“One Feather to rule them all
One Feather to guide them
One Feather to win it all
And in the Hilliness, conquer them”

The Lord of the Feathers – The Two Mountains

It began by the crafting of the great flock! Three birds were driven out from multiple races, well-built, over-trained, over-raced machines. Two birds were casted from the OG roles, returning from their long-lasting slumber. And one, one feathered bird came from the plains of man, who above all else, desired the power to fly! Through within these birds was found all the motivation, willpower and determination to have fun, but they were all of them deceived, for another rolling hills course was amidst! In the land of Watopia, at the slopes of the Hilly KOM, a master Feather was made! Within this Feather was the power to overperform and have fun like no other herd had before! And so, our fellowship was born, intended to secure feathered victory and achieve the utmost pleasure out of the murderous flock of crows!

That’s where I come in. For by chance of fate, and the will of a very special lady (@Lisa), I was made captain to the most outstanding flock of crows the MiddleZwift had ever witnessed! Our fellowship was formed by the longstrider ranger @Darren, the gravity-warrior @Andy, the lady of the lake @Wendy, the elvish archer @Kevin, the brave crossbreed @Maik, and yours truly, the talkative hobbit captain @Pedro. Armed with the will to conquer the Two Mountains and restore peace to MiddleZwift, our companions set afoot after a 4 minute delay certainly caused by the orcish hordes of Barad-dûr and by those dreadful Orthanc Uruks!

The fellowship of feathered black birds took the plain city side and underground Moria-like tunnels of Watopia with bravery and companionship, always honoring the Crows’ number one rule: have fun! @Andy and @Darren concentrated their strength and pulled us, occasionally helped by the captain, who could not simply believe the unity and companionship with which the crows were tackling the course! Even when an occasional pack of mischief orcs would attempt to split the group, such as it happened on the gravel outskirts of the Marina, our crows were relentless and fought back to keep a tidy flock. Our crossbreed fellow @Maik, recently converted into a hybrid Hyena-Crow, was specifically stunning, reaching far above their normal hyena standards for a complete lift off with the black feathered flock!

The first ten minutes flew by as the Crows took their plight, when the first Mountain stood their ground for a nice challenge. Orthanc, also commonly referred to the Hilly KOM Reverse, was the first real danger posed by Sauron, Saruman and the descendants of Morgoth. However, even they could not withstand the alliance between the Quendi (Elves), the Dúnedain (Men), the Khazâd (Dwarves) and the Hobbits! As if powered by the strength of a thousand generations, our companions vanquished the mountain in a solid unit following the lead of longstrider ranger @Darren and the gravity-warrior @Andy. Nevertheless, it was not without the first signs of casualties. Morgul arrows flew past the companions as they fought their way up the Orthanc’s road, hitting our beloved archer @Kevin. Some say he had to leave due to some storm outside his home, but those of us who sweat and wept beside him know the true tale! No storm could have retrieved our archer from the companionship he’d embraced! Alas, as fate would have it, he would receive the Quendi healing spell and rejoin the fight in spirit rather than in form. Our Mellon would not be forgotten, that was a certainty!

Our companions were now faced by the tumultuous Esses’ environment, where the gravity-warrior @Andy would make occasional surges to secure the flock’s momentum. Many compliments must also be given to longstrider, @Darren, and @Wendy, who would take turns and maintain constant communication throughout the Rohan plain fields. With the imponent image of the black mountain, Barad-dûr (some folks might call this one the Hilly KOM), our brave Crows were sharpening their blades, reading their axes, and preparing for a glorious assault to finally defeat the Morgul hordes. Once more the flock flew underneath the looms of Khazad-dûm, avoiding the infamous Ballrog, and arose up the foot of Barad-dûr as a solid flock of five Crows.

Beaks sharpened, daggers and swords ready for combat, our flock took the slopes of Mount Doom and the battlements of Barad-dûr, relinquishing many orcish and Uruk elements from their mortal encapsuled and onto their better spirit forms. Atop the climb, Sauron and Saruman had joined forces and were amidst deploying their finest when our brave companions took them by surprise and finally defeated that evil peril. In so doing, they secured the One Feather, symbolizing the peace of MiddleZwift and securing a place of honor for our endearing fellowship companions.

Relieved by their successful endeavor, and completely resolute in their willingness to maintain the fellowship until the very end, Crows flew through the descents and plain fields of Watopia as a single unit. Much laughter and great spirit was had in the communication, ending with a friendly sprint until the end banner. With a respectful time of 50min16s, our feathered flock of crows felt grateful for a fabulous adventure! Who knows what the next adventures of our fellowship will hold?

As it begins, it also ends with the word of this little, blabbering, hairy feet of a captain. Despite many attempts of splitting the flock, the fellowship remained a unit until the very end. The role of a captain is as difficult as the fellow companions with which they must deal with. In my case, the role could have been easier. The Herd of Crows made this ride one of the most fun entertaining in memory, for which I could only extend my deepest gratitude. As we Crows use to say, there are only three rules for taking part in the Herd of Crows: (i) have fun, (ii) don’t die, and (iii) remember the first two rules. This flock took the rules to heart, and I thank each and everyone one of you for the fantastic ride!

HERD: The Herd of Crows
Date: 16.06.2022
Event: WTRL Team Time Trial #165
Course: Figure 8 Reverse (1 Lap – 30.19Km – 234m)
Finish Time: 50m16s

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/ppBp7ceJTu8

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