few people who served the wrong side in war; but I've never..."
"I tried tah kill th' damned thing meself, but even I had nay th' strength fer it. Be nay quick to persecute yer own courage 'fore ye take into account all sides."
"I… don't think I was alone."
Falls silent, listening.. "Ye... ye heard it?" His eyes observed her in disbelief.
She blinked at him and shifted her gaze back the way they'd come. "I heard it."
"Kyttnayah… This be very important... wha' did ye hear?" His eyes took her in as if she were something of reverence.
She swallowed under his scrutiny disliking intently being anything close to an object of worship; and tried to recall the exact words spoken to her. Words she'd been sure she'd heard in her head. Uhm Well, I heard... or *felt* him..."
Then, he smiles slightly and nods to her. "Twasn't exactly him ye heard..."
"Not him? But he said 'Ye shall prevail, Kit. Find strength, know no fear. End it.' "
"But I shall tell ye wha' twas soon... however, now tis nay th' time fer discussion. Come, let us anon. Soon, we shall be dining outside. I dinna wanna spend a moment longer in this foul, evil palace."
"Yeah... she gripped his arm. Let's get out of here."
Gripping her own, he lead her across the great room to another hallway, and for the first time in who knows how long, light not of the torch begin to find its way down the corridors.
The left the room finally to enter a broad, well formed passageway. Pillars stood on either side near the walls, supporting some ceiling of unimaginable height above. Straight and slanting upwards, they followed this path until it curved slightly and led to a smaller one. Then, they entered a room whose darkness is incomparable to anything previously encountered. It was the Moat of Moria.
"As big as this place is..." she whispered as they went. "It presses on me..."
Stepping from the arched gateway into this expanse of darkness, the floor becomes more rigid. Narrowing down to but a narrow walkway accompanied on either side by an unending darkness. "This be th' final step before we reach th' exit from Moria. Here, long ago, Mithrandir faced one o th' most destructive creatures ever... th' Balrog."
The urge to crawl here was strong... as she would if she were in the branches of a high tree. The illumination of the torch provided enough light to see the expanse to some extent. "So, he's gone, right?" She was hopeful. "The Balrog, I mean." They were standing in the middle of an arched, narrow walkway with no railings or safeguards. On the end they came from and the end they were approaching were outcroppings over a trench that fell into
darkness.
"Oh, aye... Mithrandir an' th' Balrog fell down this well into th' very depths of Middle Earth where no other man has ventured. To give ye an idea..." Holding her hand and leading her across, he stepped to the edge of the outcropping and held the torch out over the expanse. Then, he lets it fall.
"Oh, really..." she said leaning back, "I don't need to see…" her eyes flew wide. "The torch!" Down, down, down into the darkness goes the torch. Down incomprehensible depths until it fell completely out of sight.
"Dinna worry. Th' light from outside be strong 'nough here tah guide us th' rest o th' way." Indeed, even though the torch was far from sight, slight luminescence from the archway closest to them proved enough. "Now, have a look to see if ye can still see light down yonder."
She really didn't want to look, but leaned out a bit and with her longsighted eyes tried to spot the torchlight. As she looked over at first, she saw no light at all. Then, as her eyes adjusted quickly to the new darkness without torch, she noted that there in fact was a flickering flame across the expanse... far down on the other side of the crevasse. Karteran had his back to her, looking in thought towards the archway and beyond. "Even I have
naught a clue as tah how deep it be, but indeed no light can be seen from th' depths below, I know tha'."
"But... I see the torch."
That caused Kart to chuckle a bit. "Trust me, babe... no way even yer eyes could see tha' far."
She crouched down, closer to the edge. "But over there ... really, I see something."
That caused Kart to spin, partly out of disbelief and growing humor. "Lemmie see, m'lady." Squatting on his haunches he leaned over the outcropping. He peered into the blackness and way deep down, an inkling of fear began to grow inside him. Kyttn lay out, tummy flat to stone, so that she wouldn't topple and pointed out what she saw for him. Sure enough, on the other side of the crevasse far below, light of artificial means could be seen... and
now, he could even make out a shadow thrown on the floor of another crevasse. Kart cursed, eloquently. And a screech, kin to one they'd heard before upon entrance to Moria, cut through the silence like lightning through a dark night. Then, other lights closer to the top began to spring to life.
"Damn." She scooted back from the edge and got to her feet.
"Come... we must go... now..."
"Go babe. I'm right with you."
Cursing his stupidity beneath his breath, he took her hand and started to run toward the archway. The screeching grew, multiplied by a number of Drow throats. Running with him was easy enough for her but the sound was hard to take. Ears flat back, short as she was; she kept pace in defiance of the sound. Racing up the upward slanted, curved hallway, the two ran as the screeching pursued them, although it was in the expanse of darkness behind them
now, as they went. Finally, they reached a set of stairs, and above slightly beyond the stair top, the view of the ceiling gave way it's darkness to natural light that could be seen flooding in. Her heart fluttered with the thought of 'OUTside'.
