[Child of the 7th Age]

Helen's post

Gamba's Journal on My Very Own Vellum, Written While Imprisoned in the Tombs of Numenor

3319 Second Age, Day #1

I get to have a songbook and diary of my very own and Phura, my brother, doesn't. That's because Loremaster says my runes are terrible and my poetry retention is worse. Loremaster thinks that this will improve them both. He says I must remember how lucky I am to be learning and to have a sheet of vellum. Most of our people are so busy making armaments and mining iron and digging graves for the king that they have forgotten all their lore. Many of them don't even have enough to eat.

For the record I'd better say that Phura is always very good to me and always helps me with my lessons. Loremaster says that is why Phura remembers every verse of every song, because he tries so hard to teach them to me. Of course, I am very grateful for all his efforts.

Sometimes I think Loremaster is sad. He says he is afraid what will happen to us if he would have to leave. But he is very brave, and I don't know why he would leave us.

Dorthonion's Isle so fresh and green
Still call us from across the sea
Though many waves lie in between
Still sweet our memories are of thee.

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3319, Second Age, Day #2

Phura says that the second line of the poem should read calls, not call. I don't want it to. I want Dorthonion to call me now. And I want to go back. But that was 64 years ago, and I'm not even sure of the way. Loremaster says we were free then, and could see the sky all the time, not just when we swim out from under the rock roof.

Then we tilled our land so sweet,
And wild we roamed the mountainside,
We sang and danced on merry feet
Under the sky so blue and wide.

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3319, Second Age, Day #3

Loremaster agrees with Phura and says it should be Calls. But I'm not going to change it and make my diary look messy. Loremaster laughed and said sometimes excess attention to superficial beauty costs us realism. Then Phura laughed too. I don't care. I'm not changing it.

And now beneath a rocky roof
We think of all our old beliefs;
We work, and sigh, and wish for proof
That hope remains, and freedom lives.

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3319, Second Age, Day #4

Phura says he's sorry for laughing at me yesterday. He says my diary does look nice. He says he wished we could go back too. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Loremaster is proud of Phura because he is learning an old hymn to Eru from one of the guards. I am not supposed to tell anyone. But they didn't say I couldn't write it down. Only Phura and Loremaser read this anyway. I keep it hidden so nobody will laugh at my runes. And this guard is nicer than the others. So I don't want him or my brother to get in trouble.

Phura says that the hymn to Eru made him feel less sad. I hope he'll teach it to me. I feel sad all the time since the new god moved into the temple at the top of Meneltarma. I have bad dreams every night. I don't know the hymn to Eru yet, but I'm going to write something cheerful for a change.

Lovely smile in moonlight beaming
Shining hair in starlilght gleaming
Darling Pio, Bright Pio,
Lovely Piosenniel.

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3319, Second Age, Day 5

Phura is always carrying on about the hobbits Nitir and Azra. He learned a poem about them and says that they will return one day to help set us free. I don't see how hobbit girls can do anything that important. He must be mistaken.

Anyways, I would rather meet an Elf. I asked Loremaster what an Elven maiden looks like. He says they are as tall as the men-guards, but beautiful; much more beautiful than anything we see down here. I'd like to see an elven maiden someday. Especially in the starlight. I wonder if she'd sing and dance for me.

Loremaster didn't say anything about Elven maids who carry swords, but I've heard all the tales about Piosenniel, and I know she fought as well as any man. If she were to come back, I'm sure she'd beat up on Ar-Pharazon and make him let us go.


Song and dance the heart enchanting
Ancient wisdom understanding
Thoughtful Pio, Wise Pio,
Noble Piosenniel.

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3319, Second Age, Day 6

Today I feel sad. I miss my mother and father. Sometimes I don't think about them too much, and some days I keep remembering them again and again. I guess today is just one of those "again and again" days. Loremaster says he will take good care of us and help us grow up to be hobbits they would be proud of. But I still miss them a lot.

I asked Loremaster what starlight looks like. He says that it's against the rules for us to swim at night so I can't see. It's against the rules for us to swim during the day too so I don't understand what difference it makes. Phura says it's more dangerous at night because you can't see where you are going. But I still don't know what starlight looks like. I saw the moon many times while I was swimming but they say it looks different at night and it shines by itself. I can't wait til I'm old enough to swim out at night. My only consolation is that Phura isn't old enough either.

I tried to teach Bungo how to write runes. I wanted to cheer him up. He spends all day making ropes and arrows for the king and says it's very boring. His runes look even worse than mine and he has trouble remembering what they mean. I wish I could help him remember.

Elven maiden stong and free,
Swift across the land or sea,
Bold Pio, fleet Pio,
Daring Piosenniel.

[ September 10, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]