Not surprising, quite a lot of orc is splattered over you. Mind you, Elves always seem to maintain a certain stature in any case...
During the next day you finally come within sight of Fornost-Erain itself (or Norbury, as Robert calls it). This is the mightiest city of the North of Middle-Earth, and maybe the greatest human city of all, greater than Osgiliath, Gondor's capital- but it is not a fortress like Minas Anor (later Minas Tirith), for unlike in Gondor the mightiest cities of Arnor were not built at the gates of the enemy. Angmar is far from here.
Fornost is built of solid but not displeasing architecture, the city spreading wide across the plain ahead of you. For hours you have passed hamlets and farms of happy, well-fed peasants- in sharp contrast to the poverty and depredation you saw in Cardolan. You do not know whether Grum and the refugees ever made it to Arthedain. A troop of riders trot out to meet you, and acknowledge Lord Farael and the Princess.
"We'll head straight to the Palace," says Farael. "The King and the Council should be informed of all this."
"Why should I care what the Elves call it?" asks Robert. "To us men it is Norbury."
Your convoy comes through the open gates of the palace gardens, an in there led into the large white building that forms the outer courtyard. There a well-dressed man, obviously of some import, but look rather more... um... ok, LESS battle hardened than Farael. Positvely trouble free in fact.
"Lord Farael! My highness Mallachiel, you are safe! We feared the worse!"
"We survived the ambush, Gorlim, no thansk to the Chancellor's Department,
"Well, if only we had KNOWN, we may have... who in Elendil's name are THESE people? Oh my, Elves!"
"It's a party from Rivendell. It is they who warned us of the ambush and they fought hard in our defence." Gorlim has turned pale.
"One of them is badly hurt! How has one of Elrond's Elves become hurt in our lands?" Farael blinks, non-plussed.
"We ran into some trouble, remember?"
"Gah! HEALERS! Get some men of healing in here!" Gorlim yells to some nearby functionaries, who scatter away.
"It so happens that I have some badly wounded men here as well, Gorlim."
"Of course, of course... we shall sort something out at once!"
"I need to see the King," says Farael. "He should know what happened."
"The King is busy," says Gorlim, firmly.
"He's not too busy for this," says Farael, taking a step forwards, but probably to the surprise of many of you Gorlim raises an arm to block his way.
"Yes. He's too busy for this. He's had a visitor."
Farael grunts, unhappily.
"He's summoned the court. Everyone is coming here. He will speak to you when he addresses everyone else."
Vardalain, you are being taken to be patched up. Some people are also trying to look at the wounds of Aranui and Talin. Likeiwse Farael but he is batting them away.
A young man with black hair, DEVASATINGLY attractive and well-dressed, comes dashing into the room at this point.
"MALLACHIEL!" he yells, running up to her. They embrace warmly. You notice that Gorlim and Farael have snapped to attention.
"I am ok," says Mallachiel.
"Thank Iluvatar for that. DAMN it Farael, what happened?"
"It was a full strength ambush, your highness," says Farael. "These people brought us warning and saved the convoy."
"Then I am in your debt," says the man. He offers you (any of you) his hand. "I am Prince Aranarth, heir to the throne of Arthedain. If by life or death I can repay you, I shall."
"I can think of a way you can repay me and my friend William Took, here," Talin says. "But we'll talk about that later. I need some rest. Broken bones don't heal right when you are moving around and talking with royaltly."
Talin bows as best he can to the Prince and Princess. Then he whispers in Finuvien's ear.
"I would take his hand, but I think you might want to more..." 😄
There was no obligation to go to the healing place- Farael didn't. But it is not greatly important and everyone has to be present for the next bit so it will bet set a couple of hours later.
"I have not seen an Elf such as yourself before," says Aranarth, firmly shaking your hand, Fin. Silvan Elves rearely venture out this far. "And as for your wounded, Lord Gorlim will attend to all your nmeeds, isn't that right?"
"Err... quite..." says Gorlim. "Why don't we get all your needs seen to? The King may well be in his meeting for some hours."
-
Wow, that's convenient, now I can move things on. Thankyou, Gorlim.
All of you have now been quartered in the residential wing. Your wounds have been tended to and patched up. Talin and Vardalain arer unsteady but fully cpabale of interacting with these people. Talin, that javelin perciing has left a scar on your chest that will remind you of the vengeance you seek. Vardalain, as an Elf you will heal 100% leaving no mark that you were ever wounded. Cool to be an Elf, eh?
Afterwards, you are ushered to the reception room outside King Arvedui's throne room. This room is huge- you could hold an enormous party in here, and what with the refreshments being provided it is very close to being so. The whole court is being assembled to hear the words of the King when he is done- Gorlim has said that you can meet him when he so emerges. The room is lined with servants and trumpteers and all sorts of other generic people you find inside Palaces in this sort of thing. However, the room is also full of rather more important people.
The whole Royal Council is here except the King himself. Prince Aranarth, and Lords Gorlim and Farael, you have seen before. There are six others.
Princess Mallachiel is the only other person here that you have met before. But there are many other people of significance around, icnluding:
- a blonde, attractive man, well built and dressed officially, who is looking at Aranui curiously
- A very old man who wears faded clothing and looks at everything with a smile. He does not look well.
- another blonde man but looking more grizzled than the more smartly dressed one. He is dressed in chain armour, clearly having no 'courtly' dress as such. He carries a tall helmet under his arm and looks somewhat out of place, as do many of you.
Each of you can be dressed however you like- though formal wear is obviously what Gorlim WANTS you to wear. You may associate with any of these people as you wish- and ask them questions pertaining to anything you saw and learnt throughout the whole story.