The Hollin Gate

[Alcorad]

After Alcorad's departure from Carn Dum, he steered his insidious Fell Beast to the jagged cliffs of Moria and perched on a rock peeking high above the water that had once been the threshold to the doorway of the destroyed West Gate. "Cile Dinaedel!" Alcorad croaked loudly. "Cile Dindaedel come forth! The time has come to crush your father, you know it to be true!" Alcorad smiled darkly as the water began to ripple under the force of his booming voice. A dark shadow could be seen swimming in the deep. "The Watcher in the Water." Alcorad whispered with a malevolent grin. "I have heard tales of thine doings." With a dark laugh Alcorad pulled his beast upward and circled high overhead, surveying the caved mountain entrance. "Cile Dindaedel!" he shouted again, his dark eyes now rested firmly upon the Morian Walls.

[Orrë the Wise]

"You aid my father, filth of the Valar! Your tricks fool me not. Be gone! Moria shall not open it's doors for you this night." Cile's own voice boomed through the air, but outside of Moria it's source was not.

The son of Mandos sat comfortably on his throne, using his voice to project outside.

[Alcorad]

(Morsereg aint mandos. lol)

Alcorad laughed mockingly at what Cile thought to be so true. "Did you not hear your father in Carn Dum? We are equals. With Morsereg standing in my way, I shall never be able to grow for whenever I choose an assult, he shall stake his claim previously and war is destined to spring up. My brother is ambitious, as am I. We are very much the same, but there can be no duplicate. Do you understand what I am saying to you Cile? I am revealing a weakness. As long as there are both of us together, I cannot destroy him. But with your aid we may throw him down together. He has squandered your talents, don't you see? I wish to nurture them." Alcorad smiled as he spoke, his muscles straining to create the illusion of compassion. What Cile would not realize so easily was that Alcorad spoke the truth in its simplest form. Morsereg was a hinderance to him.

[Orrë the Wise]

(Yeah I know, my bad. )

Cile laughed and shook his head. "Once you have disposed of Morsereg Dindaedel, you will despose of me. Or, this is a trap altogether. You and my father cannot be trusted in my eyes. If you wish to overthrow him, do so without my aid. I am quite content where I am." He grinned to himself, arms crossed. "I am no fool, Alcorad."

[Alcorad]

Alcorad narrowed his eyes and smirked. "What options do you have Cile? All of those opposed to the Free Peoples dwell adjacent to my Mountain Walls and they are strong allies of Mordor. Enedwaith too has allighned itself with the Dark Lord in exchange for aid in an upcoming battle. All that is left is you and Morsereg. You are both very powerful people, but the comfort you had in the armies of Angmar is tarnished. There is only one other path to take lest you fall into obscurity. What shall you choose?"

[Orrë the Wise]

"Who else do you have, uncle? Who are these other allies you speak of? The easterlings are my allies, and Angmar and Enedwaith are yours, yet you plot against one of them. Either this is a trick, or once you despose of my father you will get rid of me. I will not help thee get rid of their obsticle so they can get stronger and destroy me. Moria is now inpenitrable, yet you threaten me? Tell me uncle, why should I help you destroy my father?"

[Alcorad]

Because if you do not aid me, then he will rally all of the others to destroy you and I will have to bide my time further until I may destroy him. That meens I will have to aid him. And as much as you would like to think Moria is inpenetrable, it is not. The Dark Places of the World hold many secrets and I have lain in subterranean hiding for an age with the Valaraukar, one whom used to inhabit your halls. He knows Moria better than any and upon his awakening, there was a secret meeting of the power demons below the surface of all that was good. The crevices of the World are no secret to me and while you may take me as a fool who spends his days idly in Barad-dur, you would be wrong. I am often about among the common people of the world. So either you accept my offer of having chance of to gain your own identity over your father, or you hide here in your halls for all of eternity."

[Orrë the Wise]

"Do not threaten me, uncle. If you knew Moria better than I then you would not be flying around outside like a bird. But... if I help you take Angmar, whats in it for me aside from the satisfaction of seeing my father fall?"

[Alcorad]

Alcorad smiled deviously and in a low whisper said one word that summed up everything. "Wisdom." The rippling in the water began to increase and a large opaque tentacle rose from the water. "What say you?" Alcorad said hastily as the beast's menacing face surfaced on the water.

[Orrë the Wise]

"Forget it. Bring Mordor's armies to my door, I do not serve nor aid anyone when all I am gaining is wisdom." He wove a dismissive hand. "Moria will not go to war for you so you can get more power."

[Alcorad]

Alcorad smiled darkly and turned his beast as it snapped viciously at the curious thing before him. "To deny the gift that I am willing to grant you is folly. Wisdom may come in many forms, it may come in many disguises but what I can say is that if you gain wisdom and pass the test of its challenge then I too shall aid you in your campaigns, for only once you show that you may handle the gift I am willing to bestow upon you, will you reach true enlightenment. You will be greater than your father. You will know more than he does now."

[Orrë the Wise]

"It is unwise for anyone to hand over an entire realm when they are gaining nothing in return. You speak nonsence. How can you give me something which you yourself do not posess? You came here seeking my help, uncle, you are in no position to tell me my options. Be gone now. I do not accept, and never will Moria help you while you offer the meak gift of wisdom."

[Alcorad]

Alcorad smiled slightly and gave a curt nod of farewell. "I had hoped that I could deliver you into your own identity and help you to become greater than your father ever was. Now I see that there is no promise in you if you do not accept my gift. I could have helped you make an empire. But I shall not allow you to set your claims where I already have. Goodbye Cile Dindaedel. I hope that ere the morning comes you will have gained the gift that I offered you." Alcorad's Fell Beast began to rise into the air out of the Watcher's reach. Alcorad smiled as he looked back towards the Morian walls and began to fly southeast towards Enedwaith.

[Orrë the Wise]

Cile shook his head and sighed. Alcorad was a fool. Moria would not fall... He needed to muster all of the forces he could.