Fellowship of the Dice

Accompanying Legolas and Finn is Varuthil, a grim-looking, unsmiling woman of the Sylvan Elves. Her most striking feature is her white blonde hair. Her clothes are simple and practical, a green dress with the skirts divided for riding and hiking. At the moment, she is wielding an elven bow, from which she looses two arrows in quick succession. You can see a sword hanging from her waist as well.

Varuthil emerges from the woods at the side of Legolas and Finn. She lets fly with her bow sending an arrow into the leg of one of the goblins. It howls and leaps from the wagon.

In fact all of the enemies now look to flee. Wounded and outnumbered the orcs and goblins turn tail and flee north for the forest. A few parting shots from your archers drop another of the creatures but several of them still manage to escape into the eves of Mirkwood.

As the battle comes to a close there stands the two groups. The lead sylvan elf, Legolas Greenleaf, turns and looks over the collection of Dwarf, Hobbit and Man, with a curious look on his face. "Well, it seems we have encountered some Free-folk not affraid of of the Yrch." He scans the caravan site and there are dead men scattered about among the dead orcs, and the whole thing is a wreck and a mess. "Seems we came too late to save these men." He looks back at Finn and Varuthil for a moment.

Borir turns to the elves and human and throws his arms up in the air. However, it's not a welcoming or praise he seeks to give the trio.

"What'r you doing that fer? I had'em all under control with ma'axe. Now, they've ran away to cause more harm down the river. Darned elves." The dwarf states flatly as he turns to look in the direction the orcs and archers fled.

Wiping the blood off his axe and onto his pants legs, he eventually turns back around to notice that Finn was also part of the group.

Varuthil says coldly Borir, "So next time you would prefer that I stand by and let you be slaughtered? Well, I have no intention of honoring such a request, now or in the future." She turns to Aerth and Pipkin and says more warmly (or at least less coldly), "Well, I hope you two are at least pleased to see us again." She then turns to Legolas and says, "Your Grace, this is a stroke of luck--these are the companions we told you about. Now we need not seek them out. Please forgive the dwarf his rudeness--he is a good companion and a fine warrior behind all the bluster."

Legolas watches the orcs flee north into the woods, and looks over at Borir with a scowl. "You did not tell me Varuthil one of our companions was a foul mouthed dwarf. I believe we will need more than just a little help. His axe no doubt would be only a miner aid." Legolas looks to Pipkin and Aerth and nods politely to them both. "I am Legolas son of King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm, a pleasure to meet such friends of Varuthil and Finn."

Finn cleans his sword and sheathes it. Smiling he goes to shake hands with their three friends, perhaps embracing one or two of them as seems natural, and is certainly more to his style. "Are you all well? I trust your summer was full of fruitful labor and many a fine meal at the Inn?" He looks over to the woodman, who he does not recognize. "But who is this?" He looks more properly toward the stranger. "I am Finnulf Wyngard, of Esgaroth. These are my friends who, I assume you have the pleasure to know."

Varuthil says to Legolas, "This is Aerth of the Woodmen, this is Pipkin Brandybuck, a halfling from the distant land of the Shire, and the rude dwarf is Borir, son of Norir. I am sure he was speaking in jest at the sight of long unseen friends and did not realize what august company he was in--and now that he knows, he will apologize." Varuthil glares at Borir. She then turns her attention to the stranger, saying, "I am Varuthil of the Elves of Mirkwood."

The Wood-goer catches his breath, half tempted to pursue the goblins into Mirkwood. As if noticing it for the first time he hears the companions greeting each other; the sweet voices of elven folk, the coarse banter of the dwarf. When he is addressed it as if he is in a dream, the battle frenzy slowly slipping off him like water.

He responds only after a moments awkward pause, putting a hand to his chest and bowing a little. 'I am Rathar called Wood-goer. Thank you, Finnulf of the Lake and Varuthil of the wood. You are all well-versed in battle I see.'

Borir looks the new male elf and then says, "King Thranduil! If ye came to throw me in yer'dungeon you did wit me'brothers, then you should've brought more elves, elf-prince."

The disgruntled dwarf throws up his hand and turns his attention away from Legolas. Looking to Finn and Varuthil, Borir asks "What happened to the other elf?"

Legolas laughs at Borir's statements, "I have fare more important matters to deal with than you dwarf. Unless you have committed some crime against me I have no desire to throw you in jail, nor speak further with you if I don't need to." He looks to Varuthil, "He is a dwarf, do not make excuses for him, I already know all about his kith and kind. We must turn to our task at hand."

Then three more arrive...