An abandoned dream

[Tarmeon the Fading]

Tarmeon woke up. He looked around. This was not the cave he was dreaming of. He saw four wooden walls of which two had a window in them. This was obviously a building. Tarmeon tried to remember the reason for his presence, and failed. The wooden floor was covered with dust and spider webs where found in every corner. Something felt very wrong.

Tarmeon got up and walked to one of the windows. The view told him that he was at the firsts floor of the building. This building stood obviously somewhere on the plains of Rohan. The second window granted a view over an abandoned village.
A piece of memory appeared in his whirling thoughts.

Pictures of death and decay covered his vision. Tarmeon saw people die and their bodies burn. He saw himself fighting within these streets. The enemy was hidden within a dark fog. he saw his small bearded figure fleeing into a building, possibly this one. The sand of the streets was turned into red mud and bones where scattered everywhere. The vision faded.

Tarmeon shivered as he say the clean but empty streets. He must have been here the last day. But every evidence was disappeared. Tarmeon walked back into the room. There was no sign of furniture. The room was totally empty
except for him. Then a wave of fear came over him making him talk to himself loudly.

"My staff! Where is my wizard's staff?"

Tarmeon left the building half walking, half stumbling and half running. The wooden stairs where empty. The downstairs rooms where also empty. Tarmeon ran around the village and he found his staff lying at the center of the village, with a drawn circle around it. Tarmeon ran toward it an grabbed his staff.

At the same moment , a razor-sharp wooden arrow with a strong metallic arrowhead pierced the air. Missing the wizard just at a few inches. A complete hail of arrows followed. the first one.

Tarmeon turned around as he heard the first arrow approaching. He tumbled aside and slammed against the
town's fountain. As soon as he saw the next hail approach, Tarmeon casted a spell which made the air tremble and bends the arrows path. While holding the spell, Tarmeon ran to the closest cottage hiding there for the danger.

Then a hand touched his shoulder.

[garz]

And a second after the hand was put on his shoulder a curved orcsword was put on his neck. Then a loud voice spoke in a whispered tone. It's breath stunk and the sword was pressed hard into the skin of his neck. A drop of blood trickled along the sword, no-one could be certain if it was Tarmeons blood or from somebody earlier slain by this sword.

"Don't move, don't try to look at me or this sword might get stuck in your neck. And now, tell me who you are and what you're doing here! And make it quick?"

He moaned once and looked at the arrow in his shoulder and then back at the severed arm from something humanoid in the corner of this cottage. It will still holding a bow. He grinned maliciously and dragged Tarmeon back into the cottage a bit, out of sight from any archers.

"Now, talk!"

[Tarmeon the Fading]

It was a strong arm who carried him away from danger. It was the voice of an orc but somehow more familiar. Tarmeon felt the orc's pain flowing out of his left shoulder, it gave Tarmeon strength.

His wizards staff started pulsing a faint red light, comparing the half-orc's heartbeat. Tarmeon grinned as he saw it's quickness. This arm, and its touch made a perfect bond to pierce the creature's mind.

Suddenly Tarmeon became aware of the danger of the sword at his neck. Ignoring the danger Tarmeon easily pierced the creature's thoughts. He saw it was an orc, but a strange type. It looked somehow, humanoid. Tarmeon searched for the creatures name, but carefully. If the creature became aware of Tarmeon's presence in his mind, the consequences could be unpleasant.

Suddenly a small plan sprouted forth, Tarmeon didn't knew of it was the creature's or his but it was fine. He withdrawn his mental bond and started speaking while carefully choosing his words.

"Calm down and lower your sword, Half-orc. If you tell me your name I'll tell mine. If you aid me with this ambush I will heal your wound. The chooses are up to you. Oh... and don't forget these two facts. We're both enemies of those maggots outside and as least... I'm a wizard, know my power."

The wizards staff seems to dim for a second. As it regains it's rhythm, Garz sees the silhouette of the wizard from the corner of his eyes.

[garz]

Garz slowely and steadily lowers his sword. He stumbles back a little and sits himself down on a chest. He grabs the arrow and pulls it out of the flesh with a big grunt. He then breaks it in two halves and holds his hand closely on the wound.

"I'm Garz, and right now we're in the same shit. Now state your name and what you're doing here, wizard."

With his other hand Garz drives his sword deep into the chest, showing tremendous strength. He grins towards Tarmeon and then speaks again in a loud voice.

"Those damn things are fast. A hail of arrows drove me into this cottage and there was this thing. I didn't see it. It layed an arrow on his bow and aimed for the head. I charged into him and he loosed the arrow into my shoulder, frigthened by my need to kill, I think. I chopped of his damn arm and it jumped away. It ran out of the cottage and I didn't see it again. This was just a few moments before you came in. Elves, I think. No normal ones, but elves none the less."

[Tarmeon the Fading]

Tarmeon stands up and glares at Garz. The bleeding wound opens his memory. The vision he saw at the window returned for a few seconds. Tarmeon shook his head and the vision was gone. He spoke to Gars uncertain.

