I was doing some cleaning in the basement over the summer when I came across a box of memories. Among other things in the box, I found a couple pieces of paper, folded together. On those pieces of paper were the drafts to an old adventure series I kept up with two dear friends. These adventures, were continuations of the Lord of the Rings. These two friends are the ones responsible for making me finally watch and read the LOTR series, and I ended up falling in love with it as much as they. As a group, we decided that we needed more, and what was already written was not enough. Therefore, we assigned each other characters, and started our own continuation of the series. We were very proud of our method.See, we employed the High Tech computer of Middle Earth as a means of recording and sharing our adventures. For example, one of my characters sits down at the computer to write out a letter to another character, and then something comes up to distract that character or some trouble comes up, and they have to leave the computer. That is the point when the computer takes over and starts recording everything that takes place. Eventually, the computer sends the message to whoever its intended recipient is. The computer always managed to come along on the adventures, whether the character was running off to battle, escaping someone, rescuing someone, exploring, etc. (But of course, we'd actually send those emails to everyone, so we could all keep up with the adventure.) From that point, someone else would pick up the adventure and continue it. What would be fun were the times when one person's characters were visiting another person's characters, and then the person in charge of the characters being visited got to include all the characters there in their next section of the adventure, not just their own characters. We had a lot of fun with all this. Of course, we were much younger, and looking back on it, haha, a lot of it was pretty silly and almost embarrassing. I do not remember what adventure was going on that required this ransom note, but here are the two drafts of it that I found. I'm thinking the (tbd) at the end meant that I had not yet decided who was sending the note..... I'm assuming that I eventually did, before I typed the final version and sent it. Following the ransom notes is a draft of a section in some adventure. It really is quite silly, but it is kindof fun to look back at what we wrote.
My Lord Imrahil,
If you value the life of your daughter, you will follow my every order with the utmost precision. You will leave all your troops behind, unarmed, and with orders to do all my bidding. You will come, with only one servant for the lady, to the place my messengers will show you. There, if you relinquish your throne and right to call yourself prince to me, your life and your daughter's will be spared. If you wish the life of my lord, the King Eomer, to be spared as well, just hope his men will comply with my terms. I look forward to our meeting.
Oh, and one more thing. You will not alert any of your friends or allies of your plight. That is, of course, if you value the life of your daughter.
Sincerely,
(tbd)
My Lord Imrahil,
If you value the life of your daughter you will follow my every order with the utmost precision. I have you surrounded by my troops, and if you show any resistance, they will destroy you and send runners to me, and I will have my men use L for target practice. Now, if you wish your life to be spared, and the life of your daughter, you will hang white sheets, rags, cloths, or what-have-you, out of all your windows, and surrender all your weapons to my men. Then you will go with the men who brought this message to the place they will show you. If you so desire, you may bring one servant, for milady. When you arrive at the designated meeting place, you will relinquish your throne and right to call yourself prince to me, and I will hand over your daughter to you. Oh, and one more thing. You are not to alert any of your friends or allies to your plight. Unless you wish to make your daughter's death slow and tortuous.
Sincerely,
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(next morning, the sun has barely risen.) My rest is disturbed by a slight rustling at the mouth of the cave. Eomer is sitting up and peering outside. Then he gets up, strings his bow, and silently leaves. Nothing happens. About an hour and a half later, Eomer comes back with two rabbits and some plants. He builds a small fire outside and starts - ugh! Oh how terrible! Oh! *gag* He's cutting the skin off those poor creatures! See how deftly his knife moves, he must be experienced! Oh, oh! *shudder* I can't watch this, thank goodness Lothiriel is still asleep! I shall just watch her in her peaceful sleep . . . Just as the smell of rabbit stew, ugh, starts wafting through the air, Lothiriel stirs, then sits up, yawning.
L- What is that smell! It smells delightful!
E- It is breakfast. Would you care to join me?
L- Yes, I believe I would. I don't remember when I ate last.
(They sit down and E dishes out some stew for them both)
L- How is it that you are so prepared?
E- I had to be prepared during the war of the ring. You never knew when you would be on the move.
L- Oh, you were in the army?
(Eomer looks sideways at her)
E-Yeah, I was in the army. Now, eat before it gets cold.
(pause)
L- This is good, may I ask what's in it?
E- Will- of course. There are rabbits, and there's-
L- *gasp*
Rabbits? You mean, dead rabbits?
E- I would hardly call them live. Why?
L- You, you killed rabbits? Sweet, furry, innocent, little bunny rabbits? And you're eating them! How, how-
E- I'm sorry if I offend you, but what would you have me do, let us starve? We have no idea how long we will be here, so it's either eat wildlife or starve. I apologize for putting it so bluntly, but there are no other options. You should finish your stew so we can get moving, not that we know where to go.
L- I, I've lost my appetite. I think I'll look around for some berries.
E- I think there were some over there. Don't go out of sight of the cave, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. We don't need to get separated now.
(Shortly afterward, E began cleaning up the breakfast mess and packed up their things. Just as he was saddling his horse, L came back with tell-tale stains on her hands and face.
E- (laughing) I see you found your breakfast, there's a little stream behind that hill you can wash in.
L- Thank you.
(After L washed and E packed up everything, E offers for L to ride his horse while he walks. She declines, saying she needs exercise.)
E- So, which way should we go? Obviously we won't continue in the direction we were travelling last night.
L- It doesn't really matter that much now I guess. We are hopelessly lost.
E- Nothing is hopeless, my lady, there is always hope.
(The start to move very slowly to the East. If they would only stop to pay attention to me, they would see that I have a built-in compass. I know where we are at all times, but no, computers don't know anything.
