Friends of Nimrodel: Tapestry of Dreams

[Orual]

Ravion frowned as they approached Aeron's home. It was run-down and little more than a hovel. He glanced at the boy, who was determinedly refusing to look at him. What sort of place was this to grow up in?

"I will go in alone. She does not care for strangers," Aeron said as he walked into the house. Ravion, who had stepped forward to accompany him into the house, fell back and went back to Mellonin and Raefindan.

He ran his fingers through Gond's mane, clumsily combing out the knots and tangles. The horse looked at him with liquid brown eyes, and Ravion smiled. "We'll be back on the road soon," he promised in a whisper. Gond bobbed his head, and Ravion leaned against his neck.

Aeron was taking a long time. Ravion, impatient and a little worried, hummed an old Rohirric tune. He had learned it from a young Rohirric soldier he had fought alongside. It was traditional to sing it before a battle: haunting, wistful, in a minor key, it matched his temperment well. He didn't feel like singing it outright yet. This was not a battle. Yet.

Finally Aeron came out, with his younger sister in tow. "Ravion, Raefindan, and Mellonin, this is my sister Gwyllion," he said curtly. Ravion inclined his head politely, but Gwyllion was not paying attention to him. Instead, she was staring with rapt attention at Raefindan.

"His hair is red!" she exclaimed in wonder. Ravion snorted and turned to pretend to adjust something on Gond's saddle to mask his mirth.

Then Gwyllion skipped towards Ravion and curtsied deeply, saying, "Ravion, my brother’s liege."

She curtseyed again, leaving Ravion somewhat bemused. She then went closer to Gond and started stroking his muzzle. With a confused look on his face, Ravion studied her.

His first impression was that she was a little...strange. Very gregarious, to be sure. Open. Innocent. That might be a problem. He'd have to find a way to keep her from talking to everybody they came across. A search mission like this involved lying low and keeping quiet. She was petite, somewhat messy. His eyes went towards her hands, still stroking Gond. A bloodstained bandage was wrapped around one of her fingers.

"Gwyllion, come here," he said, and the girl, with a slight frown, went to him. He found a small bag of bloodmoss and took a pinch out, then unwrapped her bandage slowly, carefully.

"Well-wrapped bandage, Aeron," he said shortly, not looking at Aeron. "Good and tight. Bloodmoss will stop the flow of blood and help healing, though, so it is generally a good idea to put a little in between the bandage and the wound. Hand cuts bleed a lot. Rarely dangerous, but always messy." After putting the herb against the cut, he wrapped the bandage back around Gwyllion's finger.

"There," he said, knotting the bandage. "You can't be so careless," he added in a much rougher voice. He needed to make sure that they would listen to him, and heed what he said. This would not be an easy trip. "Every bit of bloodmoss that I use on you is a bit of bloodmoss that we won't have if something serious happens. I won't fault you for injuries sustained if there is a battle, or an accident. But I will hold you accountable for injuries sustained from carelessness or silliness. I am bringing you for your brother's sake, and I am bringing him for his oath's sake. We are all going for Mellonin's sake. I will not have your carelessness bringing danger onto us. You'll have a lot to learn, and I expect you to be a quick study."

He turned back to Mellonin. "I suggest we put some miles behind us," he said mildly.

[mark12_30]

Mellonin nodded at Ravion. "By all means." Then she reached out a hand to Gwillion. "But don't you have anything you'd like to bring with you? A cloak perhaps, and an extra dress? Perhaps some of your brother's clothes?"

She turned to Aeron. "We did bring a water bottle and blankets for her, and food. But we have no cloak or clothes for her."

Aeron nodded, and said, "Watch her, please." Mellonin nodded; at the moment, Gwillion was entranced with Gond, and chatted happily with him. Aeron returned shortly with an awkward bundle of things tied up in a thick but tattered blanket.

Mellonin sighed, hoping that the bundle would prove useful, worrying that it might not. Then she smiled. Likely enough, a thiief learns what is needful for a journey.

And if not, they would have to make do.

