Of an Evening

[Núrutyáve]

In a tavern near the borders of Arvernien, life passed much as it had these past days. Livestock called from the barnyard, and patrons clamored for ale. This evening a loud din could be heard from the common room, for a local singer voiced her talents and displayed her ... attractiveness to the largely male audience. Cheers and cat-calls resounded.

But in the corner of the room, where the clouds of smoke filtered with the breeze, away from windows and lanterns, at peace with the gloom, Núrutyáve sat, his feet upon the table, and in his mouth a long, thin roll of paper, in which was bound up a substantial amount of good pipeweed. When he smiled as the revelers made buffoons of themselves, his teeth flashed as so many pearls in the shadow. Perhaps passers-by considered halting as they walked past him, but they swiftly reconsidered as the fellow's startling yellow eyes caught them, and their own caught site of two wicked daggers upon each hip.

The evening was passing rather peacefully.

[Chi'Gandir]

The door slowly opened, and all heads within the tavern turned as Chi'Gandir entered. His blue eyes stared ahead, not glancing at any of the residents staring at him, even if they could. He walked straight forward to the bartender, laying a ghastly, clawlike hand on the bar itself, "A pint of ale." The tone in his voice assured that he wouldn't be paying for it.

He turned then, walking in the direction of Núrutyáve, and sat relatively near him, yet not intruding upon his table. He surveyed his surroundings mentally, for all the loud noise gave him a clear map of what was around him, even to the daggers upon the other Elf's hip. One clawed hang tapped impatiently upon the table as he sat in wait, listening to the music.

[Núrutyáve]

Núrutyáve's ears perked at the creak of the door as it was swung open, but his eyes showed a blank glance as he observed this newcomer's movements, without moving his head. This fellow was odd indeed. From the looks of him, he had but little sight if any, and yet moved with a fluidity and a grace that belied his blindness.

But how attuned were his senses, he mused? He stretched out the end of his paper pipe, as such things were called in those days, and flicked the end of it ever so softly, but to an extent that a large bit of ash flew straight at this odd fellow's face.

[Chi'Gandir]

As if anticipating it, Chi'Gandir's hand shot into the air to grasp the ash in a closed fist. He dropped it upon the table before him, calmly speaking to the elf who had flicked it. "I do not enjoy having ash flicked at me." A quick pause as he accepted his pint from the barkeeper, drinking softly. "What brings you to these parts?"

[Núrutyáve]

Núrutyáve smiled and inclined his head, impressed, though he did not show it; even if he had the fellow would not have known it. Here perhaps was one worthy of at least holding a conversation with, if not the other deeper designs he had planned.

"I am merely a traveler, good sir. A sojourner without purpose, walking across the miles of the western world with dark thoughts abounding in my mind. One in possesion of the design, but lacking ... the means, shall we say. And you?"

[Chi'Gandir]

"What means might you be lacking," He laughed softly, "You seem good enough to carry out anything that you're required, or, most of what you're required." A smirk danced about on his face as he spoke, "I'm here to scout my dinner." He pointed with one clawed finger towards the group of men being entertained by the female singer. "One of them won't return home tonight, if they even have any. I'm not entirely sure who yet. Possibly the large one, he could last me awhile." He took another drink, becoming silent for a minute.

"What are these designs you speak of? Perhaps I could be of service," He let loose a foul grin, showing teeth that had been carved forcefully into sharp, fanglike jaws.

[Núrutyáve]

Núrutyáve leant back in his chair, taking a long, comforting pull from his pipeweed, and smiled. Indeed, this fellow would suit nicely. As one, much between them might be done.

"The large one, eh? One of fellows looking-on? Odd. I myself have a mind to visit that bonny little thing as she makes her way home." He licked his lips. "What means, say you? A fair question. It is said that 'neath Himring in the north lies a lode of crystals, crystals of unmeasureable power. Tales of them abound, but it would seem that early in his time in the eastern world Morgoth placed a measure of his power there, to be unleashed when he deemed fit. Just what the nature of these crystals are is not for certain, but it is my belief that they could easily be fashioned into trinkets - or set into blades, and grant the bearer of them immortality by ownership, and the power to move mountains, should it be wished. It is my design to obtain them, and to any who would aid me we would share them equally. It will be difficult, for the place is deep in the March of Maedhros and nigh unto Maglor's Gap, so we should certainly see much possibility for slaughter, enough perhaps to satisfy even thy appetite. It will be a grand quest, and at the end of it would be rewards greater than all imagination. Would you care to venture after them with me? Two such as us would be nigh unstoppable."

