[Novnarwen]

Tanroth

A few hours had passed when Solondil woke Tanroth up. With a steady hand, he shook his fellow elf. "It's past mid night," Solondil assured Tanroth. "You should have waken me earlier," Tanroth grunted, while smiling. Solondil made a short laugh and helped Tanroth up. "It's been quiet all night," Solondil reported. Tanroth wondered why Solondil was standing guard alone. The elf answered that he was fine with it. "Besides, what can possibly happen?" he asked and laughed again. Tanroth nodded, and made his was towards some trees, whishing Solondil a good night.

The stars shone like silver stones in the black night. Tanroth shivered as he thought about that this night was one of his last in Middle-earth. It wasn't a saddening thought, though. It was quite the opposite. He would finally meet his parents again, and he would be given the grace of the Valar; to spend eternity in Valinor, the Undying Lands.

For a while Tanroth just focused on this thought. It was an encouraging thought, a thought that made everything so easy! So obvious! He was going!

*****

The elf sharpened his ears. The night was growing old, and the sound of a branch braking made Tanroth grab his bow without hesitation. "Hello?" he said, having an odd feeling. The horses neighed and some tried to loosen themselves from the rope that tied them to the high trees. "Calm down," Tanroth said with a comforting voice, as soon as he reached them. From the corner of his eyes he could see movements in the other direction and without warning he spent his bow and turned, "Who are you?" he said loudly. He had raised his voice, and it was now filling the air.

A small figure approached in front of Tanroth. He had blue eyes with curly brown hair. The fat stomach hung out into the air and made the man look huge, even though he wasn't more than a few inches tall. Tanroth drew the conclusion; this was one of these Haflings who lived here.

"What do you want, Hafling?" Tanroth said, biting his lip. This was not a challenging situation; he was an elf with a bow, faster than any Hafling with a stomach like that; he was a Hafling with.... nothing.

"I would ask you the same," the Hafling answered, taking no heed to the spent bow. He went over to where Tanroth was standing and clapped one of the horses. "This one is strong," he said, smiling.

The elf grew surprised about this haflings 'courage'. The Hafling surely had to know better. A few paces away there were eight elves sleeping, and they could wake up any moment. "I'll give you a few seconds to explain yourself, or I'll wake my companions up, and they won't be this patient," Tanroth said impatiently. For some reason he felt as if he was panicking. It was odd really, when he was armed and ready to shoot any moment when the Hafling made one 'wrong' move, and still he was the one who felt threatened.

"There are many of you," the Hafling started after a while. He blinked and continued;" It's kind of disturbing. The inhabitants here are starting to believe something is happening. Something bad." Tanroth pondered about these words for a few seconds before he lowered his bow.

"Many?" Tanroth asked, muttering. The Hafling laughed, and turned his head towards Tanroth's sleeping companions. "Ah," Tanroth said, "But that's just us; nine in total," he continued.

The Hafling didn't laugh more now. A serious look came upon him and made him look like as if had turned angry. "What about the two of you who came to the Inn?" Tanroth laughed, and stood unsympathetically to the Hafling's question. "All I am saying is; you're scaring us. You're strangers. Just keep your mischief out of our village."

"What Inn?" Tanroth asked, still looking completely lost. The Hafling started explaining again. "I know that you know. But I'll give you the whole story if you insist," he said and muttered something about that this was ridiculous.

Tanroth sharpened his ear again and listened. The hafling started telling: "Two days ago," he started. He continued by telling Tanroth about two people, such as Tanroth, had turned up at the local Inn. They were odd looking, "Like you, that is," he said. The two Elves had been leaving in haste the day after, but still, when two strangers such as them had appeared in the village, people had been frightened. "And it doesn't exactly help, when you and your... Companions... show up the next day. What are you up to?" he said, now having a harsh tune in his voice.

Tanroth stood with his mouth wide open. At first he couldn't believe it. It was so unreal.

Two Elves? Two Elves? Two Elves?

The words rang in his Tanroth's ears, making him want to drop dead at the ground and keep his ears shut. "What?" he stammered with great difficulty. The Hafling looked at him with pity. "Their names?" Tanroth managed to press forwards.

The Hafling didn't answer at once. "Hmm, they never told.. I think," he said. Tanroth sat down. "Oh wait!" The Hafling called after a minute. "One was named.... Sira...Siralil? .... Yes, Siralil it was," he continued, having a certain fire in his eyes now.

"Now, get your horses and get out of here," he said at last, waving the Elf off.

The Hafling disappeared into the dark, meanwhile Tanroth sat in the grass; he had figured it all now, he had solved the riddle.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 1:06 PM December 16, 2003: Message edited by: Novnarwen ]