Friends of Nimrodel: Tapestry of Dreams

[mark12_30]

"Liornung, you speak as a loyal friend." Amroth considered the three riders, pressing his thoughts into the wild boy's mind as he did so.

Ædegard, giver of cloak, blanket and Echo, with fellowship and loyalty to match. Liornung, cheerful, warm, open, kind. Lady Bellyn, quiet, caring, thoughtful, and sweet-voiced.

A little of the boy's fear subsided.

Amroth spoke again. "Liornung, I have no desire to sleep. Sleep brings me no rest; only dreams: dark, pressing, heavy and wearying dreams, cavernous dreams without wind or sky or breath. Good friend, I do not desire sleep."

He swayed in the saddle as he spoke. The wild boy urged his lanky chestnut closer to him, reaching as if to catch him.

[Imladris]

Aeron watched Gwyllion approach the dog, fuming under his breath the entire while. That ranger -- no suitable words could describe him. What did he expect of Gwyllion? She was a young girl, two years younger than himself (though the ranger couldn't possibly know that, for he probably still thought she was older), with strange behaviour. And he just expected her to leave all that behind? It was positively ridiculous.

Aeron scowled at Ravion who was packing the horse, debating whether he should go and help him or now. Let the ranger do his own work Unless the ranger expressly ordered him to help, he was on his own. Aeron grabbed a thick stick and began to whittle it.

[mark12_30]

Under Reafindan's watchful eye Gwillion began to smile, the dog began to wag his tail.

Mellonin sighed with relief and turned to her blankets. In moments they were rolled and tied. Then catching Aeron's eye, she raised one eyebrow.

He stood, and began rolling his blankets.

Raefindan was still with Gwillion and Jorje. Mellonin rolled his blankets and tied them, and picked up his water bottle to fill it for him.

Aeron was almost done with his own packing, but wth a sigh, he realized he would have to pack for Gwillion too, and fill both their bottles. Ravion watched out of the corner of his eye as Mellonin directed Aeron with a glance, a gesture, or a nod.

[Nurumaiel]

Both Liornung and Ædegard started when Amroth began to sway, but they did not ride to his side. Rather they dismounted and went on foot to him. Ædegard reached up to Amroth and helped him dismount, a frown creasing his brow. Liornung shook his head. "Master Amroth, you may not desire sleep but sleep you must," he said. "Come, sit down a moment and regain your strength."

If Amroth had desired to protest he did not. Ædegard firmly but gently led him to where he could sit and Bellyn said, "Might I get you a cup of water, sir?"

"Yes, do," Liornung said before Amroth could reply. "And while you do that, Miss Bellyn, you might see if Miss Argeleafa is anywhere about." He turned to Ædegard with another shake of his head. "I am worried that her father will expressly forbid her to go," he said. "In truth that foul creature would have never been slain if it had not been that Lady Éowyn went against her uncle's wishes, as you say, Ædegard, but disobedience is not good in itself, though it was made that some good should come out of her wrong. I would not desire Miss Argeleafa to disobey her father's request." He fell to thinking and soon Bellyn returned with the water, which she gave to Amroth. He thanked her but did not drink. Liornung did not notice this, however, for the young Rohirric girl was coming towards them, leading a sleek roan horse.

When she reached them she gazed about shyly, and Liornung took her hand eagerly. "It is a pleasure to see you will ride with us, Miss Argeleafa," he said. "I will not ask what your father said; your presence answers that question. I will instead introduce you to my companions. Ædegard and Bellyn you have already seen, though I have not given their names. This Amroth." He led her over to the one spoken of, who stood to his feet and bowed to her. A blush sprang to her cheeks and she curtseyed, murmuring, "I am honored, sir."

"This lad," Liornung continued, "is one I do not know, though something tells me he shall be travelling with us."

"I know him already," Argeleafa replied.

"Ah, do you? But I do not. Introduce him to me, if you will."

