Barad Lomin
by Laura White, aka halavana
Chapter II
Stumbling Upon Elves
In her father's house, Keren learned to walk silently, for heavy steps
of a woman angered him and he often shouted for the cows to go outside where
they belonged, until she and her sisters learned to walk softly. Now
this ability served her well, for she journeyed into the woods that grew
along the south bank of the Baranduin, disturbing not even a twig on the
ground. Once she heard the baying of hounds behind her, but she doubled
back on her tracks, leaving a curving, winding trail so as to confound them
if they followed her. Thinking it best to confuse what would soon be
an old trail and hard to follow, she did her best at this stage to use her
time wisely so that she could make greater distance in daylight. Though
tired from the day's work, she was a hardy sort and had spent many hours
of her childhood playing with her brothers and sisters in these same woods.
She knew them better than any hound could. And she had to admit
to herself, the prospect of a long journey was invigorating.
When she came to the river, she walked across the rope
bridge. Once on the other side, she took her map from the pouch on
her belt. Now the land became less familiar for she had ventured beyond
the north shore forest only twice with her mother and father and elder brothers,
to visit her mother's family near Lake Evendim, far to the north.
The map had been drawn by her mother's father and, though some things had
changed, the same landmarks and mile posts stood out in the pale moonlight.
Steering in the direction she knew to be due north, she made her way to the
Old Highway and followed it. At this time of night she saw no one and
set a quick pace, heading for an old inn called The Blue Foot, near a crossroads,
which once had been crowded and noisy but now served as a tavern frequented
by local farm laborers. In these days few traveled this road, most
travelers preferring the New Kingsway which followed the Baranduin, bearing
northeast toward Fornost and avoiding the Toe of the Blue Mountains.
She was admitted at the door and shown to a small garret room
where she could leave her belongings. Two travelers held places at
the bar, eating their dinner in quiet. Several small clusters of workmen
talked, dozed or gazed into space listening to only they knew what.
She found a corner and ate, unnoticed by any for her clothes were her brothers
discards and she appeared to be a youth on errantry. When two
youths asked to share her table, she jerked her chin toward seats, in imitation
of her brothers, and finished her meal as they talked and ate. One
was dark haired with grey-green eyes and the other had sandy colored hair
and blue eyes.
"So where you headed?" asked the dark haired one, using
that truncated speech laborers use with each other.
"North," she replied after swallowing a bite.
"What's north?"
She shrugged, chewing a bit of meat, not willing to
answer.
"So what's your name?" asked the blonde.
"Just call me Teli. I'll answer." As a child
her older brothers enjoyed teaching her how to pass for a boy, though had
her parents known how far they went with the game, they would have forbidden
it. Her eldest brother especially liked to try to fool others into
thinking she was a visiting cousin from another town. Teli was the
name he called her then.
"Well, Teli, I'm Jack and this is..." began the dark
haired one.
"I'll tell my own name, if you don't mind,” said the
other. “I'm Sam. We're going south, otherwise we'd ask you to
join us. Don't see why you want to go north though. Not much there."
"That's why I'm going that way. Not much there,"
said Keren
"Runaway?" asked Jack, looking keenly at “Teli’s” face.
"Sent away," said Keren.
"What for?" asked Sam.
"Good of the family. What about you? Where
you from?" responded Keren.
The two boys answered evasively and Keren chuckled.
"Now that we all know none of us want to be known, let's talk about something
else." She couldn't help but laugh at the boys, for their behavior
was so like her own brothers.
Presently the other patrons began to yawn. The
main room was clearing as the two guests went to their rest and laborers went
home. A very small boy with fuzzy feet scurried to collect the dishes
and Keren wondered who, and what, he might be. After a closer look,
she saw he was probably her age or older. She heard of such tiny people
from her brothers who had seen them only in quick glimpses as they dashed
out of sight. This one seemed not at all inclined to speak to her,
and being tired, Keren did not wish to force the interview.
