2004 Barrow-Downs’ Birthday Celebration!

[Firondoiel]

Firi sat with Ala, Leo, Elbie, Éowyn, and Keld talking merrily. It was wonderful to be with her friends at the Downies. She served them all tea and lembas then excused herself to the Party Tree. A parchment and a roll of super duper extra strong scotch tape was produced and fastened to the tree. Firi took a step back to look over her work.

Dearest Barrow-Wight,

Congratulations on the loftiest forum ever and best wishes that the coming year will be very spiffyful. I’m not one for rhymes and witty sayings but I should very much like to say thank you for all the work you put into this forum!

~Firi (Firondoiel)

P.S. Save the Trees!

Satisfied, Firi headed back towards her friends. Just a few feet ahead of her were Oro and Nova talking together. Firi hurried towards them smiling happily. “Nova! Oro!” she called.

[symestreem]

A soaked symestreem was playing for the dancers again. She was careful not to drip water on her fiddle. When the song was over, she ran her hands through her hair to get out the excess water and wiped them on her breeches.
She had had the misfortune of standing too close to a dwarf who was smoking a pipe and drinking beer at the same time. When water was thrown on the resulting explosion, they were both soaked. Now, she was trying to remember where she'd put her cloak.
A new set started, and she had to continually jerk her fiddle away from the droplets of water rolling off her nose. A casual observer would have thought she was having fits. This would never do.
She left the dance floor, nodding her apologies to the other musicians. She'd left her pack under a tree, but which one? It had been near the cookies... As she wove through the tables, she noticed the macaroni and cheese was half-gone. Good, these people were all too skinny anyway.
Was that a Balrog in the pavilion? As she watched, massive wings flickered in and out of existence on his shoulders. She considered standing in his shadow to dry herself, but thought better of it.
After finding her cloak, she was on her way back to the dance floor when she heard the tones of an unfamiliar instrument. A dark-haired woman was accompanying herself on the stage with some sort of wooden box. Ever the musician, symestreem stopped to watch.

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Just as soon as she could, Aylwen arrived at the Barrow Down’s Birthday party. Having just run a two-mile race at a previous engagement, Aylwen was unusually frazzled. Her usually tame, straight auburn hair had been haphazardly put in a crooked, sideways horsetail and was tangling. Her fair skin was burned from the sun, and her cheeks were red as she still struggled to get her breath back. Aylwen had changed quickly out of a mandatory running uniform and into her party apparel. Her wine red dress nearly matched her flushed cheeks, but this did not daunt Aylwen. While she did not plan on staying long, she still wanted to look half decent for her birthday well wishes.

Time was of the essence, Aylwen being a busy girl and all. In fact, she felt rather happy that she’d made it in time to beat even two pages of birthday partying. Aylwen did not even make the party last year! All Aylwen needed was time to send a birthday wish to the place at which she had spent so much time for nearly two years. Four years of merrymaking, and despite all the hardships and many sudden changes and makeovers, Aylwen was proud to know the Barrow-Downs had survived to be four years old.

Arriving at the Party Tree, Aylwen scribbled down her note.

Here’s to four wonderful years of intellect, comedy, wisdom, learning, and fun. I hope -

(Aylwen scribbled this out, replacing it)

- I am sure four more years of intellect, comedy, wisdom, learning, fun, and so much more are in store for us here at the Barrow-Downs. Happy birthday to the Barrow-Downs.

Feeling that her work at the party was complete and that there was still more work to attend to, Aylwen took her leave from the party.