The Arda Post - "The Haunted Dagger"

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	"The Haunted Dagger" - Prologue By Bronwyn Published: May 31, 2005 Updated: May 31, 2005 Print THE HAUNTED DAGGER [Copyright; 2004, Jane Richards] PROLOGUE: Anborn yawned and stretched as he was waking. Laying on his pillow with the bright sun peeking in the window he sleepily knew this was a special day but hadn’t wakened enough to really think about why. In the sleeping quarters next to his he could hear his twin sister, Anoreth, begin to stir.The clank of cooking utensils in the kitchen area downstairs told Anborn that Mother was seeing to the preparing of the breakfast meal. Soon the smell of food came wafting up the stairs as their mother called, “Breakfast” up the stone steps. After several minutes both were dressed and down at the table where the conversation became much more animated as the special day began to be discussed. They were going on their special vacation today. This wasn’t the usual trip to their grandsire’s farm in the further corner of the Pelennor Plains. This would be a much longer trip into other countries of Middle Earth. Anborn and Aoreth were to join their archaeologist father in his search for the ancient past of Middle Earth. The family had lived in Minas Tirith for as long as the two teenagers could remember. In fact, they had been born and raised here in this City of Ecthelion, and had been taught much of it’s ancient history by teachers in school and especially their father and mother, who were both archaeologists. Their parents were especially interested in the five thousand- year- old ancient legends, which had been passed down through the centuries, of the Third and Fourth Ages. The battles that had been waged for the freedom of all Middle Earth from the evil Sauron, the honor given the Hobbits of the Shire by the blessed King Aragorn and the saving of Middle Earth and all it’s inhabitants in these times were grand legends now. The fifteen- year -old twins had memorized just about every legend that they had heard. Now they would have a chance to help their parents in the attempt to discover some of the artifacts associated with these grand stories. Their parents wished to prove that these weren’t just myths and legends but actual events which had occurred centuries ago. They would be traveling by air-car to the location where their Father, Anor Calimir was located on an excavation, and before too long they were on one of these vehicles. It floated on a cushion of air along the long band of silver, which stretched along the countryside. The band was made of mithril, mined by the Dwarves in their various mines in Middle Earth. It had been discovered that it could withstand the weather extremes better than any other material yet found. Anborn looked out of the window at the tall Tower of Echthelion, as it grew further away. Although many newer inventions and ideas had come, and some had gone from Middle Earth, the city, he had been told, was much as it had been in ancient days. Of course there were modern conveniences now, but his father had taken he and his sister down long underground passages several times to show them into what seemed to him another age altogether. Ancient, yellowed, dusty manuscripts were carefully protected from the ages here in these rooms with atmospheric controls and in special containers. They had poured over some of them, learning the wonderful history of this continent and he had written reports for school about them. It seemed rather strange to the students that there had been no Hobbits, Elves or Dwarves in Minas Tirith as students at that time, at least not very many. Now, there were all types of people from Middle Earth in their school, as well as all over. “No Hobbits!” he thought to himself. His best friend was Grimmon, and he was a Hobbit. He also had lots of Elven friends, as well as Dwarves, although many, he had been told by the history teacher as well as his father, had left Middle Earth long ago. There had been a few who had stayed behind, had refused to leave and began their families. Some of every type had moved to Minas Tirith for one reason or another, but usually for work, either in the city or on the farms in the surrounding area. It didn’t take very long to fly to their father’s location and soon they were on the archaeological site. It was west of the city in a mountain range, which had at one time been very high, but now had eroded into little more than foothills. They were rugged still and in the winter more or less inaccessible. That was why they were working on it in the summer months. This was just fine with the two teens, as they had no school. The area was not too far from the beaches of white sand and the sea. Tents had been set up for the crews involved in digging, as well as the large tent that would be the laboratory to wash and investigate the artifacts, which they hoped to discover. The twins were impatient to start on the site. They stowed their gear in the tents, Anborn on one side of the encampment while Anoreth was situated on the other. They then met by the lab tent and were escorted up the hills to the area on which the dig was in progress, each given a trowel and a small brush and shown an area between two squares of heavy string. The area had all been surveyed earlier and divided into these roped off squares. Each would be carefully excavated by the diggers and anything found would first be drawn and photographed ‘in situ’ [where they lay] before being recorded and taken to the lab tent. Father had told them that he and other archaeologists believed that at one time there had been a great monument and building here. But, in the ages since, it had totally disappeared. They hoped to find remnants of these and the twins could hardly wait to get started. They each wanted to be the first to find something! “Let’s take a break,” Anborn said as he turned to his sister. “It’s been hours since we got here and I’m thirsty. I forgot to bring