Ghosts - Day 2

[Bogwoppit]

"Sir .. these things... they don't smell right. They're like... animals but not. "

West had come to trust his 2IC's instincts since the werewolf incident, and now he often looked to him for information on the enemy or the terrain - the man's senses were heightened to a degree that no ordinary human's could be. He nodded at him now as he spoke, although the information was hardly new to him. He was worried about this one, more worried than he was likely to admit. Kawalsky was right, the whole thing didn't smell right. There were too many variables, too much could go wrong... and now they had been volunteered to go on some crazy mission to find some goddamn rings after they finished these... creatures off.

He led the way out into the courtyard, and stood for a moment, hand on P90, watching as Boromir expertly organized his captains to in turn organize the men. At least he could rely on these guys, anyone could see they were true soldiers, with the experience and knowledge that went with a lot of years' fighting.

"C4?"

He turned his head towards Kawalsky while his eyes rested on a boy who looked no more than thirteen, wearing armour far too big for him.

"Hmm? Yeah, yeah, go ahead John," he said distractedly, knowing the man was perfectly capable of getting the job done.

He needed to talk to Boromir about strategy, and find out what they were going to do with the women and children while all this was going on.

[Pinkie]

Nothing happened.... right? Gypsy thought, feeling a squirmy warmth in her stomach when Mark smiled at her. It was silly - he was old enough to be her .. uncle? Well, he was older than her. More mature than her for certain. He was professional and ... quality. That was the only way she cuold explain it in her head. He was quality and she was, well, a gypsy. She watched with bright brown eyes as his expression changed. He noticed something... her thoughts?!
Gypsy's eyes flashed momentary panic, wondering if Mark had noticed something in the changed way she looked at him.

Mark said:

"It is, Are you ok? You look a little tired."

I didn't sleep last night because I had a nightmare that my husband was burning me alive and I couldn't reach you, yes you, even though you were in the nightmare to save me.

"Fine!" Gypsy said cheerily, shrugging her shoulders sweetly and feigning a decent look of 'fine' in her opinion. His hand felt light on her shoulder but it also felt very overwhelming, grounding her, keeping her there even if she had wanted to run off in the opposite direction. "Slept a bit funny - must have been that beer they gave us last night. Didn't sit right with me. Although," Gypsy turned, gesturing for Mark to walk with her as they followed the others out into the open. That move had nothing to do with the fact that standing in front of Mark she had little option but to look up into his understanding eyes and want to spill her guts about everything. Nope - nothing to do with that.

"There is the possibility that the impending battle of Tolkien proportions has my mind just a tad over-active. What do you think?" she smirked up at him happily, starting to look a bit more at ease now that she had found the gift of the gab once more. Gypsy looked away from him, over the open terrain in front of them, the smoke of a thousand 'soldiers' rising to the sky ahead of them. Her mouth dropped open and she felt ... well, it was not a weakness to admit that she felt an uncomfortable, unsettled feeling in her stomach at the sight of it.

"Whoa..." she murmured in awe, staggering a step ahead of Mark and staring in disbelief at what they were meant to be battling.

[Pinkie]

((ooc: back to work tomorrow mate! not sure how busy I'll be but that's ok cause you're Nick! ;D Assume Kawalsky's gone out to settle some C4 at strategic locations ))

[Bogwoppit]

Eledhwen moved to join the others as they flocked out of the door, only to find her way blocked by Haldir. She looked up at him suspiciously, face set in a mask of watchfulness.

"What is your purpose with us, Eledhwen?"

She refused to acknowledge the faster beat of her heart as his dark eyes burned into hers, and stuck out her jaw stubbornly.

"My purpose is no business of yours, Elf," she ground out with more conviction than she felt. "I have chosen to help these people in their fight against the dark forces of Mordor, that is all you need to know. And should my path carry me further in the same direction as... anyone here, then so be it."

She narrowed her eyes defiantly, and folded her arms over her small chest, fighting the urge yet again to stick a knife into his guts. For now it would serve no purpose other than to block her way to finding her father. She breathed in and out deeply and calmly several times, thinking out a strategy.

"I would like to help retrieve the rings of power," she said, hopefully nonchalantly, a nervous thrill coursing through her veins at thought of spending more time in the company of this dangerous character.