As they ran up the stairs, voices far down below could be heard shouting a war rally. Then, finally, they made the top and raced out the wide, door-less archway into the outside world beyond it.
Kyttn saw that the Misty Mountains were behind them now, and that they had reached the valley on the other side. In the distance, on the valley floor, forest could be seen in all directions, green and flourishing. A raging river, pouring from a jagged mouth to their left raced down into the valley until it became a thin ribbon, and was finally lost in the expanse of forest beyond it. Pausing only to allow time to adjust to the light, he led her
down the overgrown pathway into the valley.
"None will venture unto th' outside world this time o day..." he told her breathlessly, his grip tight still upon her hand. The sun had passed its peak, but was still bright in the mid-afternoon sky. She blinked her overlarge eyes several times, until they settled. "... But we still have precious little time. Come, we must away. Th' forest shall be our shield fer now."
Nodding she held tight to his hand and followed him down. After but half an hour's travel, they reached the beginnings of the wood. The beginnings of the last leg of their journey... the beginning of Lothlorien forest. The beginning of the end.
From: Kyttn
Pausing only twice since their discussion on the stairwell, they continued further into the heart of Moria... Kart silently hoping that the way he was taking proved true. At times, great pillars and workings of the dwarves of old had shown themselves without warning. Kyttn would grip his hand then and sometimes jump a step sideways to be closer to him. Wear and tear was also a great obstacle. A few times already, Karteran had to almost throw them
both back to keep from stepping headlong into wounds that had been torn in the great stone. Twice they had been forced to take a route unfavorable and foreign to the Ranger... and he began to wonder if indeed he was lost. He felt as if they were now slowly ascending, but how could one even possibly tell in darkness such as this?
Her heart went from staccato beat to racing as alternately the weight of the place pressed down on her or the dwarf handiwork would startle her. Instinct told her almost constantly to find a way out... Then... it happened. All it took was one false step, and suddenly both were tripped and sliding downwards. A small hole, unseen, caught Kart's feet. He tried to keep her from falling by letting go of her, but the damage -- the force on pulling
her forward -- had already been done. He closed his eyes, hoping that her felinoid instincts would somehow save her. He collided with the ground. It was slanted and slick... and he started to slide downwards into some unseen tunnel on the side of their path.
Spooked as she was, she let out a short cry and thrust her arms out to grab at anything ... but there seemed to be little enough there -- fortunately, cats tend to land on their feet; even ones part human. Of course, if the floor was not even... it was hard to remain so.
Thankfully, the slide was not long... maybe a hundred feet at most. Until the tunnel vomited him out upon some wide-open floor. He fell face forward, his arms outstretched. When he landed, he hit and so did the torch. He could see its flame.
Dazed, bruised, and slightly pissed, the Ranger pushed himself up to a sitting position. Rubbing his head, he turned to look up the circular opening down which he slid. Apparently, the tunnel he slid down was either some sort of service duct leading from one pathway to the next. Or perhaps it was some air duct, one of the thousands that could be found in this place. Either way, he saw that when he tripped, he fell face forward into the tunnel and
down it he went. Apparently, the grate that should have been placed over it was either removed or rusted to dust. He didn't like to entertain the first thought at all. Upon standing, he dusted himself off and turned now to face the room they had chanced upon.
She didn't want to lose him; being separated from her only guide in such a place didn't even bear thinking of. "Kart!" The thump at the bottom she'd heard him make, she made herself, scrabbling for purchase. Kyttn slid, perhaps more slowly because of the grip of her claws; whatever the reason, fur, pads, claws, she came to a stop and tried to smooth out her fur and regain a bit of her dignity. Unconsciously she glanced to see if anyone had seen
her fall - self-absorption of all felines.
After a moment, one would expect a voice, a cry of discovery or disappointment, but nothing came to her. Only silence. A sound she liked not at all. "Kart," she hissed. Trying to be soft and quiet, yet reaching out at the same time. Nothing was to be seen, or felt, of her companion. The only sight was the lonesome torch over on the floor about twenty feet away. Its light showed only one thing... a few strings the color of silk attached to that floor
beside it. Fear gripped her. She fought to control it and she stayed close to the ground, on all fours as she'd landed. The light was the start. Then, in the furthest corner of the light that she could see, what seemed like a hundred black orbs stared back at her unblinking. And through the silence... an audible hiss, the sound of something spawned from hate, slid through the darkness around her.
She had been about to move, but the 'eyes' were there and she knew her own were luminous... a target whether she willed them to be so or no. Then, those orbs disappeared... and all was silent. The air reeked of something foul beyond compare. Something undisturbed for ages... in here, it stunk of decay... of death. She was frozen to the spot, wanting the torch - so close, so far --but the smell was overpowering. Her fur stood like an army of
spikes all along her back and her tail -- could it be seen -- was twice its normal size. It alone moved... agitatedly ... at its tip.
