Eorling Mead Hall - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 09-07-2006, 02:24 PM

Falco pursed his lips and pondered a moment. There's something false about this Trystan, sure as shine when the sun's out, Falco thought to himself. Seemed the boy always had a mask on, because every now and then it slipped; and Falco was nothing if he wasn't quick to mark such things. So much for pondering.

"Aye, you two go on ahead and I'll stay back with Garmund," Falco replied. Thornden eyed him suspiciously. "What're you lookin' at me like that for? You ought to be happy I let you come along at all! Garmund will be fine with me. Now go catch up the lad, can't you see he's leaving you behind?"

Thornden, still eyeing Falco, glanced to where Trystan had been; he was not there. He threw up his hands in consternation and set out at a run to catch up to Trystan.

Falco turned to Garmund who was again looking a little sullen. "There now, my boy, they've gone on a goose chase wild as you like. You want to see the man? I'll show him to you if you like."

Celuien · 09-07-2006, 06:59 PM

"I should like to see the man. Did you find him?" The idea of going to see the man slowly eased Garmund's sullenness, and the frown faded from his brow.

"Aye. So I did. Come along quick now. We wouldn't want them to catch us again, would we?" Falco grinned at the boy, and Garmund smiled in answer. The conspirators could go on together, now that Thornden was off on his wild goose chase.

Falco headed out of the circle, and Garmund hurried after, images of the coming meeting with the stranger filling his head.

littlemanpoet · 09-07-2006, 07:27 PM

The foliage was thick about them, spring well on its way to summer, and everything lush and green and making for good hiding at a pinch.

"Now I want you to understand something, Garmund," Falco said quietly as he led the boy down the path. Garmund was quiet on his feet for a a human, but Falco had to keep from wincing with what his sharp ears picked up of Garmund's solid tread. "This man will look different to you. See, he hides back here because folk fear him."

"Wh - why do they fear him? Is he bad?"

"Nay, not bad, but different. See, he was born with one set o' legs like you and me but he's twins on top."

Garmund stopped.

Folwren · 09-08-2006, 12:08 PM

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that a horse can’t be your friend. Æthel is one of the truest.”

Javan giggled rather humorously. “I know. My father thinks it’s ridiculous. He likes horses and doesn’t mind me being with them so much, but he doesn’t see how they can possibly be anyone’s friend. ‘They’re animals,’” he went on, his voice dropping into a deeper, imitation of someone’s voice (his father’s, presumably), “‘animals aren’t friends. They may seem to like you so long as you feed and water them and keep them groomed, but they couldn’t care less if you didn’t.’”

He rambled to a stop and gently stroked Æthel’s velvet-like nose. She was a very attractive horse, with warm, bright eyes, and a finely shaped head. He leaned against the wall, his hand still caressing her. “I wish I had my own horse. I don’t have one,” he explained with a sigh as Lèof’s glance showed surprise. “How did you get yours?”

Folwren · 09-08-2006, 12:09 PM

Thornden didn’t trust Falco and his innocent appearance of staying behind with Garmund. He kept looking back towards the hobbit and boy as long as he was in sight, but the thick foliage and trees and crumbling wall soon hid them. He walked in silence by Trystan’s side.

What was he even doing? He didn’t want to find the man! That hadn’t been his purpose at all, from the very beginning. He wanted to leave the stranger alone. A man unprovoked likely doesn’t do anything dangerous, and that’s exactly how Thornden wanted it. He stopped abruptly and plucked Trystan’s sleeve.

“Hold on, lad,” he said. Trystan turned towards him. “I don’t think we want to go hunting him. He didn’t mean any harm, I’m certain of it, and I don’t think he will cause any harm, unless he thinks he’s being hurt, or about to be hurt. If we go poking about this place he might get angry. He called it his place and therefore, I think, might consider our walking about it in search of him as trespassing.”

“But, we-”

“What makes you so anxious to find him anyway?” Thornden asked, interrupted Trystan before he had scarcely begun. “Is there any reason?”

Celuien · 09-09-2006, 07:25 AM

Garmund froze in his tracks to stare at Falco, unsure whether to believe the story or not. There had been nothing in Falco's voice to make Garmund think that he was being teased.

For Garmund had been told a story of two-headed giants, who, in times long forgotten, had dwelt among the wilds of the mountains in the North. The giants fell upon the Wold, stealing horses and burning farms until Aldhelm came with his bright sword and drove the giants back to the hills.