[Bogwoppit]

He could feel her, as she approached, he could feel her prescence, and he stiffened as he stalked toward the door.

"Sleep well, Sir? I hope that bruise didn't keep you up..."

He kept looking straight ahead, not registering the surprise he felt at her speaking to him. At the very least he had expected her to trip him up, if not land him another punch or two. Even so, he couldn't help but flinch a tiny muscle near his eye at her mention of his bruise. He wasn't about to let her get to him though.

"Slept great thanks Thrace," he replied, his voice only slightly raspy from the drink. "Out like a light. You?"

He stopped by a large stone column and turned to her, hand on the butt of his gun as he smiled down at her pleasantly. He wasn't about to mention her own injury, which he had inflicted. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of thinking he felt guilty, even if he did.

[Bogwoppit]

"There is the possibility that the impending battle of Tolkien proportions has my mind just a tad over-active. What do you think?"

Mark was about to reply that he felt the same way, but then his gaze followed her line of sight over the edge of the city to see the fate that awaited them.

"Woah indeed..." he breathed, staring open-mouthed at the sight.

It seemed to him that the plain was full of the foul creatures, but in reality there were no more than a few hundred. They seemed to be content to wait, although for what Mark had no idea. He had no battle experience, and had not studied strategy or anything of that kind. He was a scientist, he didn't expect to have to come out into the field and fight for his life.

"Here," said a voice beside him, and he turned to see Major West shoving a P-90 into his hands.

He took it in a daze, staring at the officer with much the same expression as he had looked at the enemy.

"You know how to use it right?" West asked shortly, and Mark looked down at the weapon in his hands.

"Uh... yeah, I took the basic training along with everyone else, but..."

"No buts. Now you put that training to use," West snapped, and disappeared into the throng, looking back over his shoulder briefly as he went.

"Calvin!" he called, pointing across the courtyard. "Cover the south wall with those guys. Stick with Llewelyn, make sure he's ok."

Mark looked down at Gypsy, still slightly in shock, and smiled shakily.

"Well, I guess you're stuck with me." He shrugged self-consciously. "Sorry. I'll try not to get myself killed on your watch."

[Pinkie]

Haldir wondered if she knew how easy she was to read... there was a pretension around Eledhwen that was plain to see. She acted one way but felt another. She was quite adept at denying what she felt though - Haldir could see it in her eyes, how she contained herself so well that she didn't know her own heart. He found it sad - when humans had such short lives that anyone would spend it denying their true selves it seemed such a waste.

Eledhwen said:

"My purpose is no business of yours, Elf. I have chosen to help these people in their fight against the dark forces of Mordor, that is all you need to know. And should my path carry me further in the same direction as... anyone here, then so be it."

The Elf lifted his chin and narrowed his dark eyes down at Eledwehn. His eyes seemed to ask a very simple question - And what else?
He had no doubt that her purpose was the same as the rest of them - why would it not be? If Gondor fell then it was only a matter of time before the rest of Middle-Earth was under the rule of Mordor and no one wanted that. Who did she think of when she paused there? Did she resent follwing the same path as himself? Amusing ...

Haldir's half smile was genuinely amused at her own self-denial. He was about to leave her to go on her way but she folded her arms over her chest defiantly, her lips set in a petulant pout of thought. The Elf cocked an eyebrow at her, his body half turned away but he remained still, narrowed eyes watching her.

Eledhwen said:

"I would like to help retrieve the rings of power,"

Haldir's laugh was pure magic. It was a deep laugh, rumbling from his chest and brightening the area around him considerably. He licked his lips and looked down at teh ground between himself and Eledhwen.

"No." he answered simply, spreading his hands by his side. He went to turn away from her without offering an explanation, but he foresaw some argument so turned, finger lifted to halt her tirade. His intense, dark eyes looked down at her, giving that eerie feeling of having everything about you exposed, exuding a sure confidence that made you feel incredibly safe but incredibly important to be on the receiving end of that look.
"Not unless you are volunteering for the right reasons. Which... right now, you are not." Haldir said confidently, each word pronounced with careful consideration, watching for her to explode on him.