The room was undoubtedly the largest they had come upon. What light was offered did not even touch any wall, save a massive pillar that reached far beyond the darkness to some roof overhead. Her eyes searched endlessly for Kart. The feeling of being watched came from all around. Then, a few drops of liquid fell on her back from above. It wasn't stinging, or numbing... only wet. Startling too. She looked up, skittered sideways to the torch and
held it aloft before the fear could stop her.
The moment she did so, a creature beyond mortal man's imagination fell to where she so recently was frozen. It had the appearance of a spider, yet disfigured... contorted by fear. Multiple legs, hairy and black, sprang out on all sides from a diamond shaped body. Green, glowing stripes ran to and fro in zigzagging patterns all over the black, furry bulk. Like veins, they pulsed and oozed... some kind of unknown liquid.
"Holy hell..." Kyttn hissed, brandishing the torch like a sword or shield. She kept it between herself and the thing; as if it could hope to be enough. Foul limbs, like arms and hands it had too, springing from its upper torso, reaching at her and pinching. Fangs adorned every part of this creature's limbs. Its head was both terrifying and wonderful at the same time. It was human. Yet not so... the head had no hair, and it was dirty, unkempt. Its
mouth was ripped open with a contorted assortment of fangs, needle sharp and undoubtedly venomous. Yet the most revolting things about this creature were its eyes. From the nose up, black orbs covered the forehead, cheeks, head, and temples.
Kyttn pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to keep what little food she'd swallowed down. It hissed at the felinoid. A creature of malice... and its tongue, black and pointed, flashed out to lick its face and eyes... preparing itself for the first meal worthy of such a creature.
Yet its belly, Kyttnayah nay ever reached... Just as the infinite limbs started to move the being slowly, painstakingly forward, Kart flew blindingly fast... sliding across the floor from behind the creature... under its body. Anduril was drawn and in his hand, gleaming as bright as the northern star. No sooner did the foul beast realize that a presence was under it than had Kart plunged the famed steel upwards, completely through the monster.
Kyt's eyes were wide and there were things in her experience that if you cut and they bled on you, you didn't survive ... "KART!" She shot forward and stopped cold two feet closer... she had torch fire... that was all.
Then, balling up with inhuman speed, Kart tucked his legs up to his chest and kicked upward, sending the creature into the air onto its back a few feet away. Slowly he stood to his feet, the kicking of the creature proving far more difficult than anticipated, but well timed to prevent any of the foul liquid from touching him. Holding the hilt of the sword out to her, he let her take it as he fell to the ground, devoid of strength.
The creature, on its back but flailing wildly in the air with its limbs, was starting to roll over. Green ooze, iridescent and steaming, started to pool all around it as it screeched and flailed. It knew death was coming, but it was determined to see that it wasn't the only thing to die.
Her hand wrapped around the hilt of Anduril and Kyttn knew she had to finish the thing off. The room was big, but she couldn't move Kart, let the sullied blade touch him or her and carry the torch at the same time. Torch in hand she positioned herself between Kart and the thing...and held both sword and torch...
Then, as if obeying some command, the sword of old suddenly blazed forth in a brilliance of light, showering the room and every corner with its luminescence. Her eyes squinted as the blade began to *shine.*
The Thing screeched more wildly than ever as if it was burning to death from the radiance. Her irises closed to fine black slits and a smile slipped across her lips. Small snaps could be heard resonating in the room as the creature broke some of its own limbs in its wild attempt to turn itself over. Kyttn leapt up, encouraged by the blade in her hand... and drew close to the deadly dying thing.
"Ye shall prevail, Kit. Find strength. Know no fear. End it!" The words came from all around, and yet nowhere at the same time.
"So Strider's sword rocks your world, eh?" she said to the foul thing, "That soo rules..." And she swung the blade, aimed for it's head, the words she thought she heard only in her heart. Singing the song of its purpose, the blade flew true... cleaving the head of the creature from the body, sending it into some forgotten corner of Moria never to be found. And at that, the sword's brilliance died away to the dull glow it always seemed to have. To
Kyttn that glow seemed all the brighter for what she had seen the blade do.
"You okay, Kyt?" Kart whispered as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder/ A smile of both pride and relief was on his face.
As the sword's light dimmed and the voice in her heart - having echoed there after speaking - faded, she began somewhat to tremble. "By God, Kart. That thing was <bleeping> ugly."
Gently taking the sword from her, he let it fall to the ground then silently wrapped his arms around her. His weakened grip still holding her tightly. Her arms dangled at first and then wrapped around him, hands searching for wounds. "No... I dinna think anythin' woulda done somethin' tha' ugly, babe."
His chuckle was short, but sincere.
She wanted to laugh, but couldn't. "You... are you all right? I swear I thought you'd been dinner and I was dessert." And she shuddered all over again.
"I dinna think twas our fate tah end up in th' belly o tha'... but aye... I kno' what ye mean."
"Christ, we're too close to that thing... " The green ooze, now pooled in that corner of the floor, was steaming and emitting a terrible odor. "Is there a way out? I really need to learn how to handle a sword better. I thought Rand could teach me but that was never his p-pla-an..." She gagged and bent and couldn't stop the rush of food exiting her body, though she managed to turn aside from getting any on him.
