A dark cloud was hovering over the Eastern side of Ered Luin, a dark cloud connected to the black some that kept ascending to the sky, coming straight from the forges of Kheledul where the Dourhands worked day and night, forging the armour asked of them. The guards were standing atop the walls, disciplined, with their weapons in hands, to be ready at all times. The patrols were more as well, except for the usual patrol around the fort there were others, spread all over the vast area. Some remaining hidden and seeing everything and others patrolling around showing that no one should dare approach. The woods of Haudh Lin were now dangerous more that usually, even the beasts of Rath Teraig came out of their caves and started wandering in the woods, as if driven out by an unseen force.
Northeast from there, in Evendim, Amrath was hiding between the foliage, on the hills West of Dwaling, near the tomb-robbers’ camp. He kept low on his knees, hiding behind the bushes as the men kept going up and down. Everything was quiet at first, but then a big wooden cart arrived and the companions of the men jumped out, wearing fancy clothes and laughing loudly, bragging about how they attacked and killed a rich merchant and took his possessions. That made Amrath angry but he had to wait, it wasn’t the time to do anything rushed. One of the robbers got up on the cart with a wine skin and started singing aloud, about women, drink and freedom, the others around him laughed as they kept unloading the cart to get ready to get to work. Clothes and various papers were put on the ground, where those who could read started taking notes, in case they’d be stopped while on the job.
Everyone was occupied with his doings and even Amrath got bored and started wondering if he should be there, until everything stopped! An arrow pierced the singing man’s chest and his body fell and bloodied the clothes near the cart, some of the bowmen nocked their arrows and aimed at the gate and there they stood. The three men in the red cloaks, one of them was hanging the bow to his shoulder and the slim and tall one in the middle hissed in anger “We’re not paying you to sing! You have a job to do!” and then men started working faster than before. Amrath put his hand on the hilt of his sword but he dared not move. He remained there, watching and listening carefully.
“The Dwarves are almost ready, start heading there tomorrow night and bring what is to be brought to Annundir. From then we’ll tell you the rest. Make sure not to alert anyone or your fate will be worse than death!” and for a moment Amrath thought that he saw his eyes gleam red, just for a moment… The men just nodded and the tall long haired man walked forth to reply to the Angmarim. “We will do as said and we will await for the agreed reward.”. His reply went unanswered and the three men disappeared just as they appeared there.
Amrath kept low and walked away from the place, intending to follow the hooded men, hoping that the letter he sent some days ago found its recipient and that the recipient would help…