But that had been a child's story, told to Garmund and Lèoðern by their father as they sat around a fire and the evening shadows grew deep around them. Twins sharing one pair of legs seemed to belong more to old legends than the light of day. As Garmund thought upon the tale, he recalled another story out of the North. A story of little people who lived in the sides of hills and rivers. Falco had walked out of those tales to dwell in Rohan. Some legends could hold truth. Garmund knew that the stranger in the ruins was not a giant from the story, but maybe there had once been others like him who were the beginning of the tale.

"One set of legs, but twins on top? Two heads, four arms, and everything?"

littlemanpoet · 09-09-2006, 10:13 AM

"Aye, Garmund, that is the way of it. Not scared?"

Garmund seemed to be thinking hard a moment, then shook his head in a determined "no".

"Well as you no doubt saw, Lefun and Ritun are plenty scared of folk like Thornden, but not of you or me. Ready to go on?"

"Yes," Garmund said, his face a mix of caution and eagerness. Falco smiled. They walked on, quietly.

"Lefun? Ritun?" whispered Falco presently. "It's me an' the boy. Hullo?"

All was quiet. They had stopped, straining their ears to hear anything over the quiet breeze.

"Here we be." The voice spoke from one side of the trail, behind the foliage, not two yards from before their very faces.

"Follow me, Garmund." Falco pushed some low stems to either side and stepped into the darkness of the underbrush. Garmund was right behind. Two more steps and they were in green shadow, the leaves whispering all about them. Falco stepped to one side, allowing Garmund room beside him. Garmund looked up and his mouth opened in awe, for before them were Lefun and Ritun, their shadowed faces watching the two carefully, the strain of caution not completely gone from the twin's rigid torsos, open curiosity in their faces. Now that Garmund had a chance for a better look, he could see that the two were a little taller than Nain the Dwarf, but shorter than his Pa. And their single pair of legs were thick as tree trunks.

"Lefun and Ritun we are," said the one on the right, quietly, who seemed, to Falco, to be the leader of the two. "How are you called, young one?"

09-07-2006, 02:24 PM	#1
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	at the ruin Falco pursed his lips and pondered a moment. There's something false about this Trystan, sure as shine when the sun's out, Falco thought to himself. Seemed the boy always had a mask on, because every now and then it slipped; and Falco was nothing if he wasn't quick to mark such things. So much for pondering. "Aye, you two go on ahead and I'll stay back with Garmund," Falco replied. Thornden eyed him suspiciously. "What're you lookin' at me like that for? You ought to be happy I let you come along at all! Garmund will be fine with me. Now go catch up the lad, can't you see he's leaving you behind?" Thornden, still eyeing Falco, glanced to where Trystan had been; he was not there. He threw up his hands in consternation and set out at a run to catch up to Trystan. Falco turned to Garmund who was again looking a little sullen. "There now, my boy, they've gone on a goose chase wild as you like. You want to see the man? I'll show him to you if you like."

09-08-2006, 12:08 PM	#4
Folwren Messenger of Hope Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States. Posts: 5,076	Javan in the stables “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that a horse can’t be your friend. Æthel is one of the truest.” Javan giggled rather humorously. “I know. My father thinks it’s ridiculous. He likes horses and doesn’t mind me being with them so much, but he doesn’t see how they can possibly be anyone’s friend. ‘They’re animals,’” he went on, his voice dropping into a deeper, imitation of someone’s voice (his father’s, presumably), “‘animals aren’t friends. They may seem to like you so long as you feed and water them and keep them groomed, but they couldn’t care less if you didn’t.’” He rambled to a stop and gently stroked Æthel’s velvet-like nose. She was a very attractive horse, with warm, bright eyes, and a finely shaped head. He leaned against the wall, his hand still caressing her. “I wish I had my own horse. I don’t have one,” he explained with a sigh as Lèof’s glance showed surprise. “How did you get yours?”

