Episode 7: The Shadow of the Future

General Summary

A Traitor

Across the River Gladden with Orcs and Warg packs on their heals, the fellowship hide the skiff and flee North to Mountain Hall. Sigmarr and Monin manage to provide enough guile to evade the pursuit, but by the time they arrive at the mountain stronghold, Brother Hathus is exhausted.

When the company return to Mountain Hall, they find a dozen archers levelling bows at them across the narrow bridge. They are under the command of Beranald, the doorkeeper. A moment later, Hartfast arrives to speak to the company. The traitorous guide Magric is at Hartfast’s side. The chieftain challenges the company:

“You are not welcome here. Magric has told us about how you tried to murder him in the marshes. You are outlaws and Orc-friends! If I see you again, I shall have you put to death. Leave now and never return!”

After a couple of tense minutes of reasoned pleas from Sigmarr, Hartfast sees the error in his hasty judgment and turns on Magric.

“How many of my people have you led to slavery? How long have you plotted with my enemies? Damn you!"

Seeing the writing on the wall, Magric grabs up his spear and stabs Hartfast in the flank before he attempts to flee. Sigmarr, Arahad and Monin chase him from the hall and make vain attempts to wrestle the slippery tracker to the ground. He manages to evade their clutches, so they resort to trying to bring him down with arrows. Sorely wounded, he hobbles to the cliff-edge above the river and hurls himself headlong into the torrent below. Monin finishes the grim justice with an arrow to the neck and the body of the lifeless traitor is last seen getting tossed around in the white water on his final journey East. The evening is spent informing Hartfast about the Chain of Thangorodrim and the evil spirit in The Dwimmerhorn. The grugg old warrior listens intently and resolves to muster men from the vales to drive out the evil in the Gladden Fields.

Assassins in the Night

During the night Sigmarr is awoken by a sixth sense that something is amiss outside and spies several shady hunched figures investigating adjacent houses. Luckily this provide enough time for Monin and Arahad to don armour and lay a trap before the door bursts in and malicious Orcs pour into the little house. Monin, Sigmarr and Arahad make short work of the small vermin, but their leader is a massive brute, at the height of his strength, with a fearful iron helm bearing the sign of the Red Eye. He roars with battle-lust and lays about himself with a massive black axe, chopping Arahad down and trading wicked blows with Monin. As the battle looks to be turning dire, Hathus rouses himself and sneaks in a chopping lunge with his staff that cracks into the bridge of the chieftain's nose, finally killing him!

A Welcome Rest in Rhosgobel

The party drag their battered bodies to Rhosgobel where they bring news to Radagast the Brown The wizard is deeply troubled by the company’s description of the spirit and the Chain. Strangely, when more scouts are sent to keep watch on The Dwimmerhorn , they find the hilltop fort to be completely deserted. The evil spirit and his servants have vanished into the marsh as though they never existed. Radagast the Brown speculates that the enemy did not expect to be discovered so soon, and has retreated to some other place of safety. He fears that the enemy is still plotting against the Free Peoples, and that the stroke will fall where they least expect it... Most of the fellowship tend their wounds and enjoy the idyllic peaceful environment of the wizard's enclave for a couple of months while Hathus researches the Chain of Thangorodrim. Sigmarr, Monin and Arahad feel like wqome of the weight of worry about the shadow returning to the Anduin valley has lifted. Hathus and Radagast the Brown discover more about Chain of Thangorodrim. As the summer reaches its peak the fellowship agree to return to investigate the concerning sounds of orc burrowing at Mountain Hall before, influenced in no small part by a letter Monin receives from his brother, traveling the grueling miles to Dale where many of the leaders of Rhovanion will congregate for the annual Festival of the Five Armies.