Upon my return to Esteldin, I was asked by Arohir to search to the northeast, near the mountain passes, for an encampment of rogue hillmen who had sided with the dark forces. I made my way across the Downs as night approached and waited until no light, save that from the moon and stars, would shine upon me to begin my skulking.
They had made their encampment within the borders of an old ruin upon a large hill. Luckily, there were enough remnants of walls and ramparts scattered about that I was able to penetrate deep inside the enemy camp without being seen.
Eventually, I saw a large tent a little bit down the hill from the main force. It appeared to be quite lavish by the uncouth standards of these men and was heavily patrolled. No doubt their chieftain's tent, I surmised.
I realized that I could deal the tribe a heavy blow if I could somehow strike down their chieftain, but the risk would be very great. In fact, it would probably be the most perilous act I had yet taken in my small fight against the darkness. I thought of all those who had selflessly risked so much more, sacrificed so much more than I have, and decided now is the time to make my mark, albeit a very small one, in the war we fight against oppression. I just hoped that mark would not be a pool of blood! :P
Surprising even myself, I was able to skulk to the entrance of the tent without being seen. Peering around each corner, I saw that it was empty. The chieftain must be returning soon for his rest, I thought. Why not hide out and wait for him to return and go to sleep, then strike him down quick and easy?
I will tell you why not! Because I did not consider that he would return with three of his most trusted bodyguards! I ran harder and faster than I ever have in my life and somehow managed to lose them in a small wood nearby. That was a close one though, and I have learned my lesson. From now on, I will leave the heroics for the true heroes :)
With Light,
Kaleigh
I returned alone to Esteldin and reported our success in rallying the elves to the council. Halbarad then sent me to Trestlebridge to gather men to the council as well. He warned me that this ally may be the hardest to win, even though they had the most to gain from such an alliance.
Unfortunately, once I had arrived, I found that he was right. The mayor of Trestlebridge had recently been slain during an orc attack and his daughter, Nellie Boskins, had taken charge of the town. I explained to her what Halbarad had foreseen would take place in the North Downs and that all free peoples must rally together to save ourselves from a dark future.
Poor Nellie! I understood her argument. She had more immediate concerns with all the current attacks she faced and did not feel she could spare any aid for others what with all that she already had to deal with. No argument I made would persuade her, so I returned to Esteldin with ill tidings.
Halbarad met me as I entered the haven, saying he had just received word that a large orcish force marched toward Trestlebridge that very night! We scurried around the camp, quickly seeking those who would march with us to the village's defense!
We arrived just in time! Nellie thought it was just another trick until her own watchmen reported the mass of orcs that closed in upon the bridge. We held fast as wave after wave of orcs crashed upon us, nearly sweeping us away in a foul, black tide.
At long last, the remaining orcs fled, and we all cheered our victory! Nellie felt was so embarrassed at not having seen the grave threat that had nearly toppled her village, but Halbarad was most gracious about it. Nellie quickly agreed to take part in the council. I turned to give thanks to my allies who made our victory possible, but they had all disappeared without a word! I suppose there are so many ills that befall the free peoples that aid is always required of them :P
Nellie said I looked absolutely famished and demanded I celebrate our victory by breaking bread with her. She was so kind to offer, and I was rather hungry, so I readily agreed. She pulled out all the stops, and everything was wonderful. I did not lay down my fork until I was ready to burst! She graciously allowed me to take some rest in her house, and it was past midday before I finally bid her farewell and went out into the sun again!
As I stepped out into the light, I remembered seeing Aggy during the battle, valiantly fighting off orcs, but did not recall seeing her afterward. Quickly, I ran to the bridge to find her at her post. After just a little bit of respite from the battle of the night before, she was hard at work, keeping watch should any other orc skulkers try their luck against the village. I felt ashamed after my great feast and night of sleep to see her there. It looked as though exhaustion might claim her at any second.
I did not let her see me, but ran back into town and bought the finest breads, meats, cheeses and wine I could find and afford and brought it all to her. When she saw what I had brought her, she thanked me for all I had done for her and the village. We both started to cry, smudging dust and dirt all over our faces, as we wiped our tears away. I kept watch with her until nightfall, when I knew I had to depart. I embraced her with all of my might and thanked her for being a true friend and for giving me someone to look to when I needed hope and inspiration.
