Post by Stormrider on May 26, 2005 20:42:59 GMT -6
February 2, 3018 T.A. Slightly past Midnight
The two figures on the beach seemed highly charged with energy despite their rigorous trek from the Emyn Muil to this beach. The smaller figure’s eyes glowed green with hatred and never took its gaze off the Ranger once. The Ranger had the upper hand since he had the creature bound; and he did not relax his vigilance either. There would be no rest for either of these two until they had reached whatever destination they were headed.
Bâshsnak watched for a while but soon his eyelids drooped. Eventually, he drifted into a fitful sleep propped between the branches of the bush. He dreamed of dark dank caverns, a huge, ravenously-hungry spider, the Dark Lord’s anger, orc units hunting him down, and the sly Gollum creature leering at him.
He woke with a start. A loud hiss had woken him. Gollum was cowering at the feet of the Ranger and was glaring up at him. A tussle had broken out between the two and it appeared that the Ranger was still in command of the situation. Bâshsnak imagined that the creature had tried to escape but had not succeeded. This Ranger would not be one to under estimate when the time came for Bâshsnak to deal with him! Bâshsnak would watch him carefully to gauge him before he made his move to capture Gollum for himself.
“Hssssssss! He hurtsssss usss, precioussss!” Gollum whined.
The Ranger said nothing in reply but yanked the creature up roughly by the collar he had restrained it with. Gollum attempted to resist by digging his feet and hands into the sandy dirt. This did not stop the Ranger from moving forward. Gollum was dragged through the dirt until he grudgingly got up out of the dirt and walked on all fours to keep from skinning himself further. The Ranger was moving into that fast paced gait again and Gollum stumbled along, half dragged, half crawling, after him.
Bâshsnak watched until they were far enough ahead before he made his move to follow. He had a bit of a sleep but because of his dreams did not feel rested. He was not about to lose ground again. He would keep up with his prey and keep them in sight as much as possible without allowing them to see him. The Great River seemed to grow louder as they moved along its east bank. Bâshsnak did not have to be as quiet along the river and was able to keep up without having to worry about making noise. Soon Bâshsnak could see why the river had become so loud. The Sarn Gebir rapids were ahead. The Ranger and creature continued on until they were below the rapids.
Suddenly the Ranger and creature stopped. The man kicked over a few branches on the shore and found a large one. He pulled the creature toward it while it struggled. The man was determined and succeeded in binding the creature to the branch. He dragged the bound creature to the riverbank and waded in dragging it behind him. The river carried them down stream as the man powerfully swam toward the west bank of the Great River.
Bâshsnak was not at all pleased about having to swim across the river again. The water was extremely frigid this time of year and being dunked in once was enough for him! But he could not lose Gollum and he dared not let them get too far ahead of him again. He did not want them to see him cross the river behind them but he could not waste time either!
He made up his mind and snuck carefully toward the east bank while the man concentrated on his own journey across to the west bank. Bâshsnak took a large branch that was on the shore and waded in again. Likewise, he used all his strength and ability to maneuver his branch across to the west side while keeping watch where the man and creature had made it to shore.
When the man pulled the branch with the creature on it to shore and cut the ropes that bound it, Bâshsnak dunked his head under water as far as he could without taking his eyes off the man. Bâshsnak also stopped his paddling so as not to alert those on the beach by making more splashing than a branch normally would make in the water. The man or creature did not appear to notice him and they moved off quickly into the woods.
By the time Bâshsnak could get his branch to the west shore and up on dry ground again, he had gone further down the river than the man and creature had, so he had to quickly back track to the location they disappeared into the woods. It seemed they had taken another deer path through the woods that headed north and west.
The two figures on the beach seemed highly charged with energy despite their rigorous trek from the Emyn Muil to this beach. The smaller figure’s eyes glowed green with hatred and never took its gaze off the Ranger once. The Ranger had the upper hand since he had the creature bound; and he did not relax his vigilance either. There would be no rest for either of these two until they had reached whatever destination they were headed.
Bâshsnak watched for a while but soon his eyelids drooped. Eventually, he drifted into a fitful sleep propped between the branches of the bush. He dreamed of dark dank caverns, a huge, ravenously-hungry spider, the Dark Lord’s anger, orc units hunting him down, and the sly Gollum creature leering at him.
He woke with a start. A loud hiss had woken him. Gollum was cowering at the feet of the Ranger and was glaring up at him. A tussle had broken out between the two and it appeared that the Ranger was still in command of the situation. Bâshsnak imagined that the creature had tried to escape but had not succeeded. This Ranger would not be one to under estimate when the time came for Bâshsnak to deal with him! Bâshsnak would watch him carefully to gauge him before he made his move to capture Gollum for himself.
“Hssssssss! He hurtsssss usss, precioussss!” Gollum whined.
The Ranger said nothing in reply but yanked the creature up roughly by the collar he had restrained it with. Gollum attempted to resist by digging his feet and hands into the sandy dirt. This did not stop the Ranger from moving forward. Gollum was dragged through the dirt until he grudgingly got up out of the dirt and walked on all fours to keep from skinning himself further. The Ranger was moving into that fast paced gait again and Gollum stumbled along, half dragged, half crawling, after him.
Bâshsnak watched until they were far enough ahead before he made his move to follow. He had a bit of a sleep but because of his dreams did not feel rested. He was not about to lose ground again. He would keep up with his prey and keep them in sight as much as possible without allowing them to see him. The Great River seemed to grow louder as they moved along its east bank. Bâshsnak did not have to be as quiet along the river and was able to keep up without having to worry about making noise. Soon Bâshsnak could see why the river had become so loud. The Sarn Gebir rapids were ahead. The Ranger and creature continued on until they were below the rapids.
Suddenly the Ranger and creature stopped. The man kicked over a few branches on the shore and found a large one. He pulled the creature toward it while it struggled. The man was determined and succeeded in binding the creature to the branch. He dragged the bound creature to the riverbank and waded in dragging it behind him. The river carried them down stream as the man powerfully swam toward the west bank of the Great River.
Bâshsnak was not at all pleased about having to swim across the river again. The water was extremely frigid this time of year and being dunked in once was enough for him! But he could not lose Gollum and he dared not let them get too far ahead of him again. He did not want them to see him cross the river behind them but he could not waste time either!
He made up his mind and snuck carefully toward the east bank while the man concentrated on his own journey across to the west bank. Bâshsnak took a large branch that was on the shore and waded in again. Likewise, he used all his strength and ability to maneuver his branch across to the west side while keeping watch where the man and creature had made it to shore.
When the man pulled the branch with the creature on it to shore and cut the ropes that bound it, Bâshsnak dunked his head under water as far as he could without taking his eyes off the man. Bâshsnak also stopped his paddling so as not to alert those on the beach by making more splashing than a branch normally would make in the water. The man or creature did not appear to notice him and they moved off quickly into the woods.
By the time Bâshsnak could get his branch to the west shore and up on dry ground again, he had gone further down the river than the man and creature had, so he had to quickly back track to the location they disappeared into the woods. It seemed they had taken another deer path through the woods that headed north and west.