"I do not know his name... that is, I know what he is called among the wayfarers but it is an ugly name that I would not give to him." Her eyes softened as she looked at the lad. "They call him Pig."

A look of disbelief crossed Liornung's face and he shook his head in disgust. "Alas for the sorrows of the world," he said. "What a cruel name. There is a lack of love amongst those wayfarers, I gather." He sighed. "But now then, Miss Argeleafa, do sit down. Let us all sit and talk and sing and tell tales and become better acquainted. We have a day to pass, or so I believe. I trust, Amroth, you have decided to rest this day?"

[mark12_30]

The wild boy still had not dismounted. Staring at the strangers, he rode to Amroth's back and halted his lanky chestnut, and together they stood guard behind Amroth.

With a bemused nod at Liornung, Amroth sat back down. "Yes, I will rest. It seems I must." He reached for the water that Bellyn had brought for him, and drank. Then he looked at the long, sweet grass, weighing its softness against the harshness of the dreams. The sun was shining, and the rolling ground gave some shelter from the cold wind. He gave in, pulled his cloak around him and lay down on his back.

The boy slid off his chestnut horse, eyeing the others. Chattering in his strange tongue, he snatched Amroth's wrist and pulled, dragging Amroth several feet. Liornung stepped towards Amroth, but with a squeal the boy stepped between them. Liornung started to protest as the boy burst into a frenzy of motion. He pushed the boy away, and then Liorning saw the blood running down his own hand and arm.

Liornung gaped at the blood while the boy sprang onto his chestnut, drummed his heels into the horse's side, turned him towards Liornung and tried to ride him down. Liornung lurched aside, putting his back to Argeleafa and slapping at the chestnut as he reached for his weapon. By now Ædegard was by Bellyn's side drawing his knife.

"What happened?" said Ædegard.

"He bit me!" said Liornung.

[Nurumaiel]

Liornung had drawn the little knife he kept at his belt. He generally did not like to carry a weapon but the road had often proved dangerous and it had been useful. His first thought was to step in front of Argeleafa so she would come to no harm; Ædegard would take care of Bellyn.

What was the lad doing? It had been strange how he had begun dragging Amroth across the ground, it had been stranger how he had attack Liornung, and it was unthinkable that he was on his horse now, trying to ride over them.

Argeleafa touched his sleeve as the boy turned his horse to them again. "Please," she murmured, "don't hurt him. I don't know what he's doing but he's a wayfarer."

Yes, the lad was a wayfarer. He was most likely distrustful of people because people were distrustful of him. Yet Liornung had never known a wayfarer who would attack for that reason. He did not wish to hurt the lad himself, and for Argeleafa's sake, who would naturally feel some devotion to a member of the wayfarer band, he would be even more careful.

The boy had seemed to be considering what to do next, but he had urged his horse on again and he swept by them again. Ædegard had taken Bellyn's arm and pulled her back as he himself leapt aside, and Liornung made a gesture that Argeleafa should stay back. "Ædegard," he said, trying to speak in a tone of voice so Ædegard might hear but the boy would not. "I would not harm the boy, if possible. We should try to get him off his horse. He will be less dangerous on foot, unless it is proved he is armed. And you, Bella, must stay out of harm's way."

[alaklondewen]

“Welcome, mellyn,” Erebemlin rose and greeted the two golden-haired elves as they entered his talan from the trunk of the mellorn. “Tell us what you have learned.” Celegtâl stood in the corner, behind the host, with his arms folded over his chest.

The first ellon, Caranduin, stepped forward and spoke, “We have seen them, Silmaethor. Their number is not many as was feared…only twelve. They have stopped approximately three leagues from our border.”

“Yes, they will wait for nightfall before they try to enter.” Erebemlin turned his back on Caranduin and sat on a small bench that was covered in a material the same golden shade that colored the leaves of the tree.

Now it was Taitheneb’s turn to come forward. “Why are they coming? The war is over. They have no business with us.”