As Núrutyáve completed his tale, the singing was finished, and the crowd began to break up, each walking toward his own home. As luck or chance would have it, the large fellow and the girl left together, she casting lustful glances at him, and he returning in kind. Núrutyáve smiled and motioned at Chi'Gandir.

"Come; a trial of our skills shall we have. I shall depart by the rear door, and you ... well, you decide your own course. Keep to your target. I shall keep to mine, and we shall see if we are impressed by each other."

The drow stood and threw his long white hair behind him, but left half over his face so that his left eye was covered. He wrapped himself in a cloak, loosened his blades in their sheaths, and slipped out of the inn as quietly as a mist. The two were walking arm in arm down a path toward the main city, doubtless to the home of the large man. Shard of the Defiler and Perdition's Blade came out of their sheaths silently, and Núrutyáve licked the blades with soft whispers of delight.

[Chi'Gandir]

Chi'Gandir smirked silently as he stood, more or less watching Núrutyáve exit. In silence he made his own way, up to the second floor of the inn. To an empty room he took, and then out through the window. As he stood on the ledge, he listened to the wind so as to find a tree. He jumped through the air, grasping onto a firm branch with his clawed hands, which dug deep into the bark.

He hoisted himself onto the branch, jumping from tree to tree silently and effortlessly to follow the two below. When at last he saw the time fit, he drew Blade of the Basilisk and Deathstalker. He jumped down from his hiding spot, landing before the two nimbly. He rose, letting his blind eyes meet the man's.

"Good evening."

[Núrutyáve]

Just as Chi'Gandir leapt from on high, Núrutyáve appeared as from thin air, but in reality gliding effortlessly and completely unseen from behind a clump of nearby bushes. He had sheathed Perdition's Blade, and with the Shard in his right hand he swiftly came up behind the delicious-looking woman, and in a heartbeat his blade was at her throat. He nodded at Chi'Gandir with a grunt, that his comrade might see his approval and that he was impressed. Then he turned to the girl.

"Why, hello, my love," he crooned into her ear, his tongue snaking from his mouth and running from her earlobe down her neck. His right hand kept the blade cold against her, while his left kept her from moving, and roved over her curving body, making her squirm, though she did not speak, so terrified was she. "As for my part, I am impressed," said he to Chi'Gandir. "Excellent work, and after these are dealt with, then I think we should be a fine pair. I bid you farewell for -" he glanced at the girl "- oh, an hour or so. Yes, that shall do nicely, shall it not, my pet? Shall we meet in the inn again in an hour? I leave you to your ... meal." He flashed a smile that was not lost on Chi'Gandir, who heard the simple glee in the drow's voice.

Núrutyáve turned the girl about, and led her toward a small wood not far away. She still made no sound, and he still smiled. "Now," he began, when they had reached the cover of the trees and he had found a glade with soft grass, "In one hour you will die. No!" he declared as she nearly screamed. "If you remain quiet for all that time, then I swear to you that your end shall be painless, but if I hear any noise from you other that those common for a woman doing what we are about to do, then you will die in horrible pain." She nodded, still terrified, but seeing no other course, and she let him lay her down. Her body cringed and writhed, filled with fright and with horror. The air was cold, and Núrutyáve was not gentle, being gone from living beings for so long, but she did not make noise. Núrutyáve always kept his word, for when the drow was satisfied, her end was painless.

[Chi'Gandir]

Chi'Gandir nodded, "Myself as well. We shall be quite the pair," He smirked, walking forward towards the man as he stared in disbelief, watching who was supposed to have been his bedmate be carried off to her doom. Seconds later, all he saw was the hilt of Deathstalker slam into his head before everything passed from his knowledge.

