[Mithalwen]

Gilthalion

A horse and rider enter the yard. The horse's dark coat and the dark raiment of it's rider blend into the night. The rider slipped soundlessly from his mount and approached the grey horse standing there. To some the figure might have brought back evil memories of some years ago when the Black Riders had come searching for Baggins but this was no evil servant.

"Well met at last, Aeglos my friend, where is your mistress?" . The voice marked the horseman as one of the eldar. And he did not need an answer for he saw what he sought through the tavern's window. An elf maid in the corner hunched over some papers lit by a guttering candle. He smiled a brief smile and made for the door.

Mithalwen had nearly finished her missives - to Camille, Marigold, and even the hardest one to Uien and was debating whether to leave a note for Snaveling when she felt again the strange sensation that she had been ignoring all day. She had assumed it was merely an awareness that some of her kindred were travelling through the Shire - certainly there were several even here at the inn - and she had had no clear impression that one was trying to reach her mind. But she also knew she had closed her mind when she had caught the edge of Uien's private storm. So again she ignored it and concentrated on her script " I will be at Wood Hall soon enough" she thought. She had a clear hand and for the child recipients she had decorated her letters with drawings of flowers and animals. She had nearly finished a very lifelike sketch of Aeglos on the corner of Marigold's letter when a familiar voice spoke quietly at her shoulder: "How much longer will you let that poor beast wait while you draw his picture?" .

She could not mistake the voice but neither could she believe she was hearing it in waking life, "Gilthalion! What are you doing here? "

"Looking for you". He sat down opposite her and cast back his hood. Although his hair was raven and hers silver their features mirrored each other; they had the same aquiline nose and high cheekbones, though the maid's were finer drawn than the man's, and the same grey eyes stared at each other, one set with amazement the other with amusement.

"But you don't travel - surely the last time you left Imladris was Third Age 1975?" Mithalwen teased.. Gilthalion narrowed his eyes - it had taken about a minute for the childhood pattern of sibling behaviour to reestablish itself despite their childhood being an age of the world away.

"I do not travel often by choice that is true - but it is not so long... I went to Minas Tirith for the wedding of the Lady Arwen - and you do not seem to pleased to see your brother". He watched her carefully - even after so long the word Gondor had the same effect on her as Mordor had on him. She elided the reference but he knew something had closed up inside her at the mention.

"Of course - I am delighted - I was coming to see you, but to meet you here is so strange... there is much to explain it seems" she answered.

"Indeed but first a drink - and food if they are serving still... have you eaten?"

Mithalwen shook her head ruefully " I spent all my money trying to help people.."

" Oh Mithalwen - you too have explanations - but first we will eat and I will pay". Gilthalion rose and went to the kitchen to see if there was anything left but before he did so, his sister rose and embraced him. For although these twain had their differences and been even sundered for a time, Gilthalion and his family were the only close kin Mithalwen had in Middle Earth and the bond between them was strong.