The Golden Hall of Meduseld

[Beren One-Hand]

Yet another one of the enjoyable hang-outs in Middle-Earth.  Eat, drink and be merry, for the Golden Hall is a place for all to feast and to celebrate life!

*Beren is called over to Theoden's table to feast on roast pork and the King's own, Mead*
"Will others join our humble feasting hall?"

[Camlost]

I smile at the newcomer as he walks over and pour him a mug of mead.

'Welcome to the Mark! I am Leofric, Commander of the Huscarls of the King's Bodyguard. I greet you well.'

I take a hefty bite of roast pork and a heftier gulp of mead seconds after.

[Beren One-Hand]

"Welcome, Leofric!  I am here as you might already know, to rally the Faithful to the cause of Good over Evil - to the cause of combating the evil Witch King and his plans to bring a deadly wave of oppression and darkness back to Middle-Earth.  It is rumored that he has harnessed the ability to use the lost power of Morgoth, to hasten the Final Battle."

"Oh, King Theoden, do we have the support of the Rohirrim?"

*Beren downs another pint of Mead, and thinks: "Man, the Mead in the Mark is much better than at the Pony."

*The Eagles, meanwhile are on their way to the Golden Hall to advise Beren in the inevitable war . . . *

[chaz]

*takes a stroll and finds a new hang-out*
*walks in*

[Beren One-Hand]

"Greetings, Xa3.  I am glad you have arrived!  How did you get here so fast?  Did Gandalf leave you Shadowfax as a gift before he sailed over the sea to Valinor?"

*Beren motions to the waiter to attend to his friend, Xa3*

[Andúnië]

*Knocks on doors*

[Beren One-Hand]

*Beren opens the large double-wooden doors of the Golden Hall, and invites Andunie in for a drink at the King's table*
"It is about time that we have a true genuine Numenorean in our presence.  I am glad you have come.  Did Maglor send you?  Any word on the whereabouts of the Witch King?"

*Beren bites into another piece of pork roast*

[Check out the recent posts in the Prancing Pony for details on this little story line . . .]

[chaz]

*amazed by the growing crowd*

[Scroll]

*Walks into the hall and looks around*.
"What is going on around here?"

[Beren One-Hand]

"Scroll, it is so wonderful to have you join us.  Will the WWW join us in our plot against the Witch King?  Have you heard from Maglor?  The King and I await the guidance of Maglor for our next move.  Meanwhile we need more troops.  I will likely try and contact Thrandul of Mirkwood for some counsel and advice, since he is the wisest of the Eldar left in Middle-Earth."

*Beren pulls up a chair for Scroll and motions once again for the waiter to attend to his friend Scroll.  Scroll meanwhile looks like she wants to steal Beren's pork roast, but resists the urge*

[Beren wonders where everyone else has gone?]

[Wolfchild]

*Vearg pushes through the grand wooden doors of The Golden Hall, her long, dark, muddied coat twisting and trailing just above her ankles. Equally mud-strewn are the aged leather boots, leading to laces that coil around each bottom half of the leg, wrapped over thick trousers. Long hair flows around her shoulders down to the chest, but the top of the head and the eyeline are covered by a long hood, attached to the mentioned coat, which drips from the rain that falls violently outside*

"My lords, you stare with a confused wondering. We have much to discuss, for as beastmaster, I shall talk of this impending war. My horses require both strength, courage, stamina and compassion, for they are loyal and wise creatures, which are steeds least of all. You will know, however, I do not ride such animals, as noble as they be, for I take the endurance of wolves to heart, as was I raised upon. Yes, wolves are my kindred- see me not as the goblin rider of whom I am mistaken too often. I know who I fight for; my animals, and my people.

On wolf back I have ridden for three days hence. This gives me reason for the less than ideal state of my clothing, but to that you must also give credit to this weather. I rode from the North- those wastelands that they are, but home it be, and there I talked with both friends and enemies. Here tell I my most important piece of news- that whilst I took heart in one great inn there, of my liking, a gent came to me, who I recognised as a friend, for he specialised in the taming of horses, soley, for general, as well as battle purposes. He told to me that not a day beforehand, a man of shadow had asked of him his ability to capture beasts from the wild, and by beasts, he meant more than just horses.

The shadowed character asked of oliphaunts.

