[Elora]

Uien stood with her horse, awaiting Falco Boffin who was to emerge shortly. Her horse, a roan gelding she had named Thalion, flicked his tail from side to side. The stables were quiet this early. Uien's mind was not. There was so much unfinished business and she little liked it. She had been waiting to speak with Derufin but had been unable to. He was busy with old friends and it was not her way to interrupt such things.

Aman too was busy. They all were. She felt a pang of guilt at riding away when there was plainly so much work to be done. But she had given her word, for many reasons, and her word was all she had in these latter days. So, she'd left letters that she had written in the small hours of the night whilst she made final preparations, for Aman and Derufin. All she could do was hope that such would be enough.

Falco emerged from the inn and blinked at the early light as Uien heard a crow cawing. She had little chance to pay much heed to the crow's words, for Falco's appearance without Lumiel drew her attention.

"Well, I think she must have vanished in the night like the rest of them," Falco said as he neared, studying Uien's revised appearance. The worn dress was gone. In its place were well travelled suede breeches, a leather tunic split from hip to mid calf for riding and a simple cream shirt that Uien had tied up in readiness for the day's promised heat. With her hair braided back and gleaming pale gold in the morning, she really did look like an Elf.

Uien studied the windows of the Inn. "I'm sure Lumiel will be here. Did you find her last night?"
"No, I did not," Falco said as he unhitched his pony. "I expect she's found something better to do, a boating trip instead of a riding party. Whatever has happened, it's you and I now and the day's wasting. It's a long road to Bree."

Uien made no response to Falco's gibe. She worriedly studied the inn. "It's certainly long enough for her to catch us up on." With that, she swung up onto Thalion. Falco put his heels to his pony and urged her forward. Uien trailed behind, staring at the inn. It had been her home, truly, when she had long despaired of ever finding such a thing. Her letters seemed inadequate, but she would return to make better amends.

Ahead, Falco's voice floated back to her. "Now's no time for day dreaming!" Uien caught Falco up and the pair disappeared into the dawn. Behind, in the stables, Uien had left two things.

A delicate mallorn flower unfurled it's petals as if greeting a new day, fragile beauty incandesent. The carving sat on a note that read:

Derufin,

Take this as my troth to return and my thanks. I am endebted to you for your kindnesses unnumbered and gracious care. I do not yet know how long it will take to bring Eodwine back. I only know that I will do all in power to ensure he returns, alive.

May the Valar shine upon you, my friend, until next we meet. I do not bid you namarie.

~Uien Aduial~

Inside the inn, on the large wooden table sat another folded piece of paper, written with the same even flowing hand as that left in the stables. It read:

Aman,

Faithless it seems to depart without so much as a hand raised in farewell. You deserve far more than that from one you took in without so much as knowing if I could tie my own shoes.

It is my hope that I will return, and soon, to thank you as fits your generous friendship. I give you this promise. I leave to do whatever can be done for a stranger lost, and I will return to do whatever I can for friends found.

I trust to the Valar to watch well your Inn and those within it, including Cook's pantry and the honey especially.

~Uien Aduial~

On that, Uien had drawn a Green Dragon, such as she had painted upon the inn's hitching rail and embellished it with a rune. It was the only symbol she had that her word, at least was good, for it was the symbol used by her family down the long years. It was the Tengwar rune for the letter "E" which her family had taken to represent their hope, estel that some good and peace would endure the darkness of those earliest of days. It was the rune that had been marked on her fathers and brother's shields, and she gave it now to Aman so that she may hope as Uien did that Eodwine would be found.

[ October 27, 2003: Message edited by: Elora ]