"The inn keeper fished him out of the river last year,"
said Jack when he noticed the direction of her glance. "Poor fellow
was nearly drowned. They think he was washed away at a ford when his
family tried to cross. He won’t say much about it though. He's
a halfling. They call themselves Hobbits."
"Heard of them. Never seen one. Poor fellow,
to be left alone like that," said Keren
"We'll be seeing more of them," said Sam. "Trouble
in the East sends them looking for safer, quieter lands. Dragons,
goblins, strange happenings. His people might come looking for him,
if they’re still alive."
"If they want a place to live and be left alone, as
I've heard, I'm sure there's room for them somewhere," Keren yawned and
rose from her seat. "Well, good night," she said and waved to her
new ,though brief, companions, thinking she would not likely see them again.
They also saluted her good night and sat drinking their pints and talking
softly.
Keren slept no more than three hours and rose shortly
before dawn. As silently as she would in her father's house, she gathered
her things and went down to the tavern. Her two new friends were nowhere
in sight and others slept on benches at the table where she and the two boys
had eaten or occupied pallets on the floor. No one stood watch at the
door so she left a few coins on the bar and passed into the night.
None marked her exit, nor would any care after seeing that she left payment
where the barkeep would easily find it. Few cared about the passing
of a traveler on this lonely road and she walked at a good pace. Once
she heard singing but not wanting to stumble upon an isolated homestead, she
continued on until the road forked. She took the road to the left, which
was overgrown and dark and bore directly toward the Toe of the Blue Mountains.
The day dawned and still she traveled, not passing anyone
on the road. At about noon she stopped and ate a light meal of waybread,
dried meat and wine, leaving not a sign that anyone had been there once
she resumed her journey. The day passed and twilight came. The
road which once had been clear of trees was now overgrown with young saplings
sprouting along the center between the wagon ruts. She pondered the
speed with which nature reclaims abandoned places, and was rather glad of
it, for it helped conceal her path. She remembered this road was kept
clear just fifteen years ago. The dusky approach of evening found her
making a bed in a dry, out of the way place near the road and she lay down
and slept. When she woke it was still night but the moon shined its
light so that she could see her way between the trees.
Her journey continued in the same manner for the next
three days, the scenery changing but little. Sometimes up hill, sometimes
down hill, she traversed the countryside, thinking of her family at home
and wondering what would befall them when her wedding date came and they
could not deliver her to Millerson. She hoped the man would do no more
than gossip and threaten but could not be easy in mind about him. As
she thought on these matters, gazing about for a suitable place to spend
the night she walked off the path a few paces, found herself in the midst
of a band of elves making merry, gasped and retreated to the road.
She had not seen the light from their fire and it had been kicked out the
moment she fled. At least she thought they were elves, for their
appearance was much like those she had seen with her mother, and mere mortals
could not so quickly extinguish a campfire. Unnerved and unsettled,
she decided to move on and not trouble the fair folk. No longer tired
enough to take rest, she tramped on, hoping to make enough noise to alert
any elf of her coming and give them time to take flight. At any rate
she knew where they were and possibly would not disturb them again.
In spite of their pleasant experience listening to the elves sing, her mother
had cautioned her against trying to approach them, for they were capricious
and willful and more powerful than mortals. If they wished to be found,
all would be well, but if not, they had knowledge of powerfull spells to
make wanderers forget where they were going. Keren intended to avoid
them on that account.
All that night she traveled the wagon ruts which followed
a pass between two mountains of The Toe. Near dawn she came to an
abandoned inn close to a waterfall and pool. At one time it had been
a common place for weary travelers to stop, bathe and rest but now the buildings
which once had stood by the gate were gone and the gate itself was in extreme
disrepair. It made the inn where she spent her first night look almost
new. She expected no one to pass on this morning so she bathed and
washed her clothes. While waiting for them to dry, she took a light
breakfast of dried fruit and spread her map before her on the grass.
Her mother had often instructed her to carry three changes of clothing when
on a journey: one to wear, one to carry and one to spare. Two of her
changes were from her brothers and one was her own, for she did not like
to wear men's clothing and would wear her own familiar things when the opportunity
arose, as it had on this morning.