Still holding her, he smiled. "I'll teach ye... an' in time, ye shall hold yerself well in battle... but now we must away. Methinks twas fate for this fall. This twas th' main hall for th' Dwarven king. Had we come th' way I planned... we'd have walked right inta th' web o tha' beast." Rubbing her back silently, he reached into the pack he had set aside and produced some of the water. "Drink as we go, m'lady."
"Aw damn... I'm ..." She coughed a few times and wiped her mouth and took the water offered: "Some way to quit myself in battle, eh?"
With one arm still around her, and the other grabbing Anduril, which had no trace of the ooze on it, he sheathed the sword. Grabbing the torch and slinging the pack over his back, he led her out of the room opposite of the creature's corpse. "Ye be more courageous than most men confronted with battle, Kyttnayah." Her smirk, absent despite her quip, returned as they got away some from the smell. "Most soil themselves before th' battle an' run
before any fight takes place. At least ye killed th' damned thing 'fore doin' any soilin'." He gave her a broad, endearing smile.
She nodded, smiled, more appreciative of what he said and how he looked than she could say. "You know ... I've killed for food... and I've killed a few people who served the wrong side in war; but I've never..."
"I tried tah kill th' damned thing meself, but even I had nay th' strength fer it. Be nay quick to persecute yer own courage 'fore ye take into account all sides."
"I… don't think I was alone."
Falls silent, listening.. "Ye... ye heard it?" His eyes observed her in disbelief.
She blinked at him and shifted her gaze back the way they'd come. "I heard it."
"Kyttnayah… This be very important... wha' did ye hear?" His eyes took her in as if she were something of reverence.
She swallowed under his scrutiny disliking intently being anything close to an object of worship; and tried to recall the exact words spoken to her. Words she'd been sure she'd heard in her head. Uhm Well, I heard... or *felt* him..."
Then, he smiles slightly and nods to her. "Twasn't exactly him ye heard..."
"Not him? But he said 'Ye shall prevail, Kit. Find strength, know no fear. End it.' "
"But I shall tell ye wha' twas soon... however, now tis nay th' time fer discussion. Come, let us anon. Soon, we shall be dining outside. I dinna wanna spend a moment longer in this foul, evil palace."
"Yeah... she gripped his arm. Let's get out of here."
Gripping her own, he lead her across the great room to another hallway, and for the first time in who knows how long, light not of the torch begin to find its way down the corridors.
The left the room finally to enter a broad, well formed passageway. Pillars stood on either side near the walls, supporting some ceiling of unimaginable height above. Straight and slanting upwards, they followed this path until it curved slightly and led to a smaller one. Then, they entered a room whose darkness is incomparable to anything previously encountered. It was the Moat of Moria.
"As big as this place is..." she whispered as they went. "It presses on me..."
Stepping from the arched gateway into this expanse of darkness, the floor becomes more rigid. Narrowing down to but a narrow walkway accompanied on either side by an unending darkness. "This be th' final step before we reach th' exit from Moria. Here, long ago, Mithrandir faced one o th' most destructive creatures ever... th' Balrog."
The urge to crawl here was strong... as she would if she were in the branches of a high tree. The illumination of the torch provided enough light to see the expanse to some extent. "So, he's gone, right?" She was hopeful. "The Balrog, I mean." They were standing in the middle of an arched, narrow walkway with no railings or safeguards. On the end they came from and the end they were approaching were outcroppings over a trench that fell into
darkness.
"Oh, aye... Mithrandir an' th' Balrog fell down this well into th' very depths of Middle Earth where no other man has ventured. To give ye an idea..." Holding her hand and leading her across, he stepped to the edge of the outcropping and held the torch out over the expanse. Then, he lets it fall.
"Oh, really..." she said leaning back, "I don't need to see…" her eyes flew wide. "The torch!" Down, down, down into the darkness goes the torch. Down incomprehensible depths until it fell completely out of sight.
"Dinna worry. Th' light from outside be strong 'nough here tah guide us th' rest o th' way." Indeed, even though the torch was far from sight, slight luminescence from the archway closest to them proved enough. "Now, have a look to see if ye can still see light down yonder."
She really didn't want to look, but leaned out a bit and with her longsighted eyes tried to spot the torchlight. As she looked over at first, she saw no light at all. Then, as her eyes adjusted quickly to the new darkness without torch, she noted that there in fact was a flickering flame across the expanse... far down on the other side of the crevasse. Karteran had his back to her, looking in thought towards the archway and beyond. "Even I have
naught a clue as tah how deep it be, but indeed no light can be seen from th' depths below, I know tha'."
"But... I see the torch."
That caused Kart to chuckle a bit. "Trust me, babe... no way even yer eyes could see tha' far."
She crouched down, closer to the edge. "But over there ... really, I see something."
