Rohliriel stumbled on a rock, cursing her feet. This had to be the third time today. And it was only noon. If she stopped running, it wouldn't keep happening. But she had to run- she had to get home. It wasn't as if she were running up and down the mountains- that would just be stupid- but she was running right at their bases, sometimes up the sides a little. One thought sustained her: I have to get home.

Her stomach rumbled loudly and a pain shot through her torso; she realized she hadn't eaten since... yesterday at breakfast. She usually skipped lunch while she worked, and she couldn't remember if she'd eaten dinner last night in Rivendell. She found a small stream and sat down next to it, digging into her small, currently rationed lunch.

Desmoda looked out at the human sitting near the stream from behind the large hunk of rock. The faery had no idea where she was and was desperately lost. Desmoda was strange looking but pretty with her long, goldish-red hair that hung in waves with large, vivid violet eyes and her gracefull looking golden wings. She stepped out from behind the rock and took a step forward toward the girl. Her footing slipped a a small rock came loose, audibly rolling down with a rattling noise. Desmoda didn't know whether to bolt or stay. However, if this girl turned out to be a threat there was always the sword which hung at her waist. "My name is Desmoda Lalette. I'm terribly lost."She said to the other in an effort to give the impression of friendliness.

(((i don't know if you've encountered this before, but technically you aren't allowed to play another person's character: by this, i mean that you can't say they are doing this or that. you can describe how they look if you know what they look like, or you can tell what they did if it's already been posted by the other person, especially if it has something to do with your character's thoughts. this is really not a huge thing, but if you could please edit your post and take out the part where you said Rohliriel startled and raised her head, it'll be fine... PM me if you're confused or anything. also, i wouldn't worry about it, but i'm an admin (on another account) and i've had to tell other people this too.)))

Rohliriel looked up from her food when she heard the newcomer's voice. She swallowed hard on the piece of bread she had been chewing when she saw the other person. She didn't even know what race she was; the wings threw her off. Otherwise, she would have thought her an Elf by her fairness. But Elves didn't have wings... at least as far as she knew.

"Well, you're on the western side of the Misty Mountains, and this is probably about 35 or 40 miles south of Rivendell," she replied, hoping her guess of mileage wasn't off by too much.

She stood up to greet the person and added, "Where are you headed? I don't know these lands too well, but I can give you directions to anywhere south of Isengard." Well, maybe that was a bit farfetched. "Anywhere in Rohan or western Gondor, anyway. And to Rivendell."

She desperately wanted to ask, what are you? but thought it would be pretty rude, so refrained from asking that question. At least in that way. Instead she asked, "Who are you?" and hoped it wouldn't be offensive.

She suddenly realized what going home was going to mean to her: she'd just spoken more to this stranger than she usually said in a week. Yes, yesterday she'd has the whole fiasco with Elindomiel and the gryphon Koro, but that was a rare case. Going home was opening her up, making her more friendly. And she was glad about it.

(((sorry, didn't know. I've only RPed with Desdemona so far and we're kinda loose about that. However, if you don't like it then I won't do it anymore.)))

For a moment Desmoda didn't know what the girl meant. She took a wild guess that she meant what race she was and replied,"I'm a faery, come from Mirkwood. I really have no specific destination, though the mountains aren't exactly the best of places. In generall, I'm just searching for another forest or wood with an acceptable faery village in which I can live. Mirkwood was a lovely home, really, but...well...there was a bit of a major problem there that forced me to leave. "
Desmoda decided to leave out the part about the near-forced marriage to a wealthy faery that had made her flee. She thought it best to tell more of her past once she had gotten to know this girl a little better. "If you're headed to a place with a forest or wood, or somewhere that's near a wooded area then it would be easier if I came along with you. I mean, I don't want to distract you from what you're doing. I can't exactly explain, but I have this feeling that you're doing something important and I wouldn't want to intrude." Then she added,"And by the way, who are you?"

(((Btw, this is Lapis Rain on another account, too.)))

(((thanks. it's not a huge deal, but, you know...)))

Rohliriel almost laughed. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," she said. "I'm Rohliriel. I'm not really doing anything that couldn't be done at another time- just travelling to my old home in Rohan. I don't think anyone's left there, but there's a matter of some unfinished business I need to see to." She kept her tongue guarded as she spoke this time, not wishing to give out all information about herself.

Loosening up, she added, "There aren't any forests of substansial size in Rohan, really. There's Fangorn Forest up on the northern border, but it's not a good place." She walked closer and lowered her voice. "Some say the trees there can move, but no one I've ever heard of has had the courage to go there." Straightening up, she said again more lightly, "There's forest in Rivendell, and Lothlorien is northeast of Rohan. Though neither place has any faeires, to my knowledge. Just Elves. Oh, and of course there's forest in and on the White Mountians, in the south of Rohan." She hoped it wasn't an information overload- it had taken a lot just to remember all that.