Ravion gave Raefindan some orders, and Raefindan took the lead. Ravion gestured that Aeron should be next. Aeron took Gwillion's hand, and she walked by his side.

Mellonin followed; then Ravion with Gond. Gond perked up once they left the village, and his stride lengthened and his eyes brightened. Every now and again, a cheerful snort misted Ravion's clothing. As always, Ravion considered it a token of affection.

[Imladris]

Aeron nodded to Mellonin and dashed into the little hovel to gather Gwyllion’s things. It would have been useless to have told Gwyllion to pack her own things. She would have insisted that she did not need a thing, that people who bring luggage are silly and then, when she would lie shivering in the chill nights, would admit that she should have brought a blanket or another cloak or two.

On a dusty, splintering desk, was a silver comb. Ratty brown hair was snarled about the twines and he was sure that he saw the carcass of a sort of six legged bug buried within the tangled nest. He tore the hair from the comb and let it drift to the floor unheeded. Clothes were scattered across the floor, and he inspected these one by one. A pair of breeches, a white blouse, a brown cloak, and her green dress would do well enough for her.

As he packed, he was glad that Gwyllion had not thought of a saucy reply for Ravion’s rebuke of her carelessness. It would have caused trouble if she had -- for once she had controlled her tongue.

Striding to the farther end of the room, he put his right heel to his left toe and began to count his foot lengths under his breath. On the count of five, he wavered precariously, and tumbled to the floor, cursing under his breath. He repeated the process and on the tenth foot length, he kneeled, and pried a rotten board from the floor. A musty, mold ridden silk bag was nestled under it, and Aeron snatched it and tossed it with Gwyllion’s clothes. He did not savour the idea of begging for their meat.

Stuffing the clothes and money into a blanket, he trotted back to the company and tossed the bag to Gwyllion, who, in turn, tossed it back to him.

Ravion glowered at them and Aeron obeyed the command that glowed from his green eyes. Ravion arranged them in a neat little order, and Aeron took Gwyllion’s hand.

“This will not be much of an adventure, I fear,” Gwyllion whispered. “Still…” she sighed and her eyes softened. “Thinking that one is an elf…how wonderful.”

“How unfortunate, you mean,” Aeron returned. “Thinking that you are an elf and being an elf are two entirely different things.”

“I suppose so,” she said.

“Nothing about this trip is wonderful,” Aeron said. “I cannot steal, and we cannot misbehave.” He sighed and tossed the Gwyllion’s bundle to her. She caught it, and then threw it lightly back to him. Aeron stepped away from her and threw it again. “We have nothing to amuse us but a mindless, unchallenging game of catch.”

“Which is better than nothing,” Gwyllion said.

[mark12_30]

Gwillion and Aeron continued their game of catch. Minas Tirith was receding into the distance, and Mellonin looked back at it often. The only time she had ever left it, she had gone south, and then only as far as Emyn Arnen in South Ithilien. Watching Minas Tirith dwindle gave her a sinking, yet exciting feeling.

Ravion noticed each time she turned, and tried to hide his smile.

I will not let him doubt my courage. I will not. So each time, she gave him a brave nod, and turned her face northwestward again.

They crested a low rise, and Raefindan looked back at Ravion. He pointed, and they turned a little more westward. The Anduin glimmered off to their right. And as they descended the hill, Minas Tirith was for a while hidden from their view.

Mellonin set her face northwestward, squinted into the setting sun, and marched. Sheep and cows grazed on the hillsides. Off in the distance, she heard a warning bark.

Gond snorted; Ravion looked for the sound. But Aeron turned toward Gwillion, and Mellonin wondered why. The bark got louder and closer, and Gwillion's fright increased.

[Imladris]

Short sharp barks. Dogs did bad things -- they ripped throats from victims. Bloodied chunks of flesh would hang from their yellowed fangs, which would be revealed by black lips curled back in a growling snarl. She swallowed, trying to quell the heart that increased from a soft patter to bounding leaps.