That caused Kart to spin, partly out of disbelief and growing humor. "Lemmie see, m'lady." Squatting on his haunches he leaned over the outcropping. He peered into the blackness and way deep down, an inkling of fear began to grow inside him. Kyttn lay out, tummy flat to stone, so that she wouldn't topple and pointed out what she saw for him. Sure enough, on the other side of the crevasse far below, light of artificial means could be seen... and
now, he could even make out a shadow thrown on the floor of another crevasse. Kart cursed, eloquently. And a screech, kin to one they'd heard before upon entrance to Moria, cut through the silence like lightning through a dark night. Then, other lights closer to the top began to spring to life.
"Damn." She scooted back from the edge and got to her feet.
"Come... we must go... now..."
"Go babe. I'm right with you."
Cursing his stupidity beneath his breath, he took her hand and started to run toward the archway. The screeching grew, multiplied by a number of Drow throats. Running with him was easy enough for her but the sound was hard to take. Ears flat back, short as she was; she kept pace in defiance of the sound. Racing up the upward slanted, curved hallway, the two ran as the screeching pursued them, although it was in the expanse of darkness behind them
now, as they went. Finally, they reached a set of stairs, and above slightly beyond the stair top, the view of the ceiling gave way it's darkness to natural light that could be seen flooding in. Her heart fluttered with the thought of 'OUTside'.
As they ran up the stairs, voices far down below could be heard shouting a war rally. Then, finally, they made the top and raced out the wide, door-less archway into the outside world beyond it.
Kyttn saw that the Misty Mountains were behind them now, and that they had reached the valley on the other side. In the distance, on the valley floor, forest could be seen in all directions, green and flourishing. A raging river, pouring from a jagged mouth to their left raced down into the valley until it became a thin ribbon, and was finally lost in the expanse of forest beyond it. Pausing only to allow time to adjust to the light, he led her
down the overgrown pathway into the valley.
"None will venture unto th' outside world this time o day..." he told her breathlessly, his grip tight still upon her hand. The sun had passed its peak, but was still bright in the mid-afternoon sky. She blinked her overlarge eyes several times, until they settled. "... But we still have precious little time. Come, we must away. Th' forest shall be our shield fer now."
Nodding she held tight to his hand and followed him down. After but half an hour's travel, they reached the beginnings of the wood. The beginnings of the last leg of their journey... the beginning of Lothlorien forest. The beginning of the end.
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Re: Song of Stardust - An Eye for a Hip
Date: 5/23/2000 2:23 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kyttn
Kyttnayah parried with a skillful stroke she hadn't possessed only a few short years ago. Eight of them, two of us, she reasoned. We might not die. She stepped into the followup and flayed open the stomach of the orc in front of her. This was not an orc of any species she was familiar with. This was an orc of Aragorn's Middle Earth and it was green,
tusked and just damn ugly. It's hair was stringy and missing in places, abundant in others. It's arms were long and twisted, but it fought with an intimate knowledge of it's blade; as if the weapon grew from it's very person.
Kyt on the other hand had been fighting with a blade for perhaps two months. After Moria, they'd encountered danger after danger and battle after battle all in the quest to visit Aragorn's grave; just to say goodbye. At least, that's how this trip began. Since, it had become far more. It had become a quest to destroy the woman whose evil had infected the land. She would die if Kyt and Kart had any say about it and the land would return to the
proper ruling hands.
The blade moved in her hand with skill, thanks to the many real lessons of recent warfare. Nothing like on the job training, she thought as she fought. The blade hit home thanks to a move Strider himself had once shown her long ago and she managed to keep the sword in her hand only because of the things his adopted son, Karteran, her traveling companion, had shown her since they'd begun this journey.
Kyt smiled ferally. Another battle in a string of battles. All of them growing nameless and placeless to her. This one should be much more simple. Ellessar's minions would not defeat them. Help had been promised them in Lolthlorien and she trusted that help would come. After their last battle, she and Kart both had been granted a measure of sanity, of assurance, and had drawn a bond between them, bathed in blood, that made them a strong, vital
team. Kyt knew just where Kart was on the field in relation to where she was, even if the field itself was a blur of motion. They worked together perfectly. They progressed toward their goal and damaged everything Ellessar tried to build. They were being successful and Ellessar wanted them dead.
The orc she faced laughed as he fell, spittle flying from his mouth mixed with black blood. Where the ichor hit her, it burned and she clenched her teeth against the sting. She heard a shout and moved just in time to see the wicked blade of another orc slice through the air a hairsbreadth from her shoulder. Kart. His shout had saved her life. She spun, her parry making way for her return slice which amputated the hand of the newest
attacker. He fell, screaming.
She spied Karteran quickly, her royal blue eyes sharpsighted. "Kart!" When she shouted her own warning, heading for the knot of orcs that moved in on him, he looked to see if she needed his help. An orc chose that moment to lunge toward him. She could see the black blade bite into his hip. "NO!" Kart went down and as the orc with his fellows closed in for the kill, she heard the piercingly sweet tone of an elfin horn. She wasted no time as the
orcs clutched their twisted ears in pain at the pure sound. It filled her with new hope. She dispatched the nearest orc with a precision thrust. Her sword unexpectedly stuckfast in it's backbone. There was no time to free the weapon if she were to help Kart. Elfin fighters -- perhaps ten in all -- flowed down the hillside into the fray and Kyttn launched her body toward Kart's attacker. Kart himself was struggling to his feet and called to her
to stop; but too late. A small blade from her boot replaced the sword in her hand as she closed with the orc who would have had him if she hadn't intervened.