With Light,
Kaleigh
Knowing that I was stretched rather thin, Hannar let me have my rest. After I had helped out with a few other things around Othrikar, Hannar told me that the dwarves would answer the call of the council. When I reported this to Halbarad, he sent me back to Lin Giliath to try to rally the elves. Their leader, Gildor Inglorion, asked me to gather allies to strike at the heart of a great orc camp in Nan Wathren to the southwest and defeat their warlord.
We set off on the long journey around the mountains, as we could find no passable trail from the north. It slowly dawned on us that we would have to fight through the entire camp! We braced ourselves for battle and began our conquest, taking outpost after outpost. I climbed one of the orcs' foul siege weapons to scout for a safe path, but there were far too many foes for subterfuge to work this night.
After fighting off wave after wave of orcs and passing many garish totems ( :P ), we finally found the warlord. It was a perilous battle, but in the end, we were victorious! After the battle we noticed a very strange totem that seemed rather... alive. When I looked upon it, I felt as though a cold hand had passed over me, and I was sorely afraid. What devilry is at work here I cannot say, but we will be sure to report all of these tidings to Gildor.
We returned to Lin Giliath to report our success, and my band of allies disbanded all too quickly. I do love to skulk about, but I must say, fighting alongside others drawn to the same cause is so rewarding. I wish that I were able to find more opportunities to do so.
With Light,
Kaleigh
With the advice of Alerik and his companion (I did not get her name, unfortunately), I was able to find and run off the Dourhand scouts. While looking through their possessions, I found some maps and papers, which I brought back to Hannar. He was quite pleased with my find but said that the papers held grim news. The Dourhand were planning something, but we weren't able to determine exactly what that something was.
Hannar's next task would be a most difficult one. I was to infiltrate one of the Dourhand camps and steal their battle plans! What's more, this needed to be done with the utmost urgency. That meant sneaking in during the day! I do my best skulking at night, but I owed it to the Longbeards, so I vowed to succeed.
I did not get much sleep the night before, but it was time to put my best foot forward, so I formed a plan :) I started by climbing the hills high above the surveillance camps located outside the ruin where their base camp was located. I skulked down into these camps and cut down their scouts so it would be easier to reach the base camp without being seen.
From there, I used every nook and cranny I could find inside the camp to either hide until someone passed by, or to quickly off someone and hide their body. Gruesome work, but it had to be done, you know? I made it to what I assumed were their commanders' tents and snooped around but could not find the plans. I quickly peered around the corner of the tent to make sure the way was clear before skulking further inside the camp.
After taking down a few more guards, I finally found an ornate chest sitting atop a stone dais. It held a most valuable treasure: the battle plans! I quickly absconded with them and made it back to Hannar as night fell upon the land.
"Ye did it, Kaleigh! Attaway, lass!" cried Hannar. "Now, I have a special assign..."
"Hold that thought, Hannar! I must take care of something real quick. Be right back!" I said, as I ran off around the corner.
He waited a few minutes patiently, then began calling out, "Kaleigh! Lass, we have more to do tonight!"
I put my hand to my mouth to stifle a giggle. He will never find me up here, I thought. I just need a few minutes to... the night sky is so beautiful and easy on the eyes after... being awake sooo...
And sleep claimed me :)
Until next time, take care!
With Light,
Kaleigh
Kaleigh's journal:
After that darkest of nights, I woke to see that the storm had broken and the sun was high above the land. I tried to brush off the grime as best I could and decided to try one last time to find the scouts before returning to Hannar to report my failure.
I searched atop one of the lower foothills with a host of lovely wildflowers swaying in the breeze. Finding nothing there, I began to enter a small copse of trees when a man emerged from them, startling me. I greeted him and, almost as an afterthought, mentioned that I was searching for Dourhand scouts in the area. To my amazement, he reported that he had seen some of them skulking about further to the north of Othrikar in the higher foothills.
I was about to thank him for his help, when I heard a noise coming from the copse of trees. From them emerged a lovely elf maiden who bounded toward us. She ran up to the man, embracing him and began to kiss him rather passionately. The man returned the embrace and the kiss. Feeling rather awkward, I turned my head to give them what little privacy I could while putting my hand over my mouth to stifle an embarrassed giggle.
