Eruwen left Callo to himself as the company was called for a quick meeting. Being advised to pack lightly and meet at midnight across the river that ran near Thranduil's halls. After the meeting was over, Eruwen walked outside onto the street once again. Mírie was still standing in the place she had left her steed, and Eruwen was glad to see her again. As Eruwen looked through her belongings that were tied to her horse securely, she saw that indeed she already had her bow and arrows already with her. She pulled a small dagger from another pouch and stuck it in a sheath secretly hidden within her boot.
As she also took her cloak from atop Mírie’s saddle and placed it around her own shoulders, Eruwen remembered one item that she had left at home...her grandfather’s flute. She sighed as she remembered her words to her brother about not going home again.
But I don’t want to have to say goodbye, she thought as she lent slightly again her steed. The flute is outside anyway. Perhaps I can just sneak by, grab it, and return here without anyone knowing. Oh, but if my father sees me, he will try everything in his power to get me to stay. But I must retrieve it. I cannot go without it.
Silently Eruwen quickly mounted Mírie and headed back for home. She raised the hood of her mantle as she approached the house so that possibly if she was to be seen, they would mistaken her as just another Elf and not stop her. She rode around in the forest nearby the house until she was closest to where she thought she had left the flute. As she alighted her steed as carefully as she could, she began to quietly walk over towards a tree that stood just feet from the bench her flute was lying on. Just when she was about to come out from hiding behind the tree and grab the flute, he father appeared. He stormed out of the house as if in some sort of rage, and made his way over to the bench Eruwen’s flute was upon.
Eruwen quickly hid once again behind the tree hoping to not be seen, but a faint sound caused her to become a little more inattentive. Her eyes widened as she realized the faint noise was her father’s own tears. Suddenly she heard him cry out aloud.
"Oh, Eru, what is happening!" he yelled now looking towards the sky. "My whole family is falling apart! Please protect my sweet daughter until she returns. Please let her return to me!"
Eruwen almost began to cry as she stood and listened to his words, but she remembered that she did want to go with the company, so she remained silent.
"And look," her father began again. "She has left her grandfather’s flute as well. Oh this is not well, for she goes nowhere without it."
Suddenly Eruwen began to hear the music of the flute. She turned her head slightly around the tree to see her father playing as tears were still streaming down his face. She sighed and slowly walked out from behind the tree.
"And to retrieve it is why I am here," she said softly as her father looked up at her in amazement. "I...I wasn’t going to come back before I set out with the company, but...I did need my flute. For, as you said, I can go nowhere without it."
Her father smiled merrily as he handed the flute to his daughter. Eruwen placed it around her belt where it could be hidden behind her cloak, and looked up at her father.
"I’m not going to stop you," he said to her surprise. "I know how much you want to do this, and I will let you go."
Eruwen muttered a faint "thank you" as she gave her father a short hug.
"Don’t worry, father," she said. "I will return. I promise you."
Saying these last few words, Eruwen ran off towards Mírie and mounted her steed. She waved goodbye to her father and her brother who now was outside the house and rode off. The ride back to Thranduil’s halls was short for she rode now at an extremely quick pace. Her heart raced rapidly as she thought of the dangers that soon await her and the rest of the company. Still having much time before they actually set out, Eruwen came upon the river and waited with another Elf who was already there. Soon they would indeed be setting out.
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