(At the request of lady anwyn.
)
Nightfall had come once again to Rohan some fortnight after the dreadful murder in Edoras of the family of villagers. It was an odd night indeed this one, for no wind blew and the stars were veiled by some fell force. There was no light to give the peoples of Rohan comfort save the lanturns and torches in the windows. Ever since that faitful night only fourteen days before, the peoples of Edoras had always retired to bed early, leaving the streets on the sixteenth hour. Tonight was no different, in fact, that night the peoples of Rohan had retired to bed early for ominous tidings had come from the Rohirrum Scouts to Edoras and it was decree of Lady Anwyn that increased watch be maintaned and that a constant scout patrol search the perimeters of the gates.
In the distance was the low toll of drums. The Rohirrum looked into the distance, their keen eyes picking up only the faintest trace of a black line moving steadily over the horizon towards the southeast. From this line rose the faintest shadow and it ascended high into the sky until its being melded with the insidious veil that cursed the region. The Rohirrum captain scanned the dark skies carefully, looking here and there for any trace of movement but for naught. Alcorad was far too elusive in his return to Edoras. The shadow ascended higher and higher until it crossed far over unto the very Hill Top where sat the crown of Edoras, Meduseld. It descended upon the hill with immense speed, passing down like a blemish against the dim canvas of the night.
The beast made its landing in the deep wedge between the section furthest from the main gates and the tall walls of Edoras. The beast remained in the shadows, its dark eyes scanning the surroundings patiently as Alcorad dismounted it and stepped out into the central sector of the township. As he had done previously, he stepped onto the second stair of the winding path, the primary area for commerce and trade. It was here that many people dwelt in their homes, snugly fit next to one anothey below the comforting gaze of the Golden Hall. His dark form moved slowly by windows, attracting the sideward gazes of various inhabitants. They would come and carefully open their front doors and place one foot over the threshold only to find a barren town square before them, and then relinquish back into the comfort of their homes. It was in this way that a plan dawned upon the hunter in which he would find a new way to lure out his prey and a new way to murder them.
Alcorad stepped quickly down between the space that marked the speration of to Rohirrum homes, an ally of sorts. He lifted a large crate with strange ease, this home was perhaps one of a wealthy merchant, or perhaps there was only some store of barley within the crate, either way it mattered not. Alcorad tossed the heavy object down towards the back of the house, causing a loud commotion. Quickly he bounded onto the box and leapt up to the roof-top with feline agility and stealth. He paced forth to the front of the small cottage, crouching low so that his shadow would blend with the side of the triangular roof in the eary darkness. Slowly a smirk of satisfaction crossed his face as the low creak of rusty hinges sounded throughout the empty streets and a man of twenty or so crossed over the threshold of his home and stepped around the back to see what the commotion was. Alcorad dropped from the rooftop and stepped quietly through the open door into the small foyer and then into the sleeping quarters who's entry was adjacent to the front door of the home. Alcorad quickly made his way behind one of the wooden walls and smiled as his appetite curved and a sharp kanine managed to slip over his lower lip. There was a woman in the kitchen, cleaning up after a bland dinner of rabbit stew.
The woman send wayward glances here and there towards the front door and sighed in releif as a man, who was obviously her husband, stepped through the door.
"What was it, Dargin?" she asked anxiously as he stepped through the doorway.
"I don't know." he replied dismissively. "It was probably just a cat but during these times you never know. Edoras has always been such a safe town but after the sudden murder of that family who lived just down the road, you cannot be sure about anything anymore."
"I know." she replied with a hint of remorse in her voice. "Perhaps we should leave Rohan. Go to Gondor. Live in peace on the long shore. What do you say to that?"
"No, Deborah." Dargin replied. "Have you not heard? Mordor stirs again. Word has already been whispered amongst the Rohirrum and Rangers that often patrol the Druadan Forest's borders. A mighty fleet set forth to a large township in Belfalas and took many of the villagers aboard their vessels and onto the sea, probably back to Mordor through some dark stream. Many died on Belfalas, Deborah. The brush was set alight and the entire coast of Gondor could have perished in flame had the Minas Tirith not sent swift retribution. Nowhere is safe, Deborah. We might aswell stay where we are."
"Oh." Deborah said sadly. "Then I suppose there is nothing that we can do. Why is the world so cruel, Dargin? Why can't we sail to Aman like the elves! Why can't we leave this awful place."
"Because it is not our time." Dargin said, putting a comforting hand on her. "We are here to protect these lands for they were gifted to us. It was no to be, it seems, that we would be a people living in eternal bliss. One day we shall pass onto Aman in death and we shall dwell in happiness together in the Halls of Mandos."
"I suppose you right." Deborah said smiling weekly and leaning against Dargin. "Come. Let us retire for the night and at least have happiness in our dreams."