Looking at the map, she combed her hair, thinking how
strange it felt to have it so short. Though Keren tried not to think
of the knot of hair tossed in a corner of the milk room, she could not help
but wonder who might find it. Would Morwen find it and hide it?
And how would she fare when they questioned her? Morwen could be stubborn
and was the most likely of the three sisters-in-law to stand up to her father’s
harsh words. Keren hoped she would be all right.
With her eyes she followed her journey up until the
waterfall. The map was old and well worn, but it showed clearly the
lay of the land. Once she was sure of her way, she changed into her
traveling clothes, put on her hat, packed her things and set off again.
At dusk she sought a place to sleep and finding one lay down to a peaceful
slumber. Again, after only a few hours, she woke and continued her
journey. This time after she traveled an hour by the road, again,
she stepped into a circle of elves. Now elven light can be seen or
not seen, as the elves wish and when she stepped forward, seeing their fair,
merry faces turn toward her, she followed her former course of action and
fled backward. Their merry making was in array across her path and
she could not go forward without passing through the midst of them.
If she made a circuit around them, she feared losing herself in the dark
of the wood.
"Not so fast!" a voice called to her.
"Yes! You fled from us twice. Do not do
so again!" said another.
Twice? she thought. In a flash she was encompassed
by as merry a lot of elven folk as any elf seeker could wish, or weary traveler
could dread. Her mind ran over all the things her mother told her
about what to do "when elves find you" and took comfort in the saying that
they find mortals too somber and dull and usually leave them as quickly
as they find them, but sometimes not until after hearing all the news said
unfortunate mortal could tell. The trick was to speak the truth yet
avoid being interesting. She waited quietly for the questioning to
begin, looking from one to the other and observing their faces. Now,
anyone who has never seen an elf, probably thinks them small and sprightly,
but this is a mistake, for only elf children are small. These elves
were of varying height but the majority were taller than Keren and slim.
They had an ageless look about them and though she saw family resemblance
on many faces, she could not tell what relation they held, one to another,
for all looked of an age.
"Well, Teli. Well met again," said one, who looked
like Sam in elven guise. "Why did you leave us without even so much
as a good morning, by your leave and a farewell? Gave us the slip,
you did."
"We were going to visit my brothers in Eryn Vorn, but altered
our plans just for the purpose of seeking you out, so your apology had best
be worth the detour," said Jack.
"I wished to be on my way," she replied.
"From what?" asked another golden haired elf.
Never lie to an elf, her mother had said. May
as well tell the truth for all the sooner will they tire of the tale and
set you free.
"From my home."
Sam grabbed the hat off her head and tossed it to one
of his fellows before she could spring to retrieve it, and said "Oh?
Mortal maid flies from her home. This is news. Why? Did
your mother scold you?"
"My mother is dead."
A murmur of surprise and compassion rose and fell from
the surrounding wood, surprising Keren with the number and variety of voices
she heard. "But ten years ago. That is not my reason," she replied
"Your father has remarried and your stepmother is wicked?"
suggested the one with her hat.
She shook her head.
"Your father mistreats you," offered Sam.
Again she shook her head. "My father is harsh, but he
mistreats no one."
"Well, what then! Say! Say!" cried Jack
impatiently, then called to the elf with her hat, “Gil, toss me that, let
me see it.” When Gil obeyed, Jack tried it on, then tossed it to another.
"I wish to escape a disagreeable marriage."
A laugh ranged round the crowd, of more elves than Keren
thought remained so close to Barad Lomin.
"And what of this marriage? To a fat man whom
you can not stand to look upon?" said Sam.
"It is not his looks which repel me."
"Ho ho hooooo! He repels you!" laughed Jack pulling
the pack from her back and opening it to look inside. He then tossed
it to Gil as she grabbed for it. "And why does he repel you?
Is he a fop? A braggart? A swine?"
She inclined her head, thinking, wishing to be gone,
but without her hat and pack she could not last long in the wilderness, so
she bore their jests.