The orc saw her coming and smiled an awful, jagged toothed smile. She could see the elves intercepting the others who would have closed in on the wounded Karteran We're gonna win, she thought. The orc caught her hand in mid strike, as easy as if she were a toy cat stuffed with hay. His strength was far superior to hers and he crushed her wrist as he held her to snatch the knife away. She heard Kart yell again and the whistle of his
blade, but she saw now only the bright, white light of agony. The orc, dangling her small body from his massive hand by her broken wrist, took the blade with which she would have killed him and slowly pushed it through the lid of her right eye. The pain was exquisite; unlike anything Crom had ever done to her and she lashed out with her other hand, claws fully extended at the vice that imprisoned her broken wrist. She screamed, and again, as she
felt the blade twist in her eye socket. She had no awareness of when the orc let her go or when she hit the ground. Kyttn knew only pain.
She reached for her eye with her undamaged hand but the blade, and the luminous blue orb itself were both gone. All she felt was blood, hot, thick, pooling in the socket. She could see nothing for the pain. Something passed over her nose and mouth and she struggled to push it away, but couldn't. Soon, the loss of blood, the shock of the loss of her eye and the aroma that the soft mass of cloth forced into her nose and mouth sent her into the
sweet release of unconsciousness.
From: Kyttn
Kyttnayah parried with a skillful stroke she hadn't possessed only a few short years ago. Eight of them, two of us, she reasoned. We might not die. She stepped into the followup and flayed open the stomach of the orc in front of her. This was not an orc of any species she was familiar with. This was an orc of Aragorn's Middle Earth and it was green,
tusked and just damn ugly. It's hair was stringy and missing in places, abundant in others. It's arms were long and twisted, but it fought with an intimate knowledge of it's blade; as if the weapon grew from it's very person.
Kyt on the other hand had been fighting with a blade for perhaps two months. After Moria, they'd encountered danger after danger and battle after battle all in the quest to visit Aragorn's grave; just to say goodbye. At least, that's how this trip began. Since, it had become far more. It had become a quest to destroy the woman whose evil had infected the land. She would die if Kyt and Kart had any say about it and the land would return to the
proper ruling hands.
The blade moved in her hand with skill, thanks to the many real lessons of recent warfare. Nothing like on the job training, she thought as she fought. The blade hit home thanks to a move Strider himself had once shown her long ago and she managed to keep the sword in her hand only because of the things his adopted son, Karteran, her traveling companion, had shown her since they'd begun this journey.
Kyt smiled ferally. Another battle in a string of battles. All of them growing nameless and placeless to her. This one should be much more simple. Ellessar's minions would not defeat them. Help had been promised them in Lolthlorien and she trusted that help would come. After their last battle, she and Kart both had been granted a measure of sanity, of assurance, and had drawn a bond between them, bathed in blood, that made them a strong, vital
team. Kyt knew just where Kart was on the field in relation to where she was, even if the field itself was a blur of motion. They worked together perfectly. They progressed toward their goal and damaged everything Ellessar tried to build. They were being successful and Ellessar wanted them dead.
The orc she faced laughed as he fell, spittle flying from his mouth mixed with black blood. Where the ichor hit her, it burned and she clenched her teeth against the sting. She heard a shout and moved just in time to see the wicked blade of another orc slice through the air a hairsbreadth from her shoulder. Kart. His shout had saved her life. She spun, her parry making way for her return slice which amputated the hand of the newest
attacker. He fell, screaming.
She spied Karteran quickly, her royal blue eyes sharpsighted. "Kart!" When she shouted her own warning, heading for the knot of orcs that moved in on him, he looked to see if she needed his help. An orc chose that moment to lunge toward him. She could see the black blade bite into his hip. "NO!" Kart went down and as the orc with his fellows closed in for the kill, she heard the piercingly sweet tone of an elfin horn. She wasted no time as the
orcs clutched their twisted ears in pain at the pure sound. It filled her with new hope. She dispatched the nearest orc with a precision thrust. Her sword unexpectedly stuckfast in it's backbone. There was no time to free the weapon if she were to help Kart. Elfin fighters -- perhaps ten in all -- flowed down the hillside into the fray and Kyttn launched her body toward Kart's attacker. Kart himself was struggling to his feet and called to her
to stop; but too late. A small blade from her boot replaced the sword in her hand as she closed with the orc who would have had him if she hadn't intervened.