Alcorad smiled darkly as the irony of pure death set in that night for even in their fantasies of Aman, they would never find such life. These were among the unlucky ones who's souls would find no comfort in the endless bowels of Alcorad's gluttonous hunger. They would know hell. They would know death eternal.
As the twain's footsteps drew near, Alcorad silently paced to the through the small doorway that led into the kitchen and then around back to the foyer. He could hear the shifting of covers and the silent sound of lust as the two wrapped their legs around each other kissed passionatley. Some garments could be seen discarded through the covers onto the floor and it was obvious that the young couple was making love. Alcorad spat in discust as his crimson eyes narrowed upon them, his teeth gritted in malice and hate that if allowed to live they would spawn a child. The one benefit out their affair was that the woman's moans of passion wet his appetite further. His dark form slid into the shadows of the room while the two were preoccupied, and he stood out of sight behind a plain wooden cabinet where the two kept their garments. As Alcorad's form shifted past the window, the dim light that was provided by various candles faltered and Deborah pulled away from Dargin for just a moment. She looked towards the window sill, her brow furrowed in confusion as she stepped out from the covers and paced to the opposite side of the bed, feeling the cool draft of the evening. In confusion she stepped out into the foyer where Alcorad had previously stood and found nothing. She turned and saw that no one was behind the cabinet, nor in kitchen. She shrugged and thought nothing more of it, slipping back into her bed, purring like a horny juvenile. She slid her arm around Dargin and patted the covers in slight confusion as if something was wrong.
"Why are the lennins wet?" she asked holding her hand to her face. In cold horror she stared wide-eyed at her bloody palms and her eyes turned hesitantly towards Dargin. A shrill scream passed her lips as she crawled backwards and landed cruelly on the floor. She gripped her body tightly in terror, relinquishing back towards the wall. Dargin still lay in the bed, his eyes wide and dry and his neck cut open wide, the spinal corde showing noticeably through the gorged flesh. Tears streamed down her face as she asessed the situation and she turned to run without so much as taking up her clothes.
As she ran from the bed towards the doorwar she found herself hindered by a solid obsitcle. She moved her hands foward, feeling the black cloak in dismay as she realized that she was in the embrace of the murderer himself. In terror she looked up only to see his peircing crimson eyes set on her with dialated pupils obviously enammered with her fear. A cold gaunt hand seized her by the throat and clutched it tightly, holding her firmly against the wall just out of the visual range of someone who might happen to pass by the window. She coulnd't breath, she couldn't speak, and she was paralyzed with fear. She was helpless. In utter horror she saw the dim glint of a blade being removed from its sheath and felt the sear of pain as it began to carve into her shoulder. He was cutting her arm from her body! She tried to open her mouth to scream but so tight was the grip that no sound was made save the futile ghasps for breath that were unanswered as her wind pipe was closed with the cold malice of Alcorad's claw like grip. Fountains of blood surfaced from the place where once her arm had been. Her head contorted wildly and her legs twisted as she worked up the energy to fight back. She kicked and punched with her one remaining arm but yet again she was silenced as the cool blade peirced her skin and cut into her left arm. As the blade followed through the limb fell limply to the floor as if a discarded garment the woman gave up hope, her eyes dull with utter sadness but as she died she remembered. "Mandos!" she cried feebly as Alcorad's blade cut through her right leg. "Mandos!" she cried again as he cut through her left leaving her as nothing but a limbless torso. Blood flowed wildly from her naked body, covering her chest and her sides and pooling on the floor, joining with the steadily growing puddle flowing from her husband's neck.
In weak joy she smiled as the blade cut her throat. "I shall see you there." she whispered to Dargin's lifeless corspe as her energy drained from her body and streams of blood trickled down her neck onto her chest. She was wrong in her notions of future happiness. Alcorad's eyes intensified and a great light was revealed as her sould attempted to pass beyond her body but as it did so Alcorad's mouth opened wide, wider than the normal expansion for any mortal and even the forms often taken up by the maiar. It engulfed the light and closed shut tightly trapping the woman's soul. Alcorad swallowed deeply and moved forward licking the flesh of the woman's neck and sucking the tendines into his mouth. Blood covered his face and his long tongue crept from its hold and licked the sides of his face clean. Alcorad picked up on of the decapitated legs and slung it over its shoulder at the knee so that the thigh would lean limply over him. He stepped idly from the foyer and pulled his hood over his face. "I don't think you'll ever realize your dreams." he whispered sinisterly and stepped out into the night air as quietly as he had come.
As Alcorad stepped back into the quiet ally, he thrusted the limb to his Fell Beast who snatched it hungrily and cleaned the flesh from the bone with teeth and tongue before dropping the remnants to the ground snorting loudly in contentment. Alcorad narrowed his eyes and smiled darkly, mounting the beast once more and taking to the skies back towards Mordor where he would meet with Jadyis. "Enjoy yourself, Anwyn." he called back airily and dissapeared into the veil of frumes that he had wrought from Ordoruin.