my water back with me after lunch.” His twin nodded in agreement and both began to carefully climb from the squares that they had been assigned when Anoreth suddenly stopped and stooped over to look at something. “Anborn, come and look at this,” she called to her brother who had already started down the path. “Can’t it wait, Anoreth?” he complained with a sigh. He knew it would do no good to ask her to wait. Anyway, there was an urgency in her voice that told him she may have found something. He turned and went over to where she was kneeling examining something on the ground. “What do you think you’ve found,” asked Anborn as he, too kneeled beside his sister. “I’m not sure. There seems to be something that used to be inside a small bag. See,” she said as she brushed away the dirt carefully with the camel’s hair brush given to her. There was an object emerging from the dirt. “I saw a glint as I was getting up. The sun must have reflected from it. Go ahead Anborn and get you water. I’m going to stay and see what this is. While you’re at it tell someone that I might have found something.” “No way, Anoreth. If you stay then so do I. Besides, I want to see what it is!” With that her brother got down on his knees and also began to gently brush away the talus, which partially covered what ever this was. After working feverishly for at least half an hour, both too engrossed to even speak, the object began to clearly show its self. The two stared with awe as an exquisite, gleaming, gold dagger came into view. It was in a sheath, also of gold. There were strange writings on the sheath, but they were too frightened of ruining something to draw the dagger from the sheath. They would have to take it to the lab and have a specialist do it. Hollering for someone to come over they showed what they had found, without moving it. The person they had shown their discovery made her way down to the camp to get a camera and the artist, as well as tell the others while the twins waited. The other digger had given Anborn her container of water so this was not a problem any longer. They relaxed and waited for the others to return. Suddenly, with no warning the ground began to tremble. The twins grabbed each other in fright and instinctively Anborn snatched the sheath and blade they had just found. The mound on which the site was located began to heave, cracked and both began to sink into a pit, which was opening up beneath them. They scrambled to get out but to no avail and both fell downward into blackness. Anoreth awoke dizzy and confused. She had no idea how long she had lain here on the cold, damp, dirt beneath her. It was dark, but there was a strange glow, which barely gave off enough light to notice that her brother was a ways from her. She inched her way carefully to her brother and shook him gently. “Anborn, are you all right?” she whispered in a trembling voice. A slight moan told her that he at least was still alive. “What happened?” groaned her twin as he rolled over to face her. “All I remember is an earthquake, or something.” “I don’t know,” returned his sister, still whispering. “The ground just caved in and here we are. Do you suppose we’re trapped in some kind of cave-in?” Carefully sitting up Anborn looked around. “What’s that glow? Where’s it coming from?” Anoreth searched the gloom for a few seconds. “It seems to be coming from some sort of rock right over there.” She pointed a few paces away from them. “It’s glowing!” “Ouch,” exclaimed Anborn. “There’s something under me,” and he rolled over to discover an ancient dagger partially buried beneath him. He wiggled it loose and picked it up. “There’s some sort of symbols written on it but I can’t see well enough to really study them, Anoreth. Where are we anyway?” Again she answered him. “I don’t know. We seem to be in some type of cave underneath that mound we were working on. Can you walk?” she asked as she managed to get to her feet. Gingerly her brother sat up and got to his feet. “Yes, I think everything is working,” and he patted himself to make sure. “I can’t feel anything broken and nothing hurts very much. Just a few bruises I guess. How are you?” “I’ll make it. I just don’t know where to start. This place has nothing to tell what it is. No inscriptions that I can see. But then it’s too dark to see much.” And with this she picked up the reddish, glowing crystal in her hand. As she did it turned from the red glow to a brilliant, bright blue-white glow that lit the entire cavern where they had been deposited. “Let’s see that dagger, Anborn.” He held it out for her to examine. “It looks like some type of ancient Elvish that was in some of the manuscripts that Father showed us in the old crypts at Minas Tirith! I wish I had paid a little more attention to them.” “Should we stay here?” asked Anborn. “I’m sure someone will be trying to rescue us soon.” “I’d at least like to see where we are and what this place is,” replied his sister. “Let’s explore just a little. That wouldn’t hurt would it?” “Well, I guess not. We can stay near I suppose. I’d like to see this place, too. Take that with you for light,” and he pointed to the glowing crystal. “I’m going to keep this dagger just in case we might need it!” With this the two began their exploring, although slowly. They were just a little unsure of where they were, but they wanted to find out, that was certain, and both had mixed feelings, too. They were both wary as well as excited. _____________________________________________________________________ In the encampment people were streaming out of their tents and up towards the area in which the mound had been located. It had completely disappeared into the earth leaving a huge, gapping hole, but the dirt from the sides had filled it partway making it impossible to see any deeper. Anor Calimir quickly called for aid from the city of Minas Tirith. Emergency crews would have to be dispatched immediately. TO BE CONTINUED......

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