The orc saw her coming and smiled an awful, jagged toothed smile. She could see the elves intercepting the others who would have closed in on the wounded Karteran We're gonna win, she thought. The orc caught her hand in mid strike, as easy as if she were a toy cat stuffed with hay. His strength was far superior to hers and he crushed her wrist as he held her to snatch the knife away. She heard Kart yell again and the whistle of his
blade, but she saw now only the bright, white light of agony. The orc, dangling her small body from his massive hand by her broken wrist, took the blade with which she would have killed him and slowly pushed it through the lid of her right eye. The pain was exquisite; unlike anything Crom had ever done to her and she lashed out with her other hand, claws fully extended at the vice that imprisoned her broken wrist. She screamed, and again, as she
felt the blade twist in her eye socket. She had no awareness of when the orc let her go or when she hit the ground. Kyttn knew only pain.
She reached for her eye with her undamaged hand but the blade, and the luminous blue orb itself were both gone. All she felt was blood, hot, thick, pooling in the socket. She could see nothing for the pain. Something passed over her nose and mouth and she struggled to push it away, but couldn't. Soon, the loss of blood, the shock of the loss of her eye and the aroma that the soft mass of cloth forced into her nose and mouth sent her into the
sweet release of unconsciousness.
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Re: Song of Stardust - The Last Night Before Home
Date: 5/30/2000 9:36 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kyttn
"Share my life, take me the way I am. I'll never change all my colors for you..
I don't really need to look very much further, I don't want to go where you don't follow, I don't want to hold back this passion inside.. "
Kyttn was dreaming...
A calloused hand rested on her stomach and his warmth was wrapped around her from behind like a heater. Humans didn't have the fur to dissapate the heat the way she did. It felt soo good just then, so late in the night that the crickets had silenced outside the Willow....
She couldn't believe it. It had happened again. Something so human, so unlike all she knew that she wondered what made it happen to her at all. She had loved before, hero worship.. it doomed the love she had known because the hero couldn't handle the worship. It was nothing like this.
Nate said she worried too much. His breath was hot on her ear... "Don't worry baby...I'm here. I'll always be right here." She shivered.
She shivered.
She shivered. The night had gotten cold. Somewhere in the night she had kicked away her blanket and after what she'd been through even her fur didn't keep her all that warm when she wasn't moving and the temperature had dropped so far.
She sat upright in bed just remembering where she was. Not the Willow. The forest just before the portal that would lead home. She had tried to make it all the way the day before; but her body wouldn't go no matter how much she wanted to be home. This was clearly one place she and Nate had not been together and even here she dreamt of him. He was in her heart and there was no remedy for it. She remembered with a smile that she'd once thought
perhaps there might be, in the form of Robert. But then Robert had gone where she could not follow him - or would not. And now, she didn't need Robert becasue it was so clear what she needed.
Nathan and only always Nathan. He was in her heart.
"Time to get home ..." she said to the cold air, a wicked, excited smile on her thin dark lips. She rose, gathered her things and didn't bother to make breakfast. She'd been gone far too long, doing more than she'd ever dreamed; and now it was time to think not of that past, but of her future. Home was too close to wait any longer.
From: Kyttn
"Share my life, take me the way I am. I'll never change all my colors for you..
I don't really need to look very much further, I don't want to go where you don't follow, I don't want to hold back this passion inside.. "
Kyttn was dreaming...
A calloused hand rested on her stomach and his warmth was wrapped around her from behind like a heater. Humans didn't have the fur to dissapate the heat the way she did. It felt soo good just then, so late in the night that the crickets had silenced outside the Willow....
She couldn't believe it. It had happened again. Something so human, so unlike all she knew that she wondered what made it happen to her at all. She had loved before, hero worship.. it doomed the love she had known because the hero couldn't handle the worship. It was nothing like this.
Nate said she worried too much. His breath was hot on her ear... "Don't worry baby...I'm here. I'll always be right here." She shivered.
She shivered.
She shivered. The night had gotten cold. Somewhere in the night she had kicked away her blanket and after what she'd been through even her fur didn't keep her all that warm when she wasn't moving and the temperature had dropped so far.
She sat upright in bed just remembering where she was. Not the Willow. The forest just before the portal that would lead home. She had tried to make it all the way the day before; but her body wouldn't go no matter how much she wanted to be home. This was clearly one place she and Nate had not been together and even here she dreamt of him. He was in her heart and there was no remedy for it. She remembered with a smile that she'd once thought
perhaps there might be, in the form of Robert. But then Robert had gone where she could not follow him - or would not. And now, she didn't need Robert becasue it was so clear what she needed.
Nathan and only always Nathan. He was in her heart.
"Time to get home ..." she said to the cold air, a wicked, excited smile on her thin dark lips. She rose, gathered her things and didn't bother to make breakfast. She'd been gone far too long, doing more than she'd ever dreamed; and now it was time to think not of that past, but of her future. Home was too close to wait any longer.
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Re: Song of Stardust - The End of the Journey
Date: 6/6/2000 2:16 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kyttn
The End of the Journey
"You're the bravest of hearts, You're the strongest of souls
You're my light in the dark, you're the place I call home."
