The Houses of Healing

[Ilmare]

Ilmare rode from Enedwaith to Isengard and with her both Stewards further to Gondor, to introduce her staff to her allie. She was uneasy that the assault against Angrenost could have thrown clouds on her relationship to her allies and that she failed to inform them about her personal revenge against Megloren Istade BEFORE the assault. They all entered the white city and rode up to the Citadel, where they were told, that Lord Envinyatar lingered at the houses of healing with his wounded wife. The three travelers turned their horses and rode down the hill to the houses of healing. "The queen is badly wounded and Lord Aragorn in distress. Let me go allone to him and ask how his wife is and if he has time for an audience," Ilmare said. Both men agreed and put the steeds across the street to the stables. Ilmare entered the houses of healing and saw the King speaking with Lady Megloren. She came up to them and bowed before Lord Aragorn. "My King, I heared the sad news. How is Lady Arwen?"

[Envin]

Aragorn spun about at the sound of his name, and focused his eyes upon Ilmare with a stern glance.

"She is well, and I thank thee at least for the inquiry. But tidings have reached my ears of thy doings abroad in Angrenost; I should like them explained. To assail an ally - such is a greivous breach of agreements. It had been my thought that our realms had been united against evil; why then would Enedwaith attack Isengard, and 'deprive poor Lady Megloren of her realm?'"

[Ilmare]

Ilmare lowered blushing her head. "Thank to the Valar, poor Arwen. I am glad that she is well.
Megloren is your allie. I should have told you before the assault, what I am going to do. I was in a moment of rush and the circumstances were optimal to strike. I know how it looks like and I apologize that my vengence against the "poor" Lady Megloren was in fact a strike against your allie."

[Envin]

"I am wondering, Lady Ilmare, if thou'rt so concered over the welfare of this Middle-earth as thou claim, why thou shouldst be taking up petty squabbles of revenge with thine own sworn comrades-in-arms. Naught shall this serve save to further drive a wedge amongst they who are loyal to the Free Peoples of Arda. Am I correct in assuming, then, that thou hast learnt the error in thy ways, and will be returning Megloren to her realm, that we may have her added strength against our foes?"

[Ilmare]

Ilmare looked at him. "You know why I did it. You heared her hissing and giving ill words against me. In all aids I gave in name of the free realms, namely Mithlond and Imladris, she was on the side of Murazor Bauglir. I never saw her aiding the free people, just the son of Morgoth. Look at Rivendell now, it is free and recovers from his rulership. And so would Angrenost..."

(OOC: Little reminder, Ilmare brought Vaire into the game, but she does not know how it developed and she has no part in the very last chapter of the whole thing. In fact, she has no clue about the whole Murazor story.)

"I am no saint, never was. I take vengence for bad treatment against me." She shoke her haed and said very quiet:" Do I need to remember you how she became allie of Gondor? I don't think I need to... If you want me, I give Angrenost to you, my King. It belongs to the heirdom of numenor, its yours by birthright. Give it to whom ever you like. But don't make me giving it to somebody I rather want to see dead and rotting on a pillar before my very home." She throw a hatefull glance in direction of Lady Megloren.

[Megloren Istdale]

((Aaron, for now Im going to leave my reply to your post out. I PMed you the reason. Nothing personal, its just that that was not Megloren's intention...))

"Ilmare, if memory serves me, I do not recall Gondor or anyone else before now ever being at war or needing my services, or I am sure they would have called upon me. And had I known that Murazor would threaten the Lady Arwen in any way, I would not have helped him in the first place. Also, I do recal that I was the first to go to the aid of those in Ered Luin... If you want to dwell on my past, then feel free, for the past holds many things against me. But I have pledged alliegence to Gondor and her allies, and nothing you can say will ever change that fact."

[Envin]

"The question then comes down to whether or not ye twain are willing to put aside personal grievance for the good of this Middle-earth. If thou shalt give to me Isengard, Ilmare, then be ye forewarned that I shall give it back to Megloren, that she mayest control some measure of power in defense of the Free Peoples. If ye cannot curb thy angers and resentments, e'en for a short space, then our alliance is in peril."

