Event: Abort! Part Two (day 25, Egret). Luggage carriage

[voidtreckermods]

They are on world world#27462947582 for about five hours, helping, ushering people out of the city, fighting monsters, keeping guard. All seems well in the city itself, peaceful even except for the slight panic of people being told to move south.

Wherever they are, north in the desert, travelling through the countryside to the south or still in the city itself they will notice from their peripheral vision a darkening of the sky. Looking up they will see clouds. Strange clouds, appearing in the blue sky out of nowhere.

Their SCA’s start beeping, rapidly, flashing red. The clouds are too weird to be clouds, dark shapes in the sky. It might be that the Voidtreckers heed the warning and tap their SCA to evacuate to the train. It might be that they do not.

If they don’t then there is a moment, a moment of absolute stillness as those around them notice the shapes. A confused pause. Children stop their chatter, people stop their complaining, even the monsters seem to sense something and pause in their attacks.

The remaining voidtreckers are yanked away, even without pressing their SCA, they glow gold and disappear.

They all appear in the luggage carriage and not even a second later, with no warning the train lurches, flinging everyone off their feet as it enters the void.

It’s not really easy to tell speed in the void, but they will get the sense that they are moving fast. Faster than before, leaving that world and whatever those shapes were behind.

(OOC: Information on this event is here and part one is here)

Comments

[marriedanidiot]

Nerdanel's presence is normally rock steady, firm as the stone she works. But this... this is the Darkening all over again.

She is terrified.

"Lord Glorfindel?"

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel turned to face her and the glow intensified.

"Lady Nerdanel. Thank Iluvatar you are all right!"

He took a deep breath. "At least, physically. That was...." He shook his head, his battle braids dancing a little behind him.

[marriedanidiot]

"It reminded me of the Darkening." She nods, shivering.

"You, as well?"

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel breathed out slowly. "Very. Also, more recently, of when the Dark Lord came to Gondolin, and destroyed it. It has been almost 5000 years, I thought I had overcome my feelings of my first death."

He noticed her shiver and stepped a little closer, as he projected a little warmth, as well as hope, in his aura.

[marriedanidiot]

"Turukano's city... I knew it fell, but I do not know the details." She murmurs, reaching over to squeeze his arm in understanding.

"I am sorry this must remind you of such times again."

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel nodded, rather stiffly, yet quickly. "Very much so. It felt like the coming of the Balrogs all over again." It might be a couple of days before he literally lets his hair down.

[marriedanidiot]

She leaves the hand there, a grounding anchor.

"Would it help to speak of it?" She asks gently. "They say a grief shared is easier to bear."

[laurefindil]

He looked around the still crowded confines of the luggage care. "Perhaps over a nice cup of tea?" he offered. He leaned slightly into her touch.

[marriedanidiot]

She pats his arm understandingly.

"Yes, I think that would be nice. Shall we? I think these young ones can handle themselves for the moment."

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel took her arm and escorted her to the dining car. He pulled down a teapot and filled it with tea and water, letting the routine of it calm his mind.

"Would you mind getting the milk and honey?" he asked her. He set the cups down and held the teapot in his hands and let the power Manwe gave him flow through it. He was pretty sure that using it to heat tea wasn't exactly why he was given it, but Mithrandir assured him that it wasn't a bad use of it. He had vague memories of having to wait for water to heat back in his first life.

"Part of me wishes I could do this when we crossed the Helaraxe," he said, staring at the now steaming pot.

[marriedanidiot]

"A useful trick." She smiles as she does so. Feanor had also often used his own natural inclination to fire for silly tricks like that for her, and it brings back memories.

"Ai! What was my Feanaro thinking, to burn the ships..." She sighs. "Such a fool."

[laurefindil]

"I have grown used to it over the centuries. I am now far too impatient to wait for water to boil on its own," Glorfindel admitted.

"We were all young back then," he said. "Many things were done and said that, now, with more experience and the ability to look back at our actions, we regret." At least, he hoped Feanor regretted it. He hadn't had a chance to speak to him since arriving, since the other elf was secluded in his workshop.

[marriedanidiot]

"It is a useful trick!" She smiles at that, and nods.

"He regrets it, I know. I still wish I had been there to talk him down." She frowns sadly. "And then what my boys went on to do after..."

[laurefindil]

"So handy when out on patrol, I can't even tell you the number of times we had to have a 'cold' camp that was made bearable with a nice cuppa," Glorfindel said. "Even the Galadhrim appreciated it when we met up when Orc hunting."

"I look forward to greeting him, when his current task is done." He paused. "What they did is done. We do not have the ability to go back in time and change the past," he said quietly. He poured out the now steeped tea and doctored his with the milk and honey.

[marriedanidiot]

"I can see how!" She agrees. "Even for simple trips, I imagine!"

She smiles sadly.

"If there is one thing I am grateful to the train for, is that it has given them back to me, even if only for a time."

[laurefindil]

"It depends on how many are in the party," Glorfindel said. "For a larger party I was generally busy with making sure everyone was safe and others were responsible for the cooking and making of tea."

Glorfindel patted the table next to her hand. "I am so very glad that you are getting this opportunity as well. I am not as close to any of your family, of course, but I am glad to be here and to see all of you as well."

[marriedanidiot]

Her answering smile is grateful.

"Thank you for saying so. Many are not so forgiving. I suppose that is one area in which we Eldar are disadvantaged, for they tell me Men forget, with the passing years, where our memories remain evergreen."

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel thought about the long years behind him in both of his lives, of how many he still remembered when he last saw them, and how much he missed them. "I guess that's why Men tend to write things down more." Not that his people didn't, but Men were quite proliferate.

[marriedanidiot]

"It would make sense." She agrees. "I do wish I'd met more of them. Tuor is a lovely fellow, but he tells me himself he is hardly typical, and really, you'd barely know he wasn't one of us."

[laurefindil]

"Typical, no, but Aragon was very much like him, in all honesty. But then again, Tuor is one of his ancestors too. I mean, if you think about it, Arwen married her cousin, a few times removed. Takes some of the romance out though." Glorfindel said. "Elrond really didn't like it when I brought that up. Often." He looked to the side as if innocent of any wrongdoing.

[marriedanidiot]

She smiles a little at that.

"Ai, but our family tree begins to look extremely tangled! Poor Elrond, doubtless he did not wish to be reminded!"

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel nodded. "Very much so. Well, it was okay to mention when Aragorn did something well, 'hey, your umpteenth great-nephew is doing great!' But when it came to romancing his daughter, not so much. Tsk. You would think they were a much closer relation, like some other elves."

[marriedanidiot]

Nerdanel raises an eyebrow at him - yes, yes, the family secret.

"True. Ah, but love when found can move mountains. I am glad they were happy, although I grieve with Elrond."

[laurefindil]

More like, that's fine for OTHER elves, but not my DAUGHTER!

"As do we all," Glorfindel said. "Celeborn is not sailing until after she passes. It was an easier choice for him since he is Sindar and has never been to Valinor, but I know he misses Galadriel more and more each day."

[marriedanidiot]

Alas, poor Elrond~

"Then she will have family, that is good! It will be a grievous parting, but having kin will make it a little kinder. I do hope to meet Lord Celeborn - Artanis was such a wilful child tis something of a shock to meet her as a Lady in her own right! And I have met young Celebrian, who is an absolute gem. I cannot but imagine her father must be someone special."