When I heard the man speaking to me again, I turned to them both and thanked them. I could not help but watch as they turned to walk toward Othrikar, hand in hand. I had not seen such displays of affection for quite some time, and the sight evoked both joy and sadness. While seeing such passion and love between them was so heartwarming, I was once again reminded of Beckham and the love I had lost, yet still clung to. At that moment, I realized how much I wanted to find someone who could bring me such joy, in both giving my love to him as well as in feeling his love for me.
I was brought back to the days of my childhood. My girlfriends and I used to sit by the pond and talk about all the boys of the village, discussing which ones we liked and why. I have to laugh now as I remember the silly, whimsical ideas we had regarding what love really was. Even recently, I've had some ask me, "What do you look for in a man?", as if that was all that mattered. So many of my friends say they want someone who makes them laugh, is kind, and is honest. I have to wonder if there ever has been, or ever will be, someone who would say, "I want a man who makes me cry, is cruel, and lies all the time!" :P
Because the thing is, when you take a man for your own, you don't just get the qualities you were looking for in him. You get all of him, each and every little thing. The things in him that you were not looking for may very well end up overshadowing the things that drew you to him in but a short while.
The greatest of all bards wrote:
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
I know many who believe that love should spark from the moment of meeting, and I admit to sometimes having been caught up in such feelings in the first few days of meeting someone new. Such passion may burn very brightly to start, but very few of these passions ever sustain themselves. More likely, they burn out quickly, only to be replaced by another like passion, and the cycle begins anew.
I am not saying that passion is not important in a relationship by any means! I have such desire for that kind of passion for someone that I can grow dizzy just in the thought of it! But what if such a passion grew out of a long and wonderful friendship? What if, after knowing someone for so long, you understood so much of them that a love for their whole being took root. You look to each other, the light of the campfire flickering upon your faces. And, finally, after all this time, you both realize what the other truly means to you. From such a foundation can grow a passion that truly can withstand the tempests, trials, temptations and times that will no doubt come along to challenge it. Hand in hand, you both come through them, together, with your love for one another growing ever stronger.
I guess that was just a long way of saying that, for me, love is something best realized rather than sought after. When someone has bewitched my mind, body and soul, and I have done the same to him, then I will know I have found my "twoo wov" :P
Time escaped me as I ruminated on these things, the beauty of the flowered hillside and fields beyond capturing me in a hopeless, romantic dream. My thoughts then went back to my despair of the night before. Just the thought that perhaps, someday, I might have someone who would be there with me, who I could reach out to hold during those darkest of nights, caused my spirit to take flight and my heart to soar.
I finally came to and headed off toward the northern hills in order to dispense some much needed justice upon the Dourhand scouts...
Kaleigh
Kaleigh's journal:
I set off to skulk about for the Dourhand scouts under cover of darkness. As soon as I left the encampment, a storm with far more fury than the one of a couple of days prior began to brew. Cold drops of rain stung me like needles that bore deep into my skin, as I climbed hill after hill. I searched for campfires, tracks, or anything that might provide insight as to where the scouts may be hidden.
The ground soon turned to mush, and I tumbled down the hillsides more than a few times as my footing gave way. The night seemed endless, with no ray of light from above or on the horizon to raise my spirits, save for what moonlight could escape the haze and clouds that threatened to smother the land. Whistling winds blustered around me, seeming to wait until I was off-balance, then swirling about with the hope of casting me down to the muddy ground.
As I toiled away in the muck, I eventually came to spot what appeared to be an old, abandoned watchtower or warning beacon atop one of the greater foothills. I realized I could not last out in the storm much longer. Though I knew I was taking a great risk of being seen climbing that high, I decided I had to take the chance.
I began the treacherous climb with great caution, as the rocky slope was slick with rain and mud. As I drew nearer, I saw a great pile of wood stacked in the center of a small enclosed space with what appeared to be a roof overhead. The thought of taking shelter from the bitter rain overcame me and, throwing all caution to the wind, I used what was left of my strength to quickly gain the top of the hill.
As I came to the crest of the hill, the sight of the wet wood pile and the tiny remnants of a roof that had given way to wet ivy took a few moments to sink in. When it finally had, I collapsed to my knees, my strength all but gone. Finally, I stood up and entered the structure, looking for signs of the Dourhand from the vantage point I had sacrificed so much to gain. I stood, shivering in the dark, and looked in every direction but still saw nothing.