My friend replied that he knew not where to find such things, nor how he would go about training such a wild and reckless thing at that. The shadowed man told him of his urgent need for the oliphaunts, in what he could only utter under the reference "The cleansing if the Rohirrim". My friend repeated that he could not offer such beasts once again, and the shadowed man left in evident anger and much rage, muttering again under his breath. When I was told this, I took my most loyal wolf, and came to give this warning. I have a score of ten well-experienced lads arriving soon also, bringing with them what horses I deemed worthy of bringing, as well as their own steeds.

My lords and ladies, there is such devilry coming as we have never seen the like of before now".

[Beren One-Hand]

*Beren stands up from the King's table and greets Vearg with a warm hand shake*
"Welcome my lady.  May the blessings of Elves, Men and Dwarves be with you, as well as that of the former realm of Beleriand and present day Middle Earth.  Your knowledge and skills are much needed in this inevitable war.  Surely the Witch King loathes someone of your prowess and skill.  Have you also connections with the last of the Rangers of the North?  As a beastmaster, have you heard from Radagast or the legendary Beorn?  Without Gandalf the White, and along with Thrandul, we could use the aid from that of Radagast and Beorn."
*Beren passes Vearg a pint of mead . . .*

[Wolfchild]

*Vearg takes the mead without a further glance upwards, then, drinks half of the flagon all in one. Coughing then heavily, she continues her warning*

"Aye, The Witch King never was a friend of mine. Nor I his, after our first encounter. At that time I did not know it was him, for I had no learning of what evil was beginning in the world then- living in such secluded lands as I do. This was a good year ago, and he came to me because of his evident requirement for not oliphaunts, but wolves. Not only these, but if I would be interested working with other beasts, training and the such like.  At the time, I was fooled by his knowledge and apparent skills with the animals that I loved. I was almost ensnared, up until visiting Minas Morgul, where they kept the black beasts. Apalled by such conditions and cruelty, when The Witch King saw my displeasure, I was taken to the dark confines of the dungeons, where months of torture ensued. A time I do not take pleasure in revisiting.

But it was my connections with animals that saved me, for I gave their rider's wolves their minds back again, and they slaughtered their captors and guards, setting me free in the process. Those wolves, now wild, still know me through their songs at night. But now I know how the enemy works. His corruption of creatures fuels my need to put the Witch King and his minions at an end.

So, there it stands. And as of the Rangers of the North, I know many, for often I travel with them, when I am not pressed with such urgent messages. Beorn is a known ally of mine also, but he is a character who seldom strays far from his homelands near the Misty Mountains at his age now. Radagast I heard last was heading to Isengard to speak with Saruman, and last spoke with me two months previous. At that time he was telling me of his distrust of Saruman, and the wizard's lapse into ancient mutterings in books, and spending much of the day looking out to Isengard with a strange glow in the man's eyes. It was then I noticed how worried good Radagast did appear".

[Beren One-Hand]

"Vearg, let me also explain, that this present time in Middle Earth, although well after the fall of Sauron, and the passing of the Fellowship, has seen some new faces, as well as some old one's return to Middle Earth prior to the Last Battle.  For it is as I feared, that the day would dawn when Morgoth, my ultimate foe, would be set loose from his dark, gloomy dungeon to seek vengeance on I, whom stole the silmaril from his iron crown eons ago."

"However, it is for the dire need of Middle Earth, that old heroes have been reborn - like Maglor, Camlost and myself, from the fair land of Valinor, and new heroes have arisen - like yourself.  I also feel pain and anger in my heart to hear of your suffering, and will seek to make the Witch King pay dearly, by the mighty strength of my One-Hand!"

*The Eagles arrive, landing outside the Golden Hall.  With great haste, those inside the hall head outside to take counsel from the Eagles - the most powerful and wisest of all beasts*

[Wolfchild]

*Vearg turns and steps outside, following the other members of the Hall, to which there is a multitude of those winged ancients landing on the grounds outside. At this moment, Vearg steps away from the commotion, to focus on a sound that carries faintly on the wind. It is difficult for her to hear this over theexcitement of the eagle's arrival, so she rushes, startling the guards, to the topmost level of an outlooking watchtower, which gazes out to the plains of Rohan. The noise is still as faint as it was, but to the north, she sees a flourish of movement. Ten men, tewnty horses, and at the group's head, one lad carries a shining silver-embossed horn, which he blows aloft to the wind that still tries to be heard by Rohan, despite his distance away. He rides with the rest, to The Hall of Meduseld. Excitedly, Vearg speeds down the wooden structure, coat causing no end of flurry*

"My good Hengestir, and my other men of the horses! Soon, they too will be among us. I knew they would be as swift as the dawn in their arrival!"