DREAMS ALONG THE ANDUIN

Narrator: *Except for one night to hide, Madurz, Ashgaz and Neithan have travelled on the river contiously with no stopping points. It is now the twilight of the third day, March 24, and Neithan says that they must camp and make for someplace near Minas Tirith*
Narrator: *The place where they dock the boat is a dreary one and they can see the fires of many dwellings still smoking in the distance to the south and west*
Madurz: *she stretches out...her body tight and cramped...she looks out and then to her company...she shudders and is disgusted to have to ride with him all this way..she doesnt speak to him much unless needed to and didnt on this even either...she found a place to rest and laid down...as did the man...after long moments of mind's reeling..she drifted to sleep*
Narrator: *They are someplace above Minas Tirith.. around 50 miles from Minas Morgul*
Narrator: *Her dreams are disjointed, confusing. She sees a world of shadowy shapes and it is hard to tell if any of it is actually real. First she sees Khamul... the night before he left, how fearful he seemed, how he did not want to leave her, the first time she had ever seen him show real fear*
Madurz: *she nears him in her dream and reaches out to him...her heart aching*
Narrator: *Then as though it were a ghost, he vanished from her arms*
Madurz: *she gasps*
Narrator: *Then she sees herself before the Witch-King in his present form, and he was very upset*
Narrator: *She sees herself and Ashgaz imploring him to take them with him, and then the image once again disappears. Then the images come back and intertwine with her past and her present*
Narrator: *She sees herself in Numenor and hears once again the lutes and nightengales and the love that the Witch-King as a man showed her*
Narrator: *Then she sees a very strange thing. Khamul on a winged beast on the battlefield at Pelenor. He flies over the battlefield, taunting the few remaining rebels of Gondor and Rohan, circling above and telling them all of the fate of the lady of Rohan who had impresonated a male soldier*
Narrator: *And then Madurz hears a bird singing in the night and the sound of it awakens her....... bringing her rudely back to consciousness*
Madurz: *her eyes flutter open she rubs her head...such dreams she had...Khamul....she sighs*
Narrator: *She hears the man snoring loudly in his sleep*
Madurz: *she sits up and grits her teeth with thoughts of fury running through her mind*
Narrator: *With such noise can she ever get back to sleep and resume dreaming?*
Madurz: *she stands and nears the man....she looms over his sleeping body...she shakes her head...how can she even withstand to not kill this man...she bends at the knee and her hands trembles as it moves to his face...her stare is intense as she places her hand over his mouth to disrupt his pattern of breathing and removes her even more shakey hand...his breathing quieter now*
Narrator: *Neithan turns over on his side and continues sleeping*
Madurz: *she is about to return to her her place but looks at his bag...she realizes he is deep in sleep...and goes and takes out his dword...she tolds it and stands and quietly unsheathes part of it, her expression sad as she looks to it. Could this blade be without question the one that has wounded her love so badly?*
Madurz: *she sheathes it and returns it to his bag..her eyes shut tightly and her heart heavy*
Madurz: *she lays back down and feel that Ash was right next to her for she felt his arm..she smiles lightly and lets her eyes close again*
Narrator: *Madurz falls asleep and the dreams come up back upon her. She sees Khamul once again circling the rebels, taunting them by telling that Angmar, the Witch-King, had disgraced Eowyn, the Lady of Rohan, who had ridden disguised as a man among their troosp. Khamul tries to break their morale as they fight the orcs from Mordor*
Narrator: *He spreads fear and terror like a black shadow every time his beast wheels overhead... some run in fear and terror... others faint...*
Narrator: *But then one challenges him*
Narrator: *Khamul answers the challenge and the beast lands upon the ground. And he says... What fool challenges me to combat?*
Narrator: *The man replies... "I am Elfhelm of Rohan"*
Narrator: *Elfhelm was a Marshal of the Mark and had commanded the first eored of the Muster of the East-mark, in which the Lady Eowyn had ridden... he had also known Merry Brandybuck, one of the hobbits who had been on the Ring Quest*
Narrator: *Madurz' dream is broken when the man Neithan begins snoring again, after rolling over on his back, and the last thing that she heard was "I am Elfhelm"*
