After an all too eventful day I've finally found time to write again.
Celonlinn met with us a few days back and with her a dwarf. The two have now gone and are making way back to his kinsmen where we are hoping to find some allies for this upcoming battle we are facing. I gave her some empty pages from my journal to write in, she seemed very troubled and I hope that this might help her. It has helped me at least.
To write all this down is similar to talking to yourself except you do not look as crazy doing it. Has helped me gather my thoughts and express my feelings instead of building them up, just waiting to be let loose on someone that is not deserving.
We have left our camp that gave us a view of the land and made our way to Ost Guruth, where the Eglain have made their home.
On the way Thorontir took note of something and him, me and another kinsman of ours vent to investigate. We soon realized that we were following the envoys that we read about in the logs we found and knowing their business we could not ignore them.
On the way we found another one of my kinsmen that had missed the call and he was more than willing to join up with us.
It was later I realized that he is one to be wary of as well as another kinsman of mine who we freed from the camp.
We made plans to stop these men. Our newest companion suggested to shoot them off their horse, as such was the easiest. I am still startled by his words and the glint he had in his eye as he said it. It disturbed me.
Was his first thought to kill these men over any other means?
Thankfully a different plan was made to trap them. One of our own would put on an act to slow them down and hopefully dismount to tend to the man while me and the new companion would hide and our captain act as a bodyguard to the other.
The act was enough to make them halt. The two riders were escorted by a pair of orcs which we had not expected. However his act was not enough to convince them to leave their horses and we had to act sooner than planned.
I ran for the rider in the back once I saw my chance but some loose ground caused me to slip and the man bolted. I did however manage to wound his horse with my spear and the shock tumbled the horse over and pinned its rider.
It was then, to my horror, I saw what had become of the other ride after the orcs had been taken down. Rather than injure the horse to get the rider my kinsmen attacked the man and he was slain. Seeing where the arrows struck I could see that it was the goal to kill this man, it's sickening to see and know the arrows came from my own companion, my kin.
They did not even try to spare him.
While they wished to ignore the body I took it on myself to move him off the road once they had taken what we had come for. The ground was frozen and I had no means to dig and so I admit I had no choice but to leave him between some stones to rest.
When I returned I heard a merry whistle from my companion that was enough to make my stomach turn again. No regret and no grief to the fallen Man.
They may have now left a wife a widow, children fatherless, parents without a son and siblings without a brother. We do not know and we will never know but even so they did not care.
"The world is black and white. It is us or them" is what he said when I tried to understand how he could act the way he did after such a loss. Then claimed the man who was left alive would be executed.
I do not believe such. We do not know the past these men have had, we do not know if they did this willingly or forced. These are desperate times and people do desperate things to survive. For all we know this was done to feed their own.
The man shall still pay for his crime but not with death.
Brigands and bandits are only Men that have taken a poor choice in life, it does not deserve death. They are not mindless creatures with nothing in their lives, nothing to care for and none to care for them. This is what too many are forgetting as they seem eager to get blood on their blades and arrow, to make a game out of slaying these people.
They can name me naive or foolish but I shall not stand back and let such cruel acts continue while I can stop it. I will not see my own slay the race of Men, Dwarf, Elf or Hobbit as if they are nothing but a game for points.
Only if our hands are forced shall I raise my weapon against these races and defend what I must but if I see another way I shall take it.
The world is not black and white. It is not us or them. This involves us all and I shall not let my kinsmen act as orcs. For if we think and act as this then how are we different from those we fight?
I think I've gone on long enough about the matter. My hand grows tired and I fear my tool for writing will break as my muscles tense from the thought of this whole matter.
We arrived in Ost Guruth and there we happened upon more of our blood. Thorontir seemed to convince them to join our efforts and with what followed it was needed.