Despair took hold of me. I sank to the cold ground, leaning back against the wet timber pile and began to cry. In that dark place, all of my past failures came back to me: how I had failed my parents, the village, the Longbeards. How, after all this time, after all that I had supposedly done for good and all the friends that I had made, did I find myself in this cold, dark, and forsaken place alone?
As I thought of how much I missed my family and Beckham and how I had failed them so terribly, not only that one night but in so many other ways, my anguish came bursting forth, and my body was wracked by involuntary, violent sobbing. I raised my eyes to look into the tempest that churned above me, and I wept so that my tears intermixed with the rain that fell upon my face until the two were indistinguishable.
Finally, I curled up on the icy stone floor of what was left of the beacon and cried myself into a restless, fitful sleep...
Kaleigh
As darkness set in, I headed toward the area where Hannar said the hawks seemed to be nesting and spying on the encampment. They had been trained quite well! You would think that they would take flight and soar high overhead to spy upon the dwarves. Instead, these skulked about like the Dourhand, themselves! They would find a patch of tall grass on a hillside and land behind it. Then they would take flight, but only to hover right above the top of the grass, so they could look down into the encampment for a few seconds. They would then land again so as to avoid being seen! It was a cunning tactic, but it seemed so unnatural for such majestic and noble creatures.
I could not fault the hawks, of course. They had been enslaved by the Dourhand and, though I regret having to rid the hillside of them, it had to be done for the greater good.
Soon after, I spied a large ruin where many Dourhand were milling about. I skulked into the southern part of the Dourhand encampment and was able to find Dori without being noticed! Silently, I opened the door to his prison cell and uncuffed him. The poor dwarf appeared to be quite ill. Sweat beaded upon his brow, and he had a pained, feverish expression, almost as if he was not sure where he was. I whispered for him to follow me and started to sneak toward the edge of camp. We had not gone far, when he stopped and began to look around excitedly. As I began to beckon him forward, he cried, "My gems! I must find my gems!"
He began to run about the camp searching for the gems, while in the process alerting every single Dourhand and agent of theirs to our presence! I tried to fight them off, but there were far too many, and I was forced to flee. I gasped as I heard them raining blows upon him as I fled, but I dared not stop or we both would be lost.
I went back to Othrikar to gather allies. This would need to be a frontal assault, and we could only hope that Dori had not given in but kept his secrets so that the Dourhand would be forced to keep him alive. We headed toward the camp, fought our way inside and found Dori in the same prison. I was about to yell at the poor dwarf, but when I looked closer, I could tell that he had been beaten senseless. Just look at the expression on the poor soul's face! We half-carried, half-dragged him out as we fought off the remainder of the guards and brought him back safely to Othrikar.
Two jobs down, one left to do. I was very tired, and with dawn approaching, decided to stay in camp for some much needed rest. After getting my rest, I visited with the dwarves while waiting for night to fall. I then headed out for what I hoped would be a simple affair...
With Light,
Kaleigh
I returned to Esteldin and met with Halbarad, the captain of the rangers there. He bid me to journey to the dwarven outpost of Othrikar, which lay in the foothills of the mountains to the northwest. I was to rally them to support the rangers' council should trouble arise.
As I left a cold, bitter rain began to fall. Normally, I love to be out in the rain. The gift of clean, pure water that washes old things away and gives us life and a sense of renewal is something I've always been thankful for, having grown up on our farm.
This rain came with a bitter chill, however, that seemed to pass right through my clothes and skin and went straight to the bone. I thought about turning back, but figured I could make it by nightfall and wait there for the storm to subside. Thankfully, the storm seemed to let up a bit as I approached the stronghold.
I met with a dwarf named Hannar who told me that, before he could pledge aid to the council, the safety of Othrikar first had to be secured. He explained that one of his agents, a dwarf named Dori, had been captured by the Dourhand and needed to be rescued. He also said that the Dourhand had been training hawks in the area to scout for them, as well as sending their own scouts into the foothills nearby to skulk about, looking for information.