{LOL, it's cool. I'm not mad, don't worry - but Arry is pissed... }

[Ilmare]

Ilmares eyes met his and she said: "What you are going to do with your belongings, is up to you, my Lord. But it was a pleasure to me..." she looked cold at Megloren, "to kick her out of her house. If you want me to leave the alliance for that... well, thats your decision, too. But I wount let her treat me like she used to do and I will always kick her again, if she keeps talking like she used to. I have no patients for people without manners."

[Megloren Istdale]

Megloren have her a triumphant sneer. "Lady Ilmare, like I said, if you want to dwell in the past, then by all means, it is in no ones place to stop you, but one day your oversight will destroy you."

[Envin]

"Now who is dwelling in the past, m'lady?" queried Aragorn sweetly. "Is it not enow for thee that I shall return thy realm to thee? Must thou continue to bicker when thou hast seen that it is pointless to our cause? Ilmare giveth Isengard into my care, and I deposit it in thine. If thy presence here shall only further an arguement, then thou art free to depart my City."

[Megloren Istdale]

"Lord Aragorn, do not begin to question me. Her nonsense is a pathetic attempt to redeam and justify her reasons for attacking my home. I wish you best, but it is not my, nor any of my aquaintences fault that Arwen was harmed. It just angers me that you still refuse to act against this witch and Morsereg when your very own allys all around you are falling. When you are ready to finally do something, I will be there for you." She replied calmly before heading towards the door. "And I thank you for your generosity in granting my Angrenost again." That said, she left.

[Ilmare]

Ilmare looked at Megloren but was speechless for a moment. Than she shoke her head and turned back to Aragorn. "So take than back Angrenost into your hostage and give it ..." her voice broke in silent anger "... to her. What else you want me to do? Giving Rivendell away? Enedwaith? Leaving the alliance?"

[Envin]

Aragorn sighed with a pained look upon his face, as one who is tired of instructing a carefree child.

"Megloren, thou tellest me to take thee at thy word. Yet thine is the word of one who originally betrayed Gondor. And to me personally, and to they whom I shepherd, Ilmare has done naught. There is evil stirring in Middle-earth, but against it to what avail shall I prove? Wouldst thou have me muster the few realms left and march them north to our certain deaths? Or wouldst thou have me gather what information I can and use it to their detriment?" He turned to Ilmare. "And I shall take thee at thy word, then, m'lady. To betray an ally is a matter of such dark import that I feel no longer that I may trust thee in our counsel. I shall therefore ask that Enedwaith be turned over to my care, and I shall deal with it as I see fit. If thou shalt refuse me, then I shall take it by force - my Host is fresh and thine forfoughten; wouldst thou care to fight Gondor, or wilt thou vacate willingly?"


{Talked about this with Petra - this way the good guys can have another realm...open to whoever has no realm at the moment and can convince Aragorn of their good allegiance...}

[Ilmare]

Ilmare nodded and said: "As I thought. Well, Aragorn, last of the old bloodline. Listen to me and learn the truth of the betray against your wife. I was in allegiance with Harad to drive you mad by not trusting you wife anymore. I found Vaire and she must have found a way to do it. So here I am, the true guilty in all which followed in this matter. And even I didn't wounded Arwen atself, its caused by me." And she drew her sword, but instead to strike against Envinyatar, she aimed for Megloren.

[Envin]

Aragorn's mouth would have dropped open in utter shock had he not clamped it shut as Anduril flew from his sheath, and the singing blade rang against Ilmare's dark weapon. Aragorn's arms swung the greatsword up just inches from Megloren's face as he took Ilmare's blade and deflected her stroke. They were near the entrance to the Halls, and Aragorn with five swift swings pressed her hard, so that he stumbled back out the door into the streets.

"Traitorous witch!" he cried. "And in the Houses of Healing, as well! It was thy doing, then, that in the end my wife nearly died! And to think that deep in my counsels all these months thou hast been! I did not soil myself with the blood of thy pawn Vaire, but I have no qualms against shedding thine here in the streets! Wilt thou fight, or run, m'lady?"

As as he said such he he flew at her with three trios of rapid blows, continuing his momentum and bearing down on her with his strength.