Narrator: *Then she hears the rushing waters of the Anduin as it flows by on its way to the sea*
Madurz: *she awakens again with the words still fresh in her mind...Why had this come to her? An image she can see but to have a name in her head...she looked over to the once again noisy man. So if her dream was correct then this man was not the one who harmed her love... her anger was misplaced...she still didnt care for him however since he was on an opposing side and would kill him anyway.. but she hadnt the reason to now..yet, and she wouldnt fully put the idea out of her head*
Narrator: *the man stops snoring and begins mumbling in his sleep* Luienwen.... *he calls softly, the name of his dead love* Luinwen, Luinwen, at last you have come back to me
Madurz: *rolls her eyes as she has inerrutped her sleep again....she listens to his mumblings...he speaks her name..the one he loved...this man was indeed tormented*
Narrator: *Can she sleep again with the night sounds and the man's mumblings and snorings?*
Madurz: *she laid back down..Elfhelm...she had been wrong about the man? perhaps looked to him as he called his woman's name...she for some reason didnt want to disrupt his dream of this...this was perhaps his only chance at any peace..and if this vision were to escape him..he might be even more unbearable to deal wth tomorrow...she closed her eyes*
Narrator: *She falls back asleep and the dreams begin once again*
Narrator: *A tall man with long blonde hair and a tattered surcoat of green and white with a horse upon it holds a sword in his hand... he stands before Khamul.. "I am Elfhelm of Rohan and if you are not a coward you will fight me!" He did not know which Nazgul he was dealing with... whether it was the fearful King or another one under him*
Madurz: *she trembled in her sleep*
Narrator: *"Foul spirit, you have disgraced the White Lady of Rohan, and killed my friend the halfling Merry!"*
Narrator: *Khamul sits on the back on the fell beast as it hisses at Elfhelm. Khamul laughs at the man*
Narrator: *Elfhelm approaches the fell beast, holding his sword held aloft and says "Fight me you coward!"*
Narrator: *Khamul laughs more loudly and says "I am no coward!" With one sudden swoop he unsheaths his sword and plunges it into the man's chest*
Narrator: *The wind stirs Madurz' hair while she sleeps, and once again she comes very close to waking up*
Madurz: *she stirs but continues to sleep*
Narrator: *The sword falls out of the man's hand but in his dying moments, he pulls a small dagger from his belt....*
Narrator: *This dagger had belonged to Merry, his fallen companion, and he had picked it up from Merry's remains after the battle of Pelenor and kept it as a momento to Merry*
Narrator: *He had hoped that it could avenge Merry's death and find honor in battle. He took the knife and stabbed upwards into Khamul's right thigh. In his dying words he said, "For Merry! For Eowyn! For Rohan!"*
Madurz: *her breathing is shallow as she sleeps*
Narrator: *Then Elfhelm fell to the ground and knew no more... his soul passing to Mandos*
Madurz: *her eyes open and is surprised to knows that they were wet..she had wept in her sleep*
Narrator: *Neithan rouses from his sleep and mutters to himself, then gets up and throws a few sticks on the fire. He says* Cold.
Madurz: *she sees him from where she is and wipes her eyes...she ahd said the names over and over in her head and grimaced when she thought of Eowyn*
Madurz: *she watched this man now from the way she felt about him when they first met...wothout intense hatred...this man was sad*
Neithan: *The man rubs his hands together and says* Cold tonight. *Then he looks at her and asks* Luinwen?
Neithan: *It is uncertain if he is still half asleep or has gone totally insane and thinks she is his dead love*
Madurz: *she blinks as he looks to her and calls her this name...she pitied him now and knew soon when he realized it wasnt her he would be disappointed and does not speak..only moved more into the light*
Neithan: *a sad look comes upon his face as he realizes she is not Luinwen. He says* Mistwen... I had a dream.... A passing phantom of sleep... and a reminder of all my failures
Madurz: *she nears the fire and places her hands over it* everyone dreams
Madurz: sometimes pleasant....sometimes not
Neithan: *He says* Tomorrow, tomorrow I will redem myself! *All sleep is gone from his eyes now*
Neithan: *He looks to the stars and almost shouts* By Eru himself! If I have to hack my way to Mordor and slay every last orc, fell beast and wicked spirit I will do so!