It sounded like work right up my alley, and I readily agreed to aid them. Since it wasn't quite dark enough for skulking yet, and seeing as how the rain had let up, I decided to take a look around the encampment. Surely, climbing a few of the hills nearby would keep me from getting stiff in the cold night! :)
With Light,
Kaleigh
I finished my skulking for the elves and was ready to return to camp. On my way back, I was approached by a hobbit named Hellbrotherll and Urdrugar, a middle-aged man accompanied by a standard-bearer. Apparently, one of the elves of Lin Giliath had gone to seek vengeance upon the hill trolls nearby for a previous attack upon the elven camp. He had been neither seen nor heard from for quite a while, however, and it was their task to find him and escort him back to safety.
We made haste to the hills and found him there surrounded by the foul monsters! Thankfully, we were able to drive them off and accompany him back to Lin Giliath, where the elves received us with much gratitude and joy!
Night came quickly and, with it, the warm light of the elven lanterns and halls. The moonlight bathed us all in a soft glow. I decided to lie upon a rock near the shore of the small pond and gaze up into the dark splendor of the evening. A sweet elf-maiden walked by, and we chatted for quite some time. It was wonderful to spend time in their company, though I am sure my lack of refinement was a burden to them!
With Light,
Kaleigh
The ordeal with Ivar and the Red Lady was a trying one, and I decided to take my time on the journey back to Esteldin. I wanted to be sure I would be ready when the time came to renew my struggle against the dark forces once again. Upon visiting Amon Raith to see how Amarion and the others fared, I met an elf who had come there seeking the rangers' aid regarding a small elven outpost in Meluinen called Lin Giliath.
Amarion could not go, of course, so I said that I would. After our plans were made, Amarion told me he felt guilty that I was being burdened with what he felt was his responsibility. What a noble man, he is! I took his hand and squeezed it, saying that we were friends, and it worried me to see him stretched so thin. I promised to stop in Esteldin and explain his plight, hoping that the Rangers could find a way to send more aid. It was so good to see him smile again.
The Rangers promised they would do their best, so I made my way south to Lin Giliath. I have always been somewhat entranced by the elves and their ways. You can tell the parts of the land they have touched because of the beauty and grace that lingers there, even after they have gone. I was not disappointed upon my approach to their camp. They create a beauty that is almost haunting, almost to the point where it feels out of place with its surroundings.
After visiting with the elves, I was about to set off on my reconnaissance, but I found a mound of fresh wild-flowers growing just outside the camp. I could not help but linger just a little longer in their beauty before heading off :P
With Light,
Kaleigh
After rooting about in the swamps for a long while trying to find my way, I came to Ost Haer and found the shade Emelin. He said he would aid me if he found me worthy and summoned some of his warriors of long ago to test me. Thankfully, I was victorious, and he grudgingly told me the story of the Red Lady he failed to protect in times long past. She perished and became twisted in her undeath. Some fool had awakened her, trying to gain a powerful ally, and now she was under his spell, stealing life from the land around her to feed her hunger.
Radagast was able to gather allies to our cause, and together we fought back the dead that this Ivar had summoned to protect his prize. Emelin and his soldiers thanked us for easing the burden they carried, and my heart went out to these poor souls. I gave thanks once again that my loved ones were at peace. Some endings are not happy. Sadly, some are destined only for sorrow and loss. And some, perhaps, are not even destined to end at all. I hope that one day the curse is lifted, and these spirits can find peace in their long-sought rest.
But our work was not yet done. Radagast led us all into Agamaur, where my allies fought brilliantly! We finally came to face Ivar the Blood-hand who threatened us all with extinction. Radagast revealed his true power and Ivar fled, knowing he could not face such might and righteousness. We had been victorious, and the Red Lady was allowed to rest once more.
We returned to Ost Guruth and celebrated well into the night. Until I see you next, take care!
With Light,
Kaleigh
The dispatch I had received requested that I meet with someone named Radagast in the Lore Tower of Ost Guruth. I made my way to the back of the ruin and entered the tower. Climbing a spiral staircase, I eventually reached the study of a wizened and very gruff old man. There were crates, books and animals strewn about everywhere.
He told me that he sought aid for a peculiar problem. Nearby, it seemed, a large area of land appeared to be cursed. He said the land bled as if a foul poison had seeped into its depths, forcing the deep soil to rise and spilling the poison's foulness over its surface.
