[Arien]

Elenlith had been travelling for many days now. She rode upon Nimroch, her horse he was completely white, nimble fast and loyal. As she got closer to Bree she saw that the disease was far worse here than up north where she had been with the Rangers. She first saw the disease when hunting with Caranel, a male Ranger of her age. They had found a family of rotting deer. They reported it and scouts were sent out. They returned with the bad news, it was a disease that was spreading fast. Someone had to go to Bree and attended a meeting. Many volunteered but Elenlith was picked, she was not sure why for there were many that she considered more suited. But she didn’t complain.

The putrid smell hung in the air, no wind blew and it was almost unbearable. The sky was constantly grey, as though the weather mimicked the uneasy feeling around the land. The grass was no longer its pleasant green but a mucky brown, animals lay in the fields dead. Their owners too frightened to go out and bury them. The small amount of animals that were still alive were left to fend for themselves, they were sickly, mangy and thin. She looked at their sorry souls and whished she could help, but she did not know how. Her horse walked slowly past the carcass of a lamb, flies and maggots surrounded it, eating it away. Filth and dirt all around its body, it was truly disgusting.

“How is this so?” she whispered to Nimroch. “It was nigh on a month ago father and I travelled here, how has it got like this so quickly, so fast?”

He gave a soft neigh in reply. She patted his mane, he quickened into a gallop. As they sped up the smell disappeared a little but it was still there. It was all silent apart from the soft air brushing past them. Everyone was inside. As Elen came up a hill the scape of Bree stretched across the horizon, smoke circled out of the many chimneys and lights were dotted around. She wondered if they would have quarantine in place or whether she would be accepted into Bree. She knew very well that the townspeople would be sceptical about anyone knew, maybe they could be bringing a new disease even worse. Elen stopped. She dismounted and took out her canteen, she sipped the cold water inside. It had been a long time since she had eaten, and her stomach hurt. She refused to eat anything from the wild until she reached Bree just to be safe. She savoured the view for a moment than rode Nimroch to Bree.