09-08-2006, 12:09 PM	#5
Folwren Messenger of Hope Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States. Posts: 5,076	Thornden and Trystan in the ruins Thornden didn’t trust Falco and his innocent appearance of staying behind with Garmund. He kept looking back towards the hobbit and boy as long as he was in sight, but the thick foliage and trees and crumbling wall soon hid them. He walked in silence by Trystan’s side. What was he even doing? He didn’t want to find the man! That hadn’t been his purpose at all, from the very beginning. He wanted to leave the stranger alone. A man unprovoked likely doesn’t do anything dangerous, and that’s exactly how Thornden wanted it. He stopped abruptly and plucked Trystan’s sleeve. “Hold on, lad,” he said. Trystan turned towards him. “I don’t think we want to go hunting him. He didn’t mean any harm, I’m certain of it, and I don’t think he will cause any harm, unless he thinks he’s being hurt, or about to be hurt. If we go poking about this place he might get angry. He called it his place and therefore, I think, might consider our walking about it in search of him as trespassing.” “But, we-” “What makes you so anxious to find him anyway?” Thornden asked, interrupted Trystan before he had scarcely begun. “Is there any reason?”

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09-07-2006, 06:59 PM	#2
Celuien Riveting Ribbiter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Assigned to Mordor Posts: 1,767	"I should like to see the man. Did you find him?" The idea of going to see the man slowly eased Garmund's sullenness, and the frown faded from his brow. "Aye. So I did. Come along quick now. We wouldn't want them to catch us again, would we?" Falco grinned at the boy, and Garmund smiled in answer. The conspirators could go on together, now that Thornden was off on his wild goose chase. Falco headed out of the circle, and Garmund hurried after, images of the coming meeting with the stranger filling his head.

09-07-2006, 07:27 PM	#3
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	The foliage was thick about them, spring well on its way to summer, and everything lush and green and making for good hiding at a pinch. "Now I want you to understand something, Garmund," Falco said quietly as he led the boy down the path. Garmund was quiet on his feet for a a human, but Falco had to keep from wincing with what his sharp ears picked up of Garmund's solid tread. "This man will look different to you. See, he hides back here because folk fear him." "Wh - why do they fear him? Is he bad?" "Nay, not bad, but different. See, he was born with one set o' legs like you and me but he's twins on top." Garmund stopped.

09-09-2006, 07:25 AM	#6
Celuien Riveting Ribbiter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Assigned to Mordor Posts: 1,767	Garmund froze in his tracks to stare at Falco, unsure whether to believe the story or not. There had been nothing in Falco's voice to make Garmund think that he was being teased. For Garmund had been told a story of two-headed giants, who, in times long forgotten, had dwelt among the wilds of the mountains in the North. The giants fell upon the Wold, stealing horses and burning farms until Aldhelm came with his bright sword and drove the giants back to the hills. But that had been a child's story, told to Garmund and Lèoðern by their father as they sat around a fire and the evening shadows grew deep around them. Twins sharing one pair of legs seemed to belong more to old legends than the light of day. As Garmund thought upon the tale, he recalled another story out of the North. A story of little people who lived in the sides of hills and rivers. Falco had walked out of those tales to dwell in Rohan. Some legends could hold truth. Garmund knew that the stranger in the ruins was not a giant from the story, but maybe there had once been others like him who were the beginning of the tale. "One set of legs, but twins on top? Two heads, four arms, and everything?"

09-09-2006, 10:13 AM	#7
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	"Aye, Garmund, that is the way of it. Not scared?" Garmund seemed to be thinking hard a moment, then shook his head in a determined "no". "Well as you no doubt saw, Lefun and Ritun are plenty scared of folk like Thornden, but not of you or me. Ready to go on?" "Yes," Garmund said, his face a mix of caution and eagerness. Falco smiled. They walked on, quietly. "Lefun? Ritun?" whispered Falco presently. "It's me an' the boy. Hullo?" All was quiet. They had stopped, straining their ears to hear anything over the quiet breeze. "Here we be." The voice spoke from one side of the trail, behind the foliage, not two yards from before their very faces. "Follow me, Garmund." Falco pushed some low stems to either side and stepped into the darkness of the underbrush. Garmund was right behind. Two more steps and they were in green shadow, the leaves whispering all about them. Falco stepped to one side, allowing Garmund room beside him. Garmund looked up and his mouth opened in awe, for before them were Lefun and Ritun, their shadowed faces watching the two carefully, the strain of caution not completely gone from the twin's rigid torsos, open curiosity in their faces. Now that Garmund had a chance for a better look, he could see that the two were a little taller than Nain the Dwarf, but shorter than his Pa. And their single pair of legs were thick as tree trunks. "Lefun and Ritun we are," said the one on the right, quietly, who seemed, to Falco, to be the leader of the two. "How are you called, young one?"