[Pinkie]

God how she wanted to punch the son of a bitch! But if she did then it would mean that he won. In a way. Thrace wanted to pretend like it didn't happen, she wanted him to stew on it, to make sure he knew that it meant fucking nothing to her. He meant nothing to her like Mark had meant nothing to her and like Molly meant nothing to her. Only in Thrace's mind did she ever admit how much they all did mean to her.

Lake said:

"Slept great thanks Thrace, Out like a light. You?"

Oh yes fucking right.
The blonde turned to stand in front of Lake as he paused just outside in the open air. She could hear the sound of armies moving close to them but focussed all the force of her hazel eyes on Lake. She looked hard, she looked fucking irate but with a careful, fragile mask in place. And she didnt try to hide just how fragile that mask was. One false move and she would flip.

Her gesture was flippant, taking a deep breath and half turning from Lake.

"Oh I had a fuckin' itch right there in the middle of my shoulderblades..." she laughed hoarsely, licking her bottom lip, a vicious smile on her fine lips as she looked back at Lake intently, "But I managed to scratch it. You'd be surprised how short a time it took to get rid of it too, Sir. The biggest itch and within a matter of seconds it was just ... poof, gone." she laughed again, brightly, too bright, her hazel eyes dangerous.
Thrace turned to take her rifle off West and handed one to Lake, smirking at him.

"Still - I reckon a bit of bloodshed and general mayhem aughta have me itching some more. Always does." Thrace commented, certain that Lake was following the innuendo as she backed off away from him, smirking with challenge before turning and following West into battle. Nothing scared Thrace - not really. Not even the army of strange creatures that awaited them out on the battlefield. Her cool eyes looked them over once and she was already sure of victory. Cocky, self assurance.

[Pinkie]

Gypsy took the rifle without taking her eyes off the hoarde awaiting them. She wasn't even blinking, staring in disbelief that such creatures existed outside of fantasy novels and crappy sci-fi shows. A gust of wind blew her wayward hair back off her face, revealing even more clear her youthful face and large, wide, dark eyes. She looked over at Mark with her mouth hanging slightly agape, in shock at what lay ahead of them.

West & Mark said:

"Calvin! Cover the south wall with those guys. Stick with Llewelyn, make sure he's ok."
"Well, I guess you're stuck with me Sorry. I'll try not to get myself killed on your watch."

The authoritave note from West was met with a stiff salute.

"Sir!" she cried out to him, ensuring he knew she had heard his order. The short woman looked up at Mark and gave him a brief smile, shrugging her shoulder at him. Her brown eyes rolled heavenwards and she let out a bark of laughter, tears standing out in her eyes a moment. She didn't want to die right now - and that was a very real possibility. Licking her lips, Gypsy composed herself and gave Mark a bright, beaming smile, confidence oozing from her every pore.

With a small chuckle, Gypsy nodded her head for Mark to follow her.
"C'mon Sir. Stick with me, I'll cover your ass. It's much too fine an ass to be skewered by these beasts anyways." she teased, turning and setting off at a slow run towards the South wall as ordered. Black arrows started falling over the sides of the walls, Gypsy got her back against the wall just in time, and stood there looking up breathing heavily.
She glanced to the side at Mark and shrugged a grenade from her vest.

"You think you can lob this sucker over the wall without getting an arrow in your skull, Sir?" she shouted over the noise of battle, pulling the pin from the grenade and handing it to Mark, smiling surprsingly.

[Bogwoppit]

He was laughing at her! How dare he! But... even so the musical echo of his laughter seemed to haunt her, seep into her soul and arouse her spirit. She stared up at him, mesmerized for a moment, until he spoke again.

"No. Not unless you are volunteering for the right reasons. Which... right now, you are not."

She froze in mid word, mouth open before she had even prepared an argument. How could he know that? It was true, what she thought, that they could read minds and see into the hearts of Men. She shivered slightly as the fight went out of her, and her narrow shoulders slumped. She could not deny that what he said was true, and if nothing else she was no liar.

Sounds of battle rose around the two of them, and Eledhwen looked over her shoulder, even though she had the hardest time drawing her gaze away from his. She heard the shouts of Orcs and of Men, and then the most terrible sound filled the air, loud bangs, but not like the banging of sword on sword or arrow on target. Then another, an explosion the likes of which she had never before heard. She looked back at Haldir, wide-eyed with fear.

