Chapter Text
Halbarad wakes up in total darkness. He wonders who let the fire go out, then remembers that he is in Tharbad, at the Ranger post, and there is no hearth in this room.
He has a headache and a foul taste in his mouth. Now that he is awake he might as well go and get some water.
When he puts his feet on the ground, he finds rock, rather than the wooden planks he expects. Strange… He gets up and gets dressed in the dark. He can’t find his boots, so he just puts on his trousers and a shirt. Where is his sword? I’m only going to the kitchen for some water, I hardly need a sword for that.
Barefoot, he walks to where the door should be. The door is missing, but there is a corridor outside, so he keeps going. He still has rock underfoot and it is still dark. I don’t think I’m in Tharbad. But where then? And is he the only one of the Rangers at Tharbad here?
Judging by the musty air, he’s in some kind of cave. I hope it’s not Moria. It has been decades since he and Aragorn strayed into that darkness, and every time he thinks about it, he wonders that they made it out again. But no, he can hear water flowing somewhere.
And if I’m to make it out of wherever I am now, I’d better start thinking. He has nothing with him that might be of use, not even a water bottle. I’d still like to find that water. The taste in his mouth is really foul. At least the ground is fairly smooth.
Then he hears something other than water. Footsteps. Someone is running, coming his way. The swaying light of a lantern approaches. In the lantern’s light, almost overwhelming after the darkness, he sees an Orc.
He reaches for his sword, then remembers he doesn’t have it with him. At his muttered curse, the Orc stops abruptly, and he knows her. Grûgishl!
She walks towards him, lantern held high, and snarls as she sees his face. “You’re not him. I must find him.” She runs off again.
“Wait,” he yells at her rapidly disappearing back. “Grûgishl! Come back! Where are we?”
Grûgishl keeps running and now he can no longer even hear her footsteps. The light from her lantern remains, even though she has taken it with her. Strange. I wonder… but perhaps, if Grûgishl is looking for Aragorn I should try following her.
Now that he can see where he’s going, he can move faster, and he sets off after Grûgishl. I’ll not catch her though, not in one night. Wait, how do I know it’s night? Halbarad yawns. I’ll not find that water now anyway. I may as well get some sleep.
When he wakes up, there is light behind the shutters, and when he puts his feet on the ground they land on solid wood. It was a dream. But I do want that water. He still has a foul taste in his mouth.
Once he’s in the kitchen and has had some water, he notices several mushrooms on a cutting board. He groans as he looks closely at them. Oh, I see.
As he walks in to the old inn’s common room, all the men are sitting very quietly in ones or twos. Halbarad suspects he’s not the only one with a headache. He also notices the slightly embarrassed looks between Aragorn and the peredhil. Their dreams have been… interesting, perhaps… as well.
He stops near the entrance to address the Rangers. “We should all be relieved that whoever picked last night’s dinner didn’t come back with a basket of death caps, but if any of you ever so much as think of ever gathering mushrooms again...”