He woke ten minutes later, with a searing pain in his feet and hands. Upon inspection, he found Blade of the Basilisk stabbing into the ground, through his overlapped feet, while Deathstalker was pinning his overlapped hands to a tree. He was without a shirt, and all the while not bleeding the wounds were so tight around the blades. He found Chi'Gandir standing before him, baring fanglike teeth.

As the man quivered, he watched the demonic figure before him lower his own head, reaching for the stomach. Chi'Gandir dug his teeth into flesh, silently laughing as the man shrieked. He took his time, making sure to keep him alive but to make him bleed. He avoided any major organs as he took bites all over the mans body, so that when he was finished pools upon pools of blood lined the tree and the ground, and some places had been chewed so vigorously that bone could be seen. Chi finished his job, licking up some of the stray blood that stained the man's chest.

"Well, you will most definately die of blood loss soon. I could bring your body back to my cave for food...but, no...Human isn't as good fresh." He smirked, and in an instant he withdrew both of his swords, and drove his mouth forward to clamp onto the mans neck. He ripped it open, and in a shower of blood the man died, intense pain being the last thing he knew.

He had not been as lucky as the woman.

[Núrutyáve]

Núrutyáve awaited Chi'Gandir's arrival back in the inn, his clothes somewhat rumpled, but a smug smile upon his face. He took out Perdition's Blade and cut himself a strip of paper from his belt pouch, filling it swiftly with much pipeweed, and lit it, settling back comfortably to enjoy his after ... to enjoy his smoke. As Chi'Gandir walked into the bar, Núrutyáve mused that "though little enough of the humans in these parts have hearing as sharp as mine or thine, I well heard several shrieks coming from outside the inn. They did not sound as though the shrieker was pleased. I, on the other hand, am. Such an even have I not had since the week I spent in Ossiriand. How was your evening?" He called for two drams of dragon-whiskey, the strongest drink in these parts of Beleriand, though he had had better. He set one before Chi'Gandir, and lifted his own. "Let us drink to the success of murderers. Let us lift a toast to the wise ones who flit among the living and are yet dead, to they who we shall one day call slaves."

[Chi'Gandir]

"My evening was good," Chi'Gandir replied, licking a stray bit of blood from his lips. "He tasted well enough, although blood that doesn't have alcohol in it tastes better. Nothing against alcohol, but it makes a horrid combination when mixed with blood. If only he had been sober," He muttered to himself, shaking his head. He lifted his dram, smirking, "To our slaves."

He took a long drink before setting it down and falling into thought for a moment. "So, then...tell me more of these crystals." From the tone in his voice, he was already interested in the plan but was wishing for all the information he could get beforehand.

[Núrutyáve]

"To follow that which tales tell me, it would seem that deep within some hidden chamber of Himring lies a deposit of stone which upon the surface appears as any other stone. But when light is shined upon this stone, it glows brightly with a red sheen, unwilling to be seen by the light. Though to enter this chamber, it is rumoured that some sort of incantation is required, the record of which is kept in Tol-in-Gaurhoth in the keeping of forest-haunting Thu. We must first abscond with this record, and then make our way through Maglor and Maedhros' forces to enter the chamber."

[Chi'Gandir]

"For us, sounds like a nice walk. With our skills, we'll take them down effortlessly," He laughed softly, "I'm in. You will have to lead the way, obviously, with mine being blind, and not exactly knowing the geography of Arda all too well." Then something hit him, "Come to think of something...I don't entirely know what to call you. What would be your name? For the record, you're talking to Chi'Gandir."

[Núrutyáve]

"I am honored, Chi'Gandir. I am called Núrutyáve, and we shall make those two names feared by the eastern world. I can lead the way quite easily, having oft roamed far afield in my day. We shall first make our way to the Werewolves' Isle, and destroy the might of its garrison. And, but of course, we must needs pass through many a township on the way, and there shall be enough prey there to keep us both ... satisfied." He smiled and drained his glass with hardly a blink. Soon they would have means to find drink much more fit for a fighting man. He took a pull from his pipeweed and offered it to Chi'Gandir. "Shall we stay the remainder of the night here, then? And begin when the dawn is fresh?"