The Skald's Fire

[Imrel]

(Created by Rhiannon)

A fireplace in the middle of the tents. There are several big logs around it to sit on. Sit down, get a drink and tell us of your travels under the skies of Middle Earth.

[Imrel]

Imrel didn't usually buy into the sales other travelers pitched her, but when she had met a grizzled old man while on the road to the Rangers' haven, there was something about one particular piece he was selling that had snared her interest.

'Eru knows what all the markings mean,' he had told her eagerly, catching the curiosity in the young woman's eyes. 'But it's old, oh my, very old indeed, maybe even from the First Age-'

'I doubt that,' Imrel said sharply, looking up from the worn, decorated cloth he was showing her.

Sensing he was going a bit over the top, the trader quickly reeled in his enthusiasm before he ended up losing a customer. 'All right, maybe it's not that old, but you can't deny it's an antique of sorts. See how the writing's faded, and the colored ink has worn? Not to mention how threadbare patches of it are, and how frayed the edges.'

'Not been kept in very good condition, then, has it?' Imrel said, sweeping her eyes over the fabric with a feigned passive look.

The traveler watched her greedily. 'A hundred gold coins,' he told her outright.

'A hundred!' she exclaimed. 'For that old rag?' She snorted. 'I'll give you ten, tops.'

'If you're offering a price as meager as that, you can't be very interested.' A cunning smile played over his lips, and he subtly withdrew the cloth from her by a few inches.

'I didn't say I wasn't interested,' Imrel protested, fighting to keep her voice casual. 'But I'm a mere wanderer, like yourself. I haven't many coins to my name.'

'Then you can no doubt understand my desire to make a decent profit.'

They had haggled back and forth, and Imrel came away with the prize after paying rather more than she wanted to, but somehow she felt it was worth it. At the campfire, she now eased the rolled up cloth from her pack and spread it out carefully on a smooth, flat rock normally used for sitting on. She doubted the old man really knew what he had sold. He had just played off of her interest in obtaining the material, and not done too badly for himself, all in all.

But what had caught her interest about this large square of ancient fabric was a marking in the top right hand corner, faded by time to a teastain brown color. It looked to her almost like a bird, seen from above, with its wings outstretched and its tail narrowing to a point behind it. The figure pointing to the four different sides of the cloth, to her, could only be seen as a compass indicating north, south, east and west. The fabric was a map.

[Grubhosh]

Though she'd never been there before she'd heard this camp was a good place to hear the news and there were certainly a wide selection of travelers, few rangers too who were watching her. Grubby edged towards the fire scanning the assembled travelers for any faces she knew, quite relieved to find one. She sat down next to Im without waiting to be asked.

all right Im

The ranger was pawing over a bit of old rag. Grubby peered curiously at it.

was'at?

[Imrel]

Imrel, kneeled in the dirt to study the cloth, glanced sideways towards the source of the familiar voice that turned out to be Grubhosh. 'Oh, hello Grubby, how're you keeping?' she responded with a nod of greeting, before answering her quietly, 'A map of some sort, unless I'm mistaken.' Turning her attention back to it, she lightly ran her fingers over the rough surface as if in hopes to absorb the information it contained. 'No clue as to where or what to, mind; I can't decipher the writing.' She sighed.

'Any insight?' she asked, motioning that Grubby should take a look.

[Grubhosh]

Grubby leaned in closer to get a better look. It was a map that much was plain but where of she hadn't a clue, as for the runes well Grubby couldn't decipher them either. Probably because she couldn't read rather than that they were in some strange dialect. She sniffed it but that didn't yield anymore information.

nah

Grubby concluded reluctantly

maybe it's a treasure map?

she added hopefully

[Imrel]

Imrel flashed a sly grin at Grubby. 'I'm betting on it; at least, that's what I was hoping when I bought it.' She brushed some grains of dirt off it. 'Then again, it could just lead to lands unknown. Either way, it's of great interest...'