The scar itched and Kyttn ached to reach up and scratch it. She didn't. Discipline of months of silence and immobility equaling life had solved that action if not the urge. Her auburn mane drifted wildly about her shoulders in the last of the coolest of late spring breezes. Occasionally it caught on the roughly scarred, fur-bare skin of her right cheek, playing like a child swinging from a tree limb. The leathers she'd had made
for the journey were worn, but fit her furred body snugly and kept her warm. Her tail thrashed freely via it's custom made opening in the softly tanned hide trousers. One bright, royal blue eye stared out across the green lands that made up the Willow. Spring was ending; and new life was everywhere. The sky was a perfect blue.
By God and the Stones of His Creation, it was good to be home. Her spirit soared and her heart beat faster. Nate was here, she felt it. There were no doubts in her mind, despite all the doubts that had assaulted her, all the strength that had failed her. He was here because he belonged here. Well, dammit, so was she. Besides, smoke curled from the old chimney telling her he had a fire going. Proof.
A hard smile, very human, very at ease on her thin, black-lipped mouth, came to life quickly and died as fast. She raised her left arm, mithril bands tight around wrist and biceps. For the last time the bloodcurdling war-whoop of victory issued forth from her mouth; a wild cat-scream of triumph. She sheathed upon her back the broad sword she had earned and learned, who's valiant use had cost her one brilliant eye in a nearly lost battle.
She would have given up anything to reach this place again and since an eye was all it cost her, an eye she had gladly paid. With her remaining eye, she drank in the sight of the screen door opening on that distant porch. Her heart pounded so hard she felt as if it would burst through her chest.
There! He stood, waiting. She was his and both of them were home for good. She could feel it as she felt her own heart. His white shirt and faded jeans came into clearer view as the screen door bumped his leg. He moved out of it's way. It slammed shut. Seeing him, really seeing him, Kyttn could remain still no longer and fairly leapt forward into a run. Tired limbs revitalized through the vision he presented barely felt the ground pass
by. Still, it seemed an eternity until she was in his arms. He took two steps back at the force of her pounce, but didn't fall. He was stronger now than he'd been before. The signs of battle were on him too.
"Nate ..." It was all she could manage with her heart relentlessly battering her throat into speechlessness. It was enough.
"Your tea's ready," he said, and his voice was slightly rough with it's own emotion.
So long unheard, it filled her with new wonder. "Tea!" She choked, clinging to him, the hardened warrior again allowed to be just a woman.
"Welcome home, Kyttn," Nate whispered and took her inside, where they belonged.
From: Kyttn
The End of the Journey
"You're the bravest of hearts, You're the strongest of souls
You're my light in the dark, you're the place I call home."
The scar itched and Kyttn ached to reach up and scratch it. She didn't. Discipline of months of silence and immobility equaling life had solved that action if not the urge. Her auburn mane drifted wildly about her shoulders in the last of the coolest of late spring breezes. Occasionally it caught on the roughly scarred, fur-bare skin of her right cheek, playing like a child swinging from a tree limb. The leathers she'd had made
for the journey were worn, but fit her furred body snugly and kept her warm. Her tail thrashed freely via it's custom made opening in the softly tanned hide trousers. One bright, royal blue eye stared out across the green lands that made up the Willow. Spring was ending; and new life was everywhere. The sky was a perfect blue.
By God and the Stones of His Creation, it was good to be home. Her spirit soared and her heart beat faster. Nate was here, she felt it. There were no doubts in her mind, despite all the doubts that had assaulted her, all the strength that had failed her. He was here because he belonged here. Well, dammit, so was she. Besides, smoke curled from the old chimney telling her he had a fire going. Proof.
A hard smile, very human, very at ease on her thin, black-lipped mouth, came to life quickly and died as fast. She raised her left arm, mithril bands tight around wrist and biceps. For the last time the bloodcurdling war-whoop of victory issued forth from her mouth; a wild cat-scream of triumph. She sheathed upon her back the broad sword she had earned and learned, who's valiant use had cost her one brilliant eye in a nearly lost battle.
She would have given up anything to reach this place again and since an eye was all it cost her, an eye she had gladly paid. With her remaining eye, she drank in the sight of the screen door opening on that distant porch. Her heart pounded so hard she felt as if it would burst through her chest.
There! He stood, waiting. She was his and both of them were home for good. She could feel it as she felt her own heart. His white shirt and faded jeans came into clearer view as the screen door bumped his leg. He moved out of it's way. It slammed shut. Seeing him, really seeing him, Kyttn could remain still no longer and fairly leapt forward into a run. Tired limbs revitalized through the vision he presented barely felt the ground pass
by. Still, it seemed an eternity until she was in his arms. He took two steps back at the force of her pounce, but didn't fall. He was stronger now than he'd been before. The signs of battle were on him too.
"Nate ..." It was all she could manage with her heart relentlessly battering her throat into speechlessness. It was enough.
"Your tea's ready," he said, and his voice was slightly rough with it's own emotion.
So long unheard, it filled her with new wonder. "Tea!" She choked, clinging to him, the hardened warrior again allowed to be just a woman.
"Welcome home, Kyttn," Nate whispered and took her inside, where they belonged.