"You can travel with me if you want to," she said cheerfully. "I don't know what purpose going to Rohan will serve you if you're looking for forest, unless you decide you'd like to go to Lothlorien but don't want to cross the mountains." She gestured vaguely at the huge stone formations behind them.

(((Yeah, I understand. :) )))

Desmoda's gaze followed Rholiriel's gesture to the looming mountains. In truth, Desmoda was quite ready for some company and thought she'd take her chances with this girl. Besides, the mention of a forest with moving and talking trees had peaked her interest greatly. Her being a faery she was able to communicate with tree spirits and thought it would be quite interesting indeed.

"I think I'll travel with you to Rohan. A forest with talking and moving trees sounds fascinating, and besides, it gets lonely traveling alone as I have been."the faery replied then added,"And anyway, if Fangorn Forest, as you call it, doesn't work out then I can try the forest in the south of Rohan."

Desmoda hoped she wasn't sounding as though she was in dire need of company. In fact, Desmoda was exceptionally independent. This independence had contributed to her leaving her home in Mirkwood. Suddenly her stomach gave a growl and she realized how hungry she truly was. She hadn't anything to eat all day. Afterall, what food can you find growing on mountains?

The faery took another step forward and her long, flowy lavender dress snagged on a dryed up piece of sparse brush poking out from a rock near hear. She sighed irritably and bent down to unsnag her dress. Her dress was forever getting caught on things and it annoyed her terribly.

After successfully unsnagging her dress from the sparse brush Desmoda straightened up and looked at Rohliriel, waiting for the girl's reply.

Rohliriel heard the other girl's stomach growl and almost smacked herself. "Do you want any food?" she asked quickly, realizing she had forgotten some of her manners. She added, "I don't have much choice, but..."

To clarify something earlier said, she started, "You can travel with me as you will, but I think I misspoke when I mentioned the forests of the White Mountains. They aren't really on flat ground, they're just on the sides of the actual mountains, and Fangorn isn't really... safe, I don't think. You can see for yourself if you ever get there: it is an ancient place, and some of the trees are said to attack and hurt intruders." She smiled though, and said, "I'm not trying to discourage you, though, just telling you what you can expect at the end of the journey. How 'bout some lunch, then?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Desmoda replied gratefully, thanful for some food after nearly a day and a half without any. She took into consideration what Rholiriel had said about the forests but she figured she find out for herself and make her decision when she got there. That was just the kind of person Desmoda was.

Rohliriel sat back down next to her pack and gestured for the other girl to join her. Rummaging a little bit, she pulled out some bread, dried meat and the few fresh vegetables and fruits she'd managed to find around her house in her rushed departure. "Take your pick," she said, setting the food on a cloth on the ground. She had already eaten a bit herself, but thinking about the length of the journey to Rohan decided to just take a strip of the meat and chew on it for a while... just chewing on something often made her feel like she wasn't hungry at all.

Desmoda took the invitation and sat beside Rohliriel as she rummaged the the sack of food. When the other girl said, "Take your pick.", Desmoda gratefully accepted, glad for some food. There wasn't much in the ways of food on this sparse mountain range. The faery dug aroung a bit and chose an apple, ans apricot, and a fuzzy green fruit she didn't immediately recognise. As she ate she gazed out int the beautiful azure blue sky, speckled with a fluffy white cloud here and there. As Desmoda took a bite into the odd fuzzy green fruit suddenly she realized what it was- kiwi. She hadn't had a kiwi in a very long time.

A quiet had come over the two girls so, in an attempt to make some conversation, she broke the silence by asking,"Do you have any family in Rohan?" It only after she had asked the question that Desmoda realized that this may be a personal question. However, the question had already been asked and it was toolate to take the words back.

Rohliriel pursed her lips. She didn't want to answer this question. But there was no good way around it.

"I don't really know, anymore," she replied shortly. "I think they were... mostly... okay when I left, but I've been gone for five years now, I think." She hoped she wouldn't have to elaborate. She'd never told anyone about what had happened there. And she didn't want to think about it.

Desmoda sensed that Rohliriel didn't want to talk about it so she didn't press for details. She was right, though. It had been a personal question. So much for trying to start a conversation. The faery sighed and flicked her wing idly. She searched her mind to find something to talk about but she couldn't seem to find anything, so she waited to see if Rohliriel had anything to say.

Rohliriel sat in silence for a few minutes. She had finished her lunch and was ready to be on the move again. She wanted to get up and go, go as fast and as well as she could.

