At last the day came when the elves, though still on their guard, returned to the woods to dance, feast and make merry.  The stone floor where the bodies of the goblins were burned to ashes had been scoured by the rain and it was now clean and pure, as if only leaves and rain had ever fallen there.  The children of the elves gathered around the minstrels and danced as the minstrels played. Keren joined Thistledown and her friends for a while, but she tired more quickly and wished not to slow them in their merriment, so she danced in turns and sat with Lurisa and Springlily.  She could sing, or as she said, could carry a tune but not very far and tended to drop it along the way, and consented to perform for them, when Lurisa insisted.  Keren wondered at their enjoyment of her silly songs, for to her they were foolish words set to common tunes learned from her mother trying to make her laugh when she was a child.  The same archers she had seen in undaunted chase of goblins, now were merry as children.  Even Morfindel and Lurisa laughed heartily.

    One song, which at first shocked the elves, ran as follows:

When in the morn and I awake
A bird at times into song will break

Ah! Such a song, so jubilant, so happy and so sweet
Does early this bright morning rouse mine soul to greet.

I can not but allow the urge to get up from my bed
Go to the window, bring down the sash...
And try to smash its noisy head!

    The last line was not sung but spoken rather fiercely. Breaking their stunned silence, Gil asked "Well?  Did you succeed in smashing the poor thing?"  to which she responded, "Of course not.  The silly creature flew away before I was halfway across the room.  This happened every spring morning before dawn when I was a child and ensured that my sisters and I rose before the sun."

    Well, this pleased the elves for they love birds, song birds especially, and never slay them.  Then when they thought about the lyric still more they broke into robust laughter at the thought of a mortal being roused from sleep in such a manner.

    Many other such quirky songs she knew and never failed to surprise and delight her listeners. She began to think it was the wine they drank, but when she said so, they only laughed the more, and begged another song. Though her voice had not the art of the elves, they found in her rustic vocalizations an echo of their early attempts.  Lurisa privately voiced to Springlily her regret that Keren would not live long enough to exercise her talent to its fullest.

    She crossed paths with Starfoot only at a distance when they bowed greetings from across the clearing or passed by him as he played and she danced.  Keren noticed that, at first, he greeted her with joy, but later on he met her with an expression more akin to sadness.  She determined, therefore, to no longer follow the elves who flocked near to listen to him sing, but to hear from afar.

    The next day when Keren continued her isolated study of healing goblin caused injuries, Starfoot came looking for another minstrel who had been there but a moment before.  Keren smiled and greeted him, but he responded with confusion.

    "How can you greet me so cheerfully?" he asked.  "For many days I have not seen you except in the company of another minstrel or Thistledown and her friends.  Is mortal woman's heart so fickle that I am replaced so easily?"

    Her smile faded.  "My friend," she said, facing him earnestly.  "No one can replace you in my heart.  By my absence I only hoped to ease the discomfort which besets you at my presence. Time and distance have a way of resolving awkward situations for me, but perhaps it is not the same with elves.  Though we had best not allow our hearts to speak openly, I doubt not they would both utter the same words.   Forgive me for causing you unintended sorrow, for I never meant to shun you, but to free you."

    He smiled sadly and turned to look out the window at the morning.  "Such would be your intentions, and it is a comfort, somewhat."  He sighed deeply and was silent.

    She approached him and putting a hand on his arm turned him to face her.  Taking his face in her hands, she said "You are dearer to me than any living creature on this Earth.  Ask of me anything and I would not refuse."

    Long they stood, locked in each other's gaze.  Then the gaze became a long soft kiss and a tender embrace but too soon it ended, for Morfindel entered the archives and, seeing them, he grew  angry and ordered Keren out.

    "My lord," she began.

    "Leave!"

    "I will not until I am heard!"

    Morfindel was surprised by her unaccustomed vehemence and indicated she should speak.

    "My lord, blame him not for what you see here, for it was I who kissed him this time, if perchance it may be possible to return what he gave me and release him from this mortal who would too soon bring him to grief.  Be not harsh with him for if either of us should be reprimanded, it is I!"

    The elven lord bowed slightly and motioned for her to leave the room, now.  This time she obeyed, glancing once at Starfoot and then sweeping out the door.  Then Morfindel turned in anger to Starfoot.  "Elendal, you assured me you would not consort with her!  What enchantment used you?"

