The Folly of Drinking with Dwarves...
Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:43 am((Following a couple of RP sessions over the last evening or two, at Lirandel's suggestion! 
Hope you like it... as for me, I thoroughly enjoyed our little "drink-off" and meeting Harain IC! 
I have a screenshot, but I'll pester someone to help me out with that at a later date! ))
Wulf opened his eyes, then groaned and shut them again. His head felt as though a Jarn-olog troll had been kicking it all night, and his tongue felt like a large warg’s tail in his mouth.
Gingerly he opened his eyes again, and pushed himself up to a sitting position. Feondwulf was nowhere to be heard of, having no desire to share in the ill-effects of the hangover.
'It's an ill wind...' thought Haelewulf with a wry chuckle, before wincing as the mirth sent fresh waves of pain through his head.
The door opened, and Lirandel came in, holding a large tray. Wulf winced again as the Elf pushed the door shut, the sound enough to send shards of agony shooting through his throbbing skull. Even the aroma of bacon and eggs emanating from the tray in the dark Elf’s hands did little to settle his seething stomach.
Lirandel eyed the miserable Haelewulf with a degree of amusement on his face. “A good morning to you, Man of the West. I see that your… endeavours of last night came at a price.”
Wulf grimaced ruefully. “Now I remember why I don’t drink with Dwarves.”
The Mornereg placed the tray on a table and handed Wulf a platter loaded with crispy bacon and perfectly cooked eggs, before tucking into his own. “You had best get that eaten, Wulf. We need to get you back to Combe.”
Wulf’s eyes flared open in sudden panic. “Kelli! She can’t wake up and find me gone… She –”
Lirandel held up a hand, forestalling further conversation. “You were most adamant as we left the inn that you could not be away from her. Fear not, it is several hours til daybreak. It will be a hard ride, and I do not envy you the trip in your condition, but you will be there before she wakes.”
Wulf leaned back with a sigh, his face wreathed with gratitude. “Thank you, Mornereg. I… it is… I will not leave her again. Not even for a night.”
Lirandel nodded, a slightly amused smile on his face, his eyes keen yet oddly understanding. “We do as we must, son of Phindor.”
The trip back from the Shire was as miserable as Haelewulf had feared, each stride of the horse sending waves of nausea and pain through him. Lirandel kept a watchful eye on him as they road, and frequently reminded him to drink from the waterskin, and after a couple of hours, the worst of the hangover began to pass.
They stopped to water the horses just outside of Buckland, and with a couple of hours left til dawn, Lirandel built a small fire to ward off the chill of the night.
“So,” said the dark Elf, leaning back, his cloak shrouding his face in shadow, “what did you make of the Dwarf?”
Haelewulf chuckled wryly. “He seems a Dwarf of the old ways… honourable, proud… I would be glad to have him fight at my side. I’d certainly rather fight with him than against him!”
Lirandel nodded musingly, gazing into the fire. “Hmmm…”
They rode into Combe just as the sky became tinged with pink. Wulf dismounted and gave the reins to a sleepy stablehand, then turned toward the still-mounted Lirandel.
“A shame we didn’t find more information, Mornereg… but thank you for getting me back here.”
The Mornereg smiled slightly, inclining his head to the green-clad warrior. “Go and rest, brother. And worry not about the information. They cannot hide for long.”
Wulf nodded, then raised a hand in salute. Lirandel acknowledged it with a curt nod, then wheeled his steed and galloped off towards Bree.
With a sigh, Wulf walked into the Comb and Wattle, and being careful to make as little noise as possible, he mounted the stairs to the room he and Kelli were sharing.
Kelli was sleeping on the bed, curled up, hugging a pillow to her. She looked so small, so vulnerable… A surge of love and tenderness swept through Wulf as he looked down at her, followed rapidly by a wave of anger as he remembered what her captors had subjected her to. There would be a reckoning… but for now…
Slipping from his clothes, Wulf slid beneath the sheets, his arms cuddling Kelli to him protectively. She stirred slightly as he did, snuggling up against him.