Madurz: *she has to get home..she doesnt want to linger in the lands of their enemy...she is still in danger..she must not forget that...yet she is weary and does not want to bring up travel*
Madurz: *she shifts...taken aback by his shouting*
Neithan: *a mad look goves over his face*
Madurz: *then the thought comes to her* why not do that then...
Neithan: *It is hard to tell if it is bravado or madness*
Madurz: why stay in Gondor...
Madurz: if you are to die as you say...why not go into their lands
Neithan: Ahh! Then how can I go!
Madurz: what do you mean?
Neithan: Do you mean.... not go to Gondor but go to the gates of the Evil Pass!
Madurz: yes
Neithan: *a gleam of madness comes to his eyes*
Madurz: *she watches his expression twist*
Neithan: *He says wildly* We will break camp now and set out!
Madurz: *she was surprised by his willingness to go when she thought she was going out on a limb that would break and he would question her* wait Neithan...perhaps we can wait till morning..or at least a few more hours....give me time to rest..and you to think perhaps
Neithan: *He says* Why would you have me wait when this urge is upon me?
Madurz: do you think it will not be upon you in the huors to come?
Neithan: In my dream I saw once again killing Hallas and being accused of murder! *he trembles slightly*
Neithan: The name of my family is stained by this false accusation
Neithan: And you ask me to wait while you sleep?
Madurz: i am sorry Neithan......i am sorry your thughts haunt you *she cannot tell him how she too has been haunted* you know this journey will be a longer one..and dangerous...this is a lot for me to handle.. i really need rest *her eyes are pleading*
Neithan: *he stops trembling* I suppose a few more hours won't matter, for we make only journey into death
Neithan: I never should have fled. I should have stayed and defended my family's honor before I was executed
Madurz: it is painful to think of things that could have been and all to well is it known that there is no turning back the clock
Madurz: *she doesnt want him to think too much of Gondor for fear of him changing his mind*
Neithan: But I vow by the Blessed Realm itself before the sun goes down tomorrow I will stand at the very gates of Minas Morgul and challenge the fell spirits that dwell there!
Neithan: My life is worthless anyway. I am a dead man whatever road I take
Madurz: *there is not much she can say to him because all he knows of her and it is little is a lie..she stands and places a hand on his shoulder then slowly moves back to her place*
Neithan: *His expression grows sadder* How I wish you were Luinwen! Sometimes I can her the voice of Luinwen and Hallas and Vorondil. I can hear them as though they were here
Neithan: *his eyes glaze over and seem to fall in a trance-like state* I can hear them now... can you? *she senses that he is totally mad now*
Madurz: *she turns and looks to them...truely a tortured man...he has changed from what she knew him to be when they met...for he jumped too quickly at the chance to go to Mordor*
Madurz: *she tilts her head to the side* no..i dont
Neithan: *he snaps out of it and says* Yes, I know I am mad and I don't care
Madurz: it is very easy to get to that point...i judge you not
Neithan: Perhaps it gives me courage after a while, as does wine to the one who drinks too much. I wish I had a glass of wine right now
Neithan: But no wine here, nothing but wretched stagnant water
Neithan: *He gathers a few more sticks and throws them on the fire*
Madurz: i should rest now Neithan..big day tomorrow
Narrator: Then rest, while I dream of wine and all that I have lost
Madurz: *she lays down and closes her eyes...she smiles to herself knowing that they will not be stopping in Gondor*
Neithan: *he gathers more sticks and throws them on, and still more until the flames of the fire lick upwards into the sky in a blaze*
Neithan: *He stands there and looks at the fire, and says* Then sleep, Mistwen, but I will get you up before dawn
Madurz: *the glow causes her to open her eyes again...she wonders if there will even be a tomorrow for him if he keeps up with that fire*
Neithan: *He stands looking at the fire and says* There, let this be a beacon light to the fiends of Minas Morgul and let them know that Neithan with his sword of doom, Marad, will call upon them tomorrow
Neithan: *He raves* Let the faces I can see in the flames of Hallas, Vorondil and Luinwen go with me!