    Starfoot was puzzled.  The word consort troubled him for he knew not how it applied.  And as for enchantments... "I used none, my lord."

    "How can that be?!  You must have used some form of subtle enchantment for her to be so devoted to you."

    "Truly, my lord, I used none.  I feared she would be lost in the woods when she first fled from us and guided her path to our dwellings.  And I feared for her life, as you know already.  But I used no enchantment to guide her heart, neither would I."

    Morfindel sighed, a deeply troubled look on his face.  "Would that you had, for such spells may be undone.  But if this be love of a true heart...  Has she learned enchantments, then?  What say you of yourself?"

    "I know not, but I do love her, my lord."

    "This is madness!  You, of all elves, know the risk of loving a mortal, especially one such as Keren!  We both know she is too much one of us to bring forth a halfling, and too much a mortal to bear an elf and live to nurse the child!"

    "And yet my heart is knit to hers with bonds I cannot break!"  Here Starfoot leaned on the table and hanging his head, looked down into its richly grained wood, past his own reflection and beyond, following the path which Morfindel also had seen and at which he was dismayed.  "I cannot cease to love her without turning to hate and I will not do that.  I cannot change my heart, but I can restrain it.  There are many degrees and kinds of love.  One can be transformed to the other without changing its nature.  I will not risk shortening her already brief span of life by making her my lady, so I will look on her as a sister, or daughter.  As long as I know she is well and safe, I will be content."

    "Well spoken, my friend," said Morfindel.  "Forgive my anger.  Perhaps I am too harsh, but I do not want any to suffer what my daughter suffered, seeing her husband die, and then after another three hundred years, watching her half-elven children debate casting their lot with the elves, or with mortal men, only to have them all choose mortality.  When she could bear her sorrow no more, she sailed into the West, leaving the task of mourning to her mother and me...” Morfindel was silent a long moment, then said, “Keren has my countenance and that of my lady.  She shall stay as long as she will, even to the end of her days.  But for your sake, I hope she stays not that long, for to see her leave the earth would grieve you beyond measure.  I fear for you, my friend."

    "My lord, what is measure?  What does it matters if I grieve now or 20, 50 or 100 years in the future?  Already she has been taken from me.  Had you warned me when she first fled from us, I fear it would have been too late, for it was then I began to love her.  But I pray you, give me leave to go out among her people and discover what I may, for though I doubt her not, I would yet find out if her former suitors yet live.  And also to see what may be seen of her kin, for my heart misgives.  Danger awaits her there should she return."

    "That I grant.  Go and return in peace.  Discover what you may of any goblin doings as well.   I like it not they passed so near to us.  And send word often.  But have a care.  The Atani are capricious and willful.  My father trusted them once, and even men of Numenore were beguiled by the enemy and turned against us.  And descendants of my own daughter who live yet in Barad Lomin have proved equally faithless, at times.  Be on your guard.  Best that you trust them not."

    "Not all men are faithless as Ulfang and Uldor.  You are of clearer sight than your father, having never looked on them with his contempt.  Had Caranthir known men like the Numenorean sea captain who wed your daughter, he might have judged with more clarity.  And do not the descendants of Bor yet reside less than a days journey from here?  And remember my lord, I have journeyed among them before.  It was I who taught Jack and Sam the way.  Fear not for me.  As a good brother I shall discover why my little sister was rejected so many times."  He laughed, bowed to Morfindel and went out. The elven lord proceeded to seek out the volume he originally came for, a book transcribed for Celebrimbor revealing his methods of smithing mithril, but when he found it and sat at a table, he could not see the page for the water in his eyes.

    “Too late for me as well, Elendal,” he said and sighed, “so it begins again.”  Pushing the book away, he sat back and let the tears flow.

*******

When elves visit mortals, on occasion they may do so disguised in mortal form.  Some elves have more skill at this then others and Holly Starfoot was among the best.  Jack and Sam’s comparitive youth enabled them to pass for mortals.  But Starfoot, though not able to transform himself permanently, could take on the looks of a completely different person, or even a goblin for a time when he set his mind to it.  This was not actual shifting of shape, but like putting on a mask.  To suit his purpose on this occasion, Starfoot chose to appear as an aged minstrel.  No magic potion or spell was required.  He merely sat, and thought himself into the guise of his choosing. Straight back and broad shoulders became curved and bent. Knees used to dancing and running through the forest buckled and bowed.  Golden hair turned gray and wispy.  He chose a viol of aged appearance and not quite able to keep its tune.