"What was that?" she whispered shakily.

[Bogwoppit]

"Oh I had a fuckin' itch right there in the middle of my shoulderblades... But I managed to scratch it. You'd be surprised how short a time it took to get rid of it too, Sir. The biggest itch and within a matter of seconds it was just ... poof, gone. Still - I reckon a bit of bloodshed and general mayhem aughta have me itching some more. Always does."

Lake watched her through narrowed eyes as the sounds of battle failed to reach his ears. He smirked slowly, breaking eye contact to look down at the gun in his hands as she spoke, the smile spreading further until it was a victorious grin.

As she turned to walk away he looked back up at her triumphantly.

"S'gotta say something about my scratching skills then, eh Thrace?" he called, throwing her a cheeky wink.

Without another word he turned from her and made his way through the smoke to the other side of the parapet where he took up position and fired upon the enemy with renewed energy.

[Bogwoppit]

DJ led his group of Gondorians down through the city, past hurrying women and children being led to comparitive safety in the depths of the mountain by men too old to fight. He had never before felt an empathy with people affected by battle, the families of soldiers who mourned for their dead and missing for many years after the war had ended. The walls and buildings affected had always interested him far more than the people, perhaps because he had never been close to his own family. But for some reason now he could not meet their eyes as he passed by. Mari had touched something deep within him, and he couldn't explain what it was. He only knew that today he fought not only because that was his job, but because he cared what happened to the people of Gondor.

His job this day was to defend the gates, and they loomed high above him as he positioned men with bows and arrows, men with swords, around the courtyard. He could hear the sounds of battle raging outside the city walls, but as yet no attempt had been made on the gates.

Suddenly a huge explosion filled the air. C4, and Kawalsky. DJ smiled; that should send them back for a while at least.

[Pinkie]

Haldir found himself wondering if he was denying her this task for the right reasons. He knew that she despised Elves, not just him, so bringing her to the undying lands just seemed irreverant, at best, and dangerous at the worst. His dark eyes bore down upon her changing expression - from surprise and irritation at his outright answer to something like fear and uncertainty as she no doubt wondered how he knew of her intentions.
Humans - such foolish creatures really.
Did she not realise that she was easy to read? That she was laid bare for his senses to decipher what went on in her head?

Eledhwen said:

"What was that?"

The Elf heard the explosions and lifted his head quickly, blonde hair whipping outwards as he half turned to look out the large doors where the battle was being fought. His smile was enigmatic, brightening his eyes and softening the aloof lines of his face. The shield-maidens breathy gasp made him laugh, gently, not mocking her.
And what was obvious to him seemed completely foreign and out of range for her.

Shaking his head, Haldir reached for Eledhwen's hand without thinking, and trotted to the door, releasing her hand once he could see out over the battlefield. Smoke billowed upwards from the centre of the Orc army. Haldir's smile was lopsided as he looked back at Eledhwen and took a relieve breath, gesturin to the field.

"That is the sound of our impending victory in this first battle of many, Eledhwen. Do not fear it - rejoice in it. Rejoice in those who have come to us in our time of need." the blonde Elf said, looking around at the army. He spotted Joe West and lifted his hand in praise for the soldier. Another catastrophic blast shook the land and smoke billowed from the rear of the army, then another on top of that saw thick plumes only a few yards from the first.
Giving one final look at Eledhwen, Haldir nodded his head at her and headed down to Joe West, taking up a position at the wall next to him and started hailing arrows down with painful accuracy into the weakest spots of the Orcs that had gotten ahead of the explosives.

((ooc : that is what haldir will do for the battle if you wanna post a reactionary post and move it on to the end of battle that's cool! ))

[Pinkie]

Elendur was huddled in her room in terror. She had had two women with her earlier but she had chosen to remain alone now because she dare not let them see how terrified she was. Her blonde hair was left loose about her shoulders and she wore a painfully simple blue, woolen dress. It had been the most convenient article of clothing she had put her hand to that morning when all this had started. Faramir had come to tell her that there was a battle and she should hide with the other women and children. But Elendur refused. Even when her father had ordered her elsewhere she had refused.
Eonan had come to her then but she had sent the woman away, away to heal where she was needed.