Neithan: *he forgets her presence and talks to the fire*
Madurz: *she looks to him and smirks in the darkness and thinks to herself...Neithan...your march into death is correct..you are an enemy to us all..and soon in time your body will be reminded... she falls back asleep*
Neithan: *The man is still awake, throwing logs into the fire which grows ever higher*
Neithan: *The fire makes Ashgaz feel nervous and hurts his eyes*
Ashgaz: *Ashgaz is also still awake and still staring at the fire*
Neithan: *in between raving about his wife, he chants songs of praise to Elbereth* A ELBERETH GILITHONEL O LADY FAIR.... *he screams and he talks to his wife who he is sure is there*
Ashgaz: *Ashgaz sits next to the sleeping lady hugging his knees to his chest*
Neithan: *He thinks he talks the three men of his company who have long been dead*
Madurz: *holds the vision close to her as it is Khamul...sometimes it will morph into the King she loved in Numenor..she dreams of love..she fear losing it.. she strokes the face of the visions*
Neithan: *The madman cares not about the one he called Mistwen unless he thinks sometimes she is his dead love*
Ashgaz: *Stares at the fire mesmerized with fear...the flames seem to shoot through his head and he remembers the Witch King's visions and the snake pit*
Ashgaz: *Ashgaz looks down at the lady and reminds himself of his duty*
Neithan: *A wind from the west blows and whips up the flames, scattering sparks on Ashgaz*
Ashgaz: *thinks I must be strong, I must protect the lady*
Neithan: *The wind whips into a small funnel shape and dances around Ashgaz*
Ashgaz: *gives a little cry when the sparks hit him*
Ashgaz: *watches the funnel shape*
Neithan: *Has Manwe noticed and sent a wind from the West to torment Ashgaz?*
Ashgaz: *wonders what in the name of Sauron that thing is*
Neithan: *the wind increases and turns into a furious little wind storm.... perhaps rain is coming*
Neithan: *Burning remains of branches fly out of the fire and hit Ashgaz*
Neithan: *The man pays no heed*
Ashgaz: *SHRIEEEEEEEEKS when hit by the burning branch*
Neithan the Wronged: *he pays no heed to the wraithling's shriek and begins to sing, rather off key* A Elbereth GIlithonel, o lady fair, we call to you from beyond the western seas...
Ashgaz: *cannot help but continue to shriek*
Neithan the Wronged: Ah, I hear the wind!
Ashgaz: *relieved that the madman still does not notice his presence*
Neithan the Wronged: I hear the voices that are in the wind!
Neithan the Wronged: My love calls to me from the wind
Neithan the Wronged: *still the wind blows from the west...*
Neithan the Wronged: *The wind throws a few flaming embers onto Neithan and they burn him but he does not heed that*
Ashgaz: *amazed that his shrieks did not wake the lady, but is glad that she is able to rest*
Neithan the Wronged: *However the embers hit Ashgaz again and again*
Ashgaz: *she seems to be having a good dream*
Ashgaz: *Ashgaz bites his tongue and shakes*
Neithan the Wronged: *Ashgaz is alone with the lady sleeping and a madman singing and calling to people who are not there*
Neithan the Wronged: *The man begins to shriek* I will go to Minas Morgul, I will challenge the Dreaded Captain himself!
Neithan the Wronged: The Fearful King!
Neithan the Wronged: I will dethrone him!
Ashgaz: *raises his eyebrows*
Ashgaz: *smirks at the madman's arrogance*
Neithan the Wronged: BY ELBERETH HERSELF I WILL DO IT
Ashgaz: *he will not get very far if he tries that*
Ashgaz: *covers his ears shuddering*
Neithan the Wronged: *He goes to get some wood behind Ashgaz, but trips over his unseen form*
Neithan the Wronged: *he curses*
Ashgaz: *Neithan's heavy boot did not harm him*
Ashgaz: *He gets up and moves out of the way*
Neithan the Wronged: *He rants* I am Neithan the Wronged but I will be avenged by my own blood!
Neithan the Wronged: *Then in the midst of his madness he thinks he sees the thing that he tripped over*
Ashgaz: *feels uncomfortable to be stuck here with the madman*
Neithan the Wronged: *He asks him* Are you Hallas, the one I killed?
Neithan the Wronged: Where is my sword? I will drive your demon back!