When I went to investigate, the sight of such horror was more than I could bear! Crimson pools of foulness bubbled and frothed. Seeking nourishment from the earth, the gentle trees had taken the vile ichor into their roots and were dying. The very soil was stained a ghastly, unnatural hue. Quickly as I could, with tears streaming down my face from both my anguish and the horrid stench that nearly incapacitated me, I collected the samples that Radagast needed to determine the cause of such a curse!
After he studied them for a time, he sent me to an outpost in the middle of the foulness. Supposedly a shade, a being neither living nor dead, resided there and may have some insight into the curse's cause...
With Light,
Kaleigh
After a time serving in Esteldin, I received a dispatch asking me to return to Ost Guruth. I arrived just after dawn and decided to go for a swim in the pool nearby before turning my attention to more serious matters. What's that? Turn around, you say? :P
After letting the spring sun caress me with warmth so that I was dry, I headed toward the encampment. Let us not rush for once today, I thought to myself.. I sat in the tall grasses outside for a bit, taking in the splendor of the ruined camp. How much more majestic must it have been in olden times!
Upon entering the camp, I saw my old friend, Refr. I realized that now was the time for mischief! Payback would be mine! :) I skulked behind him looking through the pile of old hammers he had worn through with his smithing. I found one that had more cracks in it than Old Man Chivers' back when he stood up after a long day of fishing off the pier in Staddle! :P
When he set down his hammer to attend the forge, I quickly switched it with the cracked one I had found, then skulked back into the shadow behind him while trying not to burst with glee! He grabbed the hammer and swung it down hard to shape his new project. The hammer exploded into a mist of fine shards, and he exclaimed, "Oi! What foul work is at hand here?"
I could withstand no more and began laughing. He whirled around and saw me. Thankfully, he took it in stride, and we both laughed until we could hardly breathe. "Truce?" I said, smiling, and extended my hand. "Truce!" he replied, chuckling as he took my hand, and there has been no mischief since.
Well... at least none that has been found out... :P
With Light,
Kaleigh
I set off on Dagoras' tasks the next morning. Thankfully, the rain still fell which helped mask the sound of my tramping through underbrush and threw predators off my scent. The wisdom of nature abounds, and I think it helps those who serve it and others with noble purpose :)
I was able to skulk about in the Snares, slaying spiders one by one, until the enormous Queen came into view! I quickly hid behind a tree and hoped that I could take her by surprise. Thankfully, I got in a well-placed strike before the battle began and she fell!
Next, I went off in search of wargs preying on game near the encampment that the Rangers needed for themselves. I happened to spot a lone doe grazing on a hillside in the rain. The beauty of the moment was spoiled when I caught sight of yellow eyes and a grinning snout peer over the hill behind her before disappearing from view!
"No, you don't!" I said to myself, as I skirted the hill and came up behind the warg as it was just about to pounce. The doe, of course, fled, but I was able to finish off the warg quickly enough to catch a glimpse of her bounding toward the cover of a rocky hillside. My heart soared to see her run free!
Finally, I was able to recover some Meadowsweet for the rangers. As I made sure to leave enough behind so that the plants would grow again, I looked up into the rain. I was so thankful that the earth would be nourished again and give us another bountiful harvest. Life-cycles, you see? We are all connected, everything and everyone :)
With Light,
Kaleigh
Upon my return to Esteldin, I was asked by Arohir to search to the northeast, near the mountain passes, for an encampment of rogue hillmen who had sided with the dark forces. I made my way across the Downs as night approached and waited until no light, save that from the moon and stars, would shine upon me to begin my skulking.
They had made their encampment within the borders of an old ruin upon a large hill. Luckily, there were enough remnants of walls and ramparts scattered about that I was able to penetrate deep inside the enemy camp without being seen.
Eventually, I saw a large tent a little bit down the hill from the main force. It appeared to be quite lavish by the uncouth standards of these men and was heavily patrolled. No doubt their chieftain's tent, I surmised.
I will tell you why not! Because I did not consider that he would return with three of his most trusted bodyguards! I ran harder and faster than I ever have in my life and somehow managed to lose them in a small wood nearby. That was a close one though, and I have learned my lesson. From now on, I will leave the heroics for the true heroes :)