    He set out before dawn the following morning, after taking leave of his elven lord, who was startled by the change in his appearance, but nodded approvingly and wished him well.  Onward he shambled, growing more accustomed to his new shape as the days and miles wore on.  He had chosen clothing of a style known to be favored by a man well into old age and by the time he reached the inn called the Blue Foot, he had become so adept at looking the part of an ancient minstrel even other elves would have seen through his disguise only with the greatest of difficulty.

    He found that he could get a room at the inn for a song.  Literally.  They had so little music and the guests were so delighted to hear him play they easily forgave him his cracked voice and sang in his stead.  Some even invented new words for songs which before had only elven lyrics, and later became quite well known.

    The following day he found transport across the river using money tossed on the table as he played.  This generosity surprised him at first, but he remembered Keren saying that, overall, her people were kind hearted, or at least loved to appear so.  He followed the road and passed the Woodman farm where he was hailed as a stranger by one of the sons and invited to come in and eat.  It was time for the noon meal and though he was not especially hungry, he was thankful for the opportunity.  Woodman inquired where he was bound and asked about his business in Barad Lomin and the elf answered that he was merely tired of staying in the same place and wanted to go wandering once more while he still could.  Also that he had heard of this town with its tower built over a well which echoed marvelously when it rang the hours and wished to see it for himself.  All this was true, for Starfoot did enjoy roaming and seeing new places, or observing changes in places he had seen already.  And Morfindel himself had designed the tower for which Barad Lomin was named, laying its foundation with his own hands and his sons helping to construct it for Numenorean seafarers wanting a more inland haven.  Starfoot had not seen it in many years.

    Woodman had room for a guest in his house even with three sons, their wives and children under his roof, but the "old ministrel" said that he would rather stay nearer to the center of town so Woodman gave him a letter to present at any house in town and perhaps he could find lodging.  The elf thanked him kindly and bade them farewell for the present.  He walked down the road, hobbling and looking about, noting the Miller farm.

    In town he encountered the local school master, who saw his viol and asked for a song, if he pleased.  All the tunes Starfoot played, the teacher knew.  Even had rough renderings of the original words, though the elf had to restrain himself from correcting the gentleman, who was so very delighted in his ancient minstrel/new friend that he invited him to stay at his home.  The sight of the letter from Woodman only confirmed his desire to house the "old nimstrel" for he and Woodman were good friends.

    The teacher, whose name was Mr. Brown, was guiding Starfoot toward his house when the bells began to ring in the tower.

    “There now!” cried Brown.  “We’ll catch them this time!”  He raced forward faster than the elf thought an elderly school master could.  Starfoot followed close behind and they came to the tower.  As fast as his old legs could move him, the teacher climbed the steps circling the upper cistern and reached the top level where the bells were hung.  Brown was huffing and puffing, but so angry he hardly noticed.  The bells had just ceased to chime and no one else was in sight.  “Those confounded boys,” wheezed the aged gentleman.  “They come up here and play merry tunes and dirges, then vanish down one of the other three stairways.”  Brown sat on a bench near a pillar and tried to catch his breath.  “Ah well, it’s a pity your first day among us is spent chasing youngsters up and down the tower steps.  The off time chiming of these bells has been blamed on every boy in three towns, yet all deny it, and can prove they were elsewhere.”  With that, the teacher slowly rose and began his descent. 

    Starfoot waited until Brown had rounded the curve, then leaned close to one of the bells.  “I thank you for the welcome,” he said, “but perhaps it would be best not to do that again for some time.”

    The bell uttered a low soft “bongggggg” and was silent.

    When they arrived at the teacher’s home, they found Mrs. Brown tutoring four daughters of families who could afford to send their girls to school.  They were in the front room when Mr. Brown and his guest entered.  They all stood up and waited to be introduced to the newcomer.

    "My friend, you have yet to tell me your name," said the teacher in mock irritation.

    "My, my my," said the old minstrel.  "Call me Ereg, for such was I called until everyone began treating me with too much respect."  Ereg is Holly in the elven tongue.