"Are you finished?" she asked Desmoda, standing up and brushing off her clothes.

Desmoda followed Rohliriel's example and stood up as well. She,too,was ready to be on the move again. "I most certainly am." the faery replied. Her wings had absored the warmth of the sun and the warmth passed through to her body, making her feel lazy and drowsy.

The faery waited as Rohliriel brushed off crumbs from the front of her dress. When the girl straightened again Desmoda waited for Rohliriel to take the lead, for she didn't know her right fromher left in this place.

"Well, we just want to keep heading south close to the mountains, now," Rohliriel said. She said it outloud for Desmoda's knowledge and to check with herself. As long as they followed the mountains, they would get there.

Rohliriel stepped lightly, excited to be on the trail again. Every minute was a minute closer to Rohan, her home. A grin grew across her face; she couldn't hold it in. Nothing could dampen her spirits now. Not even the far off rain clouds would be able to do it.

Desmoda simply nodded and followed behind Rohliriel, who seemed to be in high spirits now. They traveled over the rocky, jagged terrain as the air around them began to grow thick with humidity. Soon, wisps of Desmoda's fiery gold-red hair were clinging to her damp forehead, curling from the humidity. The faery had no doubt that there was going to a storm, and a big one at that. A small rainfall would never create this much humidity.

Desmoda glanced to the east and what she saw confirmed her suspicions. Off in the distance hung heavy black clouds that drew closer with every passing minute. A glance at Rohliriel told her that she had noticed them too, though Rohliriel continued right on the path she was leading Desmoda in, her spirits undampened.

Raindrops began falling from the sky, and Rohliriel looked up into them for a moment. They were large, thick drops, and she knew that they would morph into a storm; it was only a matter of time. But she couldn't stop for just a little rain. If it got too windy or the rocks too slippery and Desmoda wanted to rest until it subsided, that would be fine. But not yet. Not now. She had to keep going.

The drops came down heavier and faster with each passing minute, darkening Rohliriel's red hair. The ground was turning to mud, the grass pressed down by their feet not springing back up.

The sky darkened, and lightning was visible far-off, as was the sound of the thunder following the light. A wind picked up, howling through the rain-slick trees.

Rohliriel was finding it hard to keep warm in the pounding rain and whistling wind.

"Do - you - want - to - stop - now?" she shouted to Desmoda over a clap of thunder. She saw what looked like a cave in the rockface just over twenty yards ahead-- they would likely be dry in there, as long as nothing lived in the cave. Rohliriel had never really had experience with caves, but she'd heard stories of monsters living in some of the really remote and unknown ones. But it was worth any risk to get out of the pelting rain.

Desmoda could just barely make out the shape of Rohliriel through the sheet, no, curtain, of rain. Thunder rumbled overhead in response to a flash of lightening. The Faery wasn't sure if she had heard the other girl right, after all it was hard to hear over the crashes of thunder and pelting of rain of the cliff face.

She would like to stop, though. Her red-gold hair was darkened to a deep red by the rain, wet strands slapping her face mercilessly. She had already foldered her wings against her back but the howling wind continued to batter them anyway. Her lavender dress was now a dark violet and clung wetly to her body, the skirt flapping against her near-numb legs. And to top it all off, she was freezing and on a cliff, which was NOT her ideal place to be.

But then again, she could tell Rohliriel wanted to try to move on. The faery couldn't quite place it, but she always felt this sort of urgency about the girl the few times they had talked about her home.

The storm made her decision for her.

Suddenly a blinding, jagged white bolt of lightining arced down from the roiling black sky and struck a small brush-like plant not even 5 feet away. Desmoda was temporarily blinded by the fierce brightness of it. When her vision cleared, she saw a burnt, blackened shrub, the last few flames sputting in the onslaught of rain. Then, as the faery had predicted, the most tremendous crash of thunder sounded above them, lasting for seconds long, make the cliff hum with vibration.

"I-think-it-would-be-best-to-stop!" Desmoda yelled through the raging tempest.She hoped Rphliriel could hear her.

Rohliriel nodded, greatly exaggerated the gesture to make sure it would be interpreted correctly. She pointed to the cave she had seen and shouted, "Follow - me!!"

She began running towards the cave... only fifty more feet... forty... thirty... she could see it clearly now, and it definitely would provide shelter, and she thought a fire might be possible as well. What great luck.

"Come - on!!" she called behind her. "Shelter!" This shout was following by the loudest thunderclap yet, and the very stone beneath her feet shook. She lost her balance and fell, but pushed herself up again almost before she hit the ground. All that mattered now was getting to the cave.