[Birdland]

Birdie and her party, (or what was her party, until Mithadan had come and spoiled it!) were at the first level, heading back towards The Lonely Star. Even the pony seemed chided, and plodded along slowly, head hung low.

"Well, what did you think of the city of Men, Kali?" Birdie asked the Hobrim. Kali's eyes were full of many emotions; delight, speculation, and a touch of sadness. Bird had the feeling that hobrim, or at least this hobrim, wase a little more introspective then the average halfling. "It was most beautiful, Bird-eee. I am glad we came, though your friends seem angry at you."

"Oh, they'll get over it, Kali. They always do. Here!" Birdie reached and plucked a yellow flower from a wildly climbing vine growing over an old crumbling wall. "Cities are indeed wonderful, but here is one of the true wonders of Middle Earth. It's called a rose. Smell it."

Kali held the rose to his face and sniffed tentatively, then with obvious delight. "It is beautiful! I have never smelled anything like this!"

"It's a yellow rose. That symbolizes friendship in the language of roses" explained Birdie."

Kali cradled the rose in his webbed hands, "I will keep it forever."

"Oh, Kali, you can't keep a rose forever. It will wither and die in short time. You can only keep the memory."

"Then the memory I will keep forever." declared the hobrim firmly. "Here, Lee-Van-to. Smell the rose."

But Levanto was not looking at the rose in the cart. He was craning his neck, looking back at the wall where the dozens of wild, yellow climbing roses was clinging. "Birdie, stop the cart, go back to that wall!"

Birdie pulled up the pony and looked back over her shoulder. "Do you see it! Back up!" urged the Mer-Man

Birdie carefully coaxed the pony to inch back to the crumbling wall. The first level of the city was, obviously, the first to be built, and the age of the wall testfied to that. It had guarded the house of some noble or sheltered lady in days long gone, but the ages showed the effects, even on such well-sculpted stone. The people of Minas Anor had done much to restore the city since the end of the war, but parts of the first level were still sadly neglected.

"There! Do you see it?" Levanto pointed to a carved bit of stone peaking through the vines. It was a face. A strikingly familiar face.

The three in the cart stared at the carving, then Birdie got down from the cart and started pulling more and more of the twining vines away and down from the wall, disregarding the thorns buried in the leaves. An ancient bas-relief carving was revealed as more of the branches were pushed back.

It was a carving of a ship, proudly riding the waves. Figures of mariners and passengers could be seen on the deck, one standing at the prow and pointing towards an Eastern sun. A star was carved on the single, stone sail.

Mer-folk could be seen riding the bow waves looking up at the lordly, but small band of Men and Women standing at the rails of the ship. One imitated the gesture of the Man on the prow, also pointing towards the East.

Behind the ship, dwarving it, yet protecting it, was the figure of a Valar. The familiar symbols and features of Ulmo, as he had been represented by artists through the ages. It was a work by an master carver, long hidden by the forces of nature, and in surprisingly fine condition.

But it was not the skill of the artist that held the eyes of all in the cart. It was two small figures who rode the waves at the feet of Ulmo, their arms raised towards the ship, (whether in entreaty or farewell could not be told.)

A male and a female. And the male bore a striking resemblence to Kali.

[ July 08, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]