Nimeway felt pride flow through her as she won the sparring match against Luc. Although her nose was bleeding and she felt a bit of pain in her sides, she had won and that filled her with the pride of success. Yet the pride did not last long for the steed of Ross came running up to the Dawn Hall with a note attached. Nime read the note, recognizing the handwriting before she even started to read.
'Orc party saw me, couldn't out run them
do not come for me. Molly is hurt and
I am too.
Take care of Ber, I love both of you
Ross.'
Nime stared at the letter, the reins of Ross's horse in her hand. Luc called out to her, asking her what was wrong. Yet she was startled by the message, unsure how to respond. Luc assured her he'd come home and be fine, but that did not put Nime's worries to ease. All the nightmares of her past flooded to her, and she made a promise to herself that she would do everything in her power to bring her dearly loved husband home.
It was a few days later Nime spoke to her and Ross's friend, Neyaa. Although Neyaa was expecting a child, Neyaa accompanied Nime to the Forsaken Inn to ask if anyone had seen or heard of the one-armed man. It was there some of the locals told them that sometimes orcs kept men as captures, though Neyaa kept what the man said these captured men's fate. Neyaa did not wish to worry the already stressed Nime any more.
As the two were leaving the Forsaken Inn, they ran into a man Nime had met a few days earlier while assisting Lady Aellwenn of the House of Estellin. His name, Nime found, was Gerfor. He came up with the idea to survey the orc camps to see if they could find any information. They neared the water's edge, and Molly laid dead, blood dripping from her wounds down her side. Nime had to wade into the water to find the metal arm Ross wore everyday. And then A group of orcs began to attack them. Between Nime and Gerfor, they slaughtered the first five orcs, and Neyaa injured the sixth with her bow. With Gerfor's assistance, Nime dragged the injured and unconscious orc away to the river. There Nime tortured the orc, interrogating him for information.
The orc attempted to lie to Nime, but it was hard for the orc to lie when Nime began to remove limbs. All of Nime's rage from the past days flooded out, all of her rage from Ross's absence got the best of her and she took it out on the orc. The orc cried out all of the information Nime desired, but it unnerved Nime to find her husband was being sold to Angmar as a slave. Despite the strong temptations to chase after Ross all the way to Angmar to bring him home, Neyaa reminded her that they still needed to speak to Captain Hardoleth or Hyrien. So the two returned home to Bree, Nime carrying Ross's metal arm with her.
That night, Nime slept and the nightmares returned. She awoke with a start, reaching out to pull Ross towards her. But the bed was empty and the room seemed darker than normal. When Nime remembered her husbands absence, she curled up into a ball and tears flooded her eyes. She wanted Ross to come home. She needed Ross to come home. Her crying was interrupted from the loud wails of Beriadan. Nime stood up and made her way across the room, her face stained with tears as she lifted the baby from his crib.
"Hush, little one," Nime said in a saddened tone, though she attempted to remain calm for her son. "Your father will be home soon. Don't worry, please don't worry."
Nime pressed her face against Ber as she fell back onto the bed, holding him close to her. She said as a promise to the little baby, "I promise you, whatever happens. I will make sure he comes home so you will always have your father there for you. Ok?"
'Love always creates, it never destroys. In this lies man's only promise.'