"Come come now, lass, what is it about him you find
so repellent? Mortal maid was ever wont to seek higher than she deserves.
What is it?" This one took her walking stick and inspected it, as if
to determine the type and age of the wood. He had a viol on a strap
slung on his back.
Jack approached him and inspected the stick as well.
“Looks like oak, eh Holly?”
Holly nodded then looked at Keren again. “Well?
What?”
"I fear..."
"She fears he will eat all the sweetmeats, that's what she
fears," said Gil. He took out a piece of waybread. "Hmm. What's
this? Mortal bread. Smells good, but you never know with these
mortals..." He took a bite, nodded and passed the partial loaf around.
"No. That he is a murderer. Now give me
my things please, I wish to be gone."
This stopped them all and they looked at her with wonder
in their eyes. She made as if to spring for her stick but instead
grabbed her pack. Gil was so startled by this sudden maneuver that
it was all he could do to hold on. But quickly he came to himself
and with a firm hold on the bag, swung her around and around until she was
sent flying toward a tree where she, rather ungracefully, crashed through
the leaves of the underbrush and into the trunk, slid down and sat staring
at them. Seeing it was pointless to try to get her things, she sighed
and rose to her feet. They continued to toss her hat and walking stick
between them, passing her pack from one hand to the other, rummaging through
it as they did so. She crossed her arms and watched them.
"Why do you give up?" asked Sam. "You could win
them back if you try hard enough. Why don't you try for them?"
"Because that is what you want. I've tired of
entertaining you. "
The elves shrugged and continued to toss her things
over her head as they asked their questions.
"So, you fear your intended is a murderer. Whom
did he murder?" asked Jack.
"I do not know that he murdered anyone. I said
that I fear he did. But I do know that he is a scoundrel who would marry
me only because I am the youngest daughter of his neighbor and he wishes
to join the properties together. My elder brothers are all gone so
there is no one to prevent it. My younger brothers only see the profit
of the union. They do not know that he intends to usurp them."
"And how do you know this?" asked Jack.
"I heard him say so himself."
"Bold he is to say so openly," observed Sam. “What
say you, Holly?”
“He is bold indeed, to say the least,” agreed Holly.
"He did not know I was nearby. I was merely buying
wine and speaking with my friend, the merchant’s daughter-in-law.
His voice is deep and carries far."
Her pack, hat and staff continued to fly about, and
the elves continued their questions but as she answered them her eyes met
those of Holly, and she saw his look change from mirth to mercy. He
stepped forward and caught each of the missiles, presenting them to her
with an apology.
"Forgive us for our jests. We meant no harm but
found it intriguing to find a maid errant. So we wished to detain
you for a while. Please forgive us our foolishness."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she took the articles
from him and fled across their circle, following the old road as quickly as
she could run. Behind her the elven light was quenched. Fearing
they might follow her, she fled on, not looking behind and not seeing Holly,
who championed her, raise a hand, curving his arm as he did so. Neither
did she hear him say in the elven tongue a verse which can be translated
as follows:
"Oh maiden lost, from dread union in flight
May you find rest and peace tonight
Let your curving path to you seem straight
But at last guide you to an elven gate."
So saying, he laughed merrily, and taking up his
viol and strumming, joined the other minstrels. They began again
to play and sing and dance with elven maids who appeared from the shadows
where they had been sent by their kinsmen.
"I told you the 'fellow' you met was in truth a maid,"
said an elf maiden to Jack.
"How knew you that, Iris?"
"I saw her bathe yester morn. And, dear uncle,
look not on me so. As if you thought I wronged you by not calling you
to see for yourself. Thistledown, think you that she will find the gates
before they close?" Iris called to another.
"Our minstrel's enchantments can put wings to a turtle's
feet, and she is no such reptile. Rest assured, she will find a haven
with the ladies of our elven lord, for Holly Starfoot's words seldom go
astray," said Thistledown and whirled away as the minstrels struck up a
merry tune.