"My name is Tarmeon the Fading. I'm sent here by no master. I fear nothing nor Morgoth. My destiny is hidden in darkness but I have one. My memory is broken and I don't know what happened here. Tell me Garz, half-orc, how long have you been around this village? Have you seen much blood being spilled last hours? Did a red sun rise this morning? I saw death himself feast in this forgotten town tomorrow. Tell me what you know, what you've see and I'll might heal you."

Tarmeon doesn't wait for an answer and steps toward Garz. He points his staff at him and it starts glowing like hot metal. Tarmeon jumps froward and hits the Garz' right shoulder. The staff felt like hot metal, but the feeling stayed and dug deeper into Garz' arm. Suddenly the intense pain faded and the wound was healed again.

[garz]

The staff is driven depe into Garz' flesh and he bites his lip to keep his voice down, only a soft moan is heard. He stays in this position for a few moments and then a hard maniacal laugh raises up from the silence. He raises his head up to meet the gaze of Tarmeon and grins.

"You are a fool if you don't fear Morgoth. You might be a wizard, but Morgoth is a being composed entirely of power. But foolishness is a choice one makes, so I don't mind you think that way."

Garz stands up again and touches his once-wounded shoulder. Then he smiles.

"I already told you, I was in this cottage a few moments before you. And that was a few moments later then I entered the village. The only blood I saw spilled was this."

Garz points at the arm and looks at Tarmeon.

[Tarmeon the Fading]

"Morgoth might be composed entirely of power, I however am composed of knowledge. I understand more than you could possibly know. I'm knowledge and power himself."

Tarmeon laughs hysterical. A few seconds later a razor-sharp wooden arrow pierces the air and hits the wall next to Tarmeon.

"Do your job, Half-orc. Spill some more blood."

Tarmeon grins wickedly and walks over to the door. He looks around and sees a lot of Elfs sneaking trough the village. One of the higher rank Elfs is calling commands at a lower one. Tarmeon manages to read their tactics but not their meaning.

Why are they hunting us? They definitely are servants... servants for sure... Who's?... Morgoth since I offended him? No, It definitely is Elrond or another high standing Elf who has driven a horde of Half-Orcs from the village. This is the last one. and last ones have to be preserved and protected, for now.

"I feel that they surrounded us. We might lure them into each other. a simple illusion will make them think they're each other but this only works when their minds are obeying their instinct. Their nerves will shiver if they nearly got their bait. Garz, be a warrior and show your courage. Attract their attention and lure them toward each other."

Tarmeon shows a filthy grin toward Garz, waiting for an encourageble answer.

[garz]

Garz grins back to Tarmeon and walks over to him. He looks outside and sees the Elves sneaking everywhere. He pulls his head back looks at Tarmeon again and grins.

"Tarmeon, you are truely a master of tactics. But you forgot one thing..."

Garz' grin widens and he laughs softly. Then he violently pushes Tarmeon out of the cottage.

"I am not a meatshield."

Garz takes two steps outside and then closes the door. He looks at Tarmeon on the ground next to him.

"Stand up, wizard. We're in this together. Either we both die or the elves do the same."

[Tarmeon the Fading]

The sudden blow makes Tarmeon stumble and fall over. He sees the Elves react on the sudden change of situation. In a rush the Elfs pick up their bows and concentrate on their targets. Some commands where shouted in the fluent Elven language some in another.

Tarmeon jumps up and starts running in a random direction. His wizards staff shines a blurring, faint blue light which sticks to the air when he runs. suddenly he turns around and runs toward Garz.

"You ruined my plan. No, you improved it. Double bait is double power. Feel power Garz, let it flow to your muscles!"

Tarmeon raises his staff and it exposures a fierce white light. A lightning-bolt pierces trough the air and strikes Garz's heart region. No pain nor other feeling comes with the spell. A new power flow into the Half-orc as the light dims again.

"Now, Garz, are you the power. Feel connected to your world. You're a part of it now, even more. Touch something and you'll drain it's power. Touch the wall and you'll drain energy and physical strength. Take you part Garz! Be the..."

A hail of arrows shoots from Tarmeon's left flank. Some arrows miss their target, but some others hit. Tarmeon unleashes a moan of pain as an arrow pierces his rib cage and another one his left arm. Blood starts pouring from under his mantle.

[haldir]

Haldir watched the scene unfold. The two had to be stopped at any cost. He heard his voice yelling directions to some of the other elves, but he couldn't make sense of him. All that drove him was pure instinct. His mind automatically knew what to do in this situation. He watched as the shower of arros fell on to the wizard, but he did not fall completely. Haldir was growing frustrated, but he couldn't do anything rash for fear of losing too many elves. What was he going to do now? Showers of arrows didn't seem to work, so he hesitated to think.

Slowly Haldir drew his own bow. He put an arrow to it and drew back. Then, he took careful aim and let the arrow fly. It sped towards the figure, and he could only hope that it hit. If not, they would need to be more clever and tricky. Hit him. I don't know how much longer we can hold out if it doesn't hit. He held his breath as he watched the path of the arrow.