The Infirmary

[Karasu Immolo]

Karasu lay in the infirmary, being tended to by various orcs, cringing as some sort of orc-medicine was slapped against his wounds. He turned his head to Aragorn, who was seated next to him, "Well...we got out of it."

[Envin]

Aragorn had been nodding off, strong man as he was, after the ordeal beneath the ice, and when he heard the bustling of the orcs attempting their crude medicine he awoke, sending them apprising glances, obviously disdaining their methonds. Karasu spoke and Aragorn turned to him. "Aye, that we did, though I must say that it seems more as though thou got us out of it. 'Twould appear that thou took more of Evil Morsereg than thou knewest, or at least his talents."

Ere he could answer, and Orc applied some sort of paste to a particularly nasty wound on Karasu's leg, at which the young Lord gave a bark of pain. Aragorn sighed and shook his head, elbowed the Orc out of the way (which looked affronted, as though this paste was the leading discovery in Angmarian medicine), and bellowed for some boiling water and a cloth. He took from a pouch upon his belt his dear store of athelas, set aside for need, and crushing several leaves he cast them into the hot water. They steamed at once, and the fragrance filtered swiftly through the room, and even the Orcs ceased their slavering for a few moments. Then Aragorn bathed Karasu's wounds with the cloth, and Karasu felt renewed vigour course through his limbs.

[Karasu Immolo]

Karasu slowly sat up, brushing the orcs away, and turned his head to Aragorn, "Thank you, my lord..." He smiled, "I guess I have..." He laughed softly and looked out the window at the cold skies, "I thank you, for saving me, and all that...is there any way I could ever repay you?"

[Envin]

Aragorn took a seat beside him, and reached for a pitcher of water that stood nearby, pouring himself and Karasu each a glass. He settled back into his chair after handing the drink to Karasu, and said "Well, the adventure is near payment enough, do not trouble thyself overmuch. It is worth the ordeal to learn that thou'rt not as evil as I had supposed. But if repayment there must be, then tell me of thyself and what thy plans are, now that thy tainted self is no more."

[Karasu Immolo]

Karasu nodded, "Whatever you wish, my lord." And then he began to go into his plans for the realm, "I think I'm going to take a more neutral position within Middle-Earth, going against only my enemies, not the enemies of my allies, picking them off one-by-one. I won't stray down the path of my predecessor, but I'm afraid I won't go fully to the light, not yet. It would be a big change for Angmar, and I don't think we'd actually be able to pull it off. The orcs would simply leave me, and we'd have another problem on our hands."

[Envin]

"A wise course, perhaps, good my young friend," answered Aragorn after a think and a drink from his glass. "Look to thine own realm first and think of its safety, for such an upheaval as it has lately had can be disastrous if left untended. Then thy allies, think of them, but as thou sayest, do not fall into the thinking of Morsereg and degenerate into reckless hate - such a mind is unhealthy for the soul, and is detrimental to the good of Middle-earth. I find thee to be a much mor forthright man, a much more righteous at least that Dindaedel, and I would beg for thy hand in alliance. We may do much that is meet for the world, thou and I."

[Karasu Immolo]

Karasu smiled to Aragorn, nodding, "Aye, I think that sounds good. From this day forth, the realms of Angmar and Khand shall be allies with the realm of Gondor." He sent one last smile towards the King of Gondor before passing into a deep sleep.

[Envin]

Aragorn smiled in return to Karasu, and nodded, his heart glad beyond reckoning. Readily seen it was that the young Lord of Angmar was in dire need of repose, so Aragorn retired from the infirmary, and strode into the hall. His identity was known there in that realm, and though Alucard did not care overmuch for Aragorn, he knew that in some wise his master's favour tended toward the King of Gondor, and therefore the Vampire led him into the Dining Hall, and had a sumptuous feast prepared for him. He sat there and ate and drank and smoked, slowly and in comfort, for hours, until Karasu should wake.

[Karasu Immolo]

Karasu woke not long after, slowly wandering into the hall to meet with Aragorn. He wore draped around his body a blood red robe, open at the top to reveal his chest slightly. He sat down next to the king, looking to the sky, "I have much to do, much research that needs to be done. I much pour through all of Morsereg's old books, figure out what my powers are, find the secret ways through Angmar again, for I know they exist...I just cannot remember them. My memory is fragmented, it will need to be refilled...I start tonight." He smiled, and turned to Alucard, who stood guard at the door, "Leave us."

[Envin]

"How may I aid thee?" Aragorn asked, pushing some cold beef and water toward Karasu; the young king must be famished. "The knowledge of Dindaedel was vast, but his pride ran with it, and thou must perforce take care to not fall into the trap into which he fell. He may e'en have foreseen this event and left material filled with subtle hate for thee to uncover."

[Karasu Immolo]

Karasu took it with a polite nod, slowly thinking to himself. "I will not fall to the same trap Morsereg did...His downfall will not be mine," He smirked, taking another sip of the water, "I have the protection of Alucard and Dwar, who will not let me fall into shadow, for they have orders not to. I do not believe Dindaedel ever foresaw it coming this far."

[Envin]

"Indeed thou speakest sooth," mused Aragorn, billows of smoke rolling from his lips. "The might of Dindaedel grew with his knowledge, or rather I should say his pride. I recall speaking with him not long ago, and he seemed to regard himself as a kind of avenging angel, dealing out justice as he saw fit, infallible in his judgement. It seemeth unto me that in his pride he judged himself to be so correct that the thought of any whom he loved - or thought a part of himself - differing from his point of view never entered his mind. And so it is when we blind ourselves to an attack by our own arrogance that it comes to destroy us."