There would be a reckoning… but for tonight, it was enough that he was with her. And he would die, he swore, before anyone laid a finger on her again.
Hope you like it... as for me, I thoroughly enjoyed our little "drink-off" and meeting Harain IC! I have a screenshot, but I'll pester someone to help me out with that at a later date! ))Wulf opened his eyes, then groaned and shut them again. His head felt as though a Jarn-olog troll had been kicking it all night, and his tongue felt like a large warg’s tail in his mouth.
Gingerly he opened his eyes again, and pushed himself up to a sitting position. Feondwulf was nowhere to be heard of, having no desire to share in the ill-effects of the hangover.
'It's an ill wind...' thought Haelewulf with a wry chuckle, before wincing as the mirth sent fresh waves of pain through his head.
The door opened, and Lirandel came in, holding a large tray. Wulf winced again as the Elf pushed the door shut, the sound enough to send shards of agony shooting through his throbbing skull. Even the aroma of bacon and eggs emanating from the tray in the dark Elf’s hands did little to settle his seething stomach.
Lirandel eyed the miserable Haelewulf with a degree of amusement on his face. “A good morning to you, Man of the West. I see that your… endeavours of last night came at a price.”
Wulf grimaced ruefully. “Now I remember why I don’t drink with Dwarves.”
The Mornereg placed the tray on a table and handed Wulf a platter loaded with crispy bacon and perfectly cooked eggs, before tucking into his own. “You had best get that eaten, Wulf. We need to get you back to Combe.”
Wulf’s eyes flared open in sudden panic. “Kelli! She can’t wake up and find me gone… She –”
Lirandel held up a hand, forestalling further conversation. “You were most adamant as we left the inn that you could not be away from her. Fear not, it is several hours til daybreak. It will be a hard ride, and I do not envy you the trip in your condition, but you will be there before she wakes.”
Wulf leaned back with a sigh, his face wreathed with gratitude. “Thank you, Mornereg. I… it is… I will not leave her again. Not even for a night.”
Lirandel nodded, a slightly amused smile on his face, his eyes keen yet oddly understanding. “We do as we must, son of Phindor.”
The trip back from the Shire was as miserable as Haelewulf had feared, each stride of the horse sending waves of nausea and pain through him. Lirandel kept a watchful eye on him as they road, and frequently reminded him to drink from the waterskin, and after a couple of hours, the worst of the hangover began to pass.
They stopped to water the horses just outside of Buckland, and with a couple of hours left til dawn, Lirandel built a small fire to ward off the chill of the night.
“So,” said the dark Elf, leaning back, his cloak shrouding his face in shadow, “what did you make of the Dwarf?”
Haelewulf chuckled wryly. “He seems a Dwarf of the old ways… honourable, proud… I would be glad to have him fight at my side. I’d certainly rather fight with him than against him!”
Lirandel nodded musingly, gazing into the fire. “Hmmm…”
They rode into Combe just as the sky became tinged with pink. Wulf dismounted and gave the reins to a sleepy stablehand, then turned toward the still-mounted Lirandel.
“A shame we didn’t find more information, Mornereg… but thank you for getting me back here.”
The Mornereg smiled slightly, inclining his head to the green-clad warrior. “Go and rest, brother. And worry not about the information. They cannot hide for long.”
Wulf nodded, then raised a hand in salute. Lirandel acknowledged it with a curt nod, then wheeled his steed and galloped off towards Bree.
With a sigh, Wulf walked into the Comb and Wattle, and being careful to make as little noise as possible, he mounted the stairs to the room he and Kelli were sharing.
Kelli was sleeping on the bed, curled up, hugging a pillow to her. She looked so small, so vulnerable… A surge of love and tenderness swept through Wulf as he looked down at her, followed rapidly by a wave of anger as he remembered what her captors had subjected her to. There would be a reckoning… but for now…
Slipping from his clothes, Wulf slid beneath the sheets, his arms cuddling Kelli to him protectively. She stirred slightly as he did, snuggling up against him.
There would be a reckoning… but for tonight, it was enough that he was with her. And he would die, he swore, before anyone laid a finger on her again.
))