Midnight RPG - Chapter 18.65

Shadaar to Eranon

(Taking place after Shadaar gets back from escorting the Erenlander refugees back to their village).

*Shadaar approaches Eranon with a stern look on his face. He also looks rather disappointedly at Durgaz and Zal'Kazzir*

"Eranon? May I have a word with you privately?"

OOC: I'll assume here that Eranon agrees and I'll get to my point.

*Shadaar leads Eranon away from the group to speak privately*

"You may have noted my dissapointment? Well, here it is. I'm going to speak plainly and truthfully to you."

*Shadaar begins to sigh, and gets an irrated look on his face, then grimaces and shrugs*

"This group saved those poor people, against their better judgement. You were among those that said it was too dangerous a mission. If not for Kyuad being the voice of Morality, I would have left this fellowship to persue those goblinoids and tried to free those people myself. A foolhardy thing to do, I not doubt, but something I feel would have been not only the right thing to do but also the necessary action."

"You found your sister among those we saved. Now, if I may pose a question to you. After refusing to save those people, if you had found out that your sister numbered amongst them, would you have suddenly changed your mind? Or would you have still insisted that the mission would be too dangerous and risky?"

*Shadaar looks intently at Eranon waiting for his response*

Steve/Eranon

*Eranon takes a long time to speak, gathering his thoughts*

"You speak well, Shadaar, and I am humbled by your words. In the end, you were right, and I was acting a coward. I have spent to much time listening to Zal'Kazir, methinks, as I did indeed sound like him. Yet, I do beg for a chance to explain myself. Vrolk is a menace to my people, and has been directly, meliciously responsible for the deaths of thousands, maybe more. He is a traitor to all of my people, he is responsible, in part or in full for the threat facing Three Oaks, where even now, my family dies to protect us. His capture and containment is more important than you, than me, than all of those people, including my sister."

"However, I should have been willing to lay down my life for any of them. And I want you to know that risking my own neck was no part of my concern. If we were to die, and Vrolk be released, or worse yet, KILLED, all we have done is for naught, my cousin would have died for nothing, YOU would have died for nothing. You speak true, Erenlander, and as soon as a plan was presented that gave minimal risk of losing Vrolk, I gladly joined in."

"My shame in it is that I did not join you in the thought to strike out on my own and rescue them all myself, be they my sister or strangers. Yes, had I learned of her presence among the group, I would have acted differently, and I am sorry. In the future, I will consider your counsil with more weight."

"Let me, however, ask you something. If you were faced with an entire army leading captives, would you have done the same thing, taken them all on yourself?"

Shadaar

*Shadaar seems to be more at ease. He nods and turns more conversational*

"I do agree that Vrolk is a menace. He stole my very life away from me. And gave me... this in return."

*Shadaar gestures to his own dead body*

"I can only imagine what he has done to the elves. No, I don't want to imagine. I am glad this business will be taken care of soon. How ironic that we cannot kill him."

"So yes, I agree that Vrolk's sustained captivity and eventual delivery to the elves is more important than saving 10 Freeborn. However, I am glad an alternative was eventually accepted."

*Shadaar nods again*

"And, of coarse, I cannot help but feel that my own advice was ignored. If not for Kyuad, those prisoners would still be in chains."

"But in order to defeat Izrador we must band together. And show the people of this land that it is possible for an elf, an orc, two Erenlanders, and a Sarcosen to form an alliance against The Shadow. We must lead by example if we expect others to do what is necessary. Because what we will ask of others is no less dangerous for them. We will ask them to lay down their lives, and the loss of everything they hold dear. All for a fleeting chance of regaining freedom."

"But that small chance for freedom is, I believe, worth it. Someday the elves will fall. How can they sustain the fierce defense of their homeland with such overwhelming hatred directed at them? The dwarves face this same challenge. And many others have already succumbed or were beaten down. And only by joining the Freeborn of Eredane together can these things be avoided."

"So you ask me if I, alone, would have taken an entire army on for a chance to liberate some Freeborn. I will not lie. I would have at the very least pondered it. In the end, if I could not come up with a coarse of action that I felt had a chance of succeeding, then I would answer no. I would have to let the prisoners remain in chains."

*Shadaar grins*

"Indeed it is for that, and so many more reasons, that I choose to join the Resistance. For that opportunity to fight back, with a chance of winning. However small that chance is. Together all of us who live under the Shadow could have that same chance to throw off the shackles we all are placed in upon birth, because of the Enemy."

"I believe that this fellowship we find ourselves in to be something special. Our differences bring both hardship and strength. And we are an example of how a diverse group can join together and accomplish great things. And that example, I hope, will resonate with the people of Eredane. And be a light for them to follow in dark times."

"I hope I did not dance around your question, Eranon. I think your refusal hurt me, in some ways. To see an Elf, raised knowing these things, would let Freeborn remain prisoners. But I do not with to go into that again. You acted, and that is all that truly matters".

"I hope someday I will be able to call all of you friend".

Eranon

"I understand your scorn and your concern. I know how I must have looked, but you must know that it was not for fear of my own life, but for fear of a great many others, it was a recognition that at times we may be asked to choose between saving a few or saving a thousand. If we march an army against the shadow, this is what we do, we ask a few to sacrifice to save many, we ask few to resign to a short life or torture or slavery that we may one day save them all. This was the source of my hesitation. Every life cannot be saved. I am, however, glad that cooler heads than mine prevailed and the best decision was reached. If not for you, my sister and I would not be reunited. I am in your debt, and I hope one day you will call me friend."

Eranon bows to Shadaar

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Midnight: North & South Portal