    "As you wish, Mr. Ereg," said Mrs. Brown, misunderstanding his meaning.  But it mattered not for soon everyone knew him as Mr. Ereg and the girls were eager to perform their lessons for him.  They had all learned to cipher and read and write letters to each other and for their families who had not the time to send greetings to far relations.  Some of their stories they read aloud to their visitor, who nodded and complemented them on their progress.

    "My students have also been waiting for a chance to show their abilities," said Mr. Brown, smiling.  "Would you be willing to bear with them a while?  After you are rested, of course."

    "Of course," said ‘Mr. Ereg,’ secretly delighted to be accepted so quickly.  He doubted anyone would have taken him in had he come openly as an elf.  Most likely they would have been afraid of him, he supposed.  He used his time of repose, faining sleep, to think and plan and remember.

    In about an hour, he followed Brown to the school house where the older boys were tutoring the younger.  At the appearance of their school master, the boys raced to their seats and sat at attention.  Brown explained that they had a guest who had some knowledge of music and would be willing to hear them perform.  At the end of the day the boys returned home to tell their families about the strange old man who came to their class and could play better than anyone they ever heard.

    The educator and his wife were prolific talkers and a great source of information to Ereg.  From them he learned of the aborted union between the families of two great land owners.  The intended bride vanished before the wedding and long though they sought her, she was nowhere to be found.  When the family discovered she had fled, she had been gone two days.  Her father called her and she did not show herself, so he called again. He never had to call more than once before and became angry, then he became afraid.  His daughter-in-law, an outsider by Barad Lomin standards named Morwen, came tohim and told him the whole story, as she and Keren had agreed that she should.  Morwen was a very strong willed young woman and patiently bore with her father-in-law’s rage, then comforted him in his sorrow and regret when he came to his senses.

    Later they found the potential groom was less than honest about his fortunes.  He was heavily in debt to unscrupulous agents from Rhudaur and needed the prospects which would have been his by this marriage to prevent foreclosure on all his lands.  No one had known anything about his business dealings and many assumed he was prosperous because of his character and high standards of conduct.  Brown laughed when he said this and added that he could have informed them of the truth had they been willing to listen, for Millerson was his student at one time and found to be a cheat, a liar, a bully and a troublemaker.  Brown refused to teach him after the third year.  He blamed Keren not at all for taking flight, if that was indeed what she had done.  Had told Woodman so too, repeatedly.

    When the search for Keren was abandoned, Millerson swore that her family was hiding her from him, trying to ruin him, and left town, swearing vengeance on them and any who helped hide his wife, for so he insisted she was.  For a time the magistrate of Barad Lomin received report upon report of thievery, destruction of crops and such varying kinds of mischief previously unheard or unthought of by the towns people.  He was at a loss what to do to restore the peace and safety they had once known, without resorting to an appeal to the King of Arthedain's magistrate in Duinbar across the river.  The magestrate of Barad Lomin was a kinsman of the prince Cardolan and did not wholly trust the knights of King Malvegil because of frequent contention over territory.  They were far from the disputed land, however, and lived peacefully with their neighbors across the river.  But before Barad Lomin's officials could decide, the trouble ceased as abruptly as it had begun.

    Well, continued the teacher, a few days later Millerson returned, made humble apologies to all, presided over an auction of his father's goods and moved the family into town where he bought a small but adequate home on the poor side of town.  His sisters who remained unmarried were sent away to become governesses, maids and housekeepers where they might find positions.  The younger boys, nephews to old Miller, joined the King's Knights as squires, for a time, planning to travel with them for two or three years.  Millerson himself, his father and mother and an uncle remained and did such jobs as were available: errands, sweeping the walks, hauling debris and refuse, delivering messages, anything which could bring in a few coins or provisions.  It was not long before one or two merchants wished to employ them full time and this pleased the man because it gave him a more stable income, some thought, but as it turned out, he was able to play one against the other so expertly that he worked for both, each paying what he would have paid as a daily wage for half a day's work.  This was a recent development, having begun only three days ago, said the teacher who wondered how long it would last.

    At this point Ereg begged leave to rest, for the afternoon had worn into evening.  The Browns bade him goodnight and he went to his room where he lay on a comfortable bed and drifted off into elvish dreams of his last visit to Barad Lomin when he helped Earlina and Ciryafin move to Dor Luin.