She was sat on the ground beneath the window and a terrifying boom made her scream. The blonde bowed her head and clutched her hair about her ears, trying to mute the noise as much as possible.

Thrace laughed loudly at Lake's comment about his skills. She couldn't deny the laughter - it was natural and bawdy, her hazel eyes dancing with merriment but not forgiveness. Oh not that - that wuold be alot harder to come by, as Lake would find out. Still, it felt kind of ... well, it felt natural to laugh with him. To be so fucking reckless and careless. It suited him and it suited her - so why the hell not? She could hold a grudge about last night, and she intended to hold onto the disgruntlement of it a little longer, but for now they were going out to fight together so they might as well see eye-to-eye. A little.

The blonde went to one ofthe walls and started to shoot down at the ugly bastards that were swarming beneath. A few broke through a poorly guarded gate - Thrace launched herself down amongst the rotten creatures, gathering a sword from a fallen soldier and hacking away with little skill but great strength. Somehow, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Calvin. The dark-haired woman had her pistol out and was shooting the Orcs with admirable accuracy. But there was no sign of Mark.

Thrace felt panic surge into her chest and she fought her way towards Calvin.

"Calvin! Where's Mark? Llwelyn! Where is he?!" Thrace demanded, grabbing the girl in the midst of fighting. She had a cut on the side of her head which was trickling an inordinate amount of blood down her face. Wide brown eyes looked up at her and Thrace saw panic there too.
"I don't know! I don't know - I was fighting with him over there and then I got hit by something. When I came to ... " Gypsy explained in a loud voice, shouting over the fighting, her tone worried.
Thrace grimaced and turned from Gypsy without a word, running to where Mark had been. She felt something painful and blunt break against her shoulders and turned to see something... well, hideous. That was the best way to describe it. Huge, hideous and warty with it's back to her.

"What the fuck!?" she gasped, looking up at the back of a troll. Several Gondorian soldiers were stabbing it and managing to bring it down so Thrace backed off, gladly, still looking for Mark. She saw him then - fighting backed into a corner. She screamed as she launched herself in amongst the lot of them, helping her former lover with every lash of her borrowed sword. She pulled out her pistol and shot an orc right in the middle of the head- the last one to come near them in that area.

The blonde turned to look at Mark, breathless, grubby and vibrant. She glowered at him brushed her shoulder against her cheek, moving the hair the sticky cut she had on her forehead.

"Get the fuck inside, Mark - you can't be out here too. We can't both get killed." Thrace said irritably, the battle starting to die around them.

Gypsy had managed to fight off a few more orcs and spotted Thrace over where she had last seen Mark. She trotted in that direction feeling a surge of relief to see Mark on his feet. The small soldier came to a stand-still, breathless, a few feet away from Mark and Thrace, watching them curiously without trying to be nosey. Inevitably she did overhear a little of what was said...

[Pinkie]

Mari was not built for fighting. Not even for being near fighting. She was tiny, quivering against a wall in the great hall where all the women in the palace had been herded. The sounds were terrible. Giant booms and ferocious cries of pain and anger. Women were everywhere, sitting with children mostly, sobbing and praying in their way for their men to survive. Mari had no idea where her father was but trusted he would be well during the battle - he always was. She was under the impression that her father was invincible.

Time ebbed on and the room became more and more crowded. It got to the stage where some of them had to go elsewhere. Mari had been ushered from the great hall and fell to her knees when they turned a corner. Women swarmed around her and she had been unable to get to her feet properly. When she did she was unsure where they had all gone. Feeling panic catch in her throat, the young servant hurried forward, her soft boots soundless on the tiles of the palace. She was running in the wrong direction and when she broke through a heavy wooden door she found herself in the midst of battle.
An orc came trundling towards her.

Mari screamed at the top of her lungs, terrified, and dropped to the side, covering her head as she fell into a stone guttering that let rain-water trickle down the many levels of Minis Tirith. She remained there a long time before getting to her feet and attempting to get back in through the door. It was locked now though... Mari whimpered and turned to look around at her situation. There was fighting everywhere... Hitching in a sad breath she darted to the side, keeping close to the wall and ran around a corner, down a quiet street and stumbled out, crying softly, into the courtyard by the front gates. Large brown eyes scanned the crowd for someone to help her, her hands clutching the material of her skirts tightly.