Celegtâl could hold tongue no longer. “Why are they coming? They want to destroy us, the filthy beasts. We must eliminate them before they have a chance to contaminate our forest.”

Erebemlin stood and face the young speaker. His frame towered over Celegtâl as he spoke calmly and firmly, holding him with his thoughts. You speak too quickly, Elloneth. “We are not the only beings who need food to last the winter. They will be in search of flesh to take to their mines.” The elder released the young elf from his gaze and turned to Caranduin and Taitheneb. “However understandable their motives, they will not find what they seek in the Golden Wood. We will be ready for them when they arrive.” With that, Erebemlin snatched his bow and descended from his home, letting the three follow.

[mark12_30]

Raefindan watched Gwyllion petting Jorje til there was peace in Gwyllion's eyes, and then he nodded to her. "All right, Gwyllion. Let's walk. Would you like Jorje to walk with you?"

He picked up his pack. The group began walking with the early winter sun behind them, and their shadows were long upon the grass.

[Orual]

The sharp cracks from Aeron's knife against the piece of wood resonated in Ravion's head. Snap. Snap. It had a pattern, an entirely unintentional musicality to it, that stemmed from Aeron's emotions.

It didn't take Ravion's Ranger training to tell him that the boy was angry. He knew from his own experience that every emotion had its own rythm. Happiness was bright and stacatto; sadness was slow and drawn-out; nervousness was quick and brief; and anger...anger was broken, hard, and fast. Ravion sighed, put down his pack, and walked over to Aeron.

"I don't want to be your enemy, Aeron," Ravion said without preamble. He leaned on his arm against the tree that Aeron was sitting under. The boy did not look up at him. Ravion sighed again, and turned to press his back against the trunk. "Aeron. Are you listening to me?"

"I can hear you," Aeron said noncomittally.

"Aeron, this trip won't be pleasant if we fight the whole way. You obviously misinterpreted what I said to your sister. But you have to understand that time is of the essence. If she keeps having these fits, we'll lose valuable time. Now, we can fight, or we can be civil to each other. Which will it be?"

With an air of relief, Ravion waited for Aeron's response. At least he had gotten through it without actually saying the word "sorry"...

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Each day seemed to grow more and more strange to Bellyn. The wayfarers intrigued her, to say the least, but now they had two of the folk traveling with them. The young Rohirric lady, Argeleafa, Bellyn had no qualms with. In fact, Bellyn thought it rather nice to have another companion. Not just because Argeleafa was female, but also because it seemed to Bellyn that she knew as little about adventure and traveling as Bellyn did.

This new wayfarer, the Easterling, who had been called 'Mellon' by Amroth, turned out to be another matter entirely. Bellyn hadn't planned on ever seeing a weapon in Ædegard's hand, much less in Liornung's grasp. The boy had bitten Liornung! Bellyn scowled at the boy as Amroth dazed into and out of consiousness. She tried her best to remember the conclusion she and Liornung had come up with about Ædegard, and hoped that Mellon would calm.

"For one who wished for no sleep, Amroth seems to have dropped off quite easily," Bellyn murmured, looking at Amroth. Liornung sighed and Bellyn caught a hint of a snort from Ædegard, who watched the boy speaking to the sleeping Amroth. Bellyn sighed, glancing at Argeleafa and Liornung, to Ædegard, to Mellon and Amroth, then back again. "It does not look like Amroth shall be waking any time soon."

"Right. We need to get 'Mellon' to stop dragging him around then," Ædegard pointed out, interlocking his fingers and resting his hands behind his head.

"To do that we need to be sure 'Mellon' will not bite us," Argeleafa added softly, and Liornung nodded approvingly to her.

"How do we go about doing this, then?" Bellyn wondered aloud. She wished she was brave enough to walk right up to Mellon and help to tame the lad, but with several glances at Liornung's arm, Bellyn was forced to think twice. "While we all figure how to complete this task, would you like me to tend to your arm, Liornung?"