Squinting at the writing, she frowned slightly in thought. 'You know, I think it might be written in Elvish... It's just so damn faded. I wonder if ElvenStar might be able to help.'

[Elven Star]

Elv had been at the camp for a few days now, enjoying not having to deal with all the fuss of hiding out with WK. She heard mention of her name from a voice she knew but didnt know who it was till she walked closer. She leaned over Im's shoulder and laughed.

Well just to help you a bit it is a form of elvish, an older form that I dont know very well but from first look I believe it is a map and so if some one felt the need to write it down I m sure it is of value.

Elv, placed a finger on the map and traced a few of the markings. Looking up at Im she smiled.

Mind if I hold it for a moment?

[Imrel]

Grinning widely at the sudden appearance of the elf herself, Imrel stepped back to let Elv see the map clearly. 'Be my guest!' she said eagerly.

[Elven Star]

Elv slowly took the map in to hand to look at it more careful. She studied it for a bit and frowned.

I cant make a whole lot of it out but I bet I know some one who can. Witchy actually speaks a lot of elvish and I bet he could tell you what all of it says...

Elv held the map still trying to figure more of it out. She could understand the words that indicated some thing about Caradhras that she could not tell if it said above or below the mountain.

That is if you could find him and you wanted to get him involved, if there is something of value to be gained you may think twice about that.

Elv laughed a little and looked back to the map. She spotted a word, tucked along a crease in the map, she almost thought was something she had heard Witchy say before in whispers to one of his companions but she wasnt sure.

[Imrel]

'Yes, well,' said Imrel with a faint chuckle, 'that's the thing, isn't it? If it turns out to be something his Evilness really wants, the rest of us might be lucky to get a glimpse...'

She traced a finger idly over on of the faded lines, then froze suddenly. 'Huh,' she murmured, gently taking the cloth back into her own hands. 'I thought I'd already got all the dirt off this...'

But looking at the map, she couldn't see the speck of grit that she had felt on the fabric. Puzzled, she touched the spot again. There was something hard there. She pressed down and realized that the grain was actually embedded in the map. 'How odd,' she remarked to the others. 'It's like there's a bit of dirt or sand or stone or something sewn into the cloth.'

[Grubhosh]

Grubby hissed

ah you don't want witchy involved light fingered..

she glanced about to see that she wasn't overheard. It was probaly not wise to insult the witch king around strangers.

besides elv must know some people what owe her a favor

One third was more than a quarter anyway. She looked over to Im

right?

The ranger was engrossed in the map again and didn't hear her.

'It's like there's a bit of dirt or sand or stone or something sewn into the cloth.'

eh? well let's have it out then

She quickly snatched the map out of Im's grasp and pulled a small knife out her pocket

[Imrel]

'Ach!' Imrel jumped, surprised. 'Careful, Grubby! You don't want to damage it. Have a look on the back, there's probably some stitching you could undo to see what the little stone thing is.' She furrowed her brow, wondering just what the speck was doing in there.

[Grubhosh]

ok, ok I'll be careful

She rolled her eyes and set about unpicking the stitching at the back of the map as Imrel requested. She held out the stone in the palm of her hand

what do you make of that?

[Imrel]

'Hm.' She peered closely at it, tilting her from side to side, observing the effect the glimmer of the firelight had on it from different angles. 'I think...' As a Ranger, she somewhat prided herself on being familiar with the different types of dirt and stone she walked on. She'd seen a fair few gems and metals, but nothing exactly like this.

'... that it's a little bit of rock.' She looked up at the other two with a helpless sort of grin on her face. 'Wonder what it was doing sewn into the map?'

[Grubhosh]

can't just be a rock must be valuable to somebody, why else would you go to all the trouble of sewing it up? Better hold onto it, might prove useful.

Grubby frowned

maybe it's got summit to do with the place it was sewn under? They're mountains aren't they?

It looked like the interpretation of the treasure map (as she was now convinced it was) and the finding of treasure was going to take longer than she hoped.