Ashgaz: *is shocked; hopes the madman's vision will reply*
Ashgaz: *decides to speak to the madman*
Ashgaz: *deepest voice he can muster* I have come to you with a message.
Ashgaz: You must change the course of your journey.
Neithan the Wronged: Are you Vorondil? *he asks*
Ashgaz: *wonders who Vorondil is*
Neithan the Wronged: You are the ghost of Vorondil, my dearly beloved best friend of boyhood!
Ashgaz: My name I do not reveal
Neithan the Wronged: My captain, come back to the dead to guide me!
Ashgaz: But I will guide you for you guess at my powers
Ashgaz: *astonished to hear himself talking like this*
Neithan the Wronged: Aye, you are indeed Vorondil
Neithan the Wronged: Have you forgiven me for killing you?
Ashgaz: Of course, of course
Ashgaz: But now you must listen to my counsel
Neithan the Wronged: We will join our swords together once again and fight the enemy!
Ashgaz: Aye, you speak wisely
Ashgaz: And do you know who the enemy is?
Neithan the Wronged: Yes, Vorondil, the Valar have let you come back
Neithan the Wronged: So I could ask your forgiveness
Neithan the Wronged: and together we can fight the enemy!
Neithan the Wronged: The woman you see lying there is my love, returned from the dead also
Ashgaz: Aye, the enemy that grows steadily in power and evil
Neithan the Wronged: Also there is Hallas and the other bowman who I killed
Neithan the Wronged: All come back to me from the dead
Ashgaz: We must keep this enemy from conquering Middle Earth
Ashgaz: *gets exasperated and wonders if this will work*
Ashgaz: Do not heed them at present
Ashgaz: We must turn our attention to the Enemy
Ashgaz: And where the enemy dwells...
Neithan the Wronged: I but wait for the lady to finish sleeping
Ashgaz: The great city of Minas Morgul is its lair
Neithan the Wronged: The only thing that keeps me here is my love who has come back to me from the dead, Luinwen
Ashgaz: And Sauron the Dark Lord holds power over all of them
Neithan the Wronged: She needs rest before she can travel
Ashgaz: She will go as well
Neithan the Wronged: I had wished only to join you in death, my friend Vorondil
Ashgaz: Yes, but as soon as she wakes, you must start for Minas Morgul
Neithan the Wronged: But now I have reason to live!
Ashgaz: *feels horribly guilty for manipulating him, but there is no other way across the river*
Neithan the Wronged: As soon as she awakes we will launch the boat and cross the river just north of Osgliath
Neithan the Wronged: Then we must walk
Ashgaz: Yes, a great reason, a great misson
Neithan the Wronged: But together my captain, Vorondil, my friend, we go together
Ashgaz: We must vanquish the Nine...
Neithan the Wronged: Four from the dead and one from the living
Ashgaz: The Nazgul, the servants of Sauron
Ashgaz: Do you understand?
Neithan the Wronged: Yes! We will atack them!
Ashgaz: *his supressed anger mounts*
Neithan the Wronged: And now that I have forgiveness from all of you Vorondil, and from Hallas and from the bowman
Neithan the Wronged: With my beloved Luinwen, my comrade Hallas, the bowman Arorod
Neithan the Wronged: The four of you come back to me from the dead, we will be unstoppable!
Ashgaz: Yes, and we all spur you on your mission
Ashgaz: The Nazgul...they kill and terrorize at will
Neithan the Wronged: All four of you will be even more powerful than the Dreaded King! For you are all dead and he is but undead!
Neithan the Wronged: Death to the Nazgul and their fell Captain!
Neithan the Wronged: I faced him on the bridge at Osgiliath last summer, the 20th of June
Neithan the Wronged: And I vowed then vengance
Ashgaz: Let that be our...your battle cry
Neithan the Wronged: Death to the Nazgul! Death to their fell captain!
Ashgaz: Go, on to victory!
Neithan the Wronged: My captain, my captain Vorondil, you will lead me!
Neithan the Wronged: On to victory!
Ashgaz: *falls silent a moment...the morgul poison works at his heart and courses through his body*
Neithan the Wronged: *The man shouts at the top of his lungs* FOR GONDOR!! FOR GONDOR!!
Ashgaz: *wants to join...he actually wishes the mission were possible*

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