At that moment a scrawny creature with bright, brown eyes slunk from the underbrush. He snarled, revealing only one yellowed fang instead of two. Mud clung to his fur, and bound his tail to his hind legs. With a sharp box, he sat down in the middle of the path, and stared at them. He licked his chops, just as if we are a platter of raw steak swimming in blood…

[mark12_30]

Raefindan chuckled. "Well, hello, old fellow. Have we been trespassing? Look at you. You need a bath. Come here. It's all right."

Ravion looked worriedly at the redheaded man, and frowned. Gwillion said in a soft but shrill voice, "Don't touch him. He'll rip your throat out. Don't go near him!"

Raefindan turned to look at Gwillion, and said, "He's not happy, but he's not rabid. Don't worry, Gwillion." Turning back to the mongrel he spoke in a gentle, high voice. "Come here, old fellow. It's all right. Come on."

The dog whined, shifted his front paws, stood, sniffed and approached Raefindan step by step.

"That's it, old fellow. You're okay. Good boy."

"He'll bite you, " Gwillion said, moving to hide behind her brother.

"Hush, Gwill. Wait and see," said Aeron.

Raefindan let the dog sniff his hand, knelt down and scritched his ears. THe one-fanged dog licked his hand.

Raefindan stood, and nodded to Ravion, who waved him on. Gond gave the dog a worried look. As Raefindan marched forward, the dog began to follow, jumping and licking Raefindan's hand.

"We're not feeding him too," Ravion growled. "Go on. Be off!"

The dog eyed Ravion warily, and trotted resolutely after Raefindan. Gwillion kept her brother between her and the dog at all times. But the dog was interested only in Raefindan. Despite numerous attempts to run him off, he followed the rest of the day. The little band walked until the stars were out, and they came to a stream, where Ravion ordered them to camp for the night.

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

The horses began moving at a steadily quicker pace than before, and Bellyn wondered at this sudden change and spurt of motivation in the animals. Amroth intrigued her as well -- his outward approach at things contrasted the way he spoke -- it was so strange to Bellyn. Still, the group soldiered on northward, with the somehow refreshed horses and quiet atmosphere. Liornung did his best to lighten the mood, and he sang songs that delighted Bellyn and always brought a hint of a smile to Ædegard's lips. Amroth was quiet and contemplative, and Bellyn went through different ideas in her mind that might explain what he would not.

"I wonder why such bad luck fell upon him," Bellyn wondered aloud to Liornung as he paused for a while between merry and somber songs.

"What do you mean?" Liornung inquired, and Bellyn sighed as she watched Amroth in front of her. Bellyn didn't get to know very many people, but she her imagination was always running away and always found explanations and reasons for everything. While drawing and sketching, she liked to make up stories for what was portrayed on the paper -- it made her feel better about being alone drawing maps in random Inns.

Snapping out of her reverie, Bellyn looked back at Liornung, matching his gaze with her own. "Well, bad luck, right? He says he lost his betrothed when she did not show at their meeting place. Do you think she purposefully left him there? Or did something horrible happen to her? Maybe she is looking for him too, and we are heading in the opposite direction from her, and she is going right past us, right over that hill! What do you think, Liornung?"

"I think you have a very active imagination," Liornung replied, chuckling softly as his voice trailed off. Bellyn's face showed that she was slightly offended, though she did not mean to be so. Liornung caught the look and stopped laughing, quick to make sure Bellyn did not feel offended anymore. "I did not mean it badly, of course. It is a good thing to have such intellect. It makes people think about possibilities they never thought were, well...possible."

"Again, I must compliment you on your people skills," Bellyn reiterated, remembering their conversation earlier. "It is admirable that you are so quick to realize how people feel. How do you think Amroth feels now, being without his loved one? And Ædegard, following Amroth on what might be a slightly wild goose chase? In fact, how do you feel going out now on this journey?"

"This journey will teach me much, as much as it will teach you." Liornung said, smiling.

"I suppose. In any class, I'm glad to be here right now, wherever it leads..." Bellyn agreed, copying Liornung's smile.